Zhengyong makes his way at a steady pace to He Fang house. Not seeing Wanning at Red Lotus pavilion he went searching for Mo Ran. Knowing those two must be together.
The days leading up to their wedding they were never seen apart. Unless Mo Ran went on a mission. When he's here at home they are together. Weather that be taking a walk, eating, or even when Mo Ran is training.
He's even seen his nephew mother Yuheng about the cold weather. Wanning of course assured the other that he's plenty bundled. With a glare Mo Ran let it go.
Not finding them he wonder where'd they go. He asked his wife knowing she's been with them for months now so she must know. After thinking and crossing places he's already checked she suggested he check He Fang house. Wanning and Mo Ran volunteer there regularly. Zhengyong stood frozen in shock, but once he gets out of it he kisses his wife thank you and leaves to go. They have an elder meeting soon and he wants to walk with Yuheng.
If they walk in together then less would be said about it.
He knocks on the door. Not having to wait long for the door to open. When she sees him her eyes grow wide, surprised he's here. "S-sect leader, how can I help?" she wonders.
"My nephew, Ran-er should be here with Yuheng. I came to pick her up. We have an important meeting." He says with a smile on his face.
He Fang continue to keep her eyes on him, hiding the fact she has no clue who he's talking about. But she can't be rude to the sect leader so instead she gives him a smile. "Please come in." She does not think who he's looking for is here, no clue why he would think that, but she is more than sure once he sees who is here he'll go search for them somewhere else.
Of course she has no clue what Mo Ran and Yuheng look like. She's never meet Yuheng. She never needed to. But she knows what other people have said about him. No one talks much about his gender change so she is unaware about that fact. But she does know he's a cold person. Sharp eyes. And unfriendly. She has no reason not to believe the gossip so she's created a look in her head.
With Mo Ran she has meet him once. When he just came here. Years ago. He wasn't happy like he is now. And she saw him from a distance. He's grown. And looks almost nothing like he did before.
"Thank you." Zhengyong says as she steps to the side. He walks in moving towards where he can hear the children playing. If those two are here it's to be with the children so he walks to them. He pays no mind to He Fang, expecting her to do her own thing.
She follows him. Wanting to explain once he sees for himself who he's searching for isn't here. And to help the married couple when they come face to face with the sect leader. In her mind they are random cultivators. Maybe top tier ones, since madam Wang had said madam Mo is very skilled.
Zhengyong walks in, taking a look around the room until he spots the couple helping a baby get to his feet. The little boy holding onto Wanning hand as he stands, his small chubby legs wobbly. Mo Ran sat next to Wanning watching with contained excitement.
Zhengyong walk slowly forward as does the child. Seeming to take his first steps. He walks forward. One step at a time. Walking further and further away from Wanning. His small hand slipping from Wanning's. A smile on the couples face.
"Yuheng. Ran-er." Zhengyong calls them. The couple snap their attention to him. Mo Ran brightens.
"Uncle." He calls standing up. "What are you doing here?" Mo Ran wonders.
"I came to get Yuheng."
"But the meeting isn't until later. I was going to drop him off." Mo Ran says.
Zhengyong gives his nephew a smile. How sticky. Wanning doesn't seem to mind though.
He Fang is looking with wide as at the interaction. T-they were his family. This whole time! It's a wonder madam Wang showed Yuheng to her personally.
"You can still drop him off. Let's go." Zhengyong says.
"I need help." Wanning grunts having tried to get to his feet but no use. Mo Ran grins, always finding it adorable when he tries so hard even though he knows it's a lost cause. Mo Ran helps Wanning to his feet.
"It's better this way." Zhengyong says standing on Wanning other side. Yuheng nods. They stop in front of He Fang who stare at them with her mouth agape.
"Good bye." Wanning gives her a polite nod. Mo Ran gives her a large smile and a wave of his hand. Zhengyong gives her a nod with a smile.
She lets them go. She felt like a tornado went past her. This whole time she was in the presence of the sect leaders nephew and his wife, the popular cultivator who is cold but strong.
She must tell someone.
They make their way to the building, making small talk about the meeting. Zhengyong thought since this meeting came up they might as well announce Wanning's pregnancy then. A few days later there will be an assembly. Wanning will need to be present then, and having less people shocked about the news the better and less chaos.
Mo Ran gives Wanning a kiss, because he's able to then leaves. After putting their coats up, Wanning walk with his face red to the meeting room. Zhengyong continue to grin. He's happy for them. Truly.
They walk in silence as Wanning is unable look at him. Zhengyong smile doesn't falter. "Nothing's changed." He tells Yuheng. The other gives a nod. "Just ignore them all like you usually do." Zhengyong grins even as Yuheng turns to him with a glare. From what his wife had told him, Yuheng is nervous. Anyone in his place would be. Wanning has an image, and seeing him like this now would break it. The untouchable Chu Wanning has been touched.
