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Chapter Text

When the juniors had stepped into this peaceful clearing, they had not intended to unleash a fresh hell onto the world.

The quartet had been sent to investigate a small cottage, supposedly the home of an unorthodox cultivator connected to a nonlethal curse affecting the local townspeople. It was ought to be an easy mission, one Hanguang-jun and Sandu Shengshou had felt confident four mere teenagers could handle. 

The plan had been straightforward. The group had elected Lan Sizhui to knock on the cottage door and gently question the woman inside. Hopefully, the conversation would yield a solution for the affected children in the valley below. 

(“You’re the only one who knows how to talk to people,” Jingyi had told Sizhui, fully confident in his friend’s ability to get to the bottom of the curse. 

Jin Ling, of course, had bristled. “Speak for yourself!” 

“I definitely think Sizhui should do it,” Zizhen had agreed. 

“Sizhui can’t even convince the bunnies to eat carrots!”

“They like radishes more,” Sizhui had said with a pout. “But if you think I’m the best pick…” 

“Anyone but Jin Ling,” Jingyi had said.

“Anyone but Jin Ling,” Zizhen had agreed.) 

Regardless, they had a very clear plan and were expecting a very simple mission. But of course, like most of the juniors’ other missions, things quickly fell to pieces. 

“Look out!” Jingyi shouted. 

Sizhui heard his cry and raised his sword, but the fierce corpse attacking him only grabbed it between its cold, gray hands. Blackish, oozing blood poured from it’s palms as it growled at Sizhui. It’s neck strained as it snapped it’s teeth at him. 

Sizhui squeaked and hurriedly pulled a talisman from his sleeve, placing it on the monster’s forehead. It immediately burst into flames, and Sizhui scurried away, taking in the bloody battlefield.

“Send a flare!” he ordered before having to draw his sword again.

“On it!” 

“Got it!” 

Both Ouyang Zizhen and Jin Ling responded, but Sizhui was too occupied fending off another round of fierce corpses to question it. Fresh waves of enemies kept coming, and Sizhui was tiring rapidly. Hanguang-jun or Wei Wuxian would likely handle these low level corpses easily, but Sizhui wasn’t strong enough. He worried his arms would give out each time he lifted his blade. 

Two signals lit up the sky: one red and one blue. 

“Wait, who did you call?” Zizhen asked Jin Ling. 

“Hanguang-jun said to signal with any trouble! Who did you call?” 

“It’s fierce corpses!” Zizhen said, “Of course I called Wei-qianbei!” 

“That idiot? Are you kidding? Who knows where he could be! He only travels by donkey, he’ll never make it in time!” 

“Hanguang-jun is the Chief Cultivator! He’s probably too busy lecturing to help us!” 

“Focus!” Lan Sizhui cut in. Their situation was perilous, but more importantly, their bickering was making him anxious. “One of them will come!” 

And sure enough, just when Sizhui failed to lift his sword in time to save himself from the next corpse lunging at him, the sound of a urgent dizi came through the trees.

The fierce corpse before Sizhui lurched and then swayed, standing up straight and still as if listening to a command. 

Sizhui drew back quickly, ashen from the close call. At least he wasn’t as cowardly as Jingyi, who had withdrawn and cowered the second the fierce corpse before him ceased it’s attack. Still, Sizhui couldn’t help feeling a little pathetic as he hurried away. Trying to save face, he stood protectively in front of Jingyi, his sword raised just in case. 

Wei Wuxian emerged from the woods, resentful energy swirling around him. Sizhui couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been waiting for their call for help. Wei Wuxian had a way of showing up wherever he was needed as soon as his name was called. 

The dizi grew louder, a little more shrill, and suddenly the fierce corpses reanimated, only to fling themselves at one another. 

“I hate when he does that,” Jingyi said, closing his eyes against the gore. 

Blood splattered Sizhui’s robes as one fierce corpse ripped the head off another. 

He didn’t particularly like it either. 

“It is better than dying,” Sizhui pointed out tactfully.

In the end, they stood in a battlefield of guts and body parts, but none of his friends were part of the casualties. Sizhui wished he could take credit for keeping them safe, but he knew it was all thanks to Wei Wuxian’s quick rescue. 

The man in question lowered his dizi, resentful energy clearing immediately and a smile taking over his face. “Sizhui!” he greeted. “How do you get all the exciting nighthunts, huh? I’m so jealous!” 

Sizhui did not prefer this much excitement. He was rather overwhelmed.

“It was not supposed to be so exciting,” Sizhui admitted. “We were only meant to inquire about this house…” 

The cottage was built at the top of a mountain located between Lanling and Gusu. Since the exile of Jin Guangyao, Lanling had generally been well cared for with the careful eradication of any ghosts or yao within its borders. Similarly, Gusu had always been well maintained. The only remaining threats were very low-level, and the juniors had been very busy growing their skills with simple, safe nighthunts. 

Which made the sudden horrific violence confusing. 

The second they had entered the house’s small clearing, corpses had risen from the earth and started attacking them. 

“How did you get here so fast?!” Jin Ling demanded, accusatory for no reason. “Have you been following us?!” 

Wei Wuxian was already inspecting the tree line, finding symbols carved into the tree bark that the juniors had missed before. “Following you?” he asked distractedly. “What? Oh! Yes.” 

“You have?!” Jingyi asked, shocked. 

“Not for long! I was in town investigating a curse that turned babies into demons, and when I saw you four toddling around, I decided to hang back and let you take care of things on your own! Less work for me.” 

“So then why didn’t you leave?” Jin Ling demanded. 

Wei Ying touched one of the sigils and a decayed, gray arm burst forth from the earth and grabbed his ankle. He didn’t even look surprised. He just laughed and tamped it back down into the ground with his boot. “Because something like this might happen,” he said simply. 

A weird swell of emotions rose up in Sizhui’s chest. 

Wei Wuxian said things like that sometimes. Things that made it seem like he still cared about Sizhui, like he would always be there to keep him safe. 

But he never stayed. He always left at the end of each investigation, sometimes disappearing for months at a time. He never greeted Sizhui first, seemingly content to watch from afar and hear about his deeds secondhand, even if Wei Wuxian always gushed and fawned over him when Sizhui approached. 

With the adrenaline from the sudden fight leaving his limbs, Sizhui suddenly ached to run over and give him a hug. 

His plans were cut short when his father landed in the clearing, stepping neatly off his sword. 

“Sizhui. Jingyi,” Lan Wangji greeted, and then- “Wei Ying.” 

He had never been a very expressive man, but he said Wei Wuxian’s name with a heavy longing and a hope that rang loud and clear-

To everyone but Wei Wuxian.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian said brightly, turning away from the carved sigils for a moment. “Come look at this! Every tree has one!” 

Sizhui empathized with his father. This was an important reunion. Wei Wuxian saw Lan Wangji even less often than he saw Sizhui, but despite their deep, tragic history, he had a habit of acting like every chance encounter was a regular facet of life, rather than a wonderful coincidence. 

Still, Lan Wangji approached him, placing a hand on the small of Wei Wuxian’s back as he observed his findings. “Mn.” 

“It must be a perimeter,” Wei Wuxian said. “It triggers once broken with this symbol here, see? I wonder how the homeowner gets in and out! Many of the village women mention coming here, so there must be a way to pass safely, but I haven’t figured out how… Still, look at all these corpses! This clearing must have been used as a mass grave at some point… I think I remember the Jin having a work camp somewhere on the Gusu border…” 

Sizhui’s stomach twisted, and a quick glance at his friends proved they were equally disturbed. 

Lan Wangji quickly took control of the situation while Wei Wuxian started pacing the perimeter. “Are any of you injured?” he asked. 

“No!” Jingyi promised. 

“I’m okay,” Zizhen said. 

“Of course we’re fine!” Jin Ling huffed. 

“Please give your report,” Lan Wangji said. “Loud enough for all parties to hear.” Wei Wuxian had wandered quite far away, but it was clear by the tilt of his head that he was listening. 

There was some shuffling amongst the juniors before Sizhui was elbowed enough times that he stepped forward. He was apparently the unofficial spokesperson of the group, at least when they were addressing Hanguang-jun. (No one but Jin Ling dared speak to the infamous Sandu Shengshou.) 

“We were investigating the curse in Lanxing,” Sizhui said, referring to the large town in the valley. “We met three of the affected families - each one visited the same physician for help with difficult pregnancies, and now that the children have been born, the infants are exhibiting odd symptoms.” 

“Creepy symptoms!” Jingyi said, eyes wide. 

Sizhui nodded. “The mothers are… very alarmed,” Sizhui explained. “Which is understandable. There have been reports of infants growling, snarling, spouting fangs and fur, and in some cases even frothing at the mouth.” 

“I didn’t hear about the mouth-frothing,” Wei Wuxian said, wandering close to the house now that he’d done a lap of the perimeter. He started investigating the door frame. “It’s never good when there’s mouth-frothing.” 

“That’s your biggest problem?” Jin Ling asked. “The kids are growing claws!” 

Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes, and Jin Ling shut right up. He relaxed his expression and looked to Sizhui. “Continue.” 

“R-right,” Sizhui said. He loved his father, but even Sizhui feared his glare. “A-anyway, many reported the town physician offers midwife services in her home on the mountain for those able to travel, and so we came to inquire about her cultivation techniques. But when we stepped into the clearing, the ground burst open with fierce corpses. I believe Wei-qianbei has rightfully identified the trigger.” 

Wei Wuxian peered in the window of the house. “No one is home,” he said. “It looks like they packed up and left.” 

“Then we should go in,” Zizhen said, reaching for the door handle, but Wei Wuxian quickly knocked his hand away with Chenqing. 

“Careful,” Wei Wuxian said. “Look at the door frame.” 

Sizhui went to inspect along with the other boys and tried to make sense of the symbols carved into the wood. He didn’t know what they meant but based on the perimeter etched into the trees, it was surely a bad sign. “Oh,” Sizhui said, pointing. “This one is the same as the tree trunk.” 

“Yes!” Wei Wuxian said. “Do you know what it means?” 

“To pass through,” Jingyi answered. He was better at remembering ancient characters. “So something probably happens when we pass through the door… But what?” 

Wei Wuxian used the tip of Chenquint to point to the first symbol. 

“House,” Jingyi read. 

Wei Wuxian pointed to the next. 

“Explode.” Jingyi gasped. “The house explodes?!” 

“Geez, well, I guess we’re not going inside,” Zizhen said. 

“Oh no,” Wei Wuxian said with a wide grin. “We can definitely get inside.” 

“If we pass through the door the whole house will explode!” 

“Oh, yes, silly me, whatever shall we do?” Wei Wuxian asked, feigning dismay. 

Sizhui thought very hard for a moment before coming to the same conclusion as Jin Ling, Jingyi, and Zizhen all at the same time: “The window!” 

“After you,” Wei Wuxian said, stepping aside so Jin Ling could use his razor-sharp diamond ring to cut through the glass. Apparently, it had been a gift from Lianfang-Zun before his passing. 

“We could have just thrown a rock or something,” Jingyi complained. 

“This is neater!” Jin Ling insisted. 

Sizhui reached through the freshly cut glass and unlocked the window from the inside, opening it up for them to crawl through. 

“The carvings on the trees looked fresh, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying told his father as Sizhui snuck through the window with the others. “It must be that this was recently set up. Perhaps this esteemed midwife knew we were coming?” 

“Mn.” 

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji entered last. 

The house was very small, only two rooms, and it was largely empty aside from some sparse pieces of furniture. Even the sleeping mat seemed to have been rolled up and carried away. There were a few left behind items that proved they’d found the right cottage, such as a birthing stool and a pile of blankets. 

Zizhen poked his head to look in a bassinet and screamed. 

Jin Ling drew his sword. Jingyi gasped and clutched his heart, terribly startled. Sizhui rushed over, hand on the hilt of his sword just in case. 

“Oh,” he said. 

Wei Wuxian poked his head over. “Oh!” he said delightedly. 

Inside the bassinet was a baby. A living, breathing baby - clean and pink and healthy. Clearly, it had not been left very long. Even it’s cloth diaper looked dry. 

It did not seem to like all the noise, however, because its face quickly scrunched up. It kicked and fussed, and then started to snarl and growl. Its lip curled and a fang sprouted from it’s mouth, teeth strangely pointy, and hair grew on it’s arms and legs. 

Sizhui and Zizhen both took a step back as the baby’s noises went from human to demonic and its nails sharpened into claws. 

Wei Wuxian stepped forward. 

“Careful!” Zizhen said. 

“Careful?” Jin Ling scoffed. “Look who you’re talking to.” 

Wei Wuxian picked up the growling, snarling thing as it kicked and fussed. Its face was wrinkled up, twisted with evil, and course fur sprouted all over its body. Even its toenails were clawed. Wei Wuxian held it up under the armpits and cooed. “Oh my goodness, aren’t you cute?!” 

“... Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji worried. 

“We are just the most precious thing in the whole world! So much anger in such a tiny body!” He brought the demon child to his chest and kissed its forehead as it all but foamed at the mouth. “What are we so upset about, hm? It’s okay… It’s okay now.” 

“What are you doing?!” Jingyi asked, terrified as it’s clawed toes snagged in Wei Wuxian’s robes. 

However, as Wei Wuxian bounced him, the baby’s frothing mouth and jagged teeth quickly smoothed out along with its forehead lines. The snarling turned to gurgling, and the fur eased away until suddenly, there was a cute, human baby curled up on Wei Wuxian’s hip. 

“Don’t we have such big feelings?” he cooed, snuggling the child even closer and kissing his nose. “So precious!” 

Sizhui frowned. 

“That thing is not precious!” Jingyi demanded. “It’s a demon!” 

“It’s a baby!” Wei Wuxian argued, clearly taken with the little thing. 

“It’s a demon baby!” 

“It’s a cute baby,” Wei Wuxian argued. “And for now it is my baby! At least until we figure out how to help return him to normal. Poor thing was left all alone… I wonder where he belongs?” 

Sizhui felt very anxious about this, but he didn’t have a solid argument for why Wei Wuxian should not keep the child, especially when it had been abandoned like this. Fortunately, his father seemed to share his concerns. 

“... Wei Ying.” 

“Look, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian said, holding the baby out for Lan Wangji’s approval. “He has the world’s cutest button nose! Isn’t it precious?!” 

“... It is button-like,” Lan Wangji agreed hesitantly. 

Sizhui’s own nose twitched. 

“We’ll have to take him to town!” Wei Wuxian decided. “The physician kept a shop in Lanxing. She seems to have left abruptly, so it’s unlikely she could pack up her house, place advanced wards on the door and perimeter, and clear out her office space all before our arrival. Surely, she must have left something behind! We should start there!” 

Lan Wangji did not disagree with this. “We will visit briefly. But then the juniors must rest.” 

Wei Wuxian nodded and then looked down at the child in his arms. “This one should probably rest, too. Poor little thing.” 

Sizhui pressed his lips together. Wei Wuxian was a good parent, so why did he feel so anxious?

On the walk down the mountain, Jingyi groaned. 

“They’re flirting again.” 

