What Happens In Rome.... [Lgbt] [✔]

Chapter 12

Wei had a tendency to think too much.

After Yunlan's messages his phone remained silent, but those two texts still needed a reply.

Wei wanted to have a good talk with Qiqi that night, the next day he would probably be talking to his parents if things went as he had predicted, so after a while he wrote:
>What about a take-out dinner this Friday?

He stared at it for a long time, put the phone in his pocket when someone passed by and worked for a while before taking it out again.
Was he up for it? Writing that 'take-out' implied that they would bring the food to Yunlan's apartment and eat there.

They would be alone.

Wei was scared out of his mind that something might happen to cause him to freak out again, but he needed to talk to him privately, he didn't want anyone around who could hear what he had to say. He had delayed this conversation long enough, it couldn't wait any longer.

He trusted Yunlan's words, the other night he had put himself in that situation, it wasn't Yunlan's fault, so he finally pressed send.

He was feeling so anxious he had difficulty breathing, but a reply came almost immediately.
>Friday it is! Thank you!

Thank you... Wei's eyes welled up, this man was thanking him as if Wei's company was a privilege bestowed, but he knew it was the exact opposite.
Yunlan was too good for him, he deserved someone better, someone whole who could proudly stand at his side, Wei knew this but couldn't let go.

For some reason this man kept pursuing him, and Wei wanted so desperately that dream, that light that only Yunlan could bring to his life.

~~~~~~~~~~

Gossip really did fly in this world. The next day Wei received an email from his brother.
>Call tonight! Mom and dad are firing questions at me, but my big brother didn't tell me that he was getting married! What is this??????

Wei replied.
>I'll call. I'll tell you all tonight. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.

But did he really? He had thought about it a lot, but now that Yunlan was in the picture he feared he was ruining the best chance he would ever get. Would Yunlan understand?

He tried to take a deep breath, but the air seemed so heavy. He always looked so calm and composed, but inside anxiousness was eating him alive, constantly, making every day a harder battle.

He had no choice, he wanted to make things right, he wasn't worthy of all the troubles he had caused to people he loved.

That night he called home. Qiqi was with him, and as soon as the connection was established both his parents saw them together. Yezun was there as well, but his expression was much more troubled than theirs.

His father had lived in stubborn denial, his mother had always suspected but had never asked, so they received the news that he had a girlfriend (not a wife as his mother thought) with an open heart and a thousand questions.

Wei had agreed with Qiqi on a plausible story of how they had met in Rome and fallen in love. His parents snorted hearing that they would be living together, but were enthusiastic when he said they planned to get married soon.

Wei and Qiqi refused to talk about setting a specific date, saying that they needed time to settle things first. Qiqi was charming and won them over easily, and even if acting so sure and posed in front of them was exhausting, Wei was glad to see his mother and father smiling.

A new, better rumour would change a lot, it had been Wei's hope all along. This would shut down all the previous rumours, hopefully setting things right for his father.

Although he had never acknowledged what people said, the old man had suffered a great deal when people abandoned him. Now they would have to reconsider their words and actions.

Wei and Qiqi answered their questions as best they could, but Wei could see that not everyone was buying it.
Contrary to their parents, Yezun knew.

Seeing a girl with him and hearing those words was not going to be enough for him, so when it was time to end the call, the last thing Wei said was, "I'll talk to you soon," quickly raising his eyes to meet Yezun's in a silent message only for him, before he lowered them again just as quickly.

He was sure his brother would understand, and he got confirmation when he received a call later that same night.

"Mom and dad have gone to bed, we are alone now. Tell me what's going on, when you said you met someone I thought you were talking about a man."

"Calm down Yezun, I can explain everything..."

"Then explain to me what are you doing with a girl, does she know that you like men or did something change? Do you like girls too?"

Wei took a deep breath. "No, I don't, nothing's changed but..."

"Then what are you doing? Don't hide yourself in a politically correct marriage, or whatever you want to call this madness. You could never be happy hiding who you are!"

Wei smiled weakly thinking that those words could very well have come out of Yunlan's mouth.
He saw Qiqi by the bedroom's door and smiled gesturing for her to come forward.
"She knows, brother," he said. "We agreed on it for dad's sake. I would also like for you to help me with this. Support my choice, convince everyone that Jiu's words were just hateful lies."

"They were lies! If you only had tried to defend yourself..."
"I know," Wei stopped him short. "I couldn't do it then, so I'm trying to give them something that will go against what they believed. Convince them that I couldn't have done what Jiu said, that they believed the wrong person all this time, and maybe they'll come back."

Qiqi stood behind Wei. She smiled at the screen to show her willing support, then she put a hand over Wei's shoulder and he raised his head to give her a warm smile.
Friendship can do a lot in the human world, a form of love often underestimated but its importance goes beyond every attempt at explaining it.

For a moment Wei and Qiqi looked at each other smiling. There was warmth in their eyes, fondness in their smiles, intimacy in the way they stood close to each other.

After half a second of surprise, Yezun took a screenshot.