Saturday Night 33 days for the Full Moon Festival

Wei Ying put the empty pizza box down on the counter by his side. His hand shook and he hoped it wasn't noticed.

Jiang Cheng advanced, gun wobbling in his shaking hand.

"What are you doing here, Jiang Cheng?" Wei Ying asked him warily, keeping his voice steady with difficulty.

Jiang Cheng had bloodshot eyes, dark circles beneath them and the fading bruises on his face from his last visit. His skin looked grey.

His clothes were wrinkled and stained...and there was a smell...

It hit Wei Ying as he got closer.

Alcohol, possibly vodka masking an unwashed odour of sweat and grime.

"My mother kicked me out because of you!" He slurred, anger tainting his words.

"She'll take you back." Wei Ying offered, his hands fluttering uselessly by his sides.

"NO!" He roared, swaying. "NOT THIS TIME! THIS TIME, IT'S OVER..." He moaned, one hand clutching his head.

From behind him along the side, one of the cabinets opened.

Wei Ying forced himself to keep his eyes on Jiang Cheng but he was so shocked at this!

In the deep darkness of that gap, he saw a flash of light and realised that it was a phone; whoever was there, was recording this. And the fingers holding that phone were small...

Suddenly the mystery of the missing pizza slices made sense!

This little person had been hiding in the kitchen all this time? No wonder that Wei Ying had felt uncomfortable whenever he had come into the kitchen before!

There had been a food thief...but the fact that it was a child made it somehow worse. And it aggravated this situation because now Wei Ying had to protect the kid as well as himself from the drunk lunatic that was Jiang Cheng.

And Jiang Cheng must have been drinking for a while because Wei Ying remembered when they were barely eighteen and smuggling beer back into their garden and drinking in secret. Jiang Cheng could hold his drink well, almost as much as Wei Ying.

Jiang Cheng reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out items: dirty tissues stained with blood, a packet with white powder, and a cigarette. He frowned, sucking his teeth, annoyed becausehe hadn't found what he was looking for. Then his fingers must have reached what he really wanted because the frown melted a little and he brought his phone out.

"I'm going to kill you and send her the pictures. Then, she'll take me back because I will have gotten rid of what she hates the most: you." He blinked, trying to clear his vision.

Wei Ying had to buy time but at this point, he wasn't sure what good that would do. Jiang Cheng was definitely drunk but it looked like he'd taken drugs too, and that was a dangerous combination. If Jiang Cheng really wanted to kill him because in his twisted head somewhere that made sense to him...Wei Ying couldn't see a way out of this. Not unless Jiang Cheng was a bad shot. But at this range...

And he had to survive...had to because of A-Yuan...because of his boy and...what about Lan Zhan? What about Wen Ning and Wen Qing? Though he wanted to laugh then, because she would be so mad, she'd resuscitate him for the sole purpose of being able to kill him again for dying.

He remembered the promise he had made to look after himself and how this was going against everything in the Universe to achieve it.

A-Yuan...his beautiful baby boy...he had lost so, so much for one so young. First his parents...and then Uncle Four...but no.

No.

Wei Ying was not going to let that happen to him again.

With firm determination, Wei Ying forced himself to stand straighter and look Jiang Cheng right into his eyes.

But to his absolute horror, the cabinet door opened more and a child...couldn't possibly be more than twelve years old, slid out. His dark hair was a wild mess of curls framing his innocent face, his green eyes filled with terror. And he was so skinny it hurt Wei Ying to look at him.

And yet, Wei Ying was proud of him for being so brave, even though his ripe fear was all over his face.

Wei Ying motioned to him with his hand, waving him back when he thought Jiang Cheng wouldn't notice, but the boy shook his head.

Wei Ying's heart dropped to his feet.

What was the kid going to do?

He didn't want to think about it at all, but Jiang Cheng had finished whatever he was thinking in his head and aimed with a shaky hand.

Wei Ying made eye contact with the kid and shook his head clearly, saying no, mouthing the words, "get out of here" to him, but this only made it worse. The kid's lips pressed in a determined line, and he edged closer, still filming.

What was the stupid kid going to do?

Wei Ying panicked.

"Jiang Cheng, put the gun down. You'll only hurt yourself!" Wei Ying told him, shifting his body to the left so Jiang Cheng would also aline with his position, making it safer for the boy.

If Wei Ying kept Jiang Cheng's attention on himself, maybe he could save the boy.

In the distance, through the open door Wei Ying heard sirens.

