The bus ride back into town was quiet.
Lan Zhan thought Wei Ying might be able to say what was on his mind then, but there were too many people on the bus, and only because Lan Zhan held onto Wei Ying’s hand, that they weren't separated.
Wei Ying throws him an apologetic look and Lan Zhan smiles back. This is nice, he thinks. Having someone to do things with, being with someone...it felt...uplifting.
He could get used to this, he realises as they step off the bus together.
He knows...or can sense Wei Ying’s reluctance to broach a subject for which they may not have enough time to properly discuss, so he tries to lighten the mood. It bothers Lan Zhan that Wei Ying doesn't seem to like his manager.
Out of the two of them, Lan Zhan knows Wei Ying. He can vouch for Wei Ying’s personality, his character. Wei Ying is inherently a good person, someone who is simply living his life and trying to provide for his kid. And Lan Zhan knows things are tight financially...he knows that it weighs on Wei Ying’s mind...but he's doing his best.
So he is not going to be overly fond of anyone who tries to make it harder.
But Lan Zhan is a fair person.
He doesn't like to form an opinion of anyone without getting to know them, at least a little bit. It was better than only judging them from what other people said.
"What is Su She like?" He asks casually.
Wei Ying makes a face.
"Tolerable. I haven't killed him. Yet." He jokes, pointing out the establishment a little further away.
Lan Zhan stops.
They are at the mouth of an alley.
The graffiti looks...familiar.
The last time he was here....
"Oh my God....!" Wei Ying pulls him towards a bench further away. "I didn't think! That's where I found you!"
Wei Ying is more upset about this than Lan Zhan feels; he's looking back at that place with a sort of detachment, as if it happened to somebody else.
Wei Ying is quiet now, letting him process.
That night, everything changed for him.
His whole life turned upside down.
He could get angry about it, if he lets himself. That emotion is right there, under the surface of his skin. It is powerful, like righteous anger should be...but Lan Zhan wants to keep it under control for now.
It's like having a gun within reach, knowing you can depend on it. So he quietly acknowledges it. It is there for him.
There is also sadness.
This grief....he is unprepared for.
His life wasn't exceptional in any way; he made a decent amount of money and both his jobs were secure. Even if one wasn't viable anymore, the other certainly was....he saw no reason why he couldn't work at night or from home, should it come to that.
There was still so much uncertainty regarding his condition...that it felt like he was rushing things by assumption. Was waiting so bad?
There was sadness though.
Again, the detached part of him reasoned that it was due to missing something because it was taken away...but was it really? He didn't think so.
But time would tell.
Lan Zhan was just going to have to be patient with himself.
He turns to Wei Ying now, his self assessment complete.
Worry and fear lurk in those beautiful silver eyes....and Lan Zhan can smell it. It feels abhorrent...something he cannot be okay about. It makes Wei Ying’s blood smell bad, and Lan Zhan thinks if anything, that would be a repellent against himself.
"I am alright." Lan Zhan is surprised when he hears himself say this.
Mostly because it's true.
Wei Ying can see this for himself...and slowly, a smile breaks out on his lovely face.
"Really?" He asks, tentatively.
"Really." Lan Zhan stands up. "Let's not be late."
"Alright."
Lan Zhan can smell the relief coming off him in waves and decides to make him feel better via a quick explanation.
"I am angry about it...what happened to me. I am angry about my choice being taken away without warning. And I shall let it out when I find the person responsible. I am also sad...about it. But if I think about it, I have not lost much...perhaps gained more." Lan Zhan spots another alley coming up.
"Gained more?" Wei Ying asks in disbelief.
"Mn." Lan Zhan pulls him inside the quiet nook, pushing him up against the wall, noting the flash of hard desire that flares in those now darkened eyes. He's right about one thing: desire smells so much better. "I found you." Lan Zhan answers his question and follows it up with his lips.
He can feel the wonder of this, a connection that only grows stronger every time their lips meet. If there is anything better than kissing Wei Ying, he has yet to find it, but Lan Zhan is pretty sure it is concentrated perfection already, by itself. The slide of wet lips against his...it awakens another type of hunger, one that is more primal, fierce and necessary...even more than sustenance.
