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Lan Wangji was logging in the afternoon’s deliveries when the front door opened, as indicated by a sound that replicated the chords of a guqin. His fingers hesitated over the keyboard ever so slightly. A customer?
Lan Wangji was self-aware enough to recognize and acknowledge the urge to jump up and rush to the front of the shop. He simply refused to give into it. Instead, he carefully saved the file and made his way forward at a reasonable pace.
It was not a customer; it was Wen Xu. Lan Wangji repressed the urge to sigh, and then repressed the urge to question why his first instinct was to be disappointed to see his fiancé. It was not unreasonable to have wished it was a customer. Even better, a paying customer. The shop was struggling, and Wen Xu himself had once made it clear that nothing could compare to the prospect of a sale. Not that Lan Wangji shared such a conviction, only noting to himself that Wen Xu would not have been hurt or offended under the circumstances.
Knowing this about Wen Xu didn’t exactly make Lan Wangji feel better.
“You are early.”
Wen Xu gave him the usual smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “Closed the deal early, so I thought I would celebrate by coming to see you! I brought you something.” He gestured to a bedraggled pine tree that had clearly been purchased at a roadside stand and was already raining needles onto the floor of the shop.
Lan Wangji raised one eyebrow in inquiry. Wen Xu chuckled. “I was reading that the typical customer of an antique shop is very sentimental, and tradition is very important to them. In other words, you will be more likely to draw customers in if you decorate for Christmas. Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t. You yourself are rather sentimental and traditional.”
Lan Wangji knew this was not the compliment he implied. “I enjoy Christmas, but I don’t have the budget to decorate the shop. Every last penny goes to stocking up inventory for the shoppers. I don’t turn a profit until the inventory is sold, and by then it’s too late to buy decorations. Not to mention that I don’t have time to decorate because I’m on buying trips.” He hasn’t even had a chance to do anything in his apartment, he’s been spending all his time at the shop.
Wen Xu gave him one of his smarmy smiles. “This is why you should learn to think ahead. Invest in decorations earlier in the year. Or sell more of your inventory and use the money to hire a decorator.” His smile became more genuine as he brandished the pine tree, raining more needles on the floor.
Lan Wangji suppressed a sigh. Wen Xu meant well. He wanted Lan Wangji’s shop to succeed. “As it happens, one of the boxes here has a collection of ornaments that Xichen found at an estate sale. I can use those to decorate the tree.” His brother was not interested in helping with the shop, per se, but he did enjoy going to estate sales.
Wen Xu’s smile brightened even more, and Lan Wangji let go of the rest of his indignation. For all that Wen Xu’s capitalist streak was off-putting, he did have a nice smile when he was in a good mood. Xichen once teased him that he was a sucker for a smile. He wasn’t so sure about that. As nice as Wen Xu’s smile was, it hadn’t led to Lan Wangji developing any tender feelings for him. Nor had any of the other men who have smiled at him over the years before his stony demeanor melted the smiles away. So, honestly Lan Wangji wasn’t sure why Xichen had made that comment in the first place.
(The reason is because Xichen noticed his brother’s interest always sharpened when a character in a movie had a nice smile. Male characters. It was also how he figured out his brother was gay.)
Lan Wangji and Wen Xu perused the boxes, trying to determine which one might be the ornaments. Wen Xu picked up a long slender package and Lan Wangji shook his head. “I believe that is the sword I ordered.”
Wen Xu raised an eyebrow. “A sword?” His voice ticked up a little at the end, out of interest.
Lan Wangji nodded and gave in to his eagerness. This had been his ultimate goal before he’d been interrupted – to open this box in particular. As he used a box cutter to carefully slice open the taped edges, he explained, “It is Shuanghua, the sword belonging to Xiao Xingchen.”
Wen Xu’s brow furrowed. “Xiao Xingchen? I don’t know of him.”
The box opened, and Lan Wangji’s hand shook a little as he started to slice through the bubble wrap. “He was a rogue cultivator that lived centuries ago. He and his cultivation partner, Song Lan, roamed together battling ghosts and demons, until they were parted by tragedy and a misunderstanding.”
Lan Wangji felt the little ache that always settled into his ribs when he thought about this story. He gingerly unfurled each layer of bubble wrap, rapt at each inch of the shining blade revealed. “Xiao Xingchen continued to roam by himself, blinded by the events of the day, eventually adopting an orphan girl known only as A-Qing. He also met another rogue cultivator who was injured, and helped nurse him back to health. What he didn’t know was that this new friend was actually an old enemy. Xue Yang, the man responsible for the tragedy that befell the two partners.”
Finally, the sword was free of its protective layers. Lan Wangji gazed at it in reverence. “Xiao Xingchen only found out the truth when Song Lan appeared, confronting Xue Yang for his crimes. As they started to fight, Xiao Xingchen was about to join in, but he heard A-Qing screaming his name. He went to her, and after ensuring that she was unharmed, he told her to hide until it was over. When he went back to where the others were, he was disturbed by the silence. Then he heard laughter and knew in that moment that Xue Yang had been victorious, and murdered Song Lan.”
Lan Wangji gently rested his fingers on the etched name in the sword. “He was about to use Shuanghua to end his own life, when he was stopped by a hand on his arm, and the sensation of something viscous dripping onto his skin. It was Song Lan. Xue Yang had cut out his tongue, but he was very much alive. Together they defeated Xue Yang. Once Song Lan was healed from his wound, and they taught themselves ways to communicate around their disabilities, they founded a school with their adopted daughter and lived happily ever after.”
Lan Wangji finally looked up from the sword to see Wen Xu staring at him. The other man gave an incredulous laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speak so many words all at once. And what a violent story!” His grin turned feral, “I’ll have to share it with my family when I see them next week. They’ll love it!” His gaze fixed on the sword. “If that was a true story, this sword must be very old and very valuable.” He reached out a hand for it.
Lan Wangji’s grip tightened on the sword momentarily, then reluctantly gave it up to Wen Xu’s inspection. “Ah…no. This isn’t the original Shuanghua. It is a replica.” Wen Xu sneered and made to toss it onto the table. Lan Wangji caught it in time and scowled at him. “It may not be the original sword, but it is still an antique and a well-made piece. It is common for famous swords to have replicas that have been lovingly crafted by artists who appreciate the sword’s history. It is an homage and has value of its own.”
Wen Xu shrugged indolently and started for the door. “I’ll go get the supplies to keep the tree fresh.”
“Wen Xu?” His fiancé looked back with an enquiring glance. “You mentioned you’re seeing your family next week?”
Wen Xu gave a little grimace and nodded. “It’s been years, but I’m going back home for a few days at Christmas. Filial duty and all that.”
Lan Wangji waited for him to say more. Hoped he’d say more. He hardly knew anything about Wen Xu’s family situation other than his occasional comment about his father’s success in Washington DC. Lan Wangji knew more about the Wens from his uncle than his fiancé. They had great success in real estate in upstate New York, but Wen Ruohan had been drawn to the power of politics. After working his way up the ranks in New York, he was now in Washington DC. Wen Xu also had a younger brother who went with his father to DC and was given a position of importance, though no one was very clear on what that was or whether he was qualified. Wen Xu, rather than follow in his father’s footsteps politically, decided to stick to their roots in real estate, this time making a go at the cutthroat New York City market. Wen Xu seemed very successful at his chosen field.
Lan Wangji was happy to take his occasional advice in regard to the shop that had been his mother’s and was now his. Oddly enough, Wen Xu was more supportive than Lan Wangji’s uncle, who would prefer he give up his mother’s dream altogether and go back to music. Lan Qiren has said as much thirty-three times in the past three years. Lan Wangji has made a mental game of counting every time he does it.
(One time Lan Wangji pointed out to Lan Qiren that Wen Xu – who his uncle always praised to the high heavens – supported his shop and even sent his wealthy clientele there to select pieces for their new homes or offices.)
(His uncle stopped bringing it up for about seven weeks before he carried on again.)
❄
A week later Lan Wangji was sweeping up pine needles when Wen Xu burst into the shop. “Didn’t you say you were closing the shop the three days before Christmas?”
Lan Wangji nodded. “My mother told me once that anyone who purchases an antique in the three days leading up to Christmas is making an impulse purchase and will be back in the shop after the holiday to return it. Even a ‘no returns’ policy doesn’t deter them. So, it is best just to close it up and spend the time with family.”
He was braced to hear contradicting advice, but instead Wen Xu clapped his hands together in apparent glee. “Yes! Family! It’s important to spend that time with family!” Lan Wangji nodded cautiously, as it was obvious Wen Xu was leading up to something. “I need you to come home with me for Christmas.”
Lan Wangji scowled. “I meant my…”
Wen Xu let out a longsuffering sigh. “Here’s the thing. I never go home for Christmas. Ever. When we get married, we’re never going upstate if I can help it. If you’re going to meet my family, it’s now or never.”
Lan Wangji gave him a puzzled look. “What about the wedding?”
Wen Xu rolled his eyes. “We’ve been over this. I know your uncle wants a big wedding to show us off, but that means it will drag out and it will be forever before we’re married.” Lan Wangji would never say out loud that he would prefer that. “I think we just need to go to city hall, get it over with. Right after Christmas. It’s better for bus…uh, a bountiful marriage.”
Given that he had often thought in the past that if he ever got married, he would just elope, his utter dismay over the prospect of not having a lengthy engagement was a reaction he didn’t want to examine too closely. Rather than address the comment about city hall, he chose instead to address the other issue. “I will have to talk with my uncle and Xichen about Christmas. They will be expecting me to spend it with them. My uncle, I believe, will understand. Xichen, less so.”
Wen Xu smirked. “Oh, he’ll be fine. Just promise him that next year we’ll spend with your family. And the next, and the next. I assure you that this year’s Wen family gathering is about as common as a solar eclipse.”
That would make his brother feel better. Lan Wangji ignored the sinking feeling inside of him.
❄
Over the next week, Lan Wangji and Wen Xu continued to talk around each other. Wen Xu would bring up his idea about getting married right after Christmas. Lan Wangji would ask him questions about the Wen family. Neither answered the other to their satisfaction.
Lan Qiren, as predicted, had been fine with the change in plans since it meant Lan Wangji would be getting to know the Wens. Xichen was disappointed Lan Wangji would not be there but liked the idea of exclusive holiday rights in future years.
Lan Wangji was in a taxi on the way to the airport when he got a call on his cell from Wen Xu. “Sooo, it may be longer than anticipated that I join you with the Wens.”
Exasperated, Lan Wangji said, simply, “Summarize.”
Summarize, Wen Xu did. Apparently, there was a client who had been standoffish but was starting to thaw. Wen Xu knew in his core that if he left now, the opportunity would be gone. “I’ll join you tomorrow. The day after, at the latest. I will absolutely be there by Christmas Eve.”
Lan Wangji took a deep breath and buried his irritation. “Text me the address and contact numbers for your family.” He ended the call before he said something ‘delightfully bitchy’ as Nie Huaisang would say.
The taxi arrived at the airport at that moment. Lan Wangji ignored the text alert on his phone. He needed to focus on getting through the ordeal of arriving to his gate. He retrieved his suitcases from the trunk and neatly sidestepped another taxi where the passenger was wrestling with a rather large box.
Wen Xu had splurged for first class, so the process was a lot more efficient than he was used to, which calmed his nerves some. He was still faced with the prospect of meeting people, by himself, that were strangers and yet also his future family.
Lan Wangji felt exhausted already. Why did people do this? Get married, expand their circle? What if he didn’t like them? He’d be stuck with them for the rest of his life, even with Wen Xu’s assurances that he’d hardly ever see them. Fate was not always kind, and they could decide to move to New York and demand to see him every Sunday for dinner. Wen Xu’s father was a politician. Unless he was one of those rare ones that took his duty as a public servant seriously, Lan Wangji had very serious doubts about the whole thing.
Lan Wangji forced himself to focus again. He collected his shoes and carry-on, paying little attention when he heard someone behind him arguing with the TSA about some tools in his bag. “Aiya, I had to check the clock, I wasn’t going to check these! Last time I did that, one of my tools went missing! I need these to put the finishing touches on the clock. They aren’t leaving my side!” Lan Wangji shook his head slightly and continued on to find his gate.
