Chapter Text
You know days, where you wake up and just feel it in your bones that this day was going to suck? That no matter what, you just wished you stayed in bed? Yeah, this was one of those days, Wei Ying had to realize, unfortunately, when he looked at his digital watch on his nightstand.
In glaring red letters it read 8.26 am. "Fuck," he mumbled into the pillow. He had already overslept.
With one last sigh, bidding the calmness goodbye, Wei Ying rolled out of his bed, this time not tangling himself up in his sheets and in record time threw on the clothes from the last day while simultaneously brushing his teeth. After almost falling over while putting on his socks, he gave up on multitasking and finished brushing his teeth and then put on the rest of his clothes. After pulling his hair in the most messed up bun, he grabbed his bag and dashed out of his apartment. So, all in all not bad.
Wei Ying was almost proficient in being late to lectures, he cultivated a healthy habit of it and learnt the ins and outs to sneak into the halls without being noticed. Except, if it was that professor. Lan Qiren. Wei Ying was sure he had put on some sensors, somehow informing him when Wei Ying was up to no good. But at least Wei Ying put in an effort this time. His normal commute took around an hour but today he made it in less than 40 minutes, coming to a stop in front of the lecture hall's doors and took a couple of seconds to catch his breath.
With the skill of a burglar, Wei Ying pushed the door open silently, squeezing himself through the narrowest gap he could muster and maybe, maybe, it would have worked, he would have just sat down and following the lecture without being spotted since Lan Qiren's back was turned toward him at the moment. But, alas, his nemesis, the bane of his existence right after Lan Qiren, Jiang Cheng had to call out to him.
“Wei Wuxian!"
Wei Ying contemplated the pros and cons of just turning around and leaving again or killing his dear, dear brother on the spot. Lan Qiren didn't let him decide this one, unfortunately.
“Wei Wuxian," his voice bellowed through the hall, and Wei Ying could feel the smug grin of Jiang Cheng on him. He really, really wished he had stayed in bed. Instead he gave Lan Qiren a wide grin, waving broadly at him.
"Good morning, Lan-laoshi!"
After sitting down at his table, Wei Ying smashed his forehand on the surface, earning a sympathizing smile from Wen Ning and an exasperated sigh from Wen Qing. The small solace he could find in these halls were his friends who despite having different specialty majors needed the same lecture because it apparently covered the bases of all three of their majors. They both were already well acquainted with Wei Ying's antics and Wen Qing, in contrast to her brother, wouldn't let him off easy. Though she held back since Wei Ying had to suffer through being called on for every question, come up to the front for every problem and even had to read out some passages of their study texts. He did answer everything correctly, though, so Lan Qiren didn't have the satisfaction of humiliating him but Wei Ying had to fight through his sleep deprived morning lecture.
"What is it with today?" Wei Ying whined as he tried to find comfort in his cafeteria-bought lunch, modified with a healthy dose of chili oil. Or, at least, an amount a human body could withstand without combusting. Arguably. He poked his rice and meat and ate it all, even if his appetite was almost gone. Wen Ning hummed in sympathy whereas Wen Qing rolled her eyes, telling him to stop being overdramatic because he brought it onto himself. Which was, you know, rude.
“Don’t take it t-to heart, Wei Ying," Wen Ning reassured him, “everyone has bad days.”
“Yeah, and mine has it out for me especially. Thanks to a certain someone," Wei Ying growled into his food. “If he just didn’t say anything…,” Wei Ying didn’t need to say more, his glare said it all.
“Don’t take it out on your food, Wei Ying," Wen Qing punched him against his arm, making Wei Ying huff and rubbing his muscle, "just eat your meal and forget about Jiang Cheng.”
Wei Ying's glare wandered from his defenseless rice toward his friend, who glared back unimpressed. “Why do you always have to defend this fucking guy?”
“Language.”
“Fuck your language.”
They glared at each other for a few beats, Wen Ning trying to gesture them to calm down to no avail. They both went back to their food, finishing in silence. Wei Ying threw the food container away after he finished and slung his bag over his shoulder. "See you guys!"
“Wait, Wei Ying, you still have classes today!” Wei Ying shrugged at Wen Ning's statement.
“Gonna skip today,” he answered with an easy grin and earned a disappointed flick of Wen Qing. They all knew Wei Ying didn't need to attend his classes to pass them but it would definitely help his reputation with his professors. Anyway, he had things to do. Stuff.
Wen Ning waved him off, knowing not to fight losing battles. “Ah, can I come over tonight? Help me study for the upcoming test?”
A short wave of guilt rolled over Wei Ying, completely having forgotten about that and put his hands together with a small bow. "Sorry, today doesn't work. Tomorrow. I'll help you tomorrow for sure!"
He didn't wait for an answer, waving with both arms as he sprinted off, leaving his two puzzled friends behind. Wen Qing with a suspicious glare.
Wei Ying took the next train to the shopping mile of Yunmeng, weaving through the crowd and eyes searching for something specific. You see, today was kind of special. One of the reasons, he got out of bed in the first place despite feeling everything was going to suck. He didn't have much experience with dates. Sure, he flirted like his life depended on it because it was fun, sue him. The two dates he had in his short life were with girls that were absolutely lovely but weren't interested in more than his looks. Which was, honestly, fair because he looked great, but he couldn't say it didn't hurt.
Today though, he had a date with a guy.
It wasn't new to him to think guys looked pretty and handsome but it took him embarrassingly long for a genius to figure out that he was attracted to them and not everyone could feel attraction to more than one gender. So that night, hunched over his laptop reading about bisexuality, connecting the dots and coming to terms with it rather quick, was a rollercoaster and a half and ended with him being blackout drunk. Thank god he didn't forget he was bi now and didn't have to go through that epiphany again.
The problem was, how was one going on about it? A date was a date obviously, but should he be different? Should it feel different? Did he have to dress differently? Wei Ying shook his head, now he was getting ridiculous.
He took a couple deep breaths, and thankfully his logical brain took over and supplied him with the useful advice of looking up the restaurant they were to meet at in the evening. After searching around the internet a little, he found out that it was not fancy fancy, but still fancy enough to require him to wear something casually formal.
For which he nailed the first part at least. He could do casual, casual was his thing. Formal? Not so much.
It even had an en suite bar! Wei Ying whooped. If all bridges burn, they still could get drunk. He was going to take so much advantage of this.
Since Wei Ying was in no possession of a dress shirt, much less of a blazer or anything like that, not since he moved out at least. Those things could be sold for some decent money which he had desperately needed at the time. And a dress shirt he had not. Therefore, thank you logical brain, he needed to buy something to wear for tonight.
His eyes found a boutique a few paces away, turning abruptly to enter it while almost colliding with someone. He grinned apologetically and scurried inside. He was greeted by a cute sales assistant, smiling up to him.
"Good afternoon, gongzi," she said cheerfully and Wei Ying couldn't help himself answering it with one of his devastating smiles. He looked around, scratching his nose in thought. Now that he thought about it, he rarely bought clothes for himself, even before, when shi- someone else bought his formal clothes because she knew best what suited him.
"Okay, look," he turned toward the sales assistant with a smile who was still looking at him expectantly, "I know I look like I should know this, but I kinda don't? Like I need a dress shirt, nothing too fancy but, you know, make this," he gestured broadly around himself, "look even better." He winked at her, expecting the faint blush already.
"Of course, gongzi," she led him a little deeper into the store towards a wall of dress shirts over dress shirts. "I need your measurements, just roughly is okay. Do you have anything in mind for the color of fabric?"
"Measurements?" Wei Ying hummed, head leaning back to take in the variety of shirts. "I usually wear just a regular size. And colors, I'd like a black shirt. Yeah, I think that's all my preferences," he laughed, turning back towards the girl.
"I can work with that," she giggled as she procured a measuring tape from one of her pockets. "I need at least your collar size, if you don't mind," she respectfully waited for Wei Ying to answer.
"Oh, I sure won't mind," his eyebrow ticked up and a sly smile played around his lips as he leaned forward and let the sales assistant put the tape around his neck.
It took longer than he anticipated to find something they both were satisfied with. Wei Ying was already set on the first shirt, it had buttons, a collar, and it was black. That was how a dress shirt looked like, right? According to the sales assistant it wasn't enough. Over half an hour later later, Wei Ying stood in front of a mirror and had to admit, she was right. Not only did he wear a dress shirt but also a jacket she talked him into. The dress shirt was black like requested and had deep red buttons, matching the red lapels and cuffs of the jacket. It had a narrow cut that accentuated his slim waist. With two buttons unfastened at the collar, because let's be honest, Wei Ying could never wear a tie for an entire evening, he looked smoking hot.
The sales assistant seemed to agree judging by the dreamy look in her eyes.
It was fucking expensive as well. Wei Ying had to budget to make needs end but he argued that this would be a great investment for his future. And his date insisted on paying for dinner, so.
With only a slightly bleeding heart (and wallet), Wei Ying paid for both, the sales assistant wished him good luck with a knowing look in her eyes, which actually made him blush this time. This was so exciting.
Back in his apartment, Wei Ying put the bag carefully on his bed, not wanting it to crinkle or anything and then spent the next few hours getting ready. Which meant he took a quick shower and then stood in front of the mirror and didn't know what to do with his hair. He had put on a pair of black jeans so he wouldn't look too fancy, he had a reputation to uphold, even put on a belt and had tucked the shirt into the waistline. He couldn't pull off any elegant braids, he tried time and time again but they all looked uneven and loose and didn't fit him at all. In the end, he pulled his hair in a high ponytail, letting his fringe and a few strands fall out. It was kind of disappointing after spending so much time on it, but if he would spent even more time on it, he would be late. And for once in his life, he didn't want to be late.
He pulled on his new jacket, turning and twisting and admiring himself in the mirror. For good measure, he put on a thin line of eyeliner because his eyes were his best feature and then he was satisfied. Yep, he could do it. And not even his nervously beating heart could convince him otherwise.
What's the worst that could happen anyway? If it didn't work out, they would just part ways and that was it.
One glance at his phone informed him that he needed to get out the door five minutes ago, so he shot a text message to his date that he was on his way, rushing out the door.
Wei Ying didn't even think about buying flowers or chocolate or anything at all, that could wait for the second or third date. Or never, for all he knew how today would go. Hell, he didn't even know if his date liked flowers or chocolate or was into romantic gestures or if he would be disappointed when Wei Ying showed up with neither. The train ride was, mildly put, nerve-wracking. Wei Ying's mind went a thousand miles a second, conjuring all kinds of mishaps he could walk into or cause.
Mercifully, his stop came up and his brain had to shut up because he was almost there and not late(!) and he didn't plan on being late after all if he stopped to buy something. Instead he tried to reassure himself that his date would probably be as nervous as him, they would make some awkward small talk at first and then start talking and after a few drinks they would be comfortable with each other. See, Wei Ying got that.
Before entering the restaurant, damn, it looked fancy and Wei Ying was relieved to splurge a little bit on his outfit, he took a couple of deep breaths. This was make or break.
A waitress greeted him in front of a half filled dining area, a polite smile on her face. "Good evening, gongzi, did you make a reservation?"
Wei Ying's eyes adjusted to the low light inside, quiet conversation filtering through the comfortable atmosphere.
He nodded. "Wei Wuxian, a table for two."
"This way, Wei-gongzi," she said after skimming through the reservations listed in the book in front of her. She took two menus with her and led him past the bar, which looked impressive and Wei Ying had to try at some point, toward a table for two next to the wall.
"Your company hasn't arrived yet," she informed him, although Wei Ying could see that with the empty chairs and all that. "Would you like something to drink while waiting?" she asked after Wei Ying sat down and put the menus on the table.
Wei Ying nodded a little stiffly, nerves catching up with him again. "Just tea, please," he swallowed.
The waitress inclined her head, "coming right away, Wei-gongzi." She vanished behind the next corner and it didn't take her long to come back, a small try in hand with a tea service. She put down the kettle in the middle of the table, a cup on either side and then poured Wei Ying the first cup. After she left with another courteous nod, Wei Ying gulped down the tea, almost burning his tongue. He poured himself another cup, sipping at it lightly and actually tasting it this time.
Wei Ying pulled out his phone to look at the time, he was actually on time on time for like five minutes which must be a first for him. Maybe his date would be nervous too and come in every second now. Wei Ying didn't fight the small smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't remember being this excited for his other dates.
Fiddling with his phone, Wei Ying unlocked and locked it a few times, waiting for the time to pass faster or trying to force matters by willpower alone. After a couple of minutes he gave in and opened his messenger app. His date read his last text but didn't reply, which wasn't all that unusual. So, Wei Ying opened a gaming app and played it to calm his nerves.
After a couple of back and forth between his game and checking the time, it was now 7.10 pm, making his date officially late, Wei Ying frowned. Maybe there was a delay on the tracks or traffic was horrible like always. He argued with himself for about two seconds before sending another text message. If anyone had ever texted with Wei Ying, they knew he invented the term double texting.
Wei Ying
saved u a spot over here
hope ur ready to be blown away ;)
He felt a little awkward, since when was he awkward with flirting?, but he could always blame it on his nerves. Yeah, totally normal behavior and all that.
With another long swig he emptied his second cup of tea, pouring it yet again. He just hoped his date would text him soon to let him at least know what was up. Hopefully nothing bad had happened.
After twirling his phone a few times in his hand, he opened his gaming app again to kill some time. And some more time. The kettle was almost empty by the time Wei Ying decided to give him a call. He received no new messages, now it was borderline rude. His fingers tapped a little agitated on the table top as he listened to the free signal line. It went on for some time until he reached his voicemail.
"Hey," Wei Ying at least tried to not sound sarcastic, "just a reminder that your date is waiting for you. Let me know what's up."
Scratching his head in frustration, somehow ruining his already wild hair, Wei Ying glanced at his watch. It's been almost an hour. He groaned inwardly. This was stupid. All the excitement he felt all afternoon, up until now really, was gone. If, if his date would show up, he probably wouldn't be able to enjoy this dinner anyway.
Before he could go even more down that way, his phone chimed with an incoming text message. Wie Ying scrambled, almost losing his grip on his phone, as he unlocked it and opened the messages, not even bothering to read them on his lock screen.
Su She
sorry can’t make it
girlfriend came over back together
And, well, "What the fuck," Wei Ying cursed out loud, earning him a few people looking sharply at him. He ducked his head with a mumbled 'sorry', which he didn't mean at all because, what the fuck. He read the messages a few more times, each time they read a little more ridiculous.
Wei Ying
what do u mean ‘back together’?
He furiously typed. It was one thing to be consciously the reason for eyerolls, people keeping his distance because he was too much, falling victim to disciplinary actions. But this? This was humiliating and he didn't even do anything.
Wei Ying
and u couldn’t tell me a little bit earlier?
wtf man thats just fucked
asshole
Wei Ying rubbed his face in frustration. Every last remaining hope vanished and his entire body was filled with dread and humiliation. He had been looking forward to this, he had been excited. To be entirely honest, he maybe even had hoped to get kissed by a boy and most definitely not being stood up. Because that's what this was, right? Wei Ying had been stood up.
His chair scratched audible over the floor when Wei Ying stood up, hands curled into tight fists. He earned another few pointed glares but didn't care enough to apologize this time, and fled into the bathroom. A glance in the mirror confirmed what he feared. His face had an embarrassed blush on the cheeks and his eyes stung with unshed tears that threatened to fall. Tossing ice cold water at his face helped with that but not with the tight yet somehow hollow feeling in his chest.
After washing his face a little aggressively to feel like a human again, Wei Ying turned his face left and right in front of the mirror, relieved to find that only his eyes looked a little puffy after rubbing off his eyeliner but his face was doing normal human things again and didn't reflect his shame. With a nod toward himself, Wei Ying returned to his table. He already spent too much money on this disaster, so of course he would spend even more money on it. He could at least enjoy the hopefully reasonably priced food.
He was just about to raise his hand to signal his waitress over, when she was already materializing next to him. Seriously, how did she do that?
"Gongzi," she inclined her head as she put down a glass of wine. Wei Ying blinked, looking up to her and then back to the glass.
"I'm sorry," he chuckled, "but I didn't-"
There was a hidden spark in her eyes when she discreetly pointed toward the counter behind her. "A courtesy from the gentleman at the bar."
Wei Ying leaned back to look around the waitress and in the general direction she pointed at, because subtlety wasn't on his resume, where he made eye contact with the possibly most gorgeous man on earth. Another wave of heat bubbled up in his chest, making his cheeks warm up but not even comparable in the slightest with earlier.
"Thanks," he finally croaked out, which the waitress took as her signal to leave. Wei Ying licked his lips and took a stuttering breath, willing his racing heart to slow down. As smoothly as possible he took the glass, inclined it towards the man who hadn't looked away for a single moment, piercing Wei Ying with his golden eyes. Swallowing hard again, Wei Ying took a sip from the glass and made a high pitched noise of appreciation in the back of his throat. Emperor's Smile! Now they were talking.
Another glance towards the bar made him make eye contact with the stranger again, confirming that he was still watching Wei Ying intently. Suddenly embarrassed he abruptly turned away, biting his lower lip. Wow, he would make an excellent job at being a spy or something, wouldn't he?
Out of the corner of his eyes, Wei Ying risked another quick glance at the bar. The man was unmoving, eyes on him like a statue, carved out of the finest of stone. Jade, maybe. His skin looked pale, a wonderful contrast to his black hair and with another sip of the wine, Wei Ying though fuck it and walked over.
With the glass in one hand, swirling the clear liquid back and forth, feeling the man's gaze intensify as he came closer. Wei Ying could only make eye contact once again, but that made him feel hot all over, something tightening low in his stomach, before sitting next to the other man, their shoulders only a breath away from each other.
"Thank you," he smiled brightly, genuine, "to what do I owe the honor?"
The man regarded him silently with a blank expression, Wei Ying didn't even try to decipher and for a horrible moment he thought he misjudged the situation greatly and this is not how this should have played out. Before Wei Ying could give in to the resignation of not getting an answer and having to walk very awkwardly and even more embarrassed back to his table in hopes the ground would swallow him whole, the man's voice broke the silence. And, oh.
"You looked like you needed one." His voice was low, barely carried over the casual conversations in the dining area but it was deep and smooth like honey. Wei Ying wasn't sure if a voice could make him cry, but it was a near damn thing. So, he laughed. Just a sudden, surprised giggle.
"Well, rude," Wei Ying laughed, leaning his elbows on the counter, "but also true, so," he shrugged, smile growing a little lopsided. He emptied his glass with one big sip and waved the bartender over. "Another glass of Emperor's Smile and," he gestured to the almost empty glass of his companion, "another one of whatever he had."
The man inclined his head in a silent gratitude.
“No need," Wei Ying waved his hand dismissively, a small smile back on his lips, "it's a thank you for your generosity. So, we're even again." He punctured the last part with a playful wink, delighted when he almost missed the red tips of the man's ears.
They waited quietly for the bartender to refill their glasses, while Wei Ying ran through every possible topic they could talk about. Usually, Wei Ying didn't actually think before he spoke, what was the fun in that? But somehow he didn't want to scare this admittedly walking god amongst humans away. He really, really didn't want to talk about it but this man was nice enough to help him out, to make him feel more than a beat down, and didn't even ask. Wei Ying sighed. It couldn't get any worse anyway and if the stranger wasn't prepared for a sob story it was his own fault, really.
"Got stood up," Wei Ying shrugged, not feeling like smiling anymore as he looked at his glass again but not drinking, "back with his girlfriend, apparently." And the words just tumbled out as soon as he started. "I mean, like, if you have someone on the hook then don't go out to fish for other's, you know? And at the very least, show up and tell that to my face and not message me an hour after we were supposed to meet. And here I thought, I could have a nice meal in a fancy restaurant. I went shopping to make myself presentable because let me tell you, I don't look this decent usually, more like never. But no, this fucker had me stand in front of the mirror for hours only to be a no show and make me feel like shit. Thanks, asshole." He groaned, face buried into his hands. "I was excited," he finally admitted out loud.
Wei Ying glared at his glass before taking a big gulp, running the back of his hand over his mouth. "And even worse, I thought I really liked that guy? He didn't have the best kind of humor or could carry a conversation all that well and-", Wei Ying interrupted himself, huffing at himself in annoyance, "okay, in hindsight he really wasn't great at all. But that makes it even worse worse because how can I be that bad of a judge of a character?"
Because he was just a disaster bi and was excited that a man showed interest in him, he answered himself, but didn't say out loud, because that would just be embarrassing.
The man next to him stayed silent but his eyes showed that he listened. Wei Ying would go even so far as to say, they showed sympathy. At least not pity, which was nice. He pitied himself enough.
"I-", Wei Ying ran one hand over his face, the other swinging the glass around, "I didn't tell my friends about this, thank god past me had that foresight. It would be absolutely excruciating to tell them about that." He couldn't help a quiet self depreciative laugh. Because he really did fall down hard, didn't he?
"I'm Wei Ying, by the way," Wei Ying chanced another glance at his companion, who for once wasn't looking at him, making him squirm in place and he took that opportunity to take a proper look at the man. He was tall, you could see that already by him sitting. His hair was long, skimming his waist with his tips and was pulled neatly back into a ponytail with a white, silky hair band, except for two long strands framing his face. Which was absolutely beautiful. Wei Ying could already tell by the profile and a few glances but now really looking at it, it was breathtaking. Lips rosy and plumb, nose straight and pointed, and his eyes, oh god, his eyes. His lashes were thick and long, every eye blink looked deliberate and devastating.
He wore an expensive looking white suit with a light blue dress shirt, nothing too fancy but definitely eye-catching. His pants were a little tight on his thighs, Wei Ying noticed when his eyes went south, swallowing around his dry throat. And his hands. Wei Ying didn't know if having a thing for hands was a thing but here he was, developing a thing for hands. At least this set of hands specifically. They were broad, but slim, fingers dancing over the rim of his glass absent-mindedly, betraying the rest of his stoic demeanor.
“Lan Zhan.”
Wei Ying startled, breaking his eyes away from those long fingers. “Huh?”
“My name. You just introduced yourself.” There was a smug smile tugging at the corners of Lan Zhan's mouth, not entirely visible but Wei Ying sat directly in front of him and could see the additional spark in his eyes. He was well aware that Wei Ying had been checking him out. Wei Ying chuckled, averting his eyes when he felt his cheeks heating up again. Was this his first time flirting or what?
“Ah, uh, yeah, nice to meet you, Lan Zhan.”
Wei Ying pulled himself together after that. Maybe the alcohol helped. He noticed how Lan Zhan flagged down the bartender whenever his glass had only a sip left and who was Wei Ying to deny Lan Zhan's generosity. He told him about his uni, his courses, spent a probably impolite amount of time cursing out his professor, which earned him both a slightly admonishing look but also made Lan Zhan almost-smile a few times. So, it couldn't have been that bad. He told him about his friends, that he kinda blew off just to be stood up but at least he let Wen Ning know beforehand and would make up for it. Lan Zhan was silent throughout their one-sided conversation, humming and making sounds of acknowledgment or assent, but Wei Ying didn't find it discouraging. Lan Zhan listened and didn't seem to be put off by his wall of words, rather he seemed to enjoy it.
They were both so immersed in Wei Ying's tale about Wen Qing stitching up a banana for practice that Wei Ying had held for her, equally because he had been fascinated and because he was a good friend, both not noticing when she accidentally stitched his fucking finger to the banana, it was absolutely hilarious, that they both were startled when Lan Zhan yawned.
Lan Zhan's ears turned bright red again. "I apologize," he said stiffly, taking a look at his watch.
"Ah, no, no," Wei Ying scratched his nose, "sorry, I was just rambling, it must be really boring. Sorry for-"
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan interrupted him softly, "I didn't mind. I enjoyed listening to you."
Wei Ying's mouth snapped shut. "Okay," he exhaled just as softly, warmth filling his chest.
"I-," Lan Zhan furrowed his eyebrows slightly, disappointed, "I need to go. I have work in the morning and I already stayed longer than intended."
Wei Ying didn't lie to himself that he felt the same disappointment, but tried to hide it as best as he could. "Yeah, totally. Sorry for taking up so much of your time and," he bit his lip as he fought down his smile, unsuccessfully, "thanks again."
Lan Zhan gave him a long look, indecipherable like the very first one before taking a napkin and writing something down. He folded it twice and handed it to Wei Ying.
"Thank you for your company. I really enjoyed our time together." Lan Zhan stood up and by turning away his hands brushed ever so lightly against Wei Ying's hand, making his whole body jolt. He was too stunned by all of it that he couldn't even say goodbye and when he found his voice again, Lan Zhan was already out the door.
His eyes finally caught the napkin that lay down next to his hand. Very carefully, his fingers weren't trembling, psh, he unfolded it.
A phone number in a small but the neatest handwriting Wei Ying has ever seen. His heart skipped a few beats, pushing his lips into a wide grin and when he threw his head back into a delighted laugh, only a few heads turned around but no one told him to quiet down.
Maybe his premonition for today had been wrong all along.
Notes:
I'm gonna keep tabs on the word count difference for my own entertainment 😂
original chapter one: 2.5k
rewritten chapter one: 5.5kfor now I try to update weekly, take a break after chapter 6 with chapter 7 being an interlude one, and then get the rest updated weekly again! I'm currently working on chapter 5 so, I should be able to keep that up!
Thank you so much for reading and if you want to keep up with my other works follow me on twitter and/or tumblr ❤️
Chapter 2
Summary:
wwx: memory? I don't know her :3c
wq: Wei Wuxian (confusingly affectionate and derogatory)
wn: 🥰
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
New day, new him, Wei Ying had decided. Not wanting the past day to weigh him down, he, Wei Ying, Wei Wuxian, had set an actual alarm he didn't snooze - okay, he did snooze it but only twice and not often enough for it to shut itself off. Before his brain could even form any coherent thought, it was filled with Lan Zhan. The ambered heat behind his gaze that Lan Zhan tried to hide, or maybe didn't, but it made his whole body tingle with excitement more than any alcohol could ever make him. He maybe didn't get the kiss he had hoped for, but Lan Zhan steadily had kept his glass full and had stared at him as if he had wanted to take off his clothes right then and there, which was close enough.
It sure didn't help that their eyes had always met when he had looked at Lan Zhan's face, making him stumble through words. He groaned, smashing his face into his pillow. He felt like a young maiden swooning over a prince who paid her attention once by picking up her handkerchief. What was he, 14? But he really couldn't help himself. Even trying to think of his lecture he was about to go to, which was one of the more interesting ones about con artists, didn't help. His thoughts ended up drifting until Lan Zhan's face and eyes and hands were all he could think of.
Giving up on staying in bed comfortably any longer, because oh boy did his thoughts wander, Wei Ying crawled out from under the blanket into the bathroom. An ice cold shower should do the trick. Well, it did the trick, but it didn't stop his imagination. At least, they were harmless now, just pure (ha!) reminisce of their evening and how little Lan Zhan must know how much he had helped.
The vibrations of his phone from under his pillow, letting him know of an incoming text message, finally broke him out of his train of thoughts.
Wen Ning
Are you coming for today's 11 am lecture? I can save you a seat.
Wei Ying grinned. It was no secret that he had a soft spot for Wen Ning and when he texted Wei Ying with proper punctuation, it only nurtured the adorable picture Wei Ying had of him. Though, it was only one of the many traits he cherished about his friend.
Wei Ying
omw (●’◡’●)ﾉ
Combining getting dressed with eating breakfast, Wei Ying saved some time to get to uni early. (Really, who was he anymore?) But the prospect of meeting with Wen Ning before his lecture started and the additional motivation from last evening, was reason enough for this occasion. The napkin with Lan Zhan's number was securely tucked away in his wallet, ready to be used, which Wei Ying will definitely do this evening. He just didn't want to shoot him a message in passing, Lan Zhan deserved way more than that.
If something was known about uni, it was that you didn't have assigned seats or designated places of some kind. But, if you've been to uni for a couple of years, you just have your seats. That was where Wei Ying found Wen Ning. It was never discussed, they had found these seats in the entrance hall of their department in their first semester almost always empty and in a silent understanding drifted toward them, alone or together. When they were looking for each other, that was the first place to start. And over the last semester their peers started to notice and left the table alone, as much as they left other tables alone that had become other's seats. Only every now then when some new faces showed up and took residence at their table they had to look elsewhere because they sure wouldn't walk up to them and demand their seats in a place where there were no your seats.
"Good mornin'," Wei Ying waved with a bright smile, falling down on the seat opposite of Wen Ning.
“Good morning, Wei Ying!” Wen Ning beamed, looking up from his notes and laptop for yet another essay he was working on. Criminal profiling was interesting, Wei Ying sure spent some nights with Wen Ning over his course texts that weren't relevant for his own major at all, but also were just boringly theoretical.
"Whatcha writing? There was no homework, was there?" Wei Ying squinted his eyes, trying really hard to remember what the last lecture had been about or if he even attended.
Wei Ying pushed out some air through his nose, a quiet laugh of his. "No, don't worry. It's just our term paper."
Wei Ying blinked, a small smile on his lips.
“Our what?”
Wen Ning looked up, eyes growing owlishly and could practically watch Wei Ying's panic rise from within as his smile grew tight, his body froze, and his eyes darted back and forth between Wen Ning's notes and his face, hoping for Wen Ning to drop the joke.
"O-our term paper," Wen Ning said carefully not to spook Wei Ying. "The one due in four days. For Yao- laoshi's course?"
Scratch the very first sentence, today was back on his bullshit forgetting an entire term paper they had to write for passing this course. How could he forget about this? Especially for this professor? Lan Qiren was one thing, too strict, too hard on his students, way too unfair toward Wei Ying, but Yao- laoshi … he would never stop talking about him forgetting a term paper. He would rat him out to every other professor, slander him with every breath. He needed to turn in something . Or else his quiet student life would be over.
"D'you reckon I could pull off a murder without anyone finding out about it?"
Wen Ning chuckled nervously, assessing if Wei Ying was serious, which he was only for like 20%, to be fair. But still.
"W-wait," Wen Ning cleared his throat to stop Wei Ying turning any more serious about this, "there is still some time left. I- I'll help you come up with a topic and th- then your structure and you'll have written it in no time!"
Four days was totally do-able for Wei Ying, they both knew that. But it would be a hassle and if Wei Ying wanted to avoid anything it was working on something he didn't care about. But he did care about his major, so. There was that.
Scratching his head, making his messy bun bounce and unravel, Wei Ying shook his head. "Nah," he took out his scrunchy and clenched it between his teeth as he pulled his hair back up, talking through the fabric, "gotta do that on my own. You have enough on your plate as it is," he grinned, looping his hair tie back in place.
Wei Ying sighed, resting chin in his palm. How do these things pile up in such a short amount of time? He didn't do anything to deserve this, did he? Did his past life have something to do with that?
"Alright," Wei Ying focused back to the present, "no use fretting over spilled milk. I'm just gonna come up with… something," he gestured vaguely, "and start tonight. No worries."
With one last determined nod, both at himself and at Wen Ning, Wei Ying leaned back into his chair. "Can't do anything right now, anyway, because I don't have my laptop with me, so," he grinned, not disappointed about that circumstance at all to Wen Ning's growing worry.
"If you s-say so, I'm sure Wei Ying will make it in time, and," he added sheepishly, "I'm sure you still get the best grade for this class."
Wei Ying barked out a laugh. "Wouldn't that be something, eh?"
It only took until early afternoon that Wei Ying's motivation to start on the paper at all was killed by having the most boring lectures of them all. Which kind of were all of them, depending what day it was. He was tempted to skip his classes for the day altogether but Wen Qing was also attending his 4 pm class and one meaningful glare as if she could read his mind, glued his ass to the seat. If he plugged in his phone to play games on it for the rest of the day, no he didn't.
It was already dark by the time the last lecture ended and his motivation to start writing now was nowhere to be found. Only the impending threat to be in Yao- laoshi's mercy made him groan for the whole 30 seconds it took him to get his laptop, power it on, and open an empty document.
When someone knocked on the door, Wei Ying had already forgotten about the paper and scrambled for the door. Wen Ning shuffled on the spot, a shy smile on his lips.
"Hey, W-Wei Ying."
"Wen Ning?" Wei Ying stepped to the side, not hesitating to let him in.
"I know, y-you wanted to write on your term paper,-"
"'Wanted' is a strong word," Wei Ying mumbled as they sat down at his coffee table.
"-and I-I really don't want to take m-much of your time. We just- we just kinda somehow also wanted to study for next week's test? "
Wei Ying hit his forehead with his open palm, leaving a bright red mark. "Of course, ugh! Totally forgot."
What didn't he forget? Maybe he had to write his thesis by the end of the month, too, who knows.
"I don't have to write, like, my thesis by next month?" he asked just to be entirely sure. Wen Ning chuckled, shaking his head.
"No, you don't."
Crisis averted. Though the next few days will be a crunch and a half with writing and studying. Though, Wen Ning will do most of the studying and Wei Ying will skim through some of the texts and fill in the blanks as he goes. Not exactly the carefree student life everyone always told him about, but it could be worse. He assumed. Not gonna jinx it.
"Wanna ask your sister to come as well? She takes that class, right?" Wei Ying squinted his eyes.
Wen Ning grinned, "she's already on her way."
Shortly after, Wen Qing arrived, slapping Wei Ying over the head for forgetting about two important assignments and Wei Ying only whined for a couple of minutes, lamenting the abuse he had to suffer from her.
They studied for around an hour, taking turns cross checking their information, explaining to each other various procedures, and reciting laws. After an hour, Wen Qing ordered them to take a break, because she was also a mother hen although Wei Ying would never dare to say that out loud, and made sure they all drank some water and handed out snack bars.
Wei Ying was happily munching on his chocolate cereal bar, Wen Ning carefully setting aside his notes to not crumble on them, and Wen Qing scrolling through her emails with one hand.
"I got accepted for my first choice internship, by the way," she said around her own nut cereal bar.
Wen Ning perked up, face glowing in pride. "That's wonderful, sis. I'm happy for you! Where?"
"Headquarters in Lanling," she sighed. It was the most prestigious police headquarters and adjacent morgue. They also had a renowned corpse farm on the outskirts of the city and Wen Qing would be a fool to let her apprehension for the city get the best of her.
Wei Ying was watching them carefully, chewing on his latest bite so long it was just mush in his mouth.
"What internship?" he asked very, very innocently, swallowing the pulp.
If asked what people thought of Wei Ying, most of his peers would answer something like: brilliant, loud, boisterous, quick witted, a little conceited maybe, but could follow through every claim he made.
If you asked Wen Qing, she would say: stupidest, most moronic genius she had ever met. And sometimes regretted it.
"I can't with you," she groaned into her hands, "I really can't."
Wen Ning didn't look disappointed but worried, if not a little shocked? Confused? Exasperated? Wei Ying couldn't tell by all the emotion that crossed his face.
"It's not that bad that I forgot, right?" he chuckled nervously, chewing a little more frantically at his cereal bar.
"Forget forgetting term papers and tests," Wen Qing punched Wei Ying in the arm, "you set the bar already low, but here we are, you dancing limbo with the devil. How did you make it into uni? How are you still alive ?"
Okay, now she's getting personal, which was, you know, rude , but also true, Wei Ying had to give her that. He always kind of had someone to keep track of things and usually reminded him in time. So, that's what they were doing, reminding him in time to get an internship. He still had time, right?
"What about you?" Wei Ying turned toward Wen Ning, letting Wen Qing steep in her fury over him, he didn't need that negativity in his life.
"O-oh! I already attended my required internship a while ago," he shrugged apologetically. "I shadowed a few profilers which was really interesting and I learned a lot of how field work works."
"Sounds boring, but okay," Wei Ying groaned. "So, until when do we have to complete our internship?"
"Until we finish our fifth semester," Wen Qing exhaled sharply, drumming her fingers on the table, waiting for Wei Ying to do the math. Which wasn't hard but it was horrifying enough to render Wei Ying speechless.
"We are in our fifth semester," he whispered, staring unfocused at the wall, taking stock. He had to write his term paper in four days, had to study for a test next week aka watch over Wen Ning studying and had to find an internship in the next month.
"How," he rasped, clearing his throat, "how long does the internship have to be," he asked without inflection.
"At least three weeks," Wen Qing sighed, sounding utterly done. "Some places don't offer internships that short though. I have a two months internship, I even get provided an apartment," she rolled her eyes at that but if she could make Lanling HQ spend money on her she would make them bleed and didn't feel sorry about it at all.
"Great, cool, wonderful," Wei Ying nodded, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get to work then!" He grinned, while the siblings shot each other worried glances.
And they were right. On Monday, Wei Ying looked like the living dead. Cheeks hollow, eyes sunken in and bloodshot and accurately depicted a student who tried to catch up on all his forgotten assignments on the weekend. Which, to be fair, he tried to do.
He pulled an all-nighter for the first night to finish his term paper, took a power nap before writing notes and helpful reviews for the test he intended to give Wen Ning who came over later. And then pulled another all-nighter to look at all possible places who had internships available.
In their first lecture, Wei Ying fell asleep a couple of times only to be woken up by Wen Qing only every other time because she is no monster and knows he needs sleep, just not when Lan Qiren ist glaring at him and subsequently her. Wen Ning tried feeding him to keep him awake like an angel, though after almost choking mid swallow falling asleep and Wen Qing ready to use the Heimlich maneuver, they didn't try that again.
"Did you even get any sleep at all last weekend?" Wen Qing snapped when they finally had some peace in the cafeteria.
"Uh-huh," Wei Ying answered with his eyes closed, mouth chewing on nothing as his spoon was still halfway up. He had to focus all his attention to finally get the food into his mouth and to chew until it was ready to swallow. Not remembering how to eat seemed to be a side effect of sleep deprivation.
"Fuck!" He yelled, making himself choke on spit and duck breast. He coughed violently, before Wen Ning slapped his back and tears gathered in his eyes. He just remembered something. Other than eating, of course. He remembered something important , unbelievably important that he didn't know how he could forget.
Lan Zhan.
It's been almost a whole week since they met and he didn't text him after Lan Zhan made all that effort to make him feel appreciated and not like a total idiot who got stood up and what did he do? Nothing. That's what he did. Maybe he deserved being stood up. Bemoaning his own stupidity, Wei Ying scooped the rest of his food up and ate it in one bite, coughing violently when I went down the wrong pipe. Wen Ning handed him a glass of water, while Wen Qing hit his back hard enough for it to bruise. Really, walking around Wei Ying was a medical lesson all on its own. That was why she probably stuck around.
"I usually tell this to toddlers," she sighed after Wei Ying was able to breathe again, "but you need to chew before you swallow. Best, if you chew enough ."
"I know that," Wei Ying pouted. He still is a genius and knows how to eat. Most of the time. But that train of thought came to a screeching halt, as Wei Ying stared into the middle distance trying to remember the other very important thing. Lan Zhan had handed him a napkin with his number. So, where did he put the napkin?
Wei Ying squinted his eyes, racking his brain for any information for this specific piece of cloth. The adrenaline kicked in, making him more awake than he had been in the past few days as he pulled his backpack close, rummaging through every pocket where it could have slipped in.
Wen Ning and Wen Qing stared at him in bewilderment, but not exactly surprised how fast Wei Ying can change his whole rhythm.
"Do you need h-help?" Wen Ning asked tentatively, because he was an angel and not like his sister who was only going to watch him succumb to his growing panic.
"No, no, I just-," Wei Ying's wallet landet in his hands and he was about to just push it aside when something surfaced. Napkin, wallet, yeah, that somehow correlated. He turned it upside down, letting his single banknote fall out, no coins and a few cards.
