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Chapter Text

Xie Lian’s legs were bouncing up and down nervously. If his hands weren't occupied he'd probably bite his nails down to the meats. Instead, his clammy hands held a single sheaf of paper, his own nervous face looking back at him. He traced his portrait with a sigh. He wasn't ready for the photo booth to take his picture, and he ended up half smiling half gaping at the camera's flash. He despaired when it finished printing but he wasn't exactly overflowing with money, so he settled for what he got. 

If his future employers saw this and still called him into this office, surely he's doing something right with his resume. He stared at the list of skills he painstakingly typed in with his nearly broken down laptop. Xie Lian, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing had bent down and worked at it for nearly a whole day. Mu Qing would snort and point out the skills he overestimated. Feng Xin would placate him and patiently listed his good points all the while hitting Mu Qing over his head. 

They'd end up bickering and became more of a nuisance than helpful, but Xie Lian appreciated their help all the same. After being laid off by the only job he's ever had, he was quite at a loss. His skill sets were apparently only useful at his old job, and not so much in real life. He was clumsy, unlucky, and very much broke. He had to pay the rest of his college debt even though he never did finish his degree. The faces of his tear-streaked parents flashed by and he unconsciously crumpled the paper in his hand. 

"Mr. Xie Lian?" A gentle voice called out. Xie Lian gasped and shot to his feet. 

"Me! Here I am! This is Xie Lian!" He near shouted shuffling to the doorway where the person had poked his head out off. 

The man smiled and opened the door wide. "Alright then come on in." Xie Lian nodded and hesitantly walked in. 

The first thing that came to his mind was red. He tried not to appear so flabbergasted as he looked down on the plush red carpet, the intricate wooden furniture, and the view from the giant window in front of him. He silently smoothed down his resume and patted down his clammy palm. Propped in front of the window was a long desk and two chairs and across it a lone chair. One of which was already occupied. 

It was a sleeping young man, his feet propped up on the desk shamelessly like he owned the place. He had his arm over his face, so Xie Lian couldn't get a good look. He softly tuts. Youth these days and their manners. Why, if he ever did this in front of his mother, she wouldn't hesitate to bring out a ruler or two. 

The man from earlier walked in after him and softly closed the door. He glanced at the sleeping young man with disdain. He sent an apologetic look to Xie Lian and settled himself down the other chair. "Please don't mind him. He's been up working yesterday."

Xie Lian blinked and shamefully shook his head. "No, please don't mind me. I'm sure you corporate executives must be run dry by your boss!" Xie Lian smiled encouragingly. "Chin up, the holidays are just around the corner!" 

The man glanced at the man in deep slumber and smiled nervously. "Ah…yes. Um, anyway. My name is Yin Yu and I'll be interviewing you today. Can I ask where you found the job opening?" Yin Yu said as he opened a thick black binder. 

Xie Lian opened his mouth to reply only to be interrupted with a snort. "Questioning the poor man without even telling him to sit. Yin Yu, how rude." The sleeping man murmured without even removing his arm. Yin Yu gasped and looked to where Xie Lian was still awkwardly standing. 

"Oh, Gods how rude of me! Please sit down applicant." He gestured to the lone seat and Xie Lian hurriedly sat down. Yin Yu then gestured to the resume he was clutching. "Oh and before I get ahead of myself. That's your resume I presume?" 

Xie Lian blinked and quickly thrust his resume to Yin Yu. "Yes! Please overlook it's emptiness and know that it will be filled with my hard work!" Yin Yu stifled a smile and quietly took his resume. 

"Yes, I'm sure you will. Let's see…" He murmured and read over the resume. The 'sleeping' man beside him snorted once again. 

"Filling your incompetence with hard work? That's what every applicant promises, hardly any fulfills it." Xie Lian glanced at him and his eyebrows furrowed. He still didn't bother to remove his hand. 

"Well sir, if you bothered to look at me you would see how serious I am." Xie Lian couldn't help but snap. His tone was even but it carried a firm edge. The young man laughed and finally put down his arm. His eyes looked up at the ceiling in amusement. 

"At least you're brave, I'll give you that." He said. Yin Yu glanced at Xie Lian’s growing frown and the man's growing amusement with a sigh. 

"He's right you know. Just sit up and glance over his resume. It's interesting." The man rolled his head lazily and looked at Yin Yu bemusedly. "You like interesting things." Yin Yu said firmly. The young man shrugged. "Please." Yin Yu gritted out. 

Finally, the man grinned and kicked his feet back landing them neatly on the plush carpet. He dragged his chair closer to the desk, and finally glanced up to look at Xie Lian. And paused. His eye, one eye, Xie Lian thought distractedly was staring at him intensely. The young man's bangs covered his other eye and tucked in his hair was a thin braid.

Xie Lian finally got a good look at him with his red rolled-up shirt and his dress pants. Despite how it cuts well into his broad and lithe body, the most catching thing was his gold-colored eye. He and the man ended up staring into each other, and would probably continue to do so if Yin Yu had not clapped his hand twice. 

"Okay, now that we're all decently seated let's do some introduction. As I've said before, I'm Yin Yu, and this is-" 

"San Lang." The man interrupted swiftly. He propped his elbows on the desk and rested his head cozily on his intertwined hands. He gave a charming smile to Xie Lian. "Please excuse this young one's foolish actions just now."

San Lang? Yin Yu muttered under his breath in confusion. He tried to meet with the young man's gaze but it was resolutely set on Xie Lian. Yin Yu scratched his head and inwardly shrugged. "As I was saying, where did you see this job opening?" 

Xie Lian blushed under San Lang's gaze and jumped at the much-appreciated distraction. "Yes! This applicant was actually told by his friend about the job opening."

Yin Yu looked up from his binder in interest. "Oh, who's this friend of yours?" 

"Ah." He bit his lip. Well, they did urge him to name drop for a bigger chance at being accepted. "It's Shi Qingxuan sir."

Yin Yu blinked. Even San Lang looked surprised. "Shi Qingxuan…that flippant Shi Qingxuan…?" Yin Yu murmured to himself. San Lang's eye glinted with interest even more. 

"That's interesting gege. Can I call you gege?" San Lang said quickly. Xie Lian barely parted his lips before San Lang nodded. "Gege seems to be well connected. That's a big plus." 

Xie Lian looked at San Lang warily. Was this man…trying to comfort him? Assure him? Xie Lian felt his earlier disdain wane. He smiled gently at San Lang. Whoever this young man is, though he's crass he means well. His words were straight and true. Xie Lian felt he could always trust him to be honest. 

San Lang seemed startled at Xie Lian’s smile. He bowed his head down hiding his face in his hands. Xie Lian frowned. "Are you…"

Yin Yu waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright it's alright. He just gets like this when he's tired. Anyway, since Shi Qingxuan recommended you that means he trusts you quite a lot. And in this business," He paused examining Xie Lian. "Trust is hard to come by. Do you understand?" 

Xie Lian nodded. Trust he could definitely manage. He might not be able to do much, he doesn't have much either. But his principles in life are the one constant thing he has left. Yin Yu smiled. "Very well then. Now about your resume, I noticed something odd."

He gnawed at his lips nervously. Did he really go overboard with his skills? No, too little? Did he even spell his name right? It was the picture wasn't it, the damned picture! 

"You listed that you're immune, and at least resistant to almost twenty types of poison." Yin Yu paused hesitantly. "I…don't even recognize some of the poisons written here." San Lang glanced at the resume. He furrowed his eyebrows and snatched the paper from Yin Yu's hand. He scanned the paper, his eye jumping from word to word in a flash. 

Distractedly Xie Lian stared at the furrow in San Lang's forehead. That's sad, such a handsome man shouldn't be frowning like that. He should smile instead like earlier, mischievous and teasing, preferably towards Xie Lian. 

He shook his head from his thoughts. Shameless. If Mu Qing were here he'd be disappointed at how little care he put to his job application. He looked over to Yin Yu's confused face. 

"The poisons…I actually had training for them. At my…previous job." Xie Lian explained. The confusion in Yin Yu's face turned to concern. Oops, perhaps that's not what people do at their jobs normally. 

 "Job…" Yin Yu murmured. "Why would your job train you to be immune to poison?" 

"Gege." San Lang interjected. "All this poison. Did you have…training for all of them?" 

Xie Lian nodded. "You can test me if you like, I won't mind!" 

San Lang winced. "Mithridatism." He hissed quietly. Yin Yu shook his head in disbelief. He only heard it in movies, books, Quan Yizhen's martial arts tv shows. It's a perfect fit for the job, overqualified even. He glanced at his companion's darkening gaze. 

"If you don't mind me asking…who did you work for?" Yin Yu asked tentatively. He clutched his pen, eager to write down the name. His curiosity brimming. San Lang leaned forward in interest. 

"Well, I shouldn't really say." Xie Lian sighed. "He made us sign an NDA and everything…"

San Lang hummed. "So it's a he."

Xie Lian sputtered. "Oh, Gods. Please ignore that!" 

Yin Yu nodded but his hand was scribbling over his binder furiously. "Male. Must be of high status. A lot of threats made to his being. And anyone close to him." Yin Yu paused. He looked up at Xie Lian. "Must've had something big happen to let go of such a valuable asset."

Xie Lian squirmed in his seat. "Please, it's not important. All I can tell you is that I'm…I'm perfect for this job." He said firmly. 

San Lang stared at him quietly. "You're really immune to all these poisons?" 

Xie Lian nodded. 

"You know what the job entails?" 

Again Xie Lian nodded. But it was slower and his eyes sparkled with confusion. One time he encouraged Xie Lian. The other he's dissuading him. San Lang is quite peculiar. 

The raven-haired man looked at him, his eyes were serious and unwavering. The boyish ease from before was gone. "You're going to be a food taster for Hua Cheng. Infamous demon of the red district. The only thing he cares about is the profit his casino brings."

Yin Yu glanced at San Lang warily as if questioning his sanity. He bit his lip but joined in on the conversation."He's rich. A lot of people are after that. He's piled up to the brim with other people's debts. Those people would love to kill him too." He glanced at San Lang. 

"That's right. He's a no-good scum of society. Every time he eats people slip poison in it." His mouth twists into a sardonic smile. "Are you sure you want to risk your life for someone like that?" 

Yin Yu sighed. He nodded firmly at Xie Lian. "That's right. The pay is good we can guarantee that. But it comes with a lot of risks. The threat to his life isn't just ingestions. It could be physical as well." Though hardly any ever dare tries, Yin Yu thought to himself. 

Xie Lian looked at both of them."I know the risks. After all, I signed up for this." His eyes glint with determination. "I know the risks and the reward and I'm content with both. I can do this job."

"Even for Hua Cheng?" San Lang challenged

He paused. "No one deserves to die in such a pitiful way." Xie Lian shook his head. "To die over wanting to enjoy a nice meal. It's not right." He said firmly. "Even a scum of society deserves an honorable death."

Yin Yu sighed, though it seemed to be in relief. San Lang's eyes lightened and his body relaxes. "That's very virtuous of you gege." Xie Lian beamed. 

Yin Yu coughs lightly. "Right. Well, if it wasn't clear enough we would love for you to sign up with our company. I have the contract right here for you to examine." He rummaged around his binder. He produced a single paper. 

Xie Lian took it and held it reverently. His first real job! A work contract! He reads the content attentively. By this contract, we bind the below named to be employed…Xie Lian nodded. He can't spot anything wrong with the contract. And, he thought as he looked at San Lang's unwavering gaze, he feels like San Lang wouldn't dupe him in any way. 

"I'm ready to sign." He said confidently. Yin Yu frowned. 

"Are you sure? You're fine with the payment? The length of the contract? The benefits? Did you-" He paused as San Lang held up his hand. 

"Are you sure gege?" 

"I am."

"Okay then." He stole the pen from Yin Yu's hand, ignoring his small protest. He twirled the pen in his hand and gestured Xie Lian over with his other. Xie Lian leaped up and strode over to the desk. He set the paper carefully in front of San Lang as if one wrong move could destroy the fragile thing. Knowing his luck, it was only a matter of time. 

San Lang held out the pen. Xie Lian moved to grab it only for San Lang to move it away at the last second. Xie Lian pouted. He chased the pen at least three times before San Lang relented. "Gege, you're too cute. Forgive this San Lang."

Xie Lian snatched the pen while he can with an amused sigh. "You call me gege yet you tease me so. Are you sure I'm not the one who should call you gege instead?" 

San Lang grinned. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Now hurry and sign it gege."

Xie Lian shook his head and quickly signed above the conveniently sticker marked line. He glanced over the side where another signature line was placed. "Ah, I guess we have to wait for Mr. Hua Cheng’s approval huh."

Yin Yu nodded. "We'll get back to you as soon as possible-" 

San Lang slid the paper over to him. He plucked the pen from Xie Lian’s hand. And then before he or Yin Yu could protest, he signed the contract with a flourish. He smiles at Xie Lian’s slack face. "Oh, what's this it's signed already. Congrats gege, you're officially hired!" 

San Lang claps happily ignorant to Yin Yu's piling rage and Xie Lian’s confusion. 

"Ah…San Lang-no Mr. Hua Cheng…?" He trailed off. His eyes as lost as a little fawn in a dark forest. San Lang patted his hand in assurance. 

"Don't worry gege, don't worry. Just call me San Lang." He suddenly pulled away and stood up. Now Xie Lian has to crane his head to meet San Lang-Hua Cheng-???'s eye. 

The young man smiles down at him as if he's looking at a new toy. There's excitement in his eyes and impatience. "Gege, you don't mind working starting today do you?" 

"T-today?" Xie Lian said. "I don't mind no, but-" 

"Great!" San Lang walked around the desk and clapped Xie Lian’s shoulder. "Let's go and grab a bite. Celebrate your new job." He leads Xie Lian to the door, then pauses as if remembering something. 

"Ah, Yin Yu you come too. Let's eat at Qing Jing Peak." Yin Yu collected his things and hastily made a call with his phone. He murmured softly to the phone as he quickly followed Xie Lian and San Lang to the elevator. He pressed his employee card and pressed the button for the lobby. 

The inside of the elevator was sparkling clean, the material reflecting them clearly. Mischievously, Xie Lian peered at it to look at San Lang closer. He's decided to call him San Lang, for now, to avoid any more headaches. The young man was taller than him, hair long and neat. Even with only a red shirt and dress pants, he looks captivating. 

Xie Lian consciously tucked at his shorter shoulder-length hair. He's cut it short for convenience, and looking at San Lang's long hair made him miss his. He cleaned some unseen dust on his own white shirt. His hair was always cut by Feng Xin, with some degree of failure and success. His shirt was borrowed from Mu Qing, a little loose from their difference in height. 

San Lang glanced at him. "Gege, are you checking me out? No need to look from the reflection. The real one is right here." He said cheerfully. Xie Lian sputtered and shook his head. 

"I wasn't looking! Just, admiring the…elevator." He finished lamely. Yin Yu stifled a smile. They manage to arrive at the lobby without pause and a few seconds after they step outside, a sleek black car pulled to the curb. 

Yin Yu moved to the front seat. San Lang, however, jogged forward and held open the back door of the car. "After you, gege." He gestured elegantly. Xie Lian shyly entered, eager to escape San Lang's teasing. Really, kids these days. So bold, so shameless. 

He settled back on his seat and rubbed his hand on the material. Xie Lian isn't very knowledgeable about cars, but even he knows this is a very expensive one. San Lang joins him and sits close to Xie Lian, their fingers nearly touching. Xie Lian feels flushed. He hasn't even eaten anything yet, and he feels like he's dying already. His heart is beating fast, cheeks blushing, palms clammy, lips dry. 

Yin Yu glanced back and nodded to the driver. "Qing Jing Peak please." And with that, they were off. 

Chapter Text

They stopped at a cozy Chinese themed restaurant, painted an elegant shade of red and black. Just as he opened the car door for Xie Lian before, San Lang hurried to do the same now. Xie Lian murmured a small thank you. Just as San Lang was about to open the restaurant door to Xie Lian and Yin Yu's exasperation, the door opened by itself.

A friendly-looking woman greeted them. "Ah, welcome esteemed customer! Today-" She paused when she got a good look at the three of them. She scowled. "You people again. Do you really not have any other place to eat?" 

Yin Yu shook his head with a sheepish smile. "Ning Yingying, always a pleasure. Sorry for bothering you again." 

Ning Yingying grumbled and crossed her arms. "Well, it's not like we're overflowing with customers these days." She opened the door wider and gestured them in. "Your usual seat then?" Yin Yu glanced at San Lang and nodded. 

Ning Yingying settled them in a four chaired table. Xie Lian looked around in awe. The inside was as elegant as it was outside. It had a modern feel with the black decor but still traditional when coupled with the red ones. Ning Yingying brought over the menu but paused when she saw Xie Lian. 

"Oh? A new face. Are you one of the loan shark's employees?" Ning Yingying said. Xie Lian blinked. 

"Loan shark…?"

San Lang glared at Ning Yingying impatiently. "Stop yapping and take our orders already. No wonder this restaurant is losing money."

Ning Yingying scowled. "We're doing better actually. New management has been really good." She glanced appreciatively at Yin Yu. "Thank you for that, by the way, Yin Yu."

Yin Yu shook his head shyly. "I'm just glad Shen Yuan was a good fit for the restaurant." 

Xie Lian tilted his head. "Shen Yuan?" 

San Lang sighed and glanced towards the kitchens. "This restaurant was barely holding on a few years ago. Luo Binghe is a good cook, but a terrible businessman." He looked back to Xie Lian. "So this San Lang generously borrowed them some money to keep them afloat." 

Xie Lian chuckled. "Ah, I see. San Lang is very kind." San Lang beamed in pride. 

Ning Yingying scowled. "He just did it because this is the only restaurant he trusted to not poison him."

"Your words are poisonous enough, Ning Yingying." Xie Lian frowned. 

"San Lang don't be so rude. I'm sorry miss, he's just sleepy." Xie Lian chastised.

"Ah I'm sorry gege. I'll stop now if you say so." 

Ning Yingying balked. Gege? Hua Cheng must really be sleep deprived. Yin Yu hurried to continue the story. 

"Ah, that's when I invited my friend Shen Yuan to manage the place. He's really smart, though he prefers staying in and reading all those novels." Yin Yu said. 

Ning Yingying tuts. "Enough slander on my boss Yin Yu. Hurry and order something." She tapped the menu in front of them. San Lang pulled it right in front of Xie Lian. 

"Gege, order for us." He said firmly. 

"Eh?" Xie Lian looked at the menu uncertainly. "I don't think I should." With just a glance Xie Lian’s head was swimming with the prices and food selection. He rarely went out to eat these days. Feng Xin insisted on cooking most of the time. And Mu Qing bought back take out on the days he had to cook. Xie Lian wasn't allowed to even look at the kitchen, much less cook. 

San Lang looked at him knowingly. "Are you overwhelmed gege?" Xie Lian nodded shyly. San Lang must think he's so lame. "That's alright gege. Ning Yingying, I'll have one of everything." Yin Yu choked. 

"For real? No take backs!" Ning Yingying shouted and ran off to the kitchen before Yin Yu could stop her. Xie Lian stared at San Lang, mouth agape. 

"San Lang what…why did you order everything?" 

San Lang blinked. "Gege couldn't decide, so I ordered everything for you." He smiled innocently to Xie Lian, ignorant of Xie Lian’s despair. 

"Ah, still you didn't have to do that. Let's just order what you'd like okay?" Xie Lian coaxed, glancing meaningfully at Yin Yu. The assistant nodded and ran off to the kitchen to stop Ning Yingying. Xie Lian looked back at San Lang. "But thank you for thinking of me so much."

San Lang nodded obediently. "As long as gege is happy."

A few moments later Yin Yu came back, looking much more haggard than he did before. He looked pleased with himself however when the dishes came in a much more reasonable quantity than all the dishes in the restaurant. Ning Yingying sighed as she set them on the table. "Fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and egg drop soup." She glared at Yin Yu who was conveniently admiring the ceiling. "Enjoy the meal. I guess."

She slithered off with a dissatisfied look. Xie Lian however, was anything but. He eyed the freshly cooked dishes in awe. The few things he's taken for granted after he lost his job was indulging in food. Between worrying about his parents and his piling debt, he's used to shoveling whatever he could scavenge from the fridge. 

If Feng Xin didn't remind him to eat every so often he'd probably starve from forgetfulness alone. He felt his mouth water as he smelled the tanginess of the pork, the steam from the warm soup, and the impressive pile of fried rice. Gently a chopstick was pushed to his hand. He looked at San Lang in surprise. 

The young man smiled encouragingly. "Go ahead gege, you must be starving." 

Xie Lian blushed. In his excitement, he'd forgotten his job, the one reason San Lang and Yin Yu brought him here. He shook his head feeling bashful. "I'm sorry! I'll do my job now. Please be assured." Xie Lian said firmly. Then with the bowl Ning Yingying gave them he started sampling each dish. 

Yin Yu was reaching for a piece of pork only to have Xie Lian’s chopsticks halt him. Xie Lian shook his head severely. "You must be hungry Yin Yu. But I must test the food for poison." Yin Yu stared at him agape but slowly nodded in assent. San Lang looked on with a conflicted face. 

Xie Lian tasted the fried rice. When he was satisfied he would nod to himself. Then he tasted the sweet and sour pork. He paused after a few chews and San Lang's heart stopped as well. Only to sigh in relief when Xie Lian simply said, "Delicious!" Then he tasted the egg drop soup. He blew on the spoon gently and sipped it. He hummed in satisfaction. Then he proudly looked up to San Lang and Yin Yu. 

"No poison!" If he wasn't holding his chopsticks and spoon he might even give them a thumbs up. Yin Yu sighed in relief and San Lang's body relaxed. Xie Lian smiled proudly.

"Alright, thank you, Xie Lian. I'll dig in now." Yin Yu said gratefully. 

"Ah, gege." San Lang said lightly. 

"Oh, what is it, San Lang?" 

"Gege, there might not be poison in the food. But maybe there's some in my utensils."

Xie Lian gasped. He hadn't thought of that! He hurriedly took San Lang's chopsticks. "I'm sorry San Lang! I hadn't thought of that. Here let me try again-" 

San Lang's long fingers halted Xie Lian’s hand. "No need gege, that will take a while. And I'm already hungry."

Xie Lian looked down in defeat. "Ah…I'm sorry San Lang. You must think I'm so unprofessional." Xie Lian bit his lip. Not a day into his job and he's already screwed it up. Now San Lang is going to fire him, and he's going to go home and face Feng Xin's sympathetic face and Mu Qing's disappointed one again. 

"Don't worry gege, you can just feed me." San Lang said. Yin Yu coughed over a piece of pork, choking helplessly. Xie Lian frowned. He gently put down his utensils and glared at San Lang. 

"San Lang ah, are you teasing me?" 

"Water…" Yin Yu whimpered.

"Just a little bit gege." He chuckled. San Lang gently put his hand on Xie Lian’s shoulders and faced him back to the table. "I'm sorry for teasing you. Go ahead and continue eating, okay?" 

Xie Lian grumbled, a blush on his cheeks. He didn't want to admit that he almost did do it, much less that he actually kind of wanted to. He shoveled more food to hide his embarrassment. Yin Yu chugged a bowl of soup.

After a beat, San Lang took his own chopsticks and began eating too. The three of them ate in comfortable silence. Xie Lian finished his meal and sighed in satisfaction. He hasn't felt this full in ages.

"Yin Yu, what's my agenda after this?" 

"Ah, after this you have a meeting at the casino." Yin Yu dabbed his mouth with his handkerchief. It was embroidered with small yellow flowers. "The investors at seven. And a…unruly gambler at eight."

"Ugh." San Lang murmured. Then he glanced back at Xie Lian with a smile. "Gege, let's drop you off at home after this."

"Ah, you don't have to trouble yourself over me! I can walk back."

"Nonsense gege we have a car right here. No need to tire yourself." San Lang stood up. He glanced around the empty restaurant in disdain. "Ning Yingying we're leaving! I'll take the bill out from your debt as usual."

Xie Lian heard a muffled sound of "Fuck off!" coming from the kitchens and he stifled a smile. San Lang shrugged and gestured to the door. "After you gege."

They settled back into the car. Xie Lian rattled off his address to the driver. Both Yin Yu and San Lang frowned after he finished talking. 

"Xie Lian, is that really where you live?" 

"Hm? Oh yes! Me, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing rented this really cheap apartment together. We were lucky to get it at such a low price!" 

"I don't think lucky is the word I would use." San Lang murmured quietly. They pulled away at an old looking building, run down with age and disuse. It might have been painted white at some time, but water damage turned it a sick yellow color. Yin Yu grimaced as he looked up the building. 

"Ah well, this is me!" Xie Lian said. "Thank you for the meal! And the job! And the ride home!"

 He stepped out of the car and stood at the curb to see them off. San Lang scooted closer to the car door and brought the window down. "Ah gege before you go."

Xie Lian shuffled closer to the window obediently. "Yes, San Lang?" 

San Lang smiled up at him. "About dinner-"

"Ah!" Xie Lian gasped. "That's right! I should taste your dinner as well."

"Oh, that's alright gege. I'll manage just fine for today. Actually, I was asking to-" 

Xie Lian shook his head. "Don't be like that San Lang. I said that I would work hard, and I will! Please let me help you with dinner!" 

"Gege you're so earnest." The young man sighed. "It makes me feel bad about my motives."

"Motives?"

San Lang shook his head. "Nevermind then gege. I'll wait for you to catch up with me."

"Catch up? Catch up where-" 

"Aiya what's this! Is that my shameless cousin over there?" A shrill voice shouted. Xie Lian tensed and gripped the edge of the car window tightly. 

He looked at San Lang's confused face with a grimace. "San Lang…please go. Now." 

The young man frowned. "Gege? Who is that?" 

"Don't worry about me." Xie Lian forced a smile. "You should go before-" 

"You dare ignore your own blood relative? Cousin Xie Lian you're really something." The mocking voice shouted again. Xie Lian looked meaningfully at San Lang and mouthed the word 'go'. He braces himself then pushed away from the car.

He faces the source of the voice with a severe look.

"Qi Rong."

"Cousin."

A teenager with ruffled hair and a sharp grin greeted him. His green eyes brimming with mischief. He glanced at the expensive car Xie Lian just got out of. "Cousin Xie Lian, are you already trading a rich guy for another?"

"Qi Rong." Xie Lian gritted out. "Not now."

"If not now, when?" He chuckled. "Should I wait until you hop into another rich guy's lap? Begging for scraps of affection and inheritance?" 

Xie Lian redden in shame. It was one thing to face his cousin's poisonous tongue alone. It was another to do it in front of San Lang. Whatever good image he had left in San Lang's eyes are withering away by each sentence Qi Rong uttered. 

