Chapter Text
Lan Wangji is not jealous.
He’s not.
He’s not jealous, it’s just that he doesn’t understand why little Wei Ying likes Jiang Wanyin so much.
Wangji loves Wei Ying the most – no matter how big or small his body his – so it’s just… aggravating that Wei Ying sticks to Jiang Wanyin like glue and keeps his distance from Wangji. Watching him with careful eyes like Wangji might… hurt him or something!
And Jiang Wanyin… seems delighted by this!
Delighted!!
Wei Ying is cursed and Jiang Wanyin is delighted!
This is… a series of very unfortunate events. Wangji should have never let Wei Ying go to Lotus Pier alone… even though baby Wei Ying is cute… very cute.
He’s chattering away to Jiang Wanyin, spooning little bites of congee to his mouth, getting some on his face and seemingly unaware.
He’s only speaking to Jiang Wanyin.
And… And Wangji isn’t jealous… and he doesn’t mean to say it… but…
“Do not speak while eating,” comes out of his mouth before he even realizes it!
Wei Ying freezes up as if Wangji has hit him, going silent immediately and shrinking away from Wangji.
Wangji wants to cut his tongue from his mouth. He wants to apologize. He wants to –
“Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Jiang Wanyin says gently, patting Wei Ying’s head reassuringly. “In Cloud Recesses it is against the rules to talk while eating. I should have told you earlier. It’s okay.”
Ugh. Why is Jiang Wanyin so good with children? He’s normally so… crass and… rude and impatient… How is he so good with children?
Wangji clears his throat. “Yes, I didn’t mean to reprimand you,” he says, “my apologies.”
Wei Ying blinks at Wangji for a few seconds and nods before going back to his meal. Notably, he does not say another word throughout the meal and Wangji wants to kill himself.
Wei Ying holds onto Jiang Wanyin’s hand like a lifeline while the healers look over him. Uncle is there too, trying to figure out if it’s a curse, and if it is, how to break it.
“Is Wei Ying sick?” Wei Ying asks Jiang Wanyin, big eyes look around curiously, even while his hand is tightly gripped onto Jiang Wanyin’s sleeve. Wangji is sure that if Wei Ying felt comfortable, he would be running around.
It… upsets him that Wei Ying is not comfortable in Cloud Recesses.
“Not sick,” Jiang Wanyin answers flicking Wei Ying’s nose fondly – and honestly, Wangji feels ill. He wants to be the one Wei Ying asks questions to. He wants to be the one Wei Ying holds onto. He wants to be the one to flick Wei Ying’s little nose fondly!
“Hanguang-jun just wants you to be checked up on,” Jiang Wanyin continues, “But while you’re here, let’s get you some salve for these.” Jiang Wanyin rolls up Wei Ying’s sleeves – they’re covered in bandages!
“What happened?” Wangji asks.
“Dogs,” Jiang Wanyin answers, and Wangji feels rage explode inside him. He knew Jiang Wanyin could not be trusted! He let dogs attack Wei Ying! He’s probably holding some sort of ultimatum or threat over Wei Ying’s little head which is why Wei Ying is sticking to him so!
“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Jiang Wanyin hisses, obviously reading the anger on Wangji’s face. “He fu – he ran right at them!”
It does not compute for a couple of seconds. Wei Ying? Ran? Towards the dogs??
Wangji turns to look at Wei Ying. “Wei Ying ran towards the dogs?” he asks, because, if he’s honest, he doesn’t believe a word out of Jiang Wanyin’s dirty, dirty mouth. He almost cursed in front of Wei Ying for fuck’s sake!
Wei Ying nods quickly, “Yes!” he answers, biting his bottom lip nervously, “Wei Ying was hungry… and dogs are always eating the good food… but they’re so scary! They bit Wei Ying!”
Wangji thinks he blacks out a little bit at the information. His ears are ringing and his can’t seem to see straight. He’s definitely screaming, and he only thinks it’s internal.
