slammed both hands on the worn table.

He closed his eyes and said solemnly, "Lan Zhan, we got to go back to Cloud Recesses today! We can't stay here, it's not fit for a baby! Lan Zhan, listen to me- oh you're already packing."

Wei Wuxian had opened his eyes to see Lan Wangji ready, holding the baby in one arm, a satchel of all their belongings swung over the shoulder. The baby was asleep, snuggly fit in the crook of Lan Wangji's arm. Its small hands clutched a fistful of the white pristine robes.

"Ready," Lan Wangji said.

Wei Wuxian grinned. "Oh well then! Are we missing anything?" he looks around. There was barely anything, the place was as empty as it could get.

"Alright, let's go!" Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji's free hand and kicked open the front door. They stepped outside.

And not a moment too soon.

The cabin came crashing down behind them.

"..."

You see, it turns out the kick Wei Wuxian had given its door the day before along with the heavy snowfall last night was too much for the already old and worn cabin. Perhaps it was only holding on to its four shuddering walls for the sake of the two and a half people inside. The moment they left, it lost its purpose to keep holding on.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian simultaneously turned around and bowed to the collapsed building. Then they turned back around and began their journey back to Gusu Lan.

With a baby in one hand, and the other entwined with his husband's, interlocking fingers.

The little baby woke up a few hours later, yawning softly as he stretched his arms above his head. Then he blinked drowsily, rubbing an eye with a small fist, watching the view pass along from where he rested in the crook of Lan Wangji's arm.

Soon the couple was walking down a road lined with huge trees, abundant with flowers and leaves. It shades them from the sun, they were very well away from the cold north now. They passed the views of rolling hills in the distance, a few houses here and there.

A single leaf drifted down and smacked the baby on the forehead. The baby blinked rapidly as Wei Wuxian gently peeled off the leaf, trying to keep in his laugh. He let out a small chuckle and the baby only stared at him in wonder.

"You are so cute," Wei Wuxian beamed. "Aren't you??" he cooed, using the leaf to tickle the underneath of the baby's foot.

The little child gives no reaction for a moment before letting out a giggle, stretching out its little hands toward Wei Wuxian, trying to grasp the leaf.

The couple continues their walk, amusing laughter and giggles, and soon reaches Cloud Recesses.

Wei Wuxian waved at the two guards that stood in front of the gates before walking past them, hand in hand with Lan Wangji, going up the long winding staircase which led to the other side of the mountain.

"Greetings to Hanguang Jun and Wei-Qianbei," greeted the disciples as they walked past.

"Hanguang Jun! Wei-Qianbei!" a particularly loud voice shouted. It was Lan Jingyi.

He hurried over with Lan Sizhui behind him. Both boys were in their uniforms, white robes with light blue patterns on the outer edges. And of course, they also wore the white forehead ribbons with Gusu's official cloud motif sewn in the middle.

"Hanguang Jun, Wei-Qianbei, you guys are back! I thought Sect Leader Jiang had made you guys stay longer for losing the bet-"

Lan Sizhui interrupted him, "Greetings to Hanguang Jun and Wei-Qianbei-"

"Ba."

"..." Everyone paused. The sound came from Lan Wangji's elbow. Everyone's gaze traveled from Lan Wangji's face to his shoulder and then to the crook of his arm. The little baby hiccuped.

Lan Jingyi began, "Holy-" Lan Sizhui quickly covered his mouth with a hand.

Staring at the baby, Lan Sizhui was rendered speechless. If memory serves him right, the condition for losing the bet with Sect Leader Jiang was for them to go find a luminous wish-fulfilling pearl from the center of the Luo River and not a... baby.

Wei Wuxian glanced around and then said, "Alright, let's go to the Jingshi and talk. Hush hush, be quiet."

Wei Wuxian quickly and quietly ushered everyone to the Jingshi.

...

