Wen Reian

2019 years after The Long Night

Hêi’àn Palace

Nothing was different and yet everything had changed. Wen Reian still woke up a little after dawn to water his plants and eat breakfast, but now he woke to someone hugging him, to Lan Kai-Le’s soft but persuasive complaining about Reian getting out of bed too early.

Wen Reian treated patients daily, he caught Yi-jun’s eye from the balcony overlooking the Great Hall while the King was dealing with matters of state. Reian visited Songcai for tea and exchanged medical advice and funny stories about A’Jun, who Reian would see later, usually in town causing mischief or in the stables teaching Mu Qin how to ride a horse…

Wen Rei took Lan Kai-Le on walks around the palace and around the lower town, even going so far as having to explain what a volcano was, when the man looked alarmed at seeing smoke rise from Hong Zhui.

Kai-Le spent a lot of time with A’Qin, who was adjusting perfectly to life in Hei’an City, and to Reian’s great-suffering, still seemed to have a crush on Song-jun. That conversation had been rather amusing to have with Yi-jun.

“The two are thick as thieves-“

“Bullshit!” The King exclaimed, “I would rather marry her off to my brother than see her with a scrawny twelve year old from the South!”

“Yi-jun, you don’t have a brother-“

“EXACTLY!”

Wen Reian watched Lan Kai-Le with Mu Qin often. Everyday, there seemed to be more things about their relationship that warmed the healer’s heart. Kai-Le was very patient with the boy. He listened every time he spoke, and actively worked to help him make the best of his new life while Reian was secretly doing the same…

As the hunter took A’Qin to the blacksmith to ask about an apprenticeship, Wen Reian hurried through the market, gathering supplies that he hid inside his robes until he could tuck them away later.

Mu Qin was clearly very embarrassed when the blacksmith thought Lan Kai-Le was his father. Reian only caught the end of that conversation, where Kai-Le remained entirely calm and stone-faced as he asked if it was required that the boy have a father. Short answer; no, but Reian knew if the answer had been yes, Lan Kai-Le would already be signing adoption papers.

Family dinners were also becoming more tolerable. Sometimes Yi-jun or Songcai were absent, or late, but A’Jun made up for a lot of the conversation being had anyway. Lan Kai-Le had also come a long way when it came to, um… growling?

There had been a small incident a few weeks after their return in which Reian had come to the table earlier and sat down next to Jin Songcai. The absolutely terrifying storm-cloud over Kai-Le’s head that evening was Reian’s sign not to do it again…

“So?” Reian inquired to Yi-jun one evening as they ate. “Has the governor agreed with your terms?”

Xie Yi-jun snorted loudly which made Songcai glare at him. The King laughed between sips of wine as he said;

“Agreed?! After what happened to A’Jun on her land, Ling Hai was practically begging me to add even more stipulations… useless bitch-“

“AHEM!!”

Songcai’s interruption had been, alas, poorly timed, as it only drew attention to them. A'Jun’s propensity to curse was at an all time high this year, the Princess quickly narrowing her eyes and seeming to inhale all the air in the room, as if she was preparing an in depth presentation of this forbidden word. To everyone’s surprise, it was Lan Kai-Le that stopped her. Well, sort of-

“Bitch?”

The entire table fell silent. Reian turned beet-red and quickly tapped Kai-Le on the shoulder. The man turned to him, and his expression was deeply confused.

“Wen Reian…” the hunter whispered, “He thinks the governor of Xibu Shataar is a female dog-“

Unfortunately for Lan Kai-Le, he was not quiet enough. The first to laugh was Song-jun, of course, quickly followed by Yi-jun, and even Songcai hid his smile behind his hand, though Reian saw it perfectly. Lan Kai-Le looked even more confused, bless him.

“Would you all cut it out!” Reian huffed, patting Kai-Le’s knee gently and shushing him when he started to ask a question.

Reian shot Xie Yi-jun a glare that said, thanks to you I’m going to have to explain what a bitch is to my innocent boy tonight, thank you very much!

