Sit Softly On Your Shoulder

Chapter 12: Waiting

MianMian's fiance left in the same taxi he used to get there. MianMian is watching it leave and hardly registers Wei Ying slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"Man, you've got it bad," he says, smiling to cheer her up.

"You're one to talk," she replies, but doesn't shake him off. "Who was pining away since yesterday, huh?"

"I'm not denying it," Wei Ying admits, and it's a surprise to himself. He's ready to talk to Lan Zhan about their future, and if there is one. But that's a conversation that needs to happen in person, and for now, the person in question isn't here, or available.

But MianMian is.

"Wanna go drown our sorrows in pizza and beer? Or Pepsi, I'm good either way."

"Yeah, let's go." MianMian drags her gaze away from the road and lets Wei Ying take her to their usual cafe.

A-Qing is out like a flash, her focus totally on what MianMian is wearing, and Wei Ying suspects she might have ditched paying customers to get their table.

"What'll it be?" She says with a hand on her hip.

Today, her outfit is a pair of cropped black trousers, straight cut with a little flair, a white shirt with long sleeves and gold ballet shoes.

"Wallace, from Pulp Fiction?" Wei Ying asks her after MianMian gives her an extensive toppings list for her pizza.

"Yeah, baby!" A-Qing snaps her fingers three times in a 'Z' shape, and doesn't even bother listening to his order, before slinking away to hopefully pass something on to the chef.

MianMian puts her phone down with a clatter. "I messaged Lan WangJi. Just told him not to worry about the shop," she mimics speech marks, "and that I can wait here until he gets back. The message is sent but not read. I suspect it will take him a while to reach home, and you know he will aim straight for the hospital."

When their drinks come, MianMian raises her glass for a toast. "To Uncle Qiren's good health..."

"And Lan Zhan's safe return," Wei Ying adds, feeling low.

Tonight is going to be interesting. Perhaps not as interesting as it would have been if Lan Zhan were here, but it's okay, Wei Ying tells himself. It has to be.

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

Lan Zhan was on his way to the airport anyway, when his phone rang. He had decided that coming to Glasgow in a sleeper train was fine, but not when he wanted to return because a plane could bring him to Wei Ying that much faster.

The shop, he tells himself sternly. He wants to get back to the shop.

The Uber driver waits impatiently for Lan Zhan to get out of his car and then he's off like a wayward bullet, and Lan Zhan answers his phone on the third attempt.

XiChen tells him the news.

It isn't good, and Lan Zhan has to sit down because his legs aren't supporting him, stumbling into a chair and forcing himself to listen carefully, even if half the words are going over his head.

Uncle Qiren has suffered a massive stroke, and been airlifted to the nearest hospital. The doctors are asking for close family members to make their way there, just in case. Lan Zhan doesn't want to think about "just in case". Letting himself do that will only make this more real, and Lan Zhan knows he cannot accept it.

Their Uncle is the strongest man he knows. It's hard to think of him as being ill, weakened, or incapacitated in any way, not when Lan Zhan is more familiar with his strong side. Whenever he or XiChen needed their Uncle, he was always on hand, always made himself available for them, and now...? What was going to happen to him?