Chapter Text
It was already nearing dinner time when Lan Zhan entered the tattoo shop. The instant blast of cold air felt heavenly on his sweat drenched skin. Lan Zhan had spent the whole day outside - it was a nasty case of child kidnapping, involving a thrilling car chase - and the sweltering humidity throughout the day had managed to form a tiny fissure of irritability on the ever composed and stoic Lan.
The reception hall that Lan Zhan entered was tasteful and the decor had a luxurious feel to it. Although not his personal choice of colours, the hues of reds and blacks, accentuated with golden lining, was very artistic in nature and spoke well for the owner of the establishment. Lan Zhan looked around and saw that there was no one at the reception counter. Given the late hour, he supposed all the employees had already left for the day. But it did not matter. Lan Zhan had an appointment with the owner and he was ten minutes early.
Just as Lan Zhan stood still to collect his thoughts, there was a commotion at the back of the shop and a whirlwind of a man came running through the door. The first thing Lan Zhan noticed was that the man had a bright smile to rival the sun and sparkling silver eyes to shame the moon. He was wearing tight black jeans and a decadent red shirt which was made of silk and Lan Zhan had the sudden urge to check how soft the material was.
Both of his hands were covered in beautiful ink, a dragon tattoo on one hand and phoenix on the other. Both his ears were adorned with glittering silver jewels, although their shine still seemed dull compared to the silver of the man’s eyes.
He was beautiful - and very seductive, too sexy for his own good, his mind whispered - Lan Zhan thought. There was an instant flare of heat in his body that had nothing to do with the weather and everything related to this unbelievably mesmerising man in front of him. At the same time, Lan Zhan did not fail to notice the burning interest in the other man’s gaze. Wei Ying, his mind supplied the name.
Earlier in the day, when his uncle, who also happened to be his chief had asked Lan Zhan to invite an expert consultant for the department, he had not imagined his day would turn out to be like this, that it would be so interesting. Anticipation curled in his gut as his mind planned various means to take this man to his bed and keep him there. But his face gave nothing away, remained as calm as ever, except for the slight tinge of red in his ears.
–
Wei Ying observed the pretty, pretty man in white in front of him. Desire clung to his skin as he saw how the fierce golden eyes of the Lan turned dark with interest and intent. He could almost taste the barely hidden lust in the air, much like the spices he always loved. The unspoken promises, carefully embanked beneath the surface, ready to be unleashed within a moment's notice - even as the man, Lan Zhan, maintained the calm composure - only managed to increase his own growing curiosity about the Lan. He badly wanted to tease and poke at this stoic man, just to see what made him tick, just to see him lose his cool, and finally realise where it would take him, where it would take both of them.
Getting rid of the intrusive thoughts, Wei Ying greeted the Lan cultivator.
“Hello, I am Wei Ying. You must be my 8 o’ clock appointment. But I am still confused as to why a fine cultivator like you would wander into places like this. You do not seem to be the person who would tattoo his skin.” Wei Ying grinned.
“Not for a tattoo. I am here for Yiling Laozu.” Lan Zhan said in his calm tone. Suddenly, there was a different kind of tension in the air, something unpleasant as Wei Ying lost his smile.
“Ah! I should have guessed. Only Chief Lan knows my identity. Given the cloud pattern on your shirt’s collar speaks well of your status in your Lan Clan. You must be a family, a very close blood relative. A capable and trustworthy Lan, I am assuming. Otherwise Lan Qiren would not disclose my identity to you. On the second glance, you do resemble him a bit. You must be his nephew and I have heard he has two of them. You are not the eldest nephew, for I know Zewu-Jun is in politics and would not think to visit such an establishment, even at gunpoint. So, Hanguang-Jun, what do you want from this humble Yiling Laozu?” Wei Ying bowed.
He knew he was being a bit provocative. He also knew his Lan and Lan Qiren had nothing to do with whatever happened back in the day. But he was still smarting from the way he was treated by his colleagues back then and he could not control the slight bitterness that still clung to his soul. But soon he shook away his thoughts. It was not in his nature to dwell on these negative things and take it on the innocents.
“You can call me Lan Zhan”. Hanguang-Jun replied politely as if nothing would faze him, as if no matter the situation, he would always maintain his calm and be steady as a mountain.
With a sheepish grin, Wei Ying inclined his head in a silent apology, and said, “Lan Zhan. You can call me Wei Ying”. Hanguang-Jun nodded his head, offering his silent forgiveness and that was that. Wei Ying could not help but feel a bit of fondness for the Lan.
