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Chapter Text

From the furious pounding on their apartment door, a sleep-dazed Lan Zhan feared for a moment Lan Huan really had followed up on her threat to call the Vice police if Lan Zhan didn’t tell her what had kept her out so late the night before. Since clearly, anything Lan Huan could think of that would keep Lan Zhan out couldn’t have been legal. 

And how dare Lan Zhan not invite her? 

At least the offer to go makeup shopping had stunned Lan Huan long enough for Lan Zhan to slip past her and escape to her room. The exhaustion from the stress of the day hit her the moment the door shut behind her. Her bed had never looked so tempting, but she knew she’d regret it in the morning if she didn’t deal with her hair. 

The curls came tumbling down as she started pulling pins, her fingers carding through them before weaving them into her usual sleep braid. She paused at the door, her ear pressing to it for any sound of her sister still lingering. Finding the apartment quiet, she slipped to the bathroom. She eyed the makeup, enjoying it one last time before she turned to washing it off.

She’d have to apologize about the stain on the towels in the morning. It was something she was happy to push off, instead collapsing into her bed. With all her worries handled, she expected to fall into a sleep so deep not even Wei Ying could disturb her. 

Or so Lan Zhan thought. 

“Oh thank heavens, you’d think mint green would have narrowed down my options. But this is the fourth door I’ve knocked on, let me tell you, you do not have very nice neighbors!” Wei Ying’s voice carried into the apartment. 

It drew Lan Zhan forward like a siren song. 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan questioned, seeing only the back of her sister. Lan Huan shifted, giving Lan Zhan a bewildered look.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying’s head popped out around Lan Huan. A breathless smile filled her face, leaving Lan Zhan a different kind of breathless. Especially as the smile turned into a smirk, Wei Ying’s eyes dropping to Lan Zhan’s dressing gown. “I didn’t take you for a late sleeper.” 

“I’m not.” Lan Zhan tightened her dressing gown, as if it could keep Wei Ying’s gaze from burning through her. 

“Guess I just wore you out, then,” Wei Ying teased with a wink. Lan Zhan could only sigh as Lan Huan’s eyebrows soared. A smile grew on her sister's lips as she spoke, stepping aside to let Wei Ying properly enter their apartment. 

“I was just making breakfast, if you’d like to join us?” 

“I love to, but I am in the middle of a crisis.” Wei Ying stepped in, the door closing behind her. 

Lan Zhan’s eyes looked her over; she clearly didn’t look like she was in the middle of a crisis. She was in a qipao today, the red fabric given interest by an alternating checkerboard pattern, but of the sheen of silk and matte cotton. Her hair was still in a faux bob, no doubt making use of the leftover curls from the night before. Her make up was just as flawless, making Lan Zhan think it had been reapplied. What kind of crisis needed flawless makeup? 

Unless, Lan Zhan’s blood ran cold as she studied the make up closer. Had someone come after them from the night before? Was the makeup just a way to hide the bruises?

“Please tell me you know how to sew!” Wei Ying interrupted Lan Zhan’s spiral. Her hands clasped together in a pleading motion. 

“Sew?” Lan Zhan blinked, the word so out of place from the spiral she was just in. 

“Yes, with a needle and thread?” Wei Ying mimed the motion, earning a glare in return from Lan Zhan. “I’ll give you extra points if you can do it neat and fast, and I’d buy you every dress in the city if you can do that fancy stuff.” 

Lan Zhan could only stare at Wei Ying. Her brain tried to work out why on earth the woman would be asking. Unless.

“Do you not?” Lan Zhan questioned. 

“Well,” Wei Ying laughed, a hand coming up to rub the back of her neck. “There was a charming woman who was paid an astounding amount of money to get me to ‘passable’ and instead took an early retirement. But that is neither here nor there, the important thing is that I’m calling in my favor.” 

Her favor? Of all the things Lan Zhan’s mind had conjured up on her way home the night before. None of them had included Lan Zhan’s sewing talents. Well, maybe one did, but Lan Zhan doubted she was here for that this early. 

“Well, I’m not letting my meimei go anywhere without having breakfast,” Lan Huan called from the kitchen. “So why don’t you sit down and tell me all about this favor she owes you?”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s hand darted out, catching Wei Ying’s wrist before she could move towards the kitchen. “Why don’t I show you some of my work to see if it meets your needs.” She all but dragged Wei Ying to her room without waiting for a response.
“Good, you can get dressed as you show me!” Wei Ying nodded as the door closed. Her eyes were already traveling around the room. Lan Zhan wondered what she made of the place, if she figured the lack of decoration was due to their recent arrival or a lack of personality. 

“I’m not actually showing you anything,” Lan Zhan hissed. “Do not tell my sister about the photograph.” 

“Give me some credit,” Wei Ying snorted as she moved into the room. She went to the dresser, pulling open a drawer and eyeing the stockings within. “Clearly, I saw you looking bewildered at the makeup counter and had to sweep in and save you!” 

“I don’t look bewildered,” Lan Zhan slammed her underthings drawer shut as Wei Ying went for it. She got a pout as Wei Ying turned her attention to the next one. 

“Well, then you just asked my opinion on a color choice and I realized you were out of your depth.” Wei Ying rolled her eyes. “Of course, I couldn’t get you all dolled up and not show you off. So I took you out, a little introduction to the town.” 

Lan Zhan mulled the idea over. Lan Huan was familiar enough with Lan Zhan’s stubborn nature to know she wouldn’t have done anything she truly didn’t want to do. However, Wei Ying was clearly a wild card. It was plausible Lan Zhan might have just been caught up in the whirlwind of a woman. 

“Is this your work?” Lan Zhan snapped out of her thoughts to see Wei Ying holding her black skirt. It had a band of embroidery around the bottom, delicate floral blooms of blue and purple. 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed. “It became popular while I was attending school.” 

“You’re going to be my savior then,” Wei Ying tossed the skirt at her. “Even Jiang Cheng will be impressed by that.” A shirt came flying towards Lan Zhan next. “Come on get dressed!” 

“Wei Ying-” 

“Aiyah, I know!” Wei Ying waved a hand. “You and your modesty.” She brushed past Lan Zhan on her way to the door. Lan Zhan barely had time to notice the blush on Wei Ying’s cheeks. 

The door closed, leaving Lan Zhan with the clothes Wei Ying had picked out for her. She considered choosing something else, just to see Wei Ying’s reaction. She dismissed the notion, it was far more dangerous to leave Wei Ying unchaperoned with her sister. She hurried through her morning routine, her fingers weaving a new braid as she hurried back out. 

The sound of laughter was far from reassuring. 

“She really is a marvelous dancer,” Wei Ying was gushing, making Lan Zhan’s ears flush red hot. “Not to mention she kept up with me!” 

“She is quite talented.” Lan Huan’s eyes sparkled as they met Lan Zhan’s gaze. 

Wei Ying had taken a spot in the kitchen, clearly out of Lan Huan’s way. Yet the way she was slouched against the counter, her hands hanging and her hips tilted forward in a way that made Lan Zhan wonder how Lan Huan had managed to focus. 

“What is your crisis?” Lan Zhan questioned. Though at this point, Lan Zhan really doubted it really was a crisis if Wei Ying wouldn’t be so easily distracted from it. 

“It’s terrible!” Wei Ying shot up from her slouched position with a gasp. “The hope chest was stolen!” 

“Hope chest?” Lan Huan questioned. 

“It’s a box of things a woman might need to set up a home after being married,” Wei Ying explained. “Usually it’s built up slowly over time by her family, pieces of cookware, linens, aprons.” 

“Oh, like a glory chest.” Lan Huan’s eyes sparked in recognition. Lan Zhan wondered if she should be making the same connection, but neither hope nor glory chests were ringing a bell. “We had one.” She prodded. 

The dots connected in Lan Zhan’s mind, and a lacquered chest engraved with birds and gentians was conjured. She hadn’t paid much attention to the contents, other than a cursory glance to see if anything was worth selling. The fine tea set had sealed its fate. But, now that she was thinking about it, the linens inside probably had fetched a nice price as well. 

“Well, it’s easy enough to replace the cookware. It’s just taxing on the club funds, which is easily fixed by an anonymous donation.” Wei Ying sighed, making it very clear who was providing such a donation. “Though it is going to take Jade Snow most of the day to round up the replacements, if not longer. I offered to go, since her sewing is better than mine, but she said I’d merely throw money down at the first thing I saw and not ‘look for quality’.” She ended with a pouting huff. 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan sighed as she accepted a bowl of noodles from her sister. “The sewing?” She prompted before taking a bite. 

“Well, I was more than happy to just buy all new linens and aprons and whatever else but,” Wei Ying sighed. “They felt it ‘wasn’t in the spirit’. And by they I mean Jiang Cheng talked about all the hard work the sewing circle did and how we couldn’t just give the bride ‘soulless and impersonal’ items. So to keep her from devolving into another pregnancy breakdown, everyone agreed to a sew-a-thon. Since everyone agreed to it, I can’t back out!” She huffed as she crossed her arms. 

“But you can’t sew,” Lan Zhan sighed as she realized Wei Ying’s problem. “If it's a sew-a-thon, you can’t expect to pass my work off as your own.” 

“I’ll admit I did consider it,” Wei Ying hummed. “But you’re right, which is why I’m counting on bringing another sewer, with a charming ability, to make up for my lack.” 

“What would you have done if I couldn’t sew?” 

“Flee town and never show my face here again.” Wei Ying shrugged. “Luckily I’ve got a favor, eh?” She winked. “Hurry up and finish your breakfast and grab your sewing kit! You did bring one with you, right? If not we could just pick one up, since I need one.”

