CHAPTER 1

When news came that Wei Wuxian, the chief disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang clan, was seeking a bride, Lan Wangji was at his study desk grinding ink. His slender fingers paused slightly, and the ink stick broke. On another desk, Lan Xichen looked up from his letter and glanced at his younger brother. After a moment, he couldn't help but say, "Wangji, that ink... it's all gone."Lan Wangji stopped moving and looked down. The ink stick was reduced to mere crumbs, his fair fingertips stained black, and from adding water carelessly, the ink had overflowed the inkstone.

He quickly took a sheet of xuan paper to absorb the spilled ink, sparing the homework papers nearby from being ruined. Lan Xichen couldn't hide the smile at his lips and said, "Young Master Wei is seeking a bride. Wangji, will you be going?"Lan Wangji's hand trembled as he dabbed the inkstone. Ink spilled halfway across, and the homework paper near him was inevitably stained. Lan Wangji frowned silently, set aside the ill-fated homework, focused on cleaning the mess on the desk, and said coolly, "He's seeking a bride, why would I go?"

Lan Xichen's smile didn't fade. "Not for anything, just to watch the fun." Lan Wangji was silent, then looked up. "Elder Brother, do you really think I have so much free time from study that I would waste it on such nonsense? If so, I'll ask uncle to increase your load instead."Lan Xichen lightly shook his sleeve and said nonchalantly, "What a pity, Young Master Wei specifically invited you." More ink spilled from the inkstone.Lan Wangji's long fingers froze mid-air. "...He invited me for what?"

Lan Xichen answered, "Said it was a rare opportunity, inviting you to visit Yunmeng, and to introduce you to Yunmeng's girls, fearing you might be too lonely in the monastery." He paused, his face flushing slightly as if he'd misspoken, then added, "...These are Young Master Wei's exact words."Lan Wangji coldly replied, "No need." More ink spilled across the desk; the ink pool was running low. He gazed at the uneven wet spots on one side and the dry side untouched, pondering silently. A youth sitting at a desk opposite smiled, "Monastery? Young Master Wei may not know, but the Lan clan does have female cultivators." Lan Xichen smiled too, "I'm afraid he really doesn't know."

This youth, the same age as the two brothers and also a close inner disciple, had encountered Wei Wuxian when disciples gathered to study a year ago and was familiar with the young man's well-known reputation. Curious, he said, "Among this generation of cultivators, I don't think any other young master has publicly sought a bride before? Though it is a tradition among immortals, it's unexpected that he would be the first."Lan Xichen replied, "Indeed. Given Young Master Wei's character, it's hard to imagine him preparing to settle down so young. His future partner will certainly have her hands full."

The youth was forthright, speaking whatever came to mind:

"This Young Master Wei is good-looking and charming. Why worry about not having a sweetheart? Maybe it's because he's too flirtatious and borrowing favors everywhere that his family feels they can't control him; better to tie him down with marriage early and save the immortal girls from getting hurt in vain."

Lan Wangji snorted coldly. The youth was taken aback, not knowing where he went wrong to earn that look. Remembering Wei Wuxian's numerous rule violations during studies in Gusu and his constant clashes with Lan Wangji as disciplinarian, he understood immediately.

Lan Wangji was always strict but fair, distinguishing between person and matter. Though he had discipline duties for years, no one saw him hold grudges or get into fights-except with Wei Wuxian. That fight showed how much trouble Wei Wuxian caused him, so naturally, he disliked everything Wei Wuxian did.

The youth didn't mind and switched topics, still cheerfully gossiping: "Elder Brother Huan, does our Lan family have any girls ready for proposals?" Lan Xichen thought and shook his head, "Probably not, with uncle around..."The youth was surprised, "But for marriage, isn't it just the parents' approval that matters? Don't need clan leader to consent?"

Lan Xichen replied, "Though that's so... Do you remember years ago that suitor from the Ouyang family who sought to marry in? He too had a lot of rumors outside, and a senior in the clan planned to offer his daughter. Uncle had a long talk with that senior overnight, and the next day he gave up."The youth sighed, "Master Lan is very strict."Lan Xichen smiled, "Lan family disciples tend to be calm; I think it's good to have one who is more lively to balance and complement."The youth chuckled, "In that case, Young Master Wei would suit our family girls quite well—"

Elder Brother Huan, do you want to arrange some matches? Let a few of our girls go over there to attend the suitors' recruitment?"After saying this, a line of figures swept up his sleeves and took a scroll and a piece of paper, then bowed to Lan Xichen: "Elder Brother, it's noisy here, Wangji will find another place to study." The young man's face reddened slightly and he closed his mouth. Lan Xichen was a little surprised, "Haven't you finished your homework?"

During their conversation, Lan Wangji had already recopied the damaged homework. He slightly raised his head and said, "Finished. I want to preview tomorrow's lessons."

