Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen were somber as they drove away from the pier. As private investigators, they had seen a lot things that weren't pleasant but nothing compared to the long term vindictive hatred those battered toys represented.

Song Lan reached over and held Xiao Xingchen's hand.

"I have a way to ditch this funk. Let's go shopping!"

Xiao Xingchen looked at him. "You want to grocery shop now?"

A laugh burst from A'Lan. "Of course not! For Wang Hao Xuan!"

"That sounds much better. What do you want to get him?" Xingchen replied.

Song Lan grinned at him and pulled into the mall.

Two hours later, the two smiling men got back into their car and headed to the park where they met the boy.
-----

Wang Hao Xuan was a little disappointed. He had hoped the two men might show up. Lurking at the edge of the park, he had watched the area he had seen them at yesterday. So far nothing. A big sigh escaped him. This was boring but he liked them. They weren't scary.

Feeling a bit bolder, he sat on a swing. In no time, he was swinging as high as he could giggling to himself.

That was how the two men found him. Carefree and happy. Swinging like any other child. Xingchen took out his phone and snapped a picture of Hao Xuan. Sun on his face, hair flying and all smiles.

As he started the backward arc, he saw the two men in front of him smiling. Somehow, his grin got even bigger.

"You came!" he yelled in exuberance.

Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen felt like their odds of success just went up drastically.
-----

Liu Tingyu knocked on Jiang Cheng's office door.

"Enter!" It was the typical bark of distracted annoyance which she found oddly comforting.

"Sir, may I talk to you?"

She closed the door behind her.

"Of course, Sergeant."

"I just helped Nie Huaisang smuggle a seventeen year old homicide witness out of the police station to keep him out of the hands of child protective services and insure his safety." She stared resolutely at the desk and waited for the explosion.

"Why didn't you tell me first?" Jiang Cheng asked. It was definitely his 'inspector voice'.

"I didn't feel there was time, sir. Especially once I found out he was ill and needed to be cared for."

"Mmm... let me know first next time otherwise Nie Huaisang will take over my department." he grumbled. "Did you get him safely out?"

"Yes, sir. He's with Nie Huaisang."

"Don't tell him I said it but, well done, Sergeant."

If it had been anyone but the Sergeant, their mouth would have fallen open.

Without thinking, he went back to his computer and again began typing out the report he had been working on.

"Sir?"

"Mmm?"

"Stop typing, sir."

He looked at his hands. Blood was beginning to appear through the bandage on his right hand.

"Damn!" he growled. "This is fucking annoying! I have work to do!"

The last sentence was a bellow.

Anyone who had questions whether Jiang Cheng was himself after the events of the past several days nodded and smiled. Inspector Jiang Cheng was in fine form.
-----

Nie Huaisang glanced over at the young man next to him. Slender. Solemn.

"How are you feeling?" he asked kindly.

'Like I was drugged for five days after watching my parents be murdered!' screamed through his thoughts.

"Nauseous, sir. Exhausted." he mumbled.

Huaisang cocked an eyebrow. There was a subtlety to the boy he didn't expect.

At the next red light he turned slightly to observe the boy more fully. Expensive haircut. Wisps of a moustache he had missed when shaving to pass as a cop. Graceful hands with a pen callous on his right middle finger. Haunted eyes.

A honk jolted him and he slowly pulled away. Student. Most likely devoted to his studies resulting in the callous and the vocabulary. Expensive haircut... private school then...

"Which academy are you attending?" he asked casually to test his ideas.

"International School of Beijing**. Science emphasis." he answered.

'So his parents were very wealthy...' he ruminated. 'That could be a reason for the attack but Wen Chao is more likely to try for blackmail or some other scheme to bleed money off the family.'

"Which aspect of science are you interested in?" he asked.

"Aerospace engineering." His reply was short. Almost crisp but not quite. He was getting annoyed.

"Interesting choice. What did you want to do with it?"

"Work with my d-dad in his company..." His voice trailed off.

Nie Huaisang  gave a noncommittal 'mmm' to give the boy some space. So the father was a successful engineer with his own company. Most likely contracted to the government. Lucrative to say the least. Especially if his designs were successful. China's lust for space was well known.

How the hell did Wen Chao fit into this picture?

He pulled into the hospital parking lot. A quick text.

"I've sent a message to a doctor who will treat you quietly. We don't want to advertise your where abouts."

"So they can't shoot me too? Does it really matter if they do?" The voice was filled with loss and grief.

"It does. To your parents and to those of us trying to put Wen Chao behind bars for the rest of his miserable fucking life." Nie Huaisang allowed some of his hate for the man leak into his voice.

"Wen Chao? I want him dead. I want him DEAD." Wen Sizhui yelled. He sank back into the seat shivering.

"I want him dead." he whispered and wiped at his eyes.

