Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are riding up in the elevator, in Baoshan Sanren's underground fortress, when Wei Ying remembers something.
He's still tired, but that might be the peripheral feeling of sleeping too much after staying awake too long, and Wei Ying really needs some strong coffee now. He tugs on Lan Zhan's hand, already joined together.
"Mn?" Lan Zhan hasn't been able to look away, not since Wei Ying woke up.
He can't stop touching him, either, and for now, Lan Zhan doesn't want to question it.
"So you know what you were saying about when I'm making people feel like I want them to feel? I reckon we can add a couple more things to that. And I can definitely say that they're new traits, because for sure, I didn't have them before."
Lan Zhan looks into beautiful silver eyes, so much calmer now than in the past few days. His Wei Ying is radiant, like a freshly ignited candle chasing away the darkness.
"Such as?" He pulls Wei Ying closer just to be able to kiss his forehead.
"Well, do you remember when we found the underground room at the Lan Manor? I thought we hit a dead end, and then you showed us the keyhole where this was supposed to fit?" Wei Ying pulls out the priceless locket on the black string around his neck. For now, he's removed the clunky HeartStone from it, keeping that second priceless part safely in his pocket.
"Wei Ying figured it out by himself," Lan Zhan says, proudly.
"Um, so kind of? I've been having weird dreams lately. And I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier, but that was partly because I wasn't sure what I was seeing exactly, and I didn't want to worry you, and also by the time I realised it, we were neck-deep in fighting vampires."
They step out of the lift onto the floor where Baoshan Sanren's office is, and they make their way towards it slowly.
"What kind of weird dreams?"
"The premonition type weird dreams? It's really hard to explain, because when they're happening, I don't know what I'm seeing, or what it could be related to. And they don't happen all the time, but I think it's when I'm stressed about what is going to happen." Wei Ying's brow is furrowed, as he struggles to explain.
"Like your mother?" As always, Lan Zhan is able to reach the crux of the matter.
"Yeah...?" Wei Ying is scared to admit it. "The thing is, I don't know how much of that is wishful thinking, like...I'm projecting because I want to feel closer to her, or if it's really real. But every time I had to figure out stuff about the locket and the HeartStone, it's like my subconscious already knew what to do."
"Perhaps Wei Ying is overthinking this part." Lan Zhan brings their joined hands up to his lips, kissing Wei Ying's side.
"What do you mean?"
They stop outside the double doors of the office, neither wanting to interrupt this conversation right now.
"Does it matter how this gift appeared? And wanting to be close to those who have passed is not such a bad thing. We can let things happen without thinking about them too hard, for now. Meaning, the origins of the gift don't necessarily matter, and it is a waste of energy to focus on that, rather than simply embracing the gift itself. Wei Ying said a couple, so what else has changed?" Lan Zhan places both of his hands on Wei Ying's shoulders so that they are facing each other. "Please tell me."
"Oh, well, you're gonna love this one. I'm much stronger. I mean, it may have been the adrenaline spike because it was just after we found your phone, and you were missing, and then I really hate being threatened-"
"Who. Threatened. You?" Lan Zhan demanded, growling.
"That Jin what's-his-name. He had a sword and-" Wei Ying is getting breathless, impossibly turned on by the ferocity in those beloved golden eyes. Now is not the time, he tells himself, inducing a shiver.
Lan Zhan looks as if he could demolish a tower block with his bare hands right now.
"Where is he?" Lan Zhan is already striding back towards the elevator, and Wei Ying has to jump over the black sofa in his way, in order to beat him to it.
"Wait, wait!" Both his hands land on Lan Zhan's chest, momentarily stopping his progress.
Wei Ying swallows hard, wondering how they got from relaxed and happy to this.
Lan Zhan's hands clench as if he's stopping himself from physically picking Wei Ying up and removing him out of his way.
"I asked you a question," he bites out, instead.
"He's dealt with," Wei Ying risks waving a hand in the air vaguely, as though that made it alright. "Remember? I told you what I did to him." Wei Ying blushes, his smile disappearing slowly. "But that's not the point." He brings a now willing Lan Zhan to the sofa to sit down, positioning himself right next to him so their thighs are aligned and touching.
It's a sweet warmth, one Lan Zhan thinks he will never get tired of. But he's still annoyed that someone tried to hurt his Wei Ying.
"Then?" Lan Zhan makes a mental note to search out the yellow-suited perpetrator later and teach him a real lesson. For now, he wants to concentrate on what Wei Ying wants to tell him.
"My point is, I was strong enough to hold him up just by his throat. He must weigh at least a hundred and seventy pounds, right?" Wei Ying flexes his right arm, making a fist. "With these guns?"
Lan Zhan snorts.
Wei Ying is slim, and his biceps are defined but nowhere near someone who regularly trains and works out.
"Hey! Don't laugh at my muscles! They're babies! They'll get upset." He kisses his own slight bump on his upper arm.
Lan Zhan pulls him closer, kissing the top of his head.
That they can finally relax now is a miracle by itself.
"So are you saying that Wei Ying's super strength was a result of my venom?"
