Backlash Part 1

Chapter 196: A-Die and Baba

Lan Wangji tried not to be nervous. Many people believed that he did not get nervous. They were wrong. Lan Wangji simply did not express it in a way they understood. Wei Wuxian had become increasingly adept at reading when Lan Wangji was nervous. Most of the time Lan Wangji was grateful for that, but today Lan Wangji desperately wanted to conceal it.

Wei Wuxian was still recovering. His visible wounds were trivial by now. Mostly healed, or healed enough that they could mostly be ignored. Using the Yin Hufu so much had been taxing. Wei Wuxian was recovering from the damage it had done, but the effects were still present.

Wei Wuxian grows tired easily. He struggled to calm himself. Falling more easily into spirals that had previously become rare. Wei Wuxian had had at least two panic attacks that they could not find a particular trigger for. Seeming to be the result of Wei Wuxian's strained mind and body.

Lan Wangji was trying his best to not create any additional strain. Lan Wangji's anxiety has no actionable steps at this time. They are as prepared as they can be for A-Yuan and Nuan-er. Wei Wuxian thinks A-Yuan will be fine. He thinks A-Yuan's distress was mostly a response to Nuan-er's distress. As though it was some kind of sign that things were wrong.

It was not right that they had to leave A-Yuan and Nuan-er. Lan Wangji cannot say that A-Yuan is incorrect in this assumption. Nuan-er's reaction absolutely made sense. Especially given her experiences thus far. Lan Wangji is worried how she had been doing since they left. He wonders if she will forgive them for leaving. Wei Wuxian is worried about the same things and all they can do at the moment is wait.

Lan Wangji is good at waiting. He has waited a long time. Sometimes for things that never happened. His ability to wait does not mean that he feels calm, or content. He very much wishes that Nuan-er and A-Yuan were already here. He wants the chance to apologize for having to leave them. He wants the chance to see if they will accept that apology. Lan Wangji desperately hopes that they will.

Wei Wuxian immediately perks up when he hears a knock on the door. Jiang Yanli is the first one to enter. She makes it about half way into the room before Wei Wuxian is up and launching himself across the room to greet her. Lan Wangji vaguely registers the sounds of them speaking as he watches San-yi enter with A-Yuan in her arms.

A-Yuan blinks sleepily at them, but upon seeing them he begins fussing in San-yi's arms. Lan Wangji does not think before he steps forward. San-yi transferred A-Yuan to his arms easily, and Lan Wangji marveled for a moment at how well A-Yuan seemed to fit. One tiny hand grabbed onto Lan Wangji's hair. A-Yuan must be tired from traveling because he barely babbles before he is settling against Lan Wangji like he plans to sleep there. Lan Wangji thinks he might let A-Yuan sleep in his arms all day regardless of how impractical that would be.

Nuan-er stood awkwardly behind the two adults. Not like she was hiding behind them. More like she was compromising. A compromise between staying near her didi and wanting to stay away from everyone else. Lan Wangji felt himself struggle with how to form words. What to say to fix this. How to shorten the distance between Nuan-er and them.

Wei Wuxian of course reacted before Lan Wangji did. Wei Wuxian knelt on the ground, lowering himself so he could be on her level. Nuan-er frowned harder, chewing her lip without saying anything.

"Nuan-er. We really missed you." Wei Wuxian said softly. Nuan-er's head shot up as though surprised. Her mouth opened in a shocked 'O' before she quickly closed it to scowl skeptically.

"You left." Nuan-er stated after fidgeting in place for a bit. Her eyes occasionally darted up to where A-Yuan was held in Lan Wangji's arms, but then quickly darted back down to evade Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's eyes.