A late bloomer.
That's what Wei Ying was.
'Was' being the key word.
Wei Ying stared at the long ears on top of his head and pursed his lips in thought. They were long, sable in color, standing straight and tall on his head. They twitched experimentally when Wei Ying ran a hand over one, shuddering when he realized how sensitive they were. They were undeniably rabbit ears, and undeniably attached to his head.
That couldn't be right. After all, if Wei Ying wasn't a beta, he was an alpha. Did bunny alphas exist? They must exist. Carnivorous bunnies maybe? That seemed more likely than him being an omega of all things. Wei Ying hummed, turning in the mirror to take in the fluffy black tail at the base of his spine. He poked it and found himself shivering again.
Yeah, no, clearly this was some sort of strange alpha mutation. Maybe the stress of the Annual Hunt on everyone in and around the Cloud Recesses had brought it out. After all, Jiang Cheng was certainly stressed out, the young wolf concerned that he wouldn't be able to find a proper omega to mate when the time came. And they were roommates in the disciple dorms as well, meaning Wei Ying was exposed to his stress hormones nearly all the time.
Speak of the didi, Jiang Cheng opened their room door and stepped inside, a sour look on his face. He probably hated breakfast as much as Wei Ying did, but wasn't going to complain about it like Wei Ying took the time to.
"What's wrong, Jiang Cheng? Don't tell me that breakfast was all roots and herbs! What's a growing young wolf supposed to do?"
The wolf alpha glanced up at him with barely contained annoyance, at least until he caught sight of Wei Ying's ears. His expression morphed to one of shock, then confusion, then disbelief.
"Wei Wuxian…what is that!?" he choked out, pointing at Wei Ying's ears. Wei Ying grinned at him in amusement, his ears twitching towards the wolf.
"What, Jiang Cheng? You've never seen an alpha bunny before?"
"I-Idiot! Rabbits are never alphas, they're only omegas! Everyone knows that!" Jiang Cheng shouted back. He stepped forward, reaching out to tug sharply at Wei Ying's ears. "Even as a joke it's too much! Take those off right now before someone sees!"
"Ow!" Wei Ying yelped when Jiang Cheng tugged sharply on his ear. He slapped his didi's hand away sharply, cradling his poor ear in his hand. Jiang Cheng stepped back with a look of horror on his face, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "A-Cheng, who taught you to be so handsy with people? Imagine what Shijie would say!"
"Wei Wuxian, this isn't a joke!" Jiang Cheng said, his voice lower. He slammed their room door shut. "Omegas aren't allowed to practice cultivation in Gusu Lan!"
"I'm not an omega!" Wei Ying fired back sharply, before relaxing his tone. "Honestly, Nie Huaisang is a pigeon and he's still allowed to cultivate!"
"He's a hawk, and a beta!"
"So? What's the big difference? Rabbits can be fierce if they want to!" Wei Ying rubbed his poor ear sympathetically. "And Sect Leader Nie is a hawk as well, if hawks can be both alphas and betas, why can't a rabbit?"
Jiang Cheng stared at him like he was an idiot, which Wei Ying was not, alright? Everyone in their world had secondary animal traits, whether it was ears, tails, scales, or even wings aligned with a particular kind of animal. However these traits never appeared until one became an adult, and with their appearance came their secondary gender. It was generally accepted that all prey species were either betas or omegas and all predators were alphas or betas, but a few species were an exception. Rabbits, for example, were always omegas, but who says Wei Ying couldn't be both a bunny and an alpha? It's not like you could tell outside of mating, right?
"We need to get you back to Yungmeng," Jiang Cheng declared abruptly. Wei Ying blinked in surprise.
"What? Leaving in the middle of classes? Before the Annual Hunt? Jiang Cheng, how rude! You're leaving all your potential spouses behind? You don't need to worry about me!"
"Yes, I do," Jiang Cheng hissed angrily, "because if the Gusu Lan Sect finds out that you're a rabbit they'll throw you into the Annual Hunt to be hunted!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Jiang Cheng, even if I was an omega, there's not a Lan cultivator alive who would want to mate me, much less risk their children mating me," he snickered, thinking of Lan Zhan. The dragon would die at the thought alone, surely. "I could dance around naked in the middle of the Hunting Grounds and every alpha would run in terror in the opposite direction! Except you, of course, you'd kill me for being so annoying, I know."
"Wei Wuxian!"
