Friday 13 days to go for the Full Moon Festival

They were on a tight deadline but Wei Ying thought if they made a concentrated effort, the house was definitely going to be finished by the time the full moon Festival came around.

So...why on earth had he decided to throw caution to the wind and pile on an extra job, right in the middle of renovation?

Was it because on some hidden level, he enjoyed stress? Working under pressure? Was it some kind of trigger allowing him to be more productive? He wished he knew...because his fantastic idea, the one that, at the time when it had first appeared in his head, sounded and looked amazing.

In his head.

But now?

Right in front of him was a huge mess and he had to console himself that at the very least, he could whitewash it and no one would be any the wiser for it.

And yet...the little voice inside his head was spewing out nonsense and making it hurt. He sincerely tried not to listen.

It was hard because that voice, the one that doubted his ability, that threw a bucket of bleach over his confidence and obliterated its existence...it had been his companion ever since his parents passed away.

Like an unwanted stepmother in all the fairytales...and sometimes Wei Ying thought that if Madam Yu had a twin sister, it would be that horrible, insistent voice residing in his brain.

The soft knock on the door told him that Lan Zhan was waiting on the other side of it.

Lan Zhan with all his different sides, sometimes stubborn, most times sweet, all the time loving with his multifaceted personality...he fascinated Wei Ying on another level. In so many ways...

There were times when Wei Ying just wanted to sit down in his lap and forget about the rest of the world. Forget about the flashes of inspiration that lit up his mind like a storm in the desert...but in reality, those storms were harder to endure.

He sighed and went to open the door.

Maybe today wasn't going to be productive and he just had to accept that.

Lan Zhan was waiting outside the living room, with his eyes closed.

That.

That little bit extra...

It was what made Wei Ying fall in love with him more and more.

Lan Zhan did not need to close his eyes; actually Wei Ying had never suggested he should...but this sweet, wonderful man was extra without being asked...and that, in Wei Ying's opinion deserved a prize.

Without making a sound, Wei Ying eased the door closed and pressed his lips against sweet, patient ones just begging to be kissed.

A thrill of anticipation shimmered through Wei Ying’s body as Lan Zhan’s arms came around him like a steel cage, holding him impossibly close. Wei Ying wound his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck and deepened the kiss, throwing himself into it.

The naughtiest part of his brain issued a challenge: could he make Lan Zhan forget his reason for coming here?

Wei Ying felt powerful and crazy at the same time, like a hurricane out of control. Lan Zhan always made him feel this way and with blinding clarity, he wondered if he had always been passionate like this? Or was it just Lan Zhan, the only one who possessed the ability to lure a hair trigger response out of Wei Ying?

Right now, Wei Ying couldn’t care less because Lan Zhan had started kissing him back, and he giggled, jumping up into his arms so that Lan Zhan had to brace him up against the wall, holding him up with his large hands on soft mounds because Wei Ying had crossed his ankles at the base of Lan Zhan’s spine.

These tantalising lips, a temptation of their own like a decadent dessert, all sin and drowning in pleasure as Wei Ying gave more than he took. With this kiss, he wanted Lan Zhan to know how much he loved him, how much he was grateful every single second that the Universe had made Lan Zhan pick up his phone and call him.

Lan Zhan with his biggest heart...big enough to fit their family inside, big enough to dedicate a whole chamber for Wei Ying alone...Wei Ying was kissing him with a needy desperation now, as tears fell from his eyes.

It was the salty taste which alarmed Lan Zhan and he stopped to catch his breath.

The study was the closest room to the living room, the magenta walls now painted over a multiple of times. Wei Ying had confided in him, telling him that he had never ever painted a room eight times before.

Lan Zhan thought it still held traces of that purple pink hue...but he didn’t want Wei Ying to worry about it. He could hide the walls with shelves...and besides, Wei Ying seemed to be stressing already about something...something which Lan Zhan hoped he would explain...soon.

He had come to find Wei Ying because his uncle had phoned with...news...but that could wait...they could wait.

Wei Ying was upset and that was far more important than anything else.

Lan Zhan sat down in the swivel chair, ergonomically the best, as Wei Ying had described it before buying two, one for the study and one for Mo XuanYu in his room.

Lan Zhan hadn't said anything yet but he had prepped the artist's room all in white and moved the tester paint pots there, ready to ask Wei Ying what colour he wanted to paint what would be A-Yuan's room...

Lan Zhan pulled out a white handkerchief and carefully wiped under Wei Ying’s eyes.

Wei Ying was straddling his lap now, watching him owlishly.

"Are you alright?" Lan Zhan asked him.

Wei Ying nodded vigorously, smiling in embarrassment.

Lan Zhan stared at the white handkerchief in his hand and then at Wei Ying’s face, pointedly. He raised a brow.

Wei Ying giggled and hugged him.

