Wen Ruohan did indeed not attend the banquet.
Nie Mingjue's face turned darker and darker the longer the evening dragged on without his presence.
The entertainment Qishan Wen provided for their guests was at least lavish and engaging, no expenses spared when it came to the served food and drink, the music or the dancers.
Wen Chao and Jin Guangshan probably were among those who enjoyed themselves the most, servants dutifully keeping their cups full and dancers making sure to stay within their sight.
Wei Wuxian found himself appreciating the music but was soon pretty tired of the way Wen Chao repeatedly encouraged some dancing girls to come closer to his table with leering eyes, much to the anger of his companion, and when it was appropriate to leave their seats, he quickly stole Lan Wangji to the balcony on which he had spoken with Jiang Cheng.
Lan Wangji exhaled heavily as soon as the sounds of loud laughter and loose conversation quieted behind them. His capacity for speech seemed to have run out for the moment and Wei Wuxian happily snuggled into his side and petted his hand for long moments while the two of them wordlessly watched the bright lights of the Nightless City in front of them.
After the banquet had finally come to an end and all the guests were leaving towards the guest quarters—more than a few of them still in high spirits from the good wine and amusements—Wei Wuxian had managed to make Lan Wangji relax again.
The other still preferred to retire instead of continuing to loiter around in the beautiful gardens around the guest quarters as most people decided to do though and so Wei Wuxian lovingly ushered him into his room.
Since he had promised Nie Huaisang during the course of the banquet to go look at his newest fan, a beautiful thing painted with swallows and cherry blossoms that Mu Lijuan had supposedly gifted him recently, he pressed a sweet kiss to Lan Wangji's lips afterwards and promised to join him soon before leaving to go indulge Nie Huaisang for a little bit.
When he had obediently admired the fan however, Nie Huaisang convinced him to gossip a little longer than Wei Wuxian had initially planned and so it was quite late as he finally left the rooms of the Nie delegation behind.
Using the opportunity, he quickly rushed to the near market stalls of the district and bought a basket of flowers, smiling to himself as he imagined throwing them for Lan Wangji tomorrow.
It was late enough by now that most Lans were probably already sleeping, but Wei Wuxian knew that Lan Wangji would be waiting up for him until he returned and so he hurried a little, soon making his way through the lavish gardens around the guest quarters again, muffled voices and laughter of those who hadn't yet retired around him.
He was just crossing a lavish courtyard between two buildings, admiring the moon's reflection in one of the ponds, as he heard a particularly animated voice speaking a little further down one of the paths. It came from a beautiful pavilion and, thinking he had heard his own name, Wei Wuxian walked in its direction for a moment, planning to say his greetings if it was someone he knew.
As soon as he had stepped past some low maple trees however, he recognized the speaker as Jin Guangshan and so immediately abandoned his plan, quickly turning around to leave before the man noticed him.
He had barely made two steps as Jin Guangshan's words stopped him though.
"Pah! In love? I've never heard a more ridiculous notion in my life," he was tittering, sounding inebriated. "Who knows what exactly those Lans promised that servant's son to have him constantly hanging on their second young master's arm like some concubine. You think he'll content himself with a Lan brat of all things?"
Another man's voice made a sound of subservient agreement.
Wei Wuxian scoffed quietly to himself.
Jin Guangshan had been overly pleasant to him during the banquet, but he wasn't at all surprised to find out that the man had been putting on an act.
"Please, a love match. I'll sooner believe Lan Wangji might simply be the cutsleeve, wasn't he a reclusive sort? Lan Qiren must've been desperate to put some type of arrangement into place," Jin Guangshan continued, laughing derisively.
Wei Wuxian felt his hands twitch in anger around his flower basket. Who the fuck did that man think he was, to speak in such a tone about Lan Wangji?
"Jin-zongzhu most certainly has a point," whoever was with the sect leader agreed readily.
"Ah, give that over," Jin Guangshan ordered impatiently, followed by the sound of wine being poured. "That they drape him in silks doesn't seem to bother him either. People of such inferior backgrounds are all the same, deep down. It will be easy to work with him," he decided.
Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. Work with him? What, was Jin Guangshan planning something?
"Jin-zongzhu is most insightful," the other man groveled.
