Chapter 187: Indirect Punishment
When Wei Wuxian arrived at the hospital, he was clutching the recovery treatment chart his father, Jun Wu, had given him. The densely packed list of treatments had been scribbled all over. Upon entering the ward and seeing Sizhui's pale face, his eyes instantly reddened. He rushed to the bedside, clutching his son's hand, his voice trembling, "Sizhui! Why is your fever so high? Are you feeling unwell?"
When Sizhui saw him, tears welled up in his eyes again and he cried out in a hoarse voice, "Daddy..."
“Hey, Daddy’s here.” Wei Wuxian hurriedly wiped his tears. His fingertips touched his burning skin, and he gasped in pain. “It’s all Daddy’s fault. If I hadn’t gone for those treatments and had been watching over you at home, you wouldn’t have gotten so feverish…”
"It's none of Daddy's business." Si Zhui shook his head, his little hands tightly grasping his sleeves. "It's my own fault..."
As he was speaking, the door to the ward opened and Lan Wangji walked in. He immediately saw Si Zhui lying frail on the bed, and a flash of pity flashed across his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by melancholy. He didn't look at Si Zhui, but only at Lin Yan standing beside him. His voice was as cold as ice: "What's going on?"
Lin Yan lowered his eyes and said in a low voice: "I didn't think highly of him."
Si Zhui's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "It's not me, father! It's me..."
"Shut up." Lan Wangji's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty. Si Zhui shrank back when he looked at him, swallowed the rest of his words, and his eyes became even redder.
Lan Wangji walked to the bedside and looked down at Sizhui, the disappointment in his eyes piercing like a needle: "To keep someone, you pour cold water on yourself? Lan Sizhui, is this the principle you learned?"
Si Zhui's lips were trembling, he couldn't speak, and tears were falling down his face.
"Do you realize how absurd this behavior is?" Lan Wangji's voice deepened. "You're ruining your body just for a little separation. What will you do if you encounter even greater setbacks in the future?"
Wei Wuxian felt a sharp pain in his heart as he watched his son tremble and cry. He wanted to speak up for him, but a look from Lan Wangji stopped him. He knew Lan Wangji's temper, and if he didn't discipline Sizhui, he was afraid he would never learn his lesson.
Lan Wangji's gaze fell on Sizhui's hands, which were clutching the quilt. They were still trembling slightly, clearly still recovering from the fever. He raised his hands, his palms resting on Sizhui's back, his fingertips white from the pressure. He was truly furious, furious that this child didn't cherish himself, furious that he had solved a problem in such a foolish way.
But looking at that pale little face and those timid eyes filled with tears, my palm finally stopped in mid-air and couldn't fall down.
“Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian whispered, “The child is still sick…”
Lan Wangji closed his eyes, abruptly retracted his hand, and turned to look at Lin Yan, his eyes sharp as a knife: "How did you take him?"
Lin Yan took a step forward, straightened his back, and said firmly, "It's my fault. I didn't tell him the details of the trip in advance, didn't make him feel at ease, and didn't notice his thoughts in time, which is why he made the mistake. All the responsibility lies with me, not Sizhui. Uncle Lan, please punish me."
He knew Lan Wangji's temper, and he knew Sizhui had indeed done something wrong this time. But he also knew that half of the child's anxiety was the aftereffects of his previous cold treatment. He couldn't let Sizhui bear this punishment again.
"You want to take the blame for him?" Lan Wangji looked at him, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "Lin Yan, you have to think carefully. This punishment will not be easy when it falls."
"I understand." Lin Yan lowered his head and said calmly, "It's my fault. I deserve to be punished."
Si Zhui was so anxious that he wanted to sit up, but Wei Wuxian held him down. He looked at Lin Yan's straight back, feeling anxious and distressed. "Brother Lin! It's not your fault! It's me..."
“Don’t move.” Wei WuXian held him down and shook his head. “Your brother Lin knows what’s going on.”
