Lan Xichen's announcement replaced Su She as the new topic of interest among the Lan disciples the following week. One could be sure that, if there were two people with their heads stuck together, there was only one thing they could be discussing.
Especially outer disciples who had passed the now outdated admittance evaluation made sure to approve of the change, pronouncing how horrible they found what Su She had done and that they had never had anything to do with him.
Wei Wuxian was quite fed up with it all by now.
"And then, Lan Zhan, that guy told his friend, you remember when I failed advanced calligraphy? I had crossed paths with Su Minshan the evening before! This is getting more than ridiculous!"
Lan Wangji's eyes were narrowed in displeased agreement.
Still annoyed, Wei Wuxian twirled one of the meditation mats they had just retrieved from storage in his hand. They were currently on their way to the training field to meet up with Luo Qingyang—Lan Wangji was planning to introduce her to handstand meditation today which they needed the mats for.
"You should go visit the junior dormitories and give them a good scare, Lan Zhan, or those kids will all grow up to be worse than gossiping housewives."
"Mn."
"Ah, you really will? Tell me before you go, will you? I want to see their faces!"
"Gossip is forbidden. They should know better."
"True! Ah, look, Luo-guniang is already outside! Let's hurry!"
During the weeks they'd been training with her Luo Qingyang had unfailingly arrived with and been picked up by the same young female Lan disciple—clearly someone had assigned her the job as she certainly didn't seem like she would have chosen it herself—but though the two young women had never appeared to get along per se, they hadn't seemed to hate one another either.
As such it was quite surprising to find the two girls not only openly glaring at each other, but apparently in the middle of an argument.
"...not the one who bothers headmistress Xi, insisting on special treatment!" the Lan girl was squeaking angrily, her usual proper posture nowhere to be seen.
Luo Qingyang raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Do you expect me to stop just because it bothers you ?"
"That—impudence is forbidden! Obstinacy is against the rules! It's inelegant!"
"And shouting isn't? I'm not a Lan disciple. I can do as I please."
The girl sputtered. With her round red face and small agitated body, she looked astonishingly like some kind of small angry animal.
A chipmunk, maybe.
"Hey, is everything alright, you two?" Wei Wuxian laughed, running over. "What's this about?"
The Lan girl jerked towards him.
She quickly bowed.
"Excuse this one's loss of composure, Lan-er-gongzi. Wei-gongzi," she gritted out. "I beg you would excuse me." Not waiting for a response, she whirled around and stomped away, forehead ribbon whipping around behind her.
Wei Wuxian threw Luo Qingyang a questioning glance.
She just sighed. "It's nothing." Smiling faintly at Lan Wangji she added, "That meditation technique you wanted to show me might be a good idea right about now, Lan-er-gongzi. I could use a clear mind."
Lan Wangji hummed agreeably. "We will start by testing your shoulder stability."
Luo Qingyang took to meditating upside down with surprising enthusiasm.
She could not hold the pose for even half as long as Lan Wangji, her arms unfailingly beginning to shake and forcing her back to her feet after a few fen or so, but a short pause sufficed to return her strength.
Lan Wangji was serenely serving as a living example of what to work towards next to her, standing on a single hand, forehead ribbon held delicately between his lips, face tranquil and body so immoveable even a mountain would have felt intimidated.
To Wei Wuxian it was incomprehensible how they could bear staying in the same position for so long—he had tried keeping up on a whim at first, but boredom had forced him to give up very soon.
He went through sword forms instead, letting his thoughts flow freely—he thought about the juniors' progress, Lan Wangji's shoulders, what he might eat for lunch later, Lan Wangji's shoulders again, Lan Wangji's soft pouty lips, the letter that had arrived this morning from Mu Lijuan requesting more time to work on the compass and, on occasion, the marks Lan Wangji's teeth had left on his inner thighs last night.
Finally, he was joined by the other two.
Over the weeks a routine had established itself in which they took turns fighting while the one who was disengaged watched from the outside and gave feedback afterwards.
In Wei Wuxian's opinion fighting Luo Qingyang made for some of the most fun he'd ever had in a spar—though she couldn't compare to Lan Wangji who, as his equal in skill, demanded complete focus and physical commitment from him, she was clever, resourceful and eager to learn.
