Chapter Text
Shi Qingxuan takes one final look at his outfit, hands smoothing over nonexistent wrinkles.
You can do this Qingxuan, it's just an interview.
He takes a deep breath and double checks his green tote.
Water bottle? Check.
Resume? Check.
Emergency makeup kit? Check.
His phone lights up on his vanity.
xie lian
good luck today qingxuan!!
I know ur gonna do great :)
Shi Qingxuan smiles knowing his friend means well and replies,
any way you can convince ur husband to help
me get this job?? ;))
san lang isnt that nice qingxuan
I think he xuan’s gonna be the one
doing ur interview tho
...u mean black water sinking ships he xuan??
the one whose nickname comes from the fact
he can say one word and ur modeling career will be
“sunk” and over for the rest of eternity he xuan??!
I promise he’s much nicer than the
media makes him out to be
that’s bc ur literally married to his adopted brother TT
I have to go now i’ll text u how it goes
Shi Qingxuan shuts his phone off and slips it into his tote. He pulls on his shoes, the nice ones that show off his ankles, and heads out.
His interview was on the twelfth floor of the building Xie Lian’s husband, Hua Cheng, owned. The couple run a magazine called Crimson Rain where Shi Qingxuan hopes to get a modeling job under their fashion department. The department has an iron reputation with head designer He Xuan known for his cold and controlling attitude. It’s said that if He Xuan believes someone has no hope in the modeling industry, no one would ever bother looking at their portfolio again.
Shi Qingxuan approaches the frosted glass doors of the towering building and takes a deep breath. He steps into a bustling lobby, patrons zooming in and out of elevators or chatting in the small cafe tucked in the corner. Shi Qingxuan maneuvers himself around a tall woman carrying a stack of books and passes a waiting area of black leather chairs.
The man behind the receptionist desk perks up as Shi Qingxuan gets closer, his bushy hair pulled up in a ponytail. “Hello! How can I help you?”
The plaque on the marble countertop reads Quan Yizhen.
“Hi, I, uh, have an interview with the fashion department?” Shi Qingxuan’s grip tightens on the straps of his tote. “My name is Shi Qingxuan.”
At the mention of his name, the man named Yizhen’s eyes widen a fraction. He clicks on his computer screen before smiling brightly at Shi Qingxuan.
“Thanks for coming on time! As mentioned in the email we sent out, your interview is on the twelfth floor, there’s a waiting area there you can stay in before He Xuan fetches you.”
Shi Qingxuan smiles and pushes the swirling feeling in his gut down.
“Thank you!” He heads towards the elevators.
The buttons ding open at the twelfth floor and Shi Qingxuan is honestly surprised no one else had joined him on the elevator trip up. A black polished floor meets his eyes and he makes his way to a set of chairs matching the ones downstairs. Shi Qingxuan sits down and takes a swig of water, trying to calm his nerves.
“I don’t care what you have to do, tell them I need five bolts of chiffon by Thursday or I’ll make sure they’re all fired!” A cold voice cuts clear through the waiting area. “It’s their own damn fault for messing my order up.”
Shi Qingxuan tries not to stare at the man who just emerged from another set of frosted doors. He’s dressed impeccably in a sleek black suit, golden cufflinks flashing as they catch the light. The man turns to face Shi Qingxuan who feels his face heat up.
He’s gorgeous.
Pale skin that looks like it hasn’t seen the sun in years is framed by inky black locks of hair free from a clean ponytail. Shi Qingxuan notes a dangly gold earring that matches the man’s cufflinks brushing against a prominent cheekbone.
He hangs up the call, “I apologize, my supplier was giving me some issues.”
Shi Qingxuan shakes his head quickly, “It’s alright, I understand,” he lets out a shaky laugh, “I imagine it can get pretty frustrating.”
The man stares at him for a beat longer than Shi Qingxuan is comfortable with and he wonders if he’s already messed up. Not to mention his eyes are somehow the same exact shade of gold as his jewelry.
“You can follow me,” the man says in a clipped tone as he pushes the frosted doors back.
Shi Qingxuan tries to figure out who the man is—shouldn’t it be He Xuan getting him?—but follows quietly anyway. Now on his feet, Shi Qingxuan realizes just how much taller the other man is compared to him, a good couple of centimeters or so. He’s led through a loud office full of dress forms and pins and more fabric than he’s seen in his life.