Eventually he boarded the plane and took his seat, ignoring several other texts that came in, putting his phone in airplane mode. He ignored what sounded like the man with the tools speaking louder than necessary as he walked past Lan Wangji’s seat, assuring someone named A-Yuan that he would be there in a couple hours. He would have ignored the flight attendant who offered him a complimentary beverage, but they didn’t deserve a rude customer, so he politely ordered a cup of hot tea. He did ignore the woman seated next to him who tried to make conversation even after he’d put in ear buds to signal that he was not interested in being social.
❄
One of his suitcases was missing. Lan Wangji supposed he was fortunate that it was not the one that held his clothes and toiletries. Rather it was the one with the gifts for the Wen family that his fiancé asked him to bring, all items Wen Xu handpicked from the shop and insisted on paying extra to have gift wrapped (because apparently family discounts were the surest way to go bankrupt). Sighing, Lan Wangji decided he needed another cup of tea to fortify him and made a detour to a kiosk. Cup in hand, he then headed to the counter where he had been directed to report his missing luggage.
Fortunately, there was only one other person already at the counter, gesticulating wildly. He recognized the voice again – Clock Guy. “The only reason I checked it was because your staff insisted that it wouldn’t fit in an overhead compartment. Which it would have, by the way. And now it’s lost?!
That was for Granny Wen! I made it myself; it took two months. It’s priceless.”
Lan Wangji winced at hearing about the man’s misfortune, and it took him a moment to realize he had said the name Wen. He almost spoke up, but the man was distressed, and it was possible there were multiple Wen families in the town.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” the lady behind the counter was saying, and Lan Wangji could tell that she wasn’t. “Please fill out this form. I understand, that to you, the gift to your granny is priceless. Nevertheless, we request that you approximate a monetary value to the gift.”
“No, no, no, don’t call it a gift! I was planning to sell it to her, of course!”
Lan Wangji smiled to himself. He still wasn’t sure if Clock Guy said ‘Wen,’ but it was at least very likely that the granny in question was Chinese.
The lady’s expression was incredulous. “You were going to sell the clock to your granny?” Then something seemed to occur to her. “Oh, she’s not your granny. She’s a customer. Sir, in that case, it’s an entirely separate form for business inventory.” She pulled out another piece of paper and pushed it towards Clock Guy. “You’ll want to put both the cost to manufacture and the amount you were planning to charge.”
“Nooo...ugh! I was only going to charge her a dollar.”
“Sir?”
Lan Wangji felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, reminding him that he should finally look at Wen Xu’s texts and get the address of the Wens. He let go of his rolling suitcase, took a sip of his tea, and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
Several things happened at once. His suitcase started to roll forward, so on instinct Lan Wangji’s hand shot out to stop it. The hand was occupied with his phone, which collided with the suitcase handle and slipped out of his fingers. The phone hit Clock Guy in the back of his leg, startling him into turning around. He managed to step on the phone as it hit the ground, causing him to stumble, and knock into Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji’s tea flew out of his other hand, and they both tumbled to the ground.
All of this happened in the space of a few seconds, and Lan Wangji now found himself lying flat on his back, Clock Guy on top of him, and watching his phone get thoroughly soaked with tea.
“Fuck! No, no, no!” Clock Guy dived towards Lan Wangji’s phone. “Maybe if you put it in rice right away!” He picked up the phone and they both saw the jagged cracks on the screen. “Ahhh…maybe not.” The tea was seeping into the cracks. The man flopped the rest of the way off Wangi. “I’m so, so sorry! I can’t believe I did that!”
Lan Wangji stared up at the ceiling, noting what looked like a bird sitting up in the rafters. “What are you sorry for? Reacting in a perfectly normal way when something hits the back of your leg?”
“Well, I guess. But I still feel a little bit responsible.” The man’s voice was full of remorse.
Lan Wangji squeezed his eyes closed, wanting to shut out his humiliation a bit longer. “It was my phone that hit you. My tea that sent it to a watery grave. If anything, I should apologize for making you an unwilling participant in my clumsiness.”
He heard a snort of laughter. “Ah, well, it makes for a nice change of pace from my own clumsiness.” He heard a shifting noise, and then the voice was now above him. “At least let me help you up?”
Lan Wangji opened his eyes and saw a hand hovering over him. He suppressed a sigh and reached out to take it. The man helped him to his feet and gave him a commiserating smile. For the first time Lan Wangji saw what he looked like, and oh. He was gorgeous. Lan Wangji often considered his brother to have the nicest smile of anyone he’d ever met, but this man took his breath away. The man blinked back at him, his eyes widening. As his smile started to falter, Lan Wangji realized he’d been staring rudely. “Th-thank you,” He managed to stutter out.
The man’s smile ticked up again. “Do you feel okay? I went down on you rather hard.” Lan Wangji felt his ears burn at the vision that conjured up. Where had that come from? He gave a short nod. “Ah, good, good. Better a broken phone than broken bones, I guess.” The man sheepishly handed him the phone, which was dripping.
The screen, which was already wonky due to the cracked screen, seemed to be flickering like it was gasping its last breath. He could only see the time, which was 11:58am. Lan Wangji tapped it in the hope that he would at least be able to glimpse the Wen address. But it was too late, the screen winked out before he could access his messages.
“Is there anyone you need to call? Someone who was picking you up? You can borrow my phone if you like.”
Lan Wangji nodded. The man pulled his own phone out of his pocket, tapped the screen to open it, and handed it to Lan Wangji. He dialed Wen Xu’s number. It went to his voice mail and Lan Wangji left a message.
He handed the phone back to the man who gave him a sympathetic look. “Ah, they probably didn’t recognize the number. Maybe they’re waiting outside?”
Lan Wangji shook his head. “No, he is back in Manhattan. I was calling because I don’t know the address to where I’m going. It was on my phone.” The man’s face crumpled. “But it’s possible you may be able to help me.”
The man’s expression turned skeptical. “I know it’s a small town, but I’m really not that familiar with it. I only know one family.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “The Wens.”
The man blinked in surprise. “Ah?”
“I heard you mention someone,” he nodded over to the missing luggage counter. “Granny Wen?”
The man brightened. “You know Granny Wen?”
Lan Wangji shook his head. “I don’t know any of the Wens, except Wen Xu. He doesn’t talk about his family ever, until now when he has asked me to visit them for Christmas. He got held up in the city for work.”
The man’s brow wrinkled. “Wen Xu? Hmm, that name doesn’t seem familiar.”
“Wen Ruohan is his father.”
The man’s eyes widened. “Oh! Him I’ve heard of.”
“How are you related to him?”
“What? I’m not! Why would you think that?” The man looked appalled at the idea. It didn’t say much for his future father-in-law.
Lan Wangji strove for patience. “Your grandmother is a Wen. Sorry, I hoped it was the same family.”
The man’s face cleared up. “Ah, I see the confusion. I call her Granny Wen, but I’m just a friend of the family. My name is Wei Wuxian, but you can call me Wei Ying. Wen Ruohan is related to them, he’s Wen Qing’s uncle. Hold on, let me call her.” Lan Wangji watched in relief as the man…Wei Ying…tapped a couple times on his phone, then held it to his ear.
“Wen Qing? It’s Wei Ying. No, I’m not on the way yet, I’m still at the airport. I know A-Yuan is anxious, but there’s been a hiccup. Two of them, actually. No, neither of them is my fault, this time. They lost one of my packages. The one with Granny Wen’s…ah…my unfinished project I told you about.” That reminded Lan Wangji he still had his own suitcase he was missing. “Also, I met this guy whose phone was trampled, and he told me he was supposed to meet up with you, maybe? I’m calling to confirm. No, it’s not a scam to get me to go with him to a secondary location. I was the one who trampled his phone. It’s not my fault. He said it wasn’t! I believe him, he has a very earnest face. Do you know a Wen Xu? Wen Ruohan’s son, yeah, that’s what he said. No, it’s not Wen Xu, it was…” Wei Ying looked up. “What is your name?”
“I am Lan Wangji. I also go by Lan Zhan.” He wasn’t sure why he said that last bit, the last person who called him that was his mother. “Wen Xu was supposed to be with me on the flight, but he got held up. I assumed he told his family…”
Wei Ying repeated this back to the person on the phone…presumably Wen Xu’s cousin. “Mhmm. Mhmm. Hmmm…” He gave Lan Wangji a bemused glance. “Okay, well why don’t I bring him with me, and we’ll sort it out.” Lan Wangji felt a trickle of unease. What would need to be sorted out? Lan Wangji didn’t like things having to be sorted out. He didn’t like complicated.
Wei Ying ended the call and bit his lip. “So, Wen Xu is definitely related to my Wens…I mean, my friends.” He blushed a little. Lan Wangji wasn’t sure why, but it was cute. “Wen Qing says that her uncle and cousins haven’t been back in town for years. Many years. They still maintain their house there, with a caretaker – Wen Zhuliu – who they see at the grocery store occasionally. They don’t keep in touch. So, long story short, they had no idea Wen Xu was coming back to town. They hadn’t heard a peep about their uncle coming back to town.” Lan Wangji’s brow furrowed, and Wei Ying gave him an encouraging smile. “If you’re okay with it, I can bring you to the Wens and they’ll call Zhuliu. Once they confirm that you were a planned guest, they’ll run you over to their uncle’s house.” Wei Ying’s smile turned sheepish. “They don’t want you dropped off there directly until they know for sure you’re telling the truth. After Wen Ruohan got into politics, sketchy people have come out of the woodwork and they’re always cautious of someone claiming to know him.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “It is understandable. Are you sure they are okay with me going to their house? Perhaps it would be better for me to seek a hotel?”
Wei Ying waved his hand. “I’ll vouch for you, at least with my Wens…friends. Haha. If you do turn out to be sketchy, Wen Ning and I will team up to take you down.” His smile sharpened for a moment, and he winked.
Lan Wangji felt his ears burn again. “Wen Ning?”
“He’s Wen Qing’s brother. He was the first Wen I met, back in college. I’ll tell you all about it when we get on our way. For now,” he grimaced, “I still have to get my package sorted out.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “As do I. I was behind you in line because one of my items is also missing.”
Wei Ying’s eyes widened. “And you haven’t even had your turn yet! Okay, let’s get this over with.”
❄
With a half-hearted promise from the airline to locate their lost items, Lan Wangji set off with Wei Ying to where they will be meeting an Uber. Wei Ying said that Wen Ning usually met him at the airport but was delayed today.
“I met Wen Ning back in college, where we were both engineering majors and in the archery club. I would have befriended him for either of those reasons, but what bonded us was me protecting him from the asshole Jins. They dominated the archery club, even though they had barely any talent. Money talks, you know? A-Ning ended up bringing me home for Christmas because I had a, uh, falling out with my family. Coincidentally about the Jins! That’s when I met Wen Qing and Granny Wen. I loved them immediately. They were very welcoming, having heard about me protecting A-Ning during the semester. Wen Qing is like the other half of the jie jie coin from Jiang Yanli, who I grew up with. You know how some older sisters are super sweet and cook for you and let you pretend you’re three years old even as a teenager? That’s Yanli-jie. Qing-jie is the older sister that doesn’t let you get away with anything and lectures and threatens and basically makes you terrified of crossing her. But she loves with just as much of her heart as Yanli-jie.” He smiled fondly. “I’ve been spending Christmas with them ever since. Even after I reconciled with the Jiangs. I spend Christmas with the Wens and then Chinese New Year with the Jiangs.” He shrugged.
Lan Wangji listened solemnly to all this. “I heard you mention someone named A-Yuan?”
Wei Ying beamed. “My little radish! He joined the family three years ago.” His smile turned bittersweet. “His parents were Wens, and they died in a car crash. The same thing happened to me, so I feel a special bond with the little guy. I want him to always know that he is loved by all of us. It’s important that he doesn’t feel like a…burden that got thrust onto his extended family.” His cheeks went very red, and his smile dropped altogether.
Lan Wangji nodded gravely. “That is very important. I lost my own parents. I was older, but still young enough that I had to go into the care of my uncle.”
