𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐚 ⚣︎ mo dao zu shi x male reader

forty.

nie huaisang didn't know what he was expecting when he woke up. he never got the feeling that something different was going to happen. he woke up, got dressed, and headed to the main hall to get breakfast. the throne room looked so much different now ever since his brother passed away. nie huaisang didn't want to be reminded of his brother everywhere he looked, so he transformed the throne room. he made it less of a throne room and more of a gathering hall, a banquet area, anything that would make it seem less of a dictator's office.

so, he spruced it all up — he opened the windows, removed the throne, added tables here, flower vases there... anything to keep the thought of his older brother out of his mind. nie huaisang sat on his usual spot at the head of the room. a few nie disciples were there to ensure his safety, and to answer to his every need. he could still see the piles of scrolls and documents lying around his desk area, completely untouched since last week. meanwhile, the paper fan on top of his desk was already drying. the painting of cherry blossoms finally settling into the paper. nie huaisang picked up a brush, a paintbrush. he dipped it into a small inkpot and decided to paint details onto the fan.

then, a pair of servants entered the room. they set up a small table beside his work desk and prepared his food from there. this was how nie huaisang's mornings would go. peaceful, serene. he felt as if he had nothing to worry about, and that brought a smile on his lips. he added more leaves on his paintings, and maybe even a bird or two. as he retouched the drawing of the bird, that suddenly reminded him — he still had to feed his pet birds. he stood up, plopping the ink brush onto the inkpot, before walking out of the room, two nie disciples flanking him on either side.

he waltzed out into the garden, enjoying the crisp, morning air as he breathed it in. then he felt it — a familiar feeling, a faint sense of deja vu, almost as if the past were trying to reach out to him. the wind whispered in his ears as he fed his birds. he gently tapped the bird cage, calling the attention of the small, grey canary. the bird chirped a good morning to him, making nie huaisang smile. he feed it a couple of seeds, and was satisfied to see the animal eating happily. "what a beautiful day it is." the bird continues eating and nie huaisang watches it eat for a few moments before a disciple comes running up to him.

"nie-zongzhu." the disciple bows respectfully.

"what is it?" nie huaisang asked, a little worried that this disciple might be bringing bad news.

"you have visitors. disciples from the gusu lan clan." the disciple informs him.

"is it zewu-jun?" nie huaisang questions further, a smile lighting up his face.

"no. they are being led by a senior named lan r/n."

~

nie huisang doesn't know who lan r/n is. when he asked his disciples if they knew anything about him, all they would do was shake their heads and asnwer, i don't know. he was still a little unsure as to why the gusu lan clan was sending in a completely unknown disciple without informing him ahead of time. did something bad happen? nie huaisang would wonder. he was trying to keep his cool, hoping that it was nothing too serious. servants guarding the doors to the main hall bowed to him in respect before they opened the doors.

around six disciples in white were present inside the room. they were all seated on tables set up at the sides, quietly and patiently waiting for nie huaisang. they all looked the same in his eyes, all except for one. a young disciple sat near the head table, he wore a veil that covered the bottom half of his face, and his eyes were closed, as if he were in a meditative state. he had an air of tranquility that nie huaisang has never seen before on any other lan disciple — not lan xichen, not even lan wangji. he was quiet. and he was beautiful. nie huaisang gulps, unable to step foot into the room as he just stands outside, completely frozen.