Long black and red robes danced in the sharp winter wind as Cangse Sanren cheerfully climbed the steps of Cloud Recesses, a trail of snowflakes fluttering behind her like a comet. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her one-year-old daughter, who blinked drowsily at the falling snow, tucked securely against her mother's chest.
The mountain air bit with the sting of mid-December, but Cangse was unfazed. The cold had never been a concern—not when her heart was warm, not when she was finally returning to the mountains that had once been her second home.
Cloud Recesses was breathtaking in winter. The quiet serenity of the snowfall softened the already ethereal peaks, coating rooftops and stone paths like a divine hush. But Cangse hadn't come to admire the scenery.
She was here to introduce her daughter—her little A-Ying—to an old friend.
Gentian House welcomed her with its usual calm silence. Inside, Madam Lan sat with her youngest son on her lap, gently stroking his soft hair while the other boy, Lan Huan, sat nearby quietly copying a text. They looked up when Cangse entered, and the years melted in an instant.
"I don't think you've met my little A-Ying," Cangse said brightly, settling onto a cushion across from them, her daughter now sitting up, tiny fingers clutching the edge of the table.
Madam Lan smiled, reaching across to brush a stray strand of hair from A-Ying's face. "I haven't, but I've been looking forward to it. She's beautiful, Cangse."
The women spoke in gentle tones, catching up on lost time, while the two toddlers—Lan Zhan and Wei Ying—sat side by side beneath the table, fiddling with the hems of their mothers' robes, utterly uninterested in the quiet, life-altering conversation happening above them.
"I wanted to speak to you," Madam Lan said, her voice soft. "About the letters. The idea we discussed... I believe it's a lovely one. A betrothal would be good for A-Zhan. Stability. Joy."
Cangse exhaled. "Then we'll see if they grow fond of each other. I just want her to have a future somewhere she'll be safe. Where she'll be loved."
The two women stepped out onto the porch, cloaks wrapped tight against the cold, their laughter and conversation floating into the snow-dusted air. Inside, the children had fallen asleep curled beside each other on a floor cushion.
"I'll speak to Lan Qiren," Madam Lan said. "He'll have opinions, of course."
"When doesn't he," Cangse grinned, though her voice trembled slightly.
~~~
Twenty minutes later, Lan Qiren entered the Gentian House. The children were now asleep on the bed, tucked in side by side beneath a soft blue blanket. Cangse sat beside the table with Madam Lan, both women cradling cups of tea, their eyes on the quiet forms of their children.
Lan Qiren sipped from his own cup before speaking. "I understand what you're suggesting. But they're children. There must be time to know if this is right."
"And they'll have it," Madam Lan said firmly. "A-Ying will visit often. They'll grow together."
"I'll allow it," Lan Qiren said eventually, "on the condition that it's not set in stone. Not until they choose it, too."
Cangse smiled. "I'd expect nothing less from you."
Madam Lan nodded. "Then we'll begin. One visit a month, for a week at a time. It'll give them time to learn side by side."
Lan Qiren gave one last glance toward the sleeping children. "Then we'll see."
Outside, snow continued to fall—quiet, steady, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
YOU ARE READING
Lan Ying - Gusu's Third Jade {Being updated}
FanfictionLong black and red robes flowed carelessly in the wind as Cangse Sanren skipped cheerfully up the steps of Cloud Recesses. The snowy mid-December weather making the wind have a spike of chill to it. Her one-year-old daughter held securely in her arm...