He comes back to reality from little Wei Ying tugging shyly at his robes. “Hanguang-jun, are you okay?” he asks, squirming left to right in apparent embarrassment, “Shushu is worried about you.”
Wangji looks at Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Wanyin, infuriatingly enough, is smirking at him, as if to say “You can only get Wei Ying to worry about you if I tell him to!”
If Jiang Wanyin was not Wei Ying’s brother, Wangji would slash that smirk off his face with Bichen.
Instead of resorting to violence, Wangji takes Wei Ying’s little hand in his and smiles. “I’m fine, thank you for worrying about me, Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying seems delighted at his answer – yes! – and he chuckles, his cheeks reddening. Wei Ying laughs and gives Wangji a sudden hug before running back to Jiang Wanyin and whispering something into Jiang Wanyin’s ear.
Whatever Wei Ying tells him, is apparently displeasing to Jiang Wanyin, because Jiang Wanyin grabs Wei Ying and holds him close to his chest.
“Don’t go seducing children,” Jiang Wanyin hisses, eyes narrowing dangerously at him. And Wangji? Is? So? Offended? He might black out again, he thinks.
“Doesn’t seem to be anything malicious,” his uncle says, surprising him before he can succumb to his blackout rage. “I think Wei Wuxian will return to normal in time.”
Jiang Wanyin visibly deflates at that.
“How long, uncle?” Wangji asks.
“I can’t say for sure,” his uncle answers, “I will need more observation.”
“Why do you need more observation – isn’t it enough to know that he will return to normal one day?” Jiang Wanyin scowls, standing up, “If it’s not malicious, let’s just wait for whatever it is to wear off.”
Unacceptable.
“We don’t know for sure if it is not malicious,” Wangji says, standing to match Jiang Wanyin, “Wei Ying will have to stay in Cloud Recesses.”
“Wei Ying is going back to Lotus Pier,” Jiang Wanyin says, “He’s going to stay with me!”
“Sandu Shengshou, with all due respect, Wei Wuxian is a member of the Gusu Lan Sect,” his uncle says, because, at the end of the day, no matter what his uncle says, his uncle loves Wei Ying. “He should stay in Cloud Recesses. We will watch over him here.”
Yes, yes, yes!
Jiang Wanyin looks incredibly upset, anger clouding his face, his eyebrows furrowing so deeply, they’re in danger of meeting.
“Let’s ask Wei – “ Jiang Wangyin halts in the middle of his sentence, something shocking him into silence.
Wangji turns to see what has shocked Jiang Wanyin so…
Wei Ying is crying.
Big fat tears are rolling down Wei Ying’s face, and he’s biting his lips to silence his sobs, but… but the tears are falling and his little shoulders are shaking and his little hand is gripped on excess material of Jiang Wanyin’s robes so tightly that they’re white.
“Shushu,” he says, his voice coming out heartbreakingly warbled, “Wei Ying will be good. Wei Ying will be good so can Wei Ying stay with shushu? Please… Wei Ying will be good… please don’t throw Wei Ying away.”
Wangji feels his heart actually shatter.
Jiang Wanyin reaches down and picks Wei Ying up, patting his back comfortingly and hushing him gently.
“Shh,” he says, bouncing up and down with Wei Ying, “Who’s throwing you away? Don’t cry. I’m not leaving you anywhere. You’ll be with me. Shh.”
“Wei Ying will be good,” Wei Ying sobs into Jiang Wanyin’s shoulder, his little hands holding onto Jiang Wanyin for dear life. “Please let Wei Ying stay with shushu.”
“I will go to Lotus Pier,” Wangji tells his uncle, “I will observe Wei Ying there.”
His uncle nods, his eyes big and sad as he watches Wei Ying sob.
It is decided that Wangji will go to Lotus Pier with Jiang Wanyin and Wei Ying the next day.
Jingyi and Sizhui come to the jingshi after dinner to play with Wei Ying.
