Wednesday 29 days for the Full Moon Festival

Lan Zhan was sleeping.

Wei Ying...was not.

Maybe it was because he was sleeping so much during the day that his body was just not even trying at night...he wasn't sure. But it gave him a good chance to think and sort out his life.

So much had happened these past two weeks that Wei Ying felt dizzy thinking about it.

His home was no longer available...destroyed by the fire...and Wei Ying was having the most trouble accepting that. It wasn't that he didn't believe the Lans or the police officers when they told him...far from it.

But inside his head, it felt numb as if he couldn't quite make the connection from what they said to real life. It was hard to explain.

Right now, under his ear he could hear the steady beating of a rhythmic heart, strong and certain, constant and firm. Somehow it was really easy falling asleep at night.

His body naturally gravitated towards Lan Zhan, even in sleep and he knew Lan Zhan preferred sleeping with him here in this guest room rather than his own room next door.

It was kind of embarrassing too because both Uncle Qiren and XiChen-Ge knew about their sleeping arrangements but didn't say anything.

Nothing at all...

A-Yuan was a big fan of sleeping with either Mo XuanYu in his bed, or with Uncle Qiren in his bed so that was also a big change.

Wei Ying did miss him, and he felt bad for thinking of A-Yuan like a hot water bottle but he had an even bigger version now.

The autumn nights were getting colder and Wei Ying appreciated the extra warmth of Lan Zhan's arms around him, holding him close.

That was another thing he allowed himself to think about when he was alone.

Lan Zhan freely looked after him, provided meals three times a day, even paid him in return when Wei Ying was not able to go and work on the house because the cops still hadn't released it from the crime scene department.

He felt a little bit guilty about that too. But so far, no one had even said anything about that either.

Since sleeping was a bust, Wei Ying thought about other ways to alleviate his mind.

Wei Ying decided to try drinking some hot milk...maybe that would make him sleepy? It was no fun just lying here and if it worked then he could get a break from his own thoughts.

He eased out of the bed backwards in order so as not to wake Lan Zhan up. He stirred and Wei Ying quickly pushed his still warm pillow into his arms as a substitute.

Then he put on his bunny slippers, smiling because they always reminded him of that day when their family came together for the first time. Those particular emotions would always stay with him, something permanently able to make him happy, even if the slippers got old and had to be thrown away.

Wei Ying padded downstairs.

The whole house was silent and he tried not to make a sound. There was the odd creak and rattle as the wind swept by outside, but it was a nice quiet feeling to be the only one awake.

However...there was a light on in the kitchen.

Wei Ying had seen it in passing but never actually entered the kitchen before. He stood in the doorway, drinking in the sight.

It was a big room with kitchen cabinets all around the edges, a huge central work station in the centre of the room. The floor was laid with massive red flagstones, warm looking and welcoming. There was a master table on the side where the vegetables being used in tomorrow's dishes were ready and washed for the next morning. The whole place was painted in earthy, rich undertones and gave it a pleasant, happy vibe.

But...what was even more astounding was XiChen-Ge...

He was wearing flannel pyjamas too and a pair of sunshine yellow slippers...but covering his body was a pretty apron that said, 'Nuts about cooking' across the front. His long hair usually untied and adorning his back was tied in a neat bun and covered in a blue hair net.

He had just finished baking and was putting a tray of chocolate chip cookies to one side.

"A-Xian...?" He greeted him warmly, when he noticed Wei Yingstanding there. "Couldn't sleep?" He sympathised.

Wei Ying entered the kitchen fully, shaking his head.

"My body has had enough rest..." He smiled back.

XiChen poured out two glasses of milk and took two cookies each, putting them on two plates and nodding at Wei Ying to follow him.

There was a little table on the side which Wei Ying hadn't noticed, and he sat down opposite XiChen-Ge.

"Here. Tell me what you think." XiChen pushed the plate towards him.

Wei Ying picked up a cookie and the smell hit him first.

Chocolate.

He closed his eyes and bit down on the now slightly warm cookie, and the taste of white chocolate, milk chocolate and toasty flour with a sugar shot burst into flavour on his tongue and he moaned, savouring the taste.

There was no stopping him after that.

The rest of the cookie followed fast, and XiChen was laughing as he pushed the milk towards him.