"Besides, now that I've presented, I'm supposed to attend the Hunt at least once. Any cultivator is expected to as a sign of respecting tradition, and you know how Lans are about their traditions."
"I'm not sure why you even care so much about Lan tradition, in fact, I don't even know why I care about you being an idiot so much!" Jiang Cheng yelled, his face red. "Go ahead, attend the Hunt and get harassed by alphas! See if I care!" He yelled, turning around and running out the door. Wei Ying watched him go, a little bemused, before sighing and turning his attention back to the mirror. His ears twitched sympathetically.
The class of disciples had been just as shocked as Jiang Cheng when Wei Ying had shown up late, ears flicking back and forth. Lan Qiren had been mute with horror, and even Lan Zhan had a look of wide-eyed surprise on his face. Wei Ying had spent the better part of an hour arguing with the elder Lan that not all rabbits were necessarily omegas, and that even if that's the case, why should Wei Ying be banned from classes? Why were omegas forbidden from practicing cultivation in the Gusu Lan Sect? Why purposefully cut down on the amount of cultivators in your sect?
He'd been chased out by a flurry of scrolls for all his effort, stuck wandering the grounds, a few servants and older cultivators looking after him in confusion. A rabbit wearing disciple garb? What on earth?
Wei Ying huffed, wondering if he should try sneaking down to Caiyi Town for something to drink, only to hear a polite cough behind him. He turned around, blinking in surprise to see Lan Xichen standing behind him, a calm smile on his face.
Wei Ying bowed politely, resisting the urge to look up at the hum Lan Xichen let out.
"This one greets Lan-da-xiong," he said, his ears twitching forward when the dragon took a step closer to examine Wei Ying's animal traits.
"Well, it seems that despite our rules against gossip, the rumors are true," he greeted when Wei Ying lifted his head. "Yungmeng Sect's first disciple has presented as an omega."
"Not an omega," Wei Ying said quickly, earning a look of surprise from the elder Lan. "Just a rabbit, an alpha rabbit."
"...Are you sure?" Lan Xichen asked after a moment of contemplation. It was certainly better than Jiang Cheng's shock and Lan Qiren's anger. At least Lan Xichen had the decency to question instead of outright deny.
"Well," Wei Ying began, "I don't know for sure that I'm an omega, so who's to say that I can't be an alpha?"
"That is a fair statement, after all, if Wei-gongzi has yet to experience either a rut or a heat, how is he to truly know?" Lan Xichen smiled in understanding, a glimmer in his eyes. "I assume my Uncle is unwilling to teach you though?"
"Yes," Wei Ying bemoaned, "how am I supposed to learn if I'm forbidden from sitting in classes?"
"If you like, I can arrange for you to be tutored in the Library Pavilion, it won't be the same as in class, but at the very least you can still learn the material." Lan Xichen offered calmly. Wei Ying looked stunned at his generosity.
"Lan-da-xiong is so gracious!" Wei Ying bowed deeply, offering the elder Lan a bright smile. "Thank you!"
"Of course," Lan Xichen was all smiles. "Please report to the Library Pavilion tomorrow morning, your tutor will be waiting for you."
The next day Wei Ying arrived at the Library Pavilion bright and early (for him), looking around curiously for whichever Lan cultivator was meant to tutor him. He quickly became distracted by a familiar disciple sitting at one of the tables.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying called out, plopping down next to Lan Zhan with a wide smile. "Are you here to be tutored as well?" He asked curiously, leaning in to study the book Lan Zhan was reading. The dragon stiffened when Wei Ying came too close.
"I am the tutor." He replied curtly, nodding stiffly at the book sitting on the opposite side of the table. "Read." he ordered briskly. Wei Ying blinked in surprise.
"Ehh? Lan Zhan is my tutor? Is Lan Zhan going to tutor me on how not to break the rules?" he snickered, earning a glare from the dragon. "Lan Zhan, you have to admit, both of us wouldn't be here if your Sect didn't have a rule forbidding omegas from being cultivators! Not that I'm an omega, of course."
"Rabbits are omegas." Lan Zhan said quickly, though there was confusion in his eyes. Wei Ying huffed.
"Who's to say that all rabbits are omegas and not most? I could be an alpha!" Wei Ying tilted his head, his ears folding back in thought. "I mean, for all you know, you could be an omega, Lan Zhan!"
"Not true." Lan Zhan bit out, looking back to his book quickly. "All dragons are alphas. I have experienced my rut." He added sharply as Wei Ying opened his mouth to protest. Wei Ying blinked, leaning closer.