Wei Ying is obviously delighted by them, cackling as Jingyi throws him up into the air and catches him.
“Gege!” he howls, laughing so hard that his little body goes limp in Jingyi’s arms, “Higher, gege, higher!”
“Ugh why can’t he just stay like that,” Jiang Wanyin grumbles next to Wangji. They are sitting together, watching Wei Ying play with the disciples. “He’s so much cuter like this.”
Wangji really wants to punch Jiang Wanyin.
“Wei Ying is always cute,” Wangji says simply.
Jiang Wanyin grimaces next to him and shakes his head. “Of course you would say that,” he mumbles, “bet you can’t even appreciate just how cute he is right now because you’re so jealous that he likes me better.”
Wangji almost breaks the cup in his hand. What Jiang Wanyin is saying might be true… but he doesn’t have to say it.
Little Wei Ying does like Jiang Wanyin more than Wangji and it’s sort of driving Wangji crazy. What does he have to do, he wonders. What does he have to do to steal some of that affection away?
Even now, while Wei Ying is playing with the disciples, he keeps stealing glances back towards Jiang Wanyin as if to assure himself that Jiang Wanyin is still there.
It’s heartbreaking and annoying and ugh, why can’t Wei Ying look at him and him only?
When Wei Ying comes back to his adult form, Wangji will definitely appreciate it more. He realizes that he’s taken Wei Ying’s single-minded devotion and love for granted. Now that he’s not Wei Ying’s number one, he is even more appreciative of how loving Wei Ying is towards him normally.
Wei Ying comes running towards them, his hair a mess and a huge grin on his little face. “Shushu, shushu,” he says breathlessly, “did you see Wei Ying fly? Gege sent Wei Ying flying!”
Jiang Wanyin brushes his fingers through Wei Ying’s hair, calming some of the chaos, “I saw you,” he says, with an excitement in his voice that Wangji did not know Jiang Wanyin could be capable of, “You went so high! Weren’t you scared?”
Wei Ying cackles, strangely delighted by Jiang Wanyin’s response. He laughs into Jiang Wanyin’s thigh, “Wei Ying wasn’t scared,” he says, “gege is strong!”
Jingyi flexes behind him, obviously pleased by Wei Ying’s answer.
“You know,” Jiang Wanyin says, glancing at Wangji, “Hanguang-jun here is very strong as well. I’m sure he would send you flying if you asked.”
Jiang Wanyin is good.
Wangji is sorry for ever doubting him.
He looks at Wei Ying, with what is hopefully an open and inviting expression on his face.
Wei Ying looks at him shyly, giggling into his hands.
“Come on,” Jiang Wanyin encourages, gently pushing Wei Ying towards Wangji, “Ask Hanguang-jun. You want to, right?”
Wei Ying squirms in front of him, his hand still covering his mouth. “Hanguang-jun,” he asks, his voice hardly above a whisper, “Will you play with Wei Ying?”
Yes. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course!
“Mn,” Wangji nods.
Wei Ying lifts his arms up, preparing himself to be lifted. Wangji lifts him up and throws him gently a couple of times, as he had seen Jingyi do. Wei Ying is similarly delighted, laughing, “Higher! Higher!”
Wangji, never one to deny Wei Ying, launches him into the air as hard as he can.
“What the fuck!?” Jiang Wanyin screams, running at Wangji.
Wangji watches Wei Ying’s little body go above the tops of the trees. Maybe he sent him a little too far.
“Are you trying to fucking kill him!? What the fuck? What the fuck. What the fuck!”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Okay, Wangji might have fucked up. But it’ll be okay as long as he catches Wei Ying, right?
It takes about five seconds for Wei Ying to fall back down.
Wangji catches him easily in his arms, and Jiang Wanyin snatches Wei Ying away just as quickly.
“Wei Ying, are you okay?” Jiang Wanyin asks, holding Wei Ying close.
Wei Ying is quiet.
Everyone is quiet.
