Mischief in Gusu

Chapter 2: Little Trouble, Big Reactions

The first rays of sunlight began to filter through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground. The Cloud Recesses, usually so peaceful in the early hours, seemed to hold its breath as though sensing the impending chaos. The two toddlers sat in the clearing, their tiny forms a stark contrast to the vastness of the mountains around them.

Wei Wuxian was the first to break the silence. Blinking his wide, curious eyes, he rubbed at his face with a small fist, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He glanced down at his now-tiny hands and then over to Lan Wangji, who was struggling to sit upright, his oversized robes pooling around him like a silken cloud. Lan Wangji's brows knitted in confusion, the familiar line of his forehead ribbon now slipping over his eyes.

"Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian's voice was higher, more innocent, tinged with the soft lilt of a child's. He crawled over, poking Lan Wangji’s cheek with his tiny finger. "Why are we so... small?"

Lan Wangji pushed the ribbon back up his forehead with a stubborn determination, his young face already showing signs of the stern expression he would wear as an adult. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a soft, bewildered sound, more of a pout than anything resembling speech. He frowned, as if the words were stuck somewhere he couldn’t reach.

Wei Wuxian, however, seemed to find the whole situation amusing. His laughter rang out, a sound of pure, unrestrained joy. "Lan Zhan, you look so funny!" He clapped his hands together, delighted by the sight of his stern friend reduced to a child.

Lan Wangji, on the other hand, did not find it amusing in the slightest. He stood up, albeit shakily, his tiny feet barely visible beneath the folds of his robes. He gave Wei Wuxian a disapproving look, which only made the other boy laugh harder.

"Okay, okay," Wei Wuxian said between giggles, wiping at his eyes. "We need to fix this. But I guess… we have to find a grown-up first?" His small face scrunched up in thought. "But how do we explain this? We can’t just say 'Oh, we found a magical incense burner and now we’re babies'… They’re going to think we’re just playing pretend!"

Lan Wangji nodded solemnly, his little hands gripping the hem of his robes tightly. He tried to muster the authority he usually commanded, but his tiny stature made it all but impossible. The two toddlers stood there, facing each other, the full gravity of their predicament sinking in.

Elsewhere in the Cloud Recesses, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were making their way back from the morning practice, their conversation light and easy. They were discussing the day's tasks when a faint but distinct sound of giggling reached their ears. It was not unusual to hear laughter in the sect—juniors often had moments of lightheartedness—but this laughter was different. It was the innocent, carefree sound of children.

Lan Jingyi paused, tilting his head towards the sound. "Do you hear that? Is it… coming from over there?" He pointed towards the secluded path leading to the clearing. Lan Sizhui nodded, his brows furrowing slightly in confusion.

"We don’t have any children in the sect," Lan Sizhui noted, already turning to follow the sound. The two juniors moved cautiously, their footsteps soft against the stone. As they approached the clearing, the giggles grew louder, filled with a sense of mischief that felt strangely familiar.

When they finally stepped into the clearing, the sight before them was not at all what they expected. Two small children, one with bright, expressive eyes and a mischievous grin, the other with a stern expression and pale, amber eyes that seemed to hold more wisdom than any toddler should possess.

Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi exchanged bewildered looks. "Who are they?" Lan Jingyi whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief. He crouched down, trying to get a better look at the two toddlers.

Lan Sizhui stepped closer, kneeling before the children with a gentle smile. "Hello there," he greeted softly. "Where did you come from? Are you lost?"

Wei Wuxian immediately bounded forward, grabbing Lan Sizhui's hand with both of his tiny ones. "Lan Yuan! It’s me, Wei Wuxian!" he declared, his voice brimming with excitement. "And this is Lan Zhan!"

Lan Sizhui's eyes widened, his mind racing as he tried to process the bizarre declaration. He looked from the giggling toddler to the more reserved one beside him, and it hit him like a bolt of lightning. The resemblance, the aura, the unmistakable presence of their senior… there was no mistaking it. "W-Wei… Wei Wuxian?" Lan Sizhui stammered, his voice laced with disbelief.

Lan Jingyi, however, was not so quick to accept what he was seeing. "This has to be a joke, right? It can’t be them," he said, though his voice lacked conviction. He eyed the tiny Lan Wangji, who was currently trying—and failing—to adjust his oversized robes with a serious expression.

Wei Wuxian nodded enthusiastically, pulling Lan Wangji closer. "It’s really us! We found this incense burner, and then poof! We became small!"

Lan Sizhui stood up, glancing nervously at Lan Jingyi. "We… we need to tell the elders," he said, his voice urgent. "If it really is them, then…"

Lan Jingyi sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "This is going to be a nightmare," he muttered under his breath. He could already picture the exasperated faces of the elders, the flustered reactions, and the inevitable scolding for whatever strange magic had caused this.

With a resigned nod, Lan Sizhui carefully picked up the tiny Lan Wangji, who stiffened at first but eventually allowed himself to be held. Wei Wuxian followed, happily trotting along with Lan Jingyi, chattering away without a care in the world. Despite the bizarre situation, he seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.

As they made their way back, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi tried to keep their composure, but the strangeness of the situation weighed heavily on them. They navigated the winding paths, Wei Wuxian’s voice filling the silence with cheerful banter about how fun it was to be small again, while Lan Wangji remained quiet, his gaze fixed ahead with the same determination that defined him.

The moment they stepped into the main hall, the elders and juniors alike stopped in their tracks, eyes widening in shock. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they took in the sight of the toddlers—one clutching tightly to Lan Sizhui's robes, the other eagerly pointing and waving at everyone.

Lan Qiren was the first to speak, his voice echoing with a mix of confusion and barely concealed irritation. "What… is the meaning of this?"

Lan Sizhui stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Elder, we… found them like this. They claim to be Senior Wei and Hanguang-Jun. It seems… the Mysterious Incense Burner has affected them."

Lan Qiren’s face turned several shades of red as he processed the news. He turned to the toddlers, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of nonsense—" But his words faltered as he looked closer. There was no denying the aura, the unmistakable presence of the two men who had stood beside him in countless battles. Even as toddlers, their spirits were unmistakable.

Lan Wangji, despite his size, managed to exude a calm authority as he stared up at his uncle. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, gave a cheeky wave, clearly enjoying the baffled expressions on the elders' faces. "Hi, Uncle Lan!" Wei Wuxian chirped, his grin wide and unapologetic. "Guess we made a little mistake, huh?"

Lan Qiren rubbed his temples, already feeling the onset of a headache. "This… This is unprecedented. We must find a way to reverse this immediately."

But as the elders began to discuss possible solutions, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had other ideas. Wei Wuxian, spotting a jar of sweets on a nearby table, tugged on Lan Wangji’s sleeve and pointed. Lan Wangji gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. In an instant, the two toddlers were off, darting through the hall with surprising speed, their laughter trailing behind them.

The juniors scrambled to catch up, while the elders watched in stunned silence. For all their wisdom and experience, none of them had ever encountered a problem quite like this—two of their most formidable cultivators reduced to mischief-making toddlers.

As Wei Wuxian grabbed a handful of sweets and Lan Wangji climbed onto a low table, the reality of their new predicament set in. The Cloud Recesses, known for its strict discipline and serene order, was about to experience a kind of chaos it had never seen before.

And it was only the beginning.