WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 118 Plans

The next day, bright and sort of early...Wei Ying was sure anything before midday counted as early...they called for a meeting. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying were the first ones in the Great Hall, waiting for everyone else to turn up.

Lan Zhan was correcting students' papers, and Wei Ying was trying to stay awake, both noble pursuits in his opinion. It didn’t help that his head was lying in Lan Zhan’s lap, looking up at the fondest expression of affection as his fingers carded through Wei Ying’s soft ebony hair.

It was relaxing and certainly not Wei Ying’s fault for feeling sleepier, not when Lan Zhan was encouraging it.

"Wei Ying should close his eyes...after all, he had a late night, yesterday." The smug smile appeared again.

Wei Ying pouted.

"I was supposed to modify the chapped lips talisman...I feel I am on the cusp of making a breakthrough. Think about the value of such an invention...my love..." Wei Ying did end up closing his eyes.

Only for about five minutes before he was rudely awakened by the most unusual noise outside the closed doors, which had him bolting upright immediately. Before he could stand up to investigate, the doors opened and a dishevelled? XiChen walked in, keeping a tight hold on the Angry Grape...but Jiang WanYin was looking very distracted, his gaze searching all around the room.

In fact...it looked as if he was glancing in different directions...at the same time.

"Huan!" He said, somewhat desperately.

"Sorry!" XiChen sounded terribly apologetic as he paused and then smacked the side of Jiang Cheng's head.

"Thank you-oooh ooh!" Jiang Cheng replied, flushing a bright red as the extra noises came out from his mouth, evidently unintentionally.

"Um...you alright, there? Jiang Cheng?" Wei Ying asked, as Lan Zhan carefully, silently observed them.

"Everything is fine!" Snapped Jiang Cheng, with his trademark scowl.

Wei Ying nodded, still watching him.

"Actually, it's just some unexpected side-effects of his previous predicament." XiChen hastily explained.

Jiang Cheng glared at his own feet, hating his vulnerability. And the inevitable questions.

"Side-effects?" Wei Ying ventured.

He squeezed Lan Zhan’s hand under the table because even if no one else could tell, Wei Ying knew the Second Jade was finding this terribly funny.

"Um...yes?" XiChen too, looked uncertain.

Whether because he didn't know exactly what was wrong or if Jiang Cheng, who was a private person by nature, did not want the whole world to know what was happening to him, Wei Ying couldn’t say.

"Oh...well, I'm sure they're not permanent, right?" Wei Ying ignored the sudden horror on his brother's face, rushing to add, "they'll wear off soon...I'm sure."

XiChen made his husband sit down and poured some tea for everyone.

"Anyway, sorry we're late." XiChen hurried to say, looking around the room.

"Ah...it's fine! Zhitiao and JingYi haven't arrived yet and as this concerns them more...I suppose we should wait." Wei Ying said easily, taking a sip from his cup.

It was refreshing and had a subtle hint of jasmine...but even as Wei Ying breathed in its fragrance deeply, he saw out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Cheng's tongue come out and test its taste.

A little odd...but nothing he had to comment on.

But...Lan Zhan tittered.

That was a novelty.

XiChen glanced their way, unsure of what he had heard.

"The chimes are lovely, aren't they?" Wei Ying said, looking at the little bells hanging off the permanent talismans on either side of the door. "Are they new?"

Jiang Cheng scowled at his attempt to cover for his husband.

XiChen was blissfully unaware.

Jiang Cheng wondered why it was so difficult to sit still. Ever since his return to his old body, he had been left with the oddest traits inexplicably and he hoped they would burn out of his system soon.

The doors opened and thankfully JingYi and Zhitiao entered. They were welcomed by everyone enthusiastically as they sat down.

"So we were thinking, how about holding the ancestral thing the day before the wedding? That way it prolongs the celebration?" Wei Ying said, pulling out some parchment paper and writing notes.

Zhitiao and JingYi glanced at one another, nodding.

Jiang Cheng got up and started pacing agitatedly. XiChen kept a worried eye on him and also wrote things down in his calendar.

"And how about an afternoon wedding?" Wei Ying suggested.

"You're only saying that because you can't get up in the morning." Jiang Cheng snapped, his pacing increasing in speed.

"Er...no, I just want everyone to be relaxed and happy." Wei Ying said, innocently.

"I am happy about an afternoon wedding, and as we are the parents, what we say, goes." Lan Zhan said, staring Jiang Cheng down in a contest of whose glare was more toxic.

Lan Zhan won, hands down.

"Thank you, my love." Wei Ying reached up to kiss his cheek, taming the petty side of him.

"Mn."

They both ignored the gagging noises from a now frantic Jiang Cheng.

"Okay, so that's settled." XiChen said, packing everything away rather quickly. "WanYin...ready?"

"Yes, I've been ready for ages-"

Another, different noise left his lips and now Lan Zhan was openly smiling.

"Ready for what?" Wei Ying asked, confused. He glanced at Jiang Cheng.

"He needs to run around, climb trees...that sort of thing..." XiChen explained.

There was a muffled hoot behind them, as Wei Ying ushered them out, promising them that he was positive the effects would wear off soon.

Zhitiao and JingYi left too, and then Wei Ying was left alone with Lan Zhan.

All he had to do was turn around and catch his eye...and that was it.

Lan Zhan laughed.

It was such a pleasant sound, melodic and deep, right from his gut. Unrestrained and wholeheartedly, he laughed until tears left his eyes. Then, after he drank from the glass Wei Ying offered him, he turned and took Wei Ying into his arms.

"Thank you." He said, simply.

Wei Ying understood.