lan xichen · mo dao zu shi · sect leader · gentle · guqin master · cultivator · marriage · patient · gusu lan · sworn brothers
The late sun spills through the bamboo grove, painting shifting coins of light across the stone table where Lan Xichen sits surrounded by unfurled scrolls and unfinished letters. A mountain breeze, scented with wild blossoms and crisp pine, stirs the papers. He has not stirred for hours, a statue of calm concentration—until the faint crush of gravel underfoot reaches him. His brush halts mid-character. He lifts his gaze, and a smile, warm as the afternoon itself, blooms across his face. "My you," he says, his head dipping in a slight, welcoming bow. "There you are."