If he could have hugged that little kid there and then, he would have! Help was on the way! The kid was clever then, because he had obviously called the cops before filming this.

"Put it down?" Jiang Cheng pulled his hand back to stare into the muzzle of the gun.

He seemed confused as if fighting with his thoughts.

Wei Ying half hoped he would shoot himself and thereby solving this really horrible problem.

"Why? You think I can't do it? You think I can't pull the trigger?" Jiang Cheng snarled. But his arm was shaking as he held up the gun again.

He flipped the safety catch.

This was it.

Wei Ying thought about diving towards him, tackling Jiang Cheng for the gun. He was already unsteady and-

The boy beat him to it.

He stood in a flash and jumped on Jiang Cheng, taking a bite out of his neck. Jiang Cheng out of control began shooting wildly, flailing with his arms and trying to get the kid off his back while processing the pain because it had to have hurt, and then there was a punch to his face, hard enough to knock him out.

He collapsed just as a massive explosion outside rocked the house, making the windows rattle and the sirens got louder, and then suddenly there were cops all over the place and Wei Ying didn't know what was happening, but the kid was in his arms and holding him so tightly and all he could feel was simple joy and relief that this skinny kid was still alive.

There were more sirens and then shouting, the gun removed and then the kid, feeling something wet, showed Wei Ying his hands, a quiet horror on his face.

"Mister...you're bleeding..."

"Don't go..." Wei Ying told him as he passed out.

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

Lan Zhan had been dozing in the back seat, when the explosion outside his home had JingYi screeching to a halt. They couldn't have gotten closer anyway because the place was flooded with cops, blue and red lights flashing and a huge fire burning out of control.

"Boss!" He had shouted, but Lan Zhan was already awake, leaning forward in horror.

Fire engines manoeuvred their way to the front and burly firefighters got to work putting the fires out.

Lan Zhan's first thought was Wei Ying. It was late enough that Wei Ying might have gone to sleep. But his caravan....his home was on fire.

Panic searing through his body, Lan Zhan forced his shaking fingers to unbuckle his seat belt and he stumbled out.

"Call my brother!" He shouted at JingYi who nodded and did just that.

Lan Zhan ran to the front where cops were trying to stop him from getting past them until he yelled out Wei Ying's name.

The heat from the fire burning right next to them became unbearable, smoke and ash filling the air, the hiss of the cold water meeting its enemy as the fire fought back.

"SIR!" The cop in front of him losing patience finally. "You can't go in, that's a crime scene!"

"This is my house!" Lan Zhan told him. "And my .... " What? What he could he call Wei Ying? Lan Zhan hated this, because none of the words in his heart, like Soulmate, my life, my love...none of them would have made sense to this man.

But it turned out he didn't need to say anything because Wei Ying was on a stretcher being carried out...

His Wei Ying...

He was unconscious....

Lan Zhan was so relieved to see him not inside that burning caravan, that he broke out in tears.

"What's wrong with him?" He rasped out, stumbling towards them.

"He was shot...in the arm." The policeman clarified when he saw Lan Zhan become even paler.

And then he saw another gurney being wheeled out of his home. It was Jiang Cheng handcuffed to the side bars, also unconscious with a bandage around his neck.

Lan Zhan was filled with cold fury.

Jiang Cheng had come here...when Lan Zhan wasn't present.

He wanted to hurt him really badly. Just because of this idiot with a death wish, his Wei Ying was hurt.

The cop must have seen something on his face because when Lan Zhan went to move forward, he stood in his way.

"Sir," He said meaningfully. "Let the law do its job. We got this. And you have a witness." He nodded towards the third person being escorted out of Lan Zhan's home.

Lan Zhan saw a small kid, maybe twelve or thirteen looking at him desperately for help. So he stopped the policeman.

"Where are you taking him?" He asked, keeping an eye on the ambulance containing Wei Ying.

"He wants to go in the ambulance with that guy. Says that's his uncle." The policeman took a good long look at Lan Zhan. "Is that true?"

Lan Zhan nodded, holding his hand out for the child to take, and was relieved when the kid took it. He had a pleasant face, lots of wavy curls framing an animated face, and the brightest green eyes Lan Zhan had ever seen.

"We will ride with him." He motioned towards Wei Ying's ambulance.

"Alright, we're still going to be here for a while until the C.S.I.'s get here. Got a number for us to contact you?"

Lan Zhan gave him all the relevant details.

