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Chapter Text

In this universe, everyone knew that Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze were madly in love. Nobody questioned it, nobody was surprised when they ran away together, nobody gave so much as a whisper that she might ever have done anything with her husband's best friend and sect leader.

So when Jiang Fengmian comes across a dirty little boy in the streets and brings him home to Lotus Pier, Yu Ziyuan has no reason to immediately resent the boy. There are no whispers that he might be her husband's love child. She is still not entirely happy in her marriage, still resents the fact that Jiang Fengmian favors their ward over his own flesh-and-blood son and heir, but she doesn't blame Wei Wuxian for any of that. He doesn't call her mother and she never refers to him as her son, but when her children start calling him didi and gege she doesn't bother to stop them. He is part of the family.

She even decides, after a year or two, that having another child in her care who isn't the heir to the sect is an excellent opportunity to form another useful alliance, and goes to Gusu to discuss an arranged marriage with the Lan.

She and Jiang Fengmian meet with Lan Qiren several times, since Qingheng-Jun is in seclusion by this point after the death of his wife. They meet poor little Lan Wangji, who still isn't speaking over a year after his mother's death, and Yu Ziyuan thinks maybe he and Wei Wuxian would be good for each other, being able to bond over early childhood tragedy like this. So a deal is made and a marriage contract is signed.

Jiang Fengmian visits the Cloud Recesses occasionally on official business, but Yu Ziyuan doesn't go, and the Lans other than Lan Qiren, or occasionally Lan Xichen as he starts to take on more responsibility, don't visit Lotus Pier. So by the time Wei Wuxian becomes head disciple, she has not seen Lan Wangji since he was a little boy, and he and Wei Wuxian have never met.

Over the years she becomes fond of Wei Wuxian. She still favors her own children, of course, but she can't deny his raw talent and is proud to have him as their head disciple. She becomes a bit wistful, that Jiang Yanli will be going off to Lanling and Wei Wuxian will be going off to Gusu. Jiang Cheng is her favorite, but she will miss them.

She also starts to worry about Wei Wuxian's betrothal, though. He is loud, brash, and brilliant, like his mother. He is bullheaded and prideful, like... well, like Yu Ziyuan herself. Jiang Cheng got her temper, nobody would mistake him for anyone else's child, but anyone could pick Wei Wuxian out of a crowd as someone she raised and trained. She hasn't dealt with the Lans much herself, but everyone knows how conservative they are. Married to their 3,000 rules.

When she'd arranged the marriage, he'd just been starting to come out of his shell after losing his parents. She'd had no idea who he would become. Now, she starts to worry that sending Wei Wuxian off to marry into the Lan sect will be like sentencing him to wear a chain for the rest of his life.

Then the Jiangs head to the Cloud Recesses for the guest lectures.

Wei Wuxian, of course, doesn't think to write home; they get maybe two letters from him the entire time, one of which is not a letter but a drawing of bunnies.

Jiang Cheng's letters, however, have her concerned. She's not surprised that Wei Wuxian is causing trouble. It's exactly as she'd expected—the Lans live and die by their rules, while he is like her, not someone who responds well to being caged. Beyond that, though, the news of how he is getting along with the actual boy he is betrothed to is even more troubling. Apparently Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji began butting heads as soon as they met. From what she can tell, Lan Wangji hates his betrothed, and Wei Wuxian only enjoys being around him in order to provoke him.

Over the weeks, Jiang Cheng writes less about their fights, but she can't tell if this is because they're getting along better or because Jiang Cheng has simply lost interest.

Jiang Yanli writes as well, but she is her father's daughter and never has a bad word to say about anyone. It's impossible to tell from her letters whether Lan Wangji is truly as harsh and cold as Jiang Cheng seems to think.

(Lan Qiren, of course, is regretting his choices, but they have an agreement, and he certainly won't be the one to back out of it. Lans do not go back on their word.)

Then they get the letter stating that Wei Wuxian punched Jin Zixuan and is getting kicked out of the lectures. Yu Ziyuan goes with Jiang Fengmian to collect him, wanting to meet Lan Wangji for herself.

