Work Text:
Ge Chen has been strangely jumpy for the past several days, enough for Zhang Fenghan to notice.
The quality of his work did not suffer in the slightest, — he was just as focused and meticulous as ever, — but there was a sense of urgency to his movements, as if he was trying to pass the time as quickly as possible. Every once in a while he would look around, as if expecting to find someone specific, then lower his head again when that person, evidently, did not manifest.
Zhang Fenghan slowly ambled his way over to Ge Chen’s work station to see what he was doing with the windslasher blades scattered all over his table, along with a flurry of paper scraps with various measurements and notes written on them in incredibly messy writing. He waved off his apprentice’s scrambled greeting and carefully studied the scribbles that seemed to be focused on decreasing the ziliujin usage without sacrificing the efficiency of the weapon.
He raised his head, intending to ask a project-related question, and caught Ge Chen turning his head again.
“Looking for someone?” Zhang Fenghan asked casually.
“Who, me?” Ge Chen laughed awkwardly and scratched his head, a little embarrassed to be seen through.
Zhang Fenghan’s mustache twitched as he held back a smile, patiently waiting for his apprentice to either deny any and all distractions, or to admit what was on his mind. It only took a few moments for Ge Chen to cave, his excitement too strong to keep down.
“I received good news recently,” he said while looking down at the work table, grinning to himself as he fiddled with the detached half of a windslasher handle. “My… close friend will come back to the capital soon.”
“That is good news indeed,” Zhang Fenghan nodded in understanding. “Do you know when they will arrive?”
“Not exactly, no,” Ge Chen shook his head. “I do know that it will be very soon, though.”
“In any case, I am sure your close friend is likely to send word to you when they make their way here,” Zhang Fenghan said, squinting down at the table notes. “I doubt they will appear in Ling Shu Institute before you even know of their arrival.”
Ge Chen beamed at him. “Mm, you are right, Master Zhang!”
Zhang Fenghan had a feeling that he did not actually believe his words.
The next day, the head of Ling Shu spent all morning checking over diagrams for upcoming sea dragon modifications, making adjustments, leaving suggestions, and fixing any small mistakes. It was afternoon by the time he stepped out of his study to inspect the project work being done in the Institute.
When he arrived to check in with Ge Chen, he found that he was not alone. An unfamiliar person stood next to him and pulled on his sleeve, quietly saying something close to Ge Chen’s ear; the latter listened to them very attentively with a dopey smile on his face.
The newcomer looked somewhat out of place surrounded by machine parts and mechanics covered in grime. Their figure was wrapped in light-coloured robes, — do they not realise how quickly such clothes could get covered in dirt around here? — hair pulled up in a neat ponytail with a small hairpin at the base of it. If there was a person who looked like an opposite of Ge Chen, it would be them.
So this must be the close friend he was looking forward to so much, Zhang Fenghan thought to himself.
Just then, Ge Chen glanced over and noticed his presence. “Master Zhang!” The two younger people gave their greetings to him at the same time, their arms brushing.
After a few polite words, Zhang Fenghan got a better look at the person standing next to Ge Chen. They looked even more delicate up close. “I don’t believe I have seen you before.”
“My name is Cao Chunhua,” they said brightly and offered another proper bow. “I have heard a lot of great things about the brilliant head of Ling Shu Institute.”
Zhang Fenghan could not help laughing at that. “No need for flattery, no need. I am always happy to make acquaintance with Ge Chen’s friends.”
Cao Chunhua smiled sweetly in response; in Zhang Fenghan’s peripheral vision, he could see Ge Chen grinning as well. “The flattery is not unfounded, Master Zhang. A-Chen holds you in very high regard.”
Ge Chen choked on air and coughed a few times, the tips of his ears quickly turning red. Cao Chunhua chose not to perceive it, their sly smile unwavering as they blinked innocently at Zhang Fenghan.
“Ah, ah, please,” Zhang Fenghan waved away the praise. “Spare this old man.” He looked over at Ge Chen, who looked red enough to resemble a kite. “We are happy to have visitors at the Institute, I am sure Ge Chen will be happy to show you around.”