All the while he could feel the little kid's hand trembling in his. Whoever this child was, and whatever he had seen would have to wait until they had a private moment without anyone listening.

"Didi! What's going on!??" XiChen was suddenly by his side in a heartbeat, and immediately Lan Zhan felt better.

"Xiongzhang...it was Jiang Cheng..." Lan Zhan did not have to say anything more.

"Where's A-Xian? And who-"

"It's alright, Xiongzhang. We're going with Wei Ying to the hospital. Can you stay here in case they have any more questions?" Lan Zhan stopped him from saying anything contrary to what he had told the cops, who were listening to every word.

He had always been able to communicate well with his brother and right now his eyes were begging him to understand and just go along with whatever Lan Zhan was saying.

XiChen nodded. "Call me if you need anything, anything at all."

The paramedic came to call them, and they got inside the cramped ambulance. The little boy next to him was shivering now and Lan Zhan asked for a blanket for him. He clutched it close with one hand but reached out to hold Lan Zhan's hand again. The child gave him a small grateful smile.

Lan Zhan could finally concentrate on Wei Ying.

He was wearing his overalls again and Lan Zhan could tell he had been painting today. There was pale blue paint under his fingernails and on his thumb. Wei Ying was looking so small and thin on the gurney, his skin paler than normal. Lan Zhan reached over the bar on the side of the bed and interlocked their fingers together.

His hand was warm and soft, if a little rough. Lan Zhan loved holding it. It was precious to him.

He wasn't sure what exactly had happened at his home but now that the shock was wearing off, Lan Zhan could feel himself shaking too.

Tonight...tonight, he could have lost Wei Ying. A-Yuan could have lost his father.

Lan Zhan vowed that the moment Wei Ying woke up, he was going to lay down some rules.

And he was going to go after the Jiangs.

They had been warned.

***********

The drive to the hospital was short.

They were taken immediately into the ER and after the preliminary doctors had assessed Wei Ying's condition, they gave them a room with two cots. The nurses fitted Wei Ying with an IV drip and filled out a form.

"Visiting hours-" She began to say but Lan Zhan interrupted her.

"We're not leaving." He glared at her until she went away.

He was never going to leave Wei Ying without protection again. The Jiangs were not going to know what hit them. But that could come later. Right now, Lan Zhan was going to concentrate on his family.

The tug on his sleeve had him looking at the little boy.

The little boy put a phone in Lan Zhan's hand. It was very old model with just the basic functions, and at the moment it was paused on a video. The boy tapped on the screen, wanting Lan Zhan to watch.

Lan Zhan pressed the play button and at first he didn't know what he was looking at. But when he saw the floor of the kitchen, he knew this was his house and what he was going to see was priceless evidence, better than an eyewitness account.

Silently he watched the events unfold, from the moment Jiang Cheng waved his gun around and he saw Wei Ying shake his head at the phone, presumably he meant the kid and was telling him to get out of there.

He was cold with fear.

Lan Zhan listened and watched the whole thing, his hands shaking as the situation escalated, and he saw the moment that this young boy risked his life to save Wei Ying.

He turned to the frightened child.

"You were very brave." He said gently. "What's your name?"

The boy shook his head.

"Just in case anyone asks us about you. We've both lied to the police..." But he was smiling, trying to make him feel safe and give him encouragement at the same time.

"I don't want to go back." The boy whispered.

Lan Zhan had never seen such raw fear in anyone's eyes before.

Just then, the boy's blanket slipped and Lan Zhan glimpsed his bare shoulder where the T-shirt had moved, and he was shocked again. There were black and blue bruises covering all the skin he could see.

The kid quickly covered up again, a slight blush across his face.

Lan Zhan understood.

And he wished it wasn't so for the kid.

"You don't have to tell me your family name...but what should we call you?" He asked again, keeping the anger out of his voice.

The world was full of bullies and the worst truth was that some parents did not deserve the children in their care.

The child was looking uncertainly at him.

"I don't know why you have come to us, but I'll make sure you're safe from now on. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise." Lan Zhan was going to contact his lawyers first thing in the morning. And one more person who could help him.

That was all he had to say to the child for him to crawl into Lan Zhan's lap and hold on.

Lan Zhan marvelled at his trust, despite the marks on his little body which proved that not all adults were trustworthy. His own arms came around the boy's thin frame and he held the fragile child close, his big palm resting on his back.

"You're safe now." Lan Zhan told him again, meaning every word.

The boy fell asleep just like that.

