Wei Ying’s smile dropped off his face.
"What do you mean, "there were complications"?" He tried not to sound accusatory, but he hated needles, and complications meant that QingJie was here for blood…literally.
"Exactly how it sounds. A-Ning dropped the samples so they're no good. He was startled…" She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "So…it's really late, but if we can get on with this?"
Wei Ying was shepherded onto the couch and Lan Zhan held his hand, gazing into panic filled silver eyes. He tried to pass on some calmness, some type of assurance that everything was going to be okay.
"Now, you." Wen Qing said, efficiently packing away the tiny bottles of dark red blood in a sealed, labelled clear plastic bag.
"Mine?" Lan Zhan made the mistake of speaking.
Wen Qing rolled her eyes and pushed Wei Ying out of the way.
Since she wasn't going to say anything else, Lan Zhan rolled up his sleeve. Unlike Wei Ying, he didn't mind needles. He found them annoying but they didn't actually bother him.
This time, the little vials were filled….with a clear liquid.
If Wen Qing was surprised, she never showed it, but it was Wei Ying who gasped.
"Wow! Lan Zhan! That's really cool." He marvelled, smiling brightly.
As for Lan Zhan, he was surprised.
He expected his blood to be the same as the last time; at least some kind of red shade, and while he could feel the venom coursing through his body, he wasn't prepared for the colour change.
In the end, the liquid was a pale yellowish colour, for the most part clear, and only a little bit cloudy.
"It looks like apple juice." Wei Ying giggled, having forgotten the trauma of his own experience.
Wen Qing rolled her eyes and packed everything away, standing up to leave.
"We should know by Friday. A-Ning said the lab is really busy these days, and even with his overtime, he still has to leave work unfinished." She said, walking towards the door.
"Any particular reason?" Wei Ying asked, moving with her.
Something flashed in her dark eyes before she shook her head.
"Nothing for you to worry about." She rolled her shoulders, trying to ease away the tension of a long day. "It's mostly inner politics between the higher ups. They've always got a problem." She shrugged.
They hugged once before she left.
Lan Zhan made Wei Ying drink some warm milk, and he pushed a plate of cookies in his direction when Wei Ying said he didn't feel hungry.
Luckily, there had been no more dizzy spells in the past few days, and Lan Zhan desperately hoped that they had been food/diet related; now that Wei Ying was eating properly, he wished the ill health was gone for good.
Wei Ying fell asleep in his arms like normal, and Lan Zhan was content to hold him through the night.
***********
Thursday morning, Lan Zhan made a decision.
Today marked a whole week since the attack, and now he felt as if he had spent enough time not working. That was the trouble with actual work: it never actually went away.
There were projects which had deadlines, and although XiChen hadn't said anything yet, Lan Zhan knew how difficult it was to shoulder the weight of their business alone.
So even though it was really early in the morning, Lan Zhan slid out of bed and went into the kitchen.
Today was Thursday and…he was sure there was something he was forgetting….?
He wasn't sure and since nothing came to mind, he fired up his laptop and began breakfast preparation. Today, scallion pancakes were on the menu and Lan Zhan was ready for either of his customers to wake up. While he waited, he began searching Wikipedia and asking Google some of the many questions which he had spent the last few hours thinking about.
A-Yuan was the first one to wake up.
He came into the kitchen looking for an adult, dragging his blanket behind him and sucking on the corner.
Lan Zhan opened his arms and the child eagerly complied, resting his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Lan Zhan rubbed his back, smiling when A-Yuan had trouble opening his eyes.
"You can still sleep, A-Yuan…it's early." Lan Zhan tells him, looking at his watch.
A-Yuan shakes his head, mumbling something incoherently.
Lan Zhan has trouble making out his actual words.
But when he does, the realisation dawns immediately.
"World Book Day."
Today is the day A-Yuan must dress up like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, Niven McTwisp.
"Alright then, what do you say to having breakfast first?" Lan Zhan says.
A-Yuan is both tired and then disappointed with Lan Zhan’s answer; his response is to stick out his bottom lip, and his beautiful gray eyes begin to water.
Lan Zhan panics.
"Wait, wait…" he soothes, first. "I will do whatever A-Yuan wants, but I would like A-Yuan to listen, first." He explains, getting a little bit desperate now.
Thankfully, A-Yuan hiccups and nods.
Lan Zhan wipes his face with his sleeve and kisses his cheek.
"Thank you, A-Yuan. Now, I have a question for you."
A-Yuan nods, very serious all of a sudden.
"Say I help you get dressed, and you're all ready for school in your costume." Lan Zhan waits for him to nod that he's understood, before he continues. "And then you sit down for breakfast. But…what if there's an accident and something spills on your costume? We only have the one…and then A-Yuan will have to go to school all stinky…" Lan Zhan tickles his sides.
Pretty soon, A-Yuan is back to his chortling, happy self, and protesting to Lan Zhan, that he doesn't want to be stinky for school, and maybe it is a better idea to eat first and get dressed.
A loud yawn by the door grabs their attention and they both look up to find a sleepy Wei Ying smiling at both of them.
"It's world book day…" Wei Ying mumbles sleepily.
"Mn. Come and sit down. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes." Lan Zhan tells them.
