Thread by @sri_write

#MXTXReverseTropeFest
Elderly Acquisition - OOC YZY
Wei Ying wasn’t expecting a call late in the night. He wasn’t expecting the hospital to name Madam Yu as the patient either. He hasn’t spoken to her in years. He’s kept in touch with his siblings but apart from a fleeting

enquiry about her general health concerns, he never really had much to do with his foster parents after their massive falling out.

Lan Zhan makes enquiring noises and Wei Ying shushes him back to sleep with soft whispers and assurances of being back soon.

The doctor informs

Wei Ying about how Yu Ayi slipped in the bathroom and has broken her leg because of it. She can’t be left to live alone in her house no matter how many medical assistants she has on her payroll. A family member needs to take responsibility for her and since Wei Ying is the

closest living relative in her records, he has to be the one to take said responsibility. Wei Ying is stunned he’s still listed in the family register. And at once feels horrible for thinking the worst of his foster parents. Despite their fallout and lack of communication, the

Jiangs never ceased to be his parents. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan attend the Lans New Year parties every year but the Jiangs have always sent red envelopes to them. Even after Jiang Shushu’s death 3 years back, they received the same envelopes.

Wei Ying needs to discuss their living

arrangements with Lan Zhan. On cue he gets a phone call from Lan Zhan, “Wei Ying?”
“I’m still at the hospital, zhanzhan.”
“How is she faring?”
“It’s a hairline fracture in one of her foot’s metacarpals.”
“What do you need?”
“She might need to shift with us or we need to live at

Jiang Mansion. We’ve been advised to not leave her alone.”
“We will be fine either way. We can work from home for a month or two. Please confirm further course of action from Jiang Furen. We will fulfil her every need.”
“I love you too. I’ll talk to her and get back to you.”

The moment Wei Ying entered her room, Yu Furen immediately said, “I am not going anywhere. I don’t need to live with you and your ‘friend’ when I have a perfectly hospitable home of my own.”
“That’s alright. We’ll stay with you.”
“Who asked you to?”
“The doctor did.”
“Doctors

don’t decide who does and doesn’t live at my house. You and your friend aren’t welcome.”
“Duly noted. We will take up residence in his brothers home for a while. You’re neighbours. As long as we can take care of you, we don’t mind where we stay. You can stay with a night nurse.”

“Humph, do what you want.”
“Yes, Ayi.”

Once Yu Ayi was adjusted in her own bed, two things became very clear. Lan Zhan took the day shift because Wei Ying is the nocturnal being between the two of them and Yu Ayi with a broken leg was spectacularly bored.

She pretended to

work for the first 3 hours. Then she pretended to sleep. All while Lan Zhan was placidly reading through his manuscripts. Lan Zhan is an accomplished writer who also works as chief editor at his family’s publishing house. He’s arranged this month as least amount of meetings and

most amount of emails and manuscript readings and editing. He doesn’t always do this kind of grunge work because he has enough juniors for it but he needed the lighter load for being available for daycare of Yu Ayi.

Wei Ying has similarly switched to more design work for his

Graphic design firm.

The first few days went in absolute silence except the regular check up calls from Yanli-jie and Jin Ling.

The first time she heard Lan Zhan being called Jiuma by Jin Ling, Yu Furen choked on the water she was sipping. She then opened her mouth only for

Lan Zhan to gently shake his head. Yu Furen realises this is the first time they’ve communicated outside of his polite greetings.

When she accidentally topples because she wanted to drink water and she misjudged how heavy the jug is, she expected the nurse or her companion to

support her. She didn’t expect Wei Ying to gently support her. All these nights, Wei Ying hasn’t said a word to her except as she observed with his friend ‘polite greetings.’

Sometimes she doesn’t even recognise this man. The kid she raised feels like a forgotten shadow of the

man he’s become.

She remembers that a lot of harsh words were exchanged. She wasn’t the fairest to him growing up maybe. She did her best and it wasn’t enough and she has no one to blame this on anymore.

She expected a lot of whining, a lot of exasperation or a lot of sighing

It’s what a-ling, a-cheng and a-li would do. But Wei Ying just sat with his tablet and a pen on the table. She didn’t even know you could draw with a pen on a tablet. Is it a special pen? Wei Ying doesn’t even have the courtesy to show her his drawings. At least Lan Zhan is

polite enough to strategically show her the name of the manuscript he’s reading.

Never mind, she won’t force him if he doesn’t want to share his art with her.

The next day, Lan Zhan leaves for half an hour for an unavoidable meeting leaving the manuscript and pencil on her

bedside ‘by mistake.’

Predictably when he came back, Yu Ayi was reading the manuscript with a scowl on her face.

“This is terrible,” Yu Ayi stated.

“I agree, it is one of the worst of this lot. I am considering terminating the intern that mindlessly selected this gibberish.”

“Have you read it completely?”
“I read till the third son comes back.”
“The one where he creepily peeps on the gardener’s daughter undress?”
“I believe the expression was ‘lovingly watching.’”
“Please, she’s not even his first loving watch.”
“Fourth, by my count.”

They talked about horrible books/manuscripts they’ve each read and what was horrible about them till they took a break for tea time.

The next day Lan Zhan left an erotica manuscript behind by accident. Yu Furen read it well into the night making Wei Ying very curious about why

was awake.

To ask or not to ask. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Is that My Suitor Sailors?”

“Hmm, have you read it?”

“Uh, I’ve read the first three in the series. This is the fourth.”

“I see. So, you know who Zhang Li is?”

“Of course! He’s the guy who tried to sell

Yi Wang Shi!”
“Ah, so Wen LuLu saved her and that’s why they’re together?”
“No no Wen lulu saved her from the green pirates.”
“When was this?”
“Third book.”
“I see. There’s something about the green pirates that I think I’m missing. What am I missing?”
“Uh, they uh.”
“What?”

“They’re tentacled?”
“They’re what?”
“Like octopus?”
“Then why does she keep remembering how they went into all her ahem.”
Wei Ying’s soul almost left his body. This is the most surreal conversation he’s ever had with Yu ayi.
“They uh the green pirates use their tentacles

sexually.”
Yu Furen frowned.
“How?”
“Uhhh, why don’t you read the third book? It has detailed description of how.”
“Hmmm, I’m curious now.”
“Uh, I can show you fanart of it?” Wei Ying regrets saying it the moment it comes out of his mouth.
“What is fanart?”
He’s done for now.