The taller man pulls open another set of doors, dark oak this time, revealing a sprawling office. A long desk organized with not even a paper out of place sits in front of floor to ceiling windows that cover two sides of the room. Shi Qingxuan shifts awkwardly not knowing where to put himself and watches as the man moves around the desk to take a seat in a high-backed rolling chair.
“Have a seat.”
Shi Qingxuan attempts to gracefully sit down on the open chair and finally registers who the man seated in front of him is. The shiny plaque reading He Xuan helps too.
Shi Qingxuan swallows, “I don’t believe I introduced myself yet, I’m Shi Qingxuan.”
He Xuan’s lips almost quirk up into a smile. “Yes, I’m aware.”
Shi Qingxuan plays with his fingers in his lap and wonders if he should keep his mouth closed more often.
“I’ll get straight to the point,” He Xuan’s smooth voice rings out, “why do you want to work for us?”
Shi Qingxuan opens his mouth to respond.
“Does Shi Wudu treat his family members so poorly they would go to competition seeking for a job?” He Xuan’s almost-smile has now curled into a sneer.
Shi Qingxuan flinches but knows he probably couldn’t have gone through this interview without his brother being brought up,
“Department Head Xuan, I’d like you to know my brother is not my keeper. I made the decision myself to find my own job. I have gotten here without his influence and I intend to keep it that way.” He hopes He Xuan can’t hear his voice tremble.
“I see. Well I’ve already seen your portfolio and it’s passable,” He Xuan’s face is unreadable. “You can start tomorrow at eight.”
Shi Qingxuan lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “Thank you so much!”
He Xuan hums, “Let’s hope you don’t mess up, shall we? I trust you remember the way out.”
The words sting but they’re nothing Shi Qingxuan isn’t used to. He nods and his smile wavers slightly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Department Head.”
Shi Qingxuan exits the building as fast as he can without being suspicious. His cheeks burn and he silently curses his brother, ge why does your reputation always end up biting me in the butt?
He crosses the street to a small coffee shop and slides into the first seat available. Pulling his phone from his bag he sends Xie Lian a quick text.
xie lian
I got the job!!!
idk what ur talking about tho the nicest thing
about he xuan is his looks but as soon as he
opens his mouth it all goes out the window
haha i’ll tell him u said that
good job tho im so proud of u i knew
u could do it!!!
bestie if u do my job will be overrrrrrr
Im kidding dw ;p
do u know what they’re gonna have u
do tmrw tho??
shit i shouldve asked
I wouldve but i was too busy being
annoyed at he xuan to think straight
A waitress approaches Shi Qingxuan’s table and he orders an iced chai latte for himself.
His phone buzzes,
qingxuan pls, we all know there’s not a
single thing straight about u
Shi Qingxuan laughs to himself, Xie Lian has a point.
in any case, gl ik u will do ur absolute best!
knock em dead ;))
thnx lianlian <3
Shi Qingxuan sips his drink and watches the condensation drip down the side of his cup. He and Xie Lian had been roommates in university. Xie Lian had gone through a rough patch where a student accused him of lying on his application and had almost gotten expelled. Luckily, the incident was resolved and Xie Lian was able to remain at the university but it harmed his reputation more than anything. Shi Qingxuan had taken it upon himself to stick by the other guy’s side throughout the whole affair and the two stayed friends since.
He pays for his drink at the counter and heads back to his apartment, already exhausted from just one outing. Kicking off his shoes and dropping his bag on a barstool, Shi Qingxuan stretches and yawns. It’s only four in the afternoon but it feels like it's eight. He showers quickly and changes into a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt before crawling onto his bed. I’ll just take a quick nap…
It’s eight thirty by the time Shi Qingxuan blinks his eyes open. He rubs the sleep away and runs a hand through tangled hair before his stomach growls loudly. Padding into his kitchen, Shi Qingxuan considers what to make for his late dinner. Deciding he doesn’t want to put in too much effort he pulls a pack of instant spicy ramen from his tiny pantry and gets to work.
He likes to think of himself as a good cook, adding mashed garlic and sesame seeds to the boiling noodles. Once finished, he decides to eat straight from the pot and collapses on his couch—way too big for just one person but he’s not complaining. Shi Qingxuan prods his noodles with his chopsticks and turns on his TV to play reruns of his favorite drama The Untamed.
It doesn’t take long before he finishes his ramen and takes an even shorter amount of time for him to fall asleep.