Solstice Souls

A Spanner (Wrench) in the Works

Lan Zhan POV

Lan Zhan wiped his hands on his pristine white robes, annoyed at the clamminess. Why was he so nervous? Wei Ying was inside...just behind these doors.

But so were his parents.

Wei Ying's father who probably hated him, for two reasons now: firstly for being a Lan, and even worse, one of the twin Jades, and secondly because he thought Lan Zhan had committed the crime of attacking his wife...and actually there was a third reason now.

What if Wei Ying had told his father about their upcoming wedding, and he was against it?

Only one way to find out, because Lan Zhan did not back away from a challenge. And besides, he had already made his promises.

So he pushed open the door and entered.

Both men of the Wei Clan turned to stare at him.

Lan Zhan quickly bowed, his heart thundering in his chest, but he tried to regulate his breathing.

Wei Ying bounced up to him and took his hand.

"It's alright, Lan Zhan. Calm down. I told him everything."

It took everything he had for Lan Zhan to focus, to look into those warm sparkling, silver eyes, so full of affection for him. Lan Zhan just wanted to hold him close, sure that that would make him feel better...but Wei Changze was already glaring at him.

He bowed again just because he was nervous.

"You can stop doing that now." Wei Ying told him with a giggle.

How Lan Zhan loved the sound!

"So...you intend to marry my son?" Wei Changze stepped forward.

"Mn."

There was a definite chill in the room.

Beyond him, Lan Zhan could see Wei Ying's mother lying on the bed behind him. She looked...familiar somehow. Her features were still, but he could see the resemblance between her and her beautiful son, who was walking him forward now.

"Mama, I hope you can hear me...I pray that you can. This is Lan WangJi, Lan Zhan of the Lan Clan from Gusu. Grandmother said we are soulmates, destined to be together. So much happened when we went to meet her, but look!" Wei Ying held up his wrist, and then with his other hand, he held up Lan Zhan's wrist too, so that both of their bracelets were visible.

There was a gasp from behind them.

"Let me see those!" Wei Changze demanded.

Wei Ying turned them around so they were facing him. He came right up to them and extended his finger and thumb to touch the fish on Wei Ying's bracelet, but suddenly, the moment his skin made contact with the precious stone, a ripple of black energy zapped his body, making him stumble back, even as the red ruby eye flashed on the Yin symbol.

Lan Zhan went to assist him, and he grudgingly accepted as Wei Ying pulled up a stool for him to sit.

"So it's true?"

"Looks like it, Baba. How are you feeling?" Wei Ying asked him.

"It was just a repellent... because I touched it unexpectedly. However..." he tapped his nose, thinking hard. "I bet, if you learned how to channel your spiritual energy into it, it could become a weapon, no?"

Both he and Wei Ying stared first at him, and then at each other. Was this true? Could they do that?

"We should totally practice, Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying declared, excitedly.