She knew how to use her left-handedness to her advantage as well. Once while fighting Lan Wangji, she had momentarily adopted the footwork of a right-handed fighter before switching back abruptly, successfully getting Lan Wangji to hesitate. It hadn't won her the spar, but she had managed to parry a move he had until then unfailingly disarmed her with.
Lan Wangji's eyes had been burning in the wake of that fight. The next time he had fought her, he had been aggressive, holding nothing back for the sake of gentlemanly politeness anymore.
Though Luo Qingyang had lost after only five moves, the smile on her face had made clear she too had understood what it meant; she had at last earned Lan Wangji's esteem as a swordswoman.
It had been the last assurance Wei Wuxian had needed to decide for himself that Luo Qingyang should become a permanent fixture in the Cloud Recesses.
Lan Wangji deserved more friends who knew how to appreciate him properly, and he deserved to have them nearby and easily accessible—there were so few people whose company Lan Wangji actually enjoyed, that every single one needed to be preserved! Not to mention that Lan Xichen seemed to like Luo Qingyang, and Wei Wuxian himself liked her too, both things which were a plus!
The only problem was that Luo Qingyang found staying in the Cloud Recesses tedious.
But Wei Wuxian had thought the same when he'd first come to Gusu and look at him now!
Granted, there was no denying that Lan Wangji spoiled him quite a bit in general and when it came to obeying the sect rules especially.
Still, Wei Wuxian was determined to make their new friend like Gusu somehow.
As the bell rang for lunch and Luo Qingyang's smile dimmed, Wei Wuxian took it upon himself to ask her to return the meditation mats into the training hall with him and Lan Wangji to stall her having to return into the women's grounds a bit.
"Is everything okay between you and that girl?" he asked as they walked, looking back at where the female Lan disciple had once more appeared at the edge of the training field.
"Probably not," Luo Qingyang admitted with a sigh. "I was offered to join the female disciples' daily afternoon meditation by the headmistress a few days ago, but, well, as you know, meditating in lotus pose just doesn't work for me. I refused."
"So what? She took that the wrong way?"
Luo Qingyang shrugged. "She approached me while I was training yesterday and accused me of disrespecting the headmistress. An older disciple overheard and made her write lines for uncouth behavior towards a guest."
Wei Wuxian huffed. "Sounds like it wasn't your fault, then."
"Guests are not required to attend official lessons," Lan Wangji confirmed.
"Hm, I know." Luo Qingyang smiled at them. "Don't worry about me, I'll think of something. Zu-guniang is younger than me, I think. I should be the bigger person."
"And she should take care to respect you properly. Hold on... Zu? That's her name?" Wei Wuxian frowned in thought, digging through his memory.
The snide attitude, paired with that surname...
"Her name is not Zu Zhenzhen, is it?"
"Huh? Yes, it is." Luo Qingyang looked curious. "Is that important?
"Ah, no. She's the granddaughter of one of the elders on the council, that's all. I hadn't realized until now," Wei Wuxian explained, smiling.
Luo Qingyang just hummed, though she looked quite suspicious of his smile. "Well, I'd better hurry or she'll get even angrier. I'll see you in three days as usual?"
"Yes."
"Of course! Lan Zhan and I will be here!"
With one last smile, Luo Qingyang quickly bowed in farewell, then joined her frowning chaperone. The two girls left the training field side by side without exchanging a single word.
Crossing his arms, Wei Wuxian followed Zu Zhenzhen's small departing figure with narrowed eyes.
"So, she's the one, huh? The girl your family tried to set you up with when you were little."
"Mn," Lan Wangji agreed.
"Elder Zu should be glad it didn't go anywhere." Wei Wuxian sniffed. "She isn't good enough for you at all. You don't fit together one bit."
"Indeed," Lan Wangji agreed, rearing him in by the waist.
Mollified, Wei Wuxian grabbed his chin and pressed a kiss to his lips, only to immediately find himself moved back into the training hall's corridor and backed against a wall.
"Lan Zhan, you remember when you stole my virginity in this hallway?" Wei Wuxian laughed breathlessly, futilely struggling against the hands pinning his wrists above his head.