Lan Zhan waited until he thought the kid had entered deep sleep and would not easily wake, before putting him inside the sheets of the second bed, tucking him in securely. Whoever he was, he had had a bad time and was scared for now. Lan Zhan was going to make sure he would never feel that kind of fear again.

He yawned, the events of the evening catching up with him. Lan Zhan looked at his watch: it was past midnight now. He reached across and held Wei Ying's hand, stretching out his own long legs so that he could fall asleep comfortably.

He had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

**********

Sunday 32 days for the Full Moon Festival

Wei Ying woke up, feeling so tired. His eyes would not stay open, but he remembered everything that had happened the day before. He turned his head with difficulty and was surprised to see the child stranger from Lan Zhan's house sleeping next to him.

And then his eyes feasted on the miracle food for them, the shape of Lan Zhan sitting fast asleep right next to him.

It gave him enough peace to fall back into sleep.

*********

The next time he woke, he felt much better. Wei Ying tried to sit up and felt something restricting his movements; there were two drips connected to his hand, one for the IV and the second one looked like blood. His arm was terribly sore, enough that it felt too heavy to lift.

He could squeeze his fingers though.

Lan Zhan woke up immediately.

"Wei Ying!" He sat up, wiping his eyes and awkwardly stretching out the muscles in his back. "How do you feel?"

"Much better." Wei Ying grinned at him. "But I can't lift my arm."

"They've given you enough painkillers to take down a horse." Lan Zhan said with a rare smile.

Wei Ying was awake and that was better than anything else.

"You were shot." Even these words were hard for Lan Zhan to say out loud.

"I'm sorry." Wei Ying said, his eyes filling with tears.

"No need, no need!" Lan Zhan, seeing his distress was mirroring it. His large hand cradled Wei Ying's face, stroking his hair and wiping away his tears with his thumb.

"But I broke my promise." Wei Ying struggled to speak.

"No...no, that was all Jiang Cheng. But don't worry about him." Lan Zhan reassured him, leaning forward to kiss Wei Ying's forehead. He was so grateful that Wei Ying was alive and awake now.

"When did you get back?" Wei Ying was so thirsty.

Lan Zhan seemed to know this and raised the bed without moving him, helping him adjust the pillows so he had support behind his body before pouring out some water and holding it to his mouth.

Wei Ying felt tired still and happy that Lan Zhan was there. He sipped at the water, feeling so much better.

"Too late." Lan Zhan looked down, still upset about that.

"Hey...." Wei Ying squeezed his hand. "Hey..." He waited for Lan Zhan to look at him. "It's not your fault. None of that is." He sighed, feeling another tear fall from his eyes. "If anything, I should be the one apologising to you. It's because of me that he came back...and then he started shooting...and....and..." He choked back a sob.

Lan Zhan sat closer on the bed next to him and gently pulled him into his arms. Wei Ying was still trembling and Lan Zhan realised that this was shock. He held Wei Ying as close as possible without hurting his arm which Wei Ying left at his side. Lan Zhan rubbed circles on his back, wanting to soothe away his worries.

Gradually, Wei Ying calmed himself.

"What's the time, Lan Zhan? A-Yuan was going to be dropped off later...Sunday evening." He whispered.

Lan Zhan looked at his watch.

"Just past ten. Sunday morning." He found Wei Ying's phone and gave it to him.

"I'd better let A-Qing know..." His silver eyes held a wealth of pain and understanding. "I...my last thoughts were about A-Yuan...but then that kid...Lan Zhan...he was so brave!" Wei Ying stopped texting to stare in wonder at the little boy on his right, still asleep.

"Where did he come from?" Lan Zhan asked, keeping his voice low in case the child was listening with his eyes closed.

"I have no idea...I was just so scared! I thought, I'm not going to let anything happen to him too...I have to get us both out of here...and then he attacked Jiang Cheng!" Wei Ying's phone started pinging constantly, one message after another.

He glanced at them, blushed and fired off one more text before putting it on silent.

Lan Zhan gazed at him curiously.

"A-Qing. I told her I'm safe. But I can't deal with her now." He rolled his eyes.

"I saw the video." Lan Zhan looked at his phone. He had transferred the video to his own device and given the phone back to the boy. It was lying next to him.

"Show me?" Wei Ying looked scared but determined.

"Are you sure?"

Lan Zhan's golden eyes were worried about him, and Wei Ying loved that about him. His eyes truly were the windows to his gorgeous soul, telling Wei Ying everything he was feeling without Lan Zhan having to say the words.

