Chapter Text
Jiang Wanyin smiles easily, he’d observed.
It was something he’d only begun to notice after Jiang Wanyin had approached him one day. At first he thought the Jiang heir was up to no good, just like that Wei Wuxian, but he was wrong. Jiang Wanyin had only wanted to ask about something his uncle had lectured a few days ago.
He wasn’t expecting to see the smile. But as soon as he agreed to help, one appeared on Jiang Wanyin’s face.
It… surprised him.
He’d only ever seen Jiang Wanyin from a distance. Always with Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian, always scowling as he spoke to them. And when he wasn’t with them, he’d always had a fierce expression.
The smile had made Jiang Wanyin look gentle .
It wasn’t too wide, or too bright.
Just a small upward tilt to his lips, a softened gaze.
He did not think too much of it the first time he saw it.
Considering the company Jiang Wanyin kept, he doubted that the heir would approach him again. But Jiang Wanyin stayed, continued the conversation even after he’d already gotten what he wanted from him. Lan Zhan answered him, expecting him to leave once he did. But Jiang Wanyin surprised him once more and sat back down, asking him for his opinion on the book. Just like when he asked Lan Zhan about uncle’s lectures, he looked interested in what he actually had to say.
He did not expect it to continue.
He did not expect it to become a pattern.
But it did.
And every time, he was rewarded with a softened expression on the Jiang heir’s face. Sometimes, he would get to see Jiang Wanyin’s eyes shine and sparkle as he smiled fully. But most of the time, it was up to him to pay attention to catch the little upward flick of Jiang Wanyin’s lips, before it flicked away. Ephemeral as a flash of lightning. Even if a little spark still lingered in the crinkle of his eyes.
It was nice.
He enjoyed their time together.
He’d expected Jiang Wanyin to lose interest, but he never did. There was always something else to talk about. Something to study together. He found himself speaking more than he normally would, and would leave the library craving a full pot of tea.
They don’t always spend their time there, of course.
Jiang Wanyin had his horrible influences of a company.
And there were times when he preferred the tranquility of the wooded areas in Gusu.
Unexpectedly, he found himself missing Jiang Wanyin’s presence when the heir did not show up at the library on certain days.
Those were the days he thought about how this would not last. That Jiang Wanyin had, inevitably, lost interest.
Then he would show up to the library again, and they would converse.
Lan Zhan dreaded the last day of the studies.
He had gotten accustomed to Jiang Wanyin’s warmth and accommodating presence. Had gotten used to speaking his thoughts and being listened to. Had gotten used to having Jiang Wanyin’s attention on him. Having his smiles, and gazes, and-
There were times when they did not get to be in the library together. The times when he had to supervise Wei Wuxian’s punishment. When Jiang Wanyin abandoned him to the clutches of his horrible shixiong who did nothing but try to provoke a reaction out of him.
Lan Zhan could understand.
Jiang Wanyin came to the library to study, to read, to gain knowledge.
Wei Wuxian’s presence was not conducive for any of those things, and he witnessed it the one time Jiang Wanyin did stay in his company in the library.
He thought things would go back to normal now that Wei Wuxian was no longer around.
But then Jiang Wanyin brought Nie Huaisang to the library.
He was… disappointed.
But he also knew that this was the third time Nie Huaisang had been here, to study, this time with more success than the other times. And watching the way Jiang Wanyin poked and prodded Nie Huaisang each and every time he was at the library into focusing on his studies, he could see the reason why the Nie wasn’t failing again this time.
Personally, he felt that there are other things Jiang Wanyin could be spending time on.
But Jiang Wanyin was kind .
Even if both Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang complained otherwise. He made sure Nie Huaisang didn’t fail his studies, actually guiding him through things that the Nie was stuck on. Then telling Nie Huaisang about poem collections or other stories found in the library that he could read later, after their studies have finished.
Jiang Wanyin knew the balance of work and reward, and unlike the others, Lan Zhan thought that was a good thing.
What wasn’t good was how much attention and focus Jiang Wanyin gave Nie Huaisang while he was with them.
Lan Zhan narrowed his eyes at the boy, who was looking like he was trying to daydream again. Nie Huaisang startled, gave him a nervous smile, and looked back down on his notes.
The sooner he finished his studies, the sooner he could get out of the library, and the sooner Lan Zhan could get to spend time with Jiang Wanyin again. He didn’t exactly care much about helping Nie Huaisang, but if it meant he would leave them alone, then Lan Zhan would gladly and enthusiastically help.