Up ahead, Wei Wuxian was snuggling the baby, bundled up in a blanket from the abandoned cottage. Lan Wangji once again had his hand on the small of Wei Wuxian’s back. 

Sizhui paled a little. “Please stop pointing that out.” 

“I think it’s cute,” Zizhen said. “They’re in love! They deserve to be a little snuggly.” 

“I wish they would just do something about it already,” Jingyi said. “If they could admit they were stupidly in love with each other, then they might do all their weird touchy stuff in private and leave us out of it.” 

Jin Ling huffed. “Fat chance. Jiujiu says Wei Wuxian would sooner die again then admit he actually cares about anyone.” 

Sizhui’s stomach twisted. “He and A-Die aren’t in love .” 

His friends made varying noises of incredulousness. 

“Sizhui,” Zizhen said, ignoring what was obviously untrue. “If Hanguang-jun is your A-Die, then what do you call Wei-qianbei?” 

“Wei-qianbei,” Sizhui answered. “The same as you.” 

“Huh… Didn’t he raise you?” 

Sizhui flushed. “Oh… Y-yes, but for him that was a literal lifetime ago. I think it would be strange if I started calling him A-Niang now.” 

Jin Ling snorted. “A-Niang?” 

Sizhui felt his cheeks heat up even further. “Hanguang-jun is already A-Die,” he said in his defense, but it only made his friends grow more amused. Sizhui hid his face in embarrassment. “A-anyway, we’re not close like that.” 

“He definitely likes you most, if that makes you feel any better,” Jingyi said. 

“You and Jin Ling,” Zizhen agreed. 

It was Jin Ling’s turn to blush. 

“But it’s strange. Wei Wuxian seems to like terrible things. Like his terrible donkey, and his demonic baby, and of course, Jin Ling,” Jingyi said to Sizhui, “So I don’t know why he likes you and Hanguang-jun so much.” 

“Compare me to that obnoxious donkey one more time, and I’ll- I’ll-!” Jin Ling clearly didn’t have the words to finish his threat, but he did have the martial arts skills to wrestle Jingyi to the ground. The two proceeded to wrestle intermittently all the way down the mountain, continuing whenever Wei Wuxian would turn around to give pointers and breaking apart whenever Lan Wangji would turn his head even slightly to stare. 

Needless to say, the juniors looked very scuffed up by the time they made it into town, half from fighting corpses and half from fighting each other. 

The juniors were not the only ones out of sorts. 

“We’re very fussy,” Wei Wuxian noted as the baby in his arms started to struggle in its swaddle. Its cries started to sound more and more inhuman, and its teeth grew sharp and pointed again. Its clawed toes ripped through the blanket with a terrible noise. “Very fussy!” 

“He’s slobbering,” Jingyi noticed, disgusted. 

“He’s hungry ,” Wei Wuxian cooed, even as it’s left foot broke free of the blankets and started swatting and swishing around at unnatural angles. Its sharp little claws caught Wei Wuxian’s wrist, and Lan Wangji looked terribly upset when it drew blood. 

Wei Wuxian, of course, did not care. 

“Let’s see… What can we feed you, hm?” 

There was a very obvious problem. Babies this young required a wet nurse, but it seemed unlikely any woman would be willing to help in the face of such sharp teeth. 

“Perhaps we could ask around?” Sizhui asked. Selfishly, he very much hoped they could find a willing mother and leave the baby with her indefinitely. Sizhui felt very ill at ease to see the child bundled up in Wei Wuxian’s arms. 

As they entered the main marketplace, Wei Wuxian willingly stuck his index finger in the infant’s terrible mouth and hummed when it came away bloodied. “I doubt he has a taste for milk,” he decided. The child had not suckled on his finger, but rather gnawed on it hungrily. “Jin Ling! Where did you boys buy chuan earlier?” 

“Weirdo! You’ve been following us since then?!” Jin Ling asked. 

“There is a market stall around the corner!” Zizhen answered helpfully.

“Lead the way!” Wei Wuxian decided. 

Soon enough, he was holding a chicken skewer out on a stick for the baby, who was rapidly calming down as it gnawed on the meat with razor-like teeth. He chewed through three skewers full of fat and gristle before calming down.

“I wonder if he prefers meat cooked or raw,” Wei Wuxian said.

Jingyi shuddered. “Let’s not find out.” 

Sizhui’s own stomach growled, but he maintained his vegetarian diet even outside the Cloud Recesses. He would not be able to have a meat skewer of any variety, and the group didn’t seem to be headed towards dinner any time soon. He bit the inside of his lip as he watched Wei Wuxian dote over the child, pushing back it’s fur-like baby hairs. 

“Shall we proceed?” Lan Wangji asked Wei Wuxian. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Wei Wuxian worried. The baby had finished eating and was now yawning. “This little one does not seem up for an investigation.” 

Sizhui was also not up for investigation. His robes were soiled with rotting corpse blood and he’d exhausted himself fighting in the clearing earlier, not to mention the hike down the mountain to accommodate Wei Wuxian’s inability to use a sword. 

But of course, he was not an infant and did not need to be coddled like one. 

“We must perform a search before the contents of the office are cleared,” Lan Wangji said.

“Maybe we should split up,” Wei Wuxian offered. He was bouncing the baby in his arms, seemingly a natural action. “This one surely needs sleep. One of us can take the juniors to investigate, and the other can watch the baby.” 

There was a certain warmth in Lan Wangji’s eyes as he watched Wei Wuxian so easily tend to the child. “If you would prefer, I might hold-” 

“No!” Sizhui interrupted, surprising even himself. Everyone looked to him in shock. Sizhui was the first disciple and perfectly polite at all times. For him to interrupt his senior (his father) was unheard of. “I-I mean- I only mean, it might be best if Hanguang-jun should take us! As our capable shifu!” If Wei Wuxian was busy with a new baby, then Sizhui should at least get to keep Hanguang-jun. It was a desperate feeling of unknown origin that unsettled Sizhui greatly. 

His father’s expression was unreadable. “Wei Ying is also a capable teacher.”

Sizhui pressed his lips together. He knew that very well, but Wei Wuxian didn’t seem to want to teach him, not when he was always disappearing and- and scooping up babies left and right! 

Realizing his emotions were getting out of control, Sizhui took a deep breath to calm himself. 

“Of course,” he agreed, voice and posture settling into something much more appropriate. “I only meant to express interest in Hanguang-jun’s tutelage, at no degradation of Wei-qianbei’s own insightful teachings.”

His father still seemed unsure, but Wei Wuxian laughed suddenly. 

“Lan Zhan!” he said. “Go spend time with your son! It’s family bonding! You should take the opportunity.” There wasn’t a trace of sensitivity in his voice, but Lan Wangji still looked at him with concern. “Aiya, it’s fine,” Wei Wuxian insisted. “Besides! My skills are of better use with this little one! He seems to like me!” Wei Wuxian said, giving the baby a little bounce. It gurgled happily. 

“Mn.” 

“Why don’t the rest of you survey the office,” Wei Wuxian suggested. “Meanwhile, I’ll take Jin Ling and all of his silver pieces and rent us an inn for the night.” 

“I am more than a wallet,” Jin Ling said, offended. 

“I want to bathe,” Jingyi pouted. 

“I want to learn from Hanguang-jun!” Zizhen said honestly. 

“So many needs and concerns,” Wei Wuxian chastised, but eventually, the groups were sorted out. In the end, Sizhui and Zizhen would go with Lan Wangji to investigate the physician’s office, while Jin Ling and Jingyi would stay with Wei Wuxian to procure rooms at the local inn for the night and draw the first baths. 

Lan Wangji seemed to hesitate before leaving. 

“We’ll be just fine, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian promised. “I’m sure we’ll be separated no more than an hour.” 

“You can find trouble in an incense stick’s time,” Lan Wangji argued. 

Wei Wuxian only laughed, disturbing the sleepy baby still in his hold. “Lan Zhan, you’re too much,” he decided and clapped Lan Wangji’s shoulder before turning and initiating the separation, headed to the center of town to find an inn. “See you soon!” 

Sizhui watched his father watch Wei Wuxian go. 

Even like this, Wei Wuxian was always the first to leave. 

“None of this looks important,” Zizhen said, scanning through dusty books and poking at different vials and clay pots. 

Sizhui also wasn’t coming up with any clues. 

“You are looking in obvious places,” Lan Wangji said from his vantage point just outside the small office’s one and only door. As a teacher, he tended to stand guard and let his students learn through trial and error, only offering guidance when asked. The Lan disciples were highly praised for their problem-solving and efficacy, so his methods clearly bore results. “This is a woman hiding something.” 

Sizhui was suddenly thrown back to a time when he was much younger, when he was still small enough to fit on someone’s hip. When the Demon Slaughtering Cave was filled with hidey-holes, and even more filled with tinkerings, and talismans, and knick knacks stored away for Sizhui to find. 

He started looking along the floor boards and saw the barest glimpse of a slip of paper between the slats of wood. 

He knocked on the ground around it, quickly finding a hollow spot. From there, it was easy to lift the loose board and find the empty space in the ground below. 

“Woah,” Zizhen said, peering over his shoulder. 

The space contained a few scrolls, a few vials of suspicious liquid, and a folded piece of paper with a large tear visible even in its crumpled state. This was the slip of paper that had revealed the hiding spot’s location. 

Sizhui unfolded it and found it took up most of the floor. Maybe it would have filled the cramped workshop if there wasn’t a large missing piece ripped from it. It seemed to be a broken ritualistic circle of some kind, but Sizhui had yet to encounter one such as this in his studies. He could not decipher it on his own. 

Maybe Wei Wuxian would have been a better choice for this type of investigation. He was an expert cryptologist. 

“H-Hanguang-jun,” Sizhui called. He always used his father’s title in professional settings. “I think we found something.” 

At that, his father sheathed Bichen, pausing his guard of the small office and stepping inside.

Sizhui was not expecting the strange expression to take over his father’s face in response to the markings. In fact, Sizhui had not expected any expression to appear on his father’s face. Lan Wangji was notably insouciant. And yet, whatever was written in the strange, archaic characters had left his unflappable father agape. 

“What is it?” Zizhen whispered to Sizhui. 

“I don’t know,” Sizhui whispered back. 

Lan Wangji quickly closed his mouth and knelt down to touch the circle with urgency. He looked serious. “We will bring this back to Wei Ying,” he decided. 

“What is it?” Zizhen asked again, this time more bravely in Hanguang-jun’s direction. 

“A sacrificial ritual.” 

“Is that… bad?” Zizhen asked. 

“... No,” Lan Wangji decided. 

“Oh.” Zizhen leaned over to whisper to Sizhui, “Then why does your dad seem so freaked out?”

Sizhui pressed his lips together, aware that this case had suddenly grown a lot more serious. “It’s how Wei Wuxian was brought back to life.” 

“Oh.” Zizhen paused again. His nose crinkled. “It wasn’t a possession?” 

“No,” Sizhui said. “He wouldn’t do that.” 

“Really? He just got lucky and came back to life?” 

Sizhui frowned. “I’m not sure if he thinks it’s lucky.”

Lan Wangji, obviously overhearing their conversation, turned so that his face was no longer visible. “We will go back at once.” He walked out of the office, the large sheet of paper now folded neatly in his hands. 

Sizhui winced when he realized he’d said the wrong thing again. He had never known what it was like to see his father whole until Wei Wuxian came back from the dead. There was a somberness to his posture that only dissipated when Wei Wuxian was beside him. Even now. Even with Wei Wuxian alive and traveling the world, Lan Wangji seemed to hold his breath between visits. 

And Sizhui had implied the terrible possibility that Wei Wuxian might not feel the same. 

Zizhen seemed oblivious to this fact, jogging after Lan Wangji quickly. 

Sizhui followed as well, hanging back a few meters. He’d spoken out of turn, he’d insulted Wei Wuxian, and now he’d insulted his father. He’d never had a day spin so wildly out of his control. 

“You okay?” Zizhen asked, noticing his ashen face a few minutes later. 

“I am fine,” Sizhui answered. “I’m afraid I’ve been rather impotent today, is all.” 

Zizhui looked at him strangely. “Impotent?” 

“Out of control,” Sizhui explained. 

Zizhen continued to arch his brow in Sizhui’s general direction. “No, I know what it means. Just… I’m not sure a single person alive would describe you that way. This day or any other.” 

Sizhui watched his father part the crowd ahead of them, posture tense. Sizhui straightened his own spine at the sight. He didn’t want to do anything else wrong today.  “I think A-Die thinks so,” he whispered. 

Zizhen frowned. “I guess compared to him, maybe…” 

“I think I should apologize,” Sizhui worried. 

“For what?” 

Lan Wangji turned slightly as if to listen for Sizhui’s answer. Sizhui didn’t want to humiliate his father or their family further. “... Nothing,” he answered. “Never mind.” 

It was no trouble to find the inn the others had chosen. Jin Ling and Jingyi’s arguing could be heard from three streets over. 

“I’m telling you, it’s mine!” Jingyi was yelling as they approached the building. “You can’t tell me our combs look the same! Isn’t yours gilded with gold and encrusted with emeralds or something?! Give it back!” 

“Why are you always like this?! I have a bamboo comb to travel with like anyone else, see?! Look at the peony engraved on the bottom. It’s mine!” 

“I don’t see anything, you lying-” 

They made for quite the sight when Lan Wangji slid open the paper door to their room. Both were dressed only in their under robes, freshly bathed with damp hair clinging to their cheeks. Jin Ling’s hair, however, was combed out nicely while Jingyi’s was still a rat’s nest of knots on the top of his head. 

They both froze at he sight of Hanguang-jun. 

“Where is Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asked. 

“A-across the hall,” Jingyi answered, scrambling to stand up straight and look presentable in front of his sect leader. It was rather too late to maintain any type of decorum, however. “He’s settling the… baby. Thing.” 

“Do not engage in petty arguments,” Lan Wangji said. “Do not be unreasonable. Do not disturb the peace. Voices are to be kept gentle.” He paused for a moment and then tacked on an addendum, “Especially in the presence of sleeping children.” 

“Yes, Hanguang-jun,” Jingyi said, bowing. He elbowed Jin Ling who bowed as well. 

“Share the comb,” Lan Wangji decided, and Jin Ling hurriedly passed it over, shame coloring his cheeks. Jingyi immediately began combing out his hair, hoping not to break the precept regarding “maintaining one’s appearance,” lest he be further admonished.

Wei Wuxian stepped out of his own room, baby bundled in his arms.

“Lan Zhan,” he greeted. “You’re home.” 

It was rather strange phrasing, but Lan Wangji seemed to melt in response. Sizhui hovered behind him, watching the scene from over his father’s shoulder. He, too, was fearing chastisement after his own misbehaviors that day, and he was further scared Wei Wuxian might be upset with him for his blatant favoritism earlier. 

However, Wei Wuxian did not seem interested in Sizhui at all. Usually, Sizhui would have his full attention, but instead, he seemed rather taken with the child in his arms. 

“How have you managed?” Lan Wangji asked as Wei Wuxian came forward to thunk his forehead on the Chief Cultivator’s shoulder. The fact that Lan Wangji welcomed such behavior would be shocking, if his weakness for Wei Wuxian wasn’t known throughout the realm. 

