Normally, Lan Wangji awoke precisely two minute before his alarm, in a calm state of mind and a full return to wakefulness. This was nothing like that. His instincts were screaming at him, his mind was clawing through what felt like concrete as he tried to push through to consciousness. When he finally managed it, his head was pounding and he knew two things immediately. The first was that he had been drugged, and the second was that Wei Ying was gone.
His stomach tightened unpleasantly.
It wasn't a surprise. There was a reason he'd brought the ropes in the first place. The Yiling Laozu was neither an easy man to catch, nor to keep. He knew he had taken a risk when he'd untied the man from the bed posts. But Lan Zhan had hoped he had been able to convince him to work together. They had shared goals, and he had made it clear he would protect Wei Ying.
But trust was a liability in their line of work.
Lan Wangji had been raised to understand this. It was why Lan Xichen was not the Dragon Head, despite being Lan Wangji's elder by several years. Lan Wangji had been careful his entire life to not act rashly, to not trust easily, and to never get attached to anyone other than his uncle and brother.
Until Wei Ying.
And now, he was paying the price for his mistake. He only hoped his mistake would not put his organization at risk. He had offered to protect Wei Ying, to bring him into his organization. But the man had decided to pursue his own path, and his own agenda. They might not be enemies, but they were not allies. Wei Ying had claimed it was because it put the Lan organization at risk, but Lan Zhan knew his organization was more at risk with the one person who could control access to the data Wen Ruohan had outside of its control.
Lan Wangji's first duty was to keep his family and organization safe. If Wei Ying had agreed to join the Lan Triad, then there would have been no conflict of interest. Lan Zhan's interests in Wei Ying would not have been as much of a risk.
But Wei Ying had turned him down.
Lan Wangji threw the sheets back and quickly and methodically searched the room, even though he knew Wei Ying was no longer there. The nitrous was sitting at the top of his bag, obviously not where he had left it. Of course Wei Ying had noticed it, despite it being half shoved down inside the bag. Lan Wangji had not been sufficiently careful when he had pulled out the ropes. It was surprising that Wei Ying had been able to extract it from the bag without waking him, but Lan Zhan knew he had been exhausted and sated, his body so filled with endorphins that it had lulled him into a false sense of security, despite everything he knew about the man who had been laying beside him in his bed.
His lips compressed into a thin line. He had let his guard down. He'd let his cock influence his actions in a way he had vowed never to do. It was only luck that he wasn't dead, and it was his own fucking fault. He had broken his most important rule. He'd become attached to Wei Ying, and let his attraction for the man distract him and undermine his judgment.
He quickly pulled a shirt over his head, then stepped into a pair of sleep pants. He was very sure he was too late, but he would not make any assumptions. He had made that mistake once, and he wouldn't make it again.
He walked up the stairs and scanned the upper deck of the yacht, finding it empty except for the man who was at the helm and one of the night guards.
"Hanguang-Jun!" the guard exclaimed. "Is everything alright?"
Lan Wangji considered, for a moment, how to respond. He had let a man escape, and would lose face if his men realized the extent of the risk he had taken. It wasn't a matter of pride (though, of course, there was some element of that). Showing weakness was a dangerous thing in any business, but especially the one he was in.
If any of his men had seen Wei Ying leaving without Lan Wangji there to escort him, they would have tried to stop him, and Lan Wangji would have been notified. There was no point in flaunting his mistake at this point. But he could still find out if Wei Ying had had help in leaving.
"Has any other ship approached the vessel?" Lan Wangji asked. Wei Ying had to get off the yacht somehow, and swimming in a deep river at night, filled with boats, was exceptionally dangerous.
The men shook their heads.
Lan Wangji clamped down on the dismayed anger that surged through him. He had known that there was a good chance Wei Ying would escape. He was skilled, and Lan Zhan had taken a huge risk in untying him. He'd hoped that the lure of getting his phone and laptop back would be sufficient to keep the man with him at least until they'd arrived in Gusu, but the gamble had not paid off.
Evidently, Wei Ying had gone so far as to fucking swim in the heavily trafficked river at fucking night just to escape him. They had at least cleared Qishan, so Wei Ying would be safely out of Wen Ruohan's sphere of control if he made it to share. But he had no money, no phone, and his partner had no way to track or contact him. He was as likely to have drowned in the river - struck by the hull of a boat that would not have even seen him in the dark, rushing waters - as he was to have safely made it to shore.
Lan Wangji drew a slow breath, forcing the image from his mind.
Wei Ying had made his choice. Lan Zhan could not help him if he'd died hours ago. He needed to focus on dealing with the fact that his organization was now completely open to the whims of Wen Ruohan, without any access to the specific information he may or may not decide to release in an attempt to take others down with him as he fell.
It would take nearly a full day by boat to reach Gusu. In the meantime, he had things he needed to address. He wouldn't make the same mistake he had back in Qinghe.
"There is a chance someone has boarded without our knowledge. I will search the cabins. Make sure no one leaves the boat."
Lan Wangji didn't really believe that Wei Ying would hide right next door again . Part of what made him so successful was that he was unpredictable. But Lan Wangji would feel like an absolute fool if Wei Ying was in one of the other rooms on his own yacht.
He wasn't.
But in the unused guest room, folded neatly on one of the pillows, Lan Wangji found a drawing. The sketch was quickly done, but the artist was skilled. The lines were bold and simple, but the identity of the figure dran lounging on the bed was unmistakably Wei Ying, a delighted grin on his face. The note was simple and to the point.
"Lan Zhan! I knew you were too smart for me to pull the same trick on again. Don't be too mad, ok? I'll be in touch, I promise."
Lan Wangji's first impulse was to crumple the drawing in his fist, but - instead - he found himself carefully re-folding the note and taking it with him.
