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The dawn light seeped into the Jingshi, bathing the room in soft hues of gold and ivory. A tiny bundle stirred on the low bed nestled against the far wall, nestled between a small rabbit plushie and a well-worn blanket. A-Yuan, their beloved two-year-old, wriggled in his sleep, his chubby fingers clutching at the edges of the blanket.
Wei Wuxian yawned as he stretched out on the larger bed he shared with Lan Wangji. His hair was loose, strands spilling across the pillow. He turned his head to the side and caught sight of Lan Wangji sitting upright, already dressed and meticulously tying the ribbon of his guqin.
“You’re up early, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian murmured, his voice laced with sleep but his smile as radiant as ever.
“A-Yuan may wake soon,” Lan Wangji replied simply, his tone as calm and steady as the morning itself.
As if on cue, a small voice piped up from the toddler’s bed. “Baba?”
Both parents turned to see A-Yuan sitting up, his hair a fluffy mess of black, and his round face still carrying the softness of sleep. He rubbed his eyes with his fists before looking around the room with curiosity.
Wei Wuxian grinned and hopped out of bed, scooping A-Yuan up with practiced ease. “There’s my little radish sprout! Did you sleep well?”
A-Yuan nodded, though his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to form his words. “A-Yuan… sleep. Bunny too!” He held up the rabbit plushie triumphantly, his smile lighting up the room.
Lan Wangji stood and approached them, his golden gaze softening as he reached out to pat A-Yuan’s head. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Baba!” A-Yuan chirped, wrapping his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck in a clumsy hug.
The day started with breakfast in the Jingshi courtyard. Wei Wuxian fed A-Yuan tiny spoonfuls of congee, making exaggerated airplane noises as he brought the spoon to the toddler’s mouth. A-Yuan giggled, clapping his hands after each bite.
Lan Wangji sat beside them, sipping his tea with quiet amusement. He never tired of watching the way Wei Wuxian interacted with A-Yuan—so full of life, joy, and creativity.
“Lan Zhan, look at this,” Wei Wuxian said, holding up a spoon. “I’ve invented the ‘Congee Express.’ It’s the fastest way to get food into little radish mouths.”
“Radish!” A-Yuan repeated, his laughter bubbling up like a stream.
Lan Wangji’s lips twitched in the faintest smile.
After breakfast, the family took a walk around the Cloud Recesses. A-Yuan toddled between them, his tiny hand holding onto Wei Wuxian’s while his other clutched a small wooden toy sword Lan Wangji had carved for him.
“Careful, A-Yuan,” Lan Wangji said as the toddler tried to run ahead.
“I okay!” A-Yuan declared, his words slightly garbled but full of confidence.
Wei Wuxian chuckled. “I don’t know where he gets this adventurous streak from.”
Lan Wangji shot him a pointed look.
“Oh, hush,” Wei Wuxian said, waving him off. “He’s got plenty of Lan Zhan in him too. Look how polite he is to the bunnies!”
They paused by the rabbit enclosure, where A-Yuan crouched down to gently pet one of the fluffy creatures. “Soft… bunny,” he said, his voice full of wonder.
As the day wore on, the challenges of parenting a toddler began to show. A-Yuan refused his midday nap, wiggling out of Wei Wuxian’s arms and running to Lan Wangji for protection.
“Baba! No sleep!” A-Yuan protested, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout.
Lan Wangji knelt down to A-Yuan’s level, his expression serious but gentle. “Rest is important, A-Yuan.”
“No!” A-Yuan said, crossing his arms dramatically.
Wei Wuxian sighed, crouching beside them. “How about this, little radish? If you take a nap now, we’ll read your favorite story later. The one about the brave cultivator and the magical lotus pond.”
A-Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Lotus!” he exclaimed, though his pout remained. After a moment of consideration, he nodded reluctantly. “Okay… nap.”
That evening, after A-Yuan had fallen asleep in his crib, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji sat together under the stars in the courtyard.
“I don’t know how you do it, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian said, leaning his head on Lan Wangji’s shoulder. “Raising a toddler is exhausting.”
Lan Wangji placed a hand over Wei Wuxian’s, their fingers intertwining. “We do it together.”
Wei Wuxian smiled, closing his eyes as a feeling of warmth and contentment washed over him.
In the distance, the soft sound of A-Yuan’s breathing carried through the night, a gentle reminder of the little life they had both vowed to protect and cherish.
Parenthood is full of ups and downs, but in the quiet moments shared under the stars, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian know they wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.