Wei Ying took a deep breath.

"Yes. Please show me." He repeated, bracing himself.

Lan Zhan pressed play, watching Wei Ying carefully. He gave him his phone and noted that Wei Ying wasn't as pale as he was yesterday and he did in fact, look much better.

Wei Ying watched the video that the little kid had made and felt sick to his stomach now as the realisation hit him that he truly could have died.

That singular moment when Jiang Cheng was going to shoot him for real.

He gripped Lan Zhan's hand tightly, hoping not to fall apart.

Wei Ying had so much to live for...and dying any time soon was a definite no-no.

He only watched it once and handed Lan Zhan's phone back to him.

His phone rang and he watched it vibrate before deciding to pick it up. He held it away from his ear as Wen Qing shouted from his speaker:

"YOU BETTER START TALKING!!! HOW DID YOU THINK THUS WAS GOING TO GO? WHAT? YOU SAY YOU'VE BEEN SHOT BUT YOU'RE "OKAY" AND "PLEASE DON'T WORRY" AND YOU THINK THAT'S ENOUGH???"

Wei Ying laughed.

Lan Zhan looked at him incredulously but it seemed to do the trick, because she lowered her voice and spoke like a human being, not an announcement at a railway station.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. Don't worry, Lan Zhan is here." Wei Ying hummed and hawed. "Are you sure? Alright, I'll ask him." He covered the speaker on his phone. "Do you want to talk to her?" He asked as Wen Qing shouted, "JUST GIVE HIM THE PHONE, IDIOT!!"

"Mn. I will talk to her." Lan Zhan held out his hand.

"Fine, fine, he said yes." Wei Ying said over expletives from the other side before handing it over.

"Mn." Lan Zhan said into the phone, with his free hand taking Wei Ying's hand and running his thumb over Wei Ying's knuckles slowly.

Wei Ying felt the smooth touch doing things to his insides, looking at the contrast between their hands and daydreaming as he sank back into the pillows, fully relaxed. There was something extra special about the way Lan Zhan was touching him that made him feel safe. He closed his eyes again and fell asleep.

**********

His stomach woke him up next time.

Loud gurgling and demands of a not-at-all understanding stomach growling with all the ferocity of a mountain grizzly had him opening his eyes. Wei Ying smiled at the fondness in Lan Zhan's eyes as he helped him to sit up again.

"How long was I out? And I think I need to use the loo." Wei Ying said, feeling uncomfortable in his nether regions.

While he had slept, the nurses had come and taken him off the IV drip and removed the blood transfusion.

But Lan Zhan wasn't taken any chances and he effortlessly picked him up, despite his protests.

"There's nothing wrong with my legs." Wei Ying grumbled but he was secretly delighted at how strong Lan Zhan was.

"Mn. Wei Ying is correct. His legs are very nice." Lan Zhan remembered him wearing shorts and his mouth watered.

Right now Wei Ying was wearing a hospital gown, open from the back as he discovered when he was alone in the bathroom. The cool air there was definitely unpleasant and after he had washed his hands, Wei Ying overlapped the layers to hide his backside.

Lan Zhan took one look at him once he opened the door and picked him up again.

"You know, I think you're enjoying this." Wei Ying accused him, smiling.

"Mn. Wei Ying is correct. I enjoy carrying him." His ears blazed to life.

Wei Ying reached up and touched one of them with his right hand. His left was the injured one. He gave him a gremlin smile. When Lan Zhan put him down on his bed, they noticed the young boy yawn and sit up.

"Are you alright?" Wei Ying went over to sit by him.

He looked dazed, but he smiled at both of them.

"I'm hungry." He said.

"Oh, so am I! I could eat a cow." Wei Ying told him, laughing.

"I will get some food." Lan Zhan told them, but just then the door opened and XiChen and Uncle Qiren came inside the room.

With them, they brought the unmistakable aroma of fried noodles and takeout.

"We brought a variety, since we weren't sure what you liked best." XiChen said in that friendly way of his.

Wei Ying saw the boy relax.

"Doctors are making their rounds by two, so we have some time." XiChen added, looking at Lan Zhan who nodded.

What his brother meant, was time to get their story straight.

"Let them eat first, Xiongzhang." Lan Zhan said firmly, taking the bags. "Thank you for the food. I was going to get some."

"Of course, of course." XiChen agreed amicably. "You must be hungry too, Didi. There's enough for all three of you."