“I’m exhausted,” Wei Wuxian said. “Look at all these scratches! He’s a feisty thing when he’s tired.” 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji took Wei Wuxian’s wrist, feeding him healthy qi to help heal his wounds. 

Wei Wuxian looked pleased as they sealed over. 

“You know, Lan Zhan, I was thinking - We should name our child!” 

“Your child?!” Jin Ling asked. Apparently, even fear of Hanguang-jun wasn’t enough to make him bite his tongue in the face of Wei Wuxian’s absurdity. 

“For now, anyway!” Wei Wuxian insisted. He, more than anyone, was aware of how family could come and go. Sizhui knew full well how Wei Wuxian had suffered children being taken away from him before. “Regardless! He needs a name! We can’t keep calling it an ‘it.’ He needs a name so he can be a ‘he.’” 

“Let’s call it Guaiwu ,” Jingyi suggested, the name meaning [ monster ].

“Or Roushi Dongwu,” Jin Ling offered, meaning [ carnivore ]. 

“Shen?” Zizhen suggested much more kindly. This name meant [ spirit ] or [ something supernatural ].

The baby made a rather cute noise in it’s sleep, stretching slightly before settling. Lan Wangji’s gaze in response might have looked impassive to other people, but Sizhui knew his expression all too well. Sizhui had been on the receiving end of it many times. 

His father looked fond. 

“We shall name him Huanghun,” Lan Wangji decided, seemingly taken by the baby’s jet black hair and even blacker eyes. This name meant [ nightfall ] .

Wei Ying grinned. “Huanghun, hm? What will he do with Hanguang-jun as his keeper? Aren’t you supposed to be the light bringer?” 

Sizhui felt a sudden burning in his chest.

“Why would that matter?” he asked before he could stop himself. “You keep saying he’s your baby. Not Hanguang-jun’s baby. He can’t belong to both of you, unless you were married or joined by some other means.” His mouth tasted acrid.

… What was he saying?

Fortunately, Wei Wuxian laughed off the moment, like he did anything that would horrify most other people. “I suppose that is true! Everyone makes so many comments about your Hanguang-jun and I bickering like an old married couple, I forgot it wasn’t true!” 

Everyone collectively winced in honor of Lan Wangji’s pride, but Wei Wuxian plowed on. 

“Still! Huanghun seems to like his new name! Look, I think he’s smiling in his sleep! But you know, when he wakes up, he has the blackest eyes with the cutest little happy twinkle in them… like a starry sky! I think [ nightfall ] is the perfect name!” 

“... I guess his body turns black when he starts sprouting fur,” Jin Ling said, eager to put the conversation behind them. 

Zizhen also seemed eager to move on. “Oh, but Wei-qianbei!” he said. “We found something!”

“You did?” Wei Wuxian asked. 

Lan Wangji wordlessly passed the folded paper circle to Wei Ying. 

“Ah. Hold the baby, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said. The child passed hands, practiced and natural like the sharing of duties between husband and wife. Lan Sizhui looked away, the burning in his chest stinging further. Tears brewed at the corners of his eyes for some unknown reason. 

Wei Wuxian laid the circle out on the floor of the inn. 

His gaze grew sad. “I see.” 

“What is it?” Jin Ling asked, still in the dark. 

Zizhen elbowed him and hissed, “Shut up, don’t ask!” 

Wei Wuxian answered regardless. “It’s a sacrificial ritual,” he said, pointing to a large symbol at the twelve o’clock position on the circle. “This can put the soul of one creature into another.”

“Hanguang-jun says it’s not bad!” Zizhen promised, clearly wanting to ease Wei Wuxian’s troubled expression. 

He succeeded in that Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows rose to his hairline, but he didn’t look relieved. “Oh? I’m not sure why he would say that,” Wei Wuxian said. “A sacrificial ritual always includes a loss of life.” He looked to Huanghun. “And this time, babies seem to have been involved.” 

It’s not bad because it brought back you, Sizhui wanted to say, but he’d already said far too much out of turn today. This, he managed to hold back. 

“Can you discern anything more?” Lan Wangji asked practically. 

Wei Wuxian frowned down at the markings. “I’ll have to study it,” he decided. “Perhaps we should retire for the evening… Aiya, poor Sizhui! Look at your clothes! Give them here, I’ll wash them while you clean up.” 

Sizhui was very startled in the face of this positive attention. “You don’t have to do that, Wei-qianbei,” he promised, feeling like he didn’t deserve the man’s kindness after thinking so poorly of him all day. Sizhui was never harsh or bitter with his elders, and especially not Wei Wuxian. But then Huanghun had appeared, and ever since, he’d been embarrassing himself and thinking hurtful thoughts. 

“Well, surely, you can’t go around even a small town like Lanxing covered in blood.” 

“I’ll wash my own clothes,” Sizhui insisted. 

“Are you sure? I-” 

“I can handle it!” Sizhui said, and then scrunched his eyes shut at the harshness in his own voice. “I’m fine.” His voice came out as barely more than a squeak. Embarrassed, Sizhui hurried into the juniors’ room, snapping the door shut and scurrying behind the privacy screen where the tub was still waiting full after Jin Ling and Jingyi’s bath. 

He let out a ragged breath. 

What was wrong with him? 

With nothing better to do, Sizhui disrobed and slunk into the water, going up to his nose as the other juniors entered the room, clearly having been dismissed for the evening by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Fortunately, they gave Sizhui space to calm down on his own. 

If they had called out to Sizhui, he wouldn’t have been able to answer. His throat was too clogged with tears.

Chapter Text

By the time Sizhui exited the bath, he’d managed to pull himself together. 

Apparently, in the time he’d been controlling his emotions and washing blood out of his hair, Zizhen had pulled a wine bottle from his sleeve. The other boys were at least three cups deep by the time Sizhui joined them. 

“Finally!” Zizhen said when Sizhui appeared. “I need to wash up so bad.” He brushed shoulders with Sizhui as he ran behind the privacy screen to bathe. 

“Sorry,” Sizhui said. He was very embarrassed. About everything. From throwing a tantrum in front of his father and friends, to running away afterwards, to taking so long in the bathtub… all of it felt very humiliating. 

Something must have shown on his face because Jin Ling wordlessly held up a cup of wine to him. 

“Drinking is forbidden,” Sizhui said. 

“Didn’t stop Jingyi,” Jin Ling countered. The boy in question was already draped over the table in the center of the room, half asleep. 

Sizhui wavered for a moment before taking the cup and throwing it back like a shot. 

“Oh my god, he drank it,” Jin Ling said in total shock. 

“What?!” Zizhen squawked from behind the privacy screen. 

Jingyi sat up and peered at him. “... Sizhui?” 

“I’m okay,” Sizhui said. “You all don’t have to look so surprised.” 

“You never drink with us,” Jingyi pointed out. 

“Yes, well.” 

“I wonder what you’re like when you’re drunk,” Jin Ling said. “You’re usually, so… refined.” 

“Not today,” Sizhui said sadly. He poured himself another shot and downed it in one go.

Jingyi squeaked. “Sizhui!” 

“What happened?” Zizhen called from the bath. 

“He’s had two cups of wine!” 

“What?!” Zizhen’s voice was even more shocked than before. “Oh my god, I’m missing everything. Sizhui, wait for me, I’m coming!” 

Sizhui sat down heavily, the drink suddenly rushing to his head. He listed forward for a moment and then very impulsively poured and drank a third and final cupful, tilting his head back and letting it burn his throat. 

He plunked his head straight down on the table afterwards. 

“Wow,” Jin Ling said, poking his cheek. “You’re in worse shape than I thought.” 

“Sizhui,” Jingyi wailed, cheeks very flushed and eyes very glazed over. He’d had more wine than he could handle, but he still seemed terribly concerned for his friend. “Sizhui, it’s too much!” 

“Mmmmph,” Sizhui agreed into his arms, face down on the table. 

Zizhen came out from behind the screen, dressed in a fresh under robe and drying his hair hurriedly with a small piece of linen. “I’m here, I’m here,” he said, coming to sit at the open spot by the table. “What did I miss?” 

“He’s three shots deep,” Jin Ling answered. 

“He’s dying,” Jingyi said. 

“I’m dying,” Sizhui agreed. 

“Sizhui!” Zizhen complained. “How could you do all your drinking without me?! That was the fastest bath of my life and you’ve already outdrank Jin Ling?!” 

“Not for long,” Jin Ling muttered darkly, pouring himself another cup. 

“I’m sad,” Sizhui said as means of explanation. 

Jingyi crooned and started petting his hair. Zizhen frowned. “Sad?! Is this about that thing earlier? The apologizing thing? Or is it about the weird Wei Wuxian thing?” 

At that, Sizhui felt tears brew in his eyes again. “I have so many things,” he said, despairing. Jingyi tutted and fussed over him, patting his head and righting his damp hair. 

“You don’t have things,” Jin Ling complained. “Try being a sect leader. Then you’ll have things.” 

“Sizhui is easily overwhelmed,” Jingyi argued. 

Jin Ling folded his arms. “Are you kidding? As if Sizhui isn’t the strongest of any of us! A yao could burst through the window and he wouldn’t even flinch!”

“He is sensitive,” Jingyi insisted. 

Jin Ling huffed. “Well, whatever’s wrong with him, he’ll deal with it like he always does - with a disgusting amount of grace and humility - and embarrass us all by shoving his perfect temperament down all our throats.” 

Jin Ling was very good at backhanded compliments. 

Sizhui tilted his head, looking at Jin Ling in surprise. “You think so?” he asked. 

“You’re one of my oldest, closest friends,” Jin Ling said, his own cheeks starting to grow rosy with alcohol. Otherwise, he would have never admitted as such. “I think I know full well how annoyingly perfect you are.” 

“Sizhui is not annoying,” Jingyi said, drunkenly pulling Sizhui into his arms, pawing at his face and cradling Sizhui’s head to his chest. “He’s just a baby. He is a good boy , everyone thinks so. You’re very good Sizhui.” 

“Huh,” Sizhui said. 

“So good.” Jingyi pet his hair. 

“Let’s toast to Sizhui!” Zizhen decided, pouring drinks before holding up his cup. 

Jin Ling held up his own, and Jingyi struggled to pick up his own glass without spilling his liquor everywhere. Sizhui raised up his own cup. He managed to drink it, but immediately after, he was overtaken with a terrible wooziness. He slammed his empty glass down before collapsing off his chair. 

Apparently, the limit was three drinks. Any more, and Sizhui would pass out on the floor.

Sizhui was awoken by the sound of retching. 

Apparently, last night’s party had continued long after he’d passed out. He was lying in a bed, so his friends must have been sober enough to take care of him, but several empty wine jugs strewn across the floor provided evidence of a wild night of drinking. 

The room was a mess, and Zizhen was in the corner, throwing up. 

“Uh-oh,” Jingyi said, blinking his eyes open while Jin Ling stirred next to him. “We need to clean this up before Hanguang-jun or Wei Wuxian see it.” 

“Too late!” 

All four boys wailed when a bright beam of sunlight pierced their eyes. Wei Wuxian had opened the door to their room, letting in the daylight.

“Your clothes!” Wei Wuxian said, delivering freshly laundered robes to each of the boys despite the baby in his arms. He pat Zizhen’s back as he finished dry heaving. 

Sizhui immediately felt guilty as he held up his robes to find nary a stain on the white cloth. Oh. This had been such an argument last night, but then Sizhui got drunk, and he overslept, and apparently Wei Wuxian had taken initiative to help him anyway. 

His face burned with shame. 

“You did our laundry?” Jin Ling asked. “What, did you get up at the ass crack of dawn?” 

“Yes!” Wei Wuxian answered. He snuggled Huanghun to his chest, cooing down at him. “This little one is not a very good sleeper, are we? Do we like to stay up all night? Do we kick, and fuss, and howl at the moon? Yes, we are a noisy thing!” 

He seemed unreasonably fond of the demonic creature, even after it had kept him awake all night. 

“But we got lots of chores done!” Wei Wuxian continued to ramble to the baby. “We cleaned all the clothes, and we dried them out by the fire, and we made breakfast for Lan Zhan, and he was so happy to wake up and cuddle with us, hm? Is he your new favorite snuggle bug? Aren’t you just the coziest, cuddliest, sweetest-” 

“Oh my god, please stop talking in that baby voice, my head is going to split open,” Jin Ling begged. 

Wei Wuxian laughed, and Sizhui winced against the noise. 

“Aiya, okay, hold on, let me help,” Wei Wuxian said. He passed out small sachets to each boy, stuffed with smelling salts. Zizhen immediately sat up straight upon smelling it, no longer needing to retch. 

“Oh. That helps!” 

“Keep it under your nose until the nausea passes,” Wei Wuxian said. “You’ll be right as rain.” He sat down on the mattress next to Sizhui, grinning down at him knowingly. “The other three, I expected to drink, but this is a first for my Sizhui, huh?” 

Sizhui’s heart squeezed. Wei Wuxian didn’t often assert any ownership of Sizhui, despite having raised him early in life, so to hear him say mine was deeply touching. Sizhui didn’t realize how much it would mean to him, even when stated so flippantly. He pressed his lips together. “Maybe,” he said, holding the sachet so close to his face, he almost dipped his nose into its contents. It really did help. He could feel his headache melting away already. 

Wei Wuxian ran a hand through his hair. “Poor thing… Your first hangover is always the worst.” 

Sizhui closed his eyes, leaning into Wei Wuxian’s touch. The scratches on his scalp were curing his headache almost as quickly as the smelling salts. In the Cloud Recesses, affections were rather reserved. Sizhui had grown up with a father to care for him, but the first few years, Lan Wangji had been bed ridden with slow-healing injuries. Not many people touched Sizhui - and fewer and fewer did so throughout the years. 

He didn’t want Wei Wuxian to pull his hand away. 

And then Huanghun started fussing. 

“Uh-oh,” Wei Wuxian said. “Do we want to be set down? Too many snuggles this morning?” he asked. Sizhui’s heart panged. No, he wanted to say. Not enough. But Wei Wuxian wasn’t talking to him. He was talking to the baby.

“Can you set it down?” Jin Ling asked, recovering the quickest of the four boys. He was the least hungover. Half Jin and half Jiang, he had a strong alcohol tolerance. “It won’t, like…, splinter itself on the hardwood? Or crush itself under the bed or something?” 

“He should be fine to crawl around a little as long as all of Zizhen’s puke made it into that bucket,” Wei Wuxian said. “Besides! Look what he can do!” 

He set the baby on the floor, and it immediately took off crawling at an alarming speed. Yet instead of crawling on hands and knees, it balanced on its hands and feet , moving at a pace far too fast to be natural. 

It scuttled around the room, making upsetting noises. 

“So agile!” Wei Wuxian said excitedly. 

“Ah, it’s coming towards me!” Jingyi panicked. “Make it stop!” 

“He has a name,” Wei Wuxian chided, but he did intervene to send Huanghun scuttling in the opposite direction. The baby seemed to be very interested in gnawing on the table legs, and Wei Wuxian watched him very carefully. “Huanghun, sweetheart, don’t eat that.” 