"Oh my god, XiChen-Ge!!! HOW are you not selling these??" Wei Ying gushed, cramming the second one into his mouth straight after. "You would make a fortune!"

"Oh...haha..." XiChen smiled into his glass of milk, ears red and clearly embarrassed but pleased.

Wei Ying looked around after his third cookie, which XiChen put on his plate from his own portion.

"Not that it's odd...or anything...but do you do this regularly? Bake in the middle of the night?" Wei Ying asked.

It did seem like a strange thing to do...to be cooking in the middle of the night when everyone else was asleep.

"I like to bake when I get stressed." Confessed XiChen. He bit into his cookie to distract himself, a flush growing across his face.

"Oh." Wei Ying was fascinated.

He wondered if he could ever embarrass Lan Zhan enough that the blush would get past his beautiful ears. Something to think about...later.

"What are you stressed about?" Wei Ying asked. Then he blushed too. "I don't want to seem forward...and only if you want to tell me. It's okay if you don't...too."

XiChen smiled at him.

"A-Xian...I think we're past formalities now, wouldn't you say?" He sipped from his glass. "It's nothing concrete...more like a slow build-up of everything." He admitted, shyly. "WangJi is so good at what he does...and sometimes I don't think I'm good enough...you know?"

Wei Ying nodded sympathetically.

"Corporate life can be stressful. But I think it's unfair to compare yourself to Lan Zhan." Wei Ying finished his milk and licked his lips clean.

"What do you mean?" XiChen went and retrieved all of the cookies, putting another one on Wei Ying's plate.

"Oh my god...I shouldn't..." But he took a bite anyway.

XiChen beamed at him.

"About Lan Zhan...the thing is...he's so good...you know what I mean? He's absolutely perfect at whatever he does...and he makes everyone look bad just by breathing." Wei Ying sighed into his empty milk glass.

"More?" XiChen offered, but Wei Ying shook his head.

"I mean...take painting and decorating for example...any idiot could do it...look at me..." He grinned ruefully at XiChen. "But Lan Zhan...it's only been a week and he seems to be able to pick stuff up just like that. He's already better than me..."

They were quiet for a while.

"I get the feeling that it's bothering you...or something is..." XiChen said quietly.

"About the job...no. It's nice having company while we're working..." His voice faded away as he got lost in his thoughts again.

XiChen gave him space to think before asking, "then what is it?"

Wei Ying sighed again.

"Yesterday we were talking...and Lan Zhan said it didn't matter when I said I wasn't bringing anything into this relationship...he said I was wealthy because of A-Yuan and all the people I know...and...and I know he's right...but..."

XiChen patted his hand. He had a proud look on his face.

"I hope you know...our family is not interested in material things. It's never been a thing we went after...money is a necessity...but that's all it is. You could argue that we've been brought up surrounded by wealth and so, it's easy to say that...but our uncle was quite strict with us when we were younger. If we wanted anything aside from daily needs, we had to earn it. We learned to have a healthy respect for money from a young age...and even as adults, we are not frivolous." There was a warning note in his tone.

"Oh...I didn't mean to offend you!" Wei Ying said, suddenly realising that there were two meanings in his words. "I didn't mean to imply that you guys were...or are shallow...I didn't mean that at all. It was more...what I was trying to do, was address the imbalance between our financial situation. At the moment, it's kind of heavily in your favour. That was all." He emphasised, wondering if he could possibly make it worse.

XiChen's face cleared and he smiled, a genuine one. He reached across and patted Wei Ying's hand again.

Wei Ying got the feeling that despite his sunny personality and external charm...this was a dangerous man when he wanted to be. That same vibe which got Wei Ying all hot and bothered with a need to fan himself around Lan Zhan who had it in spades, was also a hidden quality in his brother, masked by a charming countenance.

Both brothers were lethal...in their own way.

"Let me ask you this?" He was saying now.

Wei Ying nodded. He was staring into the natural pattern of the varnished wood under his fingers. The colour was like burnt gold...and it reminded him of Lan Zhan's eyes. The darker flecks of gold glinting in the depths of his eyes was like the lines of age in the rings and grooves of this table. It gave him a warm feeling.

"Do you love my brother?"

Wei Ying's eyes shot up, silver ones clashing with a darker gold.

"Yes."

No more was needed...at least, to that question.

"Why?"

The question was innocent...but Wei Ying struggled to answer it. Not because he didn't know the answer, but because he was worried that he would not be able to articulate it well enough.

