Fluffy WangXian Oneshots

Dare to Love Part 3

There was definitely a headache brewing, but which one of the two had it worst was yet to be determined. The King or Uncle Qiren to the both of the Prince Lans, was hoping to get his point across, but he was having varying degrees of success.

"XiChen...do you like anyone? From all the candidates presented, tell me, has anyone caught your eye?"

Lan Zhan looked sympathetically over at his brother, whose ears were tinged pink, meaning that yes, he did like someone, but he didn't particularly want to share, at least right now. In that, Lan Zhan understood completely, as they were both in the same boat.

If he was honest, at the beginning of all this when the Matchmakers Ball was announced, he had thought five days far too long. Not for finding a mate or a companion, or a partner for life, but just as an event, and not because he disliked socialising.

Five days seemed like a waste of time, because presumably all the candidates would have been met in the first day, and God forbid if there was a second day, anyone left out could be accommodated. So the extra three days felt desperate, akin to being forced to choose and picking anyone just for the sake of choosing rather than because they were a real candidate.

The time limit was merely adding more stress to an already difficult situation, despite the premise that arranging a marriage would become easier.

But now that Lan Zhan had someone in his sights, the five day period was feeling rather short.

His someone was an extraordinarily interesting person, and Lan Zhan wanted to spend more time with him. The marriage thing wasn't even the important part now; he only wanted to quench the part of him that thirsted for more information about the silver-eyed beauty. And he wasn't thinking about Chenqing.

That was a whole other problem.

Now that he knew his own mind somewhat fairly clearly, Lan Zhan didn't want to waste any more time...but that's exactly what was happening right now.

Uncle Qiren had taken off his crown, since it was just the three of them here in the library, and currently, he was pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Alright...for now, you may go. But we shall meet here in two days and I will repeat my question once more. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Uncle."

Lan Zhan turned to leave with his brother but he was stopped.

"Not you, WangJi. Stay."

Uncle Qiren waited until the door closed after a hesitant XiChen actually left; he had been eager to go but when Lan Zhan was called back to stay, his protective instincts had kicked in and he wanted to remain in the room, just in case his brother needed him.

Lan Zhan wasn't sure why Uncle Qiren had stopped him from leaving too, but he gave his brother a small smile as he left, hoping to reassure him that he would be alright. He turned back to face his uncle, who was stroking his beard.

"Wangji...this process will not work if you are not present in its duration. I saw you leave the Great Hall last night, only returning when you absolutely needed to." He sighed. "I realise you may not be comfortable being among so many other people, and perhaps that is my fault. It was an indulgence awarded to you that should not have been encouraged, and I do regret it now. You have spent many years in solitude and as a result, it would not be unreasonable to assume that social interaction causes you distress now. However, I truly believe that the cure is to immerse yourself fully. So I expect you not to leave the Great Hall unless it is absolutely necessary. I hope you understand where I'm coming from, and will make a sincere effort in enduring the remainder of the ball." Uncle Qiren waited for him to respond.