Chapter Text
Every year, new events and journeys shall begin. Set out at the start of the year, and it shall become spring, as though it is the miraculous cure of the dead winter. Indeed, once it starts, everything will go well.
It was a bright sunny day as all the Cloudweavers were busy weaving their silk and projects. Apprentices were working on the new Gusu Lan disciples’ robes. A small bird flew over to the messenger’s mailbox, with a piece of paper attached to it. Immediately, an apprentice walked over to take the letter off the bird and fed the bird some seeds. The bird happily chewed on it as the young woman unfurled the paper. A gasp shattered the silence of the abode, and everyone turned their heads to look at her.
“What’s the matter? Focus on your work!” Lan Lianyi scolded.
“There has been an appointment request, but it’s written terribly so I can’t read it.” Immediately, everyone turned to Lan Lianyi, who sighed.
They always relied on her to decipher terrible handwriting. Soon enough, her successor will have to do it once they take over her position. She stopped her sewing and walked over to take the paper from the apprentice. Upon looking at the paper, she notices that the request had her name written on it. Everyone peeked over her shoulder and gasped at the handwriting while Lan Lianyi calmly read it.
“It’s for me,” she stated. “All of you go back to your workstations, I’ll handle it.”
“Who could possibly write this bad? Hanguang-jun is going to have to punish them for such atrocious handwriting.”
If only they knew who this handwriting belonged to… Lan Lianyi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She looks at the paper again, in which the appointment date was coming soon. I thought he would be more spontaneous, thank goodness he bothered to put in a date. Then she compares the timing and her schedule. Fortunately, there is space in her schedule, so she sends a reply to accept. He did say he wanted to experiment with the arrays to put on the clothing. Wei Wuxian was coming in for an appointment personally. Having heard of his genius intellect, she can’t wait to see what ideas he has in store.
They met in the Summer Pavilion, one of the few places where both genders were able to move around freely.
“Hello! I didn’t expect such a fast reply. In fact, I really thought you wouldn’t meet up given how hastily written the request was.” Wei Wuxian happily chattered away the moment he entered the room.
“Good morning, Wei Wuxian. We recently had new Cloudweavers, so my workload is not as heavy as before. As for the handwriting, I am afraid I have gotten used to reading the worst of them all.” Wei Wuxian laughed at her remark.
“Umm, how should I refer to you as?” he asked nervously.
“Lan Lianyi is fine.” Lan Lianyi replied cooly.
“I can’t possibly call you by your first name!” he protested. “Can I call you Aunt Lan instead?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“You’re going to confuse my colleagues because they are also surnamed Lan.” Lan Lianyi replied.
“Aunt Lianyi?”
“That is fine.” Lan Lianyi smiles. “I suppose you have a night hunt later today?”
“Yep.”
“How were the forehead ribbons?” Wei Wuxian immediately broke into a coughing fit upon hearing that. Of course, she didn’t need to ask that question, but she couldn’t resist asking anyway. “Sorry, forget that question. How were the clothes I sewed?” She grinned, while waiting for him to recover.
Lan Lianyi always asked this question whenever she met those she sewed for, particularly larger sets of clothing than a forehead ribbon. Everyone felt satisfied with their ribbons, and if they had issues, they would have already come back to have it fixed.
“They are fantastic!” Wei Wuxian recovered immediately from that embarrassing question she shot him. “You really sewed it so fitting I really don’t know how you managed to do it so quickly! They are also easy to wash and dry too. How do you manage to do this? I doubt they are made out of the Cloudweaved silk, right?”
“They are not, unfortunately. The Gusu Lan robes are, however.”
“Huh, is it because it’s already white that you don’t bother with dyeing them? Forgive me, I always thought they looked like mourning clothes…” Lan Lianyi resisted the urge to glare at him.
Wei Wuxian was not the first person to call their robes mourning robes, but he certainly won’t be the last. It does save them time when funerals had to be held, as the only thing they had to change was the outer coat when they attended funerals.
“The original technique was tiring, so it just naturally stayed white that way. Only when the process got easier then we decided to add in some blues.” Because of their reliance on white, it did push them to develop dirt resistance incantations, so she is fine with it.
Dirt resistance incantations was the best thing ever invented, Lan Lianyi thinks.
