Wild Creatures

Chapter 113

On Tuesday afternoon, once the children have been collected from school and brought back to the manor, they freshen up and wolf down snacks, too much in a hurry to ask their millions of questions.

They already knew and respected Uncle Qiren's rules on not speaking during mealtimes, so chewing slowly was out of the question. They ate impatiently, wanting to talk as soon as it was allowed.

Da Tuzi had made them a healthy mousse using oat cream and various fruits, and these were practically inhaled by the kids.

Just to wind them up, Wei Ying ate as slowly as he could, savouring each bite and licking the spoon with his clever tongue, but unfortunately, that riled up the wrong person instead.

"Don't look, then," Wei Ying had mouthed at Lan Zhan, stifling his giggles, and was glared at for his trouble.

A-Yuan and JingYi were eagerly watching Wei Ying, not even blinking as he chewed each mouthful properly with the requisite number of chews, and laughing to himself quietly, watching their torn expressions with glee.

That morning, Wei Ying had discovered a rule book in the study, an ancient guide to the Lan family list of correct behaviour, and he had sprawled on the couch with his legs crossed at the knees, head resting on Lan Zhan's lap while the latter read through reports.

How much work actually got done was another matter, because when Wei Ying was so close to him, his wonderful floral scent perfuming the air, Lan Zhan found it too hard to concentrate on boring papers, when he could be feasting on the beauty amusing himself on his lap.

Wei Ying was just so interesting.

It wasn't just his lovely features, because his beauty was something that could and should be appreciated at all times, but it was also his mannerisms.

The way his little pink tongue would peek out of the side of his mouth, or the little sweet sighs leaving his lips while he perused what was, to him, a waste of paper. His toe would jiggle, or his knees would open and close, and even his yawns were cute and adorable.

Lan Zhan knew his fascination was unreasonable and time-wasting, but he could not bring himself to regret a single second spent counting the number of eyelashes curling every time Wei Ying blinked, and then checking if the other eye had the same amount.

That was normal...

"Honestly, Lan Zhan! This is ridiculous! How can a person count how many times they chew?? Do they taste the food or muddle up the numbers? It's simply not practical!" He exclaimed, deciding that he would test this and the other outlandish "rules" that were supposed to micromanage someone's life.

"They are guidelines..." Lan Zhan points out.

"Stupid ones," Wei Ying mutters under his breath. "Eating is supposed to be fun! Exciting! Not a maths class."

Lan Zhan just hums along, fascinated by his lovely hair. It's so soft and silky and Lan Zhan loves it so very much.

"There's not a single part of Wei Ying's body that I don't like," he thinks, but the resulting whine means he's said it out loud.

He's not sorry.

Lan Zhan bends and kisses Wei Ying on his forehead, and he smiles just as Wei Ying's phone goes off.

Wei Ying automatically puckers up, and then blushes because that's not an alarm, and they don't have to kiss before getting the children, the knee-jerk reaction not needed right now.

Lan Zhan smirks and watches him fumble with the phone and answer it.

"Grandma! Good morning to you, too." Wei Ying sits up for this one.