Chapter 31

Chapter 31 Morning Dew Part 7

After summoning Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian’s mind was a bit scattered, and he wasn’t as alert as usual. Meanwhile, if Lan Wangji didn’t want to be noticed, it would be effortless for him to remain undetected. So when Wei Wuxian suddenly turned around and saw Lan Wangji standing there, his face even colder in the moonlight, his heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t know how long Lan Wangji had been there or if he had overheard everything Wei Wuxian had said and done. If Lan Wangji had been sober and following him all along, the situation would be even more awkward. It was embarrassing enough to summon Wen Ning behind his back after avoiding mentioning him earlier.

Lan Wangji stood with his arms crossed, Bichen resting against his chest, his expression colder than ever. Wei Wuxian had never seen him display his displeasure so openly and felt that he needed to break the silence to ease the tension. He said, "Ahem, Hanguang Jun."

Lan Wangji didn’t respond.

Wei Wuxian stood in front of Wen Ning, facing Lan Wangji, feeling a wave of guilt as he rubbed his chin, unsure of what to say.

Finally, Lan Wangji lowered his hand that was holding Bichen and took two steps forward. Wei Wuxian’s mind raced, thinking Lan Wangji might be about to attack Wen Ning. "Is Lan Zhan really pretending to be drunk, waiting for me to summon Wen Ning so he can kill him? After all, no one can really be knocked out by just one drink."

He said, "Hanguang Jun, let me explain..."

With a sharp crack, Lan Wangji slapped Wen Ning.

Although the sound was loud, it didn’t have much actual impact. Wen Ning stumbled back several steps, wobbled, but quickly regained his balance, standing there with a dazed look.

In this state, although Wen Ning wasn’t as violent and irritable as he used to be when he went berserk, his temperament wasn’t much better. On the night of Dafan Mountain, when they were surrounded, even though the swords hadn’t touched him, he had flung everyone away and grabbed them by the neck, ready to strangle them. If Wei Wuxian hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed everyone present. Yet, even after being slapped by Lan Wangji, Wen Ning didn’t dare to resist and simply lowered his head. Wei Wuxian felt a bit puzzled but also relieved. If Wen Ning had fought back, it would have been even harder to mediate between them.

Still not satisfied, Lan Wangji pushed Wen Ning again, sending him several feet away.

With clear irritation, Lan Wangji ordered, "Get out of here."

Wei Wuxian finally realized something was wrong.

Lan Wangji’s behavior was oddly... childlike.

After pushing Wen Ning far enough away, Lan Wangji seemed satisfied, turned around, walked back, and stood next to Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian stared at him intently.

Lan Wangji’s expression and demeanor showed no signs of abnormality. If anything, he looked even more serious, proper, and impeccable than usual. His forehead ribbon was perfectly straight, his face wasn’t flushed, and his breathing was steady as he walked with the wind. He was still the dignified and composed Hanguang Jun of the noble clans.

But when Wei Wuxian looked down, he noticed that Lan Wangji’s boots were on the wrong feet.

Earlier, Wei Wuxian had taken off Lan Wangji’s boots and left them by the bed. Now, Lan Wangji had the left boot on his right foot and the right boot on his left.

As a member of a prestigious family who valued etiquette and appearance greatly, Hanguang Jun would never have gone out like this.

Wei Wuxian asked cautiously, "Hanguang Jun, how many fingers am I holding up?"

He held up two fingers. Lan Wangji didn’t answer but instead solemnly extended both hands and carefully grasped Wei Wuxian’s two fingers.

"Smack," Bichen fell to the ground.

Wei Wuxian: "..."

This definitely wasn’t the normal Lan Zhan!

Wei Wuxian asked, "Hanguang Jun, are you drunk?"

Lan Wangji replied, "No."

People who are drunk never admit it. Wei Wuxian pulled his fingers back, and Lan Wangji remained in the position of holding his fingers, seriously clutching two fists. Wei Wuxian looked at him speechlessly, feeling the cold night breeze and gazing up at the moon.

Most people get drunk and then sleep, but Lan Wangji seemed to have gotten drunk after waking up. Even drunk, he looked exactly the same as always, making it hard to tell.

In the past, Wei Wuxian had countless drinking companions and had seen all kinds of bizarre and ugly behaviors from people when they were drunk. Some wailed loudly, some giggled foolishly, some threw tantrums, some lay dead still in the street, some were desperate to die, and others whimpered, "Why did you abandon me?" But it was the first time he had seen Lan Wangji act so strangely—neither making a fuss nor causing a ruckus, his expression serious, yet his actions incredibly odd.