“Blue, because of your surname, eh?” Wei Wuxian cracked a joke, and Lan Lianyi refused to answer.
He then began asking her about the kind of incantations on the robes, and at the same time wanted to take a look at how the clothes were sewn. She then decided to show him a tour of the Cloudweavers’ Abode while explaining how their sewing worked. Having informed the Cloudweavers and gotten permission beforehand, Wei Wuxian felt awe when he entered the abode. The building was huge! Looms were everywhere, in an ocean of white with some blue seamlessly draping over them. He can’t lie, he felt as though he was in the clouds with all these light colours. He could also sense how some of the female apprentices stared at him with curiosity, for he stood out in his black clothing, akin to a stain on paper. Lan Lianyi surprisingly does not introduce him, seeing that most of the whispers mentioned ‘Wei Wuxian’ or ‘Yiling Patriarch’ in the same breath.
“I believe I have informed you earlier about his visit, but this does not mean you get to slack. Go back to work!” She claps, snapping them out of their train of thought, and they rushed back to their duties.
The other Senior Cloudweavers were unaffected the entire time, completely ignoring the commotion. Rather, they were immersed in their work. Wei Wuxian felt tempted to bother them, but he chose not to, mesmerized by their swift and graceful movements. The Gusu Lan sect is really graceful as it seems. He then tried to imagine Lan Wangji by the loom as he did in his dreams like these Cloudweavers did. They truly were fairies who descended from the Heavens to sew, so of course he would look good right next to it. He smiles, before shoving the thought away. For some odd reason, he gets reminded of Lan Wangji’s monstrous strength and laughs at the image of the pristine Hanguang-jun smashing a loom in half. Lan Lianyi doesn’t ask why he laughed, assuming he was daydreaming. They soon exited the abode and walked near a stream, where he saw some younger apprentices washing clothes.
“You even make them wash clothes?”
Clothes washing was menial work often relegated to the servants. It was one of the worst jobs a servant would have to do, so he had thought that the Gusu Lan handed all their clothes over to the servants to wash. He had done it briefly when he lived at Burial Mounds and all he could say was… it sucked. Your hands would get wrinkly from constant exposure to the water and you needed a lot of strength as well.
“Of course. How can you sew clothes without knowing how to wash them? All Cloudweavers know how to wash clothes. We washed your Gusu Lan robes before we handed them over to you.” Lan Lianyi said, as though it was a natural thing and Wei Wuxian stared at her in complete disbelief. “In fact, it has become a necessary lesson for the younger disciples ever since the Sunshot Campaign. Apparently, when Sect Leader Lan went missing while hiding the Cloud Pavilion Records, he actually tore through his own clothes when he tried washing them once, so much so that he apologised when he returned them to be mended to us. Ever since then, we have made disciples learn how to wash their own clothes without destroying them as compulsory lessons.” Wei Wuxian gaped at her, in complete shock.
The gentle Lan Xichen… ripping through clothes when he tried to wash them? Even he wouldn’t be able to rip his clothes like that!
“What’s with that face? I thought you knew your husband’s strength given how often you partake in those activities.” He immediately turned red at that.
“Please stop.” Wei Wuxian pleaded, and she left it at that.
She showed him the remaining places where a Cloudweaver would be found, but did not show him the silk cultivation farm. Although he was a member of the main branch, it was a Cloudweaver secret technique. Even Sect Leader Lan or the elders needed permission to enter. Wei Wuxian didn’t seem offended at this. Rather, he was completely intrigued by how the Cloudweavers functioned together. He finally sees the mailbox outside the abode and ran over to it quickly, almost scaring the birds off.
“Wow, this is so cute! Who made this?”
“A former Cloudweaver skilled in the art of woodwork crafted it in the olden days, where we used to rely on birds to communicate.” She then gives him some seeds, and Wei Wuxian happily feeds the birds.
Nowadays, with sound transmitting talismans, a recent invention, cultivators rarely used birds to communicate anymore. Birds needed to be trained, fed and they could potentially be intercepted. However, there are times where they would still be used, and their suppliers do use the birds, so the mailbox remained. They watched the birds eat the seeds happily.
“Not only do you sew, but you’re also good at woodwork too!?” He scrutinized the mailbox, and noticed the intricate clouds sculpted into it. “Aren’t you supposed to be seamstresses? Why would you be skilled in woodwork?” Wei Wuxian stared at her, amazed.
