Won't you believe me? (Servant no more - book 2)

Chapter 54

Lan Qiren was sitting in the dining room. He was there all alone even though it was already almost time for lunch. Since the main Lan family would only get together for dinners on a regular basis and the other meals were not required to be eaten in the dining room, it would not be too unusual for him to be sitting here alone. However, something did not feel quite right to him.

He had already expected for Lan Xichen to not be here; his nephew had clearly said that he was preparing for his investigation in the Lotus Pier Manor. But Lan Qiren had thought that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian would definitely come eat to the dining room. Most probably with Jiang Yanli as well. She was still a guest and would probably think that she had to come.

However, he was here all alone even when the first gong announcing the lunch hour sounded. Sure, there were still a few minutes before the meal would be served, but Lan Qiren was suddenly becoming more and more uneasy. He had a feeling that something had happened and that he should know about it.

Just before the second gong rang, the door to the dining room finally opened and a little flushed Jiang Yanli came inside. She was slightly out of breath too; she must have run all the way here. Lan Qiren had a strong urge to scold her for that. He did no such thing though, she was a guest in the Cloud Recesses Manor and she had only just arrived yesterday. She did not know the rules yet so it would not be fair to demand that she followed them. Lan Qiren was not about to make the same mistake as with Wei Wuxian. Jiang Yanli, much as her brother now, would be given time to adjust properly.

She bowed to him a little and came quickly to sit down at the table. She did not say anything and silence descended upon the room. It was a little awkward if Lan Qiren should say himself. He turned towards Jiang Yanli and was about to start a conversation by asking if she had slept well. He never got to say it though.

The next second, Lan Wangji came into the room as well. His face seemed dark and worried despite the fact that it still remained mostly expressionless. It just gave off those vibes. He came here alone, Wei Wuxian was nowhere in sight. As Lan Xichen had told Lan Qiren that Lan Wangji would spend the whole day with the boy, it was becoming even stranger to see him alone like this. Something must have happened.

Lan Wangji came to sit down and at the same time, servants came into the dining room and started serving the lunch. When the food was on the table, no one made a move to touch it. Lan Qiren was worried about Wei Wuxian – something he would have hardly done yesterday but which feeling was growing exponentially in his heart ever since this morning –, Lan Wangji seemed deep in thoughts and immersed in his worries, and Jiang Yanli was looking between them with a confused expression.

In the end, it was her who broken the silence: "Young Master Lan, what is the matter? Can I ask where my brother is?"

Lan Wangji's head snapped up and he looked at her intensely. It took him a moment to find his words but when he did, they pained Lan Qiren's heart: "Wei Ying has a fever again. He is sleeping."

"Oh," Jiang Yanli breathed out softly and her expression became concerned at once. She however smiled at Lan Wangji and replied: "Thank you for taking care of him then. I am sure he will get better soon."

"Mn," nodded Lan Wangji solemnly. He still looked very dark but some of the tension had left him which Lan Qiren was grateful for. He did not like to see his nephews being worried.

He was also alarmed by the news. He did not know that the boy's fever came back. He had wanted to talk to him in private in the afternoon but given the circumstances, that would not be possible. Nothing to do about it though, if the boy was not feeling well, the most important thing for him now was to rest. Lan Qiren would simply have to be patient. At least he had more time to prepare his apology properly.

After this, they ate their dinner in silence as was customary in the Cloud Recesses Manor. It was only after Lan Qiren put down the napkin with which he had wiped the corners of his lips delicately that he spoke again: "Wangji, I have been thinking about having Wei Wuxian joining you for your lessons. I know he is probably not on the same level with you, seeing that he had missed so many years of proper education, but I believe it would be good for his recovery."

This was something Lan Qiren had been thinking about ever since Lan Xichen had left his office. The boy would need a lot of care, that he had understood, and someone would also have to keep an eye on him so he would not get any funny ideas about helping around the mansion. That way, he would surely continue feeling like he was a servant here and it would impede his recovery. This was even more important now that Lan Qiren had learned about his fever. Wei Wuxian needed time to recover and a stress-less environment. Both of those conditions could be easily accomplished by him joining Lan Wangji in his lessons.

When Lan Qiren looked back at his own self from three days ago, he had to wince internally. He had forbidden Wei Wuxian to assist to his younger nephew's lessons out of fear that he would disrupt Lan Wangji's education. Today though, Lan Qiren could not imagine anything being farther from the truth.

Moreover, he was convinced that it would do the boy much good and help him relax. From what Lan Qiren had heard and suspected, Wei Wuxian had not received any proper education ever since he had been a small child. This was concerning. Besides behaving like a servant, the boy was not versed enough in sciences and literature, and not by his own fault. If they wanted to help him properly, this was a fundamental part of the process.

Lan Xichen also always insisted that the servants who were welcomed in the Cloud Recesses Manor receive adequate education so they would not be completely illiterate. It helped them gain a sense of self-worth and they immediately became more relaxed. More often than not, they also started looking forward to the future.

Yes, this arrangement would be good, both for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. The boy would get what he needed and would hopefully believe in their intentions of helping him just a little bit more. Lan Wangji on the other hand would be able to pay attention to his lessons and not become distracted by worries about Wei Wuxian. For Lan Qiren was sure that it would happen in this way, he could see it in his nephew's eyes whenever he looked at the boy and searched for him when he was not present.

When no one reacted and the two others in the room only continued to stare at him as if he had mysteriously grown a second head, Lan Qiren coughed a little awkwardly and added: "Once he is feeling better of course." He hoped that he had not made a mistake with this proposition.

Luckily, it seemed like Lan Wangji had only been searching for his words. There was a little light in his eyes that Lan Qiren had not seen for years. He looked so much younger all of a sudden and his previous dark expression had melted into something resembling a fond smile.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Lan Qiren's mouth was very close to coming open in shock. This was perhaps the first time when Lan Wangji had thanked him this sincerely and with so much gratitude. He immediately knew that he had done good with his proposition.