Two Dollar Coffee

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/23766619.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Relationship: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng
Wǎnyín/Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén
Character: Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wen Ning | Wen
Qionglin, Wēn Qíng, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Lan Huan | Lan
Xichen, Jiang Yanli, Jin Ling | Jin Rulan, Jin Zixuan
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy,
Miscommunication, Fluff, Smut, Alternate Universe - College/University,
Family, Light Angst, Making Out, Blow Jobs, Riding, Cock Warming,
Light Bondage, Anal Sex, Sex Toys, Aftercare, Edging, Multiple
Orgasms, Switching, Rimming, Lingerie, Angst with a Happy Ending
Stats: Published: 2020-04-21 Completed: 2021-03-06 Chapters: 25/25 Words:
145286

Two Dollar Coffee

by marizousbooty

Summary

Lan Zhan was giving him a window. It was Wei Ying’s job to take the leap and hope he
caught him before he plummeted to the stained concrete below.
“Do you want me, Lan Zhan?”
The room was silent.
Lan Zhan had stopped moving, possibly even stopped breathing. Wei Ying certainly had.
He didn’t want to ruin their friendship— if this was friendship—
“Want you?” Lan Zhan asked, his voice sounded as delicate as Wei Ying’s will to continue
on.

Wei Ying is a poor college student and thinks Lan Zhan wants to provide for him.

Notes

Big huge shout out to Yanyan and Umbree yall saved my whole entire butt helping me edit
this monster of a fic. Yall should thank Umbree to convince me not to post 10k+ long
chapters and cut them in half rip.
See the end of the work for more notes
 A Travel Mug

The piercing beep of the card reader left Wei Ying dizzy.

“Do you want to try one more time? Sometimes it’s the reader,” said the barista.

Wei Ying swallowed and chipped his card again. The glowing ‘Yes’ mocked him. The declined
message rang again and the barista asked if he wanted to try another form of payment.

“That’s- that’s okay. I’ll come back later,” Wei Ying said, dispirited. A two-dollar coffee, the
smallest size even, was still declined on his credit card. He won’t get paid for another week and a
half and he still needed to get gas. Wen Ning could spot him some money to put a few gallons into
his tank but he was in the same sticky spot since they had to replace their AC last week. Thinking
about the bill still made him shudder.

An arm reached past him and chipped a shiny, black card into the chip reader. A quick ‘Yes’ and
the machine gave a cheerful jingle of acceptance.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying jerked back. “You didn’t have to do that!”

“Mn. Don’t worry about it.”

“I will! I didn’t even know you were behind me,” Wei Ying whined. “You scared me coming up
out of nowhere like that!”

“I’m sorry. It’s a good thing I bought your coffee to make up for it.” Lan Zhan turned to place his
order for plain green tea, paid, then stepped out of line to join Wei Ying.

“Hm. Thank you, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said with a teasing note.

He stood a distance away from the pick-up counter, squeezed between the milling students out to
get their morning coffee before heading to their classes. Next to him, Lan Zhan held an aura of
cool detachment, a personal bubble so wide no one wanted to get too close. There was an
uncharted distance between them.

They picked up their drinks and headed out from the steadily filling coffee shop. The chilled late
winter morning sent a shiver down Wei Ying’s back and he pulled his painfully small coffee
closer. Lan Zhan next to him threw a glance but didn’t say a word.

He looked perfectly put together without a lock of his inky hair out of place, his white oxford shirt
crisp and the pale grey of his blazer spotless. He was a spot of light amongst the bedraggled
college students in varying levels of athletic wear and street clothes. Wei Ying always thought that
Lan Zhan looked more like a professor than a student.

He admittedly felt like a grimy gremlin next to the spotless man, as if he stepped too close he
would dirty his pale khakis.

“I have class in the H building soon, where are you at?” Wei Ying asked.

“I’m in GH. Shall I walk you?”

The conversation was stilted with Lan Zhan, almost like talking to a brick wall on some days, but
Wei Ying persevered with useless anecdotes and prodding remarks. It seemed to be an old habit to
try and draw responses out of Lan Zhan, but these days it didn’t take much to get him talking.
Perhaps shedding his youth had pulled the shy, socially stumped Lan Zhan from his shell into the
handsome young man he was today.

Their back and forth came to an end when they reached the front steps of the wide building where
they bid farewell and parted ways. Wei Ying went up to his lecture but his thoughts lingered on
Lan Zhan a little bit longer.

Much later, after classes, work, and battling traffic, Wei Ying was able to finally able to collapse
onto the dingy couch at home with his McDonald’s. He could feel the tension draining from his
back.

Too many of his days were dedicated to his long lectures, hours and hours of working at the lab,
and the stressful commute to and from school battling LA traffic, only to get home with a bag of
cold fast food because there was construction on a major intersection or another car accident.

“Hullo, Wen Ning,” Wei Wuxian greeted when his roommate padded out from their shared
bedroom.

“Hello,” Wen Ning said. “Traffic bad again?”

“Yeah. Is Wen Qing back yet?”

“She’s working late. I’m going to bed soon, are you going to film?”

Wei Ying snorted and crumbled up his Big Mac wrapper. “I have no inspiration to make anything
so don’t worry, you can sleep in the bedroom tonight.”

“Are you okay? I know we can use the extra YouTube money if you made a video…” Wen Ning
trailed off, his eyes lingering on the spotless AC unit mounted in the wall.

“I don’t want to push myself into making something I don’t have motivation for. It wouldn’t be
genuine if I started to make videos for the sake of money.” Viewership would drop, he’d lose the
meager fan base he’d accumulated if he started churning out content like a machine. The thought
left a sour taste in his mouth

“If you do think of something, I’ll be more than happy to help,” Wen Ning offered. It was rare for
him to offer anymore ever since Wei Ying crashed a drone laden with hot mashed potatoes into his
face and knocked him into a lake.

“I’ll call you up first if I do,” Wei Ying agreed. Wen Ning nodded and went to bed, the door
creaking shut behind him. Wei Ying’s homework was glaring at him from the coffee table, but he
chose to ignore it and sit on his phone for another hour before furtively pulling the textbooks
toward him

He wasn’t worried about failing: in the end he always passed with good grades. The only exception
being his private school report cards during his elementary years. They graded him on behavior
separately, docking his GPA down from a near-perfect score. He ended up banned from the
establishment after his eighth-grade graduation, but that didn’t stop him from swinging by to rub in
his five university acceptance letters to the teacher who graded him the lowest.

As of now, school was barely a blip on his radar. Most of his stress stemmed from outside the
classroom, be it work, bills, or another case of ceaseless drama he landed himself into. Things
piled up and his schedule, though easy in itself, was packed. It all stacked up block by block into a
teetering game of Jenga that Wei Ying was very good at playing.
The semester had barely started and he was already wearing thin. Winter break was a month long, a
privilege compared to the measly two weeks given back in high school, but he could barely
consider that a break from the previous semester from how many hours he had to put in at the lab.
The new semester already had his Jenga tower wavering.

It’s fine. He’ll sleep in on Sunday and play video games with Wen Ning and start Monday fresh-
faced and ready for the week ahead.

Sunday morning though, he was called into the lab to check some machines and, as the new guy,
had no choice but to come in. The rest of the week was him playing catch up with homework and
nearly missed papers. By Thursday he was heavy with exhaustion and seeing the sign posted on the
door announcing the class cancellation certainly didn’t help the weight wearing him down

He fell to his knees with a groan outside the deserted classroom. His face hurt from getting two
hours of sleep. Traffic would still be bad for another hour and he doesn’t want to think about trying
to head home.

“Wei Ying?”

Wei Ying jerked up at the sound of his name. Lan Zhan was standing across from him, just having
turned the corner toward the stairwell. His clothes were as pristine as always, not minding his own
buttoned to the chin collar. He had a grey wool coat unbuttoned and a pale blue scarf wrapped
loosely around his neck as he stopped at the sight of Wei Ying on the ground.

“Are you okay?” Lan Zhan stepped closer and moved to kneel in front of him.

Wei Ying didn’t want him to get his neat, light wash jeans dirty from the gross linoleum. He
sprung to his feet, awkwardly with the weight of his backpack messing up his balance. “Lan Zhan,
hey! I’m okay, I’m okay. Class was canceled but I didn’t know before I got here, haha! The
professor sent the email like, ten minutes before class started.”

“That’s unfortunate. The professor should not have waited so long to email your class.” Lan Zhan
straightened up but didn’t move away.

“Do you have class right now, Lan Zhan?”

“No. I just got out of class and I was going to the library to study,” Lan Zhan said.

“Then let’s get that coffee I promised!” He found a gift card in his glove box over the weekend to a
cute coffee shop not far from campus, a gift from a professor he was a TA for the previous
semester. “My treat, like I said. There’s a cute place I go to a lot not too far from campus. They
have a bakery and stuff.”

“We can do that.” Lan Zhan hoisted his bookbag higher up his shoulder and turned to go. “I can
drive us. I am parked just outside this building.”

Wei Ying opened his mouth to protest but Lan Zhan was already opening the door to the stairwell.
He was parked in the back lot by the sports field, and it would be a hassle to walk all the way.
Shrugging, he followed Lan Zhan out the building and into the crowded student parking garage.
He tried not to complain when Lan Zhan took the stairs up to the third floor instead of the elevator
like a sane human being. If he kept going another floor Wei Ying would have turned and taken the
elevator the rest of the way.

He did his best to hide his labored breathing, huffing a sigh to shake off the exertion, but Lan
Zhan’s eyes darted to him and he slowed down.
“Here I am,” Lan Zhan stopped and clicked his keys, a white Prius beeping to life. Lan Zhan went
over to the passenger side and opened the door for Wei Ying before he could reach out for the
handle himself.

“Ah, thank you.” Wei Ying slid in, dropping his bag at his feet. The car smelled clean, not quite
like new car but more like it was vacuumed at least once a week. A little Bath and Body Works air
freshener shaped like a bunny was clipped to the passenger sun visor. A cold drink cup sat in the
cup holder, clear with little colorful bunnies hopping around the edges.

Wei Ying directed them out of the garage to the shop, a little place on a busy street. It didn’t take
them long to get there. Parking was paid for by Lan Zhan before Wei Ying could fumble out his
wallet.

The shop was a modest establishment with no fancy overpriced drinks. Coffee and tea were all they
had. Lan Zhan’s eyes roved over the menu and with an affirmative nod went up to the front and
ordered a jasmine tea. Wei Ying ordered his usual coffee with a little room for milk and a slice of
cake. He tried to bodily block the chip reader as he pulled out his wallet but he was stuck trying to
wiggle out the correct gift card from the little pocket he kept them all in. Damn, he needed to get
rid of these!

A cheerful beep suddenly rang. Lan Zhan had reached over with his card and tapped it on the
reader and clicked Yes before Wei Ying even knew it.

“Lan Zhan!” He yelled. “I wanted this to be my treat!” He waved his gift card angrily. “When will
I get the chance to use it now?”

“Next time you’re here without me.” Lan Zhan said, taking their drinks and passing the cake to
Wei Ying. “Shall we sit?”

They chose a cramped table by a window and took out their homework. Or, Lan Zhan did. Wei
Ying opened his phone to play games.

“Don’t you have homework to do?” Lan Zhan asked.

“I do but I don’t have any of the books, so I’ll just relax with my Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan jerked over the rim of his tea and audibly cleared his throat. “Mn. The tea is very good.”

“Yeah? I like the coffee they have here. Plus, it’s in my budget but it’s a hassle to walk over here
on the regular. I wish they were a couple of blocks closer to campus or I would get this every day,”
Wei Ying sighed.

“That would be possible.” What? Lan Zhan continued before he could ask to clarify. “Would you
want to go back to your place for your books?”

“No, no, that would eat up our time together here. I don’t have anywhere to be until my one o’clock
tutoring,” Wei Ying waved him off. “I don’t get to see you as much now that we don’t have a class
together anymore.”

“Mn. How are your classes? What is your schedule like?” Lan Zhan asked. His homework was
forgotten now, but Wei Ying didn’t dare point it out.

“Busy! It’s only like the third week of school and I’m ready to kill myself or take a nap, I don’t
know which,” Wei Ying groaned. “I’m only taking four classes plus tutoring. One of them is
online, two are night classes, and my Tuesday-Thursday morning class is the only one in the
daytime so usually, after this, I’ll have lunch then head over to the tutoring center. Monday,
Wednesday, Friday I’m at the lab all day and sometimes Thursday afternoon. Sometimes I go in
during the weekend and the first week of school I had to drop a shift because I illegally scheduled
myself for twelve days in a row, ha ha! My boss was mad at me! And what about you, Lan Zhan?”

“Tuesday and Thursday are only my morning classes and a night class on Wednesday. The rest of
the week I’m in the office. This semester I’m only part-time as I’m building up myself at work,”
Lan Zhan said.

“Oh! So you really are going into your family business, huh?”

“Mn. My brother is going to become CEO soon and I will work beside him. For now, I will focus
on getting my degree so I may help him when he ascends.”

“Ascends, really? How is Huan-ge doing anyway?”

“He’s doing well.”

Their conversation broke into a simple ease, with Wei Ying picking at his cake and offering bites
to Lan Zhan, who at first hesitated but still leaned in to take an elegant bite. Since Lan Zhan had
bought the cake, it was only reasonable to share.

Lan Zhan had never been this easy to talk to. They met during the cusp of their teen years when
Wei Ying colored his nails with Sharpie and got told off for eating in class under his desk. Lan
Zhan was an icicle, aloof and dangling above their heads as something no one should mess with.
Wei Ying had bothered him into a tentative friendship most would describe as enemies, but as they
had reunited in a philosophy class beginning of college they clicked back into what Wei Ying
could safely call acquaintances, or even academic friends.

Old rivalries were shed with their youth, leaving the maturity of a budding friendship Wei Ying
didn’t mind nurturing. It was Lan Zhan who cornered him after the first class which must mean
he’s not nearly as mad as he used to be with Wei Ying picking on him.

Their coffee break was cut short when Wei Ying realized belatedly he was going to be late to his
tutoring job and Lan Zhan needed to get to the office. Time had stilled in the cramped coffee shop
even for only a couple of hours. The blinding winter sun bounced off the cars across the street and
bleached asphalt, throwing Lan Zhan in an ethereal glow so out of place in a dingy Los Angeles
side street.

Lan Zhan drove them back, pulling into the drop off circle closest to the building Wei Ying needed
and drove off with a promise.

“Let’s get coffee again. After our Tuesday class.”

“Only if you don’t mind waiting over an hour for me to get out,” Wei Ying reminded him.

“I don’t mind. I’ll see you then.” With the words tied taut in a verbal pinky promise, he drove off.

The weekend dragged itself along and pulled Wei Ying through the dirt. There were more
technical issues in the lab that had him coming in at four in the morning on Saturday, and by the
time Monday came around he rolled into his night class thinking he could doze in the back but was
unpleasantly surprised by a test. An easy one, but certainly one he didn’t study for.

He got out early due to the test and had to deal with the rush hour traffic getting home. Wen Ning
had made a weird casserole and left Wei Ying a slice of it in the microwave for dinner. He scarfed
it down gratefully because the last thing he ate was a crumbly granola bar as he drove from the lab
to school.

Lan Zhan texted him.

I’ll pick you up at the same place I dropped you off Thursday. If you like, how about we get a meal
instead.

His paycheck had already come in and it was a little fatter than usual. A large sum of it had been
sucked up into his share rent and utilities and another corner was chopped off to buy the last
remnants of his textbooks, but he should have enough for a quick meal under twenty dollars.

What surprised him was that come Tuesday morning, Lan Zhan was waiting outside. He looked
out of place in a beige cashmere sweater and a denim jacket over it.

“Lan Zhan, it’s a bit early,” Wei Ying said, bouncing up to him. “Eager to see me?”

“Mn. I got you coffee.” Lan Zhan held out a travel mug with bunnies doing yoga around the
warmed edges. “From the place you like.”

“But you had class, how did you…?” Wei Ying took the mug and cracked open the top. The aroma
of his favorite blend wafted into his nose, with the splash of half and half, and a tentative sip told
him with the exact amount of sugar he liked.

“I went before and put it in the travel mug to keep it hot.”

“You didn’t- Lan Zhan that’s too much, you don’t need to keep buying me coffee!” Wei Ying
whined.

“Okay. I’ll buy your lunch today, too.”

Wei Ying choked on his sip of coffee and laughed. “Oh my god that’s not- hahaha! You’re too
funny.” He gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and brushed by with a “see you later” into his
classroom.

His eyes kept drifting to the travel mug on his desk throughout the lecture, steam wafting from the
open top and the aroma of coffee melting into his corner of the classroom. He traced the rim with
his finger and wondered when was the last time Lan Zhan used it.

Lan Zhan picked him up as promised, his white Prius idling off to the side to allow traffic to go by.
The car smelled clean and fresh with a note of coffee lingering in the air.

“Here’s your mug,” Wei Ying dropped the travel mug in the console cup holder next to the bunny
patterned cold drink cup. “Thank you for the coffee. It was a perfect pick-me-up. I didn’t even
realize how sleepy I was until the caffeine kicked in.”

He got settled in his seat and buckled up. The smooth purr of the car and the rumbling under his
seat was the only sign Lan Zhan started the car.

“Where to?” Wei Ying asked.

“A café. They have good sandwiches.”

The place wasn’t too far from campus, but the street he turned down and parked in the
underground parking structure was a little too nice for Wei Ying’s current wallet status. The
storefronts weren’t Sunset Boulevard, but they were a little too gentrified, a little too bougie. There
were sweet boutiques with indie coffee houses, restaurants with a low hum of people shaded in
wrought iron fenced patios. Lan Zhan took him to a cafe with an old town vibe, the black rope
outside indicating just how popular they were.

Inside had a low golden light from more wrought iron light fixtures hanging from the high brick
ceiling. A mosaic fountain sat in a corner and walking in, Wei Ying realized the place was a lot
bigger than the outside appeared to be. The black rope zigzagged to the counter with a chalkboard
menu full of drinks, a bakery case full of incredibly tasty looking cakes, pastries, and desserts, and
a display rack of fresh bread.

“Their sourdough is good,” Lan Zhan noted. They queued themselves up in the short line and took
their time examining the menus Lan Zhan grabbed for them. The food looked delicious, but the
numbers sent a shiver down his spine. A cup of today’s soup, he decided, and a free water cup.
Avocado toast, as delicious as it sounded, was $11, when he could make it himself for much
cheaper and without gross micro cilantro. The menu was also very green, boasting about it’s
“locally grown” and “all-natural” ingredients. Most of the meat was labeled in French.

“Hm, what are you getting?” Wei Ying asked.

“Paradise salad and a cup of pu-erh tea. What will you get?” Lan Zhan turned to him. Their
shoulders brushed from the motion.

“Oh, uh, soup de jour. French onion is one of my favorites.” He actually liked jambalaya more but
with the amount of vegan options available he doubted they served a soup with at least four
different meats. Or even Jiang Yanli’s lotus root soup.

“There’s tamales, and a Reuben sandwich.”

“I am a tamales fan but the soup is calling me today.”

“I’m paying. Get what you want,” Lan Zhan said, a sudden firmness etching his tone.

“Oh, haha I thought you were joking!” Wei Ying laughed.

“No. I don’t joke.” Lan Zhan’s eyes narrowed in what could be frustration, but the gentle pout
softened his whole face.

Wei Ying laughed again and patted his shoulder. It was very warm. “The soup is more than
enough. I can go for some comfort food after my hard weekend. I’ll tell you all about it when we
sit down.”

“I’ll buy you a latte. They make pretty art on their stuff.”

“Don’t worry about it, I-” He was cut off with Lan Zhan stepping up to the register and placing
their order, including a large latte and a chocolate hazelnut cake. He paid with his little black card
and took their number.

“Lan Zhan~” Wei Ying whined as Lan Zhan led them toward a cozy spot toward the back, near a
window and tucked under an alcove to give them a little privacy from the room. The place was
steadily filling up as lunch hour was approaching.

“Thank you,” Wei Ying said sheepishly. “I could have paid myself, you know. You’re making me
look bad.”
Lan Zhan frowned. “That is not my intention. I’m sorry, I only wished to buy you a meal.” He
seemed genuinely apologetic.

“I-“ Wei Ying gulped. “Don’t ever apologize. You’re just much too kind for your own good. Haha,
it could get you in trouble one day.”

“I have a lot of money and a very good savings plan. My 401K is secured and if by chance
something were to happen, I have back up funds,” Lan Zhan explained swiftly.

It’s not what he meant, but he wasn’t going to correct him. He laughed instead. “I believe you, I
believe you!”

The meal arrived and the conversation was cut short per Lan Zhan’s rules. The soup was mellow
and sweet, the cheese stringy and rich in his mouth. The onions were caramelized to a light crunch
with plenty of flavor soaked in. Lan Zhan ate his salad daintily, with a napkin in his lap and a
posture imitating a ballerina’s strict back.

Shortly after they finished, their dessert and lattes arrived. The cake was delectably rich and
creamy; the first bite pulled a moan from Wei Ying’s lips. He couldn’t help but suck the spoon to
savor the decadent taste. His latte had an adorable rooster atop its steaming foam and was not
disappointed with the first sip, incredibly creamy, the savory buzz of the coffee left a warm
aftertaste. There was slurping for sure, but he was already mid-slurp when he realized Lan Zhan
wouldn’t like it.

He looked up, intent to apologize, and caught Lan Zhan with his eyes tracing downward. There
was foam on his lip, he realized. He quickly licked it away and scrubbed the rest with the back of
his hand.

“These are really good, thank you,” Wei Ying said. He took another bite of the cake and moaned
around his spoon, the chocolate melting on his tongue. He wiggled in his seat in pure delight.
“Have some! You’re the one that paid, you should eat it, too.” He spooned a good bite and
temptingly held it out to Lan Zhan.

He was sitting stock still, his hands clasped firmly in his lap and his latte untouched, the little heart
on the surface unbroken. It took a moment of consideration before he leaned in to take the spoon
into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully as Wei Ying grinned broadly.

“Good, right?”

“Mn.”

They idled a little longer, scraping their plates of the last remnants of chocolate and relishing in the
warmth of their drinks until the last foamy dregs. With the food gone, conversation picked back up
and turned to Wei Ying’s work.

“I haven’t posted in a while.” That line of work. The in-the-drain Youtube career. “Mostly because
I barely have time to film with the semester’s new schedule, and I don’t have any ideas to work
with.”

“Hm. What do you usually like building?” Lan Zhan prompted.

“Well, there was the food delivery drones. I increased its weight capacity and had it carry a bag of
Chipotle from the nearest Chipotle to Jiang Cheng’s house. I also had it try KFC at a longer
distance but it crashed into Wen Ning. There was also laser tag with actual lasers, low-grade ones
mind you, it only stung when you were hit, look.” Wei Ying scooted over to kick out his leg, Lan
Zhan tilting slightly over his seat to see Wei Ying roll up his pant leg and push down his sock to
reveal a series of lines and dots on his inner calf in varying shades of pink. “Testing was a literal
pain.”

Lan Zhan frowned. “That’s dangerous.”

“It’s fine, I promise! It was just finding the right adjustment to make sure it didn’t leave a lasting
mark but still enough to feel. There was also a remote control car. I wrote a program and basically
hacked both my Honda and an Xbox controller so Wen Ning could control my car from the
sidewalk. Fucked up my brakes really badly, there’s like a one-second lag.”

Lan Zhan frowned harder. “That’s really dangerous.”

“Yeah, yeah. My car’s on its last leg anyway—it’s going to break down on me soon, but I’m
determined to avoid car shopping for the time being.” He winced thinking about the AC. “But
otherwise the videos- I have some ideas floating around, but I don’t have the tools or space for it.”

Lan Zhan was still attentive, his dishes stacked neatly and pushed to the side of the table for a
server to easily pick them up. His pale eyes would have been unnerving if they weren’t Lan Zhan’s
own, framed in long, dark lashes. They were steadying, always focused on Wei Ying as he spoke.

“Like, a 3D printer is pretty easy to get but it’s also a little bit of an investment. A new raspberry
pi, a collection of Roombas but I need more than like, five of them. A golf cart, but I’m planning
on stealing one from Jin Guanshan’s golf course.”

Lan Zhan frowned again but didn’t berate him for this. Wei Ying figured he also wasn’t a fan of
the Jins but Lan’s tended to value never speaking ill of anyone.

They eventually had to go since Wei Ying needed to get to the lab and Lan Zhan was expected at a
meeting that afternoon. Once they arrived back on campus, Lan Zhan stopped him before he exited
his car.

“I’ll see you Thursday?” He asked, almost shyly.

Wei Ying grinned. “Of course. And maybe if I have an actual weekend off, let’s hang out, yeah?”

Lan Zhan nodded. “I’ll bring you coffee again. And we can do lunch if you’re hungry.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

Wei Ying bit his lip and sighed. “I can’t stop you, huh?”

Lan Zhan shook his head. “No. Drive safe, Wei Ying, please?”

Ah, he was still upset about the brakes. “I promise. I’m a very safe driver. I’m going to do some
car shopping after I file my taxes.”

“A lot could happen in a few months. Please be careful.”

“I will, just for you.” Wei Ying smiled. “Thank you for the food and drinks, everything was
delicious.” With a wink, he shut the door behind him and jogged off with a wide wave.
 A Car Charm
Chapter Summary

The right company can always make a routine more bearable.

Chapter Notes

This was actually supposed to be the second half of ch. 1 once again thank Umbree for
making me Stop. Shout out to both her and Yanyan for helping me clean up this mess
<3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

He spent the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday with his nerves wired for Thursday. His jobs and
school had started to sink him into a weird cycle where the weeks were blurred, and the few hours
he got to spend with Lan Zhan loosened the slowly tightening strings holding his limbs together.
He was, by nature, a social person, but he preferred socializing with the right people. Classes with
the buzz of lecture and repetitive homework drained him, and his job allowed a lot of wiggle room
for relaxing with his coworkers, but it wasn’t quite it. Like a craving that wasn’t sated. People who
he actually wished to see were beyond his reach of the monotone of his coworkers and classmates.

Lan Zhan was a reprieve he knew would take an ache off his shoulders with these little meetings
they had. Even while living with the Wen’s it was hard seeing them for an extended period of time.
Wen Qing was always out for her residency and Wen Ning was always at his own classes, archery
practice, and work. It was rare for all of them to be at home, which Wei Ying wouldn’t have
minded if the loneliness wasn’t already trickling down his back.

One Thursday he arrived early and actually beat Lan Zhan to class but he didn’t know where his
class was at. With a dissatisfied huff, he waited outside his own.

A few minutes later, amongst a rush of students leaving their classes, Lan Zhan pulled himself
from the tide with a surprised look in his pale eyes. Due to the light rain today he wore stylish
ankle boots and pale blue beanie pulled over his ears. A clear umbrella was tucked under his arm
in a plastic umbrella bag. The travel mug with bunnies doing yoga was already being offered
before Wei Ying could greet him.

“Good morning, Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, arm hanging out with the travel mug nearly pressed
into his chest. “I have more coffee for you.”

“Good morning! Ah, thank you, thank you!” When he took the warm travel mug, the brief moment
as their fingers brushed against one another sent warmer tingles up his arm.

“I’ll pick you up after class,” Lan Zhan said and turned on his heel to leave.

“Wait, where are you going in such a rush? I don’t start for another fifteen minutes, we can stay
and chat.” Wei Ying grabbed at the back of his wool coat. Lan Zhan stopped, frozen stiff on the
spot.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean- If you have homework or something to do before then by all
means.” Wei Ying flailed back and released the coat. How could he forget how much Lan Zhan
needed his personal space? He had always been stingy about it when they were kids!

“No, I just wanted you to get settled in class. I don’t want to make you late like last time.” Lan
Zhan wasn’t turning around, his earlobes were steadily turning pink. He must be angry.

“Don’t worry! Tell me, how was your class? Which class is it anyway?”

Lan Zhan turned back around, pulling closer to avoid the last stragglers of students from running
into him. “It’s my elective course, Romantics Literature.”

“You’re a business major right? Is that a minor?”

“Mn, but I’m… considering going for a Bachelor’s in English.” He seemed suddenly shy, his usual
steady gaze wavering.

“You like poetry, I don’t see why not study it further.”

“It is. I’m especially fond of the Romantics. I have a creative writing poetry seminar this semester,
too. It’s a nice reprieve from my business courses and work.”

“That’s smart. I could do with a break myself,”

“Mn. Speaking of breaks, are you available Saturday night?”

Wei Ying jumped. What…? “I- yeah, the lab gave me the weekend off. I was going to work on a
project but I could take a break around Saturday night. Why?”

“If you like we can go get something to eat?” Lan Zhan held his gaze steadily, his jaw held firm.

“I’m poor until my next paycheck so it’ll have to be your treat,” Wei Ying grinned sheepishly.

“That’s fine.” He was too quick to respond, too firm in his resolution.

The moment was cut short Wei Ying’s professor turned the corner with her armload of folders and
a large laptop bag bouncing against her hip. She walked quickly, nodded at Wei Ying, and entered
the class.

“I gotta go. Text you?” Wei Ying properly shouldered his bag and turned to leave but stopped.
“Thanks for the coffee. I’ll see you after class?”

“I’ll pick you up as usual.”

Class went by surprisingly quickly and before Wei Ying knew it, they were at a new cafe per Lan
Zhan’s choosing, this one much smaller and much cheaper.

“I think I’m going to get the 3D printer,” Wei Ying said after they ate, their conversation lulling to
blend with the hum of the fairly busy cafe. Their spot by the window was comfortable, the noon
sun warming Wei Ying enough to take off his jacket and push up his sleeves. He sipped the now
lukewarm latte and tracked a car with neon green rims rolling to a stop at the light.

“Have you already found one you like?” Lan Zhan asked.
“Yeah, but it’s a little expensive.” WeiYing said with a sigh. “I’d rather invest in a nice one than
settle for a cheap. It’s over a thousand, but after I pay off this loan I should be okay.”

“What makes it so special from other printers?”

Wei Ying couldn’t stop himself from launching into a spiel over it. He felt bad initially, gushing
solely about the printer, but Lan Zhan seemed to hang on to every word. He even dutifully read the
webpage when he pulled the printer up on his phone, asking him about terms and functions.

“The best part would be I could have more creative freedom with what I want to build. I use the
school 3D printer often, but I’m going to need my own if I keep this up,” Wei Ying continued.
“There are so many parts I can make without resorting to whittling it out of wood like some
barbarian. I did that for a robot, you know. The piece still snapped in half.”

“I’m sorry,” Lan Zhan said genuinely. His hand was resting on the table, pale under the full
sunshine with long fingers and a silver ring in his middle finger with a family crest on it. He’s had
that at least since their middle school days. “Did the machine still work?”

“Surprisingly yes, but only for a bit,” Wei Ying laughed.

Their time together went by quickly and soon they were forced to leave the spot of sunshine for
their afternoon jobs, Lan Zhan to his office and Wei Ying to the lab.

“I’ll pick you up at five. Is there anything in particular you would like?” Lan Zhan asked as they
got closer to the parking garage with Wei Ying’s car.

“Not really. Depends on what I’m craving at the time. Text me in the morning and I can tell you
what I’m feeling,” Wei Ying said. “But that’s only if you like it, too.”

“I will. Make sure to send me your address.”

“Thanks, Lan Zhan.” They reached Wei Ying’s old Honda Accord. There was duct tape holding a
bit of the bumper up. He turned in his seat to face Lan Zhan fully. He was sitting upright, his head
nearly brushing the roof. His long coat had been tossed to the back and his Henley was pushed up
his forearms. They were pretty nice, just like his hands, Wei Ying thought. “You’ve been really
good to me. It’s been really busy for me and seeing you regularly like this is like, a break from all
that.”

He didn’t know why he suddenly needed to be honest, but this was something he felt Lan Zhan
should know. “You’re like, a pause from the constant go go go my life is turning into and I
appreciate it.”

Lan Zhan turned to face him, his pale eyes bore into his untouchably cool face had melted around
the corners. “I’m thankful I can spend this time with you, too. You’re taking time out of your busy
schedule to see me. There’s no need for that and yet you do.”

Wei Ying grinned. “Of course I always have time for Lan Zhan.” He caught the time on the
dashboard and tsked . “Shit. I really need to go. I’ll see you Saturday!”

He was back to constant motion, a stainless rhythm with intervalling speeds of fast and faster. One
of the machines at work broke down that night, and Wei Ying was one of the handful of people
called at four AM to come fix it.

Friday morning, a little after one in the afternoon, he trotted up to his apartment to find Jiang
Cheng waiting outside.
“You could have called,” Wei Ying said. His head hurt with exhaustion and kept yawning all the
way home, but he was too awake to nap. “Wen Ning is at archery practice and Wen Qing is at the
hospital today.”

“I was in the area. Let me in, I’ve been standing outside for a while now,” Jiang Cheng grouched.

“You’re still in your ugly suit, why should I let you?” He said wearily, eyeing the pressed grey
material as he unlocked the door. “This is a nudist house.”

“Haha very funny. Let me in.”

It was chilly inside the apartment. Wei Ying shivered, kicking off his boots and heading straight to
the blinds to let some light in.

There was a heavy thunk and a sharp intake of breath behind him. Jiang Cheng, after kicking off
his shoes, has immediately stubbed his toe on a broken microwave Wei Ying had near the door, its
back popped off and a tangle of wires spilling out.

“You could have put this anywhere but the door?” Jiang Cheng growled, hopping weakling on one
leg. “You have empty space over there.”

“I need it there to remind me to put it in the car,” Wei Ying said, plopping down on the couch.

“Have you?” Jiang Cheng snipped.

“Not yet.”

Jiang Cheng stepped over a box of loose wires and treaded between an open tool box and a pad of
EVA foam with a load of loose parts, power tools, and what used to be a garbage disposal torn
apart.

“You could put your projects on the table, you know.”

“That’s where we eat and do school work, absolutely not.”

Jiang Cheng eyed the empty table and sat down next to Wei Ying.

“Yanli is having a dinner party this weekend,” Jiang Cheng said.

“I know. I’m not coming,” Wei Ying sniffed.

Jiang Cheng’s glare turned ferocious. He kicked his feet up on the worn coffee table, pushing
already teetering stacks of books and papers dangerously close to the edge. “Mom won’t be there.”

“But your dad will. Besides, I have a hot date.” Wei Ying turned pointedly away, admiring the tree
blocking the fire escape outside their wide window.

Jiang Cheng smacked his arm hard. “No you don’t. You better be there tomorrow night or I’ll
break your legs.”

“I’m serious!” Wei Ying turned back, a defensive flush creeping up his cheeks. “He’s coming to
pick me up at five and taking me to wherever I want!” It wasn’t a date, it was dinner with Lan
Zhan, but Jiang Cheng didn’t need to know the technicalities.

“‘Wherever you want’ should be Yanli’s house,” Jiang Cheng bit back.
“I’ll swing by her house sometime this week to make up for it,” Wei Ying whined. “I really don’t
want to miss it.”

“Where did you meet this guy anyway? Tinder? Work? School?” Jiang Cheng fired. “If you’ve
never met him in person before then I’m going to pick you up at four instead.”

“School! It was school!” Wei Ying defended. “He’s nice!” It’s Lan Zhan, Jiang Cheng knows him,
but the less he knows the less likely he would bully Wei Ying. But this is Jiang Cheng, stubborn to
a fault and made it his business to know Wei Ying’s business.

“‘Nice’? Who’s his family? What does he do? What’s his major? What’s his name ?”

Before he could come up with an excuse, the door clicked open to Wen Ning stumbling in, his
brow glistening with sweat and lugging his huge archery case behind him.

“Hello Wei Ying,” Wen Ning greeted brightly. “Oh, hi Jiang Cheng! Shouldn’t you be in the
office?”

“Had a meeting around here and it fucked up my lunch break so I thought I could drop by and
convince this thick-headed idiot to come to dinner he’s skipping out on,” Jiang Cheng growled.

“Yanli already said I can skip! The hostess herself said it’s fine, and she’ll feed me next weekend
instead!”

“Oh, your date with L-” Wei Ying yelled before Wen Ning could finish. He didn’t need Jiang
Cheng to know he was going out to dinner with Lan Zhan, he wouldn’t believe him and insisted he
went to Yanli’s. All three of them had a history tracing back to middle school.

“Wen Ning, how was archery?” Wei Ying interrupted.

“It was nice. My arm’s a little sore because I did more than usual, but my scores were really good
today.” He frowned. “I broke the tip off an arrow, so if you want it for anything you can have it.”

“Excellent,” Wei Ying said.

“Don’t avoid the subject, Wei Ying, who-” Jiang Cheng was cut off by his phone ringing. “That’s
my alarm. I’ll text you when I’m off tonight,” Jiang Cheng said, hurriedly slipping his shoes back
on and letting himself out the front door. “Don’t avoid me.”

“I’ll see you soon, drive safe,” Wei Ying waved.

Jiang Cheng shot another glare, stubbed his toe one more time on the microwave, and left with the
usual slam of the door. Silence followed his retreat. Wen Ning dropped his archery case behind the
dining table and went to the kitchen to pour himself some orange juice.

“Does he not know about you and Lan Zhan?” Wen Ning asked quietly.

“There’s nothing to know. I used him as an excuse so I wouldn’t have to go to dinner with my
uncle.” Wei Ying said. “Yanli asked me before Lan Zhan did, but I’d already turned her down. Lan
Zhan is just extra security to make sure I don’t have to go.”

“Where are you going tomorrow?” Wen Ning perched himself on the arm of the couch, his cup
cradled in his hands.

“No idea. I’ll text you the location once I know.”

A look of almost disbelief crossed his face. “I trust Lan Zhan, there’s really no need for the
security—unless…”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Just in case he takes me somewhere weird.”

“You and I both know that’s the last thing he would ever do,” Wen Ning pointed out.

It really is. Lan Zhan is good to him, too good in fact. He was prickly when they first met in eighth
grade. An embarrassing time for Wei Ying, but he held no regrets. His hair had been flat ironed
and his bangs cut jagged with Madam Yu’s sewing scissors and he pierced his own ears with safety
pins he heated up with a lighter. They got infected until Jiang Yanli helped him clean them out.

Despite being the most disruptive student in the class, he was still allowed to a quarter transfer
program that allowed him and a number of other students to study at a sister school where he met
Lan Zhan, the honor roll, first chair violin, 4.5 GPA nephew of the head administrator Lan Zhan.
They had all their classes together, and from his first day he was caught sneaking onto campus in
the middle of second period with a bottle of vodka he stole from his uncle’s stock and pushed Lan
Zhan into the peaceful mosaic fountain in the middle of the courtyard to make his escape, he swore
Lan Zhan hated him.

Detention was spent accumulating study hours in the expansive library with Lan Zhan keeping a
close eye on him. They sat under a wide window overlooking the same courtyard they met in with
the blooming magnolia tree and the rose archway leading to the vegetable gardens. Wei Ying
finished his homework quickly and used the rest of the time to provoke Lan Zhan. The funniest
moment was slipping a porn book between his large copies of The Language of Literature and For
Hearing People Only . The aghast blush and angry furrow, his hiss of “Shameless!” bit out between
gritted teeth had Wei Ying rolling with laughter until the books started flying at him.

A week later he was booted from the program for picking a fight with Jiang Yanli’s future husband
during a field trip to the Natural History Museum and knocking over a display, giving him a
permanent ban from the museum and a request to never come back to the school.

He was sure Lan Zhan hated him until at least when they were at the same science olympiad junior
year of high school, and maybe despised him a little less when they met again in their shared
philosophy class as undergrads.

“Straight-laced Lan Zhan would never dream of hurting me,” Wei Ying said.

Work called him in at six on Saturday morning. He got home at noon, hungry because he lost his
Panera gift card and that was going to be his emergency lunch, and above all exhausted. He was
hungry and didn't want to eat heavy because he had ended up telling Lan Zhan he wanted Italian,
and now the thoughts of a good pesto haunted him. He settled with some cereal and promptly
crashed on the couch to recover his lost sleep.

It was Wen Qing who woke him up.

“Does your man drive a Tesla?” She shook him awake. With her foot.

“Ugh - wha…?” Wei Ying groaned. The room was alit in a golden haze, a far cry from the feverish
brightness he fell asleep to.

“Your so-called date, a Tesla, right?” Wen Qing repeated.

“No, he drives a Prius… ?” Wei Ying said.

“He either lied or stole the car. A Tesla is idled outside and I caught a glimpse of the man who
looked scarily like Lan Zhan sitting in it.”

Wei Ying was doused in hot water, suddenly wide awake he shot up from the couch. “What time is
it?”

“Four fifty-eight.”

Wei Ying leaped from the couch and launched himself to the bedroom. He was still in his greasy
jeans and shirt from work, still smelled like metal and sweat. He gracelessly stripped and rolled
into the shower, barely pulling his hair out of the way in time for the hot spray, in and out in less
than a minute. He ran with a towel around his waist back to his dresser and frantically dug for his
only pair of clean, not ripped jeans.

“Thirty seconds!” Wen Qing called from the living room. Wei Ying could hear Wen Ning stifling
his laughter.

The jeans were just shy of too tight putting them on. He fell back onto his mattress, the black
denim stuck right under his cheeks. Curse him for having a shapely butt. Jeans on, he pulled a dark
grey and black raglan fresh from the hanger. He barely got his head through when a knock echoed
in the apartment. The bedside clock read five o’clock on the dot.

“Wei Ying, it’s for you!” Wen Qing called, mirth obvious in her voice.

“Get the door!” he needed his shoes and to brush his teeth- he caught a glimpse of his reflection in
the fogged-up bathroom mirror - his hair was a rats nest and added that to the panicked mental list.

Lan Zhan’s cool voice could be heard through the thin walls. He politely greeted the Wen siblings
and asked if he was ready. Wei Ying’s socks didn’t match, and the brush job for his teeth was
shoddy. His hair was hopeless and tied it quickly at the nape of his neck as he usually did. With a
jacket, his wallet, and phone (near dead) in hand he strutted out to greet Lan Zhan.

He was certainly a sight for sore eyes. His hair was neat as always, his navy button-down cut
perfectly to his chest. The black pants were tailored to fit his long legs, making them leaner than
usual. His hands here tucked in his wool coat pockets, not daring to step further into the room with
his brown Oxfords on still. Wei Ying deflated, feeling overwhelmingly underdressed. That was
usually the case. He knew his hair was sticking up at the top again and felt shy all of a sudden.

“Good evening, Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan greeted. “Shall we go?”

“Mn. Be back later tonight,” Wei Ying said to the Wens as he slipped on his boots.

While he tied the laces he swore he heard Wen Qing murmur, “Doubt it.”

“I will have him back by nine at the latest,” Lan Zhan said, turning back to the Wen siblings. Who
did he think they were, his doting parents? Wei Ying changed his mind when he noticed how close
to the door they were hovering, eyes flitting between Lan Zhan and Wei Ying.

“Don’t worry, you guys have fun,” Wen Qing waved him off. “Bring us back leftovers.”

“No. You ate the rest of my gyro, why should I treat you to more of my leftovers?” Wei Ying
huffed.

“You’d be living in the gutters if it weren’t for me,” Wen Qing pointed out, her paycheck the sole
reason they were able to afford an apartment with two bedrooms.
Wei Ying slammed the door shut behind them with a sigh, but turned to smile at Lan Zhan and
said. “So where are we going? Olive Garden?”

The hint of a frown pulled the corners of his lips. “No. I’m not a fan. We’re going to Venice
Beach.”

A little far, but the food must be good if Lan Zhan is willing to put up with evening traffic to get it.
Albeit, Saturday night traffic was a lot lighter than Monday through Friday but it wasn’t a clean,
straight shot to anywhere.

The Prius was nowhere in sight, instead, Tesla was parked just outside the iron gates of the low
apartment complex, a pearly white illuminated gold from the quickly descending sun. Wei Ying
gaped at the sleek car.

Lan Zhan answered the question before Wei Ying could voice it. “The Prius is what I usually drive
to school and such. Consider the Tesla my weekend car.”

Two cars. Lan Zhan had two cars. The second being one of the most expensive Tesla models. Wei
Ying, admittedly, felt a little better about him buying coffee for him so often.

Lan Zhan opened the passenger door for Wei Ying to slide into. The interior was a spotless cream,
smelling of that same refreshing scent as his Prius. It didn’t have the same charm as the Prius,
though, no bunny air freshener or cold drink cup. There was, however, a sweet little plush bunny
keychain dangling from the rearview mirror. It wore a little blue sailor collar and a tiny cap
between its fuzzy ears.

The drive over was long but they still made it just in time for their reservation. Soft classical music
played the whole way, an accompaniment to their conversation. Usually, Wei Ying would have
sneered and asked to change it right away, but he really didn’t mind what was playing on the radio
right now. It could be off and he wouldn’t even notice.

It turns out the restaurant had a valet, which Lan Zhan paid for before Wei Ying could dig out
some cash. The restaurant was an adorable house tucked into Main Street only a block away from
the beach. They missed sunset driving over, but the sky was a pale twilight still lighting the beach
he caught glimpses of between buildings. The restaurant had a charming little patio with high
fences to keep in the privacy with heating lamps and string lights as the only illumination.

“Outside or inside?” Lan Zhan asked before they stepped in. At that second, a cold beach wind
blew through and sent a shiver up Wei Ying’s back. Inside is fine.

Inside was a mistake. The room was small, intimate, with a low, vaulted ceiling. Here, the only
source of lights were candles on the small tables setting guests in small, intimate bubbles. Mo one
spoke above a muted murmur, leaning close over the tables to see their faces in the dim light. This
was too romantic, much too romantic for them, Wei Ying thought, his skin bubbling with panic.

They were taken to a corner by the window overlooking the street, tucked away from the rest as if
their bubble had an extra wall built in. They were introduced to the entree and wine menu, poured
cold glasses of water, then offered the bread and olive oil and a sample of today’s wine. Lan Zhan
declined, but Wei Ying happily took the swish of wine given. It was a deep red, rich with tannins,
and sharp on his tongue.

“There’s a tasting here. Their wine is said to be very good,” Lan Zhan said. His usual low voice
was fit for the low hum of the restaurant atmosphere.
Wei Ying eyed the wine menu, but after seeing the price of a single glass chose to stick with water
tonight after his free wine. The entree menu was short, only a dozen items listed. The lowest price
made his chest clench. He knew what he was getting into, he reasoned. He paid a hefty sum on this
month’s credit statement to be sure he could provide for both of them. It wasn’t good to always
have Lan Zhan paying for him.

The cheapest item on the menu did not at all sound appealing. It sounded good but never
something he would order. His eyes strayed down to the pasta with pesto, at a dangerous price
leveled with a good steak at any place cheaper.

A pale hand with long, strong fingers came into view and covered the right side of the menu,
blocking all the huge prices. “Don’t look at how much they cost. Get what you want to eat.”

Wei Ying pursed his lips. “You don’t need to keep buying me stuff. Can I pay for us this time? I
feel bad with you always covering for me.”

Lan Zhan shook his head. “You may pay me back in another way. Monetary compensation is
something I would never ask of you.”

It took a second to sink in. Is he asking… what Wei Ying thinks he’s asking?

The server came by and took their orders. Wei Ying caved and ordered the pesto dish. Lan Zhan,
once again, stepped in and added a round of reds for Wei Ying to taste and dessert.

Wei Ying bit hard into the bread, the crust crunchy and flakey and the inside light and fluffy, a
note of sweetness. The olive oil and balsamic vinegar were sharp on his tongue. He remembered
how hungry he was with the first bite and dove headfirst into the breadbasket.

That chatted between morsels of bread, Wei Ying having to strain to keep his voice down, but it
was pleasant being able to hear the deep cadence of Lan Zhan’s voice so often drowned out by
heavy ambiance. He could practically feel the rumble of his tones over his skin.

Their food was brought out not long after placing their orders. Lan Zhan’s dish was surprisingly
bright red, but the server explained the noodles were made from red beets. Wei Ying’s was
incredibly delectable, the pesto almost as good as the Costco one he ate straight from the jar’ The
dry cheese atop gave it an interesting texture that had him slowing his bites to savor the flavors.
Neither spoke as they ate but Wei Ying couldn’t even if he wanted to: the food was just too good.

Dessert was brought shortly after, along with the paired wine. Lan Zhan had the pistachio creme
brulee, and Wei Ying a chocolate souffle with a rich flavor and a light and fluffy texture that
dissolved into his mouth. The combination paired with the cream and the lightly sweet berries
perfectly and left his mouth watering.

“Let me have a bite of yours, it looks really good,” Wei Ying said, edging his dessert spoon toward
the creamy dessert, the top sprinkled with coarsely chopped pistachios and the plate dotted artfully
with some sort of pistachio sauce and a mint leaf. Lan Zhan pushed his plate closer, his food barely
touched. Wei Ying took a little of the pudding and scraped it through the sauce, and found the treat
to melt on his tongue. He moaned into the dessert and nudged his own plate toward Lan Zhan.
“This is so good, oh my God try mine, try mine.”

Lan Zhan hesitated a moment before taking the smallest sliver from Wei Ying’s plate and brought
it up to his mouth with his hand cupped under the spoon. He nodded after he swallowed.

“You keep taking me to all these places with fantastic food,” Wei Ying moaned, licking the rest of
the creme brulee from his spoon to clean every speck of sweetness from it. “Thank you, it’s been
fantastic.”

“I can take you to more if you would like,” Lan Zhan said.

The warmth from the wine left Wei Ying’s cheeks a little tingly, his mind a little jumbled. Lan
Zhan’s eyes were like molten gold in the low candle light. Wei Ying was sure he looked like a
blushing maiden flushed from the wine. His heart was beating a little fast, an unusual symptom
from the alcohol, Wei Ying mused.

Their conversation rose and fell with the lull of the candle, an easy tone Wei Ying could follow
even if he felt a little out of tune. He told him more about his projects, his stuff at the lab, the
steadily increasing workload. Lan Zhan in term, told him about projects from his own office, the
poetry he read for class, a little of the poetry he wrote. Wei Ying tried to see if Lan Zhan would
send him some, even used his Youtube channel as a bartering chip, but Lan Zhan blatantly
refused.

When the check came, Wei Ying was ready. He had his card out halfway through dessert, having
paid off a huge chunk of it earlier in the week for this occasion specifically. The server
approached, check balanced on a tray, and Lan Zhan was rising to his feet.

“Lan Zhan, let me get it this time.” Wei Ying was left unheard. Lan Zhan met the server, spoke in
a low voice, and dropped his card on the platter without so much as a peek at the bill. Wei Ying
deflated, his card held half up in the air and the bitter retort on his tongue.

Lan Zhan sat back down, unruffled and a little smug around the edges.

“I wouldn’t take you to a place like this knowing your financial situation without footing the bill,
Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said simply.

“Then I will take you to IHOP and we’ll have endless pancakes on my card next time,” Wei Ying
said grumpily.

“No, I will still pay.”

There was no winning with this man. The server returned with the receipt and little chocolate mints
to go with a well wish for a good evening. Even the chocolates were better than the Andes from
Olive Garden. They left with Lan Zhan leaving thirty dollars cash on the table, making Wei Ying
wonder if the bill was really that large or if he was just a generous tipper.

On the way home a slow jazz number on the radio left a radiant calm in Wei Ying’s bones,
mellowed out by his full belly and the slow timber of Lan Zhan’s voice

“I have something for you,” Lan Zhan said out of nowhere. The statement sent a jolt through Wei
Ying, a sharp sound of question leaving his throat before he could properly articulate. “It’s in the
trunk. I will give it to you once we reach your apartment.”

“There is absolutely no need for you to take me out to a fancy restaurant and shower me in gifts
like that! Save it for a girlfriend!” Wei Ying yelped. Lan Zhan took his eyes off the road for a
moment to shoot him an unreadable look.

The buzz didn’t fully leave his system until they reached Wei Ying’s apartment a half hour later.
Lan Zhan hurried out of the car to power walk around the car to open the door before Wei Ying
was fully unbuckled. He laughed, but paid it no mind as it was Lan Zhan being his polite self. He
was more curious than anything to see what he’d gotten from him.
 It turned out to be a 3D printer. Like a whole entire, actual 3D printer. A really nice 3D printer
with all the things Wei Ying wanted and more.

“Why?” Was all he could say. The box barely fit in his trunk.

“You said there was a lot you could do with it and how much easier it would be for you to create,”
Lan Zhan said softly. Under the glow of the street lamp he seemed out of touch with reality,
ethereal in an inhuman way that made Wei Ying want to reach out and… do what? Lan Zhan
continued. “I want you to keep creating without restrictions. I’ve already seen all your videos, and
there’s so much good in them. You can’t stop now because you lack the material.”

That was probably the most he’s ever said and every word poked deep into Wei Ying’s chest.

He smiled, unable to help himself. “I’ll dedicate my next video to you.”

Chapter End Notes

Times are tough and I hope this can help at least a little bit! Things have changed and
will keep changing and all we can do is our very best and be good to one another. I
hope everyone is keeping to themselves and for those who are working frontlines
you're bigger and stronger than anyone else and deserve so much better than what the
world is giving you.

Thank you everyone so much for reading! I do my best to answer comments they
really make everything worthwhile. I hope to have an update every Monday because
consistency and keeping myself busy is the only thing keeping me from going stir
crazy. I've taken to riding my bike a few days a week around the neighborhood and
every morning I eat breakfast out on the patio while playing ACNH. It's the little
things that make it easier. Usually, around this time of year, I'll be swimming in
cosplay prep for AX but 'cause it was canceled I can focus on doing more writing and
drawing once school is out instead of throwing myself into crafting for two months
straight so I guess it's a little bit of a blessing in disguise.

With that, once again thank you very much! I don't think I'll have a long-winded AN
like this again but I wanted to say my piece. Comments and kudos are greatly
appreciated and hmu on twitter! I'll be posting little notes and sketches to this fic as the
story progresses!!
 An Enamel Pin
Chapter Summary

Everyone needs a good wool coat in their wardrobe.

Chapter Notes

Thanks again to yanyan and deafy for looking it over!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“And as always, thanks for watching and please stop reporting my videos. I've only made dildos
twice now and while it would have been a total power move to make another I held back for your
sake. Make sure to like and subscribe and maybe I’ll put out another video within the year.” With
that, Wei Ying cut the camera and turned to take in the carnage. The apartment was a little trashed.
Actually, it was really trashed. Wen Qing was working late at her residency. She would have killed
him if she saw this.

“I know I pushed you to make a video but really?” Wen Ning said in resignation as he started
packing up the filming equipment.

Lan Zhan had bought Wei Ying the 3D printer last weekend and since then Wei Ying had been
rolling with ideas but afraid to actually try it until he knew exactly what he wanted to make. The
end result was him getting a 3D model of him programmed and printing out over a hundred three-
inch tall figures of him and one the size of a toddler, which took almost a day to complete.

He used them to “check the durability of the materials” and ran all sorts of very scientific
tests,including dropping various weighted items from the roof to crush the dozen or so sitting on
the lawn, running them over with his car, and melting them with his blow torch. The last thing on
his list was taking the survivors and the three-foot model to Jiang Cheng’s townhouse, breaking in
through the garage door and leaving the larger model around the corner of his entryway and a
horde of the miniature models winding up the staircase.

Jiang Cheng had panicked briefly before realizing what it was and, in anger, took toddler Wei Ying
to the park at the end of the street and dumped it into the pond. It took a moment for Wei Ying to
fish it out because of how dense it was. He filmed the outro at his apartment while he still smelling
strongly of pond water with the incredibly dense toddler A-Ying held in his arms like it was a baby.

The apartment’s furniture had been moved around with the smell of burning plastic heavy in the
air. The broken microwave had been moved from the doorway finally and was used as one of the
weighted objects to drop and now laid in pieces on the floor. Most of his tools were scattered over
every flat surface and the shiny new 3D printer perched in the center of it all.

He grimaced at the mess, putting down Xiao-Ying by the door to greet Wen Qing when she came
home later.
A text alert distracted him from the hellish mess. It was from Lan Zhan, the only person he’d been
texting constantly as of late.

It took the rest of the weekend to clean, mostly because he kept delaying to play video games or
the moment his phone went off from a text from Lan Zhan he threw himself onto the closest
parallel surface to respond. The two of them continued to meet every Tuesday and Thursday, Lan
Zhan cornering him before class to deliver a hot coffee or picking him up to find a new cafe or
relax at a campus cafe. It was nice, so nice the sour feeling of his bills coming in for the month and
the alerts from the lab pulling him in at all odd hours was sweetened a little.

A sudden rainstorm disrupted his day. Traffic was worse than usual, taking an extra half hour to
get to class because no one knew how to slow down in the rain. He jogged to class ten minutes late
with his clothes sticking to his skin. He didn’t mind being a little late, and his professor understood
how bad traffic could get.

It was Lan Zhan he was worried about. During his drive, he got a text asking where he was and
only managed to catch a glimpse of it before the car in front of him hit the breaks a little too fast,
pulling his attention back to the road. The rain was relatively light, a steady drizzle from the storm
grey clouds, but it was enough to throw puddles in the streets and get one a little too wet for
comfort if out in it too long. He had been forced to park in the back of the student lot across
campus as his usual parking garage was full, and so was the one at the other corner. By the time he
reached his building, he was chilled to the bone with water soaking his ankles, thighs, and
shoulders.

Lan Zhan was still waiting for him when he slipped out of the elevator, already walking toward
him with a frown pulling the corners of his lips.

“You’re late,” he said in lieu of a greeting. “Is everything okay?” He took stock of Wei Ying’s wet
appearance, shivers already working their way up his back and shoulders. He hopped in place to
keep himself warm. He could already feel the humidity settling under his clothes.

“I’m fine, traffic just sucked and I couldn’t find parking. Sorry I couldn’t text you, I was driving,”
Wei Ying said.

“Don’t apologize for being safe.” Lan Zhan frowned and gave him his coffee. It was hot in Wei
Ying’s cold hands, and he shuddered from the warmth.

“Ah, that feels good,” Wei Ying laughed, pressing the bunny travel mug to his chilled cheek.

Lan Zhan took off his beige wool coat and held it out to Wei Ying. “Take off your jacket and wear
this instead. It’s dry.”

Wei Ying frowned. “No? You need a jacket.” He only had a sweatshirt underneath, a white collar
peeking out at the neck. There was a bunny enamel pinned to his crisp collar. That wouldn’t be
enough to fight off the chill outside.

“I have an umbrella and don’t really get cold,” Lan Zhan argued before Wei Ying could decline.
He gestured to the clear umbrella leaning against the wall with his bookbag then pushed the jacket
toward Wei Ying again.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, really!” He tried pushing the coat away but Lan Zhan pushed back harder.

“I insist. I won’t leave you alone until you take it.”

“Lan Zhan is that a threat?!” Wei Ying laughed. “It’s not a very good one because I like being with
you!”

Lan Zhan’s ears turned pink but he frowned harder. “It is a threat. Take it.”

Wei Ying caved. He put the tumbler between his thighs and wiggled out of his damp denim jacket
and hoodie, the two stuck together. His shoulder and front were a little damp but not nearly as wet
as his jeans and jacket. Lan Zhan took them from him and helped Wei Ying slip into the wool coat.
It was deliciously warm and he couldn’t help but shiver in delight. It smelled nice, like clean
laundry and sandalwood.

“Keep it,” Lan Zhan said, stepping back with Wei Ying’s drenched jackets over his arm. His eyes
tracked down and back up Wei Ying’s form, the coat a little too big in the shoulders and the cuffs
fell over his knuckles. He was admittedly very comfortable in it. “I will take this so you won’t have
to carry it around with you. Now get to class, you’re late.”

“Wait, what?”

“Go to class. I will see you in an hour.” Lan Zhan picked up his stuff and headed out the stairwell
door. Wei Ying stood there a moment, the bunny tumbler still clenched between his thighs and
held his backpack awkwardly by the strap.

His professor didn’t mind, simply nodded and marked his name on her attendance sheet without
breaking the lecture. He was cozy all class in the warm jacket, continuously burying his nose into
the thick wool to warm his cheeks and take in the clean smell. He sort of didn’t want to give it
back.

Lan Zhan picked him up with his Prius after class with his hoodie and denim jacket folded and
dried. The rain was still steady but Wei Ying had run to make sure he didn’t get too wet. He was
sure this was real wool and had no idea how to care for it.

“Thank you so much,” Wei Ying sighed into the warmth of his seat. The heaters were on but the
real warmth came from the heated seats. “Your coat is so comfortable. I was cozy all class.”

He moved to take it off before buckling up, a bit of a struggle due him sitting on most of it.

“Keep it on,” Lan Zhan said, resting a hand on Wei Ying’s arm. He opened his mouth to finish but
left the sentence hanging between them. The hand was hot even through the wool, a brand that left
an imprint after Lan Zhan pulled away.

Even after their light lunch at a new cafe, Lan Zhan refused to take it,nor would he when he
dropped Wei Ying off in the parking garage by his car. It was starting to frustrate Wei Ying, but
more than anything,each insistence made his heart lurch a bit.

“No,” Lan Zhan said firmly, a note of finality. He gripped the steering wheel hard, the little bunny
enamel had a few drops of rain glinting on its smooth surface. “You said you liked it.”

Wei Ying’s cheeks pinked. He had said once or twice he really liked this wool coat, mostly
because of how well it cut to Lan Zhan’s figure. This was a little big, obviously tailored to fit Lan
Zhan’s broader shoulders, but otherwise fit him okay lengthwise due to the bare inch of a height
difference between them.

Regardless, he wasn’t going to keep his wool coat! “No, I already have my jackets, let me give this
back so you can wear it to the office.”

Lan Zhan snatched the hoodie and denim jacket back before Wei Ying could grab them from the
seat. “No, you don’t.”

Wei Ying couldn’t help but burst out laughing, his resolve crumbling from Lan Zhan’s pout.
“Okay, okay, only because you insist! Let’s have dinner soon so we can exchange jackets!”

“I will bring back your jackets, but you must keep that one.”

“Lan Zhan, I can’t do that.”

“I have several. Everyone needs at least one nice wool coat in their closet. I can get it tailored to fit
you better in the shoulders,” Lan Zhan said.

“How about I keep the jacket, but you don’t get to tailor it.”

Lan Zhan frowned but agreed. They bid each other goodbye and Lan Zhan drove off after making
sure Wei Ying was in his car.

His sister called when Wei Ying was halfway to the lab. She asked how he was doing and how his
day was going, idle small talk that brought blooming warmth in his chest. He loved his sister
dearly and her sweet demeanor and gentle heart did wonders to melt the ice frosting Wei Ying’s
skin.

With the easy greetings aside, she went straight to business. “We missed you at dinner on
Saturday,” Jiang Yanli said, her voice soft. “A-Ling was asking about you.”

“Tell the little dude I said hello. Are we still going to do brunch?” Wei Ying asked.

“Of course! Is Saturday morning okay? And A-Ling is right here. You can say hi-” her voice
pulled back as she spoke to her son. “Do you want to say hello to your Uncle A-Ying?” There was
an incoherent noise of agreement and after a moment of shuffling little Jin Ling’s little toddler
mouth breathing echoed in the receiver.

“Hello, A-Ling!” Wei Ying said happily. He really didn’t care the heating was broken in his car
right now with how wonderful it felt talking to his family.

“Hi, Uncle,” Jin Ling said, his tongue fumbling over the syllables. “Mommy made me ice cream!”

“She did? What flavor?”

“Chocolate with little chocolate chips and little chocolate swirls,” he said, excitement clear in his
voice.

“Triple chocolate! Isn’t that too much chocolate?!”

Jin Ling giggled. “Noo~” He drew out the word, clearly enjoying berating Wei Ying. “I can never
have too much chocolate.”

“One day you will eat your words,” chided Wei Ying. “Now let me talk to your mom and I’ll see
you soon, little dude.”

“Okay, big dude!” Jin Ling giggled again at his joke. “Bye-bye! Here’s mommy!”

Another second of shuffling and Jiang Yanli was back. “I took out the ice cream maker because he
was asking for a specific one the store doesn’t have.”

“Chocolate with chocolate chips and chocolate swirls?” Wei Ying laughed.
“It’s surprisingly hard to find. I don’t mind, it’s been a while since I made some.”

She was always so soft with her kid, following whatever whim he had. It didn’t help that Jiang
Yanli was a fantastic cook and an even more fantastic mother. Jin Ling was spoiled between his
mother’s cooking and his father raking in so much money he didn’t know what else to do with it
except buy Jin Ling anything he wanted. Jin Zixuan had only ever put his foot down on a race car
and settled for one of those Jin Ling-sized battery-powered cars. He ran over Wei Ying twice on
the day he got it and he was sure Jin Ling meant to do it on purpose. It was hard to lose control of a
car going five miles an hour.

Lan Zhan wouldn’t hesitate to give him anything he wanted. All the meals, the 3D printer, the
jacket still draped over Wei Ying’s shoulders. He wondered briefly what was his stopping point,
his compromise when it got too much? Would he eventually reach the end of his rope and settle on
his own battery-powered race car?

Jiang Yanli was still talking. She was asking Wei Ying what he wanted to eat.

“Something hot. The spicy chicken cup noodles just aren't cutting it,” Wei Ying sighed.

“What happened to the recipes I gave you to try out instead of feeding all that sodium into your
body?” The frown was evident in her voice.

“I do make them, I promise, but sometimes I’m home late and boiling hot water is all I can
muster,” Wei Ying explained quickly. “I promise most of the time I make the stuff you showed me
how to make. I really like the red pepper linguini I throw in some chicken if I have a little more
time to cook.”

“Good. I’ll plan something, but I’ll have to make something separate for Zixuan and A-Ling. They
both can’t handle anything spicier than mild salsa,” Yanli said with a teasing note.

“I understand the literal baby. I watched him dip a chip into salsa just to get it a little wet. No
chunks or anything, just the juice,” Wei Ying laughed. “But Zixuan? I should feed him a ghost
pepper, that would be funny.”

“Leave him alone, A-Ying,” she chided, but mirth was evident in her voice. “Now I have to go and
clean out the ice cream machine. Are you driving?”

“Yeah, but I’m almost at work. I’ll text you later?”

“Drive safe then. Talk to you later, love you.”

“Love you, too.” He hung up.

The rest of the week passed in a blur; the pause button hit once for Lan Zhan and Wei Ying to have
lunch. He’d left the jacket in the car and apologized profusely when Lan Zhan handed him back his
two jackets, neatly folded and clearly laundered.

“Don’t worry. I said you can keep it,” Lan Zhan said. True to his words, he wore his grey wool
coat today with the ankle boots and beanie, the rain still not quite gone but it was more of an on
and off sprinkle with the occasional weak thread of sunshine between the clouds.

Wei Ying frowned. It was a nice jacket, but he couldn’t bring himself to keep it, but the resolution
in Lan Zhan’s steady, clear gaze had him crumbling. “Aiyo fine, it’s mine now and you’re never
getting it back.”
“Mn. Good,” Lan Zhan said, a hint of a smile tugging his lips.

To break into the jacket as truly his own, he wore it out Friday night while bar-hopping with Jiang
Cheng and their long-time high school friend, Nie Huaisang. They started at one of their favorite
places with an indoor food mall downstairs and the bar upstairs loaded with vintage arcade games
and a unique line of their house cocktails. They ate at the fried chicken place then tramped upstairs
to order the first shots for the night and a round of drinks. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng stuck with
beers but Nie Huaisang ordered one of the more intricate and expensive cocktails, completed with a
sugared rim, a stick of fruit, and a light-up ice cube.

A few rounds on the arcade games had them loosening up. Jiang Cheng, although loud and kind of
a sore loser, was relaxed and smiling slightly despite his losing streak to Wei Ying on a first-person
shooter. Nie Huaisang wasn’t a lightweight, but he was on his second cocktail that was loaded with
half the bar, and an evident flush was warming his cheeks.

“Your coat,” Nie Huaisang said, tugging at the lapel. “Where did you get it? It’s unlike what you
usually wear. Are you experimenting?”

“No, it was a gift,” Wei Ying stuck his hands in the wide front pockets and flapped his arms a bit
as if to showcase the coat’s sophisticated grace in an uncoordinated manner.

Nie Huaisang froze. “Isn’t that a Burberry?”

“Bur-what now?” Wei Ying asked. Nie Huaisang didn’t answer, only went to stand behind Wei
Ying and tug the back lapel to check the tag.

“This is fucking Burberry. Like, an actual Burberry coat. What the fuck, who would give you a
thousand dollar jacket?”

Wei Ying nearly spilled his drink on the thousand dollar jacket. Lan Zhan what the actual fuck?

“Didn’t Lan Zhan give this to you?” Jiang Cheng said, his hand hovering over his sleeve as if
afraid to touch it. They were all a little more careful around Wei Ying suddenly.

“Lan Zhan? As in Lan Huan’s little brother?”

“Yes?” Wei Ying answered, not really remembering Lan Zhan’s brother’s name.

“He and my brother are close. Bro, oh my god the Lan’s are loaded, no wonder why he gave you
something so expensive.”

“Define loaded,” Wei Ying asked, afraid to move.

“They have a house in Beverly Hills, and both Lan Huan and Lan Zhan have their own apartments
in LA close to their work and school. There’s another house in San Francisco, another in Suzhou,
one in New York, and a vacation home in Vancouver,” Nie Huaisang said, ticking off his fingers.
“I’ve been to the Beverly Hills house. It's really nice. Not like, flashy like some of the other houses
in the neighborhood but it has this classy charm to it.”

The coffees Lan Zhan brought him twice a week were probably pennies to him, perhaps even less
if they’re as rich as Nie Huaisang said. Wei Ying knew the Lans had money, but he didn’t know it
was that much. He was afraid to even mention anything he wanted around Lan Zhan now,
especially now that he knew he would definitely buy it for him.

“It’s old money, but the Lans are experts at raking it in. The only people I personally know who
are richer would be the Jins, but I doubt that’s completely clean money,” Nie Huaisang went on.
He was still a little tipsy and was prone to rambling with even just a sip of alcohol. “The Lans we
can safely say are squeaky clean, totally legal, hard-earned money. They invest and save and just
have like, super good luck. And they’re this rich despite donating large portions of it to humane
societies. Lan Qiren donated five million last year to support the California National Parks. It's
crazy! And Lan Huan is always hosting fundraisers and putting in a lot of volunteer hours, like
actually working at soup kitchens and running donation drives.”

“Maybe you’re a charity case,” Jiang Cheng suggested, taking a sip of beer to hide his obvious
grin.

“I resent that,” Wei Ying said coldly. He didn’t want that idea to take root and did his best to
dismiss it.

He almost went back to the car to drop off the coat, but Nie Huaisang convinced him it looked
good on him and he should keep it.

“If anyone starts getting a little flimsy with their limbs, I’m backing ten feet away. I have no idea
how to clean wool,” Wei Ying warned.

“Maybe we should go somewhere nice to match your Burberry coat. I’ll go get my Steve Madden
shoes and my Tom Ford coat. Don’t you have a cashmere sweater, Cheng-shixiong?”

“I do but I’m not going to wear it out bar hopping.”

“Okay but let's at least go somewhere nice. Like, at least three dollar signs on Yelp,” Nie Huaisang
pushed.

“How about we stick to our stops tonight and not take any expensive detours, hm?” Jiang Cheng
bit back. Nie Huaisang sighed and dropped it and with another look from Wei Ying dropped the
jacket business completely.

A few hours later and three bars further, Wei Ying got a text from Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan <3 11:22pm

I am very sorry for texting you so late. Are you free tomorrow?

Wei Ying 11:25pm

I’m at my sister’s in the morning. What’s up?

It took a moment for him to text back, the chat bubble appearing and disappearing. He put down
his phone and figured there’s no use in ushering it to send Lan Zhan’s message faster, Nie Huaisang
was doing a tequila shot and looked second away from swaying off his stool. He didn’t collapse,
but he slammed his shot glass down a little too hard on the bar.

Another text came in and it hadn’t finished vibrating before he was unlocking it.

Lan Zhan <3 11:29pm

We can do Sunday, too. I wanted to know if you would like to accompany me to the Getty Villa. I
have not gone in a while and their gardens are starting to bloom.

His fingers were a little numb on the keyboard, but he was sure his message came across.

Wei Ying 11:31pm

Yeah sure I’ve never gone so it’ll be cool. I could bring my sketchbook and draw beautiful
portraits of you lounging in front of the pools or smth. What time?

Lan Zhan <3 11:31pm

9:00am. I will pick you up. Please wear sunscreen and good walking shoes.

Lan Zhan <3 11:31pm

Goodnight.

He couldn’t help but snort. That’s too early! Way too early especially on a Sunday! He read out the
messages to Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng and they looked at him with… a look he couldn’t pin
down really.

“Sounds like a date,” Nie Huaisang said, his gaze unfocused. “Is it my turn to call the Uber? We’re
going downtown a bit, right?”

“No, it’s getting late and I have a date with Yanli’s breakfast tomorrow,” Jiang Cheng said
standing.

“Perfect hangover recovery meal,” Wei Ying said. “And it’s not a date, we’re just going because
it’s cool and I’ve never gone.”

“You hate museums. You’re still banned from the Natural History Museum,” Jiang Cheng pointed
out. He was a little flushed from the alcohol but not nearly as inebriated as Nie Huaisang. His
words were a little slurred but he was steady on his feet as he stood. “They probably have your
picture taped up at the front desk.”

“I’m sure management has changed since I was like, thirteen. If he asked to go there I would wear
a disguise,” Wei Ying argued back. He really liked the idea of going to a museum with Lan Zhan
even if it was the most boring place ever. Maybe Lan Zhan was the appeal?

The three of them left the humid bar to the chilled outside, the asphalt still wet from the week’s
rain. Streetlights reflected off the oil-slick surface and almost blinded Wei Ying after the dim bar
they’d emerged from.

“The fact you are willing to go to a museum for someone at all is what I’m trying to say,” Jiang
Cheng bit back. “The Uber will be here in a second. Look out for a white Nissan.”

Nie Huaisang swayed between them, a dazed look over his face and cheeks flushed crimson. “If I
barf, don’t tell my brother.”

“Why, ‘cause he’ll kick your ass?” Wei Ying jabbed.

“No, he’d make fun of me for being a lightweight.”

A cramped Uber ride later, with Nie Huaisang slumping over Jiang Cheng’s shoulder mostly
asleep, they arrived at his house and helped him over the side gate to sneak in through the back
slider so his brother wouldn’t see. From there, Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng each called their own
Ubers and went their separate ways home.

It was well after midnight when Wei Ying threw himself on his mattress. He didn’t bother taking
off his pants and jacket and threw a blanket over himself before setting an alarm for a bright and
fresh nine in the morning. It was only now as he laid horizontal did he feel the beer and vodka
flooding to his brain and making him spin in vertigo.

On the brink of falling into a dizzying sleep, he texted Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying 2:19am
Can’t wait! See you Sunday <3

Jiang Yanli opened the door to him the next day with a sleep slumped Wei Ying. Jiang Cheng was
already in the living room, spread out over her couch with a pillow over his head to block out the
light. Little Jin Ling was on the floor next to him playing with an extra-large Lego set.

“Hungover?” Wei Ying teased drumming a rhythm into the pillow over his face. Jiang Cheng beat
him off with a growl.

“Be nice, he’s not feeling well,” Jiang Yanli chided.

“That’s what he gets for mixing his booze,” Wei Ying jeered and crouched to greet Jin Ling. He
ran into Wei Ying’s arms for a sticky hug and told him Jiang Yanli is making cinnamon rolls.

“The real question is, what aren’t you making?” Wei Ying teased pointedly at Jiang Yanli. She
looked a little frazzled, her hair slipping from the neat bun atop her head and her cheeks flushed.
There was flour on her blue apron.

“I didn’t make that overstuffed breakfast casserole Nancy claimed would be delicious for brunch,”
Jiang Yanli said. “There are too many fats and just looking at it made me full.”

“Nancy down the street, right? Who runs a mommy and me blog or something?” Wei Ying asked.

“Yes and she keeps finding me whenever Jin Ling and I walk Fairy. She wants my quiche recipe
and I’m not giving it to her,” Jiang Yanli sniffed. “She might do something atrocious to it.” This
was the meanest Wei Ying has ever heard her speak of someone. This woman must be an absolute
terror if she even has sweet, wonderful Jiang Yanli talking smack behind her back.

Brunch was wonderful, of course. Her husband, Jin Zixuan, was lured down from his study just by
the smell and joined them on the patio. The air was chilly and a little damp from the rain, but her
little garden was beginning to bloom. Her tangerine tree was heavy with little fruits and he knew
she would send him and Jiang Cheng home with a grocery bag of them. The plastic play set on the
lawn was wet from rain and morning dew and Wei Ying could see Jin Ling eyeing it longingly
from his booster seat. He promised to get a towel and wipe it down for him after brunch.

Jiang Yanli outdid herself once again with the meal loaded with seasonal fruits and hearty eggs and
bacon to sate any hangover. Jiang Cheng was as chipper as he could be by the end of the meal
while Wei Ying was fully awake and comfortably full. Conversation was easy although most of it
turned to picking on Jin Zixuan as it usually did. Jin Ling had started squirming in his seat pretty
soon after they finished. Jiang Yanli helped him out and sent him off to play and Wei Ying
excused himself to find a towel.

From where he crouched wiping down the slide he could still hear the conversation, their voices
suddenly pitched a little low.

“She doesn't want him to come at all,” Jiang Cheng said, his voice a low rumble.

“That’s not for her to decide,” Jiang Yanli said back. “All of us want him to come, including Dad.
It’s us against her.”

“She runs the house, remember? It might be under Dad’s name but, well.” Jiang Cheng gestured
vaguely. “He has the backbone for business but not for patriarchal duties. He barely tries to
compromise with her on anything, always her way or the highway.”
 “It was always the highway for me,” Wei Ying piped in, throwing the towel over an unoccupied
chair. “That’s why I live in an apartment with bars over my window and a car on its last tire, but I
would rather be crammed in my shit apartment then locked him with her again. I’m glad she
booted me out when I hit eighteen.”

“Rightfully so, but still,” Jin Zixuan piped in. Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying sent him nasty glares.
“Legally speaking,” he continued, clearing his throat. “You’re still part of the Jiang family and
despite your record you haven’t done anything to warrant a restraining order.”

“I wish I could have a restraining order for Madam Yu,” Wei Ying grumbled. “Anyway, what’s
this about?”

“There’s a charity gala the Jins are hosting and invited the whole family to come. Madam Jin
wants it to be a huge deal, so she even told Mom to bring you,” Jiang Cheng said. “We haven’t told
you because we knew you wouldn’t really want in on it but Dad insisted to at least ask.”

“No,” Wei Ying said simply. “How’s that? I don’t want to go there so you guys don’t need to force
me to attend.”

Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng opened their mouths to protest, but it was Jin Zixuan who cut in first.
“We won’t force you, but if you change your mind please tell us. It’s in April, so there’s time to
make a decision.”

He gave what was the ghost of a smile to Jin Zixuan. He refused to give him more. “Yeah, okay,
but I won’t think about it.”

They ended up chatting for a couple more hours before Jiang Yanli sent them away for Jin Ling’s
nap time, each with heaping to-go containers and the promised grocery bags of tangerines.

Jiang Cheng walked him out to his car to speak in private before departing. “Do you have a date
today?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Wei Ying said. “And it’s not a date, I just like saying that to get out of
things.”

“Well, stop that. Maybe I don’t like doing family shit without you,” Jiang Cheng snapped.

“Yanli is there.”

“With her fucking husband and kid,” he grouched. “I don’t really want to talk to Mom and Dad on
most days either, might as well have you there as a bit of entertainment.”

Wei Ying was startled. Jiang Cheng rarely said anything nice, in a biting tone nonetheless, but they
were kind words by his standards. He couldn’t bring himself to tease back.

Chapter End Notes

Hi everyone! Thank you so so SO much for all of your wonderful comments! I try and
answer as many as possible but it gets a little tricky idk what to say back!! But please
don't stop I thrive off of them and reread each and every one over and over again <3
Unfortunately, I will have to delay chapter 4 due to finals and a zine I gotta finish up.
Make sure to check out the tgcf zine Heaven Official's Travels
preorders open soon! Chapter 4 will be out on May 18 instead keep an eye out!

Once again thank you for all the comments and kudos! in the meantime until the next
update come chat with me!
twitter: mirai_eats
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art tumblr: mirai-eats
 A Phone Case
Chapter Summary

Things never go as planned but maybe it's for the better.

Chapter Notes

hiya im back! i'm done with school i graduated with my little degree yay! this is
literally the worst time to graduate OTL so lets get this show on the road before my
existential crisis sets in!
big ol shout out to yanyan and deafy once again for reading this when it was raw
garbage and refining it to a more edible taste. And another special shout out to angel
for giving me a hand on some tech talk so im not putting all the details into the food
and sex and nothing into wwx passions (which IS more than just food and sex i
promise).

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wei Ying’s nerves had been alight with excitement and he had a hard time falling asleep last night.
Wen Qing had helped him pick out an outfit; a pair of light wash jeans, a striped shirt, and the only
pair of clean sneakers he owned paired with the wool coat Lan Zhan gave him. He even changed
out his studs for the first time in a while for little hoops and untangled a silver necklace from a ball
of wires. Wen Qing gave her stamp of approval and went off to bed.

It was genuinely his fault for staying up so late after. He was about to lock his phone when he was
sent a sudden reminded of an upcoming convention through a company email, proudly declaring
how they had a booth and exclusive presentation for one of their biggest projects. Completely
forgetting it was already well past midnight, he stayed up even later browsing a convention site,
filled with abject longing and jealousy. He could go; he had the money, and his boss would let him
take a weekend off if it was to support the company, but most of all, Wei Ying wanted to see the
convention in its entirety.

He took one last look at his bank account and fell asleep at about three, a tentative plan forming for
what he hopes to be an exciting weekend, a nice break he fully deserves.

At about seven, he was gently awakened by Wen Ning asking for a ride.

“Just to the park. I want to get more practice before my competition next weekend,” Wen Ning
said, already dressed and ready. “A-Qing s aid you should take me so you’re awake on time for
your date.”

“Not a date,” Wei Ying grumbled, rolling over. “Okay, just gimme five minutes.”

“I’ll start some coffee.” Wen Ning stood and left, leaving the door open to entice Wei Ying up with
the smell of coffee.
After pulling himself out of bed and slowly pushing himself to shower and change, he stumbled out
to the kitchen with a hot coffee waiting for him. “Ready?” He asked, taking his keys and wallet
from the counter. The clock on the microwave read a little before eight. The range wasn’t very far;
he should easily be back with plenty of time before Lan Zhan picked him up.

Or so he thought.

His car wouldn’t start. He tried once, twice, again in all the ways that would normally bring it back
to life, even at its most stubborn and grumpy. Nothing, not even a splutter. He looked over at Wen
Ning, wide-eyed and fearful.

“We just got that AC,” Wei Ying whispered.

“Weren’t you saving for a new car?” Wen Ning asked, frozen stiff.

“It’s not even enough for half of a rust bucket and I was hoping to get one from the current
decade,” Wei Ying groaned. He got out of the car to pop the lid, hoping beyond hope it was just
the engine acting up again and not on its last splutters of life. But he already knew, deep in his
bones, this grubby 1999 Honda Civic had already pushed itself beyond its limits. No duct tape or
crude wiring, not even his shiny new 3D printer, could save it now.

About an hour later with grease up to his elbows and an ache in his shoulders, Wen Ning passed
Wei Ying his phone with a text from Lhan Zhan alerting him he was here.

“I’m,” Wei Ying gulped. “I’m still working on it.”

It was useless. He had work tomorrow. The car wouldn’t start. It gave a useless sputter ten minutes
ago, but there was a horrible clicking sound he couldn’t find the source of. His clean shoes had
garage dirt all over them and the smell of metal and gasoline had long since seeped into his clothes.
“I’ll be right out, just let me wash my hands,” he croaked. His mind kept going in circles,
frantically running calculations in his head and kept reaching the same conclusion: he would either
have to take out another loan or succumb to public transit.

His hands were shaking as he washed up. He had to change his clothes because they all smelled
gross and silently apologized to Wen Qing for her hard work going to waste. The frayed flannel and
old Docs didn’t have the same magic as the first outfit.

Lan Zhan was waiting in the living room when he came out, looking pristine and completely out of
place in his little living room part kitchen part dining room.

“Good morning,” he greeted. He had been examining the three-foot-tall Wei Ying tucked under a
blanket on the couch. “Is your car okay?”

Wei Ying shook his head. “She’s done for. I’ll… figure it out later. Let’s go. Oh, can we drop Wen
Ning off at the archery range on the way? I was supposed to take him but, you know.” He gestured
vaguely in the direction of the garage.

“It’s no problem, but are you sure you still want to go?” Lan Zhan asked.

“What? No, it’s fine, let’s go. I don’t really want to think about the car or anything right now.”
Wei Ying hated how sharp his voice got. Lan Zhan didn’t deserve his attitude.

They dropped off Wen Ning and Lan Zhan took them to get brunch at a cafe in Malibu across the
street from the beach. He wasn’t hungry anymore, his mind a whirlwind and his stomach a knot.
His cinnamon waffles were barely touched, the little side of fruit was pushed onto Lan Zhan’s plate
of toast and oatmeal.

After they finished, Lan Zhan stared at him expectantly, the question burning loud in his gaze.

“I’m fine,” Wei Ying said with a sigh. “It’s just a car really, but a lot of problems come with it.”

Lan Zhan still didn’t speak, allowing Wei Ying to continue.

“I don’t have enough saved for a new car yet, I wasn’t expecting mine to suddenly break down like
this. I can take some money from my main savings but that’s the down payment for my house
when the lease ends.” He was rambling but he couldn’t stop. “I’m still trying to pay off some
student loans before interest hits and that already takes a toll on my paychecks. Ugh, and I was
trying to go to a convention next month because my company is gonna be featured in the
exhibition hall.”

“I can take you,” Lan Zhan said. He hadn’t even paused to think about it. “What is it called?” he
asked, already unlocking his phone. Wei Ying started suddenly at the sight of it, the newest
iPhone model in a case patterned with all sorts of bunny breeds. He couldn’t help reaching across
the table to poke the picture of an incredibly fluffy bunny. Lan Zhan looked over and noted,
“That’s an angora rabbit.”

“Which one is your favorite?”

“I don’t have a favorite.” His ears were pink. “They’re all good.” Wei Ying grinned at his sudden
cuteness but shook it off quickly back to the matter at hand.

“Don’t worry about the con, I’ll go next year.” He pushed his phone back into Lan Zhan’s chest.

He put his phone away but it didn’t seem like the end. He paid before Wei Ying could even think
about taking out his wallet and ushered him back to the car. “Are you sure you still want to go to
the Getty?” Lan Zhan asked once they were buckled in. “I don’t wish to drag you somewhere when
you’re not in the right state of mind.”

Wei Ying reclined back in his seat thoughtfully. He didn’t really want to go anymore; his hamster
wheel of a brain was running off its little plastic hinges, turning back and forth and all around
helplessly. The brunch was delicious though, and he didn’t want to take his food and run after a
promise.

He took too long answering. Lan Zhan started the car and headed back down the freeway they
came from to return Wei Ying to his apartment. He tried to protest but was shut down.

“We can go another time,” Lan Zhan promised. He reached over the center console and rested on
Wei Ying’s arm just below the crook of his elbow. “I would rather you have a good time when we
go.”

Truthfully, there was no telling if the problem will be fixed anytime soon but he agreed.

Lan Zhan dropped him off and promised to see him soon as he always did. Wei Ying, with a full
stomach and a renewed resolve to check over his car one more time before calling it quits, marched
back into the garage, this time with his welding kit and laptop in tow.

A little after three he gave up and called a body shop to check it out. Two hours later, they’d towed
his car to the shop. Another hour later, they declared the car would either need repairs way beyond
his budget or dump the car completely for a new one. Wen Ning helped him look though “new”
cars in his budget that night and he went to bed with his eyes burning and his head spinning with
numbers.

By evening the next day, while making calls to dealers, Lan Zhan called.

“Are you home?” He asked after his usual greetings.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He hung up before Wei Ying could ask any more questions.

He turned to Wen Ning sitting next to him at the cluttered dining table. “Did I tell you I’m a little
afraid to tell Lan Zhan about anything I might need these days?”

“What makes you say that?” Wen Ning tilted his laptop lid down a bit to give Wei Ying his full
attention.

“Every time I even hint at a materialistic item I want, he shows up with it.”

“Was that Lan Zhan on the phone?”

“Yes.”

“Is he coming with a new car?”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Maybe he’s bringing you cinnamon bites from the mall. Or a soft pretzel. I could go for a soft
pretzel right about now.”

“Hopefully that all it is,” Wei Ying said, cracking a smile. “If it’s a new car I’ll take you to the
mall for a soft pretzel.”

It was a new car.

He heard the sleek engine before he saw Lan Zhan pull into the tenant parking lot. It was bright
red, sleek and slim, and a Lexus to boot. Wen Qing let out a low whistle and Wen Ning threw him a
grin Wei Ying didn’t like the implications of.

He didn’t believe Lan Zhan would ever drive such a flashy car, with an engine that tickled the
nerves in his spine or an aerodynamic fit meant for breaking the speed limit with. Wei Ying still
tried to play it cool. He could just be showing off a new car and taking him out on another dinner,
but he would have asked if his evening is free before springing a night out on him.

“Ooh, new car?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

Lan Zhan stepped out of the car, his designer boot clicked on the rough asphalt of the lot. “For
you.” He dropped the car fob into Wei Ying’s unexpecting (expecting) hands. “Tomorrow we can
finalize putting it under my insurance. You don’t need to worry about paying for this at all.” Lan
Zhan smiled a little bit. “This is also much safer than your twenty-year-old Honda Civic.”

He started at the car fob in his hand. The little hamster wheel in his brain had spun out of control
and was rolling around the whole cage. He would take coffee, a meal, movie tickets, a designer
jacket, anything but the shiny new car presented to him. The truth made his throat clench shut but
he tried to protest, to put the car fob back into Lan Zhan’s hand.

“It will be a hassle to return it. And red isn’t my color,” Lan Zhan refused. He wrapped his hands
around Wei Ying’s and closed his fingers over the car fob. “Your car was old and borderline
dangerous, causing you more problems than it was worth. At least now you’ll be much secure and
have one less payment to take care of with this.”

