Blade and Flower

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/53962552.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: M/M
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Relationship: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Song Lan | Song
Zichen, Nie Huaisang, Jin Zixuan, Wei Changze
Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Verse, Alpha Lan Zhan | Lan
Wangji, Omega Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Inspired by Mulan (Disney
Movies), Alternate Universe - Mulan (Disney Movies) Fusion, Military
Training, Identity Porn, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Knotting, Barebacking,
Pheromones, Dom/sub Undertones, Spanking, Implied Mpreg, Top Lan
Zhan | Lan Wangji/Bottom Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-02-21 Completed: 2024-07-05 Words: 67,877 Chapters:
6/6
 Blade and Flower
by Malingshu

Summary

Fearing that his ailing father will be drafted into the military, Wei Wuxian pretends to be an
alpha and takes his father's place.

Then he meets Commander Lan Wangji, an alpha who might ruin his whole plan.

Notes

- Inspired by Mulan with some references to the original story, but with some changes and
porn.

- Contains explicit sexual scene, please take some time to read the tags before reading.

- In this A/B/O world, those who can conceive (omegas, female betas) will be called wife and
mother, those who can impregnate (alphas, male betas) will be called husband and father,
regardless their first genders.

- English is not my main language, beware of the grammatical errors.

 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

“Your Majesty, the Wen army climbed over the Great Wall and killed our soldiers last night!
They have crossed our northern borders! We will set up more defenses around your palace
immediately!” The general makes his report to the emperor in the great hall. It seemed like a
peaceful morning when the sun rose from the horizon, but perhaps it might no longer be as
peaceful anymore because of this news.

“No.” The emperor says calmly as if his safety isn’t at risk right now. Perhaps wisdom really
does come with age, because even the general can’t comprehend how the emperor can remain
so calm despite the news he just heard. “Send your soldiers to protect my people. Send your
messengers across the land to recruit as many men as possible for the army.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I believe my current troops are capable of handling them. We
have the best men and alphas in the troops.”

“I don’t want to take any chances, General. One man might make a difference between
victory and defeat, just like how a single grain of rice can tip the scale. I need as many men
as you can find.”

“I understand, Your Majesty. I will send the messengers across the country as soon as
possible.” The general bows as he lets the Emperor’s wise words sink into his head. “We
have also been informed that Wen Ruohan is the one leading them.”

“…I’m not surprised.” The emperor hums, still looking very calm despite the fact that an
army is invading his land and is after his throne. “Go, General. Send your messengers to
recruit men and send your troops across the country to protect my people. My people have to
be safe.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The general gives another bow before standing up and leaving the great
hall.
It’s been a long time since the last war ended and they thought no one would have to wield
their swords ever again, but it seems that another war will happen in the near future. The
emperor frowns, worried about the safety of his people and the country. Many great soldiers
had fallen during the last war and he doesn’t want to lose any more men.

Keeping his pace slow and steady, he wields the sword in his hand before thrusting it
forward. He can hear the sound of blade piercing through the air and his father always tells
him it’s the sign that he’s wielding his sword properly.

Still with a focused gaze, he takes his left foot forward and turns his body, this time swinging
the sword sideways to slice the air. The blade shines momentarily when the sunlight hits it, so
does the golden dragon carving on the handle of the sword. His grip is strong because his
father always tells him that when he’s in a battlefield, losing his sword means losing his life.

He turns to the other side and swings his arm again, but his long hair ends up whipping his
face because of the movement. He yelps at the smack and pauses momentarily to get his hair
out of his face. He should have tied up all his hair properly before doing this.

“Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian turns to look at his father who is standing by the door, seeing the soft smile
plastered across the man’s face. Looking at his father like this, Wei Wuxian thinks no one
would expect that his father was once a fierce warrior, though his body has grown weak with
age and the wounds he received during the last war. His father used to be one of the greatest
soldiers in the military who served during the last war. His father only came home to get
married and started his own family after the war ended.
Despite his age and the gray strands of hair on his head, his father still walks with his head
high and chest puffed like the alpha he is. He still has the air of confidence around him
despite the limp on his leg that forces him to walk with a cane. There are some villagers who
find his father intimidating, but for Wei Wuxian, his father isn’t scary or fierce at all. He’s his
father and the person who loves him the most.

“Good morning, Dad.” Wei Wuxian smiles and walks into the house to join his father. His
father left early in the morning today for some walk, so he decided to play with the sword in
the backyard while waiting for his father to return.

“You’re using that sword again?” Wei Changze looks at the old sword his son is holding in
his hand. It was once the sword that led him to victory during the last war, but he had never
wielded it again after getting married and having a son.

“I love your sword.” Wei Wuxian walks over to the tall cabinet next to the dressing table
where the sword is usually kept. “I promise I won’t break it, so I can keep using it to practice,
right?”

“I don’t understand why you love practicing swordsmanship so much. It’s not like you’re
going to wield it.” Wei Changze chuckles lightly and shakes his head.

“I just like it. You’re the one who taught me how to hold a sword anyway.” Wei Wuxian sits
on the floor to wipe the blade so it will stay shiny.

“You were just a kid back then. I didn’t think it would stick on you until now.” His father
tries to sit next to him on the floor, but it’s a little difficult for his legs to hold steady while he
lowers himself down.

Seeing his father’s struggle, Wei Wuxian quickly helps him to sit down. His father had a lot
of injuries during the war, so much that some parts of his body were never recovered
completely.

His mother wasn’t a very healthy omega to begin with. She passed away not long after giving
birth to him, but his father raised him with so much love and care even though he’s just an
omega child. His father is never disappointed at the fact that he’s only blessed with an omega
son instead of an alpha child, even if his father is an alpha himself.

“I hope the war will never come again. I’ve lost so many friends and comrades during the
war and I hope no one would ever go through that again.” His father sighs and looks at him
with a tender gaze. “I’m so lucky to be able to return here, to meet your mother, and to be
blessed with you.”

“Dad…” Wei Wuxian smiles softly.

“If every day is as peaceful as this, at least I will still be alive when you get married one day.”
The old man chuckles lightly.

“Dad.” Wei Wuxian’s smile falters as he blows out a sigh. Well, here goes another topic about
marriage.

“I’m not getting any younger, Wei Ying. I’d be very happy to see an alpha taking your hand
in marriage, or even a beta if that’s what you prefer.”

“I’m not thinking about marriage yet, Dad. There’s nobody in my mind right now.”

“Maybe you should go to the imperial city one of these days. There are more people in the
city and you can meet a lot of new faces. Maybe one of them might be able to catch your
heart.” His father smiles softly, his eyes hopeful.

“Don’t be silly.” Wei Wuxian huffs out a small laugh as he slides the sword back into its
sheath. “Who will take care of you if I go to the imperial city?”

“The villagers will take care of me. Don’t make me a reason for you to hold back, Wei Ying.”
His father sighs and reaches a hand to tuck some of Wei Wuxian’s long hair behind his ear.
“You’re turning twenty-three soon. Most omegas around your age are married already, and it
makes me sad to think that I’m holding you back from your happiness.”
“I’m happy here, Dad, very much so. You’re not holding me back from anything.” Wei
Wuxian says reassuringly. “I love this village and the people, and I enjoy spending my days
here.”

“I’m just worried about your future.” His father hums softly.

“You don’t have to, Dad.” Wei Wuxian smiles and helps his father to stand up.

Once Wei Changze stands up straight, he looks at his son again who is smiling at him. He
still remembers when Wei Wuxian was just a tiny baby in his arms and he still finds it hard to
believe that his son is all grown up now. Although he’s a little unwilling to have someone
take his son away, he knows it's best for Wei Wuxian to get married and have his own family
instead of getting stuck here to take care of an old man like him.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Wei Wuxian blinks.

“Nothing.” Wei Changze smiles and looks down at the hanfu his son is wearing. “Is this a
new color?”

“Yes, Mrs. Lin made it for me! Isn’t it pretty?” With a bright smile, Wei Wuxian makes a turn
to show his father the white-and-red hanfu he is wearing. The weather is getting colder since
the autumn season is coming and he hates feeling cold, so he’s happy to have this new outfit
for the colder season.

“It’s very pretty. It looks good on you.” Wei Changze hums as he looks at his son from head
to toe. Seeing how beautiful his son has become, he doesn’t think there’s any alpha who will
not be enchanted by him.

“Oh, I promised to help Mr. Yang to temper some steel today, so I’ll see you in the
afternoon!” Wei Wuxian says when he remembers his promise.
“In that?” Wei Changze looks at the hanfu his son is wearing.

“I can roll the sleeves up.” Wei Wuxian nods and starts rolling the sleeves up. “I’m almost
late. I’ll go now. See you, Dad!”

“But your clothes might get dirty—”

Before Wei Changze can finish his words, Wei Wuxian already makes his way out of the
house. He slowly walks to the door and watches his son walking away with happy steps. He
huffs out a chuckle and shakes his head lightly before going back inside the house.

It’s a sunny day today. Wei Wuxian is greeting the other villagers on his way to the
blacksmith. It’s probably funny to see how often he goes to the blacksmith while most
women and omegas prefer to pick flowers or weave fabrics. Then again, it might be his
father’s fault for teaching him about wielding swords and riding horses since he was a child.

He admires his father so much, especially when he heard the stories from the villagers about
what a brave soldier his father was. Even though he wasn’t born yet when his father served in
the military, he could imagine his father swinging his sword while sitting on his horse,
looking so brave and strong like the warrior he was.

He still likes flowers and pretty things very much though. He just thinks that swords are one
of those beautiful things, especially his father’s sword at their home. It’s not that there was
never any alpha who came to visit him, but they seemed to lose interest when they noticed
that he’s not exactly like the typical omegas who only want to stay inside the house and be
pretty.

He doesn’t care though. He loves himself and if there’s no one who can love him the same,
then he’s fine with loving himself and having his father by his side. Even though most
omegas of his age already left the village to get married, he isn’t bothered by the fact that he
has no candidates yet.

“Good morning, Mr. Yang.” Wei Wuxian greets cheerfully when he arrives at the
blacksmith’s house.
“Oh, Wei Ying. You’re early.” The blacksmith smiles when he sees the young omega.

“Am I too early?”

“No, no, I just need a few minutes to heat up the steel.” The middle-aged man says as
gestures his hand. “Come inside the workshop. I’ll be there soon.”

“Alright.” Wei Wuxian says before making his way to the workshop that’s just next to the
house.

“How’s your father?” Mr. Yang asks when he enters the workshop.

“He’s good. Thanks for asking.” He nods lightly.

“He told me he wants you to get married soon.” The blacksmith chuckles as he recalls the
words his friend said to him last week. “I have some friends who have alpha sons, but they’re
living in the cities. I can take you there if you want to meet them.”

“Thank you, but there’s no need to do so. I like staying here with my father and all the
villagers.”

“Most of our young villagers have gone to live in the city. Are you alright being stuck in this
small village?”

“It’s alright, I’m happy here.” Wei Wuxian smiles brightly. Their village isn’t very big, but
it’s a beautiful one. Every plant grows well on this land and none of the villagers are starving.
Every spring, the flowers will bloom and the grass will turn green, transforming the village
into a magical place.
“Well, we’re more than happy to have you too.” The blacksmith says before taking the
glowing metal from the fireplace. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Not long after they start tempering, there’s suddenly a commotion outside. Wei Wuxian perks
up to the window and sees some villagers running towards the entrance of the village. He
then turns his head to Mr. Yang. They stare at each other for a second before they decide to
check out what’s going on outside.

Outside, there’s a group of men on their horses and the villagers who are gathering around
them. They are not just ordinary men. Judging from their clothes and appearance, Wei
Wuxian knows they must be from the army of the imperial city.

Curious as to why those men came to their small village, Wei Wuxian walks closer to join the
crowd. He can see his father standing on the other side of the crowd. There’s a deep frown on
his father’s face and he wonders why.

The messenger on the horse looks at the gathered villagers before speaking up.

“Citizens, we are under attack from northern invaders!” The man says with a clear voice.

Wei Wuxian presses his lips tightly while the other villagers gasp at the news. It’s been so
long since the last war and they thought it would never come again. They start murmuring to
each other until the messenger clears his throat to get their attention again.

“By the edict of his Imperial Majesty, every family must contribute one man to fight! Alphas
will be prioritized!”

The villagers let out a collective gasp. Wei Wuxian glances at Mr. Yang, seeing the
blacksmith’s face turning pale. He knows Mr. Yang has a beta son who’s living in another
city with his wife. He thinks they just had a new-born not long ago.
“We are spreading this news across the land, so your sons who are living in another city
should have received the news too.” The army messenger speaks again. “Each family head,
please come forward and tell us who you will be contributing to the army. You shall receive a
transcript to be submitted to the military later.”

The villagers do as they’re told. Each family head comes up one by one to put their son’s
name while the mothers are weeping at the sight, not willing to send their children to the war.
Wei Wuxian may not be a mother, but he can understand their feelings.

Some who are sent to the war might never return, after all.

“My son has probably heard about this. He must have registered his own name.” Mr. Yang
says when he doesn’t receive any transcript from the messengers.

Wei Wuxian gives the blacksmith a look of sympathy before walking over to his father who
has been standing at the other side the whole time.

“Dad, let’s go back inside the house.” Wei Wuxian says to his father. His father is too old to
join the army while he’s not an alpha, so there’s no reason for them to be standing here.

“The Wei family!” The messenger calls out.

Wei Wuxian frowns and whips his head to the messenger, confused as to why their family
name is still in the list. His father sighs softly and then looks at him with a smile. “Don’t
worry, Wei Ying. I’ll handle this.”

“…What?” Wei Wuxian blinks and watches as his father walks to the messenger. He reaches
a hand to stop him, but his father already walked too far.

“I am from the Wei family.” Wei Changze speaks calmly.

“Wei Changze from the southern village. The imperial army has heard of your name before,
you were one of our best soldiers back then. An alpha like you deserves that recognition.”
The messenger nods in acknowledgement. “Are you going to contribute your son to the army
this time?”

Wei Changze turns over his shoulder to look at his son before speaking to the messenger
again. “No, I will join the army again. I will fight for the country.”

“No!” Wei Wuxian gasps and rushes forward, but is held back by the other villagers who are
trying to calm him down.

The messenger looks at Wei Wuxian before looking at the old soldier in front of him again,
sighing softly as he does so. “We admire your skill and courage, but we need younger men to
join the army this time. We need your son. I believe he’s as good as you.”

“My son is an omega and I will not allow you to take him.” His father says sternly, looking so
intimidating despite the fact that he can no longer fight.

“No…” Wei Wuxian whispers, eyes already glossed with tears. His father can’t possibly fight
anymore. His legs are not even strong enough for him to stand up for too long without his
cane.

“...Fine. We have no need for omegas, anyway. They are not qualified to be drafted into the
military.” The messenger says and hands the transcript to his father.

“No!” Wei Wuxian yells and runs over to his father. “Dad, you can’t fight anymore. Don’t
go!”

“Wei Ying.” His father says softly. “It is my duty as a soldier to protect this country and my
duty as a father to protect my son. I have to go.”
“No, I will not allow this!” Wei Wuxian yells again before glaring at the messenger who is
still staring at them. “You can’t take my father away! He can no longer fight due to the old
wounds he got from the last war! You’re going to kill him by sending him to war!”

“Young man, every family has their own reason to not send a man from their family, but we
can’t have that. It’s called being fair. Your father is not the only father who has to go.” The
messenger says coldly.

“It doesn’t make any difference whether he joins or not! He can’t fight anymore!” Wei
Wuxian grits his teeth.

“Say that to those families who send their sons and fathers even though they can’t fight.
You’re not the only family member who’s struggling.”

“Wei Ying.” His father says calmly. “It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not.” Wei Wuxian is choking on his tears now. “How can you say that?”

“The Lin family!” The messenger calls out, ignoring the argument between the father and the
son.

His father pulls him aside to calm him down, but he still can’t accept the decision. His father
is the only family he has and he loves his father so much; he can’t lose his father to the war.
His father offering himself for the military is the same as giving his life away.

“Don’t cry, Wei Ying. Come on.” His father smiles as he brushes the tears from his face.

“Don’t do this, Dad. I can’t lose you...” Wei Wuxian sniffles.

“Everything will be alright. Don’t you worry, my dear.” His father says reassuringly even
though Wei Wuxian knows that it won’t be alright at all. His father will never return from the
war.

After sending the transcript to every family, the messengers get on their horses again to go to
the next village. Wei Wuxian can see some villagers crying about the news, even the cheerful
Mr. Yang seems so gloomy now.

“The location of the military camp is written on your transcript. Some of you might end up in
different camps, so pay attention. We hope all the soldiers are already there by the end of this
week.” The head messenger says to the villagers before leaving them with their tears.

Everything changes ever since that news.

The villagers who are always happy and smiling are no longer as cheery as before. They all
have troubled looks on their faces, eyes filled with worry and despair. Instead of sharing
laughter and happiness, they begin sharing their worry and fear for their sons, their husbands,
and their family members who are forced to join the war.

During the past few days, some people return to the village to spend their last moments with
their loved ones before they leave for the war. There are more people staying in the village
since the past week, yet it still feels so quiet.

Wei Wuxian is no different. Every day, he sees his father in the backyard trying to wield his
sword like how he used to do it. It’s painful watching his father holding the sword with a
trembling hand and seeing the way his father moves with his weakened legs. His father can’t
even get on a horse without any help.
Alpha or not, best soldier or not, his father is not supposed to go to the war with his current
state. His father can’t fight anymore.

His father will give him a sad smile once in a while, probably feeling guilty for leaving him
alone for the war. Wei Wuxian knows that his father is aware that he will die in the war, it’s
inevitable, but he wishes that he could do something about it. He can’t believe he only has a
week before he loses his father forever.

“Dad.” He calls out from the door.

His father, who has been practicing his swordsmanship since morning, stops and looks at
him.

“I made some tea. You should take a break for a while.” Wei Wuxian beckons a hand at him.

His father puts the sword back into the sheath before entering the house. They sit together on
the small dining table, drinking the chrysanthemum tea he just brewed. Ever since the
messengers arrived with the news, he hasn’t been talking much with his father. He’s sad and
angry at the fact that his father needs to go, but he knows there’s nothing they can do about it.

He’s not the only one who’s unwilling. All the other villagers are also unwilling to send their
family members to the war. He knows he is being selfish about this, but he can’t help it. His
father has been there ever since he was born. His father took care of him and raised him all
by himself. His father is the only family member he has and the only person who loves him
unconditionally.

His father always tells him that it doesn’t matter whether he’s an alpha, beta, or omega; he
will always be his son and his most precious treasure. It’s the same for Wei Wuxian. It
doesn’t matter if his father is just a wounded soldier who can’t fight anymore; he’s the only
father he has and can’t be replaced.

Before he knows it, tears start falling down his cheeks again. Seeing that, his father puts his
cup down and reaches a hand to brush his tears away.
“Don’t cry, Wei Ying. You will cry yourself to dry if you keep this up.” His father says
gently, smiling as if nothing bad will happen to him in the war.

“I don’t want you to leave tomorrow...” Wei Wuxian whimpers, unable to stop his tears at this
point.

Tomorrow is the day. His father will have to leave at dawn to reach the camp on time. Today
is the last day for them to spend time together. Today will be the last time for him to see his
father and speak with him. Today will be the last time he can sit with his father like this.

“I’m so sorry, Wei Ying. I haven’t been a good father to you.” Wei Changze smiles sadly,
feeling his heart aching to see his beloved son shedding so much tears.

“You’re the best and the only one.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head and looks at his father with
teary eyes. “I don’t want you to leave me... I can’t do anything without you…”

“Everything will be alright, my son.” His father drags his chair closer and pulls him into a
hug. “You will be alright. I know you will be alright. I will fight for us, for this country, for
this village, and for you.”

Wei Wuxian starts sobbing like a child in his father’s embrace. This will be the last time he’s
going to feel his warm embrace too. After tonight, he will never see his father again.

“Just pray for us to win the war. That way, the future will be filled with peace and happiness,
and you will be alright.” His father whispers softly, though his own voice is starting to shake.
“I know you’re a strong child. I’ve raised you that way. You will be alright, Wei Ying.”

“I can’t be strong if I’m alone… I’m not ready to let you go, Dad…” Wei Wuxian says
between his tears.
“You will never be ready, but sometimes you have to face it.” His father smiles through his
teary eyes and cups Wei Wuxian’s face in his hands. “You look a lot like your mother, very
beautiful and charming. I’m so lucky to be blessed with you as my child.”

“I’m so lucky to have you as my father too.” Wei Wuxian sniffles.

“Come on. I want to see a smile on your face.” His father coos.

Albeit still having tears running down his cheeks, Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath and puts a
forced smile on his face. His father smiles back at him and pats his face lightly before pulling
away.

“Will you cook my favorite food for tonight’s dinner?”

“Of course.” Wei Wuxian nods.

The dinner feels so short, maybe because it’s the last dinner he’s having with his father and
he doesn’t want it to end so soon. He knows his father needs a good sleep since he’s leaving
at dawn, so he sends his father to his bedroom after dinner and tucks him in.

“Good night, Dad.” He says to his father and leans over to blow the lantern.

“Don’t blow the lantern yet.”

“You need to sleep early, Dad.”

“Keep me company for a while.” His father shifts slightly to the side and pats the empty spot
on the bed.
Wei Wuxian gives his father a small smile before sitting on the bed. When his father reaches
a hand towards him, he gives his own so they can hold hands. When he was a child, he often
climbed onto his father’s bed when he had nightmares and his father would always hold his
hand this way.

It’s been a very long time since they held hands like this, and to think that this will be the last
time he can hold his father’s hand makes his heart break with grief.

“Remember to eat properly and drink enough water every day, okay?” His father closes his
eyes, but still holds his hand tightly.

“Okay.”

“You should travel to the cities once the war ends. I want you to see how big this country is.
Maybe you can meet the one who’s meant to be your life partner.”

“I will.”

“Be careful of your heat cycle. I know you can take good care of yourself, but I still want you
to be careful, always.” His father sighs softly. “I get so worried every time you’re about to get
your heat. It scares me to imagine all the wolves that might be preying on my son.”

“I know how to take care of my heat. Don’t worry, Dad.” Wei Wuxian smiles again.

“Find a good person who can love you and take care of you. Find someone who you want to
carry a child for, who you see fit as the father of your children.”

“I understand.” Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath to hold himself from crying.

“I’m not the best father, but I swear I tried my best for you. I love you, my little flower.” His
father murmurs softly.
“You are the best father for me, you have always been.” Wei Wuxian croaks out. “I love you
too, Dad.”

There’s no reply after a minute and he figures that his father has fallen asleep. With careful
movement, he pulls his hand away and blows the lantern before leaving the room. He walks
to the living room area, seeing the sword and the other things that have been packed for his
father’s journey tomorrow. He picks the sword up with his hand and stares thoughtfully at it.

After contemplating for a while, he turns over his shoulder to glance at his father’s room
before leaving the house, trying to be as quiet as possible in order to not wake his father up.

The village is normally not this quiet at this hour, but everybody has been staying home and
sleeping early, preparing for tomorrow’s journey. Right now, he’s the only one who’s walking
outside even though the night is still early.

He stops by Mr. Li’s house and knocks at his door. The old man opens the door a moment
later and is surprised to see him standing outside.

“Wei Ying? What brings you here?” The man scratches his head before he remembers it.
“Oh, your father needs the horse now?”

Mr. Li takes care of some horses that he usually sells to people in the cities. After the
messenger’s announcement last week, he allows the villagers to buy his horse at half price so
they can head to the military camp without needing to walk for days. His father is also one of
the villagers who bought a horse.

“Yes, can I take him now?” Wei Wuxian smiles politely.

“Sure, let me get him. You picked the black one, right?” Mr. Li puts on a mantle before
heading to the barn with Wei Wuxian.
“Yes, the one named Suibian.”

“Ah, right. He’s a wild one, but he seems to like you and your father a lot.” The old man
smiles when he remembers the short interaction they had a few days ago. He walks to the end
of the barn where the black stallion is. “I’ll put on the reins and everything, alright?”

“Let me help you too.” Wei Wuxian walks into the stable. He gives the stallion a pat on the
head and the horse seems to recognize him. He remembers how his attention was drawn to
this black horse when they visited the barn a few days ago. Suibian is a wild horse, but his
eyes are lively and Wei Wuxian knows he will be very courageous during war.

After putting the reins, Wei Wuxian thanks the man and then leaves with the horse. He slowly
walks back to his house with the stallion by his side. There are so many thoughts filling his
mind, but he thinks this is the best decision.

“I hope you don’t mind going to the war with me.” Wei Wuxian says to Suibian as if they can
understand each other. “I may not be as good as my father was, but I know how to ride a
horse and wield a sword, so you don’t have to worry.”

Suibian lets out a soft huff, almost like a purr.

“I’m sorry for taking you to the war. I’m honestly not sure whether you will stay alive or not.
A lot of horses are killed during wars too…”

The stallion lets out another huff, but he doesn’t run away or struggle at all.

“I hope we both will return safely…” He mumbles softly.

This may be an impulsive decision since he doesn’t want to send his father to die, but is this
alright? There’s a reason why the messengers said that omegas are not qualified to be a
soldier and as infuriating as it sounds, he knows why.
Omegas are known to be gentle and motherly. They’re more suitable to hold a child than a
weapon, they’re more suitable to dance for a ceremony than to wield swords, and they’re
more suitable to be a wife than a soldier.

He knows how to fight and how to wield his sword, his father had taught him well throughout
the years. He is confident with his skill and he is sure he can at least be on a par with another
soldier for a duel, but there are a lot of things he has to worry about.

What about his heat cycle? Whenever it strikes, his father always brews some herbal tea and
herbs that will help with the pain that comes with the heat, and his father always stays in the
house to guard him in case there’s someone who got attracted to his scent and tried to prey on
him. His father protects him so much, he always does.

What will happen if his heat strikes inside the camp? Or worse, during a war? There will be a
lot of male alphas in the military and he doesn’t know how to escape. He doesn’t know what
will happen to him or his father if they find out who he truly is.

There’s a fear growing inside him, making his heart sink deeper into his stomach.

“Wei Ying?”

He snaps out of his thoughts and turns around to see an old lady standing a few meters behind
him.

“Grandma Shen?” He blinks in surprise. “It’s cold tonight. What are you doing outside?”

“I can’t seem to fall asleep, so I decided to take a quick walk.” The old lady says softly.
“Where are you going with the stallion, Wei Ying?”

“I… I’m going to…”

“You’re taking your father’s place to join the military?”

Wei Wuxian presses his lips, not answering the question even though it’s obvious already.

Grandma Shen blows out a sigh, but there is a smile on her face as she beckons a hand at
him. “Come follow me for a moment. There’s something I need to give you.”

Wei Wuxian hesitates for a second, but decides to follow the old lady while taking his horse
along. Grandma Shen is known to be a good practitioner who gathers herbs to make
medicines. All the villagers here rely on her when they get sick and there are even some
people from other villages or the city who come to search for her. She’s a kind and gentle
woman, like a grandmother Wei Wuxian never had.

He steps into the small house after leaving the stallion outside. The smell of herbs and
medicine fill his nose immediately as he follows the old lady further into the house.

“Alphas are more sensitive to the presence of an omega and there will be a lot of alphas in the
army. You will get in trouble if you enter the camp recklessly.” Grandma Shen says as she
wraps some herbs in a paper wrapper. “Kicking you out of the army is not the worst thing.
What if they forced you against your will? It’s very dangerous for an omega like you.”

“I don’t know what to do…” Wei Wuxian drops his gaze.

“I’ll give you these.” Grandma Shen walks to him with some packs of medicine in her hands.
“These are the herbs I’ve mixed myself. You can take them by brewing them in hot water,
like making a pot of tea.”

“What are these for?” Wei Wuxian asks as he takes them.

“For reducing the smell of your pheromones and to suppress your heat cycle. I’m giving you
twelve packs, they should be enough for you. Drink it at every beginning of the month and
you will be alright, no one will find out you’re an omega.”

“Really?” Wei Wuxian gasps in amazement. “Grandma Shen, you’re so amazing!”

“However, you still have to be careful. There’s still a chance to trigger your own heat and this
medicine might not be able to do anything about it.”

“But you said they can suppress my heat cycle...?” Wei Wuxian’s face falters into a confused
look.

“Yes, but they won't erase your true nature as an omega. Your body produces pheromone
when you’re in heat, but it also produces pheromone when you’re trying to attract someone.”
The old lady says softly, her eyes filled with concern. “When you fall in love and desire
someone, you will naturally produce pheromone and it might trigger your own heat even if
you’re suppressing it with this medicine. When that happens… even my medicine will be
useless…”

“You’re saying that I shouldn’t fall in love until the war ends?”

“Yes.” Grandma Shen nods. “The pheromone of an omega in love is so strong, even my
medicine might not be able to hide it.”

“Don’t worry, Grandma Shen. It’s not a problem for me.” Wei Wuxian smiles reassuringly as
if it’s the easiest thing he can do. “Thank you very much for your medicine. It’s a big help for
me.”

“Be careful, Wei Wuxian.”

“I will.” He nods his head and makes his way out of the house.
“Your father doesn’t know about this, does he?”

“He doesn’t know. I sneak out on my own.” He gives the old lady a faint smile as he holds
the horse reins in his hand, ready to leave. “Please don’t tell him until he wakes up
tomorrow.”

“I will not meddle with your decision. However, I will pray for your safety and everybody
else’s.”

“Thank you, Grandma Shen. I’ll see you after the war.” Wei Wuxian bows at the woman
before walking away with a newfound determination.

The old lady stays at the door as she watches the young omega walking away. Her eyes are
filled with concern and worry, but she knows she’s not supposed to stop his decision.

“Falling in love is not something you can control, Wei Wuxian. Be careful.” She mutters to
nobody but herself.

Wei Wuxian returns home and leaves Suibian outside so he can gather his things and perhaps
bid his last farewell to his father. He walks over to grab the packed food and clothes, but
stops halfway when he passes by his father’s room. He stares quietly at the door as old
memories start playing in his mind.

His father has always been there for him. Whenever he fell down, his father was always there
to lift him up and carry him high up in the sky. His father can be strict when he needs to, but
Wei Wuxian knows how gentle his father actually is. He has never disobeyed his father’s
command before, but this will be his first and last time.

Wiping his brimming tears away, he quietly peeks into his father’s bedroom to see the man
sleeping on his bed, unaware of what’s happening. He takes in the sight of his father’s face
one more time before leaving the house. He grabs Suibian’s reins and finally makes his way
out of the village.
After taking a few steps away from the village, he takes a deep breath and turns around,
looking at the place he has always called home. It’s not the first time for him to leave the
village, but it’s the first time for him to leave by himself without knowing when he will
return, or if he will return at all.

It’s terrifying, but he has made up his mind, so there’s no turning back now. Taking another
deep breath, he puffs his chest and climbs onto the stallion.

“Let’s go, Suibian. We have a long journey ahead.” He says, earning a neigh from the
stallion.

When the dawn arrives, the villagers leave their house to send their men away.

Wei Changze wakes up in a quiet house. Thinking that his son is still asleep, he walks into
Wei Wuxian’s room to at least say his last goodbye and maybe give him a kiss on the
forehead. He blinks in surprise when he finds the bedroom to be empty. Wondering where his
son might have gone, he makes his way out of the house, but stops when he reaches the living
room.

His sword is not there.

With his heart sinking to his stomach, he rushes out of the house and heads to Mr. Li’s house.
There are some young men of the village gathering in front of the house to get their horses.
He excuses himself through the crowd to see the owner of the house.
“Good morning, Changze.” Mr. Li greets him with a smile.

“My horse… Is my horse still with you?” He asks in panic.

“Your son already took the horse last night. He said you needed it.” Mr. Li looks confused.

Wei Changze’s hands start to tremble as he turns around and strides towards the exit of the
village where most of the villagers are. He searches among the men, but he can’t find his son
at all.

“Did anybody see Wei Wuxian??” He asks while looking around in panic.

The villagers look confused and none of them has seen the young omega since they woke up
this dawn. He doesn’t know where else to search. There are no horses left that he can borrow
to chase after Wei Wuxian. His hands tremble as he brings them over his face, trying to calm
down from his panic.

“Wei Wuxian is gone.”

He looks up to see Grandma Shen standing not so far from him, but away from the crowd. He
immediately walks over to her side.

“What do you mean, Ma’am?”

“Wei Wuxian went to the military camp last night. He wants to take your place for the war.”

His heart feels like it stops beating at that moment. His legs are starting to grow weak and he
nearly collapses to the ground. Oh, his precious son, the one he raised with so much love and
protection. He wants to see Wei Wuxian getting married to someone who will make him
happy, not going to war.

“I’ve given him some medicine that will help to suppress his omega nature. Do not worry.”
The old lady speaks calmly.

“How can I not worry?” His voice is shaking as he speaks, unable to breath sufficiently. “My
precious boy… He’s not supposed to go to war… It’s my fault for teaching him how to wield
a sword and how to fight…”

“It is not your fault at all. It’s his will. It’s the way he wants to live.” The old woman says
with a reassuring tone. “I saw the determination in his eyes. There’s no way to stop him.”

“What should I do now?” He looks up again, eyes filled with despair. “I can’t… I can’t lose
him like this… I promised my wife to take good care of him and protect him with my life…”

“Pray to your wife and your ancestors. Ask them to protect him and keep him safe.” Grandma
Shen places her hand on his shoulder. “Do not blame yourself. This is his decision, this is
what he wants to do.”

Wei Changze looks like he wants to say something more, but he holds it back and nods his
head. “Thank you.”

“He is a brave soul. He is both beautiful and strong, like a little flame in the night.” The
woman nods back at him. “Believe in him.”

After the villagers send their men away, Wei Changze comes back to his empty house and sits
alone on the dining chair. It has always been only the two of them, so it feels so lonely
without his son. He blows out a sigh and looks at the small altar where his wife’s carved
name and her incense pot is placed.
He slowly walks towards it and looks at his wife’s carved name on the wood. Another set of
tears trickles down his cheeks before he breaks into a sob. He has lost his wife, he can’t lose
Wei Wuxian too.

It’s early in the morning when Wei Wuxian reaches the training camp. It’s a little bigger than
his expectation and he can even see it from afar. The sun has just risen not long ago and he
wonders whether anybody’s awake yet or not. He managed to take a quick sleep on his way
here when he passed the woods, so he’s not really tired.

“Come on, let’s go.” Wei Wuxian tugs onto the reins of his stallion and guides Suibian
towards the camp.

The gate is opened wide, but there’s no soldier standing at the tower guard to keep an eye on
the entrance. He gets off his horse and heads inside, looking around curiously as he does so.
There are many tents set up at the side, most probably for them to sleep at night. There are
some bigger tents at the back side and he wonders if they’re for something else.

There’s an empty field in the middle, big enough to fit more than thirty people. Maybe it’s
where they will do their daily practice and everything else. He has no experience in the
military before, so he doesn’t have much idea.

“You’re early.”

He gasps at the voice and whirls around to see another man standing behind him. He didn’t
hear any footsteps and didn’t notice anything, maybe because he’s too focused on looking
around the area.
The man looks slightly older than him, maybe by a couple of years. He is wearing a long
tunic just like him and Wei Wuxian wonders if he’s someone from another village who’s here
to join the military.

“Yes, I left my village too early it seems.” He scratches his head sheepishly. “You too?”

“You can say so.” The man hums.

This man is an alpha, Wei Wuxian can sense it from the air around him. It’s not the first time
for him to meet an alpha, but it is probably his first time seeing such a beautiful alpha. He
didn’t come here to ogle at the alphas, not at all, but he can’t help but to feel a little
mesmerized by this handsome man.

“Where are you from?” The stranger asks, snapping him out of his trance.

“I came from Nan'an village in the south.”

“I see.” The stranger hums again, his eyes scanning Wei Wuxian’s appearance from head to
toe. “Your name?”

“Wei Ying. Courtesy name Wei Wuxian.” Wei Wuxian gives the other a friendly smile.
“What’s yours?”

Before the man can answer his question, there’s another voice joining them.

“Commander Lan!”

Wei Wuxian looks over to see another man with soldier uniform scurrying over to them. The
soldier stops beside them and then bows at the alpha. “My apologies, Commander Lan. I was
in the restroom so I wasn’t guarding the gate.”

“There should be the two of you.” The man, Commander Lan, narrows his eyes slightly.
“Where’s the other soldier?”

“He told me he wanted to drink some water, I thought he had returned…”

“I’ll talk to him. Go back to guard the gate.”

“Yes, Commander.” The soldier says before scurrying over to the gate, leaving Wei Wuxian
standing dumbfoundedly in front of the alpha.

Oh, he’s not another villager, he’s the commander of the troops. How rude he is to assume so
just because the alpha isn’t wearing his gears. Now that he looks closer, he notices that the
alpha looks strong and sturdy, like a trained soldier.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know… Commander Lan…” Wei Wuxian stutters with his apology. He
didn’t expect that the commander would be so young. He thought the commander would be
around the same age as his father.

“You can wait somewhere. The other soldiers are busy right now, but they will start checking
the transcripts soon after the others arrive.” Commander Lan says.

“Alright, thank you.”

The commander gives him a last look before walking away. Wei Wuxian watches as his back
gets further and then shakes his head to snap himself out of it.

True to the commander’s words, more men started arriving after that. Some of them look
nothing like how soldiers are, some of them are obviously scared, and some of them look a
little too old to be soldiers in training. No one chose to come here after all, but they had to.
He watches more and more men arriving until his eyes land on one familiar face. He lifts his
hand to call for his old friend, but then puts it down again, not sure what to say since they
haven’t met for many years. He doesn’t even know if his friend still remembers him.

His old friend seems to notice him though. With a confused look on his face, he walks over to
Wei Wuxian.

“Wei Ying…?” He calls out.

“Song Lan.” Wei Wuxian smiles brightly at his childhood friend. “You still remember me.”

“Of course I do, but…” Song Lan looks around before lowering his voice. “What are you
doing here?”

“Joining the military.” He answers simply.

“You’re an omega.” Song Lan says, still keeping his voice soft and quiet so that nobody else
will hear.

He and Song Lan came from the same village. They often played together when they were
kids and they grew up together until Song Lan decided to go to the city with his uncle,
leaving his family in the village. It’s been years since the last time he met his friend and he
didn’t expect to be reunited in this sort of situation.

Right now, Song Lan is most likely the only one who knows who he truly is.

“They wanted to take my father. I won’t allow it.” Wei Wuxian presses his lips.
Song Lan doesn’t say anything, but his face shows that he understands his reason. He takes a
look around before scratching the back of his head.

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea. You’re an omega… and there are a lot of alphas here, even
I am an alpha myself.” Song Lan points at himself. “I’m your friend. I can keep your secret,
but I don’t know if I can protect you from the other alphas.”

“I’m not here to be protected.” Wei Wuxian laughs lightly. “I’ll be fine. I got some medicine
from Grandma Shen that will help me hide my identity.”

“Is that so…” Song Lan squints suspiciously, not very convinced.

“Soldiers! Come forward with your transcripts and give us your name!”

They look up to see the soldiers setting up some tables to write. Wei Wuxian can see
Commander Lan standing at the side to watch everything from afar, now wearing his armor.
Their eyes meet for a split second before he quickly turns away, embarrassed to be caught
staring.

“Come on.” Song Lan tugs his sleeve to pull him along.

They make a line for each table and wait for their turn. After Song Lan hands his transcript,
Wei Wuxian steps forward to the soldier who is sitting behind the table.

“Which village do you come from?”

“Nan’an village in the south.” He hands the transcript to the soldier.

“Your name?” The soldier takes the transcript and opens it.
“Wei Wuxian.”

The soldier looks at him. “There’s only Wei Changze here, no Wei Wuxian.”

“It’s my father’s name. He didn’t want me to come here at first so he gave his name, but I’m
here now.”

“I see…” The soldier nods lightly and picks up his brush to change the name. “How do you
write your name?”

“Wu as in no and Xian as in envy.”

“We’ve heard about your father before.” The soldier says as he writes his name down.
“You’re an alpha like your father?”

“…Yes.” Wei Wuxian smiles, knowing that he has to keep this lie until the end.

“Go to the last tent on my left. You can leave your horse outside the tent.”

Wei Wuxian makes his way to the said tent and smiles in relief when he sees Song Lan
inside. There are four sleeping bags in one tent and he thinks it’s a little cramped for four
people, but he doesn’t know what to expect anyway.

“Sleep over here.” Song Lan points at the last sleeping bag at the end of the tent. “I’ll sleep
next to you, so it will be easier for me to keep an eye on you.”

“I’ll be fine.” Wei Wuxian laughs, but still walks to the sleeping bag Song Lan pointed for
him.
“Good morning everyone.” Another voice comes from the entrance of the tent.

There’s a young man walking into the tent with his belongings and a friendly smile on his
face.

“Hey there.” Song Lan cocks his head as a greeting.

“My name is Nie Huaisang. I come from Heshi village in the south.” The man introduces
himself.

“Oh, I’ve been to Heshi before.” Wei Wuxian says cheerily before gesturing his hand. “I’m
Wei Wuxian and this is my friend, Song Zichen. We both came from Nan’an village.”