“This is horrifying,” Jingyi said. “Are all the babies really like this?” 

“I don’t know, but we’re out of leads,” Wei Wuxian said, meaning his review of the sacrificial ritual they’d found at the healer’s office had not yet yielded any results. “We’re going to have to make some house calls this morning.” 

“But we already talked to a bunch of ladies yesterday,” Jin Ling complained. He had always hated the investigation portion of nighthunts; he much preferred the fighting. 

“And we’ll talk to more today,” Wei Wuxian said, scooping up Huanghun when the baby started tearing at the hem of his robes with razor-like teeth. “We need to find where this little one belongs. But first, breakfast! As soon as you can hold the salts away from your face without puking, come downstairs. Lan Zhan has been glaring holes at your door since mao shi.” 

“Fuck,” Jingyi said. 

Wei Wuxian gasped and covered Huanghun’s ears. “No cursing in front of the baby!”

“It can’t even talk!” Jingyi said. 

“He is an innocent angel,” Wei Wuxian insisted. “Now hurry and clean up.” 

Wei Wuxian left with Huanghun presumably to meet Lan Wangji downstairs. Jingyi started tidying up their space while Jin Ling checked on Zizhen in the corner. Poor Zizhen seemed hesitant to leave his puke bucket even with the smelling salts pressed under his nose. 

“You okay, Sizhui?” Jingyi asked. 

Sizhui closed his eyes, his headache still lingering ever so slightly. “I will be,” he promised, chasing the dredges of alcohol away. 

Sizhui came downstairs to a domestic scene. His father was holding Huanghun. Calm and sleeping like this, the baby looked like any other, a tiny infant bundled up in blankets with soft cheeks and a few wisps of hair. Lan Wangji smiled down happily at the child while Wei Wuxian poured him a cup of tea. 

Sizhui immediately looked elsewhere; although, he did join the others at the table. 

“Oh, we’re all here!” Wei Wuxian said, once the juniors were all accounted for. He turned his attention to Sizhui. “How are you feeling?” 

“Fine,” Sizhui said. Wei Wuxian’s hangover cure had worked remarkably well, and Jin Ling had poured him a glass of water that had helped cut through the rest of his headache and nausea. 

Lan Wangji was not as welcoming. “I trust your evening proclivities will not impact your performance today,” he said sternly. However, his disappointed gaze was softened by the baby in his arms. 

Sizhui shrunk in on himself regardless. 

“Of course they won’t, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian said, swiftly jumping to the boys’ defense. “Besides! Nighthunts are as much for helping others as they are for socializing! We should be encouraging our sect disciples to develop strong bonds now for continued harmony and peace amongst the clans in the future.” 

“Socializing can occur without drinking.” 

“Oh? Our esteemed Chief Cultivator never drinks?” Wei Wuxian questioned. His grin was wily. “Because I can think of several occasions where the peerless Hanguang-jun’s sobriety was called into question.” 

“Hanguang-jun drinks?” Ouyang Zizhen yelped, too shocked to remember to be afraid of Lan Wangji. “Like- alcohol?!” 

“Yes! I’ll have you know, Lan Zhan can consume one whole cup of wine before he promptly falls asleep, wakes up, and makes himself a public nuisance until the wee hours of the morning,” Wei Wuxian said factually. As he spoke, he filled Sizhui’s breakfast bowl with pickled plums. (Sizhui loved pickled plums. Did Wei Wuxian know that? Sizhui didn’t remember telling him...) “He also keeps Emperor's Smile under his floorboards!” 

“What?!” Jingyi squawked. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said. 

“Hm, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying looked very amused with himself. “Don’t worry, I know the rules. ‘No telling falsehoods.’ I’m not lying, am I?” 

“I do not drink Emperor’s Smile,” Lan Wangji said. 

“You can’t lie to me, Lan Zhan. I found your secret stash.” 

“A stash!” Jingyi said, gripping Sizhui’s arm from the sheer scandal of it all. 

Lan Wangji blinked and then sighed. “I keep Emperor’s Smile. I do not drink it.” Wei Wuxian looked like he wanted to laugh or tease again, but Lan Wangji stopped him before he could. “I’ve always wanted to have something to offer you.” 

Wei Wuxian laughed. “To offer me?” he asked, incredulous. 

“For your visits,” Lan Wangji further explained. “Wei Ying likes Emperor’s Smile. And chili oil, and jasmine tea, and rabbits.” All of which, Lan Wangji stored in abundance. 

Wei Wuxian was noticeably shocked by this admission. His chopsticks froze in midair, in the middle of placing a piece of marinated tofu skin in Sizhui’s bowl. He stared at Lan Wangji with wide eyes, amusement replaced by something like awe. “Lan Zhan…”

Whatever moment they were sharing, Jin Ling was all too happy to interrupt. “This doesn’t change anything! You said you’ve seen Hanguang-jun get drunk!” 

“Oh. Yes!” Wei Wuxian said, getting back on track. “Yes, he is not a pious as he’d have you believe.” 

“Hanguang-jun!” Jingyi dismayed. 

“... I suppose some socializing is permissible. In the safety of the inn,” Lan Wangji eventually caved, no longer able to chastise the juniors with Wei Wuxian advocating for them so convincingly. When Sizhui dared look across the table, Wei Wuxian threw him a wink.  

Sizhui flushed and looked back to his breakfast, playing with the contents but not eating a single bite. 

The group spent the morning revisiting many of the same young mothers they’d interviewed the day prior. Each woman looked haggard, sporting scratches and teeth marks on her arms as their children fussed terribly. No one recognized baby Huanghun. 

Currently, they were hiking to a farm on the outskirts of town. While they hadn’t learned much new information, one mother mentioned seeing the physician frequenting the narrow path leading to a sheep farm just over the mountain ridge. 

The group pushed through overgrown ferns to follow the narrow path. Up ahead, Lan Wangji was using Bichen to widen the path through the foliage. Wei Wuxian trailed behind with baby Huanghun strapped to his chest. After fashioning a sling out of blankets, Wei Wuxian and the baby had been all but inseparable. Huanghun seemed contented when pressed to Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian seemed equally delighted to have him close. 

Sizhui tried to ignore his constant cooing and tending to the baby as they walked along. However, they soon became impossible to ignore when Wei Wuxian saddled up beside him.

“Are you hungry yet?” Wei Wuxian asked suddenly. 

Sizhui looked up. “Huh?” 

“You didn’t have breakfast.” Wei Wuxain gave his cheek a poke. “Not even one plum. I gave you so many! Were you feeling okay?” 

It was very kind of him to be concerned. Wei Wuxian always seemed to notice Sizhui and his needs. Even in a crowded room, Wei Wuxian had eyes in the back of his head for Sizhui’s location, company, concerns, and desires. Sizhui had always felt so well-known by Wei Wuxian, despite how seldom they saw each other.

But now as they spoke, baby Huanghun was curled against Wei Wuxian’s chest. Wei Wuxian patted his head absently, a natural action that Sizhui ached for. Even as he spoke to Sizhui, his attention was partially on the baby.

“I’m fine,” Sizhui said, voice clipped. 

Wei Wuxian took his harsh tone in stride. He never seemed to react poorly to sharp tongues or biting words. He smiled as always. “I think you are hungry,” he decided. He took some spiced nuts out of his sleeve and snuck them to Sizhui. “You should eat something while we walk.” 

He’d been feeding the baby at regular intervals. This was the first time he’d attempted to care for Sizhui. 

Sizhui couldn’t help but feel like an afterthought. “‘One ought to sit for meals,’” Sizhui recited. There were rules about snacking. 

“‘Eat three balanced meals per day,’” Wei Wuxian recited back. “We’ve already broken the rules once today. Let’s do it again.” 

Sizhui didn’t take the nuts. Anxious to reject Wei Wuxian’s efforts and be finished with the conversation, Sizhui stopped walking and bowed formally to Wei Wuxian. “Thank you for your concern, Wei-qianbei. I will be all right without your help.” He’d lived most of his life without it, after all. 

At this, Wei Wuxian’s usually unflappable positive demeanor wavered. He looked… hurt. Sizhui wished he didn’t have to see it. “Sizhui…” 

“Finally!” Jin Ling announced from up ahead. “Took long enough!” 

Sizhui turned quickly and followed the sound of Jin Ling’s voice. He stepped out of the thicket, over the ridge, and into a large pasture. Down the hill, a herd of sheep clustered peacefully by a small farmhouse. Wei Wuxian followed suit, taking in the scenery, until all of a sudden he was screaming. 

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!” 

Their presence had been spotted.

A dozen sheep dogs sprinted straight at the group of cultivators, barking furiously. Several things happened in quick succession. Wei Wuxian wailed, moving fast as lightning to Lan Wangji’s side. Huanghun, sensing Wei Wuxian’s distress, quickly grew agitated, growing claws and teeth and hurriedly shredding the sling keeping him in place. The baby scuttled to the ground and growled at the dogs approaching. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji instantly swept Wei Wuxian off of his feet, holding him bridal style. 

“Wei Ying,” he said. “I am here.” 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying begged. “Lan Zhan.”

“Wei Wuxian!” Jin Ling complained. “You have to get over this! You’re embarrassing me!” 

Wei Wuxian ignored his nephew, too busy cowering in fear. “Lan Zhan,” he begged again. 

Lan Wangji held him closer. “Lan Jingyi,” he said. “Collect Huanghun.” 

“Me?!” Jingyi asked. “I don’t like to touch it!” 

Lan Wangji didn’t need to speak. His eyes said it all. Obey your teachers. Respect your elders. His firm stare was enough to spark Jingyi into action, collecting the baby and frantically trying to bounce Huanghun until he settled. 

Lan Wangji then turned his glare on the sheep dogs. With one look, they immediately bowed their heads and stuck their tails between their legs, turning and trotting away from the group. Zizhen whistled and leaned over to whisper to Jingyi, “Even dogs are scared of Hanguang-jun.”

Wei Wuxian did not relax in the slightest until the sheep dogs were halfway across the field. “Lan Zhan,” he said, voice very watery. 

“You are safe,” Lan Wangji assured. “They will not hurt you when I am here.” He moved to set Wei Wuxian on his feet, but quickly found Wei Wuxian clinging to him even tighter than before. 

Wei Wuxian laughed awkwardly when he realized how strong his grip had become. “Aha… Maybe… maybe just a little longer, Lan Zhan,” he said. “Until… until I can’t see them anymore.” 

Lan Wangji held him stoically. “Mn.” 

The ruckus outside alerted the residents to guests on the property, and a small family emerged from the farm house. It was almost lunch time, and the group was certainly interrupting their midday meal. As they approached, the man of the household greeted them warmly. “Hello, travelers,” he greeted. “Are you here for wool, mutton, or milk?” 

Jingyi answered. “Uh… Meat, I guess. This thing probably needs to eat,” he said, holding the gurgly baby out in front of him. 

“We are not here for shopping,” Lan Wangji corrected, somehow still seeming respectable and serious despite Wei Wuxian still clinging to his neck. “We were hoping to ask you some questions.” 

“Of course,” the man agreed. “Please, come inside. My wife will prepare tea.” 

The group quickly settled around the small table. Wei Wuxian finally parted from Lan Wangji, but only once the door had closed. Introductions were made, and the couple - named Zhou Feng and Yu Shulien - were dazzled to have Huanguang-jun in their home, quickly treating the group to honey-filled rice cakes and a light, floral tea. 

Wei Wuxian swiftly gathered himself in the absence of any dogs and took Huanghun back from a very relieved Jingyi, feeding the baby pieces of roasted mutton while he chatted with their hosts. 

Eventually, he circled back to the matter at hand. 

“In truth, we are here investigating a string of possessed children,” Wei Wuxian said, bouncing Huanghun in his arms. “You don’t recognize this child, do you?” 

“He’s not yours?” Yu Shulien asked in surprise. 

“Ah,” Wei Wuxian said. “No, I am afraid we found him left on his own in an abandoned house yesterday.”

“Oh, but you’re so good with him,” Yu Shulien said. “A natural mother hen. It’s clear he’s quite attached to you.” 

Wei Wuxian looked very pleased. Sizhui stole a glance at his father, and found Lan Wangji staring at Wei Wuxian, both terribly proud and terribly fond. 

Sizhui shifted in his seat. An uncomfortable feeling crawled up his throat.

“He’s my little peanut,” Wei Wuxian said proudly. “But we’re trying to find where he belongs…perhaps you know the healer who abandoned him. She was seen traveling up the road to your farm frequently. Does that sound familiar?” 

“Butchers and yarn-makers are our most frequent visitors,” Zhou Feng said. 

“Ah, but there was one odd guest,” Yu Shulien reminded her husband. “Bai Fengxi.” 

“Yes!” Zizhen said, pleased. “That’s her name!” 

“She was here?” Jin Ling asked. “What for?” 

“She was interested in our puppies,” Yu Shulien said. Wei Wuxian stiffened, eyes darting around the room as if one might crawl out from under a cupboard or table any moment. “They have all been adopted,” Yu Shulien promised, sensing his fear. “But Bai Fengxi adopted, oh, I’d say eight or so. We have half a dozen sheep dogs, and thus we have quite a few litters each year. She frequently adopts from us.” 

“She must be more crazed and demented than we initially thought,” Wei Wuxian said. 

“Puppies are cute,” Jin Ling argued. 

“I wonder where they are now,” Sizhui said. There hadn’t been any dogs at the cottage or office. There hadn’t been any evidence of puppies staying there at all. 

Usually, Wei Wuxian would praise Sizhui for such an astute observation, but he seemed hesitant to make eye contact. Instead, he snuggled Huanghun closer to his chest. “Hopefully, she took them very, very, very far away,” Wei Wuxain said to the baby with a determined nod. “That way, we don’t run into any trouble, hm?” 

The group asked a few more questions, inquiring as to when the last adoption took place and how often they occurred. They were quickly able to make connections between the birth of many of the affected children and the adoption of the dogs. 

“Strange,” Wei Wuxian said when all was said and done. 

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Lan Wangji said. “We will proceed in our investigation.” He stood, indicating the visit was over. 

“Of- of course!” Yu Shulien said, standing up hurriedly. “I only wish we could have been of more help to you, Hanguang-jun!” 

“You are welcome any time,” Zhou Feng agreed. 

They left the farm house and Lan Wangji piggybacked Wei Wuxian across the field, passing Huanghun off to Sizhui to do so. Sizhui stared down at the baby, who had been bundled up in Wei Wuxian’s lap for over an hour. 

Huanghun yawned, sleepy after eating. He had chubby little fists and pudgy soft cheeks. His warmth settled quietly in the curve of Sizhui’s arm. He really was cute. 

Sizhui took a shaky little breath. 

If they couldn’t find where he belonged, if there was no home waiting Huanghun’s safe return… he couldn’t imagine either of his parents leaving the baby behind. It was starting to look like he might be stuck with Huanghun forever.

Making matters worse, the walk back to town was terribly hot. 

