Never Let You Go, Again

42: Husbands and Fathers, For Evermore

The Sun was fully awake by now and Hanguang-Jun and the Yingxiong Laozu were packing up to go on their three-days' trip. Well, more like Lan Wangji packed up while his husband fooled around with him, suggesting all sorts of things they could do on the trip.

"A-Zhan, we'll be all alone! What on earth are you packing Gege's endless green tea packets for? We'll take as much wine as we can! Just you and I, I can easily control you when you're drunk don't worry! Man, the fun we'll have. A-Zhan, we'll try sticking to the bed alone, yeah? Judging by the way you always break bathtubs, our Lan sect's treasury will be robbed by you alone! So we'll stick to the bed." Wei Wuxian was ever-so-happily enjoying the red-hot ears. "Ey, right! A-Zhan, see that book on the table there? No, not that, the one to the left. Yes, that one. The book on top, yes, that's the one. Put that in, too, you might need it," Wei Wuxian winked.

Lan Zhan, having a bad feeling, opened it to check exactly which of his study books Wei Ying wanted to take. One page. One page and that was all Lan Zhan needed to drown in a sea of embarrassment. "Wei Ying!"

"What? I saw you'd kept the earlier book I gave so I got another from Huaisang. You're the one who kept it not me!" Wei Wuxian threw up his hands.

Lan Wangji, at a loss for words — because he really had kept the last book and really did appreciate this one, too — placed the book in the travel bag. 

"Oh goodness, I almost forgot!" Wei Wuxian smacked his head.

"What now?" Lan Zhan turned with a cocked eyebrow.

"Ah? Oh nothing! Just, erm... give me a minute." Wei Wuxian shot out of the Jingshi.

"A-Ying!" Where did he run off to? Lan Zhan shrugged and went back to packing. He went to a drawer and took out three red bottles. Of course, now that they were immortal, food for just three days wasn't necessary. But for Wei Ying, food WAS a necessity — and chilli paste, a big time need for survival. Smiling to himself, Lan Zhan stuffed the three bottles into the bag.

When the clothes and a few books — actual notebooks — were packed and the bag was complete, Wei Ying ran back in.

"Where did Wei Ying go?"

"Ah? Oh, Kitchen. And the Elders' Hall."

"What for?" Lan Zhan picked the bag up, slung it over his shoulder, and turned to Wei Ying with questioning eyes.

"To see Auntie Jing. And Senior Lan Yuanhua."

"Madam Fan? Doctor?"

"Yep!"

Lan Zhan subtly tilted his head. "Why?"

"To get– Er..." Wei Ying turned scarlet and scratched his nape, avoiding seeing Lan Zhan eye-to-eye. "No–No need to ask questions, just open the bag."

Lan Zhan was adamant. Something was off in Wei Ying's expression of both embarrassment and reluctance.

"A-Ying, what is it?"

"Just open," Wei Ying's hands held two bottles. When Lan Zhan just stared at him, Wei Ying stepped forth to pull the bag down and plant the two bottles in there. But right after it was done, Lan Zhan took the two bottles out. 

"Lan Zhan!"

Lan Zhan ignored him and opened the first bottle, a white ceramic jar. He sniffed its contents. All of a sudden, his heart started to go dizzy. Shaking his head to drive away the awkward sensation, he forced himself to concentrate on the scent. Oh dear, not a good decision. The instant he sniffed it, he slammed the lid back down and shut the aroma off.