Once Wei Ying sits down, he's given a lapful of a child, who snuggles closer. The father and son doze peacefully until the smell of fragrant onion fills the air.
Lan Zhan puts two plates of bunny shaped pancakes in front of them, and he digs up a bottle of ketchup for A-Yuan and the chilli sauce for Wei Ying.
The smell of good food, hot and mouthwatering, is enough to wake up the sleepyheads, and soon, there is only the sound of appreciative munching in the little kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Wei Ying asks Lan Zhan, after the latter opens up his laptop once more.
"Sifting through truth and lies." Lan Zhan says, turning his screen to face Wei Ying, so he can read what Lan Zhan has typed.
Wei Ying quickly scans the literature.
"Are you looking for origins?" He asks, glancing at A-Yuan to make sure the boy isn't listening.
"Mn. I want to know everything. Strengths, weaknesses, powers…anything that can make us stronger than them. If it comes down to it, I want us to have every advantage over them." Lan Zhan explains, keeping his voice low.
A-Yuan jumps down from his chair with both his arms up in the air.
Lan Zhan stands up and lifts him by the sink so he can wash his own hands.
He feels a little bit smug at the admiring look he received from Wei Ying, only seconds ago.
"Let's talk more about this when I come back from the school run." Wei Ying says, also getting up.
His brain is also more alert after two cups of black coffee, and the warmth of hot food in his belly, all of which contributes to his improving mood.
He and A-Yuan disappear into another room, and Lan Zhan gives in to his compulsive desire to keep everything neat and tidy. He makes light work of cleaning the countertop and stove, ready for the afternoon, when his family will return.
That thought stops him in his tracks.
His family.
A-Yuan…and Wei Ying…he thinks of them as his own family now.
The wonder of such a simple thing keeps his thoughts on a treadmill of repetition.
He doesn't know how much time has passed until there's a touch on his elbow.
"Sweetheart…are you alright?" Wei Ying is worried about him.
Lan Zhan whirls around so fast, wrapping him in a tight hug. He's feeling emotional again, and he desperately wants to cry…but he cannot.
This…This is what has been stolen from him.
This is what hurts more than anything else.
Lan Zhan has always had trouble showing how he feels. It is difficult for him to express himself just from his features, and until now, only his brother has been able to decipher the minute changes which might identify his thoughts on his face.
Many have accused Lan Zhan of having a stoic face and equaling that trait with the assumption that he was cold and unfeeling. Their words hurt until Lan Zhan decided that such people were not qualified to speak to him, and as long as he knew how he felt, that was all that mattered.
There were times when he needed to be candid with his brother, but this, the way that Wei Ying immediately knew something was wrong…it is an unrivalled skill.
"Baba…? Zhan Gege…?"
The little voice by the door alerts them to A-Yuan's presence.
"A-Yuan wanted his Zhan Gege to see his costume." Wei Ying says softly. He steps back, and Lan Zhan immediately misses his warmth.
"Mn." Lan Zhan blinks rapidly, trying to get his emotions under control.
They are like wild stallions fighting against a charioteer.
His eyes burn and it's an uncomfortable feeling, so he forces himself to smile. Today is an important day for A-Yuan, and he really wants the child to enjoy himself.
A-Yuan…looks amazing!
He has a bunny mask, and he's dressed perfectly with a little blue waistcoat. The pocket watch that Wei Ying bought him, hangs from his pocket.
Lan Zhan crouches and A-Yuan comes to him straight away.
"Wait, I must inspect this beautiful bunny." Lan Zhan says, making A-Yuan giggle.
He takes his time, and turns A-Yuan around slowly, carefully and points out complimentary things about how real A-Yuan looks.
At the end, A-Yuan gives him two kisses and a hug, for being so sincere.
"We better go now, but I'll be back soon." Wei Ying promises.
***************
The trip to the school is full of excited kids on the bus and Wei Ying tries to tune them out. The noise levels are quite high as is to be expected in rush hour traffic, and he supposes that's what is contributing to his headache.
It started off as a dull ringing in his ears, and Wei Ying was able to ignore it for the most part…until they got to school.
The bus driver brakes sharply, and Wei Ying has to hold on tightly because his whole world begins to spin dangerously.
"Baba!!?"
Wei Ying tries to focus on his son's face, but it's all blurry and swimming as if he's under water. He takes small steps and A-Yuan is patiently holding his hand, aware that something is wrong…but he doesn't know exactly what, and he's kind of terrified.
"I'll be okay, Baobei." Wei Ying reassures him. "I'll find the nurse's station and get something for my head."
But A-Yuan doesn't want to leave him, and he pulls Wei Ying to the nearest teacher. She's a kind, older lady, who tells A-Yuan not to worry and to go stand in line, while she takes Wei Ying to the nurse.
A-Yuan clings to his Baba for longer this time, and it takes many kisses to soothe him.
When Wei Ying next opens his eyes, the morning has passed away, and he's lying on the cot in the nurse's room.
He sits up and sees ten missed calls and countless messages.
Uh oh…nine of those are from Lan Zhan, and his panic is evident as the time stamp on the messages escalates.
Wei Ying has managed to worry him and MianMian…who told Wen Qing…and now?
Wei Ying is in big trouble…