Monday 17 days to the Full Moon Festival

Today was a busy day.

Today was also the first day that Lan Zhan saw Wei Ying jump out of bed, extraordinarily excited and simply shimmering with excessive energy. He was in and out of the bathroom, showering so fast and flitting around the room, it was giving Lan Zhan whiplash.

Just as Wei Ying grabbed his jacket and Lan Zhan's hand, Lan Zhan stopped, digging his heels in.

Wei Ying, propelled by momentum, crashed back into Lan Zhan's chest and the latter smiled indulgently, having caught his prey.

Dazed silver eyes stared up at him, blinking slowly.

"What is...going on?" Lan Zhan asked him, calmly.

He hadn't wanted to say 'wrong' because he wasn't sure anything was...but this was out of character for Wei Ying who normally had to be coaxed awake with kisses and cuddles and a whole lot of clingy.

"Er...haha...nothing..." Wei Ying laughed awkwardly and it was a dead giveaway.

Even Lan Zhan could see he was lying.

Seconds passed by with Lan Zhan refusing to look away and Wei Ying feeling like he was trapped.

He had messed up unintentionally and now...what? How to get out of this situation without giving anything away? And since he was so awful at lying, he decided to go through with a partial truth.

"Alright..." Wei Ying willed his rapidly beating heart to calm down, taking deep breaths. Above all, he did not want to ruin the surprise. And it was still salvageable.

Lan Zhan was looking at him with all kinds of patience, waiting for him to gather his thoughts, and on any other day, Wei Ying would have appreciated it. But today, he felt like a liar.

Deception of any kind except for pranks...it left a sour taste in his mouth. And especially within relationships, Wei Ying believed in a hundred percent transparency. Good, lasting, loving bonds could only be built on the strongest foundations of truth and honesty and he felt a little bit bad for...not exactly lying...but omissions were that, weren't they? Another form of dishonesty...

"There's a lot going on today." He muttered, forcing his eyes to stay focused on Lan Zhan's golden ones, remembering that lying could be best detected by the guilty party unable to maintain eye contact. He ploughed on relentlessly. "What I mean is...we have lots of deliveries arriving today and one of us will have to keep an eye on that. Plus Bathroom guy and Granite Guy are coming with their teams to finish what they started on Friday. I guess....I'm just anxious to get started...that's all." Wei Ying closed his eyes at last, unable to endure that false pressure to maintain his own gaze.

Not when Lan Zhan was looking at him with a whole load of trust and love.

Wei Ying loved him for that alone.

The way Lan Zhan looked at him now...it was always layered.

First with the primer coat of unconditional love. It was the base upon which all his other emotions were painted: trust, affection, joy, happiness...all the colours of the rainbow...and it was giving Wei Ying an idea.

In his head, he saw a picture...a place, maybe a scene...and he wanted to make it come alive for his Lan Zhan...for their family.

Wei Ying felt warm lips tremble upon his forehead, waiting like the patient man himself, always allowing Wei Ying to be himself. They lingered there, a long kiss...and it was soothing as much as it expressed how very much Lan Zhan loved him back.

Wei Ying made a vow then and there: as soon as possible, he would confess.

He would tell Lan Zhan everything, no doubts about it.

But not yet.

*********

Breakfast was another rushed affair.

Mo XuanYu was excited too, because right after they finished eating and were leaving the dining room, he told his parents.

"We get the list from the school today. What I'll need to have before I go. First day is Monday, next week." He sounded nervous.

"We can go to the mall and get whatever you need." Wei Ying promised, with an arm around his thin shoulders.

Wei Ying gave them a little squeeze, wondering if all teenagers felt this small, though he had been discreetly keeping an eye on the boy's appetite, making he ate well. It made his protective side come out.

"Mn. We can go tomorrow." Lan Zhan added, looking at both of them.

A-Yuan waddled up to him and grabbed his thigh, looking right up to him with squishy cheeks all puffed out.

"Me too?"

Uncle Qiren looked at all four of them and smiled softly before going inside the library with Mr. Marshmallow weaving in between his legs, meowing loudly.

Lan Zhan swung him up into his arms, making the little toddler squeal with delight and hugging his neck, chortling.

"Of course you as well, little man..." He said warmly.

A-Yuan looked so happy at being called that, and he planted a smacking wet kiss on Lan Zhan's cheek, making the older one smile more.

"Now I'm jelly!" Wei Ying beamed at all three. "Pwetty Gege gets a kiss...what about me? Your Baba?" He tapped his cheek playfully.

Mo XuanYu reached up and kissed it shyly, smiling in that lovely way of his.

