Ch 37 Behind the curtain
The next morning the two resumed their journey and arrived at the destination just after midday. The town was certainly much larger than the small one they had stayed in the night before. The main street was bustling with entertainers and street vendors in a riot of colour and noise, which Lan Zhan couldn't help wince at. Even after all these years with Wei Ying he still wasn't over fond of hordes of people and the loud din that accompanied them. Gently taking hold of his husbands arm Wei Ying guided Lan Zhan to one of the many inn's available, where the two managed to secure a room for a few days and got to eat and unpack. After eating a midday meal they walked around the town. They had discussed how best to find the mastermind behind all the attacks and decided that the best to find a man who didn't want to be found was simply to let him find them. With this aim in mind they strolled around the streets, Wei Ying clutching Lan Zhan's hand and speaking loudly as they approached each stall.
'Lan Er'ge I like this one buy it for me please'
'Ugh Lan Er'ge you have horrid taste…..the ones over here look better…..come on'
'Hey Lan Er'ge. What do you think our son would think of this?'
Lan Zhan tried to contain his winces at the overtop show of public displays of affection and shameless words Wei Ying was using. Even Wei Ying was inwardly wondering how over the top he would need to go before someone would notice they were here. Wei Ying's hand slid subtlety over Lan Zhan's easing open the latter's clenched fist, entwining their fingers to provide at least a little comfort and support. He couldn't really blame him, after all Lan Zhan was a private person and Wei Ying was even pushing his own definition of shameless at the moment never mind Lan Zhan's.
After a few hours of publicly flirting and shameless actions, that came just short of kissing Lan Zhan in the middle of the market, the two finally made their way to a stall for something to eat. Lan Zhan remained quiet and Wei Ying ordered a simple meal for them both as they settled down to eat quietly, Lan Zhan always did but normally Wei Ying would try and liven a meal up with some kind of noise. Today though they both wanted to hear if their appearance had caused any rumours to begin as yet. If there were rumours people would talk, and that meant whoever they were trying to find would learn about them eventually. As expected the rumours had already begun that two shameless, cut-sleeve cultivators from the Lan Sect where in the town. Even amongst the normal folk they had heard of both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan so it didn't take a genius to figure out who the two were.
By the time the two got back to the inn that evening the whole town was awash with the rumours.
As Lan Zhan sat in the tub that evening, trying to soak away the stiffness in his muscles from containing his temper all day, Wei Ying sat behind him gently massaging his shoulders and upper back. For once there was no playful words or actions coming from Wei Ying as his hands massaged the knots under the skin, and there was no sound of need or desire in Lan Zhan's voice as he sighed in contentment every time a knot was unwound.
'If we keep this up a few more days everyone will know we are here' Wei Ying spoke gently into the quiet. 'Although I'm not sure my hands will manage.'
To make his point he removed his hands and cracked his knuckles as if to get feeling back in his fingers. Lan Zhan smiled slightly and tried to relax his shoulders, the days stress slowly being released.
'I'm not sure you will be able to hold back your temper for a few more days either' Wei Ying continued, his hands moving lower massaging Lan Zhan's spine. 'I know how hard today was for you. I will make it up for you I promise.'
'Mmmhh' was the only response Lan Zhan gave as his body finally began to relax fully under the gentle fingers of his husband.
The two had planned for the shameless display to continue while they were eating their evening meal, after all the inn staff would be in and out of the room emptying the bathtub of water and delivering and collecting the meal. However as if by silent agreement they both decided that eating off each others chopsticks would do, of course they couldn't share each others drinks because Wei Ying was drinking wine.
That night as the two laid curled up under the covers Wei Ying was still wide awake. He could hear Lan Zhan's steady breathing behind him and knew the other was sound asleep, he also knew that could easily change. It hadn't taken Wei Ying long to work out that although Lan Zhan still feel asleep at 9pm, well he did when they were not mutually keeping each other awake, he woke up extremely easily. All Wei Ying needed to do was leave the bed for the use of the chamber pot and he would return to see Lan Zhan's eyes wide open. At first he had wondered why Lan Zhan always slept with some point of contact with him, after all they had both spent years sleeping alone, but Lan Zhan always wrapped an arm around his waist, held his hand or just rested his palm on his body somewhere. The answer had soon been found as it seemed that whenever Lan Zhan lost physical contact with Wei Ying while asleep he would automatically wake up. Both of them knew why this happened even without speaking about it, Lan Zhan had spent so many years wishing against hope for him to return that even in his sleep he was still afraid of him disappearing once again. To combat this Wei Ying had gotten into the habit of just laying still, under the covers, if he couldn't sleep. That way at least one of them got a good rest. At the moment Wei Ying was looking up at the ceiling and hoping they would not have to perform for much longer before whoever they were wanting to find came looking for them.
