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Lan Zhan knows that he’s an earlier riser than most. Opening a bakery had seemed like a natural extension of that - he’s up anyway and over the years has developed quite a talent for the highly specific chemistry that is baking. His apartment is over the business so when he rises at 5AM it is no trouble to head downstairs and begin mixing up dough and putting loaves in the oven.
He doesn’t actually open until 7AM – had tried opening at 6AM in the past but hadn’t gotten any business and really Lan Zhan can’t say he minds another hour of peace and quiet, just him and the whirr of the mixers and the hum of the ovens.
He manages the entire business pretty much by himself, he has a couple part-time workers who come in to man the tills later in the week but today, on a chilly fall Saturday, there is no one else around to hear the alarming crash against the bakery’s front door.
Lan Zhan looks up with a start – it’s only six-thirty, much too early for the crowd of commuters and construction workers who flock to his doorstep between seven and eight. He pauses, thinking he might have imagined the noise before – thunk thunk – there it goes again. He dusts the flour off his hands, wiping them briskly on his apron before heading out of the back.
Once he emerges into the front of the shop it is immediately apparent what is causing the noise. A man is leaning up against the door hammering on the glass with all his might. Lan Zhan might have just ignored him and gone back to baking if the man’s eyes hadn’t caught his own in a desperate glare.
“Hey!” the man yells, “Can you – I really need your help!”
Lan Zhan wars with the urge to spin on his heel and go back to baking but something in the man’s gaze compels him and he walks forward and unlocks the door. The man slumps inside, all the fight going out of him in a heartbeat.
“Phew,” he says, “I was kind of worried that no one was here! I, uh,” he pauses, looking a bit sheepish, nose wrinkling in a way that screams cute , “Have kind of a baking emergency.”
Lan Zhan, who has never thought the mannerisms of a stranger cute in his life ever before is stymied. What constitutes a baking emergency? “What constitutes a baking emergency?” he asks.
The man looks downright embarrassed now, ducking his head and running his fingers through the hair escaping from his high ponytail. “I –er– may have destroyed my sister’s wedding cake? Just the top few tiers! It wasn’t even my fault, Jiang Cheng told me he had it and –”
Lan Zhan interrupts him, something else he’s not in the habit of doing but he feels the situation demands it, the man poised to continue babbling incoherently despite his earlier urgency, “Do you have a picture?”
The man pauses, open-mouthed for a moment before scrambling in his pockets, “Yeah, actually, um, thank god , you’re going to help, it’s actually really ugly, I don’t think –”
Lan Zhan cuts him off again, “Picture.” he says firmly, coaxing the man back on track.
“I am, just hold on ,” the man fishes his phone out of his back pocket and begins swiping furiously before turning the screen towards Lan Zhan, “Look!”
It’s a five-tiered wedding cake, done in a modern naked style with piped yellow and purple flowers and petals cascading down the side of the cake. The top tier is the most extravagant, elaborate sugar work peonies and lotuses clustered together gracefully against a white background.
“Flavor?” Lan Zhan prompts. It will be hard, but not impossible, depending on how many tiers are ruined. Adding new tiers that will still meld seamlessly with the rest of the cake will be the biggest issue. Putting aside the obvious insanity of spending all day working on a project for a man he’s just met, it is an achievable challenge. “How many tiers are broken?”
“The top three,” the man says, cringing, “Lemon coconut, it’s – I can bring a piece? If that would help?” he gestures over his shoulder with the hand not holding his phone, “The venue’s just down the street, you’re the closest bakery I could find.”
Lan Zhan nods. “What time?”
“Five at the latest , we need to get it in there before anyone else notices.” the man says, a little breathless, “Are you actually going to do it? I didn’t think this would really work!”
Lan Zhan isn’t sure why he’s doing this, not sure if it’s the same part of his brain that thinks the man is cute or not and he doesn’t have time to think about it. “I will need to sample it to recreate the flavor.”
The man nods vigorously, “Mmhmm, of course, I’ll just –” he jabs over his shoulder “I’ll be right back?”
Lan Zhan nods again. “I will leave the door unlocked.”
All the air leaves the man’s lungs in a gusty sigh. “Holy shit. I can’t believe this worked.”
“I am also surprised.” Lan Zhan replies drily.
