Chapter Text
Wei Ying will always remember the day his mother announced she was pregnant with his sibling. He was sleeping as usual in his mother’s tails, napping the afternoon away while his parents were visiting Caiyi Town. His mother had suddenly gotten sick again, vomiting in the bushes on the outskirts of town.
“A-Se, this is twice now today alone. We should get you checked by a healer.” Wei Changze mentioned worriedly as he rubbed her back and surrounded her with his wings.
“I’m sure I just ate some bad food. Nothing to worry about! Come on, I promise A-Mei[1] we would arrive soon.” Cangse Sanren replied while skipping towards Cloud Recess, some of her nine tails flicking in every direction while those that carried Wei Ying remained perfectly stilled.
Wei Changze sighed after his wife, promising himself to get a healer once they reached Cloud Recess.
…
Upon arrival at the entrance of Cloud Recess, Wei Ying started to wake up. It was mid-spring and the Dragon Boat Festival happened about 5-6 weeks prior. However, as Wei Ying awoke, he noticed that the temperature wasn’t as warm as when they had stopped by Yiling only a couple of weeks prior. He grabbed his mother’s tails closer to himself to gather some warmth, notifying his parents of his wakefulness.
“Ahhhhh! A-Ying, are you awake, Baobei?” His mother coos.
“Mm.”
“Are you cold, Baobei?” As she asked, she grabbed Wei Ying in her arms with her tails still around him. He sounded his protest at being moved, but cuddled up close to his mother, inhaling her sweet scent of spice and Wùwàngcǎo shǔ[2]. His father smiled at the adorable scene before him before he patted his son’s head.
“It is colder here than in Yiling, and with us approaching Summer, A-Ying has lost his winter coat,” Changze added as he continued petting Wei Ying’s fox ears all the while, his wife was chuckling to herself.
They continued to walk up the trek to Cloud Recess as Wei Ying snoozed in his mother’s arms. Upon arrival at the gates, two Lan disciples dressed in Blue and White stood at the gate.
“They really should come up with a better color than white and blue for their disciple robes. They look like they are wearing mourning clothes.” Cangse commented, causing Wei Ying to laugh and wake up more.
“A-Se.” Changze sighed.” You do realize you wear white robes, too.” At his father's comments, Wei Ying threw back his head laughing out loud.
“A-Ze!” Cangse exclaimed, offended. “How could you say that?! And you A-Ying, how dare you laugh at your mother?!” She added as she started tickling her son. The two laughed as their volume increased, causing the Lans at the gate to frown.
“A-Se, A-Ying, remember no loud noises in Cloud Recess.”
“But we aren’t in yet, Baba!” Wei Ying replied after his mother stopped tickling him, getting a breath of air.
“A-Ying is right! Until we pass the gates, we can be as loud as we want!” She added.
“You will quiet down if you want entrance.” Said a voice.
Both parents and child turned to see Lan Qiren huffing as he approached the gate. The Lans bowing in respect and answering with “Lan-Laoshi” as a greeting.
“You and your grumpy attitude are why the Lans don’t know how to have any fun. Besides, I am here to see A-Mei, not your prickly old face.” Cangse said, turning her head to the side, huffing. Wei Ying chuckled at his mother’s antics while Wei Changze bowed and greeted the Lan elder.
“Lan Qiren. It is a pleasure to see you well.” Wei Changze added quickly before Qiren could explode as his face got red with rage. “I see that the Dragon’s ability to communicate telepathically is still as unusual as ever.” He added to change the subject quickly.
Lan Qiren only huffed in response, waving the gates open with a swish of his hand.
“Why have you come here suddenly? Didn’t you have a Night Hunt to complete in Yiling?” Qiren said as both Huli Jing and Phoenix entered the barrier.
“Yes, we did. However, A-Se has received a letter from A-Mei that she needs to speak with her urgently and with A-Se being sick every morning for 2 weeks now, we decided to abandon the night hunt and inform one of the smaller cultivation clans in the area.” Changze answered his old classmate. The Trio of adults started walking up towards the Lóng dǎn wū[3].
“I am perfectly fine, A-Ze.” Cangse frowned at her husband leading Wei Ying while she held his hand. Qiren hummed in thought as Wei Ying took in the beautiful and serene surroundings of Cloud Recess.
“I do not know why she would ask you to come, however, I will send a healer to the Lóng dǎn wū to look at Cangse,” Qiren replied.
“Not you too! I swear I am fine!” said Cangse as Changze thanked Qiren.
As they continued to walk, Changze and Qiren were talking about any new scholarly information, while Cangse would add in her remarks, not missing a beat at teasing her dear friend Qiren. Wei Ying had tuned them out for the most part, clinging to his mother’s tails now and observing the quietness of Cloud Recess.
