When Lan Xi Chen reached the courtyard, he found Wei Ying bent over a bucket with Yan Li holding his hair and rubbing his back while Lan Wang Ji tightly held onto his hand, fear evident in his eyes. Jiang Cheng just kept pacing and murmuring, "This was not a part of the plan. This was not a part of the plan."
"Can you just shut up?" snapped Wei Ying, taking a little break from throwing up his guts. Wang Ji wiped away the little vomit at the corner of Wei Ying's mouth causing the latter to stare at him with wide eyes. It was as if he had just realized Wang Ji's presence and his eyes shifted to their entwined hands.
He wanted to pull away but with how good it felt, he allowed himself to enjoy this momentary pleasure which did not last long as another wave of nausea hit him and he barfed into the bucket.
"Is he going to be okay?" asked Lan Xi Chen, making his presence known, only to be ignored.
Wei Ying sat back on his feet and closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing. When he opened them again, his vision was blurry.
"A-Xian?" asked Yan Li. "What's happening?"
"Help me up," he said, holding his arms out to no one in particular. Jiang Cheng and Wang Ji, each grabbed a hand and lifted him up.
Wang Ji finally asked the question that had been plaguing his mind. "What is wrong with him?"
"I don't see how this is any of your business!" snapped Jiang Cheng, glaring at Wang Ji. "This is all your fault!"
"Jiang Cheng," warned Wei Ying, as he swayed on his feet.
"A-Cheng, take A-Xian to the healer's room," said Yan Li. Jiang Cheng continued to glare at the younger Jade of Lan and she added, "Now!"
Jiang Cheng huffed but wrapped an arm around his brother's waist and escorted him to the clinic.
As Wang Ji made a move to follow, Yan Li stepped in front of him and with a polite smile, she said, "This is a family matter, Hanguangjun. We would like some privacy."
"He's family to me too!" exclaimed Wang Ji. "I don't know what is wrong with him but I am not going to leave him alone when he looks like-," he paused trying to think of a suitable word, "- that,' he said, pointing a finger at Wei Ying's retreating back.
The intensity with which he spoke caused Yan Li to stare at him softly.
"Why did you leave him then?" she asked.
"I did not! I did not leave him that day! He was gone when I returned to the room!" he spoke rapidly, the usual calm and control of the great Hanguangjun nowhere in sight. "Please believe me."
Yan Li sighed.
"Madam Jiang," approached Lan Xi Chen. "It seems to me that there has been a misunderstanding. As an older sibling myself, I understand how you feel and I am sure that all you want for your younger brother is to be happy. I want the same. I am requesting you to give Wang Ji the benefit of the doubt and give him a chance to set things straight."
"Please," begged Wang Ji and with an afterthought, he added, "Shijie."
Maybe it was Lan Xi Chen's charm that got through her or it was the sweetest way Wang Ji had called her 'Shijie' that made her nod completely flustered, as she led them towards the clinic.
When they entered the clinic, Wei Ying was lying on the bed, eyes closed.
"Is he sleeping or did he faint?" asked Yan Li with concern.
"He's sleeping. I guess," said Jiang Cheng. He glared at Wang Ji and snapped, "What is he doing here?"
"That's enough, A-Cheng," warned Yan Li. "Where's Healer Wang?"
"Right here," said Healer Wang, walking into the room. She paused to look at the unresponsive figure on the bed and frowned. "Is he sleeping or is he unconscious?" she asked, repeating Yan Li's question.
"Sleeping," replied Jiang Cheng.
Healer Wang moved towards her patient and checked his pulse. She pulled down his eyelid and checked the colour in his lower eyelids. She continued to poke and prod for another ten minutes. Almost everybody that knew Wei Ying, knew that he slept like the dead and so it did not come as a surprise to them when he didn't so much as flinch.
"I don't get it," Healer Wang said after poking and prodding and peering at him for a few minutes.
"What do you mean Healer?" Wang Ji asked, worried. "What is wrong with him?"
Healer Wang finally realized the presence of the two Lans in the room and she remembered Wei Ying's slip up. 'So he's the father, huh?' she thought staring at Wang Ji.
Healer Wang looked at Yan Li as if silently asking her if this was supposed to be a secret. After all she was a doctor and she had to follow her ethics.
Yan Li turned to the Lan brothers and sighed. "I didn't really want to do this. This was supposed to be A-Xian's decision but considering the situation right now, I think that you deserve to know." She paused and looked at them. Wang Ji looked really nervous. Almost scared to hear what she had to say. Lan Xi Chen on the other hand was as cool as a cucumber. He just smiled at her encouragingly. "A-Xian is pregnant. He's going to have a baby," she said, dropping the bombshell.
Lan Wang felt his knees give away as he collapsed on the floor while Xi Chen and Yan Li both tried to grab him. Whether it was in shock or happiness or sadness, no one knew. His face was blank and as white as a sheet. They decided to give him a few minutes to process the news and Lan Xi Chen sat next to his brother, trying to process the fact that he was going to have a nephew or a niece.
Healer Wang turned to her shelves searching for a particular book while at the same time giving the kids privacy.
"Wang Ji. Say something," Xi Chen said after minutes of silence. "This is good news. Right?" he asked, just to make sure.
Wang Ji finally looked at his brother and with tear filled eyes, whispered, "I thought that I was going through a hard time, Xiongzhang. But if he has to look like that, I can't even imagine how he's been. I came here with the intention of sweeping him off his feet but it feels like somebody pulled the rug out from under my feet."
"Wang Ji," began Yan Li and then stopped, thinking if it was improper. "Can I call you that?" she asked him as she settled next to him. When he nodded, she continued. "I know that this news is a huge surprise. Trust me, even we were taken aback. And it definitely hasn't been easy on him. Or any one of us, for that matter. But all we can do is be there for him. He may not say it out loud but he needs you the most right now. Can you be there for him, Wang Ji?"
