None of the three said anything. After they had walked out of the Library Pavilion, Lan WangJi finally spoke, “I will go see Uncle.”

Having been silent for a long time, Lan XiChen spoke as well, “I will bring Young Master Wei back. You can come afterwards.”

"Is Lan Qiren even awake at this hour?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"You should start calling him uncle.." said Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng just looked at him.

"Besides, is Lan Qiren even awake from the day he passed out in the room?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"When?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"Back in the Mingshi." said Nie Huiasang.

"When was that?" Wei Wuxian asked again and the three just looked at him.

"Lets just say he just woke up." said Jin Zixuan.

"Don't mind about when he passed out." he added and Wei Wuxian frowned at him.

Leading Wei WuXian, he walked along the white-pebble paths of the Cloud Recesses for a while before they returned to the secluded, gentianfilled cottage in the depths of the mountains. Wei WuXian stood in front of the door, “Does Mr. Lan know that HanGuang-Jun…”

Lan XiChen, “Uncle has just woken up. I told everyone not to tell him anything unnecessary.”

"I'm right, he just woke up." said Jin Zixuan.

"I don't care." said Wei Wuxian.

"I'm curious about that house though." he added.

"It's just a house." said Jiang Cheng and the Lans gave him a look.

"It's just a house, right?" he asked.

"I guess, that house has a lot of secrets and very important." said Wei Wuxian.

"And I guess, I offended the Lans." said Jiang Cheng.

If Lan QiRen knew of the things that Lan WangJi did with him under Koi Tower, he’d definitely be so angry that he passed out right after he had woken up. Wei WuXian, “Much thanks to Senior Lan for all of the work that he’s done.”

Lan XiChen, “Uncle has done a lot of work indeed.”

"I can even imagine his reaction when he finds out that Mo Xuanyu is Wei Wuxian all along." laughed Jiang Cheng.

"Me too. Like his eyes will be wide open because of shock, he will stutter, cough blood, and finally, he will pass out with blood dripping from his mouth." said Wei Wuxian.

"Oh, but don't forget the 'you're tainting my nephew, stay away from him'." said Nie Huaisang.

"They really love seeing me suffer, do they?" asked Lan Qiren.

Qingheng-jun just smiles at him.

Suddenly, he spoke, “Young Master Wei, do you know what this house is for?”

Wei WuXian, “ZeWu-Jun, why would you think that I’d know?”

Lan XiChen glanced at him, “This was where my mother lived back then in the Cloud Recesses.”

"Huh?" Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng asked in unison.

"I thought they love one another." said Nie Huaisang.

"Is it a forced marriage?" asked MianMian.

"Is a Lan even capable of doing that?" she added.

"If Lan Wangji could be shameless then, that's not impossible." said Jin Zixuan.

All the people looked at Qingheng-jun who just looked at the screen, ignoring them.

Lan XiChen’s mother was Lan WangJi’s mother. Wei WuXian found this a bit strange. The residences of all of the GusuLan Sect’s sect leaders had been the ‘Hanshi’, which was definitely not this little house hidden in a corner of the Cloud Recesses. Perhaps Lan WangJi’s parents were in an unsuitable but pre-arranged marriage like Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu, and thus lived in separation?

No matter how one thought about it, there couldn’t be a positive reason behind how a sect leader didn’t live together with his wife. And, it was said that the wife of the previous sect leader QingHeng-Jun was quite physically weak. She was resting most of the time and it was unsuitable for her to meet others. People didn’t know much about her to begin with. Behind their backs, all of the sects guessed whether or not the ‘sickness’ was something shameful, such as a scar on the face or a handicap. And thus, Wei WuXian didn’t ask too much into it and maintained silence, waiting for Lan XiChen to explain.

"We just can't live together." said Qingheng-jun.

"Why?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"Is it because she is ugly?" asked a random cultivator and the twin jades glared at him.

"If she is, where do you think the twin jades got their faces? From Qingheng-jun only? That's a bit impossible." said Nie Huaisang.

"It's possible." said Wei Wuxian.

"Look at Jiang Cheng, she resembles his mother so much. From Madam Yu's slender body up to the attitude." he added.

Two piercing gazes was directed to him at once.

"That's a proof." said Wei Wuxian.