"What's a rut like?" He asked curiously. The dragon looked like he was regretting saying that piece of vital information out loud. "Won't Lan Er-gege tell me? Lan-da-xiong agreed that I truly won't know whether I'm an alpha or omega until I have a rut or heat!" He said.
"There is reading material available here outside of study hours," Lan Zhan said sharply, his brow furrowing at his brother's name coming from Wei Ying's mouth. "You can read them afterwards."
"Isn't it just faster to tell me now?" Wei Ying protested, pouting at the dragon. "What if I went into a rut right now? Or a heat? I wouldn't be able to tell which is which!"
"You would." Lan Zhan said, his throat sounding dry. He turned his attention back to his book, ignoring Wei Ying. The rabbit pouted.
"Well, I still don't see why omegas are forbidden from practicing in your sect. Omegas are just as capable as alphas!" Wei Ying insisted.
"The concern is not with omega cultivators, but rather with alphas." Lan Zhan replied firmly. "Alpha cultivators need more restraint when going on night hunts with their omega partners. There is concern that if their mate became injured during the battle then the alpha would fly into a rage, unable to distinguish friend or foe."
"If that's the case then why have alphas be cultivators? They should be the ones forbidden from practicing then!" Wei Ying huffed, leaning closer looking at Lan Zhan. "Still, Lan Er-Gege is like a statue. I could hardly imagine you going wild about the future Lan Er-Furen getting injured, angry sure, but to completely lose control?" Wei Ying mused. Lan Zhan paused, looking at him.
"Is that what Wei Ying thinks?" He asked after a long moment. Wei Ying blinked, tilting his head at Lan Zhan's tone.
"Well, I guess it would depend? If it were my mate I'd probably be livid, but I'm not the honorable second son here, I'm just a common servant's son." Wei Ying flashed him a grin, before flopping down across the Library floor. "Poor Lan Zhan, living the life of a noble!"
"Sit properly," Lan Zhan replied mildly.
"Don't you know, Lan Zhan? When bunnies are lying down like this it means that they trust whoever they're with! Aren't you glad I trust you?" Wei Ying teased, rolling onto his side and offering Lan Zhan a bright smile. Lan Zhan glanced back at his book quickly, his ears red. "Besides! If the Gusu Lan Sect doesn't allow omega cultivators then what am I supposed to do?"
"It would be a waste if Wei Ying wasn't a cultivator." Lan Zhan said quietly, still focused on his book. Wei Ying perked up, sitting up to look at Lan Zhan.
"Aiyah! Lan Zhan, are you flirting with me? I'll have you know that I'm an alpha though, if you said that sort of thing to an omega they'd totally swoo-mmph!" Wei Ying grunted when his lips sealed closed, once again sentenced to the Lan Sect's silencing spell. "Mmph!"
"Study," Lan Zhan ordered tersely.
A week of uneventful tutoring later, Wei Ying awoke to the morning of the Hunt to find himself ushered to the Hunting Grounds after a light breakfast.
"I told you, just because I'm a rabbit doesn't mean I'm an omega! Why am I starting on the omega side?" Wei Ying said, looking at the Lan cultivator with disdain.
"The Acting Sect Leader insisted upon the arrangement," the cultivator said, clearly used to omegas protesting the Annual Hunt by any means necessary. A rabbit claiming to be an alpha seemed to be the least of the wild tales the beta had witnessed. "If you wish to take a leave of absence from the Hunt, then you will need to be cleared by one of our Sect's doctors."
"I'm fine with being in the Hunt, what I'm trying to say is that I'm on the wrong side-"
"Please go join the others," the cultivator said curtly, before turning away to address one of the other omegas. Wei Ying frowned, his ear twitching in annoyance before he turned around with a huff.
Despite being an alpha, Wei Ying was tossed into the group of omegas that had come for the Hunt (or been forced into it by their families), he wouldn't do anyone a disservice by claiming someone right off the bat because that was rude, both to the omega and their other alphas that were going to compete against him for said omegas.
The omegas quickly scattered to the trees, Wei Ying following at a leisurely pace. The Hunt lasted the entire day until the next morning. Alphas were meant to compete for the attention of their omegas, providing them with the means to stay safe and well cared for, even in the middle of the wilderness. If an omega found their partner deserving then they would accept their courtship and the pair would stay together until the morning.
