WangXian Forever Book 9: The Flower Demon

Chapter 118 Content

Lan Zhan was addressing the Lan Babies.

Wei Ying was hanging off his arm in delight, and watching him. The confidence with which Lan Zhan spoke with the younger Disciples of their Sect was refreshing, and to him, it would never grow old.

In between the time of Wei Ying's absence from Lan Zhan's life, the latter had somehow become a father-figure to anyone younger than himself, exuding a calm, quiet capability, and to Wei Ying, it was undeniably hot.

To see the young ones flocking to Lan Zhan because they felt safer in his presence, and he was a natural born leader just made waves of love flow from his heart.

"All of you did well. You are a credit to the Lan Sect. Now, you will go home with Sect Leader Zewu-Jun and you can have a few hours of free time before curfew. Use them well."

The Lan Babies cheered quietly and clapped their hands.

"Oh, right. You said there's something in Caiyi Town that we're going back for," Wei Ying remembers, beaming at him.

There's a strange look in Lan Zhan's eyes, but before Wei Ying can ask him about it, XiChen and Jiang Cheng join them.

"You're going to Caiyi Town, Didi? Then can we ask for a lift?" XiChen smiles wearily.

"I can do it, PengYou!" Hui Gai says. "Look!"

And there's the briefest flash and then all the Lan Babies and Huaisang, plus XiChen and Jiang Cheng have vanished.

"I believe we have time for a nightcap!" Wei Ying grins at his husband and they vanish, too.

***********

Back in the Hanshi, after they've made sure the Lan Babies are settled in for the night, and little Li Li is sleeping in her cot after finishing her dinner, Jiang Cheng pulls XiChen down onto their bed and brings him closer. His lips land on his husband's forehead as they snuggle together.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jiang Cheng asks him.

Ke-ai sneaks in between them and becomes a puddle of warmth as they take turns to pet him. He's such an affectionate little piggy.

XiChen nods, closing his eyes.

Jiang Cheng waits for him to organise his thoughts before he can say out loud what he's thinking.

It's still a marvel to him that he can have an endless patience towards this man, and it seems to be only for him. He cannot say he has it for anyone else, least of all his brother, who appears born only for the sole purpose of winding him up.

Jiang Cheng lets his arm rest upon XiChen's waist, needing to touch him. He closes his eyes too, and waits.

"I am both happy and immeasurably heartbroken." XiChen whispers, after a while. "The pragmatic voice in my head is telling me that I shouldn't feel sad about the lost time of not knowing about our extended family, that I should be happy with meeting our uncle and our aunt, and most definitely, our little cousin. That something is better than nothing. But I feel devastated at missing the chance to get to know our maternal grandfather. And our grandmother. If only we had explored, inquired, forced people to tell us what they knew-"

"You know, Huan, you are only torturing yourself with hindsight." Jiang Cheng pulls him closer, mindful of the little body between them. "The past cannot be changed, and it's useless to focus on what may have been." Jiang Cheng knows he has to distract him.

XiChen has always been a reflective person, always checking his own actions and looking for flaws, for a different approach, and the possibility of doing something different for a change in the outcome of any given situation.