CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE AND MENTIONS OF SUICIDE (TO THE BAD GUY)
If this bothers you, or presents a problem, please skip until the asterisk line.
***************
Wei Ying's blood runs cold.
This is the same vampire who wants to expose all of them to the human world, to put everyone in danger, he thinks. All of his family, including Lan Zhan.
So Wei Ying takes a deep breath to whistle, and immediately, the vampire clamps a hand over his mouth, grinning wickedly.
"Uh, uh, uh...naughty, naughty. Can't have you controlling me like that, can we?" He leans even closer, whispering in Wei Ying's ear.
Wei Ying feels utterly revolted, having this filth touching him at all, let alone right up in his personal space. He knows he's panicking on the inside and he sharply tells himself to snap out of it.
"You, my sweet little bird of fancy, are quite the valuable asset," Vladimir continues, his greasy voice causing chills to erupt on Wei Ying's clammy skin.
Wei Ying tries to shake his head in denial, but the vice-like grip on his face renders it useless.
"Imagine my surprise to learn that not only can you control the dead, a.k.a. us, but it's your blood that holds the key to walking in the sun?" He laughs again.
It makes Wei Ying's skin crawl. He has to find a way to get a message to Lan Zhan, because this could get really ugly, really fast. He's staring back in the mirror at this vampire, far too close for comfort, looking into his eyes. And then, Wei Ying realises that he has another trick up his sleeve, one that Vladimir doesn't know about.
If he's lucky.
Right now, Vladimir is studying him back, trying to work out what he's thinking. So Wei Ying wills his body to relax. It's a feat in itself, because his instincts are telling him to fight back, to run away, something! But Wei Ying forces his breathing to slow down like Lan Zhan taught him, and he begins to go completely limp.
"Originally, when I saw you fighting those feral creatures, I wondered which way you would swing, given the choice. After all, you're a human," he spits out venomously. "Just a food source for your betters." He grins at the animosity in Wei Ying's eyes, as his anger fights back. "That's right, let's see what you really think," he says triumphantly, as if he's just won something.
Wei Ying reigns in his feelings. He's got to make this work.
He's all alone here, and even if, IF he found a way to call Lan Zhan here, this vampire was ruthless enough to kill him with a single swipe of his sharp talons across Wei Ying's neck.
So no, if anyone was going to save him, it had to be himself.
Wei Ying warns himself not to get riled up so easily, because surely, now that this vermin has realised how to get a rise out of him, he's definitely going to try again. All Wei Ying has to do is keep him talking for his plan to work. Luckily, he's always been able to think on his feet.
"Then I thought, what is that old hag's weakness? The way she was fawning over you, and then when I learned that she was your grandmother? Of course, it all made sense, then. So, all I have to do is take you, and she'll do whatever I say. And in the meantime, I can enjoy a little snack, now and again." He bares his teeth, bringing his mouth ever closer to the pulse point on Wei Ying's neck.
It's now or never!
Wei Ying slams his feelings into the vampire, thoughts of killing himself powers into him, pouring his melancholic sorrow and the uselessness he used to feel when he was younger, magnifying it into his core and projecting outwards towards this vile being. He needs to get inside his mind.
His purpose for going limp, for hiding his own fighting spirit was exactly this: if Vladimir thought Wei Ying was giving up, he would not be alerted to his plan, which was to subdue Vladimir through empathy. Wei Ying's ability to harm the Jin guy that night was still a source of his nightmares, and he used that power now.
He might not have the aid of the array that his grandmother used, but Wei Ying has to try!
Thought after thought, he rams them into Vladimir's mind like bullets, relentlessly attacking him with despair and hopelessness, waiting for for him to loosen his hold over Wei Ying's mouth, and when that doesn't happen, Wei Ying forces his own jaw open to bite on those disgusting fingers as hard as he can.
With a yelp, Vladimir wrenches his hand away and it's the opening Wei Ying was waiting for. His hands are ready: one reaches into his left pocket to take out the HeartStone and his right has his locket out, snapping them together in a split second, along with the terrifying whistle that leaves his mouth.
Vladimir had been just about to attack when he's frozen in place.
