Platonic modern AU #rencheng where lqr gradually fills the place of a parental figure in jc’s life until jfm shows up at jc’s university graduation and people think he’s jc’s uncle and that lqr is jc’s ~real dad~

It starts in primary school, when jc is about 8yo. lqr knows jfm has taken in a child as a ward. He knows wwx gets on lwj’s nerves, and he knows lxc thinks the boy is good for lwj because it brings him out of his shell a bit.

It’s just a regular school day when lqr goes to pick up the boys and he sees jc sitting by himself on the ground by the school gate.

“Jiang Cheng? Are you by yourself?”

“Uncle Lan!” jc scrambles to stand and bow, manners impeccable as always. “wwx has a flute exam so he

skipped school today.”

“I see.” lqr doesn’t like this. It’s way after school hours - lxc & lwj stayed after for school orchestra so it’s nearing 5pm. “Did you have an activity today?”

jc flushes. “Um. No. I’m not good enough to get into a club.”

lqr hums.

He /really/ doesn’t like this.

He turns away from jc when lxc & lwj approach, and he tells them to wait in the car before turning back to jc. “It’s getting dark. I will wait with you.”

jc shakes his head and waves his hands. “It’s alright, Uncle! I can wait here by myself!”

lqr gives him A Look, and jc ducks his head obediently. “What is your father’s number?” he asks, pulling out his phone.

jc rattles off a string of numbers, and lqr frowns when no one answers. Twice. Three times. Four.

jc looks resigned. lqr’s lips press thin in anger.

“Come sit in my car while we wait. It is getting cold.” The sky is dark, and the wind has picked up.

jc looks embarrassed as he picks up his backpack. lqr guides him along with a gentle hand on the shoulder, and he lets jc sit in the front passenger seat.

“What is your mother’s number?” Everyone knows the company is run by yzy, and jc tells him she’s in Europe for a business trip. He calls anyway, and no one answers.

Eventually it’s 630 and lqr knows his boys must be starving - they eat at 6 like clockwork, and jc is starting to

fidget also, chewing on his fingertips.

“You will wait in my home,” lqr says.

jc is only 8. He doesn’t know what to do except to wait at the school gates. So he hesitates. “Will my dad get mad?”

“No,” lqr says shortly. That man has no right to be angry.

“Ok,” jc says easily. It’s lwj’s uncle, so it’s not a stranger and that means it’s ok.

jc moves to the back when lqr drives, and he’s glad his boys don’t make any fuss as lwj sits quietly and lxc tells them about his day.

His boys have gone to bed at 8 when jfm finally picks up his phone. lqr resists the urge to yell, and tersely tells him that jc is with him. The man sounds mildly surprised, and when he shows up at the door lqr swallows down his angry words as jc runs up and

hugs his father around the waist. jfm pushes him away. “Don’t make a fuss; apologise to Uncle Lan for the trouble you’ve given him today.”

“Jiang Cheng was good. He’s no trouble at all. I would not leave a child cold and hungry while his parent is gallivanting on his own.”

jfm finally looks a bit embarrassed. Good, lqr thinks. Maybe he’ll learn his lesson.

Except he doesn’t.

===

It takes while, but it eventually becomes a regular occurrence.

wwx and lwj are the year above jc, and when they graduate, jc isn’t picked up at all after school.

lqr has no idea until one day he’s taking a different route cuz the road is closed and sees jc entering the

subway station by himself.

lqr asks lwj. “Who picks up wwx after school?”

“Uncle Jiang.” lwj doesn’t know why he’s asking.

“What do they do after school?”

“Go out to eat. Sometimes movies. The park.”

lqr harrumphs, and the next day he tells his boys he’ll be late and goes

to the primary school first. “Jiang Cheng. I’m here to pick you up.”

jc’s lights up. “Did my dad ask you?”

lqr does not lie. “No. It’s not safe for a child to take the subway. He won’t be mad. Come.”

jc wilts, and lqr gives him a milk candy for being good when jc buckles in.

“Thank you, Uncle!”

Such an innocent child, so easily pleased with just a piece of candy. lqr can only despair as jc bounces excitedly as he chews.

lwj & lxc don’t comment when they see jc in the backseat, filing in as normal.

jc waves happily when lqr drops him off at the gate to their family estate, watching the gates close behind jc before leaving.

He sighs, and it’s only then that lxc asks “is something wrong, shushu?”

lqr hums. “Nothing bad. I hope.”