Wei Ying’s smile returned, soft. “Ah, Lan Zhan, then you understand. You’ll love A-Yuan. Us orphans have to stick together.” Lan Wangji stifled the squirmy feeling that shot through him at hearing Wei Ying say his birth name.
The Uber pulled up to a house that was modest but well kept. It was decorated festively with lights, greenery, and red ribbons. Like the one in Wei Ying’s hair. As they climbed out and approached the house, Wei Ying chirped, “Doesn’t it look great? I always help put up the lights during my time off for Thanksgiving. Granny Wen loves it so much. It’s her favorite time of year. I’ll let her tell you the story of her holiday romance with her husband of 50 years. Grandpa Wen passed five years ago.”
Wei Ying rang the doorbell. From somewhere inside, Lan Wangji heard what sounded like a child shouting in excitement, and Wei Ying bounced on the balls of his feet. The door opened, and a petite woman appeared, regarding them with shrewd eyes. To Wei Ying she said, “It’s about time you got here, A-Yuan has been unbearable all day.” She turned and bowed her head to Lan Wangji. “I am Wen Qing. Welcome to our home.”
He bowed his head. “Lan Wangji. You are gracious to invite me.” Wen Qing gave him an assessing look, then nodded and stepped back so they could come inside.
As soon as Lan Wangji cleared the doorway, he felt something attach itself to his leg. He looked down and saw it was a young child. A-Yuan, no doubt. The boy looked up at him, and his eyes widened in surprise. Just as his lip started to wobble in distress, Wei Ying piped up from behind him. “A-Yuan, what’s this! Why are you hugging him and not me? You don’t even know him!” The child immediately detached from Lan Wangji’s leg and glommed onto Wei Ying’s, gazing at him in obvious hero worship. It was very cute.
Lan Wangji didn’t interact with children very much, but he held them with high regard. If there was one thing that had made him sad in his previous lack of desire to marry, it was that he would never have children. He supposed that was an option, now, though he couldn’t bring himself to feel enthusiastic about sharing parenting responsibilities with Wen Xu.
“Oh my, who do we have here?” Lan Wangji looked up to see an elderly woman carefully coming down the stairs. “A-Xian, you brought someone with you?”
Wei Ying blushed. “Ahaha, no, no, no. This is Lan Wangji. He is a guest of Wen Xu.” The woman’s brow furrowed slightly. “Lan Zhan, this is Granny Wen.”
Lan Wangji bowed his head. “Madame. You have a beautiful home. Thank you for having me.”
Granny Wen gave him a puzzled smile. “Of course, young man. You are here to see Wen Xu? He hasn’t been home in many years.”
Lan Wangji shook his head. “I was supposed to travel here with Wen Xu to meet his family. He was held up at work and asked me to come ahead.” He went on to explain his phone malfunctioning and Wei Ying offering to help him.
Wen Qing cocked her head. “What’s your connection to Wen Xu? Are you a coworker? A client?”
Lan Wangji was a little taken aback that these were her first two assumptions. “We are engaged.”
The three adults stared at him in shocked silence. Wei Ying stuttered, “To…to be married?” Lan Wangji nodded.
“To Wen Xu?” Granny Wen asked faintly. Lan Wangji pursed his lips and nodded again, hoping these seemingly nice people weren’t homophobic.
Wen Qing’s expression was now suspicious. “You’ll have to pardon my skepticism, Mr. Lan. It’s been many years since I’ve seen my cousin, but I also knew him many years before he left. He was very much straight during that time.”
Wei Ying lightly slapped her shoulder. “Qing-jie! That’s bi erasure!”
Wen Qing rolled her eyes. “Not if I only ever saw him with girlfriends.” She gazed at Lan Wangji, folding her arms. Lan Wangji would have bristled if he hadn’t recalled that the Wens wanted to make sure he wasn’t pretending an association with Wen Xu.
Wei Ying scoffed. “Maybe it took him awhile to figure it out! Maybe he needed to be away from his family. Ask me how I know.” Lan Wangji felt his ears heat a little at this admission that Wei Ying was bisexual.
Lan Wangji held up his hand. “Ms. Wen, I understand your concern. I do believe he is straight. Our marriage was arranged. It is not a love match.”
Again, the other three stared at him in shocked silence. Granny Wen was the first to recover. “Oh my, I didn’t realize that was still done.”
Lan Wangji bowed his head. “My uncle is very traditional. He heard from friends of his that Wen Xu was looking to get married. His only requirement was that he wanted to join with one of the older, respected Chinese families in New York. He believed being married would help in his career, that he would attract clients who preferred to hire someone they would regard as settled down and stable.”
Though Wei Ying continued to look appalled, Wen Qing’s brow cleared, and she dropped her arms. “That sounds more like the Wen Xu I know. Anything to make a buck.”
Granny Wen made a tsking sound. “A-Qing! They may not be in love, but it is still impolite to speak of his fiancé that way.”
“What’s in it for you?” Lan Wangji turned to Wei Ying, who winced at his own question. “Sorry, that was rude. I just…have a difficult time wrapping my head around this.” Granny Wen made the same tsking noise at him and he looked abashed.
Lan Wangji bowed his head. “It’s fine. My brother had the same concern. I…do not have an interest in romance and did not see marriage in the cards for me. My uncle has wanted to see me settled down with a partner, especially after my brother married. When he brought up Wen Xu’s search for a spouse, it seemed…pragmatic.” This was the most diplomatic way he could describe that he was not inclined to falling in love and wanted his uncle off his back.
A kind-looking man walked in from the other room and gave the silent group an enquiring look. He blinked when he saw Lan Wangji. “Oh! H-hello! I’m Wen Ning.” He bowed his head in greeting.
Lan Wangji bowed his head. “I am Lan Wangji.” Wen Ning gave him a pleasant but also perplexed smile.
Wen Qing waved her hand at Lan Wangji. “He is Wen Xu’s fiancé. Here for Christmas.” Wen Ning blinked several times. Wen Qing snorted. “No, A-Ning, it isn’t some sort of prank. Wen Xu is getting married, and he is also apparently coming back to town for a visit. He just got held up with work.” She turned to Lan Wangji. “By the way, I put in several calls while you were on your way here. I called my cousin, my uncle, and Zhuliu. No one answered, so I left messages.”
Granny Wen made a disapproving noise. “It’s just like them to not take your call. Stubborn, the lot of them.” She gave Lan Wangji a slightly sheepish look and shrugged one shoulder. “There is bad blood between us, I’m afraid. I hope you won’t hold it against us.”
Lan Wangji shifted his feet. “Of course not, you all are being more than gracious to have me here, given what you just said. I know nothing about any of this, Wen Xu doesn’t talk about his family.”
Wen Qing cocked her head. “Who did he say that you were coming here to meet? His father and brother have all but permanently moved to DC. They only maintain a house here for residency reasons.”
Lan Wangji shook his head, feeling abashed to admit he didn’t know. Granny Wen patted him on the arm, giving him a reassuring smile. “We’ll get it sorted out. I am happy to have you stay here until Wen Xu gets to town. I think you’ll like it better here than that drafty old mausoleum, anyway.”
Lan Wangji believed her. He somehow didn’t mind her touching him, even though he didn’t like to be touched. She was the kind of person he often saw walk into his store, whose eyes would go soft when they landed on an item. They usually followed up with a story about the memory the item provoked. They were his favorite kind of customer, who saw antiques as something to cherish. Too frequently his customers seemed to be more interested in prestige. Like Wen Xu, he refused to address, pushing away the memory of their conversation about Shuanghua.
❄
Over dinner, with some lovely dishes made by Granny Wen that his uncle would secretly swoon over, Lan Wangji learned more about the Wens. Wen Qing was a doctor, who according to Granny Wen was a brilliant surgeon that could have had a lucrative career had she stayed in DC area after graduating from Johns Hopkins. Wen Ruohan paid for her medical school and had expected great things of her. That she returned home to work at the local hospital – it didn’t need to be said aloud that this must be at least part of the bad blood mentioned earlier.
Lan Wangji wondered…she had gone to school close to where her uncle and one of her cousins resided. She must have spent some time with them while she was there, and yet it did not draw them close enough to provide an incentive to stay. What must Wen Ruohan be like? Lan Wangji reminded himself that it didn’t matter. Wen Xu had, after all, been emphatic that it was unlikely he’d see the Wens again after this. Lan Wangji found himself understanding Wen Xu a little bit more, that he had chosen not to follow his brother and his father to DC. He could have forged a career there just as easily as in New York City. It had been a source of puzzlement to Lan Wangji, given his relationship with his own family. They may not always see eye to eye, but they were close.
Wen Ning shared that he was an agricultural engineer. He had been inspired by one of his uncles who owned a farm about an hour west of town - not Wen Ruohan, someone he affectionately called Uncle Four. According to Wei Ying, who was more willing to toot Wen Ning’s horn than Wen Ning himself, he was as talented as his sister in his own right. His main work was accomplished remotely from his computer and at nearby farms when he wanted to test out his designs, but he also traveled around the country. He was very popular in the Midwest.
Wei Ying worked in New York City as a software engineer. He lived in Flushing, mainly working remote, only having to go into Manhattan periodically. Lan Wangji’s eyes widened slightly to hear this. “I live in Flushing as well. In the apartment above my shop.”
Wei Ying gaped at him. “Ah? How have we never run into each other?”
Lan Wangji shook his head, also surprised. “I am not a social person, and I spend much of my personal time in Manhattan, where my uncle and brother live.”
“And Wen Xu?” Wen Qing’s question had an odd quality to it.
Lan Wangji’s brow furrowed. He did not really spend time at Wen Xu’s place. “He likes to visit me at my shop.”
Wen Ning timidly asked, “You have a shop?”
Lan Wangji explained about the antique shop. How it had belonged to his mother, and he inherited the shop and the apartment above it. He did not explain that it was where his mother lived after the divorce. He had a difficult time talking about it because his uncle always forbade it in his presence. “Technically I didn’t inherit it from my mother directly. She died 12 years ago, and she left it to her business partner, Lan Yi, who is my great aunt. She passed a year ago and left it to me.”
Wei Ying propped his chin on his hand. “I think I vaguely know about the Lans. They occasionally came up at the Jiang house, whenever they were gossiping about all the Chinese families who were well off.”
Lan Wangji frowned. “Gossiping is forbidden.”
Wei Ying laughed. “Maybe for the Lans, but not for the Jiangs. Or most of the Chinese New Yorkers.”
Not really for the Lans either, mainly just with his uncle. He found it very upsetting when people would try to bring up what he considered his family’s shameful past. Out of respect, no one gossiped in his presence.
“You were brought up with the Jiangs?” He knew of the family, though he wasn’t sure he ever met him, avoidant as he was of social situations. He didn’t mention that he was pretty sure the Jiangs had tried to pair off their heir with Wen Xu.
Wei Ying nodded. “They live in Manhattan. I’m surprised they didn’t try to offer up Jiang Cheng to Wen Xu.” He looked expectantly at Lan Wangji. “He goes by Wanyin these days.”
Lan Wangji reluctantly nodded. “I believe they did.”
Wei Ying’s eyes widened, and he barked out a laugh. “Oh man! He must have hated that! He’s straight, too.” He darted a glance over at Wen Qing, who gave him a quelling look for some reason. “Well, Wen Xu made the right choice. I bet you’ll make a much better husband than Jiang Cheng.” He giggled. “I bet all the aunties were disappointed. They would have loved to have a problem like Jiang Cheng solved for good. They constantly despair that they’ll never match him up.” This earned him a glare from Wen Qing, fierce enough that he quickly grabbed his water glass and buried his nose in it like a scolded little boy. Hmm…
Lan Wangji honestly wasn’t sure why Wen Xu had chosen him over Jiang Wanyin or any of the other eligible people who had been offered up like cattle by their parents. Their date had been going very poorly, up until he mentioned his shop and where it was located. Wen Xu had brightened up at learning this about Lan Wangji. It has since remained the only thing they had in common – owning their own business.
