It's much colder at night, and Lan Zhan is glad he had the forethought of neatly folding their winter coats and placing them beside their boots, earlier. Wei Ying watches him with no small amount of delight as he runs down some paths using the light of the moon to detect when patrols are close by, and plastering himself and Wei Ying against the nearest wall whenever that happens.

The infirmary lies where it always has been, halfway down the upper levels and not far from the library.

Lan Zhan can tell Wei Ying has questions but it's no surprise that this little kid is keeping himself in check while they perform a clandestine activity. He wants to laugh because he had no idea Wei Ying would be this cooperative since he always has something to say, and yet this is the same boy who used to avoid Madam Yu and her two silent-but-deadly bodyguards, Yinzhu and Jinzhu. Wei Ying dutifully does not speak, but they're both trembling by the time they reach the infirmary, and it's not from the freezing cold.

Right up to the door and then instincts and his sharp hearing makes Lan Zhan dive into the bushes and pull Wei Ying under a hedge because he heard voices. They do not move a muscle as the door of the infirmary opens and Uncle Qiren steps out with Lan Feng.

One of them slides the door shut and they begin walking away, speaking in low voices.

Uncle Qiren: At least they can rest here.

Lan Feng: Do you think she will make a full recovery?

Uncle Qiren: The healers are hopeful, but only time can tell.

Their voices fade, and only when the world becomes silent again, Lan Zhan steps up and out of the bracken, helping Wei Ying out of the hedge. He brushes away dead leaves from his hair and makes Wei Ying presentable again, earning himself another hug.

"Will Wan Zhan get in trouble for bringing us here?" Wei Ying whispers, his eyes appearing huge in his pale face when he steps back.

"No, because we're not going to get caught." Lan Zhan insists, keeping his voice low.

"Okay," Wei Ying nods to himself as if making his own mind up about something.

Lan Zhan carefully slides the door of the infirmary open, not trusting that everyone may be asleep inside. After all, if Shifu was here until now, then there must have been a reason why.

He knows that there is always an attendant on night duty in case there are patients staying overnight, to provide medicines and water, and this might just be a case of slipping past them quietly. His heart is thudding so loudly in his little chest, he's wondering if it never shrank with the rest of his body when he travelled back in time. Wei Ying squeezes their hands together, and then they peek around the secondary door.

The table where the night attendant would usually be sitting is empty, so they glide past in a hurry. Maybe the person has gone to fetch something or perform nightly ablutions nearby, but they're not going to stick around and find out.

The infirmary is really a huge room with screens large enough to separate patients for privacy. There's a kitchen to the side for aid during the creation of medicines and tonics, and a separate apothecary where a variety of herbs and plants are grown, and it leads to the greenhouse and garden beyond.

Tonight, there are only two patients in residence and three people in total.

"Baba!" Wei Ying shouts, forgetting himself and where they are, and the promise he made to be quiet - all of it vanishing as he hurtles towards him.

Wei Changze sits up immediately, jolted out of his nap, and manages to fling out silencing talismans around them as he catches Wei Ying in his arms.

"My boy!" He breathes out tenderly, hugging him tightly.

There's something about the naked and raw love of this parent showering his son with infinite affection that makes Lan Zhan feel as if he's intruding. And yet, he cannot look away.

This...this is all extra, and a direct result of his own actions, and Lan Zhan wants to weep with relief and joy that Wei Ying gets to have this. It's such an intense and exhilarating feeling to know that Lan Zhan's impromptu meddling has allowed something so beautiful as this to be shared. It is a golden moment, one that is now permanently etched into his mind.

Wei Ying bursts into huge sobs, tears that won't stop and each sound he makes as he whimpers and gasps against his Baba's neck make Lan Zhan's heart crack with emotions that feel too big for this small body. He should have known that Wei Ying, true to his endless capacity for giving, would hold inside the pain and fear he felt since arriving in an unfamiliar place and needing the reassurance of his parents only to be denied it until now.

"There, there, haizi...nothing to worry about. Look, we're all together again, you and me and Mama," Wei Changze soothes him, rubbing Wei Ying's back in gentle circles, immediately calming him down.

"Mama?" Wei Ying rubs at his eyes, looking around.

Wei Changze takes his little pudgy hands away from his small face and fishes out a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

"A-Ying must be quiet," his father says, pointing up at the bed. "She's there and ... asleep for now. She will wake up soon." He adds that last part with no small amount of hope, and looks up.

Cangse Sanren is lying in bed looking as peacefully asleep as a normal person. Lan Zhan remembers someone saying that she had fallen into a coma, and now he can't tell if that's the truth. He steps forward to see for himself, and unintentionally draws Wei Changze's attention.