“I didn’t mean –” the man starts, stops, and starts again, “Thanks. Again.” He sticks out his hand firmly. “I’m Wei Ying. I figure I should probably let my savior of the day at least know my name.”
Lan Zhan grasps the proffered hand and shakes it firmly. “Lan Zhan.” There’s a minute where they’re just looking at each other. The man has clear gray eyes and a face that always seems to be suppressing a smile. Lan Zhan feels like he’s staring into the sun and has to blink and look away.
“Please bring back a slice promptly,” he says, dropping Wei Ying’s hand.
Wei Ying seems to shake back to himself, giving a full-body shudder before muttering “Right,” and exhaling a repeated thanks before he’s racing out the door. Lan Zhan can see him jogging down the street and wonders what he’s gotten himself into.
–
Wei Ying brings a slice of the – quite mashed – cake back within a half hour. Lan Zhan can’t quite ascertain the correct texture, it seems to be a light and fluffy sponge that has since been compacted down into a texture most closely resembling a cake pop (Lan Zhan shudders internally) however the flavor will be easy enough to replicate.
He sends Wei Ying back to the venue with some regret and closes up the bakery to run to the shops. He does not exactly run, per se, but is reasonably more hasty than usual. Wei Ying had agreed he would check back in an hour and a half which gives Lan Zhan more than enough time to get started and hopefully get the sponges in the oven.
A traitorous part of his mind thinks that if he just asked Wei Ying for his number the entire communication situation would be far, far easier. He admonishes that part of his brain thoroughly. The man is obviously run ragged and Lan Zhan really shouldn’t be hitting on anyone on the day their sister is getting married, it seems quite tasteless.
Wei Ying clatters back into the shop approximately ten minutes later than their agreed time. Lan Zhan has closed up the bakery for the day but hears Wei Ying’s insistent knocks on the front door and leaves off mixing up the buttercream for the seminude icing to let him in.
There’s not much to show, really. Contrary to popular belief baking is not a terrifically exciting thing to watch. Lan Zhan shows Wei Ying the sponges in the oven.
“How long do they have left?” Wei Ying asks curiously, peeking in through the doors of the professional baking oven that Lan Zhan has never been more grateful to have.
He checks his timer. “Only five minutes. Would you like to stay to watch me take them out?” He’s not sure what possesses him to ask, obviously Wei Ying will want to get back to his sister’s wedding.
“Sure!” Wei Ying replies brightly, “I told Jiang Cheng what’s going on, he’s – uh – not really happy with me but I told him I’m fixing it. Well. You’re fixing it. We’re fixing it.”
Lan Zhan stomps out the tiny cheer in his brain that being a we with Wei Ying evokes. Honestly, he never feels this way about virtual strangers. He never feels this way about anyone really, much less obvious disasters who have somehow managed to destroy their sister’s wedding cakes.
Wei Ying is… not his type. If he had been anyone else Lan Zhan thinks he might have shooed him right back out of the bakery without so much as a thought. There’s something though, something he can’t quite put his finger on, something more than just a sudden baking request to turn his dreary weekday upside down.
“Mn. I baked an extra sponge to test the flavor, you’re welcome to try it.”
Wei Ying positively lights up. Lan Zhan is mystified, surely Wei Ying has had enough of cake today? There’s no denying that Wei Ying brightened up considerably at Lan Zhan’s suggestion, however, and Lan Zhan can’t help but notice the dark purple circles under his eyes as they crinkle with the force of his grin.
“Lan Zhan! I would love to! Although I’m sure you’ve got it spot on – did you know your bakery has a five-star rating on Google? I checked you out when I went back to the venue. You’ve only got a four-point seven on Yelp though, which is stupid , the one guy who complained wasn’t even –”
“He did not feel he received adequate customer service.” Lan Zhan interrupts. He is unfortunately quite familiar with the one review tarnishing his Yelp rating. He’d been manning the front alone when the man had come in. There’s a reason Lan Zhan usually employs a part-time person to help with customers, his own attitude is not exactly cordial to strangers, usually. His regulars don’t seem to mind, having gotten used to his blank face and to-the-point remarks.
Wei Ying is positively indignant on his behalf. “He was an asshole , Lan Zhan! One of those ‘the-customer-is-always-right fuckers. He said you were rude! Lan Zhan, you’re the farthest thing from rude, I’m going to leave a huge review just to spite him.”
Lan Zhan privately agrees with Wei Ying’s assessment of the man, but – “You do not think I am rude?”
