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Plates, check. Cutlery, check. Napkins, check. Fork on the left side, knife on the right. Or wait, was it the other way around?! Bullshit! Great, Hua Cheng was already overthinking this. He paused the song on his phone and pulled out his earplugs. No music for now. It was time to focus! Hua Cheng inhaled.
Okay, okay, calm down. This was nothing special at all. Hua Cheng had just invited his crush from high school to dinner! Nothing special, nothing to panic about! Hua Cheng pictured Xie Lian at this table. Xie Lian… He was three years older than him and more of a god than an actual human being. At least in Hua Cheng’s eyes.
He used to get teased a lot in school, and Xie Lian often stood up for him, and well… Hua Cheng had been crushing on him ever since his freshman year. After Xie Lian’s graduation, he was on his own again but the confidence he got from his help carried him through. He thought he’d never see Xie Lian again, but fate had different plans.
In fact, he enrolled in the same university that Xie Lian was studying at! Needless to say, Hua Cheng’s jaw dropped when he saw the older man walking on the campus. Hua Cheng had started university with a lot more confidence than he had started high school but walking towards your crush and casually starting a freaking conversation with him?! A big no-no, even for him!
…That was what he would have loved to say. Truth was, he couldn’t have helped it. He had to go over to Xie Lian – he even called him “gege” on impulse! – his mind went blank, and suddenly he had invited his crush over for dinner!
At least, his apartment shouldn’t pose a problem. It was a really pretty location, especially for a student’s home. And now that he had driven his roommate out, the apartment was even prettier.
He Xuan, his roommate, usually did not leave a good first impression. (Neither did Hua Cheng, but whatever) Basically, they moved in together because everyone else thought they were creepy. Two people with black clothes and pierced ears who did not exactly have your garden variety music taste. One time when they went shopping together, a passing kid even said that they looked like ghosts.
Well, as long as Xie Lian didn’t get the same impression, everything should be fine. Just to be sure, Hua Cheng covered He Xuan’s goldfish glass with a blanket. It did not contain an actual fish, but a plastic skeleton floating lifelessly in the dead water. He Xuan thought it would look cool. Of course, it did not. It was scary and had left several visitors running away in fear. Hua Cheng adjusted the blanket and created pretty folds.
Only the best for gege, he thought and considered quickly running down to the flower shop to buy a nice bouquet for the dining table. The doorbell stopped his train of thought. No more time to prepare, it was about to get serious now! Hua Cheng rushed to the door. He grabbed the doorknob, opened and…
“Hello gege,” he greeted in a velvety voice.
“Hello San Lang!” Xie Lian replied, and Hua Cheng didn’t know how he managed to look so absolutely gorgeous just by standing there.
Dammit, he was so cute! His smile was so sincere and grateful even though Hua Cheng hadn’t done anything special yet except for opening the door. With a graceful movement of his hand, Hua Cheng invited Xie Lian to come in. They made some small talk while Xie Lian was taking off his jacket and his shoes. Hua Cheng managed to keep calm. Luckily, he had mastered the art of appearing completely casual and unruffled, while on the inside, his mind was screaming.
Oh, and how his mind was screaming! Xie Lian was together with him! In his apartment! If Hua Cheng had told that to his 15-year-old self, he would have declared himself crazy.
On their way to the dinner table, Hua Cheng examined Xie Lian a little closer. His steps were steady, and he had a proud air about him. At the same time, he appeared humble.
What had he been up to, how was he now? A thousand questions popped up in Hua Cheng’s head, yearning to leave his mouth. However, haste makes waste. They still had an entire evening to talk. Plus, Xie Lian was quicker with his questions.
“By the way San Lang- Ah, is it still okay if I call you that? Or do you prefer Hua Cheng now?” he asked.
Hua Cheng laughed shortly. San Lang had been his nickname in school. Only people who were very close to him were allowed to call him that. Of course, Xie Lian was part of that list.
“Don’t worry, gege. I’m happy if you call me San Lang,” he replied.
Xie Lian seemed glad about that answer. “Alright then, San Lang. Where’s your roommate?”
“She’s gone for the evening, no worries.”
They were just passing by the creepy fish tank and Hua Cheng cast a glance at it. The blanket better stay in place because he had other things to talk about than He Xuan’s weird skeleton fish. The folds were as fine as ever and fell smoothly down the table. The end and rims of the blanket were neatly laying on the floor. Perfect! Everything had stayed in place.
Too bad it proved to be fatal. Xie Lian tripped over the blanket and fell. Hua Cheng reached out to help him. Too late. Xie Lian accidentally hit the stereo’s play button. The brutal screams and guitar riffs of Crimson Rain Sought Flower, one of his favorite metal bands roared from the speakers. Hua Cheng wanted to jump into the fish tank and become a dead skeleton fish as well. Xie Lian was still half crouching due to his fall and looked at the stereo that was vibrating in sync with the voice of an angry vocalist shouting and cursing his soul out. Oh, and how he cursed! That was probably the most vulgar song of the entire album and it was playing right here! Right now! With Xie Lian in his room!
Fast as lighting, Hua Cheng hit the pause button. He offered Xie Lian a hand and helped him back up.
“Sorry gege, are you alright?” Hua Cheng asked while he sneakily pulled the stereo’s plug with his right foot. Just to make sure that damn thing would shut up for good! Why had this even happened in the first place?! Hua Cheng had removed the CD. He was certain. He Xuan, that bastard, must have put it back in!
Xie Lian thanked him and let go of his hand. Hua Cheng already missed the touch that had sent a warm tingle through his skin. However, he could not be that pushy. Especially since he had just experienced the embarrassment of his lifetime. On the outside, he kept calm. On the inside, his mind was in chaos.
Xie Lian covered part of his face behind the long white sleeve of his oversized hoodie. Though he was hiding his mouth out of politeness, the crinkles around his amber eyes made it obvious that he was laughing. Hua Cheng’s brain was mush right now. Shit! Had he done something weird?!
He raised an eyebrow, “Gege, what’s so funny?”
The white sleeve sunk and made way for a gentle smile. “You can keep your music playing if you want,” Xie Lian said. There was a playful tone in his voice like he was enjoying this.
Hua Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. He shook his head.
“No need, let’s eat.”
“But I’m interested in your music,” Xie Lian insisted. Hua Cheng looked at his face. There was not a single trace of mockery as he had feared just a moment before. Xie Lian was sincerely interested and sent that beautiful smile his way. It was hard to say no to him, especially when he looked like that, but Hua Cheng knew his embarrassment would be even greater if they kept on listening to his albums. After all, Xie Lian came from a well-known, noble household. Hua Cheng could start blasting to his Metalcore here. They weren’t here for the music anyways.
“It’s nothing, my roommate just left the stereo on. Come on, gege, let’s eat.”
Despite the prior disaster, the rest of the evening went by pretty smoothly. Xie Lian complimented the table’s decoration, the congee Hua Cheng had prepared smelled great, and most importantly, no more music started playing.
Unfortunately though, Xie Lian wanted to help prepare the dinner and accidentally dropped the entire pot of congee on the floor. There had been rumors on campus about Xie Lian’s abysmally bad luck. Usually, Hua Cheng never paid attention to rumors, but he slowly started to believe them.
It was no big deal, though. They went to a food stall down the street and got some Baozi. They sat on a park bench and talked about a lot of things, mostly catching up about the past three years. It was fun indeed, especially how Xie Lian repeatedly apologized to Hua Cheng about the mess he had left in his kitchen. At last, the sun was about to set, and they said goodbye. When Hua Cheng walked the stairs back up to his apartment, he was still on cloud nine.
“Well, someone looks happy,” a familiar woman commented dryly as soon as he closed the door behind him. He Xuan had returned and was standing in the kitchen, next to the pot of congee that found its gruesome death as a pile of cold rice on the floor. Nothing that would stop his roommate though. She had scraped a big portion of congee from the floor and ate spoon after spoon from her bowl.
“I come home and expect food, but I am only met with destruction. When are you planning to clean this up?” He Xuan said between two bites.