"What, no comebacks? You used to be so feisty with your words." Qi Rong stopped in front of him, cocky as ever. "Did he really tame you so well?" 

Xie Lian clenched his fist. He must endure. Anything was fine, so long as San Lang doesn't see him in such a shameful way. He turned to tell him to go again when the car door opened with a click. Xie Lian backed away and looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

He saw San Lang step out from the car from the corner of his eye. A firm warm hand clutched his shoulder in support. San Lang's chest was pressed close to his back. Subconsciously Xie Lian leaned back to feel grounded. 

"Is there a problem here?" San Lang's deep voice rumbled. Xie Lian felt his nerves settle. He looked back at Qi Rong's smug face. 

Qi Rong glanced at the two of them. "Oh, mister are you Xie Lian’s new sugar daddy then?" 

Before Xie Lian could even ask what a sugar daddy is, a sugar's father? A sugar farmer then? A sugar farmer that loves his sugar so much he adopted it? But what does that have to do with San Lang? Is that even legally possible-? 

"That's right." San Lang said. His thumb was rubbing Xie Lian’s back in comfort, away from Qi Rong's curious gaze. "And what about it, brat?" Xie Lian felt himself lean closer to San Lang's touch. 

"Brat?!" Qi Rong exclaimed. "I'll have you know-" 

"Dad?" A soft voice called out. Behind Qi Rong's leg, a small head poked out. "Why are you screaming again?" 

Qi Rong looked down with a scowl and pushed the small kid back. "Shut up brat, I'm fighting for my dignity here."

The kid frowned. "What's that?" 

"What's what."

"Dignity." The kid asked with a giggle. 

"Gods above kid what do they teach you in school?" Qi Rong grumbled. "Fuckin expensive ass education system. As if there's any system at all."

"Qi Rong!" Xie Lian gasped out. "Don't curse in front of Gu Zi!" 

Gu Zi looked up and gasped. "Gege! You're home!" 

San Lang's brow furrowed. Gege, he mouthed with a pout. Xie Lian grinned and bent down to ruffle Fu Zi's hair. "Yes, I'm home. Did you have fun at school?" 

Gu Zi nodded excitedly. "We did math earlier. It was easy!" He puffed out his chest proudly. Xie Lian chuckled. 

"Of course, our Gu Zi is so smart after all!" 

"Hey!" Qi Rong shouted. "Stop talking to the brat. Talk to me!" 

"Nobody wants to talk to you." San Lang said flatly. 

"What did you say you one-eyed freak-" 

"Qi Rong!" Xie Lian scolded. "Don't insult San Lang."

"San Lang?" Qi Rong scoffed. "What kind of stupid name is that?" 

Xie Lian straightened to face Qi Rong. "You stop right now Qi Rong. Cousin or not, I don't tolerate anyone insulting my friend."

San Lang smirked at Qi Rong. "Hear that? I'm his friend."

Qi Rong growled. They look like they're about to have a fistfight in broad daylight if Yin Yu hadn't turned down his own window. "Sir." He called out softly. "It's almost seven."

"Oh no, San Lang your meeting!" Xie Lian exclaimed. "Hurry! Go!" He firmly grabbed San Lang's shoulders and pushed him towards the car. 

"Gege, are you so eager to kick me out?" He pouted. He stood his ground and refused to move at all. He crossed his hands sullenly. 

"San Lang ah, don't be so difficult." Xie Lian pleaded. "I'll feel bad if you miss your meeting because of me."

San Lang sighed as if he's sacrificing everything to say, "Alright if gege says so. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" 

Xie Lian nodded. "See you tomorrow!" 

"Ugh." Qi Rong muttered as San Lang's car grows smaller and smaller down the street. "Can't you pick a better rich guy to cling too?" 

Xie Lian crossed his hand and glared at Qi Rong. "What's wrong with San Lang?" 

"What isn't?" Qi Rong shot back. 

"I'm hungry!" Gu Zi said. Immediately Xie Lian and Qi Rong's attention turned to him. 

"Well go get some damn food!"

"Let's go to my place and see if Feng Xin cooked already okay?" Gu Zi nods and takes the hand offered to him. Xie Lian takes him up the building, happy to hear Gu Zi talk about his day. 

"Hey! Where are you taking the brat!" Qi Rong shouted running after them. "Stop! This is a child kidnapping! Heh, kidnapping-" 

Xie Lian and Gu Zi deigned to ignore him and he fumbled to reach his keys one-handed. The door opened with a click and the smell of cooking reached their noses immediately. He shared a smile with Gu Zi. 

He helped Gu Zi put down his small school bag pack on the sofa. It was a ratty old thing, something he and Feng Xin was paid to get rid of. Gu Zi excitedly ran off to the dining room. "Feng Xin gege! I'm hungry!" 

A dark-haired man looked away from the stove. He smiled indulgently. "Hello, Gu Zi. Why don't you sit down first." 

"Get in line kid." A voice grumbled. Already seated in the dining chair was a man with silver-white hair, in his hand a pair of chopsticks, ready to shovel food any second now. "I've been here for an hour." 

"Stop bullying the kid Gods." Feng Xin grumbled. "And I told you to cook the rice hours ago. It's not my problem if you forgot!" 

"Whatever. Hurry up."

"Did you not hear what I said, you impossible man!" 

"Were it not for your cooking," Mu Qing said lowly "I would have stabbed you years ago."

"I'd like to see you try asshole." Feng Xin hissed back. 

Xie Lian walked into the dining room, filled with Feng Xin's and Mu Qing's constant arguing and Gu Zi's rendition of twinkle twinkle little star, only the lyrics boil down to how hungry he is. 

Xie Lian shook his head affectionately. "Mu Qing stop bothering Feng Xin, you're only distracting him from cooking."

Immediately Mu Qing silenced himself and glared at the empty tabletop. Feng Xin turned to look at him. 

"Young master you're back!" Xie Lian waves at him and takes a seat across Gu Zi.

"I'm back, I'm back. And stop calling me young master, I haven't been the master of anything for a while now."

"Young master is still young master." Feng Xin said firmly. He turns off the stove, pointedly ignoring Mu Qing shouting finally at him. Feng Xin tilts his head to the cabinet and Mu Qing shot up his seat to grab a large bowl. Then the cook scraped the contents of his pan into the bowl. "Ah young master, can you grab some bowls for the rice?" 

Xie Lian nodded and grabbed four bowls. Some were already chipped in the edge, some were discolored beyond recognition. He set them down the table and placed chopsticks along with it. He gave Gu Zi a plastic spoon instead. Mu Qing brought over the bowl, his mouth busy chewing and picking off the food when Feng Xin wasn't looking. 

Xie Lian peered at the bowl and hummed. Stir fry vegetables from last night's leftovers with fried chicken. Straightforward but fulfilling. Feng Xin opened the rice cooker and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, rice is ready too."

Mu Qing grabbed his bowl and immediately piled a mountain of rice into it. Feng Xin smacked his hand away when he went in for another scoop. "Stop hogging everything dumbass! There are literally three other people here."

Mu Qing stuck his tongue out and retreated back to the table. When his bottom met the chair he immediately began eating. Feng Xin shook his head in disgust. Little Gu Zi walked to him, his bowl raised up in his head. "Rice please!" 

Feng Xin gave him a small smile and gently filled the bowl. "Is this enough?" Gu Zi looked down at the bowl deep in thought. Then he nodded happily. 

"Yup!" 

Xie Lian took his own bowl and Feng Xin's next and brought it over. "Not too much, I've eaten already!" Feng Xin handed back the bowls with a surprised look. 

"You did? The job interview went well then?"

He and Xie Lian settled into the table, Mu Qing already half done with his rice. "It did actually! I got hired!" 

"That's great!" Feng Xin grinned. "I knew you could do it, young master!" 

"You lit him like five incense sticks." Mu Qing said in between chewing. Feng Xin blushed at being called out. He dejectedly chewed on his fried chicken. Mu Qing paused and looked at Xie Lian. "Congrats. Work hard."

"I will!" 

Xie Lian was washing the dishes with Gu Zi helping him dry it when the knock came. It was insistent and without pause. Mu Qing glared at the door from where he sat on the sofa. "Nobody open that door."

"He's just gonna keep knocking." Feng Xin grumbled. He was sitting on the sofa as well, trying his best to sit as far away from Mu Qing as he can. He had his glasses on and a laptop in his lap. 

Mu Qing growled when the knock eventually drowned the sound of the tv. Feng Xin peered up at him from his glasses. "Still gonna ignore him?" 

"He's like a cat begging for scraps. You give him an inch and he'll take a mile." Mu Qing snapped. 

"That's not what you said about Ruoye." Feng Xin looked pointedly at the white cat curled up in Mu Qing's lap. The cat purred as Mu Qing gave him a small scratch behind his ear. 

"Ruoye catches rats. He's useful." He hissed when the knocks are now combined with kicks to the door and yelling. He gently covered Ruoye's ears. 

"Gods I can't work like this." Feng Xin sighed. "Gu Zi! Open the door for your dad!" 

"Okay!" His small feet carried him to the door. He had to jump to reach for the handle but he got it after a few tries. "Dad!" He greeted happily. 

"Brat." Qi Rong said as he ruffled his hair. Gu Zi pushed his hand away with a pout. "Hey assholes, feed me."

Mu Qing clicked his tongue and fondly scratched Ruoye's chin. "Why can't everybody be like you Ruoye? Just an occasional meow in between blessed silence."

"Meow." Feng Xin said with a smirk. Mu Qing silently reached out and slammed his hand over Feng Xin's laptop, filling his document with gibberish. "Motherfuck-" 

Xie Lian sighed as Qi Rong made his way to the kitchen. He shoved the remaining stir fry into his hands and shooed him. "Here just take it and go."

"So cold cousin." Qi Rong sighed. "Now that you have a new rich guy I guess you're too good for little ol me."

"I don't need your pettiness, Qi Rong." Xie Lian ran a hand across his hair in frustration. "I know you blame me for everything-" 

"Duh." Qi Rong rolled his eyes. "You were the one that ripped us all of what we had." 

"I didn't do that." He said firmly. "You know what he did was wrong. I can't work for someone like that!" 

"Yeah? Well, I was just fine with my job!" Qi Rong snapped. "You might like being a white knight at the edge of poverty, but I don't." He pointed at the living room. "Go and ask your best friends what they think about losing their jobs at one of the most prestigious companies in all of China."

"We're fine asshole!" Feng Xin shouted back.

Gu Zi giggled. "Gege said ass!" 

Xie Lian sighed. "You're the only one still bitter about this Qi Rong. Just give it up. Nothing good will come from working with that man."

"You were one step away from owning it all. Now, look at you," He grimaced as he looked around the apartment. "Living in a pigpen."

"You're my neighbor Qi Rong."

"I know. Disgusting. Go die in a ditch." Qi Rong grabbed Gu Zi's hand. "Come on kid, we're out of here."

Here and gone like a tornado, Qi Rong left with Gu Zi. Xie Lian excused himself to the bathroom. Under the spray of the shower handle, Xie Lian let himself crumble from the pressure of it all. Tears silently fall to his cheeks, joining the drops of water from the shower. He muffled his sobs with his hand. 

He thinks of Feng Xin, struggling to juggle his underpaid job and his freelance job. He thinks of Mu Qing, always coming home tired and stressed. He thinks about his mother, fussing over him over the phone when he calls her every week. How she says she's doing great at the farm, but he can hear how strained her voice is. He thinks about his father, the pride in his eyes dimming every time Xie Lian calls him. 

He even thinks about Qi Rong, how despite his harsh poison dripped words, he has every right to be angry with him. He thinks about Gu Zi, so small yet so smart. And then, he thinks of Jun Wu. His gentle smile, his kind words. His cold eyes as he says "You've disappointed me, Xie Lian."

He doesn't get out until the water runs cold. 

When he passes the sofa murmuring about how tired he is, Feng Xin and Mu Qing share a look. They don't comment on his red eyes or his hoarse voice. Instead, Feng Xin presses a warm cup of honey tea into his hands. Mu Qing silently sets Ruoye in his lap, the cat burrowing close to him. 

He feels infinitely better as he pats Ruoye, and his mind strays to small braids, warm hands, and an alluring golden eye as he fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

Hua Cheng was in the middle of letting out his fifth sigh when Yin Yu's head, throbbing with the thought of being late for today's meeting and the awful traffic they're in, snaps his inner restraint. He twists his body to face the back seat. Their driver for today nearly jumps from his sudden movement. 

"Care to tell the rest of the car what you're sighing about?" 

Hua Cheng raised his eyebrow. 

" Sir. " Yin Yu gritted out. 

"If you must know Yin Yu," Hua Cheng says forlornly as he looks out the window tinted with street lights. It makes him look much more dramatic, and Yin Yu knows his boss is probably reveling in it. "It's about gege."

"Hm." Yin Yu simply says.

"What?" Hua Cheng asks. "Why are you hm-ing me?" 

"Nothing, nothing. Go on then, what's got you sighing over Xie Lian?" 

"He's…he's perfect." Hua Cheng whispers. Then he rubbed a hand over his face with a groan. "And I met him dressed like this . And I was putting my feet up a desk like an asshole ."

You are an asshole , Yin Yu thought quietly. Very very quietly to not offend his boss and source of hefty income every month. "It wasn't so bad. Dressing and acting like you don't care is a trend these days."

"But I do care." So much . Hua Cheng pouts tracing his finger on the cold car window petulantly. "And that weird cousin of him!" He exclaimed. "How does one bloodline create an angel and a gremlin at the same time?" 

"You shouldn't put people in such a high pedestal." Yin Yu murmurs. "It'll only hurt you and the person you care about."

"...Yin Yu." Hua Cheng glanced at him. "Is Quan Yizhen-" 

"He's fine." Yin Yu dismissed. Probably. Hopefully. He's young. He'll recover. He has his whole life ahead of him. He shouldn't waste it on a middle-aged man. The fact that he doesn't even come over anymore…should be a clear enough answer. 

"Anyway. Xie Lian. I'm still suspicious about his background." Yin Yu shook his head. "Something about him seems familiar. And his resume...immune to that much poison? There's got to be more to his story."

"That screaming gremlin," Hua Cheng gritted out. "said something about gege being with another rich guy."

"I don't think he's the type to be pampered by a sugar daddy though." Yin Yu chuckled. 

"Hmph." A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. Yin Yu felt his blood run cold. 

"Oh no, don't even-" 

"Yin Yu, don't you think gege's accommodation is quite troublesome?" 

"Nope, not at all. It's so convenient it could even be a convenience store."

"Ah, but look how I'll have to suffer through today's dinner without gege's presence." Hua Cheng shook his head. "What a pity! And what about tomorrow's breakfast? I would have to go all the way to gege's apartment and pick him up!" 

"You have a personal driver." Yin Yu hissed. He patted the driver's arm beside him. The man flinched but kept his eyes on the road, refusing to take part in the argument. "It's his job to worry about where to go. All you have to do is sit there and look alive."

"All I'm going to look like is starving ." He rubbed his stomach. "I'd waste so much time being hungry. By the time I get to gege, it'll probably be lunchtime! Think how much time I'll waste not doing paperwork!" 

You never do any of them anyway ! Yin Yu's throat itched to scream. But he knows the tone and look Hua Cheng is using. He won't be relenting anytime soon. "Fine. Say it plainly, what's your big plan?" 

Hua Cheng grinned.

They arrived at the casino with time to spare before the meeting. Hua Cheng stepped out of the car and took in his castle. 

When the architect had asked him his vision for the casino, Hua Cheng simply said, make me a kingdom . 

Of course, a building alone does not make a kingdom. No, Hua Cheng wanted to make a statement of his casino. He built it in the middle of the business district. Left, right, and across the street were tall pristine buildings of China's most elite companies. And smack dab in the middle of it was Hua Cheng’s casino, in eye assaulting bright red color. Two tall pillars supported the awe-inspiring foyer. 

It was a business that never knew a closing time. Day and night it would bustle with gamblers, walking beside white-collar executives in the busy street. 

Scrawled on a piece of wooden board, and with Hua Cheng’s own messy scrawl, were the words Blood Rain Seeking Flower . An eerie name for a den of greed and cheap thrills. But it reminded him always of his goal. He built everything with his own two hands, and the sign was the constant throughout it all. He glanced at the building across him, his eyes narrowed. 

He would take away everything Jun Wu has, piece by piece. Until he had nothing left to hold on too. He gently tucked away his bangs, revealing a leather eyepatch, embroidered with small silver butterflies. He would pay Jun Wu a thousand times back for everything he took from him. And he would do it right in front of his nose. 

"Sir." Yin Yu murmured from beside him. He breathed in one last cold clean air and nodded. 

When he stepped in, the air shifted and quieted. The floor was silent except for a brave few who lowly whispered. All the dealers and bustling waiters and waitresses stopped in their tracks. And in one swift motion, bowed to where he stood in the front doors. 

"Welcome back young master Hua Cheng!" 

He looked around the room, then nodded. "Hm."

They took it as approval and immediately continued working. The few new casino goers mumbled a complaint but quickly quieted down when the more seasoned players scolded them. Hua Cheng tilted his head at Yin Yu. "Find me some proper clothing. I'll stay here until the meeting."

Yin Yu nodded and went up the stairs to the casino's more exclusive private rooms, and Hua Cheng’s office. The young man walked around the floor until he found a familiar figure hunched over the blackjack table. They were wearing a low cut light green blouse and a short skirt that hugged their figure. When the gamblers weren't eyeing their cards, they sneaked glances of the expanse of smooth white skin. 

Hua Cheng approached the man who sat beside them and touched their shoulders. "Move."

"Huh?!" The man grunted as he snapped his head back. "The fuck you doing kid? Get out of here the grown-ups are playing here." He sneered. His face was flushed red. He must be quite drunk if he can't even recognize Hua Cheng despite his dramatic entrance. 

The dealer gulped and opened his mouth to scold him. "Esteemed guest, that person is-"

"Ah shut up!" The man screamed. He grabbed one of his chips and threw it to the dealer's face. Only, it never made contact. A swift hand caught the chip. 

"Aiya, giving me a free chip? You shouldn't have!" A cheery voice chimed in. 

"The fuck?!" The drunk man screeched. "You're a man?" 

The person who caught the chip huffed. "Man, woman. Whatever happened to asking someone how their day was going? Horrible by the way." They winked. 

The man looked a bit sick. He was checking them out quite a lot before, leering and licking his lips. Now he shifted uneasily in his seat, avoiding their eyes. Hua Cheng slapped both hands on the man's shoulder, and he nearly jumped an inch from his seat. 

"Come on old man. You've embarrassed yourself enough tonight." 

The man grumbled but quickly took his leave when he felt Hua Cheng’s hold tightened and the other gamblers in the table glaring at him. He muttered a curse as he passed by Hua Cheng avoiding him like the plague. 

Hua Cheng sat down and glanced at the man's hand with a grimace. "No wonder he got so drunk."

"Ugh, he barely even knew what was happening half the time."

Hua Cheng smirked. "Shi Qingxuan."

"Hua Cheng." 

"Waiting for your brother's club to open?" 

"Hm, amongst other things." They twirled a chip between their hands. 

"Trouble in paradise?" 

Shi Qingxuan groaned. "I don't want to talk about it!" 

"Good me neither. Let's talk about your friend Xie Lian." 

"So mean!" They exclaimed. But then they grinned. "Ah. You met my recommendation then?" 

Hua Cheng hummed as he lightly rapped his knuckles on the table. The dealer nodded and drew another card. "Pretty interesting."

"Pretty pretty huh?" Shi Qingxuan teased. 

"If you say so." No, he wasn't pretty. He was beautiful. Ethereal. Out of this world. Out of his reach. A God waiting to be worshipped. 

"Oh, I know so." They sighed. "So are you here to thank me? You're definitely here to thank me. Who wouldn't!" 

"Hmph." He loathed to admit it, but Shi Qingxuan knew the right people and the right way to connect them. "Tell me about him."

"Huh, what's this? The great Hua Cheng finally taking an interest in other people?" They teased. They covered their palm over their cards and the dealer nodded. Shi Qingxuan shifted to face Hua Cheng. 

"That's right. Tell me, why is he immune to so much poison?"

"Hm hm! Well, information comes with a price. And a backstory of epic proportion like my bestie Xie Lian is going to cost you!" They said happily. 

"Hm. How about some scoop for officer He Xuan?" 

Shi Qingxuan pouted. "Eugh. Don't even mention him. I hate him, I hate him!" They whined, stomping the ground with their five-inch designer heels. 

"Is that what young people call the person they stick their tongue in these days?" Hua Cheng snorts. 

"Hmph, what should I care what he does?" Shi Qingxuan said. "He clearly doesn't care about me." 

"Considering your brother's club isn't overrun by the police yet, I'd say he cares about you enough." Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow. "More than his career at least." 

"Hah! As he should!" They cackled. "Serves him right for trying to fool the great Shi Qingxuan. Best undercover cop, my ass." 

"Oh, so the person clinging to him and calling him Ming-xiong was just my imagination then?" 

"Uh…" Shu Qingxuan laughed nervously. "That was…my very horny twin?" 

"Hmm. And it wasn't you who practically spilled everything about your brother's underground illegal club while sitting in his lap?" 

"That was…my other horny twin?" Shi Qingxuan croaked out. 

"And that constipated looking young man walking towards us isn't your boyfriend?" 

"What?!" Shi Qingxuan shrieked. His eyes scanned the casino floor and gasped when it landed on a tall man shuffling to the blackjack table. He flinched at every whoop the gamblers made and the ringing of the slot machine. 

"He-xiong!" Shi Qingxuan sobbed as they ran and practically plastered themselves all over the officer. "You actually came! I thought you left me on read out of spite!" 

"Hm." He Xuan grunted out. "You said you were drowning your sorrows on whiskey."

"Awww He-xiong were you worried about me? Did you rush over here in your sexy police car?" Shi Qingxuan teased, booping him. He Xuan scrunched his nose. "I knew you loved me!"

"Ah, this one is very envious." Hua Cheng said leaning back on his chair. "This one also wants a special someone to fill the empty void in life. Maybe with a certain someone that's name starts with X."

"Jeez alright already!" Shi Qingxuan whirled around, hands on their waist. "Since I'm in such a good mood, I'll give you a little background story, free of charge." 

Hua Cheng hummed. "Go on."

"Well, once upon a time a beautiful lady gave birth to two healthy babies. One would turn into a ruthless and handsome businessman with a successful underground club and brewery company. The other would turn into the most beautiful-" 

Hua Cheng threw a chip at their face. He Xuan neatly caught it with one hand. Shi Qingxuan gasped. " Rude ."

"Tch. Not your background story you hag, Xie Lian’s!" 

He Xuan snorted. "Hag."

Shi Qingxuan pouted. "Xie Lian this Xie Lian that. Does no one care about my sob story?" 

"No." Hua Cheng and He Xuan choruses at the same time. 

"Hmph." Shi Qingxuan zipped open their purse and pulled out a fan. They opened it with a flourish and fanned themselves elegantly. "Fine. About Xie-xiong…I guess a good way to start would be his parents." 

Hua Cheng narrowed his eye. "Parents?" 

"Aiya, anything more would be dangerous." Shi Qingxuan pouted. "That's all I'll tell you!" They pointed their fan threateningly at Hua Cheng. "And you better not hurt him! He's my best friend, got it?" 

Hua Cheng raised his hand in admonition. "I would never." 

He Xuan checked his watch with a grimace. "My shift is on soon."

Shi Qingxuan gasped. "He-xiong?! We haven't even gone on a date yet!" 

"Wanna go on one in the police car?" He Xuan smirked. 

"You know what that sounds fun-wait. Am I sitting on the front or the back? He-xiong don't laugh, answer me, you bully!"

Hua Cheng watched them leave, his head heavier than ever. He feels like he's so close to an answer, yet not at all. He debated stopping by the open bar and drowning in whiskey himself when a finger poked his shoulder.

"Your clothes are ready." Yin Yu said. "And the investors are all here already."

Hua Cheng made his way up the stairs and into his personal room. A large desk occupied the space, stacked with hundreds of paperwork. Two soft sofas faced each other on the room's center divided by a low coffee table, littered with dirty cups and instant noodle cups. 

Hua Cheng eyed the box of noodles pushed into the corner with a sigh. "Guess I'll eat that for dinner tonight then." 

Yin Yu disappeared into the connecting door and came out with a suit and other accessories draped over his arm. "Don't be so dramatic. You've survived numerous assassination attempts with cup noodles so far. What's another night?" 

Hua Cheng walked to the standing mirror on the corner of the room and eyed himself. He winced when he saw how rumpled he was, hair a mess, shirt untucked, this wasn't even his best eyepatch. Gege must think him such a slob! He didn't think much of the job interview today. He just passed out in the car with whatever he wore the night before and passed out some more in the cover office they used.

Now he's employed a beautiful man. To be his food taster. He winced. The thought of Xie Lian being anywhere near harm was heavy on his heart. Any bite he'd take on Hua Cheng’s food could be his last. But he's selfish, and stubborn, and he wants to keep Xie Lian close for however long he can.

Yin Yu stepped beside him and handed the suit. Hua Cheng touched the familiar feeling of expensive fabric. He wouldn't make the same mistake. Only the best appearances for gege. Nothing else. He tucked his shirt in neatly. He grabbed a belt and strapped himself. Then he shrugged on the blazer. 

He eyed himself in the mirror. Much better. This looks more like the demon of the red light district . He inwardly sighed. If only he met gege dressed to the nines. He might already be half in love with him. But his gege wouldn't be the type to judge people by their cover. No, gege is much more big hearted than that. 

Yin Yu glanced at the mirror and hummed. "Handsome as always sir." 

"Shut up. You just got your raise." 

Hua Cheng rebraided his hair, changed his eyepatch for one with hand-stitched red threads, and finally, tightened his tie. He eyed himself one more time and nodded to Yin Yu. 

The assistant opened the door to the conference room. Hua Cheng strode in and sat at the head of the table. He smirked at the screens displaying his investors' faces. A bunch of paranoid assholes, like himself. Always refusing to meet face to face. Hiding behind computer screens, as if death wouldn't chase them to the edge of the world. 

"Alright. Let's get this over with."

Yin Yu stepped forward and opened his black binder. "First, about the sales of our cover companies. As you can see in your tablet, there's been an increase in sales for up to…"

Hua Cheng tuned Yin Yu out, his mind wandering. He would fill him in afterward anyway. 

Instead, he let himself linger on Shi Qingxuan's words. Gege's parents. His involvement with a so-called rich man. An NDA. Poison immunity. The dots are right in front of him. He just needed a red connecting line. Hua Cheng sighed. Gege you're so mysterious . This lowly one is falling for you even more now . 