Having ascertained that Wei Ying was no longer on the boat, he returned to his room. It was almost five in the morning, and the sky was beginning to lighten into the twilight of dawn.
Somewhere out there, Wei Ying was getting further and further away from him.
Wen Chao had almost certainly been reported missing by that point. It was possible that his body had already been discovered, though Lan Wangji knew his brother or uncle would have called him if the news had broken. Wen Ruohan would be targeting anyone and anything in his way, and Lan Wangji had let the one person slip through his fingers who could have given him information on exactly what the man was doing and what the Lan liabilities were.
Lan Wangji would not allow his fascination with Wei Ying to cloud his judgement again.
His priority had to be keeping his organization safe. Fortunately, he had already cleared out the warehouses that had been compromised by Su She, thanks to the information Wei Ying's program had let him extract from Su She's phone. But that did not mean his organization was safe. Wei Ying had said he would delete what he could from Wen Ruohanh's files about the Lan and Nie, but there was no guarantee that would happen. Wei Ying might not even have made it out of the river.
Lan Wangji told himself that the hollow feeling in his stomach at the thought of Wei Ying drowning was solely due to the fact that such an event would put his family and organization at risk.
There would be no way to know for sure that Wei Ying had made it safely unless the man contacted him.
Actually, that wasn't completely true. Lan Wangji realized he was pretty sure he knew what Wei Ying's first stop would be. He immediately called his driver, feeling somewhat relieved when the man picked up, even though there was no possible way that Wei Ying could have made it from the boat to the car in the time since he'd left. The river route from Qishan to Gusu curved around to the north before heading southeast, whereas the highway diverged and went southeast almost immediately. They were hours apart, even if Wei Ying had managed to steal a car the instant he set foot on dry land.
Still, Lan Wangji asked his man to check the contents of the bag.
"A couple of changes of clothes, a knife, some dried mango, and a pack of zip ties."
Lan Wangji managed to keep from cursing when the man described the contents.
"No phone? Laptop?"
"I don't see anything like that here. Was there supposed to be?"
"Did you stop anywhere?" Lan Zhan asked, his voice clipped.
" Only for gas. But the car was in my sight the whole time. I haven't even stopped to sleep."
Evidently Wei Ying's partner was also talented. Taking the entire bag would have drawn attention, so the man had only taken the items that Wei Ying had not been willing to lose. It could have happened anywhere, even before the man had left Qishan.
Lan Zhan closed his eyes briefly. His most direct lead on Wei Ying was gone. If his partner had been tracking his belongings, then that meant that the only way Wei Ying could have escaped was swimming to shore.
The boat's previous owner had equipped the vessel with closed circuit security cameras, the video feed of which Lan Wangji had sole access to. Given his purpose of this trip, he hadn't wanted any of his men to be monitoring his actions. It was the same reason there were no cameras in his bedroom or the guestroom where he typically brought his omegas back at the club.
He walked over to the closet, and opened the drawer where he had kept his laptop, which had the access codes. He had kept it out of sight the entire time Wei Ying had been with him, but he was somewhat relieved to find that it was exactly where he'd left it. Any phone or computer became a weapon in the Yiling Laozu's hands.
That relief did not last long.
He had moved the video feed to the timestamp roughly around when he estimated he had fallen asleep. The dim glow from the bathroom light that they had forgotten to turn off provided just enough visibility in the windowless room for Lan Wangji to be able to tell that Wei Ying was not asleep. He had lain beside Lan Wangji for nearly half an hour before slowly beginning to shift his body towards the bag. Lan Zhan's fist clenched as he watched how easily Wei Ying had incapacitated him.
It wasn't unexpected, but Lan Zhan was not a man who let his guard down easily. It had clearly been a mistake to do so. He had expected Wei Ying to immediately leave as soon as it was clear that he was unconscious rather than just asleep. But Wei Ying had paused, watching Lan Zhan for several moments. His face was in profile, so it was hard to see his full expression, but it had seemed almost sad, not victorious.
Lan Zhan felt his body tense as Wei Ying leaned forward, brushing a gentle kiss on his lips before getting up. Lan Zhan did not allow himself to think about the kiss, though some small part of the knot of anger inside him had unwound at the sight. Still, Wei Ying had decided to leave. That was all that mattered.
He watched as the Yiling Laozu opened the laptop that had been left on the nightstand. There was no information on it but that didn't seem to matter. Wei Ying's hands flew nimbly over the keyboard, and, after less than five minutes, he stiffened and looked over directly to where the hidden camera was located. It was concealed as a ceiling light, the mounting so cleverly done it looked identical to the other light fixtures in the room.
Wei Ying glanced over at where Lan Zhan's prone form still lay, unmoving, on the bed, and he gave a short laugh.
"Lan Zhan! I never pegged you for a sex tape kind of guy. How shameless!"
Lan Zhan assumed that Wei Ying was going to disable the security cameras, but he seemed more to be monitoring them. Likely checking to see where the guards were, and how many there were. Wei Ying had been unconscious when Lan Zhan had brought him aboard, so the man would not have known even the configuration of the vessel.
Wei Ying looked back over towards the bed again. " Ah. You're going to be so mad at me, aren't you? But it's for the best. A moving target is harder to hit."
Wei Ying rose, walking over to the closet, wearing nothing except Lan Zhan's collar. Lan Zhan forced himself to not make anything out of the fact that Wei Ying had not removed it.
Wei Ying came out still wearing the collar, but also a pair of Lan Zhan's white silk boxers. He was holding a bundle of clothes that looked like the ones he had packed for Wei Ying. He shut the laptop and returned it to the nightstand, then pulled on Lan Zhan's bathrobe and slowly walked out into the hall. The hall camera picked him up immediately, and Wei Ying made no effort to hide. He must have already figured out that the cameras were not being actively monitored, and Lan Zhan already knew his face and location. There was no reason to hide.