For the rest of the school year, lqr picks up jc from school and drops him off at home.

If jfm knows, he certainly doesn’t question it.

lqr thinks the man is insane that he would allow a 10yo take the subway and walk 3 blocks by himself.

===

Things seem normal again when jc joins wwx at the same secondary school.

Until lqr shows up for parents day when they sit in on the classes and watch presentations etc.

He sees jfm in lwj&wwx’s class, smiling and clapping proudly as wwx finishes his presentation.

When lqr leaves to go to lxc’s class, jfm remains, and lqr shrugs it off at first.

Until he sees jc walking out of school alone at the end of the day. “Jiang Cheng.”

jc smiles widely. “Uncle Lan!”

“Where is your father?”

jc looks embarrassed. “I, uh. I think he took wwx out

for dinner. To celebrate. Um.”

lqr cannot believe this man. “Alright. Come on then.”

jc hesitates. lwj opens the backseat door. “I, uh. Don’t want to intrude. I’ll be fine! I have food at home, it’s really fine!”

“Jiang Cheng.”

jc chews on his lower lip.

“I don’t want to intrude,” he repeats.

“I am inviting you to dinner. There is no intrusion when you’re invited.”

lqr can tell jc wants to go but he still hesitates. Looking into the rearview mirror, his eyes catch lxc’s.

“Jiang Cheng, come with us! It’ll be good, I promise.”

lwj nods. “Mn.”

So jc clambers in, and lqr asks him about his presentation on the way back. At first jc is shy, but then he opens up, still polite and hesitant but smiling again.

===

The boys are sent to do their homework when they return, and jc goes to lwj’s room, working at the low table in the rest area.

They go down later to help set up the table, and jc blends in easily, quick enough to adapt and eating silently without being told.

After dinner lqr has tea and the boys drink warm milk as they chat. lqr doesn’t want to ask jc too many questions and potentially embarrass him in front of the boys, so he sends them upstairs early and keeps chatting with jc.

jc watches his words, but lqr learns many things.

He already knows that yzy has given up years ago since wwx was brought home. Vicious fights ended in nothing, threats of divorce were met with silence, so yzy took over the company instead, pushing jfm away to stay at home.

He learns that jyl is sweet and gentle, coddling wwx and catering to him because he had come to them scared and half-starved, so he was “special” and needed special attention.

He learns that wwx is too happy with the attention and love to notice that jc is being pushed aside. lqr cannot blame the boy - not every child is as self-conscientious as jc. wwx basks in jfm’s attention and accepts his excuses as the truth.

He learns that wwx is often too excited to notice jc is missing, and only asks for him in hindsight, after all the fun has already been had.

jc doesn’t tell him in so many words, but lqr is not an idiot.

It’s a Friday, so lqr purposely keeps jc until late in the evening, past his own bedtime.

It’s 10pm when lqr drops off jc at home. jc’s phone hadn’t rung the entire evening, but lqr convinces jc to take his number. “In case you need an adult and no one is around.”

jc sniffs and lqr pretends he doesn’t see jc’s eyes shine, the rims redding. “Good night, Uncle Lan,” he says instead. “Thank you for dinner, it was delicious.”

lqr smiles, and jc smiles back. “You’re always welcome. Go to bed now; it’s late.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

lqr watches jc enter the dark house before sighing.

His head hurts, and it’s not because he’s up past his bedtime.

===

A month later lqr sees jc waiting in an empty hallway for the parent-teacher conference. He doesn’t bother to ask anymore, but when the teacher comes out and sighs at seeing jc alone, lqr steps in.

“We will do the conference,” he says firmly.

“Mr Lan, you’re not a parent or guardian. I am not authorised to speak to you about jc.”

If a gaze could murder, the teacher would be dead. “We will have the conference /now/,” lqr says crisply.

jc is silent, unsure of himself before an authority figure.

“Jiang Cheng, wait inside,” lqr says. jc looks between them unsurely before doing as lqr says.

lqr steps close to the teacher, speaking in a low, tight voice. There’s no arguing with him when he gets like this, and lqr knows it too, the two of them whispering furiously.

It ends with - “I will speak to the headmistress myself but you will /not/ keep the poor boy waiting any longer.”

So jc has his parent-teacher conference with lqr, who nods approvingly when they go through jc’s work and tests.

