Chapter Text
It was a balmy late spring day and the gentle breeze drifting through the covered patio was a great relief to the young man’s overheated skin. He fanned his dark red tank top in an attempt to cool off quicker, but the sweat dripping down had made everything from his pitch black hair to his dark grey shorts cling tightly to his body. Yard work was such a pain in the ass, but it needed to be done. At least Wen Ning had gotten home earlier so someone could stay with a-Yuan while he was still feeling sick. The poor boy had contracted some kind of food poisoning he supposed after their last restaurant outing for his fourth birthday and had begun vomiting in the middle of the night. It was a very rough night and no one had been happy about it. Qing-jie had assured him that there was no need to rush Yuan to the hospital (he was really worried when he began ‘foaming’ at the mouth like one of those horrible beasts) and that he just needed rest and a steady influx of fluids to make sure he did not become dehydrated. So he had stayed up with the toddler until he finally fell asleep and then constantly monitored him throughout the day as he worked on his computer.
Grabbing the nearby glass of ice water Ning-di had brought him when he got home, Wei Wuxian took a long sip and then took a few more smaller sips before placing it back down on the table. As soon as a-Ning had returned home from his part-time job, Wei Wuxian had hurried outside to finish cleaning up the broken branches and other yard waste they had been accumulating the past few days before the stuff set so long that it killed the grass they were trying to grow. One clean yard and three new planted trees later (one that a-Yuan had picked, one that was a gift, and one Qing-jie had purchased on a sleep-deprived whim), he was so exhausted and ready for a shower, a meal and a nap.
The sliding door leading into the yard from the kitchen opened and Wei Wuxian’s other roommate stepped outside. He was a medium height man with dark hair he kept pulled up into a short ponytail. He commonly wore white or light-blue shirts with white or black pants. If he had not had to do all of the laundry one day as a kindness when the man was feeling ill then he would completely believe that his wardrobe only contained those two colors. Everyone in the house had their own quirks and he assumed that the color choices were just one of them. However, lately Wei Wuxian had started thinking differently.
“Good afternoon, Wei Ying,” the man greeted politely, most likely purposely ignoring Wei Wuxian’s flinch at his birth name being used by someone he had not specifically given permission. He sat down in one of the other chairs at the table and looked at Wei Wuxian expectantly. He was not certain what he expected from him but there were some guesses. He really was not in the mood to deal with such things and strongly considered rudely standing up and retreating into the house.
Sighing internally, Wei Wuxian chose to be the better man and not cause a stink by correcting him like normal. It would not work anyway. “Good afternoon Su Minshan.” Now it was Su Minshan’s turn to wrinkle his nose at Wei Wuxian’s address but he had made it a point to keep a respectable distance between them as he did not feel comfortable calling Su Minshan by his birth name. “I just finished cleaning up the last of the debris. A-Qing will not be home before dark and a-Yuan is still feeling queasy so it is an ‘every man for himself’ kind of night.”
A slight look of concern crossed Su Minshan’s face as he said, “Oh I hope he will be okay. You must be so tired. He did keep you up most of the night. And then you had to clean the yard in the hot sun.” His voice had steadily become more…. flirty…. maybe…. Either way, whatever it was Wei Wuxian was getting very uncomfortable by the time he finished speaking. Not to mention the intense look that he was being given made him want to cover his chest like a harassed maiden. “Is there anything I can get for you? Maybe anything I can do for you? A new shirt perhaps? Since that one is obviously soaked through.”
Wei Wuxian couldn’t stand it anymore. He jumped up swiftly, startling both himself and Su Minshan, and with a polite smile quickly explained that he would be fine and was just going to go inside and clean up. He honestly feared that Su Minshan would suggest that he go with him to ‘assist’ him in case he passed out from heatstroke or something. But thankfully luck was on his side and before Su Minshan could consider saying something so ridiculous, a deep male voice called out from behind him.
“Wei Ying.”
A genuine grin bloomed on Wei Wuxian’s face as he turned to look at his oldest friend. Shoulder length hair pulled up, crisp white suit jacket with matching pants worn over a light blue collared shirt, and looking like he just arrived from a business meeting, he had known Lan Zhan, courtesy Wangji, since the two of them were 15 in high school. Lan Zhan had spent each day sitting quietly in their shared homeroom reading a book, until Wei Wuxian could not stand it anymore and had began spending the time trying to get Lan Zhan to talk to him. He had to admire the other man’s fortitude in ignoring him for as long as he did. Wei Wuxian could have sworn that Lan Zhan did not like him and would never speak to him until the day his father died and Lan Zhan spent the classes they had together keeping other students from asking any insensitive questions and even managing to coax a laugh out of him. After that their friendship bloomed and they continued to hang out all throughout the rest of their school years. Even when they graduated and went to their preferred colleges, they kept in touch even meeting up occasionally when the course load allowed. Now as grown adults working in their respective fields in the same city, they were able to meet up much more often so surprise house visits like this were not unusual.
“Lan Zhan! Hey there! I did not expect to see you today.” Wei Wuxian walked over and gave Lan Zhan a pat on the back, hyper aware of the fact that he was still in a sweat soaked tank top. Wei Wuxian led Lan Zhan over to the covered patio table gesturing him to sit in his vacated chair. Su Minshan’s face soured at Lan Zhan’s approach and subsequent joining at the table, however this completely escaped Wei Wuxian’s notice, too focused on his old friend. “Can I get you anything Lan Zhan? Water? Tea? I’m not sure if I have any more of those chips you like but I can try to find something.”