“Oh, Nan’an. That’s not so far from my village.” Nie Huaisang smiles brightly.

Not long after, there’s another guy entering their tent. He looks just as young and he seems
very quiet compared to Nie Huaisang who greeted them cheerily. The young man sets his
things down on one of the empty spots before looking up to see the three of them staring
expectantly at him.

“…My name is Jin Zixuan.” He says quietly.

“Where do you come from?” Nie Huaisang asks.

“From the Hulin village near the east.”

The four of them sit together afterwards and talk about each other’s life. Turns out, Jin
Zixuan is dejected because he had to leave his wife and his newborn son behind to join the
army. Wei Wuxian isn't married yet, but he can imagine how sad Jin Zixuan's wife must have
been to watch her husband leave without knowing whether he'd come back unscathed. Jin
Zixuan is supposed to be with his wife and son right now.
“Go back to the field if you’re done dropping your belongings!” A voice can be heard from
outside the tent.

They leave the tent after the call and gather on the field where some of the soldiers are
waiting, including Commander Lan who is standing in the middle.

The commander waits until everybody is gathered. His eyes scan over the soon-to-be
soldiers, seeing their faces and looking at their eyes. He knows some of the men here most
likely have no idea how to fight, but they have no choice. The northern invader is strong and
they need more people, more than what they currently have in the military. They need to train
all these men until they too, can become soldiers.

“Greetings, soldiers. My name is Lan Wangji and I am your commander.” The commander
starts up. “I am here to lead this troop and train you all until you can proudly call yourself a
soldier.”

Everybody stays quiet to listen to the commander. Wei Wuxian thinks it has something to do
with Lan Wangji’s charisma as an alpha, or maybe because he seems intimidating. Lan
Wangji’s gaze is sharp and his face looks so stern, but he has beautiful features overall. It
takes him a moment to realize that he has been paying more attention to Lan Wangji’s face
instead of his words.

“These men are trained soldiers of the army. They will help you with the training and they’re
my second-in-command.” Lan Wangji gestures his hand to the two soldiers who are standing
on either side of him. “Training will start at five in the morning, so make sure to assemble
here before that. You will get three meals a day and you will get a rest time at night – where
you’re supposed to sleep instead of doing anything else. There’s a medic tent over there
where you can treat minor wounds and injuries.”

Wei Wuxian listens to every word, though he can’t help staring at the commander’s face too.
He doesn’t think he has ever seen such a handsome alpha in his village or anywhere else
before. Perhaps his father was right about him visiting the imperial city to meet more people.
“Our plan is to train you all for three months before sending you to the military troops in the
city.” Lan Wangji says and scans the men once again. “I hope you all can bring honor to your
families and glory to our country.”

After Lan Wangji ends his little speech, Nie Huaisang claps his hands suddenly until
everybody turns to look at him. Noticing the awkward stares, the beta slowly stops clapping
his hands with a sheepish smile.

“…What are you doing?” Wei Wuxian asks while holding back his laughter.

“My bad, I was too mesmerized.” Nie Huaisang whispers.

The other men start chuckling at the silly behavior, but they quickly shut up when the
commander clears his throat.

“For those who are alphas, make a line beside me. I want to remember your faces.” Lan
Wangji says.

Song Lan and Jin Zixuan step forward, followed by the other men who are also alphas.
There’s a lot of alphas, Wei Wuxian notices. There are at least twenty alphas while there are
more or less thirty people in this troop, which means that most of the men here are alphas.

He feels nervous suddenly. He has brought the medicine with him, but there’s still fear and
worry for being alone in a group with so many alphas. It’s his nature as an omega to feel
cautious and alerted, especially when he’s surrounded by alphas.

“Soldier Wei, aren’t you an alpha too?”

He whips his head up to see one of the soldiers looking at him, the same soldier who wrote
his name down in the transcript earlier.
“He’s not.”

Everybody turns to look at Song Lan once again, including Wei Wuxian who’s staring
dumbfoundedly at his childhood friend.

“What?” The soldier frowns and looks between them. “You said you’re an alpha like your
father. Were you lying?”

Wei Wuxian bites onto his bottom lip and looks at Song Lan who seems to realize what kind
of trouble he just caused.

“Sorry, he’s an alpha.”

“I’m actually not an alpha.”

Song Lan and Wei Wuxian speak at the same time, causing more confusion. The two friends
look at each other again as if they’re trying to read each other’s mind. He knows Song Lan is
trying to help him here, but this is just creating a bigger mess.

“Enough.” Lan Wangji cuts off, his voice stern and eyes sharp as he stares at Wei Wuxian. “If
you’re here to play around, I’ll send you home and take you father instead.”

“No!” Wei Wuxian blurts out. It may be rude for him to raise his voice against his
commander, but he can’t let anybody drag his father into this, not after he has gone all the
way here to take his father’s place.

“Then be serious. Your father has a good name in the military, so I hope you won’t taint his
honor.” Lan Wangji narrows his eyes. “What are you?”

“I…” Wei Wuxian licks his lips. “I am an alpha.”

“Stand over here.” Lan Wangji says.

He walks over to stand in line with the other alphas. He can see Song Lan giving him a look
of disbelief, but they will talk about it later. He’s the one who started the lie, so he has to keep
it up until the end.

It won’t be difficult for him to act like an alpha though. Since he was younger, he has never
been someone who looks so much like an omega. His arms are strong enough to wield a
sword and his legs are strong enough to ride a horse. He knows he doesn’t look like the
typical male omegas in his village, but right now, he is thankful for it. At least he can keep
his lie and keep on pretending.

“Alphas, we have high expectations of you.” Lan Wangji looks at the group of alphas. “You
were born as leaders and protectors. I hope you are not going to waste the blood you have in
your veins. I expect you to be brave and strong.”

All the alphas look at the commander, including Wei Wuxian.

“If you fail to do so, then you need to stop calling yourself alphas. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Commander!” Surprisingly, everybody answers at the same time.

“The training will start tomorrow morning. Today, you can take some rest if you want. I
know some of you came from somewhere faraway.” Lan Wangji says before turning around
to leave.

After the commander and his soldiers leave, Song Lan immediately pulls him by his arm and
drags him to the quieter place away from everybody else.
“Are you insane?” Song Lan keeps his voice low. “Pretending to be a beta is still alright, but
an alpha?”

“I can’t back down. I’ve told the soldier that I’m an alpha like my father.”

“I’m sorry to say it this way, but there’s no way you can keep up with the alphas.”

“Why not?” He frowns.

“We are built differently. We have different roles in life.” Song Lan sighs, but there’s no
mockery in his voice. “I know you loved to play swords when we were little, but this is
different.”

“I’ll be alright, Song Lan. You don’t have to worry so much about me. I’m here to become a
soldier and to fight in the war. I’m not here to be an omega.”

“I’m just worried about you.” Song Lan frowns.

“I know, thank you for that, but I’ll be fine.” Wei Wuxian smiles reassuringly. “You better be
careful, I might beat you in a sword duel during the training.”

“You can try.” Song Lan hums, accepting the challenge.

They spend the rest of the afternoon unpacking their things. Wei Wuxian doesn’t bring a lot
of things with him, so it doesn’t take long for him to finish setting up his sleeping spot in the
tent. He keeps the medicine inside his bag though, not wanting the others to question it. He
has had his cycle for this month, so he can take the medicine at the beginning of next month.

His tent mates are still busy unpacking, especially Nie Huaisang who seems to have brought
so many things with him. He can see clothes, shoes, books and even some snacks inside the
other’s bag.
“I got some tea leaves with me. Do any of you guys want to drink tea?” Nie Huaisang offers
kindly.

“No, thank you.” Wei Wuxian smiles at the beta.

“You got a sword with you. Is it yours?” Nie Huaisang asks when he sees the sword settled
next to his sleeping bag.

“It’s my father’s sword. He used this in the last war.” Wei Wuxian takes the sword and holds
it in his hand.

“Your father was a soldier before?” Jin Zixuan asks, finally joining the conversation after
being so quiet since before.

“Yes, he was a commander during the previous war. He had some injuries that made him
unable to fight anymore, so he went home after that and married my mother.”

“I think the commander is putting a high expectation on you.” Jin Zixuan says.

“It feels like a pressure on me.” Wei Wuxian huffs out a nervous chuckle before putting the
sword aside.

“It’s okay, we will train hard together and bring honor to our families. I’m sure we can do it.”
Nie Huaisang clasps his hands.

Before he arrived here, he was a little nervous about meeting the other soldiers, but he’s glad
that his tent mates seem to be nice guys. He’s also glad that he has Song Lan who will help
him to protect his identity here. He’s sure he will be alright here.
He just hopes that Lan Wangji will be a good commander for them.

Wei Wuxian wakes up with a twitch.

There’s a pair of hands touching his body all over, slipping under his clothes to touch his
skin. The hands are big, bigger than his own, and they’re a little rough. He squirms against
the bed and mewls when the hands move up to grope his chest.

There’s a low hum and it sounds like it comes from a man, but he can’t recognize the other
person. He’s still half-asleep, so his brain is not alerted enough to notice what is happening.
The hands are touching him all over and even taking off his clothes, leaving him naked on the
bed.

“Ngh…” He mewls softly when the hands reach down to spread his legs open.

“What’s an omega like you doing here?”

He opens his eyes with a gasp and looks up to Lan Wangji who is hovering above him. The
commander’s golden eyes are sharp, interrogating, but also very intense. Wei Wuxian can
only stare back at the alpha, too shocked to react.

And then he wakes up.

 He blinks a couple of times to gather his focus before jerking up into a sitting position. He
looks to his right, seeing Song Lan snoring quietly. He looks around the dark tent, seeing Jin
Zixuan and Nie Huaisang sleeping soundly. There’s no one else in the tent and definitely no
one pinning him down.

When he realizes that it’s just his dream, he flops back onto the bed with a quiet groan. It’s
not that he has never had sexual dreams before, but there was never a particular face in his
dream, at least until tonight. He can’t believe he really dreamed of something like that just
after meeting the alpha in the morning. He’s here to become a soldier, not to get distracted by
some random alphas.

Then again, Commander Lan is not just a random alpha.

With another groan, Wei Wuxian turns his body to the side and screws his eyes shut, forcing
himself to go back to sleep while trying to ignore the warmth pooling across his cheeks.

Chapter End Notes

👍
Hi, posting this as an anon for now cause I'm lowkey shy! I'll reveal myself when I feel
comfortable enough

👀
If you already have a hunch of who I am based on my writing style or the plot itself, you
can DM me, though I kinda doubt anybody will know

👍
If the plot seems very familiar, don't worry this is not a stolen work, the author is still me

Anyway, this won't be a very long fic, but I hope you'll enjoy their journey in this Mulan
AU
 Chapter 2
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

“Mom!”

His little feet thudded against the wooden floor as he made his way through the house.

“Mom!” He rushed into the bedroom and quickly climbed up to his mother’s bed. With a big
smile on his face, he showed her the white lilies in his hands. “Look at them!”

Cangse Sanren sat up with a chuckle and lifted her hand to pat the little boy on his head.
“They’re really pretty. Did you get them from Meng’s wedding?”

“Uh huh, the husband picked her up with the carriage and Meng gave these flowers to me!
She said I need to show them to you!” The little boy nodded vigorously.

“I feel bad for not being able to send her off.” The woman sighed sadly as she gazed at the
white flowers. She knew about the wedding and she wanted to see it, but she’s too sick to even
get out of the bed right now.

“Are you feeling better, Mom? Still feeling sick?” The boy puckered his lips and tilted his
head to the side.

“I’m fine, Wei Ying. It’s just a cold.” She smiled reassuringly and patted his head again.

Wei Wuxian blinked and then climbed onto his mother’s lap to cuddle with her. “You have to
get well soon, Mom. I want to pick flowers with you again.”
“I will get well soon.” Cangse Sanren said softly, but there’s sadness in her eyes as she
looked down at her little boy. She knew she might not live long with her health deteriorating
day by day. Her husband had traveled to many villages in order to find the cure, but nothing
had worked so far. She knew her body was reaching its limit soon and there was nothing they
could do about it.

Of course, Wei Wuxian didn’t know what his mother was actually thinking. His father told
him that his mother was sick, so she needed a lot of rest to get well soon. Because of that, Wei
Wuxian had decided to be a good boy and waited until she’s healthy again.

“Meng was wearing a pretty red dress and gold jewelleries on her hair, and the husband
picked her up with a nice carriage. There are firecrackers, food, and flowers. It’s like a
festival in our village.” Wei Wuxian hummed dreamily.

“That’s how we celebrate weddings. It’s a happy day for Meng and her family, and we’re all
happy for them.”

“Meng looks very beautiful. I’ve never seen her like that before.” Wei Wuxian said and then
perked up to look at his mother. “Will I look that beautiful too when I get married?”

“Of course, you will be the most beautiful bride out there on your wedding day.” She smiled
sweetly and ran her fingers through the boy’s shiny hair. “You’re going to wear a beautiful
qun kua with golden jewelleries adorning your beautiful hair. Everybody will be stunned
when they look at how beautiful you are. Your Dad will be leading you into the hall where
you will meet your husband.”

“What about you, Mom? You will be at my wedding too, right?” Wei Wuxian asked with
twinkling eyes.

Cangse Sanren’s smile faltered a little at the question, but she quickly regained her
composure. “Of course, my dear. I will be watching everything.”

Wei Wuxian giggled happily and snuggled to his mother again. “It’s a promise then. You have
to get better before my wedding.”
It’s funny how her son could say this when he’s only five years old, but the words still made
her heart ache because she knew she won’t be able to fulfill that promise. She knew she might
not be able to spend so much time with her little boy or watch him grow up.

“I love you, my little flower.” Cangse Sanren whispered softly with tears glossing over her
eyes, but the little boy remained clueless and happy in his mother’s warm embrace.

“I love you too, Mom.” Wei Wuxian whispered in reply.

“Wei Wuxian, wake up.”

“You’re going to be late!”

“Hey, Wei Wuxian.”

He cracks his eyes open with an annoyed grumble and looks up to the three guys who are
standing around his bed. It takes him a second to register the unusual sight since he’s used to
waking up alone in his own room or with his father by his side. He momentarily forgot that
he’s in the training camp now.

“What time is it?” He rubs his eyes sleepily, still trying to gather his consciousness. He’s not
a morning person. While his father usually wakes up before the sun rises, he only wakes up
when the birds start chirping.
“It’s almost five already. Most of the guys have gathered outside.” Song Lan says calmly as if
there’s nothing urgent about it.

“What??” Wei Wuxian sits up straight and quickly grabs his clothes for change. “Why didn’t
you guys wake me up earlier??”

“That’s what we have been doing since earlier, but you remained asleep.” Jin Zixuan says as
a matter of fact.

“Hurry up and get ready, alright? We will wait for you outside.” Nie Huaisang says to him
before leaving with the other guys.

Wei Wuxian changes his clothes and washes his face in hurry before rushing out of the tent,
but he’s late; Lan Wangji is already there. He can feel everybody’s judging eyes on him as he
joins the line in the field. He can also feel the commander’s sharp gaze following his
movement. He feels like a little mouse trying to sneak around under the hawk’s eyes.

“Late on the first day.” Lan Wangji hums, but it’s loud enough to be heard by the entire troop.
“Every morning, I want all of you to assemble swiftly and quietly on time. The first key of
being a soldier is self-discipline. If you fail on this basic thing, you will not be able to
become a soldier.”

Wei Wuxian presses his lips and drops his gaze to the floor. His father never really scolds him
for not waking up early, so he’s not used to this. Maybe his father has been spoiling him this
whole time.

“We will start every morning with some warming up before having breakfast.” The
commander says.

“Sweet, I’m hungry already.” Nie Huaisang licks his lips and pats his empty stomach.
“We will run towards the hills and then back all the way here. Running is good to warm up
your body for training.”

“To the hills??” Nie Huaisang’s eyes grow wide before he puckers his lips into a pout. “But
I’m already hungry...”

Some murmurs of protest can be heard among the men, so Lan Wangji speaks again.

“Endure your hunger. You can’t always get food when you’re in war.” The commander says
before pointing towards the gate where his two soldiers are waiting. “Follow my soldiers. I
will run behind you to make sure no one gets left behind.”

No one moves from their spot; they’re still murmuring their protests and looking at each
other. The commander waits, but when no one does anything after a few seconds, Lan Wangji
narrows his eyes.

“Stop wasting my time.” The commander says with a low voice.

Sensing the alpha’s annoyance, they quickly run towards the gate and follow the two soldiers.
The way to the hill is pretty far. It will take more than an hour to run to the hill and come
back to the camp. The hills look beautiful with green lush spreading out to the horizon and
grass waving in the wind like waves in the sea, but to actually run up there is a whole
different thing.

As they run uphill, Wei Wuxian can see some men slowing down already. He doesn’t think
there’s anybody who can run such a long distance first thing in the morning right after they
wake up – except his father, maybe. It’s impossible for him to run this far without getting
exhausted, especially on an empty stomach.

“Don’t slack off! Keep running!” The soldiers at the front urge them to go faster.
Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder once in a while, glancing at the commander who is
running behind them. Lan Wangji doesn’t look out of breath at all, as if this is something he
has been doing every day, and it probably is. When people talk about how a male alpha is
supposed to be, they must be talking about someone like Lan Wangji.

People say that an alpha has to be tough and strong like steel, brave and fearless like fire, but
also lead and protect like a wolf. Lan Wangji seems to be someone who’s capable of those
things and Wei Wuxian wonders if his father was also like this when he was a soldier. He
should also start acting like an alpha too. He has to learn how to act like Lan Wangji.

When his eyes accidentally meet with the commander’s, he quickly whips his head to the
front and focuses on his running. They have been running for a while now, yet they haven’t
reached the peak of the hill. He is getting out of breath and his legs are getting weak, but
everybody is still running despite looking exhausted. Even Nie Huaisang is still running
despite looking so out of breath.

How weird, he’s sure he’s more fit than some of the guys here, yet he looks the weakest right
now. It feels like he’s the only one whose legs are giving out. The words Song Lan told him
yesterday ring in his head again, about how an omega can never be on the same level with an
alpha when it comes to things like this.

Is it true? Is his physique really different compared to betas and alphas? Is there no way for
him to be on the same level as the others?

Distracted by his own thoughts, Wei Wuxian doesn’t realize that his legs are really giving out
until he finds himself stumbling to the ground. Some of the men pause to look at him, but the
soldiers yell at them not to stop. Wei Wuxian winces and props himself up with both hands.
He looks ahead, noticing that the top of the hill is still quite far.

“Stand up.” Lan Wangji stops beside him.

Wei Wuxian looks up at the commander before forcing himself to get back on his feet. He
places his hands on both knees and drops his head between his shoulders, trying to catch his
breath and muster some strength to continue his run.
“Have you never run before?” The commander raises a judging brow.

“No, I have run before.” Wei Wuxian straightens his back. “Just not this much.”

“Keep running. You don’t have to run fast if you can’t, but don’t stop.” Lan Wangji points his
eyes to the top of the hill. “Go.”

Wei Wuxian is hoping that he can catch some break, but with the commander’s eyes on him,
he knows he has to keep moving. This is only the first day, maybe he will do better tomorrow.
His body hasn’t gotten used to this sort of training, so he can’t keep up yet, but he’s sure it
won’t take long for him to get used to the training.

“Go.” Lan Wangji says once again when he doesn’t move.

With an intake of breath, Wei Wuxian forces himself to run in order to catch up with the
others who have run ahead of him. After a moment, he can hear footsteps coming from Lan
Wangji who is following close behind him. Despite being strict and somewhat heartless, Lan
Wangji really makes sure that no one gets left behind.

There’s nothing on top of the hill other than green grass and some trees. The men
immediately take the chance to rest their legs and catch their breath. Wei Wuxian also does
the same. With a heaving chest, he limps over to sit under the tree and finally catches a break.
He closes his eyes and leans back against the trunk, enjoying the morning breeze blowing
over his face.

Back in his village, he likes sitting under the tree, especially during summer days. He likes
listening to the sound of rustling leaves and chirping birds. It’s very relaxing and oftentimes,
he ends up taking a quick nap under the tree until his father or other villagers come to wake
him up.

“Let’s head back to the camp now.” Lan Wangji commands.

“What?” Wei Wuxian opens his eyes. He literally just got here a minute ago. He hasn’t gotten
enough rest. “Why so fast?”

“You’re the last one to reach the top while everybody else was waiting for you. It’s time to
return to the camp. The sun is getting high and everybody is hungry already.” Lan Wangji
deadpans, not even showing a little bit of sympathy to Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian lets out a groan, but still stands up to prepare for another hellish journey down
the hill.

When they arrive back at the camp, Wei Wuxian thinks he’s going to pass out, so he’s very
happy to see that the food is already prepared. The breakfast is nothing fancy at all, just a
bowl of porridge with some yams, but it’s edible and there’s nothing much they can ask in the
military camp anyway. Good thing that he isn’t much of a picky eater, especially when he’s
starving like this.

They don’t get so much time to finish breakfast, so the slow-eaters are forced to finish their
food quickly since they’re not allowed to waste time. After putting the bowl aside and
drinking some water, Wei Wuxian stands in line with the other men, waiting for the next
command.

There’s a pile of wooden poles gathered in front of them, scattered messily as if someone just
dropped them to the ground. Lan Wangji picks one of the poles and holds it up with his hand.

“Today, you will learn how to use this. You can get your spears later when you’re good
enough, but for now, you will start with this. It has a similar weight to a spear, so this will be
a good practice.” Lan Wangji swings the pole swiftly as if it weighs nothing in his hand.
“Come here and grab your own pole.”

The men do as they’re told before coming back to their own position, each holding a wooden
pole in their hand. Wei Wuxian has never used a pole before, but he thinks it shouldn’t be
very difficult. He just has to handle it in a slightly different way than a sword. He should be
able to do this.
They start the practice afterwards with Lan Wangji showing the moves while they all try to
follow all those moves. Lan Wangji moves so gracefully, yet so strong and swift. Wei Wuxian
is paying attention, but maybe he’s paying more attention to the commander’s face instead of
the moves. Seeing Lan Wangji like this reminds him of the weird dream he had last night,
about how intense Lan Wangji’s gaze was and how strong his hands were.

It must be an absurd dream he had because of how nervous he was, but recalling it again
makes him unable to focus on the training. When he realizes that his momentum is slower
than the others around him, he swings his arms faster, only to have the pole slip from his
hands and hit him on the head.

“Ow!” He loses his balance and falls to the ground with his pole.

When he lifts his head, everybody is staring down at him. His cheeks burn in shame for
making such a stupid mistake in front of everybody. Turns out, handling a pole is not as easy
as handling a sword, or maybe he should blame the absurd dream he had last night.

“How long are you going to stay on the ground?” Lan Wangji asks, snapping everybody’s
attention back to the commander. “Stand up. Don’t waste our time.”

“Sorry.” He quickly stands back on his feet and holds his pole again.

The training goes on until the afternoon and until they feel hungry again. Wei Wuxian didn’t
expect the practice to be so tiring just on the first day. He was so confident when he came
here, but things don’t seem to be as easy as he expected. He has always thought of himself as
a strong man, but now he realizes that he was merely comparing himself to the villagers who
are mostly older people and little kids.

“My arms feel sore.” Nie Huaisang whines when they finally get to eat their lunch at the side
of the field. “I don’t have any background and knowledge of martial arts. This will be very
hard for me.”

“I think most of us don’t have it. The training is going to be tough for everybody.” Song Lan
says thoughtfully.
“You don’t look tired at all though.” Wei Wuxian says to Song Lan.

“This is the time for you to eat, not to chat with each other.”

Wei Wuxian looks up to see Lan Wangji looking at him with a face of disapproval. He
quickly shuts his mouth and drops his gaze to the food on his plate, pretending that he’s not
the one talking. When Lan Wangji walks away a moment later, he lifts his head and looks at
the commander again.

“What a stuck-up. Are soldiers not allowed to talk and joke around with comrades?” Song
Lan scoffs once Lan Wangji has walked far enough.

“He’s really strict, but I think that’s how the military is.” Jin Zixuan says.

“He’s strict, but he’s very good looking.” Wei Wuxian mumbles, eyes still stuck on the
commander’s back.

“What?” Song Lan whips his head so fast that his hair nearly smacks Jin Zixuan’s in the
face.

“What?” Wei Wuxian asks back as if there’s nothing wrong with what he said. Lan Wangji is
handsome, it’s a fact. Even if none of them wants to admit it, he knows everybody here is
thinking the same.

“What does his face have anything to do with what we’re talking about?”

“Uh… I just think he’s good-looking. Don’t you guys think so?”
The three of them give him a weird look and he is starting to feel awkward until Nie
Huaisang speaks up.

“He does have a handsome face even though he doesn’t show a lot of facial expressions.”
The beta says with a thoughtful nod.

“I don’t really pay attention, but I guess he is good looking indeed.” Jin Zixuan nods in
agreement.

“Right?” Wei Wuxian huffs out a small laugh and turns his head to Song Lan who is giving
him a look.

“I can’t believe you actually take your time looking at his face.” Song Lan shakes his head
lightly, but Wei Wuxian notices the slight teasing tone his friend is using. Song Lan knows
he’s an omega, so Song Lan also knows why he can’t help but to pay attention to Lan
Wangji's face.

“Shut up.” He huffs at Song Lan and proceeds to finish his lunch.

When Lan Wangji calls out for the men to gather, he puts his plate aside and drinks some
water before standing on the field again.

It’s been a few days since they arrived, but every day still feels exhausting. Most of the men
immediately go to bed as soon as they’re dismissed, too exhausted to do anything else. They
need to wake up early every morning, so they choose to sleep as soon as possible.
Wei Wuxian, however, can’t seem to fall asleep. He keeps tossing and turning on his bed, yet
he still can’t fall asleep even though he’s also exhausted. There’s a lot of things running
through his mind, especially regarding his father.

His father can be an obstinate alpha at times and there’s a possibility that his father would
come all the way here to take him home. He hopes his father won’t do that. His effort will be
in vain if his father still registers himself into the military. Maybe he should have left a letter
on the table before he left the house that night.

After another few minutes, he decides to get up and get some fresh air outside. Maybe it can
calm his mind and help him to fall asleep later. With quiet movements, he tip-toes his way
out of the tent. The air feels chilly tonight, most likely because they’re near the hills and the
autumn season is arriving.

Too lazy to get his mantle inside the tent, he decides to walk around without it, knowing that
he can still handle the temperature. He walks to the middle of the field and looks up to the
sky, seeing the stars twinkling above his head. It’s beautiful, just like the night sky he sees
from his village.

He wonders what his father is doing right now. He hopes his father is eating properly and
drinking enough water every day. He hopes his father is asleep right now since it’s already
late at night. He hopes his father isn’t too mad about this, getting too angry might be bad for
his health.

Growing up, he has never strayed far from home or from his father. It’s always been the two
of them ever since his mother passed away. His father has always been by his side, in every
step of his life, since he was a child until he’s all grown up. This is probably the first time he
doesn’t have his father by his side.

He’s no longer a child. He thought he’d be fine coming here alone, but this place is so
different from his home. He misses his father, he misses his home and his little village. He
doesn’t even know if he will be able to return home or if he will be able to see his father
again.
Tears slowly gather in his eyes at the thought of his father. He always tells his father that he’s
no longer a child, yet here he is crying by himself because his father isn’t here. Now he
knows why his father always sees him as a little kid.

“Can’t sleep?”

Wei Wuxian jumps at the call and whips his head to see Lan Wangji approaching him from
behind. The commander is already wearing his tunic shirt with a mantle over it, prepared for
bed. He quickly turns his face away to wipe any trace of tears, but Lan Wangji must have
seen them already.

“Is there something wrong?” The alpha walks closer to him.

“Nothing.” Wei Wuxian says even though he’s obviously wiping his tears.

How embarrassing of him to cry like a child. Everybody came here for a reason, including
him, and there’s no time to cry about this when they have to protect their home. He has made
up his mind to come here and take his father’s place, so he’s not supposed to cry over this.

Instead of scolding or mocking him, Lan Wangji only gazes quietly at him. Wei Wuxian can
feel the commander’s eyes on him and it makes him feel so vulnerable. This is probably the
first time he cries in front of someone he just met. He’s not exactly a crybaby and he has
learned how to control his emotions, but he can’t seem to do so tonight.

“Are you thinking about your home?” Lan Wangji’s voice is so gentle when he asks the
question.

Wei Wuxian sniffles and nods lightly. “I miss my father.”

“You seem very close with your father.”

“It’s always been the two of us. I’ve never strayed far from him, so this is the first time he’s
not with me.” Wei Wuxian nods again.

“I see.” Lan Wangji hums, but there’s no mockery in his eyes nor his voice. “It’s rare to see a
parent who’s so protective of their alpha child.”

Wei Wuxian freezes momentarily. It’s not common for parents to be so protective of their
alpha children. Alphas were taught to be independent since they were kids in order to let
them grow into the leaders they’re supposed to be. Chaining an alpha child down means
taking away their potential.

Omegas are different. Omegas children are like delicate little flowers that they will protect
with everything they have. There are even some families who don’t allow their omega
children to leave the house alone until they’re adults. His father isn’t one of those
overprotective parents, but he knows his father is very protective of him because he’s an
omega.

“It’s normal to miss your home and your family. I’m sure everybody here feels the same.”
Lan Wangji speaks again, snapping Wei Wuxian out of his own thoughts.

He slowly turns his head to the alpha who is now gazing at the starry sky above them. Seeing
how strict Lan Wangji is as a commander, he thought Lan Wangji was going to scold him for
shedding tears so easily, but the alpha seems to understand his feelings.

“Are you not mad, Commander Lan?”

“Why would I be mad?” Lan Wangji looks at him, seemingly confused.

“I thought you won’t be happy seeing one of your soldiers crying like this.” Wei Wuxian says
honestly.
“Crying is a normal human response.” The alpha hums quietly. “I’ve been trained in the
military since I was much younger, so I am used to this, but you were just a villager who was
taking care of your father before you came here, so it must not be easy for you.”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t expect Lan Wangji to be so understanding. He thought Lan Wangji was
nothing but a strict commander with a steel heart, but it seems that the alpha actually has a
gentle heart. For some reason, his heart makes a loud thump in his chest and it surprises
himself. Why is his heart beating so fast so suddenly?

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Lan Wangji tilts his head slightly and Wei Wuxian
realizes he has been staring at the alpha’s face for a questioningly long time.

“Oh, um, you can’t sleep, Commander? It’s already late at night.” Wei Wuxian decides to
switch the topic to distract himself.

“I don’t normally sleep at this hour.”

“But you need to wake up really early, right?”

“I don’t need to sleep so many hours in a day.”

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian nods lightly and a silence follows afterwards.

Lan Wangji is gazing quietly at the stars as Wei Wuxian opens and closes his mouth, wanting
to continue the conversation but not knowing what to say. This is the rare moment where he
can be alone with Lan Wangji, so he wants to know more about the alpha not as a
commander, but as a person.

There’s something intriguing about Lan Wangji ever since he laid his eyes on the alpha for
the first time.
“I have a question for you.” Lan Wangji speaks suddenly, catching Wei Wuxian by surprise.

“What is it?”

“I heard that your father registered his own name at first. Why is that?”

“He didn’t want me to join the military. He didn’t want me to go to the war.”

“I understand that part, no fathers are willing to see their son going to the war, but I’m not
really asking about that.” The alpha finally looks at him and Wei Wuxian holds his breath for
a split second when their eyes meet. “How come the army messengers allow your father to
register his own name if he has an alpha son?”

Wei Wuxian can feel his heart sinking. Lan Wangji is smart, of course the commander notices
something off about this. If he’s really an alpha, the messenger would have forced him to
register his name instead of taking his father, an ex-soldier who can’t fight anymore.

“It’s because… I wasn’t there when the messengers arrived, and I heard my father lie by
saying that I’m an omega… or so the villagers said…” He tries to make up a lie.

“I see.” Lan Wangji nods, seemingly believing the story. “Your father is very protective of
you.”

“He is.” He nods lightly, relieved to see that Lan Wangji seems to buy into his made-up story.

“Then don’t disappoint him. Work hard, train hard, and fight hard. I will guide you as a
commander, but you have to work hard yourself. If you believe in yourself, I’m sure you can
be one of the best soldiers we have.” Lan Wangji’s eyes are so strong when they stare at each
other that Wei Wuxian can feel the newfound strength growing inside him.

“I will work hard.” He looks up to Lan Wangji with a determined look on his face.
“That’s the spirit I want to see.” Lan Wangji gives him a look of approval and then turns
around. “I’m going back to my tent now. You shouldn’t stay out here for too long. The night
is cold.”

“I’ll also go back now.” Wei Wuxian trails behind the commander to get back to his tent.

Once he reaches his tent, he turns to Lan Wangji who is making his way to his own tent –
which is actually right next to his tent. As if feeling the eyes on him, Lan Wangji stops right
before he enters his tent and turns over to look at Wei Wuxian.

“Good night, Commander Lan.” Wei Wuxian whispers with a small smile curling on his lips.

Lan Wangji stares at him for a few seconds before replying. “Good night, Wei Wuxian.”

Still with a smile on his face, Wei Wuxian enters his tent and lies on his bed. Even though the
night is cold, his cheeks feel a little warm.

On the northern hills far away from the soldiers training camp, there’s a man sitting on top of
the hill while looking at the cities far ahead of him, eyes piercing like the sharpest blades.

A screech can be heard from the sky. Wen Ruohan looks up to see his eagle soaring above
before flying down to land on his shoulder.
“What news do you have right now?”

The eagle lets out a squawk, but he can seem to understand her perfectly.

“They’re recruiting more men for the army? How useless.” He scoffs mockingly. “They
won’t be able to stop me and my army.”

The eagle squawks again.

“I can’t wait to see the Emperor and make him bow for me. I can’t wait to avenge my father.”
The man smirks before he starts laughing evilly.

“Today, I will set you up in pairs to spar with each other.” Lan Wangji says on the seventh
day of training.

“Finally, sparring. I’ve been waiting for this.” Song Lan smiles at the news. For an alpha like
him, nothing excites him more than a match to prove one’s strength.

“Do we have to fight? I don’t want to get hurt or hurt someone.” Nie Huaisang looks around
nervously as he grips tightly onto the pole in his hands

“It is what it is.” Jin Zixuan mutters quietly.

Wei Wuxian bites onto his bottom lip, not saying anything. It’s been a week since the training
started, but he isn’t that good in handling the pole yet. He’d be more confident if it’s a sword
fight, but a soldier has to know how to use many types of weapons instead of a sword alone.

“The objective of this sparring is for training, not for hurting your comrades. If I see anybody
hurting someone on purpose, I will send you back to your home with shame upon your
family. Are we clear?” Lan Wangji looks at them as he speaks.

“Yes, Commander!”

“Now follow my soldiers’ instructions.” Lan Wangji lets his two soldiers arrange the pair.

Wei Wuxian is hoping to be paired up with Song Lan, but his friend is paired with Jin Zixuan
instead. Meanwhile, Nie Huaisang is paired up with another beta. He looks around cluelessly
as everybody starts moving to their assigned spots. Almost all of them are paired up with
someone else already, he can’t find any man without a pair. Well, they’re odd in numbers
anyway, so there must be someone who will end up not having a pair.

“You will pair up with me.”

He turns around and looks at Lan Wanji with wide eyes. Oh no, he will be on the ground in
no time if he's faced with Lan Wangji. He doesn’t even have to spar with Lan Wangji to know
how strong the alpha is.

“Is there a problem?” Lan Wangji asks when he receives no answer.

“…No, Commander.”

“Alphas are not supposed to look that intimidated. The enemy is going to chew you when
they sense your fear.” Lan Wangji takes his stance and holds his pole up. “Get ready.”
Wei Wuxian puffs his chest with an intake of breath and takes his stance too. He knows he
most probably can’t win, but he’s going to show his best moves and impress the alpha at
least.

Lan Wangji is the first one to make the move. He strikes his pole hard, so hard that Wei
Wuxian ends up losing his balance after blocking it with his own pole. He falls onto the
ground with Lan Wangji staring dumbfoundedly at him. He looks up to the alpha with wide
eyes, not expecting such a strong strike.

Is this how strong alphas are? Are all alphas able to unleash such strength? Is it possible for
him to possess that same amount of strength too?

If the opponent he’s facing in the battlefield possesses such strength, he doesn’t know how to
win the fight. He doesn’t even know if he can stay alive.

“Was that hit too strong for you?” Lan Wangji furrows his brows when the younger stays on
the ground instead of standing up immediately.

“No, I was just surprised.” Wei Wuxian quickly gets up on his feet and takes a stance. He
shouldn’t get distracted now. Lan Wangji is strong because he’s a trained soldier, so it’s
normal for the alpha to strike like that. He just has to be prepared for the next one.

“You seem fit and sturdy, I thought you’d be able to take that strike.” Lan Wangji takes his
stance again. “You go first this time.”

Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath and swings his pole, but Lan Wangji blocks it easily. The
sparring only lasts for another few seconds before Lan Wangji gives another strike that sends
him to the ground again. Lan Wangji stares down at him with a look of disappointment in his
face and it makes Wei Wuxian feel ashamed of himself too.

He was too confident. He thought he’s on the same level as alphas just because he knows
how to wield a sword. In reality, he can’t go against a real alpha.
“I’ll switch your partner.” Lan Wangji mutters quickly and then looks at one of the alphas in
the field. “Song Zichen.”

Song Lan pauses his sparring with Jin Zixuan and turns his head to the commander. “Yes,
Commander?”

“Switch with Wei Wuxian.” Lan Wangji gestures his hand at Wei Wuxian who is still sitting
on the ground.

Song Lan nods and walks over to them. He helps Wei Wuxian to stand up and then pats his
shoulder. “Come on.”

“Thanks.” He whispers to Song Lan and gives a last glance at Lan Wangji before walking to
Jin Zixuan.

“Are you alright?” Jin Zixuan asks him.

“Yeah, just surprised.” Wei Wuxian sighs softly. “The commander is really strong.”

“Song Lan seems to keep up well with him though.” Jin Zixuan says.

Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder to look at Lan Wangji and Song Lan. True to what Jin
Zixuan said, the match is much more balanced with two alphas, so different from how it went
with him earlier.

“Song Lan is really good.” Wei Wuxian mutters softly, feeling a little jealous of his childhood
friend.

“You two, stop chatting and do your training!” A soldier warns them from afar.
“Let’s go.” Jin Zixuan seems like he doesn’t want to do this, but he still takes his stance.

“Here I go.” Wei Wuxian says before making the first move.

Jin Zixuan has good strikes, but they’re not as strong as Lan Wangji’s, so he can still block
them pretty well.

“You’re pretty good.” Jin Zixuan says as he blocks a strike.

“You too.” Wei Wuxian replies.

When Jin Zixuan gives another strike, Wei Wuxian is taken aback by the sudden strength. He
manages to block it, but he loses his balance and falls to the ground again. Jin Zixuan seems
surprised, probably not expecting him to fall from the hit.

“I’m sorry. Are you alright?” Jin Zixuan pulls him up by his hand.

“I’m fine. Thanks.” Wei Wuxian stands up and holds his pole again, but when he glances
over, he can see Lan Wangji staring at him with a frown.

“I guess you’re not very good at balance, are you? I remember you dropped your pole and
fell during the training too.”

“Sort of.” Wei Wuxian smiles wryly.

When they get back into the match, he can feel that Jin Zixuan is holding his strength back. It
makes him feel ashamed of himself to have Jin Zixuan going easy on him. As much as he
doesn’t want Jin Zixuan to hold back, he knows he might fall again if the alpha uses his
whole strength to strike him.
After the sparring ends, they line up on the field again with the commander.

“I’ve watched your training today and some of you are showing great improvements, but
some of you are very disappointing.”

Wei Wuxian can feel Lan Wangji’s eyes on him when the alpha talks about his
disappointment, so he drops his gaze to the ground to avoid meeting Lan Wangji’s gaze.

“Tomorrow, we will start practicing archery skills, so be prepared for that.” The commander
says. “You can take a short break now. Come back here in half an hour.”

The guys start walking back to their tents. Some are heading towards the river to wash their
faces or take a quick rinse. Wei Wuxian walks towards his tent with the others before the
commander stops him with a call.

“Except you, Wei Wuxian.”

He halts his step and looks at the alpha.

“Come here.” Lan Wangji cocks his head before turning around, expecting the younger to
follow him.

Wei Wuxian looks around at the men who are glancing towards him and then follows behind
the commander. Lan Wangji takes him to the spot behind his tent where some logs and
weapons are kept. Lan Wangji grabs a wooden table from the corner and puts it in the middle.
Wei Wuxian watches the alpha quietly, trying to figure out what the commander is doing.

Lan Wangji bends slightly and places his elbow on the table before looking up to the young
soldier. “Come.”
Wei Wuxian gulps, but still steps forward and stands in front of the alpha. He places his right
elbow on the table and grabs Lan Wangji’s hand tightly for an arm wrestling. Lan Wangji’s
hand is bigger than his own. It’s rough and calloused, but it’s unexpectedly warm. He
pretends that his heart doesn’t skip a beat when Lan Wangji squeezes his hand.

