Previously...
"A-yuan.....How did you know that I was your Papa?"
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As soon as those words left his mouth, all the hairs on his body just stood up straight. What was he thinking? Asking a little boy a question like that, what if he ratted him out to Wei Ying?
Meanwhile, A-yuan was looking at his papa in confusion. A three-year-old boy was just asked how he knew his papa was his papa.
"A-yuan, do you not know? How did A-yuan find Papa when we were in Lotus Pier?" Lan Zhan held his breath. Determined to know what the reason is, he threw away all manners of reserve.
Bringing his hand up to his forehead, scratching his scalp, it looked like A-yuan was really struggling to recall how he knew. What was it? How did he know Lan Zhan was his papa?
Further contemplating lead to low squirming noises, Lan Zhan looked at this little boy as if he was about to burst into tears.
"...Did Mama tell you?" Unable to look at A-yuan directly, Lan Zhan tried to calm his mind by looking over at a painting of a scenic mountain hill with a waterfall, hoping the painting will distract him.
Humming a few more seconds, like a strike of lighting, a bolt of memory jogged through A-yuan's little mind.
"Ah! I remember! Papa is Papa because Mama tells A-yuan bedtime stories of all the hero things that Papa does! I wanna be like Papa one day!" The excitement in A-yuan's voice, along with the sparkling shine in his eyes, Lan Zhan finally felt calm and happy, this little boy definitely has his mama's personality.
Before talking any further, Lan Zhan tucked A-yuan into bed, its past 9 pm now, must go to sleep now.
"Papa, goodnight!" A-yuan shut his eyes, ready to rest after such an exhausting day.
"Mn. Goodnight, A-yuan." Lan Zhan is now physically and mentally exhausted. After everything that has happened, he never expected such an outcome as this. If Lan Zhan could accompany Wei Ying and A-yuan for his whole life, what a wonderful life that must be.
Unknownst to both Lan Zhan and A-yuan, Wei Ying was standing just on the opposite side of the door, in his hand, the spare blankets that his granny wanted him to bring to Lan Zhan and A-yuan. After his study lesson with grandmaster Baoshan Sanren, he made sure to deliver the extra blankets. Yiling is quite cold at night. Just as his fingers lifted to knock the door, he heard Lan Zhan talk.
"A-yuan,.....How did you know that I was your Papa?"
Ahhh wait what! Lan Zhan! You can't just ask this so casually! That does no good for my heart!
Wei Ying shamelessly stayed for a little longer and eavesdropped.
"A-yuan! Don't tell Lan Zhan!! Ahh!!" Wei Ying listened as A-yuan told Lan Zhan everything, now here he is, just standing, completely embarrassed now and probably exposed.
Ugh, Lan Zhan probably knows! What if he wants to avoid me from now on! Sighhhh, there goes my chance...
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"Wei Ying? Is that you?" A noise coming out from the end of the hallway. A figure carrying a lantern slowly approaches, the small light revealing Jiang Yanli.
"Shijie, wh-what brings you here?" Wei Ying stuttered as he tries to compose himself from the embarrassment that he was just witnessed in.
Shijie giggled softly,
"I came to look for the spare blankets. Yiling has gotten pretty cold at night."
Quickly handing the blanket in his arms to his shijie's, Wei Ying was prepared to walk away quickly in shame.
"Wait A-Xian, what's wrong?" Her didi never usually acts like this, something must be going on.
"Let's go to my room, we can talk privately in there."
Leading the way, one arm carrying the blanket whilst the other hand is taking hold of her didi's hand, Yanli pulls Wei Ying into her room and sits him down on one of her chairs next to the table in the center of the guest room.
"Now, A-xian, is there something wrong?" Her voice soft yet firm, Wei Ying already knew that his Shijie was determined to know.
"Shijie....why does one person fall in love with another person?"
"Oh, seems like our A-xian has grown up! He's beginning to ask some big boy questions." Yanli giggled and pinched the tip of Wei Ying's nose, earning her a small giggle from Wei Ying as well.
"Shijie, XianXian is three years old this year!" The soft whining continued.
