"Hyaaaa!" A little boy lying on the grass stretched his arms, wiggled his legs, and let out a cacophonous yawn. He rolled across the grass over to where his toy lay. Picking up the wooden butterfly, he leapt up onto his feet and started running around the garden, waving the butterfly in the air.

A sudden masculine shout rang in the air, "A-Ling!"

"..."

"A-Ling! Where are you?!"

"...Whee!" The boy danced on the grass with his pretty little butterfly.

BANG—

The door behind him flew open and a couple walked onto the doorstep.

"A-Ling! Here you are."

"Xiao Rulan, come inside. NOW."

Jin Ling, the merry little boy, heaved a sigh. The smile of joy wavered as he turned around to face them. "Niang, Baba... Thorry."

"No need to apolo—" Jiang Yanli's hand flew to her mouth. "Xiao Rulan! Your face!"

Jin Ling smiled feebly. "It nothing, Niang!"

"Sunshine... come here," she walked over, picked him up and carried him into the house. "A-Xuan, get the paste."

A frowning Jin Zixuan sat beside them at the table with a jar of herbal ointment. "A-Ling... Your teacher told me you left the class an hour early today. You weren't anywhere to be found so we were worried, not angry. Were you in the back garden all this time?"

Nod, nod.

"And how did I not see you earlier?"

"Hiding behind the buth."

"Bush. I see... Now that that's cleared—"

"Honey, could you let him rest a bit?" Jiang Yanli waved her hand over Jin Ling's bluish-black face.

"It okay Niang," Jin Ling tugged on her sleeve, showing he was willing to answer. "Teacher aked a quethon. They laaped. And did thi in the break," Rulan pointed to his swollen eye and sore left cheek.

Zixuan and Yanli exchanged glances.

It was always like that. Should Jin Ling ever open his mouth, he would eventually get into a brawl. The boy knew to stand up for himself so he always tended to start a fight — since he couldn't retaliate verbally, he'd rather attack physically. Sometimes he won the fights, sometimes the others won: it never mattered. Whoever got the blue face, Jin Ling would still go through it the next day.

An endless cycle of pain...

But... this was the first time Jin Ling actually quit the class. Perhaps the answer he had to give was distressingly long. Whatever be the reason, this wasn't a good sign.

Jin Ling was... slowly giving up...

And yet he won't ever tell exactly who's doing this. Sure Zixuan knew everyone was doing it but the fights?

"Jin Chan. A-Li, you stay here with him, and make him sleep. I'll go find that brat."

"Baba!"

"Is it him or is it someone else?"

"..."

Jin Zixuan took a deep breath to not shout out of impatience. "If it's him, you can stay silent. If it's not him you better tell, or I'd still go find him."

"..."

Yanli rubbed his back slowly to soothe him.

"Ith him..."

Zixuan shot up onto his feet. "He has no right to torture his own cousin like this."

"B-But!"

"What is it, Little Rulan?" Yanli asked calmly.

"But not juth him..." Jin Ling gritted his teeth, angry at himself for shedding tears... for telling on others... for everything. "Ith everyone. They all laap at me."

"But little one," Zixuan knelt down again. "My point is Chan's the one who's punching you—"

"He hit, and the otherth only talk. But it... hurt more? I don't know how to thay... thorry."

"Don't know how to say? It's alright, sunshine, don't apologise, please. There's no reason to!"

"I talk like a baby... cry like a baby... thorry, Niang."

Yanli bit her lower lip. She looked to her side and frowned, mouthing "His mental state's not too good, A-Xuan."

"I know what to do," Zixuan nodded and marched out.

Yanli cuddle her son closer and wrapped him in her warmth. "You're not a baby, little Rulan. You're a strong eight-year-old young man. You can stand up for yourself. Isn't this a sign of it?" She caressed the bandaged fist, trying to relax the tension in his clenched fingers.

"Mhm!" He beamed at her.

"Good boy," she ruffled his hair. "And don't worry about Jin Chan and anyone else for now, okay? You're going to take a break from school. Let's go have some fun, yes?"

"But Baba..."

