Uncle Qiren knocked on the door of the Jingshi, stroking his beard.

The door was opened by a wildly enthusiastic Wei Ying, who managed to throw himself at the old man in delight.

"Uncle Qiren! We were coming to see you next!" Wei Ying grinned, stepped back and bowed, unconsciously doing everything he was supposed to in the wrong order.

Uncle Qiren awkwardly patted his back and entered the Jingshi.

"It was on my way..." his voice faded away into nothing as he glanced around the room, noting the sets of robes haphazardly strewn across various surfaces, travel necessities littering their usually tidy table, and a vast array of talismans piled in the corner of the room, ready to be packed for their trip.

His eye began to twitch.

"Uncle!" Luckily, XiChen came to his rescue.

He and Lan Zhan were just returning from some last minute discussions on tasks still pending at Cloud Recesses, when XiChen had stopped there with him.

"Why don't we have tea at our place?" He asked helpfully, to a grateful looking Wei Ying, who mouthed a 'thank you' at him.

Uncle Qiren was hastily led away, with a nonchalant nephew in bond, hanging onto his husband.

Lan Zhan listened to every word falling from his ruby lips, gazing in wonder at this beautiful man who was all his. He waited until XiChen had led their uncle inside the Hanshi, before pushing Wei Ying out of sight and against the nearest available surface, before kissing him thoroughly.

Wei Ying softened against him, his moans swallowed by the other, lips crashing together again and again. Dizzy with love and the plethora of emotions those lips never failed to bring out in him, mind, body and soul.

Lan Zhan held him while they caught their breath, kissing his forehead instead.

"I so want to do you right now," Wei Ying mumbled against his chest. "What was that for?"

"Wei Ying is adorable. Cute." Lan Zhan kissed his nose and tried to lead him into the Hanshi.

But Wei Ying held back.

"Give me a moment!" He hissed, pointedly looking down.

Lan Zhan followed him gaze and blushed, pink ears and all.

"You'll have to hide me." Wei Ying continued.

Lan Zhan bent down to whisper in his ear, "two, all."

Wei Ying looked up at him in disbelief. "You're not still playing, are you? Lan Zhaaan!" He whined, being pulled into the room.

Both XiChen and Uncle Qiren looked up at the noise, startled, while Wei Ying quickly sat down next to a smirking Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan took hold of his hand and threaded his fingers through, still quite happy.

"Where do you intend to go?" Uncle asked.

"Straight up North, Uncle." Wei Ying told him. "We are a little too close to the sea, but it should be as straight a path as we can find."

"It gets cold, the further north you will travel." Uncle Qiren said, sipping his tea.

They all looked at him in surprise. XiChen recovered first.

"How does uncle know this?" He asked politely.

A look of pain flashed across his features, but it was gone as soon as it had come.

"I read it somewhere." He said, with difficultly, after a while.

They all could tell he was being sketchy with the truth, but nobody called him out on it.

"Take winter clothes." He stood up to leave, suddenly.

Wei Ying stood up and hugged him. This time, Uncle Qiren returned it, holding him close, and for longer.

"Come back soon, hmm?" He smiled, Wei Ying thought sadly. "Bring them back safely." Uncle Qiren patted the top of his head.

"I will, Uncle. Please don't worry." Wei Ying watched him leave, questions forming in his mind.

"I think Uncle has been to other places." He said, after he sat down. He filed it away for things he had to ask his Uncle upon their return.

"Mn."

"Have you thought about what will happen, when you get there? How will you know you're at the right place?" XiChen asked them both.

"We can always ask Li XiWang if we have to, but both Lan Zhan and I saw the same vision. I think it will be easy." Wei Ying said, confidently.

"Well, don't worry about us. You will have enough on your plate already. Do you still plan on taking the assassin?" XiChen asked, easily.

"Yes. It is a good idea." Wei Ying blushed. "I'm just upset I didn't think of it myself."

"Your daughter is exceptionally clever." XiChen added.

Wei Ying beamed.

Lan Zhan stopped breathing.

XiChen smiled, watching them both.

"So it will be the five of us. Including Hui Gai." Wei Ying said, watching Lan Zhan, watching him.

He was seriously puzzled as to why every single action of his produced a reaction in his husband. Was it that their game had unknowingly triggered him, resulting in him thinking about Wei Ying all the time?

It was something he would definitely be exploring...later.

For now, he reluctantly turned away from Lan Zhan and forced himself to concentrate on whatever his XiChen-Ge was saying.

"Just be careful. The prisoner is not to be trusted. I hope she does not become burdensome instead."

"It will be okay. We have Hui Gai. He doesn't sleep, which is extremely good for us." Wei Ying grinned.

"And you trust him?"

"Mn. Good friend."

XiChen was surprised to hear this coming from Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying was also staring at him.

Lan Zhan ignored them both and sipped his tea.

"Anyway," Wei Ying turned back to XiChen. "We've strengthened the wards already and I've shown the ward Casters how to increase their protection daily. If you change it up on a regular basis, those people will find it harder to attack."

"But easier to attack you." XiChen poured him more tea, thinking hard. "How will you protect yourselves?"

"I have a theory." Wei Ying said, trying to sound more confident now. "It seems to me that we share the same goal, albeit with different outcomes. We want to find Bai Hua's home, and I think they do, too. I also think we may find one of her parents, if not both, there. We can save them from the Children of the Tree, and then it's up to Li XiWang as to how she wants to deal with them."

Lan Zhan could feel his distress. Ever since their last Empathy session, he had been noticing more and more, subtle changes in his interpretations of however and whatever Wei Ying was feeling. They were stronger, surer, and easier to read. Right now, he knew Wei Ying needed him. So his arm snaked around the slim waist of his husband, and he was rewarded with a blinding smile.

Jiang Cheng came in clutching some familiar looking yellow papers.

"What's this? I found them on my way here!" He said, just before sneezing.

Wei Ying stared at him, and then began searching through his pockets, panic slowly building.

"Ah, Jiang Cheng...maybe put them down?" He muttered, failing to find what he thought was still on his person. He looked at the papers which were the experimental talismans he thought he had disposed of safely...but evidently not.

Jiang Cheng tried to speak, but his sneezes got in the way. Zidian suddenly shot out from his grasp, transforming into SniZidian. She aimed for XiChen, peppering his face with kisses, and purring with delight. XiChen kissed her snout, giggling delightedly, reciprocating her affection.

Jiang Cheng stared at him and then turned on Wei Ying.

"Just what - sneeze - have you - sneeze - done to - sneeze - me?" He asked, getting increasingly annoyed.

XiChen handed him a handkerchief distractedly, all of his attention on the wonderful creature currently wrapping herself around his arm, forked tongue sniffing the air.

"I love you too," she hissed at him, eyes full of adoration.

"You're so beautiful." XiChen crooned, completely transfixed by her.

"So are you..." she purred, shyly.

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, trying to get a grip on his anger.

Wei Ying stood up and grabbed Lan Zhan's hand.

"I'll find you a cure, don't worry!" He shouted, heading for the Jingshi. "Before we go!"