"I do not ignore them." Yuheng says sending a glare to the sect leader.
"Oh. You look like you do." Zhengyong says genuinely stunned.
"I choose to listen since I don't have much to contribute." He says. Which is understable. They talk about a lot of things about having large amount of disciples, allowances for said disciples and even getting help for said disciples. Wanning was never stretched thin.
As they get close to the door, they can hear the people in the room talking amongst themselves, but with many elders it's loud. Zhengyong opens the door but steps aside to let Yuheng in first. The noise stopping at the door. Yuheng takes a breath before walking in. He keeps his head level and doesn't looks anywhere but forward, heavily ignoring the eyes on him. But he finds himself needing to looks to see where he can sit. There's a spot far from where Zhengyong will be sitting. Wanning doesn't care, never has. He knows how to make himself seen if need be.
"Not there Yuheng." Zhengyong says closing the door as he watch Wanning move to sit down. Surprised and confused he looks up at the sect leader.
"This is-" Wanning starts looking around to see if he's missed an empty seat, but seeing how they are the last two there is not.
"You'll sit to my right." He declares. No way was he going to let Wanning, the mother of his grandchild (yes grandchild) sit so far away. Zhengyong walks to his seat as Wanning, to stunned to move, looks at the seat to the right, finding someone already sitting there. They make eye contact. Wanning is unsure what to do. "You're going to let a pregnant woman stand?" Zhengyong asks.
"Oh, of course not!" the elder scrambles away. Moving down. Yuheng steps back from where he was attempting to sit as someone takes the seat from him. Leaving the seat to Zhengyong right empty. Wanning raises an eyebrow in question but walks to sit down. Hand coming to hold his bump as he does do. Ears turning red as he lets out a huff.
Now that everyone is situated, Zhengyong clears his throat. "Before we start talking about sect business I would like to inform everyone most of my talks went rather well." All elders perk at the news.
"How many were you able to talk to?" Wanning wonders also shocked Zhengyong would call it a success.
"Almost all. I will admit that my timing was not good for some but for the ones I was able to meet we talked."
"What was discussed?" Tanlang wonders, eyes glaring but not at the sect leader. To the left of him.
"Keeping communication open. We've talked about having disciples interact with each other more too keep hostility down. Maybe do hunts together."
"Should we stop recruiting them?" an elder wonders shocked.
"Our numbers are getting bigger." another elder says.
"We have options."
"I've heard your options. Hiring more elders won't fix problems." One says with attitude.
"With too many elders it will be hard for the sect leader to control and handle the sect."
"Yuheng, what do you think?" Zhengyong wonders having heard everyone's problems. His friend always has ideas. For everything.
...
"Yuheng?" Zhengyong looks over to said man, along with the others. It's odd he's not answering. He spots Wanning with his angled a bit down, eyes closed. His breathing softly. One hand on top of his bump the other on his lap.
"He fell asleep?"
"Carrying a child is not an easy task."
"For now let's think about solutions to this problem and come back together to talk about it at a later date. I'll discuss this with Yuheng once he's woken up." Zhengyong says, what ever questions people had about Yuheng continue to be kept hidden.
"Onto the next topic: everyone budget." Zhengyong says leading the talks forward.
Mo Ran smiles at he walks past the elders, all walking out together. None are paying attention to him. Whatever they were discussing seem to still be with them.
Or they are gossipping about Wanning. Once passing them, and not seeing his uncle or wife Mo Ran peeks into the room. He finds uncle looking down at a paper as Wanning sit to his right, head down and angled enough to see his face. Wanning has fallen asleep.
"Did it go well?" Mo Ran wonders softly to not wake Wanning up. He steps forward.
Zhengyong snaps his head up to see his nephew. He gives the young man a smile. "Define it?" Zhengyong laughs. "I decided to jump into business talk so no one was able to mention it."
"When did Wanning fall asleep?" Mo Ran wonders.
"Around the disciple talk." Zhengyong answers looking back down.
"Then I'll take him home." Mo Ran says.
"Go a head. But do tell him I need to talk to him once he's awake." Zhengyong informs Mo Ran who nods, focus on carrying Wanning bridal style.
Wanning wakes an hour after. He's delirious as he sits up in bed. When he sees he's in his room he looks around finding Mo Ran reading by him. "I fell asleep." He gaps, face turning red.
Mo Ran looks over. "Yup." Mo Ran pops the 'p', a grin on his face as he looks at Wanning. Finding his blushing face cute.
Wanning groans, hiding his face. "I can never face the elders again." He says muffled by his hands.
"They can't fault a pregnant person for being tired." Mo Ran says, leaning forward to lay a kiss on Wanning's forehead. "Uncle says he needs to discuss something with you. I guess you missed something."
"I'll talk to him now then." Wanning says getting up. Face red. Not able to believe what happened. Mo Ran watch happily.