Sighing, Hua Cheng put the pot in the sink and cleaned the floor. Meanwhile, He Xuan had moved to the kitchen table. Munching her food, she was perfectly content with providing absolutely no help.
“Why did you cover my fish?” He Xuan asked when the floor was clean again.
“Maybe because it’s fucking creepy?” Hua Cheng replied and grabbed a sponge to wash the pot.
“True that.” He Xuan finished the last bit and dropped her empty bowl into the sink. Hua Cheng glared at her. He Xuan removed the spoon from her mouth and threw it into the sink as well. “Hey, can I borrow some money?” she asked.
“Hell no, you still owe me for the concert tickets, remember?”
“Ah yeah, that concert! It’s next Friday, right? I wanted to talk to you about that. You see, I met a cute girl and I kinda agreed to go on a date with her next Friday. So, I can’t come with you.”
Hua Cheng dropped his sponge.
“What?!”
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
Hua Cheng let himself fall onto the bed and sighed. He Xuan surely had some nerves! Sure, just because they were roommates, they didn’t have to be best friends. But if you agreed to go to a concert together, you could try not to have a date on the exact same fucking day.
Hua Cheng grabbed his earplugs and started a playlist on his phone. The guitar riffs of Crimson Rain Sought Flower filled his ears. Now that the songs weren’t bursting through the stereo and Xie Lian wasn’t in his room, he really enjoyed listening to it. Crimson Rain Sought Flower had been his favorite band since middle school. It’s been a while since he had last seen them live and next Friday, they were finally playing right here in Xianle. Hua Cheng had bought tickets the very second, he caught wind of it, and He Xuan quickly agreed to accompany him. That being the case, he was even more pissed.
The phone in his hand vibrated. Hua Cheng looked at the screen and smiled. He was still mad, but the notification just boosted his mood by a thousand. It was a message from Xie Lian! Hua Cheng opened the chat and started reading:
[From: Xie Lian]
-- sorry again for the mess, did your roommate mind?
[From: Hua Cheng]
-- don’t worry, she’s not someone for tidying places anyways.
[From: Xie Lian]
-- well, that’s good to hear 😊
The conversation paused there for a few minutes. Hua Cheng’s thumbs rested at the edges of his phone. He pondered whether he should vent about He Xuan. He didn’t want to annoy Xie Lian, but then again, he doesn’t want the conversation to end so soon… In the end, his thumbs got into motion again.
[From: Hua Cheng]
-- But I can’t believe my roommate. We bought concert tickets together and now she ditched me for another date. I’m stuck with a spare ticket now
[From: Xie Lian]
-- Oh no… Have you already found someone who’ll go with you instead?
[From: Hua Cheng]
-- Don’t know… Gotta ask around a little bit.
Right after he had pressed “Send”, Hua Cheng laughed at himself. “Ask around a little bit”. Who was he kidding? He had been a loner in school and everyone on campus was kinda scared of him. Despite He Xuan he didn’t really have any friends, and he didn’t even like He Xuan that much. Who the hell would accompany him to a concert?!
Hua Cheng grabbed a can of soda from his nightstand and took a sip while he waited for Xie Lian’s reply.
[From: Xie Lian]
-- Alright. If you don’t find anyone, I’d love to accompany you though 😊
…WHAT?! Hua Cheng almost choked on his soda. Hua Cheng? Going to a rock concert?! With Xie Lian?!! No, no, no! As if the stereo incident hadn’t been enough. No way could he let Xie Lian accompany him to a concert hall full of screaming, cussing youths. The whole thought was hilarious and shocking at the same time.
[From: Hua Cheng]
-- Uhm… I don’t think that’s a good idea. They play pretty loud stuff
[From: Xie Lian]
-- Like the stuff from today? It was interesting, I’d love to hear it live.
Was he really serious about this?! Hua Cheng hesitated.
[From: Hua Cheng]
-- Have you ever been to a concert before?
[From: Xie Lian]
-- I’ve been to a musical once. It was kinda fun.
Damn. Xie Lian had a totally wrong picture of what this concert would be like. Hua Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking carefully about what to answer. Seemed like he took too long because Xie Lian soon added to his first message.
[From: Xie Lian]
-- I understand tho, if you don’t really wanna have me tag along… With my luck, I’ll probably rip the curtains off the stage😅
That sentence pierced through Hua Cheng’s heart. The talks on campus replayed in his head. Xie Lian was infamous for his bad luck and equally unpopular. Nobody wanted him close by, fearing he would screw up something or transfer his misfortune onto them. Some people even called him the “Laughingstock of the campus”.
Great, now he had given Xie Lian the feeling of being unwanted! And giving Xie Lian the feeling of being unwanted was the last thing Hua Cheng wanted! His mind feverishly went back and forth between no, he can’t have him accompany him, and yes, invite him over. Ultimately the latter part won. Still half in a daze from the shock, he typed.
[From: Hua Cheng]
-- Well, if gege wants to, I’d love to have you tag along!
Fuck! That was so embarrassing! Hua Cheng emptied his soda in one go and crumpled the can under his fist. Had he really just written that?! Part of him wanted to delete the message, but Xie Lian had already replied.
[From: Xie Lian]
-- Really?!!!!! Yeeees, that’s great to hear!
Hua Cheng instantly regretted everything. Had he pressured Xie Lian too much?! Maybe he had asked to go to the concert out of pity! Hua Cheng mentally wrote out a message that would take back everything he had said so far… Then again… His phone vibrated. Another message.
[From: Xie Lian]
-- Thank you so much :D I’m really looking forward to next week 😊😊😊
Then again, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all…
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
This was a bad, bad, bad idea!
How could he have been so stupid?! Hua Cheng’s hand tightened around his drink. The second Xie Lian would step into the concert hall, Hua Cheng’s reputation would be ruined. It was Monday. Hua Cheng still had a few days left to take care of this mess. Alright, time to calm down and think of a solution.
“You’re killing your OJ,” He Xuan dryly commented and bit off her sandwich. They had met for lunch at the university’s canteen. Hua Cheng let the poor, crumpled pack of orange juice – yet another drink that had found its miserable death under his fist – fall onto his tray and wiped his hands with a napkin.
“Yeah, and you’re next,” Hua Cheng glared at his roommate. “I still can’t believe you ditched me like that.”
“I paved the way for some quality time with your crush. All according to plan.”
“According to plan, my ass, you saw a pretty girl and agreed to go on a date the first time you saw her!”
“Buuut, I helped you set up a romantic scene.”
“You left the fucking Crimson Rain Sought Flower-playlist on!”
“Details,” He Xuan dismissed the statement and threw the paper of her finished sandwich onto Hua Cheng’s tray. He wanted to throw his dead package of OJ at her in response but was interrupted by a ringtone. The name “Shi Qingxuan” lit up on He Xuan’s display.
“Is that the girl?” Hua Cheng asked.
“Shut up,” He Xuan replied, and her hand rushed towards the phone. Seeing how eager she was to answer the call, Hua Cheng could guess He Xuan really liked that girl, and she was going to show her affection the only way she knew.
“What the heck do you want?!” He Xuan barked into the phone’s mic.
By being fucking rude.
“Aaaaaah I finally got through to you! You see so much happened today and I couldn’t wait to finally talk to you, I have so much to tell…”
Whoever that Shi Qingxuan woman was, she had such a loud and cheerful voice that even Hua Cheng could hear her clearly. And judging by He Xuan’s dreamy expression this was bound to be one cheesy phone call.
“I’m going,” Hua Cheng grabbed his tray and stood up. If he stayed for much longer, he might puke.
After leaving the canteen, Hua Cheng wandered a little around on campus, thinking about what to do now. His lessons only started in two hours, but he might as well catch up on some work at the library … and while he was at it, think of a way to tell Xie Lian that the concert had been canceled or something.
“San Lang!” someone shouted from across the yard. Hua Cheng panicked.
Crap! That was Xie Lian! He’d definitely ask about the concert! What was he supposed to say now?!
Slowly, Hua Cheng turned around with a playful smile, “Hey, gege!”