Wei Ying went into the kitchen and took a plastic bag, putting the clothes inside before wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap. There was paper and a pen on the table, which Wei Ying picked up and quickly sketched the drawing Lan Zhan had already found. Despite his annoyance at the man, Lan Zhan was impressed by how easy he made it look.
Wei Ying slipped into the empty bedroom, and placed the drawing on the pillow and removed the bathrobe before quietly slipping up the stairs to the main deck. There were only two of Lan Zhan's men above deck, with the other three sleeping down below. One was piloting the ship, and needed to keep his eyes on the river. The other was making rounds, but clearly not expecting an attack in the middle of the river. Wei Ying stayed crouched in the stairwell until the man walked past, the guard's attention focused on the surroundings, not from inside the ship.
Lan Zhan watched as Wei Ying took the water-proofed packet of clothing and soundlessly slipped down over the side of the ship, disappearing from sight.
"Foolish," Lan Zhan said, feeling a spike of adrenaline at the sight and telling himself it was anger, not fear. Wei Ying had to have been exhausted, and swimming in a river this deep and heavily trafficked at night was something even experienced swimmers avoided.
Lan Zhan would not worry about Wei Ying. He would not. Wei Ying had had other options, and he had chosen this path instead. It was Wei Ying's own fault if he got caught in the propeller of a passing boat, or knocked unconscious by one of the many ships passing through the waters.
He told himself yet again that the only reason his stomach felt tight was that - if Wei Ying drowned - then there would be no one who could destroy the evidence Wen Ruohan had about them on his servers before he tried to cut a deal with the authorities.
He considered his situation. Reaching out to the Jin or the Wen was obviously a nonstarter. He believed Wei Ying about their secret alliance. He'd seen some of it on Su She's phone. There was one person who would possibly have the skills to help him. Lan Zhan looked at his watch, noticing the early hour.
He walked to the kitchen to make himself some tea, hoping it would help with the unsettled feeling that had been growing since he woke up. He would call Nie Huaisang as soon as he had eaten.
"He's sure? He has proof?" Nie Huaisang asked. He had dispensed with his usual 'oh, I don't understand what you could possibly be talking about' when he realized Lan Wangji had information on the Wen trying to orchestrate a potential gang war between the Nie and the Lan, and that the Jin and the Wen seemed to be working together.
"Mm," Lan Wangji replied. "He said that Wen Ruohan 'kept receipts'."
" If Wei Wuxian found out about that, he must have found other things," Nie Huaisang stated, though Lan Wangji knew it was a question. It was also the first time either of them had referred to Wei Ying by name. Lan Wangji decided to keep Wei Ying's birth name to himself, since Nie Huaisang very well might not know it. " He's going after the Wen because of what they did to the Jiang, isn't he?"
Lan Zhan didn't reply. It would be all over the news soon enough. Likely within a few hours.
"Fuck, he's already gone and done something, didn't he." Nie Huaisang didn't seem to need confirmation. " Ok, so if he follows the same pattern, he's going to release information on the Wen to keep Wen Ruohan tied up so he can't go after him. And Wen Ruohan is not the type of guy to go down quietly. Anything he has on anyone else, he's going to try to use it to buy his way either out of trouble or out of the country."
In the past, the families had kept to their own sphere of influence. But with the Jin and the Wen already so tightly aligned, Lan Wangji decided it might be worth tightening the ties with the Nie. Especially as there was going to be a tidal wave of investigations kicked off by the bomb Wei Ying was about to lob into the system.
"Mm. He suggested as much. He said he's releasing everything he has on their human trafficking operations, along with the Jiang massacre. Non-negotiable."
If the Nie were involved in any of that, they had made their own bed and Lan Zhan would not waste his time with them. But Nie Huaisang did not seem concerned.
" Wen Ruohan is not nearly as stupid as Jin Guangshan. How did Wei Wuxian get the information from his systems?"
"Wen Chao," was all Lan Wangji replied, but it seemed to be enough for the man.
" Ok. That might explain why Wen Xu has suddenly started sniffing around for him. He's been looking for Wei Wuxian, not just Mo Xuanyu. The Jin are also suddenly asking if I'd be willing to share the video footage from the gala, despite the fact that they didn't bother to come. I'm guessing they want to see who the person was that escaped. I've been able to put them off by just saying we don't disclose security footage to people not in attendance, but they keep pressing."
Lan Wangji frowned at the mention of Wen Xu. He had not forgotten how the alpha had slipped Wei Ying his number at the Nie gala. He hadn't had the chance to ask Wei Ying what the alpha had said that had thrown him. "The Jin have also been demanding footage from the club."
Lan Wangji had to stomp down on the flood of protectiveness he felt towards Wei Ying. He needed to focus on protecting those who actually belonged to him. Nie Huaisang was continuing.
"If I had more time, or at least some information on where their data was kept, I might be able to get in and take care of it. But if the information gets leaked now, there won't be time. The authorities won't wait long to move, because both Wen Ruohan and Jin Guangshan have the means to flee the country. I hate to admit it, but Wei Wuxian is better than I am. I don't have any way to even find, much less access, the systems that we need to worry about. Did he say he'd be in touch? I've been reaching out to him, but he never responds to me. Or, at least, not with anything useful."
Lan Zhan thought about the number on his phone that Wei Ying had called him from. He was willing to bet that was Wei Ying's actual number. Wei Ying didn't have his phone at the moment, but - if he made it out of the river - he would, soon.
"I may have a way to contact him," Lan Zhan said.
" I don't suppose you'd be willing to share," Nie Huaisang said, then sighed. " Of course you won't. Ok, I'm not going to ask how he got away from you AGAIN, since you must have seen him since the gala to know all this, but just… tell him he can trust me. Or if he doesn't want to trust me, tell him at least that I hate the Wen and the Jin as much as he does, and he can trust that."
