INEBM fanfic

A splendid feast

"Let's go." A cool soft whisper entered in his ear before he was pulled forward. He was all too happy to leave the reigns to Ling Lan. More than welcomed it.

"Where to now?" She only came out to meet with Bai Li. Now that she was gone she did plan to wonder off for a while since had no where to go in particular. That was when she was alone. She didn't know if her Leopard's plans what so ever.

Thinking about it he did say he would have to make Ling Lan something to feast on when they got home, "I need to get a few ingredients."

Ling Lan didn't say anything else and simply took a step forward and so did Li Lanfeng, very much happy with her company. The store wasn't a long distance away so they arrived pretty quickly and began to traverse through the aisles.

Li Lanfeng's mind was occupied despite being the one who needed to be there. That was before Ling Lan's voice abruptly came from the side of him.

"Still keeping your thoughts to yourself, Leopard?" He was a true master at stalling. If his mind kept brewing like this he'd become a wine vat in no time. When will her learn to voice his troubles with her already.

"Im just a little envious. You went on a date." Envious could barely represent a quarter of his feelings about the whole thing.

Ling Lan only hummed in acknowledgment. Mentally she was berating Li Lanfeng and all of his ancestors. What part of that setup was a proper date!? This man had no reason to comment when he already had someone he was madly in love with! She couldn't even catch a glimpse of it!

"Did you enjoy it?" Even if he doesn't want to admit it he knows that Ling Lan doesn't believe this is anything real. He doesn't know at all what Ling Lan is like when she is in love. This whole ordeal now became his way of pretending everything they did together was that of an actual couple, no matter how minuscule. He could only keep his selfish fantasies to himself.

"Well," Rather she herself felt weird about the entire thing, what was she to focus on when the one beside her kept popping up in her head? "It wasn't half bad." Ling Lan spoke empty words.

That didn't sound good in Li Lanfeng's ears.

"Leopard,"Ling Lan looked at him, "Are you jealous?" She joked a bit. It wasn't a joke that he particularly enjoyed. The fact that his rabbit went on a possible date with someone that wasn't him, what about that was he supposed to like? What if it happened again and Ling Lan actually ended up liking them. Wouldn't he be forced to take a step back if she got into a relationship with someone else?

That would be the last thing he would do. Not even simple separation would be enough. The other would be forced to disappear from reality. Only then would he be satisfied with the outcome.

And even then he still needed Ling Lan to be his entirely. They've been beside each other for years. He didn't want it to change. At least not in that direction.

If anything he wanted to take it a step further.

In a way they were very... intimate. An abnormal amount of intimate that Ling Lan somehow never picked up on, or even acknowledge. He could only stay frustrated, unsure of how to make her realize it.

But now he doubted if that could ever happen.

His laugh contained a hint of melancholy as he picked something for purchase, "I might be. I just got you to myself." The other hand that grasping his rabbit's tightened impulsively.

Ling Lan's continued her steps properly but her thoughts came to a halt. Why did he think this way? She could tell what conclusion he came to with those few words and could feel the head ache coming on. Suddenly everything felt insufficient. Did he know how important he was to her?

"Lanfeng, I'm disappointed." Li Lanfeng's stomach dropped, "I thought you knew me better than this."

"I won't forsake you that easily." She couldn't find a situation where she would choose another over him. "For something so small as well." What sense did it make to compare their relationship to something as flimsy as a date?

"Really an unworthy comparison." She squeezed his hand in return, and dragged him through the shop.

Li Lanfeng felt hollow and full at the same time, feeling an uncomfortable mix of hot and cold. Li Lanfeng looked down at their interlocking hands. The beating in his chest was far too powerful. Those bittersweet words watered the impulse to drag Ling Lan down with him and do something impulsive.

He knew better and suppressed those growing feelings. It seems he'll need to work hard to satiate himself sooner.

He picked up a produce for inspection, "If that's not the case then what type of man would you like?" Rabbit only deserved the best to eat.

"Lanfeng have you been bored recently?"

In order to not raise Ling Lan'd dislike of him he could only soften his words.

"Am I not allowed to care about these things? I've shared my own struggles with you. I'm willing to bear the burden of knowing if you liked someone." he had a righteous, caring look on his face, "If anything I'm willing to help you capture who ever you like." Li Lanfeng thought he should learn how to stop digging his own grave. Offering to help her get with another man? What in the world was his mouth saying! But it couldn't be helped. He needed to prevent these things from happening again.

Ling Lan stared incredulously at the guy who was solely focused on trying to piece together her love life. Mentioning Li Lanfeng's love life, wouldn't it be worse if she mentioned that she had thoughts of him every once in a while?

Ling Lan's eyes sparkled with devilish mischief when that thought sprouted in her heart.

"Well? Do you have anything in mind?" Li Lanfeng asked again, believing Ling Lan was thinking about it. But instead he felt her stop walking. Li Lanfeng paused immediately and looked at Ling Lan only to be caught off guard by the beguiling look on her face.

One word came out of her pink lips.

"You."