Wei Ying shakes his head emphatically, “Lan Zhan . You’re making three tiers of my sister’s wedding cake, from scratch, with zero notice.”
Lan Zhan supposes he does have a point and is spared from further introspection by the timer loudly announcing that the sponges are ready to come out of the oven.
Once he has flipped them all out of their pans and onto wire racks to cool he cuts two small pieces off of the extra for both him and Wei Ying.
“The flavors will settle more once the cake is cool –” he warns, but Wei Ying is already popping the entire piece in his mouth.
His eyes go comically wide and he opens his mouth as if to speak, realizes he’s still chewing the cake, clamps his mouth closed again, and chews rapidly. He swallows in record time and gasps out “Lan Zhan!! How — it’s perfect , it tastes exactly the same except better , the people who are gonna get those bottom two tiers are screwed because yours is so much better, I have to make sure Jiejie gets a slice out of the top tier, I –”
Sensing that Wei Ying is only just getting started rambling and Lan Zhan is actually slightly concerned about this, he cuts Wei Ying off, “It is not the same?”
Wei Ying looks at him as though he’s just said something ridiculous, “No, I – it tastes exactly the same, like holy shit, how did you even do that? It’s just…” Wei Ying gesticulates wildly, his words apparently not enough to express whatever emotion he is trying to convey, “ Better.” he finishes vehemently.
Lan Zhan is relieved if still a little confused. How can it taste exactly the same and yet be better? Before he can prompt Wei Ying for more details there is a loud chiming noise coming from Wei Ying’s pocket.
He pulls out his phone and makes a face, “Gotta go, sorry Lan Zhan. Jiang Cheng is gonna kill me if I don’t get back over there in five minutes.”
Lan Zhan nods, “I could text you when the tiers are finished?”
He doesn’t have a chance to kick himself for being so obvious before Wei Ying is beaming again, “Lan Zhan you’re a genius, here, give me your phone!” Lan Zhan unlocks his phone and places it into Wei Ying’s open palm. Wei Ying does some rapid typing and hands it back. “There! I put my number in your contacts.” He darts another look at his own, still-chiming phone and grimaces, “ Really really gotta go, sorry Lan Zhan!” the last few syllables trail off behind him as Wei Ying takes off out the front door of the bakery.
Lan Zhan looks at his phone, at the new contact, appropriately named Wei Ying, cake disaster .
-
Lan Zhan does text him, first a short message letting Wei Ying know this is his number and then a few progress pictures as he constructs the tiers.
Wei Ying, bafflingly, responds effusively every time, even though Lan Zhan knows he must be busy.
Wei Ying doesn’t make it back to the bakery until Lan Zhan is putting the final touches on the top tier, adding the final sugar paste sculpted flowers and flowing gold ribbon.
Wei Ying gasps theatrically when he walks into the bakery, holding his hands over his mouth. Lan Zhan is somewhat worried that Wei Ying is making fun of him until he speaks, “Lan Zhan it’s amazing! Jiejie is going to be so happy, you made it perfect!”
Lan Zhan is still a bit startled, “You told her?”
Wei Ying waves his hand, “Jiang Cheng told her, of course, he’s still pissed off. I told her I had the best person taking care of it, though.”
Lan Zhan is torn between the ridiculousness of someone he had just met a few hours ago referring to him as the best person and being extremely pleased with Wei Ying’s declaration. “Thank you,” he finally gets out between the two emotions.
“Thank me? Lan Zhan, what are you thanking me for?” Wei Ying sounds genuinely surprised.
Lan Zhan considers this, “You have been…” he stops, starts again, “Other people would have been. More demanding. In your position.”
Wei Ying has a look on his face, a cross between pure shock and offended horror, “Lan Zhan. You can’t – You’re baking me a wedding cake . You can’t tell me someone would be a dick to you if you were doing this big of a favor for them!”
Lan Zhan reminds himself, again, that Wei Ying is simply being nice to him in return for the cake because Wei Ying is a good person . “Mn, stress can make people irritable.”
He does not mention how Wei Ying has been the opposite of irritable all day, his bright smile a light spot in what would otherwise have been a very boring day for Lan Zhan.
Wei Ying appears to think about this, tapping his index finger against his lip thoughtfully. “Customer service really is hell, Lan Zhan. Also, I don’t think Jiang Cheng would agree with you that I haven’t been irritable.” He’s blushing, for some reason that Lan Zhan can’t pinpoint, a scattering of pink across his cheekbones.
