Hui Gai transported back to the infirmary where Wei Ying was holding onto Li XiWang. He gave him a questioning look, and Hui Gai nodded, watching the bodies of Li XiWang's parents begin to stir.
Hui Gai looked around to see Rumi holding SiZhui's hand, also watching what was going on. The little boy was fitting in well in Cloud Recesses, but he still got odd looks now and again.
Uncle Qiren had taken over tutoring him entirely on his own, which had surprised both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, but they seemed to get on very well.
Uncle Qiren had said many times before, that Rumi was an exceptionally clever child, and many times, he would only have to explain something once and Rumi would have understood the concept from theory to execution all by himself.
He was still scared of water, but he managed to navigate his way around the bland menus of the Lan Clan quite well, and so what if Wei Ying had to share his chilli oil? Wei Ying was working on a talisman to help Rumi avoid the effects of water, however luckily, they weren't quite sure what it did so far. Wei Ying was reluctant to experiment in case it was far more harmful than he suspected.
Tiaopi De Long sat up, blinking. He saw Zai Shu Xia first, looking at their joined hands first, and he smiled. He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing the delicate skin of her knuckles just as she opened her eyes and saw him. She let out a small cry and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing softly.
The Dragon King held her close, his own eyes a little wetter than normal.
"Are we really free?" She asked him, her body still trembling.
"Yes, and my love, these are our benefactors." Tiaopi De Long smiled at Hui Gai first, and climbed out of his bed. He held out his hand for Zai Shu Xia to take, helping her to stand next to him.
Then he bowed deeply, and once she saw what he was doing, she mirrored his actions.
"Er...no need..." Hui Gai quickly said, grimacing.
Wei Ying also stood up, holding Li XiWang tightly.
"Let's go say hello, shall we?"
She looked uncertainly at him.
"We're right here, little rabbit." Wei Ying reassured her.
Lan Zhan stroked her hair, a small smile on his face.
"Mn. Right here."
Li XiWang tried for a smile herself, but it was difficult. Her parents - not the ones currently holding her hands, one on each side - but the biological ones opposite them, who were looking at her with the first sparks of joy in their expectant eyes.
Cautiously, she stepped forward with Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, and they all three bowed in greeting. Hui Gai stood in between everyone, and introduced them.
"This is my good friend, Wei WuXian, Wei Ying, and his husband, Lan Wangji, Lan Zhan. This is their daughter, Li XiWang." He emphasised the "their" on purpose, and Wei Ying threw him a disapproving look, and he shrugged not so innocently.
"I believe you used to call her Yinghua." Wei Ying told them, giving her hand a squeeze.
Zai Shu Xia came forward, smiling through her still falling tears, and crouched down in front of her.
"Can you ever forgive me? Letting you go was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, and...and..." She had grabbed Li XiWang's hand in hers, and was now unable to go on, overcome with her many emotions.
Tiaopi De Long came and crouched next to her, one arm around her shoulders. Her sparrow familiar was sitting in the corner until now, but it swooped down and sat on her shoulder now, chirping noisily.
Li XiWang put her fears aside and hugged her mother.
"I never blamed you. My gramps was the best, my mother and father rolled into one, and when I met my fathers, it was the start of a new life."
But when the Dragon King put his arms around them, the moment he touched her, a faint breeze blew her white lock of hair out of her ponytail, as her eyes took on that silvery white colour, and she stared at her parents.
"What happened?" Zai Shu Xia was completely mystified.
"In my past life, you knew me as Bai Hua. I was killed shortly after you left my home, and I was reborn as your daughter, Li XiWang. Before I died, I collected many things and made notes, trying to prepare ourselves for your rescue. I am still here, in dormant form until my new body comes of age. But as my friends, both loved and missed from that past life, I am honoured to meet you again in this new one." Li XiWang bowed again.
Wei Ying was ready to catch her, when Bai Hua finished speaking with them. He glanced at their faces, high were a mixture of fear and shock, followed by grief.
"We didn't know she had died." Zai Shu Xia whispered, going pale.
"Or that she had somehow managed to come back as our daughter, and not only that, but that she was preparing a way to save us. It is truly a miracle." The Dragon King said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Indeed." Wei Ying replied, softly. He stared at the beautiful face of his daughter lying in his arms. "The duality of her personality is something which will have to be addressed later. At the moment, all you have to remember, is that she is only a ten year old. It's a terribly confusing time for her."
"How does she cope with it all? She's only a child!" Her mother exclaimed, one hand covering her open mouth.
"When she wakes up, she has no idea what has happened. Her mind protects her, much like you did when you refused to wake up, but we have asked Bai Hua to hold off merging their consciousness for now. She is going to wait until Li XiWang is at least eighteen." Wei Ying explained, just as her eyes flickered open.
At the same time, a messenger arrived. He whispered something to Lan Zhan, and then bowed, before leaving.
Wei Ying looked at him, just in case it was important.
"Daden Yaonu and Daden De Long are at the gates of Cloud Recesses, wanting to come inside and meet their brother." Lan Zhan said.
"I suppose we're going to have to message the Flowers of Venus too, while we're at it." Wei Ying said, smiling. "Cloud Recesses is going to be a busy place again...for a while."