Monday 31 days left for the Full Moon Festival

Wei Ying felt giddy at the way Lan Zhan was looking at him.

Boyfriend and love... those were two words he had never thought he would have, and in such a short time? Impossible!

It wasn't that he thought he wasn't ready, or because of A-Yuan, or even about his own abilities to have those...it was more the fact that time had been against him and he had never actually considered it.

But Cupid was firing all his arrows straight at him.

So full of confidence, Wei Ying reached up and covered Lan Zhan's lips with his own, satisfying a primal need to love him back.

Lan Zhan was startled enough at his bold move to stop caging him against the wall and his big, warm palms were pressing down on Wei Ying's back, molding his lithe body against his own.

There was a secret magic here, a well of deep love that Wei Ying thought they had only just scraped the surface of, in these stolen moments of joy.

Sharp electrifying tingles erupted all over his skin, goosebumps spreading all over as his mouth was plundered because Lan Zhan was so, so good at turning the tables on him.

His hot tongue began to explore with gusto, coaxing Wei Ying's mouth to open as he gasped for much needed air, and his own hands were running and up and down Lan Zhan's sides, feeling his muscles bunch and flex with each caress.

Wei Ying felt loved, he felt safe, and he felt protected.

Lan Zhan was all around him, his spicy clean sandalwood scent enveloping him in a bubble of warmth, while he ravished his mouth, in spite of his previous denial.

Wei Ying was shamelessly up for more and when his hands glided under the shirt he had tugged loose, the jolt that went through Lan Zhan's body was jarring to them both.

Lan Zhan growled and stepped back, holding Wei Ying's hands in one of his.

An involuntary whine escaped from his lips and Wei Ying looked up, dazed.

Lan Zhan thought he looked perfect. His long damp lashes were curled over those gorgeous silver starlight eyes, flecks of smoky granite shining within. A pinkish blush bloomed across his face as he considered what they were just doing.

Wei Ying did not know how dangerous he was.

"The doctor...?" Lan Zhan reminded him, and he had thought about giving Wei Ying his arm, but decided to do one better.

He scooped Wei Ying into his arms and Wei Ying yelped, immediately covering his mouth in embarrassment.

Lan Zhan wore a smug smile on his face all the way up the stairs to his room.

He was responsible for putting that look on Wei Ying's face, he was the one who made Wei Ying forget what he was doing.

Him.

He felt most satisfied, even when Wei Ying's lips brushed his ear.

"Just you wait, Boyfriend of mine. I'm gonna get you back for that little stunt!" His teeth bit down on the outer shell of Lan Zhan's ear.

Lan Zhan nearly dropped him.

Naughty little gremlin...

It was Wei Ying's turn to look self-satisfied now. He beamed at Lan Zhan and then blushed at the doctor, only then realising what he looked like with Lan Zhan carrying him in.

The doctor was all business.

He waited until Lan Zhan put Wei Ying down on the edge of his bed, and then he hovered protectively just behind the doctor, watching if Wei Ying was uncomfortable or not.

The doctor was quite gentle; he carefully lifted up the white sleeve of Wei Ying's T-shirt and undid the bandage.

When Wei Ying winced, he frowned.

"Have you been taking your painkillers?" He asked.

Now Wei Ying had two pairs of eyes glaring at him.

"It didn't hurt in the morning!" He protested, weakly.

Lan Zhan handed him a glass of water while the doctor released two pills from the foil packet .

"Let me explain something to you." The doctor said, patiently. "Your body must build up the influence of the painkillers. By you stopping and starting the meds, all you are doing is confusing your nervous system. It doesn't know what's going on, because the pain goes away but comes back faster. But, if you had been consistent in taking them, your body would have mimicked them into thinking it was better. Now, promise me you won't neglect them again?"

"I promise he will take his medication." Lan Zhan said, from behind them.

He glared at Wei Ying, who scowled at the floor.

"The medication will make you drowsy, but sleep is best for you. Better than even the medication. Proper rest ensures proper healing." The doctor warned him sternly.

He changed the dressing, cleaning the wound again.

Wei Ying was regretting not taking the painkillers now; with every swipe of the solution over his broken skin, the pain was unimaginable. But he bit his lip, knowing all he would get from the other two was I-told-you-so's.

Once the doctor finished wrapping his arm in a fresh bandage, he started packing away his things.

"From now on, the district nurse will come daily to clean and dress your wound. I shall come once a week to make sure it is healing as we desire. You may move on to normal paracetamol after this three day course is finished." He advised, giving Wei Ying one last smile.

