"I don't care. You're mine and I won't let anyone hurt you."

Oh.

Being Wei Ying's is a much more compelling argument than anything he was prepared to deal with. Time for snuggles.

"I regret that I could not be a better father to A-Yuan," he whispers. "Until last year, I could not leave my bed unassisted."

Wei Ying makes an angry hissing noise through his teeth. 

"I am not going to ask who delivered the blows. Because it hasn't happened and it isn't going to happen and you wouldn't want me to go after them for it. If I ask you anyway remind me that I said not to tell. Unless you do want me to go after them for it. It can be for unrelated reasons, I don't mind." 

Tight squeeze. "Thank you, for not hurting them." He kisses his cheek. "Love you."

"Aaah, Lan Zhan. I love you so much. When you're this soft with me I can't bear it, my heart doesn't have room for it all." Sigh. "You could probably stop me from breaking someone like that in half even if it happened right in front of me. Definitely breaking the whip, though. Not gonna let you get hurt." 

"And I will not break Jiang Cheng in half, for you." Kiss. "No one gets hurt."

Kiss. "You know what, that is fair." 

His hand creeps up Lan Zhan's back and starts to rub slow circles. 

That's really nice, actually. Wangji does not know very much about how relaxing works, but maybe leaning his head against Wei Ying's is an acceptable start?

"My Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whispers, pressing a tiny kiss to his lips. 

"My Wei Ying." Snuggle. "It is still early, if you need more sleep."

"Mhm," he murmurs, curling up against him and closing his eyes again. 

He cuddles him and hums softly and does not fall asleep again himself.

Jiang Cheng, still basically used to the Cloud Recesses sleep schedule, wakes up shortly after five the next morning and starts cleaning up the campsite. He says nothing to Lan Wangji and avoids even looking at him more than necessary. 

Good.

Wangji will gently nudge Wei Ying awake if he's still asleep once the campsite is clear.

Wei Ying stirs, pouting quietly about the hour and nuzzling at Lan Zhan's neck. 

Compelling. Wangji will stand up with Wei Ying scooped in his arms, then. "We should move. Tell me where to take you."

Y A W N 

"West. Unless you have a better idea than me of where Wen Xu is." 

He does not. They can fly west until they come across the next outpost. Is Jiang Wanyin coming?

Well if he does not then maybe next time they decide to have sex in a building that is on fire nobody will be around to put the fire out, so. 

Well, Wangji won't try to drive him off.

They can land a short distance away from the next guardhouse they find, unless Wei Ying prefers to land directly on it for some reason?

Nope. Just out of sight of the guardhouse is perfect, actually. 

Wei Wuxian plays his flute, mustering the resentful dead to destroy his enemies. But he does it balancing on Bichen, leaning on Lan Zhan and with the latter's arm around his waist.

He can't help but be very concerned and unhappy, watching Wei Ying do this, but it helps to have Wei Ying right there to squeeze for comfort, like a stress ball. 

The resentful dead claw through the walls. The guardhouse burns.

There is no Wen Xu. When this has been confirmed he sighs and stops playing and lowers the flute. The dead lose their focus. He wraps his arms around Lan Zhan's waist. 

"Next one," he says. 

"If you need rest, we will stop." He hass concerns about Wei Ying pushing himself too hard in general but not at this particular moment; for now they can fly on.

The next fortress is equally flammable. Any Wen Xus?

None yet. 

"Really, it's lucky I found Wen Chao so fast," he sighs.