Chapter Text

Are you happy now? Are you satisfied? Is it fun? Ruining other people's lives? Is it fun seeing your father lose everything he ever built? Is it fun seeing your mother selling every jewelry she ever owned, even her wedding ring? Is it fun seeing your cousin stripped away from every comfort he's ever known? Is it fun seeing Feng Xin struggle to meet ends? Is it fun seeing Mu Qing falling from the career he struggled to climb on for years? Is it fun? Tell me tell me. 

Is it fun that the only reason you have this job, is because of my benevolence? 

Is it fun? Don't you want to curse me to death? 

Or is that too low for you, too? 

Xie Lian woke with a gasp. There was an earthquake happening. His whole body was shaking, nausea building up in his stomach. He tried to open his eyes, squinting against the morning sunlight. All of a sudden, the shaking stopped. Xie Lian groaned as his vision focused. 

He blinked. His room came into view. That was his table, filled with knick-knacks and arts and crafts. It was a worn down thing, stained with paints and hot glue guns. After his…unfortunate firing, Xie Lian wandered around from job to job. He can't ride a motorcycle nor drive a car, so delivery jobs were a no go. He could ride a bicycle but these days people were too impatient to wait for him to cycle everywhere. 

He worked at a convenience store for a while, but crowds of people overwhelmed him. He tried being a waiter but got fired for falling down and spilling food over himself and the customer. He also tried delivering packages for their neighbor to his friend in downtown. Oddly, they always insisted on meeting in uncrowded alleyways away from curious eyes as they say. When Feng Xin found out about the job he nearly passed out. Mu Qing merely sighed about how untainted he was. They both made him promise not to take the job again. Now Xie Lian can't even wave to his neighbor without Feng Xin glaring daggers at them and Mu Qing bodily covering him. 

So his go to job was creating small knick-knacks and selling them online. He weaved a straw hat once that was quite popular. He sent two to his mother and father. His calligraphy was quite good, so he sold custom ones for a while. He also made good luck charms and protection charms, though the reviews said it brought them bad luck instead. A five-star review said they loved gifting it to their brother as a gag birthday present though.

"...ter...young master!" 

Xie Lian’s head cleared and he met Feng Xin's worried eyes. "Eh? Feng Xin?" The other man sighed and moved away. Xie Lian felt a weight lifting his shoulders. Oh, so that was the earthquake. 

"Feng Xin ah, why are you so rough this morning?" Xie Lian complained, a yawn threatening to break out. 

Feng Xin sighed. "Sorry young master. It's just…something happened."

"Hm?" Xie Lian questioned. He looked at Feng Xin up and down. Nothing seemed to be out of place. He still had his glasses on. His hair wasn't brushed back yet, in fact, it looked quite disheveled. But…oh! The shirt Feng Xin is wearing…

"Ah, did Mu Qing intentionally forget to wash your clothes again?" Xie Lian teased. 

"Huh?" Feng Xin blinked. "My clothes…?"

"Honestly, if you woke me up to settle another of your disputes I'm gonna get angry." Xie Lian warned waggling his finger. "I made you guys play monopoly for hours once, and I'll do it again!" 

"I-there is no dispute!" Feng Xin yelled. "And don't you dare say the words monopoly in this house ever again!" 

You just did, Xie Lian thought. "Then why are you wearing Mu Qing's shirt?" 

"No I'm not-" He paused. He slowly looked down at himself. "Fuck." It was one of Mu Qing's obscure band shirts, worn from age but comfortable. It was a little loose on Feng Xin despite them being the same height. 

"Fuck." He said one more time, with feeling. He shook his head. "Whatever. Whatever! Who gives a shit, I certainly don't. Now come outside, okay?" He stormed off the room. Xie Lian could have sworn his face was all red. Maybe he's caught a fever, he always does work so hard. 

Xie Lian gave a small stretch. He rummaged around for a hairband, but the small thing eluded him. He sighed. He silently put on his headband. It was a silly thing, white with bear ears sewn to them. However Xie Lian misjudged the ear's size, and it ended up looking like an otter's ears. It sold quite well online thankfully. Anything would do for now to keep his hair in place. 

Xie Lian trudged out of his room, then paused. Big burly men walked around the house, picking up what little furniture they had. Immediately Xie Lian grabbed something near him and yelled out, "Stop! Stop robbing us! We're poor, we're so poor we have to steal tissues for this month's toilet paper!" 

All the men paused and glanced at each other awkwardly. 

"They're not robbing us." Mu Qing called out. Xie Lian looked around and found Mu Qing near the doorway, shirtless and with Ruoye tucked protectively to his chest. The cat was peaceful as ever, yawning and burrowing against Mu Qing's chest. "Apparently they're here to move us out."

"Move us out?" Xie Lian murmured. "Oh no, Feng Xin did you forget this month's rent?!" 

"No, I didn't. That's not for another few days." The young man said, walking out of his and Mu Qing's shared room with a new shirt. "They said they were sent by a fucker name Hua Cheng or something." 

The movers flinched at his harsh words but nodded in agreement. "That's right sir, we mean no harm. So you can put down your…plunger." Xie Lian glanced at what he held. He grimaced. What was he even going to do with it? Suck the man to death? 

Mu Qing looked at Feng Xin and paused. "You changed."

"Huh? Yeah, I mean it wasn't mine." Feng Xin said distractedly as he eyed the movers trying to lift their couch. 

"Hmph." 

"What? What's got your panties in a twist?" 

"Nothing. Just amazed at how dumb you are." 

"What?! I got mixed up with our clothes once and you call me dumb you asshole?! Come here, put Rouye down so I can beat your ass!" 

Mu Qing pecked Rouye's forehead. "Even you don't yowl that much when you're in heat, huh Rouye?" 

"Mu Qing you-" 

"Sir." Xie Lian said to the nearest mover. "Are you really  sent by San Lang-I mean Hua Cheng?" 

He nodded. "Said we should get here as fast as possible and load whatever you would want to the truck."

Xie Lian pursed his lips. "And…move them where exactly?" 

"Uh…" The man pulled out a note and squinted down at it. "It says here somewhere in Central Park?" 

Xie Lian’s breath stuck in his throat. "What…?" He croaked out. Even Mu Qing and Feng Xin had stopped fighting. "I...I need to call San-Hua Cheng. Right now."

The mover glanced at his watch and grimaced. "Sorry sir, no time. I'm sure you can ask him yourself since you'll be neighbors." 

Xie Lian stood in a daze as the movers collect the rest of their things. Before he could piece his mind back together the movers had stuffed them into their truck and drove to the apartment. It still didn't hit him as he walked into the apartment, was greeted by the receptionist, rode up the elevator to the top floor, and stood in the hallway. 

Feng Xin looked around listlessly. Mu Qing was still holding Ruoye in his arms, only now the cat had fallen asleep. Then, a door opened. And a familiar young man walked out. 

"Gege, you're finally here!" San Lang said, leaning at the doorway. He looked much more put together than last time. Only...Xie Lian blushed as his eyes wandered to San Lang's chest. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and Xie Lian could see an expanse of skin.

"Ah...San Lang." Xie Lian murmured. "I-what is happening?" 

"Yeah, what the fuck is happening?" Mu Qing growled out. Feng Xin had decided to stand beside him and looked at San Lang with an equally severe face. 

"I hope you weren't too tired on the way here." San Lang continued ignoring Mu Qing and Feng Xin. He glanced at the two of them in disdain. "Gege, why don't we talk inside?" 

"What the fuck…" Feng Xin said. "Gege? Is he calling young master gege?" 

"Gods he's one of your kind." Mu Qing said.

"What do you mean my kind-" 

"Okay." Xie Lian said. "Let's talk inside."

San Lang nodded and held the door as Xie Lian entered his apartment. Mu Qing and Feng Xin moved to follow only for San Lang to block the way with a disingenuous smile. "Sorry, I don't welcome pests in my house." The door slammed in their faces. 

Feng Xin gaped at the door. "Did he just call us-" 

"Pests." Mu Qing said. "I don't like this. He's weird."

"No shit. He's cosplaying as a pirate in broad daylight for God's sake."

"He looked at Xie Lian weirdly. Like he's going to…"

"Eat him up." They finished in unison. They blanched. 

"Gods, did we just agree on something?" 

"Depends." Mu Qing said. "Did you mean it in a sexual way or the Hannibal way? I'm leaning towards Hannibal."

"Same."

Xie Lian looked around in awe. The apartment was as impressive inside as it was outside. Marble tables and countertops, leather couches, a large window with the view of the city. 

"San Lang." Xie Lian said as he turned to the young man. San Lang smiled readily. 

"Yes, gege?" 

"What are you doing?" He asks. 

"Right now? Breathing, standing, looking at someone very beautiful." He replied easily. 

Xie Lian blushed. He wished he'd taken his plunger so he could suck out that handsome look on San Lang's face. It was doing things to him, very bad things. "Don't joke San Lang. Please answer me seriously."

"I'm moving you next to me." San Lang said. "I could give you somewhere nicer to live but that might take some time."

The short-haired man looked at San Lang in disbelief. "Just like that?" 

"Just like that." 

"Huh." Xie Lian said an octave higher. "And…and why did you move me here?" 

"Hm…is just wanting to do it not reason enough?" San Lang teased. 

"San Lang," Xie Lian said warningly, but he felt a hopeless smile growing. "Don't tease your gege too much okay?" 

"Okay gege." San Lang chuckled. "I just think it's easier for you to do your job when you're near me. Great idea huh?" 

Xie Lian sighed. He did think it was easier. Now he can help San Lang with his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. "But still," Xie Lian insisted. "This is too much for me. The rent here would be more than what I, Mu Qing and Feng Xin make combined. Times three!" 

"Don't worry about it gege." San Lang said as he moved to his kitchen. "I'll cover it all."

"I can't let you do that San Lang." He said as he followed him to the kitchen. "I can commute to where you are every day no problem."

"Ah, but I don't want you to," He said as he set two mugs on the counter. "Ah, tea or coffee gege?" 

"Oh, um tea." San Lang nodded. He took a pot of tea and coffee and poured it into each of the mugs. "Thank you." He murmured as he took the warm mug and sat on the island's chair. He sniffed the fragrance and smiled. "Even your tea smells expensive San Lang."

"Nonsense, nothing is too expensive for gege." San Lang said. 

"Yes, there is. Like this apartment." Xie Lian insisted. "Don't…don’t treat me so nicely San Lang."

The young man frowned as he leaned on the counter, head propped on his hand. "Why not?" 

"Because…" That's what he did too. And look how that turned out. "Because…I'll get the wrong idea." Xie Lian finally said. There, he'd said it. For all his teasing and flirting and easy smiles, there's no way San Lang would really mean it. It might be fun to indulge in flirtation with someone as clumsy as Xie Lian, seeing him blush and get flustered, but when push came to shove

"I want you to get the wrong idea." San Lang said. 

"That's right you want-huh?" 

"Or rather, I want you to get the right idea." He said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Don't be mistaken gege. This arrangement is benefiting me more than you. I'm a selfish man after all."

"...Still."  Would you look at that? He's blushing again. Surely he's too old to get embarrassed by such a young man. San Lang, who taught you to be so smooth?! You're sending your gege into an early grave! "It feels like taking advantage of you."

"Hm." San Lang said. "Alright since gege will probably lose sleep over it. Why don't I deduct it from your salary?" 

Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes! That would be perfect."

"Alright, I'll tell Yin Yu." 

"Oh, where is Yin Yu?" Xie Lian asked.

"Hm? Oh, he asked for a leave today." San Lang tilted his head. "So it'll just be the two of us gege."

"I-is that so." Xie Lian laughed nervously. "Just us huh."

"Mhm. See you at breakfast gege." San Lang winked. Or, what Xie Lian thinks is a wink. He can't quite tell. "Oh, and gege?" 

"Y-yes?" 

"Nice ears." He pointed out. "You should wear them more."

Xie Lian inwardly screamed and practically spat out a goodbye. He swears he could still hear San Lang's amused laugh following him. Gods, it's me, Xie Lian. I just wanna ask, was yesterday's debacle not embarrassing enough?! Must my image in San Lang's eyes be ripped to shreds until you're satisfied ahhhh! 

Xie Lian rips the headband off as he rushes out of San Lang's apartment and into his, wow he can't believe this is even happening but, new apartment. 

He walks in and sheepishly meets Feng Xin and Mu Qing's equally frustrated faces. 

"Explain." They said in unison. They grimaced in unison as well. 

"Um. Let's see." Xie Lian nervously looked around, avoiding their eyes. "The good news is uh, we're keeping the apartment! Yay!" 

"I can't wait for you to tell me how in the hell we're going to afford this." Feng Xin said.

"Did you get hired by someone shady again?" Mu Qing asked. 

"Well…" He wouldn't call San Lang shady. He would, however, call him handsome. And charming. And very very sexy-ehm. Anyway. "He's not exactly working a white-collar job."

"He's not by any chance a psychiatrist right?" Feng Xin tested. Mu Qing elbowed him. "Ow! I want to cover all the possibilities okay! People are sick these days."

"No, he's um. He owns a casino?" Xie Lian said slowly. 

"He what now." Mu Qing said. 

"And I um. I'm working as his food tester?" 

"You're a what now?" Feng Xin said. 

"I uh. Eat his food. And test if it's poisoned."

"Why the fuck," Feng Xin sobbed. "Can't you get a normal fucking job for once in your life?" 

"To be fair," Xie Lian said defending himself. "Shi Qingxuan was the one who told me about the job. So really, if it was anyone's fault it's theirs!" 

"I-I can't." Feng Xin said rubbing his forehead. "You deal with this dumbass to dumbass."

"Hm. He's not a drug dealer at least. That we know of."

"Mu Qing?!" 

Xie Lian nodded excitedly. "Yup!" 

"He's probably not planning to kill us or harvest our organs. Or eat us. This is way too elaborate for that." Mu Qing gestured to the apartment. 

"Mu Qing??" 

Xie Lian nodded, a finger on his chin. "You're right Mu Qing this is too expensive to spend on a future murder victim!"

"And he did buy Rouye a nice cat tree." Mu Qing said pointing to the living room. Ruoye poked his head out of one of the holes and meowed happily.

"Mu Qing."

Xie Lian clapped. "Ruoye's happiness is number one!" 

"It's decided then." Mu Qing nodded. "We're living next to Xie Lian’s sugar daddy boss."

"I still don't know what that means but okay!" 

Xie Lian sprinted to take a quick shower, and wow, he's not ready to even comment about the giant bathtub and the separate shower booth with adjustable water pressure and temperature. In their old apartment, it counted as a good day if the water even ran. Xie Lian dried his hair and quickly tried to tame it into a neat curl at the end. He eyed himself in the mirror. 

Was this too plain? Gosh, he sounded like he was going on a date or something. He bit his lip.

A little bit of gloss wouldn't hurt anyone right? And maybe a little accessory? He rummaged around the box that contained his clothes. He cheered when he found his black choker. It was a present from Shi Qingxuan, and one of the few actually trendy things he owns. He eyed himself in the mirror once more and nodded. This is as good as it's gonna get! 

San Lang came over after to pick him up for breakfast shortly after and he left Feng Xin and Mu Qing with a cheery wave and Ruoye with a small kiss. 

Mu Qing sighed and set to the fridge, pleased to see it stocked with food and drinks. He takes a carton of orange juice and poured it on the glass he found. Damn, even the glass here looks expensive. 

"Hey dumbass. Are you really okay with this?" Feng Xin called out. 

"Okay with what?" Mu Qing asked sipping his juice. Hm, is it possible a more expensive glass makes for a more delicious juice? Rich people are a whole other level. 

"With this." Feng Xin gestured to the whole place wildly. "You don't think it's suspicious at all? You're alright just…having all this be handed to you on a silver platter no strings attached?" 

"My first job was as a janitor in a mall."

Feng Xin blinked. "What?" 

"I spent every day cleaning the floors and the bathrooms. I cleaned up a baby's vomit, I cleaned up rainwater and mud tracks. I cleaned up and unclogged numerous toilets."

"Mu Qing what…"

"You know what I found out in the years I worked there?" 

Feng Xin shook his head. 

"People who could only afford to go to the mall once every few weeks, saving up to eat out. People with fancy suits and pretty dresses who talk so loud to let everyone know they're important," He pauses to sip his juice. "They all shit the same."

Feng Xin snorted. He shook his head and quickly flattened his expression when Mu Qing continued. 

"Everybody's shit is all dirty and smelly and absolutely disgusting. No matter what we eat it all ends up as shit anyway. What makes me so different from the stuck up corporate executives?" 

Feng Xin silently shook his head. 

"Pessimists would say luck. An optimist would say time. I say fuck that."

Feng Xin chuckled quietly. "Good to know you've always been a piece of shit."

"I am," Mu Qing smirked. "I quit my job and applied at Jun Wu's company. They laughed when I applied to be an intern. They made me a janitor."

Feng Xin blinked. "I didn't know that."

"I never told anyone." Mu Qing said. "Anyway. There I was, a dumbass working the same job I quit from. And Xie Lian strode in."

"Oh boy." Feng Xin grinned. "This'll be fun."

"He glanced at the floor I was cleaning and said, wow you're good!" Mu Qing imitated. 

"Pft-" 

"Then he said, if you're this hardworking cleaning the floors, you're gonna be amazing when you work for me." 

"Ah," Feng Xin sighed. "Classic Xie Lian. Spontaneous to a fault."

"And he was right. I was damn good at my job, and worked twice as hard as any kid graduating from some fancy university." Mu Qing raised an eyebrow. "Even you."

"Hey!" Feng Xin blushed. "My sales were good too! I was close to beating you!" 

"In your dreams dumbass." Mu Qing snorted. "So. A rich young master gave me a life-changing opportunity. And I took it and made something for myself."

He leaned over Feng Xin who was sitting down. "So yes, I don't mind being handed things on a silver platter. I deserve it. Life owes me this much." 

Feng Xin looked up at him. "So why did you quit with me? Back then. You spent so long climbing to the top."

"I guess some part of it was gratitude." Mu Qing said. "But that's not all."

"Why then?" 

"I guess nothing brings me more joy to quit a job where I know I'll be missed. And that I've proven myself to be an equal match to anyone in that whole office." He shrugged. "I deserve better than that shit hole anyway."

Feng Xin chuckled. "Liar. You're just scared of eating lunch without me or Xie Lian."

Mu Qing set his glass down. Feng Xin's eyes follow it. The silver-haired man slowly cupped Feng Xin's face. He looked up at him challengingly. "What? Gonna talk my ear off again?" 

"Hmph." Mu Qing leaned in and pressed his lips to Feng Xin's. The other man resisted at first but sighed as Mu Qing refused to budge. He slowly circled his arms around Mu Qing and deepens the kiss. Mu Qing playfully bit his lips and Feng Xin parted it with a low moan. 

They break away as they run out of breath. Feng Xin licked his lips. "Eugh don't bite down so hard next time what are you a vampire?" 

"Gods you're annoying." Mu Qing growled. "Come on let's break the new bed or whatever." 

"Or whatever? Wow. Talk dirty to me some more asshole." Feng Xin complained, but he still followed Mu Qing into the bedroom. 

"You didn't complain about it last night."

"I wanted to get it over with." Feng Xin smirked. 

"See if I let you wear my shirt again fucker."

"....okay wait let's talk this out…"

Chapter Text

Yin Yu can't wait to log in and tell AA and tell them about his day off. AA being, assistants anonymous that is. He was skeptical at first when he found the website. He hardly thought he would stay as an assistant forever. He was naive, hopeful. He thought he would bounce back from his injury and come back to martial arts stronger than ever. Now here he was, relishing on his rare day off because his boss wanted to go on a date.

YY (is tired of your BS)

Wwww you won't believe what happened to me today(＃＞＜)

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Oh boy. Did your boss ask for live butterflies to be released on his casino again?(︶︹︺)

YY (is tired of your BS)  

Nah. Thanks for the help on that though! (￣ ￣|||) @JGY (is this close to a coup d'état ) 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat)  

Waaa I just logged in!! You're welcome @YY (is tired of your BS) we work slaves have to stick together ｀;:゛;｀;･(°ε° )

YY (is tired of your BS)  

Today I am a slave no more. My boss gave me a day off (☆ω☆)!1!1!1! For a date nonetheless can you even beLIEVE

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

Master has given Dobby a sock! Dobby is free! 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

Awww your boss is growing up! Wish my boss would just fuck something other than his rusty chinese knifes collection ٩(╬ʘ益ʘ╬)۶

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

Hoo boy careful what you wish for. ψ( ` ∇ ´ )ψ

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

@WWX (is sleeping with his boss) we don't need another reminder of your creative dildo stories

WWX (is sleeping with his boss)  

Boo! You're all just cranky because you're not getting any☆⌒(> _ <)

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat)  

Aiya just a few months ago you were all my boss is so cold! My boss glares at me all the time! My boss hates me! My boss only replies with hm! 

YY (is tired of your BS)  

TRUE. Now all he asks for are tips for office sex ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

He's this close to being married off to a rich family. Our little @WWX (is sleeping with his boss) is growing up so fast

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

I wish! My jie jie hasn't given her blessing yet. My di di says fuck off. That's practically a yes! But I won't do anything until my jie jie says so ( ◡‿◡ *) 

YY (is tired of your BS)  

She'll come to it eventually. She must be reluctant because you don't have anyone to see you off 

(｡•́︿•̀｡)

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

That’s true. You should enjoy the process. Marriage is a big step after all.

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

Waa…everyone is up so early. I'm still sleepy 

(TヘTo) @WWX (is sleeping with his boss) you're lucky to find someone who loves you so much. I'll pray for a good marriage! 

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

@PS (wants to kill his boss) did your useless piece of shit of a boss made you do his work again? 

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

@LW (is more competent than her boss) Yup yup. He’s off skirt-chasing again. Like yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. And the day before-

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

I'd sell a boss like that to Satan for a corn chip

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Aiya @PS (wants to kill his boss) what did I tell you! You have to grab his legs and beg him to work! Beg I tell you beg! 

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

!!! SQ you're here!!! I tried begging but I think I'd have to physically grow boobs for him to listen to me

YY (is tired of your BS) 

SQ~you're here you're here

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

Waaa SQ bro long time no see! 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

SQ you made this forum yet you rarely show up. How shameful how shameful! 

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

@ SQ (is thirsty for his boss) Did you finally finish that big acquisition plan you have going on? 

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Yup yup! My boss finally approved it. He even said I did a good job!!! Well. I think he tried to. He pinched my cheeks?? 

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

That’s a massive improvement from hitting you! 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

SQ you masochist you (^_<)〜☆ 

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

I was close to reporting it, but well to each assistant and boss…their own way of showing love???(＠´ー`)ﾉﾞ

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Aw you guys worry so much. Don't mind don't mind. He's already explained he was going for a pat in the back. 

YY (is tired of your BS)  

Well acquisitions aside. How's your plan to acquisition him…in bed ┐(︶▽︶)┌? 

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

SJSJJSJSJSJSJJSJS

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

AIYA YOU STILL HAVEN'T? (눈_눈)

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

I'd tell you my boss's secret technique but really he just chases every female in sight until they're too tired to run

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Bro that's so weird…

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

Remember when he flirted with that woman in a wheelchair?

WWX (is sleeping with his boss)  

Oh god and he got so drunk he stole the wheelchair and rode it home

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

We don't discuss the Wheelchair Incident of 2019. We legally can't. Cause she sued.

SQ (is thirsty for his boss)  

Gods I love this forum (っ˘ω˘ς ) 

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Omfg

WWX (is sleeping with his boss)  

What even is ur boss PS…

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Suddenly my boss looks like a saint. Haha just kidding…unless…

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat)  

@PS (wants to kill his boss) you know what you should do? Drug your boss and drag him to a rundown house and make him fuck ten women back to back until he's wrung dry and literally dies. 

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

….what the fuck

SQ (is thirsty for his boss)  

Okay that's got from 0 to 100 REAL FAST

YY (is tired of your BS) 

JGY are you okay?? Who hurt you…

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

I think…that's a little…much…

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

Can you literally die from fucking too much? Is there a study on that? Cuz my ass needs as much help as it can get. 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

Sorry about that. My mother was used by a man who is much like @PS boss. I've grown to detest such behavior. 

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

JGY…I'm sorry that happened to you. Allow me to say this, men are trash. 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Men are trash (2) I hope he got what he deserves JGY bro

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

JGY I didn't know you had that kind of experience…I hope he gets what he deserves too!! Men are trash (3)!

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

JGY...I hope that man knows you and your mother is in a much better place and regrets that he ever wronged her. Men are indeed trash (4)

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Not all men, but certainly THIS MAN. Men are trash (5)

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

Thank you everyone…sorry to dump so much on you all. You'd probably be happy to know that he died from syphilis so the world is rid of one scum at least. My boss would never. 

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

I'm glad. What a fitting end. At least my boss isn't quite that scummy.

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

JGY you always complain about your prude boss but you're secretly fond of him huh

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

Hmph. I wouldn't serve anyone that's not at least as competent as me. 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Honestly same. I hate him with every fiber of my being, but he's got skills to back it up. 

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Mood. My boss is so…sigh. I don't think there's a word in the dictionary fitting enough. 

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

JUST FUCK ALREADY GEEZ. Same by the way. He's so sexy when he's serious. Which is all the time. He's always sexy. 

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Ugh. Just you wait. I'll take my boss's place and erase all his legacy. 

PS (wants to kill his boss)  

That’s the spirit! 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat)  

Yas queen, plan that coup d'etat ＼(▽￣ \ (￣▽￣) / ￣▽)／ 

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

@WWX (is sleeping with his boss) I'm trying VERY HARD TO FUCK HIM okay. He's like a literal block of ice. How do I make a block of ice fuck me??? (╯°益°)╯彡┻━┻ 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Top ten questions scientists still can't answer

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

Does he have a wheelchair by any chance

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat)  

Step 1 Buy Viagra

Step 2 Put it in his coffee

Step 3 Profit

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

Have you tried literally just asking? I think just asking is a great plan! ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ) Stop flipping the table we don't have the budget! 

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

I literally just made him drunk and all of a sudden he's a kiss monsterヾ(=`ω´=)ノ”

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Got it. Drunk him, drug him, cripple him, and then ask to be fucked. ∪･ω･∪ 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

When you get arrested that could be your next book!

LW (is more competent than her boss)  

New York best seller.

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

Pulitzer prize for sure.

Yin Yu chuckled and moved to type again when a ping resounded from his phone. He gritted his teeth and glanced at it. As expected. There was no way he would truly have a day off. Only one person would contact him on his phone these days. Messing up his life was too fun for the Gods to pass up apparently. 

The Devil Wears Armani

Yin Yu

Help

What the fuck do I wear to the date

Sorry, your message cannot be delivered to this number. 

