acrookedpath | [pfsb] happy halloween!

The faintest of smiles touches his mouth as Jiang Yanli attempts to look stern, wiping the edge of her sleeve along the glowing trail of powder.

"A-Xian," she starts, but can't help but laugh.

He beams, all innocence. "My shijie looks very pretty like that," he says, prim. "Lan Zhan, you would look very pretty, too, come here -- "

He waves his stained hand in front of Lan Zhan teasingly.

"A-Xian, stop. Don't tease Hanguang-jun so."

He shakes his head. "Jin shao-fu'ren is kind, but need not worry."

She smiles at him, warm and hopeful, as she does a quick mental calculation and decides to proceed. "Jiang Yanli," she invites him, gently. "Please."

How could they ever have thought this man unemotional? The surprise and shy acceptance in his gaze is so clear, if one but looks. Slowly, carefully, he frees his hand from A-Xian's in order to offer her a formal bow. "Jiang Yanli," he corrects himself, and then adds, "Lan Wangji."

He has resigned himself to remaining close to tears for the entire evening: his joy so great that his body cannot contain it all, but with a ribbon of sorrow winding through that he will not be able to shake. Seeing his sister greet his zhiji as equals, as they might have back home, had both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli lived --

He cannot help himself. As soon as their bows conclude, Wei Wuxian hauls both of them into a hug.

This time, at least, he is prepared for the sudden shock of ache that runs through his body all the way down to the bone. It is worth it; very worth it.

Gently, Lan Wangji puts his arm around Wei Ying in turn, embracing him as the three of them stand there together for a timeless moment.

A beat later, Wei Wuxian realizes, with a guilty start, that Lan Zhan just told him of the pain in his back. He lets go, giving Lan Zhan's arm a quick, apologetic squeeze as he does.

Lots of tea, he thinks firmly. Maybe he will secretly tuck a warming talisman into Lan Zhan's robes, too, since he will not be able to draw him a bath and rub away the aches tonight.

"Aiyo, both of you keep making me cry," he complains; it is not a complaint at all. "My sleeves will be soaked through from wiping my eyes so often."

Jiang Yanli smiles at him and loops her arm through A-Xian's. With her other, she reaches up to dab at his eyes with her own sleeve.

He breaks into grin and a wobbly laugh.

"Wait until we reach the inlet, though," he says. "Then your sleeves really will be soaked."

"We'll see," Jiang Yanli says, firmly. "But for now, show me the rest of this place!"

Lan Wangji moves to stand so that his shadow falls on the mossy log and the tiny glowing lights are not dimmed, a soft expression in his eyes as he watches the two of them.

"Of course!" The grin firms up. "Come here, this way -- "

He takes Jiang Yanli's hand again -- tracking a little more of the glowing powder onto her, unfortunately -- and pulls her along the path. Hanging over its edges are tiny bluebells no bigger than a pinky nail; vines twist above, draping a curtain of long, long leaves just above their heads. There are flowers they can hold in the palms of their hands, and ones so big they cannot even fit their arms around them.

Here and there, insects have snuck inside to escape the oncoming cold, sending up tiny hums in their wake as they pass by.

The more she sees of this place, the more incredible it seems. Jiang Yanli exclaims over each new discovery, utterly enchanted. She trails her fingers over the petals of different flowers, marveling at color and texture, and beams smiles at both A-Xian and Lan Wangji as they walk.

Alas, while it takes them a while to reach the end of the path, they do reach it eventually. Back at the entrance, near the benches and potting soil, Wei Wuxian draws a deep breath of perfumed air and smiles.

"Not as big as the library after all," he says, wry but light. "Shall we go see the inlet? We can walk past the spot where Lan Zhan and I planted lotuses along the way."

“Mn,” he agrees, willing to walk wherever Wei Ying wishes now that it is safe, and watches as Jiang Yanli beams.

“Yes, let’s. I want to see both.”

Cheerfully: "On to the lake, then!"

The chill air sweeps them away from the greenhouse as they step outside. Wei Wuxian gives an exaggerated shiver, grinning broadly enough to make his teasing plain, as he leads the way toward the little bend in the lake. It is not the easiest thing to spot in the darkness, but he remembers well enough. There, the three rocks dotting the shore. Here, the grove Lan Zhan pulled them into when Wei Wuxian needed shelter from his darker thoughts.

And straight ahead --

There. Just barely peeking above the water: a single lotus stem.

One hand flies to her mouth as she spots it, small and fragile but there and silvery-green under the moonlight.

"A-Xian, look!"

"Oh."

It is more breath than word, so soft that it's nearly lost under the gentle lap of the water. Wei Wuxian has kept an eye on the lotuses, of course; noticed, with delight, the stems beginning to grow. But he did not expect any to break the surface of the water so soon.

Perhaps it's simply more magic of the inn. But it doesn't matter.

"Lan Zhan," he says, voice hoarse with emotion even as he gives him a playful nudge in the side. "Look. You are a fine farmer after all."

He shakes his head. "Wei Ying's skill and guidance." Very gently, he places his hand against the small of the other man's back.

He leans against Lan Zhan; carefully, after a time, he loops his arm around him, mindful not to press too hard on his scars.

"All I have wanted," he says, softly, "is a place of my own, with the people I love, and room to grow lotuses. And now I have it." He blinks back fresh tears. "What a marvelous birthday."

Jiang Yanli comes to her brother's other side and places a hand on his arm as she smiles up at him.

"Xianxian. I'm so happy for you."

With no hesitation, he wraps an arm around his shijie as well, beaming down at her.

No louder: "I am very lucky."

It trembles on his lips to say he deserves it, but he knows Wei Ying’s likely reaction.

“Mn,” he says instead, the small sound soft and fond.

He glances to Lan Zhan, with equally fond amusement, before pecking him on the cheek again. The three of them linger in the quiet a moment longer.

Then, Wei Wuxian lets go of them to give a playfully exaggerated shiver.

"Ah, but it is cold here!" he says. "The inlet is much, much warmer. Let's keep going."

He starts to lead on along the lake shore.

She trades a look with Han-- with Lan Wangji, hers fondly amused, his tolerant and no less fond, she thinks, and turns to follow A-Xian.

"What's so wonderful about this inlet, anyway?"

"You will see!" Wei Wuxian promptly ruins any attempt at mystery by continuing: "It is not a part of the lake at all, but a piece of the ocean. Somehow the inn has carved out a place for it, with warm air and saltwater."

"I do not understand how," he adds, noticing how startled Jiang Yanli looks. "Some sort of magic, it seems, but there is no apparent harm in it."

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