Wei Ying threw his arms around the boy and hugged it out of him.

"This boy knows how to treat his parents!" Wei Ying exclaimed loudly, and laughing.

This was the first time Mo XuanYu had done anything like that aside from hugging.

That he felt comfortable enough to do so...it made them feel warm all over.

A-Yuan wriggled and squirmed out of Lan Zhan's arms, straight into Wei Ying's.

"Baba!" He shrieked, planting wet kisses all over Wei Ying's face and making him giggle. "Wots of kithes! Wots!"

Wei Ying hugged him back just as fiercely.

When they looked over to the other two, Mo XuanYu was hugging Lan Zhan too.

"This is an amazing start to the day, right?" Wei Ying was saying, putting his son down. "So let's promise to do that every day, okay? Now be good and study well. We have to get going because lots of people are supposed to be coming to the other home today. "

There was lots of smiling and waving as the youngsters went into the library.

"I'll see you both later too," XiChen said, discreetly winking at Wei Ying before going past both of them.

"Okay, XiChen-Ge!" Wei Ying called out after him.

Lan Zhan took his hand and they walked up to the white sports car.

JingYi was already inside and singing away, which Lan Zhan only realised when he opened the door for Wei Ying and nearly fell over.

The blast of, "YOU GIVE LOOOVE A BAD NAME!" was enough to have him frowning deeply at an ignorant soul, having too much fun at letting it all out.

And...was he actually getting worse??

Maybe Lan Zhan could find a way to disable the radio...

The car was filled with amazing guitar riffs and Lan Zhan forced himself to listen to those parts as opposed to the other noise. That unconscious feeling of nerves inside his Wei Ying was back, as evidenced by his jittery knee as Wei Ying bounced it up and down.

Lan Zhan covered it with his large palm and Wei Ying grinned at him apologetically.

He didn't know how to explain it, but Lan Zhan felt as if there was more to his restlessness than Wei Ying was saying...not that he wasn't telling the truth, but that there was something...more.

However, he did not wish to push Wei Ying, trusting in the fact that Wei Ying would tell him in his own time.

Plus...it was hard to actually think in this car...

When they got to the other house, Granite Guy and Bathroom guy were already there with two other delivery vans and the morning was spent just organising the deliveries.

Lan Zhan had expressly forbidden Wei Ying to lift anything, especially not to help the furniture people, who he claimed were trained professionals. They did not need Wei Ying's help, he had emphasised. So Wei Ying was left doing all the little extra jobs that somehow kept popping up even when he thought he was done in any particular room.

There was always something.

Wei Ying found himself in the room that would eventually become Lan Zhan's living room.

He closed the door, knowing that the sounds on the other side of it would only make him feel more guilty if he let himself listen to them. So he pulled out his phone and found a song he wanted to listen to...one that had been playing in his mind like white noise for a long time now.

Maybe it's intuition
But some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes
I think I found my best friend
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy but I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

There's just no rhyme or reason
Only the sense of completion
And in your eyes
I see the missing pieces I'm searching for
I think I've found my way home
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy but I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
Ooh, ooh, ooh

A thousand angels dance around you
Ooh, ooh, ooh
I am complete now that I've found you

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

I knew I loved you before I met you (ooh, ooh, ooh)
I knew I loved you
I knew I loved you before I met you (ooh, ooh, ooh)
I knew I loved you
I knew I loved you before I met you (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
I knew I loved you before I met you (yeah)
I knew I loved you

Wei Ying let the notes caress the inside of his mind, and he walked up to the blank wall where he saw that image in his head.

He closed his eyes and joined in, singing so loudly that he could hear nothing else.

***********

Lan Zhan jerked when his shoulder was tapped; this was the only downside to wearing earplugs...anyone could sneak up on you.

Right now, he was surprised to see his brother.

"Xiongzhang!" He took out the blockages in his ears, and Lan Zhan frowned because he could hear in full force why he had used them in the first place.

Wei Ying had assigned him the room furthest from all the noise and he was currently stripping the hallway upstairs.

"Do you know where A-Xian is?" XiChen eyed the rubbery things in his palm almost gleefully, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"He isn't downstairs?" Lan Zhan asked him, immediately going towards the stairs.

He didn't wait for an answer and went down.

And then miraculously, all the noise stopped and in that strange silence, Lan Zhan heard the most beautiful voice sing.

"I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
Ooh, ooh, ooh...."

There was so much pleasure here...as each word sung sank into his head through his sensitive ears and Lan Zhan heard stars bursting all around him. He closed his eyes, his hand resting on that heavy door, not pushing it open like he had been intending to.