Afterwards, jc looks ashamed. “I’m sorry, Uncle Lan.”

“For what?”

“You shouldn’t have to...”

“I wanted to. Come on now.”

jc hesitates before following him, and they go to lxc’s classroom for the last conference, with lwj & lxc waiting already.

lqr apologises for his lateness. “I had to attend another PTC just now.”

The teacher sees jc but doesn’t think more on it, so they have lxc’s con and afterwards lqr takes them to a froyo place as a treat.

“You’re all doing very well in your classes,” he says.

jc looks glum, assuming he’s talking about lwj&lxc. “I’ll do better next time.”

“You’re doing very well also.”

“But...I didn’t make it to first place.”

“Yes,” lqr says patiently. “But you are doing very well. Keep it up.”

jc brightens. “Yes, Uncle!”

===

The school unofficially goes to lqr whenever there’s a jc issue eventually. It’s small things - like lqr calling for jc’s absence for a dentists appt, or that one time jc got sick at school and needed to be taken home.

the teachers just sort of...take it for granted that jc’s family is out of the picture and lqr is the parent instead, especially once wwx & lwj graduate and go off to uni, leaving jc alone in hs.

lqr goes to all of jc’s swim meets. He packs snacks for the team & takes his turn on the roster to chaperone them on away meets.

One time jc failed a test by falling asleep during it. The teacher didn’t even bother calling jc’s parents, going straight to lqr instead.

At graduation, lqr shows up with lwj&lxc and watches proudly as jc gives his Head Boy speech.

“You must be very proud of your son,” a nearby mother comments.

jc flushes. “Ah -“

“I am,” lqr says. “We’re all very proud of our A-Cheng.”

jc goes to the bathroom to cry at that, and lqr pretends he doesn’t know, saying nothing and giving only a squeeze of his hand when jc returns.

===

Secondary school is a huge time for the growth of a child. So much of them is formed during these years.

jc blossomed under lqr’s care. His schoolwork picked up once he was rewarded with praise and worried suggestions of tutors when he was struggling.

He joined the swim team on lqr’s suggestion, when jc mentioned once that he enjoyed being in water.

Soon he was top of his class, had his own friends, speaking confidently and charming those around him.

There were also little things that, looking back, turned jc away from being a Jiang into a Lan.

Meals eaten at lqr’s place & lunches packed by lqr turned jc’s tongue sensitive to heat and spice.

The Jiangs couldn’t pinpoint when, but at some point jc began ordering a separate veggie dish for himself at obligatory family dinners out, the usual fare too much for him to handle.

jyl brushed it off as a diet - jc had mentioned the swim team once, something about training?

wwx hadn’t noticed anything, too caught up in conversation with jfm, who didn’t notice either.

yzy had asked jc about it, but pushed no further once jc said the dishes were too spicy for him. Everyone had their own tastes.

jc also kept a very strict schedule. At these family dinners, which tended to start late, jc would begin nodding off around 9pm, right in the middle of the meal.

Whatever, jc was just a morning person, not a night owl like the rest of them.

No one noticed he was silent when he ate. When spoken to he would make sure to set down his chopsticks and bowl before answering. Alright then, strange, but whatever.

His back was always perfectly straight, posture perfect at the table, hands folded neatly as they waited to be served. When he sipped his tea he held his cup in both hands, left hand at the bottom and the right folded at the front to cover his mouth modestly.

wwx laughed at him once for acting like an old man. jc had wrinkled his nose, but that was how lqr and his nephews held their teacups, and he had enough confidence to brush off wwx’s words without feeling self-conscious.

At some point, jc stopped carrying the Jiang family bell that they all had as a lucky talisman, hooked to their bags or phones or wallets.

He carried a piece of jade instead, a light blue tassel hanging from it, tied to his phone case.

yzy had given him a strange look when she noticed it for the first time. “Are you friends with lqr’s boys?”

“Yes,” jc had answered shortly, not wanting to elaborate.

yzy had given him a searching look before sighing. “You don’t need a relationship to distract you from school.”

“I know,” jc had answered simply.

“What’s your class ranking?”

“I’m placed first.”

yzy had been surprised and pleased. “Good.”

jc had never been comfortable at his family dinners. Now even less so. He felt like a guest, listening to conversations he didn’t understand, having to eat strange food, drink dark pu-er instead of floral biluochun. He didn’t like it, but at least he wasn’t upset anymore.