After dinner, Lan Wangji was drowsier than usual. He always retired early anyway, but it had been a long, stressful day. He found himself wishing for a moment that he had gotten a hotel room after all, so he could escape. He was doing better than he might in most circumstances. The Wens were very laid back. Wei Ying was very chatty, but did not expect anyone to match his energy. In short, he could be his usual circumspect self. But even so, he knew most people found his early bedtime bizarre. Would they consider him rude for wanting to retreat?
Granny Wen patted his arm. “You look done for. Hmmm, A-Qing, what was decided about the sleeping arrangements? Wasn’t A-Ning going to sleep with A-Yuan so A-Xian could have his bed? Should we pull out the air mattress?”
Wen Ning shook his head mournfully. “It was damaged last summer, and we haven’t replaced it yet.”
Wei Ying chirped, “I can sleep on the couch!”
Lan Wangji shook his head, now wishing more than ever that he had gone with the hotel. “I will sleep on the couch. I have already imposed enough.”
Wei Ying waved his hand. “Absolutely not! You are our….ah, the Wens’ guest! I’m practically family. I’ve slept on the couch before when Uncle Four stays over. It’s fine! We love a house full of people!”
Lan Wangji gave him a stubborn look. “I will take the couch. It would make me feel better about my intrusion.” Wei Ying opened his mouth to retort, and Lan Wangji continued, “If you do not allow me this, I will go to a hotel.”
Granny Wen patted Wei Ying’s arm. “Let Mr. Lan save face and take the couch.” Wei Ying’s face scrunched into a pout. It was very cute and Lan Wangji stood to take his dishes into the kitchen.
Once the remains of dinner were cleared away, Lan Wangji went to the foyer to retrieve his suitcase. As he passed the living room, it occurred to him belatedly that by taking the couch he was consigning himself to having to wait until everyone else went to bed to have the space to himself. It was common for families to gather in the living room after dinner. He looked at the couch and noted that it did not look comfortable, at least not for sleeping.
A soft voice spoke behind him, “That’s not the couch Wei Ying meant.” Lan Wangji turned and saw Wen Ning give him a smile. “Let me show you.” He tilted his head down the hallway. Lan Wangji grabbed his suitcase and followed Wen Ning. They arrived at the back of the house where there was a large alcove with a picture window that must look out on the back of the property, though it was currently too dark to tell what was out there. In the alcove was a small couch and two stuffed chairs. The couch looked softer than the one in the living room, but not long enough for a grown man. “Don’t worry, it folds out into a bed.” Lan Wangji almost sagged in relief. Wen Ning started pulling off the cushions. “It’s not ideal for a guest, since it doesn’t afford privacy, but it’s tucked a little bit away from the chaos and you should at least be able to sleep okay. I’ll go get the linens.”
Before long, Lan Wangji was slipping into the slightly uncomfortable sofa bed. The murmurings from the living room and Wei Ying’s occasional laugh surprisingly did not prevent him from falling into a deep sleep.
❄
Lan Wangji was woken by a loud thump followed by a muffled curse. He bolted up in bed. As he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark, he heard another thump and something that sounded like “meep!” He was out of bed in an instant, adrenaline pumping as he readied himself to confront an intruder. Unfortunately, his eyes were still adjusting, and he tripped over something in the dark, crashing to the ground. As he lay there with the wind knocked out of him, he was thoroughly confused how he could have tripped over something when he knew the layout of his bedroom like the back of his hand.
“Lan Zhan? Was that you?” The whisper somewhere above his head had Lan Wangji nearly ready to tackle the legs of the intruder. Thankfully before he could humiliate himself, rationality returned, and he realized it was Wei Ying speaking. He was not in his home; he was in the Wen home. The relatives of his fiancé.
“Wei Ying,” he croaked. “My apologies. I heard a noise and forgot for a moment I wasn’t at home. I tripped over something.”
Lan Wangji’s eyes were finally adjusting to the dark and he saw Wei Ying looming above him. His hand was on his mouth, and he was stifling a laugh. “Ah, I’m the one who should be sorry, Lan Zhan. I was making noise in the kitchen and woke you.” He reached out a hand to Lan Wangji, who took it and allowed himself to be pulled up for the second time that day.
“No sorries between us. Were you getting a snack or something?”
Wei Ying rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Or something. I couldn’t sleep and decided to get a head start on the Christmas cookies. I figured they’d be cooled and ready for A-Yuan to decorate tomorrow. But clearly that was a bad idea if the noise is going to keep you up. Maybe I’ll go out to the workshop and tinker instead.”
Lan Wangji didn’t like the idea of Wei Ying going out into the freezing cold at night. Despite his fatigue, he blurted, “I can help you with the cookies, if you like?”
Though it was dark, Lan Wangji could see Wei Ying’s mouth form an O of surprise. “Oh! That’s very nice of you, but aren’t you tired?”
Lan Wangji shrugged. “I never sleep well in a new place. Besides, I think A-Yuan will really appreciate the cookies.”
Wei Ying grinned. “Thanks, Lan Zhan!” He gestured for Lan Wangji to follow and headed back towards the kitchen. “I had the idea to do them tonight because Wen Ning told me the last time they made cookies, he wanted to help and ended up making a huge mess. I figured this way, the only mess will be when he’s decorating them.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “Mn. Though I recommend continuing to let him help sometimes, so he will learn.”
Wei Ying giggled. “Ah, you already sound like a parent. Are you around kids much?”
Lan Wangji shook his head, then realized it was still dark. “No. I just remember my mother letting me in the kitchen as a child, when no one else would.”
They arrived in the kitchen where only one of the smaller under-the-cabinet lights was on. “Hmm, I see why you were bumping around in here, not bright enough.” Lan Wangji flipped on the overhead light.
Wei Ying, who Lan Wangji could now see was adorable in rumpled pajamas, looked sheepish. “I didn’t want the light to disturb anyone!” Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow, and Wei Ying crossed his arms and huffed.
There were eggs and butter on the counter next to the refrigerator. A cabinet door was open, and a paper sack of flour was on the counter below it, lying on its side where presumably it had fallen. It was lucky that it hadn’t busted open. Lan Wangji reached up to the top shelf where another paper sack of sugar was stored.
He felt a draft on his torso from his t-shirt riding up. When he’d brought the sugar down and rested it on the counter next to the flour, he glanced over at Wei Ying, who was biting his lip. When he saw Lan Wangji, his eyes darted away. He looked slightly flushed, which made no sense. The oven wasn’t on yet.
Which reminded him… “Show me the recipe? So, I can see what to preheat the oven to.”
Wei Ying blinked a couple times, then pointed to another counter where what looked like a three-ring binder was resting open. Lan Wangji went over and saw that it was one of those binders used to collect and document recipes. The pages were well worn and stained. The recipe it was opened to was one for sugar cut out cookies, which also included a recipe for icing to decorate them. It was handwritten. Lan Wangji felt his throat tightening. His mother had one such binder as well, with the handwritten pages. It was one of his treasured possessions.
Wei Ying came to stand next to him, their shoulders brushing as they bent slightly to read the page together. Lan Wangji felt himself start to heat up a bit, though the oven still wasn’t on. He skipped down to where it indicated the oven temperature and then marched over to the oven to preheat it.
“Lan Zhan?” He looked over at Wei Ying, whose brow was furrowed as he looked down at the recipe. “You have that on too soon. I just read that the dough has to chill for at least two hours before baking.”
Lan Zhan’s ears burned. He should have known that. He’d made these types of cookies with his mother before. Something occurred to him. “That means this will take at least three hours.”
Wei Ying winced. “Ah..haha. That’s true. I didn’t think about that. Hmm, let’s do this. We’ll make the dough and chill it, then do the shapes in the morning to bake. In fact, that will work out well. A-Yuan can cut out the shapes, he’ll love that.”
Lan Wangji nodded and turned off the oven. “We can make the icing ahead as well. That will also cut down on the mess in the morning.”
Wei Ying beamed. “This is going to be so much fun! I love this time of year.”
Lan Wangji gave him a small smile. “I do as well. It always reminds me of my mother. She couldn’t afford to decorate both her home and her store, so she chose to do it at home.” He mentally winced at the voice of Wen Xu telling him she made the wrong choice if she wanted to draw in customers.
Wei Ying gave him a warm smile. “Sounds like she had her priorities in order. As much as she loved her shop, she loved her family more.” Lan Wangji’s throat tightened again, and he nodded.
They continued pulling ingredients out onto the counter and setting up the tools they’d need. Lan Wangji liked baking. He appreciated the routine of it, the precision. It was calming for him. Baking with Wei Ying proved to be somewhat nerve wracking. He seemed to take measurements as suggestions and more than once Lan Wangji had to stop him from some reckless move like pouring straight from a container into a bowl. Lan Wangji explained to him why following the recipe to the letter was important in baking, especially when you needed to have a very specific outcome, like with cut out cookies. Lan Wangji ended up giving him icing duty, where any imprecise measurements could be fixed relatively easily.
In retaliation, Wei Ying kept occasionally flicking flour on him. Finally, Lan Wangji glared at him. “For someone who didn’t want to let a little boy into the kitchen to avoid a mess, you sure seem to enjoy making them yourself.”
Wei Ying pouted. “Xian-Xian is only three.” At Lan Wangji’s stare, he giggled. “Sorry, old joke between me and Yanli-jie. But I have to say that mess or not, the flour is making you look like a very distinguished older gentleman.” He held up his phone in camera mode so Lan Wangji could see.
Lan Wangji frowned. “I look like my uncle.”
Wei Ying’s eyebrows raised. “Oh? He’s as handsome as you? What about your brother?”
“We are five years apart in age, but we have occasionally been mistaken for twins.”
Wei Ying gave him a thoughtful look. “Wait, this feels familiar.” He quietly stirred the icing for a couple minutes. “Oh! I’ve got it! Do you know Nie Huaisang?”
Lan Wangji blinked. “Yes. We are related by marriage. Our brothers are husbands.”
Wei Ying’s jaw dropped. “I knew it! He’s talked about you before! He refers to his brother-in-law as ‘Mingjue’s hot husband’ and says that the hot husband also has a hot brother and a hot uncle. He told me that he’s intimidated by you all at family get togethers.”
Lan Wangji suppressed a shudder. “I absolutely did not want to know that about Huaisang. How do you know him?”
“We’re roommates! We met at NYU at an LGBTQ mixer.”
Lan Wangji suddenly realized that this was the ‘Wei-xiong’ that Huaisang occasionally mentioned. He also remembers with chagrin that several times Huaisang suggested setting him up on a date with his roommate and each time he icily refused. Lan Wangji could have met Wei Ying sooner. When he was still single.
Pushing down those thoughts, he asked, “What was it again that you studied at NYU?”
“Ah, well, when I started school, I was thinking something like industrial design. I like to make things like furniture.” When Lan Wangji raised his eyebrows in surprise, Wei Ying laughed. “I know, that’s an odd hobby for a teenager when there wasn’t an adult mentoring me for it. Jiang Cheng’s grandfather did woodworking and had a workshop, but he died before I came to live with them. They never got rid of anything in it. Then one day while the rest of the Jiangs were on a two-week cruise, I accidentally set the dining room table on fire.” Lan Wangji refrained from asking him why he wasn’t on the cruise with them. “I was so terrified of Madame Yu that I took a crash course on making a table from watching youtube videos and reading some of the books in the workshop. I built a whole new table from the wood scraps in the workshop, and it was ten times better than the old one. Even Madame Yu had to acknowledge it. Because of course they noticed it wasn’t the same table.” Wei Ying grinned, and then his smile faltered. “Uncle Jiang was so proud that I had the same knack as his father.”
His voice trailed off and he seemed contemplative, but then he shrugged and continued. “So, as I said, industrial design was the plan. But once I got to school and had to take some other required courses for the degree, I found my interest was split. It took one very inspiring professor to help me finally choose software engineering. It ended up being the right choice, career-wise, but I still build things as a hobby.”
Lan Wangji recalled the package that was lost by the airline. “Like the clock for Granny Wen?”