"I'm not even going to ask," Wen Qing shook her head and continued eating her own soup. "Let me know when he has lost it completely. Maybe I'll switch to psychology if it looks interesting."
Wen Ning shot her a patient smile and turned back to Wei Ying who was still rummaging through his wallet but then yelled in excitement.
"Sorry!" he chuckled nervously, patting Wen Ning on the shoulder who held his ears by the loud noise. "Just got excited."
"For what?" Wen Ning slowly put down his hands again, fascinated when Wei Ying put everything back into place and put his bowl back on the tray.
Wei Ying shrugged slightly, noncommittally which only earned him an even more suspicious glare from Wen Qing.
"Just, uh, something!" Wow, peak diversion. "Gotta go, see you later! Text me Wen Ning! I got notes for you!" Wei Ying said louder and louder as he stood up and jogged away from the table, leaving the siblings in stupefied silence.
Wen Ning turned to his sister but she slapped down her chopsticks. "Nope. If he doesn't talk I don't wanna know."
Wei Ying literally sprinted back home. Faster than any fear of Lan Qiren had ever made him run, just because he was about to text a pretty man. He really was a distater bisexual, wasn't he? At home, Wei Ying threw his backpack into the next best corner, cradling his wallet like his most prized possession. The fine cut in the fabric was almost undetectable next to the seam, which was its purpose but leave it to Wei Ying to create a hiding space and promptly forget about it. Maybe he should check out his abysmal memory capacity.
Carefully, afraid he could rip it, Wei Ying extracted the paperlike fabric out of the small slit. It unfolded easily and to Wei Ying's relief, the number was still as legible as it had been that evening.
"Okay, alright," he swallowed, licking his lips. That was step one. Onto the next one. Wei Ying grabbed his phone, sitting down between the small space of his bed and his wardrobe as if he was about to do something forbidden and no one must know. He created a new contact, saving the number with only slightly trembling hands. Oh god, he was really gone, was he? At least now he had his number where he couldn't lose it again. Except if he loses his phone, which wasn't impossible especially for someone like him.
So, now what? Was texting him after almost a week of no contact considered rude? Should he call him? A horrifying thought bubbled up. What if Lan Zhan had only taken pity on him and just entertained him for the evening and would rather be bothered if Wei Ying reached out for him. Especially after over half a week ago. Maybe Lan Zhan returned to his girlfriend? boyfriend? at home, telling this funny encounter at the bar. Did he even look interested in Wei Ying? Wei Ying buried his face in his knees. No one told him being gay way this stressful, he wouldn't have signed up for that otherwise.
Okay, that's a lie. Lan Zhan was handsome, pretty, gorgeous, every other possible adjective to describe a godlike human man. Sure, he might be a little bit older than him, but that was just nitpicking. And Wei Ying enjoyed having his attention and giving him attention and making his ears blush. You need to be gay to experience something like that.
He flinched when the phone in his hand suddenly started to ring, making him drop his phone. Wei Ying snapped out of it and took the call without looking at the caller's ID.
"Hello?"
"Wei Ying," Wen Ning's soothing voice was crisp through the speaker, "I just wanted to, y-you know, check in. If everything is alright? Are you okay?"
"Wen Ning," Wei Ying sighed, he didn't deserve such a good friend. "Yep, peachy. I just needed to… I remembered a place I wanted to send an application to! Yeah!" He nodded at himself. Diversion 101 master back in the game.
"Oh!" Wen Ning hummed in relief. "That's great! I'll cross my fingers for you. Let me- let me know if you need help with anything."
"I will. Thank you, Wen Ning," Wei Ying smiled softly, ending the call after their goodbyes.
Okay, new plan. Wei Ying is actually going to send out an application because he hated lying to Wen Ning and he still needed an internship, so it was two birds with one stone. And then he would text Lan Zhan. As a reward. A treat, you could say.
The next thing he experienced was the hammering sound trying to penetrate his skull. Wei Ying groaned, squinting his closed eyes and pawing at whatever it was that produced these unholy ultrasounds. His hand apparently pushed of the torture device because the rattling stopped and only a faint buzzing sound came from next to his foot. With a heavy sigh Wei Ying opened his eyes, trying to orientate himself.
He sat at his coffee table in front of his laptop which had already shut off due to its drained batteries. There were some notes littering around the table and the floor, some crumbled where Wei Ying's head had been laying. Wei Ying pinched his nose. Right. He had sent in another application and then found a website that covered lots of procedures for one of Wen Qing and his class, so he wanted to take some notes to show her tomorrow and fell into the rabbit whole of not knowing when to stop reading on more and more obscure websites. Just to fall asleep, or pass out.
Wei Ying grabbed his phone to finally silence it and only then noticed that the sound was actually his alarm for the next day. He had slept for a solid 3 hours or so. Great. Now his body shouldn't complain when he takes another all-nighter, it should have enough energy for that.
His body did complain with an agonizing ache in his back, his stiff joints that cracked when he moved to stand up.
"Uuuugh," Wei Ying groaned but gave in to do some basic stretches to loosen up his cramped muscles. Okay maybe a 3 hours or so sleep in his bed would have been more advisable. Wei Ying headed over to his kitchen, stumbling when he saw white spots in his vision. Huh, that didn't seem right. Wei Ying poured himself a glass of water, trying to shake off the dizzy spell that didn't seem like it wanted to leave. After biting into a banana for some nutrition and his stomach revolting against it, Wei Ying gave in.
He texted his group chat with the Wens that he would skip today's classes, really, him informing them he wouldn't come was more courtesy than usual, so he proceeded to fall head first into his bed and pass out again.
Again, he was woken up by some pounding sound. Though this time it came from somewhere further away. Wei Ying blinked desorientated at his phone, informing him of some missed calls and a few messages and that it was already around 2 pm. Stumbling out of his bed, Wei Ying held himself upright by the wall he used to guide him to his front door.
"'m coming," he yawned and opened the door to Wen Qing's fist, only stopping barely in front of his face.
"Finally," she snapped, pushing him back inside. Wei Ying almost toppled over but caught himself on the wall next to him. Wen Qing shot him another piercing glare. Wen Ning shuffled inside behind his sister with a worried "hi" before he held onto Wei Ying's arm with an impressive strength. Wei Ying sighed. He knew better than to fight these siblings.
He let them manhandle him back into his living space where Wen Qing pushed him into the red beansack, muttering about how irresponsible and reckless he was. Wei Ying just smiled up at her and informed her about the transplant of dead fibre to use as a host for living fibre which thinned her lips in a straight line. She listened intently, eyes glancing over the mess of notes and nodded.
"Good thing you risked your health over this instead of just sending me the link or something," she hissed, but with a lot less heat. Wen Ning busied himself by tidying up his coffee table while Wen Qing fixed them something to eat, after pushing a cup of tea into Wei Ying's hand. Wei Ying closed his eyes, nursing his tea until shortly after Wen Qing exchanged his cup with a bowl.
The soup was a clear broth, lotus roots swimming on the surface and some white meat pieces on the bottom. Wei Ying's bowl smelled a few degrees spicer than Wen Ning and Wen Qing's. And Wei Ying was fluent in Wen Qing's love language. After everything they've been through, no amount of bickering and arguing could really tear them apart.
"Just," Wen Qing sat down, pinching her face as if she had bitten into a lemon, "talk dead fibre to me."
"You got it," Wei Ying said around a lumb in his throat and a tight chest. He barreled into his discoveries, made his own guesses on usability and only had to be reminded by Wen Ning once in a while to eat.
They ended up staying the rest of the day and the following night. Wei Ying kept talking about different procedures how to preserve corpses in different environments and how to help keeping evidence intact with Wen Qing, (Wen Ning somewhen around talking bugs and flies and larvae took out his headphones and droned out their conversation looking awfully pale). A little while later, Wen Ning asked Wei Ying's opinion on eye movement to determine someone lying which ended up them playing various games to find out their tells on when they lied. And even later, they finally pulled out the wine, they exchanged loopholes in laws and how to go around them, both on the lawful side of justice and their criminal counterpart. Which then led to a discussion of what exactly is criminal if they act out of a loophole.
All in all, a very productive and entertaining time caused by Wei Ying's inability to care for himself.
The next day, Wei Ying didn't kick them out but the siblings didn't fight when he asked them to leave. He could see it in their faces that they wanted to be home and maybe sleep a couple of extra hours because they insisted on him taking his single bed since he needed sleep the most and all three of them didn't fit on the floor. And they sure as hell wouldn't take the bed when Wei Ying slept on the floor.
He assured them he would eat and drink and definitely take a shower, that he would text them in the evening so they wouldn't be worried and then they finally left. Wei Ying let out a heavy sigh.
He loved his friends dearly and wouldn't miss them in his life, but sometimes he just needed to be alone to get his thoughts in order.
And his very first thought that he allowed to surface was Lan Zhan.
Wonderful, handsome, funny Lan Zhan. Who probably didn't remember him more than some drunk student whining about his life. To Wei Ying, though, Lan Zhan was someone he desperately wanted to talk to. For many reasons, not just horny ones, thank you very much.
He took the time to move his table and beanbag back into place, brewing some coffee and getting comfortable before pulling out his phone. The window for a new message thread opened on his screen, the cursor blinking at him in anticipation. Wei Ying swallowed. He typed a message, deleted it, rewrote it, deleted it again , until he finally settled on just being honest. Wen Qing said he should try it sometime.
Wei Ying
heyyyyyy
pls don't interpret any amount of 'y's I don't believe in that theory
I just
oh damn it's me Wei Ying
handsome student that u got drunk the other day
I don't know if u remember honestly and I'm super sorry I only text u back now
uni happened I guess
I don't really have an excuse I forgot bc I don't have any memory capacity
my head is for good looks only
but I'm super sorry
bc thank you
I had a really nice evening and u
u were great
so
idk where I'm going with this
am I bothering u?
And okay, wow, Wei Ying had to stare at his wall of texts, staring into the middle distance pursing his lips. And he was confused why people told him he could be overbearing at times. Well, it's just that his brain didn't shut up, not once had his brain been silent, and if he opened the floodgate there was no stopping it. It wasn't his fault, to be fair.
His brain was already on the spiral toward absolute mortification from not even getting an answer and being left on read, making Wei Ying pressing his palms against his eyes until he saw stars and taking a shuddering breath. Okay, focus. He had a nice evening, despite the circumstances and if Lan Zhan realized in the meantime what a fuck up he ended up with that day, Wei Ying would find someone else. There are plenty of other fish in the sea and all that.
Letting himself feel both relieved and anxious about the texts, hoping Lan Zhan wouldn't answer and answer right now at the same time, he pushed these thoughts away. His logical brain needlessly informed him that he still needed an internship, there was going to be a test tomorrow, so he had other things to do than thirsting over someone he didn't even know remembered him.
Putting his phone on silent and shoving it somewhere under his blankets, Wei Ying buried himself in work, alternating between looking up places for internships, writing out applications that all blurred together at this point, and looking up helpful information for Wen Ning to review, as well as to read various journals about vigilantism and it's pros and cons.
The sun had already set when Wei Ying forced his eyes off the screen, blinking furiously at the burn that stung behind his dry lids. He cracked his neck, pulled out his phone as he stood up and walked toward the kitchen to snap Wen Qing a picture that he was eating, even if it was the first time today, but she didn't need to know that. His breath caught somewhere in between his ribs and he painfully stumbled against the kitchen counter with his hip, when the topmost notification read a new incoming message from Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan . Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan .
Cool, fan-fucking-tastic. Wei Ying bit his lower lip, locked and unlocked his phone a few times before he dared with shaking fingers to open the text message, only to lock it instantly again. Oh god, he was embarrassing even himself alone in the kitchen with his antics. He put the phone on the counter, deliberately slowly and carefully, before pushing his hands against his face, rubbing it furiously, wailing loudly.
Okay, he got this. Now with his pent up energy out of his system, he took up his phone again and unlocked the text thread. No way he was going to leave Lan Zhan on read.
Lan Zhan
You don't bother me. I had a great time, as well.
Wei Ying read the words a few times, heart leaping up in his throat. All of his word vomit and this is what he got as an answer? Two sentences. That put him at ease immediately. It was so very Lan Zhan and Wei Ying was disgusted by himself for being absolutely smitten with that. He didn't even fight the smile on his lips.
Wei Ying let his phone unlocked, fixing himself some cereals because all the energy that he was originally going to use to make food is now being redirected to answering Lan Zhan, but he still remembered sending Wen Qing evidence of his food. There was a hum in his blood, making him both antsy but so relaxed, excited. Lan Zhan said he had a 'great' time with him. He didn't scare him off, neither at the bar nor with his radio silence nor his onslaught of text messages.
He made himself comfortable in the beanbag, legs drawn almost up to his chest to balance his bowl on his knees and his phone in one hand.
Wei Ying
!!!! Lan Zhan
u texted back!!
:D
Lan Zhan
I apologize for not replying earlier. I am quite occupied with work myself.
Wei Ying
no no don't be sorry!!
I'm happy u texted back!!
Lan Zhan
I was very pleased to receive a message from you, too.
Wei Ying giggled, burying his face into his knees, consciously holding his bowl away so it didn't spill milk everywhere. His face must undoubtedly be blushing, judging by the heat he felt in his cheeks and the smile stretching from ear to ear.
Wei Ying
well I'm glad to hear that
because there is a lot of me left for you to get to know
( ˘ ³˘)♥︎
Before overthinking if this was a little bit too much, a bit too straightforward, Wei Ying remembered Lan Zhan's red ear tips and found himself not caring too much about that. He wondered if he'll be able to see that again sometime soon.
Another notification informed him of their group chat being active, mainly Wen Qing reprimanding him that cereal is not a real meal and he ought to cook something. Wei Ying snickered before going on a bullshit rant about how nutritious cereals were, followed by a serious discussion whether cereals could supplement a healthy diet depending on how it was processed without it losing sweetness for what Wei Ying was eating it in the first place.
Only his phone's blinking alert that its battery was about to die, made him realize how much time had gone by and Lan Zhan hadn't answered him anymore. His chest constricted harder by that realization than Wei Ying wanted to admit. Maybe it had been too much. What else was new with Wei Ying.
Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Wei Ying plucked in his phone, informed his friends that he'll get a good night's sleep for once and that they'll see each other tomorrow. He took a quick shower, because he really needed to, especially if he planned on leaving his apartment tomorrow and then headed to bed without looking at his phone again.
The next day, Wei Ying finally showed up at uni again, mainly just for the test and handing in his paper. (Which his department unnecessarily demanded physically and electronically.) The test was almost laughable, Wei Ying had to physically keep his face from contorting too visibly in the face of his professor after handing it in after barely half an hour. Yao- laoshi shot him a furious glare but didn't comment on it because he knew Wei Ying wouldn't fail. He just really, really hoped for it.
It took Wen Qing and Wen Ning another 45 minutes to leave the lecture hall and found Wei Ying folded in their chairs, feet on the table's edge and knees pushed up under his chin and playing some games on his phone.
"Don't come crying to me in a few years about your rotten posture," Wen Qing huffed, kicking his feet from the table. Wei Ying yelped, startled by the sudden loss of support and almost face planted on the tabletop.
"Wen Qing!" Wei Ying said in fake outrage, "be careful of my most important asset," he drew a circle around his face with one hand, putting on his killer smile and winked at her which earned him an expression that said she wanted absolutely nothing more than to never be associated with him ever again. Rude.
Before Wei Ying locked his phone and pushed it in his pocket, he checked one last time for a message that never came. Lan Zhan hadn't answered him since yesterday evening and Wei Ying slowly caught on, that this probably just wasn't going to work out. It had been already more than he could have hoped for but Lan Zhan actually answering him and telling him those things, made him hope for more and it was, frankly, even worse now. He kinda wished Lan Zhan hadn't answered him back in the first place. Anyway, phone in his pocket, Lan Zhan out of his mind.
Both Wen Ning and Wen Qing looked at him with a funny expression when he met their eyes again, so naturally he grinned at them and suggested they use the rest of their Friday to enjoy the nice weather. It was sunny, warm and under no circumstances should they spend such a day confined in this place. For once, they all agreed on that.
They wouldn't hear from their professor back about the tests until the end of semester because he always took until the last minute to upload their grades, so they didn't even try to fret about that at the moment. Instead they strolled through the buzzing streets of Yunmeng, testing out different food stalls that popped up here and there, sat down near one of the lakes filled with lotuses and enjoyed their ice creams. They filled the space between them with laughter, Wei Ying gesturing wildly for all three of them, Wen Qing being the voice of reason between them when they got too loud or his stories too out of hand, and Wen Ning's stutter all but vanished in the face of so much warmth and cathartis between them.
When the streets filled in the evening, people coming from work and wanting to experience a wonderful summer night at the piers as well, Wen Ning's shoulder drew up and a quick glance between Wen Qing and Wei Ying was enough for them to agree to move. They walked next to Wen Ning on each side, maneuvering them out of the crowd and in an unspoken agreement walked toward Wei Ying's apartment. It wasn't actually that far away from the Wen sibling's place and under other circumstances, they would all three share a flat, but it was better that Wei Ying wouldn't show up close to their apartment, stirring up rumors again.
Two years ago, Wei Ying got this apartment and as small as it was, he loved it. It was cramped but had enough space to fit in his belongings, had all the necessary space for a kitchen, bathroom and a bed in his one room apartment. But if there was one thing he regretted deeply was to check for air conditioning when he moved in. Which it didn't have. The insulation wasn't great either for that matter, but at least he could fight off the cold with a heating blanket Wen Qing had gifted him after getting a cold three times in a row in two months. But the heat? No. It clocked up his apartment and however he tried to get the air circulating by having windows and doors open, he was sweating three minutes in.
Wen Qing and Wen Ning didn't complain though. They already anticipated this, wordlessly stripping down to barely anything. There was no embarrassment between them as they sat in their underwear around the table, drinking their ice cold wine fast enough that it wouldn't heat up to room temperature. They took turns passing around some cooling pack before putting it back into the freezer and starting the circle anew. It wasn't the most pleasant evening, but it was theirs and to them it was perfect.
Wei Ying idly pulled out his phone when Wen Qing was in the kitchen looking for another bottle of cheap wine, because Wei Ying could never afford a bottle of Emperor's Smile, looking at some of his emails. His cup almost slipped from his hand, halfrisen to his mouth for another sip, sloshing some of the liquid down his fingers and against his chin, when he read the topmost email. Wen Ning made a distressed noise, grabbing for a rag that was laying around and wiped up the alcohol from the table which Wei Ying didn't even acknowledge.
"Thank you for your application," Wei Ying read out loud, immediately quieting both Wen's questions, "we are happy to inform you that we would like to invite you for an internship at one of our outside branches. Unfortunately, the position you applied for had already been filled, but we were impressed by your previous accomplishments and offer you this alternative." It went on with some more details and a request for a haste reply because the internship would start on Monday , as in three days from now.
Wei Ying had gotten so many rejections, or no answers for that matter, because he applied late and all internships for the upcoming semester break had been filled, that he simultaneously had already resigned that he needed to talk to the dean of his department to ask for an extension and that he only ever skimmed emails for another rejection that it took him a solid minute to realize that this was truly happening.
"About time," Wen Qing huffed, obviously relieved, sitting down next to him and bumping his shoulder. She read the email from his phone, squinting her eyes.
"Leling?" she asked.
Wei Ying blinked, words being able to process again. He looked down on his phone and scrolled around a bit.
"Yeah," he mumbled, "it was actually an offer in Yueling, I think. Where," he opened up his map app, "is Leling even?"
Wen Ning kneeled down next on his other side, leaning over as well but a respectfully distance between their arms in contrast to his sister who leaned her full weight against Wei Ying and they both knew their skin will stick together with sweat in no time.
The map indicated it was high up north, even further up than Qinghe. And that was already high up north. For the moment, Wei Ying was just grateful for the opportunity at all and already was looking forward to fleeing from this heat.
There were not many more details about that place or that internship in general, just that it was a smaller police branch, just a couple of officers who wouldn't mind a pair of extra hands and Wei Ying learning at least some field work practices by the very few cases of pickpockets, Wei Ying assumed. But, beggars can't be choosers. And he would make the best out of it.
Wen Qing seconded that thought, nodding that it was a relief for having anything instead of needing to grovel for being stupid. Wen Ning, ever the supportive character, tried to hype him up that he would learn so much out on the street and fighting real crime and the lot. Wei Ying didn't have it in him reminding Wen Ning, that this was just some outskirts city with an even lesser crime rate than Gusu probably. Well, maybe not. Since there was no crime at all in Gusu, but you know, it was the principle.
A dream would have been to be stationed in Yiling after finishing his studies, so an internship beforehand in that region would have been ideal, being right there where he could make a difference. But again, Wei Ying can always start looking for a job there after he gets his degree.
He just hoped it wouldn't be too boring all the way up north. At least, he needed a way to stay in shape, doing mental gymnastics to fit in a proper workout only did so much and he hoped to get an opportunity to strengthen his hand to hand combat. He sighed, how could he forget his internship he had looked forward to so much?
Wen Qing seemed to have a similar train of thought, since she reminded him to not forget to read the rest of the email.
Rolling his eyes, Wei Ying scrolled down, speed reading when he needed to take the train they were going to book as soon as he accepted, where his apartment for that time was and how he would get to the station. Everything will be covered, he even gets an allowance both for basic necessities and for himself. So, all in all it didn't seem to be that bad of a turn of events.
Wei Ying quickly replied, thanking them for the opportunity and that he would be honored to take this offer and was looking forward to it.
Within minutes he got another reply, thanking him for his fast answer and attached was his train ticket. Talk about efficiency. A quick look on the ticket showed him that it was an overnight train, so he would arrive early in Leling to get his stuff to his apartment and needed to leave right away for work. He could sleep on the train and he was completely fine with that.
Now he was getting somewhere, he whistled a low tune, twirling his phone in his hand.
"I need at least weekly updates what you guys are up to, though," he says with a little frown. "Can't go through with this if I don't know how my besties are," he grinned mischievously, cackling at the soured expression of Wen Qing. Wen Ning nodded all too eagerly.
"Of course!" he chimed in.
They left shortly after, promising to see him off on Sunday, going so far that they would remind him to pack his things and wouldn't be late to catch his train. Wei Ying rolled his eyes.
"Now you're just exaggerating," he shooed them out the door.
When he received a message on Sunday midday to not forget packing his bags, Wei Ying sent them a string of hand emojis, letting them know what he feels about that reminder. That he bolted toward his wardrobe to pull out his duffle bag and stuffed it with a few of his clothes, they didn't need to know. He was all set in about half an hour anyway, he would have made it either way if push came to shove.
Wen Ning and Wen Qing showed up about an hour before he had to leave, making sure that he would eat something because, as expected, he didn't plan to eat on the train because he was going to sleep, and wouldn't have anything packed to eat before work started. Wen Qing rolled her eyes so hard it must hurt.
She handed him two small containers filled with some food and didn't accept any thanks, just shoving them between his clothes in his bag. She didn't refuse his hug though. Wen Ning received an even more crushing hug, Wei Ying made sure to let Wen Ning know how much more he was going to miss him than his sister for what he got a soft chuckle from his friend and a kick against his shin from the other.
Then he left, leaving his keys and the rest of his belongings in their care.
The train ride was unsurprisingly but disappointingly uneventful. Wei Ying was excited for about fifteen minutes after finding his bunker but after laying down, the train slowly starting its engine and rolling out of the station, he played some games on his phone and it just felt like a normal train ride. He spent some time reading about old cases he found online, took some notes and looked up laws that would have applied and fastened the process, but when his cabin companions turned in for the night, he sighed and turned off his small bedside lamp as well.
The next time he woke up, the people around him were packing their stuff, rummaging around, pretty much ignoring basic etiquette and not caring how loud they were or if they jostled Wei Ying's bunkbed. But Wei Ying just rolled his eyes and sat up, the other passengers didn't even glance at him, before pulling out his phone. He still had an hour to go, so they probably were just about to arrive in Qinghe, the last stop before Leling, where probably everyone except Wei Ying got off. And truth behold, after they departed from Qinghe it felt like a ghost train. The rattling sound was a comforting one though, the sun starting to creep over the horizon which Wei Ying very rarely watched.
Pulling out one of Wen Qing's containers, Wei Ying sat on the table in front of the window and enjoyed his first sunset and eating delicious food on a train toward the middle of nowhere. Life didn't seem to be so bad at this moment.
Too soon his phone chimed, informing him that he'll arrive in Leling soon so he better start getting his things. Which wasn't much to be honest, so the last five minutes of his train ride, Wei Ying stood in the corridor watching the landscape fly by through the window until houses started to filter in and a small town was built in front of him.
Genius that he was, Wei Ying had already pulled over a thick parker, pushed his bun inside a wool hat and hoped that his jeans would be warm enough.
When he exited the train, lone sole at the plattform, Wei Ying inhaled the crispy cold morning air that could only be this clear in a winter region. His breath came in small puffs out of his mouth, his nose already getting cold, but it made his whole body tingle with excitement.
The train station was small and in just a few steps, Wei Ying was outside. He walked up to the only taxi occupying the space next to a small waiting booth which looked well cared for and filled Wei Ying with confidence that this place couldn't be too bad. He stroked up a conversation with the driver who seemed to be delighted to have a customer and a chatty one as well.
The drive was short, the whole place wasn't big to begin with, and they filled it with small chatter but Wei Ying had laughed a few times already before arriving at their destination so it was a success in his eyes. He walked up to the head high brick wall around his apartment, a small locker box next to the gate. His email had already informed him that a key was put aside for him and a four digit pass code to get it out of the locker.
With his key retrieved, Wei Ying opened the gate and got into the small apartment complex, maybe for around six units, he guessed, and walked up to the first floor to room 4. Whoever was in charge of his commodity did a tremendous job and went the extra mile to turn on the heating so he was greeted with a welcoming warmth upon entering his apartment.
It was small, smaller than his own apartment which actually was some kind of accomplishment because his apartment was tiny. He entered a room that was kitchen, living room, and bedroom in one cramped space with an adjacent door right next to him and with one glance inside, yep, Wei Ying confirmed it was a small bathroom.
Since he probably will spend most of his time at his station though, he didn't mind nor care either way. He put his duffle back next to the small built-in wardrobe in a corner and the rest of his food containers inside the fridge for tonight. He'll have to go grocery shopping after work and hopefully will remember that and won't go hungry tomorrow morning.
Opening the wardrobe revealed a thin mattress like cloth and some blankets, as well as a few uniform looking clothes.
Wei Ying felt ready as he he'll ever be and with one decisive nod to himself, he prepared to head out to his new workplace.
Notes:
well, well, well, look what we've got here 👀 babysteps to the actual plot haha I just love the wen siblings so much they deserve a whole chapter on their own!! and to show their relationship with wwx 🥺 also, to show what an endearing disaster wwx is and how much they care about each other
word count
original chapter two: 4k
rewritten chapter two: 9k
Chapter 3
Summary:
It's a sunny winter day in Leling and you're Wei Wuxian. You're gonna make it everyone's problem.
Notes:
For those who remember my note from chapter one:
I edited that note about age bc I talked it over with someone and decided to not make the junior quartet older than wwx haha it wasn't really necessary and them being younger/close to age with wwx works just as well, so yeah, very last minute decision xD
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
A quick glance told Wei Ying that all uniforms were identical, so he pulled out the one in the middle, held it up to inspect it a little further and was positively surprised to find it in pristine condition. The red seams, lapels, and cuffs were striking against its black base. It didn't take long to pull on the pants and uniform jacket, to polish his collar in the mirror. It looked perfectly tailor made that Wei Ying was questioning how they could possibly know his measurements, but ultimately he didn't care. Finishing his attire by pulling his hair in a high ponytail with a matching red ribbon, he pocketed only his strictly necessary items like his wallet, keys and phone. Then he skipped out the door and sauntered toward his designated station.
The sun was shining and even though it was still early in the morning, the air was warmed up and his uniform protected Wei Ying from the cold. And he probably already acclimated to the place, he had a knack for that. Either way, the cold was way more bearable since he had arrived, the frost on the naked trees and on the street rather made him enjoy the weather. At least, only because he knew it was temporary and he didn't have to miss the heat of Yunmeng forever. But for just this internship, he would definitely make the most of this.
The walk to the station wasn't long, barely 15 minutes if he took his time. In the back of his head, Wei Ying already calculated how long he could stay in bed and then make a run for it without being (too) late. But that could wait for the evening. For now, he arrived in front of the small station, clean and neat and inviting as it was.
The double winged sliding door opened for him with a quiet swoosh, engulfing him in a wave of heated air as he stepped inside. He shook the small shudder off that always came when you walk from somewhere cold into somewhere warm and found himself almost directly face to face with a receptionist in the small entrance area.
"Hey," he grinned at them to which they inclined their head with a polite smile.
"Good morning, how can I help you?"
"First day on the job," he winked, "Wei Wuxian, intern. Is there anybody I should report to?"
The receptionist skimmed a clipboard in front of them that Wei Ying saw, leaning on the counter. They nodded as they tapped something on it.
"Just a moment please, I'll let her now," they said as they got up and gestured him to wait, walking around the corner. Wei Ying tapped at the counter and was whistling a mellow tune, but he didn't have to wait long until the receptionist came back with a petite woman in tow.
"Wei Wuxian?" she asked, arms slightly crossed behind her back. She wore a similar uniform than him, though without the red as it was replaced in white.
"That's me," he beamed, followed by a quick bow.
She slightly quirked her eyebrow but didn't comment on it. "My name is Luo Qingyang. I am one of the squad leaders you'll be assigned to. Do you have any questions?"
"Mhm," Wei Ying hummed, holding his chin in thought, drawing the sound out so long Luo Qingyang's mouth twitched, mostly in displeasure.
"Nope!" he grinned.
"Great," not sounding like it was great at all, Luo Qingyang turned around and with a look over her shoulder made sure he followed her.
Going through the same door she just came from, walking up a steep staircase, Wei Ying got the impression that the inside of this building was more spacious than the outside would let you to believe. And sure enough, when they reached the end of the stairs, they entered a wide room full of desks and filing cabinets with a lot of drawers. The middle of the room made space for a big round table but other than that one, every diligent worker had their own square desk neatly placed one after the other. They all wore the same uniform like Luo Qingyang and him, though even more in contrast to them their uniforms were white with a pale blue as an accent.
Wei Ying made a questioning sound, turning his head to the side. That he would wear a different color didn't seem too far off, as he was not employed, an intern, not officially affiliated with this station but that the squad leader wore a different color coded one was indeed peculiar.
"We are encouraged to wear the colors we affiliate ourselves with," Luo Qingyang answered his unspoken question. "The station I was trained in and worked for for a few years and I ended with bad blood, so I rather not wear their branding. But I look shit in white, so," she shrugged, "non affiliated colors for me."
Wei Ying barked out a laugh, earning a few startled but curious glances in their direction.
"Well," he winked at her, "I can definitely confirm that black does look good on you."
"Flirting at work is prohibited," she shot him an annoyed glare.
"You brought up the topic of colors that suit you and I just acknowledged that," he shrugged innocently, as they walked up to the opposite window front. It gave way to a breathtaking view to the inner courtyard, a training ground by the looks of it. They passed several doors leading to other rooms to each side of them, only the furthermost rooms had name tags attached, indicating some form of importance or rank.
"Don't get cocky, Wuxian," she warned.
"Oh," Wei Ying leaned back, face bare of anything but surprise, "are we already on first name basis, Qingyang?"
With an even more intense glare, Luo Qingyang opened a door to their left which led downstairs again into a windowless corridor.
"Those are our archives," she said as she walked downstairs, "they aren't used that much because we don't really have cold cases or such, therefore," she gave him a cold stare over her shoulder, "they aren't used frequently and could be used to hide a body for quite some time. Maybe even create another cold case for our entertainment."
Wei Ying got the broad hint, nodding in serious contemplation. "Of course, of course."
Luo Qingyang nodded, satisfied with his lackluster response and led him further down the hall. "From here on are other storerooms and the armory."
"What about evidence for ongoing or closed cases?" Wei Ying asked, looking curiously inside the rooms she showed him, this one for basic equipment.
"No such thing here," she barely gritted her teeth but the displeasure was obvious.
"We have to send everything back to the HQ in Lanling," she didn't hide what she thought about that by how she pronounced the name of the city, "so we're forced to either use the time wisely we have with the evidence or we have to give up the case. There sure were a lot that could have been solved given just a little more time, maybe even prevented some but," she sighed in frustration, "Lanling."
Wei Ying nodded, both in understanding and exasperation. It was no secret that Lanling HQ thought itself above all else and wouldn't dare to raise a finger to help out other stations, or in their case, made it even more difficult.
"By the way," she just closed the last door in that hallway, making their way back again, "do you know someone here?"
"Huh?" Wei Ying, this time, actually blinked innocently at her. "I- no? I've never been here before and to my knowledge no one I know even knows this place. No offense."
"Non taken," she hummed, weighing her head back and forth.
"That's weird," she finally relented, eyebrows furrowed. "I could have sworn, I heard someone say you're here on our captain's recommendation. But after seeing you," she shook her head, "someone was just running their mouth."
Wei Ying stumbled a little. "Hey!" He wasn't really offended, it was the principle, though no call outs before he actually messed up, thank you very much. But also, captain's recommendations, really? Was here this less fun around that they had to create drama for themselves?
"You're about to meet him yourself anyway, so don't worry about it," she shrugged again and for a few blissfully quiet moments they walked up the stairs back into the main room. They walked past the windowwall again, Wei Ying tried to take in as much as possible, already making plans to check out their training grounds in his lunch break, until they reached the door furthest in the corner.
"I'll just say this once, and it's already embarrassing for you that I have to say this," Luo Qingyang shot him an annoyed glare over the shoulder when she stopped in front the door, the corner room of the main hall, "you can talk to me however you want, I don't really care about rank and all that. But in here, you bow and fucking mean it."
"Gotcha," Wei Ying grinned. That was going to be interesting for sure. For a couple of seconds she stared at him, shook her head as if she knew her words fell on deaf ears and knocked three times. Before getting an answer but waiting exactly five seconds, she opened the door and entered. Wei Ying followed a step behind. Huanguang-jun, he read on the name tag, what a strange name. His eyes wandered over the floor length windows toward the desk in the middle of the room and was about to bow, when he froze midstep.
His weight pulled him forward though and with one stumbled step he covered it with a askew bow, heart pounding in his chest. Faintly he could hear Luo Qingyang introducing him, reporting that she already showed him the general facility. But he didn't really listen. When he straightened his back again, he felt piercing golden eyes looking at him before he saw them. His mouth went dry.
"Lan Zhan," he barely whispered more to himself and didn't actually mean to say it out loud. Luo Qingyang's mouth snapped shut and shot daggers at him with her eyes.
"Wei Wu-"
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan interrupted her gently, inclining his head barely, eyes not leaving him. She looked back and forth between them before barely rolling her eyes and bowed a second time.
"I see an introduction hadn't been necessary after all," her eyes narrowed at Wei Ying which he didn't notice, too busy staring at his boss for the foreseeable future.
"If you don't need me anymore, I'll see myself out."
"Thank you, Luo-guniang," Lan Zhan's eyes very briefly left Wei Ying to look at her and she waved him off before leaving the room. The silence stretched between them, Lan Zhan sitting gracefully at his desk motionlessly and Wei Ying staring and blinking in an attempt to make sense of what just happened.
"So," he croaked, clearing his throat, "Hanguang-jun?" Because that was the only thing that came to his mind right now.
"Mn," Lan Zhan slightly furrowed his eyebrows, "my colleagues came up with it. It is not my preferred way to be addressed but they insisted."
"Uh-huh," Wei Ying shook himself fullbodily out of his stupor. "Lan Zhan! What are you doing here?"
"Working," with a hint of confusion he looked down to the paper he was working on and back to Wei Ying.
"I can see that," Wei Ying actually rolled his eyes but with a bemused smile, "but what are you doing here? What am I doing here?" He crossed his arms in front of chest, tapping his foot on the floor.
"Are you a stalker? Did you know I was applying for internships and seeked me out?" He gasped very lightly. "Did I impress you with something and you wished for me to apply to your station but couldn't find it in you to ask when I charmed you so thoroughly?" He wiggled his eyebrows for good measure before remembering that Lan Zhan had stopped answering half a week ago, almost immediately after Wei Ying started to flirt earnestly.
"Well, anyway," he swallowed around the lump in his throat, "it worked, here I am. Put me to work."
Lan Zhan had listened to him patiently, his pen carefully put to the side in a neat alignment to his other pens.
"Wei Ying," his voice was endearing, it felt like no one had said his name like this before, "I have not known of or about you prior to our meeting. I did enjoy our evening. I regret," for the first time he broke eye contact, "not responding to your last message. I was notified of your application and it did not feel appropriate."
"Oh," Wei Ying's shoulder slumped in relief, "so I did enamored you?" A sly smile back on his lips.
"It saved us the time for an interview," Lan Zhan answered with a small upward tick on his mouth, making Wei Ying throw his head back laughing.
"Getting picked up in a bar counts as a job interview nowadays, huh?" Delighted, Wei Ying could see from there the pink tips of Lan Zhan's ears.
"First," Lan Zhan recovered by getting back to business, motioning Wei Ying to sit down on the chair in front of his desk, "I need you to sign your contract and a NDA."
"NDA?" Wei Ying's eyebrows shot up as he sat down, one foot resting on his knee. A Non-Disclosure Agreement shouldn't be necessary for internships, as it would be already disclosed in the general contract to keep silent about anything he learnt in the line of duty.
Lan Zhan nodded, handing him the internship contract but hesitated for the NDA. "Officially, this branch has only four employees. As you have seen, this is not the case. I need you to refrain from speaking of anything you even see in this facility."
Now that was interesting. Wei Ying held out his hand for the NDA, which Lan Zhan carefully held out again. Hoping for a few more information, Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan expectantly but he kept silent. He poured himself another cup of tea from a kettle that stood at the corner of his desk and Wei Ying resigned himself to reading the papers he was handed.
His internship contract was, as he thought, a standard text about his rights and responsibilities, vow of silence, yadda, yadda. The usual suspects with an added line since it was a high risk job, that his workplace wasn't responsible for any injuries and/or death. To keep themselves out of legal trouble. Wei Ying sighed and signed the contract without argument. Then he flipped through the NDA and his eyebrows climbed higher and higher on his face.
When he was done, he read it a second time. Only then did he look up at Lan Zhan, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Just to make sure this is not an elaborate joke to keep me interested in this job and keep me here or something because in reality it would be too boring and you're afraid I would run home after the first week?"
Lan Zhan sipped his tea, unimpressed. "It is not a joke."
"Okay, okay," Wei Ying leaned back into his chair, his foot bouncing nervously. "So, this facility is under direct command of the government but officially it doesn't exist?"
"Correct."
"For appearance you're a normal police stationed in some backwater city, fulfilling your daily duties as such but," Wei Ying held his chin, cocking his head, "in actuality you're a special unit for ultra violent crimes and cases that should never surface to the public?"
"Correct." Lan Zhan sipped his tea, eyeing Wei Ying with a bland expression, already showing so much of his hand but still wearing the mask of a professional poker face.
"In addition," leaning forward, Wei Ying kept his eyes trained on Lan Zhan's face, "this job has a high mortality rate therefore you're short on volunteers and desperately trying to recruit people?"
"The first part is correct," Lan Zhan nodded, "the last part is your interpretation."