Wei Ying had presented suddenly, without anyone from his Sect to sit him down and properly explain what it meant for an omega and an alpha to spend the night together, but for the others in the Hunt this year, he hoped that they wouldn't feel too awkward. Maybe he could track down an omega that was agreeable to spending the night having good company.
Wei Ying could fend for his own easily enough, so it wasn't like he was like most of these other omegas, not used to the wild. There were a few rogue cultivators scattered amongst them, but otherwise most were soft faced and not dressed for a night out in the woods at all. If anything they were dressed so lightly that the slightest wind would make them freeze.
Wei Ying casually scaled a tree, settling on a thicker branch and relaxing well enough to doze off in the morning sunlight. When he awoke peacefully a few hours later, his scenery was largely unchanged, the sun higher in the sky. He stretched lazily, looking around curiously but it seemed like the area was devoid of anyone else. He dropped easily to the ground, taking a moment to find his way to a nearby stream.
He took a few greedy sips of the cool water, his ears twitching at a snap across the bank. He glanced up through the trees to see an unfamiliar boar-like cultivator standing in the brush across the way. His gaze was fixed on Wei Ying in the way a predator would, his cheeks flushed and his eyes shining. Wei Ying blinked, tilting his head to the side and watching him for a moment. Most alphas would steadily advance on an omega, circling them and parading for them to show their interest. If an omega ran, that was a clear invitation to give chase. If they didn't, the alpha was required to slink away.
Of course, that wasn't always the case, however, those that came to the Annual Hunt in the Gusu Lan territory were often from distinguished families and other sects. Not just anyone could sneak in, and certainly not anyone that would try something as untoward as taking an omega without their consent. It was why the families of omegas often attempted to flood the Hunt in Gusu Lan with their offspring, and the Gusu Lan had the pick of the bunch for which omegas to provide for the visiting alphas.
Wei Ying stared as the boar alpha stumbled forward, splashing into the stream. Wei Ying rose to his feet quickly, stepping back as the alpha drunkenly lunged for him.
"Are you okay?" Wei Ying asked in concern as the alpha reached for him. He grunted when the boar snagged the front of his robes, shoving him down into the stream with a splash. Wei Ying's hands went to the boar's arms, yanking them away from his robes. The alpha let him, however his grip on Wei Ying's robes remained firm as he ripped them open to bear the long line of Wei Ying's neck.
"What are you doing!" Wei Ying snarled, baring his teeth at the boar. He grunted when the boar buried his face against his neck, cringing when he caught the acrid smell of something that burned the inside of his nose. He went rigid when he felt teeth at his neck, only to feel his entire body jerk forward as the boar was abruptly ripped away from him.
He sat up, watching as a flurry of white descended on the boar. A sickening crack sounded, an animalistic cry echoing in the air. The boar alpha scurried away in a panic, disappearing into the treeline without a moment's hesitation. Wei Ying stared as the figure white turned around. He blinked in surprise.
"Lan Zhan!" He rose to his feet, stepping forward to look over the alpha. He appeared unharmed, his golden eyes sharp, which led Wei Ying to wonder what that cracking sound was. Surely Lan Zhan hadn't injured the other alpha? He was far too cordial for that! "Lan Zhan, are you okay? That other alpha was acting so weird! I think he was sick!"
"He was in rut." Lan Zhan declared, pointedly not looking at Wei Ying. "He must be captured before he ends up hurting someone." He said. Wei Ying blinked in concern.
"We should go together! It'll be easier to capture him as a pair, right?"
"No."
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying gasped, hurt. So what if he'd been caught off guard? He was ready now!
"I need to escort Wei Ying back to the Cloud Recesses before his heat starts first."
"What?" Wei Ying echoed dumbly. Lan Zhan still wouldn't look at him.
"He scent-marked you," Lan Zhan replied. "Wei Ying's heat will start soon as a result. I need to escort Wei Ying back first."
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying pouted. "I can take care of myself."
"Alphas can't control themselves around an unmated omega in their first heat." Lan Zhan said stiffly, finally looking at Wei Ying. "You need to return to the Cloud Recesses." Wei Ying stared at Lan Zhan's serious expression.
"No," he replied curtly. Lan Zhan blinked in surprise. "I keep telling you, I'm not an omega but you won't believe me. I won't go into heat and Lan Zhan doesn't need to escort me anywhere."
" Wei Ying ."
