Red Chrysanthemums for Wei Ying

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38150695.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: F/F, M/M
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng | Jiang
Wanyin & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli & Wei Ying | Wei
Wuxian, Luo "Mian Mian" Qingyang/Wen Qing, Wei Ying | Wei
Wuxian/Wen Chao
Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng | Jiang
Wanyin, Wen Chao (Modao Zushi), Wen Qing (Modao Zushi), Luo
"Mian Mian" Qingyang, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Jiang Yanli, Original
Characters, Nie Huaisang
Additional Tags: Wen Chao Being an Asshole (Modao Zushi), Creepy Wen Chao (Modao
Zushi), POV Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying |
Wei Wuxian Get a Happy Ending, Pining Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Soft
Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Friends to Lovers,
Getting Together, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Stalker!Wen
Chao, Artist! Wei Ying, Lawyer! Lan Zhan, Pining Lan Zhan | Lan
Wangji, Protective Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Eventual Smut, Alternate
Universe - College/University, Stalker, Stalking, Wei Ying and
Mianmian are best friends, References to Drugs, Date Rape
Drug/Roofies, Attempted Sexual Assault, Attempted Murder, Wen Chao
Bashing (Modao Zushi), Top Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Hurt Wei Ying |
Wei Wuxian, Bottom Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying's cannon horny
mouth, no one listens to Wei Ying, Dramatic, please call someone if
you're being stalked, please read the tags, Eventual Happy Ending,
Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury,
Alcohol, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian is Loved, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin
Loves Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying loves his brother, Siblings
Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wen Chao is a
shit, I think someone beats him, no one likes Wēn Cháo, Lesbian Wen
Qing (Modao Zushi), BAMF Wen Qing (Modao Zushi), Hospitalization,
very brief - Freeform, Sex, im an asexual lesbian, I'll figure it out,
Eventual Romance, WangXian, Jin Guangshan Being an Asshole, Victim
Blaming, Seriously homie says its wei yings fault, Dont be a blamer,
Sexual Assault
Language: English
Collections: Books Read - Completed (GMODC)
Stats: Published: 2022-04-03 Completed: 2022-04-27 Words: 104,884
Chapters: 17/17
 Red Chrysanthemums for Wei Ying
by AvoOwO

Summary

Wei Ying has a pretty okay life: a wonderful sister and nephew, his beloved brother who he'd
die for, and a seemingly unrequited crush on his best friend. It's pretty standard: go to class,
cry over his senior art exhibit, fight with Jiang Cheng over who busted their lock, place
multiple reports on some guy following him, and make sure Wen Chao stays one hundred
feet away from him. Life is pretty good. At least until the stalker problem starts and things go
batshit.

The universe has a hard on for watching Wei Ying suffer.

Notes

This fic will be updated as I write, hopefully with decently long updates and much to be
covered. Not every chapter will deal with the stalking, as I do want to develop relationships
outside of the stalking focus.

Please heed the tags. Sexual assault, roofies, stalking, attempted injury, dealing with assault
aftermath, blood, injuries, and threats of bodily harm will be present in the fic. I'll specifically
mark chapters with heavy warnings needed.
 Chapter One

“Did you know our lock is busted?”

Jiang Cheng pauses, hauling his laptop bag’s strap over his shoulder again as he hefts a
canvas back under his arm. “What do you mean ‘busted’? Again?” Wei Ying shrugs, popping
his own canvas pile up so he doesn’t drop any. Again.

“Yeah, I went up this morning because I forgot my laptop, and the lock was busted? Like,
whacked hard as shit with a crowbar busted? Scared the fuck out of me, but security swept
the apartment and they said it seemed like no one had stepped in.” He blows a strand of hair
from his face as they take a step up towards the university’s art studios, then fumbles with the
stack in his hands as he pulls his keys out of his pocket, handing the large canvases to his
brother.

“They didn’t find anything?”

Wei Ying hums, sticking his key into his studio’s door, twisting and shoving the door open.
“No. That’s our third lock busted in the four months we’ve been back. This is getting
ridiculous.” He holds the door open for Jiang Cheng to step through, then grabs the top five
canvases his brother is holding, nudging his shoulder. “Thanks for the help, didi. Professor
Xue was gonna slit my throat if I came in again without these.”

Jiang Cheng huffs, dropping the larger canvas down on the floor unceremoniously. “Who’s
your didi?” Wei Ying grins, placing his stack on his large desk, shoving a sketchbook and a
prepped canvas away. “Do you wanna file a report on the lock? I have a lecture in a bit, but I
can file. I’m not too keen on some bastard rummaging through our shit while we’re out.”

Wei Ying shrugs, wrapping his arm around Jiang Cheng in a mock hug. His brother rolls his
eyes but makes no noticeable effort to leave his hold. “If you want? I mean, I’m not
worried?”

“Your self-preservation is shit,” Jiang Cheng snaps, eyes narrowed. “I’ll file. Last thing we
need is some weirdo in the apartment ready to stab us.”

“If they were waiting, I’d sacrifice my life for my didi,” Wei Ying says, grabbing his brother
around the neck and pulling him in to loudly kiss his cheek. Jiang Cheng sputters, shoving
Wei Ying away, and hops a good few steps away. “Don’t step away from your gege!” he
laughs, waving his hands at Jiang Cheng.

“Whatever. You're lucky I’m not slashing your shit with my keys.”

Wei Ying gasps, clutching a canvas to his chest. “They’re so expensive, Jiang Cheng, please
don’t slash them. That sounds really fun now that you say that, I might do that. Anyway! Go
enjoy filing busted locks and listening to the riveting world of…today’s Wednesday? You do
physics shit this early; that’s disgusting, didi.”
Jiang Cheng sniffed, then jabbed Wei Ying with his keys. "I'll come to find you after and we
can file together. You found the bust this time. They'll want to know what happened."

Wei Ying grinned. "Mhm. I can just meet you, I promised Lan Zhan I'd help him today; plus
Professor Xue wants my portfolio compositions figured out for senior gallery exhibits."

Jiang Cheng frowned at the mention of Lan Zhan, the two had a mutual dislike of the other
for reasons unknown to Wei Ying, but sighed and poked his brother in the ribs again. "That's
next year."

"Mhm. He said they'd take a while though, twenty-something pieces for exhibits, each one
with an expressed theme. Supposed to be good for the magazine people that come every year.
Gives them a range to pick." Shuffling a group of brushes and paint tubes together, Wei Ying
looped his arm with Jiang Cheng's, pulling him to exit his section of the studio. His studio
partner would be coming in soon, another junior named Luo Qingyang who liked to do her
pottery and ceramics in peace, away from Wei Ying and his loud music. "Call me when your
physics shit is done, I'll meet you."

Jiang Cheng grumbled. "Your theme should be your shitty memory. You can remember what
class I have but not if you brushed your teeth this morning."

"No, I remember I did that. Texted Shijie and everything. She was so proud of me."

Jiang Cheng smacked his shoulder. "Don't text Jie that stupid shit, she's got A-Ling to
manage." He's silent when Wei Ying locks the studio up again, readjusting his laptop strap.
"You actually brushed?"

"Yeah, you wanna smell my breath? Minty fresh, didi."

"Shut the fuck up." Jiang Cheng does, however, give him a simple pat on the shoulder. He's
not one for open affection like Jiang Yanli, who hugs and kisses her brothers and husband
with such open love, but when he does give it, Wei Ying always appreciates it a little more
than with his shijie. It's rare, but he truly always means it. Not that Yanli doesn't mean it,
she's just more open to giving it to anyone, and that's what's so sweet about her. "I'm leaving,
I'll call when I'm done. It's a shorter one today."

"Take care, didi. Learn a lot, get your brain bigger!"

Jiang Cheng huffs, rolling his eyes, and turns on his heel to leave, heading down the set of
stairs that lead away from the studios, and breaking into a jog towards the science center. Wei
Ying watches for a moment, of course making sure his cute baby brother is safe, before he
heads the opposite way towards the cafeteria where Lan Zhan, punctual as ever, will have
been waiting for him.

To put it simply, Lan Zhan was someone Wei Ying had been pining for since they were
sophomores in high school. In the beginning, he'd teased the quiet individual, a stickler for
rules and formality, until he'd forced Lan Zhan to befriend him. He had thought for the
longest time Lan Zhan hated him, until freshman year when they'd reunited in a general
English Composition class they'd both taken. Lan Zhan was the same, taller and more
handsome, and Wei Ying had quickly realized what an awakening was. Very quickly, he came
to terms with two things: his very apparent bisexuality, and his overwhelming attraction to
Lan Zhan. He would die before admitting it, but really, Wei Ying only had ever found Lan
Zhan attractive. He flirted a lot, yeah, most of it was teasing, but with Lan Zhan, he got
flustered thinking about even trying to flirt.

Now, with Wei Ying an art student and Lan Zhan studying to become a lawyer like his uncle,
the duo shared no classes, but spent most of their free time around each other, even with
vastly different personalities.

He had certainly heard campus rumors that they were dating, or Lan Zhan had lost some sort
of bet, but really, Wei Ying knew, Lan Zhan liked hanging out with him. Hopefully.

He bit his lip as he walked, then sighed dramatically, loudly, as he thought about telling him
about his lock. Lan Zhan had discovered the first lock bust with him, had sat with him as he
called Jiang Cheng, shaking, to tell him about it, but he knew nothing of the second, now
there was a third, bust. Really, if he told Lan Zhan about the bust, Wei Ying thought he'd die
if he saw Lan Zhan all mad and upset again. Wei Ying may be hurt, he'd say, and Wei Ying
would die because Lan Zhan's voice was low and baritone and very hot.

Lan Zhan as a whole was hot.

He also happened to be Wei Ying's downstairs neighbor, sharing an apartment with his older
brother until he transferred to Law School full time and that thought absolutely killed Wei
Ying. For now, he would pine and when Lan Zhan inevitably left, Wei Ying would pine some
more and die inside.

His excitement carries on as he enters the courtyard near the cafeteria, and he scans the lot for
Lan Zhan. Unfortunately, because it is indeed Wei Ying and the world has an absolute hard-
on for causing him misfortune, his quiet look for his best friend is squashed almost
gruesomely by none other than Wen fucking Chao. Wei Ying feels his mood sour, like eating
something rotten.

Wen Chao saunters, yeah like some hot dude in a movie, Wen Chao is not hot, and then his
face picks up when he scans Wei Ying, moving in and giving a grin that makes him look like,
in Wei Ying's opinion, he practiced this in the mirror.

"Wei Ying! I've been looking all over for you!" he says, and Wei Ying puts a strained smile
on, stepping back a step so he can scan the courtyard again. "You didn't answer my email,
you know? I sent it a while ago. Did you see it?" Wen Chao presses in a little more, tilting his
head a bit.

"Yeah," Wei Ying begins, moving his bag to create a barrier. "You know, I don't really check
my email? Um, a little complicated for me. Email requires a lot of brainpower, Wen Chao."
God, he sounds like an idiot, but Wen Chao won't leave him alone.

Wen Chao was a, failing as Jiang Cheng told him, business and chemistry dual-major with all
the suaveness of a toddler and a tendency to get into spats with Jiang Cheng who shared a
few labs with him. He'd tell stories about the senior who had been put on academic probation
multiple times but stayed in school only due to his father's constant threatening to sue the
university, something the school took seriously. Wei Ying had offered to aid the, at the time,
Sophomore as a Freshman since, even if his brother didn't admit it, Wei Ying did know a
thing or two about chemistry, and was more than excited to see how Wen Chao of all people
acted.

He'd offered very quickly, and Wen Chao had taken him up on the offer.

They'd studied together more than once, but Wei Ying quickly abandoned the tutoring when
Wen Chao began asking him out. Wei Ying had rejected him once, Wen Chao kept asking,
and eventually, Wei Ying just began to ignore him. Freshman year continued with Wen Chao
asking him out any chance he got. At one point, in public and when he was with his brother
and pregnant sister, Wen Chao cornered him in a store and asked. He'd quickly begun to
panic since his siblings were with him, and when Jiang Cheng found him, Wei Ying was
pissed and anxious. The duo made sure Jiang Yanli was blocked from Wen Chao's view when
they left, quickly hailing a taxi to their apartment first, then calling Jin Zixuan to pick Yanli
up.

After that, until their freshman year ended, Jiang Cheng stayed by him, walking him to
classes or the studio he shared with Luo Qingyang. Once or twice, he'd texted Wei Ying to
stay put since Wen Chao tended to lurk outside, and that just made it worse. Luo Qingyang,
Mianmian as many people called her, once or twice had also made him stay inside since Wen
Chao would stop her and ask if Wei Ying was in, enough times he and Mianmian had
complained to their overseeing professor.

Once, and only once, Wen Chao had attempted to steal her keys from her hands to get into
the studio. Luckily Wei Ying was at the hospital because his sister had given birth, and
Mianmian called him to tell him what happened and to say she was safe. Wen Qing, her
girlfriend and unfortunately Wen Chao's cousin had been with her, so she was shaken but not
hurt.

They'd told campus security, who quickly banned Wen Chao from coming near the studio
again, and the duo breathed a little easier, but both Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing personally
escorted one or both of them to the small studio if needed until freshman year ended.

Sophomore year went by quietly, Wen Chao never talked to him again, but Wei Ying was
constantly catching sight of him, and there were always stares but no attempt to approach.

He hadn't told Lan Zhan about Wen Chao, but now he kind of wished he had.

Wen Chao chuckled. "Yeah? I could…teach you? I'm surprised; you can teach me chemistry
but an email is hard for a genius like you? I could give you my number instead? I know you
know how to text, Wei Ying. We could chat a bit more?"

Wei Ying felt his eye twitch, and he let out a laugh that came out a bit more forced than he
wanted it to. "I don't have an email, at all. Emailing is like…ya know? Old? And my phone
number is reserved for…uhm…close. Close to me people. You know how it is."

"Luo Qingyang has your number."

What the fuck.

"Yeah, we share a studio. Kind of important she has my number and schedule so we know.
You wouldn't know; art student explaining to the business major. You get it." He glances
around Wen Chao, who takes a step closer, and Wei Ying finds himself grinning as he spots
the familiar white and blue ensemble of Lan Zhan, walking gracefully and properly to a
bench Wei Ying likes to sit on because the biggest fucking tree on campus is overhead and it's
a nice place to sit to draw when he has time. "Excuse me, Wen Chao. I have a friend to meet."

He brushes past the older one. He flinches when Wen Chao grabs his wrist, a confused look
on his unattractive face. "Tutoring? Who are you meeting? I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we
talked a bit more. Wei Ying, listen-"

"Please let go," Wei Ying interrupts, ripping his wrist away. "Don't grab me. Listen, I'm late, I
don't wanna piss him off, I don't know why you're emailing me, Wen Chao. Please don't.
Goodbye."

He quickly turns around, breaking into a slow jog and speeding up a bit when he hears Wen
Chao following him. "C'mon, Wei Ying!" he hears.

He huffs, but when he catches Lan Zhan's eyes, he feels a real grin pull at his face and speeds
up to leap into his arms, laughing when Lan Zhan catches him calmly, not a hair out of place.
"Lan Zhan! Good morning!"

Lan Zhan hums, standing up. "It is afternoon, Wei Ying." He tilts his head to regard Wei
Ying, then flicks his golden eyes up. Ah, he must've caught sight of Wen Chao.

Wei Ying grabs his arm, pulling a little more frantically than he means. "Walk, Lan Zhan.
Please." He tugs Lan Zhan along, frowning as the taller man slows to turn and look at Wen
Chao. "Lan Zhan! Don't look!" He pats Lan Zhan's arm and bites his lip. "I'll explain in a
minute, I swear, I just don't want him to think I'm talking about him. So, put that handsome
face forward and walk, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan, bless him, raises an eyebrow but obediently does as told as Wei Ying leads him
into the cafeteria. When he glances behind him, Wen Chao is still outside, red-faced and
scowling, but doesn't make a move to follow them inside. He sighs, patting Lan Zhan as they
sit down by one of the windows on the opposite side of the doors. Lan Zhan, beautiful and
perfect Lan Zhan, hands Wei Ying a small snack container filled with peppers.

He could die happy like this. "You're too good, Lan Zhan," he praises, popping the lid off and
setting into biting one. Lan Zhan truly knows him too well. He only buys these peppers for
Wei Ying, since the Lan brothers both end up crying at the slightest hint of spice. Lan Zhan
brings plain rice.

"Mm. Wei Ying deserves good." He watches Lan Zhan open his rice container, but before he
eats, he nods at Wei Ying. "Wen Chao. You said you would explain."

Wei Ying winces, taking a large bite of the next pepper in his hand. "Uhm- you have to
promise me to not like…freak out or anything? It's kind of wild and I feel like if I tell you,
you're gonna freak out because you're amazing and super sweet like that. But you can't. And
also you can't ask questions until I'm done so I'll start when you begin eating your rice
because you don't talk while you eat. Okay? Okay. Eat your rice, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan watches him for a moment, then quietly brings his first bite of rice to his mouth.
Wei Ying crunches another pepper, then sighs. "Okay, don't like, freak out majorly or
anything. Please? I went back to the apartment this morning and our lock is busted again." He
sees Lan Zhan slow in chewing, but he doesn't interrupt. "This is the third busted lock we've
had. Jiang Cheng and I are filing a report later, to see if we can figure out what's going on.
This is where Wen Chao pops up, so don't be weird."

He inhales, finishes his peppers off, then closes the lid to hand back to Lan Zhan. He leans
forward on his elbows. "He's a nutcase. Weird as fuck, Lan Zhan."

"Language, Wei Ying."

"No talking during meals," he quotes, raising an eyebrow at Lan Zhan's interruption and
grinning. "Anyway, I guess he's been emailing me? Like, a lot? Very early? I don't know, I
don't check my email because everyone just texts me since Professor Xue updates all of us in
a group chat, and Mianmian and I are friends outside of classmate shit. Anyway, apparently,
he sent me something, and then he stopped me trying to come here and do our thing and he
was trying to flirt?" He watches Lan Zhan grip his container a little harder. "I said no but he
was weird freshman year, too. Like, security had to ban him from mine and Mianmian's
studio because he kept lurking around waiting for me? And at one point he harassed her for
the keys? Asking for me? I was with Shijie at the time so I wasn't there, but Lan Zhan he
scares the fuck out of me. Wen Qing was with Mianmian, so she was okay but still. We
complained to Professor Xue who notified security, then Wen Qing or Jiang Cheng began
taking us to classes and the studio even if it interrupted their classes. It was really
inconvenient for everyone. But then he kind of fucked off last year, so we all thought it was
fine, but now our lock has been busted three times in four months and now he's talking to me
again."

He waits for Lan Zhan to finish his rice, flipping the container he'd emptied of peppers lid
side up. Lan Zhan cleans up quickly and efficiently, then sits up straighter and gathers the
container from Wei Ying's hands. "This sounds like harassment, Wei Ying. Talking to the
Dean may do you well. Campus Security at the very least."

He purses his lips. "Wen Chao doesn't really seem like the type to adhere to restraining orders
or anything, Lan Zhan."

"Are you worried he may hurt you?"

Wei Ying laughs, looking away and leaning back in his chair. "I don't know. Not really? He
just seems really annoying. And pushy."

Lan Zhan's mouth twitches. "Wei Ying."

"Okay! Maybe! I don't know, Lan Zhan. He found me and my siblings when Shijie was
pregnant and did all that shit in public and that was bad, but like, he didn't do anything! I was
more worried about him seeing Shijie and knowing she was pregnant than him doing
anything to me."

"He doesn't have to do anything for you to be uncomfortable, Wei Ying." Lan Zhan stands,
grabbing his and Wei Ying's bags, then nods at him. "I will come with you."

Wei Ying raises an eyebrow, standing and reaching for his bag. Lan Zhan moves it out of his
way, then grabs his hand. "Lan Zhan? You'll come where?"

"Security. To make Wen Chao leave you alone." Wei Ying laughs.

"Lan Zhan, they won't do anything. It's Wen Chao. This place is terrified of his father." Lan
Zhan grunts, peeking out the open door. Wei Ying quickly notes he's looking for Wen Chao
and he feels his heart rate pick up. Ah, Lan Zhan is too good. "Aiya, fine Lan-er-gege," he
concedes, dramatically melting towards Lan Zhan. His friend raises an eyebrow. "You have to
let me treat you to coffee afterward. Then I can quiz you all over those fun psychology cards
you got going for you. Over coffee."

Lan Zhan hums. It's a hum of agreement and Wei Ying loves him a little more. "After
reporting."

"Of course, of course, after reporting. How long do you think it'll take? Jiang Cheng said his
lecture was shorter today and I still want to help you with all your fancy vocabulary terms."

Lan Zhan shrugs, a rare not graceful gesture from him. "Maybe forty or so minutes. We can
study some other time. It is more important for Wei Ying to feel safe than it is for me to
study."

"Aiya, Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying wails, digging his face into the arm he's wrapped around. "Warn
me before you do that, my poor heart can't take it, you know?"

As they walk towards the security office, Wei Ying feels his phone buzz. Pulling it out, he
expects it to be Jiang Cheng with an update on his lecture time, but it's an unknown number
that simply has sent a greeting, then Wei Ying frowns when the next message pops up.

This is wen chao save my number so we can talk :)

He must make some sort of displeased sound because Lan Zhan peeks at the text and frowns.
"If you are uncomfortable, block him. Do not engage."

Wei Ying frowns, sighs, then blocks the number quickly. After that, with Lan Zhan guiding
him perfectly, he texts Jiang Cheng that he may be a little late, and to look out for Wen Chao.
He goes to slip the phone away when it buzzes again, Jiang Cheng having sent a string of
curses aimed at Wen Chao. Wei Ying smiles, noting another message from his wonderful
didi.

You're not by yourself, right? That fucker needs to take a hint. Did he do anything? I'll break
his legs if he did.
It's all good didi!!! LZ is with me, off to get sum sort of restraining thing on him. Be like,
forty minutes or smth. Don't break legs, luv u, pay attention in class. Ur brain needs 2 b
bigger didi xxx

I am paying attention. I can multi-task learning about shit and making sure my brother isn't
being stalked by some asshole. Done in 30, I'll start report after. I'll call when leaving. Don't
wander by yourself asshole. If you get done before me, don't wander into the apartment. Start
report.

U worry too much. Luv u Chengcheng. I'll text when done with this. WC got my number
somehow 2 so if you could ask around a bit 2 see who was crazy enough to give it to him I'd
be happier

What the fuck. Alright. Block him, don't talk to him.

I know I know. I didn't. See u soon

He sends an obnoxious string of emojis to his brother, laughing when he receives an

obnoxious string back, then turns his phone off and releases an overly loud breath. "What the
fuck, Lan Zhan it's only like, two in the afternoon."

Lan Zhan simply hums as he moves to open the door to the security office for Wei Ying,
stepping in behind him and setting their bags by the door.

The security officer for the campus is a sweet older man who looks like he could bench press
Lan Zhan and Wei Ying at the same time. Wei Ying gave him some store-bought cookies
freshman year after the initial Wen Chao fiasco, but otherwise, they haven't interacted much.
When he sees them enter, he sets down a pen and a clipboard, standing up to tower a little
over them behind his desk. His smile is warm and open, which Wei Ying appreciates. "You
two need help?"

Lan Zhan watches Wei Ying, tilting his head a bit. Wei Ying waves a hand and clears his
throat. "How do I go about getting like…a harassment complaint filed? Or something to
prevent a student from coming near me?"

"An NCO?" the guard asks. Wei Ying blinks, then glances at Lan Zhan. The guard laughs a
bit. "It's a No Contact Order. It's what you're looking for if you want another student to leave
you alone." The guard scans him up and down, then lands back on his face. Wei Ying taps his
fingers against the desk. "I'll tell you now kiddo, NCO may be out of the question. You
wanna come chat with me about it?" He gestures to the side of the desk towards a door.

Wei Ying nods, then looks at Lan Zhan, who diligently sits in one of the chairs next to the
door and up at him. "I will wait for Wei Ying to be done."

"Ah, too good to me, Lan-er-gege," he teases, stepping in with the security guard.

The office is cozy and the guard makes him comfortable. He keeps little wrapped
peppermints on his desk, offering one to Wei Ying, has a spinning office chair he uses to
move about, and his walls are decorated with photos, drawings, and what look like little
hand-knit dolls. Behind him, a computer flickers on and off, and a picture of him, younger,
standing with a few other men and women hangs above it.

"You look familiar," the guard says. "You been down here before and I just forget?"

Wei Ying snorts, leaning back in his chair. "No, you would've talked to my studio mate? A
Luo Qingyang?" A look of recognition flashes in the man's eyes and he scowls. "Yeah, I don't
know if my name ever popped up when she and the professor reported it. I'm Wei Ying."

"Yes, I heard the name. It's that Wen boy, isn't it?" Wei Ying grimaces.

"Unfortunately. He stopped me today and when I tried to leave he grabbed me. Then I guess
he's been asking for my contact information because he texted me. And now I'm worried he
might've busted the lock to me and my brother's apartment. We live slightly off campus but
it's the third lock break in four months and now he just kinda popped back up?"

The guard stands up, opening a file cabinet to his left. "I remember Ms. Luo very well. Sweet
girl, rough talk. That Wen Chao-" he stops to huff. "I'll be very honest, Wei Ying. I don't
think you'll get the NCO." Wei Ying deflates. "They're typically given with threats of
violence. I don't think it'll be granted. I can however start that harassment file. I can keep an
eye on him. You and Luo Qingyang have provided a large idea of continued harassment, so
we can keep that on file should something be brought up again."

"That's it? No…no keeping him away?"

To his credit, the guard looks remorseful. "I know, it's shitty. The best I can do with little
threat of potential violence or damage is to keep the file and subsequently ban him from the
studio again. I can bring him in to talk and tell him he needs to leave you alone, but nothing
is going to be done unless there's a real threat. Do you want the harassment file started?"

He thinks for a moment that this was a simple waste of time. He needs to wait until Wen
Chao threatens him or someone he loves? Not to mention, Wen Chao has his fucking number,
someone gave it to him, he may know where Wei Ying lives, knows his brother, is aware
vaguely of what his sister looks like, Wen Chao also apparently has his email that's used for
personal school work and contact information for commissions and exhibits, yes he checks
sometimes just not enough that it's his primary contact info, and is now aware he blew him
off for hanging out with Lan Zhan. And there's no way to keep him away unless things get
violent.

He sighs again, running hands down his face. "Yeah, yeah. That's fine. Is–shit– will
Mianmian's statement be in the same file?"

"I'd have to bring her in and start a separate claim, but it would all go to shit against him.
Would she be okay with me contacting her?" Wei Ying nods, shuffling his feet.

The next half hour is spent recounting what exactly Wen Chao has done, which includes
revisiting the store incident freshman year. He explains how Wen Chao cornered him when
his siblings were with him, how he and Jiang Cheng felt like they had to block their sister,
how then Wen Chao got weirder and the whole studio incident happened. The guard listens
quietly, writing quickly and asking questions when appropriate. When they're done, Wei Ying
is grouchy and pissed that nothing was actually done. He'd have to call Jiang Cheng later to
inform him of the file and explain if he'd be willing to make additions to his own report.

He steps out of the office, lips pursed. Lan Zhan looks up from his phone, slipping it quietly
into his pocket as he stands and hands Wei Ying his bag. They wave goodbye to the guard,
and when they exit the building, Wei Ying groans, kicking a rock and yelling "Fuck!" with
such vigor that he has to squat to count.

"Wei Ying?"

"Gimme a sec, Lan Zhan," he grumbles. He doesn't want to yell at Lan Zhan. Counting to ten,
he takes a deep breath and when he opens his eyes, he glances toward his patient, beautiful
friend. "Sorry. It's just," he waves a wand lazily," nothing. No NCO, just–just a report
Mianmian and Jiang Cheng can add to. Shit. They can't do shit! And I didn't even get to help
you study and this is shitty, and Jiang Cheng is probably home now-"

"Breathe, Wei Ying."

"Sorry."

"No need for sorry," Lan Zhan says softly. Wei Ying breathes out heavily, then stands and
pushes his hair back.

"Alright, okay. I'm good. Just–a shitty day. Had to carry a bunch of canvas for Professor Xue
and then Wen Chao and now busted lock filing. Just a whole bunch of great shit, ya know?
And I couldn't help you study-"

Lan Zhan grabs his shoulder, firm but gentle. "It is alright," he says. "My exam isn't for a few
days. Brother can help me while you are busy."

Wei Ying groans, rubbing his eyes again before he nods. "Alright. You're too good, Lan Zhan.
Too great. I don't–you have to leave soon, yeah? God. I need to walk home then I have a
meeting back here again. Ew."

"Mm. Lecture until five. When is your meeting?"

"Four something. I don't know. Mianmian knows. Professor Xue meets us both to discuss
next year and our pieces." He lifts his bag up, pulling his phone out. "He's gonna be pissed."

"Why?"

Wei Ying laughs, then rubs the side of his nose. "I don't have a theme chosen. Mianmian has
some crazy story-based theme planned out and I've seen her drafts. Shit is awesome as fuck,
Lan Zhan! The only thing I have planned is how tiny the number in my bank account will be
after this."

Lan Zhan hums, tilting his head and giving Wei Ying a gentle smile. "Wei Ying will figure it
out." Lan Zhan's phone beeps and Wei Ying hops up to peek. Lan Zhan typically doesn't hide
things from him, and he knows if it's for Lan Zhan alone, he'll pull the phone away and scold
him. Wei Ying knows better than to peek at the personal shit, which is why his phone is also
mutual territory for Lan Zhan. Wei Ying has sifted through Lan Zhan's pictures and stuff
before, never his messages since he knows Lan Zhan wouldn't appreciate it, and Lan Zhan
peeks more often than Wei Ying would've thought.

It's a text from Lan Zhan's brother, and Wei Ying raises an eyebrow as he reads the text. "You
asked your brother to walk me home? Why's that?"

"Wen Chao desisted when I was with you. My lecture is on the other side of campus. I feel
nervous leaving you."

Wei Ying wails. "Ah! Lan Zhan, my heart! So considerate, Gege! Thanks, I appreciate that.
I'm not bothering your brother, right? I could just ask Jiang Cheng to come get me. He'd bitch
about it but he'd feel better knowing."

Lan Zhan shakes his head. "He was coming here anyway. Left a book for class. Discussion
notes."

"Ah. Thank you, Lan Zhan. I appreciate it."

Lan Zhan nods and Wei Ying bounces on the balls of his feet. "Coffee after your meeting?"

Wei Ying grins like an idiot. "Yeah! Yes. Absolutely, Er-gege. My treat, though. I'd feel better
if I got to treat."

With a quiet hum, Lan Zhan sits with him outside the campus gates until Lan Huan greets
them, hands Lan Zhan his book, and smiles at Wei Ying, nodding his head to walk with him.

The walk back is quick. Lan Huan is great at entertaining Wei Ying, listening to him
complain about his exhibit pieces and listening to his incessant complaining on one of the
lectures he popped in on was. It was a basic literature class he'd listened to on one of his free
hours. He had a string of two hours between classes so he'd slipped in, listened, then after the
discussion he'd spent an extra thirty minutes discussing with the professor. When the
professor found out he was not one of her students, he'd been ushered out, but subtly invited
to pop in when he had time. He liked the professor, but her students weren't the brightest, so
she prodded him one day to bring up stupid points so she could get them really delving into
the point of some books. He had a whole debate with one student on the symbolism present
in one book on flowers.

Lan Huan listens well, humming in approval or gentle scolding when Wei Ying says
something. The walk to their building is over quicker than he'd have thought, and he feels
much better than before. When they step into the lobby, Jiang Cheng is sitting on his phone,
lips pursed angrily and foot tapping. Wei Ying coughs into his fist.

Jiang Cheng looks between him and Lan Huan. "The fuck?"
"Wen fucking Chao," is all Wei Ying says. Jiang Cheng scoffs, then stands and grabs Wei
Ying by the collar.

"Security guy went up to help fix the lock. Again. We're getting new keys, too. They won't let
me report until it's fixed." He's complaining, but really he's only worried. Wei Ying pats his
shoulder.

"Don't worry, didi. All will be well." He turns to Lan Huan, standing ever-patient and polite.
"Thank you, Huan-ge. I really do appreciate the walk."

Lan Huan laughs. "No problem at all. A-Zhan doesn't ask a lot of me. It's the least I could do
to ensure you got home. He mentioned a meeting? I can walk you there too if you'd like?"

"Nope! Jiang Cheng and I are heading back after this report. We'll be fine. Thank you."

Lan Huan nods, pats Wei Ying's shoulder, nods in greeting to Jiang Cheng, then steps down
the hall towards the elevators. Jiang Cheng scans him, then wraps an arm around his neck and
squeezes.

"What'd that Wen asshole do?"

"Is didi worried about his gege?" Wei Ying teases. He squawks when Jiang Cheng tightens
his grip on his neck, tapping out rather quickly. "Nothing! Aiya, mercy! Jiang–I give! Sorry!"

"Answer the question, asshole!"

Wei Ying tapped his brother's arm one more time. Jiang Cheng released him, frowning.
"Sorry, didi! Sorry! Uhm–he really didn't do much. Just talked to me and then texted me.
Somehow. Did you find anything?"

Jiang Cheng made some sort of noise, a mix of a groan and a sigh. "I texted a few people. Nie
Huaisang offered to ask around. A lot of the campus knows Wen Chao is a creep so I don't
know who's crazy enough to give your info to him."

Wei Ying winced, sighing dramatically, and then leaned his head so it sat on his brother's
shoulder. "Thanks. You're so cool, baby bro. Awesome. The best. Simply amazing. Gege is
lucky, you know?"

Patting his shoulder roughly, Jiang Cheng sighed. "Whatever. Don't let him get close. The
thing with Shijie was weird. Now he's doing this? You think he busted the lock?"

"I hope the fuck not," Wei Ying practically yells. "I don't know. I told campus security what I
thought, nothing happened. They couldn't do anything. There's like--a report you can add to.
With the escorting thing."

"They won't do anything?"

"No threats of violence. NCO is out of the question. Harassment file is the best we could do."
He rubs a rough hand down his face, groaning. "I don't know, guy said he'd talk to him but
tell him he wasn't welcome around me. Don't think that'll stop him."
Jiang Cheng sighed, leaning to press his nose to the top of his brother's head, a rare gentle
gesture from the more aggressive man. "It'll be fine. We can get that shitty pasta you like so
much tonight. When are you done with everything?"

"Mm. Exhibit meeting at four or something, a quick coffee with Lan Zhan at five. Probably
six? You can order whenever so you can eat early."

Jiang Cheng scoffed. "Or I'll order on your way home so we can eat at the same time,
asshole. No self-preservation. One of these days you'll die because of this shit."

A laugh escapes Wei Ying before he can moderate it, and he stands up straighter, patting his
brother dramatically. "Aiya, then my little brother would be so sad his gege was gone! Then
what would I do? Watch my cute brother cry from the afterlife? How sad." He wipes away
fake tears, then quickly slips his thumb across Jiang Cheng's cheekbone and grins. "So good
to me, didi."

Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes, slapping his hand away. Admittedly, it's soft and doesn't really
move his hand. "Whatever. The guy will be back in a minute. Sit." He points to one of the
lobby chairs, shoving Wei Ying into it, then takes the seat next to him. Wei Ying smiles, leans
into his brother's side, and makes a dramatic show of wrapping himself around Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng scowls. "I hate you. You're awful."

"Love you too, Jiang Cheng."

"Disgusting."

The security guard meets them five minutes later, and much like the Campus Security officer,
Wei Ying spends the meeting pissed. They receive their new keys, and then the guard sets
about taking another statement on their lock. The guard makes his opinion known that he
thinks it's Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying's fault, and not some weirdo repeatedly trying to bust
into their apartment.

The meeting drags on longer than he would've thought, so halfway through, Wei Ying has to
text Mianmian to let her know he'll be coming in late. She responds quickly, a simple
thumbs-up, then sends him their conference schedule for next week like the good, sweet
classmate she is. He thanks her, and quickly returns to listening to the guard as he talks about
'suspicious individuals'.

Jiang Cheng must be as pissed as him, because he interrupts with, "Are there no cameras?
Still? We can't– you can't check who's busting our lock?"

The guard regards them both without much emotion. "No. No cameras. We have a ban list for
the people residents don't wanna see."

Wei Ying groans. "We could probably provide you with a name if we knew who was doing it,
man. Is this– are we just gonna be told to move if we don't like it? Or you gonna file and
ignore it?"
"My hands are tied, kids. No name, no face, no ban list. No cameras make it harder."

Jiang Cheng clenches his fists, and Wei Ying grits his teeth.

The door to their lobby swings open, the bell audible from the back office. "Hello? I need a
card for the elevator," a voice calls. The guard raises an eyebrow, then gestures for Wei Ying
and Jiang Cheng to stand up. Wei Ying mumbles a long string of unpleasant words at the guy,
walking back out to the lobby.

A delivery guy is waiting by the desk, a large bouquet of flowers in his hands. Wei Ying and
Jiang Cheng share a look. The delivery guy has to stretch his neck to peek over the red
flowers. "Uhm, 410. Which floor? Is it fourth?"

Jiang Cheng makes a sound. "We're 410. We didn't order those."

The delivery guy makes a face, then moves to read a tag wrapped around one of the flowers.
"Yeah, this was ordered for you. For uhm– one of you is Wei Ying, yeah?"

"What the fuck?" Wei Ying says, stepping toward the delivery guy. "Who-?"

"I don't know man," the delivery guy says, handing him the bouquet. "I'm just here to give
them to you. Congrats, or something. Someone obviously likes you." Wei Ying is silent as the
guy turns to leave, the flowers a very heavy and very present weight in his arms.

Jiang Cheng steps beside him, regarding the flowers. "Who's gifting you obnoxious
bouquets?"

Wei Ying's stomach turns, and he checks the tag. No name. He has a very clear idea of who
might've gifted them to him, and when he turns to the guard, his heart beats a little quicker.

"Can we put a Wen Chao on the ban list? Please?"

 Chapter Two
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying has a less than desired encounter, a shitty meeting, and a drinking date that
turns bad real fast. Fucking Wen Chao.

Chapter Notes

Please note that I'm making things a bit more dramatic to satisfy the plot I have. A
respectable college dean would take Wei Ying's claims seriously, but it's Jin Guangshan
and ya'll know.
Nothing triggering, just the normal harassment.
Professor Xue is not Xue Yang, btw.

He had an awful Wednesday, so Thursday should be better.

It's not.

Huaisang had texted Jiang Cheng as they ate dinner, notifying them that he did indeed find
out how Wen Chao got his number, but neither of them would be happy about who told him.
Su She. Goddammit. Su She was a sophomore with a massive hatred for Wei Ying, a
disgustingly obvious thing for Lan Zhan, and hung out with Wen Chao most days.

The only reason he could think of Su She having his number was if he somehow got it from
Lan Zhan, but Wei Ying doubted if Lan Zhan would ever hand his contact information to Su
She of all people.

Wei Ying felt like tossing his body out the window, but it'd be a messy cleanup and they just
paid to have the locks changed and replaced. They'd tossed the flower bouquet, had Wen
Chao banned from the apartment, and then called Shijie to say goodnight and listen to A-
Ling, newly talking and just as sassy as Jiang Cheng, tell them all about his day and how
brave he was at the doctor during a check-up.

They'd gone to bed, but neither slept very well, so they relaxed in the living room together
most of the night, Jiang Cheng reading through his lecture notes and Wei Ying gently teasing
him that he was a great model when reading. And that's how Wei Ying spent all night
painting his baby brother, who threatened to burn it but did take pictures. Wei Ying watched,
flustered and a little embarrassed, as he sent a picture to one of his group chats and then
bragged about how talented he was, quote, ' Bet my brother does better shit than your
brothers.'

He'd tried to hug him but was met with a forceful shove back onto the couch.

Anyway, he's walking with Mianmian, complaining about yesterday when they both take the
steps up, and hear Professor Xue angrily talking. They share a look, then keep walking and
when they see who the Professor is angry at, Mianmian takes a half step in front of him,
frowning.

Professor Xue stands blocking their studio door, carrying clay blocks for Mianmian and a
small sketchbook Wei Ying filled in last night to take notes of his ideas for next year. Wen
Chao, of fucking course, is holding something in his hands, a box, and has his back facing
them. The Professor catches their eyes, gestures for them to stay then stares Wen Chao dead
in the eyes, voice cold.

"Mr. Wen, you can't keep coming here. Security notified me that you were banned, again, and
I'm sure you'll be told later today. Please leave."

Wen Chao snorts. "I'm not banned. Wei Ying likes me here. I just bought him something. I
can just set it at his desk and be on my way-"

Professor Xue interrupts him with a loud scoff, raising an eyebrow. "Wen Chao, I'm sure it's a
lovely gift, but we have rules. You can't keep coming here. You're…distracting my students
and they have very important work to be done."
"Their senior exhibit? I know. I don't want to interrupt. Just a quick gift, ya know?" Wen
Chao forcefully hands the box to Professor Xue, who clumsily grabs it, balancing it on top of
Mianmian's clay blocks. He leans in to examine the box, then glances at Wen Chao. "I'll
leave, but if you could give that to him, that'd be great. And tell him to not ignore me? He's
just being a tease right now, but that stuff gets annoying. You know how it is, sir." He nudges
Professor Xue with his elbow, laughs, and then sets off towards the cafeteria.

Professor Xue stares, wide-eyed, then turns to Wei Ying and Mianmian. "Sorry, you two
okay? He was here waiting and I didn't want him around when you two showed up."

Wei Ying frowns. Mianmian shrugs. "Fine. I think we're fine. That's– God he's such a weirdo.
He called you a tease?" she says incredulously, turning to Wei Ying.

"I assure you, I am not teasing Wen Chao of all people," he complains, moving past Professor
Xue to unlock the door for him. He moves in quietly, nudging the box and sketchbook to Wei
Ying, and helps Mianmian set her clay blocks down. "He sent me flowers yesterday."

Mianmian pauses, setting a block down. "What?"

"Mm. He now, thanks to Su She, knows my phone number and where I live. Which is less
than ideal."

Professor Xue frowns, shuffling Wei Ying's canvas stack to the side to take a seat at his desk.
"What do you want to do with the box?"

"Toss it? I don't know. I doubt he did anything but I'm not too comfortable eating or touching
shit he's given me right now." Professor Xue nods, then sighs. Wei Ying lays his head on the
desk, then quietly flips through the sketchbook he got back, taking note of the feedback he's
been given and Professor Xue's own ideas to improve and a more solid theme idea. "Your
handwriting is so wild, Professor. Like, I imagine my nephew writing this way."

"Mm. Next time I'll write in crayon and in big block letters to suit your taste."
"I would absolutely love that, Professor. Anyway, I still have no theme idea. I don't wanna be
basic, but not being basic is hard to think of."

Professor Xue nods. "I understand. One of my seniors last year did pieces based on her
experience with drug addiction. She was also worried it was overdone and, as you say, basic.
Fourteen pieces of hers were photographed, eight published, and nearly all the original copies
sold. Wei Ying, it's okay to have a concept be redone." The professor stands, stretching, then
moves the grab the box from Wei Ying. "Frankly, the most basic themes are what make the
best pieces, in my opinion. It's simply a matter of the artist making their basic theme
something of their own."

Wei Ying likes Professor Xue; he's a little older than them, a really talented artist, and in the
first week of class he'd gifted Wei Ying and Mianmian mini portraits of themselves to
welcome them into his program, which hangs respectfully on their sides of the studio. During
the Wen Chao incident freshman year, he'd been adamant towards security to do something
since both his monitored students wound up nervous and were both being harassed enough
that it interfered with their ability to get work done and their own safety. Professor Xue was
just cool as fuck, in Wei Ying's opinion.

Mianmian pipes up next, a new smile on her face. "Knowing you, they'll turn out fine
regardless. Wen Qing got that weird text from your brother this morning, your painting? Even
your impulse paints are pretty."

"Ew, you saw that?"

"They have a chem lab together, Yingying. I see many things on my girlfriend's phone.
Including the ensuing argument an hour ago or something between the two over who had the
better brother."

Wei Ying snorted. "Wen Ning, obviously. I don't know why this was even a competition?"

Mianmian shrugs then moves to place her blocks in storage in a cabinet behind her potter's
wheel. Professor Xue makes a face as he investigates the box he'd been given, then carefully
smells it. Opening the box, Wei Ying peeks inside and is met with chocolate. Expensive as
shit chocolate. "The fuck?"
Professor Xue picks one up, gives it a sniff, and raises an eyebrow. "These are alcoholic
chocolates. Oh no, you're underage. How unfortunate. Into the trash they go." Wei Ying is not
underage, but there's a whole show of him dumping the chocolate into the trash, wiping his
hands on his black pants, then rubbing them together. "An unfortunate day for chocolate.
Anyway, drafts. Theme thinking. We got two hours, I expect things to either be started," he
says, gesturing to Mianmian," or a theme decided on and began. Thanks, kiddies."

Mianmian and Wei Ying exchange looks, then are both scrambling to connect to the
Bluetooth speaker at the intersection of their desks. Mianmian wins out, playing some
ridiculous pop song that Wei Ying eventually does enjoy. Professor Xue gets tired of it
quickly, which spurs the duo into finding other shitty songs like the first.

He ends up swiping their phones, holding them above his head to not allow Wei Ying or
Mianmian access when Wei Ying's phone rings. Professor Xue checks it, raising an eyebrow
at Wei Ying. "You have Lan Zhan's number? A Lan? "

He groans, jumping to swipe the phone. Yes, Lan Zhan is calling, which never happens so it
puts Wei Ying on edge. He answers, glancing at the Professor before he gestures to the studio
door. He must take note of how serious Wei Ying is because he nods and then turns to
Mianmian to offer her critique on the pot she's working on. Wei Ying steps outside, putting
the phone up to his ear.

"Lan Zhan? You never call, what's up?"

He hears a door close on the other side of the phone, then Lan Zhan speaks. "Wei Ying? Are
you at home?"

"No? I'm with Mianmian at the studio. I–Lan Zhan, are you okay? Do you–"

"Nothing with me. Was just calling to make sure you were safe. Wen Chao tried to enter the
building earlier. Was asking for your apartment. Security denied him entry."
Wei Ying feels his jaw tense, and he runs a hand through his hair, laughing roughly. "Okay.
Yeah, alright. This is–holy shit. He was here earlier. Professor Xue stopped him. He seems to
be under the impression we have a thing going on."

Lan Zhan is silent for a moment. Wei Ying hears him exhale. "Mm. He tried to tell the
security guard you invited him. He was not pleased to hear he was on the ban list."

"God. Thanks, Lan Zhan, for telling me. Weird question, sorry: did he have anything? I think
he's been sending me shit and trying to give me stuff. He came here a while ago with
chocolate, and yesterday I and Jiang Cheng think he sent flowers. Su She gave him my
number or something; at least that’s what Huaisang told us."

"Mn. Nothing. Just tried to get a card. I think Wei Ying should bring this up to the police. Or
the Dean. This is…opening Wen Chao's behavior to something scarier."

With a sigh and a nod Lan Zhan can't see, he hums. "Yeah. I'll talk to Jiang Cheng later, I’ll
bring it up to the Dean somehow. Thanks for calling, Lan Zhan. Really, I appreciate it. A ton.
You're so great, er-gege, ya know? Thanks a bunch, you're the best. Simply amazing."

A hum is his answer. "Wei Ying deserves the best."

"Aiya, my heart! Lan Zhan, warn a guy."

Lan Zhan hums, ending the call on his side and Wei Ying feels like strangling someone. He
opens the door, catches his associates' eyes, then pauses as his phone rings again. It's an
unknown number, so he answers, expecting a prank or spam, and freezes when it's Wen
fucking Chao's voice that pipes up.

"Wei Ying! Was trying to reach you, where are you?"

Mianmian opens her mouth, but Wei Ying holds a hand up to silence her, then quietly puts the
phone on speaker. "Why are you calling me? How are you calling me?"
Professor Xue raises an eyebrow, then scrunches his nose when he hears who it is. "I was
looking for you and you weren't answering my emails? You blocked me; had to use a buddy’s
phone. If you unblocked me, I wouldn’t have to use a new number."

"Yeah. I did. I think–I think it would've been a bit obvious, Wen Chao. I don't know why you
think we're close or something-"

"Are you kidding? You flirted with me. Where are you? We can talk about this face to face."

Wei Ying blinks, and Mianmian moves to grab her phone. She mouths ' I'll text your brother'
. He mouths a thank you to her, and she moves closer to him to listen to the phone call.
Professor Xue watches protectively, stepping closer but just as silent.

He pulls the phone away from Wei Ying, whispering, "Do not give him more than the basics.
Wrap the call up quickly. Watch what you say."

Wei Ying nods, turns the volume up, and breathes out. "Listen, Wen Chao. I–I just don't feel
comfortable about this? You're sending me stuff, and that's nice, really, but I don't need or
want any of it. It was sweet, but, ya know–I don't need expensive chocolate or anything."

"You got them?"

He laughs, a bit strained. "Yeah; shame, really. They were alcoholic and I don't imbibe. At
all. I had to toss them. I'm sorry."

The line is silent for a moment. Wei Ying blinks hard, and Mianmian reaches out to hold his
free hand as she texts Jiang Cheng. He sniffs, and only then does he realize his eyes are hot.
God, this is nerve-wracking, huh?

"You tossed them? I–Wei Ying, those were expensive."

He chuckles nervously. "Yeah, sorry. I really appreciate the gifts, but I don't need them. I also
don't, like, need you to call me? I'm sorry if I made it seem like I liked you like that, but I
don't." He turns into his shoulder, blinking to get the tears from his eyes. "I'd also like it if
you didn't call me again? I'm really busy and-"

"Why can't I call you?" There's an emotion he can't quite identify in Wen Chao's voice, and it
makes him nervous. He looks to Professor Xue for help. The older man grimaced, then
coughed into his fist.

"Off the phone, Wei Ying. We have work to get done. You know the rules; no phone for the
rest of the studio period."

Wen Chao makes an offended noise on the other end of the line.

Wei Ying swallows. "Sorry, you might've heard. Uhm–I have to go. Please don't call again,
Wen Chao. I appreciate the presents but I don't want them. Thanks."

"Wei Ying, let's talk lat-"

"No, really. Goodbye, Wen Chao." He ends the call quickly, taking a shaky breath in and
wiping his face. Mianmian rubs a hand on his back, and he sniffles. “Sorry, sorry.”

“It’s alright, Yingying. Not your fault. Jiang Cheng is coming to get you. Just sit for now.”

Professor Xue frowns. “You need to see the Dean and the police.”

Wei Ying looks at him, pursing his lips and sitting at his desk. With a sigh, he plants his
forehead on the table. He spends a moment trying to recollect himself, and hears Professor
Xue moving around behind him, then feels a tissue pressed into his hand. “Dean doesn’t take
walk-ins,” he says, angrily wiping his eyes.
The professor scoffs. “He’ll take them if I email and explain the situation. It was bad enough
freshman year, him harassing you two. But now he’s calling you, coming here again, and
blaming you for his inappropriate actions. This is repeated harassment and it’s causing you
distress. He’ll accept the walk-in and deal with it maturely or I’ll bring you to the police
myself.”

Wei Ying huffed out a laugh, then sighed and rubbed his eyelids. “I just–Jiang Cheng and I
tried last night and the guy couldn’t do anything.”

Mianmian sighs, running a gentle hand through his hair quickly. “Yingying, you, Jiang
Cheng, me, and Professor Xue know how tense you are. We heard the call, saw him try and
get back in here, and you’re stressed out of your mind. Police will believe you. They have to
take this seriously, and it’s okay for you to be nervous.”

Wei Ying hums, pressing his cheek further into his desk. “What if that pisses him off more?”

“Wei Ying, it’s legal issues; only he’ll be pissed off. It’s a matter of safety. Trust me, getting
the police involved is a safe decision, even if you don’t think it is. When your brother gets
here, I can escort you both to the dean. I’d feel better if I knew you two were okay getting
there.”

“Professor Xue, you are my absolute favorite professor; did you know that? Fantastic. Simply
astounding. Thank you.”

Professor Xue simply smiles, patting him on the back, and sits with him and Mianmian,
pushing the conversation topic to an interesting story dealing with his wife and son. It's a
stupid story that has Wei Ying entertained enough that he forgets he's literally being harassed
by a crazy asshole who thinks they're dating or something. It's good. Professor Xue is good.

The story continues for roughly ten minutes before their door swings open, Jiang Cheng
huffing, face red. He stares Wei Ying down and points at him with a tired arm. "You! Let's
go! Dean! Now!"
Jiang Cheng, in all his raging glory, stomps across the room, grabs Wei Ying, and hauls him
up. He pauses when Professor Xue stands up, too, eyeing the man up and down. Wei Ying
pats his shoulder, a small laugh escaping him. "Didi, it's fine. He told me he'd walk us. Reel it
in, baby bro."

"Don't call me that. That asshole fucking showed up at the apartment? What's next? He going
to start following you around town again? Don't tell me to reel it in, asshole."

Wei Ying laughs, turning to Professor Xue. "Uhm–sorry about him. This is just how he shows
affection."

"I don't give you affection. Let's go." Jiang Cheng tugs him along, and Professor Xue follows
behind, waving to Mianmian and telling her to keep herself safe. She nods, waving to Wei
Ying, and smiles. He waves back, adjusting his hold on his brother's arm so he's walking with
Jiang Cheng instead of being dragged.

They make it halfway to the Dean's office before someone talks again. "You saw him at the
apartment?" Wei Ying asks, biting a strand of hair.

Jiang Cheng huffs. "Yeah. Was trying to tell the guy something about you inviting him there.
Your boyfriend or whatever. Then your real boyfriend-"

"Lan Zhan is not my boyfriend."

"Whatever. He popped up, so Wen Chao left. Fucking skedaddled. The security guard was
wired as fuck, saying he didn't want a Wen in the building and you were crazy for inviting
him."

Wei Ying hums. "Mm. Yes, I love inviting creepy guys to the apartment while I'm out. Why
would I put a boyfriend on the ban list? I've never even hung out with Wen Chao, much less
flirted with the guy. I have…taste."
"Yeah, jade and emotionless and named Lan Zhan," Jiang Cheng snaps. Wei Ying purses his
lips, shoving his brother, and stomps ahead angrily.

He can hear Professor Xue laughing behind them, trying to be quiet. He's not doing a very
good job.

The Dean of Students Office is a shared building with the admittance office; smaller than a
lot of the other buildings but just as polished and grand. The office is one floor and split by a
hallway, taking you to either admittance or the Dean. There are two receptionists: one is an
older woman with graying hair, and the other is a younger man with glasses and a tie. He
goes fancy all the time, and Nie Huaisang has been in the building enough to start sending
Wei Ying weekly tie pictures.

When the woman sees them, she smiles and stands. "Can I help you?"

Professor Xue steps forward, leaning in to talk. Wei Ying bites his nail at the quiet of the
building. Quiet has never been super good for him. It let his mind wander around too much,
made him anxious, and he always felt like he had to fill in the space. Nothing fun came of
quiet.

He watches the woman's face change, then she sighs. "He's–alright. An appointment is still
needed. We can do it in ten to fifteen; he's with another student right now." She turns to Wei
Ying and Jiang Cheng, tilting her head. "Which one-"

"Him," Jiang Cheng interrupts, shoving Wei Ying forward. "We want an NCO, police need to
be involved. He's coming to our place now."

The woman raised an eyebrow, then leaned forward to examine Wei Ying. "Alright, I can set
that up. I'm sorry this is happening, sweetie. Boyfriends can-"

"We're not dating," he interrupts, tugging a strand of hair. "He thinks we are, but I–we haven't
ever--he's delusional."
She winces in apology, then gestures to a row of seats near the doors. "Go ahead and sit.
Dean Jin will be ready soon."

As they sit, Wei Ying turns to his brother. "I forgot the Dean was fucking Jin Guangshan of
all fucking people," he whispers. "He's not going to do shit! Peacock deliberately keeps Shijie
away from him!" He slumps in his seat, face in his hands, and groans.

Professor Xue stares at him, then turns to Jiang Cheng. "Your…your sister?"

Jiang Cheng snorts. "Jin Guangshan is our sister's father-in-law if you can believe it. He's not
a big fan of–of whatever we're gonna report because he does similar shit."

"And he's still Dean?"

Wei Ying grumbles. "Because he's a Jin and no one ever reports the bastard for anything."

"Wei Ying, you'll be fine. I'll come in with you, we'll make sure the police are involved."

Sighing, Wei Ying slumps further in his seat. Shuffling his feet, he laughs. "This would make
a great theme for my senior exhibit: The Wen Chao Stalking Era."

He feels Jiang Cheng whack his shoulder. "Don't joke about that shit. I'll break your legs,
then you won't think of that shit again. You'll worry yourself." It's sharp and biting, but then
Jiang Cheng rubs his back, right between his shoulder blades with a firm hand. "You'll be
fine."

"Call me gege and I'll be better than fine, didi."

He hears his brother scoff. "The day I call you gege is the day you're dying."
Professor Xue laughs. "You two are…lively."

Jiang Cheng grumbles but goes back to rubbing his back. Time passes, and Wei Ying is sure
he fell asleep because the next thing he knows, Professor Xue is shaking him awake,
gesturing towards the office door. Wei Ying stands up, bones cracking, and looks at Jiang
Cheng.

He raises an eyebrow, a remarkably gentle tone seeping out. "You want me to come?" When
Wei Ying nods, he sighs, but hauls himself up and walks with them into the office. Ah, what a
fabulous little brother. Even if he won't accept the compliment without some yelling, Wei
Ying knows it makes him happy to be told so.

Predictably, the meeting goes shitty real fast. Jin Guangshan immediately recognizes them,
asks how Shijie's doing, then asks why they're in his office. Professor Xue speaks up for
them, which is good because Jin Guangshan made both Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng
uncomfortable. They would send Peacock their condolences.

"There's been a reoccurring issue with a senior harassing Wei Ying. He's not stopping, and he
seems under the impression the two are dating. We need an NCO."

Wei Ying sinks into the chair he was in, quietly counting the seconds between someone else
talking. It takes thirty-five seconds for Jin Guangshan to answer.

"Are you?"

Wei Ying blinks, dumbfounded. "No? He came up with that on his own, with his big boy
brain. Wen Chao is-"

"Wen?" Jin Guangshan interrupts. Wei Ying bites his lip. "Ah, I've heard Wen Chao's name
here. All good things." This is where things get shitty, and Wei Ying wants to cry. But he
won't. "Diligent in labs-" Jiang Cheng scoffs "-turned in all work ahead of time, no
complaints. This university prides itself on good students, Wei Ying, and Wen Chao has been
nothing but clean, file-wise."

"Clean?" Professor Xue says, crossing his arms. " Clean? We set a report two years ago
banning him from coming near the studio block. What do you mean clean? "

Wei Ying gnaws on his thumbnail, foot tapping.

Professor Xue continues. "We reported him for harassment of both of my overseen art
students, he's showed up again after being banned again , called Wei Ying, and has shown up
to his apartment. Dean, Sir, there should be nothing clean about Wen Chao. This school has a
policy; why are you not enforcing it?"

Jin Guangshan pauses.

Forty-eight seconds.

Then he turns to Wei Ying. "Are you sure you didn't say anything? Anything at all that may
have given the impression-"

"What the fuck!" Jiang Cheng yells. "You're not seriously–how fucking dare you!"

"Calm yourself, Jiang. It is a simple question." Jiang Cheng clenches his fists.

Shitty meeting. Terrible idea, really.

"Answer the question, Mr. Wei. Did you ever give Mr. Wen the impression you were
flirting?"
When he talks, his voice is thick with anger. "No. I never flirted or threw myself at Wen
Chao. I tutored him a few times, but I never flirted. I came here so he would leave me alone; I
didn't come to get told it's my fault for him being a creep!

Professor Xue sets a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Dean, this is inappropriate
questioning and you are doing nothing. I've heard the phone calls he makes. This is distress to
another student, and you need to be involved. So be involved."

"I am being involved. Wen Chao is a highly recommended student-"

"As is Wei Ying!"

"-and we can't have a scandal tarnishing his reputation like this! Mr. Wei, I understand, but
nothing has been done to you, yes?"

He's seething. He can feel how close he is to yelling. "No. But I still-"

"Have you asked the apartment to not admit him?"

"Yes, but-"

"And he hasn't threatened you?"

"Sir, liste-"

"He's a highly recommended student, Mr. Wei. An NCO would be a waste for a simple gift-
giving session. You understand how much people gossip, too; if word got out a student had
an NCO against a high-ranked student, the school would be in a scandal. Nothing has
happened, Mr. Wei. Unless a threat is present, neither police nor the university can do
anything. For now, ignore him. If you stop the teasing-"
Wei Ying finally stands up, knocking his chair back a few inches. " Teasing ?" he seethes.
"You're more worried about a scandal than him repeatedly seeking me out when I've made it
clear I'm not interested? Do you not understand how stressed he makes me? He came to my
home, sir."

Jin Guangshan, he has a very punchable face, frowns, the corner of his mouth ticking up. "We
can't do anything. The NCO would go out of commission from the school when he graduates.
Ignore him until then. If things do become violent or he threatens, we can officially discuss
an NCO agreement. I'm sorry, really, I am. That's just how things have to be. If it helps, I can
talk to him to let him know his behavior is unappreciated and to tone it down-"

"Tone it down?" Jiang Cheng spits, standing to tower over the sitting Dean. "He's been to our
fucking apartment! "

"Which is off-campus, Mr. Jiang. My hands are tied. He's not threatening, and a silly fight
like this isn't what our reputation needs."

Wei Ying makes a sound between a laugh and a sob, then picks his bag up and turns.
Professor Xue grabs him, and Wei Ying shrugs him off quickly. "Fine! Whatever, it's fine.
Stupid fucking–talk to him or whatever." He wrenches the door open, hears Jiang Cheng
scramble to collect his things, then hears Professor Xue talking loudly.

It's kind of a blur how he gets outside. He knows where to go but it's like an autopilot; he's
not doing it and he is doing it at the same time.

Stupid fucking idea. Jin Guangshan is an ass.

He hadn't even flirted, never made any interest known to Wen Chao in the ridiculous three
tutoring sessions they'd had.

Had he?
No.

No, the sessions were always for actual chemistry help because that idiot couldn't do basic
stoichiometry. So how was he getting things done, a star student with no priors, a
recommended student of all people, with a clean record?

Had he flirted? He wracked his brain for a moment, pausing where he stood to think. He was
sure he hadn't. Wen Chao wasn't his type and Lan Zhan had been right there, so the flirting
mostly paused freshman year.

No, he hadn't. He was very sure.

He's brought back to himself when his phone buzzes, and he feels that anger come back.
Without checking the caller ID, he answers. "Fuck off!"

The line is silent, and then the unmistakable voice pipes up. "Wei Ying?"

Lan Zhan.

"Lan Zhan, shit. That wasn't–I–that wasn't meant for you. I'm sorry. Don't fuck off, sorry." He
has to crouch where he's standing or he'll fall over. He feels like crying. "Sorry, that really
wasn't meant for you. I didn't check who called me."

"Mm. Not mad. Your brother texted. He said you weren't answering."

Wei Ying smiles, then softly laughs. "Jiang Cheng texted you ? Wow, fuck. Yeah, I think I
wandered off? Just–the dean sucked hard and didn't do anything and like–that shit sucks?"

He hears Lan Zhan moving, then a door closes. "What did he say?"
Wei Ying laughs. It's wet and harsh. "You're not gonna believe this shit. He said, and I'm dead
serious, to ignore him and quit teasing him, like I'm trying to get his attention. Then he asked
if I had flirted with him as if that would warrant this creepy shit. He said since no threats
have been made and he's been banned from the building, I'd just have to wait for him to fuck
off after graduation."

Lan Zhan sighs softly. "Wei Ying, nothing of your behavior constitutes him harassing you. If
you, or anyone, had flirted and been subsequently harassed like this, none of your behavior
warrants it. Wen Chao is disturbed and delusional. Nothing he does will ever be because it is
your fault."

Wei Ying hums, closing his eyes. "So smart, er-gege. Really. I know, of course, I know. Just–
can't believe Shijie married the asshole's son. Peacock sucks but he's not bad. His dad is a
whole other level."

Lan Zhan huffs. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," he hums in response, pushing himself to stand again. He's ended up by the
cafeteria again. When he checks the time, it's only noon and he knows Lan Zhan has a lecture
soon, and Jiang Cheng will find him later and smack him for being stupid. "I'll be all good
later, Lan Zhan. Just–I really need a nap or something."

Lan Zhan is silent for a moment. Wei Ying's phone buzzes, and it's an all caps string of texts
from Jiang Cheng.

"Mm. A nap would be good for you," Lan Zhan says at last.

Wei Ying smiles. God, he loves him so much. "You're too good, er-gege."

Lan Zhan hums. "I will talk later, Wei Ying."

"Mm. Bye-bye, er-gege." He hangs up and immediately feels like screaming.

He texts Jiang Cheng saying he's leaving to go nap, Jiang Cheng calls him a dumbass then
tells him to call when he's up, and rubs his face hard to get himself together.

He'll take a nap. It'll be fine. Everything is fine.

It's not fine.

When he gets home, more flowers are waiting for him. The flowers are by his door, bright red
and all too noticeable.

He hates Wen Chao and his stupid flowers.

They're new and healthy, bright and smell good, but he can't look at them.

He's simply banned from the building, not banned from sending things to the building.

Wei Ying breathes in harshly, grabbing the flowers and unlocking his door. Stepping in, he
tosses the flowers crudely onto the dining table, then promptly passes out on the couch.

Fuck Wen Chao.

When he wakes up, he’s not in a better mood, but he feels significantly better than earlier.
He gets up, stretching, then shuffles to the kitchen, pulling Shijie’s leftover lotus rib soup
from its storage container and dumping a little into a bowl from the cupboard.

Jiang Cheng will yell at him for stealing some, but right now he’s fine with the great comfort
of his sister’s well-made soup. He finishes it quick enough, draped over the back of the
couch. When he checks the time, it’s five. Jiang Cheng will have stayed on campus, he
always has a really long lab on Thursdays, so it’s Wei Ying until seven.

He could paint.

He could watch a movie.

Or read.

Or sit.

Or drink. He could definitely drink. And who would be a better drinking buddy at this time?

That’s how he ends up at Nie Huaisang’s house on a Thursday ready to get hammered.
Except Wei Ying doesn’t get drunk, so really it will be him chugging alcohol and watching
Nie Huaisang get drunk. As one does.

He hasn’t been to Huaisang’s house in years; partly due to Nie Mingjue who hulks over Wei
Ying and who Wei Ying, as soon as he realized how attracted he was to Lan Zhan, had a
massive ten-day crush on when he was in high school. Huaisang must’ve realized the crush,
since every time he visited he’d gush over how big Nie Mingjue’s muscles were. It was an
eventful ten days, and the crush disappeared quickly when he saw Nie Mingjue with
Huaisang visiting campus and was not looking at his muscles anymore, but looking at how
tall Lan Zhan had gotten.

He had texted Jiang Cheng, he’d gotten a string of middle finger emojis in return, saying he’d
be leaving. Jiang Cheng had stepped away from his lab, called him, and told him to be careful
coming home. He’d been assured Wen Chao was in the same lab, alongside Wen Qing who
had also been informed by Mianmian about her cousin’s disturbing little stalking, so Wei
Ying had little to worry about when leaving.

He had apologized for running off but was only met with Jiang Cheng threatening him in his
loving way and making him promise to pay for the day when they watched A-Ling next.

He’d agreed, hung up, then had been on his way.

Anyway, Nie Huaisang’s house is massive as shit and Wei Ying hasn’t been here in years so
he’s ready to get drinking. Besides, Nie Huaisang always loves him.

He spends a few seconds knocking, alternating fists to tap their green door. There are
footsteps, a squeal, Huaisang, a thud, also Huaisang, and then the door is thrown open. Wei
Ying plasters a smile on his face and tilts his head up to look Nie Mingjue in the face. His
crush may be gone, but Nie Mingjue is still handsome.

“Da-ge! Hi!”

Nie Mingjue regards him once, then settles an awkwardly heavy hand on his head. Wei Ying
grins.

“Yingying!” he hears. He peeks around Nie Mingjue’s massive frame, spotting Huaisang on
the floor, arms awkwardly splayed out in front of him like he tried to catch himself. He takes
the initiative to step inside, slipping his shoes off and switching them with the guest slippers
Huaisang insists on before making his way over.

“Sangsang!” He pulls his friend up, a smile plastered on his face. “We haven’t had anything
to drink yet, why are-”

Huaisang interrupts him, smothering his mouth with his hands. “Da-ge. He tossed me over
the couch.”
Wei Ying raises an eyebrow, then turns to Nie Mingjue who tilts his head. “You can just…
casually toss Huaisang over the couch?”

Nie Mingjue shrugs as if it’s such a casual thing. “I could probably toss him a few meters.
He’s tiny enough. Could probably toss you, too.”

“At the same time?”

Nie Mingjue nods. “Like two potato sacks.” He turns, heading towards the kitchen, and Wei
Ying watches him swipe a water bottle from the counter before heading back to the front
door. He stares them both down, then sets his jaw, tight. “If I hear a single noise complaint,
Huaisang-”

Huaisang has the audacity to sound offended. He pulls Wei Ying close, squishing his cheeks
in one hand.

“Da-ge! Me and Yingying? Never.”

