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Chapter Text

October 25th 

Mobei Jun stormed over to his secretary's desk in a huff. He was pissed.

Not at Shang Qinghua. Never Shang Qinghua. 

He was pissed at his petty, child of a boss, CEO of Huan Hua Industries. Luo Binghe was in a particularly bad mood because his crush had ghosted him a few weeks ago. Mobei had been subject to literal hours of his boss/reluctant-best-friend-by-default-since-they-didn't-have-many-others whining about how his precious "Yuan-gege" had up and bolted after realizing he was affiliated with Huan Hua. Now, because he was a petty brat who hated to suffer alone, Binghe had declared attendance at the office Halloween Party was "mandatory" for Mobei Jun. 

Bullshit. More like "I'm miserable, so you have to be too Mobei." 

Regardless, if Binghe was going to abuse his authority to force him to attend a lame halloween party, the Mobei Jun was going to abuse his too. 

Shang Qinghua had been hunched over his desk, phone in hand, smiling, when Mobei Jun approached. But the moment his secretary sensed his presence the smaller man jumped, slamming his phone face down on the desk. "M-Mobei! I mean, sir!" His sweet cheeks flushed red and eyelashes fluttered as he nervously fidgeted. 

Mobei Jun's own heart fluttered in turn, but he proceeded with is mission. "We are required to attend the company Halloween party." He half-lied.

"Required?!" Shang Qinghua gaped. "I-I um... I don't have a costume." It came out sounding like a lame excuse--which it probably was--but coming from Qinghua, Mobei Jun would believe anything he said.

"I'll send you one." He replied cooly, mind already turning. Perhaps a couples costume? Something subtle. Maybe Sherlock and Watson? Obviously Shang Qinghua would be the brains of the duo. And would looks so cute with a little pipe. Mobei would happily be his sidekick.

While Mobei Jun's mind wandered Sha Hualing strutted in with a scowl of her own. "Mobei's little rat. You're needed in the conference room. No one can figure out how to sync to the printer."

With a subtle exhale Mobei recognized as his frustration, Shang Qinghua hurried after her. Leaving Mobei alone at the desk. With his phone. 

After a quick glance around, ensuring the coast was clear, Mobei Jun shamelessly grabbed it. And he was shocked by what he found.

First of all, he had expected it to be locked. All he was really hoping to see was his lock screen image. He'd only caught a passing glimpse of Shang Qinghua's lock screen in the past, and Mobei Jun had though it looked suspiciously like himself. But Shang Qinghua had quickly clicked the power button, cutting the screen to black.

But now the phone was NOT locked. It was open. To Instagram. And the image of a pair of plump, soft thighs peeking out from a stupidly tight pencil skirt, hugging a thick, bouncy ass. The caption read, "Gonna be a Sexy Office Worker for Halloween! JK! I already am that five days a week. The real question is what should I be for Halloween? I'm leaning towards Sexy Maid since I'm always cleaning up everyone else's mess." 

Mobei Jun's first emotion was devastation. If this was what Shang Qinghua wanted Mobei Jun miles below his league. With his stupidly sculpted, muscular thighs and tight ass, he'd never be able to catch Shang Qinghua's attention!

But then he realized- The post was made by Airplane-JieJie. And the username at the top of the screen on the app was Airplane-JieJie. This image. Was from the account Shang Qinghua was logged into...

So that meant...

The door to the conference room opened and Mobei Jun bolted... or um, he quickly set the phone back face down and walked briskly away with dignity.

