WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 56 Daisies

Morning had risen ages ago, but Lan Zhan was still knocked out. Wei Ying knew he was susceptible to hangover symptoms and did not envy him at all. He sat next to him and Li XiWang, who was beginning to stir.

She sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes, and crawled over to him to hug him.

"Thank you, father. Yesterday night...it was amazing." She whispered.

Wei Ying was surprised she remembered anything. He kissed her forehead and resumed his activity. She leaned back to watch him, settling on his lap.

Wei Ying had found clusters of daisies and gathered as many as he could find. Now, he was making a chain out of them. Li XiWang's face lit up with excitement as she watched.

He poked a hole in the stem near its head and threaded the stem of the next one through it and so on, until it got longer.

Li XiWang picked up her own flowers and started copying him.

"Father?" She said, fully concentrating.

"Hmm?" He looked up.

"You know you showed me the fireflies last night?" Her voice was happy and light.

Wei Ying nodded, keeping an eye on her.

"Well, I have decided. I want to live like them."

"What do you mean?" He tried to think back, wondering what she could be thinking about.

"They have short lives. And without cultivation, so do we. But however short it is, I want to live the best way I can, even if I only shine for a little while." She finished, quietly, waiting for his reaction.

Wei Ying kept his face down, hiding the sudden moisture. He concentrated on the flowers in his hands.

When he thought it was long enough, he made a circlet out of it and put it on her head like a crown. And the second one he arranged on Lan Zhan's head, admiring his work. Li XiWang made three.

Wei Ying watched her stand up and put one on his head, and she giggled when he caught her to kiss both her cheeks. She ran off laughing to Hui Gai who was also forced to wear what she had made.

Zhitiao, who had been watching all this with a half smile, scowled when she got closer, but Li XiWang smiled tentatively and all but threw another daisy chain at her lap, running back to the safety of Wei Ying's arms.

Hui Gai watched Zhitiao look at the flowers as if it was a snake.

He huffed out a laugh.

"What?" She snarled.

"It won't bite you."

"I know that!" Her scowl deepened. The truth was, she was deeply touched that this child, the one they had orders to kill, had given her a gift. Of all things.

Something she had made by herself, fully intending to give it to her.

Her enemy.

"You will upset her if you do not accept it." Hui Gai said, softly.

Zhitiao looked up to see Li XiWang watching her surreptitiously.

"I will end you rig-" Hui Gai stopped his threat, when he saw what she did.

Zhitiao picked up the delicate daisy chain, studying it like the precious, fragile thing it was, and instead of putting it on her head, she wrapped it around her wrist.

Hui Gai didn't realise he was holding his breath. He let it go and sat back, grinning when Li XiWang gave him a double thumbs up.

He returned it, smiling openly now.

******

Lan Zhan resurfaced after noon. They were all lying down now, the afternoon sun too strong to do anything much. Li XiWang and Zhitiao had fallen asleep and Hui Gai had his eyes closed.

Wei Ying felt kisses on his eyelids and he opened them. Lan Zhan was just leaning in to kiss his nose when Wei Ying tilted his face to capture his lips instead. Lan Zhan hummed his pleasure and did not stop.

It was a happy kiss, full of love and morning greetings, despite the hour.

Lan Zhan moaned and clutched his head. His stomach rumbled...

"Here, drink this." Wei Ying helped him to sit up, although he was leaning heavily on Wei Ying still.

He supported his back and waited as sip by sip, the cup of water was emptied.

"How do you feel?" Wei Ying felt his head.

Lan Zhan leaned into his touch, nuzzling. "My head hurts."

"I bet it does." Wei Ying told him, sympathetically.

His stomach rumbled again.

"We saved some lunch for you. Can I...can I feed it to you?" His voice turned shy and he blushed.

"Wei Ying, cute." Lan Zhan muttered, closing his eyes. His fingers brushed by the cold petals, and he opened them again, confused by what he felt.

His eyes widened in pleasant surprise as he saw the daisy crown still perched on his head. The ponytail had loosened and now it was twisted with his red ribbon.

"Pretty."

"You have one, too." Wei Ying whispered, closing his eyes.

Lan Zhan leaned forward and touched his lips to his softer ones, revelling in the sweetness only in abundance here, with his husband.

Wei Ying blushed and smiled, his own arms folding around Lan Zhan's neck as he tried to get closer. Lan Zhan helped him by hauling him into his lap.

"I love you so much." Wei Ying whispered against his lips.

"Mn. Wei Ying is loved."

Lan Zhan's stomach protested again, and Wei Ying giggled as he was reluctantly let go of. He pulled off the talisman from his bowl and settled his husband so Lan Zhan leaned against him comfortably. Then he fed him slowly, patiently waiting until each bite was chewed and swallowed, giving him a kiss after each one.

The afternoon sun shone its last rays and twilight descended, enveloping them in a blanket of darkness, the only light coming from the fire still burning in the middle of their campsite.

Zhitiao had woken briefly, and seen them.

One man lovingly feeding his husband.

This...this was so contrary to what she had been told.

Her thoughts had lulled her into the sweet oblivion of slumber.

Wei Ying watched Lan Zhan fall asleep in his arms remembering his words.

Was Lan Zhan always afraid? Afraid of him leaving? Or being taken away?

His heart stuttered painfully.

The same was true of himself.

A firefly, lone and solitary drifted in front of his face. Briefly, it hummed, its wings clicking as it chirped to catch his attention.

Wei Ying stared after it, long after it had gone.

Like the beautiful light in this darkness, the firefly still did its best, making every second count of its short life.

And in the end, that was all anyone could do.