Wei Wuxian gets quite an earful from Yu Ziyuan, but when she stops to take a breath he breaks in.

"I only did it because he was insulting jiejie! He thinks he's too good for her. He's been terrible to her ever since we ran into him in Caiyi, before we even made it to the Cloud Recesses, and then he said—in front of all the Jin disciples, he said outright that he didn't want to marry her! What would you have done, Auntie Yu?"

Yu Ziyuan looks at her son sharply. "Jiang Cheng, is this true? Has Jin Zixuan been insulting Yanli in front of the other disciples?"

"Yes," Jiang Cheng snarls, crossing his arms in a huff. "It's not even the first time he's made her cry. Every time he's near her, he says or does something that hurts her feelings or embarrasses her in front of everyone! I'm just sorry I didn't punch him first. That stuffed peacock doesn't deserve her."

She's met Jin Zixuan many times over the years, and yes, he does seem to believe the Jin are better than the Jiang by virtue of having more money. The boy needs to be taken down a peg or two, but she hadn't expected him to behave like this. She wants to think that his mother would have raised him better—but she knows full well that his father wouldn't have. Yu Ziyuan never wanted to marry Jiang Fengmian, has never enjoyed being reduced to a sect leader's wife and a mother, but at least she didn't have to marry Jin Guangshan.

She hates to disappoint her friend, but she and Jiang Fengmian agree to break off the engagement if Jin Guangshan will agree.

On the way to discuss Wei Wuxian's expulsion with Lan Qiren, they run into Lan Wangji.

He bows politely and greets them exactly as he should greet a sect leader and his wife. His face is completely blank as he does it, not a single hint that he is also greeting his future in-laws, or how he might feel about that fact.

"Lan Wangji," she says, looking at him with an assessing eye. "I haven't seen you since you were a boy. I hope you haven't been taking a page out of Jin-gongzi's book and insulting your betrothed in front of the other disciples."

He bows again. "It will be an honor to marry Wei Ying," he says, voice devoid of any feeling, honored or otherwise.

"I'm told," she says sharply, "that you have had to spend more time punishing your betrothed than feeling honored by him."

Lan Wangji's eyes drop, the closest thing to an emotion she's seen on him. Probably trying to hide his disdain for Wei Ying. "I am in charge of discipline of the other disciples. Wei Ying has broken many rules. This is not an insult, merely a fact."

"I don't think we can argue with that," Jiang Fengmian murmurs, giving his wife a knowing look. He's right, of course—they can't possibly pretend they haven't heard exactly how many rules Wei Wuxian has been breaking.

"Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian himself has spotted them from across the courtyard and is waving his arms as he hurries to cross it. "Uncle Jiang, Auntie Yu, I can't believe you're meeting my betrothed and I'm not even there to introduce you!"

"We've met before," Jiang Fengmian reminds him.

"Oh, right. Of course." Wei Wuxian looks flustered, almost bashful, as he looks nervously between his fiancé and his guardians. Lan Wangji has made no move to get closer to him, has barely even looked at him, keeping his eyes carefully on the adults. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, sidles right up to him and bumps their shoulders. Lan Wangji sways the smallest bit from the impact but otherwise doesn't move. "I forgot, I'm the only one who hadn't met him. But, um. Now we have!"

He grins at them, and it looks sincere enough, but Yu Ziyuan has long since learned not to trust Wei Wuxian's smiles. He may have just caused his sister to lose her engagement, no matter how much Jin Zixuan deserved what he got. He wouldn't want to put his own in danger, wouldn't want the Jiangs to lose both of them in one day. Even an engagement to someone who hates him. He would smile in the face of marrying Wen Chao if he thought he needed to right now.

"I hope he's been treating you better than the Jin boy treated Yanli," Yu Ziyuan sniffs, wondering if he'll try to pretend they've been getting along just fine.

"Lan Zhan? Of course! He's nothing like that peacock, he would never say things like that."

Hm. Likely true, but the kind of truth that can easily hide unspoken facts.

"Jiang Cheng said the two of you fought your first night here," she says.

