WangXian Forever 4

Chapter 50 Whirlpool

Since it was only late afternoon, they decided to look for the whirlpool. This time, once they passed the tall grasses, they turned left when they got to the beach.

According to the innkeeper's directions, they had to walk for about ten minutes until they reached a gully that appeared to take them back to the mainland, but actually led further out to sea.

They found it quite quickly. It led to the mainland as the man had said, but then it widened suddenly, leading to a rocky path. It was steep and narrow, and they had to climb up in single file until they reached the top.

Far below, on the other side, they saw it. The whirlpool shone with the bluest of blue waters, surrounded by craggy rocks and boulders. But there was no way for humans to get down there.

Wei Ying had a brilliant idea, but his husband wouldn't think so. Still, he had to try. They were standing on the ridge of that high pass, and climbing down would be just as difficult as getting up there had been. He went to stand next to Lan Zhan, thinking of the best way to say what he wanted, without alarming him.

He reached out to hold his hand.

"Do you trust me?" He whispered.

This earned him a scowl and a hard glare. He would have stepped back if it wasn't so dangerous. He tried again.

"Okay, so promise me you won't freak out."

The hand holding his tightened.

"Ow! You know that hurts, right?" He thought of another way. Wei Ying leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"So you know I can fly...and it doesn't hurt anymore because of Suanni and all that...and so I was wondering if I could fly down there and-" his voice was slowly becoming quieter and quieter until it was a less than a whisper.

"No."

"But Lan Zhan! Pleassse! I promise it's not dangerous. At all."

"No. There is no need." His tone was firm.

Wei Ying sighed. Something was down there, and he just needed to check it out. Maybe he would have to find another way....

"Okay, never mind." He said brightly.

Lan Zhan stared at him, his gaze narrowing.

"What? I just want to go sit by the seaside. There's still time before the sunset, right?" Not wishing to be scrutinised any more, he turned and led the way back, carrying Li XiWang in some places too treacherous for her little legs.

They sat on the beach, watching the waves and enjoying the still warm rays of the late evening sun. The sunset was a fireball of glory, painting the sea a vivid orange. Purple streaks highlighted the sky, turning it crimson...and then it was gone.

Wei Ying lay back on the warm sand and watched the stars come out, one by one.

Finally, Lan Zhan got up. They followed him back to town and the inn where they were staying at that night. The inn was empty now and the innkeeper closed the door behind them, locking it for good measure.

He took them to a room in the back that had no windows, and then he poured hot, sweet tea for everyone. They sat around a table, Li XiWang sitting between SiZhui and Wei Ying, leaving Lan Zhan to sit next to the man.

"You asked me about the Jiaoren." He started off saying.

Wei Ying nodded.

"Some people believe in them, some don't. The locals get upset if you talk about them out in the open. There's a few fishermen that swear they've seen 'em." He sipped his tea, watching them.

"Have you? Ever seen them, I mean?" Wei Ying asked him.

"Once, and only once." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I heard the rumours about the night fairies coming to the whirlpool, when there's a full moon, and I decided to see if it was true. I climbed up that steep path and found myself balancing on that small ridge. I saw them sitting on the flattest boulders, drying their wings, and I was so surprised, I lost my footing. Loose stones tumbled into the ground below, scaring them back into the water before I could blink."

"What have the night fairies got to do with the Jiaoren?" Wei Ying asked, his curiosity growing. He had to convince Lan Zhan somehow.

"I don't know. I only know what I saw, and that some of those people had tails. Make what you will of that." He stood up. "Let me show you to your rooms now. You must be tired."

They followed him up the stairs to the second floor, the children in one room and the parents in the other.

Wei Ying was not tired at all. The blood in his veins thrummed with excitement at the plan he was going to propose. When Lan Zhan sat down at the table, he wormed his way into his lap and then proud of his efforts, he looked down into golden eyes patiently staring back.

Lan Zhan was no fool. He had been on his guard ever since Wei Ying too happily agreed to spend the rest of the day at the beach, when they both knew that he wanted to do something else. But Lan Zhan had already waited sixteen years, he could wait a bit more for his love to say whatever was on his mind.

"I love you so much." Wei Ying whispered.

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't that, and certainly not with such sincerity.

Wei Ying tilted his head and kissed his lips, with care and devotion. Lan Zhan loved the way his lips slid across his, asking for permission before the sizzling dance of their tongues began, a wild exploration of their mouths as they drank each other in.

He needed to focus, he told himself, for his husband was a wily one, a trickster at heart, for whatever noble reason...but those hot lips stole his thoughts and his mind became a blank piece of paper floating in the wind. Nothing but the taste of an irresistible man, his unique scent filling his senses, sharing the same air became everything.

Wei Ying was his life.

"Let's go to sleep!" Wei Ying suddenly jumped and yawned.

Lan Zhan knew a fake yawn when he saw one, but he agreed amicably. They lay down on the bed, but Lan Zhan waited for Wei Ying to fall asleep first. Then, ever so quietly,  he wrapped a talisman string around his husband's wrist. Tugging it to make sure it would not fail him, he fell asleep at last, safe in the knowledge that his husband couldn't slip away in the middle of the night.