–
Lan Zhan continued to observe Wei Ying and there was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Wei Ying started to fidget from where he was standing as if he could not stand the silence.
“Would you like to have dinner with me?” Wei Ying blurted out suddenly and there was a blush spreading across his cheeks as if he was caught off guard by what he said. Cute, very cute , Lan Zhan thought.
Lan Zhan blinked and there was a trace of smile in his eyes.
.
“...I mean…it is dinner time now. I am hungry. You must be hungry too. I bet you came from your job directly. Since you are here and I am also here, of course I will be here, this is my shop, where else I would be, ha ha…we can discuss why you are here while eating.” Wei Ying babbled on and on, and placed his hand on his neck in a nervous gesture.
“No talking while eating. Lan rule” Lan Zhan replied. There was a teasing glint in his eyes.
Wei Ying blinked in astonishment and then started to laugh heartily. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you are so funny…ha ha…” he said, in between his giggles.
Lan Zhan was pleased with himself and Wei Ying noticed. “I bet there must be a Lan rule somewhere about not being prideful and boastful,” Wei Ying commented dryly.
“Mn.”
“Lan Zhan, come on. There is a barbeque restaurant nearby and it is very tasty. Let’s go there and celebrate our new friendship.” Wei Ying took hold of Lan Zhan’s arm to lead him to the eatery and Lan Zhan let him.
—
“What you are saying is that cultivators are missing across the country and your chief suspects that it is similar to what happened in the past?” Wei Ying asked.
“Mn.”
Their dinner was very pleasant, albeit a bit silent on Lan Zhan’s part. Even if he maintained the Lan rule of not talking, he did not stop Wei Ying from not maintaining the rule. The entire dinner was a one sided communication from Wei Ying and an occasional “Mn”s from Lan Zhan. But this did not stop Wei Ying from having a great time. What could go wrong? One liked to talk and the other liked to listen. A perfect combination, Wei Ying thought to himself.
Right now, they were at a cafe for after dinner coffee and Wei Ying had persuaded Lan Zhan to talk as well. “Lan Zhan, the rule says not to talk while eating. It does not mention anything about drinking. We are drinking coffee now and you can speak”, Wei Ying pulled Lan Zhan’s sleeves, blinking at him with his oh-so-innocent eyes. Lan Zhan was charmed and had given in eventually. That had earned him the brightest smile Lan Zhan had ever seen in his life.
“I do not think your uncle would be involved if it were any random cultivator gone missing. Someone of high status must have been missing. Who is it?” Wei Ying probed.
“Nie Mingjue”
“Fuck!” Wei Ying cursed. This is huge. Wei Ying had a feeling that this is only the beginning.
“Mn”.
“When did he go missing?” Wei Ying asked.
“It has been ten days.”
“Chief Lan would have dispatched a few agents already.”
“Yes. After preliminary investigation we found a few more missing cases.”
“I guess your uncle is keeping this incident under wraps for now. Nothing was on the news at all. Nie Huaisang must have demanded that.” Wei Ying mused.
“You are very familiar with second master Nie.” Lan Zhan asked.
“Yes. We were classmates at one point of time. Unlike what people perceive of him, he is very sharp. He must not want everyone to know that his brother, and the CEO of Nie Corporation is missing so as to not affect the stock market.”
“Mn”. There was a sour note of vinegar in the air which tickled Wei Ying a bit.
“Why does your uncle think cases are similar to the old incident?” Wei Ying asked, coming back to the topic.
“Found traces of resentful energy.” Lan Zhan replied.
“There is already a precedent. Your uncle knows all the details. So, this case should not be a problem for someone of your calibre.” Wei Ying commented.
“Mn”.
“There is more to it, isn’t it?” Wei Ying said, “there are more than one motive involved, I guess.” Lan Zhan kept silent and Wei Ying took it as acquiesce.
“Your uncle is luring me back into the department using this case, isn’t he? That old man!” Wei Ying laughed, “he never stopped asking me to come back!”.
“Mn”.
“Lan Zhan, have you thought that this case might have nothing to do with resentful energy at all?” Wei Ying asked.
“Wei Ying is unknown. But Yiling Laozu is very famous.” Lan Zhan replied. There was no fluctuation, no insinuation at all in his tone. But Wei Ying heard everything clearly.
