Chapter Text
“Sure we can’t offer you a ride back to campus?”
Mo Xuanyu looked up to see Jiang Yanli standing by a silver Rolls Royce, his half brother Jin Zixuan next to her holding the door open.
He felt a small smile on his own lips, something he couldn’t help when faced with such sincere kindness from his sister-in-law.
“I’m sure, da-sao,” Mo Xuanyu replies, lowering his eyelids.
“We’ll see you on Sunday for dinner, then,” says Jin Zixuan. His brother’s eyes were unsure but he was one of the few who was aware of Mo Xuanyu’s propensity to well, utterly freak out in confined spaces, and so Mo Xuanyu was only thankful that he didn’t push the offer of a car ride.
He waited for the car to pull away before drawing his coat tighter around himself and turning to walk down the street with a sigh. Vapor formed in front of him as he let out a breath, reminding him that it was getting late in the year.
Mo Xuanyu didn’t really know how he ended up at the gathering.
Okay, so maybe he knew. It was his newly discovered half brother, Jin Zixuan’s, attempt at including him in his social circle. For some reason Zixuan took it upon himself to try to right the wrongs their father made since he abandoned Mo Xuanyu’s underaged mother all those years ago. And while Xuanyu very much preferred staying away from social activities, he hadn’t the heart to turn down his brother when he’d asked with an excited, expectant smile if Mo Xuanyu would like to hang out with him and his friends that evening.
So that’s how he ended up sitting amongst some of Shanghai’s elite - Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian of the Yunmeng Jiangs, Nie Mingjue of the Qinghe Nies, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji of the Gusu Lans, and his own brother now head of the Lanling Jins - in one of the cafes Nie Industries owned as part of their diverse collection of businesses, after hours. Expensive bottles of red wine littered the table, Wei Wuxian and Nie Mingjue the biggest beneficiaries while the Lan brothers cradled their green teas in fancy tea cups.
Despite having Jin blood in him, thanks to his manwhore of a father, Mo Xuanyu knew he just didn’t belong. Even Wei Wuxian, adopted son of the Jiangs, had more on him despite not being related by blood. He was five when he was taken in by the Jiangs and was used to the opulence and security Lotus Pier Corporation - a company that dealt primarily in infrastructure - provided. He spoke the language of the affluent with ease, with barely a care in the world as he shamelessly made himself comfortable on Lan Wangji’s lap. He belonged , in spite of his birth.
It also didn’t help that he was the fucking seventh wheel; Jiang Yanli was married to his brother, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were finally together after years of mutual pining or so he heard from an exasperated Nie Huaisang, and Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen had been dating for over 7 years after having been best friends since they were teenagers. Mo Xuanyu shivered a little, remembering how Nie Mingjue sat close to Lan Xichen, an arm slung over the other’s shoulders, sometimes whispering into his ear. And how sometimes Lan Xichen’s lips would pull up at the corners.
Mo Xuanyu had felt a warmth blossom on his cheeks at being caught staring at them. They’d both looked directly at him at the same time, forcing him to lower his eyes and take a sip of his ridiculously expensive wine.
It should have been a sin for them to be so goddamn beautiful, making him feel even more out of place. He knew that he wasn’t bad looking, maybe a little scrawnier than he would’ve been had he had any semblance of healthy eating habits but he didn’t by any means have a bad face - it just wasn’t their kind of good looking. The kind of good looking that came from money but couldn’t be bought by money, if that made any sense.
Lan Xichen had a face that looked like it was carved by a god, light brown - almost golden - eyes, and smooth, plump lips, and Nie Mingjue had a strong masculine build and chiselled jaw, and fierce eyes that would soften everytime he looked at Lan Xichen. It was as if they shared a secret that no one else knew. Mo Xuanyu wondered what that must be like - to just, deep in one’s being, know .
Plop.
Mo Xuanyu was pulled out of his reverie by a fat raindrop that splattered on his cheek.
Oh.
He vaguely remembered reading the weather forecast that morning, important seeing as he preferred walking everywhere as opposed to being crammed in a car. Public transportation suited him fine but with the cafe being about a 45 minute walk, he figured he’d walk. But now, he’d left his umbrella in the umbrella stand of the cafe.
Mo Xuanyu let out another sigh and resolved to make the trek back to the cafe. He only hoped that Nie Mingjue hadn’t yet left.
He picked up the pace, just in case.
---
Soft music could be heard from the empty street as he approached the cafe. Dim yellow light shone through the large front window and onto the pavement. Mo Xuanyu felt relief. They hadn’t left yet. A light rain was now pouring steadily down on him.
He reached out for the door handle and was about to pull the door open when he saw them.