“Ours are by the wireless in the sitting room,” Lan Huan directed. As if it was another room instead of an open space on the other side of the kitchen table. “Not that they’ve seen much use since we got here. Clothes have been too new to need mending.” 

“Perfect.” Wei Ying was spinning, identifying the radio cabinet and heading for it before Lan Zhan could even say anything. 

“A sew-a-thon?” Lan Huan raised an eyebrow at Lan Zhan. 

“Grab both,” Lan Zhan sighed to Wei Ying. 

“Both?” Lan Huan raised an eyebrow. 

“ Jie ,” Lan Zhan leveled a look at her sister. “Wei Ying introduced me to several social groups I thought you would enjoy. You can meet both by coming for the sew-a-thon.”

“Did she now,” Lan Huan hummed. Her attention turned to Wei Ying as she approached with both the kits. “I’m impressed, Miss Wei, at how easily you’ve managed to get my meimei into the things she hates.” 

“I don’t hate makeup.” Lan Zhan felt her ears heat. She covered by standing, bringing her dish over to the sink to clean. 

“You just didn’t want to be bad at it.” Lan Huan followed her. 

“Or sewing,” Lan Zhan fired back. Her ears were burning hotter. 

“We both know it’s not the sewing part of a sew-a-thon you hate,” Lan Huan hummed. “And the real reason you want me to come.” 

“Real reason?” Wei Ying’s head tilted in curiosity. 

“ Jie ,” Lan Zhan glared, but it did little to keep Lan Huan from opening her mouth.

“What my meimei doesn’t like is to be bad at anything.” 

“So you're telling me that she is bad at something.” Wei Ying’s spine straightened. “I look forward to finding out what it is.” A grin curled her lips as she looked at Lan Zhan. Her eyes sparkling. 

Lan Zhan’s jaw tightened as she glared at her sister. It wasn’t being bad she hated, as it was easily fixed by practice. No, what she truly hated was failure. Failure wasn’t erased with practice, it was permanent and stinging. And was only made worse when there were others around to witness. 

“Do you want to come or not?” She threw tersely at her sister. 

“Oh!” Wei Ying’s eyes widened, realizing the second kit was not a loan. “Two extra sewers would be great! Then no one could complain about my sewing!” She beamed. “Not to mention this is a great way to meet everyone!” She quickly covered. 

“Well I’m never one to say no to a social event.” Lan Huan smiled. “I’ll go change.” 

“No need to put on anything fancy,” Wei Ying warned. “Jiang Cheng is going to make us stay as long as she does. Don’t think pregnancy will mean we’re getting off easy! Wear something comfortable!” 

Six hours later, Lan Zhan learned it was no joke. Their saving grace was that Jiang Cheng’s bladder was tiny. Her frequent bathroom breaks became a beacon of hope for them, most of them pausing to massage their aching fingers and focus more on chatting than sewing. Or in Lan Zhan’s case, a chance to stretch her legs and get a cup of water. 

Her shield against any awkward pauses in conversation. She surveyed the room as she took her first sip. The younger girls had been flitting in and out, mostly working on their own projects. Meanwhile the ‘sew-a-thon’ had taken over the back of the room, where the windows could be opened up for a nice cross breeze, in a circle of the most comfortable chairs. 

Unsurprisingly, Lan Huan was at the heart of it. It didn’t matter that she was a stranger, she’d plunged into the heart of the gossip like an auntie who’d been here her whole life. She was clearly thriving off of it, having received four different social invitations by Lan Zhan’s count. Though she might have missed a few in her own attempts to ‘be social’ which hadn’t gone nearly as well. Lan Zhan was lucky that Lan Huan and Wei Ying had been nearby to keep them from turning into disasters. 

Speaking of Wei Ying, Lan Zhan’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the circle, only to realize the woman wasn’t there. In fact, there was no sign of the woman anywhere in the room. Lan Zhan tried to remember the last time she’d seen her, only to draw a blank. She supposed she had been quite focused on the swallow motif piece since the last bathroom break. 

Lan Zhan’s gaze met Jiang Cheng’s from where she was standing in the doorway, surveying the circle. Lan Zhan’s eyes widened as Jiang Cheng started waddling towards her. She glanced towards Lan Huan, only to see her completely engrossed in her current conversation. She took a deep breath, what was the worst that could happen? 

Probably pushing the pregnant lady into a meltdown. 

What had Wei Ying said? Flee the town and never return? Lan Huan would probably like Los Angeles, Lan Zhan heard it was a favorite with the movie crews. 

“Do you remember the last time you saw Wei Ying?” Jiang Cheng asked. 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan shook her head as she helped Jiang Cheng get a cup of water. “We are making good progress though.” 

“It’s not like I actually want her sewing skills,” Jiang Cheng snorted. “It’s just if she’s here, I know she’s not out there getting into trouble. Keeping an eye on her is becoming increasingly hard to do.” She muttered, a hand rubbing her stomach, making Lan Zhan wonder if the second part was more for herself than Lan Zhan’s benefit. 

Only for Jiang Cheng’s gaze to grow sharp as she turned her attention to Lan Zhan. 

“Would you go see what she’s up to? She must still be in the building,” Jiang Cheng asked. “Not that I’m worried or anything.” 

“I could use a break,” Lan Zhan inclined her head in return. She hoped she didn’t seem too eager to leave. 

Thankfully, there was no one around to hear her uncontrollable sigh of relief as she stepped out into the staircase. She considered the option of up or down, choosing to go up. 

“What do you mean there is nothing more they can do?” Wei Ying’s voice could be heard after a few steps. It almost took Lan Zhan a moment to place it, but there was a true flash of anger in it. The effect was a shift in the tone that sent a tingle down Lan Zhan’s spine. 

“They said there wasn’t enough evidence for them to work with.” A voice Lan Zhan didn’t recognize replied. 

“No evidence!? They barely looked! I asked the other girls, the officer didn’t even ask them any questions!” 

“They said it was just someone taking advantage of the open doors during service. There’s been a lot of petty thefts lately.” 

“Open doors?” Wei Ying huffed. “The window was smashed!” 

“Well, there isn’t anything we can do about it. They won't come back. So unless we want to investigate ourselves, we’re out of options.”

The smell of cigarettes drifted down to Lan Zhan. She followed it up, finding two women lingering in the stairwell. Wei Ying was perched up in the window sill, while the other woman was leaning against the wall. While they might have intended for the smoke to drift out through the window they’d opened, it clearly wasn’t doing as intended. 

Just as Lan Zhan was wondering how to announce herself, and not seem like an eavesdropper, the other woman’s head turned. She let out a hum of greeting as Lan Zhan stepped into the landing. 

“It’s Lan Huan, right?” The woman questioned. 

“Lan Zhan,” Lan Zhan corrected. At the sound of her voice, Wei Ying’s head turned. A smile filling her face. 

“I suppose that’s a sign Jiang Cheng noticed I was missing.” 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed as she moved to join the two at the window. Her hands clasping behind her back. “She wanted me to make sure you weren’t getting into trouble.” 

“Hah,” The other woman huffed a laugh as she moved to stub her cigarette out. An ashtray Lan Zhan could see tucked behind Wei Ying’s legs on the sill. From the violet flower shape of it, Lan Zhan doubted it was a permanent fixture of the stairwell. 

“Lan Zhan, meet Alice.” Wei Ying gestured between the two of them with her cigarette. “Alice is one of the founders of the Square and Circle Club.” 

“Pleasure,” Alice nodded to Lan Zhan. “Thank you for pitching in with the sew-a-thon. I do hope you’ll give the club a chance beyond this, we do so much more.” 

“My sister is already enamored with your clubs,” Lan Zhan replied.

“But not you?” Alice arched an eyebrow. 

“I prefer less social events.” Lan Zhan winced as the words came out. They didn’t sound like she’d pictured them. 

“Don’t let her fool you,” Wei Ying laughed. “She’s a brilliant dancer. Oh!” She jerked up from her lax position. “We should do a dance marathon!” 

“That’s,” Alice broke off as she thought about it. “Not a bad idea. We should bring it up at the next meeting.” 

“You don’t have to act so surprised,” Wei Ying pouted. “I have lots of good ideas!” 

“A reasonable idea then.” Alice rolled her eyes. “Nice to meet you, but I should get back before Jiang Cheng realizes I’m missing.” 

“Any chance you're not in a hurry to get back?” Wei Ying dropped her voice to a stage whisper as Alice moved away. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan shook her head as she shifted to lean out the window. Her elbows perched on the sill as she took a deep breath, searching for fresh air. Instead she only found the smells of the city. 

“Thank you again,” Wei Ying hummed. “For helping out.” 

“I owed you a favor,” Lan Zhan replied. 

A silence fell between them. Lan Zhan tried to look at Wei Ying out of the corner of her eye. Was she not going to say anything? Was she not going to do anything? They’d kissed and it felt like it was back to business as usual. There had been no fleeting touches or moments of heat between them. Granted, they’d been focused on sewing for the most part, but still Lan Zhan felt a pit of worry form in her stomach. 

Had they missed their moment? 

“I can’t believe it.” Wei Ying jerked. Lan Zhan felt her heart leap to her throat, only to realize she had voiced none of her worries. “I can’t believe there is no evidence!” 

“Evidence?” Lan Zhan blinked. 

“Someone broke in!” Wei Ying swung her feet down from the sill. “How could they leave no evidence?” She hopped down. She turned, grabbing the ashtray and stubbing out her cigarette. “It just doesn’t make any sense.” She started walking. 

“You mean the robbery?” Lan Zhan connected after a moment, hurrying after the other woman. 