"I think I just got overwhelmed by what I'm feeling...about you...Lan Zhan. That's all. You know...sometimes the feelings are just...just too much? You know? And it just happened...I didn’t mean to cry." He gave a low laugh, breathing in this amazing scent. The sandalwood fragrance was strongest at Lan Zhan’s neck and before Wei Ying could stop himself, his tongue came out and licked the spot.

Lan Zhan had him flat on the desk before he could blink, stunned into silence as those lips attacked, biting and kissing his way down Wei Ying’s body.

This set of overalls had a zip fastenening and Lan Zhan took the runner between his teeth, dragging it down. What he was unprepared for, was all that bare skin...as Wei Ying had gone commando.

The next few minutes went by too fast, as both of them lay on the floor in a heap when they finished.

Wei Ying was sprawled on a bare chest, still trying to catch much needed air into his lungs when he remembered that there had been a reason Lan Zhan had knocked on the living room door.

And he would ask in a minute...as soon as his eyes opened...he promised himself, promptly falling asleep.

Lan Zhan continued stroking his hair, feeling incredibly lucky.

It was his fault that Wei Ying was so tired; last night had been spent in a hotel and he wasn't quite sure what had happened to him, but he had gone a little...feral? Now looking at the number of bites dotting Wei Ying’s delicious skin, Lan Zhan had a hard time believing he was a vegetarian.

Still, Wei Ying hadn’t seemed to mind, encouraging him even, and they had stayed up quite late. Actually...Lan Zhan wasn't sure if either of them had slept at all...the freedom of not being walked in on by another member of their family a restraint he hadn’t known was on them.

Perhaps they had both unconsciously discovered this at the same time; they were cautious at home in a way that they did not need to be elsewhere.

For example, this sudden bout of papapa would never have happened at the mansion.

They were both too responsible for that...so this was a nice surprise.

Wei Ying yawned and stirred twenty minutes later, revived and refreshed. He kissed the place where Lan Zhan’s heart lay beating and eyed those golden orbs mischievously.

"So...Er-Gege...what did you need? When you knocked?"

"Oh. Uncle had phoned, wanted to pass on a message." His ears were red with the implications.

Wei Ying’s eyes widened and he sat up, straddling Lan Zhan.

"Er...so was it urgent?" He held his breath...hoping it wasn't because then, they were definitely late. A giggle burst forth at his own thought: had it been a fire, he and Lan Zhan were probably the worst people to call in an emergency.

"Uncle has...guests." Lan Zhan continued, uncomfortably.

This was a difficult conversation to have if both parties were very much naked.

"Guests?" Wei Ying prodded.

He looked way too tempting for Lan Zhan to hold a conversation with...so Lan Zhan closed his eyes.

There it was again...that beautiful sound.

Lan Zhan could listen to Wei Ying giggle forever.

"Mn."

It was self-preservation...not opening his eyes.

Wei Ying poked his cheek with a single finger.

"And?"

"And?" Lan Zhan repeated.

The thoughts that should have been there, in his mind ready to voice...simply weren't available. They had floated away like dandelion seeds on a breeze and Lan Zhan was having trouble concentrating.

"Who were the guests? Why did he phone you?" Wei Ying had recovered earlier than him, it seemed.

"Jiang YanLi and Jin ZiXuan." Lan Zhan mumbled.

Wei Ying stilled.

Lan Zhan’s eyes snapped open.

For a few seconds, they merely watched each other, the silence becoming heavier as the time passed.

Then Lan Zhan sat up and grabbed his shirt.

But instead of wearing it himself, he covered Wei Ying up first, so he would have some coherent thoughts...because there was a lot he had to tell him.

And now...he had made it worse, because a bare and naked Wei Ying was bad enough, detrimental to any thoughts or activities save one, but...but a Wei Ying wearing his shirt? With buttons undone?

No way.

Lan Zhan slapped a hand over his own eyes and spoke rapidly because there was no other way.

"Huaisang called. Madam Yu arrested this morning. Government officials raided their home. Jiang Fengmian also arrested. All information published in the newspapers. And a silent buyer has bought their company. Xiao XingChen said news on the grapevine is that no one gets bail, flight risk. Not sure why Jiang YanLi would choose to visit now." Lan Zhan spoke as if reading down a list of bullet points.

He was matter-of-fact about everything and a part of himself patted his own back because the blessed thoughts had come back and he wanted to punch the air in jubilation.

Wei Ying still hadn't said anything...

Was it safe? Lan Zhan wondered. Would he be able to actually hold a conversation with Wei Ying looking like that? He was going to try...

Maybe if he focused on Wei Ying’s eyes...

Only his eyes...

It was a valiant attempt.

Those silver starlight eyes, normally shining with vivaciousness, a happy glow filled with laughter and love...looked confused.

And lost.

Lan Zhan gathered him closer and in that small movement, he could feel Wei Ying trembling.

"If you do not wish to see her, say the word. I will call uncle and tell him." Lan Zhan promised.

"I don't know...what I want." Wei Ying admitted.

