Jiang Yanli was standing in a corner by the entrance of the dining hall when she saw the pair dressed in the colors of Yin and Yang stride toward her.
They were both tall and handsome, their eyes glued to each other, and she could see the happiness that glowed around them. Their faces showed nothing but pure joy, and her brother seemed to be the one doing all the talking while the other mostly listened attentively. The young man in black wore a smile brighter than the sun. He looked as if he was about to burst at any second as he ecstatically babbled about something, his hands moving animatedly along with his speech. His slightly taller partner nodded lightly and made some remarks about the topic of their conversation, which caused the talkative one to burst into laughter, one of his hands latched onto his partner's arm.
It felt strange to see them interact like this when she had pretty much witnessed the depth of their relationship, but she couldn't deny that there was something heartwarming about the way the two looked at each other. She could feel the warmth radiating from her brother, which made her smile. She had to admit, they looked really beautiful together, and it would be hard for anyone not to think that they were perfect for each other. A smile formed on her lips as she watched them walking toward her.
The duo stopped right next to her and bowed in unison. Jiang Yanli nodded in acknowledgment. Her smile never left her lips. "A-Xian, Second Young Master Lan. I guess you two didn't need any more good morning wishes since your morning has definitely been great."
Lan Wangji simply nodded. The statement was true, and he acknowledged, "Yes."
Xiao Zhan's face immediately turned as bright red as a tomato upon hearing Lan Wangji's response. He rubbed the back of his neck while awkwardly trying to put it into words, "Shijie, about what you saw..."
Jiang Yanli raised her hand to stop him, giggling as she spoke, "I think I can tell what was happening, A-xian."
Lan Wangji bowed his head a little lower. "Maiden Jiang, it was my mistake. We will be discreet next time."
Xiao Zhan immediately interjected, "Huh? But I kissed you first. Why is it your mistake?"
Lan Wangji, "I did the same afterward."
Xiao Zhan, "Is it a mistake?"
Lan Wangji, "No."
Xiao Zhan, "Then why are you apologizing?"
"...Should I not?" Lan Wangji asked innocently.
And they stared at each other, lost in their own bubble once more.
"Ahem." Jiang Yanli looked away and coughed. "I am still here."
Xiao Zhan turned to her and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Shijie."
To be honest, she wasn't mad, and their bickering was pretty cute. She cleared her throat and spoke softly. "A-Xian, I don't have any objections to your relationship with Second Young Master Lan here. In fact, I'm happy for you two. Just remember, you two are still young. Maybe a little restraint?"
The duo blushed at her words. She continued with a playful tease, "And please refrain from giving me any more dog food. I've had enough of that this early morning."
Xiao Zhan felt relieved knowing that Jiang Yanli won't be interfering in their relationship. He didn't even bother hiding the blush that appeared on his face and lowered his gaze to hide it as he said, "We are sorry, Shijie. Got it. No more dog food."
Jiang Yanli shook with laughter.
The two seemed embarrassed, both looking at their feet.
A group of boisterous and loud disciples came out of the hall, passed by them, and among them was their savior of the embarrassing moment. They halted as they bowed to greet their head disciple. "Da Shixiong."
Xue Yang's eyes lit up at the sight of both his brothers, and he greeted them both in high spirits. It seemed like he had adjusted well and made some friends. The other disciples were fond of the young boy, and Xue Yang looked happy as well.
Xiao Zhan acknowledged their salutations and made small talk. He stroked Xue Yang's soft hair. "Xue Yang, have you eaten?"
Xue Yang grinned. His cheeks were chubbier than when they had seen him on the street. "Yes, Shijie made some sweet lotus soup for me."
"Your teeth will rot soon with the amount of sugar you're eating," Xiao Zhan remarked.
Xue Yang pursed his lips and waggled his eyebrows, his cheekiness had become even more pronounced. "Can't help it! My stomach growls if it's not something sweet."