Technically, his apprentice should be getting back to work; but Zhang Fenghan trusted him enough to be able to handle a guest, especially a friend, without it affecting his concentration too much. Not to mention that the old man’s heart softened when he saw the joy on his face every time he looked at Cao Chunhua.
“Of course, yes!” Ge Chen piped up. “I will show you everything! It’s really amazing, words have not done it justice, trust me, — there are so many innovative people here, I will introduce them to you, too. Oh, and we have so many projects already in progress that I can probably show you, and, —” he paused, catching his breath. Cao Chunhua looked at him with a small, indulgent smile. “Oh, right! How long are you staying?”
The smile on Cao Chunhua’s face faltered. “Ah… I can only be here for a few days,” they said, hand reaching up to play with a strand of their hair. “Then I will be needed elsewhere.”
“A few days?” Ge Chen sounded visibly disappointed, but he quickly tried to recover his previous excited tone. “Well, a few days is good too!”
“Mhm,” Cao Chunhua did not look at him.
The atmosphere became awkward, and Zhang Fenghan realised that at this point he was as good as intruding. He bid farewell to the two of them and turned to leave; as he passed Ge Chen, he put a hand on his shoulder.
“Your friend just came back and must still be tired from travel. Don’t make them stay here, go with them and help them get settled.”
Ge Chen blinked, looking at his teacher with a mixed expression, as if he did not quite dare to believe his words. “Master Zhang? Is that really alright?”
“You are always the first one to come here and the last to leave. No harm in finishing the work day early just this once.”
Ge Chen glanced at Cao Chunhua, a little more cheery now. “Then… then please excuse me!”
Zhang Fenghan left the two to their own devices, but he could not help taking a look back once. Cao Chunhua had fluttered over to Ge Chen’s side, holding his sleeve again and whispering something in his ear, standing on tip-toes. Ge Chen hung on to every word, nodding with a soft expression on his face.
So this is how it is, Zhang Fenghan mused to himself as he continued his supervision of the Ling Shu mechanics.
True to their word, Cao Chunhua was gone several days later without leaving even a single hint of where they were headed. Perhaps they themself did not know yet.
Anyone could pinpoint the exact day of their departure, because Ge Chen seemed to be shadowed by a gloomy cloud that put a damper on his usually upbeat mood. He would act just like he always would when he was spoken to, but when left to his own devices he would become a little too focused on his work, as if to drown out everything around him, including his own thoughts.
Zhang Fenghan could understand the melancholy that followed the parting with a dear friend very well, especially when it was unknown when they would meet again. All he could do was remind Ge Chen to take care and get enough sleep.
Resilient as ever, Ge Chen was shortly back to his usual bright self.
Ever since Cao Chunhua’s first visit, Zhang Fenghan began to slowly notice little hints of their presence around Ge Chen that he never noticed before. Small drawings scribbled in the corners of some of his notes by another’s hand. A thin, light pink ribbon tied neatly around one of his belts that clearly did not originally belong to him. Hints of embroidery on his otherwise plain, coarse work robes, as if they were sewn for practice rather than true decoration. A wooden messenger bird painted like a children’s toy.
Zhang Fenghan pointed out the bird to Ge Chen. “I did not know toymakers got their hands on this design.”
Ge Chen looked over and laughed quietly. “The toymaker is me, this one is old and out of commission. Xiao-Cao— Cao Chunhua did not let me take it apart, and wanted to paint it instead.”
“I see, I see,” Zhang Fenghan nodded to himself, reaching over to examine the bird more closely. “This paint job is quite well-done.”
“They said it was their first attempt at painting on wood,” Ge Chen said with a hint of pride in his voice. “It does not look like it is, though.”
“Your friend appears to be good at such things,” Zhang Fenghan remarked. Though he was usually not prone to making assumptions, thinking back to Cao Chunhua’s appearance, they looked exactly like the kind of person who would insist on saving an old wooden bird from being taken apart to paint it.
“They are! There… are a lot of things they are very good at,” Ge Chen said, eyes lowered. “Painting is only one of them, they always try out new things whenever they can. They are very good at make-up, — I think they are, I mean, it always looks nice to me, — and they can sew and adjust clothes. They have picked up embroidery recently too but they are already making very fast progress with it,” Ge Chen was unable to stop talking. “They asked me about teaching them wood carving next time they’re here, but I’m sure if I teach them the basics, they will become better at it than me in no time. And writing! They can write perfectly with either hand! And the way they learn languages…”
“They do sound very impressive,” Zhang Fenghan said, a little amused.
