The Tainted Jade of Gusu

Chapter 16: Son of the Lightbearer Lord

"WuWu Jun," little Yuan was very excited about getting to see Lan Wangji again , "why did he shift to a different chamber?"

Lan Xichen, who was carrying Yuan in his arms, smiled softly.

"He's going for a closed door meditation," he tried to come up with a believable excuse, "but he's letting his closest people, like you, me and his Saozi visit him."

"I miss Han Jun," he hugged Lan Xichen's neck, "I like running through the gentian fields with him. I also like when Han Jun scoops me up. He smells like sandalwood."

"But A-Yuan," Lan Xichen smiled patiently, "didn't you play with him just yesterday evening?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Children." Lan Xichen shook his head, smiling.

"Who's a child?" Little Yuan pouted and held up four fingers in Lan Xichen's face, "I'm a grown up! I'm this many years old!"

"Alright, alright, my mistake, Lan Gongzi," Lan Xichen smiled, "but we're almost there. Remember to show courtesy to your Han Jun first."

"Do you know," Yuan giggled, "he lets me call him Diedie."

"That's nice," Lan Xichen smiled, "be nice to your Diedie."

"I ammm!" Yuan giggled, "I'm a good boy!"

"That is upto your Die Die to decide."

Lan Wangji opened the door to the chamber to find his elder brother carrying the enthusiastic little A-Yuan in his arms.

"Thank you," he said softly, "A-Yuan, would you like to come in?"

A-Yuan, without hesitation, extended both his arms, willing to shift into Lan Wangji's arms from Lan Xichen's.

"This child is really attached to Wangji," Lan Xichen smiled, "I must infer that Wangji's idea to rename him as a part of our family is a good choice."

"Mn," Lan Wangji acknowledged the words but didn't seem interested in speaking about it, "when will Xiongzhang be here to pick up A-Yuan."

"Don't worry about that," Lan Xichen smiled, "for now, he can stay with Wangji as much as he wants."

Between the still throbbing ache of the wounds on his back, and the drastic changes his body was undergoing that was more often than not making him uncomfortable, Lan Wangji ran a high risk of being afflicted by the melancholy of soul. He had also been in mourning, but for the time being, he had decided to grit his teeth and suppress the memories, so his excessive grief wouldn't pose a danger to his child.

Amidst all this, little Yuan seemed like a ray of sunlight. The way he threw his arms around Lan Wangji's neck and giggled and called him "Diedie", Lan Wangji couldn't help but feel a cozy warmth surging in his heart.

It had already been nightfall. Wangji's as well as little Yuan's dinner had been carried to the woodshed by Lan Xichen, and then carried to the chamber by Wen Qing.

Little Yuan continued speaking with food in his mouth, Lan Wangji gave him a gentle look and reminded him, "no talking with food in mouth."

After dinner time, Yuan had comfortably settled himself in Lan Wangji's lap and demanded stories.

Lan Wangji wasn't as good of a storyteller, so instead of stories, he offered to sing a song for Yuan, and the child happily accepted the offer.

The next morning, when Wen Qing tread inside the confinement chamber, she found little Yuan asleep peacefully like a kitten, curled up against Wangji's chest, and Wangji himself, who had been sitting in a semi-reclining position, had fallen asleep in that posture.