Jiang Cheng screamed, his eyes open and terrified, not seeing. His arms were held down, gently but with a strength only one man could have.

"You're safe, it's alright. Jiang Cheng!" His warm deep voice sought to reassure, calming the patient.

Slowly, as he blinked, understanding crept into his features. "Lan Huan?"

"Yes, I am here. You are safe."

"Why can't I move?" His voice sounded pitifully weak, and XiChen felt the worse for it.

"You have had a terrible ordeal. You were dehydrated and malnourished. Barely alive." Those last words were whispered. "You had a fever, it broke this morning."

"My throat hurts." He croaked.

"Hold on." XiChen grabbed a cup, helped him hold his head up and let him sip, slowly.

He lay back down, feeling tired.

"Wei WuXian?"

"He's fine. My brother is looking after him."

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, and the gesture was so familiar, so missed, that tears collected in his eyes.

Jiang Cheng tried to sit up, alarmed. Stronger hands held him down.

"I'm alright." He mumbled, wiping his face.

"Come here." Jiang Cheng weakly pulled the other on top of him.

"You're hurt!" XiChen tried to move away.

"I need this more."

His words stopped XiChen.

"Me too." He admitted.

******

A while later, Jiang Cheng looked around the Hanshi and noticed something different.

"What's that?"

XiChen looked up from the crook of his neck to where he was looking.

"Oh." He blushed first. "That's just a screen."

Jiang Cheng felt the hot ear.

"Just a screen?" He echoed.

"Yes."

"What's behind it?"

"Huh?"

"What. Is. Behind. The. Screen?"

"Nothing, really, nothing's behind the screen." XiChen looked away.

"If there's nothing there, behind that screen, why is it there?" Jiang Cheng wasn't letting this go.

"Nowhere else to put it?" XiChen tried.

"You're lying." Jiang Cheng kissed his cheek.

"I might not be. Anyway, you should rest." XiChen covered his eyes, much to Jiang Cheng's amusement.

The next time he woke, he was alone, so he tried to get up by himself. The bed creaked, and all of a sudden, something crashed behind the mysterious screen, a lot of not polite words were issued, and then a tired-looking XiChen scrambled up and around it.

He guiltily stared back at Jiang Cheng, caught.

Jiang Cheng grinned back at him. "I know you're hiding something over there. You're just lucky I can't get up, right now."

The previous emotion was immediately replaced by worry. "What do you need? Water? Are you hungry?"

"You. I need only you."

XiChen's face went completely soft. He climbed into bed next to his love and pulled him close.

The next morning, when Jiang Cheng was awake, he saw the screen had been replaced. Now a carved wooden chest stood in its place, complete with a lock.

His XiChen was definitely hiding something.

*****

The dragon family was waiting for Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Wei Ying laughed when he saw how big the babies had grown. He ran towards them, not heeding Lan Zhan's warning to slow down.

"Immortal ones." Shen Ling was the first to bow down.

Shen Qing followed and then made her children do so.

Wei Ying also bowed and then ran up to hug Shen Ling.

"Thank you for saving us." He breathed, holding onto the massive head. The whiskers tickled his face.

"It is I who should be thanking you. You have saved my family, and in turn, myself." His cold nose bumped against Wei Ying's chest. "You smell different..."

"What?" Lan Zhan came out of nowhere.

"Young Master smells different." Shen Ling explained, looking at Wei Ying.

"How? What's different?" Lan Zhan demanded.

"Relax, Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying whisper shouted. "He said different, not in danger."

Lan Zhan glared at him silently.

"Familiar. Young Master smells familiar." Shen Ling ammended.

"See?" Wei Ying smugly grinned. "It sounds different."

"Where is the nanny?" Shen Ling inquired.

"Nanny?" Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan who shrugged, non-commitally.

"They mean JingYi." SiZhui said from behind them.

"Oh." Wei Ying beamed. "JingYi?! Get over here." He yelled, ignoring Lan Zhan's disapproving look.

JingYi came out from the marquee, quiet and subdued.

"Haizi, we are ever grateful to you. You have looked after our children well. We wish to give you a gift." Shen Qing said, kind of smiling at him. Honestly, it was hard to tell.

"Not necessary." JingYi replied, looking down.

"But this may be the last time we meet, and we wish too." Shen Ling looked across at Wei Ying.

Wei Ying pushed the reluctant junior forward.

Shen Qing took a deep breath and released it upon the unsuspecting JingYi, who might have been screaming but his sound was stolen away.

"There." When she was satisfied, she stepped back.

"Um, thank you?" JingYi said, uncertainly.

"Watch this, Haizi." Without warning, one of the babies came up and breathed fire over JingYi, who did scream then.

Wei Ying was held back by Lan Zhan.

The baby coughed and stopped. Once the air cleared, they saw an unharmed JingYi, shaking alone in front of them.

"Now, you are immune to our fire. Nothing can burn you." Shen Qing announced.

The other baby, that Wei Ying recognised from sticking to JingYi, came forward and licked his face, wagging it's tail.

JingYi burst into tears and hugged it. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

Wei Ying bent over and laughed.