Chao-er’s lack of merit and accomplishment in his wasteful life has annoyed him in the past, but the clear excellence that Wei Wuxian showed has put them in even more stark relief. How fortunate for Wen Ruohan that the place at his side could now be filled by someone more worthy than that wastrel.
Wen Ruohan motioned to the servant standing ready at his back. “Have Wei Wuxian come forward.”
Wei Wuxian looked straight up to meet his eyes without hesitation. Carefully extracting himself from the Jiang heir’s hold, he approached fearlessly, his steps steady, with a geniality on his face that most people fail to muster in Wen Ruohan’s direct presence. He stopped before Wen Ruohan, still perfectly calm and gave a flawless salute, contrary to rumors of his ill-mannered nature.
Wen Ruohan felt the stirrings of delight, something he had not felt in years.
Yes.
This was the perfect attitude, the perfect strength of character.
“Take your place,” he ordered, indicating what was previously Chao-er’s seat. Wei Wuxian’s perfect face flickered just a second, momentary indecision giving way to calculation, clear as anything to Wen Ruohan’s watchful eyes as the statement echoed throughout the room, silencing all in its wake.
Wei Wuxian had all the parts of her that he loved most. Especially their shared eyes. Black and silver blending in his eyes made that same gleaming, shifting stormy gray as hers, with identical ink black lashes surrounding them causing them to look wide and bright, though while hers had held desire, his were filled with caution
Magnetic eyes flew to his, chopsticks snagging something at random and stuffing it in his mouth. He quickly chewed and swallowed. “Just admiring the excellent cuisine.”
“Then have some more,” he replied, personally serving more of the dishes that he noticed the boy was eyeing into the boy’s bowl.
Wen Ruohan sat in wonder at that woman’s irrepressibility returned to him mixed with his own cunning in her perfect, silvery eyes. It all mixed together in a boy more bright and unique than anyone he had ever seen
He unconsciously tilted his head in thought, trying to decide if this sudden attachment was a weakness, only to feel a bit of warmth spread through him as he realized how much the gesture was like the one his grandson had done earlier to try and distract him, even in something so insignificant, the boy was like him.
No, this was not a weakness. What grandfather wouldn’t take joy in an accomplished, wonderful grandson like Wei Wuxian and burn the world to ash if anything threatened him.
Wei Wuxian breathed deeply, face perfectly poised. Others would undoubtedly be distracted by the head tilt and the bright grin, missing the sharp mind unraveling them, those gray eyes calculating as he planned his next move. How many idiots thought the boy careless? Wei Wuxian’s chin tilted to a degree that bordered on challenging from the way it let the boy look down his nose at him, but only served to give Wen Ruohan another chance to admire him.
Most would have been distracted by his insolent smile, consequently most likely missing just how calculated the degree of insolence was even as their hackles would rise at it.
“Mice have the tendency to be eaten, Sect Leader.” When Ruohan wouldn’t call the approving sound he made a laugh, but it was close. How daring of his grandson to try and provoke him, and in the heart of his sect no less!
With time, (and the wine that Wen Ruohan made sure to refill his cup with) the tension gradually left the boy’s frame. While he did not get appreciably drunk as Chao-er would, his words grew less carefully polite, less cautious of letting details of his own strength slip through, though he still had enough of his wit about him to avoid saying anything that would allow Wen Ruohan to find offense in anyone but Wei Wuxian.
Despite a deluge of words designed to overwhelm and wash over anyone listening, Wen Ruohan was able to pick apart the tales for hints of hidden excellence. Despite his careful delicacy, it quickly became apparent that Wei Wuxian was always at the forefront, creating clever solutions for the most mundane issues or to save his shidis from the messes they found themselves in. He was the one to figure out whatever the threat was and guide those with him to neutralize it, even if the threat was a mere farmer that caught them picking lotus seeds