There was not much tree cover overhead, and the sun beat down on their shoulders. It was an unusually hot, humid day for this time of year, and Sizhui quickly found the crook of his arm sweaty where Huanghun snuggled close to him, fast asleep. 

He stomped through the grass, ignoring the others talking and joking up ahead. 

Jingyi fell back beside him. 

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, interrupting Sizhui’s quiet frustration. 

Sizhui huffed. “Why is everyone asking me that?” It was annoying how all of his friends and family seemed so intent on checking up on him. He was fine , he was just bitter and didn’t know how to express it. He was still trying to rationalize and sort through his feelings for himself, and he didn’t want any outside interference.

Jingyi gave him a doleful look. “Wei-qianbei just told a story about killing a dragon while riding on it’s back 300 feet in the air , and you didn’t even blink.” 

“He did what?” Sizhui asked. “He could have died!” 

“Yeah, it was crazy,” Jingyi said. “Especially since he’s so scared of heights and all.” 

Sizhui paled. 

Right. 

Because Wei Wuxian had been thrown in the burial mounds. From hundreds of feet up. With no golden core to heal his injuries. 

Why did bad things always have to happen to Sizhui’s loved ones? Why couldn’t someone else take a turn? When would things be… stable?

“He needs to be more careful,” was all Sizhui could say. 

“Yes, well,” Jingyi said. “He’s the Yiling Patriarch. He’s not exactly known for his thoughtful, calculated decision-making.” 

Sizhui’s face screwed up. That was terribly true. Wei Wuxian made reckless decisions, and didn’t consider the outcomes, and did crazy things, like adopting children, even when it was a big responsibility, and now he and Sizhui had a chance to be together again, and Wei Wuxian kept leaving, over and over and over again, for seemingly no reason, and-

Baby Huanghu suddenly started fussing in his arms. 

Apparently, the infant was in desperate need of a diaper change and determined to let everyone know it. He grew hair and fangs even before he opened his eyes, growling and snarling and making various terrible noises until Wei Wuxian swept him out of Sizhui’s arms. 

“Uh-oh… We’re all upset!” Wei Wuxian said, oblivious to Sizhui’s inner turmoil. “Let’s take a little break and get you settled. Lan Zhan, is there a spot we can sit?” 

Lan Wangji made quick work of dusting off a rock for Wei Wuxian to sit on with the baby. The juniors all found similar resting spots, taking out their water pouches and having a quick drink to beat the heat. Wei Wuxian, despite sweat at his temples from exertion, took care of the baby first. 

“So cute… What are we so fussy for, hm? Are we exhausted from being the cutest thing in the world?” He changed the baby in his lap, clearly well-practiced at handling cloth diapers. “Oh my goodness, so many tears… It’s okay… we’re okay…” 

He started singing . 

“Green grass, blue sky, what a beautiful world~ Big hand, small hand, take me away. Wei Ying’s baby, head full of curls.” 

Sizhui felt as if he’d been stabbed.

He knew this song. 

He hadn’t heard it since he was young, but he knew the lyrics well. It had been sung to him over and over as a baby. He’d heard it while pulling weeds and eating radish peels, and during breakfast on grumpy mornings. While he fell asleep, wrapped in safe arms, someone would sing it into his hair every night.

This was Sizhui’s song. 

And Wei Wuxian was singing it to someone else. 

He stood up abruptly. Sizhui’s hands balled into fists. He didn’t want Wei Wuxian singing anymore, but he also didn’t like the way everyone was suddenly looking at him. His eyes burned with unshed tears. 

“Sizhui?” Wei Wuxian asked, reading the upset on his face before even Lan Wangji could. 

“I’m going to fly ahead,” Sizhui decided, voice embarrassingly watery. 

Lan Wangji hummed. “We should travel together.”

“I want to fly,” Sizhui insisted. 

“Not possible.”

“Well, it would be, if it wasn’t for one of us,” Sizhui snapped and immediately regretted it. It was entirely unfair to Wei Wuxian, who’s borrowed core from Mo Xuanyu was still fledgling and weak in his chest. He knew Wei Wuxian was often sensitive when it came to discussing Subian. Sizhui had hit a pain point. He kept his eyes on the ground to avoid the hurt on Wei Wuxian’s face. 

His father saw it plain as day.

“Lan Sizhui. You will apologize immediately.” 

Sizhui stepped on his sword before his father could further admonish him. “I’ll see you at the inn,” he said before hurriedly flying away. He couldn’t keep his face neutral anymore. Whatever the feelings in Sizhui’s chest, he didn’t want the others to see them. He was embarrassed, and hurt, and he had to get out of sight of the people who knew him best. 

Alone on his sword, Sizhui pressed his hands to his cheeks. All day, he’d been holding back tears, and now he was finding it almost impossible.

He’d never felt stress like this before.

The others’ late arrival at the inn was announced by Jingyi and Jin Ling’s loud arguing downstairs. Apparently, Wei Wuxian had bought them some steamed mushroom dumplings, and the two were fighting over who got the last one. 

“You ate way more than me!”

“You had all of the fried zucchini. I deserve this!” 

“Listen to yourself! You keep complaining that I call you ‘young mistress,’ but you act like a spoiled princess!” 

“I’m spoiled?! Who paid for all your wine last night?!” 

Sizhui heard them coming and hurriedly crawled into bed. It was a feeble attempt at avoidance, but maybe they would leave him alone if they thought he was sleeping. He’d had several hours to meditate and try to calm his heart, but he wasn’t ready for conversation.

Zizhen stepped into the room first and gasped, shushing the others. “Guys . Sizhui is sleeping! Be quiet!” His voice was much too loud if he was trying not to wake anyone up.

“Oh?” Jingyi asked. “Maybe he was feeling sick earlier… That would explain why he wa acting so strange.” 

“Do Lans typically throw temper tantrums when they’re feeling sick?” Jin Ling asked. He sounded annoyed. Jin Ling often postured as if he was the only one allowed to insult Wei Wuxian; he tended to get snippy whenever anyone else said something disparaging towards him. It was a stark opposite to how he used to fight anyone who spoke positively about the Yiling Patriarch. 

“I don’t know,” Jingyi said. “Jins seem to throw temper tantrums all the time. Unless that’s just for our young mistress?” 

There was frantic rustling sounds as the two presumably started to wrestle again. Sizhui thought about pretending to wake up to split them up, but Zizhen broke up the fight before he had to. “Hey! Sizhui is allowed an emotional moment from time to time. You two certainly freak out often enough,” Zizhen said. “He probably really was just feeling sick and needed to lie down. Let’s get out of his hair so he can rest.” 

There was a pause and then Jin Ling stood down. “... There does seem to be a cool street food market…” he said.

“There was a sign for a poetry reading by the tavern,” Jingyi recalled. 

“Let’s escape before the seniors find more work for us to do!” Zizhen decided. 

They all quickly shuffled out of the room. Sizhui stayed lying still with his eyes closed until they were gone. Only once the door had been snapped shut for several minutes did he sit up. He made a frustrated noise.

Embarrassing. He hated how clearly his friends read his emotions. He blinked tears from his face, humiliated to be nearly crying again . 

He regretted snapping at Wei Wuxian. He’d rejected him over and over in the past few days, and he hated himself for it. He barely got to see Wei Wuxian enough as it was, and now that they were together, Sizhui was ruining it. He was being mean. Wei Wuxian was never going to want to see him again, all because Sizhui couldn’t control himself for a simple nighthunt. 

The longer he sat in bed, his blanket cocooned around his shoulders, the worse he felt about himself. He didn’t like fighting with Wei Wuxian. He especially didn’t like avoiding him. 

It took quite a long time, but eventually, Sizhui resolved to get up and apologize. 

He could hear quiet noises through the door, indicating Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were in their own room, even if the words and voices weren’t distinct. Sizhui went out into the hallway, and suddenly he could hear much more clearly. 

Before he knocked on the frame of their paper door, he stood and listened for a moment. 

“Lan Zhan… Aiya, I’m just fine! I got a few hours of sleep before the baby woke up. I’ve operated on a lot less,” Wei Wuxian insisted. 

“You cannot go day without sleeping any longer,” Lan Wangji insisted. “Lay down.” 

Sizhui knew spying and eavesdropping were both forbidden under the Lan precepts, but… the paper was peeling away from the door frame just below his eye line. It was all too easy to peer through. 

Inside the room, Lan Wangji was holding the baby in one arm and had maneuvering Wei Wuxian into bed with the other. Sizhui had been avoiding eye contact with Wei Wuxian all day, but looking at him now, the dark circles under his eyes were very distinct.

“I was going to check on Sizhui,” Wei Wuxian argued with Lan Wangji, even as he obediently laid his head down on the pillow. 

“Mn.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re upset with him, Lan Zhan!” 

Sizhui’s heart froze. Lan Wangji was silent for a moment. Sizhui waited with bated breath. “...He has not been treating you kindly,” Lan Wangji said eventually. 

“He’s just a teenager,” Wei Wuxian excused. “I was a terror to my seniors, Lan Zhan, remember? He hasn’t done anything wrong.” 

“He’s refusing to spend time with you. He has been rejecting your help. And he has been making rude comments at your expense.” 

“Yes, but he’s just a baby,” Wei Wuxian insisted. 

It sounded weak even to Sizhui’s ears. 

“He is fully grown.” 

“He’s upset!” 

“Then he should speak to you about it directly.” 

“Feelings are complicated, Lan Zhan!” 

They were at an impasse. 

Wei Wuxian broke the ensuing silence by cooing over Huanghun. “Oh my goodness… he has the biggest yawns, Lan Zhan, they rack his whole little body,” Wei Wuxian said, leaning over to take the baby out of Lan Wangji’s arms. He cooed at Huanghun while Lan Wangji propped up his pillows so he could snuggle the baby more easily. “Poor sweetie… what are we going to do if we can’t find you a home?” 

“Would you keep the child?” Lan Wangji asked. 

Wei Wuxian hummed. “He’s already taken to me so well,” he said. “If his mom is really out there somewhere, looking for their baby, then obviously she’s the first choice. But other than his mother, it’s hard for me to think about handing him over for someone else to adopt.” He seemed very torn. A terrible creeping feeling clawed up Sizhui’s throat again. Wei Wuxian, oblivious to Sizhui’s distress, cooed over the baby. “Just look at his little eyebrows , Lan Zhan. They are so faint… He barely has any at all!” 

Lan Wangji was not easily distracted. “Babies need stability,” he said, and Sizhui clung to a thread of hope. Yes. Babies needed stability. Wei Wuxian was on the road. He couldn’t adopt an infant. “You would need a permanent address.” 

“Oh,” Wei Wuxian said. His gaze turned longing as he looked at the child in his arms. “I suppose that’s true.” 

Sizhui relaxed. 

And then Lan Wangji offered, “You may stay at the Jingshi. 

Sizhui clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from gasping. Wei Wuxian sat up abruptly. “Lan Zhan! You don’t mean that.” 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said, reaching out to cup his cheek. “Who else but you?” 

“Who else but me?” Wei Wuxian asked. “How about anyone? Lan Zhan, you- you don’t want me around like that. I’ll keep you awake with my tinkering and experimenting half the night. I’ll sneak in contraband items, and all the other Lans will judge you. I’ll complain about the food every meal, and whine about wanting to swim, and refuse to sit still during meetings, and- and I’ll embarrass you as the Chief Cultivator. People will take you less seriously. If you’re tied to me, then… then… then you’ll be trapped.” 

“I’d like to be trapped with Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said. 

“I’d be dragging a baby home,” Wei Wuxian argued. 

Lan Wangji took his hand. “I’d like to have a family with Wei Ying.” 

Wei Wuxian’s bottom lip wobbled. “But… But I really will annoy you, Lan Zhan.” 

“I miss being annoyed by Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji insisted. “I miss you . I’d like for you to come home.” 

“Home?” Wei Ying asked, searching Lan Wangji’s expression. 

Whatever he was looking for, he must have found it, because he suddenly surged forward and captured Lan Wangji in a kiss. Baby Huanghun squirmed in his arms, making gentle cooing noises as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fell into each other, finally caving to what they’d been holding back for so long. 

They looked like a happy family. 

Sizhui slipped away from the door. 

His heart ached. Tears burned at his eyes. His chest seized. 

He stumbled back across the hall and crawled right back into bed, his breath falling short as he found himself panicking. His body shook under the covers. The small keening noise that left his lips sounded pathetic to even his own ears. 

It had hurt before, seeing Wei Wuxian with another baby, one he seemed to truly love. But now… now his father was building a family for a newborn he’d only known for two days. 

Sizhui had been aching for his family to be whole since Rich-Gege first arrived at the Burial Mounds. And then, A-Niang had been gone, and there’d only been A-Die. Lan Wangji had pined hopelessly, and so Sizhui felt Wei Wuxian’s absence, too. Even upon the Yiling Patriarch’s great return, getting Wei Wuxian to stay seemed like an impossibility. 

Completing his family had always been a far off dream for Sizhui, but now it was a reality for a baby they’d only just met. Now, suddenly, an infant stumbled into their lap, and his parents were willing to move heaven and earth for each other. 

It had always been possible. They could do it for someone else. 

They just wouldn’t do it for Sizhui.

They didn’t love Sizhui enough to stay together for him.  

The realization was painful. Sizhui couldn’t breathe. His chest heaved painfully and the air burned his throat whenever he tried to choke it down. He sobbed bitterly against his pillow, every hurt he’d ever felt since learning he was a Wen clogging up his throat. 

The only silver lining was that Sizhui could at least now rightfully identify his feelings. He knew exactly the emotion sending him into a panic, unable to crawl out from under the covers. 

Lan Sizhui was bitterly and painfully jealous.

Chapter Text

The other juniors came back late, giving Sizhui a lot of time to try to calm himself down. 

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he was successful. 

“Sizhui?” Jingyi asked, approaching his bed. Sizhui was shaking under the blankets, a dead giveaway that he was crying, even if he’d pulled the quilt over his head. “Are you okay?” Zizhen and Jin Ling were on the other side of the room, getting ready for bed, but Jingyi had wandered close to where Sizhui was sleeping.

“I’m f-fine." His voice sounded thready, even to his own ears.

There was a pause as Jingyi debated whether to let him be or to push the matter. This wasn’t the first time Sizhui had suffered from a panic attack in his presence.  Sizhui had a tendency to bottle up his emotions until he simply couldn’t hold them back anymore and they all came out in an anxious mess. He was such a wreck.

“You don’t have to be,” Jingyi eventually said. Sizhui didn’t answer, just squeezed his eyes shut and tried to take a deep breath. Jingyi sat on the edge of his mattress. “Sizhui…” 

“I don’t want to talk about it."

“But it’s okay-”

“It’s not okay!” Sizhui said. Jingyi tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder through the covers, but Sizhui hurriedly pulled away. Sliding out of bed, his tearstained face was revealed. He sniffled his pink nose. “I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Jingyi held up his hands in surrender. “Okay,” he promised. “You don’t have to.” 

“I’m going out,” Sizhui said. 

“Hey, wait,” Zizhen called, cluing in to the dramatics happening on the opposite side of the room. Sizhui didn’t listen. He grabbed his boots in a hurry and rushed out of the room before even putting them on his feet. He hopped down the stairs, pulse rabbit-quick in his throat as he ran away. 