Wei Ying tries his best to smile.

Nie Mingjue frowns, then scoffs heavily and turns to leave, slipping a jacket on. As soon as
he’s out the door, Huaisang jumps up, skipping towards the kitchen and pulling bottles from
the fridge. “I didn’t know what your fancy was right now, so I popped a ton out of the wine
cellar. All of it is expensive as shit so you know it’s good shit.”

“You say ‘shit’ a lot, Sangsang.”

“I feel like it’s more eloquent than ‘stuff.”

Wei Ying merely hums, grabbing a random bottle from Huaisang’s hands, a light blue bottle.
“Dude, you have Emperor’s Smile? I heard this shit was like–elite drinking.”

Huaisang smiles. “Mm. I got drunk on that shit freshman year, very nice tasting. Go for it,
hottie. We have more bottles.”

“Great, then I’m taking this home with me.”

Huaisang laughs and then takes a quick sip of his own wine. “Hey, so, I’ve been meaning to
ask: how’s the Wen Chao thing? Su She was a prick this morning and was bragging about
finding your number like it was the hardest thing in the world. He knows that’s, like,
creepy?”

“Mm. He brought chocolate this morning. And ordered flowers, again. Talked to the dean but
that was a shitshow.”

Huaisang nudges him with his toe. “Jin Guangshan cares more about reputation than student
safety. You know how many students have reported some sort of sexual harassment and been
asked to keep it on the low? Too many. It’s disgusting.”

Wei Ying hums again, downing his glass. “I have so professionally been told that I’m a tease
and that it must somehow be my fault I am being harassed.”

“He fucking did not.”

“In all his Jin Guangshan glory, Sangsang.”

Huaisang snorts, topping Wei Ying's glass off and raising his glass into a toast. "To asshole
deans! Fuck Wen Chao!"

"Mm. Fuck Wen Chao! But not in a dick-in-the-ass way!"

"Not a dick-in-the-ass way!"

It's easy from there. Wei Ying drinks, Huaisang drinks. Life goes pretty alright. They do this
for a bit, watch a movie, Huaisang complains about his classes, complains about some kid in
one of the lectures he attends, and generally complains. Nothing too severe.

Wei Ying complains about everything.

At some point, they're discussing French Revolution Era fashion, Wei Ying draped upside-
down on the back of the couch and Huaisang spouting something about fabrics and patterns
used.

Wei Ying drifts for a moment, pursing his lips as he listens.

"Yingying," Huaisang says, tapping his forehead. "Your phone is going nuts, hottie."

Wei Ying raises an eyebrow, then turns over to sit upright on the couch. Huaisang tosses his
phone to him, and when he turns it on, a series of fourteen calls to voice-mail are in his
notification bar. Huaisang peeks over his shoulder, lips pursed.

"You gonna see-?"

"I'm going to have a breakdown is what I'll do, Sangsang." He leans into the couch, running a
hand down his face before he slides the phone unlocked fully, and clicks the notification.

It's fourteen calls, each sent within ten minutes. He checks the time.

8:49
Wei Ying slumps into Huaisang, who strokes his shoulder, and presses play on his voice
mail.

Wei Ying, I just got a call from the Dean's office? I hope to God this isn't about you.

Why the fuck are you saying I'm harassing you? We need to talk. Unblock me.

Are you serious? Your fucking brother–we really need to talk.

I don't know what the fuck you're telling people; you came onto me. That professor is crazy.
You can't suddenly just break up with me.

Are you getting these? I bet you're answering that little Lan calling you. Typical.

Call me back. I've been nice, I've tried asking you out. Don't ignore me, Wei Ying.

Are you with the Lan? Is that where you are? Spreading lies about me? Are you telling him
shit? I swear to God Wei Ying, saying shit is going to make people think you're desperate for
his dick.

Is that it? Do you want more than you're getting? God. Should've known. People like you–we
need to talk. Ignore me again and this isn't a simple conversation.

Pick your damn phone up, Wei Ying. Last chance.

Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Can we please just talk?
Wei Ying, please answer the phone. Unblock me at least.

Please.

I saw you dumped the flowers. Did you not like them? I'll buy better ones. Can we please just
talk? Tomorrow?

Pick the fucking phone up or so help me. I swear to fucking God if you're at Lan's place, this
won't turn out pretty for either of you. Pick the fucking phone up in ten or I'm coming over
there. Fucking–

He doesn't even realize he's crying until Huaisang raises a hand to wipe his face, anger etched
in his eyes like a thousand burning suns.

He takes Wei Ying's wine, slides his phone from his hand, and whispers, "I'll call Lan Zhan,
yeah? You should probably stay here tonight. I'll call your brother, too. I'll get you some
water, Yingying."

He doesn't quite remember the rest of the night.

It's a blur again.

He's vaguely aware of Jiang Cheng popping up, extra clothes, and his phone charger in hand,
him threatening to call his dad, he hears the call Huaisang makes to Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan's
deep voice still picks up from the other end of the call. They pack up for the night to go
downtown to stay with their uncle. He hears Nie Mingjue come home, and Huaisang explain
the situation.

He hears the voicemails again, loud for his brother and Da-ge to hear.

He quietly sips his water, rubbing his eyes on his knees.

Fucking Wen Chao.

Nie Mingjue steps up to sit beside him where he's drinking his water as Huaisang and Jiang
Cheng argue. Nie Mingjue's hand is back on his head. He's quiet. It feels fine.

The next words out of his mouth are not fine, and Wei Ying feels like crawling on the floor to
cry. "You need to get the police involved, Wei Ying."

Fucking Wen Chao.

 Chapter Three
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying dances, talks to the police, and makes an okay mistake. He's doing good. No,
he's not.

Chapter Notes

Wei Ying briefly describes Wen Chao's derogatory word use on him. Nothing major nor
triggering.
This is our nearing end of calm before the storm. If it feels I'm moving a bit fast with the
relationship between Lan Zhan and Wei Ying; I do plan on giving them more to work
with. You'll see cute Wangxian yet.

He doesn’t want to go to the police. Not really.

But now, Wen Chao is shifting Lan Zhan’s plans. Jiang Cheng’s plans. Wei Ying’s plans.

He's still at Huaisang’s house when Monday rolls around. Mianmian texted Saturday when he
didn't show up, then Professor Xue called Sunday. He had to explain the Wen Chao thing
again, told them both to not worry, and then told them he'd be in some time this week.
Mianmian was quick to respond, and Professor Xue said he was excused, but he'd still like
for Wei Ying to try working outside of studio time.

He said he'd try.

Huaisang’s couch is comfortable. Jiang Cheng had taken to staying at the apartment, even if
Wei Ying was worried about something happening, so he stopped by after classes or when he
had an extended period between lectures.
Wei Ying has noticed his brother is more frazzled lately. Of course, who wouldn't be? Jiang
Cheng texts him after each class, before he heads off to lunch, when he gets home. They're all
short and straight to the point, which Wei Ying likes. He's not really up for a full-blown
conversation about his stalker.

Can he even say Wen Chao is a stalker?

He's seen stalker films. It's always some weird guy who sends the main girl, it's always a girl,
pictures of herself, breaking into her house, leaving her notes and threatening messages. Wen
Chao was not weird, creepy and unattractive to Wei Ying but not weird, rich, has, to his
knowledge, not broken into his apartment, and sent him nice gifts and flowers. That he threw
out. The only threatening message has been in the form of the voicemails he got.

There have been twenty-eight more voicemails, all ranging from him apologizing for freaking
him out, begging to talk, saying Wei Ying shouldn't act like a little slut by hanging around
Lan Zhan, he's not, Lan Zhan is still at his uncle's and commuting from downtown every
morning, and one particular instance where Wen Chao said he'd buy him some sort of early
birthday present if Wei Ying unblocked him and let him explain.

He’s not even sure why Wen Chao knows when his birthday is. He’s always celebrated
Halloween, not his birthday. Still, a birthday is a date, but a date Wen Chao of all people
shouldn’t know.

And then the voicemails were just silent. Calls were made, but Wen Chao stopped talking.

In any case, he doesn't know if calling Wen Chao a stalker is appropriately what he is, even if
Huaisang says that's exactly what this is. Stalking. Wei Ying is being stalked and it's
escalating.

All because he tutored the fucker. Tutored three times.

In chemistry.
Because Wei Ying genuinely thought he could be helpful, even if he didn't quite like Wen
Chao.

Is that what triggered it?

This little obsession? Him offering tutoring?

He tries to think back to it, those three sessions. He hadn't noticed anything weird, hadn't said
anything. No flirting, or teasing, nothing suggestive, no affection, nothing overly nice.

He knows he has a thing; he flirts and teases but it’s never serious. He’d never done that with
Wen Chao.

And then in the second session, Wen Chao had asked him out. He'd said no, said he was
flattered that Wen Chao liked him, but that he liked someone else. Wen Chao had nodded,
seemingly in understanding. Great. Fantastic.

Then he asked in the next session. Wei Ying said no, again. Before the fourth, Wen Chao had
stopped him and asked again. It was a continuous cycle until he explained he wouldn't be
tutoring anymore, then had left.

Lan Zhan's voice rings in his head again. Wei Ying's behavior does not make his actions
acceptable or your fault.

He means to call, but Mondays are when Lan Zhan tutors until four, and Wei Ying doesn't
have the necessary brainpower right now to apologize for effectively kicking both Lan
brothers out of their apartment and making them high-tail to their uncle's. He doesn't think
Lan Zhan is mad, he's never mad at Wei Ying even if he should be, but it's still weird to
explain why Huaisang effectively kicked them out of their home.

Mondays suck.
Huaisang stares at him over his shoulder as he slides through his phone. Huaisang, the great
friend he is, has taken to spooning Wei Ying on his couch, wrapped around his back as close
as he can press. It started as a small comfort for Wei Ying. Then Huaisang started doing it
when they weren't on the couch. Now, it is a simple part of what happens at the Nie residence
when Wei Ying pops up apparently.

"Yingying," Huaisang says, pushing his sharp chin into Wei Ying's neck. "You're very quiet."
There's a pause, and Wei Ying turns to see Huaisang reading the article he's pulled up.
Huaisang makes a face. "Ah. You know babe, stalkers can be many things. Just because he's
not being violent doesn't mean you're not being stalked."

Wei Ying purses his lips. "It doesn't feel like the right word."

"Well it is the right word, and the police will tell you the same. Stalkers aren't all big, scary,
stabbing men or lovesick women trying to kill you because you love another girl. Stalking is
literally him repeatedly sending those voicemails and showing up at your place. Stalking is
also him threatening you, insulting you, and sending you things you don't want. You're being
stalked."

Wei Ying sighs, scanning the article once more. Huaisang, bless him, rubs frigid hands down
his arms. "It says police being involved can make it worse."

"It may. But getting the police involved is also a safe course of action. Not even just for you.
Jiang Cheng, Lan Zhan, and Mianmian will also be a lot safer. And I know how much you
love people so-"

He punctuated his point by digging a finger hard into Wei Ying's side, making him gasp and
drop his phone. "I think we're all in agreement. Da-ge said he could sit with you the whole
time. Or your brother. Whoever you think will help you best. It's a matter of your physical
and mental well-being, Yingying."

"Sangsang?"
"Hm?"

Wei Ying has to choose his words carefully. Huaisang nudges him in question. "What if they
can't do anything?"

"Like?"

"Like–I don't know!" He groans, covering his face with his hands. "The shows and movies-"

"Aren't accurate to a real experience most of the time."

"-exist! And…and they're all women not being believed about a stalker. Or not arresting the
guy. And Wen Chao hasn't done anything but send me some flowers. They're gonna be like
the security guard, or Jin Guangshan and say nothing has happened so they can't do
anything."

Huaisang takes a deep breath, then unwraps his hands from around Wei Ying and sits up. "I'll
be very honest. They can't arrest him, charge him, nothing like that. What they can do is be
made aware of his actions, take the reports you said the security guy has, and monitor the son
of a bitch. It's not much reassurance, I know." He runs a hand down Wei Ying's back. "But
you have witnesses, those voicemails saved, and he's causing you and the people around you
major stress and fear. Police are going to believe you."

Wei Ying bites his lip, wringing his shirt in his hands. "And if they don't?"

Huaisang sighs, draping himself back over Wei Ying and holding tight. "Then I'd kill the
fucker before anything happens. It'll be fine, Yingying. Your brother is on a warpath, you
have the voicemails, your professor is willing to go to the police, you made a report. You've
banned him from your building. Everyone can see how uncomfortable he makes you."
Huaisang pats his arm.
Wei Ying hums, pursing his lips and rolls to lay on his back. Huaisang raises an eyebrow. "He
hasn't done anything."

"Yet. He hasn't done anything violent . Stalking doesn't just stop. It escalates. And Wen Chao
is a bit extreme, so I'm worried he'll step up to violence very quickly." Huaisang nudges his
shoulder. "It's okay to be nervous, you know? No one is upset at you for being nervous. No
one. "

His friend sits up, crawling over him to get off the couch, and he stands to pull Wei Ying up.
Wei Ying tilts his head.

"Sangsang?"

"Just getting you a little loosened up, hottie. I know you don't like it, but nerves aren't going
to help you talk to the police. So," he says, pulling Wei Ying to the center of his living room.
Huaisang kicks the coffee table away, holds Wei Ying by the waist, and then smirks. "Why
don't we dance, Yingying?"

Wei Ying lets out a startled laugh when Huaisang dips him then, clutching his friend's
shoulder tighter.

It's a good laugh.

When Huaisang raises an eyebrow, Wei Ying snorts. "Mm. We need mood music if we're
gonna tango or salsa," he jokes. Immediately, Huaisang’s face lights up, and he shuffles them
over to his stereo set, shoving Wei Ying away when he tries to pick the music.

It's nice.

Dancing with Huaisang in his living room, fast-tempo music; it's lively and joyful and
Huaisang is a great partner. He spins Wei Ying, Wei Ying spins him back, and Huaisang dips
him. At one point they both fall, at one point they accidentally kick each other. But it's fine.
It's fun. He feels good.

This is good. To laugh like this right now.

Huaisang dips him again, fast and hard. Wei Ying giggles, high and wheezing.

Huaisang pats his waist. "You think your Lan Zhan dances like this?"

"Absolutely not! Lan Zhan gives me proper ballroom dance vibes. Waltz and whatever."

Huaisang tilts his head. "I can waltz."

"Yeah," Wei Ying says, humming. He lifts his leg higher, forcing Huaisang to dip him further
down. "But we dance dirty Sangsang! Lan Zhan wouldn't dance with me, anyway."

"We don't dance dirty. Not yet at least. I'd dirty dance with you, Yingying."

Wei Ying snorts. "I'd dirty dance with you too, Sangsang."

Spinning him around, Huaisang deposits Wei Ying back on the couch, laughing with not a
single hair out of place. He's like Lan Zhan in that regard: both can be doing the most wild
things, running or dancing or whatever, and nothing will be out of place. Meanwhile, Wei
Ying's hair is coming out of the half-up ponytail he'd thrown it in, falling in his face. He
needs a haircut, but he's reluctant to cut it too much since Shijie enjoys doing it when he
visits. She braids it so nicely and tightly and makes him feel good, so he leaves it longer to
appease her need to run her fingers through it.

"How are you feeling, hottie?" Huaisang asks, shoving him over on the couch.
Wei Ying swats him, but scoots over so Huaisang is half-lying in his lap and on the couch.
"About police? Still nervous as shit." He wrings his fingers together, picking at his cuticles.
"Honestly, I just wanna sleep in my bed again. Is that stupid?"

"No. Very normal. I love having you here though, I wouldn't mind if you wanna move in."

He lifts his leg up, knocking it into Huaisang’s side. "Mm. Jiang Cheng and Shijie would be
upset if I moved here. Jiang Cheng would strangle me and Shijie would have to drive further
up to visit."

"Who cares?"

"Me."

Huaisang snorts. "No, what I mean is who cares what others think about what you're doing?
You have a stupid thing where you kinda do things because other people want it, and not
because you want it."

"I do not-"

"We are literally going to the police station when Da-ge gets home because we forced you to
go make a report. You haven't backed off. Just complained."

Wei Ying winces.

"I–I'm just worried I'll make it worse. I don't wanna make it worse."

Huaisang sighs, tossing his phone to him. “It’ll be fine, Yingying. Anyway, charge your
phone, it’s at like ten percent and we need it for the voicemails.”
Wei Ying frowns, then shoves Huaisang’s legs off of him to reach for his charger. “It’s been
charging all night, stupid. Haven’t even been using it that much.”

Huaisang shrugs then pulls Wei Ying down to hug him. “If you want, sweet Sangsang can
hold your hand.”

Wei Ying snorts. “No. Jiang Cheng’ll be fine.”

Truthfully, he knows Jiang Cheng will be fine. Wei Ying, however, is not going to be fine.

He's not quite ready, but Nie Mingjue will drive them soon, and Jiang Cheng will meet them,
and he'll have to spill.

It's fine.

The police station is indeed a place Wei Ying does not want to be.

Not to say it’s bad he’s there; quite the opposite. However, he was not told he’d be waiting
this long, nor was he told how uncomfortable the seats were. Very uncomfortable. Jiang
Cheng is beside him, a sour look on his face. He probably doesn’t want to be here anymore
than Wei Ying, but he’s a good little brother who obviously loves his big brother so he’s here
and helping. Huaising and Da-ge chose to wait in the car; Wei Ying had told them it was fine
to sit and wait, but now he kind of wishes Huaisang were in here with him.

Honestly, he kind of wants Lan Zhan here with him. But it’s not four yet, so Lan Zhan is
helping some kids with their gross psychology terms and explaining what the Wernicke's area
of the brain does or some shit. Wei Ying listens, he does, but he focuses on Lan Zhan’s mouth
over the words that spill out sometimes. He’s an art student, he doesn’t need to know how the
brain works.
Lan Zhan knows how a brain works, though, and Wei Ying finds that very attractive. Very.

His phone isn’t in the best condition either; he charged it before they left but now its
percentage is reaching the thirties after a ten-minute car ride. He hasn’t said anything; he
might just need a new phone. But now the phone Uncle Jiang got him, it’s still relatively new,
is a piece of shit and he can’t quite muster up the courage to ask for help buying a new one,
so he’s tempted to bribe his classmates into commissioning him now to rake in more cash.

He knows Lan Zhan would toss Wei Ying money to paint the bunnies he kept in the guest
room of the Lan apartment. He’d been over enough times he could paint them both without a
reference. Bichen and Wangji were sweet and cute and small and Wei Ying adored them.

His stream of messages with Lan Zhan was mostly his long-winded text strings and Lan
Zhan’s bunny pictures. It was a nice message thread.

He flips his phone on, tilting his head at the voicemail notification. Nothing new, but the
white number showing how many times Wen Chao had tried to call him was there and
something to focus on. He leaned over, placing his head on Jiang Cheng, and sighed
dramatically.

His brother glanced at him, expression souring further. "What are you doing?"

"Whatever I want," Wei Ying says. "Because you love me and will allow me to do as I please
while we wait for a cop to decide I'm worth their time."

"Shut up, idiot. Of course you're worth their time. It's a police station; they're busy, and we're
walk-ins."

Wei Ying hums. "Last time we just walked in it didn't end well."

Jiang Cheng's lip twitches. Wei Ying watches a myriad of emotions fly over his face before it
settles on something close to anger, then Jiang Cheng wraps an arm around his neck and
squeezes. He coughs and Jiang Cheng frowns. "Police aren't Jin fucking Guangshan. He's an
asshole. Don't think about that."

Wei Ying grins, then taps out when Jiang Cheng tightens one last time. He releases Wei Ying,
shoving him over in his chair, but scoots a little closer himself so their arms touch on the
armrest. What a lovely little brother.

He coos at Jiang Cheng, who then threatens to break his legs. He does it again to just be an
asshole.

They wait for a while. Wei Ying falls asleep, and Jiang Cheng shakes him awake with a tired
but smiling woman standing in front of them. She's cleanly dressed, hair pulled into a high
ponytail and a white shirt under a black button-down. "You two coming to talk?"

Jiang Cheng stands up, pulling Wei Ying up with him. "We need to report a stalker. We have
voicemails and he keeps trying to pop up at our apartment."

The woman pauses, then glances between the two. "Stalking?" Jiang Cheng nods. She sighs,
resting a hand on her hip. "Shit, I'm sorry to hear that, kiddos."

Oh. Wei Ying feels his heart stutter. She's going to say it's a joke; that he hasn't just spent five
days at his friend's house because he was too scared to go home, he hadn't just run Lan Zhan
out of his apartment for the weekend, that the voicemails are faked. This was a stupid idea
and he wants to leave. He grabs Jiang Cheng's sleeve-

"If you wanna come with me, my office is back here. We can get that report started and listen
to those voicemails. Do you need water or anything?"

Oh.

Oh, he wants to cry. He shakes his head, but Jiang Cheng knows him too well and asks for
water. She nods, waving them to a back office facing the street, windows large and open. "If
you wanna go take a seat I'll be right in."

Oh.

Jiang Cheng steps in first, taking a seat and then pulling a chair that sits against a wall with
his foot so Wei Ying can sit. He takes the seat, pressing his phone tightly into his palms.

"This is crazy," he mumbles to himself.

Jiang Cheng stares at him, then roughly nudges him with the end of his boot. "It's fine. Just
say it honestly. You're good at talking."

"I am very good at using my mouth, yes." It comes out due to habit. Jiang Cheng smacks his
shoulder and he whines. "Don't hit me!"

"I hate you."

Wei Ying feels his mouth turn up in a smile, so he sinks in his seat and rubs his thumb.
"Thank you."

Jiang Cheng huffs, but nudges Wei Ying with his shoulder in silent reassurance. He feels
himself lean further into Jiang Cheng, then he brings a leg up to rest the end of his heel on the
chair, wrapping his arms around his knee. His brother really is too good. Too amazing. He
doesn't quite deserve it, but it feels good knowing Jiang Cheng is willing to sit here with him
instead of doing that cool chem lab he was excited for.

"You know what you're doing for your little chem lab?" he finds himself asking.

"It's a synthesis of methyl orange. The application of textiles."

"Mm," Wei Ying hums, "big boy words. My didi is so smart. Simply amazing. How's that
working out?"

"We start Wednesday. This morning was handing in the reports to set up pre-planning and our
hypothesis beforehand. Then we had to give the professor a supply list and redo basic safety
procedures because some kid wants to do something with fire and the professor has lost too
many debates with this kid to argue why he shouldn't."

Wei Ying snorts. "How many arguments?"

"Like, seven? This kid wins most of them. Professor couldn't really deny much when the kid
busted out a full stack of scientific articles based around the shit to sway him."

"I could probably sway a teacher to let me use fire," Wei Ying says, grinning and tossing his
phone from hand to hand.

Jiang Cheng merely hums.

"Hope you two were okay sitting here," a voice pipes up behind them. The woman steps into
the room, two small cups in her hands. She bumps the door shut with her elbow, handing
them the cups. She moves to sit behind her desk, a sheet of paper pressed between her
fingers. Her eyes dart between the two of them, then she smiles warmly. "I'm Lieutenant He.
I'll take care of listening to everything, evaluating, and giving any help I can. Are you both
being stalked or-?"

"Me," Wei Ying says. It's weird to say it. Like it's not really stalking. But Huaisang and
everyone else is adamant it is. "I am."

Lieutenant He gives him a sympathetic look. "Sorry to hear that, honey." She turns to Jiang
Cheng, grabbing a pen that sits in a mug on her desk. Her workspace is neat, tidy, and
organized. There's a framed picture of her and a little boy next to another woman, both
bright-eyed and smiling. "And you are?"
"His brother. We live in the same apartment; the guy keeps trying to come in."

Lieutenant He nods, then begins asking questions.

Were you in a relationship before the claim? No.

Were you ever on dates? No.

Has he sent you anything? Yes, flowers and chocolate, texts and voicemails.

Has he threatened you or a loved one, damaged your property, or otherwise threatened to
harm any aspect of your personal life? A hard-to-answer question. Yes and no. They think he
busted their lock.

Has he caused you distress or otherwise made you fear for your safety? Yes.

Are you aware if he has any weapons, or has he shown any weapons to you or threatened you
with them? No, he doesn't know.

Has he made any claims or threats that are sexual in nature to you? Threatening to assault or
otherwise harm you sexually. No, luckily. Wei Ying's breath catches a bit at that question.
Jiang Cheng quietly puts their hands together and squeezes.

Then she wants to listen to the voicemails. Wei Ying bites his lip as they play. Jiang Cheng’s
face goes through a flurry of emotion. Wen Chao's voice is grating as the first fourteen play.
Her face does something weird when Wen Chao starts calling Wei Ying a slut and whore.
Lieutenant He asks who Lan Zhan is when all forty-two voicemails are done.

"Uhm, my friend. He found the guy, Wen Chao, trying to come into the building while I was
out. He was trying to get a card for our elevator."
"Would he be a reliable witness to the behavior?" Lieutenant He asks, writing Lan Zhan's
name down.

"Probably only for that incident. He didn't even know Wen Chao was being weird until
Wednesday when I used him as an excuse to get away from the guy."

Her dark eyes regard him once, then she nods. "The voicemails are concerning, frankly. He
seems to be under the impression you are dating? Or have dated?"

Wei Ying grimaces. "I tutored him freshman year and I guess I somehow was flirting? I've
never–I never flirted with him. Ever. I don't know why he would think I did."

Sighing, Lieutenant He leans forward. "I will tell you now: flirting or not, nothing you have
done or could've done warrants him acting like this. At all. It's not uncommon for stalkers to
have some delusion about the victims they target. His is you two dating. Whatever caused
him to think that, none of it can be put on you for blame." With that, she stands, and walks a
few steps to a file cabinet.

"Officially, a cease and desist and a visit from an officer can be placed. We have to warn
before the courts are officially involved. For now, I can offer to warn him myself, and if he
continues with the behavior, courts and orders can be involved." She steps away, a folder in
her hand. She slides another paper to Wei Ying, one to Jiang Cheng, and hands them each a
pen. "If you two could write up a statement, your signatures, and contact information, I can
have these filed and the station will have access to it in case anything does happen. I hope it
doesn't come to it."

Wei Ying stares for a moment. There's a bit of a hollow feeling in his chest. Is he okay with
this? Police are involved but they can only issue a warning before anything is done. The
voicemails ring in his head again, the one specifically threatening Lan Zhan.

"Can-" he begins. He sucks the inside of his cheek. "Can you monitor him somehow? My
friend, Lan Zhan, lives in the same apartment building. He had to stay with his uncle this
weekend because of the voicemails. Wen Chao didn't come but I'm still–I'm anxious."
"We can do that," Lieutenant He says softly. "We'll keep him in check for the week. Maybe
the bastard just needs a good scare, hm?" She walks up to Wei Ying and takes the cup from
his hands. "Why don't I get you some more, huh? I'll be back in a second."

She leaves, taking Jiang Cheng’s cup as well. He stares at the statement report, blank and
dark at the same time. He can’t quite pull himself together to write. Jiang Cheng nudges him,
and Wei Ying has to take a deep breath before he signals he’s fine and begins writing. His
statement is longer than his brother’s, Jiang Cheng’s neat and small handwriting filling in the
lines and Wei Ying’s larger, frantic, chicken scratch filling in his. He holds the reports up next
to each other to tease how differently they write.

“You write like Shijie,” he tells Jiang Cheng. “All pretty and tiny. Your science reports must
look so nice handwritten like this, didi.”

Jiang Cheng frowns, leaning over to peer at Wei Ying’s paper. “You definitely write like an
art student.”

Wei Ying frowns.

“You’re an art student?” he hears. He turns, and Lieutenant He enters her office again, new
cups of water in her hands. She hands them over. “Well, I suppose the studio is a bit telling,
but still. Are you any good?”

Wei Ying laughs. “I would hope so, or my scholarship is all bullshit.”

Lieutenant He smiles. “I hope it’s not.” She reaches out to take their finished reports, scans
them quickly, then neatly flips a small card out from a little holder on her desk. “My personal
work number. If you ever need anything, I always answer. We’ll deal with your guy, Wei
Ying. I would suggest, for now, slightly adjusting your schedule for the week. We’ll monitor
him for a bit. If we need anything, I hope it’s okay for me to contact you?”
Oh. She says it so confidently. He reaches over to grab her card and slips it into his phone
case so he can’t lose it. Jiang Cheng takes one for himself, tucking it into his wallet. Wei
Ying feels good. Of course, he could be better but it still feels good.

He’s most certainly not happy, but it’s close to it. Wen Chao just needs a shove. A big,
forceful, police-mandated shove. It’ll be fine.

He can go back to normal.

No staying at Huaisang’s.

No avoiding his schoolwork.

No annoying anyone else with his schedule mess-ups.

No messing up anyone else’s schedule.

He could leave his house without wondering if he was being watched.

“-sure to keep any gifts he may send. Voicemails, gifts, texts, from another device. Ah, Wei
Ying? You okay?”

He blinks back to himself. Ah, he’s at the door. Jiang Cheng is staring at him, lips pressed
tightly together, and Lieutenant He has a hand on his elbow and back. “Hm?”

“You spaced out, dumbass. Do you need to sit?”

Wei Ying laughs quickly, waving his hand in dismissal. “No, I’m fine. It’s fine. I just–I think
I need a nap. A really long one.”
Jiang Cheng looks skeptical but sighs and briefly nods thanks to Lieutenant He. She smiles,
squeezing Wei Ying’s elbow. “Don’t hesitate to call if something happens. I know this is a
scary situation, but you’re being very brave in reporting. If we need you again, I’ll be the one
to contact you.” She gives him one last squeeze, then nods. “Have a quiet day, you two.”

Jiang Cheng grabs his elbow, dragging him out of the police station.

He thinks for a moment, then breathes in deeply and smiles. Wrapping his arms around his
brother, he coos at him, rubbing his thumb carefully over his cheekbone. Jiang Cheng rolls
his eyes. “I want spicy crawfish tonight, didi,” he says as they step off the walkway to
Huaisang’s car. “And rice.”

Jiang Cheng snorts. “You’re paying.”

“Okay.”

Today feels good. He still kind of wants to nap, and he has thumbnails he should be working
on, but right now, he’ll focus on the spicy crawfish he has to order, the rice he has to cook,
and the fact someone actually believed him.

It feels good.

It is less good when they’re finally back at the apartment. Wei Ying feels like crying all over
again. He might be crying, actually. He can’t help but hate those flowers. They’re bigger than
the last two bouquets; larger, brighter. There’s a card.

And their fucking lock is busted. Again.

He wants to cry.

Jiang Cheng steps up to the door, looks at the flowers for a moment, then growls and snatches
the bundle of flowers up. He leans down to examine the lock.

“Busted but not unlocked. They whacked it. We don’t have to replace it this time, but we
need to make another report.”

Wei Ying wants to scream. He laughs, harsh and sharp. “No cameras, didi,” he says, running
hands down his face. He makes a sound, something akin to a whimper. “How would he–he’s
on the ban list! We banned him! They tried to kick him out the other day! He couldn’t get
in!” He leans against the wall, groaning, and pulls his shirt to cover his face. “Fuck!”

He hears Jiang Cheng’s keys rustle, the weird sound their lock makes when he opens the
door, and Jiang Cheng hissing. “Well, no replacing needed, yeah. Lock held up. Just…look.
Wei Ying.” Wei Ying hums. “I’ll order dinner. Why don’t you go nap or something, and I’ll
go tell that useless man he should go install some cameras.”

Wei Ying lowers his shirt, blinking at his brother. “That asshole isn’t going to–”

“He will if I get mom’s name involved, yeah?” There’s a smug little look on Jiang Cheng’s
face. Yu Ziyuan was a formidable woman indeed. Wei Ying didn’t hate her, per se, but he was
definitely not one to want to make her angry. “Or at least let us install them, yeah? It’s not
illegal. Fucker needed some in the first place.” His little brother sighs and jostles the flowers
he’s holding.

“What are you gonna do with those?”

“Put ‘em with the others.”

Wei Ying scrunches his nose. “More came?”

“While you were at Huaisang’s. Shit ton. Besides, the officer said to start documenting gifts
and shit he sends. I know it’s shitty. You just gotta trust they know what they’re doing.”

Wei Ying does want to trust them. But right now, he barely wants to step inside the apartment
with those flowers in his brother’s arms. He stands, shaking his hands out, and looks at his
phone. It’s almost dead again, and the report took longer than he had thought.

Oh.

Lan Zhan would be home.

He bites his lip, then glances at Jiang Cheng.

His brother knows him much too well.

“You’re hopeless. If you’re going to go swoon over him, go. I don’t care.” He turns his face
away and huffs, but Wei Ying smiles, gathering him up in a hug, and noisily kisses his cheek.
Jiang Cheng makes a disgusted sound, leaning away from him.

“The sweetest brother! Truly! I’ll count this as your birthday present to me! A week and
something, Chengcheng. So old, I’m becoming. I’ll be back before dinner gets here, I
promise!” He gives Jiang Cheng one more kiss, skipping off back towards the elevator.

“Who’re you calling Chengcheng?” he hears his brother yell.

He laughs, pressing the down button rapidly before he steps into the elevator. He pulls his
cellphone out, and presses call on Lan Zhan’s number.
Like the beautiful perfect man he is, Lan Zhan answers on the first ring. “Wei Ying.”

“Lan Zhan!” he says as the elevator opens onto the third floor. “You’re home, right?”

“Mm. I am.”

Wei Ying grins, stepping quietly to 302 down the right side of the hallway. “Come open your
door, Lan Zhan. Aiya, the hallway is cold.” He hears Lan Zhan’s chair scoot, and Wei Ying
resists the urge to laugh.

A moment later, the door opens, Lan Zhan’s handsome face staring him down. He offers a
wide smile, hangs up the phone, and leaps to hug him. Instantly, Lan Zhan catches him,
wrapping his arms around him. “Hello, er-gege!”

“Mm. Hello, Wei Ying. Did you want to come inside?”

“So forward, Lan Zhan!” he jokes. He moves out of the hug, hesitantly in all honesty, but
steps inside, switching his shoes out for Lan Zhan’s extra house slippers. Lan Zhan takes his
shoes from him, setting them in the hanging shoe rack the brothers had. “I’m joking, don’t
take that too seriously.”

Lan Zhan tilts his head. “You haven’t been to school.”

Ah. Just like him to get straight to the point. Wei Ying coughs into his fist. “That’s…partially
why I came, Lan Zhan. I–I wanted to apologize. For kind of…making you pack and run to
Old Man Lan’s without warning.”

His friend does a once over, then gestures with his head to the couch. Wei Ying takes this as a
cue to go sit, which he does, and he watches Lan Zhan head towards the kitchen to make tea.
“Not Wei Ying’s fault. Wen Chao’s behavior was inappropriate. I am glad Nie Huaisang
called; I’d rather leave than face an altercation.”
Wei Ying hums in agreement, sinking further into Lan Zhan’s clean, soft couch. It’s pure
white, like neither Lan has set themselves anywhere on it. He knows that’s very wrong, since
Huan-ge doesn’t know how to sit properly so he drapes his legs over the arm, and Lan Zhan
sits as stiff as a board. Wei Ying likes to sprawl.

“I’m glad Wei Ying is safe. There is no need to be sorry for being scared.” Wei Ying flushes.
He groans into one of Lan Zhan’s pillows.

“You’re too good, er-gege. You should be mad at me.”

He hears Lan Zhan walk over to him, and a soft huff escapes his lips. “I could never be mad
at you. Much less when you were concerned for my safety.” He hands a cup to Wei Ying. He
takes a sip, glancing up, and, with great happiness, notices the very tips of Lan Zhan’s ears
begin to go pink.

Raising an eyebrow, Wei Ying smiles. “Of course. I’m always concerned with what er-gege
does.” He doesn’t quite know why he’s doing what he is, but here he goes. Maybe the flowers
have shaken the common sense from his brain. “At the police station, I really wanted you to
be with me,” he admits. Lan Zhan’s eye twitches.

Wei Ying feels his own face go hot. Wow, he’s just spilling it all out. Lan Zhan tilts his head
in an invitation, and Wei Ying gets on his knees on the couch, nearly making his eyes even
with Lan Zhan’s. “Yeah. You’re good like that. When I was talking to Huaisang, you kind of
popped up in my head. The thing about me not being at fault? It was nice.”

He fiddles with the handle of his cup. “I really am sorry for dragging you into this, Lan Zhan.
I didn’t intend to, like, pull you into this. Wen Chao and his bullshit. My bullshit. If–uhm–it’s
okay with you,” he begins, looking at Lan Zhan for any sign he should shut up. No such thing
yet. “I wanna buy you coffee. And those weird donuts you like that aren’t sweet but you still
eat that because what the fuck.”

“Wei Ying doesn’t have to apolgo-”

“I’m not apologizing, er-gege,” he says. “You should be ridiculously flattered. Your Wei Ying
is offering to pay for your food and you’re denying it?” He tries to play offended, pouting and
downing the rest of his tea in a single gulp. “Should I go ask Huaisang instead?”

“No,” Lan Zhan says, short and firm. “Only if Wei Ying lets me pay for something for him.”

Oh, Wei Ying could melt all over the pristine white couch.

“My heart, er-gege. Watch your mouth.”

There’s a moment too long that Wei Ying thinks he’s pushed it. But then Lan Zhan gives him
one of those tiny, gentle smiles that has him wanting to cry in appreciation of the man in front
of him, and God he wants to kiss him.

Lan Zhan pauses, and Wei Ying realizes many things have gone wrong today.

Wen Chao.

More flowers.

Police are involved.

Their lock is busted again.

And the crippling ordeal of him having said he wants to make out with Lan Zhan straight to
his face. He wants to curl up and die.

“Wei Ying wants to kiss me?” He says it like he can’t quite believe it himself, a tiny flicker of
something in his eyes.
Wei Ying laughs, a bit too high and a bit too loud. “Oh, boy! God! Fucking–look at the time,
Lan Zhan! Jiang Cheng is making rice and he never makes it good enough so then I have to
make it and you know how it is.” He’s scrambling to put his shoes on then, red-faced and
steam practically coming from his ears. “I should go. You…you probably have to study and I
have to like, paint a lot. You get it. Like…yeah.”

Lan Zhan furrows his eyebrows, then sets the cups he has down on the table and walks over
to him. “Did you not mean it?”

Goddamit Lan Zhan.

He groans into his hands. “You can’t interrogate me like this, er-gege! My face! My ego! I
can’t ever face you. I–what if I had meant it?”

They’re silent for a moment, then Lan Zhan takes his left hand, gently, and raises it to his
face. Wei Ying’s heart stops.

Lan Zhan, gentle and beautiful and perfect Lan Zhan, kisses his index finger, right on the tip
of his finger. “Mm.”

Oh, he’ll die. Lan Zhan will kill him. He can feel how stupid red his face is. He turns his face
into the crook of his elbow, then slowly turns to face his friend.

“Then…I meant…it.” He says it so quietly he’s not sure Lan Zhan can hear. This was not
how he thought this would go. “I’m–I’d love to talk about this. A lot. Really, I swear. But–
Jiang Cheng really is cooking rice and if I don’t cook it, it tastes shitty.”

Lan Zhan, beautiful and understanding and very childish, nips his finger. He squeaks in
something like delight. “Mm. Would also like to discuss this. If Wei Ying would like.”
He breathes out harshly. “Yes. I have studio ‘till two on Wednesday. We could–coffee. Talk.”

He’s going to die, right here and now in Lan Zhan’s entryway. To his delight, Lan Zhan nods,
almost eagerly. “Mm. Coffee at two. Will wait for Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying laughs, gently pulling his fingers away and placing them over his furiously
blushing cheeks. “Yeah! Cool! Okay! Wednesday! I–I’ll see you then.” He fumbles with the
doorknob behind him, pulling the door open. “Bye! I–I’ll call…after dinner.”

“Mm. Bye, Wei Ying.”

When the door closes, he panics. It’s not full-blown panic, but he’s sure he’s going to die.

Too many things have happened in the few hours he’s been up and about, and the crushing
realization that he just confessed after reporting massive stalking hits him all too hard. He
taps his foot, rushes to the elevator, and pulls up his messages.

I think i just asked LZ on a date???

Nie Huaisang and Mianmian begin typing almost immediately, and Wei Ying silently wants
to die again.

Yingying wtf it’s been years and NOW ur shooting ur shot? Ur life is literally a movie wtf did
you take when you got home

How’d you do it, bb?

Two very different reactions. He rubs his face so hard he’s sure he’s rubbing the skin raw.
Jiang Cheng is less than pleased to hear what Wei Ying did in the fifteen minutes he was with
Lan Zhan. He yells at him, makes him cook the rice, and then texts Wen Qing. She calls five
minutes later to make fun of him. Wei Ying immediately hangs up on her.

It’s worse when he gets a call from Huan-ge, asking why Lan Zhan seemed to be in such a
good mood after his visit.

He threatens to block him.

It’s not a bad feeling, not really. It’s a distraction he welcomes as he monitors the rice. He
really will need a nap later. A good, long, deep nap in his bed, under his covers.

Right now, he feels giddy enough that he could fly.

Lieutenant He was dealing with Wen Chao, that’ll hopefully be done, and now Lan Zhan.

There’s a lot to discuss Wednesday. A lot Wei Ying just wants to burst out of his chest; the
anxiety, the excitement, the feelings, the want for a relationship but the idea of Wen Chao
wanting to hurt him is very present. He wants to say it so bad, and he will.

Because it’s Lan Zhan and Wei Ying wants him to be happy, and not have to move living
space because of the asshole stalker.

The crawfish comes, and Wei Ying is more talkative than he’s been in days. It feels good.

Shijie calls, A-Ling talks. A-Ling personally invites his Da-jiu to come shopping with him
and momma after school tomorrow, Shijie is making him a birthday cake he’s been told, and
A-Ling obviously needs to help. Jiang Cheng is invited too, but A-Ling is adamant his jiujiu
would have to help momma bake because Da-jiu makes things too hot. Shijie laughs, taking
the phone from her son before he talks their ears off.
His sister is too good.

He eats as he listens to Jiang Cheng talk about schoolwork, his little science lab experiment
which Wei Ying actually listens to. He also listens to Jiang Cheng spill Wei Ying’s dirty little
confession to Shijie, who laughs and asks when the wedding will be.

Since Wednesday, he feels good. It’s not the best he’s felt, but he can get there.

And the disgusting red flowers still left on the coffee table can’t damper Wei Ying’s mood,
even if they’re from someone that makes his insides roll in fear.

He won’t let them; not when his siblings are talking, and not when he knows things will get
better.

He can’t wait for them to wilt.

 Chapter Four
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying shops, drops, and stops by Lan Zhan's apartment.

Chapter Notes

Potential Warning for Wen Chao's behavior. He intimidates Wei Ying and Jin Ling, and
it is implied he has looked up Yanli's family and has researched her and Jin Ling. He
also, again, uses derogatory language toward Wei Ying, grabs him, and shoves him in a
public space. No one is hurt, but Wei Ying is distressed and afraid the whole exchange.

The next day comes easily. He feels okay. The owner of the complex said they could install
cameras, after a lengthy talk from Jiang Cheng, the little donut shop Wei Ying went to was
having a sale, his birthday was next week, his sister was making a cake for him, and his
wonderful nephew invited him to shop!

Yeah, he’d invited Jiang Cheng too, but Wei Ying thought it was more special if he told Jiang
Cheng that A-Ling had asked him first.

When he tells his brother as such, Jiang Cheng chucks a pillow at him. It hits Wei Ying in the
face, knocking him off the couch. He throws it back, knocking Jiang Cheng out of the
barstool at their kitchen counter.

He does manage to call Lan Zhan, admittedly with a red face. He can hear the amusement in
his stupid deep voice when Wei Ying asks about coffee again. Plans are settled, 100%. Coffee
at the cute little café by the school at two, Wei Ying buys for Lan Zhan and Lan Zhan buys
for Wei Ying. Then, and the dreaded bit, talking about Wei Ying's little stunt.

Stunt?
Confession. It was a really bad confession. Lan Zhan seemed to have found it amusing
though. Wei Ying can only think of Lan Zhan kissing his finger when he thinks back to it.
Anytime he does, his finger tingles, and the excitement that Lan Zhan felt the same made his
heart race.

His phone calls with Huaisang are enough to make him screech into his pillow. He can't quite
handle the teasing yet; it doesn't help that Huan-ge has indeed also been texting and asking
what Wei Ying did to make Lan Zhan smile of all things. He can't quite bear to tell him the
embarrassing truth of the matter quite yet.

His phone is getting shittier, honestly. The battery is dying too quickly, it went from the
seventies down to the forties in twenty minutes when Wei Ying barely used it. It was hot,
slow, and froze more than Wei Ying would've liked.

He's had to settle into keeping it charged nearly 24/7, which doesn't really bother him. He
hadn't used his phone a lot beforehand, simply for keeping up with his studio hours and class
schedule and talking to Lan Zhan.

The main issue is that Wen Chao is still sending voicemails. Seventeen since yesterday,
though they're spacing out.

He can't quite tell if Lieutenant He has talked to him yet. If she hasn't, he can simply ignore
them and mark them to be sent to his email so he can have them saved. If she has, he needs to
find her fucking card and tell her the creep is still doing the creepy shit. He honestly hopes
she hasn't visited him yet, because that means he'd have to go back to the station a day after
and he really doesn't want to seem whiney.

The new voicemails, there are fifty-nine in total now, range from him asking where Wei Ying
is, why he hasn't been to school, asking if he's home, if they can hang out, and another very
grating voicemail calling him a little whore for 'hanging around other guys like a hooker'
which is a choice of words Wei Ying has not heard.

He doesn't think he's a hooker. Certainly doesn't dress like one. He's classy. Yeah, he has
really short shorts, he's definitely got a skirt somewhere, but he doesn't use them. Much.
Unless Lan Zhan was into that stuff if the coffee date went well.

There's one bribing him with food, something expensive and chocolate that Wei Ying looks at
via picture on his computer, an offer for money to talk, and more quiet voicemails where he
can just hear Wen Chao breathing.

The breathing ones are the worst ones. He can take being called dirty names, Jiang Cheng
finds those voicemails the most offensive, but it's the silence and just the breathing that
makes Wei Ying's skin prickle.

Wen Qing visits in the morning. It's 10, which is way too early for Wei Ying to want to be up,
but he's up and there opening the door to Wen Qing while standing in his pajamas.

(Really, he thinks the shirt is Jiang Cheng's and the pants are Uncle Jiang's which he took
when they moved.)

She looks him up and down once, purses her lips, then snorts. "You've looked better."

He frowns but steps aside so she can come in. "I don't know what you mean. I always look
great." He does. Wei Ying knows he's hot. It's confidence.

And the fact that Huaisang literally calls him 'hottie' whenever they hang out, and Huaisang
has impeccable taste.

Wen Qing snorts, tossing her purse on their couch, and steps into the kitchen, rummaging
through the cupboards for a glass. "You always look like you're ready to lick dirt for money."
He gasps, laying across his table and clutching his chest.

"Did you just come here to insult me? Your girlfriend and I are best friends, why aren't we
besties?"
Wen Qing sends him a glare and pours herself some of the Emperor’s Smile Wei Ying did
eventually remember to bring home. "We are. Why else do you think I'm here?"

Wei Ying shrugs. "Wen Qing, you showed up freshman year a lot just to steal my food and
insult me. It's literally what you're doing now. Is this how our friendship is? I supply and you
demand?"

She snorts. "Your adoptive family provides, we both demand. That's how this works."

"Oh. It's the orphan bond kind of friendship."

"Don't fucking call it that," she scolds, sitting down in the high seat. Her nails tap the glass
she has, and she purses her lips. "Mianmian said you went to the cops."

Ah. That's why she's here. "Is that an issue?"

Wen Qing shakes her head. "Far from it. Wen Chao is a creepy asshole who gives me and my
family a bad name. I can't tell you how many times I've introduced myself to potential
schools or program directors and had them recognize him. I…you're okay, right?"

Wei Ying weighs the responses. "I don't know. Police were…not necessarily unhelpful? I'm–I
don't wanna go back to campus quite yet. But if I don't go, I'm gonna die old and alone here
with Jiang Cheng as my only company."

Wen Qing makes a face. "Wen Chao is a gross creep who thinks he's owed everything. But…
Wei Ying?"

"Hm?"

"If you ever need anything, I'm more than capable of killing him and making it look like an
accident."
Wei Ying looks at her for a moment, then tilts his head in contemplation. She finishes her
drink, sets the glass down, and folds her hands. He smiles. "You are going to make a hell of a
doctor, Qing-jie."

She hums, then points her chin towards him. "One less disgrace like Wen Chao to our name."

It's a quiet morning after that. Wei Ying smiles when Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing talk,
discussing something Wei Ying can't quite pull himself to care about.

They're pretty great.

But then he has to stop them from fighting when Wen Qing points a steak knife at Jiang
Cheng, and he rolls his sleeves up and clenches his fists. Wen Qing is kicked out, lovingly,
and Jiang Cheng is sent to his room.

He laughs about it after they leave.

Shijie comes at three, hauling A-Ling with her. The excitable toddler runs into the apartment,
hair done neatly and dressed in a striped shirt, sandals, and a matching bracelet with Shijie.
Wei Ying loves him. Very much.

"A-Ling!" he says when the little kid steps in. He crouches down and spreads his arms,
aiming for a hug. A-Ling ignores him in favor of rushing to Jiang Cheng, who's carrying a
large textbook and a stack of papers filled with his neat, pretty handwriting.

"Jiujiu!"
Wei Ying wails, dropping his arms and glares at his brother. "What a traitorous little kid!
How come you're the favorite? Huh? I'm the one we're shopping for."

Shijie, dressed in a plain blue dress and sandals much like A-Ling’s, laughs, moving down to
crouch and hug Wei Ying. “A-Ying, he’s just excited. He knows why we’re shopping.” He
adores his wonderful sister so much.

Shijie is always so warm. She always smells like lotus flowers and always smiles. When Wei
Ying first came to live with the Jiangs, he'd been nervous to ask for anything. The first night,
he didn't know where to sleep until Uncle Jiang told him he'd room with Jiang Cheng for that
night until they could buy him a bed. He was quickly kicked out of his brother's room for
having his puppies given away earlier that week, so instead of crying to Uncle Jiang and
risking being kicked out, he went outside and decided to sleep out on the patio.

Shijie had found him a little while later, carrying a flashlight and one of her own blankets.
She offered to stay with him, but subtly hinted that her room was much warmer than their
cold patio. He'd accepted her offer, walking with her back inside where they had found Jiang
Cheng struggling to make noodles for Wei Ying.

He had cried that night, and Shijie had invited them both to stay with her that night. Wei Ying
slept well that night.

He whines. "Shijie, A-Ling is supposed to hug me first, though. It's a rule. A-Ling! Come hug
your Da-jiu!"

A-Ling looked at Wei Ying from his spot clinging to Jiang Cheng's leg as the older stashed
the papers he had carefully in a folder. "Stop being so petty. A-Ling just has better taste."

"A-Cheng!" Shijie scolds. "Be nicer to A-Ying. He simply wants a hug." There's a nice smile
painting her face as she stands up. Wei Ying follows, smoothing his pants down and cracking
his back. "A-Ling? Why don't you show your Jiujiu our shopping list? I have to talk to your
Da-jiu about something super secret."
A-Ling narrows his eyes, tilting his head. Shijie pulls her neatly written list from her purse,
handing it to her son. He looks at the list, then nods firmly. Grabbing Jiang Cheng's hand, he
looks at Wei Ying. "Da-jiu can't see," he says. Wei Ying snorts. A-Ling throws a ferocious
little glare at him, then firmly tugs Jiang Cheng's hand. "Jiujiu. Momma gave us a job. Da-jiu
can't see." He pulls Jiang Cheng along, grabbing the list gently from Shijie before he starts
scolding Jiang Cheng for moving too slowly.

He watches A-Ling tell which pair of shoes Jiang Cheng should wear, and then silently
follows Shijie to the kitchen when she beckons him over. She smiles at him, so wide and
bright, and then motions for him to sit. She's humming as she steps behind him, gathering his
shoulder-length hair gently and pulling the ribbon that keeps it in its loose ponytail out.

He knows what she's doing, but he can't bring himself to be upset about it. "A-Ying?"

He hums, grabbing the ribbon as she hands it to him and wrapping it between his fingers. He
can feel her gentle fingers as she separates his hair into strands, then she starts braiding it.

"A-Cheng said you went to the police?"

He winces. "I would've told you myself, Shijie. I just–I didn't know you knew. Already."

She shushes him softly. "I'm not mad if you're worried about that. I'm very proud of my didi.
A-Cheng told me your freshman year. I just never thought to ask to avoid stressing you out.
The flowers?"

"Mhm. He thinks it's romantic or something. The officer said to keep gifts and voicemails he
sends."

His sister hums in understanding. Her fingers are careful and methodical as she works.
Gently, she loosens a strand out of one of the sections she'd pulled, making it frame his face.
"Has he threatened to hurt you?"
"Not quite? I–Lan Zhan had to stay with his uncle Thursday to yesterday because the guy…
the voicemails are nasty, Shijie. I don't like listening to them." He rubs his knuckle and purses
his lips. "I promise, if he says anything I'm not staying quiet."

He hears a delighted little hum, then Shijie kisses the back of his head. "Mm. On a more
positive note A-Ying." Shijie leans forward so she can face him. She's grinning, eyes
twinkling. "You and A-Zhan?"

He feels his face erupt in heat, then he's slouching in the stool. "Shijie! It was an accident!"

"So you didn't mean to ask him out, and weren't excited when he said yes?"

Maybe he doesn't love his sister. Maybe he doesn't want a cake. Maybe he'll hole up under his
covers and die.

"I--God I can't do anything in this house without one of you going for the throat. Yes, it was
an accident. But a good one. I like Lan Zhan. I do. Just–"

"You didn't know he liked you back. A-Ying, me and A-Xuan did the same thing."

Wei Ying groans. When Shijie first met her husband, she had been quietly in love; soft and
sweet, offering her best. Wei Ying always thought she was too good for anyone lesser than
her, and he and Jiang Cheng certainly made their protest known when she said she liked Jin
Zixuan of all people. He was rude, snarky, stuck-up, and said Shijie was someone below who
he deserved. That barrage of insults had Wei Ying punching him, getting punished, and the
Jin family barring further contact with their son.

It wasn't until a year later when Jin Zixuan reconnected with Jiang Yanli on their campus, and
he developed a little crush on her. Reluctantly, he had approached Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng,
both of who still didn't quite enjoy his company, asking how to woo Yanli. It was a strange
year of him flirting until Yanli herself asked him out. Cue four years later: married happily
with a kid.
Crazy.

"I don't know if the stories are comparable, Shijie," Wei Ying says, swinging his feet. She
taps his shoulder and he hands the ribbon to her. He feels the braid come over his shoulder,
where she ties it off and wraps a stray bang around her finger to curl it. "Lan Zhan is perfect
as a human and Peacock was…eh? Like, not completely hopeless but definitely could be
improved? You are a goddess incarnate."

Her eyes crinkle as she smiles. He always thinks she looks radiant like this. His perfect
Shijie. "And you?"

"Hm?"

She laughs, then pulls him to stand. "If I am a goddess to A-Xuan's apparent 'needs
improvement', what are you to A-Zhan's perfection?" She taps his nose, wiping her hands on
the skirt of her dress. "You need to start thinking of yourself better. My A-Ying is only three
and has a lot of time to think about it." With that, she kisses his cheek and goes to rejoin
Jiang Cheng and A-Ling at the door.

His hands fly up to feel the neat braid his sister has placed his hair in. He pats his pockets
down to locate his phone. It's less warm than earlier, but the heat is still present. He looks at
the braid through the camera, nodding in approval when he feels he looks good. In a bit of a
bold move, he snaps a selfie, sending it to Lan Zhan. His heart skips when he presses send,
but he bites his lip and smiles.

do i look super hot with shijie's braiding skills or what Lan Zhan???

The reply comes quickly. In predictable Lan Zhan style, it's short and simple and gets his
point across well.

Yes.
Aiya!!!! Lan Zhan my heart!!! u can't just say things so bluntly!!!

Wei Ying looks nice no matter what he wears.

He has to pause at that one, then lets out a miserable squeak before rejoining his siblings and
nephew, sliding his boots on. A-Ling insists he holds both Shijie's and Jiang Cheng's hands
because 'If I hold Da-jiu's hands, he'll know what we're buying.'

He already knows what they're buying, but he adheres to his nephew's wishes and doesn't try
to shove Jiang Cheng out of the way. His own nephew, not giving his Da-jiu any sort of
affection. Despicable, truly. Unfilial nephew.

Too good er-gege. really.

Lan Zhan takes another moment to respond, a quick snapshot of Bichen and Wangji as they
enter the elevator.

God, he loves him so much.

The store A-Ling wants to go to is a short five minute walk from their apartment. He had
insisted on the store himself because, according to Shijie, it was such a good store. Wei Ying
and Jiang Cheng had never been in it aside from once when Wei Ying had to run to buy
cough syrup their sophomore year because Jiang Cheng was coughing his lungs up and Wei
Ying needed sleep.

Anyway, the store is nice. Big and brightly lit, A-Ling takes a liking to it immediately. The
toddler sets out tasks for the adults. He points proudly at Shijie, who smiles sweetly and nods
at her son so she can listen.
"Jiujiu and Momma should buy the good things," A-Ling says, pushing Jiang Cheng and
Shijie's hands together. Then, he turns to Wei Ying and grabs his hand, pushing himself close
to Wei Ying's leg. "I go with Da-jiu so he can't see what you buy."

Wei Ying nods. "Solid plan, A-Ling. You heard the little man, didi. I'm not allowed to see
anything, so I suppose I will wander, adrift and alone with just A-Ling to keep me company."

Jiang Cheng scoffs and rolls his eyes. "We're in the same building, dumba–idiot. Just give us
thirty minutes. Jie is nice enough to want something nice for you."

Shijie playfully pushes Jiang Cheng's shoulder. "A-Cheng! You love your gege. Don't act like
you didn't call me to ask for help."

Jiang Cheng splutters. Wei Ying smiles and tilts his head teasingly. "My didi? Asking for
help?" He laughs and leans forward, running his thumbs along Jiang Cheng's cheekbones.
"So sweet. The sweetest little brother! A-Ling! Isn't your jiujiu the sweetest?"

A-Ling regards his family once, then grabs Wei Ying by his pant leg and tugs. "Go. This
way."

Shijie laughs, then waves her hand at Wei Ying. "We'll be done in a bit, A-Ying. He's very
adamant you can't see what we buy, even if you know how a cake is made." She gives him a
sweet look, slightly apologetic as A-Ling tugs his pant leg again, and pulls him toward the
cereal aisle.

"Guess we're checking cereal out, Shijie. Bye!"

He stumbles as he follows his nephew. A-Ling is…eager. He heads towards the cereal
quickly, pulling Wei Ying harder whenever he tries to teasingly see where his siblings went.
Once, A-Ling hits him. It's not very hard, but he feigns a limp that has A-Ling pause and
softly pat his leg in apology.
Ah, his cute nephew! Too sweet!

A-Ling really is a sweet child even if he takes after Jiang Cheng's terrible temper. He is being
raised by Shijie, Wei Ying notes, so he's not surprised A-Ling's behavior is sweet underneath
the apparent rudeness. He knows A-Ling wants to surprise him, even if Wei Ying knows it's
not really a surprise.

"Da-jiu," A-Ling says. "Your favorite cereal?"

Wei Ying squats down next to his nephew, pretending to look over his choices. "Hm. What do
you think, baobei? What's your favorite? Because then that'll obviously be my favorite if you
like it. Because A-Ling has very good taste."

A-Ling’s eyes widen, then he turns to regard the cereal with a careful eye. He hums when he
spots something he likes, an admittedly cute habit he got from his dad, and pulls a box from
the shelf. "This one is Da-jiu's favorite."

Wei Ying nods, taking the box. "Of course. Yes, obviously. You know me so well, A-Ling.
Do you wanna get it? I can buy it for you?"

A-Ling purses his lips, then shakes his head. He grabs the box from Wei Ying's hands, then
quickly places it back in its spot on the shelf. Wei Ying blinks, then snorts and stands to
follow his wandering nephew as he explores the store. A-Ling wanders about for a while,
pointing out his favorite fruits and vegetables to Wei Ying, he's a really big fan of peaches,
points out a type of sweet sauce Shijie uses when she makes pork, the beans his dad really
likes that A-Ling thinks taste nasty, and a pre-made sweet roll of some kind that has both of
them drooling.

Wei Ying stares his nephew down, then grabs two of the small boxed rolls, winking. "I think
my sweet little cake planner deserves a treat."

A-Ling stares at the roll. "Momma says no candy before dinner, Da-jiu."
Wei Ying huffs. "It's not candy, baobei. Just…a treat." A-Ling nods, then moves to pull
another two rolls from the stack. Wei Ying hums.

"For Momma and jiujiu."

"None for your baba?"

A-Ling shakes his head. "He and mama can share."

The toddler seems to find the four rolls acceptable, because then he's wandering off away
from Wei Ying towards the back of the store. Wei Ying walks behind his nephew as he looks
at the food, stops to examine some donuts, and then makes an abrupt turn. Wei Ying guesses
he saw Shijie and Jiang Cheng, and obviously he's not supposed to know what they're buying,
so A-Ling and his smart little brain turn, heading down the frozen food aisle.

Wei Ying laughs to himself and adjusts his hold on the rolls stacked in his hands.

One slips as he moves it, dropping to the ground. He looks up at A-Ling, standing at the edge
of the aisle. "Baobei! Wait a moment!"

Crouching down, he watches A-Ling stand perfectly at the edge of the aisle, and when he
stands up, A-Ling is facing the right of the aisle, talking.

"Baobei? Is that momma?" he calls.

Sweet A-Ling takes a step back away from whoever he's talking to, then looks at Wei Ying.
There's a little furrow in between his eyebrows, and then he shakes his head. Wei Ying feels
his heart stutter. He hurriedly walks over to his nephew, moving the boxes so they won't fall
as he does.

"Da-jiu, he knows me."

Wei Ying pauses, then clenches his jaw when A-Ling’s conversation buddy steps into the
aisle, carrying a bottle and some bread.

Why the fuck is he here.

"Wei Ying! It's been a minute, huh?" Wen Chao says.

Wei Ying vaguely registers he's shaking. "Baobei, A-Ling, come here. Now."

Wen Chao holds up a hand and Wei Ying feels a muscle in his jaw twitches. "Hold on. You
never said your nephew was this cute." Wen Chao crouches down and Wei Ying chokes down
a yell. "Me and your Da-jiu are really good friends, A-Ling. Aren't we, Wei Ying?"

A-Ling turns to look at Wei Ying, blinking, and like the amazingly perceptive little child he
is, softly takes a step back. "Really?"

Wei Ying swallows. "We talk, baobei. Come here. We should find your jiujiu, huh? We have–
we have more shopping to do." His voice cracks. "Your momma is gonna be upset if we don't
give her her sweet roll, yeah?"

Wen Chao smiles. It's crooked. "Why don't I help you with your shopping? I don't have
anywhere to be." He stands, inclining his head to Wei Ying. "We need to talk, anyway. A-
Ling, can I call you that? You wanna show me what you're shopping for? I can pay for it.
Anything you want."

A-Ling stares at Wei Ying, then shuffles over to him and looks at him. "Is he your friend?"

The whole store seems to collapse in on itself. Wen Chao stares at him like a wolf. Wei Ying
wants to curl up and scream.
He wants his brother.

His sister.

He'd take Jin Zixuan over Wen Chao.

And A-Ling was here and there was nothing Wei Ying could really do.

Had Lieutenant He talked to him? Did he know Wei Ying went to the cops?

He knows who A-Ling was.

By name.

His face.

Does he know Shijie?

He knows Shijie.

He knows.

Wen Chao stares at him, then steps closer to them and smiles. "Mhm. Me and your uncle are
super close. I like him a lot. He likes me, too. But we're kind of fighting right now."

A-Ling grips Wei Ying's pant leg. "Like momma and baba fight? Like over dinner?"
"Just like that. You're so smart, A-Ling. Bet you get that from your uncle. What are you guys
buying?"

Wei Ying swallows. Or tries. His mouth is dry.

"What are you doing?" he asks. "Here. You don't–why are you here?"

Wen Chao snorts. "Shopping. What does it look like?" His eyes flit over Wei Ying for a
moment. "Where have you been the last week? I tried calling you. You…you still haven't
unblocked me."

"Da-jiu?"

Wei Ying blinks, looking at his nephew. "Yes? What's wrong?"

"We need to shop."

Wei Ying laughs. It sounds so forced to his own ears. "Yes! Of course. Sorry Wen Chao, you–
you heard him. We're on a limit here-"

Wen Chao's hand shoots out, grabbing his shoulder. "I said I would pay, yeah? We still need
to have a talk, Wei Ying. About us?"

"Not right now."

"Why not? You embarrassed of me?"

Wei Ying feels the hand on his shoulder tighten. "No! Just–my nephew has to leave soon and
we only stopped in here briefly and you know how it goes."

He moves to step back, pushing A-Ling behind him. Wen Chao scoffs. "You're seriously
making excuses? C'mon and tell the truth, Wei Ying: you were at that asshole Lan's
apartment. What does he have that I don't? I'm trying to make this work and you're avoiding
me at every turn."

Wei Ying sucks a breath in. "I wasn't. A friend, I was visiting. Out of the building."

"You put me on the ban list," he says. "Why was that?"

"Wen Chao, please. We're not–I already asked you to stop doing this. We're not dating and
I'm not-"

"You keep saying that shit but we both know you're a rotten fucking liar, A-Ying. "

He shivers at the name, the familiar tone. He's only ever heard it in Shijie’s voice.

A-Ling whimpers behind him, and Wei Ying pulls himself roughly away from Wen Chao.

"I'm better than that Lan at every turn. Every point. Yeah? I have money, Wei Ying. More
than him! Accomplishments. I bet I could give you the best and you'd settle for a Lan." He
presses closer, and Wei Ying backs away.

Why is no one here?

He wants his brother.

He wants Wen Chao gone.

He wants to scream.

Cry.

A-Ling backs up with him, looking behind them in the aisle. He tugs Wei Ying again.

His nephew is here.

Wen Chao is doing this in public.

Why is no one stopping him?

Wei Ying shakes his head, pressing the packages close to his chest. "You need to leave," he
says, voice shaking. "Leave or I'll fucking scream, Wen Chao. What are people going to
think? You harassing-"

Wen Chao grabs his shoulder again, then looks pointedly at A-Ling, who ducks further
behind Wei Ying's legs. "Harassing? I am trying, A-Ying, to have a fucking conversation
after you avoided me for days. Don't think I don't fucking know what you really do. That…
fucking Lan bastard?" He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Then you go and tattle to the dean that I'm
harassing you? You ," he jabs a finger in Wei Ying's face," fucking came onto me! The
flirting? Was that not you fucking showing you wanted me? I played along, but either you
really wanna play hard to get, or you're used to fucking teasing guys like a whore."

"I never-" Wei Ying chokes. "I never flirted."

The packages in his hands are covered in his sweat.

"Of course you did. I gave you such a good thing. Do you understand any of that? How good
a boyfriend I am?" He pushes Wei Ying back, and Wei Ying stumbles over his nephew,
quickly turning so he doesn't crush A-Ling. A-Ling yelps. "I like you a lot, and you need to
realize some shit. The next time I call Wei Ying, I expect you to answer. I need a little…
break. You obviously need to reevaluate how good I am to you."

He tilts his head at Wei Ying on the floor, then sighs. Holding out his hand, his face softens.
"I didn't mean to shove you, baobei. Just–you made me mad, in public, and I got carried
away."

Wei Ying can't quite hear. The words are muffled and the only thing he registers is A-Ling in
his arms and the floor beneath him. He pushes himself up, gathering A-Ling up, and stumbles
out of the aisle.

A-Ling grips his shirt hard, face buried in his neck.

There are footsteps behind him.

Fast.

Expensive shoes.

He's breathing.

His brother.

Where's his brother?

Shijie.
He wants his sister.

He wants to go home.

He wants Lan Zhan.

To hold him.

And tell him he's okay.

Wen Chao knew where he was.

Cornered him and his nephew.

He tracked him .

He's sure of it.

There's something.

The flowers?

No.

A-Ling sniffles into his neck and the haze clears and the footsteps are there and behind him.
He's in the middle of the frozen treat aisle when a hand touches his shoulder.

Wei Ying screams, turning quickly and nearly falls over as he looks at who's grabbed him.

"What the fuck?" Jiang Cheng asks.

Wei Ying wants to sob right there and then. He peers around his little brother's shoulder.

Wen Chao is gone. Or at least not near him anymore.

Oh.

A-Ling turns to Jiang Cheng, then throws his arms out to him and begins crying. Wei Ying's
arms go numb and Jiang Cheng takes their crying nephew.

"What the fuck happened?" When Wei Ying doesn't answer, he can't, he turns over his
shoulder and shouts, "Jie!"

A sudden and painful burst of something exists in his chest. Wei Ying rubs his face and
breathes. "Wen Chao," he croaks. Jiang Cheng freezes. "He--I'm so sorry."

Shijie's sandals slap as she runs over, and Wei Ying feels his lip tremble when he sees her.
"Shijie, I'm so sorry."

His sister carefully looks at her crying son and brother, worry etched on her face. "What
happened? A-Ying?"