Yin Yu

I will fire you

I have the power

Do it coward

I will

I'm gonna do it

I'm typing right now

Do it. I know the law

Okay fine

Will you just help me

He's going to finish getting ready soon

What's the magic word

….I'll give you a raise

That wasn't so hard. Pics. 

Sent a picture

Sent a picture

Which one? 

They’re both black

Are you blind

They’re clearly two different shades

Fine. Whatever. The second one. 

Great the first one it is then. 

I hate you. 

Now how much should I unbutton this shirt.

Sent a picture

Sent a picture

Two buttons? 

Three? 

I did three earlier

Went for the I woke up like this look

Yin Yu

Yin Yu how much should I unbutton

Please my love live depends on it

Yin Yu struggled to find any sanity he had left. He had none left. He was about to tell Hua Cheng to fuck off when the doorbell rang. He blinked. That was odd. 

Nobody ever comes over. He's usually out and about working. His social interactions were limited to clients,investors, an asshole, and his AA friends. He sighed. He'd better not find a salesman behind this door. He's ready to stab someone and he doesn't have enough real life friends to help him hide a body. 

"Look whatever you're selling, I'm not interested okay?" Yin Yu said as he opened the door. 

The person behind it was definitely not a salesman. 

"Shixiong." His nightmare greeted.

"Quan…Yizhen…?"

He nodded. "Can I come in?" 

"I…" Yin Yu trailed off. "I don't think…that's a good idea."

"Please." Quan Yizhen said. Gods his eyes. His eyes were always so alluring. Always so determined and one minded. He's caught in it. Captivated. How could he say no to him? How can anyone? When he looks at Yin Yu like…like the sun rose and set with him and him alone 

Slowly he felt his feet shuffle back. Quan Yizhen's eye glimmered. He bounded in, and all of a sudden it felt like it always did years ago. Comfortable. Easy. Familiar. 

He followed Quan Yizhen to the kitchen where the young man was rummaging around his cabinet. He paused in the doorway. Quan Yizhen was holding a mug in his hands reverently. 

"Quan Yizhen-" 

"You kept it." He nearly whispered. He smiled down at the mug he held.

"...it's a perfectly good mug. I wouldn't waste it."

"Hm."

"What?" Yin Yu said defensively. "It is!" 

"Sure shixiong." Quan Yizhen grinned. 

"Why are you smiling you sly child…" Yin Yu muttered. "And stop calling me shixiong!" 

"Sure shixiong. Tea with two sugars right?" 

"Yeah-hey!" 

Quan Yizhen ignored him as he steeped the tea. He hurriedly set them on the coffee table. "Shixiong let's talk here." He patted the spot next to him on the couch excitedly. 

"Always on your own pace…" Yin Yu said but it was without malice. He obediently sat down next to Quan Yizhen. He took the mug in his hand. Warmth seeped to his hands. He let it ground him. He'd need every help he could get to face someone like Quan Yizhen. 

The young man didn't even touch his mug. He twisted his hands in his lap nervously. Just as he opened his mouth Yin Yu's phone notification sounded off again. 

"Oh oops. Wait a sec."

The Devil Wears Armani

Yin Yu

I think I'm having a heart attack

He's so beautiful

What the fuck

His lips are shiny

Why are his lips so shiny

Yin Yu what the fuck

Am I dead is this nirvana

Yin Yu he has chokers on

HE'S SO CUTE

DID YOU KNOW HE WORE A HEADBAND EARLIER

WITH OTTER EARS

FUCK

Shut the fuck up

"Sorry about that. You were saying?" Yin Yu smiled. 

"Um. Who…who is that?" Quan Yizhen asked. 

"Hm? No one important."

Quan Yizhen bit his lips. "Shixiong. Have you…" 

The Devil Wears Armani

Yin Yu please

I'll double your raise

"Hold that thought Quan Yizhen."

The Devil Wears Armani

What

Gods you're greedy

You greedy greedy man

Bye

NO WAIT

WHERE SHOULD I TAKE GEGE

What does he want to eat

He says it's up to me

Isn't he so nice

Just take him to Luo Binghe's

AGAIN? 

You don't want to risk poisoning the poor guy right

True

Okay Binghe's for breakfast

What about after that

Sorry, your message cannot be delivered to this number.

Yin Yu

I know your address

I know assassins and stuff

Yin Yu snorted. He paused. "Ah sorry about that. What were you saying?" 

Quan Yizhen frowned. "Shixiong…you really have changed."

"Huh?" Yin Yu said. "Well it's been a while. People do change."

"You're like a different person." 

Yin Yu chuckled. "That's good to hear. I wasn't exactly a good person was I." 

Quan Yizhen shook his head. "You were my role model. I…admire you."

"You admired an image of me." Yin Yu said sipping his tea. "You admired…an idea of me."

"I loved you."

Yin Yu choked. He's been doing that more frequently these days. He wiped his mouth and looked at Quan Yizhen in shock.

"I always look up to you. Your martial arts was beautiful. I've never seen anyone move as fluidly as you." Quan Yizhen sighed. "You looked like you would fly away if I didn't hold on."

"Fly away what am I a bird…" Yin Yu muttered a blush on his face. "You love how I fought then. Don't be so vague jeez…"

"Oh, I love you as a person too." Quan Yizhen said as a matter of fact. "You're handsome. And kind. And gentle. And patient." 

"I hated you." Yin Yu said bluntly. "I hated you so much. I envied you." 

Quan Yizhen's face fell. "I know."

"You had everything. You were young. You had immense talent. You became our ace just a month into joining the club." His old poisonous thoughts bubbled back into the surface. His bitterness tasted like dust in his mouth. 

"I didn't want to." Quan Yizhen said softly. "I just wanted to make you proud."

Yin Yu shook his head. "That's the thing. I was so proud. I wanted you to succeed. I wanted you to be the best." 

"Then why do you hate me so much?" 

"...I hated myself." Yin Yu murmured. "I hated how weak I was. I hated my injury. I hated everybody's pity. I hated how I ruined my future with a single bad fall."

Yin Yu silently put down his mug. "And I put it all on you. Because you were easy. Hating you was easy."

Quan Yizhen bowed his head. "Right. I…don't even know why I came. This was a mistake."

He moved to stand but Yin Yu hurriedly took his hand. "Wait! I…I was wrong. I was so wrong. I pushed the only person that held me dear to save my pride."

"It's fine shixiong." Quan Yizhen shook his head. "If hating me brings you comfort I'm alright being hated for the rest of my life."

"I don't want that." Yin Yu pleaded. "I don't want to hate you."

"So why can't you let me be with you?" Quan Yizhen spitted out. "You reject me. Then you refuse to even see me. You threw me away!" 

"I know!" 

They both breathed heavily. Yin Yu squeezed his hand tighter. 

"I know what I did. I…I just want to protect you." 

"I don't feel protected." Quan Yizhen sulked. "My head and my heart hurts when I think of you." 

"I'm protecting you from me." Yin Yu sighed. "I'm not a good person. Evidently. Even now my line of work…isn't exactly something you would admire."

"Why are you putting words in my mouth?" Quan Yizhen shouted wrenching his hand away. "This is just like last time."

Yin Yu looked away. He wasn't proud of who he was back then. 

Shixiong…I like you. I really do! 

A hopeful smile. Flushed cheeks. A handkerchief with clumsy embroidery clutched in shaking hands. The smell of sweat and the cries of athletes resounded from the gym. The words didn't even register in his mind. All he could think of was how he wanted to wipe that smile off his face. 

Yin Yu grasped his crutch tighter. Are you making fun of me? Is this some sick joke? Kick the injured athlete even more? 

Confusion. Indignation. Shixiong...what? Why would I…

I hope you get injured too. I hope you feel your future slipping away from your own hands. I hope you feel what I feel.

"Quan Yizhen. I'm sorry. But still, it's better you stay away from me." Yin Yu said, his voice cracking. "This is the last time you should visit me."

Quan Yizhen shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not letting you go anymore."

"Quan Yizhen what-" He gasped. Strong arms pulled him close. Quan Yizhen clinged to him, head tucked into his shoulder. His back was trembling. 

"I'm not letting you go." Quan Yizhen declared. "I don't care what you do. You will always be you, no matter what."

Yin Yu hesitantly patted his back. He let himself bask in this moment, a moment of weakness, before he had to let go. "I am. I'm ready to let go. And so should you."

"Liar. You kept my favorite mug."

"I told you, it's still usable!" 

"You're not pushing me away."

"Oh,you want me to push you off?" Quan Yizhen tightened his hold. Yin Yu choked. 

"You kept it."

"The mug? Yeah I said it was-" 

"The handkerchief."

Yin Yu paused. "How…how did you…"

"It's right there." Quan Yizhen said smugly. Oh Gods. He had the view to the balcony. "Drying outside with your underwear. You're a briefs person huh shizun." 

Yin Yu choked. "I kept it because it's useful too!" 

Quan Yizhen burrowed his head deeper. "Okay. That's fine. I'll win you over then."

"I'm not a competition!" Yin Yu exclaimed. 

"Doesn't matter. I always win. I'll win you back." Quan Yizhen declared. 

"You're incorrigible." 

His phone's notification sounded again. Yin Yu sighed. "Alright move over."

"No."

"Quan Yizhen you move over right now or I'll push you down the floor."

Quan Yizhen pulled back. He pouted at Yin Yu. Despite himself he found it adorable. He pinched his cheeks and Quan Yizhen whined. "Shixiong, are you texting your boyfriend? Break up right now." Only he sounded more like shibiong awe you tewting yoh boyfwiend? 

"I'm not texting my boyfriend!" Yin Yu grunted as he reached for his phone. 

"So there is a boyfriend!" Quan Yizhen yelled. 

"Well what the fuck else are you?!" 

They paused. Quan Yizhen whimpered. "Shixiong what do I do?" 

"Jeez what now." Yin Yu finally stretched his hand and managed to grab his phone. 

"I'm so happy. I think I might pass out."

"Don't even think about it!" Yin Yu growled. 

The Devil Wears Armani

Yin Yu

We're nearly done eating

What the fuck do I do

Eat slower

I tried

He asked if I was sick

I can't lie to gege

That’s illegal

Gods you're dumb

Fine

He likes cats right

Right

You told me that

You're welcome

So do…cat related things

Oh

Yin Yu

You genius

If I didn't have gege I would kiss you right now

Ew

I expect my raise tomorrow morning

Sorry, your message cannot be delivered to this number.

"Motherfucker." Yin Yu cursed. 

Quan Yizhen wrenched the phone away and nearly threw it to the table. 

"Quan Yizhen you-" The younger man shook his head. He stared resolutely at Yin Yu. 

"Pay attention only to me shixiong." Yin Yu's breath caught in his throat. 

"Okay...okay." He relented rubbing Quan Yizhen's back. "I'll do what you want, okay?" 

Quan Yizhen beamed. "Oh! I actually had a reason for coming over." He pushed Yin Yu down the couch. He went along. He even let Yin Yu tuck himself against him. 

"Hm?" Yin Yu said absent-mindedly as he rubbed patterns over Quan Yizhen's back. 

"I…have a competition next week. They might even draft me for nationals."

Yin Yu blinked. "That's…that's amazing. Congratulations!" 

Quan Yizhen bit his lip. "I…want you to come watch me."

Yin Yu stilled. "That's…"

"I know…I've done stupid things too. I know I hurt you too."

Yin Yu sighed. He remembered how Quan Yizhen was. Always insisted his shixiong would make a full recovery. Picked fights with anyone who said otherwise. Nearly punched their coach, got suspended, and was close to being booted out of college altogether. He pleaded for Quan Yizhen to stop. 

Never. I'll never stop defending shixiong. Just as you always protected me. I'll protect you too.

Don't you see you're doing more harm than good Yin Yu wanted to shout. You're hurting me too. Your expectations is a burden. I'm tired! I'm so tired! I've given up so why haven't you?

"We're a mess." Yin Yu sighed. 

Quan Yizhen hummed. "I want to face it together. The past. So please…"

Yin Yu leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of Quan Yizhen's head. "Okay. Okay…let's do it."

Chapter Text

"...Lang? San Lang?" 

Hua Cheng snapped his head up. He quickly tucked his phone in. "Sorry gege. What were you saying?" 

Xie Lian smiled sweetly. "I said, are you ready to order?" 

Hua Cheng nodded. Xie Lian could ask him anything right now and he'd readily say yes. He'd say yes to anything if he could keep staring at gege like this. He doesn't know what Xie Lian did, but his lips look full, and shiny, and red. Like an apple ripe for the taking. He wondered what it would feel like to kiss those lips. He wondered what it felt like to bite them. 

"Okay I'll call Ming Fan over then." He raised his hand with a little wave and a young man soon ran to their table. He pointedly only addressed Xie Lian, putting his back to Hua Cheng. 

"Can I take your order, valued customer?" 

Xie Lian smiled. "I'll have the Hainanese chicken rice. Ah, San Lang will have…"

"Some common courtesy."

"Eh...San Lang-" 

"Sorry sir," Ming Fan said, "That's only for customers who don't coerce us every month." He beamed at Xie Lian. "So that's one Hainanese rice, coming up!" 

"Ming Fan," Hua Cheng started. 

"Nope! Not hearing it!" Ming Fan said plugging his ears. "I won't listen to you ever again Satan!" 

Hua Cheng’s head throbbed. Then the lightest sound floated in the air. Xie Lian was chuckling, doing his best to muffle it. He waved his hands in embarrassment. "Gods San Lang I'm sorry I just…pft-"

He lost it again as Ming Fan started humming a pop song. Hua Cheng sighed indulgently. "I guess if tarnishing my reputation makes gege happy, I'll bear it for you." 

Xie Lian snorted. Ming Fan was changing to a new track when a light cough interrupted him. A man with thick glasses and a hair haphazardly tied to a small ponytail was coming out of the back office, glaring at Ming Fan. 

"Stop making so much noise. You're disturbing the customers." 

Hua Cheng snorted. "What customers? We're the only ones here."

"Ugh." The man muttered out. "Hua Cheng."

"Shen Yuan." Hua Cheng replied. 

"Boss!" Ming Fan exclaimed, running to his side like an overgrown puppy. 

"Xie Lian!" Xie Lian said. 

Hua Cheng chuckled. "Why did you shout your own name gege?" 

"I felt a little lonely." Xie Lian said sheepishly. He glanced at Shen Yuan. "Ah, we haven't met before…"

Shen Yuan smiled. "I'm Shen Yuan. I run this restaurant with Binghe. Though I mostly just run the money."

"Oh, I heard that name before. He's the chef right?" 

Shen Yuan nodded, a fond smile on his face. "He's very talented. Everything he cooks is delicious." 

Xie Lian nodded. "I tried it the day before. It's indeed very delicious. My compliments to the chef!" 

"Don't praise them too much gege," Hua Cheng shook his head. "They're still in the red despite it being their third year in business."

"Obviously! Since we have to give a certain loan shark everything we have every fucking month." Ming Fan hissed. 

Hua Cheng glared at him. Ming Fan flinched. He quietly hid behind Shen Yuan, sticking his tongue out. Shen Yuan sighed. "I'm trying my best okay? You didn't exactly give me an easy job."

"Well, obviously you're doing something wrong." Hua Cheng challenged. "I'm not made of money Shen Yuan. If you think this is a lost cause, I'll just ask Yin Yu to move you somewhere else."

"No!" Shen Yuan shouted. He clenched his fist. "Please, I can do this. Don't…don’t take Binghe's restaurant away from him."

"Boss…" Ming Fan whispered putting a comforting hand on his trembling shoulder.

The door from the kitchens slammed open. A man with his hair tied severely on a high ponytail strode out. He took one look at Shen Yuan's crestfallen face and then at Hua Cheng. He slowly nodded. "I'll kill you."

"Oh my god Luo Binghe what do you have in your hands?!" Ming Fan shouted shrilly.

"A knife."He brandished the sharp blade and walked determinedly to Hua Cheng. Xie Lian leaped from his seat and quickly moved in front of Hua Cheng. His heart stopped. He quickly pulled Xie Lian behind him. "Gege, don't! It's dangerous!" 

Xie Lian swiftly moved in front of him again. "I'll protect you, San Lang, don't worry!" 

Binghe looked at the two of them twisting around each other and sighed. He brandished another knife on his other hand. "There's no need to fight. I have two." 

"Binghe." Shen Yuan said firmly. "Stop it right now."

Ming Fan gulped when Luo Binghe glanced back at them. 

"They made you upset A-Yuan. I won't allow that." 

Shen Yuan slowly walked to him and comfortingly put his hands on Luo Binghe's shoulders. "The rain this morning made me upset too. Are you going to stab the clouds to death?" 

"..." Luo Binghe seemed to seriously think it over. "I'll figure it out." He said in full confidence. Shen Yuan smiled exasperatedly at him and shook his head. 

"Hua Cheng just reminded me of our situation okay? Don't be so upset." 

Luo Binghe lowered his knife-hands. Xie Lian and Ming Fan let out a relieved sigh. Hua Cheng merely stood his ground firmer in front of Xie Lian. He won't relax until those knives exit the fucking room. 

" Sorry, A-Yuan. You're stuck with my no-good restaurant." Luo Binghe murmured dejectedly. 

Shen Yuan shook his head. "Binghe it's not your fault. Your food is amazing! You know this is all because of that man…" He sighed. 

"But if I had just taken my deadbeat dad's money we wouldn't owe anything to that ketchup bottle over there."

Shen Yuan gently cupped his face. "You would hate yourself if you did."

Hua Cheng sputtered. "Gege he called me a ketchup bottle!" Ming Fan cackled at the back. "Serves you right asshole!" 

Xie Lian grinned. "You're a good looking ketchup bottle San Lang don't worry."

"Aw gege, you'll like me even if I identify as a ketchup bottle?" Hua Cheng swooned. 

Xie Lian rolled his eyes. "Stop fishing for compliments." 

Binghe heaved a large sigh. "You're lucky my A-Yuan is so forgiving." He pointed his knife threateningly. "Next time I won't be so merciful." 

Hua Cheng raised his hands in assent an easy smile on his face. "Alright calm down Luo Binghe. Don't forget who helped you after Wuyong fucked you over." 

Xie Lian tensed. "Wu...yong…?"

Shen Yuan sighed. "The insurance company. They defrauded Binghe's mom’s health insurance." 

Binghe bit his lip and quietly tucked himself into Shen Yuan. The other man silently stroked his head as he continued. "They sold it at a steep price. She gave them everything. They pitched it so well like she would never have to worry about a single paper cut." 

Ming Fan sighed. "She got sick. Really sick. She tried to claim her insurance, but they wouldn't let her. They kept saying she didn't pay them the right amount, that she didn't qualify for any packages."

"She died." Luo Binghe said his voice muffled as his face was firmly tucked into Shen Yuan's shoulder. Shen Yuan shook his head. 

"They used everything they had to pay her medical bills. But...it was all in vain. They even sold their restaurant." Shen Yuan glanced at Hua Cheng. A pale-faced Xie Lian was silently hugging himself. "Then Binghe wanted to buy it back. His estranged father offered to buy it for him but-" 

"I will never ," Luo Binghe said harshly "Take a dime from the man who abandoned me and my mother."

Shen Yuan stroked his hair until he settled back. Ming Fan clenched his fist. "He's another kind of asshole. Shows up all willy-nilly suddenly talking about heirs and legacies. Me and Ning Yingying kicked him so hard he won't even feel his balls."

"That's where I come in," Hua Cheng said lightly. "A benevolent investor."

"Benevolent my ass." Ming Fan sulked. 

"Please, Hua Cheng. You know how capable I am. I can do this." He held Luo Binghe closer. "I'll bring this restaurant to the top." 

Binghe sniffled. "A-Yuan, my A-Yuan, you're so manly."

Shen Yuan blushed. "Move away if you're not upset anymore!" 

Ming Fan nodded vigorously. "Yeah move over! I want boss to hug me too!" 

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face. Hua Cheng glanced at the silent Xie Lian. His eyes looked troubled. Sadness, hatred, regret. Was he sympathizing with Luo Binghe this much? He frowned. He didn't like an upset Xie Lian. That wouldn't do at all. 

"Gege, you're hungry, right? I'll tell them to hurry and bring you something." Xie Lian snapped his head up to Hua Cheng. He bit his lip, a conflicted look on his face. 

Shen Yuan lightly pinched Luo Binghe's cheeks. "Alright, Binghe go and do your job. We won't let anyone leave this restaurant hungry, not even emo Elmo over there, okay?" 

Binghe slowly looked up at Shen Yuan and pouted. "Okay, only if you give me a kiss." Shen Yuan blushed and grumbled about time and place. But he obligingly pressed a kiss to Luo Binghe's forehead. 

"There. Now go." He pushed Luo Binghe to the door, ignoring his demands for more kisses. Ming Fan sighed as he looked at Xie Lian and Hua Cheng standing around awkwardly. 

"Come on sit down I'll serve you."

He and Xie Lian sat down with a sullen mood over them. When the food came, Xie Lian seemed to pull himself from his stupor and he quickly tasted Hua Cheng’s food. Hua Cheng breathed in relief when Xie Lian’s smile returned a moment later. "Nope, not poisoned!" 

"Thank you gege." They made quick work of the food. Xie Lian seemed very engrossed in it. Hua Cheng swore he could see him get a little teary-eyed. He ended up too drawn to Xie Lian’s odd mood that he stopped eating altogether. The other man noticed and looked at him worriedly. 

"San Lang, do you feel sick? You're not eating much." 

Hua Cheng’s heart warmed. Despite his weird mood, he still makes time to worry about this worthless San Lang. He beamed. "Don't worry gege, I'm alright. You worrying about me is bringing my appetite back twofold!" 

Xie Lian chuckled. "Just twofold? I'll have to worry about you more then." 

"Please do." Hua Cheng said smoothly. "I won't get tired running around gege's mind!" 

Xie Lian snorted and pointed at his meal. "Eat! No more cheesy lines!" 

Hua Cheng had sneakily texted Yin Yu for his next date plan as Xie Lian returned his focus to his food. A sullen look settled on his face once again. An upset gege? Cat related things? He knows just the place. 

When he and Xie Lian moved to leave, he paused. He looked towards Luo Binghe, who had once again exited his sanctuary that is the kitchen to cross his arms and flex his muscle. He glared at Hua Cheng as if he needed to affirm with his own eyes that he would leave the premises without even breathing Shen Yuan's air. 

The bespectacled man had his arm looped on Luo Binghe's arm, comforting him but also ready to grab a hold on him if he decides to chase Hua Cheng. 

Xie Lian bit his lip, fighting with something inside him. Finally, he took a deep breath and bowed at Luo Binghe. Hua Cheng blinked. "Gege…?"

"I'm sorry." He said barely above a whisper. "It doesn't mean anything, but I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Shen Yuan waved his hand. "You did nothing wrong." 

Luo Binghe nodded. "Don't feel bad. I'm alright." 

"You know what would make our lives way easier?" Ming Fan trailed off. "If someone just pardoned all our debts." 

Shen Yuan snorted. "Yeah right."

Xie Lian quickly straightened up and looked at Hua Cheng hopefully. "Can you do that San Lang?" 

Hua Cheng judged Xie Lian’s desperate eyes, his hands clutching his white sweater nervously. The fabric was pulled to a twist. Any longer and it might stretch to a new size. He quietly sighed. 

"Is that really what you want?" 

"It is," Xie Lian said firmly. "Please, San Lang. I'll do anything." 

"Anything?" Hua Cheng asked. 

"Wait why are you doing this for us?" Ming Fan exclaimed. Shen Yuan nodded. "That's right. Xie Lian you don't have to help us this much."

"I said I will, so I will." Xie Lian said unflinchingly to Hua Cheng’s intense gaze. 

Hua Cheng tilted his head. "Okay. I'll settle it with Yin Yu." He opened the door for Xie Lian. "Now, to fulfill your end of the bargain gege."

Xie Lian nodded. He ignored Ming Fan's panicked ramblings, Luo Binghe's frowning face, and Shen Yuan's plea. He paused and glanced back only to say, "It's the least I can do."

"For what?" Shen Yuan murmured. 

"For the delicious meals!" He beamed. He glanced at Hua Cheng. "Alright, San Lang. Let's go." He looked resigned to whatever Hua Cheng planned for him. Hua Cheng enviously glanced at Qing Jing Peak. Was it even possible to be jealous of a restaurant? He certainly is. What does the restaurant have that would make gege go this far? He glanced at Xie Lian, resolutely walking to the car like he was walking to his funeral march. Xie Lian looked back at him calmly. "Alright. What do I have to do?" 

"Um." Xie Lian started. Then he paused. He glanced around him once again. "Uh."

Hua Cheng sipped his soda float, dissolving the cat foam on top of it. He wasn't a big fan of sweet things, but Xie Lian had ordered it numbly when Ban Yue, the owner had shuffled to take their orders. He didn't want Xie Lian to drink something he wouldn't like, of course.

"San Lang." Xie Lian said haltingly. 

"Yes, gege?" 

"Is this…your price for cutting Qing Jing Peak's debt?" He asked in disbelief. 

Hau Cheng blinked. "Well, yes. Is there anything wrong with that?" 

"Um." Xie Lian croaked out. "You're abolishing a 500.000 dollar debt for an outing…in a cat cafe?" 

A fat tabby cat yawned and silently jumped to their table. Hua Cheng obligingly rubbed it's head. "Mhm."

Xie Lian sputtered. Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow. 

"Why gege, did you think I would ask for something…sexual?" He teased. 

Xie Lian blushed hotly. He quickly shook his head and looked away petting the tabby cat with vigor. "No! Of course not! Why would you, right….ahaha…" He trailed off, finding the cat's fur pattern to be very interesting.

"Trust me gege," Hua Cheng smirked. "If we do end up doing something like that, I would accept nothing less than your enthusiastic consent." 

Xie Lian choked. The cat seemed annoyed at the constant petting and jumped off. Xie Lian watched him go with a disappointed "Ah…"

Hua Cheng chuckled. "Don't worry gege, there's more cats to pet." 

Xie Lian shifted in his seat, peering up at Hua Cheng. "San Lang you…you're really doing this just because I asked?" 

"Hm? Well yes." 

"Why… " Xie Lian bit his lip. "Why are you so nice to me?" 

"Hm." He didn't quite know how to answer that. Because he wanted to. Because Xie Lian deserves it. Because he can. "I guess I just feel it in my guts."

"Feel it in your guts?" Xie Lian teased. 

"That you're a kind person," He murmured. "That you deserve to be treated with every kindness and tenderness the world could ever give." 

Xie Lian smiled in self-depreciation. "I'm not that kind of person,sorry to disappoint you San Lang." 

