Shooting Star [Never Let You Go, Again Book 2]

46: I'm Right Here

"Ah? Gege, the lamps blew out, shall I light them?"

Not a sound.

"Gege? A-Cheng? Nie-xiong? Xuanji-mei! Where are you guys?"

But his calls were answered by someone else.

Wei Wuxian listened closely to the sound of approaching footsteps. Heavy and yet, gentle. Loud and yet, soft. Just footsteps, but they shattered his heart.

The person got nearer and nearer. Wei Ying shut his eyes, breathing in the sandalwood. He clenched his fist as a white-robed arm shot out, dangling something in front of his face. He opened his eyes at the sound of tinkling porcelain. A smiling, quivering voice as soft as snow but as deep as the lakes in Yunmeng whispered in his ear.

"Emperor's Smile. I'll give you one jar. Can you pretend you never saw me?"

The tears fell slowly, dripping onto the wooden floor of the Hanshi. Wei Wuxian smiled painfully as he asked back, "If I do, will you leave me again?"

"Never."

Wei Wuxian sobbed as he spun around and snuggled into Lan Wangji's chest. "A-ZHAN!"

"A-Ying," Lan Wangji cocooned his husband in his strong arms. It was dark as night in the room, but like Wang Meihui had said, the light within them was more than enough. Lan Wangji radiated his aura bright and wide to light up the room and to pour all his sorrow, joy, relief and love into his husband's surprised soul. "A-Ying don't cry. I'm right here. Right here," he whispered as he stroked the disfigured back.

"You're back!"

"Mn."

"You're alive!"

"Mn." 

Snivelling, Wei Wuxian kissed Lan Wangji all over his face, mouth and neck, lips never biting or sucking like they used to, just relishing the return of his lost love. Lan Wangji was back. Physical and strong as ever. Smiling like he used to. Alive. He was alive.

Sniffing as his husband brushed his face with a sleeve, Wei Wuxian grinned sheepishly into the darkness and shouted. "Oi! You four idiots get out here!"

Chuckling with pride and glee, the two Nies, Lan and Jiang walked out of hiding and Xichen lit the lamps up again. Lan Wangji's aura retreated as he took his love's hand and sat with him on the third side of the table.

Wei Wuxian was beaming brighter than he ever had. He wasn't alone. The terrible feeling from sitting down in front of two couples before was long gone as he clutched his darling's hand, holding it in both palms near his chest as he looked at his friends. "Explain."

"First drink this," Jiang Cheng held up a bowl of water.

When Wei Wuxian protested, Lan Wangji snatched the cup and poured it down his throat. Wei Wuxian winced. "Mm, kinda burns after five months of nothing going down there..."

Lan Xichen shook his head with a laugh as he brought out dishes... and dishes... and dishes... on and on... more and more dishes of all sorts of spicy food. Meat, vegetables, rice, congee, snacks, desserts. Even the ice cream had chilli sauce on it. "Gege," Wei Wuxian laughed. "What's the chilli sauce doing on the ice cream?"

"I don't know, I just thought I'll give you all the spice you missed," Xichen shrugged. "Also, mind you, not my idea," he winked.

Wei Wuxian punched his husband. "While you were conspiring with them to surprise me, couldn't you come and see me? Do you know how lonely I was, you blasted moron?"

The others doubled up laughing at Wei Wuxian's words.

"Wei-xiong, you'll spend five entire months not talking with anyone, crying and missing him, and then when he does come you call him that? Terrible husband," Nie Huaisang wagged his fan.