"Stop complaining. Your stomach won't growl so much if you eat more than just snacks and treats," Xiao Zhan joked while rolling his eyes. He, of course, did not mean them. He was more than pleased to see Xue Yang had gained some weight and looked much healthier.
"I am a growing boy. The faster I fill up with sweet, the faster I grow." Xue Yang argued.
"Tsk tsk." Xiao Zhan proceeded to pinch his cheeks, "You sassy little brat. Don't come crying to me if you get too chubby later."
Xue Yang ran behind Jiang Yanli and complained to her while cupping his red cheeks, "Shijie, Wei-gege is bullying me."
Xiao Zhan humored him and gave chase, "You punk! Come here! Let me bully you for real."
Their playful chase and banter caused a loud guffaw from the people around them. After a few rounds, Xue Yang ended up cowering behind Lan Wangji, tugging on both of his pure white long sleeves. His head peeked out from the broad back and he stuck his tongue out at Xiao Zhan.
Lan Wangji did not really pay any mind to the boy's physical touch. However, he turned slightly to look at the naughty one's face and told him in an unwavering voice, "Xue Yang, go for your morning training."
Xue Yang looked up at him. "Yes, Wangji-xiong!" he replied in a bubbly manner before returning to his group.
Xiao Zhan exclaimed with his hands on his hips, "How can this be? He talked back to me, yet he does whatever you say after just one time. Really, how can this be?"
Lan Wangji offered him a faint smile as an answer.
Xiao Zhan sighed in defeat and said to Xue Yang, "We'll see you at the field."
"Okay!" Xue Yang waved as he walked off with the others.
"When you were his age, you talked back a lot too." Jiang Yanli chimed in. She then ushered them into the hall. "Now, now. Go and have breakfast."
With tender eyes and a warm, sisterly smile, Jiang Yanli propped her chin up on her palms as she watched Xiao Zhan eat as if he were broadcasting mukbang. She threw occasional glances in Lan Wangji's direction in between.
Xiao Zhan grew a little antsy with the unrelenting stares. He spoke only after he finished his bowl of sweet soup. "Shijie, is there something on my face, or am I that good-looking?"
Jiang Yanli squinted her eyes at the two of them and took a couple of seconds to answer, "A-Xian, you are lovely, but Second Young Master Lan is slightly more handsome."
Xiao Zhan turned his head to the one beside him, who kept his face impassive. He rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes, admiring the attractive man. He hummed appreciatively before saying, "You are right, Shijie. He is a peerless beauty. Drop-dead gorgeous!"
Lan Wangji's brow twitched slightly. He could feel his blood rushing to his ears as his sharp gaze met Xiao Zhan's. His eyes softened at that moment. Just like that, they ended up staring lovingly at each other for a while. Again.
Jiang Yanli covered her eyes and spoke up after a while, "A-Xian, please have pity on your sister."
Xiao Zhan turned his head to look at Jiang Yanli and blinked multiple times to come back to reality. "Sorry."
"I'm getting lonely here." Jiang Yanli tittered. Her cheeks heated up at their public display of affection.
Xiao Zhan lowered his head in shame for the umpteenth time. He cleared his throat and changed the topic. "Shijie, how are you holding up?"
Jiang Yanli hung her head low for a few seconds. She then raised her chin again, this time forcing a smile. "I am alright. Don't worry about me."
Xiao Zhan stood up and went to her side to give her a brief, comforting hug. He patted her shoulder as he pulled away and asked, "Did Jiang Cheng apologize properly to you yet?"
"He did." Jiang Yanli nodded slowly as she recounted how Jiang Cheng knelt before her, asking for forgiveness while sobbing hard after hearing the full account of the incident. She never took his hurtful words to heart, as she knew her young brother's tendency to speak crudely during his fits of anger very well. She added, "You have to forgive him, A-Xian. You know his temper."
Xiao Zhan's lips were set in a straight line when he heard that. He said objectively, "Yes, I know, but that does not mean that he can go around screaming his head off every time he gets angry. He is no longer a child, Shijie. It is time for him to grow up."
