The Tainted Jade of Gusu

Chapter 17: The Brothers Lan

It had already been decided with consent from Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, Wen Qing and Lan Qiren that the child would be explained as Lan Xichen and Wen Qing's child, and therefore, the future heir of Lan sect. Thus, Xichen had no need to explain himself about why he was seen carrying an infant around in his arms. Even Lan Wangji was labelled as a 'doting uncle', because the child seemed to spend more time in his arms than anyone else's.

However, Lan Xichen didn't want to raise the child on a foundation of lies. He felt guilty about letting the child call him 'dad', so he simply insisted the child should be taught to address him as Zewu Jun and Wangji as Hanguang Jun.

As it turned out, to a child that was beginning to speak, and called himself "Jinjin", these complicated epithets were too much for to learn. He depended on the next youngest Lan, Lan Yuan, to save him, and eventually learnt to address Lan Xichen as "Wuwu Jun." 

However, "Han Jun" was pretty out of little Jingyi's capacity as well, so after a few failed attempts, he plopped down amidst the gentian blossoms and started bawling his eyes out, crying,"Baba!"

Unlike the mild natured Lan Yuan, Lan Jingyi was the epitome of tantrums. Not only did the entire Cloud Recesses had to cave in to his demand of addressing Wangji as "Baba", but also, he absolutely refused to let go of Lan Wangji's robes whenever he was a little bit upset.

When it was time for Lan Yuan to be officially recognised as a Lan, and Lan Wangji, as his godfather, had been busy with the paperwork as well as the naming ceremony, putting Jingyi in custody of Wen Qing and Lan Xichen, Jingyi had been terribly upset and shouted himself hoarse.

Lan Xichen did not have any other option but to take the bawling baby and go around Cloud Recesses looking for Wangji.

"What a violent temper," the Lan disciples whispered among themselves, "did the other Lans wrong his parents or what?"

"Isn't that kid a little too attached to his Uncle?"

"He's just a kid," someone else commented, "let him be."

"Don't you think it's a little strange? He even calls Wangji Baba, when his father is the Sect Leader." The other Lan insisted.

However, they had not noticed when, following Lan Xichen and the bawling infant, they had appeared near the Orchid pavilion, where Lan Yuan had been kowtowing thrice before Lan Wangji, and Lan Wangji was fastening the forehead ribbon of the Lan clan on his forehead.

Their whispers reached Lan Wangji's ear and he turned a frigid glare to the two gossiping disciples. In fear of persecution, the two immediately made themselves scarce. 

The next step in the ceremony was supposed to be Lan Wangji giving a courtesy name to Lan Yuan. This was a step he had to do with Jingy clinging to his neck like a baby monkey.

"Sizhui," he named the child he had first run into the burial mounds, the child that reminded him of the days that hadn't plunged into hopelessness yet, "Lan Yuan, courtesy name, Sizhui. You may introduce yourself."

The little boy roused himself and bowed to Lan Wangji. Then, he turned towards the Lan family members and bowed, introducing himself as Lan Sizhui.

It takes a village to raise a child --- Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen learnt this the hard way while trying to figure out how to make sure Jingyi harmed no one, including himself in and around Cloud Recesses.

From trying to snack on Lan Wangji's forehead ribbon, to sneaking past the watchful eyes of the Lan disciples to create an inky mess in the library pavilion, there was hardly anything that Lan Jingyi hadn't done. The worst of them all probably was, stealing the carrots Lan Wangji had left in the feeding troughs of the rabbits and eating them, convincing Lan Sizhui to join in his venture. This was the time Lan Wangji realised it was time to let Lan Jingyi start his classes.