Sit Softly On Your Shoulder

Chapter 40: Family Meeting

The week in Suzhou went by just as fast as the time they'd spent in Guangzhou, only because Lan Zhan insisted on writing a thank you letter to every single person who had given them a gift, whether it be good luck charms or red envelopes full of money.

"It is only proper etiquette," he kept saying, and not even Wei Ying stripping in front of him delayed that particular task for more than a few hours.

That method tired him out though, even if it was highly satisfying. Once he was knocked out because of his husband's incredible appetite, Lan Zhan always returned to the task. On the Friday before they were to leave, he presented a detailed list on XiChen's tablet, with the name and address of the giftee and what their gift entailed.

"That's a substantial amount of money," Lan Qiren had peered at them over the rim of his glasses. "What would you like to do with it?"

Lan Zhan had discussed it previously with Wei Ying, and then they'd talked to XiChen about the best way to achieve their goal. XiChen advised them to open up a bank account with a high return of interest and use only that so the more sum would remain as an investment. He suggested they could spend whatever they wanted every time they returned home, because as he pointed out, A-Yuan and Shufu were very close now and would want to meet each other frequently.

Wei Ying had specific plans to visit the local orphanage with his husband and A-Yuan by the time they left, so it was a good plan. Taking A-Yuan with them was also inspired, as Wei Ying said, "You can never be too young to learn kindness, Xingan."

Suffice to say, XiChen had left quickly due to the look of open hunger on Lan Zhan's face, but his burning ears had caught sounds he wished never to hear again.

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Once again, the flight back was first class. They'd left a tearful Uncle Qiren at home with a subdued A-Yuan who wanted to know why he couldn't have all the people he loved in one place and why did Wen Qing and Wen Ning have to be so far away, and why couldn't Yeye come with them because there was so much room on the seats. Wei Ying's heart ached for his child and it took a lot of bribery in the form of sweets and colouring books and the promise of watching more exciting shows on the plane that made him more compliant. That was just Wei Ying, although Lan Zhan had to do the same for A-Yuan, too.

XiChen, along with his boyfriends and Uncle Qiren, promised to come and visit them in the UK soon. Uncle Qiren mentioned a house on the Lan property that needed a live-in carer, pointedly staring at Wen Popo, who blushed before changing the subject. Wei Ying brought it up when he got the chance in the plane, and all Wen Popo would say was, "Loose ends, child."

But it was obvious that she and Shufu had discussed her staying in Suzhou and that she wasn't opposed to it. Wei Ying had mixed feelings about that, though he appreciated the heads up; if it turned out that that's what Wen Popo wanted to do, then he would be happy for her. No doubt he would miss her presence in the house he shared with the Wens, but now that he and Lan Zhan would be living together, his moving out of a shared home felt like the end of an era and the start of something new.

Lan Zhan had often extended an invitation for Wei Ying to move into his flat with him, and it had been Wei Ying's reluctance to leave A-Yuan with the Wens when they were all so busy that had prevented it before. Now what was going to happen once they all got home?

That and many other questions filled his head even as Lan Zhan made him lie down. Wei Ying only truly fell asleep when something warm and A-Yuan-shaped filled his arms, their little bunny-radish snuggling between him and Lan Zhan, and Lan Zhan's arm draping over both of them.

For now, they had each other and everything else could wait until they had to face it together.

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