He and Uncle Qiren sat on chairs next to a table as Wei Ying stayed where he was and Lan Zhan poured out water in two glasses while the boy opted for soda.

Wei Ying caught Uncle Qiren's eyes and he smiled, feeling better when he saw the worry diminish in his kind brown eyes.

"Eat now, we can talk after you finish." Uncle Qiren told him.

Wei Ying was so hungry, he ate two bowls before starting on the cupcakes they had thoughtfully brought with them. XiChen was happily watching them in between scrolling through his phone.

Once they had finished eating, with Wei Ying encouraging the boy to eat more because they had all noticed his too thin arms and legs, his waist far too skinny for someone of his age, Wei Ying spoke to him.

"I wanted to thank you." He said, taking the boy's hand gently. "You were so brave..."

Lan Zhan handed him a handkerchief.

"Thank you." Wei Ying told him, accepting it and wiping his eyes.

"That was a bad man. I don't like bad men." The boy said, his green eyes losing a little bit of light.

"Safe now." Lan Zhan said, putting a warm hand on his shoulder, not applying pressure because only he knew what was under his t-shirt.

The boy smiled up at him, a look of understanding passing between them.

"My name is Mo XuanYu. I ran away from home and I've been...taking your food. I'm sorry...I didn't know what else to do and I was going to come back after I got a job...to pay you back." He said, looking ashamed and repentant.

Wei Ying gasped and threw his good arm around the boy, holding him close. The boy uncertainly held him too, wrapping his arms around Wei Ying too.

XiChen raised a brow at his brother, and Lan Zhan understood that according to XiChen, he had no idea who this child was. He pulled out his phone and sent his brother the video of Mo XuanYu's brave attempt to stop Jiang Cheng.

XiChen watched it and showed Uncle Qiren, who was frowning all throughout. And now his frown was only getting deeper.

Meanwhile, Wei Ying was talking to Mo XuanYu.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

That produced more gasps, and not just from Wei Ying. He had been so sure this was a twelve year old boy...but clearly he had been well looked after.

"Were you living in the kitchen all this time?" Wei Ying asked him softly. "Don't worry, we're not angry with you and we won't shout at you, okay?"

The boy looked at him, and they saw the moment he decided to trust them.

"No. I was sleeping in the shed next to your house. But I found a window in the room at the front which was open, so I used it to get inside. I ate your sandwiches." He admitted.

"Don't worry about the food." Wei Ying told him. "I'm just glad that you're safe, okay?" He waited until emerald eyes met his silver ones and he nodded. "I found that window you used and I fixed it. Is that why you were in the kitchen when...when..."

"Yes." Mo XuanYu said quickly, not wanting to make him say more.

"Well...the only thing I'm worried about right now is your parents." Wei Ying said, as gently as he could. "Won't they be worried about you?"

Lan Zhan's face was unreadable but he shook his head at Wei Ying, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder again.

"You do not have to talk about them if you do not wish to." He said, looking into grateful eyes which had just been filled with fear.

"Oh." Wei Ying wasn't sure what or how they had connected, but he was sure Lan Zhan was onto something. "Yes...he's right. Please forgive me if I overstepped?"

The boy was looking at them in wonder. He had never had adults talk to him like this. It made him want to tell them everything.

"My mom....she passed away. Then it was just me and my dad. My dad...he didn't take it well....he started drinking." Mo XuanYu's face was a mask of pain and fear.

"You're safe now." Wei Ying promised him, understanding why Lan Zhan had said what he did now.

Mo XuanYu nodded, too emotional to speak.

Even XiChen saw that and decided to intervene.

"A-Xian...there's something else we have to tell you." He said, wondering howcto say it because it wasn't good news.

Lan Zhan reached for Wei Ying's hand, carefully holding the one he couldn't lift yet. He had an idea of what was coming.

Wei Ying felt the squeeze of warmth on his fingers and he tried to smile bravely.

"Okay." His voice sounded too small.

"Yesterday night, before Jiang Cheng entered WangJi's house...he went into your home and poured gasoline inside it, then he set it on fire before coming after you. There's nothing left of your caravan and your truck was damaged...too much. The firefighters said it was a write-off. I'm so sorry."

Wei Ying burst into tears.

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

A/N

Dear Lovely Readers,

Sorry to leave it on a sad note but work calls and I have to go. Promise I'll make it up to you guys soon with lots of fluffy goodness...

Thank God for ice cream and chocolate 🍫 😋

Have a wonderful day folks!!

Charlie.