Lan Zhan gifted him a small rare smile, gently shaking his head. “No thank you Wei Ying. I merely stopped by to check on you and a-Yuan. You texted me that he was feeling unwell late last night. After I got off earlier I stopped by the store and picked up a few things for you and him.” Wei Wuxian finally noticed the small bag that Lan Zhan had been carrying. A laugh escaped him as he took the bag from Lan Zhan and began pulling out snacks and sugary drinks favored by the pair, all of which were the kind that Wei Wuxian restrained himself to only getting when it was a special occasion.
“Lan Zhan what is all this? A-Yuan just had a bit of stomach discomfort. There was no need for you to pick up this much stuff.” Shaking his head at his friend’s indulgence in himself and his ward, he bagged up most of it leaving out one drink that he immediately opened and started drinking. “So you typically do not get off at this time. Did Lan Zhan ditch work? Hmmm?” He teased playfully at Lan Zhan, knowing that the man would not ‘ditch’ work so much as he would ask/tell his brother he had something he wanted/needed to do. Lan Zhan was better than Wei Wuxian in that regard, having purposely ditched his work for something that was more interesting at the moment more than a few times before. It was such a good thing that he did all his work on his computer and could keep his own hours as long as he met his deadlines.
“No. I spoke to Brother. I told him that a-Yuan had been unwell and he told me to go ahead and leave early today after the last meeting. He felt Wei Ying might need my help.”
A wry smile teased his lips. “If you had shown up a few hours ago I might have been tempted to take you up on that. Thankfully Ning-di got home and was able to get a-Yuan to lay down for a nap while I finished up out here.”
“Sorry I was not quick enough to help Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan responded somewhat somberly. Wei Wuxian was mid-sip during that delivery and snorted trying to not choke on his drink.
“Lan Zhan! So mean to me!” He laughed heartily at the joke, grabbing the bottom of his shirt to wipe the drink that had poured onto him.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Lan Zhan watched Wei Ying laugh so carefree. It was a joyous thing to witness. Lately, his Wei Ying had been more subdued and seemed more stressed during the last few phone calls, especially while he was out of town. He did not know for certain what the source of stress weighing down Wei Ying was but he could take a guess. He did not miss the way that Su Minshan had outright glared at him as Wei Ying invited him to sit at the patio table. Nor did he miss the way Su Minshan’s eyes were otherwise occupied with tracking Wei Ying’s every movement and expression. He had had the displeasure of speaking to the man once before when he had arrived to visit with Wei Ying. Wei Ying had not been home at the time, having taken a-Yuan to a nearby park for some air, and Su Minshan had taken the opportunity to try and ‘frighten off’ Lan Zhan.
“You need to stop coming around here,” Su Minshan stated, not being bothered to observe any societal niceties. “I hate you coming over here and interfering in our life. Wei Ying is not yours so you need to stop buying him things. This is my house and I want you to stay away. I have the right to have you arrested for trespassing, you know.”
Lan Zhan let him yammer on, the drivel not phasing him in the slightest. Su Minshan was not worthy of a response and he knew, due to Wei Ying’s amusement of the situation, he had tried such threats on Wei Ying’s brother Jiang Cheng. According to Wei Ying, after threatening to call the police on Jiang Cheng if he did not start respecting Su Minshan and leave his house, Jiang Cheng had snapped back that it was WEI YING’S house (not Su Minshan’s) and the only one that had a right to tell him to get out was his brother. He then followed up saying if Su Minshan did not like what he said then HE could get out or go pout in his bedroom that he was RENTING from Wei Ying. It took Lan Zhan a while to get the whole story as Wei Ying had begun crying with laughter, as they had lunch at Wei Ying’s favorite cafe.
The drivel continued to spew from Su Minshan’s mouth like a broken water pipe as Lan Zhan started to leave. The language got progressively more outrageous and abusive as if the man was trying to provoke a response from Lan Zhan, a violent response. It was not at all like Wei Ying who commonly needled him in a teasing way.
The noise suddenly stopped and Lan Zhan turned to look at Su Minshan, silently hoping he had developed larangitis or worse. Su Minshan was looking past him, eyes completely captivated by whatever he saw and he was schooling his face into a pleasant expression. Well, Lan Zhan was certain it was pleasant for him but he thought the man still looked constipated.
“Rich-gege!”
A sudden weight hitting his leg full force caused him to look down and smile at the three year old that Wei Ying had taken over care of with his legal guardian’s permission. Wen Yuan was an adorable child, unfortunately orphaned in a car crash and was under the sole care of his grandmother. His grandmother had been having some medical issues and was unable to dedicate sufficient care to the child so had relinquished custody to her other grandchildren Wen Qing and Wen Ning. Wen Qing was a resident doctor working long hours and unable to offer much guidance. So Wen Ning had reached out to his friend for help taking care of the boy. That friend happened to be Wei Ying and he immediately offered to let them move in and help raise a-Yuan, as his job was a mostly remote situation it was the perfect solution. Wei Ying had taken to the child like a duck to water and could not wait to tell Lan Zhan all about what he had done when they texted or met up. It was almost like he was raising the boy osmosisly through Wei Ying.
“Hello a-Yuan. Did you have a nice time with Wei Ying?”
“Yes!” The little boy smiled at him and lifted his arms, the universal ‘pick-me-up’ of all children. Granting his unasked request, Lan Zhan settled a-Yuan on his hip and greeted Wei Ying. The conversation came so much easier now a decade after they had met and Wei Ying warmly invited him to join them for dinner. It was a special day as Wen Qing was getting a rare day to herself tomorrow and would be spending it with her brother and honorary brother. The meal was delicious and considerate of his preferences. Su Minshan stayed alone and ate in his room the whole time he was there.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
They chatted for a bit longer before Lan Zhan took his leave. He previously agreed to run some errands for his brother and uncle and he needed to do so before it got too late in the day. Lan Zhan wished Wei Wuxian well and hoped a-Yuan would feel better enough later to enjoy some of the snacks he brought him. The warmth and happiness that Wei Wuxian felt while Lan Zhan visited began to chill and evaporate as he drove away.