“I suppose you think carrying looms up the Cloud Recesses would be a good idea then, Wei Wuxian?” Lan Lianyi folded her arms, and he shuddered at the idea of that.
“Wouldn’t it be a task for the craftsmen in the sect?” He thinks of Bichen, Wangji the guqin, and Liebing the flute.
These swords and musical instruments ought to have come from somewhere. His sword had been crafted by a blacksmith in Yunmeng. Ever since he found out about the Cloudweavers, he actually asked Lan Wangji about the craftsmen in the sect.
“Yes, we do have divisions dedicated to the crafting of weapons and musical instruments.” Lan Lianyi answers with his eyes gleaming at her. “However, because of the divide between the mortal world and the cultivation world, we decided it would be best to create most of the tools ourselves.”
Rebuilding the Cloud Recesses took a while because they had to make sure the materials were of good quality. The Gusu Lan would ensure everything, down to the tiniest details, would be done properly. This meant that the cultivators would personally take charge of procuring the right tools and ensuring they had the necessary skills to use them. Lan Lianyi remembered complaining to her mother about why they had to make the objects themselves when they could just buy them. Even the other younger disciples did not understand this, since the sect usually gave them enough money to buy items from the commoners. Her mother and the other older Cloudweavers immediately stopped what they were doing, and had them put down all their things despite the fact that they were still on the stairs. The disciples felt awkward with the other disciples climbing up, some staring at them and others not.
“What do you think you are doing right now?”
“Climbing the stairs to the Cloud Recesses?” One of them answered.
“Mn, then I will ask this. Can commoners easily come to our place with ease?” All the young females shook their heads.
It was in the rules; no one is to bring in anyone who does not have a jade slip. Not even the servants who served them. Losing the slip often had a great penalty; being locked outside of the Cloud Recesses until the disciple in-charge of the Sect Records came with a replacement slip. It meant sleeping outside by the wall of rules until the curfew ended. No one ever dared to lose it, as right after getting the replacement slip, they would be subjected to copying the rules thrice. Even if one chose to stay in the nearby Caiyi Town, it was still a long way. Their stairs were infamously difficult to traverse, even the well-trained soldiers from the army would pant after a few steps.
Many guest or sect disciples who come to visit their sect for the first time would begin their journey to the Gusu Lan sect on these stairs. Often, they would feel heavy and tired by the end, where guarding disciples are more than happy to let them take a break before entering the Cloud Recesses. They recall being told by their teacher in class that the stairs were built to represent the difficult, perilous journey of ascending to the Heavens.
“We are cultivators, but also stem from humble origins as the commoners down below. These steps are a reminder of our cultivation journey, difficult and dangerous. Yet, it is true that we are distant from mortals. We see differently when it comes to certain matters. However, the true reason why all of us carry the materials necessary for our craft, is because we must not forget our roots. In the end, distant as we may be, we still bleed red as they do, and are connected together by our ties to others, blood-related or not. Even if these things could be easily bought, they carry a value that cannot be replaced. Remember that.” With that, their seniors turned around, continuing the climb.
The speech made many of the disciples felt enlightened by this knowledge. They eventually carried the items to the top, humbled by the experience.
“Ah, that makes a lot of sense.” Wei Wuxian said, upon hearing the story.
“Even the very hill that has all our rules carved are maintained by us.” She usually pitied the stone carvers the most, as their punishments involve having to spend time on the hill and ensure the integrity of that rock itself is well-maintained.
“Gosh, I can’t imagine an ordinary person maintaining that one hell of a wall!” Wei Wuxian laughed. “I really enjoy that you still take wisdom from commoners. Not many cultivators do that nowadays. You truly are dedicated to your craft.”
“I can tell you are unorthodox in how you perform as a cultivator. It is a unique strength that you should keep, for almost most cultivators who do not engage in the crafts I’ve met are the same. They see themselves as above the commoners we help.” Lan Lianyi commented, recalling how Wei Wuxian invented many tools that are being used by cultivators nowadays, particularly the compass.
Had he not dabbled in demonic cultivation, it is unlikely that anyone else would step up to inventing the evil-detection compass any time soon.