"I remember," Lan Wangji agreed. Then he set his mouth to that spot below Wei Wuxian's ear that he knew drove him out of his mind.
"Mngh, you're going to the library to copy books after lunch, right?" Wei Wuxian babbled, shivering as a bruise was sucked into his skin and a thigh shoved between his legs. "You think you might have some time to spare before you do that? Just—just half a shichen or so..."
"There is time now."
"Yes. Yes, you're absolutely right, Lan Zhan, perfect, smart Lan Zhan— ouch! Don't bite, I'm frail, I'm weak, I'm sore from training so hard all morning, Lan Zhan, I can't fight you off at all, I have no energy, have mercy, er-gege, I'll do anything you want."
With a single move of his hand, Lan Wangji slammed the doors leading into the hallway shut, hiding them from view.
Perfect.
-------
Having sex in the middle of the day was great.
Having a noticeable limp while teaching juniors archery wasn't that great, but Wei Wuxian made it work—in the end, it was actually fun to answer their concerned questions with wild stories about how he'd been chased by a wild Lan elder for shaving off his beard, had climbed up a tree and then fallen on his ass.
All was well that ended well!
Once he'd returned to the Jingshi after archery practice and treated himself to a quick bath, Wei Wuxian made his way over to the Hongshi where he'd left the letter Mu Lijuan had sent in the morning. He was mentally drafting a reply in his head as he ran into Lan Xichen coming down the path that led to the Cold Springs. The tips of his hair were damp.
"A-Xian," he greeted.
"Dabo, good afternoon! What a coincidence, were you having a soak? I've just finished bathing, too!"
"I was cultivating. Shufu reprimanded me for neglecting my training just sitting at my desk all the time."
"Oh, that's nice! Are you heading back to your quarters? I was just going to the Hongshi to answer a letter, why don't we walk part of the way together?"
Lan Xichen nodded agreeably.
Grinning, Wei Wuxian happily fell into step with him.
"What kind of letter?" Lan Xichen wanted to know.
"Lijuan-meimei wants more time for the compass project I gave her. Oh, dabo, I can't recall if I've told you about it already? I'm thinking of calling it the Compass of Ill Winds! It can detect resentful energy!"
"Mn, shufu spoke of it." Lan Xichen smiled affectionately. "It seems to me a very promising project and a suitable name, A-Xian. If there is anything I can do to support its finalization, do let me know."
"Hehe! No need, I think I've got things handled. Thank you, though, I appreciate the offer!"
"Of course," Lan Xichen replied easily.
Wei Wuxian beamed at him. "By the way, dabo, can you imagine, Lan Zhan showed Luo-guniang handstand meditation today and she really liked it! It's a real mystery to me, it's so hard to stay focused while your blood is rushing into your head."
Lan Xichen's eyes lit up with curiosity . "You and Wangji trained with Luo-guniang this morning?"
"Yeah! She's made good progress." Wei Wuxian crossed his arms behind his head. "She's working on this wicked slash right now. Lan Zhan and I agree that it's getting harder and harder to block. She seems to have had an argument with the disciple who's in charge of picking her up though."
"An argument?"
"Mn. It wasn't her fault. That disciple was already punished for being impolite."
"Oh. I see."
They walked in silence for a bit.
Then, Lan Xichen said, "I have written her sect leader three times now but am still awaiting a response. It is peculiar."
"She did say her sect leader was kind of a dick."
"A-Xian," Lan Xichen scolded. Then he sighed. "But to refuse Gusu Lan an answer? I wonder if there is some other explanation."
"Hmm. Well, apart from flying to Lanling and asking him yourself, I don't see what you could do."
"Luo-guniang must be impatient to return to her sect by now." Deflating slightly, Lan Xichen added, "Well, I suppose once she has tired of the Cloud Recesses, she will leave on her own terms."
Wei Wuxian started at this unwelcome truth. He hadn't thought about it this explicitly yet.
The only thing that was keeping Luo Qingyang in Gusu was probably his and Lan Wangji's training with her. Once she was satisfied in that regard, she would leave.
Unhappy, Wei Wuxian frowned at the gravel below his feet. Then he perked up with an idea.