Lan Wangji agreed, then disconnected the call.
They were still hours away from Gusu, and there was nothing Lan Wangji could do until they docked.
He looked at the video feed on his laptop. Maybe once he was no longer able to smell or touch Wei Ying, he would be able to be more objective in his assessment of whether or not the man had been playing him.
He scrolled back through the video until he got to the time stamp when he boarded the ship, carrying an unconscious Wei Ying.
Lan Wangji watched himself on the screen as he lay Wei Ying's body down on the bed. He fought to not think about how it felt to have the man so pliant, so completely at his mercy with his ropes around the omega's slender wrists and ankles.
Despite waking in a potential enemy's bed, Wei Ying had not looked afraid when his eyes had opened and focused on Lan Wangji.
"Mm. Wei Ying needs to learn the consequences of his actions. And you owe me some answers."
Wei Ying had tilted his head to the side and grinned, his eyes dark with challenge. "Then why don't you try to show me, er-gege. See if you can make me answer all your questions."
Wei Ying had taunted Lan Zhan in ways that - even through the separation of a camera lens - still made Lan Zhan's blood heat. Lan Zhan remembered the possessiveness that had flooded through him when Wei Ying had joked about some other alpha having fucked him while he was unconscious. And when Wei Ying had mentioned suppressants, and the possibility of carrying Lan Zhan's child…
"Ooh! Does Lan Zhan like that idea? Does Lan er-gege wish he'd fucked a baby into me?"
Lan Zhan closed his eyes, his hand clenched into a tight fist where it rested on the desk.
Wei Ying was not his mate. They were not dating, nor friends, nor even clear allies. And Lan Zhan needed to remember that.
But it was hard to remember than when he watched himself so completely in thrall of Wei Ying, of the way his whole body had clenched at the sight of his seed leaking from Wei Ying's hole.
"You like that, Lan Zhan? You like seeing the proof that you've been there?"
The way Wei Ying's body responded to him, arching beneath his touch.
"Feels like you put a lot in me. Did you fuck me again while I was passed out? I wouldn't have minded it. Did you want to have me in your bed, at your mercy, loose and unconscious and there for you to fuck however you like?"
Lan Zhan closed his eyes and imagined it. How it would feel, to have Wei Ying's body totally in his control. He could pull him onto his lap, letting Wei Ying's head fall back against Lan Zhan's shoulders while he gripped his hips and fucked up into him. He could fuck him for hours, keeping his dick deep inside Wei Ying's body, feeling the slick slide of his seed wrapped around him with every thrust. Would Wei Ying get hard? Would he cum if he was unconscious? What sounds would he make when he woke to find Lan Zhan fucking into him, over and over?
"Are you going to cum in me again, Lan Zhan? Fill me up with even more of your seed? Are you going to try to fuck a baby in me?"
Lan Zhan's jaw clenched so hard he could almost feel the bone crack. He watched the video as he leaned down and kissed Wei Ying roughly, open mouthed and dirty. Much to his frustration, he felt his body surge in response. No matter how angry he was at Wei Ying, his body still wanted him. He would need to be careful to not let that influence him again.
"Don't say things you don't mean. I thought you were supposed to be immune from getting sex-drunk. Don't you already have like… your next 10 omegas lined up or something?"
Wei Ying had tried to shift away, but they were still tied by Lan Zhan's knot.
Lan Zhan remembered feeling angry at how easily Wei Ying had brushed him off. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him. He had always set such careful rules, ensuring every omega he fucked knew exactly where they stood with him. The one time he foolishly wanted more, Wei Ying had thrown his own rules back at him.
Lan Zhan told himself it was a good thing that at least one of them had kept his head on straight.
"Not as my omega. Wei Ying has skills the Lan lack. This has been made clear in recent events."
Wei Ying had turned his head to the side. "Ugh, how long until your knot goes down? I was passed out last time. Could we maybe not have a fucking job interview while your dick is in my ass?"
From this angle, Lan Zhan was able to tell the exact moment when Wei Ying had noticed the nitrous oxide in his duffel bag. Lan Zhan had been trying to find a way to keep Wei Ying with him, while Wei Ying had been focused on finding a way to escape.
He'd made excuses for all the reasons why he needed to be untied, and continued to downplay Lan Zhan's offer of a job and protection. He'd played it off that it was about not wanting to put the Lan at risk, but wasn't he also putting the Lan at risk by disappearing with the information that could allow Lan Zhan to protect his organization?
With a clearer head, Lan Zhan could easily read the way Wei Ying weighed every word, considering how much to tell and how much to hold back. He still felt fairly sure that Wei Ying hadn't outright lied to him, but - for the first time in his life - Lan Zhan wasn't sure he could trust his own judgement.
Wei Ying's surprise when Lan Zhan mentioned the Dafan Wen was not faked, though. Lan Zhan had been trained well enough to recognize a nerve when he struck one. There was more there than what Wei Ying was letting on. Lan Zhan paused the video, and pulled up the articles from that time. He would finish the video, then go back through the information he had on the Dafan Wen situation to try to find out what he had missed.
He tried not to notice how exhausted Wei Ying looked, the shadows under his eyes making them seem even larger in the dimness of the room. It wasn't his concern. Wei Ying was not his to take care of.
"I'm so fucking tired, Lan Zhan. Can't we just like… not do this right now?"
Maybe Lan Zhan had pushed him too hard. Or maybe he hadn't pushed him hard enough. Wei Ying had told him some things, but it was clear he had held a lot back. While Lan Zhan understood that, strategically, it made him angry that Wei Ying did not trust him.
