Chapter 132 One Hundred and Thirty-Two
Chapter Summary: [Wei Wuxian lifted Wen Yuan up and tossed him around, teasing him for a while and coaxing him a few times. Suddenly, he saw a...]
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Wei Wuxian lifted Wen Yuan up and tossed him around for a while, coaxing him with a few words. Suddenly, he noticed a peddler by the roadside grinning and looking this way. He pointed to the colorful trinkets in the peddler's basket and asked, "A-Yuan, look over here, isn't it pretty?"
Wen Yuan's attention was drawn to it. She sniffed and said, "...Beautiful."
Wei Wuxian asked again, "Does it smell good?"
Wen Yuan said: "Fragrant."
The peddler quickly said, "It looks good and smells good, young master, please buy one."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Do you want it or not?"
Wen Yuan thought he was going to buy it for her, and said shyly, "Yes."
Wei Wuxian, however, strode in the opposite direction and said, "Haha, let's go."
Wen Yuan felt as if she had been struck a heavy blow, and tears welled up in her eyes again. Lan Wangji watched coldly, but could not bear it any longer and said, "Why don't you buy it for him?"
Wei Wuxian asked curiously, "Why should I buy it for him?"
Lan Wangji said, "You asked him if he wanted it, isn't that to buy it for him?"
Wei Wuxian deliberately said, "Asking is asking, buying is buying, but why does asking mean you'll definitely buy?"
Everyone: ...? ? ? ?
If you're not the Yiling Patriarch, are you just taking your child for a walk like this?
Despite being poor, look at the glistening tears in the child's eyes—how could they so readily turn and walk away?
The Yiling Patriarch is truly ruthless.
When Wen Qing saw this part, she rolled her eyes in exasperation.
If Wei Wuxian hadn't been asleep, she would have definitely given him a good whack.
I knew this person wouldn't be reliable in taking care of the child, but I didn't expect him to be this unreliable. I don't know how A-Yuan could have been so attached to him when he was little. Children are children, I didn't know this person was bullying him every day.
As for Lan Sizhui, seeing himself looking so wronged and on the verge of tears, his red eyes, which hadn't even stopped hurting, flared up again.
When he asked this question, Lan Wangji was speechless. He glared at him for a while before turning his gaze to Wen Yuan. Wen Yuan, under his stare, began to tremble again.
After a moment, Lan Wangji said to Wen Yuan, "Which one do you... want?"
Before Wen Yuan could react, Lan Wangji pointed to the items in the peddler's basket and said, "Which one of these do you want?"
Wen Yuan stared at him in terror, not daring to breathe.
Everyone: ...
I can't believe I got to see Lan Wangji coaxing a child in my lifetime.
Madam Lan covered her mouth and laughed uncontrollably, collapsing onto Qingheng Jun: "Look at A-Zhan, hahaha... look how scared that child is, hahaha..."
Lan Xichen also looked at his younger brother in surprise.
This is the first time I've seen Wangji so proactively coax a child. Besides his uncle, he's the strictest elder in Cloud Recesses.
Half an incense stick later, Wen Yuan finally stopped crying. He kept touching his pockets, which were bulging with a bunch of little trinkets that Lan Wangji had bought for him. Seeing that he had finally stopped crying, Lan Wangji seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. But then, Wen Yuan blushed and quietly snuggled over to hug his leg.
Looking down, Lan Wangji noticed something on his leg. "..."
Wei Wuxian laughed wildly, "Hahahaha! Lan Zhan, congratulations, he likes you! He'll cling to whoever he likes and never let go!"
Watching the child's ever-changing expressions and awkward movements in the short span of an incense stick's time, everyone found him adorable and momentarily forgot that Wen Yuan was a descendant of the Wen clan, the remnant they spoke of.
Lan Jingyi stared wide-eyed at Wen Yuan's actions: "This is the first time I've known that Hanguang-jun is popular with children. This child is really... courageous!"