"Dabo, why don't I write Lijuan-meimei if she's willing to let Luo-guniang stay with her a few days a week? She could come up the mountain on the days Lan Zhan and I train with her and stay the others in Caiyi and relax!"
Lan Xichen seemed surprised. "You think Mu-guniang would be amenable to such an arrangement?"
Wei Wuxian shrugged. "Probably. She was so nice to my shijie that time I took her to meet her, I can't imagine she would mind. And I'm about to write a letter to Caiyi anyway! What do you think, should I ask her?"
Lan Xichen frowned.
Then his smile returned, though for some reason it seemed a little sad.
"Mn. It is a good idea."
-------
Mu Lijuan sent word back as early as the next morning, thanking Wei Wuxian for his patience regarding her work on the compass, reassuring him that there was no problem with his notes and that she merely wished to refine her result and gladly offering any friend of his shelter for as long as they needed it.
It was decided that Luo Qingyang would be staying with her three days a week and spend the remaining four in the Cloud Recesses.
Luo Qingyang expressed conflicted feelings about the arrangement at first—though she wasn't opposed to staying in Caiyi, she said that she feared Mu Lijuan would regard it as an imposition.
Wei Wuxian did his best to reassure her.
Quietly though, he did worry a little that his two friends wouldn't get along himself and so was relieved as Luo Qingyang came back up the mountain after three days at the Mu estate, visibly more at ease.
"I was able to assist Mu-guniang with the cultivation manuals Chifeng-zun left her," she told Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji proudly. "Mu-guniang even said she would be happy to let me stay in her guest chambers forever if it meant I helped her parse through them."
While Wei Wuxian was glad that Luo Qingyang didn't worry about being a bother anymore, he wondered a little sulkily why Mu Lijuan hadn't asked him for help with the manuals.
An opportunity to ask presented itself the very same day early in the afternoon just after he'd had lunch with Lan Chuanli and Yuan Xiang. A disciple approached him with a letter from Mu Lijuan—she had at last finished the compass and wished him to come appraise it at his earliest convenience.
Wei Wuxian, who had been cooped up in the Cloud Recesses for multiple weeks now, was ecstatic about the opportunity to stretch his legs.
He immediately ran to the library pavilion to find Lan Wangji.
The latter had finished copying the entire medical section of Gusu Lan's library just recently and was currently working on mathematical texts, but Wei Wuxian was convinced that he could afford to take half a day off to accompany him to Caiyi Town.
"Lan Zhan, I come bearing great news!" he announced as he dashed into the reading room that Lan Wangji used for his copying work. "You'll never guess what it is!"
Lan Wangji, who had looked up at his entrance, hummed questioningly.
"Lan Zhan, I said you'll never guess! That means you should definitely try to guess!"
He was rewarded with a little confused frown for his nonsense.
"Chuanli-tangxiong and his wife served side dishes Wei Ying liked," Lan Wangji tried hesitantly.
"Wrong! Well, I guess not wrong. But not it! Try again!"
Lan Wangji carefully set aside his brush. Then, eyes slightly hopeful, he suggested, "The rabbits bred again?"
"Oh no, Lan Zhan, now I've gone and made you hope for baby bunnies!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, throwing himself to the floor next to Lan Wangji in dismay. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I don't think there are new little ones."
"Hm."
"But Lijuan-meimei wrote that she's done with my compass! I want to go down and take a look. Won't you come with me?"
Lan Wangji pensively regarded his desk. A highly impressive number of finished pages lay neatly stacked to his left, while a huge tome was opened in front of him.
"I have almost finished copying this compendium," he said. "If Wei Ying is willing to wait, I will come."
"Alright! Don't let me bother you then, I'll take a quick nap," Wei Wuxian decided happily, at once lying down and settling his head in his husband's lap.
By the time Lan Wangji was done, he needed to be coaxed awake with kisses.
They left the Cloud Recesses just a little after shenshi.
There was not a single cloud in the sky as they arrived at their destination. Caiyi Town's vendors had adapted to the new heatwave, offering watermelon, duck soup and rice wine at every corner. Delighted, Wei Wuxian dragged Lan Wangji into the market, quickly calling to a saleswoman offering watermelon that she should cut up a large slice for them.
