Chapter 168 Little Master
When Lan Sizhui pushed the door open, he saw Wei Wuxian lying in Lan Wangji's arms and acting coquettishly.
“Lan Zhan, my waist still hurts…” Wei Wuxian’s voice was soft and sticky, like a piece of freshly brewed malt sugar. He hooked his fingers on Lan Wangji’s collar and shook it, “Please rub it for me again, just for a while…”
Lan Wangji sighed helplessly and just as he raised his hand to massage him, he heard a "thump" from the door - the sound of a schoolbag falling to the ground.
They both turned to see Lan Sizhui standing at the door, his schoolbag at his feet, his face tense and his lips pressed into a straight line. When he'd left that morning, his father had specifically warned him, "Keep an eye on Daddy and don't let him move around." Seeing Wei Wuxian like this, and recalling his father's whispered instructions to the housekeeper in the hallway, "Prepare some more medicine for injuries," he instantly understood a good part of what was going on.
"Daddy." Si Zhui's voice was muffled, with a barely perceptible tremor. He didn't enter the room, but stood at the door looking at the person on the sofa, his eyes filled with grievance and anger.
The coquettish expression on Wei Wuxian's face froze instantly, like a naughty child who had been caught. He subconsciously tried to sit up straighter from Lan Wangji's embrace, but the dull pain in his waist made him hiss, and he shrank even more dependently into Lan Wangji's arms.
To Sizhui, this action seemed more like a case of "knowing one's mistakes but refusing to correct them." He sniffed, his eyes suddenly reddening, but he blinked hard, holding back the tears.
"You're being disobedient again, aren't you?" Si Zhui's voice rose a little, with the clearness that only a teenager can muster, yet every word was filled with anger. "Father said your back injury is acting up. Did you do something secretly again?"
Wei Wuxian was left speechless by his question and could only look to Lan Wangji for help. Lan Wangji patted him on the back and said to Sizhui, "Come in and talk."
Si Zhui didn't move, staring intently at Wei Wuxian. "What did I tell you before I left this morning? I told you to just lie down and not move or run around, and you promised!" As he spoke, his voice began to sob. "Don't you want to get well? Do you want me to lose sight of you again?"
The last sentence hit Wei Wuxian like a small stone, hitting him hard in the heart. He then remembered that when Sizhui was a child, he had seen him coughing up blood and fainting. That was the child's deepest fear. He quickly propped himself up and sat up, trying to explain: "Sizhui, it's not what you think. Daddy is..."
"Just what?" Si Zhui interrupted him, tears finally falling. "Just because you think you're well, you can just leave it alone? Do you know that I've been wondering the whole day at school whether you took your medicine properly and whether you got out of bed secretly? Lin Yan even noticed that something was wrong with me and asked me if something happened at home..."
He felt more and more aggrieved as he spoke, his hands tightly clutching the corners of his clothes, his knuckles turning white. "You always said you'd get better soon, fly kites with me, and teach me how to ride a bike, but you don't even take care of your own body. How can you keep your promise?"
Wei Wuxian watched his son weep, his heart aching and bitter, as if something was blocking it. He realized then that his momentary display of strength had, in the eyes of the child, been a precursor to "breaking his promise." He tried to get out of bed and walk over, but Lan Wangji held him down.
"Sit still." Lan Wangji's voice was steady. He stood up and walked over to Sizhui, bending down to pick up his schoolbag from the ground. "Come in first. The ground is cold."
Si Zhui walked in, led by his father, but he still turned his face away from Wei Wuxian, his shoulders twitching. Wei Wuxian looked at his red ears and suddenly remembered that when he was a child, he had gotten into trouble and Jiang Yanli had scolded him in the same way, with red eyes and a tone full of pity.
“Si Zhui,” Wei Wuxian said in a soft, flattering voice, “Daddy was wrong. I shouldn’t have disobeyed you and made you worry.”
Si Zhui didn't look back, but sniffed.
"Daddy promises that I'll take good care of myself and never try to show off again." Wei Wuxian held up three fingers, as if making a solemn promise. "If I do it again, your father will punish me by making me copy the family rules a hundred times, okay?"
Lan Sizhui then slowly turned his head, his eyes red as a rabbit's: "Really?"
“Really.” Wei WuXian looked him in the eyes and nodded seriously. “Also, from now on, I’ll have you supervise me while I take my medicine every day, okay?”
Si Zhui stared at him for a long while, and when he saw that there was no perfunctory look in his eyes, he sobbed and said, "Then you...then are you still in pain now?"
“A little,” Wei Wuxian answered truthfully. Seeing his son’s brows instantly tighten again, he quickly added, “But your father rubbed my face, and it’s much better now.”
Si Zhui walked to the sofa and cautiously extended his hand, wanting to touch but not daring to. In the end, he just gently pressed on Wei Wuxian's blanket-covered legs: "Then you should get better soon. I... I'm still looking forward to going to Grandpa Lin's shop with you and father to learn wood carving."
“Okay.” Wei Wuxian smiled and ruffled his hair. His fingertips touched the child’s slightly sweaty hair, and his heart felt warm.
At this time, the butler came in with medicine. Si Zhui immediately took it, blew on it like Lan Wangji did, tested the temperature, and then handed it to Wei Wuxian: "Take the medicine."
The tone was that of a little adult, filled with unquestionable seriousness. Wei Wuxian looked at his serious little face and obediently opened his mouth. When the bitter medicine slid into his throat, he didn't find it difficult to swallow at all - because he knew that hidden in the medicine was the child's heavy concern.
Lan Wangji stood aside, watching the interaction between father and son, the smile in his eyes so gentle it could drip tears. He suddenly understood that the so-called "restraint" was never just about Wei Wuxian. Sizhui's anger was hidden with care, and Wei Wuxian's compromise was filled with cherishment. These intertwined emotions made this family so warm and solid.
After finishing the medicine, Sizhui took out his homework book and moved a small stool to sit next to Wei Wuxian to do his homework. He didn't mention what happened just now, but he looked up at Wei Wuxian from time to time. Seeing him leaning back on the sofa with his eyes closed, he quietly pulled the blanket over him.
The setting sun shone through the window, casting long shadows on the floor. Wei Wuxian half-opened his eyes, looking at his son who was writing diligently beside him, and Lan Wangji who was flipping through a book not far away. Suddenly, he felt that the dull pain in his waist seemed to soften.
It turns out that being "controlled" like this is also a kind of happiness.
Just like this moment, the bluegrass outside the window sways gently in the evening breeze, the lights inside the house are warm yellow, someone worries about you, gets angry for you, and clumsily learns to take care of others for you. These trivial moments, pieced together, are the most peaceful and quiet years.
“Sizhui,” Wei Wuxian suddenly said softly, “As soon as Daddy gets better, I’ll take you to fly a kite, okay?”
Si Zhui paused holding the pen, turned around to look at him, and a faint smile appeared on his little face: "Okay."
In that smile, there is relief, expectation, and a protection that transcends age.
Wei WuXian looked at him and whispered to himself:
This time, I will definitely do what I say.
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