Wild Creatures

Chapter 30

Lan Zhan grabs his laptop, throws it into his sling bag, and grabs his brother. One nod to each other, and they grab Wei Ying to leave this crazy place where now, chairs are being thrown and just as they are leaving, Lan Zhan looks back at the awful expression on Wen Chao's face.

"Next time." He says, and winks back at Lan Zhan.

There is something so chilling about his face, that crazy look in his black eyes…

At that moment, he didn't look drunk. Not at all…

"You're fired, Wei WuXian! Don't bother coming back tomorrow!" Su She yells, holding his face.

"Well, in that case…" Wei Ying says, and in a reckless move, wriggles out of Lan Zhan’s grip and flies over the counter once more, to retrieve the tip jar. He takes approximately half of the notes, making sure the rest goes to his partner, the other guy who bartends alongside him.

This time when he jumps over the counter, Su She makes an uncalculated move of shifting at the wrong time, and gets kicked in the face for his trouble.

***********

Wei Ying is uncharacteristically silent in the car, on the ride back home.

XiChen decided to go back to his home, the one he shares with Lan Zhan. He wore an expression of longing when he looked back at them, as if he wanted Lan Zhan to come with him.

But even though Lan Zhan knows the way XiChen's relationship with Nie MingJue is progressing, it's only realistic to understand that he won't be sharing accommodation with Lan Zhan for long.

As part of a new couple himself, Lan Zhan can sympathise with the urge to stay with one's partner.

And Lan Zhan enjoys living with Wei Ying and A-Yuan too much to want to give it up yet…or ever.

Why should he? He thinks rebelliously with an internal smile.

They pull up outside Wei Ying’s apartment building.

Wei Ying still hasn't said anything.

Lan Zhan covers his hand with his own.

"Well…I guess we have a good start on our plan from this morning." He says, staring through the windscreen and seeing nothing.

"Mn?"

"Your get-Wei-Ying-a-new-job plan." He sounds so sad, all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry…that you were fired." He's not, because Lan Zhan hates Su She and worries over Wei Ying’s safety overrides the actual job. But he knows he should say something along those lines.

Wei Ying laughs through his sudden tears.

"No, you're not. I can see it on your face." Wei Ying smacks his arm playfully.

Lan Zhan unfastens their seat belts and lifts Wei Ying into his arms.

"Your Lan arm strength is truly frightening." Wei Ying says, burying his face in Lan Zhan’s neck.

Lan Zhan hugs him tighter.

He might not understand Wei Ying’s attachment to that job, but he knows that hugs help immensely.

"I just…I wanna get it out of my system before we go up." Wei Ying says in a thick voice. "I know it was just a matter of time before something pissed me off enough to make me leave…but it's one thing to quit and another thing to be fired."

While he cries, Lan Zhan runs his fingers through his long hair. It's soothing for both of them, and Wei Ying can feel the care and sympathy Lan Zhan is trying to pass onto him, through their connection.