When Wei Ying looked dejected, Lan Wangji felt bad for reminding him about it. “Yes, like the clock. I designed it to be a tongue-in-cheek reminder of her love story. It’s a cuckoo clock, but instead of doing a little performance at twelve o’clock, it plays at 8:36pm. You’ll have to ask her to tell you the story, she’ll do it better. But suffice it to say that is the time when she says her life changed forever.”
❄
When Lan Wangji woke, it was to A-Yuan standing next to the sofa bed, staring at him. “Good morning,” he whispered softly.
“Good morning,” whispered A-Yuan back, though not as softly. Lan Wangji stifled a smile at the boy matching his solemnity.
“A-Yuan!” A not-so-solemn voice called from the direction of the kitchen. The boy darted away towards the voice.
Lan Wangji rolled over and saw that the sky was pink with the dawn. Which meant that it was a couple of hours past his usual rise time. He supposed it made sense given his adventure with Wei Ying in the middle of the night. His fingers itched for his phone. It was honestly the first time he was missing it, distracted as he’d been by the chaos the day before.
He’d have to ask to borrow a phone so he could reach out to his brother, who was probably concerned that he hadn’t heard from Lan Wangji by now. Hopefully Xichen would take the call even though it would be from an unknown number.
Wen Ning popped his head in the room. “Good morning! A-Yuan said you were awake. I’ve left a towel in the bathroom if you want to shower. Wei Ying isn’t up yet. He’s more of a late to bed, late to rise type.”
Lan Wangji nodded and sat up, stretching his arms above his head. Now that it was daylight, he could see out the back yard. He saw it had started to snow in the night. It was dusting over a play set mid-yard. On the far end of the yard was a building too large to be a shed. This must be the workshop Wei Ying mentioned. Or...he talked about the one at the Jiangs. Lan Wangji was sleep-deprived, so maybe he had it mixed up. Or maybe there were two workshops.
Lan Wangji took the suggested shower, feeling much better afterward. He then went to the kitchen, where Granny Wen was making breakfast. “Good morning,” she smiled. A-Yuan was seated at the kitchen island, eating slices of apple. He waved and grinned, mid-bite.
Lan Wangji greeted them both, then felt out of sorts of what to do next in a stranger’s kitchen. He knew where some things were, from the adventure the night before, but it was presumptuous to take initiative in someone else’s home.
Granny Wen took a mug out of the cupboard. “Coffee?” At his hesitation, she added, “We also have tea. I made some earlier for myself.” She nodded at an electric kettle which must have been stored away last night. He nodded gratefully and she flipped the switch. He went over to a tin sitting next to the kettle and selected a white tea that was one of his favorites.
After his tea was made, he asked if there was a cell phone or landline he could borrow to call his brother. Granny Wen pointed towards a cordless phone affixed to the wall at the entrance to the kitchen. He picked up the handset and walked towards the living room, entering the digits that he had memorized and waiting with bated breath for his brother to answer. “Hello?”
“Xichen, it’s Wangji.”
“Wangji!! I’ve been so worried! Where are you? Why aren’t you using your phone? I’ve left so many texts and voicemails. And I don’t know Wen Xu’s number. You should give me his number for emergencies.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered because he wasn’t with me. Remember I texted you before my plane took off that Wen Xu was delayed and would join me later? Anyway, after I landed, there was an incident with tea that made my phone inoperable. I’ll need to see about getting a replacement today.”
“Oh wow, that stinks. Were you at least able to connect with Wen Xu’s family?”
“Hmm…in a manner of speaking. I’m with his family, but not the ones I’d planned to spend Christmas with. Apparently, Wen Xu has some cousins who live here, just not in the same house. They’ve tried to get ahold of Wen Xu and his father and the caretaker of the estate, but nobody is answering. We’re not certain what to do next, they seem reluctant to just show up at the estate.”
“That’s strange that they would not take a call from family members. Didi…are you sure they are family and not random Wens? How did you even encounter them?”
“I suppose I have not put any effort into vetting them. But we do have a connection that you could easily verify on my behalf. A longtime friend of the Wens is here, and he lives with Nie Huaisang.”
“Wait…are you talking about Wei Wuxian?” Lan Wangji hummed confirmation. “A-Sang tried to set you two up for years before you got engaged.” Lan Wangji hummed again, not liking the speculative inflection in his brother’s tone.
“It is quite a coincidence. Wei Ying was at the airport, and I accidentally ran into him, resulting in the tea spilling on my phone. He is in town visiting Wen Qing and her family, who are cousins of Wen Xu. It was decided I would stay with them until we get everything sorted out.”
“Wei Ying, eh?” The tone became even more speculative.
“This family does not stand on ceremony. They have been very welcoming.”
“Ah, Didi, I’m glad that you are okay. I…admit I was worried. Not just because you weren’t answering your phone. When I found out you would be spending time with Wen Ruohan, I did some research on him.”
There was a pause, and Lan Wangji could only guess what Xichen was thinking. He had been thinking the same thing when the arranged marriage was first proposed to him. He had decided not to be too concerned about the man when he learned that Wen Xu was not close to his father.
“I am fine, and I am sure I will be fine when I do go to his house and spend a few days in his company. Wen Xu assured me that it is unlikely we will do this ever again. This was the only chance to meet his family since there won’t be a wedding.”
Xichen sighed, and Lan Wangji knew it was his ‘I’m still upset that you aren’t having a wedding’ sigh. It was yet another thing about this arrangement that made him uneasy. It was the opposite of their uncle’s reaction. His satisfaction at the arrangement has continued to increase, as he believed Lan Wangji to be making a match that was not only auspicious but would also influence his nephew to be more sensible in his life choices.
“I should go, Xichen. I’ll keep in touch periodically with updates. You can confirm with Huaisang if you like that I am in safe hands.”
“I will. Enjoy your stay with the Wens and give them my thanks for taking good care of my didi.”
They said their goodbyes and Lan Wangji hung up. He walked back to the kitchen to hang up the handset and saw that A-Yuan was now digging into a bowl of congee. Granny Wen was setting dishes with toppings in the middle of the island. Wen Qing and Wen Ning were next to the coffee pot nursing cups of steaming beverage. Wen Qing wished him a good morning. Lan Wangji greeted her in return, covering his disappointment that Wei Ying had still not joined them.
As if reading his mind, Wen Qing said, “He always sleeps in pretty late when he comes here from the city. He has a habit of running himself ragged for that job of his pretty much all the time except when he’s here. Because he knows he won’t get away with it. I’ll toss his laptop out the window if he tries.”
Wen Ning gave his sister a small smile. “He still gets obsessed with his projects, just the woodworking kind.”
Wen Qing smirked and drew a key out of her pocket. “I limit that as well.”
“Ah Qing-jie,” everyone turned to see Wei Ying standing in the doorway. “I know you think you outsmarted me, but I still managed to find something to occupy my brain and my hands last night.” He looked over at Lan Wangji and blushed.
Wen Qing saw the look and her eyebrows shot up. Wen Ning choked on his coffee. Lan Wangji spoke when he saw the speculative gleam in Granny Wen’s eyes. “Cookies! We made cookie dough.” He went over to the refrigerator and opened it to point out the chilled dough. “After breakfast we can cut it into shapes for baking. We made the icing as well.”
Granny Wen beamed as A-Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you! That’s one less thing on the to do list. And I appreciate you cleaning up so well. I hadn’t even noticed my domain had been invaded.”
Wei Ying looked sheepish as he shuffled over to the coffee maker and took the steaming cup that Wen Ning handed to him. “Ah haha, that was all Lan Zhan. I mean, I was of course going to clean up! But I might not have done such a pristine job of it.”
Granny Wen dished up additional bowls of congee, which everyone ate standing up. Wen Ning explained that the dining room table was still taken up by the craft project from the day before. A-Yuan made paper ring garlands and some other homemade ornaments to put up on the tree, which they would be assembling today. They’d been waiting on Wei Ying to arrive so he could participate.
“You said assembling? Does this mean it’s an artificial tree?”
Wei Ying grinned and nodded. “It is indeed! I hope you aren’t one of those Christmas tree snobs who thinks that they have to be real or it’s not authentic.”
Lan Wangji shook his head. “When my parents were newlyweds, they were witness to a real tree cause extensive damage to some Lan property. My mother described it as terrifying to see how quickly it burned. Ever since then they have only used artificial trees at her insistence. A few years ago, my uncle tried to reintroduce real trees, and we found them to be very unappealing in terms of upkeep and other considerations. The very next year we were back to using artificial trees.”
Wei Ying beamed. “Glad to see he bowed to the superiority of fake trees!”
Lan Wangji nodded, but then grimaced. “Wen Xu brought me a real tree last week for the shop. I continue to be unimpressed. Needles everywhere.”
Wen Qing made a face. “Yeah, my uncle and cousins are still very stubborn about using real trees. I think Wen Chao actually likes the idea of a fire hazard. He’s very…chaotic.” Lan Wangji wasn’t sure how to take this bit of insight into his future brother-in-law.
When breakfast was finished and everything cleared, they rolled out the cookie dough and cut it into shapes. While the cookies were baking in the oven, they began to set up the artificial tree in the living room. It had the appearance of being frosted with snow. Wei Ying explained that he saw a tutorial for flocking an artificial tree on a blog, and decided to give it a shot since the inexpensive tree they had bought looked a little too fake. They had been very pleased with the outcome. Granny Wen was pleased that it didn’t result in a mess to clean up every year.
After the tree was set up and the lights strung, they took the cookies out to cool on a rack. They went back to the tree and started with the paper garland and new ornaments crafted by A-Yuan. Then they brought out the ornaments that had been packed away. Lan Wangji was pleased to see that the Wens didn’t subscribe to the notion that Christmas trees should be decorated with generic matching ornaments that had no meaning. He looked up and saw Wei Ying watching him, and something pleased in his expression made Lan Wangji wonder if he knew what he was thinking.
Wei Ying’s next words seemed to confirm it. “Every ornament here is associated with a precious memory of family and friends. The first one we put up every year is the one from the night Granny Wen and her husband met.”
Granny Wen’s smile was bittersweet as she lifted from the cushion of paper an ornament in the shape of a clock. “They were being sold as a fundraiser for the town. All different shapes in holiday themes. My zhiji and I, we’d just met. Introduced by a friend who didn’t like the boy I was dating at the time and wanted to set me up with someone she considered to be far superior. When he first laid eyes on me, he seemed very intense! And then looked down at his watch and I wondered if he was already bored. But he just nodded and said “8:36pm. That’s what time it was when my life changed forever.” Granny Wen giggled, and Wei Ying slapped his hands together, grinning. Lan Wangji felt his own mouth twitching into a smile. “After we spent an hour dancing together nonstop, we finally went over to get some punch and next to the refreshments they were selling the ornaments. He saw me admiring them and hinted that I should get the clock with the painted-on hands. As soon as I paid for it, he took it, saying there was a flaw, and he’d fix it for me. He promised he would give it back to me the next night if I agreed to a date with him. I told him I’d consider it after I saw what he did to the ornament. It turned out that he painted over the clock face to reflect 8:36. Of course, I agreed to the date. By that point I’d already broken it off with that other man.” Granny Wen giggled.
Lan Wangji’s gaze sharpened. Attempting to sound curious and not judgmental, he asked, “You were that sure he would make you happier than the man you were dating?”
Granny Wen gave him a sly smile. “Very sure. And I was right. Or I should say, my friend was right. She knew I wasn’t truly happy. There wasn’t anything bad about him that she could have convinced me was worth splitting from him. But she knew there was no spark. And she knew me well enough that I would never thrive without one. So, she decided the best way for me to see the light was to find someone I would spark with. And she knew she only had one crack at it before I caught on. Sure enough, a spark happened at 8:36pm. The timing could not have been better. Years later I heard some old gossip and found out that other guy was planning to propose. Even though we barely knew each other! I sometimes think about whether I would have said yes, if my zhiji hadn’t come along.”
Timing. Lan Wangji’s eyes darted over to Wei Ying, who was giving Granny Wen a sappy smile. He dropped his gaze when Wei Ying seemed to turn his head in his direction, unsure of why he felt so flustered. He stared at the clock ornament and thought about the level of confidence she must have had to drop the guy who she admits she might have married under other circumstances, for a man she just met.