As a child he constantly held back tears, ignored at the table, wanting desperately for everyone to look away from wwx and see him instead.

It was awkward now, and he treated those meals as a necessary evil, out of obligation to his family.

The next day he would always greet lqr with relief, and lqr always seemed to understand, setting a cup of tea down in front of him and patting his shoulder, the two of them enjoying a moment of silence before chatting quietly.

When jc got his acceptance letter to Gusu Uni instead of Yunmeng, lqr was the first person he went to. jc had never been happier when lqr’s eyes shone bright with pride and affection, holding back tears when lqr patted his cheek lightly with a quiet “Well done. I’m proud of you.”

jc didn’t tell his parents - they had legacy at Yunmeng, and it had seemed unquestioned he would attend also.

He finally told them at the family dinner the night before the semester would start.

It had not been pretty.

It was supposed to be a celebration, of jc following their family’s footsteps to study computer science and engineering and enter LP Technologies.

Instead he was going to Gusu to study law. Not that it wasn’t a respectable school, but - Gusu?! Law?!

“If you want me to enter the family company I can still do that,” jc says calmly after yzy absolutely loses her shit about how he’s ruining his life. “Law is quite a flexible subject.”

“You have let down this entire family,” jfm says quietly.

jc’s look is sharp and it unsettles jfm. “Have I?” he asks just as quietly. Now that he’s older, he looks more like yzy than ever, but his personality is completely different.

It reminds him of someone, but jfm can’t figure out who.

“He’s your son,” yzy spits out.

“You were the one that raised him. Look what good work you’ve done!”

jfm stays silent as yzy yells at him for ruining her child and his future. “I cannot teach what will not be taught,” he says eventually.

Oh. Alright. jc feels very little for his parents, but that hurt.

So he does what he’s learnt to do. He removes himself from the situation. “I suppose we’re done here. Goodbye.”

wwx follows him out to the restaurant entrance. “Hey, you really hurt Uncle Jiang’s feelings. How do you think he feels, his son rejecting his legacy?”

jc wants to laugh at the inanity if wwx’s thoughtless words. “I know Yunmeng has a fundraising event for legacies. You went with him the year before.”

wwx fidgets. “I mean, yeah. I’m not a Jiang, so he has to bring me or the board won’t look out for my application.”

jc waits to see if wwx has anything else left to say before answering. “How was the board supposed to know who I am, so they could look out for /my/ application?”

wwx is left with his mouth open. “If you just want to get back at Uncle Jiang for that you’re taking it too far.”

“I’m not doing it to get back at anyone, wwx. I /want/ to go to Gusu. I /want/ to study law.”

“You could study law at Yunmeng! Look, if you apply now you could switch next semester! I’ll ask Uncle Jiang to write to the board for you. We can still fix this!”

jc just blinks at him. He sighs. “wwx, go back inside.”

“Are you going home? I’ll come with you,” he offers.

“No. I’m going somewhere else.”

It’s almost 9, but lqr had told jc to text him after dinner so jc knew he was waiting.

“Where are you going? I’ll come with you.”

“It’s fine,” jc says. “Really.”

wwx eyes the worn jade tassel on jc’s phone. “Is it your boyfriend? A Lan, right?” His face twists. “Is it Lan Zhan?”

jc laughs. “No.”

“lxc?”

jc sighs. “No. Go back inside, wwx.”

“I’ll share a cab with you,” wwx says stubbornly, wanting now to know where jc plans to go.

yzy exits the restaurant then, apparently all yelled out - towards jfm at least. “wwx,” she spits out. “Are you the one that told jc not to apply to Yunmeng?”

“No, Madam Yu! I never - I always thought jc would go to Yunmeng with me! I swear -“

“Don’t even think that such a slimy move will get you the company!” yzy shouts. “Don’t forget that I am the one in charge! You’ll never have jc’s birthright!”

“Madam Yu, I really didn’t -”

jc is ignored again, so when the taxi comes he calls out. “I’m leaving.”

No one even looks at him, so he gets on and texts lqr.

The porch light is on when jc walks up to the front door, and lqr opens the door before jc can even ring the doorbell.

jc suddenly feels exhausted.

“Uncle.”

“Come in, child. I have tea.”

jc lets out a deep breath as he follows lqr into the kitchen. The air smells of faint sandalwood and the light floral fragrance of biluochun.

“You’re home early.”

jc has a guest room at lqr’s that they do not talk about. “Yes,” jc says.

