Chapter Text
You know, Nie Huaisang never thought he’d be staring into the eyes of Lotus Cove’s head chef, but life has its ways and it apparently never likes to go along with whatever he has planned. He wishes he could say that this was a romantic moment they were sharing—finally staring into each other’s eyes for more than a mere passing by, and they sure have passed by each other quite a lot the past week if Huaisang has got anything to do with it—but this plan has its own thoughts.
“Well,” and Jiang Wanyin is practically expelling fire through his ears right now, “can you tell your stupid fuckass boyfriend here, that he can take his ass out if he doesn’t enjoy the fucking food,” the word boyfriend laced with something a little more than just irritation.
Neither Nie Huaisang nor Xue Yang move to correct the man glowering over their table—all part of the plan, of course.
Xue Yang only grins, flashing a sliver of his canine as he looks directly at Jiang Wanyin, the other fixing his gaze completely to Nie Huaisang, seemingly done trying to reason with the other. Huaisang has to give credit though, his friend sure is playing the part real well.
“What’s with the tone, head chef?” Xue Yang taunted. “Isn’t the customer always right?”
Jiang Cheng doesn’t respond. The group was now very close to attracting the attention of all the patrons present in the restaurant, and Huaisang would now actually love for the situation to start de-escalating.
The plan is technically going perfectly well, much to Huaisang's initial worry. Unfortunately though, it seems that Xue Yang is having a little too much fun taking part in this exchange, that he’s charged up the ante quite a bit since their initial agreement.
What was the initial plan? Well it was quite simple, according to Huaisang.
The pair, that’s himself and Xue Yang, were to march over to Yunmeng Cove under the guise of a ‘date’. They were to be seated as formal guests and order a full course meal each , complete from appetizers to dessert. He’s aware that this is a family-style establishment where portion sizes may be larger than expected, but that was part of the plan.
Huaisang was dressed in some of his finest and least gaudy clothes. He’d even called up Mian-mian for advice, just to make sure he was perfectly dressed for the occasion.
‘Why do you have so many bird print shirts?’ She asked, a little more disturbed by the fact that she hadn’t noticed this about her friend prior to the phone call.
‘Don’t ask silly questions,’ Huaisang responded. He was holding up one of the last pieces of clothing in his wardrobe now, and was getting increasingly nervous at the lack of appropriate clothes to wear to what he believes is a higher end restaurant. ‘Now, please tell me these ones look okay.’
Mian-mian inched closer to the camera. She made some vague noises that Huaisang didn't really want to decipher before finally nodding.
‘This one actually looks pretty decent. I like it,’ she commented.
Huaisang sighed in relief. Embarrassingly enough, the white button-up he’s holding was a gift from Lan Xichen. He was apparently worried about what Huaisang was dressing himself in to meet his clients, and that one couldn’t go wrong with donning a smart white blouse tailored by the Lan’s. It was nice, Huaisang had to admit; pure cotton lined with subtle gray detailing and a loose fit that still gave room for movement without seeming too messy, all complemented with the bronze cuff accessories, though Huaisang’s more of a brooch guy. The shirt paired with a pair of tailored dark grey pants and its matching jacket really sold the look, and with the subtle accessories Huaisang has adorned himself with, it was no doubt he would be catching attention with this sunday best.
Xue Yang wasn’t dressed so badly either, but with his line of work it wasn’t much of a surprise that the man knew how to keep himself tidy.
‘And you’re paying the bill right?’ Xue Yang teased as the two made their way into the establishment.
‘Yes, you stingy bitch,’ Huaisang impatiently answered, already having confirmed this bit of information several times during their ride. ‘As long as you do what I told you to.’
‘Oh I will. Just don’t regret the outcome you get out of it baby,’ and Xue Yang doesn’t wait for Huaisang to answer before continuing his way to their reserved table.
Everything went as it should, and by the time appetizers were rolling in, Huaisang started signaling for Xue Yang to escalate. The other flashed a grin before flagging down a waiter to come to their table.
