It all happens so fast they react a second to late.
Xue Meng, red face with anger, lunges across the table to grab his cousin collar. Pulling him up to his feet. Eyes angry and dark.
Everything happening in a blur.
"What did you do?!" Xue Meng screams in Mo Ran face who is stunned in place. Of all the people to react he didn't think it'd be his cousin. He thought his uncle would have some words for them. For him.
Zhengyong steps up to hold his son back while Chuqing gets up to try and pry Xue Meng hands off Mo Ran.
"Answer me!" Xue Meng demands angrily, shaking his cousin.
"Meng-er! Calm down!" Chuqing shouts at him. Trying to get his hands off the soon to be father. His grip is really strong.
"Meng-er, we don't know what happened." Zhengyong tells his son, one arm over his shoulder, the other going underneath his armpit. Trying with all his strength to pull him back.
"How can I?" He growls.
"Meng-er!" Zhengyong shouts his name.
"Shizun took an oath of celibacy! We all know Mo Ran past!" He screams in his face, grip around Mo Ran getting tighter. His words cutting deep. Chuqing can see the hurt in her nephews eyes. She's been able to piece how much he loves Wanning, and she knows how sorry he is about his past. They both are. Things shouldn't have gotten bad but they did.
"Meng-er!" Chuqing says angry herself, still trying to get his hands off Mo Ran, trying with more effort but it's still not enough. "As you can see things are fine! Do not accuse Ran-er without hearing the facts!" She tells him.
"Meng-er! We should talk about this!" Zhengyong says now only able to keep his son in place, unsure where this godly strength is coming from.
"Why do you never admit you did something wrong!" Xue Meng shouts in Mo Ran face.
Mo Ran frowns finally finding his voice. "I did nothing wrong." He says steady as he looks into his cousins eyes. Of all the shit he's done this isn't one of them.
"You acted the same way when Shizun died! Who did he die for?! You!"
"Meng-er!" Chuqing warns him, not wanting him to say something he'll regret.
"I admit I did something wrong in the past, but that's in the past and I have apologized. I've atoned for my wrong doings. At least I've tried." Mo Ran says back, not wanting that reminder. He never thanked his cousin for yelling at him then. That moment was the start of him seeing the truth.
"Have you!?" Xue Meng asks not believing it.
"Xue-" Wanning starts having struggled to get up and move with his stomach the way it is now. He's a bit out of breath after the struggle. Like always wanting to protect his love. Especially now. Not wanting Mo Ran to be accused of anything he did not do. At least not in the horrible way Xue Meng thinks his cousin did. Why did all three jump to horrible conclusion?
"First he died and now he's pregnant!" Xue Meng interrupts his teacher, not hearing it. He moves his hand rough and fast to point at the pregnant man.
"Ah!" Wanning shouts, his voice accompanied by a harsh smack. The room pauses, now silent. A whimper, then a thud. They all turn to Wanning on his knees, slowly but awkwardly crawling away.
"Wanning!" Mo Ran shouts his name worried. He rips Xue Meng hands off him effortlessly. In an instant he's on his knees by Wanning side. He see Wanning holding is face. "What hurts?" he wonders stopping Wanning. The other let his face go looking at his hands, coming face first to scarlet red. "Blood!" Mo Ran shouts twisting Wanning around to get a look.
"What's bleeding?" Chuqing asks worried, getting down, joining them. They see Wanning face being held lovingly in Mo Ran larger ones. His hands dwarfing the elders head. Blood is coming from his nose. Already reaching his chin. "Oh, that is a lot of blood." Chewing says. She presses her fingers to Wanning bridge making sure nothing is broken.
"What hit you?" Mo Ran asking grabbing something from his sleeves.
"E-elbow." Wanning answers. Mo Ran pauses.
"That explains the blood. Luckily nothing is broken. Now to check on the baby." Madam Wang says taking a hold of Wanning wrist. Mo Ran gives a glare to his cousin. Xue Meng flinches at the look.
