The Truth That Lies (WangXian Modern AU)

10

Must I walk to the gates of hell together with you, I will.
Because you are my religion, you are my clarity. I love you.

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Lan Zhan

For New Year, Wei Ying insisted me to meet his adoptive parents.

Even though we were together when we were in college, I didn't meet them formally. It didn't seem like a requirement at that time, because we were blindly falling into an illusion of everything will go smoothly. Except that it didn't.

Now when I think about it, I want to meet them for us. It meant very much for me and for Wei Ying. The matter is that the previous encounters I've had with parental figures regarding this haven't been good.

"Don't worry. They're going to love you." Wei Ying says, as we get ready, not failing to notice my discomfort as always.

"Have you . . . told them?" I ask, glancing at him through the mirror.

"Yup." He fastens his belt. "I had to give them an explanation when, you know, things went down."

When he's finished, I help him into his jacket.

"They're cool with it. So ease up." He adds, laying a kiss on my cheek. Which, I admit, is comforting in its own bizarre way.

Their family house was about an hour away from the city. When we arrived at the warm, cozy, and strangely homelike mansion we were welcomed by a toddler as soon as we entered, who ran towards us with a smile that spread from ear to ear.

"Hey" Wei Ying sings, "Look who's here." He opens his arms and the kid gets into them, giggling as he lifted him up. Only then did he notice me, who was standing behind Wei Ying.

After inquisitively glancing at me a few more times, he whispers something in Wei Ying's ear, and Wei Ying whispers something back. They keep doing this a few more times until Wei Ying puts him down. Ling comes to me and puts his hand up, which I supposed was him asking me to pick him up. Wei Ying gives me an encouraging nod, so comply. I don't miss his look of awe.

"Uncle Wangji." He says my name with a bit of difficulty. "I'm Jin Ling." He points to Wei Ying. "I'm his son."

It takes me a second or so to recover from the initial shock.

Wei Ying is laughing, in an open-mouthed, stomach cramping way, and I curse myself for even thinking of considering the possibility. I glare at him disapprovingly, only to make him laugh harder. And now Jin Ling has joined him, although he probably didn't know the reason for his hysteria.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chokes trying to recover from the laugh. "That look was so funny, I couldn't help it."

"Don't say such things," I tell Ling. He stops laughing at that instant and nods obediently.

Wei Ying has his jaw dropped. "Oh god. I can't even remember the last time this kid listened to me," he says. Shaking his head, he takes a candy out from one of the bags we brought and gives it to the Child. "Here's your late Christmas gift." He scowls, making Ling's eyes glisten at the sight of it.

"Say thank you," I tell him.

"Thank you, Uncle Xian," he obediently replies.

Wei Ying groans. "It's Xian-ge, brat. You make me feel old." He says, but Jin Ling replies with another 'Uncle Xian' making Wei Ying give up. He sighs. "Where's your mother?" he asks.