A nervous energy hung over Cloud Recesses, Lan Xichen thought as he paced the length of his room, a nervous energy that seeped into the very atmosphere of the usually tranquil grounds, a low grade hum caught in the branches of the trees and the blades of grass as they swayed in the wind. Outside, clumps of disciples rushed about their day- or, they rushed as much as they were allowed to, within the confines of the rules.
He suppressed a laugh at the sudden thought, despite being entirely alone. These juniors had a greater tendency to toe the lines of the rules, testing the amount of leeway they could be given. Cautiously rebellious, he would call them, and he allowed himself a quiet chuckle at the oxymoron. How very typical of a GusuLan member, to take caution in their rebellion.
He paused by the door, looking at it as though it were open, as though he could see through the wood, listening carefully to the sounds of Cloud Recesses beyond it. Wind skating through the trees, shaking the grass, the lull giving the cicadas room to scream. It was a bright summer day, and he could all but feel the encompassing warmth of the sun on his skin, the memory an echo of a better time.
The thought left a chill on his skin- another moment of irony. He turned away from the door, fixing his attention elsewhere, skimming over the length of his room, searching for a distraction from the energy seeping in from the outside. He wondered what had brought about the shift from the usual tranquility of Cloud Recesses- had something happened? Surely, if it were serious, someone would have informed him of the issue at hand- he was still Sect Leader, after all.
Perhaps Wei Wuxian's donkey had escaped once more, and the juniors were working frantically to locate and contain the animal before the man discovered it's disappearance. A charming scene, he thought- and one more likely than not. A donkey at large in Cloud Recesses, with dozens of juniors clamoring over themselves to catch the beast, lest they invoke the disappointment of Wei Wuxian- or the ire of Lan Qiren, should he find the beast himself. Certainly, that could be the excitement of the day.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned towards the sound, calling out a quick, "You may come in."
The door swung open to reveal two familiar juniors, one wearing a pleasant expression, and one wearing an expression that could be rather adequately described as the inverse of the others. Jingyi stepped in, a basket in hand, immediately moving towards the table set up off to the side, as Sizhui moved to close the door behind them.
"There's no need for that- it would do us best to allow some air in," He said to Sizhui, who nodded, leaving the door open, turning to him instead.
"Unfortunately, something came up that required Hanguang-Jun's immediate attention- but, he didn't want you to have lunch alone, so he asked us to come- if that's okay?" Sizhui explained as they made their way to the table, where Jingyi was making quick work of setting out dishes for the three of them. He tilted his head to the side, giving a small, almost rueful smile- how very much like Wangji, to drop everything to be where he was most needed.
"Yes- I'm glad to see the two of you again. How are your studies going?" He asked.
"Everything has been going well. Senior Wei-" Sizhui faltered ever so slightly, an almost invisible skip in the flow of conversation, "-Has been a great help. I'm glad he's back."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad everything is going well," He said softly, as they sat down at the table, Sizhui moving to pour cups of tea as they began serving themselves. He eyed Jingyi curiously, as he had remained suspiciously silent for the duration of the time the two juniors had been present. He would call it uncharacteristic, but the conversation had yet to explicitly include the other boy, though that had never stopped Jingyi from integrating himself into a discussion before. Accompanied by the sullen, frustrated expression on his face, Lan Xichen found grounds to believe that not all was as it appeared to be. Taking a bite of rice, he made note to open a line of questioning once the meal was complete.
YOU ARE READING
Emphyreal Divide
Fanfiction"Zewu-Jun?" he asked, voice hoarse and scratchy in his throat, as if he hadn't spoken in some time. The other man turned his focus directly on Jiang Cheng then, and he could see lines of worry fade away as he did so, relief bleeding into his express...