‘Excuse me, but I just noticed that the center of this dish is still cold,’ Xue Yang said to the staff, putting on his most pleasing tone. ‘Would it be possible to send it back to be reheated? I really can’t enjoy it anymore the way it is.’
Huaisang hides a chuckle behind a handheld fan, careful to make sure he wasn’t coming off as rude, but instead just embarrassed. Upon hearing the complaint, the poor waiter immediately agreed to send the plate back to the kitchen, not wanting to start a scene in the restaurant. Unfortunately for the wait staff that night, the demands didn’t stop there. Basically every meal that made it to Xue Yang was curtly sent back, a different excuse ready each time.
‘It’s too spicy, my stomach can’t handle it. Can’t the chef remake it with less mala seasoning?’
‘I just realised this menu item has cashews, and I’m really not fond of that texture. Could I bother you to bring it back so they can be removed from my plate?’
‘Oh, it’s really just too sweet, I can’t stomach it.’
Nie Huaisang himself was enjoying every meal that was placed upon his table. He wasn’t really expecting to be fond of the dishes, especially since they were a strong contrast to what he was used to back at home, but he was pleasantly surprised at how a delight all of it has simply been. He felt a little bad that Xue Yang won’t be able to fully enjoy the food he was getting paid to send back, but the guilt quickly went away once he remembered all the favours he had to do for his friend.
It took surprisingly longer than Huaisang expected, and he was well into enjoying his dessert when none other than Jiang Wanyin stormed out of the kitchen, a timid wait staff leading him to their very table. He took note of the surprise that faced the head chef’s face, plastering an embarrassed one on his own as the other finally took space between the two seated men.
‘One of you has been sending our dishes back to the kitchen,’ Jiang Wanyin says matter of factly, eyes looking over to Xue Yang, who is clearly missing his own plate. ‘We would be happy to provide the best for our customers, but this is the fourth plate you have sent back and I'm not sure how much more we can be of help.’
Huaisang was using everything in his body to hold himself back from saying anything regrettable, but he couldn’t help himself from thinking, Fuck this guy is hot even at work.
Anyways, it was a lot of back and forth between the two. Some petty arguments about spice tolerances, cold foods that were meant to be enjoyed cold and not hot, and many more that Huaisang honestly clocked out of real quick. The only things going through his mind were the details of the plan, or the lack thereof, he supposes. It’s fine though, worst case scenario, Jiang Wanyin will hate Xue Yang, and best case scenario, Jiang Wanyin will really hate Xue Yang.
Jiang Wanyin isn't seemingly swayed by any of this, but if Huaisang were to guess from the other's expression, Xue Yang was really getting on his last nerves. Which means it's time for Huaisang to pop in.
"I'm so sorry, he's never tried food from Yunmeng before," Huaisang reasons, batting his eyelashes just enough to portray an innocent character. "We'll take our leave, won't we Xue-"
"I want a refund for all the meals I ordered, since they all got sent back anyways," Xue Yang interrupted.
Huaisang could've probably done more to conceal his surprise, but his head instinctively turns to face his friend's in bewilderment. This wasn't part of the plan, he tries to convey to the man sitting across him, desperately pleading with his eyes to no avail.
"I'm so sorry, he's never tried food from Yunmeng before," Huaisang reasons, batting his eyelashes just enough to portray an innocent character. "We'll take our leave, won't we Xue-"
"I want a refund for all the meals I ordered, since they all got sent back anyways," Xue Yang interrupted.
Huaisang could've probably done more to conceal his surprise, but his head instinctively turns to face his friend's in bewilderment. This wasn't part of the plan, he tries to convey to the man sitting across him, desperately pleading with his eyes to no avail. Nie Huaisang’s brain is running at the speed of light trying to find a way to possibly remedy the situation. He isn’t sure that playing into it would do him any favours, but Xue Yang isn’t budging, and he wonders for the first time tonight why he ever thought that this would’ve made for a good plan.