This is too much. He can’t. This would link them closer than ever, but the car, in the end, was
easily removable from his life. It would be a hassle, but if Lan Zhan changed his mind and took the
car back he had Uber discounts until he could get something of his own.

But he hated the idea of Lan Zhan stepping out of his life more than him taking the car away. Their
eyes met for the first time, his pale gaze unwavering, steady as it always is like a shining
lighthouse in a turmoiled sea Wei Ying found himself suddenly drowning in. The rising tides in his
core, his stuttering breath begging for air. He tried to anchor himself at Lan Zhan’s shores, unsure
of why he was suddenly underwater.

“Clear your schedule from work and have your homework done for the weekend of the first of
March,” Lan Zhan continued, cutting through the crests rising in Wei Ying’s head.

“What?”

“I’m going to take you to the convention. I already booked a hotel and got the passes. It looked
very interesting and I wish for you to accompany me,” Lan Zhan explained as if he probably didn’t
pause his whole life to follow one of Wei Ying’s whims.

“The tension between you two is unbearable,” Wen Qing snapped finally. She and Wen Ning had
finished checking the car out, Wen Ning already sitting in the back seat. “Jesus fuck, take us for a
drive in this bad boy already.”

Wei Ying took them to the mall as he’d promised and drove laps around the parking lot while Wen
Ning and Wen Qing ran in to buy pretzels. It was weird how smooth it drove, responding to the
slightest touch and seemed to glide over the cracked asphalt. He felt bad for his jerking stops and
hard turns, too used to his unresponsive Honda. Lan Zhan held the grab handle in white knuckle
grip, tense in the passenger seat and brushed off Wei Ying’s apologies with an “Mn, you’re fine.”

He picked up Wen Ning and Wen Qing after a few laps around, each ladened with bags of Auntie
Anne’s pretzels and huge lemonades.

“A celebration for the new car. Here you go,” Wen Nin said as he climbed in. One jalapeño pretzel
with a strawberry lemonade for Wei Ying and a cup of unsalted pretzel bites for Lan Zhan. He
delicately picked up the pretzel bite and tentatively dabbed off some of the grease with his napkin.

“How come you let him buy you stuff but not me?” Wei Ying asked Lan Zhan around his pretzel.
There was truly no finer way to break into a new car than filling it with the greasy smell of Auntie
Anne’s.

“He gave me cash,” Wen Ning said, popping a cinnamon pretzel bite into his mouth.

“I didn’t realize I was craving this either until A-Ning said something,” Wen Qing moaned around
her pizza pretzel. “Thanks, Lan Zhan, this is fantastic.”

“Mn. You’re welcome.” Lan Zhan said, nibbling hesitantly on a pretzel bite, a furrow to his brow.
“I’ve never had these before. They’re quite good.”

“Good?They’re the best.”

“I once had a gourmet beer batter soft pretzel. Served on a wooden cutting board with house cheese
sauce. It was good but it’s not Auntie Anne’s,” said Wen Qing.

“It’s not Auntie Anne’s,” Wei Ying agreed.

“Oh, when are you two leaving for the convention?” Wen Ning asked almost out of the blue.

“I didn’t say I accepted,” Wei Ying said stiffly.

“He got you a car. It would be rude to decline,” Wen Qing pointed out.

“You may decline if you want. I will not pressure you if you truly don’t want to go,” Lan Zhan
said, putting his pretzel cup down and wiping the grease from his fingers. He didn’t move to eat
the remaining three-fourths of his pretzel bites.

“You’d be an idiot to decline,” Wen Qing amended.

Wei Ying bit his lip. He wanted to go so badly, but not like this. Not at the monetary cost to Lan
Zhan. He liked gifts, loved them, and maybe if it was his uncle giving him the tickets he would be
less likely to decline. He wanted to accept it, but after the car, it was all too much. The tickets
alone cost enough to make one flinch—plus there was food and the hotel and gas to get there.

Did he want something from Wei Ying?

“Am I allowed to pay you back?” He tried weakly.

“No,” Lan Zhan said firmly. “I want to go, too. This is something you’re interested in and I want to
learn more about it.”

His heart heaved. “Can I get back to you on it? I need to, ah, check my schedule?”

“I’ll go if he won’t,” Wen Ning interjected.

“No you won’t,” Lan Zhan said without taking his eyes off Wei Ying. It made his skin crawl in the
good way, a shiver over his bare neck and arms.

Wen Qing snorted and Wen Ning awkwardly joined in on her laugh. “Then Wei Ying has to go or
else you’d be alone,” he said between chuckles.

“He does.”

“But no pressure,” Wen Qing added.

Certainly, there was pressure. It was too much for him to bear, and, by their Tuesday coffee date
(that definitely wasn’t a date), he caved and said yes.

Lan Zhan seemed to relax into himself. “Good. I will pick you up next Thursday after work and we
will return Sunday night, is that alright? Or would you wish, we could stay a bit longer. It might
disturb our classes come Monday. Make sure to pack all your essentials—not the morning of—and
bring good walking shoes.”

He sounded like he was reading from flashcards. Wei Ying smiled. “Are you sure there’s nothing I
can do for you? You’ve done so much, I want to repay you somehow.”

“You can pay me back in whatever way you see fit.” He paused and continued as if in an
afterthought. “But not with money. I have plenty of it.”
He had said this before. Wei Wuxian couldn’t think of anything to give him worth what he’s done
for him. He looked down at the affogato Lan Zhan bought him today, the sweet vanilla ice cream
offset with the bitter espresso wonderfully, the first bite had made his toes curl in delight.

“I’ll think of something soon and whatever it is, it’ll knock your socks off.” This was a personal
challenge. His first running idea was to offer his body as payment, but he immediately shut that
thought down before it could get out of hand.

But Lan Zhan’s lips did look very… tempting. And his hands were big and would be very gentle
caressing his skin. He suppressed a shiver running down his spine. If he were to have his first time
he wouldn’t mind it being with Lan Zhan for whatever reason might be. He’s very handsome,
stunningly attractive even, and impossible to think everyone else doesn’t have the same thoughts
about Lan Zhan with how tall, lean, and unfairly pretty he was.

Wei Ying leaned over his affogato toward Lan Zhan, an unconscious movement he didn’t realize
he made until he found his pale eyes suddenly so close. He jerked back and laughed it off, but there
was a strain in his chest at the wispy smile on Lan Zhan’s lips.

A call cut their Tuesday not-date short. Wei Ying couldn’t help but openly grin at Lan Zhan as
they left, the sight was almost comical of how cool and collected he appeared. With his pressed,
band-collared shirt under a blazer and slim-cut slacks, the sharp click of his dress boots made him
seem so intimidating and in control, a man of high stature with a humbly proud cut to his figure,
but his adorable phone case patterned with bunnies pressed to his ear seemed to soften his whole
image.

Lan Zhan quirked his brow at Wei Ying’s goofy grin. He waved off his unspoken question, unsure
of how to word exactly why it was so funny. The tension of his rigid figure seemed to melt a little
under Wei Ying’s silent teasing grin, and pride bubbled up in his chest knowing he could make
Lan Zhan relax. He bumped their shoulders together and expected Lan Zhan to jerk back from the
touch, but with a twitch to his lip, he gently bumped back.

The Getty ended up being pushed back to an unspecified day. Wei Ying had to meet with his
engineering group to work on their thesis project and Lan Zhan had a meeting with his advisor that
left him with a load of work for over the weekend. Saturday was gone in a rush, and Sunday
blurred into the rest of the week with lab reports, a field trip to some testing facilities, and a Wen
Qing meltdown because he left the kitchen disgustingly dirty.

February quickly came to a close and his nerves were supercharged, increasing in voltage with
each passing day. He welcomed the getaway from everything but did feel a little bad about leaving
his project group to fend for themselves for a few days, but he promised to bring his laptop and do
some work to make up for his absence.

By Wednesday night, Wei Ying started packing his bag, excited for the prospecting weekend with
Lan Zhan. A hot wire ran through his body at the thought. The weird hot feeling in his chest was
most likely nerves for going to such a huge convention last second like this. He was too worked up
to sleep that night and instead spent most of the night playing on his Switch.

With barely a wink of sleep, he found himself being led into the back seat of a Mercedes-Benz by
Lan Zhan Thursday afternoon after class. Lan Zhan slid in after him, and, with a nod to the driver,
they were off to LAX.

“No Tesla today?” Wei Ying asked.

“I did not want to leave it at the airport over the weekend,” Lan Zhan explained. There was no
center console separating them as there usually is and despite how incredibly roomy the backseats
were, the outside world felt muted to their sleek leather interior.

The tiny seat between them barely left a foot of space between them. Lan Zhan had his hands
folded over his lap, his eyes tracking the street signs outside. The early afternoon glow filled the
car with a blinding haze when the stacked buildings opened up to the wide sky beyond.

Wei Ying felt warm in here, almost claustrophobic. He pressed his clammy palm to the cool
middle seat in an attempt to ease the sudden head pressing into his skin. Lan Zhan’s hands,folded
ever so neatly in his lap, tightened.

In no time they were shuffled through LAX and onto a business class flight bound to Las Vegas. It
was unreal—it’s already been a long time since Wei Wuxian had been on a plane and even longer
since he’d left California. A one hour flight later in the lap of luxury and full of expensive
champagne, they arrived in the heart of Las Vegas.

Lan Zhan rented a car and drove them the fifteen minutes it took to get to their hotel right off the
Strip. Wei Ying couldn’t help but gape in awe at the startlingly brilliant surroundings, the sky still
bright with the desert sun hanging low over the horizon. Unlike the LA cityscape, the skyline hurt.
Buildings were all meant to stand out, rising cacophonies of sound and light in faux stairways to the
heavens. It burned his eyes with the desert heat rising from the concrete, scorching his skin and
pulling heat into his lungs. The air was static with an unnamed charge meant to draw people
through arching doorways dripping with promises of decadence and fortunes. Wei Ying tore his
eyes away from the scalding Strip view and followed Lan Zhan into the lobby of their own luxury.

The hotel was huge and luxurious with black and gold marble and a sophisticated gleam to the
counters. Lan Zhan checked in then led them into the gilded elevator which took them up, up, up to
what felt like the edge of the sky. The room itself was stunning, a penthouse suite with a panoramic
view of the Las Vegas skyline tracing the floor to ceiling windows, surrounding the whole room
making them feel as if they were floating atop the city in their own private champagne bubble. It
was a tasteful, modern luxury with delicate orchid flowers and dark wood furniture, sleek lights
and plush leather cushions. There was a dining and living area with a well-stocked bar. The
bathroom was absolutely massive, made entirely of smooth white marble, glass, and dark wood
and a fancy tub sitting by the window with delicate white plants hanging over it. The bedroom was
neat and sleek with wide windows on every wall and the large king-sized bed at the center of
luxury. The ambiance was warm and strangely comforting, but Wei Ying couldn’t relax.

Especially because there was only one bed.

He wouldn’t complain. This was all on Lan Zhan’s money, and perhaps he wanted his comfort but
didn’t have the budget to fit a two-bedroom or even a two-bed suite for the stay. He opened his
mouth to raise the question of whether he should sleep on the couch, but Lan Zhan answered before
he could ask.

“I like the left side of the bed. Is that okay with you?” He placed his carry on by the dresser and
checked Wei Ying for a response.

Bed sides? Wei Ying hasn’t slept on anything bigger than a twin size mattress without a bed frame
in years. He'd be more than happy to take the large couch in the living room but Lan Zhan asked
him which side he preferred?

“I can take the right, it's fine,” he said, his throat burning with a sudden flash of heat.

“The day is still early,” Lan Zhan continued. “The room comes with a spa pass. They have a
wonderful seaweed wrap and vitality pools. Would you like to go and have dinner after?”

He had never gone to a spa before. If it came with the room, why not? “Sure. Now?”

“Mn. Let me schedule us first, then we may go down.”

After Lan Zhan made the call (with Wei Ying frantically searching their treatment menu to put
down what to reserve him for) they ate light snacks, changed, and headed down to the spa resort.
They were checked in smoothly and led to the locker rooms where they stripped down into the
given bathrobes. Wei Ying purposely kept his back to Lan Zhan, not trusting his eyes not to
wander down and make some inappropriate comments when Lan Zhan was doing all this for him.
He promised silently to keep himself in check. At one point, when he was completely naked and
sliding the robe on, he felt a telltale tingling on the nape of his neck and shoulder blades.

He turned to find Lan Zhan, dressed in his fluffy bathrobe, and turning away to check his phone
one last time. Wei Ying caught sight of the smooth expanse of his chest, the cut of his pectorals
quickly hidden again when Lan Zhan pulled the collar close and tightened the belt.

“Your calves are crazy huge, do you go to the gym?” Wei Ying asked, helpless from taking his
eyes off his cut legs.

“I have a home gym,” Lan Zhan said, tucking his phone away in his locker. “I use that five days a
week and a walk every morning along with a balanced diet.”

Wei Ying let out a low whistle, now unashamedly tracing the shape of his hard calves with his
eyes. “Do you have a goal or just keep your figure?”

“It’s important to keep your body in top shape,” Lan Zhan said. To his horror, Lan Zhan’s eyes
tracked down to Wei Ying’s legs, albeit toned but not as defined as Lan Zhan’s.

Their… conversation was cut short when they were directed down separate halls. By the end of his
two-hour massage, full body exfoliate, and deep face and scalp massage, Wei Ying felt like he
ascended into a whole new realm of peace. He hadn’t felt this loose and content in, well, ever.
Maybe he should get massages more often, or at least have Wen Qing dig her nimble fingers into
his back and head like this sometimes.

Lan Zhan met him outside the locker rooms, his skin glowing and the tension drained from his
body entirely. Wei Ying might have been imagining the little spring in his step, but his own head
was too foggy to tell. They walked slowly to the dinner reservations upstairs and Wei Ying did his
utmost not to look at the prices per Lan Zhan’s request.

He ordered what he wanted instead, sea bass overtop pasta with braised artichoke, and took great
delight in picking the tomatoes from Lan Zhan’s salad. Dessert was excellent, probably the richest
red velvet cake he’d ever had. Lan Zhan’s little honeycomb dessert was intriguing, light and fluffy
yet richly sweet. He had taken a dainty bite from Wei Ying’s red velvet cake without prompt, and
after a moment of slow chewing, nodded in approval.

“Don’t think about anything except enjoying yourself, please?” Lan Zhan asked at the end of
dinner, signing the bill with a practiced, curled signature. His hand sat firmly over the total,
blocking the complete expenditure from Wei Ying.

“I want to pay you back for this somehow,” Wei Ying tried again. “Isn’t there anything I can give
you?”

Lan Zhan froze, but melted easily once more, still glowing from his own full body massage, the
smell of lavender and tea tree thick on his skin. Wei Ying could smell the honey on his breath.
“Not what you might be thinking.”

If not money, then what did he want?

Wei Ying hummed, his eyes trailing back to meet Lan Zhan’s. A minuscule jolt ran through Lan
Zhan and for the first time ever, he shifted his clear eyes away from Wei Ying’s, the tips of his
ears dusted with pink.

It all snapped in place.

The meals, the car, the 3D printer, the convention pass, the big fancy hotel, the heated looks. He
certainly did not want Wei Ying’s money in return. The single idea swam around and around in his
head, a betta fish trapped in a too-small tank.

When he was first kicked out of the Jiangs, he had attempted various gigs while desperate for cash,
one of which was signing up for a sugar daddy app. That ended up not lasting long because he
couldn’t bring himself to even consider pretending to like those gross older men. He couldn't bring
himself to open the app after the first night he downloaded it. He never told Jiang Cheng that he
almost sold his body for cash, but he knew if he’d found out hell would have broken loose. He and
Jiang Yanli had no qualms with giving Wei Ying money without asking for him to pay them back,
but he didn’t want Madam Yu to find out she was still indirectly paying for Wei Ying.

They worked around it, gave Wei Ying food with the weak excuse they made too much, or bought
him new clothes because it was buy one, get one and they had his size. He didn’t want their pity.
He earned this life and they had no reason to try and ease the weight off his shoulders when it was
his job to work through it. He chose this lonely path and they had their own flourishing careers. He
would be a dead weight tied to their ankles and yanking them down.

Lan Zhan was different. He felt different with him. The hesitance he felt holding his feet to the
ground was drilled in from years and years of pushing. Lan Zhan pushed back and he couldn’t help
but stumble from the sudden force, his world tilting because he didn’t know what was happening
anymore and yet maybe this is what should be happening.

They could make this work. Lan Zhan, unlike those greasy old men, was very easy on the eyes and
most likely new at this. He must be young and lonely and unsure of how to make that intimate
connection and turned to money to try and make it happen. He never talked about his own friends,
if he had any, and it made Wei Ying wonder if what he really sought was companionship above all.
A spike of hurt shit through him at that. Lan Zhan really thought he had to buy Wei Ying’s
friendship?

Or perhaps, he really did want more. Friends with benefits was a thing, but maybe Lan Zhan was
too much of a gentleman to just fuck him and go. He always left a nice tip when they went out to
eat, how was Wei Ying any different than a good lobster dinner?

Admittedly, maybe a little louder than a lobster dinner.

Wei Ying considered the one question that ultimately mattered: if his hunch is right and Lan Zhan
is playing this awkward sugar daddy dance, would he accept it?

He was a virgin. Plain and simple. His first kiss in a middle school truth or dare on the back of the
field trip bus hardly counted. He wanted to save himself with someone special. Throughout high
school, he was too busy causing trouble to date, and in college, he was too busy trying to keep
himself afloat to make any lasting friendships. Sex was something he liked to fantasize about but
 couldn’t imagine doing, but if it was Lan Zhan...

He had nice lips, shapely legs, never raised his voice, and most of all the few times they’ve
touched it felt like electric coursing through Wei Ying’s body. He wanted that feeling all over. If
anyone were going to be his first it should be Lan Zhan. He was truly very handsome, kind, smart,
patient, and all around a genuinely good man. His future wife would be lucky to have him.

The only issue is he didn’t know how to broach the subject of allowing Wei Ying to officially
become his sugar baby.

Chapter End Notes

whew there we go! this starts the first arc!

you heard me. arc. during downtime in my finals week i reorganized all my notes and
had SEVERAL epiphanies of where the story should go and i now have a complete
detailed outline of what the hell is happening. which gives me some plot holes the first
couple of chapters when i have the strength ill go back and correct them rip. that's why
I've gone ahead and updated the kink specific tags now that i know what they're gonna
do im giving you a proper heads up before you delve into the story further and have a
chance to back out. most of these r one scene only bc im a baby.

MOVING ON I'll do my best to keep my regular Monday updating schedule! im

almost caught up to all the chapters written so i need to hustle and get these bad boys
churned out so if i go into a slump yall wont suffer. if i get them going fast enough i
might be able to get 2 chaps out a week now that im out of school Forever but pls don't
hold your breath. Sex scenes take me a long time to write so if im rly slow to update
You Know Why.

im low-key working on some background stuff for this too which might or might not
include a Spotify playlist (im taking song recs!) and a public google doc with a lot of
background profile info i felt wouldn't be rly important to the main story but ive gotten
a couple of questions about it.

lastly! the tgcf travel zine

is LIVE! preorders are officially open now through June 18 I have a paired piece in
there along with the upcoming pinup zine!

thank you so so much for reading! I love all your comments and kudos they make me
so happy!!!! i was grinning so big last night when i was going through and answering a
bunch you guys are the best!! if you wanna talk more i'm usually on my twit but i have
my Tumblr too!
twitter: mirai_eats
tumblr: tchaikovbee
art tumblr: mirai-eats
 A Bluetooth Speaker
Chapter Summary

What happens in Vegas, doesn't always stay in Vegas.

Chapter Notes

hello sorry for the delay but I'm here for this week's update (o´▽`o) it's an extra 1k
longer than usual for VERY good reasons I hope you don't mind!
Big shout out to both Yanyan and Alex for beta reading this.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It didn’t really cross his mind how their sleeping arrangements would affect him. With the
revelation that Lan Zhan might want to fuck him, he could barely get a wink of sleep even with the
massive king-sized bed putting oceans of blankets between them. He drifted in and out all night,
lulled by the ambient sounds of rain Lan Zhan played from a bunny Bluetooth speaker on the
nightstand. It was awful, how badly he wanted to toss and turn, but with how still Lan Zhan slept,
it made him too nervous to even breath.

By the time Lan Zhan gently nudged him awake, Wei Ying was convinced he’d gotten maybe
three hours of sleep altogether. He forced himself up anyway, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Exhausted to the bones from too many sleepless nights. At least Lan Zhan had brought him
breakfast from the lounge; a plate heaped with fresh fruit, toast, eggs, bacon, completed with a little
bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee.

Wei Ying threw himself into his morning, scarfing breakfast down and letting his exhaustion melt
away with a full stomach and rising excitement for the day. In his eagerness, he rushed to shower
and dress, managing to get ready before Lan Zhan.For once, it was Wei wing waiting for Lan Zhan
by the door, bouncing on the balls of his feet and lan zhan finished packing his little backpack.

The drive was quick, and parking surprisingly easy. They arrived an hour after the doors opened,
and the line was wonderfully quick to get through. He was buzzing as they trekked through the
rows of booths, stopping constantly to chat with exhibitors and fellow attendees. Lan Zhan drifted
along beside him, left out of the conversations, but would occasionally ask a question of his own. It
worried Wei Ying that Lan Zhan would grow bored of this quickly, but he seemed attentive and
hung on every word of his ramblings.

It was all overwhelming yet not enough for Wei Ying. They spent the whole morning wandering,
and a little after twelve they attended a panel on coding, after that a presentation on upcoming
motion technology. If it hadn’t been for Lan Zhan nudging him every so often to take a seat and
have a snack, he would have completely forgotten about his hunger and exhaustion. The second
his break was done, Wei Ying would be off again, Lan Zhan trailing behind as he found a new
exhibit to ogle at.

He was incredibly grateful they were attending three days. It would have been impossible to pack
everything he wanted to see and do while here. Saturday had a really interesting panel on AIs,
another on cryptocurrency, a huge presentation on augmented reality video games, and a display
for solar-powered cars Lan Zhan was actually interested in seeing. There wasn’t nearly as much to
do by Sunday, but it was an opportunity for Wei Ying to get a really good look at the exhibits.

By the time they left in the evening, his exhaustion finally caught up to him as he collapsed in the
car.

“Oh my god , my feet hurt,” he whined, stretching out his legs and rolling his ankles into satisfying
pops. He groaned in relief, his feet throbbing

“I told you to bring good walking shoes,” Lan Zhan reprimanded calmly. He had grown muted
toward the end of the day, but as he shut the car door, Wei Ying could see him already starting to
unravel. The tension in his jaw and shoulders drained away with an even sigh.

“Converse technically are,” Wei Ying reasoned. “They were the original basketball shoes and
department stores still consider them athletic shoes.”

“This argument was made before if you have research to back it up.”

“I have. And I’m not wearing my gross jogging shoes, these are clean and stylish.” He propped his
foot onto the dashboard and rolled his ankle to showcase the black high top. The laces were
chewed up and the soles were a bit worn down, the white rubber smoothed with age and dirt. They
were molded perfectly to the shape of his feet and therefore the most comfortable shoes to walk in.

“I can get you some better shoes while we are here. Stores are still open,” Lan Zhan suggested,
starting the car.

There it is again. His earlier resolve bubbled up in his chest, the offer sitting bare in his throat. He
pushed it back down, before he could spill it unceremoniously in their laps. In actuality, he didn’t
like the idea of Lan Zhan going back into crowds when he was clearly still worked up.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wei Ying waved him off. “I just need to relax a bit.” Lan Zhan wrinkled
his nose cutely in disdain at the idea of Wei Ying continuing to walk around in his grubby
sneakers, but drove them back to the hotel anyway.

After an hour or so relaxing in the suite, they decided to walk The Strip as the sun sank below the
horizon and the city was starting to wake up around them. Wei Ying had never been to Vegas
before, but Lan Zhan admitted having come here a handful of times before and was thus declared
to be Wei Ying’s guide.

“I’ve only been to The Strip once before. I won’t be much use as a guide,” Lan Zhan pointed out.

“That’s still more than me,” Wei Ying reasoned. He gestured widely to the glowing streets.
“Please, Mr. Tour Guide, show me everything The Strip has to offer.”

They ended up at a buffet not far from their hotel. The walk alone was entertainment on its own;
there were street performers already out, many building throwing on their own shows to draw
crowds into their doors. It made Wei Ying's neck hurt from how quickly he was turning to and fro
to make sure he saw everything.

The air was thick with humidity and the sun’s piercing rays, heat reflecting off the upscale
fountains and leaving Wei Ying’s skin feeling too sticky for comfort. Though technically it was
still winter, today was an unusually warm day that left his hair sticking to the back of his neck. It
forced him to pull it out from his usual low bun and tied it up into a high ponytail to relieve some
of the heat.

He caught Lan Zhan staring at something when he turned, but his eyes snapped up to Wei Ying’s
when he noticed. He must’ve been staring at his back.

Wei Ying waggled his eyebrows. “Like what you see?”

Lan Zhan’s ears pinked and he diverted the question. “Why keep your hair long?”

Wei Ying hummed and flicked his short ponytail. It reached just past his shoulders when it was
down, but he usually had it tied back. By now, it was a familiar weight now. He could get it cut,
but he felt attached to the long locks.

“I haven’t had a proper haircut since high school ‘cause the Jiangs would always pay for it. Like, I
could probably go get one now, or have Nie Huaisang cut it for me, but I like it like this.” He
laughed at the sudden furrow to Lan Zhan’s brow. “Don’t worry, every few months I give it a trim
to take care of any split ends.”

They soon reached the buffet and had their fill of the extravagant feast, Wei Ying did not hesitate
to hit the entire dessert bar. Lan Zhan was content with sipping his tea and occasionally taking
nibbles from the dozens of sweet treats Wei Ying brought back. It felt almost like he had to roll
himself out of the buffet, moaning and groaning to Lan Zhan how badly he wanted to sleep and call
an Uber, but Lan Zhan wouldn’t cave, stating simply the walk would be better.

By this time, the sun had dipped beyond the horizon, the city was bursting to life with the decadent
luxury tasting of sweet desert sand and sticky humidity drenched in gold. It was louder now, the
streets packed in people, dressed in glittering colors , their presence made it as if all the sound was
magnified tenfold from what it was in the day. Los Angeles was Wei Ying’s heart and soul, but
Las Vegas rang a different rhythm than even Hollywood Boulevard could sing. This was a city
meant for pleasure-pain, built on cracked skin and money slick with sweat, but it did a fantastic job
of creating the atmosphere for its perfect, high energy skyline.

It was stifling, yet exhilarating all at once.

Wei Ying insisted they should get drinks somewhere, anywhere, and Lan Zhan took them back to
their hotel. There was a highly rated bar halfway up its forty-seven floors. The place was sleek and
modern, dimly lit and packed with people out enjoying their Friday night. Wei Ying ordered a local
beer and Lan Zhan stuck to sparkling water. They snagged seats by the arching floor-to-ceiling
windows on luxurious white leather chairs to enjoy the glittering cityscape below.

Wei Ying had given up trying to fight Lan Zhan to pay for things anymore, instead proceeding to
order two, three, four drinks and let himself sink into a hazy stupor pressed into Lan Zhan’s side.
He will most likely be hungover the next morning, but nothing like a little bit of walking, and a lot
of water, to ease the pain.

“No more,” Lan Zhan said after his nth beer and four shots, his voice hushed to the ambient sound.
No one spoke louder than a murmur in here and Wei Ying had taken to whispering close to Lan
Zhan’s ears. Grinning as they appeared bright red, flushed as if he had been drinking, though there
had only been sparkling water gripped tight in his hand all evening.

To the right of them was a woman, her legs thrown over the lap of another woman. The velvet
dress she wore hiked up over her knees with her heels glinting dangerously in the low light. She
was flushed pink and pressed hazy kisses into her partner’s throat, who was digging her own
manicured nails into velvet thighs and tilting her sharp chin back to allow a drunk tongue to roam
her skin. Wei Ying burned and pressed closer to Lan Zhan.

“Shameless,” Lan Zhan hissed lowley, the puff of warm air sending shivers over Wei Ying’s skin.

Lan Zhan’s hands were long and slender.

Wei Ying bet they would feel good digging into his thighs.

Heat bubbled in his core, and he was certain his hands were sweating. His cheeks must be an
unsightly flush.

He pressed closer to bury his face into Lan Zhan’s shoulder. “Don’t look if you don’t like it.”

Lan Zhan stiffened next to him, their bodies pressed close on the white leather couch looking over
the brilliantly illuminated Strip. There was so much to look at: the fake Eiffel tower, a distant
Ferris wheel, a water show at the Ceaser Palace, the golden motes of the Venetian canal.

“I’ve done a lot of naughty things, but did you know gambling isn’t one of them?” Wei Ying
suddenly said, almost unprompted. His mind was running static, flipping from one channel to the
next and unable to sit on one thought for too long. “I’ve been blacked out drunk, drunk and drove,
pierced, tattooed, booted out of school more than once, banned from places, stayed overnight in
jail, but never have I gambled.”

“Don’t start now. It’s a shameless addiction,” Lan Zhan said. The steady rumble of his voice
anchored Wei Ying from floating away. What Wei Ying had said seemed to finally catch up to
him. “Tattooed?”

“Mn yeah. Maybe I’ll show you someday. Jiang Cheng got one with me. It was right after he
turned eighteen.” He snuggled closer, hot from the drinks, but it made him pleasantly warm with
Lan Zhan pressed so, so close. His eyes tracked the Ferris wheel in the distance slowly rotating. It’s
been a long time since he’d been on one.

Only when Wei Ying found himself drifting off did Lan Zhan nudge him awake and suggest they
headed back. They shuffled to the elevator, their progress slow from Wei Ying’s sluggish
movements. Once back in the room, he collapsed on the couch, his head lolling to look out the
wide windows again, over the city of lights as they flushed out the natural stars in the sky.

Wei Ying doesn’t remember ever seeing stars. He’d spent his whole life in Los Angeles and the
times he’d travel it was always to other cities.

He turned to Lan Zhan and said, “I’ve never seen stars before.”

Lan Zhan handed him a glass of water. “Would you like to?”

“Of course. Somewhere remote, though. I’d want to map constellations.” Not that he knows
anything about astronomy. He thinks the alcohol has made him too loose.

“Alaska?” Lan Zhan recommended.

“That sounds cold. I don’t like the cold.”

“How about the desert, like Mojave or Joshua Tree?”

“Maybe.” His head lolled on the couch to look over at Lan Zhan, his figure a little out of focus.
“Will you take me one day?” He felt like the twinkling city lights were being poured down his
chest. He was sparkling with a hope that felt so good and bright. He never realized how badly he
wanted to see the stars until that second. Perhaps he was a little drunk.

“I would take you tomorrow if you asked.”

“No. Tomorrow we’re busy.” He felt so heavy.

“Mn. Will you take a shower tonight?”

“You can. I’m gonna sleep.”

Lan Zhan made another affirmative noise and slipped into the bathroom. Wei Ying took a moment
to finish the water and followed Lan Zhan into the bathroom to brush his teeth. A huge room with
two sinks and a large bathtub that sat right by the window in the central space with a perfect city
view. The shower was tucked away out of sight, and the toilet even had its own door. Sluggishly,
Wei Ying brushed his teeth, the shower water running a steady hum in the background.

He stumbled to the bedroom and found Lan Zhan had neatly laid out his pajamas for him. With a
huff of laughter, he slipped them on and barely managed to crawl under the blankets before falling
asleep. He barely registered the dip of the bed whenLan Zhan slipped under the blankets, or the
soft hum of wind through a forest from his little blue bunny speaker.

Fortunately, the alcohol kept him asleep most of the night. At one point, he woke up fevered and
shaking, struggling to drink the glass of water waiting for him on the nightstand. Falling back
asleep as his body broke out in sweat

The next morning was much the same, with Lan Zhan waking him up with a hearty breakfast, only
this time with some aspirin and a huge glass of water for his mild hangover. There was a little
cotton in his head and he was a bit off-balance, but it was nothing he couldn’t manage. Lan Zhan
helped usher him out the door just in time to get to the workshop Wei Ying wanted to attend first
thing that morning. The headache sucked, but Lan Zhan kept forcing him to drink water throughout
the day, constantly passing him snacks and offering breaks to let him rest.

“If you’re so worried about me, feed me some nuts?” Wei Ying said slyly, leaning over the hard
plastic table they had stopped at. The tucked-away cafe selling overpriced mediocre-tasting food
was ignored in favor of Lan Zhan’s snack stash in his bag.

Lan Zhan’s old hesitancy was gone, replaced by new confidence easily sparked with minimal
prodding from Wei Ying’s end. It was exciting seeing him break out of his old, cold shell. Though,
it did nothing for his racing heart.

Lan Zhan pressed a cashew to Wei Ying’s lips, and he had no choice but to open his mouth and
accept it. His tongue bumped fingertips, tasted the roasted sweetness stuck to it from the handful of
nuts he’d already had. Wei Ying chewed and gave a sound of approval. They were unsalted and
tasted terribly bland, but he wasn’t going to hurt Lan Zhan’s feelings.

Lan Zhan rested his hand back on the table, pinched around an invisible cashew, unmoving as if he
didn’t know what to do with it.

They continued on not long after they finished their break. Wei Ying found many more exciting
things to pique his interest, and every moment he was able to turn to Lan Zhan and explain what
was happening filled his chest with gold and silver. Maybe it was better he had him here. having
fun talking about everything withLan Zhan, though not knowing much about tech stuff, found it
fascinating enough to hang onto all of Wei Ying’s words. He loved talking about it and he
appreciated the audience.

All day, sitting heavy in the back of his mind, was the thought of an upcoming proposal. He found
himself spacing out more often than not, having to be pulled back down to the ground with Lan
Zhan’s firm touch to his arm or back, a questioning look invading those clear, bright eyes. His
tongue only wanted to ask the might-be question hanging between them, of where they should go
next, but this was certainly not the place to do so. He wanted to wait until the last moment, right
before Lan Zhan dropped him off at his doorstep so in case he read everything wrong he could
escape.

A text message from Wen Ning changed that.

Wen Ning 2:22pm

Can you watch A-Yuan Sunday night for a sleepover? A-Qing can pick you up from the airport
and take you to Granny’s.

Wei Ying 2:40pm

Yeah no prob. What time on Monday?

Wen Ning 2:43pm

Just dropping him off at school.

Tonight, then. Because he doesn’t think he can sit on this much longer and he felt this was a face to
face type of conversation, not through texting.

They ended up leaving later than the first day and had a late dinner at one of the hotel restaurants.
This place was much better lit to see Lan Zhan’s face and had a fantastic sushi menu. He was a
little hesitant ordering seafood so far away from the sea after he got food poisoning in Arizona
from a bad fish taco, but the tempura sounded great right now.

The silence was lighter than his fluffy tempura and maybe once or twice he’d bumped his foot into
Lan Zhan’s under the table. He reciprocated, brushing his polished toe into Wei Ying’s ankle , the
touch seeming to linger long after dessert arrived. They split the lychee pavlova, and maybe Wei
Ying took a little longer on his bites once he reached the middle where his spoon scraped against
Lan Zhan’s. Thoughts of kissing his lips directly made him want to swell red and float away like a
balloon, but he kept his feet firmly on the ground.

Even after paying and returning upstairs to their suite, they didn’t talk. It was all Wei Ying who
kept the conversation going with Lan Zhan bouncing off him, but this time he couldn’t bring
himself to talk. The words lodged in his throat, unable to string them together into a cohesive
sentence. Lan Zhan must have sensed the shift with Wei Ying, and hopefully he thought it was a
residual hangover.

The words buzzed around in his head, a persistent fly dodging his flailing arms, but he couldn’t
figure out, for once in his life, how to string them together into a cohesive sentence. He was usually
okay with being offensive, but for some reason not with Lan Zhan. Not for something like this, at
least.

They were back at the hotel room getting ready for bed. Or lan zhan was getting ready for bed,
Wei Ying planned on waiting up a while still. Surprisingly, it was Lan Zhan who spoke first. “Do
you want to talk about something? I will always listen to what you need to say.”

Wei Ying paused while changing into his pajamas. He could see his reflection in the wide window,
backlit by the warm glow of the fancy bedside lamps. Beyond him was that Ferris wheel from their
spot, hovering above the city. He tugged his shirt down, his hair twisted in a messy bun, and his
pants too short to cover his ankles, looking rather young in the blurred reflection.

Lan Zhan was giving him a window. It was Wei Ying’s job to take the leap and hope he caught
him before he plummeted to the stained concrete below.

“Do you want me, Lan Zhan?”

The room was silent.

Lan Zhan had stopped moving, possibly even stopped breathing. Wei Ying certainly had. He didn’t
want to ruin their friendship— if this was friendship—

“Want you?” Lan Zhan asked, his voice sounded as delicate as Wei Ying’s will to continue on.

“I don’t know if you know this, but I do like you and, well, if you wanted more from me.” Wei
Ying rushed to speak, not trusting himself to get the rest out. “I want you, too.” He couldn’t deny
how hot Lan Zhan was, how gentle of a lover he would be, but this wasn’t about love. He was
doing his friend a solid and in return, he could keep being treated like a trophy wife with nothing to
do but look good and make him feel good.

“I…” Lan Zhan spoke slowly, seemingly tasting the words in his mouth before giving them to Wei
Ying. “Like you. I want you, too.”

Wei Ying finally turned from the window and found Lan Zhan standing in front of him, his ears
pink and his eyes wide. He was so cute like this, a bit flustered and even a touch excited. His hands
rose, hesitant, hovering just a breath away from touching.

Wei Ying grinned. “I’m glad the feeling’s mutual.”

He took the leap and grabbed Lan Zhan’s hand, imagining him jerking back and hissing as he
would in middle school if he got too close. Instead, Lan Zhan’s fingers curled around his and held
his hand, his eyes moving up from their clasped hands held firmly between them to Wei Ying’s
gaze. Wei Ying only just realized how long his eyelashes were and how there were little flecks of
amber in his irises. He’s never been this close to him before.

“I’m yours, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying breathed. He was, and he really didn’t mind it. if he could be at
least a little bit closer with this wonderful, perfect man.

“And I am yours,” Lan Zhan parroted back. Wei Ying laughed, a bubble of joy as the stress finally
took flight from his body and flew out into the streets, taking with it the weight on his heart and
leaving behind joy. This silly man was too good for Wei Ying to have, even like this.

“If you say so,” Wei Ying said, pulling his hands to his lips to lay a kiss on his pale knuckles,
sealing the deal. His eyes trailed to Lan Zhan’s lips, wondering weakly if he would be allowed to
kiss him. Would it be a great first kiss, soft and tender and a touch romantic? “We can set
boundaries, establish what we like and don’t like, but I’m a virgin, Lan Zhan. You have to be
patient with me.”

Something hot seemed to flash through Lan Zhan’s gaze. Maybe it never crossed his mind Wei
Ying had never slept with anyone before and assumed he would take the lead in all this? He’s seen
enough porn to know what to do, but he certainly lacked experience. He doubted Lan Zhan had
much experience, either, having never had a girlfriend nor an interest in hooking up. This was the
one time he would break his saint-like streak by having a provocative deal like this. He wouldn’t
tell people he was his sugar baby, right? His family would certainly disapprove if he was trading
money for sex in any fashion.

“I will be as patient as you need me to be,” Lan Zhan said, his gaze tracking down from Wei
Ying’s back down to their clasped hands and up to Wei Ying’s lips.

“Do you want to kiss?” Wei Ying breathed. The silence pressed them in a neat bubble of their own,
a word too loud would break whatever connection was fizzing between them. This, sugar baby
stuff was kind of intense. “We can take it slow.”

“Mn,” Lan Zhan murmured, tilting closer. Wei Ying felt magnetized, shocked to his core. Their
hands were warm, locked between Lan Zhan’s long fingers.

He couldn’t say who leaned in first but, they met in the middle in the softest kiss, barely a touch of
lips. Something swelled from deep within Wei Ying’s ribs and rose to his heart, suddenly
magnified tenfold from the delicate touch of gentle lips. First kisses truly were nice.

They pulled back and pressed in again, a little more firm, a little more confident, their lips slotting
neatly together and interrupted by the occasional bump of their noses. It was unrefined,
uncomfortably dry, and a little awkward if he was honest, but he couldn’t help but melt in the
fluttering feeling blooming in his chest, working it’s way up his throat and curling down his spine.

Lan Zhan released his hands to wrap around Wei Ying’s waist, drawing him closer. The shift in
their postures brought their bodies flush and deepened the kiss. Wei Ying was pressed back against
the wide window, the aching cold sending a shudder through his body when the heat of Lan
Zhan’s front pressed firmly into him. He could feel every line of his body through his silk pajamas;
the hard plains of his pectorals and the jut of his hips, the span of his steady hands and the silky
smoothness of his lips pressing into Wei Ying’s cracked and dry ones. The smell of his soap
permeated his skin with a deeper undertone of sandalwood and something sharper. All of it turned
Wei Ying’s knees to jelly.

The rest of the kiss was anticlimactic, their lips moving in a repetitive rhythm with the occasional
sigh or loose gasp, but a tingling sensation ran through his whole body he couldn’t quite pinpoint
the source of. He pushed a bit more to test the waters, to try and pull this feeling from deep within
him to race across his skin. Experimentally flicking his tongue out to trace Lan Zhan’s lower lip,
beckoning him to push for more. Lan Zhan took the invitation and met his tongue in a hot wave of
bubbling pleasure.

Wei Ying moaned openly. Lan Zhan swallowed it whole and delved deeper. His tongue and lips
and hands pulling Wei Ying under in a sea of only him- and he didn’t mind for a second if he could
keep the rolling waves under his skin. He fell into those hands, his own coming up from where
they’d been weakly pressed to his chest up to stroke the short hairs at his nape. Something rumbled
deep in Lan Zhan’s chest, like the beginnings of a moan. A shiver ran down Wei Ying at the
sound. He wanted to pull more sounds like that from him.

Their kiss was broken up by Lan Zhan littering Wei Ying’s jaw with more, moving this into
uncharted territory as Wei Ying tilted his head back with a gasp, the gentle pressure of Lan Zhan’s
mouth on his throat, his skin surprisingly sensitive to the sweet suctioning of his mouth and the
teasing nip of teeth. He writhed in his hands, realizing belatedly his hips were rolling up in slow,
shallow thrusts toward Lan Zhan’s hips. Molten heat dripping down to his core, setting himself
alight with a sensitive pleasure. Never before had touching these spots felt so good, as if he was
skinned raw, bare for Lan Zhan to nip and suck and kiss to his heart's content.

Lan Zhan was ravenous now. Insatiable as he pressed hot kisses to his neck, along his jaw, back to
his lips in soul-sucking kisses that left Wei Ying dizzy. He couldn’t hold himself up anymore,
crowded against the chilled glass by Lan Zhan’s beastly hunger. How long had he craved?

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” he gasped, his fingers scratching at his short hair, tugging him back. “I- sit
down, let’s sit down.”

Lan Zhan walked them back and plopped down on a plush armchair, pulling Wei Ying in to
straddle his lap. He pressed his hands into Wei Ying’s hips, neither pulling him close or directing
him to do as he wanted, leaving Wei Ying to move as he pleased. Wei Ying towered over him from
this new position, and chose to use his power to dive down and kiss the life out of Lan Zhan.
Kissing was very nice, Wei Ying decided. He’d been a little foolish to not kiss more people in his
youth.

Their awkwardness was fading away into a steady rhythm, a gentle push and pull. The bed might
have been more intimate, but having his whole weight laying across Lan Zhan’s lap, where a
definite hardness pressing into his ass drove heat up his body. This was going fast, too fast from a
simple first kiss, but Wei Ying didn’t want to stop anytime soon.

He ground his hips down just as Lan Zhan rolled up. They moaned into each other’s mouths at the
crackle of pleasure from the simple action, their bodies rolling deliciously together in a hot friction
that shot heat dancing along his spine.

Lan Zhan’s hands dipped lower, his fingers clenching and releasing as if he was kneading Wei
Ying’s hips. Wei Ying pushed up into those hands, egging him on, absolutely loving the feeling of
his fingers digging into skin and hoped it translated through his drowned moans. Thankfully, Lan
Zhan understood and gripped his ass firmly, a cheek in each hand, and pulled him forward into his
lap. It would seem his ass was sensitive, the touch forcing a shudder through his body and a
pleasant tingling sensation across his back.

They kissed even deeper with Wei Yingt trapped in Lan Zhan’s strong grip. He retaliated by
grabbing Lan Zhan’s hair and yanking his head back to bare his jaw,causing him to let out a sharp
gasp from the tug. His breath stuttered and eyes blown wide when forced to look up at Wei Ying.
They never had much of a height difference, but, like this, pressed into his lap, he was drunk on the
feeling of overwhelming Lan Zhan, of overwhelming himself. A wicked grin graced his lips at the
dark glimmer in Lan Zhan’s eye.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, it’s almost your bedtime,” Wei Ying rasped. He rolled his hips slowly,
making sure to press hard into Lan Zhan’s arousal. Grinning as he jerked under him, ears red and
lips kiss swollen. It was a good look on him, Wei Ying decided. “I can’t let you go to bed with
this.”

Lan Zhan gulped and licked his lips. “You don’t need to do anything you're uncomfortable with.”

“I wouldn’t mind sucking your dick,” Wei Ying said. He wouldn’t at all. In fact, he’d heard mixed
reviews about blow jobs, and now, with the opportunity presented to himself, he kind of wanted to
try it.

How, in the short amount of time they’d been making out, did Lan Zhan single-handedly make
Wei Ying hornier than he’d ever been in his life?

Lan Zhan’s ears were crimson now, the flush trailing down his neck. His face would have
otherwise been impassive if it weren’t for the heavy look in his eye and his spit slicked, swollen
lips. He looked absolutely ravishing. Wei Ying wanted to make him fall apart.

He kissed his sweet lips one more time, using all of his willpower to not let Lan Zhan suck him
back into his deep, hungry kisses. He took a moment to trail kisses down his strong jaw and smooth
throat, sucking a tender mark into his skin in retaliation— then pulled completely off his lap. Lan
Zhan made a noise in the back of his throat that almost sounded like a whine, moving to pull him
back, but completely relinquished his grasp for when Wei Ying fell to his knees before him.

“Tell me if you want to stop,” Wei Ying murmured, pressing a kiss to his knee. Gently, he pushed
his legs apart, completely baring the tented arousal. He ran his hands up and down his firm thighs,
enjoying the feel of how solid and hot they were more than anything. Feeling Lan Zhan twitch and
jerk in his seat whenever he got close to his hardness, his hands gripping the arms of the chair in a
white knuckle grip.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan breathed. Wei Ying pressed another kiss to his silky knee, another higher
up, and another, working his way up his smooth thigh, the sound muffled by the thin fabric.

“Tell me to stop,” Wei Ying said.

“No,” Lan Zhan said firmly. He untangled the hair tie from Wei Ying’s messy bun and ran his
fingers through. “You can keep going.”

Wei Ying nodded and tugged at his waist band pointedly, Lan Zhan complied with the unspoken
request, and lifted his hips, allowing the pants and underwear to slide down enough to free his
cock. It sprang free, hard, red and glistening at the tip. Best of all (or worst of all because he was
gonna take that into his mouth) it was huge. He wasn’t at all surprised he had a massive dick to
match his massive heart.

He’s never touched a dick besides his own. Well, and Jiang Chang’s the few times he would punch
it as a kid. Not that Jiang Chang should be on his mind at all, he reasoned, he was about to suck
some dick and he should not be thinking of him.

His dildo was not even close to Lan Zhan’s size, making him wonder what it would be like to take
it fully. He took the girth into his hand and gave a tentative stroke, peeking up at Lan Zhan to
gauge his reaction. The intensity behind his eyes was focused solely on Wei Ying. Heady and
dark. The hand in his hair scratched gently at his scalp, just enough to send pleasant tingles down
his spine. It motivated him, so he gave a few firm tugs, rubbing the tip with his thumb and
watching pearly white droplets bead at the head.

He licked the tip tentatively, sighing when Lan Zhan jerked and gasped. Wei Ying stroked it
languidly, licking the whole length to wet it thoroughly from balls to tip. With one last glance at
Lan Zhan, his chest heaving and breath ragged, Wei Ying took the tip into his mouth and sucked.
The reaction was immediate- Lan Zhan pulled his hair almost too hard and a wet, low groan
rumbled deep in his chest. Spurred on, Wei Ying bobbed his head over the length, only being able
to take in half of it comfortably. He licked and sucked the length, its salty musk overflowing his
senses. Wei Ying felt himself twitch in his pants, even harder now than he had been when they
started.

It took a few tries to get a steady rhythm going, but before long, he was easily working with his
mouth, spit-slicked hands rubbing the rest. Below, Wei Ying was so hard it was starting to hurt,
and he took a moment to free one hand to pull down his pants and rub himself through his
underwear, alleviating some of the burning ache, pulling a moan from the shock of pleasure.
Through the haze, he looked up to see Lan Zhan had tossed his head back from the vibrations
around his cock, his pale throat bare except for the blooming hickey, chest heaving. A swell of
something hot rose through Wei Ying, different from the arousal coursing through him.

Lan Zhan was close. Losing his inhibitions, as his hips thrusting in aborted jerks and soft gasps
broke his stuttering breath. He hadn’t moaned outright once, but Wei Ying wasn’t going to give up.
He dove back down with renewed heat, kissing and licking up and down the length until he took it
back down the back of his throat to suck. Paired with a hand straying to squeeze his heavy balls,
drawn up tight to his core, and the twist to his wrist done just right, Lan Zhan tensed and came with
only a sharp gasp as warning. His hand tangled in Wei Ying’s hair, trying to pull him back as cum
flooded his mouth, but Wei Ying could only moan at the stinging pleasure. He didn’t want a drop
of him to spill on the nice carpet.

As Lan Zhan twitched and gasped under his tongue, Wei Ying reached into his own underwear
again and gave his hard cock a few fast jerks. He came right as Lan Zhan was slumping back into
the armchair, completely boneless.

Wei Ying released his cock, cum dripping down his chin and filling his mouth. He looked around
quickly to see if there was a cup or anything to spit it in but found nothing and resolved to swallow.
It felt strange going down, too much at once making him cough into sticky hands. He could feel
the wet underwear stuck to his skin, a little bit of his own cum dripped down his thigh.

Lan Zhan cupped his face and pulled him into a searing kiss, uncaring for the cum still coating his
tongue. Wei Ying gasped into his mouth. He felt hot and sticky, his throat and jaw sore, but he
didn’t mind if this was his reward.

“So good, Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan murmured between kisses. “Let me take care of you, too.”

Wei Ying grinned sheepishly and fell back on his butt, his pajama pants caught around his thighs
and his underwear soaked through. “You were so hot like that, I couldn’t help but take care of it
myself.”

Lan Zhan frowned, his eyes not straying from his bared thighs and sticky front. It really did look
like he was pouting. Wei Ying couldn’t help but laugh as he climbed to his feet gingerly. In that
moment, he was grateful Jiang Yanli had drilled it into him to always bring more underwear than
necessary on trips as he pulled out his last clean pair from his bag.

He went to the massive bathroom, hopped in the shower for a quick rinse, brushed his teeth, and
took a swig of the complimentary mouthwash to get the rest of the taste out of his mouth. When he
left the bathroom, all the lights were off except the nightstand lamp, Lan Zhan on his side of the
bed fiddling with his Bluetooth speaker.

Lan Zhan looked up when he returned and patted the bed next to him. Wei Ying paused, but
relented and crawled into bed, his body heavy after an orgasm like that and unwilling to stay
upright any longer. Lan Zhan gave him a glass of water that he gratefully chugged and tucked
himself under the blankets, pressing himself close to Lan Zhan’s warm side. Oddly enough, he
didn’t move back like Wei Ying thought he would. Instead, he delicately started running his
fingers through Wei Ying’s mussed hair in a completely different kind of touch from the sharp tugs
he did earlier.

The little speaker started playing gentle piano music, a soft melody that pulled Wei Ying deeper
into the plush mattress. Lan Zhan sat up a little longer, taking his time to untangle the knots from
Wei Ying’s hair completely. This side of the bed smelled like sandalwood, Wei Ying realized as he
snuggled deeper, eyes drooping shut.

“Next time, let me pleasure you,” Lan Zhan murmured.

Wei Ying mumbled in affirmation. Lan Zhan pressed a soft kiss to Wei Ying’s temple, and turned
off the light as he moved completely under the blankets. Wei Ying groaned a bit at the disruption,
 but was otherwise too far gone.

When he woke up the next morning, the bed was empty, and he was sprawled on Lan Zhan’s side.
It was also the first time in a while he got a full night’s rest.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you soo much for reading!!! comments and kudos are greatly appreciated I've
been doing better at responding to people but def not in a timely manner OTL
Another reminder that preorders are open for the tgcf travel zine
And you might have noticed, there is now a tentative chapter count wow! This means
if I actually do a chapter a week and keep to it this won't be over until December
aAAAAA and knowing me I'll probably drop off a few more times 'cause I have a
couple of projects coming up.
Thank you everyone!!! I have the next update almost done and I'm working on getting
ahead but smut rly does slow me down ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
 Jasmine, Coco, and (Coffee) Bean
Chapter Summary

An interlude and the beginning of the end.

Chapter Notes

welcome back! i'm posting on time today haha! next chapter will have more smut so
pls pray for me.

thanks yanyan for editing!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Perhaps getting a good night’s sleep was a bad thing. Wei Ying was still dead tired, his feet sore
from all the walking he’d done the previous two days, but after his morning coffee and a light
breakfast, he was fully alert and all too aware of exactly what was going on. He could feel an
electric charge between him and Lan Zhan, a current shocking his nervous system with every brush
from the other. It could be the residual arousal from the previous night, or some sense of
awkwardness trying to worm its way under Wei Ying’s skin.

His neck was tender with three red love bites, all of them too high to hide. He opted to wear his
hair half pulled up and his denim jacket drawn close to keep eyes away from them. Lan Zhan
seemed to have no qualms about his own hickey peeking out just shy of his band collar. If Wei
Ying was a little more shameful, he probably wouldn’t have his eyes trailing back to it constantly
throughout the day, unable to help to trace his own blooming marks over his throat.

The sugar daddy deal was too new to know what their boundaries were, but as of now, Lan Zhan
had not set up any restrictions. Whatever their relationship dynamic is now, Wei Ying hoped it
wouldn’t change even with the inclusion of some promised sex. It was like a friend with benefits
but much more expensive.

Their last day at the convention was slower, less to see but plenty of people to still chat with. There
was an exhibition on virtual reality, but that was pretty much it. They left early to catch their flight
back, Wei Ying waving goodbye to the convention center from the passenger seat as they drove
away, weeping openly with no tears in sight.

“That was a lot of fun, thank you, Lan Zhan,” he said, wiping away an imaginary tear. He had
spoken to some interesting folk, his notes apps full to the brim with new ideas for personal projects
and videos. There were also some pretty powerful people from the industry there. Wei Ying got the
chance to send his resume to a few of them with promises of an inquiry. He wouldn’t hold his
breath, but the mere idea of these opportunities falling into his lap like that made a delicate hope
flutter in his chest. He really did like his job, but the hours were killer and the work was repetitive:
nothing more than a paid internship with not enough benefits to outweigh the cons.

“Mn, thank you for coming,” Lan Zhan said, not taking his eyes off the road.
Wei Ying laughed. “Why are you thanking me? You’re the one that paid for all this.”

“Because you came with me, or else I would have been alone.” There was mirth in the edges of his
words.

It was easy checking the car back in and going through security to load up to their flight, but a
bittersweet feeling settled deep within Wei Ying. It truly was a good time, and he had squeezed as
much as he could from the experience, leaving him a little ragged and raw, but there was a part of
him that made it not want to end just yet. He looked over at Lan Zhan, his clear eyes washed out
under the bright fluorescents of the airport.

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” right? But Wei Ying hoped it wasn’t true. He really
liked the little tussle they had last night, even if Lan Zhan had barely touched him—but his eyes
had burned Wei Yig’s skin, made shooting stars in his blood. It made him wonder how it would
feel when Lan Zhan took him to some upscale hotel later and pinned him to the bed until Wei Ying
was screaming his pleasure...

He snapped out of his horny daydream to Lan Zhan blinking at him in question. Wei Ying bumped
their shoulders, Lan Zhan bumped back.

On the flight home, they lifted the armrest between them to curl up together while they watched a
movie, pressed close so Wei Ying could murmur his commentary to Lan Zhan. After the short
flight they stuck close until they were forced to part ways.

They idled at the pickup area, a traffic-clogged, horseshoe-shaped stretch of road meant more to
aggravate drivers than actually work as a pickup zone. Wei Ying was almost pushed into the slow-
moving traffic by a cart piled high with luggage, but Lan Zhan had grabbed his hand and tugged
him back to the sidewalk. They stuck close after that, their hands stayed interlocked.

Wei Yig wondered idly what Lan Zhan was doing after this, but Lan Zhan answered the unspoken
question. “My brother is picking me up, then we are going to dinner.”

“That’s nice,” Wei Ying said with a hum. He hasn’t seen Lan Huan in about a year, actually.

“Let me take you out again,” he said without prompt. “To the Getty, like we originally planned,
and with a meal.”

Wei Ying mulled it over for a moment. He really wasn’t a fan of museums, but he had promised
beforehand he would go. No matter, it was Lan Zhan he was going with and for that, he didn’t
seem to mind too much, simply because it would be him. He figured they could go to jury duty
together and Wei Ying wouldn’t mind. “Okay, let’s make it a date. Next weekend?”

“Mn. I would like that.”

Wen Qing pulled up at that moment, her frustration clear through the passenger window. Wei Ying
laughed, shouldering his bag, and gave Lan Zhan’s hand one more squeeze. “I’ll see you
Tuesday?”

“Tuesday,” Lan Zhan nodded. He didn’t let go of Wei Ying’s hand when he tried to pull away.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying laughed. “Security will yell at Wen Qing if she sits for too long.”

He actually pouted, leaning closer into Wei Ying’s space.

“Do you want a kiss?” Wei Ying was half-joking, but he knew it was what he wanted.
Lan Zhan nodded. Wei Ying gave him a chaste peck on the lips and pulled away, a tingling feeling
leftover from where they touched.

“I’ll see you,” Wei Ying waved.

“Drive safe.”

He piled into the passenger seat to find Wen Qing gaping at him.

“Well, hello,” he greeted, a little taken aback.

“You kissed him,” Wen Qing said.

“Nice to see you, too,” Wei Ying said, buckling up. “Please go, I see security coming over.”

“You kissed Lan Zhan,” she said again, turning back to the road to fight traffic.

“Yeah, and? I’m a sugar baby now.”

Wen Qing jerked on the wheel, almost throwing the car into the next lane, causing the car she
almost hit to honk loudly. Wei Ying gripped the center console to keep himself from flying
through the windshield.

“You’re a what?” Wen Qing yelled.

“Sugar baby. I give him sugar and he gives me money. I sucked his dick for that trip.”

“What the fuck will you give him if he paid off your student loans?!” Wen Qing was practically
screeching. “A blow job for just a trip ?”

“Well, that could have been the down payment,” Wei Ying said, leaning back in his seat and
looking out the window. Lan Zhan was still at the curb, his hand raised in a little wave. He waved
back just as a sleek Porsche pulled up in front of him. Wei Ying barely caught a glimpse of him
getting into the car as a huge fan blocked his view. “I’d eat his ass if he asked. I don’t think I’m
into the daddy kink, but I think we’re gonna negotiate later.”

“I’m actually surprised Lan Zhan wanted something like that,” she said.

“I think he’s a little lonely. We’re friends, and he has never been good in the whole romancing
department, so he’s probably pent up,” Wei Ying explained. “I’m like a companion that doubles as
his friend.”

Wen Qing opened and closed her mouth, but before she could retort her attention was pulled back
to the road. She didn’t bring it up again the rest of the drive back to their apartment.

Wei Ying took a quick shower and packed a fresh overnight bag before hopping into his Lexus and
headed over to Granny Wen’s place. She was getting old but still active for her age, ate healthily,
and went on walks every day, but raising a little kid took a toll on her health. Wei Ying was an
unofficial member of their little mismatched family, and when she wasn’t feeling good or needed a
break from raising little Wen Yuan, she would call upon either the Wen siblings, Uncle Four, or
Wei Ying to keep an eye on him for a bit.

In this case, she wanted a night to herself to relax and watch some TV. Her back had been acting
up, and A-Yuan needed someone to watch him, but Wen Ning had just come back from his second
archery competition in a row and Wen Qing was needed at the hospital early in the morning. Wei
Ying could come into the lab late as long as he met his weekly quota.

He pulled into the driveway of the little house when the side gate opened up seemingly by itself. A
second later, A-Yuan was standing by his door with eyes wide with wonder. He was bouncing on
the balls of his feet, doing his best to be polite but clearly excited to see Wei Ying.

“Hello, A-Yuan!” He said brightly as he opened the car door. “Do you like my new car?”

“Hi, gege! It’s red!” A-Yuan was so excited about the red car he was almost buzzing out of his
sneakers. “That’s your favorite color!”

“It is, that’s why I got it.” Wei Ying climbed out of the car and slung his bag over his shoulder.
“I’ll give you a ride in it to school tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yes, yes!” A-Yuan started bouncing up and down, holding Wei Ying’s larger hand between his
own small, sticky ones.

The side gate creaked open again and Granny shuffled out, a hoodie from Wen Ning’s university
thrown over her nightgown.

“Isn’t it a little early to be getting ready for bed?” Wei Ying teased, gesturing at the traces of pink
and gold at the horizon. A-Yuan was still jumping up and down at his side, filled with that rampant
five-year-old energy.

She smiled wryly at him. “I was going to turn in early after a quick bite of dinner. I left money on
the counter if you two want to eat out.” She finally noticed the new car. “What drugs did you sell
for that?”

“None, I promise,” Wei Ying laughed. He locked the door with a click and followed them through
the side gate. “It was a gift from Lan Zhan.”

“Does he really have that many extra cars to be lying around to just hand them out to his friends?”
She chided as she led them into the back door. The front door was used for rare visitors and
acquaintances, family and close friends can come on in through the side gate.

“I’ve seen at least two of his cars. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a Lambo hiding in his garage.”
He paused by the little spot of bushes by the back door. “Your sweet peas are crazy this year.”

“Granny said I can pick some for my teacher when there’s more,” A-Yuan said gleefully, still
tugging on Wei Ying’s hand.

“Thank you. You should see the camellia bush.” She pointed to said bush, it’s dark leaves bursting
to life with buds of pale pink. “My vegetable garden is coming up, too, come look.”

After a tour of her blooming garden and a promise to give him potatoes once they’re big enough,
she led them back inside where the TV was on to a kid’s movie with a little tray of fruit where A-
Yuan had obviously been sitting. He sat back down on the floor with his little placemat to turn
back to whatever was playing, but not before offering Wei Ying a blueberry.

“How are you doing, Granny?” Wei Ying asked, taking a seat on the deflating couch.

“Oh, the same as usual,” she said, sinking into her armchair and picking up her little crochet
project. “My back has been killer lately and I’ve been a little more tired. My walks have been cut
short because of that. Uncle Four is taking me to a doctor’s appointment on Thursday.”
“If you ever need anything, we’re only a phone call away,” Wei Ying reminded.

“I know, I know,” she waved him off. “It’s just getting harder taking care of such a young one at
my age. I would rather not put him in the system, but if it meant he had a nice foster family caring
for him instead of this old bag of bones…” She trailed off with a sigh.

“We would rather he wasn’t put in an orphanage when he has all of us,” Wei Ying said darkly.

“I don’t want him being passed around from house to house all the time,” she reasoned. “It’s not
good for a kid his age to not have a stable home.”

“And we’ll give him one, we promise,” Wei Ying said. “Just a little longer, okay?”

She nodded and rose to her feet, tucking her crochet under her arm. “A-Yuan,” she called. A-Yuan
turned to give her his undivided attention. “Gege will be watching you tonight, okay? Be good, I’ll
be in my room if you need me.”

They bid her goodnight and turned to each other. Wei Ying grinned. “It’s still light out, do you
wanna go ride bikes before dinner?”

A-Yuan leapt to his feet, turning off the TV and taking his empty bowl to the kitchen. He followed
Wei Ying out into the yard again to pull out the bikes from the shed—a little blue tricycle for him
and an old beach cruiser for Wei Ying. He took a moment to put on his helmet, elbow and knee
pads and tried to berate Wei Ying for not wearing a helmet.

“I won’t fall and hit my head, don’t worry,” Wei Ying tried.

“If I have to be safe, so do you,” A-Yuan argued.

Wei Ying grumbled and tugged an old helmet from under a pile of outdoor cushions, picking a
dead spider out of the inside.

They ended up not biking for long, sticking to the neighborhood until about six when they turned
around and went home for dinner. Wei Ying ignored the money on the counter in favor of cooking
up some dinosaur chicken nuggets, asparagus, and a little side of cut up strawberries and pineapple.
They goofed off with the chicken nuggets, where Wei Ying could take a bite off the head, dip it in
ketchup, and pretend to scream in agony. A-Yuan was laughing around his food the whole time,
having a hard time eating with how silly they were acting, but managed to clear his plate before
long.

Once they settled in for the night, Wei Ying sinking into the couch with the TV on and A-Yuan
playing with blocks, he got a text from Lan Zhan. It was at least four lines of text, probably the
longest message Wei Ying’s ever received from him. He had asked if he wanted to go on Saturday
to the Getty and have dinner after to a restaurant in Malibu, one that had Wei Ying sucking in a
sharp breath at the upscale look of its website. He agreed and figured to clear his Sunday morning,
too.

By bedtime, Wei Ying helped get A-Yuan into bed and read him a quick bedtime story. He
dropped by Granny’s room on the way out to the living room and found her relaxing on her bed
with the TV turned on to some drama. He told her he’d be up a while longer and to holler if she
needed anything and left to change into his own pajamas. It wasn’t until about two in the morning
did he fall asleep in his makeshift bed on the couch, staying up late catching up on thesis work he
missed over the weekend.

The next morning it was A-Yuan waking him up, still in his fire truck pajamas and hammering
Wei Ying’s chest to get up already.

“Very rude of you,” Wei Ying groaned into his pillow. “I’ll let you ride in my red car if you let me
sleep ten more minutes.”

A-Yuan gasped and ran off, his little voice carrying through the house as he told Granny to tell him
when it’s been ten minutes.

Wei Ying didn’t have the choice to sleep in because he had to take A-Yuan to school. Granny
already had his lunchbox prepared the day before, and all Wei Ying had to do was make sure he
was dressed, fed, and arrived on time. A-Yuan was already pretty good at picking out his own
clothes and dressing without much fuss; all Wei Ying had to do was ensure that his shirt was
buttoned correctly and that he didn’t mess up the Velcro of his light-up sneakers.

A-Yuan was gaping the whole short ride to school, kicking his feet to make his shoes blink on. His
little hands were touching the window and whatever upholstery he could reach, asking Wei Ying if
it could go fast, how many horses was it, and if he could get a sunroof for him to stick his head
out. They somehow arrived on time, despite Wei Ying dragging his feet getting out of bed. On the
way home, he swung by Granny’s to drop off the car seat and headed straight for work.

He was grateful to collapse on his lumpy couch that evening. A crick had built up in his neck from
being hunched over all day at the lab and he was waiting for Wen Ning to return from work to dig
it out with those strong thumbs of his when his phone chimed for an incoming call.

“Hey, come over,” Nie Huaisang said.

“No, why?” Wei Ying groaned.

“I have cool shit to show you. Jiang Cheng’s gonna be here soon, too, might as well make it a
party.”

“I can Facetime.”

“I’ll see you soon when you arrive physically at my actual house!” Nie Huaisang hung up.

Wei Ying hissed and rolled to his feet. When he arrived thirty minutes later, Nei Huaisang was
waiting for him on the front porch, a kombucha tea in his hand. He let out a low whistle as Wei
Ying approached, locking his car with the key fob.

“So the rumors are true, Wei Ying got a fancy new car and didn’t care to tell me, his very best
friend,” Nie Huaisang said.

“Maybe I wanted to wait ‘til our next get together to surprise you. Who spoiled it?”

“Da-ge told me, who heard from Jin Guangyao, who heard from Mo Xuanyu, who-”

“Ugh, yeah go figure.” Wei Ying followed him into the house and into the back porch where Jiang
Cheng was already there,cradling a beer. Nie Huaisang threw himself down on the swinging bench,
kicking his legs out to keep him moving while balancing the kombucha in his hand.

“How the hell did you get a Lexus?” Jiang Cheng said in lieu of a greeting.

“Got it as a gift from Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said smugly, well aware he was still driving a 2012 car.

Nie Huaisang let out another impressed, low whistle, but Jiang Cheng was on his feet, red creeping
up his cheeks. “A gift? What the hell, Wei Ying?”

“I’m his sugar baby now,” Wei Ying said simply, not wanting to beat around the bush with his
friends. “We go out on dates and he gets me stuff. It’s still a little new, we haven’t done much in
bed, but I can say for certain his dick is huge.”

Jiang Cheng was spluttering, incoherent anger twisting his words, but Nie Huaisang barely batted
an eye. “I figured his dick is big, but does he know how to use it?” He waggled his eyebrows
suggestively.

Wei Ying laughed and sat down in one of the lawn chairs, propping his feet on the curb of the
empty fire table.“We’re virgins, so it’s a bit of a learning curve for both of us.”

Jiang Cheng was crimson now. He collapsed back down onto the chair, pressing his beer into his
heated face. “Please, I’m begging you as your brother, to not talk about your sex life in my
presence.”

“Cover your ears, dude, I wanna hear all the juicy details,” Nie Huaisang said gleefully. “Go on,
tell me more.”

“I could barely fit it in my mouth,” Wei Ying started, trying not to laugh at Jiang Cheng squirming
next to him. “I’ve never done a blow job before, but whatever I did he seemed to like. Especially
when I got his balls and-”

It was too much for Jiang Cheng. He leaped to his feet and took off into the wide yard to power
walk aggressively around the huge pool.

“Okay, okay, was this why you were in Vegas?” Nie Huaisang stopped his swinging by planting
his feet on the ground, leaning in close as if trying to catch every one of Wei Ying’s words. “I saw
your Snapchat and meant to ask what the hell you were doing there. Did he cover everything?”

“Yeah, it was for the tech convention I told you about. He covered everything like the hotel, food,
the passes.” Wei Ying ticked off on his fingers. “We went to the spa on Thursday and the bar on
Friday.”

“He really went all out,” Nie Huaisang said. There was a look in his eye. Wei Ying wasn’t sure he
liked it.

“I’d never been to Nevada, period, and he went all out to make sure my first time was great,” Wei
Ying said.

“Wait, you went to Nevada and didn’t stop by Area 51? Dude.” Nie Huaisang raised his voice so
Jiang Cheng could hear from across the pool. “He didn’t go to Area 51 while he was there.”

“That’s stupid. Why didn’t you go?” Jiang Cheng shouted back.

“I was being pampered,” Wei Ying yelled. He turned back to Nie Huaisang and lowered his voice.
“I’m pretty sure Lan Zhan will take me back if I ask nicely, but that trip took a chunk out of my
schedule. It’s barely March and I’m already falling behind on my thesis.”

“Yuck. Glad I don’t have to deal with that.” Nie Huaisang leaned back in his chair and took a long
sip of his vodka tonic.

“You’re still an undergrad,” Wei Ying pointed out.

“Thank fuck. I love writing, don’t get me wrong, but having to do extensive work like that would
actually kill me. There’s only so much Shakespeare close reading I can take before my head blows
up.”

Jiang Cheng joined them again not long after and they fell back into their easy chatter. Jiang Cheng
was still giving Wei Ying a side-eye he couldn’t read, didn’t think he wanted to read it.

The thing Nie Huaisang wanted to show them his work in progress renovations to his ensuite
bathroom and wanted their opinions on some very specific details, not because they had an eye for
interior decoration, but because they’re “dumb and don’t know anything about interior design and
therefore the most perfect people to ask”. It was stupidly decadent already, with a touch of Rococo
design twisted to a more modern flair done in a tasteful manner. His bathroom alone was almost
the size of Wei Ying’s apartment, and if it wasn’t so far from school and work, he would have just
asked part-time to live in the guest house hidden in the estate rose gardens.

They left after Nie Huaisang fed them dinner and played a few rounds on his XBox. Outside on the
long drive by their cars, Jiang Cheng stopped Wei Ying before he got in.

“Why are you doing this?” He asked plainly.

It took a moment to process what he was asking. “We just sort of fell into it. He likes treating me
and I don’t mind being pampered a bit. Sex is a bonus for both of us.”

“I don’t like you selling yourself like that,” Jiang Cheng gritted out. “If you need help, you know
A-Li and I are always there for you, right? Nie Huaisang, too, I guess.”

“This is different. You guys shouldn’t be caught giving your money to me, I thought we
established this,” Wei Ying said, acid lacing his words. A burning feeling worked its way up from
his chest.

“This is not different!” Jiang Cheng snapped. He pounded his hand into the roof of the Lexus,
ignoring Wei Ying’s squawk of protest. “This is prostitution at the end of the day. I can’t let
myself be associated with someone selling sex for fancy cars and spa trips!”

“This is not prostitution, and if it was, so what? Sex work is real work and even then, I’m not a
Jiang anymore for me to ruin your perfect image.” There was a flash of anger in Wei Ying, a hot
cattle prod poking at his side, prodding him to rise up to the heat Jiang Cheng was spitting.

Nie Huaisang saw the argument boiling over from his porch and ran back down the long drive to
try and mediate. He had never been good at it and only managed to stop Jiang Cheng from lunging
at Wei Ying with a nervous grip to his elbow.

“Please, you guys, go home and cool off,” Nie Huaisang tried. He looked a step away from calling
his intimidating older brother to knock their heads together if his eyes darting back and forth from
the house to them meant anything.

“Think about it, Wei Ying,” Jiang Cheng hissed and climbed into his car. “You two need to think
of something else.” With that, he slammed the car door harder than necessary and was off with
aggressive jerks of his wheel and a sharp turn out of the drive.

“He’s worried about you, that’s all,” Nie Huaisang said finally.

“It’s Lan Zhan. You guys know he doesn’t have a bad bone in his body,” Wei Ying tried. The
anger was burning low already, settling deep in his bones in ashy residue that left his knees weak
and his head spinning.
“Lan Zhan might be perfect, but he can still mess up.” He turned to Wei Ying and put a comforting
hand on his arm. “You can mess this up, too.”

He didn’t like the ominous tone Nie Huaisang left him in, but it washed over his skin like a
stinging salt bath. There’s no way this was a mistake. Lan Zhan, who has never messed up before,
could not possibly make a mistake.

These thoughts churned around in his head as he pulled an all-nighter catching up on his thesis
work. Come Tuesday morning as he rolled up to class he felt drained, his headache thumping a
dull, cotton tune.

Like every Tuesday and Thursday, Lan Zhan was waiting for him with the travel mug of his
favorite coffee. He took it sheepishly.

With a minute frown, Lan Zhan cupped his face and traced the heavy shadow under his eye
tentatively. Wei Ying seized up, unprepared for the blatant PDA he was suddenly under.

“I’ll be okay, I’m gonna go to bed early tonight,” Wei Ying promised. He grasped the hand tracing
his cheek and pressed a kiss to the palm. It felt right.

Lan Zhan nodded and leaned up to press a kiss to his forehead. “If I show you something, will that
make you feel better?”

“Hm? What is it?”

He tugged his phone from his coat pocket and took a moment to scroll briefly before he turned the
screen to show Wei Ying a picture of a bunny with a pancake on its head. It was so silly and
adorable, Wei Ying couldn’t help but laugh. It didn’t waver either as Lan Zhan swiped and showed
him more silly bunny pictures.

“This one is my favorite.” Lan Zhan showed him one of a bunny being held with text over it
reading, “Home- where bunny hair sticks to everything… except the bunny”. “It’s true. I have three
lint rollers in my glove box.”

“You have a bunny?” Wei Ying asked, actually surprised at the revelation. Lan Zhan had grown up
under his uncle’s care and, from what Wei Ying knew of him when he studied at his academy for
three months, Lan Qiren was not the type to keep pets no matter how wonderfully adorable they
were.

Lan Zhan locked his phone and tapped the screen awake, showing off his lock screen photo of
three bunnies huddled together in the sunny grass. “This one’s Jasmine-” the white one with pretty
dark eyes and a pink nose “-Coco-” the light brown one in the middle, it’s ears pressed flat and
clearly dozing off “-and Bean, short for Coffee Bean-” a black one with grass stuck to its face.

Before Wei Ying could properly coo over the sweet little bunnies, Lan Zhan noticed the time on
his phone and promptly put it away to nudge Wei Ying toward his class. “I will send you more
pictures later. You have class.”

“Ah, shit, I do. See you after?” Wei Ying hoisted his backpack higher up his shoulder and flashed
Lan Zhan a quick grin.

“Mn. I’ll pick you up.”

There was another smooth kiss pressed to his cheek. He felt warm on the spot where Lan Zhan’s
lips touched his skin. He was dizzy with the blatant affection, or lack of sleep, only able to grin
stupidly back at Lan Zhan and blow a kiss as he skipped into class.

Throughout most of the lesson, Lan Zhan sent him more bunny memes and pictures of his bunnies
with the occasional “stop reading these you are in class. These are for later” messages. It was hard
not to save every one of them to his camera roll, even making a particularly cute shot of Lan
Zhan’s bunnies lined up on a couch wearing tiny straw hats as his wallpaper.

As anticipated, Lan Zhan scolded him over lunch for looking at his phone during class. They were
back at the cafe he first took them to when they started doing this and this time gave Wei Ying a
look that said “don’t even try to protest,” then ordered him a Reuben sandwich and a fruit tart. Wei
Ying kept his mouth shut.

“If you don’t text me in class, then I won’t be inclined to check my phone,” Wei Ying scolded
teasingly. He waggled his fork topped with a syrupy strawberry as if to further scold Lan Zhan.

“Mn, then I won’t text you anymore,” Lan Zhan said, his face remaining impassive.

Wei Ying laughed. “That doesn’t mean you can stop sending me bunny pictures.”

Lan Zhan dabbed his mouth daintily with a napkin and unlocked his phone. A moment later, Wei
Ying’s phone buzzed with a new text message from Lan Zhan. It was a picture of Coco sitting in a
garden with a pale pink rose petal on his head. Wei Ying couldn’t help his burst of giggles.

When they finished dessert and were on the last dregs of their drinks, Lan Zhan turned to him
seriously with his fingers laced atop the table and a rod through his straight back. Wei Ying
straightened up too, unsure of the sudden tense atmosphere.

“I want to give you this,” Lan Zhan said, tugging whatever “this” was from the inner pocket of his
blazer.

He slid a matte black credit card across the table, it’s numbers and Lan Zhan’s name a gleaming
silver, the bank logo pressed neatly in the corner. Wei Ying sucked in a sharp breath, but before he
could say anything Lan Zhan cut in.

“You don’t have to use it, but I would like for you to have it in case something happens… or if you
really want something,” he explained. “Don’t worry about the balance, there’s enough for anything
that could possibly happen.”

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying said, unsure if thank you could cover it.

“Take it, please,” Lan Zhan said. “Or else you’ll make Jasmine, Coco, and Bean sad.”

He was pouting at Wei Ying. It was a small, almost unnoticeable pout, but it was still a pleading
look for Wei Ying to take it. Who was he to deny such an offer? He took the card and delicately
slipped it into his wallet, securely between his debit and health insurance cards.

“Thank you,” he said, shrinking into himself. He felt demure, his skin too large for the glowing
idol before him. Lan Zhan reached across the table and covered Wei Ying’s hand with his own.
They were soft, slim, paler than Wei Ying’s sun-kissed skin, but undeniably gentle as his thumb
stroked the side of his hand. A trail of goosebumps shivered up his spine at the slight touch.

“It was Jasmine’s idea, Coco and Bean convinced me to do it,” Lan Zhan continued. “Don’t worry
about telling me what you buy, I will take care of the payments. Please, make sure to treat yourself
sometimes with it. You work hard.”
 He felt the weight lift, and he became light as a feather, swelling with birds’ wings and song
ringing out in a warming cacophony. These bright, warm feelings he had around Lan Zhan
reminded him of when he was with his brother and sister, of a really good night hanging out with
Wen Ning in some random parking lot, of those silly smiles he felt to his bones when he got to be
with A-Yuan. Lan Zhan was like an extension of home and he really hoped, however unusual the
relationship was, it would be a long path they could walk together.

You know what, he did work hard. Maybe he’ll get himself a new pair of shoes, just like Lan Zhan
wanted.

Chapter End Notes

anyway! shit sucks right now have something soft. next week will be the last chapter
then this will be on pause so i can work on the rest of the zine, bingqiu week, the mxtx
exchange, and some p4p. only for like 2 weeks! then this will be back on track ad
hopefully during that time i can actually pull ahead but rip i didn't last time i said i
would.

i also cut the chapter count a bit after evaluating my notes! again, this is a tentative
chapter count and it's subjected to change but hey, i won't be working on this until new
years.

thank you everyone for reading! i love all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks yall
are super sweet! until next time :)

EDIT: my motivation is shot rn so this will update uh. maybe sometime in June. but by
July I'll be back to posting regularly. thank you so much for your comments and
everything! for now pls preorder the tgcf travel zine @HeavensTravels and keep an
eye out for bingqiu week/mxtx exchange!

EDIT2: JC is a cop but im gonna just write that shit out lol if yall u should donate to
blm organizations, bail funds, etc and sign petitions caio
 A Ceramic Pot or Three
Chapter Summary

Lan Zhan finally gets what he wants.

Chapter Notes

WOW IM BACK hello! thank you so so much for your patience! I essentially killed
myself writing for bingqiu week and the mxtx exchange and needed a bit of time to
recover my writing stamina before diving back in. I have up to chapter 9 written as a
buffer once again so hopefully I can keep that up for a little while longer!

thank you all so, so much for all the lovely comments I've received! it makes me super
happy and it's rly pushed me to get my ass in gear writing this because there's so much
story I want to tell still! and as a big, grand welcome back this week i present to you--
smut!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Their first “official” date was at the long put-off Getty Villa— a sprawling museum dedicated to
Greek, Roman, and Etruria arts and culture inlaid with sunny gardens and decadent halls. The first
and only time Wei Ying ever went was for a middle school field trip and all he remembered was
the large amphitheater and threatening to push Jiang Cheng into the reflection pool.

Lan Zhan looked like he belonged as an art fixture in the marble halls, a pale statue of his own
right, carved as an offspring of Aphrodite or a muse of Apollo. He was more drawn to Lan Zhan
than he was to the art. They wandered around the hushed halls and stately gardens, a pensive look
drawn on Lan Zhan’s face as he paused to examine each piece of art they passed. His pale eyes
tracing every line and curve, drinking in the detail of its old culture. Wei Ying had found himself
holding his hand, uncaring of the building clamminess between their palms from the unusually hot
day.

They stopped to break by the same reflection pool Wei Ying almost pushed Jiang Cheng in, taking
a seat at one of the curved stone benches overlooking the courtyard. Lan Zhan had packed them
lunches of little sandwiches cut into triangles, seasonal fruit, bottled iced tea, chips, and cookies
from a bakery by his apartment.

Despite there being picnic areas and stone tables, he didn’t seem to mind eating from his lap with
Wei Ying leaned up against his side. Perhaps he wanted a view of the midday sunlight sparkling
off the reflection pool surface or enjoyed sitting amongst the Mediterranian garden when the sun
was warmest in the sky. Whatever it was, it put him in a good mood and he didn’t try to prod Wei
Ying away when their bare arms were starting to stick together from the simmering sun.

As always, neither of them spoke as they ate and for once, Wei Ying was content to do so as he
nibbled on his sandwich and occasionally flipping back to the sketchbook in his lap while Lan
Zhan read a boring looking book. He was politely not glancing over to see what Wei Ying was
working on and in a way, it was a shame. Nonetheless, he still pushed the book into his lap when
the messy sketch was done, dusting cookie crumbs from his fingers.

Lan Zhan took in a light gasp at the piece, a smudged sketch in his likeness, a profile of his regal
face, his long neck drawing the eyes down to carve of his back, his eyes trained on the pages of his
book, which Wei Ying gleefully renamed to Twilight. He noticed and clenched his jaw in clear
annoyance.

“I am reading The Two Towers,” he said stiffly, flipping his book over to reveal the Lord of the
Rings book.

Wei Ying snorted. “Nerd. You should just watch the movies like everyone else.”

“The books are more than good enough,” Lan Zhan said coolly.

“They’re probably one of the most faithful film adaptions from book to movie out there,” Wei
Ying argued back, a teasing smile stretching across his face. “Sure they cut out a lot of scenes, but
there’s so much of them just walking, that’s hard to translate onto the big screen.”

The heavy book slapped into Wei Ying’s bare arm, a gentle tap meant to tease. “You have read the
books.”

“Never said I didn’t,” Wei Ying said with a laugh. He threw himself back into the stone bench,
head tilted up to the blindingly clear, forget-me-not blue sky. “Jiang Cheng and I read them
together in high school,” he went on. “When we finished a book, we would watch the movie
together with Jiang Yanli. Don’t tell him I said this, but he had a fat crush on Galadriel.”

Lan Zhan huffed out the smallest laugh and turned back to the sketchbook. “I won’t… May I keep
this?” He said it so tentatively, his gentle fingers tracing the margins with the lightest touch.

“Of course you can,” Wei Ying said and leaned over to rip the page out. Lan Zhan carefully tucked
the torn edges in then inspected it further. His eyes looked up at the garden ahead and back down
to the art, then back up to the first spring blooms of flowers.

“Lavender?” he said, tracing the springy stocks framing his back on the paper.

“I like how they look. Peonies are fun to draw, too, a lot of big, crazy petals that can go anywhere,
but there’s lavender in these gardens.”

“Mn. A good calming remedy.”

They finished their meals with Wei Ying moaning around the cookies and Lan Zhan agreed to take
him to the bakery one day.

“Hopefully very soon,” Lan Zhan promised.

They finished the last stretch of the museum by around three when it started to fill up with more
people, making it harder to navigate as large tour groups and bustling families kept trapping them
in exhibits.

“Time to go?” Wei Ying nudged as a particularly large group inched by. Lan Zhan nodded stiffly.
It was better when there were much fewer people, but now it was certainly getting too much too
crowded for Lan Zhan’s liking.

On the way back to the car, they took a quick detour to the gift shop where Wei Ying (Lan Zhan)
bought an illustrated book of Greek Mythology and a sunprint kit for A-Yuan. He knew the kid
would love the book, always reading whatever his little hands could grab regardless if he
understood the words, but Wei Ying was excited to try the sunprint kit with him next time they
played.

“It’s paper you put something on and set it out in the sun to bleach it out. I think you rinse it then
voila , you have a cool picture of a leaf or whatever! A-Yuan would love this,” Wei Ying explained
happily as he climbed into the car. “He loved the crystal growing kit and the terrarium I got him.
Maybe if I play my cards right, he might become a little scientist.”

“Mn, or run away to become a musician.”

Wei Ying laughed, tossing his head back so hard it hit the headrest. “I would go to every show!”
The simple mental image Lan Zhan placed in Wei Ying’s head of little five-year-old A-Yuan in his
overalls and light-up sneakers standing at the low stage of a bar with a harmonica got him
absolutely howling. “In fact, I would be a roadie!”

Lan Zhan’s lips lifted barely in the corners, a fraction of a smile but it was like a full bloom to Wei
Ying. A warm buzz murmured under his skin and he couldn’t help but grin back.

Suddenly unsure of how to move the conversation forward, his mind fried, he cleared his throat
and asked, “Ah, where should we go now? Unless you have things to do then by all means…”

“Would you like to come back to my place?” Lan Zhan asked, his words tilted into one another,
almost cluttered compared to his usual slow, measured cadence.

“I— yeah, I wanna meet your bunnies!”

Lan Zhan nodded stiffly and started the car. It was a bit of a drive back into Los Angeles, the
evening traffic starting to pick up, but it only worked against Wei Ying as his heart was suddenly
pounding through his chest.

Did sugar daddies invite their babies back to their houses to fuck? Wei Ying figured, to keep the air
of detachment, Lan Zhan would rent them another hotel room for him to take his pleasure from
Wei Ying, then later, send some money as thanks. Even so, their relationship has been different
from the start. There’s no definitive transaction to mark when to give and when to receive, or
perhaps Lan Zhan was making up for lost time and taking him… tonight?

Wei Ying was glad he cleaned himself out that morning in the shower. As of late, he’s been doing
much more reading on how sex really worked between men as porn could only teach him so much.
Would Lan Zhan want to take him? What if he wanted to bottom and have Wei Ying take care of
him? He didn’t doubt his ability to do that but he couldn’t guarantee his money’s worth just yet, he
was, in fact, still a virgin who barely received his first kiss. Lan Zhan was in the same boat and
might be lenient if Wei Ying failed to perform.

His mid tilted on an axis, of images of Lan Zhan taking him apart slowly on a grandiose bed and
filtered out to thoughtless daydreams of a sprawling manor. Is he taking him to a mansion? Wei
Ying assumed it would be, but Lan Zhan had said he lived by himself near to the university and the
closest upscale neighborhood was still too far for a comfortable morning commute. He still
couldn’t help but picture Lan Zhan taking them through the gates of a private neighborhood and
through another set of even more private gates with his name written across the wrought iron as he
drove them up the long winding driveway up the green hills to a towering mansion, a big statue of a
bunny spitting water at the entrance—
Lan Zhan pulled into a sprawling outdoor apartment complex straight into his own little garage.
This was still Beverly Hills, minutes from UCLA, and out of the inter-city hubbub of towering
skyscrapers and misshapen buildings condensed into their own corners. This was not the mansion
Wei Ying pictured, but it was a taste of the Los Angeles luxury depicted in film.

The apartment was understated compared to Wei Ying’s rampant imagination, but it was still
luxurious, especially in comparison to all the conglomerate of rooms and dingy apartments he’s
surfed through in the past six years. Lan Zhan’s apartment was ground level and surrounded by
lush greenery that blocked him from his close-quarter neighbors. He let them in through the garage
door into a laundry room. It tricked Wei Ying, disguising itself as a house of its own, but there was
a home atop of this, and more exactly like it sharing walls.