“They are!” Ge Chen laughed and scratched his head, his cheeks pink. “Eh, maybe don’t tell them I said all that, though.”
Zhang Fenghan chuckled and placed the painted bird back on its original spot. “Alright, alright, my lips are sealed.”
Several months later, Cao Chunhua appeared in Ling Shu Institute without warning again, as if materialising next to Ge Chen out of thin air. Zhang Fenghan watched the two of them curiously as his apprentice explained something, pointing at the block of wood in Cao Chunhua’s hand; they were listening attentively, a carving tool in their other hand and a few more laying on the work table in front of them.
Zhang Fenghan hummed thoughtfully and let them be.
Eventually, such visits became such a predictably recurring thing that Zhang Fenghan sometimes did not even notice exactly when Cao Chunhua would appear by Ge Chen’s side, and then disappear again. The other mechanics also quickly became familiar with them, and since they behaved fairly politely and did not disturb the work flow, no one minded their presence. There were two brief instances where a worker or two would stare at them a little too much, but it did not happen again after a few stern words from Zhang Fenghan.
The old teacher expected Ge Chen to ask for more off days when his friend was around, since he would naturally want to spend most of his time with them, but that never happened. Cao Chunhua would simply accompany him on the job whenever they seemed to have the time; sometimes it consisted of taking a nap at the corner of a table, but everyone around them graciously overlooked that.
Every once in a while, Zhang Fenghan would kick his pupil out of the Institute for the day if he caught him working a little too much. Ge Chen’s mind was always set on his beloved machines, and though he was usually well aware of the limits of his own human body, on a few rare occasions it slipped his mind and he ended up overworking by accident. It happened even less when Cao Chunhua was around to keep him aware of his surroundings, but exceptions were always possible.
Today he should have been resting elsewhere after staying awake in the Institute for more hours than he should have to finish up a new heavy armour model prototype. Yet, he was in his usual corner, disassembling the same windslasher that he had been messing around with on and off for the last few months. Cao Chunhua was evidently back from whatever excursion they were on, sitting next to him with their chin propped up on their hand, half-asleep.
After pondering for a few moments, Zhang Fenghan slowly approached the two of them from the side, careful not to make too much noise. Cao Chunhua noticed his approach and blinked quickly, trying to look more awake, but did not alert Ge Chen in any way. Zhang Fenghan commended them in his thoughts.
When his protégé put down the slasher parts for a moment, the old man laid a hand on his shoulder. “Ge Chen.”
The culprit nearly jumped out of his skin and scrambled to get up and greet his teacher, accompanied by the sound of Cao Chunhua’s giggles. “Master Zhang! I —”
“Good day, Master Zhang,” Cao Chunhua said smoothly, cutting off Ge Chen and standing up next to him to also give their greeting.
“And what might you be doing here?” Zhang Fenghan asked, looking over the disarray on the work table.
Ge Chen also glanced at the mess guiltily. “Erm, just some… quick adjustments. I’m only here for a moment!”
“We have been here all morning, and he is still messing with that thing,” Cao Chunhua snitched ruthlessly, fluttering their eyelashes and ignoring Ge Chen’s scandalised glare. “Having a free day and still returning to work, who does that?”
“I only wanted to try something out before I forgot it!” Ge Chen explained quickly.
Zhang Fenghan raised an eyebrow. “Well, why not write it down and try it later, instead?”
Cao Chunhua hid a smile behind their sleeve that seemed to suggest that they had said something similar. Ge Chen quickly lowered his head. “I — Master Zhang is right.”
Zhang Fenghan glanced at Cao Chunhua. “You could have at least let your friend rest instead of dragging them here. They look like they are about to fall over.”
“Ah, I was the one who insisted,” Cao Chunhua said lightly, lowering their sleeve. “We haven’t seen each other for such a long time before this, I did not want to be left on my own.”
Ge Chen’s face slowly went so pink it was visible in Zhang Fenghan’s peripheral vision. He sighed internally to himself; young people will behave like young people, there is no helping it.