Chapter Text

October 30th

Shang Qinghua was honestly kinda pissed. His Halloween had been stolen! Stupid Luo Binghe. Why on earth was Shang Qinghua's presence 'required' at the Halloween party? He'd even been given his own embossed fancy invitation to the top floor, like he was some sort of high-end fancy-pants Board member or something. As an overworked secretary, this really wasn't where he belonged. When he asked Mobei Jun, his superior had simply shrugged, chalking it up to their mutal boss' eccentricities. Which he had plenty of. Now Shang Qinghua was going to be stuck standing around awkwardly at a work party in some lame, probably unflattering costume, with a bunch of coworkers who wouldn't talk to him.
Leaving Mobei Jun to pick his costume was really the cherry on top. He was probably going to end up getting a sheet with holes cut out for eyes dropped at his desk day of. Or maybe some sort of rat costume if Sha Hualing offered any suggestions. If Shang Qinghua got his way, he'd get to stay home, dress up in one of his cute dresses, (He'd already bought his maid costume! And it was a pretty decent quality too, not that Spirit Halloween shit. It was on sale at the kink shop downtown run my Meiyin-jiujiu), and then Cucumber would come over, and he'd nag his best friend into a makeover, and then they'd have a Halloween Movie Marathon. That's top tier shit.
Instead, now he was going to be stuck alone, uncute, and horny. Because no matter what Mobei Jun himself ended up wearing, he was going to look hot. And Shang Qinghua would be forced to just pine away all night. It really wasn't fair his boss was so hot and so uninterested in him.

As if on cue, a knock at his door jolted him out of his bitter thoughts. Shen Yuan had been coming over even more than usual lately since he'd stopped seeing that kid he used to tutor. Earlier this year Shen Yuan had run into someone he used to tutor back in high school and the two had fallen for each other--hard. At least in Shang Qinghua's opinion. Shen Yuan always insisted he was just happy to reconnect with a junior and they were just friends. But Shang Qinghua knew better. But apparently it turned out the dude worked with Huan Hua Industries and Shen Yuan had panicked. As baby brother of Cang Qiong Industries CFO (and as the baby brother-in-law of the CEO, Yue Qingyuan) Shen Yuan was technically a corporate enemy of Huan Hua. In Shen Jiu's words, his friendship with Shang Qinghua was already 'on thin ice,' but 'got a pass' because Qinghua was just an over worked secretary. But Shen Jiu was a judgmental dick, his opinion was exaggerated. But still, Shen Yuan had panicked and ghosted the poor kid. Shang Qinghua pitied him. Shen Yuan was already too  thin-faced to admit he like-liked his "precious junior" much less to confront the fact he like-liked someone his big brother would disapprove of.

He hurried to the door for his bro to find him waiting impatiently with a package in hand. Shen Yuan shoved the box into his arms as he brushed past on his way to collapse on the couch, next to he laptop Shang Qinghua had left open. 

"What's this?"

Shen Yuan shrugged, taking the laptop and jumping straight in to the draft Shang Qinghua had been working on. "Dunno. It was on the floor outside your door."

Reading the shipping label Shang Qinghua didn't recognize the company, but the delivery address was correct. Curious he jumped on the couch as well, and started fumbling his way through the tape. Once he made it through the shipping box, he found another, much nicer package inside. "This is some high-end shit!" Shang Qinghua gaped the classy black velvet box wrapped in thick red ribbon. 

"Damn!" Shen Yuan exhaled, actually looking up from the screen to admire the package. For a moment he looked awed, before a sudden scowl returned to his handsome face and he smacked Shang QInghua aggressively. "You DID get a sugar daddy!" He accused.

"No, I didn't! I swear!" Shang QInghua denied. "My JiuJiu Insta is private! You know that!"

Shen Yuan raised a skeptical eyebrow and gestured at the box. "Then open in."

"I will!" Shang Qinghua shot back and quickly untied the ribbons, lifted the lid and--

Promptly slammed the lid back down.

There was silence between the two for a moment.

"Was that--"

"Yeah."

The silence lasted a moment more before Shen Yuan snapped the laptop shut and whacked his bro with it. "YOU GOT A SUGAR DADDY! YOU GAVE OUT YOUR HOME ADDRESS TO SOME INTERNET--"

"I DIDN'T I SWEAR!" Shang Qinghua denied, raising the box in an attempt to shield himself from the attack. In doing so the boxes lid slipped off, allowing a gorgeous french maid costume and petticoat to tumble out, along with a crisp white envelope. 

The pair froze, before both diving for the letter. Shen Yuan's stupidly longer arms snatched it up first and he didn't hesitate to tear it open. "Your BOSS senT YOU THIS?"

"WHAT?!" Shang Qinghua snatched the letter back in shock before finding it just as his bro said.

Costume for office party -MBJ

"I don't even know what to make of that." Shen Yuan huffed, rubbing his temples. "I'd say call HR, but I know this is literally your wet dream come true."

