WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 23 Meetings

It was significantly warmer outside. They opened the door to the Jingshi and Wei Ying just stood there, taking in the light afternoon sunshine and the soft breeze with the bite to it.

"I feel like I've missed so much...just by being asleep. It feels like a new day..." He said softly.

"May I carry you?" Lan Zhan asked him, so sincerely that Wei Ying was nodding even before he finished speaking.

"I really like it when you carry me." He admitted, blushing.

Lan Zhan picked him up and kissed his forehead warmly.

It made Wei Ying feel cherished and loved. But he whined anyway.

"Mn?"

"You know how I love your kisses...all of them...but sometimes you give the wrong type of kisses...and not exactly where I want them..." He grinned devilishly when the telltale ears went red.

"Wei Ying is greedy." Lan Zhan retorted, with a smirk.

And just like that, they were back to normal.

"Or...or, maybe you're being stingy...I didn’t know the Lans were tight fisted..." Wei Ying was merciless in his teasing today.

"Mn, though not all Lans. Just me." Lan Zhan replied just as fast.

When they got to the library with Wei Ying complaining and kicking his feet, all the while Lan Zhan indulgently smiling down at him with nothing but adoration in his eyes, he let Wei Ying down.

"It is just that, were I to kiss you where I wanted to, I would not be able to stop." Lan Zhan said in his deep voice, just before flinging open the doors of the library and waltzing in, leaving Wei Ying standing like a hot puddle where he was.

Wei Ying hurried inside, hellbent on giving him what for, when he realised that they weren't alone.

Far from it, in fact.

Not only was XiChen and Jiang Cheng there, but so was Uncle Qiren, his grandmother and Nie Huaisang.

His grandmother stood up to hug him warmly, concern evident in her bright purple  eyes.

"How are you feeling, my beautiful boy?" She held his face in her hands, touching their foreheads together.

Wei Ying felt as if a blanket of love was wrapped around them both, just from her few words. By her simply coming to visit him, he felt such a warmth of caring that his eyes moistened.

"Grandmother..." He breathed out, smiling.

Everyone was quiet while they stood there.

Then the doors of the library opened again, and Lan JingYi entered, pulled along by two children.

"Grandmother!" Li XiWang ran into her grandmother’s arms with a joyful whoop, Rumi trailing behind her.

It brought a smile to everyone's faces, especially when she leaned down to kiss the little demon's head.

"How come you're nice to Rumi and horrible to Hui Gai?" Wei Ying asked.

She lightly smacked the back of his head.

"I'm a celestial. You're not supposed to ask me questions like that."

"Why? Only because we love Hui Gai too, Grandmother!" Li XiWang said with an impish smile.

Baoshan Sanren refused to answer and went to sit down in her place. Li XiWang crawled into her lap while Rumi sat down in Lan Zhan’s. Wei Ying looked at his family and everyone there, feeling nostalgic about being together.

"It's been so long since we've seen you, Grandmother." Li XiWang told her, playing with her fingers.

"I know. I would have come sooner but I was called away. I have to tell you about that too, so I may as well start. But before I do, do you mind calling your Demon friend here? I think what I have to say concerns him too." All traces of joking and merriment left her face as she thought about why she had come to visit.

"Only if you're nice to him. He's quite scared of you, you know." Wei Ying beamed at her.

"And well he should be!" She retorted, huffing out a laugh. "But if you lived as long as me, and seen the things I've seen, you too would be wary of trusting demons."

"Hui Gai is different, Grandmother." Both Li XiWang and Wei Ying said at the same time, and when their eyes met, they broke out into giggles.

"We were rather hoping that a celestial who can induce a golden core from virtually nothing...that you would have a cure for A-Xian." XiChen said, looking at Baoshan Sanren.

"In order to have a cure, one must know what the ailment is. And unfortunately, I do not. I have no idea what it could be, or why it is only affecting my grandson. He went with others to all those places, and nothing happened to them. So we must rule out the geographical factor. Then, matters to do with diet and nutrition can also be ruled out because others too, ate and drank the same food and drink; the others were unaffected." She sounded stern.

"Anyway, I'm calling Hui Gai." Wei Ying said quickly, not too fond of being the person under scrutiny.

Hui Gai came in a puff of green smoke.

Everyone shrank back because of memories of Klem and Jez, and gases.

Wei Ying waved it away coughing slightly.

"What was that?"

"I've decided, I need more drama when I appear." Hui Gai looked unfazed.

"More drama?" Wei Ying asked, in disbelief.

"Yes. Why? Don't you like it?" Hui Gai was unsure of the reception.

"Yeah...if you like farts..." Li XiWang snickered. "How about you change the colour? Green is icky..."

"How about red? Red is dangerous, right?" Hui Gai held his tail. "I want to appear mean and ruthless..."

"Whyever for?" Wei Ying stood up to hug him.

"Just...okay, the truth is, I've hired an image consultant and she says, drama is the way. It invokes mystery and awe." Hui Gai hugged him back.

"Fire her. You don't need an image. You're great as you are." Wei Ying told him, fondly.

"I don't want to hurt her feelings. She only got the job a few hours ago."

"Well, tell her the job description changed. She can be your personal assistant." Wei Ying rubbed his nose.

"PengYou! That's a splendid idea. I'll go do it now." Hui Gai vanished before they could explain that there was another reason why they wanted him here.

He came back, this time in a puff of red smoke.

Li XiWang gave him two thumbs up.

"I like it. It adds character." She said, supportively.

Hui Gai beamed at her.

Then they noticed someone was standing next to him.

"Hey everyone, I'd like you to meet Zago. She's my personal assistant." Hui Gai gave an exaggerated wink to Wei Ying.