Lán WàngJī versus Alcohol: Chapter 12
As his back pain steadily eased, Wèi WúXiàn took the Lotus Piers pass from his sleeve and gently stroked it. A pleased smile played on his lips. He thought, “A major conflict has finally been settled.”
Just as the joyful smile lingered on his face, the hands massaging his back paused. Dissatisfied, Wèi WúXiàn wiggled his hips, urging Lán WàngJī to resume the massage.
The next instant, however, Lán WàngJī snatched the pass from his hands. Wèi WúXiàn blinked in astonishment. He turned his head and met Lán WàngJī’s gaze, which was quietly displeased.
Lán WàngJī then looked at the pass and asked, “Do you like it?”
Wèi WúXiàn hesitated before answering, feeling that he needed to think carefully before replying.
Lán WàngJī’s face was calm, almost expressionless, with his lips tightly pursed. However, Wèi WúXiàn knew very well that behind his impassive expression, Lán WàngJī was actually jealous.
He thought, “Lán Zhàn is jealous over the Lotus Piers pass Jiāng Chéng gave me! Can something so trivial make him jealous?”
Wèi WúXiàn managed to hide his amusement. Keeping a straight face and mimicking Lán WàngJī’s tone, he began to whisper, “I…” The rest of his sentence was no longer audible.
Since he couldn’t hear what Wèi WúXiàn was saying, Lán WàngJī leaned over. Wèi WúXiàn suddenly turned over, wrapped his arms around his neck, and kissed him fiercely. Before Lán WàngJī could react, Wèi WúXiàn snatched the pass back from his hand.
With a triumphant smile, Wèi WúXiàn swiftly got off the bed and said, “Of course, I like it.” He then asked, “What are you going to do about it?”
Lán WàngJī remained silent, his face darkening.
Wèi WúXiàn laughed for a while. As Lán WàngJī didn’t react, he concluded that he truly believed what he had said. He slipped the pass into his sleeve and stepped closer to cheer him up.
As he did so, Lán WàngJī slid a hand into his robes and took out a white jade tablet. Pointing it at him, he said, “Here, take it.” It was a pass of the GūsūLán sect.
Smiling, Wèi WúXiàn took it and brought it to his lips. After kissing the pass, he tucked it into his sleeve. He said, “Èr-gēge, the pass you gave me is the prettiest. However, I don’t need it, because–”
He paused, wrapped his arms around Lán WàngJī’s neck, rose on tiptoe, and gently bit his chin. Then, in a low voice, he finished, “everyone already knows that I’m yours.”
“Really?” Lán WàngJī stared at him thoughtfully, his eyes shining.
Wèi WúXiàn was amused. “Silly gēge, why are you making such a fuss over a pass? Now that I live here, what do I need one for? With you by my side, I can go wherever I want in your residence.”
“Is it true?” Lán WàngJī asked.
“Actually, it’s not entirely true,” Wèi WúXiàn replied. “There’re still some places I’m not allowed to enter.”
“You can go in,” Lán WàngJī said firmly.
“What?!” Wèi WúXiàn exclaimed.
Lán WàngJī suddenly pulled Wèi WúXiàn into his arms and said, “I’ll take you there.”
“There’s no need!” Wèi WúXiàn exclaimed hurriedly. “I don’t feel like going anywhere right now. I was just joking. Besides, all the younger disciples are in class today. If they see us like this, it will be a disaster.”
Wèi WúXiàn struggled to free himself from Lán WàngJī’s arms but failed. Lán WàngJī held him firmly, his grip around his waist so tight it felt as though his bones might crack, bringing tears to his eyes.
Unable to break free, Wèi WúXiàn felt a surge of regret, thinking he should have dealt with the evil smell on Lán WàngJī earlier.
As Lán WàngJī headed for the door, Wèi WúXiàn pleaded once more, “Lán Zhàn, calm down. There are too many youngsters outside. They would be shocked just seeing you carry me like this. Also, how will you face them the next time you teach?”
Suddenly, Wèi WúXiàn made a ‘huh’ sound, his lips tightening. He could no longer open his mouth to continue begging.
Lán WàngJī was pleased that Wèi WúXiàn’s rambling had stopped. As for Wèi WúXiàn, he couldn’t believe it. He thought, “Lán Zhàn actually used the Silent Spell on me!”
All of a sudden, Lán WàngJī paused – he seemed to remember something. Then he slid his hand into Wèi WúXiàn’s sleeve, took out the Lotus Piers pass and tossed it onto the table. Satisfied, he stepped out of the room, holding Wèi WúXiàn in his arms.
