Chapter 40 Old Traces
After three days in Lotus Pier, the water monster had completely subsided, but Wei Wuxian refused to leave, saying he wanted to wait until the lotus pods were riper so he could pick a basket and bring it back to the Cloud Recesses. Jiang Cheng scolded him for being "greedy," but he had the freshest lotus seeds delivered to his guest room every day.
That afternoon, Si Zhui and Wei Wuxian went fishing by the lotus pond. Wei Wuxian sat on the stone steps, casually holding a bamboo fishing rod, his line dangling in the water for a long time, and he was free to tell Si Zhui about his childhood.
"The first time your uncle and I secretly rowed a boat to the center of the lotus pond," he said cheerfully, wiggling his feet. "The boat capsized, and we both drifted for half an hour clinging to a lotus leaf before Uncle Jiang pulled us out. Your Aunt Jiang was standing on the shore, her eyes red from crying, but she still shared the candy cakes she had with us."
Si Zhui listened intently and suddenly asked, "Dad, back then... were you as happy as you are now?"
Wei Wuxian paused with his fishing rod, then smiled. "I was happy, but not as grounded as I am now." He turned to look in the direction of the quiet room, where Lan Wangji was helping Jiang Cheng sort through the immortal sect's files. His figure stood tall and quiet on the window paper. "I used to think life was like a lotus pod in the wind, drifting wherever it went. Now I know that having someone who can catch you steadily is the best thing."
As he spoke, the fishing rod suddenly sank. Wei WuXian quickly lifted the rod, and a golden-red koi fish arced through the air before landing with a plop into the bamboo basket on the shore.
"Good boy, that's enough for an extra dish for dinner!" Wei Wuxian smiled as he went to catch the fish, but he didn't pay attention to the moss under his feet and suddenly slipped.
"Daddy!" Si Zhui hurried to help, but saw that Wei Wuxian had been held firmly by someone - Lan Wangji was standing behind him at some point, one hand around his waist and the other holding the unfinished file.
“You’re so clumsy.” Lan Wangji’s tone was a little helpless, but his fingertips carefully wiped away the mud on his trouser legs.
Wei WuXian leaned into his arms, smiling like a child who had stolen candy: "Lan Zhan, you are still reliable."
Jiang Cheng had been standing in the corridor watching this scene for some time, his teacup banging heavily on the table. But instead of yelling as usual, he simply turned and walked back inside. Si Zhui watched him from behind, suddenly remembering the wooden kite his uncle had given him, carved with such care. It turns out that even the toughest of personalities have soft corners.
That evening, Jiang Cheng had lotus root and pork rib soup prepared. The soup was milky white, with a rich lotus root aroma. Wei Wuxian drank two large bowls, his eyes slightly reddened. "It still tastes the same, just like what Senior Sister makes." Suddenly, Wei Wuxian became very sad.
Jiang Cheng lowered his head to drink his soup, his voice muffled: "It took me half a year to learn how to cook."
Si Zhui drank the soup and felt that it not only had the sweetness of lotus root, but also some indescribable taste - like nostalgia, like reconciliation, like the tenderness hidden in time, which finally melted into this bowl of hot soup after many years.
The night before he left, Sizhui sat by the lotus pond, clutching his new wooden kite. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian stood side by side not far away, the moonlight casting a thin, silvery veil over them.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," Wei Wuxian sighed, "I'm a little reluctant."
Lan Wangji held his hand and said, "Come often in the future."
“Okay,” Wei Wuxian smiled. “When Sizhui grows up a little, we’ll bring him here to learn how to swim, row a boat, and pick lotus seeds—let him have a taste of what our childhood was like.”
Sizhui watched the shadow cast by the wooden kite in the moonlight and suddenly realized that this is what growth is all about: inheriting the memories left by our elders while slowly creating new stories with those around us. Whether it's the cool moonlight in the Cloud Recesses or the fragrant lotus in the Lotus Pier, they will, over time, become the most precious wine, growing warmer with age.
When they left the next day, Jiang Cheng was still standing at the dock to see them off. Wei Wuxian waved at him, "Remember to dry the lotus pods. I'll have someone pick them up later!"
Jiang Cheng frowned and said, "Go away." But before flying away, he whispered, "Be careful on the road." The sound was blown away by the wind, and only Si Zhui, who was standing next to him, could vaguely hear it.
On the way back, Wei Wuxian fell asleep in Lan Wangji's arms, a smile on his face. Sizhui, holding the wooden kite, watched the Lotus Pier recede below, and suddenly felt a surge of anticipation—looking forward to the next time he came, what new stories would unfold, slowly unfolding in this lotus-scented wind.
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