Courtship Rite

Jin Zixuan

Meng Yao arrived at Shuoyue about five minutes before his brother was due. If he'd picked another restaurant, he would have had to arrive early so his security team could sweep for bugs, but the Lan family owned this entire block. The only bugs, if any, would belong to Xichen or perhaps his uncle. Meng Yao would like to think that Xichen wouldn't bug his lunch, but Zixuan had scheduled this at the last minute and had manged to catch a flight on a company jet. Something was up, and given that Wei Ying had been missing for nine days, it wasn't difficult to guess that Jiang Yanli's husband had come to discuss his wife's missing brother.

The hostess led Meng Yao to an enclosed room that held only one table whose dark cherry wood grounded the room's cloud-motif accents. "Please leave the tea when my guest arrives. We'll call when we're ready to order."

Over his black turtleneck and slacks, Zixuan wore a gray jacket. The golden dragons on its collar were echoed by the gold clasps of his briefcase. He gave the closed door a surprised glance.

"Brother." Zixuan looked pleased at that reference to their relationship. "I thought you might want a chance to talk before lunch. Please, sit."

After pouring the tea, Meng Yao asked, "Was there a reason you wanted to see me?"

Zixuan looked startled, as if he hadn't expected Meng Yao to come to the point so quickly. It was just as well that Zixuan had decided to become a doctor instead of claiming the directorship of Koi Industries. He wouldn't have lasted long in such a kill-or-be-killed environment. "Uh, well, Yanli is expecting, as you know. The baby's due soon. We were hoping you could be there on the big day?"

"For the birth?" Screaming, and blood, and who knew what other fluids? Meng Yao couldn't think of anything he'd like less. "I'm not sure how your mother would feel about my presence."

"You're his uncle as much as Jiang Cheng and Wei ..." He shook his head. "I want you there. Yanli wants you there. If mother can't handle it, she should have left father years ago."

"I'll see if I can get away when the time comes." When Zixuan merely nodded, Meng Yao added, "You flew here on your father's corporate jet merely to invite me to the birth? Not that I'm complaining. It's delightful to see you, but surely a phone call would have sufficed."

"Our father," Zixuan corrected. "But no, I have a favor to ask. Um," he sighed. "Yanli's brother is missing."

So, this was, as expected, about Wei Ying. "Jiang Cheng? I'm surprised. I hadn't heard that the heir to Lotus Pier Foods had disappeared."

"No, her other brother. He was adopted, or, no. I think he's a ward of the family. Wei Ying."

"You mentioned a favor? I'm not sure what you think I can do."

"Yanli hired a private investigator even though her mother had told her not to bother. Wei Ying's sort of a black sheep in the family, so it's easy to think he's just capered off, but Yanli doesn't believe it. He'd arranged to go baby shopping with her, and she's adamant that he wouldn't have missed it."

Zixuan pulled a folder from his briefcase. "Here's the report. There was some talk of Wei Ying heading to a club, but no one knows which one, or who he planned to meet, or even if he was planning to meet anyone. There's an interview with a bartender who saw someone who may have been Wei Ying. Another man was feeding him drinks. This man who may have been Wei Ying had gotten too drunk too fast, but there was an accident with flaming shots. By the time the bartender got back, both of them were gone. That's all we've got. It's not enough to go on."

Meng Yao skimmed the report for the bartender's name. Ah, there is was, Su She. Meng Yao made sure not to repeat it aloud. If Xichen had the name, Su She'd be executed before Meng Yao even had a chance to order lunch. A second disappearance might draw attention back to Wei Ying. Meng Yao scanned the file more closely. Su She's description of the man feeding drinks to Wei Ying did bear more than a passing resemblance to Lan Wangji. That was unfortunate. Tong Dizhou's job was to make sure Lan Wangji was never noticed. Xichen would surely take that mistake out on Tong Dizhou's hide. Meng Yao doubted the man would survive Xichen's ire. "Do you believe Wei Ying fell victim to foul play?"

"It's looking more and more likely. Wei Ying hadn't told anyone – roommates, coworkers, friends, family – that he'd been planning to leave, and nothing is missing from his apartment."

"I'm still not sure what you think I can do."

"Wei Ying disappeared in Yunping. I know you haven't lived there for years, but you did grow up there. I'm hoping you still have connections." He sighed. "Frankly, I'm grasping at straws. Yanli's upset and her mother's telling her to get over it, that the stress is hurting the baby. I don't know what to do."

Connections. Of course. The rich, legitimate sonthought his poorer brother had criminal connections. He wasn't wrong but still,he shouldn't have assumed. However, Xichen would want someone to look intothis, and Meng Yao did have connections in Yunping. "I'll see what I can do."