The King sighed, wiping the tears from his eyes, still chuckling as he raised his glass-

“Ah, my friend…” Yi-jun was grinning, “I think the governor is exactly that.”

Reian had shown Kai-Le how to accept a toast a few days ago, and the hunter looked at Wen Rei after he exchanged one with the King, just to make sure it was correct. Reian smiled, nodded, and whispered that he’d done perfectly.

About two weeks later, after Reian had been gone quite often doing… nondescript things in the forest, he was coming back into town when he noticed Xie Yi-jun sitting by Darkling Pond alone, skipping stones across its glass-like surface.

Reian didn’t like the pond, and hardly ever came here. From above, it looked black and endless, and he’d spent too many nights wondering if the stories Yi-jun had told him about it were true.

“Wen Rei?”

Ah, Yi-jun noticed him… well, he might as well stop for a bit since he’s here. Going to sit beside the King on the pebbly bank, Reian hugged his knees to his chest and listened to the sound of the stones one by one; splash, splash, plink!

Yi-jun chuckled, “I could never get them to skip more than three times. You did, in Wúmeng, do you remember?”

The list of things Reian remembered about his life was fairly short, but this time it was a memory he had. Yi-jun visiting him on the docks, showing him how he could use his fire to make whatever shapes he wanted, even a flower…

The healer nodded. “It’s all in the wrist,”

Yi-jun seemed to smile, but then he stopped and looked down. There was an air of something heavy between them, but Reian didn’t know what it could be as the King had already accepted and encouraged him when it came to Lan Kai-Le.

“Are you practicing being alone?” Reian asked softly.

Xie Yi-jun shook his head, then after a moment, said-

“What’s he like?”

Wen Rei blushed, thinking he actually did want to talk about Kai-Le.

“Um, he’s…” Reian tried to think, but the first word that came to his mind when thought about the hunter was, unfortunately-

“Big?”

Yi-jun gave him a weird look, then sighed.

“… Xie Xingyue.”

Oh! Frowning, Wen Rei nudged the King with his shoulder.

“Why do you ask? Has he contacted you?”

Yi-jun scoffed, “Of course not! That brat wouldn’t dare… I just, was thinking earlier, about him and Meng Bai. Wondering how similar they really are, and if I should be taking the offensive, especially after what happened.”

Reian nodded, but there truly wasn’t much he could tell the King, as he hadn’t known Meng Bai at all and had only suffered Xie Xingyue’s presence for approximately one hour.

“I don’t know what you should do,” Reian said. “But I can tell you for certain, Xie Xingyue isn’t going to be bothering anyone ever again. Lan Kai-Le made sure of that.”

“A’Jun said… a soul possession artifact? You know, those are unbelievably rare, it’s surprising that he had one.”

Yes. More surprising that Kai-Le’s father had won the thing in a card game on the street, but Reian didn’t question things like fate anymore…

“So?”

Wen Rei blinked and looked over. Xie Yi-jun was wearing a huge lopsided smirk that made Reian smile back, until the man said-

“He’s big?”

“YI-JUN!!”

The tension dissolved as the King chuckled and avoided Reian’s halfhearted attempt to hit him by grabbing the healer and pulling him into a hug. Wen Reian blinked, startled, but he couldn’t deny how nice it was to be close like this with the man. He was… happy, grateful that Xie Yi-jun was the type of person to love him still, after everything, when Reian also loved another.

Blushing but smiling to himself, Wen Rei hugged the King for a bit and then shoved him away with a huff-

“If he sees you doing that, I’m afraid you’re the one that’ll be sinking to the bottom of the lake.”

Yi-jun gawked at him momentarily, then laughed again, the two of them falling into an easy silence as Reian demonstrated a few times how to properly skip stones. He threw one, and it went on to disappear under the water after eight skips. Reian sighed, amazed that he’d somehow forgotten just how easy everything really was.