“We can’t refund all your meals, since they’ve already been eaten before we received them back in our kitchen,” Jiang Wanyin says sternly.
“No, it’s quite alright, we’ll pay the bill and take our leave now,” Huaisang tries. He’s already lifting himself up from his seat, reaching in for the wallet in his coat pocket to pay at the counter. He doesn’t even make it three steps before Xue Yang further digs the both of them into a hole.
“Look, head chef,” Xue Yang begins to taunt. “I don’t know what sort of reputation you’re trying to build here for your brand, but I'm sure it would be bad news if word got out that you have a tendency of losing your temper at your patrons."
He didn't expect this out of Jiang Wanyin, but within a matter of seconds, he's got Xue Yang in some sort of martial art hold. Now the other customers have definitely got their eyes fixed on the scene before them, it's not everyday you see the head chef of a family restaurant brawling with one of its customers. And brawling is the correct term to use here, because Xue Yang actually manages to turn the table on the other and fight back, doing some sort of kicking maneuver to pin the other underneath him. This goes on for quite some time before some of the staff muster up the courage to try and separate the two individuals. Even after being separated, they still manage to yell profanities at the other, and it took a flustered Huaisang running back and forth between paying the restaurant bill and running out the building with a rowdy man in tow for the situation to dwindle down.
"What the fuck was that about?" He exclaims at his friend. Nie Huaisang runs a hand through his hair—so much for getting it done—and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself, as they both now start making their way to Xue Yang's parked car.
Said man just opens the door to the driver's seat without paying much mind to Huaisang.
"Just giving you a hand like you asked me to!" He answers.
Huaisang wonders how he ever thought this plan was a good one for the second time tonight. He invited Xue Yang of all people to be his plus one! Of course, something was to go wrong. He's about to head into the passenger seat himself when his friend pipes up.
"Look who got so riled up, they need to take a breather out the front door."
Nie Huaisang turns his head to find the very Jiang Wanyin standing just outside the doors of Yunmeng Cove. The man seems frustrated—for good reason—and before Huaisang can start thinking twice, he slams Xue Yang's car door shut and runs towards his neighbour. Though it was just a short distance to cross, Huaisang felt his lungs on fire. Or maybe it was his heart, beating excitedly in all this nervousness its found itself bathing in, pumping wildly to fuel his running legs that he'd otherwise only use to chase late connecting trains. He has to make a decision now too, and quick; would he be honest? Should he lay out the skeleton of his failed plan and wait patiently for the judgment that is sure to come with baring one's heart out in the open? He doesn't know how he'll even begin justifying his need for such a scheme to play out.
"Wanyin, wait!" He calls out to the other.
And Jiang Wanyin does stop for a brief moment. The man turns in surprise, not expecting Huaisang to still be in the parking lot. A mixture of emotions crosses his face; alarm, then recognition, then contempt upon realising that it's in fact one oft he two customers that have been giving him trouble all evening. He scoffs, not wanting to bother himself with the man any further, and continues on his walk.
Huaisang doesn't stop in his pursuit, actually pushing himself to reach and grab the other's arm in attention.
"Wait, please," he says in between panting. "I can explain."
This piques Jiang Wanyin's interest, as he gives the man behind him a pity once over. Huaisang lets go of his grip and straightens up, daring himself to finally look into the other's eyes.
“It’s fake,” he slips out. Huaisang can barely believe he’s going the honest route here, but something about the look in Wanyin’s eyes just made it all spill over.
The taller man cocks his head in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant. The fight that happened at the restaurant hadn’t been fake, neither were the murmurs coming from the other patrons as they gazed upon the unsightly scene. His reputation currently tethering on the line of destruction isn’t fake, and Huaisang hurries to explain himself.
“It’s all fake!” He exclaims a little too loudly. “Xue Yang and I aren’t dating, he doesn’t actually hate the food, I didn’t bring him here to cause a scene like that, and it certainly wasn’t supposed to end this way.”