“Shushu,” Wei Ying says finally, “Can Wei Ying stop playing now?”
“Yeah, let’s get you ready for bed,” Jiang Wanyin says, glaring at Wangji before walking to the room prepared for him.
Wangji stares at Jiang Wanyin leaving balefully. He tries to send his apologies telepathically to Wei Ying.
Sorry, sorry, sorry. Please forgive me, I’m sorry.
Sizhui comes up next to him and places a consoling hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Hanguang-jun,” he says, “I’m sure Wei-qianbei will be back soon.”
“Can you launch me into the air?” Jingyi asks.
Ugh, fuck his life. Wangji goes to bed alone and depressed, missing Wei Ying so much that it aches.
Living in Lotus Pier isn’t too bad, and at least he can see Wei Ying every day.
Wei Ying still likes Jiang Wanyin more than him, but Wei Ying still has opened up to Wangji quite a bit. Sometimes, he’ll sit on his lap during meals – which is one of the few times Wangji feels truly happy lately.
“I thought you’d be better with kids,” Jiang Wanyin says, sitting next to him as they watch little Wei Ying play in the lake.
“Why would you think that?” Wangji asks.
“Well… you raised that Sizhui kid, didn’t you?”
Ah… Sizhui. Wangji supposes he did raise him. But… Sizhui had been so easy. He had liked Wangji so much! Had followed him like a little duckling and listened to everything Wangji said as if it was the law and he was delighted to follow the law.
Wei Ying is so… different. He gets anxious if he doesn’t see Jiang Wanyin around and he takes the slightest things as a reprimand and he shies away from Wangji so easily and… Wangji doesn’t know what to do! He just wants Wei Ying to like him…
“Sizhui… liked me,” Wangji explains weakly. He doesn’t know how else to explain it.
Jiang Wanyin huffs a laugh at that – the evil man. He’s basically gloating at how little Wei Ying likes him more than he likes Wangji. Truly evil.
“Don’t look so depressed,” Jiang Wanyin says, “I’ll tell you a secret – Wei Ying likes you a lot. He calls you handsome uncle.”
Wangji turns to look at Jiang Wanyin sharply, to see if there’s even a hint of teasing on his face. He’s relieved to find that Jiang Wanyin looks… honest. Like he’s telling the truth. He feels his ears redden – something is so relieving about even little Wei Ying finding him handsome. He just wants every version of Wei Ying to find him handsome. He wants every version of Wei Ying to like him!
“He still likes me more though,” Jiang Wanyin, evil incarnate, says.
Wei Ying is inconsolable the first time Jiang Wanyin has to go on a night hunt with his disciples.
“Shushu,” Wei Ying wails, fat tears dropping from his eyes, “Please, shushu, stay with Wei Ying.”
“Shh,” Jiang Wanyin hushes. He hands Wei Ying to Wangji. “Stay with Hanguang-jun, okay? Shushu will be back soon.”
“Shushu, please,” Wei Ying sobs, fighting against Wangji’s hold. “Shushu, night hunting is dangerous. Shushu--!”
Wangji is reminded that Wei Ying lost his parents in a night hunt gone wrong. He feels his heart shattering as little Wei Ying cries.
Jiang Wanyin is obviously made of tougher stuff than Wangji, because he just pats Wei Ying on his head. “Be good, okay? Shushu is strong. He will be back soon.” And with that… he just walks off.
A monster.
Wei Ying sobs into Wangji’s shoulder, and Wangji is tempted to just follow Jiang Wanyin so that Wei Ying will stop crying.
“Shh,” he hushes, patting Wei Ying on the back. He’s silently panicking, at a loss of what to do. He needs to do something so that Wei Ying will stop crying, but what? What can he do? He thinks about maybe throwing Wei Ying back up into the air… but… that had gone so terribly wrong last time... What should he do?
He starts humming wuji, bouncing Wei Ying gently and patting his back. The song calms him a little too.