The tables were now free of the plates, bottles and glasses that were there when the group left the cafe, the bottoms of chairs were now resting on table tops, clearing the floor for cleaning. Nie Mingjue stood in the middle of the room with a broom, sweeping the floors. Respect bloomed in Mo Xuanyu’s chest. Here was a man who didn’t need to sweep, he could have left the place as messy as they made it and let his employees deal with it in the morning. God knows they wouldn’t have faulted him for it - he was the owner of the cafe. No, the CEO of whole fucking company that owned this cafe and numerous others, and one of the top commodities company in the country. But here he was cleaning up after himself and his friends.
Mo Xuanyu saw Lan Xichen slowly walk up to Nie Mingjue, arms circling him from behind. Nie Mingjue’s lips curved up into a small smile, leaning back into the leaner man. Together they started swaying along to the music, broom and floor forgotten.
Agujerito del cielo
Díctame por dónde ir
Para yo no equivocarme
Y así ver mi porvenir
Mo Xuanyu felt a breath hitch in his throat and a small spark of guilt. He was witnessing something undoubtedly private and intimate and he knew he should avert his eyes but he couldn’t. He stood mesmerized as Lan Xichen’s hands moved to Nie Mingjue’s hips, turning him around to face him. He was transfixed on the sight of the two men looking at each other with such adoration, lust, and understanding.
When you're done with me
I see a negative space
What you've done for me
You need to lose someday
Who needs to pray?
Who needs balance? I'll see you every day
It no longer mattered that the rain was coming down heavier now, barely sparing Mo Xuanyu as he stood on the little enclave at the door. He could only stare and feel like an intruder as the men drew their lips closer and captured each other in fervent kisses. He felt his own lips part slightly.
Barefoot in the park
You start rubbing off on me
Barefoot in the park
You start rubbing off on me
The loud sound of a car speeding through a wet road pulled him out of his trance. He shook his head a little, bringing himself back to the here and now. When he opened his eyes again, two pairs of curious eyes were staring at him through the glass of the wooden door.
Oh.
Steeling himself, he reached for the door knob and pulled the door open.
“S-sorry, I forgot my umbrella,” Mo Xuanyu managed, keeping his eyes lowered, gesturing towards the lone black umbrella that stood sadly in the cast iron umbrella holder.
“You’re drenched,” Lan Xichen stated.
“Hence the umbrella,” he replied, wryly. He glanced up to see Lan Xichen’s expression of slight concern and Nie Mingjue’s amusement. He knew with his long, mid-back length hair down and soaked, he probably looked like a shaggy wet dog.
Holding in a self-deprecating sigh, Mo Xuanyu took two steps and reached for his umbrella.
“Thanks again for tonight. See you,” he said as he turned back to head out, avoiding eye contact with them.
“Where are you off to? We’ll give you a lift,” Nie Mingjue offered.
“No it’s fine, I prefer walking.”
Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue looked at each other.
“You’re going back to campus right? It’s got to be at least a 30 minute walk,” Lan Xichen tries again.
Yeah, for your long ass legs, Mo Xuanyu thinks. He wants to let out a short laugh but pulls it back into himself before he releases it. It’s unfortunate that Nie Mingjue, with his sharp eyes, catches the slight twitch of his mouth.
“What’s so funny?” he half demands. Mo Xuanyu almost blanches - he’s heard about Nie Mingjue’s temper from his younger brother, Nie Huaisang, and definitely doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of it. Not that he’s sure what’s exactly warranted it. Maybe a protectiveness for Lan Xichen, which is kind of sweet.
So he mumbles out a response.
“What?” Nie Mingjue now properly demands.
“Mingjue,” Lan Xichen frowns at Nie Mingjue a little, placing a hand on Mingjue’s forearm.
“It’s 30 minutes for his long ass legs,” Mo Xuanyu says a little louder this time, and is rewarded by a bark of laughter from Nie Mingjue and an amused smile from Lan Xichen.
Mo Xuanyu’s own lips turn up into a small smile and he decides that he likes this - being able to make them laugh and smile at him. Something in his chest flutters and makes him feel light, then a part of him clamps it down because this is dangerous territory. Happiness - can it be called that? - doesn’t just come by for the likes of him. It has to be carefully earned and received in small doses, lest he forgets that it can be ripped from him in an instant.
“I’ll be going now, thank you again. Sorry,” Mo Xuanyu gives them a small bow before making a quick retreat out the door.
“Wai - ,” he hears one of them call out to him but he doesn’t stop. He rushes out into the now heavy rain without opening the umbrella. He’s already wet anyway. He opens the umbrella as he walks away from the cafe. He doesn’t want to think about the two pairs of eyes he felt on his retreating back.