"It's...you know, Lan Zhan is just amazing...as a person I mean. He's kind of innocent...? No...that's not it...clean-hearted! That's the word...he's very sincere. I don't know how to explain it...but I've never met anyone as intense as him." Wei Ying laughed awkwardly. "The thing is...I tried to keep myself away from him...I mean, how unprofessional is it that I'm working for him and then I've fallen for my boss...and it's so cringey..." Wei Ying thought he was just babbling now...but it wasn't enough. He was nowhere near done explaining.

"It's not... cringey...as you put it...if you really feel that way." XiChen told him. Everything Wei Ying was telling him, was cementing the fact that he thought his brother and Wei Ying were well suited for each other. But he wanted to make one thing absolutely clear. "The thing is...my brother is a very honest man. He's always been that way. And I believe I explained something to you early on...we Lans have a certain trait when it comes to falling in love. We fall fast, we fall hard and we fall forever. If that's something that's going to bother you...you should speak up now."

Wei Ying was shaking his head emphatically.

"I'm not...it doesn't...I'm sure of my love." He finished. But not satisfied with his own words, he took a deep breath wondering how this seemingly harmless conversation suddenly turned into a shovel talk. "Okay...bear with me, I'm not sure I'm doing great on explaining...okay?"

"Sure...take your time." XiChen replied, a glint in his honey-coloured eyes.

Wei Ying felt as if he was being circled by a shark.

A very friendly one too, but no less capable of ripping him to shreds.

The imagery was real.

"I love your brother...I really do. If there's one thing I'm so, so sure about...it's that."

"But?" XiChen smiled but it was more like baring his teeth.

Wei Ying gulped hard.

Why was this so hard?

"My problem...well, it's not really a problem, per say. The thing is...I'm worried that it's all too much, too soon...do you know what I mean? I don't doubt the way I feel about Lan Zhan...or how he feels about me...but come on...isn't it weird that I wanna be around him all of the time? That when he's not with me, I find myself daydreaming about him...all of the time. It's not even funny." Wei Ying pushed the plate of cookies away with a superhuman control and buried his face in his arms on the table.

He gave up trying to put into words what he was actually feeling.

And then horror of horrors...

"Xiongzhang?"

They both turned to see a dishevelled Lan Zhan in his bunny pyjamas and bunny slippers, pausing at the door as if he had raced there and only just calmed down. His tone however, was not friendly. He held a hand out to Wei Ying, calling him to his side.

It was a blatant warning to his brother to back off.

Wei Ying was simultaneously happy to see him, end this mother of all conversations and kind of terrified because Lan Zhan looked as if he should not be messed with right now. He stood up gratefully and took Lan Zhan's hand, who not so subtly shoved him behind him protectively. Then he glared at his brother.

"Cookie?" XiChen held the plate towards him in a non-threatening way.

Wei Ying wasn't sure what was going on between the brothers, because it was way not as innocent as it looked. There was clearly so much more going on, as if they were having an altogether different conversation in their minds.

"Maybe later." Lan Zhan replied coolly.

So, it wasn't an outright rejection.

"We are going to sleep now. But if Xiongzhang has any further questions, then he is welcome to ask me." He added, firmly.

"Of course." XiChen answered back, a twinkle in his eyes as he bit back laughter.

His baby brother was so cute, especially when he thought XiChen was crossing a boundary.

Lan Zhan didn't think there was anything funny about this. He turned and marched back the way he had come when he had been frantically searching for a missing boyfriend, who as it turned out, was being interrogated by his own brother, no less.

His silence as they walked briskly back to their bedroom was unnerving to Wei Ying, who didn't understand at all why Lan Zhan was so upset. Had he done something wrong? Or...and this was waay worse: had Lan Zhan overheard Wei Ying give his lame reasons for loving him?

Was that why he was so angry?

Frustration made his eyes wet, because until now, Wei Ying had rather thought his vocal skills were beyond compare. Now though...now he was second-guessing each of his responses. Before he knew Lan Zhan had heard him, they seemed quite harmless...but now? He wasn't so sure.

And Lan Zhan looked...pissed.

Not a good sign.

He came to a halt right next to their bed and let go of Wei Ying's hand, finally.

The room was still in darkness, and the only light spilling into the room was from the big round moon, pale and luminous right outside their window.