Wei Wuxian laughs nervously. "Jiang Cheng told you about that? I—I promise I wasn't trying to make trouble. I didn't realize how strict they are with their rules, but Lan Zhan was just doing his job. And anyhow, it was a great fight! He can really keep me on my toes! You know most people my age can't keep up with me in a sword fight, but Lan Zhan sure can. We should spar more often, Lan Zhan." He bumps his betrothed with his shoulder again.

"Mm," is all Lan Wangji says, his face a perfect jade mask.

"Anyhow, Lan Zhan had to oversee me copying rules in the library once or twice... Or, uh, a lot... but I think we bonded over it!" He turns his sunny smile on Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji does not even look at him. The only thing that betrays his annoyance is the way he grips his sword a little tighter.

"Well, it was good seeing you again, Lan Wangji," Jiang Fengmian says after a slightly awkward silence that Lan Wangji makes no move to fill. "Wei Ying, since you're here, perhaps you should wait outside while we discuss this with Master Lan."

Wei Wuxian's face falls as he nods.

By the time they've walked the last ten feet to Lan Qiren's door, Yu Ziyuan has made up her mind. This cold, heartless boy is no suitable match for their spirited, exuberant Wei Wuxian! Yes, he's a bit unruly, but he'll settle down as he matures and the Lans would be lucky to have him. She absolutely cannot stand by and watch the fire inside of him be stamped out by being tied down to an emotionless automaton like Lan Wangji, who at the tender age of seventeen clearly already cares more for rules than living a full life.

They discuss Wei Wuxian's punishment with Lan Qiren, and by the time they're done, Jin Guangshan has arrived. He reluctantly agrees to cancel the engagement between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. After they're done with that conversation, she pulls her husband aside.

"We've got to break off Wei Ying's betrothal as well," she says quietly. "You've seen that boy, Fengmian. Look me in the eye and tell me he's a good match for Wei Ying."

"I know," Jiang Fengmian says, "but with the way Wen Ruohan's been acting, I'm not sure we should be cutting two such important alliances in one day. You know there's more at stake here than the children's happiness."

"The Jin were the more valuable ally and you know it," she hisses. "Besides, I'm sure there must be other eligible young men in the Lan sect—in fact, maybe one would be a good match for Yanli. She doesn't deserve to marry someone so cold either, but at least she'd be happier living under all their rules than Wei Ying ever would. And she'd be less likely to ruin any alliance by breaking them all when she finally can't stand life with her emotionless husband!"

Lan Qiren is only too happy to allow them to break it. He agrees that the boys are a terrible match. Yu Ziyuan can tell he is trying not to insult their raising of Wei Wuxian, but they know how many problems Wei Wuxian has caused since he's been there, and it has not endeared him to Lan Qiren—or, to hear him tell it, his nephew. He thinks both boys will be relieved.

When they call the two boys in and announce that their betrothal has been dissolved, none of the three adults is prepared for the reaction.

Lan Wangji's eyes go wide. At first, Yu Ziyuan thinks he's simply offended that the Jiang didn't think him good enough.

"What?" Wei Wuxian cries. "What do you mean? Why would you do this? Is this punishment for punching Jin Zixuan? Auntie Yu, Uncle Jiang, please, please—I'll apologize to Jin Guangshan directly if you need me to!"

The three adults are a little too stunned at this passionate reaction to respond. Yu Ziyuan, of course, is the first to recover.

"What foolishness is this?" she snaps. "We are doing you a favor, Wei Ying. You should be thanking us! You can't tell me you could ever be truly happy married to such a cold, emotionless man."

Lan Qiren bristles a little at the description, but Wei Wuxian just looks confused and dismayed.

"Lan Zhan's not cold! He's definitely not emotionless. Have you ever seen him when he's angry? I mean, of course you haven't, you haven't been here—"

"Well, if the only emotion he can manage to express toward his intended is anger, I think you've proven my point," Yu Ziyuan says irritably. The irony is lost on no one, least of all her, but that, too, is part of her point.

"It's not!" Wei Wuxian rushes to insist. "Really! I mean, at first, yeah, kinda, but that was mostly my fault, he's a lot of fun to tease." He flinches at Lan Qiren's glare. "But—but—he loves me now!"

