Suddenly, Wei Ying is wide awake.

He had been falling asleep because it was getting late, and now he's been jerked into alertness by this new tension bleeding into the room.

Lan Zhan pulls him to stand behind him, a low growl emanating from his body, and a golden fire blazing in his eyes. He's ready to kill.

Just one step in their direction, and it's all over.

"My grandson is no threat to anyone!" Baoshan Sanren tells the blond vampire.

Wei Ying can see nothing but hostility all around him. None of these people know him, no one except his immediate family can vouch for him.

All these unfamiliar, questioning eyes are on him, and him alone.

He can see nothing but distrust and uncertainty upon their faces, none of them friendly.

Xiao XingChen had stood up when Baoshan Sanren indicated she wanted to leave, and now he comes to stand next to Lan Zhan, ready to defend Wei Ying, too.

There are hundreds of Vampires here. They fought together at one point, trusted each other, and stood side by side, just a few days ago. Now, only because of this one person, everything has suddenly changed.

The blond vampire turns his whole body towards them.

Lan Zhan's growling becomes even louder. His talons make an appearance because he's truly rattled by this guy.

"Relaax!" The blond vampire laughs softly. His blue eyes are glittering with... malice? But he continues, "We're just talking, for now."

"Are we, Vladimir?" Baoshan Sanren pushes away from the table they were sitting at, moments ago. She stands in front of Lan Zhan, facing the blond vampire and effectively putting herself in between him and them.

Vladimir grins back at her, with an acerbic laugh.

"So what, are we just supposed to take your word for it?" Vladimir looks around for support. "Just because he's YOUR grandson? I don't think so."

Nervous energy seeps into the air as the vampires watch this new stand-off.

"He's not just my grandson," Baoshan Sanren tells him, anger rolling off her in waves.

Wei Ying has never seen her look like this, as bright as a naked flame ready to set fire to the world.

He's panicking as well, because he never thought he would become the subject of so many people's focus, all of them afraid of him. Waves of hostility are overflowing from them, directly towards him as the target.

Lan Zhan can feel him trembling through the connection of their hands and something aches in him. Wei Ying shouldn't ever have to feel this way. Wei Ying should only ever be happy.

Happy...

The thought triggers a memory. Wei Ying apologising about his ability to manipulate feelings...

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan murmurs, squeezing his hand hard to grab his attention. "Control your thoughts!"

For a second, Wei Ying doesn't know what he means. Control them how? He's already scared because how can he not be? He's surrounded by hundreds of hostile predators all ready to put an end to him, and Lan Zhan wants him to do what? meditate??

"Spread calm!" Lan Zhan tells him again, and this time, Wei Ying understands what he means.

Slowly, he evens out his breathing, taking longer and longer breaths, simultaneously searching for a good memory. Hhe winds up thinking about the day on the beach. That day was filled with sunshine and laughter, of his family coming together in another way. It was healing to do something so ordinary, so run-of-the-mill normal, and it had become a cherished memory coloured with blue skies and golden sands. It had been a wonderful day for all of them.

Wei Ying draws on the peace he felt that day, the joy that bubbled up through his whole body, and sucking up those wonderful vibes from that day, he releases those feelings here.

Lan Zhan can feel the change as it grows, suppressing the hostile anger directed towards them as Wei Ying takes control. Waves of peace are flowing out from Wei Ying's body and mind, flowing past the negative feelings coming towards them and neutralising them, slowly but surely.

Vampires are sensitive creatures, too aware of every nuance in the air, and this is no exception. They look at one another in a daze, wondering why they feel so different suddenly.

Wei Ying feels his power increasing, encompassing the space all around him. As his wish to strengthen these positive vibes grows, he can sense his thoughts multiplying with them, and he pushes them further outwards, crushing any animosity towards himself and replacing violent thoughts with warm waves of peace and harmony.

"As I said, he is not just my grandson," Baoshan Sanren glances back at Wei Ying, and her expression is one of pride and love towards him. "He is part of a bonded pair."

"That's right," Lan Zhan says, standing tall in front of him, facing them. "Wei Ying is my mate." He lifts their joined hands up to show Wei Ying's engagement ring.

Gasps filter around the room as the purple and pink lights reflect on the diamond centre stone of their ring.

Vladimir steps back immediately and bows.

"Please, forgive me. It was not my intention to cause a problem," he says, blatantly lying.

