WangXian Forever Book 9: The Flower Demon

Chapter 65 Safe

While Jiang Cheng is looking at the beautiful calligraphy on the paper in front of him, XiChen is still smiling at Wei Ying.

"It's a dangerous item, and I hope you are aware of the dangers of keeping something like that here, where it could be the cataclysm for another attack." He says, his honey-coloured eyes slightly sharper.

"Xiongzhang..." it's a warning.

Lan Zhan doesn't like the way that was said.

XiChen rubs his tired eyes, suddenly.

"I'm sorry...that was rude of me. I shouldn't have said it like that." He apologises.

"That's okay...it was on my list of things to do." Wei Ying says, hurriedly. "You're absolutely correct though, maybe we should deal with it now, before I forget."

"What are you going to do?" XiChen asks, ignoring the unblinking glare aimed at his face from across the table.

"Well...I kind of made a friend? He's very sweet...and he'll know what to do." Wei Ying beams, before he realises that targets have changed and his husband will sooner rather than later, be turning into a pickle by the amount of vinegar he can drink.

"When?" Lan Zhan bites out.

Wei Ying gets a look of abject sympathy from both Jiang Cheng and XiChen, both of whom have experienced this side of Lan Zhan before.

Uh oh.

"This might be easier if you guys just meet him." Wei Ying quickly closes his eyes and whispers something inaudible.

There's a sudden flash and just like that, a new person is sitting right next to Wei Ying.

He's a chubby guy, sitting quite comfortably and beaming at everyone.

"So nice to see you all. I've heard so much about you all, that I feel as if I already know you." He's looking at Lan Zhan, when he says that.

And then he winks at him.

The glaring intensified.

If it was at the power of a small sun before, it's multiplied by a hundred now.

"My name is Zhangui. Pleased to meet you." He grins. He's wearing the green and gold robes of the Imperial Court, his hair adorned in official ornaments, and several necklaces around his neck. The bangles on his wrists jangle as he moves.

"This is my husband, Lan WangJi." Wei Ying makes introductions between him and everyone else there.

Lan Zhan is pointedly not looking at him, though.

"Um...so let's get down to it. We were wondering if you could help us. Actually, we're helping you..." Wei Ying changed tactics suddenly, remembering what had happened the last time he had spoken to the wily man. "In fact, my grandmother is looking for you."

Zhangui paled significantly and his smile vanished.

Lan Zhan brightened immediately.

"Just coming." He said, and vanished.

Wei Ying groaned, covering his face, and knowing what was going to happen imminently.

"Here, take this! Bye, JingLing! Go! Be happy! Be safe!" He pulled out the JingLing, rubbed it, waved at it and shoved it into Zhangui's hands, just as Lan Zhan reappeared, this time with a cross-looking Baoshan Sanren.

The JingLing has barely enough time to appear and it's bouncing up and down as if it's waving back happily.

"Oh...ah, I've just remembered, I've got that thing I need to do!" And Zhangui vanished in a split second, after the fastest bowing Wei Ying had ever seen.

"You!" She pointed at Wei Ying. "Didn't I tell you not to talk to him alone?" She shouted.

"But Grandma, I'm not alone!" Wei Ying protested, gesturing wildly at everyone who was pretending they weren't there.

"As the only intelligent adult in the room, not counting my grandchildren, or my filial Son-in-Bond, who had the foresight to call me, otherwise he would taken the robes off your back, and you would have given them to him, WITH THANKS!"

Lan Zhan returned to glaring at him.

"That's a metaphor!" Wei Ying yelled out, throwing his hands up in defence.

************

When things are significantly calmer, and Baoshan Sanren goes off to check on Lan Qiren, Li XiWang, who has been watching the chaotic circus show with righteous indignation, pushes the paper back into XiChen's hands.

"Please, Uncle. Does this mean anything to you?"

She glances at both of her fathers who aren't looking at each other now, much more scowling at the table. Wei Ying has his arms crossed over his chest, and keeps muttering words like, "overreacting" and "drama queen", while Lan Zhan is the epitome of a perfect gentleman. He elegantly sips his tea as if nothing is wrong, but she has long been used to identifying the minute changes on his face, and she knows that he's upset.

If she had to pick a description for her Father Zhan, she would agree with the people who called him icy. But, she would go even further to compare him to an iceberg.

Only the tip ever showed above the ocean surface, but underneath were swirling currents, unpredictable and tumultuous, sometimes calm and serene, and a veritable dictionary of emotions. The fact that he hardly showed what he felt, didn't mean he was unfeeling...quite the opposite.

She sighed.

She was far more interested in the puzzle of the combs.

"Um...should I?" Her Uncle XiChen was saying, with a blank look.

"Well ...yeah...because that comb belonged to-"

"If he doesn't recognise it, he doesn't recognise it." Lan Zhan interrupted, quickly.

A break in his facade.

Wei Ying's head snaps up at that.

"I do know that in the past, makers of such items would put their names somewhere on the pieces they created. Where and how was up to them, but it was a way they could prove its quality and guarantee of it being an original." XiChen stood up. "This was only a brief stopover. I'm actually quite anxious to get back to work."

Li XiWang has sensed the sudden acceleration of the tension in the room, and she grabs Rumi's hand, jumping up.

"There's that thing...I have to show you!" She says, already heading for the door.

"Oh...that thing!" Jiang Cheng is just as quickly catching up to the fact that if he does nothing, he'll be stuck in a room with just Wei Ying and Lan Zhan...