Chapter 170: White Grievance
The atmosphere in the living room of Yunshen Pavilion was tense.
Lan Sizhui lay sprawled on the sofa, his shoulders twitching as he cried. The back of his right hand was red, marked with distinct finger marks. Lan Xichen sat beside him, holding ointment, trying to apply it, but he stubbornly dodged. Lin Yan stood by the coffee table, his hands behind his back, his face more serious than Lan Wangji's, yet a subtle hint of panic lingered in his eyes.
Wei Wuxian was shocked by the scene as soon as he stepped into the living room. He subconsciously wanted to rush over to see his son's hand, but Lan Wangji held his arm down.
"What's wrong?" Wei Wuxian's voice was filled with anxiety, and his eyes moved between the crying Si Zhui and the stern-faced Lin Yan, finally landing on Lan Xichen.
Lan Xichen sighed and pointed out the window, "Sizhui just tried to pick up a stray cat at the alley entrance. The cat was quite feral and kept breathing down his neck. Lin Yan tried to dissuade him from touching it, but he wouldn't listen and insisted on touching it. In a moment of desperation, Lin Yan slapped him on the back of his hand."
Only then did Wei Wuxian notice Sizhui's red handprint, and his heart suddenly tightened. He broke free from Lan Wangji's hand and squatted down beside the sofa. "Sizhui, let Daddy see if it hurts."
Seeing him come back, Sizhui cried even harder, sobbing, "Daddy... Lin Yan beat me... He also said I was disobedient..."
Wei Wuxian looked at the red marks, and he knew he had been beaten quite hard. He felt both pain and anger. He was about to raise his head to say something to Lin Yan, but Lan Xichen stopped him, "Ah Xian, listen to Lin Yan first."
Lin Yan took a step forward, his back straight. "Uncle Wei, that cat scratched Grandma Zhang next door yesterday, and Sizhui insisted on holding it. I told him there were bacteria, but he wouldn't listen, saying, 'Cats are so cute, they won't scratch you.' I couldn't stop him, so I had to spank him to wake him up."
His voice was steady and clear, and he sounded more like a little adult than the crying Si Zhui.
Wei Wuxian was stunned and looked at Sizhui: "Is that so?"
Si Zhui choked at the question, and his crying became softer, but he still insisted: "But...but it looks so pitiful...I just wanted to give it something to eat..."
"You can just put the food on the ground, why do you have to hold it?" Lin Yan frowned and retorted, "Teacher said that we shouldn't touch unfamiliar animals casually, especially stray cats and dogs. What if they carry germs?"
“I…” Si Zhui was speechless after being asked this question. He could only look at Wei Wuxian aggrievedly, tears falling again, “Daddy…”
Wei Wuxian looked at his son's reddened hand. The pain in his heart hadn't yet subsided, but he also understood that Lin Yan was right. He was about to say something to ease the situation when he heard Lan Wangji say from behind, "Lin Yan did the right thing."
Everyone was stunned. Si Zhui looked up at his father in disbelief, "Father?"
Lan Wangji walked up to Sizhui, squatted down, and looked at him calmly: "Lin Yan stopped you for your safety. You knew that stray cats could hurt people, but you insisted on touching them. You were being willful. He hit you so that you would remember this lesson."
"But...but he hit me..." Si Zhui's voice was tearful and full of grievance.
"If you do something wrong, you must be punished." Lan Wangji's voice was even. "Last time you skipped school, your father asked you to write a self-criticism. This time you disregarded your safety, and Lin Yan's warnings were ineffective. What's wrong with stopping you?"
Si Zhui was speechless after being asked this question, his lips trembling, and his tears fell even harder, but it was no longer the grievance from before, but a bit of embarrassment of having his thoughts revealed.
Wei Wuxian looked at his son's red eyes, his heart softening. He reached out to touch Sizhui's head, but Lan Wangji stopped him with a look.
"Daddy knows you care about the kitten, and that's a kind gesture." Wei Wuxian changed his tone, speaking gently yet seriously. "But kindness should be measured. You can't gamble with your own safety. Lin Yan hit you because he was worried you'd get hurt. You should appreciate this kindness."
He looked at Lin Yan and saw that although the boy still had a stern face, his fingertips were trembling slightly. He smiled and said, "Lin Yan, you don't have to hit me so hard next time. If you can't hold me back, you can run back and tell the adults, okay?"
Lin Yan nodded, his cheeks slightly red. "I understand, Uncle Wei." He paused, walked to Si Zhui, and took out a candy from his pocket. "This is for you. It's orange flavored, the same as what Uncle Wei usually eats."
Si Zhui looked at the candy, then at Lin Yan's tense face, and his tears suddenly stopped. He sniffed, didn't take the candy, and whispered, "I know I was wrong... I shouldn't have disobeyed you."
Lan Xichen finally breathed a sigh of relief and walked over with the ointment. "Come on, apply it, or it'll swell up."
This time, Sizhui didn't hide and obediently reached out his hand. The ointment felt cool and comfortable on his hand, and the burning pain seemed to be alleviated a little.
Lin Yan stood aside and watched. Seeing that Si Zhui was no longer angry, he breathed a sigh of relief, and the dimples at the corners of his mouth appeared faintly.
Wei Wuxian leaned against Lan Wangji, watching the little awkwardness between the two children disappear into thin air, and suddenly felt warm in his heart.
It turns out that educating children is never a one-person job. With Lan Wangji's strictness and gentleness, as well as "little adults" like Lin Yan who protect their companions in their own way, Sizhui can slowly learn the meaning of propriety and responsibility through his ups and downs.
After dinner, Si Zhui took the initiative to give half of the orange candy that Lin Yan gave to Wei Wuxian.
"Daddy, this is so sweet." Si Zhui said incoherently while holding the candy in his mouth.
“Yeah.” Wei Wuxian smiled and ruffled his hair. “Lin Yan is a good boy, right?”
Si Zhui nodded vigorously, his face full of seriousness: "Yes! Next time I will listen to him."
The moonlight from outside the window gently poured in, illuminating the smile on the child's face and the warmth flowing through the living room. Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji, who was quietly reading beside him, and suddenly felt that perhaps this was what perfection meant – someone setting the rules for you, someone accompanying you through your confusions, and someone quietly providing a safe haven for you, even from where you couldn't see.
And those painful lessons will eventually become the most precious armor over time, protecting children as they grow up.
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