It Can't Be Anyone But You

Listen to the Heart Part 1

Lan Xichen sighed. "Wangji, stop moping like a scolded child. It's not that bad."

Lan Zhan turned his head and gave his brother a defeated stare. "It's worse."

Lan Xichen couldn't stop the giggles from bubbling up through him. His baby brother looked as if he had just lost the biggest business deal of his career. And was that a....a pout?

How adorable! He hadn't seen his didi act like this since he was just a toddler. Xichen fondly remembered those days when Wangji used his unexpected pout to his full advantage. Framed with pinchable cheeks and golden eyes that would well with giant tears, no human could resist his younger brother's irresistible quivering bottom lip.

If Wangji got in trouble, which was a rarity in itself, that perfectly timed pout made their uncle magically forget why he was angry. If Xichen told his brother he couldn't have something, then that powerful pout suddenly made whatever it was appear in Wangji's tiny pudgy grabby hands.

There was no defense against it. Not even a superhero could deny angelic Wangji and his pout.

Which was why Xichen was finding it extremely difficult right now not to order their driver to turn the car around and drive straight back to the Lan mansion.

"Wangji, Uncle just wants you to be happy."

"I am happy." Lan Zhan insisted frustratingly.

Lan Xichen studied his brother who was now looking back out the tinted window of their Bentley Mulsanne (see image above if you want to know what one looks like). His baby brother was all grown up. Watching Wangji rise to success filled Xichen with the pride of a parent.

Lan Zhan was the perfect image of a successful businessman. Their family's company, GL Securities, was the top corporation when it came to all types of protection services. From cyber security for organizations all over the word to personal body guards for the rich and famous, the Lan's had a reputation for providing their clients with discreet services to keep them safe. Even governments of multiple countries hired them to keep their presidents, prime ministers, and high ranking officials from harm.

Lan Zhan had taken over the company from their uncle when he turned just 23 years old. He had been groomed for the position since high school. In college, the youngest Lan brother excelled in his classes and graduated a year early with honors. Wangji could have had his choice of professions, but taking over GL Securities was the only thing their uncle would allow him to do.

Lan Xichen would have been the first choice, being the older sibling, yet he never seemed to have the knack for the part of the business that made it prosper. It took a tactical mind for that. And he just didn't have it.

Instead, Lan Xichen was the face of the company. He was the deal maker. His warm smile and reassuring voice was what made clients believe they would be safe.

Lan Zhan was the brilliant mind that made those promises come true. His ability to think through every possible scenario and plan for the worst was what made GL Securities so successful.

Xichen knew his little brother worked hard, long hours to get his assignments completed. But he also knew Wangji thrived under the pressure. Traveling around the world came with the territory of protecting diplomats and heads of state and it often meant that Lan Zhan wasn't home for weeks at a time. During those times, Xichen missed his company. Yet knowing that Wangji was able to eat exquisite cuisines and see the wonders of the world allowed him to keep his loneliness to himself.

His baby brother had everything.

Well, maybe not everything.

Something was missing. Or should he say....someone.