Wei Ying holds onto the water basin at his side, trying to figure out what to do next, before someone comes in. He's still shaking, coming to terms with just how much danger he was in.
He settles for calling his grandmother.
She picks up on the first ring.
"A-Ying?"
"Hey, grandmother, you're never going to guess what happened..."
************
Wei Ying had found an 'Out of Order' sign that he hung on the door outside of the men's toilets, and then he sat on a space next to the basins, his back to the mirror, swinging his legs.
He texted Lan Zhan, explaining what had happened and that he was safe.
The message probably wouldn't get through until Lan Zhan left the actual theatre, since in the past, Wei Ying had always noticed the lack of signal in there.
Then he settled down to wait.
Lan Zhan was going to go ballistic.
In that, he didn't feel any sympathy for this asshole, probably glaring at the floor. Wei Ying had chosen on purpose to sit where he didn't have to look at his face. As it was, he was probably going to have nightmares about this for a long time to come.
Baoshan Sanren knocked on the door, no less than fifteen minutes after Wei Ying called her, ready to kick it down - the only thing that stopped her was Wei Ying's explanation of the situation and what he'd done.
Thankfully, she came prepared.
When Wei Ying opened the door to the sound of her voice, she swept him up in a fierce hug, while Xiao XingChen and Song Lan rushed past her, ready to act.
Baoshan Sanren checks him, patting his arms to make sure he's alright. Only when she's satisfied, she steps back with a scowl aimed at the blond vampire.
"Don't start without me," Wei Ying says quickly, racing back to the theatre.
He knew that Lan Zhan wouldn't leave the children alone there, but he must be worried because Wei Ying had been gone for far too long already. Nothing except explosive diarrhoea could explain his absence, he thinks, trying to be as quiet as he can.
He slips into the empty seat next to an alert and waiting Lan Zhan, grabbing his hand.
"I'm okay," he starts off with that, and even by the light of the screen on Lan Zhan's face, he can already tell it was the wrong thing to say. Wei Ying shifts in his place so his mouth is closer to Lan Zhan's ear, just so that the children can't hear what he has to say. "Vladimir found me in the bathroom, it's okay, it's okay," he explains and then has to reassure Lan Zhan quickly, as he squeezes their hands.
"Are you alright?" Lan Zhan asks him anyway, his eyes darting all over Wei Ying's body, searching for anything wrong.
"I'm okay now," Wei Ying realises as he says the words, understanding that his fears were mostly tied around Lan Zhan not knowing where he was. "My grandmother is here, with Uncle Chen and Song Lan. And she's pissed." That's an understatement.
Lan Zhan's face goes through a myriad of emotions, from panic to a flash of fear, and then it rests in a cold glare.
Wei Ying knows it's not aimed at him, but it's still unnerving. Especially because he has more to add.
"I've got to go back, but I knew you'd worry cos I wasn't back in time." He glances pointedly at the children. "She'll probably take him back to her place, but I don't wanna scare the kids. Let me go deal with all that?" He also didn't want to let Vladimir know about his children, not that Lan Zhan would bring them anywhere near him, but his instincts were screaming to get rid of the threat as quickly and discreetly as possible.
Lan Zhan has to think about it, and to be fair, it's only a few seconds later that he's nodding and bringing Wei Ying's hand up to his mouth. "Be safe," he says, placing the gentlest kiss on the soft, smooth skin, before reluctantly letting him go.
Wei Ying can feel his gaze following him out, all the way until Lan Zhan can't see him anymore. He wishes he could've stayed there with his family and not go back to that bathroom, but it has to be done. With a deep sigh, he pushes the door open and goes in.
Vladimir is still standing in the same position as Wei Ying had left him, but the only difference is that his cheeks are much, much redder than before.
And both Xiao XingChen and Song Lan are now leaning against the back wall of this place, watching as Baoshan Sanren slaps the flogger in her hand against her palm menacingly.
By the looks of it, she's already put it to good use.
She glances at Wei Ying when he enters.
"We can't move him, but can you release just his mouth? I want some answers." She sounds dead serious.
