Work Text:
It all began when someone asked if anyone had a bag they could loan for another shoot. Most of the boys of XNine offered up their bags, but upon careful consideration, the production assistant finally chose Xiao Zhan’s dark green bag, muttering something about that being that person’s favourite colour.
“Thank you for lending us your bag. We’ll be sure to return it after we’re done filming!” the assistant said before she turned and ran towards the other group filming a short way away.
Xiao Zhan knew that the hosts of the show they were scheduled to be on, Day Day Up, were also filming a short intro in the fields. He wondered which one of them his bag was supposed to be for. Whose favourite colour was green. He could not imagine that Han-ge and Qian Feng would carry such a youngish style, so it must be either Da Zhang Wei or their youngest brother, Wang Yibo.
Of course he knew who Wang Yibo was. Other than the fact that he was the youngest host on tv right now, there was also the little thing of some netizens shipping the both of them together. Which had to be the most bizarre thing ever, considering that they have never interacted before nor been linked together in any way. He knew the reason behind it was not the most flattering, but Xiao Zhan took it as one of the inevitable negative parts of being a public person. It did intrigue him, though, what the other man (or boy really) was like to be suffering the same fate as him.
***
Wang Yibo was glad when they wrapped up the filming in the canola fields, it was hard to act all bubbly and happy when it was freezing cold. Though he had to admit that the huge field of yellow flowers was really beautiful. One of the production assistants came up to him to grab the borrowed bag from him and as he took it off to return it to her, she said, “Thank goodness Xiao Zhan from XNine had a suitable bag, or I’d have been scolded for sure.”
“XNine?” he asked.
“Oh yes, the group is also filming their introduction video here,” she said, pointing towards a group of people who were enthusiastically jumping up and down.
He had seen the group earlier but had not paid much attention to them as he had been caught up in his own filming. But now that he knew who they were, he could not help himself from constantly glancing back at them, hoping to spot the guy whose bag he had been carrying.
To say that he was excited when he heard that XNine was making a guest appearance on Day Day Up would have been an understatement. Yibo had been hoping to meet Xiao Zhan ever since he had seen people linking their names together online. It still made him a little bitter when he realised the reason behind it, but it had made him curious enough to look Xiao Zhan up.
He had not been prepared for how good looking and talented the other celebrity was. He had caught his attention enough that he started keeping tabs on Xiao Zhan’s activities, so he was really happy when he found out they were going to be sharing a stage. The thought that he had been using the other man’s bag caused an odd surge of giddiness in him.
On the way back to the studio, Han-ge commented on his uncharacteristic bubbliness and Yibo tried to tone down his excitement, even though he could not help the upward curving of his lips. As they were relaxing in their room, Da-laoshi sidled up to him on his couch and said with a grin, “What has gotten our Yibo so happy? Is it because a certain someone is on the show today?”
Yibo blushed. Da-laoshi had caught him looking at Xiao Zhan’s Oasis account once and even though Yibo had tried to bluster his way out of it, the other man had not stopped teasing him about it whenever he had the chance. He had been mortified when it had happened, but then he became grateful when Da-laoshi had found it adorable instead of being creeped out by it.
Before Da-laoshi could continue teasing him, there was a knock on the door and a large group of people walked in. As they filed in, Xiao Zhan immediately snagged Yibo’s attention. Yibo had not realised the other man was so tall. And even better looking in person. The group introduced themselves one by one and when it was Xiao Zhan’s turn, he looked straight into Yibo’s eyes and Yibo forgot how to breathe.
***
Xiao Zhan knew he should be paying more attention to what was happening on stage, but he could not help getting distracted whenever the white-clad young man moved into his field of vision. He was young, maybe just a little older than Guang Guang, but he carried himself with a maturity that was absent in the boy he had come to think of as his little brother. When he faced Zexi in the dance off, Xiao Zhan was blown away by the fluidity of Wang Yibo’s body and the control he exerted over it.
The moment when their eyes met in the room, Xiao Zhan almost could not look away. It was only Da Zhang Wei clearing his throat that tore his attention away from the youngest member of the Day Day Up brothers. He had looked at Da-laoshi then and he swore the other man had the most amused look on his face.
When filming ended, Xiao Zhan had hoped to speak to Wang Yibo, but there was no sign of the young man at all. Who turned up in their dressing room was Da-laoshi instead. He made his rounds, thanking the XNine boys for appearing on their show, leaving Xiao Zhan for last. With a sly grin on his face, he said, “Hope you had fun on our show. We certainly had fun having you on, especially someone. Someone also asked me to help get your Weixin contact.”
Xiao Zhan’s heartbeat sped up. Could it be? He knew Da-laoshi probably would not come right out to say who it is, but it was with hope that he let the other man swipe his QR code.