Fated (Wangxian)

Ayuan and the Bunny

“H-Hanguang Jun?!” A sweet, excited, innocent, and childish voice echoed in the silent Jingshi as Little Ayuan entered hesitantly, pushing the door open with his small pudgy hands and cautiously peeking inside to see if his adoptive father was awake.

Sect Leader, Uncle Lan Xichen, told him that his baba was wounded.

Heavily wounded.

But he never told him why.

And Ayuan found it confusing.

His baba, Lan Wangji is one of the best cultivators in the cultivation world, he’s the second Jade of Gusu Lan Sect who was given the title of Hanguang Jun by elders when he… what did grandmaster Lan teach about this? …when Hanguang Jun did something very big! Mn!

Then if his baba is so great but still so gravely wounded, why didn’t anyone in the whole Cloud Recesses came to look after his baba even for once in the last three years?

Why hasn’t anyone besides Uncle Lan Xichen entered Jingshi to treat his baba’s wounds and talk to him?!

Why wasn’t he allowed to visit and see his baba in all these years?

Besides, what he heard from those older disciples, grandmaster Lan Qiren and a few senior female Lan disciples, who admire his baba, Ayuan doesn’t even remember what his baba looks like?!

Today was his sixth birthday. Ayuan knows he will be punished by the elders if they found him here in Jingshi so early in the morning but he didn’t want to spend another birthday without meeting his baba, Hanguang Jun. Just one day. Is that too much to ask? Because of unknown reasons, he has no memories of the time before three years. All he knows is being here, in Cloud Recesses, without his baba's company.

He’s being taught, fed, clothed and everything that others do but none of it is done by his baba. And he longs for it. Even when he doesn’t remember anything about his baba, he still craves to be with Hanguang Jun, spend time with his baba, and play with his baba, just like how other Lan disciples of his age live with their parents.

“Sizhui?!” A deep, calm, steady and slightly hoarse voice came from the inner chambers of Jingshi and before Ayuan could control his bubbling excitement, his small feet moved on their own and ran- walked quickly in the direction of the sound and chirped, “Hanguang Jun! It’s Ayuan! Lan Sizhui! I’m y-your son and today is my sixth birthday. I’m sorry to disturb you, Hanguang Jun. I-I only wanted to meet you today and Lan Sizhui will accept all his punishment, Hanguang Jun.” Ayuan rambled, bursting with nervousness, happiness, fear and excitement of meeting that one person to whom he is related, in this big Cloud Recesses, after years of waiting.

“Today... is your sixth birthday?” Lan Zhan asked in a deep sorrowful voice, golden eyes glistening with unshed tears as he looked into the deep hazel brown doe-like eyes of an adorable toddler, his Wei Ying’s Ayuan, whom he last saw three years ago, when…he failed his soulmate, failed to protect him, failed to stop him from leaving him and his Ayuan, alone.

It was then, he brought Little Ayuan, burning with fever, with him to Cloud Recesses, convinced the elders and just after performing the adoption formalities, he was separated from this little soul, slashed with 33 whips and had to stay in Jingshi, bedridden in seclusion, unable to look after the only remaining connection he had left with his Wei Ying.

“B-Baba?! Are you angry that Ayuan came here to meet you w-without permission? P-Please don’t cry. I…I’ll leave immediately, go to the ancestral and serve my punishment, Hanguang Jun. I’m sorry, Hanguang Jun!” Ayuan stuttered, feeling upset and shocked, watching his baba shedding tears with angry-looking eyes and a stoic face