WangXian Forever Book 9: The Flower Demon

Chapter 10 Prize

Five days...

It sounded ominously short.

They shuffled out of the caravan despondently now, a stark contrast to how they had entered full of optimistic thoughts.

All around them, the brightness of the carnival and the happy smiling faces seemed to be mocking them.

"Let's go to Lotus Pier." Wei Ying suggested. "We can make up a plan of action and try to lift our spirits." He didn't want to mention that Feng Li Pao had asked to speak with him, just in case the Jiang Head disciple wanted to be discreet about something.

But Lan Zhan had paused by a hoop throwing stall.

The proprietor came towards him with a big smile.

"Um...Lan Zhan...what are you doing?" Wei Ying asked him, quietly.

"Wei Ying wanted a prize." Lan Zhan said, absolutely seriously. "It will take five minutes...or less."

The stall owner balked at that.

Wei Ying slung an arm around his shoulders, kissing his cheek.

"Well, I love a confident man." He winked at his husband. "Show me what you can do!"

"Er...Sir...it's not as easy as it looks, it takes skill, it takes perseverance, it takes-"

"Money?" Wei Ying reached into his husband's white robes and pulled out his money pouch, while Lan Zhan looked quite smug about that.

He did not look around to see whether Feng Li Pao was watching...or not.

(He was).

"What would Wei Ying like?" Lan Zhan turned his face so that his lips were a hair's breadth away from Wei Ying’s, his breath ghosting over pink tantalising ones. His golden eyes were focused on them, rather than Wei Ying’s eyes.

Wei Ying had a feeling that they weren't talking about the prizes on offer in the stall any more.

He smiled seductively because he could...because this was his husband.

The bird in XiChen's arms made violently gagging noises.

"May I interrupt?" The stall owner interjected. "Today, there's a special offer. You can try and throw the hoop over these prizes...those are easier to win. Or..." He pointed to the back wall. "These are mystery boxes. It's a complete surprise what they contain...and you have to get three hoops over a single box to win. So Gentlemen, what's it going to be?"

Wei Ying clapped his hands merrily.

"I think....I love a mystery." He beamed shrewdly at the owner. "However...what's to say that there's something completely rubbish in those ones? We'd like to see what's inside before we play."

"But that's against the rules." The owner objected. "And that's the whole point, isn't it? Mystery means you don't know..."

Lan Zhan bristled next to him, objecting too at how the man was speaking to his Wei Ying.

The stall owner glanced at Lan Zhan and realised his mistake.

"Forgive me...I did not wish to be rude." He wisely refrained from saying anything else.

"Three hoops please." Lan Zhan told him, not looking any the friendlier.

"How about a kiss for good luck?" Wei Ying whispered in his ear.

He meant to kiss Lan Zhan’s cheek, but as Lan Zhan went to answer, Wei Ying went in for the kiss and of course when their lips met, both were powerless to stop.

Not even the polite clearing of several throats in the close proximity did anything to make them part, until a strange, rare and huge purple bird honked loudly right next to them.

Wei Ying jolted in surprise and he blushed deeply at the realisation of where they were.

"Do me proud." Wei Ying said, stepping back so he could watch Lan Zhan properly.

Lan Zhan only heard the first two words and was already agreeing.

He felt the eyes of more than a few spectators watching him, but to Lan Zhan, only one pair of silver eyes were important to him. Besides, this was going to be so easy.

He tossed the first hoop.

It easily went over the box Wei Ying had pointed out.

Everyone cheered.

Lan Zhan threw the second one and this time, he missed.

That was strange.

"Oh...I'm so sorry, but you failed. Better luck next time." The proprietor said, looking far too happy for Wei Ying’s liking.

"Hold on! Is there anything against having two goes? Can we try again?" He asked eagerly.

Lan Zhan was feeling humiliated. He was so sure that his second toss was going to help win him Wei Ying’s prize...

My love, listen carefully. The hoops are not the same size. Watch how he selects which ones to give you. Wei Ying used their mind connection to tell Lan Zhan what he suspected.

Carnivals were in the business of swindling common folk and Wei Ying was only upset that he hadn’t noticed earlier what was going on. Rather, it was regret that he had not been able to warn Lan Zhan and as a result, Lan Zhan was feeling as if he wasn't good enough...and there was no way Wei Ying was going to let that happen, not on his watch.

He winked at his husband, as the stall owner passed Lan Zhan what looked like three  identical hoops.

"Here, my love...let me kiss them for good luck." Wei Ying said, taking them out of his hands. "And...I bet you can't throw all three of them at the same time?" He winked once more.

To Lan Zhan, his beautiful silver eyes were telling him to do exactly that. Lan Zhan watched Wei Ying’s hands as he pretended to kiss the hoops, when in actual fact he had discreetly rubbed a talisman over them.

He passed the hoops back to his husband and just as Lan Zhan threw all three over the mystery box, he distracted the stall owner.

"Oh, my goodness! My husband is such a great shot!" Wei Ying declared, grabbing Lan Zhan’s face to give him a victory kiss.

"No. It was all because of Wei Ying's good luck kisses." Lan Zhan said, truthfully.

But he was smiling.

"Distract him for a second?" Wei Ying said against his lips.

Lan Zhan nodded, just a tilt of his head.

When the stall owner brought over the box, Lan Zhan pointed to a character engraved on its surface and Wei Ying seized his chance. He placed a charm on all the man's hoops,

"Feizhou*." The man was explaining to Lan Zhan. "It is a very hot place. What is inside this comes from there."

Lan Zhan gave it straight to Wei Ying.

Wei Ying handed it back with a huge smile.

"Look after it for us, my love. We can have a look at it later." And in their heads, he added: if we don't like it, we're coming back anyway, we can tackle him then. He surely won't be expecting us so soon.

Wei Ying laughed brightly and linked their arms together.

Lan Zhan could only stare back at him in wonder.

Wei Ying was the only treasure here that he wanted.

******

A/N

Dear Beautiful Readers,

*Feizhou means Africa.

Can anyone guess what is in the mystery box?

Thank you all so much for reading. This book reached 1K this morning, and I'm really happy you're all just as invested as me. It's only been a week...so thank you once more!

Charlie.