Qiqi typed quickly, she had bought a cellphone and was currently writing something avoiding any eye-contact with the two men.

Yunlan sat at the other side of the table, slightly on the side so he would not be covered by the computer's monitor. He kept his eyes on Wei, grounding him to the moment. Wei made the call.

Yezun answered almost immediately and was shoved aside by his mother.
"Wei! Do you... ehi, where's Qiqi? Did you two break up?"

One last tap on her phone and Qiqi put it in her pocket hurrying at Wei's side. "I'm here, mama. Sorry, I was..."
"Oh." The woman interrupted her. "Good, now you two, if you think you're going to raise your children where I can't see them..."

Wei's mouth opened in shock. Qiqi gasped and asked, "What? What children?"

"Aren't you pregnant? Isn't that why you two got engaged?"
Yunlan covered his face with his hand, but quickly looked back at Wei.

"No I'm not!" Qiqi almost shouted. Wei's rolling eyes met Yunlan's and stopped, his firm gaze steadying him. He breathed and said, "She's not pregnant, mom, who gave you that idea?"

Yezun said, "Told you mom, Mrs Zhang is just a gossipy old woman, you should know better than to believe a word she says."

"Mrs Zhang said..." Wei was beyond words, why were people like that?

"We are still young!" Qiqi told her, "and I just found a new job, I can't get pregnant now!"
Yezun asked her what kind of job it was, she said that she cooked for a famous restaurant and his mother's face came forward again, asking questions excitedly.

After a few minutes of that, Yezun finally shoved her aside. "That's enough, mom, let me talk to my big brother."

"He was my son before he was your brother, you know!" She retorted.

Yezun rolled his eyes. "And that's why you talked to him first, now go, it's my turn."

"I'm not leaving! Why can't I hear what my sons..."
Yezun didn't let her finish, he grabbed the computer and moved into his own room, locking the door behind himself.

Wei smiled now. "You do know that she's probably right outside with her ear to the door, right?"
Yezun huffed then threw something, they heard a thud and a distant grumbling.

"What was that?" Wei asked.
"My shoe," Yezun chuckled. "She should be gone now but you can never be sure, wait a second..."

He turned the computer so they saw him taking the shoe back and putting a radio by the door. Yezun came back. "If we're not too loud that should muffle our voices enough."

Qiqi giggled, Yezun asked her, "Can I have a picture of you with a chef's hat? By tomorrow you'll be the greatest chef in Italy!"
"Please, Yezun." Wei pleaded.

"What? I need a lot more pictures to shove in the face of all the old geezers who said..."

"What do you mean more? We didn't send you any picture!"

"Uh... uhm about that, I might have taken one myself last time we spoke. A nice one too, everyone said so..."

"Everyone?"

"Well, what's the point of having a picture if you don't show it to people? Mom loved it, and for two days I couldn't go out without someone asking me to take a look."

Wei sighed, Yezun saw it. "You did tell me to help you right? Saying that you have a girlfriend is not always enough, we need pictures!"

"We could provide you with some..." Qiqi offered, and Yezun's smile beamed. "Great! Thank you sister-in-law! By the way brother, when are you going to introduce me to my brother-in-law?"

Yunlan's head shot up. Honestly this whole conversation had been rather painful, staying hidden while they talked about Wei's girlfriend, pictures... but this last remark was interesting.

He was about to stand up when Wei said, "Soon brother, don't worry. I have to go now, bye."
Yezun and Qiqi waved to each other and the call ended.
"He's funny," Qiqi said.

"Yeah, very funny," Yunlan murmured, not taking his eyes off Wei. "So why didn't you introduce me? He was talking about me, wasn't he?"

Qiqi looked from one to the other, then took her phone out of her pocket and after a glance she exclaimed, "Oh I have to go! Really really have to. Will be gone a while so... bye!"

She basically ran out. Wei stared at the door. "What..."

"She's a smart girl, that one," Yunlan said. "And she understood that we need to talk. You get that right?"

Yunlan really didn't want to use that sharp tone with him, but he was at his limits, he played along even though he didn't like this farse, but now... did Yezun know about him or was it just a general inquiry? Did he know his name? What had Wei said about him, if anything?

Wei shivered, not liking the tone in Yunlan's voice. What would he do if Yunlan got fed up with him? Could he really go back to before he knew him? He wouldn't be alone now that there was Qiqi, but... Yunlan... he was... without him how could he...
Wei moved closer without even realising it.

He didn't know why he hadn't introduced him to his brother, he wanted to but anxiety choked him and he ran away like he always did; now that tone of voice was freaking him out more than anything, he really did not deserve him but he didn't want to lose Yunlan, he was his dream, he was his strength, he couldn't go on without him, not anymore, but he had messed things up again, he always messed up, and now Yunlan was angry at him and maybe thinking of leaving him, what could he do now, he had to do something to make him happy so he won't leave him, so he would stay because Yunlan liked him, Yunlan told him that he liked him.

Yunlan watched him getting closer wondering what was going on in that mind of his at that exact moment.
Now they were alone, Wei wasn't running away and he didn't seem in any kind of panicking state, so he tried to soften his voice. "Look Wei, I don't mean to push you, I said I wouldn't rush things but we've been seeing each other for a while now and I just need.."

What he wanted to say was 'I need to know that I'm as important to you as you are to me', but Wei stopped him before he could say the words.

"Yes." he said.

"Yes what?"

Wei put his arms around Yunlan's neck and leaned even closer.
Yunlan felt their bodies touching, his passion arising, and he fought to keep his strength, "what are you doing? Wei stop it, I promised I wouldn't touch you but if you keep this up.."
"You can touch me" Wei said, tilting his head.

Yunlan's desire broke out, Wei's head was perfectly inclined ready to be kissed, and so he did. He hugged him closer delving his tongue inside his mouth, unable to contain himself he held him tight kissing him with passion and Wei seemed to melt in his embrace, letting him do what he wanted, not freaking out this time when Yunlan's hands moved over his back.

Yunlan lifted his shirt just enough to sneak a hand under it, while the other hand went lower.
Wei didn't protest, and Yunlan lost it. For how many weeks had he wanted to hold him like this?
Now he had him, willing, and he threw all caution away.
Finally after all those days he did what he had always wanted to do.
He lifted him up and carried him to the bedroom.