Granny Wen turned the ornament over to show the back. “He added this after we got married.” It was an inscription that said, “You are my zhiji. Eternity is where true love exists.”
Lan Wangji swallowed the lump in his throat. Normally he was able to shrug off any melancholy about romance, after he had consigned himself to never feeling this way. Perhaps his future loveless marriage to Wen Xu was bringing back some of the regret he’d buried long ago.
He startled out of his reverie when Wen Qing snapped her fingers, declaring that they’d forgotten to put on holiday music. Wei Ying hurried over to his cell phone and with a few taps had some music playing. “Lan Zhan, what is your favorite song this time of year?”
“I like the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown songs.” Wei Ying grinned and with a few more taps the jazzy piano notes of “Christmas Time is Here” began to play. Lan Wangji gave him a little smile. “My mother had the album, and she would also have us watch the Charlie Brown Christmas with her. I liked Snoopy.”
Wei Ying’s nose wrinkled, and the Wens chuckled. “Ah, Lan Zhan, but he’s a dog! He’s cute, I’ll give him that. But a dog!” Lan Zhan raised his eyebrows in askance. Wei Ying sighed. “I may have some trauma from when I was a kid. Deathly afraid of dogs.”
Lan Wangji frowned. “I am sorry to hear that, Wei Ying.”
“Please don’t hold it against me, Lan Zhan! I can’t tell you how many people decided they can’t be friends with me because I don’t like dogs!”
The frown turned into a scowl. “Rude. I would not withdraw friendship for that reason, even if I did have a dog. But I have no interest in dogs, so it is moot. In fact, for a long time I thought Snoopy was a rabbit.”
The laughter that followed this comment was genuine amusement and not judgment, but Lan Wangji still felt his ears burn a little. He couldn’t understand why for a moment. He’d left most of his insecurities behind in childhood. Then he recalled to his chagrin that sometimes Wen Xu laughed in judgment. Enough that Lan Wangji probably would not have made such a comment about Snoopy to him.
He cleared his throat. “I have always liked rabbits, in particular the lop-eared kind, and I thought Snoopy was one. It is because of the way he dances, and how sometimes his ears will stick in the air, and his feet remind me of rabbit feet. I didn’t know that a beagle was a type of dog. When I was finally told he was a dog, I was very stubborn about it. I said the noises he makes are not barks, and he has a bird for a friend. There was even that Easter special where he danced with rabbits.” Lan Wangji shrugged.
Wei Ying stroked his chin and gazed thoughtfully skyward. “Lan Zhan makes a very good point. Snoopy is more like a rabbit than a dog. I’m calling it. Snoopy is a rabbit now.”
A-Yuan giggled. “You can’t just say he’s a rabbit if he’s a dog!”
“He’s a fictional character, A-Yuan, I can say he’s whatever I want! It’s only if he were real that it would be disrespectful to his identity.”
The holiday music was momentarily interrupted by a notification chiming on Wei Ying’s phone. Lan Wangji wondered if that was finally Wen Xu returning his call from the day before. Wei Ying glanced at it and his mouth dropped open. “It’s a text from the airline! Our missing luggage finally arrived at the airport! Both mine and yours! Want to go fetch them after lunch? Wen Ning can take us in his truck.”
When Lan Wangji’s phone broke, he’d given the airline Wei Ying’s phone number as a contact, in case his suitcase was retrieved before he could get his phone replaced. He nodded at Wei Ying. “Do you mind if we also make a stop on the way back to replace my phone?”
“Of course!”
They put up the rest of the ornaments, telling Lan Wangji stories about each one. He could tell the Wens enjoyed a new audience for their memories, and he was happy to hear them.
There was a fraught moment when A-Yuan accidentally broke one of the ornaments. It was a stylized ceramic number 1 to commemorate when A-Yuan had turned one year old. Wei Ying was taking a picture of him holding it up, and in his enthusiasm to see how the picture turned out, A-Yuan’s hands flailed, and the ornament slipped out of his fingers and crashed to the floor. Fortunately, it was a clean break and would be easy to glue back together. It took a bit to convince A-Yuan that it was fine, the poor boy was inconsolable. Lan Wangji watched as Wei Ying gently coaxed him back into a calm state with his smiles and soft whispers, himself feeling something settle into a warm ache.
When all the ornaments had been hung, it was left to mount the star on top of the tree. Wei Ying was voted to accomplish the task. He climbed up onto the sofa, perching on the arm to stretch up to position the star. Lan Wangji felt his ears heat up at seeing the glimpse of Wei Ying’s skin at his waist.
After successfully placing the star, Wei Ying started to step down from the sofa arm and slipped. Before he could crash to the ground, Lan Wangji dove to catch him. Wei Ying stared at him, eyes wide, and when Lan Wangji didn’t put him down right away, he slowly encircled his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck.
Lan Wangji told himself that his heart was beating so fast due to the adrenaline. It was only when he realized that the Wens were all gazing at him speculatively (with the exception of A-Yuan who just giggled), that he reluctantly set Wei Ying back down on the ground. Wei Ying seemed equally reluctant to remove his arms from around Lan Wangji’s neck.
“Can we decorate the cookies, now?” A-Yuan’s impatient little voice finally broke the spell, and Lan Wangji mentally scolded himself for his thoughts. He pushed down the memory of Wei Ying’s warm solid body in his arms, pressed close to him. It was folly to dwell on it.
❄
Icing the cookies was exactly the mess that everyone predicted, but they all were having too much fun to care. Once all the cookies had been decorated and were on the rack for the icing to firm up, they quickly got the kitchen cleaned up. Granny Wen pulled a platter out of a cupboard and carefully set it on the kitchen island. As she was about to start transferring cookies from the rack, Lan Wangji stayed her hand. He felt his skin prickle at the back of his neck as he asked, “Is that a Dedham platter?” It was a ridiculous question, since it was obvious that the platter bore the signature crackle pattern and the rabbits lining the blue edges.
Granny Wen smiled. “Take a look.”
With slightly trembling fingers, Lan Wangji picked up the dish and turned it over. He recognized the stamp on the back. It was an original, not one of the reproductions. “This is from the 1940s. This particular stamp is from that period.”
Wei Ying beamed. “That’s what I was told when I bought it! It was a present for Granny Wen a few years ago. I went to an antique shop in Flushing and fell in love with the bunnies.” His eyes widened. “Hey, do you think it might have been your shop? But I would have remembered if you were there.” He winked.
Lan Wangji’s ears burned. “If it was a few years ago, it would have been my aunt, Lan Yi, in the shop. I was there often, especially if she was on a buying trip. But when she was in town, I had another job teaching music.”
Wei Ying described the general area of the shop that he recalled, not able to remember the name of the shop. “I really loved the place, but never went back because it would have been rough on my wallet!”
Lan Wangji nodded. “It is tempting to keep each piece that comes into the shop. I do believe it was my shop you visited. And I believe that this piece is one I remember coveting for myself. I didn’t say anything to my aunt about it, and it was sold. I was very sad at the time, but I’m glad it went to this family.”
“Aiya, Lan Zhan! Warn us with that sincerity!” Wei Ying pressed his hands against his blushing cheeks. “I can’t believe that was another time we almost met and didn’t.”
Lan Wangji felt his bittersweet pleasure tip over into full bitterness. Timing. Yet another opportunity that Lan Wangji missed to learn that he might be a romantic after all. He set the platter back down on the counter and helped to transfer the cookies over to it.
❄
After lunch, Granny Wen insisted they couldn’t go out to run errands right away. “Let your food digest a little. You can go when I’ve put A-Yuan down for his nap. First, we have to play the Christmas messages game!”
Lan Wangji gave her a quizzical look. Wen Ning spoke up, while Wen Qing went over to the desk in the corner and began pulling out items. “It is a game that was made up by Grandpa Wen before he passed away. He wanted us to have a tradition that shows we value each other.”
Wen Qing came back over to the sofa and set down a handful of pencils on the coffee table, scissors, and a pad of paper. Wen Ning tore off a few sheets of paper and began cutting them into strips. Wei Ying disappeared for a moment and came back with a stack of disposable cups. Wen Qing took up continuing the explanation. “We each write something nice about one of the others here and put it in their cup. Afterward, we read out what is on each paper in the cup and guess who said it about us. Since A-Yuan can’t read or write yet, we’ll just read our messages to him and leave the guessing out.”
Lan Wangji set to work on his. For Granny Wen, he put, “A kind and welcoming hostess.” For Wen Qing, he put, “Smart and protective.” For Wen Ning he put, “Has a sly sense of humor.” For A-Yuan he put, “Expert cookie decorator.” He left Wei Ying’s till last, hesitating over what to put. When it became obvious everyone else was finishing up, he quickly wrote, “Has a beautiful smile.” His heart hammered as he stuffed it in Wei Ying’s cup, thinking it was too much. It could have been worse; he had almost put that it was an enchanting smile.
Granny Wen put her pencil down in satisfaction and nodded to Lan Wangji. “Since you are our guest, you go first. Just mix up your pieces of paper first.”
Lan Wangji nodded and did as instructed. The first piece of paper read, “Appreciates the value of old treasures. Granny Wen?”
She beamed and nodded. “I loved the expression on your face when you were looking at the platter. Plus, I consider myself an old treasure.” She winked.
The next piece of paper read, “Loves Christmas traditions.” His ears tipped red, and he felt seen. He looked up at the shrewd gaze of Wen Qing and quirked an eyebrow. She gave him an approving smile and nodded.
He read the next scrap, which said, “Is kind of amazing.” His eyes widened and his breath stuttered. He stared over at Wei Ying, who was biting his lip nervously as he stared back.
A-Yuan loudly asked if it was his turn to say something nice about gege, and Lan Wangji blinked rapidly as Wen Qing explained there was one more to read out first. Lan Wangji pulled the last scrap out. “A welcome addition to the Wen family.” Even if by that point Wen Ning was the only option left, he would have recognized the weaponized sincerity. “Thank you,” he said, his voice cracking. He absolutely did not think about the fact that Wen Xu had been clear that family was to be avoided.
A-Yuan was prompted by Wen Qing, and he said, “Gege has pretty hair.” Everyone chuckled.
The rounds were made by everyone else, who seemed to appreciate Lan Wangji’s words about them. Wei Ying turned tomato red when he read out his.
❄
After A-Yuan was bundled off for his nap, Wen Ning drove Lan Wangji and Wei Ying to the airport. As they headed over to the service counter to retrieve their suitcases, Wen Ning made a curious noise, his head craning to peer at something in the distance. Wei Ying asked, “Did you see someone you know, A-Ning?”
Wen Ning’s forehead wrinkled, and he shrugged. “Maybe? I thought I saw Wen Zhuliu.”
Wei Ying whooped with joy when his package was returned to him. He hugged it to his chest, looking relieved. Lan Wangji’s reunion with his own luggage was not as joyous. It contained presents for people he has still yet to meet.
As they made their way back to the entrance of the airport, Lan Wangji heard his name called. They all stopped, and he turned to see Wen Xu walking towards him, his expression incredulous. He was flanked by an unsmiling man rolling a suitcase.
“Wen Xu,” he breathed, and he saw Wei Ying stiffen out of the corner of his eye.
“Lan Wangji, where the hell have you been? I’ve called you countless times in the past 24 hours.”
Lan Wangji shrugged off his irritation, knowing that Wen Xu’s concern was understandable. “My phone became inoperable after I arrived here yesterday. We were planning to get it replaced after stopping here to fetch the luggage that got misplaced.”
“We? Who is we? So, you weren’t here to meet me?” Wen Xu’s gazed skipped over Wei Ying and landed on his cousin, his eyebrows shooting up. “Wen Ning?”
Lan Wangji gave a brief summary of how he had ended up with the other Wens. As he described meeting Wei Ying, Wen Xu’s gaze finally landed on him, and his eyes narrowed. Lan Wangji inexplicably wanted to insert himself between them.
When he finished, Wen Xu let out a loud breath. “Well, that’s quite a story. I understand now why I was getting messages on my phone from Wen Qing and other strange numbers. I suppose I shouldn’t have deleted them unread.” Wen Xu shrugged, as if completely ignoring a call from his cousin was no big deal. “No matter, I’m here now. We’ll go get your stuff and then take you to my father’s home. Oh, this is Wen Zhuliu.” He waved his hand blithely towards the dour man next to him.