"My offer from earlier still stands," Lan Zhan had said, brushing his thumb over Wei Ying's cheekbone. Wei Ying had looked at him, and -for a moment - Lan Zhan had thought he would agree. But he hadn't. Despite having tracked Wei Ying down, proven his skills, the omega still hadn't trusted him.
"Let me finish the Wen situation. That way, if it goes sideways, no one else gets pulled in."
Lan Zhan finished watching the footage. He had to fight the flicker of satisfaction of watching Wei Ying eat the food he'd provided. Wei Ying was not his mate .
And the fact that he'd left only underscored that point. People in their world put themselves at risk when they got attached to someone, especially a mate. It not only could cloud one's judgement, but it also created an easily identifiable weakness for enemies to target
Lan Zhan had been trained better.
"Sleep," Lan Zhan said, gesturing to the bed. "We will speak more in the morning."
Wei Ying hadn't objected when Lan Zhan had taken a length of the rope and bound their wrists together. At the time, Lan Zhan had hoped it meant that Wei Ying was going to stay at least until they had his laptop and could discuss a plan together. Now, he knew that it was because Wei Ying already had a plan to escape.
"I can protect Wei Ying," Lan Zhan had said, laying an arm over Wei Ying's hips. "You don't need to keep working alone."
Wei Ying had given a slight smile, then closed his eyes. He hadn't responded.
"Let's sleep now. You wore this poor omega out. I'm not used to it like you are, Lan Zhan."
Lan Zhan shut the video off, and closed the laptop. He ignored the low headache that was forming behind his eyes, likely from lack of sleep.
He'd made the mistake of getting attached. It had clouded his judgment, and he needed to get his head on straight and make sure it didn't happen again.
It was about eight hours later when he received a text from the number that Wei Ying had called him from.
I deleted what I could
They found Wen Chao
Lan Zhan opened up his laptop and went to the CCTV page. His headache had only gotten worse, spreading to his neck and shoulders, and the light from the screen felt like it was stabbing into his eyes. He ignored it, scrolling through the main page where there was an article about Wen Chao's death, and a note that Wen Xu was currently missing, and anyone with information on him should contact the authorities.
Lan Zhan frowned, wondering if Wei Ying had killed Wen Xu, or if the man had somehow known this was coming and had gone to ground before the police showed up.
Lan Zhan?
Lan Wangji looked at the last text from Wei Ying.
He did not respond. It was time to start getting some distance, and - hopefully - some perspective.
Instead, he began reading through the articles of the Dafan human trafficking scandal. He would eat, then get a good night's sleep. He would feel fine in the morning, once he returned to a more disciplined sleep schedule.
His headache had only grown worse throughout the day, making it hard for him to focus on the articles about the Dafan situation beyond just a cursory understanding that only one small child had been recovered, and a handful of elders. He considered trying to sleep, but returning to the bed where he had slept with Wei Ying would only make him more frustrated. He would sleep in his own bed when they returned to Gusu that night.
Hopefully by then he would be feeling better.
He was decidedly not feeling better by the time he arrived back at the club that evening. He wondered if he was getting sick, something that almost never happened to him. Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren had called as soon as the news about Wen Chao had hit, and Lan Xichen had immediately gone to the club in case there was news there. He was waiting for Lan Wangji when he arrived.
"Brother," Lan Wangji greeted as he walked in.
Lan Xichen looked at him, concern clear on his face. "Wangji. Are you unwell?"
Lan Wangji did not reply, but - instead - gestured to his brother to follow him upstairs to his private sitting room. When the door closed behind them, Lan Xichen repeated his question.
"You look tired. I know you said you had business in Qishan, and then the news about Wen Chao broke. Were you involved in this? The Jiang heir and his sister came by this morning looking for you, but they would not say what it was about."
Lan Wangji had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to discuss, and who exactly they were hoping to speak with. But he did not feel particularly charitable towards them, at the moment. All their presence could do was draw attention to Wei Ying's connection to the Jiang. He hoped they would be more circumspect going forward. It was unlikely that their visit had gone unnoticed, which was unfortunate. It could also create an implication of Lan involvement, which was unacceptable.
Jiang Yanli had left her number with him. He would make use of it as soon as he finished his discussion with his brother.
"I would not start a war with the Wen syndicate without discussing it with you and Uncle beforehand. Wen Chao did not die by my hand, but I was aware it was going to happen."
Lan Xichen waited, trusting his brother would explain more.
"You cannot disclose what I tell you to anyone, no matter your relationship with them," Lan Wangji began, causing his brother's eyebrows to rise in surprise.
"Of course, Wangji."
Lan Wangji nodded. He would need to trust his brother, given he was not sure he could fully trust himself. "Wen Ruohan kept a database of evidence of other crime families, as well as business leaders and politicians."
Lan Xichen's eyes widened. "And he had information on us."
"Mm. The location of several warehouses. And possibly some contacts we use. He had much more on the Jin."
"How did you find out?"
Lan Wangji hesitated. "I have a contact who had access to the Wen database. He has promised to try to delete everything on us before Wen Ruohan turns it over to the authorities."
"I… he can do that? What about the information on the Jin? And other families, like the Nie?"
Lan Wangjji noticed the way his brother seemed very concerned about the Jin, with the Nie being mentioned more of an afterthought. Before he could comment on it, Lan Xichen was continuing.
"Wangji, my contact in the Jin has been asking again for access to the video footage from the club around the time Su She was killed. I know you have concerns, but I think it might be related to the Yiling Laozu. If he is going to release information on the Wen the same way he did with the Jin, then we could all be at risk. Please reconsider sharing the footage with our allies."
"The Jin are not our allies," Lan Wangji said sharply.
At his brother's look of surprise, Lan Wangji realized he had to let his brother know. Whatever mistakes Lan Xichen had made in the past, Lan Wangji knew that his brother would always put their family first. He had held off intervening for too long. The stakes had become too high.