Xie Lian came running towards him, long hair and sleeves fluttering in the wind, his face was practically beaming with joy. Damn, he was so beautiful! Hua Cheng felt like a commoner standing before a god when Xie Lian came to a halt before him.
“Hey, thank you so much again for letting me come with you!” Xie Lian said and pressed his hands together in gratitude. “Though this is my first time going to such a hardcore concert. Is there anything important I need to know? Like, is there a dress code? Do I need a tattoo to get in? Like the one you have?”
“Huh? No, don’t worry,” Hua Cheng said and looked at the tattoo on his lower arm. During their dinner, he had always made sure to cover it up but now he only wore a short-sleeved shirt. The dark letters shone on his bare skin – a little relic from his time in school.
It was Xie Lian’s name but in his horrible handwriting, so it was close to illegible. In fact, not even Xie Lian recognized his own name. Hua Cheng had known his handwriting was bad but was it really that bad?! Oh well, better hide the pain for now…
“Don’t worry about your outfit, gege, you just come as you are,” Hua Cheng said. Xie Lian’s outfit really was fine. White hoodie, plain jeans, old sneakers. The modest clothes underlined his natural beauty...
Hua Cheng caught himself staring too long at Xie Lian, and quickly looked away. Luckily, Xie Lian hadn’t noticed.
“But won’t I stick out with my clothes?” Xie Lian wasn’t convinced by Hua Cheng’s answer.
He gave it a thought. What kind of clothes could Xie Lian have that would fit the concert?
“Do you have band shirts or anything of the sorts? You know, like Nirvana, AC/DC or Metallica?”
“Those are bands? I thought they were clothing brands!”
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Gege,” he began with all seriousness, “I hope you are joking.”
Oh, he really hoped he was joking.
Xie Lian hid his mouth behind his fist and chuckled. It was the most beautiful sound Hua Cheng had heard all day and it came completely unexpected. He might as well die in peace right now.
Xie Lian let his hand sink and continued in an amused voice, “I’m just kidding. I know they are bands, but I don’t have any of their shirts, sadly. I’ll at least try to put on some black clothes.”
Hua Cheng could not recall a single time Xie Lian had worn dark clothes. Did he even have any other color than white? Part of Hua Cheng wanted to borrow one of his shirts but that would be too embarrassing.
“Hey before the concert… Shall we meet a little bit earlier, and grab something to eat?” Xie Lian proposed. Hua Cheng’s heart made backflips in his chest. Xie Lian had even asked him out for dinner?! What had he done to deserve such a blessing?!
“Anything gege wants,” Hua Cheng nodded, and the smile Xie Lian gave him in response was added on top of the huge stack of blessings that had piled up by now.
“Nice!” Xie Lian said “I’m really looking forward to it. Also, could you give me some recommendations? I’d like to listen to some more songs from the band… “
The next hour was like a dream. They had sat down together on a park bench and passed the time listening to music – Hua Cheng’s music! Hesitating, he showed Xie Lian his favorite songs of Crimson Rain Sought Flower. He started with some ballads they had released. Only when Xie Lian demanded the “harder stuff” after a few minutes, he grew more confident and switched to the louder titles. At first, he was careful, warning Xie Lian whenever there were curses or he searched for the radio cut versions. Eventually, he played the uncut versions. On stage, the band members couldn’t be censored either. Xie Lian looked a little surprised at first, but he seemed pretty cool with all the cursing. He did have roommates, after all, maybe they liked to curse, and he was already used to it?
Time on the bench passed way too quickly. Hua Cheng wanted to skip class just to keep listening to music with Xie Lian. One chiding sentence from Xie Lian though and Hua Cheng was packing his bag again. Seasons change, but people don’t. They still were junior and senior, just like in high school.
Xie Lian unplugged the headphones and returned the cable to Hua Cheng. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the warmth of Xie Lian’s hands.
“Have fun in class,” Xie Lian waved, “We’ll see each other on Friday!”
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
Friday… Friday… Friday was approaching way too fast, and the chaos of fabric felt never-ending. Xie Lian was kneeling amidst the mass of clothes sprawled on his bedroom floor, with only a few pieces remaining in the closet. He mindlessly slid his hands under another shirt and picked it up. Nope, it looked no good. Or rather, not good enough for a concert evening with Hua Cheng. Sighing, he tossed it away. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
New clothes weren’t exactly in his budget right now … Hua Cheng may have said looks didn’t matter at concerts, but Xie Lian didn’t want to stand out too much, or, even worse, embarrass Hua Cheng. After the disaster he had left at Hua Cheng’s kitchen, he at least shouldn’t screw up this one evening. Xie Lian ruffled through his hair, thinking about what to do.
He may have been lost in thought, but even to him, the confused stare nagging at him couldn’t remain unnoticed. Xie Lian blinked and looked back at his roommate Mu Qing, who was leaning against the doorframe. Mu Qing glanced at the chaos and rolled his eyes.
“Dinner is ready,” he dryly stated and turned on his heel.
With a loud grumble, Xie Lian’s stomach made it clear that it was time to leave the shirts alone. He followed Mu Qing outside and, in the hallway, the scent of ramen was already lingering. Feng Xin, their other roommate, was waiting for them at the kitchen table. Xie Lian took a seat before his bowl and clasped his hands together in gratitude. A few minutes later, the sound of him eating was already drowned out by Feng Xin’s and Mu Qing’s usual, loud bickering.
“You know, you could cut a little on the fucking salt. In real life and in your cooking,” Feng Xin commented after the first few bites.
“If you don’t like the food I make, why don’t you go out and starve to death?” Mu Qing retaliated.
Xie Lian lifted one hand in a pacifying manner, while he was busy eating with the other: “Hey, no need to fight. I can cook next time if you want.”
“No need!” Mu Qing and Feng Xin blurted in weird harmony.
Xie Lian almost dropped his chopsticks. Had his roommates just agreed for once?! Xie Lian had known his cooking was bad but was it really that bad?! He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
At least, Mu Qing quickly changed the topic, “By the way, what happened to your room? It looks like a bomb exploded.”
Xie Lian rested his chin on one hand and played with the noodles in his broth, “I’m going to a concert this Friday and I can’t decide what to wear.”
“A concert? What group is it?” Feng Xin asked.
“Crimson Rain Sought Flower.”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin choked on their ramen.
“C-Crimson Rain?! Aren’t those the songs where they always scream and curse?” Feng Xin asked once his coughing fit had finally stopped.
Xie Lian blinked, “You always scream and curse too, and I’m still living with you.”
Feng Xin opened his mouth. Mu Qing made no effort to hide his scoffing grin.
“That’s why I am searching for some clothes I can wear,” Xie Lian quickly continued the discussion before they could fight again. He explained his situation in more detail, avoiding Hua Cheng’s name though. He had known Mu Qing and Feng Xin since school and neither of them had been very fond of Hua Cheng back then.
“I’ll meet with a person I haven’t seen in a while. I just think this could be an important evening. And I don’t want to mess anything up,” Xie Lian concluded.
“If it’s so important, I’ll help you. Together, we should find something that’s suitable,” Feng Xin proposed.
Mu Qing scoffed, “And he should trust you with fashion choices?! Remember that golden belt you gifted your girlfriend? It looked horrible!”
“What the fuck is your problem?!”
Good thing, Xie Lian had a lot of experience diffusing his roommates’ temper. He grabbed both of their wrists.
“Thank you for your offer, Feng Xin! And Mu Qing, your mother is a seamstress, right? You surely have an amazing sense of fashion! I’ll gladly appreciate both of your help, let’s go!” he said cheerfully.
Before yet another fight could erupt between those two, he pulled them away from the table, back towards his room … Not exactly an easy task, since Mu Qing wouldn’t stop protesting which again caused Feng Xin to scold Mu Qing for his ill manners.
Anyways, after a lot of effort and one almost-broken pot plant later, the entire trio had gathered in Xie Lian’s room. He let go of their wrists and started digging through the clothes on the floor again.
Ignoring Feng Xin’s shocked expression over the mess, he showed them one t-shirt as an example, “Alright, so this is our selection.”
