.
Wuxian thought that his daughter had returned to being clingy because of the near death incident that happened yesterday. He truly started to worry when her fever rose during the night and she refused to let him go, grabbing his robes and demanding his attention. Wuxian called Healer Shi in the morning and she was barely able to check the girl while she's stuck to Wuxian: "She's sick."
Wuxian frowns while rubbing his daughter's back to comfort her: "What's wrong with my baby?"
Shi: "Seems like a normal cold. Bed rest and cold compress for the fever and she will be good as new in no time. I'll make her a soothing cold tea with herbs to speed up the process. Don't worry."
Wuxian tightens his hold on the girl in his arms: "Ok." Shi can see the worry lines forming in Wuxian's brow. She leans over and pats his shoulder: "It's just a cold. Everyone gets it."
Wuxian sighs: "I.. I know."
She grabs his hand and takes his pulse: "You're doing better but don't over do it. Let Hanguang Jun or Ran hold her when you get tired."
Wuxian kisses his daughter's head: "She needs me."
Shi: "Remember, it takes a village to raise a child. Let others pitch in. You're still not out of the woods."
Wuxian nods and leans back to rest his head near the window next to his bed: "I will be fine if she's fine."
Wuxian never thought that the one thing that would show his daughter's true age was illness. Just like a typical toddler, her fever made her cranky, fidgety and difficult. Wuxian was pacing around the room while his daughter had him in a lock: hands tightly secured around his neck and legs around his waist. She was weeping and hiccuping while he shushed her and tried his best to hold a cold wet cloth to the back of her neck to make her feel better. Ran found them this way at noon when she went to meet with Wuxian. She whispers when she sees the small tremors in Wuxian's hand and dark circles under his eyes: "I can hold her while you rest for a while."
Wuxian sighs and tries to hand her over. The little girl wails and he takes her back: "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.. I won't let go.. I'm sorry."
Ran rubs the little girl's back while talking to her in a soothing low voice: "Hweiru, your Mama is exhausted. I can hold you for a bit."
Hweiru sniffed, tightens her hold on Wuxian and hides her face under his jaw.
Wuxian slowly sits at the table and rocks her: "It's fine."
He blinks tiredly at Ran: "Did you need something?"
Ran sits in front of him: "I was hoping I could take care of her while you tend to your duties."
Wuxian frowns: "What duties?"
Ran: "You have a meeting with Grandmaster Qiren, Zewu Jun and his Excellency about the new page Master Wen brought from the prophecy book. Zewu Jun had it authenticated and we scheduled the reading a few days ago but you got sick. You're supposed to read it tonight."
Wuxian rubs his head: "What else?"
Ran: "The Slayer requested to meet you. Zewu Jun asked me to confirm a suitable time to receive him."
Wuxian: "I haven't had time to discuss it with Healer Shi. The Slayer wants to meet his father and Healer Shi has to unseal my spiritual energy to make that happen."
Ran got worried: "Is that a good idea?"
Wuxian shakes his head: "It's a stupid idea. But it's the deal I made with Lan Jinhai. I don't think he's willing to wait until I'm fully cured."
Ran nods, but her facial expression shows how much she disagrees with his choices. She moves on to the next point: "Tomorrow evening is the banquet. You have to be present because the clan leaders will leave the next day."
Wuxian hands her the wet cloth and she gets up to rewet it with cold water: "Check with Father and Keeper Daozi if there is anything specific I must do and wear tomorrow, please."
Ran handed him back the cloth: "Alright. Zewu Jun arranged our departure to Jin Sect in five days. The Archery Competition from your vision is set for two weeks. It's a small window but if we leave in five days we will have enough time to come up with a plan and block the faceless man from harming anyone."
Hweiru shifts uncomfortably in his embrace, letting out a soft sob: "Mama.."
Wuxian shushes her while rubbing her back: "It's ok. You will feel better soon."
Ran was starting to get worried when Wuxian wavers a little in his spot and closes his eyes: "Let me help you."
Wuxian shakes his head and steadies himself: "We're fine. She needs me."