“Shoes off, please.” Lan Zhan toed out of his oxfords and placed them neatly on a shoe rack by the
door. Wei Ying followed suit, dropping his boots unceremoniously on the mat.

Lan Zhan led them down a wide hallway and into a spacious living room with two little steps
leading down into the bright space. All the furniture was white, decorated modestly with potted
plants and simple art on the wall. The fireplace had an iron grate over it and the glass coffee table
looked like it fell out of a vintage garden store. Wei Ying dropped his jacket over the back of the
couch, his socked feet sinking into the plush rug, and craned his neck to see a little dining room
through a wide, arched doorway with a round glass table and a huge bouquet of white hydrangeas
placed in a crystal vase. The room was angled almost circular, with wide doors leading out onto a
private patio filled with so many potted plants it almost looked like a forest.

The kitchen was modern and clean-cut, connecting the living and dining room, with marble
countertops and white cabinets it was almost too bright and wide. The whole place felt almost like
a contemporary grandmother’s house with the covers over the dining chairs, the array of giant
potted plants, and the unusual cleanliness of it all.

“No TV?” he asked.

“I don’t watch it.” Lan Zhan was clinking around in the kitchen, his voice echoing in the too-large
space for only a single person. Some child deep inside Wei Ying wanted to explore all the doors in
the apartment, but he forced himself to sit on the white leather sofa. There was another wide door
leading out to the patio where two white wicker chairs sat shaded with a little glass table in
between. It looked like it would be lovely to spend an evening in.

A moment later, Lan Zhan came back with a tray of fruit and iced tea, catching Wei Ying tugging
on the leaves of a nearby rubber fig.

“Why are all your huge plants on those little tables?”

“Childproof. The bunnies like getting in the pots.”

“Can’t bunnies hop?”

“They’re too round to reach that high.” He sat down next to Wei Ying, placing the tray on the
glass coffee table and served Wei Ying his iced tea and a little bowl of grapes. “Not enough ledge
to get up on.”

He pushed aside a little ceramic pot on the wide coffee table, small and round with little African
violets. When it was nudged toward the edge, Wei Ying realized it wasn’t a perfect sphere, but a
round bunny pot with ears and a nub of a tail. He double-checked the mantle and looking closely
realized the little ceramic pots were also bunny-shaped.
Wei Ying laughed and took the offered drink.

“How are the little guys?

“Asleep. I checked on them a moment ago. When they’re awake, you may see them.”

Cool. Okay. Was it too early to seduce Lan Zhan yet? It was only a little after four, they hadn’t
eaten dinner yet. They had been talking all day and though it would be nice to talk some more, he
felt it would be better to kiss a little bit. It’s nice kissing him.

He leaned back and draped his arm across the back of the couch, his fingers tracing Lan Zhan’s
pink nape where his hair had grown a little bit from his clean-cut, just shy of his polo shirt collar.
His ears were a vivid pink. Wei Ying popped a grape into his mouth, tracking Lan Zhan’s gaze
lingering on his lips. He ate another, sucking it into his mouth and chewing it slowly. The next one
he offered to him, pressing the sweet fruit to his pink lips.

A tingling warmth simmered low in Wei Ying’s gut. It was amazing how attractive Lan Zhan was,
even in their teenage years Wei Ying had thought he was prettier than even the cutest girls in
school. Time has aged him into maturity, a beautiful force to be reckoned with. If it weren’t for his
cold exterior, Wei Ying bet he would have had women falling all over themselves for a glimpse of
his smile.

Wei Ying has never seen his full smile.

Lan Zhan leaned back into Wei Ying’s resting arm and sighed into the seat. The early evening sun
warmed the stark room, pulling them closer. The low heat was only magnified by Lan Zhan
angling his body toward Wei Ying, his eyes dark.

There was hesitation as they leaned forward, but was quickly overcome with the first press of lips.
Wei Ying positively melted into Lan Zhan’s soft kiss, helpless by his gravity pulling him into his
atmosphere. They simply pressed close, a heat barely more than a fine warmth soaking into Wei
Ying’s bones as his body molded into Lan Zhan’s, his hands coming up to wrap around his neck.

Lan Zhan pulled him closer as they tilted into the couch, throwing Wei Ying’s legs over his lap
and positively consumed him with the kiss. This was very nice. Unlike the first time, they were
able to fall into a steady rhythm quickly, already used to each other’s shape. Wei Ying fell pliant
under Lan Zhan’s touch, trapped between his warm body and the firm seats.

Hot sparks flushed through Wei Ying’s body as their kiss deepened. Pleasure pooled deep in his
core and for a moment he considered letting Lan Zhan take him right then and there on the rock-
solid couch. A hand roved down Wei Ying’s sensitive side, pulling a gasp as it rucked up his shirt
to trace up and down his ribs and waist. Lan Zhan pulled back only to lay hot kisses on his jaw and
throat, nipping at tender skin and drawing outward moans. His ears were buzzing, their heavy
breathing resonating over his skin.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying gasped as Lan Zhan pulled his shirt up further and laid more kisses over his
bare chest, but froze at the ink staining his skin.

“My sun, do you like it?” Wei Ying said breathlessly, his bared skin tingling under his gaze. Lan
Zhan traced a delicate finger over the permanent lines, over the squiggly rays and the smooth arc of
its center. It was a simple tattoo, cheap, but it was exactly what he wanted.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed, leaning in to press warm kisses over the sunbeams, making sure to
press his lips over every spot of ink as if to taste its mark. “Let me take care of you this time,” Lan
Zhan murmured suddenly into his skin. He laved his hot tongue over his nipple, a shiver running
down Wei Ying’s spine at the wet touch.

“We can go as far as you like” Wei Ying said, scratching slowly at Lan Zhan’s scalp. It pulled a
muted shiver from him.

He hummed lowly, taking the nipple into his mouth and sucking. Wei Ying arched up at the
sudden shock, a moan ripped from his chest.

“ We can go as far as we like,” he emphasized with another bite to his nipple.

They ended up stumbling down the wide hallway into Lan Zhan’s bedroom. Wei Ying barely
registered the canopy bed and more potted plants before they fell into the wide mattress. Lan Zhan
laid siege to his skin, pressing hot kisses and sharp nips wherever his skin was bared. Wei Ying
was shaking as he tugged his shirt off. He barely got a chance to admire his wide chest and firm
abdomen before Lan Zhan descended upon his lips once more. His kisses were hungry, heady,
stealing every one of Wei Ying’s breaths.

Birds were chirping outside the windows in the low tree branches, muffled by their labored breaths
as they pressed kiss after kiss into heated skin. They were devised of all their clothes and Wei Ying
was pushed up to the top of the bed where he could lay against the plush pillows, lounging like a
king. Lan Zhan knelt between his legs, eyes dark with hunger as he raked down his naked body.
Wei Ying knew he was handsome, fairly hot, even ranked as one of the most handsome in high
school. He took the extra mile of thoroughly bathing this morning all for Lan Zhan.

His work certainly paid off as Lan Zhan breathed heavily through his nose, his hands rubbing
smoothy down his bared sides and hips, tracing his thighs and cupping his knees. It aroused him to
see Lan Zhan so worked up over his bare body and some little kisses. Lan Zhan was a jewel in his
own right, pale and smooth as marble, his whole body toned and solid. The sharp V of his hips
tempted Wei Ying, begging to be nipped and licked down to his heavenly cock.

Lan Zhan leaned in and kissed his way down Wei Ying’s body, his long fingers smoothing over
his tender sides and soft thighs. Wei Ying’s breath hitched when he traced his lips over Wei Ying’s
sensitive naval, his cock twitching from the close touch. He wanted to tell Lan Zhan to lay down
and let him take care of him, but the heady look in his eyes, the bestial hunger that Wei Ying could
only satisfy, left him openly moaning as Lan Zhan took his cock in hand ad started to tentatively
pump it.

“Your hand feels so nice,” Wei Ying breathed. Lan Zhan inhaled deeply, his brows furrowed as he
took Wei Ying’s cock into his mouth. The wet heat felt so good, even better than that fleshlight Nie
Huaisang got him for his birthday a couple of years ago. It was hot, his tongue laved at the head of
his cock, tasting the sensitive slit. Wei Ying was melting under his ministrations, his senses going
haywire, electricity coursing through his veins from the top of his head to his curling toes. Lan
Zhan hummed, his lips at the base of his cock as his hand pumped him to full hardness. His thighs
twitched under him, feeling his breath tickle his coarse hair.

“I love your mouth on me, but I can’t wait for your cock. I bet it feels great,” Wei Ying panted.

It was so easy how Lan Zhan was taking him apart by the barest touches, but Wei Ying wanted to
make him crumble.

When he opened his mouth the words came rushing out. “You feel so good, you make me feel so
good. I can’t wait for you to fuck me.” His hips jerked as Lan Zhan moaned lowly, sending
vibrations through his cock. He could easily come like this, but he wanted to come with Lan Zhan
inside him. “Your dick is fucking huge. I already took it in my mouth, won’t you put it in my ass
now? I cleaned myself this morning just in case you wanted to take me home and fuck me.”

Lan Zhan was pulling him closer to the edge, toward a teetering precipice Wei Ying wanted so bad
under Lan Zhan’s hands but not yet. Fulfilling his wishes, Lan Zhan trailed a finger down Wei
Ying’s perineum and circled his entrance, his head bobbing up and down his cock as he took him in
deeper, drool slicking his whole member. Wei Ying twitched and gasped at the touch.

“Suck,” Lan Zhan instructed, popping off his cock and bringing two of his fingers up to Wei
Ying’s lips. He took the digits into his mouth and sucked them wetly, swirling around them with
his tongue and licking between them, his eyes never leaving Lan Zhan’s as he sank back down on
his cock. His pale eyes were pitch black with hunger, his lips gorgeous stretched around his dick,
and his hair mused in the back from Wei Ying tugging at it.

He released the fingers with a wet pop , a line of drool connecting from his lips to their tips. Lan
Zhan brought the wet digits down to trace languidly at his hole, wetting the puckered skin. As he
suddenly sucked deeply, his cheeks hollowing out and forcing Wei Ying to jerk up with a guttural
moan, he slipped a finger in only to the first knuckle. It was barely anything, his ass certainly able
to take much more, but he appreciated how tenderly Lan Zhan was caring for him. He slowly
worked the first finger in, Wei Ying dropping his legs open wide and hips rolling slowly into Lan
Zhan’s mouth and finger, his mouth agape with wet gasps.

“I can take your cock. I have a dildo I love using, you know? It’s not as big as you, it would cost a
small fortune to get a good dildo that massive. I would fuck myself with it when you’re not around
if I had one that big,” he rambled, his chest hot and h eat pooling dangerously in his core.
Electricity tingled in his fingers and toes, threatening to consume him. “I’d ride it moaning your
name and maybe I’ll record it for you to watch later.”

“No need,” Lan Zhan growled, pulling off his cock. “I am right here.”

Wei Ying laughed but was quickly cut off into a disappointed groan as Lan Zhan got off him
completely, rolling off the bed and headed for the bureau. He whined helplessly to draw him back,
pumping his cock languidly to keep the heat rolling but there was no need. Lan Zhan’s corded back
and firm ass was on display, his legs long and lean. He bit his knuckled to hold back a helpless
giggle over how cute Lan Zhan was being, shifting from foot to foot as he dug through the top
drawer. When he finally turned around, a new bottle of lube and a condom in hand, Wei Ying put
on a show of rolling his hips and tugging on his cock wet with spit and precome.

Lan Zhan settled between his thighs once again, tugging him into his lap by his hips and laid a kiss
to his chest.

“It’s beautiful,” he murmured sweetly over his heart, atop the inked sun tattooed on his chest.

“Thanks,” Wei Ying hummed. “Give me that.” He tugged the condom from his hand and waved it
about. “Let me put it on you.”

“Mn.” Was all he said before he lubed up his fingers and delved back down, prodding two fingers
in this time with still barely any resistance. Wei Ying relaxed to his touch, his fingers inexperience
yet focused on the task at hand. Lan Zhan looked up at him from under his lashes, tongue swiping
over his nipple as he gouged his reactions. Wei Ying moaned and let his hips roll into his fingers,
his cock pressed between their bodies. He could feel Lan Zhan’s cock on his thigh, hot and heavy.

The third finger joined and once he could spread all three out inside his hole easily, he pulled back
and sat on his haunches to admire Wei Ying spread out under him, his own cock so red and hard it
looked like it hurt.

Wei Ying sat up, swaying for a moment from laying down in heated pleasure for so long, and
kneeled in front of Lan Zhan who rose to his knees, his cock level with his face. He pressed a kiss
to its wet tip, precome sharp on his tongue. He moaned, letting the vibrations rumble over his head.
Lan Zhan gasped.

He tore open the condom and pressed the tip to his head and with every inch he rolled down he
pressed a kiss to naked skin before it was covered. Once it was on snugly, he pressed a wet kiss to
its head, licking the sensitive gland as Lan Zhan’s breathing grew harsher. He gave his cock a little
more lube and took his time rubbing it in, loving the feel of its girth in his hands. A hand tugged
him back by the hair and he moaned openly, staring up at Lan Zhan from under his lashes.

“Enough. Lay down.” Lan Zhan’s ears were crimson, color creeping down his neck and chest. Wei
Ying wanted to kiss it but he figured they had plenty of time. He laid back onto the plush pillows
once more and angled his hips for Lan Zhan to slide between his thighs, pulling his ass into his lap.
His cock prodded Wei Ying’s entrance, hot and heavy. He couldn’t help but clench in anticipation.

“Ready?” Lan Zhan breathed.

“Yes, yes, ” Wei Ying gasped, hips jerking.

The first press left Wei Ying buzzing. It was so big, certainly bigger than anything he’s ever taken
up his ass, and oh he could only throw his head back and moan openly into the air, letting his
whole body feel the penetration, the slow slide of his thick cock. He gripped the pillows above his
head, panting as the molten heat grew hotter with the slow press, Lan Zhan slowly thrusting his
hips to really make Wei Ying feel his whole size and shape.

He was panting, breathless, and already so full but he knew that wasn’t all of it. His legs came up
to clench around Lan Zhan’s waist, forcing himself to relax as he pressed even deeper. Lan Zhan
hummed and ran his slender hands down Wei Ying’s sensitive waist, holding him steady by his
hips. Once completely sheathed, neither of them moved, only able to breathe deeply and adjust to
the sheer size. Wei Ying could lay here and just hold onto Lan Zhan’s cock for hours if he let him,
the heavy heat filling him up so much it made him feel breathlessly good.

“Move,” he whispered. “You can move.”

The shallow thrust sent stars through his whole system, a moan torn from his chest and his body
arched at the shock of pleasure. He moved slowly, shallowly, but it only forced Wei Ying to feel
every inch of his cock dragging steadily over his sensitive walls. He gasped at the heat, the
overwhelming pressure, scrabbled to grip onto Lan Zhan’s shoulders and tugged him closer for him
to moan into his ear.

“You feel so good, so fucking good in me,” he groaned. The slow drag was driving him crazy, too
much yet not enough. He arched, his breathing reverberating in his ears as Lan Zhan pressed kisses
to his neck and jaw, consuming him with his whole body. “You’re my first cock, my first kiss, and
it feels so good, so good.” He was devolving, driven insane by the hard rolls of his hips.

Lan Zhan breathed harshly into his throat, his skin sticking to Wei Ying’s.

“Faster,” Wei Ying gasped. “You can go faster.”

A guttural growl tore through Lan Zhan’s chest and he complied, his hips pulling back and
snapping forward, increasing in speed and weight until Wei Ying was drowning in a near
punishing pace. He moaned openly, his eyes rolling back at the onslaught of pleasure as Lan Zhan
sat up, gripping his thighs to hold him steady as he fucked him open. The slick slap of skin on skin,
of Lan Zhan’s hips hitting Wei Ying’s ass and thighs, rang louder than even their gasping breaths
and Wei Ying’s helpless whines and moans.

Wei Ying choked when he was able to focus his blurred vision on the sight above him. Lan Zhan
had a furrow to his hazy eyes, dark with lust, his jaw clenched. His skin was slick with sweat, his
abdomen tight. Just the sight of its tense and thrusting, framed by his own damp thighs, into Wei
Ying nearly made him come. The deep V of his hips dipping down straight into his hole where he
pounded deep. His slender hands were gripping his thighs close to his waist as if trying to drag him
impossibly closer.

A shock of pleasure ran through his core as Lan Zhan angled himself just right. Wei Ying threw his
whole body back and cried out, the sharp pop of his spine inaudible to the numbing electricity
shaking through his core. His legs were going numb with pleasure, his toes curled and tingling.

“Yes! Yes, there, right there! Oh, Lan Zhan, oh my God!” He was so close to the edge, his hips
thrusting back into Lan Zhan’s cock was stuttering in their rhythm. Hot sparks filled his brain with
fireworks and his blood with lightning. Shakily, he reached down and tried to get himself off
before he was overloaded, but Lan Zhan beat him to it. He twisted his cock just right, rubbed him
hard and slick to the rhythm of his thrusts.

With a final, high pitched cry he’s never heard himself make, he came hard across his stomach.
Hot cum dripped down Lan Zhan’s hand and he fucked him through the orgasm, a sharp wave
washing over his whole body from his shaking toes to his numb head. His vision whited out for a
second, stars bursting in his core. Lan Zhan fucked him through it, rocking into him as the last of
the orgasm rolled off him.

He went to move out of Wei Ying, still rock hard and coated in lube, but Wei Ying clenched his
shaking thighs tights around his waist.

“Keep— Keep going, you haven’t come,” Wei Ying gasped, his whole body hazy.

“I don’t want to overstimulate you.” His voice was rough and ragged, so different from his usual
smooth timber it sent a shiver of pleasure through his skin.

“Come inside me, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said as firmly as he could despite melting into the bed.

He nodded and started thrusting back into him hard and fast, chasing his own relief. The sharp pain
of overstimulation started to stab through his core, his whole body too weak to fight back and
could only melt into the pleasure-pain. His hips stuttered, so near to his own brink. Wei Ying
weakly clenched down on his cock, driving him to the precipice.

“Fill me up, Lan Zhan,” he moaned and Lan Zhan tipped, coming with a deep gasp, his head tilting
back in an open mouth, soundless moan, to feel the orgasm roll through his body. His thrusts
slowed to a stop, his hips jerking every so often as the last shocks wore through him.

He pulled out and pulled off the condom, tying the top into a knot and tossing it into the trash can
across the room. Wei Ying let out a low whistle, impressed. Lan Zhan climbed off the bed and
made way to the ensuite bathroom, only to return a moment later with a damp washcloth and set to
work on wiping down all the cum and lube from Wei Ying’s skin. He hummed a thanks and rolled
over to a cool part of the bed. A second later, Lan Zhan slipped into bed beside him, tucking Wei
Ying under his arm.
“God, you’re a good fuck. You sure you’re a virgin?”

“Not anymore.”

Wei Ying laughed, rolling his heavy head back into Lan Zhan’s shoulder. “Fuck yeah you aren’t.”

His eyes were really heavy, the room cool on his heated skin and lit with the fading evening light.
He could hear passing cars on the busy street not to far, a steady hum, and the leaves of the palm
outside Lan Zhan’s window rustling in the breeze, accompanied by the evening birdsong. He let
himself drift to sleep for who knows how long until Lan Zhan shifted behind him and pressed a
kiss to his back, the sky outside now deep into twilight.

“Lotus,” he said softly into his skin. “They’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

Wei Ying chuckled weakly, still drenched in sleep. “Jiang Cheng has one, too.”

“Mn. Yours is nicer.”

“You haven’t seen his. It’s the exact same as mine.”

“Yours is nicer.”

They laid pressed against one another, Lan Zhan’s lips tracing lightly against his back, his nape,
brushing his tangled hair smooth. Eventually, as the light in the room completely faded to dark,
Lan Zhan slipped out of bed with one more press to Wei Ying’s temple.

“Shower,” he murmured. “Would you like one after?”

“Mh-hm.” Wei Ying couldn’t keep his eyes open for long. Lan Zhan huffed out a small laugh and
moved back to the bathroom. The sound of the shower water running was used as an anchor to
hoist Wei Ying from the dredges of sleep. He managed to sit himself up and turn on the bedside
lamp, his whole body throbbing in pleasurable aches.

There was another bunny-shaped pot on the nightstand, this one holding a little jade plant in a bed
of white pebbles.

Lan Zhan emerged from the shower not long after, the most dressed down (besides naked) Wei
Ying had ever seen him, in grey lounge pants with the school emblem on the thigh and a blue
short-sleeve henley. His hair was damp and curling at the ends, the usual pristine part mused.

“I’ll order take-out while you’re in. Anything in particular?”

“I could go for a massive wet burrito right now. Red with steak.” Wei Ying rolled from the bed
and stretched, his whole body still tingling and heavy. He felt a twinge of pain in his back both
from where he popped it and the really good fuck.

“Mn. I left a towel out. I’ll leave clothes on the bed for you.” He hesitated a moment the said
steadily. “Will you be staying the night?”

Wei Ying yawed and nodded. “Of course.”

The bathroom was bright and starkly clean, a fluffy white towel laid out on the counter by an
orchid plant. The shower was twice the size of his own and the bathtub was certainly big enough to
fit two people in. He marveled at being able to spread his elbows out in the shower without
bumping into a wall or sticking to the curtain. He didn’t bother getting his hair wet, but did wash
 his body using the bar of soap. It felt nice and left his skin feeling silky and clean, the subtle
sandalwood fragrance sticking to his own skin now.

When he emerged from the bathroom, clean and in cotton pajama pants and a t-shirt, Lan Zhan was
sitting on the armchair in the living room with his laptop balanced on his knees.

“Food will be here in twenty,” he said.

“Mn. What are you doing?” Wei Ying perched himself on the arm of the chair and leaned in to see
Lan Zhan was on YouTube of all things.

“Watching your modified Roomba video. How many do you have left?” There was a resounding
smash from the tinny speakers as a Roomba was crushed.

“None. They were all shattered while filming this.”

Lan Zhan nodded and liked the video. “You were modifying them in your bedroom. Do you not
have a workspace?”

“I keep all my power tools in there and only move to the living room if I need more space. It’s fine,
Wen Ning just sleeps on the couch,” Wei Ying said. “I can even use our garage if it’s really too
big.”

There was a moment Lan Zhan seemed to contemplate then nodded. He turned his focus back to
the screen, a hand coming up to rest on Wei Ying’s knee. They finished the video together, Wei
Ying giving him a running commentary of the filming process and all behind the scenes tidbits no
one else would ever know.

Dinner arrived not long after— a juicy burrito bigger than his foot and soaked in simmering red
sauce and loaded in spicy steak and chilis. He dug in with a bestial hunger, needing to regain the
calories he burned walking around the massive museum and taking Lan Zhan’s dick like a champ.
They sat at the kitchen island, their knees bumping up against each other as Lan Zhan ate his salad.
He wondered aloud if he ever got tired of getting the same thing and Lan Zhan simply stated it was
the only vegetarian option he liked at most places.

At this point, it was borderline Lan Zhan’s strict nine o’clock bedtime and Wei Ying was certainly
not going to sleep just yet. Before he could ask to sleep on the couch, to not disturb Lan Zhan, he
was ushered back into the bedroom and pushed onto the bed.

He barely managed to text Wen Ning he wasn’t coming home tonight before they fell back into
heated kisses.

Chapter End Notes

i have multiple people I got to for betaing usually but it's been tough for all of us and I
don't wanna push them too hard esp cause i'm awful and usually send the doc like
Saturday night OTL. if anyone wants to mayhaps help me edit pls dm me @
mirai_eats
 An Apron
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying is properly settling into his role as sugar baby.

Chapter Notes

WOW and NOT late at night haha. big huge shout out to Sarah for putting up with this
sis thanks for the beta!

and lmao thanks everyone for congratulating them on the sex last chapter

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Perhaps riding Lan Zhan before knocking out was not a good idea in hindsight. Sunday morning
Wei Ying awoke with his whole ass, back, and thighs throbbing in a deep-seated pain. Lan Zhan
was already up, the shutters closed tight over the windows with only the barest glow of morning
light trickling through. He groaned and rolled over to find his phone charging on the bedside,
certain that he fell asleep with it by his pillow, but Lan Zhan must have plugged it in when he got
up.

There was a text from Wen Ning telling him to have fun and another from Wen Qing asking if they
used a condom. He hazily recalled trying to put it on Lan Zhan’s cock with his mouth, only to tear
the thin skin of it and having to open a new one. He giggled to himself and opened Twitter to wake
himself up a little more.

It took a while to brush away the sleep-heavy fog from his head. At roughly nine AM, he rolled
himself slowly out of bed with a heavy groan, his thighs still holding a residual burn.

His clothes from the day before were folded neatly on the bedroom bench, the particular smell of
Lan Zhan’s laundry detergent clinging to the fabric. He grinned and shuffled to the bathroom to
wake himself up further, changed, then stumbled out into the living room.

Lan Zhan was nowhere in sight, but the back door was open. He first caught sight of his long legs
stretched out in a slender line in front of him. As he came up to the screen door, he found Lan Zhan
on one of the wicker chairs on the patio, his laptop on the little side table and a book perched open
on his lap, a steaming cup of tea tucked by his elbow. He looked up as Wei Ying slid open the
door and stepped out onto the patio, the cool morning air making him shiver through his thin shirt.

“Good morning,” Lan Zhan greeted. “I heard you get up and started some coffee. Would you like
me to make you breakfast?”

“G’morning,” Wei Ying said, his voice scratching with sleep. “Not hungry yet, but I’ll get the
coffee.”

He padded back into the kitchen and found the Keurig raring to go, a mug already placed on the
tray. A minute later, he stepped back out on the porch with a throw blanket from the couch
wrapped around his shoulders. Lan Zhan sat up as Wei Ying gingerly took the seat across from
him, the rim of his mug pressed to his lips.

“I can get you a sweater if you’re cold.” Lan Zhan started to push his things to the side, rising to
his feet.

Wei Ying waved him off. “I’m comfortable like this, don’t worry. Thank you for the coffee.”

Lan Zhan nodded and slowly sat back down but did not pick up his laptop again. He looked
especially cozy this morning in his white linen pants and a loose grey knit cardigan, seemingly
glowing as the morning light filtered through his potted plants, shielding them from his close-by
neighbors, the sun not yet warm enough to dull his glow. They sat in peace as the hot coffee pulled
Wei Ying awake completely, his mind still a blubbered mess of sleep he slowly shook off with
tentative morning conversation.

Wei Ying held the conversation in two hands but they’ve always worked like this, a rhythmic
bump in which Lan Zhan held on to every note. It was far from one-sided because Lan Zhan had
things to say and always found a break in the notes to say his measured piece, otherwise he filled in
blank spaces with minuscule signs to show he was paying attention. Mute “Mn”s and nods would
deter anyone, but it was his own quiet way of listening and participating. He gave Wei Ying his
full attention, gave his own measured thoughts, but most of all, Wei Ying could safely say he was
his most favorite person to talk to.

There was a pause in their steady tandem and Lan Zhan rose to his feet, his work long forgotten on
the table.

“May I give you a gift?” He asked, his jaw stiff with tension.

Wei Ying cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Yeah?”

Ah, sugar daddy stuff. A proper payment for yesterday, perhaps?

Lan Zhan went back into the apartment and reappeared a moment later with two smooth paper
shopping bags, both with clearly expensive treats hidden within. “It was dropped off this morning.
I hope it’s to your liking.”

Inside the white bag was the newest Apple Watch model, its polished black mirror face reflecting
Wei Ying back at himself. “Oh my god ,” he breathed, digging into the orange bag to find it was a
really nice black leather watch strap, the company logo pressed into the shiny black buckle.

“One should always have a good watch.” Lan Zhan raised his own wrist, a sparkling silver Rolex
that probably cost more than Wei Ying’s rent. “These I feel are more to your taste than any regular
watch.”

“Thank you, oh my fuck, thank you!” He delicately set his new prize now on the table before
leaping up and pulling Lan Zhan into a bone-crushing hug. “Did I tell you I’ve been dying for one
of these? Or did you read my mind?”

“You mentioned it once. It took me so long because I could not decide on a band for it.”

The watch already came with a nice red sports band, but the fine leather one would be perfect when
Wei Ying needed to dress up. They spent the rest of the morning setting up the device and
connecting it to his phone and fiddling with the controls, taking up the space between them with
his long ramblings about the specs. It must be utter nonsense to Lan Zhan, but he always listened
attentively.

A call cut their time short, ringing from his brand new watch. It made him leap with excitement
until he noticed the caller ID.

“Work,” he frowned. He stepped back into the house to take it, helping himself to some yogurt in
the fridge as he spoke to his supervisor, cringing at the bitter taste of the unsweetened, low-fat
Greek yogurt. He found honey and some blueberries to dump in his bowl and the next bite was
much better.

“As much fun as it’s been, I need to go,” Wei Ying said after he finished the call, bowl of yogurt in
hand. “I need to check into the lab for a few hours. Think you’ll survive without me until next
time?”

Lan Zhan’s lips quirked up in that little smile he only ever made toward Wei Ying. “I’ll try.”

Lan Zhan drove him home, and before stepping out of his car, Wei Ying pressed a goodbye kiss to
his soft lips. It felt strangely domestic as he murmured a “see you later” to his mouth and jumped
out of the car with a cheeky smile and a wave.

He might have asked Lan Zhan to persevere until their next meeting, but Wei Ying wasn’t sure he
could. The feel of his dick pressing deep into him left an imprint that lingered on his skin, both
physically and emotionally, and left him squirming under his lab coat. The Apple Watch was a hit
at the lab, but most of his coworkers already had one; it only brought in a new conversation topic
Wei Ying could wholeheartedly join in.

It was only a day and a half until Wei Ying saw Lan Zhan again, but he couldn’t stop thinking
about him. They texted as much as they could around their work, but it was almost not enough.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were a relief, a cooling balm to the burn of longing he felt.

In a way, he was a little scared of the heat burning in his chest. He always dismissed the stray
wisps of thoughts.

Nie Huaisang was a flyaway spirit who took Wei Ying up, up and away with his troubles, the exact
opposite of the grounding palm to his back and the sweet kisses to his temple. The two met up for
brunch one day when the gaps in their schedules lined up just right. They met at a bougie cafe a
little too Instagram-friendly for Lan Zhan’s taste for a carafe of mimosas and pancakes.

“Let me see that, is it Burberry again?” He reached a delicate hand across the table for Wei Ying’s
wrist, his mouth full of his eggs benedict. He gagged once he got a good look.

“ Hermès!” he choked out.

“What mess?”

“The brand!” Nie Huaisang traced the embossment on the metal buckle. “God, this must have
easily cost a thousand dollars.”

Wei Ying winced. “It’s very soft and I’m gonna wear it next time I see Jin Zixuan.”

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes. “You don’t understand. You know my bag collection?”

“The real estate business, yes,” Wei Ying waved, having heard the lecture numerous times how
similar purses and stocks are.
“Birkin is one of the big-name designer bags, so I have eleven of them. A new bag usually starts at
12K.” To make his point, he plopped his beige purse onto the table, a plain square of a thing with
barely anything special about it. “This is from a couple of years ago. I got it for 17K. You’re
holding a watch strap from the same company that brought Birkins to the common folk.”

“You live in an actual mansion and own three cars despite not knowing how to drive,” Wei Ying
said bitterly. “What’s common about you?”

“You’re right. I’m extraordinarily beautiful with an eye for art. You’re too busy with all your little
robots to notice true beauty,” Nie Huaisang sniffed.

Of course he knew what true beauty was, Wei Ying thought. Lan Zhan was prettier than any
overpriced bag. Nie Huaisang didn’t need to hear that because he was footing their meal. Though,
the only reason he was here with him now was because Lan Zhan had to cancel their Thursday
coffee date, but he made sure to bring Wei Ying his bunny tumbler of coffee before he took off
with an extra apologetic kiss. The tumbler sat in Wei Ying’s car, waiting to be washed and brought
back to the owner.

Despite it being unavoidable, Lan Zhan had still sent his official apology Thursday morning right
before he left for class. There was a knock on Wei Ying’s door right before he was set to leave and
he opened to find a man in a suit passing him a blue Tiffany bag, taking off quickly with a nod.
Inside was a pair of brilliant diamond earrings, so pure in cut they gleamed blue. The main
diamond was surrounded by a circlet of more studded diamonds, the earring as a whole small and
very tasteful in design. He gingerly replaced his little silver hoops with the diamonds before
leaving.

In the end, it all worked out because right after a very good pancake brunch and enough mimosas to
make it illegal for him to drive, Nie Huaisang arranged for a driver to take him back to campus for
a meeting with his thesis project group. He was a little late, but no one could blame him when he
brought coffee as an apology.

As an engineering student, his thesis was more than just a well-researched paper, but also needed
work to show. For the past year, he had been working with these brilliant classmates to bring their
project to life for both a graduating grade and a leap into their respective industries.

“If we made it scream we might get extra points,” Mo Xuanyu pointed out.

“We would get docked points for adding a useless modification,” Shen Yuan snipped.

“There’s really no need for it, but I would like to see how we could make it work,” Xie Lian
agreed.

The four of them together were truly a formidable team and had a devastatingly impressive project
brewing, but all four of them clashed outside of the technical aspects of their work. Their
personalities mashed in a way that would otherwise grind Wei Ying’s gears, but he believed after
all the hours they’d spent drowning in this project, they would surely remain friends long after
graduation.

Mo Xuanyu was wild, his own bubbling energy matching Wei Ying’s to dangerous levels, and on
top of that was openly gay and made them all painfully aware of how single he was nearly every
meeting. Shen Yuan was smart, but his tongue was sharp and his criticism cut deep, though he had
brilliant ideas and had a keen eye for details they as a group seemed to overlook. Xie Lian was
softer, kinder, but perhaps the most overall brilliant of the four of them, yet he remained the
bluntest in his remarks, cutting much deeper than Shen Yuan ever could, all with a sweet smile.
Wei Ying was a hot wire with his mad hatter ideas that they springboarded off of into their
dangerously brilliant project that might, if luck was on their side, could turn into something
greater. He believed himself to the roots of their little team, the dark horse who drove them
forward.

Their meeting ran from early afternoon to well past dinner time, constantly drawing lots to see who
would do the next snack run and refreshing their lab reservations. Shen Yuan’s boyfriend brought
them all a homemade dinner to eat sitting at a bench outside the building (no food allowed in the
labs). It wasn’t the first time Wei Ying has had his phenomenal cooking and he was hoping it
would be something he could keep coming out of this project. He wondered if he could save a bit
of the food for Lan Zhan later one day for him to try, or even ask Luo Binghe to make him a little
snack to-go, but Luo Binghe was ice cold when Shen Yuan wasn’t turned to him and made it very
hard to approach him.

They managed to wrap up at around seven, their backs sore and hands cramped as they stumbled
tired-eyed and sluggish from the labs toward their respective cars.

Xie Lian stopped him on the way to the parking garage.

“Do you need a ride again?” Wei Ying asked. Xie Lian couldn’t drive but was perfectly content not
to despite LA being a heavily driving city.

“No, but thank you for the offer. San Lang is waiting for me,” Xie Lian said. “I wanted to ask you
something.”

Wei Ying nodded, tucking his phone away mid-text to Lan Zhan.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal,” Xie Lian continued, his clear eyes sharp. “I noticed
your watch today. Hermès is a luxury brand on top of the already expensive series 5 watch. You
have new diamond earrings, beautiful by the way, but I have to guess they’re real. Then your little
car was ah, upgraded. What’s going on?”

Wei Ying grinned meekly. “I landed myself a sugar daddy. He’s really nice and sent me these
‘cause I couldn’t see him today.” He touched the dainty studs, light and warm to the touch despite
the weight of their price tag.

Xie Lian’s brow furrowed, a shadow tracing his small face. “Were things really so bad that you
resorted to that?”

“I— no? I mean, yeah, but— he offered,” Wei Ying tried, for once at a loss for words. He took a
deep breath, gathering himself from the fumble, and continued. “He’s really good to me, if that’s
what you’re worried about. We talk and, well, I promise I wasn’t that desperate to seek one out.
You understand my position better than anyone.”

Xie Lian nodded, his expression softening again. “I do. It’s tough. I’m extremely lucky to be in this
program despite everything. I am better now, much better, and if you need anything, San Lang and
I will always have your back, okay?”

Wei Ying nodded. “He makes life a little easier to breathe. It’s a bonus he’s just a really good guy
on top of that. Haha, whoever marries him will be really lucky to land a great guy like that!”

A new look crossed Xie Lian’s face, one Wei Ying couldn’t quite decipher. “Mn. That’s good. I’ll
email you tomorrow with the documents.”

Disaster struck when his and Lan Zhan’s planned Thursday-make-up-lunch date on Saturday was
cancelled because Lan Zhan needed to fly to New York for the weekend. A business trip with his
brother and uncle meant to increase the company shares or whatever. Lan Zhan apologized
profusely over the phone and again through texts and promised to make it up to him in the
following week.

The “make up” he meant was essentially a new outfit, dropped off once more by a personal
shopper in fancy designer paper bags with long cord handles.

A new pair of Doc Martens, clean and made in England, with red roses embroidered on the side. A
Tom Ford leather moto jacket with real leather, not the peeling plastic like his faux one. A silk
Dolce & Gabbana shirt that would have otherwise looked hideous but was exactly to his taste with
black and white varying pinstripes. A Gucci belt, simple and sleek with the iconic logo buckle.
More Tiffany jewelry; 18k gold t-bar drop earrings and a leather cord bracelet.

He spread out his new goods over the couch, wondering briefly how much each of these items
would sell for. The thought was quickly stored away because he actually liked everything here.
They were all to his taste, even the surprisingly not-ugly Dolce & Gabbana shirt. These were things
he would have bought or never would have considered getting until they were his. Lan Zhan just
knew him that well.

It made him think to give him a gift in return, then he remembered the soreness he experienced
after their night together, and thought he would perhaps, do it again but with a little more, ah,
flavor.

The next time he saw Lan Zhan was sooner than the expected Tuesday cafe trips. Monday night he
was at a different building doing work for his lab which ran later than anticipated. He was almost
an hour out from his apartment and despite it being almost nine, traffic would still be a nightmare.
He stood outside his car considering if it was worth it to drive all the way home just to wake up
early and drive back to the area for school early the next morning.

An annoying idea struck. He called Lan Zhan.

“Mn. You may stay over,” he agreed to Wei Ying’s request. “If you don’t mind me leaving first
for class.”

Wei Ying grinned and fist bumped. Lan Zhan was barely ten minutes from here, this was perfect!
“Not at all! I’ll be over in about a half hour, is that alright? I’m gonna grab a quick dinner before-”

“No. Come straight here.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll make you dinner. Is pasta okay?”

“Pasta is very much okay,” Wei Ying said, taken aback. McDonald’s was fine, but it left a
fluttering warmth in his chest with Lan Zhan’s firm request. “See you in ten?”

“Mn. Drive safe.”

He arrived closer to fifteen minutes because construction had him turned around. The apartment
smelled heavenly of cooking garlic and onions when he was let inside, pulling a tug of hunger in
his stomach. Lan Zhan, after a customary hello and a kiss to his cheek, waved him to the dining
room table with a place setting already out and soft bread to snack on. Wei Ying grinned at the
adorale gesture.
Lan Zhan served him while wearing a navy blue apron with a white bunny embroidered on the
chest. It was cute and not a speck of food on the dark linen. The meal was a simple tomato cream
pasta, but Wei Ying could smell the spice rolling off it like steam. His mouth was watering and
could barely get out a “thank you!” before digging in wholeheartedly. It was good and deliciously
spicy, but could certainly use a little more. Lan Zhan, who had sat across from him with a cup of
tea, nudged a bottle of chili oil toward Wei Ying when he looked up expectantly.

“I was not sure it would be spicy enough. My eyes burned while making it,” Lan Zhan noted.

Wei Ying laughed and proceeded to dump on more chili oil. The next bite burned just right and it
made him moan. After dinner, he gifted Lan Zhan with a kiss, who took it with grace despite the
clear red burns on his lips. He waved off Wei Ying’s concern and slowly drank some milk.

“You may shower,” he said hoarsely. “Then may I show you something?”

He almost hoped it wasn’t another gift, but knowing Lan Zhan’s track record, it most likely was.
He showered quickly, this time washing with Lan Zhan’s shampoo and conditioner, and changed
into a pair of lounge pants and t-shirt that were laying out for him on the bed. Lan Zhan was
waiting for him in the kitchen, the blue apron still on and doing something with the Keurig.

“Coffee?” He passed a steaming mug of it to Wei Ying, his own tea already half drunk.

“Mn, thanks!” He took a sip. “Decaf?”

“It’s too late for full caffeine. I hope you don’t mind.” He finally took off the apron and hung it on
a hook in the pantry. “May I show you something?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He hoped it was the bunnies because this is his second time here and has yet to see
the little fluff balls.

Lan Zhan took him down the hall to a door Wei Ying hasn’t gone through yet. “Close your eyes?”
he asked, almost tentatively. Wei Ying shut his eyes and put his hands over his face. Lan Zhan took
his elbow and gently led him into the dark room, a second later he could hear lights switching on,
light bleeding red through his fingers and eyelids.

“Haha are you shy now? Are we gonna do something kinky? It’s almost your bedtime though, I
wouldn’t want you passing out while you railed me!” He was joking, but the thought of Lan Zhan
tying him down did get him a little hot. But he was tired, weary from the long week he’s had,
despite it still being Monday, and it was dangerously close to Lan Zhan’s bedtime.

“You may open.” Lan Zhan stepped back and Wei Ying opened his eyes.

“Oh fuck,” he gasped.

It was a workshop. There were EVA mats on the floor and soundproof pads on the walls with
industrial strength fluorescent lights flooding the whole space. There was a huge work table in the
central area but still plenty of space to move around. Powertools, a table saw, his own tools, and
more were placed neatly in designated racks and drawers, and the whole room was wrapped in a
large counter which gave him more space to work and organize. The 3D printer was already set up
in a corner next to a stand up-sit down desk by the window already fitted with a desk lamp, printer,
and desktop computer with dual monitors.

“I had Wen Ning gather all your tools this morning and I picked them up. The walls are soundproof
so your power tools should not bother anyone. There are essential programs already downloaded on
the computer but if there’s anything else you need on it, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“You could have— in your apartment?” Wei Ying walked slowly around the room, running his
hand over the smooth worktable, noting the wheels with locks on the legs, his filming equipment.
There was space to breathe and work, not crouched on his bedroom floor with a soldering iron.

“There aren’t many spaces like that available that were good enough around your place or school.
If this is too small I can arrange to get you a garage space rented out…”

Wei Ying turned and grinned slyly. “You liked me coming here better, huh?”

Lan Zhan’s ears turned pink and didn’t respond. Oh, what a clingy man!

He did another walk around the workshop, ideas spinning through his head. For a moment, he
wondered if he could bring his engineer group here for their project so they weren’t limited to lab
hours, but a greedy part of him wanted to keep this place to himself. Besides, Lan Zhan would
probably not appreciate strangers going in and out of his apartment after his bedtime.

Speaking of—

“Would you like to watch a movie?” Lan Zhan’s ears were hot.

“It’s like nine, is that okay?”

Lan Zhan hummed and actually looked away, his eyes pulling from Wei Ying’s for the first time
in, well, ever. Redness creeping down his neck. He was… shy! “I… movies at home are a good
activity for couples, no?”

Wei Ying laughed, reaching over to tuck a lock of hair out of Lan Zhan’s face behind his ear. “We
can watch a movie if you like.”

Couples? He must really be lonely. It’s hard to find someone as graduate students and it left a stake
of loneliness in their busy lives. They were all just people trying to find a foothold before they fell
and unless someone was already right by their side it was hard to get this sort of attention. Wei
Ying understood.

“Sure,” he smiled.

They ended up watching a movie on Lan Zhan’s laptop propped on the glass coffee table, sitting at
either end of the pristine couch. Wei Ying was wrapped up in the throw blanket again and he could
feel his eyes drooping as the movie progressed. It was a romantic comedy, something he’d already
seen, with raunchy humor and a Hallmark ending. He was surprised when Lan Zhan picked it out,
expecting a documentary or historical film, but he simply stated that it sounded nice.

It was surprisingly adult in its humor despite its cute plotline, though perhaps Lan Zhan did not see
the R rating. There were humorous sex scenes that lasted far too long, which had Wei Ying
squeezing his eyes shut or look anywhere but at the screen. Lan Zhan was zeroed in on the whole
movie, uncomfortable scenes and all.

One moment did catch Wei Ying’s eye when a woman in one of the side couples decided to “spice
it up a bit”, her silk robe dropping to reveal a delicate lingerie set. Her partner licked his lips,
leaning back into the bed as she crawled up his body, her words low and seductive. The scene
dragged on as they made out, their moans loud and exaggerated as the music swelled.

Wei Ying was intrigued.

“How do you feel about lingerie?” he asked, hopefully nonchalantly. There was a warmth tickling
his core, a teasing touch of the simple possibility.

Lan Zhan hummed, his eyes ungluing from the screen to look at Wei Ying. “I would not mind
trying it if that’s what you’re asking.”

Wei Ying flushed. “I would be on board.”

A brief, hot flash of an image fluttered through Wei Ying’s mind. Him, draped in Lan Zhan’s knit
cardigan and sliding it down to his elbows to reveal a silky lace lingerie set— identical to the
woman’s in the movie because his imagination cannot muster anything past the heat— and
watching Lan Zhan lick his lips as he leaned back into his plush mattress, his cock hard and tenting
his pants—

He flushed the image away quickly, too tired to truly get himself worked up and content to file that
idea away for later. As a… thank you gift perhaps.

About halfway through the movie, he started to doze. Lan Zhan nudged him gently to get his
attention then shifted, stretched out his legs, and patted his lap. Ah. Wei Ying leaned over and
rested his head on his thighs and he could have probably gotten a little hard over the plush firmness
of his legs, knowing exactly what sat just shy of him, but he was surprisingly drowsy despite it
being hours before his usual bedtime. He was just so comfortable and couldn’t help but let his eyes
fall shut as a hand gently laid on his head and started stroking stray locks out of his face, scratching
his scalp and combing his hair smooth. He was content to fall asleep like this when Lan Zhan
suddenly stiffened under him then patted his knee gently.

Wei Ying stirred, confused. A couple of more taps and something hopped up onto the couch by his
face. Wei Ying tensed and cracked open his eye to see something white and fluffy crawling around
his head and nuzzled into his neck. A snow white bunny with button eyes and a pink nose sniffed
his face and neck, getting a feel of the stranger. Her long whiskers tickled his skin and he couldn’t
help but wrinkle his nose at the delicate touch.

“Jasmine?” he murmured.

“Mn. I let them out before the movie started. Coco is in the kitchen and Bean is by the window,”
Lan Zhan said softly, not wanting to disturb the movie.

Jasmine cuddled into his chest, settling down and blinking sleepily back at Wei Ying. He reached
up and let her sniff his fingers before delicately stroking the fur between her ears and down the soft
silk of her body. Her black eyes drooped shut under his ministrations and he felt himself sinking
into sleep with her.

In a daze, he doesn’t remember the end of the movie, but he felt the quiet that followed and Lan
Zhan gently picking him up and carrying him to bed. He’s too tired to move, his body weighed
down with sleep and allowed himself to be laid out in bed and tucked in. Almost immediately he
fell back to sleep as Lan Zhan was slipping into bed with him.

The first thing he was aware of the next morning were warm weights pressed to his body, followed
by the cool morning light that indicated the sun has yet to truly rise. He forced himself to crack an
eye open and lifted his blurry head trying to see what was on him. It took a second of rubbing the
cloudiness from his vision and trying to blink his eyes into focus to see what was happening.

Jasmine was curled up at his side and below her, half on his thigh, was a sleek black bunny.
Between his knees was a brown ball curled up, snoring lightly. Bean and Coco respectively had
joined their sister.
He dropped his head back into the pillow and went to doze off again, sleep coming slowly back
into his grasp. A few moments later, the door opened softly and Lan Zhan padded in, the smell of
sandalwood and butter clinging to his person.

“La’ Zhan…” Wei Ying drawled sleepily, cracking his eyes open again. Lan Zhan turned from the
dresser, the blue apron on again over his pajamas.

“Good morning, Wei Ying,” he said softly.

“Why’re your chil’ren on me?” he slurred, much too early for him to properly function.

“Jasmine threw a fit when I tried taking her away and her brothers were missing her. I brought
them all into the bed,” he explained, pulling clothes from his dresser. “They’ll be up soon for
breakfast.”

“’M a dan’erous sleeper,” Wei Ying argued weakly. “I throw ‘m arms around. Could’a hurt the
babies.”

“You must have been exhausted because you didn’t move. Don’t worry, they like sleeping in the
bed from time to time and are used to it.” He finished grabbing his clothes and moved toward the
bathroom. “I am leaving in thirty minutes for class. Would you like breakfast before I go?”

“Do I gotta go with you?” He moaned, his body slowly waking up.

“No. I can leave you a key and the alarm code.”

“Mn yes please. And breakfast.” He was spoiled, wasn’t he?

Lan Zhan changed into a simple white pocket shirt with a pale blue cardigan and grey slacks. He
threw the apron on and one at a time, pulled the bunnies where they were rousing sleepily from
Wei Ying’s side and took them back to their pen to feed them. He was cold after they were all
gone.

Ten minutes later, the smell of eggs and buttery toast stirred Wei Ying fully from his sleep and he
stumbled down the hall back to the kitchen where Lan Zhan was hovering over the stovetop,
spatula in hand and a firm eye on the food.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” he moaned, pressing himself into Lan Zhan’s back and nuzzling between
his shoulders. “It smells so good.”

“Mn. Go sit down, it will be ready soon.”

Wei Ying did not move, liking the feeling of his back muscles shifting under Wei Ying’s cheek.
He dutifully clung to his waist as Lan Zhan shuffled around the kitchen, plating his food and
bringing it to the island for Wei Ying. A cup of coffee was taken from the Keurig, caffeinated this
time, and placed next to his meal. Wei Ying unwrapped himself from Lan Zhan and slid into his
seat and slowly started eating with a murmured thanks.

Lan Zhan kissed him on his temple and placed a single key by his plate. “I will be off. See you
after class?”

With an incoherent response, Lan Zhan hung up his apron and left with one more kiss to Wei
Ying’s cheek, leaving him alone in the spacious apartment.
Chapter End Notes

i have uh. chapter 10 started and not gonna lie we're gonna drop into some drama soon.
thanks for reading! comments, kudos, and bookmarks are all greatly appreciated!
stop by and say hi on my social sometime!
twitter: mirai_eats
tumblr: tchaikovbee
art tumblr: mirai-eats

Links to the gifts!

Hermes Apple Watch
Tiffany Circle Earrings
Tiffant T-bar earrings
Tiffany Leather Bracelet
Rose Doc Martens
Tom Ford Moto Jacket
Dolce & Gabanna shirt
Gucci belt
 A Coffee Mug
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying can feel the pressure settling in.

Chapter Notes

For my birthday today y'all get a brand new update. It's longer than usual, nearly 7k,
but this was one of my fave chapters to write. Thank you Sarah for the beta!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jiang Cheng treated him to lunch on a Sunday. Wei Ying might have used this to flaunt all his new
material wealth and rub it in just how good it was to have a sugar daddy with taste. At this point, he
owned a couple of very expensive outfits, thanks to Lan Zhan. He had always been grouched at to
“dress nice” by Jiang Cheng when they went out somewhere nice, and by Wei Ying’s definition,
meant there were no holes in his jeans or a stain on his shirt. For once, he actually wanted to show
off just how good he was doing.

Perhaps, technically speaking, he wasn’t. He could play pretend for the moment, but Jiang Cheng
didn’t need to know that.

He showed up to the hotel restaurant in shiny Prada Chelsea boots, Dior Jeans, a silk Givenchy
floral shirt, and the Tom Ford moto jacket. Paired with the Tiffany earrings, Hermès Apple watch,
and Armani cologne, for the first time in six years, he felt he belonged in a high rise spot. Though,
Jiang Cheng was still paying with his fancy credit card and shot Wei Ying a hard look when he
ordered one of the pricier menu items and a wine tasting.

“I see you’re doing well,” Jiang Cheng began tersely. He swirled his wine around, a picture of pose
and utter luxury in the Michelin star set he took them to. “I take it you’re footing the bill?”

“Absolutely not,” Wei Ying said with a hearty swing of his wine. “Is this the Cabernet?”

Jiang Cheng grunted and turned the bottle to face Wei Ying. “Merlot.”

“Hm. I can never tell the difference.” He polished off the glass and poured himself another with the
offered wine bottle, filling it much higher than the glass’s customary width. Jiang Cheng threw
him a sharp look that read behave.

He lounged back and took another sip. It was much too dry for his preference, liking the sweeter,
light-bodied wines. Box wine is always good. He washed down the dry taste with a bite of bread
and butter, savoring the sweetness of them because he rarely got to eat free bread and butter this
good.

Jiang Cheng cleared his throat, his finger tracing the wide rim of his wine glass. “How are things?”
The words sounded forced, pulled between his teeth with a firm shove.
“They’re alright. Bit behind on the thesis project, but I’ll be catching up this weekend. Lan Zhan
built me an actual workshop, so I’ll be back to filming again to break in the new space.”

“Oh, did he now,” Jiang Cheng bit out.

There was a group of women a few years older than them, hard to tell with the size of their lip
injections of faux cheekbones, who were eyeing them from a couple of tables away. Wei Ying
tossed them a sly wink and a crooked smile, balancing his chin in his hands.

“And what is Lan Zhan doing?” Jiang Cheng continued cooly, outright ignoring the women
giggling to their left.

“His thesis. It’s pretty interesting, but there’s no way I could focus on such a topic for as long as he
is.”

Jiang Cheng cleared his throat and took a rude, loud sip of his wine. “Does mom know about your
little… arrangement?”

“Why would I tell her what’s happening in my life?”

“I don’t know if you know this,” Jiang Cheng snapped. “But despite having been cut off at
eighteen, you’re unfortunately still linked back to us. Anything you do will get traced to the
Jiangs.”

“Is this about the sex toy video? The one where I made toys out of things I could find in my
apartment? That was a surprisingly hard challenge, but it somehow worked-”

“No, you idiot it’s about-”

The server arrived just in the nick of time as steam was starting to rise from Jiang Cheng’s ears.
Their soup starters arrived, and Wei Ying, so used to eating in peaceful silence with Lan Zhan, was
momentarily offended when Jiang Cheng continued.

“You’re still one of us, whether you like it or not,” he said lowly. “Does Yanli know?”

“Of course. She was a little concerned at first but warmed up when I told her what we’d been
doing. Would you like to know?”

“No, no fucking thank you,” Jiang Cheng sneered. “Be… cautious is all I’m asking. You’re
making a name for yourself, and I don’t want you or Lan Zhan getting into trouble.”

“Or you,” Wei Ying pointed out sharply.

Jiang Cheng winced.

They finished their appetizers uneasily, the conversation terse between the next course. When that
arrived, Wei Ying used it as an excuse to turn the conversation first to their food (which was
excellent) and rolled it back to more positive topics to get Jiang Cheng’s mind off of whatever
negative train he was riding.

That is until he saw a familiar figure winding through the restaurant patio.

“Aiyo, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying waved, feeling the jalapeno sauce from his meat cut drip from his
mouth. He quickly wiped the back of his mouth and rose to his feet as Lan Zhan stopped and
turned to face him. “Late lunch with your brother?”
Lan Huan was with him, nodding to go ahead as he was taken to their table only a couple of spots
away from theirs. Lan Zhan picked his way over to Wei Ying and neatly nodded in
acknowledgment to Jiang Cheng. He was handsome under the filtered sunlight, practically glowing
in his long black linen coat, a white collarless shirt, and chinos. There was a peep of ankles
between the hemline and his stark white Converse that would have certainly made Lan Zhan red in
the face ten years ago. It was dressed down compared to the patrons in the restaurant, but each
thread oozed money, and it had Wei Ying practically preening over how wonderful he looked.

“Hello, Wei Ying, Jiang Cheng! It’s been a while.” Lan Huan, dressed sharply in a deep blue linen
blazer and fitted jeans, sidled over to their table with a warm smile.

Jiang Cheng nodded, jaw clenched tight and cheeks pink.

“Hey, hey, Big Brother Huan, why don’t you guys sit with us, eh? It’s been so long since we’ve
seen you, might as well catch up!”

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Lan Huan said and turned to Lan Zhan. There was a minute
conversation between the two, most likely telepathically, before Lan Huan continued. “We would
love it.”

That was a little creepy, but they’d always been like that. Wei Ying threw a look at Jiang Cheng
and raised his brows, looking between him and the two brothers, who had turned back to their
server to ask for the table next to them. Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows in a clear yeah, that is
weird.

The server pushed the tables together, and Lan Zhan took the seat next to Wei Ying, leaving the
one next to Jiang Cheng for Lan Huan. It was easy chatter with the elder of the two Lans, Lan
Huan being the friendly face of the two and easily kept a conversation rolling between all four of
them. Jiang Cheng looked anywhere but at Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, or really, he only kept his
head turned toward Lan Huan.

Lan Zhan was a pleasant warmth at Wei Ying’s side, and only once did he pull himself from the
conversation to murmur into Wei Ying’s ear, “You look fantastic.”

“Thank you,” Wei Ying said with a smile. He wanted to press a kiss to his cheek, but he doubted
anyone at the table, or the whole restaurant, would appreciate it.

Their food arrived as Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng were halfway through their dessert, and the
conversation ended for the time being as they ate. However, as soon as their plates were cleared
and the two Lans ordered dessert, Lan Huan dropped the ball.

“Singapore?!” Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng both yelped. There was a cut in the volume around them
as glares shot in their direction. Jiang Cheng at least remembered to give an apologetic wave
before turning back.

“Mn. A-Zhan and I will be heading over for a year after he graduates. We’re expanding the
business, and Uncle wants both of us to see it over personally.”

“Whoa, that’s incredible. Congratulations!” Wei Ying applauded.

Lan Zhan seemed to shrink into himself next to him, Jiang Cheng was gripping his wine glass in a
near shattering grip.

“We only found out yesterday,” Lan Huan said, his words directed to Jiang Cheng, sounding
almost like he was smoothing down his ruffled feathers.
“I’m sorry,” Lan Zhan said only to Wei Ying.

“What for?” He blinked back in confusion. For his company doing good?

Lan Zhan shook his head. “We can talk later.”

Jiang Cheng cleared his throat. Wei Ying jerked his gaze away from Lan Zhan’s pretty face to see
Jiang Cheng, pink rising in his cheeks and waving for a server to drop off the bill. Lan Huan was
looking at him in a way Wei Ying couldn’t quite read, perhaps solemn or a little dejected.

They left shortly after with polite handshakes and promises to meet again soon. Lan Zhan pulled
him into a quick hug when their brothers were turned away and whispered, “Can I see you
tomorrow?”

Wei Ying sucked in a sharp breath. He had already been planning to come visit the workshop
anyway, but this gave him another excuse.

“Only if you let me film,” he agreed. “Is five okay?”

“Mn. See you.”

Ah, he was late! Lunch took much longer than expected, but he doubted Nie Huaisang would
mind. He rushed to his house right after, and for the first time in years, he felt a little less out of
place at Nie Huaisang’s mansion solely because of how much money he wore.

The reason for his visit was much more than a simple hang out. Jiang Cheng would throw a fit if
Wei Ying tried to broach the subject. Wen Ning was wonderful, but he only learned what a dildo
was two years ago. Nie Huaisang was also the obvious answer to all of his more sexual
conversations.

“I do like the harnesses,” Wei Ying said, leaning close into Nie Huaisang’s space to peek at the
monitor. “It has a bondage feel, and I might be into that.” He really liked the look of the collar with
a strap running down the body and hooked to the top of the panty, garters, and crisscrossing straps
over the abdomen and thighs.

“Let’s get you a set, but however not-vanilla you firmly believe Lan Zhan is, the first time you
should really focus on showing off your assets in a pleasing yet romantic manner,” Nie Huaisang
explained firmly, clicking open a couple of the body harnesses in separate tabs.

“We’ve fucked a few times already and he does have some kink potential, but maybe the harness
will really get him going, you know?”

“Lace for now, BDSM gear later,” Nie Huaisang said with a note of finality.

“Garters at least, c’mon,” Wei Ying whined.

“Of course. You have great legs and a shapely ass and that’s an excellent way to show them off.”

Wei Ying fist pumped and leaned back into his deck chair. They were out in the expansive yard,
poolside in the full gazebo with plush chairs and large fan palms. Nie Huaisang had already been
out, soaking in the mid-spring sun in an attempt to get a summer tan going before summer started.
He’d slipped on a gauzy robe over his obscenely short swim trunks and only took off his huge
sunglasses and sunhat when they climbed into the shade.

Since then, they’ve spent the last hour browsing luxury lingerie sites on Nie Huaisang’s Macbook.
Someone came by and brought them cocktails and a cheese platter for snacks, which, despite just
finishing a delicious lunch with Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying couldn’t help but devour over half of it.

“A bodysuit would look very nice,” Nie Huaisang said as he popped a piece of salami into his
mouth. “It would accentuate your waistline.”

“Bro, you think I have a nice waist?” said Wei Ying in mock shyness, eating up the attention.

“Of course, dude, you’re so slender despite how much Taco Bell you eat.”

“It’s in my ass.”

“It’s in your ass,” Nie Huaisang agreed sagely. “Has he eaten you out yet? ‘Cause your ass is really
juicy.”

“No. Would he want to even though he’s vegetarian?”

Nie Huaisang shrugged and went back to scrolling much too fast.

“Oh, hey, wait, right there. What’s that.” Wei Ying pointed to the screen and Nie Huaisang
immediately opened the link.

It was a wide garter belt made of scalloped black lace that looked like rococo architecture with the
paneled windows and the neat floral details. It was elegant and simple, the matching thong modest
yet completely sheer.

“Bookmark it?”

“I— yeah, bookmark it.” His mouth was dry with the sudden images of him, spread out like a gift
on Lan Zhan’s plush bed, with his body clad in the delicate lace. Lan Zhan would devour him in a
feast, regardless of his vegetarian status. It made a bolt of heat shiver up his spine.

They browsed a while longer, bookmarking several others along the way of tons of different
variations and accessories. Nie Huaisang wasn’t going to let him leave with one singular set
regardless if Lan Zhan liked it or not because “it should be for you, dude, before Lan Zhan.” Wei
Ying didn’t think he would wear this outside of bed, but he humored him.

In the end, he bought the fancy garter belt and thong for a whopping hundred and seventy,
dropping another hundred on sheer stockings to match. On top of that, he bought a handful of
things per Nie Huaisang’s instance, one set being well over a thousand.

“Are you sure you want to pay?” Nie Huaisang asked with a furrow in his brow. “I don’t mind
buying a little something like this if it means getting you more sugar.”

“Nah. Lan Zhan gave me this.” He tugged out the black credit card, only used once before to buy a
really nice new pair of Nike’s. “This is for him mostly, so I don’t feel guilty using it.”

“You never feel guilty about using my money.” Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes.

Wei Ying gestured to the huge yard, so large there was a winding rose garden tucked out of sight
and an expansive guest house. Not to mention the multi-million dollar mansion to their right.

Nie Huaisang sighed and flipped open a fan and delicately batted it in front of his face, loose
strands of hair fluttering from the breeze. “I pay for our meals and drinks whenever we go out.
Plus, I offered to let you stay in the guest house rent-free for a while when you were kicked out.”
“And I adore you for that. But I will not let you buy me sexy underwear when I have the power to
right here.” Wei Ying waved the credit card under his nose as if Nie Huaisang didn’t own three of
these cards already.

“Fine, fine, if you insist.” He pushed the Macbook toward Wei Ying and leaned back in his chair
with a long sip of his long island iced tea. Wei Ying nervously checked the price, too many digits
for how little he was getting, and promised this was for his and Lan Zhan’s pleasure. Clicking
place order gave him an adrenaline rush akin to the first drop of a roller coaster.

“Done!” Wei Ying declared. Nie Huaisang clapped daintily, or tapped his fan against his sweaty
drink.

“Good,” he said. “Make sure to send me pics when you try them on.”

“My dick is gonna fall out of the thong, is that alright?”

“You could slap an emoji over it if you like, but I’ve seen your dick nearly as much as I’ve seen
my own.”

“Mn, true.” Wei Ying stretched back with an audible crack of his spine, leaning boneless against
the back of the chair, and looked unfocused toward the gazebo ceiling. He was admittedly nervous
about all this because it was only a passing conversation. They didn’t actually discuss exactly what
they wanted, but worst-case scenario Wei Ying could always return them.

Excitement bubbled over the weird bout of anxiety. A gateway opened up with their first (and
second, and third, and fourth) time that led him to play with ideas he’d only dreamed of trying out.
The list of kinks he’d talked in-depth with Nie Huaisang might finally be tested and, despite this
not being an actual romantic relation, he was hoping he could work through said list with Lan
Zhan.

It wasn’t a lot. Compared to Nie Huaisang, he was teased at being too vanilla. A little light
bondage, something pretty, and a couple of other things had him curious beyond the boundaries of
sex. He was thankful that it was with Lan Zhan he could test these waters.

More than anything, there was that domesticity Wei Ying craved. From all the sugar baby stories
he’s read, this seemed more akin to a romantic relationship and he didn’t wholly mind it. In fact, he
appreciated the opportunity for this pretend boyfriend gig, especially because of how good of an
actor Lan Zhan was.

“Hey,” Nie Huaisang prodded.

“Hm?” Wei Ying rolled his head over to look at Nie Huaisang.

“Are you okay with all this?”

Nie Huaisang was an idiot, but he wasn’t stupid.

He continued slowly, hesitantly, when Wei Ying didn’t speak up. “This isn’t something you’ve
ever seriously considered, right? Not to this extent, a sugar daddy, y’know? You want more than
that.”

“This is enough,” Wei Ying assured. “It’s hard to seriously put myself out there with how much
I’m doing. It was easy to fall into this with Lan Zhan to sate the loneliness. I didn’t ask for the
money; he did that all himself. It’s like a symbiotic relationship.”
“You want a family, a place to go home to, a partner to care for you and care for.”

“I’m only twenty-four. I’m not gonna worry about being single until I’m like, thirty,” Wei Ying
promised.

“Haha, just marry Lan Zhan,” Nie Huaisang grinned.

“Impossible! He’s a stick in the mud! Whoever marries him will have to be just as boring as he is!”
They’d surely be lucky, but they would have to put up with this silent rule at mealtimes and strict
schedules. Next to no one could deal with that!

He could deal with it, but their relationship was different. Like the next day, he was allowed into
Lan Zhan’s apartment to film a new video. He was told strictly to cut the noise by nine but was
welcomed to return whenever he needed to. He did have a key to his apartment.

With some videos, it took a few weeks to film the whole thing solely because there was so much
busywork to do off-camera. He kept his videos under twenty minutes, aiming closer to around ten
because he found it annoying when videos were pushing thirty minutes and mostly full of hot air.

Today was a simple introduction to what he was doing and getting blueprints to his next great,
stupid, absolutely useless invention that was made exclusively for a good laugh. It took several
takes to get the introduction right and there were going to be cuts in the final reel, but that was fine.

“Welcome back, everyone!” he greeted the soon to be million viewers. “Great for you to be here,
especially because we have a dumb idea I can’t wait to bring to life. I’ll keep it short because this
is really not that hard, but I have a feeling this is gonna be the next big thing.”

He did several spins on his work stool to try and capture a dramatic turn as he made his pitch, the
first was too slow, the second he nearly fell off, and with the third, he nailed it. “Are you tired of
your laptop dying on you because you didn’t notice the popup window telling you it has ten
percent left? Or you did notice, you just completely forgot about it the moment you exited out? I’m
going to make something to remedy that!

“Remember the toaster that screamed? We’re upgrading to laptops.” He (nicely) slammed his
laptop on the work table, mentally noting to add a shaky effect in the final reel, and declared. “I’m
going to make my laptop scream at me when it’s about to die.”

“Oh,” he checks his post-it note stuck under the camera. “You must be wondering, ‘hey, you’re not
in your bedroom or garage, what gives? I’m rich and finally have an actual workshop. Neat, huh?
Maybe I’ll do a tour, but for now, it’s all up to you what it looks like. Moving on!”

This particular project would only take a handful of hours to complete as it was mostly coding and
messing around with some parts because he needed to go the full mile and have his laptop shake on
top of it and somehow work over the speakers if muted, thus needing their own separate speakers
to operate. Of course, nothing ever works right the first try. He had to rewrite the coding multiple
times and print additional pieces in the 3D printer to try and connect everything properly.

“These are dangerous open wires hanging out of my laptop, but that’s fine. I have no consideration
for my own wellbeing. Now, a quick rundown of what this big fucking mess stuck to my laptop is
and I won’t get too technical, because based on my Twitter and Youtube comments, I’m sure
ninety percent of you guys don’t know or care about all the jargon. You just want to see my laptop
scream.”

At this moment, Lan Zhan slipped inside the room out of the corner of Wei Ying’s eye, cradling
two blue mugs. He had been given enthusiastic permission to join Wei Ying in the workshop
whenever he wanted, regardless if he was filming or not, as it could be edited out. It looked like
after a couple of hours of work, Lan Zhan finally took him up on the offer. He gently placed the
mug by Wei Ying’s elbow, only his arm cutting a bit into the frame.

“Coffee?” Wei Ying asked. He could certainly smell it. “Mmh, thanks!” He took a loud, slurping
sip, long enough to be uncomfortable for anyone, and heaved a pleasant sigh as he placed the hot
mug down just out of reach from his work.

“How loud will it scream?” Lan Zhan asked.

“I want it like, car alarm loud but that would break everything, so probably closer to my phone’s
max-volume alarm.”

“Can it come off?” He eyed the open wires warily, the big block of 3D printed plastic and metal
slapped to the back of his laptop.

“Probably. I do need this laptop for my thesis work.” He turned back to the camera and raised the
mess of his laptop. “This, folks, is worth roughly 80K of academia at work. I would advise not
going to college if you can avoid it.”

He was back on track to filming, but he could feel Lan Zhan’s pale eyes trained on him the whole
time from his seat across the workshop with a mug cradled in his hands. There were white rabbits
hopping along the base. Wei Ying realized his own matched.

Before nine, Lan Zhan left for bed and offered Wei Ying to stay the night again. He couldn’t
decline the kind offer, mainly because he still had a few more hours of work on this before he
could even think of turning in. It was only a little after midnight when he finally called it and
stumbled off to bed early, his back sore, ass numb, and eyes burning from being hunched over his
little project for so long.

Lan Zhan was asleep on his back to the far left of the bed, leaving plenty of space for Wei Ying to
crawl under the blankets without disturbing him. It was no use because just as Wei Ying was
getting settled to scroll through social media until he couldn’t keep his eyes open, the bedside light
flickered on. Wei Ying rolled over to see Lan Zhan sitting up, his eyes drowsy with sleep and the
back of his hair fluffed like a duck’s tail.

“It’s almost one,” Lan Zhan said thickly, scratchy from disuse.

“But I’m just about done,” Wei Ying promised. “Go to sleep. We have class tomorrow.”

“My class is canceled and I don’t have to be at the office until two for a meeting,” Lan Zhan said
slowly, sitting up straighter.

Wei Ying sat up and tucked his phone under the pillow. Something coiled in his stomach. “I don’t
mind skipping a class. My professor is lenient and posts all the lectures online.”

“You should not skip class.”

“How about tomorrow morning if I can still walk you can drive me to school?” Wei Ying
suggested as he leaned closer.

The dark look that crossed Lan Zhan’s eyes sent a shiver down Wei Ying’s spine.

“I feel bad.” He rolled to his side and traced little patterns on Lan Zhan’s bare arms. Goosebumps
rose on his skin. “I was here all night and couldn’t give you any attention.”

“You were working.” Lan Zhan sat rigidly, his ears pink.

“You can play with me now.”

That did it. Lan Zhan yanked Wei Ying back down on the bed and rolled on top to kiss the life out
of him. He was heavy, pressing down on his whole body with his heat. Wei Ying moaned into the
open-mouthed kiss, one he could only melt into as Lan Zhan took him apart with his tongue and
lips. Hands tugged at his pajamas, pulling them off with barely a moment for Wei Ying to gasp out,
“ Lan Zhan!”

In no time, Lan Zhan had already drenched his fingers with lube and set to working Wei Ying open
with a flurry, taking a moment to let Wei Ying get used to the stretch before he started fucking him
vigorously with one, two, three fingers. Wei Ying could only spread his legs and cry out, holding
the headboard to ground himself to the moment as Lan Zhan pushed him slowly to the edge.

“I love it when you fuck me with your fingers,” he gasped out, his voice the only thing louder than
the wet squelching of Lan Zhan’s fingers. He gripped Wei Ying’s thigh tighter as he continued.
“Your cock is the best, but your fingers are so, so good inside me. Is this the pregame show? Are
you- ah AH!- getting me excited for your dick? Fuck, I could come just like this, then you— you
can make me come again on your dick or however you like.”

A fourth finger wiggled in past the three and Wei Ying sucked in a sharp breath. Lan Zhan’s thumb
traced his perineum as Wei Ying heaved around the extra digit, letting his hole relax before he
started fucking him again, his thumb pressing hard into his skin, Wei Ying’s cock red and hot
against his naval. He could come untouched if Lan Zhan kept this up.

A low growl reverberated through Lan Zhan’s chest, almost lost under Wei Ying’s outrageously
loud moans and the slick sound of his fingers.

“Harder, gah harder!” Wei Ying cried, back arching as his skin vibrated with pleasure, heat coiling
into a near painful knot in his core. Lan Zhan adjusted his fingers, wiggling around a bit until it hit
Wei Ying right there. He jerked and yelped, stars shooting up his spine and legs kicked out from
the sudden jolt of pure pleasure.

Lan Zhan’s lips parted and perhaps there were the remnants of a wicked grin to the corners. Wei
Ying couldn’t tell because, in that second, Lan Zhan threw his whole arm into fucking Wei Ying
within an inch of his life in that one spot, his thumb driving into his perineum and essentially
assaulting Wei Ying’s whole prostate.

“Make me come like this, I want to come!” Wei Ying cried out, voice high and torn.

“Then come.”

Wei Ying fell over the edge with a hard jerk; his whole body convulsed as fire skated down his
nerves and flooded his body with heat, an eruption of pulsing pleasure. He came so hard his vision
whited out for a second, a near inhuman noise torn from his chest.

It took a moment for his body to mellow down, his legs twitching as his blood rolled back from his
crest. Lan Zhan had crawled up to sit by his head, still clad in his pajama pants and sporting a tent
in the front. He stroked back Wei Ying’s hair, wiping a stray bit of drool from his cheek, and
pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Give me a little bit,” Wei Ying gasped. “Then you can fuck me good.”
“Only if you want,” Lan Zhan said, shifting to hold his hard-on away from Wei Ying’s body.

“No, I want you in my ass tonight.”

Lan Zhan pushed himself off the bed and power walked to the bathroom. Wei Ying sat up and
crawled to the edge of the bed to peek into the bathroom after him, confused as to where he got the
energy. A moment later, Lan Zhan came out with a damp washcloth and wiped away the drying
cum from Wei Ying’s belly. He dropped the washcloth atop the bench at the foot of his bed,
uncaring if the water soaking into the upholstery, and stood there almost awkwardly, staring down
Wei Ying.

Wei Ying laughed. “You were so sure of yourself just now! What’s with the sudden shyness?”

An idea struck, memories of earlier, more intimate, conversations flooded to the forefront of his
mind. He crawled up the bed, making sure to wiggle his ass as he went, and moaned, “Ooh, Mr.
Lan Zhan, you wouldn’t dare defile poor, innocent A-Ying?” He tilted his head around and
fluttered his lashes, arching his back to really show off his ass. Lan Zhan’s nostrils flared as he
propped a knee onto the mattress, leaning in close. “My poor hole couldn’t take a cock like that.
It’s much too big!”

He dropped to his elbows and propped his ass up high, legs spread to show off his limp cock and
his lube-slicked thighs. “See? Look how tight it is.” He reached behind him and pulled his cheek
further apart, showing off his fluttering and wet hole.

The bed shifted as Lan Zhan put more of his weight on it, leaning closer. Wei Ying gulped and
circled his rim with a sumptuous finger.

“If you really have to take me, it should be like this.” He plunged his whole middle finger all the
way in and moaned loudly, echoing off the walls.

He could almost hear the audible snap of whatever resolve Lan Zhan had to watch the show. There
was no warning as Lan Zhan grabbed Wei Ying’s hips and dragged him down the bed into his lap,
Wei Ying’s finger yanked from his hole. He yelped as Lan Zhan pulled his ass up higher, pulled
his cheeks apart, and licked over his lubed entrance. First, it was tentative kitten licks, then it was
heavy, wet drags of his tongue that roamed from his perineum to the top of his crack. Teeth and
sharp kisses bit into his cheeks; strong hands dug into the meat of his sides that would definitely
bruise later, hot breath traced his sensitive skin pulling shudders up Wei Ying’s spine.

His cock was slowly filling out again with the wet attention, his thighs quivering. Lan Zhan’s
tongue delved into his hole, licking in deep and using his thumbs to pull his entrance wider as he
fucked his tongue over his slick walls. The sound was obscene, even dirtier than when Lan Zhan
finger-fucked him. Wei Yig cried out, arms shaking as whatever strength he’d gained back was
starting to wane.

As soon as it started it was over, as Lan Zhan pulled out with the most obscenely wet sound. He
grabbed Wei Ying’s waist and pushed him back up the bed. If Wei Ying wasn’t weak in the knees
from all the attention, he surely was now with how easily he was manhandled into whatever
position Lan Zhan wanted. He was forced to his hands and knees properly, his head hung low as he
gasped for whatever breath he could muster, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Lan Zhan draped
himself over Wei Ying, his hard cock pressed into his ass. Kisses, tender marks, and sweet nibbles
were laid on Wei Ying’s bare nape and shoulders, down his back, traced upward to his ear.

“I can’t take that massive cock of yours, I’ll die,” he gasped, trying his best to hold back a grin.
A huff of laughter blew against Wei Ying’s skin. “You will.”

Wei Ying wiggled under him, Lan Zhan’s cock dragging against his ass and smearing precum and
lube over his already sensitive skin. Shivers ran up his spine as he feigned for control. Lan Zhan
rolled his hips slowly as he pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses to his throat, his teeth scraping a
warning into his throat.

He suddenly sat up with a growl, leaving a rush of cold air to wash over Wei Ying.

“Condom,” Lan Zhan said with a note of frustration.

“Hey.” Wei Ying grabbed his arm and tugged him back. “I’m clean. Like, clean clean . If you
don’t mind, go ahead and fuck me without one.”

Lan Zhan didn’t move for a moment, his lips tight and eyes still dark with arousal, until finally he
slowly crawled back to kneel behind Wei Ying. He rubbed lube over his dangerously hard cock
then pressed a kiss to the small of Wei Ying’s back. With firm hands, he lined his cock up to his
entrance and slowly pressed in.

“You can come inside me, too,” Wei Ying said hoarsely, his throat suddenly tight. The first press
of his dick felt fantastic, hotter than before. He could feel his very shape pressing into his walls and
Wei Ying couldn’t help but moan unashamedly into the open air.

“Oh fuck that feels good ,” he gasped. He couldn’t help but arch his back, squeezing around the
member as heat laced his blood and arousal chased down his nerves. His core was on fire as Lan
Zhan shallowly thrust into him, each inward press deeper than the last. Once fully seated, Lan
Zhan draped himself over Wei Ying again, his hips minutely rolling as Wei Ying breathed to try
and regain his equilibrium again. God, he felt so full.

Light kisses were pressed into his neck, his shoulder, the back of his ear. His cock was hard again
just from the slow penetration and light teasing. He wanted to come again, but Lan Zhan wasn’t
moving, simply pressing wet kisses into his skin and holding his cock deep inside Wei Ying.

A little fed up with the lack of action, Wei Ying rolled his hips, trying to fuck himself on his cock.
Lan Zhan stopped him by grabbing his hips in a bruising grip and murmured into his ear, “Let
me.”

He drew back slowly, achingly slow, and pushed back in, setting a long, dragging rhythm that had
Wei Ying gasping from the tortuously good pace. His whole body rolled with the deep thrusts, his
back arching into his cock and arms quivering from the strain. Finally, he let himself rest on his
elbow, pushing his ass up higher in the air and bringing a whole new wave of pleasure from the
angle. His cock jerked, his tip wet with precum, his eyes rolled back as he moaned louder.

“More, fuck me harder,” he demanded, his voice shaking like a leaf. “Faster, Lan Zhan.”

“No.”

He choked on a frustrated cry, the slow, deep thrusts that pushed Lan Zhan’s whole cock to the
very base and pulled out to the tip made him feel every inch, every drawn out pleasure. His thighs
were burning, shaking under Lan Zhan’s grip, but he could only clench down on the hot member as
sparks danced over his skin, his calves and feet aching from how much tension was building in his
core. Heat was piling up in a maddeningly slow pace, a steady boil that tugged Wei Ying closer,
closer.

Lan Zhan leaned back and placed a steady hand between his shoulder blades to completely push
Wei Ying into the mattress. His thrusts turned into sharp snaps of his hips, still far too slow, but
the shock of pleasure that came with each thrust has Wei Ying babbling into the bedding, drool
wetting the sheets and his cheek. He was being pushed higher, an elevator climbing up, but he
couldn’t stop once he eventually fell from the steady height.

“You feel so good in me,” he cried out, muffled by the plush bedding, long strands of his hair
sticking to his damp face. “‘M close, I’m getting close. I want to come so badly on your cock.”

He wiggled an arm out and reached for his painfully hard cock, the first touch sent an electric
shock sent straight to the tips of his fingers and toes. His whole body tensed as he started stripping
his cock hard and fast, nearly three times the speed of what Lan Zhan was fucking him with. Lan
Zhan breathlessly moaned, a low, shy sound that went straight to Wei Ying’s dick. He jerked
himself off faster, rolling his hips back into Lan Zhan as he was chased toward the peak.

Lan Zhan released his back but pressed his body back into Wei Ying, using a clammy hand to
brush his hair aside to suck hard into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Teeth and tongue
swiped over his skin as his hips moved faster, fucking Wei Ying harder at a staggering pace.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Wei Ying moaned out. His whole body was shaking, his legs burning as he
reached the brink of his climax. “I’m— I—”

That was as far as he got as Lan Zhan bit him hard as he came. His vision whited out for a moment
as his whole body shook, his hips only staying upright from Lan Zhan’s grip. With his body
buzzing from the tail ends of his orgasm, he could only clench around Lan Zhan’s cock and push
back to pull him down with him.

A moment later, Lan Zhan jerked back and came across his back and ass with a gasp of a moan.
Wei Ying collapsed on his side, his limbs like jelly and blood rushing through his whole body. His
skin was tingling pleasantly, his body sinking into the bed heavily. Lan Zhan laid down in front of
him and held his hand, his ears and neck flushed red and lips moist. He pressed a kiss onto Wei
Ying’s hand.

He didn’t stay for long because he forced himself out of bed and to bring out a new washcloth to
wipe Wei Ying down. Wei Ying yelped, suddenly wide awake, when Lan Zhan suddenly scooped
Wei Ying up easily and deposited him on the bedroom bench gently then passed him a pair of
pajamas to change into— pale blue silk that felt like freshwater sliding over his skin. Meanwhile,
Lan Zhan was still naked as he set to work with removing the stained sheets, murmuring, “We
should have laid out a towel. I did not think of that.”

Wei Ying snorted. “Maybe I should have worn the condom instead.” He certainly couldn’t go
another round, but Lan Zhan just had a really nice body that made his pulse jump, all pale skin
with shifting muscles, sharp, hard planes.

“Mn. Maybe.” The dark, hungry look flashed across Lan Zhan’s face for only a second and Wei
Ying somehow knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Go to bed,” he said when the bed was finished. He pulled Wei Ying back up into the fresh
bedding and pecked a kiss to his forehead. He stepped away for a moment to change into his
pajamas then slid into bed.

“Can we do this again tomorrow?” Wei Ying murmured as Lan Zhan shut off the lamp. His body
was so heavy with exhaustion that his mind was already drifting away, but he liked the idea of
another round in the hazy morning light.
 “Mn. Goodnight.”

A yes it was, Wei Ying thought blurrily as he sank deeply into sleep, a warm hand curled around
his own.

Chapter End Notes

thank you all for the wonderful comments and kudos it really makes me happy! you
guys are so fantastic and i love writing this for yall!
come say hello to me on my social some time ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ
twitter: mirai_eats
tumblr: tchaikovbee
art tumblr: mirai-eats

Links to his look!

Givenchy Shirt
Prada Chelsea Boots
Dior Jeans
 A Bow
Chapter Summary

Lan Zhan deserves a little treat.

Chapter Notes

Huge thanks to Sarah and Krista for looking over this yall are a huge help!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The bite mark Lan Zhan had left hurt. He apologized deeply and did his best to make it up to Wei
Ying despite having already easily been forgiven (because it was kind of hot anyway), but Lan
Zhan was relentless. He got Wei Ying a new phone to replace his old one (three years overdue for
an upgrade) along with all the accessories, including a neat charging pad that lit up when the phone
was placed on top and a car holder. It wasn’t necessary for him to go that far— dinner would have
been more than enough.

The only downside of it all was that the next few days were hot. Like, the midst of late summer
heat that usually left LA reeling. It hurt just going outside, especially because his body hadn’t
properly adjusted to the sudden blazing sun. It was barely spring, what gave it a right to hurt like
this?!

Thus forcing him to bear the blunt-toothed mark for all the world to see because anything more
than a thin shirt and shorts made his body swell with heat. No collar, scarf, or even his hair could
cover it up.

“He didn’t break the skin, so that’s good,” Wen Qing said as she examined the mark the next
morning. “There’s some nasty bruising, but otherwise a little ice and maybe ibuprofen should do
the trick.”

Wei Ying shrugged. The area was tender but certainly wouldn’t hinder him.

“Wei Ying,” Wen Ning called from the kitchen. “Have you checked the comments on your video
yet?”

“No, but I’ve been getting a ton of notifications all day from Twitter. I’m afraid to check because
my hopes are too high.”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on them today just in case, but it’s overwhelmingly a positive response,”
Wen Ning said, coming around the kitchen counter and into the tiny living room.

“Uh, I’ll check later.”

Later ended up being sooner when his new phone kept lighting up with notifications as he tried
watching a movie on it. Fed up, he opened up Twitter to see it was long pages of people tagging
him, all ringing with the same question.

yanyan
@dianxiasimp69
WHO IS THAT?

get a brain morans

@beidouimmortal
That hot stud bringing you coffee and having a cute lil conversation w/ u bro who is it

Shizun stop running

@shizunshairyballs666
I only saw an arm but I’m in love

Strawberries @ p4p
@hanguangjunslesbians
WEI YING WE NEED ANSWER WHO’S THE BABE?

Ayami’s staremeber
@bingmeisbigboobs
The people are asking- who’s hotter, that coffee or the arm that brought it?

Wei Ying grimaced. He knew this was coming, especially when he’d asked Lan Zhan if he was
allowed to post the footage Lan Zhan showed up on and was given a wholehearted “mn”. It was
only his arm and the low timbre of his voice, out of proper range of the microphone, which forced
Wei Ying to subtitle it, but people were going nuts over it. There were plenty of comments, clips,
and screenshots of the video itself, but there was a high volume of people asking for who the arm
belonged to. Lan Zhan had said he would like to remain anonymous and Wei Ying was not going
to break his trust. He gave the commenters a noncommittal answer that would get them off his
back but in no way sate their curiosity.

YilingRobotics
@WeiYiing
Haha he’s a friend

The Youtube comments were no better. There was nothing he could do about it but maybe include
Lan Zhan’s arm in a future video just to tease them. Amazing how simply the sound of his voice
and the smooth offering of coffee has brought his little corner of the internet to their knees. Good,
because he felt the exact same way.

Speaking of bringing people to their knees, a certain package arrived for him halfway into the
week. It was the first set of the several lingerie pieces he bought, and the one he looked forward to
showing Lan Zhan most. The intricate lace of the cinched belt, the simplicity of the thong, and the
temptation of the sheer stockings left even Wei Ying blushing a bit, and this was by far one of the
less extreme sets he purchased. He couldn’t help himself but try them on in the bathroom and stand
on his tippy toes to get a really good look in the small mirror of how his body looked in the lace.
Nie Huaisang was right about his waist. It looked so slender and delicate wrapped in the wide lace
garter, the straps hiking up the sheer stockings made his legs look long and the sliver of thigh and
bare hip looked like a pleasant treat. He turned and dared to peek at his ass, round and certainly
defined by the thin straps framing his cheeks. His face grew hot at the thought of Lan Zhan
melting at the sight of him in this, tracing the lace with a delicate finger, biting his peek-a-boos of
skin—

He put it away before he did something rash like jack off in it. This was a treat for Lan Zhan, and
despite how sexy he found himself in it, there was no way he was going to spoil this. Instead, after
changing back into his lounge clothes, he climbed into his flattened mattress and texted Lan Zhan
if he wanted a date on Friday night and a quote-unquote, “sleepover” with a winky face for
emphasis.

A quick yes and the question of what he wanted to do followed, but Wei Ying wouldn’t let him
play like that.

Wei Ying 5:22pm

It’s your night, bb ;) we can do whatever you want and I will be very happy just to be with you.

There was an agreement and an hour later, Lan Zhan texted him back with the name of a restaurant,
a time, and a dress code with a promise to not worry because he’ll handle everything despite Wei
Ying’s objections, the clearly written “it’s your night” going unheard.

By handling, he meant sending someone to his apartment early Friday morning for a suit fitting.
He didn’t know how much he could convey with his face what was happening when Wen Ning
came home from his early morning shift to see Wei Ying, half-dressed in a designer suit and
mounted on a stool with three tailors pulling and pinning his clothes while prodding him with
questions. Colors, fabric, cut, fall— it was all meaningless to Wei Ying. An iPad was placed in his
hands and he was asked to pick out shoes among the selection, dumping more questions on top of
that like “would you like perforated trimmings?”, “Rounded or pointed?”, “Brushed or polished?”,
“Oxford or loafer?”. None of the questions made sense.