Jiang Cheng peeks over his shoulder, then hands A-Ling to Shijie. "You–you deal with A-
Ling, I've got this." Shijie hesitates, but nods and moves out of the aisle to soothe her crying
son.

Jiang Cheng sighs, then with uncharacteristic gentleness, rubs Wei Ying's cheekbones and
smoothes his hair. "The fucker was here?"

This isn't fair. His brother shouldn't be this gentle. He's supposed to be angry that Wei Ying
let Wen Chao near A-Ling. Supposed to yell. Scream.

Wei Ying nods. "He–he knows A-Ling’s name, didi. He's in here and we just–he knows
Shijie! He knows all about them and it's my fault! He knew-"

Jiang Cheng scoffs, then pulls him into a hug. "The officer said it would never be your fault,
asshole. It's not. It's that fucker's for coming here and doing that shit. You’re okay, breathe."

The words don't quite calm him.

Wen Chao is here, he found them. A ragged breath tears itself from his throat. "Didi." The
word sounds so fragile.

If he says it wrong, he's sure he's going to break it.

Jiang Cheng hums.

"I wanna go home. I'm sorry."

He can hear Jiang Cheng take a deep breath, then the arms around him tighten. "Okay," he
says quietly.

And then Wei Ying cries.

The walk back is quiet and tense. No one talks.

Shijie carries A-Ling, who has distracted himself with carefully combing her hair as they
walk. Jiang Cheng holds Wei Ying's arm in his, carefully wrapped and pressed close like he'd
float away if he let go.

He feels floaty.

Not quite there but present.

He had plans. Simple. So simple. His nephew had to be there and he wants to cry. He's going
to cry later.

But first they have to escort Shijie to her car, then Wei Ying has to call Lieutenant He, then he
has to shower, and then tell Lan Zhan he may not be able to make their coffee date which
may make him angry at Wei Ying.

(It won't. Lan Zhan is never mad at him even if he deserves it.)

More than anything, he wants to desperately sleep.

He's tired, exhausted, and Lieutenant He hasn't talked to Wen Chao, which means the simple
cease and desist is the first thing they're going to aim for.

His fingers shake as they step into the lobby. Shijie hugs him and Jiang Cheng, looking ready
to cry. "I'm so sorry this was ruined, A-Ying," she whispers. She presses kisses to both their
foreheads. Her mouth sets into something not quite joyful. "You two are contacting that
officer, yeah? Please tell me how that goes."

Jiang Cheng nods, then smiles so softly at A-Ling. "You be good, okay? Thank you for
helping us shop."

A-Ling peeks at Jiang Cheng, then at Wei Ying. He tries to smile, but it's rough and A-Ling
isn't stupid. "Bye, Da-jiu." He makes grabbing hands at his uncles, and pulls them both in for
a hug, leaning out of Shijie's arms. "It's gonna be a spicy cake," he whispers. "But you have
to pretend you don't know, okay?"

Wei Ying snorts. "Okay, baobei. Thank you. I didn't hear a thing."

A-Ling nods. Shijie smiles, the corners of her eyes wrinkling. "He spoiled the surprise. But if
A-Ying didn't hear, I suppose we can still do it."

She hugs them one last time. Wei Ying breathes in his sister's warm scent. "Call us when you
get home, Jie," Jiang Cheng says. "I'll call if the officer gets back to us. Drive safe."

Shijie hums, letting A-Ling wave goodbye to his uncles before she exists the lobby and walks
towards her car. Wei Ying watches her from behind the doors of the lobby as she buckles A-
Ling into his car seat, then moves to step into her driver’s side door. When the car pulls away
from the complex, he releases his breath. Jiang Cheng is frowning when he turns around.

"What did he do?"

Wei Ying blinks. "He–he didn't touch A-Ling. Just…a lot of words."

"I mean to you, dumbass," his brother snaps as they set into the elevator. "What did he do to
you. A-Ling is safe. He's like, three. He'll bounce. You, however, are a mess."
"Nothing bad," Wei Ying says, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. He stares at the
vague reflection on the elevator walls. "He just…shoved me. That's it. That's all. Talking.
Nothing terrible."

Jiang Cheng scoffs, shaking his head. They're quiet, and when the elevator dings, he
whispers, "Glad you're not hurt," and steps off quickly.

Of course, that's not the end of his day. No.

He could've stepped inside and showered, let Lieutenant He be contacted, talked in the
morning, gone to have his nightly phone call with Lan Zhan without letting him know
anything, then gone to bed and slept until noon because stepping onto campus now felt like a
death sentence.

No.

The world hates him.

He hates Wen Chao and his fucking flowers.

More are waiting on their welcome mat when they turn to see their door. Wei Ying groans,
then turns back towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Jiang Cheng calls, roughly picking the bouquet up. "You need to
call-"

"I'll do it in the morning! Going to Lan Zhan's. Bye, didi."

He hears Jiang Cheng’s grumble, but he quickly accepts the choice because their lock clicks
and the door opens.
Wei Ying takes the elevator again, stepping off onto the third floor, and turns down towards
the cold hallway to 302. He technically hasn't seen Lan Zhan since he confessed, so what a
surprise he must be to his friend (lover?) hanging in the hallway and looking like he hasn't
slept in days.

Lan Zhan looks him over, eyes settling on his tired face. He smiles. "Hi, er-gege. Come sleep
with me." He grabs Lan Zhan's hand, sliding his shoes off.

"Wei Ying?"

"Not in like--a 'fuck me' way, Lan Zhan. Like, come nap with me because I had a rough
fucking day and I think I messed our coffee date up and I can't really leave the apartment
right now."

Lan Zhan grabs his wrist softly, brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"

He's tempted to say yes, but then Wen Chao's words ring and he can't. "No. Come lay down
with me, please? I promise, just laying down." He sounds close to crying again and he does
not have the ego right now to let Lan Zhan see him cry.

Lan Zhan stands still for a moment, then moves his hand to hold Wei Ying's fingers and nods.
"Mm. Nap."

He feels tempted to laugh.

Lan Zhan is just…too good. He knows the apartment better than his own. It's a hop, skip, and
a jump to Lan Zhan's clean, tidy room. The walls are painted white with blue patterns near
the bottom, his bed is blue, light blue, not dark, with white clouds in a sort of traditional
painting style repeatedly lining the fabric. His pillows are perfect, and he has a neat desk with
a tall office chair. His dresser is neatly organized, no clothes peeking out from any drawer,
unlike Wei Ying’s.
It feels nice.

Lan Zhan sits on his bed, then pats it softly for Wei Ying to sit.

Wei Ying follows, sitting next to him, and then flops down back onto the covers. He doesn't
want to ruin the neat work Lan Zhan has done to ensure it stays neat.

"Does Wei Ying need to borrow pajamas?"

He thinks for a moment. "If this is just a way to get me into your clothes, yeah."

Lan Zhan huffs, this one is in slight amusement and annoyance, but stands to carefully pry
his drawer open and selects an oversized shirt-pants combo. He carefully hands them to Wei
Ying, then shuffles his sleeping slippers on and opens his bedroom door. "I will be back, Wei
Ying. You can leave your clothes in the hamper. For cleaning."

Ah, Lan Zhan is too good.

He changes quickly, slightly amused that Lan Zhan's pants are longer and bigger than his.

His phone buzzes, and when he shakily checks, it's just Jiang Cheng telling him to not forget
to at least come back before ten so they can call Lieutenant He and report the store incident.

Okok. Ty for checking on me didi. luv u, go 2 bed early

You're staying over?

that a problem?

You're horrendous. No. Text when you're coming back.

Kk. Gn didi. I will. Ty for today

Jiang Cheng doesn't answer, but Wei Ying knows he's read the text. He smiles, setting his
phone down when it fucking almost dies and nearly toasts his hands from its extended use.
Lan Zhan comes back a moment later, a cup of water in his hands.

"Wei Ying does not typically sleep this early."

"It's like, five. Isn't that what you Lans sleep at?"

Lan Zhan pauses, handing the water to Wei Ying, then sits on the edge of the bed as he
drinks.

"Has your brother made you upset?"

Wei Ying splutters, coughing on water. "No. Not him. I came here to nap, er-gege. You can
interrogate me later, yeah?"

He empties the cup, and Lan Zhan takes it from him, setting it on his bedside table. Wei Ying
takes the opportunity to lay back down. Lan Zhan's bed is too comfortable.

"I really wanna go on our coffee date. I really do."

"Mm. I do as well."
Wei Ying taps his thigh, licking his lips. "Lan Zhan?"

"Mm?"

"I really like you."

"I like Wei Ying, too. Very much."

Oh.

Lan Zhan is seriously too good. He blinks, staring hard at Lan Zhan's ceiling. Boldly, he
fumbles for Lan Zhan's hands.

They're cold and calloused, long and strong. They feel like perfection.

"Can I be selfish and ask you to wait? Not a long time. I just have a lot to say."

To his surprise, Lan Zhan smiles, soft and small, and leans over to brush his lips on Wei
Ying's forehead. He'll combust if Lan Zhan keeps this stunt up. Then again, he fundamentally
did the same fucking thing.

"Mm. Would wait forever for you to be ready."

And, oh, this is what love feels like.

He doesn't fall asleep for a long time. He eats dinner with Lan Zhan, greets Huan-ge when he
gets home, makes tea, and is teased that he's wearing Lan Zhan's clothes by Huan-ge who
then pretends as though he said nothing, and then nine rolls around in a haze of calm and
quiet.

Lan Zhan, beautiful and perfect, falls asleep almost as soon as the clock hits nine. Wei Ying
laughs at him, playfully pushing his lips up into a smile.

It stops when Lan Zhan, not so perfect after all, opens an eye and scolds him.

The sight of his lips twitching doesn't escape Wei Ying.

This feels safe.

Good.

Warm.

He wants this.

Every day.

His hand finds Lan Zhan's at his side. Lam Zhan sleeps like a mummy, face-side up, perfectly
straight.

He wraps their hands together hesitantly.

If Lan Zhan asks in the morning, Wei Ying will say he did it in his sleep.
 Chapter Five
Chapter Summary

A relationship talk, kissing, and the lock buster is found. Wei Ying also decides he
WILL have a good day after his six a.m shit-show.

Chapter Notes

Nothing triggering. No Wen Chao appearance.

The next chapter or two is the last fun chapter(s) before the soft things end and we head
further into angst.
I am not sorry.

The Talk, yes an official sort of talk, happens when Wei Ying is making his toast. He didn't
even know the Lans had a toaster.

He slept well enough. Lan Zhan never moved, his bed was comfy, and his pajamas were great
for sleeping in. Frankly, he was a little upset to have to give the clothes back. They smelled
like Lan Zhan, and he could definitely appreciate blue. Blue looked better on Lan Zhan than
Wei Ying though, so he could cry and appreciate his friend's beauty at the same time.

In any case, he makes his toast. Lan Zhan had dragged him out of bed right when he got up at
five. Wei Ying, personally, hated that. He was remarkably gentle about it, even if Wei Ying
whined like a toddler and messed his sheets up. Then Lan Zhan talked him through how to
fix the bed, again remarkably gentle, how to fix the pillows, and then had Wei Ying go make
himself breakfast while he showered.

He hated it.

The Lan kitchen was a bit different from his and Jiang Cheng's kitchen. It was larger due to
the smaller living room size, with the cupboards positioned on the opposite wall from the
fridge, a larger sink, and a stack of shelves that held tea leaves, bags, and a few cookbooks
that Huan-ge had bought for trying new things. It was always pristine, neat and white, and the
counters were marbled and always smooth.

He sets about his task lazily, careful to not make a mess of his friend's kitchen. They have a
small bread box that opens up in a way you have to flip the lid towards the ceiling to get into
it, and their knives are organized.

Truthfully, he thinks Lan Zhan is the one who organizes them and Huan-ge just kind of lets
him do whatever.

Wei Ying likes the organization. It's very Lan Zhan-esque. And he likes anything Lan Zhan.

He finds the toaster pushed towards the back corner. It's small but clean and easy to use. And
Wei Ying knows how to use a toaster. He has just been banned from using the toaster at
Shijie's.

Lan Zhan comes out into the kitchen about ten minutes later, a towel wrapped around his
shoulders to make sure his shirt doesn't get wet from his drying hair.

"Hello, er-gege," Wei Ying says, pulling his toast out as the timer dings. It's hot and nice and
a lovely golden brown. "Did you want some? I'm a great toast-maker you know? I can make
you some really good toast. Like, super good."

Lan Zhan hums, Wei Ying will take that as a yes, and moves to stand next to him to prepare
his morning cup of tea. Lan Zhan likes a hot green tea in the morning, then he'll meditate, do
some yoga, stretch, and then dress for the day because most of his lectures start at eight and
that's horrendous. Wei Ying’s earliest class doesn't start until ten.

He watches Lan Zhan methodically move as Wei Ying preps more toast for him. Everything
he does is smooth.
Wei Ying likes it.

"You know, I slept really well. You're a great bed buddy. You don't move at all."

Lan Zhan nods at him, and carefully moves around him to reach the tea shelf. "Mm. Wei
Ying is also a good sleeping buddy."

Wei Ying flushes. "Aiya, Lan Zhan you can't say things like that. We've been over this. My
poor heart. You want to kill me. That's what this is." He opens the Lans' bread box, he loves it
so much, and pulls out two more slices for Lan Zhan. "How do you like your toast?"

"Anyway Wei Ying makes it."

Wei Ying hums. "And if I burn it?"

"We will throw it away and you can make me new toast."

Whistling, Wei Ying nudges Lan Zhan with his hip. "So demanding, er-gege. Am I your
housewife?"

Lan Zhan carefully looks at him. "Is that how you want it to be?"

God. Wei Ying would scrub the fucking floors so well to be Lan Zhan's little housewife.
Really though, he did mess up their coffee date and he's not entirely sure how he feels going
to campus later. He kind of has to; for classes and stopping by security to ask for a report
copy. And he misses Mianmian who hasn't talked to him since Saturday, which is kind of his
fault.

"How do you want it to be?"

Lan Zhan shakes his head. "I know what I want. I am still unsure of what you see this
relationship as. Or what you'd like it to be. I'd like to understand."

This is unfair. A handsome psychology major is not allowed to do this to him. Wei Ying
purses his lips. "I wasn't lying. I really–I like you a lot." He shoves the bread in the toaster,
then turns the dial to set it to cook. "Right now–I wasn't planning to tell you. And the thing
Monday, I'm not angry I said it."

"Mm. I know you did not lie."

Wei Ying groans, then flattens himself on the counter as Lan Zhan finishes prepping his tea.
He puts his little box back on his shelf, then turns to lean against the counter while he drinks.
Wei Ying frowns.

"I don't know what I want. I mean, I do but it's complicated. And I thought me asking you out
would've been a lot better than some embarrassing coffee date to discuss how I've been
wanting to kiss your stupid face since we were fifteen." Wei Ying taps his fingers on the
counter and averts his eyes. "Things aren't…good right now. I'm tired and stressed, Lan Zhan,
and I don't wanna pull you into more bullshit than you've already been brought into."

Lan Zhan regards him for a moment, then he sets his tea down and crosses his arms. "Wen
Chao?"

"Mm. So smart, Lan Zhan. Your uncle is gonna have to watch out or all the big shot cases
will be headed your way."

"You complained. Wednesday. Then the phone call on Thursday."

Wei Ying winces, then stands straighter. "I really didn't wanna worry you about him. We went
to the police Monday, and they're going to send a cease and desist and an officer will talk. I–
it's just been a wild fucking week." He bites his lip, then wrings his hands. "He…he's sending
voicemails and one of them was about you. I was worried he was going to do something, so
Huaisang called and then shit happened and you know. It's being dealt with. Slowly."
Lan Zhan's lip twitches. "Voicemails?"

"He hasn't threatened me with them. It's just been talking about you and nothing nice. He's
very adamant I'm cheating on him with you, Lan Zhan. I'm not opposed. I would."

"The voicemails, Wei Ying. What does he say?"

The toaster pops and Wei Ying frowns. He grabs a plate from Lan Zhan's cabinet. "Nothing
your pure ears should hear. I don't wanna repeat them." He places Lan Zhan's toast on his
plate, then hands it to him. "I promise, he hasn't threatened to kill me."

Lan Zhan takes the plate from him. "Thank you. I am still worried. Wen Chao is…not
someone the seniors have kind words about."

"You hang out with seniors?"

"Classmates. Sign-up lecture on the chemicals the brain produces under the effects of
disorders or stimuli. Most seniors knew Wen Chao. None had nice things to say. He walked
in late and was kicked out for violating the time rule the professor set."

Humming, Wei Ying bites into his own toast. It's crunchy and great and he's an amazing
toast-maker as he told Lan Zhan. "In any case…I'm just nervous. I don't wanna ruin the
coffee date, but I don't want him around and he found…" he has to pause to say it. "I went
shopping with Shijie and Jiang Cheng. She brought A-Ling. He…he fucking showed up and
knew A-Ling, Lan Zhan. Knew his face. And then he kept pushing and then A-Ling got
nervous because what the fuck, who wouldn't? I don't-"

"Breathe," Lan Zhan urges gently. His toast is still untouched. Wei Ying snorts at his stupid
family rules. "I understand. You do not have to apologize for wanting to avoid him. You
didn't ruin our date plans, Wei Ying. We can do it when you are less-"
"But I want to do it now and I don't want him messing up my plans or your plans or anyone's
plans because I'm being paranoid and not wanting to leave my home." He slumps against the
counter. "Freshman year all over again."

"Your brother had to escort you."

Wei Ying snorts. "Yeah, and his attendance suffered like shit and he had to study extra hard
because our blocks are on the opposite sides of campus and he's too good to say no."

Lan Zhan makes a sound, then sets about eating his toast. It's quiet for a moment, then a door
down the hallway opens and Huan-ge steps into the living room, freshly showered and
dressed for his workday.

"Good morning, you two," he greets. "Wei-di, you're not typically up this early."

Wei Ying smiles. "Mm. Your brother seemed to think I had to follow his schedule. Truthfully,
I'd be back asleep if I couldn't help it."

Huan-ge hums, then moves past them to grab at the fridge, pulling a pre-made lunch from
inside. "What time is your first class?"

"Ten. Studio. Then a life drawing course. It's a lot more boring than it sounds, because the
models this time are nude and nude models are always like, boring? Nothing fun like non-
nude." Wei Ying presses away from the counter to deposit his plate in the sink, then wipes his
hands. "I've been skipping too much, professors must be like, pissed."

Lan Zhan grunts as he finishes his toast, and he too carefully sets his plate in the sink. "Mm. I
will walk Wei Ying."

Wei Ying stares at him, a little too stunned to speak. "What?"

"To class."

Huan-ge smiles, clapping Lan Zhan on the back. "How kind, didi! Wei-di, good luck today,
then! You're welcome to visit for dinner again tonight. It's always a joy having you. I know
A-Zhan enjoys you here." Wei Ying snorts as Lan Zhan's lip twitches and his ears turn red.

"Thanks, Huan-ge. I like coming over."

Huan-ge waves goodbye, smiling brightly, and steps out. Wei Ying snorts as soon as he
leaves and the door closes. "A-Zhan likes it when I come over?"

Lan Zhan huffs and turns away, ears reddening further.

"Does er-gege like me calling him A-Zhan? I like it. Don't ignore me, Lan Zhan. I thought
you wanted me to tell you what I want? Because so far, I really like how you react to being
called A-Zhan."

Eyes flickering over, Lan Zhan exhales. "That is not what I mean, Wei Ying."

"I know," he says quietly. "It's–it's weird to say what I want, really. With you. I know exactly
what I would like to do or not do with you but it's…it's embarrassing."

With a head tilt, Lan Zhan steps a foot closer until their hips are pressed flush together at the
side. "Would it help to hear what I would like? I assure you, nothing is embarrassing. I will
like anything you ask for."

Biting his lip, Wei Ying nods. "To be honest, I'm still a little confused about your feelings."
Feeling rather embarrassed already, he rubs the side of his nose and giggles. "I thought you
hated me until freshman year, and then I just kind of restuck myself to you, huh? Freshman
year was like…especially wild because then I realized I liked you, and then Jiang Cheng and
Shijie made fun of me for not realizing it, Huaisang and Qing-jie teased me a lot. Wen Chao
kinda being a creep. And now, we're talking about a relationship and that's the craziest shit
I've had happen aside from the weird stalker fuckery."

"I liked you from the beginning."

"Freshman year?"

"Mn. High-school. You were…new. To me. The feeling associated with you." Lan Zhan takes
a deep breath. "I thought I disliked you."

"Lan Zhan? Is that why you kept ignoring me?" A sly little smile worms its way onto his
face. "You liked me so much you thought it was hate?"

"Not hate. Strong dislike."

"That's what hate is, er-gege."

Lan Zhan scowls. "I thought I didn't like you. But then you kept pestering. And talking. To
me. It was new and I was afraid. When we graduated, I had come to terms with the feeling. It
was there."

Wei Ying swallows and nods. "Then freshman year."

Lan Zhan hums. "Seeing you again was not unwelcome. It took some talking, to Brother and
classmates, to realize I liked you. Romantically. And then you went straight into our
friendship as if nothing happened. I have imagined many things when it comes to you, Wei
Ying."

Wei Ying nods, then folds his arms and leans on the counter. "Like?"
"Talking as partners, boyfriends, saying our plans, planning to do things together. Living
together. Kissing each other good morning or good night. I have dreamed of treating you to
dinners, of taking care of you, and you taking care of me. I would like to be someone you
trust. And you feel safe with. I also would like you to be someone I can be open with."

Wei Ying sucks the inside of his cheek. "I like how that sounds," he says quietly. "I also–mm.
I can't top that, er-gege." He bumps his hip into Lan Zhan’s, then smiles. "I had to see you
again freshman year to realize. I really liked you. Honestly, I've been pining so much
Huaisang had a group chat made to screenshot times I brought you up in casual conversation.
It was embarrassing, honestly."

There's a delighted little noise that worms its way out of Lan Zhan’s throat. "And what did
you want?"

"To kiss you. And hug you. And just…be with you. The store–Wen Chao terrified me. And
on campus Wednesday. Lan Zhan, you were partly my comfort. Or like, I really wanted you
to hug me and stuff and tell me I was fine. You already make me feel safe. A lot." Wei Ying
stretches, then purses his lips. "I think I'm still worried. I don't want to drag you into anything
and risk your safety. If–I really want to have something with you. If you're willing to be a
little patient with me, I'd like to…to do something. At least a little."

"Wei Ying?"

"Hm?"

"May I kiss you?"

Wei Ying's brain short circuits. He laughs, maybe a little too surprised, then nods dumbly.
"Yes. Yes, yeah. If you ask very nicely again only, er-gege."

Lan Zhan leans forward, raising an eyebrow. "May I kiss Wei Ying?"
"Yes. Please."

Lan Zhan's lips are cold and soft. The kiss starts slow and Wei Ying has no idea where to put
his hands, so he settles them on Lan Zhan’s shoulders. Lan Zhan places his on Wei Ying's
waist, pulling him close. Wei Ying melts . He makes some sort of sound like a whimper and
Lan Zhan kisses a little harder, a little faster, and presses closer.

He's bent back over the counter then and he moves his hands to cup Lan Zhan's neck,
humming happily. Lan Zhan bites his lip.

"Aiya! Lan Zhan!" he whines. "You're like a dog! A mean, biting dog!" Lan Zhan pulls back.
His lips are red and slightly puffed, but his eyes are bright and focused. Wei Ying snorts.
"You know er-gege, you just had the honor of being my second kiss."

"Second?"

Patting his jaw, Wei Ying kisses it. "Mhm. Someone in high school. The senior thing they
did? Hide and seek or something? I had to wear the blindfold for two minutes while you all
hid." He pats Lan Zhan's arms, sprinkling small kisses along his jaw as he speaks. Lan Zhan's
ears are going red. "While I was counting, someone snuck up on me, pressed me against a
tree," he whispers, mimicking the action by pulling Lan Zhan closer to be on top of him, "and
kissed me!" He kisses Lan Zhan's lips again, soft and shallow. "Are you upset? That the
privilege of my first kiss wasn't yours? Jealous, perhaps?"

Lan Zhan is silent, and when Wei Ying nips his jaw to get him to look, he laughs and leans
hard against him. "Lan–Lan Zhan! Don't tell me!"

"I apologize."

Wei Ying's laughter gets louder, tapping his palms against Lan Zhan's chest in amusement.
"You stole my first kiss! Lan Zhan! You were so rough then! So mean to your poor Wei Ying!
Tell me, was it good? Er-gege? Did you want more? You were so bold then. Such a perfect
little-"
He's cut off when Lan Zhan kisses him again, soft and gentle.

This isn't so bad.

And if Jiang Cheng can tell what he's been doing, he won't say anything.

They have to call Lieutenant He before they leave for class. Wei Ying is admittedly not
excited to tell her about what happened, and really he just wants to go to his coffee date at
two. It's great. They have a plan. A good, safe plan so Wen Chao doesn't get the jump on him.
They're going to a coffee store about a half-hour drive from the campus, heading out the back
exit away from where Wei Ying typically leaves from. Lan Zhan is willing to escort him from
class to class to ensure Wen Chao doesn't pop up, since they've deduced Wen Chao only
approaches him when he's alone or with someone Wen Chao can intimidate into backing off,
which Wei Ying appreciates and is very happy that it is happening.

They've discussed hand-holding. Wei Ying is a bit nervous to do it, not because he doesn't
want to hold Lan Zhan's hand, but because Wen Chao is already thinking they're dating, and
he doesn't want to add fuel. Walking together is already a little risky.

He worries a little too much. He wants to do things with Lan Zhan like hold his hand and kiss
him in public, but Wen Chao is like a wasp; if Wei Ying moves too quickly or too much, it'll
sting him. He likes Lan Zhan, and Lan Zhan likes him, but he's not willing to risk his safety
just so they can hold hands.

Luckily, Lan Zhan seems to accept Wei Ying's weird choice, and even if he feels guilty about
it, Wei Ying is thankful. Lan Zhan isn't pushy or anything, which is very sexy of him.

He likes him so much it's not funny.

He has to leave when Lan Zhan has to go to class. He's excited. It feels okay. He's going on a
date later. Feeling a bit bold after a beautiful conversation over toast, Wei Ying kisses Lan
Zhan's cheek before he heads off towards the stairs at the end of the hallway, a little
embarrassed and a little too excited.

He's still giddy over his conversation when he pulls the stairwell door open onto the fourth
floor. His heart is racing, but it's good and it feels good and great and fantastic. He needs a
shower and to change clothes, but he feels good. Lieutenant He still needs to be called, and
though he doesn't want to call her this early, he knows he has to. That or Jiang Cheng will
and he is not looking to recount the tale with an angry Jiang Cheng.

He's fishing his keys out of his pocket when he turns down his hallway. He looks up and
stops.

The security guard is by his door.

His heart stutters.

Had something happened?

Was Jiang Cheng-

No. No, the guard would be more worried. "Can I help you?" Wei Ying says. The security
guard flinches, then his eyes widen when he spots Wei Ying. "Did you need something? My
brother won't be up this early."

He steps a foot closer, fiddling with the keys in his hands. The guard is frozen and Wei Ying
can't quite place why this feels wrong.

"Did…did you need to talk to us?"

The guard recollects himself and coughs into his fist. "Just worried for the tenants. You two
complained about a busted lock Wednesday. Came to check your lock again. Just in case.
People have complained all over the building and now we have like ten residents
complaining and I don't know what to do."

Wei Ying nods. His jaw twitches. "Yeah. We're getting cameras. You should tell the others
that."

The guard laughs. "It'd be too expensive. This is a nice building, but that lazy landlord isn't
going to place cameras all over the building to soothe ten tenants."

Shuffling the guard out of the way, Wei Ying slides his key into the lock. "Oh. Well, my
brother and I are buying cameras. Easy installation and cheap." He opens his door, hand on
the knob. "Kinda weird you weren't advocating for cameras when so many locks are busted.
Aren't you worried?"

"Of course. Not much I can do."

"Install cameras, maybe?" Wei Ying says.

God, he's been so stupid. So stupid and dumb and he should've known because there's no way
Wen Chao busted the lock when the guard and Lan Zhan denied him entry into the building.
Wei Ying is on good terms with the people in the building, they pay their rent on time every
month, they're quiet, and don't disturb other tenants.

Wen Chao can't get in.

He can't.

Not after the third time.

He was on the ban list.

And then their lock busted.

While they weren't here.

He wants to hope Wen Chao isn't tracking him. That he didn't bust the lock and place shit. It's
the optimistic option. The pessimistic and scariest option is that Wen Chao snuck in without
alerting the guard, and has been busting their lock to try and get in. Or has already gotten in.
And if it is Wen Chao, he knows exactly what Wei Ying says in his apartment daily.

If it's not, they've been so stupid.

The guard nods, then sighs. "I'll try. But you know how the landlord is, kiddo. Cameras are
expensive and just because you complained a few times doesn't mean he'll do it."

"How come nobody else is complaining about multiple busted locks? Or like…is there not
some sort of thing going on? You haven't really been doing your job well if ten tenant locks
are being busted every few months." Wei Ying is furious. "Who else has been complaining?"

The guard closes his eyes, then begins naming people. Wei Ying silently connects names, and
then notably the guard keeps Wei Ying's name out, but places Jiang Cheng on the list. Wei
Ying nods, then he's angry and the utter idiot they've all been comes to his head. All the
richest people in the building.

"Have the Lans in 302 complained?"

"Nope. I doubt anyone would target those boys. The tenants with a big, powerful lawyer in
the family? If the guy's caught…hoo boy." The guard sighs, then claps Wei Ying on the back.
"Shift starts in a bit-"
"Starts? Thought you were already on shift. Why else would you be up here off shift?"

The guard pauses.

"What the fuck were you doing? Busting our fucking locks? Trying to scare us? Are you out
of your mind?"

"Me? I'm not breaking into your goddamn-"

"You don't have a clue what the fuck you've done!" Wei Ying screams. "Do you have any
idea?" He jabs the guard with his keys, fury and anger building up in him so quickly. "How
often did you bust our lock and then not immediately call us? Left our doors open for anyone
to walk into?"

He gets louder, pushing the guard back from his door with his keys. The door opens behind
him. "What the fuck are you screaming-"

Wei Ying whips around to face Jiang Cheng, pointing his keys at the guard. "He's the asshole
who's been busting our lock! Do you–does he not realize what the fuck that means? Wen–he's
so pissed and this fucker …he doesn't even know!"

God, he wants to cry. Jiang Cheng, still sleep drunk, looks between the two before settling on
the guard. "Are you fucking serious?"

Wei Ying is shaking, fingers clenching his keys so hard his knuckles are turning white.

The guard's face is red, and his nose is twisting as if offended. "I don't know what you're
talking about. Why the hell would I bust your locks?"

"I wanna know, too! You don't–every fucking time we reported, did you just ignore the
report? We talk to you and you put it away? We're not stupid," Wei Ying shouts, stepping
back towards his apartment. "The landlord fixes for money and your stupid ass gets paid
more! Is that the fucking reason?"

Jiang Cheng stares Wei Ying down, eyes wide. He turns to the guard, then snorts. "You've got
to fucking be kidding me. I'm calling the fucking building owner. You can't fucking be
serious." He disappears back into the apartment and leaves the guard and Wei Ying in the
hallway.

The guard glares at Wei Ying, raising his hands in a motion like he wants to hit him, then
lowering them with a heavy sigh. "You can't-"

"Can't what? Tell? Get the fuck away, asshole. I hope you have a good fucking story planned.
Ten tenants all reported? And nothing done? Say goodbye to your fucking job."

He flips the guy off, stumbling back into his apartment, and locks the door.

This isn't okay.

The guy has been busting their locks for months.

Multiple people's locks.

Wei Ying thought it was Wen Chao.

It's not.

So he just…
He was already banned from the building, what's he going to do if he finds out about the
lock?

That Wei Ying told police he thought it was Wen Chao?

The tracking shit.

Is it in the apartment?

Does he already know somehow?

He has to.

He shouldn't know.

He's fine.

He slides to the floor against the door and breathes.

Fuck.

He hears Jiang Cheng re-enter the living room. Wei Ying laughs shakily, leaning hard against
their door. He wipes shaky hands down his face and releases a noise akin to a sob. "He
doesn't–he doesn't understand what he did!"

Jiang Cheng shuffles over to him, quietly sitting next to him. "Calm down, it'll be okay."
"Don't fucking say that," Wei Ying rasps out. "It's not okay. What if Wen Chao finds out?
They're going to tell him; the cease and desist. About the lock. He's already pissed and then
he found Shijie and A-Ling? The lock-"

"Is something small, Wei Ying. He won't do anything. I called Jin Zixuan last night. He
knows." Jiang Cheng grabs his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Jie and A-Ling are
fine. We're fine. The guy will be dealt with, and we'll be okay."

Wei Ying whines, stomping his feet like a toddler throwing a fit. "This is all my fault," he
whispers, pushing his face into his hands. "Didi, I'm so sorry."

"Shut up!" Jiang Cheng yells. "None of this is your fault. This is just a shitty situation. We'll
deal with this call, call that Lieutenant, and we'll go and you'll be okay. We can watch a shitty
movie tonight, we'll have a good evening, and then we'll call Jie and tell her we love her and
go to bed."

That sounds nice. So nice. Wei Ying hums.

"I have a date," he says, words muffled by his hands. "I wanted today to be good."

Jiang Cheng snorts, then leans in closer. "Yeah. Okay. Then you'll have a great fucking date,
we'll watch a shitty movie and everything will be fine." They're silent. Wei Ying sniffs and
looks at his brother. "If fucking Lan Zhan gives you any shit," Jiang Cheng starts," tell me
and I'll break his fucking legs."

Wei Ying snorts. "Mm. Lan Zhan would never. You're just too protective over the gege you
love so much." He grins, leaning in to give Jiang Cheng a loud kiss on the cheek. "Such a
good little brother."

"It's five fucking days, dumbass."

"Five days still makes you my little brother, A-Cheng."

Jiang Cheng huffs, looking away from him. He stands a little too hastily, moving away from
his brother still on the floor, and pulls his phone out. Wei Ying focuses as he listens to the
phone call to the landlord, and he feels good.

He'll be fine today.

It'll go well.

He's going on a date.

He feels he should feel differently. There's a strange, puffy feeling building in his chest. It's
not good or bad. Just present.

His brother is okay.

He's…been better.

His lock is not busted.

There are no flowers this morning.

No voicemails yet.

Wen Chao hasn't tried to call.

His sister and nephew are okay.

Lan Zhan is fine.

Lan Zhan is great.

He'll have a mini breakdown again before he leaves. Of course he will.

He'll go to class. Mianmian and he will talk.

He hasn't done any work at all. Professor Xue will be pissed.

He'll walk with Lan Zhan to figure drawing.

He'll draw.

Then he'll go on his date.

It'll be a good date.

Wen Chao won't come up.

They'll talk about what they want.

With each other.

And then he'll come back home, watch a movie with his brother, order food, call Shijie, and
go to bed.

It's fine.

He hugs himself a little tighter, a little more snug, then he gets up and moves past his brother
to go shower.

They'll talk to Lieutenant He when they're both done, and it'll turn out okay.

He can't wait.

The call to Lieutenant He is short and professional. They call at roughly seven, and she
answers on the second ring.

"He Mingyi," the voice comes out, confident and quick.

"Lieutenant He? This is Wei Ying. We–I wanted to call about the cease and desist? There was
an incident yesterday and it-"

"Wei Ying? Shoot, I meant to call you yesterday. The cease and desist was done yesterday
evening. Your guy? Was…oddly okay with it. My guys are monitoring his place and him for
the week, just in case." Wei Ying sighs, slumping against the table.

"Okay. Yeah, alright. Uhm, he cornered me and my nephew in a store yesterday. Scared the
fuck out of both of us. Do you remember when you went yesterday?"
Lieutenant He hums, then a second later Wei Ying hears a door close and a chair creak.
"About seven. Formally he was given a letter saying to cease any contact with you from that
point forward unless he wanted the police involved. My guys are keeping an eye on him
closely."

Jiang Cheng makes a face. "Is that it? Just a letter and monitoring? He scared our nephew and
looked up our sister."

"I wasn't made aware of that. Looking up your sister. Stalkers do this; it's a way of getting
information to use against a victim. It's scary and hard to avoid. Luckily, if he does anything
else, he's immediately being arrested and charged with stalking and harassment. I don't trust
his behavior, and I think you both need to be careful. It wouldn't surprise me if he tries
anything. Stalkers don't suddenly stop. My guys will arrest him on the spot if he does
anything, but I wouldn't put it past the creep."

Wei Ying grunts. "He sent more flowers. And voicemails."

Lieutenant He hums. "Thank you for keeping them," she says. "It's difficult to have them
saved but very helpful if this goes to court."

Jiang Cheng shakes his head, and Wei Ying sighs. "Alright. I guess…thank you, Lieutenant.
I'm just–this sucks and I'm glad you're helping."

He hears her hum again. "I'm happy to do my job, Wei Ying. If either of you needs me, don't
hesitate to call. I'm always open. Have a safe day, you two."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Wei Ying says. He hangs up, groaning and slumping harder against
the table. Jiang Cheng pats his shoulder and stands up, off to make breakfast.

"Don't whine. I told you, we'll be fine. I don't like them not arresting him-"

"He technically hasn't done-"

"He fucking harassed you in the fucking store with A-Ling, Wei Ying! That's not nothing. It's
something and I-" Jiang Cheng breathes in deeply, grabbing the egg carton. "I'm worried and
I don't like being worried. So, your date. I expect updates every hour. If I don't hear from you,
I'm coming to find your ass and drag you back home. You got it?" He pops three eggs out of
the carton and turns away. "You're not allowed to make me this worried, dumbass."

"Oh," Wei Ying whispers.

"What?"

Wei Ying grins, then shuffles over and wraps his arms around his brother. "What a good
brother you are today! You're so cute, A-Cheng! Why don't you have a girlfriend yet? Any
girl would be lucky to have you!"

"If we're talking about dating-"

"Don't fucking start that-"

"After six years, Wei Ying is on a date with the man he's been horny for. After accidentally
saying to his face he wants to kiss him," Jiang Cheng deadpans. Wei Ying wails and smacks
his brother.

"Jokes on you, we have kissed!"

Jiang Cheng smacks the pan on the stove. "Since when?" he screams. "When was this? Last
night?"

Wei Ying grins. "This morning. What can I say? I am just so beautiful. Lan Zhan couldn't
resist!"
Jiang Cheng groans and continues making his eggs. Wei Ying watches. The Jiang siblings
certainly know how to cook. Wei Ying likes it.

"If you two are gonna fuck, don't do it here," Jiang Cheng says.

Wei Ying chokes on air, pounding on the counter as he tries to catch his breath.

Maybe Wei Ying kills his brother today.

 Chapter Six
Chapter Summary

Wangxian date, Party Invites, and Wei Ying is having a great date. Very great. The best.

Chapter Notes

No warnings, all Wangxian fluff. They talk and their banter is my favorite.
One more nice chapter before I hit you with the rough stuff.

Wei Ying looks great. Feels great. Decent. He feels decent, but he won't let the fucking
security guard busting their locks and making him paranoid to step inside his own apartment
ruin his date today. He won't.

He'll put a jolly fucking smile on his face, go about his school day, and enjoy it.

He does look great though. He found this nice red leather jacket he'd stuck in the back of his
closet and pants that he thinks make his legs look super nice. He sent Huaisang a picture
earlier and it met his expectations for sexy, so it was all good. He has to think for a moment
before he ties his hair in a ponytail.

Nice.

He looks good.

He texts Lan Zhan, letting him know he and Jiang Cheng will be leaving in a minute, and Lan
Zhan replies quickly, letting Wei Ying know he'll be waiting. Ah, too good for him, truly.
He meets Jiang Cheng by the door, a little less eager to actually leave , but goes. They called
the building owner, who was also just as pissed as them and who very quickly fired the guard
and reported him to police for property damage and inciting panic among his tenants. He said
hopefully they'd have a new day shift guard by the end of the week. Jiang Cheng had
apparently been a little less than pleased, he was just as pissed at the guy for making them
both anxious about the apartment, but had sucked it up and thanked the guy. Apparently, the
other ten tenants received the same call, many of whom only had one or two breaks. The
guard would get paid the extra money the landlord charged to have the locks fixed.

Fucking asshole.

Wei Ying slides out the lobby doors quickly, tapping his feet in an attempt to get Jiang Cheng
to hurry up. He's been talking about his date all morning to try and avoid the lock debacle. It's
good, he's good. Jiang Cheng is less amused by Wei Ying's sudden good mood. Wei Ying,
however, tells him he will have a good day, he will have a good date with Lan Zhan, and he
will go to class and be okay.

He's keeping a positive attitude the entire walk when they approach the campus gates. Jiang
Cheng pauses, his bottom lip pushed out a bit, and grabs Wei Ying's arm. He stops, a little
confused and looks to the gate. He perks up when he sees Lan Zhan, then turns to Jiang
Cheng. "It'll be okay, didi."

"Every hour," Jiang Cheng emphasizes. "Every hour. A text. If anything happens, you call. I
don't care if I'm in class, I don't care if I'm in the lab, you call if you need anything. I will
come pick you up, yeah?"

Wei Ying smiles, then pulls his brother quickly into a hug. "Yeah. Okay, thank you. I'll text.
You might have to remind me. My memory-"

"Is shit, I know. Dumbass." The biting tone doesn't stop Jiang Cheng from hugging him back.
"He does anything, I break his legs."

Wei Ying pulls away from his brother, then jogs over to join Lan Zhan at the gate. He waves
as he steps over, grinning. "Good morning, Lan Zhan! We meet again."
"Mm. Good morning, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan shoots back. It's so soft. Wei Ying flushes a bit,
wringing his hands together. "You have a studio first, yes?" Wei Ying nods. Lan Zhan hums,
then jerks his head to make Wei Ying follow him.

He laughs, and they walk. It's good.

"You know, I didn't know how I felt about coming here, Lan Zhan. I haven't been to campus
since Thursday and that was like…not a good day. I want today to be great. It's gonna be
great, okay?"

Lan Zhan smiles and nods. "It will be fine, Wei Ying."

It will be great, Wei Ying tells himself.

It will. He's cool. He's good.

And if Wei Ying walks just a step closer to Lan Zhan, he'll keep that to himself for now.

It's a nice walk, and when they get to the studio Wei Ying shares with Mianmian, they're
lucky enough to catch her unlocking the door. Wei Ying, in his very apparent excitement,
skips into a run and tackle hugs her, yelling, "Mianmian!"

She gasps, nearly dropping her keys, but rights herself quickly and turns to hug him back.
"Yingying! We've missed you! You won't believe how much Professor Xue has complained
about you missing class, hun." He breathes in her scent, a little excited at the feeling of
hugging her again. "Professor Xue and I were worried when you didn't answer after Sunday."

"It's been a crazy fucking week, Mianmian. I'm good." He pulls away, turning to Lan Zhan,
and shoots him a smile. "Have fun in class, er-gege. I'll see you later!"
Lan Zhan nods, waves and then moves away to walk towards the science block. Wei Ying
feels Mianmian stand on her tiptoes as he leaves, and she whistles. "So," she begins, shoving
the studio door open. "You and Lan Zhan, huh?"

Wei Ying shoots her a glare. "Don't start. We are not like…dating or anything. Just, we have a
coffee date. At two."

Mianmian wiggles her eyebrows and shimmies her shoulders. "Not dating but having a date.
Alright, Yingying. Very believable."

He scoffs and shoves past her to step inside. "It's not. I don't–I don't wanna say we're dating,
because we're really not, but like. I don't wanna say it out loud because Wen Chao–"

Mianmian hisses from her supply cabinet, pulling a wrapped pot from its place on a shelf and
bumping it closed with her hip. "He's been all pissy all over campus. Like, half the juniors
know he's giving you shit, a bunch of seniors are tired of him, the only sophomore that goes
near him is Su She, and the freshman are being informed that he's like…fucking insane."

Wei Ying frowns, then pulls a sketchbook from his bag and lazily tosses a bunch of pencils
onto his desk with it. "As they should. I, personally, will be happy when that fucker graduates
and has to leave and never come back."

Mianmian hums, unwrapping her pot. Wei Ying whistles in appreciation, skipping over to
look it over. Mianmian smiles as he turns it around gently, careful to not ruin her work. "On a
really good note Yingying," she says, nudging him with her hip. He pushes her back. "There's
a big party over at one of the fraternities on Halloween night. And we both know what day
that is. Maybe," she teases," you and your Lan Zhan could come? It is your birthday,
Yingying."

Wei Ying purses his lips, face flushing. "Parties aren't really Lan Zhan's scene, Mianmian. I
would be more than happy to party, but I don't think he'd go. You're going?"

"Mhm. Of course. Me and Wen Qing, Huaisang, a bunch of other juniors, I think Wen Ning is
going? Reluctantly? I think he's there for moral support. Jiang Cheng might be talked into it."
She laughs, then smacks a large lump of clay onto her slab. "Lots of other people. No
freshman though. This is for big kids."

"Meaning alcohol?" Wei Ying asks as he walks back to his side of the desk.

Mianmian nods. "Meaning alcohol. And beer pong. I think some senior was talking about
getting like…goldfish for those weird goldfish shots? I don't know. It'll be fun, loud, and
Halloween-y. And that's just like you!"

"I'm Halloween-y?"

"You literally have an edgy Tumblr aesthetic color scheme, Yingying. Yes. Halloween-y.
Think about it."

Wei Ying huffs, then regards his blank sketchbook and frowns. "Mianmian."

"What."

"You should let me paint you."

Mianmian pauses, then grins. "Only if it's like, the best shit I've ever seen."

Wei Ying scoffs. "Do I ever deliver any less?"

He paints until their time is done. He's finishing Mianmian's face, still a bit rough and
undefined when they hear a knock. "It's unlocked!" Mianmian yells, shuffling quickly to
place her pots up. She's made two in the week Wei Ying has been gone, both decorated and
nearly perfect. She's good at what she does.
Lan Zhan steps in hesitantly, peeking his head in. Wei Ying makes a delighted little sound.
"One sec Lan Zhan! I have to clean."

Lan Zhan hums, then busies himself with staring at the painting of Mianmian while Wei Ying
cleans brushes and dumps his paint water out in the sink. Mianmian scoots in next to him.
"Yingying is super talented, right? He always makes things so pretty. Like, I always feel
pretty when he draws me."

Lan Zhan turns to her. "Wei Ying draws you often?"

"I'm sure if you asked, he'd draw you too, Lan Zhan," she answers with a laugh.

Shifting his eyes to Wei Ying, who is listening with some sort of glee, Lan Zhan frowns. "I
have heard it is…rude to ask. Without compensation."

"I draw Mianmian all the time, Lan Zhan. I would paint or draw you even if you didn't pay
me." Wei Ying grins as he turns. With delight, he notices Lan Zhan's ears are turning red.
"You just have to ask. I'd paint you any way you'd let me."

"Your brother," Lan Zhan says quickly. "You should text."

"Shit!" yells Wei Ying, moving across the room to fish his phone from his bag. He types
quickly, letting Jiang Cheng know he's fine. He receives an angry text in return, but sighs and
tosses the phone sloppily on the desk. Mianmian laughs, picking it up. She frowns.

"What the hell? Yingying why is your phone so hot?"

"Hell if I know," he complains, standing up straighter. "I need a new one but like…business is
slow and I don't wanna dip into our monthly allowance for a phone? We already have been,
like, a little cheap lately because of the locks and stuff and Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu only
send like, three thousand a month for rent and groceries and all that."
Mianmian snorts and Lan Zhan purses his lips.

"I could buy Wei Ying a phone."

Wei Ying squawks, then coughs. "Lan Zhan! So bold! Are you offering to be my sugar
daddy?"

"No, I am offering to buy you a phone."

Waving a hand and laughing, Wei Ying packs his bag and stands next to Lan Zhan, a little
embarrassed. "No need, no need. I'll just like, bug the junior's group chat and yell at people. I
don't need you to buy anything from or for me. I will, however, kindly request that if you do
want to make me happy, you buy everything for our coffee date."

Lan Zhan raises an eyebrow. "I believe we agreed to buy for each other."

"I don't remember agreeing to that."

"Your logic isn't proper, Wei Ying. I buy coffee but not a painting?"

Wei Ying scoffs. "It's romance, Lan Zhan. It's not romantic if you pay me to paint a giant ass
bunny or something. I think it is very romantic if you buy me food, though."

"Shameless," Lan Zhan says, turning to leave. Wei Ying laughs, waving goodbye to
Mianmian as he chases after Lan Zhan.

"Lan Zhan! You can't leave me!" he calls out, running to catch up with him. He knows Lan
Zhan won't actually leave him, but making a show of it is entertaining enough. "You were
supposed to escort me, er-gege! How rude, leaving your poor Wei Ying defenseless out here."
"Mm. I am escorting. My poor Wei Ying is just slow."

Wei Ying pauses, then snorts. "Is this your idea of joking? You're so rude, Lan Zhan. You
know that?"

"Not rude, just honest."

"You can be honestly rude. I swear, maybe I should've made Jiang Cheng walk me. He's less
annoying."

Lan Zhan turns to face him and releases a short huff. Wei Ying grins, skipping up to him. His
friend turns again when Wei Ying is beside him, walking a little faster.

Wei Ying cackles as they cross the courtyard. "Does that make you jealous? Don't worry, I
like both of you the same. You're not annoying, I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Lan Zhan huffs.

"Hm?"

Looking towards one of the main buildings, away from Wei Ying, Lan Zhan sighs. "I feel
there is no need to thank me or say sorry. Even in jest. There is simply letting me do what I
need to do to appreciate you and show I am here."

Feeling his face heat up, Wei Ying chuckles and looks the opposite way, towards the building
he has to go to. "Oh." He whispers it, low and quiet, and then coughs. "Okay." He has to
think for a moment, then he rubs his cheeks. "Then you don't have to–with me either. No
need for sorry or thank you."
Lan Zhan turns back to him–they're both blushing now–and nods. "No need for thank you or
sorry between us," he repeats.

Wei Ying wails jokingly, burying his face in his hands. "Watch my heart, Lan Zhan! It's okay
when I say it, but when you do it! I'll certainly die!"

"Mm. Then I will have to have coffee alone."

"How rude. You say you're not, but then you pull this. Honestly. I thought we were having a
moment."

Lan Zhan stares him dead in the eyes, then softly tilts his head and smiles. Wei Ying could
die right there. "Then do not die before two. Then we will have a moment."

Wei Ying giggles. "Mhm. Then you'll have to save your romantic lines for our date, huh?"

"Of course. All my many, amazing, romantic lines."

"Ah, so you're sarcastic too. I like it."

Two can't come quickly enough. And when it does, Wei Ying is the first out the door, shoving
past other students to rush towards the outside of the building, grinning and boots slapping so
hard he can feel the recoil in his knees. It's exhilarating.

He's going on a date!

It'll be good!
He texts Jiang Cheng as he takes the stairs three at a time, stumbling when he hits the
bottom.

on my date!!! don't call me unless ur dying didi!! your gege luvs u <33

Quit texting me, I'm busy

U told me to text??

Blocking you, goodbye.

Ur such an asshole wtf. ur brother is happy and u do this?? Chengcheng pls

Locking you out of the apartment.

U love me too much

Jiang Cheng doesn't respond, and Wei Ying decides to be an ass and spam his brother texts
saying how much he loves him. Jiang Cheng must get pissed, because then he is hit with a
blurry photo of Jiang Cheng's gloved finger flipping him off. He snorts, shoving his too-hot
phone in his pocket.

As he shoves the glass doors open, he pauses for a moment, scanning for Lan Zhan.

When he spots him, he's patiently standing, perfect and eyes scanning for Wei Ying. Ah, so
perfect and nice and Wei Ying is going on a date! After six years! Of wanting to kiss him!
His feet move fast again, and he jumps towards him, arms raised and laughing. "Hello, Lan
Zhan! How was class?"

"Mm. Interesting. New. How was figure drawing?"

Wei Ying presses his chin into Lan Zhan’s sternum, pouting. "Boring. Didn't I say that
earlier? Nude people are boring to draw. I like drawing clothes. They're…foldy."

"Foldy," Lan Zhan repeats, tilting his head.

"It makes sense to me. Foldy. Like…a lot of color I can work in since there's more folds and
lighting changes fabric a lot more and there's like a big drastic color contrast going on? Like,
if red light was shone on your blue shirt here; that's more interesting over red light on your
skin. Foldy."

Lan Zhan nods as if he understands, but Wei Ying can tell he doesn't. He's already tried to
explain his thinking to Mianmian and Professor Xue, not to mention the life drawing teacher
that oversees his class, but none of them quite get it. Professor Xue kind of does, but not all
the way.

"It's fine if you don't actually get it, Lan Zhan. It just makes sense to me."

Lan Zhan scoffs, there's amusement under it, and shakes his head. "Would you like to go
now?"

Feeling especially light right now, Wei Ying nods. When he walks, it's nice to be so close to
Lan Zhan. So close, going on a date. He can't quite believe it himself. He wants to hold
hands, kiss him out in the open, but there's an underlying feeling of nerves to do it.

So, very quietly, he smiles and whispers," I like you so much, Lan Zhan."
Tips of his ears reddening, Lan Zhan reciprocates and Wei Ying melts. "Mm. Very much,
only you."

They both flush a little harder, red darkening, and shuffle a half-step closer.

Wei Ying smiles, wide and real and genuine, and he loves this.

"Only you," Wei Ying repeats.

The coffee shop, like the pictures they'd seen, is lively and bright and decorated. The exterior
is soft yellow, pastel, decorated with flowers and the insides are covered in paintings. Wei
Ying likes them the most. He fawns over one that's beautifully done: intricate color use and a
more than beautiful understanding of anatomy and shadows.

He stares at it for a minute while Lan Zhan waits for him to be done.

"You know," he starts, stepping away from the painting, "I'll be super rich and famous one
day and cool, cute shops like these will want my paintings. This is cute, I like this."

"Mm. Wei Ying's paintings are good."

"Just good?"

"I will not boost your ego," Lan Zhan tells him, stepping off toward the small line forming.
Wei Ying gasps dramatically.

"Isn't that why we're on a date? So you can tell me how cool and amazing and handsome and
beautiful I am? Lan Zhan, have you never been on a date?"
"Mn. Never. Have you?"

Wei Ying stops talking, then pretends to look at the menu. "How many espresso shots do you
think they'll be willing to give me?"

"Wei Ying."

"I think five. Or eight."

Lan Zhan is silent. "Five."

"We placing money?"

"You have no money to place, Wei Ying. I am paying."

Wei Ying pouts. "I can still make like…an honorary bet."

"That being?"

He thinks for a moment, what they should wager since, yeah, Wei Ying didn't actually bring
his wallet and was hoping Lan Zhan wouldn't hound him on it when he would inevitably ask
him to pay.

"I have to pay next time. No backing out."

"And if you win?"

Ah. He bites the inside of his cheek. "Then er-gege has to kiss me. On the lips."

"I thought you wanted to go slow, Wei Ying." There's a glint of something in Lan Zhan’s
eyes. Wei Ying likes it.

"I said be patient with me. Not slow. Oh, look, coffee order. Hi!" Wei Ying moves quickly to
the counter, smiling and tapping his hands on the counter. "One black coffee, eight espresso
shots," the barista widens his eyes a little, "with one of your cherry scones. Please."

The barista stares at Wei Ying, then chuckles. "Eight? I–okay man. And you?" he says,
turning to Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan’s lip twitches, probably at the realization he has to now kiss Wei Ying, and sighs.
"A green tea and a croissant. Please." He pulls his card from his wallet, handing it over as the
barista sets about mumbling their order, wincing when he has to make Wei Ying's drink.

True to the reviews they read, the coffee is great and the scones and croissants are fabulous.
Like, really good that Wei Ying is tempted to buy more in bulk so he can have more later.

It's nice to sit and eat. The cafe is warm and well lit, contrary to outside where it's starting to
darken, the sky heavy with rain clouds.

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. You should try my scone. Here," he pulls a piece he hasn't bitten off
of, pushing it towards Lan Zhan in an effort to make him eat it. Lan Zhan regards it, slowly
sipping his tea as Wei Ying waves the scone in front of him. "One piece. I'll stop bugging
you."

Lan Zhan looks at him, and without breaking eye contact, bites the piece of scone from Wei
Ying's fingers and chews. Wei Ying dies a little inside because what the fuck Lan Zhan.
He laughs. "So? Is it good? Do you like it?"

"Mm."

"Aiya, so romantic. So, how were your classes, actually? I don't hear about it a lot." He
nudges Lan Zhan's foot under the table. "What do you even do? I thought like…lawyers
wouldn't need to go for anything."

"Mn. I must have a Bachelor's in something before aiming for law school. Psychology was
recommended for acceptance. And it is an interesting major. I enjoy my work."

"You watched those frontal lobotomy videos yet? I've heard those are like…nasty. A metal
rod being hammered into your eye ? Would you push a metal rod into my eye, Lan Zhan?" He
leans forward, pushing the rest of his scone into his mouth, and raises an eyebrow at him.

"No. I would not put a rod in your eye."

Wei Ying hums, slowly reaching over to snatch a piece of Lan Zhan's croissant. Lan Zhan
watches him, gently shoving the plate towards Wei Ying. He pouts. "Just a little. Not your
whole croissant."

"Get another if you want one, Wei Ying."

"No, I just asked for a little. Like, two percent. You can have the rest."

Lan Zhan shakes his head, then slides the croissant over to Wei Ying. He takes it, slumping a
bit in his seat and bites it. It is good. Lan Zhan is too good. Wei Ying likes him a ton.

"You're really too good, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan shakes his head. "Mn." Finishing his tea, Lan Zhan shoves it to the side, then folds
his hands neatly on the table. "I will be as good as Wei Ying deserves."

"Ah, so there are levels? To what I deserve?" He's feeling bold, so he runs his boot up Lan
Zhan's leg again, smiling. "What do I deserve then? Huh? Does er-gege want to tell me?"

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan scolds, pulling his leg away as though scalded. "We are-"

"Having a nice cup of coffee together? Correct." Tipping his coffee cup back and forth, Wei
Ying purses his lips. "Do you think…like…parties are your thing?"

"Parties? College ones?"

Ah. Caught in his ensuing tale, Wei Ying laughs. "Well…Mianmian says there's a party next
Friday. Halloween and stuff." He taps his fingers on the table, a little eager. He knows if he
outright says it's his birthday, Lan Zhan would agree, so he has to ease into it and make sure
Lan Zhan would like to go and that Wei Ying isn't outright forcing him. "It'll be on campus,
lots of people we know. Uh. I guess I'm just asking if that's something you'd be into? Or
like…would go to?'

Lan Zhan tilts his head back and forth for a moment. "I am not one for parties. If Wei Ying is
asking for me to pick him up and drop him off, however, I would be amenable."

Ah, it was worth a shot. "Ha! No! I'm going with Jiang Cheng hopefully. I'd have to ask, but I
stay sober and you know how close we are to walk it. Plus, Halloween. Uhm…if you don't
want to go to the party, my birthday-"

"Your birthday? If you wanted me to come-"

"Aiya!" Wei Ying wails, a little too loudly. He slumps onto the table, groaning. "I want you to
come only if you want. I still want to go; I haven't had a chance to relax in a bit. But I'd still
like to do something with you. Because I–Mm. You're great and I like you a ton and I don't
want to disappoint you at all. If I'm not what you expect or if we don't agree on something?
Does that make sense?"

"Wei Ying could never disappoint me. Truthfully, I also worry. But that does not mean I am
unwilling to talk to you about my worries. Or fears. Like I said this morning, I want to be
someone you can trust. And I would like you to be someone I can trust." They stare at each
other for a moment, then Wei Ying topples back the rest of his coffee and stands up, reaching
over to grab the rest of Lan Zhan's croissant. He wraps it in a napkin, and puts it in his bag.

"Let's go then, you have class, right? I don't want you to be late."

"Do you not also have class?" Lan Zhan asks, standing up.

"Nope! I'm going to Huaisang’s. He's home and he paid me to paint him a while ago and I
never did it? He reminded me and then was like…super adamant I'd do it? I think it's some
scheme but that's fine."

Lan Zhan nods. "Mm. Then we can go. Did you enjoy your coffee?"

"Mm. All eight shots!" Wei Ying says proudly as they open the door outside. Ah, it's raining.
Hard. They didn't bring an umbrella. "Eight shots," he repeats, looking at Lan Zhan as they
stand under the canopy.

The sidewalk is drenched.

"Eight," Lan Zhan repeats.

"You remember our deal?"

"Mm."
"...do you want to? Kiss me, I mean. You don't have to…it was a joke. Kind of."

Lan Zhan turns to him, ears vibrantly red.

Wei Ying is sure his cheeks are the same.

"Kind of?"

"Just a bit."

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

Wei Ying wrings his hands, but then steels his nerves and nods. "You should. Kiss me. If you
want."

"On the lips?" Lan Zhan tilts his head. Some hair falls out of his neat ponytail, draping over
his shoulder. "Is that what you would like?"

"If you keep asking I'll just assume you don't want to, er-gege."

Lan Zhan scoffs, then pulls Wei Ying close and kisses him, hard, bruising, and with so much
feeling and fervor Wei Ying slumps against him, knees weak and shaky.

He was expecting something…not as intense. Something soft.

Lan Zhan kisses him now with such passion, Wei Ying can only curl his fingers into his shirt,
gripping hard at the fabric as they kiss.
Lan Zhan’s lips are cold, but soft and great and Wei Ying is positively melting.

He never knew prim, proper, perfect Lan Zhan of all people could kiss. Much less like this.

Wei Ying releases a groan, then Lan Zhan pushes a leg between his thighs and he jolts.

When they pull apart, he's panting, hard and breathy. His fingers are still clenched around
Lan Zhan's shirt, tight and wrinkling it. He has to blink for a moment, a bit disoriented and
high on the pure thrill of being kissed. Lan Zhan tilts his head. "Was that okay?"

"I think you should do more," Wei Ying says. "If–if you want to. I want to. God, that was
sexy, Lan Zhan!" He feels so giddy, leaning hard against his crush like this. "If I knew you
kissed like this, I would've asked you out sooner!" He bites his lip, and presses his fingers
close to Lan Zhan's collar bones, laughing a bit at himself. "God, it'd be sexier if you just
took me here and now, huh?"

Lan Zhan flinches. Wei Ying realizes a little belatedly what he said, and a bit of
embarrassment mixes with shame. "Aiya! I–listen–Lan–I didn't mean. Pretend you didn't hear
that, yeah? You..you have class and I have to go to Huaisang’s and–"

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan interrupts, eyes wide. Oh, Wei Ying moans internally, this is where he
has to grovel. "You want-?"

"I know I said to be patient, Lan Zhan, I know. I just–I really think you're great. Six years,
Lan Zhan! You're great. I like you, I want you, I want to be with you! I–" he waves his hands
a little lazily around Lan Zhan as the rain pelts harder," I whatever you! Really, I haven't been
able to think about anyone else. It can only be you, Lan Zhan."

And, oh, he's flushing so hard he can feel it down his neck. Lan Zhan stares at him silently
for a moment, then reaches out to hold his face and kisses his forehead.
"Want me?"

"Of course!"

"Think I'm great?" A kiss to his nose.

"Who else!"

"Like me?" His chin.

"Six years!"

"Be with me," he says at last, more of a command than a saying. Wei Ying nods, hands
shaking a little as he moves to hold Lan Zhan's hands.

"Of course! Yes! Yeah!" Ah, he's so good! His date! So good! Lan Zhan is much too good for
him!"

"Mm. Wei Ying?"

"Hm?"

"Were you serious, about taking you here?"

Wei Ying chokes. "Well, not here! Of course not! I–Lan Zhan?"

"Mm?"
"You want to fuck me? Like, legit actually? Me?"

Wei Ying takes a moment to process when Lan Zhan nods, eagerly and quickly.

"Aiya. You have class-"

"My attendance is fine. I can skip once."

"Is your brother home?"

"No. At work."

Wei Ying nods, hands gripping Lan Zhan's sleeves.

"Lan Zhan?"

"Mm?"

"Yes. Please."

The rain hits harder against the yellow canopy as Wei Ying smiles a little harder. Lan Zhan
stares, then lifts his carrier bag to cover their heads so they can hail a driver. They'll be
soaked when they get to the apartment.

They'll be soaked when they get into the elevator.

When they enter Lan Zhan's apartment.

His bedroom.

Wei Ying could cry.

But now, as he openly holds Lan Zhan's hand, the worries of the world slip away.

He has to text Jiang Cheng soon. He's fine. Better than fine, he's great. He can feel laughter
bubbling and forcing its way out of his chest, and he feels great.

Wen Chao is a small smudge .

An ant.

A meager disgrace.

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, here and now, are all that exist to him.

And he loves it.

No voicemails.

He hopes no new flowers.

He hopes for a good afternoon.

It'll be good.

Because he likes, loves, Lan Zhan, and nothing will ruin that.

In the cold, freezing rain, Lan Zhan's hands are warm, and fit Wei Ying's like they're made for
him.
 Chapter Seven
Chapter Summary

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying have a time, talk about what they like, and love each other.
What could go wrong?

Chapter Notes

No trigger warnings. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan do have sex, but that is about all that's
needed.

The chapters following this one will be regularly marked for trigger warnings and
content warnings. If you'd like to imagine this fic ends here with a happy Wangxian
couple, go ahead. Next chapter will be rough, and the following chapters afterward.
Heed the tags after this chapter.
Please ignore how badly written the sex is too, thank you.

As soon as they step inside Lan Zhan's apartment, Wei Ying is grabbed by the waist and
kissed. He huffs against Lan Zhan's mouth, which only spurs the kissing. Feeling hands trail
down, Wei Ying smiles.

"Very excited, er-gege," he laughs. Lan Zhan grunts, hands squeezing his thighs. Wei Ying
jolts again, then snorts. "You like them? Asked Huaisang if I looked sexy with these on. Did I
meet your expectations?"

"Mm." There's a nip to his jaw and then a nip to his lips. "Are you sure?"

Aiya! Lan Zhan. His poor heart. Wei Ying looks Lan Zhan in the eyes, focused and confident,
then leans and bites his chin. "I'm very sure. Lan Zhan, I would very much like if you fucked
me. Very much."
Those words seem to light a fire in Lan Zhan, who nods, then tosses their bags in the
doorway and drags Wei Ying towards the bedroom. He's tossed on the bed, bouncing as he
rights himself and Lan Zhan settles on top of him. Now that it's happening, Wei Ying feels his
heart beating so fast he's going to die.

It's nice.

Lan Zhan takes his time, gently caressing his arms, ribs, waist, trailing up to his neck and
then cupping his face. Arousal swoops low in his stomach, hot and fiery and great.

He has to sit up for a moment as he shucks his leather jacket off. It's soaked, and his pants
and shirt aren't in much better shape. Lan Zhan, still somehow very put together, helps with
his shirt, tossing it over his head in one slick move before he descends again, kissing the dip
of his throat, his clavicle, his shoulders.

Then he lowers to Wei Ying's sternum, kissing and mouthing along the line. Wei Ying moans,
low and throaty. At the sound, Lan Zhan stares at him, kissing his way over to his nipple,
then takes it in his mouth and bites. Wei Ying jerks. "Ah! You like biting, huh?"

"Does Wei Ying not like it?" Lan Zhan asks, moving a cold hand to soothe the spot he had
just bitten. "I can stop."

"If you stop," Wei Ying rasps, "I'll cry, Lan Zhan. You can't make your poor Wei Ying cry
before you–ah!"

There's a sharp bite to his chest again, and then fingers trailing to tug at the waistband of his
pants. He huffs, then Lan Zhan is kissing him again as his pants are pulled down. They peel
away wetly, sticking to his damp skin. Wei Ying kicks them away, where they land on the
floor with a wet thud. He runs his foot along Lan Zhan's still clothed leg, which earns him a
soft jab in the ribs.

Wei Ying snorts, then is tugging on Lan Zhan’s shirt. "It's not fair if I'm the only one getting
naked, Lan Zhan."
Lan Zhan scoffs. "Wei Ying will need to be patient."

And oh . Wei Ying shivers. "What if I want you to just get on with it and fuck me hard into
your-" A choked moan escapes his lips, high and needy, when Lan Zhan pulls his underwear
down, and swallows him whole. He gasps. "Lan Zhan! How–how bold, huh?"

Lan Zhan said he'd never been on a date. Did that include hook-ups? Did the Lan Zhan fuck
on the regular? This was great. Wei Ying keens, high and loud. He tries curling in on himself,
knees being brought up, but Lan Zhan flattens him with a wide palm to his lower stomach.

Holy shit.

He reaches shaky hands to Lan Zhan's head, hair wet and sticking to his forehead. He pulls a
little, and Lan Zhan hums in acknowledgment before bobbing his head in a way that has Wei
Ying seeing stars. "Lan-" he chokes out. "You–holy shit!" Fingers curl and then Wei Ying
huffs. "Is this what you like? My dick in your mouth, er-gege?"

Lan Zhan huffs around him, causing a visceral shudder to go through Wei Ying. He feels the
tension in his stomach. He pushes Lan Zhan's hair back, lifting himself up for a moment. Lan
Zhan lifts his eyes and Wei Ying grins. "So good, you know? I never expected Lan Zhan of
all people to know how to suck a dick. Is this what you imagined doing? When I asked?
Making me all hot and bothered and wanting me to come in your mouth?"

