Savage Wolf, Lotus Heart [Never Let You Go, Again: Book 4]

12: New Life, New Dawn

"Well, well, look who's back!" Wei Wuxian ran to the gates, right into his gege's wide open arms.

"Didi!" Lan Xichen beamed and hugged him, patting his back. "Well? All good?"

"Sure we're good! But I missed gege! A-Zhan missed gege!"

"Oh?" Lan Xichen looked over his shoulder and peeped at Lan Wangji. "Didi?"

Wangji knew this time it was him being addressed. He stepped a foot closer. "Gege?"

"Missed me? You certainly look happy," Xichen couldn't help the big grin on his face.

"I guess," Lan Zhan stoically replied.

"HOW do you even KNOW?" Jiang Cheng sighed. "He's as icy and jaded as ever!"

Xichen shot him a glare that shut him up. He reached out and grabbed Lan Wangji's collar, pulling him into the hug. "You better get used to this," he laughed.

"Right," Wei Wuxian agreed, nodding into the Jades' chests. "Gege's getting more and more hug-prone," Wei Ying chuckled.

"Daddyyyyyyy!" Meilien ran to Jiang Cheng and jumped up, asking for him to carry her.

"Goodness, Meilien, you're twelve now, I can't be carrying you all the time!" Jiang Wanyin complained, while nonetheless picking her up and into his arms. "So? Behaved well? Didn't trouble your uncles and Lan brothers?"

"Sizhui-gege's a bit distressed, Jingyi-gege's busy with Xiyi-jiejie and the unborn child, so I didn't bother them too much. Susu taught me a lot! And Shushu got me this!" She pointed to a new hair ribbon, gleaming amethyst and turquoise strands braided and laced together.

"Pretty," Jiang Cheng nodded and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. "But why's Sizhui distressed?"

"Gege's being weird."

"Sizhui's being weird?"

"No!" Meilien shook her head. "MY gege. Gege's being weird, so Sizhui-gege's distressed. He doesn't know why gege's acting strange."

"A-Ling's being weird? What now..." Jiang Cheng frowned. "I barely get to come back from a decent trip and that brat's gotten himself into some crapload? Aish, I'll deal with him. Hey, A-Xian, know anything?"

"A-Cheng, he's my son," Wei Wuxian chortled and walked to him, while Lan Xichen talked to Wangji about how the sect was doing. "He said he's found something. You know how he banned all modes of prostitution, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he says he's gotten news of there being a secret brothel in town, the main city of Lanling, dangerously close to Koi Tower too. Scary, how they've got the guts, he says. Said it might be his good-for-nothing Elders. So he's a bit worked up on sorting it out, trying to find the place out with Huaisang's help."

"I know you mean Huaisang's scouts, but..." Jiang Cheng smirked. "You don't need scouts to find a brothel where Huaisang's involved."

"True, he'll find it out himself," Wei Wuxian crowed. "But he's changed after Xuanji now, so..." he shrugged. "Decent and darling Nie-xiong has sent a couple of scouts to help Rulan out. I go there frequently because he just seems so distraught. Would do great if you could, too."

Meilien nodded. "Gege loves his Jiujiu and Daddy equally," she smiled.

Jiang Cheng's mouth opened slightly in wonder and a nearly invisible smile bloomed on his sun-kissed face. "Fine, then."

"Er... Daddy?"

"Yes, Meilien?"

"And Daddy too," she waved her hand to Lan Xichen.