Wanting to hide, he left the inn through the back door and pulled himself up on the roof. 

Only second later, he could hear his friends searching for him in front of the building. Their voices traveled over the awning. 

“Sizhui? Sizhui!” Jingyi called. 

“Sizhui!” Zizhen shouted. 

“Come back, idiot!” Jin Ling yelled. 

Sizhui pressed against the roof tiles - flat as a pancake, praying that they wouldn’t find him. Sizhui was not comfortable with confronting his feelings. He was very introverted. He liked to keep his emotions bundled up in his heart, and it scared him to fall further and further out of control. 

He’d never felt so transparent. 

Eventually, his friends stopped poking around and went back inside, seemingly planning to wait for him instead of fruitlessly searching for a boy who didn’t want to be found. Sizhui sat up and pulled his knees to his chest, releasing a shaky breath. 

He was so wrapped up in his own feelings that he didn’t notice when someone else joined him on the roof. 

“Oh. We have company.” 

Sizhui jolted, terribly startled, and turned to find Wei Wuxian, sitting up on the roof with baby Huanghun slung across his chest. 

For a moment, Sizhui thought about running away again, but he was so emotionally exhausted and he’d been panicking so long, he stayed rooted in place, staring up at Wei Wuxian with wide, red-rimmed eyes. 

“Sorry,” Wei Wuxian said. “Baby Huanghun is not a great sleeper, but he likes the moon.” The baby in question was gurgling and reaching toward the bright light in the sky. “We didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“... It’s okay,” Sizhui said, too tired to lash out any further. 

“Can we sit?” Wei Wuxian asked. 

Sizhui sighed: a pained, resigned noise. “Sure.” 

Wei Wuxian came to sit beside Sizhui. He was quiet for a moment as he switched Huanghun’s positioning, strapping the baby to his back instead of his front. Sizhui didn’t question it, until Wei Wuxian opened his arms. “Come here.” 

Sizhui's jaw dropped. “What?” 

“Come here, sweet thing,” Wei Wuxian insisted. “You clearly need a hug.” 

Sizhui stared at him for a moment - confused, startled, hopeful - before obeying. He let himself list forward and Wei Wuxian swept him up, holding him close and burying his nose in Sizhui’s hair. “What’s going on, hm? We’re so stressed.” 

Sizhui found himself crying all over again, too exhausted to hold back. “I don’t wanna- I don’t wanna talk about it.” It was far too embarrassing. Who was jealous of a baby? And would Wei Wuxian even care? What if he just admonished him? It was too much, and he was so exhausted, it was way past hai si, and Sizhui was all out of sorts. 

Wei Wuxian ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he said easily. “Okay, shhh , you’re okay,” he promised, catching all of Sizhui’s tears in the front of his robes. He rocked Sizhui where they sat, coddling Sizhui far more than he deserved. 

Terribly embarrassed, Sizhui choked out between tears, “I’m- I’m not a baby.” 

“Don’t remind me,” Wei Wuxian said. His hold softened, and he thumbed away a tear from Sizhui's cheek. “How did that happen, hm? You’re all grown up.” 

Sizhui cried even harder. 

“Oh goodness, we’re okay… it’s okay, sweetheart.” 

Sizhui sobbed in his arms until he could suck in a deep breath of air. As soon as he could regulate his breathing again, he apologized. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” 

“You’re fine.”

“I was mean.” 

“You were not,” Wei Wuxian argued, even though Sizhui very much had been. Sizhui pulled away a little to see his face, but Wei Wuxian’s gaze was somehow still fond. “It’s okay to have some growing pains, Sizhui. It’s not easy to be a teenager. Just… you can talk to me. When you’re ready. If you want to. I know you have Lan Zhan for difficult things. He’s better at that kind of stuff than me...” 

Sizhui pushed tears from his eyes. “N-no,” he said. “I would… I would talk to you. You’re good, too,” he promised, wishing he could impress upon Wei Wuxian just how important he was. Sizhui needed him, even if he’d been pushing him away. His face crumpled again. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be!” 

“I was snippy,” Sizhui insisted. 

Wei Wuxian laughed. “What, did you confuse yourself with Jin Ling?” That startled a laugh out of Sizhui, and Wei Wuxian pinched his cheek. “You were just fine.” 

He waited for awhile to see if Sizhui would say anything else about why he was crying or why he’d been so upset, but Sizhui was too embarrassed and his lips stayed glued together. Eventually, Wei Wuxian sighed and stood up. “Well, it is far past Lan bedtime,” he realized. “Let’s get you to bed.” 

Sizhui flushed, knowing the other boys would have questions as soon as he showed up. “... I dunno if I’m ready to see the others.” 

“No?” Wei Wuxian asked. “Then would you like to stay with Lan Zhan and me?” 

Sizhui’s eyes widened and his heart swelled with hope. “That would… that would be okay?” 

“There’s plenty of room,” Wei Wuxian promised. 

“Okay,” Sizhui said, agreeing far too quickly to seem normal. He tried to walk it back a little. “I mean, if that’s all right.” 

“Of course, it’s all right,” Wei Wuxian said, ruffling his hair. “You’re always welcome with me and Lan Zhan.” 

The following morning, Sizhui woke up to the sound of Wei Wuxian humming to baby Huanghun and gentle splashing water as he washed the baby in the tub. Lan Wangji was already dressed and meditating, but his lips were quirked up in a smile as he heard the nonsense Wei Wuxian was singing. 

“My baby has feet, my baby has feets! Two little feet and two little treats… Baby feet are my favorite to eat!” 

This was followed by the sound of pretend munching and baby giggling. 

Sizhui knotted his hands in the still-warm sheets, not sure what to feel. Should he wake up? Or would it ruin the temporary peaceful spell that had settled over his heart?

In the end, he was not given much of a choice when screaming broke out downstairs in the inn’s foyer. 

“Kill it!” 

“It’s evil!” 

“Burn it with fire!” 

“Drown it with water!” 

“Bury it with dirt!”

“No, that’s my baby!” 

The splashing stopped and Wei Wuxian appeared with baby Huanghun wrapped in a blanket. “Lan Zhan,” he said, but Sizhui’s father was already on his feet and headed downstairs. Sizhui, anxious to do something right and help his parents with the case, hurriedly got to his feet and ran after Lan Wangji, tying his hair and adjusting his robes as he followed him down the stairs. 

There, they quickly found a baby twice as furry as an angry Huanghun, snarling through a muzzled nose and growling at anyone who came near. 

The thing had somehow climbed up on one of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and it was swatting at anyone who came near it with sharp claws. 

Beneath the baby girl, a desperate mother was crying and jumping to reach . Meanwhile her, the inn employees and patrons were trying to hit the demonic child down with a broom, disturbed by her mere existence. 

Everyone’s shouting was instantly turned to muffled humming. 

Lan Wangji had thrown the silencing spell. 

He stepped onto his sword and rose up to gently detangle the baby’s claws, forcing her free of the lantern which now had baby-claw marks in the paper. He soothed the baby by gently combing his fingers through her furry hair until she calmed down enough to be passed to her mother. “All is well.” 

He removed the silencing spell and the inn owner spoke first. “That thing can’t be here,” he said. 

“No!” the mother wailed. “I must- I must speak with Hanguang-jun and the Yiling Patriarch!” 

“Well, then, speak to them outside!” 

Lan Wangji held up a hand, silencing them both. “We will happily discuss outside. Please find a comfortable place for you and your infant. We will meet you shortly.” He turned to the innkeeper. “Please provide her with breakfast for her trouble.” 

“You payin’?” the innkeeper asked. 

Lan Wangji nodded. 

“Then whatever you say.” 

Sizhui had a feeling the woman would be getting the inn’s most expensive menu set, but he also knew his father wouldn’t mind the price. 

“I’ll- I’ll get the others!” Sizhui promised. 

Lan Wangji nodded and Sizhui rushed off. When he arrived at the juniors’ room, he found his friends in various stages of dress, clearly having overheard the noise downstairs and troubled themselves to get ready in a rush. 

“It’s okay!” Sizhui promised. “There’s a mom who wants to talk to us! Get ready quickly!” 

It was rather fortunate for Sizhui that the mother and baby had appeared when they did because he knew his friends had questions for him (namely, where had he been all night?), but the urgency of the morning meant there was no time to chitchat. 

Soon enough, the group was circled around the woman. The innkeeper had provided her with a table and chairs outside, as well as a full breakfast. The boys carefully did not eat until Lan Wangji gestured for them to do so. 

Wei Wuxian and Huanghun sat tellingly close to Lan Wangji's side. This morning, they really did look like the perfect happy family. 

“State your business,” Lan Wangji said. 

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian chastized. “Don’t be so formal! First introduce yourself! My name is Wei Wuxian, and this is the great Hanguang-jun, his disciples Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi, and two other aspiring cultivators, Ouyang Zizhen and Jin Rulan.” 

Jin Ling sputtered. “I’m a sect leader ,” he said, offended by his introduction, but the woman didn’t seem to hear him. 

“My name is Mei Xinyan,” she said. She seemed near tears. “And this is my baby, Lu Zhi.” 

“Cute!” Wei Wuxian said. “She looks just like you.” 

At that, Mei Xinyan’s tears spilled over. “She does not. I- I carry a terrible secret.” She took a pained breath. “She is not really mine.” 

“Does it matter?” Wei Wuxian asked. 

“To my husband, yes.” Mei Xinyan then began to tell her story. “We both wanted children so badly, but he was adamant. His family has a great fortune that has been passed down generation after generation, so he has been desperate for heirs. Yet, no matter what we tried, we went years without bearing a child.” 

She looked heartbroken. 

“He was sure that I was doing something wrong, and he grew angry… I grew more and more stressed until one day, I- I thought-” She struggled to speak to this group of young boys. “I started having symptoms. Of a pregnancy,” she said delicately. “Finally, my husband was happy. It was like being freshly married all over again, until… until I realized… I wasn’t… I thought… but I wasn’t-” 

“Ah,” Wei Wuxian said, taking her hand as she grew more and more distressed. “A hysterical pregnancy?” 

Mei Xinyan nodded. “Y-yes! Caused by stress. I went to the physician, Bai Fengxi, during the second trimester, and she broke the news.” 

Wei Wuxian made a caring noise.

“I am sorry for your loss,” Lan Wangji said sincerely. 

“There’s no loss,” she said. “Just the thought. But… I couldn’t tell my husband. Not when he was finally happy with me. Bai Fengxi was so empathetic, and she told me… she told me not to say anything. To hide it. To stuff my clothes. And that at the time of my delivery, she would bring me a newborn to take home to my husband.” 

One of the questions about the cottage on the hill was how the young mothers could climb the mountain before their due dates whilst so heavily pregnant. Suddenly, they had their answer. At least in the case of Mei Xinyan, she wasn’t pregnant at all.

“Where did the child come from?” Lan Wangji asked. 

“I don’t know,” Mei Xinyan said. “She was simply placed in my arms with no explanation. I am afraid I have stolen her from a caring mother. Maybe… maybe the possession is due to lingering resentment from my stealing her away,” she worried. 

Wei Wuxian tutted. “No, no, the children aren’t resentful,” he assured. “At least not out of a personal grudge. I’d hesitate to call them ‘possessed’ at all, especially now that we aren’t sure of their origins. The 'possession' angle hasn't sat right with me... I’d wager they aren’t possessed by demons. They are demons. They don't seem human at all. ” 

This was a big discovery. If Mei Xinyan hadn’t birthed her own child, it opened the door to many possibilities, including - as Wei Wuxian was suggesting - nonhuman children. 

But still, there were many questions remaining. 

“Do the other mothers in town have similar experiences?” Lan Wangji asked. The women hadn’t shared any similar details to Mei Xinyan, but her story was rather embarrassing for any woman to admit, especially to a gaggle of teenage boys. 

Mei Xinyan pressed her lips together. “I haven’t spoken to all of the women with cursed children in town,” she said. “But I know one whose husband was adamant to have a son and she has only birthed girls. I know yet another who was married late in life, too late to bear children of her own until Bai Fengxi offered a miracle. There are similar rumors about the other women.” 

“Hmmm,” Wei Wuxian said, reaching out for Lu Zhi when she started to fuss. Her nails were longer and sharper than Huanghun’s. “Where do you belong, cutie? What are we going to do with you?” 

With Lu Zhi in his arms and Huanghun in his sling, Wei Wuxian looked more like a wet nurse than a powerful demonic cultivator. Sizhui shifted awkwardly. Lan Wangji, meanwhile, was smiling at him fondly. 

“No,” Jin Ling said. 

“No, what?” Wei Wuxian asked. 

“You’re not adopting another baby. One is enough!” 

“I’m not adopting her! I’m just holding her for a moment.” 

“Honestly, you could keep her,” Mei Xinyan said, clearly aiming for a joking tone and failing. “I’m afraid she’s too much for me.” With no spiritual energy to heal her wounds, there were several sets of criss-crossing claw marks all over her forearms 

“You two don’t have an easy road ahead, but she loves her mother,” Wei Wuxian assured. “She’s healthy and pink… You’re doing a great job.” He smiled warmly at her, and Mei Xinyan almost fell to tears all over again. 

“You think?” 

“Look at her!” Wei Wuxian insisted. “She’s a happy little cutie! She just has her outbursts, but who doesn’t?” 

“I- I suppose,” Mei Xinyan said. 

“Perhaps some mittens would help,” Wei Wuxian suggested. “I’ve been thinking about making a pair for Huanghun…” 

In the end, Mei Xinyan stayed until the heat of the day grew too much to keep her baby outdoors in full sun. In that time, Wei Wuxian spent a few minutes fashioning a pair of drawstring mitts out of Li Zhu’s blanket, painting characters for strength and durability on the inside so Li Zhu wouldn’t simply shred them next time she was upset. Mei Xinyan was so grateful, she gave Wei Wuxian candy from her sleeve, bowing and thanking him profusely before she left. 

“The mystery grows,” Wei Wuxian said, sharing the candies amongst the juniors. 

Lan Wangji looked pensive. “Wei Ying thinks the children are not human?” 

“I think if they're adopted, then they could come from anywhere,” Wei Wuxian said. He pulled out the sacrificial circle and unfolded it on the floor. He bounced Huanghun on his knee as he looked at it. “I’m wondering if this spell could serve a different purpose than we initially thought.”

“I don’t get the puppy thing,” Jin Ling said abruptly. He was sucking on a candy already and sporting a bit of a lisp. “That’s the weirdest part of all of it.” 

“Me either,” Jingyi agreed. “Maybe we should go back there? There was a barn. We could investigate.” 

Zizhen rolled his eyes. “You just want more lamb kebabs.” 

“We should never go back there,” Wei Wuxian said. “The puppies probably don’t matter. Irrelevant!” 

“ You just don’t want to be around dogs again,” Jin Ling accused. 

“Well, who would?” 

“We will revisit,” Lan Wangji decided. “Wei Ying may stay behind with Huanghun.” 