“Leave this here,” he pointed at the windslasher, then he pointed at Ge Chen. “Write down your thoughts and leave them here too. You can get back to them later. I will see you come back tomorrow afternoon, and not a moment earlier.”
“Oh,” Cao Chunhua murmured. “Then we can have the next morning all to ourselves?”
“Xiao-Cao,” Ge Chen said resignedly.
Zhang Fenghan looked at Cao Chunhua, stroking his beard. “I will see you here tomorrow, as well?”
“Very likely, Master Zhang,” Cao Chunhua replied breezily, offering him a smile.
Ge Chen snorted. “Maybe I won’t bring you tomorrow. Serves you right.”
“Yes, you will,” Cao Chunhua said confidently. “What if I get lonely?”
“Xiao-Cao.”
Zhang Fenghan shook his head, exasperated. “Both of you, get out of my institute.”
For the most part, the two of them never brought Zhang Fenghan any trouble. If anything, he was grateful to have an apprentice like Ge Chen around, who was not only a brilliant mechanic at such a young age, but was also deeply respectful and attentive towards his teacher. Zhang Fenghan never had any children of his own, nor did he particularly want to; hence, the quality of life he would have during his old age depended entirely on whether someone would be kind enough to take care of him.
He thought he would have to depend entirely on servants, but now he had an apprentice that held him in such high regard that he promised to follow him until the end. Zhang Fenghan could confidently say that his life was pretty good.
It took him nearly no time at all to warm up to Ge Chen’s friend, as well, especially when their visits became longer and more frequent. They were a likable person in general, polite and pleasant to talk to. He knew that there was more to them than that, — there were a few times when he saw Cao Chunhua say something from afar that he could not hear, and the mechanics around them either dropped their jaws or turned bright red in the face, — but he did not pursue it. Their company was always welcome.
Every once in a while, when Zhang Fenghan was resting his legs after walking around the Institute, they would appear to sit next to him and chat. He would tell them about Ling Shu and some stories from when he was younger, but mostly he would end up talking about his dogs. It is natural for any person who has children or pets to rave about them to anyone who is willing to listen; and Cao Chunhua seemed interested enough, even memorising some of their names and asking about their health every time they saw him.
They would occasionally share stories from their extensive travels all over Great Liang and beyond, sometimes long, detailed accounts, sometimes vague anecdotes that omitted the purpose of those travels. Zhang Fenghan was fairly certain that they were part of Lin Yuan Pavilion, but he was not entirely sure what exactly they were tasked with at any given point. He understood that some secrets they had to keep no matter what, and therefore did not pry. Cao Chunhua was quite good at storytelling, especially when they had a strong opinion on something, — they went on more than a few excited rants about the nature of languages and how intricate and nuanced each one is.
There were other times when the two would not talk at all, and just sit in companionable silence, soaking up the sun and fresh air.
“Why not stay at our Ling Shu Institute for good?” Zhang Fenghan asked good-naturedly one day. “I’m sure we can find something to do for you here.”
“Master Zhang is being too generous,” Cao Chunhua said politely. “I am afraid I am no match for your machines.”
“Everyone starts somewhere,” Zhang Fenghan said.
“Ah, I will still have to pass,” they countered, tone light. “I am sure you already know that I am mostly here because of Ge Chen.”
“Right, right, I understand,” Zhang Fenghan nodded. “You have been friends with him for a long time, yes?”
“Since we were small children,” Cao Chunhua confirmed with a soft smile. “Time flies quite fast.”
“Who would have thought you two would end up here, eh?” Zhang Fenghan chuckled.
“I always knew he would end up somewhere good, at least,” Cao Chunhua hummed. “He was a genius ever since we were very young. It was only a matter of time before he achieved something major.”
Zhang Fenghan looked at them with approval. “Of course you see it, too.” He lowered his voice. “Our Ling Shu Institute is full of immeasurable talent and skill, but I must admit that he is one of our best, if not the best.”
“Of course he is,” Cao Chunhua’s smile brightened. “What else can be expected of a prodigy?”
Zhang Fenghan had nothing to say to that.
