So Chenqing wasn't the only thing of WWX's that Jiang Cheng kept!

There were still a few boxes of things that survived the fall of Lotus Pier - mostly papers, sketches. Some letters. WWX himself had packed them away into a corner and JC let them sit there, gathering dust.

And now they're slowly *driving him crazy* because! WWX is alive! He's out there somewhere causing problems and his shit is *here* taking up space in Lotus Pier and Jiang Cheng doesn't have to put up with that now, does he? No, he does not.

The thing is, Jiang Cheng knows what's in those boxes.

There was a stretch of time, after Cloud Recesses and before - everything else, that all WWX seemed to do was write and draw and stare dreamily out of windows and then draw some more. Always on one very particular subject.

And well, WWX's a traveling 'free spirit' now, isn't he? So it's only appropriate, Jiang Cheng thinks, equally smug and vindictive, that Lotus Pier return WWX's effects to his last known address.

Cloud Recesses.

And perhaps pin a note to one particular box that says, Care Of His Excellency, Hanguang-jun.

No one could fault him for his courtesy. He's just sending these (*exceedingly* embarrassing, never meant to see the light of day) papers to their fated destination. As is only proper.

The boxes show up at the Jingshi, addressed to Hanguang-jun.

A few days later, WWX finally reaches the next big town. He had written to LWJ that he was heading that way and sure enough, a letter is waiting for him with a small package of useful supplies.

Letters from Lan Zhan are one of WWX's favorite things in the world. With a grin he settles down to read.

...only to feel his soul leave his body (a second time).

Because tucked in the usual correspondence is a mention of a few boxes of his that had been sent from Lotus Pier.

And an apology, because, since the packages were addressed to LWJ, he had opened one to see what they were, though he has not, he said, pursued the entire contents.

To WWX's creeping horror, included with the letter is a sketch.

It's not a particularly - *incriminating* sketch.

Just a distant boat on a moonlit lake in Yunmeng, with two figures - one in black, one in white - huddled close. Nothing inappropriate. But it's enough to jog his memory.

He knows what boxes Jiang Cheng sent to Cloud Recesses.

(because it HAD to have been Jiang Cheng, the asshole, why didn't he *burn these*!! why did he send them to - oh, he's going to kill Jiang Cheng, he deserves a free shot anyway)

WWX nearly splatters ink all down his robes in his rush to reply to Lan Zhan.

The paper ends up blotched with ink and barely legible.

"Lan Zhan, this is very important, do not open those boxes. Do not go through them, just leave them there, I'm coming back to Cloud Recesses to take care of them, DO NOT OPEN THOSE BOXES, LAN ZHAN"

And then he tugs Lil Apple all the way back to Gusu.

They meet on the cliff, and at the sight of Lan Zhan WWX feels like he's *home* in a way he hasn't felt for a very long time. His mind is wiped clear of everything but LWJ.

Right up until they approach the Jingshi.

And there, right on the daybed WWX uses in the Jingshi, are two very familiar boxes that had once lived under his old bed in Lotus Pier, the tops carved with a lotus WWX made himself.

Only one box is still sealed. He can't make himself touch them.

As he stands there, fighting the urge to cringe into a little ball (does Jiang Cheng not understand what let the past be the past means?!?), Lan Zhan finishes setting up lunch behind him.

WWX joins him at the table without a word. Lan Zhan pauses in serving his food. "Wei Ying?"

"Silence during meals," Wei Wuxian mumbles.

Lan Zhan's eyes cut to the daybed. Then he calmly continues eating.

On the spot, WWX comes up with a talisman to let him melt through the floor. (Likelihood of survival is null, oh well)

After lunch, WWX starts to relax a little. Lan Zhan is a good person. Surely he wouldn't torture WWX with ancient history? Maybe they will pretend that nothing is amiss. Maybe they won't have to talk about it *at all.*

Lan Zhan says, "The packages from Lotus Pier."

WWX instantly starts blustering, sounding more like a faulty kettle than anything else. "Ah, ah, wait -"

Lan Zhan continues, "The direction had been - unclear." Deliberately, Wei Wuxian thinks, morose. "I was unaware they were meant for you and so I opened one. I apologize."

