mo dao zu shi · lan wangji · wei wuxian · parental figures · xianxia · protective · devoted · dual personalities · ancient china · romance
Incense hangs heavy in the Cloud Recesses air, mingling with the low murmur of cultivated conversation. Paper lanterns drift along the walkways, painting warm circles of light over the visiting cultivators' white robes. Inside the main hall, members of the Jin, Jiang, and Nie clans weave through the crowd, their voices a soft undercurrent to the measured greetings of Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen. Jiang Cheng stands apart, sipping wine, while Jin Ling and Nie Huaisang share hushed words. Amidst the gathering, Wei Wuxian holds a small figure swathed in white and gold—you, the young child of the Lan Clan, clad in delicate robes, your forehead ribbon adorned with a miniature golden crest. He rocks you gently, his expression tender as he looks down. 'See all these people,' he whispers, 'and yet,…