"Is it correct though?" Wei Ying grinned slyly.
There was a short pause before Lan Zhan exhaled. "It is."
"Knew it," Wei Ying laughed. This time he reached for the pen Lan Zhan had used beforehand and signed the NDA in all the five designated places. He put the pen back as nearly as possible for him, which was to say, not neatly at all, so Lan Zhan still had to adjust it anyway.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Taking the papers back and flipping through them efficiently, Lan Zhan asked intently. "I could still dispose of these papers."
"Lan Zhan, ah Lan Zhan," Wei Ying shook his head, "already ready to commit crimes for me?" He laughed. "Don't worry, I am of sound mind and body and this is exactly the internship I have been looking for!" A bright smile adorned his face.
"I just want you to," Lan Zhan pursed his lips, "be sure. And not decide this on a whim. Your excitement does not seem appropriate," he added with just a hint of judgment which made Wei Ying laugh again.
"My excitement is me showing I'm serious."
"You're excited easily, though."
"Which means, I'm often very serious about what I do."
Lan Zhan paused, furrowing his eyebrows, "Wei Ying does not seem like a serious person."
"Which is true!" Wei Ying grinned, leaving Lan Zhan a little lost at his paradox as a person. When he had seen Wei Ying at the bar, buying him a drink because the student looked like he might cry, it had been the most indulgent action out of his own volition for a very long time. Probably since taking over this branch. He tried to adhere to the laws, their code, and their honor. Acting on feelings, on a whim, he couldn't afford usually, so he just didn't. But that one small thing had led him to have a wonderful evening and, maybe, he had hoped for it to mean something to Wei Ying as well.
When he had received a forwarded email with an application and Wei Ying smiling from a photo at him, that was the second time he acted purely self interested. For all he knew, Wei Ying could be not entirely capable of this job and had just run his mouth at the bar, but at least his resume backed his claims, so Lan Zhan had been able to put his mind at ease. Having Wei Ying sitting in front of him, carefree and excited like a puppy, made him question his decision he hoped he wouldn't come to regret.
"For the next week," Lan Zhan put the papers into a drawer of his desk, "you will participate in numerous, strenuous physical tests to see if you're on the required level."
"Sure. What if I'm not?" Wei Ying asked as someone who didn't doubt his abilities.
"Either, you will have to catch up fast. Or," Lan Zhan pinned him to his chair with his eyes, "your internship would solely consist of desk duty."
"Blergh," Wei Ying made a face. "Good for me then, that I am physically in top form." It almost took a toll on his body to suppress his wink. He really shouldn't flirt with his boss. Damn, he had a thing for his boss. That thought was put away between a blink and another very, very fast.
"Do you have any further questions?"
"I do, in fact," Wei Ying beamed at Lan Zhan's honest surprise. "What about firearm training?" Wei Ying crossed his arms again. "We did have some basic training at uni, we were allowed to get a provisional license to keep up before getting our actional license which," he leaned forward, elbows resting on his bent leg, "would be a perfect opportunity to receive here."
For a second, Lan Zhan had the ridiculous thought that Wei Ying was someone who shouldn't be allowed to handle a weapon, judging by the absolutely horrendous way Wei Ying was sitting right now and couldn't be trusted to have a safe shooting posture. And, you know, his overall being. Then again, Wei Ying kept surprising him. Lan Zhan nodded.
"That could be arranged. We're authorized to provide shooting training at our own training grounds, as well as providing a professional gun license. As long as," he pointed out, "your skill is up to par for one."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Wei Ying laughed, "I'm a very good shot," and how was he supposed to not wink at that. "I could have obtained my license already but I-," he shrugged, "there never had been the time for that."
"Mn," Lan Zhan assumed it was rather Wei Ying had been too lazy to do so.
"Follow me," instead of calling Wei Ying out, he rose from his chair and rounded his desk gracefully, eyes lingering on Wei Ying's figure before leaving the room. Wei Ying scrambled after him, not so gracefully. Directly across the main hall was a door with the name tag "Warriors of Light", though it was only a piece of paper draped to the door. Lan Zhan's shoulders sagged with a silent huff as he pulled it off and with a single knock entered the room.
The room was similarly framed by the wall of windows like the main hall and Lan Zhan's office, a fair bit bigger to fit in four desks that were placed as a square in the middle. The walls had been furnished with filing cabinet after filing cabinet, each having a neat tag to file everything properly. Wei Ying couldn't relate.
"Those four will be your teammates for the duration of your internship," Lan Zhan nodded toward the four people who rose in a respectful bow as soon as they entered. It was hard to say how old they were, Wei Ying crossed his arms over his chest and pushed one finger against his cheek thoughtfully. They looked young enough to be around his age and if Wei Ying was taught one thing in his life it was that experience was more important than age in this line of work. Not that it mattered what age they actually were or that Wei Ying cared, even when it came to proper manners.
He clapped his hands, "well, it's nice to meet you, I'm Wei Wuxian," he grinned, bowing just shy of being disrespectful.
"Since when do we take interns?" The man with a Bindi on his forehead yapped, crossing his own arms and not bowing, let alone introducing himself.
"If that's Hanguang-jun's decision, so be it," the one next to him rolled his eyes, barely bowing himself. "Lan Jingyi."
The next rounded the table to come up front, fondly slapping the first one on his head. "Stop it, you two," he shook his head and bowed both in apology and introduction. "Lan Sizhui, it is nice to meet you. And this one is-," he punched him between his ribs with his elbow, making the man grunt in pain.
"Ji- Jin Ling," he huffed, hands clasped together and sending death glares toward Lan Sizhui.
"My name is Ouyang Zizhen," the last one of the group stepped forward, smiling and unperturbed by his colleagues. Wei Ying noticed that only Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui were wearing the same colors as the rest of the station, whereas Jin Ling was adorned in yellow and golden colors and Ouyang Zizhen in brown and silver embroidery. It sure seemed that uniforms were a more personal thing than Wei Ying would have thought.
Lan Zhan didn't say anything through their display, not even raising an eyebrow at them, but when he spoke again, they all stood to attention, only slightly concealing their embarrassment.
"For the next week, I will leave you in charge of his training. Make your own assessments for his physical capabilities and do not hold back," - Wei Ying hoped his breakfast had been enough if he would be put to the test today already - "I trust your judgment on how and what to do to receive your approval."
"Yes, Hanguang-jun," they said in unison with a formal bow. Wei Ying whistled slightly.
"I hope you will not disappoint them," Lan Zhan said to him, making him press his lips together.
"I have never disappointed a soul in my life," Wei Ying put a hand on his chest, grinning widely. He could practically feel the exasperation around him, except for Lan Zhan's spark of amusement in his eyes.
"I would hate for you to regret coming here," he said low under his breath as he turned to leave, brushing his knuckles over Wei Ying's fingers. Wei Ying solemnly swore to himself to do whatever it takes to stay here, because he would only regret leaving.
"So, newbie," Jin Ling crossed his arms again as soon as Lan Zhan left the room, not even having enough courtesy to let an awkward silence between them settle. "I will see for myself if you have what it takes to be one of us."
Lan Jingyi punched his shoulder. "Stop being so overdramatic, you've embarrassed yourself enough already."
"If Jin Ling volunteers," Lan Sizhui cut through, his voice gentle but ladden with authority to which the other two men snapped their mouths, "he can start with Wei Ying's assessment." His gaze turned from them to Wei Ying, smiling with a mischievous edge. "We're all going to take turns anyway. Everyone has their own little speciality but the basics are the same for all."
Wei Ying nodded, "Then I'll bring the good looks to the table."
Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi looked at him in shocked disbelief, but it didn't deter Lan Sizhui who huffed a small laugh. Ouyang Zizhen had already sat down again, watching the spectacle with his head in his hands.
"Knowing your strengths is important," Lan Sizhui continued amused, "I just hope it is not unfounded confidence or empty arrogance."
Wei Ying laughed at the synchronized gasp of the other two men. "Don't worry, Lan-gongzi," he winked, "I don't think your Hanguang-jun would have let me join you if I have nothing worth showing."
"Don't you dare pull Hanguang-jun into this!" Lan Jingyi finally broke free from Jin Ling's side, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"Jingyi," Lan Sizhui put a hand on his shoulder, "he is right. Hanguang-jun has our trust, he wouldn't waste our time with this. I apologize, Wei-gongzi," he bowed slightly, "I did not mean to offend you."
"Non taken," Wei Ying laughed. With an elegant step, he rounded Lan Jingyi to stay in front of Jin Ling again.
"So, if you want to start my training," Wei Ying had a sly grin on his lips, already aware how much he could grate on his new colleague and will take advantage of this knowledge whenever possible, "what can you bring to the table?"
"I was poisoned once," Jin Ling blurted.
The room was silent for a beat, and a second. Before Wei Ying started laughing, hard, holding onto his stomach. Lan Sizhui exhaled with a shake of his hand while Lan Jingyi mouthed 'what the fuck' to himself over and over again. Ouyang Zizhen looked at them with a fond exasperation but not surprised.
"Great, wonderful conversation starter," Wei Ying hiccuped through some tears, slinging one arm around Jin Ling's shoulder, pulling him down to himself a little, only to worsen Jin Ling's red face even more.
The two Lan men sat down at their desks, leaving Jin Ling to his fate he only brought onto himself. Wei Ying listened gleafully, but also not disinterested, to Jing Ling slightly stammering through his tale of when they where shadowing a group of the Yi syndicate and when they entered a compound they realized a little too late that powdered poison had been released through the vents. They quickly figured out what kind of poison though and were able to counter its effects with commonly used spices.
When Wei Ying showed genuine interest, asking questions about the effects, onset time, delay, how they were able to figure out they were poisoned to begin with if no symptoms had set in yet, Jin Ling visibly relaxed, answering all questions with pride and professionalism. The other three listened as they kept working on their paperwork, but the shift was palpable. Wei Ying wasn't just some student here for the adrenalin kick, but could very well be an asset.
Their conversation carried on from case to case, jumping on whatever Wei Ying's mind deemed interesting, and almost naturally they sat down on the floor, brainstorming different scenarios. After some time, Lan Sizhui came over to them and dangled a piece of paper over Wei Ying's head. Like a cat, Wei Ying grabbed for it.
"I took the liberty to write down your schedule for this week," he said with a smile, eyes glancing over to Jin Ling who scrambled back to his feet.
"Oh!" Wei Ying's eyes flew over the time slots, humming approvingly over the syllabus. There were a variety of exercises, cardio training, coordination exercises, muscle training among other things. It looked very balanced for one weeks worth of assessment and pushing him to the limits if executed right, and Wei Ying had no doubts they wouldn't push him even past it.
Almost choking on his own spit, Wei Ying coughed violently. "5.30 am?!" he whined, waggling the offending piece of paper away from him. "I have to get up at like 5 am to make it in time!"
"And?" Lan Jingyi looked up from his file, eyebrows raised in clear annoyance. "Shouldn't you be, like, okay with that?"
"How can anyone be okay with that?" He was throwing a tantrum, he was well aware of that, but he couldn't bring himself to care, throwing his arms in the air. "5 am!"
Lan Sizhui shook his head again, "Wei-gongzi, I'm sure you will get used to it in no time. Your working hours will be pretty similar, it won't be just for next week."
Gasping dramatically, Wei Ying let himself fall backwards. "Always? That makes it even worse!"
"Just stop your whining," Jin Ling snapped, kicking Wei Ying in the side, "if you won't, we'll start even earlier." Damn, he learnt to play his cards right already. Wei Ying rubbed his side grumbling but did shut up.
"Finally," Lan Jingyi sighed. "Sit down for now, today you'll just shadow us. Just," he waved his hand, "don't get in our way."
Immediately gaining Wei Ying's attention, he stuffed the schedule into his pocket and then rushed over to their table. Ouyang Zizhen pulled up a chair that went unused in their office and Wei Ying kept rolling around their group desk to switch between cases, asking questions here and there about their approaches to cases, the building up to a case and even, even though reluctantly, about the ensuing paperwork, how to archive evidence and the such.
Most of these cases didn't fall under their jurisdiction. Not because of their location, but for the severity. Wei Ying learnt that before they could even work on a case, they had to go through mountains of cases that were just sent over here but only a handful would be selected and the others would be sent to different departments.
"If it were up to Hanguang-jun," Lan Sizhui explained with a smile of fond exasperation and understanding, "he would take on every case. Always the first to respond to anyone asking for help, but," he pressed his lips in a thin line, "we are simply not enough to handle them all. So we pick the ones no one else could handle. We're very good at our job, we have experience voluntarily and involuntarily that make us handle things others can't." There was no arrogance in his words, just factual recognition for their skills. "Those are the cases we take, the ones Hanguang-jun knows need us."
Wei Ying only nodded. There were no words to tease about that or soften the heaviness, just a bone deep chill of understanding that only people like them, like him, would understand. And only a handful of people would still be brave enough to face their demons. These four men might seem a little ragtag, not entirely balanced, but Wei Ying understood at that moment that their shared experience formed a stronger bond than any other well-balanced and trained squad could ever achieve.
Something in the back of his mind made Wei Ying pick up the cases they deemed to be in need of their help, for him to understand what kind of cases they referred to as their kind of cases. They ranged from released convicted criminals over serial killers to gruesome and horryfing murder cases. There wasn't an outright pattern, but Wei Ying picked up on a few things, for example that these cases mostly happened in smaller cities where officers and help was scarce which only piled up on its urgency.
The connotation that Lan Zhan, pristine and noble Lan Zhan, would literally jump on these cases just for the sake of helping made Wei Ying smile. Lan Zhan was the best, his intuition didn't betray him.
By the end of the day, his four seniors were as pleased with his work attitude and attentive mind as Wei Ying was impressed by their skill, wisdom, and experience. Though Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi did have to make a snarky remark on his character, there was no real heat behind their words and Wei Ying could only laugh, because they weren't even wrong.
They were just finishing up their work, tidying up their workplace when a single knock came from the door before it opened.
"It is time to go home," Lan Zhan said, eyes locked at everyone for a second, maybe a second longer on Wei Ying, before inclining his head. "Good work."
"Thanks, Hanguang-jun," they bowed in unison, Wei Ying following a beat behind. Together they left the office and Jin Ling gave Wei Ying a heavy shoulder check.
"See you tomorrow morning," he grinned, "and not a minute too late or you'll regret it."
Wei Ying winced, rubbing at his shoulder this time. These would definitely bruise, his poor body.
"This beauty doesn't maintain itself, y'know," he called after the retrieving figures, earning a mocking laugh, until only he remained at Lan Zhan's side.
With a side glance, Lan Zhan raised his eyebrow in question.
"You're not going home either, aren't you?" Wei Ying teased, leaning forward. After spending a whole day with the people who probably knew Lan Zhan best, Wei Ying already deduced that Lan Zhan wasn't one to stop working just because working hours said so.
"Mn," there was an upward tick in the corner of Lan Zhan's mouth, which confirmed Wei Ying's suspicion.
"Mind if I stay, too, Hanguang-jun?"
Instead of an answer, Lan Zhan turned around and walked back to his office, which Wei Ying took as an invitation to follow since he didn't decline it, either. Lan Zhan left the door to his office open after he entered, which was Wei Ying's final confirmation and with a slight spring in his steps he entered just behind Lan Zhan.
Without preamble, Wei Ying plopped down on the chair in front of the desk again as Lan Zhan resumed his work he had interrupted in favor of sending his colleagues home. For a while Wei Ying just watched Lan Zhan typing on his keyboard, the occasional look down on his files, but other than that motionless figure. It was almost tranquilizing, mesmerizing to watch Lan Zhan working that Wei Ying didn't notice his staring until Lan Zhan met his eyes.
"Is there anything you wish to do?"
"Huh?" His chin slipped out of his hand in surprise. "Oh, uh, I don't know actually? Like there is nothing for me to do in the apartment, which is super nice by the way. Didn't take a thorough look yet but what I've seen is great, nice. Yeah." He scratched his nose, furrowing his eyebrows. "Is there anything I can do for you?" An almost innocent smile crept on his face.
"Mn," not taking the bait, Lan Zhan opened one of his drawers and handed Wei Ying a file. "An old case. It may be of interest for you."
Pleased, Wei Ying hummed as he started to skim through the pages, drawing his legs up on the chair in a tight fit. It seemed impossible to sit like that, but here he was. Achieving the impossible in sitting like a disaster bisexual that he was.
The following silence was a comfortable one. Lan Zhan proceeded to type away, whatever he was writing, maybe just digitizing a file, writing a report, updating the suspect list, the possibilities were endless. But Wei Ying was content to read through the case of a family murder case in which all family members died and it wasn't clear if it had been a group suicide or a murder and suicide or murder and the murderer had still been at large. Wei Ying buried himself in the notes and details, occasionally asking Lan Zhan for clarification and mumbling his own approach.
When Wei Ying wanted to ask another question, he looked up and his words died in his throat as he saw Lan Zhan still typing but with a small smile on his lips. He looked content. It was a good look on him and Wei Ying savored that moment, letting it wash over him. He felt his own heart beating soothingly in his chest, let this feeling fester, and then asked his question anyway.
After some time the typing sound stopped, making Wei Ying look up again, blinking through his bleary sight.
"Hanguang-jun?"
Lan Zhan looked at him almost with a glare.
"Lan Zhan."
"Huh?"
"When we are alone," he took a slightly deeper breath, "Lan Zhan."
"Oh," Wei Ying swallowed, "Okay. What's up, Lan Zhan?"
With a nod, Lan Zhan pointed at his file. "Will you dictate for me? This way I can finish faster."
He hadn't even finished his sentence before Wei Ying grabbed the documents all too eagerly.
"Of course, where are you?"
"'... suspect on the run in a black hoodie.'" Lan Zhan's fingers hovered over his keyboard, waiting. Wei Ying found the passage, eyes fastreading the context and then slowly started reading out loud. After a few moments he adjusted his reading speed to Lan Zhan's typing, observing how they flew over the keyboard. It was redundant, he knew that, Lan Zhan knew it, but neither pointed it out for they both enjoyed each other's company. And Wei Ying couldn't lie about how much his heart leaped at Lan Zhan trying to involve him, making him stay. He took what he could get.
"I like your voice. It is… soothing." Lan Zhan's voice cut him off after the next sentence, making Wei Ying stutter. His brain needed a few moments to catch up to what was said, eyes growing wider.
"Wha-," Wei Ying buried his head in the file, holding it protectively in front of his face, so Lan Zhan couldn't see his blush that spread over his cheeks, "you can't just say these things, Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying had to clear his throat a few times before continuing his dictation, not knowing how else to respond to that remark. Cautiously, he peeked over the edge of the documents, catching Lan Zhan's semi-smile and slightly reddened ears. Goddammit, smooth and endearing. Wei Ying was in trouble.
Another few minutes later, a hand reached over the file and pulled it out of Wei Ying's hand.
"Hey!" Wei Ying protested with a pout but Lan Zhan put it back down, shutting off his PC.
"It is time for you to go home," he said quietly, matching the silence of the office. "Thank you for your help, Wei Ying."
"Anytime," Wei Ying croaked. It was one thing to have Lan Zhan say these utterly ridiculous things with a straight face and another to say his name like that. As if it was something precious and just having him say it like that was reward enough for this so called work.
Wei Ying licked his lips, slowly unfolding himself from the chair with a crack of his joints. Lan Zhan shot him a worried look but Wei Ying waved dismissively.
"I can't be this good looking and have a body free of pain, it's a compensation I'm willing to pay," Wei Ying shook his head wistfully, cracking his back for good measure as he turned his upper body from left to right.
Obviously, Lan Zhan wasn't appeased by that, walking around the desk and resting his hand on Wei Ying's lower back. He was close, so close.
"Please be more mindful of your body," his voice was barely over a whisper, like exchanging a secret between them and all Wei Ying could do was nod. Not fighting his blush, but fighting the urge to grab for Lan Zhan's lapels to pull him into a kiss because that would be highly inappropriate and thankfully his body didn't listen to him anyway right now. But, oh, would he pretzel himself again on this chair if that meant Lan Zhan would touch him like this again.
Lan Zhan lifted his hand from Wei Ying's back, leaving it heartbreakingly empty and cold, for what Wei Ying needed to force himself not to whine, and stepped half a step away.
"Let's go," Lan Zhan walked past him through the door. Wei Ying followed a second after, finding the strength to use his legs again. The main hall was devoid of any other workers, the lights all turned off but Lan Zhan walked through the aisle with certainty and the moonlight lit his back that Wei Ying followed blindly.
When they left the building, Lan Zhan locking all the doors behind them, they were hit with a wave of cold, making Wei Ying shiver. The uniform was starving of the low temperature easily through the day but without the sun it was a little brittle.
"Well," Wei Ying turned around, an easy smile on his lips, "thanks for letting me stay, Hanguan- Lan Zhan," Wei Ying grinned as he stumbled over his words. Usually he wasn't one to stick to the rules or authority or right procedure, but seeing Lan Zhan at work made him look so untouchable that it was hard to not see him as something else than ethereal.
"Mn," was his response and without another word, Lan Zhan turned into the same direction Wei Ying's apartment was.
"Oh!" Wei Ying spun around, dancing feet following Lan Zhan. "That was almost awkward! Imagine me saying goodbye, you saying goodbye and then," he groaned, "we need to walk in the same direction!" He laughed, too loudly really for the silence of the night.
"But you know my address, right? Like, not in a creepy way but because you're my boss or something. So you already knew in which direction I was heading." Wei Ying nodded, folding his arms behind his head and watching his breath rise in the air.
"Is your home close? Will you come fetch me in the morning?" His face went through almost every emotion possible within a second by that thought. Lan Zhan in the morning, Lan Zhan the first he would see, Lan Zhan and him walking to work together. No, no, no, his heart wasn't ready for these thoughts yet.
Lan Zhan rescued him from this onslaught of feelings by pointing in the opposite direction they were going. Wei Ying followed the motion with his head, eyes darting between Lan Zhan's face, and the direction he had pointed towards. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Lan Zhan didn't say anything when understanding dawned on Wei Ying.
"Lan Zhan!" he cried out, this time Lan Zhan admonished him with a glare but Wei Ying didn't care. "I don't need a guide! I know where I live!"
"Mn," the sound full of doubt for which Wei Ying should take offense but Lan Zhan's ears grew red, a stark contrast to his black hair and in the night's blue, Wei Ying couldn't find it in himself to be angry.
"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zham," he pressed his face into his hands and rubbed it a few times to cover up his own blush, "what am I going to do with you?"
"Letting me walk you home."
Wei Ying barked a laugh, surprised by Lan Zhan's serious tone. "Well, it's not like I can't disobey an order from my superior officer," Wei Ying grinned all tease and no bite. Still, Lan Zhan furrowed his eyebrows.
"It's not an order," he said disapprovingly, "if you do not want me to-," before Lan Zhan could finish that sentence and his feet coming to a stop, Wei Ying leaned his shoulder against him in reassurance.
"It was a joke," he hummed, fond of how serious Lan Zhan would take it and maybe slightly disappointed that his flirting didn't land. "Thank you." he added for good measure and only leaned back when he felt the tension leaving Lan Zhan's shoulder.
"So," he continued after a few steps, nervousness making him fill the silence, "is it true work always starts at 6 am?"
"It does," Lan Zhan regretfully confirmed.
"And here I had hoped, the others were pulling my leg," Wei Ying lamented, slumping forward. "Who even gets up with the sun? Wait, does the sun even rise that early?" Wei Ying didn't wait for an answer, he knew Lan Zhan wouldn't lie about that, as he knew his seniors wouldn't. He had just hoped, hoped for a good night's sleep even in his internship. But that ship has sailed together with his non-existent sleeping schedule. Maybe he will find one here.
"Will that be a problem?"
It was too late and Wei Ying's thoughts were jumping all around, that it took him a moment to refocus on their conversation.
"Oh, no," he shook his head, "I'll probably just act like a walking corpse for the first two hours, drink a whole pot of coffee and I'll be able to function like a normal human being. Been there, done that. Not to worry," he lazily saluted at Lan Zhan.
"Mn," Lan Zhan's eyes roamed over him up and down and once again, Wei Ying had to wet his dry lips. Lan Zhan insisted on being just Lan Zhan and with his small smiles and blushing ears it was easy enough, but when Lan Zhan looked at him like that, almost towering over him, streetlamps throwing imposing shadows over his face, Wei Ying felt like being caught. A tingle like gentle lightning went down his spine, making the small hairs in his neck stand up. Wei Ying relished in the authorially attention Lan Zhan paid him.
"Hopefully you will still think that after actually getting up before sunrise and through the training regime," Lan Zhan said in a low voice, almost like a prayer.
"So the sun doesn't rise that early," Wei Ying's voice cracked which he covered up with a cough. His mind went places that should be locked behind heavy bars and not be opened in the presence of Lan Zhan. Or anyone. Wei Ying blinked.
Ungracefully, staying true to his brand, Wei Ying stumbled over a crack in the pavement, barely catching himself and a steadying hand grabbed his elbow.
"Uh, thanks," Wei Ying chuckled embarrassed, scratching his nose in a nervous action. Lan Zhan let go of him, barely taking a step back to be out of reach and when they started walking again, their hands bumped together. At first, Wei Ying flinched, ready to apologize but Lan Zhan didn't react to it, not moving away, so he swallowed his words. A few steps later, their knuckles brushed against each other again but this time neither moved away, swaying their hands together every other step, shoulders just a breath away from touching. The night didn't feel so cold anymore.
After the next intersection his apartment came into view, too soon. Wei Ying fumbled for the keys in his pockets and slowly, reluctantly stepped away from Lan Zhan when they reached the entrance between the high stone fence.
"So, this is me, as you knew," Wei Ying grinned, twirling the keys on his finger.
"Mn," Lan Zhan's heavy eyes lingered on his face for a few moments, enough for Wei Ying to begin twitching.
"Good night, Wei Ying."
"Good- good night, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying stuttered slightly under his intense stare and after another curt nod, Lan Zhan turned around and walked back the way they came. Leaving Wei Ying with a wildly beating heart and goosebumps all over, it took him a minute to shake himself free and walk up to his apartment, two steps at a time.
His mind was buzzing pleasantly, tiredness making his motions groggy, but it didn't stop him from grinning through his bedtime routine. Throwing his clothes in a pile, getting his sleeping clothes out, brushing his teeth, pulling out the sleeping mat and falling under the blankets, a smile followed in everything he did. With the last of his energy, Wei Ying texted his group chat with the Wen siblings, that his first day had been a huge success.
--
Honestly, this was a miracle that should be celebrated and sung about for years that Wei Ying stumbled the last steps toward the station only three minutes shy of being on time. Instead, Jin Ling clicked his tongue, not even bothered enough for a greeting, and stalked away. He didn't even turn around to see if Wei Ying followed him, which he did of course, but it was the principle. Wei Ying yawned around his pout.
It had been one of his proudest moments when he snoozed his alarm only once, waking from a dreamless sleep, getting up at least three hours earlier than his own biological clock would permit. It did take him an ice cold shower to feel like a human again, though his body still buzzed from the lack of sleep. His brain was still lagging, only barely registering that he forgot to go buy groceries the day before, which explained the emptiness of his fridge, but he still remembered the last of Wen Qing's boxes and didn't have to leave on an empty stomach.
The crisp morning air helped for another few minutes and a better man would be awake enough to start his day, but not Wei Ying. Oh no, he walked his slow walk toward the station and was ready to fall back asleep after ten minutes.
Now, stumbling after Senior Jin, Wei Ying could only hope he wouldn't fall asleep in the face of an incoming kick or topple over running or whatever Jin Ling had prepared for him. Jin Ling led him through the entrance area to exit it on the other side, almost making Wei Ying walk right into the swinging door, where the courtyard spread out even bigger and wider than Wei Ying anticipated. He honored that thought with a lazy whistle.
With no preamble, Jin Ling didn't explain what today's course entailed and to be fair, it was listed on the syllabus Wei Ying got handed yesterday, which he crumbled into his pocket and promptly forgot about, Wei Ying was forced into a brutal warm up. Brutal only in that, that it was 5.35 am and Wei Ying was dead on his feet and no living soul should ever be awake at this hour and do sports, but the exercises in and of itself were relatively basic.
Maybe Jin Ling had a tiny bit of mercy, making him warm up for around half an hour after which his joints and muscles were warmed up properly and the ensuing adrenalin woke him up sufficiently that the ending run made him even whoop up in the air at the finish line.
"Prepare for this being the last time you laugh," Jin Ling smirked, making Wei Ying only ever so slightly worried. He was physically fit, outranking any other student in his courses, though he didn't have a regular workout routine. It couldn't be that bad, right?
It could be.
For all it was worth, Jin Ling didn't just stand by and yelled at him what to do but joined him, earning a smudge more respect from Wei Ying. Which didn't mean he would stop acting like a little shit anymore, but you know, praise where it was due and all that.
And what a teacher Jin Ling was. Whenever Wei Ying thought they were done, he was pushed farther. And then a little more. But Wei Ying could hold his own. Even after running for miles on end, longer than he had run in a good while, maybe longer than he ever had, he only stopped when Jin Ling let him. The circuit exercise had him pushing his limits above and beyond, muscles and lungs screaming for him to just stop, please.
After around the first hour, Wei Ying lost his outer jacket. The second hour ended with him being almost topless despite the cold and the third one had him bend over, heaving breath after breath, sweat running down his neck, forehead, arms, anywhere really. Jin Ling allowed this break, being slightly out of breath himself but still in better condition by a mile.
They ended their morning training with another set of sprints, making Wei Ying lose any feeling in his legs for good. Jin Ling outdid him in every exercise, which had been expected or at least Wei Ying didn't expect anything less considering they needed to be in top shape for any sudden possible case being thrust into their arms. But it was humbling, Wei Ying could admit that, but took it as an opportunity to grow. Wei Ying loved to be challenged, mentally more than physically for sure, but Jin Ling's provocative snarl pushed him to do better, making him swallow the cackle at Jin Ling's apprehension against the sweat running down his brow.
The sun was halfway across the morning sky, Wei Ying looking off in the middle distance dissociation from the pain that coursed through every fiber of his body, when a cheer from the side made him fall back into consciousness.
From afar he could see Lan Jingyi and Ouyan Zizhen cheer, waving their arms above their heads, with Lan Sizhui at their side nodding approvingly. Wei Ying waved his arms in answer, smiling brightly but only for a second until the ache in his shoulders forced him to drop his arms again with a wince. The three men came over and Wei Ying noticed how Jin Ling pulled himself up straight, slowing down his breath and looked as composed as he could.
"Already tired? That was nothing," he huffed when they were in earshot, to which Wei Ying only laughed brokenly with his labored breath.
"Shut up," Lan Jingyi huffed, clapping Jin Ling on the shoulder, making him stumble on the spot, "you barely made it through your first training, don't be smug about it."
"I did not!" Jin Ling puffed up his chest, crossing his arms over it and turning away.
"Don't be like that," with a chiding smile Lan Sizhui walked up to Jin Ling, to which Lan Jingyi stuck out his tongue with a triumphant grin, all while Ouyang Zizhen handed Wei Ying a bottle of water.
"I mean both of you," Lan Sizhui sighed.
"How are you, Wei-gongzi?" turning away from the embarrassing shuffling of the other two, Lan Sizhui smiled genuinely at Wei Ying.
"Never better," Wei Ying gasped after downing half the bottle in one go.
"I see," Lan Sizhui chuckled, "then I guess you won't mind foregoing your break for your afternoon training?"
"Uh," Wei Ying stretched the sound comically long until Lan Sizhui chuckled again.
"No need to worry," Ouyang Zizhen had moved around as they spoke, handing Wei Ying his shirt and jacket back, the cold dropping his body temperature alarmingly with his sweat, "rest is an important factor in keeping your body healthy. We wanted to invite you to have breakfast with us."
Words never sound sweeter. "Food. Yes. Gladly," Wei Ying gulped around another big sip of water. After pulling on his jacket again, Wei Ying was flanked by Lan Sizhui and Ouyang Zizhen while Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling went ahead, trying to trip each other up. It felt a little bit like he was accepted in their ranks, walking alongside them. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"By any chance," Wei Ying hummed, arms folded behind his back, "that doesn't mean I passed some hidden test and won't need to get up at ass o'clock again?"
"Yeah, right," Lan Jingyi snorted, when Jing Ling answered with an unimpressed eyeroll, "good one."
Wei Ying just laughed and shrugged at the other two men at his side who threw him a worrying glance. "A man can dream."
"You can dream all you want when you're dead," Jin Ling threw over his shoulder, "we still have today together and I'm far from done with you. And," he added with a demonic grin, "you have a full week of that ahead of you."
A deep, pathetic wailing sound followed them inside, turning a few heads. Just following the group, Wei Ying was led through a double swing door set to enter a vast dining hall. His wail turned into a cry of delight. His stomach was finally shaking off the strain of physical extortion and demanded nutritions which Wei Ying was all too willing to provide.
They sat down around an empty round table, Ouyang Zizhen and Lan Jingyi volunteering to get them trays of food for which Wei Ying was endlessly grateful because as soon as he sat down his legs felt like lead, never to be used again. He draped his entire upper body over the top, eliciting a disgusted sound from Jin Ling.
"Get up, you pig," he swatted Wei Ying's shoulder, "you get your sweat everywhere."
"That's all your fault, Jin-gege," Wei Ying gasped, blinking up from under his lashes, slowly lifting up his head and pushing his sticky hair out of his face.
"Ew," Jin Ling sputtered blushing furiously and was only saved by their food arriving. It looked awfully bland, Wei Ying noticed, but his body would even be grateful for a tasty rock, so when the rice touched his tongue, he just couldn't not moan.
"Ew!" Jin Ling exclaimed with even more ferocity. "Can't you like stop being so… so…," he broadly waved at Wei Ying, "you?"
"How else can I be?" Wei Ying grinned around another mouthful of rice and tofu.
Turning to his food, cheeks still slightly red, Jin Ling didn't say anything else. Wei Ying chuckled into his food. The rest of their meal was spent in silence. Although Wei Ying could run his mouth on end, his muscles were finally relaxing and his jaw didn't feel like moving for anything else than to chew.
But not talking didn't mean he had to be silent. Humming under his breath, Wei Ying pulled out his phone, eating with one hand and texting with the other. Wen Qing had answered his text from last evening with a reminder of keeping his provocation to his superiors to a minimum, while Wen Ning congratulated him on making it through his first day.
With a cheeky 'too late for that' and a string of emojis followed by a 'I hope I'll make Wen-gongzi proud' Wei Ying answered them. After pushing his phone back into his pocket, scraping the rest of his food up, Wei Ying's eyes roamed through the room and he almost let his chopstick fall, when he found Lan Zhan in his direct line of sight.
Lan Zhan met his eyes with a nod, as if he had waited for Wei Ying to notice him. How long had he been here? Unbidden, his lips curled into a small smile.
"Hanguang-jun," his voice rang through the entire hall, "Jin Ling made me sweat for hours and I did a good job!"
Not only his table but all other heads looked at him in horror, eyes as wide as their mouths gaping. Wei Ying hadn't mastered the art of lip reading but he could swear Lan Zhan formed the word "shameless" but there was a blush he could see from here, so it was worth it. He grinned widely.
"What the fuck?!" Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling said almost in unison, both in different pitches of disbelief which only made Wei Ying cackle in earnest. They actually chased him out of the cafeteria, all four of them bowing deeply for his sake and promising to punish him accordingly for the disrespect. Though Wei Ying wasn't able to actually talk to Lan Zhan, this breakfast was more than enjoyable in more than one way.
As he stated before, Lan Zhan's blush had been worth it, but Wei Ying changed his mind when Jin Ling resumed their training. Even with a proper meal fueling him and his muscles warmed up, Jin Ling practically screamed at him through the rest of their workout, making him slightly regret his actions. Well, maybe next time he won't pull Jin Ling into it and only embarrass himself. So really, this punishment only taught him how to do it better next time instead of keeping him from doing it again.
He barely made it through the next few hours. Jin Ling granted him two more breaks to drink and gather his strength for the next round, before putting him through it all over again. When he finally, mercifully, informed him that this will be his last set, Wei Ying could have actually cried as he sprinted to the finish line. As soon as he made it over the white line, well aware that he desperately needed a cool down, his legs gave up under him, making him collapse on the grass, chest rising and falling heavy. The sun was high in the sky and though it only chased off the cold at a minimum, right now Wei Ying felt like burning up under its glow.
Wordlessly, but with a smirk, Jin Ling handed him another bottle of water which Wei Ying half poured over himself and half drinking. Jin Ling shook his head at the display.
"Get up," he said as he already left the field, "don't wanna catch a cold out here."
"Yeah, yeah," Wei Ying huffed, rolling over to the side to slowly push himself up. His legs were shaking under him, barely able to hold his weight. When they got back inside, Jin Ling made Wei Ying stretch himself in their office despite his constant whining. The others rolled their eyes slightly exasperated but in understanding. When Jin Ling deemed it good enough, he let Wei Ying slump down on his chair.
"Hopefully that will make him shut up for the rest of the day," Jin Ling muttered, pulling over some files and powering on his PC.
"Just give me a minute," Wei Ying mumbled, head leaned back and eyes closed, "you'll be able to enjoy my angelic voice in no time again."
A snort from Lan Jingyi was the last thing he heard, before exhaustion pulled him in. The next thing he registered was cold plastic pressed against his cheek. His head snapped up in surprise, before he groaned against his sore muscles in… every part of his body.
His arms hang uselessly over the armrests, his legs bend together propped against the desk which would already be uncomfortable with a relaxed body but with sore muscles? Torture. Only with immense control, Wei Ying slowly unfolded his legs so that he wouldn't fall from his chair. When his feet touched the ground he opened his eyes to find Lan Zhan standing next to him, holding out a water bottle to him.
"Thanks," Wei Ying smiled easily, not even questioning him here. What he did question was where everybody else was. A quick glance told him they weren't in the office but also that the sun had almost set, casting the room in long shadows with the moon already visible in the sky.
"Wha-," his hands stopped unscrewing the bottle, blinking around. "Where is everybody?"
"Home, probably," Lan Zhan folded one arm behind his back, patiently waiting for Wei Ying's brain to fully power up.
"Huh," was all Wei Ying said before continuing to open the water bottle.
"You should head home as well," Lan Zhan said after a while, his lips pressed in a thin line, "to shower."
Rude. Wei Ying squeaked, choking on his water. "How dare-", Wei Ying started before wrinkling his nose and taking a sniff of his outreached arm. Oh.
"Oh," he coughed, "I hear you, yeah. Shower seems like a good idea. Such a smart Lan Zhan," he chuckled.
"Mn."
"Alright," Wei Ying pushed himself up from the chair with another wince. It was already that bad after a few hours, hopefully a warm shower will help and he wouldn't die in the morning. It will probably feel like it though.
Checking, the clock told him it was already 6.30 pm, how did he manage to sleep for that long on a chair? And why did no one bother to wake him up when everybody left?
"Jin Ling mentioned you had a hard time waking up today," Lan Zhan watched him do some small stretches. "I told them to let you rest a little longer."
"Since you would still be at work to check, huh?" Wei Ying grinned with his arms stretched behind his back. His answer was a short nod.
"Well, then, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying tasted the name on his tongue, "thank you very much, it is appreciated." The faint blush he received was his treat.
"I was about to lock up," Lan Zhan's voice sounded slightly constricted but his outer appearance didn't show any discomfort and it made Wei Ying itch to try harder. But maybe not when his body felt like falling apart and he couldn't enjoy it to its fullest.