"I mean yeah, but those are DREAMS, dude!" Shang Qinghua wailed, clutching the smooth, soft fabric of the dress. "I can't just walk into my workplace office party in this!" He paused. "At least not alone..."

Shen Yuan bristled. "No."

"Bro. You're not doing anything else."

"No."

"I would be a bad best friend if I allowed you stop spend Halloween alone and moping about how you're not with you special little junior--"

"I'm not MOPING!"

"Then come with me!"

"NO! You can't just invite someone who isn't from your office--"

"I can! I have my own in fancy invitation, it comes with a plus one. Ya know, as if I had a boyfriend or girlfriend or just a great bro who would wear a maid dress in solidarity with me."

"It's Huan Hua Industries--"

"If Jiu-ge finds out, you can pretend you went as a corporate spy."

"If my junior were there--"

"It's a special party for the big dogs! It's gonna be like the CEO and Board members and stuff. All the normal office workers have their party downstairs. But this is up on the top floor penthouse."

Shen Yuan paused--He was wearing him down!

"You know. I've been thinking about focusing the next story arc on the demon king's backstory, and relationship with his brother. But I don't know, maybe I'll just stick with the papapa plot with that new girl."

"What!" Shen Yuan suddenly perked up. "You're finally gonna address what happened to their family."

"I don't know." Shang QInghua shrugged coyly. "If I have to go to this party alone, I'll probably be too stressed and exhausted to think about that level of emotional complexity. I'd probably have to stick with the papapa plot."

Shen Yuan glared at him bitterly. "You're a fiend."

"Is that a 'yes'?"

With a sigh the other collapsed back into the couch. "Well, I guess you already have an extra dress."

Chapter Text

Luo Binghe wasn't looking forward to the Halloween Party. He was only going because he was obligated as CEO. At the start of the month he had been excited. When he was still talking to Yuan-gege, he had expected he would invite his senior. They could get dressed up in some cute couple costume. He could show him off to everyone. And Shen Yuan could show him off too. They're be the most stunning couple.

But not anymore. All his calls and texts had been ignored. And it all seemed to be because of his connection to Huan Hua. Luo Binghe had only mentioned it in passing--commenting on a corny advertisement outside the movie theatre. Shen Yuan had instantly stiffened, and laughed awkwardly before asking if he worked there. He'd said yes, but didn't specify his position. He didn't want to come across a intimidating. After all, he would always be Yuan-gege's precious junior, no matter how much power he wielded over a billion dollar company. Despite his attempt to downplay it, he could tell Shen Yuan panicked. And now he wasn't talking to him. So Binghe sat sulkily in his penthouse bedroom when his phone vibrated. Instantly he pounced. Hoping in vain it may be Shen Yuan, but instead it was Mobei Jun. With a gruff sigh, he opened the message.

Come over. I need help. If you tell anyone about this, I WILL kill you.

Well at least whatever this was, it sounded interesting.

Luo Binghe let himself into Mobei's own penthouse with a normal familiarity.

What else was normal: Finding Mobei Jun sitting on his couch, face set in a death glare.

What wasn't normal: He was tangled in a corset that clearly wasn't going to fit.

Mobei Jun was built like a tank. He did have a natural trim waist, but his shoulders were ridiculously broad and his chest and arms ripped with muscle. He had clearly attempted to pull the corset over his head, realized the strings weren't loosened enough, attempted to loosen them, but gotten tangled himself. The laces were located on the back of the corset, and since he was way into the damn thing, they were awkwardly position outside of his reach. There were scissors on the couch besides him, but they clearly hadn't done him much good.

"Say anything, and I'll kill you."

"Oh, we both know I don't have to say anything." Luo Binghe smirked, walking over to the scissors. "This situation is enough."

"Shut up."

Luo Binghe got to work freeing the other man. "But I will ask 'why.'"

Mobei Jun mumbled something unintelligible and Luo Binghe prodded the man with the scissors. "Can't hear you."

"I want to match Qinghua."

"You finally confessed?"

Mobei Jun grumbled again, clearly a negative. 

"You haven't confessed, but you're wearing matching corsets?"

