Work Text:
Mo Ran was proud. He knew he wasn't the best at some things related to parenting, but on this occasion, in that mission called: hairstyling. He had done his best.
Luo BingHe had curly, fluffy hair held in a ponytail. Wei Ying wore her hair in a high ponytail with a few loose straight strands, but still looked presentable; the same was for the youngest: Hua Cheng, hair similarly dark as the other two, was braided. It wasn't the tightest and best braid, but of course it looked acceptable.
Despite being the youngest Hua Cheng was one of the best behaved, he usually dressed himself without problems and was ready at the right time to go to school. Luo BingHe was no different, but he wasn't always so obedient, if anyone he had to help get ready was Wei Ying.
He left them drinking chocolate milk in the living room while he went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
It was easy: a sandwich of ham, cheese and ketchup. Yes, ketchup.
If only he hadn't mistaken the hot sauce for sweet topping that day.
The plan was simple: Wei Ying would treat Lan Zhang to his sandwich that day, so they would become best friends. What could go wrong?
Everyone at school knew the trio of well-behaved brothers who looked like angels from heaven.
Their impeccable uniforms, absolute manners and charm. There were hardly any children more perfect than them in the entire institution. If anything the three newcomers might be their competition, however, they did not reach the level of perfection exuded by the model students.
Shen Yuan was the oldest; despite being reserved he was quite social and it was very common for him to talk with his best friends in his class about cartoons or a book, however at recess time he always sought to meet with his other two brothers: Lan Zhan and Xie Lian.
Lan Zhan was also reserved, but unlike his other two brothers, he hardly liked to talk to people. He preferred to be alone, however, in the past few days a new boy had been bullying him making him nervous. Shen Yuan understood him, the new boy in his class also made him go through something similar, although he didn't make jokes, he was very clingy and was always by his side asking for help to catch up, he even called him: Shizun.
Xie Lian sympathized with that, he was in the same boat, and although he was shy he was very social too. He was usually surrounded by his friends, though these days he was supportive of the new guy in his hall. He was very cute with him and Xie Lian seemed quite adorable to him in the same way, so he wasn't nervous, but rather fascinated.
" Lan Zhan! " Wei Ying shouted euphorically as he came up behind the boy he was quickly calling out to. He knew that when the recess bell rang immediately, young Lan would put his things away, grab his light blue bunny lunch box and go out to look for his siblings who were usually accompanied by their friends.
Lan Zhan hearing the voice of the new pretty boy who was constantly on top of him teasing him tensed up. He felt his ears heat up but only looked at him over his shoulder. He looked at him more closely. his appearance was a bit unkempt, unruly hair and a frayed uniform. Was he conscious of his image? Mama Jiu always said: dress well, behave well and stay away from vagabonds. He was sure that if his mama saw him he would tell him that Wei Ying was one of them. But he also had a very nice smile, Wei Ying couldn't be that bad.
He decided to listen to what he had to say...for this one time.
"Lan Zhan! Glad I reached you. "He said as he took out a sandwich wrapped in a napkin from his red 'Adorable' bunny lunch box. " - It's for you. You're not still mad that I lost your pencil, are you?
Lan Zhan blinked consecutively, his brothers looked suspiciously at his brother not coming, so they decided to approach slowly; after all they were only a few steps away.
"Come on, don't be shy," he said as he placed the sandwich in the other's hands. -Let's be friends, okay?
The honey orbs were full of sweetness. No one had ever said that to him before, in fact the other kids hardly ever talked to him or invited him to play. Wei Ying laughed gently. Lan Zhan was very cute when he let himself be seen, for I could see a soft but cute smile on his lips.
"Mn" He said as he unwrapped the sandwich and brought it to his mouth. Maybe he misjudged him. He thought so until he felt his tongue and throat begin to burn, his eyes watered and his face felt hot. It stung. The sandwich spiced a lot.
Wei Ying was freaked out when he started to see the other start to cry, but he was even more alarmed when Shen Yuan came and grabbed him by the collar of his uniform. "Hey you! What did you do to A'Zhan," he shouted angrily.
Immediately filled with panic, Xie Lian hurried his pace and while offering water to his brother turned to the elder: "A'Yuan, wait! " he wanted to intervene.
