As they walk back to the room where Lan Huan is, Lan Qiren senses Xue Yang staring at him, and so he returns the gesture, raising a brow in question.

"I don't remember my parents. I can't imagine what I might have called them, or even if I spent any amount of time with them." He says it casually, as if it doesn't matter, as if the absence of his parents isn't a noteworthy occurrence.

"In our lives, there are at least two sets of parents. The ones who give birth to us, and the others who nurture us anyway. That can be in the form of teaching us something, academic or life skills, or simply making sure we have our basic needs fulfilled. My point is, names are not important." Lan Qiren wants to reassure him that nothing is wrong.

He will probably be chewed out for this decision, but it felt right when he made his choice, and it feels right now. He is going to stick by this child and give him a good foundation, something strong enough to build his future upon.

"I think I might have called him A-Die, or Die-er. But ... Can I call you Baba?"

Out of nowhere, there's an explosion of joy in Lan Qiren's chest, a happy weight of affection that flows out naturally towards this child. Such an unexpected feeling that it makes his knees weak, and Lan Qiren pulls Xue Yang into his arms and cradles his head. Yes...this feeling is right. He feels two skinny arms trying to fit around his girth and failing; Xue Yang clutches at his robes behind his back anyway, completing their two-person circle.

Just for a few moments, they hold each other. It feels momentous, like stars should be exploding high up in the skies, rainbows breaking up above them, flowers falling from the Heavens kind of important. There should be something marking this moment like a nail in a wall, something to call attention to it. It will forever be a 'before' and 'after' moment for him.

When they finally let go of each other, Xue Yang is biting his lip and looking at anywhere else, his gaze darting away like a hummingbird wanting to feed.

Lan Qiren blinks away the sting in his eyes. He takes Xue Yang by the hand and they walk on. It is remarkably telling that Xue Yang doesn't pull away.

It's only when he sees Lan Huan that he realises that he should have spoken to this young person before taking any steps that might affect him in a negative way. And WangJi, but that's a problem for later.

What is absolutely mind-blowing to him is that Lan Qiren finds his heart growing impossibly bigger, wider, hollowing out so it can hold more love. It spreads out from his chest, encompassing these two children who are and remain his very own, extending towards Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, and there's more, just waiting for the others who will no doubt be joining their family soon.

In an unusual move for himself and A-Huan, Lan Qiren takes his hand too, and smiles when Lan Huan glances uncertainly back at him. Lan Qiren squeezes it, not wishing to break the spell of whatever magic this is.

Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren are as welcoming as ever, and Lan Qiren nods his head towards Xue Yang at Cangse Sanren. Luckily, she understands that Lan Qiren wants a distraction so he can escape with Lan Huan, so she makes a huge fuss over the seven-year-old, teasing him loudly so he doesn't notice the other two slipping out.

"The boys are hungry so we're fetching lunch," Lan Qiren whispers to Wei Changze, who nods quickly and goes to sit on the bed next to his wife and an excited Xue Yang, who's telling them all about his time away.

Lan Qiren takes Lan Huan towards the kitchens, forming and discarding speeches that all sound terrible, even to himself, about how to explain about Xue Yang's adoption. They pass the courtyard where the Wall of Discipline is, and there's a bench facing it for those who want to meditate on its perfection. Lan Qiren takes his oldest nephew, in many ways, his first child, there and they sit down quietly.

"Lan Huan, A-Huan, I have something to tell you. I should have discussed it with you first before doing it, but...I saw a need and fulfilled it." Lan Qiren hates the way that sounds.

Lan Huan, sensitive child that he is, reaches across to pat his knee. His open and pleasant features are innocently curious, keeping an open mind as he has been taught to.

All of a sudden, Lan Qiren feels humbled. This boy is so pure of heart, so honest, so good, and Lan Qiren is relieved to know that the desire to protect him from anything that could hurt him is very much alive.

"A-Huan, I adopted Xue Yang as my son."

Once the words are out, they are out, and the flash of hurt in Lan Huan's eyes is a stabbing knife in Lan Qiren's heart. He reaches across and takes Lan Huan's hand, keeping it in both of his hands even when he feels the tug that Lan Huan wants to draw it away.

"Please listen to me. I know it is a shock. It was a shock to me as well, when I first considered it. Firstly, I want you to know that this doesn't change us, who we are to each other. You will always be my first child, and the only reason I did not adopt you and WangJi was out of respect for my brother. I...I always want you to know that." Lan Qiren becomes quiet, letting the boy process this.