"Well, if she's not ugly then why aren't they together? No one said that it was an arrange marriage." said Wen Xu.

"Not all arrange marriage are like Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan." said Wen Rouhan and Madam Yu glared at him but he just smiled.

"My friend's marriage is much more complicated." he added.

Lan XiChen, “Young Master Wei, you should know that my father usually meditated in seclusion and never interacted with the rest of the world too often. Throughout all these years, the GusuLan Sect has been taken care of by Uncle almost single-handedly.”

Wei WuXian, “That I do know.”

Lan XiChen dropped his hand. The hand that he held Liebing with was hidden within his sleeve. He spoke slowly, “The reason that my father often practiced secluded meditation was my mother. This place, compared to a place of living… was more like a place of detention.”

Wei WuXian was surprised.

"What's the reason?" asked Wei Wuxian as curiosity is slowly eating him.

"Maybe because, Qingheng-jun forced Madam Lan in the marriage." said Nie Huaisang.

"Father-in-law?" asked Wei Wuxian.

Qingheng-jun just smiled at him, a sad smile.

The father of ZeWu-Jun and HanGuang-Jun, QingHeng-Jun, used to be a famous cultivator. He made his name at a young age and had many things waiting for him in the future. However, at the age of twenty, he suddenly backed away and announced his marriage. He had also ceased to care for much of the world. Although it was called secluded meditation, it was much more like retirement. People had come up with many possible reasons, but none of them had been verified.

Lan XiChen bent down amid the clusters of gentians. He gently stroked those thin, tender petals, “When my father was young, when he returned from a night-hunt once, he saw my mother outside of Gusu city.” He smiled, “I heard that it was love at first sight.”

Qingheng-jun smiles.

"Looks like the Lans have traits of falling in love at first sight." said Nie Huaisang.

"Mn." Jingyi and Sizhui agreed.

"But, what about it?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"If he loves my supposed to be mother-in-law, why did he secluded himself and lived separately?" he added.

"We're getting into that." said Jiang Cheng.

Wei WuXian grinned as well, “The young are often sentimental.”

Lan XiChen continued, “However, the woman did not care for him as much. In addition, she killed one of my father’s teachers.”

This was beyond imagination. Although Wei WuXian knew that asking too many questions would be very rude, whenever he remembered that those were Lan WangJi’s parents, he felt that he just had to ask. “Why?!”

"What?" Wei Wuxian asked in disbelief.

"Maybe that teacher did something that my mother-in-law dislikes." he added.

"You're right." said Qingheng-jun.

"I failed to get enough proofs to prove her innocence." he added.

"That, I regretted it." he whispered.

Lan XiChen, “I do not know. But, I assume that it was something along the lines of ‘grievances’.”

Wei WuXian didn’t ask anymore into this and forced down his curiosity, “And… what happened later?”

“And then,” Lan XiChen explained, “When my father heard of this, of course he was in much pain. But, no matter how he struggled, he still took the woman to his sect in secrecy. Ignoring the objections from his clan, he knelt with her for the Heavens and the Earth without making a sound and told everyone in the clan that she would be his wife for the rest of his life, that whoever wanted to harm her would have to pass through him first.”

"That. I didn't expect that." said Wei Wuxian.

"If I were in his situation, I would also do the same." said Jin Zixuan.

"There's only one thing waiting for her, execution since she killed a Lan teacher." he added.

"But, what if the woman doesn't like him?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"Good question." said Qingheng-jun.

"I didn't know." he added.

"Father-in-law, if she didn't love you or even like you, she will fight against you for forcing her in that marriage." said Wei Wuxian.

"Besides, how could the both of you made two handsome sons if you don't love one another?" he asked.

"Responsibility." said Jiang Cheng.

"The Lan Sect have to have an heir." he added.

"Excuse me!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.

"You are excused." said Jiang Cheng.

"If I am a girl and I was forced to bear a child just for an heir, I'd rather die." said Wei Wuxian.

"People have different thoughts and understanding about that." said Jiang Cheng.

"Because, do you think Madam Jin would really love to get layed by a f*cking manwhore if it's not for responsibility of bearing an heir to Jin Sect?" he asked.

"Why do you have to involve me?" asked Madam Jin.

"It's true though." said Jiang Cheng.