“While it is true that we must part from our mortal desires, it can also become narrow-minded to think that they are an obstacle. Rather, we can draw strength from what makes us weak. That’s why we often try to impart this mindset to the juniors in any way I can. Life is just too unpredictable for them to expect it to work the way you want.” Lan Lianyi comments.
“You are indeed a fantastic teacher. Your students are fortunate to have you!” he praises.
“I am sure that your students too are fortunate as well. Even then, I too am also learning as well. I thank you for meeting with me today.” Ah, it is no wonder she gets along with him well.
Great minds think alike. She smiles.
“No problem! I had fun chatting with you as well!”
“Speaking of which, how is the newer version of the compass working?” Lan Lianyi asks, genuinely curious.
“Oh, it’s going well! I would happily share my findings once I tinker with it a bit more.” Wei Wuxian happily said, almost happy he could find someone else aside from Lan Wangji to talk his inventions with.
“Do you think it’d be possible to make it into an array so we can implement it into the robes?”
“Hmm, that is a good idea. I can’t wait to try if you can make an array version of it!” Wei Wuxian clasped his hands together.
“We can discuss some of it over letters…” his handwriting pops up in her mind and she immediately corrected herself, “never mind, we should do it in person.” Wei Wuxian laughed, and she opened the door.
“It’s a bit cold.” He shuddered, grabbing his arms.
“Of course it would be cold. You’re wearing three layers, are you sure you are warm enough? Spring may be here, but please remember to wear more layers, for it is still cold. Have you tried wearing the Gusu Lan robes yet? “
“No, not yet.”
“Why?” Her smile fades.
“Umm, well… I don’t know how to put on the Gusu Lan robes.” Lan Lianyi froze.
I know that his clothing has three layers compared to our usual five, but I hadn't anticipated he wouldn’t know how to put them on. She puts her hand on her forehead, unsure of how to respond. Wei Wuxian looked really guilty as he twiddled with his fingers.
“Let me guess, you only know how to take it off?” Lan Lianyi deadpanned, and at that, Wei Wuxian choked. “Why can’t you ask your husband to teach you how to wear it? Wait, never mind, forget I asked. If you wish, I will try and find the instruction manual on how to wear Gusu Lan robes for you so you can learn how to wear it in your own free time. ”
“Thank you.” Wei Wuxian said, ashamed.
“Everyone is always learning, don’t worry.” Wei Wuxian pouted, like an injured puppy.
As soon as she went back to the abode, she continued sewing and conducting classes. They had finished the workload of quilts and cloaks, so some of the Cloudweavers were relaxing. In summer, perhaps lighter casual clothing might be requested, so some of the Cloudweavers heave a sigh of relief. When they are not sewing clothes, they would be sewing other things like pillowcases, blankets or bedding. If not doing their Cloudweaver duties, they would be doing their cultivational or music studies as a Gusu Lan sect member ought to be studying.
Remembering Wei Wuxian’s request, Lan Lianyi heads to the Spring Pavilion. Many of the younger disciples greeted her, particularly the one in-charge of the library.
“Greetings, Senior Cloudweaver. What brings you here?” The librarian greeted with a bow.
“Just wanted to look around. By the way, do you have a manual for wearing the Gusu Lan robes, the ones for the guest disciples?”
“We have it, but it’s not enrollment time. Is this for someone?” Lan Lianyi nodded. “Who could be so silly they can’t wear five layers of clothes?”
Yeah, if only they knew that the grandmaster of demonic cultivation, Wei Wuxian, the man who made Ghost General Wen Ning and could raise an army of corpses with a single toot of his flute, husband of our family’s Hanguang-jun, has been defeated by the Gusu Lan robes. Lan Lianyi resisted the urge to say it out loud as the apprentice looked for the book.
“Never mind, give me the one for the five-year-olds instead.” As tempting as it sounds to change the title of the book as a joke, she can’t possibly vandalise a book after all. Furthermore, the guest disciple robes were different from the ones they have sewn for Wei Wuxian.
“Ah, okay.” The young librarian leaves to find the book.
Every time I think of him, he keeps making me feel the urge to be childish, and I’m not sure what to make of that. She sighed. The librarian hands her the manual, and Lan Lianyi keeps it in her bag. The next time they meet, she should be able to hand this over to him. She thought that would be it.