"Don't let me hold you from your duties," he sighed, and followed Lan Zhan out the office.
"Will you be alright?" After closing the front door, Lan Zhan turned towards Wei Ying's slightly tilting figure, trying to find a posture that would last him until he reached his apartment.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure," Wei Ying threw him a thumbs up and learnt that you can get sore muscles in your hands as well. Lan Zhan looked thoroughly unimpressed and wordlessly headed into the direction of Wei Ying's apartment.
"La- Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying hobbelt after him and only when he caught up, did Lan Zhan slow down a little to match his unsteady pace. "You really don't have to, you know?" Wei Ying sighed, but there was not enough energy to fight about this today. And to be completely honest, he wouldn't fight it even if he had. Obviously, Lan Zhan thought the same and didn't say anything on that matter. A small part of Wei Ying's brain gave the unwelcome thought that Lan Zhan took pity on him, just making sure he got home safely so he didn't have to file a report or something. Wei Ying shook his head, Lan Zhan wouldn't do that.
For the fairly short amount of time Wei Ying knew Lan Zhan, he had the feeling he wouldn't do something he didn't want to. And if he wanted to walk his intern home for whatever reason, who was he to deny his boss this? And if pity was the only thing a handsome man drove him toward Wei Ying, he would take it. At least, pity was what made Lan Zhan make a move to begin with. It would stay on brand for their relationship at least.
Wait, did they have a relationship? Well, they had a work relationship at the least. But were they like, friends? They shared a nice evening, though Wei Ying didn't know of Lan Zhan's intention and what would have happened if they didn't end up in the same workplace, but the only thing Wei Ying could work with was that Lan Zhan insisted on using his birth name. That was something noteworthy. But did that make them friends or was that just a way to convey that the nice evening was appreciated?
Deep in his thoughts, Wei Ying followed the street without looking, confident Lan Zhan would just keep him company in silence, probably preferred it anyway, that he achieved the impossible yet again to stumble over the same pothole from yesterday. With his legs being all gooey, his body not cooperating to begin with, his knees were already buckling and he was about to kiss the ground, when strong arms sneaked around him, holding him up.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan exhaled, worry plainly to hear.
"Oh, wow, sorry, haha," Wei Ying blinked, helplessly holding onto Lan Zhan's uniform until his knees were able to lock up under him to hold him upright again.
"Thank you," he chuckled with a slightly unsteady voice, trying not to concentrate on the firm chest right in front of his face, Lan Zhan's lips so close to his temple he could feel his warm breath caressing his skin. His heart felt like bursting out of his chest so he saw it as a mercy when Lan Zhan took a careful step back, hands holding onto his elbows still to make sure he won't just topple over. Sweet, really. Wei Ying blinked, shaking himself.
They walked in silence, though Wei Ying was painfully conscious of how close Lan Zhan stayed next to him. To ease the awkward atmosphere, Wei Ying had to lick his lips before attempting to speak again.
"So, how was work?" Wow, good job on making it even more awkward. But Lan Zhan didn't seem to mind, humming for a second.
"We are about to take on another case," he started slowly, "there is a surprising amount of paperwork even before we get the actual files." His eyebrows furrowed slightly, which was a good tell what he thought of that.
"Oh?" Wei Ying's interest was piqued immediately, swaying into Lan Zhan's space even more. "A new case? Any chance, I could lend you a hand with my intellect in that?" He grinned, mischievous air all around him.
Lan Zhan swayed equally back into Wei Ying's space, their shoulders brushed, making Wei Ying stumble over his own feet.
"You may ask me that, when you are able to walk again."
Wei Ying gasped, then laughed, loud and unrestrained. "Lan Zhan! I am appalled! Who taught you to be smug!"
"Probably Lan Jingyi," Lan Zhan answered honestly, "though Lan Sizhui helped with witty comebacks."
"I can see that!" Wei Ying laughed again, head thrown back. When he looked forward again, they were almost in front of his apartment complex.
"Oh," he exhaled barely audibly with his shoulders slumping.
"Oh?" Lan Zhan's ears must be very keen.
"Nothing!" Wei Ying said in a high pitched voice. He didn't need to make a fool out of himself any further by stating how much he enjoyed walking and talking and laughing with Lan Zhan and being disappointed their walk had already ended. Nope, not today, Satan.
Lan Zhan eyed him with an unreadable look but nodded, not prying any farther.
"Good night, Wei Ying. Take care of your body," his fingers twitched as if he had to force himself not to reach out. And, oh, did Wei Ying want for him to reach out.
"Yeah," he swallowed, because he will take good care of his body, "good night to you, too, Lan Zhan."
--
The rest of the week proceeded similarly as this day. His seniors took turns each day to train him, every day Wei Ying dragged himself to the station as if it was the most horrendous thing to do in the morning, which it was at this early hour of the day, he tried to help out with some filing or at least absorbing some knowledge of them but fell asleep after closing his eyes "for a minute". And without fail, he would wake up later that afternoon with no one in sight but Lan Zhan who escorted him home. True, he got fitter and by the end of the week he didn't feel like collapsing after training, that didn't help him falling asleep like a toddler after midday though.
After the third day, Wei Ying off handedly mentioned that he kind of kept forgetting to buy groceries and lived off their cafeteria food, Lan Zhan had ordered him his groceries to be delivered which Wei Ying could only accept because it was already paid for. He did give Lan Zhan the stinky eyes the next day though, because that kind of charity he really didn't need but Lan Zhan exuded the content energy of someone who won the prize for something ridiculous and Wei Ying couldn't stay mad at him for long.
Though they did spend some evenings walking home together, it didn't get as intimate as their second day. Wei Ying didn't force it, he was too smooth for that, but Lan Zhan didn't initiate anything himself, so Wei Ying was kind of at a loss what to make of him and their relationship as a whole. Where was the alcohol when he needed it the most?
Notes:
the junior quartet finally appeared!!
let me know what u think!!word counter
original chapter three: 6.1k
rewritten chapter three: 12.3k
Chapter 4
Summary:
wwx: 😈😈😈 (sadly)
jc: 👿👿👿 (fondly)
lwj: 😐 (unbearably lovingly)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
After a full six days, Wei Ying never even considered taking some rest contrary to popular belief that he was lazy, Lan Sizhui ordered him with all the authority a young team leader could muster, to take the day off. Wei Ying was lazy, that was the thing. He loved to laze around, take the easy way out, took shortcuts, and he still made it through life just fine. Well, mostly. There were things he didn't need to talk about. Anyway, he loved to do nothing but to lay in the sun, especially after six days of training that left his body aching in spots he didn't even know could hurt. So, Lan Sizhui's order was not only mercy but necessary, that didn't stop Wei Ying from having this underlying itch to do something . All the people he knew were at work, whereas he laid in bed, gratefully sleeping in until the sun had already risen a long time ago.
When he opened his bleary eyes, soaking in the calming morning air on a Sunday, he didn't feel too bad about it anymore though. Languidly like a cat he stretched his limbs as far as possible, groaning satisfied. Okay, maybe a day off would do him good and he could ignore this itch, after all.
After indulging his lazy cat energy, rolling around with the sun to always lay in the sunny spot and dozing in and out of consciousness, Wei Ying slowly peeled himself out of his blanket. His stomach demanded food, needing to feed all the muscles he was building right now. Since Wei Ying barely had the basic necessities that would count as a healthy pantry, his body had to settle for cornflakes and a banana. The fruit was already more than Wei Ying was used to, so there really was no need to complain.
After lazing around for another hour or so, this apartment revealed not being nearly big enough to spend a day inside. Wei Ying grew restless after crossing the room for the 17th or so time, not seeing anything new to focus his eyes on. After a long, hot shower, he decided to brave the cold air outside, leaving the comfortable warmth of his temporary home behind.
It wasn't as bad as he expected.
The streets were almost empty on a Sunday midday, so he had time to observe two cats growling at each other only to end up cuddling on the cornerstone of a wall fencing around a nice family home. He didn't need to pay attention to any traffic, could space out without being in danger or running into someone. The only thing he needed to be aware of was not getting lost. But that's why he had his phone with him. So, not a thing to worry about.
After a while, his feet carried him into a nearby park. It was slightly more crowded than the streets, a couple of people either on a walk as well, some on a run, some lazing around on blankets. It was so peaceful, Wei Ying couldn't help but stop, sitting down on a bench, taking it all in. When was the last time he felt so at ease, enjoying the sun in silence?
"Wei Wuxian?! What the fuck?!"
Never in a hundred years would Wei Ying expect that voice to pull him out of his close to nirvana kind of relaxation, but at the same time, if it would be someone, it would be him . So, as he expected the unexpected he had expected this expectation. It made sense in his head.
Slowly, oh so slowly, Wei Ying turned his head, yawning widely in the face of his brother, who walked up the small path walk from the opposite side he had come from.
"Jiang Cheng, how lovely to see you here," he grinned lazily in the face of pure rage, "though I gotta say, if you had missed me, you could have just called, you know?"
There could probably be said something poetic about how red and purple Jiang Cheng's face went after stopping right in front of him, how it matched the scarf he wore in an too orderly fashion resembling his family in all the ways Wei Ying never could. Or about how Jiang Cheng's eyes were as cold as the frozen lake, cracked in a few places, trying to cut Wei Ying like daggers. But Wei Ying just let his smile grow wider, not thinking about how much he yearned for things that will never be.
"And what the fuck are you doing here?" he spat out. "Wasting away the rest of your uni days? Finally dropping out?"
"With my grades?" Wei Ying laughed. "I could stop coming altogether and still graduate cum laude, I guess," he hummed, "actually, is that possible? Just showing up for the few exams that are left and then-"
"Just shut up," a vein pulsed at Jiang Cheng's forehead that he rubbed with his palm.
"Well, shouldn't you spend your time internshipping?" Wei Ying sprang up lightly on his feet, hands pushed down deep into his pockets. "Didn't Yu- furen already make sure the spot was held open for you?" Wei Ying squinted his eyes. There was no doubt that Jiang Cheng's parents wouldn't let him do his internship anywhere else since he was the one to lead the Yunmeng HQ somewhen in the future.
"Fuck off," Jiang Cheng kicked at his shin which Wei Ying dodged effortlessly, no real intent behind it anyway. "I have business here."
"In Leling? Who did you piss off to earn that?"
"Well, who the fuck did you piss off to end up here?" Jiang Cheng growled and only got an answering laugh.
"Believe it or not, this humble one received a personal invitation to intern here," he grinned, spreading his arms widely as if to show all what he earned which was a frozen pond in a tiny park in the middle of nowhere. Fitting.
Jiang Cheng scoffed. "Just be honest and say that nobody else would take you in."
Wei Ying was about to retaliate, because excuse him, if it weren't for his scatterbrain and he had sent out applications in time, all of them would be begging to have him as their intern. Also, Wei Ying didn't feel the need to complain as a joke because he couldn't have landed a better internship. But when he opened his mouth, Jiang Cheng just shook his head, waving him off dismissively.
"I don't care, actually. I have better things to do and you would only get me in trouble. So, just," he stalked off the path, Wei Ying following him without a second thought, "do whatever you want. Just keep me out of it."
"Will do!" Wei Ying grinned, delighted to find something interesting to do on his day off after all. Not stopping in his gait, maybe even speeding up a little bit, Jiang Cheng didn't stop him, just pushed his hands further into his pockets.
"Really? Don't you have better stuff to do? Like annoying your neighbours you're probably already friends with and are invited to the birth of their next child or something?"
Wei Ying barked out a laugh into the cold air, throwing his head back. "If only," he sighed wistfully, "alas, my schedule is packed with work. Contrary to popular, as in, your belief." He dodged another kick. "Besides, you said 'do whatever you want', are you gonna take back your word?"
"I'm gonna end your life, let's see what you're gonna do then," he growled but it lost its viciousness when he started sniffling with a slightly runny nose.
"You try that, I'm like a cockroach though, very hard to kill," Wei Ying winked.
And, oh, Jiang Cheng couldn't agree more. To him, Wei Ying was a cockroach who mooched off the first hand, couldn't shut up if his life depended on it and you wouldn't ever get rid of him, even if you kinda want-not-want to get rid of him. The jury was still out there, if Jiang Cheng really wanted that. Of course, after that happened, he couldn't bear calling Wei Ying family anymore. But he also couldn't bear not calling him brother anymore, not after all the things they went through, after growing up together and forming their lives around each other. Better to let that just rest and just see where this was going. At the very least, they still trusted each other, however paradox that might seem and neither would admit to that.
"Mom was furious when I rejected the internship," Jiang Cheng said after a while, already outside of the park and Wei Ying followed curiously, if not idly.
"You what ?!" Wei Ying stumbled over his own feet. "You-... what?"
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes so hard they were just white for a moment, pressing his lips together into a thin line. "Whatever. I'm doing it here. So don't you dare get on my case and ruin this for me."
"Here?" Wei Ying squeaked, rapidly losing the plot of this story. Jiang Cheng, heir to one of the most renowned law enforcement headquarters, who prided himself of being a Jiang, who threw Wei Ying away, to keep his position, was throwing away a golden opportunity to solidify his position in his family company to what? Have an internship in some backwater village with no benefits? What in the everloving fuck ?
"What the fuck ?" Wei Ying caught himself jogging after his brother who didn't stop or even took a look at him. "Jiang Cheng, I say that with all due respect, but are you nuts? What did shi- Jiang Yanli say? Did something happen?"
"Shut up, Wei Wuxian," Jiang Cheng snapped in a warning, "you ask too many questions. What? I can't make my own decisions? Have others make decisions for me ?"
Wei Ying clenched his jaw, finally meeting Jiang Cheng's hardened gaze. They ventured off into dangerous territory neither really wanted to talk about, or rather they didn't need to talk about because some things just were . But Jiang Cheng was very good at breaching it and letting it hang over them.
"Wait a sec," Wei Ying blinked, thoughts about his sister he probably won't ever see again pushed deep down, to make room for a very, very ill premonition, "you mean, you wanna do your internship here ?"
They both stopped dead in their tracks, eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at each other for a few moments.
"Oh, fuck, don't tell me-"
"Well, I came here first!" Wei Ying threw his hands in the air, not knowing if he wanted to laugh or cry or run away, letting his face slip into an ugly grimace. Which ultimately only made him laugh because what were the odds? Jiang Cheng essentially running away from home to do his internship as far away as possible from everyone else only for him to meet his adoptive brother which he held a grudge against at the very same workplace? Unbelievable.
"Oh, fuck," Jiang Cheng groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This can't be true, no."
"Well, gotta get used to call me partner in crime ," Wei Ying wiggled his eyebrows, as he decided that laughing would be the best course of action.
"We fight crime, you idiot, not commit them!"
"You do that and I just do 'whatever I want'," Wei Ying laughed, running ahead as Jiang Cheng gave chase screaming bloody murder. It almost felt like the good old times. At the very least, their work would be separated as Wei Ying was sure he could weasel his way in into one of the special unit cases and avoid Jiang Cheng maybe altogether. For both their and the station's sake. If they would share their space for too long, who knew when the first corpse would show up?
They walked the rest of their way in silence, both deep in thoughts, where Wei Ying was going through a range of excuses why he would come in on his day off after being explicitly prohibited by his seniors. Though, technically he was just accompanying Jiang Cheng, so that's what he was going with.
There were a few things running through his head that Wei Ying blindly followed Jiang Cheng inside the entrance hall of the station and almost missed the part where Jiang Cheng specifically asked for Hanguang-jun . He did a double take at that, earning an exasperated sigh from the receptionist. Not even a proper week in, and everybody who had seen him knew he meant trouble. But that wasn't their problem, let Lan Zhan and the seniors deal with that.
The receptionist let them know that they'll ask if Hanguang-jun had time for a visitor, which they accentuated with a side glance at Wei Ying who grinned widely at them with a wave, and left them for a few minutes.
"You know," Jiang Cheng heaved out an impatient sigh, "if you really intend to follow me, at least try to behave when we're meeting Hanguang-jun . Can't have you embarrass me."
"Huh?" Wei Ying blinked wide-eyed, personified innocence. "What could I ever possibly do to embarrass you? You do plenty enough to do that yourself."
"You little imbeci-," Jiang Cheng was interrupted by the return of the receptionist, barely raising their eyebrow at them.
" Hanguang-jun has time for you," they nodded towards Jiang Cheng, "Wei Wuxian will show you the way. And," their eyes sharpened at Wei Ying, "don't you dare put my name in your mouth to let him know I let you in."
Bold of them to assume Wei Ying remembered their name.
"Never," Wei Ying laughed, pushing Jiang Cheng on his shoulders inside who looked slightly confused at them.
"What was that about?" he hissed after they entered through the double winged door.
"What was what?" Wei Ying hummed, waving his fingers at some raised heads. Did everybody know it was his day off and he wasn't allowed in? Wasn't it rude to know your coworkers scheduled workdays or was he the odd one out? Probably the latter, if he thought about it. His seniors always seemed to know when someone was in and when not.
"He sounded like you knew Hanguang-jun, " Jiang Cheng pulled Wei Ying out of his thoughts.
"Oh, yeah," Wei Ying waved dismissively as he entered Lan Zhan's office without knocking. "Lan Zhan!" he greeted with a bright grin, "fancy meeting you here!"
"Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng hissed mortified from behind, eyes probably bulging out of his eye sockets. With a resigned sigh, Lan Zhan looked up from his files, eyes taking in Wei Ying's entire presence that shouldn't be here. That was a disapproving look if Wei Ying ever saw one, but also bemusement and something akin to happiness gleaming through.
"Look, I brought you something," unperturbed by both Lan Zhan's stare and Jiang Cheng's fuming behind him, Wei Ying sauntered over to the chair, sitting down with a wave toward his brother. "He was looking for you, so I, star intern that I am, showed him the way even though I'm off the clock!"
"You are the only intern," Lan Zhan simply said, putting his pen down, and finally let his eyes wander over to Jiang Cheng. He carefully had stepped in, still hovering in the doorway, horrified by Wei Ying's display of disrespect.
"You may enter, Jiang Cheng," Lan Zhan nodded, "Please close the door behind you."
With a jolt, Jiang Cheng stepped in, pulling the door close and bowing respectfully at which Wei Ying snickered.
" Zewu-jun has already informed me of your visit and your request," Lan Zhan acknowledged the bow with a courteous nod, "though he let me make the final decision."
Now, that was interesting. Zewu-jun , head of the Gusu HQ had personally made sure that Jiang Cheng could do his internship here and informed Lan Zhan about it? There was some foreboding at the back of Wei Ying's mind, making him swallow. No, no, this couldn't end well.
" Hanguang-jun ," Jiang Cheng started slowly, eyes drifting toward Wei Ying who more or less sat sprawling on the chair, throwing him a carefree grin, furrowing his eyebrows in question. Lan Zhan followed his eyes with a single glance and nodded.
Still Jiang Cheng hesitated, lips pressed into a thin line, making Wei Ying squirm on his seat. Something was definitely going on and he itched to know.
"When I asked for an internship replacement," Jiang Cheng pressed through gritted teeth, posture stiff, "I knew what I was giving up. An internship at my family's HQ would mean a lot to me, my parents, and ultimately my resume. However," his voice wavered and his face lost some color, "due to unforeseen circumstances, I'm convinced my skills are being put to better use at this facility with the government sanctioned UV crimes unit."
Wei Ying closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. There it was. Jiang Cheng sought out the internship he got through fortunate circumstances, snatching yet another thing away from under his brother's nose.
Lan Zhan held Jiang Cheng's eyes for a few moments with an unreadable glance before breaking away to look at Wei Ying.
"Am I correct by assuming that you two are familiar with each other?"
Wei Ying looked up, blinking. He had been sure, Lan Zhan would be aware of their relationship. "Oh, uh, yeah, we," he licked his lips, "we're studying together."
"You-," Jiang Cheng balled his hands into fists, audibly exhaling, "we're brothers," he clarified. Wei Ying's head snapped around, staring at Jiang Cheng open mouthed, face and heart wide open to read. Jiang Cheng calling him brother made his chest constrict and free up at the same time, melting something inside of him. It had been a very long time since Jiang Cheng called him that and he didn't fight the warm smile spreading over his face.
When Wei Ying turned back to Lan Zhan, he was met with an inquisitive look but only shook his head in answer. There was no need to clarify and Lan Zhan didn't pry thankfully.
"As I have already explained the potential and exponentially higher risk and danger for injuries and the likes to Wei Ying," Lan Zhan's voice was measured, eyes not leaving Jiang Cheng who made an aborted noise in the back of his throat by the casual use of Wei Ying's birth name, "this internship is different than the one you require for your studies. Are you aware of that?"
Jiang Cheng swallowed, standing impossible more straight, "I am, Hanguang-jun ."
"Mn," Lan Zhan hummed uncommitedly. "Why then?"
"Why what?" Jiang Cheng snapped, clearing his throat, "Would you please clarify your question?"
"Why would you give up on your internship in Yunmeng to take on a risk?" Lan Zhan's eyes were hard. Wei Ying knew that Lan Zhan wouldn't allow any half-assed answer, which more or less still made him wonder how Lan Zhan approved him . But that was a question for another time. Lan Zhan had asked the question Wei Ying was desperate to know the answer of.
Jiang Cheng waited for another few beats to answer, looking for the right words while his face went through all kinds of emotions. Looking at it in morbid fascination, Wei Ying leaned over the back of his chair until Jiang Cheng met his eyes.
"You remember A-Qing?" His voice was low in a way that seemed to forget that Lan Zhan was still present. Wei Ying sat up, lips quirking up.
"Of course!" He had met A-Qing only a few times but he had been convinced in no time that she was an excellent bodyguard for his sister. Back when Wei Ying was still living in the Jiang estate, there had been rumors about the Qishan Wen HQ dabbling into shady business, though there was no evidence and no one dared to dig further into that. Still, not leaving anything by chance, Yu- furen and Fengmian- shizun hired a guard for their eldest daughter Jiang Yanli, namely A-Qing.
Yu- furen had opposed at first with A-Qing having neither formal training nor a reputation, not to mention was she affiliated with any renowned families. But Fengmian- shizun , always a believer in giving chances, let her train with their in-house guards and she rose in ranks and earned respect swiftly and not even Yu- furen could deny her strength and skill.
Not to mention that Jiang Yanli and A-Qing fostered a deep connection and friendship. Wei Ying met her first as one of her sparring partners, impressed by her skill despite her young age, but even more by the hunger and determination in her eyes. She would do a respectable job guarding his sister against whatever she would face, be it the Wen's or anything else. They later crossed ways only partially, Wei Ying was aware how close his sister and her were as they seldom were found alone. The last time he had seen her was when she let him hug his sister despite his pending restraining order against her for what he will be forever grateful for.
"She is dead."
The smile on Wei Ying's face froze. His hands slipped from the chair as he slowly stood up, eyes growing harder by the second. He stared at his brother who looked at the ground, face twisted into rage and sorrow. Wei Ying was also aware how fond Jiang Cheng had been of her, had made repetitive jokes about how he should ask her out.
In a few steps Wei Ying was in front of Jiang Cheng, grabbing him by his collar. "What did you say?"
Jiang Cheng hissed, "I said what I said," he barked out, jerking Wei Ying's arm away. "She died off duty."
"Off duty?" Wei Ying whispered, "who?"
"I don't know!" Jiang Cheng cried, his voice echoing in the small room as he threw his arms in the air, pinning Wei Ying with a furious glare, "she was out of town for training, her temporary apartment was in a shady neighborhood, she died on her way home from work, nobody knows anything and no one wants to do anything because what could we do?" Jiang Cheng's voice faltered by the end. And Wei Ying knew he was right. In a neighborhood like this where everyone was out for themselves and patrol was non-existent, especially if it wasn't even her hometown, it would be impossible to find anyone , let alone someone who didn't want to be found.
"How is," Wei Ying swallowed around the lump in his throat, "how is Jiang Yanli?"
"You would know, if you would have fucking called once in a while, you know?!" Wei Ying would have preferred to be just punched in the face, the same as Jiang Cheng realized what he had said. They stared at each other with things unspoken for years, hurt and betrayal separating them.
"She-," Jiang Cheng said a few notches quieter, "she had a very hard time. Not talking, not eating. It was only…," Jiang Cheng groaned, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was thanks to the peacock that she got better."
"Peacock?!" Wei Ying huffed, "no way. How could he have helped her more than you or your parents?"
"You really lived under a rock, didn't you?" with his arms crossed, Jiang Cheng looked at him, judging. Wei Ying spluttered, taking a step back in offense.
"Aiyo, Jiang Cheng, have I ever paid attention to anything other than me?"
"Your arrogance surprises me every time," Jiang Cheng shook his head, " Jiejie and the peacock got married."
"They what ?" After all what had happened, they really tied the knot? Wei Ying's whole world shifted in the span of a mere hour.
"Anyway," Jiang Cheng sighed close to disappointment, finally acknowledging Lan Zhan again who had watched them closely but silently, "the death of a close friend drove me to strife for more. A-Qing… she was bright, fought for what she believed was right and wanted to live. She didn't deserve such a death, alone and unresolved. That is why I want to push myself even harder, gain the right to stand on the top of Yunmeng HQ and not through family relations."
Wei Ying had respect for his brother, of course. His skill and knowledge were undeniable, what Wei Ying sometimes had missed was his backbone, his individuality. And here he was, swimming against the current to make his own place in the world. His younger brother was growing up without him even realizing, making Wei Ying's heart heavy with opposing emotions, but first and foremost proud.
"Mn," Lan Zhan folded his hands on the desk, assessing Jiang Cheng's hard stare before his eyes slipped over to Wei Ying again.
"Can you two work together?"
"Mhmm," Wei Ying hummed with a pout, arms crossed over his chest and staring at the ceiling thoughtfully, "of course!" He grinned back at Lan Zhan a moment later. "Jiang Cheng and I, we have our difficulties but if push comes to shove, I know he'll have my back as I will have his."
Jiang Cheng's look lay heavy on his shoulders but Wei Ying forced himself to look at Lan Zhan, not wanting to fuck this up for his brother and conveying to him that he was serious.
"Very well," Lan Zhan said after a while, motioning Jiang Cheng to sit down on the chair Wei Ying had abandoned earlier. His brother barely shoved his shoulder fondly when he walked up to the desk, accepting the same contracts Wei Ying had to sign. Seeing this at his cue, Wei Ying winked at Lan Zhan and turned on his heels to walk out.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan interrupted his exit, making him freeze with his tone alone.
"Y-yes, Hanguang-jun ," he chuckled nervously.
"The others have informed me that your training has been finished and you passed all requirements," Lan Zhan put a pen in front of Jiang Cheng's documents, slowly looking back up to Wei Ying.
"Oh, oh !" Wei Ying grinned, "of course, there was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't make you proud."
"Mn," Lan Zhan nodded, "you will join Jiang Cheng at tomorrow's training schedule."
"W-what?! But why?" Wei Ying whined, his pout comically exaggerated.
Lan Zhan exhaled almost audible, shoulders dropping but an inch, "Wei Ying," he said sternly.
"Ugh," Wei Ying groaned, "yeah, yeah, I went against direct orders. Although," he tapped his nose, "my orders were not to come in for work and I used my free time to meet up with my darling baby brother," - "Fuck off!" - "and I never received any orders not to come in at this place in general. What if I had an emergency and needed help from law enforcement?"
Blinking slowly, very deliberately, Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying. "Your orders were 'to take your mind off work', amongst other things. Coming in to your workplace on your day off does not take your mind off of work."
"Ah, technicalities, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying waved at him.
"Mn."
"I get it, I get it," Wei Ying huffed and crossed his arms, "I'll come in at 5.30 am sharp." He paused. "Sharp-ish."
"Mn."
Jiang Cheng, resolutely ignoring their conversation, grabbed the pen Lan Zhan had provided him and put his signature in all the required places, pressing down so hard the paper threatened to rip apart. Without looking away from Wei Ying, Lan Zhan put the documents away in a file.
"See you tomorrow," he dismissed them and Wei Ying darted through the door, followed shortly after by his brother.
"Care to explain what the fuck is going on?" Jiang Cheng hissed, face twisted between rage and relief.
"Explain what?" Wei Ying crossed his arms behind his head and slowly sauntered back to the entrance. He loved to push his luck but not if he was the one to suffer through more of that hellish training regiment.
"Oh, maybe the fact that you got into a fucking secret governmental UV unit without even trying?" Jiang Cheng gritted through his teeth, conscious about how they were still in earshot of their coworkers.
Wei Ying snorted, "who said I haven't been trying?"
Jiang Cheng shot him an incredulous glare, "when have you ever tried anything?"
"Wow," with a hand over his heart, Wei Ying sighed, "the disbelief. Not unfounded, truth to be told, but still, wow." He laughed, dancing out of the station and hummed until they were on their way back to the park.
"What does it matter anyway?" Wei Ying shook his head after a while, "we're both here and have this internship, for better or worse."
"Tch," Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue but knew Wei Ying was right. Not that he could force Wei Ying to give it up anyway. Out of the corner of his eyes, Wei Ying watched Jiang Chang before he carefully, almost offhandedly asked, "how are you?"
"Don't," Jiang Cheng snapped, "you don't… we're not-," his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, unsure what to say, as Wei Ying's face fell before settling on a neutral smile.
"Not failing any tests, I hope," he diverted the topic, grinning a little more earnestly.
"As if," Jiang Cheng shoved him. "I can take care of my grades on my own well enough."
"Huh? Then I must misremember all the times I wrote those little notes for you," Wei Ying laughed, earning an elbow between his ribs. "Oof," he coughed.
"How bad is your memory? Those were for Nie Huaisang," Jiang Cheng shook his head. "Unbelievable."
"Oh, right," Wei Ying snapped his fingers. "But still, I had to study with you often enough, so you didn't fail."
"Whatever," ignoring the slightly embarrassed blush on his cheeks, Jiang Cheng crossed his arms. "I'm gonna go home. Gotta tell A-Die and A-Niang that I definitely won't come home," he grumbled more than he actually told Wei Ying, but confirming that his parents still had hoped he wouldn't be accepted and come back to Yunmeng after all, "see you tomorrow or whatever."
"Mn," Wei Ying grinned, "oh and by the way," he added, walking backwards with a grin, "don't eat any breakfast or just very little, your delicate stomach probably won't take it."
"Wei Wuxian!"
Wei Ying laughed, turning on his heels and jogging home.
--
Really, after a week of consistently getting up too early for human's sanity and working his ass off throughout the days just to collapse with the setting of the sun, Wei Ying should have gotten used to getting up with the ringing of his alarm. But who was he kidding? Never would he voluntarily wake up at that time.
Again, it was a miracle that he stumbled, uniform crinkled in a few places, only five minutes late towards the station's entrance. It was to no one's surprise that he was the last of the three.
Jiang Cheng stood straight as an arrow next to Lan Sizhui, trying to kill him with his venomous eyes.
"Good morning," Wei Ying yawned, only vaguely bowing in greeting.
"Do you have no honor, Wei Wuxian?!" Jiang Cheng growled.
Lan Sizhui, who had already given up on trying to push Wei Ying to do or be something he didn't want to, only smiled, "Good morning, Wei- gongzi . You won't mind going for an extra lap, do you?" He was not above punishing that behavior, though.
"Haha… of course not," Wei Ying's shoulder drew up at the dangerously polite tone of Lan Sizhui's voice. He joined Jiang Cheng and together they followed their senior toward the training grounds, both forcing themselves not to shove at each other.
" Hanguang-jun had informed me about your offense," Lan Sizhui called it mildly, "after all the length we went through to make sure you didn ' t have to work. I thought that would be like a present on a silver platter for you," he chuckled under his breath.
"Aiyo, spending time with my brother isn't work ," Wei Ying chided playfully, shaking his head.
"You're a piece of work," Jiang Cheng retaliated, giving in to shove his brother.
"More like a piece of art ," laughing, sidestepping Jiang Cheng's shoulder check, Wei Ying started leisurely running along the tracks. It took him a full round, watching more disinterested than curious how Lan Sizhui gave Jiang Cheng a lengthy explanation about their training regime for the coming week, or at least that's what Wei Ying imagined his brother was told. There were still some lingering doubts about how well they would work together. As he had said to Lan Zhan, if push comes to shove, they would have each other's back. There was nothing in the world that Wei Ying wouldn't do to keep his brother safe. As he had proven time and time again.
But working with him on a regular basis for weeks? They probably would be at each other's throats more often than not, the result after the souring of their relationship. Wei Ying made a half-hearted vow to himself to try to keep it at a minimum, if only for his seniors and Lan Zhan. It still was an internship and he was a guest, still being able to get fired nonetheless.
After a quick round though enough time to run through his contemplations, he was joined by Jiang Cheng with Lan Sizhui taking a step back and watching them as he went through his routine martial art forms to warm himself up. Wei Ying was still itching to get a proper spar with Lan Sizhui, to test his own strength.
The first few rounds they paced themselves, still trying to outrun each other but aware that they needed their energy. Wei Ying occasionally tried to trip Jiang Cheng up who then snapped at him and sped up to be a few paces ahead of him until Wei Ying caught up. Rinse and repeat while the sun slowly crept over the horizon. Though whenever they passed Lan Sizhui, they were on their best behavior as if their senior wouldn't notice what they were doing out of earshot but not eyesight.
When Lan Sizhui gestured them to do their final lap, they were sufficiently warmed up but not nearly out of breath, let alone exhausted. But, oh, did Wei Ying know this was only but the start. For the next hour they went through different disciplines, only doing just the basics really, sprinting, push ups, some balancing exercises, stretching, but Lan Sizhui knew what he was doing. On his first day, Wei Ying had been dead on his feet already after that, after a week he at least could breath through the pain, each breath jolting through his body. Though, he took great satisfaction seeing Jiang Cheng barely being able to stand on his feet, bend over with his hands on his knees, gasping in air.
"Out of breath already?" Wei Ying teased, well aware how red his own face was but forced his breathing to be even, hands intentionally lax on his hips.
"Shut- shut up," Jiang Cheng pressed out between two gasps. His face was pale and Wei Ying was pretty sure he would be sick sometime today. Hopefully he didn't need to see it.
With a bemused smile, Lan Sizhui watched them both as he wiped away the two stray drops of sweat that accumulated on his forehead, not showing any sign of exhaustion.
"Wei- gongzi ," Lan Sizhui nodded at something over Wei Ying's shoulder, " Hanguang-jun is calling for you."
In a swift motion, Wei Ying twirled around, throwing his hair over his shoulder with a flick of his wrist.
"Well, can't let him wait," he grinned, winking at his brother, "you two have fun." With careful steps, Wei Ying bent down to pick up his jacket that both Jiang Cheng and him had shrugged off halfway through, sweating profusely. Fortunately und a little proud of himself, Wei Ying's jittering knees didn't buckle and he sauntered over to Lan Zhan whose eyes were a comfortable weight on him and maybe, he flexed his arm just a little, relishing on the quick glance Lan Zhan shot at that motion.
When Wei Ying was close enough, Lan Zhan gave him a short nod and turned around to walk back inside, Wei Ying following him curiously. It was pleasantly warm inside, though he pushed his arms into the sleeves of his jackets. Lan Zhan walked into his office silently, offering Wei Ying a cup of tea which Wei Ying gratefully accepted, sighing contently after gulping it down in seconds.
"What can I do for you, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying smiled, sitting down on the chair in front of the desk with his chin propped up on one hand, eyes a crescent shape.
Lan Zhan looked at him for awhile, almost long enough for Wei Ying to squirm but before Wei Ying could give in to a nervous chuckle, Lan Zhan began vaguely, "I was contemplating."
"Well, when don't you do that ?" Wei Ying teased with an easy smile but was shut up right away with a sharp glance. Slowly, as if still making up his mind, Lan Zhan procured a file out of one of his drawers, letting it hover between them.
"As you are aware," he began, again, "we put high value on not only apprehending the culprit but finding the root of a crime and, if possible, vanquish that evil altogether." He carefully put the file down, still holding it in place, as if Wei Ying would snatch it away. Which was fair. "For a few months we had our eyes on an organization, finding leads, a way in. Which we finally found," his finger tapped on the file, "and we are about to send someone in. To put this to rest."
"Yeah?" Wei Ying was at the edge of his seat, hands bracing on Lan Zhan's desk with wide eyes. "So you're telling me that my exceptional intellect and charm could be of help in this?"
Lan Zhan didn't have to roll his eyes for you to feel him rolling his eyes, shaking his head in a minute motion. "Wei Ying." However Lan Zhan made it possible to say Wei Ying's name in all the intonation in this world to make it possible to convey what he was thinking. And, oh, yeah, that was exasperation, but fondly. "You will not take part in this," he stressed slightly, "but I was contemplating on letting you tag along. Safely. Under supervision."
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying beamed, springing to his feet and leaning halfway over the entire desk. His entire body was vibrating with excitement, almost rattling the wooden furniture. "This is going to be so much fun!"
"Fun," Lan Zhan mumbled, blinking and going through a series of emotions, mostly questioning if this was the right decision. Wei Ying's enthusiasm of joining may seem positive but Lan Zhan was well aware of what this case entailed and he could only hope, Wei Ying grasped that as well in a few moments, to stay composed in the face of blatant horror.
"Your supervisor will be me," Lan Zhan continued, raising a hand when Wei Ying opened a mouth for yet another ridiculous remark, silencing him effectively. "You will stay by my side at any given moment and if I feel like you are not up for that task, you are off the case. Did I make myself clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" Wei Ying chuckled breathely, leaning back with a mock salute, biting his lip to fight a grin. "I will do exactly what you're telling me to do, Hanguang-Jun ," his lips twitched as he locked eyes with Lan Zhan with a sly spark in his eyes, purposefully sounding mischievously submissive. "I won't disappoint you."
"I sure hope so," Lan Zhan huffed, having no other choice but to believe in Wei Ying's words. Though Wei Ying's overall demeanor took it as a challenge to always provoke and stay in direct conflict with what he was saying, Lan Zhan somehow knew that if Wei Ying said something, he would stay true to his words.
With one last deliberately slow blink, Lan Zhan lifted his palm from the case file on his desk and slid it over to Wei Ying, expecting his eager eyes, even more the grabby hands that opened the file immediately, roaming the front page.
"The person in question," Lan Zhan continued, observing how Wei Ying's mind started to work with only the few information he acquired so far, face growing more and more serious, "has a high position, maybe even the leader itself, of a organization dealing with human trafficking, mainly children, assuming pedophilia tendencies. He had been charged with child abuse, child pornography, and human trafficking. He was found not guilty due to the lack of evidence."
As the word "pedophilia" dropped, Wei Ying's insides churned, revolting against his entire being. There must be a special place in hell for people like that and Wei Ying had sworn himself, he would personally see that they made it there.
"We have made contact with that individual," Lan Zhan leaned back, folded hands resting in his lap, "we are to be introducing one of us as a client having interest in his goods ." It was the first time Wei Ying had seen Lan Zhan this close to disgust as he nearly spat out the words.
Wei Ying took a deep breath, pushing down all the choice words that threatened to burst out of his own mouth. "How do you plan on playing this?"
"I will be the client ," Lan Zhan regained his composure, "with Lan Sizhui as my bodyguard. I assume the role of someone rich and bored, looking for some excitement ." And even with his fixed composure, the icy expression and raging heat behind his eyes said enough.
