The Werewolf Next Door | WangXian

Chapter 22 - Cos-Play Convention

When the dark of the night came around, and the silent wind sent biting shivers down Wei Ying's spine through the hanfu attire he wore, he wrapped his arms tightly around Lan Zhan's waist from behind the CBR bike from where he sat as they drove to the place downtown where the cosplay convention took place.

Ignoring the stoplights, Lan Zhan bent past cars and bikes, swayed from left to right through the hectic roadway like he had many lives to spare, and did not give a damn, sending the ancient costumes they wore to flow almost heavenly at one with the chilling evening breeze.

Wei Ying gasped and grabbed hold of Lan Zhan's flimsy white robes when Lan Zhan made another dangerous U-turn. Heart beating a mile a minute, he wasn't only afraid for his own safety, but Lan Zhan's too. "Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying yelled, hoping his voice would somehow manage to find Lan Zhan's ears, "Slow the hell down!" And as expected, Lan Zhan chuckled, enjoying Wei Ying's scared out of his witted face and went faster. "Lan Zhan!"

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The bike pulled to a stop at the convention center, and when Wei Ying's feet hit the floor that was covered in glitter, he couldn't help himself from blurting out, "What a bunch of weirdos. Lan Zhan, I never took you as one of them." 

It was something foreign to him, a place where hidden freak-shows were allowed to be themselves. Wei Ying looked at the twirling robes he wore and realized he too would be joining the freaks, possibly forever since Lan Zhan was one of them. 

From outside, in the crowds, people in costumes of all descriptions - anime characters to superheroes - mythical creatures to cyborgs, were roaming around. Some even behaved as though they'd lost their minds. Regardless, they all looked so smash.

"Mmm," Lan Zhan replied, jumping off the bike and removing his helmet. 

Having his robes flowed about, he looked ethereal compared to the others, and when a few young ladies dressed as the power-puff girls stopped by to take pictures of him and the bike, Wei Ying couldn't contain the jealousy. Butting in front of Lan Zhan and chuckling nervously. "Nothing to see here, girls." He waved his hands in the air, shooing away the teens, "Now carry on."

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan placed a hand on his shoulder, "That's normal at a cosplay convention," he ensured. When Wei Ying's eyes widened, almost popping out of his eye socket, Lan Zhan regretted his choice of words.

"So, you like them swooning over you?" Wei Ying tsked, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "Gosh, Lan Zhan. I thought this was supposed to be a date."

"Are you perhaps jealous?" Lan Zhan teased, his breath of mint frost fanning at the back of Wei Ying's ear sending goosebumps through his flesh. 

When Wei Ying jumped forth and said, "Me? Jealous of you? Ha, not a fat chance." He knew his lie seemed futile when his face tinted a deep shade of red. Wanting desperately to change the topic, Wei Ying trained his eyes away from Lan Zhan until he caught a glimpse of a robot that looked awfully too real to be seen in a place like this and said, "Hey, would you look at that!" As soon as Lan Zhan looked in his direction, Wei Ying clutched the older man's hand and pulled him inside.

"Wei Ying, wait." Lan Zhan halted before they could enter. "I have something for you." Lan Zhan drew out a finely wooden crafted black flute from the inside of his robe and handed it to him. Wei Ying blew out an astonished whistle at its sight. "It's another one of my family heirlooms. For you."

Wei Ying already knew what Lan Zhan meant by 'another one.' Before they left home, Lan Zhan had shown him one of his so-called family heirlooms. A sword, unlike any Wei Ying, had ever seen. It's halt made of silver, encrusted with snow crystals, and the blade - priceless, made of transparent jade, beautiful, yet deadly.