" Lan Zhan ." Wei Ying retorted, jumping back when Lan Zhan lunged for him. He was ready this time, dodging Lan Zhan's attempts to grab him easily. They broke into a chase, Wei Ying leading Lan Zhan through the forest at dizzying speeds. Wei Ying glanced over his shoulder to see Lan Zhan on his tail, his golden eyes full of heat. Wei Ying laughed in amusement, leading Lan Zhan into a clearing. The grass was long enough to cover the ground, leading Wei Ying to stumble on an unseen rock. He didn't even trip, merely lost his footing for a moment, only for Lan Zhan to tackle him into the grass, the pair gasping to catch their breath. Wei Ying tried to squirm free of Lan Zhan's hold, only for the dragon to grip his arms at his back firmly, keeping him in place.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan growled lowly, his voice hot against the back of Wei Ying's neck. Wei Ying shuddered at the sensation, his brow furrowing in confusion as heat pooled in his belly, crawling over his skin. What was going on?
"Okay, Lan Zhan, let me up," Wei Ying breathed, shivering as the scent of sandalwood began to overtake the bitter scent of the other alpha's scent. "You win, Wei Ying will come back to the Cloud Recesses."
"Wei Ying will return as my mate." Lan Zhan growled lowly, his jaw brushing against the back of the rabbit's neck. Wei Ying froze, his eyes widening in shock.
"Lan Zhan, you're joking right?" Wei Ying squirmed, letting out a weak laugh. "Lan Zhan wouldn't want me for a mate!"
"Wei Ying courted me. I accept." Lan Zhan nuzzled his neck, his hand moving to press Wei Ying's back into the soft grass. A thin, desperate sound escaped him at Lan Zhan's touches. He squirmed in the alpha's grip, trying to look at the alpha over his shoulder, he could hardly see him, with Lan Zhan occupied with spreading his scent all over Wei Ying.
"Lan Zhan, you're acting weird! Didn't you say you needed to bring me back to the Cloud Recesses?" Wei Ying whined. "Didn't you say that if I went into heat it would be bad?"
"Wei Ying is already starting his heat," Lan Zhan groaned, his hips pressing down against Wei Ying's ass. Wei Ying gasped at how forward the alpha was acting. He thought Lan Zhan was a shy student, how could he be acting so crudely! "Wei Ying is ready to be mated."
"L-Lan Zhan! I told you! I'm an alpha! Alpha's don't have heats!" He squirmed in the grass, digging his knees into the dirt in his attempt to escape from Lan Zhan's grip. It was like trying to fight steel. What was worse was the way Lan Zhan's scent was making him feel weak and relaxed, like it was okay to want to mate him. Wei Ying shuddered, his eyes fluttering closed.
"Wei Ying smells so good," Lan Zhan moaned. Wei Ying shivered in delight at the praise. "Wei Ying is perfect."
"Lan Zhan, you're making me feel weird," Wei Ying whined softly, looking over his shoulder at the alpha. Lan Zhan gazed down at him, his eyes softer than Wei Ying had ever seen. It felt good to be looked at like that, like Lan Zhan thought he was something precious. Lan Zhan's hands roamed over his body, tugging his robes off his shoulders. Wei Ying just wanted… something. He didn't know what.
"Lan Zhan," he whined, "hurry up," he demanded, squirming in the dragon's grip. He wasn't sure why he needed to hurry, however Lan Zhan seemed to have an idea, as he quickly rid Wei Ying of the rest of his robes.
"If Wei Ying is an alpha, then why is Wei Ying so wet here?" Lan Zhan asked lowly, his fingers rubbing in-between Wei Ying's cheeks with interest. Wei Ying shivered, gasping when a finger sank into his hole with hardly any resistance. His hips jerked when Lan Zhan slid his finger out, only to thrust it back in again. "Wei Ying is ready to be mated." Lan Zhan declared, a growl low in his throat. His finger pulled out quickly, only to be replaced with more. It should have stung, things weren't supposed to go there. Wei Ying opened his mouth to say so, but a reedy whine escaped him instead as Lan Zhan's fingers sank deeper and deeper inside him, the dragon's pace rough enough for Wei Ying to try and squirm away to no avail. Wei Ying's hands dug into the grass underneath him, his hips rising higher the more Lan Zhan's fingers worked him. He shrieked when a firm hand suddenly grabbed at his tail, stroking it possessively. Pleasure arched up his spine, flooding his senses until Wei Ying collapsed into the grass, his hips held up by Lan Zhan's firm grip. Wei Ying trembled, trying to overcome the pleasure buzzing through his brain.
