❃ 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ❃

🔹𝕰𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖞 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖗🔹

Days passed into a week already. Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fitting into the Burial Mounds.

Wei Wuxian, despite all of his hardships and turnabouts, had indeed spent a majority of his life as the adoptive son of one of the most prestigious sects in all of the land. He had been privy to a lot of the pleasures and privileges that a high society family were entitled to; comfortable sleeping quarters, excellent training facilities, incredible learning opportunities...

...and delicious meals.

That was an aspect Wei Wuxian had rather foolishly underappreciated.

Food was food, after all. Anything aside from his Shijie's famous soup was just fuel to continue on with his day.

If it happened to be spicy he'd give it a second thought- but anything else? Forget about it...

Now, though...

Well, Wei Wuxian even longed for the devastatingly bland table spreads of Gusu Lan.

Wen Qing placed, another plate of turnips down in front of him with a huff, her lips twitched into a dreadful frown.

Wei Wuxian had told her just that once upon a time and he still had the scar to prove it.

"Wen Qing, I cannot eat all of these. Are you trying to get me fat so you could use me to needle experiments?"

"Nonsense, Wei Wuxian." Wen Qing scowled, "You are growing far too thin. Did you not want to protect us from the Kins? If you are dead, who is going to stop those sparkly Jin bastards from butchering us?"

There was a hidden worry there. Wei Wuxian knew. Worry for him- for his well being. Wen Qing was intimately aware of his uneaten meals, his bouts of sickness, his lethargy...

"You seem more than capable with just your acupuncture needles, Wen Qing." Wei Wuxian retorted, pushing the plate back toward her.

"Eat." Wen Qing glared, waving her hands placing the needles in between her fingers.

"Why do you have to be so fierce? See, I am eating, am I not?"

Wei Wuxian said, stuffing few cooked turnips into his mouth, "Let me give you a free advice," He continued, "Try to be a lot more gentle and kind. That way, you can soon find yourself a husband."

Just when he finished his words, Wen Qing gave him a pointed look and before he could even blink, Wen Qing had already pricked him with her needle.

"Wen Qing! Ah...."

"Shut up and eat." She spat.

"Xian-gege, Xian-gege!" A-yaun came running in.

"Hey, you are back. Come, let's have some turnips." Wei Wuxian scooped up the little boy and placed him on his lap, feeding him a bite.

"You give that child more than enough." Wen Qing snapped. It was obvious now that she was unrelenting in her goal. "I see how often you and Lan Wangji spoil him when you take him to the markets with you. He will grow to be a frivolous man if you continue."

Wei Wuxian just shrugged, smiling fondly at the memory of A-Yuan's face lighting up at the sight of all the colourful store vendors. "He has to grow up, Wen Qing." He said, stuffing more turnips into A-yaun.

"Rich-gege is here!" A'Yuan declared excitedly.

"A-yaun shouldn't run away while out." Lan Wangji said, coming behind them into the cave.

"Lan Zhan, I told you that I would come along. Hereafter let's go together to the market. Then this little bunny cannot tire you out."

"Mn."

"Lan Zhan, here." Wei Wuxian said, taking his spoon towards Lan Wangji for a bite.

"Wei Ying should eat. I have had my lunch." Lan Wangji refused.

"I am eating. Can you not see?" Wei Wuxian pouted.

"Wei Wuxian!" Wen Qing yelled from the side. "I brought this for you. Everyone had eaten except you!"

"I am not hungry though." Wei Wuxian fed A-yaun one more bite who ate happily. "How about -..." Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji, batting his eyelashes, a smug hand on his cheek. "...How about you feed it to me, Wen Qing."

He got a flying turnip thrown at his head as his answer and Wen Qing stormed out of the cave.

"Wei Ying shouldn't provoke Wen Qing everytime." Lan Wangji recited, taking a seat beside him.

"But its fun, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian pouted, feeding Lan Wangji a bite and then A-yaun.

Wei Wuxian saw so much of himself in A-Yuan... Left to fend for himself at such a young age. Dirty. Scrappy. Lonely...

If Jiang Fengmian hadn't found him when he had, Wei Wuxian had no doubt he would have been food for the starving street dogs.

He suppressed a shiver.

And so, Wei Wuxian was paying it forward. He was keeping A-Yuan safe in the place of his parents who were long gone at this point.

He hoped at the very least that it would make Uncle Jiang happy.

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji shook him, making him get back to his senses.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, here..." Wei Wuxian lifted the spoon but Lan Wangji took the spoon from him instead.

"Let me feed you." Saying so he did. Feeding both Wei Wuxian and A-yaun.

"Lan Zhan, It's good that A-yuan has us. It doesn't feel nice to be left alone at such a young age, untended."

"Mn. But Wei Ying should eat too."

"A-yaun needs more than I do."

Wen Yuan was the only living child amongst the Burial Mounds. He was like a ray of light against the gloom of it all. It was impossible to be cruel to him- especially after what he'd been through in such a short lifetime. There was enough pain there to cripple a seasoned war hero, let alone a child.

"...Still. You must eat your food."

Wei Wuxian swallowed. The mere thought of choking down anything at this hour sent his stomach into a flurry- let alone that anything being godforsaken turnips.

"I can't, Lan Zhan. I don't feel like eating. Mere thought of food makes me nauseous." Wei Wuxian said, wiping away A-yaun's mouth.

"Why?" Lan Wangji looked worried.

"I don't know," Wei Wuxian shrugged. "May be, may be I am pregnant too. Hahaha...." Wei Wuxian laughed out loud at his own joke.

Wen Yuan who was left out of the whole conversation, saw Wen Ning far outside the cave, digging the ground and with swift jump he yelled 'Ning ge' and ran off to him.

Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji watched A-yaun play with Wen Ning. Although Burial Mounds wasn't actually their home and though the Wen's weren't actually their family, it still felt as if they were home.

May be, Burial Mounds could be their home. Far away from the cultivation world and their ridiculous politics.