"Of course I am," Jin Guangshan agreed, sounding even more drunk. "As far as I'm concerned, he'll soon want to be rid of the arrangement himself anyway. He was a notorious flirt back in Lotus Pier, you think a man like that would settle for a cutsleeve?" He scoffed in disbelief. "Whatever that Lan brat does for him, it can't be very satisfying. On second thought, those ascetic monks probably only fuck to continue their bloodline, I'd bet they're not even sleeping together. With all those ludicrous rules I wouldn't be surprised if both of Lan Qiren's brats are still virgins through and through."
This made Wei Wuxian have to stifle incredulous laughter.
He had definitely heard enough though, finally walking away from Jin Guangshan and his bootlicker to continue his way back to Gusu Lan's guest quarters.
Really, perhaps Jin Zixuan had inherited his tendency to incriminate himself in public from his father?
Then again, the peacock was only ever awkwardly honest at inopportune times—in comparison to what vile things his father had just declared where anyone might overhear him, that kind of habit was hardly problematic.
Jin Guangshan could probably get away with most things though, given his power and wealth.
Wei Wuxian huffed to himself.
What good qualities Jin Zixuan had could probably be accredited to his mother—although she was a little too much like Madam Yu to have ever not found Wei Wuxian displeasing, he himself had liked her well enough as a child since she had harshly scolded Jin Zixuan whenever he had made an ass of himself in front of Jiang Yanli.
-------
After he had arrived to the guest quarters of the Gusu Lan sect, Wei Wuxian quickly hid away his flower basket in his own room before he sneaked his way over to Lan Wangji's.
When he entered, he found the other facing away from him where he sat by the desk, dressed in a sleeping robe and gracefully brushing his loose hair.
He had probably just finished bathing.
Wei Wuxian quickly pulled out some silencing talismans from his sleeve and sent them to the walls. Then he opened his own clothes, carelessly letting everything but his pants drop to the floor, glad to be rid of the stink of wine lingering in the fabric.
Unable to resist the sight of Lan Wangji in such an intimately undone state any longer, he rushed over to him, promptly draping himself over the other from behind.
"Lan Zhan~" he drawled, breathing in the scent of Lan Wangji's freshly bathed skin. "You're so unfair, looking like this. Do you have any idea what you're doing to your poor Wei Ying's fragile heart?"
Lan Wangji hummed without much compassion, elegantly putting away his comb, not at all encumbered by Wei Wuxian's weight hanging off of him.
Wei Wuxian used this chance to feel him up a little, trailing greedy hands over a well-proportioned chest and firm biceps.
They had both grown a little bit taller during recent months, and while they were still of a similar height, Lan Wangji was filling out more than him, shoulders broader and arms larger, jawline more defined and cheekbones more prominent as his handsome face slowly lost the last remainders of childhood.
Wei Wuxian was delighted by all of it.
"Lan Zhan, do you know what I just heard?" he murmured into Lan Wangji's adorable ear, trying to slip a hand beneath the other's collar to feel skin but being apprehended by Lan Wangji's mean fingers before he could reach his goal.
"What did Wei Ying hear?" Lan Wangji asked, still sounding completely unaffected. Wei Wuxian knew better though, by now intimately acquainted with the fire actually seething just beneath the other's calm facade. He pressed a little kiss against Lan Wangji's temple, giggling.
"Jin-zongzhu found it fit to speak with an acquaintance where he thought no one would hear, magnanimously expressing his concerns about our relationship."
This made Lan Wangji turn his head to look at him questioningly.
Wei Wuxian laughed breathlessly. "Lan Zhan, you know that your Wei Ying would never blame you for anything, right?" He simpered, leaning closer to brush their noses together. "If my poor er-gege needs me to help him with such things since he is too innocent to know, too inexperienced, he need only say the word."
Lan Wangji's pale eyes flashed with understanding and he gripped Wei Wuxian's neck to hold him in place.
Wei Wuxian pretended he had not noticed the danger in his expression and continued, "Such a poor young master, so obedient to his family's rules, you don't know what to do with your desires at all, do you? Hah, poor Lan Zhan. Whatever will you do on your wedding night, er-gege, if you don't know how to give pleasure?"
Lan Wangji's fingers tightened.
Wei Wuxian pressed soft, chaste kisses to his cheek. "Good boy, don't worry. Wei-qianbei will teach you."
All at once, Wei Wuxian found himself grabbed around the waist and hauled to his feet and he let out a happy squawk of surprise as he was shoved towards the closest wall.
"Ah! Lan Zhan, what's gotten into you! You—Ah!"
Before he could continue his theatrics, Lan Wangji had picked him up under his thighs and slammed him against the wall, eyes dark.
