Wild Creatures

Chapter 54

"Where is Lan WangJi now?"

Sword Guy has stopped smiling and is taking her question seriously. He taps on his earpiece.

"Update? I see." His eyes are questioning as he states, "Nie Residence." To the lady.

The lady whips out her phone and hands it to Sword Guy. "Get him on the line now."

Sword Guy messes around on his phone, typing something and obviously waiting for a response.

The lady is getting more and more impatient, as her foot starts tapping on the floor. Seconds later, her phone is being handed back, and she puts it on speaker.

"Huaisang."

"Huaisang, is Lan Zhan there?" Wei Ying can't help himself, he has to say something.

"Wei Ying!" That's definitely Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying sinks to the floor in relief.

"Are you alright?" Lan Zhan sounds so worried.

"I'm sorry, I should have waited for you. I'll explain when you get here." Wei Ying replies, but his voice cracks with emotion.

"I'm sending someone to get you." The lady tells him. "He's wearing a white suit and he'll be driving a white Mercedes. He'll be there in...?" She looks expectantly at Sword Guy.

"Twenty minutes max." Sword Guy pipes up.

"Don't kill him. I'm rather fond of Xiao XingChen." The lady says, ending the phone call.

Wei Ying heard Lan Zhan trying to say something but she had cut him off. The lady turned to Xiao XingChen.

"Hurry."

Well, at least she and Lan Zhan had that in common, an economy of words and the ones they did use, were abrupt and to the point.

Xiao XingChen nods and whistles the tune that was playing in the car as he leaves, twirling the car keys around his pinkie finger.

"What is that melody? I feel like I've heard it before." Wei Ying asks her, as she finally turns on the light in the room.

It's actually an office, albeit a comfy looking one.

A real fire burns in a stone fireplace, guarded by a metal screen. There is a pile of cut logs in a metal case next to it, and a poker leans against that.

Two huge desks are on either end of the room, and the lady walks to the one on the left.

"Do you drink?" She asks him, taking out a decanter and two glasses made from crystal.

"Omg, yes! What have you got?" Wei Ying thinks that's the best thing to happen all day. "I don't keep any booze at home because of the kids, plus being a parent means I have to set an example."

She actually rolled her eyes.

"This is old stuff, but I figured we can because we're celebrating." She looks far too happy as she pours the clear liquid into the glasses. "It's called Emperor's Smile." She hands a glass to Wei Ying.

"What are we celebrating?" Wei Ying asks, taking a sip and humming in appreciation.

"The reunion of a grandmother and her grandson."

Unfortunately, Wei Ying had taken another sip by then, and it all spewed out accidentally, at her words.

************

Lan Zhan had all but manhandled Huaisang onto his chair in front of his computer, standing over him in an unintentionally domineering pose. Stress and anger were rolling off him in waves of uncertainty, and making Huaisang's fingers mistype accidentally.