Lan Zhan is not going to make any pronouncements about Wei Ying’s brother’s opinion, that is a bridge too far for an acquaintance of only a few hours, even in this odd situation where he feels like he’s known Wei Ying for years.
And that’s simply the thing, isn’t it? It’s not just that Wei Ying is a nice customer, he’s appreciative of the hard work that Lan Zhan is putting in. Lan Zhan doesn’t consider himself a bad person, he can be generous and giving. Still, if anyone other than Wei Ying had walked into his bakery that morning asking for a wedding cake to be finished that day Lan Zhan can’t promise he would have said yes.
He feels alarmingly like he wouldn’t be able to refuse Wei Ying anything.
“I can help you transport the cake,” he offers, pushing his inappropriate feelings for Wei Ying aside. “My van is out back.”
Wei Ying raises his hands as if to protest and Lan Zhan cuts him off, “I would not want it dropped.”
Wei Ying immediately stops, looking sheepish. “Ah, yeah, you’ve got a point. Would be pretty bad if I wrecked it all over again, huh?”
Lan Zhan hadn’t meant that, Wei Ying hasn’t wrecked anything, in his opinion. Still, Wei Ying is carrying on without his input in the conversation at all. “Yeah we can – you can just bring it over. It’s at the reception hall down the street, you know the one?”
Lan Zhan nods. “I have delivered cakes there before.”
Wei Ying is nodding along with him, nonsensically, “Good then I’ll just – I’ll go back. So I can meet you there.”
Lan Zhan quirks his eyebrow, “Would you not like to come with me?” He had been pretty sure that was the plan, Wei Ying’s brother should be at the venue to meet them.
Wei Ying grins broadly, his eyes curving into crescents. “I would love to come with you, Lan Zhan.”
-
They load the cake into the van, it’s comparatively easy as it is only three tiers. He’s wrangled six-tiered wedding cakes into this van on his own, he probably didn’t really need Wei Ying’s help.
Still. He will cling to these last few minutes with Wei Ying, even if it is a tiny bit embarrassing.
Lan Zhan normally wouldn’t drive to this venue, seeing as it is only a couple of blocks away. However, he is very aware that this cake is in quite a precarious position and hates the thought of dropping it. They drive a short distance to the venue, parking out front.
It is still early, Wei Ying says, chattering away as they unload the cake. No one is here yet except Jiang Cheng, himself, and the caterers and decorators. “My sister and the peacock are in the hotel across the street. they’ll be here in a couple hours for the wedding after we do the tea ceremony at the hotel”
“The peacock?” Lan Zhan asks.
“Oh, uh, that’s her boyfriend – fiance – almost-husband. He’s kind of a dick.” Wei Ying shrugs, “He’s got a lot to make up for.”
Lan Zhan doesn’t push it, sensing something behind Wei Ying’s words. It’s not his place to get involved in Wei Ying’s family squabbles.
They walk the cake over to the reception area where a scowling man dressed in a dark purple tuxedo waits for them. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying place the cake on a table and Lan Zhan gets to work doweling the existing tiers to join the two together.
“You’re still not dressed?” the scowling man snaps at Wei Ying.
“Jiang Cheng, I’ve been in and out of a bakery all day, I’m not gonna put on my tux until it’s actually time.”
“You didn’t need to be there so much,” the man – Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying’s brother – mutters mutinously.
Lan Zhan treads carefully, responding “Wei Ying was very helpful” in a neutral tone of voice.
The man rolls his eyes theatrically. “Sure. You wouldn’t have needed his help if he hadn’t dropped it in the first place .” He throws a glare at Wei Ying and then holds out his hand for Lan Zhan to shake. "I'm Jiang Cheng – sounds like we have you to thank for fixing this."
Lan Zhan feels a slight twinge of guilt for the way his brain immediately dislikes this man - he is Wei Ying's brother after all and he's not actually incorrect. However, there's something about his tone that sets Lan Zhan's jaw and he has to stop himself from biting back a cutting remark. He shakes Jiang Cheng's hand politely, "Thank you."
Niceties out of the way, he returns his focus to joining the tiers as Wei Ying and his brother bicker in the background.
