Cultivator's Group Chat

Chapter 2: A Ring

Emperor's Smile in-hand, Wei Wuxian decides to take a stroll around the Cloud Recesses. He heads to the lake at the back of Gusu, taking in the fresh air. He reminisces about the time he saw the whip scars on Lan Zhan's back as he was bathing in the lake. Kind of a pervy move, but it was thrilling. Besides, Lan Zhan was more pervy. Wei Wuxian takes another sip of Emperor's Smile.

"Maybe he's liked me less ever since I've resurrected in Mo Xuanyu's body?" He asks himself. "I mean, nothing could beat my actual face. Mo Xuanyu is at most a six. I was a whole ten!" He sighs in despair. Such a waste his former handsome face was. Wei Wuxian starts to regret jumping off that cliff.

He heads back to the chambers. He comes across one chamber which is quite familiar. He had always seen it, but could not put his finger on whose it was. Suddenly, Wei Wuxian remembers what Zewu Jun had once told him.

"Ah, so this is his mother's chamber." A smile creeps up Wei Wuxian's face. "I wonder if Lan Zhan's mother would have liked me?" A chuckle parts his lips. Just as he is about to leave, he sees someone exit the chamber—Jin Zixuan?

Jin Zixuan spots Wei Wuxian looking at him. Shocked, Jin Zixuan walks towards him.

"What are you doing here?" Jin Zixuan asks.

Wei Wuxian furrows his eyebrows. "I should be the one asking that!"

"You shouldn't be here! Go now," Jin Zixuan retorts, shooing Wei Wuxian away. He shoves Mo Xuanyu's feeble body farther from the chamber.

Wei Wuxian looks back as he is being pushed. He spots Lan Zhan exiting the chamber as well, the first he had seen of him all afternoon.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian yells. Before Lan Zhan could notice, Jin Zixuan shoves Wei Wuxian with more force.

"He's busy, you shouldn't bother him." He continues to push Wei Wuxian in the opposite direction of the chambers.

Annoyed, Wei Wuxian flicks Jin Zixuan's hands off his shoulders. "Stop! I can walk on my own." He stomps away angrily.

As soon as Jin Zixuan was out of sight, Wei Wuxian's eyes start to sting. His cheeks become damp and his nose starts to run. "What's wrong with me today?" He could not tell if he is grateful that he finally saw Lan Zhan or betrayed that Jin Zixuan is the one alone with him. Either way, he could not help but cry.

𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎

Jin Zixuan slides the chamber doors abruptly. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" Wen Qing asks.

Jin Zixuan shuts the sliding door behind him. "Wei Wuxian was just here. He looked pretty mad." He crosses his arms. A troubled expression plasters his face. Though he did not have the slightest idea as to why Wei Wuxian was angry, it was still something that could hinder the surprise.

"Did he see anything?" Wen Ning chimes into the conversation. He resumes sprinkling confetti onto the ground. One confetti piece was resting on his hair.

"I'm not sure," Jin Zixuan replies.

Everything was already set-up. The lanterns, confetti and ribbons; even a pyramid of Emperor's Smile was built! All that is missing is Lan Zhan and the actual birthday celebrant.

Jiang Cheng, his hands behind his back, starts pacing the chambers. "This isn't good. We even went through the trouble of borrowing Lan Zhan's mother's chambers. The surprise can't be ruined like this!"

Zewu Jun, fixing up the food on the table, replies. "Relax, it's not that bad. Maybe Wei Wuxian was just drunk, not angry. You know how antsy he gets." He places the lotus soup at the center of all the food.

"Yeah, he's just like a woman on her period!" Jiang Cheng clicks his tongue.

The women in the room, Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing, glare at Jiang Cheng. He looks away as if nothing had happened.

Wen Qing, chosen unanimously to dance for the event, screws the lid of her white powder swiftly. "The event can't be ruined. I even dressed up in this silly outfit for the occasion. You better make it work or I'll poison all of your medicines!" She stands from her chair in annoyance, flaunting her elegant silk dress as it flows to the ground. She gives every person in the room a death glare, making heavier eye contact as she lands on Jiang Cheng.

"I don't think it looks silly though. It's really pretty. Haha I love women!" Jiang Cheng replies. He flashes Wen Qing a nervous smile.

Wen Qing looks away, slightly appeased. She sits back down and resumes tidying herself up. Jiang Yanli glances at Jiang Cheng in distaste, lifting her left upper lip diagonally. A "tch" parts her lips.

Jiang Cheng utters a meek "Shijie don't look at me like that" upon seeing his sister's expression.

"Now, now older brothers and sisters," Sizhui interrupts from the center of the chambers. "We need to finish up so we can make things right! Can someone call for Hanguang-jun?" He clasps his hands together.

Jin Ling, covered in red and blue ribbons, raises his hand. "I can do it!" Him and Zewu Jun volunteer simultaneously. 

Jin Ling looks at Zewu Jun in confusion. "Gege, I can do it," he pouts.

"He's my brother. I think he'll be more receptive if it was me," Zewu Jun insists, patting Jin Ling's wig of ribbons.

"Fine." Jin Ling frowns.

"Alright everyone get back to work!" Lan Sizhui darts his eyes in Jin Ling's direction. "Jin Ling get that thing off your head you look like the Loch Ness Monster."

Flustered, Jin Ling proceeds to untangle the ribbons from his hair. Lan Jingyi stops a smile from spreading on his face.

𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎𒊹︎

Zewu Jun opens the door leading to Lan Zhan's chamber. To Zewu Jun's surprise, Lan Zhan's table is empty. "Lan Wangji?" He looks to the left. There he finds a solemn-looking Lan Wangji seated on his bed, holding a small box. Zewu Jun walks towards him slowly as he places a hand on Lan Zhan's shoulder.

"What's that?" He quietly asks. Zewu Jun senses an odd warmth coming from his brother. It was refreshing to see Lan Zhan like this. The emotionless and cold-hearted Hanguang-jun now had a faint smile on his face.

Zewu Jun spots something glistening from the box. "A ring?"

Lan Zhan looks up to him and nods. He immediately looks back down.

Zewu Jun could not help but grin. Someone had finally penetrated his brother's high walls (although he could have penetrated somewhere else.... we're not going there...)

You've changed Wangji. Zewu Jun thinks to himself, chuckling lightly.

Zewu Jun puts a hand on his brother's back. "Let's go." To that, Lan Zhan nods.