He twitched the corner of his mouth, struggling to hold back his laughter. He picked up the Bichen sword that had been thrown to the ground and slung it over his back. "Alright, let's head back," he said.

He couldn't let Lan Wangji wander around like this; who knows what else he might do.

Fortunately, after drinking, Lan Wangji seemed quite easy to deal with and maintained a graceful demeanor. With a polite nod, he began walking alongside Wei Wuxian. If anyone were to pass by, they would surely think these two were close friends enjoying a leisurely night stroll, perhaps even praising such an elegant activity.

Behind them, Wen Ning silently followed. Just as Wei Wuxian was about to speak to him, Lan Wangji suddenly turned and struck Wen Ning on the head with his palm again, this time hitting him square on the head.

Wen Ning's head was knocked to the side, and he lowered it further. Though his face was expressionless and his eyes blank, he somehow looked rather pitiful. "What did you hit him for?!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, grabbing Lan Wangji's arm.

In a threatening tone that he would never use while sober, Lan Wangji said to Wen Ning, "Go away!"

Wei Wuxian knew better than to go against someone who was drunk, so he quickly said, "Alright, alright, as you wish. Go away, then." He pulled out his bamboo flute, but before he could bring it to his lips, Lan Wangji snatched it away. "You're not allowed to play it for him!"

Wei Wuxian teased, "Why are you being so overbearing?"

Lan Wangji repeated, clearly displeased, "You're not allowed to play it for him!"

Wei Wuxian realized that drunk people tended to repeat themselves. Since Lan Wangji usually didn’t talk much, when he drank too much, he would keep saying the same thing over and over. Wei Wuxian figured that Lan Wangji probably disapproved of necromancy or dark arts and didn’t like the fact that he controlled Wen Ning with the flute music. He had to play along, so he said, "Fine, I'll only play for you, alright?"

Lan Wangji nodded in satisfaction but kept the flute in his hand, playing with it and not returning it.

Wei Wuxian had no choice but to blow a couple of notes on the flute and said to Wen Ning, "Better hide well and don't let anyone find you."

Wen Ning hesitated but eventually turned away, dragging his feet and clinking as he left, looking dejected.

Wei Wuxian asked Lan Wangji, "Lan Zhan, how come your face doesn't even turn red when you're drunk?"

Since Lan Wangji looked more normal than he did, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but speak to him as if he were completely sober. Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Lan Wangji suddenly wrapped his arm around Wei Wuxian's shoulders and pulled him into his chest.

Taken by surprise, Wei Wuxian's head bumped into Lan Wangji's chest.

Still dazed, he heard Lan Wangji's voice from above. "Feel my heartbeat."

"What?"

Lan Wangji said, "You can't tell by my face, but you can by my heartbeat."

As he spoke, his chest vibrated with the low sound of his voice, and his heart beat steadily, strong and slightly faster than usual. Wei Wuxian understood. "You can't tell by looking at your face, but you have to judge by the heartbeat?"

Lan Wangji nodded honestly.

Wei Wuxian couldn't help but laugh.

Was Lan Wangji's face so thick that no blush could show through? It didn't seem like it!

Drunk Lan Wangji was surprisingly honest, and his actions and words were more... unrestrained than usual!

How could Wei Wuxian resist playing a little trick on him after seeing such an honest and straightforward side of Lan Wangji?

He escorted Lan Wangji back to the inn. Once inside, he first pushed him onto the bed and removed his boots, which were on the wrong feet. Considering that Lan Wangji probably wouldn't wash his face by himself, Wei Wuxian took off Lan Wangji's headband and brought in a basin of hot water and a cloth. He wrung it out, folded it into a square, and gently wiped his face.

Throughout the process, Lan Wangji remained completely passive, allowing Wei Wuxian to do as he pleased. The only time he reacted was when the cloth neared his eyes, causing him to squint. He kept his eyes on Wei Wuxian the whole time, not blinking once. Wei Wuxian, having all sorts of mischievous thoughts, couldn't resist teasing him. Seeing Lan Wangji's clear gaze, he playfully scratched his chin and said with a smile, "What are you looking at? Do you think I'm good-looking?"

Just as he finished wiping his face, before Lan Wangji could respond, Wei Wuxian tossed the cloth into the basin and asked, "Face washed. Do you want some water to drink?"

When there was no response from behind, Wei Wuxian turned around to find Lan Wangji already burying his face in the basin of water.

Wei Wuxian was taken aback and quickly moved the water basin away. "I didn't tell you to drink the water from the basin!"