"Yeah? So do I, but let me try and figure it out?"
She nods and Wei Ying is closing his eyes like his grandfather told him to. He concentrates on the light, the aura of this blond vampire, easy to pick out from the other three in this room. He starts to realise that it's just as easy as pinching his finger and thumb on his phone screen to enlarge the image, except this is a mental pinch.
He can zero in on Vladimir and concentrate on just his face. From there, it's a minimum effort to free his mouth.
It curls in distaste.
"How did you find out about my grandson's blood?" Baoshan Sanren fires off her question at him.
But Vladimir purses his lips, refusing to answer. The look in his clear dark eyes is full of loathing, and he's not going to make this easy.
Baoshan Sanren jumps around so fast, at first Wei Ying doesn't know anything happened, except for the whooshing sound, and then he sees the red mark on Vladimir's face.
There's only the cruel mocking grin on his lips, but he remains silent.
"I'm not a patient person," she says, nodding at Xiao XingChen, who eases off the wall in a casual move.
He almost saunters around to stand in front of Vladimir. His hand whips out without warning, grabbing Vladimir's chin and holding his gaze, compelling him.
"You will answer every question put to you," Xiao XingChen commands him.
For Wei Ying, it is fascinating to watch the change, as clear dark eyes become muddy and filled with haze. Xiao XingChen turns to Baoshan Sanren and nods: it is done.
"How did you find out about my grandson's blood?" Baoshan Sanren repeats, staring down Vladimir.
"I took some samples when we were there last, a couple of weeks ago." Vladimir answers in a monotone, no emotion in his voice.
Baoshan Sanren shoots a worried glance at Wei Ying, before resuming her interrogation.
"Did you tell anyone about it?"
"No."
"Did you take any more?"
"Yes."
"Where did you keep them?"
Vladimir gives them a location.
Baoshan Sanren gives Xiao XingChen a look, and he's already on it, having pulled out his phone.
"A-Qing." That's all he has to say to satisfy Baoshan Sanren.
"What exactly did you plan on doing by taking my grandson?"
"I wanted a fresh taste. Stale blood is no longer appetising." Vladimir replies in the most ordinary tone.
Oh.
It takes Wei Ying a couple of seconds to fully understand what he meant: he was going to bite and feed from Wei Ying.
"Why?" Baoshan Sanren looks as revolted as Wei Ying feels.
"His blood is superior. It should be freely available."
She slaps his face hard enough to make his face jerk backwards.
Wei Ying can see it on her face, she's livid. But when she looks back at Wei Ying, she makes a serious effort to transform her features back into a normal expression.
"Okay, that's enough. Let's take him back and deal with him in the basement," she commands.
Xiao XingChen takes one of his arms and Song Lan takes his other one, and they lift him up slightly off the ground so if they're spotted by anyone, it looks like they're helping their friend. They leave the bathroom, and Baoshan Sanren is just about to say something when Wei Ying holds up his hand and with the other, covers his mouth as he runs into the nearest stall to throw up everything he ate earlier.
A wet paper towel on the back of his neck makes it better, but he's trembling.
Each imagined scenario that his vivid mind comes up with makes him feel worse: he's had a very narrow escape from a deranged killer.
He knows how dangerous his situation was, and he can't believe he was alone here, with Vladimir, waiting for backup, when the blond vampire was probably thinking up different ways of feeding from him.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Baoshan Sanren tells him, rubbing his back as Wei Ying splashes his face with cold water. "How do you feel now?" She asks him sympathetically.
"A little better. I have to be. Lan Zhan...the boys." He swallows hard. "We were going to celebrate today. Social services called, the court hearing is on the 24th of November...we get to keep JingYi." The more Wei Ying talks about something else, the easier it becomes to be stronger.
"Congratulations!" She replies warmly. "I can't imagine better parents for them." She cocks her head, listening. "They're waiting outside. Do you feel ready to face them?"
"Er...I think so," Wei Ying says, not feeling it at all.
"You're not fooling anyone, Haizi. What's up?" Baoshan Sanren pulls him into a comforting hug.
"I don't want them to see me like this," he admits.