A week after Wei Wuxian’s first visit, Lan Lianyi receives another request, and she blinked in surprise. A personal request from the main family. Immediately, she sends a reply to accept, making space in her schedule for it. She wonders exactly what spurred on this request as she personally meets Lan Wangji after his students went off to a night hunt.
“Good evening, Hanguang-jun. I did not expect to meet so soon,” she greets.
“Good evening.” They sit quietly in the meeting room.
“This was a rather surprising request I received, since I just saw your husband last week. According to your request, you wish to learn how to sew?” Lan Wangji nods. “While it is true I am normally in-charge of these requests, may I ask what do you want to sew for him?”
“Winter cloak.” Lan Lianyi blinked.
The usual Gusu Lan formal robes did not necessitate a winter cloak, as the five layers provided enough warmth, and furthermore, all of them had high levels of cultivation to fend off the cold in winter. That is why the robes did not include winter cloaks unless they have been specifically requested. Oh. I forgot that his cultivation is not that high yet. Her eyes widened at this realization, before she smiled. How sweet of him.
“Is this meant to be a surprise?” Lan Wangji nods. “All right, I accept this request. But, understanding your situation, there is only one place we can go so you can sew in secret.” She gets up to move.
The Cloudweaver’s Abode is too far from the areas Lan Wangji usually frequented, and installing a loom took too much time. This had to be a surprise for Wei Wuxian, after all, it would be suspicious if Lan Wangji went to the abode when he didn’t need to. Sewing a winter cloak took a lot of effort, and it requires patience and practice to sew a good one. Lan Lianyi carefully calculated the time she needed to teach Lan Wangji to sew. Knowing him, he will not settle for any less than perfect. She could only imagine his surprise when she brought him to the house surrounded by gentians.
“I sewed your mother’s forehead ribbon, and thus had access to the house. When both you and your brother were born, she suddenly requested to sew your toddler clothes. The Cloudweavers installed a loom here since she couldn’t leave. You can sew here in peace without being disturbed.” She then moved the loom out of the storage.
Lan Wangji paused, staring at the loom. It had gathered dust in the years it had been left unattended. While Lan Lianyi set up the loom, he cleaned the place.
“I’ll pass you a manual on sewing techniques, so you can decide what you want to do with the cloak. I’ll probably get the Cloudweaver specializing in winter cloaks to help you with that. In the meantime, I’ll help you with getting the materials here. After we teach you how to sew the cloak, you can practice here whenever you can. Just remember to get the servants to deliver materials if you are in need of them. We can discuss more when I get in touch with the other Cloudweaver. Would you be okay with that?” Lan Wangji nodded.
They set a time to meet, ensuring that they take place when Wei Wuxian was not around. Afterwards, she speeds off to the abode to find the Cloudweaver. Though it is true Lan Lianyi had taught many Gusu Lan disciples how to sew, winter cloaks were much more difficult to teach and she would prefer to have extra help in that. Immediately, she does find who she is looking for.
“Do you have time, Zhiling?” Lan Lianyi pulled the Cloudweaver aside.
“What is it, Lianyi?” Lan Zhiling spoke once they were alone, away from the other weavers.
“I have a personal request from Hanguang-jun who wants to learn how to sew.”
“Don’t you usually handle those requests? Why do you need me?” Lan Zhiling said, confused.
“I need you to meet with him because he wants to sew a winter cloak.”
“Oh right, we didn’t sew one for Wei Wuxian.” She remarked. “Is this supposed to be a surprise for him, since he didn’t personally commission us to sew it?”
“Yes, so I will need your help to discuss with him about what he wants in the cloak. I’ll handle the materials. Since he’s a busy person, I’m afraid you will need to enter the area for male disciples.”
“That is fine, as long as the place is not somewhere as public as the lanshi. I’ll try to make space in my schedule for this.” Lan Lianyi nods. “Hold on, I recall that you are also working on a project with Wei Wuxian in these few months, right? I’ll teach Hanguang-jun in your stead if your schedules happen to clash.”
“Thank you.”
“You are welcome. Family should always help family. Rest early.” Indeed, upon looking out the window, the moon was high up in the sky already.
Lan Lianyi immediately decided to go and rest. Tomorrow will be another day of work.