"Our goal is it," Lan Zhan continued after taking a sip from his tea, "to record evidence. We need him to talk about the children as detailed as possible. Ideally, we could see the children to have even more solid evidence. When these conditions are met," Wei Ying looked over the rim of the file, reflecting the same determination he heard in Lan Zhan's voice, "we will intervene and arrest him."
But, oh, did something else surface from the depths of Wei Ying's soul, not quite tangible but solid enough to take root in his heart. Wei Ying knew what he would do if Lan Zhan wouldn't be present, but he buried that thought as soon as it came. Instead, he focused on the picture of the man in the file, grinning up at him, as if he wasn't one of the most despicable people traversing the earth.
"Looking forward to bash that ugly grin of his face when he finally realizes what's hitting him," Wei Ying all but growled, fingers clenching around the paper and only the intense stare of Lan Zhan made him inhale, releasing the tension in his shoulders again. "I swear to you," Wei Ying raised three fingers to his temple, barely keeping up his genuitiy with a lopsided grin, "I won't jeopardize this plan with my, you know, everything and make sure this guy will get what he deserves. You won't regret letting me take part in this. "
"You're not taking part ," Lan Zhan stressed again, but with a playful sparkle in his eyes, though he couldn't deny that this time, Wei Ying's enthusiasm made him feel more secure in Wei Ying's participation.
"Your training starts right away," leaving the case file in Wei Ying's hands and pulling out another sheet of paper out of the drawer, "first on the list is your firearms license, as we hope it won't come to this but you need to at least defend yourself if the worst case scenario happens."
"Worst case?" Wei Ying's eyebrows shot up, but he leaned back into his chair without care.
"Our cover is blown, calling for backup is impossible, and we're surrounded by hostile perpetrators," Lan Zhan answered promptly, his eyes not leaving Wei Ying, looking for any indication of doubt. When he didn't find any, just a thoughtful glance to the side, he continued. "Secondly, Ouyang Zizhen will instruct you on how to play your role as a secondary bodyguard. He specializes in disguises," Lan Zhan added needlessly.
Wei Ying let out a small whistle. "I was trying to deduce what his strong suit was! I was kinda stuck on interrogation, because of how flowery he's speaking and," he made a vague gesture, "all that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I talk a lot and know I'll probably could get a confession out of anybody," Lan Zhan exhaled unimpressed, "but that guy can talk and tell you a tale about his walk to work and you wouldn't know what's true and what's not!"
"Mn, he is an interesting individual," Lan Zhan confirmed flatly, probably reminiscing all the times he was at the receiving end of hearing said hour long tales.
"And what about shooting? Who's going to train me in the ways of the gun?" Wei Ying sprawled over the whole chair, downright asking for his back to suffer.
"Me," Lan Zhan put his notes back into the drawer, holding out his hand for the case file, raising and eyebrow at Wei Ying's gawking. "Since I have a few meetings scheduled until lunch, we will begin after that. I will come get you after your break."
"You?" Wei Ying let the file fall back into Lan Zhan's hand, blinking rapidly. Oh, today was going to be so good .
"Mn," Lan Zhan nodded, barely squinting his eyes in suspicion, more of a minute twitch at the corner of his eye.
"Perfect!" Wei Ying jumped up from his seating position, however that was really possible, nobody will know. "Then I won't hold you back from your duties, Hanguang-Jun ," he winked before bowing, "see you later!"
With a bounce in his steps, Wei Ying returned to Lan Sizhui's training regime just when Jiang Cheng was crawling on all fours under a fishing net, mud and grass stains caking half his body, even his face. Wei Ying could really get used to that sight.
"That's what I like to see," Wei Ying hummed semi-loudly, coming to a stop next to Lan Sizhui holding up a stopwatch.
"I can hear you!" Jiang Cheng yelled at the mud, not being able to raise his head. "Come here and see who will be laughing then, you creatin!"
"Save your breath, dear brother mine," Wei Ying laughed, rocking back and forth on his feet, "you seem to be in need of it. Use it wisely!" His eyes caught Lan Sizhui's, another snide remark on his lips but it died in his throat when his senior gestured him to join Jiang Cheng.
With a triumphed groan from Jiang a Cheng and a long whine from himself, Wei Ying let himself fall down in the dirt, chasing after his brother. Racing each other, all Wei Ying could think of was that he now had to face pristine Lan Zhan as a muddy gremlin since he didn't have a change of clothes with him. Seriously, who did? But all the while, he couldn't keep the grin off his face when he thought about spending the whole afternoon with Lan Zhan. Maybe even alone . A little dirt wouldn't get in between them, would it?
--
When Lan Sizhui deemed, it was finally time to let Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying return to the living, Wei Ying decided food was only optional anyway and spending more time with Lan Zhan outweighed it by a lot. Jiang Cheng didn't ask and didn't seem to care why his brother didn't follow him. And because Wei Ying still was a decent human being, he even wiped his shoes on the doormat before entering the office hall again, bouncing up to Lan Zhan's door. He even pulled his hair into a semi-tight ponytail so it wouldn't drop dirt all over the floor, but that seemed more or less unnecessary since his whole body was muddy. It was already drying and began to flake at his cheeks, falling down in small little drops. After knocking twice and waiting for a permissive sound from inside, Wei Ying opened the door.
"Lan Zhan!" he beamed, saluting him in a almost mock bow, "I couldn't help myself and since I just know you were dying to supervise my training I took it upon myself to- is- is everything alright?" The smile that had split Wei Ying's face upon entering slowly faded as he spoke, taking in Lan Zhan's intense look on him. They stared at each other in silence that stretched on and on until Wei Ying started to fidge.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan finally said, voice like gravel, "under no circumstances will I hand you a gun when you look like this . Go shower and change. And I don't have to tell you that you have to clean up everything that you already dirtied. Have I made myself clear?"
Wei Ying swallowed, brain processing the words slower than usual, as he stared at Lan Zhan's stone cold face because it made him feel something , drying his mouth and making his brain go fuzzy.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Wei Ying croaked, voice cracking on the last word as Lan Zhan was obviously expecting an answer from him. And how could Wei Ying deny him anything when he looked like that . Wei Ying basked a second longer in Lan Zhan's stern gaze before signaling him to finally go.
Without another word or even a courteous nod, Wei Ying was out the room, slamming the door shut with a hammering heart in his chest.
What the fuck was that ?
With a rising heat in his neck and cheeks, Wei Ying practically bolted out of the station, waving a few worried looks away. Okay, that was just- embarrassment. Right, he was so embarrassed in front of Lan Zhan with his looks and that he dirtied the floor, that he felt ashamed. Yeah, that was what he was going with. Uh-huh, perfect explanation. Shoving that thought deep down under the rug, Wei Ying sprinted home to take a quick shower and to change. Luckily his apartment was that close. He maybe probably could have asked if there were showers in the facility and there should be spare clothes as well but his weirdly horn- uh, embarrassed brain short circuited and couldn't think that far.
With still damp hair pulled into a bun, Wei Ying jogged back to the station, almost running into Jin Ling, who threw him a stinky eye.
"You really have no self awareness, do you?" he quipped, pulling a pair of plastic gloves off and throwing them into the small garbage bag he had put down.
"Huh?" Wei Ying balanced his weight on one foot, having stopped mid motion.
"Entering the station looking like you just came crawling out of your grave and having the audacity to go to talk with Hanguang-jun looking like that?" Jin Ling shook his head. "That should warrant punishment, scrubbing the floors for weeks at least," he harrumphed, cheeks puffed out in a pout.
"I don't know about that," Wei Ying hummed, holding his chin, faking being deep in thought, "the last time I helped with cleaning, I was told it looked even worse . But, Jin- qianbei ," Wei Ying grinned, all teeth and joy, "I absolutely gonna help out!"
Jin Ling's face grew in color, realizing that even if Wei Ying did say this in jest, it could be very much true and just the idea of having even more work because of Wei Ying made him splutter on the spot.
"Just- just get back on! Huanguang -j un is already waiting for you!"
"Will do!" Wei Ying laughed, turning on his heel and entering the main hall again. Letting Lan Zhan wait for a little more grated on his nerves but Wei Ying couldn't actually spend time with him in good consciousness when he knew he still had to clean the floor he covered in mud before.
Though, he didn't need to think about that much longer. The floor was cleaned, no trace of any dirt in sight. It almost sparkled in some spots. Someone went above and beyond cleaning up his mess. And then Wei Ying hit his forehead with his open palm, earning some turned heads. He really owed Jin Ling a thanks and an apology. Later. Because Lan Zhan was still higher on his priority list.
Following Luo Qingyang's direction, Wei Ying descended the stairs into the basement and jogged down until he reached the end of the hallway. The room was soundproofed, evidently, since as soon as Wei Ying opened the door, his ears began ringing by the sudden shooting noise.
Lan Zhan stood in one of the booths, headphones and safety glasses on, and shot a full round of 8 shots in quick succession. Not wanting to interrupt his concentration, Wei Ying carefully closed the door, staring, well, more grossly admiring, Lan Zhan's posture from his shoulders to his back, his hips in a perfect angle and the position of his feet made him a poster child for how to shoot a gun.
When Wei Ying finally pulled himself out of his ahem admiration, his eyes snapped to Lan Zhan's profile, where his gaze lingered for a few seconds still, captivated by Lan Zhan's serious expression, focused on his target that was now driving up to the front of the booths.
As Lan Zhan inspected the target paper, all 8 shots right in the middle, and pulled off his headphones, Wei Ying finally made himself noticeable. With a low whistle, he sauntered over, peaking over Lan Zhan's shoulder.
"Well, well, well, if I didn't get lucky with my teacher," he grinned.
Lan Zhan's only acknowledgement to Wei Ying's presence was a quick side glance before pulling off his safety glasses and then replacing the target paper, after folding his own practice paper neatly and putting it aside.
"Gotta work hard to get your approval, huh?" Wei Ying carried on, not deterred by the lack of response. "But don't worry, I'll have you know that my aim is perfect ," Wei Ying all but purred the word, winking at Lan Zhan for good measure.
"Mark your words," Lan Zhan huffed, stepping aside.
"Oh, marking is my speciality," Wei Ying snickered, stepping up to the booth before letting his own words seep in. "As in, target marking," he squeaked, feeling the heat in his face. Fortunately, Lan Zhan was behind his back, not being able to see the rising blush.
"Mn," Lan Zhan hummed with all the world's amused smugness condensed in one sound.
Lan Zhan observed approvingly Wei Ying as he put the headphones around his neck and pushed the safety glasses up the nose, "when was the last time you handled a firearm?"
"It's been like a year or two," Wei Ying stuck out his tongue as he went through the different steps of reloading the gun as if it was muscle memory, checking the safety switch one last time, before grinning at Lan Zhan cockily, "but it kinda is like riding a bike for me. Well, if I could ride a bike. But you get it."
Wei Ying saw Lan Zhan nod from the corner of his eyes and felt his gaze on him, making him only the barest amount nervous, squaring his shoulders unconsciously.
"Well, here goes nothing," he chuckled, focusing his eyes in front, holding the gun with both hands, before exhaling and shooting a full round just like Lan Zhan did. Lan Zhan pressed the button on the desk for the target to come up again and, lo and behold, all 8 shots hit the bullseye, almost forming one single whole.
Lan Zhan hummed approvingly yet again, pulling off his own headphones. Checking that the safety is on, Wei Ying put down his gun and massaged his shoulder.
"I forgot how much recoil hurts," Wei Ying whined, carefully rolling his shoulder. It wasn't that bad, to be fair, but Wei Ying remembered how sore his muscle had been when he fired a real gun for the first time. Sure, he had been way younger and didn't know anything about proper posture and gun holding but nothing could have prepared him for how his arms had flown up, hands tingling by the sheer force the gun exuded.
"You could already have received your license," Lan Zhan said, not forming it as a question but clearly meant as a question, when he put his hand on Wei Ying's shoulder, causing Wei Ying to freeze up.
"Uhh," Wei Ying said, the genius that he was, but was reminded that he was also gay and was attracted to his boss. There was nothing coming out of his mouth, all senses concentrated on Lan Zhan's hand on his shoulder, and was just getting worse when Lan Zhan pushed his thumb right between his spine and his shoulder blade, relaxing the muscle.
Wei Ying couldn't stop the low groan escaping his throat. Snapping back to attention, Wei Ying took a step to the side, making Lan Zhan let go of him although he was sure that if Lan Zhan wanted, he would have easily could have hold onto him. A thought that made this whole situation not easier in the slightest.
"Sorry," Wei Ying pressed out, hand on his neck, ghosting his own thumb over the same spot. "I- uh, am very sensitive?" His voice grew higher and higher, making up an excuse on the spot.
Lan Zhan just blinked, slow and deliberate, before nodding.
"So?"
"So?" Wei Ying blinked, very fast and in quick succession.
"Why have you not acquired a weapon's license yet?"
Oh, right, there had been a conversation going on. A conversation Wei Ying very much didn't want to have and, to be honest, rather wanted to be embarrassingly turned on by his boss's hand on his shoulder.
"I, uh," Wei Ying's eyes roamed the room, desperately trying to find something to focus on, "you won't fire me, will you?"
That was a good start to such a conversation, for sure. Lan Zhan on his part kept a straight face, before asking, "do you have a criminal record?"
And there went his internship out of the window, Wei Ying could feel it manifest in his soul. He pushed his other hand in his neck, looking up at the ceiling and exhaled harshly.
"Well, officially I don't," Wei Ying confessed, biting his lower lip. "My criminal record is clean, so officially you can't fire me over this," Wei Ying chuckled, with no humor in it. "But I was exempted from taking a weapons license test for a few years and I just," he shrugged awkwardly, "didn't feel like getting one right after that ban was lifted."
"Why were you exempted from it?" Lan Zhan's voice was even, so Wei Ying chanced a quick look at him. His eyes were steady on Wei Ying's face, studying him without judgment.
"I-," Wei Ying huffed, "circumstances? Someone saw me and was like, giving him a weapon? Are you insane?" Wei Ying forced a chuckle, trying desperately to deflect with humor.
"You do not have to tell me," Lan Zhan finally gave into the awkward silence that had followed, "I trust Wei Ying."
And if that wasn't a shot right through Wei Ying's heart, then what was?
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying breathed, just shy of being pleading. "You- I- aiyo, don't be like that ," Wei Ying had to hide his face in his hands, "how can you be so sincere ? My heart can't take it."
"Then Wei Ying should prepare his heart," Lan Zhan sounded so much closer that Wei Ying had to peak through his fingers just to see Lan Zhan directly in front of him, "lying is forbidden."
"Uh-huh," Wei Ying blinked, swallowing audibly. Before Wei Ying could say anything less embarrassing, the door opened and an officer stepped in, informing Lan Zhan that there was an important phone call for him.
Lan Zhan nodded in acknowledgement and gracefully sidestepped Wei Ying, leaving him to his internal conflict.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying jerked around before Lan Zhan could leave the room, leaving this conversation off like that. Ignoring the heat in his cheeks, Wei Ying folded his arms behind his back, holding Lan Zhan's gaze.
"I will tell you about it, I promise."
"Mn," Lan Zhan responded without hesitation, giving the same nod as before but with a crinkle around his eyes that put Wei Ying at ease, before following the officer upstairs.
He probably shouldn't be in the shooting range without supervision, though, so Wei Ying took a couple of deep breaths, calming his racing heart and shoving unwanted memories deep into the back of his mind, before leaving himself. Finally having the tension out of his system, Wei Ying's body caught up with today and demanded to have a break. And, yeah, fair, Wei Ying had neclegted his body once again after his training and running home and then back to the station again, just to have an intense moment or two with Lan Zhan, which only one of them was more or less enjoyable, and his stomach was hungry.
With another heavy sigh, Wei Ying made his way to the cafeteria, giving in to his growling stomach. Something to drink wouldn't be too bad either. Okay, so maybe listening to one's body wasn't all that stupid after all. But hey, he was still young and learning, right?
After entering the cafeteria, Wei Ying grabbed a tray and stocked it high up with anything he could grab and carry more or less safely and then made a beeline to Lan Sizhui and Jiang Cheng who he had spotted right away. Jiang Cheng's face was still red from exhaustion, though in the realm of not life threatening, and a few droplets of sweat formed on his forehead he had to wipe away every now and then, but he seemed fine to be able to breathe again, that was what counted.
"I see you're still walking among the living, huh?" Wei Ying grinned, letting his tray fall down on the table with as much noise as possible, making Jiang Cheng first groan in frustration and then, upon seeing the mountain of food, turn an unhealthy shade of green.
"Shut up, Wei Wuxian," he pressed out through gritted teeth, "I probably still handle myself better than you did on your first day."
"You sure do," Lan Sizhui unhelpful provided, making Wei Ying gasp.
"Shot at point-blank," he dramatically swooned backward, a hand over his heart, earning an indulging chuckle and an annoyed groan, "by my own son."
"You- what?!" Jiang Cheng hit the table with his fist, though Wei Ying started eating his food unconcerned. "How can you be so shameless? He is your senior !"
"I'm probably even older than you, Wei- qianbei ," Lan Sizhui added, an amused smile on his lips.
"Aiyo," Wei Ying stuffed some dangerously red meat into his mouth and chewed a few seconds before continuing, "we're already so close, Sizhui, just call me Wuxian or better," he gulped, "Wei– xiong !"
"Wei Wuxian!" This time, Jiang Cheng did rise to his feet, though his knees buckled after just a second, making him sit down again.
"A-Cheng," Wei Ying made some big, innocent looking eyes at him, "you can call me A-Xian if you want to. Brother's privilege and all that."
"As if I want that ," Jiang Cheng spat and Wei Ying didn't know if he meant the name or being his brother.
"It's a pending offer," he just hummed, continuing digging into his mountain of food, ignoring Jiang Cheng's click of tongue.
"What is your plan for the afternoon, Wuxian?" Lan Sizhui politely cut in, a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Sizhui!" Wei Ying beamed, welcoming the familiarity already. "Not quite sure," he answered around two bites, "I was thinking about joining you guys again, I guess?"
"Mhmm," Lan Sizhui hummed ominously, folding his arms, "I actually had some plans for Jiang- gongzi , so you would probably only just staying on the sidelines watching him," Lan Sizhui glanced over to Jiang Cheng who didn't even try to hide the face he made.
"How about you keep Zizhen company for this afternoon?" Lan Sizhui's eyes wandered back to Wei Ying, locking their gazes for a second with an almost intense look. Wei Ying grinned.
"Ouyang Zizhen, huh? I need to deepen my bond with him anyway!"
"What is this, a dating sim?" Jiang Cheng muttered, stomach finally stopping revolting and being able to carefully chew on his congee.
"I wish," Wei Ying whined, sprawling over the table and snatching some of Jiang Cheng's roasted mushrooms.
"Hey!" Jiang Cheng's attempt to intercept was half-hearted at best.
"If Ouyang Zizhen is available, I would love to shadow him for a while!" Wei Ying munched on his hard earned mushroom. Lan Sizhui gestured in the general direction of their shared office.
"He should be in the office, as usual. He is our saving grace when it comes to paper work because nobody wants to do that," Lan Sizhui sighed, earning an enthusiastic laugh and nod from Wei Ying, "but he flourishes in writing down the smallest details. Nevertheless, I think he would welcome a change of pace with you at his side," Lan Sizhui snickered.
"Was that a snide at me?" Wei Ying squinted his eyes at Lan Sizhui, "did you just make fun of me?"
"I would never, Wuxian- ge ," Lan Sizhui said with an honest voice, a straight face and laughter in his eyes.
"I raised you so well," Wei Ying sighed wistfully. Jiang Cheng resolutely did not participate in their antics, concentrating on keeping his food down. Wei Ying all but shoveled down the rest of his food, ruffled both their hairs and then ran away, leaving his tray and dishes behind.
"Wei Wuxian!"
With the angelic voice of his brother following him out of the cafeteria, Wei Ying quickly walked up to the office that his seniors shared and entered it without knocking.
"Ouyang- qianbei ," Wei Ying greeted, arms on his hips. Ouyang Zizhen barely startled, already growing used to Wei Ying's overall boisterous being.
" Hanguang-jun has filled you in already?" Wei Ying asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down on it with the back to his front and his arms folded over it.
"He did!" Ouyang Zizhen beamed. "I can't wait for you to join us! It's gonna be dangerous," he put on his best version of a stern face that fell a little short to really keep Wei Ying on his toes but he played along, nodding earnestly, "and I need you to learn everything I'll show you by heart, but," he clapped his hands, smile back on his face, "we're gonna have so much fun .
"Give me just a second," Ouyang Zizhen mumbled, rearranging his files and putting some sheets away, all getting a differently colored post-it before getting piled up. "Alright, Wei- gongzi , follow me to my treasure trove," he giggled to himself, making Wei Wuxian chuckle as it was just too adorable how Ouyang Zizhen literally lit up . While guiding Wei Ying through the office hall, past the cafeteria and through a long hallway all the way to a different complex, he retold some of their undercover missions and the ensuing costumes and acting and spent minutes of that one case where Lan Sizhui had to pretend to be Lan Zhan's son despite them probably being able to pass as brothers. It had been mortifying for Lan Sizhui but, Ouyang Zizhen was giggling again, it was clear how much they both enjoyed it. It was an open secret how much they adored each other but were too professional to let their familiarity carry over into their job and they definitely took advantage in that case to be insufferably indulgent with each other.
Wei Ying was visibly excited, grinning from ear to ear, sun incarnation really, listening avidly to all the cases and shenanigans they ensued. Fortunately, Ouyang Zizhen kept to the entertaining cases, they both knew all too well how horrifying this line of work can really be. Rather concentrate on the fun parts.
When they arrived at the door to Ouyang Zizhen's "treasure trove", he made a broad, overdramatic bow as he opened the door, welcoming Wei Ying to enter.
There were rows of clothes rail sorted by style, modern and traditional, female, male and unisex, sizes and colors. On the wall were wigs in different length and color, hats, numerous display cases with glasses, jewelry, and various trinkets. And that were only the things Wei Ying spotted in the first 30 seconds he stood at the door, mouth open and gaping. No wonder Ouyang Zizhen called this room his "treasure trove".
Satisfied with Wei Ying's wondering gazing and occasional gasps, Ouyang Zizhen grabbed Wei Ying by the wrist to pull him deeper into the room, Wei Ying just let him, stumbling along the way, until he came to a stop in front of a wardrobe.
"Have you ever worn a three piece?" Ouyang Zizhen asked as he opened the closet, giving view to a few suits wrapped in a protective plastic cover.
"Ouyang- qianbei ," Wei Ying huffed, eyes still roaming over the clothes in front of him, "I had to go shower and change in my lunch break, do I have to say any more?"
"I suppose not," Ouyang Zizhen laughed, eyeing Wei Ying with a measured look before pulling out one of the suits. "That should fit."
"Wha- you let me wear that ?" Wei Ying's eyes darted between the suit and Ouyang Zizhen as if he went insane. Wei Ying? In a fancy three piece suit?
"Wei- qianbei ," Ouyang Zizhen said with a melodic laugh, pushing Wei Ying toward a small platform framed by a few mirrors, gesturing to step up on it, "for our next assignment you are suppose to be a bodyguard for the one and only Hanguang-jun , you have to look the part as well. And even if it were someone else, in those circles, money is being flaunted left and right and showing up with your personnel and they don't look like you showered them with said money would be an insult to the other party."
As he spoke, he helped Wei Ying out of his clothes until he was stripped bare to his underwear, before showing him the sequence on how to put on the suit. Wei Ying hummed every now and then, paid attention when Ouyang Zizhen got a little sidetracked talking about various styled buttons and cufflinks and their underlying meaning depending on when they were offered and how and when they were worn, until he buttoned up his blazer properly and took a look at himself in the mirror.
"I knew onyx would be a better choice than anthrazit," Ouyang Zizhen nodded, patting his own shoulder though Wei Ying couldn't for the love of him not say what the difference was between the two. It was black, alright. He heard the words Ouyang Zizhen said, explaining about the silver buttons and their carvings, something about the vest having a light step seam and a deep v-neckline, some of them foreign to him altogether, though he barely registered them anyway, staring at himself. This didn't look like him at all . He felt like a completely different person, stepping out of a world he didn't belong to.
"Ah, let's check if the holster fits under your vest," Ouyang Zizhen helped him out of his blazer and vest again, unperturbed by Wei Ying's uncharacteristic silence, handing him a holster harness and a fake gun. After putting everything on again, Wei Ying took a deep breath, settling back into his bones.
"Well, how do I look?" he grinned at Ouyang Zizhen through the mirror, cocking his hips and holding up a hand with his fingers shaping a heart, as Ouyang Zizhen walked around him in a half circle, scratching his chin.
"Gotta shorten the sleeves and tighten the shoulders and, don't get me wrong, your ass looks fantastic," Ouyang Zizhen held up his hands, making Wei Ying laugh with his arms around his stomach and had to turn to take a look at his asset, "but the pants are a bit to tight, so we have to widen the seam a little bit."
"You just don't want them drooling after me," Wei Ying chuckled, winking at Ouyang Zizhen.
"Whatever makes you sleep at night, Wei- qianbei ," he got as an answering laugh.
"That was step one," Ouyang Zizhen held up his hand with his index finger pointing up, followed by his middle finger, "step number two, at least as important if not more important." He waited until he had Wei Ying's undivided attention again. "So, I love you, Wei- qianbei , I think your whole," he vaguely gestured at Wei Ying, "thing is great, but ," he shook his head, folding his arms behind his back and as he straightened his shoulders, shifting his weight and flattened his expression, "our job is to ensure Hanguang-jun will not be discovered as an undercover agent. For that, I will instruct you on how to conduct yourself, how play your role in this operation."
Wei Ying had to swallow, feeling the shift of air in the room. As soon as Ouyang Zizhen slipped into character, Wei Ying was reminded of why he was still his senior and not just the guy who likes to do paperwork and loved to dress up. Ouyang Zizhen was a professional undercover agent.
"I will do my utmost to train you in any gestures, mimics, how to breathe correctly to keep us and yourself safe. Though," his voice grew a sharp edge, "if I am not convinced you won't be able to not break character, to not live up to my and ultimately Hanguang-jun's expectation, you won't join us."
"Yes, sir," Wei Ying bowed respectfully for once. When he straightened up again, Ouyang Zizhen had his signature smile back on his lips, giving Wei Ying almost whiplash on how fast he could change character.
"Great response, let's get to work," he grinned, clapping Wei Ying on the shoulder with a weight that felt so much heavier than usual.
They spent the rest of the afternoon going through various scenarios, with Ouyang Zizhen instructing him on how to act and then correcting Wei Ying from his posture to the way his nose twitched. They did almost half an hour of Wei Ying walking up and down the aisle between the clothing rails, Ouyang Zizhen observing every twitch of his finger. Acting was so much more than Wei Ying anticipated.
Throughout his life, Wei Ying had to learn acting a certain way, to deflect suspicion, how to lead a conversation so that his step mother wouldn't lash out, how to lie on the spot both to get out of trouble and when to get into trouble to keep Jiang Cheng safe. But weaving lies and knowing when to smile and how to change his voice seemed to be just child's play with Ouyang Zizhen. By 6 pm, Wei Ying wasn't sure who he was anymore.
When he voiced that, a self deprecating chuckle tacked on for good measure, Ouyang Zizhen hummed, putting both his hands on Wei Ying's shoulders, staring at him seriously.
"That is natural," he nodded, keeping Wei Ying grounded with his hands, "if you have difficulty to distance yourself, which is a real thing, find something that grounds you, reminds you that you're Wei Wuxian. I can't really help you with that, giving you suggestions on what could work could be counterproductive," he smiled apologetically with a half shrug.
"I like to write case reports," he added, a wistful smile on his lips, "keeps reminding me what are the facts of a case, what is real and what I had to fabricate," he shrugged again, squeezing Wei Ying's shoulders.
"Breaking character in a dangerous situation could mean death, but not being able to get out of character can be worse, keep that in mind."
Wei Ying nodded, blinking rapidly. There was something that struck him in his core but he couldn't put his finger on it so he did what he did best: ignore it.
Together they left the room and Ouyang Zizhen excused himself, heading home. Tracking down Lan Sizhui, aka peeking into his office, and getting a short update on Jiang Cheng who already left, Wei Ying lamented the fact that he couldn't watch his baby brother stumble out of the station. Lan Sizhui shook his head, reminded Wei Ying how his first week went which Wei Ying decided to just not comment on, thank you very much, and then sent Wei Ying home for the day.
Wei Ying saluted Lan Sizhui, reminded him that he ought to go home as well as if he was his senior, and left the office with a hearty laugh, turning toward Lan Zhan's office door.
Knocking on the door three times in quick succession, Wei Ying waited for Lan Zhan's permission that didn't come. Wei Ying tilted his head, knocked again with the same result. Like a normal human being, he checked if the door was locked. Maybe Lan Zhan fell asleep or needed medical assistance or was taken hostage, the possibilities were endless but to his surprise the door was locked. Which it never had been since Wei Ying started his internship. Pressing his ear to the door, holding his breath and closing his eyes to hear better, Wei Ying could hear faint noises of Lan Zhan's voice but no second voice.
"Wei Wuxian," an officer just ready to leave tapped him on the shoulder, startling him and knocking his shoulder against the door and Lan Zhan's voice went silent, " Hanguang-jun is in an important phone call and wanted us to tell you, if you came by, to leave before him as he didn't know how long it would take."
Swallowing his disappointment, Wei Ying approvingly nodded. "Thank you, job well done," he crossed his arms, grinning at the eye roll.
"Good night, Wei- gongzi ," they said with a fond head shake and left.
Wei Ying waved after them, not knowing their name, and then buried his hands deep into his pockets. With an audible sigh, he left for the day as well.
On his way home, to his own surprise, his brain reminded him that the groceries Lan Zhan had ordered to be delivered were almost all gone, which made Wei Ying pulling his phone out with a groan. After sending a quick message into his group chat because, in all honesty, he didn't write nearly enough in it, but to be fair, Wen Qing wasn't any better, he opened his map app and located the closest grocery store. It wasn't that far, so Wei Ying swallowed down the urge to just order take out and slowly made his way to the supermarket to buy some groceries.
The store was small, since everything in this town was small, but it had all the things Wei Ying needed and seeing the people all chatting made him feel vaguely cozy, so he strolled around the aisles, taking his time and even found a bottle of his favorite chili oil. Jackpot!
"Wei Ying."
Wei Ying's head jerked up, eyes following the general direction from where the voice came and locked eyes with Lan Zhan.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying beamed, delighted. "What are you doing here?" Wei Ying threw another bottle of chili oil in his basket and danced over to the other man. Lan Zhan inclined his head toward his own basket in answer and then took a quick glance at Wei Ying's basket, making him furrow his eyebrows ever so lightly.
"What is this?" Lan Zhan asked, inspecting the few items a little more closely.
"Uh, my groceries?" Wei Ying looked down, taking stock of his two bottles of chili oil and various frozen items he could prepare in his microwave.
"What do you cook?" Lan Zhan tilted his head, making Wei Ying suppress the sudden desire to say "cute!" out loud, before catching up what Lan Zhan said.
"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying laughed, "I don't cook. Nobody wants that, least of all my temporary apartment."
"What about," Lan Zhan sounded almost concerned, "last week?"
"Well, I didn't throw anything away, of course!" Wei Ying waved dismissively one hand in front of him, "I just, uh, snacked on it. In the morning usually."
"Even the eggs?" Lan Zhan's voice didn't crack, but Wei Ying heard it falter at the end, taking in Lan Zhan's still stoic expression.
"I mean, yeah? Aren't raw eggs good for your health or something?"
There was a beat of silence and Wei Ying waited for Lan Zhan to sort his thoughts remarkably patiently, not entirely sure what made him break Lan Zhan. In the end, Lan Zhan put on a determined expression.
"Mn," he hummed before turning and kept walking down the aisle.
"Mn? Mn what?" Wei Ying chuckled, following Lan Zhan in amused bewilderment. Though he didn't get an answer, Lan Zhan just walking past the frozen food section silently.
"Alright, keep your secrets," Wei Ying giggled, content in just following his boss as he had already got everything he wanted.
"I apologize for the short training session today," Lan Zhan changed the topic.
"Mhm? Oh, no worries, I know what a busy man you are," Wei Ying laughed. "And, anyway, I spent the afternoon with Ouyang Zizhen, had a crash course in acting, and wore the fanciest suit I probably ever will."
"Mn," Lan Zhan inclined his head, coming to a stop at the meat section, fingers slowly examining the various packages, "so I heard." Carefully selecting some different types of cuts, Wei Ying observed how delicate Lan Zhan was with his hands, acutely aware of how conscious he grew following Lan Zhan's fingers.
"How was it?" Lan Zhan cut through his hazy thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, okay- I need some- well, uh, lessons still," Wei Ying stumbled over his words, heat rising in his cheeks as Lan Zhan looked at him curiously from the corner of his eyes.
"Keep at it," he nodded, continuing his shopping.
"Yes, sir," Wei Ying answered breathyly, trying to get his head straight again. Ha, straight.
"You have been with us for a week now," Lan Zhan continued, stopping in front of the shelf containing a rather impressive selection of tea. Wei Ying could appreciate a nice cup of tea, but he sure hadn't any knowledge about any sort of blends above the realm of herbal tea and fruit tea. Similar was his knowledge about coffee which ranged between 'caffeinated enough to wake up' and 'enough caffeine to stay awake for two nights'.
"What are your thoughts?"
"I'll probably die an early death of heart palpitation," Wei Ying made a face at his unhealthy coffee consumption. Lan Zhan's aborted noise made him shake his head.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, wrong conversation," Wei Ying chuckled, scratching his nose. "Great, love it, 10 out of 10," Wei Ying smiled brightly at Lan Zhan, bumping their shoulders together before he could stop himself.
"Training was hell, don't get me wrong," Wei Ying caught himself, studying the various types of tea in front of him to stay focused, "I thought I would die a few times with how hard your team pushed me."
"Mn, they were instructed to push you to your limits," Lan Zhan hummed, grabbing a can of loose jasmine tea. Wei Ying followed the motion and had to force himself to stop staring, gasping with a hand over his heart.
"Is this all a plot to get me killed? Who had hired you? Who do I need to pay for my freedom?" Wei Ying took a step to the side, imitating to be ready to run. He earned an amused glance, almost an uptick of Lan Zhan's lips, for his efforts.
"I am a discreet contractor," Lan Zhan said in a low voice before turning, making Wei Ying gasp in earnest.
"Lan Zhan!" A warm sense of joy nestled itself in Wei Ying's chest, hopping after Lan Zhan. "One day I will make you talk!"
"Mn, you can try," Lan Zhan answered seriously, making Wei Ying smile for the rest of their short shopping trip. On their way to the register, as Lan Zhan unfortunately was already done with his grocery shopping, Wei Ying noticed how reverently the other patrons looked up at Lan Zhan whenever they walked past, a few even bowing respectfully. It made him realize that he was just going grocery shopping with this town's chief of law enforcement as if it was nothing. How shameless, Wei Ying thought with a snicker.
They paid for their groceries, Lan Zhan stored it all away in the reusable bag he brought with him while Wei Ying stacked everything on top of each other, stashing the chili oil in his pockets, and left the store. Lan Zhan eyed Wei Ying's small tower of frozen food in concern, but he was too controlled to let his hands fidget, let alone hold onto it from keeping it topple over.
"So, uh, your way home is that," Wei Ying awkwardly pointed in the opposite direction of his own way home, "way, right?"
"Mn," Lan Zhan nodded but didn't show any inclination to actually walk that way, so Wei Ying enjoyed the few more seconds he had with Lan Zhan.
"Thank you for always walking me home, by the way," he pursed his lips, fighting the smile, "you really don't have to but, well, who knows if I hadn't broken my ankle or anything, otherwise." He laughed slightly embarrassed, remembering the few times he stumped across potholes and not noticing the sharp look Lan Zhan gave him. "Sorry for the inconvenience, though."
"No," Lan Zhan looked straight at him.
"No?" Wei Ying tilted his head, huffing out a chuckle.
"It was… not an inconvenience," Lan Zhan relented, squinting his eyes ever so slightly. "There is no need for an apology."
"Oh," Wei Ying exhaled, feeling a little bit lighter, "oh, okay." And because it was late and he was bold, Wei Ying stretched his lip into a toothy smile, heart on his sleeve, "then, could I trouble Hanguang-jun to escort this poor intern home again?"
"Mn," Lan Zhan answered not breaking eye contact as he stepped forward and took some of Wei Ying's groceries, before turning into the direction of Wei Ying's apartment.
"Wait, what? Really?" Wei Ying needed a second to realize that Lan Zhan was indulging him, stumbling after him. "Lucky me," he grinned, bending forward to throw Lan Zhan another smile, eyes crinkling at the edges. He then barreled into a detailed story about how the last time he went grocery shopping with someone, it took them over an hour because Wen Qing had to berate him for all his food choices, which, excuse her, he was capable of doing since it was his money. Once Wei Ying interrupted himself when a stray cat walked past them over a stone wall and he cooed at her with shining eyes.
The walk back home was already short but with his anecdote it felt even shorter. Wei Ying huffed as they crossed the intersection close to his apartment.
"Well, this is me," he hummed, rocking on his heels in front of the gate with a pout. Only when Lan Zhan held out his groceries he had kidnapped, Wei Ying took notice of that.
"Oh, fuck," Wei Ying took them off Lan Zhan's hand immediately, eyes not daring to meet Lan Zhan's. "Thank you, uh, for carrying this and, you know," he shrugged helplessly, "walking me home."
"Mn," Lan Zhan inclined his head and only when the silence stretched long enough to be considered awkward, had Wei Ying the guts to look up again. He hadn't noticed it before but they had been standing pretty close already and when he took the groceries from Lan Zhan they ended up even closer with neither of them pulling. back. There was another second of silence as they just stared into each other's eyes, not nearly as awkward as before. Wei Ying felt a by now familiar warmth bubbling up in his chest that only surfaced when he was with Lan Zhan or thought about Lan Zhan. It was puzzling, really. Lan Zhan made him feel secure in himself, in a way. He let him ramble on, indulged him in his outrageous requests, let him call him by his name as if they were… something . Facing Wei Ying head on without flinching back.
Wei Ying's eyes growing a little in size when he saw Lan Zhan shifting his hand, raising it up, almost brushing over Wei Ying's arm, fingers relaxed, almost as if-
"Good night, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan took a step back, his hand securely folded at the small of his back again, and with a nod turned to walk home, steps a little faster than usual.
Wei Ying had to inhale painfully when he realized how long he had held his breath, Lan Zhan barely out of sight when he called out a quick "G-good night, Lan Zhan!". Watching Lan Zhan's retreating back, Wei Ying let the stinging cold grab a hold of him, slowly processing what just happened. Did something happen? It felt like it did . Or almost. Lan Zhan had been- well he didn't do anything, but it seemed like he was almost trying to touch Wei Ying's face?
Just the thought of Lan Zhan's fingers on his face made Wei Ying's face combust and with a squeak he hurried up the small staircase to his apartment, heart hammering furiously in his chest. He was so fucked.
Notes:
I absolutely no idea about guns
please let me project my growing addiction to coffee on wwx with dignity
word count
original chapter four: 6.9k
rewritten chapter four: 14.9k
Chapter Text
The next morning came way too early. Wei Ying's sleep was filled with various dreams that a psychic or therapist would have a field trip with but Wei Ying couldn't even try to start to interpret, so he rather concentrated on the fuzzy feeling that didn't disperse since yesterday evening. His cheeks still heated up when he thought about what Lan Zhan would have done if he didn't abort the action himself. This excitement almost rivaled the one he had when he was offered the position of an internship in a secret special unit. How could this person that he didn't even know for that long make him lose so many of his inhibitions? Not that he had a lot of them in the first place.