“He talked a lot about different inventions when we were kids,” Cao Chunhua said after a pause, tone a little dreamy. “He had a lot of hopes for the future, and I must say I was not fully convinced that he would achieve all those ambitious dreams back then. Our world was only as big as one tiny border town, what grand inventions?” They laughed quietly. “And yet he went from daydreaming about riding a kite to now working on them. It’s wonderful.”
“Very much so,” Zhang Fenghan agreed. He himself was born and raised in the capital city; he could only imagine the wonder and excitement of a single child who began with living on shreds of hope that seemed too far away to reach, and through the workings of fate ended up achieving his one true dream. “It’s a good thing it worked out like this,” he added after a bit of silence. “He truly is a rare talent, it would have been a travesty if all that potential went undiscovered.”
“Truly,” Cao Chunhua said, then laughed quietly. “Ah, many years passed already, and we both made it somewhere since then. He is very happy here and now. There is no use in dwelling on the past.”
“Indeed.” Zhang Fenghan cleared his throat. “He will be busy for a while there. Why don’t you come walk the dogs with me?”
“Dogs?” Cao Chunhua tilted their head to the side, pondering. “I… do not mind. I am sure Master Zhang’s dogs are very well-behaved.”
“There is nothing to worry about,” Zhang Fenghan said, mustache twitching with amusement. “They are very well-trained and will not give you any trouble. Are you afraid of dogs?”
“Ah, not at all,” Cao Chunhua laughed politely. “Large dogs make me a little nervous, but I am not scared of them.”
Zhang Fenghan thought about his very much large dogs. “You’ll be fine,” he said confidently.
Despite their size, the dogs in question were very friendly and sociable, and enjoyed meeting new people. They sniffed curiously at the newcomer’s feet while crowding around them, tails wagging, and Cao Chunhua had no choice but to remain stuck in the spot and allow the animals to form their opinion of them.
“They like you,” Zhang Fenghan said confidently. “Look at how fast their tails are.”
“I am very glad your dogs accept me,” Cao Chunhua said, smiling. “If they did not, I doubt I could recover from that.” They tentatively reached out a hand to pet one of the dogs, but froze when the dog turned its head to poke its nose at their wrist.
“None of them will bite,” Zhang Fenghan reassured them, patting the dog’s back.
Cao Chunhua did not look entirely convinced, but they nevertheless tried again and this time succeeded in patting the dog on the head. The dog’s tail wagged so fast it was blurred, and the other dogs, also wanting to receive attention, crowded around even more. Cao Chunhua tried to pet each dog equally, despairing that they only had two hands for the task.
The sight was endearing, especially when it became obvious that Cao Chunhua really wanted to be liked by the dogs, desperately trying to make sure no dog was left unattended. They had nothing to worry about, evidently, because the big puppies were more than happy to receive pets and scratches, haphazard as they were, from this newly-made friend.
Chuckling to himself, Zhang Fenghan fished out a small package out of his waist pouch. “They will like you even more if you give them some of this.”
The crinkling sound of the wrapping was clearly familiar to the dogs, who immediately stood at attention and kept their eyes on the bag as it was transferred from Zhang Fenghan’s hands to Cao Chunhua’s. They carefully pulled open a wrapper fold. “This is… ?”
“I give these to them as treats,” Zhang Fenghan explained. The dogs became more excited, circling around Cao Chunhua expectantly. “Distribute them as you see fit.”
“Ah… alright!” Cao Chunhua looked a bit caught off guard, but nodded. They held the bag up higher and looked down at the canines waiting at their feet. “Master Zhang treats all of you well, doesn’t he? Look what he saved for you.”
Maybe he should have planned this differently, Zhang Fenghan mused as he watched the dogs run around Cao Chunhua’s legs so closely they nearly bowled them over several times. Cao Chunhua formidably held their ground, however, methodically distributing the treats and lightly scolding the dogs that tried to get seconds out of turn, before nevertheless giving them more. The dogs were ecstatic, yipping excitedly as they poked their snouts at their hand and licked their fingers.
Cao Chunhua gradually began to appear more relaxed as they got used to the small crowd, no longer flinching when a dog unexpectedly brushed their nose against them, or taking their hand away too fast out of fear that they will be bitten. The dogs were perfectly trained, and even though they were getting very close, they did not actually overwhelm the new human, and did not fight over the food.