Holding him close like this, listening to Wei Ying gently breathing...it made Lan Zhan feel so much better and he realised that he did not have to exercise superhuman amounts of self control because hugging the man worked just as well. Lan Zhan was able to focus on him completely.

"Should I ask some questions? Will that help?" Lan Zhan said, after a while.

"Maybe?" Wei Ying did not sound convinced...but if he was willing to give it a try...

"How does Wei Ying feel about Jiang YanLi?"

"I...I used to love her...I think I still do, as my sister. But...it's more because I know I should...rather than because she's my sister? If that makes sense?"

Wei Ying was clinging onto Lan Zhan’s body like an octopus, gleaning much needed strength when he felt as if he had none.

"I mean...she tried her best. Whenever Madam Yu got too harsh with her punishments...ShiJie was there to wrap me up. And her soup...was the best thing I have ever eaten, no lie."

"Mn."

"But...but what I don't get...it's the way she cut herself out of my life. Literally in a day...it was so abrupt. It left me thinking that maybe she didn't feel the same way about me as much as I felt about her. So that's why I'm not sure."

Wei Ying sighed.

"Uncle was not sure either, of your feelings. That is why he did not give them this address." Lan Zhan said.

"But...Lan Zhan?"

"Mn?"

"I really miss her."

Those four words were heartbreaking.

His voice sounded so small, as if he wanted to go and curl up in some corner and not deal with any of this.

"We can do whatever Wei Ying wants to do." Lan Zhan encouraged him, but the truth was, he felt a little helpless.

"Maybe...maybe we can go and see what she wants?" The uncertainty was still there, but Wei Ying sounded stronger as the moments passed.

"What shall we do for clothes?" Lan Zhan asked.

He hadn’t meant to make Wei Ying laugh but that's what happened.

"You know...if my boyfriend keeps taking advantage of me in this house...then, maybe we should keep spare clothes upstairs." Wei Ying whispered seductively in his ear.

Lan Zhan thought it was lucky that his self control was much better now, otherwise Wei Ying would be engaging in another round, especially if he kept talking like that.

"Mn. We will pack clothes over the weekend. Tomorrow." Lan Zhan was happy that the next day was a Saturday.

Wei Ying however...was not. He wasn't a fan of doing jobs like that, preferring to dump everything into a box and dealing with it later...but if Lan Zhan wanted to do it tomorrow, then he was going to help.

He stood up and held a hand out for Lan Zhan to take, hauling him up. Lan Zhan focused on the floor, refusing to look up.

"You'll need this..." Wei Ying had stripped off the shirt and Lan Zhan could see a bare arm with bare fingers holding out his shirt on the hook of his first finger.

Lan Zhan grabbed it quickly, shielding his eyes to peals of laughter.

They checked their phones when they got into the car.

"Five missed calls..." Wei Ying frowned at his phone.

"Eight for me..." Lan Zhan replied.

"Maybe Uncle doesn't like making small talk..." Wei Ying said. And then he had another thought. "Lan Zhan?"

"Mn?"

"How about we don't mention anything about A-Yu to them...just yet? Only because A-Yu isn't quite sure what he wants yet...and it might be better if we don’t push anything on him...even accidentally. I'm kind of curious too...why did Shijie pick today? To come and find me, I mean..."

"Mn. We will not mention the children for now. Not until we learn more. But..." The more Lan Zhan thought about it, the more it made sense. "Do you think it has to do with Madam Yu’s arrest?"

"Possibly." Wei Ying sighed, feeling tense now.

JingYi had pulled up into the driveway outside the mansion.

There was another car there now, a five year old car in good condition. Wei Ying spotted a booster seat in the back, and it had him pausing.

"Mn?" Lan Zhan squeezed his hand, not liking the lost expression lingering on his face.

Wei Ying should always be happy, he thought.

"Oh...it's just...I think my Shijie has a child now." Wei Ying smiled sadly. "There's so much we have missed in each other's lives...all the time that flowed by like a river and the gap between us just grew wider and wider."

His feet wouldn't move from the side of that car...the car that represented everything they had lost.

"I guess I'm scared." Wei Ying finally admitted with a low laugh.

"Of?" Lan Zhan pulled him into his arms just because he could.

Wanting to support him, needing to and pleasantly surprising himself that he could. Whenever he wanted to.

"Of her. Of wanting to trust Shijie but at the same time, I don't know if I can. What if she cuts me off again?" Even Wei Ying had not known the extent of his own trauma regarding the Jiangs was.

"We can decide this time." Lan Zhan told him, thinking about it. "We can try not to invest emotionally and hope for the best. But...Wei Ying?"

Wei Ying blinked and looked up at him.

"What is it, my love?"

"I am here for you, this time. She will not be allowed to hurt you as before." Lan Zhan vowed.

He meant it too.

"I love you." Wei Ying told him, reaching up to kiss his cheek softly.

Lan Zhan kissed the side of his head. "As I love you."

This time, when Wei Ying went to move his feet, they did his bidding.

Together, they climbed up the stairs to the mansion.