Eventually, Jiang Cheng makes his excuses and leaves, giving Lan Zhan a stiff goodbye and thanking him for his work with the cake. At least his thanks seem to be sincere. Lan Zhan still does not like him. He leaves with a final exhortation to Wei Ying to get dressed.
Lan Zhan has entirely finished constructing the cake at this point, uncharacteristically fiddling with the tablecloth in a way he feels somewhat awkward about. It's unlike him to stall like this but – he does not want to say goodbye to Wei Ying just yet, wants their tenuous connection to last a few precious seconds longer.
When he turns around he notices Wei Ying is shifting awkwardly on his feet. He looks away quickly when Lan Zhan turns around like he'd been staring at his back a second ago. Is Lan Zhan really that obvious? He opens his mouth to say his goodbyes but Wei Ying interrupts him.
"You could come, you know," he says, still not making eye contact.
"Come?" Lan Zhan questions.
"To the wedding. If you want!! I mean – you're probably busy, I've taken up your whole day, aha, but, you know, if you wanted to –"
"Yes," Lan Zhan says quickly, cutting off Wei Ying's rambling again, "I will come."
Wei Ying beams at him, a smile stretching the corners of his mouth and his eyes crinkling. "I mean if anyone deserves an invite it's you," he says, "And I don't have a plus one, so…"
Lan Zhan's breath catches uncharacteristically in his throat. Is this? The thought of being Wei Ying's plus-one at his sister's wedding is… overwhelming. But good. Very good.
"I will need to go and change," he hedges and Wei Ying erupts in a flurry of activity, hands waving reassuringly at Lan Zhan.
"Yeah!! Of course, god, do you even have, like, it's a really formal wedding and I didn't even think –"
"I have a tuxedo," Lan Zhan quickly reassures him, "I will see you here in two hours?"
Wei Ying nods enthusiastically. "I'll meet you outside! I'm just gonna –" he gestures towards the door and there is a moment where he and Lan Zhan simply stand there, neither one willing to make the first move to leave.
Wei Ying finally seems to snap out of it a second later, running off towards the entrance of the venue with a "See you, Lan Zhan!"
Lan Zhan is left alone with his thoughts. The venue is entirely set up, presumably, Jiang Cheng had been supervising the decorating before Lan Zhan and Wei Ying arrived. Now that his attention is not focused on Wei Ying, Lan Zhan can finally take in his surroundings. The decoration is nice, bordering on the edge of gaudy in some places, with entirely too much gold for Lan Zhan's taste. He has seen plenty of weddings and has delivered cakes to this very venue before. The ceremony will be held in the adjoining hall, he assumes.
As if catching up to his day, finally, Lan Zhan realizes with a start that he will be meeting Wei Ying here for the ceremony in only two hours. That seems entirely too personal for a man he just met this morning, however… Lan Zhan cannot honestly say he does not want to go. The yes had been out of his mouth before his brain caught up when Wei Ying had asked but now that he has a moment to think he realizes with some surprise that he really does want to go. Probably the invitation had been out of gratitude, Lan Zhan is not self-effacing enough not to realize he has done a large favor for Wei Ying today. Still – the thought that Wei Ying might want their tenuous connection to remain for a little bit longer pleases him.
He heads back to the bakery, locks the door behind him, and heads upstairs to his apartment to get dressed.
-
He walks to the venue with no little apprehension. His mind had filled the gaps in between him seeing Wei Ying with uncharacteristic anxiety, unable to stop himself from thinking that maybe Wei Ying will regret inviting a near stranger to his sister's wedding. He does not usually do this, he tells himself, neither the actions nor the thoughts. Lan Zhan does not date , not really. He mentally chides himself for thinking of this as a date and steels himself before turning the corner around which the venue entrance lies.
Wei Ying is standing there, looking unaccountably nervous in his dark purple tuxedo. He is fiddling with the cuffs absently and Lan Zhan thinks, for the first time today, that maybe they're both just figuring this out as they go. The thought emboldens him as he walks towards Wei Ying who appears to notice him approaching and waves cheerily.
"Lan Zhan! You came!" Wei Ying sounds surprised.
"Of course. Thank you for inviting me." Lan Zhan knows, logically, that his face does not usually betray his emotions but he feels as though right now all the uncertainty and hope he feels is written plain across his features for the world to see.
