Work Text:
It was a sunny Sunday morning. The perfect weather for an outdoor walk in the park, or a nice brunch date with your loved one. Sunlight was filtering through the window of a small, cozy apartment, spreading warmth into the living room. However, it seemed like the cheerful atmosphere wasn’t able to reach into a certain graphic design intern’s heart, judging from his sullen expression.
Head laying on the coffee table, Xiao Zhan was staring blankly into space, sighing for the umpteenth time. The conclusion from last week’s incident hit him hard; he had a crush on Wang Yibo, the most handsome IT guy in the company. And a major crush it was, seeing how useless he had been at work on Friday. It had driven Xuan Lu worried that she had to send him home, thinking he had gotten sick from the rain. Well, Xiao Zhan believed he was sick in a way, because how else was he supposed to explain the sudden death of his brain cells? He had no idea just being in close proximity to the senior IT officer could do that...
“You look pathetic,” looking down from his standing position, Wang Zhuo Cheng commented.
Xiao Zhan pouted, giving his housemate/cousin a stink eye. His cheek remained glued onto the hard surface, not caring that the wood carvings would leave an imprint on his skin.
Zhuo Cheng sighed. “Drink this,” he ordered, putting down a glass of smoothie in front of Xiao Zhan’s nose, making him go cross-eyed.
Blinking, Xiao Zhan obediently raised his head to sip from a straw, both hands remained immobile. It was strawberry-banana flavor with coconut milk, Zhuo Cheng’s latest creation. It tasted really good, just what he needed.
“Brunch is ready~!” Meng Ziyi cheerfully announced, setting a large tray full of sandwiches and mini burritos onto the coffee table. Looked like today’s brunch menu was Western style.
Xiao Zhan reached for his glasses, giving space for the food.
“Hey Zhan Zhan, why the long face?” Meng Ziyi asked as she sat down on the carpeted floor.
“He got dumped,” Zhuo Cheng replied.
“What??”
“No, I don’t,” Xiao Zhan retorted.
“Stop teasing him,” Meng Ziyi chided her boyfriend. “Tell me, what happened?”
“Ziyi..” Xiao Zhan sniffled, “I think I’m in love.”
Ziyi’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “For real?? Aww Zhan Zhan, that’s great,” she said, smooshing his chubby cheeks with her hands affectionately, and then paused. “Wait.. isn’t that great?”
“Hish streit,” he replied, despite being unable to move his lips.
“Aww, that’s too bad,” she frowned, stroking his cheeks in sympathy before releasing them. “But how do you know he’s straight? Who is he?”
“He’s my colleague at the agency. Well, not exactly because he barely knows me. He’s very popular, even got his own fanbase.”
“No way, how hot is he? What’s his name?”
“Very hot. His name is Wang Yibo,” Xiao Zhan reached for his phone and started browsing for a picture. “That’s him.”
“Whoa, he’s gorgeous!” Ziyi was gushing.
“He is! Oh my God Ziyi, I rode in the same elevator with him on Friday! Up-close he was soooo handsome and sexy and he smelled so good and he smiled at me!”
“Lucky you! I bet he looked so much better in real life, huh?”
“But he’s straight,” Zhuo Cheng piped in, having been forgotten in the conversation.
“Really, A-Cheng?” Ziyi slapped her boyfriend’s arm.
“Hey, I’m just helping him stay grounded,” Zhuo Cheng defended himself, rubbing on said arm.
“Well, you’re not,” Ziyi glared at him, and then she turned back towards Xiao Zhan excitedly. “So, you guys were together in the elevator, and then what happened?”
Previous excitement was gone, Xiao Zhan sighed. “I got a brain freeze.”
“...huh?”
“My brain stopped working! I suddenly lost the ability to function properly like a normal human being. I just stood there soaking wet, gawking like a dying fish at his divine assets while his eagle eyes were looking me up and down!” Xiao Zhan wailed in agony, recalling the embarrassing moment in the elevator. There goes his chance of making a good first impression in front of THE Wang Yibo. Game over.
“But didn’t you say he was smiling at you?”
Xiao Zhan paused. Well, he was, but.. “I looked like a cat dropped into a sewer, Ziyi.. He might be smiling because he thought I looked funny,” he replied dejectedly. “I don’t think I can look him in the eye ever again...”
“Naah.. I think he was smiling at you because he found you cute. Yes, you are, Zhan Zhan,” Ziyi insisted as he shook his head. While everyone on their campus knew how desirable Xiao Zhan was, the guy himself did not. “How many times have I tried to hook you up with my friends? You’re popular. Come on, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Just act normal the next time you see him again, give your best smile. Okay?”
