Wild Creatures

Chapter 132

Wei Ying fishes out his phone and dials Lan Zhan, who picks up on the fourth ring. And why does he sound breathless?

"Hi...Sweetheart, where are you? Did you get the kids?" Wei Ying feels unsettled for some reason.

But Lan Zhan sounds fine. "Traffic held me up, but I'm nearly there," he promises. "And Friday is a Teacher's training day, so no school."

"Oh, okay," Wei Ying hums, wondering why he's still feeling off.

"I'm heading to the elevator, there'll be no signal," Lan Zhan warns him.

"Okay then, see you soon." Wei Ying ends the call, and finds Baoshan Sanren studying him.

"You seem sad," she remarks.

"It's nothing," Wei Ying quickly brushes it off, putting the brightest smile on his face.

The truth was, these past few years he always became a little melancholy around this time of year. It wasn't just the season, but the end of October always reminded him of his parents, of people who must have been glad to have him be part of their lives. Maybe it was the doubt that used to remain constantly at the back of his mind, which was rearing its ugly head again.

But through all these passing years, he never had the proof of his parents' love for him; and now he has a book full of words from his mother.

He tells himself that he's just being silly and not to think about it. That's easy to do, since it's the mantra he's been living with, all of his life.

A sound interrupts his thoughts, and then they're both staring at the door, which opens with a slightly dishevelled Lan Zhan. He marches straight to Wei Ying, three quick strides and he's there, hauling him up into a fiery kiss.

It lasts only a minute, but it heals all of Wei Ying's fears and doubts swimming to the surface of his mind like little piranha fish feasting on his anxiety.

Lan Zhan still loves him.

"I missed you," Wei Ying tells him, when his mouth is set free.

He turns to grab his coat and in doing so, misses the fleeting look between his grandmother and Lan Zhan. When he turns around, Lan Zhan is taking his jacket from him, his beautifully long fingers brushing against Wei Ying's hands as he helps Wei Ying wear it. He carefully lifts Wei Ying's ponytail out of the way, and presses a sweet kiss on the back of his bare neck, enjoying the resulting shiver that passes through Wei Ying like a current.

"Let's go home," Lan Zhan tells him, taking his hand.

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

The unsettling feeling doesn't go away.

If anything, it is only growing stronger like an itch Wei Ying can't scratch in a hard to reach place.

All through the dinner that Da Tuzi has kept warm for him, Wei Ying feels as if he's forgotten something and it's really important, but for the life of him, he cannot remember what it could be.

They're sitting in the warm kitchen, with a merry fire crackling in the hearth, sending a few sparks sizzling harmlessly onto the cold stone tiles.

Lan Zhan is sitting across from him, playing with his free hand on the table, lifting it up to his lips and kissing his fingers. Wei Ying has pushed away his plate a while ago, and is just leaning back in his seat, resting.

His belly is full, he's warm and comfortable... and yet.

He can't even put his finger on it, why he's feeling so strange.

"What's wrong?" Lan Zhan asks him quietly, after a while.

His words hang in the air, pulling Wei Ying's attention away from the mesmerising orange flames hungrily devouring the new logs Da Tuzi had placed on the grate before leaving them alone here. Wei Ying much prefers the kitchen with its rich coppery colours, welcoming warm wooden table and the liveliness of its general look. Much better than the impersonal dining room with its rigid grand table right in the centre of the room, and a cold, empty space surrounding it. That dining room looked like half the size of his whole apartment, and was daunting with its formality.