Now he would have to deal with the fallout.
—------------------------------------------------------------------—
Wei Wuxian noticed the dark expression on Su Minshan’s face as he returned to the patio table. He sighed silently as he sat down once more, finishing the drink Lan Zhan had kindly brought him. Silence reigned for the next few minutes before being rudely broken by Su Minshan’s agitated voice.
“I do not know why you keep letting him come over. You know I do not like him.” Yes, Wei Wuxian was completely aware of this fact. He did not understand why Su Minshan hated Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan, to his immense credit, had never been impolite or reacted to Su Minshan’s attempts at provocation nor had he spoken at all to the man except for when it was absolutely necessary. “He is a bastard. You should not be hanging out with a person like that. He always has to stick his nose in our life.”
Another sigh. Ah, it was this argument again. For some reason Su Minshan was under the complete belief that there was something more to THEM other than: home owner and rentee. He met Su Minshan about seven years ago when he was out on one of his more responsible shopping trips (ie. actually purchasing necessities instead of just impulsive items). Su Minshan was having trouble making his own purchase as he did not have quite enough funds as he had just lost his job and was evicted from his apartment after being unable to make rent. Wei Wuxian was generous and paid the difference for his groceries making idle chitchat and waving off the effusive thanks that his actions garnered. He felt bad for the man who was around the same age as him and offered to rent him a room in the new house he had been able to purchase with the money he inherited from his parents and his first major paycheck. Su Minshan graciously accepted the offer and they started living together. It was nice at first, they were friendly to each other and would occasionally hang out together outside the house. Wei Wuxian even used his personal connections to help Su Minshan get a new job.
But then, shortly after, Lan Zhan had finished all of his advanced schooling and training and had moved back to the city immediately being hired in an entry position at his family’s company at his uncle’s insistance. Well his uncle insisted that he take a higher position in the company but Lan Zhan was not interested in rumors of nepotism or favoritism, he wanted to work for the position with his own merit. Lan Zhan was such a good person. It was by chance, actually it was because Wei Wuxian had been up all night working out a computer problem and had needed coffee, that they met again at a nearby cafe at the unholy hour of 6 AM. One effusive greeting, 8 coffees later (one for Wei Wuxian and 7 for Lan Zhan’s coworkers), and an exchanging of phone numbers (Wei Wuxian’s phone had met an unfortunate end and he was forced to get a new number) and they had agreed to make plans to hang out together on their first mutual day off. The rest, as they say, was history.
The two of them began hanging out when they could, sometimes at a public venue or at Lan Zhan’s home. The times Lan Zhan would come to his home to visit were nice and Wei Wuxian enjoyed having someone he could share his ideas with that would listen to him and not have their eyes glaze over 10 minutes in. But he soon realized that Su Minshan would behave weirdly around Lan Zhan, but since Lan Zhan never took offense, he never got involved. Until the first time that Su Minshan snapped at him after a visit that he was unhappy that Wei Wuxian would be so blatant in cheating on him. It really did baffle him as he was not actively dating anyone and certainly not Su Minshan. The resultant back and forth was enough to give him a headache and after having enough, told Wen Ning he would be leaving for a bit and went to visit his brother. Of course before he could get into his car he had to listen to Su Minshan accuse him of going to go “run to that bastard since the asshole was so much better than him”.
He really thought that after mandatory therapy (that was the ONLY way Wei Wuxian would allow him to stay in his home, especially after his sister expressed worry of him potentially being harmed when Su Minshan had another outburst) that they had made a lot of progress. The accusations of cheating (they were not dating!) and the verbal outrage at the passing mention of Lan Zhan’s name had stopped. He still had pouting episodes and was still obviously unhappy at Lan Zhan’s existence, but as long as he did not start screaming at him again, Wei Wuxian was willing to let the man have his own feelings.
“.... him. You know that the only reason he gets to hang out with you so much is that his brother is the owner and he lets him do what he wants. Nepotism at its finest there.” He was still going on about Lan Zhan. The more he talked the stupider he sounded. “He has never had to work an honest day in his life, but people like me have to work hard for everything we have. I have to make every bit of money I earn go as far as I can just to survive.” It would sound so noble if it was not completely wrong. “And then he just comes here and starts throwing money around just to make others look bad and make himself look like such a philanthropist. I know he looks down on me because I am not wealthy like he is.” Wei Wuxian wondered how Su Minshan would react if he knew how wealthy he was. It was not as much as an old family like the Lan but he was definitely not considered ‘poor’. Although…. did the man seriously never wonder how Wei Wuxian was able to afford this house…. or his computer setups… or the car… without being in debt? Wei Wuxian was drawn back out of his thoughts as the rant reached full circle. “We been together for seven years and I thought we were good together. I do not understand why you would treat me this way. You know how I feel.”
Wei Wuxian finally reached the limit of his patience with this nonsense. Pitching his voice louder, he firmly stated, “WE! ARE! NOT! A! COUPLE!” Su Minshan stared at him with a look of betrayal, but at least he was silenced. With no interruptions forthcoming, Wei Wuxian continued. “We have never been together Su Minshan. I have told you this before. Countless times at this point. I do not know how I can make it more clear.”
“You took me in and let me live here with you. We have spent time together like a couple.” Su Minshan tried to protest. “I thought you liked me.”
“I let you rent a room from me for very cheap as you had no where to go. I spent time with you as I thought we were friends and friends occasionally hang out. But no where in all of that did I EVER feel we were dating. This is the same thing I told you the first time it came up. You have notions of an US that I do not subscribe to and will not be subscribing to. I want to be friends but you need to stop this crusade against Lan Zhan. He has done nothing to you and he…”
“He has done nothing but constantly try to take you away from me. You defend him so much because he buys you things since you let him fuck you.” Su Minshan interrupted viciously, his vile words making Wei Wuxian reel back in shock. “He must be a good lay for how much you go over to his house.”
