An Almost Lan

Chapter 34

A/N: AU and OOC, just a reminder.

Thank you for your votes and comments, they really encourage me!

Thanks to @CALActorsTypist on Twitter for editing this, remaining errors are all mine.

Warning: Lan Qiren is extremely out of character here.

The air in the family room of the Lan manor felt heavy. Lan Qiren and his wife sat expectantly, waiting for Wei Ying who was the one that summoned them. They had been beyond surprised when Wei Ying had requested an emergency family meeting.

It had been years since the last one. They used to be a fairly frequent affair for the family, but after that ill-fated dinner, they were avoided at all costs.

Of course, they agreed. The fact that A-Huan and A-Li were on holiday, visiting their home, was a happy coincidence in Lan Qiren's opinion. It had been too long since the whole family gathered.

When they arrived at the family room, A-Li, A-Huan and A-Cheng were already seated there, also waiting for Wei Ying. No one dared to say anything, the awkwardness was tangible, weighing hard on every one currently present there.

The muffled sounds of steps brought everybody's attention towards the entrance of the family room. Five pairs of eyes moved towards the newcomer. Several degrees of surprise were shown when instead of one person, two people entered the room.

It was not only the fact that Wei Ying and Lan Zhan entered the room together, but also the fact that their hands were fiercely intertwined. They presented a united front that also conveyed a hint of desperation, as if they were afraid of losing the other if one of them let go of the other's hand.

Silently, they walked together towards a love seat and sat together while the rest of the family watched, incredulous. Patiently waiting, Lan Qiren remained silent. He needed to hear whatever they had to say. If an explanation of their behavior was included, it would be more than welcomed.

***

As they sat, they purposely didn't let go of each other's hand. They were aware of the eyes of their family fixated on their hands as several degrees of surprise showed on their family's faces.This was going to be difficult, but it had to be done. They couldn't go on like that. The whole family couldn't go on like that and everybody knew it even if no one knew how to fix it.

"What the fuck does this mean?" Jiang Cheng was the first one to break the stunned silence that filled the room. Give it to Jiang Cheng and his absolute lack of subtlety to express what everybody was thinking.

"I..." it was Wei Ying who tried to give an explanation for this. Finding out that he couldn't, he just couldn't, it was too strenuous to him.

"We..." he tried again and failed. The lump in Wei Ying's throat felt like a crag, just impossible to swallow.

"I love Wei Ying," give it to Lan Zhan to say it like he meant it. He blurted it out, completely unfiltered. Undoubtedly honest. Raw.

"Of course you do," it was Jiang Yanli's voice trying to reassure him, her face giving away the sweetness of her character.

"He doesn't!" Jiang Cheng contradicted both of them. Unapologetically, he showed his disagreement with both his siblings.

"Of course he does!" Lan Huan felt the need to intervene.