Chapter 39: A Trip to Lotus Dock
The road to Yunmeng wasn't very close, so Lan Wangji summoned Bichen, and the three of them rode together. Wei Wuxian sat in the middle, one arm around Lan Wangji's waist, the other reaching back from time to time to pat Sizhui's knee and tell him some interesting stories from Lotus Pier.
"Your uncle was so stupid when he was little," Wei Wuxian lowered his voice so Lan Wangji, who was standing in front of him, could hear. "He learned to swim for half a month, but he was always floundering in the shallows. Uncle Jiang made him copy the family rules as punishment."
Si Zhui couldn't help laughing. Lan Wangji's hand holding the reins paused slightly, but the corners of his mouth curled up imperceptibly.
As they approached the Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng could be seen waiting at the dock from a distance, holding the supposedly new spirit dog. The dog, pitch black, rushed towards Wei Wuxian, wagging its tail, but was restrained by Jiang Cheng.
"No manners," Jiang Cheng frowned and scolded. His eyes swept over the headband on Lan Wangji's forehead. When he saw the small bow, his brows raised even higher. "Second Young Master Lan is becoming more and more... unique."
Wei Wuxian jumped down from Bichen and patted Jiang Cheng on the shoulder: "How's it going? My cooking skills are pretty good, right?"
Lan Wangji landed with Sizhui in his hand, then calmly untied his headband and retied it—the bow had unraveled at some point. Wei Wuxian watched with amusement; this guy was still too embarrassed to show his shyness in front of others.
Entering the Lotus Pier, the pond was filled with lotus leaves, eclipsing the sky, dotted with pink and white lotus flowers. The breeze blew the fragrance of the water. Si Zhui, holding the wooden kite, looked around curiously. The scenery here was completely different from the cold and elegant Cloud Recesses. Everywhere was full of freshness and liveliness.
"Si Zhui, come here." Jiang Cheng waved at him and handed him the lotus pod in his hand. "Freshly picked, try it."
Si Zhui took the lotus pod, thanked him, peeled a seed, and put it in his mouth, the sweet taste spreading on his tongue. Wei Wuxian had already rushed to the edge of the pond, reached out and plucked the largest lotus pod, broke it open, and offered it to Lan Wangji: "Lan Zhan, try it, it's better than the ones in the Cloud Recesses!"
Lan Wangji opened his mouth to catch it. The sweetness of the lotus seeds mixed with the warmth from Wei Wuxian’s fingertips was indeed very refreshing.
Jiang Cheng's eyes twitched as he watched from the side: "Wei Wuxian, could you please stop acting crazy by the pond? Are you going to fall in and feed the fish?"
“Don’t worry,” Wei Wuxian turned around and made a face at him, “Han Guang-jun is here. Even if I fall, he will pull me out, right, Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji hummed lightly, his eyes always fixed on Wei Wuxian, afraid that he would actually slip.
At dinner, Jiang Yanli's tablet was brought out and placed in the center of the table. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, both unusually quiet, poured wine and added dishes to the tablet. Sizhui looked at the gentle woman in the portrait and heard Wei Wuxian say, "This is your Aunt Jiang's lotus root and pork rib soup. It's the best in the world."
After dinner, Jiang Cheng took them to see the southern section of the river where the water was causing trouble. The water glowed dimly in the night, and they could vaguely see dark shadows swaying beneath the surface.
"These water monsters have been particularly rampant recently," Jiang Cheng said, gripping the Purple Lightning Sword tightly. "They've already injured several villagers."
Wei Wuxian took out the Chenqing, placed it to his lips, and blew gently. The dark shadows beneath the water suddenly became agitated. Lan Wangji unsheathed his sword, and the Bichen whistled with a clear hum. The sword flashed like a thread, instantly splitting the water.
Si Zhui stood on the shore, watching Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fighting side by side. Wei Wuxian's flute music was eerie and ethereal, while Lan Wangji's swordsmanship was steady and sharp. The two of them, one attacking and one defending, coordinated perfectly. In just half an hour, the water monster was cleared out.
On the way back, Jiang Cheng looked at the two people walking side by side in front of him. Wei Wuxian was holding a handkerchief, standing on tiptoe to wipe the water droplets on Lan Wangji's face, muttering something. Lan Wangji lowered his head and listened, his eyes so gentle that tears could drip out of them.
He suddenly said, "Sizhui, come here."
Si Zhui walked over to him, and Jiang Cheng took out a small wooden sculpture from his arms. It was a wooden kite with its wings spread, which was more exquisite than the one Si Zhui had before.
"The last one wasn't done well, so this one's for you." Jiang Cheng shoved the wooden sculpture into his hand, his tone still stern. "In the Cloud Recesses, don't always follow Wei Wuxian's fooling around. Learn more from Second Young Master Lan's calmness."
"Thank you, uncle!" Si Zhui accepted it with a smile, "My uncle is actually quite capable too."
Jiang Cheng scoffed but didn't refute.
In the quiet room's guest room, Wei Wuxian lay on the bed, watching Lan Wangji undress. His outer robe, soaked from the day, slipped off, revealing his sleek back. Wei Wuxian couldn't help but reach out and poke him, "Lan Zhan, you were amazing today! Your sword moves were stunning!"
Lan Wangji turned around and squeezed his restless hand: "It's time to rest."
“No rush,” Wei Wuxian pulled him down to lie down and snuggled into his arms. “Look, nothing’s different in Yunmeng. Jiang Cheng is still the same, and the water monster isn’t hard to deal with. The most important thing is…” He raised his head and kissed Lan Wangji on the lips. “The most important thing is that you’re not jealous.”
Lan Wangji hugged him tightly, resting his chin on the top of his head: "Yeah."
“Then no matter where we go from now on, you’re not allowed to be jealous anymore, okay?” Wei Wuxian’s voice gradually faded, tinged with sleepiness. “You’re the only one in my heart…”
Lan Wangji closed his eyes and hummed softly, a faint smile spreading across his lips. The fragrance of lotus flowers drifted in with the wind, mixed with the refreshing moisture, and even more warm than the bamboo fragrance in the Cloud Recesses.
Si Zhui lay on the bed, stroking the wooden kite given by his uncle, listening to the low laughter coming from the next room, and suddenly felt that no matter whether it was in the Cloud Recesses or in the Lotus Pier, as long as his father was with his father, anywhere would be a safe home.
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