In order for there to be harmony among the children, each child needs to be confident of the love they receive, their place in the family and the knowledge that none of that will be taken away.

"I know it is a risk. We don't know anything about him. But I learned this from A-Ying."

Lan Huan's head shoots up and a little of his wariness fades away. "What did you learn?"

"A-Ying told me that in his past life, Xue Yang was a delinquent. He killed people without a reason, just because he could. Even knowing that, it didn't stop A-Ying from helping him, and A-Qing, too. If a five year old can give someone a second chance, then surely, we can, too?"

A-Huan nods slowly.

Lan Qiren continues. "All your life, you have been loved. You have never had to go hungry, or wear torn clothes, or be kicked away from people selling food that you need. You have always had a roof over your head and a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in. You have any number of expensive robes to wear, beautiful ornaments to put in your hair. You have an uncle who loves you very much, and others who surround you with love and warmth and welcome. Xue Yang had none of those things for a long time."

Gradually, he feels Lan Huan relax, his shoulders lowering by themselves.

"Neither you or I can fully understand or empathise with how he must have felt during his hardest times." Lan Qiren pulls Lan Huan closer to him, hugging him to his side.

"That's true." Lan Huan whispers. "I have never thought about those who are less fortunate than myself. I don't think I even noticed the homeless people in the towns we travelled through...only when A-Ying and A-Zhan made me help them buy candy. But even then, I didn't stop to think about them after we left."

"That is alright. You do not need to make yourself feel guilty for something done out of ignorance. The thing is, we know now, right? We can make a difference from now on." Lan Qiren strokes the back of his hair.

Lan Huan nods with determination, his jaw set on what must be his own internal promise to do better from now on.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad, A-Huan. That's not why I brought it up. You see, for some students, it is enough for them to leave their families and come here to study with us. They have people at home who love them, and all we have to do is make sure we look after them. But with Xue Yang, I can't explain why this feels like the right step for all of us."

"It won't change anything between us." Lan Huan says it quietly, with a lilt at the end as if he's uncertain about making it into a question.

Questions Lan Qiren can handle with a surety.

"It absolutely won't change anything between us two. But you now have three little Didis to look after. Are you alright about that?"

Lan Huan looks extraordinarily pleased at that. He nods enthusiastically.

"Good boy. I also asked him to keep an eye on our guests, while they're here," Lan Qiren adds, using this rare opportunity while they're alone to tell him everything he needs to know.

"Is this about the traitor?" Lan Huan asks, immediately putting two and two together.

"Yes. I think we should have the conference and use it as a way to find whoever this is, the one who must know what the Yin Iron is and is trying to look for it. We need to set a trap." Lan Qiren strokes his beard thoughtfully.

"That's a great idea," Lan Huan approves.

"I'm not exactly sure how, but I have an idea. I will run it past your A-Yi and Wei Shushu." Lan Qiren stands up and hugs him properly. "A-Huan, are we really alright?"

"Yes, Shufu." This time, Lan Huan sounds way more certain.

"Good, now let's go get the food. You must be starving!"

"Ahuh."

Together, they resume their walk to the kitchens feeling so much lighter.

*****************

Cangse Sanren looks at Xue Yang with the expression of one who is unafraid of mischief and revels in chaos.

Like recognises like.

He beams at her, and when she asks him one question after another, he answers her eagerly, feeling safe and secure. So he's not at all prepared for her to grab his wrist and pull his sleeve up, revealing his headband, the one Lan Qiren, his Baba, helped him to tie on.

That's when Lan Qiren and Lan Huan return with trays of food.

Cangse Sanren snaps out of her shock and shouts, "Qiren, you sly dog! How did you manage to do it before I could?" She doesn't let him answer, either. "Just you wait! I'll steal him back before your very eyes, and I'm taking A-Huan, too!"

"That's just being greedy," Lan Qiren retorts, laying down the trays and beginning to serve the children first, as Wei Changze makes up a plate for his wife.

"But if you are already part of our family, who exactly is stealing from who?" Lan Huan asks her, purposefully keeping his eyes wide with innocence.

Cangse Sanren bursts into laughter and grins at him and Lan Qiren, who is trying and failing not to be smug.

"Fine, have it your way for now," she concedes, "but this isn't over. Wait until MY A-Zhan and MY A-Ying come back. Then you'll see." She begins to eat, making a face at the bland food.

"When OUR A-Zhan and OUR A-Ying come back, then WE'LL see," Lan Qiren replies, and this time, no one contradicts him.