The Bond of Red and White

Lin WeiQi

The second last day of the conference arrived. Jeng Wanyin had established a deal with the major pharmaceutical companies for monopoly on the pheromone blocking technology. That only added to their patent and ensured all reproductions followed the Jeng standard of production. 

Jin Guangyao addressed the international dignitaries in the sweetest words known to man. Sean stood back noting how the Jins continued to steal the limelight from Wanyin the real star of the conference. 

"What are you thinking, Mr. Xiao?" Lan Wangji askes sipping an iced lemonade. 

"It doesn't make sense. Why would someone target Wen Qing and Wen Ning when the real organizers are the Jins and ... you?" Wei Wuxian pointed out.

"The Jengs were the most prominent participants," Lan Haikuan standing to the side added. "Could it be because the Qiongqi heights were registered under the name of Wens. Did she think that they were related?" he suggested. 

"Or she hates them for creating a lookalike of her brother out of a beta," Wei Wuxian suggested. 

"Or she is working for the Jins, removing competition. The Jengs were supposed to be here and so was I. Everyone was except Jin Guangyao, who was busy elsewhere. He was with Xiongzheng when I called him. That means he was intentionally missing from his own conference while it was being attacked by a neurotoxin," Lan Wangji pointed out. 

"You are saying that the meeting saved lives," Wei Wuxian confirmed. 

Lan Wangji nodded, his eyes narrowing. He signalled towards Lan Haikuan. Jin Guangyao was talking with a woman dressed in a formal suit with hair cut into a short bob. A beta. She wore pencil heels and barely reached Jin Guangyao's height. 

"Who is that?" Wei Wuxian asked. 

It was Lan Haikuan who answered. "My mate," he replied with eyes glowing purple. 

The woman felt a presence and turned around. Her face was filled with fright as she noted the man standing beside Lan Wangji and his mate. She turned around and spoke to Jin Guangyao with some urgency before turning around and leaving. Lan Haikuan followed her. 

Lan Wangji stepped towards Jin Guangyao to distract him as Wei Wuxian turned around to follow Lan Haikuan from a distance. 

"Have you spoken with Jiang Cheng regarding custody?" Lan Wangji said, approaching the Jin family head. Jiang Cheng who was a earshot away turned towards them. 

"What is it about?" he asked. 

"Do you know where your nephew is?" Lan Wangji asked.

"Jin Ling? He should be with his nanny. I have been a bit busy looking over the arrangements," Jiang Cheng confessed. "I don't own an estate. I work for Jins ever since the Wanyin took over Jiangs. I need to put food on the table," he defended. 

"All excellent points for you to contend for custody," Lan Wangji pointed towards Jin Guangyao. 

"You want custody, but why? We decided that it was better to keep Jin Ling's identity as the Jin heir secret," Jiang Cheng recalled. 

"Well, dear A'Cheng, the reason could have something to do with the fact that Jin Ling managed to run away from your protection. In fact, he claims that it was your girlfriend who suggested that he should not occupy so much of your time and energy," Jin Guangyao described. 

"Jin Ling is with you?" Jiang Cheng asked in panic. 

"No, he is with my adopted son," Lan Wangji explained. 

"With your adopted son? When did you adopt a son and how did Jin Ling meet him?" Jiang Cheng demanded. 

"I adopted him recently. He was playing in the park when he met Jin Ling. They have been fast friends since. I could go as far to say that they are sworn brothers now," Lan Wangji provided. 

"Give me back my nephew. He isn't safe with you," Jiang Cheng bellowed. 

"Unfortunately, till his two uncles resolve the custody issue his safest place is with me. Do not forget that he hasn't received his second gender yet and is immune to pheromones," Lan Wangji stated. 

Jiang Cheng looked chastened as he eyed his boss. Jin Guangyao looked worried. He had ample reason to not want Jin Ling as a part of the Jin household but at the same time he couldn't risk him running amuck if Jiang Cheng couldn't keep him in line.

Outside Lan Haikuan failed to catch up to his mate. "She is fast," Wei Wuxian commented. 

"You should have met her brother. I only knew him briefly," Lan Haikuan replied. 

"Jin Guangyao knows her. We could ask him," Wei Wuxian suggested, redirecting the conversation. 

"I don't think the Jin snake is going to reveal his secret weapon. As of yesterday, I have no doubt that it is her who attempted the assassination on your friends. But if she is working for the Jins then she is a real fool," Lan Haikuan lamented. 

"You are talking about the fact that even though Qiongqi Heights was a Wen Property it was controlled by the Jins, right?" Wei Wuxian recalled. 

"Not just that. We traced the Zhiliao traficking to Jin Guanshan. I don't think Jin Guangyao did away with the business because still many Zhiliao are missing from the birth records. Also since Jeng Wanyin is a Zhiliao Alpha, he actually feels their presence," Lan Haikuan explained. 

Wei Wuxian nodded. Some of it was already known to him. He didn't know about the missing Zhiliao, though, and it bothered him how ignorant he was of his own family's situation. He was shielding himself from the repercussions of a personal tragedy by hiding in a foreign country while his blood brothers and sisters suffered because of people's greed. 

"Jin Guangyao is involved in the Zhiliao traficking?" a soft voice answered from behind them. 

"So, you didn't actually outrun us," Wei Wuxian greeted his younger sister. 

The omega shook her head when realization came to her. "You... you bloody tricked me. I have your mark. You knew I hadn't run off. You were spouting lies to lure me in," the girl seethed. 

"No, I can never lie to you. You are my mate. I am bound by honesty towards you. What I said is absolutely true. You are on the wrong side of justice right now," Lan Haikuan promised. 

"Jeng Ge is working with you?" she asked in confusion. 

"Jeng Wanyin? Yes, he is," Wei Wuxian assuaged. 

"Will you tell me your name now?" Lan Haikuan asked, pleading. 

"I go by Lin WeiQi now, though my given name is..." 

"Wei Qing, yes I know. Lan Wangji informed," Lan Haikuan finished. "Should I call you WeiQi then?"  

Lin WeiQi turned towared Wei Wuxian. "You don't deserve the shoes you get to wear. You don't hold a candle to the man Wei Wuxian was. He was a Zhiliao Omega, a Sanren Sangxue and above all a survivor. You are just a wannabe beta," Lin WeiQi cursed. 

Wei Wuxian nodded and looked around. "This isn't the time or place to voice grievances. I am not interested in winning brownie points with you, but you hurt people close to the real Wei Wuxian and for that I expect an apology. For the rest your mate will help you. Your bond will help you find each other. So let it guide you to your home, okay?" 

"I don't need to hear about bonds from a beta. What do you understand about bonds anyways?" she sneered back. 

Wei Wuxian pulled Lin WeiQi close and whispered in her ears in a voice that even a feral alpha couldn't perceive, "I wasn't always a beta, meimei. You should learn to keep an open mind." Saying so he pushed her away and smirked. 

Lin WeiQi walked a few steps back and then turned around to make a run. From the fifth story window a pair of eyes noted their interaction but did not report to his boss. Something didn't feel right.