An hour before he had to leave for the restaurant, the suit was dropped off by the same suited man
who always delivers Wei Ying’s gifts. It’s been quite a while since Wei Ying wore a suit, perhaps
the last time was some prestigious dinner in early high school, before Madame Yu started throwing
a fit whenever Wei Ying was invited to any family function. It felt odd sliding on the tailored
jacket and slim-cut pants that fit his hips and hugged his legs just right. The shirt was smooth
against his skin, the shoes hard on his heels— it would take a little walking to get used to. Under
the suit, he wore the lace garter and thong with a vague plan to ask Lan Zhan to meet him in the
bedroom then lay himself out on the bed for Lan Zhan to walk in on.

It made him squirm just thinking about it. On the downside, he had only taken a couple of steps
and already he could feel the strap riding up his cheeks and the suspenders chafing his thighs. On
the drive over he kept wiggling in his seat, all too aware of the lace stretching across his skin. It’d
been a few days and the mark on his neck was covered for the first time by the high collar of his
dress shirt. Thankfully it was no longer tender, reduced to a blotchy bruise yellowing at the edges.

The restaurant was at a high rise hotel deep in the heart of the city, a spectacle of golden light and
sophisticated riches that left Wei Ying both tense yet nostalgic. It left a bitter taste on his tongue,
more so than the last time they went out to Beverly Hills luxury, because this time he was dressed
to fit the money.

Some days he really did miss being under the Jiangs, but Madame Yu’s ringing voice and Uncle’s
distant affections made him grateful for how far he’s climbed to get out of that hole.
He wiped away the bitter note to his thoughts and took a deep breath as he stepped through the
chrome doors into the modestly lit restaurant, the hard click of his Armani shoes certainly a boost
to his confidence. He gave Lan Zhan’s name and was directed through the minimalist dining room,
around the bar with a large wine rack wall backlit in hazy golden light, and into a partitioned area
of a private dining room. Lan Zhan sat waiting in a grey suit with a silky navy tie, his fingers laced
atop the table and staring out the wide window taking over one wall, hidden behind a gauzy curtain
that barely let the nighttime glow of the city peek through. He rose with a soft greeting when Wei
Ying stepped in and moved around the table to pull out the other chair before Wei Ying could
reach it.

“Thank you, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said enthusiastically as he took his seat, the weird mood he had
fallen into slipped off his shoulders with just the first glimpse of this man. “You look sharp all
dressed up. Very handsome.”

La Zhan lips parted in sudden shyness, his ears turning peach pink at the tips. The pale grey looked
really good with his complexion, his hair was parted neatly and sleeker than usual, a hint of
something sharp lingering on his skin.

“I wanted to dress up for you tonight because you said it’s all for me,” Lan Zhan said, his ears
flushing darker.

Oh boy, Wei Ying thought, then there’s certainly a surprise for him tonight.

The server appeared with Wei Ying’s water and their amuse-bouche served mounted on wire
stands and presented in savory cones like what might’ve been a crispy crepe filled with sweet
potatoes and buttery feta cheese. He was poured a glass of wine then told the location, year, taste,
and specific notes. The server left with a bow, leaving barely a mouthful for Wei Ying to taste the
pale wine. He looked over at Lan Zhan incredulously.

“If you don’t mind, I went ahead and ordered the seven-course meal with a wine pairing for
yours.” Lan Zhan raised his little cup of tea in a cheers motion and took a delicate sip.

The food was delicious, mouthwateringly delectable with every little bite. The portion was tiny, but
the taste made him slow down his eating to really feel all the textures on his tongue with the paired
wine bringing the flavors to life. Wei Ying ordered his next courses and melted further into content
with the rich and sweet scallop and octopus Crudo with a sharp bite of ginger, the little truffle
risotto soaked in champagne, the colorfully hearty salad with red beets and creamy cheese, and the
delectable Wagyu beef to round off the savory courses. All the portions were each a work of art in
their own right, and for a moment, he could completely relish in the sophisticated luxury as he
moaned around every bite.

There were two desserts, one a beautiful display with fruity chocolates and warm flavors, then
finished with after-dinner coffee, little bite-sized fruit tarts, and crisp macarons. He sighed
contently into his coffee, eyes starting to droop with his full belly and satisfied taste buds. There
was a pleasant buzz over his skin and a pleasant warmth in his chest from all the wines, nowhere
near tipsy but he could certainly feel the heady heat of alcohol brushing his skin. Lan Zhan was on
a fresh pot of tea, warmer in color than the first pot, as he took a dainty bite of his fruit tart. The
bitten blackberry dyed the corner of his lips a deep purple, a pink tongue poked out to swipe away
the sweet juice. Wei Ying was suddenly feeling a new type of hunger.

His thong has ridden so far up his ass it was gone, never to be seen again. The lace was silky
smooth, light on his skin, but his dick had no support and he could feel every inch of the delicate
patterns encasing his skin. He didn’t feel sexy right now, not with coffee breath and all the lace
shifting to where it’s not supposed to go.
“You really went all out,” Wei Ying noted, taking the final sip of his coffee.

“Tonight is for me and I wanted it to be special for Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan agreed.

“How is it for you when I’m the one being treated?”

“I like treating you. You gave me permission to do as I please and I did.”

It made Wei Ying wonder how much luxury he would be bathing in if he truly let Lan Zhan
shower him in anything he wanted and more all the time.

“Then let me treat you tonight,” Wei Ying purred, leaning forward to trace the rim of Lan Zhan’s
empty teacup, his eyes hooded in what he hoped was a demure look.

“Okay.” Lan Zhan leaned back into his chair with a sigh, a flicker of mirth in his eyes. “You may
treat me.”

Wei Ying perked up and grinned. A moment later, the check arrived and was placed in the middle
of the table. Without looking at the high triple-digit price, he slapped the black credit card on the
tray with a thank-you to the server.

“Now it’s my treat,” Wei Ying laughed.

A smile tugged the corner of Lan Zhan’s lips. “Mn. Is there more?”

“Aren’t you selfish?” Wei Ying said cheekily, tilting his jaw up just to stare down at Lan Zhan
through his lashes. He walked his fingers across the table to slide up Lan Zhan’s hands, traced each
knuckle, and then circled the back of it gently. “I was hoping we could go back to your place and
we can do a little of this and that.”

Lan Zhan’s jaw clenched. He turned his hand palm up and gripped Wei Ying’s fingers, pulling him
into a proper handhold. “I would love to.”

“Do you like my suit, Lan Zhan? Did you pick it out for me?” It was Armani, slim cut and inky
black. He refused the tie and had the top buttons of his white silk shirt popped open. The corners of
the bruising bite peeked out shyly.

“Mn. I knew you would look good in it.”

Wei Ying leaned in closer, his heart rushing heat to his core. “I can’t wait to take it off for you.”

Lan Zhan went rigid, his eyes darkened with lust. In that second the server returned with his card
and a farewell for the evening. Once the casual pleasantries were aside, Lan Zhan rose to his feet
so quickly his chair scraped across the marble floor.

“A driver will take your car to my apartment,” Lan Zhan said. “Come with me.”

Wei Ying laughed as he was guided through the spacious restaurant and into the marble lobby. His
hand barely traced Wei Ying’s back, a delicate touch just above his butt that was meant more to
guide him than control him, a spot of tingling heat he could feel through the wool of his coat down
past the dainty lace. They stepped out onto the front patio to the valet and as Lan Zhan paid, Wei
Ying left a note with the valet that someone will be by to pick up his car later.

Just as the valet left to bring the car around, Lan Zhan wrapped his hands around Wei Ying’s waist
completely and pulled him close. The night still had a touch of heat embedded in the asphalt, a
false summer lingering in the evening air, imprinted on the sleek black roads. It brought a humid
sweat just under his collar.

A prickly feeling arose on the back of his neck. He chose to ignore it, his whole body tingling with
the sudden evening heat and the hungry promise still tracing his skin as Lan Zhan’s Tesla was
brought up to the curb smoothly and the doors opened for them. The prickly feeling sharpened and
Wei Ying couldn’t help but survey the sidewalk as he got in, but there was no one out there but the
three valets.

The drive to Lan Zhan’s apartment went by fast yet too slow. There was very little traffic to slow
them down, yet even a hand running up and down Lan Zhan’s thigh could not curb the growing
hunger festering in his core, despite the extravagant dinner they just had. No traffic laws were
broken, but Wei Ying was sure he was going exactly ten miles above the speed limit.

Lan Zhan was ravenous as they stumbled into his pitch dark apartment. Wei Ying was practically
thrown against the door as it shut and pressed into the hard wood as Lan Zhan kissed him deeply,
headily. It sucked out the strength from Wei Ying’s limbs and he could only hopelessly melt into
his hands. The kiss deepened, wet and slick with their tongues and hot breaths. He arched into Lan
Zhan, his whole body burning against Wei Ying and it only made the flame in his core burn
wilder.

There was a hardness pressed into his hip, thrust harder against his body as they rolled their
arousals together slowly, savoring the feeling like it was the first dish of their seven-course meal.
Lan Zhan gasped lightly as Wei Ying pressed open mouth kisses to his jaw, kissing down his throat
to the pressed white collar of his dress shirt. A hand slid up Wei Ying’s front, unbuttoning his
dress shirt.

“Wait,” Wei Ying gasped. Lan Zhan stopped and pulled back, only far enough to see Wei Ying’s
face. His lips were kiss-swollen and slick, tempting Wei Ying to take a bite. “Meet me in the
bedroom in five?”

Lan Zhan nodded very enthusiastically and stepped back enough for Wei Ying to move past him
and to Lan Zhan’s bedroom door at the end of the hall. He looked back and winked over the
shoulder. “Five minutes,” he reminded and entered, shutting the door behind him.

With no time to lose and nerves wracking his whole body, Wei Ying stripped out of his suit,
throwing it into a haphazard pile on the floor of Lan Zhan’s walk-in closet, out of sight. He stood in
front of the full-length mirror and adjusted the garter and thong, having to dig the string out from
deep within his ass and snap it back into place. There was no hope for his dick. The panties were
made for vaginas and his poor balls hung on either side of the triangle of sheer lace. It took him a
moment to arrange his dick and settled for letting it poke out from the top. Kissable, he thought. He
tugged at the thin stockings, pulling them up and untwisting them from around his calves and made
sure everything was in order before getting wrecked once more, then laid himself out on Lan
Zhan’s plush bed.

It took him a moment to find the most optimally sexy position and decided on laying on his side
diagonally, propped up on the pillows yet angled to the door for Lan Zhan to see him stretched out
for him to do as he pleased. As he got comfortable, he remembered this was a mostly dark room
and quickly rolled over to turn on a lamp, then rolled back and rearranged himself, tucking his hair
behind an ear to reveal a single Tiffany diamond stud and the fading bruise of Lan Zhan’s teeth.

Right as he got settled, there was a soft knock. Wei Ying called for him to come in and the door
clicked open. Lan Zhan stepped into the warmly lit room and froze. Wei Ying must certainly be a
sight with his waist looking so slender and delicate in the artistic lace, the peek of thighs simply
kissable, his legs long and slender, and his dick hanging out there. Lan Zhan had removed his tie
and undone the top few buttons, his hair mused at the back from their mini make-out session. His
eyes were huge and dark, his ears flushed red as he stepped closer.

“I thought you wanted me,” Lan Zhan said a little breathlessly, stopping at the bottom corner of the
bed.

“I do want you.” Wei Ying sat up onto his knees, crawling slowly over to really give Lan Zhan a
look at everything.

Lan Zhan shook his head. “You said you would like to try this.”

“Mn I did.”

He bit his lip in contemplation then unbuttoned his suit jacket and— oh?

His dress shirt didn’t lay smoothly over his abdomen. He quickly unbuttoned and threw off the
shirt as if ripping off a bandaid and oh that’s—

An ivory chiffon babydoll trailed with delicate lace, the sheer fabric swinging loose and falling
over his slender waist like a silk waterfall, the floral edges wrinkled from being tucked inside his
pants. Lan Zhan quickly shucked off his slacks to reveal a tiny pair of matching panties, lacy and
sheer and his cock already hard, poking out of the waistband. The willowy body of the lace curtain
floated halfway down his thighs, fluttering with the slightest movement and parted in the middle to
give a peek of his marble skin, softer than even the finest silk.

Wei Ying was breathless because this beautiful, intelligent, kind man was an absolute angel. He
crawled over the bed, unable to take his eyes off of Lan Zhan’s whispering white body, a
benevolent spirit, an angelic incubus.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan asked, his voice pale. Wei Ying’s mouth was too dry to answer properly. “I
made a mistake. I am sorry.”

“No,” Wei Ying growled and reached out to the pale beauty. The chiffon was so smooth, it slipped
from his hands like water. He pressed his hands into Lan Zhan’s abdomen and traced upward to his
pecks, encased in a lace bralette that did nothing for his chest. The only spot of color was a tiny
blue bow with a silver charm shaped like a bunny snuggled between his pecs. Wei Ying leaned in
helplessly and placed a hot kiss to his chest, just above the sweet little bow. “I would be so mad if
you took this off. You look beautiful, stunning, radiant, heavenly. I need my phone to look up
every beautiful word.”

Lan Zhan’s breath hitched as Wei Ying kissed down, down, parting the sheer curtains to reveal his
muscular front, traced every divot with his tongue and every mound with his lips. The deep V of
his hips was one of his favorite spots of Lan Zhan’s and it was all wrapped pretty just for Wei
Ying.

He licked down the V and tugged the useless panties aside to let Lan Zhan’s dick spring free, hot
and hard and aching to be touched. Wei Ying looked up from where he knelt on the bed, his whole
body arched toward the cock next to his lips. Lan Zhan nodded and tangled his fingers into Wei
Ying’s black locks.

His cock was heavy on his tongue, musky and rich with Lan Zhan’s arousal. He licked the head
and held the base with one hand as he pressed his other hand into his hip as support, looping his
thumb through the thin waistband.

Lan Zhan hummed, content, above him as Wei Ying took the head into his mouth and sucked
gently. He bobbed his head up and down the hard length, pressing his tongue into the sensitive
veins and dragging it over his glands to make Lan Zhan shudder under his mouth. He took him
down slowly, bobbing his head up and down until he could take him to the root, the head pressed
hard into his throat and his mouth stretched almost painfully around the base.

He released his cock and held both his hips with his hands, pulling back enough to smile around
the head then dropped his jaw completely, relaxed and wide for him to take.

“Are you sure?” Lan Zhan breathed. Wei Ying hummed positively.

Lan Zhan tangled both hands into his hair and slowly pressed his cock into his waiting mouth. He
set an even pace, fucking into him without pressing in all the way. Lan Zhan was making these
little grunts of pleasure above the wet sound of him fucking his face, the chiffon curtain swished in
the most tantalizing way around his body, brushing against Wei Ying’s cheeks. His pace grew
faster, harder, pulling and pushing Wei Ying’s head to match his speed in a way that would almost
hurt, but the little shock of pain through his scalp and neck felt so good it could only make Wei
Ying moan wetly. He spread his legs out and pressed his own hard cock into the bed, the pressure
barely able to relieve the buzz pressing into his skin. It was hard to keep his eyes open, focused on
the delectable sight above him of Lan Zhan’s heaving chest framed in angelic lace, his abdomen
rippling with every twitching breath, his face pinched with pleasure.

He could feel exactly when Lan Zhan was close, how his pace picked up until he thrust into his
mouth raggedly and his cock twitched against his tongue. With a dragging sigh, Lan Zhan pulled
out completely and released Wei Ying’s hair. He could feel how tangled it was, loose locks and
flyaway strands tickling his cheeks and obscuring his vision. He brushed his hair aside and leaned
back, working his sore jaw.

“You want to come in my other hole?” Wei Ying asked, stretching his stocking-clad leg on either
side of Lan Zhan’s pale thighs and clamped over him tight to pull him in. Lan Zhan gripped his
thighs, fingers scratching at the thin polyester.

He didn’t answer Wei Ying’s question with words; instead with a lick of his lips and snapped the
band of the stocking top sharply, biting his sensitive skin. Wei Ying leaned back into the bed,
laying himself out on display, his cock wet at the tip and in no way held in by the thin thong. He
lifted a leg up to rest his calf on Lan Zhan’s shoulder as he pressed a knee into the mattress, leaning
forward as if drawn magnetically into Wei Ying’s space. Hands ran up and down his legs,
marveling the silky texture, snapping the garter straps and the tight top over his skin with every trip
up his leg, making Wei Ying twitch from the shock.

“There’s not much for you to do, unfortunately,” Wei Ying hummed. He spread his legs wider and
tugged the thin strap aside to reveal his already wet hole. “I fucked myself on a dildo before
dinner. It had a little suction on it and I bounced on my shower floor pretending it was you. It’s not
nearly as big or hot as yours.” He punctuated his statement by running his other hand over Lan
Zhan’s wet cock, achingly red. “It did the job to open me up and make me come for you. See? I’m
still wet.” He suckled on two of his fingers then slid them into his hole easily, slowly dragging
them over his tender inner walls.

Lan Zhan growled and actually bit his inner thigh just above the knee, his fingers digging into his
legs in a possessive grip, eyes like black holes of hunger.

“Do you want me to bounce on your cock like that?” Wei Ying jeered. “Or should I make sure to
record next time? Prop my camera up on a pillow and record my hole swallowing a fake dick as I
moan your name-”

“Enough.” Lan Zhan jerked back, pulling Wei Ying with him to the edge of the bed and flipped
him over onto his knees. His feet hung over the edge, his body folded up with his ass pressed into
his heels and spread obscenely wide. Lan Zhan stepped back for a moment to grab the lube and
Wei Ying wiggled his arms out from underneath to press three fingers back into his hole. Lan Zhan
yanked his fingers out and pressed the blunt head of his cock to his rim. Wei Ying gasped and tried
to move back, but Lan Zhan grabbed him firmly by his hips, the string of the thong dragged back
and looped around his thumb to hold it out of the way.

He pressed in in one long, slow thrust, making Wei Ying feel every inch of his cock move deeply
into him. It ached, the burn of the stretch pulled through his nerves, but the shock of pain molded
into pleasurable moans. His knees ached from being pressed into the bed like this, his whole body
curled up yet stretched so wide around his cock. When Lan Zhan settled in deep in his core, Wei
Ying breathed in deeply, his breath ragged as his lungs were pressed into his knees. Lan Zhan
fucked into him, setting a sharp, jilting pace that had Wei Ying grunting and heaving under the
onslaught of pleasure compressing his whole body. His cock had spilled out completely from his
thong, dangling between his legs and the tip brushing against the bedding, sending static shock
through his blood. It felt so good, the pressure, the teasing, the heaviness of it all, Lan Zhan’s hand
roaming up to trace the lace encasing his waist, but he wasn’t satisfied.

“I want to see you,” Wei Ying grunted out. “You look so beautiful and I can’t see you like this. I
can’t watch you watch me as I take your cock.”

Lan Zhan suddenly stopped, a whine tore from Wei Ying’s throat.

“You’re beautiful,” Lan Zhan pressed a delicate kiss just above the lacing on his spine. “I have an
idea.”

He pulled out completely, much to Wei Ying’s displeasure. Wei Ying tried to clench his suddenly
empty hole to entice him back but instead, firm hands went around his waist and pulled him to his
feet. He staggered for a moment, blood rushing back to his legs. Lan Zhan held him by the waist,
letting his fingers drag over the soft lace before he bent down and picked up Wei Ying in a bridal
carry. Wei Ying giggled and cooed over his strength, adoring the feel of his muscles moving under
him and the thin lace and chiffon caressing his body. He kept his hand pressed over the sweet little
bunny bow, the metal warm under his humid hand.

Lan Zhan nudged open the closet door with his foot and Wei Ying flipped on the light as they
passed the switch. It was a spacious room, perhaps a little smaller than Wei Ying’s living room,
with a chaise lounge chair in the middle. The full-length mirror stood proudly against a wall,
tucked between stacks of drawers and a row of clean shoes. Lan Zhan plopped down on the chaise,
facing the mirror, and arranged Wei Ying on his lap so he was straddling him with his back to his
chest.

This was filthy. Wei Ying was shiny with sweat, his hair a rats nest, and the lace tugged and pulled
out of place. His cock stood proudly between his open thighs, Lan Zhan’s widened knees pushing
him to open his legs further, to sink closer to his cock. Wei Ying was frozen in the reflection, his
whole body on display for himself and Lan Zhan nothing more than a pair of legs and a cock
sinking into his entrance again, hands wrapping around his waist, a pair of dark eyes peeking over
his shoulder.

Wei Ying opened his mouth to complain, this isn’t what he meant, but Lan Zhan leaned in and
whispered in the most heady voice he’s ever heard, “Show me what you did earlier. With the
dildo.”

The shudder that ran through his body was visible in the mirror. He could only comply and sink
down onto his cock fully, a moan ripped from his throat as he pressed deeper than ever, fuller. It
felt like he was overfilling, spilling over the edge, heat shooting through his core, and shaking his
body apart as he vibrated with arousal. He rose to his knees on command, watching the cock slip
out of him, and fucking himself down hard.

To Lan Zhan’s request, he fucked him exactly how he did on the dildo in the shower— hot, hard,
and fast, striving to reach his peak quickly so he could hurry up and get ready. His moans were wet
and jilted, shuddering with his skin as his own cock bounced against his stomach, his thighs
burning from how hard he was moving. Tears etched the corners of his eyes, his whole body
turning into an open nerve of raw heat and pleasure.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” he gasped. “That’s not what I meant. Lemme— lemme see you. I want to
see you fuck me. Lay me down and watch yourself in the mirror as you make me take your dick.”

The hands on his waist tightened as a whole body shiver wracked through him. Lan Zhan’s teeth
scraped his ear, his fingers dug into his waist.

Without a word, he pushed Wei Ying off and onto the floor, mindful of his head, and turned him
around. He only got a glimpse of the curl of Lan Zhan’s lip, the absolute lust dripping from his
eyes, before he grabbed the back of his thighs and pushed his legs up, bending him in half until his
knees were by his ears. Wei Ying nearly shrieked as Lan Zhan fucked right into him, setting a
punishing pace that lit Wei Ying’s nerves on fire. He yelled out as his cock hit his prostate dead on,
pounding deeper, harder into his ass and trapping Wei Ying under his hands, his cock, his eyes.

“Look at yourself,” Wei Ying gasped, his lungs almost completely out of air. “Look in the mirror
and watch yourself fuck me. It’s good, right? I dressed up pretty for- ah! - for you. You dressed up
pretty for me.”

He complied and looked in the mirror and his eyes widened as he drank in the sight before him, of
his own delicately dressed body framed by Wei Ying’s black-clad legs driving deep into his hole,
of Wei Ying spread out under him and completely at his mercy. He fucked him harder, his eyes
glued to their reflection.

Lan Zhan was the prettiest person he’s ever met, all sharp angles and a chilled beauty that sent icy
warmth curling in his veins. Now, dressed in soft white and lace, his body draped in the dainty
chiffon, he was so beautiful it made pain bloom in his chest. Wei Ying was so lucky to have him
for this moment of their lives.

It was Lan Zhan who came first, pressing deep into Wei Ying’s body with a stuttered gasp, his
flushed chest only standing out against the ivory lingerie. Wei Ying clenched around his cock,
milking him dry until Lan Zhan pulled out with a ragged breath then dove down to take Wei
Ying’s cock into his mouth. He was already so close he came with only a few harsh sucks around
his head down into Lan Zhan’s throat. Not a spot got on the black lace.

Lan Zhan rolled over next to him, his head rested next to Wei Ying’s waist, and breathed deeply to
settle his pounding blood. After a few moments of panting breaths as their heart rates calmed, Lan
Zhan started to follow the intricate garter with a delicate touch of his fingers and lips. Wei Ying
reveled in the gentle touches as Lan Zhan moved further down, nipping and sucking at the sliver of
thighs, his fingers following the garter and lace paths.

With a particularly harsh suck by his cock, Wei Ying gasped and arched into his touch, still too
 weak to properly go again.

“Another round?” he asked, running his fingers through Lan Zhan’s hair. He groaned in response.

“Okay, but in the bed. I’ll get a carpet burn if we do it again on the floor.”

Chapter End Notes

whoa thank you so much everyone! You guys are all so wonderful to me ╰(*
´︶`*)╯♡ we're almost halfway done I believe! Not sure because as I write the story
becomes clearer and I constantly have to modify my notes but it's still set at roughly 25
chapters.
also i really miss Polyvore because you BET if that was still alive i would have links
for every chapter for yall. i have yet to find a good replacement that allows me the full
creative freedom Polyvore did sighs.

thank you for reading so far everyone wow! This is officially the longest single fic I've
ever written and also the first fic to hit double digits in chapters! On top of that, this
marks as my official 100k words written ad posted since the start of quarantine!!!
yay!! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
once again, thank you so much for helping me get there! it's all thanks to yall for
morivating me to keep going with such a long story! It's something I really enjoy
writing but it makes it all the more fun because I'm not the only one having fun!!!
See you next Monday everyone!!
ah, and this is the last bit of nswf for a bit i think. There are some things Happening ;)

Links to Wei Ying's looks ;)

Suit
Shirt
Shoes
Garter Belt

Lan Zhan's little baby doll did have a reference but the link is missing oof. It was
custom anyway lmao.
 A Dozen Donuts
Chapter Summary

Some thoughts on a day out with the kids.

Chapter Notes

thank you thank you Sarah and Krista for all your hard work! The last bit was way too
much trouble _:(´ `」 ∠):_

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Can you take A-Yuan out today? He’s going stir crazy in the house and I need to do some errands
for a friend.” It was Granny calling Wei Ying bright and early before eight in the morning, right
after a very good night with Lan Zhan.

“Hmn? Oh, yeah uh, wha’ time?” Wei Ying slurred, still only having been awake for maybe three
seconds.

“As soon as you can. I’m sorry for the short notice.” He could hear her grimace through the line.

“S’fine. I’ll take ‘im to a movie or somethin’.”

He hung up with a groan and rolled over, throwing an arm over his eyes. He was completely naked
under the duvet, Lan Zhan lounging on the bed next to him atop the covers, fully dressed with his
laptop perched on his knee as he tapped away on his thesis.

“Wanna watch A-Yuan with me today?” Wei Ying asked almost hopefully.

“Mn. After I finish this section?”

“Yeah. I’ll shower and eat.”

It took him a little bit to crawl into the shower and lay there on the floor as the hot water pelted
him. This was too early for him to wake up, especially with how pleasantly sore his whole body
was. He dutifully cleaned himself thoroughly once he was truly awake enough to stand and wash
his hair, then remained standing under the beautiful water pressure for a while longer. The bathtub
next to the shower was large and deep, with a little neck pillow and candles around it, perfect for a
good night in. He liked imagining Lan Zhan taking a bath in there, chin deep in bubbles, a book
propped up on the little wooden tray leaning up against the ledge. He huffed out a laugh at the
mental image.

Lan Zhan had apologetically laid out fresh clothes of his own on the bed for Wei Ying when he
emerged, since the only outfit Wei Ying had was his suit, lying crumpled on the closet floor. It had
been picked up for the dry cleaners earlier in the morning and would be delivered back to his
apartment, good as new, later in the day.
“Maybe I could leave some of my clothes over here so we don’t have this problem,” Wei Ying
joked as he pulled on the thin white T-shirt and cuffed jeans. They were thankfully nearly the same
size, but the jeans, albeit made to look baggy on Lan Zhan’s lean figure, were a little snug around
his hips and thighs. All his clothes were tailored to fit Lan Zhan exactly so and it made certain
areas cling too close (his ass) or hang too loose (his shoulders), but nonetheless it was still a pretty
damn close fit. He had flip-flops in his car, which had been brought to the apartment early in the
morning, and he was ready to go.

They took Wei Ying’s car to pick up A-Yuan first, but as he was plugging in his phone to charge,
he jumped at the date.

“It’s Saturday ,” Wei Ying yelped.

“Is something the matter?” Lan Zhan asked as he clicked in his seat belt.

“I’m supposed to watch A-Ling today!”

He unplugged his phone and quickly called Jiang Yanli to ask for permission if he could have Lan
Zhan and A-Yuan with him while he watched A-Ling, wary of the time because it was cutting
much too close to his original time given to pick him up.

“I don't mind at all! We know Lan Zhan, and A-Ling adores A-Yuan,” Jiang Yanli said brightly.
“Thank you so much for doing this for us, and tell Lan Zhan I said thank you too.”

“It’s no problem. I’ll see you in about an hour to grab A-Ling.”

He hung up and sighed. “Is that alright, Lan Zhan?”

“I’ll do anything with you.”

“Mn. I could use the extra hand. Let’s get going because it takes a while to install the car seat and I
don’t wanna make Yanli and her peacock late for their real estate appointment.” Lan Zhan was
sweet to Wei Ying for doing this because he certainly wouldn’t bring any date of his to a
babysitting gig until at least a year in. Lan Zhan was special, though.

He quickly called Granny, too, just in case and double-checked if Lan Zhan was allowed. She gave
her wholehearted approval.

“... I don’t think you’ve explained who A-Yuan is?” Lan Zhan asked tentatively when Wei Ying
hung up. Oh, he’s never really told Lan Zhan about A-Yuan.

Wei Ying grinned and started the car. “He’s my son. I birthed him.”

Lan Zhan looked at him wide-eyed. “The mother?”

“I'm the mother because I birthed him.”

Lan Zhan gave him an incredulous look and didn’t pursue the conversation further, perhaps content
to let Wei Ying play his little game.

A-Yuan was already waiting for him in the driveway, his car seat by the side gate, and Granny
sitting on the porch. He jumped up and down as Wei Ying pulled into the driveway, forcing him to
roll down the window and yell at him to move out of the way.

“Gege, gege!” A-Yuan yelled excitedly. He ran up to the door as Wei Ying stepped out of his car
and knelt down to give him a big hug.

“Hello, hello! How’s my little dude?” Wei Ying grinned, the small child folded neatly in his arms.

“Good! Granny gave me Fruit Loops for breakfast and I got this hat!” A-Yuan stepped back to give
him a twirl, a full three-sixty view of his green bucket hat. “The sun can’t touch me now.”

“Oh yeah?”

“My hat blocks the sun. My eyes are shaded and so are my nose and ears and cheeks and
forehead.” A-Yuan pointed at each body part he named, his tongue stumbling over the words a
little.

“That’s really cool! Where can I get one of those?”

“You have to ask Granny for one, she knows how to get everything!”

“I’ll have to talk to her and see if she can hook me up. Hey, I want you to meet someone.” Wei
Ying waved Lan Zhan over, who had gone to introduce himself to granny at the porch. He came
over and crouched down next to A-Yuan. “This is Lan Zhan. He’s going to hang out with us today,
is that okay?”

A-Yuan, the little gentleman that he is, stuck out his tiny hand for Lan Zhan to shake. They shook
neatly, Lan Zhan giving him a little bow of his head in approval.

“Er-gege, my name is Wen Yuan and I am four years old.” He held up the appropriate number of
fingers.

Wei Ying laughed. “Because I’m already gege?”

“Mn. I’ll be er-gege,” Lan Zhan agreed, shaking his little hand gently.

“Well Granny, you better get going. We’re getting A-Ling, too, because I forgot I’m supposed to
watch him today while Yanli and her man mansion hunt,” Wei Ying said as he climbed to his feet.
“They feel the five-bedroom house in a gated community is too small for them. Well, that’s what
the peacock thinks.”

“That’s fine. There’s two of you so you can probably handle both,” Granny said.

“A-Ling is coming too?” A-Yuan yelled, jumping up and down with his boundless energy.

“Yup. You don’t mind a baby coming along and ruining the fun?”

“He’s two and I’m four. I’m an old man compared to him so I’m taking care of him,” he said with
every ounce of seriousness a preschooler could muster.

“If you’re old, then what am I?” Wei Ying asked as he climbed to his feet.

A-Yuan giggled. “Ancient.”

“Ancient?!”

“Wrinkly.”

“ Wrinkly?!”
“You’re a great great great great great grandpa.”

“Then what’s er-gege?”

“I am younger than you, so a great great great great grandpa,” Lan Zhan pointed out.

“Only by two and a half months, how are you a whole generation younger than me?” Wei Ying
whined.

He shrugged. “Different years technically.”

With an exasperated groan, Wei Ying set to work on installing the car seat as Lan Zhan entertained
their young guest. A-Yuan was crouched on the cracked driveway showing him his red Hot
Wheels car and all the cool tricks it could do, complete with sound effects.

“Granny!” A-Yuan suddenly leaped to his feet as Wei Ying finished with the car seat. “I want to
bring a Hot Wheels for A-Ling so he doesn’t feel left out.”

Granny frowned. “That’s very sweet of you, but he’s only two and wouldn’t know how to play
with it.”

“I’ll teach him!”

Granny sighed and opened the front door for him to race inside. A minute later, he ran back out
with a little green pick up truck in his chubby hand. “He can’t swallow it if it’s this big!”

“Pack it up, dude, we need to go get A-Ling now so we can decide what we wanna do today.”

A-Yuan crawled into his car seat as fast as he could and did his best to help Wei Ying buckle him
in, his legs kicking up to activate his light-up sneakers. Jiang Yanli’s house was a bit of a drive
from Granny’s, but traffic was light late on a weekend morning. A-Yuan was occupied the whole
ride over as Wei Ying played Queen’s “Bicycle Race”, by singing along as much as he could,
though all the verses were gibberish. He made up for it with enthusiasm during the simple chorus.
They barely spoke on the way over, only because they didn’t want to interrupt A-Yuan’s song.

Jiang Yanli answered the door with little A-Ling in her arms, already dressed up to leave, her
diamond earrings glinting in the warm sun and the soft charmeuse of her mint green dress shifted
like water around her figure. A-Ling squirmed until she set him down.

“Sorry for being late,” Wei Ying said apologetically. A-Ling waddled over and grabbed his pants
with a very enthusiastic hello.

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” She smiled genuinely and hoisted A-Ling’s car seat and diaper bag into his
arms. “What are you guys going to do today?”

“A movie maybe, if A-Ling isn’t too grouchy. Then food and the park to make them run off any
excess energy, and maybe bring them back to my place until you guys are all done.” Wei Ying
shifted the car seat in his grip, a little uncomfortable with all the weird edges digging into his
sticky arms, a bit sweaty from the already boiling day.

“I’ll let you get to it. Zixuan and I are going to a few places beachside to get a feel for them, but I
have my eyes sort of set on this beautiful house in Beverly Hills with a winding staircase and a rock
waterfall pool,” she sighed, a daydreamy look crossing her eyes. “Zixuan wants something more
modern and clean-cut, but I won’t mind as long as we have a nice big yard and a lot of open space.”
“Ah, uh, good luck. Call me if you need anything. See ya,” Wei Ying grimaced and walked down
the wide entryway steps. A-Ling followed him, taking each step one at a time cautiously. He had
his little plush dog Jiang Cheng gave him for his birthday gripped in his hands, an eye missing.
Wei Ying shuddered. He didn’t like dogs at all and the little doll was the most he could handle.

This car seat took longer to buckle in and by the time Wei Ying finished, he could feel his shirt
clinging to his back with sweat. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally able to plop down
in the driver’s seat and blast the AC straight into his face. Lan Zhan passed him a water bottle and
he took it gratefully.

“Do you guys wanna go see a movie?” he asked his two very buckled-in companions in the back.

He was met with enthusiastic shouts of agreement. Lan Zhan was Wei Ying’s navigator as he
directed them to an outdoor mall with a movie theatre, all the while checking movie times and
turning back to the kids to ask for their opinions. They chose a new kid’s animated movie that
probably seemed like an hour and a half of pure torture to Lan Zhan and maybe a good laugh for
Wei Ying.

Parking was a nightmare as it was a weekend hotspot. They barely made it to the theatre in time to
force A-Yuan to use the restroom and load up on movie snacks before the movie started. A-Ling
was, thankfully, in a good mood today and didn’t seem like he was going to throw a tantrum during
the movie, but Wei Ying could only cross his fingers and pray he wouldn’t change his mind. At
two years old, A-Ling was already a greedy brat, thanks to his father, and yet was so sensitive he
cried at the slightest wrong. It made him a little bit of a pain to deal with, but Wei Ying adored
him.

As they settled in for the movie, the animated alerts asking them to silence their phones popped up
and Lan Zhan tapped his arm and nodded toward Wei Ying’s phone, which he was very much
using to check Twitter. He grinned and made a show of completely silencing his phone and muting
the Apple watch as Lan Zhan did the same. How boring, Wei Ying thought, there were only other
children here who didn’t give a crap, and parents who were certainly checking their own phones to
avoid the movie.

The boys loved it. Wei Ying found himself enjoying it and Lan Zhan simply seemed neutral in his
opinion, but nodded along to their animated talk.

“As long as the boys liked it,” he stated when Wei Ying kept prodding him during the credits.

“I want a donut now,” A-Yuan announced as they left the theatre.

“Because of the movie?” Wei Ying teased.

“Yeah. I want a big donut just like that.”

“You can have a little donut because you’re still a little dude.”

“When I’m a big dude I’ll eat big donuts,” A-Yuan grumbled, pouting in indignation.

“Mn. There’s a donut place in the mall,” Lan Zhan said. “They have big donuts.”

“Donut! Donut!” A-Yuan started jumping up and down and A-Ling followed, the two of them
causing a ruckus in the middle of the walkway with their chanting and jumping that knocked them
too close to shoppers.

“Calm down or no donuts- sorry, sorry.” Wei Ying herded them closer as A-Ling bumped into a
lady with huge shopping bags. She merely smiled and waved it off.

“Lunch first, then donuts,” Lan Zhan stated.

“Donut first, then lunch,” A-Ling persuaded.

“Don’t get cheeky, or else no donuts.”

The boys picked out a restaurant from the directory, A-Yuan reading off the list as best he could
while A-Ling parroted them back as best he could. They picked a grilled cheese place because they
liked the name and the prospect of gooey grilled cheese sandwiches pleased them. The place was
packed with people settling in for lunch, so once they ordered, they picked a table outside and
waited for the little buzzer to light up when their meals were ready. A-Yuan was having a blast
running his Hot Wheels over the table and even gave his extra truck to A-Ling, who promptly
threw it over the planter next to them.

The food was delicious. The boys and Lan Zhan all got plain grilled cheeses and Wei Ying a spicy
pepper jack burger with jalapeno sauce. It could certainly be a little spicier, but it’d do.

“Smile you two,” Wei Ying prompted, raising his phone camera. A-Yuan politely leaned in and
wrapped an arm around A-Ling’s shoulder, both of their faces covered in crumbs and grease,
holding up their half-eaten sandwiches. It was a darling photo and Wei Ying crooned as he posted
it to Instagram.

“Are your sister and his grandmother okay with you posting their pictures on social media even
though you’re an internet celebrity?” Lan Zhan asked, concerned.

“Nah. This is a private locked account only personal friends and family follow. Ah, look, Yanli
already liked it!”

Not a moment too soon, a comment notification popped up with Jiang Yanli’s “They’re adorable!
Have fun today!”

“Do you have one? Let me follow you if you do!” Wei Ying prompted.

Lan Zhan shook his head. “I only have Facebook for family.”

“When we get back, let’s set up an Instagram account for you, yeah?” Wei Ying suggested
hopefully.

“Mn. I’ll post pictures of Jasmine, Coco, Bean, and Wei Ying.”

The boys polished off their grilled cheese in record time, though A-Ling needed a little extra
coaxing to finish enough of his food before Wei Ying was satisfied. He finished the rest of A-
Ling’s sandwich, not wanting to carry leftovers.

“Are you two ready for donuts?” Wei Ying asked. The boys nodded fervently, A-Ling with an
extra bounce in his booster seat.

“The shop is on the other side of the mall,” Lan Zhan said.

“Alright boys, ready to walk off the food so we can stuff ourselves silly with more?”

They were already climbing out of their seats, A-Ling attempting to dangerously hike down from
his booster seat. Wei Ying scooped him out with a scowl before he could fall and bump his head.
The mall was huge, a maze of weird twists and turns, with so much to look at, made of multi-levels
of smooth chrome and that specific bright architecture found in the heart of LA. It was easy to get
side tracked and wander into stores, or let the boys toss a coin into every fountain they came
across. They found themselves in a toy store at some point with Lan Zhan pulling out his card to
pay for two dinosaurs and a Lego Star Wars set (evidently, the Legos were not for the two children
nor the man paying).

It took two more stops— one at a market with candy dispensers, and the other at a pet store to ogle
at the bunnies in the window— before they made it to the donut shop. It was tucked away on the
second level, decorated in cute pastels and a sign advertising their Easter specials.

“Bunny butt donuts!” Wei Ying snickered.

“Bunny butt donuts! Bunny butt donuts!” A-Yuan and A-Ling parroted back.

It was cozy inside, with shabby wooden benches and a wall decked out in flowers for Instagram
photos. The display case held rows of colorful donuts, decorated with everything from marbled
rainbow icing to cereal and whole oreo cookies. The boys were having a field day running up and
down the case.

“Only one donut, okay? You already have candy,” Wei Ying said.

“One donut,” A-Yuan reiterated to A-Ling.

“One donut.” A-Ling nodded.

There were different variations of the bunny donut, like one with ears and a painted on face, or one
with feet and a donut hole stuck to the middle like a pom pom tail.

“Are you getting one?” Wei Ying asked Lan Zhan, pointing toward the bunny donuts.

Lan Zhan nodded. “I have to.”

Wei Ying laughed.

When the boys were ready, Wei Ying had them step up one at a time to the register and tell the
cashier what they wanted, then he took over and placed his and Lan Zhan’s orders. Then Lan Zhan
nudged him out of the way to pay.

“You’re not er-gege anymore,” said A-Yuan to Lan Zhan as they took a cramped table by a hot
window.

“What makes you say that?” Wei Ying asked, pulling A-Ling up to sit on his knee.

“You’re rich gege now because you bought us movies and popcorn and cheese sandwiches and
candy and donuts and dinosaurs,” A-Yuan listed off.

“And I’m still plain ol’ ‘gege’?” Wei Ying pouted.

“No. You can be poor gege.”

Lan Zhan hid a delicate snort of laughter behind his hand at the aghast look on Wei Ying’s face.

Their number was called up and Wei Ying hopped up to grab it, passing A-Ling to Lan Zhan with a
sharp, “How am I poor gege if I drive a Lexus?”
“I bought it for you.”

Wei Ying choked and dutifully ignored him. “Come help me out, A-Yuan.”

A-Yuan climbed down from his chair and skipped ahead of Wei Ying to beat him to the counter,
bouncing up and down. Along with the four donuts they had four drinks— a Thai boba tea for Wei
Ying, a jasmine iced tea for Lan Zhan, and little strawberry lemonades for A-Yuan and A-Ling.
The donuts were arranged neatly on plates with little napkins and utensils because they were too
big to properly hold. Wei Ying gave him the two lemonades to bring back and he took the other
two over.

They returned to the counter again to pick up the donuts, passing two plates to A-Yuan with clear
instructions to walk carefully, and grabbed the last two himself. As he left with a “thank you”, the
cashier said, “You guys are a really adorable family.”

Wei Ying jumped, nearly dropping the plate balanced precariously on his elbow. “We— thanks?”

She grinned and gave him a thumbs up. “Have a good day!”

He brought the last plates to the table only to find the boys sitting tensely, hands in their laps and
Lan Zhan staring down at them.

“What’s going on here?” He asked, placing the last two plates down in front of his and Lan Zhan’s
chair and took a seat.

“No eating until everyone is seated,” Lan Zhan said, then nodded. The boys dug in, A-Ling’s face
covered in icing within seconds and A-Yuan’s lips turned completely pink.

Wei Ying tsk ed. “I didn’t even get a picture.” He snapped a shot anyway of their grimy faces as
they completely ignored the camera in favor of chowing down. There were a couple of texts from
Nie Huaisang, but he ignored them in favor of taking pictures of his and Lan Zhan’s untouched
bunny donuts. “Are you afraid to eat it because it’s so cute?”

Lan Zhan nodded, staring down at his white bunny with iced pink bean pads and a nose to match.
It sort of looked like Jasmine. “You have a picture, so it’s okay now..Haha, would you frame it?”

“If Wei Ying printed it out for me.”

“I’ll make you a 3D copy, how’s that?”

That seemed to satisfy Lan Zhan and he started picking at his own donut, removing the feet and
ears before nibbling on the sugary edges. Wei Ying had no qualms with biting straight into the
bunny butt donut, sugared feet and all crunched under his teeth and sank into the fluffy pastry. He
finished in record time, Lan Zhan following close behind, and A-Yuan struggling to finish the last
bite. A-Ling took the longest and over halfway through started squirming in his seat. A-Yuan
couldn’t sit still either, twisting and wiggling around in his chair most likely from the sugar rush
settling in.

Wei Ying packed up the rest of A-Ling’s donut while Lan Zhan ordered a dozen of the bunny ones
to go.

“I thought you didn’t have a sweet tooth? Is it just because they’re bunny shaped?” Wei Ying
teased.

“They’re cute. I’ll share with you and brother.” Lan Zhan picked up the white box tied off with a
mint green ribbon and Wei Ying took A-Ling’s hand as they left the shop. A-Yuan was already
starting to buzz, jumping up on benches as they passed and running up ahead and back around
them.

“A-Yuan, get back here before you get lost!” Wei Ying warned.

A-Ling was already struggling against Wei Ying’s hand, wanting to run after A-Yuan, but could
only yell and smack his dog plushie at Wei Ying’s leg.

“You too, mister, or I’ll just carry you to the car.”

“Let’s take them to a park,” Lan Zhan suggested.

“It’s almost naptime— ah,” Wei Ying realized. “So they could burn off the sugar.” Lan Zhan
nodded.

Wei Ying managed to wrangle A-Yuan back with them, holding his hand firmly, with A-Ling held
securely on his hip, the beginnings of a tantrum bubbling in Wei Ying’s ear.

“If you’re nice now,” Wei Ying promised. “You can go wild once we get to the park, okay? I don’t
want you two to get lost, there’s a lot of people around and something could happen if you run too
far away.”

A-Yuan coaxed Lan Zhan into holding his hand too, stating he also didn’t want Lan Zhan to run
off. He smiled gently and took the little offered hand. A-Yuan took this as a go-ahead to start
bodily swinging himself between them, dragging his feet on the ground and throwing himself up
with high kicks. His shoes were flashing like crazy.

It took them a bit to get back to the car, Wei Ying’s arms burning from carrying a toddler who was
getting heavier by the day and A-Yuan squirming between their sweaty hands. His scalp was
tingling unpleasantly with sweat and he could feel more beading on his back with the high sun
beating down on them at peak heat of the day. Sugar still coated his tongue and teeth, the Thai tea
not nearly enough to wash away his thirst. The car was a thankful reprieve from the heat, but by
the time they reached the parking garage, A-Ling was throwing a full blown tantrum. At that point,
Wei Ying had already let him walk beside them, but only if he held Wei Ying’s hand.

“That sugar kicked in quick, ” Wei Ying noted as he finished buckling in the blubbering child.

“Sorry,” Lan Zhan said softly from the front.

Wei Ying waved him off. “No, no, we’ll just get them to the park and let them have at it until it’s
nap time. Yanli will appreciate me handing back a completely knocked out A-Ling.”

The park they picked wasn’t far from Wei Ying’s apartment and had a wonderful play structure for
them to play on. They couldn’t stay too long because the icing on the donuts would start melting in
the car, but Wei Ying was sure they'd wear themselves out in under an hour with how hard they
were playing the moment they set them loose.

“The lady in the donut shop called us cute,” Wei Ying told Lan Zhan as they sat on a shaded park
bench overlooking the playground. A-Yuan was swinging from the monkey bars with a couple of
other kids his age he found and A-Ling was making hills in the sand box.

“Mn. It’s true.”

Wei Ying snickered. “No, no! She said we’re a cute family.”
Lan Zhan turned sharply to face Wei Ying, eyes wide. He stared for a moment, his expression
unreadable, then nodded. “It’s true.”

He didn’t know what to say to that but had no need to formulate a response because in that
moment, A-Ling ran up to them and demanded Wei Ying pushed him on the swing.

They went home not long after, when the boys were obviously slowing down. The car ride back
was silent, no crying or demands for Queen to be played on repeat. When they reached Wei Ying’s
apartment, A-Yuan went straight to the bathroom and then crawled into Wen Ning’s bed without
prompt. A-Ling was already dozing in Wei Ying’s arms and had to be coaxed to change his diaper
before he could be tucked in for bed. Lan Zhan was in the small kitchen brewing hot water for tea
and coffee.

He cleared off a spot for them at the coffee table because there was a tense line running up Lan
Zhan’s back he felt only the squishy couch could ease out. Wei Ying took a seat, sinking into the
worn cushions with a weary sigh, but did not let himself completely relax until Lan Zhan took a
seat next to him, back ramrod straight.

“Ah thanks,” Wei Ying said when Lan Zhan handed him the hot cup of coffee. He took a grateful
sip of the scalding brew, then continued pointedly. “You’re really good with the kids.”

“Mn. They’re very well behaved.” Lan Zhan said with a delicate sip of his tea.

“A-Ling is a brat, don’t lie.”

Lan Zhan looked away. “... He could be worse.”

Wei Ying threw his head back and laughed. A thought struck that made him ease his laughter, put
his coffee cup down on the table and turn to Lan Zhan. “Thank you for helping me today. It made
it so much easier looking after two kids with you around.” He leaned in and batted his eyelashes,
trailing a stray hand over Lan Zhan’s denim capris.

“It’s no problem at all. I will do it again if need be.”

Wei Ying scooted closer, pressing his side into Lan Zhan’s. “I’ll call you up then, daddy.”

Lan Zhan’s nose wrinkled in distaste.

“No?” Wei Ying pulled back with a grimace.

“Never again.”

“Ahahaha it was worth a shot,” Wei Ying laughed. “That was weird for me, too.”

“If you really liked it, I wouldn’t mind...”

“I don’t.”

“Good.”

Wei Ying sank back into the couch but remained pressed against Lan Zhan’s warm side despite the
stuffiness of the apartment. The AC had been switched on the moment they came in, but it would
take a moment to properly cool off the room.

“Can I at least give you a kiss or five as thanks for today? And maybe a little extra something later
when the boys are gone?” Wei Ying winked and squeezed Lan Zhan’s thigh. He tensed under Wei
Ying’s grip, eyes darkening as he nodded.

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Wei Ying’s lips, then another. It was slow and sweet,
pulling Wei Ying into Lan Zhan’s gravitational field and made him helpless to float away and drift.
He sank into Lan Zhan’s arms, his lips, relishing the remnants of sweetness from the donut and the
hot, bitter taste of tea molded into his mouth. Lan Zhan tipped back, pulling Wei Ying to lay on top
of him as he stretched out on the mushy couch. He fit perfectly like this.

Wei Ying pulled away to press lazy kisses down his neck, tasting the dried sweat and sandalwood
on his skin.

“I need to talk to you,” Lan Zhan said breathlessly, his words strained.

Wei Ying pulled back, heart lurching in his chest.

“Singapore,” Lan Zhan cleared his throat, ears pink.

Wei Ying sat up, straddling his hips, and waited for him to continue.

“We leave the first week of June, shortly after commencement. I will be gone until mid-July of
next year, possibly longer if there are problems,” Lan Zhan explained, crossing his hands over his
chest. His face was neutral, but his ears were still pink with lingering heat. “Our job will be to
oversee the establishment of this office and ensure it is running to Lan standards. We already have
a house purchased for our stay. I will be busy for the majority of our trip with very little time for
leisure, let alone sightseeing.”

Lan Zhan clenched his jaw, his gaze boring into Wei Ying’s. “I would like you to come with us if
you like. It's not possible for me to fly in for a weekend often to see you due to how much work we
have to do. I can’t promise you my time if you were to join us, but I would give you anything you
want as long as you could be by my side.”

This was a selfish request coming from Lan Zhan, for Wei Ying to put his life on hold for a full
year to warm his bed during his long stay, yet get the experience of a lifetime living abroad and
traveling wherever while Lan Zhan worked. Wei Ying was more than tempted to say yes because
even if the extended trip to Singapore didn’t bring an exciting buzz to Wei Ying’s skin, the idea of
not seeing Lan Zhan for a whole year made his chest squeeze painfully.

He remembered his thesis project and what hung on the line with it, the prospects waiting for him
now that couldn’t be dropped. Yet, Lan Zhan could probably pull some strings to get Wei Ying
into whatever company he chose, right?

The silence must have stretched too long and Lan Zhan’s piercing pale gaze dropped, his body
slumping into the couch.

“Can I think about this?” Wei Ying said finally.

Lan Zhan nodded. “You have months to think. It’s only March. I will remind you again when the
date draws much closer.”

“It’s a lot to think about. I haven’t left the country since I was fifteen— to Barcelona for a summer
vacation— and never have I been away for that long,” Wei Ying reminisced. “I’m not gonna lie, it
sounds exciting, but there’s a lot going on I don’t think I can suddenly drop for Singapore.”

“Whatever it is, please talk to me about it and we can see about making arrangements. I want this
to be a vacation for you.” There was a spark in Lan Zhan’s eye again, his hands rubbing up and
down Wei Ying’s thighs. He was still in Lan Zhan’s jeans, Lan Zhan’s shirt.

“I’ll sleep on it a bit. Let’s make out again, yeah? Before the boys wake up,” Wei Ying smirked
and leaned down to bite Lan Zhan’s lower lip. He moaned into Wei Ying’s mouth and wrapped his
arms around his back, tugging him closer. They kissed deeply, opening their mouths in tandem and
flowed into a smooth, heated rhythm. It was heady, melting presses of their tongues and molten
drags of their lips, like a campfire in Wei Ying’s core, a lazy sun-warmed river running through his
veins. He sank helplessly in the currents, holding his breath to Lan Zhan’s hands dragging down
his back, pulling him under.

Minutes or hours, it was hard to tell with their lips and tongues and teeth sliding over kiss-slick
skin. Hands pushed and pulled and tugged, molding each other like softened clay. It was nice, so
nice, the burning heat usually ignited like a crackling firework was turned down to a low, bodily
simmer that left Wei Ying’s skin tingling.

They drifted in the rocking waves until their lips were sore and jaws were aching, a strain on Wei
Ying’s neck from tilting his head to and fro.

“Mn, what’s there to do in Singapore? I know there’s a lot, but what exactly can I do?” Wei Ying
said when they finally pulled away, his lips buzzing pleasantly but he certainly needed some
chapstick.

“Universal Studios,” Lan Zhan said, his hands running up and down Wei Ying’s back languidly.

“We have that here. What else?”

Lan Zhan hummed. “It’s made up of sixty-four islands.”

Wei Ying sat up. “What the fuck, that’s too many.”

Lan Zhan shrugged. “England colonized all but twenty-two countries in the world. Singapore can
have a few islands.”

“Okay, now I have to see this.” Wei Ying dug out his phone from his back pocket.

“It’s also one of the greenest cities in the world,” Lan Zhan continued.

Wei Ying froze.

Seven missed calls from Jiang Cheng, nine from Nie Huaisang, the most recent being only three
minutes ago. A folder of unread text messages from both and also Wen Ning. He sat up stiffly and
rolled off Lan Zhan’s body. Lan Zhan noticed and sat up, too, a concerned furrow to his brow. Wei
Ying swiped Jiang Cheng’s missed call and his phone immediately called him back.

The phone rang once before Jiang Cheng picked up.

“There you fucking are!” Jiang Cheng yelled into the receiver. “Are you with Lan Zhan?”

“I— yeah, I am. What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Of course you fucking are,” Jiang Cheng seethed. “Lan Huan and his uncle have been trying to
contact him all day, so he called me to see if I could get ahold of you. Why the fuck haven’t you
answered your fucking phone?”

“It’s courteous to turn off your phone at the movies,” Wei Ying said acidly.
 “Shut the fuck up and have Lan Zhan call Lan Huan back and you also better see it because this
mess concerns you, too.”

“What mess? What the hell is going on?”

“Google your name, I don’t care, Mom is calling me.”

“No, tell me what’s going on—” Jiang Cheng had already hung up.

Lan Zhan already had his phone out with his brother’s contact pulled up, certainly having heard
Jiang Cheng’s shouting through the tinny receiver.

Meanwhile, Wei Ying checked his texts from Nie Huaisang first, because for some reason he knew
what was going on. His Twitter had a scarily high number of notifications for a day he didn’t
release a video and that didn’t soothe his anxiety. He ignored it for now and scrolled to Nie
Huaisang’s texts, almost fifty, and scrolled to the top to where it started with a link. The preview
made his breath stop as he tapped on it, hands shaking.

Lan Zhan was staring at him wide-eyed, his brother’s voice muffled through the phone, certainly
having been told exactly what Wei Ying had just read on the webpage.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: GUSU EDU CEO’S SON AND YOUTUBER WEI YING LEAVING
HOTEL ALL COZY AND CLOSE

Chapter End Notes

thank you so much for all the comments and kudos! See you next monday ∠( ᐛ
」∠)_ starting chapter 12 you are No Longer Safe

I made art for this chapter!

 A Note
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying is sure the article will blow over.

Chapter Notes

Thank you Krista and Sarah for the help you guys are the best ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Lan Zhan had a nondescript driver take him to the family home. There was no way Wei Ying
should be seen with him now, especially with the paparazzi reportedly hounding the gates to his
family home.

Wen Qing came home to pick up A-Yuan with the news already on her tongue. “It’s really bad.”

There was a picture of them leaving the restaurant last night with Lan Zhan’s arm secured around
his waist as he led him to the car. Inside the article were more pictures, of them stepping out of the
restaurant with Lan Zhan’s hand on his back, another of Lan Zhan, his profile sharp in the
nighttime light, opening the car door for Wei Ying, of himself turned, when he felt something at
his nape , and the photographer got a perfect picture of his whole face so there was no mistake who
it was. The article itself could have been ignored— slandering Wei Ying for his raunchier videos
and calling him a joke of a Youtuber who “turned to the internet to validate his terrible ideas” yet
failed to mention he has a bachelor’s degree, an internship, and a Gold Play Button.

The worst part was how it dragged down Lan Zhan’s name, declaring how such a reputable family
could have gone so wayward as to allow one of their youngest to hire an escort. They had even
gone a step further and reported that they attended the same university, had gone to the same
schools previously, even named the Jiangs as Wei Ying’s benefactor, and went after them for
“leading the young master astray”.

It left a tangled, slimy feeling in his gut. Lan Huan had told Lan Zhan they didn’t even run it by
both families before printing it, waiting for the evening post to garner attention and made it one of
the larger headlines.

“The Wens have a reputation for being scoundrels, you know that better than anyone,” Wen Qing
said bitterly as she plopped herself down at the dining table with a tired sigh. “They did this to A-
Ning and I, now they’ll do it to you.”

“They’ll do this to Lan Zhan. I can stop being a Youtuber whenever I want, but he can’t stop being
a Lan,” Wei Ying growled. “They don’t need to be digging into his business.”

“They don’t have a right to. There are families of celebrities who learned of loved one’s deaths
through their trashy reporting before it was completely confirmed by authorities, let alone told to
the families in private,” Wen Qing sneered. “Ignore this garbage. Anyone with brain cells would
know this is a shitty thing to write.”

“You’d be surprised how little brain cells people have these days,” Wei Ying said bitterly.

“I know. I’m a doctor, remember?”

“Mn. A-Yuan should be waking up in a few. I’ll drive A-Ling over to Yanli’s after dinner.”

The whole situation was frustrating, putting Wei Ying in a toxic spotlight he didn’t need, but they
certainly had no right to be putting Lan Zhan and his family down like this. There was nothing he
could do about it in the end, he was a little Youtube celebrity with too much on his plate to be
worrying about what other people said. He ignored his Twitter for the time being.

When the boys woke up, Wei Ying and Wen Qing made a quick spaghetti dinner and cleared off
the table to eat at. Dinner brought no mention of the article, even when Wen Ning came home and
served himself a hefty serving and plopped down with an exhausted sigh at the last chair.

Lan Zhan had left more than half the donuts with Wei Ying, only taking a meager handful back
with him in a Tupperware. Wei Ying separated them between the families and gave A-Yuan and
Jin Ling each a little Tupperware with their treats, keeping three for himself to share with the
Wens.

Jin Ling was taken home shortly after dinner where his mother opened the door for them with a
smile. Wei Ying could feel the mounting pressure deflate just by the mere sight of her face.

“Did you find a new house?” Wei Ying asked.

She shook her head. “Not yet, but we’re going out house hunting again tomorrow if you don’t mind
taking him again.”

“Mansion hunting,” he corrected her. “Yeah, I don’t mind. I’m sure he had fun today.”

Jin Ling was bursting to tell his mom everything, already babbling as she lifted him up to hold him
close and give him a welcome home kiss.

“I’ll let you go home, A-Ying, we need to get him ready for bed soon and I’m sure you’re tired.”

He truly was. Watching two kids on a hot day like this had already drained him well before the
article was dropped in his lap. Now he was debating on taking a nap in his car before heading
home.

“You’re in trouble.” It was Jin Zixuan. Jiang Yanli’s pompous husband sidled up behind her, his
silk dress shirt sleeves rolled up and the top button undone. He was too sleek, too bright for Wei
Ying, and even after their five years of marriage, he still had a hard time accepting him as part of
the family. To this day, he and Jiang Cheng only tolerated him around Jiang Yanli, but bullied him
every chance they got.

Wei Ying sneered. “So will you if you don’t butt out.” He could feel the pressure spiking again, a
headache threatening to burst. The knowing glint in his eye sent a shock of fire through his blood.

Jiang Yanli pursed her lip. “A-Ying, we heard from Jiang Cheng what happened.”

“And did you read it? It’s a load of garbage,” Wei Ying laughed.

“Mother and Father want to speak with you, as does Jiang Cheng.”
“They want to tell me off for living my life despite me not having anything to do with them
anymore.” Wei Ying rolled his eyes. “Tell them it’s all been blown out of proportion. Those
journalists are so desperate for a story they’re taking every small thing and making it their
headlines.”

“You might not care, but Lan Zhan is in this as deeply as you are.” Jin Zixuan pointed out, crossing
his arms over his chest firmly.

“They can try all they want, but there’s no dirt with Lan Zhan. He’s too perfect,” Wei Ying said,
stepping down from the wide porch and inching toward his car. God, he was tired. “They’ll have to
make stuff up to try and slander him. Really, don’t worry about the article. It’ll blow over by
tomorrow.”

The next morning, his name was trending on Twitter. Weirdly enough, there were way more
people than he thought there were interested in the mysterious arm in the last video and with the
article released, numerous people had done their own “snooping” and put two and two together.
Lan Zhan was paired with Wei Ying’s name, but no one really spoke of the article and its gross
contents, but more of the key to solving a mystery. These people had too much time on their hands
to think about. It made him grateful there was little to say to him about the article.

There was, thankfully, a good portion of people speaking out for Wei Ying and telling the wilder
masses to leave them alone and, as cute as it seemed to be for them, this was his private business.
He thanked his lucky stars that his little corner of the internet wasn’t full of absolute nut jobs.

Or, so he’d hoped. On Monday, he was cornered right outside of campus on his way in to meet his
thesis group. It was only a couple of journalists, invested in the story linked to both the prestigious
Lan and Jiang families on top of Wei Ying’s mysterious relationship with both. He didn’t know
what to say with the outrageous questions being thrown his way as he was just trying to walk.

“Can you tell us exactly what your relationship is with Lan Zhan?” One asked, power walking to
match Wei Ying’s long strides.

“Do you also have a relationship with Lan Huan?” Another asked, getting way too close to his
personal space.

A camera flash. “Is there a reason the Jiangs don’t claim you as one of their own despite there
being a history of you living with the family for most of your life? Did you rebel and drop the
name to make yourself a new name as a Youtube star?”

“Are you two gay or just very good friends?”

Wei Ying wanted to scream.

“What about— wait, aren’t you—?!” The reporter cut off, as a long arm cut in front of the blinding
camera.

“Kindly fuck off, you’re ruining our walk.” It was Xie Lian’s kind-of-scary, and supposedly
famous, fiancé, Hua Cheng, and Xie Lian who came up and wiggled between Wei Ying and the
pressing no-name reporters, blocking him from view.

“Hua Cheng! Are you involved in this relationship, too?”

“No comment,” Hua Cheng growled.

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng closed in on Wei Ying and helped him break through the reporters,
making a mad dash toward the labs. They didn’t stop running until they reached the stairwell,
clearly out of sight from the reporters.

“Thanks, you guys,” Wei Ying panted. “Never thought my dazzling Youtuber career would make
me this famous.”

“It’s because you’re linked to Lan Zhan,” Xie Lian reminded him.

“And you’re famous? What the hell do you do, sell nudes?”

“San Lang’s an artist,” Xie Lian said brightly, perking up at the chance to brag about his fiancé.
“He has an exhibit going on downtown right now and his sculptures sell for a huge price with rich
folk. He was even invited to last year’s Met Gala but declined.”

“Gege had already asked me on a date that day, how could I turn him down?” Hua Cheng said,
looping an arm around Xie Lian’s shoulders.

“I forgot that was the day of the gala, silly!” Xie Lian protested. “We could have gone the next day
instead!”

“I would much rather go on a date with gege than any stupid charity gala,” Hua Cheng said
smoothly. Xie Lian went pink.

Wei Ying wanted to gag at the gross display.

“Mn, well,” Xie Lian cleared his throat, his cheeks a blooming red as Hua Cheng showered kisses
atop his head. “We better head up, I’m sure they’re waiting for us.”

“Yeah, yeah, ah,” Wei Ying said, hoisting his bag back up his shoulder. “Thanks for covering me
back there.”

Hua Cheng waved him off. “You should be thanking gege, he told me to.”

“You looked like you were either going to smack them or get eaten by them, and both would have
been bad,” Xie Lian winced. He had not stepped out of Hua Cheng’s embrace.

“I probably would have kicked someone if they’d gotten any closer. It’s ridiculous, I didn’t even
recognize any of the news sites they said they’re from.”

“Just grocery store checkout line garbage,” Hua Cheng said. “It’s all hot gossip like ‘look who’s
showing a baby bump’ and ‘these celebrities are cheating on each other’.”

Xie Lian grimaced. “Someone did ask if you were involved in the so-called ‘scandal’.”

“I would date Hua Cheng if you didn’t already have your claim on him,” Wei Ying sighed.

“Not likely. You’re not my type,” Hua Cheng sniffed.

“What is your type? Small and wonderful?” Wei Ying laughed and patted the top of Xie Lian’s
head.

“Just gege.”

Wei Ying laughed harder. Hua Cheng does have impeccable style, much closer to Wei Ying’s taste
with a more decadent flair, and had a morbid sense of humor Wei Ying could get behind. It was an
added bonus that he was so handsome, but there was no way in any world Wei Ying would dare
ask for even a kiss on the hand. He was spoken for, after all.

They climbed up the stairwell to the fifth floor where the lab was located. Hua Cheng swooped in
and gave Xie Lian a deep, consuming kiss before pulling away.

“I’ll see you soon, gege,” Hua Cheng waved farewell. “Take care.” He strode down the long hall
toward the back elevators, tucked away far from where any reporters might corner him.

Inside, Shen Yuan and Mo Xuanyu were waiting and had already started working through some
coding on Shen Yuan’s laptop. Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan’s muscle-bound boyfriend, was perched on
a counter just out of range from the tables they had their stuff spread out on. There was a large
refrigerator bag on the table next to him and Wei Ying could already feel his mouth watering.

“Shit luck you have there, huh?” Shen Yuan said as they walked in. He jerked his thumb to the
window. “We saw the whole thing happen.”

Wei Ying grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, this is, uh, well— it could be worse.”

“The article wasn’t even that interesting. It sounds like they rewrote your Wikipedia page to make
it sound like you’re the bad guy trying to taint Lan Zhan. It’s fucking stupid.”

“I’m really not concerned about myself at all,” Wei Ying waved him off. “Lan Zhan is getting the
brunt of all this.”

“It should die down,” Xie Lian promised. “Trust me, this isn’t the worst they can do.”

“No, but I’m actually hoping they’ll write an article saying I’m cheating on Lan Zhan with Hua
Cheng,” Wei Ying laughed. “Then they’ll really just be pulling from their ass.”

Xie Lian’s face darkened. “You better hope not. You're riding on a slippery slope. We might know
the truth, but the people reading don’t, that’s why they read.”

Wei Ying grimaced. He had a vague idea of Xie Lian’s past from bits and pieces he’s told them, of
his own fall from the A-list and became a laughingstock across social media and prestigious
circles. He lost everything to make ends meet. Los Angeles is not kind to their homeless; doing
everything they can to kick them out without having to look them in the eye, but Xie Lian had
managed to claw his way back into a better life by sheer will— a miracle in itself. He was nearing
thirty, much older than most graduate students, but he had made it this far with just the right
amount of luck at the exact moment he needed it and sheer dedication.

Wei Ying had fallen when he was booted out of his longtime home, or rather, he ran away before
the official order could drop on his head on his eighteenth birthday. It was his last, brisk autumn of
high school, with chilly mornings and burning hot afternoons, when he made a break for it only a
week before his birthday. He had had his eyes set on a number of prestigious universities—
Stanford, USC, MIT, even Harvard— his applications already sent in early. He stayed with Wen
Ning, a friend he had barely just met at the time, and then with Nie Huaisang when their home
situation grew worse.

He spent all of senior year avoiding Jiang Cheng, but by winter break, he was dropped from the
private school completely and was told through a phone call with his uncle he would be attending a
local public school to finish off senior year. The transfer had already been completed and there was
nothing he could do.

It messed up his applications. For the first time in his life, his GPA dropped below a 4.0, and he
had no awards by the end of the year at this new school to rub into the university’s face because of
his declining record. In the end, he earned acceptance letters from every school he applied to, yet
he didn’t want to deter his end goal by going for a cheaper CalState option. No private school
could offer him a price that could put food in his belly, thus he settled for a still steeply-priced
UCLA.

The week after graduation, he and Wen Ning moved in together with his sister, him still two years
left of high school and she was already pre-med. In the past five years they’ve lived together,
they’ve moved five times. By July, it will be their sixth.

Debt was racked up— he could only work so much while attending classes, and quite frankly had a
hard time balancing his meager income due to growing up with a near-endless credit card He spent
himself into debt within the first semester of college and lost a large portion of his student aid by
the second. To this day, he still had his undergraduate debt hanging on his back and his graduate
school debt was taking a toll on him. It would take years to properly pay it all off.

Lan Zhan knew he had student debt, but wasn’t aware of how steep it went.

A flimsy article wasn’t going to knock down all his years of hard work. He had a thick resume
chock full of credentials and if their thesis project worked, Wei Ying should have job opportunities
lined up before the end of the semester.

There’s a townhouse he has his eye on, a sweet little place with a backyard and only a short
distance from an elementary school. He had asked A-Yuan if he liked it, and if he did, they would
all move into the little home by August.

Things were changing in Wei Ying’s life, shifting toward a horizon he can trace with the tips of his
fingers.

They wrapped up their thesis work early that night. Luo Binghe fed them a delicious meal in the
lab for an early dinner. Mo Xuanyu went ahead to scout the area for any more rabid journalists
before texting the group a cheerful “all clear!”.

As Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had escorted him to the lab, Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe walked Wei
Ying to his car as an extra precaution. Neither of them were famous (“I might be famous online but
I’m not an idiot and splash my face along with my name, and Binghe is only recognized by real
hardcore foodies, which I doubt any of them will be hanging around at this hour,” Shen Yuan
explained) and were made the official guard for Wei Ying for the time being. Wei Ying wasn’t
concerned before, but he certainly felt safe now with Shen Yuan’s beefy boyfriend and his scary
scowl watching over them like a hawk. Wei Ying got home fine and didn’t even bother checking
social media, instead he crawled into bed early and watched Netflix until he couldn’t keep his eyes
open. Lan Zhan sent him a good night text.

Jiang Cheng called him in the morning as he left for class.

“We need to talk,” he growled over the line.

“Can it wait until the weekend? I have a lot going on this week,” Wei Ying whined.

“No,” Jiang Cheng said firmly through the tinny speakerphone. “This can’t wait.”

Wei Ying groaned. “Fine. I’ll forgo my Tuesday lunch date with Lan Zhan to see you before
work.”

“Good.” The growl was sharper this time, snipped at the edges. “Come over to my place, I don’t
want to talk to you about this in public.”
Yikes. This made Wei Ying have a very good idea of what their conversation will be about and it
made him nervous.

He went straight to Jiang Cheng’s house after class, a coffee refill from Lan Zhan in hand (who had
met him outside the building with a quick peck on the cheek and a simple “see you Thursday”).

Jiang Cheng didn’t meet him nearly as pleasantly. He stood scowling from his porch, dressed in his
work suit minus the jacket, his sleeves rolled up and tie loosened. The skin around his eyes was
tight, his mouth set in a firm line. He didn’t say a word as Wei Ying approached, only stepped
aside to allow him in. The blindingly bright noon sunshine filled the narrow house with a near-
suffocating heat from the floor to ceiling windows taking up the back half of the house, the view of
the Hollywood sign reflecting from the glass. The house was all clean, contemporary lines; more
than enough room for one person but never to raise a family. He was stopped from moving further
into the house, trapping Wei Ying in the shadowed dark wood entryway where the sun didn’t quite
reach this time of day.

Wei Ying was tense, his heart beating a tad too fast, especially in the presence of his brother. He
laughed, but it was terse in his throat. “Haha hey, what’s going on? You don’t have to be at work
anytime soon, right? Let’s order food from that Indian place we like.”

There was a curl to Jiang Cheng’s lip. “I warned you, didn’t I?”

Wei Ying gulped. “... Of?”

It was no use playing dumb. Jiang Cheng slammed his hand into the wall next to him, the
decorative mirror rattled dangerously from the force. “You were playing around and now everyone
is in hot water. How are you going to fix this?”

“There’s nothing to fix,” Wei Ying said stiffly, his whole body coiled, ready to fight or run, he
didn’t know yet.

“Our whole family was dragged into your mess,” Jiang Cheng spat. “We got a notice Saturday
morning they’d be publishing it, didn’t even ask us if they could. You wouldn’t answer your phone
to explain yourself. Mom can’t pull a deal right now with her latest collaborator because they’re
looking down on her for your stupid mistake and Dad is turning into a joke. Not to mention I—” he
curled his hands into shaky fists, his face flushed red with anger. “ — It doesn’t matter. Your mess
is piling up now and if you don’t drop it, you’re going to get knocked down by force.”

“You actually believed all the nonsense they wrote?” Wei Ying couldn’t help asking
incredulously.

“It’s all fact, is it not? On top of that, we got another notice that they’ll be releasing a new article
tonight to rub your face in the dirt some more, except this time that artist Hua Cheng is in the mix.”

“ What?” Wei Ying yelped. He was smiling so wide right now but his head was buzzing.

Jiang Cheng pulled a rolled-up page from his back pocket and shoved it into Wei Ying’s hands.

CHEATING OR A THREESOME? LAN EDU CEO SON’S MYSTERIOUS PARTNER

CAUGHT INTIMATELY WITH “HOLY HIGHNESS” ARTIST, HUA CHENG
Wei Ying laughed even harder as he scanned the article, unable to believe the luck. “We joked this
might happen but they actually did it.”

“ This isn’t a joke, ” Jiang Cheng hissed. “Are you guys going to make a statement? You need to
do it now because with each pass they make, they’re digging deeper into both Lan and Jiang affairs
to find more shit.”

“Lan Zhan is going to issue one tonight and I’ll Tweet something,” Wei Ying said loftily, waving
the pages around. “As far as I know, there isn’t any dirt on the Lans, they have a pretty clean track
record. Ah, are you guys hiding stuff?”

“You know exactly what they’ll try and twist,” Jiang Cheng seethed. “Look, read the end of the
article.”

Wei Ying followed to where Jiang Cheng was pointing down near the bottom of the page.

“During our investigation, we found old rumors of how his [Wei Ying] mother, Cangse Sanren was
an employee of Jiang Fengmian, the current CEO of Yunmeng Jiang Co., for many years before
she suddenly quit in 1994. Not even a year later, little A-Ying was born. She was newly wedded to
Wei Changze, Jiang Fengmian’s right hand back in the 80s and early 90s, but her disappearance
was too suspicious. We received an anonymous source on how back then, many rumors circled
around the office about how she ran off to secretly have Jiang Fengmian’s baby.

“They were very close, Cangse and Jiang,” said our source. “His marriage with Yu Ziyuan was
arranged between their families— he had no choice in the matter. It’s only natural he would seek a
beautiful mistress to hold his heart.”

Which brings us back to the supposed love child of this beautiful employee/mistress and Jiang
Fengmian, Wei Ying, and how he could be digging his hands into two pots at once— Lan Zhan,
the son of the CEO of Lan Edu., and the self-made artist, entrepreneur, and very-much-engaged
Hua Cheng. Cangse Sanren, unfortunately, passed away in 2000 with her husband in a tragic car
accident in Nevada and thus might have never have had the chance to really pass down her
homewrecker tendencies to her son.”

“They dragged mom into this?” Wei Ying’s throat was tight, the paper wrinkling in his shaking
grip.

“They dragged both our mothers into this and I didn’t do anything.” Jiang Cheng snatched the
article back and crumbled it into a ball. “We can’t stop them from publishing it this afternoon,
Dad’s already tried and they won’t have it.”

“Madame Yu isn’t too fond of those rumors,” Wei Ying said hollowly.

“They’re getting a divorce soon and I’m certain with how things are going, the blame will be put
on you.”

“It is my fault.”

“It is.”

“I’m not going to stop what I’m doing.”

Jiang Cheng’s head snapped up, his eyes burning. “Yes, you fucking will. This is only the second
article and this is going to be the catalyst for a scandal. No one outside of our circle knows about
these rumors and if they keep going, they’ll find more to throw at us.”

“It’s an over-exaggerated mess of guesswork. It won’t kill us to ignore this,” Wei Ying snapped.
His patience was wearing thin.

“This isn’t some no-name journalist with a blog. They still have print , and a TV show!” Jiang
Cheng yelled. “If word gets out that Dad potentially cheated on mom, this will ruin future
prospects for the whole family.”

“It’s not that-”

“What don’t you understand? There is dirt for them to dig up and showcase to the world it could
lead to a bleak future for the company because people refuse to have anything to do with anyone
who might have done something wrong in the past. Dad never even fully denies his relations with
your mom! How do we even know you’re not actually my half-brother?”

“Well, I’m way too handsome-”

A sharp slap rang out through the narrow hall. There was a beat of silence, the dustmotes in the
thin stream of light that crossed into the entryway from the living room whirled with the sudden
movement. It was stifling and silent. Jiang Cheng grabbed the front of Wei Ying’s shirt and
slammed him into the front door.

“This is because you would rather degrade yourself then ask for help.” Jiang Cheng’s voice was
low, dangerous. It was sharp as a knife’s edge dragging across Wei Ying’s throat threateningly.

Wei Ying didn’t move. There was nothing he could say.

“You’re going to ruin us at this rate because you want to sit so high and mighty in your little
handcrafted throne. We can help you, Yanli and I, but you chose to fling yourself into trouble rather
than call me up. Am I really that bad? Or do you value yourself so little?”

Wei Ying gulped. “Jia-”

“Get out.”

He couldn’t move, the hand gripping his shirt was shaking.

“Get out!”

Wei Ying stumbled out the front door and raced to his car without looking back. He tumbled into
the driver’s seat and fumbled to start the engine, unable to catch a second to breathe with Jiang
Cheng looming like an ominous shadow from the porch. Wei Ying’s throat was tight, his heart
beating wildly in his chest. He peeled out of the driveway and sped down the winding Hollywood
hills street without looking back.

He was too deep in the heart of Los Angeles, there was nowhere for him to pull over and catch his
breath. He drove with his music blasting loudly from his speakers and his eyes blurring and
refocusing, his breath rattled in his chest.

He found a small shopping center and pulled in next to a Jamba Juice where he finally allowed
himself to take deep, ragged breaths. He had been gripping his steering wheel in a death grip and
released it to rub his eyes hard, pressing whatever that was hot and bubbling back into his head
before it boiled over.

A text from Lan Zhan was like a soothing balm over his chest, over the knife wound cutting into
his throat.

Lan Zhan<3
1:42pm
My uncle is mad at me but that’s okay. Would you like to have dinner tonight?

Wei Ying laughed. How could Lan Zhan nonchalantly brush off everything that’s happening?

Wei Ying
1:42pm
Haha what did you do XD
And ya ya. If I clean my place would you wanna have dinner there?
Lol I think it’ll b better if we had our little dates in private for a while

Lan Zhan<3
1:43pm
I was going to suggest that. What time would be good?
Not to worry about Uncle, he is worried about the articles.

Wei Ying paused, worrying his lip.

Wei Ying
1:45pm
Did you see today’s yet?

It took a moment for Lan Zhan to respond. The typing bubble popped up and disappeared,
hesitance clear as he tried to properly chose his wording.

Lan Zhan
1:47pm
Yes. Will everything be alright?

Wei Ying
1:47pm
I will be when I get to see you again

Lan Zhan
1:48pm
Do you want me to call you?

No. He needed a moment to himself. The sun was beating in through the windshield, the skin of his
cheek burning. There was a Whole Foods in the parking lot, way out of budget, but right now he
could do with a deli soup and whatever bakery items they had. He hadn’t eaten anything today.

Wei Ying
1:49pm
Nah imma get a late lunch. See you tonight

Lan Zhan
1:49pm
See you tonight

Lan Zhan was so cute. A simple text conversation like that easily lifted his heart from his bowels,
made his limbs lighter, and the air less oppressive. He grabbed his wallet and stepped out of the
Lexus, pushing the Saint Laurent aviators up the bridge of his nose. There was already sweat
gathering under the nose pieces and his back, the sun staining the parking lot in a dazzling
brightness that had him squinting even from behind his sunglasses.

There was a chunky jambalaya in the deli, which he served himself a heaping cup, and grabbed a
roll before heading to the bakery display case. He could feel the nose pieces from the sunglasses
tangling in his hair where they sat atop his forehead.

Macarons, fruit tarts, mini cheesecakes, mousse cups, muffins, decorative cupcakes, an array of
cookies. He almost bought a whole cake but settled on a box of cupcakes. He grabbed a beer and a
bottle of iced tea on his way to check out.

The whole time, his mind was buzzing, a relentless chatter that pushed a headache into his temples.
He didn’t want to think about it, he wanted to enjoy his chunky jambalaya.

It would be easy, dropping this relationship with Lan Zhan. That’s what Wei Ying wanted to say,
but he absolutely knew it wouldn’t. For something that was gaining track like this, a wildfire
started by human means for the sole purpose of spreading over wild brush, it was smart to douse it
quickly before it got out of hand.

He couldn’t bring himself to make it stop, not because he was low on Phos-Chek, but because he
couldn’t bring himself to cut ties with Lan Zhan. They could end the relationship and go back to
being simply friends, but in order to make it all end with the media efficiently, they would have to
keep a distance from each other for a while. The mere thought of missing that pause button from
his life stung.

Lan Zhan was more than just an easy reprieve from his life, though. He pushed the weight off Wei
Ying’s shoulders and held his hand. It was an intimacy Wei Ying had never had before and he
didn’t know if he could go without it again.

He ate his jambalaya slowly inside his car, the sun barely shielded from his eyes at this angle, but
his car was stifling even with the windows rolled down. His thoughts were reeling, unable to land
on a real solution— to break it off completely? To make a bigger mess? To drive a rift into their
 relationship?

It made Wei Ying worry about their future together from here on out. He could safely say he’s lost
Jiang Cheng from his side, but his niche corner on social media was backing him better than his
own family, except for the few who made themselves very loud. It wasn’t their relationship that
caused controversy, it was 2020, and more than half the country was alright with the LGBTQ+
community, but there was still an overwhelming number Wei Ying didn’t care to acknowledge.

No, it was Lan Zhan who was at stake with all this. Wei Ying was just a Youtuber who liked to
blow stuff up for money. Lan Zhan had his whole career teetering on this outcome. Wei Ying
didn’t like it one bit, would rather stay with him as long as he could, but in the end, this is
something for Lan Zhan to decide. He had no say in the matter.

His coffee from earlier was still sitting in the center console, most likely cold at this point. It made
Wei Ying mourn the three hot sips he was able to take from it. He dumped his empty jambalaya
container in the paper shopping bag and wiped his hands down on his jeans, chewing the last
chunk of meat as he unstuck the travel mug, the same one as always with bunnies doing yoga
printed around the sides, from the cup holder. A piece of paper got caught between his fingers. He
turned the mug around to see a light blue sticky note stuck to the side. Wei Ying must have missed
it when Lan Zhan passed it to him. It had gone straight from Wei Ying’s hand and forgotten in the
cupholder.

Have a good day.

It was signed with a simplified drawing of a bunny head with two little black dots for eyes, a
triangle nose, and a little upside-down Y of a mouth. Wei Ying felt every bit of tension drain from
his body as he picked off the note from the mug and stuck it to his dashboard just under his radio.
He grinned.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you for hanging on to that cliffhanger I hope this ending was much nicer <3
Next week's chapter is from Lan Zhan's point of view + a little something spicy so get
ready! I'm halfway done writing 15 right now and if I can keep this pace up I think for
the last handful of chapters I can double down and post twice a week.
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ Who knows!

Thank you so much everyone for all your lovely comments! They make me so so
happy I can't stop reading them over and over!!! Y'all are too good for me ahhh (*/▽
＼*)

Wei Ying's sunglasses

 A Pair of Socks
Chapter Summary

Lan Zhan has his own thoughts.

Chapter Notes

big thanks again to Krista and Sarah you guys save my butt. A special thanks to Alex
for having to hear me Shout about this

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Uncle wasn’t happy. Lan Zhan wasn’t allowed to go back to his apartment for the time being, for
the sake of keeping the reporters away from his address. Much to his chagrin, he was stuck inside
the family villa until things calmed down.

Lan Zhan hoped it wouldn’t be long because he wanted badly to see Wei Ying tonight, especially
after Uncle dropped his iPad on the table next to his tea with this afternoon’s article on it..

They were in the gazebo out in the gardens, carved out of the steep hillside the villa was built atop,
green with native plants and charming stone pathways. The sheer curtains enclosing the hidden
gazebo swayed in the warm spring breeze, the nearest waterfall the only sound echoing in this
corner of the property. They were tucked away on the rocky hillside overlooking the Bel Air golf
course and an unobstructed view of the Angeles National Forest. This was their own private oasis
on the edges of industrial Los Angeles, the sound of cars too far away to be heard.

Lan Zhan had already read the newest article, seen the picture of Hua Cheng and another unnamed
man pressed close to Wei Ying’s side. His face was flushed white from the camera flash, his hair
sticking to his forehead from the heat. The image was taken much too close to be comfortable,
lines of stress pressing in on his forehead. Lan Zhan hated every second of the article, every word
it claimed as the “alleged” truth. A particularly hot wind blew into the gazebo, unobstructed and
burning on his chapped skin. A stray lock of hair blew into his face.

“Your brother will be here soon and we will come up with a plan together. These people aren’t
playing by any rules and we need to stop them before they start doing us in like they are with the
Jiangs,” Uncle nodded to the article. “First of all, you need to cut ties with Wei Ying before we’re
pulled down.”

“No,” Lan Zhan asserted. He refused to turn away from the expansive view, his eyes burning from
the green hills rolling behind the neon golf course, the sky a blue so bright it made his eyes water
despite the shade.

“No? You don’t have a choice in this matter,” Uncle snipped back. “Don’t you dare defy me for
imprudent reasons.”

“I do not wish to defy you, Uncle,” Lan Zhan said coolly. “Only that your suggestion is the last
thing I want to do.”

“If you continue to play around with this boy,” Uncle spat, his face beet red. “It will only cause
problems for us in the long run.”

“Not playing around,” is all Lan Zhan could muster. There was an icy hand closing in on his heart,
squeezing it tight. It burned, so much worse than the ray of sun slipping through the curtains and
hitting his bare leg. He shifted to pull his leg back into the shade, but the ice in his chest still grew.

Uncle spluttered. “What is the meaning of all this? Are you willing to put everything on the line for
— for him?”

Before Lan Zhan could respond, he caught sight of Lan Huan climbing up the winding stone steps
to the private gazebo. He smiled and waved as he approached, his suit a bright spot of grey. He
took a seat with warm greetings between Lan Zhan and Uncle, his tie already loosened. An
attendant brought an iced tea for him and refilled the platter of fruit on the table. When she was out
of earshot, they continued.

“Everyone in the office is talking about it,” Lan Huan announced.

Lan Zhan suppressed a grimace.

“Of course they are,” Uncle grumbled. “Have you had any luck with getting a hold of the Wens?”

Lan Huan nodded. “I was able to talk to the son, Wen Xu, but he refused to let me talk to his father.
He said this is business and they aren’t going to stop because we asked nicely.”

Uncle’s eyes narrowed, his jaw set. “How much do they want?”

“... Twenty million.”

Uncle spluttered, Lan Zhan’s eyes widened.

“That’s too much for a stupid article!”

Lan Huan nodded and sighed, taking a long sip from his iced tea. “I’m working on negotiations,
but before I knew it, they already released the second article. They raised the price to forty-five.”

“What are they going to do with all that money?” Lan Zhan asked.

“Buy a new yacht, maybe a Hawaiian island. Wen Xu said they hadn’t decided yet.”

“Despicable,” Uncle hissed. He took a calming sip of his iced tea and sighed, his hands shaking.
“What do they want besides the money.”

“Attention. They’re a growing business and only one of many the Wens run. This one is the most
public and not the only news sources they hold onto.”

“That’s dangerous,” Uncle said. “It could lead to misinformation spreading, blocking real news
from reaching the people.”

“It was already thanks to them that the news of the oil spills hasn’t been gaining as much traction
and the Xue trials are hushed up,” Lan Huan agreed. “They have a hand in what people know.”

“Word still gets around,” Lan Zhan added.

“Journalism isn’t their only gig. They have an oil business in Russia, casinos in Nevada, a loan
company, and there are nasty rumors they’re linked with drug cartels.”

Lan Zhan winced. The Wens were not welcomed guests to any Lan function, no matter how much
power they had, because there were so many unlawful and unethical things linked to their name. A
major forest fire in Brazil, a dam-break in Indonesia, a housing crisis in Nevada— these things had
the Wens linked to their catalyst but there wasn’t enough proof to pin them. Too many important
people chose to look the other way.