"See, this is why I trust my guts," San Lang said as he stirred his straw. "It's my goal to make you realize how kind you are. You just sit tight and let it happen gege." 

Xie Lian sighs. "I'll be sitting for a long time." 

He opened his mouth to speak again but he gasped. "San Lang! San Lang!" He excitedly ran to the edge of the cafe. Hua Cheng slowly followed him when Xie Lian excitedly waved him over. 

There, purring over the belly rub Xie Lian is giving him, is a black cat with his right eye sewn shut. Xie Lian excitedly gestured to it with his hands, with a small "Ta-daa!" 

"San Lang he's practically your twin!" 

Hua Cheng crouched down eyeing the pure bliss the cat had at being petted by Xie Lian. Gods he wanted to be that cat. He moved to pet the pest, annoyed at Xie Lian’s adorable cooing. Coo me gege, coo me! 

The cat sensed a different hand moving to pet him, and in one swift move, scratched his outstretched hand. Hua Cheng yelped. The black cat hissed, showing his vampire-like teeth. Hua Cheng resisted the urge to hiss back. 

"Bad kitty!" Xie Lian gasped. He lightly booped the cat's nose. As if a switch had been flipped, he turned to meow innocently at Xie Lian and press his head for pats. Hua Cheng looked at it ridiculously. 

"Oh wow!" Ban Yue exclaimed. "How did you get him to be so nice and docile?"

"Is he not always so sweet?" Xie Lian asked as he cradled the cat. It curled up in bliss on Xie Lian’s arms. 

"Oh not at all." She gestured to her arm, filled with scratch marks. "In fact, he's quite a moody one!" 

"Aw, you're a naughty cat aren’t you?" Xie Lian cooed to him. It meowed back, eyes brimming with false innocence. Hua Cheng glared at it. The cat has skills. A few minutes in and he's already cradled gege's strong arms.

"Say would you be interested in adopting him?" Ban Yue offered. 

"Huh? Isn't he the cafe's cat?" 

"He doesn't really enjoy being here," Ban Yue sighs as she eyes the cat. "I was going to make an adoption poster. He seems to like you though, what do you think?" 

Xie Lian pursed his lips. "I already have Ruoye at home. I don't think that's a good idea." He bit his lips as he slowly looked up at Hua Cheng. 

Oh no. 

Xie Lian looked at him pleadingly. 

Oh, Gods. 

"San Lang, you like cats, right?" 

"Gege…" Hua Cheng started. Xie Lian quickly shifted and presented the cat to Hua Cheng. 

"Just hold him and tell me if you feel a connection!" 

Hua Cheng winced. Slowly, haltingly he took the cat by its armpits and held it at eye level. It swished his tail looking more and more annoyed as it was held by Hua Cheng. He looked back to Xie Lian’s encouraging face, begging to be taken back. 

Finally, it accepted that it wouldn't be able to meow his way out of this, and faced Hua Cheng. The one-eyed man stared at the one-eyed cat. Then it promptly swatted his eyepatch with a hiss. 

Hua Cheng grunted. Xie Lian gasped. "Bad kitty!" 

It merely pawed Hua Cheng’s eyepatch even more, seemingly amused by the foreign object. Then with a sharp tug, it unwounded the knot and his eyepatch flutter to the ground. Ban Yue audibly gasped. 

Hua Cheng hissed. He quickly bowed his head down to hide his face and settled the cat down. He scrambled to find the eyepatch. Suddenly Xie Lian held it out in his palm, in front of his bowed face. Hua Cheng nodded in thanks. 

He quickly shrugged it on, struggling with the knots. He usually does this with a mirror every morning. Now he's blind as a bat, trying to avoid Xie Lian’s probably disgusted look, and keep some semblance of normalcy. 

Warm hands gently touched the back of his head. Xie Lian had half stood up, blocking Hua Cheng with his body. "Can I?" He quietly asked. 

Hua Cheng nodded, pulling his hand away. He just realized as he looked down on them that he'd been trembling. Hah, he's as weak as ever after all. He's covered it up with expensive suits and false bravado. Take off his security blanket and what was he? A scared child he'd desperately buried deep inside. 

"....Lang. San Lang." Xie Lian murmured. He felt him gently brushing his hair. He breathed shallowly. He tried to ground himself on the sensation, on the moment, on Xie Lian. 

"It's alright. Take your time." Xie Lian gently tugged the knot he made behind his head. "See? I secured it nice and tight. I was a boy scout, so you can rest assured it won't break!" 

Hua Cheng felt a smile growing on his face. "You…can't put an image that adorable…and not show me pictures." 

Xie Lian snorted. "I'm sure my mother kept every single one in a scrapbook somewhere." He hasn't stop kneading, and Hua Cheng let his head rest on Xie Lian’s stomach. 

"She must love you very much." 

"Don't all mothers?" 

"Mm...not mine." 

Xie Lian pauses his movement. "What?" 

Hua Cheng rubbed his eyepatch. "She…did this. To me." 

"San Lang-" Xie Lian choked. He surged forward and hugged him close. Hua Cheng was pressed to his warm comforting chest. If he strained his ear he could even hear Xie Lian’s heartbeat. "I…that's awful…"

"She regretted it. But she refused to take me to the hospital. Said it would heal just fine. She was ashamed." 

Xie Lian clutched him tighter. 

"I hated her. I knew we had insurance. I knew my eye could be saved if I got help." 

Xie Lian tensed. "Don't…don't tell me…"

"Yup. Wuyong insurance. She paid roughly the same deal Luo Binghe's mother did." 

Xie Lian’s breath slowed, his heartbeat was erratic. "What happened next?" He murmured. 

"She'd go into these episodes of distress and regret. She would hit me and tell me I wasted her money. That she would be better off if I was dead. Then she would hold me and cry over how sorry she was, please forgive me, I'll change for sure this time." 

Xie Lian held him tighter.

"Eventually the pain was too much. I walked to the hospital myself. I clutched the insurance card in my hand. When I got there the nurse gave me this pitied look." 

"She said my insurance was worthless. It barely covered anything, if at all. She felt bad for me, so she had an intern look after me. They both did all they could, but it was too late after all." 

"San Lang…I'm sorry…" Xie Lian whimpered. "I'm so, so sorry." 

"Mm, it's alright." He shifted and Xie Lian slowly pulled away. He startled. "Gege, you're crying." Xie Lian hiccuped. 

"I'm sorry San Lang, you should be the one crying. I-I just-" He roughly rubbed his eye. Hua Cheng grabbed his hands and firmly pushed them to the side. He gently wiped his cheeks and wiped the corner of his eyes. 

"Gege, please stop crying."

Xie Lian sobbed. 

"Please? I feel horrible for making you cry." 

Xie Lian sniffled. 

"Gege, if you don't stop crying I'll kiss you." 

Xie Lian stopped. Hua Cheng pouted. "Aw, really? That stopped you?" 

Xie Lian blushed. He lightly shook his head to clear it, huffing. "Okay, I'm calm now."

Hua Cheng tucked his hair behind his ear and smiled at him. "Where's that smile I love so much?". 

Xie Lian snorted. He stuck out his tongue to Hua Cheng. 

"Erhm. Not to interrupt this moment and all…" Ban Yue murmured. "But would you still be interested in adopting this cat?" 

"Miss, this is literally not the time." Hua Cheng said slowly, this close to shouting. 

"But this cat! It was also abused by its owner! That's why it's so prickly! And that's how he lost his eye!" She gestured wildly to the curled up cat, pawing Xie Lian’s sweater. 

Xie Lian petted him rubbing his chin until he's reduced to a melting pile of cat goo. Hua Cheng glared at him. Great, now gege isn't even touching him anymore. He crossed his arms, sulking. 

Xie Lian peered up at him, holding the damn cat in front of him. Gods even with the demonic cat he looks adorable. "Come on San Lang. It's practically fate! You complete each other."

Hua Cheng sighed. "You've uncovered my weakness huh gege."

Xie Lian tilted his head innocently. "Why, whatever do you mean? I just would like it very, very much if you adopted this cat. It's up to you though San Lang. Definitely." 

They left the cafe with a carrier cage, some cat food, cat toys, and least importantly, a cat. Xie Lian hummed happily as he petted the cat who decided it would much rather ride the car on top of Xie Lian’s lap. Hua Cheng glared at him, muttering out curses. 

Xie Lian beamed at him. "Where to next San Lang?" 

"Let's go back for now. Settle the furball in." Hua Cheng said. "And then at night, I'll pick you up and we can go to my casino."

Xie Lian let out a small ooh. "Sounds like a plan!" 

Chapter Text

Xie Lian bids San Lang goodbye at the door. He eyed the cheap couch he and Feng Xin insisted the mover bring and dove to lie on it. He eyed the rest of the apartment. All the boxes have been put aside and all their stuff from the old apartment was here and there. There's all of Feng Xin's trashy romance books, Mu Qing's DVDs, and Xie Lian’s many attempts of arts and crafts. It seems Feng Xin and Mu Qing got busy while he was away with San Lang. 

Xie Lian let out an audible sigh as the name crossed his thoughts. Breakfast was an ordeal, to say the least. He was really excited to eat at Qing Jing Peak. His ruined tastebud can somehow still taste Luo Binghe's cooking. At first, he reasoned that the poisonous side effect of his…extracurricular activities had waned away. Now, perhaps his body retained some sort of guilt-ridden miraculous healing. 

It was one thing to find out Luo Binghe's connection to Jun Wu. His heart ached for Luo Binghe's mother and the restaurant. He wouldn't let Jun Wu ruin another life, not when he can see it with his own eyes. Begging San Lang was impulsive, and rash, and if Feng Xin and Mu Qing had been there they would have choked him to death than let him make any sort of deal. 

Why do you always have to be a hero, Qi Rong screamed. Nothing in this world is black and white, you think you're above everyone in this fucking office? Think again. 

That’s right, Xie Lian wasn't a hero. His experience with Jun Wu taught him at least that. No matter how much he likes wearing white, his conscience is anything but. He was naive and foolish, and he made himself believe he was doing the right thing. Jun Wu broke his rose-tinted glass, and odd as it is he's thankful for that. 

The old Xie Lian wouldn't even harbor the thought of using someone else. He's seen the way San Lang acts around him. He's observant, though he doesn't look like it. He can't afford to be ignorant anymore, after all. But he passes it off to some fleeting fondness. San Lang said it himself, something about Xie Lian just comforts him. 

It certainly doesn't mean anything more. But the crippling guilt he felt at Qing Jing Peak was suffocating him. So he went with his hunch. A shot in the dark, albeit a mildly calculated one. He begged San Lang to erase their debt. In exchange, he'd do anything for him. 

If his theory was correct, he'd ask for a sexual favor. Satisfy his satisfaction and be done with it. Maybe he'd hold it over Xie Lian for a while. What he didn't expect, was the overwhelming good in San Lang. He's been hurt so much, so much . But deep down he's good. Something he can't say for himself. 

He berates himself for even doubting San Lang. Jun Wu ruined a lot of things for him, trusting someone shouldn't be one of them. He raised his hand, remembering how it felt to hold something so fragile. Holding someone's heart. What would San Lang say if he told him the truth? Who he really is. Would he walk with him still, like Feng Xin and Mu Qing? Or would he push him away like Qi Rong? 

Xie Lian winced. He's forgotten Qi Rong in the sequence of events. Gods he hadn't even told him he was moving away. Would Gu Zi even be able to eat today?! Xie Lian quickly stood up and slammed open the bedroom door. 

"Can you-stop screaming it's just me-call Qi Rong for me?" 

Feng Xin screeched louder and threw a pillow at Xie Lian. The man didn't even bother to dodge, letting it smack his face. He caught the pillow as it fell and threw it back to the bed. It hit a large lump and it grunted in response. Mu Qing slowly, reluctantly poked his head out. He glanced at Feng Xin's panicked scrambling to cover himself with the blanket and at Xie Lian pouting in the doorway. 

"Hm." He said and burrowed back down the expensive duvet. Feng Xin grabbed him by the armpits and dragged him out. 

"Oh no, if I'm facing this so are you!" Feng Xin growled. Then he pointed at Xie Lian accusingly. "Why aren't you freaking out?!" 

"Wha-why what happened?!" Xie Lian exclaimed. 

"Y-you…you're not surprised about this?" Feng Xin awkwardly gestured to both him and Mu Qing. Mu Qing had dozed off again, flopping back to the bed. He snaked his arms around Feng Xin's waist and burrowed his head there. 

"Ohhh, you mean you and Mu Qing?" Xie Lian smiled. "I was wondering when I'd catch you."

"You knew ?" Feng Xin asked in disbelief. 

"Well yeah you weren't exactly subtle," Xie Lian sighed with a faraway look. "The walls…are so thin…so very thin."

Mu Qing snored. Feng Xin sputtered. "I…I'm sorry?" He added belatedly. 

"You should be. I can't look at monopoly the same ever again." Xie Lian walked to the desk where Feng Xin had his phone charged. "Anyway, I need to call Qi Rong so I'll borrow this."

"Why would you call that gremlin?" Feng Xin balked.

"Tell him we're moving. And to feed Gu Zi."

"Fuck," He said. "I forgot about Gu Zi."

Xie Lian scrolled through the phonebook. He snorts when he sees a contact named Asshole with a heart next to it. Very tasteful Feng Xin. At last, he landed on the contact named Goblin. He dialed it and the phone rings for a long time. He sighs.

Finally, it clicks. 

"HA, YOU LIKE THE DIAL TONE ASSHOLE?! THAT'S WHAT YOU SOUND LIKE WHEN YOU'RE MOANING FOR MU QING'S DICK."

"I don't think you've heard someone moaning then Qi Rong." 

The line quieted. Then as if he just found the page in his book-filled for insults catered to Xie Lian he started again. 

"Why cousin. I don't think you do either. If I recall you're still a virgin."

"You're a virgin too Qi Rong." Xie Lian said patiently.

Mu Qing snorted. "Ah!" Feng Xin shouted. "You're awake aren't you?!" Mu Qing snored in response. 

"I have a son."

"A cause for constant concern. Anyway, that's why I called you. I moved away."

"...you running away like auntie and uncle too?" 

"Qi Rong-" 

"You're leaving me alone? Again?" 

"Qi Rong I'm not leaving you alone." Xie Lian said firmly. 

"You are. You're leaving and forgetting me." Xie Lian heard his voice crack. Xie Lian’s heart clenched. 

"Qi Rong I'm a thirty-minute drive away. And I'm here if you need me, always."

"Fuck." Xie Lian heard from the other side of the phone. He muffled a laugh and lets his cousin continue. "You did that on purpose didn't you? Wanted to hear me be pathetic like you, huh fucker?" 

"I quite like an honest Qi Rong." Xie Lain said. "Anyway here's the address. Come over if you and Gu Zi are hungry."

"We're not a fucking charity case." Qi Rong shouted. 

"Of course not. You're family." Even if you're a pain in my ass. Xie Lian neatly leaves that part out. 

The line goes quiet and for a moment Xie Lian thinks Qi Rong hung up on him. Then, he quietly says "I'll take Gu Zi in a bit." 

Xie Lian beams. "Great! I'll cook!" 

"Wait-!" 

Xie Lian hangs up on him. "Qi Rong and Gu Zi are coming in a bit." He says to Feng Xin. 

"Ugh," He says. Xie Lian can't help but agree. Here's the thing about family. You would do anything for them. But they're also one of the dumbest people you will ever meet in your life. He loves his mother, but she turned a blind eye to everything that happened. He loves his father, but he's one of the most stubborn people on earth. And he loves Qi Ring, deep down, deep deep down, but he holds a grudge like Ruoye with a yarn ball.

Feng Xin pries Mu Qing's grabby hands and moves to get off the bed. "I'll cook something then."

"Don't worry about it, Feng Xin. I'll cook!" Xie Lian pumped his fist. 

Feng Xin stiffened. Mu Qing raised his head. " No." They both said in unison. They wrinkled their noses at each other. 

"Yes. I can do this Feng Xin! I regained some of my tastebuds!" Xie Lian said determinedly. 

"You don't have tastebuds." Mu Qing muttered. 

"You don't have the best skills in cooking young master," Feng Xin softened the blow. "But you're good at other things! Like arts and crafts!" 

"Exactly. Cooking isn't that different from arts and crafts. You just combine separate things into one bigger thing!" 

"That's…that's not…" Feng Xin trails off. He gestures to Mu Qing. "You deal with this."

"Your cooking is shit." Mu Qing says simply. 

"Gods." Feng Xin sighed.

"I know," Xie Lian admits. "But I really want to do this. I kind of want to show Qi Rong I still care about him." 

"By killing him?" Mu Qing smirked. "I'm suddenly very on board." 

"Well, if it's Qi Rong." Feng Xin says with a change of heart. 

"I also want to invite San Lang," Xie Lian said. "To make up for something." 

"Huh. Remind me how we divide personal property after death?" Mu Qing asks wryly. 

"I guess if we're next door we can just shuffle his stuff here." Feng Xin humors him. 

"Great! Now, where's that firewood?" Xie Lian said as he walked out. Feng Xin and Mu Qing stared at each other. 

"You should probably go before he burns the whole apartment down." Mu Qing says. 

Feng Xin sighs. He loathes to leave the bed when it's so comfortable, but sacrifices must be made for the greater good. He leans in and kisses Mu Qing. The other man hummed. They part reluctantly. 

"Hey," Mu Qing says when Feng Xin shrugs on a T-shirt. "That's mine."

"Well, I don't have to hide it anymore do I?" Feng Xin grins. 

"Hmph." Mu Qing says as he shuffles back inside his cocoon of blankets. "I'll allow it for now. Since I'm in a good mood."

Feng Xin blushed. He knows exactly what made that mood. He shuffles to the kitchen to find Xie Lian somehow already stirring something in a pot. Feng Xin slowly peers at it and bodily flinches. "Why the fuck is it purple?"

"Huh? I thought Gu Zi would like it with more pizzazz!" Xie Lian wiggled his fingers. 

"What are you even making?" 

"Oh, this? It's meatballs!" As if on cue a purple blob surfaces ominously. 

"...Okay, you make sure to feed that to Qi Rong and your San Lang okay?" 

"Yup!" 

After Feng Xin shoos him out of the kitchen insisting he doesn't need help with the side dishes he stands in front of San Lang's door. He knocks it three times. An indistinct sound of yelling and meowing made Xie Lian’s brows furrow in concern. "San Lang? It's me! Are you okay?" 

The yelling continues, now followed with a crash and a large thud. Xie Lian bites his lips. He raises his hand to knock again when the door slams open. A haggard San Lang greets him. "H-hi…gege…"

"Why…why are you panting?" Xie Lian asked warily.

San Lang's expression darkens. "I think we brought home a possessed cat gege."

"Possessed?" Xie Lian chuckles. "Is he speaking Latin? Hopping around in his hind legs?" 

"Worse. He keeps meowing and yowling in this ancient cat language that I know means kill San Lang." He leads Xie Lian in and gestured to the living room. "Look! He's doing it right now!" 

Xie Lian pokes his head to the side. There on the couch curled up and as peaceful as can be was the black cat. He peers up at San Lang teasingly. "All I see is a sleeping cat San Lang."

San Lang gaped. He points at the cat with a shaky finger. "What's your game you demon!" He looks around wildly. "A cross! I need a cross!" 

Xie Lian laughs as he scoops up a pliant cat, giving it a little smooch. "San Lang ah, don't tease the cat so much."

San Lang grabs his shoulders and shakes him gently. "Gege, please. It's not safe to hold the demonic cat. We have to make a prayer circle or something." Xie Lian laughs harder. 

"Do we pray with meows? Burn some catnip? Sacrifice some tuna?" 

San Lang pouts. But something heavy in his eyes lifts when he sees Xie Lian laughing. "Gege you'll blame yourself when I get murdered by that thing." He points at the cat. It hisses in response. "AH-!" San Lang exclaimed pointing at it insistently. "There he goes! He's summoning his demonic power!" 

Xie Lian laughs harder. He wipes his eyes as tears of amusement leak out. "Okay come on. Don't keep calling it a thing. Have you decided on a name?" 

"I was thinking E-Ming," San Lang smirked down at the glaring cat. "To fit its disposition." 

"Aww, E-Ming. Isn't that nice? You have a name now!" Xie Lian coos as he hugs E-Ming close. The cat purrs and tucks his head on Xie Lian’s shoulder. 

San Lang tsked. 

"Not that I don't enjoy your company gege, but why did you come over?" San Lang said. 

"Oh! I was going to invite you to lunch." Xie Lian lightly scratches E-Ming. "And I was thinking E-Ming could meet Ruoye!" 

"For you gege? Anything." Xie Lian blushed under San Lang's gentle smile. Now he knows they aren't just empty words and promises. San Lang is a man who sticks to what he says and means it. He doesn't quite know how to feel about having someone so unconditionally affectionate to him. Happy, excited, elated, warm. Whole. But the weight of his covered up past haunts him. 

I'll tell him soon, Xie Lian promises as he and San Lang make their way next door, but for today , just for today I'll let myself be happy. 

San Lang helped set the table, pausing when he heard Qi Rong would be coming. "I don't like him anywhere near you gege."

Feng Xin raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same for you."

"Feng Xin," Xie Lian berates. "Let's tone down the sarcasm for today." 

"You're even more suspicious than Qi Rong," Mu Qing said. "Qi Rong's all bark and no bite. You on the other hand…"

"I'm not the barking and biting kind," He winks, or at least there was an attempt, at Xie Lian. "Unless gege would like that."

Xie Lian hits his arm. "You tone down on being smooth."

San Lang grins cheekily at him. At the living room E-Ming circles Ruoye, assessing him. Ruoye flicks his tail, head up and back straight in pride. He's in his own turf. He doesn't know who this black cat is, but he won't give over his humans affection that easily. 

E-Ming attempts the same pose. He awkwardly shuffles his paws to mimic Ruoye's. He fumbles, earning a small snort from the cat. He glared at it petulantly. E-Ming isn't exactly an elegant cat. He's been a street cat, an adopted cat though in hindsight (heh) that wasn't his best days, a shelter cat, and a cafe cat. He's seen many humans know how to judge them by a glance. 

Xie Lian was, within the first minute he saw him, good . Something in him exudes gentleness. He for the first time in a while wanted nothing more than the affection of this man. Hua Cheng on the other hand. Reminded E-Ming too much of himself. 

Something in him was broken. Troubled. E-Ming wanted nothing to do with it. But he saw how upset Hua Cheng was at the cafe. He saw how Xie Lian brings him comfort. E-Ming wants that for himself too. So for now, he'll accept being Hua Cheng’s cat, with its many perks such as expensive cat food and being close to Xie Lian. 

In front of him is his biggest adversary. The one who holds Xie Lian’s affection. Ruoye notices him struggling to put up a front while glaring at him. He shakes his head as if amused and strode over to flick his tail at E-Ming's face. The black cat sputtered. Ruoye noticed him being startled and jumped to the cat tower above them. He looked down at E-Ming challengingly. E-Ming purred. He might not win in a beauty contest for Xie Lian’s heart, but athleticism he can do. 

Just as the cats started to playfully chase each other around the door was thumping as if it was being kicked. Xie Lian sighed. "He's here."

San Lang moved to the door. "I'll get it."

"Wait San Lang-" 

He opened it. Qi Rong blinked and had to crane his head up to meet San Lang's smug gaze. "What the fuck."

"Why hello there," San Lang said addressing a hiding Gu Zi. "Why don't you come inside first. You can play with my new cat E-Ming." 

E-Ming's ears flickered in annoyance. Babysitting? He's babysitting now? Ruoye simply yawns. Seems he's glad there's another cat to be chased around and cuddled by Gu Zi. 

Gu Zi stares up at San Lang and nods quietly. He shuffles inside to greet Xie Lian, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing, before beelining to the living room. He eyes E-Ming. For a second the black cat thinks he'd be too scared of him. After all, he's not exactly the most friendly-looking cat. But the boy smiles and obediently sticks out his hand for E-Ming to examine. 

E-Ming likes him already. A few moments later he's being petted, scratched, and cooed at. Ruoye laughs at him from on top of the cat tower. E-Ming merely nuzzles Gu ZI for more pats. 

"Why the fuck is he here?" Qi Rong growls. 

"Well, Qi Rong the apartment, San Lang gave it to us." Xie Lian explained. 

"I'm here to eat lunch. Why are you here?" San Lang interjected. 

"Fuckin what do you think? Lunch, duh." Qi Rong wilts under San Lang's pressure. 

"You keep it that way. Badmouth gege one time and I'll sick E-Ming on you." 

E-Ming meows as if on cue. Xie Lian chuckles. He wonders if they practiced that. 

"Yeah, whatever asshole." Qi Rong pushes himself in. He determinedly walked and slumped down one of the chairs. San Lang closes the door and took his place next to Xie Lian protectively. He pats San Lang's arm. 

Feng Xin set the last food on the table and sat next to Mu Qing. Then, surprisingly, Mu Qing immediately put his arm around Feng Xin's shoulder. 

Xie Lian smiled at his cup of tea. San Lang looks at him like he wants to do the same thing. Qi Rong scrunched his nose but doesn't comment. He calls Gu Zi over to eat. 

Xie Lian pushes his meatball dish excitedly to San Lang. "I made this!" 

San Lang's eye widened. "You did?" He hurriedly scooped up a generous amount. Mu Qing eyes the goopy mess in disgust. Feng Xin readies his phone to call an ambulance. Xie Lian took a bite from San Lang's plate before nodding at him to try. 

"Thank you gege." He said earnestly. And takes a big bite. Silence falls as everyone holds their breath. Qi Rong looks green as he eyes the meatballs. Gu Zi seems awed by the purple color. Xie Lian squirms in his seat, eager for San Lang's approval. 

A second later San Lang nods. "It's very delicious gege!" Xie Lian smiles and claps. 

Feng Xin shares a disbelieving look with Mu Qing. "You…do you still have your tastebuds?" 

"Of course I do," San Lang smirked. "How else would I be able to taste gege's food that's filled with love?" 

Love, Mu Qing mouths. Qi Rong glares at him. "Why did cousin Xie Lian cook it for you ?" He spits the last part. Literally, Xie Lian had to wipe the table. 

"I made plenty for everyone Qi Rong. I also wanted you to taste it." Xie Lian scoops a generous amount to Qi Rong's plate. "Enjoy!" 

Qi Rong squinted. "Why is it…shaped like a cube?" 

"There's all kinds of shapes!" Xie Lian said. "They're shaped like a friend." 

"They're a very good shape gege." San Lang assures him. 

Qi Rong stabbed it with a fork but it glides off the surface. "Gods what the fuck. Why is it so damn hard?" 

Xie Lian’s face fell. "I guess I overdid it."

