When he says "with" the other Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji winces just the slightest. Which is a lot, because he didn't even wince when Lan Qiren beat him with the punishment stick. And Wei Ying knows exactly how much that one hurt.
It really wasn't an unheard of practice at all, particularly in Qinghe - Mingjue and Huaisang were half-brothers after all, but as far as Wangji knew, their mothers got along just fine, because as long as both boys were cared for and in high standing, neither passed up for the other's ambitions (and Nie Huaisang was, by his nature, neither ambitious nor competitive with his brother), and their mothers had nothing to quibble about. It wasn't like with Jin Guangshan, who ignored his sons, who forgot his daughters' existences, who made his own bastard son bear the title of "Guang" just so that he could not compete with those in his actual generation who bore the title of "Zi" instead.
There was, of course, nothing of the sort for the Lans and the Jiangs. Marriage was one of the most important relationships for Lans, superseded only by a relationship between a parent and a child, or that of a sibling. Even then, Lan An had chosen his love over his cultivation, over the entire sect, in the end. And so, extramarital affairs were not really a thing in the Cloud Recesses. And so, it would pain him to hurt the other Wei Ying, but if they did not want to reach an understanding the way the Nies do, then all four of them already knew their choices.
Wei Ying doesn't even seem to be mad, or jealous, or anything, and Lan Wangji feels relieved. He has his hand in Wei Ying's hair, and it's not like he can read Wei Ying's mind, but he knows it must weigh on his heart. And so, after a brief pause, he says: "Mm. But we have an agreement to be strictly friendly, since you, and the other me, did not know." And therefore, couldn't have a say. Because, when was he supposed to bring this up?
He does suddenly grow serious, as he says: "Wei Ying. If something is to happen to me here... I want them to take care of you." He doesn't want Wei Ying to have to be alone. And when Lan Wangji had left for those few days and he didn't feel right inviting the other Wei Ying to come stay in Cloud Recesses with them to be less lonely, it made him feel terrible. So he wants Wei Ying to know, in that case, he would be alright if he'd want to go live in the other Cloud Recesses, or the other Lotus Pier.
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It really wasn't an unheard of practice at all, particularly in Qinghe - Mingjue and Huaisang were half-brothers after all, but as far as Wangji knew, their mothers got along just fine, because as long as both boys were cared for and in high standing, neither passed up for the other's ambitions (and Nie Huaisang was, by his nature, neither ambitious nor competitive with his brother), and their mothers had nothing to quibble about. It wasn't like with Jin Guangshan, who ignored his sons, who forgot his daughters' existences, who made his own bastard son bear the title of "Guang" just so that he could not compete with those in his actual generation who bore the title of "Zi" instead.
There was, of course, nothing of the sort for the Lans and the Jiangs. Marriage was one of the most important relationships for Lans, superseded only by a relationship between a parent and a child, or that of a sibling. Even then, Lan An had chosen his love over his cultivation, over the entire sect, in the end. And so, extramarital affairs were not really a thing in the Cloud Recesses. And so, it would pain him to hurt the other Wei Ying, but if they did not want to reach an understanding the way the Nies do, then all four of them already knew their choices.
Wei Ying doesn't even seem to be mad, or jealous, or anything, and Lan Wangji feels relieved. He has his hand in Wei Ying's hair, and it's not like he can read Wei Ying's mind, but he knows it must weigh on his heart. And so, after a brief pause, he says: "Mm. But we have an agreement to be strictly friendly, since you, and the other me, did not know." And therefore, couldn't have a say. Because, when was he supposed to bring this up?
He does suddenly grow serious, as he says: "Wei Ying. If something is to happen to me here... I want them to take care of you." He doesn't want Wei Ying to have to be alone. And when Lan Wangji had left for those few days and he didn't feel right inviting the other Wei Ying to come stay in Cloud Recesses with them to be less lonely, it made him feel terrible. So he wants Wei Ying to know, in that case, he would be alright if he'd want to go live in the other Cloud Recesses, or the other Lotus Pier.