They sit through two cups of tea silently before jc feels up to talking. He tells lqr about his parents reaction at dinner, what they said, what wwx said.

lqr has a stern look on that jc has learned to associate with his displeasure of jc’s family.

“That doesn’t matter. I could not be more proud of you, my child, that you got into Gusu on the strength of your own application, into such a competitive major. Tens of thousands try, and only 200 succeed. Focus on that, and your own dreams for the future.”

jc smiles, quiet but happy, eyes bright once more. “Yes, Uncle.”

===

University life passes by relatively calmly. Things are more awkward than ever with his family.

jc doesn’t contact his family once the semester starts. They don’t contact him either.

jc dreads the 1st CNY, and it’s just as bad as he expected, with fighting the entire time.

On the 2nd day, jc goes to stay with the Lans, and goes around with them to other houses to make CNY greetings.

His mother texts him once the holiday is over, saying she expects him to intern at least half his summer at LP.

jc agrees easily. He doesn’t dislike LP, he just wanted to make his own choices. But he also really likes studying law, so he asks lqr for advice after speaking to his advisor about internships.

So lqr goes through websites together with jc and contacts his own friends to ask them for advice. He brings jc to meet a few so jc could ask questions directly. He talks through jc’s options cuz there are a few options he gets but his summer is limited cuz of LP’s internship.

“Choose whichever one feels best to you,” lqr says finally, because jc only has 1 spare month and 4 different internships.

“Uncle, that doesn’t help at all!”

“Don’t be so worried about which one is best for your career. They are all excellent.

The one that is best for you is the one that you will do best in, because you’re the most comfortable.”

lqr is always direct and unfailingly honest. jc flushes at the praise and nods. “Alright. I’ll go to this one.”

lqr nods as well. “Good choice.”

It’s like this that 4 years pass by, and soon it’s graduation. jc is so excited; he’s been asked to speak for his class. There are a number of faculties at Gusu and a huge amount of students, so the law faculty has its own graduation ceremony outside of the initial commencement

to hand out individual diplomas.

lqr will be there of course, and so will lxc & lwj, but jc is shocked when jyl emails him and tells him they want to attend his ceremony, except yzy who will be on a business trip.

jc’s first instinct is to question it. Why do they want to come? How did they even find out?

Turns out that lwj bumped into wwx one day at a bookstore and the two of them had been meeting up regularly since.

lwj tells wwx about jc, who then tells jfm and jyl like some convoluted game of telephone.

But since they asked, jc will get them tickets. It’s of no matter to him because lqr will be there, and somehow that matters more than whoever else wants to come and see him graduate.

They all have to sit together tho, the Lans and the Jiangs, cuz they’re all here for jc. jfm eyes the giant bouquets of flowers prepared by the Lans when they meet in the auditorium. jc is up on stage with the professors, preparing for his speech.

“Lan Qiren.”

“Jiang Fengmian.”

wwx is stuck to lwj’s side, asking about lwj’s flowers for jc, whining for one to be plucked from the bouquet for him.

lwj silently holds it out of reach. “If you want flowers I will buy more for you later. This is for A-Cheng.”

“But that lily is so pretty! Pleaaaaase, pretty please, I really want one!”

lwj twists the bouquet away from wwx’s wandering hands. “No.”

wwx pouts but knows when he’s lost the battle.

Meanwhile, lqr and jfm are staring at each other. lqr looks like he’s smelled something bad. jfm looks calculating.

“Didn’t expect to see you here for /my son’s/ graduation.”

“Didn’t expect to see you here either, seeing as you’re always too busy for /your/ son”

They’re still staring when jc’s advisor sees lqr and comes over to say hi. “You must be very proud of your son’s accomplishments.”

“The entire family is.”

jfm feels something ugly crawl up his chest when lqr takes credit for /his/ son. “What has jc been up to?” he interrupts.

“Oh. And this is...”

“I am jc’s father.”

The advisor blinks as she looks between lqr and jfm. “Ah,” she says after a moment too long. “Right, excuse me. Yes.” She transitions smoothly, but the harm has already been done.

She excuses herself quickly afterwards, and jfm moves close to hiss at lqr “have you been going around telling people that jc is /your/ son?”

“No,” lqr says bluntly. “People will always make their own assumptions.”

