Wild Creatures

Chapter 69

He takes both ends and pulls it open.

The first sheet is another letter, addressed to him. He reads it out loud.

"Wei Ying, if you have come this far, then I salute you. The following contains a special music score. Commit it to memory and burn the pages. I know you can do it.

"Your grandfather, my father made me memorise his code and I was able to decipher this piece of music from his notes. They are the key to defeating Wen Rouhan. In my father's time, he was working on a way to stop Wen Mao, but he no longer exists. This is somehow connected to the HeartStone, though I have not managed to figure out what that is, yet.

"I know too, that if you are reading this by yourself, then your father and I have passed away, because my visions show only you mostly, and one other...though I do not recognise the golden-eyed stranger. He seems familiar but I cannot place him, and I fear we have run out of time.

"My beloved son, know this: I believe in you.

Mama."

Wei Ying has ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor, folding himself in that position as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Lan Zhan kneels next to him, as he examines the rest of the notes.

It is an ancient tune, a haunting melody as Wei Ying begins to hum it to himself.

"Grandfather kept mentioning feelings, in his notes." He says, finally.

"Mn. I remember. I had no idea he meant this musical tool." Lan Zhan's fingers graze over the name engraved on the side of the black flute.

Chenqing.

"Neither did I." Wei Ying admits. "There must be a reason why it's foldable, right?"

"Mn. Easily concealable in your pocket. And we should make a move soon. You will want to show your grandmother." Lan Zhan says, warmth in his beautiful golden eyes.

"Yeah, you're right." Wei Ying turns back to the papers containing the music score.

"Does Wei Ying know how to play?" Lan Zhan asks him.

"Yep." Wei Ying sounds confident. "I never kept up with it, because you know, not much opportunity for making money in that direction, but I can definitely carry a tune."

"Play something for me, when we go home."

It is a demand, not a request, and Wei Ying finds himself nodding, impossibly turned on by just the deep tone of his voice.

"I'm going to hang onto these, just until I can play the tune perfectly." Wei Ying says, folding them carefully and tucking them into his jeans pocket, next to the USB stick containing his mother's pictures.

Lan Zhan stands up first and holds his hand out for Wei Ying to take, hauling him up gently with the hidden strength that comes so easily to him.

Wei Ying pauses.

There's something in the way that Lan Zhan always handles him with so much care, and even now while Wei Ying is drowning in his liquid golden orbs, he feels cherished, and loved. The depth of feeling is incomparable, crashing through his system with the force of a tidal wave. A tsunami of love that leaves him shaking.

Lan Zhan instinctively pulls him closer.

Maybe it was the spike in his blood alerting Lan Zhan of his feelings, or perhaps it was the look in those gorgeous silver eyes, a burning need just to be hugged.

"You are no longer alone." Lan Zhan tells him, straight into his ear. "Wei Ying never has to be alone, again."

Wei Ying kisses his cheek warmly, trying to pull himself together.