“We stored hope chest in the office,” Wei Ying carried on. “Nearly everyone would have known that, but less people would have known we locked the office.” 

She led the way back to where the door was ajar. Lan Zhan eyed the now-windowless door as Wei Ying stepped through it. She set the ashtray on the desk as she planted her hands on her hips and surveyed the room. 

“When was the break in?” Lan Zhan eyed the frame of the door. The glass had been cleared away, but there didn’t seem to be any other damage to it. 

“They think they took advantage of the service this morning,” Wei Ying replied. “Used the organ and the singing to cover up the smashing.” 

“But wouldn’t someone have seen them take the chest out?” Lan Zhan wondered. 

“Exactly!” Wei Ying spun. Her face was lit by an almost manic looking excitement. “There are always kids running a muck, and the nursery is manned by more than a few women. Not to mention bathroom breaks! How did no one see someone lugging a large chest down four flights of stairs?” 

“Maybe they covered it with something?” Lan Zhan hummed. Her eyes roved the office, landing on an empty spot she’d remembered seeing a runner the day before. “The runner.” 

“Runner?” Wei Ying blinked. 

“There was a runner there yesterday.” Lan Zhan pointed to a section of the now empty table. “Embroidered, with a tree if I recall correctly.” 

“A runner wouldn’t be big enough to cover the chest,” Wei Ying hummed as her fingers ran along the empty table top. “Coats would be too suspicious this time of year.” 

“Would there be another reason to take the runner?” 

“Maybe they liked it?” Wei Ying thought. 

Lan Zhan’s brow furrowed. That didn’t feel quite right. Her eyes drifted back to some of the other embroidered pieces around the office. If she remembered right, they were all better quality, a few sharing the same motif. Why go for that particular one? Why not take the others? 

Lan Zhan pushed the thoughts from her mind. She was never going to know what was going through a thief's mind. Theorizing would get her nowhere, then again… 

“That looks like a thinking face,” Wei Ying saddled up next to Lan Zhan. She leaned her body forward so she could peer up at Lan Zhan, a smile playing on her lips.

“Aren’t we both?” Lan Zhan deflected. 

“Fine.” Wei Ying pouted. “Keep your secrets.” 

Lan Zhan could only roll her eyes. Did Wei Ying think she’d really break from a little pout? The only thing Lan Zhan was tempted to do was kiss her, but clearly that wasn’t happening. She’d already shown her hand, now it was Wei Ying’s turn to move. Lan Zhan just expected her to make it by now. 

“We should get back.” She offered. Her eyes lingered on Wei Ying as the woman straightened. Her eyes scanned the office one last time.

“Yeah,” She exhaled. Her heels clicked against the floor as she went for the door.

Lan Zhan followed, closing the door behind. She glanced through the broken window one last time, unable to resist another look. Yet unlike in a story, there was no cleverly pointed out hint. So with a sigh, Lan Zhan finally turned away. 

Only for her brow to furrow as something flashed in the light. She stepped across the hallway where an old pew had been placed. Her head tilted so she could look closer at the shine underneath. 

Glass. 

It was only a few shards. But if the office was broken into, why would the glass be out in the hall?  It was conceivable that they were missed by whoever cleaned up the office. Unless- 

“Lan Zhan? Something wrong?” 

“No,” Lan Zhan carefully picked up the glass. Whoever cleaned up the glass must have dropped these shards without realizing, Lan Zhan decided. Nothing more. 

She tried to ignore the way that it felt like the shards were burning in her hand. She tried to convince herself that the shards were just dropped by whoever cleaned up. There was nothing more to it. She exhaled as she dropped the glass into the trash bin. 

Yet it burned away at the back of her mind as she picked up her needle. It followed her home, accompanying her into sleep. It sat in the back of her mind as she made breakfast the next morning, until she was left with a hole in her routine. 

Where it could consume her thoughts completely. 

It was filled by the sound of a knock on her apartment door. 

“I refuse to believe the hope chest is lost with no leads,” Wei Ying offered in the way of greeting as Lan Zhan opened the door. “Which made me think. There are only a handful of places someone could sell a chest like that, nearly all of them are here in Chinatown.” 

“Wouldn’t stolen goods be taken to an illicit market of sorts?” Lan Zhan volleyed back. 

“Luckily, I’ve got a lead on that too.” Wei Ying grinned. “So, what do you say? Want to come with me?” 

“Let me guess, Jiang Cheng told you not to look into it by yourself?” Lan Zhan huffed, her arms crossing. No doubt Lan Zhan was her last option. Only for her eyes to widen as she saw Wei Ying deflate. 

“I just thought you might be interested,” Wei Ying muttered. “That it be fun.” 

Lan Zhan’s arms fell to her sides. 

“You wanted to go with me?” 

“Well, yeah,” Wei Ying shifted, a hand coming up to rub the back of her neck. “I mean everyone else has written it off as lost, but you went to look at the office with me. Not to mention the last time we worked together was fun.” Her cheeks took on a bit of color. 

“I’m not used to being someone's first choice,” Lan Zhan admitted, feeling her own ears heat. 

“What?” Wei Ying gasped. “But you're so-” She faltered. 

“Exactly,” Lan Zhan snorted. Most of her friends were schoolmates who’d been forced to work with her enough times that a friendship had formed. 

“That falter was because I couldn’t decide on one of the many options to describe you,” Wei Ying shot back.

“Oh?” Lan Zhan hummed. “Name a few.” 

“Beautiful, funny, exciting, bold,” Wei Ying rattled off. “Smart, a fantastic dancer-” 

“Alright, I get it!” Lan Zhan cut her off, her ears felt like twin flames on the side of her head. “Let me grab my bag.” 

“You're coming?” Wei Ying lit up like a lightbulb. 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed as she started to turn. Only to nearly topple as Wei Ying tackled her in a hug. 

“I knew you were just as intrigued as I was!” She squealed. Lan Zhan was only slightly disappointed when she let go. 

“The only way this will be done is if we do it ourselves, right? Do I need to change?” Lan Zhan questioned as she went for her purse. She glanced at Wei Ying’s outfit, a bell sleeved high collared shirt paired with a calf-length skirt. It was very conservative for the woman. 

“Oh, no they’ll love you regardless,” Wei Ying hummed. “As a fresh face just off the boat uncorrupted by Western society.” She rolled her eyes. Lan Zhan couldn’t help but snort, clearly her look was deceiving. 

“Lead the way,” Lan Zhan slid the circular handle of her bag over her wrist. 

When Wei Ying said she had a lead to the illicit market, Lan Zhan didn’t expect a group of aunties around a mahjong board at a tearoom. She found herself sitting next to one Wei Ying had introduced only as Auntie Four, and instructed to deal. The Zhongyuan dialect flew around the table rapid fire, Wei Ying keeping pace with it. It left Lan Zhan a beat slower, translating it over to her own dialect and strategizing her game. The latter she did far more successfully, much to the displeased huffs and groans from the aunties as Lan Zhan played her winning hand. Wei Ying laughed as their eyes met over the table, making a smile curve Lan Zhan’s lips. 

“What a smart girl,” said an auntie that Lan Zhan no longer remembered the name of, reaching over to pinch her cheek. “I have a very handsome son, good job-” 

“Auntie,” Wei Ying interjected. “I thought I was marrying him?” She pouted. It caused a roar of laughter. Wei Ying’s eyes met hers, winking as she continued. “Actually, Lan Zhan’s got a bit of trouble. She brought her hope chest over with her, but it got stolen.” 

“How terrible!” A ring of similar sentiment ran around the table. Lan Zhan realized Wei Ying’s play, letting out a hum as she followed suit. 

“I can always work to replace the contents,” Lan Zhan exhaled, hoping her usually porcelain face showed some emotion the aunties would pick up on.  “But the box itself was my mother's. Now that she’s gone…” She trailed off. 

“Oh you poor thing!” Lan Zhan found herself enveloped in a flurry of aunties. 

“Which was why I was hoping someone might have heard about someone trying to move a lacquered chest? It’s old, well-made.” Wei Ying popped into the bubble of Aunties. Lan Zhan latched onto her like  a lifeline, reeling herself out of the sea of Aunties. “It has a bird and flower motif.”

Lan Zhan watched the Aunties tither amongst themselves. The dialect was moving too fast for Lan Zhan to translate it all. She managed to get the gist, that the aunties were essentially comparing notes. Shop and people’s names flew by; Lan Zhan glanced at Wei Ying and found the woman serious. She had a feeling Wei Ying was noting every single name that was being stated. 

“Anything?” Lan Zhan murmured in English. 

“Not really,” Wei Ying followed her into the language. “But Auntie Four is a bit of an antique expert, pretty much anything of value goes past her eventually.” 

“Even illicit?” 

“Lan Zhan, you’re looking at the speakeasy’s best supplier of bootleg materials.” Wei Ying snorted. 

“Her?”
“What, did her mahjong game fool you?” Wei Ying arched an eyebrow. “Just a piece of advice, Lan Zhan, don’t underestimate the older generation.” Her eyes shifted back to the aunties. “They did what they had to, so that their daughters could thrive.” 

“I’m sorry,” Auntie Four took their attention, stepping away from the rest of the aunties. “I haven’t seen anything like that come through recently.” 

“It was worth a shot.” Wei Ying shrugged. “If you do see anything?” 

“You’ll hear it from my relieved cries,” Auntie Four snorted. “I’m up to my ears in knockoff porcelain, I’d kiss anything that wasn’t it at this point.” 

“A pleasure as always, Auntie Four,” Wei Ying chuckled. 