Wei Ying looks unabashedly thrilled to see him and Lan Zhan tempers his anxiety with Wei Ying's smile. Wei Ying bounds forward and entwines their arms, smiling cheekily up at Lan Zhan.
"Well, should we go in?"
Lan Zhan nods with an "Mn" and they head inside.
The ceremony is beautiful, a mix of Chinese and American traditions, incorporating both spoken vows and the traditional bows. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan sit in the second row with the rest of the bride's family, Jiang Cheng on the opposite side of Wei Ying. A severe-looking woman and a tall man sit opposite Jiang Cheng, Lan Zhan assumes they must be Wei Ying's parents? He will not touch on Wei Ying's familial situation without his guidance. Wei Ying had been very careful about saying that this was his sister's wedding and Lan Zhan knows better than to question the difference in family names. He reminds himself that Wei Ying is still virtually a stranger to him although remembering that gets harder when Wei Ying turns to him during the ceremony, smiling with unshed tears in his eyes.
The crowd floods into the reception hall after the ceremony, milling around the tables with delicate gold and violet centerpieces. Wei Ying cranes his neck over the crowd to try and catch sight of his sister.
He doesn't realize they're standing next to Wei Ying's parents until he and Wei Ying turn as a unit, Wei Ying giving up trying to spot his sister leaving the ceremony hall.
A severe woman - Wei Ying's mother? Is staring expectantly at Wei Ying. She clears her throat pointedly and Wei Ying jumps to attention.
"Ah! Auntie Yu, Uncle Jiang, this is Lan Zhan, he, uh –" Lan Zhan watches Wei Ying flounder for approximately two seconds before realizing with a start that Wei Ying probably had not told his parents about the issue with the cake.
Lan Zhan steps in smoothly, with confidence he does not feel, "I am Wei Ying's date. It is lovely to meet you."
Wei Ying shoots him a relieved glance as Lan Zhan greets his parents and they introduce themselves. Wei Ying appears to spot Jiang Cheng a short distance away and briefly decamps to drag him over.
Wei Ying starts up a conversation about the ceremony, effusively complimenting his sister. Lan Zhan is thankful for the distraction. He feels the same immediate dislike of Yu Ziyuan that he had of Wei Ying's brother, she seems to be almost irritated at Wei Ying's presence at the event. Wei Ying continues undeterred, getting Jiang Cheng to chime in with his favorite parts of the ceremony. Watching their interaction, Lan Zhan begrudgingly admits to himself he may have not given Jiang Cheng a particularly fair first impression - the two brothers are constantly bickering with each other but their camaraderie seems genial and easygoing, nothing like the cold dismissal of Yu Ziyuan.
Wei Ying glances at Lan Zhan, then at a space over his shoulder. He makes quick apologies to Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian before dragging Lan Zhan off under the excuse of introducing him to some auntie or another.
Once they are comfortably ensconced against the far wall of the venue Wei Ying exhales a sigh of relief. "Sorry you had to stand there for so long, I know you were uncomfortable." He's smiling but looks anxious, fingers worrying the cuffs of his jacket.
"I was not uncomfortable -" Lan Zhan starts, but Wei Ying talks over him.
"Sorry – you're probably wondering, aha, my family is so weird." he sheepishly runs his hands through his hair, disturbing the careful style it had been evidently placed into before the wedding. "My adopted family, really. That's why our names are different. My parents died when I was a kid and Uncle Jiang took me in. He was friends with my dad, apparently. I don't remember much from back then."
Lan Zhan ha d been wondering, in fact, but he does not want Wei Ying to feel pressured to tell him. "It is private," he says haltingly, "I do not wish to intrude."
Wei Ying waves a hand as if to dismiss the thought outright. "You're not! I want you here," he says. Then, smiling, "Thanks for the save on the cake, by the way."
"It was no trouble," Lan Zhan replies honestly, "I did not realize they did not know."
Wei Ying makes a face, "Yeah, I couldn't tell Auntie Yu. I don't know if you noticed but she's, uh – she'd totally kill me if she found out."
Lan Zhan nods. Wei Ying may not have finished that thought but Lan Zhan understands his meaning nonetheless. "She seemed quite severe."
Wei Ying laughs and some of the tension seems to slip from his shoulders. "That's one way to put it, I suppose. I try not to hang around too much anymore, I think it's probably easier for Yanli-jie and Jiang Cheng that way. Can't really avoid them here, though." He grins and seems to straighten up, "I wouldn't miss my jiejiie's wedding for the world."