Lan Xichen said, "May I take a look?" Lan Wangji handed over the paper. A moment later, he took it back from Lan Xichen, "There are eleven mistakes."

From then on, every day Lan Wangji stayed as usual with Lan Xichen. He was physically present, his mind focused, holding a scroll, eyes fixed straight ahead, just like usual. Staring carefully for a long time, one would find he couldn't turn a page for a while. Writing, one out of ten characters was wrong; brewing tea, he found no tea leaves after finishing; adding fragrance, the fragrance balls clogged the stove; playing the zither, the strings broke.

Lan Qiren slammed his book in anger and asked, "Wangji, what's wrong with you lately?" Lan Wangji's eyelashes twitched lightly, lowering his gaze and said, "Uncle, I'm sorry..." Lan Xichen said softly, "The heart is beyond control, and things are beyond the will." Lan Qiren glanced at Lan Xichen and then at Lan Wangji, frowning, "Do you have something on your mind?" Lan Wangji's hand paused while detaching the zither string: "I..." He opened his mouth to say "I" for a long time but couldn't get a word out.

Lan Qiren pointed to Lan Xichen and said sternly, "You tell me, what's wrong with him?" Lan Xichen thought for a long time, not sure how to start, then chose the main point: "Wangji is thinking about marriage proposals."

Lan Qiren was shocked, "What marriage proposals?" He stroked his beard and continued, "I asked you to consider marriage proposals before, didn't you refuse? Is it that you've changed your mind now?" Lan Wangji was stunned, and after a long pause, muttered an uncertain response. Lan Xichen followed up, "Perhaps he heard about Young Master Wei from Yunmeng recruiting a bride and got the idea. "Lan Qiren snorted, his goat beard trembling slightly, "Who would be willing to marry their daughter to him?"

Lan Xichen said, "Uncle, you don't know. Young Master Wei is dashing and amiable; families seeking to marry into his household must have worn out the doorsteps of Lotus Pier." He cast a glance over at Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji pulled a small pouch from his bosom, looked at it for a while, seemingly unable to recall why he took it out.

"They are blind! No matter how many lovesick girls chase after him, don't expect any good girls from the Lan family!" Lan Qiren said angrily, shooting a frown at Lan Wangji, "What are you planning to do?"

Lan Wangji squeezed the small pouch for a long time before finally remembering to open it and look inside—it was empty; there weren't enough zither strings. There was an old qin master in the Gusu Lan Clan named LvQi Jun. He was quite skilled in qin music, and especially adept at crafting zithers and strings. He lived high in the mountains. The higher Lan Wangji went, the cooler the air and the thicker the swirling clouds. Among the tree shades occasionally glimmer tiny icy spots. In broad daylight, it's quite a marvel. On closer look, the small ice crystals flutter delicately in the shade—these were ice moths after they emerged from their cocoons. Lan Wangji followed the moths and arrived at a cool courtyard. He knocked on the door, but no one answered, and the door opened by itself. He said "Sorry to disturb," and went inside.

In the courtyard grew a special kind of mulberry tree, fond of cold but not heat, dedicated solely for feeding ice moth larvae. On a nearby wooden rack, mulberry leaves were spread out, inside which small white creatures moved about, shining with ice crystals—these were the ice moth larvae.

Both the wooden rack and the mulberry trees were hung with ice lamps. The crisp cold air, close up, felt like deep midwinter, protecting the ice moths and ice mulberry trees—both originally from extremely cold regions—from the normal summer heat.

The strings on Wangji's qin were made by twisting the ice silk produced by the ice moth larvae.

Lan Wangji walked a few steps and heard faint talking inside the house. Looking up, he saw the door wide open, and the cold air from the ice lamps drifted out, remarkably refreshing in the summer heat.

A young girl was lying sideways on a blue mat, propping herself up on one elbow, her cold voice as chill and still as the hanging ice lamps: "What's so good about Wei Wuxian? What impression should I have of him?" An old man grumbled angrily: "Why don't you go to Lotus Pier to see for yourself?" As soon as he said this, his own daughter gave him a scornful glare that silenced him.

The old man sighed, then said, "I'm not greedy about Wei Ying in any way. It's just that I am old, hoping you'll settle down early, I can enjoy the sweetness of family life, and the bliss of grandchildren!"

The old qin master couple had married rather late and conceived twin daughters after ten years, a blessing late in life. The daughters were beautiful. The elderly couple, with low cultivation and limited lifespan, wouldn't live much longer. They longed to savor family happiness soon, but their two daughters were in no hurry to marry.

In the past few years, the couple had run around trying to arrange matches, but neither daughter liked any of the candidates. Finally, when they agreed to meet once, during the casual moments of snacking on melon seeds, they quickly sent him away. The young man left crying, deeply heartbroken.

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