Always by your side

Epilogue 4. Everlasting love

"A boy? What?" Wei Ying choked with the revelation as Jiang Fengmian calmly explained everything.

"My wife feels that she still has a lot to offer, and as our grandkid is now a teen, she feels the need to have more children around, so we went to the orphanage and adopted a child. So now we are parents again," said Fengmian while drinking his tea.

In his mind, Wei Ying saw his entire life in a few seconds but went out of this trance when Lan Zhan started to cough and apologetically laughed. "I am sorry; I don't mean any offense. I am glad you want to care for someone whowho needs love and protection". 

Jiang Fengmian smiled. "When your parents died, we hoped to bring you with us, but things turned out very well."
He kept drinking his tea and looked around his surroundings, and all the families reunited to celebrate, all tall, with jade skin and beautiful eyes. He grinned. "It is always a pleasure to be invited to the Lan family reunion despite not being a Lan myself."

In a rare moment, Lan Zhan smiled and said, "Jiang Cheng is married to my brother. We are family".

Wei Ying whispered, "Also, Rui and Yu seem to have a complot to make mischief, so it is better to be prepared."

Someone coughed, and Wei Ying trembled. "Is she behind me, isn't she?".

Lan Zhan shook his head.

"It is me," a man's baritone voice that doesn't accept crap was heard. "Stop badmouthing my wife. You might be an adult now, but you are my adopted son, and I shall teach you manners if necessary".

Two lifetimes have taught a thing or two to Wei Ying. Finally, he apologetically said, "I am sorry. I will behave. May we help with something for Sizhui's presentation?"

"No. Everything is ready, and the kid learned his lines pretty well," said Qiren, smiling proudly. Then he turned to Lan Zhan, "You have raised a fine boy. I am proud of you. And I am sorry for being so harsh about Wen Chao's parole meeting. He won't leave jail during his lifetime thanks to the evidence you two gathered".

"We couldn't have done everything without Sizhui, Jingyi, and Wen Ning. It was quite an adventure", said Wei Ying, looking at his husband and Qiren.

"Which makes me remember that you two are officially reinstalled. You can still withdraw," said Qiren.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan looked at each other and then at Sizhui and Jingyi and said simultaneously, "It is fine. We can handle this".

Not long after the show started, a voice was heard while Sizhui gracefully danced with the sword.
Even the eternal sky and earth will fade away,
But this love is everlasting.

15 years later

After 15 years inside the prison system, Song Lan has set foot outside as a free man. With a small backpack on his shoulders, he walks through the streets of the city that saw him struggle, now slightly changed by technology. Cars looked smaller than the ones he remembered, and giant screens were everywhere. Sometimes, Song Lan saw small drones in the sky observing the citizens and waved at them every time. 

Then Song Lan realized that the sky looks brighter when the heart is finally at peace. So he continued his little stroll. Some things haven't changed: kids playing, parents taking care of their youth, people drinking, eating, running through the streets chasing their lives. However, he just wanted a green landscape to rest. 

After a while, Song Lan found a sweet spot under a tree in a park. He sat there contemplating the clouds. The one above him looked like a horse; he thought and fell asleep thinking about everything he would love to do again.

However, his dreams were cut short when Song Lan heard the barks of a dog and felt that a raspy tongue was licking his face. After a bit of struggle, he managed to control the animal. Then he saw the front of the most beautiful man he had chased for two lifetimes before him. 

Xiao Xingchen was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants and was trying to control the service dog that was enjoying the taste of Song Lan's skin moments ago. He smiled apologetically. "I am sorry, my dog sometimes is very fond of strangers, but don't worry, Choco probably thinks you are nice, and he wants to be your friend."

Song Lang felt a spring breeze caress his cheeks, and he mustered all his courage to mutter, "No problem, my name is Song Lang; nice to meet you."

The man in sweatpants said, "My name is Xiao Xingchen. Nice to meet you too".

Song Lang smiled. Perhaps the heavens will be kind and let him live a leisurely life beyond and above the buzz and dust of the material world.