The Child of Demonic Cultivation

The Obstinate -22

WC: 1444

"Goddammit, how have people caught up to us already?" Wei Wuxian griped.

Lan Sizhui panted as he ran up to them with Lan Tian trailing not too far away.

"Han...Hanguang-jun, Wei-qianbei!"

Wei Wuxian popped his arms on the donkey's head. "Sizhui, my boy. I'm eloping with your clan's Hanguang-jun, What are you following us for? Aren't you scared of being yelled at by Lan-lao-xiansheng?"

Sizhui blushed. "Wei-qianbei, don't be like that . I...I only came because I have a very important question to ask!"

"And what's that?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"I remembered..." Lan Sizhui started.

Lan Tian took their final steps to be within ear shot of the group. "Dad! Wei Wuxian! I swear if you two leave me without a word one more fucking time."

"Lan Tian, I'm eloping with your father." Wei Wuxian smiled to the teen.

"About time, were you really going to do it without me?" They asked smiling back.

Lan Sizhui cut in, "Ah, Lan Tian! This concerns you too. I remembered some bits and pieces of my past, but I couldn't be sure, so...so I came to confirm them with Hanguang-jun and Wei-qianbei."

Lan Wangji looked at him, then looked at Wen Ning. Wen Ning nodded.

"What is it?" Wei Wuxian asked.

Lan Sizhui squared his shoulders, puffed out his chest, and drew in a deep breath.

"You call yourself an exellent cook, but everything you make burns both the eyes and the stomach."

Wei Wuxian was flabbergasted. "Huh?"

"You buried me in the radish patch and told me that sun and water would make me grow faster and taller. And that more kids would sprout and play with me," Lan Sizhui added.

Lan Tian hit the boy on his shoulder, "Is that why you buried me in the ground when I was seven and Dad wasn't watching!"

Wei Wuxian was speechless.

"You said you were going to treat Hanguang-jun to a meal, but in the end, you ran off without paying the bill," Lan Sizhui continued. "Hanguang-jun was still the one who paid."

"You...you..."

Wei Wuxian's eyes widened. He was on the verge of falling off the donkey.

"I remember the day you let me hold a small baby and told me to protect that child, to protect Lan Tian." Lan Sizhui stared squarly at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. "Maybe I was too young back then. There are a lot of things I don't fully remember. But I am absolutely certain...that I used to be surnamed Wen."

"Surnamed Wen?" Wei Wuxian's voice trembling. "Aren't you surnamed Lan? Lan Sizhui, Lan Yuan...Lan Yaun...Wen Yuan?"

Lan Sizhui nodded, his voice was also shaking. "Wei-qianbei, I...I'm...I'm A-Yan..."

Wei Wuxian had yet to wrap his head around it all. "A-Yuan..." he asked in a daze. "Didn't A-Yuan die? He wound up all alone on the Burial Mounds... and would that make you that Lan Tian...?"

"It's about time you two clued in." Lan Tian smiled, "Thank you for saving and taking care of me Wei Wuxian, you gave me a home where I could live and be happy. Even though you were a jerk to my Dad and kept him waiting so long, I guess I can forgive you, this time."

Wei Wuxian whipped his head around to face Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan..."

"That is what I never told you." Lan Wangji admitted. "But I didn't know they knew."