"- ah. No, Lan Zhan, it's - fine." It's not but that's not LWJ's fault. But maybe if they're being polite about it he can still get out of this with his pride intact?

"Hm." LWJ sips his tea. "Though I did see a letter addressed to myself inside the box. With illustrations."

...cruel man! Sneaky! Underhanded! "Hanguang-jun," WWX gasps with all the offense he is capable of.

WWX is positive, absolutely sure that LWJ lifts his cup just to hide his slight smirk. Who is this man. What happened to his merciful Hanguang-jun.

WWX's head hits the table. "Going to kill Jiang Cheng," he says, muffled. "He has but days to live."

Lan Zhan hums. "The sketches were quite good."

WWX lifts his head to glare. "I'm being mocked! A poor young man's heart is laid bare!" Which is truer than Lan Zhan knows.

Lan Zhan tilts his head and says carefully, "You had a crush on me."

Fuck.

He did. WWX had a ridiculous, all consuming, nigh-obsessive crush on Lan Zhan. The proof sits innocuously in a box on his bed, full of letters to Lan Zhan and portraits of Lan Zhan and unsent trinkets.

After Cloud Recesses, during the Yin iron search, after the indoctrination, he kept thinking of LWJ and kept filling his boxes with those thoughts.

But then his family needed him to grow up. To cut out everything that wasn't necessary for their survival.

What must surely have had been a juvenile attachment was nothing but a luxury he could no longer afford.

So he'd locked it away. Buried it all in a box stashed out of sight because seeing was just a reminder of what wasn't possible anymore, if it ever was.

It hadn't worked, of course. WWX is as besotted by Lan Zhan in the moonlight, by his steady hands and his good heart, as he ever was.

But after two lifetimes of adoring his LWJ, he does like to think he's slightly more mature about his regard than he'd been as a youth. Slightly.

WWX takes a deep breath. "Aiya, Lan Zhan, can you blame me. Who wouldn't admire the beautiful Second Jade of Lan, really, I can't be held responsible for this, you should have more pity."

He is going to keep this light. This is about silly youthful infatuations

and he isn't going to give Lan Zhan a reason to feel uncomfortable or obligated in any way. He can make himself (eventually) look at his box of yearnings and gently leave them be because Lan Zhan is his soulmate and that is a greater gift than anything else he hoped for.

He knows how to live with things that can never be his. He has this under control.

WWX looks at LWJ from under his lashes. "Lan-er-gege should know mere mortals are weak to his presence. How else would we show that devotion?"

Lan Zhan's mouth twitches. "You could write a song."

WWX laughs. "Maybe I could!" Maybe he would. "But that's so classy, that sounds more like something Hanguang-jun would do to woo his love."

"Yes. It was."

Ehh? "Lan Zhan! Did you write someone a love song??"

And Lan Zhan, patient, fond, exasperated Lan Zhan, just looks at him.

Wei Wuxian waits for a beat. Two. A distant, half-hysterical voice in his head says "𝘔𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘮𝘪𝘢𝘯 - ?"

But then he hears it - the notes of a well-loved song, echoing in a cave, played on a blade of grass, following his heart wherever he goes.

His eyes grow wide.

Lan Zhan lightly clears his throat. "You are the better artist." A pause. "And I found love songs to be easier than letters."

"You wrote a love song," WWX says. And then, voice unbearably high and fragile, "It's a love song?"

Lan Zhan raises his eyes. Says, "It still is."

When WWX can't seem to talk, Lan Zhan takes a breath. "That is, if you still want - "

Wei Wuxian tackles him to the floor of the Jingshi with a kiss, so he doesn't get to say the rest.

××

(Later that night:

"...can't believe one measly box of love letters got me Hanguang-jun."

"Two boxes."

"No, one," WWX yawned. "The other one was porn."

"...it was what?"

"Ah. Um."

And then they open the second box and make use of the extensive reference material therein.)

(And much, much later, in Lotus Pier:

"You are telling me. Hanguang-jun wrote a song for Wei Wuxian when they were 16. And named it 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘹𝘪𝘢𝘯? For fuck's sake, they deserve each other.")