Jiang Yanli gazed into Xiao Zhan's eyes and saw that he was no longer the baby brother who would unashamedly ask her to pamper and spoil him rotten. Part of her was happy and proud for his spurt of growth but another part was sad that she would miss to molly coddle this young adult. It was a bittersweet feeling.
Xiao Zhan maintained their eye contact and continued, "He needs to apologize to be forgiven, Shijie. Don't do it on his behalf. He needs to learn this himself."
Jiang Yanli sighed deeply. "Just go easy on him, okay?"
Xiao Zhan didn't want to sour the mood further. Today would be his last day in that residence, and it would probably be a few months until he could see her again. He then noticed a particular someone had been eavesdropping. His eyes flickered as he grinned mischievously to lighten up the mood. "Don't worry, Shijie. I am definitely going easy on him even now. He himself knows that very well."
Jiang Yanli raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his impish smile. "What do you mean?"
Xiao Zhan lifted his shoulder in a shrug and glanced sideways at his partner. Picking up on the signal, Lan Wangji answered on his behalf, "Wei Ying is now a guest trainer in the Cloud Recesses."
Xiao Zhan flashed a satisfied smile at Lan Wangji; there was a perfect tacit understanding between the two of them. It was almost as if they could read each other's minds.
Jiang Yanli's mind immediately drifted back to the letter she had received from Jiang Cheng, in which he was ranting furiously about a certain "monster" that had exterminated a waterborne abyss. Frankly, she did not have many ideas or even much interest in the dark creatures that haunted their world. She did not know how strong the creature was, and she had never asked. She had never really paid much mind to cultivation world matters since she herself had been born with a weaker cultivation base. That said, she was almost as good as non-cultivators, though she did not mind it much.
Now that she gave it some thought, she recalled what she saw. This little brother of hers didn't even flinch as he defeated her mother and stripped her of her weapon with his bare hands. Her mother was considered a high-level cultivator. If his martial brother easily overpowered her, he must be a few levels higher than her. That meant the teen must be one heck of a powerful cultivator. If he were promoted to a trainer in Gusu, how hard would his regimen be that it made Jiang Cheng write a letter just to vent his frustrations? She widened her eyes. "I thought he was exaggerating."
Xiao Zhan smirked and snapped his fingers. "Ah, that reminded me. How much did you complain about me, Shijie?"
Jiang Yanli shrank in her seat, fearing for Jiang Cheng's life in the next few months in Gusu. "Well, not much, A-Xian. Just a little."
Xiao Zhan stood up. "Excuse me for a while, Shijie."
Jiang Cheng was standing nearby and had been silently listening to them. He made a sharp turn when he overheard that part of the conversation and attempted to flee the scene.
"Oh, Jiang Cheng~" Xiao Zhan hummed as he hopped his way in Jiang Cheng's direction.
Jiang Cheng cursed under his breath when Xiao Zhan caught up to him with surprising speed. He stopped dead in his tracks and rolled his eyes at the annoying person whose forearm was resting on his shoulder. "What? What do you want to do now?"
Xiao Zhan tapped the hilt of his sword against his chest, pretending to mutter to himself, "I wonder how much I should level up the training next?"
Jiang Cheng screamed internally, his eyebrows nearly meeting as he scowled. "Why are you asking me this?"
Xiao Zhan tilted his head to one side, his devious gaze boring into Jiang Cheng's very soul. "I wonder why?"
Jiang Cheng scrunched his face further when Lan Wangji finally made his way beside his martial brother, wearing an icy expression. He was as cold as ever as he uttered, "Jiang Wanyin."
Jiang Cheng was not happy either. He was a little pissed about being silenced the day before. He, however, had no confidence to actually say anything out loud and he never wanted the spell to be cast on him ever again. He huffed, "Second Young Master Lan."
Lan Wangji did not bother to have anymore exchange of words with the cranky rude brat. He then paid all his attention to Xiao Zhan alone. His tone turned gentle. "Wei Ying, we need to go."