Sizhui shifted anxiously. He already had such limited time with Wei Wuxian, and he’d ruined so much of this trip by acting out and snapping at him. If he stayed behind, their time together would be even shorter. Sometimes, when he and Wei Wuxian parted ways, he didn’t see him again for months. 

Wei Wuxian looked at Sizhui. He seemed to debate his choices, clearly warring with himself, before his shoulders curled in a little bit. “... No, I’ll come,” he said, sounding agonized. “But Lan Zhan, you have to be watching.” 

Lan Wangji’s face remained placid, but if Sizhui squinted, the edges of his father’s mouth seemed to curl up in amusement. “I will remain vigilant,” Lan Wangji assured. 

“So we’re leaving?” Jingyi asked. 

Lan Wangji nodded and the juniors all quickly finished the dishes on the table before them, unwilling to let even a single bite go to waste. With growing bodies, they needed all the food they could get. Before the sun could bake the ground, they were well on their way. 

Ouyang Zizhen frowned as they hiked back out to the sheep farm. Up ahead, Lan Wangji was brushing a strand of hair off of Wei Wuxian’s neck. “So are they…?”

“A million times worse than usual?” Jin Ling asked. “Because yes.” 

“I’m pretty sure I saw Hanguang-jun kiss Wei Wuxian’s forehead while we were packing up,” Jingyi said. “It was harrowing.” 

“It’s not bad . They’re happy ,” Zizhen said. “I wonder if something happened.” 

Something must have shown on Sizhui’s face because suddenly, all three of his friends were staring him down. He straightened up a little under their attention. “Um…” 

“What do you know?” Zizhen asked. 

“Better question,” Jingyi said, “where were you last night?” 

Sizhui debated how much he wanted to share. “Um… Well, I just- I needed a minute, so I went to the roof-” Jingyi was looking at him far too knowingly, so Sizhui blushed and looked at his feet, “-but then Wei-qianbei was there. And he said I should just stay with him and A-Die.” He didn’t often refer to his father as anything other than ‘Hanguang-jun’ when speaking with his friends, but the situation would be strange if he hadn't been staying with family. 

“Oh!” Zizhen said, sounding relieved. “Oh, that’s good.” 

Jingyi was also encouraging. “That’s great! Family time! You needed it.” 

Sizhui felt his cheek and found it burning with blush. “Um… y-yes.” He had been very fearful that his father would tell him to go back to his room. Lans were very strict about sleep hygiene. But Wei Wuxian had bustled him into the room and gave progressively more and more ridiculous excuses about how Sizhui’s bed was infested with bed bugs, and then caught on fire, then drowned with water, and then thrown out the window, until Lan Wangji just huffed and welcomed Sizhui in with a fond smile. 

Sizhui hadn’t been welcome in his father’s room past hai si in years. He hadn’t realized how much he needed it until he woke up, refreshed and settled. 

“I want a public apology,” Jin Ling said. “Everyone calls me ‘young mistress,’ but I’m not the one who throws tantrums and then runs away into the night.” 

“Well,” Zizhen said. 

“Um, actually…” Sizhui started. 

“You do that all. The time,” Jingyi said. “Last night hunt, you stormed off when you didn’t get the last chicken leg!” 

“That wasn’t a tantrum,” Jin Ling argued. “That was righteous rage.” 

The two started to bicker, but Zizhen was singularly focused on the relationship between their two seniors as always. “So did anything happen between Wei-qianbei and Hanguang-jun last night? They’re so lovey-dovey today!” 

“Oh,” Sizhui said. His stomach twisted. “I think, um… If- if we don’t find a home for Huanghun, then… maybe they’re going to get married.” 

“What?!” Zizhen squawked. 

“I don’t know,” Sizhui said. “Hanguang-jun told Wei-qianbei he’d need a stable home to raise a baby, and that he could stay in the Jingshi if he needed a place to stay. But… I don’t think uncle would allow that, if… if…” 

“Wait,” Jin Ling said, pausing his fight with Jingyi to listen in “Hanguang-jun is marrying my crazy uncle? He’ll die. It’ll kill him.” 

“Well, I don’t know if they’re getting married,” Sizhui admitted. “But there are strict rules about cohabitation.” 

“There are strict rules about cohabitation, but there are also strict rules about Wei Wuxian,” Jingyi said. “I’m not sure Lan Qiren would ever approve a marriage between the two of them. He’d sooner go into a qi deviation than see one of his Two Twins of Jade wearing red next to Wei Wuxian.” 

Jin Ling, who had seemed against the marriage before, quickly changed gears. “Well, what’s his problem?! Anyone would be lucky to marry Wei Wuxian! He’s one of the most intelligent, capable, powerful cultivators in the world!” 

“You just said Hanguang-jun would die if they got married,” Zizhen noted. 

“That’s because he’s annoying . But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be an asset to the Lan clan!” 

“I don’t know if they’re getting married,” Sizhui repeated. This fight wasn’t worth having. “I just… if they’re lovey-dovey today, then that’s why.” 

There was an awkward silence. Up ahead, Wei Wuxian nearly stepped in a puddle and Lan Wangji swept him off his feet. Wei Wuxian laughed delightedly at this, teasing Lan Wangji for being overprotective. 

It was a rather sickly sweet display.

“I’d think you’d be more happy about it,” Jingyi said to Sizhui suddenly. “Your mom and dad are finally getting back together! Isn’t that for the best?” 

“I am happy,” Sizhui said.

“You look sad,” Zizhen noted. 

“I’m not sad, I’m really happy,” Sizhui promised. His voice sounded flat to his own ears.

“Uh-huh, very convincing,” Jingyi said, but thankfully, he dropped the subject as they continued to hike down the dirt path, the sun growing hotter and hotter overhead. 

Once again, the group cut through the woods and found the clearing full of sheep. Lan Wangji held Huanghun dutifully while Wei Wuxian clung to him in all manner of ways, climbing his body like a tree. He remained stoic even in the face of Wei Wuxian’s clinging. 

“We will investigate the barn,” Lan Wangji reminded them. 

They reintroduced themselves to the owners who were more than happy to let them take a look; however, they warned that a fresh litter of puppies had been delivered overnight. Wei Wuxian paled while the juniors perked up. It wasn’t often they got to see cute baby animals on nighthunts. Usually, they only saw mutilated corpses. 

“They were just born ,” Jin Ling told Wei Wuxian. “They can’t even lift their own heads!” 

“But they’re evil at heart,” Wei Wuxian insisted. 

“You’re the one who keeps corpses as pets!” 

“Some corpses are loyal.” 

“All dogs are loyal.” 

The two continued to bicker as they made their way to the barn. Lan Jingyi was the most excited to see the puppies, so his quick pace had brought him to the front of the group. When he opened the door, they quickly realized the barn was not empty.

A woman in a black cloak lifted her head, a newborn puppy in her hands. She froze. 

And then immediately sprinted for the back door. 

“Stop her!” Zizhen squeaked. 

Jin Ling ran forward, producing a spirit-trapping net from his pocket that he threw towards the cloaked woman. She easily dodged, dropping to the ground and letting it whizz over her head.

Jingyi pulled his sword, but the woman drew her own dagger, rife with spiritual energy to fend off his attacks. She must be a strong cultivator to beat a Lan disciple in a battle of swords. 

Zizhen fired off two arrows, but even with Jingyi fighting her back into a corner, she still managed to dodge. 

Jin Ling pulled his own sword, but Sizhui was a little bit faster. 

As soon as the woman appeared, he had pulled out a blank talisman from his breast pocket and nipped at the side of his thumb to draw blood. He painted the characters quickly and hurriedly cast the talisman before the woman could get away. 

A thin, blue string suddenly wrapped around the woman’s torso, pinning her arms to her body and binding her to Sizhui. 

“Wow!” Wei Wuxian said. “Is that my invention?!” He was still clinging to Lan Wangji’s shoulders, but he seemed to have forgotten his fear of dogs just long enough to marvel at Sizhui. 

Sizhui blushed. “It’s bonding… or binding… whichever you like to call it.” 

“Amazing!” 

“And stay down!” Jin Ling said haughtily, forcing the woman to sit rather than stand. Her hair had fallen slightly from her top knot after the fight and she blew a strand out of her eyes, defeated. 

Sizhui stepped forward. “Are you Bai Fengxi?” he asked. 

The woman rolled her eyes. “What’s it to you?” 

“We’re investigating all the creepy little monster babies you made!” Lan Jingyi said. 

Bai Fengxi as immediately offended. “I knew I’d have to dodge you creeps!” Looking at her more closely, it was clear she was rather young - still older than the juniors but not by much. “You’d never understand my genius. I’m helping people! You wouldn’t know anything about that!” 

“Every single one of the people you ‘helped’ thinks their child is possessed!” Jingyi argued. 

“What are you doing here anyway?” Jin Ling asked. At some point during the fight, the woman had placed the puppy in her pocket. He rescued the tiny thing and put it back with its siblings. “It’s too early to separate pups from their mother like this.” 

“Why should I tell you?” 

“Because whatever you’re doing is ruining lives!”

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian, despite his fear, had climbed down off of Lan Zhan’s shoulders to spread out the sacrificial ritual on the barn’s dirt floor. He looked at it consideringly. 

“Where did you find that?!” Bai Fengxi asked, suddenly sounding anxious. 

Zizhen crossed his arms over his chest proudly. “We found your hidey hole. Or, well, Sizhui did! He’s good at finding stuff like that.” 

Wei Wuxian gave Sizhui a proud look before going back to the ritual. “Stealing puppies,” he muttered under his breath and grabbed a stick. He started filling in the missing section of the circle by drawing in the dirt, adding a few characters with the tip of the stick before tamping over the dirt and drawing again. 

Bai Fengxi became more and more ashen as he worked. 

“Ah,” he said, and then suddenly he looked up at Huanghun. He skirted away from the baby “A-ha.” 

“How did you do that?” Bai Fengxi asked. “How could you- That’s- that’s better than the original!” 

“What is it?” Jin Ling asked. 

“It’s not a sacrificial ritual,” Wei Wuxian said. “It’s a transfiguration ritual, a spell to give one creature the appearance of another. This one is pretty complex, although we've seen it start to fail whenever the babies started to grow emotional... But they're not evil! They're just uncomfortable and trying to return to their natural state. The fur, the teeth, the claws, the growling… They’re not demons-” 

“They’re puppies!” the juniors figured out at once. 

Huanghun - almost on cue - started to wriggle in Lan Wangji’s hold. Now that they knew better, his little baby noises sounded a lot more like ‘yips’ than they did anything else. 

Wei Wuxian sidestepped away. 

“Is it reversible?” Lan Wangji asked. 

“No!” Bai Fengxi demanded. “This is my life work! You can’t just- mmmph!” She was cut off as the Lan silencing spell was put into place. Lan Wangji looked to Wei Wuxian for an answer. 

Wei Wuxian frowned down at the circle. “Most rituals are reversible. Just not- Well, you know.” He couldn’t bring Mo Xuanyu back. “I think… If we just flip around the character for ‘infant’ and ‘animal”... Although, we should emphasize ‘true form’...” He was very focused for a few minutes and then looked anxiously to Lan Wangji and Huanghun. "... I think I got it." He looked devastated by the discovery. 

“It is a painful thing to exist in the wrong body,” Lan Wangji reminded Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian managed a watery smile. “Yes, but… we were a happy little family while it lasted.” 

Sizhui’s heart clenched. 

Lan Wangji placed the baby in Wei Wuxian’s arms. “All things must return to their natural state.” Of course, the righteous Hanguang-jun would do the honorable thing, even if it meant discarding their future plans of domestic life together. More would be broken than just this spell. 

“Oh,” Wei Wuxian worried, holding Huanghun. He looked to be on the verge of tears. He kissed the baby’s soft little head. “I know… it’s not right. We have to take care of you,” he told his little one. “Be safe, okay?” 

He set Huanghun in the center of the circle. 

“Lan Zhan, you do it,” Wei Wuxian said, standing behind him. He didn't fear his own magic, but he did fear Huanghun's true form. 

Lan Wangji dutifully bent down and applied spiritual energy to the circle, the characters suddenly growing gold, then warming to orange, and then finally glowing red. Baby Huanghun sat patiently in the center until the light was so bright, it obfuscated his form completely. As soon as the light died down, a little black puppy sat in the center, panting and wriggling it’s tail. 

“Arp!” 

It barked at the sight of Wei Wuxian, still his favorite person, and immediately got to its feet to trot towards him. 

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian begged, once again scrambling to crawl up on Lan Wangji’s shoulders. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan.” He was shaking like a leaf and all but crying. Huanghun was much older than the newborn puppies, a soft fluffy thing about the size of a three-month-old husky. 

“What?!” Jingyi marveled, catching Huanghun and scooping him up. “He’s so cute! Huanghun! Look at you, such a little baby!!!” He looked to Lan Wangji hopefully. “Hanguang-jun, can we-?”

“No pets in the Cloud Recesses,” Lan Wangji said, Wei Wuxian strapped to his chest like a backwards napsack. 

Jin Ling huffed. “You can’t be this afraid!” he insisted as Wei Wuxian sniveled in fear. “You snuggled this thing all week, when it’s nose was snarled up and it’s teeth were jagged and nasty. How can you love it then but not love it now?”

“Because it’s scary!” Wei Wuxian insisted. 

Meanwhile, Jingyi was nuzzling his and Huanghun’s noses together. 

“Am I the only one thinking about how long this is going to take to sort out,” Zizhen asked Sizhui as they both surveyed the scene. Sizhui could only hum in sympathy.There was still so much to do, but when he looked at Huanghun as a sweet little puppy in Jingyi’s arms, all Sizhui could think was, “Ah. It’s all over.” 

And yet, his dread from before still remained.  

With Huanghun out of the picture, Sizhui had the terrible feeling that Wei Wuxian was never coming home. 

It took a long time to clean everything up. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent revisiting the affected women in town and undoing the rituals cast on their children. Most were more than happy to keep their babies as puppies. It was a relief to find a solution for their demon-possessed-presenting children, and most were thrilled to see their babies finally at peace in their natural state. Now they were as they should be. After weeks of caring for colicky, crying infants, putting up with snarling and scratching and biting, they finally had something warm and snuggly to hold and care for. 

Huanghun was supposed to stay behind at the farm, but he was noticeably attached to Jingyi, and Sizhui had a feeling Lil Apple would have a friend to play with whenever the donkey next visited the Cloud Recesses. 

Meanwhile, visiting Jin officials came to escort Bai Fengxi to an unorthodox cultivation school newly opened at Koi Tower. 

“What?” Jin Ling asked, irritated. “She didn’t do anything wrong… The puppies were all fine! She, uh, probably shouldn’t be left to her own devices or anything… but innovation isn’t a bad thing! We should encourage alternative cultivation methods!” 

Wei Wuxian (who had been on the brink of tears all afternoon) came dangerously close to sobbing after this. He’d ruffled Jin Ling’s hair much too harshly, and Sizhui hovered nearby, unsure how to reach out and welcome that same kind of contact.  

Needless to say, it was well past dark by the time they finally headed back to the inn. 