They arrived at the Mu estate just as they had finished the fruit.
Wei Wuxian had just raised his hand to knock at the gate as a sudden inhuman scream split the air. As though in response, loud noises came from somewhere on the property, men's fearful shouting followed by more screeching.
Alarmed, they immediately pushed through the gate, hands on their swords.
Running straight towards the commotion, Wei Wuxian was already brainstorming what kind of malevolent being could possibly produce such horrid screeches and also be active in broad daylight, as they rounded the corner into the bird garden and the malevolent being was promptly revealed to their eyes.
A giant goose was chasing terrified manservants around the hibiscus shrub in the middle of the garden, huge wings flapping menacingly, long neck outstretched and fat, white-brown body moving with impressive speed.
Bewildered, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji came to a stop.
"No, don't! Don't bite me!" one of the servants yelped. He let out a high-pitched scream as the goose's vicious beak found his hand. The other manservants tried to free their comrade, only to find themselves the bird's new targets.
The parrots and canaries in the surrounding cages had all fallen silent for once, most of them looking quite spooked at the blood-curdling honking of the giant goose.
"What the..." Wei Wuxian chuckled.
It was then that he spotted Mu Lijuan, standing on the balcony that was connected to her chambers. She was pressing two exasperated fingers to her temple.
"Look, Lan Zhan, Lijuan-meimei's up there! Let's ask what's going on," Wei Wuxian suggested.
Lan Wangji however stayed where he was, eyebrows furrowing as one of the terrified manservants managed to catch the goose, then promptly hurled the bird away as its sharp beak attacked his face.
The goose crashed into a flowerbed, flower petals and feathers stirring up into the air. Wings thrashing and with offended honking, it immediately started another attack.
Radiating displeasure, Lan Wangji marched forward.
Shrugging, Wei Wuxian let him do as he pleased. He himself went to climb the large maple by the house and leapt onto the balcony to join Mu Lijuan.
"Xian-ge," she greeted him without averting her eyes from the chaotic scene below her. "I see you have arrived."
"Did Huaisang saddle you with another one of his problem children?" Wei Wuxian guessed with a laugh, jumping to sit on the balcony railing next to her.
"A-Sang discovered this one at a poultry auction last week. He wrote that he has never seen a gander with as handsome a plumage." Mu Lijuan let out a delicate sigh. "He arrived this morning, together with three females. A-Sang hopes he'll take to at least one of them. The girls waddled into the enclosure I built them obediently enough, but the gander broke free. Really, he is quite the ungrateful thing. I even had my gardeners dig a pond."
"Are you keeping them close by?" Wei Wuxian winced as the gander honked threateningly at Lan Wangji, who had by now sent the manservants away and was approaching the beast with slow steps. "What if that bird screams like this when you're trying to sleep?"
"I am afraid that is quite the point," Mu Lijuan replied drily.
"Huh?"
"Don't look at me like that, it was A-Sang's idea. Apparently, there is no alarm system more efficient than geese beneath one's bedroom window."
Wei Wuxian frowned. "An alarm system? What, do you have cause to worry about intruders?"
"According to A-Sang one cannot be too careful. Though I dare say he would have happily been less careful had he not been quite so seduced by handsome feathers. Oh, would you look at that. Your husband has become the new favorite."
Lan Wangji had indeed managed to calm the furious goose down already.
Crouching, he was feeding it by hand, holding the pouch of nuts that he kept in his sleeve for when Wei Wuxian wanted a snack. The bird was inhaling the nuts so aggressively that Lan Wangji couldn't seem to retrieve more from the pouch quickly enough.
"I see. It appears he was hungry." Mu Lijuan thoughtfully touched a finger to her chin.
"Those are for me," Wei Wuxian huffed sulkily.
"Ah, well. I am certain your husband will replace that nifty bag of nuts so swiftly you are hardly going to notice its absence, Xian-ge," his friend reassured him. "In the meantime, why don't you accompany me into my workshop? I have cake there."
"Oh! What kind of cake?" Wei Wuxian asked as he followed Mu Lijuan into the house. "How sweet? Maybe Lan Zhan would like it."
