Chapter 102: Eyes in the Dark
The car stopped at the elementary school gate. Lan Wangji watched Si Zhui walk into the school gate with his schoolbag on his back. He didn't take out his cell phone to make a call until the tall figure disappeared around the corner of the teaching building.
"Help me check out these two groups of people." His voice was cold. "One group drove a black sedan and stopped at the entrance of Sunshine Primary School yesterday afternoon. The other group is at the warehouse in the west of the city, and they're wearing black hoodies."
After the person on the other end of the phone agreed, Lan Wangji added, "As soon as possible, I want all their information."
After hanging up, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he parked his car under the shade of a tree on the corner, his eyes fixed on the school gate. In the rearview mirror, he could see the dark circles under his eyes—he had barely slept the previous night, constantly replaying the surveillance footage. Those gazes hidden in the shadows made him uneasy, like a venomous snake.
In the classroom, Sizhui was teaching the children about Sun Wukong's three battles with the White Bone Demon. Standing at the podium, he sometimes mimicked Sun Wukong's tone, eyebrows raised high, a sly glint in his eyes—just like Wei Wuxian when he was reciting the play. Other times, he would put on a stern face, emphasizing the importance of not being fooled by superficial appearances, his tone carrying the earnestness of Lan Wangji.
The children listened with rapt attention; even the most mischievous little boy sat bolt upright, his eyes fixed on him. As Sizhui watched them, his nervousness gradually faded—it turned out that when one was serious about something, worries about danger could be temporarily forgotten.
During the break, Si Zhui stood beside the team, watching the children jumping and skipping, when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw a message from Lan Wangji: "Everything is okay?"
Sizhui replied with a "hmm" and added a smiley face. After thinking for a moment, he added, "The children are very well behaved, don't worry."
Lan Wangji looked at the smiling face on his phone screen, his tense jawline softening slightly. He looked up at the teaching building. The sun was shining brightly, and the laughter on the playground was like silver bells. But he had a feeling that a pair of eyes were hiding in a corner, staring coldly at the bustling scene.
When Wei Wuxian walked into the classroom carrying a thermos at lunchtime, he immediately spotted Sizhui. He was sitting at the podium, explaining a subject to a little girl. His profile looked particularly gentle in the sunlight, and his injured elbow was carefully raised, not touching the table.
"Si Zhui, it's time to eat." Wei Wuxian placed the thermos on the table and opened the lid. Inside was tender pork rib soup and stir-fried vegetables.
Si Zhui's eyes lit up, he put down his pen and walked over: "Daddy, why are you here?"
“I’ll bring you something delicious to nourish you.” Wei Wuxian pulled him to sit down and handed him the bowl of soup. “Drink it quickly, it won’t taste good if it gets cold.”
The children gathered around curiously, looking at the food in the thermos, chattering, "Teacher Lan's father's cooking smells so good!" "I want some pork rib soup, too!"
Wei WuXian was amused by them and took out a bag of candy from his bag and distributed it to everyone: "Everyone has one. Be sure to take a nap after eating."
After the children dispersed with cheers, Wei WuXian lowered his voice and asked, "Did any strangers talk to you today?"
Si Zhui shook his head. "No, they're all teachers and classmates from school." He took a sip of his soup and suddenly remembered something. "But I saw two more security guards at the school gate this morning. They said they were new security guards."
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji looked at each other and saw the understanding in each other's eyes - that was the person arranged by Lan Wangji to keep an eye on suspicious people.
“That’s good.” Wei Wuxian breathed a sigh of relief and picked up a piece of pork ribs for Si Zhui. “Eat quickly, and then take a rest.”
Sizhui nodded and lowered his head to drink his soup. He knew his father and dad were worried, so he paid extra attention to the surroundings. But until now, he had only seen the usual campus scene, nothing unusual.
In the afternoon art class, Sizhui led the children in drawing "My Family." A little girl with pigtails ran over, holding up her drawing: "Teacher Lan, look at what I drew! This is Dad, this is Mom, and this is me!"
Si Zhui looked at the painting of three little people holding hands and said with a smile, "It's a really good painting."
The little girl looked up and asked, "Teacher Lan, what are your family like?"
Si Zhui froze for a moment, his mind immediately conjuring up images of Wei Wuxian's smile, Lan Wangji's silent profile, and the noisy figures of Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling. He picked up his brush and drew a house on paper. Inside, there were four little figures: two standing at the door, two sitting in the courtyard. Though the lines were simple, they exuded a warmth.
"This is my daddy. He loves to laugh and cooks delicious food." He pointed to one of the little figures. "This is my father. He doesn't talk much, but he loves me very much."
The children came over to look at the painting, saying, "Teacher Lan's family must love you very much!" and "The house in the painting is so cozy!"
Si Zhui's lips curled up slightly, and his heart felt warm. Yes, his family loved him very much, so he had the courage to stand here and do what he wanted to do.
After school, Si Zhui just walked out of the teaching building when he saw Lan Wangji's car parked at the door. He walked over quickly, opened the door, got in, and put his schoolbag on his lap.
"Did everything go well today?" Lan Wangji asked, starting the car.
"It went smoothly." Si Zhui nodded and took out the painting. "I drew our home and show it to you."
Lan Wangji glanced sideways. Although the figures in the painting were simple, one could make out their respective characteristics—Wei Wuxian was smiling with his head tilted to the side, he was standing straight, and there were two little figures playing and fighting beside him.
"It's a very good painting." There was a barely perceptible smile in his voice.
As the car drove away from the school, Sizhui accidentally looked back and saw a black car parked under the shade of a tree on the street corner. The windows were covered with dark film, making it difficult to see the occupants. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his schoolbag strap, remembering his father's instructions.
Lan Wangji saw the black car through the rearview mirror, tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, and stepped lightly on the accelerator, speeding up the car a bit.
"Don't look," he said to Sizhui, "focus on the front."
Si Zhui nodded and turned around, but couldn't help but memorize the license plate number of the car in his mind - although he only saw the last three digits, he always felt that the car was not like an ordinary private car.
After returning home, Sizhui told Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji about seeing the black car.
“As expected, they followed us.” Wei Wuxian’s face darkened. “It seems they are determined to keep an eye on you.”
Lan Wangji took out his phone and pulled up a photo: "Is this the one?"
The photo showed the black car, with the owner's information marked next to it - an unfamiliar name, with nothing unusual to see.
"This is it." Sizhui said affirmatively.
Lan Wangji put away his phone. "I understand." His eyes were cold. "I won't let them succeed."
At dinner, Sizhui had no appetite. Wei Wuxian saw what he was thinking and smiled as he helped him pick up a piece of pork chop. "Don't worry, with your father and I here, no one can hurt a hair on your head."
Si Zhui looked at him and suddenly said, "Dad, I'm not afraid."
"Um?"
"Because I know you will protect me." Si Zhui's voice was soft but firm, "Besides, I'm not a child anymore. I can protect myself."
Wei Wuxian looked at the light in his eyes and suddenly felt that those hidden dangers might also be a kind of experience - making him understand that there is not only sunshine but also wind and rain on the road to growth, and the love of his family is his most solid armor.
At night, Sizhui lay in bed, looking at the moon outside the window, clutching the amulet tightly in his hand. He knew that in the next few days, he might encounter more things, but he would not back down.
Because he wasn't fighting alone. Behind him, he had his father's nagging, his father's protection, and a group of children waiting for him to tell stories. These were his strength, supporting him and allowing him to bravely move forward.
And the eyes in the dark can only wander in the shadows and can never illuminate his way forward.
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