Lan Zhan feels his heart pull at the look on Wei Ying's face. The incident with the cake seems now like only the latest in a long line of situations that have driven a wedge between Wei Ying and his family members. He's glad that he could do something to ameliorate the tension, at least. He glances over at the cake almost subconsciously.
"Oh yeah! It looks great, doesn't it? No one has noticed but honestly, I think your version looks better." Wei Ying says, rocking back on the balls of his feet.
"I attempted to make it identical," Lan Zhan replies.
"Yeah, but I just think yours has that extra something. " Wei Ying says, looking thoughtful, "Less gaudy than the other one, maybe. The Jins are so fucking pretentious, look at all this gold."
"Mn," Lan Zhan agrees. There is quite a large amount of gold in the decorations. They look beautiful but occasionally the purple and gold feel like they're warring with each other.
"Auntie Yu went nuts when Madame Jin wanted everything to be gold," Wei Ying continues, "You'd never know they were friends."
"The end result is beautiful," Lan Zhan replies and Wei Ying nods.
"Yeah, thanks to A-jie. That's why I couldn't let her cake get ruined – I mean aside from me not wanting to ruin my sister's wedding. She worked so hard to make everybody happy. She deserves to have the best day ever." Wei Ying looks a little wistful and Lan Zhan opens his mouth to respond and is cut off by the invitation for everyone to sit down to dinner.
Lan Zhan had been slightly worried that his late invitation would derail the dinner plans but they manage to find a place for him and no one mentions the last-minute addition. They are sat at a table with Wei Ying's family, Wei Ying smiling broadly and waving to his sister at the bride and groom's table close by.
The banquet is lavish – ten courses. Lan Zhan is thankful that apparently a vegetarian menu has been prepared and he is able to discreetly request it from one of the servers. Wei Ying laughs and makes a flippant comment about how of course he would forget to request a vegetarian option for his date. They make polite small talk, Wei Ying easily evading any questions about how or when they met. Lan Zhan wonders how much the Jiang parents know about his last-minute invitation.
Near the end of the banquet, the bride and groom pay a visit to each table. The wedding is quite large so they are only able to pause for a moment with Wei Ying and Lan Zhan but Wei Ying’s sister’s eyes are sparkling when she introduces herself.
Lan Zhan’s chest feels too tight. Is it unfair, to let her assume that he is genuinely Wei Ying’s date? The brief frisson from earlier has left him with the uncertainty of what he is doing here – what this means to him and to Wei Ying.
The servers finally take away the final dishes and the dancing starts – Wei Ying’s sister and her new husband step onto the floor for the first dance. It is beautiful. Even Wei Ying begrudgingly admits to Lan Zhan under his breath that Jin Zixuan (the peacock’s real name) is staring at his sister like she means the whole world to him.
The first dance ends and more upbeat music starts – a collection of popular wedding songs and classical music interspersed. It is a good selection, Lan Zhan thinks. Wei Ying watches his sister dance wistfully, jiggling his knee to the beat of the music.
When the song ends he turns to Lan Zhan with a smile. It’s nervous – Lan Zhan thinks, unaccountably. The tightness in Lan Zhan’s chest abates a bit at the thought that Wei Ying is just as nervous about this as he is. “Want to dance?” Wei Ying asks. “I just thought –”
“Yes,” Lan Zhan replies. He does not, usually, but he finds himself wanting to dance with Wei Ying.
Wei Ying leads him out onto the dance floor. It is a slow song, the melody low and soft. He hovers for a heartbeat before placing his hand on Wei Ying’s arm and waist, curling them together. Wei Ying lets him lead, revolving them slowly around the dance floor.
Wei Ying’s head is tucked into Lan Zhan’s shoulder, face turned so they can’t make eye contact. “This is nice,” he murmurs, just loudly enough for Lan Zhan to hear him over the music. “I’m really glad you came, you know. I –” he cuts himself off, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I’d like to spend more time with you, you know, not just because of the cake.”
Lan Zhan feels his breath catch in his throat. “I would also,” he starts before he has to clear his throat, “I would also like to spend more time with Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying twists his head to look up at Lan Zhan, his gray eyes searching. He seems to come to a decision, uncurling himself from Lan Zhan’s hands and dragging him off the dance floor. Wei Ying leads them through a series of hallways that Lan Zhan probably should recognize but his focus is narrowed to the feeling of Wei Ying’s hand in his, the warmth where their skin presses together.
