Fluffy WangXian Oneshots

The Language of Flowers Part 8

The limousine purred away. Leaving them standing at the beginning of a set of stairs that led up to a pair of great oak doors, complete with huge knockers in the shape of orchid flowers.

Wei Ying pressed the buzzer expecting it to be just that, but chimes rang out, loud and clear, a melody that went on for quite some time.

"They might be in their garden..." Jiang Cheng mused.

"Or the toilet..."

That produced silly giggles.

They were still laughing when one of the doors opened to reveal an elderly gentleman, obviously their butler.

"Welcome." He drawled, looking down his nose at them.

If he was curious at all, it was hidden behind his spectacles.   When he closed the door, there were echoes.

Wei Ying was already feeling intimidated, but now they were standing in a huge foyer, with black and white marble checks on the floor, and antique wooden panelling stretching high up towards the ceiling that was miles away.

Crystal chandeliers lit the massive space, and works of art were hung in prominent positions all along the many walls.

"Please, follow me." The butler began walking down a hallway to a white door. "This is the drawing room. Please wait here. One of the masters will come soon."

Wei Ying closed his mouth and nodded but the man had already closed the door, so they looked around.

It was a very polished room, again littered with antiques. There was a blue porcelain vase on their mantelpiece and sets of photos on either side. Wei Ying guessed it was Lan Zhan's parents, and the other photo he recognised as being Uncle Qiren with his nephews.

This room was all mahogany and ivory, contrasts surrounding them, but somehow the space looked bigger than it was. And colder too. There were white very clean looking couches on either side of the room, too far away from each other for the users to have a proper conversation. Wooden chairs were scattered around the room, and Wei Ying guessed it would be so people could sit closer together just so they wouldn't have to shout.

In the centre of the room, there was a mahogany coffee table with a plain white porcelain vase containing a bouquet of fresh orchids...it was like an oasis in the desert for Wei Ying, needing something familiar to feel comfortable in these ostentatious surroundings.

The door opened then, and Uncle Qiren came in. He stared at both of the young men, a disapproving look in his eyes, before sitting down in a chair by the fireside.

Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng had chosen to taint one of the couches closest to the fire anyway, and now they were really close to Uncle Qiren.

"Who are you?" He asked after ten minutes of an awkward silence.

Wei Ying cleared his throat and introduced themselves to him.

"Why are your names different, if you are brothers?" He asked frostily.

"I am adopted, Sir." Wei Ying replied, hoping the addition of that small word would ease this going-to-be-worse conversation.

A cloud formed above his head, casting a shadow over his face.

"And what are your intentions regarding my nephew?" He bit out.

Wei Ying was just about to answer when the doors were thrown open by a very much out of breath Lan Zhan and Lan XiChen, who took a moment to straighten his clothes before entering.

"Welcome to our home." XiChen said warmly.

Wei Ying immediately felt better, and he smiled brightly in return.