WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 108 Family

Rumi handed the key thing back to Wei Ying, pressing it into his palm. Then he stared pointedly at Lan Zhan’s sleeves.

Wei Ying knew immediately what he wanted.

"My love...he wants the shiny stones we found...on the lake bed."

Rumi gave him the brightest smile at that, seeming not to care about the key anymore. Wei Ying shrugged and handed it to Lan Zhan for safe keeping. Lan Zhan pulled out his pouch and gave the stones to the little boy, whose eyes shone with excitement as he showed Li XiWang and Uncle Qiren what they were.

"It is nearly nine." Lan Zhan said, quietly.

"Tired, my love?" Wei Ying asked him, scooting closer.

"Habit. Hard to change." He admitted.

"So...I hate to rush you or anything...but I'm running low on my supply..." Zago said, sticking her face between them.

"Promise, that's the first thing on the list for tomorrow." Wei Ying said, grinning at the face Lan made at the intrusion.  He turned to his daughter. "Little Rabbit, did you and Grumple have any luck with finding anything about Uncle Cheng's situation?"

"Situation?" Hui Gai asked, quirking his brow.

"Oh yeah, Uncle Cheng is an ape now...And Uncle XiChen has a zoo..." Li XiWang giggled and gave up all the dirt, after she had shaken her head at Wei Ying to say no.

She told him all about the little piggy, and that XiChen had named it Ke-ai, and that SniZiDian had made another appearance.

Wei Ying could tell that Hui Gai was simultaneously wanting to laugh and was also extremely disappointed that he wasn't responsible for any of it.

"I imagine XiChen would want Jiang WanYin to be normal as soon as possible...perhaps even in time for the wedding." Uncle Qiren patted Wei Ying’s knee.  "No rush though..."

Wei Ying beamed at him, at first afraid that he would get a telling off sooner or later. But the fact remained that he had to knuckle down and start figuring out what had happened to his recipe. Maybe by reversing it...he might be able to change Jiang Cheng back...?

"If you're gonna turn me into anything...just make sure it's interesting..." Zago told him nonchalantly.

"You'd try one of his lollipops?" Hui Gai asked her, incredulously.

"Listen, a lollipop is a lollipop...and I have to talk to you about my employment status..."

"Why?"

"Well, technically...you're not paying me now...so I don't have to be here...right?" She grinned.

"But I'd miss you..." Wei Ying exclaimed.

Hui Gai shrugged as if he didn't care, but both Zago and Wei Ying saw the flicker of sadness in his eyes at the thought of her not working for him anymore.

She patted him on his back.

"Don't worry, Boss. I've made it my life's mission to make you sick of me. I'll hang around until then."

Wei Ying was distracted by the tugging on his sleeve.

He expected it to be a child...but it was Lan Zhan.

Oh yes...Lan Zhan had reminded him that it was past nine. Even Uncle Qiren looked as if he was ready to shoo them out so he too, could go to sleep.

"Alright children, let's go." He stood up, with Lan Zhan.

The children whined and moaned because they had just started playing Jacks with Rumi's new stones and enjoying themselves while the adults talked.

"Come on, you know it's time for bed. You can always come back and play with Uncle tomorrow after school." Wei Ying reminded them.

Uncle Qiren looked thrilled at the prospect...

They said their goodbyes and sauntered out of  the building.

"PengYou...are you absolutely sure you want to cure him? To be fair...it is a lot quieter around here..." Hui Gai gave him a naughty grin.

"I like apes...more than humans..." Zago threw in her opinion.

"Well...I have to try. I can’t imagine that it's any fun for him." Wei Ying said, as they reached the Jingshi.

"Alright...we'll see if we can help you. There's a blackmarket place down in the Nether World...they have all sorts of things." Hui Gai enthused.

Zago gave him a funny look as though her thoughts differed on what they sold.

Wei Ying thought he looked too happy about that.

"Not sure he'll be too cooperative about something from a blackmarket...how safe are their products?" Wei Ying asked. He was glad for any help though.

"You get what you pay for...right?" Hui Gai hugged him, took Zago and left.

"You know...he never asks us for money..." Wei Ying mused, looking at the space just vacated by his friends.

"Does not need it." Lan Zhan said, confidently.

"Huh?"

"Because he's a King!" Li XiWang giggled, holding hands with Rumi and skipping in front of them.

"I suppose so..." Wei Ying linked their arms together and smiled up at Lan Zhan.

There were times when Lan Zhan could lose himself in that smile, at how happy Wei Ying was and looked. He found himself, out of habit, checking that the beautiful smile actually reached up into his gorgeous silver eyes, crinkling at the corners and framed with lovely lashes.

Tonight, Wei Ying looked radiant.

He was glowing with an inner peace and joy that lifted Lan Zhan’s own happiness too...because he had realised a long, long time ago, that nothing else mattered to him. That it didn't matter where Wei Ying was, even if he wasn't by Lan Zhan’s side, all Lan Zhan wanted was for him to be happy.

Even in this present day, after understanding and knowing that Wei Ying felt the same, wanted to be by his side, and that tangible truth was what made him the happiest, still Lan Zhan always felt as if he was satisfied by this smile.

There was an infinite well inside him...sixteen years of darkness, and every time Wei Ying smiled like this...smiled this smile, he was throwing bright, beautiful light into that Well and filling it up, smile by smile...chasing away the lonely darkness.

It was a deep well.