Lan Wangji didn't say anything else. He turned around and took something out of the bag he was carrying. It was a black ruler, which was used by the Lan family to punish their children. The edges were polished to a smooth surface, but it felt heavy.
"Stretch out your hand." Lan Wangji's voice was calm.
Lin Yan stretched out his hand as he was told, palm facing up, fingers slightly curled up.
The ward was completely silent, with only Sizhui's suppressed sobs and the ticking of the instruments. Wei Wuxian turned his head away, unable to bear to watch.
“Bang!”
The ruler landed on his palm with a crisp sound. Lin Yan's hand trembled violently, his knuckles turning white in an instant, but he remained silent.
“Snap! Snap!”
Two more blows, each one stronger than the last. Lin Yan's palm quickly turned red, even with a faint trace of blood.
"Father! Stop hitting me!" Si Zhui cried heartbreakingly and struggled to stop him. "If you're going to hit me, hit me! It's my fault!"
Lin Yan turned around and shook his head at him, his eyes filled with comfort. His lips moved as he silently said, "It's okay."
Lan Wangji felt a pang of pain as he watched Lin Yan endure this. This child was more sensible than Si Zhui and protected him more than anyone else. How could he not know that he was trying to take the blame for Si Zhui, to make him feel better?
But some pains must be shouldered by someone else. This was both a punishment for Lin Yan's negligence and a lesson for Si Zhui—if you make a mistake, you must be punished. Even if you have to shoulder the responsibility for someone else, you must understand the weight of that responsibility.
"The last three." Lan Wangji's voice was a little hoarse.
“Snap! Snap! Snap!”
The ruler fell, the sound echoing throughout the ward. Lin Yan's hands were swollen like steamed buns, but he kept his back straight and looked calmly ahead.
When the ruler was withdrawn, fine beads of blood had already seeped out of Lin Yan's palm. He slowly withdrew his hand and let it hang at his side, his fingertips trembling slightly with pain.
"Remember the pain this time." Lan Wangji looked at him, his tone softening. "You can protect him, but you can't condone his mistakes. You must follow every rule that should be taught."
"Yes." Lin Yan replied with his head down, his voice slightly hoarse.
Lan Wangji put away his ruler and took one last look at Si Zhui, who was crying so hard he could barely breathe on the hospital bed. The severity in his eyes faded a little, but he didn't say anything harsh. He turned to Wei Wuxian and said, "I'll call a doctor."
The ward finally quieted down. Lin Yan walked to the bedside and looked at Si Zhui, whose face was red from crying. He endured the pain in his palm and reached out to wipe his tears. "Why are you crying? I didn't hit you."
"It's all my fault..." Si Zhui grabbed his injured hand, tears falling even harder, "Your hand... must be hurting, right?"
"It doesn't hurt." Lin Yan smiled and tried to pull his hand back, but Si Zhui held it even tighter.
"Let me see..." Si Zhui carefully turned over his palm and saw the redness, swelling and bloodshot. Tears welled up like beads from a broken string. "It's bleeding... Brother Lin, I'm sorry..."
"Silly boy." Lin Yan ruffled his hair and said softly, "Now you'll remember this. Don't do anything that hurts yourself again. Otherwise..." He deliberately put on a stern face, "Next time it won't be as simple as a slap on the palm."
Si Zhui looked at his red eyes and nodded vigorously, but his tears fell even harder. He knew that Lin Yan was using his pain to teach him what responsibility and cherishment meant.
The sunlight from outside shone through the glass, falling on Lin Yan's injured hand and Si Zhui's tearful eyes. Wei Wuxian stood aside, looking at the two children, and a warm feeling suddenly surged in his heart.
Maybe this is what growing up is like. There always needs to be someone who loves you, someone who takes care of you, and someone who, in their own way, shields you from the storm and helps you learn lessons.
And this protection hidden in the pain will eventually sprout like a seed over time and grow into a big tree that can shelter from wind and rain.
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