Wei Ying is surprised by the kiss, and Lan Zhan had already disarmed him by saying that basically he didn't mind turning into a vampire because that's how they met...and if that wasn't the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to him...
He's kissing Lan Zhan back and loving it.
He is mere millimetres away from from those razor sharp incisors, and he knows it, but the desire for him far outweighs the danger. He knows Lan Zhan could end his life just like that...but kissing him back is a need.
When Lan Zhan draws back, he is immensely pleased with what he sees.
Wei Ying looks well kissed...as he should. His lips are red and slightly swollen; there's a dazed look in his gorgeous silver eyes...and Lan Zhan thinks smugly to himself that he was the one who made that happen.
He's responsible for Wei Ying panting like that...looking as if he wants to rip their clothes off, right here.
And with that single thought, Lan Zhan wonders what it would be like...to be with Wei Ying...that close.
It is something he wants...more than anything else. It is more important, more powerful than the rage he skimmed the surface of, just seconds ago.
But as usual, time is against them.
"Let's go." He says, huffing out a laugh at the look of utter betrayal in Wei Ying's eyes.
"We can explore...later." He promises.
"I'm gonna hold you to that!" Wei Ying scowls back because he was enjoying himself, thank you very much, and he does not like the halting in that side of their relationship. He reminds himself to Google relationships and try to find out what is expected of him.
"That was for good luck." Lan Zhan says, way too proud of himself now.
Instead of coming back with a lighthearted comment, Wei Ying visibly braces himself and whispers, "I hope so." He smiles brightly and lets go of Lan Zhan’s hand as they enter.
Lan Zhan holds the door open for someone wishing to leave, and so he doesn't manage to come inside exactly with Wei Ying.
That's a good thing, because otherwise Su She might be missing a few teeth by now.
"You're late." A spiteful voice says with a cold tone.
It is the sound of someone who knows they are in power and fully intends to take advantage of it.
Lan Zhan takes a seat on the side where there's a comfy looking leather upholstered bench. It's firm without being hard, a part of him notes as his attention is stolen by the drama happening only a few feet away.
Wei Ying is already shrugging off his jacket, and Lan Zhan’s fingers are itching to take it from him in an exaggerated way, "accidentally" scraping Su She's face with it...
But Wei Ying told him to be prepared...and Wei Ying needs this job. Lan Zhan remembers that Wei Ying told him the tips are the only reason he stays.
So Lan Zhan simply watches.
"I'll make it up at the end." Wei Ying agrees, as he puts his apron on.
Lan Zhan checks his watch...it's only a few minutes past the time Wei Ying usually clocks in. And since they could be attributed to their mind-blowing kiss ... Lan Zhan feels partly responsible.
"See that you do. And don't forget, it's your turn to clean out the toilets today."
Wei Ying forces a smile on his face.
If there's one thing Su She really hates, it's a sunny disposition.
"Of course!" Wei Ying grins at him, enjoying the resulting annoyance on the other's face. "I've got a routine now." The reply is extra cheerful.
Su She scowls back at him and disappears into the back, behind a door that says 'Staff Only'.
Lan Zhan cannot keep his eyes off Wei Ying.
The man is in his element.
He zooms across the space behind the counter with ease and speed as if he's gotten used to it, and when he bends down, Lan Zhan gets an eyeful of...something extraordinary.
Wei Ying stands upright and turns slightly to give him the cheekiest of grins, and then he winks.
Lan Zhan’s condition...is dire.
His fists clench from the supernatural willpower he's having to exert in keeping himself seated.
And then Su She comes out again.
Lan Zhan isn't watching watching him, but the slimeball has all of his attention. Even Wei Ying has toned it back a little.
A customer asks Wei Ying to mix a particularly cocktail and Lan Zhan is all about watching his man in rapturous attention then. Everyone is watching Wei Ying, it seems. His theatrics with making a simple drink are addictive, and suddenly there's a lot of people waving money at him as the orders go wild.
Lan Zhan looks around and spots Su She watching Wei Ying too.
His face is twisted in a jealous rage.