While the dogs were having the time of their lives, Ge Chen suddenly showed up, walking quickly while carefully holding a scroll in his hands. “Ah, teacher!” He suddenly froze, bright smile turning deeply confused as he watched the scene before him. One of the dogs recognised him and broke away from the crowd to run over and receive an ear scratch.
Zhang Fenghan turned around, leaving Cao Chunhua to fend for themself as the dogs yipped and crowded around them. “Ge Chen! Are you lot done for today?”
“Y-yes!” Ge Chen regained focus and stepped forward, handing the scroll to his teacher. The dog trailed after him. “Here are the updates to the diagram, along with the potential adjustments drawn in.”
Zhang Fenghan unrolled the scroll for a brief look and nodded in approval. “Good work. I will go over the details by tomorrow.”
“Yes, Master Zhang,” Ge Chen said, his eyes wandering over to the side. Just then, Cao Chunhua let out a loud squeak; a dog licked them directly on the cheek when they leaned down.
Zhang Fenghan decided to finally show mercy. He let out a low whistle and all the dogs obediently ran over to him, leaving a somewhat frazzled Cao Chunhua alone. They rubbed at their face with a sleeve and threw Ge Chen a glare when they saw his expression. “Don’t say a word.”
Ge Chen nodded, then couldn’t help himself and laughed with his whole body, holding his chest. The corner of Cao Chunhua’s mouth twitched, but they tried as hard as they could to keep the smile down. “You’re so—!”
Zhang Fenghan turned away, leaving them to their own devices and instead opted for cooing at his precious puppies, who were crowding around his legs and wagging their tails so fast they looked like little spinning propellers.
“Did the dogs accept you as one of their own?” He heard Ge Chen ask, traces of laughter still in his voice.
“We became very good friends!” Cao Chunhua announced, sounding a little smug. “Maybe they like me better than you, now.”
“Is that a challenge?” Ge Chen parried, amused.
The rest of their conversation lowered in volume significantly, and Zhang Fenghan left them to it, too busy scratching the bellies of his dogs and making sure each one got a good belly rub, as they deserved.
The voices behind him suddenly grew louder. “What was that about messing up hair?” Ge Chen asked, tone borderline menacing. “Come here!”
“No, you — you fiend!” Cao Chunhua’s voice rose several octaves, going impressively high without cracking. “Put your hands away, you — !!”
A few of the dogs raised their heads and inquisitively looked in the direction of the voices. Zhang Fenghan listened carefully to make sure no murders were about to be committed under his watch, but all he heard was the quick sounds of footsteps and breathless laughter. He thus decided to ignore the commotion behind him.
Ge Chen caught up to them quickly and, instead of reaching for their hair, swept an arm around their shoulders and brought them into a half-hug. Cao Chunhua huffed and grasped at his sleeve, without the intent to actually dislodge it.
“What did Master Zhang talk to you about?” Ge Chen asked in an unconvincingly casual tone.
“Hmm,” Cao Chunhua swayed side to side in his grasp, pondering. “He told me the deepest, darkest secrets of every single mechanic who works in Ling Shu Institute. Especially yours.”
Ge Chen flicked their shoulder playfully. “I should have guessed.”
“Why, was he supposed to tell me something specific?” Cao Chunhua batted their eyelashes, looking up at him.
“No,” Ge Chen huffed good-naturedly. Then, after a beat, “He likes you, you know.”
“Of course I know,” Cao Chunhua lifted their chin. “How would I be able to show my face in Ling Shu Institute if he didn’t?”
“You will let this get to your head,” Ge Chen stated solemnly.
“Me? Never.” Cao Chunhua winked at him. “I cannot help it, I always make a good impression on people.”
“Not only people, apparently,” Ge Chen motioned with his chin in the direction of the dogs rolling around on the grass.
“I’m just that good,” Cao Chunhua said slyly. “I can see that you are happy about it, you know.”
Ge Chen laughed quietly and patted their head. “Mhm, I am.”
Cao Chunhua huffed and moved his hand, placing it back on its original spot on their shoulder, keeping their own over it to hold it in place.