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Zhao Yunlan is slightly disturbed by how often their cases end up in some kind of fight these days. There are days where he almost understands how his dad's cases ended up with dead Dixingren time after another. And then he reminds himself that somehow, even with the fighting, Zhao Yunlan doesn't need to resort to murdering their suspects, he can just arrest them. In any other context, he'd probably feel smug about doing something better than his dad, but that particular thought just leaves him feeling sad and a bit angry at Zhao Xinci.
Maybe taking Shen Wei with him during actual investigations is not the best of ideas. He just wants to protect the tiny dragon every time he looks at him, he's so small and cute. Honestly, he'd probably feel pretty much the same if Shen Wei was looking human; Shen Wei is the kindest person Zhao Yunlan has ever met and more than once he's had to tell himself that Shen Wei probably wouldn't appreciate it if Zhao Yunlan showed up to yell at people at the university whenever he thinks someone there is taking advantage of Shen Wei's kindness.
But Shen Wei just wraps himself around Zhao Yunlan's arm when they're about to leave and really, Zhao Yunlan has no grounds to ask Shen Wei to stay behind if they're taking Guo Changcheng with them. He's pretty sure Shen Wei is more capable of defending himself than Guo Changcheng, even when he is a tiny dragon, at least he's pretty sure Shen Wei won't faint. Besides, Zhao Yunlan doesn't want Shen Wei to stay behind, that's mainly because of his entirely selfish wish to spend more time with his boyfriend, and not the fact that Shen Wei had some useful thoughts about this particular Dixingren and will probably be helpful at the scene.
Somehow, none of the people Zhao Yunlan talks to pay any attention to the dragon coiled around his forearm. He's perfectly visible, and Zhao Yunlan wonders if they actually don't see him or if they think Zhao Yunlan is trying to make some kind of fashion statement. He's definitely asking Shen Wei about that, but only once they're away from people. If Shen Wei is using some weird dragon power to stay unnoticed, it's probably not going to help if Zhao Yunlan starts talking to him right in front of the people he's hiding from.
None of them actually expect to run into the actual Dixingren. The attack—happily non-fatal though one person was taken to the hospital—had happened more than an hour ago. When Zhao Yunlan wanders over to a nearby ally, in the general direction some of the witnesses claim the Dixingren might have gone, Zhao Yunlan is completely unprepared to suddenly be attacked from behind.
The first thing that alerts him to anything going on is something hitting him in the back, hard enough to send him down to his knees and leave him gasping for air. He fumbles for his gun, his arms feeling weak as he keeps trying to get air into his lungs at the same time. He feels Shen Wei uncoiling from his arm, the coils tightening for a moment first and then he more or less launches himself away. Zhao Yunlan gasps another breath and manages to draw his gun, turning around on one knee to aim in the direction he'd been hit from, his heart beating frantically in his chest, and panic gripping his throat. If something happens to Shen Wei—
Thunder rolls overhead, and a raindrop hits the side of Zhao Yunlan's face, and suddenly rain is pouring down. He blinks, staring at the scene in front of him. He lowers the gun, his eyes staying on the unconscious—hopefully unconscious—Dixingren. And the very tiny dragon on her chest, still making a very threatening rumble, the sound too big for a tiny thing like Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan can hear it like a vibration in his own bones, even through the sound of the rain.
Zhao Yunlan pushes himself up to his feet, still holding the gun, in case it turns out the Dixingren is still up to doing something. He's not going to be taken by surprise twice. He takes a few steps closer and Shen Wei's head whips in his direction, that threatening rumble cutting off all at once. There's another roll of thunder and Shen Wei shoots off in his direction. Zhao Yunlan has rarely seen him fly this much before, mostly because he's always being carried by Zhao Yunlan, he supposes.
Zhao Yunlan looks down at the Dixingren, who hasn't stirred at all. He keeps looking for a while, and he's almost sure he can see her chest moving.
Shen Wei circles him, not hampered in the least by all the rain, making these worried chirps, like he might have forgotten how to talk. "I'm okay," Zhao Yunlan says, and his voice still comes out a bit breathless. He's hit suddenly by the realisation of how fast everything must have happened. He holsters the gun, his back twinging slightly at the movement.