"S-sorry shizun." Xue Meng voices taking a step closer. Zhengyong places a hand onto his shoulder stopping him. Eyes watching the three. In the time they've been gone they have gotten closer. Plus he's never seen Mo Ran so... mad. Even to his own cousin. That look is very dangerous. It's best Meng-er doesn't get closer for now.
Mo Ran wipes Wanning face with a handkerchief. There's so much blood he can only get some of it. "Nothing is wrong with you or the baby." Chuqing explains. Wanning nods unable to voice his thanks as Mo Ran wipes his face, taking a check on his wife.
"I'm fine." He tells Mo Ran but he is unconvinced.
"You fell too right?" Mo Ran wonders moving to get the edge of his skirt. Pulling it up to his knees, showing Wannings pale skin.
"Mo Ran!" Wanning yells squeaking. Mo Ran pays no mind as he gets a look at Wanning knees to see them red already. Chuqing seeing reaches to inspect it. Wanning holding onto Mo Ran shoulder as he is now seating in his lap, whole face turning red. As bright as the blood from his nose.
"I'm just checking." Mo Ran says looking at Wanning in the eyes. The look on his face making all fight die in his throat. He turns away.
"They'll be sore but nothing major." Chuqing answers covering Wanning knees again.
"Anything else baobei?" Mo Ran questions. Wanning shakes his head looking at Mo Ran.
Wanning stomach growls. Embarrassingly loud. His face erupts, getting more red than it was before. What timing! Why now?
Chuqing lets a small chuckle. "It is close to lunch."
"I'll get our lunch." Mo Ran says placing a kiss to Wanning forehead. Setting him aside, comfortable and away from Xue Meng. He gets up, stretching for a second then runs off to get their food.
Chuqing gets closer to Wanning, holding his face in her hands. Getting a better look at his nose. It truly isn't broken. She lets out a breath. "I'll go get some water to drink. You lost a lot of blood, I will also get a cloth for you to wipe the blood off." She says standing up. She looks at Xue Meng, giving him a disappointed head shake.
Leaving the three in the room.
In silence.
Awkward silence.
Slowly, Zhengyong brings his son to sit at the table, they've been standing long enough. Away from Wanning. Xue Meng lets himself be dragged around like a doll. Eyes on his teacher. One hand on his belly the other is covered with blood. Wanning tries to wipe away the blood. He's just smearing it at this point. The bleeding has stopped that's good.
"I-I'm so sorry shizun." Xue Meng apologizes, voice cracking. Eyes unable to look away from the man, more focused on the blood.
Wanning looks at Xue Meng, showing a small grin, not wanting him to feel to bad about it. He didn't mean to do that. "It was an accident." Wanning acknowledges. Xue Meng nods his head repeatedly.
"The child... is Ran-er?" Zhengyong asks. He's as shocked as his son is. He honestly felt like exploding too but Xue Meng beat him to it. Having to stop his son from attempting to murder his cousin did, in an odd way, calm himself down. The two are adults. Consenting adults. They both seem happy. His wife is also very close to the two. She seems to have accepted this.
"Yes." Wanning nods looking away.
"Was the baby... planned?" Zhengyong wonders slowly. Unsure how to ask but unable to not ask.
Wanning shakes his head. "We were unprepared." Wanning ears turn red.
The room is silent once again. The two need time to wrap their head around the fact they did not plan this but Wanning and Mo Ran were in fact in a relationship. The fact Mo Ran is going to be a father. That doesn't seem right.
"Good." Madam says seeing Wanning from the crack in the door. "Try not to move much." Chuqing says walking in. In her arms are two wooden basin and on top is a pitcher of water. Gently, Chuqing gets to her knees, careful to not spill or drop anything. She grabs the pitcher setting it on the table along with the cup. Then she moves the top basin off the bottom. From the top she removes the cover. Revealing both basin full of water. Next Chuqing stands to grab a rag. Wanning scoots to one of the basins to wash his hands.
"Are you okay with this wife?" Zhengyong wonders turning to his wife. Xue Meng turning, curious about his mother's opinion on this.
Wanning pauses.