WangXian Forever 7

Chapter 18 Together

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were making their way to the library, Lan Zhan walking normally and Wei Ying bouncing along, chattering about anything and everything.

Lan Zhan liked days like this, lazy days with things to do just over the horizon. He had been trying to keep Wei Ying busy in different ways, relaxing ways, just spending time together, and now they had decided to visit the library.

With the Jin Phoenix mountain hunt nearing day by day, he could see a familiar tension behind those beloved silver eyes, but they were both ignoring that particular problem for the moment.

"If you're marking papers there, I can sit by you and read!" Wei Ying had exclaimed delightedly.

"Mn."

"You know, Lan Zhan..." Wei Ying had run back to him and held on to his arm.

"Mn?"

"I love the way you say that one word." Wei Ying batted his eyelids, still at a loss to explain why it had such an effect on Lan Zhan, who stumbled.

On a flat path.

With no loose stones.

Or anything.

It was so cute.

He reached up and kissed the warm cheek.

"You'll be happy to know, I plan to spend as much time with you as possible. I mean, this is just a coincidence, us going to the library together," he gestured between them both with his hand. "But I would have gotten my books and come to find wherever you are."

"Wei Ying does not need to." Lan Zhan said, but his ears were definitely on the red side.

Wei Ying thought back to the night they had arrived back from their seaside holiday, and Lan Zhan saying he missed him...and if Wei Ying was honest, he completely understood, because there were many times in the past when Lan Zhan had been busy with clan duties, not returning home until way after Wei Ying was asleep. That was saying something because Wei Ying was a night owl, able to stay up until the wee hours.

And Lan Zhan rarely, if ever complained about anything.

"There is a need, my love." Wei Ying stopped walking and turned to him. He reached up and kissed those pink lips ardently, softly, sweetly... thinking about how much he loved this man.

Their foreheads touched and he looked into golden pools of love.

"It is my duty as your husband to make sure you are happy. It is my responsibility in a way, if by doing something or saying something, I can make you feel better, I will do it out of choice."

"Mn." Lan Zhan was feeling much better already.

What could be better than Wei Ying spending time with him?

"Same for me. I will make sure Wei Ying is happy." Lan Zhan promised, kissing his nose.

"Come, then. Let's go to work."

They met XiChen at the doors of the library, just leaving. He held up three fingers and Lan Zhan nodded, but said nothing.

Wei Ying watched this exchange a little puzzled, but as neither of them spoke, he felt it was not right to ask. So he smiled brightly and explained what he wanted to do.

"Do you remember Nie Huaisang's problem, those huge circular shapes in his fields? I want to see if there's anything that can explain this here." He tapped his nose.

"I must mark the students' work." Lan Zhan added.

They entered the quiet of the library and settled down in Lan Zhan's place. Wei Ying brought some books over and began to read, sometimes reading three books at a time, making Lan Zhan proud of him.

He inevitably ended up lying across Lan Zhan's lap, utterly relaxed.

Lan Zhan was marking papers with his right hand while his left hand toyed with Wei Ying's long ebony hair, stroking the long strands and when he ventured to look down, he found that Wei Ying had relaxed himself into a nap.

Lan Zhan kissed his forehead gently and continued working, smiling at the cuteness of the one asleep.

Wei Ying resurfaced a few hours later, yawning and blinking like Lan Zhan's bunnies.

"Oh my! Did I fall asleep?" He leaned up and kissed Lan Zhan enthusiastically. "I'm sorry! I was supposed to be looking for information! And spending time with you." He looked so distressed, Lan Zhan had to kiss him all over his face, making him laugh, and try to stop him.

But even as Lan Zhan tried to make him feel better, he realised it was true, he felt infinitely better.

"Wei Ying does not have to be awake, I feel much better." He said happily.

The evening was spent with their children and before Wei Ying knew it, a new day stretched before him.

That morning, they were walking to feed the bunnies and happened to run into XiChen. This time, XiChen discreetly held up four fingers and Lan Zhan nodded again, yet both of them had schooled their features when Wei Ying looked at them.

Something was definitely going on, yet again, neither was saying anything.

The bunnies were delighted to see them, and overall, the effect of having them in his lap and climbing all over him made Wei Ying fall asleep again.

On the third day, they went to visit Jiang Cheng and little Li Li in the Hanshi. XiChen was out dealing with clan business, so it was just them.

Li Li made grabby hands towards Lan Zhan and happily chortled when she was sitting in his lap, laughing up at him. While he was busy, Wei Ying took his chance.

"Cheng Cheng, do you know what's going on?" He whispered.

"No, what?" Jiang Cheng frowned.

Wei Ying told him what he had seen, and Jiang Cheng had the good grace to blush.

So he knew as well...

XiChen entered the Hanshi then, smiling broadly, but even as he sat down, Wei Ying's sharp eyes caught him showing three fingers to Lan Zhan.

"Alright!" He put his cup of tea down. "Tell me what's going on. Why do you make weird gestures at Lan Zhan? And why don't you want me to know?"

Both XiChen and Lan Zhan had red ears, dutifully looking down. Neither explained.

"They're trying to protect you." Jiang Cheng said.

"Protect me?" Wei Ying asked, incredulously. "From what?"

No one spoke.

He waited, but since no one was forthcoming, he stood up.

"It's alright, keep your secrets." He walked out of there, quite upset.

Lan Zhan was up and out of there within seconds, and grabbed his hand. Wei Ying tried to shake him off but Lan Zhan wouldn't let him go. He didn't even realize he was crying, until Lan Zhan pulled him into his arms.

They were by the moon tree and Lan Zhan sat down, holding him close.

"Did not mean to hurt Wei Ying. Am sorry."

Wei Ying burrowed his face deeper into his robes.

"It was to do with how many messages we are receiving." Lan Zhan told him in a low voice.

"Messages?"

"From Jin Sect."

"Why?"

"They want Wei Ying to attend."

Wei Ying wiped his eyes with the heel of his hands, and Lan Zhan replaced them with a white handkerchief.

"Let me get this straight, they have been sending that many messages, daily?"

"Mn."

"But why? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"Mn. Brother didn't want you to worry." Lan Zhan held him closer. "Not fair to Wei Ying."

"Alright, you know what? I'm going to go." Wei Ying stood up, taking his hand.

He marched into the Hanshi.

"Tell them, I'll go to their stupid thing, but it will be on my terms."