"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, why are you gripping me so harshly, ah? Let me down!" Wei Wuxian whined, trying to worm his way back to the floor, shivering in delight as the hot line of the other's body pressed further against him, preventing his escape.
Without any further pretenses Lan Wangji started grinding their hips together.
"Ah—ngh," Wei Wuxian moaned, letting his head thud against the wall as a familiar weight rubbed against his own arousal, hot and hard.
Lan Wangji's musculature wasn't the only thing which had matured these past months.
"Lan Zhan, could it be?" he babbled breathlessly, burying his hands into Lan Wangji's hair and trying his best to reciprocate the other's rhythm with his own hips. "Ah, are you—are you secretly such a man—mnh—only pure on the outside—anyone would fall prey to that face, er-gege—hah-h… ah, there, Lan Zhan, faster, faster, come on."
Lan Wangji obediently readjusted his grip around his thighs, managing to line up their dicks even better and picking up the pace. Wei Wuxian whined loudly, clinging to his shoulders as he was rocked up and down. "Ah, what are you doing to me, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, how many innocent young men have you deceived with that pure face of yours?"
Lan Wangji latched into his neck to bite and bruise his skin, briefly detaching to growl, "Only Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian shuddered, feeling his climax fast approaching.
He had been embarrassingly close ever since Lan Wangji had picked him up.
"Ah, more, I'm close," he moaned helplessly, pleasure shuddering through him with every delicious brush of their dicks, and he needily searched for the comforting heat of Lan Wangji's mouth, finding a demanding tongue.
Lan Wangji pace increased even more and then he moved one harsh hand from Wei Wuxian's thigh to grip his ass, cruelly pinching it and Wei Wuxian was gone, coming with a pitiful cry, messing up the inside of his pants.
Lan Wangji kindly kissed him through it, only slowing down his grinding as Wei Wuxian sobbed in discomfort from the oversensitivity.
"Lan Zhan," he panted as he was finally let down to the ground, legs feeling wobbly and his back a little bruised from repeatedly getting shoved against the wall.
He dazedly reached out towards where Lan Wangji was still straining against the confines of his own clothes, wanting to reciprocate, but Lan Wangji had other plans, flipping him around to shove him against the wall again, hotly pressing his body against him from behind, trapping him completely.
"Hah," Wei Wuxian gasped, feeling his pants being shoved down his legs, the hot length of Lan Wangji's cock a moment later grinding against the soft skin of his ass. His own dick twitched, making an impossible attempt at hardening again already. "Ah-ha, hmm, er-gege, you're so forceful with me, so cruel—you're such a beast, should I scream for help?"
A sharp sting of pain interrupted him as Lan Wangji's teeth buried into his neck and Wei Wuxian's mouth was momentarily too busy to speak, his whines turning into gasps as a soft tongue soothingly tasted where its owner had just bitten. He reached behind himself to grasp Lan Wangji's hip, encouraging him to pick up the pace of his grinding.
"Where—where was I? Ah, Lan Zhan, you're so eager, stop distracting me. What would people think about you if they saw you defiling me like this, if they had to rescue me from your brutish treatment, so base—hngh, ah, Lan Zhan, wouldn't they be so, so shocked?"
"Be silent," Lan Wangji hissed into his ear.
Wei Wuxian shivered, actually feeling his dick fill again and he pressed his ass against the other's body, trying to help out more. "What if I don't want to, er-gege, what then, you—hmph!"
Lan Wangji had meanly clamped a hand over his mouth, the other harshly digging into his hip to move Wei Wuxian against himself however he wanted.
Wei Wuxian immediately licked his palm, giggling as Lan Wangji briefly withdrew, only to get two fingers shoved into his mouth for his efforts.
He moaned around them, obediently suckling.
Lan Wangji had done this a few times in the past already, and Wei Wuxian's thoughts unfailingly quieted each time, a pleasant daze clouding his mind at the feeling of Lan Wangji's fingers inquisitively stroking over his tongue and the roof his mouth, saliva dribbling down his chin.
Sooner than Wei Wuxian's would have liked Lan Wangji's fingers were stolen from him again however as Lan Wangji slipped them out of his mouth and he was about to shout his protests as those slick fingers reached around him to find his dick.
A shocked cry escaped his lips as they spread his saliva over his sensitive flesh, harshly stroking him to full hardness again and his head fell backwards to helplessly lean against Lan Wangji's shoulder.