“Show me your strength.”

“…Now?”

“Don’t waste my time.” The commander says curtly.

With a short intake of breath, Wei Wuxian musters his whole strength to push Lan Wangji’s
hand down, but the alpha doesn’t budge at all. He can feel Lan Wangji’s grip tightening
around his hand, but the alpha is not moving an inch. It feels like he’s trying to bend a steel
bar, impossible.

He looks at Lan Wangji, seeing the alpha staring back at him with sharp eyes. He flicks his
gaze away and grits his teeth, trying to put more strength. Still, Lan Wangji doesn’t budge at
all. Lan Wangji doesn’t even look like he’s putting any strength. The expression on his face
doesn’t change at all.

After a few seconds, Lan Wangji begins pushing back. Wei Wuxian tries to hold his position,
but he can’t go against the alpha no matter how much strength he’s putting in. In a matter of
seconds, Lan Wangji is already pinning his hand down against the other side of the wooden
table.

When Lan Wangji releases his hand, he massages his wrist with his left hand, feeling it
getting sore at how hard Lan Wangji was gripping earlier.

“You have no strength at all.” Lan Wangji comments. “Where is the strength you’re supposed
to have?”
Wei Wuxian can’t answer the question. When he was younger, he was told that alphas, betas,
are omegas have different roles in lives, which is why they’re born with different traits.
Omegas are naturally submissive and weaker. It’s how their bodies are built, it’s how they’re
born.

He never wanted to believe it. He thought people were exaggerating when they said that
alphas are strong and omegas are weak. He thought people were saying that because of the
stereotypes. He used to think that without heat cycles, omegas could be as strong as betas or
alphas.

“You should apologize to your father for embarrassing him.” Lan Wangji mutters coldly and
then walks away to leave him alone.

There’s a lump building in his throat, so he quickly tilts his head up and takes a deep breath,
not wanting to cry. How pathetic would it be if he cries just because the commander is telling
the truth? His father isn’t here to wipe his tears, no one is here to wipe his tears.

When he returns to the tent, his three friends are sitting on the ground and brewing the tea
leaves Nie Huaisang brought from his village. They look so relaxed and Wei Wuxian wishes
he can be just as calm as them.

“Come have some tea. Grab your cup.” Nie Huaisang beckons a hand to him. “What did you
talk about with the commander?”

“Just about my lack of skills.” Wei Wuxian sighs and sits down after grabbing an empty cup
for himself.

“You’re not lacking. You have good moves. I saw that.” Jin Zixuan hums.

“Yes, yes, your moves and posture are good. I agree.” Nie Huaisang nods in agreement.
“Don’t feel disheartened. He hasn’t seen your swordsmanship yet.” Song Lan pats his back
comfortingly.

“Thanks, guys.” Wei Wuxian smiles appreciatively at his friends. “But I need to practice
more and build more strength.”

Song Lan gives him a look, but his friend doesn’t say anything else. The four of them enjoy
the hot tea for a moment before it is cut short by the sound of bell tolling, signaling them to
gather in the field once again for more training.

When the night falls, the troops have dinner together before they get into the tent to rest for
the night. Wei Wuxian excuses himself from his tent mates who are chatting with each other
before walking out of the tent. The night is chilly, but it’s not colder than last week.

He walks to the field and looks up to the sky, seeing the moon and the stars above him. With
a new determination, he walks towards the post to grab a wooden pole and then makes his
way back to the middle of the field. There are faint murmuring noises from the tents around
him, mostly the guys who are chatting with each other in their tents, but he doesn’t let the
noise disturb his focus.

He starts moving on his own, remembering the moves they’re taught during training. It’s
already dark, but the torches around the camp are enough for his vision. Since he got knocked
down easily, he tries to focus on his legs to keep his balance. If it’s real war, he would have
lost his life by the moment an enemy knocked him to the ground.

“Did you not train enough?”

He halts his moves and turns around to look at Song Lan who is walking towards him.

“You saw it yourself. I’m not good enough.”

“You’re an omega.” Song Lan points out as if Wei Wuxian doesn’t know about that.
“I can’t just give up because of that. I have to break the limits.”

“Why are you so obsessed?”

“I’m not obsessed.”

“You are.” Song Lan looks at him from head to toe. “It’s like you’re trying to impress the
commander.”

“Well… what’s wrong with that? He’s our commander.” He shrugs lightly.

“What are you trying to impress him for? It’s not like you’re going to join the military for
real after the war ends.” Song Lan furrows his brows. “The closer you get to him, the more
he might discover your real identity. I’ve noticed that he’s a very observant man.”

“He’s not going to find out.” Wei Wuxian says and then starts swinging the pole again.

“…You like him.” Song Lan isn’t making an assumption, he is making a statement.

Wei Wuxian nearly hits his own head with the pole again. He halts his movement and then
whirls around to look at his friend. “What?”

“You like him, that’s why you’re trying to impress him.”

“It doesn’t make sense. I don’t like him in that sense you’re talking about.” He turns away so
that Song Lan won’t be able to see his face because he also doesn’t know what kind of
expression he is making right now. “You must be thinking that way because he’s an alpha and
I’m an omega.”
“He’s not the only alpha in this training camp. In fact, most of the men here are alphas, but
you only see him.” Song Lan says as a matter of fact. “Other people don’t notice it because
they think you’re an alpha, but I notice your attraction towards him.”

“I don’t like him.” He hisses and shoots a glare at Song Lan.

“The more you deny it, the more obvious it becomes.” Song Lan deadpans.

“Song Lan, if you don’t stop, I’m going to smack you with this–”

“What are you doing?”

They both turn their heads to see the commander walking over to them. Lan Wangji looks
between them, eyes staring a little longer on the pole in Wei Wuxian’s hand. “What is
happening here?”

“Nothing, Commander.” Song Lan takes a step back. “Just having a chat with Wei Wuxian.”

Lan Wangji looks at Song Lan and then glances at Wei Wuxian. “And what are you doing?”

“I’m practicing.” Wei Wuxian answers simply.

“It’s time to rest. Put that down and go back to your tent.”

“Good night, Commander Lan.” Song Lan says before walking away, but Wei Wuxian stays
on his spot.
“Why can’t I practice on my own?” Wei Wuxian asks.

“It’s night time, it’s time to rest. If you want to practice, you can do it tomorrow.”

“I’m not sleepy yet, so I want to train a little bit more.”

“There’s a reason why we give you time to rest and why you should follow it. Fatigue can
cause a lot of troubles during the training and you might injure yourself. I don’t want to see
any soldier who faint in the middle of the training because they think they’re so tough.” Lan
Wangji narrows his eyes. “Put that pole down and return to your tent.”

Wei Wuxian gives the commander an annoyed glare before doing as he’s told. After putting
the pole back to its post, he heads back to his own tent. He was hoping to train more in order
to catch up with the others, but Lan Wangji doesn’t even let him do so. He doesn’t understand
how the commander expects him to be better if he doesn’t let him train on his own.

“If you want to practice that much,” Lan Wangji says suddenly, halting his steps. “It’s better
to do it in the early morning. I wake up early every morning, so I can keep an eye on you.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes light up at the words. He turns over his shoulder and sees the commander
looking back at him. It’s hard to read Lan Wangji’s facial expression sometimes, but those
eyes tell him that the alpha puts his trust in him, and Wei Wuxian takes pride in that.

“Thank you, Commander Lan.” He grins from ear to ear before making his way to the tent.

No, he doesn’t like Lan Wangji in that sense at all. The reason why he is grinning is because
the commander trusts him enough to help him train in the morning. The reason why his
cheeks feel warm is because he was practicing just a moment ago. The reason why there are
butterflies in his stomach is because he’s happy to be acknowledged.

That’s all it is.

“In some battle strategies, long-ranged combat is very important.” Lan Wangji starts the
training after each of them have gotten a set of bow and arrows in their hands.

“Most people think bows and arrows are not a very strong choice of weapon, but you can
save your comrade or kill an enemy with a single arrow.” Lan Wangji turns around to the
wooden targets that are set up for today’s training. He holds his bow in front of his chest and
pulls the arrow back, making his aim at the target.

From the side of the field, a soldier throws an apple across the set up targets. Lan Wangji
releases his arrow in a perfect timing, piercing through the apple and sending his arrow to hit
the target in front of him with the apple still stuck in the middle of the arrow shaft.

Wei Wuxian can’t help but to drop his mouth open in awe while the others let out a collective
gasp. Such amazing control and accuracy.

“Archery needs a strong focus. You can be in the middle of a battlefield with screams and fire
around you, but it should not affect your focus when shooting your arrow. Most of the time,
we shoot arrows while sitting on top of a horse, so keep that in mind too.” Lan Wangji walks
to the target he just hits and removes the arrow to take the apple.

Wei Wuxian has never tried archery before since his father didn’t have any bows and arrows
at home, so he’s excited to try it out. Maybe it won’t be as hard as he thought.

“Each of you will get ten arrows. Stand in lines and shoot your arrows at the standing target. I
want to see your skill.” The commander says before walking away to observe the training.
The man who really stands out in archery training is Jin Zixuan. Each of them gets ten arrows
to shoot and Jin Zixuan hits the target ten times, one arrow even hits the bullseye. Lan Wangji
looks visibly impressed and the other guys also give him a look of amazement, including Wei
Wuxian.

“I didn’t know you’re good at this.” Wei Wuxian says when Jin Zixuan turns around to
switch turns with him.

“I go hunting sometimes.” Jin Zixuan mutters as he walks past him.

It’s his turn now. He steps forward and holds the bow in front of him, recalling the way Lan
Wangji did it earlier. He takes the first arrow and pulls it back, eyes staring at the bullseye of
his target.

He releases the arrow with an exhale. It flies forward, but then falls to the ground before it
can even reach the target. He blinks at the sight before shooting the second arrow, but he
misses the target this time. He shoots the third arrow next and again, the arrow falls to the
ground before even reaching the target.

Now, he is starting to get pissed off. He grabs the fourth arrow and shoots, only to miss again.
Five, four, six, and soon after, he already shoots his ten arrows, yet none of them hits the
target.

He stares dumbfoundedly at the clean target before a soldier tells him to switch. He drops his
head in shame, feeling Lan Wangji’s gaze on him as he walks away.

“I hit the target three times.” Nie Huaisang says cheerily when they have their lunch.

“He hit it ten times.” Song Lan points his thumb at Jin Zixuan who is eating quietly.
Wei Wuxian can’t even say anything. It’s been a while since he felt so disappointed in
himself. He wonders why he can’t seem to do anything right here. He’s always praised by the
villagers and it must have made his head grow big. Maybe that’s why he was being so
overconfident when he came here.

His father would be disappointed if he’s watching.

“Don’t look so upset. It’s your first time holding a bow and arrow, right?” Song Lan pats his
back, trying to cheer him up.

“There’s always something that each person is not good at.” Nie Huaisang nods lightly. “I’m
sure you’ll do better in no time.”

“It also took a while for me to be able to shoot arrows properly. It doesn’t happen instantly.”
Jin Zixuan says encouragingly.

“Thanks, guys.” Wei Wuxian smiles at his friends. Despite everything, he’s glad he has made
some good friends here.

When they get back to the training ground in the afternoon, he picks up his bow and arrows
again. This time, he manages to hit the target once out of ten arrows. It’s still not anywhere
near good, but it’s an improvement at least.

He can hear some men snickering at him. He tries not to let them bother him, but he can’t
seem to ignore Lan Wangji’s sharp eyes that are directed to him. He knows Lan Wangji
thinks of him as one of the weakest men and he wants to change the commander’s mind, but
being watched like this gives him pressure.

He pulls his arrow a little too far that when he releases it, the tip of the arrow grazes his index
finger.

“Shit.” He hisses silently and looks at his finger that’s starting to bleed.
“Oh no.” Nie Huaisang gasps when he sees the blood.

“I’m fine.” Wei Wuxian says to his friend before taking his finger to his mouth to lick the
wound. He glances at the commander and sees Lan Wangji frowning at him. He quickly
flicks his eyes away to avoid the gaze and then heads to the medic tent to find some bandage
for his finger.

“Is he really an alpha? That’s pathetic.”

He whips his head when he hears the whisper. There’s a group of men snickering at him,
mocking him for his lack of skills. He grits his teeth, but decides not to start a fight and
continues his way to the tent.

By the end of the day, he still can’t hit the target properly, especially since his finger is
starting to sting from the wound.

It’s early in the morning when he steps out of his tent. The sun hasn’t risen yet, but it’s a
perfect time to start the day. He wasn’t an early bird when he first arrived here, but now
waking up early isn’t much of a problem for him anymore. His father will at least be proud if
he knows about this.

He drags one of the standing targets to the middle of the field before grabbing a bow and
some arrows from the post. Lan Wangji told him not to train at night since it’s their resting
time, but the alpha told him it’s okay to do it early in the morning, so it should be fine.
Taking a deep breath, he pulls the first arrow and shoots, but it misses the target. He shoots
the second arrow afterwards, but it also misses. How annoying. He did pretty well at the end
of the day yesterday, but now he’s back to square one.

Sighing in frustration after missing another shoot, he turns around to grab some new arrows.

“You’re emotional.”

He nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees Lan Wangji who seems to have been standing
behind him for a while. He must be too focused on his practice to notice the alpha’s presence.

“G-Good morning, Commander Lan.” He stutters with his greeting.

“When you miss your target, you get frustrated and angry, and then you start shooting
recklessly hoping that one of them will hit the target. It doesn’t work that way.” Lan Wangji
steps closer to him.

“I set my eyes on the target and I aim it nicely, but it always misses.” Wei Wuxian turns his
head to look at the standing target.

“You need a strong focus and a calm mind.”

“I am focused and calm.”

“No, you’re tense and angry.” Lan Wangji hums. “Pick up another arrow.”

Wei Wuxian does as he’s told. He is about to pull it against his bow when Lan Wangji
suddenly presses behind him, the alpha’s chest pressing against his back. His heart makes a
loud thump in his chest and for a second, his mind turns completely blank.
“Hold it up like this.” Lan Wangji reaches his left hand forward to hold Wei Wuxian’s hand
that’s gripping the bow, helping the younger with his posture.

Wei Wuxian thinks he can hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. His heart is beating so
hard in his chest right now, like it’s about to pop.

“Then pull the arrow like this.” Lan Wangji uses his right hand to hold Wei Wuxian’s other
hand and helps him to aim. “Make sure to keep your eyes on the center of the target,
always.”

Wei Wuxian is keeping his eyes on that center spot, but he can’t seem to focus with Lan
Wangji being so close to him. He can feel Lan Wangji’s chest moving as the alpha breathes,
can feel the warmth of Lan Wangji’s body pressing against his own, and can feel Lan
Wangji’s strong hands holding him up. Oh God, his cheeks are even starting to get hot.

“Do you breathe when you shoot?” Lan Wangji’s voice comes out like a whisper in his ear
and it sends a tingling feeling down his spine. If the commander isn’t holding his hands right
now, they will be trembling.

“Yes.” His voice cracks a little.

“Try not to.” Lan Wangji husks again. “Inhale through your nose and then release the arrow a
second after you hold your breath.”

Despite having his heart galloping like horses, Wei Wuxian follows the commander’s words.
He takes a breath and then holds it in before releasing the arrow. The arrow flies forward and
this time, it hits the target precisely. It doesn’t hit the bullseye, but it’s the closest he can get
to the center.

“I did it!” He smiles victoriously and turns his head to look at the alpha.
Lan Wangji’s face is so close, much closer than what he’s expecting. His breathing stops
completely when he sees his reflection inside Lan Wangji’s eyes. He always thought that Lan
Wangji’s eyes are somewhat brown, but now he notices that they’re lighter in color, almost
golden. Lan Wangji’s eyes are truly beautiful, like a pair of gems, and the alpha has such a
gorgeous face too.

He wonders if Lan Wangji already has a wife. The commander never talks about his personal
life, but it won’t be surprising if he already has a wife and children waiting for him at home.
The image of Lan Wangji having his own family makes Wei Wuxian a little upset for some
reason. How weird, Lan Wangji’s personal life has nothing to do with him at all, so he
shouldn’t get affected by his own thoughts.

“Now try to do it yourself.” Lan Wangji’s voice snaps him out of his trance and Wei Wuxian
pretends that he doesn’t feel disappointed when the alpha pulls away.

The commander steps aside after that to watch him shooting the arrows on his own. After his
heart rate calms down slightly, he picks another arrow and aims at the target. His arrow hits
the target again, which is amazing for him since this is his first time hitting a target two times
in a row. It proves that it is more than just luck or coincidence.

“I did it again!” He says to Lan Wangji, his eyes twinkling happily like a child.

“You did it again.” Lan Wangji hums, seemingly pleased at the result. “Now put your bow
down for a moment and come with me.”

“Wait, I need to remove the arrows from the target.”

“I’ll take care of them later. Come with me for now.”

Lan Wangji takes him to the medic tent. The alpha tells him to sit down before asking him to
show the finger that he injured during yesterday’s training. It still stings a little, but it’s a
wound that will heal in a few days.
“This is what you get for being reckless.” Lan Wangji says as he removes the messy bandage
around the finger.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t say anything to argue with it because Lan Wangji is right, he got this
wound from being reckless. He stays put as Lan Wangji treats his wound, hissing softly when
the alpha pats the wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. Despite how strict and heartless
Lan Wangji seemed at first, the commander actually cares about his men and he is
surprisingly very gentle.

Right now, Lan Wangji is so attentive as he tends his wound. He rubs the healing ointment
over the wound before bandaging it carefully. It makes Wei Wuxian feel shy to get so much
attention from the commander, but it makes him feel happy. He can feel his heart pounding in
his chest the whole time, sending the blood coursing through his veins.

After wrapping the bandage around his finger, Lan Wangji doesn’t release his hand
immediately. It’s odd how the alpha is only touching his hand, but he can feel the tingling
feeling running through his whole body. It’s not the first time someone touches him, not even
the first time an alpha touches him. Song Lan likes to throw his arm around his shoulders and
Jin Zixuan likes to pat him on the shoulder, but their touches don’t feel like Lan Wangji’s
touch at all.

Lan Wangji is strong, but his touch can be unexpectedly gentle, and he really likes it when
Lan Wangji is being gentle. He notices how Lan Wangji’s eyes can be so tender sometimes
and it gives a fluttering feeling in his stomach.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji calls out suddenly and Wei Wuxian swears his heart almost leaps
out of his throat.

“Yes?” He blinks rapidly, surprised to hear the commander calling him by his given name.
It’s so silly to see how much he’s overreacting when Lan Wangji doesn’t do anything other
than calling his name.

“That’s how your friend calls you.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s my given name.” Wei Wuxian says when he realizes that Lan Wangji must be
talking about Song Lan.

“I see.”

There’s a beat of silence before Wei Wuxian decides to ask. “May I know your given name
too, Commander Lan?”

“Lan Zhan.” The alpha answers shortly.

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian repeats the name and then smiles giddily. “I like it. Lan Zhan.”

When Lan Wangji gives him a look, he quickly presses his lips and drops his gaze. He’s a
soldier in training and Lan Wangji is his commander. He shall never call the commander by
his given name under any circumstances; it’s rude and disrespectful.

“The training will start soon. Go prepare yourself and wake your friends up if they’re not
awake yet.” Lan Wangji says as he pulls away.

Wei Wuxian quickly stands up and gives a bow. “Thank you, Commander Lan.”

Lan Wangji watches as Wei Wuxian leaves the tent before he rubs his nose with his hand. Just
now, he smells something sweet, like the scent of a ripened fruit or something. For a second,
he almost thought that it’s the smell of an omega’s pheromone, but it’s impossible since there
shouldn’t be any omegas around here. This training camp is located far from any village and
no omegas are allowed to enter.

Shaking his head, he changes his clothes and puts his gears on before leaving his tent. Some
of the men have lined up in the field and he can see Wei Wuxian standing among them.
There’s something odd about the young alpha, something he can’t really put his finger on.
Lan Wangji has met many kinds of alphas in his life, those who are in the military and those
who are living in small villages, both male and female alphas.
 While all alphas tend to have similar traits, each of them are their own person with different
personalities and characteristics. Still, he can sense it whether someone is an alpha or not
after spending some time observing them. He can sense an alpha even if the other person
doesn’t look like an alpha at all, because being an alpha is not about their physical
appearance alone.

Yet he can’t seem to sense any alpha from Wei Wuxian. It’s not that Wei Wuxian is behaving
like an omega or something, but the young man seems very different from all the alphas he
has ever met. Then again, it’s not like Lan Wangji has met every single alpha in this world, so
maybe Wei Wuxian is just a different type of alpha.

Maybe Wei Wuxian is just a little unique.

Chapter End Notes

lwj is starting to sense something hmmmmm 🫢

anyway some of you have tried to guess who i am, but i'm sorry to tell you that i've

😭
never posted this au on twitter or mentioned about it, so i'm not who you think i am😭
😳
😳 but there's one person who guessed it right and sent me a dm in twitter so yeah
 Chapter 3
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Wei Wuxian thinks that his archery skill is actually improving.

It doesn’t happen in one day, but over the next few days, his improvement in archery is
obvious. He can now hit the target properly, thanks to Lan Wangji’s personal training. It’s
nowhere as skillful as the commander yet, but Wei Wuxian is sure he will get there someday
if he continues to train.

He wakes up early in the morning before everybody else and most of the time, Lan Wangji is
already in the field waiting for him. He grabs his bow and arrows to practice while the alpha
watches him. Sometimes, Lan Wangji will do nothing other than watching quietly, but
sometimes, the commander will interfere if he’s moving in the wrong way. Sometimes, Lan
Wangji will touch his shoulder or his waist to adjust his stance and Wei Wuxian always tries
not to let it affect him.

Whenever Lan Wangji presses his body close, he can feel how sturdy the alpha is. Lan
Wangji have big and strong hands; they can hold him steady and keep him in place. He thinks
Lan Wangji can manhandle him easily if the alpha wants to. Sometimes, his mind ends up
wandering to the possibility of Lan Wangji using his hands to hold him down.

He gets distracted every time Lan Wangji gets too close to him, but the commander always
manages to snap him out of his trance and tells him to focus. Despite the fact that the special
training might not be good for his heart, it actually helps him to improve his skills.

It’s not only archery. Lan Wangji also teaches him how to keep his balance during a fight,
how to dodge a strike, what to pay attention to during a battle, and everything else he needs
to know on a battlefield. Wei Wuxian learns that Lan Wangji’s father used to be a general in
the imperial army before, which is why the alpha entered the military at a young age to
follow in his father’s footsteps.

Sometimes, they share little talks in the morning and Wei Wuxian is happy to know that he’s
probably the only person in the training camp who knows a bit about Lan Wangji’s personal
life. He knows Lan Wangji’s parents had passed away long ago and that he was raised by his
uncle, together with his older brother who’s an omega. In return, Wei Wuxian told him about
his father who used to be a commander during the previous war and his mother who passed
away when he was a child.

Aside from his relationship progress with the commander, Wei Wuxian also notices that his
body is getting used to the training. He doesn’t feel very exhausted during the morning run
and his legs no longer give out after running. He used to wake up every morning feeling sore
all over from the intense training, but now, he wakes up every morning with full energy. It
may have something to do with the fact that he’s seeing Lan Wangji in the morning, but he’ll
put that aside.

He’s not the only one who’s improving though. He notices that Jin Zixuan and Song Lan are
also showing a significant improvement, so much that Lan Wangji seems impressed by them.
It motivates him to do better just so he can have the commander getting impressed by him
too. He wants to be the one Lan Wangji pays the most attention to.

Aside from training with weapons, Lan Wangji also makes them train their strength and
endurance with various tasks. On some mornings, they’re told to stay in a battle-ready stance
while holding a weapon in their hands. On some mornings, they need to take a hike to the
hills while carrying some weights with them.

The commander says that being a soldier is not only about having the skills to wield a
weapon, it’s so much more than that. It’s about courage, endurance, and loyalty. There’s even
one training where they have to stand at the edge of the cliff while holding a bamboo staff in
their hands for balance. Of course, they’re not standing close enough to actually fall off the
cliff, but the fear is evident for those who are scared of heights.

Lan Wangji tends to push them past the limits they thought they had. It’s a strict way, but it
works because Wei Wuxian can also feel himself growing day by day. When he first did it, he
could only hold his stance for thirty minutes, but now he can hold it in one hour without
getting fretting. It’s not only him, all the other guys are also getting much better compared to
the first day of training.

Lan Wangji seems happy with their improvements too. Many times, Wei Wuxian sees the
commander watching the troops with a satisfied look on his face. Sometimes, Lan Wangji
also gives him a look of acknowledgement when he manages to do something impressive and
it makes him feel happy. The commander’s approval is something he takes pride in.

“You’re good with swords, aren’t you?”

Wei Wuxian stops swinging the pole in his hand and looks at Lan Wangji who has been
watching him from the side of the field. It’s early in the morning and there are only the two of
them on the training ground at this hour.

“What makes you think so?” He asks, purely curious. He has never said anything about being
good at swordsmanship before, so he wonders how Lan Wangji figures that out.

“I can see it from the way you wield your sword during practice.” Lan Wangji walks closer to
him. “Your stance, your steps, your moves – they’re pretty skilled.”

Wei Wuxian can’t help but to feel a little pride blooming inside him. “I’ve learned
swordsmanship since I was very young.”

“From your father?”

“He has always loved swordsmanship.” He nods lightly. “Even though can no longer become
a soldier after the war, he never loses his spirit. When I was a kid, I often saw him wielding
his sword early in the morning and I wanted to do that too, so I asked him to teach me.”

“Your father, Commander Wei, is a great warrior. We’ve heard stories about his courage and
loyalty.” Lan Wangji hums.

Wei Wuxian smiles softly, knowing that his father will be proud if he hears this. His father
doesn’t really talk much about his days in the army or about the war he went through, but
Wei Wuxian has heard many stories from the villagers about his father. His father was a brave
and tough soldier, and he admires his father a lot.
It’s been a month since he arrived in the training camp and it’s been a while since the last
time he saw his father. He has no idea how his father is doing right now. The winter will
arrive soon and he’s sure the village is getting much colder these days. He hopes his father
remembers to wear thicker clothes so he won’t get sick. His father is alone in the house now
and he’s not there to take care of him anyway if something happens.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji calls suddenly.

He snaps out of his trance and whips his head to the commander. At that second, he realizes
that his eyes are glossed with tears, so he quickly looks away and laughs it off.

“Ah, the wind is pretty strong today, isn’t it? It blows all the dust into my eyes.” He laughs
lightly and rubs his eyes with a hand. It’s so embarrassing to have Lan Wangji see him cry
again. He’s not a child anymore and he’s not a crybaby.

There’s a beat of silence between them before Lan Wangji asks. “Do you want to write a
letter to your father?”

“I can do that?” Wei Wuxian immediately turns to the commander with hopeful eyes.

“You’re all allowed to write letters to your family at home. You can send a letter to your
father too.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes light up happily at the information. “What if I write a very long letter?
Will you still send it to my father?”

Lan Wangji smiles so softly at the question and Wei Wuxian thinks his heart almost leaps out
of his throat just from seeing that smile.
“Of course, I will still send it to your father. You can write as long as you want.” Lan Wangji
says reassuringly.

Wei Wuxian drops his gaze sheepishly before glancing at the alpha again. Lan Wangji will
most likely send a letter to his brother, but does he have anybody else? So far, Wei Wuxian
has only heard about an older brother and never a wife, but he can’t be so sure of it.

“Are you going to write a letter to your wife too, Commander Lan?” Wei Wuxian decides to
ask.

“I’m not married.” Lan Wangji says.

Wei Wuxian can’t stop himself from smiling, though he’s still curious. “Any lover waiting for
your letter, perhaps?”

“No.” Lan Wangji says quietly before pointing his eyes somewhere. “Put that pole back on
the post. Today’s training will start soon.”

“Yes, Commander.” Wei Wuxian replies as he watches the alpha walking away. Once Lan
Wangji disappears into his tent, he puts the pole back and skips happily to his own tent. It’s
good to know that the commander doesn’t have any lover waiting for him at home.

“Changze! There’s a letter for you!”

Hearing that, Wei Changze hurriedly grabs his cane and makes his way out of the house. The
messenger is standing outside while holding a piece of letter. He has heard some villagers
receiving letters from their children who are training as soldiers, so he has been waiting for a
letter from his own son too.

“Who is it from? Do you know?” He asks as he takes the letter in his hand, his eyes filled
with hope and anticipation.

“I think it’s from your son. I’ll go deliver the other letters now.” The messenger says before
leaving.

“Thank you.” He says to the messenger and walks back into the house with the letter.

After putting his cane aside, he sits down on the floor and opens the letter. His heart is
beating rapidly in his chest as he starts reading.

Dear Father,

I’m sorry for running away from home. I hope you can forgive me. I really didn’t want
you to go to the war.

It’s been a month since I arrived here and the training is really tough. I thought I
wouldn’t be able to last, but I’m doing much better now. I’ve been training hard every
day and the commander acknowledges my improvement.

The commander is very strict, but he is a good man who cares about his soldiers. I was
having a lot of difficulties in keeping up with the training, but he spared his time to teach
me step by step. He looks fierce and cold upon first glance, but he is actually kind and
gentle, just like you.

The commander also complimented my swordsmanship skill and it’s all thanks to you,
Dad.
 The weather is getting colder these days, remember to wear your coat and keep yourself
warm. There are still a lot of tea leaves in the cabinet, so you should brew some tea
when the weather is cold. Please don’t get sick, take care of your health.

I’m doing well here. They think of me as one of the alphas and I think I’m doing great at
behaving like an alpha, so you don’t have to worry. Besides, Song Lan is here with me
and he’s going to keep my identity a secret until the war is over.

Being separated from you like this makes me realize that I’ve always been a spoiled
child who’s attached to you. I promise you that once I come home, I will be more mature
and behave like how I’m supposed to be.

You don’t have to worry about me here. I’m doing fine and I will be fine. We will win the
war and protect the country. With the commander here, I’m sure we will be the best
troops. The commander is a really great alpha.

I promise I will bring honor to our family and make you feel proud of me.

Your son,

Wei Wuxian.

There are tears brimming in his eyes by the time he reaches the end of the letter, but there’s
also a proud smile blooming across his face. When Wei Wuxian left, he thought his son
would return in a few days for not being able to keep up with the training, but it turns out that
Wei Wuxian exceeded his expectations.

Wei Changze doesn’t care about honor or his family name. He just wants his son to return
safely in one piece, he just wants his son to survive the war and come home to see him again.
Wei Wuxian may have the courage and the spirit, but a battlefield is so much more than
wielding a sword in the backyard of their house.
No matter how much Wei Wuxian tells him not to worry, he will always worry until his son
comes home, until he can hug his son and kiss his face to welcome him home.

“Please be safe, Wei Ying.” He murmurs softly as he stares at the letter in his hand.

When he reads the letter once again, he can’t help but to notice how much Wei Wuxian seems
to admire the commander. He rubs his chin thoughtfully as he rereads the words Wei Wuxian
wrote about the commander.

Wei Wuxian is an omega after all, and he’s at the proper age for marriage. He only wishes
that his son’s true identity won’t be discovered by the said commander.

He hopes nothing will happen to his little flower in a field full of alphas.

“It’s time to see how far you are in your swordsmanship.” Lan Wangji says as he scans over
the soldiers in front of him.

Wei Wuxian tries not to look too excited even though he actually is. Lan Wangji told him
yesterday morning that there would be a sparring today and he has been looking forward to it.
He wants to put his skill to practice and have Lan Wangji looking at him with pride. He’s
proud of his swordsmanship and he wants to show it off.
“We will have a sparring today. It will be a tournament system and the winner will be allowed
to retire for the day.” Lan Wangji looks at all of them. “But the winner will have to face me
too.”

The soldiers start murmuring to each other, but it seems that Wei Wuxian isn’t the only one
who’s excited for the sparring. After training together for a while, they finally get to compare
their skills against each other and it’s something they have been looking forward to.

“Please remember that we’re all on the same side, so the goal of this sparring is not about
harming each other, but to practice.” Lan Wangji says as a reminder. “Now grab your sword
and get ready.”

To prevent anybody getting seriously injured, they do the sparring with wooden swords
instead of the real ones. Wei Wuxian prefers to wield a real sword since it weighs different
than the training weapon, but he also understands the concern.

Even with a wooden sword, Wei Wuxian still manages to beat the other guys in the sparring
by disarming the sword from their hands or sending them to the ground. His movement is
smooth and swift, and some soldiers are amazed at how skilful he is. Nie Huaisang, after
losing in the first round, cheers and claps his hands every time he wins a match.

Since it’s a tournament system, Wei Wuxian ends up fighting the other winners until he is
finally faced with Song Lan in the last match.

The other soldiers are standing around them in a big circle, excited to watch the match. Song
Lan has always been good in all fields of training, but they didn’t expect Wei Wuxian to be
this good in swordsmanship. It will be a very interesting match.

Lan Wangji is also watching from the side and Wei Wuxian can feel the commander’s eyes
on him. He’s not going to lose.

“I knew you’re going to face me in the end.” Song Lan says, his eyes gleaming with
excitement.
“Bring it on.” Wei Wuxian smiles back at his childhood friend and takes his stance.

Song Lan moves forward at the same time he does, and their wooden blades clash in the
middle. Song Lan is stronger because he’s an alpha, but Lan Wangji has taught him how to
keep his balance when he’s struck.

They clash their blades many times with Wei Wuxian trying to see an opening. He can’t beat
Song Lan with strength alone, so he has to find a way to disarm the alpha or send him to the
ground just like what he did to the others.

When Song Lan swings his wooden sword, Wei Wuxian quickly drops himself lower so that
he can sweep his foot to knock Song Lan off his balance. It’s a risky move since not
everybody can be knocked off their feet so easily, especially the heavier opponent, but Wei
Wuxian knows his plan will work on Song Lan. When Song Lan strikes, he tends to put the
weight in his arms instead of his feet; Wei Wuxian notices that.

The alpha stumbles to the ground and Wei Wuxian wastes no time to mount him and presses
the wooden blade against the other’s neck. Song Lan looks surprised, but then smiles in
amusement when he realizes what just happened.

“Amazing!” Nie Huaisang claps his hands, and is soon followed by the other soldiers who are
cheering him on.

“Damn tricky.” Song Lan sits up with a laugh and smacks his shoulder lightly.

“You alright?” Wei Wuxian stands up and tries to pull the alpha with him.

“I’m good.” Song Lan nods and gets to his feet.

“Knocking an enemy from their feet is one of the ways to use distractions to your own
advantage.” Lan Wangji steps over while nodding his head in acknowledgement.

Wei Wuxian grins from ear to ear, proud and happy to know that Lan Wangji is impressed by
his moves.

“I guess we can all agree that the winner of this sparring is Wei Wuxian, correct?” Lan
Wangji looks at the men who are agreeing with him.

Wei Wuxian smiles proudly and looks at the other soldiers, but Lan Wangji’s voice grabs
their attention again.

“However, I did say that the winner will have to face me too.” The commander says with a
clear voice.

Although Lan Wangji looks really hot when he’s speaking so firmly, Wei Wuxian can’t help
but to swallow nervously. Sparring with the other guys is an exciting game, but sparring with
Lan Wangji is another thing. Lan Wangji is not a village boy who came here to train; the
alpha has always been a soldier, great enough to be appointed as a commander at such a
young age.

“Get your sword, Wei Wuxian.” Lan Wangji says.

“I already have it.” He lifts the wooden sword in his hand.

“Not that one.” Lan Wangji points his eyes to the tents. “I want to see the sword you brought
from home.”

The others start murmuring while Wei Wuxian drops his mouth open. He glances at his tent,
at the commander, and then nods his head. “Yes, Commander.”
He walks to his tent and takes out his father’s sword that he brought with him. He has been
using this sword for years, but he has never used it against anybody before since his father
prohibits him from using real swords against someone else. This will be the first time he’s
using it against someone, and he will definitely use this on the battlefield too.

He hopes he can bring glory with this sword, just like how his father brought glory to the
country many years ago.

Taking a deep breath, he pulls the sword out of its sheath and walks back to the field. Lan
Wangji is already standing in the middle with his own sword. There are eyes following his
movement as he makes his way to stand in front of the commander.

“I trust you to be capable of controlling your moves so that you won’t harm me.” Lan Wangji
holds his sword up. “Do you trust me the same way?”

“Yes, Commander. I trust you.” Wei Wuxian holds up his own sword and takes a fighting
stance.

Lan Wangji starts moving to the right and he follows the movement until they end up moving
into a complete circle. They study each other, waiting for someone to make a move while
searching for an opening. He’s waiting for Lan Wangji to make the first move, but it seems
that the alpha is doing the same.

When Wei Wuxian decides to make the first move, Lan Wangji meets him in the middle.
Their blades clash against each other before he steps back to create a safe distance. It was a
strong strike. If he didn’t hold his sword strong enough, it might have flown out of his hand.

“Show me what your father has taught you.” Lan Wangji mutters softly so that they’re the
only ones who can hear the words.

Holding the sword tightly in his hand, Wei Wuxian moves forward once again. Their blades
clash a few times with Lan Wangji meeting his strike each time. They move together and part
several times, like they’re dancing with their blades. Soon enough, Wei Wuxian becomes
unaware of his surroundings as he puts his focus on Lan Wangji, and it seems that the
commander is doing the same.

When he sees an opening, he ducks his head and sweeps his foot to knock Lan Wangji off his
balance just like what he did to Song Lan earlier, but Lan Wangji remains stable as he swings
his blade. Wei Wuxian lifts his own blade just in time to block the strike, but it knocks off his
own balance because of the position he is in.

He falls to the ground and Lan Wangji is quick to hover above him, but he is also quick
enough to roll to the side to get back to his feet. Lan Wangji swings his sword and their
blades clash once more. Wei Wuxian tries to put a distance between them, but he finds
himself nearly chest to chest with Lan Wangji instead as they block each other’s strikes.

The other soldiers are quiet as they watch the two clashing their blades. Some of them try to
study the movements while some of them are simply amazed.

“Wei Wuxian is really good. He is amazing.” Nie Huaisang whispers in awe.

“He is.” Jin Zixuan nods in agreement.

Wei Wuxian knows he’s going nowhere with this. Lan Wangji will block every strike and he
doesn’t know if he will be able to block all of Lan Wangji’s strikes without getting exhausted.
He knows he can’t defeat Lan Wangji this way, so he has to find a way to get that sword out
of Lan Wangji’s hand.

When their blades clash once again, Wei Wuxian throws his left hand to grab Lan Wangji’s
right wrist. The commander seems taken aback by the abrupt move and he takes the chance to
twist the alpha’s hand, hoping that he can force Lan Wangji to drop his sword.

For a brief moment, he forgets that Lan Wangji is stronger than him.
Lan Wangji pulls his hand back, yanking Wei Wuxian along until their bodies crash against
each other. Using a leg, Lan Wangji knocks him off his feet and sends him to the ground. Wei
Wuxian falls on his back, knocking the breath out of his lungs. The next thing he knows, Lan
Wangji is on top of him and placing his blade against his neck.

“That was impressive.” Lan Wangji hums in approval.

Even though he lost, he can’t help but to smile at the compliment. “Thank you, Commander
Lan.”

Instead of pulling away like Wei Wuxian expects, Lan Wangji stays on top of him, still with a
blade on his neck. It takes Wei Wuxian a moment to realize how close their faces are. His
heart is pounding hard in his chest and he doesn’t know whether it’s from the adrenaline rush
or if it’s from their close proximity right now.

He also realizes that his legs are spread open and Lan Wangji is somehow settled between
them. Their groins are almost pressing together in this position and oh , isn’t this position
similar to how two people have sexual intercourse? Wei Wuxian may have no actual
experience in the sexual field, but he knows at least the basics of it.

His cheeks grow hot and he knows his face must be red right now. Lan Wangji is still staring
at him, his eyes narrowing so slightly as if the alpha is studying his expression. It makes him
feel very nervous and vulnerable, afraid that Lan Wangji might be able to find out what he’s
thinking right now with how intense the alpha’s gaze is.

Meanwhile, the other soldiers are watching quietly, confused as to what’s going on between
the two of them. Among the confused men, there’s a few people who seem to notice the
sexual tension in the air.

“Is it just me or… is it hot in here?” Nie Huaisang whispers.

“I also feel it.” Jin Zixuan mumbles in reply.

Song Lan quickly makes the most exaggerated coughing sound he has ever made in his life.
It sounds like he’s about to cough his entire lungs out.

Lan Wangji seems to snap back to himself once he hears the coughing noise. He blinks his
eyes a few times, like he’s gathering his focus, and finally gets off the younger man. Wei
Wuxian also needs a few seconds to gather his focus before he stands up to his feet.

“We will have another sparring in a week’s time. Practice the moves you have learned until
now.” Lan Wangji says to the others before glancing at Wei Wuxian again. “As I’ve said, the
winner will be allowed to retire for the day.”

Wei Wuxian gives the commander a bow before turning around to join his friends. His face
still feels warm, but he hopes they will assume that it’s from the intense sparring with the
commander earlier, not because he’s blushing.