San Lang pats Xie Lian’s back reassuringly. "Don't worry gege. He's just a little wimp." He grabbed his own fork and stabbed it through in one single swift motion. Qi Rong gaped at him. Gu Zi giggles. 

"Dad you're weak!" Gu Zi said. 

"I'm not weak!" Qi Rong screamed. "The meatball is-" 

San Lang smiles wickedly at him raising his fork. 

"The meatball looks great." Qi Rong says blankly. He shakily stabs a piece and brings it to his moutj. He takes a tiny bite and struggles to swallow.

It's stuck to his throat. He grabs at Gu Zi desperately. He gestures to his throat and Gu Zi grins. 

"Oh, there's some sauce there? Here I'll wipe it for you dad." Then he sweetly dabs his dad's mouth. 

Qi Rong shakes his head desperately, gesturing to the jug in the middle of the table. Gu Zi beams. "Oh, you want seconds . Here, dad, I'll grab some for you." Then he scoops more meatball to his plate. It hits the plate ominously and Qi Rong swears that it cracks the plate. 

Frustrated tears come and Gu Zi gently pats his arm. "Is it that good dad? Are you touched that uncle Xie Lian cooked it for you?" Qi Rong sobs. 

Feng Xin and Mu Qing stifle their laughter taking pictures of Qi Rong's green, red, and blue face. Xie Lian smiles at Qi Rong. "I'm glad you like it, Qi Rong. I made it with you in mind." 

San Lang shakes his head at Qi Rong choking. "Weak. Your love for gege cannot hope to equal mine." 

Xie Lian slowly sits next to a sullen Qi Rong at the living room clutching a glass of water. "You okay? Sorry, we didn't notice you were choking." 

"Whatever," Qi Rong mutters eyeing the cats playing around. "You really upgraded your life huh." 

"Qi Rong," Xie Lian starts. "If you need money-" 

"I don't need your pity." Qi Rong growls. "I'm doing just fine." 

"But Gu Zi's school bill is coming up. And that apartment-you should move out too." Xie Lian said. 

"Don't tell me how to fucking raise my child." 

"I'm not," Xie Lian comforts. "It's just we all need help sometimes." 

"I don't need yours." Qi Rong spits. "I'm doing just fine without a sugar daddy throwing me money." 

"Well, if you ever need anything," He says as Qi Rong drags Gu Zi out the door. "You can use my sugar daddy money." 

"Don't talk to me or my son ever again." Qi Rong grunts. It's the most non-aggressive answer Xie Lian has ever received from Qi Rong. He smiles. 

"See you next week!" Xie Lian calls out. 

"Bye bye kitty!" Gu Zi shouts. E-Ming obediently meows. San Lang smirks at him. 

San Lang sighs as they disappeared through the door. "A handful isn't he?" 

"He is." Xie Lian chuckles. "But he's my handful now I suppose."

"Just say the word gege," San Lang assures him. "And I'll kick his teeth in anytime."

"Thank you, San Lang." Xie Lian smiles. "Maybe I'll take that offer sometime. See you tonight?" 

San Lang nods. He glances at a sullen E-Ming who realizes it's time to go. Xie Lian bends over and scoops him up. He kisses E-Ming and the cat melts enough for Xie Lian to pass him to San Lang's arm. San Lang sighs as he immediately yowls and kicks up a fuss. "See you gege." He walks away wrestling E-Ming. 

Feng Xin hummed as the door closes. "So you got a cat together."

Mu Qing sighs looking down at the empty pot of meatballs he has to scrub. "He really ate all of it." 

They both nod. "You're marrying him." 

Xie Lian blushed. "I-I'm not-he's a friend!" 

"Sure." Feng Xin grins. "Friends definitely look at each other like that." 

"Well, it's not like it's going to happen." Xie Lian sighs. Mu Qing furrowed his eyebrows. 

"What does that mean?" 

"He's one of Wuyong's victims." Xie Lian murmured. "I'm the reason he suffered so much."

Feng Xin frowns. "Young master, Wuyong has been doing shady business since before you were born. You can't blame yourself for everything." 

Xie Lian shook his head. "I'm hiding who I really am. If he knows…he'll hate me." His voice breaks. Gods he's only known San Lang for a few days but his affection already means so much to him. 

"Stop hogging all the guilt dumbass." Mu Qing snaps. "You think me and Feng Xin don't have a hand in doing that too?" 

"But Mu Qing-" 

"Shut up." He points at Xie Lian. "I followed you because I know you have the balls to do what's right. I followed you out of Wuyong's front door because I know you'll make things right." 

"Mu Qing…" Feng Xin murmured. 

"Now stop whining about your boyfriend finding out who you really are and start thinking about what you're going to do after that." Mu Qing crosses his arms. "Me and Feng Xin aren't here to coddle you." 

"You kind of coddle me already." Xie Lian chuckles. He's going to tell San Lang…and then what? Hope he doesn't strangle him out of anger? Hope San Lang forgives him? Xie Lian sighs. "I'll tell him soon enough. But just for today, I want to maintain this illusion." 

"You'll only hurt yourself and him if you drag this on." Feng Xin sighs. "But we'll support you no matter what." 

"Thanks you two." Xie Lian said. Just for today. And then tomorrow, he'll tell San Lang and bear everything. And then, one day, he'll make this all right. For him, for his mom and dad, for Feng Xin and Mu Qing, for Qing Jing Peak, and…for San Lang. 

Night falls eating up the sunlight. Xie Lian spent the rest of the afternoon cooing after a sulking Ruoye. The white cat was jealous over sharing his spotlight. He draped himself over Xie Lian like a scarf as Xie Lian finishes up his arts and crafts commission work. When he glances at the darkening sky he winces. 

Prying a spoilt Ruoye off him, he takes a quick shower and changes into a loose white blouse with a bow in front of it. Also a hand me down from Shi Qingxuan. Xie Lian hardly knows what's appropriate for a casino, but the last thing he wants to do is embarrass San Lang. He fuses with his hair and sighs at the mirror. "It doesn't get any better than this." 

"Yes, it can." A light voice teased. Xie Lian jumps. 

"Shi Qingxuan!" Xie Lian gasped. "Why-how are you here?" 

Shi Qingxuan grins. "One of your minions asked me to come by. I hear someone has a date with the demon of the red light district tonight." 

"You're welcome!" Feng Xin shouts. Xie Lian shakes his head exspareredly. 

"He's hardly a demon ." 

"So it is a date!" Shi Qingxuan laughs. 

"Well, not exactly," Xie Lian trails off. "Is it a date if you have to taste their food to check if it's poisoned or not?" 

"I think that's quite romantic!" He says as he steps behind Xie Lian and fuses with his hair instead. "It's like saying he's ready to die trusting you." 

Xie Lian sighs. "I think not dying together is the point here." 

"Aw, where's your sense in romance?" Shi Qingxuan teases. "You can be the next modern Romeo and Juliet!" 

"They both die in the end." Xie Lian reminds them. 

"Well yeah, but who would want to stay alive in that political mess? I say dying was a great way for them to stay together without anyone prying them apart." He fumbles with his makeup kit and turns Xie Lian’s head to him. 

Xie Lian gives himself up as Shi Qingxuan's canvas. A younger Xie Lian would agree. Running away from it all, farming with his mom and dad. He could forget it all, and try to be happy. But these past few days he's surprised to find that all he wants to run too is into Jun Wu's office and punch him until he bleeds. Screaming to hell and back until he feels exactly how Xie Lian feels inside. How all Wuyong's victims feel. 

"Anddd done!" Shi Qingxuan woops flipping him to face the mirror. "What do you think? Am I or am I not a Picasso with makeup?" 

Xie Lian giggles. "I don't know if my face is a surrealist painting, but I love it." Shi Qingxuan has added light eyeshadow and a neat eyeliner to his eyes. And for his lips, well Xie Lian has never seen them so red. 

"A little Hua Cheng touch." Shi Qingxuan winks. "For that end of the date kiss." 

Xie Lian hardly thinks he's going to kiss San Lang tonight. Although it won't be the worst thing to ever happen to him. Far from it really. But seeing the look on San Lang's face when he picks him up is enough to make hope bloom in him. 

San Lang's casino, to say the least, feels like stepping out into a new world. It's red, because of course, why would Xie Lian expect any less from San Lang. He glances across the casino and his heart nearly stops. Spelled out in a neon sign were the words Wuyong. Xie Lian nervously glances at the office. No lights, it was clearly after office hours. There's no reason he would even be near a casino Xie Lian assures himself. He must have gone home like all his employees. 

Xie Lian shakes his head. He's here to have fun isn't he? He hurriedly follows San Lang in. It's almost overwhelming the amount of energy brimming on the casino floor. San Lang gently escorts him to a semi-private room draped with a red curtain. 

"What's this room for San Lang?" Xie Lian asks in awe. 

"It's for when I'm in a good mood. I let people challenge me sometimes." As if in cue a bold man follows them in slamming down his rows of chips. 

"I request a game with you, sir!" He booms. Crowds of people curiously peek in, eager to see someone foolishly challenge the demon of the red light district himself. 

"Hm." San Lang smirks. "You know the price don't you?" 

He nods. "Triple the bets for every turn." 

San Lang nods. "Place your bet then." 

Xie Lian shuffles in excitement. He's never gambled before. His luck is terrible, and his mother detested any form of unnecessary risks. San Lang leans closer and whispers right to his ear. "Do you know how to play gege?" 

Xie Lian's ear turns red. He shakes his head shyly. 

"It's simple. We shuffle two dices in the cup and we bet on who gets the highest number." The man impatiently slams down a tier of his chips. 

"That's…isn't that just guessing?" Xie Lian asked worriedly.

"Yes. It's so deceptively simple, and yet. No one has ever won over me." 

Xie Lian glanced at him in awe. "Really?" 

San Lang puts his arm around Xie Lian’s shoulder. "Watch." 

A casino employee shuffles in and prepares the bowl and dices for them. The man smiles confidently. He shakes his bowl in a methodological way as if to ensure he'd get the right amount of numbers. 

"Is that even allowed?" Xie Lian whispers. The man seems to have heard him and glares at him. San Lang holds him close. 

"Don't worry gege. They can try in any way they please. I like to see them struggle." San Lang says out loud. 

The man slams his bowl to a stop. "Hurry up and show your dices asshole." 

San Lang sighs and shuffles his bowl in a haphazard way. They both open their bowls at rhe same time. 

Five Six

Six Six

The man growls slamming his hand on the table. The chips rattle and fall. San Lang smiles wickedly. "Double?" 

The man wordlessly drags his chips to the center. On and on it goes. San Lang always wins with a Six Six. Finally, the man reduces to accusing San Lang of cheating. 

"You have a weight on your dices or something! I demand a refund!" 

San Lang shrugs. "I'll give you my dices if you're so insecure." 

He slams his hand on the table in frustration. "Fine. But I don't want you shuffling the bowl," He points to Xie Lian. "Make him do it." 

"Wha-" Xie Lian gapes.

"My gege isn't going to lower himself into playing with you." San Lang said with an edge to his voice. 

"Fine. I'll tell everyone that this casino is rigged!" He challenged. The crowd murmurs in discontent. 

Xie Lian hurriedly grabbed San Lang's hand. "San Lang ah, my luck…" He glances nervously at the dice. "It's not the best." 

San Lang pats him reassuringly. "Don't worry gege. I'll guide you." He turns to the man. "However as payment for wasting gege's time, bet everything you have." 

"Deal." He says pushing all his chips to the dealer. He fumbles to count it all. Xie Lian nervously puts his hand on the bowl palms already sweaty. Gods what if he embarrasses San Lang tonight? What if they mock San Lang and never come to his casino all because of him? What if-

"Gege relax." San Lang whispers. "I have a secret weapon." 

"Huh?" Xie Lian whispers. Did he really have weights on the dices? Some mechanic in the bowl? A certain speed and timing he needed to do? He had no time to ask. The other man had started his shuffle and Xie Lian slowly did the same. Gods, he must look like such an idiot stirring the bowl like a snail. Finally, they both stop. 

The other man grins leaning back to his seat. 

Five Six

Xie Lian feels like tearing up. The crowds murmur in excitement. Xie Lian looks at San Lang desperately. But the young man looks calm as ever. He raises an eyebrow at Xie Lian’s nervousness. "Gege, would you like some luck?" 

Xie Lian nods desperately. San Lang chuckles. "Alright then." 

He slowly pries Xie Lian’s hand from the bowl. Xie Lian sighed in relief thinking San Lang will shuffle it himself after all. But then he brought Xie Lian’s hand closer and kisses the ring finger. The crowd gasps and the challenger deflates. He must have thought the same thing and was ready to raise hell. 

Xie Lian looked at San Lang in disbelief. But all the youth did was wink and whisper, "For good luck."  Xie Lian’s hand, now shakier than ever, slowly settle on the bowl again. He takes a deep breath, shuts his eyes close, and yanks the bowl. 

The crowd goes wild. He kept closing it, too scared to see the dices. 

"Gege, it's okay to open your eyes." 

Xie Lian shakes his head. "Did you win?" 

"Open your eyes and find out." 

Xie Lian bites his lips. "Can't you just tell me?" 

"Should I kiss you again for good luck?" 

Xie Lian’s eyes flutter open. San Lang sighs in disappointment. Xie Lian blinked. Then blinked again. He pointed shakily to the dices. "Is that-" 

"Yup. You did it gege."

Six Six

Xie Lian feels like passing out but also screaming at the top of his lungs. The challenger sweeps his chips away to the floor and angrily shoves his way through the crowd. 

Xie Lian slumps over San Lang in relief. "Don't ever let me do that again."

"Want to try more games?" San Lang offers. 

"...okay maybe a little bit." 

They spent the better of the night walking around and trying all the casino games. Xie Lian was concerned overspending any more of San Lang's money, but the chips the challenger had been enough for an all-around tour. Xie Lian particularly liked playing craps. Though he insisted to San Lang it was not because he got to blow on San Lang's dices. 

After a bout of tiredness, he and San Lang sat on the bar, nursing a cherry cocktail. He feels San Lang's eyes on him and he stifles a shy smile. "Is something on my face?" 

"Yes," San Lang said. "A very cute smile to start." 

Xie Lian chuckles. "Honestly how are you this smooth San Lang?" 

"I've been running a casino for a while," San Lang admits. "From small card games to this. I've put on a mask of a charming dealer and a mysterious casino owner for so long now." 

"Is that what this is?" Xie Lian asked. "Is this a mask too?" 

"Hua Cheng is my mask." San Lang admits. "It's ironic but being your San Lang has been the most me I've ever felt." 

Xie Lian tucks his hair back to hide his pleased smile. "I like San Lang too." 

They both paused. San Lang blinks and looks down to his cocktail. "I'm not too drunk am I?" 

Xie Lian blushes. "I meant-I like the San Lang I see in front of me. I…like that you don't put a mask in front of me." 

Xie Lian bites his lips. He wants to tell San Lang. He wants to tell him so bad. He wants to rip off his mask and face San Lang as who he really is. But when he sees San Lang's blush and his pleased smile, Xie Lian is, after all, a gambler in a casino. He'll bet anything to see that fond smile every day. 

Of course, he forgets in the midst of it, that he has the worst luck in the world. When he and San the casino, tipsy and content, he breathes the cold air. His nose turns a little pink and he rubs them to warm it. San Lang chuckled. "What?" Xie Lian asked. 

"You look more and more like a ferret gege." 

"A ferret?" Xie Lian giggles. "Why ferrets?" 

"Well your nose is all pink now," San Lang teases. "And that hairband you wore yesterday-" 

"Ah!" Xie Lian waved his hands. "Forget that please!" 

"Never," San Lang says severely. "I've captured it in my mind and drawn it carefully." 

"You draw?" Xie Lian gasps. "You have to show me San Lang!" 

"I'm hardly an expert gege, and I won't ever be able to capture your beauty." Xie Lian blushed. Beauty? What beauty. This is all Shi Qingxuan's magical Picasso hands! 

He opened his mouth to reply when he saw San Lang stop in his tracks. "San Lang?" He asked following San Lang's eyesight. His stomach falls. 

"You're not even going to greet me Xie Lian?" A man with a sharp business suit said in a friendly tone. "Don't you miss your uncle Jun Wu?" 

Xie Lian felt his hands shake. He slowly glanced back at San Lang. The dark-haired man looked lost as he glanced between Xie Lian and Jun Wu. "Gege what-" 

"Imagine my surprise running into you with Hua Cheng himself." Jun Wu mused. "I guess you've settled for red-light district scums now?" 

San Lang stiffened. "Our business run on the same street." 

"We both breath the same air, does that mean we're equal?" Jun Wu chuckles. "Don't kid yourself." 

Xie Lian feels numb all over. He wants to cover San Lang's ear and drag him away, hide him from prying eyes and hurtful truths. 

"Tell me, Xie Lian, what are you doing with him?" Jun Wu asked. 

"I-" His habit kicks in. Always dutifully following him. Always giving him answers he wants to hear. Always eager to please, always always saying yes. "I'm…his food taster." 

"What, you tell him if the food is salty enough or not?" Jun Wu laughs. 

"No I…" Xie Lian looks down. Suddenly the ground looks very enticing to him. "I…test it for poison." 

Jun Wu blinks. "Well well," He murmurs. "You've always kicked up a fuss when I trained you, but look at you now. You really can't live without me can you?" 

"Training?" San Lang asked. "What training?" 

"Why his poison trainings of course." Jun Wu grins. "Take a little poison, and I promise I'll buy your favorite mantous afterward."

"You're a monster." San Lang hissed. 

"That's uncalled for. I just wanted to ensure my heir is as safe as he possibly can." Jun Wu raises his hand to cup Xie Lian’s face. San Lang wrenches his hand away before he could even touch Xie Lian. 

"Don't put your hands on gege." 

"So protective," Jun Wu muses. "Aren't you benefiting from this too? You hired him to be your failsafe did you not?" 

"That's not-" 

"Stop it." Xie Lian whispers. "Just stop." 

Jun Wu nods his head in admission. "I won't keep you both any further." He walks around them both. 

He walks away, leaving San Lang and Xie Lian on the cold street. Unbidden, tears started to fall streaking Xie Lian’s cheeks. Of course. Of course this happens just as he decides he would tell the truth. He's embarrassed. He's angry. He's very very tired. 

San Lang steps closer to him. Xie Lian’s tears keep flowing. He's done that so much the past few days. The dam he's built so long is breaking over even a single thought of that man. He feels San Lang press closer and he feels warmth envelop him. San Lang is hugging him. Xie Lian buried his head on San Lang's expensive suit. 

He feels San Lang's other hand shift away from him. A shade falls over them both. Xie Lian glances up, teary-eyed. San Lang had opened a red traditional umbrella over them both. 

"What…" Xie Lian trailed off. 

"It's raining." San Lang says. Xie Lian looks up to him and his heart stops. Tears of frustration flow from San Lang's eye. Xie Lian wipes his eyes and slowly cups San Lang's cheek. 

"Okay. Okay. Let's…stay here until it dries." San Lang leans to his hand and nods. They stood there clinging to each other for comfort until Yin Yu found them. 

He sighs as he slowly pried the umbrella off San Lang's stiff fingers. He slowly puts it down next to the casino decorations shaking his head and muttering about theatrics. He herds them both back into the casino and up into an office. 

It feels very lived in, with scattered papers and messy cups and plates. Yin Yu sits them both down on the couch and a few minutes later press a warm cup of tea to both their hands. 

"Honestly standing around in the middle of the night with an open umbrella when it's not even raining. Are we characters in a rom-com drama now?" Yin Yu rolls his eyes. 

Xie Lian feels his hand slowly coming back to life as he sips the warm tea. "At this point Yin Yu, it feels more like a melodrama." 

San Lang sighs as he stretched his hands up the air, cracking his back. Yin Yu and Xie Lian winced at the sound. "I haven't cried in ages." He mutters petulantly. "And here I thought I'd cry on my wedding day instead." 

He and Xie Lian looked at each other and burst into laughter. They titter and snort curling into each other on the couch. Yin Yu sighs. "Crazy. Every one of you is crazy." He waves goodbye and assures them he's next door if they need him. 

Xie Lian giggles one last time chasing San Lang's smile. "We're a mess." 

"I really did think the umbrella was a cool touch." San Lang defends. 

"It was very cool at the moment," Xie Lian grins. "It's raining." He imitates with a deeper voice. San Lang snorts. 

 "I wouldn't know how long I would have stood there if Yin Yu hadn't come." 

Xie Lian snorts. "Maybe until it really starts raining and we could walk it off cooly under the moonlight." 

They fall silent and San Lang sighs. "So you're Jun Wu's heir?" 

"Former heir." Xie Lian points out. 

"I feel like I should've seen this a mile away," He whispers. "Even Shi Qingxuan gave me a hint." 

He shrugs. "I guess love does make a man blind." 

Xie Lian giggles. "I don't think it's good taste to joke about blindness when you have one eye left San Lang." 

"Eye see." San Lang grins. Xie Lian sighs. 

"We're avoiding the elephant in the room." 

"I know," San Lang admits. "I wanted to savor the last of the night's good mood." 

"Me too." Xie Lian admits. "I was going to tell you tomorrow. I really didn't mean to hide it from you San Lang." 

San Lang raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a little. But I needed to work up the courage okay?" 

He sighs and shuffles closer to Xie Lian. "I understand gege. It's not exactly a small secret." 

Xie Lian takes a deep breath. "After I tell you. Do you…would you still like me?" 

"Gege if a few days is enough to make me fall in love with you a few dark past isn't going to stop me." San Lang gently takes his hand. 

Xie Lian slowly intertwines both their hands, squeezing it for comfort. "Okay. I guess I'll start with my parents." 

"My mom, she comes from a good family. She and dad were arranged to be married, but they grew to love one another. My father is a businessman through and through. And one day, he rose in the ranks enough to be Jun Wu's assistant director." 

San Lang whistles. Xie Lian nods. "Jun Wu was fond of my dad. He'd come over for family dinners and go on holidays with them. And then, I was born." 

"I bet you were a cute baby gege." 

"I wasn't as fussy as Qi Rong at least. Jun Wu took a shine to me. He doesn't have a wife of his own you see. He'd come over with presents and sweets and insisted I call him uncle Jun Wu." 

"Then I grew up and he started telling my dad to bring me the company more. So he did. And then he told my parents when I was thirteen that he wanted me as his heir." 

"They took it well. Started lending me to him more. First, he'd start with the business and how exciting it would be to have me. Insisted I get good grades and into a good university. Then, he fell sick." 

"He was poisoned after a dinner with the board of directors. He survived, though not without a scratch. He fired everyone except for my dad and Mei Nian Qing." 

"Who's that?" 

"My only ally in the company. He's always protected me and practically raised me in Wuyong. And when Jun Wu came back from the hospital it was with bottles filled with poison." 

"Mei Nian Qing begged him to stop, told him he was risking everything for nothing. But he refused. He wanted a perfect heir, in body and in mind." 

"I would get sick and miss class. I'd beg for a doctor, a cure, a hospital, something but he always refused. He kept promising me great things. When I grew up and mantous didn't work anymore he'd tell me how proud my parents would be if I just held on." 

"And then I met Feng Xin and Mu Qing. We worked so well and so hard we raised the company sales every month." Xie Lian sighs. "We didn't know what was happening behind the scenes until we started digging into our finances." 

"When I confronted him he was thrilled. Started talking about how he was going to teach me everything and anything. All I needed to do was sign a contract and I'll legally be his heir." 

"You refused." San Lang said. 

"I did. I lashed out. I made a big scene in the company and everything. I stormed off. Then, everything when to an uphill." 

"My father begged me to come back. He and my mom didn't really know what was happening, they just knew Jun Wu was angry. I yelled and kicked up a storm on how my parents made me like this. Jun Wu went to desperate measures by the second week." 

"He cut off my father's finances. Took hold of his lands and ruined his connections. My father… He begged me to come back. The most prideful person I know was begging me on his knees to come back." 

"Gege…" San Lang murmured wiping another stray tear. 

"I'm okay. Um. I kept refusing him. Eventually, we had nothing left. I took the rest of my money for college and used it to buy land somewhere outside the city. I moved my father and mother there while I tried to make means ends in the city. I was hopeless until Feng Xin and Mu Qing found me."

"They told me how bad the company was now. Jun Wu was in a horrible mood. Even Mei Nian Qing couldn't keep him sated. They both quit. And then Qi Rong was dragged out screaming and thrown to the streets." 

"We all moved to the apartment soon after. Me, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing stayed together. Qi Rong, however, shared it with a stranger." 

"Is that…"

"Mm. It was a single father. He was always drunk and angry. If he wasn't yelling at Gu ZI he was wasting away with alcohol. Qi Rong took care of Gu Zi not long after that. The father seemed to realize this was his way out and ditched them both. And then, the rest was history." 

"Thank you for telling me gege."

San Lang kept stroking his hair and the exhaustion of the last few days caught up to him. Just as his eyes fluttered shut he felt something warm press to his forehead. 

"Don't worry gege. I'll take care of you." Then he felt something draped over him. Xie Lian burrows himself on the warmth and his breath evened. 

Hua Cheng eyed the sleeping Xie Lian, curled up on the couch, so very small. He sighed and went next door. Yin Yu looked up from his desk in surprise. 

"You're done talking?" 

"I'm done waiting. I'm ready." 

"Now?" Yin Yu muttered. "We planned this for at least another year. Doing this now is reckless boss." 

"I don't care." He growled. "He made gege cry. I'm destroying him right here right now." 

Yin Yu sighed. "If you're sure I guess." 

"I am. Start calling in favors. We have work to do." 

Chapter Text

Yin Yu sighed as he logged on to his laptop once more. It was one thing to say they were calling in favors. It was another to truly do it. A familiar forum came into the screen and he took a deep breath as he typed in. 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

So how would y'all feel about a real coup d'etat (・_・)ノ

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat)

You expected me to have the first coup, but it is he YY!!!

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Oh my god. It's happening. Everybody stay calm! Everybody stay calm! 

WWX (is sleeping with his boss)

Oh fuck yes finally something to do! 

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

Aren't you busy taking care of your boss WWX? 

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

Nah I told him I was pregnant so he's been fusing over me ヘ(￣ω￣ヘ)

YY (is tired of your BS) 

H

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Sorry I just logged in! What are we talking about now? 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

I will finally fulfill my destiny. Also WWX is pregnant

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Ignoring that last part. You're really going to plan a coup d'etat YY? 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Yes. Not against my boss sadly. It's...well do any of you know Jun Wu? 

