The Headband Incident

Xiongzhang and I were back at Nuwa's palace. It was nice seeing Wei Ying being himself for a bit before everything started to shift beyond our expectations and control.

"How are you both feeling?" Nuwa asked us.

"We are okay," Xiongzhang answered, "but we are bracing ourselves for what could happen."

"Of course," She said, "Wei Wuxian had this facade about him. He seemed to always be wearing a mask. At some point that mask will break."

"I think I understand what you mean," I said, "he is good at keeping things to himself and will lie in such a way that is almost believable."

"Correct," Nuwa said, "you two can head on your way then."

We nodded and the world shifted around us.

~*Flashback*~My brother and I found ourselves still at Cloud Recesses. It was late, past curfew and we were standing outside Wei Wuxian's sleeping quarters he was assigned when he came to Gusu. We were about to go approach his place when we spotted my past self walking through on night patrol and I happened to see Wei Ying's lights were still on. So I went to go check on him.

Brother and my current self followed inside to see Wei Ying, Jiang Wanyin, and Nie Huaisang plastered, meaning drunk. This was the night Wei Ying got me to drink.

"Oh no," I said.

"What?" Brother asked.

"This was the night Wei Ying managed to get me to drink," I answered, "so tomorrow we would be punished."

"Oh," my brother said amused.

As we turned our attention back to the others Wanyin and Hauisang pretended to be sick and stormed out leaving me alone with Wei Ying. I turned to leave and he stuck something on my back causing me to stop in place.

"What did he do?" I asked and walked over to see, "a talisman?"

"Seems to me like you were manipulated," brother said, "but I am curious about what you are like drunk."

I looked at my brother who still had this amused look on his face, "I don't even remember what happened?"

"I guess you'll find out," brother said turning our attention back to the memory.

"Lan Zhan, come here," Wei Ying commanded, "have a drink."

That was all he had to say for my to do as he said. I was shocked, "his talismans are beyond incredible," I said, "just using that one on me I managed to follow his order."

Brother laughed as we watched my past self drink the alcohol. After about ten seconds I passed out and Wei Ying was confused. My brother couldn't help but laugh.

"Ridiculous," I said watching the scene in front of me.

Wei Ying managed to get me over to the bed and lay me down. He then went to go clean up but was stopped when I started to get up off the bed. Wei Ying stopped me and brought me back. That repeated several times before he decided to just sit down on the floor beside me and wait for me to sleep.

"Lan Zhan, say Wei Ge ge," Wei Ying said.

"Wei...Ge..ge," I answered in a drunk state.

Both my brother and Wei Ying laughed at the scene. We then watched as he tried to touch my headband.

"What is it?" I asked moving my head away.

"Finally a response from you," Wei Ying said, "your headband is tilted."

"Tilted?!" I asked shocked and sat up started to try and adjust it.

Wei Ying reached up to try to help again but I pushed his hand away, "don't!" I demanded and went back to adjusting it.

"Aiyo, it's still tilted let me help you," He said.

"What?!?" I said pushing his hand away now more annoyed.

"What is so special about that headband of yours anyway?" Wei Ying asked.

"They are sacred, only family and significant others can touch them," I answered.

Wei Ying chocked on some of his drink, "significant other?"

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You and your clan are so boring and are bound by thousands of rules, I doubt you would ever marry," he mocked.

I sighed and responded, "that is fine," I said.

Wei Ying looked at me surprised that I did not defend myself but instead just be okay with what he said. He then brought up my parents, saying they my father must be rigid and my mother to be just as boring.

"I don't have a mother," I told him.

"What are you talking about? You can't be born out of a rock," Wei Ying said.

I heard my brother sigh causing me too look at him. He tries to get past his comments for the moment as this was something to not judge him for. I turned my attention back to the memory.

"Actually, my parents died when I was little," Wei Ying said, "it's been so long that I do not remember their faces. I do recall one scene though, my parents on either side of my as I was riding a donkey. I was smiling and laughing but I don't remember the conversation."