One morning, Wei Wuxian wakes up before sunrise, but not for his morning practice. He
takes some water from the river nearby and boils it to brew the medicine he brought from the
village. Although he has been busy with the training, he can’t forget Grandma Shen’s
important words about these herbs. He had purposely asked Lan Wangji to skip this
morning’s training so that he can drink this.

Once the herbs are ready, he drinks it carefully. He scrunches his face because of how weird
and bitter it tastes, but he still drinks it all. He wonders if Grandma Shen could have put some
wolfberry or jujube to give a little sweetness.

After he drinks everything, he heads back to the camp and sneaks into his tent. It’s still a
while before the training starts, so his three friends are still sleeping, or so he thought until he
sees Song Lan staring at him.

“Were you practicing with the commander again?” Song Lan whispers to him, quiet as to not
wake the others up.

“No, I brewed the medicine.” He whispers back.

“The medicine from Grandma Shen?” The alpha sits up. “Is it really going to work?”

“It should be. Grandma Shen is an amazing physician, remember?”

“If anything feels wrong, you should leave this camp immediately.” Song Lan doesn’t seem
convinced.

“You know I can’t do that. I’d bring disgrace to my father.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head.

“Would you rather have your identity exposed to everybody here?”

Wei Wuxian presses his lips and turns away. “I don’t have a choice here, Song Lan. You
know that.”

Jin Zixuan slowly cracks his eyes open, but he doesn’t make a move nor join the
conversation. He only listens quietly to Wei Wuxian and Song Lan who are still arguing.
After listening for a while, he closes his eyes again until it is time for them to wake up for the
training.

“Today, we will have another strength and endurance training session.” Lan Wangji says after
they have their quick breakfast. “Each of you will carry these weights and take them to a long
run.”
“Oh no.” Nie Huaisang sighs. Even though they have been training for more than a month, he
still hates it.

“You won’t go up the hill today since there’s a chance of rain and the track will be dangerous
if wet. In return, these weights are heavier than the ones we usually carry.”

Wei Wuxian feels a little dizzy. He was fine when he woke up this morning to brew the herbs,
but now, he doesn’t feel so good. There’s nothing different about breakfast and he started his
day like the usual, so he wonders what’s wrong.

The longer he stands, the more his head spins. At some point, he’s not even listening to what
Lan Wangji is saying anymore.

“Now get going.”

He snaps out of his trance, but his head is still spinning as he staggers to grab one of the
weights. He carries it over his shoulders and stands up, but his legs feel weak. It’s heavier
than the usual weights, but this shouldn’t be a problem for him. He may be an omega, but
he’s not frail or delicate. Back in the village, he’s the one carrying buckets of water from the
well or the river.

When he looks up, he realizes that the other guys have started running, so he quickly follows
after them. It’s just a little run, he can handle this. Maybe he just didn’t get enough sleep last
night. After running for a while, he should be alright.

“Are you alright?”

He turns his head and sees Nie Huaisang running beside him with a concerned look on his
face.

“I’m fine.” He answers with a small voice. “Why do you ask?”

“You look sick. Your face is pale and you’re sweating a lot.” Nie Huaisang furrows his brows
in worry.

“Really?” Wei Wuxian tries to crack a smile, trying to look fine.

“I’m going to increase your weights if you two keep chatting instead of running.” Lan Wangji
says from behind.

Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder and realizes that he’s the only one left behind. Lan
Wangji always runs at the back to keep watch of the soldiers and the fact that there’s no one
else around them means that Wei Wuxian is the slowest. This had only happened on the first
few days of training. Nowadays, he’s usually the one running at the front.

“Nie Huaisang, don’t slow down your run to accompany a friend.” Lan Wangji says sternly.

“Y-Yes, Commander.” Nie Huaisang flashes Wei Wuxian another look of worry before
picking up his pace.

Wei Wuxian tries to increase his speed too, but his legs feel oddly heavy. He wonders what’s
wrong with him today. Is it because of the herbs? Grandma Shen didn’t tell him about the
side effects of drinking them, so he had no idea.

“Wei Wuxian. Stop.” Lan Wangji commands.

“No, I can do this.” Wei Wuxian grits his teeth and tries to run faster. He can’t stop here, he
can’t fail, he can’t disappoint the commander.

“I said stop.” The commander says again.

Wei Wuxian stays stubborn and keeps on running, but it doesn’t take long before black dots
start to fill his vision. Before he knows it, his legs are losing strength and he is starting to lose
consciousness. His eyes roll before he finally collapses, but there’s someone catching him
before he falls to the ground.

Everybody stops running when they hear the noise. Behind them, the commander is holding
the unconscious Wei Wuxian in his arms.

“Oh no!” Nie Huaisang gasps and tries to run over to them, but Lan Wangji raises his hand to
stop him.

“Continue your run. I’ll handle this.” The commander says.

Without saying anything else, Lan Wangji removes the weights from Wei Wuxian’s shoulders
and then scoops him up to carry the younger man in his arms. When he looks up, most of the
soldiers are staring at him instead of continuing their run.

“Continue your run.” He says to the soldier.

Lan Wangji waits until all the soldiers run before heading back towards the camp while
carrying Wei Wuxian in his arms.

When Wei Wuxian comes into consciousness, he is inside a tent, but not his own. He cracks
his eyes open and squints at his surroundings. This tent is bigger than the others and there’s
only one bed here – which is the one he’s sleeping on right now.
He still feels dizzy, but it’s not as bad as before. He remembers trying to catch up with Nie
Huaisang before everything went dark. He wonders who carried him all the way here. It must
be tough work for that person to carry him that far. Although he’s not the big-guy type, he’s
sure a man like him is not light at all.

His eyes bulge when he sees Lan Wangji entering the tent suddenly.

“You’re awake.” The commander walks over to him.

“T-This is your tent?” Wei Wuxian sits up immediately, but winces when his head spins all
over again.

“Don’t sit up so suddenly.” Lan Wangji sits down next to him.

“What happened? How did I get here?” Wei Wuxian asks as he massages his temple.

“You passed out, so I took you here to rest.”

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian presses his lips, feeling embarrassed. “Thank you and sorry for the
trouble, Commander Lan.”

“You should have said something if you’re not feeling well.” Lan Wangji sighs.

“I was fine when I woke up this morning.”

“You wouldn’t faint during a run if you’re really fine.”

Wei Wuxian shuts up immediately, knowing that he can argue with what Lan Wangji says.

“Your spirit is evident, but you’re so reckless and you like to act on impulse. You’re going to
get yourself into trouble with this kind of behavior.” Lan Wangji sighs again and shakes his
head lightly.

“I’m sorry...” Wei Wuxian puckers his lips slightly like he’s being scolded.

Lan Wangji’s face softens when he sees the sullen look on Wei Wuxian’s face. “Are you
hungry?”

“I don’t really have an appetite.” He shakes his head. It seems that the herbs also act like the
typical heat suppressant that always makes him lose his appetite.

“I kept some food from today’s lunch for you. You should eat a little.” Lan Wangji’s voice is
so gentle when he speaks and it makes Wei Wuxian’s heart flutter.

“Okay.” He nods obediently.

“Go take a seat. I’ll bring the food.” Lan Wangji stands up to his feet and walks out of the
tent before he can say anything.

Wei Wuxian slowly gets himself out of the sleeping bag and sits down next to the low table
inside the tent. When he feels his hairs falling over his shoulders, he realizes that his red hair
tie is nowhere to be found. It probably came loose from his sleep earlier.

Before he can crawl over to the bed to find it, Lan Wangji enters the tent again with a tray of
food in his hand. The alpha pauses momentarily when he sees him, so Wei Wuxian smiles
sheepishly and combs his long hair with fingers to make it look as neat as possible.

“Sorry, I can’t find my hair tie.” He smiles wryly.

“It’s fine.” Lan Wangji walks over and places the tray on the table. “Eat slowly.”

There is some food on the tray and even though Wei Wuxian is not hungry, he has to
appreciate Lan Wangji’s effort, so he tries to eat as much as possible. When he hears some
rustling noises behind him, he turns over his shoulder to see Lan Wangji crouching on the
bed.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t tidied it up. I’ll do it right now.” He puts his chopsticks down
immediately.

“Keep eating.” Lan Wangji says before turning around to show something in his hand. “I was
looking for this.”

“My hair tie!” Wei Wuxian beams when he sees the red ribbon in Lan Wangji’s hand.

“I said keep eating.” The alpha commands.

Wei Wuxian immediately turns his head back to the table and picks up his chopstick again to
finish his food. A moment later, Lan Wangji places the red ribbon on the table before
standing up again.

“I’ll go back to the field now.” The alpha says.

“I can join too.” Wei Wuxian chirps, only to shut his mouth immediately when he is met with
a sharp look from the alpha.

“You can train again tomorrow. Go back to sleep after this.” The commander says sternly
before leaving the tent.
After Lan Wangji leaves, Wei Wuxian can’t help but to smile to himself as he eats his lunch.
Lan Wangji can be as strict as he is supposed to be, but he can see the kind and gentle heart
Lan Wangji has underneath his cold exterior. The commander is even kind enough to let him
rest in his tent and sleep on his bed. He feels so lucky.

Since he still feels a little sluggish and dizzy, he obeys Lan Wangji’s words and goes back to
the bed after eating. He stuffs the blanket against his face and closes his eyes. When he
breathes, he can smell the faint scent of Lan Wangji sticking on the blanket. It’s the scent of
sandalwood, a little spicy and slightly musky, but also warm and somewhat sweet. It’s such a
nice scent and it makes him feel safe and comfortable.

He can hear the training noises in the background as he basks himself in Lan Wangji’s scent.
It’s a shame that he can join today’s training, but just like what Lan Wangji told him, he can
join tomorrow once he’s fully recovered.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know how much time has passed with him snuggling on Lan Wangji’s
pillow, but when he hears someone stepping into the tent, he immediately opens his eyes and
looks at the commander.

“You finished everything.” Lan Wangji nods his head in approval when he sees the tray.

“Thank you very much, Commander Lan.” Wei Wuxian sits up.

“Are you feeling better? I can ask them to send a physician if you need.”

“No! No physician, please.” He says quickly. Physicians might be able to tell that he’s an
omega and he can’t risk that at all.

“You don’t have to look so scared. Physicians are good.” Lan Wangji says, seemingly
confused by Wei Wuxian’s overreaction.

“I’m fine, really. I just need some rest and I’ll be fine.” Wei Wuxian says convincingly.
Instead of responding to his words, Lan Wangji steps closer and sits down next to the bed.
“Did you get your father’s reply to your letter?”

“I did.” Wei Wuxian smiles brightly when he remembers the letter he received from his father
a few days ago. “He said he’s proud of me.”

“I’m sure he is.” Lan Wangji smiles so softly.

Oh, how cruel the alpha is to smile like that, because Wei Wuxian can feel it going straight to
his heart. The commander has always been so strict, so stoic, and nearly expressionless, so
Wei Wuxian isn’t prepared for that smile. He can feel his heart pounding hard in his chest as
his face grows warm.

“Your father was a commander before.” Lan Wangji says suddenly, snapping Wei Wuxian out
of his trance.

“He was.” Wei Wuxian nods lightly.

“Have you ever thought about joining the army like your father?”

Of course not. He’s an omega and he’s aware that he can never become a soldier. He admires
his father and what his father had done for the country during the last war, but he has never
really thought about becoming a soldier before simply because it wasn’t possible for him.

“I love swordsmanship, but I never really thought about becoming a soldier before.” He
answers honestly.

“What about now?” Lan Wangji asks. “Once the war is over, do you want to join the imperial
army?”
He stays quiet for a moment before answering with a smile. “I think it would be great if I can
become a soldier for real.”

Wei Wuxian knows it’s impossible. It’s just a matter of time before he comes home to his
father as an omega son. He’s just here to take his father’s place, to fight in the war, and to
protect his father. He will do his best while he’s here, but after that, he will go back to his
father.

“If you keep your spirit up, I’m sure you can become a great soldier like your father.” Lan
Wangji says in encouragement.

“Thank you, Commander Lan.” Wei Wuxian smiles appreciatively.

Lan Wangji hums and places his hand on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder to get him back to lie down.
“Go get some sleep now.”

Wei Wuxian lies down obediently and closes his eyes, pretending to sleep so that Lan Wangji
will be satisfied. While his eyes are closed, he can feel Lan Wangji pulling the blanket higher
to tuck him in and he can also feel Lan Wangji’s hand on his forehead. It’s a little calloused,
but it’s big and warm.

“You have a slight fever, but I’m sure you didn’t notice it.” The commander hums.

Lan Wangji is right, he didn’t notice his fever at all. He wonders if Lan Wangji found out
after touching him like this. He wonders how many things he has missed while he’s asleep.
It’s a shame to fall asleep when Lan Wangji is treating him like this. He wants to stay awake
and memorize everything.

Despite thinking so, it doesn’t take long for Wei Wuxian to fall back to sleep.
When Wei Wuxian wakes up again, it’s already night time. He blinks his eyes open and
glances at the commander who is writing some transcripts on the table. He slowly sits up and
the rustling noise seems to catch the commander’s attention.

“How are you feeling?” Lan Wangji puts his brush down and walks over to him.

“Much better.” Wei Wuxian smiles, no longer feeling dizzy or tired. “I think I’m fine now.”

Lan Wangji places a hand on Wei Wuxian’s forehead before nodding in approval. “Yes,
you’re fine now.”

“Sorry, I slept for so long on your bed.” Wei Wuxian brings his hand to his own forehead,
touching the spot where Lan Wangji had his hand on earlier.

“You need it.” The commander says and then points at his table. “Your friends just finished
dinner, but I saved some food for you.”

“I’ll eat.” Wei Wuxian stands up and walks to the table with Lan Wangji.

As he eats quietly, he watches Lan Wangji writing with the brush. The alpha has beautiful
hands, he thinks. His hand is big, his fingers are long and bony, and Wei Wuxian knows how
strong those hands are. He wonders how it would feel if Lan Wangji touches other parts of
his body, let’s say his hips or his thighs, or even his buttocks.

He ends up choking at his own thought, prompting Lan Wangji to look up with a frown.
“Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” He coughs lightly. “Sorry, I’m eating too fast.”

“The food isn’t going anywhere. Calm down.”

Wei Wuxian nods and eats his food again, slowly this time. “Are you writing a report?”

“Yes, for the imperial army.” Lan Wangji hums. “We might be summoned to join the main
army faster than the original plan, so I need to tell them how far we are progressing with the
training.”

“Do you think we’ve been progressing well?”

Lan Wangji looks at him. “I do.”

Wei Wuxian smiles at the answer. “You’re a good commander.”

Lan Wangji gives him an appreciative nod in return.

Wei Wuxian returns to his own tent for the night after thanking the commander. He doesn’t
think he can sleep tonight since he has been sleeping for the whole day, but at least he’s fully
recovered now. When he gets inside the tent, his friends immediately turn their heads to look
at him.

“Wow, you slept like a dead person.” Song Lan raises a judging brow.
“Shut up.” He shoots Song Lan a playful glare.

“Are you feeling better?” Nie Huaisang asks, still looking a little worried.

“I slept for the whole day, so I’m fine now.”

“That’s good to hear.” Jin Zixuan says even though there’s no particular expression on his
face.

“Thanks, and sorry for worrying you guys.” Wei Wuxian smiles and sits in the middle to join
them. “I don’t really remember what happened. I passed out and then woke up inside the
commander’s tent. I wonder who dragged me here, did you guys do it?”

“Commander Lan did it.” Nie Huaisang says.

“What?”

“Commander Lan did. He carried you all the way here like this.” Nie Huaisang lifts both
hands, mimicking the way Lan Wangji carried him in his arms.

“…Oh.”

“Your cheeks are red. Are you really alright?” Nie Huaisang asks.

“I-I’m fine. I’m really alright now.” Wei Wuxian stutters with his answer. When he glances
around, the two alphas are staring at him. He can see Song Lan’s judging eyes and he tries to
hold himself back from smacking his friend in the face.
After talking for a little while, they decide to sleep for the night. However, after sleeping for
nearly the whole day in Lan Wangji’s tent, Wei Wuxian can’t really fall asleep anymore.
After tossing and turning for what feels like a long hour, Wei Wuxian finally gets up and
sneaks out of the tent. Instead of picking a weapon to practice, he makes his way to the
stables area where the horses are.

His stallion is sleeping on the ground, but he wakes up as soon as Wei Wuxian walks closer
to him.

“Hey, have you been doing well?” Wei Wuxian murmurs softly and crouches down to pat his
horse.

Suibian lets out a soft huff, but his tail is moving slightly, happy to see his master here.

“Sorry, you must have been feeling very bored ever since you got here. We’re too busy with
training.” Wei Wuxian whispers again.

Suibian purrs in response before closing his eyes again. Wei Wuxian whispers a soft good
night to the stallion before walking away.

Unlike the previous nights, tonight doesn’t feel as chilly as usual. In fact, it feels a little
humid and stuffy. Maybe because it was drizzling during the day. Now that he thinks about it,
he hasn’t washed up for the whole day.

Wanting to have a quick wash, Wei Wuxian makes his way to the river near the camp. Most
of the recruits like to come here to take a quick rinse, but Wei Wuxian only does it once the
other guys are almost done so that he can have some time to be alone and away from them.

Even though they’re all men, it still feels uncomfortable for an omega like him to join them
casually. Song Lan understands him well. His childhood friend always helps him to keep the
other guys away whenever he’s in the river. Despite that, Wei Wuxian still feels a little
anxious every time he washes himself in the river, so much that he never gets completely
naked in the water.
Every time he comes here, he always has to do everything hurriedly, but right now, he can
enjoy his time alone since there’s no one else at this time of the night. He takes off his clothes
and puts everything aside, finally getting completely naked.

A giggle leaves his lips as he dips his foot into the cool water. He walks further until the
water level reaches his waist and smiles happily. He starts rinsing his body, humming a soft
melodious tune that he remembers from his childhood days. Back in his village, it is
absolutely impermissible for omegas to show their skin in public or take a bath in the river
where everybody can see them, but he can do whatever he wants here.

The sudden sound of rippling water makes him jump out of his skin. He reflexively covers
his chest with both arms and whirls around with a gasp. His heart nearly stops when he sees
the commander standing a few meters away from him, just as naked as he is.

“Why are you not sleeping?” Lan Wangji asks, looking so unabashed with his nakedness.

There’s nothing to be ashamed about since they’re both alphas, or so the commander must
have thought. Wei Wuxian knows he has to act as nonchalant as possible, but he can’t.
They’re both completely naked in the water right now. Wei Wuxian has never seen a naked
alpha in his life and he has never gotten naked in front of an alpha either!

“I’ve been sleeping for the whole day, so I’m not sleepy right now.” Wei Wuxian smiles
sheepishly and tries to move away, but Lan Wangji only walks closer to him. “Y-You’re not
sleeping yet, Commander Lan? It’s late.”

“I wanted to take a quick wash here.”

“O-Oh, me too.” Wei Wuxian can’t help but to stare at the alpha in front of him.

He knows Lan Wangji is fit and sturdy, but seeing his actual body underneath his clothes is
something else. He can see the water trailing down Lan Wangji’s line of muscles, making his
pale skin glisten under the moonlight. Lan Wangji is such a beautiful alpha indeed. Wei
Wuxian doesn’t know if he has ever seen an alpha as gorgeous as his commander.

His cheeks feel so hot. Maybe this is how a pervert feels when they take a peek at someone.
He can’t believe he stoops so low by ogling at an alpha who’s casually washing himself. His
father and ancestors would be disappointed in him.

When Lan Wangji runs a hand through his long hair, Wei Wuxian gulps at the sight of his
toned arms.

“Thank you for carrying me all the way to the camp after I fainted. I heard it from the
others.” Wei Wuxian mutters softly, eyes still stuck on Lan Wangji.

“It’s my responsibility.”

“But I’m heavy. It must be tough for you to carry me all the way to the camp.”

“You’re not heavy.” Lan Wangji says, still busy rinsing the sweat off his body. “You’re much
lighter than what I thought. Are you eating enough?

“I am.”

“You should—” Lan Wangji lifts his head and pauses when he catches Wei Wuxian staring at
him.

Embarrassed for being caught ogling, Wei Wuxian panics and quickly walks away. He’s done
for tonight. He should put his clothes back on and go to bed.

“I-It’s getting late, I guess I should go now! Good night, Commander Lan!”
He tries to run, but the bottom of the river is slippery. When he takes a leap, he ends up
slipping on his landing and falls forward into the water.

“Wei Ying!”

There’s a loud splashing sound of water before Wei Wuxian finds himself pressed against
Lan Wangji’s chest. The alpha even has an arm wrapping around his waist to hold him steady.

“Don’t be so reckless. You’ll hurt yourself.” Lan Wangji sighs exasperatedly, not noticing
Wei Wuxian’s flustered reaction.

“I-I’m sorry. I got too excited sometimes.” Wei Wuxian fakes a laugh. His face feels so hot
and his heart is beating so fast. They’re both naked and pressed against each other. He can
feel how lean and sturdy the alpha is, and he can feel the warmth radiating from Lan Wangji’s
body.

This is bad, he should get away. His heart is going to burst soon.

“Are you okay?” Lan Wangji looks down at the same time as Wei Wuxian looks up.

Wei Wuxian can hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, but… he thinks he can feel Lan
Wangji’s heartbeat too. It’s thumping against his own and it’s beating just as hard as his own
heart. There’s no one else besides them under the moonlight, so there’s no other heartbeat
aside from theirs.

Wei Wuxian stares into Lan Wangji’s eyes and notices that the alpha is shifting his gaze lower
to his lips. He does the same and stares at Lan Wangji’s lips. They look very soft, and he
wonders how they will feel against his own lips.

Then, as if snapping out of his trance, the commander pulls away. Wei Wuxian gasps at the
loss, but it also snaps him back to reality.
“Be careful.” The alpha says with his head turned away.

“Sorry about that.” Wei Wuxian swallows the knot in his throat and starts walking away
again. “I’ll go back first. Good night, Commander Lan.”

“Good night.” Lan Wangji mutters quietly.

There’s a sound of rippling water, the rustling sound of grass, and then Wei Wuxian is gone.
The alpha stays unmoving from his spot, brows furrowed thoughtfully as if he’s thinking hard
about something. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent lingering in the air.

He wonders where this sweet smell of peaches comes from.

In the northern hills where the snow is falling, Wen Ruohan is leading his army towards the
imperial city where the emperor is staying.

He stops suddenly, followed by the army behind him. He glances at his surroundings even
though there’s nothing but snowy ground, or so it seems. He gestures his hand towards the
left and some of his men immediately head to the direction he’s pointing at.

There are some noises before his men return with two wounded imperial soldiers behind
them. Wen Ruohan narrows his eyes and dismounts his horse. He steps forward while the two
soldiers stare at him in alert.
“Good job, soldiers.” Wen Ruohan says sarcastically. “You found the Wen army.”

His men laugh at the mocking tone he’s using, but the two soldiers still talk back to him.

“T-The imperial army will stop you! Our soldiers will stop you!” One of the soldiers shouts.

“Y-You will not stand a chance against us!” The other soldier says.

“Is that so?” Wen Ruohan hums and grabs one of the soldiers by his neck, lifting him off the
ground. “Then tell your emperor to send his strongest army to welcome me.”

He throws the soldier to the ground after saying that, grinning as he watches the two men
scrambling to their feet. The soldiers don’t even give him another glance as they run away to
deliver the message.

Wen Ruohan rubs his chin thoughtfully as he looks at the two running soldiers. “I believe it
only takes one man to deliver the message.”

One of his archers smirks and aims his arrow. “Which one?”

“I need to deliver the message fast, so get rid of the slower one.”

“Understood.” The archer shoots his arrow.

Wen Ruohan grins from ear to ear when he sees one of the soldiers falling to the ground with
an arrow on his back. The other soldier gasps, but continues running to deliver the message
and to run for his life.
Ever since that night in the river, Wei Wuxian knows he is feeling something he’s not
supposed to feel towards the alpha, and he tries so hard to put it aside.

Lan Wangji is a commander of the troops and he’s just one of the soldiers. Lan Wangji cares
about him just as much as the commander cares about everybody else in his troops. Lan
Wangji just seems to pay more attention to him since he’s the most troublesome one. There’s
no special treatment at all, so Wei Wuxian knows better than getting his hopes up. Besides,
it’s not like he will be able to see Lan Wangji again after this.

He will go back to his village and to his father while Lan Wangji will stay in the imperial city.
Lan Wangji will never know about his identity as an omega and Wei Wuxian will make sure
to make himself disappear once the war comes to an end.

During the next couple of weeks, they learn about positioning and aiming cannons. Despite
having to aim at a target, shooting a cannon is so different from archery. Wei Wuxian thinks
he’s doing a good job with shooting cannons, surprisingly.

Aside from that, they also continue the strength and endurance training. Morning runs and
hiking the hills are still part of the routine. Wei Wuxian notices that during the weeks of harsh
training, they have gotten closer and more solid as a troop under Lan Wangji’s command. The
guys who used to mock him no longer do so; they even help each other now and share small
talks between meals.

Wei Wuxian thinks it takes a good commander to be able to have his troops work together as
one, and it proves that Lan Wangji is a good commander.
When the training is coming to an end, Song Lan suggests a little tournament between all of
them to see who is the last man standing, and the one who will have a match with the
commander himself. Everybody is excited by the idea, including Wei Wuxian, and Lan
Wangji eventually agrees to take part.

They don’t get to start the tournament though, because an order comes for them to pack up
and head to the imperial palace to join the main army. All the commanders who are leading
other troops are also called to gather in the imperial city.

Wei Wuxian knows there will come a time where they really have to go to war and fight the
enemies, but he can’t say that he’s ready for this, and it seems that none of them are. This is
no longer training, this is the real war. They will have to kill people and some of them might
get killed too.

He wants to talk to his father now. He wants to ask how his father prepared himself for the
war. He wants to ask if his father also felt this fear inside him when he packed his gears to
join the army. He thought he’s ready for this, but turns out he’s not. He doesn’t think anybody
will be ready for the war, but they still have to fight. There’s no other choice.

One morning, they finally leave the camp with their gears. Those who brought horses with
them are told to drag the wagons, including Wei Wuxian.

“We’ll be alright.” Wei Wuxian says to Suibian who is dragging a wagon full of cannons
behind him.

“We are going to meet the imperial troops in the mountains before heading to the imperial
city with them. We will head to their encampment first.” Lan Wangji says as they begin to
leave the camp area.

Nobody says anything, but they all follow the commander. Some of them are ready for the
battle, but some of them are still preparing their hearts. Luckily, they still have one or two
days before they reach the mountains, so they can probably prepare for whatever is waiting
ahead.
Lan Wangji brings his white stallion with him, but he chooses to walk with his soldiers
instead of riding on his horse.

Wei Wuxian carries his father’s sword with him. The military provides them with wagons
filled with weapons, but he still chooses his father’s sword. Perhaps he will be able to borrow
his father’s strength and courage from this sword.

The first few hours of the journey are filled with silence. Even the usually talkative Nie
Huaisang is also quiet. They've been training together for more than a month and they have
gotten much closer than before. Wei Wuxian has thought of them as his new friends, his new
family, and it will be heart-breaking to lose any of them.

“We are not going to face the Wens directly.” Lan Wangji breaks the silence, perhaps
knowing what his men are thinking. “Frankly speaking, we are not qualified for it. You guys
are not trained soldiers , so our task is to protect the people instead of fighting the Wens.”

“Are we not going to join the war?” A soldier asks.

“We will, eventually, depend on how things go. The emperor ordered the general to recruit
more men so that he can send more soldiers to protect his people, and that’s what we’re here
for.” The commander explains. “The general is confident that the imperial army is enough to
wipe out the Wens.”

Everybody seems to be slightly relieved after hearing the explanation. For a moment, they
forgot that soldiers’ duty is not only fighting in a war, but also helping and protecting the
people.

The mood lights up after that. Some of the soldiers start singing a song they used to sing
during their childhood days, taking turns to share the tunes they grew up with.

When Song Lan starts singing the song from their village, Wei Wuxian sings along with his
childhood friend, remembering the old days when he was just a child falling asleep in his
father’s arms. Those days were so peaceful and he hopes he can still come home to see his
father after the war.
Chapter End Notes

love it when wwx is being a slut 🫢

 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

They pass the hills, the lake, and a long road until they finally reach the mountain area on the
north where the weather is colder and the ground is covered with white snow. The imperial
troops' encampment should be near at this point. After meeting the imperial troops, they can
finally head to the imperial city together.

However, instead of meeting the imperial troops in the encampment, they arrive at a burnt-
out encampment. Everything was burnt to ashes, but the smoke is still hanging in the air. It
burned down not long ago, probably just a few hours before they arrived. Everybody freezes
in shock when they see the ruins.

“Spread out and search for survivors!” Lan Wangji commands.

They immediately spread out and begin to search. They search through the burned ruins to
find anybody, but no one is here, not even a dead body. How weird. It’s as if the troops had
left after burning their own encampment to the ground.

Wei Wuxian searches through the ruins carefully, trying to find any trace. Maybe the imperial
troops had left early and burned their encampment to erase their traces, but he has a bad
feeling about this.

“Oh my God! Everybody, look!”

He turns around to look at Nie Huaisang who is pointing his trembling finger to the valley
underneath them. They quickly gather around and discover the dead bodies scattered over the
snowy ground. Some of the soldiers still have arrows stuck in their bodies and Wei Wuxian
can see splatters of red across the white snow. With the amount of blood, it looks like the
snow has turned red.
They are the imperial troops who are supposed to be here, and they have been massacred by
the Wen army. Wei Wuxian brings his hand to his mouth, his eyes filled with horror as he
stares at the bloody mass underneath. They have no idea who the Wens are and how many
men they have in the army, but seeing how they could wipe out the imperial troops, they
know they might not stand a chance against the Wens.

“Are we going to end up like that too?” One of the soldiers asks meekly.

“Shut up. Don’t say things like that.” Song Lan clicks his tongue and glares at the scared
soldier.

“What? You think we can stand a chance if they could wipe out the imperial troops like this?”

“Maybe we can without a coward like you.” Song Lan steps over to grab the other soldier by
his collar.

“Song Lan. Stop.” Wei Wuxian grabs his friend by the arm to stop an unnecessary fight.

The other guys immediately try to stop the impending fight, but Lan Wangji’s voice is
enough to snap everybody out of it.

“If you have the energy to fight, then let’s continue our journey to the imperial city. We have
to hurry now.” Lan Wangji looks so calm and Wei Wuxian wonders how the commander can
be so composed despite what they just witnessed.

This is what real war is like. People fight and die on the battlefield. They thought they’re
ready for war after training in the military camp for months, but maybe they’re not as ready
as they thought. Wei Wuxian thought he’s ready to fight in the war, but the sight of blood and
dead bodies was enough to make his blood run cold.

The mood turns gloomy as they continue their journey through the mountains. They can only
pray that the imperial city is still intact by the time they arrive there. They can only pray that
they’re not going to find other scattered dead bodies along the way.

They can only pray that they won’t end up becoming one of the scattered dead bodies in this
snowy mountain.

Lan Wangji suddenly stops walking when they reach the mountain pass.

It’s very quiet, but the snow they’re stepping on is disturbed, as if a group of people had just
passed this area not long ago. Most of the soldiers notice it too, which is why they don’t
question the commander for stopping suddenly.

“There’s something wrong.” One of the soldiers says as if it’s not obvious already.

“I can feel it too.”

“Maybe we should take another route.”

“We have no choice but to keep moving. We won’t make it in time if we take another route at
this point.” Lan Wangji says before continuing his steps.

“But it’s safer for all of us.” Wei Wuxian argues. It’s not only about his life, it’s about
everybody’s life and Lan Wangji’s life too.
Lan Wangji stops again and turns around, his eyes are stern as he stares at Wei Wuxian. “No
one is safe on the battlefield. Do you really want to waste more time here while there’s a risk
that the imperial city is under attack?”

Wei Wuxian knows what the commander said is true, but it doesn’t mean he agrees with it.
“Isn’t it better for us to arrive safely instead of not arriving at all?”

Lan Wangji opens his mouth to argue, but his eyes are suddenly directed towards the sky
behind Wei Wuxian. The omega doesn’t get to turn around before the commander pulls his
sword out and pushes him aside.

When Wei Wuxian whips his head, he realizes that Lan Wangji has cut the arrow that was
coming from the sky. Within a second, a bunch of arrows are raining down on them. They are
shot from the higher area of the mountains where the Wen soldiers are hiding.

“Take shelter!” Lan Wangji commands and then starts running towards a pile of rocks ahead
that might be able to protect them from the arrows. He grabs Wei Wuxian by the arm and
pulls him to run along.

They all run, dragging the horses and wagons behind them. Wei Wuxian grabs onto Suibian’s
reins and pulls his stallion along as he runs, but one of the fire arrows hits the wagon Suibian
is dragging behind him. The rain of arrows stops momentarily, but the fire spreads so fast.
Wei Wuxian gasps when Suibian starts neighing from the heat of the burning wagon.

Pulling out his sword, he cuts the ropes that are binding Suibian to the wagon in order to free
his stallion. He might lose his life in the war, but he’s not going to let Suibian die with him.

“Save the cannons!” Lan Wangji commands.

Immediately, the soldiers work together to pass every cannon from one man to another until
they manage to keep the remaining cannons safe behind the rocks. As they work on saving
the rest of the cannons, the Wen army make their ways down the mountain and towards them,
all riding on their horses and holding weapons in their hands.
There are so many of them. It’s impossible for them to go against the whole Wen army. Some
of the Wen soldiers are still sitting on the mountains, ready to shoot more arrows at them.

“We don’t have enough men to fight them.” Wei Wuxian mutters under his breath.

“I know.” Lan Wangji says to Wei Wuxian and then turns towards the soldiers who are
gathering the cannons. “Fire the cannons to the mountains. Stop their arrows first.”

The soldiers set up the cannons and aim them at the archers in the mountain before firing
them. The cannons manage to hit some of the Wen archers, but there are still more of them
hiding in the mountain. They also fire some of the cannons towards the Wen soldiers that are
coming towards them. The cannons manage to wipe out some of the enemy soldiers, but it’s
far from enough to stop them all.

There are too many men from the Wen and they don’t have enough cannons to wipe them all.
It’s just a matter of time before they have to clash, and they will stand no chance against so
many men from the enemy’s side.

“Commander, there’s only one cannon left!” Jin Zixuan says.

Lan Wangji looks at Jin Zixuan and then at the Wen soldiers that are marching towards them.
Firing another cannon won’t make that much difference. Wei Wuxian knows what the
commander is thinking. There’s no way their last cannon can reverse their situation, not with
their lack of numbers.

“C-Commander, please give us a command!” Nie Huaisang yells in panic.

In the middle of the crisis, Wei Wuxian looks up to the peak of the mountain in front of them.
He stares at the peak for a second, at the marching soldiers, and suddenly runs to grab the last
cannon from Jin Zixuan.
“Wei Wuxian, what—” Jin Zixuan frowns when Wei Wuxian takes the cannon from his hand.

“I have a plan!” Wei Wuxian says before running towards the Wen army.

His friends are calling for him, but he keeps running towards the enemy with no fear.

“Wei Wuxian!” Lan Wangji yells before running after him, knowing that he can’t stop this
one reckless soldier of his.

Once Wei Wuxian is close enough, he sets the cannon on the ground and aims to the peak of
the mountain. He pulls the matchbox in hurry, but his hands slip and the box of matches ends
up falling onto the snow.

“Shit.” He quickly picks it up, but some of the matches are already wet.

His attention is diverted when the leader of Wen stops in front of him with his horse. Wen
Ruohan pulls his sword out and swings the blade at him, but he’s fast enough to dodge it. He
quickly pulls out his own sword to block another strike from Wen Ruohan. When their blades
clash, Wei Wuxian feels his hands trembling at how strong his opponent is. He might not be
able to win against Wen Ruohan in a one-on-one fight.

Wen Ruohan glares at him for a second before his face falters suddenly, like he just notices
something about Wei Wuxian. Then, a smirk starts appearing across his face, sending a chill
on the back of Wei Wuxian’s neck.

“What’s a little omega like you doing here?” Wen Ruohan snickers.

Wei Wuxian freezes, not expecting the man to find out upon a first glance. He’s sure he’s
good at pretending to be an alpha, so he has no idea how Wen Ruohan can tell so easily. Even
Lan Wangji doesn’t notice that he’s an omega.
An arrow flies and hits Wen Ruohan’s horse, causing the stallion to forcefully dismount the
rider. Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder to see Lan Wangji running towards him after
shooting his arrow.

“Keep your eyes on me, little omega.”

He whips his head back to Wen Ruohan and is met with a blade swinging towards him. He
blocks the strike, but ends up losing his balance and falling onto the snowy ground. Wen
Ruohan raises his sword again, but Lan Wangji jumps in to fight the other alpha.

“Fire the cannon.” Lan Wangji says to Wei Wuxian while he buys some time by fighting Wen
Ruohan one-on-one.

Wei Wuxian takes the matchbox again and tries to light up the matches one by one until
finally, one of the matches lights up. He quickly burns the wick off and aims the cannon to
the peak of the mountain, hoping that his last and only plan will work.

The cannon flies to the sky, but not hitting any of the marching army nor the archers. Wen
Ruohan and Lan Wangji stop fighting for a moment to stare at the flying cannon.

“Too bad, you missed.” Wen Ruohan laughs.

Wei Wuxian smirks at the enemy. “No, I didn’t miss.”

The cannon hits the peak of the mountain and just as he has planned, it triggers an avalanche.
The mass of ice, snow and rocks descend rapidly down the mountainside and over the Wens
army.

Wen Ruohan freezes in shock and Wei Wuxian uses the distraction to grab Lan Wangji’s hand
and drags the commander to run with him. The snowslide strikes the Wens army and it’s
going to strike them too if they’re not fast enough to avoid it.
Lan Wangji blows out a loud whistle and as if on cue, his white stallion – Bichen, runs
towards him. Wei Wuxian tries to do the same, but his whistle is not loud enough to be heard
by Suibian over the rumbling sound of an avalanche.

Lan Wangji gets onto his horse and gives his hand to him. “Grab my hand.”

He grabs Lan Wangji’s hand and climbs onto the white stallion as the commander hoists him
up.

“Commander Lan! Wei Wuxian!” The other soldiers are calling for them from behind the
rocks.

Lan Wangji kicks his stallion to run faster while Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder to watch
the snowslide getting closer to them. His plan works, but he didn’t think this far. He might
kill their own troops too. Lan Wangji is right about him being reckless; he’s executing a
suicide plan right now.

“Hold on tight.” Lan Wangji says to him.

Before Wei Wuxian can realize what’s happening, Lan Wangji makes a sharp turn to get
behind a rock. He then yanks Bichen’s reins to stop his run so they can stay behind the rock.
Bichen kicks his front legs up with a neigh and Wei Wuxian, not prepared for the sudden
action, falls from the horse and off the ridge. He can see Lan Wangji’s shocked eyes staring
back at him as he falls with the force of gravity.

“Wei Ying!”

Then, much to his surprise, Lan Wangji jumps off his own stallion to catch him. He can hear
the rumbling sound growing louder, he can see Lan Wangji pulling him closer, and he can see
the white snow crashing over the ridge like ocean waves before they both fall. His vision
turns black when the cold snow crashes upon them, but Lan Wangji’s arms around his body
are safe and secure.
When the avalanches finally stop, the soldiers rush over and look down from the edge of the
ridge, seeing the valley underneath buried under a thick layer of snow with no one to be seen.

“We have to search for them.” Song Lan says before grabbing Bichen’s reins. “I need your
help to find our commander.”

Surprisingly, Bichen doesn’t put up a fight despite having another alpha other than his owner
sitting on top of him.

“Help me search for Wei Wuxian.” Jin Zixuan says to Suibian before climbing onto the
stallion.

The soldiers quickly make their way down to the valley and search for Lan Wangji and Wei
Wuxian. They spread out the area and start digging through the snow.

It’s cold and dark, but Wei Wuxian can move his body. He moves his fingers at first, then his
wrist, his arms, his legs, before eventually moving his whole body. It’s so cold and it’s getting
hard to breathe, it feels like his lungs are frozen. Every breath he takes feels like ice going
into his respiratory system.

Then, there’s someone grabbing his arm before he’s pulled upright until he pops out of the
pile of snow.

He coughs lightly before looking at Lan Wangji who also has his lower body buried under the
snow. They both survive the avalanches with no injury. Fortunately, the ridge isn’t that high
and it seems that they didn’t get buried too deep under the snow, so they’re both fine.

“You got some snow on your hair, Commander Lan.” Wei Wuxian says innocently and
reaches his hand to brush some of the snowflakes away from Lan Wangji’s hair.
“Wei Wuxian.” Lan Wangji sighs exasperatedly. “You are the craziest man I’ve ever met.”

Wei Wuxian smiles sheepishly and scratches the back of his head. “My plan worked
though...”

“Yes, and you almost killed all of us.” The commander deadpans, though his eyes soften a
second later. “But you did it. You buried the Wen soldiers under the snow.”

