{Note :- Sub story arc part 2. Picks up when part 1 left off.}

*Cloud Reassess*
*16 years ago*

The cold spring had had little effect on Wangji. He was disappointed. It was the first time the Cold spring had not helped him... Of course, it had also been the first time he had come to the spring for a different reason...

'This is useless.' Wangji had thought stepping out of the spring.

He had stared walking towards his jingshin but the thought of The Boy had kept bothering him.

'I must see what he is up to.' Wangji had thought before going to check on the Jiang sect disciples.

'Where is he?... Others are here... But not him.' Wangji thought a little disappointed, before someone had called his name softly
"Second Master Lan?"

'Lady Yanli.' Wangji had recalled the girl's name before taking a few steps back.

"Master Lan, is there a problem?" She had asked bowing her head.

This girl... Lady...had been very different from the girls Wangji had usually come across. Where others made him uncomfortable this Lady had made him feel... calm... secure... Like he was home.

She had kept her distance. There
had been an undercurrent of worry on her lovely face. But, when she had approached Wangji her smile had been warm and her eyes had held questions.

"A Jie, who is it?" the boy, Jiang Cheng had asked, walking towards them.

The boy had looked at Wangji with irritation.
"Oh... Look who decided to pay us a visit." Jiang Cheng had said bowing first and then rolling his eyes.

'Proud and arrogant.' Wangji had thought.

"A Cheng...don't be like this. It was our fault for loosing the invite." The lady had spoken softly yet authoritatively.

Then she had looked at the silent Wangji and asked again, "Master Lan, what brings you here?"

'Wei Ying.' Wangji's mind had supplied unhelpfully.

Wangji had reprimanded himself before saying, "I am sorry for my earlier behavior. It's wrong for a lady to spend the night out in the open."
His eyes had wandered around the small camp then.

"Wei Ying left to find the invite." The lady had supplied and smiled knowingly.

"I was not looking for... " Wangji had trailed off and after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence he had added, "I will escort you all to Cloud Reassess."

"But Wei Ying is not back yet. He will get worried if he doesn't find us here." The Lady had said, her eyes full of concern.

"Senior sister, you know how he is... He will probably not even return tonight." The boy, Jiang Cheng had reassured her.

Before Wangji could stop himself, he had blurted out, "Why?"

'Damnit! Why did I ask that!?'

Wangji's ears had turned red and he had turned away from the crowd.
"I will escort you inside. Please follow me." Wangji had said before walking away.

*Inside Cloud Reassess*

"What a coincidence. We meet again." The Boy had said after smiling like the sun.

It had not been a coincidence. Wangji had been waiting for him.

'What would it take to make him stop smiling like that?' Wangji had thought.

"Master Lan, if you let me take a look... I will share my wine with you." The boy had said and smiled again.

'Why does he keep smiling like that?' Wangji had thought before he had said, "Alcohol is prohibited in Cloud Reassess."

Then one thing had led to another. They had fought. The boy had been Good. Almost as good as Wangji.. Almost.
And even after showing him the Lan sect rules the untamed boy had flown to the roof top and drunk the wine messily.

The liquor had rolled off of those bow shaped lips and traced the boys long neck before hitting his robes.

'How messy!...He should at least drink it properly.' Wangji had thought before his eyes had fallen on the lone drop of wine that had clung to the boy's jaw.

'I should clean it... with my mouth... No! I did not think that.' Wangji had thought before being called 'rigid and and relentlessly unreasonable'.

The boy had smiled again.

'How rude!'

Then the boy had started talking about girls in his home town and Wangji had wanted to shut him up...with his mouth... again.

Wangji had instead used the silencing charm on the boy... again.

The Boy had obviously gotten mad at Wangji. He had continued to go, "Ammm....amm... Ammm."

'Incorrigible!'
Wangji had wanted to push the boy against a wall...and crush him with his body. That particular thought had made Wangji feel like his entire being was on fire.

'What the hell is wrong with me... Maybe this boy is a mage...But I should not blame him without proof....Maybe I got cursed when we found the victim.' Wangji thought while walking towards his brother's room...with His Boy...No the boy was not his... At least not yet...'What is wrong with my brain... Maybe Brother can help me with this problem.'

