Chapter 61 The Power of Mr.
In the study, three children sat obediently at a long table, copying books. Sunlight filtered through the carved wooden windows, casting tiny specks of light on the spread of rice paper. The sound of the pen tips scraping across the paper was uniform and strangely harmonious.
When Lan Jingyi came to the line "No Noise", he secretly glanced up at Jin Ling and saw that he was frowning and struggling with a complicated word. He couldn't help but want to laugh. He just pulled the corners of his mouth, and then he met Jin Ling's rolling eyes. He quickly lowered his head and pretended to write seriously, but his shoulders were still shaking slightly.
Jin Ling was annoyed by his laughter. He paused with his pen, and a dot of ink fell onto the paper. He immediately made an annoyed "tsk!" sound. Si Zhui heard the noise and quietly pushed his blotting paper over, whispering, "Try this, it might absorb some."
Jin Ling was stunned for a moment, then took the blotting paper and said awkwardly, "Thank you."
Seeing their interaction, Lan Jingyi felt a little unbalanced and deliberately slammed his pen down on the inkstone, making a soft "pa" sound. As soon as he put it down, he felt a chill on his back. Turning around, he saw Lan Qiren standing at the door, teacup in hand. His eyes glanced at him indifferently, frightening him so much that he quickly picked up his pen and continued copying obediently.
Outside the study, Wei Wuxian leaned against the porch pillar, watching the scene with a smile on his face. He said to Lan Wangji and the filming director beside him, "Did you see that? Even though these mischievous kids are usually fearless, they're as obedient as rabbits in front of their uncle."
The director held up the camera, watching Lan Qiren, who didn't say a word, exude an air of authority without anger. The three children, acting well-behaved, were a stark contrast to the playful clashes in the living room just now. He couldn't help but laugh, "Mr. Lan's authority is truly ingrained in him. This is what they call 'one thing conquers another,' isn't it?"
"That's right." Wei Wuxian thought back to his days in the Cloud Recesses. "When a group of us got into trouble, whenever my uncle showed up, everyone would be silenced. But," he changed the subject, his eyes warming, "my uncle may appear stern, but deep down he loves the children more than anyone else. Look, when he was standing at the door just now, his eyes never left the children's pens."
Lan Wangji hummed, his gaze fixed on Lan Qiren in the study. The old man was pacing in front of the bookshelves, his hands behind his back. As he passed Jin Ling, he paused, reaching out and gently straightening his tilted paperweight. His movements were natural and subtle, as if he didn't want to disturb the child's writing.
The director who was following the filming quickly filmed this scene and secretly sighed in his heart: The elders of the Lan family really interpret the meaning of "cold on the outside but warm on the inside" to the fullest.
Not long after, Lan Xichen walked into the study carrying three bowls of lotus seed soup. He smiled and said, "Tired of copying? Have a drink and rest first." He placed the bowls in front of the children, deliberately pushing the largest one towards Jin Ling. "Jin Ling, this is your first time here, so drink more."
Jin Ling's cheeks flushed slightly as he whispered, "Thank you, Mr. Lan."
Lan Jingyi was unhappy when he saw it: "Uncle, I want a big bowl too!"
"You just laughed at me for being so naive, so you should drink from a smaller bowl." Lan Xichen smiled and ruffled his hair, his tone full of indulgence. "Drink it quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
Lan Qiren walked over, picked up the children's copy, and looked at it. He pointed at Jin Ling's handwriting and said, "The strokes are too fast and can't be controlled." He then nodded at Lan Jingyi's and said, "The structure is loose and not rigorous enough." Finally, he looked at Sizhui's and relaxed his frown. "It's okay. Keep it up."
The three children all lowered their heads and listened, no one daring to refute. After Lan Qiren turned and left, Lan Jingyi stuck out his tongue and made a face at Jin Ling: "Did you hear that? You're even worse than me."
Jin Ling was about to retort when Si Zhui stopped him and said, "Drink it quickly, the lotus seed soup is getting cold."
Seeing the three children regain some of their spirit, Lan Xichen smiled and explained to the director, "My uncle taught them calligraphy back at our ancestral home. He's always been very strict with his children's handwriting. He really wants them to focus on their work."
The director nodded, watching the children in the camera holding bowls to drink lotus seed soup, some sipping it in small sips, and some gulping it down. The scene was warm and real, and he couldn't help but sigh: "The atmosphere in the Lan family is really good, with both rules and warmth. No wonder the children respect Mr. Lan so much."
Wei WuXian leaned over and winked at the camera. “That’s right, our Lan family motto is ‘elegance and righteousness.’ However,” he lowered his voice, “it’s okay to secretly break some of the rules occasionally, as long as we don’t get caught by our uncle.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Lan Qiren's voice coming from the study: "Wei Ying, come in."
Wei Wuxian stuck out his tongue, made a "it's over" expression to Lan Wangji, and walked in with a bitter face. The director and Lan Wangji looked at each other and couldn't help laughing - it seemed that Teacher Wei hadn't changed his "fear of his uncle" habit.
[Ding! Detected positive comments from the audience about the family atmosphere, like value +150,000. Current total progress: 2,155,000/100,000,000.]
A system notification chimed softly, as if accompanying this heartwarming scene. Sunlight streamed through the bamboo forest, shimmering on the study window paper, reflecting the diligent figures of the children and the gentle gazes of their elders. The director filming the show suddenly realized that perhaps this variety show captured more than just "family time," but rather the most touching sense of everyday life, hidden within the rules and warmth of life.
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