Wei Wuxian looks up to the commander with twinkling eyes, happy at the acknowledgement.
Just then, he realizes that Lan Wangji is still holding his hand. The snow is cold, but Lan
Wangji’s hand is really warm.

“You’ve proved yourself that you’re a great soldier, a great alpha. Your father will be so
proud of you.” Lan Wangji squeezes his hand a little tighter. “I will tell the emperor about
what you have done and he will give you the rewards you deserve. You deserve the honor.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Wei Wuxian drops his gaze with a bashful smile. Despite still
having his lower body buried in the snow, his cheeks feel warm. “I wouldn’t be able to do
this without you, so you’re the one who should get the honor, Commander Lan.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t say anything else, but when Wei Wuxian looks up again, their faces seem
to have gotten much closer than before. He looks into Lan Wangji’s golden eyes as the alpha
leans his face even closer. Then, Wei Wuxian’s eyes flutter shut when their lips press against
each other.

Kissing Lan Wangji is more than anything he has ever imagined. He can feel his blood
pulsing through his veins, the heat flowing through his body, and his stomach fluttering in
happiness. His heart is pounding so hard in his chest and it makes him feel so alive, so warm.

He has never kissed anybody else before, but he knows no one else’s kiss will feel better than
the kiss from the person he’s in love with.
“Commander Lan!”

“Wei Wuxian!”

They pull back abruptly after hearing the calls, eyes wide in surprise as if they were kissing
unconsciously. As if snapping out of it, they immediately release each other’s hand and get
themselves out of the snow.

“Hey, guys! We’re here!” Wei Wuxian waves both hands to the two nearby soldiers who are
trying to dig through the pile of snow.

“There they are!”

“Both of them are alright!”

“Come on, guys!”

Wei Wuxian throws himself to hug Nie Huaisang, laughing when the beta blabbers about how
insane he is for triggering an avalanche. He then goes to hug Song Lan and Jin Zixuan, and
then the other soldiers who are so happy to see them alive.

“Let’s go. We still need to head to the imperial palace.” Lan Wangji says after making sure
that everybody’s alright.

“What will we say to the emperor?” Nie Huaisang asks, curious about the next plan now that
they have wiped the Wen army with the avalanche.

Without saying anything, Lan Wangji slips a hand under his chest armor and pulls out a silver
crest of the Wen, the one Wen Ruohan was wearing around his neck earlier.
“You snatched it?” Wei Wuxian blinks, amazed to see that Lan Wangji still managed to grab
the crest while fighting.

“I did it by accident, but we can use this to report to the emperor.” Lan Wangji slips the crest
back into his armor before turning around. “Let’s move. We can take a break in the next town
to rest and treat any wounds you have – if you need it.”

“Of course we need it!” One of the soldiers says, followed by words of agreement from the
others.

None of them realizes that not all the Wen are dead under the snow.

When the sun begins to set, Wen Ruohan digs himself out of the pile of snow, furious about
his shameful defeat. How could he let an omega trick him and wipe out his army with a
single cannon? He should have slashed that omega’s head when he got the chance.

He roars angrily and the sound seems to wake up some of his soldiers who are still alive
under the snow. More soldiers start to rise and when Wen Ruohan turns around, he can see
five of his soldiers rising from the snow. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to ambush the palace,
especially since the imperial troops must have thought that the Wen army had been
eliminated.

“Let’s go.” He says to the remains of his men. He then walks towards the edge of the hills
and looks at the imperial city far ahead.

“It’s time to join the party.” Wen Ruohan growls angrily. “I’m going to kill that omega bitch
the next time I see him.”
The soldiers decide to rest in a town for the night.

The townspeople welcome them happily when they know that they’re soldiers who are
fighting in the war. The townspeople take them to the tavern and offer them some food and
drinks before eventually inviting them to the brothel area.

Turns out, this town is pretty popular for the brothels, or so the guys said. It’s also said that a
lot of courtesans stay in this town since it’s not too far from the imperial city. Wei Wuxian
has no knowledge about places like this, obviously because he barely left his little village.

“Please let us treat you for the night. Take it as our gratitude for protecting our home from the
enemy.” The lady says as she pours more drinks for the soldiers.

“You can pick any room in any inn that you want. We have a lot of inns and empty rooms that
might suit your liking.”

“Don’t forget to take a look at our omegas. We have a lot of beautiful female omegas and
male omegas too.”

The soldiers look happy and Wei Wuxian knows why they’re happy, but he can’t relate
because he’s an omega. He likes the food and the drinks here, but he will just pick a quiet
room to sleep for the night while everybody else can pick anybody they want to spend the
night with. It feels awkward to see the soldiers ogling the omegas in the tavern while he’s an
omega himself sitting among them.

“Are you going to pick someone?”

“Of course!”
Wei Wuxian glances over to see the two soldiers talking to each other with an excited look on
their faces.

“Hey, Song Lan! Will you pick a male or a female omega?” One of the soldiers asks.

“I’m not picking anybody. I am married.” Song Lan deadpans.

“You are married??” Wei Wuxian whips his head so fast that his hair nearly smacks Nie
Huaisang who’s sitting next to him.

“I am.” Song Lan gives him a look. “Why are you overreacting?”

“You didn’t tell me anything!” Wei Wuxian gasps, almost looking offended that he wasn’t
told about this. “When did you get married? What’s the name?”

“I got married last year. His name is Xiao Xingchen.”

While the two friends are busy with their own conversation, the soldiers turn to look at Lan
Wangji. Instead of drinking alcohol like the others, the commander is drinking his tea quietly
at the end of the table, looking graceful and virtuous as always.

“What about you, Commander Lan?” A soldier dares to ask.

Wei Wuxian freezes at the question and glances at Lan Wangji. He knows Lan Wangji is not
married, but he doesn’t know anything about Lan Wangji’s interest in sexual matters. They
kissed in a spur of the moment earlier, but it doesn’t mean that Lan Wangji has feelings for
him or anything.

He doesn’t know what kind of private life Lan Wangji has outside the military. He doesn’t
know if Lan Wangji is the type of person who can kiss anybody. He doesn’t know if Lan
Wangji is the type who often spends his nights in brothels. He doesn’t know anything about
Lan Wangji’s sexual habits, but he hates thinking about it.

“What about me?” Lan Wangji asks.

“Are you going to pick someone to spend the night with?”

The other soldiers seem eager to hear the answer, curious about what the commander thinks
about this topic. Wei Wuxian pretends not to care, but his ears are listening to the whole
conversation.

“Pointless question.” Lan Wangji answers with a sigh and drinks his tea again.

The curious soldiers start asking the commander about his preferences, whether he prefers
female betas or female omegas, or maybe male omegas. Lan Wangji looks a little annoyed by
their inappropriate questions, but Wei Wuxian is too distracted by his own thoughts, because
Lan Wangji didn’t exactly answer the question with yes or no.

Of course. Lan Wangji is an alpha. It’s normal for him to pick someone from the brothel to
spend the night with. Still, the thought of Lan Wangji touching someone else makes his
stomach churn. There’s an ugly feeling of jealousy stirring in his stomach. That ugly feeling
is crawling up to his throat and suffocating him.

He can’t take it. He has to get out of here before he goes mad.

“I’m getting some fresh air.” He mutters to Nie Huaisang before leaving the room.

Lan Wangji perks up, but he doesn’t say anything to stop Wei Wuxian from leaving the
tavern.
Wei Wuxian walks out of the tavern and away from it. His chest feels tight and his breathing
is heavy. The thought of Lan Wangji sharing a bed with someone else makes him so furious.
He shouldn’t feel this way, he shouldn’t feel jealous when Lan Wangji isn’t even his lover,
but his heart can’t lie.

He didn’t know jealousy can hurt this much. He has never felt this way towards anybody else
before. He has never loved anybody the way he loves Lan Wangji right now.

His mind is starting to get hazy, so he takes a deep breath to calm himself down, but he can’t.
His breathing is heavy, his body is burning up, and his legs are starting to grow weak. He
blinks his eyes rapidly, trying to clear his head and his vision, but everything seems to be
hazy. Is it the alcohol? Did he drink too much? But he didn’t even drink more than three little
sips.

No, he’s not drunk. He knows what’s happening.

When you fall in love and desire someone, you will naturally produce pheromone and it might
trigger your own heat even if you’re suppressing it with this medicine. When that happens…
even my medicine will be useless…

The pheromone of an omega in love is so strong, even my medicine might not be able to hide
it.

Be careful, Wei Wuxian.

The words Grandma Shen said to him suddenly crossed his mind. Falling in love, desiring
someone, producing pheromones – that’s what happening to him. His face blanches when he
realizes that he’s going into heat right now, in the middle of the town, near the brothel area
where his comrades are drinking happily.

Although he can’t smell his own pheromones, he knows they’re oozing from his body. He
can see the people around him stop whatever they’re doing to stare at him. His body tenses
up in alert before he flees from the spot. He can hear those people following him and it’s hard
for him to run fast when his body is weakened by the heat.
He doesn't know whether the street is always this crowded every night or if these people are
attracted by his pheromones, but the amount of men who are chasing after him seems to
increase the more he runs. He doesn’t know where to go. He has never had his heat outside
the village before. Whenever he had his heat at home, his father was always there to protect
him, but now he has no one.

He’s alone right now. He doesn’t know what to do. His body is burning up and it’s hot, it’s
painful. He needs someone to help him. He needs Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know where he’s running to. He turns around every corner he can find
and sneaks into any alleyways to escape from the people who are attracted by his
pheromones. The more he runs, the more painful his heat gets. He needs someone who can
satiate his heat, he needs a man, an alpha, but not just anybody.

Lan Wangji. He only wants Lan Wangji.

When he turns around another corner, he bumps into another person and loses his balance,
but that person catches him before he falls. Wei Wuxian struggles at first, but when he looks
up to the person who catches him, he sighs in relief.

“Wei Wuxian—” Lan Wangji doesn’t even manage to say another word before a sweet smell
strikes his senses like a punch in the face. His eyes grow wide in shock as he stares at the
omega in heat.

“Commander Lan…” Wei Wuxian whines, his pheromones are oozing even more as his body
starts to dampen. He presses his nose against Lan Wangji’s neck to inhale the alpha’s scent.
Such a nice smell, like the scent of sandalwood, soft and comforting. He wants to be
enveloped by this scent.

“Wei Ying, you…” Lan Wangji stutters with his words, looking completely baffled at what’s
happening.
Wei Wuxian knows Lan Wangji must be shocked to find out that he’s an omega, and in heat
on top of that. He knows this will mess everything up, but he can’t think about other things
when his heat is taking over his mind. Right now, he needs the commander to satiate his heat
and breed him full with his seeds.

“There! He’s the omega with that sweet smell!” A man appears suddenly, grinning from ear
to ear when he finds the omega he has been chasing. A moment later, more men start to
appear in the alleyway, all drooling over Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji immediately pulls Wei Wuxian closer to his chest and growls at all of them.
“Back off.”

They seem unhappy, but also threatened at the same time. Although the omega smells so
sweet, the alpha who’s holding him is obviously dangerous. They’re not sure if the unfamiliar
omega is worth taking the risk for. In the end, they slowly back away and leave the two of
them alone.

“Commander Lan… please…” Wei Wuxian whines again as he rubs his face against the
alpha’s neck. Just from smelling Lan Wangji like this, he can feel his slick trickling down his
inner thighs. His body is burning up and his loins are aching, everything is getting painful.

Lan Wangji is quick to move. He keeps Wei Wuxian close against him as he walks to the
nearest inn he can find.

“A room please.” He says to the lady at the front.

The woman looks at Lan Wangji, at Wei Wuxian, and then answers quickly. “W-We have a
room that’s separated from other rooms, but you have to pay more for it.”

“Please give me that room.” Lan Wangji says before following the woman into the inn, taking
Wei Wuxian along with him.
“Commander Lan, it hurts… help me…” Wei Wuxian’s eyes grow teary as his body aches for
touches.

Lan Wangji gets inside the room, locks the door, and then strips Wei Wuxian off his armor.
Wei Wuxian tries to do the same, but his trembling hands are struggling to get Lan Wangji’s
armor off. In the end, Lan Wangji takes off his own armor until both of them are left with
their inner clothes. He sweeps Wei Wuxian off his feet to carry the omega, and then takes him
to the bed.

“You’re always been different from the other soldiers.” Lan Wangji murmurs as he sets Wei
Wuxian down in the middle of the bed. His golden eyes seem to flash in the dark, like a
hungry beast ready to devour its prey. “I thought that there’s no way you’re an omega, but
turns out… you are…”

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian calls out sweetly, so different from the stubborn and reckless
soldier Lan Wangji has always known him as. “It’s burning… it hurts… please...”

Lan Wangji lets out a growl at the plea. He’s still stunned over the discovery, but he has his
priorities as an alpha. He can’t deny that he may have developed some feelings for Wei
Wuxian, so having the omega begging him to satiate his heat is something he definitely can’t
refuse.

After all, he is losing his mind as much as Wei Wuxian is. Who would have thought that the
young alpha who has been messing with his head turns out to be an omega?

He pulls Wei Wuxian’s robe open and leans down to sniff at his neck, inhaling the familiar
scent of ripened peaches; the one that lingered in his nose sometimes when they were in the
camp.

“Such a sweet scent…” Lan Wangji mutters lowly.

“Ah…!” Wei Wuxian gasps when Lan Wangji sucks on his neck to craft a hickey.
Lan Wangji’s hands continue their work to strip the omega naked. Wei Wuxian can feel those
strong hands roaming across his body from his thighs, his small waist, and up to his chest.
Wei Wuxian trembles at the touch, his body burning up as the alpha touches him all over. Lan
Wangji’s touches are like flames licking over his skin. Every spot the alpha touches is
tingling and burning.

“Such soft skin and sensitive body… I should have known from the start…” Lan Wangji
murmurs, still nipping at Wei Wuxian’s neck as he uses his fingers to pinch on a nipple.

“Oh…!” Wei Wuxian lets out such a sweet cry to Lan Wangji’s ears.

Lan Wangji moves his attention to both nipples, pinching and rubbing until they’re perked.
Then, he leans down and takes a nipple into his mouth to suck and play with it.

“Ah! Nghh—Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian moans and writhes under the alpha. He can feel his
spine jolting and his slick gushing out. He has never had anybody touching him this way
before, he has never felt something like this. He didn’t know his body could feel this way, but
it feels so good.

Lan Wangji moves to the other nipple, sucking and licking at the bud until it’s swollen. He
can smell Wei Wuxian’s scent oozing and filling the room, indulging his senses. It’s so sweet,
so addicting. He has caught a whiff of this scent a few times during training, but he didn’t
really pay attention to it until now.

Now that he thinks about it, he only smelled this sweet scent in the camp when Wei Wuxian
was around. He only smelled this scent because Wei Wuxian released his pheromones when
they’re together. Lan Wangji may not be married, but he has basic knowledge about omegas.
He knows the reason an omega releases their pheromone is either because of their heat or
because they’re attracted to the person.

He doesn’t want to think too far, but there must be a reason why Wei Wuxian only released
his pheromones when there were only the two of them, or why nobody else smelled this
sweet scent in the camp. He knew, because he had asked his soldiers about the mysterious
sweet scent and nobody understood what he was talking about.
Wei Wuxian cries feebly when Lan Wangji bites onto his nipple, sending a stinging pleasure
down his spine. He is painfully hard and his hole is aching, begging for something more. He
has never done this before, but he knows what his body needs. He knows he needs Lan
Wangji’s cock plugging him up and knotting him.

Lan Wangji pulls away and licks his lips when he sees how pretty the nipples are, red and
swollen from his ministrations. He had seen Wei Wuxian that night in the river. He should
have known that this is the body of an omega; soft, sensitive, and delicate.

“Lan Zhan...” Wei Wuxian croaks out, eyes pleading. “More… want more…”

Lan Wangji can feel his body responding to the call. The alpha inside him wants to satiate his
poor omega and savor every drop of him. He trails his eyes down to Wei Wuxian’s crotch and
sees his cock pointing up to his stomach, red and dripping from the tip. How cute and feeble,
as expected from an omega.

Wei Wuxian gasps when Lan Wangji grabs his length and then trembles when the alpha
strokes it teasingly. It feels good, having Lan Wangji touching it feels good, but his hole is
aching even more. It’s twitching furiously and dripping continuously, demanding to be
touched too. At this point, the bed sheet beneath them will be soaked by his slick.

“Please, please, Lan Zhan… It’s aching so much…” He mumbles senselessly, but Lan Wangji
seems to know what he’s begging for.

Lan Wangji moves his hand lower and touches the rim with his fingers, feeling how wet it is.
Then, with a growl rumbling from his chest, he pushes his finger in with a slick sound.

“Ahh…!” Wei Wuxian arches his back. His hands pull onto the shirt Lan Wangji is wearing,
causing it to come loose. No one else has ever touched that place before, yet it feels so right
to have the alpha breaching in.

“Is it your first time?” Lan Wangji’s voice sounds a little different. It’s deeper, lower, and it
seems to be rumbling from the back of his throat, but this voice sends a shudder running
down Wei Wuxian’s spine.
Wei Wuxian nods his head vigorously, gasping for air as the alpha begins pumping his finger.
It’s a joy for Lan Wangji to know that the omega under him has never been touched by
anybody else before. What a poor omega he is to have his first time taken by an alpha like
him, because he’s not going to hold back tonight. He is going to wreck Wei Wuxian with
pleasure until the omega can’t even move a muscle.

Lan Wangji pushes his second finger afterwards, pumping and curling them to spread the
omega open, to prepare him for something much bigger. Wei Wuxian mewls at each stroke of
fingers and keeps pulling onto Lan Wangji’s shirt until he can take it off. It’s not only his own
scent, Lan Wangji’s scent is oozing too. Their pheromones are mixing together in the air.

Lan Wangji twists his wrist and curls his fingers again, rubbing against something inside him.
It sends a rush of pleasure through Wei Wuxian’s body and rips out a scream from his throat.
His hips tremble and his toes curl when Lan Wangji presses against that spot.

“Here?” Lan Wangji husks as he rubs that tender spot over and over again.

“L-Lan Zhan, not there… No—ahh!” Wei Wuxian squeaks, unable to speak coherently with
the alpha teasing that sensitive spot.

“Let go.” Lan Wangji says, almost like a command.

With a scream, Wei Wuxian’s body jolts as he spills all over himself. His slick gushes out
with a squelching sound, coating Lan Wangji’s knuckles with clear slick. The alpha then pulls
his fingers out, watching the thick strings of slick following the movement.

Wei Wuxian is panting and quivering on the bed, still dazed after reaching his orgasm. When
he hears the rustling sound of fabric, he looks down at the alpha and then feels his breath
getting knocked out of his lungs.

Lan Wangji is naked. The commander’s body is strong and sturdy like the warrior he is. His
long black hair looks so contrasted against his pale skin and he looks so beautiful, almost
ethereal. Wei Wuxian stares at the alpha with so much adoration in his eyes before his gaze
trails down to Lan Wangji’s length hanging heavily between his legs.

It’s so big, so different from his own. Wei Wuxian doesn’t even know if it will really fit
inside him, but his slick trickles out in response, showing that his body is ready to accept it.
There’s a thicker part at the base of Lan Wangji’s cock where a knot will form to plug him
up. He has read books about alphas before, but it’s his first time seeing a naked alpha with his
own eyes. Lan Wangji’s cock is bigger than the illustrations he saw in the books.

Lan Wangji holds Wei Wuxian’s thighs and spreads them open, putting the omega’s
flexibility to use. As he thought, Lan Wangji’s hands feel so strong around his thighs; they fit
perfectly on every part of his body. Lan Wangji slowly aligns the tip of his cock against the
slicked rim before pushing in.

Wei Wuxian holds his breath at the push, but then screams as Lan Wangji breaches in and
slides his whole length in one steady thrust. He can feel every inch of Lan Wangji’s length
pushing into him, rubbing his walls and forcing him open. There’s a burning feeling from the
stretch because Lan Wangji is so big, but his body tells him that it feels so good.

Lan Wangji grits his teeth at the juicy tightness. He can even feel a gush of warm slick
spilling over his cock when he’s fully inside. His eyes darken when he looks down at Wei
Wuxian, seeing the omega trembling to accept him. Wei Wuxian’s skin is sheening with
sweat and his poor hole is stretched painfully to take his cock in, yet Lan Wangji has never
seen anything so beautiful before.

“Wei Ying…” He murmurs and leans down to take the omega’s lips in a kiss.

Wei Wuxian kisses him back, sloppily and messily, mewling and gasping in between, yet the
alpha can’t help but to think how adorable it is. He moves his hands to grab Wei Wuxian’s
ass, squeezing the cheeks roughly and lifting his hips up to grind his cock deeper.

“O-Oh…! Lan Zhan, too deep—nghh… So big…” Wei Wuxian sputters as his hands
scramble to hold onto the alpha.
“Take it. Take all of me.” Lan Wangji starts moving his hips.

It starts slow at first, but it doesn't take long until Lan Wangji picks up his pace and increases
his power. The alpha snaps his hips hard, thrusting into his body and hitting that sensitive
spot inside him, abusing the tender spot.

Wei Wuxian screams and Lan Wangji thinks it’s such a beautiful cry. Wei Wuxian is so tight
inside, so wet and so hot, squeezing around his cock and sucking him deeper each time he
rams in. Oh, how lovely and perfect this omega is.

“Ah—ahh! Too hard…!” Wei Wuxian chokes between his moans, nearly sobbing at how
intense it is. Lan Wangji doesn’t let him catch his breath as he rams into him over and over
again. Lan Wangji’s cock is so big, so thick, and it reaches so deep inside, claiming every
spot that no one has ever touched before.

Lan Wangji moves his hands to Wei Wuxian’s hips, lifting the omega even more and pulling
him to meet each of his thrust. Wei Wuxian is sobbing and screaming under him, body
flushed and skin glowing with sweat as he trembles helplessly. How beautiful, Lan Wangji
thinks. He has never seen such a beautiful omega before.

“Too deep—ahh!” Wei Wuxian yelps when Lan Wangji gives another punishing thrust. His
mind is spinning, his vision is filled with bursts of lights, his mouth is hanging open, and his
body is losing strength.

Lan Wangji is holding his hips tightly. His eyes are dark with lust, but also burning with
flames. Lan Wangji is so beautiful like that with his strong muscles tightening, with the sweat
trickling down his skin, and with his brows furrowed in bliss. He’s the reason why Lan
Wangji looks like this, he’s the reason why the alpha is feeling good.

“Lan Zhan…!” Wei Wuxian cries out and reaches his hands towards the alpha, wanting to
cling onto him. “C-Come here… come closer…”

Without any warning, Lan Wangji suddenly pushes Wei Wuxian’s legs up to his chest and
bends over, forcing the omega to fold his body as he wraps his arms around. His knot is
starting to form and it’s just a matter of time before he pushes it in. Wei Wuxian shuts his
eyes with a scream when Lan Wangji slides even deeper in the new position, but the alpha
keeps thrusting with such vigor.

“My name.” Lan Wangji growls, rocking the bed along with his movement.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian cries out again, his hips begin to tremble as he claws weakly onto
Lan Wangji’s back. “P-Please… please…!”

Wei Wuxian isn’t sure what exactly he is begging for, but Lan Wangji gets it. With another
snap of his hips, Lan Wangji pushes his knot in to lock their bodies together, gritting his teeth
as he does so. Lan Wangji watches as the omega arches his back, body tensing up and eyes
scrunched shut while screaming for his name.

Wei Wuxian screams as he spills his release between their bodies. His cock is spurting
weakly in the second orgasm, but he still squirts all over Lan Wangji’s cock. The alpha
doesn’t stop at that. Lan Wangji pushes and pulls as much as his knot allows, chasing after
his own orgasm and torturing the trembling omega with pleasure.

Just when Wei Wuxian feels like passing out, Lan Wangji comes inside him, spilling into him
in spurts of hot seeds until his belly is full and warm. Lan Wangji collapses on top of him
afterwards, breathing heavily yet still holding him securely in his arms. Wei Wuxian closes
his eyes with a sigh, feeling his heat finally calming down for now.

Lan Wangji’s embrace is so warm, so secure, and it makes Wei Wuxian feel safe and relaxed.
He barely notices it when the knot shrinks until Lan Wangji slowly pulls himself out, making
him whine at the loss. Lan Wangji then rolls over to lie beside him and spoons him from
behind, his one arm draping over his waist.

Thinking that the alpha wants to get some sleep, Wei Wuxian closes his eyes and lets himself
relax. He’s pretty tired and he's sure Lan Wangji is tired too. Whatever happens after this, he
will take care of it tomorrow.
However, Wei Wuxian doesn’t get to rest for too long until his body grows hot again. He
starts breathing heavily and squirming on the bed. Lan Wangji’s arm on his waist moves
suddenly, proving that he isn’t asleep the whole time. Lan Wangji slowly slides his hand up
and pinches on a nipple.

“Ahh…” Wei Wuxian moans softly. Just a simple touch is enough to trigger another wave of
his heat. His body is dampening again, but Lan Wangji is ready for it. The alpha is here to
satiate his heat until his body can’t take it anymore.

Lan Wangji lifts one of his legs to spread him open and then presses the tip of his cock
against his twitching hole. When Lan Wangji slides into him once again, Wei Wuxian shuts
his eyes and cries out feebly. The alpha doesn’t waste any time to start pounding into him,
sending him to the peak of his pleasure over and over again.

Wei Wuxian has never had his heat satiated this way before. Back home, he only drank some
herbal medicine and slept it away, so he had no idea that he’d need to have so many sexual
intercourses to satiate his heat. Every time he thinks that it’s over, his body starts burning up
again. It’s like a never ending cycle of heat.

Thankfully, Lan Wangji is here with him. Lan Wangji knots him so many times that Wei
Wuxian doesn’t know if he can close his legs again after this, but he doesn’t mind. The alpha
will take good care of him and satiate his heat until it’s over.

There’s something brushing against his head as he stirs awake from his sleep. He opens his
eyes and waits until his vision comes into focus before he looks at the person who is touching
his head.
Lan Wangji is sitting at the side of the bed, already geared up with his armor and ready to
leave. Wei Wuxian stares dazedly at the alpha until he remembers what happened last night
and why they’re in the same room this morning. He immediately props himself up with
elbows, but stops abruptly when he feels the ache on his hips.

“Don’t get up yet.” The commander says softly.

“Commander, I—”

“I know.” Lan Wangji cuts him off. “I know why your father didn’t register your name to the
army.”

“I-I had to… I can’t let them take my father.” He bites his lip.

“I understand your feelings, but did you think you could hide your identity forever?”

“I have done well so far.” Wei Wuxian claims. He’s sure he would be able to hide his identity
till the end if only he didn’t fall in love with the commander.

“Then what happened last night?”

Wei Wuxian’s face flushes in red. Memories of intimacy strike him in the head, reminding
him of the rounds of love-making Lan Wangji did to him in order to satiate his heat. Despite
all the mess, his heart can’t lie. He’s happy to be held by Lan Wangji.

“It was… a mistake…”

“One mistake that could cost your life.” Lan Wangji narrows his eyes. “It is forbidden by the
empire’s law to have omegas joining the army. It is punishable by death. They will show you
no mercy.”
Wei Wuxian knew the risk he’s taking from the moment he left the village to join the military
camp. He knew there’s a chance that somebody might find out and he might get a death
sentence. He was already prepared for the risk when he made up his mind to take his father’s
place, but he wasn’t prepared to fall in love.

He sits up from the bed, wincing momentarily at the ache on his lower back. Lan Wangji
watches him quietly, not saying anything as if he’s not the cause of the soreness. Wei Wuxian
glances at the commander and quickly pulls the blanket higher to cover his naked body. Even
though he knows Lan Wangji has seen him naked last night, he still feels embarrassed,
especially when he sees all the marks that Lan Wangji left on his body.

“Is there anybody else who knows that you’re an omega?” The commander asks.

“...Song Lan knows.”

“Only him?” Lan Wangji looks doubtful.

“I think so…?” Wei Wuxian darts his eyes away.

Seeing that Wei Wuxian seems unsure with his own words, Lan Wangji blows out a heavy
sigh and shakes his head. “Forget it.”

Wei Wuxian swallows thickly and makes a move to get out of the bed. “I’ll get ready now.”

“No.” Lan Wangji says sharply. “You’re staying here. You’re not coming with us.”

“What?” Wei Wuxian frowns at the commander’s words. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not coming with us to the imperial city. Go back to your village and stay with your
father.” Lan Wangji stands up from the bed. “I have asked the inn worker for some herbal
medicine, you should drink that and go home after. Your stallion is already waiting outside.”

“No, I’m coming with you!” Wei Wuxian quickly gets out of the bed, but his legs are still too
weak to hold his body up.

Lan Wangji catches him before he falls. The alpha puts him back on the bed and pulls the
blanket to cover his body again. “You’re not coming with us.”

“Why?” Wei Wuxian looks up with saddened eyes. “Are you angry to find out that I’m an
omega…?”

“I would be lying if I said that I’m not angry.” Lan Wangji says, but he doesn’t look as angry
as what he claims to be. “The imperial government might have known about your identity.
They can trace your family line and everything else. You might be captured once we arrive in
the imperial city and I can’t risk that.”

“It’s the same! They might come to my village and capture me later!”

“No, I can tell them that you died on the battlefield. They would let it go.”

Wei Wuxian thinks about the idea for a moment, but then shakes his head. “How can you
make that kind of lie? Our troops know the truth that I didn’t die.”

“I’ll ask them to keep their mouths shut about this. I’ll force them if I need to.”

Wei Wuxian shakes his head again. “If the imperial government finds out that you’re lying,
you might be executed.”
“I’ll deal with it.” Lan Wangji says without any doubt or worry. “You have to go back to your
father now. He must be worried sick about you.”

Wei Wuxian stares at the alpha, his eyes starting to grow teary. “I did this to myself. I’ll come
with you to the imperial city and take responsibility for my actions. You should stay out of
this.”

Lan Wangji brings his hand to brush the tears falling down from Wei Wuxian’s eyes. “You
led us to victory against the Wens. I won’t be able to live my life in peace if they punish you
despite what you have done for the country.”

“But… I want to be with you…” Wei Wuxian croaks out.

“You can’t.” Lan Wangji says coldly, like a blade piercing through Wei Wuxian’s cracked
heart. “You have to go back to your village and hide yourself until they forget about you. We
part ways here, Wei Wuxian.”

“No!” Wei Wuxian grabs Lan Wangji’s hand before the alpha can walk away. He refuses to
believe that Lan Wangji doesn’t have any feelings for him at all. It’s true that alphas lose their
minds easily in front of an omega in heat, but with the way Lan Wangji held him last night,
he knows it’s more than just lust.

When Lan Wangji looks at him, however, his eyes are as cold as ice. “This is your only
chance to go back to your father. I’d definitely take it if I was you.”

Lan Wangji pulls his hand away from his hold and turns around to walk to the door. Wei
Wuxian watches as the alpha leaves after breaking his heart into two.

“But I love you…” He mutters under his breath before dropping his head, letting his tears fall
down his face.
Lan Wangji halts his step. He slowly turns his head, seeing the omega crying pitifully on the
bed. His heart aches at the sight, but he knows there’s no other way to make Wei Wuxian go
home other than hurting him like this. It’s cruel, but if this can keep Wei Wuxian safe, then
he’s willing to do it.

But to ignore such a sincere love confession… Lan Wangji can’t do that.

Wei Wuxian perks up when he hears footsteps and then sees Lan Wangji standing in front of
him again. Before he can say a word, the commander suddenly leans down to kiss his lips.

The kiss is soft, gentle, but deep. Lan Wangji pries his mouth open and slides his tongue in,
licking his cavern slowly until the inside of his mouth feels like melting. Wei Wuxian has
never kissed anybody else before Lan Wangji, but he thinks this is how lovers kiss each other.

Lan Wangji pulls back after a while, thumb brushing over the omega’s reddened lips.

“Go back to your village.” He whispers softly before giving Wei Wuxian another peck. “I’ll
see you there.”

“…What?”

Without answering, Lan Wangji turns around and strides to the door again, ignoring Wei
Wuxian’s voice calling for him. He can’t turn back again, or else he won’t be able to walk
away anymore. He leaves the inn and heads to the town’s gate where his troops are waiting to
continue their journey to the imperial city.

“Let’s go.” He grabs the reins of his stallion and makes a move to leave.

“Commander, Wei Wuxian is not here yet.”

“Maybe he overslept, probably had too much fun last night.” One of the soldiers says
jokingly.

“I haven’t seen him since he left the tavern last night. Where did he go?”

“He’s not coming with us.” Lan Wangji says.

“What? Why?” Nie Huaisang frowns in disagreement. “We can’t just leave him behind.”

Song Lan senses something wrong about this, so he steps up to the commander. “Was he with
you last night?”

Lan Wangji looks at the other alpha for a second before answering. “He was.”

“Did you do something to him?” Song Lan lowers his voice. “Did you sleep with him?”

“I did.” Lan Wangji says calmly.

“You…!” Song Lan’s eyes grow wide in disbelief and anger. His hands are balled into fists,
but he restraints himself. “You’re our commander! How could you…!”

“I did what I had to do.”

“And then you left him just like this?” Song Lan grits his teeth. “Where’s your dignity as an
alpha, Commander Lan??”

“…You know he can’t come with us to the imperial city. You know what will happen to him
if they find out.” Lan Wangji’s voice remains calm, though his face doesn’t look as calm
anymore.
“Commander Lan is right. Wei Wuxian can’t come with us.” Jin Zixuan joins the
conversation to calm things down.

“…You know about this too?” Song Lan looks at the other alpha.

“I heard your conversation before.” Jin Zixuan says with a nod. “I know you’re pissed, but I
think this is the best for Wei Wuxian. We know he will get severe punishments if they know
that he’s an omega. This way, we can keep him safe at least.”

Song Lan still looks unhappy, but he doesn’t try to pick a fight with Lan Wangji anymore.
After all, what Jin Zixuan said it’s true. There’s a chance that the imperial government has
tracked down Wei Wuxian’s family to find out that his father only has an omega son. It’s
probably better for them to leave Wei Wuxian here, but it doesn’t mean he’s happy with the
decision.

“Wait, what’s happening? Wei Wuxian is an omega?” The soldiers start murmuring to each
other.

Nie Huaisang looks around with a confused look on his face. “Wait, you guys are telling me
that you didn’t know he’s an omega? I thought it’s so obvious.”

Everybody turns their heads to stare at Nie Huaisang.

“You guys seriously didn’t notice?” Nie Huaisang blinks.

“I need you all to do a favor for me. It’s for Wei Wuxian’s sake and you are not allowed to
refuse.” Lan Wangji says to his troops.
Wei Wuxian is still sitting on the bed when a knock comes from the door. He wipes his tears
messily with both hands and wraps the blanket around himself before answering.

“Come in.”

“Good morning.” A young man enters the room with a smile on his face. He is holding a tray
with a bowl on it. “I was told to send this to your room.”

“What might it be?”

“It’s a herbal medicine for omegas. We usually take this after heat, to reduce swelling and to
prevent pregnancy.”

“…Oh.”

For a moment, Wei Wuxian forgot that there’s a big chance of him getting pregnant after Lan
Wangji knotted him so many times during his heat last night. Suddenly, a crazy idea crosses
his mind for a split second, but he quickly brushes it off. His father might get a heart attack if
he comes home with a baby in his belly.

Perhaps noticing the sullen look on his face, the inn worker sets the tray on the table and
drags a chair to sit in front of him. “Um… are you alright?”

“Hm?” Wei Wuxian snaps out of his trance.

“Oh, sorry, it’s just… you look very sad.” The inn worker says. “I saw you last night, you’re
supposed to be one of the soldiers, but now you’re here and… you’re an omega...”

Wei Wuxian presses his lips and drops his gaze. “I’m left behind now.”

There’s a beat of silence between them before the inn worker speaks again. “May I know
your name, Sir?”

“Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian.”

“I’m Wen Ning, courtesy name Wen Qionglin.” The inn worker gives him a smile. “I’m
willing to listen if you want to talk.”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t think it’s a good idea to tell a stranger what happened, but he needs
someone to listen. Besides, the smile on Wen Ning’s face is so kind and reassuring.

“My father was drafted into the military even though he’s not capable anymore.” Wei Wuxian
decides to start his story.

He tells Wen Ning everything about his ailing father, his disguise as an alpha, the military
training, and about the war. He leaves some details behind, especially the ones that might
give out any clue about his father or his family. He talks a lot about Lan Wangji, about the
commander who stole his heart and held him last night, about the alpha who left him behind
when the morning came.

Wen Ning listens attentively to his story. There are no omegas around his age in the village,
so talking to Wen Ning makes Wei Wuxian feel comfortable.

There’s a look of sympathy in Wen Ning’s eyes, maybe because he sounds like he’s about to
cry whenever he mentions Lan Wangji. He didn’t know love could make him so fragile and
sensitive, yet it’s such a precious feeling that he doesn’t want to trade with anything else.
“Most alphas are like that, but based on your story… I think he does love you too.” Wen
Ning says after he ends the story.

“I don’t want to get my hopes up.” Wei Wuxian smiles bitterly.

“Please drink your medicine first. Then, you can figure out your next plan.” Wen Ning hands
the bowl of medicine to him.

“Thank you.” Wei Wuxian takes a sip of the medicine and then pauses when he remembers
something. “Wait, I don’t think I have any money with me. I can’t pay.”

“Don’t worry, we serve the soldiers for free and you’re a special guest.” Wen Ning says
reassuringly. “You can stay here for the day if you’re still tired. Please let me change the
bedsheet first.”

“Okay.” Wei Wuxian slowly stands up from the bed, still clutching the blanket around
himself.

They both freeze when they see some blood stains on the bed sheet. Wei Wuxian feels his
cheeks heating up in embarrassment. While it’s obvious that a lot of people have sex in this
area, it’s still shameful to have a stranger discovering it, especially since it’s obvious that he
was a virgin until last night.

“You can take a bath if you want. We have a connected bathhouse behind the inn and don’t
worry, it’s separated for omegas.” Wen Ning says with a soft smile on his face.

“Thank you.” Wei Wuxian sits on the chair to drink the rest of the medicine while Wen Ning
changes the bed sheet.
After he finishes the medicine, he searches for his armor, but the only thing he can find are
some clothes that are folded nicely on the table with his sword placed on top of them. Lan
Wangji must have taken his armor away so that he won’t be able to wear it.

“Are you searching for something?” Wen Ning asks once he’s done changing the bed sheet.

“He took my armor away…”

“Oh...” Wen Ning looks at the clothes and sword before turning to Wei Wuxian again. “Are
you planning to go to the imperial city?”

“I am.” Wei Wuxian nods in determination. He doesn’t know if it’s a good idea, but he wants
to stay with Lan Wangji. If they’re going to punish him for what he did, then they should
leave Lan Wangji out of this. He will take full responsibility for his own actions.

Wen Ning thinks about it for a moment before opening his mouth again. “There’s a festival in
the imperial palace tonight, if you want you can–”

A sudden commotion from outside snaps them out of the conversation. They quickly walk to
the window to check what’s happening and why the townspeople are screaming.

Wei Wuxian gasps when he sees Wen Ruohan and his soldiers walking down the street while
pushing everybody out of their way. This is bad, he didn’t think some of the Wens would
survive the avalanches. At this rate, Wen Ruohan will still ambush the palace while
everybody thinks that he’s dead.

“W-Why are they here? Didn’t the soldiers take care of them already?” One of the
townspeople murmurs to the other.

Wen Ruohan halts his steps and walks to the group of townspeople at the side. Everybody
runs away from him, but he manages to grab the man he wants to talk to.
“Where are the soldiers?” He grits through his teeth.

“T-They went to the imperial city already…!” The poor man stutters in fear.

Wen Ruohan throws him to a fruit stall before he continues to walk with his soldiers. Wei
Wuxian quickly ducks his head to hide when they walk past the inn before poking his head
again after they have walked away.

He waits until the Wens have disappeared down the street before grabbing his clothes and his
father’s sword. “I need to go now.”

“You’re following them? It’s too dangerous!” Wen Ning says with a worried look on his face.
“Can you wait until tonight? Because we—”

“It might be too late. My friends have no idea that some of the Wens are still alive. I need to
tell them.” Wei Wuxian puts his clothes on in a hurry before hugging Wen Ning. “Thank you
so much for everything, Wen Ning. I really appreciate your kindness.”

“W-Wait…” Wen Ning says, but Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem like he wants to listen to anything
else.

“Goodbye, Wen Ning. I hope we can see each other again.” Wei Wuxian flashes the other
omega a smile before rushing out of the room.

“B-But… we’re also planning to go to the imperial palace soon…” Wen Ning says to no one
as he stares at the door.

A minute later, a woman walks into the room to speak with Wen Ning. “Has the omega from
last night left? I heard someone running out of the inn earlier.”
 “Jiejie!” Wen Ning rushes over to his sister. “He’s heading to the imperial palace on his
own!”

“Does he know that we’re heading to the imperial palace soon in our carriage?” Wen Qing
furrows her brows lightly.