He whistled a funky little tune as he ate the rest of his cornflakes straight from the package, not having any milk left to eat it with properly, but then again, less dishes for him to wash. (When he had been a teenager, he tried pouring the milk into the plastic wrapping to forgo cleaning dishes despite having a dishwasher at his step family's home and it ended in an even worse mess. He had learnt his lesson and until he wasn't sure, the plastic wrapping companies would strengthen the seams, he wouldn't try it again. Probably.)
Shrugging on his uniform while simultaneously pulling on his boots, Wei Ying left for work, taking two steps at a time as he hopped down the stairs. Not stopping his eager speed, he almost ran into someone at the intersections.
"Whoa, sorr- Jiang Cheng?!" Wei Ying barely caught himself, doing a half step to the side to keep his balance. "You look awful!" He laughed, obvious mirth in his eyes.
"Fuck you, too," Jiang Cheng growled, matching him in resentment. "Your face wasn't the first thing I wanted to see in the morning," he grunted, before turning to continuing his path. His back was slightly hunched and his knees seemed to tremble every other step to Wei Ying's entertainment and he didn't hide his malicious joy at all, bumping shoulders with his brother.
"You-!" Jiang Cheng barely caught himself before stumbling into a nearby wall, lunging with a fist for Wei Ying who just jogged ahead with a laugh.
"So much energy! Our seniors will be delighted to see you so excited for even more training!"
Jiang Cheng's face lost the little color that he had, shaking his head with a hearty grunt. "Fuck, no. I still don't know what was in my nightmare and what is reality."
Feeling generous, Wei Ying patted Jiang Cheng's back, not too hard mind you, "just a few more days. Maybe you will finally grow that six pack you were always dreaming of."
Jiang Cheng kicked Wei Ying's shin with a lot of heat behind it, but too weak to actually inflict damage.
"A-Cheng, you hurt my feelings," Wei Ying whined, rounding the corner to the station.
"Good," Jiang Cheng grunted, pushing him through the sliding doors that barely opened in time. Lan Jingyi was already waiting for them, enthusiastically pulling Jiang Cheng close with an arm around his shoulders and an ominous smile on his lips while sending Wei Ying away to meet up with Ouyang Zizhen.
After finding him in the office hunched over a few case files, they walked back over to the same complex they've been the day before and Ouyang Zizhen made Wei Ying wear another suit. It was a different one than yesterday, as Ouyang Zizhen had already sent it in for alteration. Wei Ying was both excited and terrified since he never wore a tailor made, well, anything and the idea to ruin it because he will ruin it, there was no doubt about that in his mind, sounded less than optimal.
They spent the whole afternoon applying what Wei Ying had learnt the day before, going through the same scenarios as Ouyang Zizhen watched, adjusting just a few little things here and there because it turned out he was a perfectionist. But overall, Wei Ying was convincing enough for Ouyang Zizhen, earning a bit of praise.
After Wei Ying had successfully pretended to be a double agent being a traitor, selling out his own partner, Ouyang Zizhen called for a break, noticing what a toll it took on Wei Ying. As soon as Wei Ying heard the word 'break' a relieved sigh left his chest and he bolted out the door, not even thinking about changing clothes in the rush.
Taking two steps at a time, Wei Ying jogged up to the cafeteria coming to an abrupt stop. He could see Jiang Cheng at one of the tables, Jin Ling sitting with him, and staring into the middle distance, slowly chewing on his food. His body seemed to tremble even while sitting and if Wei Ying was a better brother he would feel something like sympathy or pity, but he was a lesser man and snickered into his hand.
He hesitated, looking down on himself. This was not something he would wear voluntarily, even less to work and even less less because they have actual uniforms. If Jiang Cheng started to ask questions, all acting lessons be damned, Wei Ying couldn't lie himself out of that situation.
With a heavy sigh, Wei Ying slipped inside between the doors, keeping himself to Jiang Cheng's back for what he got a raised eyebrow from Jin Ling who followed him with his eyes. Wei Ying held a finger over his lips, silently shh -ing him as he grabbed a few dishes, stacking them on top of each other and carefully, comically balancing them outside. Jin Ling's eyes drilling a confused hole into his back.
With a melody he quietly whistled to himself, Wei Ying made his way over to Lan Zhan's office. A few officers shot him a glance, looking as if they wanted to say something but thought better of it and continued their work after shaking their head. Wei Ying grinned. Not even two weeks have passed but there were no admonishing looks anymore when Wei Ying cried an excited Hanguang-jun when he walked passed or when he, like now, just naturally walked over to his office intending to spend time with him outside of work.
And Wei Ying was more than fine with it. He liked that he had a different status than anyone else he knew of. Maybe it was a little strange to have a something relationship with your boss but so far nobody said anything, least of all Lan Zhan himself, on the contrary. If someone had a problem with it, they should've said something.
With a determined huff, Wei Ying knocked on the door, waiting for the permissive answer. Knocked again after a few seconds because he didn't hear anything, but again received no answer. For good measure, Wei Ying tried the door knob and the door swung open to an empty office.
Pouting, Wei Ying left, choosing the opposite side. Lan Jingyi was sitting at his desk, typing unhappily on his keyboard but lit up when Wei Ying entered, welcoming the distraction.
"Where is Hanguang-jun ?" Wei Ying asked around the riceball he just shoved into his mouth whole.
" Hanguang-jun ?" Lan Jingyi looked at him, a mix between confusion and disgust. "Had to go to Lanling, some kind of conference, meetings, and stuff like that. Should be back in a few days. We're lucky we didn't have to go with him"
"Mhm," Wei Ying hummed, nodding absent-mindedly. Lan Jingyi seemed to hope for another comment but Wei Ying stayed silent, which made him sigh in disappointment as he turned back to his assignment.
Wei Ying looked out the window, slowly eating his small mountain of food meant for two people. Huh. His chest felt a little heavy, cold.
So, Lan Zhan wouldn't be back until the end of the week and, not that Wei Ying had expected anything or something, but maybe, kinda Lan Zhan could have told him? Just out of courtesy or something? They did see each other just last evening. They spent time together all the time, there was something . Wasn't there?
Wei Ying stopped chewing, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, frozen. Was he the only one thinking that there was something ? Was Lan Zhan just like that out of consideration or something? Wanting to make him feel comfortable and welcomed?
No, no, no, Wei Ying shook his head, chewing more forcefully at his food. Yesterday was definitely something and Lan Zhan wasn't someone who would be like that to just anyone. Wei Ying was sure of it. He had to. If not, then Wei Ying would have made a fool out of himself. But maybe he should take a step back. Just, Hanguang-jun was Hanguang-jun . And he was Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying sometimes forgot.
Anyway, Wei Ying shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth, ignoring the growing disgust on Lan Jingyi's face and sprung to his feet. What better use was this restless energy than to fuel his productivity? Wei Ying wasn't one to mope around and bath in self pity and he didn't intend to start now. Though, it was just a split second, a flash of wits so to speak, where Wei Ying questioned why he felt so dejected, and he needed all his brain's capacity to come up with a reason and it shocked him so much, he buried that thought right away, deep, deep down, not to be looked again. Ever.
"Thank you for taking them away!" Wei Ying shouted as he rushed out the door, leaving Lan Jingyi not even a second to protest and his dishes behind, and jogged down the stairs again to find Ouyang Zizhen for another session pretending he wasn't some miserable fool.
Fortunately, Ouyang Zizhen was still roaming through his "treasure trove" when Wei Ying entered and as Wei Ying locked eyes with himself in the mirror, slowly taking in his appearance that didn't look like himself, an idea formed in the back of his mind.
"Ouyang- qianbei ," he hummed, not waiting for an answer, "what if - semi hypothetically speaking - what if I stay incharacter for a few days? As a form of an extended period of training?" The emotional crisis he had over his lunch break didn't play any role in this whatsoever, of course.
"Oh, like method acting?" Ouyang Zizhen clapped his hands, sauntering over.
"Uh, sure," Wei Ying nodded, not sure.
"You think, you could do it without- like not going insane?"
Wei Ying laughed, holding his side. " Qianbei , don't be dramatic! Of course I know when to draw lines," Wei Ying smiled reassuringly. And he meant it. Sure, the first day had him kind of going in deep and it took some mental energy to get back to the surface but by now he knew what to expect and how to counter it.
Ouyang Zizhen eyed him for a moment, humming under his breath and drawing it out almost comically. "Why not?" He clapped his hands again. "I like your enthusiasm, we could use some of that and you kind of need to be able to not break character so that would be a good lesson. You're gonna have some shooting training today, though, just got a call from Hanguang-jun , so we will start with that tomorrow."
"You're the boss," Wei Ying laughed around the sting in his chest at the mention of Lan Zhan's name. Changing out of the suit back into his uniform, Wei Ying made his way over to the range where he found Lan Sizhui already waiting for him.
Turned out, Lan Sizhui was only second to Hanguang-jun in his marksmanship, as he was taught by Lan Zhan himself. They fell in an easy rhythm of taking turns shooting and in between exchanging notes and thoughts about what could impair the ability to shoot properly like weather, light reflections, the emotional state of the shooter and so on. Rather than a lesson it resembled a friendly hangout between professionals of some sort.
Wei Ying even coaxed some embarrassing stories out of Lan Sizhui like letting the magazine fall out after not properly securing it and when Lan Sizhui just threw Wei Ying an indulgent look when he retold how he learnt to shoot with his eyes blindfolded, he was officially offended. He wanted to show Lan Sizhui this little trick, to his horror, but was denied, both because he didn't even had his license yet and with such a stunt could loose any permission to obtain it and because it would definitely overstep Lan Sizhui's authority and Wei Ying had to ask Lan Zhan to show off.
Wei Ying grumbled his disappointment but gave in since he didn't want Lan Sizhui to get into any trouble.
The afternoon went by in a blink with Wei Ying returning home with a stiff neck, sore arms, and a heavy heart but nothing a long, warm bath couldn't fix.
And by the next day, Wei Ying was ready to start his experiment. While changing into his suit with the help of Ouyang Zizhen, they went through some of Wei Ying's personas they came up with he to play for their mission. And then he stayed in character for the most part of the day, with some additional shooting training with Lan Sizhui in the afternoon. The week went by surprisingly fast for not much happening over all but Wei Ying found himself enjoying it nonetheless.
On Saturday, Ouyang Zizhen greeted him with a sparkle in his eyes, holding up a clothing bag. "Your suit is here! Come, come, you need to try it one right now ."
He ushered Wei Ying on the small podium, every hand movement was skilled in its own right and in no time Wei Ying was clad in a three piece suit that fit him like a second skin, hugging him comfortably and tight but not restricting his movements. Their eyes met in the mirror and like clockwork, their lips split into wide grins. Spending so much time with Ouyang Zizhen made Wei Ying very appreciative of him.
And just like he had practiced the past few days under Ouyang Zizhen's guidance, Wei Ying took one look into the mirror and let himself fall into his character they worked on, smoothed out every kink, made him Wei Ying but different . His facial expression grew harder, his shoulder minutely shifted into a hard line, and with a skilled flick of his hand, Wei Ying tightened his ponytail that hung from the top of his head. As he lowered his hand, Wei Ying took a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket, put them on, and through the mirror looked at Ouyang Zizhen.
He earned a nod of approval.
"Well done, Wei- gongzi ," he clapped his hands, studying Wei Ying's appearance. There was a hint of pride and a whole lot of satisfaction on his face. If he hadn't known Wei Ying from the beginning, he wouldn't have known that this steely, quiet looking person was actually boisterous, full of laughter and mischief.
There was a knock on the door, followed by a few seconds of silence before the door was opened. Only one person entered a room like this and lo and behold, Lan Zhan came through the door, a few sheets of paper in hand.
As he looked up from them, lips barely parted to say something, his eyes fell on Wei Ying. It was probably not visible for someone who wasn't looking for it, but Wei Ying didn't spend his first week idling and had memorized every miniscule movement of Lan Zhan's seemingly expressionless face, that he recognized the minute freeze of his cheeks, the tightening around his eyes. Stopping himself from talking in front of a person he didn't know. Until just a second later, he realized that it was in fact Wei Ying.
They stared at each other through the mirror, well, Wei Ying stared at Lan Zhan and he was staring at Wei Ying's face, eyes slowly traveling down Wei Ying's body. At first, Wei Ying felt his chest expand, finally able to breath again seeing Lan Zhan, it made his soul reach out for… something . At the same time, he felt hot and cold, being scrutinized, pinned down by Lan Zhan's gaze. He didn't dare to move, barely made himself breathe, before slowly turning around, bowing deliberately and respectfully.
" Hanguang-jun ." His voice sounded a little higher, younger, making good use of his youthful appearance. Wei Ying took a faintly deeper breath as he broke himself free from staring at Lan Zhan. He thought, being apart for a few days, being busy and concentrating in the case would make him more level-headed. But no such luck, his heart was a traitor through and through. It was beating violently in his chest and only Ouyang Zizhen's acting training kept him in check not to just jump at Lan Zhan and confess right here and now.
"May I introduce you to your future bodyguard, Wei- gongzi ," Ouyang Zizhen stepped forward, eyes sparkling. "I'll hand in my report properly later on, Hanguang-jun , but I must say, Wei- gongzi has surprised me! From what he showed me he could easily fool anyone in this facility if they didn't know him already because I am still surprised sometimes when he stood in front of me! What am getting at is that I'm certain he would make a great addition to our team!"
As he spoke he stepped closer to Wei Ying and put his hands on his shoulders like a proud father showing off his son. The light pressure made Wei Ying relaxed again, letting him exhale and strip off his persona again. When his eyes focused back on Lan Zhan, he noticed the slight tension still residing in Lan Zhan's eyes.
Giving in to his own desire, Wei Ying finally stepped forward, making Ouyang Zizhen's hand slip off of him.
"Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying asked tentatively, ignoring the offended squeak from behind him. Lan Zhan took a step forward at the same time and without hesitation, raised his hand and pulled off the pair of sunglasses and their eyes finally met for real. And it made Wei Ying's breath hitch. For an infinitive second nothing else existed but Lan Zhan's presence, his eyes piercing his very soul.
"Wei Ying," he answered, tension leaving his face completely and just like that, Wei Ying's lips split into a blinding grin, pushing his eyes close.
"That's me," he laughed.
"I need you both present in my office after lunch," Lan Zhan's voice didn't sound deeper than usual, did it? "I have new information regarding the case."
"Of course!" Ouyang Zizhen almost tripped over his own words, the same time as Wei Ying nodded.
"Well, can't say no if Hanguang-jun asks this nicely, can I now?" he smirked, a wink at the ready. And the indulgend exasperation in Lan Zhan's eyes was reward enough. He gave one last nod to them before leaving the room again in long strides.
"Wei- gongzi ?!" Ouyang Zizhen was directly behind him, roughly turning him around by the shoulders. "Did you just- have you- what?!"
"Uhhh," Wei Ying blinked, chuckling, "that's a wonderful question, care to elaborate?"
"I- you just-," interrupting himself with the heaviest sigh Wei Ying has ever seen him doing, he shook his head, "no, never mind. I'll be patient. I won't pressure the matter of one's heart."
Wei Ying squinted his eyes. What was that supposed to mean? But before he could voice that question, Ouyang Zizhen clapped his hands twice on his shoulders.
"Alright, until the meeting let's do some impromptu when you break character because," he laughed at Wei Ying's offended expression, "you will break character at some point. Happens to the best of us. But it's important how you deal with it."
Wei Ying pouted, confident that he won't break character, he literally just stopped himself from yeeting himself into Lan Zhan's arms, hello? That counted for something . Though, he couldn't fault Ouyang Zizhen for covering every possible scenario.
Heading over to the cafeteria for a quick lunch before the meeting, they ran into Lan Jingyi and Jiang Cheng after their morning practice. The past few days Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng were in an awkward, non spoken status quo which made it kind of difficult to talk. Jiang Cheng wasn't stupid as much as Wei Ying made fun of his grades, he caught on that Wei Ying was part of something and that he wasn't allowed to talk about it, so he didn't ask. Which was kind of nice, he supposed, if he didn't want to blow him off completely which could very well sour their barely civilized relationship they had going on right now. Which, in all fairness, was pretty fucking good for their standards and maybe, just maybe , they both kind of want to mend this thing between them. So, no, Wei Ying didn't want to sabotage this tightrope act they were doing.
They nodded at each other and Wei Ying joined in to Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen's small talk, coaxed a few snide remarks from their training at Jiang Cheng's expanse, before they quickly finished their lunch.
Jiang Cheng was sent off to do some exercises on his own, since the whole team was ordered to be present.
Lan Zhan was already expecting them as all five of them filtered into his room, no one taking one of the two chairs in front of his desk, except, of course, Wei Ying. He sat down as if it was his birth given right, earning a hiss from Jin Ling and a groan from Lan Jingyi. But Wei Ying all but threw them a grin and a peace sign over the shoulder, before turning his attention to Lan Zhan who was waiting for them to stop their antics.
When they aka Wei Ying quieted down, he handed Wei Ying a handout which he passed on over his shoulder to his seniors. On top it said that it was a protocol of a meeting in Lanling, containing information about a debrief for their case. Wei Ying's eyes scanned the entire page, only finding very superficial information which made his eyebrows shot up.
When he looked up, Lan Zhan's eyes were staring almost resolutely at his own printout.
"We made contact with their ring leader Chang Ping," Lan Zhan said calmly but still sucked the air out of the room. "We have a rendevouz date."
He looked up, scanning their faces and although Wei Ying didn't know what expressions his seniors wore, he could have sworn, Lan Zhan almost skipped his face. He could have imagined that, though.
"In three weeks, next month on the 6th. It is not long to prepare but I am confident in your abilities." Lan Zhan took a sip from his tea, giving them a moment to file that information away. "The handout contains all the information about our target person we know of. Personal information, locations of victims and offenders under his supervision, precise number of people working for him, general information about his victims and his MO."
Wei Ying raised his hand, "question."
"Mn," Lan Zhan took another sip from his cup, not meeting Wei Ying's eyes which was, huh .
"Where is the meeting, it doesn't say," Wei Ying waved the paper in front of him.
"Because we don't have a place yet," Lan Zhan answered patiently, "we know that the meeting will happen in Qinghe. An hour prior to our meeting, he will contact me and give us the exact time and place where to meet. Therefore, we will travel there a day before on the 5th, to secure our perimeter, at least."
Wei Ying whistled lowly. "Fat chance to scout the location or anything, huh?"
"Fat chance," Lan Zhan hummed under his breath, making Wei Ying bark out a laugh.
"All the details we are allowed to share are on the printout," Lan Zhan continued, ignoring Wei Ying's outburst, "memorize them by heart before we depart."
"Yes, Hanguang-jun ," his seniors said in unison with a bow. Wei Ying nodded, feeling a little out of place.
"Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi," Lan Zhan glanced over to them as they straightened up again, "you will be on lookout. If you feel like something is amiss let us know. I will trust your judgment."
They bowed again.
"Ouyang Zizhen, you will be our back up. In the event of our plan's failure I need you to secure us an escape route."
"Yes," Ouyang Zizhen nodded.
"Lan Sizhui, Wei Wuxian, you will be my bodyguards. While it is your "job" to protect me, I want you to prioritize your own safety. I want you to protect yourself."
"Of course, Hanguang-jun ," Lan Sizhui bowed, while Ouyang Zizhen patted Wei Ying's shoulder.
"As I said, he will definitely be ready for this. And we all know how capable you are, so don't worry about us!"
Wei Ying grinned, warmth filling his chest by the earnest compliment, though was discouraged fast as Lan Zhan still didn't look at him, just nodded at Ouyang Zizhen.
"Do you have any further questions?"
"No, Hanguang-jun ," they answered, not quite in unison.
"In fact," Wei Ying raised his voice as in challenge, eyebrow twitching as Lan Zhan didn't meet his eyes yet again , "I do."
"Wei Wuxian," Jin Ling hissed at his downright disrespectful tone.
"You are dismissed," Lan Zhan said with barely a glance at his seniors who blinked only for a second before taking their leave, though, not without throwing a worried look at Wei Ying who had his arms crossed.
The door closed and the room fell silent. Unnaturally silent, as Wei Ying stayed quiet, eyeing Lan Zhan who carefully sipped at his tea, not looking particularly concerned. Huh, so that was how they were playing this?
" Hanguang-jun ," Wei Ying said, barely concealing his smirk. As expected, he didn't receive an answer.
"Lan Wangji."
"Lan- er-gege ."
Wei Ying exhaled, lowering his voice, "Lan Zhan."
Finally, finally, Wei Ying saw a twitch in Lan Zhan's finger, just barely a hint of crimson dust on his ear before his eyes met his own in defeat.
Wei Ying smiled brightly. "Finally you look at me."
"Mn," Lan Zhan hummed.
"So?" Wei Ying leaned his elbows on the desk, tapping at it with one finger expectantly. His patience was running out fast, Lan Zhan knew him well enough for that, so it didn't take more than five seconds, before Lan Zhan put his cup away, folding his hands over each other in front of him.
It took another couple of seconds until Lan Zhan spoke, but Wei Ying didn't mind, he enjoyed the weight of Lan Zhan's eyes on him, feeling himself relax.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said slowly, eyes breaking free from Wei Ying's gaze, roaming over him.
"I am sure you are well aware that despite your involvement, your progress that exceeds our expectations, you are still an intern," it wasn't a question, so Wei Ying didn't answer but he felt his shoulder tense up, "and I questioned my reasoning for your participation in this case."
Wei Ying swallowed, arms receding and shoulders shooting up, "Lan Zhan, I swear to you-"
Lan Zhan raised a hand, silencing Wei Ying with a single gesture. "I will not take you off the case, Wei Ying," he said softly, putting Wei Ying at ease.
"Thank the heaven's ," Wei Ying huffed, slumping in his chair.
"I will not, but I want to give you a chance to withdraw on your own without facing any consequences. Although," his eyes were showing a mix of resignation and fondness, "I presume this will not be the case."
"Fat chance," Wei Ying grinned, sticking out his tongue.
Lan Zhan exhaled with slightly more force, a huff of laughter? A resigned sigh? An indulgence of his annoyance? Wei Ying didn't know but he will learn. And yes, he completely ignored his semi breakdown over if Lan Zhan liked him or not, that was three-days-ago-Wei Ying. Present-Wei Ying was a reformed man.
"I did not believe so otherwise," Lan Zhan inclined his head slightly, not looking disappointed in the least, rather on the contrary. Though, when he looked back up again, locking eyes with Wei Ying, they turned hard and serious again.
"I trust you," he said and Wei Ying felt it in his very soul. Not knowing what his face was doing, Wei Ying stared openly at Lan Zhan, letting his chest consume the warmth that spread. Trust had been easily given to him before and he had ruined it. Time and time again. Earning it back still, fighting for it. To give it to him so willingly, was there anything he could deny this man? Wei Ying's lips curled up in a small, genuine smile.
Lan Zhan kept silent for a few seconds, staring at Wei Ying's face, before continuing, "I need you to trust us, as well. Whatever may happen, we all are trained in what we do, grown and molded into this work by experience. If there was anything to happen, do not leave my side."
Wei Ying hung onto every word, even making an effort to sit up straight and with three fingers to his temple, Wei Ying caught Lan Zhan's gaze again.
"I swear, Lan Zhan. I won't make you regret letting me accompany you. Or make myself regret it either, for that matter," he chuckled but felt that Lan Zhan heard his honesty, judging by the satisfied crinkles around his eyes.
"Thank you," Lan Zhan inclined his head.
They looked at each other in comfortable silence, Wei Ying soaking in every little detail he could as he allowed himself to stare so openly. What he didn't allow himself was to give in into his twitching hands that were eager to grabs Lan Zhan's folded hand on the desk. Instead he let them rest in his own lap, ignoring the itch.
"I apologize," Lan Zhan said, almost in a rush if he would ever rush to say something, "for not notifying you of my trip."
"Oh," Wei Ying exhaled, not expecting for that to be brought up, "no need. I mean, why would you?" He laughed, fighting against the well of emotions that suddenly overflowed. Lan Zhan shook his head.
"I neglected your training, however sudden the notice came. I will make amends for that in the coming week."
"Do you now?" Wei Ying swallowed, rearranging his smile into a smirk, reverting into old habits because he sure as hell couldn't deal with emotions right now when he felt so vulnerable, "then I will take the venerable Hanguang-jun up on that, with pleasure."
"Mn," Lan Zhan dutifully nodded.
"Well, then," Wei Ying hopped to his feet, turning around with flourish, "I'm sure you have enough to catch up on, so I won't get in your way this time," he winked over his shoulder. "When you have the time to train this humble one, you know where to find me!"
Not daring to look back again, fearing it would make him stay and say or do embarrassing, irreversible things, Wei Ying strolled out the room and very much did not dashed to the nearest restroom, thank you, and did not throw cold water into his face. Just taking a casual bathroom break and freshening up.
And if that wasn't bad enough, when Wei Ying met up with his seniors to get some work done and keep his spiraling thoughts away, he was blown off. With Ouyang Zizhen supervising Jiang Cheng's training as he had been spending most of his time with Wei Ying the past few days and the other being occupied with other cases, nobody could supervise his training at the range and even his request to just shadow them, ' you won't even know I'm there, quiet like a mouse ', only earned him a look that was worse than any insult. So, he was left to his own devices for the rest of the day.
But Wei Ying wasn't Wei Ying if he couldn't make the most of it. Rolling up the sleeves of his expensive suit that Wei Ying refused to take off, he took over the role of an errand boy. Whatever the officers at the station needed, he was their guy. Running around to deliver notes, fetching files, doing some phone calls, going even so far to get them coffee from the small Café around the corner. It was arguably productive, but when Lan Zhan finally came out of his office to let them know they could go home, Wei Ying felt satisfactorily exhausted.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan's voice carried through the empty room after everyone left and Wei Ying almost naturally waiting for them to be alone to go home together, "are you free tomorrow evening?"
"Mhm? Oh, yeah, why?" Wei Ying hummed, pulling down his sleeves again, getting ready to leave. He needed to change back to his uniform, but Lan Zhan probably didn't mind waiting.
"Meet me in front of the station in the evening," Lan Zhan non-answered, receiving a bewildered look from Wei Ying.
"Wh-," Wei Ying started, but Lan Zhan wordlessly interrupted him with a nod.
"Apologies, I will not be able to accompany you home today. I have a phone conference to attend to," his eye twitched ever so slightly, making Wei Ying chuckle. Who would have known that proper Lan Zhan, always looking like he was ready to dine with the emperor, absolutely loathed meetings.
"Then it's just me alone against the non existent delinquents who render the streets inhabitant," Wei Ying lamented, one hand clutched at his chest. "If you won't hear from me tomorrow, you know what I fell victim to, just because Hanguang-jun couldn't see me off safely."
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan exhaled fondly, making his heart skip a beat. "I would indeed feel more at ease if you could let me know when you arrive home."
"Oh," Wei Ying swallowed, "well, sure, I could do that."
"Mn, thank you," Lan Zhan inclined his head, genuine.
There was another beat of silence between them, when did they step so close to each other that Wei Ying could count Lan Zhan's lashes?, before Lan Zhan inhaled somewhat sharply and returned to his office.
"Good night," he said, closing the door, not leaving Wei Ying a chance to answer. Though as if Wei Ying was in any capacity to answer, staring at the closed door in a daze. This was getting out of hand very fast, very badly.
"Good night," Wei Ying mumbled to himself as he left the building. On his way home, his head was split between being embarrassingly disappointed not walking home with Lan Zhan after days not seeing him at all and going absolutely insane with nerves for whatever Lan Zhan wants to meet up for. But if anyone asked, Wei Ying got that. He had everything under control. Yep. This was totally normal. Normal for him, to be fair.
Only when he unlocked the door to his apartment, did Wei Ying realize that he forgot to change out of the suit. So, yeah, maybe his mind was a little off but what else was new?
Very, very carefully, Wei Ying stripped down, folding every single piece cleanly to hang up in his wardrobe, certain that it probably was worth around three times his rent and he didn't want to take any chances ripping it somewhere and falling into financial ruin again .
After, he fumbled with his phone to send Lan Zhan a hasty text, ' not mugged, safely home ' and then pulled out a package of cereals to munch on, before sending Lan Zhan another text, ' that's what a mugger would say ig but I'm not a mugger, just wanting to make sure '. See? He could be normal if he put his mind to it.
Sitting in a position a shrimp would be proud of, Wei Ying spent his evening on a phone call with Wen Ning and Wen Qing, catching up with them and just hearing their voices again. He missed them. He really did, so when his thoughts wandered off again and again to Lan Zhan, who he never mentioned even once, a crime really, he felt guilt fester in his chest. It was just… Wei Yimg didn't actually know what held him back. He could tell his friends about his embarrassing crush, of course, they would tease him in good spirit, he could laugh about himself, but for know, he needed to sort things out for himself. He sighed.
"Wei Ying?" Wen Ning asked tentatively, already having picked up on Wei Ying's distracted mind.
"Yeah, makes sense," Wei Ying hummed, clearly not listening, which made Wen Ning chuckle.
"You agree that a death penalty is futile?" Wen Qing jabbed.
"What? No!" Wei Ying straightened even though nobody could see him, "it's the prisons that need to be reformed, they are futile. But some criminals are just vile scumbags who deserve death. Rotting in a prison for 10 years plus without any feasibility to prepare for getting back to society and then just get set off? It's the fucking system-"
"Wei Wuxian," Wen Qing sighed, "I know. I agree. The system is rigged, especially against people like us. If you don't have the "right" background or people to back you up, you fight a losing battle, I know. You know. I was just making fun of you."
Wei Ying could practically hear her rolling or eyes. "Oh," he cleared his throat, slumping down again, "I knew that. I was just making a point."
"Sure."
The silence between felt just ever so slightly oppressive until Wen Ning started talking about another term paper he was working on. Would it be healthier if Wei Ying would just say that he didn't want to talk about it yet? Yes. Would it be less intense if Wen Qing said what bothered her? Yes . Will they change anything? Nope.
In a sense, it was important to them that things stayed that way. When Wei Ying got dragged into the Wen Dinasty scandal and tried time and time again to convince his family that he wasn't involved, that the Dafan Wen's weren't involved, nobody listened. So why would anybody listen if Wei Ying said anything about his frustration and hurt? Wen Qing didn't need words, though. She saw him breaking apart by how easily he lost everyone's trust, how his words fell on deaf ears. How they just needed a reason to kick him out. And she wouldn't let Wei Ying believe it would be the same with her, not for a second. That was why she would listen to his silent words he didn't say and pushed her own way of caring onto him.
With Wen Ning as puffer. As much as Wen Ning thought he didn't play any important part in their relationship, both Wei Ying and Wen Qing were convinced without him they would have fallen apart already. Sometimes it showed that Wen Ning still felt guilty about how it was "his" fault that Wei Ying got roped into their mess, but when your friend who basically bailed you out of a corrupted prison was on the brink of being tortured to death, what else was Wei Ying to do than to start a riot at Qishan HQ to get said friend out of it? (And got slightly stabbed in the process but they didn't talk about that .)
Point was, they weren't perfect. Far from it. But they knew they had each other's trust and back and they were family . If one of them needed something, they would say it when the time was right.
So, for now Wei Ying listened to Wen Ning ramble on, made slight remarks at Wen Qing's expense for what he got berated and hissed at, you know, fondly. And when it neared midnight, Wei Ying found himself completely forgetting about Lan Zhan and his internship and just had enjoyed an evening talking to his closest friends. Passing the Bechdel test with flying colors or something.
The next morning, Wei Ying slept in without even bothering setting an alarm on his day off, nature will take what it needs. Proud of himself that even two weeks of waking up at an ungodly hour didn't change his sleeping rhythm, Wei Ying raised in the late morning, sun already high in the sky. He did a big stretch on his mattress, skimming both opposite walls with his toes and fingers, before jumping to his feet. A day off didn't mean he needed to do nothing. Wei Ying and doing nothing didn't work well. Wei Ying pretending or making it look like he didn't do anything is a different story though.
Yet, he had to admit that his body had been enjoying the physical strain due to the extraneous training and it itched to move. The next few hours, Wei Ying went on a run through town, jogging aimlessly through empty streets, until he found a farmer's market close to the park he had met Jiang Cheng last week. Sauntering along the various stalls, Wei Ying chatted up the vendors and by filling the street with laughter as he flirted with them indiscriminately, he earned himself a basket of assorted fresh produce. That's how you hunt in the modern days.
Pleased by that outcome, Wei Ying made his way home again, storing the food in his fridge, before taking a look at his phone. His heart skipped a beat, his fingers started trembling, he almost dropped his phone, when he saw a notification from Lan Zhan. The time said it was sent at barely 9 am and Wei Ying wasn't awake by that for sure, but now it was already almost 3 pm. He gulped, opening the text.
Lan Zhan
Good morning, Wei Ying (or mugger). Will you be able to meet up at 7.30 pm in front of the station?
Letting out a snort, Wei Ying tipped in a fast reply.
Wei Ying
wow, just replacing me with s/o else huh
I am hurt Lan Zhan
hurt
what if I would be lying dead in a ditch and u shamelessly flirting with a murderer what then
To his surprise, Wei Ying didn't have to wait long for a reply.
Lan Zhan
Thank you for raising from the dead, then. I presume, you are able to meet me this evening?
Wei Ying
wow
I mean, yeah I am
but wow
maybe coming back was a mistake and I should have stayed dead
Lan Zhan
You would have been missed greatly.
(Wei Ying choked on empty air, blinking against the sting in his eyes because that hit a little too close for comfort.)
Wei Ying
aiyo Lan Zhan warn me next time!! my poor heart
stabbed by sincerity
Lan Zhan
You will live.
Wei Ying
(((o(°▽°)o)))
LAN ZHAN
Wei Ying was wheezing through a laugh, shaking so badly he had to put down his phone. How could this man be real ?
Lan Zhan
Apologies, I need to attend work again. See you tonight.
Wei Ying
ofc!! don't let urself get distracted by me!
c u tonight!!
With impressive control, Wei Ying put the phone face down, took the pillow that was still laid out from last night and pressed his face into it and then screamed his lungs out. Peak human performance, if he could say so himself. He nodded to himself, after finishing his self care session and then killed the time by watching documentaries on his phone. Not thinking, just watching.
It was a few minutes shy of 7 pm when Wei Ying looked at the time again and it took all of his self control not to throw the phone against the wall in shock. He jumped to his feet, cursing when he stumped his toe against the floor, the floor , and then dashed into the small bathroom to take a quick shower. In all honesty, if there were a category for a 'get ready the fastest after working out and lazying around the whole day' Wei Ying would be a challenging contender. Probably the only one, but still.
Hence, in record time he showered, dried his hair, threw on some clothes that didn't exactly look like they were just haphazardly thrown on, and dashed out the door. It wasn't his goal, but apparently the universe needed him to uphold his reputation of barely making it in time anywhere. Better not to think about what Lan Zhan had in store for him or else he would probably need to run another lap just to get his head straight (ha!) again.
And it was only 7.04 pm when he sprinted up to the entrance of the station, where Lan Zhan was already waiting. Of course.
"So sorry, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying panted, coming to a stop in front of him. Lan Zhan inclined his head, not looking surprised at all which was kinda rude, to be honest, but at least let Wei Ying save some face by letting him catch his breath before heading inside.
"So, what's the great Hanguang-jun planned for me, huh?" The volume of voice has unconsciously dropped as they entered the empty building. They had been the last to leave a couple of times, so there was already something familiar about how their steps faintly echoed through the silent office but that was them leaving and not arriving . It felt kind of liminal in an abstract way.
Lan Zhan didn't deem it necessary to answer him, apparently, as he kept an even stride and guided him through the wide office space not toward his own office, what Wei Ying actually had expected, but the opposite side toward his senior's office.
Without knocking, Lan Zhan opened the door to his seniors sitting around their tables, cups in hand and laughing with color in their cheeks.
"Wha-?" Wei Ying stumbled over his words and feet as he entered after Lan Zhan, receiving a maybe rightfully earned snort from Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling.
"Wuxian," Lan Sizhui greeted properly but even he had a little blush on his face and when Ouyang Zizhen all but laughed, gesturing wildly and almost sloshing the liquid all over the desk, Wei Ying knew what they were. Drunk. The lot of them were drunk in their office in the presence of Hanguang-jun .
There had to be a notice going around that the world was going to end or someone was dying- oh heaven's, did someone die? Was someone going to die? Him?!
"Sit," Lan Zhan's voice cut through his weirdly spiraling thoughts and Wei Ying all too gladly obeyed, taking the empty and offered seat next to him.
"Soooo?" Wei Ying drew out the sound, accepting gleefully the cup of wine Lan Sizhui handed him, pretending to know what he was doing by sniffing and taking a sip of it. If it wasn't Emperor's Smile he wouldn't have the slightest clue what he was on about. And even then, he only knew that he liked it.
They all toasted to each other, clearly intoxicated already, way above their usual volume. Lan Zhan took it in stride, sipping on his glass of water, not really amused but definitely not put out in the least. Wei Ying joined in, baffled and euphoric by these circumstances.
"So," Ouyang Zizhen giggled needlessly, tuning out Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi's conversation over the proper order who saluted and who drank first, "since you're officially part of us and you're gonna come with us, it's only natural you take part in our wonderful, heartfelt tradition!" He stretched out his arms, grin equally wide.
"In getting black out drunk? Count me in" Wei Ying laughed, pulling his legs up into a lotus position on his chair, which didn't look comfortable but it was apparent it was his self assigned task to find the least comfortable position to sit in.
"Yeah, well, yes," filling his cup again, immediately emptying it and pouring himself a cup again, Ouyang Zizhen continued, "that's what this is about, isn't it?"
"Sure," Wei Ying giggled, inclining his head towards Lan Sizhui as he poured him a cup. "That doesn't tell me much, but I'll take it," he took another sip.
"What he meant was," Lan Sizhui smiled at Wei Ying as he took the flask and poured his senior in turn a cup, "before heading out to a case, we get together just to talk and having a good time. Getting black out drunk is only a bonus," he chuckled, cheeks slightly blushed.
"Who would have thought you have a drinking club!" Wei Ying laughed, nudging Lan Zhan with his elbow, "except for this one, huh? Are you their sheperd, taking care of them and making sure they don't die from alcohol poisoning?"
"I'm immune to poison!" Jin Ling bellowed, then turning back to Lan Jingyi and continued talking with him as if nothing had happened.
"Mn," Lan Zhan nodded, admirably calm. Wei Ying grinned, feeling the alcohol in his system after drinking his third cup in such short succession.
"Love that for us," he laughed, nudging Lan Zhan again and didn't make an effort to pull his elbow back, rather sitting askew. And, well, Lan Zhan didn't move either, so that was that.
Sipping occasionally on his cup that Lan Zhan diligently kept filled, Wei Ying rather uncharacteristically silently listened to the various stories his seniors told about closed cases. There were, of course, a drunken retelling of Jin Ling's poison story that wouldn't have made any sense if Wei Ying hadn't listened to it before, but indulgent as he was he kept Jin Ling talking, laughing through his incoherent explanation of the components of said poison and its antidote.