"So... Wei-Qianbei is saying you found this baby in a bucket floating down the Luo River." Lan Sizhui looked at the top of the table where the baby lay staring at Lan Wangji. The baby was now dressed in a little baby-sized Gusu Lan Sect's robes.

Wei Wuxian had cast a spell on the door of the Jingshi, preventing anyone from eavesdropping.

"Yep!" Wei Wuxian said. Then frowned and said, "Now that I think of it, why is there a baby drifting in the river? Could their birth parents abandon him?"

Lan Jingyi commented, "Damn, someone lowered their child into a river during the middle of winter for it to fend for itself? How cold."

Everyone shifted their gaze to stare at Lan Jingyi. Even the baby looked at him.

"..." Then realizing the word he had chosen, Lan Jingyi hurriedly waved his hands and said, "No, no, no! I wasn't trying to make a joke, I-" the boy flushed red with embarrassment.

Lan Sizhui laughed awkwardly and placed an assuring hand on Lan Jingyi's arm. "It's okay, Jingyi. I think we understand."

Then Lan Sizhui placed a hand under his chin. He said, "Wei-Qianbei, you said the baby was covered in layers of clothing, right? If the birth mother truly doesn't care for the baby, I don't think she would go through the trouble of doing that. Perhaps she has no better choice."

Wei Wuxian considered this possibility. He looked down at the baby who was now staring at Lan Sizhui. It seems like the baby stares at whoever talked last, drawn to the voices.

Lan Sizhui peered at the baby, thinking it was absolutely adorable. He nudged one of the baby's toes with a finger.

Lan Jingyi, as curious as the baby itself, hurried over and touched the baby's small tuft of hair.

"It's so soft!" he exclaimed.

Watching the overexcited boys gushing over the baby, lost in his thoughts, Wei Wuxian suddenly said, "Lan Zhan... Can we keep him?"

Wei Wuxian turned to look at Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji was staring intently at Wei Wuxian.

"Lan Zhan, let's keep him, okay? He has nowhere to go, and I know all about being alone. I wouldn't want that for the baby. So why don't we keep him, okay?" Wei Wuxian asked, looking at the baby with a sad look on his face. There's nothing worse than being alone and believing there's no one in the world who cares for you.

Lan Wangji took Wei Wuxian's hands. "Okay," he said quietly.

Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui, who were there the entire time and therefore heard everything, were quite ecstatic.

Wei Wuxian hugged Lan Wangji, smiling.

Lan Jingyi said, "Then we should give him a name!! Let's give him a name that rhymes with Lan Yuan since he's basically Sizhui's baby brother now!!"

Lan Sizhui blushed. He said, "Jingyi-! I'm not-"

"Aw, don't try to deny it, Sizhui! Wei-Qianbei and Hanguang adore you like their son!" Lan Jingyi shouted excitedly; like he has been wanting to say this his entire life.

"Jingyi, you are right, Sizhui will always be my little A-yuan," Wei Wuxian sighed dramatically.

Then he grinned. "What should we name your new baby brother?"

Lan Sizhui smiled shyly. He thought for a while. Then he looked up and said, "How about Lan Luo? Wei-Qianbei found him in the Luo River, Lan Luo sounds like a nice name."

"I like it! Lan Yuan and Lan Luo. It rhymes!" Lan Jingyi exclaimed.

"..." Lan Wangji stared at the boy. Well, that explains his grades in poetry.

Wei Wuxian blinked. He said slowly, "Lan Luo."

Then he repeated, "Lan Luo."

A smile spread on his face. Again he said, "Lan Luo!" Wei Wuxian begins walking around the Jingshi, feeling quite giddy, saying, "Lan Luo!"

"..." Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Is Wei-Qianbei this pleased with the name?

While the two boys watched Wei Wuxian muttering happily to himself, Lan Wangji walked closer to the table. He looked at the baby.

The dark brown eyes met the light-colored ones.

Lan Luo's pupils grew bigger and he stretched out a small hand. Lan Wangji reached out and held the tiny hand.

He whispered, "A-Luo."

✨✨

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Word Count: 1629