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

Ahh the CEO of Wuyong? My boss had dealings with him before

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

My boss doesn't like him. He pitched his thingy once, but boss thought it was a little fishy

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

Jun Wu?? Is he not in fact an uwu man? ٩(ˊ〇ˋ*)و

YY (is tired of your BS)  

He is indeed not an uwu man. My boss and I have been trying to build a case on him for a while now. Was wondering if any of you had something on him

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Well. Hm. Uh. 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

??? Are you okay LW ??? If you're not comfortable with it I won't force it of course

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Well I'm not uncomfortable, that is to say, hm. 

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

I've never seen LW this flustered

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

I won't let you stop me from doing this it's my birthright

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

Alright calm down Shakespeare

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

LW you've always helped me with my boss. So whatever you decide I'll support it

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

Thank you PS. Well. My boss. He's actually…Jun Wu himself

YY (is tired of your BS) 

Wait

SQ (is thirsty for his boss) 

The plot thickens! 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

Uh-oh

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

I want to help you YY I really do. But I still have to think about my career. If they ever find out I leaked the company's information…I'd never get another job

Yin Yu glanced up and looked to the couch. Curled up protectively against a sleeping Xie Lian was Hua Cheng, serenely braiding Xie Lian’s hair. "Hey boss." 

"Hm." 

"If I can get someone close to Jun Wu to disclose something can you give them a good job somewhere?" 

"Just give them one of our companies." 

"Gotcha." 

YY (is tired of your BS) 

My boss is ready to give you your own company for your troubles. 

LW (is more competent than her boss) 

What. 

JGY (is this close to a coup d'etat) 

Fuck yes LW spill that tea

SQ (is thirsty for his boss)  

I'll put on the kettle everyone (*｀▽´)_旦~~

WWX (is sleeping with his boss) 

Fuck tea give me my alcohol _:(´ཀ`」∠):_

PS (wants to kill his boss) 

且_(ﾟ◇ﾟ；)ノﾞ Careful everyone the tea is hot!

LW (is more competent than her boss)

Very well. I will go along with this.

LW (is now planning a coup d’etat)

(*´ー`)旦 旦(￣ω￣*) Gather around children

YY (is now planning a coup d’etat) 

Thank you LW. I promise you're doing the right thing (　’ω’)旦~~ 

LW (is now planning a coup d’etat)

I know I am. I'm tired of covering his ass. It's time for me to show how competent I truly am. 

WWX (is now planning a coup d’etat) 

Aw fuck yes. I finally have something to make me look busy! (*´з`)口ﾟ｡ﾟOld man Qiren can't scold me now! 

PS (is now planning a coup d’etat) 

I'm very happy about this development. To our future coup d'etat! ( o^ ^o)且 

JGY (is FINALLY leading a coup d’etat) 

Perfectly balanced as all things should be. 

"That's one string." Yin Yu huffed. "Should I start calling down the list?" 

Hua Cheng nods. "You know where to start." 

You see there's a reason Hua Cheng chose to build his casino right in front of Jun Wu's face. It was a giant fuck you to every business in the street. And it was also a constant reminder of his goals every time he went to work. 

Humans are simple. When they're hungry they eat. When you dangle a piece of meat in front of them, eventually reasoning wanes and greed take over. They scorned the casino at first, wrinkling their noses and shaking their heads when they pass by. 

But eventually the exhaustion of working caught up. Passing by a place filled with laughter, overflowing food and drinks, the tantalizing sounds of chips and slot machines, how could anyone resist. They'd stop by once and see what it's all about they promised. They won't be tempted by high odds and low risks. 

By today almost fifty percent of all Wuyong employees have consistently or at least been into Hua Cheng’s casino. Blood Rain Seeking Flower was irresistible. They've slowly and unconsciously amounted a large debt from their extracurricular activities. And now it's time to cash in. 

Yin Yu flipped open his black binder and his swift fingers were already typing the first number. "Hello yes, Yin Yu here from Blood Rain Seeking Flower? Yes, it's come to my attention you've failed to repay the bets you owed from the blackjack table. Of course, we pride ourselves in putting our customers first, so we would like a once in a lifetime chance to repay us not by monetary means but in information. I'm sure you know where I'm getting at sir. Yes, I have my pen…"

Hua Cheng sighed. Yin Yu was going to be at it for a while now. He'd better get gege some breakfast and pull his own strings. 

First, he went home and told Feng Xin and Mu Qing what happened. Feng Xin bit his lip. "Is he alright?" 

"He's resting. Could you bring him some fresh clothes?" 

Feng Xin nodded and quickly ran to Xie Lian’s room. Mu Qing stayed, glaring at the kitchen table like it insulted his mother. "If I was there I would have kicked him in the balls and rip his throat out until he bleeds to death." 

"Agreed, but I wouldn't want to give him the pleasure of death." Hua Cheng leans back into his chair. "I won't forgive anyone that makes gege cry." 

"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Mu Qing snaps. 

"Mu Qing," Feng Xin scolded as he walked out with a pile of clothes and toiletries. "You promised we would haze him together." 

"Sorry." Mu Qing circled his arm around Feng Xin waist and jutted his chin out at Hua Cheng. "Explain." 

"I hardly think I owe any of you my explanation." 

"You best explain," Feng Xin said lightly. "One word from us and he boots you out like Ruoye's litter box." 

Hua Cheng shrugged. "Do you have your schedule cleared out?" 

Mu Qing frowned. "For what?" 

Hua Cheng cleared his throat exaggeratedly. "I'm going to list why I love gege starting with the letter A. Attractive. I've met a man so beautiful that I cried. B. Brawny. He can put me on a chokehold with his muscular arms and I'd say thank you very much may I have some more. C. Caring. He's put up with a demonic cousin, a demonic cat, and a demonic businessman and yet his heart is big enough to love the first two and not stab the third with a rusty spoon over and over again. D. Dic-"

" NO !" Mu Qing shouts. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT." 

"Please." Feng Xin whispered. "Please shut up." 

"But I'm not even halfway done! Wait until I get to F, L, S, and Z!" 

"What the fuck is Z going to be." Mu Qing groaned. 

"I don't want to know." Feng Xin stated.

They ushered him out even when he yelled, "Don't you want to hear the poem I prepared?" 

He trudged into his own apartment. For once E-Ming didn't kick up a fuss. He was curled up on the couch, merely flicking his ears when Hua Cheng came in. He snorted. "You're not even going to greet me?" 

E-Ming jumped down and sniffed the clothes he bought. He meowed when he smelled Xie Lian’s scent, rubbing himself against Hua Cheng’s leg. "What you want gege's clothes? Dream on." Hua Cheng snorts. 

E-Ming realized Hua Cheng wouldn't let him play with Xie Lian’s clothes and swiped him with his sharp claws, sulking in the corner of the room. Hua Cheng shook his head in exasperation. He took a quick shower shrugged on some clean clothes and fed E-Ming. The cat was still sulking, head down and eye watery. 

"Gods you're a handful. Do you miss gege that much?" E-Ming mewled. Not that Hua Cheng can blame him. Even he loathes to leave Xie Lian alone, especially after last night. He crouched down and slowly petted E-Ming. The cat reluctantly stayed still. "You can get really touch starved huh?" 

E-Ming sniffed. "Did you get lonely yesterday?" 

E-Ming looked away. "You don't miss me?" 

E-Ming stayed silent. "Alright. You don't want a kiss then?" Hua Cheng stood up and turned to leave. "Guess I'll see you when I see you E-Ming." 

Just as Hua Cheng moved to walk away something sharp dug in the meat of his lower leg. He glanced down to see E-Ming clutching his leg with his little claws. His body was telling the truth, but his face kept a false sense of aloof. Hua Cheng slightly shook his head and pried E-Ming's paws gently. Finally he scooped the black cat into his arms and pressed a long kiss to his cheeks. 

E-Ming refused to give a pleased face, but his flicking ears and the lazy swing of his tail revealed how happy he was. "How about we drop you off so you can see Ruoye?" 

And the sound of Ruoye's name E-Ming looked up at him hopefully. Hua Cheng snorted. "Look at you making friends already. And Ban Yue said you were a prickly fierce cat? Please." 

He knocked at the next door apartment impatiently. Feng Xin opened the door with earbuds in, glaring at him impatiently. "What?" 

Hua Cheng raised E-Ming by his armpits and smiled. "Playdate." 

Ruoye seemed to notice E-Ming by the door. He yowled excitedly pulling all his toys out from his basket and meowed as if to say hurry up and let my friend in gege ! Feng Xin sighed and leaned at the door to let E-Ming in. The black cat jumped excitedly from Hua Cheng’s arms and ran to Ruoye. The cats nuzzled each other and immediately started playing with the loose wool ball in front of them. 

Hua Cheng waved at Feng Xin. "Please take care of my little demon. Keep holy water and the bible away from him please."

"The only demon here is you!" Feng Xin snapped and slammed the door close. 

Hua Cheng sighed. Clothes for gege, take care of emo Furby, and now for breakfast. He's debated every option available, but after all buying food from Luo Binghe's was safest after all. He let his mind wander at the drive to Qing Jing Peak. Ever since he was told he would never regain the sight from his right eye all he's ever known was revenge and getting even. 

He wanted to prove a lowly half-blind boy unloved by even his parents could rise to ranks and defeat the evil greedy corporate executives. But last night? What else was he if not a powerless stuttering mess? He couldn't even talk back to that man. He couldn't even protect gege. Seeing him hunched down trembling on the cold street he felt as powerless as when he sat on the hospital bed curled up as the nurse called child services.

He clenched his fist. He won't let it happen again. No more moment of weakness, no more hesitation. For the first time in his life, he has someone worth protecting. He has something worth fighting for. He won't let go of both. 

Qing Jing Peak rolled into view. Hua Cheng sighed. He's had enough of this place but it is the safest option. Luo Binghe would never lower himself into poisoning his mother's carefully crafted recipes. Shen Yuan, despite his bouts of unkempt when his favorite web novel comes out, has a high sense of pride in what he does. 

He rolled his window and shouted at the person wiping the restaurant windows. "TWO CHICKEN CONGEE, A PORTION OF SALTED DUCK EGGS, AND A PORTION OF YOUTIAO. DON'T YOU DARE BE STINGY!" 

Ming Fan slammed the front door open fumbling with his cleaning supplies. "SHUT UP THIS ISN'T A DRIVE THROUGH!" 

"I'M DRIVING THROUGH AND ORDERING IT'S THE SAME THING."

"NO IT'S NOT." 

"OH MY GODS SHUT UP!" A girl's voice shouted. Ning Yingying poked he head out next to Ming Fan flapping her dustcloth at Hua Cheng. "You're bothering everyone!" 

"You're screaming too!" Ming Fan whined. 

"Shut up! Go and bring the order to Binghe okay?" 

Ming Fan glared at Hua Cheng one more time but wilted at Ning Yingying's impatient foot tapping. He trudged reluctantly inside the restaurant mumbling complains and curses all the while. Ning Yingying sighed as he stepped inside and looked at Hua Cheng. He raised his eyebrow. 

Ning Yingying gently closed the restaurant door and walked to the side of the car. She leaned in and peered into the window whistling lowly. "Nice car." 

"Thank you. Any reason you're being so agreeable today?" 

Ning Yingying shrugged. "I heard what you did yesterday." 

"You wouldn't want to know what I did last summer then." 

"Shut up. I…I just want to say thank you." 

"Is the world ending? Are you sick? Don't touch my food if you're sick I don't want gege getting sick."

"Can you just listen?!" Ning Yingying snapped. "Thank you okay! I know you abolished all our debt. You didn't have to do that, but you did." 

Hua Cheng hummed. Ning Yingying's cheeks were flushed by exertion. Were it anyone else being in the presence of such a girl would be a dream come true. She truly exudes the little sister vibe. Sadly Xie Lian has ruined him of any other beauty in the world. 

"I didn't do it for you don't be so presumptuous." 

"Yeah yeah." Ning Yingying sighs. "I would thank Xie-xiong but I guess he's not with you today huh." 

"...The congees are taking an awful lot of time." 

"Jeez, you have the manners of a real pirate." Ning Yingying said. "You might not have done it for us, but I remember how you gave us that loan in the first place. You didn't have to do it then either, but you did." 

"Maybe I just wanted somewhere nice to eat." 

"That's a plus yeah. But you gave us a lot of money for a restaurant with no prospects. Gave us boss too. You don't show it but you have a soft spot." 

"The only soft spot I have was when I was born and that closed off months later." Hua Cheng glanced at the door and right on cue Ming Fan trudged out carrying bags of food. "Ah, young master has finally deigned us worthy of his presence." 

"Shut the fuck up and take your damn congees." 

Hua Cheng grinned as he took the bags and set it beside him. "Thank you, peasants, I bid you adieu." 

"Wait." Ming Fan said gripping the window before it could roll-up. "We don't have our debt anymore right?" 

"I told you Yin Yu will take care of it-" 

"That means you have to pay." Ming Fan said gleefully. "You have to pay for your food!" 

Ning Yingying gasped. "Oh my god, he has to pay!" They clutched each other excitedly. "You have to pay!" They sing-song Cheng sighs reaching for his wallet. He paused. He patted himself down. Then he did it again slower. He…doesn't have his jacket. He blinked. His jacket was draped…over a very sleepy Xie Lian. He slowly looked up. "Put it on my tab." 

"We don't have tabs." They say in unison. It must be a frequent thing people ask for. 

"...Call Yin Yu for it." 

"Nah." Ming Fan said. 

"We leave our phones when we start our shifts." Ning Yingying clarified. 

Hua Cheng groaned. Ming Fan and Ning Yingying kept chanting pay pay pay like the Gods will take pity and shower Hua Cheng with money. He quietly poked his driver's shoulder. "...May I borrow some cash?"

His driver obediently passed him his wallet. Hua Cheng demurely opened it and pressed the bills into Ming Fan's awaiting hands. "Begone thot." His driver snorted lowly. Ming Fan clutched the money in victory. 

They drove away watching as the waving figure of Ming Fan and Ning Yingying become smaller and smaller. The familiar view of his casino rolls in. Pointedly ignoring the gleaming office across the street he made his way upstairs. He opened the office door to find Xie Lian and Yin Yu laughing about something. 

"And then he said release the butterflies and waved his hands. But the person in charge fumbled with the cage so he stood there like an idiot for three minutes!" 

Xie Lian and Yin Yu howled tears in their eyes. Hua Cheng cleared his throat. They both jumped and looked at him sheepishly. Yin Yu eyed the bags of food he held and nodded to Xie Lian. "I'll leave you both to eat." 

Hua Cheng gave Yin Yu the stinky eye even as the assistant slipped away soundlessly. Hua Cheng carefully set the food on his coffee table

The smell of the warm congee waft out and Xie Lian's stomach unconsciously growled. He blushed and looked up at Hua Cheng shyly. Hua Cheng simply chuckled. 

He took a spoonful of the congee and ate it. He nodded. It was warm and correctly seasoned it would sit well on gege's hungry stomach. Just as he glanced at Xie Lian to say so he met Xie Lian’s horrified expression. 

"Gege? What is it?" 

"San Lang you-why didn't you let me taste first!" 

Hua Cheng blinked down at his spoon. "Oh is the first spoonful of congee your favorite part? Don't worry I haven't touched the other one-" 

“No! You’re supposed to let me taste it first!” Xie Lian insisted. He clutched Hua Cheng’s shoulder. “Do you feel okay? Your stomach doesn’t hurt? Your breath isn’t labored? Your tongue isn’t tingly?”

Hua Cheng coughed nervously as Xie Lian leaned closer and closer to him. Any closer and he might do something he’ll regret for the rest of his life! He quickly stopped Xie Lian by grabbing a hold of his shoulder. “Calm down gege I’m okay!”

Xie Lian frowned. “Don’t do this again okay? Never ever.”

Hua Cheng smiled. “Are you worried because it’s your job or about me?”

“Don’t joke around.” Xie Lian muttered. “I’m serious okay?”

“Okay, okay.” Hua Cheng placated.

“Good. Now give me the spoon.” Xie Lian said. He shoveled the food in with such vigor that Hua Cheng couldn’t tell if it was from hungriness or frustration.

“Gege you take your job very seriously huh?” Hua Cheng said. He won’t lie and say he wasn’t disappointed by Xie Lian’s answer. If possible he wanted Xie Lian to think about him fondly if only a little.

“I do,” Xie Lian answered. “But you’re not just my job are you San Lang?”

Hua Cheng blinked. “I’m not?”

“No.” Xie Lian smiled consciously. 

Hua Cheng’s heart warmed. He couldn’t help looking down at his congee shyly.

Xie Lian shook his head. “I heard from Yin Yu you’re pulling strings against Jun Wu.”

“You just sit back and relax gege I’ll handle everything.” Hua Cheng assured him.

“I don’t want that.” Xie Lian said. “Let me help.”

“No.” Hua Cheng said. “I don’t want you anywhere near that man.”

“I don’t want you to be near him either.” Xie Lian said. “Don’t forget, I’m not the only one affected by him.”

“I’ll be fine.” Hua Cheng insisted. “I’m used to dealing with the scums of the world.”

“So am I.” Xie Lian reminded him. “In fact, I know him the best. I was trained to be a second him. If we’re to bring him down you need to involve me too.”

Hua Cheng shook his head. He hated this. If only he was stronger, better. He could deal with this alone and never involve gege and put him in a difficult spot. But looking at Xie Lian’s earnest eyes and his solid reasoning what else could he do but nod reluctantly. “Okay gege if you’re this insistent.”

Xie Lian nodded. Hua Cheng sighed and gestured to the congee. “Eat up then gege and rest up. Tonight we pull the last string.”

“The last string?”

“The most annoying string really.”

Xie Lian stood in a daze as he looked up at the extravagant night club. Heavenly Tribulation was, to say the least, the most elite of night clubs. Most celebrities would kill to be let in. And money wasn't going to cut it. Shi Wudu didn't bother with those. Only people he deems worthy are allowed in. It makes for quite an interesting bunch of people in the club. 

He doesn't measure morality into question as well. A drug dealer could be more worthy to him than say a famous singer. Other wild cards like a group of homeless people were once found in the club. Vouched by Shi Wudu's precious sibling Shi Qingxuan. That's why people cling to them wherever they go. It's a doorway to the unreachable. 

Of course, Shi Qingxuan themselves aren't the most predictable. One day he could favor you the next he's grown bored of you. And the next next day he'd get seduced by an undercover cop trying to unearth under table dealings in his brother's club and never stop clinging to said cop. 

Xie Lian looked at Hua Cheng in uncertainty. "Is this really where your last string is San Lang?" 

"Sure is." He said looking at the club in disdain. He hates crowded places. He barely tolerates the noises in the casino. He wants to get this over with as soon as possible. He smiled reassuringly at Xie Lian. "Don't worry gege it's not anyone dangerous." 

They make their way into the front door. A line of people has already crowded the bouncer to let them in. Some have even carried a board filled with pictures and news article clippings of why they should be let in. Some were yapping in their phone demanding their manager buy them a ticket in. Hua Cheng ignored them all and simply greeted the bouncer with a nod. 

She nodded back and shifted to let him in. Xie Lian walked forward, wincing at the crowd's loud and indignant protests. "Why the fuck are you letting that nobody enter the club?!" Xie Lian paused his foot haven't even crossed the door yet. He looked back uncomfortably. 

Just as he opened his mouth to say sorry a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist. He blinked up to see Hua Cheng’s irritated face. "Why is there a hyena who dare speak to my gege?" 

Xie Lian blinked and put up a placating hand at the furious person. "W-wait I'm sorry please-" 

"Who the fuck are you calling a hyena you one-eyed freak?!" 

"Yeah, this is a club, not an anime con! Get the fuck out!" 

Xie Lian slowly lowered his hand. "Who said that." 

Hua Cheng startled at his low voice. "Gege?" 

"I asked who said that." He repeated slowly like talking to a child. He rolled the sleeves of his white knit sweater up revealing a muscled arm. He clenched his fist walking to the line of people. "What you're silent now? Come and fight for a spot in the club if you're so desperate." 

Hua Cheng felt his heart skip a beat. He slowly rubbed his hand over his chest. "Gege you're too cool…you're going to give me a heart attack." 

The people who yelled and kicked up a fuss quieted. They could see this man was no ordinary man. There was power underneath that calm demeanor. None of them were capable of fighting, and getting hurt would be troublesome for their line of work. When Xie Lian was satisfied no one would dare he walked back to Hua Cheng’s side and nodded to him with a smile. "Let's go San Lang." 

"Gege I will follow you anywhere." Hua Cheng declared as he followed Xie Lian in. His gege blushed and shook his head cutely. 

"What are we ducks? Follow me everywhere…" He giggled. Hua Cheng grinned. 

"Are you imagining something fun gege?" 

"Ah, nothing. Just something silly." Xie Lian glanced at him. "So who do we meet?" 

Hua Cheng glanced at the crowd of people dancing to the loud music on the main stage. Thankfully it's not that late into the night and he can still hear Xie Lian’s voice. "They should be in the VIP area." He leads Xie Lian into a set of stairs and into a glass room. It was muffling the music from downstairs and was filled with a bar, a large tv screen with speakers, and leather couches. And seated on those couches, were two familiar figures. 

Xie Lian gasped. "Shi Qingxuan!" 

They were sprawled all over He Xuan, nuzzling affectionately at him. They perked up when they heard Xie Lian. "You're here!" They slurred and ran over to glomp Xie Lian instead. Xie Lian winced at the stinging smell of alcohol and had to steady Shi Qingxuan against him. 

"Whoa there. How much did you have to drink?" 

"Five...hic…five shots…?" Shi Qingxuan murmured uncertainly. 

"More like fifteen." He Xuan piped in sighing. He glanced at Hua Cheng and raised an eyebrow. "Thought you hated crowds." 

"Still do." Hua Cheng said as he sat down across him. "I'm here to cash in my favor." 

He Xuan smirked. "I thought friends don't count favors." 

"Since when are you my friend?" Hua Cheng shot back. 

"Considering how little you talk to anyone else other than me and Yin Yu I think we count as friends." 

"Is that what friendship is?" Hua Cheng mused. "You better buy me something for my birthday then." 

"Fuck off I'm running on government paychecks." He Xuan sighed. "So what's your favor?" 

"Really it benefits you too, oh slave driven government official." 

"See?" He Xuan leaned forward. "This is why I like being friends with you." 

Hua Cheng leaned back intertwining his hands together. "How would you like to be the lead detective in a very high profile insurance fraud case?" 

He Xuan hummed swirling a glass of whiskey. It sloshed around gently. "Go on." 

Xie Lian stumbled as Shi Qingxuan yelled out, "There's two of my boyfriend! Do you see Xie Lian do you see!" 

"I see, I see." Xie Lian said placating them.

"Which one should I choose?! Do I have to date both? But that's like cheating right?" 

"I'm sure he won't mind sharing you with himself." 

He Xuan sighed standing up to drag the drunk Shi Qingxuan over himself. Shi Qingxuan purred and immediately hugged him close. "Sorry about the idiot. His brother dropped him when he was a kid." 

Shi Qingxuan whined. "So mean! Which Ming-xiong are you! I don't like you!" 

"The one that's very tired and has a lot of paperwork to do." He glanced at Hua Cheng and nodded. "Call me for the details." 

Hua Cheng watched him drag a drunk Shi Qingxuan along. Eventually, when they got to the stairs He Xuan gave up and carried him in piggyback. Shi Qingxuan whopped as they descended, shouting go horsie go ! 

Xie Lian muffled his laughter and turned to Hua Cheng. "Your last string is reporting this to the authorities?" 

"Yes." Hua Cheng inclined his head. "He Xuan is some things, but he's honest to a fault with his work. And most importantly ambitious." 

Xie Lian sighed. "That's good and all but he won't get very far. Jun Wu's influence runs deep even in the force. Especially in the government." 

Hua Cheng smiles. "I knew you'd notice. Don't worry gege there's one red string that will lead us to victory. And only you can connect it." 

Xie Lian tilted his head. "Me?" 

"Absolutely not." Xie Lian insisted. He squirms on San Lang's couch uncomfortably. Yin Yu sighs from across him. 

"You don't need to say much. Mostly you'll be there to give an insight on how Jun Wu really is beyond the shitty dealings." 

"I can't." Xie Lian murmured. "I'll just ruin the press conference for everyone." 

San Lang touches Xie Lian’s shoulder in assurance. "I won't force you gege. But it is a good way to spur the media into caring about this case."

Xie Lian bit his lip. "What if I say the wrong thing? What if I freeze? What if I-" 

San Lang squeezed his shoulder. "I will be with you through it all. Whatever you decide I will stand by you." 

Xie Lian set his trembling hand over San Lang's and squeezed back. He took a deep breath. He's carrying the wishes of many people now. It's heavy, and he feels like drowning under it all. But he chose to fight back, and now he has the opportunity to do just that. He nodded at Yin Yu determinedly. "I'll do it." 

Yin Yu smiled. "Where do you want the press conference to be?" 

Xie Lian hummed. "I have the perfect place in mind." 

The sun shined over Qing Jing Peak. A small minbar was set in front of it. Crowds of reporters and journalists had crowded close, huddled together. They clutched their microphones and cameras impatiently. They didn't know what was going on. They're missing prime time news for this press, the only thing they were told was that it would be worth their time. 

Eventually from inside the restaurant, four people walked out. The first to take the mic was a uniformed police. The reporters stirred in interest. "Good morning," officer He Xuan addressed. "Today an ongoing investigation has come to light. We the police have reasonable evidence that Wuyong corporations have been selling fraudulent insurance to its consumers." 

Uneasy murmurs set in the crowd and one gusty reporter shouted, "And where did these allegations surface?" 

He Xuan gestured behind him. "May I present one of our sources of this case. Mr. Xie Lian, the floor is yours." 

Xie Lian nodded and shakily stepped up the minbar. He gulped at the size and uneasy gazes of hungry reporters. He looked back uncertainly. Hua Cheng nodded mouthing, I believe in you . Xie Lian smiled. He nodded back. With such an earnest and amazing person believing in him, there's nothing he can't do. 

He cleared his throat as he looked to the crowd once more. "My name is Xie Lian and I was the heir to Wuyong corporations." 

The reporters burst in noises, questions, and bursts of flashlights. Xie Lian simply continued. "I was personally educated by Jun Wu to be the next Wuyong leader. As a young man, my dream was to save the common folk." 

"It may be odd to you all, but I viewed insurance as exactly that. Preparing everyone for the worst moments in their life. An umbrella for a rainy day. When Wuyong started selling affordable insurance for everyone I thought it exactly what I needed to achieve my dream. Of a world where everyone was protected."

"I was wrong. Behind me is the very proof of that." Xie Lian shook his head. "Qing Jing Peak is one of many people who entrusted their future to Wuyong. And that future was stolen by Wuyong itself." 

