Chapter Text
Today was another peaceful day in Cloud Recesses for Lan Qiren. He held his lectures, performed his duties, meditated, drank tea with his nephews at noon, and now, he is doing his routine before heading to bed.
At 9:00 p.m. , he drifted to the dreamland like the good Lan he is. At 5:00 a.m., he woke up like the good Lan he is. But something is weird. He is not in his room, he's not on his bed but on what looks and feels like a stone for some reason.
First of all, he knows this is not a dream. Because Lan QiRen's dreams were the same for years: Reciting rules, teaching rules, reading rules, adding rules, punishing rules breakers, and taking care of the rules wall.
And his nightmares were: His brother, Wei WuXian, Wei WuXian breaking rules, Wei WuXian tainting Lan WangJi, and Lan WangJi marrying Wei WuXian in the same way his father did.
So, Lan Qiren is very sure this is no dream, no nightmare either.
What? Was he kidnapped? No, this is impossible.
Then, did he activate a transportal talisman or array unknowingly? Also no.
Lan Qiren stood from the stone his body was lying on and he felt his body slow, heavy and hurt as if his ribs were broken and healed wrongly, improperly. So he did what rational cultivators do in such situations, he sat to meditate and let his core explore his body for any injuries. However, he couldn't reach it.
Thinking this result is due to his confusion and unstable state, he tried again, only to come across the horrifying reality. His golden core is gone. His spiritual meridians are still working, but his core is nowhere to be found.
Lan Qiren is a dignified cultivator, he would not react so badly shamefully, but this matter is hard to understand. Thus, his very loudly yelping voice of "WHAT IN THE NAME OF LAN AN IS HAPPENING!?" .
Apparently he did yelp in a volume close to a yell, because he can hear fast footsteps coming towards the place he is staying in.
He had expected anyone's face except this one. Not to forget the name of this person called him by, "Wei WuXian!"
What the hell?! Forget manners and speech respect, Lan Qiren is in far clouded state of mind to bother repenting himself for his words.
Because, ONE: Why is Wen Qing here? And TWO: Why is she calling him by that person's name? And, honestly, The Voice he had let out earlier was in no way his own. It was rough but youthful compared to his deep old age one.
"Wei Wu Xian! Why are you shouting all of a sudden in this ungodly hour?! You almost scared A-Yuan not to mention granny!" Wen daifu bellowed.
Again, who is A-Yuan? Who is granny? Why is he in Wei WuXian's appearance? Or instead of appearance, he is in his body? Does that mean Wei WuXian took his own? Lan Qiren truly hopes that whoever is going to approach Wei WuXian will still have their sanity intact.
Just as he was going to open his mouth for a question he has yet to find, Wen Qing thrusts a child into his own arms saying "If you have energy to spare screaming, take care of your child at least!"
What? Child? His son? This boy is Wei WuXian's son? Is that why that heretic man freed the Wen remnants? Because he sired a kid with Wen Qing?
However, while he was in his swirling thoughts, the kid, apparently 'A-Yuan' tugged at his clothes indicating he wanted to be lifted.
Well, Lan Qiren thought: If he is stuck here for now, there is no need to make this child feel bad. He raised two nephews on his own, he can take care of this one.
But what the kid said almost made him drop him to the ground.
"A-Niang" , and it was directed to him, as in, to Wei WuXian! Not at Wen Qing who left.
That Wei WuXian! Teaching his son wrong things!
As an elder, Lan Qiren found himself in a position to correct the kid.
"A-Yuan, I'm not your A-niang. You shall call me A-die." He used his teacher voice yet softer tone he only let with his nephews back in their childhood.
But it seems this young child is trying to kill him by those shocking revelations, one after another; "Xian-gege , why are you using A-Die's way of speaking? It sounds silly" , then proceeded to giggle.
Ignoring the insult to his dignified way of speech, the boy mentioned another dad who talks like him. Does that mean Wei WuXian is a Cut-Sleeve who indeed gave birth to this kid? Well, it might be just confusion on his side. This is only a kid's words after all.
He asks again, "Who is a-die?" To which the boy lifts his head and smiles, "Rich-gege!".. What is wrong with this boy?
Feeling like he can't understand the child's words he gets out of the cave searching for maiden Wen to explain or maybe her brother. They are close to Wei WuXian after all, he thinks they might know.
Throughout his walk, he notices the poor quality tents built in a way of houses, old people, some who are younger than him and some who are way older than he currently is. Letting his eyes wander, he spots some women who are clearly not cultivators. None of those he saw are! They are just farming or chatting or... Is that wine? Anyhow, none of them seems the type to make or build an army with.
While he was still musing over these new realizations, he encounters an old woman smiling warmly at him. She seems the age of his late mother. The kid in his arms beamed at her calling her 'Granny.'
Well, maybe this granny might have answers he needs, so he respectfully asks who is Rich-gege that A-Yuan calls 'a-die' , and she only smiles at him warmly before saying "What? Are you forgetting your husband? Lan-er-gongzi has only visited two weeks ago though."
She covers her mouth laughing slightly but he cannot understand.
Lan-er-gongzi? Husband? Which Lan-er-gongzi? His nephew? As in Lan WangJi?? He is afraid to acknowledge this, but is this why his nephew went to Yiling for night hunting? Why WangJi was so adamantly insisting on Wei WuXian's innocence? Does that mean A-Yuan is Lan Yuan if Lan WangJi is referred to by A-die? No, he shouldn't take haste in such thoughts. He gotta confirm it with Wen Qing.
So, when he asked maiden Wen who Rich-gege is and she looked at him as if he was the biggest fool, before saying "Your Lan WangJi" He felt weak in his knees.