“...okay.”
Ziyi smiled widely, her positive vibes managed to lift Xiao Zhan’s mood, to which the bespectacled guy smiled back gratefully. “Thanks Ziyi, you’re the best.”
“I know I am,” Ziyi grinned. “Now spill. How old is this Wang Yibo? What does he do? Is he rich?”
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And so, Xiao Zhan had officially acknowledged to himself that he now belonged to that population in the office. A certain group of people whose ears would instantly perk up at the slightest mention of Wang Yibo. Those who would swoon or weep (or both) at the IT guy’s coolness whenever he came into view. He didn’t think he would stand a chance to win the other guy’s attention against his female admirers, nor did he plan to. Wang Yibo was straight. But Xiao Zhan couldn’t help thinking that the slight upturn of the older man’s lips that day could mean something for them. Maybe the start of a friendship?
However, when they bumped into each other again at the cafeteria a few days later, Wang Yibo remained aloof. He didn’t even bat an eyelid as Xiao Zhan walked past him and their eyes met. Well, that was to be expected. But it didn’t do anything to diminish the feelings that had started blooming in his heart. He just couldn’t forget how those eagle eyes were raking all over his body back in the elevator, nor could he forget the deep sexy voice coming from that delectable neck. God help him.
And being the lovestruck he was, the intern started to bring his lunchbox to the cafeteria every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of his crush during recess. They both had crossed paths several times since then, but there was hardly any improvement. Wang Yibo was really cold to people in general. Not that he was arrogant or a snob, it was just the older guy was quiet by nature, and super slow to warm up. Xiao Zhan himself was shy by nature, and although he was friendly and normally didn’t have a problem mingling with new people, starting a conversation with your crush was an entirely different matter.
One time, Xiao Zhan saw Wang Yibo talking animatedly to Zhang Yixing, and he had to do a doubletake to make sure his myopic eyes didn’t deceive him. The IT guy laughed openly at something that the Marketing SPV said and the sight took his breath away. Wang Yibo looked totally different when he was around people he felt comfortable with. His smile looked so open and beautiful and endearing it turned him (and several jiejies nearby) into a puddle(s) of happy goo(s). Rumor had it that Zhang Yixing was one of the small circle of friends Wang Yibo had at the office. They looked so close together, a picture-perfect that at first Xiao Zhan had thought they were dating. But later Xuan Lu said that Yixing had a girlfriend.
In the holy quest to keep himself up-to-date on anything Wang Yibo, Xiao Zhan made an effort to befriend Mian Mian, who was an active member of his fanclub. The social media specialist had a few friends who were friends with Wang Yibo’s non-office friends, so the fanclub members regarded her as Wang Yibo savvy. The girl contributed regularly in their small but active chat group. The fanclub itself consisted of 23 jiejies, mostly from the Marketing department. Good thing was, Mian Mian was genuinely friendly and quite easy to please(bribe?) with Xiao Zhan’s homemade pastries (or sometimes Zhuo Cheng’s smoothies he had stolen from the fridge). The intern was also quick to help her with whatever office tasks Mian Mian asked of him, and soon they grew close.
Xiao Zhan started to hang out with her often, and that day he just couldn’t stop asking about a certain senior IT officer that Mian Mian had to pause, look him in the eye and carefully ask, “Xiao Zhan, do you.. want to join our fanclub?”
To which Xiao Zhan’s doe eyes sent her a tentative look, before he smiled sheepishly and nodded.
The girl shook with mirth, her eyes shone knowingly, having confirmed the handsome intern’s preference. “Why didn’t you say so, silly?”
Xiao Zhan bit his lower lip in embarrassment. “Well, I wasn’t sure if you guys still opened recruitment.”
Mian Mian laughed.
“Okay, I will introduce you to the group,” she winked at him. “By the way, when did you start having a crush on Wang Baobao?”
“Wha-? N-no.. Hhow-?” Xiao Zhan spluttered, both from getting busted so easily and also from the cute nickname.
Mian Mian rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, everybody in the office has a crush on Wang Baobao. We’re the brave ones who are willing to say it out loud.”
Face flushed, Xiao Zhan chuckled in defeat. Sighing in relief, he continued listening to the girl blabbering happily about their common crush. He was thankful that today went really well. He had accomplished his mission to join the Wang Yibo fanclub, and promised himself to bake more pastries for Mian Mian next week (and leave some for Zhuo Cheng to compensate for his missing smoothies).
All in all, Xiao Zhan might not get what his heart desired. But at least he could enjoy the rest of his internship fanboying over his crush to the max with the help of a good support system. He thought it should be enough.
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