Experiences of recent months had revealed that most often everything was much better as wet as possible, though Wei Wuxian was contributing to the wetness quite enthusiastically himself at the moment, leaking steadily and making Lan Wangji's touch even more slippery.
"Wei Ying is the eager one," Lan Wangji rumbled heatedly, stroking him in sync with his own wet grinding against Wei Wuxian's poor abused skin.
Blatant slander!
Wei Wuxian planned to retort something along these lines, but the only sounds escaping him were unintelligible moans and so he instead turned his head to burry it in Lan Wangji's neck, breathing in his musky scent and wanting to be kissed.
With one last harsh thrust Lan Wangji came with a satisfied exhale, his hot release splattering all over Wei Wuxian's lower back and the feeling pushed him over the brink a second time, making him release into the other's hand.
It took them quite some time to get their heaving chests back under control.
Though it had been a while since Wei Wuxian had passed out after just one round, Lan Wangji was still more often than not the first to recover his bearings and soon he was gently steering both of them to the wash basin.
Wei Wuxian dopily smiled at Lan Wangji and trailed a finger over his perfect collarbones while the latter gently cleaned come and sweat off both their skin, sighing in satisfaction as he was finally being bundled into a warm blanket.
The two of them had learned well how to give each other pleasure with their mouths and hands during recent month.
On the evening of Lan Wangji's birthday a mysterious package filled with cutsleeve springbooks had appeared on the Jingshi's porch—which could have only come from Nie Huaisang though the sly bastard had denied it avidly—and even though Wei Wuxian had curiously looked at all of them by now, he still grew a little shy looking at the later pages.
The dream he'd had in which Lan Wangji had taken him inside the library pavilion was a foggy memory by now, but he still distantly remembered the feeling of overwhelming fullness, pleasure mixed with harsh pain and how his mind had been utterly gone.
He must have looked unsure when he and Lan Wangji had looked at pictures of that particular act in those books, since—even though Lan Wangji's own eyes had sparked with quiet eagerness to try out everything—he didn't push, happy to be intimate in whatever way Wei Wuxian was comfortable with.
Wei Wuxian had sometimes carefully thought about trying it for real though, mostly while cuddling into Lan Wangji's warm body before sleep—had even once or twice curiously tried touching himself purposefully down there while bathing, but it had felt weird doing it alone and there hadn't been much give against the tip of his finger at all, as though his body had also been protesting Lan Wangji's absence, not letting anything inside.
If Lan Wangji ever asked, he thought he would probably agree, but for now what they were already doing felt so incredibly good that Wei Wuxian was happy to take their time.
Now, Lan Wangji sat him down between his legs on the floor, hugging him close to his chest where he was bundled in the blanket.
"Did you eat enough earlier?" he asked, nuzzling against his hair.
"Hmmm," Wei Wuxian sighed, smiling and petting the other's knee. "I did, you put so much of that spicy pork belly in my bowl."
"Wei Ying liked it," Lan Wangji defended himself.
"Mn, Wei Ying liked it," Wei Wuxian agreed. "Hmmm, this is so great. Lan Zhan, are you tired yet or can we sit like this for a while longer?"
Lan Wangji made a content noise in agreement, hands gently trailing over Wei Wuxian's stomach, up and down.
"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you have to win tomorrow," Wei Wuxian mumbled. "I want to see Jin Guangshan's face when you do—I'll find some way to scandalously give you a kiss in public if you win."
Lan Wangji adoringly trailed his lips over his neck.
Then he asked, "What did he say?"
Wei Wuxian wrinkled his nose, "Just some stupid bullshit, it's not worth repeating."
"Hm."
Wei Wuxian giggled, trailing his fingers from the other's knee to his thigh, drawing a few round bunnies over the soft skin there. "Lan Zhan, do you think the silencing talismans held up?"
Lan Wangji hummed, his hand continuing to slip over his skin, playfully circling his bellybutton before he pressed another kiss to his neck, a little higher this time.
Wei Wuxian giggled again, pleasant shivers running over his skin.
"They probably did, you were so mean to me, you made me cry so much, er-gege," he sighed as Lan Wangji's fingers circled his hipbones. His body made a valiant effort to once more send his blood south.
Wei Wuxian turned his face into Lan Wangji's neck to smile against his soft skin, heart picking up speed as large hands crept from his hipbones further inwards, making arousal rekindle in his belly.
"Lan Zhan, you think you can get it up again?" he asked innocently.