“You mean our crime scene? It looks like you are trying to hide a dead body here,” Mu Qing watched the floor with arms crossed.
Feng Xin had gotten a hold of himself again and looked through a few clothes, “I forgot how much stuff you actually have. Most of these clothes are from the time, your parents were still paying for you, right?”
Xie Lian nodded. Feng Xin had always been close to his family, so it didn’t even surprise him when he recognized the clothes from the past. Back in school, Xie Lian used to be super-rich and own tons of stuff, yet his parents had moved out of the country, and he couldn’t count on their support anymore. And well… Let’s just say Xie Lian himself wasn’t exactly blessed financially. He could earn enough for his rent and other needs by doing odd jobs next to his studies but apart from that, there wasn’t much in his budget.
Which meant he had to work with what he had. He picked up a white long-sleeve shirt and put it on. “I was thinking about this one, with simple jeans… What do you think?” he posed before his roommates once he was finished.
“That’s what you always wear. I thought you wanted something a little more special,” Feng Xin raised an eyebrow.
Mu Qing shook his head, “I have to agree with him for once. This is way too boring.”
“Alright,” Xie Lian knelt down and continued his search. To be honest, he had thought of it as a little too basic too. Good thing that he had a plan B ready. “I was also thinking about this one,” Xie Lian murmured and pulled forth a white shirt with a half-laughing, half-crying smiley printed on the back. He simply put it over the long-sleeved one that he was already wearing, and he had to admit, he kind of liked the eerie look. Mu Qing also gave a thumbs up.
However, Feng Xin shook his head, “It looks too creepy.”
“If you say so,” Xie Lian rummaged through some clothes on his bed. “I still have this one,” he held up a red shirt with a lance printed on the front. “I could combine it with this jacket here ...”
“The t-shirt looks awesome!” Feng Xin commented, “It’s the one from our trip to Banyue, right?”
“Yes! Glad you remember it!” Xie Lian said and put on the jacket.
“Woah, woah, wait. This shirt looks like it’s from a gift shop of a museum,” Mu Qing interfered.
“That’s because it is! I got it from the Banyue War Museum. See the lance? It belonged to the famous General Hua.”
Despite Xie Lian pointing at the print in excitement, Mu Qing was the opposite of convinced.
“No clothes. From. The gift shop,” he stated dryly.
Damn… Xie Lian had to admit that was one of his favorite shirts, but he also trusted Mu Qing’s judgment more than his own.
“Well, that was all I had. I’m out of options,” sighing, he tossed jacket and shirt onto the floor, back to his plain white outfit again.
Feng Xin skimmed through the clothes on his own.
“What about this?” he tugged at a red fabric that soon turned out to be way too long for an ordinary t-shirt, “Wait, why is there a red dress in your wardrobe?!”
Mu Qing’s eyes lit up, “That’s from the time he dressed up as a bride for Halloween, don’t you remember?” Delighted, he knelt next to Feng Xin and examined the dress himself. They both started laughing.
“Hey, hey, back to the topic,” Xie Lian interfered, already blushing. There were some things that better remained in the past!
“Alright, alright,” Mu Qing picked up a few shirts himself until his hands froze mid-movement and he frowned. “Wait,” he looked at Xie Lian, “remember when we were at the thrift store? That black hoodie you got there?”
“You mean, this one?” Xie Lian bent backward and reached for a black fabric hanging down the top of his closet. He unfolded the hoodie and revealed the print on the front. One Flower, One Sword written in a white font. It had somewhat of an alternative look and didn’t suit the rest of Xie Lian’s wardrobe. In fact, he had pretty much forgotten he even owned it.
“I think that one could work well. It’s casual and has its own charms. It’s not too boring but not too flashy either,” Mu Qing commented.
Pretty good arguments. Xie Lian considered it worth a try and put on the hoodie. The material laid softly on his skin, the fabric wasn’t too warm, and the sleeves reached down to his knuckles, just the way he liked it. All in all, it was nothing but comfortable. Xie Lian wondered why he hadn’t worn it more often.
“You could combine it with those ripped jeans of yours,” Feng Xin had already found the jeans in question and handed them to Xie Lian.
“And your dark sneakers,” Mu Qing headed for their apartment’s entrance. When he returned with the shoes in hand, Xie Lian had already changed into the new pants.
“Keep your hair in a bun as always, and it should work perfectly,” he added, as Xie Lian slid into his sneakers and tied the shoelaces.
“Yes, yes! I think this should work out,” Feng Xin had his fist raised in a victorious pose. Even Mu Qing looked incredibly satisfied with the result.
Seeing their reactions, Xie Lian’s heart was beating faster when he approached the mirror in his room. He saw his reflection and the first impression really left him amazed. He turned on his heel, examined every angle of his outfit. There wasn’t a single button, a single thread he disliked. He wouldn’t have thought they could piece something like this together with the stuff in his room.
Although he had never given his appearance a lot of thought before, it felt oddly good to dress up like this. He pictured Hua Cheng next to him and couldn’t wait for Friday to come!
At the edge of the mirror, he saw Mu Qing and Feng Xin giving him a thumbs up. Xie Lian turned around.
“Can’t believe what we three are capable of if you two aren’t fighting,” Xie Lian teased and hoped his roommates may even have learned a lesson for the future themselves.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
Friday had come and Hua Cheng had forgotten a vital part. He had no idea what to wear.
Now, normally his clothes for a concert were no challenge at all. Random band shirt with his usual jeans, and – bam – finished. Normally, he would choose his shirt with the Crimson Rain Sought Flower logo. Normally, He Xuan would have accompanied him, and he would have nothing to worry about at all. “Normally”, however, wasn’t working today!
He was going out with Xie Lian, and he hadn’t felt so much pressure regarding his outfit since the day he graduated! The longer he stared at the Crimson Rain Sought Flower print decorating the fabric over his chest, the more horrible it felt. This shirt was years-old, and it showed. Its red color wasn’t as bright as it used to be and even the print was crumbling in some places. The short sleeves covering Hua Cheng’s shoulders were worn out at the edges and he wished for a scissor to cut all the loose threads off.
No matter how often he turned on his heel, tried to fix the seams, or make the print look better, he simply felt like a mess. Dammit, Xie Lian was going to look as gorgeous as always and that was all Hua Cheng could pull off?! He cast a glance at his opened closet. Maybe he should go for a plain black shirt instead?
Defeated by something as dumb as outfits, Hua Cheng headed for the kitchen as his last resort. Or rather to his last resort (as much as he hated to admit it). As expected, He Xuan was leaning at the counter, snacking on a bowl of cornflakes and texting.
“Hey, can I ask you something,” Hua Cheng said.
“Sure, ask away,” He Xuan mumbled, eyes still pinned on her phone screen.
Hua Cheng looked down at his shirt, “Is this outfit alright for tonight? With Xie Lian?”
“Yes, amazing!” He Xuan replied immediately.
“Really? You don’t think the shirt is too fucked up?” Hua Cheng played with the broken edges of his print, not convinced.
“It’s beautiful! You are beautiful!” He Xuan’s voice became even more enthusiastic.
“Can’t believe I’m hearing such compliments out of your mouth.”
“You are so gorgeous! I want to kiss you right now!” He Xuan was basically shouting at this point.
Wait a damn minute … Hua Cheng looked up from his shirt, only to see He Xuan with her eyes still glued to her phone, a stupid smile across her face. Her painted, black nails tapped on the screen. Hua Cheng could guess who she was writing with.
He walked to the counter and pulled the cornflakes away. Only when she tried to dig her spoon into the bowl and was met with nothing but air, He Xuan finally looked up from her phone and the stupid smile vanished from her face
“You can get your own cornflakes, no need to steal mine,” she commented and wanted to retrieve her food. Too bad, Hua Cheng held it high up, out of her reach. And he wasn’t in the mood to change that soon.
“I asked you a question. And you were no help. As always,” he retaliated.