They hear a knock on the door and Jiang Cheng makes his way in, holding a bowl. He quietly sits at the table and places the bowl in front of Wuxian: "Shijie's soup."
Wuxian glares at him. From his brother's subdued behavior, he can safely assume that the younger man remembers what happened while they were drunk. He's been avoiding Wuxian ever since and now he shows up with apology soup. Wuxin adjusts his hold on his daughter when his arms start to get numb then looks at Ran: "Postpone my reading meeting to tomorrow morning. Hweiru is sick. They will understand. I will ask Healer Shi if the unseal is safe. Once I discuss with her my options I will let Zewu Jun know when the meeting with the Slayer should be set. I would appreciate it if you can sit with Hweiru while I attend the banquet if she's still sick."
Ran nods and stands up: "I will send someone to help with her as I finish these tasks."
She walks out the room, leaving the two brothers in an awkward silence. Wuxian sighs loudly: "Wen Ning told us what you said while we were drunk."
Jiang Cheng flinches: "I'm sorry."
Wuxian can feel his daughter go limp as sleep finally claims her. Her grip did not loosen but at least he can lay her down on his lap instead of holding her up: "Don't apologize to me. If you did not truly mean it then you wouldn't have said it."
Jiang Cheng: "I always say mean things when I'm angry! You know that!"
Wuxian leans over his daughter to rest his head on the table. He was beyond exhausted: "You've been using the same lame excuse since we were kids."
Jiang Cheng leaned over to pat his brother's head: "You're tired."
Wuxian sighs loudly: "You made soup."
Jiang Cheng chuckles: "I thought we could continue the tradition with your daughter. The brat Jin Ling doesn't like it."
Wuxian raises his head, surprised: "He doesn't like his mother's soup?"
Jiang Cheng tsks: "Jin Clan spoils him. He has no taste."
Wuxian pulls the soup close and takes a sip: "Mmm."
Cheng tries to pull the bowl away: "I made it for my niece!"
Wuxian pulls it back: "You can make her another one when she wakes up. I want this one."
Cheng chuckles when his brother practically inhales it: "So.. you forgive me?"
Wuxian glares at him: "Did you mean it?"
Cheng looks offended: "Of course not! I wore a dress for heaven's sake to please you!"
Wuxian smiles, remembering his brother's mortified look the other day: "Yeah.. We're even."
They shared a pleasant talk and Cheng made another bowl for Hweiru when she woke up. Her fever went down by night, but she was still cranky and clingy. Wuxian fell asleep, holding a cloth while watching over her as she slept. Wangji returned to that scene and felt his heart break a little over the exhaustion evident on his soul-bond's face. Mainmian was sitting with them once again and whispered to Wangji: "She was clingy and he wouldn't let us help much."
Wangji nodded. He knew how attached his mate was to their daughter: "Thank you, Lady Luo. I will handle it from here."
She bowed and left the room. Wangji went near his daughter's bed and brushed her hair back. She blinked slowly at him and he smiled down at her: "You feel better?"
Hweiru nods slowly and leans closer to his hand when he cups her cheek. He says: "Wei Ying has been sitting with you all day, do you mind if I sit with you while he rests?"
She hesitantly nods and whispers: "You won't leave me?"
Wangji: "I cannot even if I tried. We are bonded; always and forever."
When she smiles back, Wangji rubs his sleeping soul-bond's back to wake him up. Wuxian woke up with a start, clearly disoriented: "Wah? My.. my baby?"
Wangji caught his wandering hands: "Wei Ying, our daughter is fine. You are not."
Wuxian blinks at him, he was very confused: "What?"
Wangji stood up and pulled the smaller man with him: "Bed."
Wuxian weakly tried to fight him: "But.. Hweiru is sick. She needs me."
Wangji gently steered his soul-bond towards their bed and helped him lie down: "I will sit with her. Trust me. You need to rest."
Wuxian sighs, feeling gravity pulling him deeper into the warm comfortable bed: "Alright.. Just.. don't let her cry. I don't like it when she cries."
Wangji plants a gentle kiss on his forehead and whispers: "I will take care of you both, my love."
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