They moved on to their very first case, where they actually didn't form an official squad yet but were just assigned to the same case about a dismemberment and their only lead was a left arm. With the help of Lan Zhan and his brother they found the other body parts which they more or less explained in gruesome manner but had to stop when Ouyang Zizhen grew dangerously green and pale. After that case, Lan Zhan's brother created their special ultra violence unit with no one in the know except those involved.
Wei Ying whistled lowly, bobbing his head with an aloof expression. "And then yours truly came along," he snickered.
"If you fuck us over-" "If you say anything to anyone-, " both Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling pointed their finger accusingly at Wei Ying, giving him their hardest expression and in any other situation it would be a given that Wei Ying took them seriously, but now pressed together, eyes unfocused, and a heavy blush on their cheeks, it was hard not bursting out with laughter. Though, Wei Ying still did. He pointed his own finger, laughing until he was crying.
"What about Wuxian?" Lan Sizhui was by far the most sober one, except of course Lan Zhan, but still, his eyes were a little glossy and he had to balance himself with one hand flat on the table.
"Hm?" Wei Ying turned his head which felt exceptionally heavy right now especially with his his ponytail, supporting it with one hand at his chin.
"Does Wuxian have any experience in the field already?" he asked patiently, bless his soul.
"Oh! Yes!" Wei Ying jolted up straight again, proudly looking up to Lan Zhan, enjoying his eyes on him. "I joined a investigation about drownings close to Yunmeng HQ. You see," he leaned forward on the table, swirling his cup with one hand, "it's quite uncommon to drown in our area because there are a lot of lakes and water places in general, so you kinda learn from an early age to swim," Wei Ying emptied his cup again, proud to not slur too much. He didn't, right? Well, they all looked at him and didn't laugh at him at least.
"Turned out, the bodies were dumped in our lakes by the Wens," he scoffed, remembering the most lackluster excuse they were giving, not getting charged for any of the murders.
"The Wens ?" Lan Jingyi shrieked, clutching one hand on Jin Ling's shoulder whose eyes widened significantly.
"Yeah," Wei Ying humphed, "got into a petty argument with Wen Chao over it, I can admit that now ," he rolled his eyes, though he didn't regret scaring the shit out of Wen Chao as he threatened to throw him into the lake to share the space with the corpses they haven't recovered yet. He rather didn't remember the scuffle and the other slight stabbing that followed. "Just gave them more reason to go after me though, in the end."
"Going after you?" Lan Zhan's voice was low but easily carried over in the silence. Wei Ying's eyes snapped up, shaking himself free from the memories.
"Uh, yeah, I-," he cleared his throat, before exhaling in huff, "the Wens pulled such stunts not for the first time and when stuff of their underground hanky-panky came up, I, uh, I kinda got into the middle of it. Long story. But basically they planted rumors that I was part of their group and was a spy and stuff like that. Investigations were launched and all that. It didn't get on my record, fortunately, but that's why I- why I couldn't get my license for firearms before," Wei Ying shrugged, thankful that his cup was filled again and threw his head back with, emptying it in one go.
Lan Sizhui squeezed his forearm in consolation and Wei Ying was never more grateful that his seniors didn't ask more questions, rather changed topics and Ouyang Zizhen had to suffer through a retelling of his first official case and was convinced that the house a coffin was found in was haunted.
Wei Ying leaned back, satisfied with just listening again, but turned his head again, when he felt Lan Zhan's gaze on him. With alcohol streaming through his veins, Wei Ying didn't avert his eyes, letting Lan Zhan openly observe him. A small smile formed on his lips, warmth bubbling up in his chest regardless of his intoxication.
"Enjoying the view?" his voice was low, barely over a husk but the minute flare in Lan Zhan's eyes told Wei Ying that he was heard. His smile turned into a grin. Not taking his eyes off Lan Zhan, he took another sip, liking the liquid from his lips, and his cheeks burst into flames with joy, heat, and accomplishment when Lan Zhan's eyes followed the motion.
His mouth grew sour when Lan Zhan teared his eyes away and put his glass down without pouring Wei Ying nor himself a new cup. "I'll be leaving first."
"Yes, Hanguang-jun, " the seniors slurred in various degrees, saluting equally uncoordinated. Wei Ying chuckled, swallowing around the lump in his throat.
"Good night, Hangu- ," Wei Ying stopped mid-word when he caught Lan Zhan's eyes as he stood up, the chair not even scrapping over the floor, giving him a look . "I mean," Wei Ying's voice definitely wasn't pitched too high, thank you, "me too. I gotta go, too."
"Sick leaves for tomorrow will not be permitted," Lan Zhan reminded them as he held the door open for Wei Ying, stumbling through, earning a synchronized groan. Wei Ying didn't think he imagined the amused tuck on Lan Zhan's lips, but what did his drunken brain know? And for heaven's sake, was he drunk.
Only when he stood up did it simultaneously feel like all his blood rushed into his head, making him feeling hot and sweaty, and lightheaded. It took at least half of his functional brain capacity to walk semi-straight and not run into anything, let alone topple over. Lan Zhan, good and wonderful Lan Zhan, held the next door open as well, keeping his silence and not commenting on the way Wei Ying, ahem , walked outside.
The air was wonderfully chilly, giving him a little shock that jumpstarted his system at least for a little bit. Though, it didn't even take a minute when the refreshing chill turned into biting icy nails that pricked at Wei Ying's skin. As drunk as he was, he still felt the cold creeping into his bones. He hugged himself, rubbing his arms in hope to get enough heat going that will last him home.
But he didn't need to think too hard about it anyway. In the next moment, a warm coat was draped around his shoulders, shielding him from the cold.
"Ah," Wei Ying sighed, taking a second to focus on Lan Zhan who walked close by, radiating warmth by himself alone, not needing the coat. "Thank you."
Lan Zhan nodded quietly, one hand behind his back and walking so close, his arm brushed against Wei Ying's shoulder. Not able to control himself, Wei Ying giggled, leaning more of his weight against Lan Zhan's unwavering body.
"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, do you-," whatever Wei Ying wanted to ask, his brain drew a blank. His eyes were fixated on Lan Zhan's face, illuminated by the moon, glowing in the dark like a beacon. His golden eyes shone brightly, rapt attention on Wei Ying as if he had hung the moon right into the sky. It felt like slow motion when he blinked, not wanting to miss a single second of this otherworldly picture.
"Oh. You're bea-ackgh-," Wei Ying gracelessly stumbled over his own feet, body uncoordinatedly trying to find its balance again. With great reflexes, Lan Zhan looped an arm around Wei Ying's waist, pulling him close to his side in a steady half-embrace.
"Uh, wow, sorry, haha," Wei Ying's face felt hot, so hot, did he develop a fever in the last five seconds? He licked his dry lips, desperately trying to find words to say but his head was empty, only the buzzing alcohol fueling his very being.
"Careful," was all Lan Zhan said, holding him close as he started walking again. Wei Ying could all but nod dumbly, following Lan Zhan's lead.
"This is really embarrassing, Lan Zhan, please keep it to yourself, will you? Don't wanna lose face in front of my seniors, you know? What do I say," Wei Ying giggled, "you don't know anything about losing face with all of," he gestured vaguely in Lan Zhan's direction, "all of that."
"Mn. Wei Ying has a lot of 'all of that', as well."
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying gasped. "Are you mocking me? Aiyo, this poor intern and all the humiliation he receives from his seniors."
"Such a poor intern," Lan Zhan hummed, making Wei Ying laugh, shaking against Lan Zhan's side.
"We're here." That wasn't what Wei Ying was expecting to hear next.
"Where?" He asked, looking around in confusion. Where had they been going again?
"Your apartment," Lan Zhan very carefully let go of Wei Ying, only retracting his hands when he felt Wei Ying standing somewhat steady on his feet. At least steady enough to not fall over.
"Oh," Wei Ying breathed, "already, huh?"
"Already," Lan Zhan repeated, not giving any emotion away. As if Wei Ying could read Lan Zhan's barely decipherable face anyway, let alone in his drunken state. With a sigh, Wei Ying leaned against the wall, slowly peeling the coat from his shoulder which made the cold feel even colder than before. He was swaying even on the spot but he pulled himself together enough to hand Lan Zhan his coat back without dropping it.
Lan Zhan stood so close Wei Ying's knuckles bumped against his chest as he raised the jacket, almost dropping it despite the effort he put into holding it up. Lan Zhan grabbed his wrist, preventing him from withdrawing his hand. They stood so close, so unbearingly close. Wei Ying saw his own breath puffing out in front of him, the warm air leaving his slightly open mouth. It took him great effort to make his eyes look up from Lan Zhan's hand around his wrist, locking them with Lan Zhan's eyes instead. His face was unreadable, unsurprisingly, but his gaze was intense, Wei Ying felt himself basking in it, the cold already forgotten.
"Lan Zhan," his voice was barely over a whisper, throat constricted under the weight of Lan Zhan's gaze. But it didn't bother him. On the contrary, he felt comfortable, excited being at Lan Zhan's mercy, feeling the grip on his wrist tightening. He couldn't help but smile.
And then Lan Zhan let go, taking a step back and pulling the coat out of Wei Ying's hand in one motion.
"You should head inside, lest you will catch a cold," Lan Zhan said evenly, not a hint of the oppressing energy from before left.
It all felt like a whiplash, doused in cold water. Confused, embarrassed, Wei Ying blinked, but before he could say anything more than just questioning sounds, Lan Zhan had already turned around and walked away. Disappointment washed over him, pulling his stomach into a tight knot.
"Fuck…!" he cursed quietly, vehemently, then softly. "Fuck."
It took him all the strength that was left in his body to brace himself from the wall and to heave his heavy legs up the stairs. Nothing could sober someone up quite like… whatever that was. Wei Ying refused to look too hard at it, tried not to poke around what had happened between them just now. All he knew was that he wanted it to have ended differently. He rubbed at his wrist absent-mindedly, enjoying the faint sting that Lan Zhan's grip left.
Maybe he was still a little bit drunk, as he tried to change his clothes, brushing his teeth on uncertain feet, and his thoughts circling around Lan Zhan's face, his eyes, his fingers on his wrist, making himself dizzy.
Nope, not gonna deal with that tonight. Wei Ying fell face first onto his pillow, groaning against the already slowly building headache. That was a problem for future-him.
Future-him hated present- or rather past-him, by the way. Wei Ying woke up with the high pitched screaming of his phone, splitting his head apart. Feeling like someone was trying to raise him from the dead, he had to gather all his remaining self control not to throw his phone across the room and go on a rampage. Instead, he grumbled and whined to himself while getting ready, a reflection of his dignity. Or something.
Only when he was on his way back to work, bless the early morning air to shock his muddled brain awake for a few minutes, did his thoughts wander back to Lan Zhan and his long fingers around his wrist, Lan Zhan and his eyes pinning him to the wall, Lan Zhan and his entire being making Wei Ying want to bare his soul. How in the gods' names did Lan Zhan had such an effect on him? Wei Ying shook his head. This was getting out of hand. Whatever Lan Zhan did to him yesterday, it opened a floodgate of things Wei Ying very carefully and responsibly had ignored until now.
Out of mind, out of sight and all that. But no, apparently that was not how it worked. Wei Ying groaned. Maybe it was time to bring out the big guns. Talking to someone .
Wei Ying groaned into his hands. Just the thought about opening up to someone made his stomach churn. Well, maybe the fact that he didn't eat yet, as well. But, definitely the talking part, too.
Whatever deity was listening to his embarrassing spiel on his way to work, they took pity on him and presented him with the perfect opportunity not soon after that somewhat pathetic display.
Not wanting aka not knowing what his face would do if he faced Lan Zhan right now, Wei Ying was about to just book it to his seniors office when Luo Qingyang intercepted him on his truthfully not very stealthy approach running straight through the middle, pushing a map into his flailing arms.
"Wha-"
"You're on patrol duty today," she said without any delay, handing him a walkie-talkie, "keep an eye out, be nice to people, help lost kids, that thing. If you see anything suspicious, radio me and I'll send someone to look into it. Don't," she pressed one finger against his chest, painfully poking him with her fingernail even through his uniform, " don ' t engage on your own."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Wei Ying almost automatically deflected with a charming smile, a sly spark in his eyes. He unfolded the map, following the red line indicating his route through the streets.
Luo Qingyang scoffed. "Wuxian, bringer of peace and quiet, sure," she shook her head. "And take Jiang Cheng with you, he should arrive any minute now."
"Jiang Cheng, huh?" Wei Ying hummed, dutifully pocketing the map never to be looked at again according to his track record of being handed pieces of paper. "You got it, boss."
"Why," she pinched her nose, already walking off to prevent a headache that always came when interacting with Wei Ying, "do you show more respect toward me than your actual boss and why does it feel even more mocking that way?"
Wei Ying just laughed, feeling like a job well done, as he walked outside just when Jiang Cheng was about to enter the station.
"Great timing, brother of mine," Wei Ying chuckled, ignoring Jiang Cheng's protest as he hooked one arm around his shoulders and dragged him with him. "Qingyang demoted us to patrol duty," he sighed, applying more and more of his weight onto his grip until Jiang Cheng pushed him off with a curse.
For almost a minute, Wei Ying could keep actually quiet which probably warranted some suspicious side glances from Jiang Cheng until it finally burst out of him.
"Can I talk to you about something?" He fidgeted with his walkie-talkie at his belt, eyes roaming the streets in seemingly attention but in actuality was just to avoid looking at his brother.
"There it is," Jiang Cheng huffed, "what, did you sweet talked Luo Qingyang into letting us do patrol just so you can talk to me? That's totally overkill even for you."
"No!" Wei Ying scratched his neck, pouting, "Qingyang did give us this assignment. I'm just, you know, taking advantage of it," he grinned, finally chancing a quick look at Jiang Cheng who scrutinized him with furrowed eyebrows.
"Well?" He grunted after a few seconds of silence, which was his way of saying go on and was more than Wei Ying had actually hoped for.
"I like someone." Wei Ying was despite being very tactile very much not tactile .
"You-," Jiang Cheng did a double take, rubbing his face. "I'm so gonna break your legs, what the fuck." When he sped up a little, Wei Ying stumbled to catch up to him again.
"Why are you telling me that?! Don't you have your little support group?" his voice had more bite to the end, making Wei Ying wince.
"They, uh, they don't know," Wei Ying answered truthfully, regret bubbling up in his chest, "not yet anyway. But I just, I needed to tell somebody because I'm going insane!"
"You already are , Wei Wuxian," he bit out, but crossed his arms slightly subdued. "So?"
"So?"
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes so hard, it must have hurt. "What do you wanna hear?"
"Oh, I- I haven't thought that far ahead," Wie Ying snickered, bumping Jiang Cheng with his shoulder. "I just… okay, there is a slight problem. Like, uh, not problem problem but I wanted some advice."
Jiang Cheng did stumble, staring at Wei Ying with wide eyes in disbelief. "You? Advice? What- That's not-"
"You can do it, A-Cheng," Wei Ying patted his shoulder, earning a fist between his ribs.
"Shut up," Jiang Cheng growled, giving Wei Ying a few seconds to regain his breathing after coughing around the hit. "Since when do you ask for advice ?" He spit that word out, still not believing to say it in context with Wei Ying.
"I'm… I don't wanna mess this up, okay?" Wei Ying scratched his head, redoing his messy bun after it fell down. "We're both in this work and I don't- with me being an intern and we're both in constant danger and all that."
Jiang Cheng huffed, this time with a smirk on his lips. "So, you did sweet talk Luo Qingyang. Just, in a different way."
"Wha-," Wei Ying blinked, staring at Jiang Cheng in disbelief in return. He talked to Luo Qingyang what? two times? And Jiang Cheng wasn't even present but he deduced that she was the one that- oh.
"Oh," Wei Ying let his fist fall into his open palm, "I forgot, you don't know. I'm bisexual."
"You- wha-," They had to stop when Jiang Cheng stared at him, bewildered, confused, there was a lot going on on his face right now, to be honest and only after Wei Ying uttered those words did it occur to him that maybe, maybe Jiang Cheng would be kinda maybe not be in favor of that?
"So," Jiang Cheng schooled his face into a rather neutral expression, which made Wei Ying only more nervous, "not a woman?"
"Uh-huh," he swallowed, chest feeling like it could spontaneously combust. Coming out was an outdated concept in Wei Ying's book so he never actually came out and didn't plan to but for these few seconds, uncertain what his brother would think about him, he felt excruciating pain for the unknown.
"Who then?"
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying swallowed, face falling rapidly as he saw the disgusted look on Jiang Cheng's face. This was definitely going to plan, if just blurting out your crush to your brother could be considered a plan. Ready to backpedal, steering them both out of this uncomfortable situation, Jiang Cheng made a retching sound.
"Congrats on having the worst taste in men," Jiang Cheng made a face. "What the fuck do you see in him ?"
"Jiang Cheng!" Wei Ying almost cried out, appalled that Jiang Cheng would judge him for that because, really? Hadn't he seen Lan Zhan?! And out of delight, playfully boxing him against the shoulder. "I think we need to get you to an ophthalmologist to check your eyesight!"
"My eyes are perfect, 20/20. And I have taste and standards ." Jiang Cheng hissed, doing a sidestep to get out of range of Wei Ying's hit area.
"Ooh, do we really wanna talk about your standards , Mr. she needs to be pretty but not too pretty?"
"Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng did cry out, scaring some birds away from a nearby rooftop. Bursting out laughing, Wei Ying held his stomach, wiping away at his tearing eyes that it took him a second to realize how quiet Jiang Cheng turned after that. Again, they stopped in the middle of the empty road.
"Does he know?" Jiang Cheng grit out between his teeth, eyes not meeting Wei Ying.
"Know what?" Trying for nonchalant, Wei Ying rocked back and forth on his heels, but grinned a little lopsided at Jiang Cheng when he threw him a heated glare. As if his hands could shield him, Wei Ying held them in front of them, giggling nervously.
"I, uh, I mentioned that I was- I had been involved with the Wen Syndicate," he slowly relented. "Not much, because," he shrugged, "it's not important anymore."
"Not imp-," Jiang Cheng interrupted himself, pressing a fist against his forehead and seemingly counting to ten in his mind, slowly losing the angry red in his cheeks.
"So?"
"So?" Wei Ying stretched the word, tilting his head to the side.
"So what?" Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, again , "what do you want from me?"
"Oh! Right," what did he want? "I just…," Wei Ying hummed through his thoughts, "I don't really know if I- you know, if I should go for it?"
"Are you asking me to ask our boss out?" It looked like Jiang Cheng was close to ripping his hair out. Which was fair, Wei Ying knew he had that effect on people sometimes.
"Well, not that part, dummy," Wei Ying giggled, poking one finger into his cheek and asked innocently, "do you think he likes me, too?"
And to be honest, Wei Ying was close to ask that in honesty because he was dying to know if Lan Zhan was interested in him, but the despairing wail and face rubbing from Jiang Cheng was worth the joke.
"I was just excited to tell someone," Wei Ying admitted in half-honesty. It was exciting to tell someone, he definitely had to tell the Wen siblings soon, because talking about your crush, yes, he finally could admit it was a crush, was exciting . What he was gonna do about it, was a different story. But he would figure that out, on his own. For now he watched how Jiang Cheng was assessing him and shaking his head.
"Whatever," he grumbled. "If he hurts you, I'll break his legs either way."
Wei Ying gasped. "Jiang Cheng! Did you just threaten our boss if he breaks my heart?!" Laughing until his eyes watered was a respectable excuse to cry from all the warmth his chest filled with.
"You-!" Jiang Cheng kicked his shin or at least tried to, stumbling a few steps when Wei Ying dodged mid-laugh.
"Wei Wuxian," Jiang Cheng turned seriously the next second, throwing Wei Ying off balance from one second to the other.
"That's me?" He asked more than answered. It took Jiang Cheng some time, opening and closing his mouth a few times, wrestling himself to get words out. For once, Wei Ying gave him the time, not urging him to just get on with it, however thin his non-existent patience was.
"I'm sorry," he pressed out, rushed, barely more than a breath.
"For what?" Wei Ying blinked, seriously lost for words both at the apology but at how hurt Jiang Cheng looked.
"For… with the peacock, I'm sorry. And thank you, I guess," stumbling over his words and fists pressed at his side, Jiang Cheng resembled a scolded child, embarrassed, uncertain what to say. And that really was a thing, they never had learnt to say things. Both Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng were people who let action speak more than words, reassuring each other with kicks and punches, showing their love in the silence between shouting words. But, Wei Ying had learnt the hard way that some words needed to be said. It still hurt to think about the first time he heard that lesson but it was ingrained in his heart. And seeing Jiang Cheng in front of him, foreign words on his tongue, demonstrating his own growth, filled him with pride.
When they had just turned sixteen, Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying attended a small gathering of upcoming heirs of their generation, talented kids being paraded in front of each other. It was humiliating, to be honest. But high society and their traditions, and Wei Ying was very good at representing the Jiangs, made it his own kind of sport, for fun. Well, it lasted until that day, ultimately.
Jin Zixuan, a year older than them, attended the same party, lofty keeping his distance from members of the other HQ's, because why would he associate with them if he was already at the top, right?
In all honesty, Wei Ying didn't know what happened. He was just goofing around with Nie Huaisang when there was a small commotion close to the doors and Wei Ying zoomed in as Jiang Cheng was screaming at Jin Zixuan. There were nasty words thrown in between but something about jiejie and Wei Ying didn't think anymore. He was on his feet before he knew it and run up to them.
Jin Zixuan didn't deem Jiang Cheng worthy any more of his attention and walked out the doors, leaving an embarrassed and angry red-faced Jiang Cheng behind. But not for long. Jiang Cheng sprinted after him, out the door before it fell shut, with Wei Ying hot on his heels. But not close enough.
When Wei Ying caught up to them in the hallway, Jiang Cheng had his fist already planted against Jin Zixuan's cheek, sending him backwards. Wei Ying was between them in an instant, ready to shield Jiang Cheng if Jin Zixuan decided to retaliate. But it would never get that far. Right then the doors opened with all the other kids following them, wanting to have a look at what happened.
They saw Jin Zixuan on the floor, holding his face, Wei Ying towering over him with his fist held up and Jiang Cheng grabbing at his shirt.
Parents were called and naturally, Wei Ying told them he was the one who punched Jin Zixuan for insulting Jiang Yanli in front of her brothers. Jiang Cheng kept his mouth shut, tightened knuckles turning white but hiding the blooming red on them.
Fortunately, the Jins didn't press any charges, a scuffle between teenagers all that it was, but Yu Ziyuan, oh, she was furious . Really, she was only waiting for an opportunity to let it rain down on him from then on. And then the Wens happened and it all played out in her favor.
"Ah, Jiang Cheng," Wei Ying scratched his cheek, lost in the face of sincerity directed at him. "That's so long ago already, don't-,"
"No," Jiang Cheng grabbed him by the collar, sneering at him before catching himself. "No. I'm… Listen," he grunted, letting go of Wei Ying and stepped back.
"I'm not- I'm not you. I know you have this whole thing about not doing anything you would regret or not not doing something that you would regret, but I'm," he heaved out another heavy sigh, "I'm not you. I have a lot of regrets. I can't undo what I did or didn't do but just let me- can I just try to make things right?"
Wei Ying was speechless . Honestly to his core, no words, no thoughts in his head or on the tip of his tongue.
"I-," Wei Ying had to clear his throat, and again for good measure, "that- okay. Yeah. I mean, I'm not angry or sad or anything really, but if you want to, by all-," - "Wei Wuxian." - "Sorry. Yeah, okay. Thank you."
They didn't look at each other, embarrassing themselves even further when they just ambled on the spot.
"Give me your phone," Jiang Cheng finally said, and relieved to speak again, Wei Ying just handed it to him after unlocking it. Wordlessly Jiang Cheng tapped on the screen away, ignoring Wei Ying's inquiring noises before handing it back again.
"There," he grunted, pushing his fists back into his pockets, "you have my and A-Li's number. So you have no excuses anymore."
"A-Cheng," Wei Ying held his phone with both hands like a treasure, carefully tucking it away. He'll definitely call Jiang Yanli soon. Not today, probably, but soon. And just having the possibility again, was more than enough. More than he had ever dared to hope for.
"Just," Jiang Cheng uselessly kicked at a rock, sending it down an alley a few feet ahead of them, "just call me, when you need anything. Anything," he emphazised and Wei Ying nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
"Likewise, Jiang Cheng," he threw his arm back around Jiang Cheng's, not really hugging him but it was close, "whenever you need something, call me and I'll be there."
"Good," Jiang Cheng grunted, shaking his shoulders to get rid of Wei Ying but it was half heartedly and only for show, so Wei Ying didn't actually let go. Throwing his head back to laugh at Jiang Cheng's antics, dodging a kick to his shin and almost sending them both to the curb, Wei Ying almost didn't notice the two figures in the alleyway they passed.
Notes:
Okayyy, so that's it with what I have written so far! I'm really stuck on chapter six bc for whatever reason I had decided for this chapter to be a lot and I got really overwhelmed and am in writer's block hell for this chapter oof I'm not entirely sure when I will finish it but I'll try my best to make it happen soon! And after that I'll take a proper break to write the other chapters and then I can post regularly again!
That's the plan at least hahaI hope you don't mind though! Thank you for being patient with me!!
word count:
original chapter five: 6.3k
rewritten chapter five: 13.3k
Chapter 6
Summary:
JC is both "talk to me I'm lonly" and "don't talk to me I'm angy"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wei Ying continued walking with his arm around Jiang Cheng's shoulders, babbling nonsense about how they should get something to eat while they're on shift, putting it on the station's tab, and walked past the alley. They weren't out of earshot, as they gave each other a subtle nod and pressed against the wall, inching closer to the opening again. Though they didn't have to strain their ears, the voice was loud and clear to hear, a confession with every word they heard.
"Get on with it, I don't have all day, you fucker," they growled. With one hand holding onto Jiang Cheng's shoulder, Wei Ying carefully looked around the edge, watching when the person that spoke grabbed the other by the collar, pushing them hard against the wall judging by the painful gasp. Their hands were frantically rummaging through their coat pockets, letting everything fall out of it in their panic.
"That's all?" they scoffed, not really expecting an answer. They kicked the few items to the side, only pulling the wallet closer. "What about your phone?"
"I-," the victim coughed around the tight grip at their throat, "I don't have one."
The other barked out a humorless laugh, "and I should believe that?" Apparently at their patience's end, they pulled out a small pocket knife, swinging it dangerously close to the victim's face, caressing their cheek with its blade. "Think again, asshole, where is your phone?"
And that was their cue. They didn't need words, not when you have grown up with someone and had play-pretended catching bad guys, not so play-pretended bodyguarding your sister in public, had started to aim for the top spots in your family's headquarters. It was achingly familiar to fall into steps with someone you thought would always be your rhythm.
Wei Ying took a sharp turn, running along the streets while Jiang Cheng entered the alley, fierce growl on his lips.
"Oi, I'll give you one second to step away and surrender before-"
"Shit!" They yelped, letting go of the victim and taking a step back, shooting a quick glance at Jiang Cheng's uniform and decided it wasn't worth that much. They immediately bolted deeper into the alley, making Jiang Cheng all but grin even more menacingly. All according to plan.
Still, he crouched down to the other person, who had slid down the wall, rubbing their throat in a daze.
"Are you good?" Jiang Cheng asked a little gruffly but the victim blinked at him wide eyed and slowly nodded. "Alright. Just stay here for the moment!"
His voice demanded being followed and judging by the overall weak state of the victim they didn't plan to move at all in the next few minutes. Which made things even easier, so Jiang Cheng didn't complain. Instead, he finally pursued the attacker, almost catching up to them when he rounded the corner. Like, just how slow were they?
Anyway, Jiang Cheng's lips split into a devious grin when the attacker chanced a look over his shoulder, eyes catching each other. But Jiang Cheng kept a close distance of a few meters, not catching up entirely, merely chasing him down the alley. Well, and sadistically enjoying the growing fear in his prey.
With his attention completely focused on Jiang Cheng, they didn't even notice the moving shadow by the end of the alley. They just kept their eyes on the street that came rushing closer and closer and then their world spun, a grunt being forced out of their throat.
Wei Ying had waited patiently, which he honestly needed to be praised for, for them to run out of the alley and when they were just about to exit, he basically just shot his arm out and the attacker bulldozed against it. Their throat caught onto Wei Ying's elbow, coughing violently even as they were thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the impact.
"Whoops," Wei Ying grinned, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn, "didn't see you there."
The attacker probably didn't care, nor listened by the way they squirmed on the ground, groaning hoarsely. Jiang Cheng jogged up to them as he was close behind them anyway and took the honor of forcefully turning them on their stomach, willfully ignoring all their pained noises, and cuffed their hands.
"Oooh, that looks so skilled, are you into that?" Wei Ying peeked over Jiang Cheng's shoulder, grinning at the hard glare his brother shot at him.
"You-! What the fuck is wrong with you?" he spat, pulling the attacker in a sitting position to lean against the wall. "Put your mouth to good use and fucking radio in, for heaven's sake."
"A-Cheng," Wei Ying sighed, pulling up the walkie-talkie nonetheless, "I can put my mouth to a lot of good uses," he winked and before Jiang Cheng could scream at him, he pushed the button for calling in. Though he enjoyed the slowly rising color of Jiang Cheng's face, trying to hold back while Wei Ying relayed what had transpired.
"I'll send over Lan Jingyi to get them into custody, then you can resume your patrol. Good work, Wuxian," came Lan Sizhui's static voice over the loudspeaker, but even then Wei Ying could hear the small smile.
"It was nothing, just doing our job," Wei Ying laughed before disconnecting and finally paid Jiang Cheng his well deserved attention again, even letting him scream to his heart's content about how shameless he was, that he was an embarrassment to the whole kind of humanity, yadda, yadda. Nothing new Wei Ying hadn't already heard and wore with pride. What else was someone to do if not having fun doing the right thing?
It didn't take long for Lan Jingyi to arrive, an expression of disbelief and annoyance donning his face when he stood next to the culprit they apprehended.
"The victim had already called in, so they're being taken care of, by the way," was the first thing he said, making Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng wince. They had totally forgotten about that. Oops. "They're fine, no injuries, just shaken up," he continued as he pulled the culprit up to their feet.
"Anyway," he turned back to them, face comically drawn into a few different emotions at once, "how in the ever-loving fuck did you end up with this on your first patrol?! Like, I've been stationed here for a while and nothing ever happens and then you two just get here and get to do all the fun stuff? That's just not fair," he whined, gesturing wildly with his free arm.
"All in a day's worth," grinning, Wei Ying threw an arm over Lan Jingyi's shoulder, skilled in ignoring the glare by Jiang Cheng and how he must jostle the culprit in Lan Jingyi's hold. "But, I'll let you in on a secret," Wei Ying lowered his voice conspiratorially, still audible for everyone to hear though, making Lan Jingyi lean closer with curious, if not doubting eyes.
"Apparently, to get the right gods on your side, you have to sweet talk Luo Qingyang. Jiang Cheng can confirm."
With an outraged gasp, Lan Jingyi shoved Wei Ying off his shoulder, while Jiang Cheng rubbed his forehead with enough force to irritate it. Wei Ying threw his head back, laughing with his arms around his stomach.
"It's true, it's true!" He waved after Lan Jingyi's retreating back.
"Stay out of trouble. And good job," was all he yelled without turning around again, ears glowing like a traffic light turned red.
With a toothy grin splitting his face, Wei Ying sauntered over to Jiang Cheng, invading his space almost naturally. Jiang Cheng grunted against the weight leaning against his arm, but finally looked back up again. Their eyes met, satisfaction mirroring each other when they knocked their knuckles together.
Maybe this internship would give way not only to something new but also to mending something old.
Fortunately, the rest of their patrol went uneventful. Well, unfortunately depending on your perspective. Wei Ying was disappointed nothing else happened and Jiang Cheng had to suffer through a jittery puppy running ahead in need to be put on a leash. Huh, wouldn't Wei Ying love this comparison?
When they finally returned to their station, Jin Ling just ended a conversation with another coworker and walked up to them, hands resting leisurely on his hips.
"So, I heard you greenhorns got into trouble?" holding his nose a little higher, trying to look taller than he was as he was basically the same height as the other two men.
"Greenhorn!" Wei Ying yowled, instantly forcing Jin Ling to blush but before he could snap something back, Wei Ying was already next to him, holding his elbow.
"I'll do my good deed for the day, grandpa, and help you find your way back," he snickered, dodging the flying fist from Jin Ling.
"Shut up!" Jin Ling shouted, turning on his heels while muttering, barely audible, "and here I wanted to tell you, you did a good job. Pah," stomping on the floor he entered their shared office.
Wei Ying's grin slipped into a genuine smile, shooting a glance over to Jiang Cheng who rolled his eyes and shoulder checked him for good measures as he followed their senior into the office. But Wei Ying's keen eyes didn't miss the uptick of Jiang Cheng's lips, the straightened shoulders.
When they entered, Wei Ying was treated to the rare sight of Lan Zhan talking with Lan Sizhui. Sure, they worked together and they obviously talked to each other but usually it was in group settings. Them standing just by themselves, Lan Sizhui's face glowing and Lan Zhan's eyes shining with pride basked the whole room in metaphorical sunlight.
Still, Lan Zhan looked up when they followed a shouting Jin Ling inside and just for a split second Wei Ying and his eyes met before Wei Ying averted his eyes immediately, not noticing that Lan Zhan did the same. His cheeks felt unnaturally hot.
Ignoring Jin Ling's muttering under his breath, Lan Zhan turned to them and nodded at them in acknowledgment.
"Lan Sizhui has informed me about the incident. Good job, you two."
Getting told by Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling that they did a good job felt good already, validating. But hearing these words from Lan Zhan? Wei Ying was beaming. His grin was wide and toothy, eyes pushed close into crescent shape.
"Aiyo," Wei Ying scratched his nose, trying to not sound as flustered as he felt. "Just for you, Hanguang-jun," he added just to stay on brand. Jin Ling yelped in his chair, pens cluttering to the floor.
Lan Zhan pushed out a small gust of air, "Ridiculous," mumbled under his breath. Nodding at Lan Sizhui, he left the room but not without brushing his knuckles over the back of Wei Ying's hand, catching his widening eyes with his own and suspending them in the moment for a brief second. Then he was out the door and Wei Ying questioned if it happened at all.
Slapping himself mentally to get his mind out of the gutter what these hands could do, Wei Ying sat down next to Jiang Cheng and his shared desk. For the next couple of hours, Lan Sizhui explained to them all that was to do for paperwork, the different forms, when to hand in what, how to fill them out and so on. You know, the stuff no one wanted to do but had to because of bureaucracy reasons. Some things in this world, Wei Ying won't and didn't even want to understand. A short sentence here and there should be enough according to him.
The only interesting part of all of this was the part where they learnt different acronyms, their exclusive work sign language to be able to talk with each other without making a sound. (Which they all regretted teaching Wei Ying because he somehow made it happen to be loud even without saying anything.)
"You wanna know something funny?" Wei Ying broke the silence with his head hanging upside down, his feet dangling over the headrest of his chair, making everyone question his sanity once again. It was a lifestyle, okay?
"You’re gonna let us know if we want to know or not anyway," Jiang Cheng grumbled into his hand that held up his head, rolling his eyes.
"Correct!" Wei Ying beamed. "If in a scenario were I'm captured, being tied up by one hand to my belt and with my feet dangling from the ceiling," Wei Ying demonstrated as he was barely hanging on to not fall down from his chair, "and I'll try to sign to you that I need a hand, you know, right beside my hip, it could also mean-"
"Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng jumped out of his chair, stopping his brother from spouting even more embarrassing nonsense.
"Why wouldn't you use your hand that isn't tied up?" Lan Sizhui, indulging as ever, pressed his lips in a barely contained smile.
"Now, why would I do that if there was a funnier option?" Wei Ying shook his head, finally losing his balance and slipping down the chair with a thud.
Unfazed, Jin Ling kicked Wei Ying's chair away in some kind of help for him to get back up on his feet.
"I'll let your captors know to just cut off your hands," Jiang Cheng groaned, rubbing his face and before he could even say anymore, his stomach growled louder than his groan had been.
"Well," Lan Sizhui closed the case file in his hands with a clap, "that's our cue to have some late lunch. We actually have some things to do this afternoon, so no food fights or anything."
"Don't!" Jiang Cheng pointed at Wei Ying who was already at his feet, eyes gleaming in delight and/or mischief. No one could say.
"Whoever starts a food fight, isn't allowed in the shooting range later," Lan Sizhui cut between them, successfully keeping Wei Ying in check whose attention jumped right onto that.
"Since Wuxian had already some shooting training, Jiang-gonzi shouldn't lag behind," Lan Sizhui motioned them to follow, leaving Jin Ling to a well deserved silence, though he did kinda look like an abandoned child.
"What?" Jiang Cheng mouthed at Wei Ying, looking at him in disbelief that he had held a gun with his own two hands.
"What 'what'?" Wei Ying mouthed back.
They didn't start a food fight, but they both gulped down their food as if they made it a competition to see who would throw up first, which was objectively worse and Lan Sizhui threw them more than one worried look. But luck was on his side and they made it to the shooting range without any accidents.
More or less begrudgingly, though with a spark of pride, Wei Ying had to admit that Jiang Cheng was a very good marksman. Of course, he had to make even better shots just to wink at his brother for his own ego. But that was knocked down yet again when Lan Sizhui himself took position and rivaled Lan Zhan's marksmanship.
"Not fair," Wei Ying whined, admiring his seniors' accurate shots on the target.
With a slight blush, Lan Sizhui smiled, "Both of you were so good, I had to remind you why I'm even your instructor."
"That's not something you have to prove, Sizhui," Wei Ying shook his head, giving him a light shoulder check, "we know who your instructor is, there is no way we could be better than you."
"Not to mention, that shooting at some papers says something about skill when in reality we have to shoot at moving objects while moving ourselves," Jiang Cheng added, arms crossed and kicking a non-existing stone away.
"That's a very good assessment, Jiang-gonzi ," Lan Sizhui nodded, "but this training also serves for you to remember this feeling of how to aim, how to breathe and when to pull the trigger in such a situation."
Ending their shooting training on a rather serious note, Lan Sizhui lead both students back up to their shared office where they were met with the rest of the squad, includingLan Zhan. Before Wei Ying's excitement could even manifest, let alone remarking at something that would make everyone groan in defeat, the heavy atmosphere made it clear that this was not the time nor place.
Apparently, one of their other cases had some breakthrough for which they needed all hands on deck and both Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng were kinda maybe a little bit in the way and were sent home. Getting off early from work? Pff, either this was a bad omen or this is just a work of fiction.
With one last salutation and a yearning look at Lan Zhan, 'Wei Wuxian, I get secondhand embarrassment just by looking at you, get yourself together!, Wei Ying finally left the station, his brother in tow.
Maybe an evening without an escorting going home date, because let's be real, that was what it was, would be better for both of them (and the rest of the team). After their last "date", who knew what could happen between them and they were knee-deep in an important case and tho Wei Ying was confident in his multitasking skills, handling both a major case and his first romantic relationship? Even he knew when to stay humble.
"Watch out," Jiang Cheng grunted, kicking Wei Ying against his leg before he stumbled over a pothole. "Idiot."
Without noticing how far they already walked, Wei Ying snickered. Well, even if Lan Zhan wasn't here, he had people who would look out for him, for example, making sure he wouldn't stumble over the same fucking pothole over and over again.
"Well, o brother of mine," Wei Ying made Jiang Cheng stumble over his feet, dancing right out of range for the retaliating kick, when they made their way to the crossroad, "we shall meet again in the morrow, fresh and ripe.