“We need to avoid them at any cost. They’re already taking a shot at the Jiangs and are starting to
do some digging on us,” said Uncle . “Lan Zhan, you need to get rid of that boy before they dig too
deep.”

“No,” Lan Zhan asserted. His hands curled into fists in his laps.

Lan Huan frowned. “I talked to A— Jiang Cheng just before I got here. He had a, er, talk with Wei
Ying this afternoon about this.”

Lan Zhan whipped around to face him, back rigid in full attention.

“They had a nasty argument,” Lan Huan continued with a wince. “Wei Ying doesn’t sound like he
wants to stop, either.”

“Good,” Lan Zhan nodded. “Neither do I.”

“Not good!” Uncle slammed his hands on the table and stood, his face purpling. “You two don’t
get it. They’re digging up old secrets from the Jiangs for the world to see and they’ll be coming
after us next. Jiang Fengmian is going to have a hard time cleaning up after his mess and that’s
only a small scandal.”

Neither Lan Zhan or Lan Huan spoke. They both knew.

“Your father cannot be dragged into this. The Wens clearly have an agenda and it involves wiping
us out. Do you remember the Xie family from ten years ago?”

They nodded stiffly.

“This is a worst-case scenario. We have the power to stop this and that means you two need to cut
whatever this is out right now.” He pointed to Lan Zhan, a hot breeze fluttering through the gazebo
and scalding his skin. “Our money and status is old, we might be able to recover if this keeps
going, but so was the Xie family. They weren’t hiding murder.”

“There are families who are involved in bigger scandals who use money to hush everything up,”
Lan Huan pointed out. “Human trafficking, for instance.”

“We have a moral code we’ve lived by for generations, never will we earn our money through
underhanded methods. We pay our employees fairly and we give back what we can. Business is
good enough to pay our dues and help our community. We are to be good role models,” Uncle
exclaimed. “Lan Zhan, you are allowing the Wens to grab a hold of us. We have things to lose if
this goes on. Cut ties with the boy now .”

Lan Zhan couldn’t take it anymore. “I will talk to you about this later. Wei Ying will not leave my
side unless he asks for it. We will not break for the media.” He rose to his feet and gave a curt bow
of his head to his uncle and brother, then took off down the winding stone pathway to the back
patio entrance into one of the marble foyers.
The room was bright from the wide skylights over his head, the chandelier catching stray rays of
sunshine and throwing fractured light over the smooth walls and floor. Lan Zhan turned down one
of the adjacent halls, a curved, high marble space with wide windows overlooking their expansive
gardens on one side and the other made up of marble pillars with another narrow hallway running
alongside it, opening up to one of the many seating rooms with a grand piano as its centerpiece.

Lan Zhan approached the end of the hall where there was another foyer with a winding staircase
that was closer to his wing of the house, far away from his uncle and brother. The sharp click of
hurried footsteps closed in behind him. Lan Zhan walked a little faster, determined to outpace his
brother. The halls were blindingly bright at this time of day, cool from the multiple AC units and
the chilled marble interiors.

“A-Zhan!” Lan Huan hurried faster. Lan Zhan was power walking now.

Too slow, he grabbed his arm at the base of the staircase and pulled him back.

“Why won’t you listen to Uncle?” Lan Huan asked a little breathlessly.

Lan Zhan tugged his arm out from his gentle hand. “I want to be alone.”

Lan Huan stepped back. “I want to understand you. Is this kind of relationship really worth it?”

Lan Zhan shot a glare at his brother. “I love him. What else can I do?”

There was a moment Lan Huan took in his face, closely reading him like an open book. Satisfied,
he nodded with a hum. “You asked me what couples liked to do, gestures for “I love you”. This
was all for him.”

Lan Zhan didn’t say anything. Lan Huan stepped back, clasping his hands behind his back. “You
don’t need to listen to Uncle, you’re an adult now, but at least consider the consequences. Figure
out how you two will move forward from here on out.”

Lan Zhan nodded slowly then turned and went up the wide staircase. He wasn’t followed further.
He went out the French doors at the end of the hall and across the bridge connecting the second
part of the villa where Lan Zhan had his private quarters— the bedroom, bathroom, closet, sitting
room, and an office all for him. It was a lovely space he had grown up in, smaller than either his
Uncle’s or brother’s own quarters, but it was his to call home. The apartment was not nearly as
large, too large for one person.

The main room was bright with light, the French doors leading out to one of his balconies pooled
warmth into the room that was wholly unwelcomed. He could see the gazebo from here, tucked
under large trees. The gurgling of the nearest waterfall blended into the background like white
noise. He eased himself into the armchair by the unlit fireplace, sinking into the plush cushions
with a sigh.

Wei Ying had seemed distressed through his text messages earlier. From what Lan Huan had said,
it was certainly due to his argument with Jiang Cheng. He wanted to rush over to his place right
away, but it was near impossible to properly sneak out with his uncle on high alert and journalists
prowling nearby. Security had been tightened to the extremes, their whole force called in along
with additional back-up to ensure no one tried to break in. Or break out. He sank further into his
chair.

He had promised to see Wei Ying this evening. There was not a chance he would break a promise
because of some security measures and a watchful uncle. It might make him a little late and
hopefully, he will only be given some light teasing.

I love him, he had said to his brother. He loves Wei Ying. Neither had said it yet, and Lan Zhan
won’t push it until the time is right. They’ve had years together, and hopefully, many more to
come. They had all the time in the world, is what Lan Zhan wanted to believe. Singapore is a
challenge he is willing to face for him, whether he chose to come along or not. Regardless, it was
up to Wei Ying in the end and he will respect his decision. They do say distance makes the heart
grow fonder, but Lan Zhan could feel his heart threaten to burst at the thought of leaving him
behind.

The day was slipping away into a warm evening and soon Wei Ying will wonder when he’s
coming. There was no way he could sneak out with his car without security, the journalists, and his
uncle noticing. He might have to take the back way out, which involved hopping a few fences and
walking alongside the valley hiking path until he reached a road, but no matter.

He changed into light clothes and a pair of comfortable shoes he didn’t mind getting dirty. He
texted Wei Ying he will be there within an hour then pocketed his phone and wallet.

The villa had security cameras on most of the exterior, but Lan Zhan had already marked a secret
getaway route through the meager blindspots. There was a gate at the far end of the property that
led to the back of the private golf course, which trailed into the national park. If he was careful
with his timing, he could slip out unnoticed.

It was tricky timing himself just right to slip past the cameras around the main building, then it was
easy to work through the winding garden paths out of sight from security. He would have to scale
the fence behind a tree, riddled with climbing star jasmine flowers that exuded their sweet smell.

He had never climbed a fence before, his hands and knees wobbling less from the strain and more
from the anxiety of it. He scraped his knee pulling himself over the sharp wrought iron edges,
tearing a hole into his thin pants. He landed too hard on his feet on the other side and stumbled
briefly before straightening up. The smell of jasmine clung to his clothes and skin.

The golf course was empty around him, but he still stuck close to the fence and the shade of the
sparse trees, the bright green of the grass blinding him almost as much as the blaring sky tipped in
pale gold. The day had barely started to cool down, heat still clinging to artificial surfaces and a
cool breeze pushed through the stifling air to brush in a chilly evening. It was a bit of a walk to
work through the golf course, until he reached the edge and scaled that high chain-link fence and
landed hard on the dry brush just shy of the park trail. He took a moment to catch his breath, dirt
already dusting his shoes.

He dabbed the sweat starting to bead at his forehead and took one last, leveling breath, then headed
down the steep hill onto the path which should lead him to the park entrance where he could call
an Uber.

As he’d promised, he arrived in under an hour to Wei Ying’s apartment complex. The dilapidated
side with barred windows was a little jarring after stepping out of his sprawling villa, but in a way,
he liked the little apartment much better than the echoing halls and eyes on him from every
direction. It was messy, tiny, and homey.

Wei Ying answered the door with a bright grin, eyes red-rimmed and heavy despite the warmth
radiating from his face. His hair was down, damp and curling around his neck.

“Your little family home is on lockdown, how did you escape?” He asked with a charming laugh.
A bubble of joy brewed in Lan Zhan’s chest from the sweet sound. He felt himself relax almost
immediately as he was let into the small space. There were two laptops amidst a mess of notebooks
and textbooks on the table, a cold coffee sitting half-drunk like a beaconing tower.

“I climbed the fence and went through the Bel-Air golf course,” Lan Zhan said matter-of-factly.

Wei Ying’s eyes widened, his grin broadening. “Did you Really sneak out to see little ol’ me?”

“Of course. You asked and it was the only way I could.”

Wei Ying leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “That’s very romantic of
you.”

Lan Zhan turned his head and captured his lips into a steadying kiss. “Anything for Wei Ying.”

He giggled into his lips and tugged him toward the couch, walking backward as to not truly part
their lips, brushing sweet little “Aiyo, Lan Zhan” and “Hm mn” to his kiss. He tasted it all, savored
every brush like it was the most exquisite dessert made just for him.

“Ah, look at you,” Wei Ying chided as they sat onto the small couch. He reached up and plucked a
stray jasmine bloom from his hair. “You’re a mess.” He took a moment to pluck each little twig
and leaf from his hair, dusted off his shoulders and back, uncaring if anything got on the couch
(“I’ll vacuum later”). He frowned at the scrape on Lan Zhan’s knee.

“It’s okay. Something to clean it off would suffice,” Lan Zhan affirmed. Wei Ying nodded and
went to the kitchen to get a damp paper towel and for good measures, a bandaid and some
Neosporin.

“Put your leg up. Dr. Wei will take care of you,” Wei Ying said, patting his thigh as he sat back on
the couch.

“I’m certain you don’t have a medical degree,” Lan Zhan teased, propping his leg up on the
offered lap.

“You don’t need one if you’re a quack like me,” Wei Ying joked back. He carefully rolled up Lan
Zhan’s pant leg, but paused. “Cute socks,” he snorted.

They were Lan Zhan’s favorites. Black with white bunnies and yellow stars. He had several pairs
with bunnies on them, but these ones were the softest. Wei Ying laughed and pressed a finger into
one of the bunnies.

“Have you always worn fun socks but I’ve never seen them because they’re tucked away or is this
a one time thing?” Wei Ying teased, a soft smile tilting his lips. He started cleaning away the dried
blood and dirt stuck to his skin, careful around the already clotted wound. His hands were gentle,
clammy from his warm skin and the damp paper towel.

“Only recently. I have eleven pairs now.”

“All with bunnies or do you have more patterns?”

Lan Zhan shook his head. “One has pine trees.”

“Mn. That’s very cute. There, all done.” Wei Ying smoothed the bandaid over then bent down to
kiss the covered wound. It was barely a scab, more dirty than actually injured, but it made Lan
Zhan’s ears flush from the attention.
“You know,” Wei Ying said, sitting up to lean into Lan Zhan’s space. “I said I’d give you a treat
for helping me yesterday.”

“There’s no reason,” Lan Zhan started to say, but quickly shut his mouth with the heady look in his
eye as he licked his pink lips.

“Do you not want my payment?” Wei Ying whined, high and teasing. “I prepared a treat for you
and you won’t accept it, that’s very mean.” He ran his hand up Lan Zhan’s thigh, dragging close to
his stirring arousal.

Lan Zhan gulped.

“No one’s home tonight. Won’t be for a little while.” He cupped Lan Zhan’s crotch, rubbing the
heel of his palm into his heat. Arousal pooled deep in his core, his cock jerked under his hand.

“I took a quick shower when you said you’re on your way. To clean myself up for you.” Wei Ying
leaned in further and tugged Lan Zhan’s pink earlobe between his teeth.

Lan Zhan’s breath stuttered. His body moved unconsciously toward Wei Ying, curling into his
touch. He could feel his hardness pressing into the back of his knees.

“Want me to ride you? Or bend me over the coffee table and fuck me good? You can fuck my
mouth or,” he licked Lan Zhan’s ear, his voice raspy with arousal. “I can put on a show. Get a dildo
and fuck myself in front of you. I won’t come until you let me.”

An animalistic sound tore from his throat, his mind reeling over the possibilities.

“Bed,” he growled, grabbing Wei Ying’s waist and shifting to pull him completely on top of him, a
mirror of yesterday but with an added heat.

“Not a good idea,” Wei Ying said. “I padlocked the door in case they come home, but the bed is a
high nope, I don’t even jack off in it.”

Lan Zhan pulled back just enough to showcase his frown.

“No bed frame and I share the room with Wen Ning.”

“You sleep on a mattress on the floor?” Lan Zhan asked incredulously.

“No sheets either. I keep forgetting to put them on since I washed them last week,” Wei Ying
grinned sheepishly. “The couch will do, we just gotta be careful. So.” He leaned in close, dragging
his teeth over Lan Zhan’s throat to illicit shivers up his spine. “How should I take your cock?”

He made a mental note to check the mattress size before he left and order a bed frame, maybe one
for Wen Ning and Wen Qing if they were the same. Perhaps a whole new bed completely if the
mattress was bad enough.

Another bite to his throat had him stuttering back down to Wei Ying on top of him.

“Tell me what you want,” he breathed, lips hot against his throat, his hips rolling languidly over
Lan Zhan’s building arousal.

“You.”

“Me? What else?”

Lan Zhan gulped. Wei Ying nipped his Adam’s apple. “Anything you want.”

“I’ll ride you into the floor, how about that?” Wei Ying rose fully on his knees and shucked down
his athletic shorts. He wasn’t wearing underwear, his cock already hard and flushed. It took a
moment of maneuvering around to wiggle out of his shorts and pulled Lan Zhan’s cock out until he
was finally straddling Lan Zhan’s hips, wearing nothing but a thin sleeveless shirt, his cock pressed
on top of Lan Zhan’s chinos. He bit his lip and rolled his hips languidly, pressing their hardness
together, and moaned.

“Want me to finger myself open? Or do you wanna do it? I can suck your dick, too,” Wei Ying
suggested, his face shamelessly pink.

“Let me do it,” Lan Zhan said breathlessly.

Wei Ying wiggled his arm between the couch cushions and pulled out a half-empty bottle of lube.
He passed the bottle to Lan Zhan, then leaned back and spread his legs wide to bare his furled
hole. His skin was warm and soft under Lan Zhan’s touch, a bit humid from the recent shower. He
coated his fingers in lube and rubbed the soft hole gently, feeling it twitch under his ministrations.
Wei Ying let out a breathy gasp. The first press of his finger pushing inside elicited a deep,
stuttering breath. He slowly pumped his finger in and out, lube slick between his thighs.

Lan Zhan could spend hours stretching Wei Ying open, pressing his thumb to his perineum until he
was whining and shaking under his hands. Perhaps he could one day lay Wei Ying out on a bed
and push and pull, see how many fingers Wei Ying could take until he fell apart. Then keep going
to see if he could take more fingers, stretch him wide and gaping until he could only flutter
uselessly around open air. His hip involuntarily jerked at the thought.

Wei Ying was moaning loudly, leaned back to grip Lan Zhan’s thighs for support and bared his
whole body to him, thighs shaking. Three fingers deep with his pinky tracing his stretched hole.
Lan Zhan hesitated for a moment, his eyes lingering on Wei Ying’s flushed and shivering body,
then slid his fingers completely out only to press back in with four.

A shudder wracked through Wei Ying’s body with the new stretch, his hole accommodating
pleasantly as he twitched around Lan Zhan’s fingers, mouth wide and moaning high in his throat.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, that’s so good, really good,” he gasped. His arms were shaking under him.
“I bet I could take your whole hand, like- gah! - like you could fist my hole until I come around
your hand, then you can fuck my stretched out hole until I come on your cock.”

Lan Zhan loved how filthy his mouth was, and could never bring himself to gag him. Wei Ying
was so shameless, unabashedly filthy with his tongue, and it made him steam with heat.

“Another time,” he agreed. He spread his four fingers wide and fucked slowly into Wei Ying. His
arms finally gave out, fully collapsing atop Lan Zhan’s legs, his knees still bent under him. His
back arched in aborted, jerking motions, his cock hard and red with pearly drops of precome
dripping down the length.

Lan Zhan grabbed him by the hips and dragged him up his body until the crease of his ass and his
bared, stretched hole was pressed against his cock. Wei Ying cried out and jerked in his gasp. It
took a moment for him to heave a solid breath of air before he could shakily push himself up to his
knees, hovering over Lan Zhan with his cock lined up to his wet hole.

“Make sure to keep it inside me, ‘kay? Wen Qing would kill me if there were cum stains on the
couch.” Wei Ying licked his lips and dropped down on his cock, swallowing it into his velvety
heat. A moan wracked through his body, his chest heaved from the penetration.

It felt so good being inside Wei Ying, the throbbing pressure gripping his sensitive member. He
dug his fingers into Wei Ying’s hips, his nails scraping red lines into the soft skin where his tan
line began. Every clench, every dragging slide, shot a bolt of heat to Lan Zhan’s core and dragged
him toward the peak of pleasure. His back was sweaty against the couch cushions, his hairline
trickling with heat. He could live under Wei Ying like this forever if he could.

“I’m going to fuck myself on your cock like I did with that dildo in the tub,” Wei Ying said lowly.
“I’ll ride you until I come, make myself feel good, and then you can fuck me until you come inside
me.”

Lan Zhan nodded stiffly. Wei Ying licked his lips with a smile then started to move. He lifted his
hips high enough until Lan Zhan’s cock almost slipped out into the cool air, then dropped down
hard. He ripped a moan out of Lan Zhan, fucking himself hard on his cock with his whole body.
Every clenth as he dragged his hole off, every slick inch of heat as he dropped back down hard
enough for their skin to slap almost painfully. His zipper must be scraping against his sensitive
thighs, but Wei Ying didn’t seem to care.

Each moan was shredded in his throat, stilted and jagged from his own sharp thrusts as he bounced
on Lan Zhan’s cock. His whole body moved to take Lan Zhan, his chest heaving from exertion and
sweat dripped down his neck and temples. Lan Zhan wanted to surge up and lick it from his skin,
but a hard hand on his abdomen kept him pressed into the couch, helpless under Wei Ying’s
onslaught.

He suddenly stopped with a heavy gasp, face and chest red and hair stuck to his cheeks. Lan Zhan
raised his hand to brush away stray locks and ask if he should move. Wei Ying was heaving, his
whole body shivering around his cock. Lan Zhan was so hot, electricity running across his skin and
sensitive to the touch, he felt he could come with just a little more. Wei Ying’s grip around his
cock always felt so good, and right now it was molten fire driving through his blood, burning him
from the inside out.

Wei Ying took in a deep, shuddering breath, and leaned back to gather his feet under him to crouch
over his hips. Lan Zhan’s cock slipped out momentarily, but Wei Ying grabbed it, gave it a few
good, firm strokes that left Lan Zhan buzzing and his toes curling, then sank back onto it. Like this,
leaned back with one hand braced on Lan Zhan’s calf and the other gripping the back of the couch,
Wei Ying was stretched out for Lan Zhan to see and the power of his thrusts were pulled from his
whole leg. He started moving again at the new angle, more powerful, faster, harder. Lan Zhan
weakly scrambled to grip his thighs, his waist, anything he could hold onto that was Wei Ying to
bring himself down from the buzzing haze of pleasure.

He pulled Wei Ying’s cock, pushing his head right there under the head and his mouth dropped
open in a silent cry. Cum spurted out, splattering across his thighs and Lan Zhan’s hand, dripping
down over his clothes. Wei Ying’s whole body shook, his head tipped back as his eyes rolled. Lan
Zhan barely grabbed hold of his hips, planted his feet into the couch, and fucked upward into Wei
Ying’s body shaking in the grasps of an orgasm. Wei Ying screamed.

Lan Zhan only managed to fuck up once, twice, three times into his convulsing body before he
came deep inside, his walls clenched tight around his member. He whined low in his throat, his
hips jerked and twitched with the tumbling pleasure.

Wei Ying slumped into the side of the couch, mouth open wide as he heaved to catch his breath.
Sweat dripped down his jaw, pooling in his collarbones, his shirt clung to his chestLan Zhan
couldn’t take his eyes off him, framed in the golden evening glow from the window, a hazy halo of
light made him shine bright like an ethereal deity of beauty.

I love you sat on the tip of his tongue, but he could not work his jaw properly.

“Oh my god,” Wei Ying gasped. He tumbled forward into Lan Zhan’s arms and pressed hazy
kisses to his face, giggling when he kept missing his mouth. “I need to work out more if I’m gonna
do that again. My thighs and abs burn.”

“You’re very strong,” Lan Zhan praised. He gently pushed Wei Ying down to lay flat on the couch
up against him, his cock slipping out with a slick sound. He held Wei Ying close, letting their
breaths even out and the heart rate slow to a steady thrum. The AC hit the couch just right, sending
goosebumps over Wei Ying’s bare skin, his warm breath tickled Lan Zhan’s neck.

He groaned. “Lan Zhan~ that was so good but I’m so tired now. I want a bath in your big bathtub.”

“My apartment is still out of question for the time being, but I can hose you down in the yard.”

Wei Ying snorted. “We don’t have a hose.”

“I’ll buy one.”

He guffawed at that.

The cum was drying against his skin, tacky and itchy. Most of it was on Lan Zhan’s shirt, but the
little on his skin made him very uncomfortable. Wei Ying must be much worse off with it sticky
between his legs, dripping from his hole and down his thigh. Lan Zhan gulped and wiped away the
image, Wei Ying was still breathing too hard to go another round.

Instead, he gently rolled Wei Ying off him and rose to his feet, ignoring his whines. He found the
bathroom, a small thing no bigger than a closet, with mold on the ceiling, and found a washcloth to
soak with water. He went back to the couch where Wei Ying was shamelessly sprawled across the
couch, the AC making whisps of his drying hair flutter. Lan Zhan wiped off the remnants of cum
off both of them then went back to drop the washcloth into the bathroom hamper.

He went into Wei Ying’s and Wen Ning’s room on the way back both for a new shirt and to check
out the bed situation. It was a cramped space with two small mattresses amongst the piles of
clothes and garbage. Wen Ning’s bed was neatly made, the grey comforter pulled up smooth and
neat with a little worn down teddy bear leaning against the propped up decorative pillow. Wei
Ying’s bed was the naked mattress with a flat duvet crumpled at the foot, the pillow half on the
floor. Laundry, stacks of supposedly clean clothes, and a wrinkled bed set made the bed feel nest-
like. He found a black shirt in the pile of supposed clean clothes to change into (he sniffed it to
double check) and left back down the short hall.

Wei Ying had put his shorts back on, his eyes closed and his breathing deep and even. Lan Zhan
crawled back onto the couch, laying himself completely atop of him.

“Hmm, yeah.” Wei Ying’s arms wrapped around his waist and held him steady as Lan Zhan buried
his face into Wei Ying’s neck, taking a deep, steadying breath. He smelt good, like soap and
something spicy. He pressed a kiss to his neck, felt Wei Ying hum rumble under him. This was
nice.

Everything slipped from his shoulders into a pile of goo on the floor. Wrapped up in Wei Ying like
this made him want to sew himself to Wei Ying’s side against his Uncle’s orders. If it was
possible, he wanted to wake up every day with Wei Ying. The upcoming Singapore trip would be
unbearable if he couldn’t kiss him every morning and love him every night, but it was all Wei
 Ying’s choice. He would never force him to step away from his busy life for a year to sate Lan
Zhan’s heart.

Clicking from the door interrupted their pleasant silence. Someone was trying to unlock the door.

“Shit.” Wei Ying sat up, Lan Zhan climbed off him completely and rose to his feet.

There was a thunk from the door as someone pushed against it but got caught in the chain lock.

“Wei Ying!” Wen Qing’s muffled yell came from behind the door. “What the hell? You think
someone’s gonna break in while you’re home?!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Wei Ying stumbled over and unlatched the lock. Lan Zhan stood a bit behind him,
suddenly unsure what to do with himself.

The door swung open and both Wen Qing and Wen Ning stood at the door looking weary and
ruffled. Wei Ying gasped. “What’s going on?”

“Granny collapsed,” Wen Qing pushed into the tight entryway, a duffle bag over her shoulder.
Little A-Yuan, who had been out of sight from Lan Zhan, shuffled in holding Wen Ning’s leg. His
small face was pale, his eyes red rimmed.

“Hello, Lan Zhan,” Wen Ning greeted. “Sorry about all this.”

“Mn, it’s no worries.”

“Aiyo, little A-Yuan, come here.” Wei Ying dropped to his knees and opened his arms wide. A-
Yuan’s lip trembled, eyes swimming with fresh tears, as he threw himself into Wei Ying’s arms
with a muffled sob.

“He was so smart and brave, calling 911 for help when she fell,” Wen Qing explained lowly over
A-Yuan’s crying as Wei Ying rubbed soothing circles into his back. “She’s in the hospital right
now with Uncle Four watching her while we went to gather his stuff and bring him home. She
hasn’t woken up and by the looks of it, won’t be out of there for a while.”

“Moving in much earlier than expected,” Wei Ying sighed and peeked over his shoulder where
Lan Zhan was standing just out of the fray at the front door. “Sorry about this, Lan Zhan. Wen
Yuan wasn’t supposed to start living with me until July when the lease was up and we moved to a
bigger place, but it looks like I’ll be taking him in a lot sooner than expected.”

Chapter End Notes

We've reached roughly the halfway point can you believe it! I should be finishing the
second half much faster than the fist (no midterms or finals to slow me down). I plan
on a double update here and there both bc they're paired chapters and I wanna try and
get this done before NaNoWriMo. I want to write my novel ＼(＾▽＾)／
Thank you so, so much everyone for all your comments and kudos!!! ya'll are the
absolute sweetest! You're also safe from the angst for a little bit longer I have two
fluffy chapters and two smutty chapters coming next before I dig into your chest.

Thank you again! Thank you!! aaah I can't stop saying it you guys make me so happy!
see you next week (≧▽≦)/
 A Prize
Chapter Summary

Lan Zhan is really too good to Wei Ying.

Chapter Notes

SO SORRY for the delay it's just been a busy weekend. Thank you so much Sarah and
Krista for all your hard work and dealing with my weird ramblings on top of betaing
you guys are the BEST.

I really really love this chapter I'm so happy to show yall it finally it had MULTIPLE
scenes I've been sitting on for ages. Hope you enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It was hard suddenly having to reshape their lives to accommodate a child. The apartment barely fit
the three of them, already messy and clobbered together just to make ends meet. They had already
been in the process of taking A-Yuan in, but they weren’t nearly ready. The following day,
everyone took time off work and class to completely clean up and childproof the whole apartment
in order to make room for their new little roommate while A-Yuan was at school.

Lan Zhan was a godsend. That morning, there was a delivery of new bedframes for everyone,
including a whole new bed for A-Yuan, and a week’s supply of groceries for A-Yuan’s school
lunches. It saved them a trip to the market when they were already struggling to budget in a fourth
mouth.

The landlord wasn’t pleased at all. He threatened to call the cops on them, to sue, but it took Wei
Ying physically going down to the main office and begging them to allow it. Despite their lease
nearly being up, the rent for that month skyrocketed because of the fourth person.

“Who told him?” Wen Qing growled when Wei Ying came back to report the news.

Neither he nor Wen Ning could answer.

“Someone probably saw and snitched. I hate this fucking place. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

They already had a few places they were looking at, but Wei Ying was looking for a small condo
or townhouse. The original plan was for him to buy the place and for the Wens to rent out to him
for a bit until they found a place to buy for themselves. Wen Ning was transferring to Wei Ying’s
university this year with scholarship funds and Wen Qing planned on moving one more time
before settling down in a place of her own.

It would take years to properly pay off his student loans at this rate, especially with the whole
system working against him, but with a combination of Youtube funds and his engineering work,
he’s guaranteed a hefty paycheck once he can land himself a proper job. This thesis project had so
much riding on it and Wei Ying was sure he’d get himself possibly a six digit income if he played
his cards right. California, especially Los Angeles, was amongst the most expensive places to live,
but there was no way he could leave this city for anywhere else.

If he had to settle for a rental for another year, that was fine by him, as long as he could properly
raise A-Yuan in it. He was hoping for a one and done, to find a potentially permanent home with
this next move, but prospects were looking bleak with how high the market was climbing. A-Yuan
had already moved houses three times now, three new families, in his short four years and Wei
Ying wanted to stop that. It wasn’t good for a child to have so much instability, especially in a
place meant to protect him.

The first week living with A-Yuan was rocky. They couldn’t pick him up from school until the
final six o’clock mark, right before the school closed. He was the last kid there, waiting in the
office with the after school teacher with a book on stars and his face drawn with exhaustion. He
was quiet during dinner and went to bed early every night. On Friday, he couldn’t bring himself to
play much when he and Wei Ying stumbled home after seven, having been stuck in stop-and-go
traffic after a quick dinner in a Wendy’s parking lot.

Wei Ying’s heart ached. They visited Granny when they could, but she was still too weak for
proper visitations. Her surgery was scheduled for the following week, when Wei Ying planned to
take the whole day off to make sure he was right there with Wen Ning and Wen Qing.

After A-Yuan was ushered to bed, Lan Zhan called.

“Are you free tomorrow?” He asked.

Wei Ying sighed. “I guess? There’s a lot going on and I need to stick around with A-Yuan for a bit.
Is it okay if we hold off on any dates for the time being? I’m really sorry.”

“You don’t ever need to be sorry. I wanted to take the both of you out and get your minds off
things if that’s possible,” Lan Zhan said sweetly. Wei Ying’s heart swelled. “If you have too much
going on, we can go another time.”

“I was going house hunting again tomorrow but… I’m sure A-Yuan wouldn’t mind a day out like
last weekend.”

“Mn. How does eleven sound? We can get lunch and go to Santa Monica Pier.”

Wei Ying perked up. “I haven’t been since middle school! We can make it a surprise for A-Yuan,
I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“See you tomorrow. Sleep well,” Lan Zhan said. “Wear sunscreen.”

“I will! Sleep tight, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying loudly blew a kiss into the phone and hung up.

He made sure A-Yuan didn’t know what was happening when Lan Zhan pulled up to the
apartment the next morning in a whole new car. A silver Lexus with a new car smell.

“Rental,” he said. “I snuck out again.”

“Breaking the rules for little ol’ me?” Wei Ying teased, fluttering his lashes.

“Thank you, rich gege,” A-Yuan said sweetly from the back, a smear of white sunscreen on his
pink cheeks.
“Mn. You’re welcome,” Lan Zhan said,

“Are you excited?” Wei Ying turned and asked, giving him his full attention.

“I dunno what’s happening, how can I be excited?”

“It’s a surprise! A surprise is always exciting!” Wei Ying prompted. This kid!

A-Yuan gave him a toothy smile, his whole face scrunched up.

Wei Ying laughed. “You’re silly!”

“You’re sillier.”

“You’re silly looking.”

“You’re silliest looking.”

The drive over wasn’t so bad, only some light traffic pulled them to a near forty-minute ride over.
Lan Zhan had upbeat classical music playing the whole way, with A-Yuan swaying and humming
along offbeat.

“The beach! I don’t have my swimsuit!” A-Yuan gasped when the first sight of the green-blue
water peeked between the buildings.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” Wei Ying promised.

“A wheel!” A-Yuan was bouncing in his seat, pointing to the arching Ferris wheel standing
proudly on the pier.

“Do you want to ride it?” Lan Zhan asked.

“Yes! I want to go way up high and see the sky!”

“Okay.” Lan Zhan pulled into the jam-packed parking lot and A-Yuan started cheering.

It was a Saturday at the start of spring break season, the boardwalk packed with people and the
blazing sun broken by the ocean wind. The temperature had dropped considerably from the
previous week, down to a nice, warm day with cool shades and strong winds. Wei Ying squinted
from behind his sunglasses at the blindingly bright beach, packed with people despite the easy
spring air and the chilly waters.

A-Yuan was forced to hold Wei Ying’s hand because the moment they entered the pier, he took off
toward a cotton candy vendor and nearly got run over by a stroller.

“Do you want one so bad you’re willing to get knocked off the pier for it?” Wei Ying chided.

“I want one really, really badly. A pink one because it might be cherry and I like cherry.”

“After we have real food, then you can have some sweets.” He started to drag him away, but Lan
Zhan stepped up to the vendor and paid for a pink cotton candy. A-Yuan was enthralled with the
process as the vendor dipped the paper cone in and swirled it around the spun sugar. He passed the
cotton candy to Lan Zhan with a cheery thanks. A-Yuan took the presented treat with a look of
awe, his eyes bright.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying tried.

“It’s only a little sugar.”

It was pure sugar, but what’s done is done. Lan Zhan bought wristbands for unlimited rides and
games and told A-Yuan, “Have fun.”

A-Yuan was a sugar-powered coaster of his own— running from ride to ride with Wei Ying and
Lan Zhan in tow. They ate soft pretzels from a cart for a light lunch between the third and fourth
rides. A-Yuan was too short to ride the huge roller coaster, but completely forgot about it when he
and Wei Ying squeezed on the smaller version of the ride that ran in a near-circular track. Wei
Ying waved from the peak of the ride at Lan Zhan where he stood on the ground, shielding his
eyes from the sun to watch them.

A-Yuan was screaming and bubbling with laughter, cheeks flushed pink from the sun and joy. He
turned into a ball of energy, bouncing and buzzing between each ride. Lan Zhan bought Wei Ying
an iced coffee and A-Yuan Dippin’ Dots, then a towering funnel cake for them to share under the
shade of a plastic umbrella. Seagulls were swooping in dangerously close around the tables, one
nearly clipping A-Yuan over the head.

They took a break from rides after that to play arcade games. A-Yuan was having tough luck
winning any of the large prizes, but still came scurrying over to give Lan Zhan and Wei Ying the
little things he won.

As they headed out of the arcade area back toward the rides, A-Yuan stopped suddenly.
Surrounded by a whole swarm of kids, was a ring toss floating on a large tub of water, with huge
prizes hanging from the colorful eaves. In particular, his eyes were on a giant plush white and grey
bunny with a big lavender bow around its neck. It was easily larger than A-Yuan, with glassy eyes
and a sweet, stitched in smile. A-Yuan wasn’t walking, but stood staring at the huge bunny
swaying in the ocean breeze.

“Gege,” A-Yuan whined. He turned to Wei Ying and Lan Zhan with a pout, eyes wide and
glittering in his exaggerated pleading puppy face. He held his little hands up to his chest and
cocked his head to really complete the image. “Gege… I want the bunny.”

“Go ahead and try, we’re in no rush.” Wei Ying waved to the crowded ring toss in permission. A-
Yuan perked up and ran over to join the bustling crowd.

It took a little bit of him worming to the front to get his wristband scanned and passed three rings.
Wei Ying and Lan Zhan came over to watch him use his whole body to throw a ring around one of
the purple rimmed bottles, a first prize winner. He missed all three, and paid again for another
round. He missed, but landed a yellow bottle— a little frog that could sit in Lan Zhan’s hand.

“Out of the way squirt, let gege try.” Wei Ying patted A-Yuan’s head and moved to the front to get
his wristband scanned when A-Yuan pouted and moved to try again. He was given the three rings
and stepped back until he was a few yards away from the board.

“Hey, hey! Move out of the way, I’m gonna toss!” Kids shuffled out of Wei Ying’s way, eyes wide
and phones raised. A-Yuan ran up to stand behind him and grip his leg. Lan Zhan gave him a
thumbs up.

He tossed the ring and it flew gracefully into the air and landed with a twirl around the purple
bottle. The small crowd erupted into cheers and Wei Ying tossed his second, landing on a blue
bottle. They cheered louder, jumping up and down in excitement. Wei Ying turned around and
walked forward until he was at the other side of the walkway next to the wack-a-mole both.
Without turning, he tossed the final ring over his head. It landed with a ting, bouncing across the
bottles then landed on the neck of another purple one. The kids were going wild, screaming
themselves hoarse over the show. Wei Ying gave them a bow and came back over to collect his
prizes.

The large bunny was passed to A-Yuan. He squealed in excitement, holding it close and rubbing
his face into its large head. It was way bigger than him and Wei Ying worried for a second the
landlord would yell at him for bringing home a fifth roommate.

His other first-place prize was a giant stuffed gator. Wei Ying gave it to the nearest child, a little
girl with her hair braided into butterfly clips and she was over the moon with excitement as she
took it with a very loud “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

The second-place prize was a smaller version of the giant bunny for A-Yuan, but black and with a
little red bow. With a swooping bow, he presented the prize to Lan Zhan, who patted it on the head
and tucked it into his backpack, its head sticking out of the top.

A-Yuan couldn’t walk and hold his new friend because the bunny had a whole extra foot on top of
him, and Wei Ying didn’t want to carry it around so Lan Zhan ran it back to the car. They had
sandwiches at the cafeteria for an early dinner then rode and re-rode a few more rides. A-Yuan was
slowing down, so they took him on one last ride on the merry-go-round and ended the day with a
tour around the little aquarium that sank under the boardwalk.

They left as the sun was setting, walking quietly back to the car with A-Yuan in Wei Ying’s arms.

“Hey,” Wei Ying said quietly, as to not disturb A-Yuan.

“Mn,” Lan Zhan answered.

“Thanks for today. We had fun.”

“Mn.”

“You don’t have to go this far for me, you know? I really appreciate it, though.”

“I wanted to. You two had fun.”

Wei Ying smiled. His cheeks hurt from grinning all day and his feet were sore. “Did you have
fun?”

“Of course.”

They reached the car and A-Yuan was roused awake, looking too sleepy to function. Lan Zhan had
buckled their new roommate in the back seat and the little black bunny buckled in the middle seat.
A-Yuan laughed.

As they climbed into the front and prepared to leave, Wei Ying’s phone rang with a call from his
manager. He gave Lan Zhan a grimace and answered.

“Hey, Wei Ying, sorry to disturb you,” his manager said way too brightly. Oh no.

“It’s no problem, what’s going on?”

“We have a couple of machines down in lab 12b, can you run down and reboot and recalibrate
everything? Then we’ll need you to do a check on the programs to make sure nothing got broken.”

Wei Ying grimaced even harder. “Ah, I’m a bit far from the lab at the moment. Is there someone
else who can check?”

“Unfortunately, you’re the last person I’ve called and everyone said no. You’ll get paid for a full
four hours if you hop in there for an hour and look.” His manager knew exactly what to say. He
pinched the bridge of his nose and quietly seethed.

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be there in less than an hour.”

“Thank you so much. See you Monday.”

“See you Monday,” he said in faux cheerfulness. He hung up and sighed. “Work. I’m sorry to ask
you this, but can you watch A-Yuan for an hour or so? We can just go to my place and I’ll take my
car over. Wen Qing and Wen Ning aren’t at home tonight.”

“I can take care of it.” He said that, but he gripped the wheel harder.

Wei Ying frowned. “I can ask Yanli if you really can’t, I won’t force you.”

Lan Zhan shook his head and started the car. “I will take care of him.”

Ah, Wei Ying realized. Has he never been alone with a kid before? He didn’t have any little nieces
or nephews to dote on, nor was Wei Ying aware of any cousins with kids. He’s nervous.

“You’ll be fine. He’s a good kid,” Wei Ying promised.

They managed to skirt through traffic with only a bump here or there and made it in record time to
Wei Ying’s apartment. A-Yuan was still sort of awake and walked next to them to the door, but he
was sure to nod off again soon. Wei Ying let them in and dropped the large bunny in a dining
chair, tucked into the table like it was looking over Wei Ying’s notes. A-Yuan was a little more
awake now and went to go wash his hands and change, upon Wei Ying’s orders, before coming
back to dragging the bunny from its chair to the living room.

“I’ll be off,” Wei Ying announced, emerging from his room with a fresh change of clothes. “Be
good while er-gege watches you. Mwah.” He placed a big kiss on the top of A-Yuan’s head and
another on Lan Zhan’s cheek as he headed for the door. “Make yourself at home. If you’re hungry,
I can bring home a second dinner.”

He only realized how wholly domestic the whole exchange was when he was halfway to work. It
felt… nice. Not something he really grew up having, not even with the Jiangs. A distant memory,
perhaps, from before his parents passed.

The Jiangs were kind to take him into the family, his uncle was warmhearted and gave him warmer
hugs of unconditional love. Those promises still stood firmly today, but Wei Ying could never
cash in on a visit with Madam Yu breathing poison down his neck— and now with Jiang Cheng
growling at him.

They hadn’t spoken since the argument. This was the longest they’ve gone apart from each other
since Wei Ying ran away and was radio silent to all of his calls and messages. It left a hollow
feeling he had hoped to never experience again.

The job was quick, the machines easy to turn back on and there were no problems with the servers
or programs. He left in under an hour and headed back, making a quick detour to pick up food
because he could go for habanero miso ramen. He got veggie ramen for Lan Zhan and a pork
chashu rice bowl for A-Yuan. Just in case, he ordered food for Wen Ning and Wen Qing for when
they eventually came back home hungry.
He was waiting in the ramen shop parking lot for his order to be ready when his phone rang. A
shock of something painful pulsed through his system, a quick flash of pain at the ghost of Jiang
Cheng’s snarl echoed through his memory.

“Hey!” Wei Ying greeted cheerily.

“Hi, A-Ying, what’s going on?” Yanli asked gently, her smooth voice brushing down his bristled
skin.

“Ah, doing well. I’m getting ramen A-Yuan, Lan Zhan, and I. Hey, hey, listen.” A grin split over
Wei Ying’s face. “Lan Zhan surprised A-Yuan with a trip to the Santa Monica Pier today. We had
so much fun, and I won A-Yuan a giant stuffed bunny. It’s bigger than him, I don’t know what i
was thinking ‘cause there’s no place to put it.”

She laughed brightly. “I’m so glad! Are they with you now? I would love to say hello to A-Yuan.”

“No, I’m by myself. Lan Zhan has him.”

She hummed. “How are you holding up?”

Wei Ying chewed back a grimace. “I’m doing great. We’re struggling a bit with the extra body
under our roof— ah, did I tell you? Granny collapsed and A-Yuan is under our care for, well,
permanently most likely.”

“I’m so sorry! Will she be okay?”

“It’s hard to say.” He gulped. “Wen Qing has an eye on her.”

“She’ll be fine then. If you need any help with A-Yuan— advice, an extra hand, a day off— I’m
only a phone call away.”

Jiang Yanli knew how to wrap a warm blanket over Wei Ying’s shoulders with just a simple phone
call. He missed her so much, missed her even though he just saw her recently, but most of it laid in
the yearning for his former years before everything fell apart, before he ran away.

“You’re not… going to ask about everything?” He can’t go breaking this spell, but he needed to
know. If possible, he would like to play pretend.

She hummed. Wei Ying shrank into his seat.

“... And?”

“There’s nothing to say. You are living your life right now, what reason do these pesky people
have to display it?”

Everything melted away from Wei Ying’s bones. How could he have been so nervous? He knew
Jiang Yanli. She’s already been “exposed” countless times as Jin Zixuan’s “plain wife”, had her
private beach photos displayed on the grocery store gossip magazine front covers with blinding
arrows pointing out her stretch marks and soft belly only months after having Jin Ling, critiques
pulling her apart limb from limb yet only one incident of many.

“Mn. Tell that to Jiang Cheng.”

“I have,” she said firmly. “We got into an argument about it yesterday. Dad was involved, too.”

“Was he now?” Wei Ying shouldn’t be so surprised. Jiang Fengmian had always been on his side,
how is now any different?

“I see A-Cheng’s point about this being a danger to the family and I do agree you should at least
lie low for a while so as to not give the Wens material to hunt down, but cutting ties because of this
is completely out of the question.”

“Has he blocked your number, too?” Wei Ying asked stiffly. He had tried sending a text to Jiang
Cheng the other day in an attempt to brush everything under the rug. It bounced back as unsent and
got a text from his carrier saying it couldn’t be sent.

“He left before it could escalate. Though, A-Ying, Dad wants to talk to you.”

A cold dread sank into the pit of his stomach. “Just Uncle?”

“Just Uncle. Give him a call soon, yeah? He only wants to chat about everything and get a game
plan going. I don’t think he wants you to break it off with Lan Zhan either. He understands you
need this.”

Wei Ying didn’t know what she meant by that, but he reluctantly agreed, solely because she was
the one to ask him.

“I need to go, food’s ready.”

“I’ll let you go. Say hi to everyone for me.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

He hung up to find a text that made his blood curl.

Wen Ning
6:53pm
You’re trending on Twitter bc you were seen at Santa Monica Pier. People are wondering where
the kid came from.

There was nothing to be done. He ran inside to grab his food then drove back to the apartment. His
legs and back were sore, his whole body exhausted, but most of all, he was hungry for a lot of food.
He had ordered some sides, too— California rolls, veggie spring rolls, cream cheese wontons, and
edamame. Anything that wasn’t eaten sure would be later with four hungry, busy mouths.

He came into the apartment and found it almost dark, the sun disappearing along the pale gold
horizon and flooding the small room in a warm, evening glow.

“Hello?” he dropped the food on the kitchen counter, not a sound in the apartment. His heart was
suddenly racing, every worst-case scenario flashing through his mind. “Lan Zhan?”

There he was. Wei Ying stopped, his breath sucked out of his lungs.

Lan Zhan was laid out on the couch, his body too long to fit so his head was tilted up on one arm
and his ankles thrown over the other. The last traces of sunset gold swept over him from behind the
sliding door blinds, long lines of light caressing every lean line and curve of his body. A-Yuan was
laying on his chest, his head tucked under Lan Zhan’s chin with strong arms holding him secure.
They both breathed deeply in sleep, A-Yuan snoring ever so lightly with sticky drool glimmering
on his cheek.

Wei Ying didn’t move from the kitchen entrance, unable to pull away from the endearing sight, the
long strips of light and the background sound of moving traffic seemingly nothing more than a
hum in the peace that’s settled into the small apartment. He sighed and took out his phone, moving
closer to get a good picture of them. He got a few from a different angle, even contorting his body
weirdly as he stood in front of the blinds to catch a great upside shot of their sleeping faces without
casting a shadow in the striped light. That was set as his home screen.

He moved back to the couch edge and sat down by their heads, unable to help himself from leaning
into the side of the arm and reaching over to gently run his fingers through A-Yuan’s unruly hair.
Lan Zhan didn’t move, his breathing only audible because Wei Ying had his cheek right next to his
head.

It made him yearn for something he was never meant to have, something he never got to
experience, yet never thought he would grow up to own. A sense of domesticity settled over him,
of the love shared with the people he chose to be with unconditionally. It was only the ghost of a
memory, barely a taste in the back of his throat, of a time he could hardly recollect with the echo of
Cangse Sangren and Wei Changze. He wondered what it would be like to recreate it, to build on
his own, but always brushed the thought aside before it could take root.

Love, he thought, was something he wanted, but not something he could earn. This love was
conditional.

In this faux domesticity he had set up, for a moment, he believed he could make that feeling real. It
felt real.

“Lan Zhan,” he whispered, leaning in close to his pale ear. “Wake up. I have dinner.”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan’s eyes fluttered up. He gingerly turned his head to see Wei Ying so close. “Good
afternoon.”

“It’s sunset. Wake the little tyke up, it’s time to eat. He can’t ruin his sleep schedule so early in
life.”

Lan Zhan nudged A-Yuan awake, who lifted his head at the first gentle prod and stared at Wei
Ying in a daze.

“Dinner?” he asked softly.

“A nice big dinner. Are you hungry, little dude?”

“Mh-hm.” A-Yuan rolled off the couch with the help of Lan Zhan and waddled to the bathroom to
wash his hands.

“Tired?” Wei Ying teased as Lan Zhan slowly sat up. The back of his head was fluffed from sleep
and his eyes were heavy with drowsiness.

“Thesis work has my brain tired.”

Wei Ying laughed as he walked back to the kitchen to unload all the food. “I got you veggie ramen,
is that okay? It’s miso shiitake mushroom broth with kale noodles and tofu, plus tons of crunchy
vegetables for the rabbit in your soul.”
A smile tugged on Lan Zhan’s lips. He properly stood and stretched the kinks from his back with a
soft groan, his shirt riding up to bare the deep V of his hips.

“Did you pay for this on the card?” he asked as he came into the kitchen to wash his hands.

“I can buy food for everyone with my own money sometimes,” Wei Ying griped. “Let me treat you
to food sometimes, especially after a day like today.”

Lan Zhan frowned. “I want to buy you food.”

“You can help me clear the table. And have a brunch study date tomorrow because I’m falling
behind on my thesis work.”

Lan Zhan complied and helped him move all the school work off the table and stacked it neatly on
the counter, then helped him arrange all the food on the table. A-Yuan came out and bounced to
his seat where his bowl of rice and pork with a cup of milk sat waiting for him. He waited politely
as Wei Ying and Lan Zhan sat down and prepared their ramen, all the ingredients in three separate
containers to keep it from getting soggy during the travel.

The heat of the spice from his ramen hit Wei Ying’s face when he piled everything together in his
bowl, nearly overflowing with the heavy serving of vegetables and extra pork. It was already a
bright red from the house habanero sauce with a chili pepper strip poking out of the top, but he
added extra chili oil for good measure. He wanted his meal a dangerous shade of red, so hot he
could feel it in his eyes. He moaned around the first bite, his lips and tongue tingling with spice.
This place’s food was divine and one of the few who truly claimed to have a spicy bowl of ramen.

It was one of his and Jiang Cheng’s favorite places to go. He quickly stamped down the thought.

Wen Ning came home while they were eating, pink with the beginnings of a sunburn and
exhausted from hauling his huge archery case on the bus. He saw the giant bunny taking over the
last chair and moved to sit at the couch with the ramen.

“Ask nicely and he’ll move for you,” Wei Ying said around a mouthful of noodles.

“Ah, may I please sit here?” Wen Ning asked the bunny, holding his stacked containers of ramen.

A-Yuan leaned in close, as if hearing what the bunny had to say, then nodded. “He said okay. Put
him on the couch because his legs are too tired to walk.”

Wen Ning nodded and carefully moved the bunny to sit on the couch next to the smaller black one
of Lan Zhan’s.

“Did you see my text?” Wen Ning asked when he got settled.

“I did. I’ll check the tags later.”

He nodded and dropped the conversation. Lan Zhan gave them a level stare. Wei Ying shrugged
which he hoped translated to ‘It’s the media nonsense again’ .

They ate quietly, the AC kicked on to fill the apartment with a low hum. A-Yuan was nodding off
toward the end of the meal so Wen Ning wrapped up both their leftovers and took him to take a
shower.

“Will you be okay getting home?” Wei Ying asked as they rose to clean up.
“Mn. Brother is picking me up at the car rental place.”

“Oh, he’s in on this?” Wei Ying said cheekily.

“He’s helping me sneak in and out.”

“Ahaha look at you, breaking rules! What happened to the straight-laced goody two shoes who
landed me in detention all the time?”

“I got to know you.”

Wei Ying’s heart throbbed, his cheeks heating up. “Aiyo, you can’t be saying sweet stuff like that,
or else I’ll combust. Do you want me to blow up? Who’ll take care of A-Yuan?”

“You won’t. I’ll help you with A-Yuan.”

Lan Zhan was too sweet, his sugary interior locked away under a cold facade that scared most
people off. Wei Ying was glad to know what he was really like outside of his first impression— a
cool, hard-laced nephew of the school headmaster, an honor roll student, class president, and a
competitive zither player. Over ten years have passed since their initial meeting, atop the courtyard
roof where Wei Ying had been sneaking in late to his first day of classes. Lan Zhan had caught him
breaking almost every rule in one go—

“Your shirt is untucked, where is your tie, that isn’t the school jacket, your pants are ripped, the
chain and bracelets are not approved by the dress code, Converse are not part of the uniform,
where is your bag, no alcohol allowed on the premises…” The list went on as if Lan Zhan,
standing stiffly in the courtyard in the pale spring light, had been reading from the school rulebook.

“How am I supposed to know these things,” he had argued. Lan Zhan had held up the school
agenda book that also came with a handy rule book in the back pages, one Wei Ying tossed along
with the school coat and tie.

A fight broke out between them, which ended with Wei Ying pushing Lan Zhan into the decorative
stone fountain in the middle of the courtyard and his knees busted up, his bottle of vodka smashed
on the stone ground and wasted.

He had been tattled on to the headmaster— Lan Zhan’s own uncle, Lan Qiren— and after a
disastrous first lesson where Wei Ying bit back at the teacher, he was given detention. He sat in
the library every day for two weeks after class with Lan Zhan breathing down his neck and an after
school teacher keeping a sharp eye on them.

There was a hostility to him that made Wei Ying want to poke and prod, like a leering tiger in a
cage being poked by a short stick. He would strike when Wei Ying poked too hard, his anger a
seething rage that Wei Ying hoped he had been the only one to see burst into a chilled fire. When
he was kicked out of school only halfway through the semester, he had hoped to see him again
soon, maybe in a visit to the Jiang estate.

Things were certainly different now, they’ve grown into themselves. Lan Zhan had turned into a
rebel who had no qualms about going against his uncle’s orders anymore, his tender growls
muffled to a kitten’s purr. It made Wei Ying hide a snicker in his arm.

Lan Zhan left when A-Yuan came out of the shower, patting him on his damp hair and giving Wei
Ying a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“What are you doing for spring break?” he asked as Wei Ying walked him to his rental car. The
black plush bunny was hooked under his arm.

“Hm? Thesis work most likely. Why?” Wei Ying asked.

“Mn. I want to take you to see the stars.”

Oh. The old drunken conversation he had in Las Vegas came floating back, his wish to see a starry
sky free from light pollution.

Wei Ying contemplated. “Let me talk to my thesis group about it and see if I can get away with
dipping on them for the week. We’re in the construction phase so there’s only so much I can do
from my laptop.”

“Mn. We can stay in-state. There are many places we can go.”

“Where are you thinking of?”

“Big Sur or the Sierras most likely, if we can’t go too far then maybe Big Bear.”

“I wanna go swimming for spring break, can we get a pool?”

“We can do Lake Tahoe. I’ll need to check the weather to make sure it will be warm enough to
swim.”

A lakeside house with their own private dock, a starry sky reflecting off the crystal clear water. It
was a busy tourist destination and might impact the night sky with light pollution, but there were
certainly desolate spots around.

“I would really like that, actually. Maybe in the summer, we could do Joshua Tree before you
leave for Singapore to really see some stars. Everyone will be going there now for spring break
before the heat really sets in.”

Before you leave for Singapore, he had said, not we. Lan Zhan’s jaw clenched.

“I will call you later about it. There’s one more thing,” Lan Zhan said. They reached the rental car,
the nearby white noise of the highway blaring in their ears. “The Jins are hosting a charity gala to
raise money for local art programs the night before our spring break officially starts.”

Wei Ying winced. It did not go unnoticed.

“If you do not wish to attend with me, that’s fine. I’m required to make an appearance for Uncle’s
sake. I may see you the next day instead to leave for our trip.”

“Are you asking me to be your plus one?” Wei Ying grinned.

“Of course. I wouldn’t have anyone else. You are not obligated to come, though I would—” he
cleared his throat, his ears flushed pink under the fluorescent lights of the complex parking
structure “— very much like it if you did.”

“Hmm.” Wei Ying feigned thinking about it, tapping his finger to his chin. He did have some
reservations— the Jiangs were invited and he was certainly not welcome with at least half the
family. He did have an invitation extended to him, which he declined, but to go with Lan Zhan? It
would be different; for one, he could avoid the family altogether and still get drunk while being
able to see Lan Zhan dressed up to the nines. In his mind, it was a risk he was willing to take.
“Okay.”
Lan Zhan beamed. “We can talk about this later too. Good night, Wei Ying.” He swooped in and
pressed a sweet kiss to Wei Ying’s lips, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulled him flush
against his body. Wei Ying sank into his touch, the warm sandalwood smell wrapping around him
like a heady blanket. They parted with one last peck, and another to the corner of Wei Ying’s
mouth.

“I will see you soon,” Lan Zhan said as he climbed into the car.

“Drive safe.” He waved him off as Lan Zhan pulled smoothly out of the parking spot, waving back
from the shadows of his car.

On the way back to his apartment, he texted Jiang Fengmian.

Wei Ying
8:12pm
You wanted to talk?

Uncle Jiang
8:12pm
If you don’t mind. Would you like to get lunch on Monday?

Wei Ying
8:13pm
: ) If you’re paying

Wen Qing was home when he arrived back.

“Did you know A-Yuan has a birthday party tomorrow?”

A-Yuan was sitting nervously in his pajamas on the couch, his hair mussed from air drying. “I
forgot to tell you. Granny said it’s okay and called them to say I can go.”

“Do you have a gift?” Wen Qing asked.

He shook his head sadly. “I want to get him LEGOS because he-he likes LEGOS and has a
LEGOS city with big buildings. I want to get him a helicopter or a boat or a ship.”

“What time is the party?” Wei Ying asked.

“Three in the afternoon. There’s gonna be cake and balloons and a bounce house.”

“Does he have a dog?”

“No.”

“I’ll take him.” Wei Ying sighed. I’ll see if my group can meet earlier, but you get to buy the
present.”

“Use the sugar daddy card, LEGOS are expensive as hell,” Wen Qing grumbled.

“Here.” Wei Ying pulled the black card from his wallet and dropped it on the counter. “The pin is
28669.” He wandered back to his and Wen Ning’s bedroom and threw himself on the bed with an
 exhausted sigh. It was a little startling having a bed not floor level and actual back support, but he’s
been getting some of the best sleep he’s had in years.

He texted his group and asked to meet early and that he had to leave by two. For good measures, he
alerted them he would be away most likely for spring break and could work solely on the
presentation and citation aspect while away. Shen Yuan gave him a bitter tasting “whatever” as a
response and Xie Lian a “no problem!”.

Then, he texted Lan Zhan that Wen Qing is using the card to buy a gift for a kid’s birthday party.
His response was slow, most likely because he was driving, but came a while later just shy of his
bedtime.

Lan Zhan
9:07pm
Ouyang Zizhen’s?

What? He texted Wen Qing asking what the kid’s name was and received a “Ouyang Zizhen”.

Lan Zhan
9:08pm
I’m taking my little cousin tomorrow. See you then?

Wei Ying laughed out loud, startling Wen Ning who was reading on his bed.

Wei Ying
9:09pm
HAHAHA see you tomorrow!

Chapter End Notes

$2 has me a little worn down so I'll be taking a break after posting ch 17 for like a
week. I don't intend to drop the fic, I just need to step away and take a breath because
I've been working on this constantly all summer. I'm going to participate in moshang
week and I have a moshang project I'm working on with some homies + nanowrimo is
approaching and I want to give it my all this year!

So to make up for that, on the week after next, I'll be posting twice. Ch 16 will come
on Monday 9/21 and Ch17 will come on Thursday 9/24. Then the week of 9/28 I'll be
off to participate in the event then everything will be back on schedule with regular
postings. I already planned to do double update like that because 16/17 are companion
chapters and I found would work better when posted almost together. I plan to do this
again once or twice more before the fic ends.
Thank you so, so much for reading everyone! I'm so happy with all the comments,
kudos, and support on Twitter you guys are seriously the best! See you next week!

And for funsies I cleaned up a drawing of A-Yuan from back in April when I
originally got this chapter idea!
 A Jacket
Chapter Summary

A simple transition.

Chapter Notes

Thank you so much sarah and krista! ive been kind of weird about the chapters lately
and you guys have put up with my nonsense throughout all of it despite everything you
have going on. I'm really thankful for all your help it's really helped put all my
anxieties at ease and made me more confident about posting the chapters.

This week is a simple transition piece that's more for setting up what's to come. I
would like to say this is my last bit of "easy" writing before it's pure smut, plot, and
knives OTL

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wei Ying pulled up to the cute suburban neighborhood the same time Lan Zhan was getting out of
his car. There was a little boy climbing out of the car with him, Lan Jingyi, who was the same age
as A-Yuan and happened to go to the same school as he and Ouyang Zizhen. Happy coincidences.

A-Yuan skipped excitedly to meet his schoolmate, neatly wrapped present in hand. Lan Jingyi
opened his arms wide and pulled him into a hug, his mouth stretched wide in a toothy grin.

“Whose kid is this?” Wei Ying asked when he finally crossed the street to stand by Lan Zhan’s car.

“Uncle’s grandson. A cousin once removed, technically,” he answered. “My cousin and her
husband couldn’t take him today, out of the country for business, and he likes me well enough.”

The two boys were talking up a storm, showing off their presents. Lan Jingyi was showcasing his
new shirt, one with a giant shark made of 3D material to make it look like it was opening and
closing its mouth when he moved. They were more interested in the fun sound it made when they
scratched it.

“Your uncle let you out?”

“Barely.”

“Why isn’t Jingyi in one of the Lan schools?” He went to the same little public elementary as A-
Yuan and the Ouyang Zizhen kid. The Lans had private schools for K-12, catered to the rich and
talented kids with special programs to allow low-income students a shot at their prestigious classes
through rigorous testing. It worked like a college, where families who couldn’t afford the tuition
were able to test in for scholarships, but no student, no matter how rich, could simply buy their
way into the classrooms because their parents made more money than they needed. Every single
student, even the grandson of the headmaster, was subjected to the severe exams.
“He’s not… the brightest just yet,” Lan Zhan admitted.

Wei Ying winced. “He has time. For now he has some pretty cool friends in the public school,
yeah?”

“A good coincidence.”

The boys were jumping up and down, eager to go join the party. From here, they could hear the
bounce house with children laughing and screaming from a nearby yard. The front porch was
decorated with balloons and streamers, with a little sign on the lawn that said “HAPPY 5TH
BIRTHDAY ZIZHEN!” A woman with bright eyes and in a bouncy daisy sundress opened the
door and ushered them to the backyard where the party was happening. The bounce house was
huge, with a big slide and climbing wall attached to the main bouncing square. A pinata shaped
like a cow hung from the patio roof, out of reach from the children’s hands. There were treats
served on black and white paper plates, with matching streamers, balloons, and paper lanterns
hanging from the eaves.

“Cows?” Wei Ying laughed.

The lady, Ouyang Zizhen’s mother, shrugged. “He insisted on a cow-themed party. Last year it
was frogs.”

A-Yuan and Jingyi had dropped off their presents at the gift table and ran off to the bounce house
to meet Ouyang Zizhen, a boy decked out in a cowboy hat and a flannel shirt, grass already staining
his jeans.

“Well, have a seat, have some refreshments. We’ll be grilling burgers soon. Are either of you
vegan?” she continued.

“Vegetarian,” Lan Zhan said.

“We have veggie patties for you and they’ll be cooked separately from the rest, don’t worry. Ah,
hello!” she flitted off to another parent coming in with a kid.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan found a spot on a bench overlooking the yard under the shade of a
honeysuckle bush. It was a little awkward being there, admittedly, especially with how young they
were compared to the adult guests. There was only one other parent close to their age and she was
bouncing a baby on her knee under the patio shade. The day was a perfectly warm, spring
afternoon with butterflies fluttering over the back rose garden and birds chirping from the
Mediterranean cypress trees surrounding the yard. They had a paper plate with snacks on the bench
between them, including chips and vegetables. There was beer in the “adult” cooler Wei Ying had
gladly snagged.

“I’m going to adopt A-Yuan officially after graduation,” Wei Ying spoke into the silence between
them.

Lan Zhan turned to look at him, his expression completely neutral.

“I don’t think I can go to Singapore, because he needs me. I’m looking for a job, too, a really good
one so I can pay for his whole life. Maybe we can visit during a break, but right now, it’s just not a
good time for me to leave the country.”

“I understand.”

“I’m sorry I can’t give you everything. If you… don’t want to keep this up, if me having a kid is
too much for you… then we could…”

“No.”

Wei Ying jumped at the sudden exclamation. Lan Zhan’s eyes were hard as steel.

“This is not a problem at all, you could never be a problem. I accept every part of you.”

Their conversation was halted with the arrival of a guest. The father of the birthday boy, a hulking
man with the beginning of a new mustache and lawn chair in hand. He was roughly their age with
his hair combed to hide his already receding hairline.

“It’s been a long time, you two,” he said, taking a seat without question next to their bench. “I
didn’t know you already had kids.”

Lan Zhan nodded to him. “He’s a cousin. It’s been a while, Ouyang.”

The birthday boy’s father laughed. “Amazed you still remember me. I always hung around Nie
Huaisang, remember him?”

Wei Ying screwed up his face, trying to remember who he was. Certainly, he had gone to school
with them at some point if he was around Nie Huaisang, because Wei Ying was always around Nie
Huaisang.

“It’s interesting seeing you two hanging out, you hated each other in middle school!” Ouyang…
something laughed.

“No, we don’t.” Wei Ying and Lan Zhan said together. Ouyang laughed harder.

“Small world, too, that your kids and mine are all friends. They’re all starting elementary school
soon, will you be sending them to the district one or a Lan school? We could see about sending
them all to the same place, I’m sure they’ll love it.”

“No Lan school for Jingyi yet,” Lan Zhan said.

“A-Yuan hasn’t applied,” Wei Ying said. He was a very smart kid, and although Wei Ying had an
old hatred for the Lan schools and all their rules, he was sure A-Yuan could thrive with the
resources he would be given. Though strict, they’re some of the best schools in the country. If Wei
Ying could get A-Yuan the scholarship, he would most certainly try. He’s already missed the
deadline for the next school year, but if he was sure, he could send him starting first grade.

He did not want A-Yuan to turn out like him, but instead as an upright and virtuous individual. It
was every parent’s dream to have their kid live a better life than they did.

“We’re going to try. The time I spent at a Lan school really set me up for the future. I'm very
grateful for the opportunity,” Ouyand said brightly. “I wasn’t a smart cookie compared to the rest
of my peers, but I was still smarter than the average public school kid. I felt like a genius going into
college! I met my wife in a communications class and we’ve been inseparable since. Zizhen was
an, ah, accident, but we got married right after graduation, so it all worked out.”

He talked a lot. Once he moved on from his wife, he talked about Zizhen some more, then rounded
back to schools.

“Hope your kid isn’t trouble like you were,” Ouyang sniggered at Wei Ying. “You were always
sent to the office. I bet he’s a troublemaker like you were. How many detentions did you get over
the short time you studied at Gusu? Haha, how many schools has he been kicked out of?”

Before Wei Ying could protest, Lan Zhan interjected. “A-Yuan is a very good kid. Even if he’s
trouble, he would still be good.”

Ouyang didn’t know how to bounce back from that. He grinned and awkwardly waved them off
and rose to his feet, taking his chair and beer elsewhere.

“Mn. You didn’t have to do that,” Wei Ying said quietly.

“It’s wrong to bad mouth anyone,” Lan Zhan said coldly.

They sat by themselves away from the party for the rest of the evening, only joining in to get more
food or if a stray relative and Zhizhen’s mother fluttered over for some light small talk.

The most amazing part was how big the world suddenly seemed. Here they were, in the midst of a
social media fall out with their names splashed on every gossip magazine, and no one at this little
backyard party gave them a sideways glance. They were well known, famous in their own
respective circles, but outside of that Wei Ying realized there was a lot less to be afraid of. So what
if people were talking about them in scandalous whispers over crimes they’ve never committed?
The common folk here didn’t care at all. It was nothing to them.

It should be nothing to Wei Ying.

The party didn’t wind down until it got dark. When guests started leaving, they took the cue to
gather their kids and the goodie bags and headed out. It was hard pulling Jingyi away from the fun,
but he finally dragged his feet away with a heavy pout on his face.

“Hey,” Wei Ying said as they reached Lan Zhan’s car. “People saw us at the pier yesterday with
A-Yuan.”

“I know,” Lan Zhan said lowly. “Brother told me.”

“Mn. Is your uncle okay with all that?”

“He’s getting fed up with it, but he’s not very mad at me anymore. He suggested we… open up
about our relationship to get them to stop spreading rumors.”

Wei Ying froze. A-Yuan and Jingyi were giggling at something in their goody bags behind him.

“Ah, as—”

“Boyfriends, if you don’t… mind…” Lan Zhan’s ears were bright red.

Of course. It would be an even bigger scandal to say it’s a sugar daddy relationship. They didn’t fit
the stereotypical look of one and could easily pass as such. For some reason, Wei Ying’s heart
sank.

“We can use the gala to confirm our relationship, but only if you agree.”

“Mn. It’s the weekend after next, right? I’ll need something to wear.”

“I’ll take care of that.”

They parted without a kiss, too many homes with too many windows around them to bare
themselves out there with a scandal hanging over their head. They might have been safe in the
Ouyang home, but now they were open to the public eye.

As much as he loved his uncle, Wei Ying wasn’t looking forward to lunch with him on Monday.
He left the lab early, with the promise of overtime on Tuesday, to meet him at a ritzy hotel rooftop
lounge in the heart of Beverly Hills. It was a brilliantly blue day, with puffy clouds tracing the
horizons, and the air so clear the surrounding hills beyond the city skyline could be seen painted a
spring green. Planters lined the huge rooftop patio, dripping with sweet-scented petunias,
hyacinths, daisies, tulips, foxglove, and more colorful sprigs. Jiang Fengmian was waiting for him
at a small table tucked away at the rooftop corner, a glass of wine already placed in front of him
and his head tilted to see the view.

“Uncle,” Wei Ying announced himself, stopping just shy of the table.

Jiang Fengmian rose to his feet with a crinkling smile, his eyes warmer than the spring sun. “Wei
Ying, it’s good to see you. How is everything?” He took his hand and pulled him into a brief hug.
He pulled back and gestured to the open seat. “Come, come, they have an impeccable wine
selection and an interesting cocktail menu I think you’d enjoy.”

Wei Ying took a seat and checked over the offered cocktail menu. The server came up and
introduced himself with a curt bow and asked if they wanted to order anything. Wei Ying asked for
the ginger margarita, feeling like tequila was the only thing that could make this whole week a
little more bearable. Jiang Fengmian raised his brow and he quickly added water to his order.

They sank into silence after they placed their lunch order. Wei Ying sipped on his margarita,
enjoying the spicy, sharp burn.

“I’m not mad, if that's what you think this is about,” Jiang Fengmian said finally. A sharp, high
wind blew through the patio, inciting yelps and a scurry to keep napkins and loose fabric down.

“You’re disappointed,” Wei Ying said when the wind died down.

“I could never.”

Wei Ying finally raised his head to meet his eyes. They were deep, wrinkled with crows feet and
framed with wiry brows that he’d rarely seen furrowed in displeasure. His uncle believed him.

“You’ve done a lot,” Jiang Fengmian continued. “You rose to the obstacles placed before you and
persevered. You’re intelligent and creative, skilled at whatever you decide to do. You have been
thrown curveballs over and over and continue to overcome. How can I be mad at you for the fault
of others?”

Wei Ying didn’t say anything. He cleared his throat and held his margarita to his lips, not taking a
sip.

“You’ve probably been told to be careful by countless people already, I assume,” he continued. “I
won’t give you a warning you already know.” He took a pause to sip his wine. “I only have a
question.”

“Mn. Go ahead.” Wei Ying put down his margarita, already gone, and waved over the server for a
glass of wine.

He spoke after the server was long out of sight. “Are you aware of what you’re getting yourself
into?”

“In the arms of a reputable Lan, living in comfort, with the most handsome of the Twin Jades at my
beck and call?” Wei Ying teased.

Jiang Fengmian’s face had a shadow over it despite the pleasantly sunny day. He leaned closer,
lowering his voice. “They’re good people, very good at what they do and what they stand for. I
believe you are in good hands if you choose to stay with Lan Zhan for a long time, but I want to
warn you that all money has secrets.”

He leaned back in his chair and took the last sip of wine just as Wei Ying’s was brought along with
their meals. Wei Ying’s chipotle chicken tacos with spicy jalapeno salsa were steaming, lined up
neatly with a decorative line of sauce streaked across the plate. Jiang Fengmian didn’t touch his
eggplant parmesan soaked in a gooey layer of toasted mozzarella cheese.

After they thanked the server and he walked out of earshot, Jiang Fengmian continued. “The only
thing you two can do is keep your heads down and figure out a way to draw the media attention
away from your pasts.” He shifted in his seat, picking up his utensils and finally started cutting into
his food. The atmosphere relaxed, “Now, tell me what’s been going on. How’s the lab work? The
thesis? Your side projects?”

They sank into an easy conversation, the issue of him and Lan Zhan tucked away for the time
being and certainly not a weight hovering over their heads as they ate. They finished with dessert,
Wei Ying with a towering slice of chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and a marshmallow
frosting, and Jiang Fengmian with a glass of white wine.

Lunch ended with no heavy parting words, no pressure on Wei Ying’s shoulders. There was a
spring to his step when he went into his night class.

Another gift arrived early Tuesday morning. It was a Supreme brand bomber jacket, solid black
except for the white playboy bunny logo lined around the body in a repetitive ribbon. He snorted
and wondered if Lan Zhan knew what a playboy bunny was.

A devious light lit up above his head. He texted Nie Huaisang asking how quickly he could get a
custom fit playboy bunny suit, followed by a winky face emoticon. He wouldn’t respond for a
while because he wasn’t awake until at least brunch time.

There was also a binder with his new jacket; a laminated catalogue of different suits, colors, and
fabrics, complete with fabric samples and annotations. Lan Zhan must have had this compiled for
him. From the bit he saw while quickly skimming, it was pretty detailed and very much in line
with Wei Ying’s taste. He tucked it in his backpack next to his laptop and notebook.

Lan Zhan gave him a coffee and a kiss outside of class, noting the playboy bunny jacket Wei Ying
had unzipped over his Lord Nermal shirt.

“It’s super nice and light, perfect for the spring here.” He leaned in and pecked Lan Zhan’s cheek.
“Thank you.”

“There’s a cat in your pocket,” Lan Zhan pointed out.

“Yeah and look.” Wei Ying tugged down the pocket to reveal it making a rude gesture at Lan
Zhan.

He gasped. “That’s not polite.”

“Not supposed to be. Ah, and the binder. I didn’t get a chance to look over it, can we look at it
together over coffee?”
“Of course.” He kissed Wei Ying’s temple and squeezed his wrist.

Wei Ying moved to head into his class, but stopped short and turned back. “Aiyo, Lan Zhan, do
you know what a playboy bunny is?”

Lan Zhan gave him a cool and level look, but didn’t respond. A classmate shuffled by and pushed
into the classroom door Wei Ying was half blocking, the classroom chatter echoing in the wide
hall briefly. “It’s cute. Sharply dressed.”

Wei Ying grinned. “I’ll see you after class.”

Nie Huaisang texted him back asking for measurements.

Lan Zhan took them to a warm cafe with a huge bookcase and wrought iron light fixtures. The
pastry case was small, but it had a variety of interesting treats and a long list of tea flavors of their
own brand. They ordered iced teas and flavored croissants and found a table in the courtyard,
adjacent to a Mexican restaurant and book shop. They took a seat under the shade of a tree with
morning glories winding up the fencing.

“Should we match exactly, or have coordinating elements? I don’t want to go in a bland penguin
suit, that’s boring,” Wei Ying mused. He stroked a soft velvet that came in five different colors. “I
like the velvet a lot, but what are you wearing?”

“A Dolce & Gabbana jacket made like this.” Lan Zhan turned back the pages and pointed to a
floral black lace. “In white. My whole suit is white but I am up in the air with a tie color.”

Wei Ying hummed as he stroked the sheer lace. “It’s see through?”

“I have a shirt on underneath. The collar and cuff details are all in silk and it has an interesting
frong closure instead of buttons.” He tapped on a picture of the knotted closures.

“Hm I don’t want to think about this too much. Let’s match, yeah?” Wei Ying shut the book and
pushed it away. “I want my outfit like yours but in black. White isn’t my color.” To prove his
point, he kicked out his black Adidas jogger clad leg and dirty black Vans onto the bench next to
Lan Zhan’s light washed jean clad thigh and wiggled it around. Lan Zhan grabbed his ankle and
gave it a squeeze.

“If you don’t mind, I will arrange a ride for us.”

“Nie Huaisang wants us to get ready together, so you’ll have to at least pick me up from his place.”

Lan Zhan’s nose twitched cutely. “That’s fine. He has to find his own ride.”

Wei Ying laughed. Lan Zhan huffed as he tucked the binder in his own bag and pulled out his
Macbook. “I have also been looking into vacation homes for spring break. There are numerous
places for us to choose. Please have a look.” He pushed the Macbook to Wei Ying and showed him
organized tabs of different rental homes. “Do not look at the price.”

It was sorted in a spreadsheet, first by location (Big Bear, Big Sur, Mammoth, Monterey Bay, Lake
Tahoe, Yosemite), then further organized by rankings of closeness to towns, distance to water, and
if there was a hot tub.

Wei Ying looked through the document, reading through Lan Zhan’s comments attached to each
spot, such as “too many rooms” and “bears”.
“We will leave Saturday morning and come home the following Saturday to give us a day off to
rest, if that is fine with you,” Lan Zhan continued.

“That’s good. Aiyo, you really did your research.” Wei Ying looked through each tab, examined all
the house pictures and took in their amenities, the location, and every annotated note Lan Zhan
placed. It took most of the coffee break to go through it, but he finally highlighted four of the
twenty-three and passed it back to Lan Zhan with a, “I like these. You pick one and surprise me,
yeah? Just tell me how to pack.”

“Mn, I will.” Lan Zhan put his Macbook away and checked his watch. “We have work soon.”

Wei Ying groaned and laid his head on the table. “I don’t think I can wait two weeks for a
vacation,” he whined. “I want one now . We have a thesis check on Thursday and starting tonight,
we’re gonna be busting our balls to meet the minimum requirements. I have a couple of exams, a
presentation, and two essays on top of that I haven’t even started.”

“... When are they due?” Lan Zhan asked slowly.

“Uh, in the next three days.”

“Wei Ying!”

“Sorry, sorry! It’s all easy stuff, it's just tedious! I’m working on it tonight and tomorrow it’s fine!”

Lan Zhan’s cold glare didn’t have a teasing edge, the ghost of his teenage self etched in his frown.

“I want a vacation now, ah, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said slyly. “If I finish on time and get good
grades, can A-Ying have a treat? I think Wen Ning’s archery season is done and he’ll be home this
weekend. Granny was moved to Wen Qing’s hospital, so she’s closer to home now. If I were to
leave for a few days and stay at my A-Zhan’s place for the weekend, it should be okay, yes?”

Lan Zhan’s ears were pink, the ice on his face melting but his glare not less stern. “Only if we do
work.”

Wei Ying whined. “But I don’t wanna! I can take a weekend off, yeah?”

“Not during midterms or this close to our thesis submissions. We will also be working during our
trip.”

“No, no! That’s bad! I don’t want to do work on vacation! It’s my spring break, that’s why it’s
called a break!” Wei Ying whined louder and pounded his fists on the table. A small study group
nearby threw him dirty looks.

“We won’t work the whole time,” Lan Zhan promised, placing his hands atop of Wei Ying’s to
calm him. “We will have fun for most of it.”

“Eh? Most of it you say?” Wei Ying rolled his head on the table to give Lan Zhan a devious look

“Yes, we will.” Lan Zhan squeezed his hands once more then rose to his feet. “Let’s go before
we’re late.”

Wei Ying sprang up and helped gather their dishes to dispose of them at the dish bin by the trash
then went back to Lan Zhan’s car. It was his old Prius. Wei Ying felt a little ashamed at his request
because this was probably the worst time to go to Lan Zhan’s with everything going on. There
hadn’t been another whisper from the journalists, only repeats of what’s been said from the initial
news source except with their own spin, like a dangerous game of telephone.

No matter, because by Wednesday the rumors filtered to a dull him, and by then, Wei Ying was
over the twenty-four hour mark since he slept. He planned to pull a second all nighter in order to
finish all his work properly before Lan Zhan would let him come over and fuck him on every flat
surface, because that’s exactly what he was planning, thesis work be damned.

On Thursday, Lan Zhan frowned at his appearance as Wei Ying emerged from the elevator.
Wrapped in an oversized UCLA hoodie he’d worn the past two days, the same pair of pants he
wore Tuesday, and his hair trapped in the same bun since Monday, he was certainly a mess.
Midterms were rarely a problem with Wei Ying, usually skirting along and asking for extensions
here and there and still acing the whole class despite it, but this time there were stakes. He would
have to plan better if he wanted a treat right after finals, he mused.

“What time did you go to bed last night?” Lan Zhan passed him his coffee and brushed a greasy
lock of hair from Wei Ying’s face.

“Uh, Monday?”

Lan Zhan frowned harder. “You can’t come over unless you’re fully rested.”

“But I’m gonna rest at your place,” he whined. His eyes were burning, his back ached, and his head
might feel like it's stuffed with cotton, and the vertigo made him feel like with any sudden
movement he'd float into space. It was terribly dangerous driving to school like this, nearly getting
into an accident twice, but he figured he would have a nap before he left for the day.

“You are not allowed to drive today,” Lan Zhan said firmly. “I will take you home and have a
driver drop off your car.”

“Eh? I’m only a little sleepy!” Wei Ying whined harder, trying to blink the blurriness from his
eyes.

“Mn. Sleepy driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. I will take you to work after lunch and
pick you up when you are done.” There was a note of finality, no room for argument.

“You’re not gonna let me ditch to get some sleep?” Wei Ying moaned.

The sour look Lan Zhan shot made him laugh. He patted his shoulder and sighed. “I’ll see you
after class. I’ll be out early ‘cause it’s an exam. We’ll have an extra long lunch.”

Lan Zhan pouted, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Good luck.”

The exam was easy. Wei Ying was out in under thirty minutes and threw himself into Lan Zhan’s
car, excited over their extended lunch date. Or, so he’d hoped. His head was heavy and fully
relaxed in the comfortable seat, he let himself close his eyes for a few minutes for a quick nap on
the way over.

He slept straight through lunch. Not once did Lan Zhan bother to wake him up, going to a
Starbucks drive-thru instead to grab drinks and snacks before parking them at a shaded park with
the windows rolled down.

It had taken a moment for Wei Ying to wake up, his senses slowly kicking back up. He was
comfortably leaned back in his seat with a sweet spring breeze on his face, the song of trees
rustling in the wind and distant birds chirping. Patches of sun warmed his heavy body.
Realization snapped him awake and he shot up, head spinning from the sudden movement.

“Where— who? Lan Zhan? What about lunch?” Wei Ying slurred.

“Starbucks. I got you an iced coffee and a chicken wrap protein box.” Lan Zhan was nibbling on
the remains of his cheese and crackers, a notebook balanced on his steering wheel with color coded
notes.

“I’m so sorry,” Wei Ying groaned. “I fell asleep on you.”

“Don’t worry. Do you feel better?”

“A little.”

Wei Ying rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes, his body still too heavy and sluggish to count
as awake. He groaned and cracked open the lunch box. It took a while of slowly eating his food
and sipping the iced coffee with the perfect amount of sweetener in it to get his body kickstarted.
He was certainly still tired with itchy eyes and a sluggish brain, but no longer close to collapsing
from exhaustion.

When he finished eating, he turned to Lan Zhan. “I finished all my work. All that’s left is my exam
monday night and the thesis check due tonight and we managed to pull ahead.” He grinned. “Can I
stay with you this weekend?”

Lan Zhan kissed the corner of his mouth and murmured against his skin, “Go to bed early tonight.
I’ll pick you up after work. I will not let you rest.”

A shiver ran down Wei Ying’s spine, a spike of heat drove into his core at the memory of Lan
Zhan’s hands on him, holding him, dragging pleasure from his lips.

He needed rest, but he had a lot to do before he left for Lan Zhan’s. His first stop was to Nie
Huaisang’s home late Thursday night after work, because of a certain package with his name on it.

“Do you know how to tie a corset?” Nie Huaisang asked as he led them into his quarters. “Nice
jacket, by the way. Is that what gave you the idea?”

Wei Ying snickered and tugged the jacket closer over his hoodie. Nie Huaisang liked keeping his
rooms at a brisk sixty-five degrees all year round. “No, why would I know how to tie one?”

“You’re gonna learn today.”

Nie Huaisang had commissioned him a playboy bunny costume. Not a spandex one with little
flimsy collars and cuffs, but one hundred percent legit. The body was a fine black silk, soft to the
touch, and structured with boning to keep its form. There was seemingly miles of lacing hanging
from the back and a fluffy white bunny tail. The ties on the high rising hips gave Wei Ying
salacious ideas of untying only those. Nie Huaisang laid out the accessories on the mahogany
coffee table— black silk bunny ears, a white silk collar with a matching black bowtie and white
cuffs, sheer black stockings, and a pair of patent black Louboutin heels.

While Nie Huaisang shifted through the corset backing, Wei Ying put on the cuffs, collar, ears, and
shoes and paraded around his huge room. He wobbled about, the sharp stiletto sinking into the
plush carpet. Nie Huaisang gave him instruction on how to walk— heel-toe like he was in regular
shoes.

“You’re picking that up fast. That’s only the 70 millimeter heel,” Nie Huaisang noted. “I love the
Iriza style with the inside cut out and couldn’t resist snagging you a pair.”

“The pointy toe is throwing me off and I feel like I’m gonna slip out of the shoe.” His toes were
cramping from the narrow point, the back of his heel already burning. They were surprisingly
comfortable, but he could tell if he wore these just a little too long, his feet would start to bleed.

“I can smell you from here. Go take a quick shower then we can try the rest on. It’s gonna take a
while for me to finish lacing this anyway.” Nie Huaisang used the bodice to wave Wei Ying
toward the huge bathroom/closet/lounge room combo. Wei Ying wobbled onto the tile, enjoying
the sharp click of the heels on the hard floor.

“Take them off! Louboutins don’t stay red if you keep running over hard floors! You need them in
top condition for Lan Zhan!”

After a quick shower, making sure to use every one of Nie Huaisangs fancy hair and skin products,
he dried himself off completely and came out in a fluffy grey bathrobe with a little NH
embroidered in gold on the chest. They’ve been friends for years, Nie Huaisang still being the only
one who has seen his dick more than the literal man he has sex with on the regular. He
unashamedly dropped the bathrobe and opened his arms for Nie Huaisang to help him in the
bodysuit.

“Good, good, come here.” Nie Huaisang stood behind him and helped slide the silky bodice up his
legs, all the while explaining everything. “Don’t wear underwear with this, not even lace, because
it will show through the material and might slip out the edges. Everything is tied up so you just
have to tighten it yourself. Deep breath, there we go, back straight. It won’t be as tight as it needs to
be if you tie it by yourself, but it’ll get the job done— stop wheezing and keep your breathing deep
and even.”

The literal air was squeezed out of Wei Ying’s lungs, his ribs creaked and groaned under the
pressure. Wei Ying held onto the plush chair in front of him and tried to keep his lungs expanded,
but it was hard with how tightly Nie Huaisang was pulling at him. Inch by agonizing inch, the
corset tightened him like a stress ball in a very aggravated hand.

At the peak of tightness, Nie Huaisang pulled back and squeezed his fluffy tail. “All done. How
does it feel.”

“Awful,” Wei Ying wheezed.

“It happens. How does the chest feel? Any boning digging in weird? How are your balls? It’s made
for a dick so it has that little cup to hold your jewels safely.”

Besides the horrible squeezing pressure cinching his waistline, it felt pretty nice. The fabric felt
like clear water on his skin, his balls sat comfortably in the crotch. He took a few more steadying
breaths, slowly getting used to the pressure. He ran his hands down his body, feeling his newly
defined waist and the curve of his hips.

“Put the rest on, come on! We forgot the stockings, but just remember to roll them up slowly and
put them on before the suit.” Nie Huaisang tied his damp hair back into a high bun, clipping the
extra pieces into place, and topped it with the silk bunny ears. The collar and cuffs were cool
against his skin, made of the same soft silk as the suit. He slipped on the pumps over his bare feet
and wobbled to the bathroom to take a look in the mirror.

“Here, try this.” Nie Huaisang touched up his face with makeup— a little mascara, a touch of
bronzer and blush, and traced his lips with a rich crimson lipstick. “You’re already naturally very
handsome, so I don’t think you need a lot. Maybe a little lipstick and mascara to enhance your
assets, have Lan Zhan drooling at your feet.”

It was startling seeing his reflection in the gilded mirror, his eyes wide and dark and his cheeks
shaped and colored. His lips have never looked so full, dressed in a deep crimson, but his eyes were
straying further downward. His body had been contoured to fit the stiff corset, but God it did him
beautifully. His already nice waist was cinched to a delicious curve, his hips and ass squeezed just
right. His shoulders looked broader, more handsome. He turned to take a look at his rounded ass,
the curve of his thighs, the long length of his legs accentuated by the heels and the high hips of the
suit. He looked more leg than man.

“I’m like a spider,” Wei Ying laughed. “Look at how much leg I have.”

“It’s very tasty,” Nie Huaisang said, slapping the back of Wei Ying’s thigh. “Now walk for me
baby, how are you going to strut in for Lan Zhan? You need to make him weak in the knees.”

He went back into the bedroom and made a show of taking a seat on a plush armchair in front of
his unlit fireplace, spreading his legs wide and propping his head in his hand as he pretended to
smoke a cigar.

Wei Ying strutted in with an exaggerated tilt to his hips, his body swinging dangerously while he
stood on such small points. He wobbled over, unable to fully push back his laugh. “Babe, it’s time
for your dick flattening.”

“Ahahaha, wait don’t!” Nie Huaisang quickly shut his legs as Wei Ying raised his foot to his
crotch, clamping the heel between his thigh when Wei Ying tried to press in. “I don’t trust my dick
anywhere near the literal dagger on your foot! You’ll skewer me!”

Wei Ying jerked his foot from its hold and stumbled back, laughing hard. He tried to wobble away
but he was too much off balance and fell, barely managing to catch himself as he tumbled into the
other armchair. He slid down the back, lipstick smearing up his cheek. Nie Huaisang was howling
with laughter.

Another surge of brilliance, Wei Ying, with his chest pressed to the chair and his arms dragged up
the back of it and his legs curled up loosely under his butt, arched his back and brought a hand
down to tap his smeared lower lip with a pout, “Do you not want your dick flattening, sir?”

Nie Huaisang doubled over he was laughing so hard. At that moment, his brother knocked on the
bedroom door as he opened it. Nie Mingjie stepped in, clearly haggard from a day of work, took
one look at the scene before him, and left without a word.

They had both frozen with his entrance, but burst into a fresh peel of laughter when he left as
suddenly as he entered.

