San-yi returned to check on Wen Yuan. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in a simple style. Wisps of grey had sprung free contrasting with inky dark eyes that seemed to be common among the Dafan Wens. She spent a few minutes quietly examining Wen Yuan. Apparently satisfied with his condition, she turned to the trio on the other bed.
"How sound of a sleeper is your partner?" San-yi inquired. There was a brusqueness to her tone that reminded Lan Wangji of Wen Qing, but the voice was much softer than Wen Qing's. Lan Wangji considered this question carefully.
"Wei Ying is difficult to wake at most times." Lan Wangji stated. He paused but tentatively added, "Wei Ying sometimes suffers from nightmares during which he does not respond well to being touched by strangers." Actually Wei Wuxian did not respond well to being touched by most people during such times, but what Lan Wangji said out loud was still truthful.
"I want to treat the swelling on Nuan-er's face. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to startle your partner awake by doing so." San-yi stated calmly.
She approached the bed and glanced at Lan Wangji before proceeding. Lan Wangji appreciated that immensely, even if he did not understand why she did it. He had no claim on Wen Nuan. This woman was most likely related to Wen Nuan in some fashion. In theory she had more of a claim to Wen Nuan than Lan Wangji or Wei Wuxian did.
Lan Wangji nodded, and only then did San-yi carefully reach between Wen Nuan and Wei Wuxian to wrap her fingers gently around Wen Nuan's wrist. San-yi closed her eyes in concentration. Neither of the sleeping figures so much as stirred. When San-yi pulled her hand back she sighed with something a bit like relief. San-yi prepared a cold compress and very carefully held it against the worst of the swelling on Wen Nuan's face. Silence enfolded them, punctuated by the sounds of sloshing water whenever San-yi returned the cloth to the water.
"You're Lan Wangji aren't you?" The older woman inquired.
Lan Wangji was surprised to hear someone he did not know calling him by name. Even more so because he did not recall introducing himself at any point during this chaotic day. The surprise must have been more evident than Lan Wangji's thought it was because San-yi chuckled quietly before shaking her head at him.
"A-Qing talked about you after her study at Cloud Recesses was finished. She was not wrong when she said that you were not very expressive, but she also said you were very caring. I've seen how you were looking at your partner and our Nuan-er. Which means this young man must be the A-Ying that A-Qing spoke so highly of." San-yi said with a fond smile.
Lan Wangji knew that Wei Wuxian was family to Wen Qing. She made it very clear that Wei Wuxian was her didi. Wei Wuxian meant a lot to her, and she worried about him. Lan Wangji was also aware that Wen Qing had long since accepted that it was only a matter of time before Lan Wangji would also be her didi. However, it still felt strange to think about Wen Qing speaking to her extended family about them.
"A-Qing's a good girl. She carries a burden that never should have been hers. It makes her cautious to the point of being distrustful of just about everyone she meets. So your partner must be something special to have gained her confidence so completely." A small smile spread across San-yi's face. "Perhaps Naun-er saw the same thing. I haven't seen her latch on to someone like this in such a long time." San-yi said quietly.
The sloshing of water filled the silence as San-yi wrung out the extra water before placing the cool cloth on Wen Nuan's swollen cheek. San-yi's gaze was fond, but suffused with a sadness that seemed to have long since taken root.
"Did you know that our village was once where all medical cultivators in the QishanWen sect trained?" The older woman inquired softly. "Anyone who wanted to study medicine would study here. Even those with no cultivation would study. Much can be done without spiritual energy, even if it does create some limitations."
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Backlash Part 1
FanfictionAt the moment of his death, Wei Wuxian is sent back in time. He wakes up in the Cold Spring of Cloud Recesses during the time when he was there to study. Traumatized and exhausted Wei Wuxian attempts to end his life, only to be stopped by Lan Wang...