"I know that they haven't been, historically. But things are changing."
"Su She was being bribed by the Jin for information on our warehouses. This was given by them to the Wen. They were planning to orchestrate a hit on them, and make it look like it was done by the Nie."
Lan Xichen's face froze.
"No. That… can't be right. They would never do such a thing. Who told you this?"
Lan Wangji walked over to his desk, unlocked it, and pulled out Su She's phone. It had been unlocked by Wei Ying's program, and he was able to show his brother all of the texts and calls between Su She and the Jin.
Lan Xichen's face paled. "This…"
Lan Wangji nodded. "This is why your contact wants the footage. He wants to see who killed Su She, either to seek revenge for killing the mole, or to track them down to find out if they were able to access his phone or not. It is also why they 'offered' to help us examine Su She's phone. They likely believe that we are unaware of their attempts because we have not yet moved against them."
Lan Xichen sat perfectly still, looking stunned. "And the evidence that they were trying to set us against the Nie?"
"Is in Wen Ruohan's database."
'And… you trust this source of yours who has told you all this?"
Lan Wangji hesitated. He should be cautious. He should have doubts. But the truth was, he believed Wei Ying, even though he did not have the files in front of him.
"Yes. He said he will give me the files, to see for myself. Brother, you must cut ties with your contact for now. The Jin and the Wen are linked in their operations more than we knew before."
Lan Xichen closed his eyes, but nodded. "The number. On Su She's phone. It is the same as my contact's."
"It would be best if he does not know you are aware. For now just tell him the family is on lock-down due to the Wen situation."
Lan Xichen nodded. "Of course." He gave Lan Wangji a wan smile. "It seems as though you have been busy these past few days. I had hoped it was a vacation, but I suppose that would be too out of character for my disciplined little brother."
Lan Wangji managed not to flinch at being called 'disciplined' after the mistakes he had made with Wei Ying. He was more like his brother than either of them had realized. When it was all over, he would need to tell his brother and accept his judgement.
"Mm. We will all need to be more disciplined in the coming days."
Lan Xichen inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Since you are now returned, I will go back to Uncle and update him on the situation. You should rest. It will do no one any good if you wear yourself out so much you fall ill."
Lan Wangji had a sneaking suspicion he knew what was wrong with him, and it had nothing to do with over-work, but he did not argue with his brother.
His call with Jiang Yanli had been brief. She was clearly upset with what Wen Chao had said about her father, and wanted to know if Wei Ying was ok. Lan Zhan had told her that any effort on her or her brother's part to find him would only put Wei Ying at more risk, and that Lan Wangji had offered him protection.
She had sounded uncertain, but - in the end - there was nothing she could do. She did not know the truth about her late father, and she could not protect Wei Ying from the people hunting him.
"Just… tell A-Xian that he can still come to me. I still love him like a little brother. I want to believe my father would never have done such a thing but… I just don't know."
Lan Wangji had hummed in response, letting Jiang Yanli interpret it as agreement. If Wei Ying needed closure and wanted to contact the Jiang, Lan Wangji would not stop him. But he would not encourage contact that could only put Wei Ying more at risk.
If anyone was going to protect Wei Ying, it would be Lan Zhan, not the Jiang.
Lan Wangji took a hot shower and forced himself to not remember the shower he'd taken only the day before with Wei Ying. How it had felt to breathe in his own scent on Wei Ying's skin. The way their bodies had slid together in the hot, wet heat of the shower.
He wondered if it would have mattered if Wei Ying had known that there was no one Lan Wangji had needed to ask permission from to bring him into the organization. Maybe it would have. But maybe it wouldn't.
Either way, it hadn't been an option. And if Lan Zhan had been disappointed that Wei Ying didn't trust him for who he was instead of what he was, then that was Lan Zhan's own problem to deal with.
He went to sleep in his own bed, at his regular time. He ignored the strangely empty feel of the large bed. He fell asleep to whispers in his mind, telling him to hunt and chase and bring his omega back.
And if he dreamed of stalking Wei Ying through a dark alley and pinning him beneath him, that was no one's business but his own.
In the morning, a courier arrived with a package with no information on the sender. Lan Wangji took it back to his office, pulling out the small drive it contained and attaching it to the laptop that he now kept on his desk.
It contained Wen Ruohan's blackmail list, along with all the data that Wen Ruohan had on the Lan, including the sources. Lan Wangji was surprised at some of the names on the list. He checked his calendar for the week. Evidently, he would need to make space for several 'appointments'.
It was good to know one's enemies. Even better when they did not know you were coming.
His phone chimed with a text.
See! I told you I'd send you the info
I kept my promise
Lan Wangji's hand fisted with an almost irresistible compulsion to pick up the phone and demand Wei Ying tell him where he was.
Or to hunt him down again and this time not letting him go no matter how hard he begged.
Lan Zhan?
Ok. I get you're still pissed.
But let me know about those other names.
If any are ones that could do damage for you.
Lan Wangji forced his fist to unclench. Wei Ying was giving him information that he didn't need to do. He was protecting Lan Wangji's family and organization when he had no obligation to do so.
Lan Zhan typed out a reply.
I will take care of the ones that could.
He considered letting him know that the Jiang siblings had been looking for him, but decided against it. They could not protect Wei Ying the way Lan Zhan could. Still, Wei Ying should know people were looking for him.
Wen Xu is looking for you. As are others. Do not take unnecessary risks.
Wei Ying responded almost immediately.
Lan Zhan! I was wondering if you were not going to talk to me anymore. Don't worry. I can handle Wen Xu.
Given what he knew about Wei Ying, Lan Wangji did not feel reassured. Lan Wangji called his uncle and brother to let them know about the information he had received. The next few days would be spent eliminating any unnecessary risks.