"YingYing, who is this?" He says warmly, holding out a hand towards him.

"Dat's Wan Zhan," Wei Ying says quietly, smiling again as he reaches out towards him.

"Is he your friend?" Wei Changze looks amused as he bows towards him. "Hello, second Master Lan. It is good to make your acquaintance."

"Best friend!" Wei Ying whisper-shouts adamantly.

They both pull him into a three-person hug.

"Thank you for bringing him here so late," Wei Changze says, looking outside through the windows where nothing but darkness greets him. "Isn't it past curfew?" His brows furrowed as he realises the consequences of the children's actions.

"Mn." This is dangerous territory, Lan Zhan thinks, seeing as they're just children in an adult world, and there's no telling which way he will swing.

"Baba, Wan Zhan did it for me," Wei Ying insists, pouting at him.

"Well, now that you've seen us both, it's time you went back to your own beds," Wei Changze says, smiling to ease the meaning of his words. "YingYing, we have to make sure our friends don't get into trouble for us, okay? So now you have to be a big boy again, and be brave, and come and see me tomorrow." He pats both of their heads, smiling at Lan Zhan now.

"Okay, Baba, I will be brave," Wei Ying promises, lifting three chubby fingers to his temple.

Lan Zhan is surprised he's so willing to go after such a short visit, but perhaps it's for the best. Back at the Hanshi, their warm bed is waiting for them, and he imagines his Xiongzhang and Shifu-

Oh no!

Lan Zhan had forgotten that when they were smaller, Uncle Qiren used to sleep with himself and Lan Huan in the Hanshi! And that means Uncle Qiren will probably be inside there right now, and maybe they've been discovered already??

"What is it, Haizi?" Wei Changze asks him, noting his paler face and trembling body.

"Shifu sleeps in the Hanshi. He just left..." Lan Zhan murmurs, feeling stricken.

"Then you better hurry back," Wei Changze replies, standing up. "Here, use the window, that way, no one will see you, and you don't have to go past the night attendant."

"Mn." Lan Zhan replies, relieved by the thought.

Wei Changze pushes the window open and peeks out by sticking his head through it. Luckily, they're on the ground floor.

"Come over, it's not that high," he encourages, and Lan Zhan must endure the indignity of being lifted and being placed outside. "Thank you once again," Wei Changze says as he does the same to Wei Ying, kissing his round cheeks as he lets go of him as well. "Do you know the way back safely?" He asks just to make sure.

"Mn." Lan Zhan takes hold of Wei Ying's hand with determination.

They only have to avoid the night patrols now.

"Well then, hopefully, Lan Qiren has other places to be before he retires tonight. Good luck, and remember, I never saw either of you!" he winks, making Wei Ying giggle softly. He waves at them as they leave, and when Lan Zhan turns back, he's still watching them with a fond look on his face.

The trip back is uneventful, and they only had to wait twice in the shadows while the patrols passed by them.

Lan Zhan is so relieved to make it back to the Hanshi safely without being caught, that he opens the door without looking up and proceeds to help Wei Ying take off his cloak and boots first, before tackling his own. The quiet clearing of an adult throat freezes him in place, and he looks towards the sound.

Uncle Qiren is pouring himself a cup of tea and staring at it very hard. He does not look up.

Wei Ying pushes past Lan Zhan to kowtow before him, his little bare feet peeking out of his robes as his body trembles on the floor.

"I made Wan Zhan take me," he insists, his voice muffled by his clothes. "Please don't punish him!"

"One hears such strange noises at night," Uncle Qiren says quietly, giving the space next to Wei Ying's little body a sharp look. "It's a good thing my ears don't work so well after curfew, and I need this tea to see properly. I'm sure I will notice anything amiss after I finish my cup and get ready for bed."

Lan Zhan knows an out when he sees one, and he grabs a confused Wei Ying who refuses to budge at first, bizarrely wanting to confess his crimes to an unwilling listener who has shockingly dismissed their transgression. Apparently.

"YingYing," Lan Zhan says, the desperation in his voice making Wei Ying look up. He jerks his chin towards the bed and they both tip toe and run towards it, as if they haven't made quite the scene already.

There's a choked gasp from behind as Lan Zhan flings the covers aside and their pillow-body replacements are seen by the only adult, but this time, Lan Zhan makes Wei Ying get in first.