"I have not sampled it myself yet, but it is a rather plentiful amount. It was a gift."
"Did you do someone a favor?"
Mu Lijuan chuckled. "Not quite. But it just so happens that Caiyi Town's magisterial office is experiencing an executive change at this time. The new magistrate's secretary personally delivered all sorts of little treats to the families of the neighborhood."
Wei Wuxian hummed. "What happened to the old magistrate?"
"Ah yes, I suppose Gusu Lan must not have heard the tragic news yet." Mu Lijuan shook her head with a delicate sigh. "Impaired by drunkenness, magistrate Yang fell down a flight of stairs and broke his neck a few nights ago."
This caught Wei Wuxian's attention. "Was his death investigated properly?"
His friend inclined her head. "Multiple emptied liquor jars were found in his office, and his body stank heavily of alcohol. His death was naturally declared self-inflicted." As though greatly shaken, she put a hand to her cheek. "It is rather heartbreaking. The poor man must have still been grieving the loss of his only son."
"Ah, wait, I remember now!" Clicking his tongue, Wei Wuxian's concern dispersed on the spot. "He was the fucker who tried to have you killed! The father of that lowlife who attacked you! Yang... Yang something or other."
"Yang Ping, yes," Mu Lijuan agreed mildly. "It truly grieves me that our families will have no opportunity to bury the hatchet, now that the Yang family has lost its last remaining male scion. But it does not do to dwell on misfortune, as my mother liked to say. I am determined to console myself with the thought that the new magistrate comes prepared to forge good relations with all the neighborhood, my house included."
Wei Wuxian huffed. "He better be."
Mu Lijuan smiled to herself. "His secretary is already a most pleasant man. And the Hua family has solid footing in the imperial court. I am told magistrate Hua's oldest brother holds the office in Nanjing City."
"Huh. Is that so?" Distracted, Wei Wuxian studied the floral tapestry that was adorning the wall. He was pretty sure it hadn't existed the last time he'd visited.
"Oh yes. They will be a most propitious connection. I am thinking of fashioning a bouquet of golden roses as a gift of welcome. According to his secretary, the younger magistrate Hua has an appreciation for goldsmithing and other rare crafts. It is very fortunate that one of the smiths I employed is proficient in the art."
"Yeah, fortunate," Wei Wuxian agreed, having quite lost the thread of their conversation in his study of the tapestry but happy that his friend sounded happy.
Mu Lijuan snickered. "Cultivation sects really are removed from worldly matters. Such ignorance is rather impressive. Ah, Xian-ge, I hope you will not mind me showing off our welding stick? The secretary gave me reason to believe his master would be most interested in a display."
"Huh? Oh, that. Yeah sure, I don't mind. You did most of the work anyways, do with it what you want."
"Do not downplay the importance of your contribution," she objected sunnily. "Indeed, I would not be surprised if the magistrate demanded to meet the mastermind behind the design. Should that come to pass, I would be forced to send for you so that you could meet him."
"Sure, sure," Wei Wuxian nodded along, "If that magistrate Huang wants to meet me, he can treat me to some Emperor's Smile. Unless he's as lousy as the last one was, then I'm afraid it's a hard pass from me."
Mu Lijuan seemed satisfied. "Delightful. Though I would hope you'll remember to call him magistrate Hua when you share wine with him."
-------
His friend had undersold the cake situation in her workshop somewhat.
Wei Wuxian gaped at the plates upon plates of decadent sweets that were littering the room, most of them strange colorful desserts he had never seen before in his life.
"I'm told exotic recipes are magistrate Hua's second passion, aside from goldsmithing," Mu Lijuan said, handing Wei Wuxian a small plate filled with jiggly cake pieces that were colored a striking green. "Here, this one isn't very sweet. I will give the rest to the servants to share, but if there is one you believe Lan-er-gongzi might like then do feel free to take it."
"Alright, thanks!" Wei Wuxian agreed, inspecting the jiggly cake pieces on his plate. Curious, he picked one up and put it in his mouth. It tasted strangely like jasmine tea and something nutty.