Lan Wangji calmly lifted his head, transparent droplets sliding down his chin, soaking his chest. Wei Wuxian looked at him, feeling a complex mix of emotions that were hard to put into words. "...Did he drink it or not? I hope Lan Zhan doesn’t remember any of this when he sobers up, or I’ll never be able to face anyone again."

Wei Wuxian wiped the water from Lan Wangji’s chin with his sleeve, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, "Hanguang Jun, are you following my orders now?"

Lan Wangji said, "Yes."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Will you answer all my questions?"

Lan Wangji said, "Yes."

Wei Wuxian pressed one knee onto the bed, hooked one side of his mouth, and said, "Alright. I ask you, have you—ever sneaked a drink of the Tianzi Lao hidden in your room?"

Lan Wangji said, "No."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Do you like rabbits?"

Lan Wangji said, "Yes."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Have you ever broken a rule?"

Lan Wangji said, "Yes."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Have you ever liked someone?"

Lan Wangji said, "Yes."

Wei Wuxian's questions were meant to test if Lan Wangji would truly answer everything, not to pry into his privacy. He continued, "How about Jiang Cheng?"

Lan Wangji frowned and grunted, "Hmph."

Wei Wuxian asked, "What about Wen Ning?"

Lan Wangji replied coldly, "Heh."

Wei Wuxian smiled and pointed at himself, "How about me?"

Lan Wangji said, "Mine."

"..."

Lan Wangji stared at him, enunciating each word clearly, "Mine."

Wei Wuxian suddenly understood.

He took down the Bichen, thinking, "Just now when I pointed at myself, Lan Zhan must have thought I was referring to the Bichen I was carrying."

Thinking this, he got off the bed and walked around the room from left to right, east to west, holding the Bichen. Sure enough, wherever he went, Lan Wangji's gaze followed him closely. Honest, straightforward, blunt, and bare.

Wei Wuxian felt pinned in place by the intensity of Lan Wangji’s nearly burning gaze. He held the Bichen up to Lan Wangji's eyes and asked, "Do you want it?"

Lan Wangji said, "Want."

As if that wasn’t enough, Lan Wangji grabbed Wei Wuxian's hand holding the Bichen, his light-colored eyes staring directly at him, lightly breathing, and firmly repeated, "...Want."

Wei Wuxian knew Lan Wangji was completely drunk and that those words weren’t meant for him, but they still left him weak in the knees.

He thought, "Lan Zhan is really... If he were this sincere and passionate towards a woman, he would be a truly intimidating man!"

Taking a deep breath, Wei Wuxian said, "How did you recognize me? Why did you help me?"

Lan Wangji slightly parted his lips, and Wei Wuxian leaned in closer, waiting for his answer. Unexpectedly, Lan Wangji changed his expression, raising his hand to push Wei Wuxian down onto the bed.

Lan Wangji waved out the candlelight. Bichen was once again thrown to the ground by its owner.

Wei Wuxian was pushed until he saw stars, thinking that Lan Wangji had sobered up, and said, "Lan Zhan?!"

A familiar spot on his lower back was patted, and he felt the same numbness as the first night at Cloud Recesses, unable to move. Lan Wangji withdrew his hand, lying down beside him, covering them both with the quilt, and carefully tucking Wei Wuxian's corner of the blanket. "It's time for bed," he said.

It turned out to be the Lan family's strict schedule at work.

Interrupted, Wei Wuxian stared at the ceiling and said, "Can't we rest and chat at the same time?"

Lan Wangji said, "No."

...Well, there would always be another chance to get Lan Wangji drunk again, and he would eventually find out.

Wei Wuxian said, "Lan Zhan, undo me. I booked two rooms; we don't have to squeeze into one bed."

After a moment of stillness, Lan Wangji's hand reached over, fumbling under the covers, and slowly began to undo his clothes. "Enough! Stop! Not that kind of undoing! Okay! I'll lie down, I'll sleep!" Wei Wuxian shouted.

In the darkness, there was complete silence.

After a pause, Wei Wuxian added, "I finally understand why your family has a drinking ban. One drink and they're out, with terrible drinking behavior. If everyone in your family acts like this when drunk, no wonder you have a ban on alcohol. Anyone who drinks ends up getting hit."

Lan Wangji, with his eyes closed, raised his hand to cover Wei Wuxian's mouth.

"Shh," he said.

Wei Wuxian felt his breath caught in his throat.

Ever since he came back, every time he tried to tease Lan Wangji like old times, it ended up being self-inflicted.

This isn't how it's supposed to go! Where had things gone wrong?!