Lan Zhan is really tired now and it's way past his real bedtime, but as his eyes flicker shut, he sees Wei Ying scoot closer, closing his eyes as well. Lan Zhan forces his heavy-with-fatigue arms open so Wei Ying can snuggle with him as they both fall asleep at once.

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

In the morning, three of the four occupants of the Hanshi wake up at Mao shi, ready to start the day.

"Shufu, what about A-Ying?" XiChen asks quietly.

Uncle Qiren comes closer to the bed and his gaze softens as he looks down on the sleeping child, his little hands curled under his cheek, flushed with sleep as he sighs in his dreaming. Dried drool has made a path from the corner of his mouth to his pillow, and he looks as sweet as a kitten like this. His deep black curls are a messy puddle framing his head, and thick dark lashes curl upon his pink cheeks.

"He had a lot of excitement yesterday," Uncle Qiren glances at his youngest nephew, who has the good grace to blush, "so perhaps he can sleep in a little bit longer today. WangJi, I shall have breakfast sent over for both of you. A-Huan, come with me to the dining hall."

"Yes, Shufu," the boys say, bowing together.

Once they leave, Lan Zhan gets to work.

He's been thinking about the differences between this new life and the one he and Wei Ying have come from. There's a possibility that even though one major event has changed, namely that of Wei Ying's parents surviving that ill-fated night hunt, it might not be enough to derail the previous paths set out by the Universe. Whatever is to happen must be closely monitored by Lan Zhan, and to do this, he must have a record of all that happened to both himself and Wei Ying in that earlier life.

This will serve two purposes: i) he won't forget important events no matter how inconsequential they may appear, and ii) it will serve as a record sort of like a checklist for him to refer to, as a guideline on how he should proceed.

Lan Zhan spends a good few hours writing down everything that occurred in their past, shared life, and then when he sits back to examine those events, he can see a pattern. Rather like a stone skimming the surface of a calm and deep lake, watching how the ripples grow and fan out, affecting more than he thought possible.

Wei Ying's subsequent demise was planned out and executed by very clever people in a prime position to carry out each of their plans. Singularly, nothing stood out by itself, but together? It is a map of the most despicable cunning, an underhanded game of strategy that was secretly won even before Lan Zhan suspected it existed. A devious Web to catch the innocent man, to wrap him up in a cocoon of lies and speculation, loud voices that could drown out those who would question the truth.

Lan Zhan feels sick.

What a mastermind to be able to successfully kill off his competition without a single finger pointing in his direction? Jin GuangShan would never have condoned the death of his legitimate son, Jin ZiXuan. And the only one who would benefit from his death was Jin ZiXun, the cousin whose name and identity kept eluding Wei Ying, and that would have been funny except for the backlash it caused. The man was too haughty and full of himself to matter, but as a second heir, he was another thorn in Jin Guangyao's side, and so, how convenient of him to meet his demise alongside Jin ZiXuan on Qiongqi Way? Was it really an accident? Or clever manipulation?

Lan Zhan strongly suspects it was the latter.

Jin GuangYao cleanly swept away all and other possible challengers to his position, keeping those he trusted closest to him. Motives are the only way to explain and reveal the hidden truth, and by questioning the behaviour of those who would cast doubt on Wei Ying's character, it is as clear as day as to the identity of the Instigator. Jin GuangYao had the most to gain out of every single person involved.

Perhaps, after a few years of kowtowing to his disgusting father, maybe Jin GuangYao might have had enough to tire of him, maybe even enough to arrange his death in a characteristically showy way that would cast suspicion on others, carefully pointing a finger at his enemies instead of himself.

The death of Jiang YanLi was unfortunate, and possibly unplanned because who could have predicted that she would have run into an active battlefield with no regard for her own safety? It was a foolish move, perhaps because nobody could say she was in her right mind at the time, newly widowed and yet so eager to see her adopted brother, to make sure she told him that she did not blame him for what had happened to her husband.

But for Jin GuangYao, her removal was a blessing because she was directly responsible for her son's safety. With her gone, there would be no one remaining to oppose however Jin GuangYao treated him, the biggest threat to his position.

Lan Zhan grabs another piece of paper and writes down a list of names. This is his kill list.

Wen Ruohan - for starting the war that would kill thousands.

Wen Xu - for burning down Cloud Recesses.

Wen Chao - for every evil deed, most notably throwing Wei Ying into the Burial Mounds.

Wen Zhuliu - for crushing Wei Ying's Golden Core.

Jin GuangShan - self explanatory besides being a cockroach of inappropriate lust.

Jin GuangYao - for his greed and ruthless ability to talk his way out of anything while reeking of manipulation.

