Wild Creatures

Chapter 17

A-Yuan falls asleep in Lan Zhan’s arms.

It is both humbling and an honour to be able to lift him up and take him to his still dark room. Lan Zhan puts him into his bed and tucks him in. And then, because he cannot just walk away, he leans forward and presses his lips on A-Yuan's forehead. The child settles better then and a ghost of a smile rests upon his cherubic face.

He's so cute it should be a crime.

Lan Zhan knows this is going to be just a nap in the afternoon and so, he has a little bit of time to do something very important.

It feels like he's doing something wrong but, it is necessary and he must do it, so Lan Zhan goes back into Wei Ying's bedroom and finds his phone. He leaves the room because he doesn't want Wei Ying to hear him. And he doesn't want to disturb Wei Ying’s rest either.

He scrolls through the contacts until he finds the familiar one.

Then he types out a message which he hopes will not start a panic and hopes for the best. He receives a reply almost immediately and waits impatiently for the phone call.

Five minutes later, it rings.

Lan Zhan picks it up straight away.

"What is it and why do you have his phone?" She snaps, right off the bat. It's Wen Qing.

Lan Zhan keeps calm and answers her as best as he can.

"I think there's something wrong with Wei Ying. He was feeling dizzy a couple of days ago and today he said it was the sun, but he passed out this afternoon."

It feels more serious now that he's said it out loud.

She fired off several questions after that, which Lan Zhan tried to answer as best as he could, but his observations were only from a three day period.

"Alright, we'll know more after a blood test." She says briskly. "I'll be there tonight."

The phone cuts off and Lan Zhan slowly ends the call. Then he remembers the painkillers he wanted just in case. Maybe he can go and buy them tonight when Wen Qing arrives and it'll be dark then.

It will be okay for him to go out.

He hopes.

Lan Zhan goes and returns the phone to its owner.

Wei Ying wakes just as Lan Zhan puts it back on his bedside cabinet. He sits down next to Wei Ying.

"How do you feel?" He asks. He is ready for all of Wei Ying's deflections and vows to himself to talk about this properly to him.

"I'm okay, Lan Zhan. Honestly, I think it was the sun...too hot today. I'll be fine after I hydrate." Wei Ying notices the water in the glass and chugs it down.

"What if it's not?" Lan Zhan says carefully. He doesn't want to spook Wei Ying, but already he knows this conversation is like walking barefoot through a minefield.

"Huh?" Wei Ying is clearly not expecting Lan Zhan to push him on this.

Lan Zhan uses his close proximity to check whether or not Wei Ying has a temperature.

"I said, what if it isn't the sun? Getting dizzy, falling down...all of that isn't normal." Lan Zhan enunciates because he wants to make it clear to Wei Ying that he has to do something about this. He cannot keep brushing it under a carpet and hoping it'll go away.

"Aiya...Lan Zhan..." He tutted. "You're worrying about nothing."

Lan Zhan fixes him with a stern look. He will not look away.