I remember seeing that memory. I barely remember my parents faces, but Wei Ying basically does not remember at all, just a couple memories. My brother seemed to be okay after Wei Ying's comment. He decided to let it go.

Time skipped forward and we ended up in the cold cave, "at least we don't have to see us get flogged," I told Brother.

"So this is after the punishment? But why did we end up here?" He asked.

We then heard screaming from behind us only to see Wei Ying and I tumble in from the cold spring, "Lan Zhan, where are we? Why is it so cold?" Wei Ying asked.

I of course, did not respond and moved forward toward the ice slab in the cave. There was the guqin, Lan Yi's guqin. We watched as the chord assassination attacked Wei Ying as he was not a Lan clan member. So we saw myself wrap the headband around our wrists and moved over to the guqin.

"Seems to me you became engaged," Brother teased, "why didn't you tell me? I would have been so excited and started to plan everything!"

"Ge!" I yelled as my face turned red. He could only laugh at my shyness.

We watched as Lan Yi discussed to us about the Yin Iron and how we promised to help get rid of it. It was then that the scene shifted again and we were standing in front of Wei Ying and I making lanterns to set off.

"Oh," Brother said, "no matter how much Wei Wuxian seemed to 'annoy' you, he still wanted to hang out with you."

I just nodded and focused on the memory, "Lan Zhan, how about we set off a lantern together, as we will be facing life and death together."

"I am used to being alone," I responded.

"Habits can change," he said putting down a paint brush, "besides I made this lantern specifically for you, look."

My brother and I watched as my past self let out a little smile at the bunny drawing on the lantern Wei Ying made.

"You smiled!" Wei Ying teased happily.

I became embarrassed and grabbed Bichen only to frighten him a bit causing him to accidentally destroy Huaisang's "expensive" one of a kind lantern.

"That was a cute smile," my brother pointed out, "I haven't seen a smile like that in a long time."

I could only blush and not look at my brother. I did have to admit, Wei Ying managed to get reactions out of me that no one has ever managed to do. He changed my life and he made a huge impact on me.

"I think this is when I realized I was in love with Wei Ying," I said out loud. I was not even thinking when I said it, as it just came out.

My brother looked at me, "Why did you not ever say so?" He asked.

"Fear," I answered, "fear of acceptance, fear or rejection, and I was not sure if I should have those kind of feelings for a man."

"It does not matter if it a man or a woman. Love is love," he said, "I would have and will support you in your choices for a partner. Wei Wuxian is a wonderful person. Even after all that happened to him, he is still someone who means the world to you."

I nodded and smiled at my brother, "thank you," I said and turned back to see us setting off the lanterns.

"I, Wei Wuxian, wish to stand with justice and live with no regrets."

My brother caught what he wished and then looked at my past self. I was admiring him for having the same promise and belief as I did.

"I made that same wish," I told Xiongzhang.

"Great minds think alike," he said as the memory ended.

~*End Flashback*~

Brother and I were back at the palace. I had some ideas of what do expect next unless we were to skip over it. But for now brother and I sat down for a bit to process everything we had witnessed this far.

"I can really see the impact Wuxian had on you," Brother said to me, "I knew he was important to you and seeing you so broken after he died..."

I moved closer to my brother and placed my head on his shoulder, "I feel we are getting close to when he stopped used his sword. The Wen Sect indoctrination is coming up, and of course, Cloud Recesses burned before that."

Brother pulled me into a hug and held onto me, "We will have to see where we go from here. How are you cooping though?" He asked me.

"I just feel a bit numb," I answered, "it is nice to see Wei Ying again but I miss him all the same. The next time I personally meet him, he won't remember me."

"You will just have to focus on how you will approach him when the time comes," Xiongzhang said, "we should get to the next memory though, shouldn't we."

I sat up and nodded, "let's go," I said and we were off.