Not needing further encouragement, Lan Wangji ripped the blanket off Wei Wuxian's shoulders, turning him around and shoving him to the floor to crush their mouths together.
Wei Wuxian laughed against him and wrapped his legs around his lower back, happily being moved where he was put.
It seemed they wouldn't sleep yet after all.
-------
The next morning started bright and early, the Lan delegation rising at maoshi as always.
Wei Wuxian did not appreciate being woken at all, clinging to Lan Wangji as much as he could as the other gently bullied him through getting ready for the day, bathing and dressing him—he had luckily packed high collared underrobes for Wei Wuxian which managed to hide the evidence of what they had done last night quite handily.
Wei Wuxian was pretty sure Lan Wangji had commissioned these particular collars for him with the sole purpose of being able to suck and bite as much as he wanted without his uncle complaining about the visible consequences.
As soon as Lan Wangji himself emerged from his own bath, dressed in the red robes Qishan Wen had provided for the competitions, the last traces of sleepiness vanished from Wei Wuxian's mind immediately and he drank in the sight a little breathlessly throughout the rest of the morning.
All in all, he failed to feel at all normal about seeing Lan Wangji in red.
After the two of them had taken a calm breakfast with Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren the Lan brothers departed first to prepare the other Lan disciples who would participate in today's target archery competition.
When it was finally time, Wei Wuxian himself followed the old man to where the spectators would be seated, flower basket secure in his hands.
The Nightless City looked somehow even larger in the bright light of the late morning sun and Wei Wuxian hadn't paid much attention to it last evening, but there were Wen disciples stationed everywhere, quiet and expressionless.
He picked up his pace a little, falling into step with Lan Qiren.
The large archery field where the target competition would be held was overlooked by three lavish watchtowers towards which the guests were being led and Wei Wuxian followed the old man up the stairs of one of them.
On the platform at its top a servant politely showed them to some of the best seats clearly intended for the great sects, the view best and the prepared snacks most colorful.
Wei Wuxian almost froze in his step as he saw that someone else was there already.
"Jiang-zongzhu," Lan Qiren said quite neutrally, saluting, and Wei Wuxian quickly mirrored him, almost accidentally dropping his flower basket in his haste.
Jiang Fengmian had risen from where he had already been seated, returning the greeting, equally as politely.
As he righted himself however, his eyes landed on Wei Wuxian, expression inscrutable.
Lan Qiren promptly took a step towards the Jiang sect leader and said, "Wuxian, go and sit down."
"Ah—yes, Lan-shushu," Wei Wuxian agreed gratefully.
He thought he saw Jiang Fengmian's eyebrows furrowing a little as he quickly scurried to a seat directly by the railing of the watchtower, doing his best to pretend the still entirely empty archery field was very interesting to look at.
Behind him, Lan Qiren began a civil conversation about last evening's banquet with Jiang Fengmian, the latter's responses mild and cordial.
Wei Wuxian clutched his flower basket to his chest, awkwardness and some other feelings he couldn't quite name warring in his gut.
Luckily it didn't take long before other spectators joined them, sect leaders and anybody who wouldn't be competing filling the platform, and so it wasn't long before a group of people stood between him and the Jiang sect leader and the chances of their eyes meeting again had decreased significantly.
Lan Qiren had come to sit next to him by now too and Wei Wuxian felt himself finally untensing. He took a deep breath, resolving to just enjoy the competition.
Excited conversations were all around them, people speculating about who might perform best, and Wei Wuxian curiously looked around, waving to Nie Huaisang who was seated on one of the other watchtowers. As far as he could see, Wen Ruohan was once again not in attendance and even Wen Chao hadn't shown up this time.
Wei Wuxian wondered at his. While denying them their presence was akin to spitting in their faces with disrespect, all main events had yet to follow. At least to the meetings between the sect leaders the Wen sect leader would have to appear, right?
He reminded himself to remain watchful, letting his eyes wander over the other guests he could see from his seat.
The Jin delegation had taken a seat on the same watchtower as the Nie by now, Jin Guangshan's self-satisfied face unmistakable where he was sitting next to Qin Cangye by the railing.
Wei Wuxian grimaced, what he had overheard last night replaying in his mind.
Making a spontaneous decision he leaned closer to Lan Qiren and whispered, "Lan-shushu, I think Jin-zongzhu might be up to something."
The old man frowned at him. "What are you referring to?"
Wei Wuxian carefully glanced around and, as soon as he was sure no one would overhear them, he added under his breath, "Last evening I heard him doubting my feelings for Lan Zhan. He said that he thinks I'll be easy to work with."
