"I will continue to look and write of any findings uncovered after your visit. If we do not find anything fruitful before you return to Lotus Pier," Xichen says with a sense of earnestness, hopeful that they find something before it comes to that. He wants to ease the younger man's suffering and he knows, selfish as it is, it is not simply out of concern for a fellow Sect leader and friend. It is more than that, the feeling that has taken root and with it forces flowers to bloom in his throat. He clears his throat, glances away and then back at the scene before him.
At the display, even Zewu-Jun cannot help the feeling of fondness blossoming in his chest. Lan Xichen is not known for coldness, his mask bears a smile instead of the icy frown that his younger brother is known for. So, perhaps it's no surprise when he lifts a sleeve to hide a huff of amused laughter behind it.
A moment later he is pulling a cloth from the same sleeve, a piece of silk to offer to Jiang Wanyin to wipe away the residue of the toddler's sneeze. The corners of his eyes still bear a slight crinkle, the smile remains; it is not one that he wears for many, for it is not the pleasant, somehow distant thing offered to often to Sect leaders. "If it is a snack that would be required for Young Master Jin to make it through his long day, he would not be denied," he says with the same teasing tone, still as if he is speaking to the toddler. There is a weight in his chest, an uncomfortable pressure as he glances up at Jiang Wanyin. "We could stretch our legs and visit the back hill."
He turns his head toward A-Yuan, the child still sleeping nearby, who seems to stir at the mention of the back hill with a soft mumble of 'bunnies...' before snuggling further into his spot.
Taking Jiang Wanyin and his nephew to visit the rabbits would be a break of decorum; it would also go against Wangji's wishes. At least, it would if Wangji was aware of it. Xichen has not asked, so is not going against any explicit wishes. The rabbits are also technically not pets, though they are fed by disciples and sometimes by a Sect Leader and his nephews. Still, the technicality has to be explained and Jiang Wanyin seems to remember most rules from his studies at Cloud Recess. It is better than some, Xichen thinks, thinking of Nie Mingjue's struggles with his younger brother.
no subject
At the display, even Zewu-Jun cannot help the feeling of fondness blossoming in his chest. Lan Xichen is not known for coldness, his mask bears a smile instead of the icy frown that his younger brother is known for. So, perhaps it's no surprise when he lifts a sleeve to hide a huff of amused laughter behind it.
A moment later he is pulling a cloth from the same sleeve, a piece of silk to offer to Jiang Wanyin to wipe away the residue of the toddler's sneeze. The corners of his eyes still bear a slight crinkle, the smile remains; it is not one that he wears for many, for it is not the pleasant, somehow distant thing offered to often to Sect leaders. "If it is a snack that would be required for Young Master Jin to make it through his long day, he would not be denied," he says with the same teasing tone, still as if he is speaking to the toddler. There is a weight in his chest, an uncomfortable pressure as he glances up at Jiang Wanyin. "We could stretch our legs and visit the back hill."
He turns his head toward A-Yuan, the child still sleeping nearby, who seems to stir at the mention of the back hill with a soft mumble of 'bunnies...' before snuggling further into his spot.
Taking Jiang Wanyin and his nephew to visit the rabbits would be a break of decorum; it would also go against Wangji's wishes. At least, it would if Wangji was aware of it. Xichen has not asked, so is not going against any explicit wishes. The rabbits are also technically not pets, though they are fed by disciples and sometimes by a Sect Leader and his nephews. Still, the technicality has to be explained and Jiang Wanyin seems to remember most rules from his studies at Cloud Recess. It is better than some, Xichen thinks, thinking of Nie Mingjue's struggles with his younger brother.