Fated (Wangxian)

#37#

“Uncle Xichen- Sect Leader Lan! Sect Leader Lan!” Lan Sizhui called out as he walked closer to Lan Xichen with swift hurried steps, keeping in mind not to break the clan rules in front of other disciples.

“Sizhui? What is it?! Why do you look so deathly pale?! Are you not feeling well?! Should I accompany you to the healer?” Lan Xichen asked, worried about his nephew’s health especially when his baby brother was out on a dangerous mission and wasn’t around to look after his son and his precious Wei Ying.

'But where is Yingying today? Haven’t seen him since morning and it’s...Oh! It's already close to midday! Is he still sleeping?! That cute little mischief, he must be lazing around since Wangji isn’t here.

Well, there's nothing can be done.' Lan Xichen thought with an amused smile on his face, 'He is too adorable to even scold. Besides, his fiercely protective Lion-like Zhan gege wouldn't even let me go close to him now. Haah... Wait!That protector isn't around and since I have to wish Yingying on his birthday, maybe I can just-'

“B- Bunbun is missing, Uncle Xichen!” Sizhui breathed out looking scared out of his mind, “I am unable to find him anywhere! Jingyi and I have been searching for him in the entire Cloud Recesses since more than three hours now and we still can’t find him! What should we do?!”

Lan Xichen's entire being froze for a good few moments, shell-shocked by this sudden news. This- this can’t be happening. Not today of all days! His baby brother was dead serious about his words yesterday. W-Wangji would definitely kill him and then will even kill himself if anything bad happened to his precious Ying'er.

Composing himself for the better, Lan Xichen looked at Sizhui and asked in a calm voice, “When and where did you last see him?”

“I- I met Little BunBun the last night, in Jingshi,” Ayuan answered, hazel brown eyes welling up with tears of guilt and frustration.

“….Last night?! Then, where were you when Wangji left Jingshi? Did you see Yingying sleeping then?!” Lan Xichen asked calmly once again although he was starting to have an extremely bad feeling about it

“When baba left this morning at four, I- I went inside Jingshi, I saw a raised curled up figure of someone sleeping, covered in a blanket and I thought it's my Little Bun who was sound asleep, so I didn't disturb him. At nine, when I went to wake him up and wish him for his birthday and lifted the blanket- …My Bunbun- wasn’t there and in his place were only pillows, arranged in a bundle.

I- I thought that as a surprise, BunBun might have woken up early today on his birthday and must've gone to play with Jingyi since..if it isn't me or baba,  Little Bun often likes to be in Jingyi's  company. They are basically two peas in a pod when it comes to all sorts of mischief and fooling around b-but he wasn’t even there and since then…”

‘Exactly what I feared the most...’ Lan Xichen thought, frowning, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, “If that's the case and none of you including I have not seen Yingying this morning... the chances are, he has followed Wangji and went out of the Cloud Recesses in the morning itself, secretly.”

“F-followed baba?! But it's impossible! Baba would have never allowed him to follow nor would he fail to notice such things. No matter how secretly Bunbun did it, Hanguang Jun’s ability to sense Yingying's presence around him far exceeds any other capabilities then how can he follow him and leave Cloud Recesses like this... without his knowledge?!” Sizhui asked in a shaky voice laced with nervousness, worries and shocked bewilderment and yet he couldn’t dismiss Uncle Xichen’s words knowing how clever and intelligent his Bunbun has always been.

“Have you tried looking for his bunny form as well? Maybe something might have happened and he turned into his bunny form on his birthday, unable to shift again? Since it's his birthday, we can’t rule out such a possibility,” Lan Xichen tried for the last time while thinking about his next steps, sending a butterfly message to find and save Little Yingying and his baby brother.

“We already thought about that, Uncle Xichen! Therefore, Jingyi and I turned every stone, searched every nook and corner for him and yet..w-we couldn’t find him,” Ayuan answered weakly

"Jingyi?!! Is Jingyi aware of Yingying’s special abilities?!” Lan Xichen asked, frowning

"N-not all of Bunbun's abilities. Jingyi only knows Bunbun can tr-transform into a black bunny anytime. It's how Jingyi used to help him escape in the middle of the lectures, hidden away from others eyes. I have often caught them playing together in the Back Mountains, Jingyi and Bunbun in his black bunny form that is.

And before you ask, baba...isn’t aware about Bunbun revealing his ability to Jingyi or playing with him in the Back Mountains."

Lan Xichen smiled. Thin soft pink lips morphed into a silent curve creepily, "My good nephew, with our situation being like this already, are there any more such "things" related to Yingying and his mischief that your baba and I are unaware of?”

“Huh?! Oh..umm- errrhh…” Lan Sizhui hesitated, kicking innocent small mud pebbles on the ground with his clean, impeccably white shoes, nervously

"...Very well, you father and son duo sure have prepared the bed for me so I must lay in it, right?! Just remember that when my time comes and your dearest baba sends me on my way to heaven, be a good Sect Leader in my place and take care of our Gusu Lan Clan. Is that all right, my sweet little nephew?!” Lan Xichen remarked, dramatically

“Uncle!! T-this isn’t the time for saying such things! We need to hurry up and find my Little Bunbun and bring him back home safely!” Ayuan exclaimed, agitatedly

“How thoughtful! Just like his father!” Lan Xichen sighed deeply, “Seems like no one really cares if I’ll be alive after today’s incident or not, hmph!”

“Uncle Xichen!” Ayuan’s eyes widened in alarm, feeling baffled at the sheer absurdity of their casual conversation during the times like this but then he noticed a disciple running towards them with urgency

“What did they say?!” Lan Xi- No, Sect Leader Lan asked, in his serious firm tone, his demeanor entirely different from what Sizhui witnessed a minute ago.

As if their earlier casual conversation, Lan Xichen's childish whining never even happened. Maybe, he was doing all that to calm him down...

“Our people stationed at the nearest watch tower saw our Cloud Recesses signal flare lighting up the sky, right above the forest, outside Caiyi town, not more than a quarter of an hour ago,” Lan disciple informed in a few words, trying to maintain his posture while panting heavily

“Understood. Lan Sizhui, you need to depart immediately and take twenty disciples with you to further help the situation.

Our disciples along with Qinghe Nie’s were stationed at the entrance of the forest. By the time you'll reach there, the situation might've probably been handled. However, you mustn’t take any risks and bring back everyone safely. Hope you've understood!” Lan Xichen ordered gesturing his nephew to leave immediately and bring back his baby brother and Yingying safely.

"Lan Sizhui understands, Sect Leader Lan," he said in a determined voice, bowing his head before leaving with the disciples.

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