Yeah, no. Wei Wuxian was not putting up with this shit anymore. “Lan Zhan and I are not dating or having sex any more than I am with you! He and I are just friends and have been since we were fifteen years old!” Su Minshan looked ready to interject again so Wei Wuxian quickly spoke, “And even if Lan Zhan and I were having sex every time I go visit him, that is not any of your business! What I do or do not do in my personal life is my personal business. Why? Because WE ARE NOT DATING! Now, I am not discussing this anymore.”
Su Minshan sat in the chair and fumed a few minutes longer as Wei Wuxian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He did not open his eyes when the chair scratched as Su Minshan pushed it back when getting up or when he heard the sliding door open. He did take note of the muttering that Su Minshan was doing under his breath the whole time. The final words he heard were the angry mutters of: “That is okay. I know how to fix this. I will fix it so you can not see your boyfriend again.” Wei Wuxian felt a flash of irritation at this. Su Minshan had made comments like this before but somehow it felt more unsettling this time. He tried not to worry about it as he moved to the lounger that Wen Ning had bought and laid down for a nap.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Wei Wuxian slowly woke from slumber to the happy giggles of a delighted four year old. Perhaps a-Yuan had been trying to be quiet, as he could hear the soft ‘Shh-shh’ of Ning-di in the background, but the little boy could hardly be blamed for being a kid. A smile worked its way onto his face at the exuberant, “Xian-gege! Look Uncle! Xian-gege is awake!” He sat up swiftly as the tiny human missile launched himself at his Xian-gege, arms and legs wrapping as tightly around his middle as they could. A warm laugh bubbled up as a-Yuan began telling him all about what he and Ning-di had been doing since his nap was over. Wei Wuxian listened dutifully to the recitation until a-Yuan finished up with, “.... came out a while ago but Ning-di had told me that Xian-gege was very tired after working outside and needed a rest. So I should try to be as quiet as possible until you woke up.” Tiny hands reached up and grabbed his face bringing it closer as a-Yuan, with as much seriousness as a toddler can manage, asked “Was I took loud Xian-gege? I’m sorry if I woke you up.” He could not help but give a small chuckle at the pure sincerity and quickly reassured him that he woke up all on his own and a-Yuan did not bother him in the slightest.
Wei Wuxian finally looked to Wen Ning and was instantly concerned. To anyone who did not know Wen Ning he always came off as a big ball of nervousness and nothing more. To be fair, he did have a lot of as yet unresolved anxiety, but who would not growing up with a man that you suspected had a hand in your parents’ death and his kids who did not like you. But underneath the lingering anxiety was a man fiercely protective of his family and those he considered part of his family. While he was all smiles and friendliness for a-Yuan and Wei Wuxian’s interactions, Wei Wuxian could still detect that protectiveness lurking underneath. Something had upset him enough to feel greatly threatened enough to not let them out of his sight. He needed to find out what was wrong.
“A-Yuan,” Wei Wuxian gently stopped his babble. “Xian-gege just remembered that he needed to talk to Ning-di about some boring adult stuff.” Spotting the coloring book left on the other side of the patio, he asked, “Do you think that you can go color Xian-gege a nice picture while I am talking? I promise to let you know when we are done so we can do something together.”
The toddler gave it a thought before nodding happily. “Okay, Xian-gege. I will color the bestest picture ever! Then we can go to the pool!” He hurried over to the book and began coloring with his nearby crayons.
Wei Wuxian gestured to Wen Ning, who grabbed one of the patio chairs and moved it over to the lounger. He began rubbing his hands together, a nervous tick that indicated what he wanted to say might make the person upset. Taking a moment to brace himself for whatever he might hear, he schooled his expression before asking, “Okay, what happened?”
Nothing could have prepared him for what Wen Ning told him.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Wen Ning had just finished the last of his online school work and was feeling a bit thirsty. He saved the project he was working on, took a quick peek at a-Yuan to make sure he was still asleep and went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As he stood at the sink filling his glass, he could hear angry voices coming from the patio. Knowing that Ying-ge had been outside working he moved to get a better view of outside. He immediately spotted Ying-ge sitting in a patio chair refuting the accusations of dating and cheating that Su Minshan was throwing his way again. He never really cared for the man as he had made him uncomfortable since the first time they met. But he really hated hearing this man try to tear into Ying-ge like this. The first time he overheard such vitriol, he wanted to interfere but Ying-ge stopped him, saying that he would handle it himself. It did not seem like it had worked. He still wanted to defend Ying-ge but he had promised and he would keep that promise.
Going back to the kitchen he looked in the fridge for a small snack. Finding something, he pulled it out as the sliding glass door slammed open and the Su Minshan’s voice could be heard clearly yelling, “That is okay. I know how to fix this. I will fix it so you can not see your boyfriend again.” Then the door slammed closed as Su Minshan began stalking through the house heading to his bedroom. He was not being quiet in the slightest, maybe not thinking anyone was nearby or straight up forgetting that other people were in the house in his anger, Wen Ning was not certain. What he was certain of is the words that came out of his mouth next.
“You don’t want to listen to me? That’s fine! I’ll just call CPS and tell them that your precious Lan Zhan is molesting the kid. Then you won’t ever be able to see him again. He won’t ever be allowed around the kid again. That will show him…”
The angry muttering continued as Su Minshan walked out of his earshot and the last thing he heard was the slamming of the bedroom door.
Wen Ning stood shellshocked in the kitchen, snack long forgotten. He threatened to call CPS….. just to get back at…. that was insane!