Shen Wei makes another worried chirp, and then finally lands on Zhao Yunlan's shoulder, wrapping himself around Zhao Yunlan's neck and rubbing his muzzle against the underside of Zhao Yunlan's jaw, careful to angle his horns away.
Zhao Yunlan lifts a hand to pet him reassuringly. "Really, I'm okay, Xiao Wei." He's pretty sure of that, he doesn't think she'd actually used her power on him as much as just… knocked him over with dark energy. His back might be aching for a couple of days, and his knees didn't take it too well either, but other than that he's fine.
He moves his hand away from Shen Wei to push at his wet fringe. The rain is pelting down on them and Zhao Yunlan is completely soaked by now. "What did you do, Shen Wei?" he asks quietly, as he looks down at the Dixingren on the ground.
That's when the rest of the SID piles into the alley, looking from Zhao Yunlan to the woman on the ground. Da Qing looks particularly grumpy, but that's probably just the rain. He hates getting wet.
Shen Wei makes another little chirp and the rain stops.
They leave the Dixingren in the lab to recover. Maybe strapping her down isn't the most ethical approach, but at least she gets to lie down. Lin Jing grumbles about having her there because he can't work like this.
"Nap, you mean?" Zhao Yunlan says with a raised eyebrow, and Lin Jing doesn't say anything more. And Zhao Yunlan didn't even get around to threatening his bonus yet.
For the next while, everyone is busy finding something dry to wear. Well, not Zhu Hong who'd stayed at the SID with Wang Zheng and is looking rather smug about not being drenched to the bone. At least they've all learned to keep spare clothing at the office, just in case.
Shen Wei unwraps himself from around Zhao Yunlan's neck long enough for him to get his wet shirt off and replace it with a dry one, and then he's quickly back.
"I'm sorry about getting you wet," Shen Wei mumbles, his head pressed into the crook of Zhao Yunlan's neck. It's the first thing he's said since the attack on Zhao Yunlan.
Zhao Yunlan, who feels a whole lot better with a set of dry clothes, and the promise of the warm tea Lao Li was going to make, just hums slightly and pats Shen Wei.
"It's just rain," he says magnanimously, and then pauses for a moment before asking, "That was you? The rain?"
Shen Wei hums in agreement, he sounds sleepy, and Zhao Yunlan strokes him quietly and thinks he'll probably have to ask any questions he has later. Once Shen Wei wakes up.
Zhao Yunlan is sitting in one of the armchairs in his office with a cat in his lap, a dragon sleeping on his shoulders and a hot cup of tea in his hands and feeling pretty good actually. Even if his back is still aching a bit.
"I didn't know he could do that," Zhao Yunlan says, but keeps his voice down, so he won't disturb Shen Wei. He's not exactly sure which part he means; whatever Shen Wei had done to the Dixingren or the sudden thunder out of nowhere. Both had apparently been Shen Wei's doing.
"He's a dragon," Da Qing says like that's the obvious answer. And, of course, it is. "I've been trying to tell you."
Zhao Yunlan feels a small bit of indignation, how was he to know that dragon meant all of that? "But he's—" Zhao Yunlan cuts himself off before he can say 'tiny.' Clearly, that means less than Zhao Yunlan had thought. "I didn't know it meant he could do that."
Da Qing scoffs. "Well, he can."
The deference from Chu Shuzhi and the polite, but distant respect from Zhu Hong kind of make more sense now, he supposes. He'd been pretty sure neither of them would be quite that charmed by Shen Wei's utter adorableness.
"Can all dragons do that?" Zhao Yunlan asks thoughtfully.
Da Qing huffs. "How would I know? I haven't met any others."
And then Da Qing stands up, just to very pointedly pad around in his lap to find a more comfortable position and flop down again. Da Qing is apparently done with this conversation. Zhao Yunlan thinks about trying to ask more questions anyway, but it doesn't really seem worth the effort trying to get Da Qing to say anything useful. He pats the cat quietly and takes a sip of his tea.
"There aren't any others anymore," Shen Wei says very quietly. Zhao Yunlan startles, he'd thought Shen Wei was still sleeping. "Not…" Shen Wei starts, and then his already very quiet voice fades away entirely, leaving whatever it is unsaid.
"Oh," Zhao Yunlan says, his heart breaking for Shen Wei. Shen Wei just nuzzles closer to him, and Zhao Yunlan strokes him quietly. His questions will keep for later.