sakura petals ; mo dao zu shi **HIATUS**

016. spicing things up

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At Lanling, Lan Xichen felt a shiver go down his spine like something bad was going to happen to him. He shook it off and smiled, sipping his tea. 

In the back of his head, his braincells were panicking. 'I hope Yīnghuā won't hold it against me.. I tried to finish all that paperwork before I left but.. I got sidetracked.. and now..' He stiffened slightly at the thought of his wife punching him. 

"Is something wrong, brother?" Jin Guangyao asked, noticing his brothers stiffness. Lan Xichen smiled. "Its nothing.. I just remember I forgot to do something before I left." 

"Ah, I hope I didn't case any trouble." 

Lan Xichen shook his head. "You did nothing. It all falls on me. I hope my wife won't be too mad." 

"Ah, how is Madam Lan? and the kids." 

"They are great, she has raised them well. And they are doing fine. They really are learning quickly." 

Guangyao smiled. "You also had a part in raising them. I'm sure you both raised them very well. I expect them both to grow up and be great cultivators." 

Lan Xichen smiled and took another sip of his tea. "I'm sure they will and I can't wait to see them when they do." 

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However, after it had been carried out, Lan Jingyi only had one mouthful before spitting it out. "What is this? Poison?!" He coughed. 

"How is this poison? It's the cure! Glutinous rice congee." Wei Wuxian scoffed. 

"First of all, I don't know know why glutinous rice would be the cure, but I've never eaten such a spicy bowl of congee before!" Lan Jingyi sassed. 

The rest of the boys who had taste their servings nodded in unison, all of their eyes wet with tears. Wei Wuxian stroked his chin. He grew up in Yunmeng. People from Yunmeng were all quite spice tolerant, but Wei Wuxian's penchant for spice was beyond hardcore. Anytime he set about the kitchen, the food would be so spicy that even Jiang Cheng could only smash his bowl and curse. Yet, for some reason, he just couldn't hold back from adding spoonful after spoonful of seasoning. It seemed that, this time, he wasn't able to control his hands either. Out of curiosity, Lan Sizhui picked up the bowl and tried a mouthful. Even as his face flushed red and his eyes teared up, he pursed his lips and refrained from spitting it out, thinking to himself, 'The taste... is so scary that it almost brings about a sense of deja vu.'

"All medicine is poisonous to some degree. The spice will make you sweat so that you get better sooner." Wei Wuxian stated. 

Lan Liang was not poisoned but he to was curious and picked up a bowl for himself and tried it. Everyone watched him do so, all waiting to see his reaction. His cheeks flushed only slightly, to the point where if they weren't all looking closely at him they would have missed it. He eat the whole bowl in one gulp. He set the bowl down and turned to Wei Wuxian. "Oh wow! Thats really good!" He smiled. "Its just like how my mom makes it! Except.." He paused, rubbing the back of his head. "She makes it a lot more spicy. A-Me doesn't enjoy it but I quite like it. Maybe add 20 more spoonfuls?"