“I-I tried to tell him, but I think he didn’t listen…”

“Don’t worry, we will definitely see him tonight if he’s heading to the imperial palace.” Wen
Qing says reassuringly and pats her younger brother on his head.

Chapter End Notes

🫢
ofc wwx won't listen to lwj's command and probably the trigger of lwj's dom behavior in
the tags

i tweaked some scenes from the original mulan storyline cause well... i want to write
more porn, that's the reason why i wrote this fic in the first place ok, it's the porn
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The sun has just set when Wei Wuxian arrives at the imperial city with Suibian, but it is
already full with people. Lanterns are hanging above the streets and people are making their
ways to the city hall. Colorful kites are floating on the sky above, all bright and beautiful in
various shapes. Everybody looks joyful and happy, not knowing that Wen Ruohan is still
alive and is bringing his men here to crash the festival.

Wei Wuxian leaves Suibian in the available stable before walking his way towards the
imperial palace. He looks around as he walks, trying to search for any soldiers he can warn
about Wen Ruohan. Lan Wangji is nowhere to be found, neither are his other friends. They’re
probably in the imperial palace right now, unaware of the upcoming threat.

Lan Wangji told him not to come here since there’s a possibility that the imperial government
already knows about his true identity, but Wei Wuxian can’t just stand still. Right now, he has
to find a way to stop Wen Ruohan. Whatever happens to him after this, he will deal with it
later.

“Did you hear about the soldiers who arrived today?”

Wei Wuxian halts and turns around to look at a group of young women who are talking at the
side of the street.

“The commander carried the crest of Wen with him. I heard they won against the Wen army
on their way here!” One of the ladies says in amazement.

“I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep for nights, but now I can finally calm down.”

“Let’s just enjoy tonight’s festival.”

Wei Wuxian decides to walk up to them. “Excuse me.”

“Yes?” The ladies turn to him.

“The soldiers who arrived earlier today… Do you perhaps know where they are right now?”

“I think they’re inside the imperial palace.” A woman says before turning to her friends for
confirmation. “Right?”

“Yes, they should be in the palace right now. I heard the Emperor wants to give them his
gratitude for defeating the Wen army.” The other woman nods in agreement.

“Alright, thank you very much.” Wei Wuxian smiles at them before walking away.

When he reaches the gate of the palace, he stops and looks up. The guards won’t allow
anybody to get inside and he doesn’t know if there’s a way for him to sneak inside. The
imperial palace is bigger than he imagined and it’s full of guards. He wonders how Wen
Ruohan will plan his attack with so many people gathering here.

When he hears a noise, he turns over his shoulder to see some horse carriages walking up
towards the gate. The guards speak with the coachman for a while before opening the gate for
them. Wei Wuxian immediately walks between carriages in hope to sneak in.

The guards, however, catch him before he can get through the gate.

“You are not allowed to enter the palace.” One of the guards blocks his way.

“I need to talk to one of the soldiers inside. Please, this is an urgent matter.” Wei Wuxian tries
to talk with the guards, hoping that they can at least pass the message if he’s not allowed to
enter.
“Who are you?” The guard eyes him suspiciously from head to toe. “You’re carrying a sword
with you. We can’t let you enter the palace. Leave right now.”

Wei Wuxian opens and closes his mouth with no words uttered. What should he say? That
he’s one of the soldiers from Lan Wangji’s troops? Will they believe him? If the imperial
government finds out, will Lan Wangji get punished too?

“Leave right now.” The guard holds his spear out to Wei Wuxian, forcing the omega to step
back.

“He’s with us.”

Wei Wuxian turns around and blinks at the woman who is walking over to him. She has a
wagon and a carriage behind her and she looks like someone who’s supposed to be inside the
palace, but Wei Wuxian has no idea who this woman is.

“He’s one of our dancers who got separated. My apologies.” The woman bows at the guard.

“What?” Wei Wuxian blinks dumbly.

“I see, so you’re the performers.” The guard eyes them carefully. “Why is he carrying a
sword then?”

“It’s a fake sword for the dance.” The woman says intelligently.

“You should have told me from the start.” The guard finally puts his spear down and steps
aside to give a way for them.
“Come on, we’re going to be late.” The woman grabs Wei Wuxian by the arm and drags him
towards her carriage.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Wei Wuxian asks, but he doesn’t really struggle.

“Soldier Wei.” A hushed voice comes from inside the carriage.

Wei Wuxian turns his head and drops his mouth open when he sees Wen Ning waving his
hand at him. He stares at Wen Ning, at the woman in front of him, and then shakes his head
in confusion. “May I know what’s happening?”

“Just get in first.” Wen Qing proceeds to shove Wei Wuxian into the carriage before joining
him.

“Soldier Wei, I’m glad we can see each other again here.” Wen Ning smiles as Wei Wuxian
sits next to him.

“You can call me Wei Ying.” Wei Wuxian says and smiles sheepishly at the other people in
the carriage who are staring curiously at him. “What’s happening?”

“This is my older sister, Wen Qing.” Wen Ning introduces him to his sister first.

Wen Ning then explains about the things they do which includes performing in the palace
during festivals or to entertain guests. Wen Ning is apparently a good dancer while Wen Qing
is a skilful erhu player. Wen Ning also introduces him to other two dancers; Qin Su and Mian
Mian.

“Is he a dancer too?” Qin Su asks Wen Qing.

“No, but he needs to get into the palace, so we will help him out.” Wen Qing says.
“We brought some outfits for you to wear as a disguise.” Wen Ning says with a bright smile.

“Maybe we can cover his face with a veil too, in case somebody might recognize him around
the palace.” Mian Mian gives her ideas.

“Do I need that?” Wei Wuxian blinks.

“How else are you going to wander around the palace without any suspicion?” Wen Qing
gives him a look.

“Are you sure they won’t find out? I don’t know how to dance.” Wei Wuxian says, looking
doubtful.

“I think we just need to dress you up.” Wen Ning says positively.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know if it’s a good idea, but this is probably the only way.

Lan Wangji stands at the balcony of the palace, looking at the hanging lanterns decorating the
imperial city. It’s a beautiful sight, but there’s no smile on his face. His brows are furrowed
and his heart feels heavy, unable to stop thinking about the omega he left behind.
Even though they’re all here to celebrate the victory and enjoy the festival, he can’t stop
thinking about Wei Wuxian. His heart aches when he thinks about Wei Wuxian crying all the
way home. He did promise Wei Wuxian to meet him in his village after everything ends, but
he doesn’t know when he can go. News has spread that he’s the one who defeated Wen
Ruohan and he will definitely be occupied with military matters for a while. He also has to
wait until people forget about Wei Wuxian before he can finally meet his omega without
causing any suspicion.

Until that day arrives, will Wei Wuxian fall into someone else’s arms?

“That’s not the face I expected to see from someone who just saved the country.”

Surprised to hear the emperor’s voice, Lan Wangji turns around and bows at the old man.
“Good evening, Your Majesty.”

The emperor steps closer to the balcony and gazes at the lanterns. “Did you lose someone
dear to you, Commander Lan?”

“I lost my friends and comrades on the battlefield.”

“They’re watching us. Their spirits stay with us.” The emperor closes his eyes as if he’s
praying for their souls. “They will be at ease knowing that you defeated the enemy and saved
their home.”

Although Lan Wangji knows that he has to feign Wei Wuxian’s death in order to protect the
omega, it doesn’t feel right to take credit for what Wei Wuxian had done. He wasn’t the one
who defeated Wen Ruohan; Wei Wuxian did.

“Your Majesty, there’s a young soldier in my troops who wiped out the entire Wen army with
his clever mind and perfect plan. He’s the one who saved the country. I was just assisting him
as a commander.”
“Then where is he right now?” The emperor looks at him with curious eyes. “Did he lose his
life on the battlefield?”

“If I said that he’s still alive, is Your Majesty willing to overlook all his wrongdoings and
reward him for what he had done for the country?” Lan Wangji looks back at the emperor.

Before the emperor can answer the question, Lan Wangji catches a noise from the other side
of the balcony. He immediately turns around in alert and walks towards the source of the
noise.

There’s a wounded man lying on the ground below. It only takes Lan Wangji a second to
realize that it’s the palace guard that has been stripped off his armor. There’s someone in the
palace who’s currently disguising as the guard to sneak around. Whoever that person is, Lan
Wangji knows they’re a threat, an intruder.

Maybe not all of the Wen soldiers died under the snow. Maybe Wen Ruohan survived the
avalanche. He shouldn’t have let his guard down.

“Your Majesty, please get back inside the palace immediately.” He quickly guides the
emperor away from the balcony.

Inside the palace, he tells the guards to escort the emperor to safety. After the four guards
escort the emperor away, he commands the other guards to search for the intruder throughout
the palace.

He doesn’t know how many of the Wen soldiers who survived and he doesn’t know how
many intruders are there in this palace. The festival will start soon and everybody’s life is at
risk right now. He has to get his soldiers and tell them about this. They have to catch the Wen
soldiers before they can harm more people here, especially the emperor.

Gripping onto his sword, Lan Wangji strides down the palace hall to find his soldiers.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the palace, the guards take the emperor to his throne room,
which should be the safest place in the palace. The emperor looks surprisingly calm as if his
life is not in danger.

“Your Majesty, please stay inside the room. We will put up more defense around you.” One
of the guards says with a bow.

“No, make sure to keep my people safe. I don’t want any of them harmed.” The emperor
says.

“What about you then, old man?”

One of the guards suddenly pulls his sword out to slash the guard next to him. The other two
guards immediately pull their swords out, but they can’t seem to go against the impostor.
With some quick movements, the impostor slashes the other guards. Once the three guards
have dropped onto the ground, the impostor looks at the emperor who is standing still in front
of him.

“You are a Wen soldier.” The emperor narrows his eyes while the impostor smirks darkly.

“You look so good in these.” Wen Ning smiles happily.

“I’ve never worn anything like this before.” Wei Wuxian says as he looks at himself in the
mirror.
“This is the only outfit we have that allows you to move freely. It might be a little cold, but I
hope you can hold it.” Wen Ning nods convincingly.

“At least this one covers most of your hickeys.” Wen Qing comments nonchalantly, which
makes Wei Wuxian blush a little.

Wen Qing brought many outfits here, but he has to wear something that can allow him to
move swiftly with his blade. Surprisingly, not all dancer outfits are easy to move in, or Wei
Wuxian is probably just not used to them. After trying on a few outfits, they finally find the
one that’s perfect for him.

However, this outfit is probably the most revealing clothes Wei Wuxian has ever worn in his
life. The top part of the outfit is a white fitted tunic that goes from his collar to below his
chest, leaving his abdomen and arms exposed, which allows a lot of movement. The bottom
part of the outfit is a pair of loose white pants that are fitted around his ankles. There are also
slits on either side of the pants to reveal a little bit of his thighs.

Aside from the outfit, the ladies also help him to put on some jewels so that he will actually
look like a dancer who’s about to perform in the palace. At last, Wen Qing puts on a sheer red
veil to cover the lower half of his face.

“Perfect.” Wen Qing takes a step back to look at the result.

“I hope I won’t ruin this beautiful outfit.” Wei Wuxian drops his gaze.

“A small price to pay for saving the country.” Wen Qing hums.

“Here, your sword.” Wen Ning hands the sword to him.

“Ah, maybe we can put his sword around his waist instead of having him holding it in his
hand?” Mian Mian suggests an idea.

Before they can act on it, there are loud knocks coming from the door, followed by a voice.

“Stay inside your dressing room until we return! Don’t go out at all!”

Hearing the urgency in the guard’s voice, they all know something is happening.

“W-What’s happening?” Wen Ning walks closer to the door.

“There’s an intruder inside the palace, so please stay inside the room for your safety. We are
going to lock the door from outside.” The guard says.

“Wait, I need to go out!” Wei Wuxian runs to the door and pushes it open, but it’s too late, the
guards already lock it. “Damn it!”

“We can try breaking the door open.” Mian Mian already searches for anything they can use
while Qin Su helps her with it.

“No, don’t. You all need to stay here and keep the door locked.” Wei Wuxian says and walks
to one of the windows, checking how high he is from the ground. It’s way too high for him to
jump without breaking a bone and there’s nothing around the wall that he can grab to climb
down.

“Use the curtains.” Wen Qing gets an idea.

“That’s right. Let’s tie the curtains together.” Wen Ning starts pulling all the curtains off the
windows.
Wei Wuxian does the same and helps them to tie all the fabrics together until it becomes as
long as a rope. They throw it out of the window and look down to see how far it reaches. It
doesn’t really reach the ground, but it’s safe enough for Wei Wuxian to jump.

“Go. We will hold this for you.” Wen Qing says.

“Thank you. You really helped me so much.” Wei Wuxian smiles at them before he starts
climbing down the curtains. “Please stay safe!”

“You too!” Wen Ning replies.

Wei Wuxian climbs down until the end of the curtains and then lands on the balcony
underneath him. As soon as his feet touch the ground, he checks his surroundings and
gestures at his friends to pull the curtains back up. There’s a door leading to the inside of the
palace and he doesn’t know which room it will lead to.

With careful steps, Wei Wuxian walks closer and sticks his ear against the wooden door to
listen to any sound from inside.

“Stay inside, old man. Wen Ruohan will come for you.” There’s a threatening voice and the
sound of footsteps.

Wei Wuxian pushes the door slightly, just enough until he can take a peek of what’s
happening inside. His eyes widen when he sees a Wen soldier shoving the emperor into the
room until the old man falls onto the floor.

“Stay on the ground. Maybe your life will be spared if you kneel.” The Wen soldier smiles
mockingly.

The emperor stays calm. He slowly gets back on his feet and stands tall, no fear on his face.
“Tell Wen Ruohan that no matter how hard the wind blows, the mountain will never bow to
it.”
“You’re one cocky old man. Just wait, he will behead you in front of your people tonight.”
The Wen soldier growls threateningly before slamming the door closed.

The emperor tries to push it open, but as expected, it’s locked. Wei Wuxian waits until
everything is quiet before he sneaks into the room, surprising the emperor.

“…Who are you?” The emperor eyes him suspiciously, but remains very calm.

“Your Majesty, please come with me. I’ll take you to a safer place.” Wei Wuxian bows to the
emperor.

“Who are you? A performer, perhaps?” The emperor asks as he examines the clothes Wei
Wuxian is wearing.

“I… I’m one of Commander Lan’s soldiers.” Wei Wuxian answers honestly. “Please trust me,
Your Majesty. I can get you out of here.”

The emperor stares at him for a while, like he’s trying to find something. Then, once he gets
it, he mutters softly. “So you are the soldier he was talking about…”

“I’m sorry?” Wei Wuxian perks up.

“I shall trust you, soldier.” The emperor nods his head. “Where are you taking me? We are
locked here and I’m afraid I’m not skillful enough to climb the wall.”

“You are not climbing anything, Your Majesty. Please follow me.”

He takes the emperor to the balcony and then looks up to the window above.
“Guys! Please help me out!”

A second later, Wen Qing opens the window and looks down at him.

“Please take the emperor with you. Keep him safe in the dressing room.” He says to the
woman, not noticing the emperor’s confused face.

Wen Qing steps back from the window without any answer, but a moment later, the tied rope-
curtains fly out of the window and down to the balcony where they’re standing. Wei Wuxian
smiles and grabs the end of the rope with his hand.

“We will pull His Majesty up!” Wen Ning says while waving his hand from the window.

Wei Wuxian grins at the other omega before turning to the dumbfounded emperor. “Your
Majesty, please hold onto this tightly. My friends will pull you up.”

Despite not looking very convinced by the idea, the emperor does as he’s told and clings onto
the rope-curtains. When Wei Wuxian gives Wen Ning a sign, they start pulling the curtains up
from above.

“We will get back to you once it’s safe, Your Majesty.” Wei Wuxian bows again.

“What is your name, soldier?” The emperor asks.

Wei Wuxian hesitates for a moment, but he ends up telling his full name. “My name is Wei
Wuxian, Your Majesty.”

The emperor doesn’t say anything else and Wei Wuxian watches until they pull the emperor
safely through the window. Wen Ning flashes him a smile before closing the window. Now
that the emperor is safe, it’s time for him to find Wen Ruohan and defeat him once for all.

Earlier, the Wen soldier told the emperor that Wen Ruohan would come, which means he will
be able to see Wen Ruohan if he stays here. He steps back into the room and scans the area
carefully. It looks like an empty banquet hall, spacious enough for a fight that’s about to
happen.

Can he do it? Will he be able to defeat Wen Ruohan in a one-on-one fight? What if he loses?
Will he still be able to see his father again?

No, he can’t quiver now. His father didn’t raise him to be a coward. Lan Wangji didn’t train
him to be someone who runs away with a tail between his legs.

Making up his mind, he makes his way to the door and hides behind the wall, holding his
sword against his chest. If he manages to hit Wen Ruohan with a surprise attack, he might get
the upper hand in the fight. He only has one chance to do it.

He closes his eyes and focuses on his hearing, trying to catch all the noises. He can hear the
murmuring sound of the crowd from afar, but he also hears the sound of footsteps. When he
focuses on the footsteps, he notices that they’re getting closer. Wen Ruohan is coming to this
room. He opens his eyes and holds his sword tighter, preparing for a strike. This is his only
chance.

When the door swings open, he jumps out of his hiding spot and swings his sword. His blade
clashes against another blade with a loud noise, and then Wei Wuxian realizes that the other
man is not Wen Ruohan.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji furrows his brows lightly.

“Commander Lan?” Wei Wuxian blinks in surprise, but his heart is fluttering.
“Why are you here? I told you to—” Lan Wangji gets distracted once he sees the clothes Wei
Wuxian is wearing. “What are you wearing?”

“O-Oh, the performers put them on me.” Wei Wuxian blushes slightly before he quickly
snaps out of it. “Wait, the Wen soldiers are here! Including Wen Ruohan!”

“I figured. I saw the wounded guards.” Lan Wangji looks around the empty banquet hall. “I
thought the emperor would be here.”

“His Majesty was here earlier, but I took him to safety. He’s alright now.”

“Where did you take him?”

“To the performers dressing room.”

“What?” Lan Wangji looks at him.

“It’s safe there. None of the Wen soldiers would think about searching there. My friends will
hide the emperor well.” Wei Wuxian nods positively.

“You’re friends with the performers?” The alpha furrows his brows, looking so confused.

“Where are the others? Do they know about the Wen soldiers?” Wei Wuxian decides to
switch the topic to keep Lan Wangji focused.

“I’ve informed them. They’re searching through the palace.” Lan Wangji nods and then looks
at him. “You should leave this place. It’s dangerous.”
Wei Wuxian frowns at the words, offended. “You can’t just tell me to leave after I come all
the way here.”

“You’re not supposed to be here to begin with.”

“I’m your soldier. I’m supposed to be here and fight with you.”

“You’re not my soldier.” Lan Wangji says sternly. “Not anymore.”

“…You’re throwing me away just like that?” Wei Wuxian tries not to look hurt, but his eyes
probably give it away.

“I’m not throwing you away.” Lan Wangji’s eyes soften visibly. “It’s dangerous for you to
stay here. I just want you to be safe with your father in the village, and I’ll see you there once
everything calms down.”

Wei Wuxian is stunned for a second. Although he did hear Lan Wangji whispering about it
when they shared a kiss this morning, he didn’t think Lan Wangji truly meant it. Right now,
he can see how sincere and tender the alpha’s eyes are, and something inside him melts when
he looks into those golden eyes.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.” Lan Wangji murmurs, looking almost vulnerable.

Wei Wuxian brings his hands to hold the commander’s face. “I don’t want you to get hurt
either. I want to fight with you, Lan Zhan.”

Still keeping their eyes connected, Lan Wangji leans his face closer, close enough until his
lips nearly touch the sheer veil Wei Wuxian is wearing over his face.

“What’s your plan?” Lan Wangji whispers his question.

“Wait for Wen Ruohan here and fight him head-on.”

“Doesn’t sound like a very good plan. What if Wen Ruohan came here with his soldiers?”

“Well…” Wei Wuxian darts his eyes away, not thinking about that possibility.

Lan Wangji looks at the omega in slight amusement. Before he can say anything, his eyes
catch a movement from the corner of his vision. When he realizes what it is, he quickly
pushes Wei Wuxian out of the way and uses his sword to block the strike.

“I thought you were too busy to notice me. Too bad, it would have been great to kill you
both.” Wen Ruohan grins from ear to ear.

“The only one who will die tonight is you.” Lan Wangji grits his teeth.

While the two alphas are clashing their blades. Wei Wuxian draws his own sword to join the
battle. Lan Wangji can keep up with Wen Ruohan, but it doesn’t mean that his commander
will definitely win. They’re almost neck to neck and one wrong move can end everything.
Wei Wuxian surely doesn’t want his alpha to lose.

Wei Wuxian is about to jump into the battle when he catches another movement from the
other side of the room. He looks to the balcony door and sees a Wen soldier stepping into the
room. Without wasting any second, Wei Wuxian rushes over and pushes the soldier out to the
balcony, keeping him away from Lan Wangji’s fight.

When Wei Wuxian gets to the balcony, he can hear the commotion from outside. The people
in the palace must have known about the intruders.

“Who are you? A courtesan?” The Wen soldier stares at him mockingly. “A courtesan should
stay on the bed to warm it up.”
“And you should shut your mouth.” Wei Wuxian swings his blade, cutting upwards towards
the enemy in a fast attack.

Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall, Lan Wangji is completely occupied with the Wen leader.
Wen Ruohan is strong, maybe the strongest opponent he has ever fought against, but he can’t
afford to lose. It’s his fault that Wen Ruohan managed to intrude the palace with his soldiers.
He should have stayed in the mountains to make sure the Wen army was completely wiped
out by the avalanches.

When their swords ring apart, they both step back to take their stances. Lan Wangji is starting
to breathe a little heavier than before, but Wen Ruohan still looks fine.

“It seems that your courtesan has been snatched by one of my soldiers.” Wen Ruohan
snickers.

Lan Wangji glances around and quickly realizes that Wei Wuxian isn’t in the room anymore.

Wei Wuxian will be alright. Wei Wuxian is a good fighter, omega or not, but there’s a little
part inside him that can’t help but to worry. If something is to happen to Wei Wuxian, Lan
Wangji doesn’t know how to live with himself.

“I was hurt, Commander. You’re having fun and enjoying your time with a courtesan,
thinking that I was dead under the snow.” Wen Ruohan grins from ear to ear and he takes a
step forward. “That’s such a pretty courtesan though.”

Lan Wangji narrows his eyes. It seems that Wen Ruohan doesn’t recognize Wei Wuxian,
maybe because the omega is wearing a face veil.

“I’ll kill you first, then the emperor, and then I’ll enjoy the night with that courtesan.” Wen
Ruohan licks his lips with a dirty look on his face. “Maybe I’ll make him bear my children
too. He seems strong enough to carry Wen babies and he’s definitely beautiful.”
“If you touch even a strand of his hair, I’ll make sure you won’t see the sunlight ever again.”
Lan Wangji grits through his teeth. His blood boils at the thought of anybody else touching
his omega.

“Oh, how scary. I am trembling in fear.” Wen Ruohan fakes a gasp and then smirks again.
“Let’s fight then. I want to see if you’re as great as your father.”

Lan Wangji pauses at the mention of his father. “You knew my father.”

“Who doesn’t know General Lan? Your father was called the hero while my father was called
a traitor.” Wen Ruohan growls angrily at the memories. “My father served beside the emperor
until that ungrateful old man beheaded him.”

Lan Wangji had heard about the emperor’s former advisor who was beheaded after they
found out that he tried to kill the emperor with poison. It happened many years ago, maybe
before he was even born. It was said that the family of that advisor was banished from the
palace and the country.

Turns out, Wen Ruohan is the son of that traitor.

“Your father tried to kill the emperor.” Lan Wangji says as a matter of fact.

“My father would make a great country under his ruling, unlike that soft-hearted old man
who always avoids war.” Wen Ruohan grits his teeth and then points his sword at Lan
Wangji. “Let’s fight, son of General Lan.”

Outside on the balcony, Wei Wuxian is still fighting against the Wen soldier. One thing he
notices about the Wen soldiers is the brute strength they have, but they don’t seem very good
when it comes to making battle strategy. He remembers how the Wen army tried to ambush
them in the mountains even though there’s a chance of avalanches that might kill their own
soldiers, even without shooting the cannon.
“An omega like you shouldn’t be wielding a sword.” The Wen soldier grumbles, obviously
annoyed for not being able to defeat the omega.

“Who are you to tell me that?” Wei Wuxian says before blocking another strike.

“Stop dancing around and drop your sword already!” The soldier snaps angrily.

Wei Wuxian knows it might take some time for him to be able to knock the man off and he
doesn’t have that much time, not when Lan Wangji is fighting Wen Ruohan inside the
banquet hall. He glances around the balcony, trying to find a plan to knock his opponent off.

“Where are you looking?”

When Wei Wuxian turns his eyes back to his opponent, he sees a sharp blade coming towards
his face. He blocks the strike, but loses his balance and ends up crashing onto the balustrade
of the balcony behind him.

“Wei Wuxian!”

He turns over his shoulder and looks down to see Song Lan, Nie Huaisang, and Jin Zixuan
below. They’re all holding their swords and he can see Song Lan’s blade tainted with blood
already.

“Watch out!” Nie Huaisang gasps from below.

Wei Wuxian quickly blocks another strike, but his sword ends up falling from his grip at the
impact.

“Die.” The Wen soldier swings his blade towards him.

Using his quick reflex, Wei Wuxian dodges the strike and grabs the soldier’s wrist, yanking
the man against the balustrade. The Wen soldier crashes forward against the stone balustrade,
and Wei Wuxian quickly uses his whole strength to throw the man over the balustrade, but he
doesn’t have enough strength to lift a man who’s almost twice his size.

The Wen soldier stays on the ground, but his sword slips out of his grip and falls down with
Song Lan catching it below the balcony.

“You little bitch.” The Wen soldier glares at Wei Wuxian and with such brute strength, he
grabs the omega by his throat and pushes him over the balustrade.

Wei Wuxian can feel the upper half of his body hanging out, his feet almost lifted off the
floor. He uses one hand to hold onto the balustrade to prevent himself from toppling over and
uses his other hand to grab his opponent’s wrist, trying to get the hand off his throat. This guy
is too strong, there’s no way he can hold his ground.

“Wei Wuxian!”

He can hear his friends yelling in panic from below. He will be seriously injured if he falls
from his height, but if his friends manage to catch him, they can brace his fall a little. But
there’s no time. Once he’s out, this Wen soldier will definitely join the fight between Lan
Wangji and Wen Ruohan.

There’s actually another way to defeat this guy.

It’s very risky, but it is probably the only way.

Wei Wuxian kicks his opponent’s feet to throw him off balance for a moment. He leans back,
throwing himself over the balustrade and pulling the Wen soldier with him. The Wen soldier
releases him and tries to grab onto something, but there’s nothing to hold on to, so he ends up
falling down with the force of gravity.
Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, manages to grab onto the edge of the balustrade and climbs
back to the balcony. When he looks down, he sees his friends taking care of the Wen soldier
that just fell. Knowing that his friends can clean up the mess, he grabs his sword and rushes
back into the room.

Lan Wangji and Wen Ruohan are still fighting inside, but Wen Ruohan seems to have the
upper hand in the fight. Wei Wuxian gasps when Wen Ruohan manages to knock Lan Wangji
back. Just as Wen Ruohan raises his blade to slash the commander, Wei Wuxian takes one of
his shoes off and throws it towards the enemy.

It surprisingly hits Wen Ruohan right on the head. Wen Ruohan growls and whips his head to
glare at him. Wei Wuxian stares back at Wen Ruohan for a second before ripping the veil off
his face to provoke the enemy.

“Remember me?” He asks Wen Ruohan.

“You… that omega soldier…” Wen Ruohan is stunned for a second, and then his glare
returns as he strides towards Wei Wuxian. “You will die tonight.”

Wei Wuxian runs back to the balcony and kicks his other shoe off. He takes a quick look of
his surroundings, checking the palace buildings around him. He can’t rely on strength alone
when it comes to fighting Wen Ruohan, but with a good plan, he might be able to defeat Wen
Ruohan. Perhaps his friends can help him with it.

When he sees something that might help, he yells to his friends who are standing below the
balcony.

“Guys! The fireworks!”

The soldiers look up to see Wei Wuxian pointing at the fireworks tower at the west side of the
palace. Before they can ask more about it, Wei Wuxian already gets on top of the balustrade
and starts climbing up the wall to get to the roof.
Wen Ruohan appears on the balcony a moment later, looking so furious. When he sees Wei
Wuxian climbing up the wall, he quickly follows after the omega.

“What did he mean?” Song Lan looks at the other soldiers around him, seeking for answers.

“Fireworks tower…” Jin Zixuan furrows his brows thoughtfully.

“I know.” Nie Huaisang mutters under his breath and then starts running to the said tower.

“What—Nie Huaisang! Hey!” Song Lan calls out, but the beta is already gone.

Wei Wuxian climbs up to the roof, but he didn’t expect Wen Ruohan to catch up to him so
fast. He thought someone with brute strength like Wen Ruohan won’t have such agility to
climb up the wall. He didn’t have much time to elaborate his plan earlier, but he hopes his
friends understand what he’s trying to do.

He glances at the fireworks tower, but no one is there yet.

“You must have thought that I wouldn’t be able to fight you here.” Wen Ruohan says as he
steps up onto the roof. “Too bad, you’re wrong.”

Wei Wuxian turns around to face the alpha and holds his sword up. There’s no other choice
now, he has to fight Wen Ruohan head-on.

“You’re alone now.” Wen Ruohan snickers. “You know, even if you fight for the country, the
imperial will show you no mercy for impersonating a soldier. They will still punish you for
being an omega.”

“I know.” Wei Wuxian moves back as the enemy steps closer to him.
“Then why are you fighting alone like this? If we join hands right now, I am willing to take
you as my wife and together, we will rule this country. You don’t look that bad to carry my
babies.”

“I’d rather die.” Wei Wuxian raises his sword. “And I’m not alone. I’ve never been alone.”

“Too bad. I’ll have to kill you then.” Wen Ruohan says before lunging forward with his
sword.

The citizen gasps as they watch the battle on the roof of the palace. The guards and soldiers
around the palace also stop and look up to the roof. The emperor is also watching from the
window together with the performers until the guards come to escort them away.

Lan Wangji looks up from the balcony and sees his omega fighting with Wen Ruohan. Wei
Wuxian can’t possibly win against Wen Ruohan in a one-on-one battle like this, especially
with a challenging battlefield like the rooftop of the palace. He has to climb up too, but Wen
Ruohan purposely crushed the walls on his way up earlier to prevent anybody getting in his
way. Lan Wangji can try to climb up from the other side of the palace, but it will take time.

Lan Wangji grits his teeth and looks down at his troops who are gathering below. “Give me a
bow and an arrow. Throw them up.”

Meanwhile, on the fireworks tower, Nie Huaisang wheezes once he finally reaches the top.
He has been running nonstop and climbing the stairs as fast as possible, and his body isn’t
liking it. With a gasping breath, he limps over to the storage and finds the biggest firework he
can find.

This is a crazy idea. He can’t believe Wei Wuxian really thinks about doing something like
this. Then again, he can’t figure out a better idea to defeat Wen Ruohan either. This is insane,
just like what Wei Wuxian did back in the mountains, but that idea worked. Perhaps this idea
will work too.
Nie Huaisang sets the biggest firework and aims it towards the rooftop where the sword fight
is happening. He tries to make his aim, but it’s impossible to aim at Wen Ruohan when Wei
Wuxian is standing so close to the enemy. He’s not the best archer like Jin Zixuan; he doesn’t
know how to do this without hurting his friend.

When Wei Wuxian takes a glance at the firework tower, he can see Nie Huaisang standing
there. As he thought, the smart Nie Huaisang understood what he was trying to say when he
pointed at the tower earlier. His friend seems to hesitate though and Wei Wuxian knows why.
He knows Nie Huaisang will end up hitting him too if he lights the firework right now.

“What are you looking at, little omega?”

Wei Wuxian immediately shifts his eyes back to Wen Ruohan and blocks another strike.
However, he’s not fully prepared for the strong strike after getting distracted by Nie
Huaisang. He ends up losing his balance and sliding down the roofs until he’s hanging on the
edge. His sword slips out of his grip and falls, leaving him holding onto the edge of the
rooftop.

“Checkmate.” Wen Ruohan grins in victory.

Before Wen Ruohan can move closer to Wei Wuxian, there’s a flying arrow stabbing onto his
back. Wen Ruohan groans and turns his head to see Lan Wangji aiming another arrow at him
from the balcony. It makes his blood boil in anger. How can two youngsters like them get in
his way so much?

“Goodbye, Wen Ruohan.” Wei Wuxian says.

Wen Ruohan turns to look at the omega, but then pauses when he sees a flash of light coming
from the corner of his vision. There’s a firework shooting right to him at full speed. He
doesn’t even get to move before the firework hits him and explodes.

Wei Wuxian releases his hands from the roof and lets himself fall before the firework
explodes. He might break some bones from falling from this height, but it’s better than
getting burned to death by the fireworks like Wen Ruohan.
Lan Wangji’s heart nearly stops when he sees Wei Wuxian free falling. He immediately gets
on top of the balustrade and jumps to catch the omega mid-air. Wei Wuxian gasps when he
feels someone holding him tight, and then quickly realizes that it’s Lan Wangji.

“Over here! Over here!” The other soldiers are waiting on the ground with their arms open,
ready to brace their fall.

Lan Wangji shifts their positions so that he will be the one who hits the ground first. Wei
Wuxian tries to turn them over, but there’s not enough time. The soldiers manage to catch
them, but it’s impossible to brace Lan Wangji completely from his fall.

Wei Wuxian can feel it when they hit the ground. He can feel the hands of his comrades
trying to catch them. He can feel Lan Wangji’s body hitting the ground with a loud thud and
it scares him so much. When he opens his eyes, Lan Wangji is lying under him with his eyes
closed, seemingly unconscious. He’s completely unharmed from the fall because of Lan
Wangji’s protection, but he doesn’t know about his alpha.

“Commander Lan!” The soldiers immediately check on their commander.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian hovers above the alpha and cups his face, his hands trembling in
fear. “Lan Zhan, are you alright? Please answer me!”

The alpha scrunches his brows slightly and then opens his eyes with a grunt. “Don’t yell, Wei
Ying.”

Holding back his tears, Wei Wuxian leans down to kiss the alpha on the lips. Lan Wangji
freezes in surprise, but then closes his eyes and kisses Wei Wuxian back. Everybody seems
dumbfounded for a second before they cheer happily.

The celebration doesn’t last long though, because the emperor arrives not long after. Lan
Wangji sits up with Wei Wuxian while the other soldiers step up to hide the omega from
sight.
“Step aside.” The emperor commands.

Albeit hesitating, the soldiers still step aside to reveal Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji who are
standing up to their feet.

“Wei Wuxian.” The emperor hums.

“Your Majesty.” Wei Wuxian bows deeply at the emperor.

“I’ve heard about you. They told me that you are Wei Changze’s son, but I clearly remember
that Changze is blessed with an omega son and not an alpha.”

Wei Wuxian presses his lips tightly while Lan Wangji steps in front of him to shield the
omega. “Your Majesty, please allow me to explain.”

The emperor gestures a hand as he steps closer to Wei Wuxian, signaling Lan Wangji to be
quiet and step aside. Wei Wuxian can see the tip of the emperor's shoes entering his vision,
but he doesn’t dare to look up.

“You stole your father’s sword, ran away from home, impersonated an alpha soldier, deceived
your commanding officer, and dishonored the Chinese army.” The emperor says with a stern
voice and then glances at the wrecked roof of his palace. “You even destroyed my palace.”

Wei Wuxian bites his lip harder, his hands clenched tightly by his sides. Even if he gets
executed for this, he doesn’t regret a thing.

“But you saved us all.” The emperor says again, prompting Wei Wuxian to look up. “And for
that, I owe you my gratitude and respect, Wei Wuxian.”
Then the emperor bows at him, stunning everybody in the palace. Lan Wangji smiles at the
sight and bows at the omega, followed by the other soldiers. Wei Wuxian drops his mouth
open in shock and looks around, seeing everybody bowing at him, some even kneeling on the
ground.

He doesn’t know how to react. Never in his life did he imagine something like this, to have
the emperor bowing at him as if he’s more than an omega from a small village.

“I would be honored if you become a member of my council.” The emperor offers.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty. I think I’ve been away from home for long enough. I
need to see my father first.” Wei Wuxian bows at the emperor again.

“I understand.” The emperor takes off his necklace that has the imperial crest on it and then
puts it on Wei Wuxian. “Bring this home with you so everybody will know what you have
done for this country.”

Wei Wuxian stares at the imperial crest in disbelief. He can’t help but to beam and hug the
emperor as if he’s his own father. The emperor is surprised, but he looks pretty pleased by the
hug.

“Is he allowed to do that?” Song Lan whispers to the commander.

Lan Wangji doesn’t say anything, but there’s a soft smile on his face.

A second later, Wei Wuxian realizes what he’s doing and quickly backs away. “M-My
apologies, Your Majesty. It was a reflex.”

“Don’t worry, my child.” The emperor smiles and looks at his people who are cheering
happily. “The festival is about to start, so please enjoy a night here. You shall return to your
father soon, but the palace gate will always be open for you in the future.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Wei Wuxian says before turning around to his friends. With a
bright smile on his face, he hops to Lan Wangji and throws himself for a hug.

Lan Wangji catches the omega in his arms and hugs him tight until he feels the emperor’s
eyes on him. When he looks up, he sees the emperor smiling at him.

“It’s nice to be young, isn’t it?” The emperor chuckles lightly. “Enjoy the night, young ones.”

A loud cheer can be heard throughout the imperial city as they celebrate the victory of China.

“The fireworks are so beautiful.”

Wei Wuxian hums from the window, admiring the bright streaks of colors illuminating the
dark sky. There’s a red one, green one, purple, and all the colors fireworks can possibly
create. He has never seen fireworks before, mostly because they only have firecrackers in the
village.

The war is over, the Wen army has been eliminated, and people are celebrating the victory.
His friends are probably enjoying the night by watching the performers, eating good food, or
having some drinks.

“Is this your first time seeing fireworks?” Lan Wangji steps behind him and looks out of the
window too.
Wei Wuxian is staying in the palace tonight, sharing a guest chamber with Lan Wangji. He
knows he should go home soon to see his father, but he figures that it should be alright to
spend at least one night here, especially since Lan Wangji is with him.

“We only have firecrackers in the village. I’ve never seen big fireworks like that.” Wei
Wuxian says, grinning like a child.

Lan Wangji hums before looking at the omega. “Are you not going to return this outfit to
your performer friends?”

Wei Wuxian looks down at the clothes he is wearing and blushes slightly. Lan Wangji has
taken off his own armor and changed his clothes, but Wei Wuxian is still wearing this dancer
outfit.

“I know it looks weird on me, but they’re very comfortable to move around in.” He says
sheepishly.

“It’s not weird.” Lan Wangji presses closer behind him until Wei Wuxian can feel the alpha’s
long hair falling over his arms. “It’s a tempting outfit.”

Wei Wuxian blushes harder. Suddenly, he’s not focused on the fireworks anymore. “A-Are
you not hurt from the fall earlier?”

“Not really.” Lan Wangji slowly turns him around before kissing him on the lips.

The kiss is deep, aggressive, but passionate. Lan Wangji kisses him as if he’s trying to eat
him up, to savor every drop of him and steal his breath away. When Lan Wangji kisses him
like this, he feels like his body is going to melt completely.

When he starts gasping into the kiss, Lan Wangji pulls away to look into his eyes.
“You look beautiful in this.” The alpha murmurs lowly, his hands moving down and sliding
into the slits on either side of Wei Wuxian’s pants. He then proceeds to reach his hands all the
way in to grab Wei Wuxian’s ass.

“Ah…!” Wei Wuxian moans when Lan Wangji starts groping him. He’s not in heat, but his
body is growing hot. “Lan Zhan…”

“I’m here.” Lan Wangji squeezes his ass harder.

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian mewls. “Please...”

“Turn around.” Lan Wangji whispers against his lips.

Wei Wuxian turns around to face the window again. His breath hitches when he feels Lan
Wangji’s hands untying the knot that holds his clothes together. Lan Wangji slides the tunic
shirt off his shoulders and finally pulls his pants down to strip him off. It’s so embarrassing to
stand naked like this because Lan Wangji can see everything clearly.

“Lan Zhan, can you blow out the lanterns first?” He asks bashfully.

“No.” Lan Wangji answers shortly.

“Then… let’s get on the bed at least? It’s awkward to stand behind the window like this.” Wei
Wuxian starts squirming.

“Not yet.” Lan Wangji brings his hand to grab Wei Wuxian’s chest from behind. He uses his
fingers to play with the nipples, noticing that they’re still swollen from what he did the night
before.
“Ah… Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian moans and leans back against him. His voice sounds like a
sweet melody to Lan Wangji’s ears. Wei Wuxian’s sweet scent starts filling the room and Lan
Wangji sucks in a loud breath to inhale it.

