Chapter 92 Warmth
Sizhui was still asleep when the car pulled into the old house. Lan Wangji carried him out of the car, his head resting in the crook of his neck. His breathing had evened out, but tears still clung to his eyelashes. Wei Wuxian followed behind, tiptoeing through the door. Only after Lan Wangji laid the child on the bed and tucked him in did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Let him sleep for a while. He spent a lot of energy in the hospital just now." Wei Wuxian lowered his voice and gently touched Sizhui's cheek with his fingertips, which was still a little warm.
Lan Wangji nodded, pulled him out of the room, and gently closed the door.
In the living room, Lan Jingyi was lying on the table doing his homework. When he saw them come out, he immediately came over and asked, "How's Sizhui? Did he cry?"
“He’s asleep.” Wei WuXian ruffled his hair. “Don’t bother him.”
Jin Ling also put down his pen: "How many more times does the doctor say I need to get the shot?"
"Just three more hits and he'll be fine." Lan Wangji said softly, "Spend more time with him these few days." The two children looked at each other and nodded seriously.
An unknown amount of time passed before a slight movement was heard from Sizhui's room. Wei Wuxian hurried over and pushed open the door to see the young man sitting on the bed, his eyes still a little dazed. When he saw him come in, his eyes lit up and he held out his hand to him, "Daddy."
Wei Wuxian walked over and sat down beside the bed. Just as he was about to ask if he felt unwell, Sizhui grabbed the edge of his shirt. The boy's fingers were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if he was afraid he would run away.
"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Wei Wuxian asked softly, reaching out to touch his forehead. The fever had subsided.
Si Zhui shook his head and leaned closer to him, his voice hoarse from just waking up: "No, I just want to catch you."
Wei Wuxian's heart suddenly softened like cotton. He remembered how Si Zhui had held onto his hand tightly during the IV drip. It was an almost instinctive dependence, as if simply holding onto the person next to him could give him the courage to fight his fear.
“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here with you.” Wei Wuxian lay down beside him, letting him lean against his chest. “Would you like some water?”
Sizhui nodded, but didn't let go of the hand that was holding the corner of his clothes. He was half-held in his arms, drinking water in small sips. The warm water slid down his throat, taking away some of the dryness and slowly relaxing his tense nerves.
“Just now in the hospital… was it very painful?” Wei Wuxian asked softly, combing his soft hair with his fingertips.
Sizhui was silent for a moment before he whispered, "It hurts a little, but... it's not as scary as I thought."
"Because Daddy and Father are here, right?"
The boy nodded vigorously and buried his face deeper: "Yeah."
Wei WuXian smiled, lowered his head and kissed the top of his head, "From now on, we'll accompany you every time you go, okay?"
"Okay." Si Zhui's voice was muffled, but with obvious relief.
For the rest of the afternoon, Sizhui didn't let go of the hand that held Wei Wuxian's shirt. When Wei Wuxian sat at his desk, working on a script, he would lean beside him and read. When Wei Wuxian stood up to get some water, he would stand up too, following closely behind him until Wei Wuxian sat down again, only then would he obediently lean back beside him and hold the shirt in his hand again.
When Lan Wangji came in to deliver the fruit, he saw this scene: Wei Wuxian was looking down at the script, Si Zhui was leaning on his arm and flipping through a comic book, and the wrinkled corner of their clothes connected them like an invisible thread, connecting their heartbeats together.
"Would you like some strawberries?" Lan Wangji put the fruit plate on the table and spoke in a gentle tone.
Si Zhui looked up and shook his head: "I don't want to eat." He didn't have much appetite at the moment, he just wanted to maintain this posture and feel the warmth of the people around him.
Lan Wangji didn't try to persuade him anymore. He just pushed the fruit plate towards Wei Wuxian and walked out of the room. When he reached the door, he glanced back, the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowing - it turned out that the child's dependence was so reassuring.
At dinner that evening, Si Zhui finally let go of Wei Wuxian's shirt, but after sitting down, he quietly moved his chair closer to him, so that their knees were almost touching. The table still contained a light porridge and side dishes, but he ate significantly more than he had in the morning, perhaps because he felt more at ease and his appetite had improved.
“Eat slowly, no one’s going to snatch it from you.” Wei Wuxian gave him a piece of steamed pumpkin. “What do you want to eat tomorrow? Daddy will make it for you.”
Si Zhui thought for a moment and whispered, "I want to drink the pumpkin porridge you made, with rock sugar."
"Okay, put two pieces, sweet." Wei Wuxian agreed with a smile. He knew that he liked sweet food but couldn't eat too much due to dietary restrictions. He specifically confirmed with the doctor that a small amount of rock sugar was fine.
Lan Jingyi interrupted, "I want some too! I want three pieces of rock sugar!"
Jin Ling rolled his eyes at him and said, "Aren't you afraid of tooth decay?"
"I'm not afraid!"
The two began bickering again, Sizhui watching from the side, a faint smile slowly forming on his lips. Wei Wuxian watched the light gradually return to his eyes, and the stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.
At night, Si Zhui insisted on sleeping with Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji made the bed and looked at the two of them lying side by side. Si Zhui clung to Wei Wuxian, one hand on his waist, like a clingy kitten.
"I'll sleep on the sofa next door." Lan Wangji picked up the pillow and was about to turn around when Wei Wuxian called him.
“Come and sleep with me, the bed is big enough.” Wei Wuxian patted the spot beside him. “He can’t live without someone right now.”
Lan Wangji hesitated for a moment, then walked over and lay down. Sizhui sensed the presence of another person beside him and drowsily turned over, one hand grasping the hem of Wei Wuxian's clothes while the other rested on Lan Wangji's arm. It was as if they had found two safe havens to rely on, and he soon fell into a deep sleep again.
Wei Wuxian looked at his peaceful sleeping face and whispered to Lan Wangji, "You see, he actually relies on us a lot."
Lan Wangji hummed, took Sizhui's hand on his arm, and felt the boy's warm touch on his fingertips.
Moonlight shone through the gap in the curtains, landing on the clasped hands of the three. Wei Wuxian leaned on Lan Wangji's shoulder, listening to the even breathing of the man and the child beside him. He suddenly felt that happiness might be like this: someone who depends on you, someone who needs you, and the person you love just happens to be by your side, accompanying you through every ordinary night.
As for the fears and difficulties that need to be faced, as long as the family is together, we can slowly get through them no matter how difficult they are.
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