He feels Lan Zhan's hands tighten on his thighs, his throat constricts, and then Wei Ying
moans, head falling back onto the pillows. His legs shake and he grips Lan Zhan’s hair
harder. Lan Zhan rubs circles on his hip, the junction of his torso and leg.

He comes, orgasm making his body taut and shaky. Wei Ying feels his back arch slightly, and
then Lan Zhan pulls off of him, giving the tip of his dick a soft lick and then a kiss.

His world blanks for a moment. He breathes out and when he blinks back to himself, Lan
Zhan is rubbing his hip and littering his thighs with kisses and soft bites. Wei Ying pushes
hair away from his face, rubbing fingers along his cheekbones. "Lan Zhan," he rasps out.
"What the fuck."

Lan Zhan pulls up a little further. "Was it…"

"Good?"

"Mm."

Wei Ying laughs, then pulls Lan Zhan up towards him, kissing him hard. His lips taste salty
now, and it should be a little off-putting, but it isn't. "Very good. You made me come, er-gege.
Do you want me to? Suck you? I could. My gag reflex is like, wow. I bet you're hung like a
fucking horse, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan winces, tapping his fingers along Wei Ying’s thighs. "I want to make you feel
good."

"You do. Besides, sex shouldn't be just about making one of us feel good, you know?" He
presses a gentle kiss to his forehead. "It's nice that you think about wanting to make me feel
good. Besides, what makes me feel good may not be what makes you feel good, and that's
okay, yeah?"

"What if," Lan Zhan starts. Then he stops, biting his lip. Wei Ying tilts his head, rubbing Lan
Zhan's cheekbone in reassurance. "What if I ruin this somehow?"

"By?"

"In any way."

Wei Ying snorts, then sighs dramatically. "Lan Zhan, I assure you, you won't ruin anything.
I've been horny for six years, I will take almost anything you are willing to give me. You
won't ruin the sexy mood by asking or telling me anything. Have you never watched porn?"

Lan Zhan’s eyes widened. Wei Ying cackles. "You have! Well, toss that knowledge out. That
shit is a contract and discussed beforehand as professional business. Plus, those actors don't
have the nice chemistry we have!" He kicks his feet a little, excited and nervous at the same
time. When he looks at Lan Zhan's face, he's still apprehensive, so Wei Ying purses his lips.
"You want me to tell you what I like so you know how to fuck me dumb?"

"Wei Ying!"

He grabs Lan Zhan’s hand, pulls it towards his chest, and makes it brush his nipple. "I like
you playing with my chest, er-gege. You biting? Great. I loved that. Was gonna come right
then and there. Quite literally Lan Zhan, my only thing is like…you spanking me."

"Spanking?"

"Yeah, don't do that. It embarrasses me. I want to be sexy in bed, not embarrassed because
you hit my ass. You can be bossy, though. I liked that. A lot. Very sexy of you, very hot. I
was very aroused."

"Shameless!"

"You just sucked my dick and then swallowed, Lan Zhan. You are shameless, if anything.
You have any questions before you have me seeing stars if that's still okay with you?"

Lan Zhan rubs his chin along Wei Ying's stomach as if mapping out the muscle there. "Will
you tell me if I do it wrong? No lying. I want this to be pleasurable. For both of us."

"I will honestly tell you if you do anything wrong. But like…you know how it works, yeah?
Yeah, you watch porn. I would hope you understand. Do you though? I could talk you
through it."
Lan Zhan shakes his hand. "I am not clueless, Wei Ying. I understand how things work."

"It's okay to be nervous, Lan Zhan. I'm nervous, too. Just, you have to trust me to tell you
how I feel and I have to trust you to listen. That's what you said you wanted us to be, yeah?"
He kisses him one more time, a little harder, and then teasingly licks his bottom lip. "We
don't have to, you know. You did super well, and we can keep going when you're ready-"

"I want to. Very much."

Wei Ying grins, then pushes Lan Zhan's bangs back one more time. "Good. You wouldn't
happen to have lube?"

Lan Zhan’s ears are very telling. "Bottom drawer," he mumbles.

Wei Ying cackles a little harder, and they have to take a brief break so he can gather himself
because the Lan Zhan fucking masturbates and keeps the lube in his drawer like a polite little
Lan.

"You can still say stop, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying tells him as he lays down on the pillows. He's
divested Lan Zhan of his shirt and pants, so he's sitting naked between his legs, pursing his
lips at the bottle of lube in his hands. "You've done many sexy things."

"I want to."

"Alright. Do as you want then, er-gege."

Lan Zhan shifts, then scoots up, pushing Wei Ying's legs further apart. From where he's
seated, Wei Ying can feel Lan Zhan's dick pressing against him. It's a new feeling, so new
and exciting Wei Ying feels like a kid getting their shots. There's a rush of nerves and fear
and adrenaline, but he likes it.

The pop of the bottle shakes him aware again, and he shifts a little, getting comfortable. Lan
Zhan's fingers are long, thin, calloused. Made for music and writing and anything else Wei
Ying's stupid brain can think of. The first finger comes quickly, surprising Wei Ying and
making him gasp softly. "Lan Zhan! So bold, huh?"

Lan Zhan hums. Working him open slowly, Wei Ying can only sit and writhe as Lan Zhan's
one finger becomes two. The stretch is there now, a slight pressure but no pain. He knows it
might hurt, but he's not worried when he knows how attentive Lan Zhan is being. Lan Zhan
leans over him, distracting him with harsh bites to his chest, nipples, and throat. He whines,
kissing along Lan Zhan's hairline.

"Patience," Lan Zhan says. Wei Ying just feels more aroused, and he shifts to take Lan
Zhan’s fingers deeper. Lan Zhan places his free hand on his stomach, delivering a harsher bite
to the column of his throat. "Be patient, or you will wait to come."

Wei Ying shivers. "Holy shit." Lan Zhan adds a third finger and Wei Ying fucking melts.
"Hurry up, Lan Zhan. Don't you want to fuck your poor Wei Ying silly? Your dick in me, er-
gege?" He lifts his upper body, grabbing Lan Zhan by the face to kiss him.

This kiss is messier than the last few times. Their teeth clack, Lan Zhan bites his lip, and
then, in a move that makes Wei Ying want to cry in pure excitement, Lan Zhan uses his
tongue. He runs it over his lip, his teeth, inside his mouth. Bites and sucks on his lip, pulling
it. The fingers inside Wei Ying crook in a way that has him keening and arching up into Lan
Zhan. He pants, then taps Lan Zhan's shoulder.

"Inside," he croaks. "Lan Zhan, inside, yeah?"

Lan Zhan grunts, then moves to position himself and Wei Ying is positively glowing. He
pours a very generous amount of lube on himself, Wei Ying can't believe he exists, and then
Lan Zhan is over him, eyes bright and clear and focused.
"Okay?"

Wei Ying nods, then wraps his arms around Lan Zhan's neck, pulling him closer. "You can go
ahead, Lan Zhan. I'm very ready."

Lan Zhan nods, pressing a kiss to his hairline, then moves the hand not holding Wei Ying
down to hold himself. Wei Ying feels the head against him, hard and big, and he momentarily
tenses.

"Relax," Lan Zhan soothes, rubbing his nose along Wei Ying's chin. Under careful kisses,
Wei Ying breathes out, letting himself relax under the person he trusts with his life. "Mm.
Very good. So good for me."

The initial push is sharp pressure and the moan Wei Ying lets out is filthy and loud. His arms
tighten around Lan Zhan's neck. He's watched porn, of course he has, he knows how this
goes. No one has ever told him sex was like this. The arousal coiling in his stomach, the
sharp pain and pleasure of it. He scrunches his eyes shut, trying to ride through it.

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan whispers, hoarse. He's shaking, sweaty, and Wei Ying hums. "Does it
hurt?"

"Of course. I'm a virgin, Lan Zhan. Of course it'll hurt. If you kiss me, it won't. So kiss me,
er-gege." He puckers his lips, pulling Lan Zhan closer. Lan Zhan indulges him, kissing him
soft and slow, along his jaw, chin, and his throat. He pushes himself further inside Wei Ying,
and Wei Ying moans again. "Just like that," he whines.

"You're–very talkative," Lan Zhan grumbles when he bottoms out. Wei Ying snorts, shifting
his hips slightly to get used to the feeling of having a dick in his ass . It's a weird feeling. It's
still a little painful, not much and not where he wants to stop. A dull throb as his body
carefully gets used to the new feeling. Tentatively, he wraps his legs around Lan Zhan's waist,
savoring the cool feeling of their skin pressed together.
"Well, mouths talk, Lan Zhan. What else should I do but talk? Do you not enjoy my voice,
Lan Zhan? Huh? Have your fantasies about us included me moaning your name? Wailing as I
come on your co-"

A punched out moan escapes him when Lan Zhan experimentally rolls his hips forward.

Wow.

Holy fuck!

"Again," he begs.

Lan Zhan obliges, moving his hands to cup Wei Ying's shoulder and pull him closer to his
chest. The next thrust is deeper, and touches a part of Wei Ying that has his back arching. His
movements become a little more confident, eager and fast and then one thrust has Wei Ying
keening so loud he has to muffle himself with his hand.

Lan Zhan frowns, grabbing his wrist and pinning it above his head. Wei Ying flushes. "Keep
them there," he says, voice rough. Wei Ying blinks for a moment. "Still okay, Wei Ying?"

"Very okay, er-gege," he whispers, moving his other hand to be pressed in the same spot.
"You're doing very well."

"Mm. You are, too. Very good for me."

Wei Ying preens under the praise, then shifts his hips again. Lan Zhan presses a hand to his
stomach. "Lan Zhan," he whines.

"Hm?"
"Please."

Lan Zhan raises an eyebrow, then straightens up a bit, grabbing Wei Ying's leg and hoisting it
over his shoulder. The new angle is strange, and forces Lan Zhan deeper. Wei Ying gasps.
Kisses and bites are peppered along his thighs as Lan Zhan thrusts again, hitting deep and
hard.

This is how Wei Ying dies. With Lan Zhan over him, in him, loving him. His heart soars a
little further when Lan Zhan bends forward, pressing his knee to his chest, and kisses him. He
moans into his mouth, wet and sweating as Lan Zhan holds him.

"Lan–Lan Zhan you're really–ah!-- super great. I like you…Lan-!" Another kiss is pressed,
hard and bruising. He can taste blood on his lip from how hard he's being kissed. "Hey? Lan
Zhan?" he whispers as Lan Zhan kisses his chest.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

That does him in. Lan Zhan goes faster, harder, deeper, and holds Wei Ying close. Wei Ying
chokes a bit, then whines and sighs when he comes, shaking and holding onto the sheets
above his head so hard he's afraid they might tear. He pants, riding out his orgasm as Lan
Zhan comes not too quickly after, panting and leaning his head against Wei Ying's chest.

They're both panting hard when they come to. Lan Zhan, Wei Ying realizes as he becomes
aware of his very sweaty body, is still inside him. He sighs, running fingers through Lan
Zhan's hair as he comes to. Wei Ying hums. "Why hello, er-gege. Congrats, I don't think I can
walk."

Lan Zhan blinks, slow. He nods, then nuzzles his face against Wei Ying's chest.
Wei Ying laughs, low and quiet and digs his nose towards Lan Zhan's hairline. "Was that…
are you good? I liked it. A lot. Are you good?"

Lan Zhan nods against his chest, then bites. Wei Ying squeaks.

"Aiya! Lan Zhan! Honestly." He pouts, sticking his bottom lip out. "Does this mean…like…
are we dating?"

"Were we not beforehand?"

"I thought it was just us going on a date. But we fucked so now I feel we should kind of
define–are we? Do you want to?"

"Yes. I want to."

"Good." Wei Ying pats Lan Zhan's shoulder, then sighs. "By the way, can you pull out? Love
having you here but having you in me is a bit uncomfortable now, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan makes a soft sound, then pulls out of him as gently as he can. He's sore, but it's not
bad. With that done, Wei Ying splays a little freely, stretching as far as he can with the
soreness in his body still present.

"Lan Zhan. Boyfriend of mine. Baobei," Wei Ying says, nudging Lan Zhan with his foot.
When Lan Zhan hums, Wei Ying smiles. "You should give your poor Wei Ying a massage.
You've fucked him silly. Why are your ears red? You literally just went at it with me.
Massage your poor Wei Ying!"

"Very well." With careful fingers, Lan Zhan begins massaging his legs, thighs, arms, and
back. Wei Ying doesn't miss when Lan Zhan lingers over spots on him where he's bitten hard.
"Mm. I did not hurt you?"
"Of course not. I said I would tell you if you did. All of it felt good, er-gege. Super good. We
should do this every day," he jokes, shimmying closer to Lan Zhan as his ankles are rolled.

"Mm. Mark your words."

"What?"

"Every day means every day, Wei Ying."

Wei Ying chokes, coughing into his fist. Every time he thinks he knows Lan Zhan, he busts
out a surprise and makes Wei Ying question him.

Fascinating.

By five, they've showered, with a brief detour to make-out at Wei Ying's request, Wei Ying
has called Jiang Cheng to let him know, yeah, he's spending the night. He gets a call from
Jiang Cheng asking if something happened, (it didn't, he won't give Jiang Cheng anything to
worry about), but tells him everything went fine.

He's standing in the kitchen, helping Lan Zhan cook dinner when Huan-ge comes home, right
on time. Honestly, he forgot he was wearing Lan Zhan's clothes, so he's a bit confused when
Huan-ge notices him and pauses. It's not until Lan Zhan raises an eyebrow at his brother. Wei
Ying smiles, waving a spoon at him. "Hi, Huan-ge! How was work?"

Huan-ge blinks as he places his coat on the hook in the doorway, then smiles. "Quite boring,
Wei-di. I assure you, your day was probably more…exciting than mine was." Wei Ying
watches him raise an eyebrow, gaze flickering him over for a second. "So…are you staying
over tonight?"
Wei Ying flushes. "Aha! Yes. Yeah, if that's fine. I think there's something we have to tell
you, too." He looks over at Lan Zhan in question, and when Lan Zhan nods, Wei Ying
smiles.

"Oh?"

"Wei Ying and I are dating, Brother."

Huan-ge blinks, then nods like it's the most normal thing in the world to be told. "Ah, I
figured it was like that. You two have been dancing around each other for years!"

"Dancing?" Wei Ying squeaks. "I wouldn't say…dancing, Huan-ge. I just…we…"

"Were oblivious," Lan Zhan finishes for him, shuffling past him to reach the fridge. "You
thought I hated you, I thought you were uninterested. It was a mistake on both our ends." Wei
Ying falters then pouts.

"How could I not be interested?"

"What are you two making?" Huan-ge asks, shuffling in with his house slippers. "I'm sure it'll
be interesting. A Wei-di cuisine mixed with A-Zhan's palate. Do you need me to do
anything?"

Lan Zhan shakes his head as Wei Ying answers. "Nope! We've been doing fine! I am truly a
genius in the kitchen, Huan-ge. Jiang Cheng doesn't let me cook sometimes, but we all know
I am a great cook."

"Better than your sister?"

"Lan Zhan, we've been together for like two hours. I don't wanna dump you because you're
insulting my Shijie."
Lan Zhan grunts. "Who said I was insulting her? I enjoy Jiang Yanli's presence. She is…kind.
And tolerable."

"Ah," Wei Ying realizes, "you're insulting Jiang Cheng, is that it?"

"Mm. Your brother is…interesting."

Wei Ying snorts, then Huan-ge calls for him. "Wei-di! Your phone is ringing! Your brother is
calling."

"Oh! Thank you! I'll be just a sec, Lan Zhan." He wipes his hands on a towel Lan Zhan hands
him, then jogs to grab his phone, answering it. "Hi, didi! Is something wrong?"

Jiang Cheng scoffs on the other side of the line. "Did you lie earlier?"

"What? About what?" Wei Ying was telling the truth, and he knows Jiang Cheng isn't
necessarily angry at him, just at the potential of being lied to when Wei Ying is being stalked.
"I was telling the truth, Jiang Cheng. Why are you asking?"

He hears his brother sigh, deep and slow. "Wen Qing texted me asking to know if you were
okay. She's like…major panicking because Wen Chao has been all happy and shit all morning
and was super nice to her and Wen Ning earlier and she thought he'd done something to you.
No new gifts at the apartment, so it wasn't that. But he's very…giddy? He's quiet in the lab
today, too."

Wei Ying glances towards the Lans, whispering quietly to each other with relaxed faces, and
shuffles off to the side towards Lan Zhan's room. He shuts the door behind him, then leans
against it. "No. Wen Chao hasn't contacted me since the last time. I didn't even see him on
campus today. He's happy? "
"Yeah. Like, over the fucking moon happy, Wei Ying. Are you sure?"

"I swear, he hasn't talked to me. I haven't talked to him. No one has brought him up."

He hears Jiang Cheng sigh. "Okay. Okay, great. Your date?"

"Fantastic. The best. I have a boyfriend now."

"Dude, you went on one date."

"Yeah, and it was a great date and we've been oblivious for six years, didi. It went good. That
coffee place we went to? Great fucking scones. Great fucking croissants."

"You ate a fucking croissant?"

Wei Ying nods and hums. "Yes. It was good. We should go some time. It was good." He taps
his feet again, a little excited. Today has been good. "I'll pay and everything. Since you've
been like, my nanny and shit."

"Just ask Jie to go and for her to bring A-Ling. Treat after that horrendous store incident."
Wei Ying winces. "Treat yourself. His birthday is next month, too, so it'll pan out."

"Your birthday is soon," he tells his brother. "What do you want, didi? A new microscope?
Some super cool gloves? A pocket protector?"

"Biochem is a good major with a good job field, you asshole. If you want to treat me, buy me
dinner and don't forget your wallet. And if we're discussing birthdays, yours is in a week.
What do you want? A new phone? Yours has been shitty."
"No, I'll buy myself a new phone without someone giving it to me. I want you to come to a
party with me."

"A party?"

"Yeah, Halloween-"

"Birthday."

"Whatever. Yeah, my birthday. There's a frat party Mianmian told me about. Alcohol and no
freshmen." He grins, putting a teasing lilt to his voice. "You should come watch your gege
beat a ton of seniors at drinking games. I would like, wipe the floor with them and you could
cheer me on."

"Is it a costume party?"

Wei Ying snorts. "I'll ask Mianmian. I would think so? It is Halloween. I wouldn't be
surprised if not a lot of people dressed up, or just dressed sexy."

"Ew. Don't say you're dressing sexy."

"Why not? My boyfriend will appreciate me looking sexy."

"So you two did fuck!" Jiang Cheng yells.

Wei Ying laughs. "Good-bye didi! Love you! Eat dinner! Tell Shijie I love her!"

He hangs up quickly, tossing his phone back on Lan Zhan's bed before he goes back out to
join the Lan brothers. Nicely, Lan Zhan has finished making dinner without him, so he helps
set the table with Huan-ge, talking about his classes, his senior exhibit, which still has no
theme, Professor Xue will kill him, and Huan-ge teases Wei Ying that he's still wearing Lan
Zhan's clothes.

Dinner goes by silently save for Wei Ying’s chatter, which he only gets away with because
Lan Zhan enjoys his babbling and Huan-ge is too sweet to tell him to shut up.

The rest of the night is quiet.

They feed Bichen and Wangji.

He watches Lan Zhan do homework.

He does an extra worksheet of Lan Zhan's and does pretty well.

He forces Lan Zhan to sit while he draws him, making sure to make it perfect and neat and
great because that's what he deserves.

Lan Zhan kisses him every few activities.

Brushes his throat with fingers.

Ears.

Face.

Waist.
His phone dies at like, eight and he didn't bring his charger, but that doesn't bother him.

At nine, Lan Zhan forces him to come to bed, and they fall asleep, Wei Ying a sprawled mess
under the covers, and Lan Zhan stiff and unmoving.

When Wei Ying wakes up the next morning, he feels kisses pressed to his neck, hands
rubbing soft circles on the leg he has thrown over Lan Zhan, and a gentle humming coming
from his boyfriend, calming and deep. Wei Ying pretends to stay asleep for a bit, reveling in
the warmth Lan Zhan brings.

"What are you singing there, er-gege?"

Lan Zhan stiffens against him, then closes his eyes. Wei Ying cackles.

"You can't pretend to be asleep! Is this how you treat your boyfriend?" He taps Lan Zhan's
cheek, jokingly scolding him. "C'mon! Won't you tell your curious Wei Ying?"

Eventually, after Wei Ying childishly nips his jaw, Lan Zhan relents. "Song."

"I can tell."

"For you."

Wei Ying blinks, then smiles and laughs. "Ah! You wrote a song? For me? Wow, you are
romantic. So? What's it called?"

"Embarrassing," Lan Zhan mumbled against his collarbone.

"Oh? I think I made a bunch of embarrassing sounds last night and you had no issue. C'mon,
won't you tell me? Please?"

After a beat of silence, Lan Zhan sighs. "Wangxian."

"Why that, Lan Zhan?"

"It seems right. Me and you."

"It's a love song?" When Lan Zhan nods, Wei Yint sinks closer. "When did you write it?"

"Sophomore year of high school."

Ah. Six years of love from Lan Zhan existed in the simple little tune he was singing. Wei
Ying's hands tighten around him, and he laughs against Lan Zhan's forehead, kissing it. "Mm.
I love you so much, you silly man. Keep singing, I want to hear the song you wrote."

He does keep singing.

Wei Ying falls in love all over again.

It's nice.

And it makes sense.

"Wangxian," he repeats to himself. "A symbol of Lan-er-gege's love to poor Wei Ying. How
beautiful."
Lan Zhan hums, then kisses the spot on his chest above his heart.

"Mm. A song for beautiful Wei Ying."

"Aiya! Lan Zhan, my heart. You're too good, you know? You can't say such things. Don't you
have class today?"

"No."

"Not skipping?"

"No, just no class. Exam cramming."

"Mm." Wei Ying hums. "Then, you should stay here longer with me. I don't have class until
ten again."

"Mm. Okay."

Wei Ying smiles, closing his eyes again. Breathing in his boyfriend's (his boyfriend!!!) scent,
Wei Ying settles, and sighs.

"Lan Zhan."

"Yes?"

"Really, too good. I love you."

"Mm. Love Wei Ying, too. Very much."
 Chapter Eight
Chapter Summary

Nineteen Seconds.

Fifty-nine seconds.

Fourteen seconds.

Wei Ying exists, and he doesn't.

Chapter Notes

Heavy TW and CW for the following: Sexual Assault, Drugging/Roofies, derogatory

language, victim-blaming, implied spying, implied picture-taking of someone
intoxicated in a sexual manner, brief violence, a rape kit procedure, and vomit mentions.
Please take care of yourselves and do not read this chapter if you are worried, anxious,
or feel you can't handle reading it.

This chapter is a rough ride. Nothing explicit happens between Wei Ying and Wen Chao
in this chapter, but if you wish to completely skip the assault, avoid the italics. If you do
not want to read the full description, check the endnotes. Anything in italics is from Wei
Ying's perspective during his drugged state, which he does not remember.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The week passes slowly. Slowly, peacefully, sweetly, and Wei Ying isn't sure it's real.

Lan Zhan is perfection incarnate.

The first few days he stays at the Lan's place, Lan Zhan is the first awake, and Wei Ying
typically stumbles out of bed, a bit too sleep drunk, to find him and watch him make
breakfast. It's riveting to watch, and Wei Ying finds himself more excited those days, tapping
his feet like an excited toddler when Lan Zhan makes perfect pancakes and eggs for him.
They can be intimate and happy and open inside the apartment, but on campus, they have to
be a bit more conservative. Wen Chao's monitoring will end, and Wei Ying is still just as
nervous about catching his eye. There's been no eyes of him on campus, only during classes
he and either Jiang Cheng or Wen Qing share.

Wen Qing had begun to text him updates when the first 'preppy' day occurred. She was
freaked out. Wen Chao was quiet, polite, and did his lab work. She didn't even know what he
was making since he came in during free hours when Wen Qing was busy. Wei Ying
constantly thanked her, offering her the painting of Mianmian he was finishing, which she
declined, but she did commission him a separate painting for a painting of Wen Ning for her
own keeping, which he was more than happy to do.

Huaisang, nose like a fucking bloodhound, has already sniffed out Wei Ying and Lan Zhan
are dating. He had forgotten to go over to paint him, and when Huaisang called him, Wei
Ying had apologized. Without much hesitation, Huaisang had called him out for dating Lan
Zhan, and Wei Ying had choked, then confirmed it.

It was good.

He spends the weekend with Lan Zhan. They talk, sit with each other, do homework. Wei
Ying's homework is just him drawing Lan Zhan in any way he pleases; sitting, writing,
cooking, sleeping, singing. There are silly little doodles in his sketchbook that Professor Xue
has noted, with many critique points, and teased him for.

It feels okay. To be normal.

He hasn't seen Wen Chao.

His birthday is almost here.

His sister is going to visit with A-Ling and spend the night.
They'll celebrate.

Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng will party for an hour or two, then come back.

In the morning, they'll have Shijie's cooking and sit and talk with A-Ling.

Wei Ying will happily tell his Shijie about his boyfriend, the boyfriend he won't shut up
about, and how good he feels.

No new voicemails, no flowers, no Wen Chao.

It's good.

When Halloween comes, he'll spend his birthday happy, excited, and feeling good.

He'll party, drink, dance, call his beautiful Lan Zhan, go home to his sister, put his cute
brother to bed, and then sleep.

In the morning, he kisses Lan Zhan on the cheek to say hello, and Lan Zhan kisses him back.

Really, it's bliss and Wei Ying likes it.

A week goes by, and nothing bad.

Which simultaneously freaks Wei Ying out and makes him excited.
All he really has to worry about is his exhibit, he's developing a theme, he's trying, which
Professor Xue is joking he should just draw a series of portraits of Lan Zhan since, to quote,
'It seems like you'll marry him. I've seen how you look at him. Plus, your drawings are very
telling.'

He doesn't draw Lan Zhan shirtless or anything, personal respect to his beautiful boyfriend
since he isn't quite sure how he'd like that, but he does draw Lan Zhan's beautiful hands. Very
beautiful.

By Halloween, it's normal.

He gets a happy birthday call from Shijie and A-Ling, and from the Peacock who does say it,
Uncle Jiang calls, Madame Yu says it reluctantly but avoids the word 'happy', Jiang Cheng
wakes him up by smacking his face with a pillow, and then Lan Zhan gives him a very sweet
birthday call, and comes upstairs to give him a muffin, that he made himself, for breakfast.

Wei Ying adores him.

Throughout the day, he's stopped by Wen Qing and Wen Ning, who both give him a hearty
birthday hug, and Wen Qing smears his face with a cupcake she had. He tries to get her back,
but she's fast and dodges, then blows a raspberry at him. Wen Ning looks apologetic enough,
handing him a napkin to wipe his face. The cupcake is good, even with most of the frosting
all over his face.

Mianmian gives him a new hair tie, a silky ribbon, red and blue with little bells. It's cute. He
makes her do his hair while they wait for Professor Xue.

He walks to the rest of his classes with his hair carefully braided and jingling. He's
discovered, very nicely, Lan Zhan likes when Wei Ying's hair is braided, so he sends pictures
of it to him when he knows he won't be bothering him in class, and the reactions are very
telling.

His boyfriend is really too sweet, honestly.

Most of the time.

In bed, he's mean. Not rude, just mean. He bites Wei Ying for getting too chatty or stops
what he's doing if Wei Ying misbehaves. He's taken to biting Wei Ying's thighs a lot. Which
isn't bad. But he definitely needs a new spot to bite or Wei Ying will die.

When he says as much, Lan Zhan moves to biting his throat, which is better, but now Wei
Ying is silently marking where he now knows are Lan Zhan's favorite spots on him.

Thighs and throat, for now.

To make up for it, Wei Ying behaves a little childishly and nips Lan Zhan's chin multiple
times during sex. He gets scowls and scolding for it, but then Wei Ying will pull his collar
away and show the bruises and hickeys left, and that shuts Lan Zhan right up.

It's funny. Wei Ying thinks it's funny, Lan Zhan does not.

Anyway, Friday, Halloween. He's very excited. It's good. He'll go to a party, come back to see
his beautiful sister and nephew, they'll sleep, and then breakfast. He's already asked for
Shijie's soup for breakfast, which is more of a dinner option, and because Shijie is great and a
goddess, she said okay. Lan Zhan had been invited, he'd said no, only on the grounds he was
planning something and had class too early to make it the next day. That got Wei Ying
curious, but when he asked, Lan Zhan shut it down with a few well-placed kisses.

He had flushed a dark red then had to leave for class again.

He gets party news from Mianmian at roughly six, with news that the party is not a costume
party, but guests are more than welcome to dress up. Wei Ying tries to get Jiang Cheng to
wear something…in the spirit, but his brother is not receptive to the teasing, even if Wei Ying
argues it is his birthday wish. He doesn't get Jiang Cheng to dress up, but he does talk him
into letting Wei Ying paint his face with cat whiskers. Somehow.
Shijie liked the picture, and sent photos of A-Ling and Peacock in matching costumes, with
A-Ling dressed up as a cultivator from a show he watched, Shijie made the costume, and
Peacock matching. It was kind of cute, Wei Ying had to admit.

After trick-or-treating, Shijie would drive over, let herself in, and then Wei Ying and Jiang
Cheng would be back around nine-thirty to help put A-Ling to bed, and help Shijie clean up.
They'd wait for cake in the morning, and then they'd go about their day happily.

Wei Ying doesn't dress up in a costume. Instead, he's adhering to the theme of Halloween: red
and black and dark. He has a nice, red button-down with really wide sleeves and a slight dip
in the chest, and black jeans that are tight and make him look good. He'll stop by Lan Zhan's
before they leave, because Lan Zhan said the thing he was planning was something he could
give to Wei Ying before they left, and it'll be funny to see his cute brain short-circuit.

When he does see Lan Zhan, Wei Ying is very pleased to see Lan Zhan linger a little. He
grins to himself, then steps inside while Jiang Cheng, reluctantly, waits in the downstairs
lobby for him. He's been given a five-minute time limit, since the party started at like seven
and they're already thirty minutes late.

"Hello, er-gege," Wei Ying says, standing on his toes to kiss Lan Zhan. "Your Wei Ying is
very happy to see you, you know? Are you very happy to see me?"

"Mm." Lan Zhan grabs his hand, soft and gentle, and tugs him like a child. "This way.
Present."

"For Halloween? What a strange custom, Lan Zhan."

"For your birthday, Wei Ying." He watches Lan Zhan shake his head fondly, then steps after
him to follow him to his bedroom. Wei Ying raises an eyebrow when Lan Zhan makes him sit
on the bed.
"Lan Zhan, I love you, but if we fuck now I'm gonna ruin my hair. Mianmian did it all pretty
and everything this morning. And my jeans are really tight and that's gonna be a pain in the
ass to take off. I'm not opposed, though."

Lan Zhan snorts, then puts his hands over Wei Ying's eyes. "Close them, please." With a hum,
Wei Ying does as told, then feels Lan Zhan's hands move. There's shuffling, a drawer being
opened, then Lan Zhan taps his hand softly. "Hand, please."

"Are you proposing?" Wei Ying teases. "I get we like each other, but it's been a week, Lan
Zhan."

"Mm. Not a proposal. As good as that."

"As good as a proposal? Are you ready to lose your virginity to me?"

Lan Zhan scoffs. "No. Quit talking." His finger is taken, then something cold and tight is slid
on. Wei Ying feels his cheeks redden. "Mm. Open, please."

"Oh," Wei Ying croaks when he sees it. It's a ring. Snug and perfect on index finger, black
with a red shine when he tilts it. "Lan Zhan, you romantic. Your breakfast muffin was good
enough."

"Mm. Saw it, thought of you. Happy Birthday, Wei Ying." Wei Ying can see his ears turning
red. He snorts, then throws his arms around his boyfriend's neck, drawing him in close. Lan
Zhan's fingers trail his neck, and he feels cold pressed there too. When he takes Lan Zhan's
hand, there's a matching ring on his index finger, white and blue and a carbon copy of his.

He laughs. "Ah, so romantic. You know I'll never take this off, right? This is so cute. You're
like a little boy with a crush. My cute Lan Zhan, hm?" He presses closer again, then swipes a
thumb across his cheekbone. "Simply too good for me. You know how amazing you are?"

"Mm. Only as good as Wei Ying deserves."

"Aiya, only as good as I deserve," he repeats fondly. The ring is sweet, a small item but
undeniably Lan Zhan and it's all for him. "You're so cheesy, you know that?"

"Mm. Thought you liked cheesy?"

"And sassy, too. Ha! Are you sure you're my Lan Zhan?"

"Mm."

Oh, he nods so seriously and Wei Ying snorts, then stands and kisses him one last time.
"Have a good night, Lan Zhan. I'll visit tomorrow, then we can go on a real date. You can pay.
My sugar daddy, eh?" He nudges Lan Zhan in the ribs, which earns him red ears and an eye
roll. "Don't act like you don't think I'm sexy. I'm hot. You like it."

"Goodbye, Wei Ying. Be safe."

"I know, I know. I'll call if Jiang Cheng or I need anything. I love you."

Lan Zhan smiles. "Mm. Love you, too."

The party, surprisingly, is a lot more crowded and wild than either Jiang Cheng or Wei Ying
expected. A lot of seniors, a lot of juniors. Few sophomores. The house is pretty fucking big,
has a giant ping-pong table in the living room, couches pushed aside, a kitchen, and three
floors. It's fun. Bright.

Wei Ying snatches a selfie with a prop skeleton settled on one of the couches to send to Lan
Zhan.
my date cuz ur not here

Tell him to have you home by nine.

So demanding!!! He says ok becuz ur hot

Ridiculous.

Ah, he loves him so much.

Jiang Cheng scowls at him when he skips his way over, snatching a cup from a stack to fill
up. "No getting completely wasted, dumbass."

"I don't get wasted, didi. You do. I don't. This is why you're the weaker link. Your poor
children."

Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes at him, then stalks off. "One hour," he calls over his shoulder.
Wei Ying snorts, then moves to the kitchen to go find drinks.

There's a nice array to choose from, no Emperor’s Smile, but a senior recommends a sweeter
alcohol for him to try. He likes her. They've talked a few times, mostly when Wei Ying
needed models and was asking around campus, and she was a sweetheart, very nice, and Wei
Ying would personally trust her with his cup if he needed to pee.

He won't give her his cup, but it's a thought.

He goes for the suggestion, giving a quick sniff test. It smells spicy over sweet, but she
promises it's sweet. They toast together, then she's off to find her boyfriend, and Wei Ying
takes a sip.
Yeah.

Very sweet with a spicier aftertaste.

Wei Ying loves her and her alcohol recommendations. 10/10.

It's a nice flavor, so he texts Jiang Cheng the alcohol's name as a sort of general reminder
they should get it, and goes back to his wonderful time.

He takes a few shots of a spicier drink, one of the sweet one, and then for the rest of his forty
minutes, he drinks soda. It's sweet and very carbonated and something Lan Zhan would hate.
Wei Ying really likes it though, and it's red.

Red and bubbly. Like him. He snorts at the thought, then stumbles back a little when he's
bumped, spilling some of the soda on his hand.

And on his sleeve.

Fantastic.

"Shit!" he hisses, looking at who he bumped into. He narrows his eyes and frowns. "Su She?
God, who let you in here?"

Su She sniffs, turning away from Wei Ying and narrowing his eyes. "More like who let you in
here, huh? Thought you got kicked out or something. Not coming for a week, skipping? Like
a delinquent."

"Yeah, if we're talking about that; why the hell did you give Wen Chao my number? Like, did
I piss in your cereal? How'd you even have it?"
Su She scoffs, then shakes his head. "Like you don't know. Juniors are all in the same chat,
just have to ask around. Why is that an issue? Aren't you and Wen Chao-"

"If you say we're dating, we're not. I don't know what bullshit he told you, Su She, but you
put me in a pretty fucked up situation." Wei Ying sighs, then downs the rest of his drink.
Rubbing his temple, he looks at Su She. "Listen, buddy. I don't know what your deal with me
is, I don't, but I don't appreciate that shit. If we wanna settle this like adults, great. Go for it.
Otherwise, what the fuck?"

Su She's face goes so red Wei Ying is tempted to laugh. He holds his tongue, clutching his
cup a little harder. "You have Lan Zhan wrapped around your stupid little finger, don't you?"

"Excuse me? How is that relevant?"

"Wait until he sees how much of a mess you are, Wei Ying. Skipping, teasing," that strikes a
nerve for Wei Ying, "a pathetic little art student. You're a joke. Have a great night, or
whatever. Bet you will."

When he stalks off walking like a stick was shoved up his ass, Wei Ying laughs,
subconsciously twisting the ring Lan Zhan got him on his finger. Honestly, he forgot it was
on, but staring at it again, he knows it'll be an interesting little story to recount later.

Or when he finds Huaisang.

Or Mianmian and Wen Qing.

Or Jiang Cheng.

Now that he thinks about it, Jiang Cheng just kinda wandered off. Wei Ying doesn't even
know where he went. He's got forty minutes to kill though, so he will take his place at beer
pong, kicking everyone's ass when he wins.

He does win. Maybe.

He thinks.

He can't tell.

He drinks.

Cheers.

Someone claps him on the back.

And…and…oh.

He has to text Jiang Cheng.

His phone is hot.

His head hurts…and then he can't.

Can't.

His ring is cold.

The party kinda sucks.

It's bright and loud and flashy, and Wei Ying is buzzing and great and wow. He's laughing
really loudly among some seniors and juniors, none of them his friends, but he can't quite
seem to shut up. Of course, he already talks a ton. That's why Lan Zhan likes him. His
boyfriend.

"Oh my God, I have a boyfriend," he says, much too loudly. One of the seniors laughs. "Did
you know? He's super good. Like, really good. Awesome."

"Yeah? I think you need to sit down, kiddo," the senior says, dragging him to the couch. He
flops down on it hard, laughing. It's really comfy, and when he closes his eyes, he feels ready
to sleep. A gentle pat on his cheek makes him open an eye. "Yeah, hun. You're being cut off.
You come here with someone?"

"Mm. Yeah. Course I did, it's my birthday, man."

"Nice, kiddo. Can I get the birthday boy a friend or that boyfriend you mentioned? Is he
here?"

Wei Ying thinks. No, Lan Zhan doesn't like parties, too much noise and sound and smell. Lan
Zhan had a very sensitive nose. He's not here.

Instead, he can only hum and close his eyes again. The senior sighs, then pats his head.
They're nice. Super nice. Wei Ying likes them. The sounds of the party cut out, replaced by a
hazy sound, muffled and static and just existing.

A new hand joins the senior a few moments (minutes? hours?) later. Wei Ying leans into it, a
satisfied sigh leaving him at the contact. It's good, he likes this. He kicks his feet, a little
excited. He does that a lot. Lan Zhan calls it childish, but he follows his kicking legs like he
enjoys when Wei Ying does it. Wei Ying likes doing it.

"A-Ying?" Ah, the voice is gentle. It's…muffled though. "Ha, stupid. What were you doing
getting drunk like this all the time? We've talked about this."

"Mm. Have we?"

The senior glances between them, then looks at the guy petting Wei Ying. After a moment,
they shuffle forward a bit, then lean towards Wei Ying and whisper, "You know him?"

Of course! Sure, the voice sounds familiar. "Mhm. Course I do."

When the senior is silent, Wei Ying is being sat up and leaned against someone, propped on
their lap. He laughs, leaning in close. Wow. He didn't even have much to drink. He has a
birthday party to go to. His sister and nephew.

Is his ring still on?

Yes, yeah, it is. Lan Zhan would be upset if he lost it.

While examining it, he doesn't realize the kisses being placed on his neck. It's weird. Weird?
Yeah, weird. Fingers on his waist and thigh, holding him, the lips on his neck. The ring on his
finger.

"-here with you?" he hears the senior ask.

"Of course, I'm his boyfriend. He'll be fine. I'll take care of him. He just gets like this." Ah, it's
the familiar voice. The lips are back, a tighter grip on his thigh, and then Wei Ying smiles a
little.
"I," he announces, "am very happy. Have you seen my ring?" He holds his hand out, showing
the very pretty ring on his finger. "It's very nice, and he picked it out because he said it
reminded him of me, and he's wildly romantic and it's so nice!"

The senior nods, then glances around them, eyes scanning and then Wei Ying sees their lips
move and they nod and breathe out. "Okay. It was…it was nice talking to you, A-Ying. Are
you sure no one else came with you?"

"Oh! My brother-"

The overly familiar hands tighten, teeth on his neck. "His brother is here. We all came
together. A-Ying and I are heading back to my place after. You know how it is, yeah? You have
a girlfriend. I've seen her."

"Don't talk about Lihua, bastard. I don't know who the fuck let you in, but you are treading a
line. No one here invited you, no one likes you. It's a bit hard to imagine-"

It's a sudden motion of standing up that has Wei Ying wobbling. He grips his–boyfriend? Lan
Zhan didn't come–shirt, then stands and laughs. They're moving, someone grabs him,
someone grabs the guy holding him, there's a tussle, and then nothing. Or like, not nothing,
but it's fuzzy and then they're going up some stairs and the senior is gone.

His phone buzzes. Hands fumbling, Wei Ying is pulling it out of his jeans when the other
hands grab it, then pat his waist. "No phones, A-Ying. We have a lot to talk about."

"Talk?" Wei Ying blinks, trying to clear the spots from his eyes. The upstairs is dark, with a
few little stickers decorating the walls. "I would like my brother," he says. "My sister is
making a cake. Made a cake. It's spicy."

"Yeah? Well, A-Ying, we're not talking cake." There's a rough squeeze to his waist again, then
Wei Ying hears a door open, hears it shut, then he's shoved onto something soft.
Oh.

The person straddles him, weight pressed down on his hips, then hands on his face, slow and
soft and rubbing. "I've been trying to talk. That asshole cop of yours? You told her so much
bullshit , Wei Ying. The stalking? Is that what you call this? That bitch showed up at my door,
with a fucking letter, saying I should cease all contact with the complainant, Wei Ying, lest I
want the police fully involved." The hands become a little rough, gripping his jaw and forcing
his face up. He squeaks.

Wait.

"Then…and this is the funniest bullshit. 'Dance with me, Yingying!'"

Wait.

"You really are a whore, huh? Me, Nie Huaisang, and let's not forget your amazing boyfriend,
Lan Zhan? Er-gege? Is that the type of shit that gets you going?"

Hold on.

"Wen-" Wei Ying croaks. The hands squeeze harder, fingers digging into his cheeks. He gasps,
knees coming up.

"I've played this game long enough, Wei Ying. You either like me and are doing this to make
me jealous, or you're just a fucking slut who likes teasing guys and laughing about it."

Slut?

He's not–
He's quoting Huaisang.

Quoting what Wei Ying said while with Lan Zhan. And getting him going–

He jolts, harsh and sudden when he feels Wen Chao's free hand tugging his shirt. "That
stupid ring. You got it from him. You rope people in, because that's what you did to me, you
make them think you're super cute and sweet and smart. Then, the flirting."

He didn't flirt.

Wei Ying feels another tug, something pops, and then he hears something small hit the floor.

Oh, it's one of the buttons to his shirt.

He liked this shirt.

"After you flirt," Wen Chao continues, voice edging between a growl and smooth, calm
confidence, "you ignore, reject. You gotta be joking. Then you say you have a boyfriend, an
alleged one, get the fucking police involved for nothing, and now you're here, drinking? You
know how this shit goes."

He does not.

Wei Ying sucks a breath in, then moves to turn over. Wen Chao laughs, cold and crude, then
pulls his shirt hard, and pulls his face. "What was it you said? Biting…your chest? Anything I
could do, you'd like. That right?"

He feels he should be connecting some dots.

The weight on his hips shifted lower.

There's pulling at his shirt hem, pulling his shirt out of his pants. Wei Ying sniffs.

"Your chest," Wen Chao says, placing cold hands on him. Wei Ying shudders, staring at the
ceiling. "Said you liked this. Okay, I can do that."

He counts.

Cold fingers run the dip of his throat, his collarbone, his shoulders, then his sternum. Wei
Ying whimpers, a startled noise that has Wen Chao glaring at him.

Oh.

Oh.

He wants his brother.

And sister.

Huaisang.

Lan Zhan. He really wants Lan Zhan.

He counts.
Just knows it's happening and is aware.

The seconds drag. Wen Chao gets more adventurous.

There are fifty-nine seconds where Wen Chao gropes his chest, bites his nipples, chest, throat,
and sternum. One hard bite to his throat has him gasping and making a choked sound.

Ninety-five seconds where Wen Chao just touches him. It's grueling.

Waist, hips, hands trail lower towards his thighs, then tug at the waistband of his pants. He
scrunches his eyes shut then.

It takes twelve seconds to get his pants down.

Thirty-five seconds of Wen Chao tracing the bite marks littered along his thighs. Then he
bites there too.

Ah, Wei Ying realizes he's mimicking Lan Zhan. The thought makes him cry.

A harsh sound echoes throughout the room, sharp and cracking. It takes him a moment to
realize he's been slapped. His mouth stings.

He tastes blood in his mouth.

On his tongue.

His face is grabbed again, and Wen Chao forces him to look up again.
Wei Ying counts the lines in the ceiling. Wen Chao coos at him, like a toddler. Like an adult
trying to calm a toddler down.

His head is spinning. And pounding.

A harsh bite appears on his thigh, a sharp tug of his jaw has his jaw opening, and fingers are
shoved in his mouth, two. Wei Ying blinks, slow and fuzzily.

"Dang, this shit is legit, huh?" he hears Wen Chao whisper. "No gag reflex. Though, yours
was like, wow, huh? Is this what you thought it'd be like when you sucked Lan Zhan? That
prim, proper asshole?"

Wei Ying closes his eyes, then goes to bite him. Wen Chao yells out, grabbing Wei Ying by the
face and pulling him up. Squeezing hard until he's sure his jaw is creaking, Wen Chao bites
his lip harshly.

"That how he does it? How you like it? I can be rough, Wei Ying. This is what you said you
liked."

"I don't-" Wei Ying mumbles as best he can. Tears fill up the corners of his eyes. "I don't."

"Not sure I believe that, Wei Ying."

Wen Chao leans down, then takes his wrist and pushes it above him. The motion hurts his
shoulder, and he whines. A knee digs into his hip, pressing hard. The waistband of his
underwear is tugged.

He feels his finger being touched, then his ring is shifting. Turning. Pulling.

"Please-" he whispers, frantic. Wen Chao glances at him.

"As good as Wei Ying deserves, he says." Wei Ying wants to cry again. "Beg, and maybe."

"Beg?"

"For me. Do it, and you can keep the ring, I suppose. A little gift from one of your other guys.
How many do you have? Including me?"

Wei Ying seals his lips, shaking his head.

His stomach turns, the weight shifts again, knee digging harder into his stomach.

Wei Ying turns to the side and vomits, coughing and sputtering. When he's done, he can only
lay limply. And shake.

Wen Chao scoffs, then leans over him and grabs his face again. "You vomit on me, Wei Ying,
and we will have a problem."

Ten seconds of Wen Chao simply staring.

His ring is taken, and he has to simply lay there. Wen Chao examines it for a second, then
sighs and pats the pants around Wei Ying's legs still. "You can keep it, I guess. No more
noises though, or I toss it, 'kay? You vomit, too, I toss it. This is supposed to be good. You
make it bad, that's on you."

Wei Ying shuts his eyes.

Nineteen seconds of whispering he doesn't care about.

Fifty-one seconds of licking his throat, chest, ribs, nipples, thighs, his face, ears, cheeks, to
make sure he's not crying.

Twenty-eight seconds of kissing him.

Forty-two seconds of bright lights, clicking, flashing, hands simply trailing him. Whispering
and a harsh snort.

Then fourteen seconds where Wen Chao simply placed his hands on Wei Ying's throat.

No squeezing.

Nothing.

He doesn't quite want to count anymore. But he does.

Minutes or hours pass, and he simply exists.

He can't quite comprehend how long it's been.

Then, he's light. No weight.

The world is still quiet, subdued, and his eyes are squeezed tight. He feels stupid and
weightless and non-existent.

"-ing. Yingying? Hey, honey?" Gentle hands are on his face, but he can't quite focus on them.
"Can you hear me? Wen Qing? Can you-?"
He hears more shuffling around him, the door slamming shut loudly, then a sigh. "Yeah. Can
you go find Jiang Cheng? He needs to go to a hospital."

The hands leave his face, then are replaced with new ones. Just as gentle, but colder. The
door opens again, closes, and then it's quiet. Very quiet. He has to focus to hear his own
breathing.

"Wei Ying? Hey," the new hands say. They tap his cheeks a little harshly. "Hey. I need to know
how many drinks you had. That you remember. I need to tell the hospital when we get there."

"Mm." Wei Ying whines then chokes on a cry.

"Hey, hey. None of that. Mianmian is getting your brother, okay? He'll be here, and you'll be
all good. Can you stay awake for me? You know where your phone is?"

"Ring," Wei Ying says. "My–Lan Zhan gave–ring."

"A ring?" Hands smooth his hair and he sniffs. "We'll find it. Do you know how many drinks
you had?"

When he shakes his head, he hears a sigh, then fingers massaging his temples. "-'m sorry."

"You're okay. Wen Chao is a dirty fucker, you're okay. I'm not mad at you, Wei Ying. Okay?"

"I want my brother," Wei Ying whispers.

"I know. Mianmian is-"

"Where the fuck is he?" He hears the yell from outside, approaching loud and like thunder.
Wei Ying's head is splitting, and he winces when the door slams open. "What the fuck-!"

"Quiet!" Wen Qing hisses. "Here, come here and soothe him, I'll call your sister and ask her
to drive you. Be quiet, gentle, try to keep him talking. Give me your phone."

Wei Ying feels the bed dip. He shudders, new hands holding his shoulders, then a streak of
purple and dark hair. "What are you doing, stupid?" he hears. "I thought I said you weren't
allowed to worry me, didn't I?"

Wei Ying sniffles again. His hands are shaking too much. "Sorry."

"Stop that. Do you know how much you had? Anything?" When Wei Ying shakes his head,
there's a deep sigh and his hair is pushed from his forehead. "Don't worry about it. On your
fucking birthday, too. I'll fucking kill him. Hey!" Hands tap his face and he whines. "Breathe,
stupid. You're okay. God, stop crying. You'll worry Jie. And your boyfriend. We'll call Jiejie,
everything will be okay." None of it is harsh, just frantic and quiet.

"Jiang Cheng," Wen Qing calls. "Your sister is coming, if you want help carrying him?"

"I can do it. How are we-?"

"Grab the blanket, him. His pants need fixing. Wen Chao broke a ton of buttons on his shirt."

"Yeah, I fucking see what that fucker did." Jiang Cheng sighs, then strokes his cheekbone.
"Hey, gege? Ying-ge. I have to move you, okay? Can I do that? Your didi has to carry you."

Wei Ying sighs shakily, head throbbing at the motion of moving. "Mhm." It sounds weak and
he wants to cry again.
"Okay," his didi whispers, and it's so sweet and soft that Wei Ying cries again. The bed
creaks. His pants are pulled up. He blindly feels for his ring, and shakes when he pulls it out
of his pocket, fingers too unstable to hold it. It's gently taken from his hands. "I'll hold it,
gege. Don't worry."

"But-"

"Hey," Jiang Cheng whispers, hefting Wei Ying up. "It's fine. Jiejie is here, and you need a
hospital, okay? I'll give it back in a bit. Just have to trust me to be careful with it. I'll give it
back when you're more awake."

He sags, close to his brother and when he exhales, it's shaky and not all there. Wen Qing is
next to him, phone in hand and speaking quietly to Jiang Cheng.

He can't imagine this not being embarrassing. Jiang Cheng carrying his puke-covered
brother out of a frat party, shirt broken open and wrapped in a blanket.

Jiang Cheng speaks from above him, deep and quiet, chin resting on his head. "He's not
gonna remember any of this shit, will he? His pupils are fucking huge, Wen Qing."

"Depends on what Wen Chao gave him. He vomited though, it might be a pretty heavy dose.
Roofies are fucking nasty business, and I can't imagine what he's been given until we get him
to the hospital. But, no. I don't expect him to remember any of this. Rohypnol, if that's what
was given to him, causes memory lapse."

"Overdose?"

"Maybe. I hope not. I'll keep an eye on his breathing on the drive. Vomit isn’t a good sign
though."

That sounds terrible. Awful.

Truthfully, Wei Ying can't bring himself to listen anymore. His brother is warm and secure,
and he's cold and feels too open. Bodies bump into him, and Jiang Cheng yells at them to
move. Wen Qing shouts too, something about drinks, and then it's cold, and raining, and he
hears more talking, then warmth.

And Wei Ying simply stops existing after that, pressed close to his brother.

Beeping.

That's the first sound that registers in his muddled head and it is loud. He groans, hands
coming up to cover his eyes.

"A-Ying!"

The cry is so sharp, wet and loud and so recognizably his sister's. Just, she sounds worried.
And he's not allowed to worry his sister. He must've done something, but his head won't
focus like he needs it to, and it hurts and his whole body is sore.

"A-Ying? Do you need the doctor?"

"Doctor?" he rasps, carefully moving his hands.

Oh.

Oh, no.
He's in a hospital.

He looks down, surprised to see he's still in his party clothes. He just doesn't remember most
of the party. Wei Ying has to take a moment, twisting his ankle around, shifting to get used to
the stiff feeling in his body. He stinks, too. Like vomit. Wincing, he looks at his sister, red-
eyed and teary.

Oh, Wei Ying messed up big time.

"I–Shijie, I'm so-"

"Don't you dare, A-Ying!" she scolds loudly, sniffling. "Don't you dare apologize to me! The
call–oh, when Wen Qing called! I didn’t bring you a change of clothes, we had to call Lan
Zhan. He and his brother are coming and-"

"What? Shijie, what happened?"

His sister pauses, then a sob leaves her throat, and she covers her mouth. Wei Ying's stomach
turns. Sitting up, back leaned against the pillows he's been given, Wei Ying wrings his hands.

His ring is missing. No.

Lan Zhan will be pissed.

No.

"A-Ying?"

"Hm? I'm fine, I'm okay. I just–can you please?"

"That fucker, Wen Chao," Jiang Cheng says from the doorway. Wei Ying looks over. Oh, he's
messed up so bad. His siblings look so tired, so tired and angry and upset. But the mention of
Wen Chao makes Wei Ying lick his lips. Jiang Cheng hands Shijie a cup, then sits next to her,
pulling a chair up to the bed Wei Ying is in. "You don't remember?"

"I remember having one drink. So, no. I don't remember any interaction with Wen fucking
Chao. Would one of you just please spill?"

His brother and sister exchange glances, then Shijie moves to hold his hand. She's shaking.
So is he.

"A-Ying," she begins, quietly. "The party, Luo Qingyang and Wen Qing found you. And Wen
Chao. And…"

Oh.

Oh.

Wei Ying's throat seizes, then he's covering his mouth and a small waste bin is put under his
face.

He vomits.

It's loud and only aggravates his head.

From the side, he can see his matted hair draping over his shoulder. He gags again, then
Shijie is rubbing his back, gently and soothingly.

"Did–did…" He can't even finish.

Jiang Cheng stares at the floor, then breathes out. "No, we don't think so. Your underwear
was still on. Intact. He–he broke most of the buttons on your shirt, but we weren't allowed to
change you because they wanna…they wanna make sure we don't interfere with anything."

"Interfere?"

Shijie rubs a hand down his arm. "They want to do a rape kit, A-Ying. You were assaulted.
And drugged. We don't–we still don't know what. Or how. They wanted to make sure you
were awake for it."

The words jumbled together a little.

Wei Ying vomits into his trashcan again.

As he sits there breathing, in and out, he feels the nasty taste of vomit very present in his
throat.

Wen Chao…

Okay. He breathes in, and out. Again, and again. Again and again. Again.

"A-Ying?"

"I'm okay," he croaks. He sniffs, then sits up and blinks hard. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight," Jiang Cheng says. "Wen Qing found you at like, nine. Some senior found
her after asking for 'A-Ying'. Apparently, they tried to talk to Wen Chao, get you away, but
then Wen Chao shoved them, and they had to scour the whole fucking house to find her until
someone recognized the name. I think Huaisang went on a fucking warpath, made everyone
dump their drinks, and then started questioning. The party ended like, as soon as people
caught wind someone slipped something."

"Su She," Wei Ying says. "I talked to Su She. He bumped into me, said some stupid shit, and
I had a drink. And then I think I played beer pong and then…it's blank. I don't even
remember seeing Wen Chao."

Jiang Cheng scoffs. "Yeah, no one invited the fucker. The seniors were trying to find a way to
kick him out when he disappeared with you."

"Oh."

"Stop that, it's not your fault. I'll fucking…fuck."

Wei Ying nods, sighs, then rests his chin on the waste bucket in his hands. "Okay, I–I don't
understand what I'm doing right now. A rape kit; I can refuse that, yeah?"

"You're going to?"

"I wasn't raped."

Shijie gasps. "A-Ying, you were sexually assaulted. And, no, you don't have to agree to it.
But that doesn't make your experience any less important or valid than another person's. Your
case–"

"What am I going to tell them? 'Sorry, can't remember what he did because I was high off my
fucking ass'?" He can see how his siblings' brains are working, and he sighs. "I'm–I'm sorry
for snapping."

"It's okay, didi."

He sighs, rubbing his hands down his face. "Okay. It wasn't–I was just nervous. Still am."

"The doctors said to tell them when you were up. To ask. It's a bit sudden, but the sooner the
better. One of us can come with you, A-Ying. It'll take a while. They said a few hours. For
everything on the list."

"Hours?"

When his sister nods, he sighs.

What a great birthday, huh? Fucking fantastic.

He's going to cry.

"Wei Ying?"

Ah, it gets better.

His Lan Zhan, his poor Lan Zhan who is standing with a new pile of clothes in his arms,
stands out in the doorway, worry etched into his face.

Wei Ying cries right then and there. "Lan Zhan, I'm–"

"Shh," Lan Zhan says, striding into the room swiftly, wrapping arms around him. He melts
into it, then releases a sob. "No need for apologies. I know."

"My ring, I lost it, I'm so-"

"You didn't," Jiang Cheng says. When he stands, he pulls something from his pocket. Oh, his
sweet didi. "I took it when we found you. You were shaking too much. Here."

When he takes the ring, Wei Ying cries a little harder, then carefully slips it back on his
finger. "I don't…I didn't take it off."

Lan Zhan hums into his hair, the clothes in his arms carefully set to the side. "I know. You did
good, Wei Ying. So brave and good."

"I'll get a doctor, A-Ying. Did you–?" Oh, she's asking about the kit.

He takes a deep breath in, and nods.

When his sister smiles, it's sad.

He holds Lan Zhan a little tighter.

Indeed, the examination takes a few hours.

In the beginning, he's allowed a person to come with him, or an advocate who will support
him through the examination. He looks at his siblings, then to his boyfriend. When he looks
at Lan Zhan, he wrings his hands together and mumbles, "Can you come with me?"

And when Lan Zhan says okay, he shakes.

The doctor is nice enough, sweet, and straight to the point.

She says he can say stop whenever, and she will.

She cleans his lip to start, his neck, a spot in the middle of his chest.

Then she says he will have to strip on a sheet, so his clothes can be lightly shaken and
checked for evidence. He does it. He's given a gown for his troubles, then has to hand his
underwear over.

It takes hours.

His vitals are checked.

His urine is collected for drug testing. It's embarrassing to hand her a little cup of his pee.

Then, she has to examine him thoroughly, head to toe. She documents things he can't see. He
hasn't been able to see his face yet, but she marks it as an injured area. She marks his throat,
shoulders, chest, stomach, hips, and his thighs. After marking, she says she needs to take
photos.

He's made to stand naked against a sheet Lan Zhan holds. His face is snapped. The flash
makes him dizzy for a moment, and when she asks if he needs a moment, he says no and they
keep going. She moves down. Torso, thighs. His stomach is bruised. Waist is, too. His thighs
are littered with bites, some still raw and slightly bleeding. His wrist is bruised, the one
where his ring sat.

His blood is drawn. Lan Zhan holds his hand for that. It doesn't hurt, but he's anxious.

The doctor swabs his mouth, gums, cheeks. He winces when she passes over his left cheek,
and when she goes to check, she clicks her tongue. "Must've knocked against your tooth,
sweetheart. Your cheek is cut." She takes more pictures, then asks if he's okay.
He sort of likes her. She asks before doing anything, explains what she does, makes easy
conversation when doing said work. It's easy to relax. Lan Zhan is tense, but even he seems
to trust the doctor. Which is nice. He doesn't talk much, but his presence is felt, present and
attainable. It's there, and that's what matters.

Then he is told to lay down, prop his legs up, and that she needs to examine his genitals. He
flushes at that, reluctantly doing it.

"Do you need to skip this step?" Lan Zhan asks quietly.

Wei Ying shakes his head. "No. I'm okay."

She then asks if he's had consensual sex in the last five days.

He nods.

Then she tells him, "We'll need them to submit DNA, too. For comparison to the DNA we're
finding now."

Lan Zhan agrees immediately.

The rest of the exam passes.

He's checked.

The bites he's covered in are swabbed, and collected for DNA matching.
His fingernails are scrapped for potential traces of Wen Chao's DNA.

Throughout the process, Lan Zhan holds his hand, talks to him, talks about what Bichen and
Wangji did that day, his assignments, how good Wei Ying is doing, how proud he is.

When that's done, he is allowed to shower. His hair is a matted mass, half-torn from the braid
Mianmian put it in. He showers, then changes into the clothes Lan Zhan brought.

Shijie and Jiang Cheng hug him tight. He hugs them back.

They sit with him while they talk to the police. He doesn't remember much, but he names Su
She, Wen Chao, and says Lieutenant He was working on him. Jiang Cheng fills in a few of
the blanks, there's a wide stretch of blanks, as best he can.

Hearing the details, Wei Ying isn't sure how to feel. That Mianmian and Wen Qing found
Wen Chao on top of him, straddling him, knees digging into his stomach and hands pinned.
That he was staring pretty blankly, eyes wide and that his shirt was torn open, buttons
scattered on the floor. Bite marks all over him, fresh and bleeding.

He twirls the ring on his finger, and mentally checks out.

He is then given pain medication, medication for potential STDs, and a therapist's card in
case he wants to look into it.

Huaisang calls him. His phone almost dies before he's done. It was true, what Jiang Cheng
said; Huaisang had been on the fucking warpath. There were a ton of rumors floating around
now, about Wen Chao. A lot were nasty.

When they go home, Wei Ying spends the night with Lan Zhan again. Jiang Cheng doesn't
argue, and Shijie just hugs him. Huan-ge invites him in kindly, talks to Lan Zhan, and heads
to bed.
 He goes to the bathroom before bed. It's about 4 am.

When he sees his face in the mirror, he hates it. Bruises decorate his jaw, harsh and blotchy
and dark, his lip is split, and his throat is covered in marks. His left cheek is red, and when he
examines the inside of his mouth, he sees the small cut the doctor was telling him about.

When he's done, he washes his hands a little harder, then goes to lay down with Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying is asleep before he even hits Lan Zhan's bed.

Chapter End Notes

In this chapter, Wei Ying is roofied, then taken by Wen Chao upstairs where he is
insulted, slapped, hit, grabbed, groped, bitten, and licked. To cope, Wei Ying describes
what is being done to him with small sentences and counts the seconds they last.
Nothing explicit happens, but Wei Ying is out of it nearly the whole chapter and has no
recollection of the events. Wen Chao, in Wei Ying's drugged state, is implied to have
been listening to multiple conversations of his, calls Wei Ying a slut, a tease, a whore,
and says it is his fault for letting this happen to him. At the hospital, Wei Ying is given a
rape kit examination. Wei Ying also thinks police and hospital staff won't believe him
and briefly believes he must've done something wrong when he notices Jiang Yanli
crying.
 Chapter Nine
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying is trying. Trying is hard, and he doesn't like it.

Chapter Notes

TW for the following: brief mentions of sexual assault/violence, self-blame, roofies,

self-doubt, eating troubles, vomit, and a brief panic attack.

Please note Wei Ying's healing is a process. I'm not making him all better after one
chapter.

"I want a haircut," Wei Ying says, leaning over Lan Zhan on the couch.

It's three days after Halloween. November third.

"A haircut?" Lan Zhan echoes. When Wei Ying nods, Lan Zhan sits up straighter and runs a
smooth hand through his hair. "Mm. How short?"

Wei Ying measures, adjusting his hands a bit. "Like, here? What do you think? I'd look
good?" His hands are by his ears. A rather…drastic change from the shoulder-length hair he's
been growing out the last few years.

"Mm. Wei Ying would look good in any way."

"How fond of your shower are you, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying asks next, pressing his chin to Lan
Zhan's sternum, leaning forward. "Or like, should I do this in mine? Because Jiang Cheng
wouldn't like…mind exactly? But he'd be pissed if I stained the tile-"
"You want to dye it, too?"

Wei Ying blinks, then smiles. "Yeah. Just like…the underside though. Not my whole head. I
wanna look sexy, not stupid. I feel like all red would throw my whole vibe off. You can say
no; I'll go stain my shower. I just didn't know if Huan-ge was going to be pissed or not."

"If you are going to help me clean, I do not mind. I'm sure Brother wouldn't mind, either."

"Oh," Wei Ying says. "Cool. Nice. Awesome. You wanna chop some of it off with me?" He
mimics having scissors, snapping his index and middle finger together. "It's cheaper to do at
home. And I'm finally saving for a phone. Huaisang and Wen Qing gave me stuff to paint for
them."

"I can still just buy you a phone, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan says, pulling him over to sit on his lap.
Wei Ying goes easy, pouting.

"Yeah, but you keep saying no to being my sugar daddy, so I have to be my own. You just
complicate things. Anyway, do you know how bleach works? For hair?"

Lan Zhan sighs. "There are instructions, Wei Ying. I will not ruin your hair." After a brief
moment where Lan Zhan just feels his hair, he tilts his head and kisses Wei Ying on the chin.
"Did you want to do it today?"

"Yes, yeah. Like, right now."

"We don't have supplies."

Wei Ying snorts. "Then we buy some, er-gege. There are stores. I can pay, it's not a lot. Like,
thirty bucks at most. Then I'll look really fantastic."
Lan Zhan regards him for a moment, then pats his thigh to get him to stand. Wei Ying
scrambles up, bouncing on his heels to go grab his shoes. Lan Zhan follows closely after,
then hands Wei Ying a light jacket to wear. He's been like this since Halloween; all doting
and quieter than usual.

Wei Ying doesn't quite like it.

Doesn't quite like any of it.

Like people are walking on eggshells around him.

He doesn't hate them, obviously, but it's annoying to just want to be making breakfast and
having Jiang Cheng quietly make him sit so he can do it. Or how Shijie made him stay in
bed, tucked him in, and brought him soup. Wen Qing and Huaisang called again, Lieutenant
He called, then planned to visit.

Interview and statement, update on a formal warrant for Wen Chao's arrest.

The day after Halloween, he woke up and realized very quickly what his family and friends
were doing.

Lan Zhan was a little better, but he was still too in-tune with what Wei Ying needed or did.
Wei Ying would wince, a slight movement of his eye, and Lan Zhan would immediately
know to get the medicine the hospital had given him. His drug results came in.

GHB. Slipped into his drink. He's told it can be made at someone's house.

Jiang Cheng is furious. Because Wen Chao could've made it. While at school.

While he was in the room.

Right there.

And he hadn't noticed.

Wei Ying says it's fine, but then Jiang Cheng gets angrier and just hugs him. It's weird.

He knows, hopes, nothing actually happened. They shouldn't be acting like this, but they are.
And it's kind of annoying. He's not dead, not permanently hurt, or maimed, or scarred. The
only thing he has to show is a nasty bruise on his face that's almost gone.

He's fine.

Doing very well, thank you very much.

And the dye selection at the store is fucking huge. As he squats, looking at colors, Lan Zhan
looks at bleach and color-stay shampoo. After a moment, Wei Ying shuffles through the
selection of red, then pulls a bright red from the shelf. "Lan Zhan," he calls. When the hum
comes, Wei Ying shakes the box at him. "What do you think? Would I look good with this
color?"

"What do you want?"

"Red."

Lan Zhan huffs fondly. "For you, Wei Ying. Do you like it?"

"Yes."
"Then we can do it. This bleach is highly rated and many people buy it because it doesn't
smell." Lan Zhan grabs a box, then hands it to Wei Ying to look at. He nods, examining the
boxes in his hand. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes. I'm gonna look so good, Lan Zhan. Will you still love your Wei Ying if this goes wrong
and I go bald?"

Lan Zhan sighs as Wei Ying stands, shaking the box lightly in his face. He leans forward,
kissing his forehead. "Of course. You will not go bald, though. I will not do a bad job."

"Mm. You never do a bad job, er-gege."

"I will leave you in this store, Wei Ying. It is a long walk back."

"You're so rude!"

The scissors are loud and grating. It's new, and a very weird feeling when his hair falls onto
his shoulders, soft and long. And now just gone. Does he regret this? He doesn't quite know.
Maybe he will, but it feels good. Lan Zhan's hands are easy, professional and good. He knows
exactly where to cut, and when Wei Ying looks in the mirror, he can see the focused look on
his face.

It's cute.

Lan Zhan ruffles his hair, short and slightly curling towards his ears. Wei Ying grins.