“Hold onto the window frame.” Lan Wangji says as he pinches on both nipples.

“Ah…!” Wei Wuxian cries out feebly, but still does what Lan Wangji told him to do. “Lan
Zhan… people might see…”

“No, they won’t.” Lan Wangji whispers, almost reassuring. “They’re busy watching the
fireworks and enjoying the festival, just like us.”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t think what they’re doing right now can be compared to what other
people are doing. It’s true that people most likely won’t be looking towards this window, but
the possibility is still shameful enough.

“Lan Zhan… don’t play with them so much…” Wei Wuxian whines when Lan Wangji keeps
on teasing his nipples.

“But you like it.” Lan Wangji hums in reply. It was only one night, but it’s enough for him to
get familiar with Wei Wuxian’s body.

“They’re still sore…” Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder to look at Lan Wangji and puckers
his lips, pouting so slightly at his alpha.

Lan Wangji eventually leaves the poor nipples and slides his hands lower, following the curve
of Wei Wuxian’s waist and down to his hips. He grabs the omega by his hips and pulls him
back, guiding Wei Wuxian to stick his ass out while his hands are still holding onto the
window frame.

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian can feel his face flaming up. “This position is a little
embarrassing.”
“Stay like this.” Lan Wangji keeps his hips in place. “I haven’t given you any punishment for
defying my commands.”

It takes a moment for Wei Wuxian to register the words before he turns over his shoulder to
frown at the alpha. “I did what I had to do. Wen Ruohan and his soldiers were still alive and I
was the only one who knew.”

“You could have used another way other than facing him head-on.”

“Lan Zhan, there was no other way!” Wei Wuxian argues.

“There’s no other way but to wear such revealing clothes and show them to everybody in the
palace?” Lan Wangji grabs a handful of Wei Wuxian’s ass like he’s giving a warning.

“Lan Zhan! You’re being ridiculous!”

Lan Wangji slaps his ass suddenly, so hard that Wei Wuxian gasps at the impact. There’s a
sting spreading across his right asscheek; the skin is hot and throbbing after being hit. It
hurts, yet the pain seems to travel from his ass to his crotch. He can feel his hole twitching
and his spine tingling.

“If the emperor wasn’t so wise and forgiving, what do you think would happen to you?” Lan
Wangji says before spanking the left asscheek.

“Ow!” Wei Wuxian flinches and yelps at the hit. His grip is tightening around the wooden
bars of the window as he arches his back slightly.

“Did you think through everything before you decided to sneak into the palace? Did you
think about your own life and safety?” Lan Wangji spanks him again, slapping over the burn.
The smacking sound is so loud that Wei Wuxian wonders if someone outside is going to hear
the noise, but it seems that people are distracted by the fireworks.

Lan Wangji spanks him again and again. Every hit falls hard, yet it sends a shudder running
down Wei Wuxian’s spine and makes his legs tremble. His hips begin to twitch and Wei
Wuxian swears he can feel his slick trickling out continuously. It’s so embarrassing, he wants
to hide and cover himself, but his body refuses to move away, like he’s actually enjoying this.

“Your sweet scent is getting stronger.” Lan Wangji hums and grabs a handful of Wei
Wuxian’s ass, fingers digging into the reddened skin as he watches the clear slick trickling
down Wei Wuxian’s inner thighs. “And you’re so wet.”

“N-No, I’m not.” Wei Wuxian whines and shakes his head, looking so adorable with his
reddened ass. Wei Wuxian is such a stubborn and troublesome omega, but when he’s handled
properly, he becomes such a sweet and obedient omega for Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji places a soft kiss on the plane of Wei Wuxian’s back before getting on his knees.
He grabs Wei Wuxian buttocks with both hands and spreads them apart. A growl nearly slips
out of his throat when he sees Wei Wuxian’s slicked hole. It’s still red and puffy from his
abuse last night, yet it’s also twitching and dripping wet, inviting him to touch.

Wei Wuxian shuts his eyes in embarrassment. He knows Lan Wangji is kneeling behind him
and he knows the alpha is staring at his most private part. How shameful. He doesn’t even
know how he looks like down there, yet Lan Wangji is staring so closely at him.

“So wet.” Lan Wangji mutters and uses his thumb to rub over the puckered rim.

“Ngh…” Wei Wuxian pushes his hips back in response.

Lan Wangji’s eyes flash when he sees another glob of slick trickling out to wet his thumb.
Licking his hips, he holds Wei Wuxian’s ass with both hands and leans in to lick at the
dripping hole.
“Ahh!” Wei Wuxian yelps when he feels something wet lapping against his sensitive spot.
His hips tremble and he almost collapses to the floor. He glances between his legs to confirm
his suspicion and sees Lan Wangji licking him down there.

“N-No, not there…! Lan Zhan…!” The omega cries out helplessly, hands grappling onto the
window frame in front of him. This is so embarrassing. He can’t believe Lan Wangji actually
uses his mouth down there. It’s so filthy, so dirty, he can’t let his alpha do something like this.

Lan Wangji ignores the plea and keeps doing whatever he wants. Wei Wuxian was in heat last
time and he didn’t get to do a lot of things, but now, he can take his sweet time exploring Wei
Wuxian’s body. He knows Wei Wuxian is sensitive and he wants to see just how sensitive the
omega can be, how wet he can get, and how strong his sweet scent is.

It doesn’t take long before Lan Wangji pushes his tongue in and licks inside. Wei Wuxian
smells so good over here and he doesn’t know if the sweet smell is taking over his senses, but
he thinks Wei Wuxian also tastes sweet down here, like honeyed peaches. It’s so addicting, he
can’t get enough of it.

“Lan Zhan… N-No, it’s dirty—nghh…” Wei Wuxian mewls weakly. He can hear the dirty
slurping sound as Lan Wangji licks him open and it’s so shameful. He’s so wet already, yet he
can’t stop his slick from trickling out. His body is growing weak and there’s nothing else he
can do other than holding onto the window frame to keep himself standing.

“There’s nothing about you that’s dirty.” Lan Wangji husks before he continues licking and
slurping the slick. Wei Wuxian’s body is so sensitive and he loves how wet Wei Wuxian gets
just from being teased. The more he does this, the wetter Wei Wuxian gets. He can even feel
the slick trickling down his chin and dripping to the floor.

Lan Wangji is not only sucking at his hole. Wei Wuxian can feel Lan Wangji’s hands
kneading and squeezing his ass roughly. With how rough Lan Wangji is groping him, he
wonders if his ass will be bruised tomorrow. Oh, he wonders if he can feel Lan Wangji’s
touch until many days ahead.

“Ahh—I can’t… Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian whines, nearly boneless against the window. His
cock is aching and begging for release.
Lan Wangji pulls away, nearly growling at the sight that greets him. Wei Wuxian’s puffy hole
is now slightly ajar. He can see the clear slick trickling down the omega’s legs and even
dripping on the floor. He can also see Wei Wuxian’s feeble cock leaking, looking so adorable
with the reddened tip.

Wei Wuxian cries out when Lan Wangji slides his fingers in without warning. The alpha
pushes the fingers deep and nudges at his most sensitive spot, rubbing and pressing it
mercilessly. With a wail, Wei Wuxian comes all over Lan Wangji’s fingers and spills his
release on the floor. His body trembles so hard and his legs barely have any strength at this
point.

Lan Wangji pulls his fingers out, stands up, and carries the omega in his arms. Wei Wuxian is
panting hard and trembling against his chest, and it’s such an endearing sight for Lan Wangji.
Wei Wuxian is truthfully one of the best soldiers in his troops, yet he’s such a delicate and
sensitive omega in bed.

He gently sets Wei Wuxian on the bed and then starts again by licking one of his nipples.

“Ohh… Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian squirms against the bed, but unable to move away.

“You’re very sensitive.” Lan Wangji sounds pleased.

“I don’t know…” Wei Wuxian whispers. “You’re the first… to touch me like this…”

“I’ll be the only one.” Lan Wangji sucks the nipple hard.

“A-Ah! Not so hard…!” Wei Wuxian whines and curls his fingers around Lan Wangji’s dark
hair.
Lan Wangji rolls his tongue around the poor nipple to soothe the sting, earning a delighted
mewl from his omega. He slides his hand down, tracing over the lines of Wei Wuxian’s abs,
brushing over his hardened cock, and then down to the space between Wei Wuxian’s legs. He
gently pushes his three fingers in and slides them knuckle-deep. With his other hand, he holds
Wei Wuxian’s face and forces the omega to look at him.

“Look at me.” Lan Wangji says before pressing his fingers against that tender spot inside his
omega.

Wei Wuxian chokes out a moan, his body trembling as Lan Wangji teases that spot over and
over again. He tries to turn his head away, but Lan Wangji’s hold is strong. He must be
making weird faces right now, yet the alpha is staring at him the whole time as he moves his
fingers.

It’s such a delight for Lan Wangji to watch his omega moaning and gasping in pleasure like
this. Wei Wuxian’s cheeks are flushed, his pretty lips are red and swollen, and his gray eyes
are glossed with tears. No one knows that the strong omega who fought with Wen Ruohan
can be so lovely and submissive like this. Lan Wangji is the only one who knows this side of
Wei Wuxian and he won’t allow anybody else to see it.

“Mine.” Lan Wangji murmurs as he thrusts his fingers harder, faster, deeper. “You’re mine,
Wei Ying.”

“Ah—ahh! Lan Zhan—ohh!” Wei Wuxian struggles to speak with Lan Wangji’s fingers
moving wickedly inside him. His vision is blurred with tears, but he can see the alpha staring
at him with those bright, golden eyes.

When Lan Wangji plunges his fingers again, Wei Wuxian screws his eyes shut and arches his
back. His slick gushes out as he squirts all over Lan Wangji’s knuckles, but it doesn’t exactly
feel like his previous orgasm. His cock is still hard and aching, yet he is gushing wet down
there.

“L-Lan Zhan, it keeps coming out… There’s something wrong…” He tries to squirm away,
but his body is losing strength from the pleasure.
“Did you squirt?” Lan Wangji pulls his fingers out to look at the wet mess.

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian blinks dazedly. “I… don’t know… I’ve never…”

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with you.” Lan Wangji leans down to kiss his forehead,
reassuring him.

When Lan Wangji pulls back, Wei Wuxian watches adoringly as the alpha strips himself
naked. He holds his breath when he sees Lan Wangji’s cock, hard and engorged and ready to
fuck him open. He was in heat last time, but his memories from that night of intimacy are
very vivid. He remembers how it feels to have that pounding into him.

With gentle hands, Lan Wangji gathers him to sit on his lap. He lets Lan Wangji guide him
until he can feel the blunt tip of Lan Wangji’s cock pressing against his rim. Lan Wangji then
pushes him down, penetrating him slowly.

“Uhh… nghh…” Wei Wuxian claws onto Lan Wangji’s back as the thick length spreads him
open. He’s so sensitive and Lan Wangji’s cock is stretching his walls in the most pleasurable
ways.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji calls out with such a gentle voice and strokes Wei Wuxian’s head
with his hand. “Does it hurt?”

Wei Wuxian can feel something inside him melting. Lan Wangji wasn’t being particularly
gentle with his teasing and punishment earlier, but right now, the alpha is treating him like the
most precious jewel. It makes him feel treasured and loved.

“Lan Zhan…” He snuggles against his alpha. “I love you…”

Lan Wangji doesn’t say anything, but Wei Wuxian can feel the response.
“Lan Zhan! Don’t get bigger…!” Wei Wuxian whines when he feels the thick cock stretching
him even more.

“You’re the one making it bigger.” Lan Wangji pulls him for a kiss and whispers against his
lips. “I love you, Wei Ying.”

Before Wei Wuxian can fully register the confession, Lan Wangji drives up into him, hard
and deep right to his pleasure spot. Wei Wuxian screams so loud he wonders if other people
in the palace can hear it too, but Lan Wangji doesn’t seem to care.

“Lan Zhan—ahh! Too deep—wait—ohh!” Wei Wuxian wails, his voice turning into endless
cries as Lan Wangji bounces him on his cock. His legs feel weak and he can only cling onto
Lan Wangji as the alpha uses him as he pleases.

Every thrust sends sparks flashing across his vision. His body doesn’t feel like his own
anymore, it feels like Lan Wangji is taking control of everything. His mind is spinning, his
head is floating in the clouds, and his body is singing in pleasure.

“My name. Let everybody know who you belong to.” Lan Wangji husks, moving Wei
Wuxian up and down to fuck the omega open. Wei Wuxian is so tight, so wet, and so good
for him. He can feel the omega clenching around him whenever he forces Wei Wuxian to take
his whole length.

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan…!” Wei Wuxian cries out between his sobs. Tears are spilling down
his cheeks and he is drooling from the corner of his mouth, but the omega looks so beautiful,
so much that it takes Lan Wangji’s breath away.

Lan Wangji bends forward, pushing Wei Wuxian onto the bed. He throws Wei Wuxian’s legs
over his shoulders to bend his body in half and then begins slamming in with such vigor of an
alpha. Wei Wuxian’s moans grow louder and higher in pitch, body jerking every time Lan
Wangji hits his pleasure spot with a punishing pace.

When his knot starts to form, Lan Wangji pushes it in with a snap, locking them together. Wei
Wuxian’s eyes roll to the back of his head and with another scream, he reaches the peak of
 his pleasure. His cock spurts weakly, barely spilling anything, but his walls still tighten as he
squirts all over the alpha’s pounding length.

Lan Wangji ruts into him before his hips stutter into a stop. He bites onto Wei Wuxian’s neck,
muffling his own grunt as he spills his seed inside the omega. Wei Wuxian mewls under him,
body quivering as he takes everything in, every bit of Lan Wangji’s love and every drop of
Lan Wangji’s seed.

The alpha stays on top of him, stroking his head and kissing his forehead as he comes down
from his high. Once the knot has shrunk, Lan Wangji pulls himself out and scoops Wei
Wuxian’s body in his arms to carry him off the bed.

“I’ll bathe you.” Lan Wangji says when Wei Wuxian looks up to him.

He smiles at the words and wraps his arms around the alpha. Lan Wangji washes his body
and bathes him while he’s too tired to move a muscle. Lan Wangji does everything so gently
as if he’s a delicate little flower. Wei Wuxian is sure nobody knows that the strict commander
can be so tender and loving like this, nobody but him.

He knows Lan Wangji has to stay in the imperial city while he has to go home to his father
tomorrow, but Lan Wangji kisses him on the forehead, promising to meet him in the village
when the flowers bloom in spring.

Wei Wuxian holds onto that promise because he knows Lan Wangji will come for him. He
knows, because right before he falls asleep in Lan Wangji’s embrace, he hears the alpha
whispering to him.

“I love you, Wei Ying.”

Chapter End Notes

 🫢
imagine being wei changze who's worried sick about his son, only to have wwx getting
spanked and pounded by lwj

next chap will be the last and you pretty much know how it will go since it's mulan au
hehe
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes

Since this is the ending, I took off the anon tag and revealed myself. Hi, it's me.

I've had some of you sent me DMs in twt because you recognized my writing style, but
I've also had some people here mistaking me as someone else. Sorry for those who felt
like they got fooled.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wei Changze sits under the tree as he gazes at the flowing river in front of him.

It’s cold today, but it’s not snowing yet, and there’s still a glimpse of sunlight peeking from
behind the clouds. The winter will come to an end and after that, spring will finally arrive.
Wei Wuxian has always loved the spring season ever since he was a child. He remembers the
smile on his son’s face whenever Wei Wuxian sees the flowers blooming beautifully.

The news about the end of the war reached across the nation yesterday and people have been
celebrating, but he hasn’t heard anything about Wei Wuxian. Ever since Wei Wuxian left the
village, he has been praying every day. He prays day and night to the Gods, to his ancestors,
to his wife – all for Wei Wuxian’s safety. Wei Wuxian has always been a little reckless and
rebellious, but he’s a sweet child with a beautiful smile, just like his mother.

He wonders how Wei Wuxian is doing right now. Is he safe? Is he injured anywhere? Will he
come home soon?

He’s so deep into his thoughts that he barely realizes it when the villagers call out to him.

“Changze! He’s back!”

“Your son is here!”

“It’s Wei Wuxian!”

Hearing his son's name, he quickly grabs his cane and stands up to his feet. Just as he’s about
to make his way to the crowd, a black stallion appears in front of his eyes with his son sitting
on top. Wei Wuxian looks a little different compared to the last time he saw his son. He can’t
really explain it, but Wei Wuxian looks like a beautiful flower that has fully bloomed.

“Dad!” Wei Wuxian quickly gets off his horse and runs to hug his father. “I’ve missed you!”

Wei Changze is too stunned to react. He has dreamed about his son coming home unscathed
almost every night, so he wonders if this is just another dream he’s going to wake up from.

“Wei Ying.” He slowly wraps his arms around Wei Wuxian, feeling how warm and alive his
son is. “My son…”

“Dad…” Wei Wuxian’s voice starts to shake with tears. He really missed his father so much.
When he left the village months ago to join the army, he could only dream of seeing his
father again and hugging him like this. That time, he didn't even know if he would survive
the war and come home.

“Wei Ying.” Wei Changze pulls away and cups Wei Wuxian’s face in his hands, looking
closely at his son. “A-Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, Dad. I’m home.” Wei Wuxian smiles with tears in his eyes.

Wei Changze brushes the trail of tears that falls down Wei Wuxian’s cheek before pulling his
son into a hug again. “My son… My dear…”

“Dad…” Wei Wuxian croaks out once again before he finally lets himself cry in his father’s
arms.
Some villagers start gathering to watch the father and son. Although curious about Wei
Wuxian’s story, they choose to stand at the side and watch from afar, not wanting to disturb
the touching moment.

“I brought something for you, Dad.” Wei Wuxian says, still sniffling as he takes off the
necklace he’s wearing that has the emperor’s crest on it. “The emperor gave me this. It’s a
gift to honor the Wei family, to honor you.”

Wei Changze takes the crest in his hand. He only looks at the crest for a second before he
hugs Wei Wuxian again. “The greatest gift and honor is having you as my son, Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian lets out another sniffle and then breaks into a sob. Wei Changze has no idea
what happened during the war and how his son could receive this gift of honor from the
emperor himself, but they have all the time to talk about it slowly. He can’t wait to listen to
Wei Wuxian's whole story after this, and he’s sure the villagers want to hear it too.

For him, the most important thing is to have his son coming back home.

“It’s cold out here. Let’s go home and have some tea.” He says to his crying son.

“Yes.” Wei Wuxian nods, still crying.

The season changes after that.

The snow begins to melt, the green grass starts growing, and the flowers finally bloom when
the spring arrives. Some men returned home from the war, but some did not. Some families
were overjoyed, but some were grieving. Wei Wuxian knows he’s lucky to be able to come
home safely and see his father again.

He is surprised when he sees Song Lan arriving in the village, bringing his wife with him, a
gentle omega called Xiao Xingchen. The couple is truly the epitome of polar opposites, with
Song Lan being a typical rough and strong-headed alpha while Xiao Xingchen is a soft and
gentle omega. It’s clear that Song Lan is very much in love with his omega wife though.
During the military training, Wei Wuxian had never seen Song Lan speaking so gently with
anybody.

When he teases Song Lan about it, the alpha smacks his head with some letters from Jin
Zixuan and Nie Huaisang, telling him to write back to them when he has the time. Even
though he’s a little disappointed when Song Lan says that he doesn’t have anything from Lan
Wangji, he still believes in the promise they made that night. He knows Lan Wangji is a man
of his words.

“Are you heading to the imperial city again?” Wei Wuxian asks Song Lan who is preparing to
leave the village after staying for a couple of weeks.

“It’s my duty as a soldier.” Song Lan climbs onto his horse after helping Xiao Xingchen to sit
on the saddle. Since he has become a soldier in the imperial army after the war ended, he's
going to live in the imperial city with Xiao Xingchen. “We got many new recruits these days,
so we’re busy with the training and everything.”

“I see.” Wei Wuxian nods before asking another question. “What about Lan Zh—I mean
Commander Lan? How is he doing?”

“I heard he’s going to be promoted to a general, but I’m not sure.” Song Lan gives Wei
Wuxian a knowing smile. “Why don’t you head to the palace yourself? You know the
emperor will welcome you and you will be able to see Commander Lan again.”

“Come with us, Wei Wuxian.” Xiao Xingchen smiles kindly at him.
“I can’t just leave my father. I had run away from home once, I don’t want to make him
worry again.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head, although looking a little sad. “Maybe I’ll head to
the imperial city one day, but not now. I still want to spend some time with my father.”

“Alright then.” Song Lan pulls on the reins of his horse with Xiao Xingchen secured in front
of him, ready to leave. “I’ll see you around, Wei Ying.”

“Hope to see you again in the imperial city.” Xiao Xingchen nods his head.

“See you. Safe travels.” Wei Wuxian waves his hand as the couple leaves the village. As they
walk away, Wei Wuxian can see them smiling and giggling at each other, looking so in love.
There’s no point in feeling jealous over a married couple, but he can’t help it.

With a soft sigh, Wei Wuxian turns around and walks back towards his house. The alpha must
be busy with the imperial army. He understands, but he can’t lie by saying that he doesn’t
miss the alpha at all.

Lan Wangji still thinks of him, right? Lan Wangji didn’t fall in love with anybody else during
the time they’re apart, right? He should have asked Song Lan those questions earlier, but he’s
also anxious to hear the answer.

As Wei Wuxian makes his way back to his house, he sees Grandma Shen walking down the
street with a basket full of herbs in her hand.

“Grandma Shen.” He jogs over to her.

“Oh, Wei Ying. Good morning.” The old lady smiles warmly.

“Good morning. Let me carry this for you.” He says, taking the basket from the elderly’s
hand.
“Thank you, Wei Ying.” Grandma Shen says appreciatively and walks beside him.

Wei Wuxian looks around as he walks, enjoying the sight of green grass and blooming
flowers. He always thinks that his village looks the most beautiful during spring, maybe
because he likes flowers a lot. He wonders what the imperial city looks like during spring. He
wonders if Lan Wangji enjoys looking at the flowers too. He wonders if Lan Wangji has a
flower he likes the most.

“We have arrived.” The old lady speaks suddenly.

When Wei Wuxian snaps out of his trance, he realizes that they have already arrived at
Grandma Shen’s house. He’s so distracted by his thoughts during the walk that he doesn’t
really notice anything.

“Thank you for carrying this for me, Wei Ying.” Grandma Shen takes the basket back in her
hand.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad to help, Grandma Shen.” Wei Wuxian smiles at the old lady.

Grandma Shen doesn’t say anything, but she keeps staring at him. Wei Wuxian blinks back at
her, confused, and then looks down to himself to see if there’s something wrong with his
appearance today.

“You didn’t tell your father, did you?” The old lady hums.

“Tell him what?” Wei Wuxian blinks again, confused.

“That you gave yourself to an alpha while you were away from home.”
“Uh, no, I’m… uh…” Wei Wuxian flusters immediately, his cheeks blooming red in color.

“Is he a good alpha?” Grandma Shen smiles teasingly.

Still blushing, Wei Wuxian nods lightly. “How did you know?”

“Hmm… I can sense it. You’re different now.” Grandma Shen looks at him with soft eyes.
“Not all flowers bloom at the same time. Every flower blooms in its own time, and the flower
that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.”

“…What?” Wei Wuxian blinks dumbly, confused by the sudden topic about flowers.

“What I’m saying is that you’ve bloomed, Wei Ying.” The old lady pats his shoulder. “Go
home, your father must be waiting.”

“See you, Grandma Shen.” Wei Wuxian waves his hand before walking away, still thinking
about what Grandma Shen says to him. He doesn’t think there’s anything different about him,
so he wonders how Grandma Shen knows about Lan Wangji. He wonders if his father notices
anything too.

When he reaches home, his father is sitting in the back garden, looking at the trees and the
flowers that have started blooming. He smiles at the sight and then goes to the kitchen to
prepare some tea.

“What tea do you want, Dad? How about some oolong tea?”

“Come here and sit with me, Wei Ying.” His father beckons to him.

Putting the tea set back into the cabinet, Wei Wuxian walks over to sit beside his father. He
looks at the tree planted in the garden and smiles at the blossoming flowers on it.
“Are you not going back to the imperial city?” His father asks after a few seconds of
comfortable silence.

“For what?”

“Didn’t you say the emperor asked you to be a member of his council?”

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian blinks when he remembers about it. “I still don’t know if I should go. I’m
not sure.”

“You should go.” His father holds his hand and gives it a light squeeze. “The imperial city is
a big place. There are a lot of things you can see.”

“I don’t want to leave you, Dad.” He bites onto his bottom lip.

“You’re not leaving me.” Wei Changze smiles tenderly. “Parents are the bows and children
are the arrows. We can guide you and aim you towards the future, but you will fly on your
own.”

“I’m still thinking about it, and… I’m still waiting for someone here.”

Wei Changze raises a brow. While he has figured that Wei Wuxian had met an alpha along
the way, his son never says anything detailed about it. Wei Wuxian also tends to avoid the
topic whenever he tries to dig further about the mysterious alpha. He wonders what kind of
alpha Wei Wuxian is waiting for. He wonders if that alpha is truly worthy of his son.

“It’s been almost three months since you returned home.”

“I know.” Wei Wuxian mumbles, eyes still gazing at the tree.

“Where’s that alpha now?”

“He’s busy, but he will come. We made a promise. He said he’ll come to see me here, in our
village.” Wei Wuxian says with a determined look on his face.

Of course, Wei Changze has wished for Wei Wuxian to fall in love with someone, but not all
men are good. Wei Wuxian might be foolish when it comes to love and romantic feelings.
There’s a chance that the alpha he’s waiting for might have forgotten about their promise, but
he can’t say that to Wei Wuxian without hurting his son who’s very much in love.

Ever since Wei Wuxian came home, the news about his heroic fight with the Wens has spread
around the country. During the past three months, some alphas from across the land had come
to their village in hope to court Wei Wuxian, but all of them were turned down by his omega
son. Because of that, Wei Changze has a really high expectation for the alpha his son is
waiting for.

When Wei Wuxian came home a few months ago, Wei Changze noticed a slightly different
scent from his son, and he knew that alpha had laid his hand on Wei Wuxian. He doesn’t
want to talk about it because he knows Wei Wuxian will not answer him, but he knows that
his son has been touched by that alpha.

“Tell me, who exactly is this someone?”

Wei Wuxian smiles sheepishly, but his eyes are gleaming with happiness. “I’ll introduce him
to you, Dad.”

Wei Changze sighs in response, but then smiles and pats Wei Wuxian on his head. His next
words, however, don’t match his smile at all.

“Alright, but if he doesn’t come anytime soon, I’ll get my sword and see him myself.”
“Dad!” Wei Wuxian gasps.

On a clear, sunny day, the omegas in the village go to the flower field to pick some flowers.
They pick the best flowers that can be dried and taken by the merchants to be sold in the
towns. Wei Wuxian doesn’t have much to do during the day, so after he’s done with his
morning chores, he joins them to pick some flowers.

When they ask his help to pick some peonies that grow around the outskirts of the village, he
heads there alone. His face lights up with a smile when he sees the field of pink peonies in
front of his eyes, all fully bloomed for spring. Putting the basket down on the grass, he sits
down and starts plucking some of the flowers.

The birds are chirping, the leaves are rustling along with the breeze, and he can hear the
distant sound of the flowing river. He hums a soft melodious tune to himself, enjoying the
peaceful spring. The wind blows a little harder once in a while, but it’s no longer as cold as
winter.

When he stands up to move to another spot, a strong wind blows over him. He quickly
secures the basket so that none of the flowers are blown away, but his hair tie ends up
slipping off his hair and getting carried away by the wind.

“Oh no.” He gasps and turns around to catch the red ribbon, but there’s already someone else
walking over from somewhere behind him.

The flower basket falls from his hand as he watches the man catching his red ribbon. He
stares at the man who has been appearing in his dreams since the past few months. That man
is looking at him with such tender eyes and Wei Wuxian feels his own eyes growing teary.
Without waiting any longer, he runs over and throws himself to hug the alpha. When Lan
Wangji catches him in his arms, he knows this is not a dream anymore.

“Wei Ying.” The alpha murmurs softly and Wei Wuxian has missed hearing that voice.

“Lan Zhan.” He beams, though his eyes are teary. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Lan Wangji mutters under his breath, but his arms are holding him so
tight. It’s almost hard to breathe with how hard the alpha is hugging him, but Wei Wuxian
won’t trade this feeling for anything else.

Then Lan Wangji kisses him. It’s deep, yet slow and tender, like the alpha is conveying his
longing through the kiss. Wei Wuxian has missed this so much, he has missed the alpha’s kiss
and touch. The inside of his mouth feels like melting, so does his body, yet his heart is
fluttering in love and joy.

After pulling away from the kiss, Lan Wangji cups his face with both hands and rests their
foreheads together.

“I’m sorry for making you wait.” The alpha whispers.

“I thought you had forgotten about the promise and about me…” Wei Wuxian pouts, so Lan
Wangji pecks his puckered lips to make him stop sulking.

“I would never.”

“If you did, I’d go all the way to the palace and drag you here by force.” Wei Wuxian huffs.
“I wouldn’t mind that, but no day passed without you crossing my mind.” Lan Wangji hums
and looks into his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’ve been taking care of a lot of things in the imperial city,
and I’ve been preparing myself to meet your father.”

“What’s there to prepare for meeting my father?” Wei Wuxian tilts his head. In his eyes, Lan
Wangji is already perfect and he knows his father will like the alpha a lot. Lan Wangji is how
his father thinks an alpha is supposed to be.

“I want to take you away from him.” Lan Wangji says, and when Wei Wuxian looks at him
with questioning eyes, he smiles so slightly. “I want you to become my wife.”

There’s a dumbfounded look on Wei Wuxian’s face for a moment before his eyes light up in
happiness. He throws himself to hug Lan Wangji again, this time pushing the alpha off his
balance as they both fall onto the field of peonies. Lan Wangji doesn't even wince at the fall,
he simply holds Wei Wuxian tighter against his chest.

“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you! I’ll be your wife!” Wei Wuxian answers the proposal, almost
squealing in happiness.

“Let’s meet your father then.”

“Oh, I have to return the flower basket first.” Wei Wuxian quickly gets up to his feet to grab
his forgotten basket.

After returning the flower basket to the omegas who seem so stunned by the handsome alpha,
they walk to his house with their hands intertwined. Wei Wuxian notices the villagers staring
as they walk and it makes him feel a little shy, but also very happy. Lan Wangji is going to be
his husband soon and he wants the world to know about it.

“You didn’t come here with Bichen?” Wei Wuxian asks when he remembers about the white
stallion.
“I came with him.”

“Then where is he?”

“There.” Lan Wangji points his eyes ahead.

Wei Wuxian follows the alpha's gaze and sees the white stallion resting in front of his house.
He blinks at the sight and then looks at Lan Wangji again. “You came to my house already?”

“I asked for your whereabouts when I arrived here, and they guided me to your house. Your
father was home and he told me that you’re picking flowers, so I asked around and they said
you’re in the peonies field near the outskirts of the village.” Lan Wangji explains in detail.

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian can only imagine what his father was thinking when he saw Lan Wangji.
He has mentioned Lan Wangji to his father before and he thinks his father will like Lan
Wangji, but he doesn’t know for sure.

“Dad, I’m back.” He calls out as he enters the house with his alpha.

“Welcome back.” His father’s voice is heard from inside the house, but the man is not seen
anywhere.

They walk further into the house and find Wei Changze sitting in the back garden, sipping on
his tea. Wei Changze sets his cup down and then looks up to the couple.

“So… is he the alpha you’ve been talking about?” Wei Changze glances at Lan Wangji, his
eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and judgment, like he wants to see if this alpha is truly
worthy of his son.

Lan Wangji gets on his knees in front of Wei Changze and bows respectfully at the man. “My
name is Lan Wangji. I am the son of General Lan, the one who fought in the same war as
yours.”

“So you’re General Lan’s son.” Wei Changze nods at the revelation, his eyes gleaming with
acceptance already. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“It’s my honor to meet you, Commander Wei.”

“I heard that my son has caught your attention. Is it true?” Wei Changze asks as he glances at
his son.

“It is true.” Lan Wangji lifts his head and looks at the other alpha with determined eyes. “I
come here to ask for your blessing. I wish to take Wei Ying as my wife.”

Wei Wuxian feels his cheeks growing warm with blush, yet he can’t stop himself from
grinning. Lan Wangji did tell him about his intention, but he didn’t think the alpha would say
it so straightforwardly to his father. Lan Wangji looks so cool when he’s like this.

Wei Changze looks at the young alpha like he’s stunned, and then drops his gaze with a sigh.
“I guess the time has come for me to give Wei Ying to someone who’s worthy of him.”

“Dad…” Wei Wuxian’s smile falters when he hears the melancholic tone in his father’s voice.
Even though his father is smiling, he can see a glint of sadness in those eyes.

“My son is not docile or soft like most omegas. He’s also stubborn and can be reckless at
times.”

“I am aware of that.” Lan Wangji says.

“Are you willing to accept that side of him?” Wei Changze asks, looking straight into Lan
Wangji’s eyes.
“He’s the only one I want.” Lan Wangji nods determinedly. “For me, he is the most beautiful
flower and I can’t find anybody else like him.”

“He was a flower bud when he left home, but after he returned home, I realized that he has
fully bloomed.” Wei Changze smiles softly at his son. Although he has been wishing for Wei
Wuxian to get married, there’s still a little reluctance inside him to let his son go.

“I swear upon my life that I will try my best to make him happy. If there’s a day where he
comes back to you in tears, please use your blade to end my life. I am prepared.” Lan Wangji
says with a bow.

“Your resolve and determination is just like your father’s.” Wei Changze looks at the young
alpha before nodding his head in approval. “You have my blessing to marry my son, Lan
Wangji.”

Wei Wuxian is the first one to react. He throws himself to hug his father, almost toppling the
man over. “I love you, Dad!”

“I love you too, my dear.” His father laughs lightly.

“Thank you very much, Commander Wei. I promise to take care of him for life.” Lan Wangji
bows once again.

“Lift your head, Lan Wangji.” Wei Changze chuckles lightly, looking much more relaxed
now. “Let’s enjoy some tea now. Wei Ying, can you grab more cups for yourself and your
husband here?”

Wei Wuxian blushes before he scurries away to grab more tea cups.
The three of them sit down to enjoy the tea afterwards. Wei Changze tells Lan Wangji about
the tree in their garden, about the story where he and his wife planted the seed after they got
married. Now, the peach blossoms will bloom on the tree every spring.

“My uncle once told me that the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful
of all.” Lan Wangji says as he looks at the peach blossom tree in front of them. “The peach
blossom blooms in winter and despite severe weather conditions, each colorful petal grows
through the winter storms.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart skips a beat when Lan Wangji suddenly looks at him with such loving
eyes.

“That kind of flower is the most beautiful of all. It signifies endurance, perseverance,
strength, commitment and beauty.” Lan Wangji mutters softly, eyes locked on Wei Wuxian as
if he’s talking about the omega himself.

Wei Changze can’t help but to smile when he sees Wei Wuxian blushing at the words. He has
never seen Wei Wuxian acting like this in front of anybody else before and he knows Lan
Wangji is the only one who can make his son act this way. He knows Lan Wangji is the right
person.

“Are you taking him to the imperial city tomorrow?” Wei Changze asks.

“I’m planning to stay here for a few days, if you don’t mind.” Lan Wangji answers with a
nod. “I want to see what kind of village he grew up in, and then I’ll take him to the imperial
city once I have your permission.”

“You have my permission. It’s about time for Wei Ying to travel out of this little village.” Wei
Changze nods.

“Come with us to the imperial city, Dad. I can’t leave you alone.” Wei Wuxian puckers his
lips and reaches out to hold his father’s hand.
“I’m fine, Wei Ying. All my friends are here and I love this village. You can visit me here
anytime you want, there’s no need to worry about me.” His father says reassuringly.

Wei Wuxian knows that aside from his leg problem, his father is still pretty much healthy and
strong. He just can’t help but to worry after watching his father grow older through the years.
It has always been the two of them after all. Even though he’s looking forward to spending
his life with Lan Wangji, there’s a part of him that’s a little unwilling to leave his home and
his father.

“Well then, why don't you take your husband around the village? Introduce him to our
home.” Wei Changze gestures his hand as he speaks.

When Wei Wuxian takes Lan Wangji to walk around the village that afternoon, everybody
seems to be stunned by the handsome alpha. He can feel their eyes following Lan Wangji as
he walks beside the alpha. Even though the attention is directed to Lan Wangji, he can’t help
but to feel a little shy and proud at the same time.

He never really thought about getting married, not before he met Lan Wangji, but he has this
little dream of taking his future husband around his village to introduce him to the place he
grew up in, and he’s doing it with Lan Wangji right now.

“Am I going to live with you in the imperial city after this?” Wei Wuxian asks when they’re
sitting by the river.

“Do you not want to?” Lan Wangji looks at him.

“Of course I want to be with you, but… I’m just a little sad about leaving home.”

Lan Wangji hums and pulls him closer by his shoulders. “We can always come back here
anytime. If you need it, I can drag your father to the imperial city by force.”
“Please don’t do that.” Wei Wuxian says quickly when he imagines the chaos it might bring.
“It’s just… I’ve never really left my village to live somewhere else.”

“Don’t worry, the imperial city will welcome you.” Lan Wangji says reassuringly. “The
emperor misses you. He keeps asking me when I’m planning to pick you up.”

“His Majesty still talks about me?”

“He is still hoping for you to become a member of his council. He keeps telling me to take
your hand in marriage so that he can see you every time.”

Wei Wuxian can’t help but to giggle at the story. “Is that the reason why you asked me to
marry you?”

“I asked you because I want to be with you.” Lan Wangji says honestly. “But the emperor
said that he will prepare the grand wedding immediately once I come back with you.”

“Why is His Majesty in such a hurry?” Wei Wuxian giggles again.

“I’m in a hurry too.” Lan Wangji looks at him, his face turns serious suddenly. “Ever since
your heroic story spread, I know many alphas have been trying to steal your heart. I can’t
stand the thought of it. I want you to be mine and I want them to know that you’re mine.”

This time, Wei Wuxian is no longer laughing. His cheeks are red and his eyes are wide as he
stares back at Lan Wangji. He has heard that alphas tend to be protective and possessive once
they claim a mate, and it seems that his alpha is like that too.

Well, not that Wei Wuxian is unhappy about Lan Wangji’s protective and possessive side.

“I want my father to be there during the wedding preparation and everything. Is it possible?”
Wei Wuxian decides to voice out his request.
“Of course, we can pick your father anytime he wants to. He will definitely be there at our
wedding.” Lan Wangji gives a reassuring nod.

“Okay then.” Wei Wuxian beams happily.

As the gentle wind of spring brushes over their hair, they lean in to each other and let their
lips meet in a kiss.

When Wei Wuxian wakes up in the middle of the night, Lan Wangji is not on the bed with
him.

He looks around and squints at the darkness before deciding to get out of the bed. As soon as
he leaves the bedroom, he sees Lan Wangji sitting alone in the back garden. He quietly
tiptoes his way over to where the alpha is sitting.

Lan Wangji turns his head when Wei Wuxian sits down next to him. “I’m sorry, did I wake
you up?”

“No, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night.” He rests his head on Lan Wangji’s
shoulder. “What are you doing here by yourself?”

“I can’t seem to fall asleep, so I wanted to get some fresh air.” Lan Wangji hums and pulls the
omega closer by his waist. “I notice that you keep a lot of swords in your house.”
“Oh, they’re the ones I got from the blacksmith when I learned how to temper swords.”

“You know how to make weapons?”

“I learned a bit from the blacksmith. My father made his own sword before he went to the
war, you know, that one that I brought with me to the war.”

“My father made his own sword too. I wanted to learn to temper myself, but I didn’t really
get the chance since he passed away when I was really young.” Lan Wangji hums as he
recalls his past.

“I can teach you how to do it.” Wei Wuxian smiles in excitement.

The alpha smiles softly at him. “That reminds me, we didn’t get to do another sparring battle
during the training.”

They didn’t get to do it because their troops received orders to join the main army in the
mountains, and they ended up meeting the Wens not long after that. He remembers thinking
about having another match with Lan Wangji to show the alpha how much he had improved
during the training.

“Let’s do it right now.” Wei Wuxian’s eyes light up at the idea.

“Right now?” Before Lan Wangji can question more, Wei Wuxian already walks away from
him. A moment later, the omega comes back with two swords in his hands.

“Which one do you prefer?”

“Are you serious about this?” Lan Wangji looks at the swords.
“Of course.” Wei Wuxian nods and puts one of the swords down. “Here, you can use this
one.”

Lan Wangji seems unsure about the idea at first, but then he takes the sword in his hand and
stands up. “Very well.”

Wei Wuxian smiles brightly, his eyes shining under the moonlit sky as he takes his stance and
holds his sword in front of his chest. Lan Wangji does the same and holds his sword steady.

Wei Wuxian is the first one to strike, which Lan Wangji blocks effortlessly. Their blades clash
against each other before they pull back to prepare another strike. The fact that they might
bother Wei Changze with the ringing sound of their blades seems to slip off their minds.

