The shrill ringing of Wei Ying's phone disturbed breakfast time on this Wednesday morning.
Everyone had woken up a little late, and since it was a domino effect, the children were currently gulping down their cereal as quickly as they could, while Wei Ying dealt with it.
"Mr Wei?"
"Hi, who is this?"
"I'm speaking from the doctor's office. Is there any chance you could pop in some time today?" The receptionist asks him.
"Yeah, er...sure. When is it good for you?" Wei Ying has paled, and Lan Zhan is already worried.
He can hear both sides of the conversation easily, and he's wondering whether this is about Wei Ying's biopsy.
"Any time today will be fine. The doctor will make time for you."
Wei Ying gulps and nods into the speaker, forgetting that she can't see him.
They say goodbye and Wei Ying ends the call, catching Lan Zhan's eye.
"We can go after the school run." Lan Zhan says smoothly, wanting to put Wei Ying at ease.
"But isn't Xiao XingChen coming?"
"We can pass a message on." Lan Zhan replied. He fished out his phone and rang Huaisang, explaining that he wanted the younger Nie brother to call on the last number in his call history and pass on a message for them.
Nie Huaisang was in good spirits, and immediately agreed.
Wen PoPo ushered them out as soon as he was done, and then they were on their way to school with A-Yuan and JingYi in the back. So far, the children had no idea how much Wei Ying was stressing quietly in his own head.
All the way to the playground, Lan Zhan watches Wei Ying chewing his lip nervously, and no amount of squeezing their hands together was helping. They waved bye to the kids and walked back to the car.
"I've been feeling better, lately." Wei Ying says.
"Mn." Lan Zhan can't help feeling a little smug about that. His theory, though not proved, seemed to be working so far, and it appeared to be beneficial to both of them.
"I haven't passed out again."
"Mn."
"No dizzy spells, either."
"Mn."
When they reach the car, instead of going to the driver's side, Lan Zhan wraps his arms around Wei Ying in a warm hug. He might not be able to provide the temperature, but what he lacks in that department, he more than makes up for by willpower.
His big palm rubs circles on Wei Ying's back, simultaneously soothing and comforting him.
Wei Ying sags against him, trembling.
"Why am I so scared of going back there?" He asks, wetly.
"It is alright to be scared." Lan Zhan tells him, wishing he could take that away for him. "It is the unknown, and simply human nature to be afraid."
"You aren't scared of anything." Wei Ying compares them.
"Not true. I found out yesterday, just how terrified I am of one thing." Lan Zhan doesn't even dare to say the words out loud, scared of jinxing them.
Wei Ying gasps. His arms are suddenly holding onto Lan Zhan much tighter as he begins to understand what and why Lan Zhan is afraid of.
"I'm so sorry. I know...yesterday, when the kids came to us, I thought, God, that was so irresponsible of me. To just go off with a random stranger like that, what if something happened-"
"It is alright." Lan Zhan feels just as distressed as he is, remembering yesterday's reunion with their children.
"I promise, Lan Zhan, my love, my heart, I won't make that mistake again. I'm sticking by your side, no matter what," he promises, fervently.
Lan Zhan's lips find his forehead and he kisses Wei Ying sweetly. They need to get a move on because today is another packed day of one thing after another, and yet, Lan Zhan doesn't want to let him go.
"Well, I guess there's no avoiding it. Let's go and get it over with." Wei Ying kisses his cheek and lets go of Lan Zhan, who holds the door open for him, waiting until Wei Ying makes himself comfortable before closing it.
Lan Zhan slides in behind the wheel and then they're on their way.
Wei Ying is feeling better about going, after all, and he knows it's because Lan Zhan is so caring about him. The hug really helped. He reaches over and holds Lan Zhan's hand, and they share a soft smile.
Everything will be okay.
No matter what they have to face, as long as they are together, they can pass any test the Universe decides to throw their way.
************
The doctor's waiting room seemed too quiet.