"Well, yeah, cos you know, we regularly um...during Papapa..." the blush across his beautiful cheeks is simply adorable.
Lan Zhan pushes him down, capturing his lips in a second.
He's surrounded by the scent of lotus flowers and mouth watering vanilla, it's such a deliciousness all wrapped up in this lovely package called Wei Ying, his beauty stealing Lan Zhan's heart and mind at every opportunity.
Wei Ying is taking his time, the tip of his tongue tracing the outer line of Lan Zhan's mouth, and tasting him fully, before it dips past his razor sharp canines to curl and twist with his tongue. Lan Zhan reels himself back to patiently wait, to savour each lick because he's even more careful with this beautiful, precious man.
Whatever he wants to do with Wei Ying will have to wait until they are alone, but for now, he lets Wei Ying take the lead.
They are both out of breath and dazed when Lan Zhan leans away finally, at the end of his self control. He sits up, and helps Wei Ying to rise, surreptitiously making sure he's alright. He knows that the past forty eight hours have taken their toll on his fiance, and the last thing he wants is for Wei Ying to push his limits too far.
He would have made sure that Wei Ying ate something too, but he wanted to go home and share a meal with their children. The plan was to ask Mo XuanYu if he wanted to join them, and take him home too.
"I have a question for you, though," Wei Ying is saying, as he straightens his t-shirt.
Da Tuzi had brought them a change of clean clothes after they had rested and showered, and while Lan Zhan was in favour of burning their suits, Wei Ying had suggested keeping them to commemorate their monumental victory against those wishing to unbalance the fragile relationship between vampires and humans.
Who knew how much of whatever happened last night and yesterday would need to be taught to future generations? If at all?
But it was proof of their sacrifice, especially those that did not make it.
Wei Ying reaches up to kiss his cheek, grounding him and bringing Lan Zhan back to the present.
"Mn?" There are times Lan Zhan is ever grateful for that word.
"So I was wondering, is it just me that you can fully sense everything I'm feeling, or everyone? And why?"
"I have a theory about that," Lan Zhan tells him. He's been thinking about this a lot, and he has an idea why Wei Ying is different to him.
Wei Ying nudges him to expand on that, hugging his arm to his chest.
"From the moment I saw Wei Ying, my first instinct aside from curiosity, was to protect you." Lan Zhan thinks back to that fateful first day, when he could finally move. And then he inadvertently scares Wei Ying, that first smell so strong of sour blood, and his nose wrinkles at the memory. "Right from the start, I hated that Wei Ying was frightened of me. I wanted to stop that happening immediately, that's why I had moved away, to save you from myself."
Lan Zhan's hand brings up their clasped unit to his lips, lingering on the soft skin and letting his lips caress the back of his hand. Every part of Wei Ying was a delight to experience, like unwrapping the most sought after gift with the knowledge that it was finally his.
Wei Ying belongs to him, just like he belongs to Wei Ying.
There's a certain sweetness that grows in his chest at this realisation. The firmness of their belief in each other, the trust that has grown daily between them until they can successfully predict what the other is thinking and feeling. This connection is truly a miracle, one that the Fates have gifted them. Lan Zhan would even go so far as to say that perhaps, he and Wei Ying might even have known each other in a past life.
Wei Ying has been watching all the changing emotions swirling like the glittering golden sands of desert dunes in his beautiful ochre eyes, the intensity similar to aged Amber from days gone by. Everything Lan Zhan is feeling is like a direct reflection of Wei Ying's own heart, the same thoughts and feelings surging through him as well.
"So you think our connection is what's making your senses more in tune with me? As opposed to say, MianMian?"
Wei Ying couldn't have picked a more random person.
Lan Zhan snorts under his breath, not wanting to laugh out loud at the ludicrous statement, but it's close.
"My olfactory sense is a hundred times better than my human past one, and yet, I only get a passing glimpse of what others are going through. The difference could be compared to an old watercolour picture, and a high resolution HD digital print." Lan Zhan thinks he can allow himself to be smug in this; it's retribution for Wei Ying suggesting Lan Zhan shared their closeness with another.
"And would you say it was a spiritual connection? Or because of our 'everyday' activities? We're not just sharing venom and blood, but it could be a contributing factor." Wei Ying taps the side of his nose thoughtfully.
"The Papapa came later," Lan Zhan insists, reflecting on the progression of their relationship, the early stages compared to the later ones. "In the beginning, even before we kissed for the first time, Wei Ying's safety was my primary concern."
"Hmm, I guess you're right," Wei Ying stands up and his stomach launches into a solo cabaret act, complete with kicking and screaming in protest.
"Let's get Mo XuanYu and go home." Lan Zhan replies, talking to his tummy rather than Wei Ying.
**********
A/N
Dear wonderful patient readers,
I know it's been too long since I updated this book, but please rest assured, there are going to be regular updates from now on. I promise to finish this one first before starting a new book, scout's honour!
Thank you so much for waiting and letting me finish other commitments so I can concentrate on this one fully.
Lots of chocolate 🍫 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 for all of you!
Charlie