"Okay." Wei Ying replied, sullenly.

He felt exhausted and lay down while Lan Zhan went to see the doctor off.

The softest touch on his forehead woke him up.

Silver eyes blinked open, smiling up at Lan Zhan.

"I did not mean to wake you." Lan Zhan apologised, regretting his impetuous action.

Wei Ying was looking so soft, so beautiful, that he had to kiss his forehead.

Wei Ying yawned and stretched one arm.

"That's okay...it was a power nap. Look, I'm fresh as a daisy!" Wei Ying stood up, ready to head downstairs. "I can support my boyfriend, no problem."

Lan Zhan shot him a dubious look but gathered him up anyway.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep here?" He asked.

"Pretty sure. I'll get lonely." Wei Ying insisted.

"But how will you know if Wei Ying is unconscious?" Lan Zhan barely prevented a snort.

Wei Ying frowned against his neck.

"I'll know! And at this rate, you'd think I was shot in the leg." He muttered under his breath.

Lan Zhan ignored him and made his way to the study.

Song Lan and Xiao XingChen were chatting amicably to XiChen, as Lan Zhan went to the couch where Wei Ying could lie down if he wanted to.

He looked drowsy but his stubborn side was getting the better of him and Lan Zhan knew it was only a matter of time before he closed his beautiful eyes.

Lan Zhan preferred it that way.

The less Wei Ying knew about what he was planning, the better. The way he saw it, he was simply removing a splinter from their lives, and since he already had Uncle Qiren's approval, he was quite happy to go ahead.

Besides, the only way to teach bullies was to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Wei Ying leaned heavily against him, while Lan Zhan waited for XiChen to wrap things up.

The maid entered again, this time a little nervously.

"Nie Huaisang and Ouyang Zizhen are both here." She announced.

"Please show them in." Lan Zhan commanded.

Good, everyone was here now.

Wei Ying gave up the fight to stay awake exactly when they walked in.

Lan Zhan didn't bother getting up; instead he gently arranged Wei Ying so that he was lying down more comfortably, with his head using Lan Zhan's thigh as his pillow. He grabbed the warm throw from the back of the couch and draped it over the sleeping man, before turning to his guests.

Nie Huaisang already had his fan out, with a knowing smile.

"Why are we here?" Xiao XingChen asked politely.

"The Jiangs." Lan Zhan explained.

"Ah." Xiao XingChen immediately understood.

He had been the go between whenever the Jiang conglomerate made things difficult for the Lans.

"What do you want to do?" Xiao XingChen asked.

Song Lan pulled out his notebook and began writing.

"Run them into the ground. By the time I've finished with them, I want no trace of their existence in the business world left." Lan Zhan ordered.

"Okay...doable..." Huaisang said.

He was a quiet man, but one who knew everything there was to know about everything.

"And then," Lan Zhan continued in the same calm voice, "I want them obliterated."

Everyone paled.

"In such a way that they cannot even think of ever causing anyone of my family harm. This includes Wei WuXian and Wei Yuan. Actually, include Wen Qing and Wen Ning in the list."

Huaisang had paused fanning himself, but now his hand was moving double time.

"How do you want it done?"

"First, I want detailed reports on what money is coming in and going out in the Jiang business. I want to know who they owe, and who owes them. That's your department." Lan Zhan told Huaisang. Then he turned to the other silent man, Ouyang Zizhen. "Liase with Xiao XingChen and Song Lan. Buy up shares in the Jiang conglomerate under different names. Make sure it is untraceable."

Ouyang Zizhen nodded. He did not need to take notes because his only client was Lan WangJi, and his assignment was fairly easy. All he had to do was free up money which was tied up in investments and off-shore accounts, in slow increments so as not to raise suspicion. Then, when Lan WangJi asked for it, it would be ready to use, complete with paperwork in case the authorities were involved.

"If your department can make sure it is legitimate, that's all I will be needing from you. On an extra note though, can a restraining order be obtained? If Jiang WanYin so much as looks at Wei WuXian, I want the law to be able to slap cuffs on him." Lan Zhan was really getting into this. "And another one for Madam Yu. She's just as toxic."

"Consider it done." Xiao XingChen replied, typing away on his laptop.

"One more thing." Lan Zhan addressed Huaisang. "I want to know if every aspect of their lives, especially if anything is questionable. I want details. If Jiang Fengmian visits the red light district, if he does drugs, if he has a drinking problem, you understand? I WANT TO KNOW."

His voice was icy calm and coupled with his freezing tone, they knew he meant business.

