Chapter 161 First Meeting
After the school bell rang, Lan Sizhui's backpack was bulging with textbooks and the letter Wei Wuxian had given him that morning. He clutched the strap of his backpack and walked out of the school gate side by side with his newfound classmates, a hint of joy on his face.
"My father is home today. He said he can show you my paintings." Lan Sizhui turned his head and said to the boy next to him.
The boy was slightly taller than Sizhui and wore a clean white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a faint scar on his forearm—supposedly from falling from a tree as a child. He had clear eyebrows and a handsome face, and when he smiled, a small dimple formed at the left corner of his mouth, giving him a cheerful look.
"Really? Will it disturb your father's rest?" the boy's voice was cautiously polite. His name was Lin Yan, a transfer student this semester. Because of his calm personality and his shared love of painting, the two quickly became close.
"No, my father is very easygoing." Lan Sizhui shook his head vigorously, thinking of Wei Wuxian's gentle smile in the morning, and his heart warmed. "He also said that my paintings are beautiful and should be shown to everyone."
The two chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived at Yunshen Pavilion. When pushing open the gate, Lin Yan couldn't help but exclaimed "Wow" - there were large areas of blue grass planted in the yard, with a bluestone path winding through it. In the distance, the white walls and black tiles were softly illuminated by the setting sun, just like a scene from an ink painting.
"Your house is so beautiful." Lin Yan exclaimed sincerely.
Lan Sizhui raised his chin proudly. "My father took care of this. He's very good at growing flowers."
When he walked into the living room, Wei Wuxian was reclining on the sofa, his eyes closed, covered with a thin blanket. Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes and saw the strange boy beside Sizhui, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.
"Dad, this is my friend, Lin Yan." Lan Sizhui ran to the sofa and introduced him with his face tilted up. "Lin Yan, this is my dad, Wei Wuxian."
"Hello, Uncle Wei." Lin Yan bowed politely, with a hint of shyness in his eyes, but not timid.
Wei Wuxian smiled and said in a gentle voice, "Hello, please take a seat. Sizhui, go get your friend a glass of water."
"Um!"
Lin Yan stood beside the sofa for a while, his eyes unconsciously attracted by the painting on the wall - it was a family portrait. The man in the painting was holding a child, and another man was standing beside him. The three of them were smiling with their eyes curved, and the sunlight fell on them, and the warmth seemed to be overflowing.
"That's my daddy, my father, and me." Lan Sizhui came back with water and followed his gaze, his little face full of pride.
Lin Yan nodded, his gaze fixed on the man in the painting with an exceptionally bright smile—it must be Uncle Wei. Although Uncle Wei looked pale and sickly, his features were still recognizable in the painting, especially his eyes, which shone brightly as if they held stars.
"I heard Uncle Wei was an actor?" Lin Yan asked quietly, holding his water cup. His mother was a fan of Wei Wuxian and they still had DVDs of his early costume dramas at home.
Wei WuXian was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Yeah, but I haven't filmed in a long time."
"My mother really likes your performance in 'The Burial Mound'. She said that you brought Wei Wuxian to life." Lin Yan said seriously and did not notice that Wei Wuxian's fingertips trembled slightly when he heard the character's name.
Lan Sizhui added, "That's because Daddy is just playing himself!"
Wei Wuxian smiled and ruffled his hair without explaining anything. Some things in the past weren't suitable to be shared with children.
Lin Yan was quickly drawn to Si Zhui's album. The two of them lay on the carpet, flipping through the pages. Si Zhui pointed to one of the paintings and said excitedly, "This is a talisman I drew for Daddy to pray for his safety."
The little figure in the painting was crooked, yet it exuded a stubborn earnestness. Lin Yan looked at the painting, then at Wei Wuxian, who was resting with his eyes closed on the sofa, and suddenly said, "I can draw too. Next time I'll draw a better amulet for Uncle Wei."
Lan Sizhui's eyes lit up: "Really? Then let's draw together!"
"OK."
The two children huddled together, chattering about their sketches. Their voices were quiet, but like a pebble dropped into a lake, they sent gentle ripples through the quiet living room. Wei Wuxian leaned back on the sofa, listening to their laughter, the smile on his face gradually deepening.
He recalled how many years ago, he, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang had gathered together like this, chatting and planning their future under the willow trees in Lotus Pier. Back then, they had thought their lives would always be simple and happy, but they hadn't expected to experience so many hardships later on.
Looking at the two children before him, he suddenly felt that perhaps time truly was gentle. What was missed and lost would always return in another form, hidden in the smiles of the next generation, hidden in the ordinary atmosphere of life.
When Lan Wangji came back in the evening, he saw this scene: Wei Wuxian was leaning on the sofa with a faint smile, the two children were lying on the carpet drawing, and the golden light of the setting sun was pouring in through the window, giving their shadows a warm edge.
"Father!" Lan Sizhui looked up and saw him, and immediately raised the drawing paper. "Look, this is the amulet that Lin Yan and I drew together!"
Lan Wangji walked over and his eyes fell on the drawing paper—two figures stood side by side, each holding a sword, with the word "peace" written beside them. He glanced at Lin Yan and nodded slightly: "Hello."
"Hello, Uncle Lan." Lin Yan quickly stood up and greeted politely. He had heard Si Zhui say that his father was a very capable entrepreneur. Although he looked serious, his eyes were not fierce.
At dinner, Lin Yan was invited to stay. He was polite, helping to set the table and eating quietly. He wasn't as loud as Lan Jingyi, nor as arrogant as Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian looked at him, and the more he looked at him, the more he liked him. He couldn't help but give him a few more ribs.
"Thank you, Uncle Wei." Lin Yan always thanked him obediently, and the dimples on the corners of her mouth were faintly visible under the light.
After dinner, when Lin Yan was about to leave, Lan Sizhui handed him the letter Wei Wuxian had written that morning. "This is from my father. Can you help me take a look at it? Is there anything wrong with it?"
Lin Yan was stunned for a moment, then took the envelope and said seriously, "I'll take a good look at it and return it to you tomorrow."
Watching the two children waving goodbye at the door, Wei Wuxian leaned against Lan Wangji's arms and said with a smile, "This kid is good. He and Sizhui get along well."
Lan Wangji hummed, his eyes fixed on the direction where Lin Yan disappeared, as if thinking about something.
He didn't know that the boy who walked into their house that evening would, many years later, hold Sizhui's hand, stand in front of this door again, and solemnly say, "Uncle Wei, Uncle Lan, I want to marry Sizhui."
I didn't know that Lan Sizhui at that time would be like he is now, hiding behind Lin Yan with a red face, but nodding vigorously: "Yes, I want to marry him."
The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, tinting the sky a gentle orange-red. The two children disappeared at the end of the alley, the air still lingering with the aroma of food and the laughter of young people.
No one knew that a fate spanning countless years had quietly begun to take shape on this ordinary evening. And the tenderness and protection hidden in time would eventually return to them one day in the future in the most perfect way.
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