“I heard your question, but I had important business. Do you see that?! Shi Qingxuan just sent me this photo!” He Xuan shoved her phone so close to his face that Hua Cheng’s nose almost touched it. He was face to face with the selfie of a laughing woman. Her make-up complimented her eyes and made them sparkle. Even in a picture, Hua Cheng could feel the energy she radiated, and he could perfectly imagine how that overly excited voice, which he had heard coming from He Xuan’s phone before, would leave that woman’s mouth.
“I can’t believe we’re going to meet tonight! Isn’t she beautiful? Like, she is loud and annoying, but then she is so kind and cheerful and…” He Xuan’s eyes were back on the screen, and she let the spoon fall as if in trance. Hua Cheng had neither the time nor the nerves to deal with her dreamy comments right now.
“Okay, I’ve heard enough, thanks for nothing. Just know that you can’t expect a lot of money from me in the future” Hua Cheng put the bowl on the counter and was ready to leave for his room again.
The word money seemed to do the trick. For now, at least.
„Wait, wait, wait!” He Xuan snapped out of her trance. She stepped in front of the counter and mustered Hua Cheng’s clothes. One hand rested on her chin.
Wow, she really looked focused. Usually, Hua Cheng only saw her so concentrated when she was choosing food. Or cleaning her weird fish tank.
“The shirt may be a little old, so what? You barely notice it if you aren’t paying attention to it. Just combine it with those high-waist black pants you have, and you should be good. Oh, and wear your boots, those look best on you,” He Xuan concluded after her short examination.
Hua Cheng gave it some thought and had to admit that idea wasn’t complete bullshit. On the contrary, it sounded pretty solid! Better get changed as fast as possible. There wasn’t much time left until he met up with Xie Lian.
“I’m amazed, that was actually helpful,” he had already taken the first step towards his room.
“You can count on me when it boils down to it. Hey by the way, could you lend me some money for…”
“Thanks so much, He Xuan! Gotta head out soon but I’ll see you in the evening!”
“Hey, wait, it’s just a little …”
Hua Cheng slammed his door shut before he could hear more. Honestly, no amount of advice could compensate for the money He Xuan owed him already.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
They had agreed to meet beforehand and eat dinner together. The neon sign of the fast-food restaurant shone faintly with the twilit sky as its background. Hua Cheng kept one hand in his pocket while the other was scrolling through random apps on his phone. The notification bar remained empty of anything related to Xie Lian.
[From: He Xuan]
-- Ugh, I forgot how annoying she is in real life!
-- So fucking annoying!
What he got instead was message after message from He Xuan, who was basically live-tweeting her date with Shi Qingxuan at this point. Despite her being head over heels in love with that woman just a little while ago, He Xuan had done nothing but complain about her for the past 30 minutes or something.
[From: He Xuan]
-- Why does she have to be so cute though?!
-- Never mind, I should have just stayed at home eating Pizza.
Alright, this was pointless. Hua Cheng shook his head and finally put the phone away. Better to watch the people and cars passing by the street than to bother with He Xuan’s complaints.
And the people were quite thrilling to look at today. At least in Hua Cheng’s opinion. It was not hard to see there was a concert in the area. Countless people with dyed hair and band shirts were scurrying along the sidewalk, roaming around the nearby bus station or going in and out of the restaurant. Most of them with the logo of Crimson Rain Sought Flower printed across their chest or back, of course. One guy in a dark hoodie walked towards him… Wait, that was not just one guy. That was his guy!
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow. Usually, that person was shining. As exaggerated as it sounded, he was always wearing bright shirts and sweaters that formed a beautiful contrast to his dark hair. Now, however, Hua Cheng almost hadn’t recognized him dressed in such dark clothes.
“Gege, I can’t believe it. Wearing a color other than white?” Hua Cheng had to resist the urge to open his arms for an embrace when he greeted Xie Lian. They weren’t that close. Yet.
“I would be lying if I said I don’t feel a little weird,” Xie Lian scratched his cheek, which had slightly reddened.
I would be lying if I said you didn’t look fucking good in black, Hua Cheng thought. Seriously, this was nothing like the Xie Lian he was used to, but he loved it! The cute bun, bouncing on his head whenever he moved; the oversized hoodie, the ripped jeans ... Okay, he had to focus! He quickly opened the restaurant’s entrance door for Xie Lian before he could stare at his new outfit for too long.
A small queue had formed in front of the screens where you could order. Some people looked like they were going to the concert themselves. While waiting, Xie Lian’s eyes always wandered to them then back to his own clothes.
“Don’t worry, gege. You look amazing today,” Hua Cheng tried to calm him. Though amazing was an understatement.
Hearing this, Xie Lian relaxed. A smile swapped places with the worried look, “Thanks San Lang, you look great too.”
Hua Cheng almost smashed the screen in front of him. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to see the concert after all. If Xie Lian kept complimenting him like this, he may die of happiness before the band could even enter the stage. Hastily, Hua Cheng touched the start button and took a step aside.
“Gege, you can order first.”
Turns out, that wasn’t his smartest idea. Xie Lian’s finger hovered indecisively over the screen, his eyes flying to the price of every product until he eventually resigned to order a single bottle of water. Hua Cheng knew that pattern too well. It was exactly the way He Xuan always acted whenever she was short on money. (Which in most cases led to Hua Cheng lending her another load of cash again.) So, given his profound experience, he figured that Xie Lian was broke.
“Gege, don’t worry, I’ll treat you today,” he tapped the food icon on the screen. Xie Lian protested but soon a full menu was displayed, only waiting for payment. “By the way, where did you get your clothes from?” Hua Cheng quickly changed the topic as he entered his PIN.
“Oh that?” Xie Lian forgot all about the money and looked at the One Flower One Sword print on his hoodie, “I got it from a thrift store ages ago. I almost forgot I had it. It’s kind of a long story but my roommates helped me pick the clothes.”
“Really? My roommate helped me too,” Hua Cheng said and a few moments later they were in deep conversation about their struggles of finding the right clothes. They were so immersed, the employee had to shout their number three times until they realized the food was ready.
When they sat down to eat, Xie Lian was in the middle of telling random anecdotes about his two roommates. Most of them either began or ended with one of them picking a fight with the other.
“And I finally had them so far, that they worked together and helped me choose some clothes. I thought they could make peace with each other, but no chance. I swear, when we cleaned the table afterward, I even had to stop Feng Xin from decking Mu Qing with an empty ramen bowl,” with a sigh, Xie Lian finished the last bite of his wrap.
“They sound like a handful, but from what I hear, gege is pretty lucky. They seem dependable when you truly need them,” Hua Cheng said as he folded the empty cardboard that used to be full of fries. Their meal had passed in a flash. He would order a hundred fries, just to keep sitting here and listen to more of Xie Lian’s stories. Apart from his anecdotes, it was a relief to know that Hua Cheng was not the only one stuck with a difficult roommate.
Xie Lian took a sip from his coke and placed the bottle with the remaining half on his bench, probably to take it with him for later.
“You’re right about Feng Xin and Mu Qing,” he said, “They fight a lot but deep down I know we all care for each other. Otherwise we wouldn’t be living together.”
Hua Cheng could sympathize. Although his relationship with He Xuan was more than complicated and she could be lazy, irresponsible, was way too loose with money, a glutton, dry, humorless, egocentric… Where was he going with this again? Ah yeah…
“It’s the same with my roommate. He Xuan and I may have our fights but all in all, she’s really okay.” Reminded of her, Hua Cheng switched on his phone again. He chose to ignore the notifications for 178 new messages – He Xuan, what the fuck?! – and checked the clock at the top of the screen.
“Gege, I think we should get going. The concert is about to start.”
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
Control.
“Ah, could I just take one last sip,” Xie Lian hastily asked.
With a hollow noise, his coke bottle had already landed in the trash can.
Control.
“Uhm…”
“You got a problem?! Drinks aren’t allowed inside,” the security guy sassed. Hua Cheng was just one more rude comment away from reaching into that trash can and dumping the remaining coke over that jerk’s head.
“Never mind,” Xie Lian smiled apologetically – though he had done nothing wrong! – and hurried past the security guy further into the concert hall right to Hua Cheng’s side.