Yu Ziyuan purses her lips, one eyebrow raised skeptically. Lan Wangji hasn't moved an inch or said a word the whole time. He's not even looking at Wei Wuxian, certainly not desperately trying to save their betrothal the way Wei Wuxian is.

"Hmph," she sniffs. "Wei Ying, really. Look at him. He doesn't care about you, or about your betrothal."

Wei Wuxian does look at him. Lan Wangji is staring resolutely ahead, eyes fixed somewhere on the other side of the room, one hand behind his back, the other gripping Bichen. He looks like a soldier at attention—or like a jade statue of one. Wei Wuxian's face crumbles, and Yu Ziyuan feels terrible to disillusion him like this but it's for the best—

"Lan Zhan, it's okay," Wei Wuxian says nonsensically. He reaches out and puts a hand on Lan Wangji's arm as if to comfort the other boy, as if comfort were a thing Lan Wangji might actually need, as if he would accept it from Wei Wuxian if he did need it. "I promise, we'll fix this. One way or another, I am going to marry you." Yu Ziyuan is kind of surprised Lan Wangji hasn't shaken Wei Wuxian's hand off yet, but he apparently doesn't even care enough to do that.

"Wei Ying, leave him alone, can't you see he doesn't care about any of this?" Yu Ziyuan starts, but Wei Wuxian looks at her incredulously.

"Auntie Yu, can't you see how devastated he is?" Yu Ziyuan's mouth falls open. He can't be serious. She's about to berate him for making fun of the poor boy—he may be cold and a poor match for Wei Wuxian, but he doesn't deserve that—but before she can, he turns back to Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan, please, just look at me."

To Yu Ziyuan's surprise, he does. Just for a brief second, their eyes meet. Then his drop to the floor.

"Wei Ying," he says quietly, "I do not wish to upset your family. And she is not wrong." Yu Ziyuan opens her mouth to say something like you see, he's happy to break your heart, now let's go, but he continues before she can. "You deserve to marry someone as... vibrant as you are."

Vibrant? Not that Yu Ziyuan disagrees, she just wasn't expecting Lan Wangji to describe him that way.

"You mean as loud as me?" Wei Wuxian scoffs. "As obnoxious as me?"

"Wei Ying is not obnoxious," Lan Wangji says firmly.

"What, I deserve to marry someone as irresponsible as me, or who makes as much trouble as me?" At the very least, Wei Wuxian doesn't sound upset anymore, or at least, not in the same way. He doesn't sound distraught.

Lan Wangji finally picks his eyes back up, just for a few seconds, and there is something intense in them as he meets Wei Wuxian's gaze that Yu Ziyuan hasn't seen in him up until now.

"That is not what I meant," he says firmly.

"Lan Zhan, I can't marry someone just like me," Wei Wuxian says, as if this is obvious. Lan Wangji's eyes fall away again, though Wei Wuxian tries to follow them, to keep his gaze. "Can you imagine? Two of me? It'd be a disaster! We'd burn something down before our bows were finished!"

"A-Ying," Jiang Fengmian starts, and Yu Ziyuan is relieved that at least he's planning to back her up a little here. "You don't give yourself enough credit. Just because Lan Wangji isn't a good match for you doesn't mean—"

"And who decided he's not?" Wei Wuxian's head whips around to glare at the adults. "Master Lan told you that, didn't he? I know he doesn't approve of me, but I didn't think he'd break our engagement over it—"

"Don't be ridiculous," Yu Ziyuan snaps. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the two of you are poorly matched. Lan Qiren was sensible enough to agree."

Wei Wuxian looks betrayed. "But we aren't! Yeah, we're very different, but who cares? We're in love, isn't that enough?"

"Wangji," Lan Qiren finally says, and Yu Ziyuan is glad he's finally weighing in. Really, why does she have to handle these situations? Why are the men so useless? "Enough is enough. Tell Wei Wuxian you are not in love with him so that he will be quiet and the Jiangs can go home in peace."

Lan Wangji's face has looked as impassive as ever through most of this, but now there's something sharp in his expression as he turns toward his uncle.

"Lying is forbidden," he says.

All three of the adults are stunned into silence for a moment. Lan Qiren recovers first.