Part of the guilt Lan Wangji had been feeling regarding his lapse in judgement eased. Wei Ying had kept his word. His mistake had not put his organization at risk. It didn't do anything to reduce the restlessness in his body, but at least he no longer felt the need to step down from his role as Dragon Head. His faith in Wei Ying had not been misplaced. The man might not want a relationship with Lan Zhan, or to join the Lan syndicate, but he had at least kept his word as a new ally.
The next day, the news broke that Wen Ruohan and Jin Guanghsan, along with many members of their families, had been detained for questioning. The criminal underworld of China was rocked by the images of two of its most powerful being led away by authorities. Even the minor operations were in full lock-down mode as everyone waited to see what the fallout would be and how far-reaching the leaked evidence would go.
The hunt for the Yiling Laozu had reached a fever pitch, as people realized the depth of his breach into the Wen and Jin operations, and no one knew if there was going to be more evidence released. Almost no one believed he was a lone agent anymore, and stories were mounting about a dangerous, secret organization he must have built aimed at taking out all of the major crime families in China. Even the smaller operations who had been on the fence now joined in the manhunt.
Despite knowing it was not his business, Lan Wangji tried calling the number that Wei Ying had used. He was sure the man knew even better than Lan Wangji about the danger and the nature of the threat, but had to at least try. There was a voice in his head that whispered that - with all the increased pressure and danger - Wei Ying would now accept his offer of protection.
But his calls went unanswered, and Wei Ying did not reach out.
Wei Ying. Are you safe?
He received no reply.
He didn't hear from Wei Ying, but he did hear from Nie Huaisang the following day. Evidently his trip to Qishan had not gone unnoticed. There had been rumors swirling that the Lan were behind the information leaks and the death of Wen Chao in some massive attempted land grab.
"Of course, the rumors faded a bit once the story came out about why you were on the yacht," Nie Huaisang said cagily.
Lan Wangji tensed. Was his association with Wei Ying known? That would explain why the man had stopped responding to his texts and calls.
"Story?" he asked.
"I don't know! I really don't know who wrote it, but evidently there is an entire site where your… dalliances… discuss their experiences. And your latest was sharing a romantic trip spending two full days on a yacht with minimal staff where the two of you barely left the bed. I can send you the link if you like."
Lan Wangji blinked as he processed what Nie Huaisang was telling him. Wei Ying might have stopped communicating with him, but he had still provided him with an alibi. Not an airtight one, but at least one that had evidently slowed down the rumor mill. He was honestly surprised it had worked. It would not have been hard to pay someone to make up such a story. As though reading his thoughts, Nie Huaisang continued.
"The Jin did not find it unusual, given their own habit of putting business aside to deal with… matters of the flesh, let's say. They were slightly surprised that it was you, not your brother, but they accepted it easily enough. There were some skeptics from other families, but - evidently - there was a dock worker who confirmed that your vessel docked in Nightless City to refuel, but that none of the crew never left the ship."
Lan Wangji wondered if it had been Wei Ying or Nie Huaisang who had arranged for that story to be told.
"It is important for those of us untouched by the Wen and Jin influence to stick together," Nie Huaisang said, giving as much of an answer as Lan Wangji could expect.
"Mm," he agreed. "I have the list of names of politicians and businessmen that were in Wen Ruohan's files."
"Oh, do you?" There was not an ounce of surprise in Nie Huaisang's voice, and Lan Wangji realized that this exchange had been the man's goal all along. "That would be very useful to determine… potential loose ends. I happen to be headed to Gusu as we speak. Perhaps we could meet for dinner and catch up."
Lan Wangji agreed. It was too risky to send the list via text or email given the degree to which it would implicate the Lan as being tied to the Yiling Laozu. Any information exchange had to be done in person, without witnesses.
The next week would be incredibly dangerous for everyone in their line of work. If Wei Ying pulled off what he was planning (and it increasingly looked like he was going to), there was about to be a massive power vacuum in the criminal underworld. And those were never peaceful.
It happened so fast that Lan Wangji did not even have time to react. He hadn't heard from Wei Ying for four days, except for one cryptic text telling him to watch his back. As though Lan Wangji would be doing anything else at the given moment.
But he hadn't been idle. There were too many liabilities that needed to be taken care of. The Lan were not the only ones thinking along those lines. It seemed as though every organization was cleaning house, and the bodies were piling up and arrests were mounting.
Lan Xichen had said that his contact in the Jin had gone silent after he had said point blank that there was no way he would be able to release the video footage from the club. Lan Wangji was going to head back to the family's main compound, and shut the club down for a few days until things stabilized.
The gate to the underground parking garage had malfunctioned, so his driver had told him he would pick him up out front instead.
As Lan Wangji stepped out of the club, an odd flash of red light caught his eye before he heard a familiar voice scream out his name.
"Lan Zhan!" His head snapped up in the direction of the sound, and he was just in time to see two men on the rooftop of the building a block down from the club. One was holding what appeared to be a military grade sniper rifle, but Lan Wangji didn't even have time to process it before the other man slammed into him at a full sprint, taking them both over the edge of the building. Lan Wangji felt like the entire world went still as he watched in horror as the two bodies twisting together in the air before crashing down to the pavement four stories below. The bodies hit with a sick, wet thud, where they lay still and unmoving.
" Wei Ying!" The words were ripped out of Lan Zhan's throat as he took off in a dead sprint.
As he was approaching them, a quick glance at the shooter told Lan Wangji he wouldn't have to worry about the man as a threat anymore. He had landed on his back, and the blood that had splattered and spread out from beneath his skull was from more than just a flesh-wound. Lan Wangji had seen enough skull fractures to know what a cracked-open skull looked like. But even without that, the unnatural angle of the man's neck would have been end game.
