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Wei Ying stared at Lan Huan, realization hitting him in the face like cold water.
"Lan Huan," he started but was interrupted by a shake of the latter's head.
"I am sorry, Wei Ying," Lan Huan said with a somber, yet determined expression.
Wei Ying's blood ran cold. He was going to do it. How… How could he even?!
"Please, don't do this. It doesn't have to be this way." Wei Ying was almost begging at this point.
"Wei Ying. I am truly sorry, but I have to do this. It is the only way and you know it." Lan Huan's expression shut down, eyes becoming cold and cruel.
No. This cannot be the end!
"Lan Huan, don't do this! Please, I am your brother-in-law!" Lan Huan flinched at that, looking down in shame. "I'm begging you!" Wei Ying felt his heartbeat race, a cold sense of dread filling him. He vaguely felt Lan Zhan squeeze his hand, and turned to him, eyes filled with fear and desperation. "Lan Zhan, please! He - he can't do this to me! Please, stop him!"
Lan Zhan turned to Lan Huan, pleading. "Brother, please don't do this."
Lan Huan gasped, shutting his eyes tight so that he could erase the image of his brother's betrayed expression, directed at him, from his mind. He hated to be the reason for his brother's devastation, but… no. He had to do this. Even if it was his own brother standing in his way.
"Lan Zhan. Don't you dare get in the middle of this." Jiang Cheng placed a hand on his husband's back, from his position next to Lan Huan. "This is between Wei Ying and Lan Huan."
Lan Zhan got furious, glaring at Jiang Cheng. "You have quite the nerve telling me to not get involved, traitor. That is your brother right there, and you would rather watch him fall-"
"And Lan Huan is my husband! How could you judge me for taking the side of my husband when you are doing the exact same thing?!" Jiang Cheng turns to Lan Huan, his heart clenching at the conflict on his husband's face. "Lan Huan, it's alright. You're doing the right thing. You know he was wrong for doing that to you."
Lan Huan gazed at his husband, grateful for his solidarity. "Jiang Cheng…" he was at a loss for words, not knowing how to thank him. "You… you are too good to me," he smiled faintly at Jiang Cheng, before turning towards Wei Ying. His brother-in-law and good friend, his baby brother's husband, his husband's brother… and the one who betrayed his trust, stabbing him in the back when he least expected it. His resolve hardened, as he lifted a hand to his weapon.
"Lan Huan! Please, don't do this! I'll set things right, I promise!" Wei Ying was now sweating, praying Lan Huan would change his mind at the last minute.
However, he merely shook his head again, fixing Wei Ying with a deadly glare. "No. I trusted you, and you betrayed me. You knew what you were doing, and still did it anyway."
Wei Ying froze at the accusation. He knew, he knew what he did to Lan Huan, he knew his brother-in-law was right in blaming him, but… "We are in a battle, and all's fair in love and war! What did you expect me to do?!" Oh shit. No. Wrong choice of words. He saw Lan Huan's hand twitch against his deadly weapon. "I'll fix this! Anything you wish for, I'll do it, please anything but this!"
But his pleas fell on deaf ears, as Lan Huan finally drew his weapon. "I am truly sorry Wei Ying, but as you said, All is fair in love and war." With that, he sent one last evil smirk at Wei Ying, before going for the final blow.
A Draw four card was placed on top of the open stack of cards, his resounding declaration of "Uno!" echoing across the silent room.
…………………….
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Wei Ying threw his four cards, each a different colour, on the table and collapsed into his husband's arms, wailing. "LAN HUAN, HOW COULD YOU?!"
His wails were drowned by Jiang Cheng's laughter. He was rolling on the floor, tears streaming down his face, the traitor! How dare he?!
"You're just bitter you couldn't defeat me in Uno," he spat bitterly at his still-laughing brother, hoping to wipe that laugh from his face.
Instead of taking the bait, Jiang Cheng merely smirked. "Says the long-standing Uno master, defeated by a newbie." He hugged Lan Huan, laughing joyously. "You did so good, A-Huan. I'm proud of you!"
Lan Huan, however, was looking confusedly at Wei Ying, his discarded cards, and Jiang Cheng. "Wait, what does this mean? Isn't Wei Ying supposed to draw four cards?"
Jiang Cheng shook his head fondly, rolling his eyes at his brother. “He’s being a big baby and quitting the game, because he knows he lost.” He looks back at Lan Huan, smiling widely at his husband’s adorably confused face. “It means you won, darling!” Lan Huan smiled, looking down at his wild card, which Jiang Cheng revealed to the table.
Wei Ying gasped, rage bubbling in his veins. "Lan Huan! You were toying with me the whole time! How dare you?!"
"But you defeated me first," Lan Huan reasoned. "You didn't hold back even when it was my first time playing Uno!"
"I still don't believe your claim, how can one not know what Uno is for thirty-one years ?!"
"You can ask A-Zhan if you don't believe me!"
"Wei Ying, brother is right," Lan Zhan sighed, patting his husband's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We didn't grow up playing these games. I only knew of this game when you introduced me to it in college."
Wei Ying pouted, crossing his arms, but accepted the explanation. "You owe me a bottle of that extra-spicy chili oil from that bougie store that claimed to sell the best chili oil in the world," he declared as he pointed a finger at Lan Huan, glaring.
Lan Huan smiled, readily accepting his brother-in-law's demand. It felt really good, he thought to himself, to defeat the unbeaten Uno master. He had been planning to buy that chili oil for Wei Ying's birthday anyway.