"Wangji," he barks, standing up. "What is the meaning of this?" He takes a breath and seems to steady himself. "Now, I realize that you do not appreciate plans being changed like this, especially when you've expected to marry one person since you were young. But there's no reason to go along with this farce of a story of his. This boy is the reason you received the most severe punishment of your life, you cannot possibly expect me to believe you harbor feelings for him!"

"He wouldn't have been punished if you'd listened to me," Wei Wuxian says, scratching his nose sullenly. "It was all my fault, I told you that, Lan Zhan is just too stupidly noble to admit it."

"There is no farce," Lan Wangji says to his uncle. "I love Wei Ying. If shufu forbids me to marry Wei Ying, I will not. But I will not marry another."

He seems... sincere might not be the right word, since there's nothing so sentimental as sincerity in his tone. Forthright, perhaps. Yu Ziyuan believes that he intends to marry Wei Wuxian, even if she still doesn't quite believe that he loves Wei Wuxian, or that they're a suitable match.

Everyone is silent for a moment. Wei Wuxian is staring at Lan Wangji with stars in his eyes, like what Lan Wangji just said is the most romantic thing he's ever heard. Lan Wangji is staring stonily at his uncle. Yu Ziyuan still can't imagine him ever returning that starry-eyed look.

She finally sniffs. "Lan-er-gongzi, there's no need to be dramatic. Nobody is forbidding anyone from marrying anyone, as far as I know," she says. "We are simply releasing you both from the obligation."

She sucks in a startled breath when Lan Wangji suddenly drops to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground next to him, and bows deeply.

"Sect Leader Jiang, Lan Wangji humbly requests permission to court and marry the head disciple of the Jiang."

Lan Qiren sighs deeply. Wei Wuxian is biting his lips as if he's trying to keep himself from saying anything, his eyes darting from Lan Wangji to his guardians and back.

It's Jiang Fengmian who finally speaks. "If... both of the children still want the betrothal..." he says, then trails off. Wei Wuxian looks so hopeful that Yu Ziyuan can't help but feel a bit bitter at her husband's inability to commit to a course of action.

"Wei Ying." She fixes him with her most assessing gaze, the one she knows he can't lie to. He swallows. "Look me in the eye and tell me that, even after everything I've heard from Jiang Cheng about you and Lan Wangji arguing and fighting and complaining about each other, you honestly and truly want to marry him."

Wei Wuxian immediately nods enthusiastically. "I do, Auntie Yu, I swear. We got off on the wrong foot, and I probably still annoy him sometimes, but I annoy everyone sometimes—well, everyone but jiejie, but you know you'll never find someone to marry me who's as patient as her. And even if you did, I wouldn't want to marry them, because I'm in love with Lan Zhan. He's—he's brilliant, and talented, and gorgeous, and righteous, and passionate—" Madam Yu can't help the small snort that escapes at the idea. "—Really! All these Lans, they act all serene and tranquil, put on that carved-from-jade act, but nobody without fire in their blood could get as pissed at me as he and his uncle have! Uh, sorry Master Lan." He bows nervously to Lan Qiren. "Anyhow, the point is, Lan Zhan understands me, and he loves me, and the best part about being here has been getting to know him and knowing the whole time that I get to marry him!"

"Wangji," Lan Qiren says wearily. Lan Wangji, who hasn't moved from his deep bow this entire time, finally stands. "You are well aware of how many of the Lan disciplines this boy has broken since he's arrived here, and how many times he's been punished. You have carried out many of those punishments yourself. And yet, after witnessing all of that, you still wish to commit to spending the rest of your life with him?"

"Yes," is all Lan Wangji says.

The three adults exchange looks. Lan Qiren looks resigned. Jiang Fengmian actually looks a bit pleased. Yu Ziyuan still isn't convinced that this is what's best for Wei Wuxian, but she is willing to allow that he knows Lan Wangji better than she does at this point. Her husband gives her a questioning look, and she gives him a short, sharp nod. He turns to Lan Qiren.

"It seems that perhaps in our haste to act in the best interest of our charges, we may have acted too quickly. If the Lan are willing to restore the original marriage contract, the Jiang are as well."