Wei Ying had landed on top of the other man,his head cushioned by the shooter's stomach, but the building they'd fallen from was still four stories high. They had hit the sidewalk with incredible force, and Wei Ying wasn't moving. Lan Wangji dropped to his knees beside his body, not sure what to do. He knew enough about injuries that he shouldn't try to move Wei Ying, but he couldn't tell if he was breathing. He brushed the hair back from Wei Ying's face, afraid to touch him more lest he injure him further.
"Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji's voice sounded raw and cracked to his own ears.
There was no response, the omega's beautiful face unnaturally pale and still. Was he alive? Lan Wangji was desperate to know, but his brain was frozen and all he could do was stare helplessly, his hand shaking where it touched Wei Ying's cheek.
There was blood slowly dripping from his lips. Lan Wangji lowered his hand to place a finger in front of Wei Ying's lips, praying that he was still breathing. There was the slightest brush of warm air against his skin, which sent a flood of relief through his body.
Wei Ying was alive. For now.
" Wei Ying. "
Lan Wangji desperately wanted to pick Wei Ying up, to hold him and keep him safe. But he knew that moving him could make his injuries worse. He continued stroking the man's hair, feeling his chest clench with panic as he heard the sound of sirens coming closer. One of his men had called for an ambulance. People in their line of work usually tried to avoid hospitals, but Lan Zhan knew that his personal physician did not have the equipment to handle the kind of injuries that Wei Ying had. If Wei Ying was going to live, he needed to get to a proper medical facility.
Fortunately, they were in Gusu, which meant that the hospital would know who he was and would keep things quiet.
The medics arrived at the scene, and Lan Wangji reflexively bared his teeth in a growl as one of them bent down to feel Wei Ying's pulse.
"Woah!" The man said, sniffing the air, likely picking up on the flood of protective pheromones flooding the air. "It's ok. You're his mate, right? I'm going to help him, but I need you to step back and let me work on him."
He knew Wei Ying needed to be treated, but his system was going crazy with the need to protect him from anyone else. His whole body was trembling with the urge to rip anyone apart who dared to touch Wei Ying, and he fought to bring himself under control. Wei Ying needed medical care, and Lan Wangji needed to let the man treat him.
"He's bleeding from his mouth," Lan Wangji said, forcing the words to come out. "He fell from the roof when he stopped the man from shooting me."
The medic's eyes darted to the sniper rifle, then to the roof Lan Wangji had indicated. His eyebrows raised in surprise. China was not like the US, where guns were as easy to get as candy. A weapon like this meant someone in power had pulled some strings.
The medic immediately turned his attention back to Wei Ying, likely leaving the issue of the gun and the dead shooter for the police to handle. Lan Wangji was only able to make himself take a small step back as the medic shouted out instructions to his partner, and he began the careful process of putting a spinal brace on Wei Ying's motionless body. He used some sort of tube that he put in between Wei Ying's lips which seemed to draw the blood out of Wei Ying's mouth. Lan Wangji watched helplessly as an oxygen mask was placed over his face, and Wei Ying's body was log-rolled onto a backboard. The medic strapped him in and raised his feet, covering him with a blanket. The man was talking, but Lan Wangji wasn't able to follow his words.
The other medic had wheeled out the stretcher to where Wei Ying was laying, pale and motionless. The two men smoothly loaded him onto the stretcher, keeping his feet elevated as they wheeled him towards the ambulance.
The second medic turned to Lan Wangji as they loaded Wei Ying into the back of the ambulance.
"You can follow us to the hospital."
"I will stay with him," Lan Wangji said implacably. He had been able to force himself to allow the medical professional to touch Wei Ying, but there was no way he would be able to let the omega out of his sight. His control was hanging by a thread as it was.
"We need space to work on him," the man said, already reaching for the equipment he needed.
Lan Wangji felt his vision haze red at the thought of leaving Wei Ying injured and unprotected even for a minute. There was no way he was letting him out of his sight. The other medic intervened before Lan Wangji could do more than bare his teeth.
"He's his mate. His scent could help," the first medic said. He lowered his voice, but Lan Wangji was close enough to hear. "The guy fell off the roof. There's a good chance he won't make it. If he wakes up during the ride it might be the last chance they get."
The second medic shot Lan Wangji a sympathetic glance as he began hooking Wei Ying up to various machines.
"Yeah, ok. Just don't get in the way. Any drug allergies or medical conditions we should know about? Blood type?"
Lan Wangji realized he had no idea, and he wordlessly shook his head as he climbed in behind them as the driver shut the doors. He moved to the back, and stayed out of the way as instructed. His eyes were locked on Wei Ying, tracking every movement that was made in the effort to save his life. The medic worked frantically on Wei Ying, hooking up an IV and injecting something into the feed. The heart rate monitor beeped irregularly.
Lan Wangji had no medical training, but even he could tell that the heart rate was too slow. And dropping. He could see in the movements of the medic that the situation was not looking good.
Lan Wangji felt numb as the medic called ahead to the hospital and began listing Wei Ying's injuries. Some of them Lan Wangji understood. Others he did not. But he knew the words 'transfusion' and 'severe internal bleeding'. The hospital had already called the trauma surgeon and was getting the operating room ready.
Lan Wangji fought a wave of crippling, helpless panic that washed over him. He needed Wei Ying to live. He did not know what he would do if Wei Ying died saving him. Why would he have done it? He'd turned Lan Wangji's offer of protection down. Why couldn't he have just shouted a warning? Why had he even been on the rooftop in the first place? If he'd known a hit was going down, he could have just fucking texted Lan Zhan and told him to stay inside.
"Wei Ying," he felt the words leave under his breath, too soft to be heard over the sound of the ambulance. "Please don't die. Not like this."
He would find out who did this to Wei Ying. And he would tear them apart piece by piece.
But first, he needed Wei Ying to live through this.