They managed to pick up a wide variety of presents in the end: they did manage to find a fan for Huaisang that Wei Ying was happy about, similar to the one he remembered from way back when he first met the brother of the then Sect Leader. There were pendants made from glazed sand, ornaments, paperweights, and letter openers.

It was on their way back and purely by accident that they stumbled upon a little alley with tiny shops that specialised in takeaway sweets. Rice cakes, mochi in different flavours, and then the best thing ever, pineapple cake.

Wei Ying applied talismans to all the perishable goods they bought and Lan Zhan stored everything away in his pouch.

All throughout, both Lan Zhan and Li XiWang had taken to standing in front of him and not letting Wei Ying speak, so after the first few times, he just stood back with a sigh, holding Rumi's hand, and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Team we're-so-good-at-shopping were smugly satisfied that they were doing such a great job, and so Wei Ying left them to it.

Hui Gai seemed to know exactly what he was thinking though, and after he had caught his eye, Wei Ying had a hard time not laughing out loud.

They had dinner at the same place they had eaten lunch, and left with packed food for the others still probably sleeping at the warehouse.

They made their way back to the Flowers of Venus and the others, just as the sun was beginning to set.

This brief excursion into the city with no other reason than wanting to do a bit of shopping and wander around without an actual goal, was by itself a kind of therapy.

All of them looked happier than when they had first arrived.

Even the Flowers of Venus looked well rested. They gratefully accepted the food and ate quickly. Xiao Zei and Master Dashi were huddled together eating and communicating through a bizarre sign language, and it seemed that they were both content like this.

Wei Ying wondered at that too. Xiao Zei had seamlessly blended in with their group and ended up having an affinity with both Dunshi, who was just waking up, and Master Dashi who from the beginning, wasn't all there.

It made Wei Ying supremely grateful to the Universe for allowing this connection to take place.

So far on their travels, they had let things happen naturally, including letting Xiao Zei join them...and somehow or other, he became a good fit. Wei Ying hadn't been joking when he had told the little man that he was one of them now.

Night time was existing in a pregnant silence as they exited the warehouse.

There was the usual muted conversations happening in the background but Wei Ying missed the call of the wild birds when they were out of the city. In the natural open spaces of the world, the night had its own language of love, a salute to nocturnal lives going about their business, and so vastly different to the sounds of the day time.

All the buildings were washed in a dark blue light, here and there illuminated by the odd yellow lanterns that people lit in the hopes of keeping the evil spirits away. Even if they weren't superstitious, there was no harm in making sure that peace reigned in their homes.

They walked on streets paved with stone and passed by now familiar shops and landmarks until Lan Zhan thought they were travelling on a new path.

Wei Ying always had admired this ability of his, to know exactly where he was, despite having only visited once any strange new place. Even here, Lan Zhan was displaying his spectacular navigational skills, keeping them on the correct path. He seemed to have an internal compass, showing him the way.

"Mn?" Lan Zhan glanced at him as they walked on, leading the others.

Rumi and Li XiWang were walking just in front of them, out of hearing range with Hui Gai walking beside them with Klem. Oge was resting, he had said, when Wei Ying had asked about her.

"Nothing." Wei Ying replied, blinking rapidly, trying to control his thoughts.

He was holding onto Lan Zhan’s arm as they continued.

Lan Zhan didn't think it was nothing, from the rapturous gaze Wei Ying was unintentionally aiming at him. And he would have totally kissed his husband...had they been alone, but sadly they weren't.

Lan Zhan had to add yet another one to his list, of kisses they had missed out on, and the thought was kind of depressing. The only downside on going out for adventures and leaving Cloud Recesses was this; they could not live in the same way they had at home, where casual kisses were often and in public, and Lan Zhan really missed it.

He liked being able to show Wei Ying how much he loved him, whenever he liked, and to have to restrain himself was taxing on his mood. The freedom that came with loving his husband had its own responsibility, but Lan Zhan was not above getting creative.

And right now, Wei Ying was hiding something...