"You like how good a job you did? I can see you playing with it."
Lan Zhan nods, then kisses the crown of his head. "New. You look nice. Bleach?"

"Yes, please. This is gonna be nasty. It's like, powder mixed with other shit." He helps Lan
Zhan mix the bleach together, sections his hair up as best he can, then is made to sit while
Lan Zhan coats his hair. It's relaxing and good. "You're such a good boyfriend, Lan Zhan. Did
you know that?"

"Mn. Wrong. Wei Ying is."

He laughs, twisting the ring on his finger. "Aiya, don't say that, Lan Zhan. I'm the only one
allowed to be right in this relationship. We both can't be the best, hm?"

Lan Zhan looks at his face in the mirror, and then delivers a wet slap with the brush to his
hair. Wei Ying snorts. "Mm. Then Wei Ying is the best. No arguments. Your hair needs to sit
for thirty minutes."

"Thirty?"

"Thirty."

Wei Ying groans. "Lan Zhan, that's such a long time! Thirty minutes. Oh well, I suppose if
beauty is pain-"

"Bleach isn't painful, Wei Ying." Lan Zhan frowns, then his eyebrows quirk up when Wei
Ying leans back, lips pursed. He leans down and kisses him quickly, gently. "Would you like
lunch? Your sister gave us soup."

Wei Ying blinks, then steals one more kiss. "No, I'm not hungry. You can have some. Shijie
makes really good soup. The best. She's super good."
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan scolds. Gentle. It's always so gentle these days. "You need to eat. One
bowl? With me?" Fingers run gently on his jawline, cold and smooth and every bit as gentle
as always. It's jarring. The bleach smells. Not bad. Just smells.

"Maybe later. When there's not bleach in my hair. The smell isn't helping my appetite, er-
gege." He reaches up to pat Lan Zhan's cheek. "Why don't you have some, hm?"

Lan Zhan's face does something funny. Oh, Wei Ying's done it. He panics for a moment, eyes
searching Lan Zhan's face. He doesn't seem angry, but the way his eyebrows are furrowing,
lips slightly pursed, hands quietly tapping his chin. He's done it. The ring on his finger is very
cold.

"Wei Ying?"

"Hm?"

"You were very quiet." Lan Zhan’s cold hands circle the spots under his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Wei Ying says. "I'll eat. I'm just being dramatic."

The furrow in Lan Zhan's eyebrow grows deeper. "You do not have to force yourself or
apologize. If you truly don't want to-"

"I can. It'll eat up time while we wait. For the bleach to work. Ha, eat up time. C'mon, we can
make it together. Shijie's soup is always good."

The dip in his boyfriend's eyebrows doesn't disappear.

The bleach stinks.

And Shijie's soup. Wei Ying can't quite stomach it.

When the bleach is washed out, and the dye is put in, Wei Ying supposes he should feel
better. Lan Zhan seems to like it, running hands through it like a cat pawing a ball of yarn.
The hands are gentle, sweet, attentive.

When Wei Ying runs his hands through it, new and bright and red, he likes it.

But he doesn't feel better. God, Jiang Cheng is going to throw a fit. He blinks hard, then rubs
his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Lan Zhana asks.

"Just peachy. Just…didn't tell Shijie or Jiang Cheng about this and now they're gonna think
something is wrong. And we have to…uhm–police station with Lieutenant He tomorrow." He
does a quick breath in, then nods. "It's fine. I look good. They'll like it."

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan begins. "The therapist, have you thought about it? Seeing one?"

Wei Ying pauses, then turns to face him. "That's a very sudden question. Why? I don't need
one. I'm doing fine."

Lan Zhan makes a sound, then sighs. "Okay. Did you want me to walk you upstairs?"

Wei Ying shrivels. He's made him angry somehow. Running a hand through his, new and
short, hair, he shakes his head. "I can do it myself." There's a brief moment where neither of
them talks. Wei Ying twists the ring on his finger and scans Lan Zhan's face. "I love you," he
says quietly.

Lan Zhan smiles (smiles!) and nods. Gently, again so gently, he kisses his forehead. "I love
you, too. They will like it. You look handsome."
Wei Ying wants to cry. But he won't. He refuses.

The walk back to the apartment is quiet and Wei Ying has time to fully realize what he's
done. His hair is gone, chopped and dyed, he's disappointed Lan Zhan somehow. He hasn't
said it yet, but he knows. Disappointed in Wei Ying. The party, the hospital, the new change.
Of course, Lan Zhan would never say anything unless it was super major, so he can't be that
upset.

Just. The haircut.

He woke up and hated his hair. Maybe. It's a jumble of feelings and emotions. He hated his
hair, and didn't like how dull it was. So the first thing to come to his mind was: haircut! But
then the haircut happened, and he isn't sure how to feel. He should feel good. But he doesn't,
not quite.

He fumbles with his keys, sticking them in the lock.

No new flowers. No voicemails.

Honestly, if he heard Wen Chao now, he'd probably vomit.

When he opens the door, he feels a heavy weight tackle his legs, then a loud shout of, "Da-jiu
is home!" When A-Ling looks up at him, he gasps. "You got a haircut!"

Wei Ying laughs, then bends to scoop him up, kicking the door behind him shut. "Yeah, I did.
Do you like it?"
A-Ling nods eagerly and then runs his tiny hands through the new hairstyle. He's smiling and
happy, and a good present weight in his arms. In the past three days, Wei Ying kind of has to
keep moving or have something in his hands or he finds himself getting floaty. It's not bad,
but Lan Zhan has definitely noticed the behavior, and Shijie and Jiang Cheng have started
spotting signs.

Jiang Cheng randomly hands things to him sometimes when he stops talking or blinking,
which makes him laugh, but he quickly realized what the behavior was. Now, Wei Ying tries
to do it himself so his brother isn't handing him shoes in the middle of talking to their family.

A-Ling is a very welcome random weight in his arms.

"A-Ying? You're home?" He hears Shijie gasp then, and when he looks up, she's staring at
him, eyes and mouth wide. She steps towards him, then experimentally runs a hand through
the short strands. "Oh! You look so handsome! Did you do this with A-Zhan? It turned out so
lovely!"

Wei Ying nods. "You really like it? It was very…spur of the moment. Decision. You're not
angry?"

Shijie laughs, eyes crinkled. "Why would I be mad, A-Ying? It's your hair. And it suits you
very well." She smiles again, wide and bright. "Are you hungry? A-Cheng and I were
cooking noodles. A-Ling wanted to help, but we heard your keys and he raced over."

"I can help, Shijie."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We can do it. You can take a break."

Break?

"I don't need a break, Shijie. I can help." He sets A-Ling down, sliding his boots off and steps
off towards the kitchen with his sister. "You just have to give me something to do. I like
making noodles. And with my siblings? Wow! Even better."

When he gets to the kitchen, Jiang Cheng is boiling noodles, stirring the pot. Wei Ying
saddles up to him, nudging his ribs. "Didi. Didi. What do you want me to do?" Jiang Cheng
snorts, glancing at him. His eyes widen slightly, but then he pulls his composure.

"Nothing. Jie and I have this, go sit. With, like, a Rubix cube or something."

Wei Ying frowns, tapping his fingers on the counter. "What is up with you two?" Jiang Cheng
pauses, setting his wooden spoon down. "It's noodle making. I can make noodles, Jiang
Cheng."

"Great, awesome. Go sit, noodle-maker. Jie and I can make it ourselves. Go watch something
with A-Ling. Or like, call that boyfriend of yours-"

"He's mad at me," Wei Ying says. "Or something. I think."

"You think? I–okay hold on. Jie? A-Ling? You two wanna finish? Da-jiu and I have to talk."

Talk. Wei Ying wrings his hands. "We don't have to talk. It's fine. Just let me make noodles,
and we don't have to make this bad."

Shijie steps in quickly, hands ready to take Jiang Cheng’s spoon and pot. "It's fine, A-Ying.
A-Ling and I-"

"Why aren't you listening to me?" Wei Ying snaps. "Over some fucking noodles? You two
have been so fucking weird, you and Lan Zhan. I don't know why, but it's some fucking
noodles. Can I cook with my family? Or are you two gonna keep this up?"

Shijie stares at him for a second, quiet and still. When she reaches out, Wei Ying steps back.
"A-Ying-"
"Sorry," he says quickly. "Make your noodles. I'm not–I'm not hungry right now."

"A-Ying, wait pleas-"

"Not now, Shijie."

He watches Jiang Cheng grab Shijie, gently shaking his head before Wei Ying steps away
from the kitchen, fast and hard and he is tired. A-Ling tries to talk to him, but he brushes past
his nephew before he can talk. When he closes his door, he sits.

And chokes.

He just snapped at them. Over noodles. Noodles. He made them angry and upset . His
sister…He takes a deep breath in. He taps his feet on the floor, breathing in. No crying.

It'd be stupid to cry anyway. Over noodles.

Not just noodles. He snapped at his brother and sister. Ignored his nephew.

And Lan Zhan…

Is probably confused as fuck and Wei Ying just made it worse.

He still has his shitty phone in his pocket. It's warm, ugly, and Wei Ying can't quite bear to
look at it for more than a few minutes. He rests his head in between his knees.

Just.
Breathe.

And he does.

He scrapes his fingernails along his floor. Wooden, and cold and there.

He'll need to apologize. At some point. He can do it.

He can't. He doesn't leave his room all night. Shijie leaves with A-Ling, and has to say
goodbye through his door. He doesn't say anything. Or can't.

He wants his sister's soup, now.

As he sits against his door, he wonders if it'll taste bad. He wants to think it'll taste good.

When Jiang Cheng goes to bed, he goes to heat some up. It takes a minute, and when he does
eat it, it's good. His Shijie is so wonderful.

It doesn't taste right, though.

Fifteen minutes later, his sister's soup is in the toilet.

He won't cry. He refuses.

The police station is just as weird as he remembered. Uncomfortable chairs, a ridiculously
long wait time, and Jiang Cheng hasn't tried to really talk to him all morning. Wei Ying
pissed him off last night.

Over fucking noodles.

He draws his knees up, hands holding his legs in place.

His brother won't look at him.

He hasn't called Shijie to apologize.

Or said sorry to Jiang Cheng.

Or Lan Zhan.

He kind of misses his hair.

Keys are placed in his hands. He blinks, focusing on the ring of jingling items. When he turns
to Jiang Cheng, his brother is unremarkably gentle-looking, hands held up to hold his elbow.
"You back?"

"Sorry," Wei Ying says, giving the keys a rough shake. "For last night, too."

"What?"

"I yelled. At you and Shijie. About noodles."

Jiang Cheng sighs, then nudges him on the shoulder. "Neither of us are mad, dumbass. We
didn't–sorry for not listening. Did you even want noodles? You never ask to help make them
when I make them."

Wei Ying releases a long sigh, slumping in his chair. He gives the keys another rough shake.
"I don't know," he admits at last. "Were they good at least?"

Jiang Cheng snorts. "Of course. Jie and I made them. There's leftovers if you want them
when we're done."

"Didi?"

"Hm?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Okay."

"Did you two wait long?" Lieutenant He asks, stepping up to them where they're seated. "If
you two wanna–?" She points to the office they were in last time. Jiang Cheng pulls him to
stand up, then looks at the keys in his hands. Wei Ying shakes his head, handing them over.
"How have you two been doing?" Lieutenant He asks.

"Fantastic," Wei Ying answers.

"How do you think we're doing?" Jiang Cheng snaps.

Lieutenant He winces as she shuts the office door, directing them to sit. "I know the situation
is messed up, Mr. Jiang. Wen Chao's warrant is operational and in full effect. If anyone sees
him, he's being arrested. I just–the guys from the hospital told me they asked, but I need to
hear your account again, Wei Ying."
"Why?" He doesn't even remember anything. He remembers one drink. Vague beginnings of
beer pong. Su She. And then waking up. Jiang Cheng nudges him. "If you already have it–"

"It's for me to understand. And so we can formally set it in Wen Chao's file against you. You
can take your time, take a break whenever, but it'll help for you to tell me. Whatever you
remember." She's pulling things from her desk, a recorder, pens, a paper, a folder. When she
looks up at Wei Ying, her eyes are soft. "Are you okay with me recording this interview to
ensure all the facts will be kept safely and reliably?"

When Wei Ying nods, he sinks lower in his chair. Jiang Cheng wraps his foot around his
ankle. "Yeah, that's fine."

When she nods, she presses record and the second-longest day of Wei Ying's life begins.

"I went to a party, Halloween night," he starts when Lieutenant He asks. "At one of the
campus fraternities. With my brother. We got there at like, almost eight I think. I remember
having one drink, and then I bumped into a sophomore named Su She."

"Did Su She say anything to you?"

Wei Ying snorts. "Called me pathetic, and a tease. I didn't stay talking with him long. He's
also the guy who gave Wen Chao my number a few weeks ago. I don't like him."

"And then?"

"I think I played beer pong. And then I wanted to text my brother–and then I woke up at the
hospital. It was–my head was hurting. And then my sister–" He taps his foot on the ground.

"Do you need a minute?" Lieutenant He asks.

"No," he says quickly. "My sister said my friend had called her, and that my boyfriend was
bringing me new clothes." Ah, adrenaline. He brings his hands up to swipe through his hair.
"We talked, she wouldn't tell me what happened so I just thought I finally got blackout and
made her upset. When my brother came in, I was told–I was told Wen Chao and I were–"

"Wei Ying?"

He shakes his head, then stands up and pulls the door open. Lieutenant He calls for him,
Jiang Cheng too, but he doesn't stop.

Shit.

Shit he's going to cry and he's not allowed to. He's not allowed to. He's not.

When he gets outside (when did he?) he hunches over the sidewalk, breathing hard. Again.
And again. In and out.

He's going to vomit. Maybe.

He doesn't.

His knees shake, and he sits down hard on the sidewalk. His hands are shaking, his teeth are
vibrating in his skull. His breath is shallow, fast, hiccuping.

It's embarrassing. He was going to do well, and he messed it up.

"Wei Ying? Hey?" Jiang Cheng joins him on the sidewalk. "You're fine-"
"It's not fine!" he yells. "It's not fine at all! You say it is, but it isn't! I can do it again, I'm
sorry. Can you–can you tell her I can do it again?" Jiang Cheng frowns, grabbing his
shoulders. Wei Ying shakes a little harder.

"You're not doing it right now, gege. You need to breathe, you're hyperventilating. Like Jiejie
taught us, yeah? In," Jiang Cheng breathes in, holding it for seven seconds, then releases,
"and out. Then we do it again. C'mon, you were super good at this. Do it with me, Wei Ying,
now."

Jiang Cheng does it again, breathing a few times. Wei Ying has to follow when Jiang Cheng
starts lightly rubbing his arms, patting him; gentle aggressive moves to get him to do it.
When Wei Ying tries to do it, he nods in approval. He messes up the first few times, which
just earns him gentle pushing. "Again. Slow, you can do it."

The first time he can do it without hiccuping, Jiang Cheng nods. He leads him through it a
few more times until Wei Ying's breathing is simply shaky. He's still feeling the vibration of
his teeth, hands, his ears ringing. But he's calmer.

And the sidewalk is cold, which he doesn't like.

"My teeth are buzzing," he tells his brother.

"Yeah, dumbass. A panic attack will do that to you. You okay?"

Wei Ying sighs, then lays back on the sidewalk. Jiang Cheng joins him, nudging him with his
knee. "I messed up, didi."

"You didn't. Lieutenant He understands. She's not mad. No one's mad. Much less because she
asked you to relive some trauma. No one's going to be pissed you're healing."

Wei Ying snorts. "From what? Nothing happened."

"Don't fucking say that."

"I'm serious. I–there was no sex-"

"Assault isn't sex, Wei Ying."

"That's not what I mean," he groans, pulling his hands over his eyes. "He just bit me. And I
don't even remember it. I can't really say any of it was traumatic if nothing bad happened.
What if I just–laid there? Like…what if I just-"

"You were drugged," Jiang Cheng says seriously. "You didn't let anything happen. You're not
at fault at all."

Wei Ying huffs. "Easy to say, not easy to think about, didi."

"When did you eat last?"

"What?" Wei Ying turns his head. Jiang Cheng is staring him down, eyes narrowed. "What's
that got to do-"

"Answer. When did you eat last?"

"I don't–"

"Why'd you cut your hair, Wei Ying?"

Wei Ying laughs. "Do you not like it?"

"Gege, please."

And, oh. Wei Ying blinks quickly. He's not supposed to cry. His brother is not allowed to call
him so sweetly like that. So soft. It's not fair. Jiang Cheng isn't supposed to be this kind. His
brother is rude, aggressive, intelligent and driven. His sweetness is reserved for Shijie. And
A-Ling. Certainly not Wei Ying.

No. But he's here, laying on a dirty sidewalk with him after embarrassingly having a panic
attack in the middle of a police station.

Jiang Cheng called him 'gege'.

"I don't know," he says quietly. "I really don't. It just–" He can't quite explain the feeling. "I
woke up, and hated it. And it was there and boring. And I was in such a good mood. Like, I
made up my mind and it was okay. And then I did it, but then it didn't feel good. Or, better?"

"Wei Ying?"

"Yeah?"

"You're coping."

"What?"

Jiang Cheng huffs softly, scooting himself closer. "It's coping. With your assault. What you
described. That’s what you're trying to do. You're trying to regain control, distancing yourself
from it, minimizing. That's coping. Or trying to."
"It feels nasty calling it that. I don't–when you hear sexual assault, I don't think some guy got
high and then bit. It doesn't feel like it counts."

Jiang Cheng kicks him. "Well, that's what it was. It's fucking nasty. He drugged you and then
fucking touched you. It doesn't matter what you wore, did, or said. You weren't just bit, Wei
Ying. He was violent and dangerous. He hurt you. It counts."

Wei Ying sighs, then closes his eyes. "I really wanted to eat noodles with you guys," he says
quietly. "Lan Zhan tried heating me up some of Shijie’s soup. I ate, I did. When we were
doing my hair. It was Shijie’s soup, but I couldn't finish it. And then last night–"

"I know," Jiang Cheng says quietly. "I heard you."

"Yeah. Sorry." When he looks at his brother, Wei Ying feels his heart stutter for a moment. "I
can do it now. The interview."

"Okay. You're doing just fine, Wei Ying."

"Lie to me more, why don't you?"

"Shut the fuck up." Jiang Cheng sits up, flicking him in the forehead. "We'll get some
milkshakes or something. No food. Work your way slowly. No one is going to be mad at you
for taking care of yourself. Okay?"

Wei Ying sighs, then sits up with him. "Okay. You know, you're the best little brother."

"I know." Jiang Cheng moves to stand, and Wei Ying grabs his arm.

"Jiang Cheng?"
"Hm?"

Wei Ying licks his lips, then swallows. "Can–do you think Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu
would expand our allowance? For a therapist visit?"

Jiang Cheng stares for a second, then sighs and nods. "Yeah, of course. Do you want one?"

"Maybe. Lan Zhan asked if I wanted one. Or like, to talk. I don't–not now. But later. When I
can do it."

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng says easily. "They'll do that."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

"You're doing alright, gege."

Lan Zhan calls him when he gets home. He knows Wei Ying too well. Jiang Cheng is
ordering milkshakes when he gets the call, and Wei Ying takes it in his room. It's…he hasn't
spoken to him since yesterday, and he'll still have to apologize to Shijie after, but Lan Zhan
was a good first step.

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan says when he picks up.

"Hi," Wei Ying says. Great start. "Um, I know you said no apologies. I was really flighty
yesterday. And rude. Sort of. I'm trying. I really–I appreciate you making sure I'm okay, Lan
Zhan. I do. You're super great." He breathes in, then laughs. "I'm getting a therapist.
Sometime."

Lan Zhan makes a sort of huff. Wei Ying knows him well enough that it's a satisfied one. "I
did not think you were rude, Wei Ying. I understand. And I am proud of you. It's okay to be
stressed. I will never be angry or upset at you for being frustrated."

"I know," Wei Ying whispers. "I know. You're too good to be angry at me when you should
be."

"Do you feel I should be angry?"

"Honestly?"

"If you would, please." Aiya, his heart. Lan Zhan will be the death of him one day.

"Yes." Wei Ying sniffs. No, he's not allowed to cry. Not right now. "Yeah. You're never angry
at me when I deserve it. You're too good and I dragged you into this, and Wen–"

"Breathe, Wei Ying."

"It feels like I cheated."

Lan Zhan is silent. "What?"

"I know, I know. I'm being stupid, but it feels like I did something wrong and…you weren't
mad. I went to the party, and then wow. I wake up and I'm in the fucking hospital, er-gege.
Saying Wen Chao and me–" He breathes in. "Wen Chao and I did things and you weren't mad
at me. And then the kit. You were so good and there and–and I messed up."
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan says, soft and sweet. "You didn't. Listen, please?"

"Okay."

"Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, gives him the right. Wei Ying, you were under the
influence of GHB, a club drug. It is used for sexual assault. Whatever you said or did,
whatever he said or did, was not your fault." Wei Ying sniffles, sliding down his door to dig
his head into his knees. "It is not cheating, Wei Ying. Wen Chao assaulted and drugged you. I
know you didn't want to. And you were so brave and strong. You may not feel like that, and
that's okay. You did so well. You didn't mess up. Never."

"You're really too good, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whispers.

"Wei Ying."

"Yeah?"

"I am happy you told me. Are you okay?"

Wei Ying laughs, sniffs, and then shakes his head. Oh. No. He said he wouldn't. "I–Lan
Zhan? Can I spend the night again? I'm tired."

"Of course." And oh, his voice is so soft. Wei Ying feels the tears on his face. "You can come
whenever you want. No need to ask."

Wei Ying laughs, hot tears filling his eyes. "If I come over, you can't do that. Be the
sweetheart. I want–I want it to be normal. Okay?"

"Mm. Okay."
"Lan Zhan?"

"Hm?"

"You're really super great."

"Only as good as you deserve, Wei Ying.

"Of course. Only as good as I deserve. I think tomorrow your Wei Ying deserves a long
cuddle session with his sweet boyfriend."

"I thought you did not want sweet."

Wei Ying snorts, rubbing his eye on his knee. "I said not to be a sweetheart. You can still be
my boyfriend."

"Wei Ying! Milkshakes!" Jiang Cheng yells from the living room.

"I have to go, Lan Zhan. I'll–I'll be over in a bit. Love you. A lot."

"Mm. Love Wei Ying, too."

"Lan Zhan?"

"Yes, baobei?"
Wei Ying smiles, heart fluttering. His eyes are still hot. New tears. He's still a mess. Angry.
Sad and upset. There's a feeling of unsettlement in his stomach. A slight pounding in his
head. He rubs his hand along the seam of his pants, pausing over one of the spots on his
thigh. The mark is still there, dull and almost gone. He doesn't really stare at himself when he
showers anymore.

"Wei Ying?"

"Mm. I think…were you serious about getting me a new phone?"

"Of course."

"If you call yourself my sugar daddy, I'll let you."

"Wei Ying." A gentle scolding.

Wei Ying smiles. "Do it for your poor boyfriend, hm? After I spilled my guts to you?"

Lan Zhan sighs, and Wei Ying taps his feet on the floor. "This is embarrassing, Wei Ying."

"Mhm."

"Would–Wei Ying, would you let your sugar daddy buy you a new phone?"

Wei Ying snorts. "Okay. Yeah, my sugar daddy can buy me a new phone. I'll give you
something pretty in return."

"Okay."
"Okay."

"Wei Ying?"

"Yeah?"

"You're doing wonderfully, baobei."

Laughing, Wei Ying wipes his face. "Mm. I'm trying my best, Lan Zhan. Don't give me too
much credit just yet."

"You are doing wonderfully to me, Wei Ying."

"I love you, Lan Zhan. I know we said not to, but thank you."

"Mm. Just this once, I will allow it."

"My milkshake is probably melting, Lan Zhan. Love you, bye."

"Goodbye. I will see you in a bit."

"Of course."

When he hangs up, Wei Ying has to take a moment to recollect himself. When he steps into
the living room, Jiang Cheng is loading their milkshakes with whipped cream, and when he
spots Wei Ying, he raises an eyebrow and pauses. "You were crying," he notes.
Wei Ying shrugs. "I was. I'm good."

"Wei Ying?"

"Yeah?"

"You're doing good."

"Trying, didi. I'm trying."

Jiang Cheng nods, then places more whipped cream on his own milkshake. "Trying is good
enough for me, Wei Ying. Get your damn milkshake."

"You're not going to give me anymore whipped cream?"

Jiang Cheng scoffs. "You're a big boy. Get more yourself." He tosses the can at Wei Ying. It's
half-empty. "Don't cry in the house anymore. You aren't allowed to make me worry, we've
been over this."

"Okay, didi."

"You're okay, though?"

Wei Ying takes a sip of his milkshake, squirting some whipped cream in his mouth. "Trying
to be, A-Cheng. For now, I'm okay."

"Okay."
"You're doing great with me, didi."

"I try. Gotta look out for my gege somehow, hm?"

"Jiang Cheng?"

"Hm?"

Wei Ying smiles, then walks around the table to hug him. Jiang Cheng stiffens, then hugs him
back. It's tight and warm, and Wei Ying sighs. "You're doing so well."

Jiang Cheng nods against his shoulder. "You too. Wei Ying?"

"Yeah?"

"I like your haircut."

Wei Ying sniffles, holding his brother tighter. "Thanks," he whispers.

It doesn't feel like he thought it would. He's still aware it happened. That Halloween existed
and wasn't a dream. There's still something in his gut that hurts when he thinks of Wen Chao.
It hurts and sits and coils and burns.

"I like it, too," he whispers.

He does.
It's a start.
 Chapter Ten
Chapter Summary

The beginning of it. Unfortunately. Wei Ying is not amused.

Chapter Notes

No major TWs. Wei Ying briefly describes his feelings about his assault near the end of
the chapter. Nothing graphic. Mianmian recounts Wen Chao harassing her, Wei Ying
recalls Wen Chao cornering him in the store. Brief TW for eating troubles.

November 9th, Freshman Year

"Who's that really weird sophomore in your basic chem class, didi?" Wei Ying asks,
tightening the lid on his paint cup. "He like…he kinda sucks at the class. Heard him
complaining earlier near the cafeteria and I was like…he's really loud."

"You mean Wen Chao?"

"Wen?"

Jiang Cheng nods, shuffling a box towards Wei Ying to fill. "Yeah, Wen Qing's cousin. He's a
year older, a year louder, a year stupider. I got stuck in a lab with him the first week. We…it
was a basic titration and he kept messing up? Like…hard. It was pretty bad, and then I just
told the professor I could do it myself, so I did, and then bam! Lab was done, ninety-five
percent. Wen Chao got a new group, they got by with an eighty-something. But only because
the other two knew what they were doing."

Wei Ying nods. "So, he just sucks?"

"Yeah. He's a dual business major with the chem and I think he should just stick to the
business side of it."

Humming, Wei Ying stands and hefts his little cardboard box up. It's nine, a little earlier than
he'd like to be up, but he has to be early today for Professor critique and he likes Professor
Xue enough to want to be on time. "You're being a little rude."

"You're an art major, be quiet," Jiang Cheng snaps. "Just these boxes?"

"Yes, thanks. The professor wants me to stock paint myself and Mianmian is ceramics so she
won't have any paint to give me unless I want glaze, which I don't, and the guy only has oil
paint which I don't fucking use?" Jiang Cheng scoffs as Wei Ying pulls their apartment door
open, then pulls it closed. "You're such a sweet little brother, Jiang Cheng."

"I'll drop these right now and you can get that boyfriend of yours to carry them."

Wei Ying turns so abruptly Jiang Cheng almost bumps into him. "Shh! Lan Zhan–we aren't.
Dating. He didn't even like me until this year."

Jiang Cheng blinks, then groans and shoves Wei Ying. "Whatever you say, dumbass. How far
is this studio?"

"Five-minute walk? It's over a little ways past the cafeteria and towards the back block. Not
too far. Are you gonna be late if you help me?"

"Course not. And even if I was, I'm not leaving you to carry a shit ton of boxes where they
could fall on you and kill you."

Wei Ying rolls his eyes. "Love you too, A-Cheng."

"Who're you calling 'A-Cheng'?"

"My cute baby brother?" Jiang Cheng kicks him, and he stumbles down the stairs out of the
building. He squawks, righting himself and his stack of boxes. "Jiang Cheng! If I break these,
I have to buy them again! These are like, almost two hundred dollars worth of paint!"

"Two hundred?" Jiang Cheng yells.

"Oh, shut up! From my own allowance, not our shared one!" Wei Ying sticks his tongue out
as he steps onto the sidewalk, slipping a little at the ice coated on it. A five-minute walk to
campus was going to be cold, freezing, and Wei Ying had no gloves. He did, however, have a
cute little beanie Lan Zhan had given him the first day it snowed because he was sweet like
that. Jiang Cheng had seen it, then knowingly nodded and went about his day.

When they do get to campus, they end up walking behind the very familiar face of Wen
Chao. Or like, Wei Ying only knows his face because he watched him yell yesterday about
how unfair the class was. Wei Ying nudges Jiang Cheng. "Do you think he would take a
tutor?"

Jiang Cheng frowns. "What."

"A tutor? He's one of the rich kids, yeah? And I'm super smart, obviously. I could probably
do it, honestly. Plus, I'm kind of interested in seeing how a kid who is majoring in chemistry
doesn't understand how to do titration."

"Wei Ying," Jiang Cheng says quietly, "Wen Chao is a fucking menace. Don't like, do shit
because you just want a fucking reaction. Wen Qing says he is terrible."

Wei Ying blinks, then sighs. "Okay, okay. And it's not because I want a reaction wholly.
Okay? Like. Not all the way."

"Not all the way?"

"Can you just like…trust me? If he's an asshole I'll back off. He's like, only got two inches on
me. I'd kick his ass if he does anything." Wei Ying looks at his brother, bottom lip pushed out
in a pout. It used to work all the time when they were little. Jiang Cheng was pretty weak to
it, which was pretty okay with Wei Ying, since he knew when to use it.

Jiang Cheng scoffs. "God. Fine. Don't complain when he's a fucking asshole."

"And don't thank me when he's much better at the class than you are."

Jiang Cheng kicks him again. He makes some sort of high-pitched wail. "He's not better than
me, Wei Ying."

"I know. My didi is the absolute smartest. The biggest brain in the school." He winks, then
moves a little faster to catch up to Wen Chao, slightly slipping on the ice. "Hey! Wen Chao!
Hello!"

Up close, Wen Chao isn't ugly. Not at all. But definitely not someone Wei Ying would look at
more than once. He's nice-looking, just not Lan Zhan attractive. And that's fine.

Lan Zhan is probably good at chemistry.

"Hi! I'm Wei Ying! You're in my brother's chemistry class, and I heard you might be
struggling? If not, go ahead and correct me. Anyway, I think of myself as good at chemistry
and was wondering if you needed a tutor?" Wei Ying offers a smile, adjusting the boxes in his
hands.

Wen Chao is silent for a moment, looks him up and down, then his eyes settle on Wei Ying's
face. His lip twitches, then he smiles, easy and sort of crooked. "A chemistry tutor? You look
like an art student, what do you know about chemistry?"
"I know I was Salutatorian with only a slight GPA difference of roughly point four to my
valedictorian, with honors ranked science classes and a perfect one-hundred in chemistry,
Wen Chao. Art was just easier for me to major in." Wei Ying shrugs, then turns to Jiang
Cheng and jerks his head toward the studio he and Mianmian share behind the cafeteria
building. When he turns to Wen Chao, he grins. "If you want, I'm free at just about any time
in the library today? It's a bit sudden, but trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Wen Chao scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. Alright. Tutoring."

"Yeah? What time is fine for you?"

"You free at four?"

Wei Ying nods, then adjusts himself so he doesn't slip. "Yeah. Four is fine. If all goes well,
and if you like me enough, we can do more? Sessions, I mean. I'm not too busy schedule-
wise and I've heard the later courses suck ass." Jiang Cheng clears his throat behind him and
Wei Ying scoffs. "I'll see you, then. Four at the library."

"Yeah. Yeah, sure, Wei Ying."

"Bye!"

It was a simple offer. And the worst mistake of his life at the same time.

The first session is pretty good. Wen Chao listens well, does the exercises Wei Ying calls for
in a timely manner, and pays attention when Wei Ying talks. Frankly, it just seems like Wen
Chao does better when someone talks slower and doesn't use large vocabulary, so Wei Ying
makes sure to note that for next time. Wen Chao is definitely smart, just…slow. And that's
okay! Wei Ying knows some stuff is harder for some people, so he just works slowly with
Wen Chao.
When they're done, and Wei Ying is pulling his phone out to call Lan Zhan, (they're going out
for a snack between Lan Zhan's final course and Wei Ying's dinner with his siblings), Wen
Chao stops him for a moment. "When did you want to meet again? Like, here again? Or a
Cafe? I've heard lots of the students like the one near campus."

Wei Ying thinks for a moment. "I'm free Thursday? Same time? If you are? A shorter session,
though. I'm meeting my family to go shopping."

Wen Chao nods, staring at him. "Can I have your number?"

"Mine?"

"Yeah. Just in case, like, one of us has to cancel?"

Okay. Wei Ying laughs, tapping the back of his phone while thinking. "Honestly, only like…
important contacts are on my phone. I get the point of the tutoring number? But like…kinda
not? I don't cancel, ever. And if you don't come, it's not like I'm wasting time? Does that
make sense? I don't mind if you ditch, it's your time, not mine."

Wen Chao adjusts the bag on his shoulder, then his eyes flicker and Wei Ying tilts his head.
After a moment, Wen Chao sighs, then looks away. "Alright, I guess. Thursday. Again. Are
you–"

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Bye, Wei Ying." There's a little glint of something in his eyes, and while Wei Ying
can't quite place it, he nods and waves when Wen Chao turns away, walking slowly.

Wei Ying widens his eyes and blows a breath out. Okay, maybe he is a weirdo. But like, it
was one session and Wei Ying doesn't judge. All that much. Yes, he does. Wen Chao is kind
of weird. Kind of. He stares a little too much. He shrugs it off though, because he has a snack
to get! With Lan Zhan! Who he is very much pining for and if he keeps him waiting, Lan
Zhan will scold him for being late.

It's not real scolding. Lan Zhan is just punctual.

It's a nice snack date. That's not a date. Wei Ying doesn't like to think about that, though.

Anyway, the sessions. The next one, Wen Chao is bright fucking early, a full ten minutes,
sitting prepped and ready and…and sitting with flowers. For some fucking reason. They're
red and bright and smell very fragrant. It's not a very big bouquet, and when Wen Chao sews
him, he straightens and puts on the crooked smile.

Oh.

Oh, no, Wen Chao. Wei Ying sighs, and sets his bag down. "Hi, Wen Chao."

Wen Chao stares, then thrusts the flowers towards him. Oh. He takes them, hesitantly, and
holds them. Awkwardly. Okay. "Go out with me," Wen Chao says, leaning back in his chair,
arms crossed. Nice. Very blunt. Wei Ying gives a strained little smile.

"These are very nice," Wei Ying begins.

"They're chrysanthemums. Red." Yes, Wei Ying can see that. "I thought you'd like them.
Because you are like–" Wen Chao pauses, and Wei Ying sees him bite his lip. "I like you.
And you should go out with me."

Nodding, Wei Ying gently sets the bouquet down and slides it back to Wen Chao. "Sorry," he
says. "I'm not interested. In dating you. I'm flattered, Wen Chao. Honestly. But I like
someone else. Anyway, you're doing stoichiometry, yeah? You'll get the hang of this pretty
quick."
Wen Chao stares at him, then back at the flowers, then back at him. Wei Ying's smile hurts
his cheeks now. "Oh. Okay." Oh, good.

This session is also good. And then when Wen Chao leaves, the flowers are still on the table.
Wei Ying grabs them to throw them out. They are pretty. Just, he doesn't necessarily like
flowers. Or Wen Chao. Like, romantically. As he shops with Jiang Cheng, looking at baby
booties for Shijie's baby shower, he thinks about the flowers.

And Wen Chao.

"Do you think I flirt a lot?" he asks Jiang Cheng as he feels a pair of fuzzy booties. "Like, do
I?"

Jiang Cheng gives him a look, raising his eyebrow. "Why?"

"Wen Chao bought me flowers?" he says. "And then asked me out? On a date? I don't know.
It's weird. And very sudden."

"Ew."

"Shut up, I'm being serious. I never ask this shit. Give me a straight answer," he whines,
clinging to his brother. It's another annoying tactic that he thinks is hilarious. "We've met
twice, and he thinks he likes me."

"Objectively," Jiang Cheng begins. Wei Ying raises an eyebrow. "You're not ugly. Like, at all.
I wouldn't be surprised if he does have a weird little crush on you. Just. Ignore it? Are you
uncomfortable?"

"No. It's…endearing. But I don't like him like that." He holds up a pair of red booties with
foxes on them. "A-Ling would like these," he tells Jiang Cheng.
"No, he wouldn't. We're not buying him red things. He'll be Jiang. He needs purple."

"I'm not Jiang, I wear red. A-Ling should wear red," Wei Ying retorts.

Jiang Cheng scoffs. "If that's your thinking, you'll have to return that purple sweater Jie made
you."

"No. Shijie gave it to me, I wear it."

"It's not red."

"No, it's not. But, oh well. It's comfy." Wei Ying tosses the red booties in their basket, then
winks. "And those will be very comfy for A-Ling’s feet. My nephew's comfort is a priority
for me. Of course."

"Mhm."

"When I have my own baby," Wei Ying says. "You can buy them purple booties."

"You want a baby?"

Wei Ying laughs. "Born from my own body, of course."

"You're a man."

"Yeah, and you're a Biochem major. You'll figure it out somehow."

Jiang Cheng makes a disgusted sound, then slams a onesie in Wei Ying's face. "Don't say that
shit, weirdo. When do you tutor the weirdo again?"

"Monday. At two. Or something. Yeah, two."

Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes. "Okay, weirdo." Jiang Cheng is quiet for a moment, then pulls a
pair of purple booties from the shelf. He looks at them, then at Wei Ying and purses his lips.
"He can have like, a few booties."

Wei Ying nods eagerly in agreement. "Of course. Only the best for our nephew."

"Obviously."

Saturday, they go shopping with Shijie. Who is heavily pregnant. And slow. Wei Ying adores
her, he does, but honestly. He's ready to just pick her up and carry her. His Shijie is tiny,
barely to his shoulders. Tiny. Of course, Jiang Cheng has just a few centimeters on Wei Ying
and could carry them both if he tried. Wei Ying is not happy about that. At all.

"Holy shit," he says as they pass the baby toy aisle. "You think they have platforms?"

"Steps?" Jiang Cheng asks.

"Heels?" Shijie says at the same time. Wei Ying nods at her and she giggles. "Does A-Ying
want some? I'm sure they do. If you want to look?"

"This is a very sudden request," Jiang Cheng complains. "Since when do you want heels?"
Wei Ying laughs. "Not like full heels. Just wedge platforms. Boots. So I'm taller."

"Oh," Jiang Cheng says. Then his eyebrows raise and his eyes narrow. "Oh, you're just petty
you're shorter. That's what this is. We're shopping for our nephew, not to satiate your
competitive little ego. Get with the program, Wei Ying."

Shijie laughs, and pats Jiang Cheng's shoulder. "A-Ying, if you want to go look, go ahead. A-
Cheng and I will come to find you when we're done. If you want." Oh, he loves her so much.
He leans in to kiss her cheeks and bounces on his heels.

"I'll be like, ten minutes. If you need me, call. Thanks, Shijie. You're the absolute best!"

There's a sly little look to his sister's face when she says, "I know," and Wei Ying snorts. The
Jiang family is a weird mixture of personalities, but the recurring theme is the knowing
personality of their worth. "If you find ones you like, go ahead and buy them, didi."

"Oh, no I was just looking! I don't have to-"

"Wei Ying," Jiang Cheng says. "Just go buy your fucking shoes if you want them. We have a
bunch of extra money. You're fine."

"Oh," he says. "Okay."

And he does go look, leaving his siblings to argue quietly over which rattle would suit a baby
like A-Ling. He loves them. They're much too good for him. Much too good. His sister is
much too sweet, and his brother too indulging. That's okay. He'll make it up to them. He can
buy dinner. But a nice dinner because Shijie is pregnant and deserves the best. And Jiang
Cheng will complain if it's not good.

The shoe selection, when Wei Ying gets there, is pretty wild. He's not going to find anything
good in the men's section, so he has to scour the women's section for the shoes he's thinking
of. Honestly, the women's section is more diverse, and if Wei Ying was just a tad more bold,
he'd be trying heels on. He has a skirt, he wears it. It's just long and swishy and gets mistaken
for pants a lot. That's fine with him. He looks good in it.

There's a pair of red leather boots that grab his attention. They're bright red, dark laces, and
little circles drawn on the back where his heel sits. They're about two inches at the wedge and
would stop at his ankles. They're a pretty good price, too. And his size in conversion to
women's.

No, Wei Ying's feet aren't huge like Jiang Cheng’s. But they're not tiny like Shijie's. So he
lucks out a ton when shopping women's because…well, because he's tall and sort of muscled
and toned and his legs are long. He's got nice legs.

In any case, the shoes are nice and Wei Ying likes them. He hefts one in his hands, likes it,
then takes a box to go try them on.

"Wei Ying?" he hears behind him. He turns, half-expecting one of his siblings. But it's not.
Because it's instead…

"Wen Chao? Hi, what–why are you here?"

"Shopping," Wen Chao says simply. Wei Ying looks him up and down, and sees nothing in
his arms. Wei Ying hums. Nods. Great. "It's nice seeing you, Wei Ying. Are you here with
someone?"

"My brother," Wei Ying says. He doesn't mention Shijie, not because he doesn't love her or
something like that, but like, Wen Chao is here? On the other side of town? Far away from
where most people live. Near campus. "We're shopping. Together."

"I saw you took the flowers when I left."

"Oh, really? Yeah, I–I'm sorry. I threw them away because I wasn't–I didn't know what to do
with them? I didn't know if you wanted them back or not–"
"Why'd you reject me?" Wen Chao asks. He takes a step closer, eyebrow raised and hands in
his pocket.

Wei Ying blinks. "What?"

"Can I like–know exactly? Why? Who's the guy?"

"The guy?"

"You like."

Wei Ying freezes, then laughs awkwardly. Oh boy. "Listen, Wen Chao. I just don't like you.
Can you like, scoot? I have to–"

He moves to walk past Wen Chao to find his siblings, yes he wants the shoes, but then he's
made to stop when Wen Chao puts an arm in front of him. Shit. "You haven't told me. Is it
actually because you like someone? Or you just don't like me?"

"You're being very…pushy, Wen Chao. If you would, like, move please?"

There's a brief flare of panic where Wei Ying wonders if he'll have to scream. It's there and it
passes because Wen Chao does step back, but his arm stays up. "Go out with me then. Like,
I'm trying to be nice, Wei Ying."

Trying. Wei Ying steps back. "Uh-huh. And I said no, so please scoot. My brother–"

"Was the tutoring not because you liked me?"

Is he serious? Wei Ying stares at him, eyes narrowed and heart beating in his ears. He thought
Wei Ying was initiating. And then thought Wei Ying was lying about not liking him. And
now, he showed up where Wei Ying was shopping with his siblings, completely on the other
side of town from campus because Shijie lived closer to this store, and was asking about
dating him. He takes a deep breath in. "No," Wei Ying says. His voice cracks. "Wen Chao, I
don't–"

"You asked me," he says seriously. A step forward. "You smiled at me, and then boasted."
Boasted? He reassured. "Flirted, saddled up to me like a fucking…whatever, and now you're
saying no? Is this like…some weird foreplay?"

Wei Ying chokes. "Excuse me?" What a fucking sentence.

"You're into this, aren't you? Being coy? I've heard girls do this, but to see you do it is like,
new."

Wei Ying blinks, grip on the shoebox in his hands tightening. God, Wen Chao is ridiculously
delusional. He scans past Wen Chao’s shoulder, nerves coiling in his gut. It's been a hot
minute, so Shijie and Jiang Cheng should be wanting to find him. Wen Chao steps forward.
God, he smells like overpriced cologne.

It stinks.

"Can we like, try one date? Wei Ying?"

"No," Wei Ying answers quickly. He's still looking and then–

"Wei Ying! Why are you–hey!" Jiang Cheng yells when he's close. Wei Ying grabs his arm,
nudging him. "C'mon dumbass, Jie is waiting. You took too long." Wei Ying faces his
brother, lips pressed together and Jiang Cheng, the amazing brother he is, seems to
understand immediately. "We're gonna be late, yeah? And then shit will hit the fan and you
know how he gets."
Bless his brother and this imaginary angry man he's making up.

Wei Ying laughs and turns to Wen Chao. "Well, have to go. Sorry, Wen Chao. Bye!" He tugs
Jiang Cheng, rushing right towards their sister, her little basket in her hands, standing
patiently for them. Wei Ying smiles, a little anxious, a little upset, and they go to buy their
things. Not a good day.

Wei Ying doesn't go to their Monday study session.

Or talk to him.

He has to text Wen Qing and apologize for not listening.

She tells him he's stupid.

He agrees.

It's a few days later when Mianmian tells him, looking out the window of their studio as Wei
Ying paints, that someone is outside. Standing.

Wei Ying pauses what he's doing, then tells her to move so he can check. She does, and when
he sees who it is, he scoffs and turns away. Mianmian stares at him, confused and with a
raised brow.

"Wen Chao," is all he says. She scoffs, too, turning away and back to her project.

A knock is heard. They attempt to ignore it.

And then another.

And another.

Another, until Wei Ying gets sick of it and swings the door open, angry and upset. "Good
morning, Wen Chao. Why are you here? How'd you even-"

"You didn't come to tutoring. Why are you ignoring me?"

Wei Ying blinks, then looks back at Mianmian who is watching the exchange with curious
eyes. He laughs, awkward and called out. "Well," he starts, "you know, I had to–had to not.
Anymore. Listen, Wen Chao. Maybe you should find a new tutor? You just need slow, that's
okay. Okay, bye!" He attempts to shut the door, but Wen Chao shoves his arm in the way and
shoves it open.

"What the fuck, Wei Ying?" Wen Chao yells.

Mianmian flinches from her spot as Wen Chao, very nicely obviously, shoves Wei Ying back
into the studio. "Is this some thing now? You being a fucking–"

For a second, Wei Ying is worried Wen Chao will swing on him. He tenses, then Wen Chao
sighs and breathes out.

"I think we're a little confused."

"You think?" Wei Ying laughs, high and loud.

Wen Chao nods, then leans forward to make eye contact. Fucking, what the fuck. "Go out
with me. That's what you wanted when-"
"I think you are the only one confused, Wen Chao," Wei Ying says, stepping away.

"Listen! Yeah? You asked me–"

"If you wanted a tutor!"

"Yeah! And then, you smiled–"

"People smile!"

"At me! Like you were flirting! And then suddenly fucking drop it? We studied twice and-"

"What is this?" a new voice calls. Oh, Wei Ying could die right there. Professor Xue is a
fucking blessing. "Wei Ying? Mianmian? What in the world–"

"Professor!" Mianmian calls. "Could you kindly explain to our guest that we have no visiting
hours?" Mianmian widens her eyes a bit, tilting her head accusingly to Wen Chao.

Professor Xue, in all his glory, gets it immediately. "Of course. You two know better. You,"
he says, pointing to Wen Chao, "need to leave, I'm afraid. My students are very busy."

Wen Chao leaves.

He does the same thing two days later. When it's just Wei Ying's studio day.

He has to call Jiang Cheng to come get him.

When Shijie gives birth, he's in Composition. He gets the text from the Peacock, then Jiang
Cheng is spamming him to get outside so he can hail a cab. Wei Ying fucking jumps up,
startling his classmates and teacher. Oh, he's smiling so wide he's so fucking giddy.

"Sorry!" he yells, packing his things up. He drops his phone, and Lan Zhan hands it to him.
"My sister! Hospital! Baby!"

"Mr. Wei!" the teacher groans.

"Sorry! Someone text me lecture notes later, bye! I'll text you pics later, Lan Zhan!" He
barely sees Lan Zhan nod, a small smile on his handsome face, before Wei Ying is rushing
towards the doors, flinging them open while he tries to zip his bag up. He drops his phone
two more times before he joins Jiang Cheng at the entrance, who has a cab hailed.

"We're uncles!" Wei Ying screeches, tackling his brother in a hug. "A baby! A fucking baby,
didi!"

"Get in the fucking cab if you wanna see the fucking baby, dumbass!"

Jiang Cheng is just as excited. As he should be.

The drive to the hospital is filled with Wei Ying telling their driver all about their sister's new
baby. Who they haven't even met yet. Jiang Cheng is begging him to shut up ten minutes in.
Wei Ying does not, and continues spinning tales on how amazing A-Ling is for being an
hour-old baby who he has not seen.

Wei Ying cries when he does see A-Ling. He is not the first one to hold the baby though. That
honor goes to Uncle Jiang, who then starts trying to coax Madame Yu to hold the baby. When
she does, Wei Ying sees her face soften ever so slightly. He's never seen her like that. Jiang
Cheng then starts begging to hold A-Ling, and Wei Ying takes the chance to snap photos to
send to Lan Zhan.

He gets a nice one that makes him laugh of Jiang Cheng and A-Ling making the same
grumpy face. He laughs a little too hard, and gets an admonishing scowl from Madame Yu.

When it's his turn to hold A-Ling, his phone rings. Madame Yu is less than impressed.

"I'm sorry," he says. "It's my studio partner. I didn't– I'll be right back. I'm sorry." Madame
Yu doesn't spare him a glance, and Uncle Jiang just placates him with a gentle hand wave.

He answers the call outside.

"Mianmian?"

"Oh! Yingying! God, fucking. Are you here? We have to talk, like, immediately." She sniffs
on the line, and Wei Ying feels his heart drop.

"Mianmian, breathe. What happened?"

"Your fucking wannabe boyfriend happened!" she yells. Wei Ying freezes.

"Mianmian, are you okay? Did he touch you?"

"No, no. Wen Qing–I didn't mean to yell at you, Yingying, I'm sorry. No. He was looking for
you, so he was at the door. And I had to go in because Professor Xue asked me to redo
something before I fired it, so I went with Wen Qing and he was there. And then he got mad
when you didn't show up, so he thought you were already inside. So then he yelled, got
handsy, and then he grabbed me and tried to force my keys out of my hands? Wen Qing got
in between us real quick, and then started shoving him and then he left? Sorry, I'm just–" Wei
Ying hears her take a deep breath in. "I'm okay, not hurt. But Professor Xue knows, and he
knows Wen Chao thinks you two are a thing so he's really worried about what would've
happened if you had been there? So, uhm, he wants us both to meet security. Today."

Wei Ying shuffles his feet. "Today?"

"Yeah, within the hour. I'm sorry, Yingying."

"No, don't apologize. I'm glad you're okay. It's just bad timing. Super bad."

Mianmian gasps softly. "Is everything okay?"

Wei Ying nods. "Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. My sister. She had her baby. Literally almost two
hours ago. I just…I don't think my family is going to be too happy I have to leave." He sighs,
then rubs his temples. "Sorry, I'll be there."

"Yingying, we can wait–"

"Mianmian, it's okay. I'll be there in a bit, okay? I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you. This is my
fault."

"Yingying, it's fine. Don't blame yourself, please. I can tell Professor Xue you're with your
sister, we don't need you to make the report."

Wei Ying sighs, then breathes out. "Are you sure? I can still–"

"It's fine. Go see your sister's baby, Yingying. Send me pictures."

He sighs. "Okay. Thanks, Mianmian. I owe you one."

He hears her laugh. "Yeah. Bye, Yingying. I'll text you an update. Love you."

"Bye."

Wei Ying sinks against the wall, then breathes out harshly. Okay, he's good. Mianmian is fine.
He's okay.

He's lying.

When he holds A-Ling, finally, he starts crying. Jiang Cheng startles, Uncle Jiang looks
concerned, Shijie is reaching out to him, Peacock takes the baby, and Madame Yu leans just a
stretch closer.

"Sorry," he says shakily. "I'm okay. Didn't mean to ruin this. He's beautiful, Shijie. So
beautiful."

He doesn't tell them what his call was about.

Jiang Cheng figures it out later.

Wei Ying was called by Wen Qing later.

He apologized.

She said it wasn't needed.

He said it again, anyways.

He still sees Wen Chao around campus. He doesn't approach. Doesn't talk. But he stares. And
Wei Ying hates the feeling. Jiang Cheng escorts him around campus after that. He misses the
beginning of some classes, and is kicked out of a few labs.

And Wei Ying feels guilty.

Jiang Cheng won't let him be. Not at all.

He tries to get him to stop.

Jiang Cheng says no.

And then their first lock bust.

Wei Ying is the one to find it, yeah. He's walking, to his apartment, keys in hand when he
looks up from his phone. It's seven, and Jiang Cheng is taking an exam, he's going to do so
well, so he's not home. And he can't call him.

The door is open, their doorknob on the floor, dented and ripped from the door. Wei Ying
stays quiet, then feels his heart race, then he stumbles a step, and then he's shaking. He makes
a tiny noise, then, keeping his eye on his apartment, he's moving back towards the stairs and
heading to Lan Zhan's.

It's kind of terrifying. And then he can't call his brother so he has to happily fucking scoot
downstairs.

He bangs on the door.

"Lan Zhan! Hey, please open the door!" He's kind of shaky, hands and voice. When Lan Zhan
doesn't answer, Wei Ying gets a little worried. "Huan-ge?"

When the door opens, Wei Ying releases a little sob and shakes his hands. Huan-ge is staring
at him, a rather confused look on his face. "Wei-di?"

"Hi, sorry. Can I please come in? I have to, uhm, I have to call security and Jiang Cheng isn't
home and I think someone broke into my apartment and I'm really nervous so is it okay if I
come in?" He shifts his feet, blinking hard.

Huan-ge steps inside, gently taking Wei Ying by the elbow. "Of course, come in. You can
call. Do you need anything?"

Wei Ying shakes his head, then unlocks his phone to call the guard. "I'm okay. Just need–just
need a minute. Thank you."

When he calls, security responds lazily and slowly, which frustrates Wei Ying. Lan Zhan
comes out halfway through the call, hair damp from a shower, and stands by him to calm him
down. It's slow, frustrating, upsetting, and after a thirty-minute investigation period, Wei Ying
is called and told it looks like no one stepped inside. He's angry. He's told his lock was fixed,
and they'd be charged when rent was due. Fifty bucks.

Lan Zhan walks him back up. Wei Ying thanks him, and wishes him goodnight.

When Jiang Cheng comes home, Wei Ying freaks out majorly. They call Uncle Jiang, who
sends them the extra fifty dollars for the lock, and Madame Yu, who admonishes them for
letting someone do such a thing, call Shijie, and then go to bed.

Wei Ying is too nervous.

He bugs Jiang Cheng until his brother allows him to sleep with him. They haven't done it
since they were kids, and Wei Ying still had nightmares about the dogs that came and would
bite him and fight him for food.

Jiang Cheng lets him in, and Wei Ying thinks he's not actually mad about it.

And then the year goes by.

And then freshman year ends, sophomore year starts.

No Wen Chao.

Nothing.

It was calm.

And fine.

And good.

And nothing happened.

And then junior year.

And Wei Ying hated it.

It was tolerable.
But then the names.

And the insults.

Being called a whore over voicemail.

A slut.

A tease.

And then Halloween .

And Wei Ying hates Wen Chao. Despises and hates and wants to rip his skin off. He can't
fathom…not at all…the reason. To drug and hurt him. To humiliate him.

The deluded attraction.

Wei Ying hates Wen Chao.

Hate and fear mingle together.

Wei Ying fears Wen Chao.

And it is a disgusting feeling.

Wei Ying is tired.

Tired with fear, anger, sadness, humiliation, guilt.

Wei Ying hates these feelings.

And he is tired.

So, the day after the police visit, two days after his haircut, five days after Halloween, on his
brother's birthday, Wei Ying sleeps.

And sleeps.

And sleeps.

And Jiang Cheng doesn't yell at him. Doesn't try to get him out of bed.

On his little brother's birthday, Wei Ying lays with his brother in bed, sleeping and just
being.

He feels so guilty.

But Jiang Cheng says nothing.

He's much too good for Wei Ying.

And Wei Ying can only hug him.

Jiang Cheng is warm. So warm, and Wei Ying loves him. When Wei Ying decides he's going
to do something for him, Jiang Cheng stops him. Wei Ying is ready to protest, but then Jiang
Cheng pauses and pulls out baking ingredients.

Then, they make pancakes for dinner.

Wei Ying feels like crying. He only eats a few bites.

Jiang Cheng isn't mad.

It's quiet that night.

 Chapter Eleven
Chapter Summary

College! How wonderful!

Pictures! How disgusting, Wei Ying.

Chapter Notes

Major TW for the following: Discussion of Sexual Assault/violence, pictures of an

assault being shown to the victim, vague descriptions of photos of the assault, disturbing
comments made in regards to those photos, a physical assault, minor blood/injury,
stabbing (brief and non-graphic), a panic attack, hospital visit, minor/hinted dissociation,
threats, and derogatory language towards Wei Ying

Another rougher chapter. Please take care of yourselves. This is a pretty nasty one. The
initial writing of this chapter was much nastier but was then majorly rewritten to come
up with this one. Please note the warnings. Thank you.

Wei Ying wakes up raw and angry. Or like, something like it. He's mad and upset and he
doesn't want to leave his bed, but he has to because if he doesn't, Jiang Cheng gets worried
and doesn't go to school, and spends the day sitting in bed with Wei Ying and trying to catch
up on his assignments. Which is not okay.

He hasn't been to school since Halloween.

Ten days.

His attendance is pretty much down the drain, and he wouldn't be surprised if Uncle Jiang
and Madame Yu already know about it, which means he can expect a phone call at some
point. He is not excited to spill the beans. They probably know something is wrong already.
Uncle Jiang likes to video call with them, and in the last two calls, Jiang Cheng has had to
hand Wei Ying random items to focus on. A shoe and a bag of flour.
Madame Yu only saw the shoe, but her eyebrow had gone up so quickly, Wei Ying was sure
she knew. Somehow.

It's irrational, he knows.

But the feeling, deep and swirling in his gut, is present and tells him she knows somehow.
Because of the haircut. Or the way the bruise has faded. Something in the way he walks,
talks, sits, looks.

The feeling of her knowing is something terrifying. Because he knows Madame Yu is no

idiot. If he starts talking, she'll know and understand and figure it out.

Ten days after Halloween, he has to go back to school. Has to, or he's been told to meet with
the dean for skipping. He's not skipping on purpose, and he can't quite say anything to Jin
Guangshan because he'll say it's Wei Ying's fault. For something. Somehow. And then it'll be
Halloween and the hospital all over again, back in the exam room, being told they're
swabbing for DNA all over him. Raw and exposed.

He feels raw and exposed; like a nerve. Like if someone pokes him wrong, it'll set something
off and he doesn't want that right now. It's an angry, bitter feeling.

He smiles as they walk to school, and it hurts his cheeks to do it. He's kind of nervous, too.
Because no one but his family and Lan Zhan has seen the haircut, it's new and exciting and
he hopes people like it. There's an underlying emotion, a feeling people will judge him. He
sucks it up.

It's…normal. Surprisingly. There's a feeling of high-rushing anxiety that kicks in when they
enter. A mixed dread and excitement. People are normal and don't look at him. It's normal
and good.

"Hey," Jiang Cheng says, nudging him with his elbow. "Do you need to–?"
"I can walk, didi," Wei Ying says. "I'll be fine. Go, scat! Run away, be free!"

Jiang Cheng frowns. "You need anything–"

"Call you, yes. Yes, I know. I'll be fine. Go enjoy class. Lan Zhan is meeting me for lunch,
we'll be fine." He pats Jiang Cheng on the arm, then shoves him playfully. "Go."

It takes some coaxing, very pushy and very loud, until Wei Ying manages to get Jiang Cheng
to leave him so he can meet Mianmian.

Mianmian makes him nervous as fuck. He hasn't responded to any of her calls or texts.
They've all been sweet, but since Lan Zhan promised him a new phone, his has just been on
the backburner, only used to check emails. Like the one threatening his attendance. Lovely.
Wen Qing has texted, Huaisang too, but then they all stopped. Jiang Cheng said it was
because he texted and called to let him know he was alright. Wen Qing and Mianmian spoke
to the police the day after, recounting what they saw and how they found him. He still has to
thank them.

It's good to kind of clear his head. It's not one hundred percent clear; there's still a hazy, tiny
fog that's settled between his ears, in the center of his head that he kind of ignores. He walks,
quiet and quick, and then takes a little skip when he enters the studio block.

His is still there, open and bright and the lights are one, which makes either Mianmian or
Professor Xue inside. He finally has a theme idea; it's crude and emotional, but Professor Xue
will like it. Wei Ying will have to finally want to draw again, but it'll be okay.

His keys still fit, neat and snug in the lock, and when he opens the door, he's immediately
pulled into a hug, tight and warm and sweet.

"Yingying!" Mianmian yells, voice wavering. He hugs her back, laughing.

"Hi! I'm okay! I'm okay."

"You weren't responding to my texts or calls! And then I thought it was worse, and then Jiang
Cheng called and said you were okay. I was so happy. I'm so sorry, Yingying." She buries her
face in his chest, crying and sniffling before he pats her back.

"Mianmian, I'm okay. It's fine. Nothing bad–"

"Don't," she says, voice suddenly strong and commanding. "Don't say nothing bad happened.
That's not fair, that's not okay. We were so worried."

"Can we please not? Not right now?" he whispers, hugging her tighter. "I'm okay, I didn't get
anything from him, the drugs went away quickly, I was out the same night. Let's not."

Mianmian sniffles again, pulling away. Her eyes widen, hands coming up to swoop through
his hair. He waits, knowing she'll say something. So far, no one's hated the haircut; not even
Madame Yu, who said it was cleaner and was a healthy cut he needed. Mianmian's mouth
opens and then closes, and then she nods. "You look good," she says at last.

"I always looked good," Wei Ying responds, wiggling past her to his desk.

God, he hasn't painted since the portrait of Mianmian he did before his date. He feels rusty.

"Can I paint you?" he asks Mianmian. She smiles, a bright look on her pretty face, and nods.
He grins in return and quietly sets about getting paint ready. It's weird, being back in his
element. "So, has anyone…has anyone said anything?"

"About?"

"Me being gone. Or the party. Heard Huaisang started dumping drinks." Wei Ying looks at
her, foot tapping, as she unloads a few pots. She has six in total now. He misses watching her
work. It's calming.

"No, not about you. I think people are mostly confused about who was…what happened.
Huaisang went ballistic. Got on a table and started organizing people to dump their drinks
out. Nobody was allowed to touch any more alcohol, and then Huaisang was directing
people. I don't think a single person left without being questioned by him."

Wei Ying laughs, squeezing some paint on his palette. "Very in character of him. You two are
like, super good. To me."

"Mm. Only the best for the people I love."

Wei Ying smiles. "You're much too good for me, Mianmian."

"Why do you always say that?"

Wei Ying pauses. "What?"

Cutting a chunk of clay from her larger slab, Mianmian sighs. "You say people are too good
to be nice to you, Yingying. That's not the case. People are good to you because you deserve
it. You're too good for us if anything."

"Aiya, don't say that." His heart is thundering. "That's not true."

"Yingying?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you think you don't deserve to be loved?"

Wei Ying can't respond.

"Mianmian?"

"Hm?"

"I'm getting a therapist. At some point."

"That's very good for you, Yingying. I'm sure it'll turn out well." Mianmian smiles, clay
coating her hands, a pot steadily being made. "Anyway, did you hear Shen Lihua's partner,
like, dumped her hard? Super hard? No one knows why, but they suddenly dumped her and
the whole courtyard was watching, and it was messy. She cried. Really hard."

"Shen Lihua?"

Mianmian nods then seems a tad hesitant. "Uhm, her partner is the one who found us. During
the party. They were pretty sweet. I like them. A uhm, Yue Xiaolin? A senior."

The name Lihua itches a part of Wei Ying's brain, deep down and behind the hazy fog. He
grunts then slaps a wet glob of paint onto his canvas for the base. "That's nice. Okay.
Anyway, let's talk about something not depressing. Like, I don't know. How's Professor Xue
been treating you?"

"Yingying?"

"Yeah?"

"It's been so awful, he doesn't have you here to make him calmer. He's been tearing into me
so hard. You have no clue. He called one of my pots– and get this– amateur! Yingying, I
cried. Not actually, but it hurt."

Wei Ying smiles. She's great. Super great. He adores Mianmian.

"Well, was it?"

Mianmian wails, throwing herself forward on her desk. "Yes! Yingying it was so bad!"

Wei Ying laughs, soft and genuine. She's great.

Professor Xue stops by halfway through their session. He's particularly surprised to see Wei
Ying back, but gets excited and hugs him. It's nice. And then when Wei Ying presents his
theme idea, Professor Xue pauses, then pulls him aside to discuss it quietly. There are
concerns with the painting options Wei Ying presents, over his own health and how he
chooses to present them, but after a bit of talking, and more persuasion from Wei Ying,
Professor Xue reluctantly agrees. His pieces are going to be moderated as they are presented
though, not to be changed, but to assure Wei Ying can stay on theme.

Mianmian tries to peak at his sketchbook as they clean, but he playfully kicks her away
before she can grab it. She yells but then laughs as she instead swipes the canvas he was
working on. She snaps pictures, then her eyebrows furrow and she coughs.

"Mianmian?"

"Sorry! Sorry! Uhm–Yingying I have to go. Sorry!" She stumbles a little, he reaches out to
catch her, and she rights herself quickly, rushing out the door. He hears her shoes tap against
the concrete outside, and then he's following, a bit confused.
As he locks the door behind him, his phone buzzes. His heart skips a beat, it does this now,
and when he looks, it's just Lan Zhan saying he'll be five minutes late to help his teacher
clean up. He texts back to say he'll wait for him, then his phone buzzes, and…fucking dies.
He loves it. God.

As he skips towards the cafeteria, it's like day and night. When he got here, it was quiet
buzzing, few people, and calm. Now, because lunch is being served, it's loud buzzing,
crowds, and a large handful of people. There are almost no free spots on any of the benches,
so he has to head to one of the older metal ones, sort of rusted and small. It's a pretty bench,
no doubt, just freezing.

So he sits and waits.

Because today is going okay.

And he's going to lunch with his beautiful boyfriend.

Who loves him very much but wouldn't tell Wei Ying where they were going.

Fuck.

"Wei Ying!"

He looks up, it's not Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan doesn't yell. No, instead it's another junior named
Yi Ling who Wei Ying finds rather annoying. During freshman year, they got paired for an
assignment in a general course, and Yi Ling was just joking the entire time, which Wei Ying
doesn't mind, but he did no work and had Wei Ying doing ten pages of assignments that were
supposed to be split between them in two days. So, Wei Ying doesn't quite like him.

"Hi, Yi Ling," Wei Ying says, sitting up a bit straighter. "Did you–"
"Is it true you let Wen Chao fuck you?"

Oh. Wei Ying feels his mouth go dry. "What?" he croaks, voice cracking. "What?"

Yi Ling snorts, then sits next to him. "C'mon. We know that the Halloween thing was a hoax,
right? God, when Lihua sent the pictures, I didn't think they were real–"

"Pictures?"

Pictures. Pictures. There were pictures. Of what?

Yi Ling nudges him, then laughs. Cackles. Wei Ying is going to be sick. "Yeah. Like, twenty
or something. Did you–you haven't seen them?" When Wei Ying shakes his head, it's
pounding, Yi Ling pulls his phone out, eyebrows furrowing. "I–dude they were sent all over
the group chat. Did you not see them?"

"The–the group? I–" He's shaking when Yi Ling hands his phone over. "I didn't–I didn't know
pictures. Of me? Who sent them?"

"Shen Lihua. She said they were like, porn pics of you or something and that they were fake."

"So she sent them?" Wei Ying screams.

The junior's group chat is a mess. A wild, tangled mess. There are photos. Of Wei Ying. A
video attachment. Some sophomores were complaining about it, then some guy got his
brother to send it. The photos are dark, grainy. But you can tell. Tell it's Wei Ying. A deep
shudder runs through him, panic settling in his gut. He chokes. The first picture is the worst.

None of them are graphic, thankfully, but the first has Wei Ying blinking away the tunnel in
his vision that's forming. Yi Ling is settled over his shoulder, and Wei Ying can only feel
frozen.
There are fingers in his mouth, in the photo. He's limp . There's no tension, no sign of him
moving, just a limp thing that Wen Chao has. He can see the knees on the sides of his waist
and hips in the photos. That Wen Chao sat on him. The second, third, fourth, they're all
similar renditions. It's all Wen Chao 's hands, on him, touching him, like they're lovers.

Wei Ying feels sick.

Yi Ling is shaking him. "Wei Ying? Dude, did you seriously not fucking know?"

"Why would I say yes to someone sending these?" he yells, voice thick. "Why hasn't anyone
deleted them? What did you do!"

"They're real?"

"Of fucking course they're real, Yi Ling! I don't–fuck! Fuck! My brother–he's going to see
these. I–" He covers his mouth. Lan Zhan is going to see these. "Shen Lihua sent them?
She's–she's a junior. I–I have to…Dean's."