“By the way, I’ve got another shipment ready to come down from the mountain.” Auntie Four winked. 

“I’ll make some time to go and pick it up later this week.” Wei Ying nodded. “I’ll let you ladies get back to your gossiping.” She mock saluted.

“It was a pleasure meeting you,” The aunties called in parting. 

“Mountain?” Lan Zhan questioned Wei Ying as they started to leave.

“Really?” Wei Ying grinned at Lan Zhan. 

“Mn.” 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying laughed. “I just told you Auntie Four is the best supplier of what?” She arched an eyebrow. 

“My aunt better not be your damn supplier for anything,” A surly voice cracked through the air. 

Lan Zhan’s eyes widened as her head whipped up. Smoke spiraled from the cigarette in a man’s lips. A pair of inky black eyes could cut to the bone, and they were aimed at Wei Ying. Lan Zhan took in the man’s black western style suit, catching on the bright red tie holding the collar high. A soft felt fedora was in the man’s hand, and an olive rain slicker draped over his arm. His free hand took the cigarette as he expelled a lung full of smoke. His head tilted so that a single curl fell from his slicked back hairstyle to brush his brow. He was handsome, if someone was interested in men. 

“Your auntie is a grown woman,” Wei Ying shot back. “She’s capable of choosing her own hobbies.” She planted her hands on her hips. 

“Her hobbies should be legal.” The man didn’t waste a moment going toe to toe with Wei Ying. His head tilted to glare down at her. 

“What she’s doing is humanitarian,” Wei Ying tossed her hair. Lan Zhan’s eyes went to watch the curls bounce. “Or did I mishear the cases of alcohol poisoning is down?” 

“That has nothing to do with it.” 

“Please, with a cheap option that actually tastes good, no one is going to turn back to wood alcohol.” Wei Ying snorted. “That your auntie is the supplier doesn’t make a difference.” 

“Then find a new supplier,” The man huffed. His hand raised to rub his temple, the cigarette still burning away. “I’ve got enough to worry about.” 

“ Gege .” Lan Zhan’s eyes were pulled away at the sound of a young woman’s voice.

 Her eyes narrowed as she took in the young woman; there was something familiar about her. Her eyes ran the length of the woman. She had a silhouette a flapper would die for, straight as a board beneath her western sailor collared dress, done in white and red. Her hair had been cut short too, though it seemed barely long enough to be considered a bob. Her eyes had an air of innocence around them, like a doe’s. 

“A-Ning,” The man sighed. “She’s-” 

“Being careful,” The woman shot back. “It’ll take more than a few hound dogs to sniff out Auntie Four. And you need to stop fretting over A-Cheng and get a decent night's sleep.” The woman’s arms crossed. 

A-Cheng? Lan Zhan’s eyes widened at the recognition of the name. Did that mean…? 

“Who’s this?” The man seemed to suddenly notice Lan Zhan. 

“Ah, Wen Qing and Wen Ning, meet Lan Zhan, a new friend.” Wei Ying slid over, looping her arm through Lan Zhan’s. “Lan Zhan, this is Jiang Cheng’s husband. Wen Ning is her cousin.” 

“Nice to meet you.” Lan Zhan inclined her head. 

“You too.” Wen Ning’s cheeks took on a bit of color as she bobbed her head in greeting.

“My advice?” Wen Qing stubbed her cigarette out on one of the nearby standing ashtrays. “Run the opposite direction of this one.” 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed. “I’ve been told.” She glanced at Wei Ying. Her eyes only left the woman’s smile as she heard a chuckle from the young woman. 

“Yet you're still here,” Wen Ning noted. 

“I’ve decided to make my own decision,” Lan Zhan replied back bluntly. 

“A pair you two will be,” Wen Qing snorted. 

“Qing-er!” One of the Aunties noticed his arrival. “My elbow has been bothering me again, would you take a look?” 

“That’s my cue,” Wen Qing exhaled. He offered nothing more than a nod in parting as he headed further back into the tea room. 

“Nice to meet you again.” Wen Ning waved as she hurried after Wen Qing. 

Again? Lan Zhan’s brow furrowed. 

“Have we met before?” Lan Zhan questioned Wei Ying as they left the tea room. Her eyes went skyward, noticing the gray clouds creeping in. It would appear Wen Qing’s rain slicker wasn’t too out of place. 

“Define meet,” Wei Ying hummed. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of Lan Zhan’s sleeve as they walked. Lan Zhan merely raised an eyebrow in response. “You met Wen Ning at the speakeasy.” 

“The only woman-” Lan Zhan broke off as the stuttering young man came to mind. “The worker?” Her head craned to look over her shoulder, as if she could still catch sight of Wen Ning through the front of the building. 

“Quite the difference in confidence, isn’t it?” Wei Ying hummed. “It’s a balancing act right now, a few well-placed appearances before he leaves for Europe. Meanwhile, Wen Ning has arrived fresh from England.” Her eyes cut to Lan Zhan, as if she was daring her to say something. 

“Did you see this often in Europe?” Lan Zhan asked instead.

“There was a friend in England,” Wei Ying hummed. “But I saw it more often in Paris, with those who didn’t have a family or a community to explain themselves too.” 

“If I connected it,” Lan Zhan hesitated to say. 

“Only because of visuals,” Wei Ying shook her head. “Everyone knows he was a timid boy, while Wen Ning?” A smile curved her lips. “She’s got some kick to her, anyone who knew him won’t even consider it. Besides, she has her family’s support, which is half the battle.” 

“Wei Ying!” The two of them turned at the sound of Wei Ying’s name. 

“Alice!” Wei Ying called a greeting. “Don’t tell me Jiang Cheng wants us to do another sew-a-thon.” 

“No.” Alice ran to them. Her face was nothing but serious as she came to a stop. Her hand came to her chest as she tried to even out her breathing. “Have you seen Jade Snow?” 

“Jade Snow?” Wei Ying blinked. “No, last I saw her was when she went out to buy things for the hope chest.” 

“Well, she didn’t come back with the items. I’d assumed she’d just taken them home after a long day,” Alice fretted. “But she didn’t bring them in this morning either. So I stopped by her place, but her family says they hadn’t seen her since she left to go to the Church. No one there has heard from her though either.” 

“What?” Wei Ying’s hand tightened on Lan Zhan’s arm. “You mean she’s missing?” Alice could only give a worried nod. “What were the shops she was going through? We can figure out the last place she was sighted.” 

“Here, I made a list of all the spots I could think of.” Alice went for her bag, producing a rumpled list. “But she likes pottery, there could be a dozen more I don’t know of!” 

“Let’s just stay calm.” Wei Ying’s hand slid from Lan Zhan’s arm as she moved to take the list. “We can split your list and cover twice as much ground.” 

“I could search too,” Lan Zhan offered. 

“You barely know Chinatown,” Wei Ying offered bluntly. Her gaze was focused on the list, so Lan Zhan had a feeling it was more due to her spinning mind than an insult. “If you want to help you can stick with me.” 

“Thank you,” Alice offered to Lan Zhan. 

“Don’t worry,” Wei Ying reached out to squeeze her arm. “We’ll find her. Based on the stores, the Tearoom is going to be closer than the church. Meet us back here once you finish your half.” She tore the list. “If we still can’t find her, we can call over to the Church and see if she’s shown up there.”

“Right.” Alice took a deep breath. “Jiang Cheng is there, but there are a few others out searching.” 

“See, we’ll find her in no time!” Wei Ying offered brightly. But only Lan Zhan could see the grin slide from her face as they turned away from Alice. 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan questioned, her fingers reaching out barely brushing the back of the woman’s hand as they walked. 

“We should hurry.” Wei Ying worried at her lower lip. “She’s already been missing for hours.” 

“Should we go to the police?” Lan Zhan questioned, only to get a snort. 

“For what? To have them tell us there is no evidence for them to find?” Wei Ying huffed. “The police around here just see Chinatown as a stepping stone. They only care if they think it’s going to be big enough to earn them a promotion out of here.” 

“Surely there has to be one of them that cares.” 

“Let’s hope we don’t have to find out,” Wei Ying exhaled. Her stride picked up as her gaze turned to the paper in her hand. 

Lan Zhan could only watch the tension in Wei Ying’s body wind tighter and tighter with each store they visited. In truth, the fact that only a handful of the stores could even remember if Jade Snow had been there with certainty was unsettling Lan Zhan. She hoped that Jade Snow just hadn’t done anything to make herself memorable, and not something more sinister. 

 Still, the three that did remember her was enough for Lan Zhan to slowly see a path the woman must have wound through town. Except as Lan Zhan arranged the pieces, they were still left with a large, gaping afternoon. If they could confirm at least one shop hadn’t seen Jade Snow in the afternoon, it would give them an area to search. 

“Last one,” Wei Ying muttered as they left another store with no news. Her fingers were unfolding the paper again, though the handwriting was already warped beyond recognition due to the thousands of creases and folds her fidgeting had caused. 

Lan Zhan moved a few steps closer, and Wei Ying latched onto her arm. Lan Zhan was surprised at how quickly she adjusted to the feeling of Wei Ying’s hand, tucked in the crook of her elbow or fidgeting with her sleeve. The only person who’d tried to get this close was Lan Huan. While Lan Zhan could stand it for a few minutes, eventually the constant swinging Lan Huan gave their hands would throw off Lan Zhan’s walking rhythm. It forced Lan Zhan to work with the uncomfortable rhythm, or let go. She usually let go, but it wouldn’t be long before Lan Huan was taking her hand again. Lan Zhan idly wondered if this would be a solution for them. 

Then again, Lan Zhan had a suspicion this might be Wei Ying specific. 

