With no classes to teach, and a visit to Lan QiRen's quarters the only item on the day's agenda, Lan WangJi chose to allow Wei WuXian to sleep until he awoke naturally. The morning was well gone and mid-day approaching before there was a stirring in the blankets on the bed and a sleep-flushed face poked out of a nest of dark hair.

"Lan Zhan?"

"Mn." Lan Zhan rose from the table where he'd been playing his guqin and came to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How is Wei Ying?"

"I'm fine, love. Did you let me sleep in again?"

"Mn."

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm so tired." Wei WuXian was not going to tell Lan WangJi that his nightmares were getting to the point of intolerable. "Thank you for letting me sleep."

"Mn. I'll get food. Wei Ying, get dressed."

Wei WuXian smirked, happy in his knowledge of how distracting his husband found the sight of him in his red inner robes.

"All right, my husband. I'll be sure to be dressed before you return."

Wei WuXian kept his promise, being fully clad when Lan WangJi returned with a tray of food from the kitchens. Being Wei WuXian of course he could not resist the urge to tease his husband, at least a little. With the tray safely placed on the table, he handed Lan WangJi a comb and a scarlet ribbon and with a soft, "Help me?", turned his back and offered his long hair for his lover's attention. Simply combing the soft, lotus-scented strands had Lan WangJi's hands trembling. When the ribbon was safely in place, topped with the leather and bronze guan, he swept the hair to one side and placed a kiss, and a bite, and another kiss at the nape of Wei WuXian's neck, leaving a visible mark that would be hidden under the silken lengths.

"Wei Ying must eat."

Wei WuXian simply sighed as he leaned back into his husband for a moment, then obediently took his place at the table, reaching automatically for the chili sauce Lan WangJi always kept for him. Quickly they ate in Lan WangJi's preferred silence, and began to discuss the day as they placed their dishes back on the tray for return to the kitchens.

"What do you think we might find, Lan Zhan?"

"No idea."

"Do you know if your uncle ever collected strange things? Maybe he picked up something with a curse attached? That's quite common even if this curse is unheard of."

"No. Uncle only leaves Gusu and Cloud Recesses on business. He does not travel. He does not collect."

"Hmm, a man of limited interests, you might say. What about people sending things to him? He's the Grandmaster of the Gusu Lan Sect and an eminent elder. It wouldn't be unusual for people to seek to influence him by sending gifts, hoping he'll look with favour on their family member in the Academy. I remember it being quite the ceremony back when I..." his voice trembled to a halt, remembering that he was quite literally not the man he had been. "You have a lot of outside disciples. Does the Salute Ceremony still take place?"

"Mn."

"Well, it's an idea. Maybe there's something there, although it seems a bit too obvious. If this is being visited on the Grandmaster, it's almost definitely someone working from the shadows."

"Mn."

The meal finished, Lan WangJi took the tray off to the kitchens.

Wei WuXian was grateful for the short reprieve. He'd noticed something different this morning, during their meal. A strange new pain had come to sit within his very bones, a nagging, low-grade constant that was difficult to bear. Not such a great pain, the sense of it sitting sluggishly in his bones and constantly scraping along his nerves was distracting and a little hard to handle. It frightened him, but he was more concerned with concealing it from Lan WangJi. If his husband knew he was in near-constant pain, however mildly, he'd have him at the Healing Hall and being fussed over and Wei WuXian was determined that would not be his fate. Hints of ill health preyed on his vulnerability and fear of abandonment. If he wasn't well, would Lan WangJi not find him attractive? If he wasn't well, would others turn away? Think he was a waste of time? Want him gone? The pampering during an ailment was delightful, but he could only enjoy it when he felt absolutely certain it was provided in a loving environment. And Cloud Recesses was hardly that for him as yet, excepting Lan Zhan.

He looked at his hands. The difficulty eating properly had meant a loss of weight. His knuckles and wrist bones stood out in sharp relief. My fingers and wrists seem to work just fine, he thought, wiggling said fingers and twisting those wrists. They just look... wrong, somehow.

He shook his head. No matter. What's important is finding out what's wrong with Lan QiRen. He chased away the fearful thoughts and tipped his chin up again. Lan Zhan and I can do anything together, and we can solve this, too! he swore to himself, looking at his husband as he returned from his errand.

"Let's go, my love. Grandmaster Lan QiRen is counting on us!"

Lan WangJi reached for his husband's hand as they walked to his uncle's residence. It was a beautiful day at the very end of Spring, and despite the seriousness of their task, his heart was light because he was with Wei WuXian. Every day was a good day now, with Wei WuXian in it. Everyday is good with Wei Ying, he thought privately.

"Why, Lan Zhan, you're blushing!", remarked Wei WuXian, having noted the pinking of Lan WangJi's ears. "What shameless thought is on your mind this fine day?"

A disciple approaching them on the path lifted a shocked face and suddenly found a desperate need to head in a different direction and walk as swiftly away as possible.