"Still, I believe that Madam Lan loves Qingheng-jun. They just lack some communication making them live a separate life." said Wei Wuxian.

"We can't change it though." said Qingheng-jun.

Wei WuXian widened his eyes.

Lan XiChen continued, “After the ceremony was completed, my father found a house and locked my mother inside. He found another house and locked himself inside. It was called secluded meditation, but it was in truth to repent.”

He paused before speaking again, “Young Master Wei, can you understand why he did such a thing?”

Wei WuXian answered after a moment of silence, “He could neither forgive the one who killed his teacher nor watch the death of the woman who he loved. He could only marry her to protect her life and force himself not to see her.”

"Still, she didn't live a long life." said Qingheng-jun

"Why did she die?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"Sickness." answered Lan Xichen.

"But, do you think that what fuqin did is right?" he asked.

"Maybe, I don't know." Wei Wuxian answered.

"He just did what he think is right. He just wanted to protect him." he added.

"Fuqin." said Lan Xichen.

"I know. I know I have neglected the both of you but, I just really can't do anything other than that." said Qingheng-jun.

"I shattered all the expectation of the clans for me. I put a lot responsibility to my brother who is supposed to live a free life. I was the reason why end up like what he is now." he added.

"Just for the woman I love." he whispered.

"I tried to understand it, Xiongzhang." said Lan Qiren.

"But, you know our clan rules. We are born to follow it." he added.

"Well, f*ck that rules. They didn't give you a good life." said Wei Wuxian.

"You're not a born Lan. You don't know how it is important for us to follow those rules." said Lan Qiren.

"Whatever." Wei Wuxian mumbled.

Lan XiChen, “Do you think that this was right?”

Wei WuXian, “I don’t know.”

Lan XiChen looked somewhat lost, “Then, what do you think would be right?”

Wei WuXian, “I don’t know.”

A while later, Lan XiChen whispered, “It could be said that my father did this without a care for anything else. All of the seniors of the clan were enraged, but they had all watched him grow up. They could not do anything except guard the secret, hint to the outside world that the wife of the GusuLan Sect’s sect leader had an unspeakable disease and could not see others. After WangJi and I were born, we were immediately taken out to be cared for by other people. When we grew older, we were brought to Uncle to be taught.

"What? The parents can't even care for their sons? Why would they do that? Lan Zhan and brother-in-law deserved to experience their parents' love." said Wei Wuxian.

"It's because the clan dislikes my sister-in-law." Lan Qiren answered.

"The moment she found out about it, she was a little bit mad but knowing that she can do nothing, she lets it." he added.

"Isn't that miserable for a mother?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"It is but rules are rules in Gusu Lan." said a Lan cultivator.

"No, it's not because of rules. Maybe the Lan elders really dislikes her so they made her suffer." said Wei Wuxian.

"Oh come on, it's just a Lan teacher. There could be another to take his position and be more better. There's no need to make the murderer suffer knowing that she is the Madam. As far as I know, elders are just elders, the Sect Leader and Sect Madam are more powerful." said Jiang Cheng.

Hearing that, the elders glared at him.

"You're sect's elders is being fishy. Looks like they're hiding something." he said with a smirk.

"Yeah, they're being suspicious. Maybe, they have connection on Madam Lan's death." said Wei Wuxian.

"Preposterous!" exclaimed one of the elders making the twin prides smirks grew bigger.

"You're being obvious." said Wei Wuxian.

"We'll get to the depth of this matter once we we're out of here." said Qingheng-jun.

"We have to know the whole truth." he added.

“My uncle… has always had a frank personality to begin with. Because of how my mother caused my father to destroy his own life, he began to hate those who behaved improperly even more. Thus, he poured his heart into teaching WangJi and me. He was especially harsh as well. Every month, we could only see Mother once, inside of this cottage.”

"No wonder Lan-shufu dislikes me." said Wei Wuxian.

"It's because you're acting improperly and not to mention, you are Zangse Sanren's son." laughed Wen Rouhan.

Lan Qiren glared at him.

"But, why did you let them meet their mother just once a month?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"Are you punishing your nephews for their parents?" he added.

Lan Qiren was silent.

"That's too much." he added.