It's like a key turning.
Suddenly Lan Zhan realises why Su She is the way he is, with Wei Ying.
He is being eaten up with his own envy.
Lan Zhan is distracted by a light tap on the table in front of him.
He looks in that direction, to find an old man sitting, not too close to him. The old man glances back at Su She and makes a pained face.
"That one's a bad nut. He's really got it in for him." He swigs from his glass and points at Wei Ying with his chin.
"Mn?" Lan Zhan is interested.
"A couple of days ago, that wanker even made him pay for water."
The more he speaks, Lan Zhan is aware that he's not a local.
"Where are you from?" He asks, grabbing a napkin and writes something on it.
"England. We've got cunts there too, but that one wants fucking with." He taps his nose and gets up to visit the bathroom.
He may be crude, but Lan Zhan gets him.
And just as an idea pops into his head, a ludicrous one, a shadow falls over him.
"Seating is for paying guests only." He is told by a greedy looking Su She, walking around with a clipboard and pen in his hand.
Lan Zhan wants to grab it and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
It is a particularly satisfying thought.
From behind the shadow of Su She, Lan Zhan catches Wei Ying’s panicked gaze.
"Really?" He says smoothly.
The idea finishes taking shape in his mind.
"Really. That's why we're called a bar." Su She announces proudly.
Lan Zhan stands up.
He's at least a foot taller then the slimeball, and enjoys the flash of fear in the other's eyes before it's replaced by smugness.
"Actually. " Lan Zhan points to the bar, where there is a golden bar all around the counter behind which Wei Ying works. "That's the reason why this establishment is called a bar. Because of the bar." He smiles politely and in a seemingly obedient move, walks past a blustering red-faced Su She trying to think of a decent comeback.
Wei Ying mouths an apology at him, but they can't talk openly because Su She has to come to make sure Lan Zhan actually buys something.
Lan Zhan slips a note over the counter, pausing to tap it once, catching Wei Ying’s attention to it.
"One water please."
He watches Wei Ying take the cash and knows he's seen the note written on the napkin because his beautiful, stunning silver eyes widened fractionally. He looks up with alarm and slightly shakes his head, but this time, Lan Zhan is not going to listen to him.
He takes the water; Wei Ying isn't letting go of the bottle, and Lan Zhan gives him the hottest smile he can manage. It is successful because Lan Zhan can smell how Wei Ying feels right now; suffice to say, he isn't thinking about his job.
"Now, kindly take a seat over there." Lan Zhan tells Su She.
"What?"
Su She is slow to understand and this makes Lan Zhan impatient.
"Unless we can use your office, either is fine." He adds.
"My office? What for?" Su She doesn't look like he's going to cooperate.
Lan Zhan isn't fazed at all, in fact, he bares his teeth in annoyance, secretly enjoying Su She's futile resistance.
He pulls out his wallet and flashes Su She so quickly, the man doesn't get the chance to examine it too closely.
"I'm with the F.U. for Employees. And you're under investigation." Lan Zhan ignores the muted shriek from behind him.
This is what Lan Zhan meant by the note he just passed to Wei Ying, that said, "play along."
"F.U.?" Su She asks, with a disbelieving tone.
"That's what I said." He repeats, meaning it this time even more. "Federal Union of Employees." He says, making it up on the spot.
For the first time that evening, Su She looks uncertain now.
"What do you mean by that?" He asks, with fake bravado.
"Exactly that. Do you have a problem with the English language?" Lan Zhan asks.
Behind him, there's the sound of a glass falling to the floor.
Lan Zhan accidentally bites his lip and swipes the blood without anyone noticing. Su She is too busy looking at his feet and trying to comprehend what is happening to him.
He is an idiot, a nasty one...and Lan Zhan has decided to teach him a lesson, one that he won't forget in a hurry.
"Here, is fine." Su She says. "I'll be back in a moment." He adds, surprising Lan Zhan.
"I'll be waiting for you over there." Lan Zhan says, stalking back to his seat.
He turns to see Su She scowl at Wei Ying.
"Inside now!" Su She grabs Wei Ying’s arm and takes him inside, behind the closed door.