"First of all, what the fuck?" Jiang Cheng threw him a confused although menacing look, "second of all,- " he interrupted himself, clenching and unclenching his fists at his side before ultimately turning his back to Wei Ying.
Interest piqued and worried, Jiang Cheng would get cold feet for whatever he was about to say, Wei Ying sauntered closer again.
"Second of all," Jiang Cheng continued before Wei Ying could even coax him, "don't mess up this case you're working on. And don't even think about crawling to me for help." Even though it was curt and Jiang Cheng was snapping at him, Wei Ying could also feel the concern in his words, conveyed even further by his trembling shoulders.
"Don't worry," Wei Ying grinned, ruffling Jiang Cheng's hair a little too forcefully, earning a threatening yelp. There was nothing more to say really. They had few words between them but they knew their meaning by heart. And they also knew that Jiang Cheng wasn't allowed to get any more than that, so call it his kind of tact not to prey any further and make it awkward for all of them when Wei Ying would try to talk his way out of it, only to embarrass himself. Which, you know, could be really amusing for once.
The next three weeks were a test of patience for Wei Ying's sanity. On one hand, he actually sat down to learn more about their case playing a model student as an undercover agent for which he gained both strange as well as relieved looks. Rude, but okay. Then there was the specific training for his disguise, for which Ouyang Zizhen was even more nitpicky than before, and Wei Ying did not run away. An accomplishment that deserved an honorable mention in his report card really, but went unnoticed.
On the other hand, which was the most torturous endeavor of this period, the time Wei Ying could spend with Lan Zhan was drastically reduced. Both because Wei Ying's preparation got more intense and because Lan Zhan was more tangled up with different cases apart from their case which meant: no more walks home together. Tragic. Blasphemous. Hate crime. (Wei Ying lamented dramatically to Jiang Cheng who, unfortunately, was the only one in the know about Wei Ying's crush. At least officially. Their colleagues had working eyes after all.)
That didn't hinder Wei Ying to not use that little time they saw each other in the office to shamelessly wink, wave, smile, and shout as if to make up for all the alone time they missed. To everyone's anguish. Huh, maybe that was why his training got a little more intense and working out with Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi suddenly was so much more exhausting. Well, a big maybe.
On a whooping four occasions, yes, Wei Ying counted, sue him, their hands touched and that was what made Wei Ying almost flush his patience and dignity, if he had any to begin with, down the drain. But his masochistic tendency kept him afloat, stopping him from doing something indecent in public. Hopefully, they won't meet alone as that would completely destroy Wei Ying's self-restraint. Or he hoped Lan Zhan's patience would run out before that, judging by the ever so slightly dilating of his pupils whenever they locked eyes. But the end of these fantasies were kept in secret for only Wei Ying to know.
Therefore, spending his time well on working hard on preparing for his very first real case and elaborating his concerningly well thought out fantasies, it was almost time for their departure. To no one's surprise, well, no one really knew, but Wei Ying kept tossing and turning and huffing on his mattress, vainly hoping for sleep's embrace the night before, when his phone rang. Yes, Wei Ying was one of those people who forgot to turn their phone back on silent after work like a monster, as in not keeping his phone on silent, like, on all times, which probably will cost him his life somewhen. But not today.
Today, Wei Ying would have smacked himself if he had turned the sound off when he saw "NingNing" flash across the screen. Wen Ning calling in the middle of the night could only mean one thing.
"I'm here, A-Ning," Wei Ying's voice was a little rough, but he talked in a hush, soothing tone. "Talk to me."
"A- are you s- s- safe? You're n- not hurt?" Wen Ning's voice was a tender whisper, so unbearably fragile which broke Wei Ying's heart. That he was partly to blame for it, he will never forget.
"Never been more alive. You know, I'm thriving in the middle of the night, nothing but darkness like the depths of my soul as my sole companion listening to the sweet voice of my heater to share forgotten knowledge about the cultivation of potatoes. Which reminds me…," the floodgates opened and there was no stopping a rambling Wei Ying.
On the other end, Wen Ning listened silently but in between thoughts where Wei Ying allowed for a couple of seconds silence to fall, he could hear the steady breathing drawing comfort from his nonsensical words, just reminding him that Wei Ying, in fact, is alive and, arguably, of sound mind.
After barely half an hour of rambling of the different byproducts and their influence on agriculture in general, Wei Ying stopped to listen to Wen Ning's shallow breathing that doesn't give an indication that he listened anymore, but rather having been lulled to sleep.
Wei Ying listened to that ever so silent breathing sound, soothing his own heart. He wasn't the only one that suffered long term consequences from their encounter with the Wen Dynasty, Wen Ning carrying his own burden that Wei Ying knew he could never lighten.
His memory might be his only fatal flaw (with an abundance of normal flaws depending on which perspective), but what he had Wen Ning going through, he would never forget. And never forgive himself.
In all the the events that followed, he might have lost sight of that, pushing these memories down, but whenever Wen Ning called in the middle of the night or just showed up with bloodshot eyes, brimming with tears and ragged breath, Wei Ying swore himself out and to himself to never let Wen Ning feel so helpless ever again. To always make it back home alive.
Carefully cutting the line, Wei Ying stared at the ceiling, covered in darkness with small streaks of moonlight that fell through the curtains. The world silent as it was made his heartbeat sound unnaturally loud. Whatever might happen tomorrow and the following days, Wei Ying made a silent oath to keep himself safe for the sake of his family.
With such a rather unfamiliar feeling, the certainty that he belonged somewhere, his mind finally settled back into his body, giving him the weight of an existing person, and the sweet embrace of sleep found him.
Well, however sweet that embrace could be as he was barely able to sleep for two hours when his phone rang yet again. Which was punched by Wei Ying jerkingly waking up, fearing Wen Ning woke up in a panic again and scrambled over the floor to pick up the phone.
"I'm alive, not hurt!" Wei Ying barely slurred sleep deprived into the speaker, not even trying to blink and get his eyes to wake up but just scooting back under his covers.
There was a deafening silence on the other end, though, forcing Wei Ying's brain to kickstart.
"Wen Ning? Talk to me."
"Wei Ying."
"Oh," Wei Ying exhaled, energy sucked out of him completely which had been low to begin with and sleepiness crawled back into his brain, making his head feel fuzzy, "Lan Zhan."
"Mn," the deep voice vibrated through the phone directly into his ear. "I am glad to hear that you are alive and not hurt. Should I be concerned about your way of answering calls?"
"Haha," Wei Ying chuckled, nuzzling his pillow which was probably a new level of inappropriate when you are on the phone with your superior, "don't worry your pretty little head over that.
"What can I do for you at this unholy time?" It was best to skip over things, for both their sanities.
"I am standing in front of your complex," Lan Zhan said evenly, which made Wei Ying take a couple of seconds to really understand and realize.
"You what?!" It took him less than a second to jump up to his feet, leaping to the window and pulling the curtain aside in the same motion to verify what Lan Zhan said. As if Lan Wangji, Hanguang-Jun, would ever lie. Still, Wei Ying stared at Lan Zhan's figure on the street, all tidied up as if it wasn't 4 o'clock in the goddamn morning, still in disbelief.
"Uhh," Wei Ying said eloquently, his brain reverting from being kickstarted to stalling.
"The plan was for us to drive separately with us two being the first pair, Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling following at noon, and Ouyang Zizhen and Lan Jingyi being last in the evening," Lan Zhan helpfully supplied, both answering Wei Ying's humming and the still quizzical look he gave through the window, not moving an inch.
"Ohhhh," Wei Ying finally felt awake. Yes, that was the plan. Driving separately, Lan Zhan wanted to go first and Wei Ying's non existent connection between mouth and brain excelled once again and the word "shotgun" while elbowing Lan Zhan's arm with a playful wink were out in the room before or rather not until now did his brain caught up that that meant getting up at an even earlier time than usual.
Yes, Wei Ying was the master of disaster.
"Give me like, uh, 3 three minutes!" Wei Ying grinned, almost ending the call before finishing speaking and in record time packed his stuff, put on some clothes that at least looked like they could be worn outside, and sprinted out the door.
"Ha, did you really think I wasn't prepared? You fool, you buffoon, falling into my prank that I forgot our dep-" with the grace of, well, a sleep-deprived gremlin, Wei Ying stumbled down the stairs, managed to not fall down face first, just tripping over his own feet and slamming his knee against the open fence door. A small whimper left his throat, a tremble of his lips while tears swole up in his eyes that he blinked away furiously.
"Okay, uh," Wei Ying cleared his throat, wondering how he managed to look like an idiot without even trying. Though Lan Zhan had been silent, albeit for a split second as he reached out his hand on reflex when Wei Ying stumbled, didn't even move, was now staring at Wei Ying with such intense eyes that made him freeze.
He felt hot and cold, heart thumping in his chest like prey caught by its predator about to be devoured. And he didn't mind? Wow, time for a kink check.
Anyway, Wei Ying full body shuddered himself out of his stupor because he didn't plan on having that kind of thought process right in front of the person in question who also seemed to finally got a hold of himself.
"You could have fooled me," Lan Zhan said in a low voice that did not help Wei Ying in any way, rather made him think that Lan Zhan had caught his very thoughts by the, he didn't know, doe-wide eyes that allowed him to look into his brain? Which would be a disastrous experience for the both of them, but his memory got the MVP award for getting him back on track.
"See?" Wei Ying grinned, confidently passing Lan Zhan as he brushed his fingers over the back of the other's hand with a playful wink before sitting down in the passenger's seat of the car that was parked right behind Lan Zhan. He threw his luggage over his shoulder into the back as Lan Zhan sat down in the driver's seat and to Wei Ying's delight turned on the seat heating. This was a blessing bestowed by Lan Zhan, who Wei Ying swore to be his most devoted believer right then and there. Thank you, jumbled mush of brain matter between his ears.
It was yet another imaginary reward in Wei Ying's book, that he didn't fall asleep with the heat seating and the low rumble of the car while it was still dark outside, but his nerves felt on fire being aware that he would be with Lan Zhan. Alone. In a small, confined space for a couple of hours. A wonderful prospect on one side, but very arduous on the other because there was nothing he could do to ease the butterflies or other insects that were throwing a fit in his stomach.
Only when they reached the highway, Lan Zhan turning their car neatly onto the fast lane with only a few other cars driving at this time of the day/night, and Lan Zhan let out a small gust of air, did Wei Ying snap out of his own spiraling thoughts.
"We are not being followed," Lan Zhan helpfully provided before Wei Ying could even ask why Lan Zhan seemed to have been nervous.
"Huh?" He nevertheless followed up, because, huh?
With the barest hint of a smile, Lan Zhan indulged him, "there was a small chance that information had been leaked and we had been found out, so there would have been eyes put on us but so far we are not being monitored."
"So, no info was leaked and we're in the clear, gotcha,” Wei Ying grinned, stretching his limbs as best as he could in his position. (For a split second Wei Ying entertained the idea of putting his arm over Lan Zhan's shoulder in an attempt of a bad but funny way to flirt, though how awkward would that be in a car? Still, there was an opportunity.)
"Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed and turned on the music player that filled the space with low jazz music, tuning out the blaring sound of Wei Ying's own thoughts. "Are you nervous?"
Wei Ying whipped his head around so fast, he could hear a nerve snap, "I– what? No way?!" He rubbed his sore neck with a confused look because, he? Nervous? On what planet?
"You have been uncharacteristically silent."
Oh. Yeah, huh, because he fantasized about what he and Lan Zhan could be doing in a car but, well, he couldn't tell him that now, couldn't he?
"Oh no, uh, I was still waking my brain up and the connection between mouth and head wasn't working yet so no sound came out but believe me, I wasn't silent,” Wei Ying laughed, both relieved and mockingly at himself.
"Good,” Lan Zhan threw him a final assessing side glance before reaching out with one hand to press his thumb on the sore spot in Wei Ying's neck which made him freeze up. He had to bite the inside of his cheek not to grunt out loud because, damn, that felt good, and really made their car ride awkward.
"Better?" Lan Zhan asked, eyes focused on the road as he retracted his hand again, rather unfortunately but a blessing for Wei Ying's heat accumulating in his lower stomach. Lan Zhan may be short with words but his actions compensated for this fairly well.
"Yeah,” Wei Ying rasped, clearing his throat and scratching his nose, "how long will it take until we're there?"
"Another hour and a half,” Lan Zhan answered.
Wei Ying hummed, while pulling his legs up to his chest and drumming his fingers in a silent melody, unable to sit still.
"Excited?"
"Well, yeah!" Wei Ying jumped to the conversation. Not that he ever needed an invitation for one as he could ramble for hours about whatever but this was Lan Zhan, he really didn't want to annoy him. Okay, that was a lie. He did want to annoy him but, you know, in a fun way.
"I mean, not in a 'yay let's fight crime this is gonna be awesome' kinda excited but in a 'damn this is really gonna happen right now my very first case and it's something major and oh shit I don't wanna fuck up' kinda way? It's like really all jumbled up kind of mixed feelings. Have you ever been on a roller coaster? Ha, do I even need to ask? Of course you haven't. But it's like when you're at the highest point in the first row and you can kinda glimpse at what's about to come but not really and you both anticipate and dread the freefall that's about to hit you in the face? Yeah, that kinda excitement." Wei Ying nodded to himself, pleased by the comparison even if Lan Zhan probably couldn't make much sense of what he just said but did listen to him without interrupting. How exhilarating it was to have Hanguang-Jun's undivided attention just for himself.
"I owe you an answer to your question about my first case,” changing the subject rather abruptly, Wei Ying wondered if he did say something wrong or annoyed Lan Zhan in a not fun kinda way after all. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t decline an opportunity to learn more about this man.
"My brother's friend committed suicide." A chill ran down Wei Ying's spine, making him sit straight, fingers stilling on his knees. "At least, that was what it looked like. This friend apparently was addicted to drugs and my brother asked me to investigate without anyone knowing, primarily to just help his friend get sober. I did not and still do not know where we went wrong but just two weeks into our investigation, his friend was found dead in his apartment." Lan Zhan turned on the indicator, accelerated to overtake a truck in front of them before changing back into their original lane. "My brother wants to believe it was suicide because he does not want to think about his failure, however, we both know that he was murdered. But the more we dug the more victims fell to our investigation and we were forced to stop."
It was rather unsettling to hear Lan Zhan talk rather much, even more so about something so personal.
"I'm so sorry," Wei Ying swallowed, for once at a loss for words. He may have no tact in any inch of his body but he did know that words right now would only make things worse.
"Thank you,” earnest and honest to a fault, Lan Zhan nodded. "What I want you to keep in mind is that as exciting as it seems and however good your intention may be, things can take a turn to the worst possible outcome within seconds. There could be someone to blame or there could be not, nevertheless we can not turn back time and save someone who is dead. That is why," the knuckles on Lan Zhan's fingers gripping the wheel turned a little pale, "I want you to be careful. Do not let your excitement make you careless."
"Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying exhaled, choked up by his sincerity of his worry about his well being, something not even a handful of people would be for Wei Ying. "I promise,” Wei Ying turned toward Lan Zhan, seat belt be damned, it's extendable for a reason. Three fingers over his heart, waiting for Lan Zhan to look over for a second and locking eyes with him, "whatever happens, I'll take your, our squads, and myself's safety as a priority and won't play hero or something."
"I would rather have you put your own safety first, but I will be satisfied with that," genuinely relieved, Lan Zhan's hands relaxed, shoulders sinking a bit lower. Had he been that anxious about the possibility that Wei Ying would jump head first into danger? Which was … okay, yeah, Wei Ying could see that. His mouth corners tucked up and a warm feeling bubbled up in his chest, by now familiar and comforting.
Tucking this feeling deep inside his heart away by taking a deep breath, Wei Ying stretched out his legs and propped them up against the dashboard. His shoes had been already off, no arguing about him being disrespectful but he wasn't a monster. Wriggling his toes for a couple of seconds and playing with a loose thread on his shirt, Wei Ying steeled himself. Being vulnerable is never easy, never has been and never will. But Lan Zhan did take this leap of faith for him, and if Wei Ying knew one thing it was that he was safe with Lan Zhan, physically and emotionally.
"I was around four or something when I lost my parents," Wei Ying started, his voice barely louder than the music but so much more intense because he just wasn't a quiet person, "and the culprit was never found, either." The similarity could have been funny. Wei Ying saw Lan Zhan’s hesitation but waved at him.
"Let me,” there was no reason for him to tell Lan Zhan about this, Lan Zhan would never force or expect him to, Wei Ying knew that, but he wanted to tell him. To tell someone, honestly.
"It wasn't even really a case," Wei Ying laughed dryly, "since my parents and I were nomads, you can say. We didn't have a home, we often crashed with friends or camped outside or, if we had a little bit of money and could afford the luxury, stayed at a hostel. It was a good life,” the mostly blurry memories put a smile on his lips. "Many people wouldn't think so, but I do. It suited us. As long as we were together, all was good. But,” he shrugged, gaze turned outside the window, unfocused at the trees rushing by, "I don't know what happened, who we apparently ticked off or if someone was just unhinged, but my parents left me in the tent and tried to lure someone away. And never came back.
"I waited for a couple of days, I had enough food and water, I knew my way around to survive on the streets or in the wilderness, so it wasn't that hard." Just the loneliness, the creeping certainty that he would stay alone, but Wei Ying didn't say that out loud. "My uncle found me. I don't know the specifics but we were supposed to stay with them or something and because we didn't show up, he came looking for us. I knew my parents were dead, even if we didn't talk about it. Even if he never did anything about it."
There was a certain anger inside of him, hidden deep inside because how dare he be angry at the person who rescued him, who fed him, who gave him shelter and raised him? Who was he to demand someone looking into his parents disappearance when he already received so much? What was he supposed to feel?
"That was Jiang Cheng's father, by the way, that's why we grew up together. And how I learned criminal law and all that stuff. How capable law enforcement is. How incapable law enforcement is. What corruption is." Voicing his disappointments that he experienced over the years, the torment by the Wen Syndicate and the consequential fallout with his family because of corruption was, well, frankly exhausting. There were too many things wrong in this world, in this system, people who suffered because of it. He was just one of many, Wei Ying wasn't delusional to think he had the most tragic childhood or life ever, there were many like him, many who had it worse.
"I want to create a place, make this a better place for people who don't have the money or resources and still deserve to live in security."
Somewhen as he was rambling or when he had been lost in thoughts in between, Wei Ying honestly didn't remember what he said out loud and what had been his thoughts alone, Lan Zhan had grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in his own which made him holding the wheel with only one hand which probably violated some traffic rules. The whole situation was so much and what did Wei Ying do best when it was too much? Laugh.
He laughed, squeezing Lan Zhan's hand as if it was his lifeline to his sanity, to hold back his tears.
"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan", Wei Ying grinned playfully, "should I write you a ticket for driving one-handedly?" He shook his head in mock disappointment. "You should be a good example, a role model for us younger generation to lead us to a better future and what do my eyes see here? A delinquent!"
"Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed, not indicating in any way to let go of Wei Ying's hand to correct his behavior, "Wei Ying is rubbing his criminal tendencies off on me."
"Gasp," yes, Wei Ying said sound effects out loud like any sane person would do, "am I turning you, Lan Wangji, Hanguang-Jun into a bad boy?!" With glistening eyes, Wei Ying held a hand over his heart. "That would make me so proud. I would disappoint so many people with that, but I would take honor in that."
Their eyes locked for a couple of seconds, Lan Zhan was willing to drive with only one hand since it was an automatic and he didn't have to shift gears, but he drew the line at not paying attention to traffic, and Wei Ying could see indulgence, acceptance, warmth, just … no judgement at all. Not even realizing that he needed that, Wei Ying choked up once again. Seriously, choking on his own spit would have been more comfortable and less embarrassing than whatever pathetic adjustment his feelings went through right now.
Fortunately for his brain but devastating for his heart, Lan Zhan carefully had to retract his hand to change lanes again and to steer them off the highway onto a resting area which helped the desired change of topic.
"Do we need to fuel up?" The drive shouldn't take that long to require a fuel stop but what does Wei Ying, who never drove a car let alone sat down to take a driver's lesson, know about cars and their needs?
Wordlessly, Lan Zhan shook his head as he reversed, of course, into a parking space a little off the side, not that there were a lot of other cars to begin with but it still gave them some privacy.
"Do you want anything?" Still not answering Wei Ying's question, Lan Zhan unbuckled his seatbelt and waited for Wei Ying's answer instead, one hand on the door handle.
"Uh, maybe like a snack bar or something?" It wasn't even six in the morning, Lan Zhan was really asking a lot of Wei Ying's brain after already being fried emotionally.
Another wordless nod and Wei Ying was left alone in the car, watching Lan Zhan gracefully walking up to the convenience store. Well, it did give Wei Ying a moment of sorting out haywire thoughts and feelings, getting out of the car himself and properly stretching his limbs. He took a note for himself, that if he ever does a road trip that was still on his bucket list, it must be in a spacious car. Right after looking for a person he could do a road trip with. That Lan Zhan was on top of that list that was labeled 'wishful thinking' wasn't important for that.
Just a couple of minutes later, Wei Ying tried to put his numerous, imaginary lists back into his imaginary folder, when he saw Lan Zhan walking back. Angel that he was, he not only brought him a snack bar but also some rice balls and a coffee. Seriously, how could Lan Zhan know better than himself what he needs? Well, maybe it takes to be in tune with their own feelings or something.
Anyway, thankfully, Wei Ying took the offered snacks and were halfway done already when Lan Zhan took his first bite of his own breakfast. He called it being efficient, okay.
"We will arrive in Qinghe in less than half an hour,” blowing and carefully sipping on his reusable travel mug, Lan Zhan gave Wei Ying a quick once over which, in all honesty, must give the worst impression, as Wei Ying sat hunched over on the ground, mouth half full with rice that he tried to swallow with a sip of his coffee, making him almost choke, "that is why I wanted to give us a short break to focus. To leave … other thoughts behind. For now."
Wei Ying did not choke, he knew how to eat (most of the time aka when he wasn't sleep deprived), swallow, and breath all at once, impossible as it may sound. (It was impossible, he just liked to imagine himself that he had more control over his body than his brain.) The short pause, very out of character for Lan Zhan, made Wei Ying stop and remember his embarrassing past of the last 20 minutes or something, which, uh, happened but if they never talked about that again that would be awesome. Perfect, even. But he understood what Lan Zhan was trying to say. With one last skillful but rather unappetizing gulp, Wei Ying finished the rest of his small breakfast before scrunching up his coffee can and threw it into the nearest trash bin. And, yeah, that was kind of cool, if he may say so himself.
"I'm ready,” Wei Ying stood up, hand on his hips with a cocky grin, looking at Lan Zhan still eating his small lunchbox and unfinished tea, unimpressed.
"Buuuut you're not, yeah."
"You need to change into your suit,” Lan Zhan exhaled, coming once again to Wei Ying's rescue to get him out of an awkward situation. Wei Ying snapped his fingers in delight and skipped over to the trunk, fumbling with the hood before being able to open it.
While Lan Zhan finished his breakfast, eyes cast down solely on his food, Wei Ying unashamedly changed behind the car not caring if someone would take a peek. But no one did, unfortunately.
Wei Ying pulled his high pony tail tightly, making sure that his hair band would hold up, before putting on his sunglasses. Really? The sun was barely rising over the horizon, he wouldn't be able to see shit with these things on. But, everything for the job and the aesthetic. The drip never rested.
Before getting back into the car, Lan Zhan gave him an approving nod and this was all Wei Ying really needed to finally take on his role.
Lan Zhan carefully maneuvered them out of the parking lot, back onto the highway that was now starting to fill up with cars on their way to work.
"It is likely that we will be under surveillance as soon as we enter Qinghe,” Lan Zhan had his eyes on the road, but Wei Ying caught him stealing glances in the rear and side mirrors ever so often, "so start thinking about your demeanor."
"Yes, sir,” Wei Ying sat straight, so that no one would think he would rather sit in a shrimp or pretzel position. Lan Zhan turned back on the music just to fill the silence that came over them and that remained until they arrived at their destination.
The city was already bustling, traffic was congested all over the place and it took them pretty long to reach the hotel they would be staying in the next couple of days. Wei Ying's eyes kept track of their surroundings while they crawled through the streets, tried to find any car that was following them, and he overall was on high alert of anything or anything approaching them.
When they arrived at the hotel, without saying anything, Wei Ying got out of the car and took their luggage while Lan Zhan handed his key to the valet driver, before entering with Wei Ying a few steps behind. They were brought up to their room, a two bed suite, and before saying anything, they both skimmed through the room for any potential bugs. After checking the cable phone, outlets, lamps, and various other places and not finding anything, Lan Zhan sat down on the couch with Wei Ying leaning his hips against the backrest.
Opening his mouth about to make a witty joke about even if they would have found bugs, they wouldn't bite anyway but other things do bite, Lan Zhan's phone rang and saved Wei Ying from any disastrous follow up of that joke.
Since the number was hidden and on his work phone, Lan Zhan's theory seemed to be proven right that they were already being watched. Sitting up impossibly straighter, Lan Zhan took the call.
Wei Ying could say about himself that his acting was pretty good, if it was to Ouyang Zizhen's standard he had to be at least decent enough to take on this job, but the acting Lan Zhan was displaying just by taking the call, made Wei Ying catch his breath.
"Jin Su speaking,” his voice wasn't lower or deeper than usual but it took on a dangerous undertone, making Wei Ying's hair stand up, and not only in a bad way and he was reminded of this morning feeling like prey and, actually, get yourself together, Wei Wuxian!
Deciding on a name for Lan Zhan's alias was pretty easy since the Jins were already notorious for using their money on useless things because they had so much of it that they didn't even know what to buy with all of that, which ended up being often illegally as well, what would buying a human child make for a difference?
The first name had one requirement: being monosyllable. Why? Lan Zhan didn't want to bother to say more than he had to. Of course, he didn't say it like that but everyone knew what he wanted when they were brainstorming for names and the only ones he rejected immediately were longer than one syllable. Talk about picky.
"Jin-gongzi, good to hear from you again! I hope you arrived safely,” Chang Ping's voice sounded as unpleasant as the scum of a human being that he was, oozing with fake friendliness.
"If not, you would have already known by then, wouldn't you?" Lan Zhan mirrored the fake friendliness, not dropping his sharpness though.
There was a laugh at the other end of the line, "I'm glad to hear that I don't have to waste my time explaining to you how things work. Shall we make an appointment?"
An appointment. Wei Ying wanted to gag at how nonchalant Chang Ping talked about fucking selling children.
"Gladly. I took enough of my precious time off especially for this, after all,” Lan Zhan didn't miss a beat, face staying neutral and hands relaxed. A whole other level from himself which Wei Ying deeply respected.
"Wonderful,” another chuckle, "tomorrow, five p.m. I will send you the location via encrypted text message. Ah, and please, be punctual, I don't want to have you on my naughty list."
"Rest assured, I'm always on time,” Lan Zhan spoke almost harshly for good measure, only to earn a satisfied laugh.
"See you tomorrow, Jin-gongzi ." The line was cut before Lan Zhan could answer. Barely a second later, the phone vibrated in Lan Zhan's hand to signal the arrival of a text message with the location of their exchange.
Lan Zhan opened the text message, letting the unknown sender receive a read notification before sharing the location to the other squad members including the meeting time. He then put the phone back on the coffee table in front of him and for a couple of seconds, Wei Ying let Lan Zhan keep his silence before he couldn't take it anymore.
"An appointment?! Naughty list?! Ew,” Wei Ying shuddered with his entire body. Lan Zhan glanced up to him, not saying anything but his eyes showed his agreement.
"Please keep in mind to keep yourself in check in tomorrow's meeting, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan leaned over to grab his luggage, procuring some files.
"First of all, of course, I'm a professional, Lan Zhan,” mockingly appalled, Wei Ying shook his head, "second of all, are you going to do work while being on another job?!" Wei Ying knew that Lan Zhan was a workaholic, he himself was a workaholic under the right circumstances (deadlines), but this was too far.
"I try to use my time as efficiently as possible,” Lan Zhan raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect to do? Sightseeing?"
"Lan Zhan!" Not knowing if he should be laughing or actually being offended, Wei Ying jumped over the backrest of the couch next to Lan Zhan to turn on the TV.
"If I can show you my 'criminal tendencies', I can also show you how to be human and how to relax."
"This is relaxing to me,” Lan Zhan looked at him seriously and it took Wei Ying a whole second before bursting into laughter.
"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying pulled up his sunglasses to wipe away a tear, "please neve change."
"Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed, taking Wei Ying's sunglasses off completely before placing them on the table. "I do not plan to do so."
"Good,” Wei Ying sighed, leaning back into the couch, turning off his brain and letting whatever was running on TV take over his thoughts, "good."
Notes:
miracles do happen!! I was stuck in writer's block for quite some time and just sporadically worked on this chapter and then I decided to cut it into two parts (note the increase of overall chapters) because it was just gonna be so long. Like this is like a third? of this chapter haha next one will be an interlude which I already finished! and then comes the next part of this chapter which I hopefully get done sometime soon (.......soon haha good one)
word count:
original chapter six (up to this point): 3.9k
rewritten chapter six (up to this point): 9.3kThank you so much for reading and if you want to keep up with my other works follow me on twitter and/or tumblr ❤️
Chapter 7
Summary:
WWX: 🦊😱
LWJ: 🐰😈
Notes:
just small interlude to keep you all on your toes (as if you haven't waited long enough already haha)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Have some fun , his brother had said.
Let loose , he had said as if Lan Zhan had ever let loose in his entire life.
Now, he was here at the edge of a sea of people, trying desperately not to get swept away. If he wanted to have fun, this was definitely the least thing on his list. Hell, it wouldn't even be on it. But it had been Lan Huan that had looked at him with a sad smile and concern in his eyes, so what else was Lan Zhan to do than to comply?
That was why he stood just by the entrance of the summer festival that was in full swing. People were only entering the wide path between booths that seemed so narrow now, not a single one leaving. Though, leaving was the only thing on Lan Zhan's mind.
Steeling his nerves with one last inhale, Lan Zhan pulled down his bunny mask he had been handed at the entrance and followed the stream. If he walked around once, telling Lan Huan of a few things he saw, his brother would be satisfied. Hopefully. He should be grateful that Lan Zhan was even here in the first place, really.
Deep in thought, Lan Zhan didn't pay attention where the crowd was dragging him, not interested to even stop for a little bit, until a commotion pulled him back to attention. Around one specific booth, a small circle pushed the masses aside, delighted " ooh ’s and " aah ”s carried over the general noise, punctured by cheers and applauds.
Lan Zhan wasn't curious , he was intrigued. Right, intrigued. Just gathering information he could relay to his brother.
Carefully, Lan Zhan pulled aways from the flow and stepped into the circle, easily being able to look over the few heads toward the shooting booth.
A person in traditional, male robes was standing at the counter, their fox mask pulled to the side of their head in exchange for a black cloth veiling their eyes. There was a moment where everyone seemed to be holding their breath until they shot five consecutive pebbles from their slingshot in rapid succession. Every shot a hit.
The crowd erupted in cheers again, some clapping with their hands over their heads. The shooter pulled off the blindfold but before Lan Zhan could properly see their face, they pulled down their mask again, bowing exuberantly to the crowd, laughing. For a moment, Lan Zhan thought the fox was stopping to look at him. But before he could make up his mind, his feet carried him away again, fleeing the euphoria inside that small circle that he didn't feel like he belonged to. And, he wasn't here to have fun.
Voluntarily Lan Zhan let himself be swept away by the crowd around him again, aimlessly hoping for the exit to come into view. Until a booth caught his eye. It was still a few paces away but with the leisurely pace of the crowd, Lan Zhan had enough time to maneuver himself to the side, stepping out of the stream to step up to the counter of the small booth.
The game itself wasn't what Lan Zhan found fascinating, a silly game of throwing hoops, but the prizes. Oh, the prizes. The owner of the booth grinned widely as they saw the bunny mask obscuring the face of their newest patron, winking in the direction of the two plush bunnies that eerily resemble Lan Zhan's own pair of living bunnies at home. He needed them.
"20 Yuan for five throws," the owner handed him the basket with hoops, confident that Lan Zhan would definitely pay. And they weren't wrong.
After he handed over the money, Lan Zhan took the first one of the hoops and positioned himself. Even with the mask on, he was confident in his aiming ability. Just when he was about to throw it, exhaling on the movement, someone bumped into him, jostling him so much, the hoop flung out of the booth altogether.
"Whoops," the offender chuckled as they jogged over to the side to pick up the ring. "My bad," they said, not sounding apologetic at all, swirling the ring on their finger.
Lan Zhan pressed his lips into a thin line, watching the fox mask coming back into his field of vision. It was definitely the same person from before.
"I'm sure, one misfire won't cost you the price, tho, huh?" The grin was practically audible and only added to his predatory demeanor, but Lan Zhan didn't let himself get irritated by it. Not one. Bit.
"Ridiculous," he exhaled as he took the second ring, not waiting for either the booth owner nor the fox mask to say anything else and only tossing the ring with the flick of his wrist, easily hitting the white bunny.
"Ohhh," the booth owner clapped while the fox mask inched a little closer, nodding approvingly. Too close for Lan Zhan's comfort, the fox mask hovered close to his throwing arm and considering the "accident" moments ago, Lan Zhan braced himself for any "mishap".
However, both the third and fourth throw left this hand as intended, curving through the air to land on the ears of his almost priced bunnies.
"If the next one hits," the owner beamed in delight, "they're yours."
And, oh, wouldn't it have been nice? But of course fox mask couldn't let that happen, could he?
Lan Zhan, triumph bubbling up in his chest already, took aim and just when he was about to flick his wrist like the last two times, fox mask stumbled, intentionally or unintentionally no one could say except the culprit themself. Losing their balance and with a surprised " woah! " they hit Lan Zhan's leg with their knee, ruining the perfect hoop-throwing-posture and, ultimately, making Lan Zhan miss his target.
"Whoops, uh," they tried to scratch their nose but bumped the mask that was in the way, "sorry about that!"
Before Lan Zhan could decide to give in to his anger or be the bigger person and just ignore this predatory perpetrator, fox mask handed the booth owner, who was looking way too amused to Lan Zhan's liking, some money.
"Here, let me," their head bopped in a notion Lan Zhan couldn't make out under the mask and not even waiting for Lan Zhan to react, they threw all five hoops in quick succession onto the ears of both bunnies.
"See, that's how it's done," they had the audacity to make the smirk audible, ignoring the fact that Lan Zhan would've done the same if not for a certain someone , thank you very much. But Lan Zhan metaphorically bit his tongue, swallowing down his anger.
After the booth owner handed fox mask the plush bunnies, they turned to Lan Zhan in a gesture to give them over as their unspoken agreement. As in, Lan Zhan was the first one to try winning the bunnies but because he was interrupted, the interrupter took it upon themself to win them for him. Right? Right?!
Well, apparently a mischievous little fox mask changed their mind. There was a slight shift in their posture, Lan Zhan could feel his danger sense tingling, when they all but bolted into the sea of people, being swallowed up by the tide, both bunnies kidnapped under his arms.
Oh, no. He did not .
Lan Zhan flicked the long sleeves of his robes, because if he had to go to a damn festival he would do so in style , and darted right after where he saw fox mask vanish. The hunt was on.
It came with years of experience that Lan Zhan knew how to maneuver through a crowd efficiently, both fast and stealthy without bumping into anyone to either deter him or draw attention to himself. With his sight concentrating on his lower periphery as he deduced that fox mask would rather skulk than run in full height, Lan Zhan bypassed person after person, rounded a group of teenagers, and when he carefully sidestepped a couple he finally caught a glimpse of a high ponytail framed by a pair of fox ears.
Having his prey in sight, Lan Zhan didn't just pounce on it, oh no. He stalked it, getting closer step by step not letting it out of sight again. And when fox mask must have thought to get rid of their pursuer (if they even thought they were followed in the first place), gait turning leisurely, posture relaxed, Lan Zhan took one last step and was directly behind them.
Swift like a river within this stream, he grabbed fox mask by the collar and before they could react in any way, Lan Zhan pulled them out of the mass of people between two booths out of sight.
With the festival being on the side of a small hill, surrounded by a forest, Lan Zhan just needed a few steps to stand close to one of these durable trees and with a fluid motion flung fox mask, maybe a tad too forceful, against it. But who could blame him? They were a criminal, even if just morally.
But, oh.
When fox mask collided with the tree, his back would have bounced back if Lan Zhan hadn't put him in a vice grip, the air was punched out of his lungs, making him gasp in pain.
And, oh .
What a sweet, sweet sound that was. It resonated with something in Lan Zhan he couldn't even start to decipher. But he wanted more .
Lan Zhan's other hand grabbed the lower part of fox mask's mask to pull it aside, their lips still parted from the gasp and before they could close them, Lan Zhan had to capture them.
Their lips were warm just like the skin around their throat where Lan Zhan's knuckles pressed against, making Lan Zhan yearn for it to engulf him full. Giving in to the temptation, because he was just a man, Lan Zhan stepped closer, chest to chest as he pushed his tongue between those soft lips that were still frozen in place.
As soon as their mouth was intruded tho, fox mask broke free of their paralysis and for just a split second Lan Zhan's logical brain provided him with a spark of rationality and maybe hoped for fox mask to push him away because he was too weak to do so himself. However, to his surprise, maybe to the surprise of them both, fox mask clawed at his sleeves, sucking on his tongue, demanding all of his attention. And who was Lan Zhan to deny them this?
Their surroundings forgotten, the noise from behind his back growing quiet, Lan Zhan elicited gasp after gasp from his prey, fist pressed against their chest and he swallowed them as if he had been starving for them. And fox mask was giving them so freely, so willingly.
But all good things must come to an end for them to stay good things, right? Curse his rationality, but Lan Zhan's brain finally brought him back to his senses, reminded him of the purpose of all of this.
His hand wandered from the mask it held in place over to fox mask's shoulder, down their back that curved to press themselves even further against Lan Zhan's chest, to their hip. Deftly, as if he had done it a thousand times, and to be fair this wasn't too far off, Lan Zhan pulled out the two kidnapped bunnies out of fox mask's belt. Which they didn't even realize.
Lan Zhan allowed his lips to curve up in a small smile, triumph bubbling back up in his chest before he pulled back. Which made fox mask whine and it took Lan Zhan's entire life's worth of self control to not just take them here and now.
"I always pay back with interest," Lan Zhan's voice was raspy, even deeper than usual, and he could feel fox mask shiver before he finally let them go.
And then he turned around, bunnies securely tucked under his arm, walking back into the stream of people, exhaling.
Well, who would have thought Lan Zhan would take his brother's advice.
Let loose , he had said.
Have some fun , he had said.
And, oh boy, did Lan Zhan let loose . But that was for him to know and Lan Huan to wonder when he saw the two plush bunnies appearing on the counter of Lan Zhan's kitchen island.
Notes:
this chapter is like completely different than the original one since I wrote it for christmas at that time and it didn't feel right, so I wrote sth more summer-y this time but with the same intention :D I hope I'll get to write the next chapter sometime soon oof I already started but it's gonna be a long one and I lack the energy to actually write these days :(
word count
original chapter seven: 1.2k
rewritten chapter seven: 2.1k
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cara_tanaka on Chapter 1 Sun 17 Apr 2022 02:15AM UTC
Last Edited Sun 17 Apr 2022 02:17AM UTC
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