Yi Ling grabs him, Wei Ying flinches away, and then stands in front of him. "Calm down,
your brother left that chat a while ago. He won't see them."

"That's not the worst! My friends! My fucking boyfriend, Yi Ling! Do you have any fucking
clue–!"

A ragged little breath tears through him, and he moves his hand to cover his mouth. The sick,
coiling feeling is back. People are most definitely staring. At him, the scene he's making. He
grinds his boots into the concrete. Yi Ling takes his phone from Wei Ying's shaking hands.
Wei Ying stands, shaking and angry. Yi Ling settles a hand on his elbow, and Wei Ying
shoves him away.
"Quit fucking touching me!"

Yi Ling takes a step back, hands up. "Calm down! Holy shit! Wei Ying, no one knew they
were real like that."

"Who fucking cares? You guys–I saw the fucking comments being made, Yi Ling. You're
disgusting." Wei Ying takes a deep breath in, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Fucking back away from me." He wobbles when he stands straighter, fury worming through
his body.

The Dean's office is halfway through campus. Oh, Lan Zhan is going to freak out. His phone
is dead, Jiang Cheng can't be called. No matter, he'll borrow the phone in the office. It's fine.
He's okay. It's good.

He breathes.

He wants to cry. Maybe he already is.

The concrete changes and Wei Ying stumbles down the first flight of stairs to the courtyard.
A hand catches him, and he wrenches himself free.

"Quit touch–"

"Don't fucking yell at me, Wei Ying."

Wei Ying clutches the railing. He fucking hates him. His knees shake. Blinking hard, Wei
Ying takes a step back and stifles the hiccup working its way up and out.

Wen Chao.
Here.

Wasn't Lieutenant He supposed to arrest him on sight.

It's been ten days. Why was there no update?

Wei Ying fumbles for the keys in his pocket. Wen Chao grabs him.

"Wen–" he starts, fear clenching his throat. "Why. Don't touch me."

Wen Chao looks tired. Angry. There are dark circles under his eyes, angry and black and
smudged. He narrows his eyes, pulling Wei Ying closer. He gasps. "You've given me a
fucking run for my money, Wei Ying. Are you serious?"

"Let go," Wei Ying demands. "Don't fucking–"

Wen Chao sneers. "Assault?" Wei Ying pauses, eyes flickering over his face. "What we did–"

"What you did–"

"You liked it!"

"You're fucking crazy!"

"Did you not allow me to fucking kiss you?"

Wei Ying startles, chest heaving. "I didn't want you to do any of that. You decided, in your
sick, fucking mind I did. Wen Chao, I will tell you, right now, I didn't."

Wen Chao's grip tightens on him, mouth twisting into a sneer that has Wei Ying wanting to
cry again. "You're lying. This is just–just a way to stain my reputation."

"Wen Chao! Get this through your head! I hate you, I am afraid of you. I do not like you. I
did not ever want to have sex with you. I am sorry, for whatever I did to make you think I
liked you. I don't."

There's a second Wei Ying doesn't feel. Doesn't think. Just sees and watches Wen Chao stare
him down. It's seconds, minutes, hours.

And then Wen Chao grabs him.

By the face.

Pulls.

And Wei Ying reacts.

He comes back to himself, laying at the bottom of the stairs. The sky is bright and clear.

He's breathing hard. He's almost giddy.

The keys clenched in his hand are freezing.

There's something warm on his face. He raises a shaky hand and pulls it away. It's blood. His
key hand is bloody, too. It's not his.
Wei Ying has to take a second, turning himself over. He registers feet, voices, a click. More
pictures.

As he stands, his head pounds and he has to grip the railing. It's loud, the yelling and
screaming. Wen Chao is also screaming.

He's holding his face, blood dribbling down his cheek and jaw.

Wei Ying snorts.

He fucking stabbed Wen Chao in the cheek with his fucking keys. He feels light again, the
keys aren't stabilizing him.

"You're fucking dead, Wei Ying!" Wen Chao is yelling. "You and that fucking nephew! Your
fucking brother! Your whore ass and your boyfriend!" Wen Chao tries to move forward, and a
group of boys holds him back, one clotheslining Wen Chao. Wei Ying has to register the
words for a moment.

Boyfriend.

"What?" Wei Ying croaks.

Someone is talking to him, low and quiet. There's a hand pushing his hair away from his
temple, gentle and soft.

Wen Chao spits at one of the guys holding him. "You and that boyfriend. Your fucking,
lovely, perfect 'er-gege'? He fucking poisoned you, Wei Ying. Says we're not a thing. Do you
understand how lucky you were? On fucking Halloween? And then you fucking taunted me
with that goddamn ring–"
"Fuck! Shut the fuck up, Wen Chao!" one of the seniors yells. "This the fucking kid you sent
pictures of? Fucking sicko!"

Wei Ying is present. Sort of. He can hear bits of conversation, but it's muffled, hazy, static.
No one is making much sense. Hands are touching him.

He hates that.

Wei Ying sniffs, then leans forward and sobs.

They're loud, choked and shaky, and wet. The breaths he takes are shaky and half-baked.
Someone tries to touch him again, and he moves, scrambling to collect his things.

Wen Chao knew.

He knew.

About Lan Zhan. About dating.

Knew the ring–

Wei Ying hiccups. Someone tries to get him to sit, and he smacks their hands away.

"Wei Ying," someone says. "You have to sit, you hit your head–"

He did. He can feel the blood getting tacky.

"--brother's--Cheng."

"--him-sit–concussion–"

"--campus–Chao is an asshole–"

"--nurse–police–"

"Wei Ying?" someone says.

He hums, shakily grabbing his bag. He has to get home. To check.

Wen Chao knew.

So he was listening.

"Wei Ying, honey, sit. You can't–you fell. Listen, an ambulance–"

He shakes his head. Wow, his vision swims. It's a kaleidoscope of colors, loud sounds. Wen
Chao is still yelling at him.

Things are slow.

"Wei Ying?"

He hums again. He's not really paying attention. When he grabs his phone, it broke, the
screen is cracked, he stands, wobbling. There's a rush of hushed voices, someone grabs his
hand, the one not holding his keys, but he shakes them off. His boots grind on the concrete,
and he sniffs, wiping away the blood caring on the side of his face.

"Wei Ying! Hold on!"

He walks.

His head hurts.

Wen Chao knew. That he and Lan Zhan–he called Lan Zhan er-gege. Like Wei Ying does. He
sniffs, bringing shaking hands to his face. His teeth are vibrating again, loud and constant. He
ditched Lan Zhan, too.

He's going to be so upset.

He pauses on the sidewalk. The apartment is off past the crosswalk. He thinks.

He blinks, and his eyes hurt. Looking down, his keys are still in his hands. They're covered in
Wen Chao's blood. He takes a shaky inhale, then steps up to the crosswalk.

It's green, he goes to cross–

And then he's pulled back, someone's arms wrapped tightly around him, pulled in between
someone's legs so he's sitting. He gasps, staring across the street.

"What the fuck are you doing!" he hears. Oh. Oh, his brother. "I get a fucking call! From
someone I don't fucking know, saying my brother had a fucking tumble down some stairs and
fucking stabbed Wen Chao! And that he fucking left campus with a fucking head injury."
Wei Ying blinks, registering his brother's shaky arms around him. Oh, Wei Ying made him
mad. He sniffs.

"What happened, Wei Ying? I got a fucking call from some chick, then I got a call from your
boyfriend, saying you didn't show up?" Jiang Cheng rubs his arms, then carefully unwraps
his fingers from his keys. "You fucking stabbed Wen Chao?"

The keys leave his fingers, and he makes some noise halfway between a laugh and a sob. Oh,
it's a sob. A big, massive sob. This one hurts. It leaves a sharp pain between his ribs as he
tries to inhale. He can't.

He can't breathe right now.

"--Ying! –ge! Breat–"

He's trying. The feeling is suffocating. Pushing against his ribs, his chest, his lungs. There's a
rapid beating of his heart.

Another cry leaves him, pathetic and tiny.

It may be seconds.

Minutes.

Hours.

It stretches.
Stretches and shrinks.

After a moment, or a long time, he doesn't know, he can feel someone's chest pressed to his
back, breathing in and out, long and deep.

There's gentle whispering, fingers rubbing his palms, pushing softly in the center. His breath
hitches and the person behind him makes a soft sound.

"There we go," they say. "Focus on my breathing. You're doing so good."

Wei Ying tries. After a second, he tries to do it, too. He messes up, then hiccups.

"Take your time, gege. You're doing so good." He doesn't feel like he's doing good. He can't
quite catch his breath properly, not how they are. It hooks, then it slips away.

He breathes.

And releases.

And breathes.

Hitch.

Breathes again.

When he can hold it properly, he gets an enthusiastic rub on his palms, and then a small huff.
"Again, you can do it."
He does.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Like a snail stretching to reach something quickly.

It's slow and small and it takes forever.

He blinks once, then coughs, expelling the mucus that's coated his throat. He breathes in, then
brings shaking hands, they're shaking so much, to his face to wipe the tears that have trailed
down his face. He sniffs, focusing on his shoes.

His brother's shoes.

"Wei Ying?" Jiang Cheng says softly. Wei Ying sniffs. "Hey, are you good now?"

"No," Wei Ying croaks. "I'm sorry. I didn't–I didn't even know I stabbed him–"

"Hey," Jiang Cheng interrupts, rubbing his palms again. "I'm not worried you stabbed that
fucker. I'm worried that my brother was going to go on a date, then I find him bleeding and
about to cross the street while a car fucking barrels down it. Then you had a panic attack.
That's what I'm worried about."

Wei Ying sighs, leaning against his brother. More tears are coming, hot and fast. "He has
pictures ," he chokes out. "Of me. Yi Ling–Yi Ling showed me. I didn't–I didn't even know
he took them."
"Hey, hey. Breathe." Wei Ying can see the anger forming in Jiang Cheng's hands, the
shakiness as he tries to soothe Wei Ying and himself. "We can deal with that in a moment,
okay? Look, you need a hospital, and Mom and Dad–"

"No!" Wei Ying yells, turning around so suddenly he nearly falls to the side. Jiang Cheng's
hands keep him up. "No! We can't–if they knew–"

"If they knew, gege, they'd be on a fucking warpath. Okay? And right now, they're going to
be billed. And wonder what happened. Because we have to go to a hospital-"

Wei Ying shakes his head and Jiang Cheng pinches his hand.

"Don't move your head. You'll be okay. Yeah? I can sit with you while we do it, but you need
the hospital, and then we can go home–"

Wei Ying makes a noise of protest, then inhales shakily. "He knows."

"What?"

"He knows! He's been listening! To me. Jiang Cheng, I can't. Not right now, please."

"What?"

Wei Ying sniffs. No, he's crying again. Jiang Cheng sighs, wiping his cheeks with his thumbs.
"He's been listening. He–He knows what I called Lan Zhan, knows we're dating, knows he
gave me the ring. He was listening and–"

"Wei Ying, those are small–"

"Please listen to me!" Wei Ying says, grabbing Jiang Cheng's hand. "You said you were sorry
for the noodles shit, please listen to me now. I cannot go into the apartment. And…and my
phone broke. So I can't–please listen to me. This time."

Jiang Cheng stares at him, then sighs, nods, and pulls Wei Ying close, chin digging into his
head. "Okay," he whispers. "We still–if we can't go to the apartment, I still have to call Mom
and Dad. We'll have to tell them. Can we get you to the hospital now? You're still bleeding."

Wei Ying sighs, breathing in his brother's scent. "Okay. Okay. Just, when we tell them–"

"I'll be right there, gege. The whole time."

"Okay." Wei Ying grips his shirt a little tighter. "Can--can I use your phone? To call Lan
Zhan?"

"I'll do it. If you have a concussion, you using a phone is the last thing we need. Okay?"
When Wei Ying nods slightly, Jiang Cheng sighs. "Can you stand up? Are you good?"

"Yeah. I can stand."

"Mhm."

And then, to Wei Ying's surprise, Jiang Cheng presses a kiss on his head. His breath stops for
a second, and more tears spring to his eyes. The sound that leaves him is a whine, small and
high-pitched. "Sorry," Wei Ying says into his chest. "I'm sorry."

"None of that, dumbass. C'mon. Your boyfriend is worried sick, and Mom and Dad will have
to drive a little while."

"Jiang Cheng," Wei Ying says.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I stabbed him."

Jiang Cheng sighs, pushing his face deeper into Wei Ying's hair. "I am, too," he whispers.

Wei Ying has two places he really hates now. The police station and the hospital. It sucks.
They both suck. It's awful and the bright lights hurt his eyes so bad that he has to use Jiang
Cheng's jacket to cover his head while they wait for a doctor to see them. They wait.

Jiang Cheng calls Lan Zhan, who is just happy Wei Ying is getting help, calls Madame Yu
and Uncle Jiang who are driving over as soon as they hear the hospital news, and Lieutenant
He to tell her Wen Chao made it onto campus. Jiang Cheng is particularly pissed at her, but
he doesn't yell when Wei Ying complains that his head hurts.

He's not sure if Wen Chao is still on campus. Wei Ying doesn't quite care at the moment.

Wen Qing texts Jiang Cheng the information about the pictures when he asks. Since, yeah,
Jiang Cheng left the junior's chat months ago and Wei Ying only checks it when he needs
models.

Twenty pictures were sent in all by Shen Lihua. She got them from the senior's chat, where
Wen Chao was showing them off, bragging and lying saying it was from a 'night of passion'
between him and Wei Ying. A lot of the seniors called him out, then mass spam of him being
reported to the Dean, people blocking him, and the talk of what happened on Halloween
circulated.

They're nasty pictures, and Wei Ying can hear Jiang Cheng's anger manifest in the way he
taps his foot and talks to Wen Qing. The junior's chat is particularly disgusting, with a few
people saying the pictures were either fake or complimenting how Wei Ying looked.

One nasty fucker who called one of the pictures 'hot' got Nie Huisang pissed off enough that
somehow, the guy's girlfriend suddenly broke up with him when she found out he cheated.
Wen Qing and Nie Huaisang went on the offense, reporting names and assuring people
sharing the pictures would not leave campus happy that day.

When Jiang Cheng tells Lan Zhan about the pictures, with Wei Ying's permission, Lan Zhan
is silent. Angry. He thinks Lan Zhan may kill a man. He does tell Wei Ying he loves him,
Jiang Cheng makes a gagging sound, and wishes him well. Wei Ying loves him.

Wei Ying can't decide if the video sent in was better or worse. He's obviously fucking high
off his ass, sitting in Wen Chao's lap and babbling about his ring to another student. Wen
Chao is kissing him in the video, and while Wei Ying didn't listen to it, apparently the person
recording is offering some nasty commentary.

Wei Ying is tired. He really wants to sleep, but Jiang Cheng pinches him any time he tries.
Something about not letting a concussed person sleep for a bit after the initial hit.

Wei Ying says that sounds like bullshit and is promptly pinched for his troubles.

When they are finally able to see a doctor, Wei Ying is led, with Jiang Cheng's help, to an
exam room. Frankly, he would rather not be here because a hospital always smells like a
hospital and the last time he was in one, it was Halloween. He pushes that thought away back
into the delightful little fog he has and sits on the table the doctor directs him to.

"Wei Ying, yeah?" the guy asks. He's young. Smiling. Wei Ying squints.

"Mhm."

"You're worried about a concussion, I see? Can you tell me how you got hurt? How you hit
your head?" Jiang Cheng is directed to sit down while the doctor goes about cleaning Wei
Ying's face and the cut he got. Head injuries bleed a lot, he knows, so it's probably not that
bad.

"I fell," he says simply.

"A little more specific, if you please."

Wei Ying winces when a piece of gauze is pressed to his head. He thinks. "I fell down some
stairs. I think I hit my head when I fell."

"You think? Did you lose consciousness at any point?"

Wei Ying blinks. "Maybe? Uhm–the guy who pushed me. I think he pushed me, at least.
Anyway, I remember seeing his face. He grabbed me. And then I don't remember falling."

The doctor clicks his tongue. "That's typically not what we want to hear, Wei Ying. You did
okay, getting here quickly. I want to give you a Cognitive test. Are there any areas giving you
any particular trouble? Sight or hearing or–"

"He almost fell. He turned and almost, like, flopped over. Look, he's tilting." Jiang Cheng is
up quickly, righting Wei Ying. "He was complaining about the lights, too. Had to use my
jacket to block it."

The doctor hums and nods. "Yeah. Cognitive testing is probably our go-to. I'm not worried
too much about a skull fracture. I think you got lucky with that hit. If you'd give me a few
minutes? I'll be right back."

The test is pretty telling. Well, it doesn't tell them anything they don't already know.

Wei Ying has a nice little concussion.

While Jiang Cheng and the doctor talk, Wei Ying lays down on the exam table and tries to
take a mini nap. Jiang Cheng doesn't like that and swats at him. Wei Ying kicks him. He's not
in the mood.

Lieutenant He called again, saying they had Wen Chao in custody, thankfully the seniors had
also called the cops, but she wasn't sure how long they'd keep him when he was arraigned.
She was talking to the prosecution lawyer and trying to have no bail set so he'd be held
longer. She did compliment Wei Ying's key stabbing, though. Apparently, he was going to
have a very nasty scar. Wei Ying laughs at that, then whines when it aggravates his head.

Jiang Cheng asks about the pictures Wen Chao sent. Lieutenant He says that'll only add to the
evidence. She can't necessarily charge the people spreading the pictures, but Wen Chao is
definitely on her shit list. Wei Ying is not happy about the photos being shared.

At some point, Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu arrive, and Wei Ying is not excited.

He holds Jiang Cheng's hand the whole time Madame Yu and the doctor discuss proper care
for his concussion since they'll need to monitor him for the first twenty-four hours. She
doesn't seem happy.

Uncle Jiang is trying to keep things light as they wait for Madame Yu to be done. He asks
Jiang Cheng about school and Wei Ying listens, mostly because it's been ten days since he
could really function on a proper scale to listen well enough. And his brother talks about
oranges in such a fascinating manner. He likes it.

When Madame Yu is done, Wei Ying knows what has to come next. Jiang Cheng’s hand
tightens around his when the talk starts.

"We were told," Madame Yu says, eyes narrowed and arms crossed, "that someone pushed
you. What kind of trouble did you start this time?"
It's such a Madame Yu sentence, to blame Wei Ying for the trouble. But it makes the feeling
in his stomach curl. He breathes in deeply.

"It wasn't me this time, Madame Yu. I swear–"

"When is it not your fault? Hm?"

"Mom!" Jiang Cheng stands up, facing his mother. "Can you--you have to listen. No
interrupting. Or we have to kick you out."

"Excuse me–!"

"My lady," Uncle Jiang says quietly. "This seems–let's listen, hm?"

Madame Yu, in all her anger, does seem to soften, sitting primly in her chair. She crosses her
legs, sighs, and then straightens in all the grace she has only ever exuded since Wei Ying has
known her. "Very well. I will not interrupt. Go on then."

Wei Ying sighs, then squeezes Jiang Cheng's hand. To say it. To acknowledge it, hurts. He's
not quite ready. He doesn't want to acknowledge it for what it was. What Wen Chao thinks it
isn't. So, he blinks.

Jiang Cheng squeezes his hand.

Shijie said it was.

Lan Zhan had said Wen Chao had no right. That Wei Ying did not deserve or initiate it. That
it was an act of violence and depravity. That no matter what he did, said, wore, Wei Ying was
not at fault ever. And Lan Zhan loved him. He is brave, and strong, and did so well.
Wei Ying feels sick.

"I'm being stalked," Wei Ying says quickly. "He sexually assaulted me on Halloween. He sent
pictures of me, from when he did it. They arrested him today after he pushed me down some
stairs."

He waits for the hospital to crash down.

It doesn't.

Madame Yu's eyes widen, nails digging into her suit coat. Uncle Jiang stands, frozen.

Wei Ying is crying.

Uncle Jiang steps forward, gentle voice whispering, "A-Ying," and then Wei Ying breaks.

He's so angry. So tired and afraid.

The matching waves of anger that roll from his family is refreshing.

For once, Madame Yu doesn't yell at him. Or scream. Or insult him. Instead, she asks one
very simple question.

"Did you want to?"

A shake of the head.

She clenches her jaw, cold eyes narrowing, and clicks her tongue. "Then do not think poorly
of yourself. Ever. You are Jiang. Strong and made to attempt the impossible. The strong feel
helpless sometimes. And that is not a weakness, Wei Ying." She turns to Jiang Cheng. "The
dog was arrested?" When he says yes, she nods and sits straighter.

"Mom?"

Madame Yu simply hums. "Then he will rot in a jail cell until he dies. I will personally make
sure of it."

And Wei Ying thinks Madame Yu may not hate him all that much.

She leaves the room, comes back with a cup of water, and hands it to him. He takes it,
dipping his head. She frowns, turning her head away.

"It is good you told us. You have a family that cares for you. Let them support you."

He smiles where she can't see when he takes a drink of his water.

He's so ridiculously tired, though.

His teeth still buzz.

His fingers are still shaky.

He doesn't necessarily feel better telling them what happened. There's no sense of elation, no
weight lifted from his shoulders. No balloons or euphoric feeling.

Nothing really.
Just the knowledge he said it.

Wei Ying is exhausted.

 Chapter Twelve
Chapter Summary

Madame Yu has opinions. Wei Ying finds out what those opinions are. While cooking
soup.

Chapter Notes

Brief TW for the following: talk of Sexual Assault/Violence, victim-blaming, self-

blame, vomit, eating trouble, talk of pictures of an assault, physical assault, blood, brief
suicidal action, and potentially disturbing dream sequence

Take care of yourselves, nothing graphic. Wei Ying has a brief dream sequence that may
be disturbing to some. A lighter chapter in the context of the story. Don't enjoy having
some lightness too much. I am prepared. You should also be prepared. This fic has a
definitive ending and should be wrapping up within the next few updates.

"Wei Ying." It's a harsh tone paired with a soft volume, shaking him awake in the comfort of
his brother's arms. Wei Ying groans, nestling his face into the pillow he has. "If you do not
wake up, I will drag you out."

"M'wake," Wei Ying mumbles, opening one eye to see Madame Yu standing over him, lips
pursed and eyes narrowed. She's taken to waking Wei Ying like this every few hours,
assuring he wakes up properly and without much trouble. It's slightly annoying. But after the
day he had, Wei Ying was happy to lay down, sleep, and nestle into the beds the Jiangs kept
still as guest beds. "I'm awake," he says again, a little clearer. She nods, apparently satisfied,
and quickly and efficiently switches the cold washcloth that's fallen off his face.

"Good. Go back to sleep," she says, then turns to leave. He laughs softly.

"Madame Yu?"
"What?" she snaps, pausing.

"Thank you."

She huffs. "Stupid child." Wei Ying smiles, and watches her leave. Truly, if she was mad,
she'd slam the door. She doesn't, and instead is gentle as she eases it shut, and quiet as she
leaves the room.

Wei Ying sighs when Jiang Cheng pokes his ribs over their shared blanket. "Something you
need, didi?" Wei Ying asks.

"No, go back to sleep."

Wei Ying snorted, then turned slightly to face his brother. "You wouldn't poke me if you
didn't want to say something."

There's a gentle push to his head that has him pressed to the pillow, and Jiang Cheng scoffs.
"No. What I need is for my brother to sleep because he has a concussion because some
fucking psycho shoved him down some stairs." Wei Ying huffs, then closes his eyes. The
cool rag helps.

"I don't even know if he pushed me. Or if I fell."

When they had gotten home, they'd briefly allowed Wei Ying to take an hour-long nap, a cold
towel pressed over his eyes on the couch. When he had gotten up, he'd been very frustrated to
see bruises forming along his jaw, dark and deep and nearly identical to the ones he received
on Halloween. Easy to say, the experience was jarring and he was not happy. Much less when
Jiang Cheng saw. Wei Ying simply pulled him back to their room and made him read from
his textbook while Wei Ying listened. Since he couldn't do a lot.

No phone. His was broken, so it was fine.

No TV.

No games.

No loud music.

Gentle activities.

No strenuous activity.

No yelling.

Nothing that required Wei Ying to think too long or hard, either. So reading was also off the
table. He fixed that quickly by having Jiang Cheng read to him as he listened.

Madame Yu had him doing chores to keep him moving, too. Nothing hard or difficult. Clean
a glass, fold towels, walk up the stairs and down the stairs twice, slowly. She was treating
him well enough, no yelling or insults, but he knew it wasn't because she liked him.

It was tolerance, and he could respect that.

He did notice she was a bit more lax on him. He took his time, was chatting as best he could
before a headache happened, and when he needed a break, he would shuffle to the couch and
close his eyes.

As soon as he got back, Madame Yu was overseeing his recovery.

Both recoveries.

The concussion would go away. She could moderate that.

The assault he had spilled on them, though, she was not willing to let fester and leave on its
own like Wei Ying wished it would.

She hadn't questioned him yet, but he knew she was waiting. She knows a few things Wei
Ying was worried about: Lan Zhan, the party, how Jiang Cheng found him, the GHB, the kit,
and the subsequent panic attacks, vomiting, eating problems, and then the pictures, which
Jiang Cheng reluctantly told her about. Wei Ying sat on the couch, face digging into one of
the pillows and prayed silently.

She hasn't asked the questions he knows she has formed. Wei Ying doesn't think she'll blame
him, but she definitely isn't happy. And they had planned on calling her for more money for a
therapist, so she was going to find out at some point.

In like…a few years when Wei Ying was ready.

Anyway, Wei Ying had cereal for dinner.

Which was a start.

Nothing fancy or big or too wild to make. Cereal. He ate it.

Then immediately felt like he hated it.

He must've been making weird faces as he ate his wonderfully delicious cereal because Jiang
Cheng silently nudged him and simply told him he didn't have to eat all of it.
He did, but the taste was awful.

He didn't vomit, but he definitely didn't have any more cereal.

So, yeah. Roughly twelve hours of a concussion and Wei Ying was doing great.

"You don't?" Jiang Cheng says quietly. He's so mindful of Wei Ying these days. It hurts.

Wei Ying shakes his head and then sighs. "He just–he grabbed my face and then I reacted,
and I don't know if he shoved me to get me away or if I just fell. I don't remember falling, or
hitting my head. I don't remember stabbing him."

"I'm glad you stabbed him."

"I am, too. Fucker deserved it. And more. I'm not–he's arrested. What if they let him go?"

Jiang Cheng huffs, pulling Wei Ying closer. And then roughly squeezes his face. "Don't think
like that," he says.

Wei Ying whines teasingly. "Didi, didi, your gege is injured. You can't–"

"He won't get out. They won't just let him go. He's a fucking creep. You have multiple
witnesses. They're not gonna be light on him." He sighs, releasing Wei Ying's face. "Just, go
to sleep, please. I don't think I can handle you having another breakdown."

It's meant as a joke, he knows that, but Wei Ying curls in on himself. Just a stretch. He has
been a handful. Since Halloween. Since Wen Chao. Since everything. He blinks away the hot
tears forming in his eyes. He doesn't think his ego can take it if Jiang Cheng sees him cry
over what was supposed to be a joke.
"Okay," he whispers.

Jiang Cheng picks it up anyway. A beautiful brother. Knowing him so well. A curse. Jiang
Cheng sighs, turning to face Wei Ying. "Don't. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm
teasing–"

"I know. I'm just–I didn't mean to. Make you worry all the time."

Jiang Cheng scoffs. "I'm your brother. It's my job to worry about you and Jie. And it's your
job to worry about me and Jie. And Jie's job is to worry about us. I'm not mad at you for
some sicko continuously thinking you two have a thing. I'm not mad at you because he
decided to hurt you. You just don't seem to realize it's okay that you're allowed to be upset."

"I am upset–"

"But the only time I see that is blind panic, Wei Ying. You're not letting yourself be mad. Or
acknowledging that he hurt you. You say what he did, but today was the first time you said
what he did to you."

" This is a very deep conversation to be having at two in the morning," Wei Ying says. Jiang
Cheng scoffs, rolling onto his side.

"You're terrible. Go to bed. Lieutenant He wants to visit. She's–she's bringing a lawyer. In

case this goes to court."

"Court?"

"You know how it is. Wen Chao is a motherfucker. It'll be okay, gege. And you can go back
to school with a nice new attitude and not be failing. And not talking to Jin Guangshan.
Motherfucker."
Wei Ying blinks, pushing the rag lower over his eyes. "Okay," he whispers. "I'm tired now.
Go to sleep."

Jiang Cheng snorts, kicking him lightly. His feet are cold.

Wei Ying sleeps.

His ring is a present weight on his hand.

Wei Ying does, contrary to what his family thinks, like sleeping a healthy amount of hours.
He does. When he can do the eight hours, it's great. He's great. Fabulous and amazing. Lan
Zhan certainly put him to sleep at a reasonable time most days. There are days, even if he
won't necessarily say it, where he simply lays in bed and stares at the ceiling, waiting to get
tired.

Those are the worst nights, but they're rare and don't come often.

Or like, scratch that, these are the worst nights.

Because Wei Ying dreams, and the dreams are always never good.

It starts innocuous enough. Prim and nice. He's sitting with Lan Zhan, quietly and sweetly.
He's perfect, and Wei Ying wants to kiss him.

Talk.

Touch and feel.

Wei Ying reaches out to run a thumb down his face. To swipe his cheekbone, a show of
affection. His hand passes right through him. He pulls back, jumpy, and tries again. He passes
through Lan Zhan.

Again.

And again.

Over.

And over.

He can't grab him.

Touch him.

He wants to.

And the whole time, Lan Zhan doesn't regard him.

Doesn't look. Won't.

Wei Ying breathes in deep.

"Lan Zhan," he whines, trying to swipe his hair back. He likes Lan Zhan's hair. It's long, soft,
and shiny. He likes running his fingers through it. And touching it. Kissing it. Holding and
pulling it. He keeps it in a ponytail most days, but on a rare occasion when he's feeling nice,
Lan Zhan braids it. Those are Wei Ying's favorite days.

Look at me.

Look at me.

Look at me.

Look at me.

Please.

Lan Zhan–baobei.

Please.

He tries to run his hands over his face one more time.

It connects, and Wei Ying chokes out a victorious laugh. Lan Zhan is warm. So warm. Wei
Ying loves him.

And then Lan Zhan grabs him. By the face. Except it's not gentle like him. There is nothing
gentle about the way he's being held.

It hurts. He thinks.
For a moment, Lan Zhan's face melts. And changes. And droops.

And then Wei Ying is shoved, hard and fast. The fingers tighten on his face until he audibly
hears it cracking.

Lan Zhan is on him.

Straddling him.

Wei Ying panics.

The hand moves, pushing hard on his chest until he feels and hears and sees his chest break.
Nothing bleeds. Lan Zhan's body is disappearing, melting and leaving, leaving nothing.

Wei Ying moves to grab him, and Lan Zhan slips through his fingers.

Something flashes, and then Wei Ying feels weight settle on his stomach. There's a hand on
his face, holding him down hard. He can't move his head. But the garbled voice ringing in his
head is recognizable.

It wavers, and softens, words mix together and then stretch apart.

Wen Chao's face is melting. It's hot, acidic, burning. Wherever he's being touched, Wei Ying
is burning. He can see the steam curling, the bone that's appearing under his skin.

There's no blood.

Something clicks.
There's–

It's a camera click.

Wei Ying freezes.

And stays still.

As his organs are exposed.

His ribs.

Lungs.

Stomach.

Heart.

There's no pain, but Wei Ying feels he should be screaming. The words Wen Chao's melting
face are spewing are incoherent screaming and babbling. None of it makes sense. Hazily, Wei
Ying feels something in his hand. He feels, mapping out tiny details.

It's a key.

His keys.
He breathes in, sharp and high, when Wen Chao tightens his grip. It's so sudden Wei Ying
flinches, bringing his key up to meet flesh. Anywhere. Somehow.

It's a miraculous surprise when the keys make contact with Wei Ying's own throat, messy and
jagged. He cries out, tossing his keys away and simply watches as his blood stains the
nothingness around him. He moves his hands–

His hands.

They're bloody.

And it's his.

A terrifying giddiness works its way out of him, laughing and gasping.

Wen Chao, burning and acidic still, looks at him with an apathetic gaze. Nothing is noted.
Wei Ying wriggled, trying to move as he bleeds.

There is nothing.

And then Wen Chao sinks his hands inside the burning pools that expose Wei Ying's lungs.

And it burns.

And he screams.

And screams.
And screams.

A continuous cycle.

Of agony.

Torment.

Fear

Visceral and aching.

Wei Ying screams and claws.

His blood matches his hair.

It's comedic irony, Wei Ying's brain supplies through the hazy feel of Wen Chao burning
through him.

It's agony.

Wei Ying sobs.

And then Wen Chao lunges, and Wei Ying feels his throat burning.

He screams, loud and visceral–

"--Ying! Wei Ying!"

He doesn't want to open his eyes. Not now. Not ever. The feeling of burning isn't there, but
he's terrified to open his eyes and look at his torso. The organs that he exposed. His throat. He
breathes, the hands shaking him moving away when Wei Ying's breath comes out whiney.

He moves, reaching towards his throat to check. Nothing.

It's dry. No blood.

He pats his torso. No pain. Nothing. He's there and whole.

"Wei Ying?"

He breathes in deep, releases it, and slowly opens his eyes. His lashes are clumped together,
thick with tears unshed. Jiang Cheng leans over him, eyebrows furrowed together. Wei Ying
glances at him, then winces at the headache forming.

"Do you need me to get–?"

"No," Wei Ying moans out. "No, don't get them. It's fine, it'll pass. What time–?"

"Like, six-thirty. I have to leave soon. Dad has to drive me and my first lecture is early. I can
hold off?"
Wei Ying furrows his eyebrows and glares at his brother. "Don't you dare. I'll be fine. I just–
need a second. Go back to sleep if you need to, didi."

"You were crying."

"Astute observation."

"You were crying. Do you want to talk about it?"

Wei Ying sighs, then sits up and catches the washcloth as it falls from his forehead. It's cold,
so Madame Yu must've woken him up at some point to change it, which he doesn't remember,
and he went back down quickly. He looks to his brother, then shakes his head.

"Not now," is all he says.

"At some point?"

"When I get a therapist, didi. They can hear me complain so you don't have to worry."

Jiang Cheng doesn't seem convinced, but sits up and scoots Wei Ying over so he can get up.
He looks at Wei Ying, raising an eyebrow. "You can go back to sleep. I'll tell mom you're
waking up okay."

"Didi?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm hungry."
The widest smile breaks out on Jiang Cheng’s face.

They make omelets. Wei Ying eats it.

It is Madame Yu who decides to sit in with Wei Ying when Lieutenant He and the lawyer,
who he is delighted to see is none other than Lan freaking Qiren, arrive at the Jiang house at
noon. Lieutenant He is glad to see him well, and subtly compliments the key-wound which
still is a nasty wound, and assures him no one has been giving Wen Chao any slack in
holding.

Lan Qiren regards Wei Ying for a moment. Wei Ying met him a few times, he picked Lan
Zhan up many days when Wei Ying teased him, but he's not sure if he knows he and his
wonderful nephew are dating. At all. He tries to keep it neutral, smiling and nodding in
greeting. Instead, Lan Qiren goes straight for the throat, surprising Wei Ying with his sudden
choice of words.

"I hear you and my nephew," he begins, "have decided to be together."

"Is that an issue?" Wei Ying says, shuffling his feet.

Lan Qiren stares. Then sighs. "As much as I was hoping he'd meet a less rambunctious
significant other, you are not the worst he could've chosen. I assume he treats you well?"

Wei Ying smiles, wide and big. "Very. A respectful Lan to the last, hm? He's so cheesy, it
hurts."

Madame Yu sighs from her chair, sending Wei Ying a glare that doesn't quite hold much fury.
He laughs in apology, then moves to sit in the chair next to hers while Lieutenant He and Lan
Qiren take the couch. The tension is so thick, Wei Ying could cut it with a knife. Not to
mention, having Madame Yu and Lan Qiren in the same room has Wei Ying a bit eager to
figure out how this will end.

He finds out, rather quickly, it ends with Wei Ying very tired, recounting details, and
dreading if Wen Chao says he didn't do anything wrong.

It starts out simple.

"He's being arraigned tomorrow morning," Lieutenant He says. "The charges are laid out, and
he can plead. You're more than welcome to be there to see the outcome."

"And if he says he didn't do anything?" Wei Ying says, drawing his knees up. "That's–I have
to testify, right?"

Lieutenant He sighs, then crosses her legs and nods. "If he pleads not guilty, you will be
asked to testify, yes. You aren't legally required to, but it'd be best if you did. That includes
any evidence we've collected being submitted. Your interview. The medical records. From
your assault and the concussion. Testimony from your friends. The voicemails and gifts.
You'll have to tell the court what he's done."

Wei Ying sighs, then rubs a hand down his face. "And he'll be in there?"

"The court officers will ensure he does nothing, Wei Ying," Lan Qiren states. "We will have
to prepare you, in the case this goes in front of a jury."

Madame Yu sniffs. "Wen Chao is from a rich family. I will not risk my family's safety over a
delusional man. Is there a case where he could submit bail? At any amount? I have two
children here to protect, and would rather the mongrel rot in a cell until trial over him
walking freely. My son still goes to school, and I'm sure Wei Ying would die cooped up here
much longer. He's like a plant in that regard."

"Why a plant?" Wei Ying whispers.

Madame Yu simply sighs. "It means, Wei Ying, you are a social creature who very much
enjoys not being huddled in a house seven days a week. I would much rather you not droop
all over my house like a depressed plant." At that, Wei Ying quietly snorts into his sleeve.

Lan Qiren shakes his head. "Wen Chao has no priors, with a father that donates money to
many areas, including the university. With no record at all, and a less assumed flight risk, I
would assume most judges will set a lower bail. I am not prepared to go down without
pushing his danger. And if a bail is set, an automatic order of protection is granted to Wei
Ying. Wen Chao will not be allowed near him, your family, or the school, Madame Yu.
Should he be seen, he will be held until his trial. It would be in his best interest, in all
honesty, to stay away."

Wei Ying blinks, then sighs and rubs his eyes. "Okay. Okay, that's fine. Back to testifying. I
don't remember. The assault. That's not gonna mess it up, will it?"

"Not at all," Lieutenant He reassures. "I'll be very frank with you, Wei Ying; testifying is
rough. Very rough, and tiring. You'll be asked questions that you may not know the answer
to, or defense may try to twist the narrative."

"A weak lawyer if they have to twist having a drugged victim be able to consent to that
wretch," Madame Yu says.

Lan Qiren sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The defense may play it as Wen Chao
didn't know about the GHB drugging. That someone else slipped it, and that Wei Ying
consented. In that event, Wen Chao's defense may say he had consensual sexual activity with
Wei Ying, with no knowledge of him being drugged."

"They can do that?" Wei Ying says, hands digging into his knees. "I didn't. I wouldn't. I
swear–"

"We know, hun. And believe me, that defense lawyer may believe that too, but they have a
client and a job and will not let you simply slide by," Lieutenant He says, raising her hands to
calm him down. "They're going to twist every part of the narrative using the facts Wen Chao
and we offer to keep him from prison. That includes asking you or Wen Chao questions that
may get results that help him."

Lan Qiren frowns. "This is still hypothetical, too. Wei Ying, he may plead guilty."

"He won't. He's delusional. Majorly. He thinks we had a thing, and then he–" Wei Ying
covers his mouth. "I think he was listening. To me. My phone. I broke it when I fell. He said
Lan Zhan was my boyfriend and we never told many people because I was worried–"

"Do you still have your phone?" He asks, standing quietly. When Wei Ying nods, she sighs in
relief, then places her hands on her hips. "Can you bring it to me? If there's still something,
we can try and see if there is anything. If there's not, we still have to sweep yours and his
homes. We can see if he has anything."

"Yeah, yeah. I can get it. Now?"

"If you would, please. We'll get out of your hair after. I'm sure these last two days have
been…exhausting."

He nods, then forces himself to stand as he goes to get the busted phone he's wrapped up in
one of Jiang Cheng's jackets. He was still anxious if it could still pick up any conversations at
all, so it was stuck in the hallway closet, up in a ceiling storage space. Quiet and dark. And it
was dead, so he was hoping nothing had been picked up. Experimentally, Wei Ying
whispered a small, "Fuck you," to the bundle in his hands, returning to the living room where
the three adults sat. When he hands it to Lieutenant He, she smiles and nods.

"Thank you, Wei Ying. I'm sure we'll get this sorted out. Mr. Lan is an exceptional lawyer
with a high conviction rate. I'm sure you'll get your justice."

Wei Ying smiles tiredly and bows in thanks. "I appreciate that, Mr. Lan. Lieutenant He.
Thank you."
Madame Yu gives a stiff nod of her head from her chair. "I assume we will receive updates
and inquiries if needed?"

Lan Qiren nods. "To prepare Wei Ying in the case of testimony, yes. It may be that your son
will be asked as well, ma'am. If you have any questions, either of you, my office will direct
the calls to me as quickly as possible. I will answer as soon as possible. Do not hesitate to
ask. Wei Ying, if you remember anything you may think is important, even if small, please
don't keep it to yourself." The card Lan Qiren hands him is neat, typed professionally with a
nice cloud symbol below his name.

"Thank you. I see why Lan Zhan wants to be like you, sir. So professional." He huffs a small
laugh, watching Lan Qiren's face twist into one of embarrassment.

"Hm! Of course!" After a moment, he sighs. "I suppose I cannot condemn his choice of
partners. I promise, I will do everything I can. I do not think you will be leaving my family
quite so soon, so I must make a good impression."

"Is this familial teasing sprinkled into this case?"

"It would appear it is."

Lieutenant He chuckles, then reaches over to shake Madame Yu's hand. "If you need
anything, Wei Ying has my contact. I always answer."

"Of course. I will make sure everything is done as needed," Madame Yu says, voice clear and
confident. "Assure he has no chance of getting out before I am dead."

"Ah. I like your type of vengeance, Madame Yu. My department leaves no mercy for people
like Wen Chao."

With a small hum, Madame Yu's lip twitches. "I will hold you to it. My family shouldn't be
threatened by a brainless slug such as that child. I will reach out should I have concerns."
Lieutenant He smiles, then nods to Wei Ying. "Have a good day, Wei Ying. I'm a call away."

"Thank you, Lieutenant He. I appreciate that."

Madame Yu makes Wei Ying help her with lunch. It's weird, being the only two people in the
house. Typically, she makes no attempts to interact with Wei Ying, so she leaves him alone to
do as he pleases, and he doesn't attract her attention. Before now, at least. She makes him
chop vegetables for the soup she's making, a tense silence hanging between them as she
cooks.

"When were you going to tell us?" she asks suddenly. Wei Ying pauses, then goes back to
work slowly.

"About what specifically, Madame Yu?"

"Don't play coy. About any of it, Wei Ying. The stalking. The harassment. My children did
not tell me a thing because you told them not to. If you had, the situation wouldn't have
become worse." She sighs, turning the stove on. "You've put my children, my grandson, into
a situation like this. When did you plan to tell us? Were you ever going to tell us?"

"I–I thought I had it handled. Nothing happened."

"You were assaulted and then given a concussion. Many things happened, Wei Ying." He can
hear the anger leaking into her voice. Raw and cold. "Do not say what you've hidden is
nothing. I told you yesterday, helplessness is not weakness. You assume you are to suffer. I
do not like being lied to. I do not like things hidden from me. Why do you push to not let
your family help you?"
Wei Ying grips the knife in his hands, then turns his face to his shoulder. "If you knew," he
begins, breathing in. "If you knew, I thought you would say it was my fault. Or that it was a
lie. I panicked. With freshman year and this year. Permission to speak freely, Madame Yu?"

"We are cooking soup, Wei Ying. Speak as freely as you'd like."

"I am very aware of my standing with you. You don't–I know you don't like me. I was
worried you'd think me weak and stupid or wouldn't believe me because of it. And I didn't
want to bother you. I didn't even know if you'd offer support. And…and I know if it was
Jiang Cheng or Shijie, you'd burn anyone for them. And I admire that. But I didn't want to
become a point of anger from you. Because I couldn't do anything."

The kitchen is silent, save for the repeated thunk of Wei Ying's knife hitting the chopping
board. It feels bitter, spilling his feelings to Madame Yu like this. He knows she offers little
softness in life. He's never seen softness from her. And he's not asking for her to pity him or
be soft with him. He would never ask that of her.

He hears her sigh behind him. "Wei Ying," she says. He prepares himself, tensing his
shoulders. "You were drugged, correct?"

"Yes," he whispers.

"And drunk?"

"Yes."

"You made your stance on his feelings known. And said no. In that case, whatever you said
or did, there was no reason his actions should've turned out as they did. He has stalked,
harassed, hurt, humiliated, and threatened you. I see no weakness. I see a fool who did not
think I would believe him."

"Do you?" Wei Ying whispers.

She scoffs. "Wei Ying, you are a child that draws attention. You have never lied for it,
though. When you told us, I found myself surprised. Not because it seemed false, or I
believed you to be lying. You are a stubborn, foolish child. You understand that?"

He nods, pursing his lips. "Of course."

"A stubborn, foolish child who rarely asks his family to help him. In middle school, you went
one day with a high fever, and told no one because Fengmian and I had meetings and you did
not want to interrupt our schedules. A foolish child. We were called anyway because you then
threw up in class. I had to drive to pick you up. You were miserable, and insisted it was
simply something you ate."

"I remember," he tells her quietly.

He and Jiang Cheng and Shijie had been told the day before he got sick just how important
the meetings were. For both Madame Yu and Uncle Jiang. Wei Ying had nodded along, ready
to listen and be good and do exactly as told, because Madame Yu stressed that nothing could
go wrong at dinner.

Wei Ying woke up dizzy and hot the next morning, and had to be dragged out of bed by Jiang
Cheng. The day went by smoothly until science, around noon, when Wei Ying stumbled out
of the classroom mid-lesson to vomit in the bathroom. Jiang Cheng had found him, curled
over the toilet and retching his guts out. He had begged Jiang Cheng to not tell the teacher,
worrying what Madame Yu would say.

Then, he had thrown up all over his brother's shoes.

The teacher had come, promptly called both Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu, and had Jiang
Cheng change his shoes, and Wei Ying lay in the nurse's office while Jiang Cheng sat with
him. He spent a good twenty minutes worrying his lip, biting it and picking the dry skin off
when she arrived, a swirl of purple coat and anger. He prepared for a tongue lashing, stiff and
staring at her from his cot, but she only grabbed their bags and had Jiang Cheng help Wei
Ying to the car.
The drive had been silent, Madame Yu's nails tapping the steering wheel the whole time.
Jiang Cheng had been just as quiet, rubbing Wei Ying's shoulder the whole way home. Wei
Ying only focused on keeping his lunch down.

He promptly fell asleep on the couch, then woke up later with a cold compress to his head
and a blanket tossed over him, tucked in tight. Jiang Cheng sat on the floor in front of him,
doing homework. When Wei Ying had thanked him, Jiang Cheng just shook his head and
quietly told him to go back to sleep.

It was only a few days later Jiang Cheng had meant he hadn't put the blanket on Wei Ying or
the compress.

"I'm sorry you missed your meeting," he says after a moment.

Madame Yu scoffs again, moving beside him to grab the vegetable he cut up. "A meeting is a
meeting, Wei Ying. I have assistants and coworkers who would've informed me of anything I
had missed. I, however, was not prepared to drive to pick up a sick child so tired he passed
out on my couch."

She dumps the vegetables in her pot, then hands him the board back. Wei Ying takes it,
putting more on the block before he taps the counter in contemplation. She continues, voice
still as strong as ever.

"I tell you this because it seems you hid this from everyone. A-Li didn't even know until the
store. There are reasons to be afraid. Your family should never be a source of that fear for
you."

"Even you?" He says it before his brain can catch up, mouth working fast. Madame Yu
pauses, then turns and looks him in the eyes, steely and cold.

"I will not say I love you as my own child, Wei Ying."
"I don't expect you to," he tells her honestly.

"I will not say I hate you. I will not say I have ever had any desire to see you like this. I will
say you are trying too hard to pretend everything is minimalized. An idiot could see you are
attempting to do so. What has happened is a vile, disgusting thing. To one of the children
under my care–" She pauses to take a deep breath. "What happened is something you had no
control over. You are a strong, stubborn, self-sacrificing child, Wei Ying. A fool. I do not
want to be a cause of fear for you. But my children adore you, my husband adores you. Your
fear is no weakness. Is that understood?"

After a moment, setting aside the cracking feeling giving away in his chest, he feels hot
liquid well in his eyes. He moves to wipe his face with his sleeves. "Okay," he says shakily.
"Okay. Yeah. A big fool with a great family too good for me."

Madame Yu sniffs. "I never said they were too good for you. As much as it pains me to
admit, you are not simply a spare child we took in. Think of them as your equals." She sighs,
and in what he thinks may be reluctant affection, she smooths his askew hair. "If you have
ever heard what my son says about you when you were out doing God knows what, Wei
Ying, you would understand how they see you. Now, chop. Lunch is a good occasion. Can
you eat today?"

He laughs, wet and thick. "I'll try. Thank you, Madame Yu."

"I said nothing that wasn't true. Stupid child."

"I stabbed him in the face," Wei Ying tells her. "With my keys."

She's silent, then a small huff escapes her in what must be a laugh. "All the way through?"

Wei Ying nods. "All the way through."

They're silent again, then Madame Yu does laugh, quiet and low. "As expected of you. I am
disappointed it wasn't his eye. I suppose piercing his cheek will do."

"I'll keep that in mind, Madame Yu."

"Of course you will. Don't miss."

"Never," Wei Ying promises.

Lan Zhan, miraculously and to his utter delight, pops up at two while Madame Yu has him
folding towels. She's quiet, reading on the couch with a cup of tea while he sits on the floor,
comfortable and hair pushed from his face with a stray headband she'd tossed at him.

Familial bonding.

It was going well.

His head felt great, not really but he still wasn't allowed any fucking pain medication so he
had to suck it up. There was an annoying little pain at his temple, still patched with gauze,
that annoyed him a lot. It didn't hurt per se, but it was there and thumping.

Their doorbell rings, and Madame Yu stands, tall and controlled, then glances at his towel
pile. Her lip twitches. "I'm sure you can be faster." It's a hint of a challenge.

"I'm sure, too," he answers.

"Hm. Confident little thing."

He smiles as she walks to the door, then is silent as it opens. A moment later, she stands in
the entryway, eyebrow raised and arms crossed. "It appears," she says, a strange inflection in
her voice, "you have a visitor. Come greet him. Fold your towels in a moment. Have I not
raised you better?"

He pauses, dumping a towel lazily on his pile. She huffs, then rolls her eyes. Wei Ying hides
the smile on his face, then lights up when he sees his boyfriend in the doorway. "Lan Zhan!"
Tossing himself towards his boyfriend, Lan Zhan catches him immediately, arms tight and
sturdy. "I'm so sorry I missed our date! I just–so much happened and you heard and then–"

"Wei Ying," he gently interrupts. "It is okay. No apologies."

Wei Ying sighs, then looks back inside at Madame Yu. She's staring at him, raised eyebrows
and pursed lips. "One moment, please," he tells her.

"Your towel folding time is paused, I suppose." He snickers as he closes the door, stepping
outside with Lan Zhan to sit on the patio in one of the nice chairs the Jiangs keep on it.

"I really did want to go on our date," he tells Lan Zhan.

"I know."

"Are you angry?"

"Yes. But not at Wei Ying."

Wei Ying sighs, pushing his head between his knees. "Too good, Lan Zhan. Too beautiful and
good and sweet and kind and sexy."
"Mm." A gentle kiss to his neck has Wei Ying smiling. "How is your head?"

"Still hurts. Light is still iffy. Come and go. Madame Yu doesn't want me napping and
messing my sleep schedule up too bad, so she has me folding towels or listening to her read
one of Jiang Cheng's textbooks. Pretty wild commentary she gives, Lan Zhan. I've never
heard someone so pissed over a lab report." He laughs softly, then reaches out to hold Lan
Zhan's hand. It's still cold and nice. "It sucks. I was--I was so excited and then the pictures .
Please tell me you didn't see them?"

Lan Zhan squeezes his hands. "I promise, I didn't. Wen Qing and Nie Huaisang asked me not
to when the chat began to talk continuously. It was–I have not seen them. I have no desire to
see them. Or you like that."

Wei Ying nods. "I left, I went to go to the Dean's office, my phone was dead and then the guy
who showed me kept grabbing me so I was pissed, and then Wen Chao grabbed me on the
stairs." Lan Zhan rubs the back of his hand with his thumb ever so gently. "He grabbed me,
and told me I must've–I must've enjoyed what he did to me. That I wanted him to. And then
he grabbed my face and I panicked."

"The hospital?"

"No," Wei Ying says. "No, it was just–his hands on me after seeing the pictures. On my face.
After the bruising. My adrenaline kicked in. Lan Zhan, I fucking stabbed him. In the face. I
think I like, stabbed him and he shoved me down the steps? And then like, I fucking decided
to wander home? Because he was listening to us, Lan Zhan. He knew."

He looks up finally. Lan Zhan is listening sweetly, eyes judgment-free and keeping eye
contact with him. He tilts his head in an invitation for Wei Ying to keep talking.

"I think I am thoroughly done with anything Wen Chao ever. He's–your uncle is the
prosecutor."

A delighted little hum leaves Lan Zhan. "Uncle is good."

"I know. You talk about him all the time. Did you tell him? About us? He made fun of me
earlier." A look of alarm passes Lan Zhan's face. "No! Nothing bad! He was bragging about
wanting to make a good impression on me since apparently I wasn't leaving the family any
time soon. Er-gege, do you talk about marrying me in front of your uncle?"

When Lan Zhan doesn't make eye contact, Wei Ying leans forward, nipping his chin. "Wei
Ying!" Lan Zhan scolds.

Wei Ying smiles softly, running his hands up to hold Lan Zhan's face. "You wanna marry me,
Lan Zhan? Hm? You wanna kiss me in front of all your Lan relatives and see me dressed like
a pretty bride?"

He pushes Lan Zhan's face towards him, then gently kisses his bottom lip. Lan Zhan's ears
are red, and Wei Ying smiles against his lips.

"Can I please have an answer?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"I have told my uncle I wish to marry you," he finishes quietly. "And Brother."

"So the rings were a mini proposal?"

"Yes."

"How cheesy."
"You liked cheesy, I thought."

"I do, very much. Kisses, please."

Lan Zhan indulges him, teeth lightly scraping his lips as he pulls Wei Ying into a kiss. It's
sweet, soft, and Lan Zhan's lips taste minty. Wei Ying kisses the corner of Lan Zhan's lip,
quiet and soft. Lan Zhan draws a hand up to ruffle his hair, then nips his chin.

"Hm. Beautifully done. I love you. Like you a lot, Lan Zhan." He kisses the underside of his
chin once more, smiling against Lan Zhan's skin. "Made for me from the gods, Lan Zhan. I
swear."

"Mm. Wei Ying is just too good. I am proud of you, Wei Ying. So exceedingly proud of you."

Wei Ying laughs, burying his face into Lan Zhan's shoulder. "Nothing to really be proud of,
Lan Zhan. I just–meander along like a plant."

"A plant?"

"Sorry, Madame Yu made it make sense. I'm–I'm a plant." He laughs again.

"Mm. You are doing something brave, Wei Ying. It takes much courage to face an abuser.
You are doing beautifully." A kiss to his head, then a hand circling his cheek. "You will do
everything well. You have done everything well. I am glad you trust me like this."

"Mm. You did want to be a person I felt safe with."

Lan Zhan huffs. "Mm. You have people that love you very much, Wei Ying. So much. I am
simply one of them. Your brother and sister. Mianmian, Wen Qing, Professor Xue, Wen Ning
and Huaisang. We all are proud of you."

"You can't say such things so suddenly, Lan Zhan," he whispers.

"Mm. Then I will say them slowly."

"God, you're a fucking comedian now."

"Of course. Wei Ying?"

"Hm?"

"I love you. I am very proud of you. For everything you have been able to do. And for
everything you will do."

Wei Ying smiles, leaning into Lan Zhan. He smells like sandalwood. "I love you, too. Can
you–would it be too much if I asked you to come with me tomorrow? Wen Chao…Wen Chao
is pleading tomorrow and–"

Lan Zhan lifts his head up, kissing him softly. "Of course. I will be with you if you'd like."

"Yes please."

"Okay. Okay."
Wen Chao is arraigned the next day. Wei Ying listens, quietly with his family, as the charges
are read, as Wen Chao pleads not guilty. Wei Ying shakes in his seat when bail is set.

The judge doesn't find Wen Chao a flight risk.

No priors.

No reason to deny him bail.

The defense confidently says Wen Chao can be bailed out that day.

Wei Ying stands quietly to leave, and Wen Chao turns and stares at him.

Wei Ying vomits in the bathroom.

Twice.

Lan Zhan finds him, on the floor and using his jacket to cover his head from the headache
forming.

Small whispers of reassurance are the only thing he hears when his brother and Uncle Jiang
find them, curled up together on the dirty bathroom floor, Wei Ying crying into Lan Zhan's
shoulder.

Wei Ying should've stabbed Wen Chao in his fucking eyes.

 Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Summary

Get a therapist, Wei Ying.

People love you, Wei Ying.

Chapter Notes

TW for the following: talks of trauma and trauma responses, eating troubles, boundary
talk, and overall discussions of mental health and healthy eating/body care, sexual
assault talk

An easier chapter, slowing down. Letting Wei Ying vent. We're reaching our climax and
it's a doozy, folks! I am simultaneously sorry and not.

Wei Ying is not having a good day. Not at all. The car ride home is somber, mixed with
Madame Yu's ranting and Uncle Jiang's quiet reassurance that it will turn out okay. Wei Ying
is much less soothed by the strong voice. Lan Zhan rides sort of awkwardly, stuck between
Wei Ying's sulkiness and Jiang Cheng's anger.

When they get home, Wei Ying drags Lan Zhan to the couch, he comes very willingly, and
holds him while Wei Ying just sits with his eyes closed. It's quiet.

His family moves softly when they note Wei Ying pulls his jacket over his head again, face
buried deep into Lan Zhan's shoulder. He is less than amused to be stuck in a situation like
this. Where he will have to tell a whole court about Wen Chao's creepy behavior, threatening
his nephew, Halloween , the concussion. They'll show Wei Ying's pictures of the injuries of
the assault. The bruises and bites. He'll have to tell them everything. And then listen as Wen
Chao says he didn't do any of that. That he didn't drug him or forcefully try and assault him.

Wei Ying sighs, deep and long, and then feels Lan Zhan run a soothing hand down his back.
It's always so nice. His hands tighten in Lan Zhan's sweater, soft and woven so tightly. Then,
he moves his hand down to wind his hand with Lan Zhan's. Lan Zhan sighs, then noses Wei
Ying's head.

"Are you able to eat, baobei?"

"Hm?" Wei Ying hums. "I don't know. I'm–can you just sit here for a second with me?
Please?"

"Of course. Would it help for me to stay? To get you to try to eat? Just a bit?" Lan Zhan asks
softly, pressing careful lips to his head. Wei Ying sighs, then lifts his head to stare at him.

"You're terrible, you know that?"

"Does that mean you'll try?"

Wei Ying scrunches his nose. "I suppose. If you kiss me."

Lan Zhan indulges Wei Ying sweetly, carefully, pressing soft kisses to his forehead, the
corner of his lips, the tip of his nose, and then two soft ones on his eyelids. "Kisses done. Eat,
please."

"So demanding, er-gege."

Jiang Cheng gags behind Wei Ying. "You two are awful. Disgustingly so. Lan Zhan, come
help me cook lunch. Your boyfriend isn't allowed in the kitchen. If he does, he adds all sorts
of shitty spices and then makes it inedible, and he can't hold cereal down that well so the last
thing we need is him chucking it up because his stomach decided to fuck off with all the
spice."

"You both are awful," Wei Ying complains, whining and digging his face back into Lan
Zhan's shoulder. "I am depressed and stressed and supposed to be pampered, not insulted."
Madame Yu scoffs from her place in the kitchen, tapping a can with her nails. "If you wanted
pampering, why are you here?" Wei Ying smiles. "I can hear your smile, Wei Ying. If you
would like to eat as you so claim, let the boy up. If he is dating you, he still needs appraised."

Wei Ying squints, turning around in his spot on Lan Zhan to stare at her. "You're judging my
boyfriend? On his cooking?"

She frowns, narrowing her eyes. "No, I'm judging if he is as good as the Lan name should be.
Come here then, boy. Let's see precisely what you're made of!"

Lan Zhan quirks an eyebrow up, and Wei Ying sees his lip twitch. He pats Wei Ying's thigh,
sending Wei Ying carefully to the side. Giving one more kiss to Wei Ying's temple, Lan Zhan
steps over to the kitchen, Madame Yu giving him orders, directing him to where things are,
and then giving him a once-over from head to toe. She snorts, then closes her eyes and turns
away.

So far so good.

Possibly.

He watches quietly from the couch as Lan Zhan, ever polite and ever perfect, is judged by
Madame Yu as he cuts carrots and quietly tells her about his classes. Wei Ying loves him.
He's handsome, sweet, super great. Madame Yu's eyebrow goes up as he talks, and Wei Ying
watches him slowly melt into a professional tone with her. Jiang Cheng watches over Lan
Zhan's shoulder at the carrots he's cutting, then looks at Wei Ying with a scrutinizing gaze.

Wei Ying loves Lan Zhan so much.

He must fall asleep, leaning over in an awkward position on the couch, because he's awake
next, tiny hands patting his knees and something cold pressed to his forehead. He whines
when a hand, the same tiny hands, pokes his forehead, sending a cold washcloth down into
his hands.
"A-Ling! Let your Da-jiu sleep! We talked about this, his head has a boo-boo."

Wei Ying opens an eye. Then he sits up, and is looking his beautiful, amazing, wonderful
sister in the eyes. "Shijie!"

"A-Ying! Hello, didi!" She leans down, warm and sweet and beautiful, and hugs him. A-Ling
in her arms joins them, patting a hand on Wei Ying's cheek. "Ah, A-Cheng called me and
asked me to come over. We wanted to give you a little space. How do you feel?"

Wei Ying hums, sitting up all the way. "I've been better, Shijie. It's fine. I don't–did I miss
lunch? I promised Lan Zhan–"

"No! Jiujiu and everyone went to eat outside!" A-Ling supplies.

Wei Ying looks at Shijie, eyebrows raised and she smiles. "A-Ling had to come in to wash
his hands. We didn’t mean to wake you up, A-Ying. They hadn't started when we got here. If
you want to wash your hands and join us?" A-Ling grabs Wei Ying's hands, giving a sharp
pull. He stands, giving his nephew a kiss and then hugging his sister again.

"Yeah. I kind of left Lan Zhan alone and I don't know how they're treating him. Is–is he
alive?"

Shijie gives a mischievous smile, eyes crinkling. He loves her so much. "When I saw, your
A-Zhan seemed to be doing well enough. Mom and Dad are…taking a well enough liking? I
think he and Mom are debating business affairs."

"He's having a debate with Madame Yu and living?"

"It would appear so, A-Ying."

Wei Ying smiles, then rubs his cheeks. "Shijie?"

"Hm?"

"I wanna marry him so bad."

True to Shijie's words, his family has set up a table outside, salad and noodles prepped. It
does seem Madame Yu has judged Lan Zhan to be a well enough partner, because she's
continuing a chat with him as he eats, discussing his business plans and his future as a
lawyer. Wei Ying watches for a moment as they talk, Lan Zhan stiff and proper, hands folded
on the table, and Madame Yu confident and tall. He smiles, then skips over and grabs Lan
Zhan from behind, greeting the table.

"Hello! I'm sorry to leave you alone, Lan Zhan! Don't be angry."

"Not angry. Your family is…lively." Lan Zhan takes one of his hands, kissing it, then pulls
Wei Ying to take a seat next to him. His own bowl has been prepped, a smaller serving inside,
and peppers set to the side. "We did not want to wake you. It seems you needed it."

"I think I would've liked to eat a little more, Lan Zhan." Wei Ying rubs his ankle with his
foot, smiling. "You and Madame Yu are getting along?"

Madame Yu snorts, sliding a bowl of noodles towards A-Ling and Shijie, then wipes her
hands with a napkin as she starts to eat. "He is a bright young man, Wei Ying. I see no issue
with his potential as a lawyer, nor as a good partner for you." She pauses, then glances at
him. "He talks of you quite fondly."

Wei Ying looks at Lan Zhan, grinning. "I'm very aware."

Jiang Cheng frowns, then kicks him under the table. "Quit talking like that. You two are
nasty."

Wei Ying frowns, stuffing a pepper in his mouth. "You're not allowed to bully me right now.
We talked about this." Jiang Cheng scowls harder, and Wei Ying looks away. The table is
pretty silent.

Shijie breaks that silence. "Have–are you planning to go back to school while you wait for
trial, A-Ying?" she asks as she helps A-Ling right his hold on his fork. "I've heard your senior
exhibit theme is coming along? You decided on one?"

He hums, wiping his hands on his napkin. "I have a theme. The professor is worried about it
sticking."

"Are you painting naked people?" Jiang Cheng asks. Wei Ying and Shijie send him matching
looks.

"No, I'm not painting naked people. I do enough of that and it's boring. It's a surprise, because
if I tell any of you, you'll freak out and I'll be seeing that therapist faster." He shrugs. "I still
have to present compositions and stuff, but the professor said it was okay to do."

"And we haven't seen?" Shijie says.

"No. You won't see until I'm done. They're big canvases too. A lot of money. A lot of paint."
Jiang Cheng frowns again, slurping his noodles. Madame Yu sends him a look. Wei Ying
quickly realizes the tension happening, bubbling up at the table. "You know, if you guys have
questions, shoot. I'm not going to die if you ask."

A-Ling immediately raises his hand, waving it. "Da-jiu! Me! Me first! Are your paintings
going to be of dinosaurs? Or robots? Can I help? Is that allowed?" The table chuckles, Shijie
pinching her son's cheek fondly and Uncle Jiang smoothing his hair.
"No," Wei Ying tells him. "My paintings are very scary, super big, super awesome, no robots
though. And no, if you helped me it would be cheating. And cheating is very bad. Awful.
Terrible. Your Da-jiu can't cheat. Because that's wrong."

"Oh. Sorry."

"You can help me with a painting without cheating, though. Excellent question."

"Are you going to be okay to testify?" Jiang Cheng asks next. Wei Ying purses his lips at
him. "You said to ask, don't glare at me. It's a legit question. And…and if you're not, the law
says you don't have to. They can't force or subpoena you to do it."

"What's a subpoena?" A-Ling says, tapping Shijie on the arm.

"A subpoena," Lan Zhan says, quiet and even, "is something a lawyer can apply for. It means
a person has to come to court to tell the court something they know, or they have to hand
something over. It means a person can't deny doing it." Wei Ying nudges his ribs, soft smile
and heart beating quick. "If Wei Ying doesn't want to tell a judge something that happened,
he is in a special position to deny doing it."

"Oh!" A-Ling nods thoughtfully, then taps his hands on the table. Shijie nudges his fork back
into his hands. "So, Da-jiu doesn't have to tell anyone?"

"Mm. Very smart. A judge can't force your Da-jiu to talk. Very special circumstances." Wei
Ying sends Lan Zhan a thankful glance, then coughs.

"I can do it. I'm just–it was weird enough telling you guys and you didn't hear details. Then to
have a whole court decide if I'm lying or something?" He whistles, then slides in his seat.
"Like, it's wild and crazy and then when I do do it, you're going to see–" He pauses, then
sighs. "Pictures, and–and other stuff. Voicemail transcripts. They're not good."
Uncle Jiang smiles, eyebrows softening. "A-Ying, we're your family. We're not in a position
to judge any part of you like that. If it is embarrassment you are worried about, that's okay.
I'm sure it'll turn out well. He most certainly chose wrong by not pleading guilty." The table
is silent, save for A-Ling’s mindless babbling as he eats. Wei Ying purses his lips, then blinks
and smiles.

"Okay. That's fine. It's fine. Thank you." It's sudden and even Wei Ying realizes how out of
the blue it is. Madame Yu's gaze is cold on his face as he finishes his peppers, then nudges
Lan Zhan. "And in any case, I'm sure this shitsho–"

"Language, Wei Ying," Uncle Jiang says, glancing towards A-Ling. Wei Ying snorts.

"--not very good time will turn out fine. I'm not worried. Not at all."

"Wei Ying is repeating himself," Lan Zhan supplies, setting his tools down and pushing his
bowl forward. "And has not touched his noodles."

Shijie glances over at his bowl, then knits her brows together. "We can give you something
else, A-Ying. Do you want soup? Or dumplings? We can--A-Ying?"

"Hm?"

"You're crying, stupid," Jiang Cheng says, tossing his clean napkin at Wei Ying. He catches
it, feeling warm liquid hit his wrist. He hadn't realized.

"Oh," he says. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to ruin lunch–"

"Stop apologizing!" Madame Yu scolds, standing up. She opens the door, stepping inside, and
comes back a moment later with a cup of water. When she hands it to him, he sniffs, and Lan
Zhan takes the glass from him so he doesn't drop it. "You apologize for things out of your
control. Today was hard for you. Let yourself be upset!"
He stares at her, mind whirling, and A-Ling tugs his sleeve. "Da-jiu, you're sad?"

Wei Ying feels his lip wobble, then laughs. "Yeah, your Da-jiu is very sad, baobei. It's not
cool I'm crying, hm?"

