I woke up for the third consecutive morning in Lan Zhan's bed. I still couldn't believe that we had become lovers after all these years of friendship! But we had taken the step!

Since I had made the decision to join him in Gusu, I had wondered what my reaction would be when we would do it. What would be the role of each of us? It's strange now that I think about it, when the time came, I didn't think about it, or only a little. It seemed natural to me. And then I felt so good in his arms. The softness of his hands as he caressed me fascinated me. How could they be so soft and give me so much pleasure after so many years of practicing Qin and sword? And his lips?

What about his lips? Firstly, I liked his kisses. Secondly, they were skilful! That's the least we can say! Wherever they went, they triggered waves of pleasure. And when they worked in concert with his tongue, it was ecstasy for me! The way he nibbled and licked my nipples ... gave me chills that went straight down to my loins and made my lower abdomen throb!

When I thought about it, what Lan Zhan and I were doing at night would have made me blush just a few years ago! In fact, it still made me blush now! Me, who boasted of being free-spirited and of having met very pretty ladies, I must admit that it would never have occurred to me to invite them to such practices with me!

Lan Zhan was inventive and really vigorous! He was a real volcano like the one near YunShen Buzhi! Seemingly calm and peaceful but hiding inside devastating tumults capable of carrying away everything in its path!

And the one who was in its path was me!

Just thinking about it, I still had the impression to feel its assaults between my thighs. I suddenly felt very hot! I think I needed to calm down. It was time to get up. A nice cold bath would do me good! I went to the bathroom and smiled. Lan Zhan had prepared the bath and put a large pot to heat. He was always thinking about my well-being, it's true that I was a little sticky in some places that he was particularly fond of.

I left the pot and slipped into the water. It was icy but it was better that way! The memory of our first bath together made me burst out laughing. Poor bathtub, it had not resisted to our lovemaking or more exactly to Lan Zhan's powerful reactions of pleasure!

Lan Zhan ... This morning at dawn as usual, he had woken me up for a few moments to give me a kiss before leaving our bed! He had understood that I did not like this sensation of waking up in the doubt of being alone again.

I had to get dressed and have lunch, SiZhui had to go back later in the day. I was in a hurry to see him again. I had missed him too. I had always considered him as my son... After my death, Lan Zhan had raised him. He had become his son. In other words, he was "our" son. We were a family, unconventional, but a family nonetheless. I wondered what his reaction would be when we told him about us and the relationship we had!

I already knew that we were talked about in YunShen Buzhi, even though gossip and backbiting were forbidden. I couldn't make up my mind about how our relationship was perceived by the clan, and especially by Master QiRen! I'm sure he must have resented me to death for sullying the virtue of his precious Han GuangJun! Even though technically speaking it was me whose virtue Lan Zhan had taken! If I had been a woman I could have demanded reparation and been married! I started to giggle! Enough rambling. I got up and got dressed.

I was getting hungry. I went to the table and found the basket prepared by Lan Zhan. I had discovered that he was a very good cook. I took out the different dishes and started to eat. It was really delicious!

I heard footsteps coming from the garden. Lan Zhan and SiZhui appeared in the entrance of the Jingshi. My heart leapt in my chest. The love of my life, my soul mate, was there in front of me and our son was standing next to him with a big smile. I stood up, greeted him and finally hugged him. I had missed him so much too! And to think that I had spent several months with him without knowing who he was... but did I really? Thinking about it, I had had from our first meeting a lot of tenderness for him. I couldn't help but protect him whenever he was in danger.

We sat down around the table. Knowing the Lan rules by heart, I knew that talking at the table was forbidden. I hurried to finish my meal. When I finished, Lan Zhan spoke up.

"A-Yuan, there are a number of things we need to talk about. Uncle wants to see the three of us after lunch.

Lan QiRen wanted to see us, I was going to get a proper execution that was for sure!!! He had never liked me! He thought I was uncontrollable and disrespectful and let's not even talk about my style of culture. I remembered very well how he had reacted when I had mentioned it the very first time. At that time, it was just an idea thrown in the air because I wanted to have the last word with Lan Zhan! What did he say to SiZhui?