The ticking clock seems too loud in the silence of the room, and there's nothing but the clicking of fingers on a keyboard as the receptionist taps away on her computer. Wei Ying hasn't let go of Lan Zhan's hand once; ever since they got out of the car and came inside.
The doctor opens his door and invites them in.
Wei Ying's legs feel like lead, but he forces himself to walk and follows Lan Zhan inside.
"Please, take a seat." The doctor goes to sit behind his desk. "The results of your biopsy have come in," he pauses, looking down at them over his glasses. "I'm afraid we can detect cancerous cells and everything is pointing to..."
Wei Ying isn't listening anymore.
The doctor carries on speaking but it's white noise, a humming sound existing outside of the periphery of his ears.
Cancer.
That's not good.
Everything Wei Ying knows about that is terrible. It means operations, it could mean chemotherapy, and that was another nightmare, all by itself.
He's not sure how long they sit there, talking. It's mostly the doctor, with Lan Zhan asking questions of his own; it all goes over his head.
"Can we have a copy of the results?" Lan Zhan says, looking at Wei Ying.
The fact that there's been no response from Wei Ying at all, is more worrying than what the doctor was telling them. He had proposed more tests and was trying to schedule appointments, when Lan Zhan said they were going to consult a family friend too, not because they didn't trust that doctor, but because the family friend worked in a facility specialising in such cases.
The doctor was miffed anyway, in spite of Lan Zhan's reassurances, and it was with a lot of reluctance that he made copies of the results and handed them over.
Meanwhile, Wei Ying was processing that word.
So what if it was cancer?
What exactly did that change?
What would it change?
Was he going to stop living his best life?
No.
No, because that would be giving up, and Wei Ying was no quitter. He could fight this thing, of that, he was sure.
And as the moments ticked by, he became surer with every thought.
He had Lan Zhan, and he had his family, and together they could win. Wei Ying wasn't going anywhere soon, and he was going to fight.
When they step out into the sun, that's when Wei Ying comes back to himself, and he tugs on Lan Zhan's hand, stopping him from walking on ahead.
Just for a few moments, Wei Ying closes his eyes against the brilliant light, lifting his face up and absorbing the warmth. He feels so much lighter at the revelation inside himself, a wonder at the hidden strength he didn't know he had. It's such a peaceful feeling, to know that he's ready to face anything, come what may.
Lan Zhan isn't sure what to think.
He's been taking in everything the doctor was telling them, well, him, because Wei Ying sure as anything wasn't listening to whatever he was saying. He doesn't know what's going on in Wei Ying's mind, but he knows with a great amount of certainty that no matter what, he's going to help Wei Ying through this.
But now, Lan Zhan is impatient, too.
He's had a sneaking suspicion about his theory and he really wants to reach Baoshan Sanren now. The test she performed on Wei Ying's blood should confirm his thoughts on what was going on with Wei Ying, and he wants to do it now and now.
He doesn't want Wei Ying to suffer any more doubts.
When Wei Ying opens his beautiful eyes, Lan Zhan's breath drifts away.
There has never been anyone as beautiful to him as Wei Ying is, in this timeless moment. The way his face is shining, radiant from the glow of the warm sunlight, highlighting the dusting of cute freckles across his button nose, and the faint flush across his cheeks, deepening with every second more that Lan Zhan spends in unabashed admiration for this wonderful soul.
Wei Ying is everything to him.
And then, Wei Ying smiles.
It slowly grows bigger, wider, and Lan Zhan discovers that he's been wrong.
Wei Ying is beautiful anyway.
But when he smiles like this, he slays.
Lan Zhan is ready to fall at his feet in a humble worship of this man, so gracefully stunning to reward him with this gift.
He has lost count of the many times Wei Ying has made him fall in love with him, again and again.
Only Wei Ying can come out of a place that has given him possibly the worst news he's ever heard, and still be smiling.
Lan Zhan is in simple awe.
"Come here." His voice is hoarse, raw with feeling as he hugs Wei Ying once more.