Lan Zhan can hear everything, and he calms himself from the killing rage he felt at seeing someone else touch his Wei Ying like that.
If he was going to go easy on Su She before, he's certainly not doing that now.
"Did you rat on me?" Su She demands, and there is a thud sound, as if he's pushed Wei Ying against a wall or something.
Lan Zhan hates the slimeball even more now.
"No. I did not." Wei Ying tells him.
"Then who did?" Su She asks, wanting answers from a man who can't provide them.
"I don't know...but what about the cleaner you fired a couple of days ago?" Wei Ying replies.
Lan Zhan is so proud of him.
"Hmm....you could be right." Su She retorts and waltzes back out, a grim expression on his face.
"Sit." Lan Zhan tells him, like he's speaking to a dog.
Su She grabs a chair and sullenly sits before him, like a naughty kid in front of a headmaster.
Lan Zhan is going to have a good time with this, he can already tell. He sits straighter, with a rigid frown on his face.
Su She already looks intimidated.
Good.
Lan Zhan is aware Wei Ying is trying to listen to their conversation, but at this point, it doesn't really matter.
He carries on, with the most putting down voice he can manage, embodying the spirit of Uncle Qiren. He half wishes XiChen could see him now...but he doesn't want to think about his brother just yet.
"It has come to our attention that your conduct as the manager of this establishment is heavily under question. You have broken several rules which are there for the protection of employees."
Lan Zhan has dealt with plenty of lawyers before. And he knows how to wield language as a verbal weapon.
Right now, Su She is panicking internally.
That's good progress, but Lan Zhan wants to bring him to the "shitting-his-pants" stage.
"Where's your proof?" Su She asks in that slimy way of his.
"My organisation is secret. We only intervene when there has been a breach of conduct, namely by you. Otherwise you, and people like you, would not even know of our existence." Lan Zhan tells him with a quiet confidence. He leans forward as if about to divulge a trade secret. "There are cameras. We have you on tape." And for good measure, he adds, "with sound."
Su She pales.
That's a good look for him, Lan Zhan decides.
"I haven't seen any. Where are your cameras then?" Su She hisses back, but he's even more uncertain.
"Oh. You want proof." Lan Zhan sighs, and taps his ear. "Quote: "Did you rat on me?" Secondary witness: "no, I did not." Primary: "Then who did?" Secondary witness: "I don't know...but what about the cleaner you fired a couple of days ago?" Unquote." Lan Zhan repeats from memory. He takes his finger away from his ear as if there was a listening aid inside it.
Su She is now trembling.
"Do you know how small they can make cameras these days?" Lan Zhan stares at the tip of the pen his fingers are holding right now.
Su She looks at the pen and swallows hard.
"All of our members are checked on because we take their wellbeing seriously. As a result, wherever they work, there are multiple cameras and listening devices planted in the walls. Even the restrooms are under surveillance since that is where most crimes are committed. Hence, you are now under probation. If your behaviour does not improve, consider this your two weeks notice of termination of employment. Am I clear?" Lan Zhan pierces him with his most sternest of gazes.
Su She quakes. He's sweating like a pig.
It smells awful to Lan Zhan and he tries not to make a face.
Su She wipes his face with his sleeve and accidentally drops his clipboard.
Lan Zhan can think of a better place to put it. And he really wants to...but Wei Ying likes this job...so instead, he adds, "you will find and employ another cleaner. In the meantime, in case you are not aware, it is the manager's duty to take over any duties unable to be completed by those assigned to said duties. Do you understand?"
When he gets nothing from Su She, Lan Zhan scowls.
"It means, since it needs to be spelled out, you will assume all duties of the cleaning staff until a suitable employee is hired. Do I make myself clear?"
Su She nods, wiping his face again.
"And one more thing." Lan Zhan stops him from getting up. This second thing is a gamble, but he knows he's won when he sees the raw disbelief on Su She's face. "You are no longer assigned to the tip jar. The bartender over there will do it. He will not cheat the others like you do."
Su She bows, nods shakily and disappears behind the closed doors.
Lan Zhan sits back in satisfaction, smiling because of a job well done.