They end up in the coat check, the sound of the wedding muffled by distance and the lavish furs and fabrics all around them. Wei Ying looks slightly out of breath like he’d just run a mile.
“I –” he starts, “Sorry, that was weird. I just wanted to talk to you, you know,” he waves his hand in the general direction of the festivities, “Away from all that.”
“I do not mind,” Lan Zhan answers honestly. He stops himself there, stopping himself from asking what Wei Ying wanted to talk to him about. Hope is expanding like a balloon in his chest, fragile and thin.
Wei Ying scrubs at his face with his hand before straightening up, “Lan Zhan,” he says with a determined set to his features, “I really like you. I know we just met today and – oh god — I invited you to my sister’s wedding but I really like you! You probably think I’m a mess, right? Who drops their sister’s wedding cake? I’m really glad you came, even if it was just to be nice, but –”
Lan Zhan cuts him off there, “Wei Ying,” he says, his voice surely wavering with the intensity of what he is about to say, “I like you as well. I am happy to be here, with you.”
Wei Ying finally looks at him, a look on his face that Lan Zhan can’t describe. “Can I –” he starts, cuts himself off, wringing his hands together in front of himself.
“Can you?” Lan Zhan prompts.
“Can I kiss you?” Wei Ying asks and oh , Lan Zhan would like that very much. So much, in fact, that he doesn’t give Wei Ying a moment to second-guess, stepping forward and closing the distance between them with a hand at Wei Ying’s waist.
There’s a heartbeat where they just stand like that, curled in, foreheads pressed together and the hot air of their breath making the space between them misty and humid. Lan Zhan slides his other hand up to cup Wei Ying’s head gently and they are kissing, a press of lips and teeth and tongue.
Lan Zhan has not kissed many people. He does not find that he wants to kiss many people. He wants to kiss Wei Ying, wants to devour him whole. Wei Ying lets out a squeak as Lan Zhan’s tongue presses into his mouth, licking into him deep and slow.
When they break apart they are both breathing heavily. Wei Ying cups the side of Lan Zhan’s face with his hand, looking into his eyes like Lan Zhan holds the mysteries of the universe.
“Wow,” he pants, “ Wow, Lan Zhan. You’ve been holding out on me. You pretty much have to kiss me like that all the time, now.”
“Mn,” Lan Zhan says, moving his head so he can nuzzle into Wei Ying’s neck, “Will kiss you as much as you want.” He stops, thinks, “Possibly more.”
Wei Ying laughs, the reverberation of it shaking through where their bodies are pressed together. “We should go back,” he finally says, hands gently playing with Lan Zhan’s braid which hangs down against his back.
Lan Zhan makes a discontented noise against Wei Ying’s neck and Wei Ying laughs again. “This isn’t a limited-time offer, Lan Zhan,” he says quietly, “If that’s okay with you.”
Lan Zhan straightens up so he’s looking Wei Ying in the eye, Wei Ying’s hands looped around his shoulders. “I would very much like to do this again,” he says, sincerely.
Wei Ying twists away from him, prying one hand off Lan Zhan’s shoulder to cover his eyes. “Lan Zhan, I’m allergic to sincerity, I simply can’t take it! You will have to warn me when you’re going to say things like that, you know.”
Lan Zhan plucks Wei Ying’s other hand off his shoulder and presses soft kisses to his palm. “Mn.”
Wei Ying is trying to look stern, the effect slightly ruined by the way his body curls against Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan releases Wei Ying’s hand gently, letting it fall to his side. “We should go back,” he agrees.
Wei Ying looks like he wants to protest before remembering that it was he who suggested going back in the first place. He nods and steps back so they are no longer touching.
“I want to introduce you to my sister,” he says. “Properly, this time. As my actual date. We can make out in front of Jiang Cheng, too, that will really freak him out.”
Lan Zhan smiles and Wei Ying beams, a smile cracking his whole face in two and his eyes crinkling into half-moons.
“I would like that very much,” Lan Zhan says.
Wei Ying grabs his hand and turns to lead Lan Zhan out of the coat check. Lan Zhan lets himself be led, following Wei Ying through the maze of hallways and doors.
He will, he thinks, be following Wei Ying for as long as he will let him.