This is just to start with, Lan Zhan thinks to himself. Then there are the question marked people.

Madam Yu, prime bitch to Wei Ying, might not need to die since Wei Ying's parents were now alive and nearly well, so she might not ever get close enough to even breathe his way. However, if the opportunity arrives, then Lan Zhan isn't going to shy away from getting his own revenge on her. She was single handedly responsible for most of the scars on Wei Ying's back, and that's not something Lan Zhan can forgive easily, if at all.

Jiang Cheng, supposed brother to Wei Ying, and yet at the first sign of trouble, he put Wei Ying in an incredibly precarious situation by making him defect from the Jiang Sect. By stepping away from him, Jiang Cheng made Wei Ying into an easy target. Again, an unforgivable crime.

Wang Lingjiao - Lan Zhan does not know for certain, but enough people repeated the same story in an identical manner, making him suspect it was the awful truth that she had demanded Wei Ying's right hand as a punishment for some ill-perceived slight. Another unforgivable crime.

Su Minshan for betraying those hidden in the Lan caves, for being a coward with no morals, and for annoying Lan Zhan by talking himself up. Lan Zhan had for the most part simply ignored him, but this chap had also shot Wei Ying's in the arm, and claimed it was an accident, when they were being attacked by the Tortoise of Slaughter. Two unforgivable crimes.

The lump on the bed moves and Lan Zhan puts his work away.

He is undecided on whether to kill those with the question marks next to their names, because a tiny part of his mind is arguing this: do they deserve death if they have not repeated the crimes of their past lives?

He will give them one chance, he thinks, and that's the best he can do. Even if they give Wei Ying so much as a bad look, that will be enough cause for him to show no mercy, because Lan Zhan has had enough.

He's not going to take any more chances with Wei Ying's safety ever again, and that's the bottom line.

He smiles and stands up as Wei Ying sits up in bed, eyes screwed tightly against the brightness of the day as he fights waking up as if it were a fierce corpse. His beautiful red ribbon is askew, leaving a halo of messy black curls on his head and spilling over his little shoulders, still soft and silky to the touch.

"Wan Zhan?" he whispers, opening one eye and looking around.

His first words of the day, and they are Lan Zhan's name. That's it. Lan Zhan pulls out his heart and hands it over to his soulmate, unable to resist his charm. When he gets to the bed, Wei Ying throws himself into his arms, nuzzling close to his chin.

"Smell good!" he declares with a sleepy smile, blearily opening his eyes.

"Sandalwood. Incense," Lan Zhan explains, smiling back. "Did Wei Ying sleep well?"

"Ahuh, ahuh," Wei Ying gives him a toothy grin, sliding off the bed and finally looking around. "Breakfast time!" he yells with delight, spotting the food on the table that had arrived a little while ago. He grabs Lan Zhan's hand and pulls him to it, his exuberance lighting up his face.

They sit down to eat and Lan Zhan has to remind Wei Ying more than once to chew properly instead of just swallowing his rice. Wei Ying doesn't complain about the food, and Lan Zhan thinks this might be because he's too hungry to care.

Once they're done with breakfast, Lan Zhan helps Wei Ying take a bath and clean up, changing his robes and setting out the dirty ones for laundry. When they left the inn yesterday, Uncle Qiren had gathered up all the Wei family's belongings and tied them up in a cloth bundle, and that's where he found fresh robes for Wei Ying.

Then they set off for the great hall to look for XiChen and Shufu.

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

Uncle Qiren brings both younger boys with him to the infirmary, to see Wei Ying's parents.

"Baba!" Wei Ying yells again, shouting with happiness as he flies towards his father, and both of them laugh together as Wei Changze lifts up his son and throws him up into the air a few times, making Wei Ying splutter with chortles and gasping laughter as he tries to catch his breath.

Then, remembering where they are, he glances at Lan Qiren apologetically. To his credit, Lan Qiren decides to overlook the noise and concentrate on the matter at hand, and the reason why they're here.

"How is the child's mother?" he asks gruffly, moving closer to the bed.

"No change, yet," Wei Changze replies, immediately becoming serious.

Lan Qiren goes to find the Healer in charge and returns with a harried-looking man who must have been dragged away from whatever he was doing prior to this visit.

"Please check the patient," Lan Qiren orders.

The healer moves forward and sends a thread of blue spiritual energy into Cangse Sanren, checking her meridians for any blockages and examining her qi, studying her pulse.

"Her body is young and strong, her golden core is working hard to expel the poison from her system," he says quietly.

"Will Mama wake up soon?" Wei Ying whispers in his father's ear.