"Oh, okay." Xiao Zhan immediately switched sides and casually looped his hands around Lan Wangji's shoulder. "Sure, let's go, Lan Zhan~"
Jiang Cheng was relieved to hear that they were leaving the dining hall, but at the same time, he couldn't help but roll his eyes again when he heard the name being said in such a melodic tone from Xiao Zhan's mouth. He could feel goosebumps crawling over his body when he saw the pair's saccharine-like interaction. He groaned, "Ugh, just leave already!"
Xiao Zhan peered sideways at him and remarked casually, "If you roll your eyes too much, they might get stuck permanently."
Jiang Cheng sneered, "So be it! Then I won't have to see your ugly face!"
Xiao Zhan's loud, shrill laughter reverberated throughout the space, bouncing off every surface. He managed a retort between his chuckles, pointing his long finger. "If I'm ugly, you're even uglier!" He then turned to Lan Wangji . "Am I ugly?" He asked, a little coquettish.
Lan Wangji answered in a heart beat, "No. You are beautiful."
Jiang Cheng's lips twitched. That did nothing but annoy him even more and he was going to goad this idiot for all eternity if that's what it took, when suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with Jiang Yanli.
Jiang Yanli looked upon them with a warm smile. "Boys, stop fighting. It's been some time since the three of us gathered together, and you two are leaving again soon."
Jiang Cheng pulled a long face. "Jie, are you seeing what I'm seeing? Do you understand how much my eyes have been suffering now?"
Jiang Yanli looked at the smitten lovebirds and could only giggle at the sight. She stroked Jiang Cheng's hair. "I've seen more."
Jiang Cheng's eyes went round. "More?? What did you see??"
Xiao Zhan quickly sprinted forward to cover her lips. "Shijie! Don't!"
Jiang Yanli chuckled and slowly removed her hand. She winked. "I am joking."
Jiang Cheng, "No, you're not. Tell me, Jie!"
Jiang Yanli shook her head and put her index finger in front of her lips. "It's a secret you don't want to know."
Jiang Cheng made more disgruntled noises in response. Jiang Yanli just laughed softly as she pulled her two brothers into an embrace. The two boys stiffened in the awkward hug. Jiang Yanli whispered, "Please promise me one thing. No matter what happens, we are still a family, right?"
"Right," Jiang Cheng answered weakly. He closed his eyes as he tried to push his dissatisfaction aside. However, the anger still lurked within him. He turned to Xiao Zhan and scowled at him. "You'd better stop trying to steal my sister.
Xiao Zhan scoffed. "Shijie is not an object! She's free to love whomever she wants."
Jiang Cheng shrugged. "Whatever."
"Now, now. You two are my brothers!" Jiang Yanli exclaimed. "And I can speak for myself. Thank you very much!"
The three of them remained in the position for a few more seconds before Xiao Zhan broke it when he could feel the intense glare at the back of his head. He pulled away at once and moved to Lan Wangji's side after announcing, "We need to go to the training field."
Xiao Zhan paused to think and added, "Actually, come with us."
Both Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli raised their eyebrows but still agreed. When the four of them reached the field, they saw Jiang Fengmian, who was observing the morning training.
Jiang Fengmian saw them coming in together, and he smiled broadly as he returned their greetings. He set his eyes on his nephew. "A-Ying, are you staying for lunch?"
Xiao Zhan replied politely, "Yes, we will leave after that. I want to spend some time with Xue Yang and the others. Speaking of which, how is he doing so far, Uncle Jiang?"
Jiang Fengmian nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Like you said, he's brilliant. He learns very quickly."
Xiao Zhan looked over in Xue Yang's direction and smiled proudly. The young boy could already execute an almost flawless imitation of the moves that he had personally taught him the other day.
Jiang Cheng was unaware of the addition of the new member, so he questioned, "Who is Xue Yang?"
Xiao Zhan did not answer. Instead, he called Xue Yang out from the rows to come over without disturbing the rest of the disciples who were busily practicing their forms. The kid's face was brimming with bright energy as he ran lightly toward Xiao Zhan.