Seeing how Xie Lian did not take that bastard to heart at all, Hua Cheng calmed down.
“Sorry, gege, I should have warned you. Those security people are often really rude,” he apologized.
Xie Lian made a dismissive gesture, “Ah don’t worry. Besides, we’re here to enjoy the evening and not to be annoyed by rude employees. Let’s go inside.” He followed the crowd that was headed for the main hall. After glaring at the security guy, who was busy slam-dunking the next bunch of bottles into the trash can, Hua Cheng followed.
Being confronted with the new location, Xie Lian tried to absorb as much as possible. He looked at the stickers plastering the doors and walls and posters announcing the next events at the venue hanging everywhere; the youths dressed in dark roaming around the place… And of course, the dim lights of the bars and food stalls that tried to sell over-expensive stuff. The bar keepers were handing out drinks in plastic cups. Most guests had gathered in small groups around the bars, holding onto their fair share of beer. A few people were already returning their empty cups to get their deposit fee back. Xie Lian mustered those with extra interest.
Hua Cheng was afraid the entire scene wouldn’t leave a good impression. Especially because Xie Lian had abstained from alcohol since school. Though, he didn’t look revolted or anything. Rather … curious? Yes, curious was the right word. And Hua Cheng had to admit he was kind of cute too, scanning the place like a child who was at a park for the first time and tried to see as much as possible. The small bun on his head was always leaning in the direction he was looking at.
Hua Cheng’s eyes finally broke free from Xie Lian’s charm, and he watched the area with a certain place grabbing his attention. An exceptionally large group had gathered in front of a stall that was selling merchandise of the band. Over the dozens of heads, the samples of everything they had in store had been pinned onto a board for everyone to see clearly. One sweater caught Hua Cheng’s attention. The fabric was black with the logo of the Crimson Rain Sought Flower in bright red letters on the back and their latest album cover printed on the front: A pair of people walking under blood rain, one of them holding an umbrella to shield them both. The long sleeves were decorated with crimson flowers.
Subconsciously, Hua Cheng started playing with the money in his pocket. He looked at the t-shirt he was currently wearing; which was so worn out he had hesitated to wear it in the first place. If that wasn’t a sign to get some new clothes… Plus, Crimson Rain Sought Flower was his favorite band. It would be a valid purchase.
When they entered the main hall, where the stage was, Hua Cheng was mentally still at that merch stall.
Then again… he shook his head. Bad thoughts! He already had enough clothes at home and had treated someone for dinner today. He may not have been an economical disaster like Xie Lian and He Xuan but even Hua Cheng had to mind his finances.
Besides, he would rather save his money for more nights like this. Eating together, going out… Hua Cheng turned around to speak with Xie Lian. Only that Xie Lian wasn’t there.
Wait, where had he vanished to?! Hua Cheng skimmed the hall, looked over several hundred heads but the familiar bun was nowhere in sight.
Good news, Hua Cheng didn't have to search for long. Bad news, he almost tripped over Xie Lian.
“Gege, what are you doing down there?” Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow and stepped away from the figure crouching on the floor. His boot had almost left a print on the hoodie’s back.
Xie Lian got up, with a stack of empty plastic cups in his hands.
“The other people just tossed them onto the ground. I can get the deposit for those … Right? Better to collect as many as I can!” he explained as if it was the most natural thing ever.
He… What?!
Okay, Hua Cheng was rarely at a loss of words and that was one of those moments. He looked at the stack of thrown-away cups one more time, then at Xie Lian – alias the concert hall’s very own scrap collector! It was somehow cute and amusing at the same time. His first impulse was to laugh, but he was afraid that would insult Xie Lian.
A few seconds passed in silence and Xie Lian’s brows furrowed, “Wait, is that weird? I can put them away if they annoy you…”
“No, not at all. Rather, I admire how smart gege is to think about earning money even in moments like these,”
Xie Lian laughed awkwardly but seemed a lot more comfortable now with the cups in his arms. Hua Cheng could look at this godly expression for hours. He couldn’t help it, Xie Lian was just too cute, and beautiful and…
Pang!
And covered in beer…
“Can’t you watch out you scumbag?” Hua Cheng screamed at the crowd, not knowing who threw the cup in the air. He searched for something that he could dry Xie Lian’s hair with. Part of him wanted to loot the restroom for paper towels but…
“Good thing, I’m wearing a black shirt!” Xie Lian simply laughed the matter off and carried the cups back to the bar.
As dozens of people pushed past Hua Cheng to get closer to the stage, he stood still and watched the guy presenting his stack of cups to the barkeeper. And not gonna lie, Hua Cheng had to hold back a laugh himself. Xie Lian was truly amazing. Nothing like the rich boy from school but his new attitude had its own charms.
However, the time for admiration was over. First guitar riffs echoed through the hall and everyone’s attention got drawn to the stage. Even Hua Cheng tore his eyes from Xie Lian. The members of Crimson Rain Sought Flower entered. The excitement traveled like waves through the crowd until the entire hall was drowned in the sound of clapping and excited screams. Hua Cheng was no exception. It wasn’t his first time seeing them live but the dazzling feeling of being in the same room as your favorite band and the music about to erupt in your ears… It’s an awesome experience every time again, to say the least.
They started with a classic song; one Hua Cheng had adored since his teenage years. Thinking about it, the last time he had seen Crimson Rain Sought Flower live must have been when he was still in school. How little had changed in the meantime. He still loved the same music and ... well, the same guy! Back then, Xie Lian had been a faint dream for him. And now he was returning from the bar, hurrying to his side while storing the cash he had just earned. Hua Cheng stepped aside and made space for him. They were reunited before the band could perform into the chorus for the first time. Even Xie Lian seemed eager to sing along. It was a song Hua Cheng had shown him before. He halted, the chorus started and amidst the crowd of hundreds of other chanting youths, the past years were forgotten. All that mattered right now was the music on stage and Xie Lian’s voice in his ears.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
Twenty minutes into the concert and Hua Cheng already wanted to bury himself. The music was amazing, no doubt. The band was killing it and the crowd was wilding. And they had to show their excitement in the messiest way possible: By throwing their drinks high in the air. …And every single damn cup of alcohol managed to land exactly on Xie Lian’s head. His hair wasn’t silky anymore but drenched and reeked of beer.
Several things were amazing about this. First, how unbothered Xie Lian was. Even when the cups just hit his head, he didn’t flinch. Then again, after everything Hua Cheng had witnessed of Xie Lian’s luck he was probably used to such mishaps.
Also, not only did the cups hit a wall of human indifference but got immediately picked up. The plastic in Xie Lian’s arms increased with every song played. Once he had involuntarily gathered a small stack of cups, he rushed back to the bar and collected the deposit. Even though he was the most unusual person he had ever seen at a concert, Hua Cheng admired Xie Lian’s practical thinking here… Especially considering he made money out of people tossing overpriced drinks away.
When he wasn’t earning cash as a concert scrap collector, Xie Lian didn’t just stand amidst the crowd either. He clapped and sang along to the songs, even screaming when the crowd did. The latter may have sounded a little awkward, but Hua Cheng was grateful for the engagement. People who were too stiff at concerts could be kind of annoying. And – damn! – Xie Lian had a beautiful singing voice!
If he thought about it, this evening was so bizarre. Hua Cheng was here to listen to his favorite band playing live and yet he couldn’t help but focus on Xie Lian. The headlights above the stage, the members’ hands raging over their instruments, and their gestures towards the crowd – they all disappeared from Hua Cheng’s vision to make room for the person by his side.
One time, Hua Cheng subconsciously stopped moving and watched Xie Lian in his element. The amber eyes flared up when the headlights shone on them, the black bun bounced, and the wet hair stuck to his reddened cheeks. Despite the alcohol he was drenched in, there was barely a second when he didn’t smile. He jumped and clapped and sang and Hua Cheng couldn’t remember ever seeing him this happy. Heaven must have granted him its blessing to give him such a beautiful sight!
A quick guitar riff ripped through Hua Cheng’s trance. The beginning had him hooked immediately. This was one of his favorite songs: fast-paced, with a lot of drops and a chorus that kicked in.
