Chapter 172 Park
The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated when Wei Wuxian tiptoed to Sizhui's room. The boy was sound asleep, a faint smile playing on his face, perhaps dreaming of the unfinished wooden cat he'd carved the night before.
“Sizhui, wake up.” Wei Wuxian lowered his voice and patted his back gently.
Lan Sizhui drowsily opened his eyes, and when he saw it was him, he instantly regained consciousness: "Daddy? What's wrong?"
“I’d like to take you out to play, would you like to go?” Wei Wuxian winked at him, a sly glint in his eyes. “Just the two of us, let’s go to the park to fly kites. That big kite you mentioned last time might just come in handy.”
Si Zhui's eyes lit up instantly, and he sat up suddenly: "Really? But... Father will be angry if he finds out, right?"
"He's gone to the company and won't be back until the afternoon." Wei Wuxian patted his chest and said firmly, "Let's go and come back quickly. We guarantee that no one will notice."
The boy ultimately couldn't resist the temptation to go out and play. He quickly dressed and slipped out the door with Wei Wuxian. Dew still coated the bluegrass in the yard, and the air was thick with the crisp fragrance of grass and trees. Like thieves, they tiptoed through the path, only to find themselves out of the alleyway when they both breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at each other.
The morning exercises in the park hadn't finished yet; the elderly were practicing Tai Chi, and the radio was blaring opera music. Wei Wuxian held Sizhui's hand as they walked along the lakeside path. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dancing spots of light on the ground.
"Daddy, you look much better than before." Si Zhui suddenly said, looking up at him, his little face full of surprise, "I'm not out of breath even when I walk."
Wei WuXian touched his face, feeling warm inside. "That's right, your father is slowly getting better. When he's fully recovered, I'll take you hiking, to the sea, to any place you want to go."
"Okay!" Si Zhui nodded vigorously and took out the big kite with the family portrait painted on it from his backpack. "Let's fly the kite!"
The kite string was slowly unleashed, and the kite, painted with three smiling faces, swayed and rose in the wind, soaring higher and higher until it finally became a tiny dot in the sky. Si Zhui ran, pulling at the string, his laughter echoing like a silver bell. Wei Wuxian followed behind him, his eyes suddenly warming as he watched the tiny figure.
He recalled the long time ago at the mass grave, when Sizhui was still called Wen Yuan, always wearing ill-fitting clothes and timidly following behind him. Now, the child has grown up, can run and jump, laugh and play, and he still worries about his health... Time is truly amazing, turning those bitter pasts into the sweet present.
"Daddy, look! It's about to fly into the clouds!" Si Zhui turned around and called him excitedly.
Wei Wuxian smiled and nodded. Just as he was about to respond, he felt a familiar pain in his waist. He subconsciously pressed his waist, pausing as a thin layer of cold sweat oozed from his forehead.
"Daddy?" Si Zhui sensed something was wrong and hurried back. Seeing his pale face, his expression instantly fell. "Are you feeling unwell? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you run away."
“It’s okay, it’s just an old problem.” Wei Wuxian took a deep breath, forced a smile and waved his hands, “I’ll be fine after a while.”
He pulled Si Zhui to sit on a bench by the lake. Si Zhui quickly took out a water bottle from his bag and handed it to him. He also took out a spare thin blanket and carefully covered his legs with it. His movements were so skillful that it made people feel distressed.
"It's all my fault," Si Zhui said with his head down, his voice muffled, "If only I hadn't been clamoring to fly a kite."
“I don’t blame you.” Wei Wuxian ruffled his hair, looked at the small kite in the sky, and said softly, “Daddy is very happy to accompany you out.”
The sun shone warmly on him, the lake shimmered, and the sounds of children's laughter drifted in the distance. Wei Wuxian leaned back in his chair, listening to Sizhui ramble on about interesting things at school. The ache in his waist seemed to be soothed a little by the warm sun.
He knew he shouldn't have sneaked out, knowing that if Lan Wangji knew, he would definitely frown and scold him. But looking at the sparkling eyes of the children beside him, feeling the real wind in his palms, he suddenly felt that occasionally "disobedient" might be worth it.
After all, if you miss this kind of time, you will never get it back.
"We should go back." Wei Wuxian glanced at the sky and stood up, holding onto his chair. "If we're any later, your father will find out."
Si Zhui quickly put away the kite and supported him obediently: "Daddy, I'll help you walk. It's okay to walk slowly."
On the way back, the two of them didn't run anymore, but just walked slowly. Sizhui held the rolled-up kite in his hand, and Wei Wuxian held his hand. The sunlight stretched their shadows very long, like two exclamation points nestled together.
When they reached the alley entrance, Si Zhui suddenly stopped, took out a candy from his pocket, peeled it, and handed it to Wei Wuxian: "Daddy, have some candy. I'm very happy today."
The sweetness of the orange spread across his tongue. Wei Wuxian chewed it with a smile, and suddenly a strange sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
Perhaps, the so-called recovery is not just physical healing, but also the ability to grasp these simple happiness again - flying a kite with your children, taking a walk in the sun, and sharing a sweet candy.
He lowered his head to look at Si Zhui's serious expression and whispered in his heart:
When I am fully recovered, I will definitely go out with you every day.
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