If Lan Zhan also wished to see Wei Ying and A-Yuan again, he had no one to tell this to right then, since he lived alone. But he thought about them occasionally over the next several days.

He found himself wondering if they were all right whenever he did, considering the situation they were in. A-Yuan appeared to be quite a happy child, but he could somehow tell that Wei Ying had gone through many hardships in his life, in spite of how jubilant he himself was when he had spoken to him. Once again, he hoped that everything would improve for them. They deserved it.

Lan Zhan could only imagine having to be forced to move to a shelter. However, what Wei Ying had told him, it was better than their old apartment. That made him curious as to what it had been like there. He had lived in nice houses all his life due to the fact that he and his family were well-off. His parents had a modest one before they died when he was six, but his uncle Lan Qiren's ancestral home - where he and his older brother Xichen were raised after that - was somewhat grander.

Even the house he resided in now was considerably large for someone who lived alone. The first floor had a living room, a den, and a kitchen. The second floor had a bathroom and four bedrooms. The master one was his, and two were set aside for Xichen and his uncle. The fourth one had been converted into his own personal office. The third floor held the attic.

Why he chose such a spacious house was something that bewildered even him. He was very content on his own and not exactly interested in dating or having a family. Then again, it may have been because he was used to living this way.

Lan Zhan thought that Wei Ying should have a place like the one his mother and father had. Something modest and simple where he and his son would be comfortable. His wife or girlfriend would like that too, though Wei Ying never mentioned having either. He wondered why; he was sure that he would have if he did. Perhaps he hadn't been in the mood to for some reason.

xXXXXXXx

"So, tell me, Wangji. How is everything with you?" Xichen inquired one Tuesday morning, smiling serenely at Lan Zhan on the phone.

The latter was in his office at work, having his lunch break. He had been eating when his brother video-called to check on him.

Lan Zhan nodded after taking a sip of his water. "Fine. All is well at home. My job is keeping me busy, but nothing eventful has been happening here otherwise," he responded.

"Mmm. And what about outside of work?"

He thought about when he helped Wei Ying and A-Yuan with their mail, but chose not to mention it. He didn't feel the need to since that was the only time he had encountered them.

"The same could be said there. Have you been all right, Xiongzhang?"

"Yes, I cannot complain. As you can see, I am on my break too."

"Mn. Did you speak to Shufu lately?" That was their uncle. "He invited me to dinner, and he wants you to join us as well. He asked if we can come on Friday evening."

Xichen bobbed his head. "Yes, I know. He called me last night. And we ought to visit him; we haven't in quite a while...not in over a month. We haven't seen each other since the last time we did either."

"That is true."

It grew silent then as Lan Zhan ate the rest of his lunch. Xichen, sensing that something was up, cleared his throat.

"You are quieter than usual, didi. Are you sure that you are all right? You look as if you have a great deal on your mind," he noted.

"Mn. I am. And I do, but it is nothing to worry about," he replied.

Xichen smiled again. "I understand. But if you ever want to talk about whatever it is, I am just a phone call or a visit away. You do not live far from me, you know. Our jobs keep us busy, yes. There's no need to say it. But we should still try to see each other more often. As I said, we haven't since we last visited Shufu."

Lan Zhan nodded again. "Mn. You may visit as soon as you have time. Or I will."

"That sounds like a plan. Well, I have to go now. My break is over. But let me know beforehand when you would like to come over, and I will do the same. Good-bye, Wangji."

"Good-bye, Xiongzhang. I will see you on Friday."

He hung up after that and went back to work also. There were still many things for him to do; his in-tray was considerably full.

Lan Zhan was so preoccupied that it did not seem long before his shift was over at three thirty. All of his tasks were completed by then, so he didn't need to stay over hours. After collecting his belongings, he nodded to his manager - who was waving good-bye to him - and left the office.

Since it was rather warm outside, Lan Zhan decided to keep his jacket off as he began to walk home. Sometimes he drove to and from work, but that was only if it were too cold, rainy, or snowy. His place was not far, and he didn't mind the exercise.

There were more people than usual on the street where his job was located. However, this was not unexpected due to the nice weather. In addition to that, there was an outdoor market nearby, which also explained the crowd. He had just decided to cross the road to avoid it when a child's voice was heard.

"Youjian-gege!" it shouted cheerfully.

And the next thing Lan Zhan knew, something plowed into his legs, almost causing him to topple over.

"Youjian-gege! Youjian-gege!"

It was A-Yuan.

Lan Zhan steadied himself before looking down to give him a tiny smile. "Hello, A-Yuan. It is good to see you again. What are you doing here?" he asked.

He bounced up and down in excitement. "I'm shopping with A-Die at the market! He brought me with him to help him!" he replied.

"Mmm. I see. Where is your a-die?" he queried next, searching for Wei Ying in the crowd.

A-Yuan pointed at one of the stalls. "Over there. We're trying to find stuff we need for our room. But when I saw you, I came over. It's good to see you again too! I was hoping I would! A-Die hoped so too! He told me."

Lan Zhan's ears burned for some strange reason. "Does he know that you saw me?"

"Um...no. I don't think so."

"Mmm. You shouldn't leave your a-die when you are outside with him, especially when they are a lot of people around. You could get hurt or get taken away from him by someone dangerous. You need to be careful."