Jiang Cheng could hear how his heart raced a little faster as the miniature version of his martial brother approached their location.
Jiang Fengmian smiled gently at his son, as if trying to soothe him before speaking. "A-Cheng, I want you to meet Xue Yang, our newest disciple."
Xue Yang somehow managed to sandwich himself in between his two brothers and introduced himself in a laidback manner. He almost resembled Xiao Zhan in a way. "My name is Xue Yang."
Jiang Cheng widened his eyes. "What? Who's this boy? Where did he come from?"
Electricity crackled as Jiang Cheng and Xue Yang engaged in a tense staring contest. Then, Jiang Fengmian cleared his throat to break the tension between them. "Xue Yang is A-Xian's and Second Young Master Lan's ward."
"Oh, I see the two have finally announced their relationship? They already have a child together," Jiang Cheng remarked sarcastically as he looked at the couple. "Out of wedlock, even."
"You! Do you only know how to spout nonsense?" Xiao Zhan barked at him, causing a slight commotion among the crowd. He shot Jiang Cheng an annoyed glare, ignoring the chuckles coming from the other disciples.
Jiang Fengmian carried a serious tone as he proclaimed, "A-ying is still too young for that."
Xiao Zhan could feel his face was on fire, and he stole a glance at Lan Wangji, whose expression remained unchanged. He attempted to steer the conversation back to its original path. "Xue Yang is my brother. That's it. End of discussion."
Xue Yang grinned cheekily at Jiang Cheng. "Hear that?"
Jiang Cheng could already tell that this boy was as impudent as Wei Wuxian. He gritted his teeth, "You little brat! Just you wait. Since I am older than you, let me spank you!"
"Hey, both of you! Let's not cause any trouble today!" Xiao Zhan quickly interjected. "And Jiang Cheng, you need Lan Zhan's permission to spank him. Officially."
"Tsk, whatever!" Jiang Cheng stubbornly crossed his arms across his chest and huffed.
Xiao Zhan then turned to Lan Wangji, whose face remained emotionless. "Does he have your permission, Lan Zhan?"
Lan Wangji briefly glanced at Jiang Cheng before turning his attention back to Xiao Zhan. "No."
Xue Yang brimmed with joy when he heard the answer. He grabbed both Xiao Zhan's and Lan Wangji's hands and stuck his tongue out briefly at Jiang Cheng before giving both his brothers a big smile.
"You little!" Jiang Cheng hissed.
Xiao Zhan ruffled the boy's hair. "You're getting naughtier now!"
Xue Yang grinned. "It's because my role model is you, Wei-ge."
Xiao Zhan flicked his fingers lightly against the nine-year-old's forehead. "Brat, you sure know how to talk, huh?"
"I learned from the best." Xue Yang's grin grew wider.
"Behave," Lan Wangji said.
"Yes, Father." Xue Yang jested, giggling.
Xiao Zhan brought his hand to his face in a facepalm, "Xue Yang, why is he your father?"
Xue Yang's scintillating personality shone; his eyes flickered between Xiao Zhan and Lan Wangji before he reached a conclusion, "Should I call you mother then, Wei-ge?"
"..." Xiao Zhan stared at him, open-mouthed, before proceeding with a frontal assault of cheek-squishing.
Lan Wangji's lips turned up slightly as he watched the two play around for a while before instructing Xue Yang to resume his training.
Xue Yang bowed politely to his 'father'. He then playfully said to Xiao Zhan, "See you later, Mother."
"..." Xiao Zhan could only watch dumbfoundedly as the boy ran back into the formation as fast as a cockroach.
Meanwhile, as the scene unfolded, Jiang Yanli dissolved into laughter while her father shook his head.
Jiang Cheng, on the other side, rolled his eyes. He could foresee himself getting a lot more migraine attacks in the future. Not only had he just gained another annoying brother from his existing irritating brother unexpectedly, but the child he had to deal with was under his future headache-in-law's protection. He let out an exasperated sigh loudly.