Wèi WúXiàn cried inwardly. He was about to reap what he had sown, and he would drag down the virtue of the younger generation along the way, leading to potential consequences that could affect their future and the moral fabric of their society.
As he recalled Lán XīChén’s last words, Wèi WúXiàn’s expression darkened.
Then he suddenly thought, “Wait a minute! Last time, when I told him that there were many people outside, instead of avoiding the crowds, he just leisurely walked past them.”
As that scene replayed in his mind, Wèi WúXiàn felt horrified. “Does he intend to do it again – wandering around the entire Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù?! No way!”
Lán WàngJī kept walking as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Defeated, Wèi WúXiàn thought, “I hope Uncle can withstand this blow and that Dà-gē will continue to be tolerant.”
… … …
Lán SīZhuī and Lán JǐngYí, who had been asked to guard the area, breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they saw Lán XīChén walking towards them.
Lán SīZhuī hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and asked, “Zéwú-Jūn, is Jiāng Zōng-zhǔ still around?”
“He’s already left for Lánlíng,” Lán XīChén replied with a smile. “WàngJī and WúXiàn are now resting.”
He continued after a short pause, “You also had a tough time – being hit directly by much stronger spiritual energy must have shaken you a lot. When you return to your room, you should rest and recover properly.”
Then Lán JǐngYí asked, “Why do HánGuāng-Jūn and Wèi-qiánbèi need to rest again? Haven’t they already slept earlier?”
Soon after saying that, he let out an “ouch”. “SīZhuī, why did you pinch me?”
Lán SīZhuī blushed while Lán JǐngYí remained clueless. Lán XīChén only smiled at them, then slowly walked away.
Lán SīZhuī sighed helplessly, touched his forehead and said, “JǐngYí, next time, make sure not to ask unnecessary questions.”
In Lán JǐngYí’s opinion, there was nothing wrong with his asking. “I’m just bewildered. Are you not surprised that Wèi-qiánbèi seems more exhausted than when we returned, while HánGuāng-Jūn, despite being drunk, is completely fine?”
“You still don’t get it,” Lán SīZhuī replied in disbelief. “People behave differently when they are drunk.”
“I know that,” Lán JǐngYí acknowledged.
“What I meant is that HánGuāng-Jūn might find it difficult to control his words and actions,” Lán SīZhuī said in a low voice.
As he watched Lán SīZhuī’s face turn red while speaking, Lán JǐngYí suddenly recalled the earlier scene when Lán WàngJī had hugged and kissed Wèi WúXiàn in front of everyone.
As he finally came to a realisation, Lán JǐngYí blushed with embarrassment, unable to utter a single word.
Then his mind raced as he remembered how feeble Wèi WúXiàn had looked. He thought, “How great HánGuāng-Jūn’s energy must be to leave Wèi-qiánbèi in such a state of exhaustion in broad daylight!”
“Wait a minute!” he continued. “When Zéwú-Jūn mentioned them resting, does that mean they’re not just going to lie in bed and sleep?” He couldn’t help but feel deep sympathy for Wèi WúXiàn.
… … …
Lán JǐngYí’s guess didn’t quite match the reality that had already unfolded.
Lán WàngJī was now tenderly carrying Wèi WúXiàn in his arms as he walked.
Wèi WúXiàn was still under the Silent Spell, and there was nothing he could do about it but comply.
However, he wasn’t the type to obediently follow the rules. Even though he couldn’t break free from Lán WàngJī’s embrace, he would certainly make use of whatever was at hand to cause a commotion.
In fact, he never sat still, he would always discover various ways to entertain himself and fully enjoy life.
He then placed his arm behind Lán WàngJī’s back and began tugging at the streamers of his forehead ribbon.
After a short while, he moved on to kneading his back, varying the pressure as if venting his frustration.
When his hand grew tired, he brought it around to the front and started to fidget with a small section of Lán WàngJī’s hair. He tied it into several knots, then undid them, before weaving it into a long braid.
At that moment, Lán WàngJī stopped walking and gazed at him intently.
Wèi WúXiàn feigned ignorance, proudly showing off the braided hair. Then he stroked Lán WàngJī’s neck with the plait, while running his fingers across Lán WàngJī’s chest with his other hand.
He then said, “Guess which fairy made such a beautiful braid? You look so handsome!” So engrossed in his mischief, he failed to notice that the Silent Spell had been lifted.
Wèi WúXiàn smiled at him, his lips parting teasingly and his eyes curving flirtatiously.
