The Cloud Recesses.
Home of the prestigious Gusu Lan Clan.
A place veiled by drifting white clouds and towering mountains, where tranquility lingered in every breath of wind. The immortal residence stood as elegantly as ever, untouched by the noise of the mortal world. Four thousand rules adorned its halls, guarding centuries of discipline, propriety, and grace.
The disciples moved quietly.
The rabbits grazed peacefully.
The bamboo leaves swayed gently beneath the afternoon sun.
Everything was perfectly calm.
Until—
Peals of childish laughter shattered the sacred silence.
"Where do you think you're going, you little troublemaker?!"
A deep, handsome voice echoed through the pathways.
"I told you, Mamma! You can't catch me! I'm super fast—just like Daddy!"
Tiny footsteps pattered across the stone pathways.
A small figure dressed entirely in white ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, clutching a fluffy baby rabbit against his chest.
His forehead ribbon fluttered behind him.
His laughter rang through the Cloud Recesses like the sweetest melody ever heard.
The little boy possessed features so beautiful that anyone who saw him would immediately know whose son he was. His ethereal eyes resembled clear琉璃, calm and bright, inherited from the Second Jade of Lan. Yet the lively spark dancing within them belonged entirely to another person.
Wei Wuxian.
The child was the treasured young master of the Lan Clan.
The beloved son of Wei Ying and Lan Wangji.
And at the tender age of two...
He had already become the greatest challenge to all four thousand rules.
The little boy rushed straight through the doors of the Jingshi.
Inside, Lan Wangji sat near the window, a book resting elegantly in his hands.
Golden sunlight streamed through the bamboo curtains, casting a soft glow upon his immortal-like features.
"Daddyyyy!"
The little boy immediately climbed onto his lap.
"Help me! Mamma has become weird!"
Lan Wangji lowered his gaze.
Without hesitation, he wrapped one arm securely around his son's tiny body.
The child buried his face into his father's chest dramatically, as though seeking protection from some terrifying monster.
Unfortunately for him...
The "monster" arrived moments later.
Wei Wuxian stepped into the room with a huff, one hand on his waist.
His long black hair was slightly disheveled from the chase.
His cheeks were flushed.
And his eyes were narrowed dangerously.
"You little brat."
He plopped himself beside Lan Wangji.
"Do you seriously think your Daddy can save you from me?"
The little boy immediately giggled.
Lan Wangji's lips twitched.
Barely.
Wei Wuxian pointed accusingly at his son.
"Lan Zhan! Look at your son!"
"What happened?" Lan Wangji asked calmly.
Wei Wuxian looked utterly wronged.
"He said he wants to be like you and not like me!"
The room fell silent.
Then the little boy sat up proudly.
"I don't like spicy food."
Wei Wuxian gasped.
"I like what Daddy likes."
Another stab.
"I like rabbits."
Wei Wuxian clutched his chest dramatically.
"And I don't like Little Apple."
Critical damage.
"What?!"
Wei Wuxian nearly leapt to his feet.
"After all the suffering I went through to bring you into this world, you effortlessly steal your father's face and then betray me like this?!"
The little boy laughed so hard that he nearly toppled over.
"Daddy, look at Mamma!"
Tiny fingers pointed at the pouting Wei Wuxian.
"He's angry!"
The child laughed even harder.
He tugged lightly on Lan Wangji's sleeve.
"Daddy, laugh with me!"
For a moment, Lan Wangji looked at his son.
Then at his husband.
Then at his husband pouting because their two-year-old preferred rabbits over donkeys.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Small.
Gentle.
Beautiful.
The kind of smile Wei Wuxian had spent a lifetime chasing.
The little boy immediately squealed.
"Daddy smiled!"
Wei Wuxian stared.
Then stared some more.
"...Lan Zhan."
"Hm."
"You smiled at him."
"Hm."
"You smile at him more than me."
Lan Wangji's expression remained calm.
The little boy giggled mercilessly from the safety of his father's lap.
Meanwhile, forgotten amidst the family drama, the baby rabbit quietly escaped from the child's arms.
It hopped across the room.
Past the table.
Past the bookshelf.
Past the two most respected cultivators in the cultivation world.
And directly onto a scattered pile of Lan Clan documents.
Neither father nor son noticed.
Wei Wuxian noticed first.
"Oh no."
Lan Wangji followed his gaze.
The rabbit froze.
The rabbit looked at Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji looked at the rabbit.
The rabbit chose violence.
And chaos once again descended upon the peaceful Cloud Recesses.
Just another ordinary day in the Jingshi.
The peaceful atmosphere inside the Jingshi lasted for exactly three breaths.
Then a war broke out.
A very serious war.
