Sit Softly On Your Shoulder

Chapter 32: Family Time

There's a twelve-seater coach waiting for Lan Zhan and Wei Ying once they come out of the bespoke couture house, and then they're on their way to the airport to pick up their special guests.

Wei Ying is filled with nervous energy, his knee bouncing in one place until Lan Zhan puts his big warm palm over it to calm him.

"Looking forward to seeing them?" Lan Zhan asks him, knowing full well that, of course, Wei Ying is excited to see his family. But he also knows that by talking about how he feels, Wei Ying can let some of the tension bleed out and will feel better for it. After all, this is a huge surprise for all concerned, and he might be worried about certain things, so it's best if they can air out their emotions ahead of time.

"Yeah," Wei Ying takes a moment to look at him before resting his head on Lan Zhan's shoulder. He watches other cars go by and sighs quietly to himself as if letting go of all his anxiety. "Having them all here means this is real. This is really happening."

Lan Zhan pats his head gently.

There's only the steady hum of the engine as the vehicle moves across the tarmac, the occasional horn as one road user becomes annoyed with another and the ringing of bicycles adjacent to them, a background noise that simultaneously soothes and drives his anxiousness further.

"It wasn't real before?" Lan Zhan asks him. He takes the hand that covers his and entwines their fingers together.

This is what is so great about Lan Zhan. He's so patient, ready to let Wei Ying think before answering without jumping to conclusions, waiting until Wei Ying has put his thoughts in order before giving voice to them. He listens, really listens to anything Wei Ying wants to convey, and somehow, it's making Wei Ying fall even deeper in love with this man.

"Okay, hear me out," Wei Ying says, after a while. "You know when you go to a museum or an art gallery and you see a lovely painting? You see the strokes of the green grass, and there are white dots that give you the illusion of sparkling dew across a wide, expansive meadow. There are little yellow buttercups and tiny white daisies, there's an old oak tree with a red swing and the contrast of all those emerald leaves against the backdrop of a cerulean sky, and while you're looking at this scene, you can imagine a child running towards the swing, their giggles filling up the air around you. You read the caption and realise that this is a real place. The artist has brought this scene into your mind so that you can see what they're seeing, and if your imagination is as good as theirs, then you can smell the fresh fragrance of cut grass and summer wildflowers in the breeze. Maybe someone close by is baking bread, and that magnificent smell is stirring your gut and making you hungry.

"You know the picture is real because if you were to reach out and touch the picture, some bulky security guard is going to sit on your arse faster than the speed of light. What I'm trying to say is that up until now, I've been looking at the painting of our marriage. I've been imagining the day, and the details are kind of hazy, but the important parts are there. I see you and me, standing together in front of all our family and friends, ready to commit to a life together. When I think about all the Wens being here, my Xiao Shushu and his family, when I see all of them standing next to Uncle Qiren and XiChen-Ge, with both of his boyfriends, it solidifies the picture in my head.

"Just now, wearing our wedding robes made it so real! I took a picture of the final look because I couldn't believe that was me in the mirror looking back at me, holding my phone. Surreal!" Wei Ying laughs softly, marvelling at his experience.

"So did I. There's a surprise for Wei Ying tomorrow." Lan Zhan smirks at the look of longing in those brilliant, shimmering silver eyes.

"You should show me."