Jin Ling, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement. He was also one of the perpetrators of the family rules.
Lan Sizhui: ...
Wen Qing looked at the pile of things and her forehead twitched. No wonder A Yuan brought back a bunch of messy toys one day.
Lan Wangji took two steps. Sure enough, Wen Yuan clung tightly to his leg, showing no intention of letting go; the embrace was surprisingly tight. Wei Wuxian patted his shoulder and said, "I think you shouldn't rush off to the night hunt. How about we go get some food first?"
Lan Wangji looked up at him and said in a calm, indifferent tone, "Eat?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Yes, let's eat. Don't be so cold. It's not easy for you to come to Yiling and it's such a coincidence that we ran into each other. Let's catch up. Come on, it's on me."
With Wei Wuxian half-dragging and half-pulling, and Wen Yuan clinging to Lan Wangji's lap, they managed to drag him into a restaurant. Wei Wuxian sat down in the private room and said, "Let's order."
Lan Wangji was pressed down onto the mat by him. He glanced at the menu and said, "You order."
Wei Wuxian said, "I'm treating you to dinner, so of course you can order. Order whatever you like, don't be shy." He'd just forgotten to buy those sprouted, poisonous potatoes, so he had money to pay. Lan Wangji wasn't one to refuse, so after a moment's thought, he ordered. Wei Wuxian listened to him casually rattle off a few dishes and laughed, "You're something else, Lan Zhan. I thought people from Gusu didn't eat spicy food. You have quite a strong palate. Want some alcohol?"
Lan Wangji shook his head, and Wei Wuxian said, "Still so disciplined even when you're out and about, worthy of being called Hanguang-jun. Then I won't take your share."
Everyone: ...
They don't have money to buy toys for their children, but they do have money to treat people to meals.
Jiang Yanli, who was standing next to her, smiled and remarked, "It seems that Young Master Lan can't handle spicy food, but this is exactly the kind of flavor that A-Xian likes."
Lan Xichen listened carefully to the names of the dishes Lan Wangji mentioned, and found that none of them were dishes he had ever eaten before.
I don't eat anything with even a slightly strong flavor, let alone anything spicy.
Unexpectedly, Wangji, who usually has extremely high standards for life, was willing to accommodate another person at that time.
From this perspective, Wangji and Wuxian are truly a good match for each other.
Wen Yuan sat down beside Lan Wangji, arranging the small wooden knives, swords, clay figurines, straw butterflies, and other trinkets from his pocket on the mat, examining them with obvious delight. Wei Wuxian, seeing Wen Yuan rubbing against Lan Wangji and making it inconvenient for Lan Wangji to drink tea, whistled and said, "A-Yuan, come here."
Wen Yuan glanced at Wei Wuxian, whom he had buried in the ground to grow like a radish just two days ago, and then at Lan Wangji, who had just bought him a whole bunch of trinkets. He didn't move his buttocks, but his face honestly said two big words: "No."
Wei Wuxian said, "Come here. You're blocking people's way by sitting there."
Lan Wangji replied, "It's alright. Let him sit down."
Wen Yuan happily hugged his leg again. This time it was his thigh. Wei Wuxian twirled his chopsticks in his hand, laughing, "Whoever feeds you is your mother, whoever has money is your father. That's outrageous!"
Even Lan Qiren was stunned for a moment upon seeing this heartwarming scene.
In his heart, Lan Wangji was a gifted member of the Lan clan, a perfect practitioner of the Lan clan rules, and one of the only two bloodlines left by his elder brother.
But precisely because of this, he overlooked the fact that Lan Wangji, who usually behaves in a very proper manner, is actually a teenager.
At this age, there aren't so many rules and regulations. He can do what he wants and see who he wants to see, and perhaps there's nothing wrong with that.
Those who have weathered hardships together have an unbreakable bond.
Perhaps he was narrow-minded in the past.
