The time spent in the Lotus Pier was very relaxing for both of them. Of course they had separate rooms but that didn't stop the servants and disciples from seeing junior Master Wei appearing to sneak away from Second Master Lan's room after dark or early in the mornings. This was all considered silly and no one spoke of it.

Lan Zhan had smiled inwardly when they had arrived and Wei Ying's elder sister had done away with all propriety and literally launched herself into his arms crying with relief. The hug he had returned was equally has clingy with tears running down his own face. Lan Zhan couldn't help think that this is what a family should be like, and maybe this is what his own would have been like if not for the loss of his own mother.

Of course nothing ever lasts. Despite the two of them re-establishing their relationship and actually getting closer than they were before…...there were still downsides. Wei Ying spent a lot of time with his family, especially with his siblings. Lan Zhan could hardly say anything against that, after all he enjoyed spending time with his brother himself, however he did find that he was feeling more and more annoyed at the idea of Wei Ying spending time with his family away from him. The two would have course spend some time alone together down at the Pier or in some of Wei Ying's favourite places, and Lan Zhan could begin to understand why Wei Ying loved his home so much. It was like the man, lively, full of fun and didn't seem to follow to many rules.

Of course it wasn't simply a vacation for Lan Zhan to Wei Ying's childhood home, the whole of the Lotus Pier was still under reconstruction after the disaster that had claimed its previous clan leader. Jiang Cheng was still learning his role and the whole clan was still picking up the collective pieces.

One day Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were walking along the pier alone when Lan Zhan felt he had to mention something he had heard purely by accident the day before.

'Wei Ying?'

'huh? Yes?' Wei Ying definitely seemed distracted today

'I heard you and your brother arguing the other day….I didn't….'

'I know you wouldn't listen in on purpose Lan Zhan' Wei Ying cut him off before he could finish his sentence 'and Jiang Cheng was shouting so loudly I'm surprised half of Lotus Pier didn't hear as well' Wei Ying sighed almost to himself and then smiled a little as Lan Zhan slid his hand into his.

'He doesn't think I'm doing enough to help' Wei Ying continued as Lan Zhan squeezed his hand supportively. 'he thinks 'I'm just playing around all-day and not helping…...but he doesn't know…...' Wei Ying's voice dropped off as he descended into silence. Lan Zhan noticed the two long pauses before the end of the sentence and tried to probe a little deeper.

'He doesn't know what'

'Nothing!'

That was a definite shutting of the door on that topic and Lan Zhan knew better than to try and push things with Wei Ying in this kind of mood. Instead the two wondered on a little longer in silence, but something had definitely changed in the atmosphere around them. Lan Zhan wanted to lift there still joined hands to kiss Wei Ying's palm in a gesture of comfort, but something told him such a thing would not be welcome at the moment.

Unknown to Lan Zhan, Wei Ying probably wouldn't have noticed one way or the other. He had drifted into memories of pain and heartache that no one else would possibly be able to understand. Pain of losing the only parents he had ever know. Pain of seeing his only brother in such despair when he found he lost his golden core. The pure agony of the days and night lying on the cold mountain has his own golden core was ripped away from him piece by slow piece. The pain of failing to rebuild what was lost, for failing his siblings, for failing everyone even the man he loved….The pain of being useless and no good. All this Wei Ying had to keep inside, keep to himself….after all there were still those stupid enough to actually still care about him.

Another gentle squeese on his hand snapped Wei Ying out of his melancholy thoughts…..one of those foolish people was with him right now…..holding his hand…..supporting him. He couldn't cave into to self pity. Not because it would be letting himself down but because it would be letting Lan Zhan down!

That night as Wei Ying laid on Lan Zhan's bed next to him he reminded himself of the promise he had made that day. Lan Zhan was fast asleep, as it was past 9 in the evening, but his arms where protectively wrapped around Wei Ying, one around his shoulder and the other fisted in the material of his outer robes. Whenever both men shared a bed they still kept both inner and outer robes on, and Wei Ying never stayed the whole night, but somehow it seemed to relax both of them. 'Yes' Wei Ying told himself once again 'he wouldn't let Lan Zhan down'

A few days later everyone was invited to a conference concerning the Sunshot campaign. To be honest everyone at Lotus Pier had been a living in a little bubble for a few weeks and actually forgot there was a war raging around them so the invitation to the meeting came as a little bit of a shock. Not as much of a shock though as when Lan Zhan, a well known jade of Lan, appeared alongside Wei Ying with the Yunmeng group. Lan Xichun of course had known were he had been and expected the arrival but for everyone else it seemed to be a cause of complete confusion.