“Do you think he finds me cute? Seductive?” Wei Ying rolled over to spread his legs wide, kicking
his Louboutin-heeled foot high in the air. “Charming, even?”

“He’s still— haha!-- he’s still a bit sensitive from his break up with the two boyfriends. It’s fine,
this is for me and Lan Zhan’s eyes only,” Nie Huaisang heaved, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Mn.” Wei Ying laid completely limp on the ground, sprawled out to gaze unfocused at the golden
edges of the chandelier above him. “Will Lan Zhan think I’m cute? I feel cute.”

“That’s all that matters. You feel cute and you want to show how cute you are to Lan Zhan. He’d
be an idiot to not fall on his knees for you.”
 He felt ridiculous in the get up, with the bunny ears and useless cuffs and collar, but he was cute.
Sexy, sensual, seductive, all those rousing words. He was nervous to show Lan Zhan despite all
this, unsure if it would make him angry for tainting something so pure, or make him go absolutely
wild with lust.

He better appreciate the effort at least, because by the time Wei Ying went home that night with
his new prize tucked away safely, he found the beginnings of blisters on his heels.

Chapter End Notes

A few things to note this week!

-Next week will have a double update on 9/21 and 9/24 because I 1)want to give you
guys a treat 2) want a week off to focus on moshang week and gather my bearings
3)it's what i dubbed as the "fuckfest" and would be fun to just post it all together lol
-I went back and added links to Wei Ying's things and from here on out will continue
to do so when possible! I have a whole google doc of just links to clothes and
accessories (rip Polyvore you will be missed) so I might as well share some
-If you haven't noticed the timeline of this is a bit skewered. I lost track of days and
kept going "this weekend" "next week" etc so in $2 time, March is like 7 weeks long
or something OTL I guess they could have a very late spring break but I believe at this
point we've finally reached April wow please don't think too hard about it as an author
I will do better in the future ( ´ ▽ ` )
-I started a "smut book" of art and in a week or two I'll post a privatter thread of Pinup
Looks but pls be weary I have no formal art training and I'm very out of practice bc
I've been writing this nonstop since (checks calendar) May

Link to Wei Ying's Supreme Playboy Bunny Jacket

Thank you so much everyone for all of your comments, kudos, bookmarks etc! It
makes me beyond happy and I really can't stress it enough how much I appreciate
every single one of you. I want to do my best to craft an interesting story and really,
shit might be so awful right now and I'm stuck in a deep hole of "who knows what the
hell am I gonna do now thanks to the pandemic crushing my chances" but this fic has
kept me going and made me realize I'm actually doing what I've strived to do-- writing
stories for people to enjoy. I might not be making any money, but I'm actually living
the dream. After $2 is finished, I plan to really buckle down and work on a novel so
more people can read my stories.

Sorry for the really long-winded rambled after a long chapter (6.5k!) TLDR you guys
are the best and I'm so happy to write for you (♡˙︶˙♡)
 A Teacup
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying gets a weekend getaway part 1

Chapter Notes

Most of those tags come into play this chapter and next! It's a little short this week,
barely only 5.4k, but this killed me to write OTL

Thank you so much, Sarah and Krista, you guys are awesome!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

This was supposed to be a good idea, to seduce Lan Zhan dressed as a sexy playboy bunny; get
him a little riled up, maybe a small lap dance, then spread his legs and let Lan Zhan pound him
into the bed until he was screaming. Instead, after dinner on Friday night, Lan Zhan had said “I
need to finish something” and disappeared into his office. Wei Ying sat with a wide grimace as Lan
Zhan walked away after putting their dishes in the dishwasher. His plans for the evening went up in
smoke.

Okay, Wei Ying thought, I can still save this with a little reconfiguration, go back to the drawing
board. There was no way he was letting go of the playboy bunny suit, after all he went through to
get it, or, what Nie Huaisang had to go through to rush order it from France. With a resolved huff,
he rose from his chair and marched down the hall to change.

The stockings were tricker to put on than he thought, but once they were pulled up to his waist and
adjusted to hug his legs evenly, he couldn’t help but rub his silky legs together. It was a little
trickier getting into the suit, but thankfully, Nie Huaisang has left the ties in place and put red tape
where he was supposed to tug. After momentarily tangling himself in the corset ties, he managed to
fumble it on. It was looser than when Nie Huaisang had tied, but overall, found he was more than
used to it and would even dare say it was sort of comfortable. All that mattered was that he could
be sure his ribs wouldn’t crack when the high hip laces were untied to move the crotch aside and
bare his hole for Lan Zhan to take.

He sauntered down the hall as quietly as he could with the three-inch heels, going to the kitchen to
brew tea. He rummaged around the cupboards and found a pale blue tea cup with a saucer. At the
bottom was a pure white bunny sitting up on its hind legs, a certain surprise to anyone who took a
sip of their tea and saw the little guy staring back.

It was harder sneaking back down the hall in the Louboutins with a full cup of white tea balanced
on a wooden tea tray. He gently knocked on the door and waited for a hum of “come in” before
pushing the door open.

He had never been inside the office and was briefly taken aback by the bright, wide open space.
Lan Zhan’s U-shaped desk was tucked in the corner by the shuttered window, clean with only a
little potted ivy as decoration and organized stacks of heavily annotated notes and textbooks. The
opposite wall was completely taken over by a huge floor to ceiling bookcase and a glass case
holding little knickknacks. There was a purple orchid sitting atop a glass coffee table mounted
next to a white armchair, taking over the other corner was a huge bunny cage, complete with tons
of hay, individual food bowls, tunnels and bridges, scattered chewed remains of toys, and a little
wooden castle the three of them were piled up sleeping in. He suddenly felt a little uncomfortable
dressed as a sexy bunny with Lan Zhan’s children in the same room.

Lan Zhan looked up, his eyes widening a fraction.

“I brought you tea.” He tried walking with his hips swinging in what he’d hoped was a seductive
manner. His thin stiletto gave out and he stumbled briefly before rightening up. Lan Zhan turned in
his chair, his eyes dark.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan started. “What are you doing?”

“You’re working so hard in here, I thought you could use a pick-me-up. Is this your thesis?” Wei
Ying set down the tea tray and brushed over a stack of notes, the words and graphs on the pages
senseless to him.

“Yes. I need to finish corrections before midnight for my advisor. What are you doing?” He
reiterated. His eyes dragged down Wei Ying’s body, taking in the cinched waist and endlessly long
legs. He was trapped under the hot gaze.

“Bringing you a break. You’ve been at it for almost an hour, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying pouted and
started rearranging the work— pushing his mussed up papers into neat little stacks, picking up
stray writing utensils and putting them in a porcelain cup by his monitor, pushing aside open
books. “It’s always good to rest and stretch once every hour.”

“I stretched five minutes ago. What are you doing?” Lan Zhan was relentless.

Wei Ying turned and with a wiggle of his fluffy bunny tail, hopped up on the desk. He turned
around in what he hoped was a slow, sensual movement. “You can tell me to go away. Or I can
give you a second break, hm?”

Lan Zhan’s jaw clenched, his eyes completely black. He didn’t speak up. “Do what you must,” he
said as he turned back to his desktop.

“I will.” Wei Ying moved more paperwork aside, dropping a heavy stack of unused books to the
floor and making plenty of room to seat his legs on the desk, his heels scraping the polished wood
surface. Lan Zhan hadn’t turned to look at him, his ears red.

Wei Ying ran his hands down his body, feeling the silk hugging every sharp angle and lean curve
of his abdomen. He moaned openly, unabashedly. Lan Zhan kept typing.

He rubbed his cock through the silk front, his arousal filling steadily with heat pumping through
his veins. He leaned back dangerously and spread his legs wide, propping one heel on the arm of
Lan Zhan’s chair and the other hovered in the air. His core really felt it, his fluffy tail dug into his
tailbone. He could feel the shiver of the edge laying too close to his butt, one wrong move and he
would tumble back to the hardwood floor.

“Mhm, how long until your break, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying rolled his hips over to show off the neat
thigh ties, riding so high up his leg they were cut just under his hip bone. He tugged the ties open
and pushed aside the loosened fabric of his crotch. His dick was mostly soft, but the first gentle rub
of his hand made it twitch under the opaque tights. He wasn’t wearing anything under them as Nie
Huaisang had instructed.

He made a show of rubbing his hand over his dick, dragging his nails up and down his sensitive
inner thigh. The beginnings of moans traced his lips, his back arched up prettily to show up his
figure.

“How much longer ‘til you’re finished?” Wei Ying asked again when he was ignored, a whine
tilting his voice. The temperature was rising around him.

Lan Zhan stopped typing. “It’s break time.” He swiveled around in his chair, grabbing Wei Ying’s
ankle before he could tip off the desk, and wheeled between his legs. Wei Ying grinned.

Chilled hands roved up his legs, feeling the soft silkiness of the tights encasing his thighs, up his
hips to trace the loosened silk. It was like electric pulses where Lan Zhan touched him through the
sturdy corset, a hot brand pressing in on his abdomen as he explored upward, tracing the seamlines
and the contours of Wei Ying’s body.

Wei Ying yelped when Lan Zhan suddenly raked down his body to grab his knees and dragged
him down the desk. He fell onto his back, his head hanging over one edge and his ass over the
other. His knees were thrown over Lan Zhan’s shoulders as he rubbed his cock hard through the
thin tights. Wei Ying moaned loudly, his back throbbing where he’d dropped onto the desk.

Lan Zhan pulled back briefly and opened one of the drawers to pull out a silver letter opener. He
tugged the tights away from his thigh as far as they could go and jabbed into the thin fabric. It tore
easily under the metal. Wei Ying was hard now. Lan Zhan wiggled his fingers through the hole
and tore the tights open, lines tearing down his leg. The air hit colder on his freshly-bared thigh,
the edge of his hip, and the dip of his ass. His cock sprang free, the head red and begging for
attention.

“Oh my god that’s so hot,” Wei Ying gasped. He writhed under the hands touching his newly-
revealed skin, his thighs quivering from how turned on he was. Lan Zhan gave his cock a few slow
pumps, his thumb pressed just right on the sensitive gland under the head. He pushed aside the silk
and Wei Ying spread his legs further, adjusting himself to fully bare himself to Lan Zhan’s hungry
gaze. “Are you going to eat me up? I want you to devour me, er-gege.”

The blush on his ears spread down to his neck, his long eyelashes fluttering as he glanced up.
There was a bestial hunger in his gaze. He leaned his head in and pressed kisses on his inner thigh,
tracing his lips over the torn tights up to his crotch, his hand pumping his cock steadily. Wei Ying
couldn’t help arching into his touch, the desk warming under his heated skin.

A kiss lapped at the base of his cock, a wet touch that shot electric up Wei Ying’s spine and made
his toes curl in his heels. Lan Zhan licked and kissed down his balls, over his taint where he sucked
the soft skin, eliciting a high pitched whine from Wei Ying as a tongue licked around his fluttering
rim.

Lan Zhan pressed his tongue slowly into his hole, pushing in and out, then licking and sucking
around his rim until Wei Ying was shaking. He pushed his thumbs into his sodden rim, sending a
shiver up his spine.

As Lan Zhan moved to press his fingers in, Wei Ying dug out a travel-sized packet of lube from
the breast of his suit. He put it there partially because he thought it was cool that people with boobs
could store things in their bras. “Here, here.” He passed it over shakily to Lan Zhan’s spit-slicked
hand.
He drizzled some lube on his fingers and dove back down to push two wet fingers into his hole.
Wei Ying keened, his legs jerked up from the sudden spark shooting through his veins. His
abdomen clenched, his breathing turning stuttered. Lan Zhan fingered him slowly, loosening him
up in the most torturous way with his fingers dragging deliciously along his sensitive walls and his
tongue tracing his rim, diving down to properly taste him. Wei Ying was heaving, shaking under
his touch, his core on fire with arousal, his cock dripping.

When he was ready, Lan Zhan hoisted him up by the hips and dragged him down to sit on his lap,
his cock freed from his pants and just as hard as Wei Ying’s. He rubbed over his length with the
rest of the lube, the head glistening under the low desk lamp and monitor screen. Wei Ying
balanced on his knees on either side of Lan Zhan’s hips, hovering over his hard length with the
head pressing into his entrance. Lan Zhan held his hips securely, his head tilted back to stare at
Wei Ying fully in the face with his lips wet and red, his ears flushed, his eyes bright with hunger
and something deep and tender Wei Ying couldn’t quite place. Wei Ying ran a hand through his
hair, musing up his perfect part, and kissed his forehead.

He barely got half a breath before Lan Zhan simultaneously forced his hips down and drove his
cock up. Wei Ying screamed as whatever tenderness he felt was shattered to the sudden spine-
shattering pleasure.

The grip on his hips was bruising. He let himself go limp, hands scrambling uselessly on Lan
Zhan’s shoulders as he cried out, Lan Zhan driving his cock up hard and fast into his hole while he
drove Wei Ying’s hips down to meet him. His body was lost to the pounding rhythm, loose on a
rolling tidal wave. He could come untouched like this.

Then as soon as it started, Lan Zhan stopped. Wei Ying jerked back with a guttural cry, a protest
on his lips when Lan Zhan pushed him down flush to his thighs, his whole cock buried deep inside
him. Wei Ying squirmed, but Lan Zhan held him tighter as he wheeled his chair around back to the
desktop.

“My break is over. Sit still so I may finish.” He removed his hands from Wei Ying’s hips and
started typing again.

Wei Ying was frozen, his chest still heaving for air and his head dizzy from the sudden shift in
gears. He squeezed his ass around his cock experimentally and Lan Zhan pinched his thigh.

His skin was still hot, his core lit aflame and he was teetering high on the rolling waves. His heart
was racing where it was pressed into Lan Zhan’s chest, his own heart fluttering like a
hummingbird’s wings, yet kept typing as if all was normal. After several minutes of sitting there,
perfectly still with sweat drying on his skin and his breath evening out, Wei Ying reached a
conclusion:

Lan Zhan was the worst person he has ever known. Jiang Cheng was pretty mean when he was in a
bad mood, and Jin Zixuan was an overall unbearable guy, but Lan Zhan was far worse.

“Gah- ah!” Wei Ying wiggled in his spot again and cried out. His blood was simmering in a low,
tingling heat, bringing his nerves to a deadly boil. He squirmed, unable to move far with the arms
caging him, the desk digging into his back. “Lan Zhan, hurry up.”

“Mn. Almost done.” Lan Zhan stopped typing and gripped his hips, forcing him to sit still. The
cock nestled deep inside his hole twitched.

“You should work faster,” Wei Ying suggested. His skin was almost uncomfortably warm,
buzzing under the surface. The hand moved back to the keyboard, the steady, near-rhythmic click
click click filling the heated quiet. He went ignored. Time seemed to drag on, or it must be going
too fast, Wei Ying couldn’t tell if it was several minutes or hours that moved.

He perched his chin on Lan Zhan’s shoulder and tried, in vain, to roll his hips to garner some
friction to his aching cock. There was a pinch on his ass. He settled to take in the contents of the
bookshelf he was facing, tracing over the words he could make out on the spines of books, the tiny
trinkets here and there, the little potted plants nestled between rigid hardbacks.

It didn’t hold his attention for long. His heart was still stuttering, something crawled under his skin
and made him restless. Lan Zhan was typing in an even cadence, the monotonous sound of the keys
kept Wei Ying somewhat grounded. He tried leveling his breath past the low, ragged pants he was
breathing through, but his cock was pressed between their stomachs and made it hard to keep his
blood from rolling along the waves.

He could get up and tell Lan Zhan to meet him in the bedroom to get away from this pressured
torture, the dragging claws of arousal peeling away his skin, but he liked this. His spine and scalp
were tingling, his skin sticky with anticipation because he knew the payout would feel so good if
he was a patient for a little longer.

Wei Ying isn’t a patient man. He finishes tests in under thirty minutes, he constantly speeds, the
one time he painted his nails they ended up smeared and dented because he couldn’t wait for them
to dry.

He couldn't wait for Lan Zhan to finish.

He lifted himself up his cock, his mouth falling open from the slow, hot drag. Lan Zhan stopped
typing to grab his hip, to push him down again, but Wei Ying fucked himself down. He set to
riding Lan Zhan’s cock at a relentless pace. The sharp pinch on his ass and the sharper call of his
name spurred him to clench down harder, move faster. He tilted his head back and whined when
hands clawed at his hips.

Lan Zhan didn’t fight it anymore. He firmly grasped Wei Ying’s hips and helped guide him on his
cock. Lips traced his collar bones, the edges of his bowtie, the dip in the center of his chest. Teeth
scraped over his skin and Wei Ying cried out. Lan Zhan gripped his ass, pulled his cheeks apart to
spread Wei Ying wide for his cock.

His arousal was being dragged across both their abdomens; they were pressed so close, the friction
plus the deep drive of Lan Zhan’s cock that was tracing so close to his prostate made him reel. His
head was spinning when his jaw dropped open with a sharp cry as he came.

Lan Zhan picked him up and slammed him back into the desk and fucked hard into his hole,
chasing his own orgasm as Wei Ying writhed and moaned below him. Wei Ying could only catch
a glimpse of the arousal clouding his eyes, the locks of neat hair stuck to his forehead. He drove
into Wei Ying until his pace stuttered and he filled him with boiling heat. His eyes fluttered shut,
his mouth dropped open in a near-silent moan from deep within his chest. He looked gorgeous.

They took a moment to breathe before Lan Zhan extracted himself, cum dripped down Wei Ying’s
hole and onto the desk below. His rim fluttered from the sudden emptiness.

“Get back to work,” Wei Ying said breathlessly as he sat up woozily. More cum gushed out and he
tried to clench and keep it somewhat inside, not wanting to ruin his nice desk with cum stains. “I’ll
wait for you in the bedroom.”

“It’s done. I already sent it in.” Lan Zhan turned to shut off his monitor and Wei Ying noticed
something off.

There was a word document open with lines of text, but it was all incoherent letters and numbers.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn’t the orgasmic haze making him see things and yup. It
was lines of key smashes. He grinned. Lan Zhan had been messing with him.

He stumbled to his feet, losing his balance for a moment as the stilettos made it hard to find his
footing. Lan Zhan caught him around the waist and held him steady. Right now with the added
height, he was taller than Lan Zhan. He kissed his nose with a sly grin.

“Then let’s go, I’m still raring for another round or two.” His legs were like jelly and Lan Zhan had
to guide him to the door, but when he started to walk he nearly tipped over despite the firm arms
holding him upright. He cussed and kicked off the heels.

“I brought some toys for us to play with this weekend,” Wei Ying continued. “We can take a look
later, but right now I want to be face down, ass up on your bed.” Lan Zhan fiddled with the ties of
his corset as they walked out of the office into the hall, loosening them as Wei Ying ran his hands
up and down his button-down, cum-stained shirt.

Wei Ying was pleasantly sore the following morning, having gone two more rounds and laughed
himself silly when Lan Zhan got tangled up in the corset strings. The stockings and accessories
were only peeled off completely after they were plopped down on the bed and heaving for air.

The sky outside was warmed from the sunrise, the clock on the bedside read just after six. Lan
Zhan was still in bed, surprisingly, stroking Wei Ying’s hair with long fingers, smoothing inky
locks out across the pillow.

“Morning,” Wei Ying rolled over to find Lan Zhan propped up on his elbow and staring down at
him. His eyes were pale, practically glowing like the same glimmering light as the sunrise. The soft
comforter had slipped down his chest, a love bite bruised just above his nipple. Lan Zhan was firm
all over with a wide chest and trim waist, making him a perfect pillow for Wei Ying’s head.

“Mn. Good morning.” Lan Zhan kept stroking his hair, his eyes hooded and his whole face
softened in the pale morning light.

“Did you sleep in? It’s way too late for you to be in bed.”

“Yes. It was nice.”

Wei Ying chuckled and buried his face into his warm chest. He could smell sandalwood, sweat,
and sex clinging to his skin. Lan Zhan wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer,
their bodies flush as he continued to stroke Wei Ying’s hair, his nails scraping over his scalp and
untangling knots with each slow drag.

“You should grow your hair out. I bet you’d look good,” Wei Ying said, his voice muffled against
Lan Zhan’s chest.

“Not very proper. Uncle wouldn’t like it.”

“Fuck your uncle. You’re like, twenty-four he can’t tell you what to do.”

“Mn. I’ll consider it.”

Wei Ying nuzzled deeper into his chest and sighed. He could smell the old sweat on his own skin
and the sleep on his breath and it made him cringe. “I want a shower. Wanna join me?”
Lan Zhan’s cock twitched against his hip. He laughed and kissed his chest, pressing his teeth into
his nipple. “I wasn’t thinking that at all, but if you insist.”

Wei Ying thought Lan Zhan’s shower was the absolute best. The whole bathroom was done in
white wood and porcelain, practically glowing in the bright morning light. The shower was huge,
with the perfect amount of pressure and a seemingly endless supply of hot water. There was a low
seat against the wall with a neat row of different soaps and conditioners. Wei Ying moaned when
the water hit his back. Lan Zhan was so kind as to start running his hands through his hair to
thoroughly soak it, his nails scraping pleasantly over his scalp.

It was a bit awkward rotating around the shower so each of them could get under the water. They
took turns lathering soap in their hair. Wei Ying thought it would be a little more, well, sexy, but he
found himself simply enjoying being with Lan Zhan in the moment. It was intimate, somehow just
as intimate as sex, but it held Wei Ying’s heart in a helium balloon.

After they were clean, Lan Zhan swooped in for a kiss. His lips tasted like the minerals from the
hot water and the residue of soap. The heat from the shower water filled the room with heady steam
as a pale imitation of how breathless Lan Zhan drove him. The kiss was slow, deep drags of tongue
and lips, their wet bodies pulled together in a slick slide of flushed skin on skin. Lan Zhan’s chest
and hands were already red from the water, hot brands on his skin Wei Ying melted further into.

Steam built between them, the air too hot to breathe in. Wei Ying was gasping against his lips, their
cocks hard and so sensitive it almost hurt. His toes curled from the pleasant grind of their hips, the
low, drawn out pleasure burned his skin.

A finger traced between his cheeks going for his hole. He involuntarily clenched and gasped
around Lan Zhan’s tongue. The digit penetrated shallowly, the rim already loose and moist from
the previous night and the shower heat. Wei Ying’s whole body shuttered, his walls so sensitive it
was almost numbing.

“Wait, ah, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying stepped out of Lan Zhan’s embrace, trying to ignore the hurt that
flashed across his face. He didn’t move to follow. “We did a lot yesterday and I want to play some
more tonight. How about we leave my ass alone for a bit?”

An idea struck. He shuffled over to the shower bench and leaned against the wall, resting a knee on
the smooth marble and spreading his legs. “I can take care of you still. How about you fuck my
thighs instead?”

Hands grabbed his hips and a hard cock rubbed between his legs. Lan Zhan pressed his chest flush
to Wei Ying’s back, moving his wet hair over one shoulder to give him access to his neck. He
nibbled at his shoulder, ran his tongue up his neck, and tugged at his ear with his teeth.

“Close your thighs,” he murmured. Wei Ying shuddered and complied.

It was awkward angling his mounted knee around Lan Zhan’s body, but didn’t trust not having the
extra support in the slippery shower. Lan Zhan sucked into his neck, his cock squeezed between
his thighs and pressed up against his balls. His hand came around to grip Wei Ying’s cock and give
it a few firm strokes before he started moving.

This wasn’t like the usual anal sex they had, the motions were there but everything was angled
weirdly. Wei Ying wasn’t getting much from it, but the hand pumping his cock and the pressure
against his balls kept him hard and pulled him slowly to his peak. Lan Zhan was gasping lightly in
his ear, his hips slapping wetly against his ass.
Wei Ying looked down. With every inward thrust, he could see the red head of Lan Zhan’s cock
peek out from between his thighs and disappear, dragging across his balls and leaving his thighs
feeling wetter. It made his cock twitch.

No water was hitting him from this angle, all of it landing on Lan Zhan and dripping onto Wei
Ying where he was crowded against the bench as his thighs were fucked. Lan Zhan chased his
pleasure, picking up a staccato rhythm that made Wei Ying lose his grip and slip from the wall.
Hands kept him pressed to Lan Zhan’s chest, a rapid heart beat sang its song into his back, shivered
down his spine. Lan Zhan’s labored breath alone could pull Wei Ying to the teetering edges of
pleasure.

He came with a deep groan pressed into Wei Ying’s skin, his teeth scraping over-sensitive nerves.
Cum hotter than the shower water dribbled down Wei Ying’s thighs. Lan Zhan kept pumping his
cock, determined to make Wei Ying reach his own orgasm. He spread his thighs, releasing Lan
Zhan’s softened cock, and leaned fully back into his chest. One hand rubbed and jerked his cock in
the same fast motion as Lan Zhan had fucked him, the other pulled Wei Ying closer into his chest,
tilting back to arch Wei Ying’s spine and expose his neck and abdomen to the roving hand. A
sensual slide moving up his chest, tweaking his nipple, then tracing his throat in a feather-light
touch that had Wei Ying heaving in his hands.

His orgasm washed over him in a steady beach wave, a smooth tide that pulled him high then set
him down gently. He sighed, his skin buzzing pleasantly as he relaxed against Lan Zhan’s chest
fully. His head lolled to the side as teeth nipped his skin.

“How was that?” Wei Ying asked.

“Mn. Very good.” Both hands moved up and down his body, tracing out all the steady contours.

They finally finished up in the shower and toweled off in the steamy bathroom. The air stepping
back into Lan Zhan’s room was chilling compared to how hot the bathroom was.

Wei Ying had his bag of clothes, but went to rifle through Lan Zhan’s closet instead. In his search
for a comfortable shirt, he found a familiar black v-neck tucked away with the rest of the pale
blues, soft greys, and ivory whites.

“Eh, did you steal my shirt?” Wei Ying teased, waving the offended article.

Lan Zhan’s ears were pink, his back to Wei Ying as he did up the buttons to his white band
collared shirt. “You can take it home.”

“Hm, I’ll take it home if I remember.” Wei Ying tucked it back in the drawer and pulled out a soft
grey Henley. He finished dressing and followed Lan Zhan to the kitchen where he started pulling
ingredients out for breakfast, insisting he fed them both this time. He wanted an omelette, but had
no idea if Lan Zhan would eat eggs. There were eggs in the fridge so he must like eggs, but there
was also a bag of pork ribs.

“Are you not vegetarian anymore?” Wei Ying asked, holding out the hefty bag of ribs.

Lan Zhan looked up from his iPad at the counter, the kettle on the stovetop behind him on. “I am
still a vegetarian. Eggs are okay.”

“Omelettes it is. What are the ribs for?”

“You.”
“Me?” Wei Ying exchanged the ribs for the eggs.

“Dinner.”

“You don’t need to get me meat if you’re not comfortable cooking it. I’ll eat vegetarian food as
long as it tastes good.”

“I wanted to,” he said with a note of finality.

Wei Ying got to work making them both omelettes— simple spinach, feta, and tomato with fresh
garlic and cracked pepper. The bunnies were set loose to roam the house as they worked, Coco
coming up to nibble on the hem of Wei Ying’s joggers at some point.

When the kettle started to hiss, Lan Zhan got to work on steeping his tea.

“What happened to the Keurig?” Wei Ying asked.

“Got rid of it. Pour over coffee is supposed to be the best tasting.”

Wei Ying can’t recall ever having pour over. He was used to drip, and maybe the occasional
French press when he was with Nie Huaisang. Lan Zhan measured out actual whole coffee beans
into the grinder, the shock of sound sending his bunnies skirting in panic. He apologized softly to
them and measured out the fine powder into the coffee dripper, then slowly poured the hot water in
intervals. A timer set on his iPad propped up next to him, his brow was furrowed in concentration,
his handheld under his wrist to steady the kettle.

The omelets were a little crispy on one side, but the coffee was the best he’d ever had.

“I don’t wanna buy coffee anymore when I can have Lan Zhan’s brew,” Wei Ying praised as he
took another loud sip. They sat at the dining room table with their omelets and morning drinks, the
bunnies joining them every so often to mess around under the table.

After finishing, they washed up together. Lan Zhan had retrieved the cold cup of tea from the
office and added it to the dirty dishes, not before drinking it all down with a few heavy gulps. Wei
Ying laughed.

“I saw it’s a set. Can we eat dinner off of them?” Wei Ying asked. He was wet with water to the
elbows, his skin still raw from the long shower earlier. He made sure to handle the teacup and
saucer delicately as he passed it to Lan Zhan to have it rinsed off.

“We should. It never gets used,” Lan Zhan agreed. The dinnerware set was all the same pretty
shade of pale blue with porcelain bunnies at the bottom of the bowls and cups, matching bunnies
painted along the edges of the appetizer, dessert, and entree plates. It was such a simple yet
delightfully Lan Zhan set - it had to have been custom.

When they finished and Wei Ying moved to the living room to start working on homework, Lan
Zhan stayed and turned to the fridge and pulled out ingredients. The ribs, ginger, dried goji berries,
rehydrated seaweed, lotus root…

“What are you doing?” He knew what he was doing, but he wanted to know how, why?

“Your sister gave me the recipe for pork rib and lotus root soup and told me it’s your favorite. We
can have this for dinner if you like.” Lan Zhan’s ears were pink.

It was his favorite dish growing up with the Jiangs and since he’d been kicked out at eighteen, he
 only got to have it once in a blue moon. No one, not even the top family chef, could make it better
than his sister, but Wei Ying could still taste the flavorful coffee on the back of his tongue and the
heat on his skin and knew Lan Zhan’s could be just as good.

He nodded with a smile. “I would love some.”

Chapter End Notes

A Reminder I won't have a chapter for y'all next week but I will post on Thursday!
This is only half of the horny lmao.

Thank you so much for all your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and endless support!
 A Bathrobe
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying's Fantastic Weekend Getaway Part 2

Chapter Notes

yay! this has to be one of the chapters ive been super looking forward to writing now
it's here! Thank you so much Sarah and Krista with all your hard work and good luck
with midterms and work!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

This, Wei Ying had to remind himself, was his own request. The sweet kisses Lan Zhan had laid on
his skin had long since gone cold, the bedroom door was wide open in case he wanted to call it all
off, but it was mostly to hear every sound he made.

Lan Zhan had prepared him well, taking his sweet time kissing him slow and deep as his lubed
fingers stretched him wide. His kisses were so languid and whole, as if he was pulling Wei Ying
into a relaxed haven, pushing him further under the water as his three long fingers speared him
deep. His thrusts had been slow and calculated, his thumb tracing his perineum making Wei Ying
squirm. When he’d deemed him ready, he placed another slow kiss to his jaw as he moved back,
his wet fingers leaving a blazing trail as he removed them from his hole and traced his quivering
inner thigh.

Wei Ying was dressed up in an expensive body harness— a series of soft leather straps with
decorative gold rings encased his body to accentuate his most delectable assets. The triangle straps
framed his chest with a cross running through the middle from his neck to the strap around his
waist where two more crossed pieces traced down to his thighs, held together by a thigh garter. The
gold rings ran down the center cross and the thigh straps, cold and heavy against his skin. His
wrists were cuffed to the sides of the bands wrapped around his thighs in soft leather with just
enough give to wiggle around, with his ankles cuffed and strapped to the links on the back of the
garters, tying him up tight with the 24K gold plated sliders and rings. Like this, his knees drawn
high and spread wide, he could feel how cold and empty his hole was. He shivered from the lube
cooling in his skin and the definite ache from where he wanted to be touched most.

Lastly, Lan Zhan got out the vibrator, phallic in shape and large, almost as large as his own girth,
and a vibrant shade of pink with a tip curved just right. He slicked it up with lube, twisting his wrist
just as he would if he were jacking him off, his clear eyes on Wei Ying only. He pressed the wet,
hard tip to Wei Ying’s hole and waited for the affirmative nod. Wei Ying shook as he nodded, his
cock half-hard but not for long.

Lan Zhan pushed it in slowly, measured breaths keeping Wei Ying steady until the base was
pressed flush against his hole. Despite the preparation, it was still too cool and unforgiving, its
shape too stiff. He breathed as the vibrator settled deep in his hole. His body was shivering, more
in anticipation than due to the actual insertion. It was okay, but he knew it would be better.

“I’ll be back soon,” Lan Zhan murmured into his knee, pressing a kiss to the rough skin. “Be
good.”

That’s how he had left him a while ago. The vibrator had stayed off, nestled deep inside and
growing warm to match his body when it had suddenly switched on, making him jerk up with a
shocked moan. This toy came with a remote control and an app on Lan Zhan’s and Wei Ying’s
phones with scales of vibration settings, including variations of pulses and a ten-second power
boost meant to push them over the edge.

The vibrations were pleasant and low enough to keep him tingling, his toes curling into the soft
sheets. His cock was hard, but not yet painfully so. To leave him stuffed and tortured like this was
all his idea, and it was Lan Zhan’s to tie him up. Never before had he thought bondage would be
something he could get into, but the leather encasing his thighs, wrists, and ankles— sturdy enough
to keep him in place, yet loose enough for him to clip himself out if needed— set his whole body
alight in a way he’d never felt before. His jerking thrusts, aborted and useless with the vibrator
digging deep into his prostate and dragging over his sensitive walls, led to nowhere. His cock was
laying heavy and hard over his navel, whenever he squeezed his thighs it made the vibrations
intensify from how deep it sat.

Pleasant pulses held him aloft, a low hum that slowly grew in tempo and dropped like a swelling
sea meant to draw Wei Ying toward the edge of the world. His skin was tingling with the
vibrations, his breath loud in his ears, and his vision foggy and unfocused.

His breath hitched into a whine when the pulse jumped higher, a spike of razor hot pleasure shot
through his veins. He tensed, mouth agape as a useless whine drained from his throat, his thighs
and core shuddered under the toy. His toes curled and hands scratched uselessly on the sheets. He
spread his knees wide, his hips jerking as the toy vibrated harder, knocking into his prostate and
dragged him toward the edge, tipped him off the cliff, and held him by the throat as he choked and
moaned, his chest torn apart by his own shout as—

It stopped. His whole body wracked with a full-body shudder and he cried, “Lan Zhan!”

He wasn’t here right now. Not long ago, he had knocked on the wide-open door as if Wei Ying
wasn’t squirming and moaning on his bed and told him he’ll be heading to the gym for a quick
cardio workout. He had changed into a loose tank top and running shorts that showed off so much
of his corded thighs Wei Ying almost came if it weren’t for the vibrator purposefully set to a near
stop.

Wei Ying liked to imagine Lan Zhan running furiously on a treadmill with his phone in hand and
ears flushed pink, sweat dripping down his neck, and the lean muscles of his legs wired. He liked
to image what it would be like to throw those legs over his shoulders and fuck into his tight ass
sometimes, Lan Zhan had even expressed how much he would like it. With how much his own ass
had been abused over the past twenty-four hours, he was sure to pick up the offer and fuck Lan
Zhan into the mattress until he was crying, as payback for all this.

Like, it was his idea to begin with, but that wasn’t the point.

The vibrations started up again, a slow pulse meant to work him slowly back up the incline, but he
was too far gone in the tingling pleasure echoing through his bones. The clock on the bedside
indicated it had only been thirty minutes since they’ve started and the vibrator had a ninety minute
battery life.
His toes were buzzing and tense, curled inward as he jerked his legs in the air with the sudden
jump in vibrations, his whole ass nearly numb with electricity. His balls were drawn tight, so
aroused and heavy it almost hurt, his cock red and dripping precum all over the expensive gold and
leather. He’s never been so hard in his life. The dull metal scraping against his sensitive cock made
him nearly weep from stimulation, sweat coated his back and with every humid, laborious breath,
he felt thunder roll through his core.

Too soon did the vibrations start to pulse faster in closer intervals, pulling into a near-constant buzz
that had Wei Ying’s mouth wide in an almost silent scream. His whole body was wrenched up into
an arch when the buzzing reached its max in what must be the ten-second of ultra-intense
vibrations meant to make him come. Only his shoulders, head, and the balls of his feet dug into the
bed as his whole body arched up in a back-breaking bend, his hips thrusting vigorously into the air
as he screamed out, his eyes rolled back and drool trickled down his cheek.

It stopped. He collapsed with a sob, rolled over onto his knees to rub his face in the pillow. The
new angle made him twitch and moan, his cock so hard it hurt where it brushed up against the soft
bedding.

He shuffled onto his back, his cock burning to come so bad. His abdomen was wet and the pillow
was soaked with tears and drool. Nothing happened for the time being, the vibrator silent as he
tried to catch his ragged breath.

Nearly forty-five minutes had passed since they started. Lan Zhan came back. He did not come to
the bedroom right away but moved around the apartment as a low vibration started up again. Wei
Ying groaned weakly. Lan Zhan was feeding the rabbits and getting them fresh bedding, ignoring
Wei Ying’s desperate calls of his name.

“Come in here, Lan Zhan! I’m so close, please just touch me, fuck me with your cock. Anything,
please just let me come already I’m— ah! — I’m so close.” Wei Ying spread his legs wide and
rolled his hips upward, pulling the steadily thrumming vibrator deeper even a little bit. His whole
body was shaking.

Lan Zhan finally came in a few minutes later, phone in hand and face glowing with sweat. If Wei
Ying wasn’t already heaving for air, he would have lost his breath. Lan Zhan sat on the bed bench,
knees tucked under him and his phone in his lap with the app open, his eyes black with hunger and
skin flushed with both arousal and exertion. He was hard through his shorts.

He watched Wei Ying writhe on the bed, his hole stretched and twitching around the toy seated
deep inside, his legs shaking to keep them spread wide for him to see how hard and wet his cock
was, the lube glistening between his cheeks.

A delicate touch started at Wei Ying’s ankle and floated up his leg, his skin shivering under the
contact. Lan Zhan leaned in, one hand gripping his phone like a lifeline and the other tracing Wei
Ying’s leg like it was a beautiful work of art, his lips parted in awe. There was a look on his face
Wei Ying couldn’t read through his haze nor would he know how to decipher.

“I’ll come for you,” Wei Ying gasped. The vibrations were deep and steady, a constant stimulation
that had his core twitching and flexing. His hands shook against his thighs. “Let me come, tell me
to come and I will for you. Just for you, Lan Zhan. I don’t care— fuck me, suck me off, touch me
dick, just do something.” His voice finally cracked in a sob, his eyes hot and burned almost as
bright as his scalding arousal.

“Then come.” Lan Zhan dragged his thumb across the screen to the highest setting— the ten
second ultra-intense shock. Wei Ying arched his back off the bed, his throat shredded with a
guttural cry. A bolt of lightning shot through his body and flooded his nerves with heat, echoing
down his bones. He came in under ten seconds, a white-hot flash that made spots dance over his
vision as his body jerked and thrashed. Steady hands gripped his legs, barely registered through his
buzzing haze.

Lan Zhan held him gently, wrapped around his waist and petted his sides. A kiss was placed on his
head. The vibrator was gone, Wei Ying blearily realized. He sank into the touch, his body heavy
yet his nerves still danced with static. It took awhile for him to calm down, his breath to taper into
even lulls.

It took another few moments to regain his bearings. The world steadied on its axis, his heartbeat
still pounded in his ears. “We can keep going,” he murmured.

“Are you sure?” Lan Zhan said against his head, his lips tracing his temple.

“Mn. I can feel your boner against my leg. I want you to get yourself off with me.”

“Don’t push yourself. This was a lot.”

“I hardly got to see you,” he whined, stretching himself out as best he could. His back gave an
audible crack, his thighs and abdomen were already starting to burn. “I want to come with you at
least once tonight. Let’s play a little longer, yeah?”

“Anything you want.” Lan Zhan scooted to the foot of the bed and situated himself between his
spread knees. Cum was drying on Wei Ying’s chest, hot and sticky in the chilled room.
Goosebumps were scattering over his simmering skin, rubbed raw under the harness straps.

More lube was drizzled over his hole and Lan Zhan pushed in three fingers, fucked him slowly and
pressed the digits along his walls to draw out a low whine from Wei Ying. He pulled out to press in
four this time, stretching Wei Ying’s sensitive walls wide. His whole body shuddered under the
touch.

The vibrator was pushed back in but remained off. Lan Zhan kissed his knee and ran his hands up
and down his thighs, tracing the soft leather harnesses and delicate gold rings. He pulled back
before his touch could get too real.

“I need a shower. Won’t be more than five minutes.”

Wei Ying nodded, his voice lodged in his throat. He sank back into the bed, his cock still too
sensitive over his navel and his ass nearly numb. Lan Zhan disappeared into the bathroom, the
room silent for the moment as Wei Ying made sure to keep his breathing measured.

The buzzing started as soon as the shower switched on. He jerked and moaned, his body weakly
protested the sudden stimulation. The vibrations stayed low and consistent, blood rushed loudly in
his ears and his breathing labored.

Lan Zhan was quick, just as he’d promised, and emerged from the cool shower with his hair
dripping wet and a towel slung around his waist, his hardness still more than visible. He was
barely patted dry and rivulets of water raced down his toned chest. His eyes were only on Wei
Ying.

He marched across the room with a determined glint in his eye and his ears flushed pink. The towel
dropped to the ground at the foot of the bed as he climbed up to join Wei Ying.

The cold droplets of water hitting his skin made him shudder involuntarily. Lan Zhan’s breaths
sent goosebumps racing over his skin. He turned the setting on the vibrator to a strong pulse that
made Wei Ying twitch and cry out.

Lan Zhan settled between his legs and ran his hands down to trace where his thighs were bound.
He rested his cheek on his knee, staring down at Wei Ying’s red and dripping cock, his hole
stretched wide around the vibrator. He grabbed the base and tugged it out slowly, pulling a shudder
and gasp from Wei Ying, then pushed it back in him just as steadily.

He was sobbing with each press of the fake cock driving deep into his core, his own cock swelling
with fresh arousal and burning from oversensitivity. Lan Zhan kissed his quivering knee, a sight
that would have been adorable with how he nuzzled into Wei Ying’s leg if he weren’t on the brink
of utter destruction.

The vibrator was pulled out completely and replaced with the head of Lan Zhan’s cock, pressing
into his worn rim. The slide was easy with how much lube Wei Ying was drenched in, his hole
stretched wide and fluttered weakly around the hot member. It was a fresh stimulation compared to
the stinging vibrator, his cock nearly burning his skin and pulsing with his arousal.

Lan Zhan hoisted his hips up, his hands and feet dangling in the air and unable to gain any
purchase, then began to fuck him deeply. He must have been close for a long time because his pace
turned erratic quickly, his breaths interrupted by gasping grunts. Wei Ying arched into his cock,
tried to fuck back on the fresh pleasure coating his insides, but could do nothing more than
helplessly wiggle and clench down on every inward thrust.

His orgasm was encroaching slowly, a tantalizing burn from the tips of his toes, rolling to the top
of his scalp. He gasped as the heat seared his body. The orgasm was going to roll off him in a
pleasurable wave, a climax he could float down from.

A devious look in Lan Zhan’s eye told him otherwise. He grabbed his splayed knees and pressed
them into Wei Ying’s shoulders, folding him in half and pounding him deeper, harder than before.
Wei Ying sobbed out, his mind clouding with pleasure as every sound was forcefully fucked out of
him, every grunt and deep-seated moan, unable to trace a coherent letter with his tongue. The
vibrator was picked back up and Wei Ying barely had enough of his wits to notice Lan Zhan
switch it on to the mind-numbingly highest setting and pressed to the underside of his cock, right
under the swollen head.

Wei Ying screamed and came.

The orgasm tore through him like a shockwave his body convulsed under the sparks searing his
skin. His vision blacked out for a moment and he barely registered the weak dribble of cum
spurting from his cock. He was shaking and rolling, his skin buzzing with the ghost of vibrations,
every joint tingling with white-hot pleasure-pain.

He could only register his ragged breathing, the ringing in his ears, and the leftover humming
running through his nerves. Lan Zhan was halfway through untying him, the room a pressing quiet
that draped over them like a blanket. He must have actually blacked out for a moment.

Lan Zhan’s brows were furrowed as he worked quickly yet carefully to remove the harness, taking
the time to carefully stretch out his legs and massage his fingers deep into the tendons to massage
out the creaking aches. Wei Ying was young, but being tied up for over an hour like that had been
a bitch on his knees. His wrists were uncuffed and rubbed, kisses placed tenderly on the red marks,
his ankles given the same soft treatment.

It was hard to breathe with the buckles and leather strapped around his chest. Wei Ying tried to
move his hand to tug at the straps and Lan Zhan stopped him with a soft hush and a kiss on his
chest. He slowly unclipped and unlooped all the crossing straps, nudging Wei Ying to shift over
and allow him to gently pull the garment down his body. Once he was blessedly completely naked,
Wei Ying closed his eyes and was content to go to sleep with cum sticky on his body.

“A bath?” Lan Zhan suggested. “You may rest while I prepare.” Another kiss and laid on the
corner of his mouth, a hand lingered on his sweaty chest and traced over the red marks from the
leather digging into his skin, and Lan Zhan moved off the bed and back to the bathroom. The echo
of the bathtub being filled was muted to Wei Ying’s ringing ears, a soothing cascade of noise that
started to lull him to sleep. Lan Zhan came back, not much later to gently lift Wei Ying from the
bed in a bridal carry and take him to the bathroom, his head lolling onto his shoulder.

The tub was blessedly warm, steam rising from the fluffy bubbles and the gently sweet jasmine
water seemed to make Wei Ying’s skin feel blessedly smooth. There were grains digging into his
bottom and he cracked his eyes open to ask what it was when he spotted a blue plastic container on
the counter labeled Epsom salts. He smiled and sank into the tub.

It was large, long enough for him to fully stretch out without anything but his head popping out of
the top. There was a pillow for his neck and on the shelf next to it Lan Zhan had lit a sandalwood
candle. It was a sweet touch except...

“Lan Zhan, why don’t you join me? I bet you’re all sweaty, too,” Wei Ying teased.

He shook his head and sat on his knees by the tub, dressed up in his silk pajamas and a book in his
lap. “I’ve bathed twice today. This is for you.”

“Maybe I want to cuddle you in the tub.” Wei Ying winked.

“I would want to do more than that.” The rest was left unsaid. Wei Ying blushed and sank under
the water to hide the heat. That was too sexy! He would let him do it, but he didn’t think his ass
could take much more!

He surfaced from the water and rolled over to his side, his ass way too sore to sit on the hard
porcelain for long, and rested his head on his elbows folded over the lip of the tub. “Can I fuck
you?”

Lan Zhan jolted, his ears red. Wei Ying continued. “I want to fuck you tomorrow instead, if you
would like. I’ve never topped before, is that okay?”

“Mn. We can do that.” Lan Zhan kissed the top of his head and went back to his book.

They didn’t get frisky again the rest of the night because the moment Wei Ying was out of the bath
he nearly toppled over from exhaustion. The lotus root soup would be for Sunday night dinner as it
was best eaten the day after it was made, instead, Lan Zhan had dinner delivered from a nearby
bistro with stacked sandwiches and hefty salads. They ate at the counter, Wei Ying nearly
chugging a whole bottle of wine he found, and then they watched a nature documentary until Wei
Ying dozed off in his lap.

On Sunday morning, Lan Zhan indulged in staying in bed longer than the day before, not even
bothering to rise until almost nine. They ate brunch with fresh pancakes and lots of fruit. Wei Ying
was still too tired to do much of anything, but he made himself go into the workshop and finish
filming the laptop video. It had been shunted aside with the article drama and now he found
himself with a little time to work on it and start planning for the next shoot.
For the past week, he had been avoiding social media as much as he could. There were discourse
videos being posted discussing the ins and outs of the “situation”, essays written in Twitter threads
about how he was the “bad guy” or “stay out of their business”, his handle being used constantly
and flooding his notifications with alerts as people tried to get his attention.

He didn’t want to tackle that until after he finished filming, including an overall introduction and a
forewarning of his busy schedule that will make posting harder, then a brief word on everything
happening.

“I also wanted to talk real quick about stuff about me going on with social media. You guys have a
lot of opinions and that’s cool and all, but leave me alone. I don’t like having my face plastered all
over for stuff I might or might not have done, I just want to build things and blow stuff up. Moving
on…”

There was no reason for people to be poking into his business. The media was enough, he didn’t
need his fun ruined with people asking him about a “boyfriend”.

The lotus root and pork rib soup was delicious. Lan Zhan served it in the favored blue bunny-
themed dinnerware set as promised, with the bunny at the bottom slowly rising to the surface as
Wei Ying practically inhaled his soup. A fresh bouquet of red tulips sat next to them at the dining
table, it’s sweet fragrance nearly overpowered by the delectable smell of the food.

Wei Ying sang praise for the soup, marking it certainly as a close second to Jiang Yanli’s. The
lightly sweet and savory flavor melted on his tongue, the roots perfectly soft with just enough of a
tender bite. The meat practically fell off the bones, its succulent taste so mouthwateringly
delectable it had Wei Ying going for a third bowl despite feeling full already. Lan Zhan ate with
him despite his reservations with meat, stating simply, “it’s the weekend.”

Their early dinner finished with them relaxing on the enclosed patio, soaking up the last rays of
spring sunshine. Clouds were moving in quickly on the horizon, a rainstorm forecasted for the
evening would either be a light sprinkle or a sudden downpour depending on the clouds’ mood.

Lan Zhan excused himself after a while of reading his book to feed the rabbits and to “attend
business”. The business, by the looks of Lan Zhan’s pink ears and darkened eyes, had something to
do with their last night together before the weekend oasis came to an end.

Wei Ying dozed on the wicker chair, the chilly wind soothing his skin and distant traffic nothing
but a hum. There was a louder buzzing flitting through his veins, his heart rate picking up speed
with every passing moment in heated anticipation.

A text message came about twenty minutes after Lan Zhan went inside, asking Wei Ying to come
to the bedroom. He tried not to rush, but his feet carried him quickly down the hall and nearly
kicked down the door.

Lan Zhan was sitting at the side of the bed in nothing but a fluffy bathrobe, the collar closed tight
against his throat and his long, lean legs tucked neatly up against the bedside. It was far from a
sexy posture to walk in on, but heat thundered south in Wei Ying.

They already talked about it earlier today and Wei Ying was nearly breathless with both
excitement and nervousness. Lan Zhan peered up at him almost demurely, his skin misty from
another shower and the ends of his hair curled at his nape. A twilight glow peeked through the
shutters, a pale misty blue with the pressing midnight black soaking the corners of the bedroom. A
single lamp was on, a pool of dim light that threw shadows across Lan Zhan’s face. His cheeks
looked sharper, his nose a gentle slope, his eyes glimmering in the near darkness. Wei Ying knelt
on the bed next to him and cupped his cheek. A hand came up to cup his own, a thumb tracing his
veins.

Wei Ying kissed him gently, his lips sweet and so soft as he melted into his touch. Wei Ying
wanted to melt with him.

It was a stark contrast to how electric it was last night, the mood softened into a shimmering haze
that took his breath away in a whole new way. They laid next to each other on the bed, the fluffy
bathrobe was opened to reveal the long, lean lines of his body— the swell of his pectorals, the hills
and valleys of his abdomen, the dip of his navel, the soft thatch of hair where his pale cock laid
soft against his toned thigh. Wei Ying kissed him breathless and took his time to trace all of his
Adonis features.

He huffed out a laugh when the robe was stripped completely and he caught sight of bunny ears
and an embroidered face on the fluffy hood. It was thrown over the bed bench and completely
forgotten when Wei Ying tasted the sharp lines of his clavicle, the sinewy lines of his shoulders,
the gentle musk of his skin.

Lan Zhan was rightfully nervous to be on the receiving end, the flutter of his lashes and the uneven
hitches to his breath as Wei Ying folded himself over him. He caved into his touch, melted in Wei
Ying's hands. It made his heart flutter erratically at how open Lan Zhan had become, the amount of
trust he was placing in Wei Ying to take care of him.

His lips didn’t leave his chest and face as he lubed up his fingers and pressed the first digit into his
tight hole. Lan Zhan gasped lightly at the feeling and Wei Ying kissed him until he relaxed under
his touch again. He worked slowly, letting his lips trail over steadily heating skin, taking his time
to fully open him up and made sure he was comfortable before they started. He took his fingers
beautifully, eased into his touch and arched into every kiss. Wei Ying couldn’t bear to take his lips
off him for a moment.

They rolled over when he was ready, Wei Ying sitting himself between his spread legs and leaving
lingering kisses across his chest, licking over a nipple to elicit a light groan. He lined their cocks
together and pumped them into full hardness, Lan Zhan arching up into his arousal, his chest
glowing with sweat and drying spit in the dim amber light.

Wei Ying lined himself up then slowly pushed into his hole, the tight heat driving a shiver up his
spine, his cock burning in the vice-like heat that twitched around him. He moaned long and loud,
every dirty thought flinging to the forefront of his mind with the sight of Lan Zhan spread out
under him like a whole seven-course meal waiting to be devoured. The red flush from his ears
bloomed down his neck and over his chest, his eyes wide and glassy, his lips wet and swollen from
their infinite kisses. He raised his hands over his head to grip the pillow and bury his face into his
arm in sudden shyness.

Every dirty word died in his throat. There was a tenderness in the moment he didn’t want to drive
into a different direction, filled with a flavor he was used to drinking day in and day out. Right
now, he was enjoying the pour over coffee Lan Zhan made him, the sweet broth of Jiang Yanli’s
soup Lan Zhan worked so hard to make sure it tasted good and even ate it with him despite his
vegetarianism, the soft sunrise music that laid over them like a blanket every morning he had the
pleasure of waking up by Lan Zhan’s side.

He thrusted in slowly, setting an even pace that drew gasping breaths from Lan Zhan, his face a
waxing moon of pleasure Wei Ying couldn’t take his eyes off. It felt so good being inside him, his
legs clamped around his waist and his whole delectable body stretched out for Wei Ying to admire,
to touch, to taste.
To love.

The words fizzled away when he hit Lan Zhan’s prostate and he let out a muffled cry, his body
arching into Wei Ying’s heat. Arousal clouded his mind as he drove in harder, faster, wanting
nothing more than to bring Lan Zhan to his peak by his own hands. Wei Ying untangled his fingers
from the sheets and entwined their fingers together, pressing them into the bed as he leaned over
his frame and drank in Lan Zhan’s beautiful face as he was brought closer to completion.

His mouth was opening and closing, words failing him, his lips shaping letters Wei Ying could not
read under the haze of pleasure filling his veins. Whatever he wanted to say was lost to the humid
air.

He shuddered and came untouched with a quiet moan, his lips muffled as Wei Ying kissed him
wholly to swallow his sweet sounds. He trembled in Wei Ying’s arms as he continued to fuck him
slowly, deeply, his pace stuttering as Lan Zhan clamped down around him and squirmed.

“Sorry, sorry,” Wei Ying gasped and pulled out and with a few quick jerks of his cock, came all
over Lan Zhan’s navel with a low moan. Wei Ying was dizzy watching droplets of their cum dip
into the V of his hips, soaked in the dark hair around his softening member. He leaned down to lick
it off almost reverently, letting his tongue taste every dip and delicious swell of muscle soaked in
salty musk.

Lan Zhan was gasping above him, oversensitive and hot to the touch. It was Wei Ying's turn to pull
away and get a damp washcloth to wipe him down, swiping away the remnants he missed with his
tongue. Lan Zhan was boneless in bed, his eyes shut and breathing deepening as sleep creeped up
his body. Wei Ying went around and shut off all the lights and finished locking up the apartment,
turning on the alarm and checking in on the bunnies to make sure they had food and water before
crawling back into bed with Lan Zhan. It wasn’t even nine yet, the sky black except for the hazy
city lights beyond the sanctuary of the apartment.

They curled up together and napped, the quite thick blanket over them. Wei Ying was tucked under
Lan Zhan’s chin as he ran hands across his warm back. It was soft, a homey feeling bubbled in his
chest with his warm breaths tracing the top of his head. Only minutes after nine, Lan Zhan rolled
over onto his back and soaked closer to sleep.

Wei Ying wasn’t nearly ready to sleep. He climbed out of bed, pulled on a pair of underwear and
the fluffy bunny bathrobe then sat back against the fluffy pillows and snuggled close to Lan Zhan,
his laptop balanced on his knees as he started editing the next video. Beside him, Lan Zhan must
have been mostly asleep because as he laid flat on his back with the blankets pulled up to his lips, a
hand rested against Wei Ying’s thigh and he slowly stroked his thumb back and forth, the pace
slowing until he stopped moving completely.

At about ten, he got up and tried making the pour over coffee Lan Zhan made with the help of a
WikiHow article. It didn’t taste nearly as good as his, but it was a delicious cup of coffee
nonetheless.

He had work in the morning at about eight and settled to go to bed by one after he did a little more
work for his thesis and briefly fell into a Youtube hole watching paint pour videos. He eased into
sleep, soaking in the subtle smell of laundry detergent, sandalwood, and sex still lingering in the
sheets with Lan Zhan’s warmth at his side.

Lan Zhan rarely didn’t sleep through the night. Tonight, the sky was silvering with dawn only
 mere hours away, his body heavy and warm under the blankets. A coldness had settled over his
skin.

He had almost said “I love you”. The sight of Wei Ying leaning over him, their hands tangled
together and his body full of his heat, he wanted to melt under his gaze and declare his love.
Everything had felt so good he couldn’t form the words properly, eyes heart-shaped and his chest
full of a sweet soup of affection. He wanted to fall asleep with his arms around Wei Ying again, but
he had a hard time sleeping on his sides. There was a leg pushed between his, a breath tickled his
shoulder, stray strands of hair rested on his neck, but he was cold.

Wei Ying grunted in his sleep and rolled over almost completely atop Lan Zhan. He grunted from
the sudden weight, but as Wei Ying settled over him like a heavy winter blanket, his head buried
under his chin and hand so close he was nearly caressing his head, Lan Zhan found he liked this
position very much. Wei Ying wasn’t exactly small, wiry and lean, packed with dense muscles,
and heavier than he looked, but Lan Zhan couldn’t care less about his lungs being slowly crushed
under his weight.

He wrapped his arms around his slender waist and drifted off back to sleep with Wei Ying
breathing steadily in his ear, his heartbeat slow against his chest.

Chapter End Notes

[kicks leg out] no update next monday on 9/28 because I'll be working on Moshang
week (I've fallen behind oops) but on 10/5 we will return with the long-awaited Gala
chapter yay! It's the longest written yet! We've also officially hit 100k words posted
for this yay! Congratulations on making it this far I also. Didn't think it would be this
long OTL

Right now it's a bit tricky writing $2 bc i'm getting worn out but i wanna get it done so
bad! once i get past all the sex stuff it SHOULD be smooth sailing and thats another
uh handful of chapters. This fic is also 70% me making it up as I go with a vague
guidline to work off of with only a handful of important scenes actually plotted out so
if theres like. a detail yall noticed and hope i bring back around pls drop it in the
comments or my Twitter/Tumblr DMs to remind me rip this is my fault for poor
planning but I'm having fun! I want to make sure this is fun for you guys too!

Thank you so much for all the love! Your comments and kudos are chefs kiss make
my whole WEEK so much better. See you next time!

UPDATE 9/30: Hey I'm sorry! I said the next update will be first Monday of October
but I've taken on uh, more projects and put this on the back burner for now. Ch 18 is
done but I want Ch 19 done before I post. So the next update will actually be Oct. 12!
Thank you so much and I'll see you soon!

UPDATE 10/9: I’ve been struggling to func and working on kinktober (bc it’s just one
shots I don’t have to think too hard about plot but also pushes me out of my comfort
zone in writing) and I don’t have the capacity to work on a long fic like this atm with
uh yeah. Mental health bro. I’ll be back I promise bc this is so close to being done and
I wanna see it to the end! Thank you so much for your patience and I’ll get back on
track soon!
OH! And the set Wei Ying is wearing is made up to fit my needs but it's a combination
of these two down below
The overall shape of this
The beautiful details of this set my friend got
 Cufflinks
Chapter Summary

A gala to raise money for the local art programs.

Chapter Notes

Thank you Krista and Sarah!!!!! here's a hualian cameo and 7.8k apology for the
severe delay

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The week was gone in a flash, and before Wei Ying knew it, his professors were preparing them
for spring break, his suitcase was packed, his suit delivered to Nie Huaisang’s, and a new article
wormed its way into the daylight.

A SON? YOUTUBER WEI YING DRAGGING GUSU EDU. CEO’S SON INTO AN EARLY
FATHERHOOD

It was all garbage, and at this point, Wei Ying had nothing to say to any of the people emailing him
for a word and the constant mentions on Twitter. This is his business, and they could say what they
wished as long as Lan Zhan was kept away from the bus tires.

But this week's article was a little upsetting because now A-Yuan had his face plastered on the
internet without his permission. Instagram was private, and the one time he was in a video with
Wei Ying, it was a short cameo showing only his chin as he helped Wei Ying do some admittedly-
dangerous-for-a-toddler wiring. This time, they had somehow gained access to his private
Instagram, took snapshots of them at the pier, coming out of the market, and in the Target parking
lot. Thankfully, they hadn’t found his apartment, work, or A-Yuan’s school.

Could he sue for plastering a child’s face everywhere like this? Legally, not yet. He could handle
the name-calling, the bad reputation being dropped on his head, even remarks of how he will drag
Lan Zhan down and saddle him up with a kid, but they had no right to do this to A-Yuan.

Jiang Fengmian and Lan Zhan both made their own calls, and within hours of its release, the article
was pulled from the site but the damage had already been done. A-Yuan’s face had already been
shared across social media and by the end of the day, there was an updated YouTube discourse
video with new information including the “facts on the child”.

There was nothing to be done except keep A-Yuan tucked away safe until it all blew over. The
Wens will be watching him while he’s at the gala and Jiang Yanli is going to keep an eye on him
while he’s off on the spring break trip. He almost wanted to cancel to stay by his side and make
sure nothing happens while he’s away, but Jiang Yanli promised he’ll be safe in their high security
home without Wei Ying, the media magnet, hanging around. Reluctantly, he agreed.

With that seething bomb out of the way and Jiang Fengmian kindly dealing with lawyers for him,
he had other things to worry about.

Come Friday, Wei Ying took a half-day off work and drove to Nie Huaisang’s manor to prepare for
the gala, per Nie Huaisang’s request, even paid him for the missing hours without taxes taking a
cut. Nie Huaisang needed the whole day to prepare, having started his day at a fresh and early ten
with a full spa treatment. When Wei Ying arrived, he was at his bathroom vanity with three people
working on him— one buffing his nails preparing to paint them, one combing through his damp,
long hair, and the third going through a huge carrier of makeup.

“Good, you’re here. Once Jessie is done with my nails, he can do you, too. He’s doing this
gorgeous holo gold glitter gradient on mine.”

“I don’t really need to do all this.”

“Yes you do. I’ll kill you if you don’t.”

Wei Ying took a seat on the daybed and reluctantly waited for his turn. His suit was unzipped from
the bag and hung up in the open closet door next to Nie Huaisang’s which was still wrapped in
plastic. It was a muted silver all the way down with spring flowers embroidered on the shoulders
with tasteful rhinestones amongst the delicate threads to give it just enough sparkle without it being
too tacky. The main show was the cape, already steamed out and ready to go, that transitioned from
opaque to near transparent and covered in the same delicate floral embroidery. The pants had
embroidery down the outer seam, his shoes were lined up next to Wei Ying’s Louboutin oxfords—
a pair of dressy Chelsea boots the same muted silver with a transparent heel. They would give him
the extra few inches he felt he lacked.

It was this afternoon Wei Ying found out he didn’t really like people poking and prodding at him.
He got a whole manicure/pedicure treatment which included a foot soak, massages, sweet-smelling
oils and lotions, his nails buffed and shaped, and then coated in polish. He kept his toes clear
because he doesn’t have acetone at home and didn’t want his toes to be painted for six months, but
his fingers were shaped into perfect smooth seashells and polished with a matte black. It was gel,
and dried quickly under the UV lamp, which made the experience a little more bearable watching
the polish dry in under a minute.

His hair was washed and soaked in oils, then dried while the stylist crackled her gum in his ear and
talked loudly over the dryer to Nie Huaisang. It had never taken this long for his hair to dry, nor
had there been so many products rubbed into his scalp and sprayed through his locks ever in his
life. Admittedly, his hair had never laid so smooth before. It was pulled back neatly into an artful
half-bun, pinned, tied, and sprayed in place, then a silky red ribbon was wrapped around the bun
and draped down his back.

“I already told Lan Zhan this is what you were doing so he could coordinate,” Nie Huaisang said,
his face grey with the smear of clay over his skin.

Wei Ying wasn’t able to avoid the skin treatment either— a nose peel, his eyebrows were plucked
and trimmed, the traces of a fresh beard growing in was sheared off despite having shaved only
yesterday. His face was not spared of the earth-smelling clay mask either.

All this was happening at once, three people flitting between the two of them as they pulled and
tugged to shape them into polished stones. That’s how Nie Huaisang described the process when
Wei Ying tried to tug himself away from their too strong hands.

Wei Ying opted out of doing the whole face of makeup Nie Huaisang was applying, essentially
repainting his whole face with a near endless amount of products and steps. He was still peer
pressured into having a little makeup “for photos”-- foundations, concealer, powder, bronzer,
mascara, eyebrow tint, a light gloss, and his face sealed with spray and more powder. The whole
process was stifling and left his skin feeling thick and heavy.

He still finished in a fraction of time before Nie Huaisang and left to get dressed, thankfully
without an aide. About thirty minutes before Lan Zhan was to pick Wei Ying up, Nie Huaisang
had finally shifted gears and was rushing to get himself put together.

“It’s fine if I arrive late, but I don’t want to be too late and miss all the good stuff,” he said as two
more helpers had slid into the room and helped him get into the silver suit.

Wei Ying was pretty happy with his own suit. The whole ensemble was black on black with a red
tie the exact same shade as the ribbon in his hair and the red bottoms of his shoes. The jacket was
the centerpiece to the whole look— a Dolce & Gabanna sheer lace blazer with silk cuffs and
collars with interlocking buttons. With the black shirt, the jacket looked almost normal, but from
certain angles, one could see right through the intricate lace.

Nie Huaisang tossed him a box just as he was settling back down on the couch to browse through
his phone until Lan Zhan picked him up. It was a large, flat velvet square with Harry Winston
printed in silver on the top.

“Lan Zhan had it dropped off this morning, said it was for tonight.”

“Is it sexy?” Wei Ying joked.

“Not in the way you’re thinking.”

It was a jewelry set laying in a bed of royal blue silk. A pair of earrings, a necklace, and a ring with
diamonds in the shape of a lotus. They weren’t ostentatious, small and delicate, yet loud enough to
make a statement. They were simple in their shape and glittered under the dazzling chandelier light.
Wei Ying put the necklace on and let it settle under his collar, the heavy pendant sitting just under
the knot of his tie, changed out the Tiffany diamond earrings for the larger lotus, and slid the ring
onto his middle finger. He was worried it would fall right off his hand during the evening, but it fit
his finger just right and didn’t move from its spot no matter how much he waved his hand around.

Lan Zhan wanted to arrive exactly when the gala started, so he arrived exactly thirty minutes
before to pick Wei Ying up. Nie Huaisang wasn’t near ready yet, most of his suit still hanging on
the door, and waved him goodbye from the podium in his large closet.

The limo shocked Wei Ying. He figured Lan Zhan would bring his Tesla and have the valet take
care of it but he should have known better. No one drives to events like this. Lan Zhan was waiting
outside the car, clad head to toe in the white version of his suit, and almost glowing like a beacon
in the dimming sky. His collar was clipped with white mother of pearl collar pins and his pale blue
pocket square was folded into a sharp line at his chest. When he turned to open the door for Wei
Ying, there was a blue ribbing draped from his shirt collar and down his back.

Wei Ying sniggered and tugged on the ends. “What’s all this?”

“We need to match, but my hair isn’t long enough,” Lan Zhan explained. “The stylist would not
allow me to tie it around my forehead.”
He even wore pearl clip-on earrings and a pearl ring, set to make himself match Wei Ying down to
the last piece of jewelry. His cufflinks though, unlike Wei Ying’s smooth obsidian circles, were
pearly white and shaped into a bunny with silver eyes and ears. Wei Ying grabbed his hand and
brought his wrist to his hand to examine them closer, a laugh bubbling on his lips.

“Custom made,” Lan Zhan said.

Wei Ying actually laughed and pressed a kiss to the pearl bunny, cold and smooth under his lips.
“You look so handsome tonight. I don’t know how I’ll control myself in front of everyone when
you look this stunning.”

“Mn. I’ll try not to tempt you.”

Wei Ying laughed harder and let Lan Zhan help him into the limo. It was wide and spacious, pale
back lights illuminating the space. There was a mini-fridge and a small TV, an ice bucket loaded
with Fiji water and a bottle of sparkling cider.

“No champagne?” he teased as Lan Zhan climbed in after him and shut the door. He opened the
mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of Wei Ying’s favorite beer. He practically squealed and went
to snatch the beer, but Lan Zhan pulled it out of reach to dig out a bottle opener from a cubby and
cracked open the cap then passed it over. Wei Ying nearly chugged the whole thing down in one
go.

“Careful. You can’t be inebriated before the gala starts,” Lan Zhan warned, opening a bottle of
water for himself.

“For the nerves. Cheers.” They bumped their bottles and each took a sip.

The gala was located only blocks from the Hollywood sign, the glimmering white beacon in the
golden evening haze standing out brighter as the sun went down. It was tucked away out of plain
sight, burrowed in the narrow streets of West Hollywood. Outside, it looked so nondescript that
Wei Ying didn’t notice they were there until the driver pulled into the gated drive, the bleached
asphalt cut into a wide red brick drive. The entrance of the building was lit up with bright fairy
lights and lamp posts, startling under the pink sky. There was a vinyl step and repeat board set up
with a red carpet from the drop off area, winding through the garden past where photographers and
ring lights were already getting bright photos of entering guests. Wei Ying gulped.

A valet came around and opened the door for them. Lan Zhan stepped out first then turned to help
Wei Ying out. They walked down the plush red carpet, guests who had arrived on the dot like them
were mingling in the front before heading in, draped in fine silks and diamonds. Reporters hung
back behind velvet ropes. Not one approached them, too busy with the models, producers,
millionaires, and all sorts of big names.

Lan Huan was already present, smiling neatly up from the step and repeat board in a pale blue suit
with a rich navy tie, a fancy silver lapel pin clipped to his front that glinted under the dazzling
camera flashes. He looked molded for the camera, shaped just as lovely as Lan Zhan with his
smooth skin, neat black hair, sculpted jawline, and kind eyes to match his kinder smile. As they
approached, he caught sight of them and threw a wink. The camera flashes exploded in a frenzy for
him to do it again.

Wei Ying was hoping Lan Huan could distract every single photographer and allow him and Lan
Zhan to slip by undetected because their only way into the venue was either to wade through the
photographers or walk in front of their lenses.
Lan Huan did the opposite of what Wei Ying wanted him to do and swooped over to pull them into
the limelight, adjusting Wei Ying to stand between the two brothers with their arms wrapped
around each other’s backs. Lan Zhan didn’t give them even a crack of a smile and Wei Ying chose
to grin as big as he possibly could. Through the cacophony of noise, Wei Ying was directed out of
the shot so they could get photos of the two stunning Lans. He gladly obliged and went ahead up
the wide staircase to the foyer with a wave to Lan Zhan. Questions rang out in a blur of noise Wei
Ying didn’t want to hear.

The gala was a charity meant to raise money for LA art programs and had work displayed by
locals. It was a weird twist of decadence and art, but each of the pieces were picked to match the
overall glitzy Jin aesthetic of smooth marbles and rich golds. Madame Jin, the host of the gala and
the founder of the organization, was greeting guests up ahead in a lavish, pale gold gown with a
regal trumpet skirt and a diamond belt. She knew who Wei Ying was from his years under the
Jiangs, but it had certainly been a few years since he’d been around a Jin other than Jin Zixuan.
One was more than enough.

Jins were a family of money who lived to make more money and sink into gold-coated pleasures.
As the Jiangs was a business of trading and traveling, the Jins were an umbrella for luxury goods
solely for the top paying dollar. Tonight was a moment for them to flaunt their wealth and “give
back” to the community even though, as the founder and president of the charity, Madam Jin will
be adding more to her pockets with tax breaks.

Lan Zhan arrived not long after, his brother nowhere in sight. He offered his arm to Wei Ying who
took it gladly. Madam Jin gave Lan Zhan a warm greeting, shaking his hand and thanking them for
coming. She gave Wei Ying a look he couldn’t quite decipher, but the slight furrow to her brows
was all he needed to read. Regardless, she politely greeted him and declared how lovely it was to
see him after so many years and how much he had grown. Already in his mid-twenties, Wei Ying
didn’t find comments like that amusing outside of direct family.

The ballroom had a huge, circular glass ceiling that flooded the room with a warm golden light.
Floor to ceiling windows had more of the same golden light from the outside peeking in, making
Wei Ying think the windows didn’t actually go anywhere. There were large, round tables in white
and gold around the edges of the room where the main dance floor was interrupted with statues of
artwork. The main stage was empty for now, but later is where an auction will take place. They
wove through the richly clad guests to find their assigned table with Lan Zhan’s name on their gold
plates. On the far side of the room, there was a buffet of cocktail snacks, a champagne tower,
fondue, and an open bar. He beelined straight for it once they located their seats.

As he turned from the bar, a sparkling water in one hand and a clear glass of white wine in the
other, he caught sight of the only other person at this whole event he was hoping to see.

“Yanli! Jiang Yanli!” He bounced up and down as best he could with his drinks to get her
attention. He weaved through the crowd of people and weird art fixtures to get closer.

She turned at the sound of her name and she smiled brighter than the whole crystal chandelier. Her
lovely lavender tulle ballgown seemed to float around her as she moved to meet Wei Ying in the
middle.

“You came!” She said and pulled him into a hug, the purple velvet flowers embroidered with
crystals and pearls on her chest pressed painfully into his own. “Did you tell the Wens I said thank
you for watching A-Ling tonight? You know he was excited about being able to spend the night
with A-Yuan.”

“I did, don’t worry. Did Wen Qing send you the picture of them with their faces smeared in
spaghetti sauce from the other night?”

“It’s my new wallpaper,” she giggled. “A-Ying, your necklace! Where did you get it?”

“A gift from Lan Zhan for tonight.” He wiggled his finger and brushed his hair aside to show off
the rest of the set.

“They’re stunning! I’ll have to ask him where he got it so I can get a set for myself.”

“I can let you borrow mine. I don’t think I’ll be wearing diamonds all that often.”

She frowned slightly, but shook it off with a sweet smile. “Father’s already here if you want to say
hello.”

“What about Madam Yu?”

“She just left to go chat with Madam Jin.” Her eyes were sparkling. She was radiant tonight with
her hair done up in an elegant twist, her neck draped in an exquisite diamond and pearl necklace
that matched her earrings. She looked so bright and happy, regal just like a princess “Come say hi
to him, A-Cheng stepped out for a moment.”

Jiang Fengmian greeted Wei Ying warmly with a firm pat on his back, Wei Ying’s hands still
holding his and Lan Zhan’s drinks.

“Your jacket doesn’t do much to keep you warm, eh?” Jiang Fengmian teased.

“I look cute, that's all that matters,” he sniffed.

“Are you two planning on buying tonight or just here for the event?”

“Lan Zhan might get something if it catches his eye, but I’m here for the open bar and free food.”

Jin Zixuan saddled up in that moment, ironed in a plain penguin suit with a purple velvet tie that
matched the flower decals on Jiang Yanli’s dress. “Jiang Cheng is coming back,” he warned as he
passed a champagne flute to her. “You better run,” he said with a sip of his own champagne.

“Doubt he is. You just want me gone,” Wei Ying did a quick three-sixty around the room and yup.
Jiang Cheng was in a navy velvet blazer and a glass of wine in hand. He hadn’t spotted Wei Ying
yet, engrossed in a conversation with Lan Huan of all people. “Okay, I’ll see you around.” He
ducked behind a giant glass fixture with tons of crystals hanging from its top meant to imitate a
wave pattern and scurried in the opposite direction, looping around the ballroom back to his seat
with Lan Zhan.

“Sorry for the delay,” he breathed as he sat down gingerly in his assigned seat. “I saw Yanli.”

“Mn. Thank you.” Lan Zhan took the offered sparkling water and took a delicate sip. “How is
she?”

“Good, I guess. Jiang Cheng came before I could really start talking to them and I didn’t want to
look at his stupid face just yet.”

“He’s been at my brother’s place a lot recently. I ran into him last week when he was leaving.”

“Oh? Do tell,” Wei Ying leaned closer, ready to get the scoop on whatever juicy gossip this was.

“It wasn’t the first time, apparently, and they’ve been meeting up for lunch on the regular.”
“Oh ho, with how badly he talked to me about us being together I thought he hated all Lans, but
this is a scoop!” Wei Ying admitted he was a little peeved by the new information, nothing that
would work him up, but it did make him scoff. “Whatever. When he calms down we can chat. He
has to come crawling back to me though.”

Lan Zhan nodded then leaned back slightly in his seat to get a look at someone behind Wei Ying.
he turned to see what he was looking at and saw a man in a paisley patterned suit designed to fit too
large, a turtleneck, and a gold chain around his neck. He looked greasy with his hair slicked back
so much that Wei Ying was sure if he touched it his hand would either slide ride off or make a
hollow thunking sound. The woman hanging off his arm was in a glittering black mermaid dress
with a huge bow decal on her hip and a sparkling lace sleeve, the gems hanging from her neck and
ears were too big and her bracelets and rings were too bright.

“Wen Chao. He owns the Qishan Sun ,” Lan Zhan noted coolly.

They were the ones who had displayed their private business to the world first. He might not have
personally had a hand in the articles released, but his business model had never been a good one
from the start. For one, the company was handed to him after his father bought it out, along with
hoards of other businesses, and handed them to his children and favorites like candy. And it was he
who directly refused most of Jiang Fengmian’s and Lan Huan’s requests to leave them alone.

Wen Chao would have been the perfect weekly front news story for a gossip magazine like the
Qishan Sun, but with his name holding the corporation, no ill news was allowed to slip out about
him, no matter how many times he gets arrested, his obvious drunk and drugged out public
escapades, the number of people who were calling for trials over everything from rape allegations
to petty stealing. He would certainly have a record and no job to hold with his greasy way of life if
it weren’t for the big money stapled to his name. His smile was more like a sneer, his laugh too
loud and nasally, his voice carried too far. He was easy to hate.

“Should I punch him?” Wei Ying asked, pitching his voice down low.

Lan Zhan gripped his knee. “No. Don’t cause a scene.”

Wei Ying shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Dinner was served not long after, an extravagant four-course meal that could leave him full for the
next week. Besides the finger appetizer and delicate salad, the main course had salmon and capers
so tender it peeled under Wei Ying’s fork and the chocolate ball for dessert had him ooh -ing when
he poured the hot fudge over the dome and watched it melt away to reveal a tasty caramel
chocolate brownie crunch mousse inside. There was an hour of mingling that followed the meals
where Wei Ying and Lan Zhan skirted around the edges of the ballroom to avoid some key people
but kept an eye out for the few they actually wanted to see.

It had been years since Wei Ying last saw Lan Qiren, and he certainly gave Wei Ying an icy glare
when they approached to chat with him and Lan Huan for a bit. He simply asked how his grades
were and when Wei Ying admitted he even had a 4.2 GPA and was currently in the tail end of his
master’s course for his BS in mechanical engineering, Lan Qiren couldn’t help but look a little
impressed. They managed to hold a decent conversation where Wei Ying was more than happy to
brag about his internship and the projects he’s built for his school.

They almost ran into Jiang Cheng once or twice, but the latter certainly knew they were here and
gave them the dirtiest look when Wei Ying grabbed Lan Zhan’s arm and steered him in the
opposite direction when they were spotted. Wei Ying wanted to have a little fun tonight and Jiang
Cheng was anything but that.
Worse than him was Madam Yu. She, in her severe emerald green dress with a tightly laced back,
remained by Jiang Fengmian’s side for most of the night, never touching him but certainly making
it hard for Wei Ying to approach again. Her hawkish gaze raked the ballroom and only soured
further when she noticed Wei Ying. He’d grinned sheepishly and waved, then stepped back to the
open bar for a strong drink.

Surprisingly, yet it should have been expected, Wei Ying caught sight of a tall man in a red suit
and an eyepatch. Hua Cheng was hovering over Xie Lian, who was also dressed nicer than Wei
Ying had ever seen him in a navy suit and brown Oxfords. Happy from seeing non-hostile familiar
faces, Wei Ying pulled Lan Zhan over to chat for a bit.

“San Lang has art up for auction tonight,” Xie Lian explained. He gestured to one of the pieces
hanging out in the middle of the dance floor, a spectacular marble statue with the folds in the
billowy clothes rendered beautifully, the chest hollowed out to reveal rows of pale gold crystals
like a geode. The face was stunningly similar to Xie Lian’s own and Wei Ying really hoped he’d
noticed. There were two more paintings, each with him as the subject, that garnered a lot of
attraction from the guests.

“I painted those the day before submission ended and the statue was a failure. The final product is
in my workshop and not for sale,” Hua Cheng said loftily. Wei Ying couldn’t see the difference,
but Nie Huaisang could perhaps have picked out miniscule “failures” in the work.

Speaking of, Nie Huaisang was at the other side of the ballroom with his beautiful embroidered
cape in hand to avoid people from stepping on it and a sheer silk fan fluttering in front of his
artfully painted face. He was examining one of Hua Cheng’s paintings— a beautiful Dover beach
cliffside with a figure (Xie Lian) half submerged in the water. His brother, Nie Mingjue, stood next
to him in a charcoal suit that was almost bland compared to his little brother’s ensemble and was
talking to a short man Wei Ying had never seen before. There was a sour look on Nie Mingjue’s
face as he spoke to the man almost half his height.

Xie Lian tugged them away to show off the third painting— a bust portrait of him ringed in a bed
of flowers. All of the pieces, Wei Ying noticed, had his eyes closed.

When he asked, Hua Cheng said simply, “Any piece up for sale with gege’s likeness will always
have their eyes closed because people don’t deserve to have him look at them. Galleries are okay,
but the ones made for me are never on sale.”

“Hua Cheng, you should let me model for you sometime. I have a cute butt and a cuter face,” Wei
Ying suggested.

“I have one muse and gege is all I need.” Hua Cheng wrapped an arm around Xie Lian’s waist and
drew him close to his side with a glare. Lan Zhan pressed a firm hand to the small of Wei Ying’s
back.

They chatted a little longer, Wei Ying a little out of place when he was the only one who grabbed a
passing champagne flute from a server, hoping at least Hua Cheng would join him with a drink.

A tap on his shoulder pulled their conversation to a halt. Wei Ying turned to find none other than
Jiang Cheng with a near empty old fashioned gripped in his hand, his cheeks lightly flushed and
jaw clenched hard enough to make the vein on his temple stand out.

“Jiang Cheng, how may I help you?” Wei Ying asked coolly.

“Can we talk?” His breath smelled strongly of whiskey. Lan Zhan flinched slightly next to him, his
hand on his back gripped into his lace blazer. “In private?”

There was no reason to logically avoid a confrontation, but curiosity took over his need to
completely avoid him.

“Mn. I’ll be back. See you guys around,” Wei Ying waved to Hua Cheng and Xie Lian, then gave
Lan Zhan’s wrist a quick squeeze as Jiang Cheng led the way toward the ballroom exit. Jiang
Cheng quickly downed the rest of his drink and dropped it on a passing server’s tray right before
they stepped out the doors.

They walked down the hall but turned toward the bathrooms past they foyer, walking further past
that into an empty hall where the noises of the music and people were muted to a background hum.
Jiang Cheng stopped at a decorative vase of flowers and rested his hand on the glass table with a
sigh.

“What are you doing here?”

“Lan Zhan invited me.”

“So did I.” His tone was sour, dripping with a cold toxicity that made Wei Ying blood curdle.
“What made his invitation better than mine.”

Wei Ying opened and closed his mouth. Madam Yu is the excuse he used last time, but this time
there wasn’t anything to say.

“Lan Zhan,” he started. “Had graciously offered to bring me along as his boyfriend. How could I
deny the offer when I could sit even further from Madam Yu?”

“You said you didn’t want to even bother going if it would annoy her. She’s been in a foul mood
all evening because you're prancing around shamelessly with Lan Zhan in tow like you belong
here.”

“I did belong here once, remember? What does that have to do with anything, anyway? I’m a plus
one and I’ll get free food for it all.”

“Do you really hate us that much? Hate me ?” Jiang Cheng growled, his face flushing a ruddy red.

“When you act like this, yes.” Wei Ying crossed his arms over his chest and turned away, refusing
to look at him.

“Fine, fine . Stay away from us. I don’t want to see you around Yanli or Dad or even Jin Ling. If
you want us out of your life, then stay out.”

“You have no right to ban me from seeing my nephew.”

“He wasn’t your nephew to begin with and never will be.” Jiang Cheng’s voice raised, his hands
closed into shaking fists. “Get the fuck out of my sight, Wei Ying.”

He left before Wei Ying could walk off himself, his shiny shoes clicking hard against the marble
floors as he turned the corner with a huff. Wei Ying stayed there, his own nerves rising from the
tension. He wiped the sudden clamminess from his hands off onto his pants and cleared his throat
in the open air. He didn’t want to think about what Jiang Cheng said but with no other distraction
he was forced to mull over the words as he slowly walked back to the gala.

There was a severe miscommunication between them, but goddamn Wei Ying didn’t want to be the
one to clear it up when Jiang Cheng started it. Call him childish, but he was stubborn and refused
to be the one to crawl back and apologize. It was Jiang Cheng who bared his teeth first, it should
be Jiang Cheng who raised the white flag first. Jiang Yanli could perhaps work as the third party
mediator as she always has, but there was no reason to further drag her into this petty argument that
certainly tore into Jiang Cheng more than it did Wei Ying.

This wasn’t a petty argument, he reminded himself, this was burning their bond.

Wei Ying understood why he was angry— it was a dick move to show up after declining the
invitation, but he couldn’t find himself to care. Jiang Yanli wasn’t upset and Jiang Fengmian was
happy he made it regardless if it was perched on Lan Zhan’s arm. This was all Jiang Cheng’s fault
for getting worked up over nothing.

Wei Ying needed a drink.

He rejoined the gala and beelined straight for the bar to order a round of shots. The auction was set
to begin soon and he wanted to have the fuzzy layer of alcohol shielding him from Jaing Cheng’s
daggered glares. He downed several more shots and rounded off with a strong long island iced tea
along with a cup of water just to make the bartender stop squinting at him. He walked away with
his drinks, his head already clouding and his hands weak, but managed to walk straight and
seemingly completely sober. On his way to the table, he grabbed a champagne flute from a passing
tray, chugged it, then dropped it at another passing tray.

The long island iced tea was made weaker than he would have liked, the bartender certainly
already onto him, or the buzz was already kicking in. It was kind of gross with too many flavors
happening at once, but drank it anyway and resolved to go back and ask for a martini soon. He sat
down carefully next to Lan Zhan, drink already half gone and already feeling hot under the collar.

“Are you drunk?” Lan Zhan leaned in and whispered only for them to hear.

“A lil’ bit.” He grappled with his straw for a moment, sticking his tongue out to find it until Lan
Zhan nicely directed it into his mouth. “Sorry,” he said after a long sip.

“Be careful and have some water.” Lan Zhan nudged a chalice of water toward him. Wei Ying
obliged and took a long sip.

“Gotta pee.” He finished off the tea and rose to his feet. The world spun momentarily as he
stumbled back, nearly knocking over his chair. Lan Zhan caught him, a frown on his face.

“I’ll take you. We can go home if you like, too.”

“Nah,” Wei Ying hummed. He, with Lan Zhan guiding him, made it to the bathroom in one piece
without making a fool of himself, his head hot and heavy. He wouldn’t call himself drunk, very
much at the stage of “if my boss called me to come into the lab I would say yes, chug a bottle of
water, and by the time I get there I’ll be sober enough to work” and not quite at “if my boss called
me I wouldn’t answer the phone because my speech is so fucked up he’d know what’s going on”.

They made it to the bathroom without incident and went to return just as the auction started up.
Lan Zhan left to get more water and a little hors d’oeuvres. While he was gone, Wei Ying scurried
back to the bar to order a shot but before he could bring it to his lips, Lan Zhan’s hand snatched it
out of his hand and gave it back to the bartender.

“Thank you, but no thanks,” Lan Zhan said, nodding to the bartender as he dragged Wei Ying back
to the table. “Shall we go home?”
“I’m sorry,” Wei Ying slurred. “Are you mad at me?”

“I can never. Do you wish to stay for the auction?” Lan Zhan put a hand on his shoulder and
squeezed, his eyes softened.

Wei Ying shook his head. “I don’t want rich people art. I had lots of good food and drinks and saw
some cool people. Let's go home.”

“I’m going to tell my brother and Uncle we’re heading out. Should I inform your family, too?”

Family… Wei Ying could never not consider them family, but he didn’t think at this rate he would
be allowed to continue. His throat felt tight with the beginning brink of tears. Maybe he did drink a
little too much too fast.

Instead of breaking down sobbing like he kind of wanted to, he nodded stiffly. Lan Zhan patted his
shoulder and disappeared in the moving crowd of guests returning to their tables for the auction
starting in a mere few minutes. He dug out his phone from his suit and checked social media. He
had been tagged on Twitter by a gossip news outlet for appearing at the gala on Lan Zhan’s arm.
There were more speculations about their relationship, but since neither confirmed nor denied it, it
had no base fact to hold the story down. It was practically a repeat of the hotel dinner.

Lan Zhan came back not long after the lights dimmed, his form hunched to not obstruct the view of
the stage. He tugged Wei Ying’s hand and nodded toward the main doors, which were cracked
open to keep most of the foyer light out. They weaved through the tables and stuck close to the
back wall until they were able to slip out with a nod toward security. Lan Zhan kept a firm grip on
his arm to make sure Wei Ying didn’t stumble and led him out the entrance, the gardens thankfully
empty of any reporters and only held a few stray guests wandering the clean cut bushes and
stationed security.

Their limo pulled up smoothly to the curb only a few moments after they arrived. Lan Zhan helped
him into the back seat and with a nod to the driver, shut the door as the driver rolled up the privacy
screen.

“I’m not that drunk,” Wei Ying murmured finally. “This is a heavy tipsy. I could like, go on a run
if I had to. I don’t want to, though.”

