"Father."

"Sizhui," Lan Wangji turned around to find Lan Sizhui standing at the bedside with the book from the Forbidden Section in his hand. He handed the book to his father and looked down at the pale and blue Lan Hao. Blue and white blended all over his skin, just like his robes. But the blue was so dark, and the white so pallid, they sent shivers down Sizhui's spine.

"Father... why... why this book?"

"Wen Ning asked," was all Lan Wangji could say. He 'Mn'-ed to Wen Ning and handed him the book.

Wen Ning flipped through the pages and frowned. "Senior Yuanhua... which one?"

Lan Yuanhua, seated on the stool beside the bed with Lan Hao's limp — and by now, aubergine — wrist on his lap, took the book and skimmed through it. "Here," he tapped a page and handed it back. "I remember going through this book with Qiren once."

"Senior remembers this from one glance?" Wen Ning asked with wide eyes.

"No, but I won't forget Qiren's look of utter disgust when he read that part," he smirked and turned back to dabbing Hao's head with a damp towel.

"Senior Yuanhua, has he been poisoned?"

"Yes, Sizhui. The vines used had been poisonous. See the purple hand? There seems to have been thorns in the vine. See these little dots?"

"Oh, thorn wounds. Good thing it didn't get his neck," Sizhui sighed with relief, sweat beading on his features out of fear.

"True, would have ended him on the spot. I've suppressed his blood flow from here," he pointed to a tight cloth suffocatingly wrapped around Lan Hao's upper arm. "The poison's reached all the way there, can't let it reach the heart."

"So the book, does it contain the cure?"

"No," Lan Yuanhua shook his head.

"Then...?!"

"Ah so that's how you do it?" Wen Ning nodded and then his head shot up in shock. "What!"

"Wen Qionglin..."

"But... Senior... this... impossible!"

Lan Sizhui hurried to his side and peeped over his shoulder at the notes he had turned to. "Wen Shushu, what's relocating a joint?"

Wen Ning pursed his lips and gulped. "It's... when a joint is sometimes out of place, dislocated, this is how you fix it. There are gentler ways but this is the surest... Senior, it's too risky."

"A-Hao's wrist is dislocated?" Sizhui asked them.

"Yes, Sizhui. But not as simple as you may think. You see, look here," Yuanhua pulled Sizhui down to his level by the shoulder and pointed to Lan Hao's purple wrist. "See this line?"

A streak of black-blue floated down the purple skin. "Radial artery? Clearly it's been infected with the poison."

"Precisely. And as it is now, the artery's weak. I can feel a pulse at his neck but not at his hand–"

"Because you've blocked the blood flow."

"Yes. But the thing is, I didn't feel a pulse in his hand even before that."

"We did," Wen Ning anxiously corrected. "Just that it was... terribly weak..."

"Barely there," Lan Wangji nodded.

"Ah?" Sizhui's eyes widened in horror. "No, no, no, impossible... you mean the artery might be damaged? Under the pressure of what that woman's vines did?"

"Possible... The vines were strong, excessively so. Thick, thorned, poisonous, and tough. The way they wrung his wrist..."

"So... this is the only way?" Sizhui gulped, tapping the book.

"No, but it is the best way."

"Don't waste time," Lan Wangji cut in to their conversation. "Get it done soon."

"Senior," Wen Ning handed the book.

"No, Wen Ning, you do it."

"AH? No way! Please, Senior, I can't take the risk, I might do it wrong, you have experience–"

"But– But– Wen Shushu, Father, Senior, this has been done before?"

Both Lan Wangji and Wen Ning shook their heads.

"No–"

"Absolutely."

"When?" Sizhui turned to Lan Yuanhua.

"It has?" The other two asked.

"Yes. You, my boy," Yuanhua patted Wen Ning's back, "were smaller back then. Hence you don't remember and don't know. But I do. Wen Zhuliu got into a major night hunt battle years ago, some say it was a fight with the Purple Spider, Madam Yu. But he returned to Qishan whipped by Zidian and his ankle dislocated, in this exact same way. You see, the consequences of this thing is... you've got to hold the hand and arm, stretch the joint, then push it back in place. All in a split second. Should it be delayed by a moment... who knows what will happen? The ligaments might break irremediably. The artery walls could be torn apart. Anything and everything. But well, I guess none of that mattered to the greatest doctor ever," Lan Yuanhua smiled at Wen Ning.

"Oh? Qing-jiejie did it?" Lan Sizhui grinned.

"Yes. Wen Qing pulled it through without a hitch. Wen Zhuliu... wouldn't have been Core-Melting Hand if not for her."

Wen Ning sighed. "He also wouldn't have done what he did to Young Master Jiang..."

"Now's not the time for that, Qionglin," Yuanhua tapped his arm. "Your sister did it. I'm no match for her. But I trust you can, so please, be quick. Split second, remember."

"After this, we'll treat the poison?"

"Yes, that won't be an issue. You and I together can dismiss any poison at all."

