Entering the Library Pavilion, Wei WuXian took a moment to let his eyes adjust from the brilliance of the new day to the dim of the large interior before him. 

 Restored after the burning forced by the Wen attack, the Library was almost identical to the one in which he had spent many hours copying the Rules as a teenager. As his eyes became used to the softer light, Wei WuXian looked about and saw some changes had been made, probably to accommodate the pressing need for urgent research to help Lan QiRen. At one end of the wooden floor a number of shelves had been emptied and moved back to create a large open space, now home to a long library table. The library table was crowded with notes and missives, with one small bundle of scrolls wrapped in cloth and marked as "on loan" from a neighbouring minor clan. Facing the table were four desks, one of which was currently occupied by someone, clearly already at work.

Wei WuXian gave himself a minute to simply be in the Library, remembering his time as a teenager under Lan WangJi's supervision for punishment, sentenced to copying the Lan Rules for what seemed endless hours at the time. There was the desk where Lan WangJi sat, cool and beautiful, reading and writing while here was the desk where Wei WuXian would sprawl, sometimes napping in the sunlight from the window, until caught and awakened by Lan WangJi. Cool and hot. Ice and fire. Who knew the fates could be so capricious, destroying my life and myself, only to gift me Lan Zhan after it all? he wondered. A softly warm smile took residence on his lips, remembering how wonderful this current life was proving. Perhaps good things do come to those who wait. Lan Zhan is certainly as good as it gets. A quick sigh, and he dismissed his thoughts, ready to get to work.

Briskly moving to the end of the room set up for research, he looked at the man already in place.

"Good morning, I'm here to help with the research," he began.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Wei WuXian," he was greeted by a smiling face. "I could hardly believe it when I was told you would be working on research with me. I never thought to see you here again, although, I suppose I'm really not. Seeing you, I mean. That is, you don't look..." The voice trailed away, tangled up in an explanation that was less than clear.

Wei WuXian was puzzled by this a moment and studied the face carefully. Darker complexion, long dark eyes, wait...one canine a bit longer than the other...it was coming back now...

"Well, if it isn't Wang Xiu! You were just a boy when I was here. You remember me?"

"Of course, Wei WuXian. We younger boys were in awe of your capacity to get into mischief and sometimes even get away with it. We missed you when you left and after everything..." an awkward pause, "well, you don't look the same, but if you're half as clever and fun as before, Cloud Recesses is in for some interesting times."

"Aiya, that may be an understatement with things as they are now. But it's good to know not everyone was eager to drive me off, then or now. Are you going to help with the research, too?"

"Yes. Over the years my leaning has been towards the Library and most of my cultivation is done through literature now. I was never as strong in the sword arts as I should be, practise though I did. Somehow this drew me so strongly it couldn't be denied and they let me take to working here."

"Well, I'm glad to see a familiar face. Walk me through what you've got so far?"

Wang Xiu took Wei WuXian through the information already received, how it was to be recorded, the master document he had begun to catalogue everything received and all the little details that go into making accurate and comprehensive records. Soon the two men were working in companionable silence, with occasional remarks or questions and brush markings the only interruptions. On they worked as the sun rose and light shifted within the Library Pavilion, finally allowing the lanterns to be put out. Periodically a disciple would come in and add another note or scroll to the library table and so the day moved forward.

At mid-day, Wang Xiu called a break and a disciple delivered a tray for the noon meal.

"I arranged for a meal so that I could take less time away from this task," said Wang Xiu. "I hope that's alright, although if you'd prefer to go to the Dining Hall, that's just fine, I'll stay here alone."

Thinking about the whispers, Wei WuXian was quick to reply "No, no, I'm glad to stay. I'm meeting my husband for the evening meal."

One eyebrow quirked up on Wang Xiu's face. "Husband?"

Wei WuXian blushed and lifted his chin. "Husband. Lan Zhan and I were married yesterday before returning to Cloud Recesses."

"HanGuang-Jun got married, did he? And to you, at that." Wang Xiu gave a small snort. "When I was young we wondered sometimes why you two would be so at odds, when Lan WangJi was always trying to be wherever he could find you."

"What?" There was no mistaking the genuine shock on Wei WuXian's face.

"I don't think he thought we would notice, or maybe he didn't notice himself, but all of us younger boys knew where we saw Wei WuXian, Lan WangJi was sure to follow. We had a little rhyme, even - now, how did that go again?" Wang Xiu tipped his head back, eyes closed, as he tried to remember a verse from two decades earlier.

"I remember!" he stated proudly, before going on to recite,

"Wei WuXian had a little white Lan,

A little white Lan had he,

And everywhere Wei WuXian would go

The little white Lan would be."

Wei WuXian was startled. He'd never noticed, but now it was mentioned he could clearly recall the many times he'd been alone in the Back Mountain or playing about with friends and like a white wisp of cloud, Lan Zhan would be suddenly evident, somewhere in the area.

"Didn't know men could marry. Congratulations." Wang Xiu's voice broke into Wei WuXian's reverie.

"Uh, thanks," Wei WuXian responded on autopilot, memories crowding his thoughts. Who else knew? He certainly hadn't and he had thought Lan WangJi hadn't either. Wow, looking at your own life through someone else's eyes certainly is interesting, he thought. I wonder how much in the past was simply not noticed.

After the mid-day meal, it was back to note making, with materials already recorded being sorted into the empty, waiting shelves. By the time the afternoon was finished materials were sorted into several cubbies and the master record had grown significantly.