Wen Zhuliu silently reached out and took Lan Wangji’s suitcase from him. Lan Wangji resisted the urge to tug it back from him. He swallowed hard, fighting against the part of him that absolutely did not want to go with them. He turned to Wei Ying, who gazed at him with solemn eyes. “I will meet you back at the house, after I’ve obtained a new phone.” Wei Ying’s nod was barely decipherable. He opened his mouth, but Wen Ning put his hand on his arm, and he closed it. He nodded again, this time more firmly. Hugging his package a little tighter, he turned to go, and they headed towards Wen Ning’s car.
Wen Zhuliu led the way to a limousine and stowed the suitcases in the trunk. Rather than open the door himself, Wen Xu waited for Wen Zhuliu to open it for him. Lan Wangji climbed in next to him and soon they were on their way. Wen Xu didn’t have much to say about the business that had kept him in New York another day. Lan Wangji had a feeling that his fiancé would not care less about anything he shared from his time with the Wens, so he didn’t say anything.
They stopped at a shopping center and Lan Wangji went through the arduous process of purchasing a replacement phone and getting the data transferred from the broken one. He stared at the cracked screen of his old phone, recalling the last thing he’d seen on it before it died. 11:58am. The moment he met Wei Ying.
Their next stop was the little Wen house. Wen Xu’s expression was incredulous as he took in the decorations. Granny Wen was waiting for them at the door. Wen Xu’s bow to her was brusque, barely scraping by as respectful. She ushered them inside, whispering that A-Yuan was up from his nap and not taking the news well that ‘Bunny-gege’ was leaving. He went into the living room to sooth the boy who had tears rolling down his distressed little face. Lan Wangji, making promises he didn’t know if he could keep but would very much try, assured A-Yuan that he would come back and visit him.
After A-Yuan was placated, Lan Wangji started to head back to the room where he’d slept the night before. He saw Wen Qing walk into the foyer, and heard Wen Xu hiss, “What the hell do you mean by kidnapping my fiancé?”
Lan Wangji paused, knowing it was rude to eavesdrop and couldn’t help himself. “We did not kidnap him. We were trying to verify his identity. Or would you have preferred it if I sent some rando saying he was Wen Ruohan’s future son-in-law to his home?”
Wen Xu made a scoffing noise. “What, you want me to thank you, now? For your oh-so-filial concern for your uncle?”
“Nope, just would prefer not to have accusations hurled at me,” came Wen Qing’s droll tone.
“The jury is still out on that. It should have been obvious within a couple hours of meeting him that Lan Wangji couldn’t lie his way out of a paper bag. He’s the most painfully honest and earnest person on the planet.” Lan Wangji frowned. That did not sound like a compliment.
“Hmm, I’m sure you find that very convenient in a life partner.” Again, that didn’t sound like a compliment.
“Fuck off. If it weren’t for you, he could have been with my father and brother getting to know them all this time.”
There was a pause, and then Wen Qing said softly, “Maybe I was trying to save him from that fate.”
Lan Wangji felt goosebumps along his arm, but he ignored them in favor of continuing on to get the suitcase containing his clothes and toiletries.
He startled a bit when he saw Wei Ying was standing in the room next to the sofa bed, staring out the window at the back yard. “I know the plan was always that you’d spend Christmas with Wen Xu when he finally got here, but I guess you grew on us so much we’re now sad that it’s finally happening.”
Lan Wangji took a deep breath to calm himself. “You all grew on me, as well.”
Wei Ying looked back at him, his expression bleak. “He didn’t hug you, Lan Zhan. When he saw you. He looked more put out than anything. How can the man you’re going to marry not immediately want to put his arms around you?”
Lan Wangji shifted his gaze to the back yard, where he could see that it had started to snow again. “I explained to you that it wasn’t a love match. We do not…we are not…demonstrative.”
He heard Wei Ying huff. “Even if it had been an arranged marriage, just spending time with you should have been enough for him to fall madly in love with you. I’ve only known you a day and a half…” He stopped and Lan Wangji turned to see him shaking his head. Wei Ying gave him a piercing look. “Do you really want to marry him?”
Lan Wangji stared at him, unable to give a satisfactory answer. But his lack of response was enough. Wei Ying strode up to him until they were almost nose to nose. “Don’t go through with it, Lan Zhan! If he really doesn’t love you, then it wouldn’t be difficult to call it off. You wouldn’t be breaking his heart.” His expression seemed almost pleading.
Lan Wangji shook his head. “It is actually more difficult. In most relationships, the only ones affected are the two who would be marrying. If their feelings for each other change, then the most logical thing is to end it. In this case, it is an arrangement involving multiple people who would not look kindly on their carefully laid plans ruined.”
He didn’t say out loud that he would be regarded as acting capriciously if he ended this engagement because he’d fallen for someone else in a matter of hours, and he wasn’t entirely certain they wouldn’t be right. He had gone out on a limb with taking on the antique shop against all advice. He knew he’d let emotion guide his decision in that instance. He was trying to be more rational minded going forward. Not to mention the fact that he had long ago concluded that he was aromantic. Were these feelings for Wei Ying real? Or was it just his subconscious looking for an escape from this marriage he admittedly did not want to be in. But if that were the case, he needed to take the time and examine these feelings. Not break it off with Wen Xu and then lead Wei Ying on, only to conclude the feelings weren’t genuine.
Wei Ying’s face fell, and he gave a resigned nod, then walked past Lan Wangji towards the kitchen. His heart squeezing painfully in his chest, Lan Wangji gathered up his belongings and then went back towards the front of the house via the living room. Wen Qing was no longer there, and it was just Granny Wen to see them off.
As they walked out the front door and turned back to face her to say goodbye, Granny Wen handed Lan Wangji a tin. “Some cookies for the road.” He bowed to her, and she turned to Wen Xu. “You’re a lucky man. Lan Wangji was an absolute pleasure to host.” She gave Lan Wangji a warm look.
Wen Xu’s smile was strained as he bowed. “Look, thanks for putting up with him. Can I give you anything to cover the cost?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Granny Wen gave him a look that turned the air even more frosty, then stepped back and closed the door. Lan Wangji was mortified, but Wen Xu simply smirked and put a hand on his back to guide him back to the limousine.
❄
Lan Wangji wasn’t sure who he loathed more, Wen Ruohan or Wen Chao. They were both in the living room when he and Wen Xu arrived at their cold, undecorated mansion. There was no sign of Christmas anywhere, not even a tree. Lan Wangji tried to tell himself that it was because they arrived only recently and hadn’t had time. But after meeting them, he realized they probably didn’t care.
Wen Chao was lounging on the huge sectional sofa, laughing coarsely at something on the television. Wen Ruohan was on his laptop and barely glanced up. Wen Xu introduced them, and though Lan Wangji bowed, they simply nodded to him.
He saw Wen Chao eyeing the cookie tin and reluctantly offered it to him. He snatched it up and opened the lid. He looked disappointed, then shrugged and began chomping on a cookie. At Wen Ruohan’s hum of inquiry, he reluctantly held it out to him. Wen Ruohan looked skeptically at the contents and then gingerly plucked out a cookie. “I’m guessing these are homemade and not purchased. The handiwork is very sloppy.”
Lan Wangji gritted his teeth. “They were decorated by A-Yuan. He is not yet four years old.”
Wen Ruohan’s brow furrowed. “Wen Qing has a child? When did she become so irresponsible, having a baby out of wedlock?”
Wen Chao snorted, crumbs flying out his mouth as Wen Xu explained, “A-Yuan is a cousin. Remember, his parents died in that crash?”
Wen Ruohan seemed to lose interest and went back to his laptop. Wen Chao also seemed to lose interest in his cookie and tossed the remains back in the tin.
Wen Xu must have seen Lan Wangji’s clenched fists, because he seemed to go into damage control mode. “I have a fantastic idea! Lan Wangji, let’s go out and get some holiday decorations!”
Lan Wangji, feeling himself loosen a tiny amount, was just about to agree when Wen Ruohan piped up, “A-Xu, what are you talking about? Are you expecting a client?”
Wen Xu clenched his jaw. “No, it’s just us for the holidays.”
“Then what’s the point? Without someone to impress? That reminds me, whatever happened to that deal you were going to close? The one that made you late by a whole day while we sat cooling our heels in this godforsaken town? I still don’t know why you made your fiancé come here without you. Wouldn’t it have been easier with him there to sign the papers?”
Wen Xu made an abortive movement towards his father, his expression irritated, and then sighed. When he didn’t answer his father’s question, Lan Wangji asked, “What papers?”
Wen Xu pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was going to wait until after we were married, so I wouldn’t have to worry your pretty little head about it.”
Lan Wangji froze, his gaze steely. “What would I have been worried about?”
Wen Xu gave him a smile, one meant to dazzle him but had no effect. Wen Xu was objectively a very good-looking man. Intelligent, skilled, eligible in many ways. If Lan Wangji was going to fall for someone, shouldn’t it be Wen Xu? But he was beginning to suspect that a part of himself had always known that there was something wrong with this whole scenario.
“Ah, Lan Wangji, I just meant that you don’t have a head for business. I’ve been trying to help you with your little shop, and I believe it doesn’t have the right business model. Not for that location. There’s a developer that is planning a mixed-use complex. The space you have would work much better as a business that would see a lot of traffic with repeat customers.” He pulled a binder out of his briefcase. “I’ve come up with a win-win scenario. Your current space would be freed up for a business that makes more sense for that complex, and your shop would be relocated to a space where it is more likely to thrive. I have just the spot for it, in a shopping center frequented by a rich, older demographic.”
Lan Wangji stared at the binder. “How long have you been planning this?”
Wen Ruohan barked out a laugh. “Well done, A-Xu! That area can be totally revitalized and at the same time make you an obscene amount of money!”
Wen Chao, clearly irritated with the praise being heaped on his brother, gave them all a nasty smile and asked, “So is this why you wanted to marry one of the dull, self-righteous Lans? Because of his prime real estate? It finally makes sense. You don’t even like men, so it wasn’t like you’d have someone to warm your bed.”
Lan Wangji felt a hot spike of humiliation at the expression on Wen Xu’s face, at the realization that Wen Chao was right. He stood up, feeling dizzy. “I’m going for a walk.” Ignoring Wen Xu’s noise of protest, he made a beeline for the front door.
As he grabbed his coat and stepped out into the night air, he heard Wen Xu yelling at his family, “This is why I didn’t want him to fucking meet you! If you ruined this for me, I’m going to…” Lan Wangji didn’t hear the rest as he firmly shut the door behind him.
He stood on the stairway for a moment, taking deep breaths. He looked around, trying to figure out what direction he should go in, when he saw colorful twinkle lights in the distance. He headed towards them.
Lan Wangji didn’t know why he was so upset, to be honest. It wasn’t a love match. It had always been meant as a practical arrangement. Wen Xu wanted someone who could be a partner that supported him and his business aspirations. A plus one to all the social gatherings that was expected of him. Someone from a family with a good reputation. Lan Wangji would have security, and someone with good business acumen to provide guidance for running the shop. And that was what Wen Xu was doing, was it not? Guiding Lan Wangji to make choices for his business that were sensible versus sentimental.
The problem was that Wen Xu wasn’t just guiding, he was pushing. For his own selfish reasons. Lan Wangji had always been a bit surprised that Wen Xu liked him above the other potential matches. Lan Wangji was not a social butterfly who could charm business acquaintances. But apparently a large quantity of money was a big enough draw to make up for that lack.
Lan Wangji pulled out his new cell phone. When he’d first turned it on that afternoon, it had been to an overwhelming number of texts and voicemails from both Wen Xu and Xichen. There’d been one text from his uncle admonishing him for worrying his brother. He’d responded to Xichen and his uncle to let them know he had his new phone. He now tapped on his uncle’s contact info to call him. When his uncle answered, he immediately blurted, “Uncle, did you know what Wen Xu was planning about my shop?”