Whether he is worthy or not of loving this captivating man, Lan Zhan doesn't care anymore. He is going to spend the rest of their lives together proving it.
"I'm okay, my love." Wei Ying whispers in his ear.
Yes, Lan Zhan thinks. We will be.
****************
When they pull up outside Wei Ying's apartment building, Xiao XingChen is already there.
Wei Ying smiles even more brightly, tugging Lan Zhan along with him.
"Let's go see grandma!" He beams.
Lan Zhan just wants to hold him tightly, protect him from anything that would try to hurt him. Wei Ying is his shooting star, and Lan Zhan will follow him to the ends of the earth.
This time on the drive to the National Parks and Rec building, they pay attention.
Lan Zhan is memorising the route.
Wei Ying is seeing everything in a new light.
His face is pressed up against the window, watching the sunlight glinting off other cars, how the huge trucks resemble dragons with their upright exhaust pipes, and how the metal pylons look like two Mexicans dancing together with their arms around each other.
He sees every flower, the colours and the hues so perfect and beautiful. And the contrasting blue skies, the surest sign of summer.
They enter past a set of unassuming double doors into an empty lot which leads to a downwinding curvaceous road, ending in the garage filled with priceless cars.
"No music today?" Wei Ying asks Xiao XingChen, after they get out of the car.
Xiao XingChen glances at both of them before answering.
"It seemed to upset you two...so I thought it might be better not to."
"I wasn't upset!" Wei Ying claimed, blushing brightly because he had cried.
"Mn. The music may be played if the driver wishes for it." Lan Zhan says quietly.
He still hasn't forgiven this person for taking away his Wei Ying yesterday, and he was even more upset when he found out that Xiao XingChen had said Lan Zhan was in danger.
Perhaps today, they would find out why he had said such a thing.
*************
Baoshan Sanren hugs both of them when she sees them emerging from the elevator.
"Good morning, children." She purposefully grins at Lan Zhan, as if already knowing how much that would annoy him.
They go straight to the room with the brightly burning fire, and make themselves comfortable.
"Drink?" She offers, with a wicked smile.
Wei Ying laughs awkwardly and shakes his head, glancing at Lan Zhan's face.
Lan Zhan feels on edge, impatient even, more so than yesterday. There's so much to talk about, so much to discuss, and yet no one is saying anything.
The silence deepens as Baoshan Sanren pours herself a glass of something pink and fruity this time. She offers some to Xiao XingChen but he, too, declines.
"Grandmother, we had to go and visit the doctor this morning." Wei Ying says, shifting closer to Lan Zhan on the couch.
This time, it's Lan Zhan who takes his hand, entwining their fingers together.
"Oh, what about?" She says this lightly, but her serious grey eyes betray her interest.
"The biopsy results." Lan Zhan stands up to hand her the papers containing information about Wei Ying.
She gives them a perfunctory glance and goes back to studying them.
"You don't seem very interested." Lan Zhan says, with a hard look at her.
"That's because I'm not," she replies with a grin.
Wei Ying's hand trembles in his, and Lan Zhan has had enough.
"Why not?" It's accompanied with a glare strong enough to melt a small planet.
She throws back her head and laughs, thoroughly amused.
"Young people, these days..." She hums to herself. "Last night, both of you were intoo much of a hurry to remember we were awaiting the results of our own test."
She stands to go to her own desk where she retrieves a black file.
Wei Ying sits up straighter, eager to learn more.
"Would you like to know what this contains?"
************
A/N
Dear Beautiful and Patient (see that capital P??) Readers,
Yes, we have another cliffhanger!!
I told my brother about some of your comments and he said I should really drive you up the wall by telling you guys that I'm ditching this book now! 🤣🤣🤣
But I'm not that cruel and he finds that even more funny.
The truth is, I have to go to work and my time is limited for now. However, since the response to this book has been phenomenal for me, I always want to update this one and give you something to look forward to.
So happy chocolate eating until tonight,
Charlie