"Hahaha! The path clears before us, my love, and Bichen still safe at home. What power you possess." Wei WuXian looked silkily at his husband from the corner of his eye. "Perhaps you should think these thoughts at home. We are working just now, remember."

"Wei Ying!" a low voice muttered, just barely audible, while Lan WangJi squeezed his husband's hand.

"Aiya, what's wrong now? I am looking at the peerless HanGuang-Jun and wondering about his imaginings. Indeed, I too am shameless, and only for and about you, my love. Only for you," stated Wei WuXian. He squeezed his husband's hand in return and stood a little taller. Funny, I thought Lan Zhan was a lot taller than this new body. Do I remember wrongly or do the ill-fitting sock seams add a smidge of height? "Alright, on to business, then. Has anyone been into the Grandmaster's quarters since he was moved to the Cold Cavern?"

"No."

"Good. At least we may hope to find some information or a direction to inquire at the very least."

Lan QiRen's quarters were in perfectly imperfect order. Everything had been left exactly as it was when he was moved to the Cold Cavern, but the disturbances to the usual set up to allow for Healing care remained in the placement of furniture and odd bits and pieces of healing materials. For the most part it was exactly as it would have been if Lan QiRen were still living in it, going about his usual duties, and teaching the disciples. The two men looked around, not sure what they were or should be looking for.

"Do you see anything that seems, well, not right?", asked Wei WuXian.

"No."

"Alright. Let's split up to take a careful look, then compare notes after, yeah? Maybe one of us will see something the other missed."

Lan WangJi moved to one side of the residence, while Wei WuXian moved to the other. Slowly and methodically, the two men went through the items in the home. Stacks of carefully folded robes were individually inspected. Scrolls were carefully unrolled and rerolled before being returned to their shelves. The only sounds were the soft whispers of fabrics being moved or gentle taps of objects being returned to shelves. Working with care the men circled the space, nothing untoward being remarked, until Wei WuXian moved into the private chamber.

Just as Wei WuXian noticed a telltale trace of resentful energy, the newly resident pain in his body surged. The unexpected combination proved more than he was able to handle immediately and he let loose a small gasp as he sank to the floor.

The sound of something large dropped on the floor drew Lan WangJi's attention and he turned to see Wei WuXian in a heap.

"Wei Ying!"

Lan WangJi raised his husband's head. Wei WuXian was pale, with wide, shocked eyes.

"Wei Ying!"

Even as Lan WangJi moved to lift his husband from the floor, Wei WuXian's eyes regained focus and he blinked. "S'okay, Lan Zhan," said Wei WuXian weakly, holding his husband's hand where it gripped his arm. He was absolutely not going to tell his husband about the pain. Just pretend it's the resentful energy, he thought to himself before speaking out loud. "Just a bit of a surprise. Wasn't expecting quite so much of that..."

"What?"

"Can't you feel it?"

Lan WangJi shifted his husband in his arms and closed his eyes. Gathering his spiritual energy, he gently reached out into the room beyond them. There, beside the bed...something drew his attention... Lan WangJi opened his eyes and looked at Wei WuXian.

"Resentful energy."

"Right." Wei WuXian struggled back to an upright posture, putting his husband's hand from him with a gentle pat for reassurance. "Just took me by surprise is all. I suppose as I'm more attuned to it, the energy hit me a bit harder than you." He tried to reassure his husband, even as the back of his mind was swimming in near panic. Why would a bit of resentful energy strike me so hard? Why did the pain surge just then? Am I really that weak? What's wrong with me? Wei WuXian was used to compartmentalizing his thoughts and his nemesis of self-doubt was quickly walled off to do its worst alone, while he kept his focus on his husband and their discovery.

The men looked about the chamber, unremarkable with a bed, a dressing table and a small chest. Nothing drew any particular notice. The bed had its covers and cushions. The dressing table held only a small, polished bronze mirror and a comb. The usual accoutrements, incense burner and such, looked much as they always do on top of the chest. The chest was modestly sized and made from wood, the front lined with multiple small drawers, probably concealing the usual hair accessories and small everyday items as found in any bedchamber. Wei WuXian closed his eyes and drew a breath, then reached out gently, tentatively, toward the resentful energy.

Lan WangJi watched anxiously, as a delicate dark tendril with no more substance than smoke wafted free of the top right cubby of the small chest and curled towards his husband. Wei WuXian lifted his chin and raised his hands, palms up. The vining fog drifted closer, sinking into a coil in one upturned palm, even as more lengths came from drawer.

A few light strands wafted toward Lan Zhan.

"No!" barked Wei WuXian.

The wisps immediately curled back upon themselves and spun toward Wei WuXian. All the strands were insubstantial little things, but they clouded together and tangled above Wei WuXian's waiting palms as if coming home and nesting together. Finally, Wei WuXian opened his eyes again and Lan Zhan went rigid as he was thrown into a memory that had never left his mind, despite his determined efforts to erase it entirely.

Wei WuXian sat perfectly still, an unnerving and unnaturally ugly smile on that beautiful face, and his irises were the scarlet of the setting sun.