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Wei Wuxian’s voice was as cold and frigid as a barren tundra in the Arctic. An involuntary shiver rolled up Wen Ning’s spine even though he knew it was not directed to him.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
“He. Said. What?”
Wei Wuxian could not believe his ears. He wanted to think that this was an elaborate joke, but Ning-di would never joke like this, especially when it involved a-Yuan. He spared a moment of thankfulness that a-Yuan was such a good boy that he would not wander over to an adult conversation without being told it was okay, or else the dark expression on his face would scare the baby.
He knew that Su Minshan was infatuated with him and jealous of Lan Zhan due to the difference in their financial and social standing. He had tried to explain his relationship with Lan Zhan (old school friends), but Su Minshan did not want to hear it. He had tried to disabuse Su Minshan of the idea that Wei Wuxian took him in because he wanted to date him, but he could not seem to accept that. After no more complaints arose, he thought that he finally understood. He had thought that the therapy was working as after a few sessions Su Minshan had apologized for yelling at him and causing him stress. It would seem that he had misunderstood the apology and how well the therapy was working. And apparently he had either not noticed or was purposely ignoring just how bad it had become.
For Su Minshan to have threatened to call CPS just to make trouble and try to get Lan Zhan branded as a pedophile was just abhorrent. He clearly did not think of how it might look to outsiders if they took the report seriously. In the event that such a report was made it was highly likely that a-Yuan would be removed from their custody while the investigation was active. Wei Wuxian would take a-Yuan with him occasionally to visit Lan Zhan. So to an unbiased party would mean that if there WAS something going on then Wei Wuxian was either complicit or neglectful and therefore not a safe guardian, legal or otherwise. Wen Ning would leave a-Yuan in Wei Wuxian’s care, as Wen Ning was a legal guardian with his sister, so his judgment would be called into question as well since he chose to leave a-Yuan in the care of someone who may have contributed to improper conduct. At best, Wen Ning could be seen as a victim as well by not realizing that his ‘friend’ could allow that to happen and could reclaim a-Yuan by moving out into his own place most likely far away from this city. At worst, Wen Ning could be seen as negligent for not making sure that the people around a-Yuan were ‘safe’ and they could choose to fully remove custody until he and his sister jumped through enough hoops to satisfy them with the meager funds they had. It would be a nightmare of a situation and one that would traumatise all those involved whether they were guilty or innocent.
As for Lan Zhan… well that is not the kind of person that he is and there was nothing that would make Wei Wuxian believe otherwise unless he actually saw Lan Zhan committing such heinous acts. But there would still be gossip in the upper echelons of society if word got out that one of the prestigious Lan were being investigated for crimes against children. Whether true or not, certain elements of society would latch onto it like a cat with a mouse, picking at the threads of story looking for the most sensational angle, ignoring the truth for what sounded the most outrageous. They might eventually believe the truth, that Lan Zhan was innocent, but only after enough time had past that Lan Zhan’s reputation would forever be marred.
“I think he did not realize I was there Ying-ge. You know how he gets sometimes, not realizing or caring who is around when he speaks.” Ning-di was speaking very softly. To calm him or because he could not bring himself to speak louder, he did not know.
“Yeah, but unlike other times he made sure not to say this in front of me. That means he understands exactly how out of line this is.” Wei Wuxian’s voice was still cold, anger still surged through his being, and currently the thought of beating Su Minshan into a bloody pulp did not seem like a bad reason to be arrested.
“What should we do, Ying-ge?”
“We?” Wei Wuxian’s voice changed slightly to a confused tone. “Why do you think you need to do anything? I will handle this Ning-di, no need to worry yourself.” He paused at Ning-di’s look of concern, a flash of hurt and anger rushed through him before fizzling out. If Ning-di did not have faith in his ability to handle the situation appropriately then he had no one to blame but himself, especially after everything that had happened in the past. Softly and more calmly he said, “I know I have not given you a reason to believe that I will handle this properly. Especially since I should have kicked him out a long time ago after his second outburst about Lan Zhan and the nonexistent us. But I mean it this time, I will handle it. He will be leaving for good. This I promise you.”
Ning-di wrung his hands one more time. “It is not that I do not believe you Ying-ge. I know you had your reasons for what you did before. I just do not think that it is a good idea for you to deal with this alone. He is not targeting just Lan Wangji, he is also after you because you keep rejecting him.”
“I know. I thought he had finally given up. I was wrong and I regret that now.” A deep beleaguered sigh escaped him. “I need to talk to Lan Zhan. I will head over there in a couple hours to let him know what happened. Do not let a-Yuan out of your sight. If you need to leave the house for anything, a-Yuan goes with you no matter what time of day or night it is. I will make sure to do the same. We cannot trust Su Minshan to watch a-Yuan for even a moment anymore.”
Wen Ning nodded slightly in agreement. It was a good start to a plan. Someone would need to let Qing-jie know what was happening in case Su Minshan followed through and they tracked her down for questioning. That would be a terrible way to find out and she would rake both of them over hot coals for keeping it a secret.
“No word of this to a-Yuan. Keep an ear out in case Su Minshan says anything to him while I am gone tonight. Now, let’s put this aside and focus on dinner and spending time with a-Yuan.” Silent agreement passed between the two young men as they turned there focus to their young charge.
“Okay a-Yuan! Let us see what kind of picture you got for Gege!”
A beautiful smile and an excited, “Look at this!,” greeted their ears, temporarily washing away the stress of the afternoon’s revelations. There would be a lot of work needed to fix the problem, but they had a plan and would take action as soon as possible. Right now, however, the pure joy and love of a child was all they needed to harden their resolve and soothe their wounded spirits.
