Chapter 18 Returning Home
By the time the picnic was over, the setting sun had already dyed half the sky red. The mountain breeze was a bit chilly, so Wei Wuxian took off his outer robe and casually draped it over Sizhui's shoulders. The child had always had a cold constitution and was prone to catching a cold if he wasn't careful.
"Let's go, it's time to go back." Wei Wuxian patted the crumbs on his hands and stood up first.
Lan Wangji had already packed up the food box. Seeing the outer robe on Si Zhui's shoulders, his eyes softened a little, but he didn't say anything. He just naturally took the Chen Qing from Wei Wuxian's hand and put it behind his back for him.
The return journey seemed much shorter than the journey there. Lan Jingyi, perhaps tired from playing, stopped chattering, occasionally kicking pebbles by the roadside and humming a tuneless song. Jin Ling walked beside him, twirling the tassel of his sword in his hand, his steps much more brisk.
Si Zhui walked behind, watching the backs of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in front of him, and suddenly felt that this scene was particularly peaceful. Dad always walked casually, and from time to time he would stop and wait for his father to take a few steps; his father was always calm and steady, but he would quietly reach out and help Dad when he almost tripped over a rock at a corner.
"What are you thinking about?" Jin Ling slowed down his pace and moved closer to him.
Si Zhui smiled and said, "I was thinking, today was really not a wasted trip."
"Yeah." Jin Ling nodded, paused, and added awkwardly, "Those practical skills that my uncle talked about... were quite useful."
Si Zhui could see that he was genuinely happy. He had always thought Jin Ling was like a hedgehog with spikes sticking out, but now he realized he was just not good at expressing himself.
When they were almost at the entrance to the Cloud Recesses, Wei WuXian suddenly stopped and turned to look at the three children: "Have you remembered everything that happened today?"
The three of them quickly stood up straight.
"Remember!" Lan Jingyi answered first, "Night hunting requires not only the ability to fight, but also the ability to observe. The human heart is more difficult to deal with than evil spirits!"
Wei Wuxian nodded in satisfaction and looked at Jin Ling again.
Jin Ling pursed his lips and said seriously, "When encountering something, you can't just look at the surface. You have to find out the reason before taking action."
Finally, it was Sizhui's turn. He thought for a moment and said, "Do what you can. Don't be overbearing, and don't be indifferent."
“Okay.” Wei Wuxian smiled, his eyes full of approval. “It was all in vain. When you go hunting at night in the future, remember these points, okay?”
"knew!"
After entering the mountain gate, Lan Jingyi yawned and said, "I have to go back quickly, otherwise my uncle will nag me." He waved to a few people and ran away.
Jin Ling also stopped and said, "I'll be returning to my quarters first. I have sword practice tomorrow." He looked at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji and bowed. "Uncle, Uncle Lan, goodbye."
“Go ahead.” Wei Wuxian smiled and waved his hand. “Remember to practice the moves you learned today and don’t oversleep.”
Jin Ling's ears flushed slightly as he replied, "Got it," and turned to leave quickly. However, as he turned the corner, he glanced back secretly—Wei Wuxian was smiling and stroking Sizhui's hair. Lan Wangji was standing beside them, his eyes fixed on them, with a faint smile on his lips.
He suddenly felt a little envious, but not as awkward as when he first came. Perhaps there would be many more opportunities like this in the future.
It was already dark when they returned to the quiet room. Lan Wangji went to the kitchen to boil some water, while Wei Wuxian took Si Zhui to sit on the porch and told him about the fun times they had gone night hunting together.
"...Back then, your father was much more conservative than he is now. I told him that taking a detour would be a shortcut, but he insisted, 'Don't stray from the right path.' As a result, we ended up walking for two more hours, and it was already daybreak when we returned."
Si Zhui chuckled when he heard this: "Did father always punish you by making you copy the family rules back then?"
“That’s right.” Wei WuXian sighed, deliberately lowering his voice. “But later on, he broke the rules himself and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall all night. I had to secretly bring you a steamed bun.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lan Wangji came out of the room carrying water. He just happened to hear the last sentence and glanced at Wei Wuxian calmly: "What nonsense."
Wei WuXian immediately changed his tone with a smile, “I mean, your father was quite upright back then. Even when I tried to sneak a steamed bun into his mouth, he glared back at me!”
Sizhui couldn't help but smile as he watched the two of them interact. He took the hot water his father handed him, and the warmth spread from his fingertips to his heart.
"Are you tired today? Go to bed early." Lan Wangji touched his head with a gentle tone.
"Yeah." Si Zhui nodded, stood up and went back to his room.
Lying in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with today's events - the embarrassment of the little beggar in the mountain temple, his father's gentleness when handing him the silver, his father's attentiveness when packing up the food box, Jin Ling's awkward smile, Lan Jingyi's satisfied yawn...
These fragments, like a puzzle, form a warm picture.
Si Zhui suddenly understood that so-called growth is never about earth-shattering events, but is made up of these small bits of warmth: a talisman handed by a companion during a night hunt, a heartfelt instruction from an elder, and a light left on at the door for you when you return home.
The moonlight from outside shone through the window lattice and fell on the bed. Si Zhui yawned and closed his eyes with a smile.
Tomorrow will be another new day. There may be boring morning classes, or hard sword practice, but as long as I think of my family and friends around me, I won't be afraid of anything.
The years in the Cloud Recesses continued, and their story had just begun.
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