Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Awake and Asleep, Part 20, Section 7

He realized his promises to himself before getting Lan Wangji drunk—like "only asking questions and nothing else"—were just self-deception.

The most upright and disciplined person in daily life, when drunk, would throw tantrums, lash out, and act out of control. This showed that Lan Wangji's actions while intoxicated were beyond his own control. Knowing this, Wei Wuxian still took advantage of his vulnerability, deliberately provoking and stimulating him, doing as he pleased.

No matter how self-restrained Lan Wangji was, he was still a normal man. Being provoked so roughly and deliberately, how could he not react? Moreover, just the day before, Lan Wangji had been verbally insulted by Jiang Cheng over such matters, and now, with his elder brother still on his mind, Wei Wuxian chose this moment to act recklessly...

After Lan Wangji let out a soft "hmm," he didn't say another word, but Wei Wuxian's mind was already racing.

In his two lifetimes, Wei Wuxian had never truly understood the meaning of "shame," but now he suddenly grasped it with profound clarity. His lips were still swollen and tingling, and the sticky feeling between his belly and thighs made him feel utterly humiliated, wishing he could just die on the spot.

This situation blatantly confirmed his worst fears. Lan Wangji was indeed kind to him, but... perhaps not in the way he had hoped.

Not wanting to embarrass Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian quickly dressed, patted his forehead, and said casually, "You're sober now? I guess I am too."

Lan Wangji turned and glanced at him. Wei Wuxian didn't dare to guess what emotions might be hidden in those eyes. His shaky hands grabbed his clothes and yanked them on, but then he noticed Lan Wangji hesitating for a moment before reaching out, as if to help wipe away the mess.

Wei Wuxian quickly said, "No need!!!"

Lan Wangji's hand froze mid-air and then withdrew.

Wei Wuxian breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "No need for you to do it. I can handle it myself. You don't need to touch me."

Someone like Lan Wangji would probably feel guilty for messing up the other person's appearance after such an incident, but Wei Wuxian couldn't bear the thought of Lan Wangji helping him clean up. He grabbed a random inner robe and wiped himself haphazardly before tossing it aside. "So, Lan Zhan, it looks like we both had a bit too much to drink tonight. Sorry about that."

Lan Wangji remained silent.

Wei Wuxian put on one boot and added, "But don't feel too embarrassed. It's pretty normal for men to have moments like this sometimes. You... really shouldn't take it to heart."

Lan Wangji looked at him calmly and asked, "Normal?"

His voice sounded unnervingly calm.

Wei Wuxian didn't dare respond. Lan Wangji then asked again, "Not take it to heart?"

Originally, Wei Wuxian had thought that it would be better to let Lan Wangji think of him as frivolous and despicable rather than risk the awkwardness of having his feelings exposed, which might make their future friendship strained. But now he regretted his earlier thoughtless words and whispered, "...I'm sorry."

Lan Wangji suddenly stood up, and Wei Wuxian felt a pang of panic. Just then, the innkeeper came running up the stairs, knocking on their door. "Young masters, young masters! Are you asleep?"

Lan Wangji averted his gaze. Wei Wuxian hurriedly put on his other boot and said, "Not asleep! Well, actually, we were, but I'll get dressed and come out in a moment."

Once Wei Wuxian was fully dressed, Lan Wangji went to open the door. Wei Wuxian asked, "What's the matter?"

The innkeeper stood in the hallway, smiling apologetically. "I'm so sorry to disturb your rest at this late hour, please don't be upset. But I had no choice—the guest staying below you just reported water dripping into their room, and they suspect it's coming from yours. So I came to check..." She peeked into the room and gasped in shock. "What... what on earth happened here!"

Wei Wuxian rubbed his chin and said, "I'm the one who should apologize, innkeeper. I had too much to drink tonight and got a bit carried away. I wanted to take a bath and ended up smashing the bathtub in excitement. Really sorry about that. I'll pay for the damages." As soon as he said it, he realized he couldn't pay a dime—all their travel expenses had been covered by Lan Wangji, so in the end, it would still be Lan Wangji footing the bill.

The innkeeper said, "It's fine, no worries," but her face showed her distress. She stepped in and gasped, "How did the water leak down there? And why is there no place to stand?" She bent down to pick up a few cushions and gasped again. "There's a hole here!"

It was the hole Lan Wangji had made with Bichen. Wei Wuxian ran a hand through his messy hair and could only keep apologizing. "Ah, that's my fault too. I was just playing around with the sword earlier, and..."

Before he could finish, Lan Wangji picked up the money pouch from the floor and placed a silver coin on the table. The innkeeper's expression softened, but she still clutched her chest and couldn't help but scold, "Young master, I have to say, swords are dangerous. You shouldn't be playing around with them. Poking holes in the mats and floor is bad enough, but what if someone got hurt?"

Wei Wuxian nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, innkeeper."

The innkeeper took the money and said, "That settles it. It's late, so rest up. I'll get you another room and fix this one tomorrow."

Wei Wuxian said, "Alright, thanks, and sorry for the trouble... Wait! Can we get two rooms?"

The landlady asked in surprise, "Why do you need two rooms this time?"

Wei Wuxian, not daring to look at Lan Wangji, murmured, "...I get rowdy when I drink, as you've seen, smashing things and swinging swords around, afraid of hurting someone."

The landlady said, "That's true!"

She agreed and promptly arranged two rooms for them. Once settled, she gathered her skirt and headed downstairs. Wei Wuxian thanked her and opened his room door, then turned to see Lan Wangji standing in the corridor, holding Bichen in one hand and lightly touching his forehead ribbon with the other, head lowered, silent. Wei Wuxian was about to retreat into his room but hesitated upon seeing this. After a moment's thought, he said cautiously and sincerely, "Lan Zhan, I'm sorry about tonight."

After a pause, Lan Wangji murmured, "You don't have to apologize to me."

Once he had neatly adjusted his forehead ribbon, he resumed his usual composed and self-restrained demeanor as Hanguang Jun, gave a slight nod, and said, "Rest well. We'll talk about Guanyin Temple and the trip to Lanling tomorrow."

At these words, Wei Wuxian felt a bit relieved. At least they still had plans to discuss tomorrow. He smiled and replied, "You too. Rest well, and we'll hash it out tomorrow."