Thread by @rikkainhaz

#chengxian #xiancheng virtual reality MMORPG AU 🍂🌘
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High from the adrenaline after a risky raid completed with his partner, LWJ, in the widely popular VR MMORPG, Wei Wuxian whistles a gleeful tune as they stroll through the bustling marketplace of a nearby town,

where they try to find potential buyers for their spoils from the raid and to stock up on supplies for their future endeavours.

This fantasy-genre VR game was the first of its kind to be released, and Wei Wuxian has been playing since it was in the beta stage--

having fell in love with the world and the action-packed adventures, he hassled his friend, LWJ, into accompanying him as they've been duo'ing the game ever since.

Wei Wuxian loved the high and the way his heart races when fighting high level bosses in such an environment,

so realistic it seemed as though he really lived in this world and not in the lonely one-room apartment where his routine was essentially: work, home, sleep.

Here, he was a hero, a fighter, an escape from the boring reality of the other side.

Here, he could be free.

Yet, despite all his acclamations of the joy of this world, he still feels a void within him, like something is...missing.

As they make their way further down the streets towards the center of the plaza full of both NPCs and other players, the two capture many eyes with their

striking appearances, and contrasting choice of clothing--swirling darkness with hints of red tones, and pure white with light shades of blue fluttering in the wind.

It's not unusual for them to catch attention, even in the real world, as the two had chosen to use

their original appearances instead of modifying it. Wei Wuxian was proud of his handsome appearance, so if this game was to be his double life, why change it?

LWJ on the other hand was forced into it as WWX had took it upon himself to apply the settings for an

unaware friend.

Needless to say, photos of their avatars and forums talking about the two could be seen floating around the internet once in a while.

Wei Wuxian spots a blacksmith and beelines towards towards the store, commencing his usual haggling on the poor owner.

LWJ stands solemnly behind him like an untouchable statue when they hear a loud commotion happening.

A horse neighs as they pull a carriage behind through the crowded streets. Pedestrians shuffle to the sides as they make way for the entourage of 20 people accompanying

who must be someone of importance.

This is the first time Wei Wuxian has ever encountered such a situation. LWJ tugs on his sleeve and drags him further back as NPCs start to bend over in respect like a wave down the stretch, following the movements of the carriage.

It became severely obvious who in this large crowd of market goers were NPCs and players, judging by the confusion on the players faces and the unusual actions of the NPCs.

Whispers and chatter start to spread as everyone ponders who this character could be.

Along the way, some girls start to throw handkerchiefs and flowers towards the entourage.

"Some hotshot," Wei Wuxian whispers under his breath to his friend, who simply side-eyes him.

"The lord is back!" cries the women, children and merchants of the town.

Small movements could be seen inside the carriage and the curtains shielding the person within from view brush open slightly as the entourage passes by WWX and LWJ.

In this small fleeting moment, Wei Wuxian catches sight of a beauty, framed with elegance, and Wei Wuxian's mouth goes dry, his heart jumps into his throat, his face going hot as the man in the carriage turns just that one milimetre towards the left and all Wei

Wuxian can see is lovely almond-shaped eyes, deep blue like the ocean.

He has never understood what others meant by having your life freeze for a moment when you meet someone you love, but he now understands all the words in novels he read, all the stories he's heard from his

friends.

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan," WWX finally stutters when he recovered, long after the hustle and bustle of the marketplace returned to how it was originally. He waves his hand in the air meekly, "hold me. I found the love of my life, our eyes met, I think I'm married now."

And his friend, bless his heart, simply stares at him with undisguised disgust on his face.

Wei Wuxian took great offence to that.

"I need to know who he is."

"He's...not real," LWJ says to thin air as Wei Wuxian scampered off in the direction the carriage vanished to. Heaving a huge sigh, LWJ packs up the sword that Wei Wuxian left with the blacksmith and paid the bill before making his way gracefully down the path.

Unlike the other, LWJ had heard and absorbed all of the mutterings earlier like a sponge.

The Lord of Yunmeng Jiang--Jiang Cheng, courtesy name Wanyin.

Clearly an NPC with such a setting, as players are adventurers with no linkage to the world setting within the game, apart

from sects set up by other players.

They were outsiders, roaming in the vast land. Despite how real everything looks and feels inside, actual relationships between NPCs and players are scarce and, honestly, hard to achieve.

LWJ hopes his friend doesn't get his heart broken

but was also curious to see how it panned out.

Needless to say, he wasn't going to intervene too much.

Lan Wangji catches up to Wei Wuxian outside the guarded gates of a large estate, high walls towered over them and armed soldiers stood at attention, sharp spears glinting in the sunlight. Having been denied entry, Wei Wuxian squats by a nearby tree, pouting and shooting daggers

with his eyes at the guards.

Lan Wangji prods at him with his sword and is suddenly pulled down by a mischievous hand. He narrowly escapes face-planting into the fallen leaves under the tree branches and now there are two squatting mushrooms outside this grand estate.

Lan Wangji sometimes wonders why he gets into situations like this, and all fingers can only point to Wei Wuxian.

“Lan Zhan, my wife’s so powerful. Do you see?!”

“...wife? He’s a man.”

Wei Wuxian cocks his head. “Yeah, my wife! Such a big compound!” he sighs wistfully at the idyllic picture he drew in his mind at what laid behind those walls. “If only I knew his name…these stinky dogs refuse to let me in!”

Lan Wangji hands Wei Wuxian the sword he left abandoned at the blacksmith and the other quickly stores it away in his inventory. “Name…I know it.”

“Really?!” Wei Wuxian jumps up in excitement but quickly shakes his head, holding out a palm before him in a stopping gesture.

“Wait, no, don’t tell me. I want to hear it from him directly. It’s only my right as the husband!”

Lan Wangji feels his left eye twitch and once again wonders how many times his friend was dropped on his head as a baby. At the back of his head, he hears an alarm blaring and he

quickly pulls up the interface.

The white clothed man rises to his feet, patting away the dust on his robes and gestures to his friend.

Wei Wuxian pauses in his ridiculous jumping to catch a glimpse of his love over the walls and asks, “Hm?”

“Going. Dinner.”

“Oh, it’s so late already? Man, I thought we could squeeze in another raid, but oh–no, I have to wait here. Who knows when my wife will come out?” Wei Wuxian rambles like a bullet train. “You’ll be back?”

Lan Wangji pauses to think, before shaking his head. “Not today.”

“Mm, okay, tomorrow then? Same time, same place? If you see Nie Huaisang can you tell him he still owes me ten silvers? That brat blocked me and I cannot message him.”

“Coming over, Wei Ying wants to join?”

“Huh? You’re having dinner with the Nies?”

Lan Wangji nods. “Brother.”

Wei Wuxian hums in understanding but decides to decline the offer. “No, I’m going to stay here.”

Lan Wangji prepares to log out but a thought suddenly appears to him. “...Wei Ying, dinner?”

Unfortunately, he has lost his friends’ attention by that point, as Wei Wuxian starts climbing the tree they were under like a monkey, attracting the curious gaze of passerby and the

grim faces of the guards.

Lan Wangji sighs and logs out, he cannot be late. As he climbs out of the game pod, he wonders if Wei Wuxian was going to skip dinner for an NPC, but quickly shakes the thought away as the idea of it was ridiculous.

Wei Wuxian, skip a meal? Heavens would fall first!

Little did he know, that would not be the first time and Lan Wangji deeply regrets brushing it away in the future.