One involving ownership of Hanguang-jun.
Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and glared at the tiny cultivator currently occupying Lan Wangji's lap.
The little boy glared right back.
"Move aside, little one," Wei Wuxian declared with all the dignity he could muster. "He's my Daddy."
The child immediately tightened his hold around Lan Wangji's neck.
"No! He's only my Daddy!"
Wei Wuxian gasped dramatically as if struck by lightning.
"Excuse me? I met him first."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
The volume of their argument increased with every exchange.
One big child.
One small child.
Both equally stubborn.
Caught between them, Lan Wangji remained perfectly still.
His expression was calm.
His posture was elegant.
Only the slight pause in turning a page revealed that he was, in fact, listening.
The father and son continued their battle.
"Mine!"
"My Daddy!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
Finally, Lan Wangji closed his book.
The room instantly fell silent.
Both troublemakers looked toward him.
"Enough."
His voice was neither loud nor harsh.
Yet somehow it carried enough authority to silence generations of Lan disciples.
"Noise is prohibited."
"..."
"..."
Father and son exchanged glances.
Then both lowered their heads obediently.
"Yes, Lan Zhan."
"Yes, Daddy."
Lan Wangji nodded once.
Peace returned.
For approximately five seconds.
Wei Wuxian suddenly leaned closer and poked his son's cheek.
"If your Daddy is only yours, then why does he sleep beside me every night?"
The little boy's eyes widened.
Wei Wuxian smirked victoriously.
Lan Wangji looked at his husband.
His husband ignored him.
The little boy immediately threw himself closer to Lan Wangji.
"Daddy is mine!"
Wei Wuxian laughed.
"Lan Zhan, tell him you're my Daddy too."
"No!" the child protested before Lan Wangji could even speak.
Lan Wangji looked down at his son.
The child looked moments away from tears.
Then he looked at Wei Wuxian.
Who appeared far too amused.
After a brief silence, Lan Wangji gently asked,
"You do not want him to cry, do you?"
The little boy froze.
His small face scrunched up in thought.
Finally he sighed dramatically.
"...Fine."
Wei Wuxian burst out laughing.
"My son, you're far too easy to bully."
The child pouted.
A moment later, Wei Wuxian shamelessly climbed onto Lan Wangji's lap.
The little boy stared.
Then stared harder.
Now both of them occupied Lan Wangji's lap.
One on each side.
Lan Wangji accepted his fate with the calmness of a man who had cultivated patience for decades.
Wei Wuxian settled comfortably against his chest.
The little boy leaned against his father's shoulder.
Neither seemed remotely interested in moving.
The three of them sat together while sunlight filtered softly through the windows.
It was warm.
Peaceful.
Home.
Wei Wuxian suddenly grinned.
"If you truly want to become like your Daddy, you have to obey me."
The little boy straightened immediately.
"I can do that!"
"Really?"
The child nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
Wei Wuxian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Then let's play a game."
The little boy's eyes sparkled.
"What game?"
"The rule is simple."
Wei Wuxian leaned forward mysteriously.
"You cannot open your eyes until I tell you."
The child considered it carefully.
Then nodded.
"Okay!"
Without hesitation, he squeezed his eyes shut.
Wei Wuxian nearly laughed at how trusting he was.
Lan Wangji watched quietly.
The little boy sat proudly, eyes tightly closed, determined to win.
"Am I doing well?" he asked.
"Very well," Wei Wuxian replied.
A moment later, he turned toward Lan Wangji.
Mischief danced in his eyes.
Lan Wangji knew that look.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Wei Wuxian leaned closer.
Lan Wangji's gaze softened.
Their foreheads brushed.
Then Lan Wangji gently cupped Wei Wuxian's cheek.
The distance between them disappeared.
Meanwhile, Lan Wangji's free hand rested lightly over his son's eyes.
The child sat there happily.
Completely unaware.
Certain he was winning the game.
A few moments later, his cheerful voice echoed through the room.
"Mumma?"
Wei Wuxian pulled back slightly, laughter threatening to escape.
"Yes?"
"Can I open my eyes now?"
"Not yet."
"Oh."
The little boy accepted his fate immediately.
Lan Wangji's shoulders trembled ever so slightly.
Wei Wuxian caught it.
His eyes widened.
"Lan Zhan..."
"Hm?"
"Were you just laughing?"
"No."
"You were!"
The little boy suddenly cheered.
"Daddy laughed! I heard it!"
For the first time that afternoon, both father and son were united.
Against Wei Wuxian.
And thus, the peaceful Cloud Recesses once again became the victim of the Yiling Patriarch and his equally troublesome heir.
Somewhere in the distance, a Lan elder felt a headache coming and had no idea why.