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

15: Protectiveness Is A Lan Trait

Lan Jingyi walked into his house to find Jin Xiyi seated on the window ledge, legs dangling from the wood, swinging them over the flower bed in the backyard, underneath the window, as she hummed to herself and stared up at the sky, smiling to herself.

"Someone looks happy," Jingyi smirked and walked to the window. He tapped her shoulder. "Xiyi, it's dangerous, the window's three feet above ground. If you slip... come on, get inside," he held out his hand. "And winter's a bit late, but it's already so cold. Don't catch a fever, come in."

"Tsk, you won't even let me daydream!" Jin Xiyi pouted. "Yiyi, I'm just pregnant, not terminally ill!"

"Six months pregnant," Lan Jingyi sighed. "You've got to take care. Now come. Xiyi, please," Jingyi clasped her hand.

"No way, I'm staying here. Try and get me off now!" Xiyi grinned, stubbornly crossing her arms and not budging from the high window ledge.

Lan Jingyi sighed. He'd been distressed, and tired after work, and now he had to deal with his ever-obstinate Jin wife. Shaking his head to himself, he decided to use his Lan-ness against his Jin lady. Bending down, he swiftly hooked his left arm out of the window, underneath the dangling legs, and his right arm around the slender waist, deftly picking her up and walking to the bed.

"OI!"

"Silence," Jingyi responded coolly. He carefully placed his wife on the bed and made her lean against the wall, comfortably laying her back against a pillow he propped up. "There."

Jin Xiyi smiled. "You worry too much, Yiyi..."

"You just stopped your usual sword fighting practice. Means you're too tired now. Six months, no wonder. Xiyi, you've got to rest in bed," he rambled worriedly, sitting on the bed.

"I was bored! You'd been at work all morning! Daddy's gone to sleep at Grandma's place, Father's at the Library, Sizhui's... He's... Aish, he's in a bad mood half the time now. It's contagious, almost. Who am I to pass my time with? Auntie Qiang came in with Wen Shushu a while ago, but they left, too. Not like they can stay in here forever! So? What do you expect me to do? Be glad I didn't jump down from the window ledge and start running about the garden!"

"XIYI!" Jingyi shouted, horrified. "Goodness, don't even think of it! No jumping down, let alone running around!" He calmed himself, reducing the loudness of his frightened voice and resumed talking, this time more reserved. "If you're ever bored, don't fail to come see me. Just come to my office, it's fine. Nobody's prohibiting you. And nobody will dare to prevent you. You can come in and see me, maybe I'll come home with you for a while, put you to sleep. Or you could help with my work, since you're amazing anyway," he smiled, running his fingers through her hair. "But! No fooling around, understood?"

"Yes, yes, Head Elder Lan," Xiyi chuckled. "Yiyi, don't tell me Sizhui's bad mood's contagion got into you, too? You seem dark, today."

"Just... nothing... What were you daydreaming about, anyway?"

"The beauty of that amazing jet-black fur sparkling in the moonlight. So furry and fluffy!" Jin Xiyi smiled. "Not to mention, that amazing scarlet shine. I've never seen a wolf so pretty..."

Lan Jingyi smiled at her praise. "That's exactly what I was upset about but yes, pretty, I guess."

"Hey, aren't we telling the others?" Xiyi asked him.

Jingyi's smile faded and he shook his head furiously. "You mean the Terrific Ten? No way. Can't risk it, Xiyi," he sighed. "Werewolves aren't mankind's most favoured animal-human species, you know."

"But... Fine, then. But at least our fathers?"

"Also no. At least not yet. Their reaction won't be too good. It's just too risky to let anyone know for the moment, so we'll stay this way. The time will come."