The Boy had been interrogated by Uncle and Lan XiChen.

In the end, Zewu Jun had told the boy how Wangji had let his siblings in.

"Brother... " Wangji had objected.

'Why did you tell him Brother.' Wangji had thought... but he had been secretly glad for it.

The boy had cheered up and had walked towards Wangji... entering Wangji's personal space.
Wangji had taken a step back for every step the boy had taken towards him.

"You are not as bad as I thought Second Master Lan." The boy had said almost winking at him.

'The nerve! Right in front of Uncle! What is wrong with him....I must apologize on his behalf.... Wait...why would I apologize on his behalf... Why should I protect him if he gets into trouble.' Wangji had wondered, why had he had the urge to protect this boy he had known nothing about.

When Wangji had remained expressionless, the boy had pouted.

Wangji's eyes had fallen on the boys protruding bottom lip.
Wangji had wanted... needed...

It was a relentlessly unreasonable need to take that misbehaving bottom lip between his lips and bite on it... As a punishment of course... Nothing else...Why else would one bite another otherwise... Right?

At least that is what Wangji had told himself.

Wei Ying's eyes had caught the unconscious body in the room. He had walked over and given his inputs... Well, he didn't have to... Nobody had asked him.

'Why does he poke his nose in matters that are none of his business.' Wangji had thought before the boy had deduced the the cultivator had had his spiritual cognition snatched.

'Wicked Sorcery indeed...' Wangji had thought, staring at the way The Boy had been touching...squeezing his bottom lip, deep in thought.

Wangji had wanted to do something then... but he had not known what. So he had done what he was used to... He had remained expressionless.

Luckily for Wangji, the Boy had left after a small bow to him after the discussion.

Wangji had been glad that the long day had finally come to an end... But that was not to be. Lan XiChen had wanted a word with him.

Lan XiChen had asked him to join in the upcoming classes and had asked to make friends with The Boy.

According to Lan XiChen, The Boy was just the kind of person Wangji had needed in his colorless life.
Lan XiChen had praised the boy's skill and carefree attitude.

'Sometimes brother really can't understand me. How can my superior level of cultivation even be compared to Wei Ying's mediocre level.' Wangji had told himself... Wangji had lied for the first time... He had lied to himself.

Wangji had walked away angry.

'He is annoying and rude' Wangji had told himself. That was true... to an extent.

'I hate him. I wish I never have to see him again.' Wangji had thought... That had obviously been another lie...

For if it were the truth, then why had the Second Jade of Lan been waiting at the entrance of Cloud Reassess just to get one more glimpse of the boy with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
Why had he not slept in his bed sharp at 9 pm as he had always done?
And, even when the boy's brother had been certain that the boy would not return that night, why had Wangji felt... hoped to run into him again.

But of course, Wangji had not understood this still new feeling that had made a habit of distracting him...behest unknown to him... Wangji had started craving for that smile.

That night Wangji had tossed and turned in his bed.
'Maybe... I really am cursed' he had thought.

Being cursed was not an illogical thought.

Firstly.. why else would Wangji keep thinking about that wayward drop of wine that had clung to The Boy's jaw...teasing him... mocking him to do something.

Secondly... Wangji hated physical contact and yet somehow Wangji had wanted to punish the boy by taking the boy's bottom lip between his and biting on it!?
That would most definitely involve touching...that is something Wangji definitely did not want!

Thirdly... Why had Wangji felt a need to protect The boy from his Uncle even though he had known nothing much about the boy???

Wangji had been annoyed with many people over the years, some were rude, some stupid, some selfish...men and women. But Wangji had never had this kind of need.
So why this boy?

Wangji was angry... Wangji was confused... Wangji was....above all else...Clueless!

{Note :- Hope you guys are enjoying the specials. I love writing them.

The next update will be the continuation of the main story.

I hope that these special chapters will give a better understanding of how Lan Zhan came to feel the way he did about Wei Ying.
And for those who are wondering why I keep saying 'The Boy' instead of 'Wei Ying' that will be addressed in the next chapter.

If you have enjoyed it please Vote and comment.

Thank you for reading and supporting this story.
Have a nice day.}