Wei Ying opens his eyes then, looking around at the other vampires. They look scared, which is strange. And sorry...?

"What the fuck is going on?" Wei Ying stands on his toes to whisper that in Lan Zhan's ear.

"In the car," Lan Zhan replies, not relaxing his defensive stance at all.

Apologies are mumbled quickly, and then someone opens the door to the auditorium, and suddenly, all of the vampires are in a hurry to leave; they cannot get out fast enough. The minutes tick by and then, they're the only ones left in the auditorium:

Baoshan Sanren, Lan Zhan, himself, Xiao XingChen, Huaisang, Tripod, A-Qing and the others who came here with them, Wen Qing, Doctor Afida and their three colleagues.

Wei Ying's head is spinning. What just happened?

Only then does Baoshan Sanren unclench her fists and step away, turning around.

"That was close!" She beams, nothing left in her body or stance suggesting the violence that had gripped her, only a few minutes ago. "Well done!" That is aimed at both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, equally.

"Mn," Lan Zhan agrees, pulling Wei Ying closer. His arm snakes around Wei Ying's waist in a protective gesture, and he plants a quick kiss on the top of Wei Ying's head.

Wei Ying is definitely going to ask questions in the car. For now, he sags against Lan Zhan, feeling all the hours since he last slept.

"Um, A-Ying?"

The too-familiar name seems foreign coming out of Wen Qing's mouth, but Wei Ying forces himself to open his eyes and stand up a little straighter. Lan Zhan's animosity towards her is strongly rolling off him.

"Here." Wen Qing hands him an envelope. It's pure white with a red border made from tiny red flames.

"What is this?" Wei Ying takes it but doesn't open it yet.

"What you asked me to find. That's everything." She won't meet his eyes.

"Thank you." Wei Ying can't bring himself to say the usual nickname he calls her.

A-Yuan calls her JieJie...he's also called her JieJie often, and yet tonight, the name sticks in his throat.

Wen Qing reaches into her pocket and puts a ring on her third finger, and Wei Ying realises that it's the engagement ring MianMian had shown him, just a few weeks ago.

"You, too? Congratulations," he tells Wen Qing, when she nods. "When?"

"Tuesday."

"I'm happy for you," he replies, meaning it.

"We should go." Baoshan Sanren says, forcefully.

They say their goodbyes and walk out, and Wei Ying only feels peace when he gets outside. Exhaustion makes his feet drag, and each step becomes a chore until Lan Zhan lifts him up by his waist ever so slightly so it looks like Wei Ying is walking but he's not.

"Love you." Wei Ying says, as they get into the cars.

"Huaisang, join us tonight. And both of you, make sure you come back tomorrow, bright and early," Baoshan Sanren tells them.

Wei Ying falls asleep then, and that's the last thing he remembers.

***************

Dappled sunlight flickers in through the gap in the curtains, easing Wei Ying into a state of wakefulness. The brightness behind his closed eyelids feels just right, it's there until he decides to acknowledge it.

The scent of soothing sandalwood makes him smile, for here in Lan Zhan's room, it is concentrated. The pillows, the sheets and Lan Zhan himself are making Wei Ying feel better without even trying. He smiles and is delighted by his reward: a soft kiss pressed onto the corner of his mouth.

"My love..." Wei Ying breathes out, chasing his mouth with his own lips, needing more.

Lan Zhan's hands find their way to the dip just above his hips and he relishes the feel of his soft, warm skin, the smooth texture over bone and muscle, and he squeezes, because he can. Like this, Wei Ying is even more sensitive when he's just woken up, and today is the same as all the days they've woken up together. Gentle waves of love cocoon them from the outside world, all their worries and concerns held at bay until they're ready to face them.

Wei Ying doesn't think he will ever get enough of Lan Zhan's lips. They're surprisingly soft, and the taste is indescribable. There's so much to feel, to explore, to relish. Lan Zhan's warm breath caresses his throat, a playful bite around his Adam's apple, and just like that, Wei Ying has gone from zero to sixty in less than a second.

Lan Zhan pulls him up and flips them over so that Wei Ying is straddling his body, and not once did their connection break.

"Good morning, Sweetheart." Wei Ying peppers his face with kisses, an uncontrollable urge born from wanting to kiss him everywhere and not being able to decide where, first.

"Mn, good morning, Wei Ying."

Wei Ying shivers, that unmistakable voice making his stomach flip.

They really get to have this...

