Sit Softly On Your Shoulder

Chapter 16: Being Brave

When Lan Zhan first got the phone call regarding Uncle Qiren's stroke, he had been in Glasgow attempting to get a plane ride back to London. Since it was expected to be a daytrip, he hadn't bothered with essentials, seeing as fifteen hours later, he would be back in Suzhou and could take care of it. XiChen had anything he would need and anything that he did not could be bought.

But now he's at the airport in the same situation, only this is worse because his luck seems to have run out as soon as he stepped out of the Didi.

A careless woman crashes into him, knocking his phone out of his hand, and the immediate splintering of glass crashing onto the unsympathetic ground has him wincing in dismay. He helps the person up, ignoring her sincere apologies because when he checks his device, the poor thing is damaged beyond repair in spite of the shock-proof cover he had invested in.

For one second, Lan Zhan simply stares at it.

It's his own fault, he thinks with no small amount of regret; while sitting in the back of the Didi, he remembered his earlier conversation with Mianmian and only thought to check how many pictures she might have sent as he got out of the vehicle. The notification said two hundred pictures.

200.

That meant he had to pay her ten thousand pounds.

Boy, was he going to make her life hell.

But karma is a petty, vindictive bitch just waiting in the shadows to pounce, eagerly anticipating the perfect moment when her chosen victim would be at their most vulnerable.

At the exact moment Lan Zhan has that thought, divine retribution makes that woman crash into him, making him drop his phone, and now he has no way of contacting Wei Ying.

Or Mianmian.

Or XiChen.

Shushu is a moot point because he's supposed to be recuperating and it would be unwise to call him and add any unnecessary stress to his condition.

But, and this is much, much, worse: he has no way to get online, and therefore, no way to check what his journey will be like. Lan Zhan is a man who likes to be prepared and right now, that single moment of having his phone in his hand is going to cost him dearly.

Again, Hannibal comes to mind and Lan Zhan shakes off the broken glass as best as he can. Checking the phone though he has no hope of it still working, he's disgusted that he's right because it's dead. He strides to the airline desk to procure a ticket back home because that's the only option left to him.

Maybe it's because Lan Zhan is already annoyed with himself and upset about his broken phone, but his patience is about to take a nosedive. The reason is an extremely unhelpful man with his tie slightly wonky, who is hell bent on irritating Lan Zhan further by telling him that there is no direct flight to London tonight.

Lan Zhan wants to grab him by his stupid tie and bash his stupid forehead on the stupid screen of his stupid computer and tell him to check again.

“When is the next one?” He asks through gritted teeth and a tense, tight jaw.

The man clicks and types furiously for a few minutes, each second dragging by like a thirsty man watching the last few drops of water evaporate in the hot burning sun, right in front of him. Then finally, finally, he looks up and says, “There are no available seats on a direct flight to London until Monday.” He has the good grace to look apologetic but Lan Zhan is past caring. “I'm not talking about economy seats. What about first class? Business class? The ones in between?” He's forgotten what they're called, but it's hardly important.

“I'm sorry, sir, there are no seats available. No seats.” He even enunciates slowly as if Lan Zhan is hearing impaired.

Punching him has never sounded so good.