"Oh. I cried, too."

Shijie blinks, leaning over to make eye contact with her son. "When? Today?"

A-Ling shakes his head. "No. When I lied to Jiujiu and Da-jiu. About the doctor? When I got
shots, I cried. And then I said I didn't." He pats Wei Ying on the arm, lip wobbling. "Don't
cry, please. It's okay, but please don't."

Oh, he loves his nephew. Wei Ying sniffs, then wipes his face. Lan Zhan hands him his water
glass, and Wei Ying laughs, wet and thick. "Okay, A-Ling. Your Da-jiu won't cry. So cute,
hm? I'm sorry for crying."

Shijie and Jiang Cheng sigh, and Madame Yu shakes her head.

"Never apologize for being sad, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan says quietly.

Madame Yu snorts. "It would do you good to stop. We have said you're like a plant. Plants
retain their water, Wei Ying. They don't expell it."

Wei Ying laughs, then breathes in and sits up straighter. "Okay. You're all so good to me.
Once I can stare at a screen again, I expect many pictures to be taken on the cool new phone
er-gege is buying me."
Shijie laughs, bouncing A-Ling up and down. "Whatever my A-Ying wants, hm? He is only
three years old."

Madame Yu huffs and looks away. Jiang Cheng copies the movement, but kicks Wei Ying
under the table affectionately, while Uncle Jiang just smiles and nods. Lan Zhan grabs his
hand, gives it a gentle squeeze, and smiles.

"Whatever Wei Ying wants."

Wei Ying looks over at him, a sly smile appearing as he leans in close and whispers to him.
Lan Zhan's ears turn red, eyes widening. Shijie raises an eyebrow and Jiang Cheng gags in
his seat.

"Wei Ying!" comes the scolding tone. He simply laughs, then finally digs into his noodles.

They're cold.

They're soggy.

They're so good.

He cries again, but no one scolds him.

When lunch is over, his bowl is empty.

The next week has the entire Jiang family on edge. Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying do go back to
school after four days. Wei Ying tries. He goes to class, he draws, his senior exhibit is being
planned, he sits in the cafeteria with Lan Zhan and Huaisang when Lan Zhan isn't available.
It's okay. Huaisang brings him red velvet cake the day he and Jiang Cheng get back, and Wei
Ying fucking worships him.

Huaisang is quite a blessing, honestly. Wei Ying hugs him and twirls him, which gets
Huaisang giggling like a toddler and Jiang Cheng leaving with the cake to find a table. Wei
Ying wails, following his brother. He wants the cake. Like, actually. He's been coached like a
little kid to try and eat better, and while he's getting there, it's still weird.

But he does want cake. Very much. Cake is good. And Wei Ying is hungry.

So Jiang Cheng won't deny him any food now when he's willingly off to try and eat some
cake.

Then, Huaisang brings more.

Every day.

After a week, Wei Ying discovers it's a ploy. A plot. He can't be mad at Huaisang, not really.
Especially after the photo debacle, some people are still talking about them, when Huaisang
and Wen Qing dragged roughly five students who shared the photos, including Su She who
Wei Ying later found out filmed the video, to the Dean's. To Wei Ying's utter delight, those
five students had been removed from premises, kicked out, and denied reapplication.

Wei Ying silently nodded his approval, while Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow at Huaisang, in
either fear or admiration. "You work fast, Huaisang," was the only comment made before he
tried to snatch some of Wei Ying's cake. He pulled it away quickly, kicking his brother in the
ribs for the trouble.

Huaisang merely laughed, then fanned himself with his hand. "I work quickly to seek justice.
And like, shut me the fuck up if you don't wanna spill, Yingying; how's that going?"
Wei Ying shrugs, forcing a wedge of cake in his mouth. "It goes. Fucker is out on bail. I am
less than happy. Trial is like, at some point in a long time. Frankly, I wouldn't say I'm excited
to hear him tell a courtroom he didn't do anything to me or my family." He snatches a napkin
from Jiang Cheng and slides down in his seat. "I need a vacation after all of this. I've heard
that people who do trials end up like, completely fucking wiped. I'm wiped and mine hasn't
started."

"It's not yours, dumbass. It's Wen Chao's. No one is gonna find him innocent of anything,"
Jiang Cheng supplies, patting Wei Ying's shoulder. "It'll turn out fine."

Wei Ying snorts. "Yeah, that's what everyone has been telling me. But, no. He's out. On bail.
Because his fucking family could pay for it. And he's going to tell a fucking court that he
didn't do anything, and I'm going to have to sit there and listen to it. Respectfully, my darling
adorable baby brother, it's not gonna be fine. Okay? Don't sit and tell me it's fine, please. My
poor heart can't take that." He sighs, leaning his head on the table. "Don't be mad at me,
please."

Huaisang pats his hand across the table, and Jiang Cheng sighs, then leans in and pushes his
weight onto Wei Ying. "No one's mad at you for being upset, dumbass. You're doing great.
Quit asking people not to let you be angry. You have a shit ton of reason. It's okay."

"I don't want to be angry at you."

"Yingying," Huaisang drawls, sliding next to Wei Ying and patting his hair. "Beautiful, hottie,
sweetest. You're allowed to be angry. Trauma is hard. Trauma takes time." Huaisang leans on
him, resting his head on Wei Ying so his chin digs into Wei Ying's neck. "Trauma isn't gonna
fuck off because you want it to. And it manifests in a shit ton of ways."

"Well, trauma fucking sucks, Sangsang."

"I know, hottie. That's just the works."

"You casually let Huaisang call you hottie?" Jiang Cheng asks.
Huaisang snorts. "Objectively, Wei Ying is hot. I am not wrong in my naming conventions.
You're his brother, you don't understand."

"What the fuck," Jiang Cheng says, sounding offended.

"Anyway!" Hauisang says cheerily. "Trauma is like, fucking awful. And it manifests in a shit
ton of ways. That's okay. It's very okay if you are mad, Wei Ying. You're allowed to feel that.
It's okay that your appetite is all sorts of fucked up. It's just something to look out for because
we all still want you healthy, and that's a response that needs to be dealt with in a specific
manner. It's all good. You cutting your hair? Response. Coping. You look great, by the way."

Wei Ying laughs, turning his face towards Huaisang. "You're awful. Terrible. The worst."

"Yeah, but I'm speaking facts."

Wei Ying sighs. "I suppose you are. Sangsang? You're truly awful."

"Trauma isn't fucking insulting me, Yingying," Huaisang sighs dramatically, draping himself
over Wei Ying. Wei Ying whines, then leans heavily on his brother. "Join us, Jiang Cheng!
Me and Wei Ying are like, melting. You gotta catch us or your coolest friends are gonna like,
fucking die."

"You're both so dramatic. It physically pains me."

"Fuck off," Wei Ying whines teasingly. He taps the plate Jiang Cheng has left untouched,
cake still present. "Are you saving your cake for me?"

"No, let yours digest, stupid."

"You're awful, you know that? So terrible to your sweet gege."

Jiang Cheng frowns, then whacks him softly with his sleeve. "Shut up. Where you going
next? No studio today, right?"

"Mhm. I'm doing a wonderful contemporary course in forty minutes. Honestly? Fucking hate
the class, love the professor. She tries her best. It's nice."

"Uh-huh. If you can make it through contemporary, maybe I can hand this cake to you
afterwards," Jiang Cheng says, standing up.

"Really?" Wei Ying yells, standing and slamming the table as his brother leaves. "A-Cheng!
Really? Answer your gege, didi!"

"Shut the fuck up! Who's your didi, asshole!" Jiang Cheng yells back, red decorating his
face.

Wei Ying smiles, and Huaisang snorts next to him. "I have more, Yingying."

"With you?"

"Of course, hottie. You gotta eat, like, a salad first at least. Love you, but I was dead fucking
serious about your appetite."

"I can buy noodles," Wei Ying says, trying to compromise.

"Veggie noodles and I can make that deal."

"You're fucking awful."

"Yeah?"

"Okay. Lend me a dollar?"

Huaisang scoffs. "Now who's fucking awful?"

He hands the dollar over.

Wei Ying enjoys his veggie noodles. It's a process.

He enjoys the cake more.

After that, it goes well. He goes to Contemporary, he goes to buy a coffee, he is generally
doing well. And then it fucking goes down the drain.

His head has been hurting since getting coffee, and screens still hurt after too long staring.
But he can't quite hole up on a bench and pull his jacket over his head, and he can't pop into a
random class like he used to, because he doesn't want to. He could. It's just too much work.
So his solution is just to suck it up. Which sucks. And his eyeballs are gone and he really just
wants to eat more of that cake Huaisang had. Unfortunately, Huaisang did not have more
cake, and he finds Wei Ying sulking against a wall, slurping his coffee and squinting.

"Yingying? What are you doing, hottie?"

"My eyes hurt," Wei Ying says honestly. Huaisang winces, then moves to squat with Wei
Ying. "And like, I need Jiang Cheng to be done before I even think of going home so I
meander along waiting for his weird lab to be done."
"Is he still doing that orange thing?"

"I don't know. I think? He was talking about it. During–during the exam thingy. When I hit
my head."

"Exam thingy?"

"Yeah." Wei Ying downs the rest of his coffee, frowning, and tosses the cup to Huaisang, who
frowns. "Feels weird just being here."

Huaisang hums. "You wanna talk?"

Wei Ying thinks. Wrings his hands together. "I haven't talked to Lan Zhan."

"Is that important for you to do first?"

"I don't wanna burden him. With any of it. If I mess us up somehow. By being–" he waves his
hands and closes his eyes, "--Wei Ying. I want to, Sangsang. But like, I've asked too much of
him already. I don't want to make him my crutch."

Huaisang hums, then scoots closer to Wei Ying. "You're too cute. I'm gonna hit you with the
sad truth, love you, but you're right. While it's not fair for you to want to lean on him always,
I will say you're being fucking stupid thinking he won't help you. Or won't want to
understand why his boyfriend is upset. Yingying, my darling, my love, hottest hottie besides
me, you're smart and stupid." Huaisang pats his head, leaning to rest his head on Wei Ying's
shoulder. "Genius idea: ask him. As a couple, you two have boundaries, even with each other.
And that's okay."

"Mhm?"
"Wei Ying, it's okay. You're allowed to vent. Your boyfriend is allowed to be emotionally
invested in the venting. You're considering this, so you're no asshole, yeah? I'm gonna bring it
up, so tell me to shut up if you need; you're allowed to be upset. By any part of it. Lan Zhan
is also entitled to his personal boundaries. I will say: if you ever crossed boundaries, I'm very
sure he'd tell you. Even before you guys dated, you had boundaries. You two respect each
other. It's cute. And allowed."

"And if he gets sick of it? Of–of me? Or I do it wrong?"

Huaisang shakes his head. "It's a harsh truth, babe. Lan Zhan is allowed boundaries. You're
doing nothing wrong by venting. And, even if it feels bad, he's not doing anything wrong if
he tells you he can't offer the direct support you need. You need a break at all?"

Wei Ying hums. "No, keep going. Your voice is nice."

"You're gonna give me a big head, Yingying. Anyway, if he can't, and we both know he'd do
a ton of shit to help you, you know that's fine?"

"Of course. I just don't want him to think he has to watch what he does or says. Or like,
anything. Like that."

Huaisang is silent for a moment. "You've talked about a therapist, yeah?"

"Mm. At some point. I don't–I got a card on Halloween. And then, I want one. I think. But it's
weird."

"Yeah? Explain it to me, babe."

"Therapists dig."

"Indeed they do."

"Deep. And then–then they'll want to know. About everything. I haven't–I couldn't even say
what Wen Chao did was sexual assault until I told Madame Yu and Uncle Jiang. I don't even
remember it and it feels ugly."

Wei Ying buries his face in his knees, then sighs. Huaisang rubs his shoulder. "You did good,
Yingying. That's the toughest part. And, from personal experience, therapists aren't going to
dig in an area unless they think you can handle it. And if you can't, they're trained to help
you. They work on things you want to work on. My therapist is great. We talk about my
brother, when he gets mad at me, what I feel. We've started talking about my dad, what I offer
and can handle, and he listens. It's finding a therapist you vibe with well. That's okay. And it's
very normal to not vibe with a therapist first off, or not at all."

"Sangsang?"

"Yes, Yingying?"

He bites the inside of his cheek, then taps his feet and sighs. "You're super good."

Huaisang snorts. "Of course I am. You wanna sit in on this weird lecture for my architecture
shit? No screens, smaller group, dark room."

"God, fucking yes. Jiang Cheng isn't done until like, six and Uncle Jiang isn't even here until
thirty after. My eyes are fucking killing me."

Huaisang sighs dramatically, then wraps himself around Wei Ying. "If I could carry you, I
would. My bride. But I can't. So, can you walk or do I actually have to bridal you?"

"I can walk, Sangsang."

"Fuck yeah, come watch me draw a great fucking house."

"Hell yeah."

Honestly, sitting in and watching Huaisang complain about drawing a floor plan is
entertaining. Very. Because Huaisang gets shit done somehow. But then he ends up
complaining, talking to Wei Ying, texting, then he sneakily takes photos of Wei Ying’s shoes,
no flash thankfully, and sends them to Jiang Cheng. For whatever reason.

Huaisang’s lecture is fun. Wei Ying listens, and it is in a nice, dark room, and the teacher has
a soft speaking voice. It's nice. Wei Ying still feels like his eyes are gonna pop though.

So, when Huaisang goes home, Wei Ying lays on one of the benches outside, waiting for his
brother and swinging his feet. It's boring.

Very boring.

And he still has no phone.

Because while Lan Zhan loves him, he is adamant to let Wei Ying's head adjust.

It's so cruel, Wei Ying wants to cry.

So he waits.

It gets boring enough that Wei Ying just decides to start playing games with himself,
counting birds that land on the ground, counting how many people are wearing red, which
people he thinks are dating as they walk together. So far, five couples, two people who
definitely want to date each other, and a couple Wei Ying thinks are having problems.
Fun.

This goes on for a bit. Boring, boring, boring.

And then his brother smacks him. Wei Ying whines, kicking at him. "Don't!" he says,
miserable and whiney. "Your poor gege's head, didi." Jiang Cheng scoffs, lifting Wei Ying's
legs so he can sit. "Huaisang gave me a fucking therapy talk earlier."

"You still thinking of that?" Jiang Cheng asks quietly, pinching Wei Ying's ankle. "Do you
actually want to? Or are you forcing yourself because you wanna make everyone all fucking
happy?"

Wei Ying is silent for a moment, then he sighs, loud and dramatic. "I want to. I do. I promise.
I just have no fucking clue where to start at all. You know? You know, you're super smart like
that."

"I really don't."

"You're too honest, too. I hate that about you, didi. So good and honest." Wei Ying closes his
eyes. "I haven't–I am terrified, Jiang Cheng. I've never felt this fucking scared in my life.
Dogs don't make me this scared. He's walking about, free, and I'm–I just casually came back?
It's so fucking disorienting to be like this. And–and you guys all are treating me differently
and I hate that."

"You do?" Jiang Cheng whispers. The pinching stops, and he crosses his arms and leans on
Wei Ying's legs.

"Yeah. It's weird, you being so gentle. You haven't yelled at me seriously. At all. Madame Yu
hasn't insulted me, you're all so gentle and sweet and I don't like it."
"You need us to insult you?"

"No! I need my family to act normal, because my brother shouldn't be oh-so tenderly keeping
me from crying because I get emotional over some fucking noodles or because something
tiny happened. I can't fucking look at my studio keys."

"What?"

Wei Ying breathes in, then sits up and pulls his studio keys out, handing them to Jiang Cheng.
His brother takes them, confusion written over his face. "You don't get how fucking weird
this is, didi. Like, majorly. If I get there before Mianmian or Professor Xue, I have to, like,
wait for them to unlock the studio? And when it's just me, I just don't go? At all. It's easier."

"It's also avoiding–"

"I'm good at avoiding."

"Is that why you won't talk to me? About it?"

"You're not my therapist, didi. I don't want to spill–"

"Wei Ying!" Jiang Cheng says loudly, grabbing him by the shoulders. Wei Ying pauses, eyes
wide. "I am your brother. Shut the fuck up, and let me comfort you as best I can. Let me."

And then, on a campus bench while they wait for their ride home, Wei Ying sniffs and just
talks.

It's painful.
It's long.

It's aching.

It's good.

His brother is too good.

Wei Ying's head hurts.

He asks Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu to help look into therapists, when screens are okay for
longer.

Jiang Cheng offers to help.

His head still hurts when they go to bed, and he whines teasingly, worming his way next to
Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng smothers him with a pillow, offering a dark space.

Wei Ying sleeps, anxious and cold.

Wei Ying sleeps, in one of the safest places in the world to him.

It's painful.

It's dark.
It's good.

He cries.

Jiang Cheng doesn't say anything.

Just pulls him into a hug and sleeps.

The safest place in the world.

If they're both crying as they sleep, they don't tell each other in the morning.

And the next day, the safest place is in Lan Zhan's arms when they eat lunch together.

Lan Zhan smells like sandalwood.

 Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Summary

Wei Ying loves his family.

Wei Ying will be fine.
It is not okay right now. He's terrified.

Chapter Notes

TW for the following: major dissociation, mental health talk, talk of assault,
communication talk, slight feminization, major character injury implied

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan do have sex in this chapter. Wei Ying does NOT dissociate
during the sex, but Lan Zhan constantly checks in with Wei Ying to assure they're both
doing okay. Wei Ying and his family, and Lan Zhan, have brief interactions over what he
thinks is okay when he dissociates, but this is mentioned briefly.

I leave on a major cliffhanger. I am not sorry. We're looking at roughly three more
updates before the story ends.

It takes a month for them to have a trial date. Some day in very early January. Wei Ying is not
excited. Very much not. He is walked through procedures, he's questioned, asked for
specifics, made to recount every detail that may put Wen Chao away. And then the questions.
Lan Qiren asks questions the defense may go to. It's bad, but he sucks it up every time.

Were you ever in a relationship with the defendant?

How long have you been aware you were being followed.

Did you ever ask him to leave you alone?

He found you multiple times in public. Why were the police not informed?
You stabbed the defendant, correct?

With your keys. In the face.

Why?

On Halloween night, what happened between you two?

Do you remember drinking?

Do you remember willingly going upstairs with the defendant?

(He didn't willingly go, but the video was damning.)

Do you remember any part of your assault?

Do you remember saying yes?

Do you remember saying no?

It's a grueling, long process that has Wei Ying wanting a nap by the end of it. He answers
everything honestly, having to catch himself a few times when he starts floating. It's stupid.
It's fine. Then, thankfully, he has to switch out with Jiang Cheng, who offered to testify. It's
still bad, listening to his brother recount their sleepless nights, the gifts, presents, Wen Chao
finding them in the store, harassing Mianmian, and finding him after Wen Chao on
Halloween.
It's just as bad listening to Jiang Cheng tell the story.

His brother's anger is palpable. Angry and acrid. It burns Wei Ying's throat and his mouth.
Hearing and focusing on what he'll have to hear again.

It gets to the point where Wei Ying simply examines his fingernails, determining which nail
is ugliest, prettiest, whitest; until they're done and Lan Qiren asks to meet with them again.
Wei Ying smiles and says it's okay when Jiang Cheng asks.

Jiang Cheng probably already knows he's lying. He doesn't tell him anything about it. Wei
Ying appreciates that.

By mid-November, Wei Ying's eyes are better, and he can look at a screen well enough that,
finally, Lan Zhan presents him with a phone randomly during one of their coffee dates. Wei
Ying demands his first picture to be of them. He makes it his lock screen; a quick surprise
snapshot of him kissing Lan Zhan, and Lan Zhan's eyes slightly wide, ears red. It's a good
picture.

He spends the rest of the day snapping photos of his friends, Jiang Cheng, selfies, random
pictures he finds interesting, and beautiful pictures of his beautiful sister. It's good. It's nice.
Pictures were iffy at first, even if Wei Ying initiated. For instance: the flash.

He didn't know why it happened. How it happened. What triggered it. He thinks about it a lot;
if it's from seeing the photos or the idea that seeing the flash was something that made his
brain whack up. It was super simple. And sad. And then Wei Ying felt very guilty and then
pissed.

It's A-Ling’s birthday. It's okay.

He's getting old. Great. Wei Ying takes a shit ton of pictures, sending them to Lan Zhan. Tons
of pictures of A-Ling, Shijie, and Jiang Cheng trying to one-up Wei Ying in presents. Which
is like, easy. Wei Ying has been having a rough fucking month, he hasn't had a shit ton of
time to buy his nephew presents, didi.
Anyway, the problem. Wei Ying can't do flash pictures. Which is like, people have
preferences, but Wei Ying's brain wigs the fuck out when Uncle Jiang, old fashioned and
meaning well, takes pictures of Wei Ying, Jiang Cheng, and A-Ling with each other, looking
over the cake Shijie had so expertly made with her own two hands. Wei Ying is holding their
nephew, arms wrapped tight, when Uncle Jiang swoops in, aiming his camera at them.

A-Ling immediately perks up, tapping Jiang Cheng hard on the shoulder and making Wei
Ying step closer to his brother. Wei Ying goes to smile, it's nice, it's a real one, it's his
nephew's birthday. He smiles, A-Ling smiles, Jiang Cheng smiles. And then Uncle Jiang
clicks the camera.

It's loud. And bright.

It's fine at first. His eyes adjust. And then they don't. Clicking and clicking and clicking.

His brain supplies some pretty useless thoughts.

Is this the sound? Of when he took the pictures?

A-Ling becomes heavy, very heavy, in his arms. He blinks, fuzziness edging at his brain and
tugging. Soft and creeping. Jiang Cheng says something, it's muffled, and then A-Ling is
talking. A lot of people are talking. A-Ling is babbling , actually.

Wei Ying's brain is slowly working as Uncle Jiang comes to show them the pictures. Oh, so
no one's noticed. Wei Ying blinks again, squeezing his nephew in his arms.

His fingers are numb, his brain working to sort of not float.

Jiang Cheng hasn't handed him a shoe, yet. So is he talking? He probably can't sound great.
And there it is. Shijie takes A-Ling from him when his arms slacken, and he blinks slowly as
his family's voice kind of fades. Not entirely, it's a muffle. Someone grabs his hand, softly,
and then massages. Or touches. He frowns. It's not that he hates it, it's just weird. They're not
pushing in the center of his palm like he likes, just rubbing his fingers.

There's a small click in the back of his mind, bright and loud.

His hand is pressed again, then his fingers tighten around something freezing and small. He
gasps, pulling his hand back. It's a slow reflex.

"--ing? Hey, can you tell me something?" Ah, someone's talking. He hums, blinking again.
The freezing thing is put back in his hand, and his lips tighten. "Words, gege. I need words.
Name, tell me your name."

He thinks for a second, the fuzzy awareness coming back slowly in small increments. He has
to practice saying his name a few times mentally. Of course he knows it! Stupid fucking
question. "Wei Ying," he says, furrowing his eyebrows at the question. It's stupid.

It gets a noise of approval. "Yeah, good job. Your boyfriend. You know his name? The guy
you don't shut up about?"

This one is easier. "Lan Zhan," he answers after a second.

The fog rolls away very slowly, and awareness comes back just as slowly. He blinks once,
orienting himself. There's an ice cube in his hand. He still feels groggy, but he knows there's
an ice cube in his hands. He frowns again, blinking and looking at his brother, who's holding
his hand and pressing into his fingers. "You back?" Jiang Cheng asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Shit," Wei Ying whispers.

"Hey, it's fine. Jiejie noticed–"

"It's A-Ling’s birthday–!"

Jiang Cheng grabs him, making Wei Ying focus on how warm his hands are. Okay. Okay, he
gets it. He breathes out and Jiang Cheng grips his shoulder, then hugs him. "God, you fucking
scared us. You just, like, stopped. Like, the whole thing. You okay?"

Wei Ying nods against his shoulder, then notices how quiet it is. "When–?"

"Ten minutes. I had to call Wen Qing, and then like, grab ice and we walked down the hall
some. She said we had to get you noticing sensation so I just fucking figured: ice! And it
worked! Ice!" His brother huffs against his shoulder, then tightens his hold. "God, you almost
dropped A-Ling and then Jie had to distract him and we just told him you were tired and that
you'd be okay in a minute. God, Wei Ying, he fucking went straight for the fucking cake as
soon as we were gone."

Wei Ying feels his lip wobble, and he releases a throaty groan. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! Sorry! I
don't know–the flash. Camera or the flash. It just–it clicked and then it didn't and I don't
know what happened."

"Breathe, stupid. That's why I called Wen Qing. It's dissociation. It's the thing you've been
doing. Your floaty thingy. This little episode was just…longer. A little more pull. She thinks
we noticed lighter times before. With the keys. This one, you just kinda went down." Jiang
Cheng sighs, running his hand up and down Wei Ying's back. "Thank fucking God. You're
fine now. How do you feel?"

"I didn't mean to ruin this–" he starts.

Jiang Cheng shakes him, curling himself up as he hugs Wei Ying tighter. "Don't say it.
Please."

Wei Ying pauses, brain trying to make sense of this. It's still fuzzy. "What?" he whispers.
"We talked about this," Jiang Cheng says, voice raw and angry. "We talked about this.
Specifically. You apologizing for shit. Stop that. You–you're not allowed. To make me worry.
Or apologize when it's not your fault. Wei Ying, God. You're so stupid sometimes. You didn't
ruin anything. A-Ling thinks you just got tired, Dad put that shitty camera away, Jiejie is
serving cake. Mom is finding him his fucking phone without a fucking flash. Peacock is off
finding A-Ling’s presents because he can't remember where he hid them and this house is
running fine without you. You're fine."

"I'm still sorry."

"If you say it again, I'll kill you. So sick of hearing it, Wei Ying. Honestly. You–my brother
isn't allowed to make me upset. Okay?"

Wei Ying laughs, forced and obviously faked. Jiang Cheng squeezes him tighter. "Okay," he
relents. "Okay. It's not my fault. I don't wanna upset my baby brother."

"God, fuck. You're an asshole. Do you need a minute?"

Wei Ying closes his eyes. Thinks hard. At the relenting thoughts. The feel. The lack of
knowing time was slipping. His mind supplies the thought again. Was that the sound of his
camera? And he feels his lips tighten.

"Yeah," he whispers, low and broken. "Yeah, I need a couple of minutes, didi. Tell Wen Qing
thank you for me."

"Tell her yourself, concussion boy," Jiang Cheng bites back, sighing and leaning heavier into
Wei Ying. "So stupid. Making me worry. Does–was it okay? That I touched you? Wen Qing
was worried I would freak you out."

Wei Ying pulls back some, leaning on his hands. "It was fine. I'm not gonna like–kick you or
anything. I think it helped. The ice cube thing was weird. My hands are wet now." Jiang
Cheng grunts then sighs.
"Okay. Duly noted. If it happens again."

Wei Ying frowns. "I don't want it to. That was weird. And like, because of a picture." He
buries his face in his hands, noting how strange he still feels. Fuzzy and tingling. It's not
unpleasant, and the dissociation thing wasn't terrifying. Just confusing. "God. It was super
weird."

"Yeah?"

Wei Ying hums. "Not like, bad, weird. Like if you dunk your head in a pool? And
everything's super muffled?"

Jiang Cheng nods, then sighs and gives the back of Wei Ying's neck a squeeze. "You're okay,
though? All there?"

"All there," Wei Ying says. "I want cake now. Just, no flashing me and I'm good."

"Don't call it flashing you, asshole. Holy shit."

Wei Ying feels a smile tug at his lips. He stands, tugging his brother to stand with him. "I'll
call it whatever I want."

Jiang Cheng sighs, then stands and hooks an arm around Wei Ying's shoulders. "Okay."

The dissociation episodes happen three more times between A-Ling’s birthday and mid-
December. Two are small, with his family, and one long one, where he sits and stares with
Lan Zhan, sitting against one of the brick walls at school. Lan Zhan is late to class, and Wei
Ying barely makes it to the studio afterward. After the first episode at the party, Jiang Cheng
made Wei Ying call Lan Zhan and Wen Qing, one to inform the boyfriend about how to deal
with it, and Wen Qing to thank her and get more information on what to expect.

By the end, Wei Ying is grumbling and Lan Zhan has taken notes. It's a start.

Anyway, the brick wall episode is wild. He's walking pretty well with Lan Zhan, talking and
complaining about drawing because he hasn't done it in weeks, and then he's squatting
against a brick wall, Lan Zhan humming and digging his strong fingers into Wei Ying's palm.
It's kind of embarrassing honestly, but Lan Zhan is pretty sweet about it.

Wei Ying groans, dropping his head between his knees when he's coherent enough to talk.
"Sorry," he says, tongue still fuzzy. "It just–I don't even know what."

Lan Zhan simply hums, rubbing Wei Ying's palms. "Stay for a moment. Don't apologize.
Camera." Wei Ying sighs, then nods. "Flash went off. Photography of the trees. Multiple
cameras."

"Lovely. How long?"

"Twenty minutes. I tried talking to you, but I couldn't stop it, so I had to get you here." Lan
Zhan sighs and then places his forehead on Wei Ying's hand. "Is that–did Wen Qing say that
may happen?"

Wei Ying nods. "Mhm, don't worry about that. Well like, you can worry. But it happens. She,
and the internet, say if I kinda…don't come out of it, to just let me? Like, obviously don't
leave me alone to do as I please but like, sometimes people want to dissociate? Or like, it
helps? Anyway, you did very well. I'm very proud of you." He leans to kiss Lan Zhan, gently
kissing the corner of his lips. He still seems tense. "You did everything very well. Thank you,
baobei. And, before you worry, I'm going to see a doctor in January. For the thing. Love Wen
Qing, but a pre-med student isn't quite doing it for me."

Lan Zhan huffs. "I am glad you're better, Wei Ying. You do not have to calm me, I know." He
presses a kiss to Wei Ying's knuckles. "Would you like to be walked to the studio?"
Wei Ying gasps, then pulls out his phone and winces. "Lan Zhan!" he practically yells.
"Baobei, you're so late! Oh, go to class! They're not going to kick you out, right? Of the class
for today? I'll make it on time, but you're super late, holy shit!"

To his surprise, Lan Zhan laughs. It's soft and has Wei Ying flushing like a schoolgirl. "If I
explain, I will not. My professor will not kick me out for making sure my boyfriend is safe.
Okay?"

Wei Ying huffs, and leans his face into Lan Zhan's neck. "God, Lan Zhan. I need a good nap.
You should come over soon. I miss you, and I could probably convince everyone to go to
Shijie's for a day while we rendezvous."

"Is that code for sex?"

Wei Ying snorts. "You want a different word? Rendezvous seems inconspicuous. But yes, of
course. I'm stressed, I'm tired, I need a good time with my beautiful boyfriend. We can spend
the day together, warm and inside, while they go and freeze at Shijie's, and then we can watch
a movie. Rendezvous."

"Rendezvous." Lan Zhan huffs against Wei Ying's neck. "Very well. Rendezvous. We can
decide later. If you are sorry I am late, I must go. Are you sure you're okay to walk?"

Wei Ying laughs, then kisses his chin. "Yes, I'm fine. You're so good, Lan Zhan. Much too
amazing. So beautiful and kind!"

Lan Zhan helps him stand, pulling him into one more hug and a gentle kiss to his forehead,
before he leaves, walking to a lecture roughly twenty minutes past start. Wei Ying sighs, pulls
his phone out, and quickly marks in his calendar that he had an episode, and a date with Lan
Zhan, to be determined. The marks of the episodes are for the doctor's visit, so Wei Ying can
tell exactly when they happened and how long, yadda yadda.

Everything's super great.

He barely makes it to the studio before Professor Xue yells at him for being late, and is
happily presented with a cherry smoothie by Mianmian, which he takes thankfully.

She's great.

He chugs it and starts on his first exhibit piece.

The canvas is half the size of him, roughly, and Wei Ying spends the first hour drenching it in
a base coat. Mianmian scolds him as he sort of splatters it as he pleases, but it's a good class.
He gets a fourth of the way through the base of the actual painting before they have to check
out.

Mianmian, when she finally notices what he's done, sighs and wraps an arm around him.
"You sure? Are you going to be okay doing this?"

Wei Ying stares at the canvas, black and red and blues and purples. His clean brushes, paint-
splattered hoodie.

Then he nods. "I'm very sure. I'm okay, Mianmian. I'm very okay."

She smiles then, and throws her arm around his neck, pulling him down into a hug. Then she
scrutinizes his hoodie and snorts, pulling her phone out. "No flash, right?"

He smiles. "No flash. Are you making fun of me?"

"I am. Wen Qing and Huaisang won't see you today. They don't understand the travesty that is
Wei Ying painting."

"How dare you, I am a master."

He sees her thumb tap her screen as she angles it up, taking a selfie of them and Wei Ying's
very messy hoodie in plain view. He watches her send it to Huaisang and Wen Qing, and she
snorts.

"Of course you are, Yingying. Master of messes."

He smiles then, soft and easy. "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose so. Mianmian?"

"Hm?"

"You should buy me some rice."

"Buy yourself rice, Yingying."

"Only if you come with me."

She laughs again, wrapping a pot in plastic wrap. "Okay. You buy me coffee, though."

"Deal."

"Love you, Yingying."

"I know."

She pauses for a moment, hands hovering over her pot, then she nods. "Good."
December is freezing, and Wei Ying has to take care to wear his winter coat. Which is fun.
His coat is super warm and well insulated with fur inside. And bright red.

Anyway.

Mid-December.

Wei Ying is anxious. Very anxious. He has to call the doctor again to reschedule, meet with
Lan Qiren, again, to practice his testimony, and Lieutenant He calls him to inform him that
Wen Chao has been quiet, and while it's okay he's nervous, it seems like Wen Chao has little
motivation to break the order of protection. While Wei Ying figures he should be excited,
rendezvous with Lan Zhan and all, there's an aching feeling at the back of his head alongside
the constant thrumming excitement.

His rendezvous with Lan Zhan is today . Because his fucking trial date is fucking January
third and Wei Ying would like the comfort of his beautiful boyfriend today. He's already
convinced his family, Jiang Cheng mostly, to go spend the day at Shijie's while he and Lan
Zhan have a quiet time inside, uninterrupted.

He feels good. Shijie bought a sweater for him, she bought everyone sweaters, red and
oversized that almost reaches his knees and he loves it. Theoretically, he could walk around
the house with Lan Zhan inside in just the sweater. Like a dress. The thought makes him
flush hard. He won't do it, not today, but he keeps the thought locked away in his mind
happily. He does pair the sweater with that skirt he likes, where it gets confused for pants,
and he looks great. Feels great. He's warm, too.

Shijie seems to think he looks fantastic, because as he video calls her before everyone leaves,
she's complimenting him and gushing over him, and then A-Ling shows up, says he looks
pretty, and promptly leaves to go make cookies with his dad. He turns red at the 'pretty'
comment, something Shijie points out, and in embarrassment, he turns the video call off and
whines. He's gotten compliments that he's handsome, of course, but never pretty.
As he turns the video back on, he can see the ferocious blush traveling down his neck.
"You're so cruel, Shijie," he tells her. She laughs, pulling her phone away to hide it.

"I'm sorry, A-Ying. You seem to like being called pretty. Is that it? Is my sweet didi
embarrassed?" He must make a face because she laughs again, sweet and tinkling like a bell.
"Didi, A-Ying, do you want me to stop? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No!" he says quickly. He sighs loudly, leaning forward to rest his chin on the counter of the
bathroom. "No, no. I think I like it. A lot. It's just embarrassing. And then like–the skirt–"

"Are you worried?"

"About Lan Zhan? No. No, he's sweet. Plus, I've talked about the skirt, he knows I have it.
But like, when he sees me in the skirt–"

His sister makes a knowing noise and he stops. Pursing his lips, he drums his fingers on the
counter. Averting his gaze from his sister, he huffs. "I want him to call me pretty," he
grumbles.

She snorts.

"Shijie!"

"I'm sorry, didi! So sorry! It's just--A-Zhan already thinks you're very pretty, dear. I think he'll
like your outfit today. Very pretty. My prettiest didi. A-Cheng is my most handsome." He
sighs fondly, rubbing his cheeks. "A-Ying? Dearest, just say that's what you'd like.
Communication is good in relationships, especially about simple things. Like, A-Xuan
doesn't enjoy me calling him baobei."

"What?"
"It's simply something he doesn't like. He enjoys calling me baobei, but not when I do it. So,
he simply told me, and I adjusted. It's tiny things like that. Listening to each other, either for
affection, intimacy, or even simple things like plans. You're not going to make him mad,
sweetie. Never. And if he does get mad, it won't be your fault. I've asked A-Xuan things, and
he's asked me things. A-Ying, he will find you very pretty, and call you such if you ask."

She winks at the camera then, sending him a kiss. He smiles. "Ah, Shijie you're so good."

"Mm. I know. Enjoy your date, didi. My prettiest didi!"

He groans, playfully hanging up on her, and bumps his head into the counter.

She's right though, so, after a lovingly worded text to his beautiful Shijie, he slips out of the
bathroom, confident and sexy and great and pretty.

Fuck, he's going to die when Lan Zhan calls him pretty.

It's nice. The thought of being called pretty by his boyfriend. The thought his him kicking his
feet on the couch again, where he receives an admonishing glare from Madame Yu and a
playful kick from Jiang Cheng. He kicks back, giddy and excited and good. It's good, the
sweater is comfy, and he will have a good date while his family enjoys theirs. Jiang Cheng
already promised to bring him more of Shijie's soup after.

Lan Zhan, ever on time and ever perfect, arrives precisely at two. Just like he asked. Wei
Ying loves him so much and is the first one scrambling to the door when the doorbell rings.
He almost runs into Uncle Jiang in his rush, hopping over the step to their front door and
whispering an apology. Uncle Jiang snorts, sharing a wide-eyed look with Madame Yu who's
in the kitchen preparing a coffee cup for the drive. He gets another glare from Madame Yu,
and he throws the door open, a smile bursting wide.

"Lan Zhan!" he yells, tossing himself forward.

He's caught immediately, strong and warm arms encircling him. It's nice. Lan Zhan feels his
sweater, giving a little hum of approval. Ah, he likes it.

"Hello, Wei Ying."

Wei Ying smiles, pulling back and looks back at his family, childishly pursing his lips.
"You're all gonna be late and Shijie is going to cry."

"Quit rushing us just so you and your boyfriend can make out, dumbass," Jiang Cheng snaps,
moving closer to grab his winter coat. Uncle Jiang laughs behind him and Madame Yu rolls
her eyes. Wei Ying frowns, sending his brother a look and scrunching close to Lan Zhan.
"Ew, don't give me that look, Wei Ying. God, okay. We're leaving."

Jiang Cheng scoots past Wei Ying, giving a sharp nudge to his ribs and a glare at Lan Zhan,
and Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu follow closely behind. After a cursory wave goodbye, Wei
Ying shuts the door, locks it, and turns to Lan Zhan.

Happily, he's boldly pressed against the door, Lan Zhan's mouth meeting his, a tangle of
limbs, hair, and lips. It's excellent and Wei Ying feels fire burning low in his stomach. He
smiles into the kiss, leaning back against the door as it creaks, and Wei Ying hums against
Lan Zhan's mouth. Hands wander and Lan Zhan swipes his cold hands under Wei Ying's
sweater, dragging his fingers along the soft skin.

Wei Ying hums, low in his throat, and pants when they break apart. "So bold, er-gege!
Against my own door! I thought we were going to watch a movie first."

"Mm. Does Wei Ying want to rendezvous or watch a movie?"

Wei Ying snorts, kissing along his jaw. "Either."

"Wei Ying?"

"Mm?"

Lan Zhan stares at him for a moment, eyes flickering across his face. Tension seizes Wei
Ying's gut. "Are you okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Wei Ying laughs, tilting his head.

That answer has Lan Zhan hesitating, then he sighs, leaning in close to Wei Ying's neck. His
fingers trail up, caressing the side of Wei Ying's pec. "Mm," Lan Zhan hums, "tell me to stop
and I will."

He doesn't want him to stop.

Not as they stumble to the couch.

Not as Wei Ying almost rips Lan Zhan's winter coat off, revealing a clean button-down.

Not as Lan Zhan rucks the sweater up to his armpits, reverently rubbing his hands up and
down Wei Ying's torso.

Lan Zhan's knee presses between his thighs, then he pauses, looks down, and raises an
eyebrow. His hands skitter down, towards Wei Ying's ankle, and slide under the end of the
pant-skirt. Hands, cold and calloused and all Lan Zhan, slide up, stopping at his knee. "Wei
Ying," he breathes. Quiet. Wei Ying waits. "A skirt?"

"Do you not like it?" Wei Ying asks hastily. "I–I thought–thought you'd like it." He bites his
lip, suddenly very shy. It's silly. He's being silly. "Do you like it? It's like–it's the one I said I
had and it's comfy and people think it's pants all the time but I like it and Shijie said you'd
like it and I wore it because I thought I looked pretty–"
Lan Zhan presses a fervent kiss to his mouth, hand moving further up to cup his thigh, skirt
hiked up. Wei Ying shivers, eyes closing as Lan Zhan touches and explores and lets Wei Ying
know he won't be letting go. When they break apart, they're breathing hard and Lan Zhan's
ears are red.

"Am I?" Wei Ying says breathily. "Am I super pretty, er-gege? The prettiest little Wei Ying
you've ever had in your bed? Shijie said I was pretty, I thought you'd enjoy this."

"Mm. I do."

Wei Ying wants to scream. It's good. He grins, lopsided. "Good. Wore this because I wanted
you to call me pretty."

Harsh bites are strewn along his throat and chest, Lan Zhan pressing kisses to the spots
immediately after. "I will call Wei Ying beautiful in any way. I enjoy the skirt. Enjoy you.
Beautiful. Pretty. The most gorgeous person I've ever seen. Radiant." Lan Zhan takes one of
Wei Ying's nipples in his mouth, causing a loud moan to escape his throat.

He arches into it, chest pressed closer to his face. His hips are forced down with a strong
hand, thumb circling his thigh as Lan Zhan does as he pleases. Wei Ying whines. "Lan Zhan!
I'm–please."

"Hm? Please what, Wei Ying?"

Wei Ying huffs, glaring at him. Lan Zhan, not breaking eye contact, bites his stomach, then
kisses it. Wei Ying releases another pitiful sound, eyebrows furrowing and fingers clenching
in Lan Zhan's hair. "I want you, Lan Zhan."

"Mm. How, baobei?"

"Aiya! Lan Zhan, you're too good at this!" Wei Ying cries, laughing. He presses closer,
tugging Lan Zhan into a kiss, and presses their foreheads together. "Can–just fingers. For
now."

"Mm. What else did you want?"

"Now?"

"Now," Lan Zhan confirms.

Wei Ying smiles. "I would like," he says as he kisses Lan Zhan's bottom lip, "if you praised
me. And said how great I'm doing."

"I'd do that regardless."

"Yeah, but I'm asking. Shijie said…she said it was good to ask. Is that okay?"

Lam Zhan nods eagerly, gently pushing Wei Ying's leg up and kissing his knee. "I like when
you ask for things, Wei Ying. It means you trust me. Yes, to the fingers. You can tell me to
stop at any time."

"I know."

"Was there anything else?" Lan Zhan leans against his knee, listening and quiet and patient
and loving.

"No. Just, do whatever you want, Lan Zhan. I won't mind."

Lan Zhan's gaze flickers for a moment, and then he nods, gently tapping Wei Ying's mouth
with his index finger. "Mm. Thank you for trusting me. Now, please open up for me, baobei."

The feeling of Lan Zhan’s fingers inside him drives him crazy. He knows the exact way to
crook them, the exact way to twist and curve and lay them to make the filthiest noises leave
Wei Ying. It's embarrassing, in all honesty, but Wei Ying feels the arousal swooping low and
high in his stomach, down towards his groin. He bites down on his lip when Lan Zhan pauses
his careful attention in kissing along his stomach to stare at Wei Ying, curving his fingers in a
way that has him shivering.

"Okay?" he asks against his skin, mouth brushing his navel. When Wei Ying nods, Lan Zhan
brushes a hand along his mouth, pressing against his lips. "Good. So good, Wei Ying. Just for
me."

Wei Ying keens at the praise, so good and so nice and so sweet. He loves him. Lan Zhan
loves him and adores him. Distantly, he feels his eyes grow hot. Wei Ying releases a shaky
sigh, hands tightening along Lan Zhan's ponytail.

"Wei Ying?" Lan Zhan asks, stilling. Wei Ying hums. "You are crying. Do we need to stop?"

"No!" Wei Ying yells. "No, I swear! Good tears! You just–you're so good at this and I'm–I
feel really good." He smooths sweaty hands down Lan Zhan's hair, smiling. "I promise, very
good tears. Keep going, please?"

Lan Zhan huffs softly, kissing along his cheeks where the tears leave them wet. "Mm. If you
wish to stop–"

"Mm, I know. So good, Lan Zhan. So good to me. And attentive. I love–ah!" Lan Zhan starts
moving again, thrusting in and out with practiced ease, setting a pace he knows Wei Ying
likes. "Do you enjoy this? Your pretty Wei Ying with your fingers inside him? Huh? Er-
gege?" He bites Lan Zhan's earlobe, pulling teasingly. "Because I enjoy it. So much." As if to
emphasize, he clenches, then moans loudly when Lan Zhan adds a third finger, a new
pleasant ache present.
"Mm. My pretty Wei Ying. The prettiest. All mine," he hums, moving down to continue his
gentle attention of biting Wei Ying's skin, leaving marks.

It lights a pleasant fire underneath Wei Ying's skin. A pleasant thrum that makes him feel
alive. Lan Zhan listens and loves him. He loves him so much. There's another kiss, hot and
demanding and fierce and loving, pressed to his lips, where Lan Zhan bites his bottom lip and
tugs, making him whimper. It's good. Hands and Lan Zhan's lips and tongue, his want and
desire, and love, Wei Ying feels everything. He's so sensitive right now, everything feels
blasted to one hundred.

"Lan–" he whines, arching into Lan Zhan. He rocks his hips, and his fingers hit a spot that
has Wei Ying seeing stars. "M'gonna–"

"So soon?" Lan Zhan teases. Wei Ying grumbles in frustration, gripping Lan Zhan's shirt hard
in his hands. "Does my pretty Wei Ying want to come?"

"Yes. Lan Zhan don't–! Ah, don't tease!" With a slight huff of embarrassment, Wei Ying
swings his arm over his face, blush traveling down his neck. "Yes, please."

Lan Zhan pauses, making Wei Ying peek at him, then he crooks his fingers hard, and Wei
Ying moans, high and needy, arching forward. Lan Zhan gets to work diligently, kissing and
biting and nipping, treating Wei Ying with such care he feels like he could cry. Honestly, he is
crying, but only because of the stimulation and feeling and love Lan Zhan is showering him
with. Lan Zhan kisses his face: cheeks, eyelids, nose, chin. Smattering kisses and bites to his
throat, and Wei Ying keens, love flooding him.

The feeling in his stomach swoops low, and Lan Zhan smiles, soft and easy, and kisses his
ear. "Just like that, Wei Ying," he whispers. With a gasp, Wei Ying comes, fast and hard and
tight and he whines.

He floats for a second, breathing hard and he blinks lucidly at Lan Zhan carefully kissing his
jaw, running hands through his sweaty hair. He hums, sighing when Lan Zhan cups his face.
"You," Wei Ying rasps, "are simply amazing."
"You enjoyed it?"

Wei Ying nods, sitting up slightly. "Yeah! Yes! Very much! You were–you're great. Did…did
you–"

Lan Zhan huffs, kissing the corner of Wei Ying's mouth. "Mm. I did. Where's your bathroom,
dearest?" Wei Ying flushes, smiling.

"Upstairs. End of hall. I can–do you want some hot chocolate? Uncle Jiang bought some last
week and we haven't used it because he doesn't want to make any, and Madame Yu won't
drink it and Jiang Cheng and I have been so busy. While you clean I can make some?"

Lan Zhan nods, helping Wei Ying off the couch. Before he heads upstairs, he squeezes Wei
Ying's ass, and Wei Ying chokes on air. "I like the skirt. You are very pretty."

Wei Ying dies right then and there as he heads upstairs, cheeks turning red.

He shuffles to the kitchen, mumbling, and grumbling as he searches the kitchen for the little
box of hot chocolate Uncle Jiang stashed. His family should be at Shijie's now, talking and
having fun. It's good. When they get home, they'll eat Shijie's soup, Lan Zhan will stay for
dinner, and Wei Ying will get to have a normal day. The trial starts in two weeks, he's nervous
as fuck, but he knows it'll turn out okay.

It'll be okay.

He hums to himself, Wangxian, tone becoming higher pitched when he does locate the hot
chocolate. It's pushed in the back of one of the cabinets, one higher up that has Wei Ying
standing on the counter to find.
A sound makes him pause, something like glass, and he turns to examine the area behind
him. It's quiet. Lan Zhan must still be cleaning up, so he slowly turns back around, popping
the box open.

Wei Ying examines the mugs they have when he hears footsteps. Quiet. Ah, he smiles and
laughs. "Lan Zhan, you're not exactly sneaky." He turns, ready to tease more when he
freezes.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

His heart thunders in his chest, and he glances at the stairs. No Lan Zhan.

There is, however, a huffing, angry, terrifying Wen Chao standing in his living room. Wei
Ying swallows, the threat of tears already making his eyes hot. They're silent, and Wei Ying
carefully examines his hands. There's a hammer in his hands. Wei Ying shakes.

Wen Chao takes a step forward, and Wei Ying steps back.

"Why–" Wei Ying starts. His brain is firing. Neither of them moves, and when Wen Chao,
quiet and breathing hard, steps again, Wei Ying feels his heart in his mouth, and he moves,
bolting towards the stairs. "Lan Zhan!" he screams. Yells. Like he's dying. "Lan Zhan!"

He feels a harsh grip on his hair, and he whimpers, feeling himself being hauled off his feet.
Wen Chao has grabbed him, and then, with a heartbeat thundering in his chest, Wei Ying is
grabbed tighter. He cries out, and then his face is slammed hard into the floor.

Something cracks, him or the floor, and black spots fill his vision. He coughs, shaking. Wen
Chao simply tilts his head at him, and when Wei Ying can glance up, Wen Chao lifts him up
again and slams his head back down.

The floor and his head make contact, and Wei Ying can barely hear the terrified, "Wei Ying!"
and a sickening crunch before he can't keep his eyes open.
He's going to die.
 Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Summary

Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, please forgive your stupid Wei Ying.

Chapter Notes

Major TW. This is the roughest chapter I've written.

Major TW for the following: hostage situation, major character injury, blood, violence,
stabbing, head trauma, discussion of SA, victim-blaming, seizure, derogatory language,
character death, choking/strangulation

I'm not sorry. I did cry writing this chapter. I saw ya'll tell me you were scared in the last
chapter's comment section. Be scared here. Please enjoy, and please, forgive your stupid
Wei Ying. He's so sorry.

Consciousness comes back in trickles. His head pounds. When he moves his fingers, they're
numb and don't go as far as he wants them to. It hurts. So much. He can't open his eyes,
breathing hurts, and his face is sore. He has to think for a very long time before he can even
attempt to try and make a noise.

He tries.

He can't.

The lights are too bright, too much noise, and the floor is freezing. The floor. Wei Ying is on
the floor. He flexes his fingers slowly, nails scraping the tile Madame Yu chose for a
renovation. He likes them. White and neat.

They're not neat right now. They're bright red. Wei Ying feels his hair glued to his face. His
mouth won't work, won't open, but it feels like blood. It's metallic and gross, and there's
something lodged behind his teeth, small and pointed.
Realization hits slowly when he probes a tender spot in his mouth with his tongue sluggishly.

It's his tooth. He frowns, attempting to open his mouth to push it out. It goes with some
tender work, clicking on the tile. Blood dribbles out after, down his chin. Someone shuffles,
expensive shoes hitting the tile and a shaking hand moves him roughly. He frowns.

"You can't do that," a soft voice says, far away and muffled. Wei Ying furrows his eyebrows
at the voice. He likes it. "His head, you may hurt him more."

"I didn't mean to," another says. "He–He ran! You–! He's spitting blood." This one is low and
panicky. Wei Ying likes the first voice more. "I didn't–he shouldn't have fucking ran! It's his
fault!"

"Wei Ying was scared," the first voice says. "He's hurt now, Wen Chao. Very badly. Can I
please get up? Wei Ying needs a doctor."

"He's fine!" the second, Wen Chao, says loudly. The noise irritates Wei Ying's head. "He's–
He's being dramatic. Wei Ying? Wake the fuck up. You're fucking joking. Get the fuck up."
Wen Chao nudges him with his foot, and Wei Ying releases the first noise he's been able to
muster. It's tiny and thick with something. His fingers are tingling and his tongue is numb. He
can't find it in himself to want to open his eyes at all. He doesn't want anything to hurt.

"Wen Chao," the first voice says softly, a little more urgently. "You like Wei Ying, yes?"

"He fucking deserved it. I just–I didn't mean–"

"Listen then. You hurt him. Badly. He cannot move, and his head is bleeding. Can you at the
very least allow me to help? Wei Ying could get hurt worse if not. I will tell you what I do."
The area is quiet, and Wei Ying sinks a little. He wants to sleep more, but then a splitting pain
hits him and he sniffs, fingers digging into the tiles. "Wen Chao, please. Just–just to staunch
his bleeding and get him comfortable? You can watch the whole time."
He can hear footsteps on tile, then a drawer opens and something is thrown, hitting the floor
next to Wei Ying with a loud thwack . He flinches, then hiccups when he tries to open an eye.
One eye won't open, sticky with something, and his other is blurry, two figures in a mash of
colors and forms. When he focuses on the thing in front of him, it's a towel, one Madame Yu
uses to wash dishes. He tries to reach for it, his arm too heavy. Someone else takes it gently,
an unsteady hand maneuvering him onto his back and pulling him into a lap.

He sniffles, eyes shutting when the light hits too hard. "Shh," they whisper. "Wei Ying?" The
towel is pressed to the side of his forehead, and a tender hand brushes under his nose. "Wei
Ying, I need to see your pupils, please."

Things are still muffled, hard to hear and decipher. He groans, a hand coming to rest on his
forehead, blocking his eyes. He tries. Opening both eyes is hard, one is too heavy and the
other is met with resistance. When he finally can manage to open them, the light doesn't hit
them, covered by a cold hand.

"Very good," the voice says. "So good. Beautiful job." They're keeping their voice steady, but
it's laced with worry and pain. Wei Ying feels tears welling up.

"Lan–" he tries. He slurs, abruptly stopping when he hears the terrible state of his voice.
"I'm–head." It's stupid. He's so stupid right now. Lan Zhan seems to understand, huffing
softly and wiping his chin. His thumb comes away red.

"I know, dearest. Don't talk, Wei Ying. You're hurt." Wei Ying sighs, tears falling down his
face. "Wen Chao, he might have a concussion. I need to call–"

"No fucking police! I came to talk! He needs–he has to drop those fucking charges! Does he
not get what he's done? To me? I tried to talk at the stairwell, and fucker pushed me and
stabbed me!" Wen Chao laughs, dark and deep and ragged. "And you, you fucker, you swoop
in and manipulate him. Fucking him like he's some whore. I wanted to talk." Wei Ying
shivers, body a little weightless. He closes his eyes, mouth tight.

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan says. "Stay awake."

"M'ake," Wei Ying slurs, leaning his head into Lan Zhan's thigh. "A'ake." Lan Zhan's grip
tightens and the towel is pushed harder. Wei Ying flinches.

"Wen Chao, please. You have to understand; you've violated an order of protection. That's not
Wei Ying that can drop those charges, that authority is the court's. Scaring and hurting him
won't make those stop, the courts will push harder. You were doing so well, staying away.
What happened?"

Wei Ying flits his eyes carefully over to Wen Chao. His hair is a mess, dark circles even
deeper than the stair incident, and his hands are shaking. At some point, he switched his
hammer for a knife, and pointed at Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. Now that he sees his positioning,
Wei Ying is mostly blocked from Wen Chao, Lan Zhan hunched over him protectively.

God, his eyes hurt.

"What the fuck do you mean, 'what happened?'" Wen Chao laughs, footsteps sounding louder.
Lan Zhan hunches lower, grip tightening around Wei Ying. "You fucking happened! He
fucking happened! A dirty, rotten, lying slut who said all this shit. I'm in such deep shit, my
dad bailed me but won't fucking look at me. Like–like I'm garbage."

Lan Zhan hums, stroking Wei Ying's jaw. He drunkenly brings his hand up to hold his hand.
"You hurt Wei Ying, Wen Chao," Lan Zhan says softly. "Even if you did not mean to."

"They were gifts! For him! I spent money, and–and I got shunned. But you? You can buy him
a fancy fucking phone and have it be okay?" More footsteps. A shadow falls over Wei Ying's
face, and he roughly opens an eye. "Was it fucking funny, Wei Ying? Tugging both of us
around like fucking dogs?"

"I di'n't–" Wei Ying tries, frustration welling up when he can't talk right. "Not. Flirt." He
watches Wen Chao's face morph into something like a snarl. Wei Ying sinks.

"You did! You–you–! Halloween! You fucking remember Halloween!"

Wei Ying shakes, and Lan Zhan shakes his head. "Wen Chao, you made the GHB."

"I–he didn't do anything with me he didn't want. Never. He wanted to do that. Then he went
and claimed I fucking raped him? God fucking dammit, Wei Ying! Fuck!" Something bangs
on the counter and both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan flinch, Lan Zhan curling in to protect Wei
Ying. "Fucking police! Fucking–! The GHB, it wasn't…I didn't mean…the hospital. Is–he
was fine, right?"

Lan Zhan tenses. "Wen Chao, GHB is dangerous mixed with alcohol. Very. You gave Wei
Ying too much."

"I didn't give it to him! I just–I just fucking made it!"

Lan Zhan nods. "Okay, okay. Then it was a very strong formula. And too much mixed with
the alcohol Wei Ying drank. That can be very dangerous, okay? He woke up three hours later.
He was okay, but the dose he was given was dangerous. GHB could've killed him."

Wei Ying hums, eyes closing. His mouth tastes nasty, like blood and something else. It's
weird, a muddled disgusting mess. He taps Lan Zhan's hand, scrunching his nose. "La'zan–
mouth."

Wen Chao stops talking and Lan Zhan leans over Wei Ying, eyebrows furrowed. "Mouth?
Wei Ying, what? Can you–open for me, baobei?"

"Don't fucking say that," Wen Chao says, voice thick.

"Tastes funny," Wei Ying supplies. "M'ant jie." He sniffs again, tears springing to his eyes.
Lan Zhan's gaze flits across his face, leaning in close.
"Wei Ying, blood. Is it only blood you taste?" Lan Zhan's voice is urgent, tapping Wei Ying's
face carefully. "Wei Ying! Wen Chao! I need to call someone, please."

"Who? Huh? Is this another fake out? Is that what this is?"

Wei Ying frowns. "M'feet tingle."

"Wen Chao!" Lan Zhan yells. "Please, let me call an ambulance. Wen Qing at the very least. I
am worried."

Wen Chao pauses, and then Wei Ying hears the thrum of loud silence. The tingling of his feet
grows sharper, and then he feels nothing.

He doesn't know when he passed out, if he did at all, but he blinks back to himself still in Lan
Zhan's lap, on his side and incredibly sore. He breathes hard and fast, eyes working to correct
the blurriness he's feeling. A hand is rubbing down his back, the other still focused on
pressing a towel to his head. Every muscle feels tight, like he's just done the most insane
workout of his life. He whimpers, pressing his face down into the lap he's on.

Someone talks about him.

"A minute or so. He's–no vomit. I just–Wen Qing, please. He's on his side, I'm trying to keep
pressure." Wei Ying focuses, eyes hurting and straining.

"--han," he mumbles, fingers clenching. "M'--head."

Lan Zhan chokes out a wet laugh, rubbing his back soothingly. "He's awake. I–I can't." His
voice lowers to a whisper. "Wen Chao–"

"Okay! Okay! You're done! He's up, you're done." Wen Chao slides in beside them, swiping a
phone from Lan Zhan's hand. His fingers shake, and Wei Ying can make out a nasty bruise
blossoming along Lan Zhan's hand, dark and red and his knuckles are bleeding slightly. Wei
Ying reaches out for it, and Lan Zhan shakes his head, pushing his hand down softly.

"Not now, Wei Ying. Just…stay. Please."

Wei Ying hums, closing his eyes. He flexes his toes and fingers. He feels floaty again, but it's
not dissociation. He's not hurting, and if he focuses, he can feel where things do actually hurt.
Which isn't anywhere specific. His head as a whole. His body. Particularly his back and arms.
"I'm sore," Wei Ying mumbles, turning his face into Lan Zhan's thigh. "I don't–"

"Shh, I know. Wen Qing. I–" Lan Zhan stops talking, leaning in close to Wei Ying and
brushing a kiss on his forehead. "Police, Wei Ying. She said she was calling. I need you to be
quiet, please. You–you aren't okay." Another kiss is pressed to his temple, soft and tender.
"Don't sleep, okay? Please?"

"M'kay," he says. Really, the words are mixing together. They don't quite make sense and
they do. He picks his brain apart, trying to make sense of what he does know. "Lan Zhan?"

"Yes?" Lan Zhan whispers, flitting his gaze to Wen Chao, watching them as he stares at a
phone, eyebrows furrowed and knife still clenched tightly in his hands.

"Did I–wassit seizure?"

Lan Zhan's breath hitches. "Yes," he says. "It was short. You are okay. Just–just the head
injury didn't help. You need medical attention."

Wei Ying fights the urge to nod along. "You too."

"What?"

"Hand," Wei Ying says easily, tapping his own hand drunkenly. "Bruised."
Lam Zhan sighs. "Okay, Wei Ying. I will."

"You two need to shut the fuck up," Wen Chao says then, tossing the phone hard on the
counter. "I am sick and tired of you. You need–Wei Ying. You need to fucking answer me."

"Wen Chao, he's barely lucid. Please, I will answer. We can talk. Wei Ying just needs–"

"If you're going to get in my fucking way, I'll fucking slit your throat right here. Sit the fuck
down and shut up."

Lan Zhan flinches, running his free hand up to cup Wei Ying's face. He leans into it, curling
his legs up slightly. "Is'fine," he says. Kind of. He has to take a moment between talking to
formulate. And frankly, he's not in the mood for Wen Chao to hurt either of them further.
Police. Police will come and Wen Qing will follow through because she's awesome like that.

Wen Chao leans in close, crouched down in front of them, knife poking into Wei Ying's ribs.
He flinches, and Lan Zhan secures his head, hand trembling. "Stop," Wen Chao orders. Wei
Ying stares hazily, fear gripping his throat. "This–this whole thing. Was it not a fucking ploy?
Did you enjoy watching me fucking stumbling like an idiot to get your fucking attention?
Was it funny? Wei Ying. Answer me, or I fucking cut you." To emphasize, the knife is pushed
and Wei Ying feels the sharp edge nick his skin, cutting through his sweater.

"No!" he rasps, forceful and terrified. "I–I didn't. It wasn't funny." His heart beats loudly, fast
and hard and in his throat. "I jus'--jus' wanted to tutor. It'as–it was jus' tutoring." He breathes
in, brain still muddled. "I was–I just–I did want to help."

"Of course you did," Wen Chao says, pressing the knife closer. Wei Ying stiffens. "Of fucking
course you did. I bought flowers, I bought chocolate. I tried to talk, I asked, but you settled
for a fucking Lan. We could've been good. I liked you, Wei Ying. So much. And you fucking
shoved it back in my face! Listening to you fucking–doing everything. Was I a fucking joke?
And then you stabbed me!" Wei Ying whimpers, stretching away from the sharp point of the
knife.
Lan Zhan places a hand forward, shaky and breath coming fast. "Wen Chao, please. Slow
down. A concussion–"

"He can fucking understand me! I am not an idiot, Lan Zhan! That fucking–fucking seizure
bullshit! God, such a great fucking actor, huh? Wei Ying? Why don't you fucking answer me,
you fucker?"

A few things happen at once.

The first is that the phone rings. Wei Ying's.

The second is that Wen Chao leans forward, angry and red and breathing hard.

The third is that Wei Ying understands the fire that is being stabbed.

The fourth is that he screams, Lan Zhan screams, and Wen Chao pulls back, hands dropping
as he scrambles away.

He breathes, loud. Blood rushes through his ears. "Lan–" he tries. "Lan Z'n–!" His hands go
to try and grab the knife still in his stomach, shaking and vibrating and pale. Lan Zhan stops
him, face coming down to whisper reassurance. "Lan Zhan–I–my–"

"Shh, I know. I know. Don't touch it," he says, low and frantic. This is the first time he's
seemed this panicked. Wei Ying hears his breath hitch. "Wei Ying, it's okay. Breathe, slow
and deep. We won't touch it. Don't pull it out."

Wen Chao is still staring. When Wei Ying looks at him, he's pale and sweaty, hands
practically shaking on the floor. The phone is still ringing. Still staring, he wobbles to get up,
clumsily grabbing We Ying's phone from the living room table. He frowns, eyes skittering
over to the bleeding pair on the floor.
"Lieutenant He," he says. "She's that bitch cop."

Lan Zhan swallows. Nods. Hands press around Wei Ying's stomach, looking to apply
pressure with his broken hand now. Wei Ying cries out when he starts, tensing and curling in.
"Shh, don't curl up. Lieutenant He is Wei Ying's officer, yes. She delivered your cease and
desist."

"Why is she calling?"

Lam Zhan shakes his head.

"Why the fuck is she calling?"

"I don't–why not answer and see?" Lan Zhan shifts under Wei Ying, causing Wei Ying to
move. He bites his lip to stifle the cry wanting to come out of him. The knife in his gut, he
can take that, it's great. The constant reminder his head is on fire anytime he moves, not so
much. "Just, see what she wants, Wen Chao. Please, please ask for an ambulance. Wei Ying–"

"Shut the fuck up," Wen Chao says, stepping closer. "Stay fucking quiet. Any fucking moves,
and--and–just stay." He glances back at Wei Ying's phone, blood along his fingertips, and
answers.

"Hello?" Lieutenant He's voice rings out. He put the phone on speaker. Wei Ying sniffs,
biting down every cry of pain in his body. "Wei Ying? I got a call. Are you okay?"

"This isn't Wei Ying, Lieutenant," Wen Chao says.

It's quiet. A door slams, it sounds like a car door, and static. "Wen Chao?"

"Yeah, why the fuck are you calling?"

"Wen Chao, this is Wei Ying's phone."

"Yeah, it is. Why are you calling?"

"Is Wei Ying okay?"

A muscle in Wen Chao's jaw twitches. Wei Ying swallows, tensing his fingers in his sweater.
It feels sticky, and any large pull jostles the knife in his gut. "He's alive."

"Wen Chao, is he okay?"

Wen Chao glances at them, grip tightening, and he walks towards them, shoving the phone at
Lan Zhan. "Fucking talk. Nothing funny, nothing stupid. You got that?"

Lan Zhan nods, moving the hand resting under Wei Ying's head that helps keep the towel in
place. He takes the phone, resting it now on his free thigh, rubbing Wei Ying's stomach
soothingly. "Lieutenant He?"

"Yes? Who is this I'm speaking to now?"

"I am–my name is Lan Zhan. I am–"

"Ah, I know who you are. Okay, Lan Zhan. I hear Wen Chao with you. I have to ask: are you
okay?"

Lan Zhan swallows, rubbing a thumb along Wei Ying's side. "Yes, yes. My–my hand may be
broken. Wei Ying is much worse. We need–" He pauses, looking to Wen Chao. Wen Chao
says nothing, and Lan Zhan tests the waters. "He needs an ambulance. Immediate medical
care."
Lieutenant He is silent. "Immediately? What happened? Run it by me, hun."

"Head trauma," he says, calm and even. "A tooth was knocked out. Seizure. And–and he was
stabbed."

" Stabbed? Lan Zhan, are you applying pressure?"

"Yes, yes. The knife is still–it's still in him. I haven't–neither of us has touched it. I won't–I
can't–"

"No, no. You're doing great. Did you say a seizure? How long?"

"A minute. A few seconds over. He's slurring. Awake. He can talk and understand. His
pupils, they're so big."

Lieutenant He sighs, and Wei Ying hums against Lan Zhan's thigh. He's warm. And Wei Ying
is tired. Something taps his face.

"No sleeping, Wei Ying. Stay awake."

"Lan Zhan, you're at the Jiang house?"

Lan Zhan pauses, staring at Wen Chao. "I–you have to not do anything."

"What?"
"Nothing drastic. You have to--you have to be calm. No guns, no storming. He–there's a
hammer, too."

"Okay, you're done," Wen Chao says, swiping the phone again. "They're done talking."

"Wen Chao, stay on the line, okay? I want to help you and them."

There's a cruelness to the way Wen Chao laughs, so cold and hard that Wei Ying can feel it in
his bones, vibrating and churning. "Help? Me? Why the fuck would you wanna help me,
huh? What the fuck do you have? I came here to talk. It's their own fault. I had--Wei Ying ran
and I panicked. Then the fucker swung on me, and I reacted. Why am I the one being
punished?"

Lieutenant He sighs. Wei Ying feels a hand pinch his cheek. "Wen Chao, you let Lan Zhan
talk to me. That's good. Thank you. I need you to do something for me, okay? Can you help
them for me?"

