Chapter 214: Envy takes on more responsibilities, forgets the opportunity and feels sorry
After Wei Wuxian returned from the Golden Palace, he didn't go to Sizhui's room to tease him as usual, but went straight to the study. Lan Wangji was sitting at his desk sorting through celestial texts. He looked up and saw him enter with a wooden box. His face had lost its usual playfulness, and instead had a rare seriousness.
"Wangji, look at this." Wei Wuxian opened the wooden box. Inside was the 'Heavenly Child-Raising Code' he had just unearthed from the storeroom, along with several old books on the rules of the immortal sect. "I used to think Zhui'er was fine as long as everyone was there to protect him. Now I know it's not enough to just love him; we also have to teach him the rules and respect his behavior. I'll read these more often and teach him together with you. Don't let him get into trouble like he did this time."
Lan Wangji put down the scroll in his hands and fixed his gaze on Wei Wuxian's face. The man before him still had a touch of carefreeness on his face, but his eyes concealed a genuine solemnity. Back in the mortal world, Wei Wuxian had always loved to act coquettishly and playfully with him, and he'd always relied on his heart to handle matters. In the heavenly realm, with Jun Wu as his backup, he'd never taken the word "responsibility" seriously. But now, he'd taken the initiative to learn how to raise a child and shoulder the responsibilities of an elder.
“Okay,” Lan Wangji agreed softly, reaching out to hold Wei Wuxian’s hand. His fingertips touched the calluses on his palm from rummaging through old books, and a sudden tender pain welled up in his heart. “Don’t rush. Let’s take it slow.”
"How can I not be anxious?" Wei Wuxian sighed, leaning against Lan Wangji's shoulder, his voice softer. "I went to see Dad today, and he told me about all the trouble I got into as a kid. I realized how ignorant I was before. Zhui'er is just like me when I was little, taking advantage of someone's love and being willful. If I don't teach him well, and he gets into even bigger trouble in the future, how can I be worthy of him, how can I be worthy of Dad and you?"
Lan Wangji patted him gently on the back, his tone filled with relief. "It's great that you think this way. You used to be the one spoiled by everyone, but now you're willing to take responsibility for Zhui'er. I'm very happy."
He thought of Wei Wuxian when they first met, dressed in fine clothes and riding a horse, unrestrained and uninhibited; he thought of the years they had spent together, when Wei Wuxian always loved to stick to him, but would also stand up for him when he needed him; now that he was in heaven, his lover had finally learned from being the one being cared for to caring for others - this transformation made him proud, but he couldn't help but feel distressed.
I feel sorry for him because he used to be so reckless but now he has to learn to control his temper and think about those trivial rules; I feel sorry for him because he is still a bit childish but has to force himself to grow up and teach another child how to walk steadily.
Over the next few days, Wei Wuxian truly changed. Where he used to be prone to slacking off when handling Celestial affairs, he now listened attentively to the explanations given by the Immortal Official Wenqu, even writing down important clauses in a small booklet. Where his first instinct was to protect Sizhui when he made a mistake, he now patiently inquired about the cause before explaining what Sizhui had done wrong and how to correct it. Even at night, when he was with Lan Wangji, he no longer just played around, but would pull out the "Forbidden Regulations of the Celestial Realm" and work with Lan Wangji to explain things clearly in terms Sizhui could understand.
That evening, Sizhui finished copying the rules for the first time and went to find Wei Wuxian with the book in hand. As he reached the study door, he heard Wei Wuxian's voice from inside: "Wangji, you said the rule 'Do not trespass in the forbidden area'. If I tell Sizhui a little story about it, will he remember it better?"
"You can try." Lan Wangji's voice was gentle. "He always likes to hear the stories you make up."
Si Zhui stood at the doorway, watching the two people in the study—Wei Wuxian hunched over his desk, writing and drawing with a pen in hand, his brows occasionally furrowed as he pondered the plot; Lan Wangji sat beside him, a scroll in his hands, occasionally looking up to offer advice, his eyes filled with tenderness. The setting sun streamed in through the window, tinting their figures a warm golden hue, a warmth that was soothing.
He gently pushed the door open and held up the book of rules in his hand: "Dad, I've finished copying it the first time."
Wei WuXian immediately put down his pen, walked over and took the notebook, flipping through it carefully. He smiled and ruffled his hair, "It's very neatly written, much better than your father and I when we were little. Come on, Daddy will take you to give the wood carving to Grandfather, and by the way, you can wear the peace jade pendant he gave you."
Sizhui nodded, took Wei Wuxian's hand, and looked back at Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji smiled at him, his eyes full of satisfaction - his lover was growing up, their child was becoming sensible, and days like this, even though there were twists and turns, were also full of warmth.
As they walked out of the Cloud Depth Pavilion, Wei Wuxian suddenly remembered something and pulled out a candy from his pocket, handing it to Sizhui. "This is the 'calming candy' from the heavens. Eating it can make people less impulsive. Next time you think about doing something, eat this candy first and think about whether you should do it or not, okay?"
Sizhui took the candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put it in his mouth. The sweetness spread on his tongue, and his heart was filled with warmth. He knew that his father had changed, becoming more sensible and more considerate of him. And hidden in this change was his father's full love for him.
Lan Wangji followed behind them, looking at the father and son holding hands in front of him, and couldn't help but smile. His Xianxian had finally grown into a man who could protect his family from the wind and rain. This growth was his pride, and it was also the gentleness he wanted to protect for the rest of his life.
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