Sitting on a stool by the window, Wei Wuxian munched on the cake as he watched Mu Lijuan dig through the mess on her workbench until she at last retrieved a simple wooden box.
"The mechanism began to react to what I have to assume is resentful energy halfway through the construction process," Mu Lijuan said. "I suppose it's a sign of good design, but it made leveling the lodestone needle a little more difficult than I had anticipated."
Cake forgotten, Wei Wuxian eagerly received the box, immediately opening it.
The compass inside was a work of art, beautiful reddish bronze embellished with elegant knots and swirls. Beneath a protective lid a delicate needle was moving even now, vibrating and vacillating a miniscule amount. The compass was leagues more professional-looking than he could have ever achieved by himself.
Wei Wuxian raised it up to his eyes, staring at the almost imperceptible movement of the needle. "It's moving."
"As I said. The needle is reacting to something," Mu Lijuan agreed. "I took the compass through the market and to the lake just yesterday and it was a similar picture then. My guess is that there must be small amounts of resentful energy present everywhere in human settlements. From what I've read on the topic that seems possible."
"Hmn! Fascinating. Fascinating," Wei Wuxian mumbled, turning the compass this way and that to check how delicate the mechanism was—if it couldn't withstand being shaken around it would be hard to use on nighthunts—but his friend's craftsmanship didn't disappoint, and the needle stayed entirely unaffected by the attempt.
Mu Lijuan was watching him with a smile, her dark eyes narrowed. "Is Wei-gongzi satisfied?"
"Definitely! This is amazing. I'll have to check how it performs with actual ghosts and stuff though."
"There was a momentary spike in movement the night magistrate Yang traipsed down his staircase," Mu Lijuan said, turning to her desk and picking up a large, decorated piece of folded paper that would clearly become part of a paper fan. "Luo-guniang went over to his estate when I expressed worry. It was fortunate that she could immediately react and subdue the discontented magistrate Yang with talismans and that sword of hers."
"Magistrate Yang had turned resentful? Are you sure his death was investigated properly?" Wei Wuxian asked with a frown.
"Oh yes. According to Luo-guniang, violent, premature deaths can create violent ghosts. Is that not so?"
"Well. I suppose." Wei Wuxian shrugged. If Luo Qingyang had already taken care of things, all was probably well. "By the way, how have things been with her here?"
"On the whole, I have nothing to lament. Luo-guniang is good company, polite and unobtrusive." Mu Lijuan smiled ruefully. "Ever since she caught me with Chifeng-zun's cultivation manuals, she has been very keen to helpfully advise me, thus marking her charitable to boot. Almost as though I might kick her out to the streets if she doesn't prove herself useful. She is a most pleasant guest, I might say."
"Oh. That's nice though, isn't it? Sounds like you're getting along," Wei Wuxian replied distractedly, attention once again caught by the faint movements of the compass needle.
"Hm, yes," his friend agreed, propping up her cheek on her hand. "Nice, indeed. I have had my heart crushed in all avenues but that of hostess and student so far, though."
Wei Wuxian sent her a quizzical glance, finding her close to pouting. "What's your heart got to do with anything?"
Mu Lijuan's smile returned with a wicked edge. "Really, Xian-ge, you have to ask? You sent me a pretty, troubled girl in need of refuge from the rigidity of your sect, and I am meant to resist the temptation? How could I not at least try my chances at seduction?"
Before Wei Wuxian could parse through those words, Mu Lijuan was already losing her playful expression to a pout again. "So far matters have really been entirely hopeless though. I'm afraid to report that Luo-guniang is quite unaware in the face of flirtation. Truthfully, she is almost as tragically hopeless as you were when we first met, Xian-ge."
"Flirtation? You're... flirting with her?" Wei Wuxian asked, wide-eyed.
His friend's perceptive gaze sharpened. "Should I not? As far as I know Luo-guniang is not yet spoken for, is she?"
Wei Wuxian could do nothing but blink at her in astonishment.
Mu Lijuan raised an eyebrow, gradual understanding dawning on her face. "Oh? Xian-ge, don't tell me. You are yourself one half of a union comprised of two men—I would hope you have considered before that the opposite must also be possible on that account alone?"
