After an hour the door opened. Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng entered the room with grim faces. Wei Wuxian immediately tensed seeing their worried faces. But Lan Zhan's face brightened to see his older brother. "Big Brother", he exclaimed happily and jumped down from Wei Wuxian's lap and ran towards Lan Xichen.
Lan Xichen reached down and picked Lan Zhan and held him securely in his arms. So many emotions were seen on his face.
He was happy to see this happy bubbly miniature version of his brother, relief on seeing him fine but also worried because of the answer given by the prisoner.
"Wangji are you feeling fine? Did you sleep well?" Enquired Lan Xichen. He knew Wei Wuxian would look after him well, but he cannot stop himself from worrying for his brother's health.
"Yes big brother, I'm fine. Wei Ying played with me and we also ate food. Where were you? I missed you." Said Lan Zhan with a pout.
"Aah sorry Wangji, I had an important work, but it's finished now and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be with you, alright?" Said Xichen with a smile and booped Lan Zhan's cute nose.
Lan Zhan scrunched his nose and snuggled closer to his brother. Jiang Cheng moved to go near Wei Wuxian and hearing the noise Lan Zhan turned his head and when he saw him, he immediately ducked his head and peeked with one eye shyly.
Seeing this Jiang Cheng froze as he didn't know what to do. He was awkward enough around adults and even more hopeless with kids and this being Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng was in a dilemma whether to approach him or not.
Lan Xichen saw this, he slowly tilted Lan Zhan towards Jiang Cheng and asked him, " Do you know him?" "Mm Wei Ying's brother Jiang Wangyin".
Wei Wuxian smiled hearing this and his stomach fluttered because Lan Zhan called only him as his friend and Jiang Cheng as just Wei Ying's brother.
He thought he was feeling possessive and he was with the assumption that all this time only he thought Lan Zhan as his friend but now knowing Lan Zhan also thinks the same, he was very happy.
Jiang Cheng gave a smile and Lan Zhan waved back at him timidly. Then he gave a small yawn and pressed his face in the crook of his brother's neck and slowly his eyes closed and he fell back asleep because of the exertion and food.
Lan Xichen laid him on the bed and motioned Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng to move to another corner of the room.
They huddled together and Wei Wuxian immediately started firing questions like, "What did the rogue say? Did he accept to reverse the spell? Will Lan Zhan be okay? Why did you people take so long to come back? Will this have any lasting effect on Lan Zhan? Why are you not saying anything? Please tell what's happening?"
Jiang Cheng kept his hand on Wei Ying's mouth and shut him up. Lan Xichen couldn't help but smile seeing this. He said, "Please calm down Young Master Wei. To answer your questions, the rogue was not ready to say anything, then we had the village elders help us in interrogating him and only then he answered us.
He says this is a temporary spell and it will wear off in a week's time. The spell has not erased his memories completely but he has the understanding and emotions of his current age. So even if he remembers us, he may still behave like a kid.
He can't undo the spell before it's course is completed. That's what I'm worried about. He also said this does not have any long term effects and he cast this spell only to humiliate us. He said what the spell is and we checked with the elders and they said the same thing. That's why it took us this long."
"But how can we be sure, he only used the spell he told us about. He could have lied to us" exclaimed Wei Ying angrily and his face was contorted with worry.
"That's what we are worried about and that's why I think we should stay here for the next seven days, so that when the spell ends, if Lan Wangji is not back to normal, we can make the rogue to reverse it." Said Jiang Cheng and he looked at Xichen as if he had already told this repeatedly.
Lan Xichen looked thoughtful and he said, "But I'm not comfortable being this close to the rogue. What if he escapes or does something and hurt Wangji? I can't take that risk. I will not be able to bear if something happens to my didi."
Wei Wuxian wanted nothing more than to take Lan Zhan away from this whole disaster but he knew his brother was right.
They have to be here, so that they can kick the rogue if Lan Zhan doesn't become fine after seven days. But he also knew Lan Xichen's worries were legitimate.
He came to a conclusion and said, "Shall we compromise, we get a place to stay for the few days in this village but let it be a little far away from this place, so that we'll be here but still Lan Zhan will be well protected. Even I don't want to be here but we can't take any risks."
All of them agreed on this and turned towards Lan Zhan to see the cute boy curled around the pillow and his thumb was in his mouth.
All of them knew they would kill and be killed to protect this innocent child from harm, even Jiang Cheng because Lan Zhan is very important to his brother and he knows his brother will lose himself if something happens to his friend.
The other two ate their dinner and they prepared to sleep. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had their sleeping mats on the ground and Lan Xichen would share the bed with Lan Zhan.
All of them retired for sleep and Wei Ying sat near the soundly asleep Lan Zhan and caressed his forehead lightly and said goodnight in a low voice, so as to not disturb him.
Lan Zhan wiggled in his sleep and unconsciously leaned towards the warmth on his skin and his tiny hand moved to lay across Wei Ying's thigh, as if asking him to stay near.
Wei Ying's heart melted at that and he would have sat on the bed's edge the whole night if Jiang Cheng hadn't pulled him down to lay on the mattress.
Wei Wuxian reluctantly laid down and closed his eyes but sleep was evading him as his mind couldn't stop worrying about the situation, but somehow he fell into a restless sleep.
Hai friends, I know this chapter doesn't have much Lan Zhan, but I wanted to clear everything before focusing on baby Lan Zhan and his shenanigans. Please let me know what you feel.
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