Yu Ziyuan finally detects a hint of emotion in Lan Wangji's face—the barest glint of desperation in his eyes as he stares down his uncle. Lan Qiren finally huffs.

"I suppose that, as until you brought it up, Sect Leader Jiang, I hadn't planned to back out of our contract no matter my opinion of Wei Wuxian's attitude or behavior since he's arrived in the Cloud Recesses, it would be hypocritical for me to refuse to reinstate the contract now."

"All right, then," Yu Ziyuan says with a sigh. "Wei Ying, you are once again betrothed to Lan Wangji—and on your own heads be it."

"Oh, thank you!" Wei Ying's face breaks out in a relieved smile. "Auntie Yu, Uncle Jiang, really, thank you so much!"

He turns and throws his arms around Lan Wangji's neck, hiding his face in his shoulder. Lan Wangji's face still does not change much, but to Yu Ziyuan's shock, his hands clutch at Wei Wuxian's robes like he's afraid that his betrothed will be blown away with the next breeze. He closes his eyes and buries his nose in Wei Wuxian's hair.

Maybe there are embers under his ice-cold exterior after all.

"Unfortunately," she says after they've had a moment, "Wei Ying is still being kicked out of the Cloud Recesses for now. Say your goodbyes, and then Wei Ying, let's get your things packed up."

The two boys pull back from their embrace, but only enough to look each other in the eye. Now that Lan Wangji looks at Wei Wuxian for more than a few seconds, Yu Ziyuan can see it. The way his eyes soften, his mouth relaxes. It's nothing anyone would ever mistake for a smile, but it's more than she would have said he was capable of an hour ago.

Wei Wuxian whispers something, and Lan Wangji nods, then leans forward and presses their foreheads together before whispering back.

"Wangji!" Lan Qiren snaps. "That is inappropriate, you are not married yet!"

Yu Ziyuan's face screws up in confusion, but then she remembers—the ribbon. The Lans have some strange, strict rules about those ribbons they wear, and Lan Wangji's is pressed right up against Wei Wuxian's forehead. You'd think they were trading blowjobs or something.

"Entirely appropriate," is all Lan Wangji says. Wei Wuxian beams at him.

Lan Qiren looks like he would very much like to rub his temples, but is trying not to show weakness in the face of bullheaded teenagers. "It is an arranged marriage," he grits out.

"Yes," Lan Wangji says. His ribbon is still pressed to Wei Wuxian's skin. "What could be more clearly fated?"

Lan Qiren closes his eyes, and Yu Ziyuan has the distinct impression that he is doing it to hide an eyeroll.

"I'm sorry," Jiang Fengmian says, smiling politely. "I think I'm missing something here."

Lan Qiren opens his eyes and turns a long-suffering gaze on the other two. "Our ribbons are only to be touched by a spouse, parent or child. The exception is that if one believes themselves to have met their fated person, they need not wait until marriage."

Yu Ziyuan rolls her eyes so that Lan Qiren doesn't have to. "I suppose it's my own fault for letting a stoic face fool me into thinking he's not just one more teenager who believes himself to be living out the greatest love story ever written."

The two boys disentangle themselves enough for Lan Wangji to turn and bow to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan in turn. "Sect Leader Jiang, Madam Yu, may Wei Ying accompany me to speak to my brother before he leaves?"

Startled, Yu Ziyuan looks at her husband and gives a minute shrug.

"I... don't see why not," Jiang Fengmian says, and the two boys bow and take their leave.

Chapter Text

How does Wangxian being engaged change the rest of the plot?

Lan Xichen, shipper that he is, is happy to send the two of them off, completely unchaperoned, after the Yin Iron. It's too important a mission to worry about a silly thing like chaperones, right? The Jiangs are not so pleased when they find out, and send Jiang Cheng after them.