Everything would be okay.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Lan Zhan had finally arrived home after picking up the groceries he needed and running the errands that his brother and uncle had asked of him since he would be out already. No sooner had he placed the last item in its spot did his phone ring. The ringtone was a unique song created by him when he was 17 for Wei Ying. He never told Wei Ying the song was for him, although he happily played it for Wei Ying on his guqin when asked. It was 7:30 pm so Wei Ying was probably calling to give him an update about a-Yuan. Since it was a call and not a text, then a-Yuan probably wanted to say ‘thank you’ himself to ‘Rich-gege’ for the ‘get well gifts’.
“Good evening, Wei Ying.” He answered smoothly, trying to hide his pleasure at hearing Wei Ying’s voice twice in one day. “How is a-Yuan? Did he like the snacks?” A choked off laugh was his only response and the heavy breathing was the only indication that Wei Ying was still on the line. “Wei Ying?” His worry began to mount as his unspoken inquiry remained unanswered, until Wei Ying’s voice, tinged with tears and anger came through the speaker.
“Lan Zhan…. I am heading to your place... Sorry I did not ask if you were there first.” A pause and an inhale of breath crossed the line. Wei Ying was obviously trying to calm himself to be able to speak coherently. “I need to talk to you. Tonight. I….” A sigh. “I do not know what is going to happen in the future but you need to know what has happened. I hope that we can still be friends.” Why did Wei Ying think whatever he had to say would make them stop being friends?
“I will always be friends with Wei Ying. You are more than welcome at my home at any time.” He took a moment to choose his next words carefully. “There is obviously something distressing Wei Ying. Drive safely and when you arrive we will sort it out together.” A soft, sobbed thank you was the last thing he heard before the call dropped.
He was very worried now about Wei Ying. What could have happened that upset Wei Ying this much? Did he find out that he loved Wei Ying? Did his odious brother drown in a lake? Without understanding what was wrong he was uncertain how he should respond. He sent off a few texts to his brother asking for advice on how to handle this unknown situation. Receiving assurances from Xichen that irregardless of what the news was all he needed to do was be supportive, calmed him enough to prep a drink and some food for Wei Ying’s arrival.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Lan Zhan was not prepared for the homicidal fury that consumed him at Wei Ying’s words. He could not find the words to speak because of the outrage he felt at the accusations leveled upon him. Not by Wei Ying of course. Wei Ying would never make such baseless and vile allegations against any person, even one he did not like. No, this was done by a small-minded man who could or would not accept the reality around him.
All of Xichen’s suggestions of handling the news Wei Ying had to share, did not feel applicable in this moment. But Wei Ying had started crying angry tears and needed to be comforted so he would calm down. He, personally, was still not a person who sought out physical touch with others, but for Wei Ying he could make an exception. He reached out, grabbing Wei Ying’s shoulder and drawing him in close. His hand came up to cup his head and he pushed Wei Ying’s face into his shoulder.
“It is okay. It will be fine.” These words were like a trigger, causing him to cry even more, letting out every negative feeling he had been trying to bury as deep as possible. No more words were spoken between the two as they stood together in the kitchen, each one holding on desperately to the other.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Once Wei Ying had calmed down, sobs turning into whimpers which then fell silent, Lan Zhan moved them to the small couch in his living room that had been gifted to him by the man who was now laying with his head on the arm rest. He was not sure how to broach the obvious topic: what did Wei Ying plan on doing now? It was a necessary question but felt like ripping off a healing scab off a tender wound. He felt extremely out of his depth. He had never been placed into such a situation nor did he ever imagine he would be. He needed help. Xichen might be able to help… or not… Xichen had never been in this position either, but his big brother was a lot better with people in general so maybe he would have some ideas that could be better refined into a plan that would protect all innocent parties, including Wei Ying. But, he could not do anything without Wei Ying’s agreement. It was Wei Ying’s decision to take action or not. He would not go behind Wei Ying’s back despite his feelings telling him to bring the whole social power behind his family name to ruin Su Minshan.
He stole a glance at Wei Ying, who had fallen into a light doze after the outpouring of emotions. How long had this been going on for? How long had Wei Ying been mistreated by this man and then still plastered on a smile for Lan Zhan? If he had known sooner, could he have stopped it? Could he have convinced Wei Ying to get the man evicted and trespassed? Maybe if he had tried to intervene it would have just made things worse quicker or maybe not. He shook his head forcefully. What ifs, could be’s, and maybe’s were not productive trains of thought. He could not change the past and everything he did or did not do, but he could change the future and make sure that Wei Ying would be safe and happier.
He took out his phone from his pants pocket and sent a quick text to Xichen. [I need your help. WY is in danger.]
The response was almost immediate. [!!!] [What happened?] [What can I do?]
[WY was threatened. I was threatened. Need WY permission to tell more.] [I do not know yet.]
[I understand. If there is anything I can do tell me!] [It will be okay!]
He sighed deeply. Knowing he has the support of his brother was a relief. The childish sense that his big brother could fix anything was very hard to ignore at this moment. He also knew that until he had more information that Xichen would not breathe a word to their uncle. Uncle Qiren was a no-nonsense individual who had sacrificed his younger years learning how to raise his two orphaned nephews and run a massive corporation at the same time. It was no secret or surprise to the brothers that their uncle saw them as his own children and was incredibly protective in his gruff way. If he found out that an insanely jealous man had threatened to report him for untrue child crimes just to remove him from Wei Ying’s life, then neither Heaven nor Hell could stop him from seeking justice.