“What do you mean ‘end this way’?” Jiang Wanyin questions, voice starting to raise a little.
Huaisang never claimed to be a good person, nor has he ever believed in the kinds of love people see on television; where they forgive each other through every mistake and believe in a thing called ‘true love’. As much as Huaisang loves to portray himself as an idealist, he’s much more of a realist than he likes to admit. He throws himself into the deep for the sake of the thrill, not because he thinks there’s gold to be found at the bottom of the trench.
But just this once, he wants to believe. He wishes and pleads that there’s some romcom deity out there looking down on him and granting him the happy ending he so desperately wants. So he lays it all out, and tells Wanyin the truth; Why he came to the restaurant, the plan he made to get the chef’s attention, and how it was all his fault for believing that Xue Yang had even an ounce of self restraint left that things ended the way they did inside the restaurant.
“I don’t know why I do this,” he admits. “I definitely did not plan for things to go this far, but it did, and it was out of my own carelessness that it did, and I’m sorry for that. And you don’t have to accept my apology. I understand if you don’t ever want to see me again either, but if that’s the case, then I want you to know that our short interactions have meant a lot to me. Like, a lot. ”
Huaisang isn’t certain how he even managed to let all this out, but he’ll be honest in saying that it is relieving.
He sighs, “I know I’ve probably fucked up my chances really badly, but I think you’re a really handsome and kind man, and I would really love to get to know you better.”
There isn’t a silence that surrounds the two; sounds from the streets creating an ambience to paint this busy evening. Nie Huaisang wills himself to look at Wanyin, not letting his gaze waver despite the anxiety crawling all around his body. Maybe he really did blow this all over, and whatever pages had been bound to the book that is Huaisang’s page will be devoid of his neighbour. He doesn’t want to hope, but when Jiang Wanyin’s gaze softens, he can’t help himself from doing so.
“You could’ve just,” says Wanyin, having calmed down from his previous rage, “knocked on my door, or something. You didn’t have to do all this just to talk to me.”
“Guess that wasn’t an option I had in my head,” Huaisang sheepishly responds, letting out a little chuckle at his own stupidity.
Jiang Wanyin scoffs, but his eyes no longer hold remorse for the man standing before him. He slides Huaisang’s hand off his arm and holds it, slotting the rough slender fingers to interlock with his own larger ones. Neither of the two men quite know what to do or say, not having ever been in such cliché situations before.
Huaisang is feeling a little braver now though, and he wills himself to ask the other, “So, would you possibly be interested in going out with me sometime?”
“Yeah,” Wanyin answers after what seems like forever. “We can try that.”
“Awesome,” the other lamely responds, regretting it the moment the word left his mouth.
Wanyin leaves him some grace though, and doesn’t comment on it—though Huaisang did catch a glimpse of an eye roll.
“I have work tomorrow, but I’m free in the evening,” he helpfully supplies.
“Perfect! That works for me,” Huaisang responds, unable to hide the excitement in his tone now. Jiang Wanyin must’ve sensed this too, and quickly followed him up.
“Don’t get too excited, I’m still pissed at what you pulled off earlier.”
“Right,” Huaisang nods. He’s the one that got them into this mess, so he’ll figure out how to clean the mud off.
Jiang Wanyin bids his farewell soon after. He’s still on work hours after all, and Friday nights tend to gather an audience. The two walk back, Wanyin to the restaurant and Huaisang to the parking lot, a little more content with how the night turned out. Though things certainly didn’t go as planned, things might have turned out better than he expected. Now he wouldn’t have to rely on repaying favours or sticking notes on doors for brief moments of contact, that is if tomorrow’s date goes well. That’s something for future Huaisang to worry about though. Tonight, he will simply enjoy the ride back home, and rest peacefully knowing his stomach is stuffed full with Yunmeng cuisine.
He just hopes that Xue Yang is still waiting for him in the parking lot.