Chapter 15: Seeking Medical Treatment in Desperation
A cold rain at the beginning of autumn had caused Wei Wuxian to catch a cold. Initially, he only had a cough, but later developed a fever. He lay drowsy in bed all day, even his usual favorite words becoming less frequent.
Lan Wangji had summoned the best physician in the sect and prescribed medicine, but the condition hadn't healed. Sizhui watched his father's cheeks flush unnaturally, his voice cracking as he spoke, his heart aching with anxiety. He walked into the room with the freshly brewed medicine and saw Lan Wangji sitting by the bed, gently wiping the sweat from Wei Wuxian's forehead with a handkerchief, his movements unnaturally gentle.
"Father, the medicine is ready." Si Zhui placed the bowl on the bedside.
Lan Wangji nodded, helped Wei Wuxian sit up, and wanted to feed him the medicine, but Wei Wuxian frowned and turned his head away, breathing weakly: "Bitter..."
"Good medicine tastes bitter." Lan Wangji's voice was extremely gentle. "You will feel better if you drink it."
Wei Wuxian still shook his head and mumbled childishly, "No... Lan Zhan, I want to eat loquat paste..."
Lan Wangji had no choice but to ask Sizhui to get the loquat paste. When Sizhui walked out of the room, he heard his father coaxing him in a low voice: "Be good, I'll give it to you after you drink the medicine, okay?"
He felt a pang of pain. Daddy had always been strong, rarely grumbling even when injured, but now he was as weak as a child. Si Zhui remembered Wen Ning once saying that Daddy had been severely injured in the mass graves, and his spiritual power was basically unstable, making him particularly difficult to deal with when he was sick.
"We have to think of a way." Si Zhui clenched his fists. He suddenly remembered that in the forbidden room of the library, there seemed to be a fragment of a scroll on ancient healing methods, said to be able to quickly harmonize spiritual energy and dispel cold evil. Although he knew that the forbidden room was forbidden to enter without permission, seeing his father's distress, he made up his mind.
Late at night, Si Zhui, taking advantage of the moonlight, quietly slipped into the forbidden library. The night in Cloud Recesses was exceptionally quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the bamboo forest. The door to the forbidden library was locked, with a sealing talisman affixed to it. Si Zhui pulled an unlocking talisman from his sleeve—a talisman he had learned from his father, but now he was using it to break the law.
As soon as the talisman was attached to the lock, the lock opened with a click. Si Zhui took a deep breath and gently pushed open the door. The smell of old books hit him. The forbidden library was pitch black, with only moonlight shining through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
He remembered that the fragment was on the top shelf of the west bookshelf. Si Zhui held his breath and groped his way over in the moonlight. Just as he was about to reach for the scroll, a cold voice suddenly came from behind him, asking, "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
Si Zhui froze with fear and turned around suddenly to see Lan Wangji standing at the door, holding a lantern in his hand and looking at him with a serious look.
"Father..." Si Zhui's voice trembled, and the fragment in his hand fell to the ground with a "click".
Lan Wangji walked in and picked up the scroll from the ground. After reading the words on the cover, his brows furrowed even more. "The Fragments of Ancient Healing Scrolls? You broke into the forbidden library just for this?"
Si Zhui lowered his head, twisting the corner of his clothes with his fingers: "I... I saw that my father was very sick, and I wanted to find a way to help him..."
"Nonsense!" Lan Wangji's voice suddenly grew stern. "Why are the books in the Forbidden Library sealed? Because they're unorthodox methods. While they can temporarily solve problems, they're also inherently dangerous! Do you know that the methods in these fragments require your own spiritual energy? Forcing them will damage your meridians?"
Si Zhui was stunned: "I... I don't know..."
"You only thought about saving him, but didn't consider the consequences?" Lan Wangji's gaze fell on his red eyes. His tone softened slightly, but still contained a hint of reproach. "Si Zhui, you should remain calm when faced with difficulties, rather than taking risks. If your father knew that you broke the rules for him, he would only blame himself more."
Si Zhui bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes: "But... I don't want to see Daddy suffer..."
Lan Wangji was silent for a moment, then walked forward and gently patted his shoulder. "I know you're anxious, but some things can't be rushed. I'll find a way to cure your father's illness. You don't need to take any risks." He paused, picked up the fragments on the ground, and said, "The books in the Forbidden Library are not to be touched without permission. This time, I'll punish you by copying the 'Ya Zheng Ji' three times. Remember?"
"Yes..." Sizhui nodded, feeling regretful and ashamed. He thought he was helping, but he almost got into trouble.
When they returned to the quiet room, Wei Wuxian had woken up at some point and was waiting for them by the bedside. Seeing Sizhui with his head bowed and Lan Wangji still holding the scroll from the forbidden library, he knew what had happened.
"Did this brat get into trouble?" Wei WuXian's voice was still a little hoarse, but it was tinged with a smile. "Don't punish him, punish me if you want to. It's my illness that's making him so anxious."
"Don't spoil him." Lan Wangji gave him a helpless look and put the book away. "He who deserves punishment must be punished."
Wei Wuxian waved towards Sizhui, "Come here."
Si Zhui walked to the bedside and whispered, "Daddy..."
“Silly boy.” Wei Wuxian reached out and ruffled his hair, his eyes reddening. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. I’ll be really mad if you hurt yourself or make a mistake for me.” He picked up the loquat paste beside him, scooped a spoonful and passed it to Sizhui. “Try it? It’s sweet.”
Si Zhui held the loquat paste in his mouth, the sweetness melting on his tongue, but his heart felt sour. He knew that he was really wrong this time - caring was not impulsive, and protecting was not a risk.
"Daddy, I'm sorry."
“It’s good that you know you were wrong.” Wei Wuxian smiled. “If you have any problems in the future, tell me and your father. Don’t carry it all on your own, okay?”
Sizhui nodded vigorously.
At night, Sizhui lay in bed, listening to his father's low voice and his father's occasional cough from the next room, and his heart gradually calmed down. He remembered his father's words and his father's smile, and suddenly understood that true protection is not about rushing to find shortcuts, but about accompanying others to endure slowly, just like the light in this quiet room, even if it is dim, it can illuminate the entire night.
The next morning, Sizhui went to the study to copy the Yazheng Collection. He had only written a few lines when Lan Wangji walked in, holding a scroll in his hand.
"This might be useful." Lan Wangji handed Sizhui a book titled "Wen's Ancient Remedies." "This is a proper method of recuperation. Take it and read it. Try to learn how to make soup for your father."
Si Zhui took the scroll, his eyes lighting up: "Thank you, father!"
Lan Wangji nodded, a softness flickering in his eyes as he watched him study diligently. Some truths can only be truly understood through personal experience.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, illuminating the pages of the book with warmth. Sizhui knew that his father's illness would eventually heal, just like the autumn rain, cold but always stopping. And he, in these times, whether fast or slow, would slowly learn how to love and how to protect.
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