A week passes before she sees Wei Wuxian again. She had been busy preparing for the Cloudweaver examinations for the apprentices, who can finally become a fully certified Cloudweaver. All Senior Cloudweavers would have to plan what would be tested, as well as coming up with a topic for the examination. Lan Lianyi, as usual, had to ensure there were enough materials for each student. All were given the same sewing materials in equal quantities, no more, no less. They can still be misplaced, so Lan Lianyi must stringently check them and keep them separately. After checking the storage, she brings her bag and heads to their meeting place.
“Good morning Aunt Lianyi!”
“Good morning. Here.” Lan Lianyi handed him a book upon seeing him.
“W-What?” Wei Wuxian said in surprise.
“An instruction manual on how to wear the Gusu Lan robes. All children receive this on their enrollment forehead ribbon ceremony.” Lan Lianyi explained in a monotone, and Wei Wuxian received the manual titled How to Wear the Clouds.
He turned the page to see it was for five-year-olds and nearly spat blood at that. If word got out about this, he would lose face in front of everyone else!
“It fits you.” Lan Lianyi chuckled.
“No, it doesn’t!” He protested.
“At least, I’m sure Lan Wangji read the book before as a child.” The image of Lan Zhan as a child reading a book on how to wear clothes amused Wei Wuxian. “Don’t feel bad about it, alright?”
“How old are you, Xianxian?”
“I’m three-years-old!”
“Yeah…” Wei Wuxian seemed distracted.
Did I do something? Lan Lianyi blinked. Maybe she might have hit a sore spot for him. He did lose his mother at a young age, and the maternal figures he grew up with all passed away. There is nothing much she could do to comfort him, unless...
“If you’d like, why don’t you take a look at the younger disciples? Would you want to see how they are being brought up here?” She offered.
“I could?” Wei Wuxian said, surprised.
“I don’t see why not.”
“Let me rephrase that. Are we allowed to?” She nods again, and he cheers up. “Let’s go!”
If the elders, especially Lan Qiren, came lambasting her for allowing Wei Wuxian to approach the younger disciples, Lan Lianyi would probably shrug and accept the punishment. They were mostly worried he would lead the disciples astray since he goes against the rules too often for their liking. Or teach them demonic cultivation, in which she rolled her eyes at that. Did they have such little faith in their Gusu Lan upbringing?
“Did you know? I once planted a kid in the ground and told him he would grow up faster that way.”
On second thought, this was probably a bad idea. He saw her frown and laughed.
“Relax! I won’t do that to you, knowing that you’re already doing a lot by letting me see the younger disciples. So, you actually teach classes for the kids?” Wei Wuxian asked, surprised. “I thought you were busy and mostly teaching the apprentices.”
“Of course. We have to impart the rules to them.” Lan Lianyi replied. “They see it necessary for the disciples to be exposed from all areas of the sect to understand how it functions and perhaps figure out their future. Some of the Cloudweavers choose to become one because they saw a Cloudweaver. Most become cultivators though.”
“How do you recruit Cloudweavers, because I can’t imagine many choosing the path at that age? And can you become one as a child?”
“There are a series of tests the children go through. We usually determine their aptitude from those tests and match them accordingly. Of course, some may not want to pursue the route even if they are a good fit, and we will respect their wishes.” Wei Wuxian nodded.
When they arrived, it appeared to be free time for the younger children, as they were still sitting around in the classroom.
“Hello, teacher!” The younger students greeted. “Are you teaching us today?”
“No, but a friend of mine wanted to visit.”
“Who are you?”
“Me? I’m… Wei Yuandao.”
“Stop messing with the kids, Wei Wuxian.” Lan Lianyi reprimands. “He’s Hanguang-jun’s husband. Call him Senior Wei.”
“Hanguang-jun? If Senior Wei is his husband, then why does he wear black? Hanguang means to bear light, no?” The child tilted his head to the side.
“Hmm, that’s a good question. Well, for starters, it won’t get dirty!” Wei Wuxian answers. “And he can keep bearing light even when darkness is right next to him! That’s why!” Lan Lianyi rolled her eyes at this.
“Senior, can we have black robes then?”
“No, it is against the rules.” Lan Lianyi says, and the child somehow pouts.
“Don’t be sad! I’ll be wearing white just like you soon!” The child then brightened at the thought of it.
“So when will you wear white?”
“Hmm, I don’t know, but I promise the day I wear white, I’ll come and find you all!”
“Promise?”