"Mn," Wen Ning nodded and walked closer to the bed. He preferred to stand, but his legs were shaking. There was a reason people would cut their wrists to suicide... Thinking of what he had to do, he just couldn't stop trembling.

"Doing it or not?" A friendly voice called from behind him.

"Ying-ge!"

"Hello, A-Ning. I had to eavesdrop, apologies. I don't like the sound of this, but I believe you can do it. Please, A-Ning, just once. Trust in yourself."

Wen Ning smiled when Wei Wuxian gripped his shoulder tight. "Mn," he nodded, strength returning to his dark eyes.

He felt a million times calmer. Wei Wuxian always did that.

Wei Wuxian stepped back to let him finish it off. Wen Ning took the lower arm and fingers in both hands go his own, gulping, taking deep breaths.

Fwip! Lan Wangji raised his hand and held it up in the air in front of Wei Ying's face, his billowing sleeve blocking Wei Ying's vision.

The sounds, like crackling embers, burned through Wei Wuxian's ears and he shrieked, scurrying to hide behind Lan Wangji, hugging him from behind, face buried into the scarred back. Lan Wangji smiled, sensing him shuddering. Good thing he had held up his hand or Wei Ying... might have fainted.

Snap! Crack!

'Split second' didn't even sum it up right. This was a bare millisecond! Wen Ning held the relocated joint in his hands, staring at it aghast. "Senior..."

"Let me see," Yuanhua stood and felt his wrist. A full minute passed, Wen Ning dripping with sweat while he waited for the most dreadful news ever–

"YES!" Lan Yuanhua clapped loudly, laying the purple wrist on Lan Hao's stomach. "Qionglin, you're just as amazing as your sister!"

"I... W– What...?"

"You did it, Wen Shushu!" Sizhui hopped up and down. "Right Senior?"

"Yes he did! No harm done to the wrist, it's as good as ever. Now come on, the poison, quick."

"Mn," Wen Ning hurried over to the drawers and pulled out all sorts of herbs. They had seemingly come up with the concoction long before, but had kept it all until the wrist issue was solved.In a half-hour, they had extracted the poisoned blood out and let the boy's unconscious and weak body rest.

"When will he wake up, Senior Yuanhua, Wen Shushu?"

"Hm... We'll let him sleep for three days, five days maximum."

"Mn, he needs to recover the blood he lost," Wen Ning patted Sizhui's shoulder.

Lan Sizhui sighed. "That went well."

"All thanks to Qionglin here!"

"And Senior's potion!"

"No wonder Doctor Lan Yuanhua is known as the best doctor in all the land currently!" Wei Wuxian smiled, having returned from behind his husband's back.

"And now I have another to join me in that honour," the old man smiled at his junior, who beamed back at him.

"Father, is it alright if I call Xiyuan in now?"

"Goodness yes, A-Zhan darling, he's worried sick."

"Doctors?"

"Yes sure," both nodded. 

**********

"Xiyuan is staying here?"

"Yes, he sent a letter to notify Madam Nie– I mean, Xuanji-shijie."

"Okay. If A-Hao needs anything, tell me."

"I will if I must. She's fallen asleep?" Sizhui smiled at the girl in Jin Ling's arms.

"Yes, she fell asleep while we were waiting outside. I'll be going then, Sizhui."

"When do you come again?"

"Erm... I'll have to see. Bit busy at the moment..."

"You know, your visits are becoming less frequent..."

"I better get going! Bye, Sizhui!"

"... Mn, bye," Lan Sizhui reluctantly nodded and watched Jin Ling hurry away on Suihua. "A-Ling..." he muttered to himself, staring up at the now Jin Ling-less daybreak. Ever since the incident of the bite, Jin Ling had started coming less often. The deal of once a week had reduced to once every two weeks. Which meant he only visited twice a month. He would come far more frequently straight to the Jingshi, where Wei Wuxian would gather Jingyi and Xiyi and Cangse Sanren and Lan Qiang and his Lan Wangji, all of them, to play with Jin Mingxia. Everyone's XiaXia was covered in playthings on such days.

Not that Lan Sizhui got to see...

Wei Wuxian had instructed him against coming, telling him to understand the stress Jin Rulan must be under. Of course, Sizhui didn't want to hurt him or make him lose comfort, so he stayed away, making himself busy with the Gusu villagers' issues.

Whenever Jin Ling did come, he would use the time to fully nourish Jin Ling's spiritual energy, helping him with controlling his rage and sealing him off from ever being taken under the Qiong Qi's control again. Sizhui didn't waste time trying to mend things, he knew Rulan's stubborn mind. So all he could do for the moment was help diligently, love silently. 

**********

"Jin Ling, you better speak up."

"Lan Shushu... I... Really, I'm fine."

Lan Xichen frowned and nudged his daughter. Jiang Meilien scooted across the table and sat on Jin Ling's lap. "Gege won't tell me, at least?"