The next bit is mostly the same, Jiang Cheng finds them thanks to Wen Qing etc. After the stuff with Xue Yang, Wei Wuxian tries to leave Qinghe to go with Lan Wangji back to the Cloud Recesses, but Jiang Cheng is like look I am not going back to the Cloud Recesses with you and I SURE as hell am not going home and telling mom I let you leave with him, like I had ONE JOB here, and drags Wei Wuxian back to Lotus Pier. So he doesn't see Lan Wangji again until the Wen indoctrination. After the Xuanwu cave, Jiang Cheng persuades Lan Wangji to come back to Lotus Pier with them—ostensibly so that they can protect him and keep their alliance with the Lan intact, but Lan Wangji agrees so he can make sure Wei Wuxian recovers, and perhaps get help for his sect from the Jiang.

Once they're back at Lotus Pier and he explains what happened to the Cloud Recesses, the Jiangs hurriedly allow Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian to marry. They know that even though the Lan are the ones who need help right now, the Wen are coming for everyone and the tides could turn quickly, so they need what alliances they can get. Then the tides do turn, of course. When Lotus Pier is destroyed, Lan Wangji helps get the Jiang siblings into the boat because his first priority is keeping Wei Ying safe.

Then it could go two ways:

1) Lan Wangji happens to see Jiang Cheng lure the Wen away from Wei Wuxian and get captured, so he and Wei Wuxian go to rescue Jiang Cheng sooner and they and Wen Ning get him before Wen Zhuliu gets to him, so nobody loses a golden core at all! You can decide how the story goes from there.

2) Jiang Cheng loses his core. Lan Wangji, of course, is completely against what Wei Wuxian is trying to get Wen Qing to do. Wei Wuxian tells him, 100% sincerely and not trying to be manipulative about it or anything, "I know you didn't sign up to marry someone without a golden core. I won't be your equal anymore, I can't be your zhiji like that. I have to do this, but if you want to divorce me afterward, I'll understand." So then Lan Wangji of course is like well fuck that I guess you have to go through with it now so that I can show you how much I love you by standing by your side no matter what.

Unfortunately, Wei Wuxian still gets captured while Lan Wangji is like peeing or something, as he cannot physically keep his eyes on his husband every moment of every day, as much as he would like to. He does not spill the beans about the core to Jiang Cheng but they go on quite a rampage to get Wei Wuxian back. Wei Wuxian doesn't feel the need to be quite as DarkFuckPrince when they find him because a) Lan Wangji knows why he's doing what he's doing and b) he missed his husband okay 🥺

After the war, they both need to help their sects rebuild, so they are splitting their time between Cloud Recesses and Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian is still harmed by the resentful energy but not as badly. Lan Wangji stands by him when he rescues the Wen remnants. While Wei Wuxian lives with them on the Burial Mounds, Lan Wangji travels back and forth between Burial Mounds, Cloud Recesses, and Lotus Pier, advocating for them. They eventually convince Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen to back them. Sure, of the elite sects the Lan and the Jiang are in the worst positions after the war, but their alliance is very solid by this point and combined they're still more than Jin Guangshan really wants to deal with, so once Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen both testify that it's just a bunch of old people, no demonic cultivators, only one actual living cultivator other than Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, he finally relents and says he won't pursue the Wen remnants.

So wtf happened while they were in Cloud Recesses? How did they go from rooftop swordfight to "but daddy I love him" in this universe?

At first things went about like they did in the show. Lan Wangji was appalled that his betrothed started out by breaking the rules, Wei Wuxian was appalled that his betrothed actually cared about his rule-breaking. Turned him in and everything! The nerve!

Because Lan Wangji was being so cold, Lan Qiren decided there was no reason not to let him oversee Wei Wuxian's punishments, even though it meant leaving them unchaperoned in the library. He trusted Lan Wangji to begin with, but knowing he would never be tempted into untoward behavior with that boy helped.

Hahahahaha

Wei Wuxian's teasing was more overtly flirtatious, filled with "I can't believe my husband would ignore his Wei Ying so!" while Lan Wangji sat there horny-gripping his calligraphy brush and reminding himself that at least it was acceptable for him to feel the urges he was feeling, given that he would be married to Wei Wuxian someday whether he liked it or not.

Then the waterborne abyss happened. Seeing Wei Wuxian be so brave and honorable, putting himself in danger to save others, did something to the wall Lan Wangji had built up. That wall was a lot flimsier than in the show, because again, he wasn't repressing his feelings quite as hard because he was going to marry this guy. So it crumbled spectacularly and Lan Wangji found himself with an undeniable crush.