“Lan Wangji? Have you forgotten how to properly greet someone that you’ve called?”
Lan Wangji took a shaky breath. “I am sorry. I’m upset because I’ve just learned…Wen Xu only wanted to marry me because of the money he could make selling my mother’s shop. Did you know? When you were helping to arrange this marriage?”
His uncle huffed. “Of course I didn’t know. My only concern was that you two were a good match, that you would have value to each other as partners. Don’t be dramatic, Wangji. I’m sure he would have picked you even without the prospect of a real estate transaction.”
“He would not have! He’s straight, he was never going to fall in love with me.”
“Wangji? I thought that was one of the good things about the match! You told me that you didn’t want a partner who might have feelings you could never return. You told me you were…I don’t remember what it’s called.”
Lan Wangji felt tears well up in his eyes. “Aromantic. I thought I was… I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Wangji…what do you mean? Did you fall in love with Wen Xu? Is that why you’re so hurt about his plans for the shop?”
Lan Wangji’s breath hitched. “No, it was someone else. I fell in love, I fell so hard. It was immediate, but it took some time to realize that was what I was feeling. And then I left him, I walked away because of timing. I was already engaged to Wen Xu and felt obligated to this commitment I made.”
There was a long pause. “Who is this man you have fallen in love with?”
Lan Wangji felt a burning in his chest as he thought about Wei Ying. “His name is Wei Wuxian. He grew up with the Jiang family. He…we…apparently there have been many times we could have met, but never did. He lives in Flushing, his roommate is Nie Huaisang. I met him at the airport when he was coming to visit the Wens. Not Wen Xu’s father and brother, but a great aunt and cousins. Did Xichen explain what happened with my phone?”
“Mmm, yes. And he also mentioned Wei Wuxian. I knew his parents, went to school with them. I hadn’t heard of these other Wens before. The doctor, maybe.”
“They are good people. Unlike Wen Ruohan and Wen Chao. Their behavior was…very off-putting.”
“Wangji, do not say such things about your future in-laws. It’s unfilial.”
Lan Wangji felt his stomach drop. “So, you think I should still marry Wen Xu?”
His uncle sighed again. “Lan Wangji, you met Wei Wuxian yesterday. Do you really want to throw away an advantageous future over someone you barely know.”
“I already told you that I walked away from him! This is about mother’s shop. It’s all I have left of her, and it brings me great joy. Not just the business, but the space. I can feel her love in the very walls of that place. How can I partner with someone who doesn’t understand that? Who looks at those same walls and only sees dollar signs?”
“And what happens when you are forced to sell that space when your business goes under? Because it will, Wangji, and then you will be left with nothing.”
“I’d rather lose it that way, than compromise everything about it that has meaning to me.”
There was another pause, as his uncle contemplated this. Lan Wangji refocused on his surroundings and saw that he was now in a park. The lights he’d seen were on an enormous pine tree decorated for Christmas. Just looking at it, he felt something in him settle. He spotted a bench facing the tree and went to go sit on it.
His uncle spoke softly, resignedly, “Wangji, I just wanted to help secure your future. Your shop is struggling, and I know that you would deny it, but I could see that you were lonely. Just because you are aromantic doesn’t mean that you have to be alone. This seemed like the perfect arrangement.”
Lan Wangji felt himself smile for the first time during this call. “That means a lot to me. I appreciate all that you have done to raise me and take care of me. It did seem like the perfect arrangement, given the set of facts you were working with. You couldn’t have known I could fall in love, when I didn’t even know it myself. I don’t know if I believe in fate, but if I did, I might believe that I was fated to meet Wei Wuxian. Fate just had terrible timing, and so I tried to make my own.”
“Wangji. I wish I could be okay with this. It’s just…your parents. I’ll be honest, I was relieved when you told me you were aromantic. I thought that meant you wouldn’t have to go through what your parents did.”
Lan Wangji knew the bare bones of the story, that his father had been engaged through an arrangement, but had fallen head over heels for his mother. Except that it had not lasted. His mother admitted to him when he was a teenager that she had never loved his father, that it had been hormones and being dazzled by his family’s prestige. His father had known that, and only cared that she agreed to marry him. “This isn’t the same, you know, I’m not doomed to the same fate as my father. You are focused on one poor outcome that you were forced to witness, but for every example of failed romance out there, is another one that didn’t fail. That stood the test of time.” He thought about Granny Wen. “I am not planning to jump into marriage with Wei Ying, no matter how much that prospect fills me with longing. I don’t even know if he would accept. But I would like to at least try to woo him. Even if it takes an eternity for him to feel the same way as I do, I have an eternity to give. For true love.”
“Ah, Wangji, Wangji… Maybe you aren’t like your father after all. I hope so, anyway. I get the feeling that you will follow your heart regardless, whether it’s in regard to the shop or with this Wei Wuxian.”
“I would like your support, but if you cannot give it…I only ask that it does not cause a rift between us.”
His uncle’s tone was gruff as he replied, “Of course not, Lan Wangji. We are family. I still expect you to come for Chinese New Year’s, no matter who comes with you.”
Lan Wangji felt a chill run through him as the wind picked up. “I should go, it’s cold out here and I need to figure out what to do next. I’ll call you on Christmas Day.”
Lan Wangji ended the call and then turned his eyes back to the tree. As much as he didn’t want to go back to the mansion, he at least needed to retrieve his belongings. What he would do after that was not so clear. It felt presumptuous to go back to the other Wens without an explicit invitation. He would check into a hotel, and then reach out to them.
Lan Wangji didn’t have Wei Ying’s phone number. He’d been so distressed by the leave-taking from the Wens that he didn’t get any of their contact information. But he wasn’t too concerned. He could always reach out to Nie Huaisang. There’d been a few texts from him, letting him know that he’d been informed of all the drama from Wei Ying and was ‘dying’ to get more details.
“Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji stilled, wondering if he had imagined it. But he looked up from his phone and saw Wei Ying standing there. “Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying gave him a slow, soft smile. “You’re sitting on my bench.” When Lan Wangji’s brow furrowed in confusion, he pointed towards a placard mounted on the back of the bench. Lan Wangji read the inscription and saw that it had been built by Wei Ying and donated to the park a year ago. “I take A-Yuan here a lot so he can run around and let off some energy. When Granny Wen mentioned she doesn’t come here often because there is nowhere to sit, I had the bench built.”
Lan Wangji closed his eyes rather than look at Wei Ying. Otherwise, he might pull him close and kiss the breath out of him. He took several deep breaths, and then gazed up at him. “Of course I would have ended up here, on this bench. The coincidences just keep coming.”
Wei Ying sat down next to him. “It seems like our timing is getting better.” His eyes darted towards Lan Wangji and then darted away again. “I mean…Lan Zhan…about Wen Xu…”
“I’m not going to marry him.” Wei Ying whipped his head around and stared, his mouth open. “He is a good match on paper. But I can’t build the rest of my life on a paper foundation.”
Wei Ying looked relieved. “Good. I’m glad. If you need a place to stay tonight, you can come back with me to the Wens.”
Lan Wangji was relieved as well. “Yes, please, that would be wonderful. I was thinking I’d get a hotel. But this is much better. I…I like your family. A lot.”
Wei Ying grinned. “We like you, too. A lot. I’m glad we ran into each other.”
Lan Wangji cocked his head. “Why are you here, anyway? I know you’re a night owl, but I would have thought you’d be in your workshop. Assuming Wen Qing gave you the key.”
Wei Ying giggled. “She did give me the key, so I could complete the last bits needed to get Granny Wen’s clock working. I was in there earlier, unwrapping the packaging so I could get started. I found this.” He pulled something out of his coat. It was a clock about the size of an apple. “Whenever I’m going to build something, I always start with a model as a practice. I finished this little guy on my birthday on October 31st, and then started work on the real clock. My plan was to see if A-Yuan wanted it, and I’d only charge him a penny.” He bit his lip, staring down at it. “Since it isn’t a working time piece, I set the little hands at 8:36. Except tonight when I unwrapped it, the hands had shifted. Look.”
Lan Wangji’s breath stopped as he saw that the hands now read 11:58. Wei Ying continued. “When I saw that, I had to go for a walk, clear my head. I think if you hadn’t been here when I reached this park, I might have kept going all the way to Wen Ruohan’s place. I think no matter what sort of reception I got, I was going to come to you and show you this clock. I don’t know if you knew this, but that was the time that we met, yesterday. What it said on your phone’s screen right before it died.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “I did know that. I saw it.”
“Lan Zhan, maybe I’m a hopeless romantic who has spent too many years listening to Granny Wen’s story. But I’m also forgetful. I wouldn’t have remembered such a detail if that moment hadn’t been seared into my brain as the moment I fell in love with you.”
Tears welled in Lan Wangji’s eyes, and one spilled over onto his cheek, a warm splash against the cold air. “It is the same for me, Wei Ying. If I had heard Granny Wen’s story even a day ago, I would have dismissed it as fanciful. But it rang true for me because it happened to me, too. Less than a day ago.”
Wei Ying beamed. “Was it my smile?” Lan Wangji nodded. “I like your smile, too. This one right here.” He cupped Lan Wangji’s cheek with his cold hand and ran his thumb over Lan Wangji’s lips. He realized that he was indeed smiling, even as he wanted to scold Wei Ying for leaving the house without gloves.
“I think Wei Ying is also amazing. I may not know everything about you, but what I’ve seen so far tells me enough.” He reached up and placed his own gloved hand over Wei Ying’s. “It’s cold out here, Wei Ying. We should go.”
Wei Ying nodded. “Okay, but before we go get your stuff, we need to warm up a little first.” Before Lan Wangji could ask what he was proposing, Wei Ying scooted forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. Lan Wangji let out a tiny, surprised whimper. He’d never been kissed before. When Wei Ying pulled back, wide-eyed, to gauge his reaction, Lan Wangji leaned in and kissed him back. Wei Ying was warm. So, so warm. His hand shifted from Lan Wangji’s cheek to thread through his hair, tugging him even closer as they kissed and kissed. The movement dislodged Lan Wangji’s hat and it tumbled to the ground, but he didn’t care. The coldness against his bared head was an invigorating contrast to the heat of Wei Ying’s mouth, which opened up as they deepened the kiss. Lan Wangji had never felt like this for someone before, and he knew deep down that it would never go away. Wei Ying was his zhiji, his eternity.
❄
(11 months later)
“Lan Zhan, look what I did!” Lan Wangji looked up from his paperwork to see that the small artificial tree purchased the previous week was now flocked. It looked much better. “I can’t wait till we can decorate it!”
Lan Wangji nodded in agreement. They would put it on display when they returned from their trip to visit the Wens at Thanksgiving. Wei Ying had spent every month of the year carving wooden ornaments to put on the tree. The were beautifully crafted and would advertise Wei Ying’s expertise very well.
Wei Ying still did software engineering, but owned his own business now, so he could devote as little or as much time to it as he wanted. He spent the rest of his time on woodworking, which he then sold in the antique shop.
“Wei Ying, I have something to show you as well.” He went over to the package that had been delivered an hour ago, and carefully unwrapped it. As he had gotten to know Wei Ying over the past year, they discovered more and more shared interests. He pulled out the two swords from their packaging.
Wei Ying gaped. “Bichen and Suibian! These are amazing reproductions! Where did you get them?”
“Chicago.” With Wei Ying helping out at the shop, Lan Wangji had more freedom to take buying trips, though he hated to be away for too long.
“Ah, Bichen is so beautiful and elegant. A fitting sword for the legend of Hanguang-Jun.”
“I am partial to Suibian. It, too, is very fitting for the Yiling Patriarch.”
Wei Ying giggled. “I still think it’s funny that this supposed villain had such a sense of humor! Ah, Lan Zhan, how will we bear to part with them?” He gazed lovingly at the swords.
Lan Wangji, who had the same concern himself, was saved from having to answer by a cuckoo clock chiming a Vince Guaraldi tune in one of the display cases nearby. Despite being amongst other clocks for sale, it had a little “Sold” sticker that has been on it since May as an inside joke. Wei Ying grinned and dived in for a kiss, their 11:58am tradition.