We Take Our Vows Seriously

Chapter 9 - Reincarnating the Lime Spritzer

It took four months for Lan Wangji and Luo Qingyang to finalize their divorce. In those four months, Lan Zhan had packed up the rest of his belongings, gathered the boxes that were still in storage, and moved to an apartment closer to the hospital. In the divorce settlement, Lan Zhan had insisted that Qingyang get the apartment and 80% of their savings. Qingyang had protested against it, insisting everything be split 50-50. The lawyers had been flabbergasted; most couples fought over assets, but not in this manner.

In the end, seeing that Lan Zhan wouldn't budge, Qingyang accepted the apartment, but said she would only accept 55% of their savings to which Lan Zhan reluctantly agreed. The lawyers had declared it the strangest divorce settlement they had ever been a part of.

On the Wednesday after he received his divorce papers, Lan Zhan immediately went to Yiling Sky Lounge. For the first time, without the tremendous weight of responsibility on his shoulders, he went to take a seat at the bar.

He ordered his usual and then turned in his seat to search for Wei Ying.

"Are you looking for Mr. Wei?" the bartender asked.

Lan Zhan turned back to him and then nodded. "He doesn't come in on Wednesdays anymore. It's been almost two years now since he stopped," the bartender said. After a moment's consideration he added, "he will be here tomorrow."

Lan Zhan thanked him with a nod and tipped him generously before leaving.

The next night he returned to find Wei Ying sitting at the bar with another man. Not wanting to interrupt him, Lan Zhan asked the hostess to seat him at a table instead. The first thing Lan Zhan noted was how relaxed and happy Wei Ying looked. From his body language, Lan Zhan could tell that whomever he was speaking to was someone that he was very familiar with. It reminded him of the times that he had been the one sitting beside Wei Ying at the bar, the sole focus of all his attention. Now it seemed someone had taken his place and he could be too late, his deepest fears were manifesting into reality. When Wei Ying reached over and affectionately fixed the other man's collar, Lan Zhan felt the swift sting of envy and regret lance through his chest. In truth, he had already considered the chance that Wei Ying had moved on and although he had hoped for the opposite, he was somewhat relieved that Wei Ying had found happiness. When the waitress returned to take his order, he opened his mouth to say he was leaving when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.  In the moment he had looked away to speak to the waitress, the man sitting beside Wei Ying had flicked open a fan and began to wave it back and forth.

A glimmer of hope shot through Lan Zhan and he quickly gave the waitress his order. He watched as the waitress took his order to the bar and passed it to the bartender. His heart was thumping as the bartender made his drink and placed it on the tray. Time slowed for Lan Zhan when Wei Ying took notice of the drink; the hope growing within him when he observed how Wei Ying pointed at it while saying something to the bartender. When the bartender nodded in response Wei Ying immediately straightened in his stool and scanned the lounge. His eyes landed on Lan Zhan and they lit up with such joy and amazement that it had Nie Huaisang looking over at Lan Zhan as well.

Wei Ying stopped the waitress from picking up the tray and then leaned over to say something quietly to his friend who quickly closed his fan and then almost pushed Wei Ying off the stool with it. Nie Huaisang jumped off his stool and with a wave of his fan to Wei Ying, he made his way to the exit.

Picking up the tray, Wei Ying made his way over to Lan Zhan's table.

Wei Ying's smile had not changed, it outshone the sun on a cloudless day and it still managed to leave Lan Zhan bedazzled. "Your lime spritzer, Dr. Lan," he said, placing the drink down in front of him.