Lan Zhan holds him closer as he sinks down to rest on top of him.

"Lan Zhan?"

"Mn?"

"Can you please explain about last night? How did you know that I would be able to influence them? The other vampires, I mean, because until now, I thought it was just you and my grandmother that I could affect." Wei Ying closes his eyes, feeling loved and safer than ever.

Not that there was an immediate threat, but safety always felt great.

"Does Wei Ying not feel it?" Lan Zhan sounds curious but proud.

"Feel what?"

"Your strength has been growing daily. Wei Ying is correct in this, that at first, it was only myself affected by your positive projection, but then not only Grandmother but others in close proximity were also responding well. And then last night, something changed. Can you say why that was?" Lan Zhan lifts Wei Ying's hand and begins to kiss each finger.

Wei Ying thinks back to how he was feeling, and the urge to push his thoughts onto the hostility they were facing. He describes his feelings and what he did to spread the change.

"So...I think it's a flipped version of your Compelling thing," he continues. "Somehow, your venom is looking after me like that, too."

"It's a combination of both of us." Lan Zhan begins to kiss his way from Wei Ying's palm to his wrist, paying extra attention to his pulse. This taste is exquisite, a mouthwatering scent of vanilla and lotus flowers that stir something utterly possessive inside him.

"Huh?" Wei Ying is torn between listening to him speaking, the rumbling deep voice doing things to his insides, and the subtle waves of pleasure that threaten to engulf him, every time Lan Zhan's sharp teeth graze his delicate skin.

"My venom is only a part of you. I believe Wei Ying is already gifted with his own powers, perhaps inherited from his mother. She had prophetic dreams," he reminds Wei Ying.

"But that doesn't explain why the vampires were spooked. They ran away when Grandmother said we were bonded. And when you said I was your mate. You were going to explain in the car, but I fell asleep?" He smiles sheepishly.

Lan Zhan turns them so that now his hard body is pressing down on Wei Ying's softer one, needing to look at him for this. Wei Ying looks too beautiful, his silver eyes sparkling with awareness as sleep leaves him completely.

"I found a book in Grandmother's library. It explained Vampire relations, and the sacred validity of Bonded Mates. It clearly stated that such couples were untouchable, upon pain of destruction. Us declaring that in front of all those vampires was basically-"

"A 'fuck you'!" Wei Ying finishes in delight, crowing about it.

Lan Zhan crashes their lips together, unable to hold back any longer.

Wei Ying is a temptation that he cannot resist, and this is simply heavenly, coming together in the best possible way.

****************

Saturdays in the Lan household were a little more relaxed than the weekdays. After a shared breakfast with the children and Uncle Qiren, both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying were surprised to find the children eagerly getting ready for a cultural lesson with Uncle Qiren, who also looked excited at the prospect.

They popped into the library to say bye to them, and JingYi came running up to them with a book on Chinese legends, while A-Yuan brought over a Bagua, a Feng Shui compass to determine good energy.

Lots of hugs and kisses are traded and they wave at Uncle Qiren as they leave.

They see Xiao XingChen waiting for them in the underground car park, when Lan Zhan pulls into their space.

"Don't mess with him, my love," Wei Ying giggles, remembering all the times Lan Zhan made up silly pet names for him.

Lan Zhan pouts, clearly not in agreement, but he doesn't say anything incendiary.

There's an air of excitement in the elevator, and Xiao XingChen looks like he wants to say something, but is barely holding back.

He leads them through Baoshan Sanren's library, past the room where Wei Ying's grandfather's boxes are stored, into a conference room. There's a huge redwood tree table in the centre of the room, and around twenty chairs in matching dark wood surrounding it. There's still space left over though, which is amazing.

Baoshan Sanren is flicking through a book, standing to one side, but it's the cloth covering on top of the table which draws Wei Ying closer.

"Good morning, grandmother!" He bounces to her side, and beams at her, hugging her slim waist. "Where's Huaisang?"

"Song Lan and him are exploring," she nods at Xiao XingChen, giving him permission to join them.

"Exploring?" Wei Ying turns to her with a raised brow.

"Yeah, I figured it would ease both their minds to look around on their own terms rather than a formal tour. Huaisang needs to learn about our work in a way that doesn't feel contrived as if we're trying to prove a point. This is the other side of the coin, so to speak." Baoshan Sanren hugs him back.

"So you're going to let him make his own mind up?"

