Wild Creatures

Chapter 130

Tuesday was filled with activities, and there was no time to feel sad. First, it was getting the children ready for school, and then breakfast time. Today, they had a surprise addition in the form of XiChen joining them.

He had mostly moved out from the manor, and completely moved out from the apartment he used to share with Lan Zhan, so his coming to have breakfast here meant there was another reason.

While the kids used the bathroom before they set off for school, XiChen came to meet Lan Zhan and Wei Ying in the hallway where they were waiting.

"WangJi, I hate to spring this on you at such short notice, but one of our clients is asking for your expertise. I left all the details with your secretary... you didn't have any plans today, did you?" He says, looking worriedly between them.

"I was going to spend the day looking over contracts before we send them to our lawyers," Lan Zhan replies, "but I can do that in between meetings."

"Oh, maybe that's just as well. I confess, I had an ulterior motive for dropping by. I was going to enlist your help in that project." He wiggles his eyebrows, looks around furtively and then stage whispers to Wei Ying, "I wanted to surprise A-Jue. He's got his eye on a rare cherry tree, and I finally managed to find a supplier. But he's only going to hold onto it today, so I was going to drive there to fetch it. A-Jue's garden is a little bit... shall we say, amateurish? And I never gave him anything as an engagement gift, so this will be my way of celebrating us." He looks very disappointed.

"Well, XiChen-Ge, if Lan Zhan has to go do architecture things, how about I come with you instead?" Wei Ying flexes his arms at the same time, smiling broadly. "These babies could do with a work out, only I've got to get back by three thirty, at school to pick up the children."

"Only if you want to," Lan Zhan tells him, throwing a warning glance at his older brother.

"Oh, absolutely!! It can be bonding time! We're practically family already," Wei Ying enthuses.

"Ah, that's wonderful! Can we set off now?"

Wei Ying is just about to answer when both children leave the bathroom and look way too invested in this conversation.

"I can drop them off and pick them up, it's no trouble," Lan Zhan says, looking at his watch.

"Oh, okay. Are you sure, Sweetheart?" Wei Ying sidehugs him, looking up at him. "Otherwise, we can figure something out."

"No need. I can juggle," Lan Zhan says, seriously.

"Well then, I guess we're set." He crouches down and gives warm hugs to both the boys, who are preoccupied with whispering between themselves and giggling, as six year olds are prone to do. "Be good for A-Die, okay?"

JingYi and A-Yuan both kiss his cheeks and hug him back.

"Bye Baba!" They wave, and leave Wei Ying with XiChen.

"Let's go!" XiChen says, terribly enthusiastic for someone going to buy a tree.

******************

It turns out that the only plant nursery to stock the very rare cherry tree sapling XiChen wants is far away.

Three hours away, actually.

Wei Ying doesn't notice it at first, because XiChen is casually chatting away with him. They talk about music tastes, how XiChen only ever started experiencing other styles later, after meeting Nie MingJue and Huaisang. He says, according to their Uncle, his preference plummeted from strictly classical music to grunge. That was a phase, he promises, laughing.