So Lan Zhan let his fingers tangle with Wei Ying's, squeezing their palms together, and bringing their joined hands up to his lips. He enjoyed the way Wei Ying's pupils dilated with desire, like throwing dry tinder on an open fire.

He wondered if this feeling, this rampant ardour for his husband would ever go away or lessen with time...and Lan Zhan fervently hoped not. It had already been a few years since they had married, yet every time Lan Zhan so much as looked at his Wei Ying, he was swamped with an overload of those first feelings he had experienced that first time of seeing Wei Ying at the Ivory Gates of Cloud Recesses.

At the time, the newness of something previously never felt before had been mystifying and frightening. Lan Zhan had covered up those feelings with feigned annoyance...directed at himself and not the man he eventually ended up marrying. But he would always hate himself for making Wei Ying feel as if he was hated.

That was the worst thing; he'd have to live with that regret forever...and the knowledge that it had hurt his Wei Ying...so it ended up hurting himself too.

"What is it?" Wei Ying was saying now.

His beautiful silver eyes held questions that Lan Zhan didn't want to answer right now, not when it wasn't ideal. But tomorrow was another day...

Wei Ying wasn't sure what had happened just then.

Lan Zhan had looked so hot, sure of their path, and Wei Ying ordinarily would have kissed him silly for that authority alone, but as they walked on, and Lan Zhan had kissed their hands...something else had shown up in those beautiful golden eyes, so expressive when they rested upon his face.

This was another thing Wei Ying absolutely loved about Lan Zhan. Whenever he looked at him, the softest expression rested there, right there in home of his warm eyes. Wei Ying couldn’t believe anyone had called him cold...not when Lan Zhan was looking at him.

Kindness, devotion, a promise to make him happy, and above all, love, because what was love if not a combination of all those feelings? All were present in the way Lan Zhan looked at him.

But then...an abject sadness had invaded, a feeling of unimaginable tragedy...and it made Wei Ying blink back tears. His Lan Zhan should never feel sad...

There were times when Wei Ying couldn’t quite believe he had been given this second chance. A second life, a new opportunity to love and be loved...

Lan Zhan was right here, and Wei Ying couldn’t stop himself from reaching up and kissing his cheek...for now.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" Wei Ying glanced around them pointedly.

"Mn." Lan Zhan understood immediately.

Another wonderful skill to be added to the list of admirable qualities in his husband,  Wei Ying thought, as Lan Zhan visibly put away his mental struggle and focused on the task at hand.

Both of them had that ability to put their feelings on hold and deliver, whether it was killing on a night hunt, suppression of evil spirits, or something simple like sticking to their route, both were solid professionals when it came to their duties.

They walked for miles, progress eased with the good condition of the roads, and soon the telltale sign of a lightening in the sky, made it apparent that they needed to find somewhere safe for Dunshi to spend the day.

This time, they found a sanctuary under an abandoned bridge, and upon investigation, it looked like a tunnel had been excavated and then just left. No further developments were made and now it stood by itself in the middle of a bad part of town.

There were quite a few properties that looked unlived in and left to decay, broken fences and windows hanging off hinges, peeling paint a testament to time gone by.

"At least it looks like you won't be disturbed today." Wei Ying told Hongse before they left.

Hui Gai tugged on his sleeve.

"PengYou?"

"Hm?"

Wei Ying looked at him, holding Klem to his chest and Rumi's hand in his free one, Li XiWang holding Rumi's other one so they were connected.

"Can we go and see how Auntie Oge is doing?" Li XiWang spoke up. "She was feeling tired earlier and I want to see if there's anything I can give her...to make her feel better."

Wei Ying nodded, kissing all three children and giving Hui Gai a hug.

There was no one he trusted more to look after his children with the exception of Lan Zhan.

Once they vanished, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan watched Hongse set up the optical illusion that shimmered once, a veil of transparent energy that turned into a mirror of its surroundings, so no one would expect there to be four Flowers of Venus, one giant, and one Master, albeit loopy, and one little thief hiding behind it.