Lan Zhan felt her ears flush as Wei Ying’s hand abandoned her shirt sleeve. Her fingers were feather light as they trailed down Lan Zhan’s inner arm. They fluttered around her pulse point, casting a spell to make Lan Zhan’s pulse soar to the same fast rhythm they tapped. It was only as she glanced at the woman out of the corner of her eye that her pulse faltered. 

Wei Ying’s lower lip was still red, but no longer because of her lipstick. Her teeth had worried it raw. Here Lan Zhan was thinking about kissing her when all she was focused on was finding her friend. Lan Zhan should be just as focused, though her ears heated at the thought of what her reward might be once they found her. 

It was the sight of something out of the corner of her eye that cleared the thoughts and the heat from Lan Zhan’s mind. Her head turned, her steps slowing as her eyes narrowed. Her steps stopped completely as she realized what she was looking at. 

“Wei Ying.” She pointed with her free hand. Wei Ying hummed as her eyes shifted to follow Lan Zhan’s direction. 

“What is it?” Wei Ying asked after several moments of searching. Apparently not seeing what Lan Zhan did. 

Lan Zhan merely tugged her into the alley and towards the trash heap. Her eyes scanned the pile, trying to figure out how to uncover it by touching the least among of trash. Thankfully, after she moved the first piece, Wei Ying swooped in with a gasp. 

“The chest!”

Lan Zhan had to jump back as Wei Ying tossed the trash aside. The woman seemed to have no concern for the mess she was making, instead fully focused on uncovering the chest and dragging it out. She at least dragged it to a clean section of sidewalk, allowing Lan Zhan to move in. Other than a few pieces of trash stuck to the chest, it looked to be in perfect condition. Well, it was until Wei Ying opened it. 

“Why destroy the bottom?” Wei Ying reached in, jostling the jagged pieces of what used to be the bottom. 

“Maybe it’s not the hope chest.” Lan Zhan eyed it. She’d only caught a glimpse of it that day in the office. Wei Ying let out a hum, her fingers gliding over the sides. They only stopped as her fingers caught. 

“This is our chest,” Wei Ying hummed. “See, this is the dent from when we dropped it trying to get it up the stairs at the church.” 

“Are you sure?” Lan Zhan eyed it. The trunk was in the trash, there was no delling where that dent could have come from. 

“Yeah, I remember saying it looked like lotus root.” Wei Ying tapped it. Lan Zhan leaned closer, and let out a hum as she saw that it did look like the iconic holes of the root. “The real question is what is it doing here? This is a well-made chest, arguably more valuable than the linen or crockery inside. Why ditch the thing that will make the most money?” 

Wei Ying had pointed out the strongest point, but it didn’t keep Lan Zhan from trying to come up with an answer. She studied the chest as she considered the options, landing on the one right in front of her. 

“It’s too recognizable,” She volleyed back to Wei Ying. “I picked it out from a trash heap.” 

“That is very impressive,” Wei Ying praised. “But why wouldn’t they just hold on to it? In a few months we would have forgotten what it looked like.” 

“Maybe they were worried about being caught with it,” Lan Zhan debated back. 

“What about the bottom then?” Wei Ying questioned. “Why destroy it?” 

“To make it seem like it’s not the hope chest?” Lan Zhan offered. “Or to make it seem like it belonged in the trash heap? It could deter people from taking it with them.” 

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying gasped, lurching forward. She pulled out a stained runner, it was only after she laid it flat that Lan Zhan realized it was the one from the Club’s office. She leaned in, seeing the fabric shredded. 

“Did they destroy it too to make it look like trash?” 

“I suppose,” Wei Ying hummed, her eyes beginning to study the area around them. Lan Zhan chose to study her instead, meaning she caught the moment Wei Ying’s eyes widened. Lan Zhan’s own eyes quickly followed, finding a faded painted sign marking the back door of ‘Chang’s Goods.’ 

“Question number two,” Wei Ying stood, brushing her hands off as she eyed the sign. “What is our stolen chest doing outside of our last stop Jade Snow might have come to? Now, am I supposed to think that is just coincidence?” 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan let out a hum as she considered the sign. 

“Let me guess,” Wei Ying chuckled. “You don’t believe in coincidences?” 

“I believe in them.” Lan Zhan looked at her. “But I also think that most people use it as an excuse to not have to connect the dots.” 

“Well then,” Wei Ying smirked. “Let’s go connect some dots.” 

Wei Ying led the way around to the front of the shop, where the same ‘Chang’s Goods’ was painted, but this time in English as well. While it might have been a general store at one point, it seemed to have fully morphed into a kitsch shop. Shelves were filled with trinkets that Lan Zhan could find no better description of than souvenirs. Considering their placement, on the edge of Chinatown but still on a main thoroughfare, Lan Zhan suspected they were trying to cater to the white tourists she’d grown used to seeing on the streets. As Lan Zhan’s eyes slid over the laughing buddhas and blue willow bowls, she’d hoped even a tourist would be able to see the lack of quality here. 

They moved through the shelves, getting a peek at the old man behind the counter. Wei Ying shifted back out of his line of sight with a groan. Lan Zhan had to commiserate, as it was clear the man was giving Wei Ying the stink eye. Or more accurately her styled bob. 

“Maybe you take point on this one, eh?” Wei Ying offered. “Don’t think the old man likes westerners.” 

“Funny, since I suspect they pay his bills.” 

“What?” Wei Ying blinked. 

“All this stuff,” Lan Zhan glanced around the shelves. “Blue Willow is a design for Westerners. Besides, do you really think this is real jade for 75 cents?” 

“Maybe he got a good deal?” Wei Ying picked up a statuette, turning it in her hands. Lan Zhan merely reached up, tapping against the soft green stone with her nail. 

The result was a dull flat tone, as if Lan Zhan was tapping a brick. Much to her dismay, Wei Ying merely stared at her. 

“It should echo,” Lan Zhan informed her. She watched Wei Ying’s face shift into recognition, her own nail reaching up to tap against it. The same flat tone sounding again, 

“Jade isn’t as popular in Europe,” Wei Ying hummed. “Suppose I’ve got a lot to learn.” 

“As do the tourists.” Lan Zhan took the statuette and set it back on the shelf. 

“That means Jade Snow probably didn’t come here,” Wei Ying groaned. “She knows her pottery.” 

“There might be a few gems here,” Lan Zhan hummed as her eyes began to search. “Just takes time to find them.” 

“Well, she’d take the time if it meant getting a deal for the Club.” Wei Ying exhaled. “Alright, I’ll go talk to the old man. No doubt buying something will grease him up, so if you could keep me from getting jipped, I’d appreciate it.” 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan hummed, her scanning of the shelves turning more serious. 

As she moved into the next aisle, she realized how slim the pickings really were. At first she thought the pottery might be their best bet, but on closer inspection, the pieces were filled with rough edges, as if someone had chipped parts off of them. If that wasn’t bad enough, the painted designs were flawed, if not down right hideous. In the end, it was a simple lacquered box that caught Lan Zhan’s attention. It was at least two years old, marked by the new year rabbit motif, but the design was well thought out and without flaws. There were some scuff marks on the inside, but it was easily overlooked or covered with felt. 

“Ah, a lovely choice!” The old man beamed as Lan Zhan set it on the counter. Whatever stink eye he’d been giving Wei Ying had completely transformed. 

“She has a great eye.” Wei Ying smiled. “I can always count on her eye for detail.” 

“Maybe you're a rabbit yourself?” The man hummed. 

Lan Zhan only sent him a glare. It pulled a laugh from Wei Ying. 

“She’s a bit shy about it.” Wei Ying smiled. “All the more reason to get it.” She pulled out her wallet. 

Lan Zhan watched Wei Ying haggle, something she didn’t expect from how easily Wei Ying had been fooled by the item quality. Just as they were wrapping up the purchase, Wei Ying took her opening. 

“I’m so glad we stopped in! This place was actually recommended by a friend. She said she was going to stop by, maybe you’ve seen her already?” 

“Friend? I’m a friend to everyone around here! What’s her name? What does she look like?” 

“Jade Snow Wong?” Wei Ying offered the name before she gave a description. 

“I’m afraid that’s not ringing any bells,” The man offered with a sigh. “There’s been no other female customers today either.” 

“Well, I’ll tell her we stopped by anyway.” Wei Ying shrugged. 

“Yes, tell your friends!” The old man latched on like the salesman that he was. “I’m getting new stock every day!”  

“Will do!” Wei Ying called over her shoulder as she led the way out. The door to Cheng’s Goods closed with a thud behind them, an ominous tone as they started walking. Wei Ying’s silence did nothing to lift it. 

“Hopefully Alice has had more luck,” Lan Zhan offered after a few moments of tense silence. Wei Ying seemed to startle, staring at Lan Zhan in confusion. It made Lan Zhan feel like she needed to clarify. “On news of Jade Snow.” 

“Lan Zhan, that man knows where Jade Snow is.” Wei Ying looked back to the storefront of Cheng’s Goods. Now that they were out of sight of the windows, she stopped. 

“I thought he said her name didn’t ring a bell.” 

“He’s lying.” Wei Ying rolled her eyes. “And poorly too, I mean us being his first customers of the day? I’ve never known a man to wear Shalimar .” 

“ Shamilar?” Lan Zhan questioned. 

“A perfume, heavily vanilla forward. I was smelling it all over that store.” Wei Ying hummed. Lan Zhan almost laughed. She missed the cheap jade but clocked the perfume. Wei Ying crossed her arms as she looked back at the storefront. “Not to mention he started panicking the moment I mentioned her name. So we have our missing trunk out back, and a nervous man inside. They’re pieces of the same puzzle, but how do they fit together?” 