"Yes, don't you think that's better?" She taps the side of her nose thoughtfully. "Everyone responds differently to information. He's an intelligent person, and I don't want to underestimate him. I'm hoping if he sees the other side of our lives, how we try to curb the disturbance on human lives and our work to better understanding between the two, plus our charitable organisations, he will decide to hold off on spilling his guts to the press."

"Interesting analogy," Wei Ying grins at her.

She shoots him a wicked smile, one that tells him she did that on purpose. That's another thing Wei Ying loves about her; her infectious sense of humour is something they can both appreciate in each other.

"Also, congratulations on your victory last night." She winks at both of them. "Announcing to all of those vampires that you're both Bonded was a genius move."

"Mn." Lan Zhan's lips tilt up in acknowledgement.

Wei Ying links their arms together, pressing a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"Lan Zhan says they'll leave us alone now," he grins. He can't stop smiling now.

"Hm, that they will but it's deeper than that. Bonded Mates are like royalty in the vampire world. Once a couple declares that status, they become revered and both of you should expect a lot of bumlicking in return." She cackles at their expressions.

"The only person I want to lick my-"

"WEI YING!" Lan Zhan isn't usually this embarrassed but Wei Ying's Grandmother is right here!

They both just laugh at each other, and Lan Zhan sighs to himself. They're both just as bad as each other.

"Speaking of last night, Grandmother, did you speak with Tripod before the meeting?" Wei Ying asks, as she leads them closer to the table.

"Why?" She asks carefully.

"Well, I never thought about it until you nodded at him, and then I thought it would be so cool if you had, because that meeting could have been derailed so many times last night, it wasn't even funny! But to have back up was a genius move, that's all." Wei Ying looks at her expectantly.

"Alright, yes, I did. I was worried about what I heard on the grapevine. Vampires are notorious gossips and you became a hot topic overnight because of last Sunday. I had to make sure we would come out on top. Plus, if that meeting had to go on for a bit longer, that's where Huaisang would come in handy. I know it was a risky move, but he had to go in blind, otherwise he might not have cooperated." Her silver eyes sparkle with intelligence, waiting for her grandson to work it out.

"Oh my God! Jeez, grandmother, that's so smart!" Wei Ying's eyes are wide with admiration. "You made him question everything, at exactly the right time!"

"I didn't make anyone do anything," she replies smugly, suggesting the opposite. "Things played out in a way that met our agenda, so it's good all around."

"But who is Vladimir? Why doesn't he like you?"

Baoshan Sanren sighs.

"There is always an issue of hierarchy, no matter whether it's the humans or vampires. In his case, he's walking around with a bigger stick than normal shoved up his rump. He's always looking for trouble, and if there's none to be found, he's usually the start of it. But even he won't mess with the Bonded pair, so you have nothing to worry about," she reassured them.

"What would happen if he did?" Wei Ying asks, curiously.

"They'd rip him to shreds. It's only ever happened once before, and no one has forgotten it." That's all she's willing to say about that. But she looks a bit guilty.

"What is it?" Wei Ying raises a brow in question.

"So I have a confession to make." Baoshan Sanren takes both of Wei Ying's hands. "Please try to forgive me if I was presumptuous in my actions, but I thought to myself, we're never going to get this chance again. You said it yourself, once Wen Qing figures out we've taken something from her, she'll know we don't trust her."

"What did you do, Grandmother?" Wei Ying can't help but feel anxious about this.

If his grandmother is this worried, it has to be something big.

"Yesterday's mission involved four teams, not three," she continues. "One team for the treasury, one team for Wen Rouhan's offices, and one to search Wen Zhong's apartment floor. They were going to search Wen Qing's office as a joint collaboration," she reminds him, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"And the fourth one? But you should know Grandmother, I trust you. I trust your judgement, because God knows I wouldn't know half the stuff you do. You can tell me anything and it's not going to change anything between us," Wei Ying tells her confidently.

She nods at him. "The fourth team was sent to Wen Qing's apartment, the one she shares with her brother. I thought if she suspected us of doing anything, she'd want to hide important things there. I also wondered if she had been taking her work home with her, when Wen Rouhan was alive."

"And?" Part of Wei Ying doesn't want to believe what he's going to hear, but thankfully, it's shrunk in size. He readies himself for something unpleasant.

"Our Wen Qing has been a busy little bee."

With that, Baoshan Sanren grabs the corners of the sheet covering the table and pulls it away.