Chapter Text
It happens on a nighthunt.
Lan Sizhui is busy fending off a wave of corpses and notices it too late. Behind one of the corpses is an array and before he can warn anyone he sees Senior Wei step in it. A bright glare lights up the array and Lan Sizhui can do nothing to stop it because the wave of corpses just doesn't stop. He's worried about his baba, he really is, but he won't be able to help anyone if he's eaten by these fierce corpses so he concentrates on that task first. He sees flashes of white and gold as Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling do the same.
Once he's free of the fierce corpses and checks that Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi are unhurt as well he runs towards Wei Wuxian with a cry of “Baba!“. Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling seem to notice that something went wrong for the first time and also rush forward.
The array had stopped lighting up but instead of finding Wei Wuxian in the array they find a heap of clothes. Jin Ling is the first to speak up and he sounds confused when he says “Did that idiot get naked?“. Lan Sizhui is just about to retort, when Lan Jingyi points to the robes in the array with a shaking finger.
“Something just moved! Why is it moving? Oh, my Gods where is Senior Wei?“, he sounds distraught and Sizhui sees Jin Ling roll his eyes and start to say something which is no doubt a snarky reply, when Sizhui sees it as well.
Before any of them can say anything at all though, a tiny head appears amidst the crumpled robes with a triumphant 'Hah!'.
Jingyi's eyes almost bug out of his head when he sees the small child and Jin Ling for the first time seems speechless. But Sizhui already assumes the worst when he sees the silver eyes and red ribbon in the child's hair, as well as the fact that his baba is nowhere to be seen and this child appeared between his baba's robes.
His worst fears are confirmed when the small child – no older than four at most – grins at them and says, “Hello, gege s! I'm A-Ying, who are you?“.
-
“Oh no what are we going to do? This is a disaster! We're all going to be punished so hard. I can't believe we let that happen! Senior Wei is a child and –“, Jingyi abruptly cuts of his own panicking and blanches more than Sizhui thought was possible. “Hanguang-Jun...Oh, Gods no Hanguang-Jun will have our heads!“ he shrieks.
Sizhui is sitting at a table at the Inn they were staying at for the nighthunt, his baba – little A-Ying – on his lap and Jin Ling sitting across from them. Jingyi was pacing in front of them and panicking his head off, so Sizhui decided it was time he cut in. “Calm down, Jingyi,“ he said in a calm voice.
“Hanguang-Jun won't do anything to us. It wasn't our fault.“
The had quickly introduced themselves to little A-Ying and bundled him up in his old robes. After they arrived back at the inn they asked the innkeeper if they could have some child robes and quickly changed A-Ying into the new clothes. Now they sat at a table and waited for their dinner to be brought to them.
Jingyi finally calmed down enough to sit down next to Jin Ling, when immediately their dinner arrived. The middle-aged woman quietly cooed at A-Ying while serving them their dishes, A-Ying giving her a big smile and making her coo louder. Once she was gone Jingyi and Jin Ling quickly dug into their bowls of rice and meat, while Sizhui just sighed fondly and started piling some food into a bowl for his baba – A-Ying – whatever. When he was done he started on his own bowl but stopped after a few bites when A-Ying wouldn't touch his own food.
“What's wrong A-Ying? Surely you must be hungry?“, Sizhui asked as kindly as possible. Jingyi and Jin Ling also looked up from their own bowls, frowning at the kid. Jin Ling was the first to speak, “You shouldn't waste food. We got it for you,“ he said with a frown and went right back to eating. A-Ying just smiled at them and said “Don' worry, Yuan-ge, Ling-ge! A-Ying will eat the leftovers! I'm 'lready used to it!“ Going back to playing with his ribbon he didn't notice the horrified faces the others made to each other.
Jingyi swallowed his mouthful and cleared his throat, “A-Ying...you don't have to eat the leftovers anymore. We're going to watch after you from now on, so....tell us if you're hungry or need anything, okay?“
A-Ying looks up at them with wide eyes before grabbing his chopsticks and digging in. With his mouth full he says a cheery “Thank you, gege s!“ before going right back to stuffing his mouth full.
Sizhui tells him softly that speaking with your mouth full is forbidden before exchanging wary glances with his friends. Seems like they know less about their Senior than they thought.
-
They're flying back to Gusu, Jingyi with A-Ying in his arms, when Jin Ling breaks the silence with a question that Sizhui didn't want to think about.
“What do we tell Hanguang-Jun? And Grandmaster Lan Qiren?“, he looks at A-Ying, asleep in Jingyis arms, and then at Sizhui. His next question is spoken more carefully, “What if.....what if there's no cure?“ At that Jingyi squawks so loudly he almost wakes A-Ying. “What are you even suggesting, Young Mistress? Hanguang-Jun will find a cure if there's even one needed! Maybe it will just wear off!“, he huffs.
Jin Ling just rolls his eyes and mutters something with a frown, but before either of them can say anything more they arrive at the gates of the Cloud Recesses. While they steer lower to land A-Ying wakes up and gasps at the sight of the Cloud Recesses, leaning forward and almost falling out of Jingyis arms. Jingyi swallows a swear word and readjusts his grip on A-Ying before landing and immediately goes to scold him, but before he gets to do that Sizhui sees Hanguang-Jun at the gates, awaiting them.
“Father,“ he greets him with a bow, Jin Ling next to him bowing as well. Jingyi was trying to do his best with A-Ying squirming in his arms. Hanguang-Jun's gaze is locked on the child and he doesn't even ask where Wei Wuxian is, probably already having guessed what had happened. His father really was too perceptive.
“Sizhui,“ he greets back, nodding at all of them before his gaze goes back to A-Ying. To A-Ying's credit he doesn't seem scared of Hanguang-Jun like most people – especially children – tend to be. He just grins at him and says, “Hello! I'm A-Ying! Who are you, Pretty-gege?“
Jingyi poorly stiffles a laugh and at A-Ying's insistent request he let's him down. A-Ying walks forward to Hanguang-Jun and Sizhui watches in fascination as his father picks up his baba after the other unashamedly requests up . Then Hanguang-Jun looks at them with A-Ying in his arms and just says one word: “ Explain. “
-
They're sitting in the Jingshi with steaming cups of tea in front of them, A-Ying exploring the room with excited chatter spilling out if him, Hanguang-Jun looking at them with a raised brow. Jingyi breaks first, blabbering about all that happened in a less than coherent way, so Sizhui decides to help his friend by putting his hand on his arm to silence him.
“Father, let me explain.“
At his nod he starts to explain how they were overwhelmed by fierce corpses, everyone being busy fending off the wave, when he had seen the array and how his baba had accidentally stepped into it. The others confirm this, telling Hanguang-Jun about the bright glow and how they had found their Senior Wei in a heap of clothes as a small child. Hanguang-Jun looks thoughtfully into his cup of tea once they're done. He looks back at A-Ying once, then looks back at the Juniors in front of him.
“I will need to speak with Uncle and Brother.”