"Ahhhhhh," Wei WuXian groaned, standing up and stretching. "A good day's work but I don't think I've seen anything we can use yet. Not one item had an actual fact to investigate, and I've already heard all the legends and myths, although there were a few interesting little changes when they were told by different clans. Amazing how the same adventures could happen to different folk, yet the one doing the writing was always the actual hero, yeah?"

"I agree," answered Wang Xiu. "No matter what, people preserve their face before all else. I hope we'll find some records sometime that are more factual and less fantastical."

"Wei Ying."

A low voice by the Library Pavilion entrance was immediately picked up on by Wei WuXian, who ran lightly down the room and threw his arms around his husband, with a quick kiss of greeting.

"Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan, you'll never guess what? I'm working on the research and who was already here when I arrived?" Without waiting for response, Wei WuXian was already dragging Lan WangJi down the Library to meet his colleague. "Look, it's Wang Xiu! He remembers me from when I was here! He knew me young, and he remembers me!"

"Mn." Lan WangJi bowed in greeting.

"HanGuang-Jun." Wang Xiu returned the greeting. "It's good to see Wei WuXian back. And I understand you're married, too. Congratulations." He gave another, more formal bow with the well wishes.

A warm look of pride lit the gold eyes, turned to Wei WuXian's bright face.

"Thank you, Wang Xiu. Wei Ying, evening meal?"

"Yes, husband. Definitely evening meal! It was so interesting today, we had scrolls with the most interesting tales..." and Wei WuXian went with his husband to the Dining Hall, chattering in his characteristic manner the whole way. In fact, he was so animated and happy to be sharing his day with his husband that Wei WuXian didn't even hear the whispers that ghosted along in their wake, didn't notice how he was hanging on his husband's arm and straightening the collar of his robes, didn't notice they never took their eyes off each other. He was happy. Simply, entirely happy, and that was more than enough.

Once seated in the Dining Hall, Wei WuXian settled beside Lan WangJi and resolved to do his best by the boring meal. A very small sigh escaped him when the dishes were placed before him, almost too quiet to be heard. But there was one set of ears tuned to "Radio Wei Ying" without fail and scarcely a moment passed before a small bottle of chili oil had once more been removed from a white sleeve and quietly placed on the table before Wei WuXian. Silver eyes lit with appreciation and flashed their thanks to warm gold eyes which needed none.

After the meal they made their way to the Hanshi and the meeting with Lan XiChen, who arrived at the same time, opening his door and bidding them welcome. All three men settled around the table and Lan XiChen offered tea.

"Allow me," said Wei WuXian, making a graceful act of the simple pouring of tea. Each cup was filled with the fragrant brew and was placed before Lan XiChen, then Lan WangJi and lastly before himself. "I've spent all day in the Library and have nothing of note to report yet. Hopefully more records will be arriving soon and offer more than we've read so far. There's not a lot of mention of any Qi deviation and all we've come across as yet were stories, myths and legends and other such with nothing to follow up or give guidance for the care or treatment of Lan QiRen," he reported.

"Classes were good. Disciples are distracted. Will give them more work on the Training Grounds to keep them occupied," offered Lan WangJi.

"Thank you both for your help," said Lan XiChen. "The usual business today in the Main Hall, and so far no awkward questions to answer. Well, beyond the ones we all have anyway... I don't think the news is out to the public yet, which is good. I don't want a panic since we don't have any information about how exactly this happened, or how to help Uncle." He looked at the other two. "Would you please keep with the teaching and research for now? It's a big help not to worry about those, on top of everything else."

"Of course." Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi answered as one.

"I had a quick update sent from Healer Zhang. Uncle is still in solid stasis and he's hopeful that can be maintained. The Healers in the Cold Cavern are managing well, despite the cold environment and taking turns warming up in the partitioned rooms. He's afraid to probe too closely into the energy within Uncle QiRen due to its response when he tries to monitor it. Nothing has been found in the Healing Hall records yet, not even the ancient case report he recalled finding as a young trainee. We just have to keep on working and try to keep Uncle QiRen in stasis for now. There doesn't seem to be anything else we can do." Lan XiChen's calm face had begun to show the stress, with dark circles forming under his amber eyes. "We'll just keep on keeping on."

Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi soon took their leave, knowing Lan XiChen needed some down time to process things and prepare for the trials of tomorrow. Hand in hand they made their way back to the Jingshi.

"I just can't understand the resentful energy remaining in Grandmaster Lan," opened Wei WuXian. He sat at the desk and took out some paper, a brush and an inkstone. "It's just nothing like I've ever heard before. And it's different from everything I've ever experienced with it, too." He started doodling, the sketches and scribbles his way of organizing his thoughts.

"Mn." Lan WangJi sat at the table where his guqin awaited his touch. A beautiful chord sang lightly through the Jingshi, bringing a sense of peaceful brightness.

"Clarity? Good idea, Lan Zhan! If we can just focus our minds, when the right information comes along, we'll be able to pluck it out and think of what we should do."

Sitting in peaceful companionship, the evening passed quickly. The music soothed the jumble of thoughts tumbling through Wei WuXian's mind, whisking away the distractions and leaving the very few kernels of possibility to be considered. After a time, Clarity gave way to WangXian, and his mind released its tight focus on resentful energy and its nature and allowed his heart to float on the tune Lan WangJi had written for him. Wei WuXian was entirely lost to his musings when a gentle hand removed his brush from his fingers.

"Wei Ying. Enough. More tomorrow."

Lan WangJi gently drew Wei WuXian to his feet.

"Sleep now."

Wei WuXian raised his arms around his husband's neck and kissed him.

"Sleep? Now?"

Lan WangJi did not rest at 9:00 PM that night, either.