Lan Zhan could only let out a hum as her gaze turned to the box in her hands. Her thumb traced over the rabbit, thinking about all the pieces they collected. 

“At least you’ve got a cute box,” Wei Ying smirked. “My little rabbit.” 

“One month,” Lan Zhan huffed. “A rabbit because I was born three weeks early.” 

“Well, this dragon will do her best to keep from gobbling you up.” Wei Ying grinned as she leaned closer. Lan Zhan let out a hum as her eyes dropped to Wei Ying’s lips, the red worried bottom lip enough to put a damper on the mood. Wei Ying seemed to sense it as well, shifting the conversation back. “I feel like we are so close, what are we missing? A shop full of crappy trinkets, a missing hope chest.” 

Lan Zhan’s eyes widened as the puzzle pieces clicked together. 

“Not crappy.” Lan Zhan looked back at the shop. “They’re counterfeit.”

“How does that improve the situation?” Wei Ying sighed. “If they are keeping Jade Snow on the premises, I doubt we could convince the police to search it.”  

“Did you buy the crookery the first time?” 

“I did,” Wei Ying’s reply was slow, as if she was trying to piece together what Lan Zhan had on her own. 

“Where did you get them?”
“Someone on the street was hocking them.” Wei Ying shrugged. “They looked solid, so I picked them up, since I knew we were looking. Now that I think about it, it might have been in this area.” 

“She said you wouldn’t look for quality,” Lan Zhan breathed. Her fingers hurried to open the box. Her eyes taking in the scratch marks with new eyes. 

They looked like the kind of marks from someone who was trying to lift a false bottom by force. 

“What did you figure out?” Wei Ying shifted into Lan Zhan’s space, peering into the small box. 

“When Lan Huan and I landed, there was a man who was detained and his goods searched. He was smuggling drugs.” 

“Okay…” Wei Ying still wasn’t on board Lan Zhan’s train of thought. 

“What do smugglers do with the goods they smuggle with once the drugs are removed?” 

“I don’t know.” Wei Ying shrugged. “Throw them away?” 

“Or offload them to a store where they can be taken as cheap souvenirs.” 

“That makes sense,” Wei Ying murmured. “But how does our stolen chest fit in?” 

“Not the chest,” Lan Zhan shook her head. Her heartbeat was picking up with her excitement. “The runner. What if it wasn’t shredded to make it look like trash, but shredded when they used it when they punched through the window of the Club office?” 

“That would imply they got into the office before they broke the window.” Wei Ying’s brow furrowed. 

“To make it seem like a break in.” Lan Zhan nodded. “I found glass in the hallway. It might have just been dropped during clean up, or it could have made its way there from the original break.”

“That implies whoever took the chest had access to the office,” Wei Ying exhaled. “And what does it have to do with drug smuggling? If we did buy something that was used to smuggle drugs, shouldn’t it have been cleared of them already?” 

Lan Zhan had to pause to think about that. The rough surface on the plates came back to mind. Lan Zhan took a sharp inhale as she remembered how some girls at their school had baked items they were trying to smuggle into sweets. Could the same thing be done with porcelain? A pocket hidden in the design, revealed by breaking off an excess bottom, leaving a rough edge behind once the drugs were retrieved.  Even if Wei Ying couldn’t tell real from fake jade, Lan Zhan would like to think she wouldn’t miss the rough unfinished edges.

“What if they hadn’t?” Lan Zhan questioned. “Didn’t the police tell you that there had been a lot of petty thefts lately? What if they’re all porcelain? Drug dealers trying to reclaim their lost product.” 

“It still doesn’t explain why they’d feel the need to make it look like the office was broken into,” Wei Ying exhaled. “They could have just broken the porcelain there, we probably wouldn’t have thought to check them over before we gave away the chest. Even if they broke, we might have just written it off as something we did.” 

“I didn’t say it was a perfect solution,” Lan Zhan sighed. “It’s all just theory anyway, probably better as a fireside tale.” 

“No.” Wei Ying’s brow was furrowing. “It makes sense.” She murmured, only for her eyes to widen. “Jade Snow knew.” 

“Knew what?”
“That there was something hidden in china.” A smile grew on her face. “She must have noticed something was off with them; when she heard about the other robberies, she put it together. She faked the theft of ours in the hopes the police would investigate and catch them. Instead she was forced to confront the drug dealers herself. Only for the tables to turn, they took the chest and their drugs back and are now holding her hostage.” 

“What would be the point of holding her hostage?” Lan Zhan questioned. Only to wince as she realized she was implying the woman was killed instead. “It just sounds like a penny novel,” Lan Zhan couldn’t resist sighing. “My theory included.” 

“What if she hid some of the china?” Wei Ying’s eyes widened. “As assurance of her own safety, but now they’re trying to drag the information out of her?” 

“Where would she hide the pottery?” Lan Zhan exhaled. “If we could take it to the police as proof, they might actually look for her.” 

“That is the question.” Wei Ying sighed. “Her home would be too dangerous, with all her sisters.” 

“The church,” Lan Zhan’s eyes widened. “It’s the last place anyone would look!” 

“And why she needed to make it look like a break in!” Wei Ying grinned. “Come on, we can turn the place over from top to bottom.” 

A few hours later, Lan Zhan decided she never wanted to play a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt organized by Jade Snow. At the end of the search, she’d consider saying no if even presented with a game of hide and seek. It was made all the more frustrating after they tore apart the church from top to bottom, only to find the knockoff blue willow pattern tucked into an out-of-the-way cabinet in the church’s kitchen. 

At least, Lan Zhan exhaled, the hard part was over. 

Her optimistic thought was not only dashed, but ran over until it was no longer recognizable not even an hour later. She glared at the balding man behind the desk, his pot belly fighting his shirt buttons with each shake of laughter. Her hand curled into a fist from where she had them tucked behind her back, thankfully out of sight from the whole station that seemed to be watching them. Wei Ying had been explaining the evidence for nearly an hour now, going in circles as this man laughed at them. The worst part was he was the second man they’d demanded to see, after the first one flat out refused them. 

“So let me get this straight.” He wiped at the tears in his eyes. “Just because your friend has been missing for a few hours doesn’t mean she’s gone and got herself involved in some drug smuggling plot.” 

“It’s not just a few hours-” Wei Ying stood her ground.

“Look, I know it’s not normal for your types of women to be out and about, but I can assure you, my woman is out all day, and no harm comes to her.” The officer cut her off. Lan Zhan’s hand tightened, the nails digging into her palms. 

“Even though he wishes something would!” Lan Zhan’s eyes cut to the man who called out, one of the many officers of the peace that was clearly lounging on their desks rather than using them. 

“If you just look at the evidence we brought-” 

“Honey this isn’t evidence!” The officer cut Wei Ying off, again. “Watching a few movies does not make you the next Charlie Chan any more than this is evidence.” 

Lan Zhan’s teeth gritted as she glared. She could feel Wei Ying’s anger and frustration, a thin line keeping Lan Zhan herself silent. She recited a non-violence mantra as she wondered if smashing the bowl on the man’s skull would be destroying evidence or creating evidence. She settled for smashing it on the floor, the white and blue pieces skittering across the tiled floor. 

But nothing else. 

“What?” Wei Ying breathed, her eyes searching the pieces. She crouched, picking up two pieces, fitting them together in a clear display of the intended hidden compartment. She looked up at Lan Zhan. “The compartment is here, where are the drugs?”

“Maybe the other one will?” Lan Zhan tried to search for an answer. Wei Ying went to the carpet bag they’d brought this one in, quickly pulling out the other bowl they’d brought. 

“Oy! What do you think you're doing?!” The officer shouted as he jerked forward. But he was too late to keep Wei Ying from shattering the second bowl. 

Only for nothing but porcelain to go skittering across the tiles again. 

“I don’t understand!” Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan. “The other one had them!” She hissed. They weren’t complete idiots, they’d broken one back at the Church to see if their theory had held any water. They’d been rewarded with tightly bound packs of opium bouncing against the floor. 

“Listen here young lady, I don’t know how they do things where you come from, but this is a police station and not a junkyard! I’ve listened to your little story, patiently might I add, but now I think it’s time for the two of you to leave.” 

“We’re telling the truth!” Lan Zhan broke. Her anger finally boiled over, unable to let Wei Ying take the lead.  “You can see where the secret compartments would be. If you would at least investigate! Even if you don’t believe the break in, a woman is missing! Not for a few hours, for an entire night!”

“Look here, I don’t speak that gibberish you call a language!” The officer loomed over Lan Zhan as he stood. Her ears burned as she realized she’d slipped back into the Suzhou dialect. “And I sure as hell don’t take orders from the likes of you.” 

“And clearly you don’t do your job!” Lan Zhan snapped back, anger burning hotter in her chest. 

“Okay that’s enough,” Wei Ying said in Mandarin as she stepped between the two of them, the moment Lan Zhan realized she’d failed to shift back into English again. “Thank you for your time, officer.” She forced a smile on her face as she addressed the officer in English.

“What are you doing?” Lan Zhan hissed as Wei Ying started corralling her out of the station. 

“He’s not going to help us,” Wei Ying hissed back. “Best to fall back and regroup.” 

“We don’t have time to come up with a new plan,” Lan Zhan hissed back, but allowed Wei Ying to lead them out of the station and into the fading twilight. 

“Doesn’t change that he isn’t going to help us,” Wei Ying shot back. 