Wei Wuxian closed his mouth. He put a hand to his chin. "Hm. Well, if you put it like that, it's hard not to see your point," he mused, nodding to himself.
Mu Lijuan's expression bordered on pity. "The education of a young master leaves one quite sheltered, doesn't it? Poor thing. Have more cake, Xian-ge, if you think too hard and hurt your pretty head Lan-er-gongzi will be cross." With that she turned back to her paper, picking up some needlework.
Observing her turned back as he ate more cake, Wei Wuxian wondered how he hadn't realized before that his friend had such preferences. His eyes wandered about the room, lingering on the scrolls depicting dancing women that had made the move from Mu Lijuan's old workshop into the new one, then to the large artwork Nie Huaisang had created for her.
Wei Wuxian had never paid any special consideration to the fact that its motive was an artfully posed songstress in a beautiful dress, erhu resting in graceful hands, a coquettish smile lifting painted lips. Her left collar was suggestively slipping off a bare shoulder, showing quite a bit of cleavage.
Now that Wei Wuxian was looking for them, he supposed the signs were there.
He tried to remember seeing Mu Lijuan interact with other women, curious if there had ever been any indication of her being more than just friendly that he had overlooked. Nothing of consequence came to mind though—the only other female person he ever really saw his friend speak to was A-Mei.
Well, apart from that one time his shijie had come to visit for his wedding preparations and Mu Lijuan had convinced her to play dress-up in her private chambers...
Wei Wuxian's half-eaten cake dropped out of his hand and plopped back onto the plate.
"You—back then!" He jumped to his feet. "Back then! You touched her hair all meaningfully, made her wear your clothes! You—" a scandalized gasp left him, "—painted her lips ! You were totally coming on to my shijie!"
"Again, have you really only realized that now?" his friend retorted.
Wei Wuxian sputtered.
"It's not like I did anything Jiang-guniang hadn't priorly agreed to. Once I realized her heart was set on that Jin boy I backed off, did I not?" Mu Lijuan deftly poured herself some juice from a colorful pitcher standing near pretty cuts of pink sponge cake. "Now sit back down. Someone as tall as you should not be allowed to stand when others are sitting. Have some decency, hm? You are looming like a tree."
Wei Wuxian wanted to continue arguing but found that he had no idea what to say.
He sat back down.
Looking at Mu Lijuan gracefully sipping her beverage, he felt as though he was suddenly seeing her through fresh eyes. Perhaps he should warn his shijie not to let down her guard? Though he supposed he trusted his friend enough to believe she would respect a rejection.
Then, struck by an alarming thought he asked, "Damn, wait, does Huaisang know?"
"Does he know what?" Mu Lijuan echoed, letting picky fingers trail over the sponge cake pieces. "That I might invite women into our home, dress them up in my clothes and paint their lips when we are married?"
"Well. Yeah," Wei Wuxian agreed.
Mu Lijuan settled for a piece of cake that was decorated with spun sugar. "A-Sang has sworn not to interfere with my private affairs on the condition that I will not implicate him or his sect, whereas I have sworn never to demand to try for an heir in the carnal sense, not even should I find myself threatened by the pressure of failing to produce one. I had to swear an oath. I should hope he knows."
"You had to—what? An oath ?"
Mu Lijuan just made a vague sound of agreement, already busily chewing behind a raised sleeve.
Wei Wuxian frowned to himself, completely bewildered.
Why did Nie Huaisang collect springbooks if he was so against the idea of bedding his future wife? Surely, going as far as making her swear an oath to prevent the possibility was a little extreme?!
Then again, this was probably more than Nie Huaisang had ever wanted him to wonder about. And certainly, more than Wei Wuxian himself had ever wanted to wonder about Nie Huaisang.
He had sometimes asked himself how his friends could seem so satisfied with a betrothal that was a pure business arrangement. Meeting Lan Wangji had solidified Wei Wuxian's ideas of true love from vague fancies into solid assurance and he certainly couldn't imagine why anyone would settle for anything less anymore.
But neither Nie Huaisang nor Mu Lijuan had ever shown any indication of regretting their choice.
Shrugging in his head, Wei Wuxian decided that all of this was not his business at the end of things, so it didn't matter if he didn't really get it.