Wei Ying’s sobs finally subside after the second time Wangji hums the song. He slumps against Wangji, post-tear hiccups wracking his little body.
Wangji sits down at the table and wipes Wei Ying’s face with his sleeve. He lifts a cup of tea to Wei Ying’s mouth. “Drink,” he says.
Wei Ying drinks obediently, leaning his head tiredly against Wangji’s chest. Little Wei Ying is so cute, and it feels so good to monopolize him finally! He wishes Jiang Wanyin will take days to complete this night hunt – not mere hours.
“Will shushu really be back?” Wei Ying asks, his voice a little hourse.
“Of course,” Wangji answers, “He will be back before sunrise.”
“Hanguang-jun does not lie, right?”
“Mn,” Wangji confirms, “It is against the Gusu Lan Sect rules to lie.”
Wei Ying sighs, looking dejectedly towards the door. He looks so sad that it breaks Wangji’s heart.
“Does Wei Ying know what a guqin is?” Wangji asks.
Wei Ying shakes his head, turning his head up towards Wangji curiously.
Wangji walks over to the little desk that his guqin is sat on. He plucks a few strings with his fingers. “This is a guqin.”
Wei Ying looks at it with rapt attention, his hands hovering over the instrument, obviously wanting to touch it but not allowing himself to.
Wangji grabs Wei Ying’s hands and guides them so they strum the strings.
“It makes sounds,” Wei Ying breathes, looking up at Wangji with a small smile on his face.
“Do you want me to play you a song?” Wangji asks.
Wei Ying nods enthusiastically.
Wangji plays wuji and Wei Ying seems delighted by it.
“What is this song called?” Wei Ying asks – and it reminds Wangji of his Wei Ying, his grown up Wei Ying, so much that his chest hurts.
“Wuji,” Wangji answers softly.
“Wuji,” Wei Ying repeats, as if trying the name out on his tongue, “I like it!”
Wangji huffs a laugh and pats Wei Ying on his little head. “I’m glad,” he says, “I wrote it for you.”
Wei Ying turns sharply to look at him, his eyes wide. “Me?” he asks, his little fingers pointing towards himself, “For Wei Ying?”
“Mn,” Wangji nods.
Wei Ying smiles this time, a huge smile, and laughs a little into his hand as if he’s embarrassed. “Play it again, please,” he says, “Play it again.”
Wangji ends up playing it several times. Ends up playing it until Wei Ying falls asleep on his lap, and Jiang Wanyin comes back from his night hunt.
"Shushu, you're back," Wei Ying mumbles softly, his arms wrapping around Jiang Wanyin's neck almost automatically. "Wei Ying missed you."
Jiang Wanyin huffs a laugh, his eyes so tender that Wangji has trouble believing that it is really Jiang Wanyin in his room right then. "I missed you too," he says, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Wei Ying's head. "Did you behave with Hanguang-jun?"
"Mmm, Wei Ying did his best," he says, his eyes already fluttering closed and his speech slurring with sleep.
"I'm sure you did," Jiang Wanyin replies, and he takes Wei Ying out of the room.
Wangji watches them leave and... and he loves little Wei Ying – he loves every version of Wei Ying. But right then he misses his Wei Ying so much that his eyes burn and his fingers tremble.
Grow up quickly, he prays. Come back to me soon.
Wei Ying comes back to him like a miracle. Walking out of the room he had been napping in as if nothing had happened.
“Lan Zhan?” he asks, and oh god. Wangji has been dying to hear that name from those lips. Wangji feels like he might cry. “When did you get here?”
Wangji doesn’t answer, he just pulls Wei Ying – grown up and solid – into his arms and holds him. “Say my name again,” he begs, “Again.”
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying says, his arms automatically coming up to embrace Wangji. “What’s wrong, Lan Zhan?”
Wangji doesn’t answer, can’t say anything because he’s afraid that if he opens his mouth all that will come out is a sob. He just holds Wei Ying – his Wei Ying – for a long time and just breathes.