Which, of course, he found mortifying, betrothed or no. He tried avoiding Wei Wuxian for a few days, but that clearly just hurt his feelings, and oh no, now Lan Wangji feels bad for hurting his feelings. This is all going very wrong very quickly.

When he has to oversee another rules-copying session, one thing leads to another and they end up making out. He doesn't let it go too far, pointing out that if Wei Wuxian doesn't get any rules copied, someone is bound to figure out that that's not what they've been doing, and they'll never be left unchaperoned again. Wei Wuxian, who is very very on board with the idea of his betrothed suddenly wanting unchaperoned time together so they can do more things like that, gets his butt back to copying. Luckily, he has to copy rules a few days in a row, and soon Lan Wangji isn't sure he'll be able to get through class without gazing at Wei Wuxian in a very obvious combination of lust and lovesickness.

(News flash LWJ: You look neither lustful nor lovesick to literally anyone except yourself, Wei Wuxian, and maybe your brother. Note how Yu Ziyuan completely misreads his horny-gripping of Bichen when Wei Wuxian said they'd "bonded" in the library. Lan Wangji was completely certain in that moment that the Jiangs would figure out that they were making out in there and was struggling to get himself under control. There was zero chance of the Jiangs figuring this out.)

When Lan Wangji finds the trio drinking a few days later, he's not quite furious but he is pretty ticked off that, despite their growing relationship, Wei Wuxian still has no respect for the most basic rules. Wei Wuxian doesn't use a talisman to get him to drink—instead, they have what is very obviously (to Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng's extreme confusion before they run out to barf) a lovers' quarrel, and it's every bit as immature and stupid as two teenagers in love having their first real fight ever is. Lan Wangji says Wei Wuxian is capable of better, Wei Wuxian accuses Lan Wangji of loving the rules more than him, Lan Wangji suggests that perhaps it's that Wei Wuxian loves breaking the rules more than him. Note that they've been making out for like a week max at this point and definitely had not said the L-word (ok the a-word in Chinese, not that they used pinyin back then THE 爱 WORD OKAY) before this but again, stupid over-the-top teenage fight.

Which somehow culminates in Lan Wangji downing a cup of wine purely to spite Wei Wuxian.

SO technically he did it to himself this time but Wei Wuxian still sees it as his fault because he pushed him and goaded him until he snapped.

After their beatings, Shipper Lan Xichen still directs Wei Wuxian to the Cold Pond Cave, knowing full well that Lan Wangji will be there and that without a punishment to oversee they really shouldn't be unchaperoned. But Wangji has been so happy the past week! Let them make out a little.

They actually don't make out, because Lan Wangji is scandalized for Wei Wuxian to see him half-naked ("Wei Ying, it is improper in the extreme." "Mmmm, I think improper might be more you hauling me onto your lap because I wasn't close enough to you even though my tongue was in your mouth..." "...Shameless.") plus even once his robe is back on the cold pond is super cold which is not very sexy. But they do make up, and say many sweet things to each other, and make promises that are mostly unnecessary because they've been betrothed for nearly a decade but romantic nonetheless, and share a few soft, gentle kisses before getting sucked down into Lan Yi's cave.

And given that they're gone all night and as far as anyone knows alone that whole time, well that very nearly escalates into a major scandal. It's a good thing they have the Yin Iron to prove that they did not run off to deflower each other in the middle of the night. Lan Wangji acts a little colder to Wei Wuxian in front of his uncle, but only because they are now very much in danger of actual chaperonage and if Lan Qiren has the slightest clue about Lan Wangji's feelings they will never get to make out again until their wedding night, which is still probably a couple of years away. Luckily, Wei Wuxian has figured this out and is not put out by Lan Wangji's act. Actually, he did not have to put on an act, because again, literally nobody except the two of them and Lan Xichen can tell how smitten Lan Wangji is at all, in the least. Even Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang have convinced themselves that they were so drunk that they must have misheard what Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were saying to each other during the fight, because there's no way it was what it sounded like.