WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 35: Objectives

Wei Ying's heart is so full, he throws his arms around Hui Gai's neck, hugging him tightly. "Oh my God, you're the best! Wow! This is exactly what we need." He puts the map into Lan Zhan's hands and almost crawls into his lap without thinking, but his blushing face gives him away. Still, he's sitting as close as he can to Lan Zhan.

"So you're going back?" Hao Bai asks them.

"Well, we'll have to if we want to talk to the Emperor. But, gosh! I'm so tired." Wei Ying yawns. "Can we discuss this in the morning?"

"We'll see you tomorrow," Lan Zhan says, teleporting them out of there. He makes sure to tell Hui Gai where they're going, and he brings everything of importance along with him.

Wei Ying is surprised to find them seated at a table in Caiyi Town. It's Wei Ying's favourite restaurant. He turns to glance at Lan Zhan, who's staring back at him with the softest look on his face.

"You didn't eat anything substantial for dinner," Lan Zhan explains as Hui Gai appears.

"I was hanging around after you left just to see if they said anything worth knowing. But they didn't," Hui Gai says. "Any reason why you didn't want them to know your next move?"

"Yeah, the least people know, the better. Plus Lan Zhan and I have always worked the best alone, and with you."

The waiter comes along and takes their order. They've been here so much that it's just a formality nowadays; their order never changes if they're eating here. It's a bowl of the in-house spiciest noodles for Wei Ying, and plain steamed vegetables and rice for Lan Zhan. Tanghulu for dessert if they have it.

"We have time to eat," Wei Ying says gratefully, as his stomach joins in the conversation, and he laughs out of embarrassment.

Hui Gai had vanished so as not to upset or startle the unsuspecting waiter, but he makes himself visible to his friends now.

"So what's the plan?"

"Thanks to the tour, we can teleport inside the Palace now, just have to avoid the guards and the hourly patrols. Once we get inside, I'd like to find Tang Pei and chat with him. It'll be interesting what he has to say, and why he thinks we shouldn't trust either the First Prince or his two Advisors. And that's another thing: why did it feel as if those two, Xue Nanping and Ciao Huji were the Prince's Advisors and not the Emperor's? That's been bugging me the most. You can argue that they don't see a difference, and that's commendable if it's true. But again, my gut tells me no."

"Your gut is hungry," Lan Zhan says, spotting the waiter bringing their food over.

Wei Ying giggles and obediently shovels his food into his mouth like an anteater on crack. He finishes before Lan Zhan, who is elegantly placing each bite into his mouth and chewing diligently until it's swallowed, before taking the next one.

Wei Ying watches him dreamily, resting his cheek on one hand as his body adjusts to the new fuel.

"I want to speak to the Emperor, too. I know he's ill, but if he can talk, then I want answers. No matter what Hao Bai is like, she and Huaisang deserve answers about Cheng Maoji and his death. She and Huaisang are trying their best to be open and forthcoming with us, but I suppose it's hard when they're not used to it. I guess they get on so well because they understand each other," Wei Ying muses.

"How tired are you?" Lan Zhan asks him.

"Not really. I could do with a nap, if we can, but if we can't, then that's fine, too." Wei Ying yawns and this time, it's genuine.

Lan Zhan finishes eating and they share the tanghulu.

"I'll come with you, when you go tonight," Hui Gai promises. "Just call me. But until then, I'm going to go play with my kids, Rumi included." He grins and vanishes.

Lan Zhan puts a piece of silver on the table and teleports them into the Jingshi.

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

"How long do you want to sleep?" Lan Zhan asks him, helping Wei Ying take his robes off.

His gorgeous golden eyes gleam with anticipation as he spies the beautiful bare skin of Wei Ying's collarbone. Before Wei Ying can answer, Lan Zhan's lips have clamped down and lightly bitten him there. He tugs on Wei Ying's inner crimson robe, pulling it off his shoulders only, exposing his soft, silky skin, the rounded curve of his shoulder and then, he must bite that too.

Wei Ying's arms are trapped in his own clothes and though he's strong enough to shred them, he lets Lan Zhan have his way.

Wei Ying is his favourite taste in the whole world, and even if Lan Zhan has just eaten, he will never not be hungry for his husband.

"Lan Zhan! Ah! Is this because I smiled at that guy?" Another deeper moan leaves his breathless lips as Lan Zhan renews his efforts at the reminder of Wei Ying's crimes.

This time, he sucks a bruising kiss on one side of Wei Ying's throat, then he bites down on the hard knob of his Adam's apple, before giving Wei Ying another hickey way above the line of his robes where anyone can see that he's taken.

Lan Zhan feels that possessive hunger that only awakens when he's had to drink vinegar, and that repulsive thought makes him even more determined to make Wei Ying forget how to think.

Wei Ying is already trembling in his arms, held fast by the trademark Lan strength, and Lan Zhan smiles with a predatory satisfaction of holding his victim down. Not that Wei Ying looks anything like that, with his ruby red lips bitten and bruised, a blush creeping up high on his soft cheeks, and that playful, vixen smile taunting him, Lan Zhan is well and truly smitten.

"I-I didn't mean- ah! I didn't m-mean to! It d-didn't mean anything!"

"Didn't it?" Lan Zhan presses open mouthed kisses along the edge of his jaw, tantalisingly slow and filled with intent.

He can hear each stuttering breath that Wei Ying struggles to pull into his lungs, the anticipation and uncertainty of what Lan Zhan will do next, ratcheting up his feverish state. He's so sensitive here, in the softness of his neck, the skin stretched so tightly in an arch, so warm and smooth, and tasting of sunsets and lakes, and lotus flowers drenched in wine.

Lan Zhan relishes every touch from his lover, how those hot, desperate hands clutch at their sheets, how Wei Ying is trapped underneath his strong body, pressed into the mattress where their bodies are fully aligned.

"Lan Zhan...my sweet...Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan..." Wei Ying chants his name like a spell, but it's too late because Lan Zhan is already bewitched, and has already surrendered to him.

Lost in the drizzle of this never-ending pleasure, Lan Zhan's lips curve in the midst of his worship for this heavenly man. No one can ever understand the depth of his love for Wei Ying, not even himself. As endless as the oceans, as limitless as time, it is and always will be an infinite thing.

As they come together again and again, Lan Zhan feels an overwhelming surge of his emotions, indefinable as to why he's crying. He's not sad, just very, very happy, and it feels far too much to contain inside of himself.

When he comes back to them, Wei Ying has wrapped himself around him, holding him close. He's warm and clean and safe, here in the arms that were made for holding him close. Wei Ying is humming their song gently, stroking his hair with calm soothing strokes. Lan Zhan feels like he's floating, tethered to his Wei Ying. It feels good.

"Are you alright, Sweetheart?" Wei Ying kisses his forehead, his lips lingering.

"Mn."

"Then let's sleep for a while, hmm? We have time."

Lan Zhan thinks he might have nodded, and then he's slipping away into the land of dreams.