That is when he noticed a boy crouched down on the ground in the trees. Worried, he let go of his mother’s tails and walked to the boy.
“Are you okay?” He asked the young child, who looked up at the stranger who appeared before him. Upon coming face to face with the small dragon child, Wei Ying was amazed by his beauty. He had small white horns with a blueish tint that shimmered in the light, a white forehead ribbon with swirling clouds, hair as black as ebony with a white guan framed by blue swirling clouds along the same design as his forehead ribbon, and the prettiest golden eyes he had ever seen.
Best of all was his scent. He still smelled of milk like most children do at their age, but he had a hint of sandalwood and gentian. Surely, the scent would increase with time.
The child, in the meantime, is looking him over with a questioning gaze. He, however, does not answer Wei Ying. After a moment longer, Wei Ying, who can’t stand the silence, says:
“Why aren’t you answering me?” He replied with a slight frown.
“What are you doing here?” The young stoic boy says.
“What?! Oh! I am here with my parents visiting my mother’s sworn sister, A-Mei something.”
At this, the young boy looks surprised, but quickly schools his face back to a frown.
“Mm!”
“Mm?! What does that mean?” Wei Ying asks as the dragon responds with a humph.
“Now, that’s just rude. I came here to see if you are okay, but you don’t even say anything. Fine then! I am leaving.” Wei Ying says as he marches back to where his parents were. Except he has been gone so long that they aren’t there anymore, and he starts to panic.
“Mama! Baba!” Wei Ying yells upon realizing that he is lost and all alone.
“No yelling in Cloud Recess.” Comes the voice of the golden eye boy.
“Then how am I supposed to find my parents then?” Wei Ying all but shouts back, tears prickling his eyes. The dragon turns and starts heading away. Wei Ying watches him go and reaches out to stop him when the boy turns around and says:
“This way.”
Shocked, Wei Ying retracks his hand and follows the boy to a house surrounded by gentian. Upon getting closer, he starts to hear his parents’ frantic calls.
“A-Ying! A-Ying! Where are you?” His mother yells.
“Mama!” Wei Ying exclaims in joy upon seeing his mother looking for him. He rushes to her side. Upon hearing her son's call, she turns in his direction and runs to join him, embracing him in her arms.
“Ahh! A-Ying, you had me so worried.” She says, tears falling down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Mama.” Wei Ying replies, looking up at his mother. Seeing her crying, he shouts in surprise: “No, Mama, no crying!” He hugs her tightly. “A-Ying is so sorry. Please don’t cry!”
“Shhh! It’s okay, Baobei. I am just relieved. Don’t go running off anymore, okay? Let me or Baba know next time, okay?” She coos, petting his head and ears as she kisses the top of his head.
“A-Se!” Changze says from afar, joining his family after hearing Wei Ying call for his mother. He is joined by Lan Qiren and Mei Lan.
“Mama!” says the golden eye boy who had caught up to Wei Ying and his mother.
“A-Zhan!” said Mei Lan upon noticing Lan Zhan. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in class?” She says as she approaches Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan pouts and turns his face away. Wei Ying, upon hearing Mei Lan’s words, thought Lan Zhan was getting scolded and lifted his head away from his mother and hurried to say:
“Don’t be mad at him! He helped me find Mama and Baba again. He brought me here.”
“Ohh! Is that true, A-Zhan?” Mei Lan asked curiously, a smirk forming on her lips.
“Mm!”
“Ahhh! That’s so sweet of you, my dear.” She replies, picking up A-Zhan in her arms.
“Mama!” Lan Zhan exclaims in frustration. Pouting about being treated like a kid.
At this, both Wei Ying and Cangse laugh. Changze, having come up to check on Wei Ying in the meantime, kissed his forehead upon realizing that his son was alright.
“What do you say to your saviour, A-Ying?” His mother smiles at him.
“Thank you!” Wei Ying says as he smiles so brightly it could rival the sun. Upon receiving such a smile, Lan Zhan, who has turned to Wei Ying, turns to hide in his mother's chest, his ear turning red with embarrassment.
“Ahhh! Is A-Zhan shy?” Mei Lan coos. When he doesn’t reply, both mothers laugh, and Changze sighs for the umpteenth time at his wife and her sworn sister’s teasing. All the while, Wei Ying looks confused, wondering what happened to make his mother and the other women laugh.
As the sisters keep cooing and laughing at their cute children, they head back into the Lóng dǎn wū.
Footnotes:
[1] Madam Lan's name is 美兰 (Měi lán), which means Beautiful Orchid
[2] 勿忘草属 (Wùwàngcǎo shǔ) are Chinese forget-me-not.
[3] 龙胆屋 (Lóng dǎn wū) means Gentian House