Soul bound Strangers

12. Fever

Lan JiXian, when asked where he learnt this word, kept silent. 

After all, it was better to remain silent than to lie. Just like his father. 

The inquirers didn't pursue the matter further. But when Qiren was about to move on to the next kid, JiXian called out to him, asking politely to read the word for him. 

It was true that JiXian didn't know how to read the word or hadn't known its meaning yet. 

"Suibian" 

JiXian nodded and thanked showing his respect. 

In the evening, after his Uncle Xichen left him in Jingshi after dinner, JiXian waited until the door was closed. 

Xichen wasn't worried about the kid, as the kid has always preferred to stay at jingshi alone, in days where Lan zhan was out of Yunshen. Even Lan zhan preferred it that way, to not give any special treatment. 

After making sure that he remembered all the rules of their sect, by reciting them, JiXian finally retired to bed.  

The bed was big for JiXian, and he settled in the middle. Left side is his father's side which is empty due to his absence. 

JiXian showed his rare smile as he pulled the agile sword that laid right to him, close to his chest. 

It was his mother's sword Suibian. 

Earlier in the classroom, he was not willing to disclose it, as it was a secret he and his father shared. 

His father never told him about his mother, nor was he willing to talk about it. Same goes to others he knew, no one would talk to him about his mother. 

The only time his father spoke about it was when he gave him this sword, saying it belonged to his mother. 

And that exactly was the moment he realized he also has a mother like everyone else. 

From the reluctance in his father's eyes when he gave him the sword, JiXian understood that he couldn't ask any questions. 

It's been a few months since JiXian received this sword, however he had to wait until he got a chance to read what was written on it. Somehow he was reluctant to ask his father directly. 

After JiXian drifted into sleep, the guards outside noticed a shadow coming towards them. 

As if they recognised the owner, they bowed their heads and the said person was led inside jingshi. 

The guards stood aside once they neared the bed. 

Lan Qiren was a bit late when he thought of getting rid of the things that belonged to the prop he used for his sect's gain. His younger nephew had already packed them and put them in a safe place. 

He never thought that he would be seeing the sword again after years. He was waiting for the day his nephew would leave yunshen, so that he could destroy the scrap metal. When his grandson wrote the name, at that moment he regretted not destroying it a bit earlier. 

Lan Qiren tried to pull the sword from the sleeping child's tight grip. The child was startled at the movement and the small pink lips twitched as if it was ready to make a noise. But the eyes were still closed. 

Qiren waited for a moment, this time trying to pull with patience. JiXian murmured in sleep, clearly displeased. 

"Wuuuuuuuu…." 

JiXian disliked when his favorite thing was snatched away from his grip. He woke up and cried, and was scared by the unexpected person. Being a Lan, since it was not appropriate to make noise, he muffled his cries and looked at his grandfather. 

"I am just keeping it aside. You can sleep" Qiren tried putting the child back to sleep. And it worked. 

When JiXian woke up in the morning, his precious sword was not there anymore. The child didn't remember last night's theft. 

Xichen noticed that something was amiss with little JiXian when he arrived at Jingshi to bring him to the classroom. 

"What's wrong, JiXian?" 

Silence. 

Xichen gave up after a few tries. 

The more he asked JiXian, the worse his expression became. Xichen didn't want the child to cry due to the forcing. 

Dropping the child at the classroom door, Xichen informed Qiren that JiXian is sad and the reason is unknown. Qiren assured that he would take care. 

"A Sword is not suitable for children." 

After classes, Qiren enquired JiXian and guessed it would be about the sword. Anyhow he cannot keep it hidden from his nephew, so he must appease his grandson first. 

"Father allowed it." JiXian was visibly shocked about how his grandfather was able to read his mind, but still answered. 

"He doesn't know." Qiren would talk his nephew into agreeing with him once he is back to yunshen. 

"But father is the chief cultivator. He can't be wrong." JiXian was stating the facts. 

"Why do you want the sword?" 

"Grandfather has it?" Qiren remembered a person who was very much like this. A person who used to answer his questions with questions. 

"Answer me first. Be respectful." 

"Mother's sword." JiXian bowed his head once to show his apologies for not answering an elder. 

"Your mother is bad. Why would you keep his sword?" 

The oldman's toasted his words with usual venom. 

JiXian remained silent. 

He didn't react. Nor did he ask any questions. 

Just before morning, when Lan zhan returned to yunshen, he saw his son sleeping in a sitting posture. He guessed that JiXian must have waited for him. 

When Lan zhan touched his son's body to put him on the bed, he felt that the temperature was unusually high. 

Apparently JiXian was running a fever. 

Lan zhan felt helpless. JiXian's fever was a body trait that he inherited from his mother. Whenever JiXian was sad, his body would develop a fever. Lan zhan thought that JiXian must have had something to talk to him, when he saw his son sleeping on the floor while waiting for him. 

But he cannot wake up the child, nor can he ask others at this time. 

Lan zhan fetched the medicine vial from the storage and slowly fed it to JiXian. 

Lan zhan also wiped JiXian's body with wet cloth to bring down the temperature. 

In a while Lan zhan heard the morning bells ringing. By that time, JiXian's temperature had come down but Lan zhan was aware that it would recur if the reason for JiXian's sadness wasn't solved. 

JiXian opened his eyes, and the lips curved up at the sight of his father's face looking at him. 

JiXian got up hurriedly and hugged Lan zhan, like he had remembered something. 

"Were you waiting for me?" Lan zhan asked. 

JiXian broke the hug and looked at his father, his eyes overflowing with tears. 

"Mother is not a bad person."