Wei Ying is still yawning when Lan Qiren, Lan Huan, and Xue Yang come over to the guest house in the morning. They eat breakfast as a family, and Cangse Sanren is just as loud as ever, kissing all the children goodbye when it's time to leave.
"Baba, should I wear my headband?" Xue Yang asks Lan Qiren by the door.
"Yes. You may take it off afterwards if you want to. Shall I tie it for you?" Lan Qiren smiles at him, ignoring the faster beating of his heart. The thrill that went through his body, the acrobatics of his heart, nothing prepared him for what it would feel like to hear Xue Yang (his son!! HIS SON??) say those words. To be called Baba, and to know that there was a time in his life when he thought he might never get the chance, would never know what it felt like to have a child call him by that name.
Carefully, he turns Xue Yang by the shoulder and takes the white headband, its silken threads whispering with magic as he ties it around Xue Yang's forehead. He needs a moment not to bawl like a kid, putting both of his hands on his child's shoulders to ground himself.
"It is an honour to be your Baba," he tells his child quietly.
Xue Yang grabs his hand and doesn't let go until they reach the courtyard where visitors are received, just after Ivory Pillars.
It's another warm morning, promising a hotter day later. The clouds that are the namesake of the Lan Sect home burn away to reveal a cerulean sky, with not a speck of white to mar its priceless beauty. Sandalwood perfumes the air around them, a remnant fragrance from the early morning rituals of Cloud Recesses. Robins and larks sing frantically, eager to welcome the day while in the distance, a rooster unleashes its instinctual call repeatedly.
"Who do you think will come first?" Wei Ying whispers to Lan Zhan.
They're standing just behind Lan Qiren and Lan Huan, ready to greet the guests who are on their way. Xue Yang stands on Wei Ying's other side, looking around with interest. More Lan Disciples and Sect members are waiting behind them, quiet and reserved, ready to receive the important members of the Cultivation world.
"Xiongzhang said, Meishan Yu and the Jiangs, the Wens and the Nies, are to arrive today." Lan Zhan replies, not actually picking any out of the four.
"Things are gonna get spicy," Xue Yang offers, giving them an enigmatic grin.
"Aren't we done with the list?" Wei Ying whispers back, thinking about it.
So far, Wen Ruohan died after tripping down the stairs, Wen Zhuliu following straight after by accepting a drink from Xue Yang laced with yew berries, Wen Chao drowning after his nanny was negligent, Wen Xu, a victim of being in the wrong place at the right time and having his bladder burst, Jin GuangShan the Sausage King of Qishan by blood clot, and Sect Leader Yao for pilfering a jar of wine that did not belong to his table.
"There are three people still on it," Xue Yang tells him in a low voice so that nobody else can hear him. "Wang Lingjiao, Meng Yao, and Su MinShan. We can't say when they're going to make an appearance, if at all."
Wei Ying nods thoughtfully. "Wang Lingjiao only became prominent after becoming Wen Chao's mistress. Since he's not alive, she might not be a problem for us anymore." He turns to Lan Zhan. "Lan Zhan, what do you remember about Su MinShan?"
"While he was here, he was called Su She. He joined the GusuLan Sect when he was around seven or eight years old. He was only a couple of years older than myself, but when Wen Xu threatened to kill him, he betrayed us by telling him that the secret of entering the Cold Pond was our headbands. Hundreds more disciples died because of his cowardice." Lan Zhan looks angry all over again.
