Happiness of eternity

13) Home

The next morning, Lan Wangji woke up to the most amazing scene in his whole life that he even forgot to breathe for a long while. And when he recalled the sweet time they spent together before they fell asleep in each other's embrace, his lips curved upwards into a satisfied smile.

For how long he yearned for this day to become reality? For how long he waited in agony to hold this precious treasure for one more time and never to let go again?

Even if they spent a handful of nights together in the past, he never felt as happy as he is right now because there will be no more separation. No matter what obstacle that came their way, nothing will succeed in separating them ever again. With their souls now bound together, merged into one, even if the sky collapsed and the heavenly law demanded, they will still be together through life and death as one.

"Morning, xingan..." The melodious voice of Luo Ying greeted his lover, almost purring in satisfaction when Lan Wangji's arms tightened around him, filling his heart with love and security.

"Mn. Morning, àirén*." Lan Wangji greeted back, successfully making Luo Ying blush crimson by his choice of words.

"A-Zhaaaan... Warn me before you say something like that!" He whinnied, pouting at his soul bond...which reminded him of something alarming.

"Lan Zhan! What time is it? It's surprising my brother's haven't burned cloud recesses down yet, not that I want them to but...this is NOT good!! What if they called everyone to come here to take me back? What if they informed Lord Yue and his son? What if they-"

"Calm down, àirén. Everything is settled already." Seeing how fast Luo Ying's happiness flipped into a full blown panic, Lan Wangji kissed him shut before speaking calmly.

"It is...?" After a moment of silence Luo Ying asked, his hope-filled eyes gazing up at WangJi.

"Mn." Lan Wangji confirmed confidently.

Luo Ying, "...how?"

Lan Wangji, "Wen Ning. He said that your ward did something to mess with everyone's memory so they would forget what they saw yesterday. Now no one remember anything that happened after you stepped inside the cloud recesses. He must be very powerful."

And for that, Luo Ying actually took some time to answer. But at the end, he couldn't help but agree with Lan Wangji of how powerful Wei Yang is, "Mn. He is. He is a ghost actually. He didn't tell me the exact reason but apparently he chose to descend as a ghost even after someone helped him to enter the cycle of reincarnation. He must have had a very strong reason to do so. Considering how powerful he is, he must be at the same level as Night-Touring Green Lantern, Qi Rong. But I didn't ask things that seemed too personal. He just decided to latch onto me since I was very little like he had a debt to me and I let him be because I found him to be extremely loyal. What a clingy boy..." Luo Ying chuckled fondly but soon stopped when he felt a sharp pain at his earlobe.

"Ow! Lan Zhan!! What are you biting me for? Are you a dog?!" He yelped in pain, trying to get away from Lan Wangji, only to fail miserably to no one's surprise.

"Not allowed." He tightened his grip along with his jaws and Luo Ying felt like his ear was about to tear in half!

"It hurts. It hurts, Lan Zhan... Stop it! Don't bite me anymore... I don't even know why you are so mad at me! We were fine just seconds ago..." With tear stained eyes Luo Ying begged and Lan Wangji loosened a little.

"Don't talk about others so fondly." He commanded in a domineering tone before licking the little blood that seeped out of Luo Ying's earlobe away. And it left Luo Ying stunned speechless for quite some time before he broke down into a roaring laughter.

"Haha... Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan... You never change. Haha... What a jealous lover you are..." Luo Ying teased and pecked the corner of Lan Wangji's mouth before adding tentatively, "Don't worry. I'm all yours. I won't look at another like I look at you and I won't let another look at me the way you do either. I love only you and only you can claim me, my lord."

"Mn. Mine." Lan Wangji growled, nuzzling his face against Luo Ying's bare chest which earned an airy giggle in return from the latter as he was tickled by Wangji's silky hair.

"I love you, Lan Zhan." After Wangji found the best position to rest in, Luo Ying murmured lovingly as he felt his eyes dropping again due to the tiredness he felt all over.

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The next time Luo Ying opened his eyes, it was because of the noises he heard from around him.

"Shh! Don't disturb him. Let him sleep more..."

"But A-Hua he-"

"Look! He's awake!"

"Mmh" Luo Ying moaned groggily, carefully stretching a little to avoid triggering his sore muscles before fluttering his eyes open. This time, it wasn't his beloved that greeted his vision. Instead what greeted him was a pair of awfully familiar purplish-grey orbs and a dazzling smile of a little boy.

"Good afternoon, a-niang!" The boy greeted cheerfully followed by two other greetings that came from behind him. Luo Ying blinked in confusion before the realization dawned upon him.

"My babies!" He jumped out of the bed in a lightning speed with that loud exclamation, almost scaring the triplets to the core. But he didn't seem to notice that as he scooped the three of them into a one tight embrace, repeatedly muttering apologies as if he was in some kind of a trance.

"My little bunnies... My treasure... My babies... Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive your mother for his incompetence. I'm sorry for leaving you. I promise that I won't do that again. I promise I won't leave you again. I'm sorry... Your niang loves you so much but I'm sorry I had to go... Please forgive me..."

"Niang... Niang, it's okay. We understand. We love you too..." Ruohua reassured her mother since the other two also seemed to be lost in their own worlds.

"I'm sorry..." Luo Ying apologized again, this time his tone shaking and barely audible.

"It's okay, niang. We-"

"Ma!"

"A-ninag!!" Before Ruohua could complete whatever she tried to say, her two eldest brothers' voices rang through the room and the next second, they too threw themselves at their mother, almost crushing the triplets along with their mother.

"A-Yu... A-Yuan...my ying'er..." Luo Ying's sobs became much louder and tears fell down from his eyes like an endless waterfall.

"We missed you, ma... We have so many things to share with you." Xuanyu murmured, nuzzling his nose against his mother's sweet scented hair and when he recognized the familiar scent, he almost burst into tears then and there. Though it currently carried a hint of sandalwood, their father's scent, Xuanyu easily recognized it as the same calming scent his mind registered when he met the elder for the first time; the fresh scent of newly blossomed lotuses.

"You smell like home, ma... I missed home." Xuanyu confessed emotionally, his tone filled with nothing but pure adoration and undeniable love towards his beloved mother.

"Mn. Missed home, a-niang. Welcome home." Confirming what his brother said, Shizui too snuggled closer to his mother, inhaling deeply to get his mother's scent as much as possible into his lungs like a starved beggar.

"I'm here now." Luo Ying promised, feeling extremely happy and content by finally being back with his family.

***

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Airén* - Lover/ beloved/ sweetheart or husband/ wife

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⭕ A/N ⭕

Luo Ying is still in his male form and as for how the triplets recognized him without a single trouble, it was the bond they shared between mother and children. They instinctively knew who's who because of that blood connection.