Perfect for the pit!
Excited, Hua Cheng glanced at the circle further ahead that had formed within the crowd. Dozens of people inside there were moshing – pushing and slamming into each other to the rhythm of the music. It felt like ages since he had last been in the mosh pit!
Wait… The pit! Hua Cheng always went straight over there whenever he was at a concert. Xie Lian had even let him forget about the pit! Hua Cheng shook his head and forgot the idea of joining the others’ moshing. He couldn’t just vanish amidst a group of screaming, pushing youths. Or even worse, get Xie Lian into the pit.
Though Xie Lian’s voice fell silent once the song gained speed, and he tugged at Hua Cheng’s sleeve mid-verse. The music was so dominant, their cheeks almost had to touch in order to understand each other. Hua Cheng’s mind screamed even louder than the vocalist introducing the chorus.
“What’s this?” Xie Lian shouted and pointed at the pit.
Oh great, speaking of Xie Lian not getting there… He had just found the pit!
“They’re…” a scream from the stage interrupted Hua Cheng before he could continue, “it’s called moshing. During every concert, the crowd usually makes some space for a circle, where people gather to mosh, the mosh pit.”
“Can anybody just go in there?”
“Yeah but…”
“Wanna go in?” Xie Lian’s eyes sparkled ominously, looking at the pit.
Not gonna lie, his enthusiasm for the pit had Hua Cheng taken aback. “It’s kinda dangerous,” he replied, not knowing what to answer. Which was bullshit to a certain degree because he had never been in a violent pit and the fanbase of Crimson Rain Sought Flower was usually thoughtful of other people. Then again, seeing how fortune Xie Lian normally favored, it was probably the smarter decision not to let him walk into a pit of screaming, pushing people …
“Dangerous?! Come on, there are high schoolers in there!” Xie Lian argued.
“You’ll probably get some bruises…” Hua Cheng tried again.
Xie Lian laughed, “I’m the leader of the kendo course. I get smacked on the head by Mu Qing and Pei Ming on a daily basis. I don’t care about bruises.”
His last sentence almost got drowned out by the singer’s scream that followed. The song approached its first climax and the chorus. Like the music, the mosh pit became wilder.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I’ll try it for one song, alright?” Xie Lian shortly nodded at Hua Cheng and hurried to the mosh pit, his eyes beaming with curiosity.
“Gege, wait!” Hua Cheng pushed through the crowd and chased the little black bun that had vanished within the mass of moshing people.
Getting into the pit wasn’t difficult since the other guests usually made way for you. One step, one pair of hands giving him a push, and he was amidst the action. Inside the pit, he felt like he was flying. Backs and heads and arms became a mess in front of his vision.
The band’s screams resonated with those of the people who moshed, and in the vortex of pushes and shoves, he struggled to keep an eye on Xie Lian. While Hua Cheng did his best to shield him from the other people’s pushes, Xie Lian himself quickly had the hang of how to act in the pit. Oh, and how he got the hang of it!
Once he noticed Hua Cheng trying to protect him, he slammed into him with the entire weight of his body. The impact was not painful at all – but holy shit, at that moment, Hua Cheng learned one thing: Xie Lian’s looks were deceiving. Especially in the oversized hoodie, he looked rather frail. However, those long sleeves hid a body that packed one hell of a punch. Even enough to push Hua Cheng out of the pit!
He only caught a quick glimpse on Xie Lian’s grinning face, before getting a hold of himself with a few staggering steps.
Ok, maybe he did not have to worry about him at all. Xie Lian’s grin was mirrored on Hua Cheng’s own face. Clearly, he felt comfortable in the pit. And clearly, he wanted to enjoy this evening. Who was he to ruin this moment with his overprotectiveness?
Now that he could rest easy about Xie Lian, it was his turn to enjoy the pit too! He forgot about all the niceties you would expect on a date and focused on the people and the energy in the mosh pit.
Unlike his time in school, Hua Cheng was fully grown now and could deliver a few good pushes himself. A pair of hands pressed against his back and shoved him forwards, another person caught him, some people fell onto the floor, and he was the first one to pick them up. Xie Lian’s face popping up here and there raised his spirits even further.
Even Xie Lian seemed over the moon in the pit. Together with Hua Cheng, he gave the most pushes, ran the most laps around the pit, screamed the loudest. Jumping in the center, suddenly landing at the edges until they were back in the middle again. The two partied with so much energy, nobody else in the pit could keep up with them.
They had been moshing through three songs, until two girls lost balance and stumbled backward, right into Hua Cheng. He was ready to hit the floor and just focused on slowing the others’ fall, but the impact never came. Arms covered by long black sleeves grabbed his shoulders and stopped three people completely! The girls regained their balance, and got back to moshing, after checking that everyone was okay. Hua Cheng peeked over his shoulder and saw Xie Lian’s smiling face as he let go of him.
During the next two songs, Hua Cheng wondered whether he should join the kendo club too if that really gave you the strength to catch three whole people !
When the concert approached its end, Hua Cheng was drenched in sweat. Hard to say, if it was the same for Xie Lian or if his hair was still so sticky from all the beer he had drawn to himself like a magnet. No matter how exhausted he was, you couldn’t guess it. The band blasted their final song and Xie Lian packed all his energy into moshing as if it was still his first time. Hua Cheng wasn’t planning to show any lack of spirit either! Crimson Rain Sought Flower concerts were something to relish to the fullest until the very last second. The mosh pit shared that energy. The hands and heads spiraled around. The crowd was chanting. Hua Cheng watched Xie Lian pushing and partying and having the time of his life and he wished he could just freeze this moment. This one song playing for eternity. He longed to memorize Xie Lian’s happy face forever.
During the last notes, the pit was slowing down. One last push hit Xie Lian harder than expected. He staggered across the dirty floor and Hua Cheng didn’t have to think twice. His arms just opened naturally. Xie Lian was caught before he could even approach the floor. Hua Cheng’s arms circled around him. The black hoodie rubbed against his own shirt. The bun had loosened, and a black veil of hair pressed against his chest. Despite the layers of alcohol and sweat, a fragrance of flowers had prevailed. Xie Lian’s body was hot from all the exercise. Hua Cheng, on the other hand, was frozen by all the impressions that hit him at once.
The applause traveled right over his head. The band spoke their last words and said goodbye. Xie Lian slowly shifted, and Hua Cheng returned to his senses – more or less ready for an instant heart attack when he realized what he had done.
Oh shit! He was basically hugging Xie Lian! Abruptly, he removed his arms.
The stage had become empty, the crowd got into motion and left the hall.
“You wanna grab a drink?” Hua Cheng asked quickly. His mind was racing. Okay, okay, just keep cool and pretend that nothing happened. No panic. Too bad his heart was doing the exact opposite!
For a second, Xie Lian kept quiet. They just looked at each other. A second more of silence, and they would probably hear Hua Cheng’s heart exploding in his chest.
Finally, Xie Lian wiped over his face, which was high red and glistening in the dim light. “I think I could use a drink,” he replied.
Hua Cheng didn’t know how, but Xie Lian’s smile always managed to immediately put him at ease. He led the way to the bar.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
A load of people had already gathered around the counter. While they were waiting in line, Xie Lian stared at all the cups in people’s hands, probably hoping for them to drop the empty ones, so he could turn them into money again.
“Gege, I’ll start to think you only came to the concert with me to collect the deposit for the cups,” Hua Cheng joked.
“Come on, San Lang,” Xie Lian playfully hit his shoulder, “I can’t thank you enough for inviting me. That was fun.
“So, gege liked his first mosh pit?”
“Yes! I especially liked the last part.”
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow, “Last part?”
Xie Lian had the same sincere smile as always, and the blush made it a million times prettier, “The part where you caught me!”
You mean the part where I hugged you?! Hua Cheng’s mind screamed. Luckily it was their turn to order so he could freak out about Xie Lian’s response another time.
“The next time you’re going to a concert, be sure to give me a call!” Xie Lian said once they had sat down with their own drinks.