"Why would I? Wei Ying is–he doesn't–and Lan Zhan stole him."

"Okay, okay. We'll hold off on Lan Zhan. But if Wei Ying is as hurt as he says, he can't be left
alone. They're doing very good, you're doing very good, but if he's bleeding and had a
seizure, that's not good. Okay?

"I don't care."

"Wen Chao, please. If Wei Ying dies, those charges are going to go up."

Another ragged laugh pulls from Wen Chao's chest. "So fucking what? Good riddance! I
tried–I tried so fucking hard. And then he pulls this. I'm done talking."

"Please, Wen Chao. Let the paramedics in when they arrive–"

"They can fuck off for all I care. I'm done." With a heavy sigh, Wen Chao's face turns to Wei
Ying and Lan Zhan, and Wei Ying's heart stutters. "And I think so are they."

"What? Wen Chao, please. Don't do anything. Listen, I'll talk–"

The house is silent. Wei Ying clutches onto his sweater tighter, a ragged hiccup bursting from
his chest. There's something hysterical bubbling inside of him, something large that makes
him want to scream. He's terrified.

Wen Chao stares at them.

Wei Ying clutches at the knife in his gut. The handle is freezing. Or maybe it's Wei Ying's
hands. They're red.

Lan Zhan's hand is red, too. Covered in Wei Ying’s blood. It's comical, funny. Sort of. He's
going to die here, in his lover's lap with a fucking knife in his gut.

Wen Chao hefts the hammer in his hands as if testing the weight.

"Wen Chao–" Lan Zhan starts, voice shaking. "Please."

"Please? Please what? What? You gonna beg your fucking uncle? Gonna get your fucking
bitch to drop those bullshit charges? I was happy! I was okay! Then–then he did this! A
fucking plotter! Fucking…fucking bitch. I won't. I won't let you do this to me." He shakes his
head, taking a step forward.

"Please," Wei Ying gasps finally. His mouth still tastes like blood. He wonders if it's from his
tooth, or blood bubbling up from his stab wound. He can still breathe, so he hopes it's simply
the tooth. "Wen Chao, please. I'm sorry–"
"Shut the fuck up!"

Wei Ying flinches. Lan Zhan curls up, arms moving to protect his head. "Wen Chao, this has
gone–"

There's a sickening crack.

Wei Ying's world stops, and blood hits his face. Thick. Warm. Red. His eyes have to focus for
a moment.

Lan Zhan slumps, arms dull and useless. Wen Chao is breathing hard.

The phone rings again.

Wei Ying hears screaming. Muffled and large and behind his eyes. His head thumps.

Wen Chao stares. The hammer is in his hands. It's bloody.

His world shrinks. Down to the hammer. The blood on his face. Lan Zhan's. He's limp,
slumped backward, eyes closed. Wei Ying realizes, belatedly, he's the one screaming. Ragged
and hoarse. He moves, hands shakily reaching out to grab his boyfriend.

" What did you do?" he's screaming, head and heart pounding as he drags his injured body as
best he can to see Lan Zhan's face. He's not moving. "What the fuck did you do?"

Wen Chao breathes out hard through his nose, then steps forward. Wei Ying skitters
backward, hands slick with his blood. He falls, then rights himself and moves. Wen Chao
catches him easily, grabbing him hard by the throat and then straddling him. Wei Ying claws.
Fights.

Cries and whimpers and begs.

"I'm sorry! Please! Please, don't! I'm sorry! I'll–"

Wen Chao's grip tightens, and Wei Ying sees stars. "Shut the fuck up! I didn't mean to! Okay?
Quit–quit saying shit, Wei Ying!" Wen Chao's hands press deep into his throat, and Wei Ying
tries to bite, kick, do something. One hand leaves his throat, then pushes his hips down. Wei
Ying freezes, eyes wide. "Yeah, yeah. You fucking remember now? I do. That–God. You
were such a baby. A fucking baby, crying and whining like you're doing now. I don't–you
were so good. So nice. I thought you liked me, Wei Ying. And then you suddenly got weirded
out?"

Wei Ying doesn't dare speak. His fear won't let him. He carefully moves his hands, drunk
fingers brushing the knife still in him.

"I remember. The–you two. You liked him. I tried. To do what you liked. You just cried and
closed your eyes. Like a fucking bitch. You act so nice, but you're filthy. I've heard so much
shit, Wei Ying. Unbelievable. Really."

"I'm–Wen Chao. We need–I need. Ambulance. Please."

The phone rings again.

"You don't. You won't."

"My sister, my nephew. They'll–they'll be so upset. That–"

He gasps, a high-pitched thing when the fingers dig in tighter. He gasps, head suddenly
pulled close to Wen Chao. "Shut up, I said. I wanted–I didn't want to do this. You realize
what you do to people?" Wen Chao shakes him, and he cries out. "Fucking answer me!"

"I'm sorry! No, I don't!"

He closes his eyes, his hand trailing down to his abdomen. He won't let himself die. He won't.
He won't. He won't.

Madame Yu's words ring loud.

Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss.

He won't. He chokes again, eyes going fuzzy when Wen Chao leans over him, then slams his
head back down into the tiles. "You ruin fucking everything! All of it! This is all your fault,
Wei Ying!"

Wei Ying's lips go to move, and when Wen Chao squeezes, his hands move, pulling at the
handle of the knife and going.

He doesn't miss.

There's a gurgling sound above him, loud and bubbling. Wei Ying gulps, breathing loudly.
His stomach hurts. His head pounds. He turns, retching and coughing and wincing. Wen
Chao bubbles something out, the knife sticking from his throat. Wei Ying moves, scrambling
for the hammer Wen Chao dropped.

He brushes the handle, then something drags him back, and he slides easily along Madame
Yu's kitchen. Wen Chao grabs his ankle, hard, and tugs. He's pulled the knife from his neck,
and fear makes Wei Ying scramble.

Pain erupts in his back, mirroring the wound on his front, and he yells, teeth gritting.
Reaching out, he has little time to brush the handle of the hammer, sliding it closer.
Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. DON'T MISS, WEI YING.

He swings.

He doesn't miss.

Something cracks. Warmth erupts. Wen Chao's hold loses, and Wei Ying gasps as he sits up.
Blood is flowing down his stomach. He tilts dangerously to the side, head heavy and fuzzy.
Everything blurs.

Wen Chao twitches, makes a move to get up, and Wei Ying swings again.

And again.

And again.

Again.

And again.

Again.

Again.

Again.
Until nothing exists.

His hands shake, and a hoarse sob leaves him. Adrenaline is making him shake. The hammer
is covered in blood. It's Wen Chao's.

Wei Ying laughs, giddy and numb and buzzing.

He tilts again, head lowering, then snaps back up.

Lan Zhan.

The phone rings again.

He needs to help Lan Zhan.

He can only crawl, drag, his body to the counter, standing shakily on his knees to numbly
reach for his phone. It's bloody and the screen is smeared. In the reflection, he can barely
make out the blood drenching his face. From his head, nose, Lan Zhan's blood. Wen Chao's.

Jiang Cheng's name flashes on the caller ID. He answers, dragging himself over to Lan Zhan,
pale and bleeding and unmoving.

"Wei Ying?" the voice says, cracking and thick. Wei Ying stuffs the choke he wants to let out
down his throat. "Gege?"

"Hey," Wei Ying says, voice also cracking. He's tired.

A chorus of relieved sighs and gasps sounds. He closes his eyes, clambering to bring Lan
Zhan's body into his lap while keeping himself upright. "Gege, gege. We need–Lieutenant
He. Outside. Almost. Uhm–we need to know. Can–is the door unlocked? Can you or Lan
Zhan open it?"

He tilts again, giving in to lay his head on Lan Zhan's shoulder. Humming, he holds the
phone, warm running down his torso. "No. Can't–uhm. Move. I–didi I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Jiang Cheng chokes out. "Wei Ying, gege. What happened? You–she said you were
hurt–"

"Is't so bad, didi. So dramatic. I'm–Lan Zhan. Needs help. Hammer."

" You need help! Gege, can–please?"

Wei Ying pauses, grip loosening on the phone in his hand. He's warm and cold at the same
time. Lan Zhan is still bleeding. His mouth still tastes like blood.

"I can't. I want to. I really want to. Didi, I can't get up. Wen Chao–I didn't miss."

"Miss? Wei Ying, please. Can--A-Ling wanted to see you. Stay awake, please. Lieutenant He
says an ambulance–"

"Jiang Cheng."

"Wei Ying. Don't you fucking dare."

"Didi, I'm sorry. Thank you."

It's hard to keep a grip on the phone, on consciousness after that. It slips and wavers, and the
only thing he feels is the warmth of Lan Zhan in his lap, and the blood dripping down his
stomach. He can hear Jiang Cheng wailing and begging, Shijie crying. Madame Yu yelling.
Uncle Jiang reassuring through a thick voice.

He tries.

So hard.

He wants to stay awake.

He wants to so desperately. He keeps a grip on it. Hard and fast. It still slips.

He's ruined Madame Yu's kitchen. White tiles are red. Wei Ying's breathing is ragged. There's
a sharp pain in his gut. His head. His fingers. Everywhere.

His eyes are warm. Firm and hot and scalding. He hiccups, staring at Lan Zhan beneath him.

He’s barely able to kiss him. He's shaking so badly.

"Lan Zhan," he whispers into the quiet. "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. Please, please
forgive your stupid Wei Ying. I'm sorry."

It's hard to not want to sleep after that.

Lan Zhan smells like sandalwood. And his mouth tastes like blood.
 Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Summary

I'm here, Wei Ying.

I'm here, Lan Zhan.

Chapter Notes

TW for the following: trauma, hospitalization, seizures, medical talk, self-blame, trauma
response, PTSD, injury discussion, small panic attack

The aftermath.
Next chapter is the last. Fortunately, I have two W.I.Ps in the works, both quite angsty.
I've had a blast writing this story, and I'm eager to get to work on the next story. Thank
you for reading.

His entire body is on fire. On and off. On and off.

Now, sitting in the darkness, here and now, it's quiet. Nothing exists, just him. He doesn't
want to leave, not really. Because he knows if he does wake up, he'll have to face what he
did. What Wen Chao did. Wei Ying can still feel blood and the hammer in his hands. It's sick.
The crunch a skull makes when it's met with a strong force like a hammer.

It was so loud. So loud and jagged and Wei Ying's head hurt.

He doesn't want to face them. The fear and terror.

Is Lan Zhan alive?

Is Wei Ying?

He feels like he's drifting. Somewhere and nowhere. Dark and bottomless. It's like being
stuck in a pool: dark and muffling and the pressure. If he wakes up now, he'll have to face
what he did. Explain.

He feels numb. There's no feeling in his body. His hands are transparent, bloodless and
skinless and numb and cold. He wants someone to hold him now. His sister. His brother.

God, he wants his siblings so bad. Jiang Cheng’s voice–

Wei Ying chokes down the sob threatening to leave him. He doesn't want to cry. He doesn't
want to. He can't. There's a paranoid thought at the back of his head: If you cry, he wins.

He doesn't want to cry. He won't.

He does.

He does. So loudly. So wailing and loud and openly that the black splits.

He's failed every step of the way. Every time he thought he was okay. Every single time. The
party. The stairs. The concussion. Then he dragged Lan Zhan into it, hurt him, hurt Wen
Chao. Wei Ying curls up.

He stays there. Tucked away in the deepest confines of his mind, away from the world and
away from where anything can touch him. If he sees now, if he feels now, it'll ruin
everything. He can't. If he thinks of any of it, he'll tear himself up. The blood, the pain of his
head and the seizure and the knife wounds in his stomach. The terrifying calmness of feeling
himself dying as his little brother begs for him to talk. On the phone. Shijie heard. Madame
Yu and Uncle Jiang heard.
How can he face them?

Lan Zhan's family. They'll hate him. So much. Because he dragged Huan-ge's dearest little
brother into a mess. Because he dragged Lan Qiren's prized nephew into his mess. His mess.

Wen Chao made him a mess.

It's Wen Chao's fault.

The anger boils inside of him, deep and dark and present.

The darkness around him rattles. Reaches out and cups his head. He talks, low and raspy and
afraid. "I'm not sorry," he says. "I'd do it again. He would've–he was going to kill me." The
darkness doesn't respond, but it hums and burns and Wei Ying stays. "I would do it all over
again."

When the darkness is quiet, he frowns. "I'm not sorry. Not this time."

This time, the darkness is okay. It accepts his anger, and he stays, tucked in tightly. He hates
Wen Chao. And he did what needed to be done.

He won't regret it.

He does. He feels sick any time he stares at his hands. Red and warm and holding Lan Zhan
as best he can. He closes his eyes.

At some point, his sister talks to him. She's exceedingly quiet, and then A-Ling pipes up. Wei
Ying shifts, consciousness still loosely brushing his fingertips. They're both so soft, so gentle
and sweet.
"Your Da-jiu is sleeping," she tells her son. "He was hurt, so the nice doctors make him
better. You remember Lan Zhan? The nice man who ate lunch with us?"

A-Ling makes a sound, his little shoes slapping the linoleum tile. "Mhm! Da-jiu likes him.
Wants to marry him. He's okay, too?"

Shijie laughs gently, then a hand is on Wei Ying's forehead. "Yes. They both went through
something very scary, my dear. Very scary. Right now, we have to be very nice to Da-jiu and
A-Zhan. They're hurting. Do you want to talk to Da-jiu?"

"What about Zhan-gege?"

"We can ask his brother next. He may want to visit your Da-jiu, too. They want to sit with
each other. Like how Jiujiu wants to sit here. If he says we can visit, we can talk with him,
too. Thank him for helping Da-jiu.”

A-Ling makes an affirming noise. “Da-jiu! Da-jiu! Momma would like to see you up. You
should sleep, though. I wanna sleep too, when I’m sick. The doctors are nice. They like you.
They like Jiujiu, and Momma, Baba and Zhan-gege. You’re still sleeping. We should paint
our picture when you’re up again. That’s all. Love you.” There’s a soft pat to his hand, and
Wei Ying wails.

Shijie huffs, then sniffs. “I’m sure Da-jiu will like that. Do you want to see if you’re allowed
to talk to Zhan-gege? I’m sure he’d like that.”

“Yes!”

“Shh, Da-jiu is sleeping, my love. Quiet.”

A-Ling must nod, because then Shijie is kissing his forehead and cupping his face. “So brave,
didi. So good. You did so good.” Another kiss, then he hears her sniffle, and her hand leaves.
“A-Cheng wanted to visit. We love you, A-Ying.”
Then they leave, and it is quiet.

He doesn’t want quiet. Quiet is the bleak dying he felt. Quiet is him apologizing to Lan Zhan
as they lay bleeding together on Madame Yu’s tiles. Quiet is Wei Ying bleeding out with Wen
Chao’s blood on his hands. Quiet means he is dying.

He doesn’t want to. He won’t. He can’t.

He begs.

He wants to be awake.

He doesn’t.

They’ll know. And pity him. And drench him and smother him in all their love. And he’ll
take it.

He’s so sorry.

In the darkness, Wei Ying cries.

Jiang Cheng visits him some days. Some days it’s quiet, and Jiang Cheng does nothing but sit
and hold Wei Ying’s hand. Other days, he reads. Other days, he complains about classes.
Others, it is simply grief that overwhelms them both. Jiang Cheng will stand, press his
forehead to Wei Ying’s and cry. Other days, he’s angry, refusing to touch Wei Ying but sitting
with him. He insults him. Wei Ying doesn’t mind. The easiest days are when Jiang Cheng
talks about his daily schedule. His lab was a success, a near-perfect report grade. He talks
about how Huaisang is planning to visit, how the doctors want to test something because
having two concussions in such a short time frame was not something they liked the idea of.
At all.
(Later, they’d be sending Wei Ying home with another therapist’s card and prescriptions for
anti-seizure medication. Epilepsy. Hooray.)

Jiang Cheng’s visits undulate rapidly. Shijie’s are always so soft. Jin Zixuan visits once, with
A-Ling, and he simply leaves A-Ling to do the talking.

From his corner, Wei Ying listens. Listens and listens and listens. No one is mad. Not really.

He fears everything. The knowledge of him being pitied. Reliving any of what he did. He
wants so desperately. He was so desperate when he cracked Wen Chao’s skull open. He was
so desperate to want Lan Zhan to live.

He cries again, huddled in the space he’s created for himself. It’s denting and cracking. If he
moves, it’ll fall apart and he’ll be left bare and vulnerable. He won’t make the same mistake.
He won’t.

Madame Yu visits once. She’s quick. A simple brush to his forehead, swiping his bangs back
and then a soft holding of his cheek before her cold hand drops.

Uncle Jiang sits quietly with him, reading and texting.

Mianmian visits. She complains about her exhibit pieces. Professor Xue has been yelling at
her for slacking. Wen Qing planned an anniversary dinner. She’s excited. He misses her. He
doesn’t want her to leave. But she does. She visits again the next day, he thinks.

Then, the day comes when Huan-ge visits him. He’s quiet for a long time. Wei Ying forgets
he’s there before he speaks. “A-Zhan is awake, Ying-di.” Wei Ying tries to keep things from
falling apart. “A concussion. Broken hand. Surgery to fix it. He says he’s fine, but he’s turned
into you.” He laughs, low and quiet. “He pulls the blanket over himself when lights get too
much. I read to him. Your nephew, he keeps him entertained.”
Wei Ying wants to respond. So badly. He can’t.

Huan-ge keeps going. “He asks for you. You…you both must’ve been terrified. Ying-di,
Ying-di. He misses you. I can’t get him to not talk about you. It’s all I hear about. When he’s
not sleeping. You two–you two will need such a vacation. Can I tell you something?” Huan-
ge must lean closer, because then he’s much louder. Wei Ying pauses, looking up from his
cracking bleakness. “Ying-di, he loves you so much. You’ve swiped my brother from me,” he
laughs. “He smiles so easily when we mention you. Please, when you two are out, love him
kindly? You both deserve gentleness.”

Wei Ying’s bleakness shatters.

He wants to be awake. Here and with Lan Zhan. He tried. So hard. So much.

He wails and cries and begs and pleads.

He doesn’t wake up.

So he sinks deeper.

It all comes to a head when Lan Zhan visits. Wei Ying does want to curl up and die. So, he
buries himself into the deepness of it all. “Wei Ying,” he hears. “Wei Ying.” It’s hopeful, said
so small and sweetly he wants to wail in such a tragic way his heart splits. “Wei Ying, you
were so brave,” he hears.

It cracks.

A hand brushes his, cold and shaking. “Brother said he visited. Your sister said–said the
seizures may happen again. We were so lucky” The bed dips, and Lan Zhan sucks in a breath.
“Wei Ying, so lucky. I could not–please do not leave. Not now. I will sing to you all you’d
like. And indulge you. And call you the prettiest I’ve ever seen. I would do it regardless, but
it is important now.”
He’s not allowed to do this. Wei Ying won’t let him. He’s so kind. So sweet.

He wants to. So much.

Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan.

I adore you.

He leaves, walking still a struggle. A nurse clicks her tongue, helping guide him back. Wei
Ying hears the small dialogue they exchange.

“He’s important to you?”

“Mm. The most important person to me.”

Wei Ying cries himself hoarse.

He pushes, so desperate and so eager at the clinging feeling. The darkness is gone, and he’s
scrubbed raw and bare for everyone to see. He wants to see them. There is nothing, nothing,
nothing. Simply Wei Ying and his thoughts.

So, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries later, when Wei Ying wakes up, Jiang
Cheng’s scream is the only thing his block of the hospital hears.
It’s ridiculously fuzzy and quiet at first. Wei Ying feels pain simmering in every corner of his
being. His stomach and back hurt the most, his head a close second. He feels sore all over,
rubbed raw and scrubbed until he bled. It’s agonizing, so much sensation rubbing against
him, smelling and tasting and seeing. His mouth doesn’t taste like blood anymore, his
stomach burns, his eyes hurt. This he recognizes, the signs of another fucking concussion.

It aches and presses and burns him. It’s hell.

He waits and stays, waiting for a moment a doctor or nurse finds him awake. It’s going to be
awful. He wants to stay awake. So badly. He doesn’t want them to make him sleep again. It’s
terrifying. Being up and feeling every microscopic feeling.

It’s not a doctor or nurse who finds him, staring blankly at the ceiling while fisting the crappy
hospital blankets. God, no. It’s his brother, walking in and stuffing his face full of donuts,
coffee in hand. Wei Ying almost weeps, but finds himself much too stunned to do it. It aches.
His heart hurts. He’s awake, alive, breathing, and God he hurts. He waits as Jiang Cheng
pauses to look at his phone, probably a text from Shijie, before he looks up.

Really, the reaction is immediate.

Wei Ying’s eyes burn, and through a mix of frustration, anger, grief, and pain, he cries. It’s
silent before Jiang Cheng hurriedly drops both his phone and coffee to lunge for the call
button on Wei Ying’s bed, pressing it with such urgency. His face is red, eyes watery as he
does it.

“You’re in so much trouble,” he says, voice shaky. Wei Ying blinks. “So much. The…gege
the phone call. We–we were so fucking scared and we got here and you looked dead. So
fucking dead and they carried his fucking bashed in face out and we all just–”

“Jiang Cheng,” he rasps. Jiang Cheng stops, lips shaking. “Didi, I didn’t–”

He’s silenced when Jiang Cheng releases such a guttural sob it shakes Wei Ying and
everything he’s built up. Jiang Cheng presses their foreheads together, and Wei Ying feels
more hot tears spill over. “Don’t,” he warns. Wei Ying closes his eyes, breathing in. “Nothing
that happened was your fault. Never. Never, gege. Lan Zhan, he–he said you did so good and
you were so good and handled everything so well. God, thank fucking God, Wei Ying! I
would’ve–this isn’t allowed.”

Wei Ying's heart stutters, and when he breathes in, it’s ragged and broken. It’s exceedingly
hard to breathe, here in his brother’s arms, watching him cry. It hurts and aches. Hands brush
his bangs back, and another tearing sob breaks through his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whimpers.
“I’m so sorry.”

“Hey,” Jiang Cheng says softly over his crying. “Hey, hey, hey. Shh, don’t cry. You need to
breathe slowly, gege. Please? I’m not mad. Gege, gege. You’ll hyperventilate.” Wei Ying
tries. He does. But everything is so much, and he feels so much, and the tears simply won’t
stop. He’s stiff and sore and everything feels dialed up to one hundred. Jiang Cheng rubs his
cheeks, leaning over him as he sobs.

A bustle around him stirs him slightly, and it’s slightly jarring when a nurse gently guides his
brother away from him to check him. She’s short and soft-sounding, holding his hand to
guide him. “Wei Ying, honey? We’re going to breathe together, okay? Can you do that with
me?” She’s silent, waiting for him to nod. He hiccups, nodding, and she smiles. “Join me
whenever you can, sweetheart.” She inhales deeply, holding it for a count and inflating her
ribcage before she breathes out slowly. She repeats the process a few times, ever so patient
and kind until Wei Ying tries to do it himself. Jiang Cheng moves to the side of the bed,
grabbing his hand and rubbing his palm. The nurse sends an appreciative look, continuing her
breathing. Wei Ying follows, breathing in as deeply as the pain in his stomach allows. It takes
so long. So long before his rapid hiccups die down to something quieter. “Good job, sweetie.
You did beautifully.”

Jiang Cheng pats him, hands shaky. Wei Ying sighs, blinking hard against the tears in his
eyes. The nurse moves, pulling her hands away as she walks around him. Jiang Cheng is
talking with her, low and quiet, and then Wei Ying’s shoulder is tapped. “Wei Ying,” Jiang
Cheng says, “she needs to check your stomach. Lift your shirt.”

“My stomach?”

The nurse pauses, pulling latex gloves on and squeezing a roll of gauze in her hands. “You
were stabbed, honey. We have to check your stomach and back. Can you sit up at all?”
Wei Ying pauses, and with gentle easing, Jiang Cheng and the nurse help him sit up. He
sways, head buzzing, and holds his brother when he’s all the way up. “Holy–fuck.”

The nurse moves her hand. “Do you want to lay back down? We can give you some pain
medication after.”

Wei Ying shakes his head, biting his lip. “I’m okay. It’s fine. I just–I haven’t–I haven’t really
had a chance to register it. Since it happened.”

Jiang Cheng frowns. “She can stop, Wei Ying.”

The nurse nods. “It’s been a bit, I just want to make sure you’re healing properly. The back
wound hit a kidney. We’re a bit worried about that. Our best doctor stitched you, but it still
needs to be checked. I’ll simply check and redo your bandages, is that okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. Please.”

She nods, and Wei Ying bites the inside of his cheek as she sets to work. She makes him
straighten his back, and when she unwraps the bandages around his torso, he closes his eyes
and breathes. None of it hurts, but the dull throb of the stabs in his stomach aches. It’s
present. If anything, his head is the thing killing him. She prods an area above his stomach
and he flinches. The nurse mumbles apologies, and he shakes his head. She keeps going, then
moves to check his back.

“Your brother says you’re an art student?”

Wei Ying snorts, squeezing Jiang Cheng’s hand in mocking. “Yeah. I am. Working on my
exhibit pieces for next year. Was. I don’t know–It might be a bit before I can do that again.”
The nurse hums. “I was working on my first one before–before this. It’s not even halfway
done and my professor was yelling at me for it. He’s gonna–” he has to pause, a wet laugh
escaping him. “He’ll be so pissed I’m this late. You don’t even know.”
“Mm. I bet you’re good. Is he?” The question is directed at Jiang Cheng.

He nods against Wei Ying’s head. “He is. Super good. I have pictures. Gege, can I show
her?” Wei Ying hums in assent, focusing on the feeling of firm pressure on his stomach. The
nurse diligently wraps him, fingers never lingering too long in one spot. He feels Jiang Cheng
move, and when the nurse tapes the gauze in place, she helps lay him back down, eyes
roaming over Jiang Cheng’s phone.

“Wow. Very talented. I’ll go get the doctor, Wei Ying. There’s…just a few things we need to
confirm. We’ll let you sleep afterward.” He nods, hands shakily coming up to block his eyes.
More shuffling, the nurse talking, and then Jiang Cheng sits heavily back in his chair. Wei
Ying inhales shakily.

“I thought I was going to die,” he whispers, Jiang Cheng’s breath hitches. “He was going to
kill me. I–I thought he was going to kill me, didi. He–he hit Lan Zhan and I didn’t know what
to do! And then…and then you called and I was so fucking tired and everything hurt so bad.”
He doesn’t want to cry again. He doesn’t. But it happens. He sniffs, hands pressing harder
into his eyes. “He was inside, then I just panicked. I was going to–I was dying, Jiang Cheng.”

“You didn’t,” Jiang Cheng whispers. “You didn’t. We–we got here and asked for you and you
weren’t here yet, and then they brought you both in. Wei Ying, we were so fucking scared.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop that. You’re here right now. That’s–you did it. You–they did it, and you’re here and
they helped you and–”

He stops talking, and Wei Ying blearily looks over. God, he wants to stop crying. Jiang
Cheng stares at him, face scrunched as tears run down his face. “Didi, don’t cry. Please.”

Jiang Cheng shakes his head, dragging his chair forward. Leaning his head on Wei Ying’s
shoulder, Jiang Cheng sobs. Wei Ying follows after him, soft and whiney. He wanted this so
bad. His brother’s warmth. Him here. Wei Ying chokes, closing his eyes and moving his arms
to hold his crying baby brother. Jiang Cheng breathes in, clutching Wei Ying’s hospital gown.
“Gege, gege, gege.”

“I know. Jiang Cheng, didi, A-Cheng, Chengcheng. Thank you.”

Wei Ying sobs into his brother’s hair, clutching his jacket so tightly his fingers hurt. The
doctor gives them a moment. Wei Ying cries so hard his head hurts. It’s worth it.

Jiang Cheng steps out when the doctor starts checking Wei Ying. Wei Ying is ridiculously
tired.

He falls asleep fairly quickly. He wakes up to his family sitting with him, Shijie and Jiang
Cheng sleeping by his bed, and Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu resting together on some chairs
at the back of the room. He holds his sister’s hand tighter, falling back asleep.

Everything aches.

It takes a week before the doctors like Wei Ying’s progress enough to allow him to be sitting
up constantly, and another week before they clear him for screens. They do say they want to
scan his head, something about a seizure in his first week of sleep in the hospital. Wei Ying
frowns at that. Shijie gently pushes him to allow it, and they get the scan back later. It’s
ridiculous; the repeated head slamming did shit and now Wei Ying’s brain doesn’t like a lot
of things. Apparently, based on what Lan Zhan told his family, Wen Chao slammed his head
three times before his hand broke, and then Wei Ying remembers the fourth when Wen Chao
choked him.

Fascinating.

He is not happy to be told that, yeah, more seizures may happen. Yeah, they’ll be placing
‘epilepsy’ in Wei Ying’s medical file. Brilliant. Fascinating. Amazing. Wei Ying is not
amused.

Frankly, he really wants to leave the hospital. He’s tired of being poked and prodded, he
wants to see Lan Zhan, he wants to walk without someone helping him to the bathroom, he
wants to sleep easier. Sleeping has been terrifying. Every time he does sleep, he wakes up
sweaty and with the innate feeling of wanting to vomit. One of his nurses, the nightshift
nurse, checks in on him from time to time. He likes him. He’s young, funny, and doesn’t
make Wei Ying feel stupid or like a toddler. He’s the nurse that helps Wei Ying walk around
the hallway. He’s been in bed for almost a month, so stretching his legs is needed. As soon as
he can walk well enough, they’ll discharge him. He doesn’t want to go back to the Jiang
house. He doesn’t want to bother Shijie. The apartment still feels iffy.

He has a bit to think about it.

After a month of being bored in the hospital, Wei Ying is angry, frustrated, sleeping poorly,
and the food sucks. It’s nasty. He gets used to the nasty taste until one day, three days after
his epilepsy scan, he tastes it.

It’s Shijie’s visiting day. She sits with Wei Ying as he eats, quietly explaining A-Ling’s recent
little coloring project when Wei Ying freezes, face scrunching.

“A-Ying?”

Wei Ying shakes, then moves to chug the water brought with his lunch. He drinks, drinks,
drinks. It doesn’t help. His head hurts, and when he breathes, it’s ragged. “Shijie, Shijie.
Can–can you please taste the food? Please?”

She sits up straighter, then scoots closer. “A-Ying?”

“Shijie, please.”
She does as asked, confusion written on her face. “A-Ying? Sweetie, it tastes fine. Do you
want–?”

Wei Ying shakes his head. God, he’s going to cry. Then, Shijie makes a face, and Wei Ying’s
shaking halts suddenly. She scrunches her nose, then stands, grabbing his tray. “Wow, that’s a
gross aftertaste. I can get you–A-Ying? Sweetie, why are you crying?” She sets his tray
down, hands reaching to wipe his face.

He laughs, feeling so ridiculously stupid. “I–shit, Shijie. I’m so sorry. I–this is so stupid, I’m
so sorry.”

“A-Ying, A-Ying, sweetie, it’s okay. Deep breaths, baby.”

He sucks in a breath, chest aching. Shijie is so gentle as she wipes his face. He sniffs, wiping
his face. “God, I’m sorry. This–this seizure shit has me all sorts of fucked up.”

Shijie makes a sound of protest, pressing a kiss to his head. “A-Ying?”

“Before…before it happened. My mouth tasted so bad, and I–I freaked out and Lan Zhan
freaked out, and then the seizure so I–it tasted bad so I thought–”

Shijie silences him, pressing his face to her chest to comfort him. “It’s okay, A-Ying. It’s
okay. You’re allowed to be scared. We just have to be glad you’re trying. That’s okay. I can
go get you something else?”

He sighs, pressing closer to his sister. “Jiejie,” he mumbles. She freezes, then wraps her arms
around him tightly. “Jiejie, I don’t–what’s A-Ling even coloring?”

She laughs, wet and loud, and runs a hand through his hair. “Yingying, it’s a surprise. He’ll
be so mad if I ruined it for you.” She kisses his head. Her face is wet. “You should call me
Jiejie more.”
Wei Ying snorts, arms tightening in her shirt. “Okay. Okay. My favorite Jiejie.”

She hums. “Mm. My prettiest didi.”

Wei Ying does not have a good time before his discharge. There are two more seizures in that
time, roughly six days. One is short and has him dropping his sketchbook off the bed. Jiang
Cheng catches it and then asks why he dropped it. They find out rather quickly it was a
seizure. Wei Ying was in a mood the rest of the day. He doesn’t even remember the feeling
leading up to it.

The second, three days later, happened at a terrible time. A-Ling was visiting. It was large,
sudden, and he came back to himself with doctors and nurses helping him, checking him, and
A-Ling crying outside in the hallway. He was so tired after it that he fell asleep almost
immediately after he was checked. He woke up, again, in a mood. Angry and upset. A-Ling
visited the day after, wary of coming near him. It wasn’t until Wei Ying had to explain what a
seizure was that A-Ling determined he wouldn’t trouble Wei Ying, so he handed a picture
over and sulked in the bed with Wei Ying.

So far, they attributed the seizures to stress and lack of sleep. They wanted to test flashing
lights, Wei Ying was very adamant not to, and they were determined to keep him away from
alcohol after he got out. He’d be on pain medicine and have to sleep a lot. And, ya know, the
concussion. They tested flashing lights and photosensitivity.

Check.

Wei Ying was fairly unamused when he called Huaisang saying no more late-night phone
calls. Huaisang said he’d text when Wei Ying was asleep so Wei Ying didn’t have to respond.
Wei Ying promptly was annoyed.
The day he was discharged, Wei Ying was leaving with a shit ton of prescriptions, body pain,
and he was tired. Balance was still a little iffy, so he had to walk locking arms with Jiang
Cheng, who seemed to be in a grumpy mood. Wei Ying tried prodding and poking him.
Madame Yu scolded him, remarkably gentle today, and Uncle Jiang simply laughed. Frankly,
he didn’t want to necessarily return back to the Jiang house. His worst nightmares were of
him on Madame Yu’s tiles, bleeding out and having his head slammed in.

The therapist card in his pocket was cold, tiny, and written nicely. He thought about calling
her, but he wanted to at least like, go to the bathroom by himself without his brother
stumbling alongside him in the hallway as they both stumbled over each other.

It was easier when Madame Yu helped, even if it was embarrassing. She was confident when
she walked, her grip steady and firm. It’s embarrassing, but he finds it easier with her than
Jiang Cheng’s stumbling or Uncle Jiang bumbling around to make sure he’s not elbowing
Wei Ying in the stomach and hurting his side. Which is like, nice, but Wei Ying has to pee.

It’s quiet as they check out, Jiang Cheng keeping him upright. Wei Ying watches him scan
the lobby, eyes narrowed and grip on Wei Ying steady. “Jiang Cheng, what are you doing?”

“Shut up.”

Wei Ying snorts, leaning into his brother. Jiang Cheng brought him pajamas, a clean, overly
long sweater and fuzzy pants. Comfortable and loose. He thinks they’re Jiang Cheng’s pants,
but he’s not at liberty to complain. Finally, Jiang Cheng jostles him, and Wei Ying huffs.
“What?”

“Wei Ying?”

He freezes. His lips wobble and his eyes immediately go hot. He has to take a deep breath in
before turning around. The sob leaves him before he can even stop it. Jiang Cheng holds his
arm tighter, keeping him upright when his knees go weak.

Lan Zhan stands, perfect and tall. He looks so tired, his hand wrapped in a thick cast, hair cut
short, ponytail gone. His eyes are wide, mouth slightly ajar. He steps forward, and Wei Ying
mirrors the action, shuffling over to him and grabbing his waist. His stomach pulls, but he
ignores it and digs his face into Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Lan Zhan wraps his arms around him,
warm and here. Wei Ying sobs.

“Lan Zhan,” he whines, voice tiny. “Lan Zhan, I’m so sorry. He–you were–”

Lan Zhan hushes him, hand coming up to hold his head. “I know, I know. Wei Ying, Wei
Ying, you did so well. I–I am so glad.”

That kills him.

His knees give out, and the sink quietly to the floor of the lobby. Wei Ying tangles his fingers
in Lan Zhan’s hair, breathing in his familiar scent. “You went down, you were so limp, Lan
Zhan! I couldn’t–I was so fucking scared. I was so scared.”

“I know,” Lan Zhan whispers, voice thick. “I know.”

Something clicks within Wei Ying. Everything hurts. He tightens his hold on Lan Zhan, face
pressed hard into his shoulder. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. I’m–I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate
me.”

Lan Zhan huffs. “Could never. Would never. My beautiful Wei Ying, hm? All mine.”

Wei Ying feels his chest hiccup, and the ragged sobs that leave him ache. Lan Zhan holds him
through it, grip firm and warm and aching. Wei Ying’s head hurts afterward. When he’s done,
Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan have to help him stand. He must look a mess. Lan Zhan stares at
him like he is the prettiest person in the world, though. He ruffles Lan Zhan’s hair, short and
soft. “What happened here?” he asks, voice still wet with tears.

Lan Zhan tilts into his hands. “Mm. A change. It was needed. Do you like it?”
“I do. You look handsome.”

“Wei Ying,” Madame Yu interrupts. He pauses, looking at her with his hands still slightly
mussing Lan Zhan’s hair. “Before your next appointment, we called the Lans.”

“Okay,” he says quietly.

“They have so graciously offered to house you until you feel able to return to the apartment.
If you wish, we’ve packed a bag for you, and you’re free to stay with them. The doctors,” she
stops, biting her lip. Then she nods. “We all agree a change of scenery would do you well.
And–and we do not want you to be forced into the house when you are still healing.”

Wei Ying blinks. Lan Zhan grabs his hand, firm and cold, and squeezes.

Wei Ying nods dumbly, crying again.

He’s so sick of crying.

He lets it slip this time.

Huan-ge is good at driving, and Lan Zhan’s bedroom is on the first floor of Lan Qiren’s
house.

He’s so tired. Lan Zhan holds his hand while they sleep.

Wei Ying’s first week at the Lans passes. He and Lan Zhan can’t really be left alone, Lan
Zhan insists on doing shit by himself and they’re still grasping how to best handle Wei Ying
and his fun little baby seizures, and Lan Zhan’s sensitivity is worse than Wei Ying’s, so TV or
a movie for a long time is a no. Reading is hard. They do puzzles, draw, Lan Zhan still plays
guqin, even if his hand twitches the wrong way sometimes. He flushes when he misses a
chord in Wangxian, and Huan-ge has gotten too used to the duo laying on the floor when
they’re overwhelmed. Lan Qiren simply lowers his voice when he noticed Wei Ying or Lan
Zhan leave the table or couch to lay on the living room floor.

Technically, Lan Zhan did it first, and Wei Ying followed after. Wei Ying refuses to do it on
hardwood though, since the first time he did it, he panicked so hard he vomited in the
bathroom. Lan Qiren says trauma does some wild things.

Wei Ying finds out weird things while at the Lan house. Mostly, things he and Lan Zhan are
and aren’t able to do without having a fit. Lan Zhan gets remarkably worried whenever Wei
Ying sleeps, he double-checks the locks and doors every few hours, and he always has to use
the bathroom on the same floor as Wei Ying. Wei Ying’s are a bit weird. He doesn’t like the
hardwood floor, he steers clear of the kitchen as best he can, knives are a no, hammers a no,
he also freaks out when Lan Zhan sleeps, super bland tastes make him panic, and, this is the
weirdest thing, turtlenecks. He borrows one of Lan Zhan’s after a shower and immediately
had to take it off before he cried. He also checks locks and doors, less extremely than Lan
Zhan, and he avoids his phone a little after moving in.

Huan-ge is seemingly used to their weird habits now, making sure to add spice to Wei Ying’s
food and indulging Lan Zhan in his lock-checking. The Lans don’t yell at them, don’t baby
him, don’t push him. Really, he’s only pushed to take medicine and sleep, and Huan-ge says
he’ll start bartering with Wei Ying when the seizure medication comes in. Wei Ying frowns at
that before Huan-ge laughs.

Wei Ying adds spice to Huan-ge’s food in retaliation and watches as he chugs a glass. He
seems to find it funny, apologizing for teasing. Wei Ying is placated for the moment.

Sleeping is a challenge. Wei Ying can’t sleep on his stomach or back, so he has to sleep on
his side, and Lan Zhan can’t press against him too firmly. They both panic, waking each other
up sometimes to check that the other is breathing. It happens sometimes, remarkably often,
that they’ve gotten into a rhythm on how to help the other.

Wei Ying needs physical grounding. Lan Zhan does better when Wei Ying talks. It’s tough,
mentally replaying the sickening crack of Lan Zhan’s skull.
He tells him so one night after he’s woken from a nightmare.

“The worst sound in the world, Lan Zhan. We’re not–we won’t get better, will we?”

Lan Zhan is silent. “We may. We may not.”

“Your hand is a mess, Lan Zhan.”

“Mm. Physical therapy will help. Medication may help you.”

“I’m talking about being normal. I can deal with a fucking seizure.” He watches Lan Zhan
flinch. “I just mean–it won’t be normal. People are going to pity us. Pity you! Because–
because your stupid boyfriend got you involved in this–”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan interrupts. Softly, gently. Wei Ying fights the shaking of his own
fingers to hold Lan Zhan’s as he cups his face. “I will never believe this was your fault. Ever.
Let people pity us.” Lan Zhan kisses him, slow and soft and so reverent. Wei Ying chokes
down his sob. “We know what happened. That we are both strong. You–Wei Ying, you did so
good. I was so scared, and you–I thought we’d die.” Lan Zhan’s eyes are watery. “I’ve never
been more terrified in my life. Seeing you, in your own blood. I–I was frightened. We are
okay, though. At some point, we will be okay.”

Cold fingers rub Wei Ying’s cheeks. They come away wet. Wei Ying gasps, melting into Lan
Zhan’s warmth. “Lan Zhan,” he chokes out.

“I am here.”

“Hold me.”
“I’m holding you.”

“Hold me tight.”

Lan Zhan hums, arms tightening around Wei Ying. His stomach aches. Wei Ying sniffs,
clutching Lan Zhan’s shirt tight.

“I’m holding you tight, Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying nods against his chest. “Please, don’t let me go. Not tonight.”

Lan Zhan hums, heart beating soundly against Wei Ying’s ear. “Never,” Lan Zhan promises.

Wei Ying nods again, cheeks wet and head thundering. “Please, don’t leave.”

Lan Zhan sighs, pressing his lips to Wei Ying’s head. “Mm. Don’t worry. I am here.”

Wei Ying sobs, curling in. Lan Zhan is here. Wei Ying loves him. They’re alive. They’re
breathing and here. Wen Chao is gone. Dead. He won’t hurt them. Lan Qiren and Huan-ge
are here. His family is a call away. He feels fine. A dull ache of his body, his head. He’s
warm. Lan Zhan is so incredibly warm. Wei Ying sighs into his chest.

“I am here, Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying knows. He tightens his hold.

“I’m here, too.”

 Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Summary

Golden eyes shine with love and pride.

Chapter Notes

Slight TW: talks of trauma, brief SA mention

This is it. Writing this story has been a ride. It started with a brief thought for one
chapter that gained a plot. And then the plot went all over the place. I've teared up
writing this fic. I'm definitely not done writing works, but RCFWY comes to a close
here. I've loved your comments, your theories, and your thoughts, and each one pushed
me to keep writing. I hope with my next work, I make readers excited to read again.
Thank you. I've adored writing this story.
Please, enjoy the Red Chrysanthemums for Wei Ying story, and thank you.

“Your exhibit is today if I remember right,” Jia Zhilan says, crossing her legs and leaning
forward. Wei Ying nods, fingers tapping his knees. “How do you feel about that, Wei Ying? I
know your theme was very…heavily moderated.”

Wei Ying nods again, leaning back in his seat. “I’m nervous as fuck. Shit. Hell. Uhm–”

“You can curse, we’ve talked about it. You’re okay.”

He laughs, swiping a hand through his hair. “Sorry, yeah. It’s good. I’m nervous. It’s weird.
Having people stare at things I painted while, like, in such a messed up space? Then some
people want to buy those messed-up paintings? It’s wild. And feels like it’s not allowed?”

“Why?”
“Because it’s what I went through. And personal. My family…they got so mother hen
afterward, and then the seizure scares and, and hospital bills and worry over the legal stuff. It
got crazy.”

Jia Zhilan clicks her tongue. After six months of being his therapist, she’s managed to tune
into what he means, reciprocate his body language in a comforting way, and show she’s
listening while multitasking. “I think it’s very interesting you chose to go with such a
personal theme. It’s a type of healing, Wei Ying. Are you proud of your pieces?”

“Of course. Yeah. Most days.”

“Most?”

“They stayed in the studio when I wasn’t working. I never…I never took them home. Lan
Zhan would’ve…I didn’t want to scare him or my brother since he just pops the fuck over
whenever. So like, they can’t come in the studio without a key, and Mianmian isn’t a snitch.”

Jia Zhilan nods, then quirks an eyebrow. “Is this the first time they’re seeing the pieces?”

He snorts, throwing his legs over the side of her bright green couch. “Yes. Yeah. I mean, Lan
Zhan has seen my compositions, but I’ve never–they aren’t explained. It’s a bunch of
scribbles to him. And Jiang Cheng isn’t allowed to snoop. I think it’s like…what if they think
I’m still upset over it? Or not telling them things?”

“Are you still upset?”

“What?”

“About what happened, Wei Ying. The stalking, assault, break-in.”

He pauses, mouth opening and then snapping shut.

He’s thought of it so many times over the last year and a half. So many times. The undeniable
anger that came, the fear and anxiety, the days he had to call Jiang Cheng mid-lab because,
what the fuck, he had a fucking seizure in the bathroom and he is NOT walking home alone
and ‘would you please come with me, I’m sorry’. Then vomiting. Nightmares, him marching
himself downstairs back to the Lan apartment with his extra key to shuffle into Lan Zhan’s
bed before they’d moved in together a few blocks over.

The days Lan Zhan couldn’t even hold his tea without his hand spasming, when they both
were struck with headaches so debilitating they couldn’t leave the bed, when Wei Ying’s eyes
burned and ached when he stared at his tablet too long while drawing. When TV became too
loud and grating for either of them.

The days Wei Ying couldn’t step into the kitchen before having a massive panic attack in
their living room. When Lan Zhan woke him up to make sure he was still breathing. When
he’d have to hold his shaking boyfriend close and affirm he was there and alive.

He was not amused.

“Yes,” he answers finally. “I am.”

“What is it specifically? That you’re feeling?”

“I’m angry. I’m so ridiculously angry it’s annoying. I can’t walk into our kitchen. I could this
morning. It was fine. I made Lan Zhan tea, it was okay. Yesterday, I cried. You know why?”
He makes this a game. She has to guess, and then he’ll tell. He’d done it the first day, and
slowly it became an actual way to get Wei Ying talking. She tilts her head back and forth for
a moment.

“Tiles,” she decides. He nods.

“Bingo. Tiles. Our tiles are gray. Not white. They’re not even like Madame Yu’s tiles but I
flip out? It’s so annoying, and Lan Zhan was late to class trying to calm me down.”
“He’s there to be a support, and you his, Wei Ying. Your safety is important. And I’m not
saying it should be a regular occurrence he’s late. He’s redoing his year, right?”

Wei Ying sighs dramatically. “Yeah. His hand…the hammer hit it so hard it messed the
nerves up. He couldn’t hold a pencil last year when we got back, so he took a break to heal
and I went right back in with just, like, epilepsy.”

“Wei Ying.”

He snorts. “Sorry, sorry. Anyway, yeah. He wasn’t mad but I was. I tried telling him I can
deal with them, but he’s too good like that. He’s much too good. So cool. You’ve seen him.
Handsome and perfect. Amazing. He says today will go great, and he gave me a donut this
morning.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he only gives me presents when something good happens. He gave me my ring when
he, like, secretly mini proposed, a phone when I was cleared from my first concussion. He
only does things like this when he’s planning. And plotting. He’s so sneaky like that.”

Jia Zhilan smiles and nods. “You have any idea what it might be?”

“No, if I guess, he gets grouchy. He’s like a toddler.”

“Back on track,” she interrupts. “It’s okay to accept help, Wei Ying. I know you’ve said you
feel at fault. That’s not the case. Wen Chao is the one who decided to do this. Your family
will never blame you for any of what happened. It’s okay to accept some love, Wei Ying.
Correct me if I’m wrong–”

“I always do.”
“Good. Are you scared that being loved right now will have an effect? That another stalker
will hurt you? Or him? Or is it you think you don’t deserve his help?” Wei Ying is
dumbfounded, and when he doesn’t answer, Jia Zhilan softens her gaze. “One or two?”

He quietly holds up two fingers. She nods again.

“It’s okay to feel like that, Wei Ying. Can you explain it to me?”

He sucks in a breath, picking at his pants. “I–it was my fault. If I had paid attention, hadn’t let
Wen Chao grab me. He’d be fine. God.” He has to pause for a moment, head resting on his
knees. “I know it couldn’t have been too different. It was–Lieutenant He says it seemed like
he was already set on hurting us. Killing us at the very least. But it still–if I had noticed,
maybe Lan Zhan could hold a pencil without dropping it, you know? Or like, I could step in
my kitchen without feeling like I’ll die if I step the wrong way or anything like that. It’s my
fault he got hurt, and I–it’s a guilty feeling. I really don’t deserve him. Not at all.”

Jia Zhilan’s face turns sympathetic, and she leans forward to hand him tissues. Was he
crying? No, but she was definitely going to make him cry. “Wei Ying, you aren’t to blame for
any of it. Let’s walk through that a little, okay?”

“Okay.”

“What would’ve happened if you’d noticed him sooner?”

“I could’ve been upstairs. We could’ve called the police. He would’ve–we’d have been fine.”

“You told me he was intent on hurting you,” she reminds softly. He nods. “Wei Ying, you and
Lan Zhan went through an extremely traumatic experience, and it seems you have different
reactions to dealing with it. He seems intent on being your support, and you want
independence, does that sound right?”
He pauses, chewing the inside of his cheek. “I–I think so.”

“Okay. In that case, I think a conversation with Lan Zhan is needed. Nothing large, nothing
extreme. Wei Ying, you want independence, but I don’t think you should have a need to feel
like you have to do things alone. Are you ready for homework?”

“Never.”

Jia Zhilan laughs, leaning back. “I want you for the next two weeks to let Lan Zhan know
precisely what you want. In any capacity. Casual or intimate setting. With seriousness. This
includes tiny things, like if you’d like him to simply help you cook or him handing you
things. Let him know a boundary.”

“We already do that–”

“Do it with the intent you know he cares. That’s where our tough part comes in. And I know
you hate it–”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes. Let him know when you actually need help, too. Start small, work to big. You still
find the kitchen difficult? Ask him to talk or hold you. If you feel yourself slipping, let him
know. I would like it if you asked for help. But, and I want you to think these over, if you
think you can deal with something yourself, stand firm in it. You’ve done well with breathing
exercises, that’s great. Let him know, firmly, that an event is something you can do if you feel
you can. Your dissociation, how’s that been?”

Wei Ying digs his chin into his knee. “Nothing since two months ago. It’s been quiet.”

“That’s good news. Are you worried about a slip?”

“Not recently,” he admits. “Lan Zhan is really good at noticing. I want–I want to not do it
sometimes and he just notices. He’s good.”

She smiles, nodding. “Then we can tread lightly on that. Boundaries with him are important,
and I think you two have a healthy relationship. But it’s good to let him know you’re doing
okay, and it’s okay to let him know if you need help. What do you think?”

“What if I’m being selfish?”

“What do you mean?”

Hands sweaty, Wei Ying rubs his palms on his jeans. After a moment, he huffs. “I want to
help him, too. I just–I don’t want him to act like he wasn’t hurt, too. It feels dirty if I ignore
it.”

“Then don’t. You say Lan Zhan doesn’t lie?”

“Never.”

“Ask. Does he need anything? Can I get you something? Do you want to sit and relax with
me? Would you like to do something relaxing? Wei Ying, miscommunication comes from
lack of communication. Simply, ask him. Tell him you’d like to pamper him or treat him
nicely. Ask if there’s something he’d like to do. You’re allowed to show him you love him.
He’s allowed to show he loves you. I’m sure he knows, too. But let yourself be loved, Wei
Ying. And you’re allowed to let him know you want to do the same thing.”

He nods, eyes hot. “Okay,” he says. “I’ll try that. God, you weren’t allowed to make me cry, I
have an exhibit to be at. Are my eyes red?”

Jia Zhilan snorts, handing him more tissues to wipe his face. “Just a bit. I can schedule you
for two weeks from now?” When Wei Ying nods, she stands, smiling soft and wide. “Good
luck, Wei Ying. I expect news; both exhibit and your Lan Zhan’s surprise.”
He laughs, standing up and nodding. “I will, I will. Thank you, Dr. Jia. I appreciate it.”

“Have a nice day, Wei Ying. Start small. You’ll do just fine.”

Huan-ge is the one to pick him up, a giddy smile on his face. Initially, Jiang Cheng was
supposed to pick him up, but he got busy an hour before the session and Wei Ying had to
panic dial Lan Zhan asking for a ride. So, Huan-ge. Fabulous.

Plus, Wei Ying isn’t allowed to drive. The joys of a traumatic brain injury giving him seizures
and whatnot. Wei Ying doesn’t pay it much mind. It just means Jiang Cheng can’t yell at him
about it. The first few weeks when Wei Ying returned to his normal routine, about three
months out of the hospital, Jiang Cheng got a car and excitedly threw the keys to Wei Ying,
ready to yell at him to drive.

Wei Ying quickly cackled himself hoarse.

Jiang Cheng looked near tears.

Madame Yu had snorted, then had to head back inside before they caught her laughing. They
caught her. Jiang Cheng is a little warier at what he throws at Wei Ying now a year and a half
later.

Huan-ge’s car is nice. He finds him playing some sort of puzzle game on his phone, face
pinched in concentration. Wei Ying has to tap the window a few times until it unlocks, then
he slides in, smiling and trying to not draw attention to the fact he’d been crying. Huan-ge
immediately smiles, eyes bright and excited. “Hello, Ying-di.”

“You’re oddly excited.”

“I’m always excited. How was your session?” he asks as the car starts. Wei Ying hurries to
buckle up, laughing.

“Um, exciting? I guess. It’s therapy, it’s not actually exciting. Gossip and stuff. You know
how it is.” He has to rub his face, careful to not irritate his eyes any further. Sessions rarely
left him a sobbing mess, and the only one to do so so far had been his fourth, when he told Jia
Zhilan about the assault; it had been a rough session and Jiang Cheng had stopped by some
cheap noodle place afterward to calm him down. “It’s just a lot. Are my eyes really red? I
don’t want to like, look high or anything. People take pictures, Huan-ge.”

Huan-ge snorts, quickly flicking his gaze over to Wei Ying. “No, Ying-di. You look fine.” He
shifts his attention back to the road, fingers tapping mindlessly on the steering wheel. “Are
you nervous? About us seeing them?”

Wei Ying sighs. “Of course I am. You know how everyone got. I don’t–I’m definitely in a
better place mentally. But they’re…dark. I think you’ll like them, obviously, but they’re dark.
And the speech. That’s the part that’s going to kill me. I have it prepped and everything but
it’s gonna be a real thing and that’s crazy.”

Huan-ge nods, face still serene and smiling. “I think it’ll all go very well, Ying-di. Don’t be
nervous. Besides, A-Zhan is very…adamant about today going well. I just want to tell you, as
your Huan-ge, you’ll do great. Everyone is very proud.”

“Aiya, you’re so sappy! Lan Zhan isn’t planning something weird, is he?”

Huan-ge hums. “Why do you ask?”

“He gave me a donut this morning. He doesn’t buy me stuff unless we agree beforehand or
he’s doing something he thinks is big. He’s plotting, I can smell it, Huan-ge. Smell it. He’s
not sneaky, even if he thinks he is. I caught him on the computer last month and when I
stepped into the apartment he slammed it shut. He won’t tell me what he was snooping over.
Can you imagine?”
“My, how scandalous.”

“Really. I’ve tried asking, but he does that thing–”

“Where he pouts and gives the silent treatment?”

Wei Ying snorts. “Yes! Yes, that’s it exactly! The therapist won’t believe he does it, but he
does. I’ll get it on video one day, I swear.”

“Ying-di?”

“Hm?”

“Today will be great.”

Wei Ying closes his eyes, leaning hard into the seat. “I hope so, Huan-ge. I’ve done a lot to
get here. I’ll cry if it doesn’t turn out as I thought.”

“Mm. I hope for only good tears today, Ying-di.”

And, oh, if only Wei Ying had read him better, he’d have known. Wei Ying would cry a lot
today. It really wasn’t fair.

In the car, as he listens to Huan-ge talk, Wei Ying twirls the ring on his index finger.
Mianmian and Wei Ying’s exhibits are in the main art building, slightly a walk away from
campus, and closed off so far until they can formally introduce themselves and their theme
representations. They’re both a nervous wreck before they even get inside, Mianmian talking
quickly to Wen Qing as she fixes her hair, and Wei Ying trying to remember the wonderful
speech he wrote. Really, it’s great. It’s just like testifying. Fuck.

He takes a deep breath, shaking his hands out as Mianmian joins him, cheeks puffed out.
“We’re so fucking cool, Yingying,” she says, clapping a hand on his back. “So cool. I’m first,
aren’t I? Shit. We got this, baby.”

He nods, chuckling and smoothing his bangs back. “We’re great. Awesome. You’re first.”

Mianmian pokes him in the ribs. “You going to tell me your exhibit name before I find out? I
watched you make everything. Is it cool?”

Wei Ying snorts, ignoring the strange looks he gets from Wen Qing and leans in to whisper it
in Mianmian’s ear. Her eyes widen, and then her brows furrow. “Yingying–”

“It’s fine!” he interjects. “I–Dr. Jia said it’s a weird healing thing. And I think it fits. Right?
God, is everyone gonna freak out over this? It’s already marked on every piece, there’s no
changing it.”

Mianmian shakes her head, then sighs and draws him in for a hug. “No, no. It’s–I think it
suits the pieces fine, Yingying. We’ll do great. We’re so good. We’ll get a fuck ton of money
from this, you know? We’re gonna be so rich, Yingying!”

He laughs, hugging her back. “So rich! So rich, Mianmian!”

Their lovely money talk is interrupted by Professor Xue, dressed and clean, flitting over to
them, looking through a clipboard stacked full of paper. Mianmian smiles, tilting her head,
and Wen Qing hugs them both, slipping away quietly. Wei Ying watches her leave, noting she
rounds back into the main art building. Professor Xue, face pinched, stomps up to them,
grabbing Wei Ying by the arm. Wei Ying squawks, stumbling forwards. “Professor?”
“You two got pushed up too early; Mianmian is speaking in like, five minutes. Move.”

There’s a moment of panic that registers, then Wei Ying is grabbing Mianmian and they’re
panic running into the building, rushing past a few people with cameras. Wei Ying slides past
them, pulling Mianmian through, and they have to duck past a set of doors to get inside
quicker. Great. Fabulous. His heart is beating so fast that he’s probably lost a few pounds.
He’s not amused. When they step inside, they have to sidestep alongside the walls to push to
the side of the room where Professor Xue gestures frantically at them to be.

Wei Ying sucks in a breath, smoothing his shirt down. “I love today. Today is great. Why are
we early? We had twenty minutes.”

Professor Xue shakes his head, shrugging. “Just how we had to have it done. Someone has a
thing in the building in a bit, so we have to move your introductions up.”

“And they couldn’t reschedule?”

“They were adamant about today. Your exhibits’ll stay open, don’t worry. But…they were
very persuasive. Very. Sorry.”

Mianmian sighs, waving her hands. “I’m sure it’s fine. We just gotta…make sure we’re
actually smart enough to understand what we’re doing.”

Wei Ying huffs, twirling the ring on his finger. “This is stupid. Shouldn’t stress us out cause
some asshole wants to–what do they even want to do?”

Professor Xue snorts. “A proposal, I’ve been told.”

“A proposal,” Wei Ying deadpans. “Lovely. In an art building.”

Mianmian elbows him. “Shush, it might be cute. Don’t sour someone’s day, Yingying.
Proposals are adorable. What if you were proposed to?”

“By Lan Zhan?”

“Yeah. Would you be pissed?”

Wei Ying sighs dramatically, placing a hand on his forehead and draping himself over
Mianmian. “Lan Zhan could propose in a gas station and I’d say yes. He’s perfect.”

Mianmian snorts then grabs him and turns him to the entrance. “Great. Go tell him he’s
perfect while I go–” She points to the center of the room where a small platform has been set
for them. He nods, hugs her tight, and sniffs. “Yingying, if you cry, I’ll start, too. Please
don’t.”

“Aiya, wouldn’t want that. Good luck, Qingyang. Love you.”

“Of course, love you too, Wei Ying.”

“Mm. I know.”

She chuckles, slipping away from him to head towards the platform as Wei Ying slides off
towards the doors, popping up slightly to search for his family. He spots them quickly, Jiang
Cheng and Shijie leading, A-Ling walking by himself next to Shijie, and Madame Yu leading
Uncle Jiang through the crowd. He pops over, sneaking behind Jiang Cheng, then grabs him
and laughs. “Hello, dearest family!”

“A-Ying! Hello, didi!” Shijie says, abnormally bright and happy. Her cheeks are pink and her
eyes are shiny. “Ah, you look so handsome! When–?”

“After Mianmian,” he says, nodding her way. She has her microphone in hand, talking to
Professor Xue as more people file in. “Did–did you see Lan Zhan on your way in?”
Jiang Cheng huffs, pulling Wei Ying to stand in front of him. “No. No, we don’t–he called.
He’ll–he’s gonna be late.”

Wei Ying sags, eyebrows furrowing. “He called you and not me?”

Shijie rubs his arm, and A-Ling pulls his pant leg. He swoops down, tugging his nephew up.
“Sorry, didi. He’s just–he had to do something. It’s important.”

Pursing his lips, Wei Ying nods. “Mm. I’m not mad. Huan-ge just didn’t mention him…doing
anything. He was super excited.”

Shijie smiles, smoothing his hair back. “He’ll be in, didi. I think it’s starting; are you
nervous?”

Wei Ying smiles, cooing at A-Ling as his nephew tugs the collar of his shirt. “Of course. You
guys aren’t allowed to freak out when you see them. If you do, I kick you out. I’m important
today, they have security guards.”

Jiang Cheng frowns, then wraps an arm around Wei Ying. “If he treats you bad, I’ll kill him,
Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying blinks. One more time. Then snorts. “Thanks? This is very sudden.”

Jiang Cheng simply huffs, turning away as Mianmian taps her microphone, stepping tall onto
her platform. She spins a tale of lovers, one shunned by society after turning to devious
methods, persecuted and hated for what he chose to do. The other, radiant and loved, yearned
and ached for the other, and mourned when the first died, scorned and pushed away by the
world. Among her detailed clay sculptures lie a recreation of a flute, chipped and black and
dark, a pot decorated with a sun symbol, one that represents unity and grief, and, Wei Ying’s
favorite, an elaborate pot decorated with swirling clouds and dark fog. She spins the story so
well, Wei Ying sees tears forming in some people’s eyes, and she bows when she’s done,
welcoming people to the ‘Scorned Love, Eternal Grief’ exhibit.
Wei Ying moves to hand A-Ling over, and Mianmian continues talking. “I think,” she says,
and the room quiets, “it’d be very in theme, as a lovers exhibit, if a show of love took place,
don’t you think?” There’s a gentle hum from the crowd, and Mianmian turns to where Wei
Ying stands, and smiles. “Then, I have to thank someone for making this truly a lover’s
exhibit. Yingying? Turn around, if you please.”

Oh.

Oh.

There’s a quiet hush, A-Ling heavy in his arms. He bites his lip, turning, and nearly bursts
right there. Goddammit, Lan Zhan.

He’s dressed so cleanly, so nicely. Handsome and calm and smiling. Wei Ying purses his lips,
trying not to cry. And then, in the quiet, Lan Zhan sinks to one knee. Wei Ying chuckles
wetly, and A-Ling, quite confused, rubs his cheeks to wipe his tears away. “Oh,” he chokes
out, “Lan Zhan, you’re so sneaky.”

His boyfriend smiles, mischievous and sneaky, and nods. “Mm. I wanted to surprise you.
They were in on it.” He gestures vaguely to Shijie and Jiang Cheng, then to Mianmian, and
then regards Wei Ying, hands folding neatly behind his back. “Wei Ying?”

There’s a hot pressure behind Wei Ying’s eyes, hot and sudden and A-Ling is very heavy.
Heavy and present. Goddammit, Lan Zhan. “Yeah?”

“I have dreamed of being something to you since we were fifteen. Seven years of hoping to
be with you. You were bright, new, luminous, exciting, and charming. There was something
that drew me to you, and I never wished to look away from you. And then, I found out more.
You were brave and sensitive, and honest.” He pauses, and when his hands come out from
behind his back, holding a small box, Wei Ying chokes down a sob. He expected to cry
getting scammed, not whatever this was. “So, Wei Ying, dearest, A-Ying, if it pleases you,
I’d like to have what we have every day. Until we grow old and gray. Until we die. And I’d
like to be yours in the next life and the ones that span after that. Wei Ying, would you marry
me?”
The crowd, it seems to thrum and throb, is a mess of giant whispers. He can see Lan Zhan
holding the box with his hurt hand, so steady and firm and unwavering. He's gone to physical
therapy, but it's not fully healed. He must feel so good, so confident and good to hold it. Wei
Ying sniffs, tears spilling over and he looks at his siblings. Shijie is trying to hold her own
tears in, but it’s the subtle nod from Jiang Cheng that has Wei Ying full-blown sobbing. With
a little help from A-Ling, who wipes his tears, he laughs, thick and wet.

“Aiya, Lan Zhan. What a sneaky way to do this! Did Mianmian propose this?”

“Mm. She thought it was on theme. Did you like it?”

“Yeah, very on theme for you, er-gege,” he said, thick and snotty. He laughed, then nodded
his head eagerly. “I’d love to marry you, you silly man. Come kiss me. It’s a lover’s exhibit.”

It was jarring, Lan Zhan’s kiss and the crowd clapping. Mianmian was saying something, and
when Wei Ying pulled away, he laughed wetly again, handing his nephew to Jiang Cheng.
Lan Zhan wiped his face, then showed the ring he bought; a sweet, simple, silver piece with a
red jewel. He slid it on Wei Ying’s finger, then showed the matching band. Lan Zhan smiled.
“It was not too much?”

Wei Ying shook his head, sliding Lan Zhan's matching ring on, then turning to watch as
Mianmian stepped towards him, microphone in hand. “No, but I speak now and I sound like
I’ve been sick. This was–is this why Huan-ge said he knew I’d cry?”

“He told you?”

“Everyone told him!” Mianmian said, handing the microphone over. “Thanks, Lan Zhan. It
was cute. I’m glad to have helped. Yingying?”

“Yeah?”
“Fuck ‘em up, cutie.”

He nodded, and with another kiss from Lan Zhan and a thumbs up from his siblings, he
stepped up to the platform, face red and a new engagement ring on his finger. Exciting. He
breathed in, then set to what he’d been working on for almost two years.

“Hello, I’m Wei Ying, the guy who just got engaged. Crazy, huh?” A soft laugh. He smiles,
then inhales and catches Lan Zhan’s gaze, who smiles and nods. “In my freshman year, I
offered to tutor a sophomore. We had one session, and he asked me out on a date. I said no.
Afterward, he came to stalk me. He followed me in public places with my siblings, harassed
my studio partner, and caused me stress over the tiniest things. In my junior year, it became
much more extreme. I was sent gifts, voicemails calling me names, accusing me of teasing
him, and he cornered me in a store one day with my nephew. Things became extreme, where
at a party he assaulted me, and then gave me a concussion a week later, intent on the idea we
had something. This stalker then proceeded to bail out, and break into my family’s home
where he attacked me and my boyfriend at the time, injuring us both to extremes. My fiance's
hand was injured, and I was stabbed twice and, again, given a concussion. So, in the spirit of
art and my sanity, no flash photography, my epilepsy doesn't like that. ” He tries to crack a
joke, getting a few small chuckles.

He has to pause for a moment. “My exhibit had been pushed back for months while I dealt
with him, and when I proposed the idea, I was told the theme was extreme and something I’d
need to be moderated on. I’m thankful to share any experience I’ve gone through. My
family…my brother specifically, if he and they hadn’t been with me, I’d probably have given
up. And…and my fiance, now, is simply amazing.”

He smiles now, confidence fresh and clean and there. There’s no lightness, no floating. The
new ring on his finger is a welcome weight. “I hope you all enjoy Luo Qingyang’s lover’s
exhibit, something beautiful and tragic, and my exhibit that shows experiences I’ve had
dealing with this. It feels raw and good, and I’m honored to show them.”

Fear.

Shame.

Anger.
Nightmares.

The red and blacks that swirled.

Guilt.

His sister and brother.

The sick feeling of knowing Wen Chao existed.

Floating.

The hospital.

The attack.

The subsequent dealings.

Therapy.

Love.

Lan Zhan.
It hurts, and aches, and throbs and pulses. His skin feels on fire, burned raw and scrubbed,
peeled back, and exposed.

Wei Ying feels good.

He bows, reveling in the applause as he smiles, his gaze finding Lan Zhan’s beautiful golden
eyes, bright and shining with love and pride. He loves him.

“Please enjoy the ‘Red Chrysanthemums for Wei Ying’ exhibit."

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!