Lan Zhan let out a huff as she let the cool night air take off some of the edge from her anger. Still her mind spun; what were their options if the police wouldn’t help them? Maybe they could take Wei Ying’s gun and go into the shop and get some answers themselves? It had worked before. Though they had no idea how many people they might be facing… maybe Lan Zhan needed a gun. Hold on, what was she thinking? It wasn’t like this was going to be a commonplace occurrence. 

“Maybe we could go to a different police station?” Lan Zhan mulled over the other options. “Or break into the shop and see what we can find?” 

“Love the enthusiasm,” Wei Ying hummed, throwing a glance over her shoulder as she shifted closer to Lan Zhan. “But I think we need to hold our horses for a moment, since I think we caught a fish.” Lan Zhan followed her gaze, seeing someone had followed them out. “We just need to know why.” She dropped her voice as she shifted even closer, her body pressed up to the long lines of Lan Zhan’s own. 

Now Lan Zhan had two reasons for her heartbeat racing. 

“Miss?” The man who’d followed them out called. The voice was younger than Lan Zhan expected. As he moved closer, Lan Zhan realized he must be close to their own age. He was Asian on top of it. He wore a different uniform than the laughing man, the kind Lan Zhan recognized seeing on the officers she saw patrolling around. No doubt he was low level, but at this point Lan Zhan supposed low level help was better than none. 

“Can we help you, officer?” Wei Ying took the initiative. 

“If you have more evidence, you should turn it in.” The officer’s spine straightened as he addressed them. Wei Ying raised an eyebrow as she looked at Lan Zhan. 

“So it is evidence now?” Wei Ying questioned. 

“It could be.” 

“Your fellow officers don’t seem to think so,” Lan Zhan huffed. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the young man wince. 

“They haven’t been working the robberies.” 

“Robberies?” Wei Ying hummed, a spark lighting in her eyes at the potential for more information. 

“I got assigned to them.” The officer sighed as he crossed his arms. “They wanted me to just write up the reports and be done with it. Except I found a lead, only for them to tell me we didn’t have the manpower to follow up on a hunch.” 

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying shared another look. 

“What kind of lead?” Wei Ying questioned.

“Where did you buy it?” 

“Some street market,” Wei Ying hummed with a shrug. “Don’t remember the vendor.” But it was clear the officer did. A spark lighting in his eyes the moment Wei Ying said street vendor. 

“You said you had more of it.” The officer said it more like a statement than a question. His attention had gone to Wei Ying, pushing Lan Zhan’s lips further into a scowl. She pressed her body lightly into Wei Ying. 

“What’s it to you?” Wei Ying’s own hand tightened on Lan Zhan’s arm in reaction, a movement relatively out of sight from the officer’s gaze. Lan Zhan wasn’t sure if it was reassurance or excitement that made her do it. 

“The thing with robberies is that there is no evidence of the stolen goods,” The officer sighed. Lan Zhan felt a hint of annoyance; anyone could tell you that. “So while I suspected the items might have a connection to smuggling…” He trailed off. 

“You had nothing to examine to prove it,” Lan Zhan finished.

“Other than a shipment of perfectly normal china in our last raid on the docks, nothing anyone would believe me on. If I had something concrete, they might finally investigate.” 

“So we give you your evidence and what?” Wei Ying hummed as she arched an eyebrow. “You call in the search for our friend?”

“I’m afraid that’s not in my power.” The officer winced. “I’m just a beat cop.” 

“So we help you and get a dead friend?” Lan Zhan snorted. 

“I can’t call for a search.” The officer’s cheeks flushed. “But I could report suspicious activity at the site. A scream, booze, gambling, something that could get the place searched inside and out. If your friend is there, they’ll find her.” 

Lan Zhan’s jaw tightened. She supposed it was a better plan than nothing. Still, if the other pieces were empty, they couldn’t guarantee this man would still help them. Instead they'd just have wasted valuable time. Lan Zhan glanced at Wei Ying, the expression on her face telling Lan Zhan that she was probably thinking the same thing. 

“It’s at the Chinese Congregational Church,” Wei Ying suprised Lan Zhan by stating. “Do you need us to show you the way?” 

“I’m aware of where it is.” The officer nodded. “I’ll have to sign myself out and join you there.” 

“Your name, officer?” Wei Ying caught him before he went. 

“Ah, Officer Qingyang, Luo Qingyang.” 

“We look forward to working with you.” Wei Ying smiled. Her arm tightened on Lan Zhan’s the moment Lan Zhan began to move. It kept Lan Zhan in place, watching Officer Qingyang slip back into the station. 

The moment the station door closed, Wei Ying was moving. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s brow furrowed as she was dragged along, Wei Ying’s arm still a vice grip on hers. “The church is in the opposite direction.” 

“I know,” Wei Ying hummed. “But you heard the officer. We just have to make a big enough fuss for the police to show up and search the place.” 

Lan Zhan had a feeling she was going to regret this. 

Not even an hour later, reeking of booze and staring down the barrel of a gun, Lan Zhan stood corrected. The only thing she regretted was not kissing Wei Ying before they launched this crazy plan. Though she knew that the moment Wei Ying’s eyes lit up with a manic energy as she drew her gun and slunk from their hiding place. It was the desire to live to kiss her that had pulled Lan Zhan from the same, that had filled her with this false bravado. 

“Go ahead.” She flashed her teeth at the thug at the other end of the gun. “But if I’m right, we’re both covered in wood alcohol, which is a touch more flammable. Are you going to shoot me at the risk of setting yourself ablaze?” 

“Sweet sentiment, but he’s not the one you should be worried about, doll.” Lan Zhan heard the click of a gun behind her. “I think your friend here would agree.” 

“Sorry, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying winced as Lan Zhan’s head shifted slightly so she could look behind her. 

In Wei Ying’s defense, she’d clearly put up a fight. Her finger waved hair was no longer immaculate, long strands escaping the faux bob. A large red mark on her cheek was deepening into a purple bruise. The top few buttons of her qipao had been torn open, showing off more finger-shaped bruises forming along the column of her neck, the sight of which was burned into Lan Zhan’s mind, anger sparking deep within her. 

“Let her go,” Lan Zhan seethed. 

“You are in no position to make demands,” The man holding Wei Ying snapped back. ‘Grab her,” He shouted to the thug behind Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan stopped him in his tracks with a glare. “She’s a girl, what can she do to you?” The man snapped. 

What could Lan Zhan do? Her eyes scanned her surroundings. They’d gone back to Chang’s Goods, only to find the old man slipping out in a rather suspicious manner. They’d decided to trail him, which was how they’d arrived here. A ramshackle warehouse, where the only thing of note had been the complete lack of street traffic. Not a single beggar lined the streets, something Wei Ying had clocked almost immediately. They’d managed to get close enough to hear heated yelling, but old man Chang had gone storming off before they could learn anything more. 

They’d tentatively tried to gather intel from the outside, but ultimately Wei Ying had pulled her gun and ventured inside. It had been the sound of gunshots five minutes later that had ended Lan Zhan’s own debate to follow. She’d found the inside a packed maze of teetering crates and barrels. It was the sound of another gunshot that had pulled her deeper in. That’s where she’d found her own thug to tussle with, toppling a barrel of wood alcohol and doing nothing more than getting them both soaked. 

Toppling… Lan Zhan’s eyes caught on the rickety shelving nearby. No doubt she could repeat the accident of the wood alcohol if she gave it a good bump. The question was just if she could get there. 

“What am I gonna do, boss?” The thug called, his gun wavering ever so slightly. “I ain’t shooting a lady!” 

“Don’t shoot her, grab her!”

Lan Zhan took advantage of the hesitation, taking two quick side steps. Her leg lashed out, her heel connecting solidly with the corner support of the shelves. For a heartstopping moment, she thought it wasn’t going to give. 

It was quickly followed by a surge of adrenaline as it did. She surged with it, flying to get out of the fall path. She could only hope Wei Ying could also take advantage of the chaos. Lan Zhan fled further into the maze, only slowing as the thuds, groans, and cracks of the shelf quieted. Her panicked breathing made it hard to hear anything in the newfound silence. She held it, only to hear the sound of nothing. No swearing or groaning, no hurried footsteps. Lan Zhan’s brain screamed at her to keep running, to find the police and bring them back.

But her heart couldn’t leave Wei Ying behind. 

So she tore a plank off a nearby crate to arm herself. She ignored the splinters as she gripped it like the photos she’d seen of the American baseballers. She kept her footsteps light to keep her heels from sounding. Her breath had slowed enough that she could hear over it, just in time for her ears to pick up on the sound of movement. Her grip tightening as she swung. 

“It’s me!” Wei Ying yelped as she ducked to escape the path of the plank. “It’s me!” 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan sighed in relief. “What about-” 

“You're a genius, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying cut her off. Their bodies collided as Wei Ying surged forward, her hands cupping Lan Zhan’s cheeks as she planted a kiss on Lan Zhan’s lips. 

The plank clattered to the ground as Lan Zhan’s arms wrapped around their waist. Her mind went blank except for the press of their bodies together. The slide of their lips, the taste of Wei Ying’s tongue. 

“Absolutely brilliant!” Wei Ying broke the kiss and the moment with a gasp. “I managed to push the thug holding me into the path! Took both of them out like a light! And the way you spun! And kicked!” She gushed, her face flushed with excitement. Lan Zhan could feel it in every inch of her, an electric buzzing she could feel wherever they were pressed together. “And the look on their faces, it was mrph-” 

Lan Zhan silenced her with another kiss. Her hand slid to the back of Wei Ying’s head, her own head tilting to deepen the kiss. That electric charge built between them, only to be cut off by a bang of something else falling. 