Wei Ying's prayer that night seemed to work. The two only spent two days in town before having some unexpected visitors on the third night. Wei Ying was had just fallen into a doze, with Lan Zhan fast asleep at his side, when he heard footsteps outside in the hall. It was past the time the inn staff would be moving around, and whoever it was was being extra careful to remain quiet, so Wei Ying listened as he waited. He remained quiet, his eyes closed and breathing calm, for all outside purposes asleep as the door to the room slowly creaked open. If he heard right there were three sets of footfalls which meant three men were entering their room. Making an exaggerated scene, Wei Ying rolled over under the covers, purposefully breaking that physical contact with Lan Zhan. He left it a few heart beats before flopping his arm over his husbands chest, a move that outwardly looked just like two lovers sleeping but was really a signal to the now wide awake Lan Zhan to remain still.
They both heard mutters of 'disgusting' and 'shameless' coming from some of the men in the room. A third voice soon hushed them.
'Keep your voices down, they wont stay sleeping much longer if you keep making such a noise'
The other two immediately fell silent and before to long both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan could hear the subtle noises of cupboards opening, trunks being opened and closed, clothes rustling. It was obvious the group was looking for something and couldn't find it, but what they were actually looking for seemed confusing. After a few minutes, in which neither Wei Ying or Lan Zhan moved, the group seemed to have looked everywhere they could think of and the rustling stopped.
'We can't find anything?' One of the men said
'I don't know why you think they have anything anyway' The second one grumbled
'Shhhh' the one that seemed to be the leader replied again. 'They have to have some reason to suspect me or they wouldn't have come here, especially not now. XiChen wouldn't have let them here alone if he thought they would be in danger so there must be some type of plan to capture me. We just need to find it.'
Wei Ying's eyes, which luckily where facing Lan Zhan, suddenly opened in shock. He had thought he recognised that voice the first time it shushed the other men, now he was certain of it. But it can't be…..his rational mind complained….he's dead. So what!…...another part of him thought…..I was dead and I'm laid here in bed with my husband! While he had been having this internal argument the rummaging had resumed in the room, this time the men where bolder and it was a little louder. After one particularly loud bang of a chest closing Wei Ying cuddled closer to Lan Zhan who simply wound his hand around the others wrist. Seeing the movement the man in charge hushed the others for the third time, however they seemed to be running out of patience.
'There is nothing here!' One said, stopping just short of a shout.
'The only place we haven't checked is on those two and I have no intention of looking there' the second man grumbled.
'Ohh no' The first agreed. 'Waking up both HanGuang Jun and the YiLing Patriarch is not worth our lives!'
'Cowards!' ground out the leader, forgetting to remember his own advice about being quiet. 'Fine go, I will find what I need from them another day'.
As the men made to retreat out of the room Lan Zhan simply opened his eyes, waved his hand, and Bichen unsheathed itself from where it had been waiting for its cue. Moving swiftly it hovered by the door, effectively blocking that route of escape. All three men recognised the famous sword immediately and turned round to see what had made such a thing happen. Lan Zhan sat up in bed, a robe loosely wrapped round his upper torso. Wei Ying however was already out of bed and strolling towards the weapons rack where Bichen had been just a moment ago, now only Chenqing sat there. The three men where stunned, Bichen was between them and the door and a fully awake Lan Zhan was between them and the only other avenue of escape, the window. Plus Wei Ying had now picked up Chenqing and was twirling the flute in his fingers like it was a toy, not one of the most deadly weapons in existence.
'Seems death can't keep you away either' Wei Ying spoke quietly, obviously aiming the comment at the man closest to the door, the leader of the group.
The other men were not completely dumb, they knew their only way of surviving the night, now the two were awake, was to be quiet and hide. The leader stepped forwards pushing the other two out the way until he faced Wei Ying.
'My death was simply misinformation, unlike yours!. It isn't my fault that you are all fools'
Wei Ying smiled.
'Seems we are not the only fools. You think we actually knew who you were? And came here for you?….you just presented yourself to us!'
The leader glance from Wei Ying to Lan Zhan, who remained impassive sat on the bed, before laughing loudly.
'It seems living with the Lan's has given you some smarts brother Wei' He said condescendingly.
'And it seems being dead has taken all yours away brother Yao!' Wei Ying replied in an equally mocking tone.