Lan Qiren's eyes sparked with something that looked quite a bit like anger. He looked over to where Jin Guangshan sat on the other watchtower, currently being served by a female servant.
Then Lan Qiren huffed and said decidedly, "It will not come to that." After he had stroked his beard for a moment he added, "Lan Fang has expressed his satisfaction with your progress, but you still have much to catch up on. Your studies of musical cultivation take clear precedence over meeting friends. At the end of this summer, you might finally be ready to learn Evocation."
A servant approached to offer them wine and tea in that moment and Lan Qiren gracefully accepted the latter for both of them. While the servant poured them both a steaming cup the old man stated, "If Jin-gongzi wishes to see you he must come to the Cloud Recesses. Your education will not allow you to visit Koi Tower in any capacity, Wuxian."
He sounded strict, almost like Wei Wuxian had been begging him to allow him to go and the servant sent him a pitying glance.
"Wei Ying understands, Lan-shushu," Wei Wuxian said, nodding obediently.
-------
The competitors at last arrived with much fanfare and applause.
There were some more young women in the audience than there had been during the banquet last evening and most of them were cheering and throwing flowers while a man in Wen sect robes loudly announced the names of each sect that entered the field. When Lan Wangji and his older brother finally appeared, Wei Wuxian jumped up from his seat, loudly cheering and happily joining the girls, letting some of his own prepared flower blossoms rain down on the Lan disciples.
Lan Wangji's head turned in his direction immediately, unerringly finding him among the crowd of spectators and Wei Wuxian wildly waved, grinning from ear to ear, any thought about sect politics having vanished from his head.
The competitors would need to fire one shot to qualify themselves for the actual competition, the difficulty of the archery range they would be shooting at depending on how well they did.
After the minor sects had all had their turn the Wen disciples were first to shoot among the great sects, the announcer loudly exclaiming to which range they had managed to be admitted after every shot.
Wei Wuxian recognized no one, most of them shooting into the blue or red rings of the targets, only one or two managing to hit the golden bull's eye.
They were followed by the Jin and the Nie, Jin Zixuan easily managing to steal the show by hitting the bull's eye without much effort. When Wei Wuxian glanced at Jin Guangshan, he saw that the man looked even more smug than he had before.
It was the Jiangs' turn after that, and Wei Wuxian cheered as Jiang Cheng and the shidis came forward, the former and some of the older boys scoring a bull's eye as well, while most managed to shoot into the red, some almost into the center.
Wei Wuxian was glad to see them all doing so well.
Then, finally, it was the Lans' turn.
Wei Wuxian whistled loudly as Lan Xichen came forward, nocked an arrow, raised his bow and shot a bull's eye, mild smile never leaving his face.
While the announcer loudly proclaimed that Lan Xichen may proceed to the archery range with the highest difficulty, his younger brother came forward and Wei Wuxian promptly only had eyes for Lan Wangji, anticipation making him giddy.
"Lan Zhan!" he shouted, unable to help himself, almost falling over the railing with how much he was leaning over it. "Lan Zhan, do your best! You're so handsome today, er-gege!"
Lan Qiren grabbed him by the scruff of his robes and pulled him backwards, hissing, "Wuxian! Compose yourself! I'm not getting you if you fall off the tower!"
"Ah, sorry, Lan-shushu," Wei Wuxian laughed, using this chance to quickly grab the beautiful peony from his basket that he had been saving.
Lan Wangji had turned towards him again at the sound of his shouting and Wei Wuxian quickly threw the flower towards him, laughing in glee as the other easily reached out and caught it in his hand to carefully place it into his collar.
Then, without looking away from Wei Wuxian even once, he nocked an arrow, drew his bow all the way and released it in the opposite direction his eyes were turned.
The arrow hit the target dead center.
Impressed exclaims rang through the field while Wei Wuxian suddenly felt a little too hot.
The announcer admitted Lan Wangji to the most difficult archery range and Lan Wangji at last turned to follow his brother, the peony blossom Wei Wuxian had thrown him still safely tucked away by his chest.
"That child, showing off," Lan Qiren grumbled, finally pulling Wei Wuxian out of his daze and he looked around to see many people still applauding in admiration while Jin Guangshan's smile had soured. Jiang Fengmian was clapping a little uncomfortably.
Wei Wuxian ignored all of them though, instead deciding that he would definitely sneak into Lan Wangji's room tonight as well.