However, in the distance, Hua Cheng came running first and rushed at Shen Yuan, shoving him so hard that he fell into a sitting position on the ground. A groan of pain sounded and his glasses slammed against the pavement. Indeed, he released the upset Wei Ying after Hua Cheng attack.
"San Lang! " Xie Lian reacted worriedly.
"I'm sorry, Gege! But your brute of a brother was threatening mine, it's not what you think!
Lan Zhan, whose eyes were still watering and mouth was hot from itching, frowned hard, "What don't you think? However, in the distance he saw the eldest of the three come running screaming.
"Shizuuuuuuuun, A'Cheng Idiot" His screams were heard.
Before Luo BingHe came to where Shen Yuan was thrown, Lan Zhan put his foot against the opponents causing BingHe to fall face first to the ground.
"Hey!" Luo BingHe exclaimed in pain and annoyance. He got up with force and pulled with him now the causer of his pain. Wei Ying panicked again and wanted to stop his older brother.
Shen Yuan got up and wanted to push his brother away and BingHe too, as he knew well how strong and rough BingHe was; yes, he had seen him in sports classes sweating and dominating the field. But Hua Cheng was annoyed and was ready to attack again. Wei Ying tried to stop him but ended up punching Xie Lian in the face with an elbow who stepped in the middle to stop the fight. He believed in Mama Jiu's words of: The power of dialogue. But honestly, he was getting tired and that punch had hurt. Then he remembered dad Liu QingGe's words: The language of violence.
"Gege!" Hua Cheng exclaimed worriedly, but his skin crawled when he saw the annoyed face of Xie Lian who rolled up his sleeves.
Peace was never really an option.
Chu Wanning had just arrived home. He had had to travel for work and was getting tired. But he hoped and trusted that everything would be fine, as he handed the baton of his household to his partner Mo Ran. And it's not like it was something new, since he was already doing the housework; because Wanning was not the most skilled at such tasks.
Honestly, what he wanted was to come and rest in his husband's arms, take advantage of the intimacy while his children were at school and maybe drink lemonade. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
The problem was that when he arrived and lips he had missed so much were thrown to his, the phone began to ring insistently.
Mo Ran didn't want to answer but Chu Wanning pointed out, "It's the school." Disappointed he answered the call, it could be an emergency.
On the bed Mo Ran snorted, he heard a : "Understood" and when he looked at Wanning ready to throw him on the bed next to him, Wanning had a look of anger and concern.
"Is something wrong, Baobei? Who do I have to hit.
"Get your stuff.
"What?
"The school called.
"Uh-huh?
"The kids got in a fight.
"What? And what happened? "They won?
"...
Mo Ran was still waiting for an answer.
"Don't be ridiculous and come on.
Actually he was hoping he had won too.
Shen Jiu could not stand weakness. He could not stand shame, much less dishonor. Without losing a single touch of elegance he walked down the school corridors with straight, fine steps and looked like an ice tempane ready to assassinate someone. His children had a fight? correction: Someone had attacked his children.
Liu Qingge kept up with him, he knew that Shen Jiu gave them the artistic education but he gave him the one that was useful in life: to know how to fight. Deep down he wanted to know if his teachings paid off. Still, he was honestly surprised. He never thought that these children could one day be called to direction.
In the hallway, in front of the principal's door, Shen Jiu's murderous gaze clashed with Chu Wanning's sharp gaze. The tension was evident.
Liu Qinge did not abandon his haughty countenance. "Mo Ran" he uttered, it seemed to be a greeting.
Mo Ran did not abandon his posture either. "Liu Qinge" mimicked the other.
Once Shen Jiu and Chu Wanning entered the direction Mo Ran stepped forward. Liu Qingge watched him carefully waiting for what the other had to say.
"I'll bet Wanning thirty dollars.
"Done"he smiled superbly. This would be fun, for he knew Shen Jiu hated to lose.
It was no fun at all for the six children.
Xie Lian's face hurt, Lan Zhan couldn't feel his tongue, and Shen Yuan needed new glasses. Shen Jiu wanted to explode with rage; he kept his composure and squarely demanded responsibility from Chu Wanning: "Don't you know how to raise your children?