"Baba didn't go to scold Jin Chan, haha! He just went to get your favourite gift."

"Hm? Fei with me!" He waved his toy.

"Ah indeed. But no, someone other than Fei. While we wait... First. You said it hurts more? Does what the other children say hurt more than Jin Chan's punches, sunshine?" 

"Mmm..." he pouted. 

Yanli cuddled him close and stroked his back. "I'm sorry for all that's happening, darling... Okay, look here. I want you to make me a promise."

"Niang?"

"Should something like that happen again, even if you do leave class early, I don't mind. But you shouldn't be alone and hiding. Come find me. Or Baba. Okay, baby?"

Jin Ling nodded happily. For ten minutes, he did nothing but sit on his mother's lap, playing with her dress, desperately trying to fold her shawl into a butterfly.

"Aish, need help?" Yanli chuckled and pulled him closer before helping him out.

"Where exactly did Niang learn to make butterfly toyth?"

"Your crazy uncle, of course."

"How doeth he know?"

"He learned a lot back when he was... erm... before he came to Lotus Pier."

"Hith parenth taught him!"

Yanli didn't know how to explain Wei Wuxian's full-of-improvisations street life to him so she went along with it. "Yep."

A long while passed with Yanli keeping his mind off the fiasco and focussed on her Yunmeng childhood instead, before yelling echoed from outside the room.

Albeit merrily pompous yelling.

"WHERE'S MY AMAZING NEPHEW!"

Realising exactly what his mother had meant by 'your favourite', Jin Ling sprinted outside with glee. "JIUJIU! You didn't have to thout like that..."

"Zixuan told me what happened. Gotta remind these BRATS who you are," Jiang Cheng smirked and slapped his nephew's back. "WHICH is MY. NEPHEW." 

Zixuan shook his head. "What chaos."

"Hmph. So, A-Ling? Are we going to wait here sore-faced — literally," he grinned at the patched-up cheek and eye. "Or are we going to go find your crazy uncle?"

"Crazier, you mean?"

"Oi, Zixuan!"

"I'm not wrong, right?!"

"STILL!"

"A-Xuan, A-Cheng, really?"

"A-Jie!" Jiang Cheng hugged his sister tight. But the instant he let go, he flashed a glare at Zixuan, before picking Jin Rulan up. "Good Lord you're heavy. Oi Zixuan! Stop giving him so much."

"What was the glare for?"

"..." Jiang Cheng side-eyed him meaningfully, rolling his eyes toward his sister. When Zixuan subtly nodded, getting the hint, he muttered "Nothing" aloud.

"And exactly who keeps bringing chocolates and spiced meat snacks again?"

"Well we both do," a 'crazier' voice chanted.

"Da-jiu!"

"Hallo there kiddo!" Wei Wuxian shouted — all the way from the gates — flew into Koi Tower, and hopped off Suibian right next to a bunch of kids. "What are you boys staring at? Never seen a family reunion before?"

Smirking as they scurried away, he hastened towards the family.

"What are you doing here?!"

"You ran out of Lotus Pier without telling, I was worried, so followed."

"Ah. This guy sent a message. Lan Wangji let you come alone?"

"I know right, incredible. Eh, Rulan, that gang of boys looked a bit pained... Good job," Wei Wuxian winked, making Jin Ling grin wide.

"Jin Chan will learn his lesson later," Zixuan grumbled.

"Aish... are all Jin kids except darling Rulan territorial and heartless peacocks?"

"Well," Jiang Cheng shrugged. "Judging by that one Jin brat we studied with back then..." he avoided Zixuan's eye. "I suppose so."

"Why you!"

"Boys," Jiang Yanli sighed.

"...sorry," all three muttered.

Yanli shook her head, but smiled seeing Jin Ling chuckling silently at their bickers. "Ah, he's smiling again. Let's get going!"

"Shijie, how long are you guys staying this time?"

"However long Xiao Rulan wants, A-Xian."

"That's great! Coz guess what, Rulan."

"Da-jiu?"

"Guess who's back from his study trip to Cloud Recesses!"

Jin Ling's eyes sparkled with excitement, round as barrels. "Yay! Gege!"