There’s no time to argue, however, as they’re all ushered into their seats.

jc’s speech is the last before diplomas are handed out. He speaks eloquently about the joys of uni life, then about this moment, the future so wide and uncertain before them.

“It’s ok to be afraid. In the face of so many unknowns, we are all, to some extent, afraid. Nervous. Excited. But you don’t need to be afraid when someone is there with you. Wise teachers and advisors to guide you -“

“Hear, hear,” the advisor shouts and jc turns to smile at the

professors sitting on the stage behind him, one catching his eye and the two of them sharing finger guns

“- friends who are there for you-“ the students roar in cheer, clapping and stamping their feet, and jc gives a cheeky grin when someone whistles loudly.

“And above all, family to love you unconditionally.” jc pauses, swallowing hard. His eyes shine as they scan the audience for lqr. jc’s smiling is luminescent when their eyes meet. “Thank you, Uncle. I would not be here today without you. I owe everything to you.

You took me in and loved me without question. You supported me and set me straight when I strayed. You didn’t have to, but you did. I love you so, so much. Thank you.”

There’s a pause as jc collects himself before smoothly moving to wrap up his speech.

lqr just hopes no one saw him cry.

jc ends with jokes that have the whole auditorium laughing, and they’re all still cheering as the dean tries to speak, gives up, and gestures for jc to accept his diploma.

Then everyone is cheering non-stop as diplomas are handed out.

When they’re all back in their seats the dean closes the ceremony, and then there’s mass chaos at the official end.

“Uncle!” jc bursts through the crowd.

“My child. I am so proud. We all are.” lqr pats his cheek affectionately.

jc tosses his father only a brief look before he turns to laugh in surprise at the flowers. He gives them each a tight hug as he takes them from their arms, exchanging quiet words with lqr.

jfm interrupts, and wwx peels himself away from lwj as jyl holds jc’s hand.

lqr knows jfm is trying to edge him away from jc, but he stands his ground, not awkward at all as he waits patiently for jc.

jc doesn’t like this sudden familiarity.

As if seeing his advisor today and speaking for a couple minutes means they were involved in his career or education.

As if saying nice things to him now paints over all the disparaging comments over the years.

As if paying him attention now will turn jc back to them, as if he wants this attention at all, still.

jc doesn’t say any of this, but it’s evident quickly enough that jc is a stranger to them now.

He smiles stiffly at jyl, pulling his hand away after a minute.

He answers jfm and wwx with vague answers about his new job and summer plans. He doesn’t plan to go to LP, and it sounds as if they don’t know that yzy is working to get it listed.

But when jfm reprimands him for his speech, jc faces him with steel that jfm has never seen.

“He is my father in all but name,” jc says clearly, evenly. “I meant when I said. Uncle was the one that there for me for years. He fed me, took me to appointments, helped with my club activities, nursed me when I was sick. He did everything you were supposed to do but didn’t.”

“That’s too harsh,” wwx says.

jc’s sharp eyes swung over to him. “Is it?”

“It is,” jyl says. “Father loves you. We all do.”

jc presses his lips into a thin line, and that’s when jfm realised how much jc resembles lqr in gestures and expressions.

“If you don’t want to be a Jiang, then you will no longer have to bear the burden of this name,” jfm says slowly, and watches as jc’s calm demeanour cracks with understanding.

lqr, who had been keeping an eye on them, decides it’s time to step in. “Enough. This is jc’s day.

You will not ruin it for him.”

He has an arm around jc’s shoulders as he turns the boy away from the Jiangs. “Wait with xc & wj at the car.” They have reservations for a celebration lunch.

jc is still in shock from jfm’s casual disownment.

Logically he knows his mother would never allow it, but the surprise means he’s not quite thinking straight.

lqr joins them twenty minutes later. “We will put this aside for now. You do not need to worry, A-Cheng.”

“Alright.” But jc is unnaturally still as they drive.

“If that man is so averse to you remaining a Jiang, then you should be a Lan instead.”

“Uncle?” jc looks to him with huge eyes.

lqr is still driving and doesn’t look over until they’re at a stop light. “You are family, jc. I will not allow this to happen to you.”

He sighs. “yzy would never allow it. But that is beside the point. Official papers or not.”

“Uncle...” jc sniffs turning away to hide his tears. “You should know already what I think.”

lqr faces forward again. “Mn. Of course I do, my son.”

=====

(end)

Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

@threadreaderapp unroll

https://twitter.com/lianziyun/status/1382953111539437573