"So do I but I want him to suffer first. Horribly. If you stay alive, you can testify. You can help drag him down but you have to be willing to survive. Can you do that?"

"Do you promise he'll go to jail?" It was a plea.

"I can't promise it but I will move heaven and earth, Sizhui. I won't ever stop." Nie Huaisang's voice was completely honest in its vindictive viciousness.

"Okay."

It was said so softly, he almost missed it. Nie Huaisang knew intimately vengeance wasn't the best reason to live but he needed Sizhui to be willing to hang on and, if necessary, fight for his survival. As time passed, there was a good chance the boy would find other reasons to live. Huaisang hoped he would and was willing to help him find them. For now however, this was better than nothing.

"We'll get you feeling better and deal with all of it then, okay?"

Sizhui just nodded.

A knock on Nie Huaisang's window made him jump and then curse himself for not paying attention.

Dr. Yu was standing there with a wheelchair.

"Lan Xichen sent me. Let's get our patient in, shall we?"
-----
Jiang Yanli arrived in the private room to find Wei Ying with red swollen eyes and a detective who was fidgeting when she looked at him for any length of time.

"A'Ying? Are you in pain?" She dumped her coat and purse in a chair before moving to the bed. "Good day, Yu Bin. Detective."

Yu Bin smiled at her. Lan Wangji had nodded politely.

"I'm fine, ShiJie." Wei Ying smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Why were you crying?" She leaned over and kissed his forehead before doing the same to the sleeping child curled next to him.

"It was my fault." It was Lan Wangji deep voice. She looked at him in surprise. Watching the two of them together, she knew the detective had feelings for her brother. He was dedicated to A'Ying's care.

She settled herself on the side of the bed.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

"Jin Zixuan brought Meng Yao here. He had hired Wei Ying when... when he was Yiling. I was... upset by this. I was going to hurt him. For hurting Wei Ying." He swallowed.

"He didn't hurt Wei Ying. Meng Yao wanted someone to hold him in the belief it would help him sleep. I have apologized to Wei Ying and A'Yuan. I will apologize to Meng Yao whenever he finds it appropriate and convenient." Lan Wangji laid it all out as simply and directly as possible. A deep breath and he stared down.

Yanli had gasped when she heard Meng Yao had hired her A'Ying. As the explanation continued, she relaxed a little. Looking at the two men, all she could see was hurt. Exhaustion. Regret on so many levels.

"Thank you, Wangji." It was the first time she had addressed him with this much familiarity. "I think my first reaction would have been to protect A'Ying as well though perhaps not in the same way."

She paused in thought. "This will take time for all of us. Time to understand. Time to heal.  Let us be gentle with each other, supportive, as we find our way."

She held their joined hands. "I have a brave brother willing to sacrifice himself for his ShiJie and Ge-ge. And now my brother has a brave protector. It will be okay. Give it time. Slowly but surely, you will heal. Together I think."

She gave them a soft smile. "Now, have you eaten?"
-----

Lan Xichen watched the pale face of the man lying in the bed. An IV dripped in measured time.

Drip.   
Drip.
Drip.

Clinically, the information registered. Oxygen levels. Remaining IV. Number of breaths in a minute.

His thoughts were elsewhere though.

Xichen had never really dated. He knew he would like to but somehow it had never happened. A few scattered dates here and there. Some were more interested in his family name than him. Others couldn't handle his dedication to his studies and then his hospital.

Slowly, the days had slipped away one after another. Consumed by administrative duties, his patients, emergencies until the only part of his life not absorbed by the hospital was his relationship with Lan Zhan. Now, he looked at his life and realized how lonely he was. 

He reached out and gently held Meng Yao's limp hand. What the pull was he wasn't sure but it was definitely  there. Perhaps it was the dimples. Perhaps it was how shy his smile was. Maybe the way Meng Yao's large eyes looked at him.

He didn't think it was just these things though. There was a comfortable familiarity he couldn't explain. They spoke easily.  Meng Yao had made him smile and he was pretty sure he had made Meng Yao smile too.

He wanted to explore how this man made him feel and see if, just perhaps, Meng Yao felt the same way.

His attentioned focused in on Meng Yao as the man made a small sound and moved slightly. As his eyes began to flutter, Lan Xichen stood and leaned over him.  He watched as Meng Yao's eyes opened. Smiling, he caressed the bangs back off his forehead.

"Hi." Xichen whispered. "How do you feel?"

Meng Yao looked into those warm smiling eyes with their amber flecks. 

"Much better now."

And they shared a smile.
~♡~♡~♡~

The International School of Bejing is a private bilingual school (English and Chinese). I made up the Science Emphasis.

Thank you so much for your patience!! I sincerely appreciate it! ❤️❤️❤️

Hugs, Smiles and Chocolate for All!

❤️🍫🫖❤️