Soon the dishes and wine arrived, filling the table with a vibrant red hue, along with a bowl of sweet soup that Lan Wangji had specially ordered for Wen Yuan. Wei Wuxian tapped the bowl several times, calling out, but Wen Yuan remained with his head down, holding two butterflies, muttering to himself. One moment he'd pretend to be the shy butterfly on the left, saying, "I...I really like you," and the next he'd pretend to be the happy butterfly on the right, saying, "I like you too!" He was having a great time playing both roles. Wei Wuxian laughed so hard he almost choked, exclaiming, "My goodness, A-Yuan, who taught you all this at such a young age? What do you mean by 'like' and 'I like you'? Do you even know what 'like' means? Stop playing around and come eat. Your new dad ordered this for you, it's good stuff."
Wen Yuan then put the little butterfly into his pocket, picked up the bowl, and sat down next to Lan Wangji with a small spoon to eat the sweet soup. Previously, Wen Yuan had been imprisoned in Qishan, and later transferred to the Burial Mound; the food in both places was indescribable. Therefore, this bowl of sweet soup was a novel delicacy for him. He couldn't stop after a couple of bites, but he still eagerly handed the bowl to Wei Wuxian, presenting it like a treasure, saying, "...Brother Xian...Brother, eat."
Wei Wuxian said with a pleased expression, "Hmm, not bad, you even know how to be filial to me."
Lan Wangji said, "One should not speak while eating."
To make sure Wen Yuan understood, he repeated it in plain language: "Don't talk while eating."
Wen Yuan nodded hurriedly, buried his head in his soup, and remained silent. Wei Wuxian said repeatedly, "This is outrageous! He only listens to what I say after I repeat myself several times, but he does what you say as soon as he hears it. This is truly outrageous!"
Lan Wangji said calmly, "One should not speak while eating. You should too."
Wei Wuxian chuckled and tilted his head back to drink a cup, then toyed with the wine cup in his hand, saying, "You really are... you haven't changed a bit in all these years. Hey, Lan Zhan, what are you hunting in Yiling this time? I know this place well, want me to show you the way?"
Lan Wangji said, "No need."
Noble families often have secret missions that they can't discuss with outsiders, so Wei Wuxian didn't press the matter. He said, "It's rare to run into an old acquaintance who isn't avoiding me. I've been so bored these past few months. Has anything major happened outside lately?"
Lan Wangji asked, "What is a major matter?"
Wei Wuxian said, "For example, a new family has emerged in some place, which family has expanded its immortal abode, which families have formed an alliance, and so on. Just chatting casually."
After his fake breakup with Jiang Cheng, he hadn't heard any new developments or news from the outside world for a long time, at most just some random gossip in the small town.
Lan Wangji said, "A marriage alliance."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Whose family is it?"
Lan Wangji said, "The Lanling Jin Clan and the Yunmeng Jiang Clan."
Lan Sizhui's eyes widened in disbelief; he never imagined that he, as a child, could act out such an emotional drama all by himself.
It was a rare and wonderful time to see Wei Wuxian get his comeuppance.
However, when the topic turned to the marriage alliance between the two families in Jinjiang, the air suddenly froze.
At that time, most people were celebrating for the two major families and blessing the two newlyweds, but Wei Wuxian was in the most awkward situation.
Jiang Cheng lowered his head and stared at the hem of his clothes.
He knew that Wei Wuxian was saddened that he couldn't attend his sister's wedding, but he had never felt this so truly as now.
In countless moments after entering the Heavenly Realm, he silently asked himself if he could do it all over again, would he still choose to use a fake break to exonerate the Jiang Clan from the voice of betrayal, leaving Wei Wuxian in that torrent that he knew could drown people?
Perhaps, yes.
But perhaps not.
Reality was pushing them forward at that time. If he had known it would end like this, he might have wanted to try a different path.
Try to find a way to share the burden without abandoning one of them.
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