"L-Lan Zhan, what did you do? That felt weird!" He whimpered, trying to get his strength back in his arms. He whined when Lan Zhan's fingers left his hole. "L-Lan Zhan?" He called out, moaning when Lan Zhan folded himself on top of him. It should have felt suffocating, Lan Zhan with his dozens of layers, but Wei Ying felt a sense of calm overcome him, settling into the grass as Lan Zhan's lips brushed against the back of his neck.
"Wei Ying is perfect," Lan Zhan murmured, shifting slightly above the rabbit. Wei Ying blinked in confusion when he felt something wide and hot press against his wet hole. It took a bit of brain power, but with Lan Zhan's hands on his hips there was only one other thing he could expect to be pressing there , the head of it prodding at his hole. He tried to crawl away, only for Lan Zhan to snag his hips quickly, holding him in place.
"Lan Zhan, that won't fit there!" Wei Ying gasped, his body arching when Lan Zhan began to bully the head of his cock inside. He whined when his hole was spread wide by Lan Zhan's cock, feeling like he was being split in two. "Lan Zhan, it's too big! Too big!" He whined, his upper body collapsing into the grass at the sheer sensation of being spread open so wide.
His hole trembled around the dragon's length, his breath coming out in desperate pants. Wei Ying stared at the grass in front of his eyes, his cheek pressed against the soft earth as Lan Zhan sank deeper and deeper. It was already too deep, how could it be still going deeper? He gasped wetly when Lan Zhan began to rock his hips back and forth, slowly at first, but with less restraint when the dragon realized Wei Ying was eagerly rocking his hips into each thrust.
"Ah, ah!" Wei Ying gasped, jolting when he felt Lan Zhan's cock shove against something that made pleasure burst inside him. Lan Zhan stilled for a moment, before the dragon began to thrust again, aiming ruthlessly for that spot. Wei Ying choked out pleas, gripping at the grass underneath him tightly. "M-mercy!" He begged, wailing when Lan Zhan only thrust harder. "Lan, ah, Zhan! Please!" He squealed, every word seeming to drive the dragon madder. Wei Ying sobbed out when his body overflowed with pleasure, his back arching. He seized up when sharp fangs pierced the back of his neck. He cried out, collapsing underneath the dragon as a flood of warmth filled him. His brain felt like water, sloshing around loudly between his ears as his vision cleared.
Would he get pregnant? Even if he's still an alpha? He thought about asking Lan Zhan, but his voice wouldn't come out. Wei Ying trembled, limp under Lan Zhan. The dragon nuzzled against him affectionately, Wei Ying relaxing at the gentle treatment.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whined once his voice had returned, "how am I supposed to return to the Cloud Recesses with you now? I can't walk!"
"I will carry Wei Ying in the morning," Lan Zhan replied, nuzzling his mating mark.
"In the morning?" Wei Ying whined, pouting at the dragon. Lan Zhan leaned back to look at Wei Ying directly.
"Newly mated couples spend the night together before returning in the morning."
"Mm? Yeah? Getting to know each other. Don't we know each other enough already?" Wei Ying asked, blinking when Lan Zhan's gaze sharpened with interest.
"I want to know more about Wei Ying. A lot more."
"Eh? Lan Zhan? What? Again!? Nooo!"
Lan Zhan did carry Wei Ying back to the Cloud Recesses the following morning, the newly mated pair forced to sit down and explain the situation to Lan Xichen while Lan Qiren recovered from nearly qi deviating at the sight of his favorite nephew carrying the heat-addled bane of his existence towards their ancestral hall.
Wei Ying didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed when Lan Xichen firmly suggested the pair spend the rest of Wei Ying's heat apart to prevent any early pregnancies. He quickly found out he was disappointed when he and Lan Zhan were forced to part after dinner. He looked at his mate with a small pout, blinking when Lan Zhan's gaze hardened with determination.
Later that evening Lan Zhan subtly escorted (read: snuck) Wei Ying into Jingshi past the guards, the pair spending the night together once again. The next morning Wei Ying woke to find his heat over, the rabbit happily joining his friends in the dining hall to celebrate the good news. Lan Zhan followed him around like a very smug ghost, and everyone quickly put two and two together as word spread that Lan Qiren had nearly qi deviated two days in a row upon learning his favorite nephew had gotten the bane of his existence pregnant out of wedlock.
All in all, it wasn't until several months later, after a lavish shotgun wedding, when Wei Ying felt their baby kick that he considered that maybe, just maybe , he might, in fact, actually be an omega.