“Mother was gone.”
Wei WuXian’s voice was soft, “How old was Lan Zhan back then?”
Lan XiChen, “Six.”
He continued, “He was still too young to understand what ‘gone’ means. No matter how much others comforted him, how much Uncle scolded him, he would continue to come back here every single month, sit down in the hallway, and wait for someone to open the door for him. When he grew older, he understood that Mother would not come back anymore, that nobody would open the door for him, but he kept on coming here.”
Lan XiChen stood up. His dark eyes looked into Wei WuXian’s, “WangJi has been this stubborn ever since he was young.”
The leaves rustled and the gentian flowers swished alongside the wind, their scent lingering. Wei WuXian’s eyes landed on the wooden hallway of the cottage. He could almost see a small child wearing a forehead ribbon sitting in proper posture in front of the house, waiting quietly for the door to open.
He spoke, “Madam Lan must’ve been a very gentle woman.”
Lan XiChen, “In my memories, Mother had indeed been so. I do not know why she did such a thing back then. And, in truth, I…”
He took in a deep breath before confessing, “Do not want to know either.”
After a few moments of silence, Lan XiChen closed his eyes. He took out Liebing. A gust of night wind suddenly sent forth a sobbing note of the xiao. The sound was deep, like a sigh.
Wei WuXian had heard Lan XiChen play Liebing before. Its timbre was just like Lan XiChen himself, as warm and graceful as the breeze and the rain of spring. Yet, now, although his technique was as excellent as ever, the tone evoked a strange mixture of feelings.
The night wind swept by. Lan XiChen’s hair and forehead ribbon were already somewhat disheveled. However, the GusuLan Sect’s sect leader, who had always regarded appearance highly, didn’t pay any attention to them. He only put down Liebing after the song had finished, “Music is forbidden at night in the Cloud Recesses. Today I have gone many times too far. Excuse me, Young Master Wei.”
Wei WuXian, “How so? ZeWu-Jun, have you forgotten that the person standing in front of you is the person who has broken the most rules…”
Lan XiChen smiled, “The GusuLan Sect had never revealed to the outside WangJi and my pasts. I should not have told you. Tonight was my sudden urge to unburden myself, a spur of the moment.”
Wei WuXian, “I’m not the kind of person who talks too much. Don’t worry, ZeWu-Jun.”
Lan XiChen, “Regardless, I would assume that WangJi would not hide anything from you anyways.”
Wei WuXian, “If he doesn’t wish to talk about something then I won’t ask.”
Lan XiChen, “But, with WangJi’s personality, how could he say anything if you do not ask? There are some things that even if you ask him he would not say.”
Wei WuXian was going to speak again when he heard footsteps come from behind him. He turned around to see Lan WangJi approach, bathed in moonlight. His right hand held two round liquor jars with red covers. Wei WuXian’s eyes lit up, “HanGuang-Jun, you really are considerate!”
Translator’s Notes
Dongying: This refers to Japan, though I decided to use the pinyin to keep it wuxia-sounding.
the Heavens and the Earth: Kneeling to the Heavens and the Earth is the last of the three kneels during the Chinese marriage ceremony.
Chapter 65: Tenderness—Part Three
Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Lan WangJi walked closer and gave him the jars of Emperor’s Smile. Jars in his arm, Wei WuXian walked inside. To his back, Lan WangJi shook his head, though his gaze was softer than ever. Lan XiChen glanced at him, “You took them from your room?”
Lan WangJi nodded.
Lan XiChen, “It is best… if you do not touch liquor again. Be careful not to have what happened back then happen again.”
His eyes landed on the clothes beside Lan WangJi’s collarbones. Lan WangJi looked down as well, at where the center of his chest was, “It will not happen again.”
Lan XiChen forced a smile. He sighed right after.
After Lan XiChen went away, Lan WangJi walked inside and gently closed the door behind him. Wei WuXian took off the covers of the jars as he continued to think about the stories of Lan An, the founder of the GusuLan Sect, and QingHeng-Jun, The GusuLan Sect really is a strange sect. Although the founder was a monk and its style is so orthodox, it really… raises many romantics.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look at the other descendent of the GusuLan Sect in the room.
Lan WangJi was reading a book, his head down. A paper lantern was on the corner of the desk. Against the soft light of the fire, his face was even more like a piece of fine jade. Even his indifferent expression and his light eyes seemed to have been glazed a shade warmer. He was so beautiful that it seemed unreal. Caught by the moment, Wei WuXian was somehow entranced. Involuntarily, he inched closer.
Lan WangJi looked up, asking, “What?”
Wei WuXian immediately returned to himself, “Nothing. Your bookmark looks quite pretty.”
Lan WangJi’s bookmark was a dried flower in a light shade. It had been kept with much care, its color as vibrant ever. The petals and the veins were so delicate that it seemed to be alive. Between pages, it let off a soft aroma. Wei WuXian picked out the bookmark and asked, “Herb peony?”
Lan WangJi, “Mn.”
Wei WuXian played with the bookmark in his hands before giving it back to him, “Your brother received quite a big shock.”
With care, Lan WangJi put the dried herb peony back into the book. He shut the pages, “Now that he has found the evidence, he will not tolerate this.”
Wei WuXian, “Of course. He’s your brother after all.”
No matter how close of a relationship Lan XiChen and Jin GuangYao had, he was still from the GusuLan Sect and had his own principles.
Wei WuXian opened one jar of liquor, The time before the last time Lan Zhan was drunk, he answered honestly that he’s never had the Emperor’s Smile in his room before. Then why did he hide them? He couldn’t have been saving them just for me, could he? It’s a bit shameless if I think about it this way. Speaking of it, should I apologise for the whole thing with the forehead ribbon? After all I’ve played with it so many times already. What if he’s so embarrassed that he gets mad and kicks me out of here? No matter what, I’ve fooled around so much and he hasn’t gotten angry at all, clearly his self-restraint is getting better and better. I’m sure that even if I fool around some more he won’t get angry. No, I shouldn’t ask him. How about I just pretend that I don’t know what the forehead ribbon means. Then, next time, I’ll be able to pull it again on purpose. If he gets mad, I’ll pretend to be innocent and say that I didn’t know. Ignorance isn’t a sin…
Wei WuXian was feeling quite pleased with himself. Lan WangJi asked, “What happened?”
He turned around with a serious expression, “Nothing. I’m in a good mood.” Not paying attention, he opened a jar, picked it up, and swallowed a gulp of it before suddenly spitting it out with a pfft.
Lan WangJi put down his book at once, “What happened this time?”
Wei WuXian waved his hands, “Nothing! Nothing, nothing!”