Fluffy WangXian Oneshots

A Stitch in Time Part 8

They went home after the meeting in a daze.

Nie MingJue had told them to organise a meeting with the Lan Corporation as soon as possible, and Lan Zhan had phoned his brother immediately to plan one. However, now that things were finally underway, he was trying to mentally prepare himself for what was to come.

He was going to be sitting at a table, for the first time in his life, sitting opposite his family. Both his uncle and his brother were going to be over there, and he was going to be over here, with Wei Ying.

And the beast that was Nie MingJue.

Nie MingJue had told them both that they were not allowed to speak at this meeting. Well, not allowed to speak to the opposing party at least. If they had any questions or points to make, they were to address only him.

Wen Qing had asked him quietly how much he was going to charge for his services, and he had outright laughed at her, saying if he had to face their Po Po in the afterlife, she would be very disappointed in him if he took any money from them.

XiChen had phoned back almost immediately, with a time for Monday morning at nine am sharp.

Nie MingJue had stressed not to say anything other than the fact that it was a formal meeting, but absolutely no mention of lawyers and the like; the least the other side was prepared, the better.

Wei Ying was absorbed by his thoughts too. Not only did he have to contend with his own panicking, because the last time he was in a room with both those people, he had gotten fired in a most horrible way; and now here he was, planning to go and see those very same people again, in that same place where he used to work. It felt surreal, as if it was happening to somebody else. And then, he also understood how Lan Zhan was feeling.

He was reminded of the time Lan Zhan had his first collection, how nervous they both were, and out of the two of them, he'd had to be the strong one, and be the mountain that Lan Zhan could lean against. That night, they had drunk their first ever flutes of champagne, first for Lan Zhan and first celebration for Wei Ying on a personal level, though he was quite familiar with the delightful buzz alcohol could give.

But that night was memorable for more than one reason. Wei Ying blushed at the memory.

It eased his heart to think about something else. When he sighed for the tenth time, Lan Zhan had had enough. He took Wei Ying's hand and yanked him up from the couch. When he grabbed his spare key to the apartment, that's when Wei Ying twigged that they were leaving.

"Wait! Lan Zhan, where are we going?" He tried to dig his heels in, but that famous Lan strength wasn't to be underestimated.

"Either Wei Ying walks, or he is carried. Which is it to be?" He was told.

"Walking! I'm walking...." Wei Ying quickly picked the least embarrassing option.

There was an Uber waiting for them outside, and now Wei Ying knew not to ask questions, so he got in quietly. Lan Zhan was still holding his hand, watching his face. When the car took off, Lan Zhan brought their joined hands to his lips, kissing Wei Ying's side. To watch him do it was causing a multitude of butterflies to escape in his stomach. Wei Ying wanted to jump him now, but the driver kept a careful eye on them both, and it was a deterrent.

He couldn't stop wondering where exactly Lan Zhan was bringing him. Was it a fancy restaurant where he would finally proclaim his undying love? Or maybe they were going to take a romantic stroll along the riverside, but then Wei Ying had seen it from afar, and there was nothing romantic about the Hudson River...not unless catching something fatal was up there on the list. Plus it was too cold for an outdoor activity...so where, then?