"Meimei, trust me I'm alright. What's gotten into you guys? I never said I'm worried or anything!" Jin Rulan looked around the Sect Leader's Hall at Lotus Pier.

"Jin Ling, quit with the lying for God's sake," Jiang Cheng glowered at him, rocking Mingxia in his arms. "Speak up. What's bothering you?"

"Jiujiu..."

"It's clear as day, written all over your face, that you're anxious for something, Jin Ling, no use lying."

"You know you can talk to us," Lan Xichen smiled warmly. "Have you talked to anyone at all? Your fathers?"

"Mhm," Jin Rulan shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I... didn't want them to worry too much... because they will."

"Then you can tell us, gege! We won't panic! Come on, spill it OUT!" Jiang Meilien grabbed him by the collar and shook him back and forth.

"Fine, fine! Ack! Let me go!"

Jiang Meilien plopped down on his lap again and looked up, hell bent on getting it all out of him.

"Well... you see... I had to do a bit of research on myself. I was reading the werewolf books Jiujiu found and sent me. Jiujiu, did you ever read them?"

"No, wasn't interested in werewolves before, and sent them to you right away, didn't waste time reading. Why?"

"There's this thing, apparently. Not for every werewolf. Just the Sawtooth Blood Werewolf. Apparently it's something of the Blood Wolf species to which the Sawtooth Blood Wolf belongs. You know how I get aggressive on nights with a full moon? Well, there's something far worse. Something that affects Blood Wolves more... dangerously. Chaotically, I should say. Superblood wolfmoon."

"Superblood wolfmoon?" Meilien asked, eyes round with awe.

"Mn. Sometime ago, centuries I think, there's been this note made by a philosopher on a blood moon. A giant glowing red moon. In that book, it is described as 'the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood.' It's a conflux between supermoon and the Full Wolf Moon. So I was a bit curious... I mean, I wanted to know what the hell will happen to me on this said superblood wolfmoon night. So I got Nie Shushu's help. He thought it was something for A-Xia, so he didn't ask too many questions, just found me this old guy who seemed to be an astrologer. Turned out, he was a soothsayer."

Xichen gasped. "Soothsayer?"

"Yes, Shushu," Jin Ling nodded.

"You mean a guy who does hocus-pocus." Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. "Well, what did he say about this bloody red night?"

"That it will be a bloody red night," Jin Ling smirked bitrerly.

"Eh?"

"Bloody, literally. He said some weird stuff. First quoted from the same book — somehow — and then went on to say..." Jin Ling shuddered. "Meilien's tolerance is high, I hope?"

"It's not like you're going to swear out loud," Jiang Meilien scoffed.

"Mn. Well, he said... 'The sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood. Showers of thundering rain will cascade from the Heavens to wash clean the earth that will be dirtied with the inevitable bloodshed.' I think he meant something like me going so wild that I'll... turn the world into a bloodbath?" Jin Ling pursed his lips, clenched his fists. "I don't want to harm you all. I was thinking... maybe when the day draws near I should go to Dongying or somewhere... or some isolated island, at least until I calm down."

"Woah, woah, calm down, young man," Jiang Cheng whacked his head.

"First off, what if the prophecy didn't really mean you in the first place?" Xichen asked.

"But the moon was mentioned in the Blood Wolves' book... That Blood Werewolves like me would go excessively wild on that night..."

Lan Xichen bit his lip. The boy did have a point... "Then second, we might have ways and time to do something."

"Even if there are ways, no time. This month's lunar calendar stated the full moon as being on January 28th."

"AH!" Meilien shrieked. "That's... less than a week away!" 

"Jin Ling, are you serious?" Jiang Wanyin gawked at him. 

Lan Xichen's head was buzzing with the sudden blow. "That's just three days away!" 

"Exactly," Jin Ling sighed. 

________________________________________________________

A/N: Cheers to all who trusted Wen Ning's skills! All hail Second Doctor Lan!

And quick disclaimer: all this relocating stuff probably ain't even true 😂 It's not like I started Medicine YET so I really can't help but come up with all sorts of crap hehe... The fixing-joint-by-snapping-it-open-than-snapping-back-in-place thing is kinda true, though, my Mum's gotten that done for a broken ankle some time ago, though that was an Ayurvedic doctor. No Western medicine doctor would do something dreadful like that 😅

And about the weirdo moon. It's an actual thing. Google says: 'Super blood wolf moons' will only appear 28 times this century. But haha, I seemingly made it even rarer, don't mind my fantasies 😉

AAAAAAND yes, thus, the ultimate stuff come nearer... we're approaching the... action? Angst? Author_being_the_murderer_she_is? I don't even know what to call it now, hehe.

Anyways, happy belated Mid-Autumn! [I know, giving ZhuiLing more stress isn't the best way to celebrate but let's just say I wrote after 00:00 my time 😎]

Love you guys to Chang'e 🌕 🥮🎑 and back! ❤︎ WXLL.