"Silly boy." Her arms tighten. "I get it about the kids, of course you don't want them to worry about you. But you shouldn't hide how you feel from A-Zhan."
"I don't want him to worry about me, either. With the cancer and then, all this craziness about the Wens..."
"Is it such a bad thing? For him to worry about you? You have to let him do that, child. It's his right to feel however he wants to, and you're not responsible for his feelings, nor do you get any say in dictating them. He WANTS to worry about you, and should let him. It's a bonding thing." She pats his back and releases him. "Let him worry."
Everything she's saying makes sense to Wei Ying, and he feels much better for it.
"Yeah...you're right." He gives her a small smile.
Deeming him okay for now, she kisses his forehead and takes him by the hand to open the door.
The children beam and cheer when they see her, and then they're begging to go back with her to play in her ball pit.
"Let them come with me, while you deal with stuff," she says meaningfully to Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, who had immediately pulled Wei Ying to his side when the boys had let go of his hands to hug their great-grandmother.
Wei Ying rubs his temple in frustration.
He knows she's right; he's in no state to be having 'fun' with the children. If he's honest, he just wants to lie down in a dark room and not think about anything.
"I guess we can go celebrate some other time," he agrees.
They walk out together, and Wei Ying is relieved not to see his uncle's white Mercedes in the parking lot. That means they've already left with Vladimir.
Baoshan Sanren had parked right next to Lan Zhan's white car, her Bugatti catching the autumn sunlight.
"I promise I'll stay with them, no one else," she tells them, removing booster seats from the trunk.
JingYi is too busy explaining fun facts to A-Yuan about the vehicle they're getting into, and since neither of them have noticed that anything is wrong with their Baba or Lan Zhan, they happily kiss them goodbye.
Wei Ying waves at them as they drive off, and only when her car is no longer visible, he lets his facade crack. Thankfully, Lan Zhan hasn't let go of him once, so it's easy to turn and burrow into his embrace.
Lan Zhan could smell just how disturbed Wei Ying is, the turmoil of his feelings, a concoction of fear and hatred of Vladimir and the sudden danger of what had happened to him earlier.
Minutes fly by and yet, Wei Ying can't bring himself to let go of Lan Zhan.
The parking lot is getting busier, and they get a lot of unwanted attention with people staring at them as they walk past them, but neither cares.
It's only when Wei Ying slumps into him, Lan Zhan's hold tightens.
"What does Wei Ying want to do?" He whispers gently.
"I think I wanna lie down. I just want to forget." Wei Ying tells him desperately.
"I can help Wei Ying do that."
**********
Lan Zhan brings Wei Ying to their apartment instead of taking him to the manor. His instincts tell him that whatever Wei Ying is going through, he wants to do it in private.
He's dealing with his own feelings about that morning as well.
As the minutes ticked by in that mostly empty cinema, Lan Zhan had known something was wrong because Wei Ying had taken way too long away from him. But his hands were figuratively tied because of the children, and his responsibility towards keeping them safe: leaving them alone to watch the film was NOT an option.
When Wei Ying had come back to him near the end of the movie, it had taken all of Lan Zhan's strength to let him go again, when all he wanted to do was wrap him up in his arms and keep him safe.
To reassure himself that Wei Ying was okay, and no longer in danger.
On the way home, Wei Ying tells him everything that happened afterwards, and of his Grandmother's interrogation of the blond bastard.
Even thinking about him makes Lan Zhan volatile, his canines and talons coming out as a natural response to the threat to his mate.
In no time at all, he runs a bath for Wei Ying, remembering his disgusted shiver when he told Lan Zhan how close Vladimir got to him.
The tired smile he gets in return is worth it.
This time, he doesn't get in with Wei Ying. He rolls up his sleeves and begins a regime of aftercare, helping Wei Ying scrub up and wash his hair. The hot water relaxes his muscles and the fragrance of bergamot and vanilla soothes his frazzled nerves. This combined with Lan Zhan's attention makes Wei Ying drowsy and he's mostly asleep by the time they're done.
Lan Zhan knows how an adrenaline crash can be exhausting, and sleep is the best thing for Wei Ying right now.