And he wasn't done yet.

"The same goes for Madam Yu and her ass of a son. Gentlemen, we are going to take them apart, hook, line and sinker." He ended.

"What about Jiang YanLi?" Huaisang asked.

"What do we know about her?"

"She's married to Jin ZiXuan. They're actually pretty tame. When they got married, Jin ZiXuan left his father's company and set up an online business. They're doing quite well. She works as a pastry chef for a breakfast joint. And they have one kid, Jin Rulan."

Lan Zhan was listening intently to everything, but at the last sentence, his head shot up.

"Alright, don't touch them. As long as they stay out of my business..." He looked down at the sleeping beauty on his lap, "then just keep tabs on her. One toe out of line, then only..."

"Okay Boss." Huaisang began packing up his things. "When do you want this done by?"

"A week at most. As soon as possible and the earlier, the better." Lan Zhan ignored their widened eyes.

He watched them shuffle out, one by one, all the while thinking of what he was going to do later.

Right now, he was pretty tired, too, and Wei Ying was simply too tempting to let go. Lan Zhan closed his laptop and put it away.

Unconsciously, his hand was resting on Wei Ying's head, those silky locks running through his fingers. Wei Ying was smiling in his sleep.

Lan Zhan smiled at his fresh face.

Wei Ying looked so calm and beautiful, peace resting on his face.

And now that Lan Zhan had gotten his plan in motion, he too felt peaceful.

So he lifted Wei Ying's head and placed a pillow under it. Then he rolled him to the side and lay down beside him.

Before he ever met Wei Ying, he hadn't thought about what his life could be like if he met someone special. But now...with these feelings...he was astonished at how fast both his mind and body had adjusted to these new people. His heart had opened completely, blooming like a bright flower when before it was near wilting.

Lan Zhan felt happy and content as he closed his eyes.

This peacefulness was a gift.

Sleep came swiftly as his arms held the sleeping man closer, their breaths mingling together.

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

A wet kiss on cheek woke him up.

Lan Zhan was just about to open his eyes when hushed, chortling laughter stopped him.

"Thifu! Dere sthill thleeping!" More giggles, more pent up anticipation at the possibility that one of these grown-ups would wake up and tickle him.

"But it is lunchtime." Uncle Qiren said quietly.

"I will try harder." A-Yuan promised.

Lan Zhan was trying hard not to smile at his cute determination, and with his eyes closed, he too was feeling excited.

How had he not missed feeling this way?

He wanted to grab the boy and kiss him all over his face.

But he told himself to be patient.

Suddenly, there were squeals of loud laughter and a deeper voice echoing the same, so Lan Zhan opened his eyes.

Wei Ying had beaten him to it.

He was tickling the baby mercilessly with one hand, his own mouth smiling widely, and he laughed along.

"My naughty little Radish!" Wei Ying exclaimed. "Look what you did! You woke up, Pwetty Gege!"

Twin faces of guilt looked back at him, and Lan Zhan could feel his ears getting red. He tried to smile, though, because of these moments ... these memories were precious.

In his mind, he took a snapshot of his family - only XiChen was missing - of a still laughing A-Yuan and Wei Ying huddled together with Uncle Qiren standing behind them, looking fondly on.

He knew he was going to remember this forever.

Two stomachs rumbled at the same time as Wei Ying blushed, and A-Yuan said, "Baba...hungwy..."

He held his arms up for Wei Ying to carry him, and a look of pain crossed over Wei Ying's face.

Lan Zhan quickly grabbed the boy.

"A-Yuan...Pwetty Gege will be sad if you don't let him carry you." With one arm carrying the boy, Lan Zhan extended his free hand to Wei Ying, smiling kindly.

Wei Ying recognised the gesture for what it was and smiled back gratefully.

"Pwetty Gege...thad?" A-Yuan was saying, after thinking it over.

Lan Zhan nodded seriously.

He was again hit with another truth: he would be sad if A-Yuan wouldn't let him carry him.

In just ten days... both this charming little one and his father had stolen Lan Zhan's heart.

Against his will, his eyes became damp, and Lan Zhan quickly blinked the tears back before A-Yuan noticed.

But he was too late.

"Pwetty Gege! Pwetty Gege, you can carry me all the time. Baba? Look, he's crying!" A-Yuan shouted out to his dad. He flung both his tiny chubby arms around Lan Zhan's neck, wanting to make him feel better as soon as possible.

"Lan Zhan....?" Wei Ying asked him.

But before Lan Zhan could answer, he could give an explanation...or any reason why he was feeling so emotional suddenly, another pair of arms wrapped around both him and A-Yuan.