Lan Zhan carefully rose from the couch, making sure not to jostle the resting man. Grabbing a nearby blanket that Wei Ying favored, he draped it carefully over his crush. He would go clean up his kitchen and do some meditating while Wei Ying received some much needed rest. Perhaps he would have an idea come to him before Wei Ying awoke.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Consciousness found Wei Wuxian snuggled up under a thin black blanket tastefully decorated with red and white koi. The surface under his face was a black leather he was very familiar with, having fallen asleep on it numerous times before. Blanket: check. Couch: check. He inhaled deeply, the scent of sandalwood tickling his senses. Sandalwood incense: also check. Conclusion: he was at Lan Zhan’s home. He rose slowly, stretching out his limbs and shaking off the final dredges of sleep. A moment of confusion at his current state was swiftly washed away at the memory of all that had transpired that afternoon. He felt sick to his stomach all over again. How had things come to this?
A rustle of cloth to his right drew his attention to the man sitting in lotus position in the center of the room. Lan Zhan had been meditating, apparently, while he helped himself to the couch for an unscheduled snooze. The man was ethereal, like a jade statue clothed in clouds as he sat so still, seeming far removed from any worldly troubles. His Lan Zhan was way too nice to him, especially with the amount of trouble he had ever brought or drawn the man into. Lan Zhan did not deserve to be in the middle of Wei Ying’s problems like this. He needed to stop avoiding the issue and protect Lan Zhan from Su Minshan.
He knew exactly how things had progressed this far. He purposely ignored the problem and hoped it would go away on its own. It was a cowardly move and one he was not proud of. He wanted to say that it was only because of how busy he has been lately that he has not taken steps to remove Su Minshan from his home and life, but that would not account for the previous YEARS in which he should have taken action.
Lan Zhan’s voice drifted over, soft and tentatively inquiring. “Wei Ying?”
He looked back over to Lan Zhan. (When had he looked away?) False smiles and fake cheer instinctually responded before he could stop it. “Hey Lan Zhan! Why did you let me fall asleep? I invaded your home and interrupted your nightly routine without warning and you just… just… let me take over your couch too?” He let out a self-deprecating chuckle, “You are too good to me! You should have tossed me out to sleep at my own home.”
“No.” The one word answer was sharp and offered no room for objection. It immediately silenced everything that he could have said next. Lan Zhan rose from his meditation and joined Wei Wuxian on the couch, Wei Wuxian moving his legs so he could sit. Lan Zhan stared back at Wei Wuxian, looking for something in his expression that he must not be finding if the sigh was anything to go by. “Wei Ying was rightfully unmoored after receiving upsetting news and needed a safe place to process everything. I am glad that I and my home could be that safe place for you. You did not ‘invade’ my home, I invited you and would invite you to visit any time you want or need.” He felt his face heating slightly. What was with this sincerity!? “I wish to continue helping Wei Ying in his time of need, as long as he will let me.”
“Lan Zhan… no. It is okay… I will figure it out on my own,” he interjected, unwilling to hear Lan Zhan make such a tempting offer. He made this mess, he needed to fix it. It was already unfair that Lan Zhan got dragged into this anyways.
“Wei Ying does not need to ‘figure it out’ alone. I am more than willing to assist Wei Ying in planning and making sure that he and the others will be safe as Su Minshan is removed from your home. I am sure that my brother would be more than willing to offer his services as well in whatever capacity he is able.” Lan Zhan stopped speaking, taking a breath, appearing to be gathering the courage to continue. “You do not have to be alone in your struggles ever again. I will stand by you as long as you will let me.” A pregnant pause ensued. “I want to stand by Wei Ying and help him. I want to be Wei Ying’s safe space for any and all things that bother him.”
Wei Wuxian’s face felt hotter than it had ever felt in his life. He was certain that he was redder than a tomato at the moment. How could Lan Zhan just say such things!? So shameless! “I can say them because they are true. I have spent many years keeping things to myself, not wanting to burden Wei Ying with my feelings. I cannot stay silent any longer. Not while you believe I would ever hate you for the actions of others or the trouble you believe you have brought.” Did he just say that out loud? How embarrassing!
A sweet chuckle was his answer. “You did speak out loud. I assume it is a result of still being tired. I do not wish to pressure Wei Ying but I must know: may I help you?”
The earnest look on Lan Zhan’s face was too much for him. He could not remember exactly what all he had said when he arrived at Lan Zhan’s home earlier but apparently he must have shared more than he intended to. He wanted to say yes, more than anything he did not want to confront Su Minshan alone. But….. wait…. Lan Zhan had said…..
“Wait! What did you mean… your feelings…. for… me…” He trailed off slowly, brain finally catching up to the conversation. Lan Zhan had feelings for him? Like the like-like kind of feelings? When? For how long? Was it like Wei Wuxian’s feelings for Lan Zhan? How could Lan Zhan spring such things upon him right now!?
It was Lan Zhan’s turn to flush red. It looked cute on him, Wei Wuxian observed. It was then that a thunderbolt struck him. Wei Wuxian liked Lan Zhan. Not just as a friend, but the like-like kind that usually ended with kisses and whispered promises in the dark. He focused back on Lan Zhan who had stumbled over a response. “Wei Ying is not required to feel the same way. I should not have dropped this on you when you are already dealing with so much. Please just forget I said anything.”
Well that could not stand. Impulsively he blurted out, “I really like you Lan Zhan. I love you. I adore you. I want to date you. I want to raise a-Yuan with you. I am always happy to see Lan Zhan and sad to see you go.”
Now they were both beet red. Lan Zhan appeared ready to combust at a moment's notice. He tremulously spoke. “I really like Wei Ying. I love Wei Ying. I adore Wei Ying. I want to date Wei Ying. I would love to raise a-Yuan with Wei Ying. I love seeing Wei Ying and hate to see him leave….” His words cut off suddenly as Lan Zhan had an armful of Wei Wuxian and soft, yet firm, lips pressed against his.