"Yes, Haizi," Wei Changze answers straight away, with a firm tone. "Yesterday, the healers explained that this type of poison takes a minimum of three days to clear from her body. Today is the second day, so she will likely wake up on the day after tomorrow."

Lan Zhan sees a flash of uncertainty in his eyes before it's quickly suppressed. Wei Changze smiles brightly at his son. "Have you been a good boy, A-Ying? Has everyone looked after you well?"

Wei Ying's answering smile is bright enough to light up the room. "Ahuh, ahuh!" he nods vigorously as well, making his father relax.

Wei Changze turns to Lan Qiren and for a moment, puts Wei Ying down in order to bow to him.

"I must thank you and the Lan Clan for extending your help in this difficult time. You have given us a place to rest and recuperate after a serious ordeal, even looking after our son while I...could not."

Lan Qiren wastes no time going to him and pulling him up out of his bow. "No need," he says brusquely, looking anywhere except at him. "We cultivators must look out for one another, and the Lan Clan's doors will always be open to friends. However, I also wished to have your permission regarding another matter."

"Please speak freely," Wei Changze replies, picking up his son as if he cannot bear to be parted from him.

"While you are here indefinitely, I am asking you to consider letting Wei Ying attend classes in Cloud Recesses. It will provide a distraction to what is currently an unexpected upheaval from the child's normal routine and will help pass the time in a more satisfactory fashion. That way, you will also be able to concentrate on helping the boy's mother to achieve maximum health." Lan Qiren fixes his gaze upon his old friend firmly. "I genuinely believe this to be the best course of action-"

"Thank you," Wei Changze interrupts him, his eyes shining brilliantly with unshed tears.

"Perhaps it will teach you not to be so free with those two words," Lan Qiren replies gruffly, blinking faster than normal.

Lan Zhan watches both of them with interest.

Could it be that in their past lives, the deaths of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren had affected Lan Qiren more than he ever let on?

He doubts the feelings go beyond anything platonic, having experienced love himself, albeit one-sided with Wei Ying, he knows what it looks like, and this isn't it. But the hole left behind in Lan Qiren's life after the loss of this friendship must have traumatised him to a greater extent if this is what Lan Qiren is like on a daily basis. He's much kinder than Lan Zhan's memory retained, and that is a nice surprise.

That he's willing to help his friend by any means necessary is showing another side to this austere and contained man that Lan Zhan had previously thought cold and uncaring, when in truth, Lan Qiren had never stopped mourning his good friends.

Perhaps that's where his frustration with Wei Ying had stemmed from, wanting the boy to be perfect for his deceased parents and then not knowing what to do about him when the boy showed a natural curiosity that Lan Qiren was ill-equipped to deal with.

Lan Zhan blinks, bringing himself out of his thoughts. Uncle Qiren is just saying goodbye to his friend now.

"YingYing wants to stay," Wei Ying says with an adorable pout, daring Lan Qiren to disagree.

But to everyone's surprise, Lan Qiren nods solemnly. "Very well, you may stay until classes are over but only for today. From tomorrow, Wei Ying will start classes."

"Baba, classes?" Wei Ying pulls his father's chin towards him, asking for confirmation and an explanation.

"Yes, Haizi, so that Wei Ying can be clever for Mama and Baba, okay? Then, when Mama wakes up, YingYing can show her how much he has learned." Wei Changze kisses the side of his head, and Wei Ying unclenches his tiny fists that had grabbed hold of his robes at the first sign of trouble.

"Ahuh, ahuh, I will be the best Wei Ying for Mama," he promises earnestly.

"Then that's settled. Morning classes start at seven. WangJi will bring him." Uncle Qiren moves to sweep out of the room. "Come, WangJi. You have missed a few lessons already."

But Lan Zhan doesn't move, planting his feet where they are. There's no point in going with his uncle because mentally, Lan Zhan is an adult and well-versed in anything his current teachers can teach him. If he has a choice, he would rather stay here and bask in the secondhand love pouring like a physical thing from one parent to his child.

"Shufu, this one asks to stay," he says, bowing deeply. He fully expects his uncle to refuse, and he has a long list of applicable arguments to prove his case, but again, Lan Qiren defies expectations.

"Very well, but only for today. WangJi must understand that this leniency is only because he is an exceptional student and currently ahead of his class. But from tomorrow, I expect a return to your regular schedule," and with that, Lan Qiren leaves three jaws on the floor behind him.

**********

Dear Lovely Readers,

No cliffhangers cos I'm happy!

Have a wonderful day and see you soon!

All my love,

Charlie