He nodded. "I am never leaving him alone ever again, Shijie," he said with conviction.
"Found it!" said Healer Wang to herself, victoriously. "Why didn't I ever think of it?!"
Yan Li cleared her throat, trying to gain the healer's attention.
"Ah yes," she said, as if remembering their presence. "As you already know, this case is pretty unique and it's not like we have a lot of information on how to handle this. So I have been wondering why this pregnancy has been taking so much from Wei Wuxian. Instead of getting better, he's been getting weaker by the day," she paused to stare at the four pairs of attentive eyes. "Wei Wu Xian's golden core was on the way to recovery. But compared to strong cultivators, he was nowhere near. And when he got pregnant, the child started living off on his energy which is already pretty weak-,"
"But that's what happens even in a normal pregnancy right?" interrupted Yan Li.
"Yes, it does, Yan Li. But everybody has a golden core. Some cultivate it whereas some don't. Your brother is reforming his golden core from scratch and it was already pretty weak," she said.
"So what you mean is," began Jiang Cheng, "that Wei Wuxian is like a poor man sharing his food with another poor man?"
"More or less," replied Healer Wang. "But it still made no sense to me as to why he has become so weak that he keeps having fainting spells. And he's lost so much weight. It didn't seem normal until I found this," she said, holding up the book. "I think that he's having twins."
While Yan Li and Xi Chen exchanged looks of excitement, Wang Ji continued to stare at his beloved, his eyes swimming with tears and so many emotions. He picked out happiness and worry from the horde of emotions that he was feeling.
"So what does that mean for him?" asked Wang Ji. "Will he get better?"
"I hope he does," she replied as sympathetically as she could.
"Is there anything that we can do to help?" asked Lan Xi Chen.
"As a matter of fact, you can," she said. "Take turns transferring some of your energy to him. Don't transfer more than you can give." The last sentence was directed towards Lan Wang Ji. "Lan Gongzi, he'll need you to be strong right now. So don't do anything that will put you in a difficult position. You and your brother and Jiang Cheng can figure something out and transfer some energy to him at least twice a day until the babies get stronger and stop depending on his."
Seeing the concerned look on Wang Ji's face, she sighed. "He'll be okay, Lan Gongzi. Don't worry so much! I have known that child since he was young and he's one stubborn mule! He won't go down that easily," she exclaimed causing everyone to laugh. Even Wang Ji cracked a smile, nodding. "By the way, what happened to the Discussion conference?"
"Oh fuck!" Jiang Cheng cried out. "Why do I keep forgetting about it?!"
"Okay, let's do this," began Yan Li. "Jiang Cheng and Zewujun, please return to the conference as both of you will be needed there. Wang Ji and I will be staying here."
Lan Xi Chen didn't want to go. But he knew that he had no other option. As the Chief Cultivator, it was his duty to overlook the Conference. He nodded and with a resigned sigh left the room with Jiang Cheng.
"Let Wei Wu Xian sleep," started Healer Wang. "Meanwhile Lan Gongzi, you should transfer some energy to him. I'll be in my room if you need anything. Please feel free to make yourself at home," and with that she walked out.
The room fell silent as Wang Ji and Yan Li both stared at their loved one.
"How did this happen?" he asked.
Yan Li recounted the explanation given to them by the Healer. "Where is that Lantern now?" she asked.
"Safely tucked away in the Cloud Recesses library," Wang Ji replied, moving towards the bed. He just wanted to be close to his Wei Ying. He sat on the floor, next to the bed and concentrated on transferring his energy to Wei Ying while Yan Li silently watched from the side.
Once he was done, he sat against the bed and stared at his hand. He felt as lost as the day Wei Ying had died.
"I already know the answer to this, Wang Ji, but I still have to ask. Do you love him?" she asked nervously.
"I do, Shijie," he replied sincerely.
"Are you happy with the news?" she prodded.
"The fact that I am going to have a child – two children – with Wei Ying, makes me extremely happy but looking at him lying like this," he paused to stare at Wei Ying, "it's too much for my heart to handle."
"I can understand. He was devastated when he returned from Yi City," she stopped seeing the look of guilt on his face, "I am not blaming you, Wang Ji. A-Xian may be smart when dealing with ghosts and what nots. But in matters of the heart, he is not the brightest lamp in the box." Wang Ji let out a short chuckle, shocking Yan Li. In just one day, she had seen so many expressions on the otherwise inexpressive face of Lan Wang Ji. "Don't worry too much. You'll do great."
He nodded gratefully. Speaking to her, took some of his worries off his shoulders. He could finally see why Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng held her in such high regards. She was priceless and they were all lucky to have her in their life.
"I'll go get you some food, Wang Ji," said Yan Li, getting up.
"Shijie!" he called out causing her to stop and give him a questioning look. She really liked it whenever he called her 'Shijie'. "Thank you for trusting me. It really means a lot."
"I just want him to be happy," she smiled at her sleeping brother. "And you make him happy," she said, walking out of the room.
Wang Ji continued to stare at the man that had been plaguing his mind since forever. He leaned over his sleeping form and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. His wandering gaze stopped at Wei Ying's abdomen where he observed a very tiny bump. If his calculations were right, Wei Ying should have been almost four months along.
He placed a trembling hand on the small bump and felt the taut skin underneath. He still couldn't believe that he was going to have a baby. Two babies. With Wei Ying. It was all just too surreal.
But the thought of two little ones raising hell in Cloud Recesses, brought a smile to his face. Oh! His uncle was definitely going to have a Qi Deviation when he finds out that the bane of his existence was pregnant with his grandchildren.