Chapter Text
It’s pouring outside. Cai Xukun opens the door and walks out into the rain as his tears flow down his face. Closing his eyes, he looks up at the gray sky.
A small smile on his lips. Bitter. His mobile phone clutched tightly in his right hand.
He can still hear his best friend’s delighted words as he told him about finally being asked out by his crush and how excited he is.
Xukun had no other way but to congratulate him and be the best friend he needed.
Disregarding the heartache, he helped him pick the outfit for the date, went through every detail with him and ended the phone call with “I’m happy for you”.
Time was not on his side.
When he finally decided to confess. When he finally got the courage to pour out his heart. He didn’t even get the chance to.
Since the first day Xukun met him, he knew he would be the onefor him. The one he’s been looking for.
He cries harder. Everything disappearing behind a blurry canvas. Colors blending in together. No sounds can be heard besides the sound of the pouring rain masking his tears as they fall down and hit his face.
Suddenly the rain stops. Surprised he opens his eyes, everything still blurry from his tears, but he can see the rain is still pouring down from the sky like before.
He tilts his head up slightly and sees an umbrella. Turning around Xukun notices a man standing behind him, dressed in black and white, holding the umbrella over him and covering Xukun from the rain.
The man himself is getting drenched but looks like he doesn’t even care.
“You shouldn’t be out here. Let’s go inside.”, he said to Xukun with a gentle smile. Then he takes Xukun’s left hand and pulls him inside the building.
Startled Xukun just let him.
Once inside the man pulls him over to a bank and lets him sit down.
“Wait here”
He leaves and comes back after a few minutes with some towels and starts drying Xukun’s hair with one of them.
“You shouldn’t be standing in the rain, you will get ill.”
He then wraps another one around Xukun’s shoulders and smiles at him again.
“You should get changed into dry clothes. I’ve some spare clothes upstairs, I can give them to you. Follow me.”
Xukun doesn’t understand why a stranger is treating him this nice. He watches the stranger press the elevator button and walking over to him again. The stranger keeps smiling at him as he takes Xukun’s hand in his and guides him to the elevator.
Finally getting out of his dazed state Xukun pulls his hand away and takes a step back.
“It’s okay, I’m fine.”
The stranger studies him and for a short moment Xukun thinks he can see disappointment on his face but then the smile he was wearing returns.
“You will really catch a cold if you keep wearing these wet clothes. Please just take my offer. I promise I’m not a creep. I work here, too.”
The elevator arrives and the stranger steps inside.
Xukun observe him for a few seconds and then reluctantly steps inside, too. He notices the stranger pressing the button to the 9thfloor as the doors close. There is an awkward silence between them as they ride the elevator up to the 9thfloor without any stops.
He glances over and takes a closer look at the man next to him who was now typing on his phone. He was wearing a black parka from Saint Laurent and a white Louis Vuitton high neck shirt paired with white jeans. Xukun couldn’t remember ever seeing him in the building but the man claims to be working for the company too. He was wondering if the other was also a model like him but then again why has he never met him before.
Too engrossed in his thoughts he didn’t realize that they have arrived on the 9thfloor until suddenly a hand was put on his shoulder to get him out of his daze. Xukun lets out a silent yelp and takes a step back when he noticed the hand is still lingering on his shoulder.
Chuckling the other takes his hand away.
“We’ve arrived. Follow me.”
They step out of the elevator and walk down the hallway to an office with the door closed. Cai Xukun watches the other typing in a passcode to unlock the door. Once it’s opened the other turns around to him.
“Do you want to come inside or wait here?”
“Eh, I’ll just wait here…”
The other nods and steps inside. Xukun stands in front of the office awkwardly. Glancing around he catches sight of a nameplate hanging next to the door. Stepping closer to take a better look he reads
Chief content officer (CCO)
Wang Ziyi
He has heard of that name somewhere. Friends working within the same company but in other departments have complained about the high demands coming from the chief content officer. Zhengting, his best friend, one of the company’s renowned dancers, has complained about the endless retakes he had to record and being the reason for why Xukun had to wait multiple times for him.
Zhengting …
Xukun sighs as he was reminded of what happened a while ago. Tears threatening to fall again but he caught himself before it could happen and wipes at his face with his right sleeve. It doesn’t really help since he was drenched from the rain.
Just as he was starting to feel cold the man, he now assumes is called Wang Ziyi, comes back with clothes in his hand.
“Sorry, I forgot where I’ve put them so it took a bit longer.”
He holds them in front of Xukun.
“The bathroom is just down the hall on the right side. And you can put your wet clothes in the bag that’s lying beneath my clothes.”
Xukun nods as he takes the clothes and the bag from Ziyi’s hands.
“Thank you.”
Ziyi smiles at him. Again.
“If you want I can wait for you, a lot of people don’t like to be alone up here during this time since no one else is around the office anymore.”
Xukun looks around and then nods in agreement. He doesn’t like dark and scary looking hallways, they reminded him of every scary movie he has ever watched. It makes him feel anxious.
But oddly enough he feels safe with the man he just met not even an hour ago by his side.
Maybe it is his smile.