"I do not ask for pity when I say that I too was manipulated by Jun Wu. I was a pawn in his grand plan and I played right into his hands." Xie Lian took a deep breath. "To everyone who has ever been harmed by Wuyong. I urge you to come forward and tell your story. I urge you to fight for what you deserve." 

"Because I'm here. Standing in front of you and ready to fight for you. May justice be done though the heavens fall." He bowed lowly. The cameras flash blindingly and reporters shout question after question. But Xie Lian was done. He stepped down and was immediately held close by San Lang. 

He buried his head on San Lang's shoulders sighing. "I did it, San Lang." 

"You were amazing gege." San Lang gushed. 

He Xuan stepped up once more to answer the sea of questions. Yin Yu shook his head at them fondly. "Should've bought an umbrella with me if I knew you would be embracing each other in the streets again." 

San Lang glared at him. "Shut up." Xie Lian giggled holding San Lang closer. 

Nobody knew when it happened. It was a blinding and confusing flurry of camera flashes and screams. Xie Lian blinked as San Lang slumped over him. "San Lang…?"

White noise filled Xie Lian’s head. Yin Yu was yelling at his phone. He Xuan was chasing a man down the street. Some reporters ran with him, some were busy snapping pictures in their direction. 

Xie Lian slowly looked down at his arm. Red. Red. Red. It was everywhere. Seeping into his white shirt. Dripping into the concrete road. Soaking from a wound in San Lang's side. His red clothes darkening in a terrifying maroon color. 

He felt his knees weaken as San Lang's body grew heavy. No. No. No. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. It comes with a lot of risks. The threat to his life isn't just ingestions. It could be physical as well. Yin Yu's words flash in his mind. 

No. He refused. He would protect San Lang from everything. Every poison in the world. Every gunshot wound, every blade. He would use what Jun Wu unnaturally changed in him to protect his most beloved. Xie Lian choked. 

Beloved. He didn't even have the chance to tell him yet. How much San Lang means to him. He pressed his shaky hand into San Lang's pale face, the other pressing into his wound desperately. "Please…San Lang, please…I can't do this without you…" He pleaded.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Words were after all meaningless to those who can't listen. 

Chapter Text

Local Police Man Tackles a Case and a Shooter

Pictured: Officer He Xuan catching the perpetrator on a chokehold in the streets

Last Tuesday every reporter from numerous news media gathered in front of Qing Jing Peak, a local restaurant to hear a press conference by officer He Xuan himself. The press conference itself was, in fact, a fascinating case concerning Wuyong corporation an insurance company that has climbed the top spots of most profitable companies in 2019 last year. However, the climax of the press conference was when we reporters were busy snapping pictures of the people involved in the conference. A man took advantage of the flashes in our camera to shoot Hua Cheng, a prominent figure in the case and in real life. Details of the shooter's identity are unclear, however as we interview his casino Blood Rain Seeking Flower many staff and gamblers alike seem to recognize the shooter as a frequent customer there. Read More >>>

Comments :

Anon6969

This is a srs case and all but may I just say goddamn officer He Xuan(＾་།＾)

Anon420

OFFICER HE XUAN CAN CHOKE ME AND TACKLE ME TO THE GROUND ANYTIME

Anon365

Everybody thirsting for officer He Xuan I'm thirsty for the TEA ( ˘▽˘)っ♨

Anon247

OMFG MING-XIONG YOU LOOK SO HOT SJSJJSJSJSJSJS ♡ ～('▽^人 

Anon8080

Who the fuck is Ming-xiong??? 

C.E.O of Wuyong Arrested For Insurance Fraud Amongst Other Allegations

Pictured: Jun Wu in cuffs dragged away by two officers and a smiling Officer He Xuan trailing behind

Just as the press conference ended and officer He Xuan arrested a rogue shooter, reporters swarm Wuyong corporations in the hopes of capturing the moment of, well, C.E.O Jun Wu's capture. The warrant for Wuyong was issued not long after an internet leak in a mysterious site detailed all sorts of back-alley dealings and insurance frauds. The only clue we have to this benevolent leak was the logo 'AA'. This along with whistleblowers within the company itself was enough for a case to be built against Wuyong in such a short time. It's a wonder how long this was planned behind the scenes. For now, Wuyong is the police's playground as trucks full of evidence are being carried out off the premises. Read More>>>

Comments :

Anon123

There's a sick pleasure in seeing a man in suits getting cuffed

Anon420 

Officer He Xuan, you should be arrested for the crime of stealing my heart ☆⌒(ゝ。∂)! 

Anon8080

Y'all weird

Anon247

MING-XIONGGGGG EVERYBODY'S OUT FOR YOUR DICK (ノ°益°)ノI don't like it!!! Go away vultures!!!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mei Nian Qing and Five Things Jun Wu Does Every Day. Number Four Will Shock You! 

Number One: Eat

Number Two: Shit

Number Three: Plot World Domination

Number Four: Breath

Number Five: Torment Employees With Moral Dilemmas

Comments :

Anon111

HE B R E A T H S??? ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ

Anon666

Next, you'll tell me he actually sleeps knowing hundreds to thousands of families are suffering from his actions

Anon774

Damn Mei Nian Qing drop your skincare routine sis

I LIVED BITCH

Pictured: Hua Cheng in a red hospital gown and Xie Lian throwing a peace sign to the camera

A direct quote from Hua Cheng himself who has recently survived a murder attempt in broad daylight at the Wuyong press conference. Hua Cheng is now recouping in the hospital but invited the media once again for a brief interview. He would like his shooter and the supposed figure behind the planning of the shooting that, "You should've gone for the head." He also suggested a bullet with a larger caliber, a higher grade pistol, and even details numerous windows across Qing Jing Peak that could've been used to snipe him from afar. Read More >>>

Comments :

Anon6969

Okay, why is everyone involved in this case so hot? 

Anon420 

Local man escapes murder plot, depressed that it wasn't elaborate enough

Anon247

Awww, Xie Lian, you peace signed the camera that's so cute!!!! (*¯ ³¯*)♡

"Gege." A voice whined pitifully. "I'm hungry." 

Xie Lian sighed as he glanced up from San Lang's phone. Confiscated by him and Yin Yu to prevent any more nonsense interviews. "You just ate you know?" He said this but he still sat down on the hospital bed gingerly. Hua Cheng sighed fiddling with his red hospital robes. 

"Well yeah but healing makes me really hungry." 

Xie Lian eyed the red robe in disdain. It was absurd enough for San Lang to insist on wearing red even in a hospital. But ever since the press conference Xie Lian has grown quite sick of the color red. He doesn't want to see it anymore, and certainly not on San Lang. 

The one-eyed man noticed him glaring at his hospital robes and tilted his head. "Is something wrong with my outfit gege?" 

"It's nothing." Xie Lian told him with a small smile. "You're okay with fruits right?" He took an orange from the fruit basket Feng Xin had reluctantly brought by yesterday. He started peeling them deftly ignoring San Lang's questioning gaze. Just as he finished peeling the orange skin into a neat petal a hand lightly sets on top of his. 

Xie Lian looked up to see San Lang's concerned gaze. "Gege please tell me what's wrong. My heart can't take it if you're upset with me." 

"I'm not upset with you!" Xie Lian quickly assured. "It's just…red." 

"Red?" 

"I hate it." Xie Lian stated. 

San Lang startled. "I can wear something else-" 

"It reminds me of last week." Xie Lian murmured quietly. "It was all so fast. I couldn't even tell when it happened. And when I saw my clothes soaking red-and I glanced down at you…there was so much red San Lang." His throat dried at the memory. Everything was a sea of crimson. His hands shake as he struggled to press San Lang's wound-but which was it? 

Everywhere he looked it was red. He clutched San Lang's body desperately, praying praying praying for it to stop. Stop bleeding. Stop dying. Stop closing your eyes. Stop being so cold. Stop making me feel this way. Stop. Stop. Stop. 

A warm hand cupped his cheek. Xie Lian’s breath stuttered as his eyes came to focus. He leaned into the hand sighing. "Sorry, San Lang. I know red is your favorite color." 

"And yours is white," San Lang gestured to his light grey sweater. "We don't have to wear the same colors every day. Maybe we can wear couples' t-shirt tomorrow!" 

Xie Lian chuckled. "You're not getting discharged tomorrow."

"Aw." San Lang pouted. 

"Besides, we're not even dating." Xie Lian shrugged.

"Oh, I haven't changed that?" San Lang said. 

Xie Lian blinked. "What?" 

"Gege." San Lang said seriously. "I love you. Please date me." 

"What." Xie Lian asked again a blush creeping to his cheeks. 

"I love you so much." San Lang said earnestly a smile on his face. So soft, so innocent. 

"What…" Xie Lian murmured, still dumbfounded. Countless feelings waved over him. Happiness, surprise, fondness, fulfillment. But the most prominent one was annoyance. 

"Ah!" Xie Lian shouted. "You said it first!" 

San Lang flinched at his outburst. "Gege...?"

"I can't believe you said it first!" Xie Lian grumbled out breaking apart the tangerine in his hand. 

"I'm…sorry?" San Lang said tentatively. 

"You should be!" Xie Lian said stuffing a piece of tangerine in San Lang's mouth. The young man chewed it warily. 

"Should I not have?" San Lang tried. 

"You already said it first, now you're asking first too!" Xie Lian ranted. San Lang opened his mouth to reply but another tangerine was stuffed in his mouth. San Lang chewed it obediently eyebrows furrowed. 

"I won't have it. You can't take all the firsts in this relationship." Xie Lian declared. San Lang's eye widened a flush to his cheeks. 

"We're dating now?" 

"Yes." Xie Lian affirmed. San Lang smiled and opened his mouth only to have another tangerine stuffed into his mouth. He pouted at Xie Lian. 

"No smoothness. Just me talking." Xie Lian said. San Lang nodded eagerly. 

"San Lang." Xie Lian said, taking his hand. "My name is Xie Lian."

San Lang blinked. Xie Lian continued. "I was the sole heir of Wuyong an insurance company under a man named Jun Wu. I was raised to keep people at arm's length and be above everyone else." 

"I was also raised to be useful. Every poison I took was me walking a tightrope between death and my future. I lived an arrogant life of believing I could save everyone and everything. I had everything. But everything I knew was built on a lie." 

"Now I'm but a humble man with nothing much to him than a dirty past and a scanvaged future of that past." Xie Lian squeezed his hand. "May I apply for the job of being yours?" 

San Lang's face was so red he matched his hospital gown. Xie Lian blinked nervously fanning him with his free hand. "Oh Gods, San Lang are you okay? Was that too much? That was too much huh. I just wanted to do it right and smooth like you-" 

He had practiced it over and over in his head as he waited for the surgery room to open. He's walked around the hospital so much he could remember by the top of his head how many steps it took to get from the bathroom to the surgery room. Over and over, all he thought about was how to confess to San Lang. 

He wouldn't, he couldn't think of any other scenario other than a safe and healthy San Lang out of that door. He will not let Jun Wu take anything from him anymore. He refuses to even think about it. So he walks, and thinks, and walks and thinks. If he stops he'd think about the stain in his white sweater and the deafening noise of silence. 

"Gege." San Lang croaked out. "I can't take it anymore. I'm seriously at my limit." 

Xie Lian’s consciousness was dragged back by those words. 

Xie Lian bit his lip. "What should I do then?" 

"Come here?" San Lang asked quietly. Xie Lian shuffles closer next to him. His thigh pressed against San Lang, warmth shared between the contact. His hand was still holding on to San Lang's. 

"Now what?" He asked. 

"...Lean forward." San Lang requested. 

Xie Lian obliged. They're only a breath apart. This close Xie Lian could see the bridge of San Lang's nose, his alluring eye, and his soft-looking lips. 

"Now what?" Xie Lian smiled. His words were so quiet. A whisper to a lover, a secret not to be shared with the world. 

San Lang smiled back. There was no need for more words. They both lean forward and meet in the middle. 

Soft. 

Warm.

San Lang. 

It was slow, tentative. Neither willing to rush, neither willing to part. It felt less like a kiss and more like stepping into uncharted land for the first time. Overwhelming curiosity for the unknown. The anticipation of a new adventure. Something to explore together. 

San Lang pressed a hand to his lips when they part. He looked dazed, a goofy smile on his face. Xie Lian couldn't help but chuckle. "Did you reach your limit after all?" 

San Lang shook his head. "I think I reached enlightenment." 

Xie Lian snorted. "San Lang ah, don't tease me." 

"I'm not." San Lang insisted a flush to his cheeks. "Can we do it again?" 

Xie Lian smiled. He leans forward lips barely brushing San Lang's and stuffs the rest of the tangerine in his mouth. San Lang's eye widened and he glared at Xie Lian. 

He grinned and moved away. "You'll get more when you rest and actually heal up, okay?" San Lang made grabby hands at him but Xie Lian stood his ground and exited the VIP room. 

He glances around the hall and smiles when a familiar figure comes around. "Yin Yu!"

Yin Yu waves at him two coffee cups in his hand. "Sorry about that. Went a bit further to get better coffee than the swill they serve in the cafeteria." He hands one to Xie Lian and he sips them appreciatively. 

"Do you want to go home and rest up? You look a little disheveled." Yin Yu frowned. "I'll stay with him if you want." 

"Ah, no." Xie Lian said tucking his hair back in an effort to make it neat. "I shouldn't leave him yet. He gets cranky when he's bored." 

"I know." Yin Yu rolled his eyes. "I still can't believe he convinced the nurses to let those damn reporters in." 

Xie Lian giggled. "I'll just stay with him till the medicine steps in. Do you want to see him Yin Yu?" 

"Oh right. I'm actually here to meet you." 

"Hm?" 

"Could you give me Feng Xin and Mu Qing's email address?" 

Feng Xin woke up to the notification on his phone. He grimaced as he tried to pry himself away from Mu Qing's clutches. Yesterday was tiring, to say the least. Work was piling up up and up. Watching the news soothed his stress now. Knowing Xie Lian is out there doing his best to make it right. Knowing that he succeeded. Feng Xin even recorded the channel that streamed Jun Wu getting cuffed and dragged from Wuyong. 

Mu Qing snorted when he saw Jun Wu's false confidence and unwavering smile. One could even nominate the man for an oscar. Feng Xin had trudged into bed last night with Mu Qing in tow. Then their old aged battle began.

"Little spoon!" They shouted at the same time. They glared at each other in a standoff.

"I'm tired." Mu Qing growled. "I want to be the little spoon." 

"You just were last night!" Feng Xin shouted. "I'm tired too you know." 

Mu Qing sighed. "Let's just rock paper scissors." Usually, they'd settle this for a round of…monopoly but clearly none of them are up for it. 

Feng Xin won a glorious victory with paper. Mu Qing always used rock first. He shuffles in the bed before his hand finds his phone. He raised an eyebrow at the email address and his eyes widened. "What the fuck." 

Mu Qing groaned reaching out to tug him closer. "Too damn early…" He muttered sleepily. 

"Mu Qing pinch me so I know this isn't a dream." Feng Xin said blankly. 

Mu Qing shrugged and in one swift movement slapped Feng Xin's ass. That hurts. "That hurts." He repeats. 

"No shit." Mu Qing murmured burying his head on Feng Xin's shoulder. 

Feng Xin pushed him away waving his phone at Mu Qing. "Read this! Read this right now." 

Mu Qing rubbed his eye with a yawn. He blinked wearily at the phone. He paused. "What the fuck." 

They glanced at each other. "What the fuck." They repeated. 

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Do you want to build a business? 

Hua Cheng has nine more side business and is ready to fund a new one. Terms and conditions apply of course. Listed loosely are :

You must bring profit or an increase in profit within a year

You must call Hua Cheng boss

You must convince Xie Lian to move out

You must accompany Hua Cheng when he asks for Xie Lian’s hand in marriage to his parents and MUST back him up

You must babysit Ruoye and E-Ming on date nights

You must hire Qi Rong in your company (Added by Xie Lian himself) 

And so on and on the email goes with more rules and ridiculous requests. Finally, the email ends with a single attached file of a work contract. 

Feng Xin bit his lip. "Wanna help me pack Xie Lian’s things?" 

"I can't believe we just unpack to pack it again." Mu Qing complained but he still moved to stand. Feng Xin sighed. 

"We're really going to owe Xie Lian’s sugar daddy a lot." 

"Boss." Mu Qing corrected. They look at each other and burst into laughter. 

"Yeah no. I'm so going to embarrass him in front of Auntie." 

"Qi Rong is going to have to call us boss." 

Xie Lian looked up at the falling ginkgo leaves a beautiful shade of yellow. The rustles of the tree accompanied the titter of sounds in the kitchen. Xie Lian pouted when he glanced inside. He was banished outside by his own mother. His own mother! Nobody appreciates his artistic way of cooking around here. No one except San Lang that is. 

Xie Lian smiled when he saw San Lang bent over with his mother, excitedly exchanging recipes while folding dumplings in their hand. When his mother found out that San Lang was an amazing cook she insisted they come to visit for chinese new year and celebrate with them. 

Xie Lian ended up carrying more people than he could ever think possible. He glanced at the vast field surrounding his mother and father's house. Feng Xin was jumping up and down a tree yelling for E-Ming to come down. The black cat had taken one glance at the trees around the house and climbed up. He looked down at Feng Xin smugly his tail swaying lazily. 

Mu Qing had glanced up in disdain holding Ruoye in his hand. He shook his head smiling fondly at Ruoye. "Best cat." 

Qi Rong was walking around dragging Gu Zi, eager to use his son for some easy cash. Gu Zi happily followed holding his hand tight. 

Shi Qingxuan was a little way off in the paddy fields his parents planted. They ooh and ahh as they walked around dragging He Xuan along. They giggled as they crouched down and took something from the field. "What?" He Xuan asked them warily. 

Shi Qingxuan grinned and brandished a frog in their hand. He Xuan flinched. "Aiya Ming-xiong are you scared?" 

He Xuan backed away. "No." 

Shi Qingxuan flipped their fan from who knows where and grinned. "This is for smiling down at your phone all the time!" They shouted as they started running to He Xuan at full speed. He Xuan flinched and instinctively ran too. 

"I'm not smiling at my phone!" 

"Liar! You like reading the thirst comments!" 

He heard someone sigh from beside him. He glanced up and smiled as Shen Yuan walked across the balcony Luo Binghe, Ming Fan, and Ning Yingying in tow. 

"Xie Lian." Shen Yuan smiled. "Happy new year." 

"Happy new year!" He greeted back. He glanced at Ming Fan and Ning Yingying excitedly clutching red envelopes. 

"Are you guys done hunting?" Xie Lian teased. Ming Fan and Ning Yingying nodded sheepishly. 

"Auntie told us to set up the table." Luo Binghe piped up. 

"Oh! Go ahead." Now Xie Lian noticed the group was dragging along a carpet and wooden table. They shuffle past him setting up them up under the ginkgo trees. Not a moment later new footsteps shuffle the floor. 

Yin Yu walked out followed closely by Quan Yizhen. Xie Lian had gaped when he found out Yin Yu was dating a rising athlete. Yin Yu had merely shrugged and Quan Yizhen insisted he would never be as good as Yin Yu in his prime. Now Yin Yu was holding up a tray of food and Quan Yizhen followed closely with his own. 

Yin Yu nodded at him quickly running to the setup table. As he did his friends greeted him noisily. Xie Lian smiled. The AA as Yin Yu introduced to him was quite the cast. Jin Guangyao, a prominent figure in the Nie corps. Pei Su, who Xie Lian recognized as Pei Ming's loyal assistant even before when he was still working at Wuyong. 

Shi Qinghua who in a small word was actually Shen Yuan's best friend, and whose boyfriend Mo Beijun he brought along was Luo Binghe's old friend. Wei Wuxian was an excitable youth, a contrast to his quiet boyfriend. He kept rubbing his stomach however and Xie Lian was worried he caught some strange stomach flu. 

And last but not least, Ling Wen. Xie Lian exchanged few words with her, but he had a sense of camaraderie in her. She knew the feeling of powerlessness and dependence on Jun Wu just as he had. She had awkwardly tried to call San Lang as her boss but he waved her away with, "No need. I only like Yin Yu calling me that." 

Now slower footsteps approached him. Xie Lian didn't have to glance to know who it was. He felt them sit beside him, a quiet presence. 

"Father." Xie Lian greeted. 

"Hm." He answered. He glanced around the house and huffed. "Who told you to bring an army for chinese new year?" 

"I apologize father. It just turned out this way." Xie Lian smiled at the chaos around him. It wasn't a traditional way of celebrating new years, not by a long shot. None of them were families in the true sense, and not all of them were close friends. But Xie Lian had a sense of connection with all of them as they worked towards the same goal. 

They were threads that unknowingly crossed each other in the grand scheme of everything. 

"You should've come alone." He said gruffly. 

Xie Lian’s head drooped. "I apologize." 

"Your mother is slaving away in the kitchen to feed these people since morning. Meanwhile, you're out here sitting and drinking tea." 

Xie Lian bit his lip and nodded. "You're right father." 

"I'm saying come back next time with fewer people." He muttered. "Spend more time with your mother when she's not busy cooking. Take her to the city or something." 

Xie Lian startled and finally mustered enough courage to look at his father. "You want me to come back?" 

"Hmph." He snorted. "Nobody told you to stay away. You just got it in your head to make things right and up and left us." 

"I did make it right." Xie Lian said, always always eager to be someone his father acknowledged. "Me and everyone here. It's done. Jun Wu is-Jun Wu got what he deserved." 

His father nodded. "You did." 

Xie Lian frowned. "You're not happy?" 

"I am." His father assented. "But the thing you need to make right the most isn't him." 

"What do you mean?" Xie Lian asked. He's always hated his father's roundabout way of talking. 

His father pointed to him. "The thing you needed to make right the most was yourself. You needed to leave to find yourself because you didn't know who you were without him." 

Xie Lian looked away. "Even when I've gone so far you won't say I've done well?" 

"I don't need to." His father said as he stood up. "I always knew you would." 

Xie Lian waited until the footsteps turned into a distant sound and let out a sigh. A hesitant smile appeared on his face. That was the longest they've ever talked without snapping at each other and having mother push them away to cool off. 

"Xie Lian." A voice called out from the kitchen. Xie Lian readily stood up and walked in. 

"Yes, mother?" 

His mother smiled sweat trickling her brows and gestured to a tray of food at the table. "Please bring those out." 

San Lang appeared wiping his wet hands. "Auntie do you need any more help?" 

"A-Cheng ah, I told you to just call me mother." She tuts and pushes a tray to his hands. "Now shoo I'll handle the rest!" 

They both shuffle out the kitchen. Xie Lian smiled up at San Lang. "A-Cheng huh?" 

San Lang hummed a pleased smile on his face. "She likes me." He says proudly. 

"She sure does." Xie Lian chuckled. "You're a record-breaker. It took Mu Qing a whole day for her to be attached to him." 

They brought the food up to the tables, greeting everyone. San Lang sat next to Xie Lian wrapping his arm around Xie Lian’s waist. Xie Lian leaned closer with a content smile. 

He let the conversation around was over him. For the first time in a while, a burden in his heart eased. He let himself enjoy the moment. The friendship he forged, and many new ones to come. The joy in his mother's eye as she brought the last food and her flushed cheeks as everyone cheered. His father reluctantly following her, nodding at everyone. 

Everyone picked up their chopsticks as the Yusheng was put in the middle of the table. Xie Lian leaned in and whispers in San Lang's ear, "Want to do the honors?" 

San Lang blinked. "I've never-I don't know how." 

"Do it together!" His mother chimed in. Everyone nodded in agreement. 

 "Just do it we're starving here!" Qi Rong yelled from the other end of the table. 

"Do it do it!" Gu Zi repeated. 

Xie Lian smiled at San Lang. "Just follow my lead." 

"Always." He murmured back. 

"Be prosperous and have a lot of money! May all your wish be fulfilled!" 

"Abundance throughout the year!" Xie Lian said as San Lang added the raw salmon. 

"Good luck and great prosperity!" San Lang took the lime and squeezed it over the salad. 

"May you attract wealth and treasures!" They sprinkled the cinnamon and pepper powder over it. Over the corner of his eyes, he saw Shen Yuan sharing a hopeful smile with Luo Binghe and the rest of Qing Jing Peak. 

"Enjoy a thousandfold profit from your investment! May you have sources of wealth!" Feng Xin and Mu Qing smiled at each other. Xie Lian poured the plum sauce over the salad. 

"Good luck is approaching!" San Lang added the shredded carrots. Yin Yu shared a meaningful look with Quan Yizhen. 

"May you be forever young!" Shi Qingxuan hummed nudging He Xuan. He rolled his eyes. Xie Lian added the shredded green radish. 

"May you rise steadily in your career!" The AA's whooped nudging at each other and Ling Wen especially. She blushed and smiled proudly. San Lang added the shredded white radish. 

"Hope that your house will be filled with gold and silver!" Qi Rong whooped. Gu Zi clapped his hands excitedly. Xie Lian poured the peanut crumbs and sesame seeds. 

"May your floor be covered in gold!" Xie Lian finally said as San Lang added the deep-fried flour crisps. 

Everyone shuffled closer and brandished their chopsticks. And then in unison, they pushed the salad in the middle and tossed them high with shouting "Lo Hei!" 

They tossed it high and excitedly. The salad was scattered all over the table. Everyone laughed as they tossed it over and over shouting at the tops of their lungs their wishes for the year. 

And then after the seventh toss, they started eating right from the plate. Everyone praised Xie Lian’s mother for her cooking and she waved her hand urging them to eat more. 

A few still shouted for their wishes. Wei Wuxian actually shouted for a child. His boyfriend Lan Zhan ignored him as he shuffled the Yusheng some more though his ears turned quite red. 

The only one who hasn't shouted was a quiet San Lang. Xie Lian glanced at him worriedly. "Are you alright San Lang?" 

He looked back at Xie Lian and nodded. "Of course gege." 

"You don't want to wish for anything?" He asked as Qi Rong loudly and violently tossed the Yusheng until it hit Mu Qing in the face shouting for money and gold. Feng Xin had to hold Mu Qing back from clawing his face. Gu Zi giggled as he tossed it clumsily with his wobbly held chopsticks yelling for his own pet cat. 

"Nope." San Lang answered with a shrug.

"You don't?" Xie Lian asked again. "You can wish for anything!" 

"I already have everything I want." San Lang answered as a matter of fact. His free hand reached for Xie Lian and he readily met him. "Happy new year gege." San Lang murmured quietly. 

"Happy new year San Lang." Xie Lian murmured back. 

Their fingers intertwined as they fed the Yusheng to each other, clumsily smearing the sauce and spilling the salad all over. They shared a secret smile as they ate together. For once San Lang and he could eat at the same time. 

The ginkgo leaves flutter to the sound of laughter, shared food, and stolen affections. From afar they look like the falling wings of a milkweed butterfly.