He didn't notice Wei Ying's tears until he started dashing them away with the back of his hands.

Lan Zhan made a distressed noise and gathered him closer, at last his heart calming to a steady regular beating. Together they breathed through the worst of it as Wei Ying also calmed down.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered.

"For what?" Lan Zhan was genuinely confused.

As far as he was concerned, Wei Ying had nothing to be apologise for. His Wei Ying was perfect, and no one could tell him otherwise...least of all his own brother.

"I kind of...made a mess down there." Wei Ying waved a hand towards the door, whence they had entered. "How much did you hear?"

Lan Zhan considered his question, leaning towards not telling the truth because despite his efforts, Lan Zhan could still see silvery wet streaks falling down Wei Ying's cheeks.

But he had always believed that honesty was the best policy.

"When I woke up...Wei Ying was not there." He couldn't help the accusatory tone.

"I...I couldn't get back to sleep. So I went downstairs." Wei Ying explained softly.

"Instead of Wei Ying in my arms...you put a pillow." This was an accusation this time.

"It was warm...okay?" Wei Ying shot back defensively. "I thought you wouldn't notice."

Lan Zhan scoffed at that aloud. Words were not necessary to demonstrate how ridiculous that statement was.

"We got to talking...and then XiChen-Ge asked me how I felt about you..." He shut up because now it was terribly embarrassing.

"Mn, I heard." Lan Zhan sounded so smug about it.

Wei Ying wailed and covered his face.

He felt warm, strong arms wrap around him, keeping him safe.

""Amazing, innocent, cleanhearted..."" Lan Zhan quoted, smiling at the middle one.

Wei Ying whined into his chest.

"Don't make fun of me."

Lan Zhan kissed the top of his head and guided him down to the bed. He took off Wei Ying's slippers and then his own, and got into bed next to him, holding him close.

"Am not making fun." Lan Zhan sounded serious now.

"Then?" Wei Ying looked at him now, his brilliant silver eyes shining like the stars.

"Pleased. Happy." Lan Zhan replied, in that special way of his to make a single word sound like a paragraph.

"You are?" Doubt dripped from his mouth. "No way!"

"Yes way." Lan Zhan kissed his forehead warmly.

And then, not content with that meagre show of affection, he swooped down and captured those beautiful pouting lips, easing them open to the treasures inside. And Wei Ying was hungrily kissing him back, eager for more.

Lan Zhan could taste chocolate, warm and inviting and Lan Zhan couldn't get enough. Wei Ying was just as addictive as the one piece of chocolate he used to savour after every meal...only Wei Ying was here and in abundance.

This was simple heaven, excitement rivalling joy as they both explored one another's lips, taking them on a pleasurable journey, one they wished would never end.

When they parted, Lan Zhan tried to explain his annoyance.

"I was not angry." He said, as if that was enough.

"But...you looked angry." Wei Ying said, smiling now. "It was kinda hot."

"I do not like Xiongzhang interfering. It is not...right." No...that wasn't enough. "Us...Wei Ying and I...it is between only us. Together." He hoped that was sufficient to say what he had been feeling...still felt towards Wei Ying. It was almost a primal fear, a fierce kind of protection for this love, fragile at the beginning but so strong within its core.

"I...I know what you mean." Wei Ying said, unexpectedly. "When I was trying to tell him...I mean, I like your brother...but it felt intrusive...like I was sharing something private. It felt wrong."

"Yes. That is what I meant. That is why I came to help Wei Ying." He sounded smug again.

"My hero." Wei Ying kissed his neck sleepily. "Anyway, XiChen-Ge attacked me with chocolate cookies...I sang like a canary."

"It is alright. No one can resist his excellent baking. Wei Ying cannot be blamed. It is like a truth drug." Lan Zhan told him.

Now that Wei Ying was safely in his arms, he could let go of the raw panic that had grabbed hold of his throat when he discovered that Wei Ying wasn't next to him then.

"Sleep now." He said, as Wei Ying closed his eyes.

"Love you..." He whispered, doing exactly that.

Lan Zhan too, closed his eyes plotting a sweet revenge on elder brothers who should keep their noses out of his love life.

XiChen wouldn't know what hit him...

He was going to do something quite harmless of course...and he smiled as he too fell asleep to the sound of Wei Ying's heart beating with his.

********