In response, Lán WàngJī lifted his chin and gently bit his lower lip before kissing him until Wèi WúXiàn felt his strength gradually fading.
All of a sudden, Wèi WúXiàn’s stomach rumbled, and the two lovers paused.
Wèi WúXiàn thought, “This is very awkward – to be interrupted in the middle of kissing.”
He felt really embarrassed. To cover it up, he pretended the incident never happened. He closed his eyes, tightened his arms around Lán WàngJī’s neck, and tried to kiss him again. However, Lán WàngJī avoided his lips.
Wèi WúXiàn muttered unhappily, “Don’t dodge. I want some more.”
As he wondered when he had actually undone the spell, Lán WàngJī glanced at Wèi WúXiàn’s lips, which had already taken on a reddish tint and were glistening. His eyes filled with desire. However, he restrained himself and only gave him a light peck on the lips.
“I think we should eat first,” he said.
Wèi WúXiàn whined, “There’s no rush.” But as soon as he spoke, his stomach let out another gurgling sound, contradicting his words. His expression immediately darkened with embarrassment.
“I’ll take you to the kitchen so you can eat,” Lán WàngJī said.
… … …
In a classroom, youngsters from noble families who had come to attend lectures sat quietly and solemnly at their desks.
They learned from Lán Qǐrén that Lán WàngJī was unable to come and give lessons, so he was there to replace him.
Lán Qǐrén was highly knowledgeable and virtuous. He had been teaching and guiding disciples for decades and had gained worldwide recognition as the best lecturer.
In addition, the GūsūLán sect was renowned for its elegance and integrity, and the Lán brothers were iconic figures of their generation among the hundred sects. They were all raised by Lán Qǐrén.
Thus, the young nobles greatly admired Lán Qǐrén and didn’t dare show even the slightest hint of disrespect, even in their posture.
The topic of the lesson was the life of Lán An, an ancestor of the Lán family.
Lán An was born in a temple, destined to spend his life in quiet contemplation and Buddhist practice.
However, through a fortuitous encounter, he fell in love. They married and entered the mortal world together.
He later returned to secular life and became a musician, remaining faithful to his wife for a hundred years. Shortly after her death, he too passed away.
Later generations divided his life into four periods: the Temple, Music Practice, the Taoist Couple and Nirvana.
He entered the mortal world because he had fallen in love with her, and when she died, he soon followed. His heart was devoted to her alone, and he remained true to her until the end.
Though he had aged, he had no regrets, for she had shared her life with him until they grew old together.
Having weathered the vicissitudes of life, his love for her had not diminished, leaving anyone who heard his story deeply moved.
The tale of Lán An was indeed captivating. However, when it was narrated by Lán Qǐrén with his dry, stern expression, the story became dull.
He lectured for hours, and the young disciples gradually grew restless. Though they wished for the class to end soon, the youngsters couldn’t help but silently praise Lán Qǐrén for speaking for so long without taking even a sip of water.
Soon after, Lán Qǐrén ended the lecture. After assigning homework, he rose and left.
After his departure, they all breathed a sigh of relief, packed their study materials and left the Orchid Room.
Since they were from noble families, most of the young boys led a carefree, almost dandyish lifestyle, and a few were already betrothed without even knowing what it truly implied.
At an age when their feelings were just beginning to blossom, they remained naive. However, after listening to the story of the Lán family’s ancestor, the idea of a destined love aroused their curiosity, and they soon began discussing their future partners.
One of them said, “I’m already engaged, but I have yet to meet my fiancée. Still, if she is well-educated and well-mannered, I will cherish and respect her regardless of her appearance.”
Upon hearing that, the other young nobles praised him.
“But if the couple don’t find each other to their taste, how can they truly form a lasting bond?” another remarked. “I’d rather find someone I like, whatever her background.”
“Zhao-xiōng, you’re completely wrong. Ordinary people are shallow in their understanding. Only a match in social status can ensure harmony,” yet another young boy commented.
“Li-xiōng, you must be joking. Look, no one knows the origins of true heroes, so any beauty can also be a suitable partner,” Zhao replied. “Besides, who says that only a match in social status can guarantee harmony?”
“Speaking of which,” another started, “isn’t HánGuāng-Jūn partner–” He suddenly stopped.
A dead silence fell among them as young disciples of the Lán family who were close by turned to look at them.
It was indeed inappropriate to gossip about someone while standing right at their residence. However, since the topic had been brought up, it naturally aroused interest.
