You've Changed | Wangxian |

Chapter 40

3rd Person POV

I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm sorry, I've forgotten exactly how far along Wei Ying would be at this point but lets just say its like 5 months. Also, the details of this will be super inaccurate but don't judge, it fits for the story.

Wei Ying was very grumpy and no one could cheer him up. His mood swings were worse than ever and whenever someone tried to make things better for him he felt guilty and cried and then the cycle repeated. His bump was now finally showing and he couldn't wait to meet his child. It would also be nice to see the baby's father but, Wei Ying was well aware that Lan Zhan was away only out of duty and need.

Recently, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying had only been able to contact each other through short chats via the talismans and he couldn't hep but feel sidelined and lonely. God he hated hormones. He felt so much more at ease when Lan Zhan was around and the other always boosted his mood which was a benefit not just for him but also for the Wen Sect remnants. 

To make himself feel a bit better, he decided to go into town and run some errands and get some shopping. Recently, he had been forced to stop doing many tasks around the village and the unrelenting feeling of uselessness bugged him, so today, he would prove that he was still capable. 

By the time he returned, the sun had just gone down and he was ready for a nice long rest and a chance to get off of his feet. He found Wen Qing near the village entrance and stopped to give her the profits of his day of trading. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes that Wei Ying hated but she said nothing, merely accepting the proceeds and leaving. Drawing his attention back to his goal, he recommenced towards his quarters when suddenly a smell he had long forgotten floated into his mind. 

What? His Shijie's soup? Was his Shijie here? He ran as fast as he could to the root of the smell, all the while hoping to see his sister. The last bend passed and the figure was finally revealed. It wasn't his Shijie and his face temporarily fell. Oh. Realistically, he had known it couldn't have been his sister and now his hopes were crushed but they quickly built back up when he realised it was Lan Zhan there instead.

He cried. Again. He didn't know why he was crying. He never did. But he did know that the firm and comforting embrace that he was pulled into made him feel a hundred times better.

"Lan Zhan, you came back!"

"Hmn, I did Wei Ying. Of course I did."

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After Wei Ying finished his little episode, Lan Zhan sat him down and fed him soup. It tasted perfect - a carbon copy of the dish he gorged in childhood - and he was delighted to hear of his husband's meeting with his sister. He felt content yet remorseful to know that she was alright and that Lan Zhan felt comfortable around her. He found joy in each of Lan Zhan's detailed reports of their meetings: how his sister taught him, their shallow conversations... and more than ever, he felt grateful that he had Lan Zhan as a link to the outside. 

Once the serious discussions about the discussion conference and other cultivational events were over, Lan Zhan picked up Wei Ying and carried him bridal style to his room. The former could hardly contain his smile and the cute flush that graced his ears indicated that he was excited.

"Wei Ying, I have a present for you."

"Really! What is it?"  

"Close your eyes!"

Wei Ying obliged. Lan Zhan then made him place his hands out in front of him and placed something on them. It felt like smooth high quality fabric. He opened his eyes and unfolded the pile. It was a child's set of Lan Clan robes complete with a little headband.

"Oh my!!! It's beautiful! I can't wait to dress the baby in them." Wei Ying exclaimed excitedly.

This meant a lot to him because it truly showed that Lan Zhan accepted them as his own and that the child would always have a place to go to in the world. Wei Ying jumped on Lan Zhan and hugged him tight, giving the latter a shock and ending in being scolded and placed back down. Apparently, it was not a good idea to go launching himself at people randomly and endangering his and the child's life. 

Lan Zhan looked like he had something to say, so Wei Ying waited. Lan Zhan stood awkwardly.

"I didn't know what size to get, so..."He trailed off. Wei Ying now became aware of the neat little piles of clothes that were arranged on his floor. He couldn't help but laugh - of course Lan Zhan would over think this.

"Lan Zhan you fuddy duddy. You're so cute! Come here my handsome little husband, baby wants to spend some more time with their Daddy."

The flush on Lan Zhan's ears had now spread to his cheeks with embarrassment and joy. He would never be able to accept that this was real - this part of his life where he had married his love and were going to start a family - and almost had to pinch himself to check thing were real.

That night, Lan Zhan cuddled and chatted and by the time morning came, they had only just gone to bed. 

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This time, Lan Zhan was going to stay for two weeks and Wei Ying vowed not to waste any time. The first thing they did (other than catch up with one another) was to decorate and set up the nursery. 

Attached onto their chambers, was a medium sized room that they had chosen specifically for this purpose and while, it wouldn't be used as the baby's room for a while, Lan Zhan had already brought furniture for it. There was a little wooden cot, some small shelves to mount on the walls, and finally a small table all of which were ebony and intricately carved, reminiscent of the style in Gusu. In addition, they bought a hanging mobile with stars and planets, blankets, cushions, rugs for the floor and paint.

The colour palette they chose consisted of varying shades of grey and an accent of deep scarlet red. It really looked perfect by the time they had finished and they couldn't help imagining a chubby little baby toddling about.

They also started planning for baby names but then soon gave up: the potential was too vast and narrowing it down was hard. While Lan Zhan wanted to call it something similar to Wuxian, Wei Ying wanted it call it similar to Wangji. They also hadn't decided which surname the child would take. In the end, it made sense to be Lan since Lan Zhan was the 'man' in the relationship.

The rest of the time they filled doing activities together, like reading or drawing. Often, when Wei Ying began to tire, Lan Zhan would play cleansing songs on his Guqin as he watched his lover sleep. One day, the couple were out in a nearby clearing playing with rabbits. Yes, rabbits. After remembering Wangji's love of the little creatures, Wei Ying had begun to rear a small group of black and white ones behind the village and he had become very attached - particularly to a black one he had named Ying and a white one named Zhan.

Whilst walking along and surveying the fields, suddenly Wei Ying stopped. He had frozen mid sentence and mid pace. Worried Lan Zhan rushed to figure out what was wrong but he got no response. And then suddenly, without saying anything, Wei Ying grabbed his hand and placed it on his stomach.

There it was. Underneath the palm of his hand came a small kick.