Lan Zhan recognised the scent of sandalwood and jasmine...the scent that had lived in his memory since he was as old as A-Yuan was right now...it was his Uncle Qiren This scent...he realised it now. He associated it with feeling safe.

And, he had not realised either how much he had missed this feeling. How much he missed being hugged by the only person to still stand by him and his Xiongzhang.

Uncle Qiren patted his back and awkwardly stepped away, his eyes suspiciously misty.

"Uncle..." Lan Zhan wasn't sure of how to ask for what he wanted.

Uncle Qiren had not hugged him in so long... when had he stopped?

Lan Zhan couldn't even remember that.

"Does Pwetty Gege like hugs?" A-Yuan was asking him.

His chubby hands held Lan Zhan's face, and the baby looked deeply into his eyes. Those chocolate eyes were utterly serious.

"Yes. I do." Lan Zhan told him, hoping Uncle Qiren was listening.

"Thifu... we have to hug Pwetty Gege every day!" A-Yuan demanded. "Baba! You must, too!" He looked distressed at the thought of anyone withholding this precious gift from his Pwetty Gege.

"Mn. I will." Uncle Qiren smiled at first A-Yuan, and then at Lan Zhan. "I... miss that." He said uncertainly.

"I do too!" Lan Zhan blurted out quickly, not wanting to miss his chance...or to let his uncle think it wasn't necessary or appreciated.

"And what about me?" XiChen popped up out of nowhere, joining in.

Mo XuanYu was standing just behind them, watching them with big green eyes wide with disbelief.

Uncle Qiren pretended to sigh as if they were making unreasonable demands from him.

"You too. Now we shall have lunch." He announced and shuffled past.

But both his nephews saw his secret smile.

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

After lunch and the forced taking of painkillers, because Lan Zhan was nothing if not diligent, they went to take A-Yuan to visit the bunnies with Mo XuanYu.

While the children played, Lan Zhan coaxed Wei Ying to lie down, supporting his head in his lap.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and yet again, Lan Zhan appreciated not having to go to work.

The sun was shining brightly with a cooling breeze, so it wasn't too hot. Hyacinths were in full bloom in his Uncle's garden, the scent drifting over them to sweeten the air. Daisies were sprinkled in the short grasses around them, making this enclosure with the bunnies even prettier. Birds were singing in the trees, and everything about this moment was warm and soft.

Lan Zhan leaned back on his arms, looking at the two children who, despite their age difference, were getting along so well and just playing with the rabbits. Wei Ying had fallen asleep again, and Lan Zhan found he could gaze at the sleeping beauty forever.

In fact, he was enjoying himself so much in this simple delight that Lan Zhan was seriously considering how to make it permanent. He had enough money, and Uncle Qiren had taken care of that ages ago.

So if he didn't have to work at the office...if he could train someone to do all the menial tasks, leaving XiChen only with the main important decisions with Uncle Qiren...then it was completely doable....because Lan Zhan had discovered something else.

Never in his life had he thought about manual labour. Not as a pastime, never as a career.

But this past week helping Wei Ying in his job...it had given him a taste for something different.

A new career... a new path.

And the more Lan Zhan thought about it, the more it felt appealing.

He wondered how to put his thoughts into words... how to tell Wei Ying that he was going to have free help...if he wanted it.

That was the big question.

How would Wei Ying take the news?

Would he be happy to have help? Or would he feel ... what?

Lan Zhan hoped he wouldn't feel as if Lan Zhan was taking over his life? Maybe he shouldn't rush into anything yet.

He still had lots of time...thirty one days, to be exact, to make up his mind.

"You look like you're having thoughts..." Wei Ying whispered sleepily.

He raised his good hand to cradle Lan Zhan's face.

Lan Zhan smiled at him and turned his face so his lips met the centre of Wei Ying's palm. He saw the shudder ripple through Wei Ying's body...he was so sensitive!

And Lan Zhan felt proud of himself. He had made that happen! He could make Wei Ying feel like that!

Wei Ying smiled back at him, closing his eyes.

"I've slept so much today." His soft voice melted into the breeze.

"Rest is good." Lan Zhan gently put his hand down and began to run his fingers through Wei Ying's hair.

Every time he did this, he found himself marvelling at how soft it was, how thick and silky it was, each strand ran through his fingers like water.

"S'good..." Wei Ying sighed himself into sleep.

Lan Zhan smiled down at him.

Yes...life was good.

Life could be as good as they wanted it to be.

**********