Lan Zhan begins unpacking his clothes and making sure his toiletries are all accounted for. He places his clothes in the top drawer of the small dresser in the room and arranges them according to outfit selection. Next, he takes his toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, soap, shampoo, and facial regiment into the bathroom. He has never seen such a small bathroom considering he's in a suite. His coat closet at home is bigger.

Carefully placing everything in a location that made sense to his routine, he takes one final look and exits with a small huff.

"Wangji, you do know you're supposed to be relaxing and having fun, right?"

Lan Xichen is smiling at his younger brother who seems to be more annoyed than happy at the moment.

"I could have relaxed at home," Wangji grumbles.

"You never relax at home. You're always at the office. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you slept there."

Lan Zhan's posture stiffens.

Lan Xichen gapes. "Didi! You sleep in your office?" When his little brother fails to look him in the eye, he sighs. "How often?" he asks, his voice filled with a deep sadness.

"Does not matter." Wangji answers flatly.

Xichen drops his shirt he was refolding and moves closer to Wangji.

"Of course it matters, baby brother. Working as hard as you do, spending every hour at the office...it's not healthy."

Lan Zhan side-eyes his overly concerned brother. "There's a gym in the basement I use five times a week."

Xichen shakes his head slowly. "I wasn't talking about your physical health. And you know it."

Lan Zhan does know it. He's lost count as to how many times his older brother has tried to fix him up on a date with a friend or acquaintance over the past few years. It didn't matter if the woman was pretty, successful, or talented. There was never any spark. Not even a flicker of interest in his heart.

If Lan Zhan is being honest with himself, he's beginning to think there is something wrong with him.

Throughout his young life, friends and family all around him found people who enjoyed their company, someone who wanted to spend the rest of their lives with them. He had been the third wheel on more than a few of Xichen's dates until he finally met Nie Mingjue. He had attended many weddings and always struggled to understand how you knew when you found..."the one".

"I'm going to get some air," Wangji says.

"In your suit?"

Lan Zhan looks down at what he's wearing, puzzled. "Yes?"

Xichen rolls his eyes. "Did you pack any casual clothes?"

A cock of Lan Zhan's head nearly has Xichen moaning in frustration.

"That's it! We're going shopping. Right now."

Lan Zhan opens his mouth to argue but is stopped by a rather large hand in his face.

"No but's, didi! Right! Now! Go! Out the door!"

With an annoyed glare in his sharp golden eyes, Lan Zhan is unceremoniously pushed out of their cabin.

The hallway is narrow, barely allowing two people to walk side by side. Which is fine by Xichen who remains behind his little brother to stop any possible escape. At the end of the hall, they take the elevator down three levels to the shopping area. Here, the floors are as shiny as the endless jewelry showcased behind glass. Lights make it bright even though the sun is beyond layers of metal.

People crowd around them, their voices brimming with excitement. Children with eyes as wide as tea cup saucers bounce around their parents begging for souvenirs or playtime. Everywhere he looks, Xichen is surrounded by people with smiles on their faces.

Except for his baby brother.

"Come on, didi. Let's try this shop."

Wangji looks at the selection of clothes in the display windows and cringes.

"Gege, please."

Lan Xichen grins with pressed lips, trying not to laugh. "Didi, it won't kill you to wear something less...formal. This is a vacation. Not a business meeting."

And with that, the two men enter the shop. Five minutes later, Xichen is carrying three bags filled with clothes fitting for the warmer weather they will be experiencing in a few hours.

And Wangji is moping like an angry five year old.

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

When the time comes for them to have dinner, Wangji's patience has vanished beneath the uncomfortable feeling of his new wardrobe.

He feels naked, exposed to every pair of eyes that linger a bit too long on his tall frame. It's like one of those dreams people talk about where they're standing naked in front of their peers. All through the meal, he squirms in his seat, unable to concentrate on eating, too busy making sure his napkin covers as much of his bare skin as possible without falling to the ground.