“We need to find Jade Snow,” Wei Ying gasped, barely moving an inch away from Lan Zhan. Her eyes were glassy, the type where Lan Zhan knew she wouldn’t complain if she kissed her again. 

But she was right, they needed to find Jade Snow. 

“I’d just come across some offices when they found me.” Wei Ying led the way back to where they’d fled from. 

They skirted around the collapsed pile of the shelf, though Lan Zhan paused to give the man who’d beaten up Wei Ying a good kick when she saw his head peeking out from the clutter. She needed to make sure he stayed out, she told herself. It had nothing to do with the way Wei Ying squeezed her hand and smiled at her after she did so. 

Lan Zhan turned her attention to the ‘offices’ Wei Ying mentioned. They were really more like some of the ramshackle shacks she’d seen tucked into alleyways. A miscellaneous hodgepodge of repurposed crates and wood nailed together, the doors seeming to be made out of crate tops. They headed for a door, only for it to fly open. For a heart stopping moment, Lan Zhan feared more men. 

“Jade Snow!” Wei Ying gasped, darting forward to steady the young woman. “Are you okay?” 

“I’ve been better,” Jade Snow offered dryly. She had a bruise a few shades darker than Wei Ying’s on her cheek. Her clothes were rumpled, but the worst for wear were her stockings. The nylon was torn, especially around the ankles. From the way her arms were awkwardly behind her back, Lan Zhan suspected it was because her feet were once bound. 

“Let me get you untied.” Wei Ying shifted behind her. 

“Managed to use an old nail to cut through the ones at my feet,” Jade Snow winced. “After all the shooting and noise I figured getting out should be a priority. What was all that noise? Where are the thugs?” 

“Buried under their own illicit goods.” Wei Ying smirked. 

“What did you do!?” Jade Snow rubbed at her wrists as they were freed. 

“I didn’t do anything!” Wei Ying gave an offended gasp. “Lan Zhan, on the other hand…” She broke into a laugh. Lan Zhan felt her ears heat. 

“You took them out?” Jade Snow eyed Lan Zhan. 

“I merely took advantage of their shoddy shelves,” Lan Zhan replied. “An accident waiting to happen.” She glanced around. 

“Remind me not to get on your bad side.” Jade Snow let out a tired chuckle, only to freeze. Lan Zhan’s eyes flickered to Wei Ying, finding she’d gone still as well. Ice ran down Lan Zhan’s back as she heard a hammer of a gun ping cocked. 

“What do you think you are doing?” Lan Zhan’s eyes widened as she turned slowly, finding another armed thug behind her. 

“I thought you said you two dealt with all of them!?” Jade Snow hissed. 

“We thought there was just two!” Wei Ying hissed back, shifting to stand in front of Jade Snow. Which, in turn, made Lan Zhan step in front of her. 

“I don’t know how you found our operation, but I’m going to make sure no one else does!” 

“Too late for that,” A new voice sounded. Lan Zhan’s eyes widened as she saw Officer Qingyang emerge from the maze of shelves. 

“Officer Qingyang!” Wei Ying let out a gasp of relief at the sight of the officer's gun trained on the thug. 

“Drop the gun.” The officer didn’t give them more than a glance. “Now,” He barked when the thug didn’t comply. They watched the thug let out a frustrated grunt as he tossed his gun away, his hands raising up towards the sky. “How many more are there?” Officer Qingyang finally looked at them. 

“I only ever saw three stationed here, but there were more when I was taken,” Jade Snow offered. 

“The other two are under that pile,” Wei Ying offered, pointing. The officer gave a nod to her. 

“Hands behind your back,” Officer Qingyang directed the thug. 

“Hell of some timing there, officer.” Wei Ying grinned at him. 

“How did you know where we were?” Lan Zhan crossed her arms, a sense of unease settling over her. 

“I went to the church,” Officer Qingyang replied. “Since the china was there, but you two weren't, I assumed you’d gone out to cause trouble. This was the area the street vendor was reported to be in, and shortly after I arrived, I heard quite the commotion. I called in for back up, and then I investigated, and here we are.” 

“Lucky for us!” Wei Ying laughed brightly. 

Lan Zhan bit her tongue to keep from commenting that they wouldn’t have needed luck if the police had just investigated in the first place. Not to mention Lan Zhan wouldn’t reek of wood alcohol and Wei Ying wouldn’t have been injured. 

“I can help you dig out the other two,” Wei Ying offered once the first thug was kneeling on the ground. Lan Zhan watched darkly as the two moved off. Wei Ying’s tone was bubbly as she explained the situation to the officer. 

“I’m going to see if they kept my shoes.” Jade Snow shifted after a moment’s silence. 

“I’ll help you look.” Lan Zhan gave Wei Ying and the officer a final glance. 

She tried hard not to think about how they looked like a good couple. 

🔍🔍🔍🔍

“Come on, we’re almost there!” Wei Ying tugged Lan Zhan down the block. 

“And where is there?” Lan Zhan questioned, still getting her bearings from being suddenly pulled out of the novel she’d been reading. 

It was a habit that had formed in the handful of days since their excitement at the warehouse. Lan Zhan had expected to settle back into her newly forming routines, only to find them disrupted by a cheeky knock at the door. Lan Zhan might have considered ignoring it, if it wasn’t for the fluttering of her heartbeat whenever she heard it. 

And the fact that Lan Huan would answer if she didn’t. Her sister was already insufferable when it came to the subject of Wei Ying, and how Lan Zhan seemed more than willing to let Wei Ying disrupt the routines Lan Zhan was so fond of. This was something Lan Zhan had been less than giving on to her roommates at school, even those she called friends or something more. 

So she’d simply told her sister it was because Wei Ying was showing her the city. Lan Zhan had certainly seen a lot of it with the dozens of random errands Wei Ying had taken her on. She’d seen City Hall and the Post Office, as well as dozens of department stores and tailors. More often than not Lan Zhan found herself returning home with bags of her own. Her own supply of makeup was nearly complete, and she had more than a few pieces of western styled fashion in her wardrobe now. She’d even had a framed mountain painting in her room, gotten when Wei Ying decided to go furniture shopping despite living in a hotel. It wasn’t all errands either, as Lan Zhan had discovered she’d been unanimously welcomed as a member of the Square and Circle Club when Wei Ying took her to a meeting. 

It had nothing to do with the way Lan Zhan’s heart fluttered and surged after Wei Ying. If she found herself looking forward to Wei Ying’s calls, it was because she was still failing to find a job and had nothing else to do. 

“Okay, close your eyes!” Wei Ying grinned, practically dancing as she came closer to Lan Zhan.

“Why?” Lan Zhan raised an eyebrow in return. 

“Just do it.” Wei Ying pouted, her lips so tempting Lan Zhan considered kissing her out in the broad daylight. 

“Tell me first,” Lan Zhan replied.

“Ugh, that ruins the surprise!” Wei Ying whined. Before Lan Zhan could react, Wei Ying was behind her. Her hands settling over Lan Zhan’s eyes. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan protested. 

“Come on, Lan Zhan, you know I’d never let anything happen to you!” Wei Ying giggled into Lan Zhan’s ear. Lan Zhan hoped Wei Ying didn’t feel how hot her ears had flushed. “Just a few steps!” She prodded. 

“Where?” 

“Come on! Please?” Wei Ying’s pout could be heard in her tone. “For me?” She added in a lower tone, her lips brushing against Lan Zhan’s nape. 

Lan Zhan’s heart jumped into her throat. Had that been on purpose? Or was she just reading into it, like the dozens of moments that had happened over the last few days? But why else would she have pressed so close to Lan Zhan? It had to be-

“Alright, here we are!” Wei Ying announced, making Lan Zhan realize that she’d obeyed while her mind was spinning. “You ready?” 

“You’ve strived to keep me from being such,” Lan Zhan huffed in response. Her annoyance faltered in the face of another one of Wei Ying’s giggles. 

“Come on, knowing you, you’ve probably already guessed it.” 

“I’m afraid your faith in me is unrewarded,” Lan Zhan exhaled. 

“Nonsense,” Wei Ying hummed. “Since now I’ll just be able to see you surprised! It’s what we call a win-win! So are you ready?”

“Yes.” Lan Zhan let out a fond huff. “You’d think my constant asking would prove so.” 

“Alright.” Wei Ying bounced with excitement. “Tada!”
Her heels clattered as she hurried to move to Lan Zhan’s side. Lan Zhan gave her a few moments before she opened her eyes, finding the woman with her arms spread wide as she showed it off. 

For a moment, Lan Zhan wasn’t sure what ‘it’ was. The only thing behind Wei Ying was a stunning Victorian house. A large iron gate protected it and its garden, though it did little to keep the scent of lilacs and lavender from drifting over them. Then her eyes shifted to where the family name would have been neatly displayed, and the pieces fell into place. 

The trips to City Hall, the questions Wei Ying had been pelting her with for days, even the furniture shopping! All of it culminated in the golden paint in front of her. Boldly stated, in English and Chinese characters for the world to see. 

Lan & Wei Investigations

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan blinked at the words. 

“Isn’t it great?!” Wei Ying beamed. “We worked so perfectly together I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. And didn’t you even say it yourself? The only way to see it done is if we do it ourselves? Officer Qingyang is bright, but clearly limited by his position. We have no such boundaries, and I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather do it with. Besides, you’d be a much better detective than a lady’s companion, though I suppose technically you’d still be mine. So what do you say? I don’t need an imm-” 

Wei Ying’s babble broke off as Lan Zhan tugged her through the gate. The heavy iron clanged behind them as Lan Zhan pushed her into one of the large lavender bushes and kissed her senseless. 

Lan Zhan was definitely going to need a gun.