Chapter 118 White Lies
When Lan Wangji pushed open the door to Yunshen Pavilion, he ran into Lan Sizhui running down the corridor. The boy, wearing the Lan family uniform, saw him and his eyes lit up instantly, as if dotted with stars.
"Father!" Si Zhui ran up to him and quickly glanced behind him. Not seeing the familiar figure, the light in his eyes dimmed. "You're back... Where's Daddy?"
Lan Wangji put down the medicine box in his hand. Inside was some common herbs—the "props" he and Wei Wuxian had prepared long ago. He reached out and touched Si Zhui's head, saying in a gentle voice, "Your father is still in the Medicine Valley."
"Still in Medicine Valley?" Si Zhui frowned, his tone filled with disappointment. "Didn't he say he'd be back soon?"
"The Medicine King of Medicine Valley likes him very much and wants to take him in as his last disciple, to teach him his lifelong knowledge of medicine." Lan Wangji explained according to the words he had agreed with Wei Wuxian beforehand. "Your father thought it was a rare opportunity, so he agreed."
He pulled out his phone and clicked on a video. In it, Wei Wuxian stood in front of a medicinal herb field, dressed in coarse cloth, holding a herb in his hand. His eyes curved into a smile, and he looked lively and energetic, his complexion also very good.
"Look, this is what he sent me yesterday." Lan Wangji handed the phone to Sizhui.
Si Zhui took the phone and watched the video of Wei Wuxian intently. His father was talking to an old man with a white beard. Although he couldn't hear what he was saying, the way he gestured made it look like he was learning about herbs.
"He said he wanted to learn how to make medicine," Si Zhui couldn't help laughing as he watched the video. "Daddy is the most restless person. He'll definitely want to run away after just a few days of study."
Lan Wangji looked at the smile on his face, his heart aching slightly, but he agreed, "Maybe."
He clicked on a few more videos, all of them showing Wei Wuxian's "life" in the Medicine Valley—some showing him sitting at a stone table flipping through a medicine book, some showing him following the Medicine King while he gathered herbs, and even one showing him secretly picking a wild fruit and getting spanked by the Medicine King. In each video, Wei Wuxian smiled brightly, looking healthy and at ease.
Wei Wuxian forced himself to shoot these videos, and curled up in bed in pain after finishing them. Lan Wangji felt distressed watching them, but he could only help him edit them over and over again to ensure that every shot was "flawless."
"Your father said that if you learn pharmacy well, he will be able to prescribe you medicine that won't be bitter." Lan Wangji put away his phone and said softly.
"Really?" Si Zhui's eyes lit up. He was most afraid of taking medicine.
"Yes." Lan Wangji nodded. "He will study there for a month. After a month, I will take you to meet him."
"Okay!" Si Zhui nodded immediately, and his previous loss was replaced by anticipation for the future.
Lan Wangji looked at his joyful expression, breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly changed the subject: "I heard you got 65 points on your last math test?"
The smile on Si Zhui's face froze instantly, his eyes avoided, and he subconsciously lowered his head: "...Yeah."
"Why did you do so poorly on the test?" Lan Wangji's tone remained gentle, yet with an unmistakable seriousness.
"I fell asleep during the exam." Si Zhui's voice was as low as a mosquito's hum, and his fingers were nervously picking at the corner of his school uniform.
"Is it because you didn't sleep well last night?"
Si Zhui nodded, then shook his head: "Not really... I was just too sleepy when doing the questions."
He didn't dare say it because he kept thinking about his daddy and father, and couldn't sleep at night.
Lan Wangji looked at his guilty expression, knowing the reason clearly, but he didn't point it out. He squatted down and looked Sizhui in the eye. "You can make mistakes while studying, but you can't be careless. Sleeping during an exam is irresponsible to yourself, understand?"
"I know." Si Zhui lowered his head even lower. "The teacher has punished me by making me copy the wrong questions, and my uncle has also scolded me."
"I didn't come back to punish you." Lan Wangji pinched his cheek gently, "I came back to tell you that you can tell me anything. Whether you can't sleep or you miss your father, you can tell me. Don't keep it in your heart and let it affect your studies and rest."
Si Zhui raised his head, looking at the tenderness and worry in his father's eyes, and his nose suddenly felt sore: "Father..."
"Um?"
"I just... miss you guys a little bit." Si Zhui's voice was filled with tears.
Lan Wangji's heart softened, and he reached out to pull him into his arms: "I'm sorry for making you worry."
He held Sizhui in his arms and patted his back gently. This child was always so sensible, so sensible that it made people feel distressed.
"I'll come back to see you more often and ask your father to shoot more videos," Lan Wangji said. "A month will pass quickly. Then we can go pick him up together, okay?"
"Okay." Si Zhui nodded vigorously in his arms, and the loss and grievance in his heart gradually dissipated.
It turned out that his father came back not to blame him, but to accompany him.
Lan Wangji let him go, looked into his red eyes, and smiled. "Go get your math test. I'll see where you went wrong and explain it to you."
"Yeah!" Si Zhui nodded immediately, turned around and ran towards the room, his steps much lighter.
Lan Wangji looked at his back, the smile on his face gradually faded, and deep fatigue and heartache welled up in his eyes.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Wei Wuxian: [Si Zhui has received the letter, don't worry.]
Wei Wuxian quickly replied with a smiley face, followed by a sentence: [Tell him to study hard and stop thinking about me all the time.]
Lan Wangji looked at the message and could almost see Wei Wuxian lying on the bed, typing away in pain. He gripped the phone tightly, his fingertips trembling slightly.
One month.
They could only hold out for another month.
After a month, what excuse should I use to continue hiding it?
He doesn't know.
But at least for now, let Si Zhui study and wait with peace of mind.
Lan Wangji took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the study. There, Sizhui had already taken out the test paper and was waiting for him to explain it.
In the sunlight, the boy's profile is serious and focused, and the loss in his eyes has long been replaced by expectations for the future.
Lan Wangji walked over, sat down beside him, picked up a pen, and began to patiently explain the wrong questions.
The peach blossoms outside the window are in full bloom, like a pink cloud.
Some lies, though heavy, are wrapped in the deepest love.
I only hope that this love can protect this young man and help him grow up safely.
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