"It's a maid costume." Mobei mumbled.

"That doesn't explain anything."

Somehow the giant man made himself look small, hunched over and trapped by a corset. "He wants to be a maid. And I want to match."

"Well this one isn't going to work." Luo Binghe laughed, finally getting the cut up contraption off and tossing it off like roadkill.

Mobei scowled petulantly. Clearly pouting that his plan wasn't working. 

Luo Binghe actually laughed. How could Mobei be so whipped over that mousey secretary? It was kinda cute. Kinda infuriating now that Luo Binghe was being ignored by his own crush. "It's not the end of the world. I'm sure you can find a maid costume without a corset. Why don't you get something custom?"

"What?" Mobei Jun growled sarcastically. "Do you have some sort of maid costume seamstress connection?"

"Of course I do." Luo Binghe rolled his eyes. "My mother was a laundress and seamstress. I have the whole fashion design industry on speed dial."

His friend threw up his hands in exasperation. "Of course you do. Did you already order some sort of custom costume to sulk in tomorrow?" 

"No." Luo Binghe admitted. Since he wasn't going with Shen Yuan, he hadn't bothered to give any thought to a costume. He's put a pair of cat ears on or something... or...

Since now his only entertainment for the night was going to be irritating his friend and underling... maybe that actually gave him an idea.

"Don't worry Mobei." He smiled kindly (a smile Mobei didn't trust). "I'll get something custom whipped up before tomorrow."

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan would be lying if he said he didn't love letting Shang Qinghua make him up. 

The two met back in college and bonded over their mutual... interest... in novels and manga. And in their bonding, the eventually shared their mutual insecurities with their self-image.

In high school Shang Qinghua had been particularly uncomfortable with his weight and image, but after fooling around with some cosplay options he stumbled upon a love for skirts. In his words, it was freeing, not feeling like his thighs were stretching seams or feeling hidden behind baggy layers. At that point Shang Qinghua had basically forsworn pants in private spaces.

Shen Yuan had personally always felt underweight, from a sickly childhood. In his normal outfits, he looked in the mirror and saw a weak, spidery limbs. But the first time Shang Qinghua convinced him to put on a skirt and pair of heels, he suddenly felt as if those same skinny legs were long, powerful and domineering. So while he may not admit it aloud as freely as Shang Qinghua... he did enjoy it. 

So when the two arrived at the Huan Hua Office building, their strut was confident. 

Shang Qinghua's cute little skirt flounced as he practically skipped to the elevator. His dress was absurdly short, with each bounce the voluminous white petticoat jumped just enough to reveal peaks of black lace underneath. The undercarriage matched the black lace of the thigh-highs tracking up his legs and down to his black pumps. He was cinched tight in a cute corset, too bad it was underneath the rest. But the cute little apron, with matching collar, sleeves, and headpiece made up for that loss.

Shen Yuan took more measured steps in his elegant stilettos, no need to disrupt his tea-length dress. He didn't have a such dramatic petticoat to show off. Rather, most of his ruffles were confined to his the lace of his apron and the long black sleeves. He also didn't bother with corsetry, but the apron still fit easily around his little waist. He'd pulled his hair up into a braided bun, adorned with a lacy bow and kept his make-up simple, though Shang QInghua insisted they both wear a matching, bold, red lip.

"Hurry up bro!" Shang Qinghua demanded, holding the elevator door. "I'm ready to get hammered."

"I'm coming." Shen Yuan huffed. "I'm not going to run in these no matter how much you whine."

Still he made it without much fuss. Shang Qinghua then released the door and quickly mashed the top floor button. But right as the doors began to close, a hand shot through the crack.

The elevator door was pulled back open to reveal a hulking man. In a maid costume.

"S-sir!" Shang Qinghua squeaked.

Shen Yuan's jaw dropped. So this was the infamous "Mobei Jun" Shang Qinghua was always waxing poetic about. Well, he certainly was as giant and broad as the other had gushed. His muscles were clearly straining to burst through the fabric of the flouncy little dress he wore. It was a particularly kitschy outfit, with a giant heart-shaped cut out in the center, which his pecs were basically spilling out of. And the ruffled lace of the skirt and sleeves seemed a sharp contrast from the rock hard structure of his ripped thighs and arms. His jet black hair had been plaited matching dutch braids with neat white bows. It made it a bit more difficult to see the this man as the ice cold, intimidating CFO Shang Qinghua described. Especially in his simple Mary Jane shoes. He couldn't even manage heels. What was Shang Qinghua so intimidated by?