Pulling back slightly, both breathing a bit heavily from the action, Wei Wuxian gazed directly into Lan Zhan’s eyes as he whispered softly. “Ok Lan-er-gege. Help this silly Wei Ying get rid of Su Minshan. And then we can work out this dating thing.” An agreeable hum was all he heard before being pulled into another kiss.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
A short time later found both of them more disheveled than before and feeling more happy than they ever had been. It was really nice being able to say that he had a boyfriend and that the boyfriend in question was the hottest man he had ever seen did not hurt. Things were not completely figured out yet. This ‘relationship’ was very new and they had so many things that they needed to sit down and discuss before it could progress further. Not to mention the whole Psycho Roommate Removal plan that needed to be taken care of first.
It was unfortunately time for Wei Wuxian to head home and get some rest at his own home. After the very enjoyable make out session, they had worked out the beginning of a plan and as much as Wei Wuxian hated it, it was a good plan. It was as simple as it was complex. Until Su Minshan was removed from his home, Lan Zhan would not go to Wei Wuxian’s house to visit. If a-Yuan wanted to see ‘Rich-gege’ then Wei Wuxian would have to bring him to Lan Zhan’s home. Lan Zhan had called his brother who, despite the late hour and the Lan’s habit of 9pm bedtime, answered immediately and was quickly filled in on the important points. He was the one to suggest that Lan Zhan visibly distance himself from Wei Wuxian and those who lived in the house. He also suggested that Lan Zhan not be left alone with a-Yuan for any reason just to protect him in case Su Minshan really does file a police report. Speaking of which, Xichen had a contact that might be able to find out if Su Minshan actually files a police report against Lan Zhan. It was not a great plan right now but it was a start. Getting one last goodbye kiss (from his BOYFRIEND!), Wei Wuxian bid Lan Zhan good night and headed home.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-
Arriving shortly after 11pm, Wei Wuxian sent Lan Zhan a quick text letting him know that he arrived home safely. Receiving a thumbs up and a kissy face, he smiled warmly and got out of his car, walking up to the patio. His mood instantly shifted the moment he saw Su Minshan sitting outside with a sour expression on his face.
“I came out here to get you for dinner and you were gone.” The unspoken accusation was all too obvious now that Wei Wuxian was no longer ignoring the bright red warning flags. He did not respond to the man, merely nodding along as he sat down at the table. “If you want anything to eat it is packed up inside the fridge. I kept a plate out for you for a couple hours before packing it away. I thought you’d be back shortly.”
Wei Wuxian had plenty of time to think of how to handle this situation on the drive home. Lan Xichen suggested that he be as polite as required but avoid interacting with the man if not necessary. It would take some time to find a place for the man to live and if given the option it was abundantly apparent that he would not do it himself. It was not what Lan Zhan wanted him to do, but unhappily conceded that giving Su Minshan the option to leave of his own accord would probably cause less trouble than outright evicting him. Lan Zhan did get him to promise that if Su Minshan refused every place that was suggested to him that Wei Wuxian would make sure to have the man forcefully removed.
“I had some things I needed to take care of. It is not anything to worry about.” The sour expression remained. He was certain that Su Minshan believed he had left to meet Lan Zhan. He was correct of course but it was not any of his business what Wei Wuxian did in his own life. “I have to help my brother with some stuff tomorrow so I will be gone most of the day.” Not actually a lie. He had previously agreed to help Jiang Cheng move some furniture around the peacock’s place, since he was out of town on business and their sister was in the stage of her pregnancy where she just wanted to change the whole house layout.
“Oh? So you want me to watch the kid while you are gone?”
The kid? Did Su Minshan never use a-Yuan’s name? He shook his head, “No. It is fine. A-jie will be there and is willing to watch him with a-Ling.” Also not a lie. He had indeed called his sister, after plenty of encouragement from his new boyfriend, and asked for her assistance in watching a-Yuan while he helped Jiang Cheng if it was not going to be any added stress. She was more than excited to have the sweet little boy that Wei Wuxian had adopted in every way but legally.
The sour expression deepened. Wei Wuxian almost wished he could know what was running through the man’s mind. Was he mad that Wei Wuxian was going to be spending time helping his siblings? He did not understand Su Minshan. Standing up and giving a long stretch, he said, “I am going to head off to bed now. I have to meet Jiang Cheng around 9am.”
“Okay sleep well. I guess I will see you later in the afternoon.” He did not look at Su Minshan as he agreed with the statement and entered the house. Would he be a bad person if he ‘forgot’ that the man was outside as he locked the house up for the night?
Wen Ning peeked around the corner, sighing in relief as he saw Wei Wuxian. “Xian-ge, you are back. I was getting worried. I did not know where you were.” Oops. Wei Wuxian released a groan as he face-palmed. He had completely forgotten to inform Ning-di that he was safe after he left without more warning than “I am leaving.”
“Sorry Ning-di. I forgot. I went to Lan Zhan’s and we had a long talk about a lot of things.”
“I figured. He was very upset when he found out you had left. He started cursing out Lan Wangji and stormed into his room. He called someone but I could not hear what was being said.” Wen Ning wrung his hands nervously. “I am sorry I could not find out more.”
Wei Wuxian reached out and gave Wen Ning a big hug. He patted the younger man on the back as he walked them back towards Wei Wuxian’s bedroom. “Don’t worry about it. I am going to take care of everything. You just worry about taking care of a-Yuan and keeping him happy. Everything will be all right.” Wen Ning opened his mouth to ask questions, but was silenced by the sliding door opening and closing. “I will let you know what happens after I help Jiang Cheng tomorrow. Get some rest, you have work in the morning.”
Breaking off and bidding each other good night, Wei Wuxian did a quick sweep of the house, making sure that doors were locked and that a-Yuan’s toys were not an immediate trip hazard. Casting one last look at the bedroom door, behind which was a man Wei Wuxian no longer recognized, Wei Wuxian sighed in resignation and turned off the light before heading to bed himself.
to be continued