“How clever, Hanguang-Jun!” Wei Ying exclaimed in delight, “You are right. Either this case is a repeat of what happened back then. Or someone is luring the great Yiling Laozu into a trap, to expose my identity. They must want something from me. Else, all these conjectures could be true. After all, if at all they needed a cultivator to experiment, any random person would do. They need not go high profile and kidnap the Nie clan leader. How ambitious!”. Wei Ying had that glint in his eyes, the same he would get when presented with an interesting problem.
“But, there is a slight problem. Say, this case has just begun and I join your team immediately. Don’t you think the timing is too perfect? There are no coincidences. It would be very easy to guess my identity.” Wei Ying mused.
“You are intrigued.” Lan Zhan observed.
“How can I not?” Wei Ying replied with a smile, “I have been very bored recently.”
“Mn”.
Wei Ying leaned into his Lan, “Lan Zhan, the case is not the only thing I am interested in. You must know this.” Wei Ying whispered.
“Mn”. Up this close Wei Ying could see Lan Zhan’s ears turn red and he let out a satisfied hum.
“I believe your uncle does not have any solution to the problem I just mentioned” Wei Ying asked.
“But Wei Ying has an idea”. Lan Zhan observed.
“Ah! Hanguang-Jun, you are getting to know me!” Wei Ying let out a delighted laugh. He was very pleased.
“Mn”.
“How about Lan Zhan taking this poor old Wei Ying as his lover? Now, that would be the perfect solution isn’t it?” Wei Ying hummed in satisfaction.
“Lover?” Lan Zhan asked.
“A fake relationship, of course!” Wei Ying replied.
“Fake dating?”
“Of course, it could be totally real too! Who knows?” Wei Ying teased.
“Does Wei Ying want it to be real?” Lan Zhan teased back.
“Ah! Now that is the mystery of it, isn’t it? Only time will give all the answers.” Wei Ying answered with a grin, “Try me and you will find what you need. Are you up for the challenge, Hanguang-Jun? Are you ready to play the rebel and date this misfit? Afterall, this is a chance for the great Hanguang-Jun to conquer this unapologetic and untamed Yiling Laozu.” Wei Ying bared his neck in front of Lan Zhan. It was very distracting to say the least. Lan Zhan could not stop himself from hungrily looking at Wei Ying as if he was a rare delicacy.
Wei Ying shivered as Lan Zhan caressed the exposed skin on his neck with his finger and said, “mark your words.”
—--
Lan Qiren took a sip of his favourite Chamomile tea as he looked at his nephew. He knew this would happen when his youngest nephew met that gremlin of a man. Lan Zhan thought he hid his nature and preferences perfectly. But Lan Qiren had single handedly raised his two nephews since they were young and knew everything he was supposed to know and things he was not supposed to know as well. He knew Lan Zhan loved soft, furry creatures, especially attracted to rabbits. Now, Lan Qiren might be old and pedantic, but even he knew underneath all the brilliant mind, charming and sophisticated persona, Wei Ying was nothing but a cute little bunny, a deadly combination if ever to exist, exactly something that would attract his nephew. While the intelligence would entice, the quick wit and unruly nature would offer a challenge, and the kindness underneath would bring out the protectiveness, and yes, no doubt Lan Zhan would be intrigued by Wei Ying.
Although Lan Qiren considered Wei Ying a menace, often reminding him of his friend Cangse, there was a soft spot for him too. No one he knew would face what Wei Ying had faced, did what Wei Ying had to do, and still retained his original intention, his kindness, and his love towards the world itself as Wei Ying did. He just hoped both his nephew and his friend’s son would find their happiness in the end. Of course, he will not comment on the matters of the heart. He is too old and too jaded for all that drama, and wanted no part of any sort of matchmaking.
“So, have you decided on this fake date thing?” Lan Qiren asked in the end.
“Mn”. Only the reddish part of Lan Zhan’s ears give away everything. Lan Qiren sighed again, in a boy-you-cannot-lie-but-I-will-let-it-slide-for-my-own-sanity way.
“You want me to play the disapproving elder?” Lan Qiren asked, just to confirm.
“Mn”.
“And when is the grand opening of this farce?”
“This weekend. At the Lan charity banquet.” Lan Zhan replied.
“Fine!” Lan Qiren agreed, “nephew, always look beneath the surface. And I am not just talking about this case.”
“I understand, uncle”. Lan Zhan nodded in agreement.