Lan Wangji’s movements are precise and calculated, each swing of his sword is executed
with practiced ease. Lan Wangji is strong and Wei Wuxian feels himself getting pumped up,
his eyes gleaming with excitement and his blood rushing through his body. The fact that Lan
Wangji isn’t holding back on his strikes makes him feel proud.

Although Lan Wangji treats him like a delicate omega sometimes, Lan Wangji also knows
how strong and capable he is. He will prove his strength to his alpha. He will show Lan
Wangji that he’s just as great as any other opponent the alpha ever had.

Wei Wuxian continues to dodge and block until he spots an opening, and he strikes
immediately. It brings them too close to each other and Lan Wangji seems to be caught off
guard, so he takes his chance to kick Lan Wangji’s legs to throw him off balance, and then
pushes the alpha to the ground.

He quickly straddles the alpha and places his blade against Lan Wangji’s throat. “I won.”

“Not so fast.” Lan Wangji says, and with a move Wei Wuxian doesn’t expect, he switches
their position, now pinning Wei Wuxian to the ground.
Wei Wuxian grunts and tries to struggle, but Lan Wangji is too strong.

“Do you remember what I told you?” Lan Wangji husks.

Wei Wuxian looks at the alpha as his mind travels back to those training days in the camp.
There was a time when Lan Wangji finally noticed that his physical strength as an alpha was
lacking, so Lan Wangji told him to fight in his own way and use his own strong points.

“If you can’t go against their strength, use your agility to defeat your opponent.” Wei Wuxian
repeats the words Lan Wangji said to him back then. When he realizes that he might be able
to get out of the hold in another way, he twists his body and tries to hook his legs, but Lan
Wangji has read his movement.

“Good. This would work against someone else, but not me.” Lan Wangji says and proceeds
to close the opening.

Wei Wuxian groans and drops his head back to the ground, his sword is left forgotten at the
side. He notices that Lan Wangji is no longer holding his sword either. They’re using bare
hands now.

“Try, Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji’s voice is filled with encouragement.

Wei Wuxian stays on the ground for a moment, examining his current state and the way Lan
Wangji is pinning him down. He checks his limbs, wanting to see which part of his body that
he can move. He looks up to Lan Wangji, seeing the alpha staring back at him.

He twists his body once again and this time, Lan Wangji isn’t expecting it. He manages to
push Lan Wangji off and pins the alpha against the ground once again. The surprised look on
Lan Wangji’s face proves that he did a good job.
“I did it.” He smiles in satisfaction, looking so proud of himself.

“You did it.” Lan Wangji says before reaching up to kiss Wei Wuxian on the lips.

Taken aback by the kiss, Wei Wuxian is unable to fight back when Lan Wangji bends over to
pin him against the ground again. Lan Wangji kisses him hard, with his tongue pushing in
and licking his cavern. The alpha only pulls away once he starts gasping into the kiss.

“…That’s cheating.” Wei Wuxian mutters softly.

“Is it?” Lan Wangji stares back at him with no particular expression on his face.

As they kiss under the night sky, Wei Changze watches from inside the house, seeing the way
Wei Wuxian’s eyes light up in happiness whenever he looks at his alpha. It puts his heart at
ease, knowing that his son is truly happy.

Smiling to himself, Wei Changze steps out to the garden to disturb the couple’s moment. He
almost breaks into a laughing fit when sees the panicked look on Lan Wangji’s face as the
young alpha releases his son quickly.

“I’ll send you a letter as soon as I reach the imperial city.” Wei Wuxian says to his father.

“I’ll wait for it.” Wei Changze smiles at his son.

It’s the day for them to leave for the imperial city. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are sitting on
their stallions, ready for the journey. It will take at least three days to reach the imperial city
from their village, but he’s sure he will enjoy it with Lan Wangji. They have planned to visit
some towns along the way, though it’s more like Wei Wuxian asking about those places and
Lan Wangji promising to take him there.

“Take care of him.” Wei Changze says to Lan Wangji.

“With my life.” Lan Wangji bows to his father-in-law.

“Go. Safe travels.” Wei Changze pats both stallions before taking a step back.

“See you, Dad!” Wei Wuxian waves his hand as he heads to the gate with Lan Wangji. He
stares at his father until they get far enough before finally turning his head to the road ahead.
He still feels a little sad to leave his home, but he’s excited for his future with Lan Wangji.

“Are you sad?” Lan Wangji asks after a long silence.

“About leaving home?” Wei Wuxian tilts his head, a small smile curling on his lips. “I’d be
lying if I said that I’m not sad, but I’m happy to be with you, Lan Zhan.”

“I’m happy to be with you too, Wei Ying.” The alpha says with a soft look on his face.

Wei Wuxian grins from ear to ear before tugging the reins to bring himself closer to his alpha.
“Lan Zhan, you promised to take me around the other towns during our journey to the
imperial city.”

“I did.”
“Then… where are you taking me right now?” Wei Wuxian tilts his head curiously.

“There’s a village on the cliff, next to the forest and waterfall. During night time, there are
fireflies lighting up the whole village with a gentle glow.”

“I want to go there!” The omega beams in excitement.

“We are heading there.” Lan Wangji nods, a soft smile gracing his features.

It takes almost two weeks for them to finally reach the imperial city. When they arrive, Wei
Wuxian is amazed by the enormous main gate, and then he’s amazed by how big and
crowded the city is, so different from his small and quiet village. As soon as they walk
through the gate, the imperial guards welcome them as if their presence has been expected.

Before Wei Wuxian can do anything else, they are taken to the imperial palace where the
emperor has been waiting. When they walk through the palace gate, Wei Wuxian is surprised
to see that the palace has been fixed and no damage can be seen. At least he doesn’t have to
feel bad for ruining a part of the palace during his fight with Wen Ruohan that night.

The emperor is very happy to see them in the Great Hall, so much that he wants to hold a
feast to celebrate, until Lan Wangji politely tells the emperor that they have just arrived after
a long journey, so they’d appreciate getting some rest. Thankfully, the emperor seems to
notice how overwhelmed Wei Wuxian is, so he tells the couple to take their time for the
wedding preparation. Wei Wuxian has never gotten married, but he knows that wedding
preparation can be quite hectic.
After leaving the palace, Lan Wangji finally takes the omega to his house where they will be
living together. Wei Wuxian thought that it would be a grand house, but it turned out to be a
small yet comfortable house with a little courtyard, like the perfect house Wei Wuxian has
always had in mind.

“This house is old.” Lan Wangji says while Wei Wuxian is exploring the inside of the house.

“It’s beautiful.” Wei Wuxian smiles as he looks around, obviously liking his new home. “Did
you grow up here?”

“When I was a child, yes.” Lan Wangji gazes at the courtyard. “This house belonged to my
father. Me and my brother grew up here until our parents passed away, and then our uncle
took us into his house. This house was left abandoned for a while until me and my brother
returned here to take care of it.”

Wei Wuxian can feel his heart aching at the story, so he walks over and hugs Lan Wangji.
“Where is your brother now?”

“He’s living in another house. I’ll take you to see him later.” Lan Wangji places a hand on his
waist. “He was hoping we could have dinner together tonight.”

“I’d love to meet your family.” Wei Wuxian smiles brightly.

Lan Wangji leans down to kiss his forehead before speaking again. “Let me show you the
bedchamber and everything else in this house.”

“Okay!” Wei Wuxian beams and clings onto Lan Wangji’s arm as the alpha takes him around
the house.

When the sun is about to set, Lan Wangji takes him to his brother’s house that’s located not
too far from the imperial palace. As they walk, Wei Wuxian can’t help but to look at the
crowded street, seeing how different it is compared to his village. Back in his village, the
streets usually get so much quieter once the sun sets.

Lan Wangji’s brother's house looks bigger than grander, and it looks like it belongs to a rich
scholar or some sort. Wei Wuxian has never asked the details about Lan Wangji’s brother, but
he won’t be surprised if Lan Wangji’s brother is wealthy. It seems that Lan Wangji’s family is
quite powerful.

“What kind of person is your brother?” Wei Wuxian asks with a small voice once they arrive
at the door.

“He’s a very polite person.” Lan Wangji says vaguely before opening the door. “Xiongzhang,
we’re here.”

“You call your brother xiongzhang?” Wei Wuxian seems a little baffled with how formal Lan
Wangji is. He knows how stoic and tight-laced the alpha is, but he didn’t think Lan Wangji
still acts that way towards his own family.

“Ah, Wangji. You’re here.”

Wei Wuxian looks up to see a man walking over to them. For a split second, Wei Wuxian
almost thinks that they’re twin brothers with how similar they look, but after staring long
enough at the other man, he notices the little differences between both brothers. Unlike Lan
Wangji who’s mostly stoic and somewhat cold in appearance, his brother seems softer and
gentler with that smile on his face.

“You must be Wei Wuxian.” The man smiles at him. “My name is Lan Xichen, Wangji’s
older brother. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine, Xichen-ge!” Wei Wuxian quickly bows his head.
Lan Xichen huffs out a chuckle before beckoning to them. “Come inside. I’m still preparing
the food.”

“Is Uncle joining us?” Lan Wangji asks as they walk further into the house.

“He should be. He’ll probably come later.” Lan Xichen hums. “Take a seat. I’m still
cooking.”

“I can help you with that!” Wei Wuxian follows the older omega to the kitchen. He may not
be the best cook in the village, but he knows how to cook for his father at least.

“I have heard so much about you, Wei Wuxian.” Lan Xichen hums as he stirs the pot slowly.

“You have?” Wei Wuxian perks up as he drops the vegetables into the pot. “I hope they’re
good things.”

“You defeated Wen Ruohan and saved the emperor, that’s a good thing for sure.” Lan Xichen
chuckles lightly. “For an omega to be able to do that… it’s truly fascinating.”

Wei Wuxian smiles sheepishly at the compliment. He was a little nervous when he arrived,
but Lan Xichen is a very pleasant person and he’s happy to get along well with the older
brother that Lan Wangji cares deeply for. He has never had a sibling of his own, but he thinks
he can see Lan Xichen as his own brother too.

He starts feeling nervous again when their uncle, Lan Qiren, arrives at the house to join the
dinner. Throughout the dinner, Wei Wuxian can feel Lan Qiren's scrutinizing eyes on him,
like the man is making sure that he’s an omega worthy of his nephew. Lan Qiren may not be
a father, but he’s the one who raised Lan Wangji like his own son.

While he helps Lan Xichen to clean the table and dishes, he can see Lan Qiren and Lan
Wangji sitting by the courtyard with some tea. He doesn’t know what they’re talking about,
but he catches Lan Qiren placing his hand on Lan Wangji’s shoulder and Lan Wangji who
nods his head at what his uncle is saying. It’s amusing to see how Lan Wangji is acting like
an obedient son in front of his uncle.

“Once you’re done, please sit down in the living room and wait for me. Don’t drink any tea
or eat anything else.” Lan Xichen says suddenly.

Wei Wuxian seems a little confused by the request. “May I ask why?”

“I want to check your pulse and your energy flow.” Lan Xichen says casually and when Wei
Wuxian keeps giving him a confused look, he smiles softly. “Wangji didn’t tell you? I’m a
physician. I’d like to check your health, if you don’t mind.”

Wei Wuxian ends up sitting across the table with Lan Xichen. Lan Wangji is sitting next to
the omega while Lan Qiren is standing next to the wall, obviously listening to the
conversation. Wei Wuxian presses his lips as he watches Lan Xichen pressing two fingers
against his wrist to check his pulse.

“Healthy. Full of energy.” Lan Xichen smiles in amusement. “You can have lots of kids.”

Wei Wuxian scratches the back of his head and smiles bashfully. He glances over at Lan
Wangji who doesn’t seem to have any particular expression on his face, yet he can see the tip
of Lan Wangji’s ears turning a little red. He’d love to have kids and he wonders if Lan
Wangji thinks the same. He’d love to have a child who takes after Lan Wangji.

“Your heat cycle,” Lan Xichen says suddenly, snapping Wei Wuxian out of his trance. “Is it
irregular? Did you ever miss it?”

“It’s usually regular, but when I was in military training, I consumed some herbs that helped
me to mask my pheromone and stop my heat cycle momentarily.” He says honestly. He’s sure
Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren already know about him impersonating an alpha soldier in the
military anyway.
“But you still got your heat.” Lan Wangji says as a matter of fact.

“L-Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian flusters with how blunt the alpha is. The fact that Lan Wangji
can point out his heat cycle means that Lan Wangji was there when he had his heat, which is
true, but the others don’t have to know the details.

“I see.” Lan Xichen seems completely calm. “You’re not pregnant. Did you get your heat
cycle recently?”

“I got it last month.” He nods quickly.

“I see.” Lan Xichen smiles and finally removes his fingers from Wei Wuxian’s wrist. “You
are very fertile during your heat, so will most probably get pregnant if you don’t drink any
medicine the morning after.”

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian smiles bashfully and glances at Lan Wangji who has been listening
attentively.

“Bringing a child into this world is not a thoughtless matter.” Lan Qiren speaks clearly to
gather their attention. “It’s a life, it’s your responsibility, and you have to raise them well. It’s
not an easy matter, so don’t be careless when it comes to having a child.”

Wei Wuxian drops his gaze like he’s being scolded while Lan Wangji nods at his uncle. “We
understand.”

“And during pregnancy, it’s very important for the omega to stay healthy and get enough rest.
He has to gain some weight first. He has to eat more healthy food.” Lan Qiren points his eyes
to Wei Wuxian.

“Don’t worry, Uncle. I’m sure Wangji will take care of that.” Lan Xichen says reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. I’m already very healthy.” Wei Wuxian nods confidently.

Lan Qiren gives him a look before turning his head away. Even though Lan Qiren isn’t as
friendly and welcoming as Lan Xichen, Wei Wuxian doesn’t think that he’s being hated.
Maybe he just needs a little time to get closer to Lan Qiren.

After finishing a pot of tea after dinner, Wei Wuxian finally returns to the house with Lan
Wangji. When he asks Lan Wangji as to why Lan Xichen is living alone in such a big house,
Lan Wangji explains that his brother is actually married to an alpha who is an imperial
chancellor, who’s currently very busy with some imperial matters.

It seems that Wei Wuxian isn’t completely wrong to assume that the Lan family is powerful.

When Lan Wangji wakes up at midnight, Wei Wuxian is not by his side. He sits up in alert
and looks around the bedroom. When he doesn’t see his omega anywhere, he gets down from
the bed and slides the door open, only to sigh in relief when he sees Wei Wuxian sitting by
the courtyard.

“Oh, sorry, Lan Zhan. Did I wake you up?” Wei Wuxian quickly turns around when he hears
the noise.

“You did not.” Lan Wangji slowly sits down next to Wei Wuxian and lets the omega rest his
head on his shoulder. “Is it difficult to fall asleep? Is the bed not comfortable?”
“No, it’s very comfortable.” Wei Wuxian smiles. He thinks it’s a perfect bedroom. It has a
dressing table, wooden cabinets, a beautiful tea table, and a bed with wooden frame and
railings to hang the curtains. Moreover, he gets to sleep with his alpha on the same bed every
night.

“Then why are you sitting here?” Lan Wangji looks at him.

“I don’t know.” Wei Wuxian snuggles to his alpha who pulls him closer. “I guess I’m just
trying to get used to my new home. It’s very different from my house in the village.”

“Do you think you can get used to living here?” Lan Wangji asks.

“With you by my side? Of course.” Wei Wuxian grins and then closes his eyes when Lan
Wangji gives him a peck on the lips. The bustling imperial city is very different from his
home village, but he knows he can go anywhere with Lan Wangji beside him.

There’s a comfortable silence afterwards with Wei Wuxian gazing at the courtyard in front of
him. He can feel Lan Wangji’s arm looping around his waist, sometimes around his shoulder,
sometimes playing with his long hair. Despite not showing many emotions and not speaking
many words, Lan Wangji is a tender alpha.

But in bed, not so much.

Wei Wuxian shakes his head to brush the sudden dirty thought away. They’re having such a
sweet and peaceful moment right now; he can’t believe his brain suddenly pulled that out.
Then again, his heat is supposed to arrive in a few days, so it must have affected him.

“Oh, I almost forgot something important.” Wei Wuxian turns his head to look at the alpha.
“Lan Zhan, do you know where I can get some herbs? Can I get them from Xichen-ge or is
there any other place?”

“Herbs?” Lan Wangji’s eyes twitch so slightly. “What herbs? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Oh, I’m not ill, Lan Zhan. Not at all.” Wei Wuxian quickly waves his hand. “I’m talking
about heat suppressant herbs.”

“When?”

“Eh?”

“When is your heat?” Lan Wangji asks with a serious look on his face.

“Probably in three days…? But I brought some heat suppressant herbs from home with me,
so there’s no need to worry!” Wei Wuxian says convincingly.

“Your heat will be suppressed, but you will feel unwell after taking the heat suppressant
herbs, correct?”

“It’s not a big deal. I’m used to it.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head lightly. It’s very common for
omegas to feel feverish and unwell after taking the suppressants due to the side effects, but it
goes away within a day and it’s never anything serious.

“I will try to be home.” Lan Wangji says sincerely. “So that I can take care of you.”

Wei Wuxian feels his cheeks flaming up, but he can’t deny the happiness he feels. “Lan
Zhan! How blunt!”

“Do you not want me to take care of it?” Lan Wangji asks, looking serious.

“It’s not that. Of course I want it.” Wei Wuxian hums as he wraps his arms around Lan
Wangji and smiles teasingly at the alpha. “You’re my alpha, my husband. You can do
anything to me.”
“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji mutters softly and the next thing Wei Wuxian knows, the alpha
scoops his body to carry him in his arms.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian gasps and looks down at the ground as Lan Wangji carries him
back into the bedroom.

Lan Wangji doesn’t even close the door as he sets Wei Wuxian on the bed. As soon as he gets
on the bed himself, Wei Wuxian sits up and straddles his lap. He pulls Wei Wuxian’s face
closer to share a passionate kiss. While their lips are melting together, he can feel Wei
Wuxian’s fingers running through his long hair.

Wei Wuxian opens his mouth, gasping and mewling as Lan Wangji kisses him hard. It’s such
a rough kiss, but so eager and passionate. He moves his hands to tug the sleeping robe Lan
Wangji is wearing, tracing the seams and slipping his hands underneath the soft fabric. Even
though it’s just a kiss, Wei Wuxian can already feel the space between his legs begin to tingle.

Lan Wangji breaks the kiss and kisses his way down, nipping at the soft skin of Wei Wuxian’s
neck as his hand goes down to touch the knot that ties Wei Wuxian’s sleeping robe together.
With a single tug, it comes undone, unraveling the robe and exposing Wei Wuxian’s perfect
body to him.

Wei Wuxian can feel Lan Wangji’s large hands holding his waist. He can feel those hands
tracing the curves of his body before going up to touch his chest. When Lan Wangji uses his
fingers to pinch his nipples, he can’t help but to moan.

“Ahh… Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian arches his back slightly.

“So sensitive.” Lan Wangji mutters as he continues to rub and pinch at the perked buds.

“It’s because… you like to play with them so much…” Wei Wuxian squirms at the teasing
the touches. He’s sensitive there and the way Lan Wangji touch him so inappropriately makes
him feel more.
“But your scent gets sweeter when I do this.” Lan Wangji murmurs before taking one of the
nipples into his mouth, earning a gasp from the omega.

Lan Wangji does it slowly, but persistently. He sucks on the nipple, flicks the perked bud with
his tongue, and licks around it. His hand is playing with the other nipple at the same time,
rubbing and pinching it teasingly to draw out more moans from his omega.

Wei Wuxian gasps and moans in between. His body twitches whenever Lan Wangji pinches
or sucks particularly hard. It’s almost too much, yet it’s barely enough. He can feel his body
dampening in arousal, he can feel his slick trickling out.

Lan Wangji then latches his mouth around the other nipple to give it the same attention. His
hands eventually move lower to Wei Wuxian’s pert ass. He grabs both ass cheeks with his
hands and then starts groping it.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian moans and tilts his head back. He can feel his slick dripping
down his inner thighs and it’s just a matter of time before he ends up soaking Lan Wangji’s
robe with his slick.

“So sensitive.” Lan Wangji hums before biting the nipple lightly.

“Oh!” Wei Wuxian gasps, his body trembling. “D-Don’t touch me so much then… since I’m
sensitive…”

“I’ll keep touching you like this until you recognize my touch, until you can moan with just a
brush of my finger.” Lan Wangji pulls back slightly and looks up to him, eyes dark with
desire. “I’ll train your body well so that I’m the only one who can touch you like this, only
me and no one else. I’ll make you mine forever.”

It’s such a dirty promise, but also very sweet. The alpha promises to own him, to pleasure
him, and to love him forever. Wei Wuxian's body grows hot just from the thought of it. He
has never had someone staking a claim in such a loving way before.
“I’m already yours.” Wei Wuxian leans down to kiss the alpha on his forehead. “All yours,
Lan Zhan.”

“Mine.” Lan Wangji murmurs and squeezes Wei Wuxian’s ass tightly, so tight that Wei
Wuxian wonders if his ass will bruise after this, but he’ll surely love it.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian whispers and grinds his hips down, rubbing himself against the
alpha’s hard bulge. It’s so big and so hot already, and he can’t wait to have it inside him.

Lan Wangji lets out a growl and digs his fingers into the flesh of Wei Wuxian buttocks,
warning the omega. “Wei Ying. Behave.”

Oh, that’s so hot. Lan Wangji is hot when he’s being all stern and domineering like this, just
like when he was acting as a strict commander during the military training. Lan Wangji may
be a gentleman, but he surely knows how to act like a true alpha. Lan Wangji surely knows
how to put him back in his place and Wei Wuxian wants it.

“No.” Wei Wuxian says and keeps trying to grind his hips down.

Wei Wuxian has expected it, but it still comes as a surprise when Lan Wangji slaps his ass.
The hit falls hard, spreading the burn over his right ass cheek. He gasps at the initial pain, but
instead of trying to get off, he only wraps his arms tighter around Lan Wangji and pushes his
ass back against the hands.

Lan Wangji slaps his left ass cheek after that. The hit falls just as hard as the pervious slap,
spreading the same burning feeling on the skin. Wei Wuxian’s eyelids flutter as he lets out
another gasp. Even without looking, he knows his ass is starting to turn red with how hard the
alpha spanked him.

Lan Wangji caresses the reddened skin with his hands, like he’s trying to feel the burn, and
then spanks his omega again. This time, Wei Wuxian cries out at the hit, though his voice
sounds more like a moan than anything else. When Lan Wangji caresses his ass to soothe the
sting, he sighs in content and presses himself against the alpha.

“Do you want more?” Lan Wangji asks with a gentle voice, so different from what he has
been doing.

Wei Wuxian lets out a mewl and nods his head. It was shameful when Lan Wangji did this for
the first time, but at this point, he knows he can no longer pretend to hate it. When Lan
Wangji slaps his ass again, he moans and rubs himself against the alpha’s hard-on to provoke
him more.

Wei Wuxian does it again and again. Even when his ass is throbbing and burning from all the
spanks Lan Wangji is giving him, he keeps moving his hips and rubbing himself against his
alpha. His cock is so hard that it’s starting to ache, and he’s so wet that he can feel it dripping
all over his inner thighs. Every time Lan Wangji does this, the line between pain and pleasure
gets blurred out.

When Lan Wangji stops, Wei Wuxian needs a moment to blink the sparks away from his
vision. His head feels a little light, but Lan Wangji is kissing his face and stroking his head
tenderly.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji calls out before kissing his lips.

Wei Wuxian mewls happily and kisses the alpha back. He can feel Lan Wangji’s hands
caressing and massaging his sore ass. He can also feel it when Lan Wangji spreads his ass
cheeks apart to touch the slicked hole between them.

“So wet.” Lan Wangji mutters into the kiss. “You’re even soaking my robe with your slick.”

“Lan Zhan… I want it…” Wei Wuxian whines as he presses himself against the alpha’s hard
bulge.
“Not yet.” Lan Wangji says and without giving Wei Wuxian any time to respond, he pushes a
finger inside.

“Ah… ahh…” Wei Wuxian gasps, his hips twitching as Lan Wangji pushes his entire finger
in.

Lan Wangji stares closely at Wei Wuxian’s face, seeing his omega all flushed and eyes lidded
from pleasure. Wei Wuxian looks beautiful when he wields his sword with fire in his eyes.
Lan Wangji can’t forget that night where Wei Wuxian danced with his blade while fighting
against Wen Ruohan. Wei Wuxian was as beautiful as a phoenix at that time, but his omega
also looks beautiful when he’s all submissive like this.

“Beautiful.” Lan Wangji murmurs and pushes his second finger in. He slides his fingers all
the way to the knuckles and then presses the tender spot that he has memorized.

“Ohh!” Wei Wuxian cries out, his body jerking and his hips twitching at the touch.

“Feels good?” Lan Wangji asks as he rubs that spot over and over again.

“L-Lan Zhan… not there—ahh!” Wei Wuxian yelps when Lan Wangji thrusts three fingers
into him.

Lan Wangji keeps thrusting his fingers, not giving Wei Wuxian a break to speak coherently.
Wei Wuxian quivers as his hands pull on the sleeping robe that’s still wrapped around Lan
Wangji’s body.

“Lan Zhan… Put it in…” Wei Wuxian looks pleadingly at his alpha. “Give it to me…”

Lan Wangji growls, but he stays in control. “Not yet.”

“But I want it now—ohh!” Wei Wuxian moans wantonly when Lan Wangji rubs his sensitive
spot in quick writhing movements of his fingers. There’s a heat stirring in his stomach and
spreading through his whole body. It’s hot, burning like flames, burning him up.

When Lan Wangji crooks his fingers again, Wei Wuxian chokes out a scream and spills his
release onto Lan Wangji’s robe, staining it with white. His slick gushes out as he squirts all
over Lan Wangji’s knuckles. His body is trembling hard, but Lan Wangji is holding him tight.

Lan Wangji waits until the omega is no longer twitching before he carefully pulls his fingers
out. When he checks on Wei Wuxian again, he notices that his omega is still trembling and
breathing heavily. Wei Wuxian keeps squirming on his lap and his hips are moving back and
forth as if chasing after a phantom pleasure. Lan Wangji is worried for a moment until the
scent of Wei Wuxian’s pheromone strikes him like a punch in the face.

“Wei Ying.” He calls out and tilts Wei Wuxian’s face to look at it.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian whimpers. His eyes are lidded and darkened with lust. “It’s hot…
it’s burning…”

“Are you in heat? Right now?” Lan Wangji narrows his eyes, trying so hard to keep himself
under control. This scent and the way Wei Wuxian is acting right now… it’s just like that
night where the omega got his heat.

“I… don’t know…?” Wei Wuxian mumbles, looking so dazed. His heat is supposed to arrive
in a few days instead of tonight.

With a growl, Lan Wangji pushes the omega against the bed and hovers above him. “It seems
that I have triggered your heat to come early.”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know if it’s actually possible, but one thing he knows, he wants Lan
Zhan to knot him until he can’t feel his legs anymore. He wants Lan Wangji to breed him out
of his heat cycle. When he looks down, he can see Lan Wangji’s cock all red and engorged,
so ready to fuck him open.
“Lan Zhan… need you…” Wei Wuxian whines in need and spreads his legs, presenting
himself to the hungry alpha.

“Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan grits his teeth as he fits himself between the omega’s legs. He aligns
the tip of his cock and then pushes himself in.

Wei Wuxian cries out as his hands grapple to hold onto Lan Wangji. The alpha wastes no
time to satiate his heat. His thrusts are rough, hard, fast, and Wei Wuxian loves everything
about it. He is sobbing and screaming under Lan Wangji, yet his eyes are beaming with love
as he begs for his alpha, begging to be knotted and to be bred with Lan Wangji’s seed.

“Lan Zhan…!” He chants the name like a prayer as his body sings in pleasure. “So deep…!
Yes…!”

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji bends down and scrapes his teeth against Wei Wuxian’s neck,
leaving marks all over the skin. “My Wei Ying…”

Wei Wuxian’s heat lasts for hours and Lan Wangji has to breed his omega again and again.
The sun is starting to rise outside, but they’re not done yet because Wei Wuxian’s body is still
burning. It’s not a problem for Lan Wangji though, because he has a high libido and enough
vigor for his omega, especially when he’s affected by Wei Wuxian’s sweet pheromone. He
has spilled his seed so much that when he pulls out once again, his semen leaks out of Wei
Wuxian’s rim, mixed with the omega’s slick and everything else.

The bed sheet is stained with all kinds of body fluids and none of them can keep track of how
many rounds they have done this for. Wei Wuxian’s body is full of hickeys and bite marks
from him. There’s also a faint bruise on Wei Wuxian’s hips because he is gripping so hard
every time. Every part of Wei Wuxian’s body shows that the omega belongs to him and only
him.

“Lan Zhan… C-Can’t anymore…” Wei Wuxian whimpers when Lan Wangji spoons him
from behind and lifts one of his legs to spread him open. His body has no strength anymore,
so he can’t do anything when Lan Wangji inches himself closer.
“Once more.” Lan Wangji husks as he aligns his cock once again.

Wei Wuxian’s hole is already red and swollen from his abuse, yet it’s still twitching and
dripping wet. The previously tight hole is now gaping and Lan Wangji can catch a glimpse of
the pink flesh inside, so pretty like a blooming flower.

Wei Wuxian whimpers when he feels the tip of Lan Wangji’s cock nudging at his hole. He is
so sore and swollen down there, yet his body is telling him that it wants more of Lan Wangji.
Just once more.

While Wei Wuxian is losing his mind because of the heat and pleasure, Lan Wangji has pretty
much gotten his mind back. Since Wei Wuxian is nearly oversensitive at this state, Lan
Wangji makes sure to keep a close eye on the omega and watches his response. He slowly
pushes the tip of his cock in, just slightly, and then pulls out, seeing Wei Wuxian’s hole
twitching angrily at the loss.

“N-No… no…” Wei Wuxian pushes his hips back, trying to chase after it.

“Didn’t you say you can’t anymore?” Lan Wangji hums and nudges at the hole again.

“No…” Wei Wuxian turns over his shoulder to stare at Lan Wangji. “Want you inside… Lan
Zhan...”

Licking his lips, Lan Wangji tightens his grip around Wei Wuxian hips and shoves his cock in
once again. Wei Wuxian wails at the thrust, but Lan Wangji doesn’t give the omega a break
as he starts pounding into him. This is about satiating Wei Wuxian’s heat, this is about
breeding the omega so that he can rest after being tortured by his heat for so long.

Wei Wuxian is screaming and wailing, no longer coherent with his words. Lan Wangji is
hitting his spot at every thrust. It’s already swollen and sore after being abused countless
times by the alpha, but it still sends a shiver of pleasure down his spine. He is so sensitive all
over, so it doesn’t take long before he reaches his peak, especially when Lan Wangji is
driving into his body with so much vigor.

Lan Wangji can’t last that long either. His own body is getting sensitive after doing this so
many times. When his knot starts forming, he pushes it into Wei Wuxian to breed his omega
once again.

With another scream, Wei Wuxian’s cock twitches weakly with nothing spilling out as he
squirts all over Lan Wangji’s knot that’s plugging him up. His head grows light and his vision
starts to waver. The last thing he feels is Lan Wangji shooting his hot seed inside him, and
then his vision turns black.

Lan Wangji collapses onto the bed afterwards, sweating and breathing heavily. It takes him a
little longer to recover before he checks on his omega. Wei Wuxian is sleeping soundly in his
embrace, no longer tortured by his heat. Lan Wangji smiles tenderly at the sight and kisses
the omega on his forehead.

“My Wei Ying.” He whispers so softly.

When Wei Wuxian wakes up, he finds himself in Lan Wangji’s embrace. He smiles at the
warmth and snuggles against the alpha’s chest, feeling so loved and happy.

“Are you awake, Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji’s soft voice is heard.

“No.” Wei Wuxian giggles.

“Alright then.” Lan Wangji hums and brings a hand to stroke his hair.

Wei Wuxian giggles again before finally looking up to his alpha. “Is it still morning?”

“It’s noon.” Lan Wangji leans in to kiss his forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good.” Wei Wuxian snuggles closer. “Didn’t expect you to trigger my heat last night.”

“I apologize.”

“Don’t apologize! I’m happy that you’re with me.” Wei Wuxian grins from ear to ear.

Lan Wangji returns it with a soft smile of his own. “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat
anything?”

“No, I’m not hungry, just a little thirsty.” He shakes his head lightly.

“I’ll make you some tea. Stay here.” Lan Wangji says before pulling away. When Wei
Wuxian whines at the loss, the alpha turns to look at him. “I’ll be back soon.”

Albeit pouting, Wei Wuxian stays on the bed as Lan Wangji walks away to prepare the tea.
He lifts the blanket and looks down at himself, noticing that he is already clean and wrapped
in his sleeping robe. Lan Wangji must have bathed him and cleaned the bed last night. He
smiles to himself and clutches the blanket around his body, smelling Lan Wangji’s scent on it.

The alpha returns a moment later, carrying a tray in his hands. Lan Wangji sets the tray on the
bedside table and helps him to sit up. Wei Wuxian winces at the ache on his hips, but Lan
Wangji is so careful and gentle while touching him. It makes Wei Wuxian feel giddy to be
treated so tenderly.
“Is it good?” Lan Wangji asks when he drinks the tea.

“It’s good.” He nods with a smile.

“You’re good at making tea.” Lan Wangji comments suddenly. “I drank it when I was at your
house. It was really good.”

“I can make it for you every day.” He beams with confidence. His father and the villagers
said the same thing before, but he thought that they’re nothing more than flattery, so he’s
happy to hear Lan Wangji saying the same.

After drinking the tea, Wei Wuxian stays around the bedroom since Lan Wangji doesn’t let
him go anywhere yet. Honestly, with how sore his body is, he doubts he can go somewhere
far. He wants to explore the imperial city and see what kind of things they have here, but
maybe it will have to wait for now.

Right now, Wei Wuxian thinks he can spend the rest of the day just sitting with Lan Wangji
on the bed. The door is opened, so they can look at the courtyard and see the blooming
flowers.

“Lan Zhan.”

“Hm?”

“You know… if I don't take any herbs after this, I’ll definitely get pregnant.” He says with a
coy smile as he leans himself against his alpha.

Lan Wangji, who has been reading a book quietly, puts it down and looks at him. “Do you not
want to?”
The calm reaction takes Wei Wuxian aback. He was expecting Lan Wangji to get a little
flustered, but the alpha looks very serious about impregnating him. This time, it’s him who
gets flustered.

“I-It’s not that I don’t want to, but we haven’t even gotten married, Lan Zhan!”

“We will. Soon.” Lan Wangji’s face is still serious.

“Lan Zhan! What are we going to say to your uncle and my father if I get pregnant before the
wedding??” Wei Wuxian gasps and smacks the alpha lightly.

Lan Wangji gives the slightest smirk before he leans in to kiss Wei Wuxian on the lips.

The little boy wobbles as he tries to hold up the sword that is obviously too big for his small
body. Still, he plants his feet firm on the ground and puffs his chest with determination. His
small hands are shaking, but he is gripping the sword tightly as he holds the sheathed blade in
front of his chest.

However, the sword is too big and too heavy for him to wield, so he ends up losing his
balance and falling to the ground with the sword. He sits up, blinks his teary eyes, and then
breaks into a wail.

“A-yuan!”
Wei Wuxian rushes to the courtyard and sees his son crying on the ground with the sheathed
sword laid next to him.

“Mom…” A-yuan chokes out through his tears.

“Oh, my dear.” Wei Wuxian scurries over and kneels down to check for any injury on his son.
“Where does it hurt?”

“Here.” A-yuan sniffles and points at his forehead that’s turning red from the impact of his
fall earlier.

“There, there.” Wei Wuxian places a kiss over the throbbing spot and pulls away to scold the
little alpha. “I told you not to play with the sword. Look what happened to you. Why didn’t
you listen to me, A-yuan?”

A-yuan cries harder from the scolding, so Wei Wuxian sighs and carries the boy up in his
arms to cradle him. He’s worried, but he shouldn’t have scolded A-yuan like that. They have
purposely sheathed and bound all the swords in the house so that A-yuan won’t hurt himself,
but that doesn’t stop their son from playing with the sword.

Unlike other children of his age who prefer to play with wooden toys and paper windmills,
A-yuan prefers to play with swords. It honestly reminds Wei Wuxian of himself during his
childhood days, but he can’t help but to worry seeing A-yuan playing around with such a
dangerous item. Maybe this was how his father felt back then when he started playing with
swords.

“You’re still so small. You can’t play around with swords yet. They’re too big and too heavy
for you.” He says softly to the boy.

“But I want to play with it…” A-yuan puckers his lips into a pout. “You let Dad play with the
swords…”
“Your father is not playing with swords, silly little turnip. He’s practicing his
swordsmanship.” Wei Wuxian chuckles lightly.

“You also play swords with Dad sometimes.” A-yuan continues to pout. “I want to play too.”

“You can play too, but wait until you’re a little bigger and don’t use such a heavy sword,
okay?” Wei Wuxian smiles and kisses his little boy on the cheek.

Just then, he hears a noise coming from the front door. Knowing who’s coming home, he
quickly gets back inside the house while carrying A-yuan along.

“Lan Zhan, welcome home!” Wei Wuxian greets happily.

“I’m home.” Lan Wangji hums and then looks at A-yuan whose eyes are still red. His brows
twitch so slightly as he walks over to his wife and son. “What happened?”

“A-yuan fell while playing with the sword.” Wei Wuxian looks at their son with a sigh. “A-
yuan, don’t play with our swords anymore. I’ll get angry for real if you don’t want to listen.”

A-yuan looks up to Lan Wangji and quickly drops his head when he sees his father staring at
him. He brings his small hands to clutch onto the robe his mother is wearing as if seeking for
protection. His mother may be the one who scolds him more, but his father is much scarier
when he’s angered.

“What are you holding in your hand?” Wei Wuxian asks when he sees Lan Wangji’s hand. It
looks like a rod wrapped in fabric, but it doesn’t seem to be long enough to be a functional
rod.

“It’s a sword A-yuan.” Lan Wangji says as he unwraps the fabric to show it.
A-yuan immediately turns his head at the words and sees the wooden sword his father is
holding. It’s a lot smaller than the swords they have at home, but it looks just as great.

“My sword!” A-yuan reaches for it, but Lan Wangji moves it out of his reach.

“You have to promise us that you will not touch our swords anymore. This will be your
sword until you’re big enough to get another one.” Lan Wangji says.

“I promise!” A-yuan says quickly.

Once Wei Wuxian puts A-yuan down, Lan Wangji hands the small wooden sword to the little
alpha. A-yuan holds it with both hands, eyes twinkling in awe as he stares at the piece of
wood, as if he’s looking at a treasure. He carefully holds the sword in front him, and then
beams when he notices that he can keep his balance well despite the weight of the sword.

“It’s the perfect size and perfect weight.” Wei Wuxian says before looking up to Lan Wangji.
“How did you find it?”

“I asked them to make it.” Lan Wangji says, eyes still watching A-yuan. “It’s oak wood, so it
will be sturdy enough for him to practice swordsmanship. I also made sure that it’s not too
light or too heavy.”

“Lan Zhan, you’re spoiling A-yuan too much.” Wei Wuxian giggles lightly and leans his
head on Lan Wangji’s shoulder.

“Am I?” Lan Wangji places his hand over Wei Wuxian’s waist to pull the omega closer
against him.

Still smiling, Wei Wuxian tilts his head up to kiss his alpha, only to pause abruptly when he
hears A-yuan’s voice.
 “I want to play with this!” A-yuan says while raising his sword to his parents.

“A-yuan, what did I tell you about pointing your sword at someone?” Wei Wuxian gives his
son a look.

Before Wei Wuxian can continue with his scolding, Lan Wangji leans in to peck his lips and
then guides A-yuan to the courtyard. “I’ll teach you how to wield a sword properly.”

A-yuan beams happily, his doe eyes staring at Lan Wangji with so much admiration.

Wei Wuxian cups his blushing cheeks with both hands before following them to the
courtyard.

That afternoon, Wei Wuxian sits by the courtyard and watches Lan Wangji teaching A-yuan
about the correct posture and the proper way to wield a sword. A-yuan might be a little too
young to be learning swordsmanship, but their son is having fun with it. It reminds Wei
Wuxian of his own childhood and how much fun he was having when his father taught him
swordsmanship.

“Mom! Join us!” A-yuan waves at him.

“Alright!” Wei Wuxian smiles and hops over to his little family.

And so, the beautiful omega warrior and the alpha general live happily ever after.

Chapter End Notes

AND THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER 🗣️🗣️🗣️

 👍
Glad i can finish this phew! Hope you enjoyed reading their story here as much as I
enjoyed writing the smut scenes about them

💖
Thank you for reading and for your support despite this being an anon fic throughout the
5 chapters

💖
And for those who recognized me before I revealed myself, thank you for liking my
works enough to be able to recognize my writing style

You can find me in Twitter

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