They picked a random spot on the floor, leaning against the wall. None of them bothered because honestly, after spending an hour colliding with sweaty strangers, the dust left in the hall was nothing. Hua Cheng drove his hands through his long hair. The strands stuck together, the tiny braid he always kept was a mess. Not to mention the icky feeling on his skin. While he loved concerts, he always looked forward to the showers afterward.
They eagerly started to empty their cups. Xie Lian sighed, put his drink down, and fanned himself with one hand. His cheeks were high red, and he seemed even hotter than Hua Cheng. No wonder, considering his outfit. They started to chat casually which quickly evolved into Xie Lian swearing he would never wear a hoodie to a concert again.
“They always say beauty knows no pain, but apparently it knows heat,” Hua Cheng teased him and playfully tugged at Xie Lian’s long sleeve.
Speaking of long sleeves. During their conversation, he realized they were sitting in front of the merchandise stall again. The image of two people walking under the bloody rain practically beamed at him. The sweater he wanted was still there …
“San Lang?” Xie Lian looked in the same direction as Hua Cheng, “You’ve been staring at the shop several times now. Do you want to buy something?”
“I was thinking about it, but I don’t really need it.”
“Which one?” Xie Lian dug deeper.
“The one with the people under the umbrella. But really, gege, it’s no big deal. I already have so many clothes at home, what’s one more piece? Besides, the tickets for the concert were expensive enough. This humble student shouldn’t spend too much money.”
Xie Lian’s eyes widened, and Hua Cheng already regretted adding that last sentence.
“That means you are short on money?! And even so, you treated me to dinner?!” Xie Lian said.
“What?! Gege, no. It’s not that bad really, never mind,” Hua Cheng finished his drink and stood up, “Let’s go, alright?”
They returned their cups to the bar, and Hua Cheng handed Xie Lian the deposit for both cups. “Just for consistency,” he said with a teasing smirk. Xie Lian let the cash slide into his pocket. He seemed to be in thought.
When they left the venue, Hua Cheng cast another deathly glance at the rude security guy from the beginning. Night had already come, and the air was chilly. Outside, Hua Cheng shuddered, especially since his shirt was still drenched in sweat. Suddenly, he envied Xie Lian for his big hoodie.
The cold seemed to be Xie Lian’s smallest problem, though. He patted his pockets. “Crap, I forgot something. I’ll be right back, just wait here for a few seconds,” he turned on his heel and rushed into the concert hall.
The seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes began to pile up. Hua Cheng rubbed over his bare forearms, a futile attempt to stop his goosebumps from spreading. A small part of him wished the heat of the mosh pit back. Inside, he could hear the security jerk quarreling with some guests again, so he settled for a few more minutes freezing. He unlocked his phone to take his mind off the cold. When he switched on his data, it almost exploded from all the messages it had to load.
Oh yeah, He Xuan. He had pretty much forgotten about her. Amidst the storm of messages that popped up one after another, he could only make out snippets:
[From: He Xuan]
-- Fuck she is so fucking annoying.
-- I hate her.
-- She is so annoying and yet so cute
-- Fuck
-- I think I’m in love.
-- I love her!
-- I loooove herrrrR!
The last message to stay on the screen was a barrage of black heart emojis. Hua Cheng shook his head, but a smile had long since appeared on his face. Seemed like He Xuan’s evening turned out more than well. He couldn’t wait to hear the full story. He dreaded the cheesy phone calls and hour-long love-hate speeches that were probably to come. Still, he was happy for her.
Hopefully, she had a good time … and wasn’t freezing her ass off in the open street.
Hua Cheng closed the messenger app and wanted to give Xie Lian a call. Quick footsteps sounded behind him, and someone tugged at the collar of his shirt.
“What the?!” Hua Cheng turned around and found the culprit to be Xie Lian, who was already hurrying back into the hall again.
“Gege?!” he shouted and followed. He had no idea what the heck had happened to him now but after the scrap collecting and everything, he had pretty much settled with the fact that he shouldn’t question Xie Lian too much.
At least, the fighting between the staff and guests had stopped. The hall was heated, though it was hardly enough to warm Hua Cheng. Before he had even passed the security guy, Xie Lian came running back. His face was red, and he basically huffed half of his words.
“Sorry it took a while to gather all the cups. I hope I got the right size… but here you are,” he unfolded the fabric in his hands. A red print came forth and Hua Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.
“Tada! A brand-new shirt, sponsored by all the people who can’t pick up their cups!”
Hua Cheng stared at the red print, two people walking under the blood rain together, the long sleeves hanging down. Xie Lian smiled proudly as he was holding it. A mild fire was set ablaze in Hua Cheng’s chest. In his daze, he only brought out a clumsy “Thank you”. Xie Lian laughed, and it was the prettiest sound he had heard tonight. A thousand times better than the concert.
Hua Cheng put on the Crimson Rain Sought Flower sweater Xie Lian had gifted him. He wasn’t cold anymore.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
~ Three years later ~
“San Lang, hurry up, we got a long drive ahead of us!” Xie Lian had one foot already inside the car and waved impatiently.
“Coming!” Hua Cheng shouted and locked the door to his apartment. No – their apartment.
After He Xuan had moved in with Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian had started to live with Hua Cheng. He pulled the keys out of the lock, watching the red flowers printed along his long sleeve. That Crimson Rain Sought Flower sweater started to look a bit worn but he didn’t want to get rid of it. Too many precious memories were connected to it.
He looked at Xie Lian, who was still waving from below the terrasse. Hua Cheng hurried past the other doors, down the stairs. “Gege, you’re sure you want to drive?” he asked, once arrived at the parking lot.
“Come on, I just drove into the lantern pole last week, nothing bad can happen so soon again.”
“Do you really want to push your luck?”
“…”
After a short silence, Xie Lian stood up. His hair wasn’t tied in a bun today, but it moved in cute waves, nonetheless. “Alright, you can take the lead,” he pointed at the steering wheel, if not a bit sulky.
Hua Cheng didn’t sit down. He crossed his arms. “Gege, I need something a bit more convincing. That town is a long ride away after all.”
Xie Lian understood the task instantly. He moved closer, stood on tiptoes, and pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. Hua Cheng’s wannabe stern expression melted and made way for a smile. The ring dangling down Xie Lian’s neck pressed against his chest. A small gift, Hua Cheng had gotten for their first anniversary.
Their lips parted and Xie Lian took a step back. “Convinced?” he asked softly, his cheeks tinged in light pink.
“Definitely.”
Satisfied, Hua Cheng sat down in front of the steering wheel. He set up everything: seat, mirrors, and most importantly, of course, the music.
“Alright, I’m in charge of driving, gege’s in charge of the music. You pick the songs you like,” he handed Xie Lian in the passenger’s seat the phone.
The screen’s bluish light was reflected in the amber eyes. Xie Lian scrolled a little, then tapped with a cheeky smile. Hua Cheng waited for the music to start. The brutal screams and guitar riffs of Crimson Rain Sought Flower, one of his favorite metal bands roared from the speakers.
“Not that one!” he complained. That song summarized their first date together when the fatal combination of a plugged stereo and Xie Lian tripping over a blanket gave him the embarrassment of his lifetime. Little had he known that mishap would lead him to his big love.
“It’s still cute how you get embarrassed,” Xie Lian hid his laugh behind the long sleeve of his oversized hoodie. He had gotten this one recently, the font spelling out One Flower, One Sword. Turns out, this was the name of a band. One that Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had grown fond of over the past years. And one whose concert they were driving to.
“Alright, how about this …” Xie Lian tapped on a different song by Crimson Rain Sought Flower. Hua Cheng had better memories with this one, though. About his first concert with Xie Lian.
“Remember? They played this as the finale. At the concert where it all started,” Xie Lian spoke like he cherished those days as well.
How could Hua Cheng ever forget? The night when he caught Xie Lian in his arms. When Xie Lian accompanied him to concerts more and more often. Until they started dating for real. And slowly became inseparable.
With his favorite music in his ears and his favorite person by his side, Hua Cheng started the car engine. Now he would drive with his beloved to another concert.