—
“Here you go, Lan Zhan. This is my special blend of tea. It is a bit spicy. I hope you will like it”. Wei Ying passed the cup of tea to Lan Zhan and poured himself a glass of wine.
They were in Wei Ying’s apartment and enjoying a quiet evening on his balcony. The view outside was like a fairy tale setting, with twinkling lights coming to play as the dusk settled in. The breeze was cool that evening, offering comfort after a sweltering afternoon.
The reason Lan Zhan gave to visit Wei Ying at this time was to discuss the plan of action for the upcoming gala. But they both knew it was only a part of it. As to what the real excuse was, Wei Ying did not ask and Lan Zhan did not offer any.
“Hanguang-Jun, when should I be ready for tomorrow?” Wei Ying asked after taking a sip of his wine.
“At 7’o clock in the evening. I will pick you up.” Lan Zhan replied.
“Should we practise now? How about I hang on to your arms like this?” Wei Ying held on to Lan Zhan’s biceps to cop a feel and leaned his entire weight on Lan Zhan. Then he looked up to check Lan Zhan's reaction and blinked prettily. Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying for a few seconds and Wei Ying flushed at the invisible caress of that gaze.
Satisfied with the result, Lan Zhan removed Wei Ying’s hands from his arms and sneaked his own arm around Wei Ying's waist, and replied, “This is much better.”
Wei Ying was stunned into silence and all he could do was blink owlishly at the Lan.
Lan was very much amused and a trace of smile appeared on his lips. Wei Ying would have almost missed it if not for the way he was staring at the Lan cultivator intently.
“Ah!” Wei Ying exclaimed with his hand placed on his chest, “you are not allowed to smile…it is very lethal”, he blurted out and blushed furiously once he realised what he said.
Lan Zhan was utterly charmed.
“Is that so?” Lan Zhan’s smile became more pronounced.
Wei Ying hid his face on Lan Zhan’s chest, “you are a menace! Everyone thinks you are dull and boring. How come no one noticed how much of a tease you are!” he complained.
“They were not Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan replied.
“Ahh! My poor heart! Lan Zhan, you are not allowed to do this!” Wei Ying exclaimed as he looked up to Lan Zhan.
“Mn”.
There was a moment of calm and neither of them moved away from each other.
“Wei Ying, how do you want to do this?” Lan Zhan asked after a while.
“You mean, about our fake-yet-might-be-real dating?”
“Mn”.
Wei Ying distanced himself from Lan Zhan and looked him in the eye, “I left home and this so-called high society at sixteen. Since then my only achievement is opening the tattoo parlour. I am just an orphan who did not amount to anything or that is how the world perceives me. And Madam Yu never failed to make sure my mother’s name was dragged into mud with false rumours and incorrect slander, that as a rogue cultivator with no pedigree, she tried to seduce the Jiang sect leader. Jiang matron always said I am the same as my mother. So, Lan Zhan, it is very easy to play into this”, he said.
Lan Zhan looked at him with a silent question. Somehow, he had a feeling that he would not like what Wei Ying would say next.
Wei Ying grinned, his smile somewhat had a tinge of bitterness, “I just have to play up to their expectations. It is that simple. I am just a gold digger who latched on to the esteemed second jade of Lan like a leech. It is very easy to fool the gentry.” Wei Ying gulped the whole glass of wine in one go.
Lan Zhan felt uncomfortable. There was a hint of regret and pity in his eyes and longed to take the other man in his arms. Wei Ying noticed. As recently as he met his Lan, Wei Ying made Lan Zhan his personal puzzle to solve and unravel the mystery of the man. So, he always observed Lan Zhan and had started to understand his many tells.
“Aw! Feeling sorry for your poor little Wei Ying, Hanguang-Jun.” Wei Ying teased.
“Ridiculous! Don’t make light of this.” Lan Zhan said with a hint of anger.
The entire being of Wei Ying felt soft. It is such a wonder to see someone, especially his Lan being angry on his behalf. What a novelty this is! What a change in the routine! Instead of facing anger and judgement like always, to be protected, Wei Ying wanted to curl up in Lan Zhan’s lap and never leave. He caressed Lan Zhan’s arms in a soothing gesture, “Playing the hero, Lan Zhan. I am fine. It does not bother me anymore”, Wei Ying said in a soft tone.
“Mn”. Lan Zhan gave into the temptation and held Wei Ying in his arms.