"Oh...I'm sorry..."

"A-Yuan! There you are!"

Wei Ying came running through the crowd with the stroller then, obviously having noticed that he was gone. He looked panicked, but when he realized who his son was talking to, his face broke into a wide smile.

"Oh, hi Lan Zhan! You're the last person I thought I'd see today," he exclaimed.

Lan Zhan nodded. "Good afternoon, Wei Ying. How have you been?" he inquired.

"Not bad. Just getting settled into our room and looking for a job. How are you?"

"Fine. I am actually on my way home from work myself."

Wei Ying grinned, then bent down to place his hands on his son's arms. "A-Yuan, you scared me. I was looking all over for you just now, and I couldn't find you."

He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, A-Die. But I saw Youjian-gege, so I came to say hi to him."

"I understand that, baby, but he could have been a stranger instead...especially a dangerous one. This is the third time I've had tell you to stay by my side and not run off. So, do you know what's going to happen after we get home?" Wei Ying asked in a stern voice.

"Yes," A-Yuan repeated with tears in his eyes. "I have to go to bed straight after dinner. And no fruit cocktail for snack time."

"That's right." Then he stood up and faced Lan Zhan. "Excuse me for that. I hope he didn't cause you any trouble? He means none; I'm sure you can tell he is a good kid, just overeager at times. I'm glad he ran into you and not someone else. If something happened to him, it would have broken my heart," he whispered so that his son wouldn't hear him.

"Mn. He didn't. It is all right. I was actually telling him something similar. Where is his mother, by the way, if you do not mind me asking? I did not see her with you last time. I am sure she would have told him the same thing," he remarked.

Wei Ying's cheeks turned red as he pursed his lips. "Uh...well...technically, I am his mother. I was the one who gave birth to him."

Lan Zhan was taken aback. He had never met a man who had the ability to bear children that he personally knew of. But he was aware that an ample number of them could.

"Forgive me. I apologize for assuming..." he began.

Wei Ying waved his hand dismissively. "No, no. It's okay. I'm used to it by now. This happens all the time."

A-Yuan giggled, all sadness forgotten for the time being. "Yeah. Sometimes I call him A-Di-Mama, Youjian-gege. It makes him laugh, and he tickles me for it!"

Lan Zhan had to chuckle at this himself. "I can imagine." To Wei Ying, he added, "I will leave you both to your shopping, now. I do not want to keep you in case you have someone who is waiting or looking for you."

He shook his head. "There is no one. It's just me and A-Yuan. And don't apologize again," he said when Lan Zhan opened his mouth to. "As I said, this happens all the time. People always think that I have a boyfriend or husband when they find out that I'm technically his mother, but I'm single. I have been all my life, even before I had him."

Lan Zhan couldn't help but wonder who on earth would leave him and A-Yuan on their own. Intentionally, that is. But he didn't know what led to their circumstances, so he had no right to make any judgments.

He was oddly relieved that Wei Ying was single as well. And looking back, he remembered having a fleeting sense of jealousy at the idea of him being with anyone days ago, but he ignored it. He had no reason to feel that way when he didn't even know much about him.

"I understand," he murmured. "It is an easy thing to presume. But I will still let you go. It is good to see you and A-Yuan again."

"You too. Maybe we can all shop together sometime...as long as it's not a problem."

A-Yuan jumped up and down. "Please, Youjian-gege. Could we? A-Die always makes shopping fun! Please, please, please?" he begged.

Lan Zhan smiled at them. "Yes. That would be fine. I would like that," he admitted. Furthermore, it was impossible to say no. "But I cannot today. I have things to do at home. Perhaps another time."

Wei Ying beamed. "Okay. I'll be looking forward to it."

"Mn. Good-bye, Wei Ying. Good-bye, A-Yuan."

The latter hugged his knees. "Good-bye, Youjian-gege. I'll miss you!"

"How could you miss me? You have only seen me twice."

"Oh, I'd believe him if I were you. He wouldn't stop talking about you after we met," Wei Ying noted with a laugh.

Lan Zhan found this rather endearing. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. He nearly made my ears fall off. So, trust it. He's definitely going to miss you."

He chuckled again as he patted A-Yuan's back. "I hope you do not miss me too much, then. Behave, and stay close to your a-die. He is only strict with you because he wants you to be safe."

"Okay, Youjian-gege. I will. I understand."

"Good."

Wei Ying took his hand to shake it then, startling him. Lan Zhan could definitely see who A-Yuan had inherited his impulsiveness from. Not that he minded; Wei Ying's hand was quite warm.

"See you soon. Maybe I'll even have some mail on me next time," the former joked.

Lan Zhan was amused. "Mn. Perhaps. Would...would you like my phone number so that we can arrange a day to meet?"

"Of course. That would be better since we'll know when we're free."

"Mn."

And after exchanging numbers, they went their separate ways for real this time.

"Good-bye, Lan Zhan! Contact me when you have a chance!" Wei Ying called after him.

"Bye, Youjian-gege! See you soon!" A-Yuan added, waving vigorously.

Lan Zhan nodded, and after raising a hand in salute as well, he turned to make his way home.

Author's note: Hello, everybody! Let me know if you like the chapter. And as A-Yuan just said, I'll see you soon!