“I believe you.”

“‘M sorry we left early.”

“I was getting tired anyway.”

“‘M sorry I drank a lot and made you worry.”

“I can’t help but worry for you regardless.”

Wei Ying hummed low in his throat and sank into Lan Zhan’s side, the warm pressure keeping his
mind from completely floating away. He was given a bottle of chilled water and he sipped it
slowly. His face and feet felt a little too warm for comfort so he kicked off his shoes and leaned in
closer to Lan Zhan’s side.

With the shift in position, he remembered exactly what he had planned for after the gala.

“Lan Zhan,” he breathed hotly into Lan Zhan’s collar. “Can we fool around a bit? I would love to
touch you like this.” He started dragging his loose hands up and down Lan Zhan’s front, feeling
the texture of the soft lace and slippery silk where it got caught around his numb fingers.

“You already are,” Lan Zhan huffed. He didn’t stop him.

“More. Like this.” He pushed himself off the seat with a little more strength than he would have
liked to have used and threw his leg over Lan Zhan’s, straddling his thighs and pressing themselves
chest to chest. He ground his hips down hard and grasped at his broad shoulders, his breath a hot
mist.

Lan Zhan grabbed his ass, gripping a whole cheek hard in each hand. His cock twitched under his
heavy hips. Wei Ying practically fell into his lips, skin already tingling with a low brewing heat
and limbs weak before Lan Zhan had really touched him. A shiver ran up his spine when Lan Zhan
opened his mouth and deepened the sloppy kiss, his teeth scraping over Wei Ying’s lower lip in a
sensuous nibble, his hands kneaded his ass and drew him closer to his growing hardness.

Wei Ying gasped into his lips and rolled his hips down harder to ignite the beginnings of arousal,
his own cock stiffening in his pants, his thighs quivering from the shocks of electricity shooting
through his nerves.

It was kind of gross, all tongue and teeth with too much spit making the slide of their lips slick and
loud over their ragged breaths. Wei Ying ground his hips down harder, faster, rubbing himself over
Lan Zhan’s cock straining in his pants in near desperation. The heat that had already been boiling
under his skin was so easily turned into flaming arousal that licked his skin with every drag of their
cocks through the stifling layers of their pants, the heavy pressure of Lan Zhan’s hands gripping his
ass, the all-consuming pleasure drawn from his throat with each hot press of lips to his lips.

The limo suddenly lurched and Wei Ying’s head was knocked hard into the roof. He yelped from
the sudden shock and pressed his hand up on the low ceiling to stabilize him. Lan Zhan released
his ass and cradled the back of his head as Wei swayed and tried to reorient himself.

“Are you okay?”

“Surprised more than hurt, but it’s to be expected if we’re going to fuck in the back of a moving
limo,” Wei Ying said, a bit dazed from the alcohol and the suddent knock to his head. He
massaged the top of his head, the blunt pain already mellowing down.

“We will not fuck in a limo. You’re intoxicated.”

“But you’re not saying no in general, right? If I were one-hundred percent sober we would totally
fuck?”

Lan Zhan nodded without hesitation. “We may kiss and such.” He leaned down to continue with a
nip down his throat, Wei Ying tossed his head back to gasp openly into the air conditioned limo
that brushed almost painfully cold against his overheated skin. His pants were opened, the belt
shucked away to pull down his pants and underwear at once, hands back to squeezing his now bare
ass. His naked cock rubbed almost painfully good against Lan Zhan’s slacks and silky dress shirt,
his arousal rising from a broiling heat to a full on boil that left him shaking.

“I thought you said— you said no fucking in the limo.”

The bite to his throat said it all, we can at least get off. Wei Ying whined openly as Lan Zhan
licked over the fresh teeth mark. His hand strayed down between Wei Ying’s cheeks, a long finger
edging toward his hole.

He froze. “Wei Ying…”

“Surprise,” Wei Ying said cheekily as he bit Lan Zhan’s ear.

Lan Zhan tentatively traced the anal plug, a large silver toy with a glittering white gem at the hilt.
He helplessly ran his finger over the plug, his other hand squeezing his ass cheek so hard it would
certainly leave a mark. His breath was ragged in Wei Ying’s ear, his cock twitched between Wei
Ying’s legs.

“It’s been in all night. When you picked me up, I already had it on.” He licked up his jaw and
pressed closer, reaching down to undo Lan Zhan’s pants and free his cock to give it attention,
holding it tight in his hands and rubbing the hard heat with long, heavy strokes. “I had to practice
wearing it without looking like I obviously had something in my ass. Went on a run, to the gym,
made dinner the other night, all with this in me imagining what you’re gonna do to me once you
find out.”

Lan Zhan’s breath stuttered, his cock twitched in Wei Ying’s hand from his heady words. His lips
lurched up to take Wei Ying’s mouth into a breathless kiss, pulling him back down into the raging
inferno.

Wei Ying lined up both their cocks and started pumping them quickly, pulling them closer to an
edge he could feel coming from the lightning shooting through his legs and the shudders arching
up his back. Lan Zhan gripped his ass with one hand, pulling him closer into his rolling hips, and
the other played with the head of the plug, tracing the shivering rim and nudging it neeper into his
core. Wei Ying’s gasp was swallowed in a fervent kiss.

The plug was pulled out slowly, his hole fluttered around the smooth sides dragging across his
walls, and when he thought Lan Zhan would maybe remove it completely and fingerfuck the life
out of him, he shoved it back in and started to steadily fuck him with the toy instead.

Wei Ying was shaking from the stimulation, his body rocked forward into the blazing heat as his
climax bubbled. He jerked them off faster, sucked on Lan Zhan’s tongue to ground himself in the
double-ended pleasure wracking through his body.

With being already inebriated by the alcohol, doubled with the shallow fucking in his ass and the
constant pressure on his cock, he came swiftly with a pitched moan that Lan Zhan swallowed
whole. His hips stuttered, the steady grind of their bodies was broken by the sudden spurt of come
and the toe-curling pleasure pulling his nerves into a tidal wave.

He slumped over Lan Zhan heavily, his body shuddering as he tried to catch his breath. By some
miracle, Lan Zhan had managed to whip his pocket square just as they both came to catch their
dripping cum before it soaked the fin silks and lace of their suits. He breathed heavily into Lan
Zhan’s neck, his hole clenching down weakly over the plug that was shoved back into him
snuggly, a hand soothing down his ass which didn’t help the tingling after-effects of his arousal
from making his skin crackle.

“We’re here,” Lan Zhan said, pressing a soft his to his ear. “How do you feel?”

His head had cleared up considerably on the ride home, his limbs still out of his control but mostly
due from the orgasm. “Where are we?”

“My house, the Gusu Villa.”

Wei Ying sat up and pulled back up his pants with a devious grin. “Are you going to fuck me on
every flat surface of this house?”
 A spark flashed across Lan Zhan’s dark eyes. “If you wish.”

Chapter End Notes

Whew I'm back! A lot has happened since this went on hiatus but putting that aside
I'm here and am gonna do my best to not drop out like that again but I do have uh
More things coming for the month of December. I'm really sorry for the delay my
Mental Health has been in the drain and I've officially been called back to work so
now I'll have less time to write on top of holiday retail hell pls keep me in your
thoughts and prayers ( ╥ω╥ )

A side note I do not hate JC I just like using him for drama _(:3 」∠)_

Thank you so so much for staying tuned to this! All of your precious comments warm
my shriveled heart and heal my weary soul <3 I can't wait for yall to see how it ends!
The road is gonna start getting bumpy from here!!

Links to outfits and things because I did a LOT of research into this
Wei Ying's jacket
Lotus jewelry set
Lan Zhan's jacket
Madam Jin's dress
Jiang Yanli's dress
Madam Yu's dress

And if you like this work please give the Twitter post a little love too!
 A Pair of Slippers
Chapter Summary

After the gala, Wei Ying has a conversation.

Chapter Notes

BIG thanks to Sarah and Krista for always dealing with my mess uwu

[CONTENT WARNING NOTICE: abusive language] from "I can’t!” Wei Ying
laughed. “This is so funny, holy shit!" to a little further down there's a chunk of italics
and a paragraph starts with "A housekeeper came into the kitchen at that moment"-- all
roughly halfway through. See endnotes for a quick summary!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The Gusu Villa is unimaginably huge, built in the heart of Los Angeles’ celebrities and
millionaires in a guarded community with only a century of age on its back. Journalists could only
go so far, unable to legally breach the high wrought iron fence that guarded the expansive property
and the house only a glimpse from between the trees. It was buried in expansive gardens, towering
trees, and a long-winded cobblestone road illuminated just enough for safe passage, secluded from
the city skylights and their nearest neighbors to give them complete and utter privacy.

The villa was grand, long with connecting bridges that encased the large courtyard. The limo pulled
in smoothly to the front doors sunken into the large entrance, illuminated with swinging lanterns
and ivy trailing down the walls. The whole place was distinctly Mediterranean in style with the
arched windows and the red-tiled roof, but the walls were smoothed and painted white in contrast
to the black iron window grilles and wooden balconies, dripping with climbing plants, and
blooming trees.

Lan Zhan ushered him through the front door where only a single attendant nodded courteously to
them. The residents were away at the gala and most of the attendants were given a paid night off to
relax, leaving only a handful of people beside them and they won’t be anywhere near his wing.
They were essentially alone in the whole sprawling villa, Lan Zhan confirmed.

His wing, Wei Ying was dizzy. He had only a bedroom back when he lived at the Jiangs’, a very
nice, large bedroom, but it was only a single room down a hallway of similar bedrooms. Lan Zhan
led them through the arching marble halls, the windows pitch black outside. It felt like walking
through one of the larger school buildings after a long night class and lingering for a moment after
everyone left.

Lan Zhan’s bedroom was much like Nie Huaisang’s— large and decadent, more of a house than
just the cut of a villa, but it was less flashy than Nie Huaisang’s, with his Romantic art pieces and
baroque-esque furniture meant to be both tacky and lovely. Lan Zhan’s quarters were much more
sleek and modest in comparison, but certainly larger with his own sitting room, gym, and office.
They barely made it into the foyer of the main sitting room before Lan Zhan’s lips were on his, his
hands pulling at his clothes to get off. Wei Ying melted into his touch, his mind spinning from the
fevered touches raking up and down his skin. They stumbled through the clean-lined sitting room,
Wei Ying knocking his hip into the couch and Lan Zhan almost tilting over a lamp, their clothes
being torn gracelessly from their bodies and left in a trail behind them.

Wei Ying was shoved through the French doors leading into the bedroom, stumbled back with Lan
Zhan wrapped around his now bare waist and working to get his belt off. It felt too long to reach
the bed, and when Wei Ying was wondering if he should turn around and make sure they were
going the right way, his thighs hit the mattress and he fell back without Lan Zhan’s lips leaving his
skin. The lights automatically came on, dimmed low to keep the room in a shadowed ambiance.

He should feel a little guilty about how rough they were taking off the very expensive clothes, but
with a particularly hard suck to a sensitive spot under his ear his mind fizzed out. Lan Zhan
divested him of all his clothes and manhandled him up the wide bed. His cock jerked to life with
Lan Zhan dragging him to prop up against the soft pillows and pulled his arms above his head.
With a growl to his throat, he brought the silky ribbon that had hung from the back of his coat,
somehow having unpinned it before losing it somewhere in the sitting room, and wrapped it
several times around his wrists before knotting it firmly. Wei Ying wiggled his fingers, the
circulation fine through his hands.

“Too bad you don’t have a headboard with bars to tie me up on. You should install a hook and
maybe another on your ceiling for some fun. ” His skin shivered at the idea of being strung up over
his big fancy bed to play with.

“Keep your hands here and don’t move,” Lan Zhan said with a bite to his collarbone. The heavy
diamond lotus sat cold and bare at the hollow of his throat, Lan Zhan’s teeth tracing the silver
chain to leave a wandering kiss to the cluster of diamonds.

“Or what? You’ll punish me?” Wei Ying didn’t think he could breathe like this, never wanted to
breathe again if he could stay.

Lan Zhan pinched his hip as he ground his teeth into the thin skin of his throat. Wei Ying arched
back with a gasp, the diamond rolled down his throat and hit the underside of his jaw. The rest of
his clothes were pulled from his body, leaving him naked and sinking into the plush duvet, spread
wide for Lan Zhan to lean back on his heels and drink in with his eyes. Stripped to nothing but the
diamonds glittering at his throat, his ears, his finger, and his hole.

“Like what you see?” Wei Ying asked coyly.

“Of course.” Lan Zhan laid his hands on Wei Ying’s knees and smoothed his palms up the length
of his thighs to push his legs apart, spreading him open for Lan Zhan to take in. The plug shifted
with the movement, his rim clenching around the jeweled base.

Lan Zhan zeroed in on the toy plugging up his hole and traced the rim with a long, slender finger.
“You did this for me?”

“Mn, yeah, because I knew you’d wanna eat me up as much as I wanted to eat you up, out,
whatever.” Wei Ying arched, displaying the lean line of his body. Lan Zhan’s eyes drifted up his
body, his hands following every arch and curve. He slowly traced his hips, his fingers danced over
his ribs, his lips kissed neatly over the line of his abdomen. With the heat pooling low in Wei
Ying’s core, he wanted Lan Zhan to yank out the plug and fill him with his cock already, but he
was actually… enjoying the slow touches.
Lan Zhan drank him in with more than his eyes, smoothed over his body with tender touches, and
traced every divot and swell as if committing it to memory, the shape of his body as he was
splayed on his bed. Wei Ying’s heart was beating erratically in his chest, a staccato rhythm that
made it hard to breathe with how gentle Lan Zhan held him, his lips a hot brand that left a
smoldering trail of fire up and down his body. He continued up his arms, burying his nose in the
crook of his raised elbow, and gave the sensitive skin a sweet peck of a kiss before moving on to
lick slowly where his skin met the bindings. His cock hung heavy over Wei Ying’s stomach,
forgotten under the revered touches he placed on every inch of Wei Ying’s skin.

When he dipped down to meet his eyes, he didn’t immediately follow his fingertips with a kiss. He
held Wei Ying’s eyes in a steady gaze, his pupils blown wide and made his pale, clear eyes heavy.
Finally, Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying into a deep, soul-sucking kiss that took the breath right out of
his lungs. Wei Ying fell into his touch and didn’t want to resurface anytime soon. They kissed
slowly, Lan Zhan’s palms roaming up his sensitive sides in a sensual press that made Wei Ying
feel.

The plug was pulled out gently. He jerked up from the brief feeling of emptiness when the blunt
head of Lan Zhan’s cock pressed against his stretched entrance. Wei Ying sucked down a deep
breath, spreading his legs wide to take all of him. Lan Zhan massaged his thigh with his free hand
as he fed the head of his cock into his hole, his lips still pressed to Wei Ying’s skin.

It was incredible how easy it was to feel Lan Zhan swallowed into him, the plunge so slick it made
Wei Ying shiver when Lan Zhan was nestled deep inside him. He gasped openly into his lips, arms
above his head shaking from the sparks of pleasure racing up his spine.

“How do you feel?” Lan Zhan kissed the corner of his mouth, his breath a tender whisper against
his skin. “Tell me when.”

“Do it,” Wei Ying breathed. “I’m ready.”

Lan Zhan hummed into his skin and started to roll his hips languidly into Wei Ying, the drive so
deep and pleasurably slow it was like a burning fire being steadily scorched. Heat burned his skin,
soft hands on his waist and the white ribbon around his wrists were the only things keeping him
grounded. Otherwise, he would ascend to the swelling heat setting his nerves aflame, float into a
heavenly cloud of molten affection. Lan Zhan was pressed entirely atop of him now, holding him
down to press their heartbeats and burning heats together.

They kept a slow, even pace that did nothing but gently drag Wei Ying to teeter on the precipice, a
warm embrace ready to catch his fall. His heart was swelling with emotions he couldn’t pinpoint.
He didn’t know if he was ready to name these feelings.

He came with a low cry, his whole body quivering under Lan Zhan. Stars flashed across his eyes
from the release soaking his whole body. Lan Zhan pulled out and stripped his cock until he came
across Wei Ying’s belly, adding to the mess drying on his skin.

They weren’t nearly done. Lan Zhan fucked him so good a couple of more times, wringing
orgasms out of Wei Ying with the most tender touches and steady pleasures.

He was overwhelmed. Only after they were tucked in close together for a while and Lan Zhan’s
deep, even breaths encased his skin was Wei Ying able to slip from the blankets. He pulled on Lan
Zhan’s dress shirt over his naked skin, not bothering with any bottoms or the buttons, and tucked
himself in the dark front room on an armchair to let his heart properly melt.

He cried and he couldn’t figure out why. A fleeting thought of something dangerous tantalized
him, but he didn’t dare let them take ahold. The riptide carried him away as he muffled his sobs
into Lan Zhan’s sleeves. Maybe he did drink too much, his head a little muddled from the faded
alcohol and his limbs far too heavy, even after their usual sex. But that wasn’t usual sex.

Lan Zhan had treated him so well, Lan Zhan always treats him well, but this time there was
something different— fiercer, much more akin to him protecting his own. The gala had torn Wei
Ying down, maybe Lan Zhan was extra careful with him to let his chest breathe? Every second he
spent in Lan Zhan’s arms it felt so good and right, but he was unwilling to latch onto him properly,
would not let himself hold on.

He sank into himself for a while until his eyes burned too much and exhaustion finally wore down
his bones. He splashed water on his face in the opulent bathroom and threw the tear-stained shirt in
the hamper. He crawled back into bed and tucked himself against Lan Zhan’s side for warmth.

Lan Zhan inhaled deeply and sighed in his sleep, sinking into Wei Ying. He fell asleep just like
that.

They were set to leave around noon for the airport. Lan Zhan was awake long before him and was
talking to someone quietly in the front room, arrangements for his absence by the sound of it. He
was explaining how Bean is a picky eater. Wei Ying was content to lay in bed a while longer, but
his grumbling stomach forced him properly out of bed. He took a quick rinse off shower and dug
out some of Lan Zhan’s clothes to wear— a navy button up and a pair of grey boxers. He didn’t
bother with the buttons and strutted out into the living room thinking his guest was gone but was
unfortunately surprised to see Lan Huan seated on the exact armchair Wei Ying had cried in last
night.

“Good morning,” Lan Huan said cheerily.

“Morning,” Wei Ying greeted sheepishly, buttoning up some of the buttons and hoping the hem
hid the obvious silhouette of his dick.

“That should be everything. If you need anything you may send an email.” Lan Zhan rose to his
feet from where he sat at the couch with a finalized nod to Lan Huan.

“I’m sure I have everything. Have fun, you two!” Lan Huan waved and let himself out into the
main stairwell.

“Good morning, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying shamelessly threw himself into Lan Zhan’s arms and gave
him a wet kiss on his cheek. He was met with a softer kiss on his own cheek.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Pretty good! Hey, I’m hungry, tell me where the kitchen is?”

Wei Ying followed the directions given by Lan Zhan to the kitchens, promising to bring back fruit
or something since he had to finish last minute preparations before they departed in a few hours.
He skipped through the marble halls in a pair white silk pajama pants and of bunny slippers he had
teased Lan Zhan ruthlessly over when he pulled them from the expansive walk-in closet. They
were pretty comfortable at least, but he couldn’t ignore the feeling of his long ears brushing against
his ankles.

The kitchen was massive with arching ceilings and wide skylights, the sky a bright, steely grey up
above. He dug out a grapefruit from the fridge and tossed it on a napkin for Lan Zhan with a
serrated spoon he found after opening every drawer in here. He made himself eggs after making
himself dizzy looking for a spatula and oil. Afraid to look for a plate, he sat on the counter
swinging his bunny feet to and fro and ate from the hot pan with his fingers. He found some
seasonings so the eggs at least tasted pretty good.

The door behind him opened and someone came in. Alarmed that it might be a cook, he hopped off
the counter with a mouthful of scrambled eggs. He nearly choked when he turned to apologize to
the poor cook.

Jiang Cheng shuffled into the kitchen with his hair a rat's nest and a loose t-shirt hung from his
frame. His hairy legs, pale from how often he wore slacks, were bare to the world with a pair of
basketball shorts hanging low on his hips. He carried his glossy dress shoes in one hand and his
wallet in the other. He padded in quietly and stuck close to the cabinets, making his way to the
door leading out to the side patio.

He froze when he spotted Wei Ying standing with egg dangling from his mouth and in clothes
clearly not his own. His face flushed to a crimson red so fast it was almost funny except for the
sudden storm rolling through his stomach.

“You!” Jiang Cheng spat.

“You?” Wei Ying yelped.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Fraternizing with Lan Zhan, what else?” Wei Ying sniffed. “Why are you here?”

Surprisingly, that shut Jiang Cheng up. His mouth opened and closed like a fish struggling to
breath, his face bleeding into a dangerous shade of purple. A similar shade to the bruise on his
collarbone.

The ugly pieces clicked into place and he didn’t like the picture it made. “Who are you fraternizing
with?”

Jiang Cheng gnashed his teeth, an illusion of steam blew from his ears. “Stop talking. You. Didn't.
See. Me.”

“Oh ho! But I did! You were fucking Lan Huan?” Wei Ying teased. He wasn’t hungry anymore
and dumped his nearly empty pan of eggs into the sink. “Or was he fucking you? Did you guys
come here after the gala to blow off steam like we did? That’s kind of weird thinking of my bro
getting dicked down when I was getting dicked down—”

“Shut up!” Jiang Cheng seethed.

“I can’t!” Wei Ying laughed. “This is so funny, holy shit! We’re fucking brothers? Like, we’re
brothers and we’re fucking another pair of brothers. Bro, I didn’t even know you swung that way
haha.”

Jiang Cheng stomped toward him but Wei Ying dodged his swinging fist. He couldn’t stop
laughing! “Are you trying to sneak out on your walk of shame? Go on, keep walking! You have
your little shoes in your hand like you got fucked good, too! Oh my god, does this mean you’re
finally over Wen Qing?”

The fist connected painfully with Wei Ying’s arm. He managed to dodge the next swing and
jumped around the kitchen island out of range. His sides burned with how hard he was laughing,
but he wasn’t ready to stop. “God I feel bad for the housekeepers. I know I’m loud in bed but what
about you? It must have been a nightmare trying to escape it.”

Jiang Cheng threw himself atop the kitchen island and crawled across to grab at Wei Ying’s shirt
when he tried running away. “This is different from whatever you and Lan Zhan have going on.”

Ah. The implications sank in.

Wei Ying stopped laughing. He jerked his shirt from Jiang Cheng’s grasp and stepped back far out
of reach to where Lan Zhan’s grapefruit sat. The weight he had shed last night sank back into his
core.

“Different? We’re both having sex with sons of the Lan CEO. What’s so different about you and I,
or Lan Zhan and Lan Huan?”

Jiang Cheng hopped off the counter and picked up his dropped shoes. “Because we care about our
reputations. They have no reason to dig into our families when we have both gone to show
ourselves as people deserving of our status.”

A cold swept through Wei Ying. “Lan Zhan isn’t? Am I not? Is this why you, who certainly has
more to lose than me, can schmooze with a Lan and I can’t? What’s with this double standard!?”

Jiang Cheng snapped. “Because I’m not born a bastard! I’m not friends with goddamn Wens! I’m
not a single parent with a raunchy Youtube channel and fame from making shit explode!”

“Don’t you dare bring A-Yuan into this!”

“Then get out of this! Yes, I have… relations with A-Huan, but this is my personal life and the
media isn’t going to stalk us anytime soon. The reason Lan Zhan is having a hard time, the reason
we’re having a hard time, is because it’s you and your stupid internet fame that’s dragged us all in
the dirt! ”

A housekeeper came into the kitchen at that moment, saw the clear argument taking place, and left
with an awkward nod. Jiang Cheng deflated with a sigh and turned back toward the door.

“I’m going home. Don’t say a fucking word to anyone or I’ll kill you.” He left, running out the
door with a shoe in each hand and his bare feet slapping against the stones.

Wei Ying sank back onto the counter to gather his shaking breath, heat threatening to burn his eyes
and swallow his throat whole. With one last shuddering breath, he grabbed the grapefruit and
trekked back to Lan Zhan’s wing slowly, dragging his bunny slippered feet over the cool marble
floors making a distinct shuffling sound that echoed much too loudly in the wide halls. Thankfully,
he ran into no one, only spotting a few gardeners watering the potted plants on one of the patios.

Lan Zhan was sitting with a book on his knee and a bag at his feet, his chinos rolled up a little to
reveal the slender line of his ankle clad in light blue socks with a wave pattern. He tucked a
bookmark between the pages and rose to his feet when Wei Ying walked in.

“Grapefruit?” Wei Ying handed it to him and realized belatedly he forgot the serrated spoon and
something to eat it on.

“Are you okay?” Lan Zhan asked as he took the grapefruit, a concerned furrow to his brow. “You
look pale.”

Stiffly, Wei Ying nodded, reconsidered, then shook his head. “Did you know your brother is
fucking Jiang Cheng?”
Lan Zhan frozen. “I did not. Where did you learn this?”

“I ran into Jiang Cheng doing the walk of shame through the kitchen. And he told me he is.”

“That might explain brother’s… state this morning,” Lan Zhan hummed. Catching Wei Ying’s
confused expression, he clarified. “He was really relaxed and extra carefree during our
conversation this morning despite having such a big event the previous night. Now that I think
about it… the mark on his neck might not have been a bug bite.”

Wei Ying cracked a grin, the ice that had frozen over his chest melting. “You should know more
than anyone what a hickey looks like.”

“I do not like to think of my brother in such a state.”

“Well, uh, eat your grapefruit I’m gonna get dressed.”

“Mn. Our bags have been sent ahead so you only need your carry on. Please take your pocket knife
off your keys.”

While Wei Ying changed and double checked his carry on bag, Lan Zhan sat at the little breakfast
nook by the window peeling the grapefruit and eating it like an orange. He felt a little bad for
forgetting the spoon and wondered if he liked it with salt or sugar, but Lan Zhan was eating it
without any qualms and would dab his lips with a napkin he pulled from somewhere.

Once ready to go, they climbed into a sleek car with tinted windows and drove down to LAX to
catch their flight. Lan Zhan, however, kept throwing him looks that said he wanted to ask more
about Jiang Cheng but didn’t dare prod for more. Wei Ying didn’t feel like talking about what had
gone down and was immensely grateful he didn’t try to pry further than the glances. He was still
chilled to the bone over the encounter and was determined to shed it off once he hopped on the
plane for their spring break getaway.

“Ah, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying asked after they struggled through the packed airport loaded with
tourists flooding the city for their own trips. “You never said where we’re going.”

“Would you like it to be a surprise still?” Lan Zhan arched his brow.

“Hm, it’ll be a little hard to hide now because I’ll see where we’re going and do a good job at
guessing.”

“Reno.”

“Reno?”

Lan Zhan pulled out their printed tickets and yup, two first class tickets to Reno, Nevada.

“I thought we were mostly staying in state?”

“We are. It’s easier to fly out of state and drive back into California.”

Wei Ying hummed. He had an idea of where they were going because there’s only one place he
could think of nearby. Lan Zhan must know he knew what where it was but both refused to say. He
grinned.

They ate a quick lunch in the food court and climbed into the Reno-bound plane. This was the
second time they had flown first class together and he hoped it wouldn’t be the last because he
doesn’t think he can go back to economy after this luxury. He had so much leg room to kick up his
long legs and they offered them champagne upon taking to the sky. Lan Zhan sipped his ginger ale
and settled into his neck pillow, his long legs stretched out next to Wei Ying’s where he purposely
bumped their toes together.

The car rental was a bulky, silver Mercedes G Wagon with tinted windows and a cool leather
interior. Their bags had been sent ahead to the house rental so it was just going from the plane to
pick up the car. Lan Zhan took to driving and pulled up directions on the GPS mounted on the
dashboard, going so far as to change the Google Maps car into the blocky yellow SUV to match
what they were driving. Lan Zhan warned it was a little over an hour away from where they were
at, so Wei Ying sat back and relaxed with the local alternative rock station playing softly in the car
stereo.

Once they made it out of the city, it was a long scenic highway through dry desert hills with
sunlight bouncing off the low peaks. The sky was an almost painful blue, as sharp as the brightest
summer days. There was a sudden shift in scenery of tall pine trees as they drove along the coast of
a spilling green mountain range, the tops still capped in white. The sky grew paler as the
temperature dropped in increments, the landscape greener and larger. They climbed up and over the
mountain back toward California in a windy, narrow highway with trees looming high above,
patches of sunlight dancing through the branches and over the dashboard.

Lake Tahoe was their destination, with its crystal blue waters a mirror reflection of the fluffy
clouds drifting slowly above, and the deep forest edges that buried them under their towering
heights in a way so much different from the downtown skyscrapers. Wei Ying rolled down the
window as they drove along the lake edge, the cold wind sharp on his face and the air so crisp it
felt like he was breathing in high definition. The house they were staying at was on the east coast
of the lake, technically still Nevada, but only minutes either north or south down the road back to
the California border. Lan Zhan apologized profusely for not sticking to California technically, but
Wei Ying didn’t mind at all because they can see the sunsets from their side of the lake shore.

They were staying at a large lake house buried out of sight from the road behind more tall trees and
thick brush, the house mounted on the side of the steep hill that rolled into the lake with its own
dock and a boat bobbing in the clear water. It had huge floor to ceiling windows and multiple levels
of patio balconies that faced the distant west banks where the sky was already warming with the
incoming night. The main room held the dining room, kitchen, and living room with a soaring
ceiling and two crystal chandeliers; elegant and bright with antique pieces and locally made art, yet
warm and cozy with the big floor to ceiling fireplace and the squishy couches.

“I did say lets stay in California, but I also picked this place out on the list of possible places to go,”
Wei Ying said in awe as he turned slowly on his heel to take in the house. “Lan Zhan, holy shit, not
to sound bougie, but look at our fireplace.”

There was a luxurious master bathroom, two additional bedrooms and a loft with a mini office, a
recreation room, a sauna, a large deck, and a ground level patio with a hot tub. There was so much
in the house it made Wei Ying reluctant to leave and explore the surrounding area. The kitchen
was already stocked for them, including the wine fridge and the mini bar. Their luggage was
placed neatly in the master bedroom, sitting tucked away in the walk-in closet.

“We can go out and eat so we don’t have to cook tonight. Is there anything you want?” Lan Zhan
asked after they unpacked and found themselves lazing in the spacious living room. Wei Ying had
his feet kicked up on the ottoman and his head tilted back to the wide ceiling.

“I could go for a huge burger and fries. Maybe a beer. And a slice of pie. Get really American and
 greasy,” Wei Ying suggested. He really didn’t want to move, his whole body heavy from travel and
a little more than just hungry.

Even after agreeing on where to go, neither of them moved from the couch. Lan Zhan was pressed
shoulder to leg against Wei Ying’s side, content with the heat pressed to his chilled side and ready
for a big nap, exhaustion settling deep in his bones after the previous day’s events and the, albeit
comfortable, air travel. Lan Zhan’s slender hand rested on Wei Ying’s thigh just above his knee,
his nimble thumb stroking his knit joggers leisurely as he sank further into the overstuffed couch.

He was really hungry to the point he was feeling the beginning of a headache throbbing in his
temple, but his body refused to move, the hand on his thigh a heavy weight he could not dream of
pushing away. Bubbling thoughts of everything that had happened, with Jiang Cheng both at the
gala and in the Lan Villa kitchen, threatened to surface and he pushed them down with all his
might. He didn’t want to spoil the gentle ambiance.

Their relationship will have to come to an end, is what Wei Ying figured. This was an arrangement
that benefitted them both, but he could not continue to rely on Lan Zhan much longer if he truly
wanted to make something for himself. It was a boost to have Lan Zhan at his back like this— for
the car, the dinners, the lovely gifts, the extra cash, the mind-blowing sex— but he needed to get
on his own two feet and work to fully support himself and A-Yuan. Especially for A-Yuan,
because there might come a day when Lan Zhan wants to get married to someone as lovely as him
and would have to cut their arrangement. Or, knowing Lan Zhan, he would still try and send Wei
Ying gifts and money even without the returned promise of sex. Wei Ying would never allow him.

He had been sending out job applications, arranging his resume to where he had a whole folder of
different versions of it, and if his thesis project went as planned, he would have job offers flooding
his mailbox. Time was ticking until he got his secured job with a 401K and health insurance.

The hand on his thigh squeezed gently and moved up to grip the meatier upper thigh, Lan Zhan’s
thumb still rubbing smooth arcs. The intimacy of it all made his heart balloon with a new flavor of
affection.

Wei Ying might as well make it good while it lasts.

He turned his body over to curl into Lan Zhan’s side and pressed his chin into his shoulder. “Can I
treat you tonight?”

Lan Zhan’s ears flushed pink as he nodded, the hand on his thigh gripped him hard.

Wei Ying grinned and nipped at the warm shell of his ear. “Then let’s go get dinner.”

Chapter End Notes

Yeah Wei Ying said they should stay in California and they almost are haha but they
had to go to Lake Tahoe (￣▽￣) I take a trip there every first week of January with
my best friend and her mom and last January I made her watch MDZS. Cue her and I
coming up with this AU late at night and I frantically writing everything down in a
google doc. Tahoe is where this was born! We've come a full circle!
I talk with her about plot details and ultimately let it be her decision how the story
should go as my love letter to her/ She's genuinely one of my bestest friends on this
entire godforsaken earth and it makes me happy I can share one of my greatest joys
with her. The bit with JC this chapter is her favorite scene :3c

[CONTENT WARNING SUMMARY] Basically JC and WY argue and say some

pretty nasty stuff, really low blows that hit 'em where it hurts, especially from JC.

Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos!!!

 A Doll
Chapter Summary

A moment of calm before

Chapter Notes

Quick housekeeping! I don't have 21 anywhere near done so I don't know if I'll make it
to next week's update. I'm a little sick and mentally having a rough time but I'll do my
best. I'm going to take the first week or two off of writing this to work on some other
things and just like rest my weary little head lmao. We're so close to finishing! I
promise I'll have it all done in January!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wei Ying hadn’t properly gone on a vacation since high school when he still lived with the Jiangs
and they would tug him along to all their family trips — from skiing in Switzerland to shopping in
Paris. A little lakeshore trip for a week was nothing compared to the fantastic destinations he had
visited before. With an expired passport and how much he lived his life saving up and paying off
debts, he didn’t think he could go further than San Diego for a weekend trip to crash on a friend’s
couch sometimes. Las Vegas was certainly a treat compared to his previous college trips, but
despite the utter simplicity of it all, this was luxurious.

Years and years ago he had come to Lake Tahoe in the middle of skiing season during winter break
where the ground was buried in mounds of snow and he couldn’t leave the house without at least
four shirts on under his snow coat. He had been miserable after four days of steady snowfall. Well,
it had been in the teens and twenties when he had been there, and compared to sunny and temperate
LA, it was beyond freezing. It was completely different now, without the constant snowfall and
seemingly subzero temperatures.

Seeing the buildings not covered in snow was starkly different from his memories. And not having
to leave the house layered like an onion but only a light jacket to stave off the chilly lake wind was
certainly an added bonus. They drove around the lake, stopping in the small towns along the shore
to explore the shops and eat whatever food the locals recommended during most of their days, and
sometimes parking off the road to wander around the trails.

His most recent Instagram update was a backshot of Lan Zhan standing on a boulder that looked
out to a dazzling view of the lake, a glittering mirror the exact same shade of forget-me-not blue as
the spring sky. Framed by the bowing trees with the rolling clouds, he looked like a missing deity
clad in hiking boots and sunglasses. Wei Ying certainly couldn’t help himself pushing Lan Zhan
down behind a collection of boulders just off the trail to grind into his lap and kiss the life out of
him.

They went swimming in the lake a couple of times. It was beyond freezing and Wei Ying sort of
regretted it, especially with how deceptively deep the water was, but he couldn’t bring himself to
complain too much when Lan Zhan sank into the water next to him. The clouds above framed his
face in the water like a halo as he floated on his back with his eyes shut to the heavens.

The next Instagram post was a picture he had Lan Zhan take from the dock of Wei Ying in his
drying swimsuit balanced on a stand-up board, waving from the crystal waters; he was grateful his
camera wasn’t so good it could pick up the goosebumps from his skin and his knees nearly
knocking together from the cold.

The snowmelt waters were more for their photogenic beauty and a little fishing than for swimming
this time of year, but Lan Zhan wasn’t really keen on participating in some good old fashion fishing
from the docks. He was kind enough to join Wei Ying with a book and only showed mild
displeasure when Wei Ying managed to hook in a few brown and rainbow trout.

Spring rain shuffled them back in doors for a couple of days. Wei Ying whined a little, but didn’t
really mind because there was so much to do indoors already. One day, to escape the rainfall, they
drove down to South Lake Tahoe where the rain was a little lighter and there were more places to
see and things to do. They found themselves in a local boutique scouring for souvenirs when Wei
Ying found it.

“He’s just a little boy,” he grinned.

“He’s very cute.”

“I’m getting him for you. It matches your aesthetic.”

“Aesthetic?” Lan Zhan followed him to the register where Wei Ying carefully placed the quilted
bunny doll on the counter. Its long, floppy ears were soft to the touch and its long limbs, stiff with
stuffing, were movable at the joints, which made it easier to sit it upright. With its sweet stitched
pink nose and adorable blue striped overalls, Wei Ying was over the moon how cute it was and
how much more adorable it would be in Lan Zhan’s possession. He bought it with the black credit
card and thrust the new friend onto Lan Zhan.

“He’s like a son,” Wei Ying teased later when they were wandering around a shop that sold only
socks. Lan Zhan had zipped the quilt bunny up in his jacket, the white head peeking out at his
collar.

“A son should have a name.”

“Have you been thinking of one?”

“Mn. Sizhui.”

“Sappy.”

Sizhui stayed at their side the rest of the trip. There was another Instagram post with Sizhui sitting
on a stack of books with his own little plate of dinner, the lakeside sunset glowing at his back.
Another of him sitting buckled in the back seat when they drove around, made cameos in other
scenic shots Wei Ying took on his phone, staying near them wherever they went. It turned into
“our son” at some point.

The one time he was not allowed by their side was on the steamier nights.

Wei Ying surprised Lan Zhan with another set of lingerie he purchased with Nie Huaisang’s help,
a delectable black lace bodysuit with a plunging neckline and an open crotch, delicate flowers
framing the globes of his cheeks with two thin strings holding the pieces together. There was a
necklace of fading bruises decorating his throat, his seemingly impossibly long legs draped against
the soft bed sheets where he was spread out like a decadent feast.

“Lan Zhan,” he hummed, voice thick like honey. He beckoned him to come closer, arched his
slender waist for him.

Lan Zhan crawled across the bed, eyes roving Wei Ying’s stretched out body, swallowed by
hunger. He leaned down and nuzzled his soft cock, framed by lace at its base, and sitting relaxed
on his thigh ready for whatever Lan Zhan wanted to do. With his eyes on Wei Ying’s, he kissed
the head of his cock and gently suckled on the soft skin. Wei Ying gasped under the light touch,
the beginnings of arousal stirring his core. Lan Zhan kissed and nuzzled his cock until it started to
harden with heat, then he opened his mouth wide and took it down into his throat. His tongue
worked the sensitive underside, his cheeks hollowing out to suck Wei Ying down deeper.

His mouth felt so good around his arousal as Wei Ying melted into the sheets, his thighs spread to
accommodate Lan Zhan’s body and gently rolled his hips up into his wet heat. It was a luxuriating
pleasure he could sink deep into, relish in the steady rhythm of his mouth sucking him down, his
hands gliding up and down his thighs, his bangs tickling the sensitive skin of his navel as he
bobbed up and down the length.

Wei Ying’s thighs jerked up with a sudden, choked off groan when Lan Zhan pulled off
completely.

“Lan Zhan?” he asked hoarsely.

Lan Zhan was looking at something next to Wei Ying on the bed. A floppy cotton ear was draped
over his shoulder where little Sizhui had fallen over on the mound of pillows he had been resting
on.

“He shouldn’t be here.”

“Wha-?” Wei Ying’s question went ignored as Lan Zhan crawled up the bed and snagged the
bunny doll. His skin was tingling with cold where he had been touched only seconds ago.

Lan Zhan rolled off the bed and left the room with Sizhui cradled in his arms. A moment later he
returned without Sizhui.

“I tucked him in bed in the second bedroom,” Lan Zhan said. “So he won’t get cold.”

Wei Ying let out a guffaw of laughter that was quickly bitten off when Lan Zhan covered his lips
with a searing kiss.

They had sex a lot. With no outside obligations to pull them away for long, they went at it
whenever they wanted. Which was mostly instigated by Lan Zhan, because without anything to
pull them away for long, Lan Zhan practically kept him in bed and forced wrecked moans of
pleasure out of him for nearly half the trip. They did it in nearly every nook and cranny of the
house — the master bathroom shower, the sauna, the kitchen table, the main room couch, the
billiards table in the recreation room, the loveseat in the loft, pushed up against the wide windows,
sprawled out under the cover of trees and night sky by the firepit on the terrace, laid out on the
bedroom bench at the foot of their bed, pinned against the kitchen counter, in the bathtub as the
rain patted lightly on the wide window next to them, and of course sprawled across the bed.

In no way he could complain about the rampant amount of sex they were having. Wei Ying, on
one hand, felt it was a good compensation for this beautiful vacation he planned and paid for and
it’s the least he could do in return. On the other hand, he helplessly indulged in the fire Lan Zhan
scorched him with in great pleasure.

There was no way to describe how Wei Ying felt besides absolutely full, and not just full of cock.
They took every day together at their own pace, rose when they felt like it and went to bed
snuggled together. Sometimes, they would relax without a word exchanged on the deck with the
firepit roaring and immersed in their own quiet reading, or they would hip check each other while
making dinner together. Despite this, a gnawing feeling ate away his heart.

On the fourth night, they drove south down the lake to do what they originally came here for: to
stargaze. It was a beautifully clear night without a cloud in sight. They could see the vast starry sky
perfectly fine from their balcony, but light pollution disrupted the glow, so they found a beach that
was a long slope of fine sand with tall pine trees and plenty of open space to gawk at the sky from.
Lan Zhan laid out a thick blanket on the cold ground and unpacked everything, from the telescope
and extra blankets to a thermos full of tea and a bag of snacks. The temperature had dropped to a
painful thirty degrees, which Wei Ying could never handle even on a good day, and found himself
bundled in a heavy jacket and a beanie pulled low over his ears. The wind from the lake’s surface
made his nose and fingers numb and cold.

He looked up and couldn’t care less about anything. The whole Milky Way was open to the naked
eye, unhindered by dazzling city skylines, trailing across the deep sky. He laid back on the blanket
to admire the stars, trace the shape of what he thought could be constellations. He never knew
much about them, could never pinpoint anything more than the Big Dipper and maybe Mars if
someone told him it was visible. Los Angeles had its own stunning lookout points tracing the city
edges where the hum of lights ended at their feet, but the sky was still buried in a hazy cloud with
only a few of the brightest stars peeking through. Here, they were nearly unhindered, shining bright
without the lights grasping their tails.

Lan Zhan finished setting up the telescope and crouched down to adjust the sight, the wind from
the lake ruffling his hair and throwing his usual neat part askew. The scarf wrapped thickly around
his neck covered the red line of his lips and the pink of his nose, but the tips of his ears were bright
with cold.

“Wei Ying,” he said. “Come look. Ursa Major is here.”

“Which one is that?” Wei Ying climbed to his feet and moved to stand next to Lan Zhan, who was
still tweaking the knobs as he looked through the eyepiece.

“The big bear.” Lan Zhan moved away to allow Wei Ying to crouch down and look. It was blurry
for a second before a clear collection of stars scattered in a sea of tiny lights.

“You can see the long tail and the three legs, the line of its torso, and the pointed star that makes its
head.”

“It looks like a four-legged walking robot,” Wei Ying laughed. “I kind of want to kick it.”

“Please don’t kick the big bear.”

“My legs can’t kick that far anyway. Ursa Major is safe for now.”

They took turns peeking through the telescope as they surveyed the sky, Lan Zhan pointed out
more constellations and important stars, the stories learned by heart. He had never known Lan
Zhan was interested in astrology, most of his private discussions covering music and poetry. When
his back began to hurt from crouching down so much, they settled down on the blanket with
another thrown over them to stave off the chill to stare up at the sky.

He could feel the fine sand contoured against his body, Lan Zhan’s warmth pressed to his side like
his own personal heater. The even breath next to him was nearly drowned by the shallow lapping
of the lake shore, but it resounded far too loud in the night only because Wei Ying was hyper
aware of the heartbeat sharing the space with him.

A pinky found his under the blanket, followed by the whole warm hand that encased Wei Ying’s
chilled fingers and squeezed him surely. Wei Ying’s heart squeezed with his warming fingers. The
unspoken tenderness was a rocking boat on a silent lake, his skin far too sensitive, his heart
throbbing a tempo he didn’t know the song to. Neither of them spoke now, neither of them dared to
speak. There was no need to with the stars and crystal lake waters that mirrored the cosmos above,
the two of them sandwiched in the moment.

All good things must come to an end.

A request for a job interview came in from a company Wei Ying was really crossing his fingers
for. A simple one-on-one in their main downtown office. He wanted to leap with joy because the
starting pay and benefits listed on the job site were good, almost too good to be true, but Wei Ying
qualified. He arranged a meeting for the day after he came back with no qualms about the delay
from the interviewer.

Lan Zhan didn’t need to know just yet because, as Wei Ying saw it, this would mark the end. He
couldn’t keep this up once he had a full time job going with the work he wanted to do, plus raising
A-Yuan on his own as soon as all the necessary paperwork was processed. He wouldn’t have time
to entertain his Lan Zhan, especially at the beginning of this transition.

It hurt to breathe a bit as he shakily closed his laptop and rose from his seat at the little desk set up
in the loft with a perfect view of the wide windows in the main room. Lan Zhan was curled up in a
squishy armchair with a book balanced on his knee and Sizhui cuddled in his lap. Wei Ying leaned
against the banister to get a good look at him with the early afternoon sunshine reflecting off the
brilliantly blue lake outside, casting a heavenly halo of light around him.

Wei Ying decided he would settle to enjoy the moment, admire Lan Zhan openly while he still
could, cherish their time together before it will be tucked in a chest and locked away for
safekeeping.

Their days in oasis went by far too fast despite how slow they took them. Wei Ying kept himself
off social media almost completely somehow, aside from posting on his Instagram, and they spent
their week in pleasant leisure, taking their chances to indulge in everything the house, the
lakeshore, and each other’s bodies had to offer.

On the morning of their last full day, they went to gather souvenirs for themselves, friends, and
family. One stop was a local brewery for Wei Ying to load up on beer growlers, mostly not for
himself, he promised.

“Wen Qing likes IPAs, Jiang Yanli likes it hoppy, Jiang Fengmian likes a good dark beer, and—”
he froze over the last bottle. “Jiang Yanli can give this to Jiang Cheng whenever.”

Lan Zhan didn’t comment on his pause.

They treated themselves to a late lunch with leftover food from the previous night and went to
round off the evening with a dip in the hot tub as the sun was starting to set. The humid heat staved
off the settling evening chill, a hot flush warmed his skin that had him sinking into the tub, tucked
away in the lower patio behind foliage with a lovely view of the glassy lake surface. Their boat
bobbed gently at the dock, having been used only once during their trip to ride around the shoreline
and maybe pull themselves under some low-hanging branches to makeout. It had nearly tipped
over into the water.

A calm he hadn’t felt in months, possibly years, settled into his bones. With Lan Zhan relaxed next
to him, their knees bumping together under the water, he finally let pure content wash over him.The
wires tangled in his head softened, but the feeling he had beaten back earlier in the week was rising
again like a charmed snake in his belly, rearing its head in a hypnotized dance he couldn’t help but
play.

He bumped his foot into Lan Zhan’s leg to get his attention. Lan Zhan looked over from where he
had been gazing at the sinking sun, the shadows of foliage lined in gold playing across his face. His
eyes were muted and dark in the fading daylight. Wei Ying waggled his eyebrows and moved
closer to him, the boiling hot tub water sloshing against the sides from his sudden movement.

“I’m going to miss being in your arms after this,” he sighed as he sank into Lan Zhan’s side.
“We’re gonna be thrown back into the real world and I dunno if I’m ready for that.”

“We have to go home, but we can come back another time.”

“Not until next summer at the earliest!” Wei Ying whined. There was an unfortunate possibility
Lan Zhan might have to stay in Singapore for longer than the initial year and that, to Wei Ying,
was frustrating.

“I can rent this place again for you and A-Yuan while I am gone.”

Wei Ying slumped against his shoulder and whined, “It’s not the same without my Lan Zhan here,
too!”

A hand fell on his thigh and stroked the line where the edge of his swimsuit met his thigh. A kiss
touched his damp temple as Lan Zhan’s looming presence pressed closer.

“We haven’t done it in the hot tub yet,” Wei Ying hummed.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan pulled him up and with the water buoyancy easily rolled him over to straddle over
his thighs. Wei Ying shivered from the chilly air hitting his back, chest, and shoulders, but it
melted away with the hot press of Lan Zhan’s lips on his. He wrapped himself around him and
pulled each other closer, Lan Zhan’s hands running down his back to tease his waistband.

The kiss deepened with the first pess of tongue, the wet slide of their lips drowned by the sound of
the hot tub jets. Wei Ying sank into Lan Zhan’s hold, tangling his fingers in his hair to kiss him
harder, deeper.

Their kisses were numbered, Wei Ying realized.

He dragged Lan Zhan closer, intent on swallowing him whole. Lan Zhan groaned into the searing
kiss as his hands dipped under Wei Ying’s waistband to grip at his ass. He ground down onto his
lap, feeling the hardness pressing into his own with an urgency bubbling in the current. He ran his
hands down the shape of Lan Zhan’s body, the slide slick with hot water, as he rutted his hips down
to imitate the smooth, deep rhythm Lan Zhan liked to fuck him with.

It took everything in his power not to devour him whole with soul-sucking kisses, his hands
memorizing the pattern of Lan Zhan’s skin, his hole clenching in aching familiarity of what it’s like
to be full to the brim with him. Lan Zhan more than indulged his desire as his hands roved over his
back and sides, his skin past the boiling point and positively burning.

Wei Ying tugged down the waistband of Lan Zhan’s pants to free his cock, the member hard in his
grasp as he started to jerk him off under the rolling hot tub water. He wanted to feel a little guilty
for getting off in a hot tub that wasn’t their own, but Lan Zhan didn’t seem concerned. They
probably weren’t even the first to get it on in it. Instead, he melted further under Wei Ying’s hands
and gasped wantonly into his mouth, his tongue seering his skin hotter than the water and hands on
his skin.

His own swimsuit was pulled down with some slight maneuvering and Lan Zhan’s hand was on his
cock while the other probed at his entrance, a long finger stroking over his fluttering rim softened
from the water. The first introduction of finger had him moan openly into the air, drowned by the
roaring hot tub jets and the wind rustling through the skyscraper trees. He arched under Lan Zhan’s
hold, allowing him to press further into his hole as the hand on his cock rubbed him just right. Wei
Ying shuddered as another finger slipped into his entrance, his rim easily relaxed with how much
he had been taking Lan Zhan’s cock in the week alone.

Lan Zhan had the best fingers, he sighed as he melted further into Lan Zhan’s, his own hands
working to rub both their cocks together. The steam from the hot tub turned Lan Zhan’s chest pink,
his ears a flaming red, his hairline damp. Wei Ying pressed his lips to his temple and traced sweat
on his tongue, mixed with the overpowering chlorine. Lan Zhan shuddered under him, his head
tipped back to allow Wei Ying to kiss down his throat as three of his fingers speared him deep.

“Ready, I’m ready, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying gasped into his jaw. “Fuck me— hng, yes, just like this.”

It was near impossible to take off his pants completely like this with how hard he was shaking with
heat and arousal, the wet material glued to his thighs. Lan Zhan helped lift him out of the water to
tear off his swimsuit and toss it onto the deck with a loud splat that made Wei Ying giggle. He fell
back into the tub with a splash, the hot water hitting him differently, completely nude now. He
balanced himself on the bench and spread his legs wide tauntingly, his head half submerged in the
water.

Lan Zhan’s eyes were dark. He reached out to grab Wei Ying and drag him back into his lap, but
Wei Ying spat out a line of water from between his teeth. It hit Lan Zhan squarely in the face.

“Shameless,” Lan Zhan said with no real force.

“My ass is out in a hot tub and you’re about to fuck it, how is this shameless?” Wei Ying giggled
as he tilted his head just enough out of the water to speak.

Lan Zhan’s response was to grab him by the thighs and drag him back into his lap. It was all too
easy with the water buoyancy, but Wei Ying still shivered in delight when Lan Zhan manhandled
him to straddle his lap once more. One hand spread his cheek apart while the other held his own
cock and positioned it at Wei Ying’s entrance.

He shuddered at the first press of the head, the feeling completely different submerged in hot
water. The slide was smooth and almost uncomfortably wet. Lan Zhan bottomed out easily with
how loose Wei Ying was but he felt fuller than usual, his body stretched to its limits. Lan Zhan
lifted him easily from his cock and fucked him back down, his feet planted firmly on the bottom of
the hot tub as he drove his hips up to meet Wei Ying’s.

The water sloshed over the rim of the tub, louder than the jets possibly could be, and filled Wei
Ying’s head with a dull roar that rivaled an ocean tidal wave. He could feel the hot water in him,
Lan Zhan’s even hotter cock, pressing deep into his most sensitive parts. A tingling electricity
shuddered over Wei Ying’s spine, his thighs laced with oversensitive pleasure, his core burning
with threatening arousal. Lan Zhan fucked into him with a steely grip holding his cheeks to drive
himself deeper, harder, into Wei Ying. His knees burned where they scraped over the sanded bench
of the tub, his feet kicked out uselessly in the water where he couldn’t scrabble to support himself,
to fuck back on his cock properly.

He was bounced atop his lap with the water pushing and pulling against them, his head uselessly
bobbing on his shivering neck, the cold air nothing on his skin because of how hot the water and
Lan Zhan’s cock made him. Lan Zhan’s jaw was set tight, his eyes filled with a ferocious hunger
somehow only Wei Ying could sate.

With a startled yelp, Wei Ying was suddenly lifted completely out of the water. Lan Zhan held him
close to his chest, his cock still buried deep inside as he leaned over the edge of the tub and
fumbled around for something, unwilling to completely let go.

“Lan Zhan— what?” Wei Ying gasped, his body shivering around the cock pressed deep against
his prostate and from the sudden, jolting movements.

Seemingly satisfied, Lan Zhan put him down gently over the rim of the hot tub. Wei Ying was
about to protest but felt their towels tucked behind the lip of the tub to give Wei Ying better back
support. It would have definitely snapped his spine if they tried without. His hips laid rested on the
lip and his back draped down onto the chilled wooden deck with his legs pushed high in the air at
this angle. Lan Zhan’s cock had slipped out of him but he tugged Wei Ying’s ankles to sit over his
shoulder and sheathed himself back inside. He started to slowly fuck him back into the brutal pace
he set, now with a better angle to drive straight into his prostate. Wei Ying nearly screamed when
he nailed it with the first thrust.

This new angle took him deeper, his own skin red from the hot water, his skin unable to feel the
cool air and the chilly breeze coming off the lake shore. Like this, away from the blaring hot tub
jets in his ear, he could hear the sound of the lake lapping at the rocky shore just yards away, the
wind whispering through the towering trees, distant evening bird song caught in the hazy golden
sky. The sun was setting, leaving blazing trails of burning pink and gold like rose-tinted glasses.
The low tree that hung over the deck half shaded Wei Ying from the golden sky above, the clouds
played in delicate shapes.

Lan Zhan was hunched over him, balanced on his palms pressed to the hot tub rim with Wei Ying’s
legs thrown over his shoulders, he was stunning. The warm sunset light illuminated his wet skin,
threw a halo of sparkling light around his damp hair and reflected off droplets of water caught in
his long eyelashes, fluttering in pleasure as he drove into Wei Ying. Water trailed down the hard
lines of his body, glittering like diamonds Lan Zhan would buy to drape Wei Ying in. Like this,
bound by the reddening sky, Wei Ying’s heart burst.

I love him, his heart sang. I love him a lot.

He didn’t know how to translate those words in the moment without saying them outright. Instead,
he bit his lip and muffled a pleasurable cry as Lan Zhan drove into him so deep he felt the small of
his back crack in the most satisfying way. Wei Ying lurched forward to grip his forearms as a tidal
wave threatened to drown him, his vision spotting as fireworks burst in his bones, his blood, his
heart. His thighs shook around Lan Zhan as he looked up and met Wei Ying with a gaze warmer
than the sunset holding them close.

Lan Zhan buried his face in his leg and came, his teeth dragging across Wei Ying’s shivering skin.
He pumped his cock deep into his hole, burning hot cum flooding his insides. Wei Ying shook
under him, his climax so close, his feet aching with how hard he was curling his toes as pleasure
wracked through his system.

With a heavy breath, Lan Zhan pulled out— seemingly reluctantly— and sank back into the water.
Wei Ying sat up, about to ask what he was doing, but Lan Zhan pushed between his legs and gently
nuzzled his thighs, taking his achingly hard cock into his mouth and suckling the head.

It only took a few deep swallows and drags of his tongue to pull Wei Ying over the edge and
drown in the rolling sea, his chest swelling with the need for air as his hips jerked up involuntarily,
his body twitching and jerking under Lan Zhan’s touch.

His heart kept beating wildly as his breathing calmed down. He was sprawled over the deck with
his calves and feet dipped in the bubbling hot tub. With great effort, he lifted his head to see Lan
Zhan laying his cheek against Wei Ying’s inner thigh, his eyes so soft Wei Ying could melt with
the molten gold in his eyes. A pearly drop of cum stained the corner of his swollen, red lips, his
hair damp and unruly from the steam with the top of his head still dry and neatly parted. He looked
up at Wei Ying so openly, every wall intricately built over his face lifted for the very moment.

Wei Ying’s heart beat a fresh staccato rhythm that brought tears to his eyes. He swallowed them
down and shielded his suddenly too tender heart with a naughty grin.

“Shall we go again?”

On the dawn of their last day, Wei Ying rose with the sun. Lan Zhan had taken to sleeping later
and later, almost to seven on the second half of the trip, but today Wei Ying was restless. He
padded upstairs to the kitchen where a pale dawn crept through the trees and the lake beyond, the
lake surface warmed from its early morning blue. He started making himself a coffee to get his
head on straight, a shiver rolling over his back from the remnant of cold that lingered in the air.

As the kettle hummed, he pulled out two mugs— the two he and Lan Zhan had claimed as theirs.
From a drawer, he dug out a thermostat, stuck it in the water, and watched it climb to a low hundred
degrees. In a box on the counter was a bag of loose leaf tea Lan Zhan had bought for himself from
a local tea company. A nutty pu’erh that tasted kind of like dirt but Lan Zhan had taken to drinking
it in the morning. He measured it out in a tea ball and hooked it over the rim of his mug ready for
the water.

Wei Ying washed some rice and let it soak in the sink. It only sat for a little while before the kettle
started to hiss and steam. Wei Ying took it off the heat and double checked the instructions on the
tea tin before dumping boiling water into the french press already loaded with ground coffee and
then gently pouring a steady stream of fizzling water into Lan Zhan’s mug. He set a quick timer
knowing Lan Zhan didn’t like his teas especially strong, especially the darker brews.

There was a creak below, the sound of Lan Zhan shuffling out of bed and moving up the staircase.
Wei Ying didn’t turn around as the footsteps grew louder.

“Good morning,” he called when he heard Lan Zhan reach the main landing. “Tea?”

Lan Zhan hummed and shuffled to stand behind Wei Ying just as his timer went off and he took
out the dripping tea ball. Lan Zhan reached around him to grab his mug, the heat from his chest
warm against Wei Ying’s back. “Thank you,” he said, voice scratchy with sleep. He placed a kiss
on Wei Ying’s shoulder and shuffled away. Wei Ying’s heart lurched in his chest, the palms of his
hands clammy.

He pressed down his coffee and poured it into his mug then topped it with the last of his creamer.
Lan Zhan had taken a seat at the kitchen island, a knitted cardigan draped over his shoulders and
 the back of his head sitting flat from sleep. He wanted to kiss him.

“Congee this morning to finish off the rice,” Wei Ying said. He strained and washed the rice then
started working on the congee. Once it was going, he moved around to join Lan Zhan at the
kitchen island. Before he could sit, Lan Zhan tugged him close by his sleeve and placed another
kiss on his head.

This unbidden affection always came in the early mornings if he was caught too soon after waking
up. He pulled Wei Ying to stand pressed against his side, Lan Zhan even taller than usual mounted
on the high kitchen chair, and rested his cheek atop Wei Ying’s head. He was so warm against Wei
Ying’s side, he couldn’t help but relax into the hold.

“Are you not ready to go home?” Wei Ying prodded. He wrapped an arm around his waist and
pulled his body flush against Wei Ying’s.

Lan Zhan gave him a low hum.

“Neither am I. We have finals coming up. Our theses are almost done.”

Another hum.

“You’re going to Singapore.”

An even lower hum.

“Visit me?”

A hum of a promise.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you so much, Sarah and Krista, for all your hard work! And thank you
everyone for all your wonderful support! I'll see you next week perhaps!

UPDATE: $2 coffee is on an indefinite hiatus as of 11/27/20 due to myself and my

family falling ill to COVID-19. My goal is so have this finished in January and I hope
to still meet that goal but I need to recovery first. Thank you for all your support and
having to deal with my constant off and on with this fic. It’s been a great joy to write it
and I can’t wait to finish the story for everyone.
 A Dirt Doodle
Chapter Summary

A decision is made as life moves forward

Chapter Notes

Hello there I'm miraculously alive! Many big thanks to Alejandra for being this week's
beta and the one who helped me come up with this story in the first place. A big hand
shaped heart for my love <3
Here's a song because it's the only one I associate with this fic I was in the shower
listening to it and thought damn wouldn't that be fucked up if I--

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wei Ying was standing shell-shocked in a parking garage. The elevator had let him out onto the
floor he was parked on. The rows were packed with employees’ cars, lined up neatly and gleaming
under the fluorescent lights and not a living soul in sight. A faint smell of gasoline and asphalt
hung in the air. It was all too quiet yet too loud, his heart raced in his chest.

He got the job.

He did a running jump and pumped his fist into the air with a joyous, “yes!” echoing around the
concrete garage. His feet hit the ground hard and he took off skipping down the rows of cars to his
red Lexus, his blazer flapping open in the manmade wind and shirt nearly coming untucked from
his slacks. It didn’t matter if he looked interview ready anymore because he got a job offer with a
really good base pay and added luxuries— like dental insurance. He could actually afford to get A-
Yuan braces if he ever needed them!

The coffee Lan Zhan had given him this morning in the yoga bunny thermos was on the brink of
being too cold, but Wei Ying still chugged the rest of his favorite coffee as he untucked his shirt
and tossed his blazer in the back seat.

A blinding ray of spring sunshine had Wei Ying flinch back as he drove out from the dark parking
garage and into the busy street. He fumbled to put on his sunglasses for a moment, then played
with the radio controls as he tried checking oncoming traffic for a small break between the cars to
change lanes.

The traffic wasn’t terrible, but it was still building up to the brink of rush hour. The reflective
office towers morphed into low industrial complexes to suburban streets back to too-tall, bleached
out concrete apartments as he drove closer to home. Tired of the radio playing nothing but
commercials, he switched to his Bluetooth hoping for something upbeat to match his tapping
fingers and a smile tugging on his lips.

The first song played up until the chorus until he quickly skipped to the next one:
I need you more than I have known
So look in my mercy mirror
'Cause I'm not ready to let you go

The heavier guitar rift unwinded the tension that had been building in his shoulders. The steady
thrum of his thumbs slowed to a stop despite the pace picking up in the song. He glanced down at
the empty tumbler, a bunny doing a downward-facing dog by the rim.

With time to kill before A-Yuan was out of school and nowhere to be for a while, he stopped and
picked up a late lunch at a local burger joint with the most delicious steak fries he’d ever had. He
wasn’t shy and ordered a hefty meal for him and a little junior chicken tender meal for A-Yuan for
dinner tonight.

A-Yuan barrelled into his legs when Wei Ying stepped into the main office to sign him out, a
teacher having brought him over from where he had been sitting patiently with the rest of his peers
to go home. They must have spotted Wei Ying through the window and ushered A-Yuan to meet
him at the door.

“There was an accident in the playground today but he’s a tough guy,” the teacher said after their
greetings. Wei Ying noticed the bandaid on A-Yuan’s arm and the dirt streaking his clothes. He
really needed to learn how Wen Ning got those stains out.

“I didn’t cry! It hurt a lot but I didn’t cry!” A-Yuan exclaimed.

“There’s no shame in a little crying.” Wei Ying ruffled his hair and passed the clipboard back to
the teacher. “Thank you! Have a good day.”

“Bye-bye!” A-Yuan waved as they left. When they stepped outside, he grabbed Wei Ying’s hand
and pulled him toward the parking lot. “I have to get home! Jingyi said there’s a show I gotta watch
at three-thirty and it’s almost three!”

“Whoa, slow down, buddy.” Wei Ying tugged him back into a walk. “I won’t let you watch any
TV if you’re going to be rude about it. Ask me nicely if we can get home faster, then I may
consider it.”

“May we please hurry home to watch TV?”

“Sure. Let’s go.” They took off running into the parking lot toward Wei Ying’s car and made a
great show of hurrying to get A-Yuan buckled up and getting the car going. On the way home, A-
Yuan chatted with him about his day.

“Lil’ dude, I wanted to ask you something,” Wei Ying said when a lull in A-Yuan’s chatter settled.
“We won’t be in the apartment much longer and—”

“We’re going to be homeless!” A-Yuan cried out.

“No, no! We’ll all be moving soon. You’re jiejie and gege are going somewhere new and I’ll have
my own home.” He didn’t know if A-Yuan was his yet, the application process still too early and
without a home to show he can take care of him yet. It was arduous forcing A-Yuan to live in
between like this, but adoption rules and regulations prevented him from simply grabbing him
around the waist and running away. There wasn’t much he could say to him yet. “You’ll still be
with us. I can’t promise you’ll have a room with me yet, but you’ll still have your family and you’ll
still always see me.”

“Is rich gege going to live with us?” A-Yuan asked.

Wei Ying gripped the steering wheel hard, his knuckles burned white. “He has his own house. It’ll
just be the two of us, if that’s okay.”

“What about when you’re gone all the time? Will you have a babysitter? I’m not a baby, but
Zizhen has one and she lets him stay up past his bedtime.” This seemed like a major concern for
him.

“I won’t be gone at night anymore. You’ll be an early bird at school now, but I can pick you up
every day like this.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Not tomorrow, but soon.”

“Can rich gege pick me up tomorrow?”

Wei Ying would never, ever snap at A-Yuan. “No, he’s busy. Jiejie will get you. But soon I can
pick you up and drop you off every day like this and you’ll have a bedroom and a yard to play. Is
there anything you think my house should have?” He switched the subject.

“A pool! With a big slide!”

“I’m not rich gege but I’ll see what I can do. Anything else?”

“A fireplace!”

“Aiyo, where did you get these ideas of luxury from?”

“And a big staircase I can surf a mattress down!”

“We’ll see.”

They got back to an empty apartment and a full fridge. Wen Qing did a grocery run and fulfilled A-
Yuan’s request to make smoothies and filled the counter with fresh fruit and vegetables. After he
watched the cartoon he was itching to see while Wei Ying did some edits on the thesis paper, they
made smoothies.

It could go as, well, smoothly as possible when trying to please a three-year-old and his insistence
they should add bread to the blender so it could be like a “peanut butter and banana sandwich but
drinkable”. He let him go through with tossing two slices of bread into the blender to maybe teach
him a lesson, but A-Yuan exclaimed it was the “best sandwich drink ever” and sucked most of it
down. Besides the grainy aftertaste and weird texture, it wasn’t all bad.

His cheeks hurt from smiling so much and his chest felt so light, so full of bubbling joy at their
brighter future it made this moment all the more special. Of course, he had already shared the news
of his job with the Wens, Jiang Yanli, and his thesis group and…

Left the text unsent to Lan Zhan.

It was typed out with lots of fun emojis and exclamation points, even had a little gif loaded up to
express his excitement, but he had froze hovering over the send button.

With the beginning of his next chapter and graduation looming on the horizon there were some
things that needed to be closed. The black credit card weighed heavily in his wallet, the plastic key
fob cold to the touch, the clothes looming in his dresser.
He loves Lan Zhan and with that realization came the need, for the sake of them both, to break off
the arrangement before he hurt either himself or Lan Zhan. It was for the sake of moving on before
they crashed and burned, before feelings were hurt at the worst possible moment. There would be
no reason to keep this deal up with Lan Zhan’s upcoming trip to Singapore. Logically, this is how
he thought of it.

Wei Ying didn’t think he could bear to try their arrangement long distance when it was so physical.
Companionship was a huge factor to their deal with the happy bonus of sex. It would be hard to
translate the root of their exchange into long distance Skype calls. Sure, there were long distance
toys that could be used to make it more fun, but the burn of his touch could never be replicated.

It was more than sex, the truth whispered back; the low timber of Lan Zhan’s voice in Wei Ying’s
ear followed by the the ghost of his breath caressing his skin, the gentle hand on his back when
they walked into a cafe together, the crescent curve of his sunset eyes when a smile traced his face,
the reaffirming hush on his lips, his easy presence that never deflected Wei Ying’s chatter, only
absorbed it. He wanted so badly to cling to Lan Zhan’s legs all the way to Singapore but, even if
they were more than what they are, it wouldn’t have been possible with the responsibilities on his
platter.

The sooner the better, he reasoned. There would be more time to get over the aching cold before
Lan Zhan left him for good. It was for the better they stopped now before his own heart killed
them both.

Jiang Yanli invited him to lunch at her place that weekend to celebrate the job. He didn’t tell Lan
Zhan because he was… Lan Zhan was at his advising professor’s office today to work on his thesis
so there was no need to bother him. Wei Ying and A-Yuan arrived a little after twelve to the
Jin/Jiang household, or the former. They had closed a deal at a new house and soon they’ll host
Jiang Yanli’s birthday party and a farewell party before they moved to the new home with an
official housewarming party. Wei Ying didn’t know how she could live her life hosting party after
party where the one time he hosted a game night in his undergrad he swore never to deal with the
dinner party bullshit.

This was just them and the family having a cozy lunch on the patio. They talked about Jiang
Yanli’s upcoming birthday party with Madame Yu at the helm this year because her daughter and
son in law were busy moving houses. She was renting a hotel ballroom and doing a whole event
with flower arrangements and live music and apparently having a hard time deciding which
towering five-tiered cake was worthy of her daughter. Jiang Yanli wasn’t too pleased with the idea
of having all eyes on her for the day, especially with an Instagram photo wall and an outfit change
in the middle of the event.

“A homely affair would have been fine. I don’t need all this.”

“You’re only thirty once,” Wei Ying pointed out. “It’ll be fun.”

She had been shifting in her seat the whole time, her eyes flitting to the back door and to her
husband who was dutifully looking at anywhere but his wife, but kept a hand on the table for her to
squeeze. Wei Ying didn’t want to ask.

As if summoned by her gaze alone, Jiang Cheng stepped out into the patio, clearly having let
himself in through the front like he always had. He froze in his greetings when he saw Wei Ying.

“You—” he started to snarl.

“Yanli, why—” Wei Ying jumped from his seat, the dishes clattering.
“Sit down.” She spoke in her Motherly Voice— so soft yet steely, leaving no room for argument.

Hesitantly, Wei Ying sat back down. Jiang Cheng lowered himself into a chair as far away from
Wei Ying as possible. No one spoke as Jiang Cheng loaded up his plate with food, except for Jin
Ling humming into his juice.

“This is a congratulatory lunch, an intervention, and, uh… some news.” Jiang Yanli cleared her
throat. Jin Zixuan squeezed her hand and nodded. “We’re pregnant.”

Jiang Cheng choked on the water he had been sipping down and Wei Ying almost fell out of his
chair.

“So soon?!” Wei Ying yelped as Jiang Cheng said, “congratulations.”

Jiang Yanli laughed, her cheeks rosy. “I’m only about 7 weeks along. We only found out a few
days ago.”

“Their birthday won’t be too close to A-Ling’s right? I don’t think he’ll like sharing a birth month
he already shares one with A-Cheng.”

“You—”

“Second order of business,” Jiang Yanli said, her back straightened and her hand pulled from Jin
Zixuan’s. ”After you finish eating, the three of us are going to the upstairs lounge and having a
talk.”

Whatever easy banter they would have fallen into died, the mood spoiled.

They let the subject drop and went back to the new baby conversation, but the impending doom
lingered over them like a horrible heavy cloud. Wei Ying made sure to keep his gaze directed away
from Jiang Cheng, not wanting to spark anything when this was supposed to be a nice family
lunch. For the sake of Jiang Yanli, he kept his mouth shut. Jiang Cheng did the same.

“The Talk” ended up being one of the most stressful three hours of Wei Ying’s life paired with the
feeling of being wrung dry that followed after. Jiang Yanli made them all sit together— as siblings
but above all, as friends— to talk. He didn’t want to think about it too much because it had him
reeling and exhausted. He left somehow feeling heavier, yet like he was about to take off in flight,
Jiang Cheng trailing behind him with a phone number in his contacts with a referral “to talk to
someone”. Wei Ying was lucky enough to escape with a firm order to “keep in touch with her”.

Jiang Yanli did too much for them. Way more than any sibling should do. He should get her a gift
basket at the very least, maybe one of those edible arrangements with the fruit dipped in chocolate.
A quick Google search while seated in his car parked in her driveway found the base price was far
too much money for a bunch of fruit on sticks. He figured he could make his own or, maybe Lan
Zhan could—

He put his phone down and started the car up. Jiang Cheng was idling in his car parked in the
street. Wei Ying wondered if he was going to follow him home.

They weren’t on good terms. Wei Ying didn’t want to talk to him more than he had to and Jiang
Cheng wouldn’t look at him without a curl to his lip. The apologies squeezed out didn’t soothe the
rashes on his skin nor would the forced reconciliation make them friends anytime soon. Wei Ying
wanted to be there for him, but only if he was allowed the dignity of a proper apology and
understanding. The forced talk made them get everything on the table. Wei Ying contemplated his
relationship with Lan Zhan and where they’ll go, A-Yuan, his house-to-be. Jiang Cheng admitted
that there was something going on with him and Lan Huan, courting is what he called it, the stuff
he’s had to deal with at work, the impenetrable jealousy and rage that followed close behind his
affection for Wei Ying.

It wasn’t his fault, Jiang Cheng had admitted, but the feelings are still there and he can’t help but
lash out.

Wei Ying wanted to talk to Lan Zhan so bad, but he was afraid to put a number down on their days
left. It was going to have to end soon, before his feelings got tangled up into their relationship and
he became nothing but a blockade for Lan Zhan’s future.

It was hot the day on the brink of May when he finally texted them if they could hang out. They
hadn’t had any of their usual noon coffee dates and morning meetings partially because both of
their schedules were full and that Wei Ying might have been avoiding him a little bit. He was
afraid.

The heat wave came with a brush of hot, dry wind and a sweat burning on his brow. Summer was
barely two months away but the heat started to come and go as early as February. Wei Ying wore a
T-shirt with a light jacket to combat the morning chill, but by eleven he was peeling it off and
tugging his hair away from his hot nape.

Lan Zhan met him at Elysian Park, not too far of a drive for Wei Ying but endless traffic to return
for him. It was nice to have some sunshine after all the pale clouds and occasional rain they’ve
had, but it felt too early in the season for the sun to be this hot. The sky was so blue it hurt, the
clouds nothing but trailing wisps, and even under his sunglasses Wei Ying had to squint to make
out the sun bleached road.

He met Lan Zhan in the parking lot who had a wicker picnic basket in one hand and a folded blue
checkered blanket in the other. Wei Ying’s heart squeezed with how adorably romantic that was.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan greeted.

“Lan Zhan, how did you know I haven’t eaten today?”

His eyes narrowed. “Today?” It was well after twelve.

Wei Ying smiled sheepishly. “I slept in and was almost late to class. Out of my favorite granola
bars too so I had nothing to munch on for the ride over. Need help with that?”

“No need. You’re lucky I like feeding you.”

“Very.”

There was a moment where Wei Ying started up the wide dirt path into the park where Lan Zhan
lifted his elbow as if waiting for something to pull him along but dropped it to his side and
followed.

Too many people milled about in the middle of the day as they moved further into the park down a
narrow trail. The gently sloping hills were interrupted by wide trees casting rounded shade over the
green lawns, native flowers grew wild off the paths and arched high into the sky in their full spring
blooms. They found a spot away from people and tucked into a corner for themselves under a tree
with thick roots spider webbing the ground. From here they were pretty high up and beyond a
dense line of shrubbery was the downtown skyline crisp and clear in the brilliant day.

They set up the blanket and opened their school work to do at least a little something while they
took a scenic break. Unsurprising, the picnic basket came fully equipped with its own plates and
utensils clipped to the lid and compartments full of clean cut sandwiches, Wei Ying’s favorite
chips (the kettle cooked jalapeno spiced ones that crunched so nicely in his mouth), fresh seasonal
strawberries, sliced oranges, grapes, a little salad, and a liter bottle of jasmine iced tea.

It was really nice sitting like this with food to eat as they pleased and school work in their laps, the
cool spring breeze soothing a bit of the burning heat of the day. He was sweating through his thin
shirt but it made the cold tea and fruit taste even better. Lan Zhan’s neck was a little pink from the
heat, a trickle of sweat tracing the line of his jaw. With the filigreed sunlight tracing patterns over
his face he looked almost ethereal, otherworldly in the midday glow.

Time was limited. Both because Wei Ying had to get to the lab tonight for another meeting and
because the timer on their little arrangement ticked louder and louder in his ears. Wei Ying had to
end it but he didn’t want to end them. Was it selfish to want to stay in Lan Zhan’s life at least?

He didn’t understand why his chest clenched at the thought of going back how they used to be, or,
he did know but couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t give it up because this was never meant to
last.

Lan Zhan gave him a leveled look that said it all. The food had grown warm from the heat, soggy
leftovers almost unappealing to eat at this point but Wei Ying still picked at the floppy salad. They
had been sitting here for a couple of hours now, the sun sliding slowly toward the horizon as it
approached evening. The heat hadn’t abated but he had gotten used to it. His butt hurt from sitting
on the ground for so long, the creases of his knees ached from the thick denim of his pants sitting
wrinkled against his skin. It all made him sleepy, a little dizzy in the most pleasant way that made
him want to take a little nap before the sun drifted too low in the sky.

They packed up the picnic to drop it off at Lan Zhan’s car then took a stroll in the sunset drenched
park to get the buzz out of their legs before they needed to get going. The air was crisp and full of
the smell of greenery and sweetened flowers, the dust kicked up dirtied the once shiny black of the
embroidered Doc Martens Lan Zhan had given him. A tension hung heavy on Wei Ying’s back
and he was sure Lan Zhan could feel it too.

He would open his mouth to ask what was wrong perhaps then shut, the words never making it out.
Wei Ying was too obviously quiet but he was steeling himself to talk.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan stopped them at a wide bend of the road that overlooked the LA skyline,
the horizon painted in rich blues and magentas that highlighted the pale streaks of clouds in color.
“What’s wrong?” His eyes were nearly translucent they were so pale in the evening light.

He didn’t answer right away. A long stick he picked up off the path was used to draw a cartoonish
bunny winking in the dirt. The ground was too hard to fully take shape, the lines a bit distorted but
obvious to what it was.

“I got a job offer.” Wei Ying finally said. His hands were shaking as he tried to draw over and over
the bunny to solidify its image. “It’s a really good one with fantastic base pay and room to grow.
I’m going to pay off my student loans soon with this kind of money and move into a house or
something with A-Yuan if I can get approval from the adoption agency.”

“Congratulations.” It was a genuine remark, warm like the gentle touch on his back. The rest was
left open for Wei Ying to continue.

“I’m taking the job and graduating soon. You’re going to Singapore in two months.”
Lan Zhan nodded in his peripheral.

“I can’t come with you for many reasons and you’re so good at understanding why and I’m really
grateful you extended the invitation.”

“I will visit.”

Wei Ying wanted to shake out of his skin like an autumn leaf. He was breaking out into a cold
sweat. “That’s why I think we should end this. Us.”

Lan Zhan sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t move to speak.

“The distance is big and I don’t think I can be in any sort of, ah, relations at a big transitional
period in my life. We— we can take it as a brief break while we do what we need to do—”

“No.” The hand on his back gripped his shoulders and spun him around to face Lan Zhan’s
piercingly hard eyes. The stick dropped from his hand. “That’s not necessary.”

“I’m sure we could have figured something out but there’s a lot going on.” It’s such a feeble
excuse, but it’s the only thing he could think to do without saying ‘I love you so much and I’m
afraid’. “I’m already talking to an adoption agency and his grandmother about A-Yuan. By this
summer I’ll legally be a full time father. School is going to be demanding in a couple of weeks on
top of starting a grueling job. I'll have no time for you. It would be wrong to leave you hanging like
that.”

“I understand, but this is why I wish to be with you during this time,” Lan Zhan promised. He
spoke so fast, something high seemingly piercing his throat. “Did I do something?”

“No! Never, ever, you are so perfect, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying yelped, panic burning his chest. He
was so sweaty. “I don’t want to say ‘it’s not about you, it’s me’ because that’s dumb and cliche, but
it is me I can’t even give you fifty percent when you always go at least a hundred and ten for me.
It’s unfair to you .”

A hardness settled over Lan Zhan’s features: a stony acceptance. “I will be happy with even zero
percent, but I won’t stop you if you want to leave.”

“I’ll be here.” Wei Ying couldn’t help but cup his perfect cheek. “I’m still your friend, right? We
just need to take a step back, at least for now.” A fluttering hope made him wonder if maybe
sometime next year they could rekindle them into something more, something brighter and more
honest.

Lan Zhan nodded stiffly, his jaw clenched tight and eyes so bright it hurt.

“I never used you, and never will. You’re my favorite person to be with— second only to Yanli. I
loved our time together and hope we can still be good friends without, you know.” He waved
awkwardly between them.

Lan Zhan nodded. He refused to speak.

Wei Ying cleared his throat. “I should be going now. Lab meeting.”

He nodded again.

“See you around?”

 A nod.

Wei Ying started back down the path, Lan Zhan rooted to the spot. Wei Ying glanced back once to
see him looking toward the bright golden horizon, his frame swallowed by the setting sun. There
was a leaf stuck on his back. The bunny scribble in the dirt had accidentally been kicked up when
Wei Ying left. He swallowed and made his way down the path in a quick jog.

He tried getting to his car as fast as he could but his throat was already shredded with the swelling
emotions, his eyes blurring as he fumbled to unlock the car. It took everything in his power not to
burst into tears right there in the parking lot. He swallowed them down and forced his car in
reverse and peeled out of the park before his trembling lip threatened to shake him apart.

The bunny thermos clanged loudly in his cupholder when he took turns too sharp. Traffic was
hideously clogged and forced him to taper down his emotions before he rear ended someone. His
breathing was shallow, his throat full of blades that wanted to slice Lan Zhan’s name from his
tongue.

This was what needed to happen. He couldn’t lie to himself as to why it hurt so much— he was too
aware of the piercing pain hurting his heart. It was better like this, or tried to convince himself so.

Maybe when he’s back and you’re doing better you can rekindle this, a small, hopeful voice told
him. There could be a chance. They were still friends, and would still keep in touch after this. Wei
Ying wasn’t willing to completely let go of Lan Zhan from his life.

His phone had automatically connected to the bluetooth speaker and picked up on the playlist he
left rotating earlier. The second half of a song reminiscent of his middle school days echoed in the
stifling quiet of his car, too loud yet not loud enough. Wei Ying turned the volume up higher. He
wanted to be tethered to his seat somehow and noise was the only thing he could hold onto.

His breathing was deep, a forced evenness that didn’t match the stuttering tempo of his throbbing
heart. A familiar piano echoed behind the trailing chords from the previous song. He let it play this
time. The lyrics shaped his lips, the song lifting from his chest and tears blurred in his eyes as the
chorus hit and the song punched him in the chest with the steady rhythm of the drums.

Honking followed him as he turned into a CVS underground parking garage where after work
shoppers were pushing teetering carts down the narrow sloping drive back to their cars. Wei Ying
barely managed to park as the dam broke and the words tore through his chest. Tears, hot and
burning, dripped from his eyes in a seemingly unending flow, his voice cracked on the too high
notes. His body shook with how much was flooding him, how he already missed Lan Zhan in the
most painful way possible.

Almost as much as he wanted to turn around and rush back into his arms, he wanted a heavy
thunderstorm to batter the roof of his sobs to match the outpour from his chest. It was too hot today
for there to be proper rain. Summer was around the corner and the only rain he could feel on his
skin was the tears dripping down his chin.

He slammed his fists into the steering wheel and sobbed harder than he had in years.

Chapter End Notes

Hi! Here's some housekeeping after my long absence!

I was sick for about three weeks with COVID but managed to regain some footing
around Christmas where I was able to push out a SVSSS and 2HA fics for secret Santa
events sobs. I've been writing again but my usual betas are out of commission so part
of the delay was harassing people until someone caved and betaded for me ( ; ω ; ) I'm
doing alright physically, but I still have a lot of fatigue and headaches + the worse
brain fog that comes and goes when it pleases. It takes a hot moment for my brain to
work and I found it's made writing this fic difficult because there are so many details I
just... know... and now my foggy brain won't let me conjure the information I need.
This is on me for not writing everything down in my 14 pages of notes lmao. My
apologies for the sudden downgrade in writing I'm still trying to properly recover.
Unfortunately, I am what the girls call, a longhauler sobs.

The posting schedule is also out the window officially I'll just be dropping them out of
the blue from now through February with an update once or twice a week. The new
goal is to have it done by Lunar New Year and I already have chapter 23 mostly
written. Sorry this chapter is so short! I'm still trying to regain my footing while
getting this story moving along. Haha the original plan was to post this that first week
of December then go on break for the month like could you imagine if I dropped this
chapter then disappeared for a month? Too bad COVID grabbed me by the throat first.

Thank you so much everyone for all of your kind messages! You really warmed my
heart (´ ω `♡) It made me want to recover faster and write again! Every single
comment, kudo, and bookmark is greatly loved, adored, and appreciated! I love you
all and I'm so sad we're so close to the end! A happy ending I promise!

If you can please give the Twitter post a little love!

 An Easter Basket
Chapter Summary

When it's all said and done there's nothing left but to keep moving.

Chapter Notes

peace I meant to post it earlier in the week but mental health yada yada you know. Big
thanks to Alejandra again, my muse and homie of my soul, for the beta. Once this is
up we can stream One Piece together (─‿‿─)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Life kept going regardless of how much Wei Ying wanted to grab it by the sleeve and dig his feet
into the ground to make it stop for just a moment to catch his breath. No matter how much he
wanted to curl under his blankets and watch the light shift across the barred windows and wait for
time to pass until he felt ready, he had obligations.

It was April. The lull could only last for so long. To think how much had changed in just a few
months, from January when Lan Zhan first started bringing him coffee to February to when he took
them to Las Vegas, to March where he got a new car and for the first time a feeling that he was
where he should be, to now where he set it all on fire.

He needed to build up from here, use this strong foundation Lan Zhan gave him to make a new life
for himself but most importantly for A-Yuan.

To realize now in the burning afternoon where he refused to move from his bed, his legs and back
aching for lying down for so long, his head a swimming headache, was heart-wrenching. What’s
done is done, he told himself over and over. Finding such a simple thing as value in himself from
him was more than he could have ever dreamed of earning. Nothing could ever pay back what was
owed to Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying was twenty-four and on the brink of receiving his master’s degree. There was a little boy
who needed a father. There was a house with his name on it somewhere. He had his next chapter to
read with or without Lan Zhan at his side.

With aching bones and a heavily throbbing heart, he was finally able to wrench himself from the
bed and get back to work. It wasn’t enough time to rest his weary chest or the burning in his eyes,
but it was all he could allow himself.

Probably the worst part about the break up was disentangling each other from their lives. There
was no said and done, shove Lan Zhan’s text conversations below a maelstrom of others, and turn a
blind eye to what had happened to give him a chance to breathe. Lan Zhan gave him so much and
in return, their lives were now intertwined.

The Lexus was decidedly still Wei Ying’s but Lan Zhan would continue to pay the insurance. Wei
Ying gave back the black credit card. Since Lan Zhan was moving from his apartment, the studio
was a moot point and Wei Ying had to drag everything out into a storage unit. The equipment, the
clothes, the Apple watch, the fine jewelry, the toys, were all given to Wei Ying. Lan Zhan had
nothing to keep for himself.

Not even little Sizhui.

In his defense, he had meant to make sure Lan Zhan kept it, but the little quilt bunny in his pale
blue overalls got lost in his apartment somewhere and Wei Ying was already driving to Lan Zhan’s
place to gather his stuff when he finally remembered. It had been bought for him, sort of as a joke,
but Sizhui had stayed at their side the trip and for convenience was packed in Wei Ying’s suitcase.
Guilty, he swore to bring him back Sizhui. It’s the least he could do.

Wei Ying kept his earbuds on the whole time he was hauling the equipment into a U-Haul to be
taken to the storage unit while Lan Zhan locked himself in his office. They exchanged nothing but
the customary greeting and a terse farewell. It would only be like this for a little while, Wei Ying
hoped.

There was no time to properly dwell on his feelings, or so he tried to convince himself. The
submission date for his thesis had moved from a slow, deadly crawl to a fast forward punch in the
gut. His group was running around like headless chickens with all of them collectively getting
roughly five hours of sleep every night as the deadline drew dangerously close and their committee
presentation right behind. His new job was kind enough to wait out until his thesis deadline before
training started and his internship was over which left Wei Ying with no income and a home on the
line.

Youtube would have been a viable income if he had time to truly come up with anything good to
share and put the proper time into editing but that wasn’t an option when his head was full of thesis
and Lan Zhan.

Wen Qing was understandable about him missing rent this month because technically she could
pay for their dingy apartment completely out of pocket. Wei Ying was a freeloader.