Despite the sizzling street food stalls and cool night air, Sizhui felt terribly melancholy. His friends all drifted far behind, crunching on mandarin tanghulu and peering at embroidered boots and painted lanterns. Jingyi struggled to eat and hide Huanghun in the fold of his robes.

Sizhui didn’t quite know how to fit in. Instead, he stuck close to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, hanging back a few steps behind, scared to join his parents in proper. 

Wei Wuxian was walking with Chenqing in hands clasped behind his back. He had a slow, unbothered gate, but his expression was pensive. 

He’d seemed sad all day, and it was making anxiety crawl up Sizhui’s throat. 

Huanghun was saved wasn’t he? 

So why was Wei Wuxian so unsettled?

“... Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said as they walked, his concern surprisingly clear on his face. His profile was illuminated only by the moon and the red lanterns patterning the street. 

“It’s fine, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said. “It wasn’t meant to be. I’m terrible with children. And you would have hated having me in your space anyway.”

Sizhui’s stomach twisted. This conversation obviously wasn’t for him to listen in on. Their voices were purposefully quiet, as if hoping the din of the crowded market streets would drown them out completely, but Sizhui could still hear every word. 

“You are wonderful with children,” Lan Wangji said, and Sizhui wholeheartedly agreed. “And you seem to want a family.”

Sizhui’s stomach twisted again. 

“Aha, yes, well. Usually, finding a family isn’t good for me.” 

Lan Zhan was silent. 

“At least I lost this baby early!” Wei Wuxian said. “Or- losing is a strong word. He wasn’t real to begin with, I suppose.” 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan worried. 

“Some things just aren’t meant to be,” Wei Wuxian said, as if it was some kind of reassurance. As if it was not the worst thing Sizhui had ever heard. As if Sizhui wasn’t fully and intimately aware of how terrible it was to lose a family. As if it was okay that Wei Wuxian had ever been separated from anyone he loved.

Sizhui’s heart lodged in his throat. “What do you mean they’re not meant to be?” he demanded. 

Both Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian startled, turning to look at him. 

Sizhui held his ground. “What do you mean? ” he repeated. “You’re not meant to have a family?” 

“Sizhui-” Wei Wuxian started, but Sizhui didn’t let him finish. 

“Don’t you know you’ve had a family for years?” Sizhui's vision started to blur, and he  realized belatedly that he was crying. “How can you say it’s not meant to be? You died and came back, and I’m still here. You could have me. How could I not be meant to be? How can you be sad about losing Huanghun and not losing me? How come you won’t live in the Jingshi for me? How come it’s all over when I’m still here? What about me?!” 

He was sobbing very embarrassingly in the middle of the street. He was mortified, yes, but he couldn’t get ahold of himself. He hadn’t cried like this in front of his father since his age was in single digits. 

“You- what?” Wei Wuxian asked in shock. 

“Y-you’re- you’re supposed to-  You’re supposed to love me,” Sizhui said, humiliating himself further. “I’m s-supposed to be your A-Yuan. It’s supposed to be A-Die, and y-you, and me.” 

There were a few painful moments where breath rattled in Sizhui's lungs, and Wei Wuxian could only stare at him in shock. But despite all of Wei Wuxian's failings, he was always there whenever Sizhui asked for him. He always came when Sizhui was in need. “Oh, radish,” Wei Wuxian worried, finally pulling him into a hug. He soothed a hand down Sizhui's spine: an easy, comforting touch that Sizhui hadn't experienced since the Burial Mounds. Sizhui clung to him like a desperate child and coughed as he tried to take a breath. 

“You keeping going places,” Sizhui wept. “You never stay. Why do you keep going away?” 

“I would love to stay,” Wei Wuxian promised. “I would love to, Sizhui, I’m sorry. You just tell me where you want me.” 

“I want you at home.” 

Wei Wuxian tensed a little, but Lan Wangji stepped forward finally, putting a hand on the small of Wei Wuxian’s waist. “You should be home,” he agreed. “Sizhui is brave to say so.” 

Terribly overwhelmed, Wei Wuxian stared at them both and then melted, pulling Sizhui back into a warm embrace. “Sizhui is very brave,” he agreed. “My radish… I am so sorry. I didn’t think you’d want me around… You’re so grown now, and we parted so tragically. I abandoned you, and then-”

“You didn’t abandon me,” Sizhui cut him off, offended. “You died.” 

Wei Wuxian startled. “Ah… well, yes.” 

“My A-Niang died,” Sizhui said, getting rather panicky. 

“Radish…” 

“You can’t go anywhere ever again,” Sizhui insisted, still struggling to catch his breath.

There weren't words that could ease the pain in Sizhui's heart, and for a few moments, Wei Wuxian didn't say anything, only held him. He kissed his temple, eventually. “Sizhui... I’m so sorry. You’ve waited for me so long… I promise, I’m not going anywhere.” He rocked him a little, which made Sizhui feel awfully silly, but he had missed the way Wei Wuxian coaxed and coddled him. He so easily invaded Sizhui's space and forced him to settle. He accepted all of Sizhui's feelings without pressing or overthinking. It was safest for Sizhui right here: with Wei Wuxian to understand and his father to support. 

"You and A-Die," he insisted. "You're supposed to be together." 

"Aiya, what is this?" Wei Wuxian asked. "Matchmaking? Now? When you can barely get breath in your lungs?" 

"A-Die," Sizhui begged because he knew that this was a problem only his father could fix. 

Lan Wangji gently parted them for a moment, not pulling Sizhui away completely but making enough room for him to hold Wei Wuxian's hand and look at him straight on. "Sizhui is right. I want you at Cloud Recesses," he said. "In the Jingshi with me." Baby Huanghun had only been an excuse; of course, Lan Wangji wanted Wei Wuxian with him always. 

Still, the admission turned Wei Wuxian very pink and very wide-eyed. He was silent in shock, and so Sizhui tugged on his robes. "Listen to him," he insisted. "He loves you. We love you. Can't you please just come?" 

"I can come," Wei Wuxian answered. "But are you sure-" 

"Yes," both Sizhui and his father said at the same time. Wei Wuxian seemed entirely befuddled, but not upset. He darted up to kiss Lan Wangji's cheek and then pulled Sizhui back into a tight hug, rubbing his arm up and down a few times encouragingly. 

"Okay, okay," he promised. "I'll come. But you're going to regret it, Sizhui! I'm going to be very strict about your bedtime." 

Sizhui sniffled and wiped tears from his face. "You stay up later than me." 

"Irrelevant! And I'm going to make sure you eat all your vegetables." 

Sizhui gratefully took a handkerchief from his father. "I'm the one who makes you eat your vegetables." 

"Not true," Wei Wuxian said, although it certainly was. "And I'm going to insist on checking over all your homework. I'll even make  you redo it if you have bad handwriting." 

"A-die says your calligraphy is the worst he's ever read." 

"He said what?!" 

"He said it's a miracle anyone was able to decipher your notes without you alive to translate." 

"Lan Zhan!" 

Sizhui took a big breath and realized belatedly that he could now fill his full lungs with air. He was calming down, especially with Wei Wuxian's promise that he would come home. Sizhui wasn't sure he'd be fully confident Wei Wuxian meant it until they managed to drag him back to the Jingshi and force him to get some proper sleep for the night, but he had agreed so easily... Sizhui could put up with some unnecessary babying if it meant he'd get to have a family again.

The moment of peace was ruined by Jingyi's shrill voice shouting down the alleyway.  

"Huanghun, no!"

The puppy had gotten loose and was now running straight at Wei Wuxian's ankles. 

"No, no, no, no, no," Wei Wuxian yelped, leaping into Lan Wangji's arms despite how grumpy he'd been with him only a moment prior. Lan Wangji caught him easily, clearly amused. 

"He still loves you," Sizhui noted, watching as the puppy came to a clumsy seat at Lan Wangji's feet, panting up at Wei Wuxian. Clearly, Huanghun expected more snuggles and chicken skewers from his favorite person. 

"Well, he shouldn't," Wei Wuxian said. 

"Impossible," Lan Wangji assured, his tone implying he wasn't just speaking on Huanghun's behalf. He was contemplative as Jingyi came to collect the puppy, clearly torn between the 'no pets allowed' rule and the fact that this particular animal seemed to have good taste. "I suppose the Cloud Recesses will be accepting two new tenets." 

Jingyi straightened excitedly. "Really?" 

Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji in betrayal but then cast a glance at Huanghun's big pleading eyes and sighed. "... I suppose everyone deserves a happy ending." 

"Yay!" Jingyi cried. "Oh, I promise you won't regret it, I'll train him so well, and you'll never have to see him if you don't want to, he can stay by the orchards, really far away from the bunny meadow, and he'll be able to help chase away pests, and I'll go to Caiyi Town regularly so he can have meat in his diet, and-" He continued to babble, but Sizhui stopped paying attention, shying behind his father and Wei Wuxian to hide his tearstained face and continue to just- breathe. 

Wei Wuxian was right. Everyone would get their happy ending. 

EPILOGUE:
Six Months Later

Sizhui hurried up the mountain in the dark, taking the steps two at a time. Cold winter wind bit at his cheeks. He was covered in dirt and his leg was scraped, but if he hurried back, he’d still be on time for breakfast. 

The Jingshi had grown larger in recent months. An expansion was added to the back for Sizhui with room one day for a family of his own, the household growing up the back slope of the mountain. Around the property, some of the trees had been cleared and the ground had been leveled for small plots of chili peppers, potatoes, lotus, and -endearingly- radishes. Since it was the dead of winter, these small plots were blanketed with snow; although one had a snowman standing proudly in the middle. 

The paper doors of the Jingshi glowed a warm yellow, hinting to the warm fire and cozy atmosphere inside. 

“A-Yuan!” Wei Wuxian chirped when Sizhui opened the door to his home. “Get inside, it’s freezing! Look at you, you’re paler than the snow! And look at your cheeks! Redder than cherries!”

“Well, which is it?” Sizhui asked, letting Wei Wuxian drag him inside and force him behind the privacy screen where a warm tub was waiting. “Am I pale or pink?”

“Both,” Wei Wuxian insisted, plucking a twig from his hair. “Get cleaned up. Your father is fetching breakfast.”

Sizhui did as he was told, slipping into the water. The talisman floating on top of the bath kept the water at the perfect temperature and he relaxed as soon as he settled in. He hadn’t realized just how cold he’d been until the hot water stung his skin and then warmed him right up. “Did you ever sleep?” he called out, wondering why Wei Wuxian was awake this early. 

“I’m working on a breakthrough!” 

So that would be a no. 

Sizhui was used to Wei Wuxian staying up at odd hours. The Jingshi was full of his talismans and inventions, which Lan Wangji seemed content to allow so long as they remained in neat, orderly piles. 

They often did not, but it was homier when it was a little messy. 

Sizhui cleaned up well and combed his hair. When he stepped out of the bath and into some fresh clothes, Wei Wuxian was waiting with some salve for his bleeding calf. 

“So how was it? Did anyone die? I assume you would have told me right away if anyone died.”

Sizhui let himself be dragged to the table and he bunched his hands in his sleeves as Wei Wuxian treated his leg. “No one died! It was a yao, is all. A chipmunk the size of a bear! But I used that paralysis talisman you showed me? It’s just when we first found it, it jumped out of the trees at us, and I stumbled back and scraped my leg. Jingyi is completely unscathed!”

“Wow! A miracle!” Wei Wuxian teased, and Sizhui giggled. Jingyi had a bad track record for getting hurt on the job. “I’m proud of you! Another successful solo junior nighthunt!”

“You could have come,” Sizhui promised. 

Wei Wuxian was very careful still about giving Sizhui space, even when he didn’t want it.

“In this weather? Absolutely not,” Wei Wuxian said, pointedly grabbing a blanket and putting it around Sizhui’s shoulders to help him warm up even further. “We can have all the adventures you like in the summer. You young kids can be the ones to suffer in the cold.”

He was just finishing wrapping Sizhui’s leg when Lan Wangji came back from the kitchens. 

“Ah,” he said. “Sizhui. You were injured.”

“It’s just a scrape,” Sizhui promised. 

“It’s just a scrape!” Wei Wuxian assured in unison.

“Hm.” Lan Wangji sat down the tray of food and reached for the nape of Sizhui’s neck. Spiritual energy passed through his fingertips, and all at once, Sizhui was perfectly warm and the dull throb in his shin was gone. 

“Show off,” Wei Wuxian complained. 

Lan Wangji merely set a bowl in front of him and placed chopsticks in his hands. “Eat.” 

“So bossy!” 

Still, Wei Wuxian knew how anxious his family became when he didn’t feed himself well, so he started picking at his food. Sizhui settled, relieved by how his bony shoulders had become far less fragile and lithe in his time at Cloud Recesses. He seemed much more healthy. 

In fact, everything seemed so much more healthy. The ground around the Jingshi was teeming with plants. The hearth in the home somehow felt warmer. Wei Wuxian seemed to thrive with a stable environment and a guaranteed pillow to rest his head on each night. His father was noticeably warmer, softer in his movements and gentler in his tone. And Sizhui’s heart felt settled, the anxious clawing feeling that sometimes arose in his chest dissipating each time he came back to a warm happy home. 

Wei Wuxian must have caught him staring because he stopped eating and grinned at him. “A-Yuan,” he said fondly, finding Sizhui cute. 

“A-Niang,” he said back, and Wei Wuxian blushed. 

“S-Sizhui!” he sputtered. “You can’t call me that!” 

“You call me A-Yuan!” Sizhui argued. “And we’re a family. You said so. And I already have an A-Die.” 

“You are not three,” Wei Wuxian argued. “The ship has sailed for cutesy nicknames.” 

“I permit it,” Lan Wangji decided. 

“You permit it?!” Wei Wuxian squeaked. 

“I enforce it.” 

“You can’t enforce it!” Wei Wuxain threw his hands up. “How is it that in a house full of Lans, the Yiling Patriarch is the only one with any sense!” 

“A-Niang is very sensical,” Sizhui agreed, enjoying the teasing far too much. 

Wei Wuxian sputtered, but he was grinning, too. He ruffled Sizhui’s freshly combed hair. “Fine, fine, say what you’ll say, I can’t stop you,” he said, although he hadn’t put up much of an effort to try. “But just know, you’ll be married and aged with grandkids before I stop calling you A-Yuan. It’s your own fault.” 

“It’s okay,” Sizhui said. “I like being A-Yuan.” 

“Ugh!” Wei Wuxian proclaimed, hiding his face while Sizhui pat his back. "Too sweet. How could anyone raise a child to be this sweet? Lan Zhan is it your fault or mine?"

"Neither," Lan Wangji said, breaking his 'silence at meal times' rule to be present with his family. "Sizhui is sweet all on his own." 

Sizhui blushed at the compliment but didn't shy away when Wei Wuxian ended up peppering his temple in kisses, bragging about how he was the 'kindest, smartest, sweetest, nicest' child in the entire world. He spent the rest of breakfast half taking credit for Sizhui's strong start in life and half bolstering Lan Wangji's parenting, pleased with how Sizhui had grown in his absence. They might have spent most of Sizhui's life apart, but finally, they were a full family.