Xichen talks casually with the people at their shared table. He directs most of the conversation away from Wangji but there are a few times his little brother needs to answer a curious guest. And, as expected, it's usually with one word. One spoke with a warning not to ask another.

After dessert, Lan Zhan quickly excuses himself.

"Didi, where are you going?"

"Air."

"But the Captain's welcome is about to start. We should at least go to that before returning to our room for the night."

Lan Zhan feels nauseous at the idea of standing in a crowd of hundreds. He can just imagine the noise and flashing lights expected of a grand welcome party. The beginnings of a headache are already poking at his temples.

Xichen places a hand on his shoulder. "Please, didi? Just try to have a little fun. I'm worried about you. You need to start thinking about yourself. Not the company. Not uncle. And definitely not about me."

Lan Zhan looks into his brother's honey colored eyes and can see the concern etched into the flecks of brown deep within them. He would do anything for Xichen. His brother had sacrificed a lot for him and there was no way Wangji could return what was lost.

Their mother passed away when they were just five and eight. Cancer was an ugly disease. Especially when it ate away at someone slowly. Afterwards, their father left them with his brother, incapable of dealing with his grief for the woman who had stolen his heart. Later, Lan Zhan learned that a Lan only loves once and loves deeply. But by then, the damage of a dead mother and absent father was already irreversible.

Uncle Qiren, who didn't have children of his own, raised them as best he could. Being a prominent businessman, he wasn't home much. So the boys were often under the care of a nanny. By the time Wangji and Xichen were in high school, Qiren was already grooming them to inherit the family company.

Unexpectedly, Wangji was the one who excelled at learning the ins and outs of running GusuLan Corporation. Xichen tried but was more drawn to medicine and eventually became Head of Thoracic Surgery at Mountain View Hospital. However, being the oldest sibling, Xichen was under the stress of Qiren's relentless teachings at first. It took two years for Wangji to convince his uncle to let him take over the company and release Xichen from a life he didn't want.

From that moment on, Lan Zhan pushed himself to be the best so his uncle would never regret his decision. He strove to be perfect so the company would thrive and his family's future would be secure. He pushed aside his wants so the desires of his loved one's would never be denied.

So, when Xichen begs him with eyes a shade darker than his but no less stunning, Lan Zhan nods in agreement.

"Oh! Thank you, didi! I promise after this I won't push you to do anything you don't want to do."

Lan Zhan feels his energy quickly fading as they make their way to the large open area in the middle of the gigantic cruise ship that was sailing towards tropical islands he had only heard of and read about in books. His nine o'clock bedtime passed an hour ago and his eyes are rapidly losing their focus.

He allows his brother to lead him by the hand to the center of the boisterous crowd. The show has already started and everyone is cheering for the crew they have entrusted their lives with. Wangji couldn't care less about the men in uniform so he lets his gaze wander.

All the performers on the ship are dancing above them. Supposedly, they will be doing various shows throughout the week and are encouraging all the guests to attend and have fun. Lan Zhan has no interest in watching a show when he needs to be designing the next museum for the city of Gusu. That seems much more important than watching people perform stupid tricks or sing songs where they sound like cats in heat.

But then....

He appears.

Lan Zhan's eyes snap open, his heart accelerating like a racehorse in his chest. An unusual warmth spreads through his body before settling on the area below his belt. His breathing is quick and irregular. He can't catch his breath because this beautiful man looking at him has stolen it with just one look.

Silver eyes shine like living sparklers trapped within glass marbles. Black hair as luxurious as a prize stallion's mane is pulled back perfectly into a high ponytail, tied with a scarlet ribbon whose tails trail down the length of hair it is wrapped around. A smile so bright and honest greets the people below him. His voice is not too deep and projects clearly over the excited crowd. The gorgeous man laughs at a performer's compliment for him and Lan Zhan thinks it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Wei Ying and I'll be your Cruise Director for the next week. If you need anything, please let me know and I'll do my best to fulfill your every wish. And don't forget to join me in the activities we offer onboard. I promise your time on the Immortal Oasis will be unforgettable."