As a last parting gift from Lan Zhan, Wei Ying found all his student debts wiped clean. He had
told him not to a few times when offered, something Wei Ying could never accept nor fully repay
in his whole lifetime, but Lan Zhan had gone ahead and got rid of every cent. He cried that night.
Paired with the Wens, Nie Huaisang, and Jiang Yanli pooling money together to help Wei Ying
with the adoption fees, Wei Ying could never dream to pay them back for their kindness.

He took a “break” here and there to check out townhouses. Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli Facetimed
him in every home to have them get a look. His budget was limited, but with the cleared debt there
was suddenly so much potential and fresh open doors ready for him to explore. The realtor gave
him wider grins and didn’t hesitate to show him homes he really wanted to see.

So many things had to be considered: distance from his work, nearby schools, neighborhoods, if
the fix-ups would be worth the cost, if the yard was big enough. Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli rang
with more specific remarks he would have never considered; how the bathroom door hit the toilet
for one home, how dark the main space was in another, the narrow hallways, the hard to clean
ledges.

Most of all, he had A-Yuan in mind. He wanted a space for A-Yuan to grow as best as he could
with a place to play and a room of his own until he left for college.

The center of it all stood his thesis. By some miracle, his group managed to pull it off and received
a high appraisal for their hard work. It was like he had been holding his breath and now he could
relax into a sigh of relief.

They celebrated with a night out to a bar on a breezy evening, Wei Ying being the only single one
there when his group mates brought their partners. Wen Ning was happy to tag along.

“Wei Ying.” Xie Lian had to shout to get his attention despite sitting across from each other. The
music was loud for a Wednesday night leaving Wei Ying deaf to everything besides the hard bass.
A ginger ale was cradled in Xie Lian’s hands, his oatmeal-colored sweater covering his palms to
ward off the chill of the glass. “How is everything?”

“Fine.” Wei Ying’s tongue was heavy. He had forgone the usual cheap beer for heavy liquor
tonight due to the celebratory mood and the good night’s sleep he was going to get. He started the
night off with a long island iced tea and had moved onto his second cocktail, some specialty of the
bar he had watched the bartender dump in half the stock into a single glass and topped with a stick
of cherries and pineapples. It was fun and tasted great, but that was a sure sign of how deadly it
was.

“With you and your partner I mean!” Xie Lian slid from his side of the booth and wiggled in to sit
right next to Wei Ying. Hua Cheng bored holes straight into Wei Ying’s skull, his glass of some
top-shelf whiskey resting against his lips without taking a sip. “That’s better. How are you and Lan
Zhan?”

“We broke up.” Wei Ying was happy he didn’t have to shout but wasn’t very happy about the
conversation topic.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” He didn’t seem all that shocked. “Are you doing alright?”

These days he felt like if he thought of anything but his thesis, home shopping, and A-Yuan, he felt
like he wouldn’t be able to pull himself from his head. With one less pressure off his shoulders, he
was afraid he would try to look toward Lan Zhan again. “It’s alright. He’s going away for a year
and I have so much stuff happening it’s for the better we split.”

“That’s stupid.” It was, of all people, Shen Yuan’s little lapdog boyfriend Luo Binghe. He was far
too pretty to be sitting in a bar where the bass could be felt in their chests and some cute martini
pinched delicately between his slender fingers. “Skype is there for a reason. He’s going to be back,
so why end it for flimsy excuses?”

He didn’t want to explain how much more complicated it was to a guy he barely knew, but his
tongue was soft in his mouth from the too-strong drinks and his heart was starting to beat in
tandem with Lan Zhan’s name, louder and louder without the muffled work he bore down on his
back.

“It was an arrangement. It would have been unfair on his end to continue it while I couldn’t uphold
my end for at least a year. Who knows, maybe we’ll pick it up again when he gets back, but I’m
not holding my breath.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but his words slurred together a bit and his
head was feeling heavy.

“I was hoping for a wedding. You two were really cute together despite it being a, uh, deal?” Mo
Xuanyu sighed. The boyfriend he brought with him was too large to fit in the six-person booth
where the eight of them were crammed together, stuffed into the furthest corner with Mo Xuanyu
practically on his lap.

“I’m sorry to pull you from the limelight, Wei Ying, but wedding!” Xie Lian didn’t sound
apologetic at all as he slipped back to his side of the booth. Wei Ying’s side, where he was
crammed with Wen Ning, Mo Xuanyu, and his far too buff boyfriend, shuffled back from having
no room to a little elbow room. “I’ve brought save the date cards!”

Wei Ying was grateful the attention was directed off him for once, believe it or not. Xie Lian had
broached the topic and switched it away. Three pretty white envelopes were passed around with
Shen Yuan, Mo Xuanyu, and Wei Ying was handwritten beautifully in Xie Lia’s pretty penmanship
on their clean fronts. Delicate white and red cards with delicate silver filigree announced a
November wedding in New York City.

“Why so far away? Don’t want people to come?” Shen Yuan waved the card at the couple.

“Yes. I wanted to do the Czech Republic, but gege didn’t want to leave the country,” Hua Cheng
huffed. “If you want to come make an effort.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily. A-Yuan and I will be there. And Wen Ning if he wants to
be my plus one.” Wei Ying winked at his friend who smiled softly.

“If you do not mind accommodating me and wearing a rental suit then by all means.”

Hua Cheng opened his mouth, probably to confirm “tailored suits only” or some bullshit, but Xie
Lian laughed. “By all means! The more the merrier!”

Three weeks before graduation, he sealed the deal on a townhouse not too far from the office in
Burbank and close enough to A-Yuan’s current school with a drive that was only a little longer
than from the apartment. It was two stories with an angel’s trumpet bush by the front door and a
small palm tree in the tiny front lawn. The living room was spacious and bright with double doors
that led to a little dining room where it had an ugly light fixture hanging which Wei Ying fully
intended to replace. The kitchen had room to move with a breakfast nook looking out into the yard
and a wine rack built into the cabinets. A-Yuan would have his own room with a wide-open
window that looked out into the front and another room for Wei Ying’s office. The master
bedroom had a little seating nook with a fireplace and room for a small couch while the master
bathroom had a shower/bath combo that made him dream of relaxing nights in.

The yard was one of his favorite parts, surprisingly huge with lots of potential. It had too much
concrete and gravel for the time being, but he had plans to tear it up and replace most of it with soft
grass. There were skeletons of rose bushes and remnants of spring floral bloomed along the edges
with a lemon tree surrounded by fallen fruit, a stumpy palm tree, some out of season flowering tree,
and what looked like a plot of dirt that was used as a strawberry patch he wanted to turn into a
vegetable garden. There was a simple pergola where he could set up some comfy furniture and
string with lights for summer evenings.

He couldn’t start moving in until his coursework was over and graduation was a hair's breadth
away. As soon as he could, he brought people over to show them the space with the keys in hand
and a grin aching his cheeks.

A-Yuan came with him every time. He couldn’t get enough of the home and had taken to telling
Wei Ying where he wanted slides built and when they could dig a pool. Greedy kid.

Home. The word was unfamiliar on his tongue. He wanted to buy a home sweet home welcome
mat just to get the flavor from his mouth but he didn’t think anything could properly translate to
being able to survey the wide-open living room with midafternoon light spilling between the
blinds, the freedom pulling his wings wide into the wind, the warm buzz of knowing this was his
for as long as he wanted.
Never had he called the Jiangs’ sprawling mansion a home. It was a place to live. The couches he
surfed, the spare bedroom he snagged, the apartments he lived in for one year max at a time,
nothing felt like his to melt into the floors and call his home.

Except for Lan Zhan. The master bathroom had a double sink with their own cabinets and vanities,
made for a couple to get ready for bed together. He wanted Lan Zhan to stand at the sink next to
him drying his hands on those little embroidered towels and his eyes bright under the bathroom
vanity lights. Home was a feeling he wanted to build with this place, but Lan Zhan kept appearing
in every little fantasy as if to fill in the empty letters.

Jiang Yanli and her family were given a tour of the echoing townhouse with nothing but a few
miscellaneous boxes and a single armchair occupying the space. He had been furniture shopping,
dreading the idea of finding the right thing that was still within his budget or if he had to settle on a
cheap dining room table until he could find something nicer. He wanted to host a housewarming
party after all and how could he serve them dinner without a table to eat off of?

“I love the flooring. Are you planning to change it?” Jiang Yanli admired the dark wood.

“The floorings are all fine, but I’m going to pick out paint for the rooms soon.”

“My room is gonna be yellow!” A-Yuan piped up from where he was sitting with A-Ling at the
bottom of the staircase where he was coaxing the baby up the stairs. Jin Zixuan was hovering
nearby. A-Yuan had brought his blue bunny Easter basket from a month ago, the goodies are long
gone, but he had started bringing it everywhere filled with his toys like a little to-go bag.

“That sounds so lovely! Yellow is a happy color. You could never be sad in a yellow room,” Jiang
Yanli praised. A-Yuan smiled wider.

“I don’t have to do a lot with remodeling the place, only some general fixing up here and there.
Wen Qing made me hire an electrician to come the week after graduation to check everything out
even though I’m more than qualified to make sure my house won’t implode,” Wei Ying continued.

“A licensed professional might be safer,” Jin Zixuan chided.

“How much furniture have you bought?” Jiang Yanli ran a finger over the countertop and looked
around as if she hadn’t been dying to broach this topic.

“Not… a lot,” Wei Ying admitted. “I’ll bring my bed and dresser from the apartment and I have all
my work stuff for the office. There’s that armchair and a dresser for A-Yuan coming in soon and I
ordered a wall unit. Dunno about the couch situation I might just get a couple more armchairs and
call it a day.”

She nodded. “They’re so low and boxy these days. I custom ordered our private sitting room sofa
because I wanted something large and squishy to relax into.” She looked out the kitchen window to
the yard. “You have an adorable pergola. Are you doing a seating or dining area?”

“Not sure, but probably a conversation set. That’s not on the agenda until the rest of the house is
livable.”

“Hm.” She turned back to face the room, the bright sun silhouetting her slender frame almost like a
halo, and threw long shadows across the dark wood floors Wei Ying liked so much. “Zixuan? I
think a nice sectional would do for in here, something soft like a linen blend. Are there any
particular colors you have in mind, A-Ying?”

Wei Ying jerked back, alarmed. “What? I do but—”

“And you sleep in a twin, right? Give that to A-Yuan and get a bed rail for the time being. Does a
queen sound too small?”

“Yanli—” He wasn’t sure he was comfortable sleeping in anything larger than a twin by himself
without...

“A nice conversation set, too,” she said with a note of finality.

“How about with a fire table?” Jin Zixuan added. Wei Ying was going to cry.

“Oh, that’s perfect!” Jiang Yanli smiled brighter. “Then it would be great for summer and winter!”

“You guys!” Wei Ying finally cut in. “You don’t have to do this, it's fine. Buy me a kitchen aid or
some silverware like a regular housewarming gift, not half my furniture.”

“We want to.” Jiang Yanli took Wei Ying’s hands and gave them a firm squeeze, her palms so soft
and warm over his. “Let me do this for you, yeah? If you really want to pay me back, babysit A-
Ling more often.”

Tears threatened to well up. He hated how easily he cried these days. “Isn’t once a month
enough?”

“At least every other week,” Jin Zixuan said.

It was later after Wei Ying gave them the full grand tour of the empty townhouse where they ended
up in the backyard. A-Yuan and A-Ling were playing with the gravel by loading up the quickly
browning bunny basket with the rocks and hauling them over to dump in the empty planter boxes
while making truck sounds.

“How is the adoption process going?” Jiang Yanli asked. They were by the lemon tree where she
had been giving Wei Ying a list of recipes he could make with these and a not so subtle nudge to
take some home with her.

“It’s… stressful to say the least.” They finished the background check and who knows what strings
Jiang Fengmian had pulled but his record came out clean. It sounded very illegal but Wei Ying
wasn’t going to say anything if it will give him A-Yuan. “I have the interview in the first week of
July. By then I wanna have the place sort of set up so when they come to inspect, it won’t be
completely unlivable. They might have me wait and keep A-Yuan with the Wens or Uncle Four
while I get everything together.”

“Is it looking good so far?”

Wei Ying nodded. Some old tenderness squeezed his heart in a gentle hug. He watched A-Yuan
somersault across the dirt, dust stuck to his green shirt and his knees covered in mud already. “The
social worker is sure I will qualify. I bought A-Yuan a big tent for us to have campouts in the yard
this summer and I really hope we can use it.”

Jiang Yanli rested a small hand on his back. “You’ll get him.”

The day of his graduation ceremony was blindingly bright yet overcast. He almost wanted to wear
his sunglasses. It was an early morning start rushing to get ready; his slacks needed to be ironed,
A-Yuan spilled juice on his plaid button-down and Wen Ning had to do a fresh load of laundry for
him, Wen Qing had a hard time waking up due to being out for work until four in the morning, and
so on.
A couple of weeks ago he had changed his mind about attending the ceremony at all, noting he
would still receive his Master of Science degree regardless if he donned the weird velvet hood and
sat for hours of speeches.

“Your tassel is on the wrong side.” Wen Qing stopped him to push his black tassel to the left, the
little gold 20 swinging heavily by his ear. “You ready?”

“It’s not that exciting.” He didn’t want to be here but he had already ordered the cap and gown
back in April before he and Lan Zhan…

“But you have your special in your little hood and fancy tassel. Oh, here’s A-Ning.” She waved
somewhere behind Wei Ying, where through the throng of graduates and families was Wen Ning
caught in the tide, having been split up as soon as they arrived.

Wen Ning managed to wiggle his way through to their little corner of the courtyard. “You can’t go
out without one of these.”

A-Yuan ooh -ed from where he was gripping Wei Ying’s leg as Wen Ning put a white and purple
plumeria lei around his neck, nearly knocking over Wei Ying’s cap.

“There’s a little too much around my neck now,” Wei Ying couldn’t help but laugh. With the
added weight of the lei, his neck and shoulders were getting a little tender from the cords and
stoles, his hood slipping down his back. Wen Qing stepped forward and adjusted everything to lay
evenly.

“We’re going to find a seat. You have your phone for games?” Wen Qing asked as she pried A-
Yuan from his legs.

“Got my Switch, too.” He discovered one of his stoles has a pocket that fit his phone and Switch
neatly, otherwise inaccessible with the long polyester gown falling past his knees.

“Good.” She patted his arm with a smile. There was a smudge of red lipstick on her teeth. “Have
fun.” They disappeared in the throng of families heading toward the basketball court turned
auditorium to grab good seats.

Have fun he did. It wasn’t like high school graduation, the only one he was attended through Jiang
Cheng’s and Jiang Yanli’s ceremonies, but not his own from to being banned for pulling a mean
senior prank, nor did he attend his Bachelor’s ceremony because of work and not wanting to spend
a hundred dollars for a sheet of plastic he would wear once. This time felt a little more special and
that he ought to at least make an appearance.

Jiang Fengmian came with Jiang Yanli and her family. Madame Yu had other things to do today,
not that Wei Ying would have let her come. Jiang Cheng had been invited through Jiang Yanli,
though Wei Ying wasn’t holding his breath. After their fall out in April, things were not back to
normal with them. They would never be.

June was a weird month. The day was young and the sky a bright silver with a faux cloud coverage
that pretended to hide the sun. The air wasn’t humid, but the heat was starting to rise from the
cement. By the afternoon the clouds would be gone and they would be fully exposed to the late
spring sunshine. It was taunting summer coming in mere days.

Xie Lian was already on a trip with Hua Cheng, to Japan or something, and Shen Yuan was
preparing to move across the country to get his doctoral. The only other person in his thesis group
who wanted to come to the ceremony was Mo Xuanyu. There were plenty of classmates he
recognized, acquainted with having been sitting in lectures together for a few years now. He had
several of their numbers still but never talked outside of class or school functions. He figured this
would be the last time he saw these people and he didn’t care all that much.

“There you are.” Wei Ying reached into the crowd of black-clad graduates that were being
shepherded toward the back and grabbed onto a familiar bony shoulder.

“Wei Ying!” Mo Xuanyu yelped. His hat was heavy with decorations to make it look like a circuit
board complete with LED lights. “There you are!” He grabbed onto Wei Ying’s forearms and
pulled him into a hug.

“Sit with me, I hate everyone here.” They stuck close as they were arranged into lines, too many of
them to care about assigned seats, and were ushered into the basketball court turned auditorium.

The ceremony went just as expected. Mo Xuanyu was also smart enough to tuck his Switch into
his stole and they played a muted game of Mario Kart together while the speeches droned on.
Congratulations, you’ve accomplished so much, we’re so proud of all some thousand of you.
Person after person came to speak and talk longer than they should about the little things that made
college great and what the future holds for them. To think they had asked Wei Ying to stand up
there and talk like that, too. It was a miracle he didn’t toss aside his fees and streamed it from
home where he wouldn’t watch it either.

The most tedious part of the ceremony was lining everyone up to make a grand show of shaking a
long line of nameless important figures and receiving a rolled up piece of paper with a decorative
ribbon on it. It was exciting, he had never done this before now, but the wait had made his butt
sore and shoulders ache. The real diploma would come in the mail in a couple of months. This was
all for show.

The three and a half-hour ceremony dragged on to almost four. By the time they emerged to toss
their caps into the sky, the sun was shining bright and unforgiving. Wei Ying couldn’t see the
black cloud of caps fly high into the air, lost sight of his own in the glare of the sun. A sweat
already prickled at his back.

Despite all this, his face hurt from smiling. A-Yuan found him first and barreled into his legs with
a squeal.

“Did you run away from jiejie and gege?” Wei Ying chided and hoisted him up to sit at Wei
Ying’s hip. A-Yuan didn’t look guilty at all, proud for having found Wei Ying first and bouncing
in his arms. The lei and cords were crushed under A-Yuan’s body where he was pressed into Wei
Ying’s side.

A flash of something bright among the black-clad graduates caught the corner of Wei Ying’s eye.
In the corner of the courtyard dressed in a pale blue polo and white chinos stood Lan Zhan. He
stuck out in the crowd of spring colored families and the black polyester gowns. Their gazes
locked from across the way, over the heads of crowding families and hollering friends. Lan Zhan’s
eyes were brighter than the sun above their heads, his hair shined with health and his skin just as
smooth and pretty as marble. Wei Ying hadn’t seen him since April.

He nodded, a smile tugging on his lips. Neither of them moved to approach. The cacophony of
noise was muted to a buzzing thread, indiscernible with his heart pounding in his ears. Lan Zhan
still came because he’s a good friend at the very least, someone who cared for him.

Wei Ying smiled, the first fit of bubbling, golden joy burst in his chest for the first time in almost
two months. Two months.
 “A-Yuan!” Jiang Yanli, with Jin Zixuan as her guard, pushed through the crowd toward Wei Ying.
He turned with a grin, spotting A-Ling being fussy in her arms. Her flowy, pale pink dress hid her
little baby bump.

Wei Ying glanced back to find Lan Zhan was gone. He was swallowed whole by his family and
friends pulling him from the crowds to give him honest congratulations.

That night after the festivities, Wei Ying tried to order a ticket for Lan Zhan’s ceremony in three
days but found it impossible without going through the graduate himself. He had no friends in Lan
Zhan’s college to pull favors from, nor the influence of the Lan family to slip inside. He might not
have attended the actual ceremony. Wei Ying had only seen him outside after it was over.

Or tried to. He waited in the courtyard three hours after the ceremony was said to start. The sun
was out and even the shade could hardly spare some cooling. Thankfully, he wasn’t wrapped up in
plastic like last time.

At about four, people started flooding out. Wei Ying stood on a stone bench to get a good look at
who was coming, trying to spot Lan Zhan when the hats were tossed. With no luck, he hopped
down and started weaving through the crowd trying to find him or any of his family. It was
impossible.

He lingered long after the main crowd of people left, stragglers chatting in small groups but no Lan
of any sort in sight.

By five, he went back to his car, his hair stuck to the back of his neck with sweat and ready for a
nap.

The next day first thing in the morning, on the first day of summer, he posted a video on his
channel. A short, six-minute clip that could be watched during a break.

He had sat in the storage unit with all his equipment while he filmed, his tripod balanced
haphazardly atop his table saw and sitting on the box that housed his 3D printer. He spoke for
close to an hour but cut everything down to a solid six digestible minutes.

“This is the last video I’ll be posting on this channel. I don’t want to call it an end because one day
I might want to do this again but right now I have too much to do. Thank you for all your support
it’s more than I could have ever asked for.”

Chapter End Notes

I graduated class of 2020 so I never got to walk for my BA. Have my little cap and
gown with the stoles and cord hanging in the laundry room. "one set of graduation
robes. never worn" [writes Wei Ying's graduation because my parents projecting my
three-second announcement card on the TV and taking grad pics in the backyard just
didn't quite hit].

Big Announcement! The next chapter is what I faithfully cal the XiCheng chapter
because it's all from LXC's POV :D exciting! It's already written! I'll get that up ASAP
too! That little secondary ship tag finally gets a front seat sobs I'm sorry for deceiving
you I truly meant to have the LXC chapter much earlier on but just. Time and I kept
getting sick and it got to a point where I just needed to trim this story down before it
dragged on for too long.

The story officially ends on chapter 24, making chapter 25 an epilogue!

Thank you so much everyone for sticking with me so far the ride is almost over!
Every single comment, kudo, and bookmark is more than I could ever deserve ya'll are
truly the sweetest readers! Never have I had this much fun writing for a fandom and
genuinely encouraged to write more! Everyone please have a good weekend and I'll
see you SOON!
 A Keychain
Chapter Summary

Lan Huan is home but too much has happened in his absence.

Chapter Notes

Happy Lunar New Year! It's the year of the ox and it's MY year baby!! In celebration,
here it is the long-awaited XiCheng chapter ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ This is my first time writing
them!
Everyone say thank you Alejandra for all her hard work!

"Keychain" is one of the few items I actually have listed in my notes and felt was
significant but as I was getting closer to the end, I couldn't find a way to slide it into
the story and annunciate its importance until the opportunity fell into my lap right
here! Whew!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By some miracle, Lan Huan made it out of LAX in one piece. He purposefully scheduled his
arrival for well after dark for the sake of avoiding traffic but at the cost of landing long after his
bedtime. He was lethargic from the long flight, sore from being confined to a chair for so long, and
a headache brewing around his forehead. Trouble had brewed during his trip to Shanghai in the six
weeks of his absence. It was nearly impossible to get a proper word out about what happened
without being physically present and the stress of it all had him taking the quickest flight home
after his business was finished. Which led him to crawling into the back of a car at close to one in
the morning.

There were things to do as soon as he got a good night’s rest but they could wait until he could visit
two very important people: Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng.

All he could pick out was that Wei Ying was the root of their problems. Jiang Cheng had been
more quiet than usual, his messages snappy and his tone curt when they could Skype. He barely
managed to wiggle out that they had had an argument. His brother, on the other hand, was much
the same but less clipped and more somber. No matter how much he poked and prodded Lan Zhan
through their Skype calls, he wouldn’t budge and give an answer. Wei Ying was absent in their
conversation topics, something incredibly unusual for his brother.

If Lan Huan were a little ruder, he would instruct the driver to take him straight to Wei Ying’s
apartment to harass him for answers, but he didn’t think anyone, especially himself, would
appreciate being bothered at this hour.

His phone had blown up with messages the moment he landed, emails and texts missed on the trip
home. He was in the middle of sorting through emails, battling his heavy lids as the driver took
him home smoothly with no traffic to hinder them, when a call came through from Jiang Cheng.
“You’re back.” His voice was muffled with sleep. He must be in bed.

Lan Huan smiled into the receiver. “I’m on my way home from the airport, yes.”

“Come over.”

“Right now?” He checked the time— ten after one. “You have work in the morning.”

There was a huff that was more static. “‘Been sleepin’ since eight. I’ll be fine withou’ a lil’ sleep.”

Lan Huan’s heart fluttered. He probably went to bed early solely to make this call. “Okay,” he
breathed. “I’ll be there in about a half-hour or so. At least rest for now.”

“Mh-hmm.” The line went dead.

Lan Huan instructed the driver with new directions. Jiang Cheng’s home was only a bit further
northeast from LAX than the family home which made it easier to change the route. It gave him a
little more time to go through his emails and even got far enough to listen to cataloged voicemails
but only barely. He was so tired but willed himself to stay awake for at least a bit longer. He had
slept on the plane with the aid of some melatonin and hadn’t quite shaken off the effects. Pulling
into the narrow, hilly road of Jiang Cheng’s street shook him out of his exhaustion and he sat up
straighter.

His home was perched toward the top of the hilltop with its steep drive and narrow sides, the
windows dark except for a light glowing warmly from an upper floor window. Lan Huan asked the
driver to drop off his luggage and took only the carry on bag out with him.

The night was chilly, silent with the late hour where even hills seemed to sigh in sleep. The
streetlights were warm and dim, just enough to illuminate the streets without disturbing the homes.

Jiang Cheng opened the door before Lan Huan could knock, clearly having just rolled out of bed.
His usually neat hair was mussed, a pillow line pink on his cheek. He wore an old shirt with holes
on the shoulder and warm pajama pants that dragged on the ground, slung low on his hips to reveal
a tanned strip of skin where the shirt rode up. Dark shadows held his eyes, his face still lax with
sleep and missing the usual furrow. Pale lines permanently creased the skin between his brows.

He didn’t say anything as he stepped aside to let Lan Huan in. The house was dark save for a hall
light glowing from deeper within. In the dim shadows of the darkened foyer, he reached over and
touched Jiang Cheng’s hand with the tips of his fingers. It was warm with sleep, burning from his
icy touch.

“A-Cheng, I’m back,” he whispered. He couldn’t raise his voice.

Warm arms slid around his waist and pulled him close. They were practically the same height, a
warm nose brushed his cheek as Jiang Cheng sank into his arms with a sigh. Lan Huan held him
like he was helping him hold the world on his shoulders.

They needed to talk about what was going on but didn’t want to ruin the blanket settling over them.
He stroked the short hairs at the back of his neck, in need of a trim to keep the usual smooth cut
Jiang Cheng usually had. He traced his lips, featherlight and breathless, close to the shell of his
ear.

“How was your flight?” Jiang Cheng said into his shoulder, his voice rough with sleep.

“Could have been better.” He wanted to push, ask for what was wrong, but sleepy Jiang Cheng
made him weak at the knees and his own pounding exhaustion made him flimsy in his resolve. He
was simply happy to be with him again after so long.

Jiang Cheng inhaled deeply then sighed as he pulled away just far enough to tug Lan Huan into a
kiss. It tasted sour because the last thing Lan Huan had eaten was his airline dinner. He absorbed
his touch, deprived of his heat for so many weeks. The tender, warm kiss deepened and brought
them stumbling up the stairs to Jiang Cheng’s bed where only a dim table lamp was on and the
covers were messily thrown aside. The bed was warm where he was pushed down and Jiang Cheng
blanketed him to resume the kisses. Deep, deeper their tongues traced the shape of each other once
more

Lan Huan wanted to protest— he’d been in the same clothes for too many hours and probably
stank of the airport. He was tired and dirty, but his troubles were washed away by Jiang Cheng’s
sweetly persistent kisses.

The hour was too late. Hands never roamed far, only to relearn their shapes, memorize their
heartbeats. To think only a week ago Lan Huan had stood panicking in the hotel suite that he was
forgetting how Jiang Cheng’s lips felt on his. This was enough to sate the burn.

He wanted to cuddle up to Jiang Cheng and fall asleep, the hour pushing close to his usual wake up
time, but he felt too gross in his clothes to fully sink into his arms.

“Let me shower,” he murmured into Jiang Cheng’s collarbone.

“Yeah you fuckin’ stink,” Jiang Cheng hummed into his hair. Neither of them moved.

“Can I wear that sweater of yours I like? I think I deserve it after an eighteen-hour flight.”

Jiang Cheng hummed. “Payment is required.”

Lan Huan sat up and dropped kisses all over his face, inciting a low rumble of laughter from Jiang
Cheng’s chest. “Was that sufficient?”

“It’ll do.” Jiang Cheng’s eyes were hooded, sated, his cheeks pink. Lan Huan extracted himself
from his arms and rolled off the bed as gracefully as he could with his whole body aching.

The shower was a blessing. A bath would have been nice but he would most likely fall asleep with
how heavy his body felt. He washed his hair with Jiang Cheng’s soap and gave his body a good
lather. He liked the smell of his three-in-one soap, dark and spiced with a woody warmth. It dried
out Lan Huan’s sensitive skin but it did the job.

Jiang Cheng left him the sweater he liked— a worn, soft, black sweatshirt with the sleeves a little
threadbare— and a pair of sweatpants that might have been his before. Lan Huan had extra
underwear in his bag.

He emerged from the steamy bathroom after brushing his teeth and drying his hair, Jiang Cheng
back under the blankets and curled on his side facing the wide window. The blinds were drawn
tight, the small bedside lamp the only source of dim lighting.

“Put your clothes in the hamper? I’ll throw them in the wash before I leave tomorrow.”

Lan Huan hummed as he scooted over the low California King to snuggle up close to Jiang Cheng.
“Thank you.”

They took a moment to rearrange themselves. Lan Huan settled in, curled around Jiang Cheng’s
back and his face pressed close to his nape. The blankets were so warm and cozy.

“Have a key with you? If not I’ll leave a spare on the counter for you to let yourself out
tomorrow.”

“I’ll leave with you. It’s fine.”

“There’s no way you’re waking up in three hours. Stay and sleep as long as you want.” Jiang
Cheng’s tone rose, a snap biting his words, but without any fangs to leave a mark. He sighed
heavily and sank back into Lan Huan’s arms.

He was content to fall asleep like this, happy to have at least been with Jiang Cheng for the night. It
would be a priority this week to pull whatever was on his mind out into the open.

On the brink of sleep, Jiang Cheng spoke. “It’s Wei Ying.”

Lan Huan didn’t answer. He squeezed his arms to show he was still awake and listening.

“I said some things that I shouldn’t have. They were true, but I had no room to speak to him like
that. I’m… annoyed and frustrated with him… worried sick he’s going to do something to
jeopardize everyone.” His body shifted and contracted as if trying to physically squeeze the words
out. “Yanli made us talk. That was the first time since the gala we spoke.”

“What happened?” Lan Huan whispered. He was physically tired, but his mind was slowly
processing the information.

“After the gala when we… went to your family home…” Lan Huan’s heart lurched at those words,
vivid flashbacks to the heavy night of passion they shared. It was impossible to avoid, with how
weak in the knees he was for Jiang Cheng in that velvet suit jacket and his hair slicked back. He
wanted to make him scream as soon as he could. His plans had been thrown off track when Jiang
Cheng came huffing up to him, his fists clenched and eyes sharpened to poisoned blades, and Lan
Huan needed to make sure everything was okay. But Jiang Cheng had grabbed him by the lapels
and whispered in the most vicious tone “fuck me like your life depends on it.” His worry had
quickly been erased by sheer arousal.

Jiang Cheng continued. “I ran into Wei Ying on my way out. It pissed me off seeing him so soon
after what happened the night before. I was still angry at him and I snapped. He pisses me off so
much but I…” He didn’t need to say it.

Lan Huan pulled him impossibly close and breathed in his scent, the same heady spice that coated
his own skin.

“Yanli directed me to a therapist. Just to talk. Wei Ying knows. He’s dealing with his own issues
right now but I’m the only one fucked up enough.”

“Do you think you need it?”

“What? I guess. Yanli was telling me how it’s more for just sorting through my stuff and just
learning to handle things easier.” He spoke slowly, measured, as if forcing the words past his lips.

“It’s good. That’s good. I’m proud of you,” Lan Huan sighed into his neck.

Jiang Cheng stiffened in his arms, his heart beating fast against Lan Huan’s arms, then he sank into
his hold.
“There’s more…” Jiang Cheng started. His words were starting to slur.

“Tomorrow.” Lan Huan petted his side, his eyes already closed and his lips working harder to
speak. “We can talk all we want.”

“Mn. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

He awoke later than he would have liked but managed to not beat himself up over it. At eight,
Jiang Cheng was long gone and foiled Lan Huan’s plans to make him breakfast and give him a kiss
goodbye as he left. Instead, he vaguely remembered cool lips pressed to his temple and a hand
smoothing down his side with a murmured, “I’m off” to his skin.

Lan Huan found slippers tucked under the bed and shuffled downstairs to make himself tea and
warm up a scone left on the counter in a baggy with his name on it. The bright morning light was
startling, throwing him off his usual wakeup routine often done in near-total darkness. He did a
light round of yoga by the sliding doors in the living room looking out over the bright blue skyline.
Then, he dug out his clothes from the load of laundry in the dryer, still a little warm to the touch,
and folded the whole basket after getting dressed. He threw the black sweatshirt on over his shirt
from the previous day.

After double-checking the doors were locked and the alarm set, he toted out of the house and
called a driver to pick him up.

There were things he wanted to do before returning home. He felt better after a good sleep and a
slow morning start, but he needed to completely sink into his bed tonight to truly shake off his jet
lag.

His first stop was a bakery, a small thing known for its fresh loaves of bread and flaky pastries. He
ordered himself a second hot tea for the day plus one more to-go, forgoing the usual careful
measures of his caffeine intake for his jet lag, and one of their sourdough bread loaves shaped like
a bunny. It was warm to the touch, fresh from the oven, and had a pleasant aroma.

His next stop was Lan Zhan’s apartment. He didn’t have a key on him to go through the back and
instead had to check-in through the front where Lan Zhan was alerted of his arrival.

Nothing prepared him to see his little brother like this.

The apartment was nearly stripped of all life, everything in the process of moving out. Bare
essentials were left out with boxes stacked and furniture wrapped and ready to be hauled out. There
was no point in keeping this place anymore because he had to live in Singapore for at least a year
as he had done the same to his apartment two months ago. No, the mess was to be expected. It was
Lan Zhan himself that had Lan Huan doing a double-take. To put it lightly, he was a mess.

He didn’t want to think Lan Zhan decided to change up his hair from his usual neat parting to a
rough, just-got-out-of-bed on purpose style. His eyes were red and heavy, weighed with shadows,
and his skin dulled instead of warm and bright from his extensive skincare routine. Perhaps if Lan
Huan had come first thing in the morning the grey sweat pants and wrinkled T-shirt could have
been him simply fresh out of bed but it was almost eleven.

“A-Zhan, hello, are you doing alright? You look ill.” He pressed the back of his hand to his
forehead but Lan Zhan flinched back. A sharp pain shot through Lan Huan’s chest.

“Brother,” Lan Zhan said stiffly. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Do you have people helping you pack? You need to rest, you’re leaving in less
than two weeks for Singapore and we can’t have you ill for graduation. Come, rest.” Lan Huan
ushered him toward the bedroom but Lan Zhan pulled himself away.

“I’m fine, only tired,” he said firmly, voice tight.

“Then rest.” Lan Huan put down the bagged bunny bread and tea on the counter and tried pushing
Lan Zhan back down the hall but his little brother stepped away stubbornly.

“There are things I need to do today. What did you bring?” He deterred the topic and poked at the
plastic bag.

“Bread shaped like a bunny. A-Cheng likes this bakery for their jalapeno cheese rolls but they have
an assortment of adorable loaves of bread. They have dinner rolls shaped like bunnies you can buy
by the dozen if you like or this big loaf.” They were off track, but Lan Zhan had pulled out the
bread and was admiring it.

“It’s fat like Bean.”

“How are the bunnies doing?”

“Round as ever. Jasmine put on a little weight. It has me concerned for their wellbeing while we’re
away.”

“Have you arranged for a caretaker? Our cousins, who have experience with raising bunnies,
right?”

“Mn.”

They got off track. He wasn’t doing very well at staying on topic.

“A-Zhan. How are you, really?”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan had picked off a piece of the bunny tail, seemingly unsure of how to start eating
the bread.

“How are things with Wei Ying?”

Lan Zhan had raised the piece of bread to his mouth and froze at the question. “Fine.”

“You two had your trip recently, how did that go?” Lan Huan took a seat at the counter and rested
his chin in his hand.

“It was nice.” Lan Zhan sat next to him, still not eating the bread. It smelled good.

“Hm. Well, may I use your restroom? Then let's chat and catch up. It’s been a while since I’ve
been able to sit with my baby brother.”

“Not a baby.”

Lan Huan laughed and rose to his feet. Down the hall, he passed by the remnants of the office and
gym, but found the gym was already emptied and wiped down. The office was mostly packed up
except for some reason, the bunnies and all their stuff had been moved and set up in here. Odd, but
maybe just moving it around made it easier. It had been quite a while since he’d stopped by to
visit.
Part of his reason for coming to see Lan Zhan as soon as he arrived was to check in on him and if
he was doing okay (he clearly wasn’t). Lan Zhan wasn’t willing to spill what was going on and Lan
Huan wasn’t going to force it out of him, that never worked. It was important to simply make sure
Lan Zhan knows he’s here for him and ready to listen when he needs to talk.

When Lan Huan emerged from the bathroom, he asked, “A-Zhan, can we talk?” Ah, he was
nervous.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan was still sitting at the counter. A whole bread bunny ear was gone and his hands
were wrapped around the warm to-go cup of tea. His back was bent, slouched as if weighed down
with something too heavy for his usually proud shoulders to hold. Lan Huan’s chest ached.

“I know it’s been a major source of conflict with Wei Ying,” he started. A shadow of a look
crossed Lan Zhan’s face, barely a second’s pause that would have been lost if it wasn’t Lan Huan
studying him closely. “With him and his brother. He didn’t agree on you two being together.”

Lan Zhan didn’t speak with the pause. Lan Huan continued. “He’s not happy about it but is…
warming up to the idea. But we need, ahem, to come clean.”

This had Lan Zhan straighten up, his brows furrowed slightly in question.

Lan Huan took a deep breath. “Jiang Cheng and I have been secretly dating for almost three
months now. We wanted to keep it on the down-low for now, especially with the media circus
going around you and Wei Ying, but it’s about time we told everyone now that we’ve settled into
our relationship a bit. I’ll be telling Uncle tonight at dinner and maybe we can all have a family
dinner with our partners.”

He quite liked that idea. He and Jiang Cheng sitting together one side of the table with Lan Zhan
and Wei Ying sitting across from them, their uncle at the head where they all ate one of the chef’s
finest meals in the main dining room with the large arched windows and the porcelain vases that
had been passed down for generations. Perhaps they could have one before he and Lan Zhan left
for Singapore.

Lan Zhan hasn’t said anything, his jaw clenched tight and his eyes glued to his tea.

“Is it weird that we’re dating brothers? Wei Ying isn’t biologically related to them but they still
consider each other family. We could all go on a double date soon if you and Wei Ying are okay
with that.”

“Brother.” Lan Zhan swallowed, his hands shaking. “We broke up.”

“What?” Lan Huan was reeling. The last time he’d seen the two of them was at the gala and they’d
looked great. He’d left during their spring break trip and only managed to get home a week before
Lan Zhan’s graduation so how much could he have missed?

“Wei Ying and I are no longer together. We’re friends, nothing more.” He curled further into
himself, bowed by the pressure of his obvious heartbreak. “We rarely speak more than necessary
now.”

“A-Zhan…” He rested a hand on his back. It shuddered under his touch. There were no real words
of comfort he could give him, nothing to soothe the aching pain holding his heart. This was years
of pining affection that had finally seemed the fruition of Lan Zhan’s labor and it all crumbled
down in four short months.

“Wei Ying needs time.” Lan Zhan buried his face in his hands and sighed. “He’s going to have a
child under his care soon. His job is demanding and will leave him too busy. He’s buying a home
soon and needs to put his efforts into moving.”

“You could be there for him. These are only reasons to have you at his side.” They sounded like
flimsy excuses to wiggle away from Lan Zhan. For a horrible second, he thought his brother was
used. “Should I talk to him? I can at least talk to Jiang Cheng and see what’s happening on his
end.”

“No need. Wei Ying asked for space and I am giving it to him.” There was a firm resolution, borne
from seemingly restless days since their breakup. Lan Zhan has had time to recover, to accept the
decision, but it seemed to still burn his gentle heart.

Lan Huan wasn’t going to leave it alone. Lan Zhan made him promise not to harass Wei Ying over
this but this didn’t sit right with him. He saw for years since the two met in middle school how Lan
Zhan turned to Wei Ying like a flower arching for the sunshine. He bloomed with Wei Ying
around, softened his rigid edges and smiles easily graced his face. Now he was shut off, cold, and
carved from stone.

There was a keychain Wei Ying had bought him as a teasing gift back when they were on the brink
of fourteen and still together at Gusu, before Wei Ying's expulsion. A little plush bunny keychain
with snow-white fur and beaded black eyes. It was from a gift shop from some museum his family
had gone to and had obviously bought it to tease Lan Zhan with. Instead, Lan Zhan took it like it
was his most prized possession. Once a year it got a gentle bath to keep the fur nice and white, the
eyes were scratched up from age and the keyring long torn off and lost, but the bunny always sat on
a shelf in his office as if displaying his heart.

That keychain might have been the root of Lan Zhan’s affections for bunnies. It was as if Wei Ying
had told him his favorite animal should be the rabbit and Lan Zhan made it part of his personality.
Dinnerware, clothes, knickknacks, notebooks, throw pillows, anything he could get his hands on
with a bunny motif on it made him soften. He got real bunnies shortly after starting high school, a
white rabbit named Wangji and a tiny little black rabbit named Wuxian.

At this moment, he could do nothing. Lan Zhan didn’t break down crying. Neither of them were
touchy with their affection and even an arm around his shoulder would be too much. The little
dream Lan Zhan had held near and dear to his heart had crumbled in a few short months, blown to
dust before he could properly taste affection.

He stayed with him the rest of the day and helped him pack up his belongings, to be more of a
shoulder to lean on.

The next time the topic of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying came up was that Saturday, exactly a week
before Lan Zhan’s graduation ceremony. Jiang Cheng had met him for dinner at a dining lounge in
Culver City. They were given a cocktail table lit up from its surface and tucked in a private corner
by the wide windows overlooking the industrial scenery. The whole place was near dark, dimly lit
and hushed for ambiance. Jiang Cheng was on his first drink, an aromatic white wine infused with
juniper, that had Lan Haun’s head feeling heavy from the smell alone. Lan Huan’s tea was a rich
indigo color, lightly sweet, and not at all his usual preference, but drank it regardless.

“I got a month off from work in the winter,” Jiang Cheng said. He had his arms crossed over the
table and leaned in to hold his weight, the curve of his back highlighted by the outside lights. “Get
off the first week of January and have to return before the Lunar New Year or else mom will have
my head.”

“You don’t mean…?” Lan Huan started slowly.

Jiang Cheng took a sip of his wine. He crunched loudly on a mouthful of ice before he spoke
again. “I’ll meet you in Singapore if you don’t mind having me for so long.” His ears were pink,
barely noticeable in the low light.

Lan Huan would absolutely. His chest fluttered with warmth. The prospect of having to leave Jiang
Cheng for at least a year, so soon after his six-week trip, had wrought him full of misery. They
were still so new at this, at each other, to have to leave him for so long and force them to make do
with Skype calls and DMs when they could barely stand on their legs together would put a strain
on what they were trying to build, whatever it was. Jiang Cheng visiting him in January, halfway
through his stay, sounded like a treat.

“Have you arranged for a place to stay yet?” He hoped he hadn’t.

“No.” Jiang Cheng looked away toward the windows, bright and crystalline with the city lights
reflecting off its glass. His ears were red, his cheeks flushing with warmth. “I was hoping to just
bunk with you instead of going through the trouble of arranging for a long stay at an Airbnb or
something.”

“Hm. I might not let you go home every night. It’s better if you were to stay with me.”

Jiang Cheng shot him a glare. “Aren’t you living with Lan Zhan? I’m sure he’ll mind.”

“He’s a heavy sleeper.” He’s slept through earthquakes and house alarm trips. A little
“roughhousing” in the same building would be nothing.

Jiang Cheng looked doubtful. At that moment, their food was brought over and presented with the
full spiel introducing the dishes. Lan Huan’s grilled cucumber and eggplant salad with young
coconut shreddings was drowned out by the heady and sweet smell of Jiang Cheng’s meal, a hefty
fatty brisket glazed with a rich caramel with green papaya and Spanish peanuts. The conversation
was brought to a standstill as the two dug in. The server brought two glasses of wine, on the house
as a complement for the meal. Jiang Cheng accepted and Lan Huan dutifully declined.

“On the bright side,” Jiang Cheng started after he finished, the small serving on his plate picked
clean and the last swig of wine gone. Lan Huan was still scraping the remnants of his salad, a slow
eater in comparison to how quickly Jiang Cheng scarfed down his food. “Wei Ying and Lan Zhan
stopped the sugar daddy nonsense. As long as they keep the whole thing under wraps everything
should go back to normal.”

Lan Huang dropped his fork, the clatter far too jarring in the hushed restaurant. “... What?”

Jiang Cheng had the audacity to look confused. “The sugar daddy thing? The deal Wei Ying and
Lan Zhan had?”

“I’m… please clarify. I might have read the whole situation wrong.” His heart was beating a whole
mile a second, his mind jumping immediately to what did you do, Lan Zhan?

“Wei Ying and Lan Zhan had a sugar… thing going on.” Jiang Cheng explained lowly, leanng
forward to ensure no one heard. “Lan Zhan would pay for things here and there like a new jacket
or a car or whatever, Wei Ying would pay him back with— with, you know.” Jiang Cheng
gestured vaguely, a flush crawling up his cheeks that definitely wasn’t due to the wine.

“What makes you say it was a sugar daddy thing?”

Jiang Cheng somehow looked even more lost. “Wei Ying told me it was a sugar thing. Did Lan
Zhan lie to save face?”
“Lan Zhan doesn’t lie.” He had never lied, maybe omitted a few details, but never outright lied.
Wei Ying was suddenly a higher danger than initially thought: an outright threat.

The most unbelievable part of all this was how in love Lan Zhan is with Wei Ying. He had had
hard feelings for Wei Ying from the beginning; first, an aggressive annoyance that morphed into a
despondent resignation and then to a firmly held affection. The storms in his eyes soothed to
hearts, the furrow ceased and even the turn of his lips looked up toward the sun. To think he would
agree to be his sugar daddy when Lan Huan has seen his dream wedding Pinterest board.

“Wei Ying might have lied.” Jiang Cheng didn’t look convinced.

“If that’s the case I might have to personally take care of this.” Lan Huan moved to raise his hand
and call for the cheque, ready to drive straight to wherever Wei Ying was and wrangle answers out
of him

Jiang Cheng pushed down his hand. “I don’t think it’s like that. Look, neither of us know the
whole situation.” Or, he wasn’t quite ready to see Wei Ying yet. “Let’s come up with a game plan
first, then let’s lock them in a closet together. Wei Ying is an idiot, I just think he misread the
whole situation.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“Nie Huaisang knows everything. Let’s ask him.”

Getting a hold of Nie Huaisang when he doesn’t want to be found is an impossible endeavor. He’s
hardly home, his voice box is always full, and Jiang Cheng promised he had at least four hundred
unread text messages on the regular.

Nie Mingjue was an option, but he still wasn’t really willing to talk to Lan Huan much after the
breakup. They were “healing” to put it lightly, but it wasn’t ideal to be contacting him just to talk to
his brother.

He did anyway after much poking from Jiang Cheng, and got a vague answer.

“He’s in Osaka for the week. I can shoot him a text about calling you sometime. He’ll be home by
Wednesday for Wei Ying’s graduation,” Nie Mingjue had grunted through the receiver.

“If you can, thank you.” Lan Huan had winced at the blandness of their conversation, the words
stilted even through the phone. It was a short call, barely a minute long, but it was unbearable and
awkward. It would take time to break through that, he kept telling himself.

Lan Zhan was leaving this Sunday . How are they supposed to get their much-needed talk in three
days before they left for at least a whole twelve months?

“I can see about accepting Wei Ying’s invitation,” Jiang Cheng agreed. “I was invited to his
ceremony. It’s the day before Lan Zhan’s, right?”

“Why don’t we talk to Wei Ying directly?”

Jiang Cheng soured. He was still cute even with his face puckered up like that. “I don’t trust
myself to see his face up close without punching him. The ceremony would be fine. I could just dip
right when it ends.”

Lan Huan didn’t hear about what happened during the talk with Nie Huaisang, because after the
ceremony, the two of them had “dipped” together to go drinking. It was well after eleven at night
 when Jiang Cheng asked in a text full of grammar errors if he can “have a sleepover ;-]”. There was
never a chance to ask him what he found out during his talk with Nie Huaisang because the
moment Jiang Cheng stepped into his private wing he did a running leap into his arms and kissed
him silly, alcohol permeating his pores. Rarely did Jiang Cheng drink enough to even get him
loose and soft like this and Lan Huan had to indulge at least a little bit in the price of kisses.

Everything that led up to Lan Huan fighting morning rush hour traffic to Wei Ying, his apartment
plugged into his GPS as it begged him to get off on an exit that was three lanes away and blocked
with cars as far as the eye can see, was admittedly all their fault. Jiang Cheng still wasn’t on
speaking terms with Wei Ying, which left Lan Huan to be the messenger. Lan Zhan’s flight took
off in mere hours. Wei Ying wasn’t answering his phone to anyone.

This wasn’t something he can tell Lan Zhan. It had to come from Wei Ying’s mouth.

Chapter End Notes

The story officially ends next chapter can you believe it?! It's been about a year
exactly since I started writing this! The ride is almost over but I don't think this is it! I
have 1-2 one shot ideas I've been rolling around but please don't hold me to it I have so
many WIPs piling up and original novels waiting to be written.

Thank you so much everyone for all of your love and support! All of your comments,
kudos, and bookmarks are greatly cherished you guys are the absolute sweetest! I'll see
y'all soon for the finale!
 Sizhui
Chapter Summary

Hello and goodbye.

Chapter Notes

Big thanks to Alejandra for reminding me that I haven't taken a plane in over 10 years
and she's the one with Airport Knowledge.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wei Ying was content to spend this particular Sunday doing everything but acknowledge the
people in his life. Today, Lan Zhan was leaving for Singapore and he just wanted to avoid any
interaction with anyone. His chest felt too heavy, his head too light; sort of in a daze as he sat
curled up with his knees pressed into the table edge as he browsed the IKEA website for furniture.
He wondered how important a coffee table was or if he could simply make one with all the
aluminum bars and plywood he had lying around.

Since posting the final video in the early morning, Wei Ying shut off all notifications for every
social media site, muted his texts, and set his phone on silent to block out any noise. A-Yuan was
rolling around the floor by the couch playing with a few of his toys in an intense game of what
seemed to be a Survivor rip-off. He should probably be concerned, but when he was that age, Wei
Ying had set up a bug House of Horrors and found ways to kill insects he found in the yard. He
turned out fine.

The first day of summer was like any other June day, gloomy and grey all morning with a quickly
settling heat as the clock ticked closer to noon. It felt weird with it being technically summer and
he was wearing joggers and a shirt instead of near bare naked, but give it another month and he’ll
be sweating by nine in the morning. He thanked himself for making central AC a priority on his
house hunting checklist. That thing will be on at least six months out of the year.

Mindlessly touring through different cheap furniture sites left a buzz fogging his head. His eyes
kept sliding to the time in the corner of his laptop despite having zero obligations for the day, no
reason to keep tabs on the minutes. LAX was clear across the city from where his apartment was.
Lan Zhan was already much too far away.

He had a little notebook on the table next to him with nearly illegible notes scribbled down— lists
of items with names and prices, a ring of swatches from Home Depot with palette cards and paint
samples, and a couple of furniture catalogues Jiang Yanli left him. He wanted to say it was all
dumb, but he kind of really liked the idea of finally really having a place he could go all out in
decorating as he pleased. He already had a pretty good eye for color and shapes, aided by a minor
in fine art under his belt. A-Yuan had given him a couple of marker drawings for potential room
ideas, including a slide from his very tall bed, a backyard pirate ship, a dining table that
automatically spun food around with a push of a button so there was no need to reach across for
things (an idea he’s tempted to try), and lights that changed colors to match their moods. Wei Ying
would do his best to accommodate A-Yuan’s wishes.

The couches Jiang Yanli bought him were already at the townhouse, the bed and outdoor
conversation set on its way. Nie Huaisang had followed in her steps and bought him a dining table
set that was nice enough and offered to get him a wrought iron chandelier with either electric or
real wax candles. Wei Ying was tempted to say yes to the offer because as the mental image of the
living room came together he kept going back and envisioning the chandelier there, too. It was
tacky, he wanted to tell him, but he could always take it down if he didn’t like it, sell it on
Craigslist.

With summer already here, was it too late to start a vegetable garden, or should he wait until he’s
settled in before he started getting crops in the ground? Google told him at the beginning of spring
was best. Next year then. He still wanted to scrape out the cement and gravel, turn over the dirt,
and plant some grass. Something that should be done sooner rather than later because once August
kicked in it would be impossible to work outside.

He looked at the time again. Maybe he should start thinking about lunch. A-Yuan will be
grumbling for food in a bit.

A knock, heavy and hard, interrupted his stream of consciousness. A-Yuan, unaware of how bad it
was to announce himself home to a stranger, ran to the door, ready to open it with a greeting shout.

Wei Ying snagged him around the waist and shushed him before checking through the peephole.

Lan Huan stood outside the door, his image distorted through the fish-eye lens. Wei Ying put
down A-Yuan and hesitantly opened the door. A-Yuan peered out from behind his leg, his little
hands grabbing Wei Ying’s leg tight.

“Wei Ying, good morning,” Lan Huan greeted.

“Good morning. What brings you to my humble abode?” Wei Ying was weary and didn’t open the
door all the way, just enough to peek out. Deciding it might be rude to do this to Lan Huan of all
people, he opened the door a little wider and stepped back as much as he could with A-Yuan
gripping his leg. “Would you like to come in and chat? ‘Scuse the mess.”

“No, no it’s alright. Thank you.” Lan Huan shook his head. He was subtly rocking back and
forward, as if ready to lunge at Wei Ying. He wanted to close the door again just in case.

“Have you spoken to my brother as of late?”

“We haven’t talked since April.” School has made the eons fly by faster. “Why?”

“That’s unfortunate. You see—” Lan Huan cleared his throat. “Are you really in love with him?”

Wei Ying startled, almost reeled back and tripped over A-Yuan, but managed to reorient himself
before he crushed the small child. “What— where did you get that from?”

“Never mind that and answer the question. Are you or are you not in love with Lan Zhan?”

Wei Ying’s cheeks were burning. He wanted to shoo A-Yuan away at the very least, or pull Lan
Huan into the apartment so they weren’t having it on his doorstep for the neighbors to overhear.
“I… yeah, I am. So?” Was he going to rat him out to Lan Zhan? He wasn’t the type to ridicule, but
threaten doesn’t seem to be below him either.
He wasn’t expecting this. “Then why are you such an idiot, Wei Ying?” Lan Huan threw his hands
into the air in an over-exasperated groan. “Do you know what you’ve done to my brother?”

“... what?”

“You—” Lan Huan pointed at him with the most accusatory glare. “Why do you think he went to
the same university as you despite having been accepted into Ivy League schools that would do
much more for his degree? He didn’t need a Master’s, but he got one anyway. The same with your
high school science olympiads. There were other things I know he would have much rather been
doing than that but he entered the same divisions as you. Wei Ying, since day one, you have been
on Lan Zhan’s mind and for once when we thought you took responsibility, you tossed it all away
because you thought he wanted to be your sugar daddy?!”

Wei Ying was really wishing they would go inside. This might be why Lan Huan was tormenting
him.

“His obsession with bunnies stem from you, the education plan Uncle had plotted out took a detour
for you, he went to a robotics convection when he has never shown interest in them before. Wei
Ying, has it clicked yet? I do not wish to physically spell it out for you.”

He might have to. Everything pointed to one thing and Wei Ying knew what it was, but he couldn’t
bring himself to speak it into reality. Call it insecurity, but he refused to formally acknowledge the
information pieced together in front of him as the truth unless Lan Huan actually wrote it down for
him.

Yet, everything fell into place despite his unwillingness to acknowledge the truth. A thunderbolt to
his chest, a roaring tidal wave in his head, the staccato rhythm pacing his heart. The world tipped
back, spun under his feet, but Lan Huan wasn’t tilting with him.

He must have seen the dawn crest on his face because Lan Huan gave him a satisfied nod. “His
flight leaves in less than two hours. Traffic is a nightmare getting into your area today with
construction on the ten and an accident on the one-ten. The usual.”

“You want me to chase after him before his flight takes off when I can call him?”

“I’m not, but you want to personally tell him, don’t you?”

He did.

“A-Yuan, go potty and get your shoes.”

Lan Huan stepped aside as Wei Ying locked up the apartment and ushered A-Yuan out.

“Hey.” He turned to Lan Huan after he shut the door. “Thank you.”

“You are a good man, Wei Ying. I believe you can be good for my brother, but you have a lot to
prove before I can accept you.”

“Understandable after all… that.” He didn’t want to think about how embarrassing the whole
situation was just yet. He had plenty of time to do that while battling traffic.

“Now go, you’re running out of time.” Lan Huan nudged him toward the main walkway. “Give me
a call with how it goes.”

“I will. Thank you!” He called again as he broke into a jog toward the parking garage, A-Yuan
running ahead of him. Sizhui was swinging in his hand. Huh, the little doll had been missing for a
long time now. A-Yuan must have snagged it.

Wei Ying was an idiot thinking “hey, this isn’t so bad!” only three minutes after getting on the
freeway and finding it clear. As if whatever gods watching down on the freeway heard his remark,
Wei Ying was pushed into driving a sluggish twenty miles per hour in near bumper to bumper
traffic once he cleared the next bend.

Lan Huan had texted him the exact flight and terminal Lan Zhan was taking off at. Maybe if there
was no other car on the freeway, it would be a straight shot thirty-minute drive to the airport,
giving him plenty of time to battle LAX traffic, find a spot, and jog and a leisurely pace to Lan
Zhan’s terminal and catch him before he boarded. He couldn’t even text him a “wait!” because he
had deactivated voice-to-text on his phone and car and he didn’t want to try texting and driving
with this mess of traffic.

Even with his car moving so slowly through the creeping traffic, his mind was racing a million
miles an hour, far beyond LAX. He was an idiot, an actual clown this whole time. Maybe he had
known what he was feeling from the start, but chose to not acknowledge it. He was bisexual,
having long come to terms that guys were pretty cool too, but Lan Zhan wasn’t simply a “guy” he
could have the hots for.

And with the newfound perspective on the past six months, he found everything made much more
sense. Lan Zhan never asked him for sex for one, like, ever. Wei Ying initiated partially because
he felt it was part of the deal, mostly because he really did love having sex with him. The gifts
were so extravagant and personal, all to Wei Ying’s taste that only someone who understood him
dearly would have picked up on. He gave him a goddamn car. Lan Zhan did all that because he
wanted to and found the, ahem, attention Wei Ying gave him to be part of a standard relationship.

He feels bad for moving so fast now. Lan Zhan had thought they were dating and Wei Ying, like a
fucking idiot, had pretended it was some weirdly affectionate sugar daddy deal. Before he
confessed, he needed to apologize.

“Gege?” A-Yuan called from the back.

“Hm?” Wei Ying glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

“Where are we going?” Sizhui was held close to his chest, it’s floppy ears wrinkled and there was
a spot of dirt on its cheek.

“We’re going to say bye bye to Lan Zhan. He’s going to be gone for a long time but don’t worry,
he’ll be back to buy you stuff before you know it.”

“He’s been gone a long time already. How much longer will it be?”

“When he sees you next time, you’ll be five and about to start kindergarten.”

“That’s too long! You’ll be a really old man!” He gasped. “Where is he going? Does he have his
family?”

“Singapore. I’ll show you pictures when we get home. And no, he’ll be alone for a couple of
weeks until his brother joins him.”

“That’s really sad,” A-Yuan whimpered into the soft quilted ear of Sizhui. “I can’t be alone for that
long. Will he be okay?”
“He’ll be okay. Like I said, he’ll be home before you know it.” Time moves so slow for children,
the bare four years A-Yuan had been with them nothing but a blip. The single year will be like
centuries for the both of them.

A-Yuan pulled him from his thoughts with more questions, like, how do planes fly, and if he’ll see
seagulls in Singapore. He could answer the first one pretty accurately, but he wasn’t sure about the
seagulls.

Traffic only got slower as they passed through the construction Lan Huan warned him about, the
highway reduced to barely two lanes. For a Sunday afternoon, this was absolutely atrocious. By
some miracle, they made it to LAX in almost exactly an hour, but didn’t have much time to spare.

It was like a maze going through LAX, it’s own miniature city circling the terminals. There was no
second for him to pause and look for a map and there wasn’t anyone not rushing around to ask for
directions. Once he managed to locate a parking structure, he drove nearly to the bottom looking
for a space. By the time they were secured in their spot with a time ticket on the dashboard, Wei
Ying had a chance to look up where the terminal was, trying not to let his racing heart throw him
into a panic when he noticed he had a little over a half-hour to—

Get to the complete other side of the airport.

“Up, up, A-Yuan. We gotta run.” He scooped A-Yuan up, Sizhui squeezed between their bodies
and his phone with the map out in his other hand, and took off through the parking structure toward
the main airport.

Luck gave him a ray of hope with a shuttle bus just about ready to depart in the parking structure
entrance heading toward the international terminal. It cut their time down, but they had barely
twenty minutes to catch Lan Zhan before his flight. A-Yuan ran alongside him as they got off and
booked it down the large walkways, his small hand gripped tight in Wei Ying’s, and Sizhui
flapping in the wind behind him.

With no baggage to check-in and by another small miracle, the security check-point line was short.
They shed their shoes and went right through. Every second felt too short yet too long, he was
almost running through the echoing airport with no room to properly answer A-Yuan’s questions.
Every clock they passed counted too close to the moment Lan Zhan would depart. He was
probably already getting loaded into the plane, but there could be a delay. Planes were rarely on
schedule anyway, right?

The boards announced coded flights and times, their destinations flashing on the screens. People
travel-weary were rushing to their destination, lounging in the lone benches, idling to a standstill as
time slipped by. Wei Ying rushed past all of it. A-Yuan was picked up again as he broke into a
sprint while a loudspeaker announced Lan Zhan’s flight almost ready for takeoff. He would ask for
someone to bring him out, or break through security himself to get him off that plane. He glanced
at A-Yuan and scrapped that last tactic.

Sheer panic had his blood pumping hot because he couldn’t let Lan Zhan go like this, couldn’t say
this in a text a day later when he landed properly. Lan Zhan needed to know now because he was
such a fool.

Lan Zhan had waited years for him. Wei Ying couldn’t let him wait another second.

They reached the gate just as the entrance was roped off. A plane, Lan Zhan’s plane, starting
wheeling past the large windows toward the runway.
Wei Ying watched it turn into the strip then to slowly start picking up speed. He wanted to fall to
his knees in defeat, his legs shaking from the run. A-Yuan was bouncing in his arms, excited to see
a plane taking off, but Wei Ying wanted to close his eyes and wish for the day to be over.

It wasn’t the end, Wei Ying would make sure of it. They had each other’s numbers for God’s sake,
and their brother’s were an item too; there was always communication through them through
worst-case-scenario.

This wasn’t a Hallmark movie where Lan Zhan is going to the Big City for good if Wei Ying
didn’t catch him and confess on the spot in the airport. Wen Ning has been bingeing too many of
those movies if Wei Ying is already thinking like this. More than anything, he felt annoyance for
fighting all that traffic and hustling through the entirety of LAX for nothing. He was hungry, tired,
and A-Yuan was starting to whine for food.

He fought off the need to sink into a seat and screw his head back on his shoulders, A-Yuan
fidgeting in his hold, and decided to find some cool airport food to at the very least feed them with.
They could make a trip out of it. Then later, he could shoot Lan Zhan a text to give him a call when
he could. It’s not like he would say no, unless he was really genuinely hurt and decided he never
wanted to have anything to do with Wei Ying ever again—

“Wei Ying?”

“Rich gege!” A-Yuan’s sudden shout nearly drowned the quiet call of his name.

Standing across the walkway with a backpack slung over his shoulder and a small rolling suitcase
was Lan Zhan. There was a neck pillow already snapped around his neck but he was dressed sharp
despite the long journey he had ahead of him in pressed slacks and a button down shirt.

Wei Ying was windblown, head caught in the jet engines roaring behind him. Those tumultuous
feelings of blinding affection brimming in his chest, louder than he’s let it do so in what felt like
forever. Maybe it had been since under the golden sky in Tahoe as Lan Zhan laid siege to his body
where he could do nothing but drown in the sudden name flooding his bone marrow. A-Yuan
wiggled out of his arms and ran straight for Lan Zhan. It’s been too long since either of them had
seen each other, forever for a four year old, forever for Wei Ying.

A-Yuan wrapped his whole body into a hug around Lan Zhan’s legs, his eyes squeezed shut from
how big and bright his baby toothed grin was. Lan Zhan towered over him, but leaned down to
wrap an arm around him as best he could.

“Hello, A-Yuan. How are you?”

“Good!” A-Yuan didn’t seem to be too upset about being late for lunch, more than happy to simply
snuggle into Lan Zhan’s legs.

“Wei Ying.” His name was said again, cool and controlled. They weren’t strangers, but there was a
stretched distance to his tone.

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying could finally reign in his wildly beating heart to catch his breath. “Your
flight— didn’t it—?”

“I don’t board until five.” Lan Zhan tilted his minutely to the side, just as he always does when the
situation was a little out of left field for him.

“But Lan Huan said…”

“He must have gotten the times mixed up. Brother is not good at keeping time as well as he
thinks.”

There was a pause, a horrible stifling silence over them. The buzz of the announcements overhead
and the hum of airport motion created a white noise that filled the gaps Wei Ying had carved
between them. He shakily walked closer, if to at least physically close the distance.

“Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan started again. A-Yuan was wrapped around him like an octopus, a large
hand resting on his small head. The old idyllic fantasies of the two of them sharing the master
bathroom with two sinks conjured in his mind, one sink covered in toothpaste stains and clipped
beard shavings Wei Ying had an aversion to properly cleaning, to Lan Zhan’s organized cabinets
filled with his intensive skincare routine. The simple thought made his heart swell like a balloon.

“Lan Zhan, I’m so sorry.” A dam bust in his chest, the crest of emotions he’s worked so hard to
tamper down rose in the tempest. “I hope you can forgive me for being an idiot and ruining
everything. I misread what we had and broke it off before I could—” he couldn’t see through his
tears. He hated crying, and now he was doing it in public in front of Lan Zhan and all these
strangers, in front of A-Yuan, but his heart has been through a storm, gripped in fear that this whole
thing was wrong and he messed up one of the best things to ever happen to him, that Lan Zhan
wouldn’t want him back after this.

First and foremost, he needed to come clean, right here in the middle of the airport seating area. He
told him everything, bared his chest out in the open, but managed to catch himself short from
spilling any intimate details in front of A-Yuan. He described how his chest hurt after the break up,
his fear of falling in love and it leading to pain, the whole stupid miscimmunication that he thought
Lan Zhan was his sugar daddy.

Lan Zhan was wide-eyed and silent, his lips parted in shock.

“I like you a lot, might even love you, whatever it is I want to be with you for as long as you’ll
have me,” Wei Ying breathed, his head light.

Stiffly, Lan Zhan nodded. “You like me?”

“Yes, quite a lot actually.”

“... Love me?” His brain seemed to have stopped working. A-Yuan was craning his neck to get a
good look at them.

“Most likely. These feelings are still so new… or maybe not, but I wouldn’t mind getting to kiss
you and stuff again. Maybe hold hands.”

Lan Zhan nodded again, faster, a little more energy sparking to life behind his bright eyes.

“More importantly, can you forgive me?”

“I can.”

It’s hard to say who moved first, but they surged into each other’s arms and with a blinding kiss. It
felt different, rawer, better than any kisses they’d shared before because this time there was a word
to its name and it spelled love.

Poor A-Yuan was trapped between their legs, grabbing onto their pants as he laughed loudly. It
was the only sound he could perceive above his racing heart, the heat of Lan Zhan’s skin on his
again like a soothing balm, the burns of his self-inflicted wounds caressed in the most tender touch.
He drank him in, uncaring of the public eye as Lan Zhan deepened the kiss and tipped him back
into a dip, his large hands holding him steady.

The grossed out noises A-Yuan was making forced them to cut the fairytale kiss short. A-Yuan
was throwing himself atop Lan Zhan’s suitcase and wheeling himself around as he jeered at them
for being gross. Lan Zhan’s ears were pink. Wei Ying kissed the flushed shell.

Of course there were onlookers. An embarrassed airport employee stood awkwardly not too far
away, most likely to tear them apart. Lan Zhan cleared his throat. “Shall we get food? I can hear A-
Yuan’s stomach rumbling from here.”

The international terminal had a lot of fancy food available Wei Ying wanted to try, but A-Yuan
wanted the pizza three terminals over or nothing at all. They settled for Starbucks, the only familiar
thing A-Yuan could settle on. He was going to have to teach this kid some manners. Wei Ying
ordered a black coffee and panini for himself, a chocolate milk from the fridge and the PB&J lunch
box for A-Yuan, and a hot green tea and croissant for Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan started to tug his card from his wallet, but Wei Ying smacked it out of the way. “Back
off, this is mine.” He shoved his card into the chip reader before Lan Zhan could get a word of
complaint out.

“I want to.”

“I can pay for my own two dollar coffee and my boyfriend’s tea.”

Lan Zhan’s ears flushed pink despite the frown on his face. “It’s two sixty-five for your coffee.
Then tax.”

“We don’t need to get into specifics here.”

It was so easy falling back into their rhythm, as if the last three months never existed. He still
burned something fierce with the time they lost and the hurt he’d caused Lan Zhan, but there was
nothing he could do except treat him much better this time around.

They found a seat with their warmed up food and drinks. Lan Zhan picked at his croissant, but A-
Yuan dug into his little lunch box like a starved man. Wei Ying felt bad pushing his lunch so late
and cutting into his naptim, but he figured the car ride home and an early night could help sate
him. After they ate, they went to the little play area for A-Yuan to burn off lunch. They took a seat
in a plastic booth at the edge of the little beach themed playground while A-Yuan shot off to climb
the giant starfish.

In the little time they had left together, they simply talked. There were many things that needed to
be said but there was a timer on their numbered minutes.

It will work out. This was something tentative and all new to Wei Ying, but Lan Zhan shone with a
bright confidence he couldn’t help but believe it will work, too. Skype will be used a lot and
messaging apps. Lan Zhan promised to send him gifts. Wei Ying turned him down this time.

Then. “Is it too late to ask you to join me in Singapore, if only for a little bit?”

“We’ll see.” He wanted nothing more than to hop on the plane and follow him across the world, to
test the boundaries of this budding thing called love with Lan Zhan physically next to him. It hurt
so much to think about the distance, a knife posed over his chest waiting to strike.

A vacation, maybe. But not for long while A-Yuan has school nor while he was still settling into
his new job.

“May I give you something?” Lan Zhan said suddenly.

“You’ve given me far too much. What more would you have left to give me?” Wei Ying smiled

Lan Zhan dove into his bag and pulled out a little leatherbound book, worn soft with love, with a
little ballpoint pen clipped to the side. He handed it to Wei Ying. “For you.”

Wei Ying wanted to laugh at how adorable he was, but he barely got a chuckle out when he flipped
open to the first page and found words in Lan Zhan’s neat penmanship, a date at the corner reading
over ten years ago. The page was so dry with age, crackling in his hands as he read the words
across each page. It was almost completely full of poems: sonnets and haikus, blank verses and
rhymes, prose and even a few limericks— all to Wei Ying’s name. The pages grew younger, the
dates newer, the paper pressed flat.

The most recent one was dated a few days ago, the date of his graduation ceremony. A long sonnet
composed of sweet phrases and a lyrical balance caught his breath.

You are master mistress of my passion

O fearless youth, you’ve filled my memories
In sweet agony I’ve grown less ration
Can’t find a name for lovesick remedies

“Lan Zhan…” he felt choked up again, the book filled with fresh declarations of love that Wei
Ying didn’t know how to return.

“Keep it. I can always write more.”

Wei Ying gave him another sweet kiss, one he doused in love he hoped Lan Zhan could taste.

The time came. Wei Ying and A-Yuan walked Lan Zhan up to his departure. They still had a few
moments before they would open the gates for his flight to board. He kept his hand held tight in
Lan Zhan’s, the other holding A-Yuan’s.

“I’ll miss you.” He didn’t need to say it, but he really wanted Lan Zhan to know.

“I will too.” He agreed.

Wei Ying bumped his head into his shoulder with a sigh. “Sorry I was such an idiot.”

“Don’t be. We’re okay now, everything is fine.” Lan Zhan dipped his head down to bump his
cheek onto the top of Wei Ying’s head.

“Rich gege,” A-Yuan said in almost a whine. He had started slowing down, his eyes growing
heavier and his steps starting to drag. “Will you be lonely without us?”

“I will.” Lan Zhan said.

A-Yuan lifted up Sizhui, in all his dirty glory, to Lan Zhan. “You can take him so you won’t be
alone. You need it more.”

Wei Ying wanted to remind the little tyke that Sizhui was Lan Zhan’s to begin with before he stole
it, but kept his mouth shut as Lan Zhan took the worn quilt rabbit from A-Yuan’s hands with a
gentle pat on his head. “Thank you. I feel much better now.”
 A-Yuan smiled then lifted his arms in a grabby motion for Wei Ying to pick him up. He complied
and let A-Yuan bury his head into his shoulder with the heaviest sigh.

Lan Zhan’s boarding group was announced with its final warnings. Wei Ying met him in the
middle for one final, slow kiss. A-Yuan lifted his head when they parted and planted his own
sloppy kiss on Lan Zhan’s cheek. There was a smile so bright on his lips Wei Ying wanted to melt,
but his heart was bursting into tears.

His coffee was cold in his hand, the final sip left nothing but an extra weight to carry. A-Yuan
waved goodbye for the departing flight as it pulled away from the gate toward the long stretch of
runway draped in early evening shadows, the sky far too bright for the hour stretching toward six.

A text message, the first one in a very long time, came from Lan Zhan just as the plane started
gaining speed.

Lan Zhan 5:43pm

I love you

Chapter End Notes

This it is! It's over! That's the end of the story! It's what I consider the end anyway but
I have a really brief epilogue to make the ending just a little bit sweeter coming on
Friday. It's already written just gotta edit.
I've been working on this since before quarantine began and posted it originally with
the free day for wangxian week 2020 back in April. If it weren't for the pandemic I
would have absolutely taken several day trips up to LA to explore the area better to
write this. Like I KNOW things being their neighbor and going there pretty often, but
Google could only tell me so much. It's also thanks to the pandemic I had so much
time to write. This was the only thing holding me back from kick-starting my novel-
writing career but knowing I can bust out over 100K in a year is pretty encouraging.
THANK YOU EVERYONE for all of your constant love and support with this! It's
because of YOU I was able to finish this monster of a fic! I'm sorry for dragging it out
for so long and breaking promises left and right but ah you really shouldn't hold your
breath for an author's promises!
See you in two days for the end!!
 Epilogue
Chapter Summary

A new start.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

BACK TOGETHER? YOUTUBER WEI YING SPOTTED KIDDING GUSU EDU CEO’S SON
AT LAX WITH CHILD IN TOW

This afternoon, there was a union only Hollywood could write between now former robotics
Youtuber celebrity, Wei Ying, and Gusu Edu. CEO’s son, Lan Zhan. They were caught making out
at the Tom Bradley International Terminal right before Lan Zhan was to board his flight to a year-
long stay in Singapore where the Lan’s are said to be expanding business. Just this morning, Wei
Ying released a short, six minute goodbye video denouncing his Youtube fame and has been
unresponsive on all social media platforms since— until now! A fan recognized him carrying a
child through the airport and managed to snag a couple of pictures to post on Twitter.

Jackie
@YilingStar

HEY ISN’T THAT WEI YING MAKING OUT WITH HIS BOYFRIEND IN THE MIDDLE OF
LAX??

[image: Lan Zhan, luggage forgotten, dipping Wei Ying down into a deep kiss. A-Yuan gripping
onto both their legs with his head turned away from the camera]

There has been no news from either of the lovebirds since the gala, some people even speculating
that the couple had broken up in private and had since made themselves scarce. Clearly, that’s not
the case! The two were lip-locked for a good while until Wei Ying’s unnamed son, yelled at them.

It’s good to know the couple are still happy, but they’re in for some rough waters if Lan Zhan will
be away in Singapore for so long and Wei Ying, as stated in this morning’s video, will be starting
work here in LA.

Click here to watch Wei Ying’s final video!

Click here for more articles on Wei Ying and Lan Zhan!

Lil’ Apple
@donkey_luv
I THOUGHT THEY BROKE UP??? @WeiYiing EXPLAIN!!!

Strawberries @ shipping!
@hanguangjunslesbians
Wei Ying quits Youtube then caught making out with his rich bf in LAX? Good for her.
Ayami’s starember
@bingmeisbigboobs
Hey the whole situation around Wei Ying is sort of a mess and I really wish yall could leave him
alone bc I’m sure the man was run off Youtube by the media circus but I rly do wish them a very
pleasant evening

Shizun stop running

@shizunshairyballs666
I mean, they were harassed for a hot second there then just dropped out of existence and now
they’re just trying to mind their business?? All of Wei Ying’s accounts r locked so bet he doesn’t
wanna deal with anything

M
@twotrucks7
Dude’s being a baby. What, can’t handle a little attention? Then don’t join Youtube, stupid.

yanyan
@dianxiasimp69
Askhfdkv @twotrucks9 that’s not the point. He wants attention but I’m sure he’s not happy being
outed like this.

get a brain morans

@beidouimmortal
Anyway i wish Wei Ying, Lan Zhan, and their little son a very happy life of minding his business

Too much could change in a single year. Wei Ying saw it when he climbed out of his giant bed,
too spacious then what he was used to, but had quickly learned to sprawl himself out across the
whole surface with no one to share it with. His bathroom sink already had toothpaste crusted
around the drain, beard clippings stuck along the upper rim where the water didn’t quite reach. He
should do some cleaning this weekend.

These days he rarely wore his old athleisure wear of joggers and hoodies, comfortable when he was
running from class to work. Today, he skipped his usual clean jeans and shirt for slacks and a neat
button down, the weather a little too achingly warm for the jacket just yet. His closet had three
suits; two from Lan Zhan, and one he bought himself for work a few months ago. The one he had
on was the dark charcoal suit he bought with his own paycheck, tailored upon Lan Zhan’s
recommendation, with a cotton poplin black dress shirt— cheap and thin to leave as little on his
skin as possible.

His hair had been almost unmanageable. It took a little too long to make sure it laid neatly, still
unused to styling short hair, especially how the back liked to fluff up in the back without its old
weight letting it lay smooth. It had been an impulse decision to chop off his length, but now he
wanted it to hurry up and grow back already. He ran a hesitant hand through the short locks,
careful not to mess with the styling mousse.

He gently nudged A-Yuan awake and opened the blinds to let morning light in. The window was
already warm, or still held lingering heat from the day before.

“C’mon, up up, you have summer camp today,” Wei Ying prodded.

A-Yuan was always easy to wake up, out of bed within minutes after being prodded. He shuffled
out of bed and followed Wei Ying downstairs to the kitchen where they started making a quick
breakfast. The time on the microwave read a little before seven.

Wei Ying didn’t go into the lab until around eight at the earliest, nine on Fridays, due to his work
giving them summer hours where they were allowed off as early as noon with full pay. It worked
out beautifully being able to pick up A-Yuan from summer camp and violin lessons in the
afternoons. On days he couldn’t get him due to meetings or projects running too long, Jiang Yanli
or Wen Qing volunteered. A-Yuan especially loved when he got to stay for dinner with the Jin-
Jiang family, one, for Jiang Yanli’s cooking, and two because he absolutely adored playing with
A-Ling and his new baby sister.

The two of them enjoyed an easy breakfast of cereal and finished getting ready. There was a little
bit of rushing when Wei Ying took notice of the clock on the oven and realized they spent too
much time doing the maze on the back of the cereal box.

The summer camp was located closer to downtown, the opposite direction of his lab, but the extra
twenty minutes it tacked onto his commute was worth every second of picking A-Yuan up later as
he came bounding to the car with whatever batch of fresh stories to tell or an art project laden in his
arms.

He got to the lab right on time. It was unusually crowded for a summer day, with most people
going off on their vacations or using up their PTO, but today was important. A coworker barely
paused to greet him as she rushed down the hall, another was too busy holding a rapid fire
conversation with a supervisor to hear Wei Ying’s “good morning”. His white coat was kept on the
rack and he beelined straight for his office tucked in the back of the lab with barely a greeting to
his labmates to do some work before he needed to head out.

Today was the day of an important presentation that would display the work he and his coworkers
had been putting together for the last year. It was a pretty big deal, and could lead to further
innovations like this in the future if they were given the proper greenlight and sponsorships to
make it all come to life. The presentation was held at a big hotel in the heart of Los Angeles where
a bunch of big shots with lots of money and interests in scientific advancements would be given the
chance to fund all their research.

A vase of flowers sat in attention on his cluttered desk— rich pink roses, bright sunflowers, golden
yellow lilies, towering snapdragons, and pale green button pom poms stood proudly on his desk
with a little note clipped to its colors.

Good luck today, the note read. You will be great. I love you— Lan Zhan <3

Every other week Lan Zhan sent some sort of sweet gift that had Wei Ying falling for him a little
harder— bouquets of flowers with sweet lines of poetry on their cards, edible arrangements (which
he inhaled with A-Yuan), and boxes of fancy chocolates. On Valentine’s Day, Lan Zhan didn’t
hold back and bought him the whole section at Target of all the generic Valentine’s Day gifts with
a giant plush bear holding a heart and half a dozen balloons.

It was all so charmingly sweet it gave Wei Ying cavities. Really, he had to get a filling last May.
Thank you dental insurance.

More so it burned the ache in his chest, a pain that’s been sitting heavy and hot for over a year now
since Lan Zhan departed for Singapore. It was the following summer now, well into August, and
Lan Zhan had been delayed from coming home an extra three months at this point. The days ticked
by, closer to the September date Lan Zhan gave him for his return. Everyday he checked off his
little desk calendar he bought for the sole purpose of marked Skype call dates with Lan Zhan and
counting down until the moment he came home.
They had talked last night for hours, a schedule built into both of them to match the sixteen hour
difference. He automatically translated the time to Lan Zhan’s timezone whenever he looked at a
clock, messaged him even knowing he’s asleep because Lan Zhan would respond when he woke
up. In the year and two months they’ve been apart, Wei Ying could count on one hand the times
they went a full twenty-four hours without talking.

There wasn’t enough time to admire his flowers. He was due to leave soon with his coworkers to
the hotel where they would be presenting some pretty major breakthroughs to some pretty
important people. No, he wasn’t nervous, he would tell his coworkers, but really his hands were
sort of sweaty and his heart beat a little too fast for comfort. He had joined the project toward its
final stages and didn’t have nearly as much to contribute, but he was still made to be a keynote
speaker and was praised to the high heavens by his managers for how well the project had gone.
Perhaps because of how little weight he had in it, his group gave him the role of main speaker to
make up for it.

After finishing his emails and checking over his notes one last time, Wei Ying slid on the matching
charcoal blazer then followed his project partners and coworkers down the sterile halls toward the
company trucks that would take them to the hotel. The sharp click of his Oxfords were too clean
and crisp in his ears.

The ride over to the hotel was made short by the lack of traffic in the mid-morning hour, one of the
few moments in the day where the roadways were easy to navigate. The hotel was downtown, one
of the towering skyscrapers with its glassy sides and a sweeping grand entrance. There were
already people dressed in business formal milling about the echoing lobby.

Wei Ying was caught into a conversation with one of the project managers and a sponsor before he
when a coworker tapped his shoulder for his attention.

“I got a note from the staff that someone is looking for you,” she stage-whispered to him.

“Weird. The meeting starts in less than an hour, can it wait?” Wei Ying asked. He wasn’t nervous,
but he didn’t like the idea of getting distracted right before he got up to speak.

She shook her head. “They insisted you got it as soon as you arrived. Here.” She slid a folded
notepad paper with the hotel logo inscribed at the top into his hand.

Wei Ying stepped away from the conversation and unfolded the note. Read it once. Twice. Then
took off toward the elevator.

The hotel was huge, as in one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles. The elevator ride up to the
very top floor was faithfully quick but still dragged on much longer than he would have liked, but
he spent the whole time rocking back and forth on his heels, opening and closing the note. Why the
top floor, he cursed.

It simply read in a script he’d come to be far too familiar with, traced the arch of the letters he was
so used to spelling out poems: I’m at the sky deck.

As he rose higher, his chest rose far above and beyond the city skyline, the urge to text and see if it
wasn’t a prank had his hand itch for his pocket. He was wound up like an overturned clock, a
music box ready to spin out of control. Eagerness had him bolting from the elevator the moment
the doors slid open to the top floor, where a wide open lobby led him to the patio lounge.

A familiar figure stood by the entrance. Wei Ying broke into a run.
“Lan Zhan!” He threw himself into his arms. They stumbled back from the impact, Lan Zhan
spinning them around to reorient themselves. “Lan Zhan did you lie to me?! You lied to me about
what day you’re coming back! How dare you!?”

“I did not lie,” Lan Zhan huffed, his warm breath tickled Wei Ying’s ear and his warmer arms held
him tight. “Things went much faster and I was able to head home earlier than expected. I simply
did not mention the change of plans in order to surprise you.”

“Cheeky!” Wei Ying kissed his cheek, but Lan Zhan turned to capture his lips into a kiss that made
his heart unfurl into a full summer bloom bright under his sunshine. It felt right, perfect even, like
coming home for the first time in years.

“If you were hiding stuff from me,” Wei Ying said when they managed to break apart for a second.
Lan Zhan still had him pressed close, the homely warmth so achingly wonderful it healed any
residual wound he had been harboring the last fourteen months. He was bursting now. “I should
come clean and tell you outright that I got to sign the final papers a few days ago. A-Yuan is
officially my son.”

Lan Zhan’s summer bright eyes widened, a smile so tenderly sweet, just the softest upturn of his
lips, made his face break out into something brighter than any star. He gave Wei Ying that rare
smile, a secret for them to share for what he hopes for years to come.

“Congratulations, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan gave him another soft kiss. Wei Ying was starved of his
affection and by the gods he was going to savor every lingering touch now that he’s back.

A clock behind Lan Zhan’s shoulder was a sharp dose of reality. Wei Ying peeled himself back,
just enough to properly see his face, and simply looked at him, to relearn the lines of his face and
the angles of his skin, the shape of his nose, the pale beauty mark on his forehead, the long sweep
of his eyelashes. He twirled a lengthened lock of Lan Zhan’s hair around his finger, played with the
silky strands at the base of his neck, grown out during his time away. It was neatly pulled back in a
little half bun, the rest of it still too short.

“I have to go downstairs for the presentation. When can I see you again?”

“As soon as its is over. I have a suite here for the night if you wish to join me.” There was a dark
hunger, a Wei Ying forgot what it looked like not pixelated through the blur of their cameras. It
was real and heavy, settling across Wei Ying’s skin and threatened to tug him under.

“I’ll have to put A-Yuan somewhere for the night first. I’ll even harass Jiang Cheng to take him in
if I gotta.” He pressed another kiss to Lan Zhan’s sweet lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Reluctantly, Wei Ying stepped back. “I’ll be done by five-ish. See you then?”

“Mn. Good luck.” Lan Zhan leaned in one more time to gift him another kiss. At this rate, Wei
Ying was going to be late.

“I’m going to blow them away.” Wei Ying kissed him again.

“You’re amazing and I know you’ll nail it. See you soon.” They tried pulling back again, but both
leaned in to leave another kiss.

“Yes, yes, soon!” Wei Ying laughed into a kiss pressed into the corner of his mouth. “Love you.”
 “Love you, too.”

“Miss you tons.”

“Missed you more.”

“Missed you most.”

A soft laugh caressed his skin. “Go. I’ll see you tonight.” Lan Zhan nudged him toward the
elevator.

“I want seafood.”

“I’ll get you seafood. Go.” He shooed Wei Ying into the elevator. It slid shut behind him, the last
thing Wei Ying saw was Lan Zhan’s tender-cut smile.

Wei Ying had lost a lot, but gained more than he could have ever dreamed of. His hard work paid
off, but sheer luck was on his side for once. How lucky he was to have a son as wonderful as A-
Yuan, a support system built up from trial and error until he had the safety net of friends and family
to fall back on. For the home he found at just the right moment in time just within his budget, to the
future he couldn’t wait to see with the present he was busy crafting with his own hands. For how he
earned a place in this hotel right now where his ideas are being heard by people who could do
something about them, to the blood, sweat, and tears he shed to hear the sharp click of his dress
shoes across the polished marble floors toward the conference room where over two-hundred
people waited in hushed silence for him.

How lucky he was to have met Lan Zhan, to fall in love with such a kind, generous man who was
willing to give Wei Ying the world and ask nothing in return.

Chapter End Notes

First I need to give a big wonderful thank you to the following people for making the
BIGGEST fic I've ever written come to life.
Alejandra for force feeding me the initial idea, hashing out the plot with me, and
betaing a chunk of chapters especially toward the end. Umbree for helping me get the
ball rolling, talking me down from posting 10k+ chapters, and giving me the awesome
idea of having all the bunny items. Yanyan for being an amazing cheerleader and beta.
Sarah and Krista for being betas for a huge portion of this fic it's thanks to you two and
your good eyes that this fic is as awesome as it is.
And a big huge loud THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all my readers,
serial commenters, the quiet kudos, the re-reads, and even the little lines of emojis. It's
due to all of your constant love and support I was able to finish this monster of a fic
during a global pandemic. For the past year, it's been a constant presence in my life
and I don't know what to do with myself now that it's all over. Write a novel I guess
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thank you thank you THANK YOU! So MUCH! For everything! I'm so happy I
could write for you.

[And this might not be the end! Once I get my current WIPs off my head I have plans
for a little PWP one shot to round off the fic. Maybe a what happened during their year
 apart? The Hualian wedding? Please bother me for it]
If you can please give the Twitter post a little love :)

End Notes

come chat with me too i have Things to Say

twitter: mirai_eats
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