" How do you know it was mine and not yours? Before you speak, you must first listen," he said solemnly. He knew that the children he had were playful, but he would not let anyone speak ill of them.
Mo Ran laughed inwardly. Wanning was the best.
Shen Jiu's teeth thundered. He turned gracefully and looked at his little ones: "Speak up," he demanded.
"It was Wei Ying's fault! He pranked A'Zhan with hot sauce," Shen Yuan exclaimed, giving the younger one a dirty look. He wanted to stick his tongue out at Wei Wuxian right then and there.
"Hot sauce?
"It wasn't my fault! I didn't know it had sauce in it," the little boy defended himself.
" . . .
Mo Ran blanched when he heard that. Chu Wanning looked sideways at him, now he knew who was guilty.
" . . .I think there's a misunderstanding.
" Misunderstanding? Lan Zhan doesn't eat spicy food. Do you know how deadly it is for a child?
" I don't either, I can understand how bad it must feel," he said looking at the child, if he looked at him a certain way, that child looked like him.
" It doesn't matter because that brute Shen Yuan threw himself at Wei Ying - This time Hua Cheng spoke.
"A'Cheng, don't be rude to Shizun.
" You shut up you dog, you hit gege too.
"San Lang, you pushed A'Yuan first, you must apologize too," scolded Xie Lian.
"But...gege
"Hua Cheng," Wanning scolded.
"That doesn't explain why they gave him a sandwich with hot sauce," Liu Qingge interjected. He was surprised that Lan Zhan had even accepted it as from other people. Liu Qingge would have preferred to yell at everyone and then leave with his offspring but he liked to see Shen Jiu angry, it turned him on and he was willing to enjoy the show.
Mo Ran for his part didn't want to open his mouth at all at that moment.
Shen Jiu looked expectantly and directly at Chu Wanning, in fact, the director and the children as well. They too didn't know why their lunches had extra hot sauce.
". . . Everyone can make mistakes.
" What kind of idiot puts hot sauce on a sandwich?
Shen Jiu rolled her eyes because those words came out of her partner's mouth and that was definitely a mistake Liu Qingge could make.
Feeling the pressure on the spot, Mo Ran finally decided to let go of the soup: "I'm sorry, I accidentally mistook ketchup for hot sauce in the morning. It was a misunderstanding. "He confessed, trying to lighten the responsibility of having to defend him.
Shen Jiu blinked a couple of times until he finally attacked:"You...idiot!
With a bamboo fan in his hands, Shen Jiu was ready to strike at Mo Ran's head with a solid, straight attack. But that didn't happen because Chu Wanning hit Shen Jiu first.
Mo Ran was an idiot.
But he was his idiot.
Liu Qingge felt anger, and usually, he felt it all the time. Getting up with the blood on his head boiling he rushed at Chu Wanning to confront him but was stopped by the menacing countenance of Mo Ran, who possessed a dark, aggressive, bloodshot gaze.
No one would harm Wanning, certainly not in front of his eyes and his children.
By the time they realized it, the parents were now the ones fighting and pulling each other's clothes and hair.
The director could not stop them no matter how much he waved his hands and yelled at them, but he felt that if he took a step towards them he would end up in the hospital.
Xie Lian did not know whether to laugh or cry, but his hand was held by Hua Cheng's hands.
Shen Yuan looked on in disappointment, behind his back Luo BingHe was hugging him, pouting.
In disbelief, Lan Zhan looked at them. Were they really adults?
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying called slowly.
Angrily, he glared back. He waited for the new man to speak.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know the sandwich had sauce, will you forgive me?
Lan Zhan just stared into his eyes without saying anything.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted us to be best friends forever," he said again puffing out his cheeks.
With a sigh Lan Zhan fell down. "It's not your fault.
Wei Ying's gaze immediately brightened.
"Then... you forgive me?
"Mn.
"Thank you, A'Zhan! Now we are besties! " He exclaimed as he clasped the opposing hands together with his own.
Lan Zhan who was not used to the contact was upset, he knew that his ears would be totally red; still, he looked unchanged.
Seeing that the argument and fight was not over, the children decided to go out and play.
They would let the adults sort things out in their own way.