They were two young children, who faced everyday only their harsh uncle, strict teachings, and mountains of books. No matter how tired, they had to straighten their soft backs to be the most outstanding disciples of the clan, the model students in others’ eyes. They could rarely see their closest relatives. They couldn’t fool around in their father’s arms, they couldn’t act spoiled in front of their mother.

But they had clearly done nothing wrong.

"That's clearly a torture for kids." said Jiang Cheng.

"They have to be the greatest. To be the best. To be a role model to every disciples and to not make the same mistake." said a Lan elder.

"For what?" asked Sizhui.

"They still ended up doing the same as their father." he added.

"They still goes against every rules of the clan." said Jingyi.

Lan XiChen, “Every time WangJi and I went to see her, she had never complained about how tedious it was locked inside of here, unable to go out one step. She had never asked about our studies, either. She especially liked to tease WangJi, but WangJi, the more you tease him the less willing he is to talk, the worse of an expression he puts on. He has been like this ever since he was young. However,” he chuckled, “even though WangJi never said it, I knew that every month he was looking forward to the day he could see Mother. He was like this, and I was the same.”

Wei WuXian imagined a young Lan WangJi hugged inside of his mother’s arms, his snowy little cheeks flushed pink. He laughed as well.

Lan Wangji closes his eyes to reminisce a short memories being with his mother.

"Oh Lan Zhan, that must be really hard for you when you finds out that she's gone." said Wei Wuxian.

"At least, she is free." said Lan Wangji.

"She's not bounded anymore. Not locked up." he added.

"Mn." Qingheng-jun agrees.

But before his smile had even melted, Lan XiChen continued, “But one day, Uncle suddenly told us that we would not need to go any longer.

“Mother was gone.”

Wei WuXian’s voice was soft, “How old was Lan Zhan back then?”

Lan XiChen, “Six.”

He continued, “He was still too young to understand what ‘gone’ means. No matter how much others comforted him, how much Uncle scolded him, he would continue to come back here every single month, sit down in the hallway, and wait for someone to open the door for him. When he grew older, he understood that Mother would not come back anymore, that nobody would open the door for him, but he kept on coming here.”

"Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian whispered.

"That's must've hurt him." he said.

"It did. That's our mother after all." said Lan Xichen.

"He's just being stubborn." said Lan Qiren.

"I would've done the same only if I knew where my parents are buried." said Wei Wuxian.

"Don't worry, Lan Zhan. Your Wei Ying here will never leave you." he added and Lan Wangji smiled.

"I know." he said.

"I won't let you." he added.

Lan XiChen stood up. His dark eyes looked into Wei WuXian’s, “WangJi has been this stubborn ever since he was young.”

The leaves rustled and the gentian flowers swished alongside the wind, their scent lingering. Wei WuXian’s eyes landed on the wooden hallway of the cottage. He could almost see a small child wearing a forehead ribbon sitting in proper posture in front of the house, waiting quietly for the door to open.

He spoke, “Madam Lan must’ve been a very gentle woman.”

Lan XiChen, “In my memories, Mother had indeed been so. I do not know why she did such a thing back then. And, in truth, I…”

He took in a deep breath before confessing, “Do not want to know either.”

Lan Xichen closes his eyes as he hugged his lover for comfort.

"That's is even more sadder. Maybe, it's just hard to accept that their parents ended up like that." said Nie Huaisang.

"Muqin is the greatest woman I have ever met." said Lan Wangji.

"Lets not stay to that dark past. All we have to do is find out everything to bring justice in everything. Then, we're able to continue in our life." said Sizhui.

"Grandmother was killed." he added.

"Slowly, without anyone's knowledge." he continued.

"How? How did you know?" asked Qingheng-jun.

"I was able to talk to her back then when I was a kid. The first time I played inquiry alone." he answered.

"Who else knew about this?" asked Qingheng-jun.

"Only them." Sizhui answered as he pointed at his friends.

"We're still looking for evidence." said Jingyi.

"Thank you." said Qingheng-jun.

"It's nothing. We will help you." said Sizhui with a smile.

After a few moments of silence, Lan XiChen closed his eyes. He took out Liebing. A gust of night wind suddenly sent forth a sobbing note of the xiao. The sound was deep, like a sigh.

Wei WuXian had heard Lan XiChen play Liebing before.