“Promise!” Wei Wuxian smiled.
Well, I hope he doesn’t regret that promise. Lan Lianyi thinks. They might not have gotten much done today, but Lan Lianyi thinks it was worth trying to ease Wei Wuxian more into their lives, even if it is a little.
“By the way, don’t tell anyone you met Senior Wei today.” Lan Lianyi added.
“Why?” They asked in confusion.
“If not, you’ll have to copy the rules.” The children immediately shut up and Wei Wuxian stared at her in disbelief.
“The rule is still in effect.” Lan Lianyi shrugged her arms.
“I can’t believe you.” He sighed.
It took a while, but they finally were able to meet in the third month despite their busy schedules. Planning and organizing the examinations took a lot of time. New Cloudweavers meant they need to train them and adapt them into their schedules. Furthermore, they had to avoid Wei Wuxian as well, which meant they were most likely to meet when Wei Wuxian was out on night hunts since he had the most free time out of all of them. Lan Lianyi and Lan Zhiling had finished their tasks and headed over to the meeting area. Some of the juniors stared at them, wondering why the seniors had come for a meeting. Of course, it looked like they were meeting for something serious, but both Cloudweavers bet they would laugh if they knew they were meeting for a simple winter cloak. A cloak not for an emperor, but for the happy-go-lucky Yiling Patriarch.
“Greetings, Hanguang-jun. I am Lan Zhiling, the Cloudweaver in-charge of the winter cloaks.” Both of them bowed to each other and sat down.
They then began to discuss what would be suitable and the techniques required to sew the winter cloak. Some sewing techniques were easy and simple, but they may serve different purposes. To make a good cloak while being a beginner at sewing will take some time. The two had discussed at length and decided that Lan Wangji should practice on smaller items before moving onto larger pieces.
“I suggest you to practice these techniques, since the deadline is the start of winter.” Lan Zhiling pointed out the particular stitches on the manual in Lan Wangji’s hands, and he noted them down. “You need to practice a lot, and we know you are a busy person after all. How long do you want this cloak to last? Until he forms a Golden Core or forever?” Lan Zhiling asked.
“While it is true he will take a while to form it, I don’t think it’d be wise to try and estimate how long until then. Let’s just make a normal one of good quality that is long-lasting.” Lan Lianyi suggested.
“Makes sense. As for the materials, we could provide a bit of Cloudweaving silk. But the kind of wool… would white fox fur suffice?” Lan Zhiling said. “We could consider buying high-quality wool too.” Lan Wangji was deep in thought.
“We will negotiate with Qinghe Nie for their fox fur and wool by trading it with our silk to see if there would be enough, else we will just get wool from the better farms.” Lan Lianyi concluded. “That said, what do we do with the leftover material if any?”
“A quilt?” Lan Zhiling suggested.
“Hmm, a quilt might be good. What of sleeping robes?” Lan Lianyi said, and Lan Wangji blinked.
“Sleeping robes for Wei Wuxian?” Lan Zhiling then widened her eyes. “Oh right, we didn’t make any for him! I hope you bought good ones for him to sleep in after all. I do trust that you buy from good seamstresses, Hanguang-jun!” She laughed.
“Please stop.” Lan Wangji pleaded.
“Ah, sorry, we got distracted. You know how it is, Hanguang-jun. We get easily distracted when it comes to sewing and clothing in general. It’s just like how you get distracted by your lovely husband all the time!” Lan Zhiling joked, and Lan Lianyi could see Lan Wangji’s ears redden. “At any rate, the matter of leftover materials can only be decided after we finish the cloak. For now, this will have to do. We will take turns teaching you how to make the stitches and how to use the loom. In the meantime, we will update you on the progress of the material acquisition.” Lan Zhiling stands up.
“Thank you for your guidance.”
“No problem. It’s a nice break from our work after all.” They stood up to leave.
The two Cloudweavers planned to check on Lan Wangji’s sewing progress every week alternatively, while teaching him to sew. When he learned how to do the stitches, they will still continue to visit and check on the quality of the needlework he produces, as well as providing suggestions on improvements. They also help with cleaning up the home when necessary, but would likely not have to since Lan Wangji is a neat person. The upcoming year will be very interesting, Lan Lianyi smiles, especially when Wei Wuxian is unaware of their ‘surprise’.