The smaller man in question meanwhile was gaping, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Shen Yuan rolled his eyes. He was basically drooling. Mobei Jun meanwhile looked awkwardly between the two, a baleful glare narrowing towards Shen Yuan. "Who is this?"

Before anyone could respond, the rapid click of heels sounded as another maid appeared over Mobei Jun's shoulder. "Good, you caught the elevator."

"BINGHE?!"

Shen Yuan's heart stopped. 

Binghe. The subject of his dreams and nightmares. The man who had been haunting his thoughts for weeks now. After reconnecting, Shen Yuan found himself falling. And fast. He'd never experienced anything like it. He'd never dated anyone before so he was a bit unsure of what to do with all the feelings he was suddenly wrestling with and then, there was the Huan Hua thing.

IF. IF Shen Yuan did date Luo Binghe, that would mean he would have to explain to his brother he was dating a Huan Hua employee. And that was the final straw that spooked him. He panicked. And he ran.

But even after all this time he couldn't shake what he felt. And now, seeing Binghe before him again, his juniors eyes wide and watery with an expression torn between surprise and desperation Shen Yuan knew he couldn't run anymore. He knew what he wanted. He wanted Binghe. He wanted to be with him. Not even his fear of his own inadequacies, inexperience, or his brother's disapproval could stop him.

And none of this had anything to do with the fact Binghe was wearing a maid dress and looked hot as hell.

Binghe was dressed in the exact same dress as Mobei Jun, but he wore it ten times better. He had fully committed, full makeup, red lips, lashes, french pedicure and his gorgeous, loose curls hanging from high pigtails. Not to mention the giant pumps made the already towering man, even more god-like.

"Yuan-gege!"

"Wait!" Shang Qinghua balked. "Your boyfriend is our CEO?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Shen Yuan denied quickly, face flushing red, before glancing shyly back at Binghe. "I mean-we haven't um... talked about that. Yet."

"Yet?" Binghe asked hopefully.

"Yet." Shen Yuan confirmed face aflame. 

Mobei Jun grunted loudly, breaking the moment as he continued to brood. "Then why are you with Qinghua?"

"Oh," Shang Qinghua flushed. "This is uh, my friend, Shen Yuan."

"Friend." Mobei Jun nodded, pacified. "Nothing more."

"NO, no, Nonnonoo." Shang Qinghua denied quickly, laughing awkwardly. "I'm a single dog. Haha. No one's uh--yeah. Nothing here. Not dating anyone. Shen Yuan's free to date." 

Quietly, the giant man reached out a hand, in a movement that could only be described as shy, he grabbed a corner of Shang Qinghua's skirt. "Date me."

The elevator was silent for only a moment before Binghe immediately dropped to his knees, grasping fist fulls of Shen Yuan's skirt and looking up with pleading eyes. "Date me, Yuan-gege!"

Mobei Jun shot the other pair an irritated side-eye, clearly wishing he could kick his friend for continually attempting to upstage him, but quickly brought his attention back to Shang Qinghua when the shocked man squeaked.

"S-sir! ME?"

Mobei Jun grunted and affirmation, pulling the smaller man closer into his arms, ruffling their equally voluminous skirts. Instead of answering Shang Qinghua eagerly crashed their months together.

Shen Yuan meanwhile smiled softly, leaning down to kiss his previous Binghe's forehead. "Yes." He said simply and Binghe leapt to his feet, scooping the other up into his arms in a passionate kiss of their own.

"Ahem."

The pairs both froze, turning to see Sha Hualing, dressed in a very not-work-safe devil costume/lingerie and Liu Mingyuan in an elegant white gown as an angel. "Are you getting on the elevator or not?"

Without any words, the two couples hurried out of the elevator, waived goodbye and split off on their own.

No one felt very interested in the party. They had a much better way to spend their evening.