A peaceful, easy feeling settled deep within his heart and when the song finished, Lan Zhan waited, his ears thirsting for more.

When there was only silence....he did push and enter.

The whole room was quiet and Wei Ying was looking at his phone.

"Who was that...just now singing?" Lan Zhan demanded.

Wei Ying jolted out of surprise.

"Savage Garden." He replied, showing Lan Zhan.

"Oh." Lan Zhan didn't know what to make of it.

"XiChen-Ge!" Wei Ying said brightly, upon seeing him.

"Ready to go, A-Xian?" XiChen asked him, smiling back.

"Go where?" Lan Zhan narrowed his eyes at his brother.

What was this? Where was he taking Wei Ying?

"Oh...ah, we just have to drop this off, and pick up a few supplies!" Wei Ying sounded nervously too happy.

There was something off about both of them.

Lan Zhan glanced between the two, trying to work it out.

"I don't have much time..." XiChen said pointedly, avoiding Lan Zhan's questioning gaze.

"Oh, yeah, okay...let me get my jacket." Wei Ying went to walk past Lan Zhan, and he stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Wait." Lan Zhan didn't know what he wanted to say...and Wei Ying was...pouting?

He felt like a cad for trying to stop them, but at the same time, XiChen suddenly turning up and whisking Wei Ying away somewhere, all of a sudden, felt like a rug being pulled out from under his feet.

Wei Ying was patting his hand.

"Won't be long..." He was reassuring Lan Zhan.

"I want to come with you." The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about what he was saying.

"Er...but one of us needs to stay...deliveries..." Wei Ying faltered.

He had been afraid of this.

"Then take Dan. Please." Lan Zhan didn't mean to sound so desperate...but his intuition was firing synapses at his brain like popping firecrackers.

Wei Ying softened at that.

"Alright. We'll take Dan." And blindfold and gag him, while we're at it...Wei Ying thought, wondering about how to convince Dan not to blab about where they were going and what he was going to do.

There was the sound of heels stalking on the wooden flooring, and all three men turned around to see Wen Qing standing there, dressed in a red power suit.

"A-Qing!!" Wei Ying ran into her arms and hugged her.

She hugged him back, her mouth a thin line of disapproval.

"Did you think just texting was gonna cut it?" She was a smidgen away from yelling.

"No...but we'll talk more when I get back?" Wei Ying shamelessly stripped off his overalls and handed them to her. "You can put these on and help Lan Zhan. We're on a time limit, you know." And then he grabbed XiChen's arm and fled, like the cockroach he was.

Lan Zhan was stuck like a deer in headlights, watching the kaleidoscope of emotions that raced on her face.

And he was reminded of why her nickname was the Demon Doctor.

She scowled at him then, catching his eye.

"Where can I change, then?" She demanded.

**********

"Whew...that was close!" Wei Ying said as Dan got in the car with them.

He sat in the back as XiChen preferred to drive and Wei Ying had already claimed the passenger seat.

"Dan...I need you to promise me something..." Wei Ying did his seat belt and twisted in his seat so he was looking directly at him.

Dan silently watched him, wondering what he was going to ask.

"You cannot breathe a word of where we're going to Lan Zhan! Absolutely not!" He said, desperation in his silver eyes.

"But I must submit a report." Dan replied. "It is procedure...there's no way around it." He was sorry...because Wei Ying looked like he really didn't want Lan Zhan to know where they were going...but Mr Lan paid his wages...and Dan had to be faithful.

"Wait until you see why I'm asking and then make up your mind? Please?" Wei Ying begged, glancing at his XiChen-Ge.

"Maybe you could make an excuse...submit it later when it's no longer necessary to hide." XiChen suggested.

Dan kept his features blank but he was being put in a difficult position.

He reported directly to Mr. Lan...and if he tried to avoid it, there was a huge risk of him being fired. He needed this job...

The ride to wherever they were going was tense and awkward.

Dan hoped that whatever they were going to do...they would keep him out of it.

*********

A/N

Dear Amazingly Patient Readers,

I'm back! So sorry for keeping you waiting but you'll be happy to know that I have finished book 8 in the WangXian Forever series, so I can fully concentrate on this one and Solstice Souls book 2.

I must confess, I spent a lot of time researching love songs...my mind is completely blank for some reason, but both @Itookthebluepill and edzooc8r helped immensely with their suggestions.

I guess I was searching for the "right" Song and maybe I'm being too picky...but I hope you guys like them so far.

The one featured in this chapter is I knew I loved you by Savage Garden and is really sweet and heartwarming to listen to.

Charlie.