"He wants to talk about our future. A-Yuan, Wei Wuxian has come back and he will stay with us.

Our son smiled, he seemed really happy that I came back. But he kept silent. He knew that Lan Zhan had not finished.

"He will stay with me in Jingshi. A-Yuan, you might hear some things about us... things that might sound indecent..."

"You are kindred spirits," was his reply.

I looked at Lan Zhan. He seemed as surprised as I was.

How could SiZhui have guessed what even I didn't know a day before? I suddenly wondered, did he know what it meant? At his age my idea of soul mates was not the same as it is today. It was more... naive!

"Father, for years I heard you ask the same question to the spirits every night. Then one day you stopped. When I was younger, you told me that you were looking for someone you had lost. On the night of the lanterns, when I asked you why you were not married, you told me that you had been married and that you had lost your love. I understood that the question you asked every night was for your lost love. Later, I realized that you had stopped questioning the spirits when Master Mo entered our lives. When his true identity was revealed, I deduced that the Patriarch of Yiling was the person you were looking for and that he was your lost love. I was a little surprised because you are both men, but at the same time, you are my "fathers" and it is normal that his parents are united and love each other, right?"

I laughed at our son's last remark.

So Lan Zhan had been questioning the spirits with "Inquiry" every night for 16 years? I knew he had been looking for me. He had told me a little about it... hey, what did SiZhui say ????? Lan Zhan had been married ??? To whom? When? Why didn't he tell me? Where was his wife? Now I understood why he was so good in bed!

"Wait, what did you just say?" then I turned to Lan Zhan.

"Lan Zhan, did you tell him that you had been married? What did you mean by that?"

"We still are!"

We! What do you mean we? I know I didn't have a good memory for a number of past events, but if I had gotten married I would have noticed! Especially with Lan Zhan !!!! I was speechless! No sound would come out of my mouth! From the corner of my eye, I saw that SiZhui was holding back his laughter. Lan Zhan made it his business to explain.

"I explain, the cold cave and our meeting with Lan Yi, do you remember?"

"Mnn."

That's a time I remembered!

"Do you remember how I protected you from the murderous rope?"

"Mnnn"

I remembered that too, we had seen that the rabbits in the cave were all wearing a headband with the Lan emblem. Lan Zhan had then tied our wrists with his. This was the first time he took it off in front of me! At least voluntarily! By the way... When he was drunk, he had said something about taking off his blindfold in front of someone and letting them touch him but ... I couldn't remember what ????

"I bound our wrists with my blindfold. In the Lan Clan, we only take it off in front of the person we have chosen as our culture partner and we tie our wrist to theirs ... on our wedding day. Traditionally, we then salute the spirit of the groom's ancestors, then the clan leader and finally our bride. That day, remember, we greeted Lan Yi, my ancestor. Then when she asked us to find the Iron Yin, we greeted her as the chief of the Lan clan and once we left, we greeted each other to apologize for the "little accident" when we left the cave. In the eyes of the gods you are my husband.

I did not believe it!!! so in fact, I belonged to him since that day! He had never said anything! At the same time, why was I surprised? Didn't he take advantage of the fact that I was unconscious to steal my first kiss, after Mount Dafan? He had not said anything about it either! Hiding from me that we were spouses in the eyes of the gods shouldn't surprise me, but I wanted to know!

"Why... why, did you never mention it?"

Lan Zhan lowered his head, he seemed to be ashamed of what he had done and for hiding our union from me.

At the same time, I couldn't blame him, he didn't know how I felt about him at that time! He was only a friend for me .... even if, that day when I fell on him, I wanted him to hug me!

But by the way, if we were married, did that mean that I belonged to the Lan clan? And that... Lan QiRen became ... my uncle !!!!!!!

Belonging to Lan clan ..... I frowned .... Did this mean that I too should wear their headband on my forehead? Because I didn't think I could do it !!!!

"Lan Zhan, even though I am your husband, there is no way I would wear a headband like yours! I've already tried it on and it itches !!!!"

My love and our son looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was so rare to hear him laugh like that.

That's probably what my new brother thought as well when he walked into the Jingshi, from the stunned look on his face!!!

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)