The Nie was looking away from his notes again, but this time Jiang Wanyin caught him.
“Nie-xiong,” Jiang Wanyin said.
Lan Zhan didn’t like that too. And he didn’t like how Nie Huaisang called him ‘Jiang-xiong’ in the same familiar manner.
It took close to a month before Jiang Wanyin stopped calling him ‘Lan-er-gongzi’ when those three began calling each other so familiarly almost from the start.
“Do you even want to pass, Nie-xiong?” Jiang Wanyin teased .
Lan Zhan gritted his teeth, staring at Nie Huaisang, who was, unfortunately, not looking in his direction.
“Of course I do!” Nie Huaisang whined, annoyingly.
Jiang Wanyin huffed a quiet laugh . Jiang Wanyin was smiling . With teeth .
It was a very nice smile. It made him look even more handsome than he normally already was.
If only he was smiling at Lan Zhan and not Nie Huaisang .
“You sure about that,” Jiang Wanyin still sounded teasing, and amused .
Lan Zhan hates this.
Then, as if everything wasn’t already horrible, Jiang Wanyin leaned in closer to Nie Huaisang?! Lan Zhan watched as Jiang Wanyin used his elbow to nudge at Nie Huaisang. Nie Huaisang faked a pained yelp and laughed lightly.
He really hates this.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were doing this on purpose,” Jiang Wanyin said, then let out a soft gasp, and smiled a wicked looking smile that would’ve looked more at home on Wei Wuxian’s face.
The smile didn’t look horrible when Jiang Wanyin did it, however. He liked this smile too. He wondered if Jiang Wanyin often smiled this way around Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang. He gritted his teeth and glared at Nie Huaisang again.
This time Nie Huaisang noticed.
And paled.
Good.
Lan Zhan hoped he wouldn’t come back here again.
“Could it be that you have a crush on someone here?” Jiang Wanyin asked, and the question was so absurd that both Nie Huaisang and him turned to stare at Jiang Wanyin.
“Huh?” Nie Huaisang said, stupidly.
“You realize that you could just visit them right? No need to fail classes on purpose just to see whoever you have your eyes on,” Jiang Wanyin said.
And, Lan Zhan wasn’t sure if truly believed that, or if he was still teasing Nie Huaisang, but was pretending to be serious.
Jiang Wanyin did that sometimes.
Lan Zhan mostly tolerated it because he knew, when he was finally embarrassed enough to tell Jiang Wanyin to stop, he would get to hear that wonderful laugh of his that seemed to just spill right out of his lips without permission.
Nie Huaisang laughed lightly.
“Ah, Jiang-xiong, do you think people here are vying for me?”
And from Nie Huaisang’s light, playful tone, Lan Zhan could tell they were still teasing each other and going along with each other.
Not studying.
“Of course,” Jiang Wanyin said.
What?
Of course?
He looked at Jiang Wanyin, who was shrugging casually.
“Why not?” Jiang Wanyin said, as if the notion of it wasn’t ridiculous.
A peal of laughter fell from Nie Huaisang’s lips and he turned to glare at the boy again.
The boy that, apparently, Jiang Wanyin thought was ‘attractive’ enough that people would be vying for.
Lan Zhan wondered if he would have any teeth left by the time the studies finished, if Nie Huaisang was going to keep joining them at the library.
“Aiya, Jiang-xiong, you’re so generous with your compliments,” Nie Huaisang said, then accidentally caught his eyes.
Lan Zhan glared at him, as hard as he could.
He could almost hear how hard Nie Huaisang gulped, and Lan Zhan narrowed his eyes further.
“I have eyes,” Jiang Wanyin said casually.
As if it was fact.
As if Jiang Wanyin’s opinions on how attractive Nie Huaisang is wasn’t utterly ridiculous.
As if said opinion wasn’t making Lan Zhan literally bare his teeth at Nie Huaisang.
Nie Huaisang squeaked like a mouse, and quickly turned back down to scribble at his notes.
Nie Huaisang never joined them at the library again after. Jiang Wanyin complained about how he insisted on studying in his own room, and having Jiang Wanyin check his notes later. About how inefficient things were this way.
Lan Zhan smiled, and asked Jiang Wanyin if he’d finished the book he’d recommended to him prior, wondering what smiles he would get from Jiang Wanyin today.