Wild Creatures

Chapter 75

"So...Lan Er-Gege, tell me what to expect tonight." He fluttered his beautiful eyelashes and then snickered when Lan Zhan stubbed his toe on a footstool that hadn't changed its spot in twenty years.

"Shameless." Lan Zhan responds, more out of embarrassment than actual heat.

Wei Ying is giving him a much-needed diversion, and a welcome one at that.

"You should know what you're getting into," he agrees, coming to sit next to him on the edge of the wide bed.

Wei Ying curls his body around Lan Zhan's back like an oversized cat, spreading out with a comforting heat.

"I've never been to an award event. What's it like?"

The insecure part of Lan Zhan who has always hated these overpopulated circus shows, filled with too much noise, people, cameras and flashing lights, in that specific order, wondered if Wei Ying really and truly didn't know what it was like? But when he looked into beautiful silver eyes filled with nothing but genuine curiosity, he decided to be as honest as he could be, without letting his own derogatory opinion bleed through. If Wei Ying had never been to a shindig like that, then he should be allowed to experience it on his own terms, in his own way.

"There's a red carpet." (Road to Hell) was another apt name, and Lan Zhan thought about how to best describe that particular experience, when in his mind, nothing ever beat it for causing him that much stress.

"I've seen them on the telly, back when my ShiJie used to watch the Fashion Police." Wei Ying tells him, shuffling closer so he could rest his head in Lan Zhan's lap. He closes his eyes, murmuring in approval when Lan Zhan begins to card through his hair after untying it from the confines of his red ribbon.

This action seems to soothe both of them. It gives Lan Zhan's nervous fingers something to do, and it's satisfying to hear Wei Ying's moans of contentment as they share these moments of precious calm.

"If anything, there is more to do on the red carpet than before." Lan Zhan stifles a shudder, speaking after a while.

"What do you mean? I thought the photographers yelled out how to pose, you do your thing, strut your stuff, and bingo, you're on the other side."

Oh, what a lovely idea?! If only it was that simple, Lan Zhan laments, thinking back to last year.

"There is now a host," he says quietly.

"A host?"

"Or hostess, or someone. They ask questions. It is invariably, "who are you wearing, tonight?" And it feels like I have a top notch designer in my pocket, ready to leap out and bow at their praise." His tone says it all.

Wei Ying giggles at that.

"How do you answer?"

"I purposefully choose something off the rack from a high street store. It is worth it for the look on their faces." Lan Zhan tries not to sound smug about that.

Above all, he hates the pretentious views of anyone associated with the fashion world, presuming that only Designer Labels meant anything on the red carpet. He takes a perverse pleasure in proving them wrong, and if it didn't unnecessarily lengthen those conversations, Lan Zhan thinks he'll one day ask them to actually try guessing what he's wearing.

Just for bants.

"Lan Zhan! That's so evil!" Wei Ying cackles with amusement, understanding him so well.

It's the little things...

**********

They get dressed rather quickly after that.