Wild Creatures

Chapter 26

And then, his phone lights up with an incoming call.

It's Wei Ying.

Lan Zhan is so relieved, his legs give way and suddenly he's sitting on the floor.

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Wei Ying wipes his clammy palms on his trousers and mentally prepares himself to call Lan Zhan. His hand is shaking so much, he nearly drops his phone when Lan Zhan answers.

"It's me! I'm safe!" Wei Ying quickly blurts out. His tongue is tripping up over itself to form the words needed to explain.

"Mn."

"I…um…so, er…" Now that it comes down to it, Wei Ying can't find the right words. He knows Lan Zhan is going to be upset with him…and it's partly his own fault. For refusing to see an actual doctor. Lan Zhan is going to roast him alive…

"Where are you?" Lan Zhan asks him. There is absolutely no tone, no inflection to indicate how he's feeling.

"At school. In the nurse's station. Um…I blacked out."

There is a sharp intake of breath, and then silence on the other side.

Wei Ying wishes Lan Zhan would say something…anything.

"Is Wei Ying hurt?" Lan Zhan says, a while later.

"No. At least…not on the outside."

"Meaning?" Lan Zhan can feel his rage growing.

"Um…so this time, it started off as a headache. And we made it to the playground. The teacher was coming with me to the nurse's, to get some painkillers…and that's the last thing I remember."

"Give me the address of the school." Lan Zhan demands.

This was one of the things he had been lamenting about; he had no idea where A-Yuan's school was, just a general idea.

"Lan Zhan…it's okay, you don't have to come. I'll just wait until it's time to pick A-Yuan up…we'll come home together." Wei Ying protested.

"Address." This time Lan Zhan growled into the phone, not willing to compromise.

Something in his tone had Wei Ying quickly typing it out.

"Stay there. I'm coming to get you." Lan Zhan said, hanging up immediately.

He put the phone down carefully, otherwise the urge to fling it at the wall was way too strong.

Lan Zhan isn't even sure who his rage is directed at.

He knows it's not Wei Ying’s fault. The dizzy spells are getting worse, and if anything, it's Wei Ying’s reluctance to do anything about them and his almost careless attitude about his own health…this is what makes Lan Zhan the most angry.

And then he's angry at himself.

He should have gone to school with his family.

Why did he stay here?

If he had gone with them, then all of this could have been avoided.

He calls his brother again, when he thinks he's calm enough to be civil.

"Ge…I found him." He says, straight away.

"Oh…that's great news, Didi. I was worried." XiChen also sounds relieved.

"I need my car back, Ge." Lan Zhan tells him.

"On it. I called them a couple of days ago, and it should be ready to pick up tomorrow afternoon."