Chapter 66 Late Night Warmth
When Wei Wuxian followed Lan Wangji into the yard, he ran into Lan Jingyi chasing Jin Ling with a pair of scissors in his hand. The two of them were stepping on the bamboo branches all over the ground, like two little animals running wild in the bamboo forest.
“You two are destroying the house in the middle of the night?” Wei Wuxian shouted with a smile, “Uncle punished you by cutting bamboo branches, not practicing martial arts.”
The two men stopped fighting immediately. Lan Jingyi held up the scissors and gasped, "Senior Wei! It was Jin Ling who deliberately bumped into me first!"
"You were the one who cut my hand, yet you still don't apologize!" Jin Ling held up his cut finger, which had a Band-Aid given by Wen Ning on it, his tone aggrieved and unconvinced.
Wei WuXian walked over, picked up a crookedly cut bamboo branch, and raised an eyebrow. "Is that all your craftsmanship? And you still dare to argue? Be careful, or your uncle will see you and make you copy the family rules ten more times."
The two men immediately wilted and obediently picked up the scissors to continue working, but their movements were still clumsy and they winked at each other from time to time.
Wen Ning came over with a medicine box and said helplessly, "Master Wei, they've already cut three bamboo poles. If they keep this up, all the bamboo in the yard will be shaved bald."
Wei Wuxian was laughing so hard he couldn't straighten his back. Just as he was about to speak, the music from the piano room suddenly stopped. Si Zhui poked his head out, looked at the chaos in the yard, and whispered, "How about... I come and help you?"
"No, no!" Lan Jingyi waved his hands quickly, "We can do it!" He didn't want to be outdone by Si Zhui, and he didn't want to be laughed at by Senior Wei and his second uncle.
Jin Ling also nodded: "That's right, this little thing won't be difficult for us."
Wei Wuxian looked at their stubborn expressions and winked at Si Zhui, "Let them do it themselves. Young people should practice more." He turned to Wen Ning and said, "Go to the kitchen and get some midnight snacks. They must be hungry after working so long."
Not long after, Wen Ning returned with several bowls of sweet soup, the aroma of red dates and lotus seeds filling the courtyard. Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling, upon smelling the sweetness, slowed their scissors and stared intently at the bowls on the tray.
"Come and have some soup first." Lan Wangji spoke in a low voice, but with unquestionable majesty.
The two immediately dropped their scissors and ran over, picking up their bowls and drinking from them. They were so hot that they stuck their tongues out, but they couldn't bear to put the wine down. Si Zhui sat beside them, sipping it in small sips. His eyes fell on their school uniforms, which were stained with bamboo shavings. He couldn't help but pull out a tissue and handed it to them: "Wipe it off, it's all over your clothes."
Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling looked at each other, took the tissue and wiped themselves roughly, then buried their heads in drinking the soup again. But this time they didn't argue anymore, but instead tacitly put a lotus seed into each other's bowl.
In the living room, Lan Qiren put down his book and gazed out the window at the courtyard. Under the moonlight, four children sat around a stone table, drinking soup. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji stood in the porch, talking. Wen Ning gathered scattered bamboo branches. Despite the chaotic scene, there was an indescribable harmony.
“Uncle, would you like some sweet soup?” Lan Xichen walked in with a bowl of soup and said with a smile, “Wen Ning’s cooking skills are getting better and better.”
Lan Qiren snorted, but still took the bowl of soup: "Look at what they've done to my bamboo. Next time, don't let them touch the scissors. What if they hurt themselves?"
Lan Xichen's eyes flickered with a smile: "You just want to temper their tempers." He looked out the window, "Look, isn't it pretty good now?"
Lan Qiren said nothing. He took a sip of the sweet soup, the sweetness of the lotus seeds spreading on his tongue. His eyes fell on the most noisy figure in the yard - Wei Wuxian was snatching Lan Jingyi's bowl and pretending to pour out the remaining soup, scaring Lan Jingyi so much that he jumped up to grab it, which made everyone laugh.
The corners of the old man's mouth curled up imperceptibly, and his fingers holding the soup bowl gently stroked the rim of the bowl, as if he was remembering a long time ago, that young man who always loved to get into trouble but people couldn't hate him, who also caused chaos in the courtyard of the Cloud Recesses.
The director set up the camera behind the pillars of the corridor and slowly scanned the scene: moonlight, bamboo forest, sweet soup, laughing children, gentle elders... The picture was as warm as a handful of melted honey. The comments in the barrage gradually slowed down, and more heartfelt emotions appeared:
"I suddenly feel a little homesick. My home is like this too, noisy but warm."
"The Lan family has such a great atmosphere. No matter how much trouble you get into, there's always hot soup and tolerance waiting for you."
"This is the truest form of a family. It's not about being perfect, but about caring about each other."
[Ding! Deep emotional resonance detected among viewers, likeability increased by +200,000. Current total progress: 3,335,000/100,000,000.]
When the system notification sounded, Wei Wuxian was helping Lan Jingyi wipe the soup stains from the corners of his mouth, his movements natural and intimate. Lan Jingyi was stunned for a moment, turned his head awkwardly, and his ears turned red.
Jin Ling watched this scene and suddenly gave the last lotus seed in his bowl to Si Zhui, whispering, "Here you go."
Si Zhui was stunned for a moment, then took it with a smile: "Thank you."
Lan Wangji walked over to Wei Wuxian and handed him a coat: "It's cool at night, put it on."
Wei WuXian took the robe and put it on, leaning against him. “Lan Zhan, look how harmonious they are now. They were fighting like fighting cocks just now.”
"Yes, that's right, they are still children." Lan Wangji's gaze fell on the children, with a gentle smile in his eyes.
Late at night in the bamboo forest, the sound of the zither rang out again. This time, the "Pure Heart Sound" was less harsh and more bright and warm. The sound of scissors, laughter, and the soft clink of soup bowls all became the perfect accompaniment to the zither.
The director yawned, but couldn't bear to turn off the camera. He suddenly realized that what was most touching about this variety show wasn't the carefully choreographed segments, but the warmth that flowed naturally—the tolerance of the elders, the bickering of peers, the moments of mutual concern, and the unchanging feeling of "home" no matter where in time or space.
As the sky began to turn pale, the bamboo branches in the courtyard were finally trimmed. Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling were fast asleep, leaning against the stone table. Si Zhui's piano music had stopped, and the young man lay on the instrument with a faint smile on his face.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji stood at the door, watching this scene and smiling at each other.
"It's time to go to bed." Lan Wangji said softly.
"Yeah." Wei Wuxian nodded, looking at the sky gradually brightening outside the window, his heart suddenly filled with anticipation.
Maybe there will be new surprises at tomorrow's antique exchange meeting.
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