"Hmm, well does XianXian have someone that they like?" Yanli follows up but suddenly gets cut off by Wei Ying.
"Ah no no no no, I'm just saying.....you don't have to like that person THAT much. Wouldn't it be like sticking out your neck willingly for them to strangle you?"
Looking at her didi and his weird metaphor, she slowly shook her head.
"Looks like three years old is too old, more like one year old." Yanli joked.
"Mhhmm, Xianxian is three years old." Wei Ying held three fingers up, trying to win his little argument with his shijie.
In a calmer tone, Yanli lifts her hands and starts patting and soothing Wei Ying's hair.
"When a person likes another person, it is because that person has moved their heart. Whether it is caring and being affectionate, or sacrificing their life for them, they like that person because no one else has made them move their heart as much as anyone else."
In such simple words, Wei Ying was able to understand what his shijie meant.
After thinking for a short minute, Wei Ying spoke up again.
"But shijie, what if that person doesn't feel the same?" The sound of curiosity and fear crept up on Wei Ying.
"Hmm, well, I don't think XianXian has to worry about that. You move each and everyone's heart, so all will like XianXian." Shijie placed her hands on her lap and Wei Ying leaned forward and rest his head on her lap.
"Mm Shijie..." Wei Ying was constantly teased by his Shijie.
"Don't worry too much XianXian, Lan Er-Gongzi definitely doesn't hate you. See how much he has taken care of you and A-yuan."
The absolute shock has jolted Wei Ying, raising his head from the resting place of his dear Shijie's lap, now in utter surprise at his Shijie's last sentence.
"Shijie! You knew!?" Wei Ying pointed at her whilst his other hand had covered his mouth.
"XianXian, Shijie has seen how you are with Lan Er-Gongzi, Shijie knows and you'll be fine." Yanli grabs the hand that was pointing at her just now and just softly strokes his palm to calm Wei Ying down. This amount of shock in one night is really not good for Wei Ying's heart.
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After the first day of staying at Baoshan Sanren's home, the following days of their stay was... let's just say eventful. In the day, the group would explore the area around, A-yuan got to play with the dirt in the garden. It was much softer and Great-Granny Baobao said that A-yuan can grow many more kids to play with him. Poor A-yuan, Shijie had to pull him out and clean him up, only after some promises of pet rabbits and maybe a donkey did he finally willingly get out of the dirt. Whilst Jiang Yanli happily settled A-yuan down for his afternoon nap, Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Lan Wangji were all studying the teachings of Baoshan Sanren. This rare opportunity that none have had the chance to come upon even if it is was once in a lifetime. In the night time, Wei Ying had to further continue his training with Baoshan Sanren. Her observation of the silver core must be further researched for all the possibilities that it could have.
Sadly, for a sect leader, one must not forget their responsibilities. A week after staying at Yiling Mountain, Jiang Cheng received a lotus note from his sect saying that young master Jin has arrived in Yunmeng and is currently waiting for his return at one of the inns.
At the mention of young master Jin, Jiang Yanli's slight blush quickly exposes her and her two little brothers look at each other in annoyance.
"Ugh, this golden peacock just suddenly arrived and didn't bother to make a notice? Does he think he can buy my time or something?" Wei Ying was significantly annoyed, with no shame or pride in himself to hide his irritation.
"Stupid master, he is going to be your brother-in-law. You should at least start showing some sort of respect, he protected your Shijie during the Sunshot campaign. Who else could've done that!" Suiban chimed in during his master's little tantrum, what did he do in his past life before becoming a sword spirit to deserve a 3-year-old master.
"Suibian! You haven't spoken in so long but only when I mention the golden peacock, you suddenly start talking huh!?" Wei Ying wasn't finished with his tantrum.
"Wei Wuxian! Have you finally lost your mind? Why are you yelling at your sword!?" Jiang Cheng was slightly less annoyed, he found that years of experience of pent up anger was easily dispersed when he had taken it out on his brother.
Looking at the confused/Jiang cheng's eye-roll reaction, it seems to have slipped his mind that he hadn't told his family about his silver core ability to talk to his sword's spirit.
"Actually, I haven't told you guys this yet, but I can talk to my sword's spirit."