Chapter 97 Untitled 2
On Sunday afternoon, Lan Xichen came to visit the children, carrying a basket of fresh bayberries. In the courtyard of the old house, Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and Jin Ling were washing the bayberries together. The purple-red fruits, soaked in clear water, resembled round agates.
"Uncle." Si Zhui looked up and saw Lan Xichen, greeting him with a smile, holding a handful of freshly washed bayberries in his hand.
Lan Xichen took the bayberry and tasted one, the sweet and sour juice spreading on his tongue. "The bayberries are delicious this year, you should eat more." His eyes fell on Sizhui. The young man had a relaxed smile on his face, and his complexion was much better than the listlessness of the past few days. "I heard that you went to the hospital to finish your last IV drip?"
Sizhui nodded, his cheeks slightly red: "Yeah."
“Very brave.” Lan Xichen looked at him approvingly, “But being brave isn’t about being brash, understand?”
Si Zhui was stunned, not quite understanding what this meant. However, his uncle had always been the one who doted on him the most. This time, when he fell ill, his uncle got angry for the first time. As expected, he still couldn't hurt himself.
Lan Xichen pulled him to sit down in the corridor, while Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling tactfully ran to the kitchen to find Wei Wuxian, leaving the space for them.
“Uncle didn’t mean it’s bad to go to the hospital alone,” Lan Xichen explained softly, twirling the teacup between his fingers. “I just wanted to tell you that true strength isn’t about shouldering everything on your own, but knowing when to face things alone and when to seek help.”
He paused, thinking of Sizhui's personality since childhood—always considering others, always keeping his grievances to himself. He was very much like Lan Wangji in his youth, yet with a touch more of Wei Wuxian's softness. Such a sensible child inevitably made people feel distressed. After all, the more sensible a child is, the more he suffers.
"Just like when you took the blame for Jingyi during the last exam, you thought you were helping him, but you were actually hurting him." Lan Xichen looked at him, "A true friend doesn't make mistakes for others, but encourages them to take responsibility. True growth doesn't mean you have to handle everything alone, but understands that the care of those around you is never a burden."
Sizhui lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously scratching the grooves in the stone bench. He remembered how, when he was sick, he was terrified, yet he held on for days because he didn't want to trouble his father and his dad. He remembered going to the hospital alone, his heart was pounding, but he stubbornly said, "I can do it."
"I thought... that being able to do well was courage." Si Zhui's voice seemed to come from far away, as light as a feather falling, yet slamming heavily to the ground. He lowered his head slightly, making it difficult to see his expression. Only his drooping hair shimmered faintly in the dim light.
He seemed lost in thought, perhaps recalling a past moment, or perhaps pondering the future. The silence was oppressive, as if time had stood still.
"It's certainly brave to be able to do well, but it takes even more courage to be willing to ask for help when you know you can't." Lan Xichen's voice was gentle, and he gently hugged the child. "Your father, your father, and we are not outsiders. You can cry when you're sad, and speak when you're afraid. You don't have to pretend to be so strong all the time."
These words, like warm water, slowly flowed into Sizhui's heart. He thought of Lan Wangji's silent protection, Wei Wuxian's nagging concern, and Lan Xichen's gentle guidance. He suddenly realized that he had never been fighting alone. What he thought was "showing off" might actually be a heartbreaking stubbornness in the eyes of his family.
"I understand, uncle." Si Zhui raised his head, his eyes shining, "I won't force myself anymore."
Lan Xichen smiled and ruffled his hair: "That's right."
At this moment, Wei WuXian came out carrying a plate of sliced watermelon, shouting, "What are you talking about? Come and eat some watermelon!"
Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling had already started scrambling to eat. Si Zhui walked over, picked up a piece and handed it to Lan Xichen, and then handed a piece each to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, who had just come out of the study.
"Daddy, father, uncle, you guys eat too."
Wei Wuxian looked at him and suddenly felt that there was something more in the boy's eyes - it was the calmness after the cowardice faded, and the clarity after understanding the truth, like the sky after the rain, clean and bright.
Lan Wangji took the watermelon and his eyes met Lan Xichen's. The two brothers smiled at each other, their words speaking volumes. There were some truths that, as parents, they might have said too hastily and harshly. Lan Xichen's gentle approach, however, was more likely to resonate with the child.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the sycamore leaves, falling on everyone's face. Sizhui bit into a watermelon, listened to Wei Wuxian and Lan Jingyi bickering, and watched Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen whispering to each other. He suddenly felt that this moment was truly wonderful—having family by his side, friends by his side, someone to confide his troubles to, and someone willing to listen.
Perhaps this is what growth is like: learning the truth through repeated mistakes, and learning to be considerate through repeated teachings. And those maxims from the elders are like seeds sown in the soil, which will one day take root and sprout, growing into the power that supports them to move forward.
Sizhui watched the figures playing in the yard, a faint smile playing on his lips. He knew that many challenges awaited him in the future, but he was no longer afraid. Because he understood that courage does not come from being alone, but from having a safe harbor behind you and a sunshine ahead worth running towards.
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