Chapter Text
Mei Nianqing felt something was off about Jun Wu. That man didn’t say hello to him in the morning, didn’t kiss him when he was about to go to work, didn’t send him a text at lunch break and ask him what he wanted for lunch—nor even buy it. He didn’t tell him that he would be late to go home tonight, didn’t listen to his babbling—nor every word he was saying! And just kept eyeing his phone screen.
No, Jun Wu wasn’t a smombie—smartphone zombie as you may have known—and he was sure he ain’t experiencing FOMO either. Jun Wu was… he’s the type that even forgot he owned a cell phone! But NOW he always carried it with him, even to the bathroom!
Jesus Christ, what happened to him nowadays?
When Mei Nianqing tried to peek at his phone screen, he saw WhatsApp being opened and he was getting in long, long, long chats with someone that he didn’t know. Mei Nianqing couldn’t see the whole conversation but they seemed to have fun.
“He uses emoji!” Mei Nianqing whined to Xie Lian. They both sat across from each other in Starbucks. It’s near Christmas and the interior was full of joyful accessories, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was filling the entire air.
Xie Lian frowned, “What emoji?” He stirred his ginger latte.
That man clicked his tongue and looked worried. He said hesitantly but also seemed like he was scared of something. “Laugh emoji, but it’s not the ordinary one, it’s kind of LOL and I don’t know what’s funny.” He whispered with a terrified look, “He uses a lot.”
Xie Lian nodded. “Did he use that on you too? I think it's not a big deal. San Lang uses the emoji on He Xuan as well.” He giggled. "Even to you, remember?"
“Nah!” Mei Nianqing ruffled his own hair in a huff. “But Jun Wu never sends emoji to me! It’s always short, concise, and clear. Did you love me? Yes! Something like that. And you know yourself that he never joins our convo on group chat. Unless you send him a private text.”
“Ah…maybe that person is his friend in the office.” Xie Lian gave him a calm smile. “You know, maybe you’re not the only one Jun Wu can be comfortable with, especially when it comes to the job matters. He maybe has a friend who can be relied on—”
But it didn’t help. It just made Mei Nianqing get more anxious though. “Who’s his friend? Every person that he knows also knows me too! Including you! You think there’s someone new that he won’t tell me about? And he feels more comfortable around them?”
“No-no-no-no…” Xie Lian reached his hand and held it on the table. “I’m sure it’s not like that. Jun Wu was the loyal type, don’t think he finds someone funnier or has more wit than you.”
“What if it’s true?” Mei Nianqing’s voice squeaked suddenly. Xie Lian noticed his eyes were covered with a thin layer of tears. “He was bored of me.”
“How do you know? Did you ask him?” Xie Lian rubbed Mei Nianqing’s palm gently. “Try to ask him, you are his and you have the right to do it. There’s nothing wrong with asking why.”
“I know. But I feel like…he’s getting cold.” Mei Nianqing loosened his hand from Xie Lian's grasp and took a big bite of his gingerbread cookie—ah, it’s actually Xie Lian’s and that pretty man just let the ginger man's head get chopped off. “I'm afraid our marriage life will get him bored. We indeed lack communication nowadays. He’s always been busy.”
Xie Lian sighed and didn’t help to get worried. He knew Jun Wu was quite mysterious when it came to feelings or thinking, he’s a confidante. Xie Lian knew that sometimes the relationship could get boring but it’s impossible for him to cheat on someone. Jun Wu wouldn’t go down so low. And Mei Nianqing was the same, but his character was much more boisterous compared to Jun Wu's and always clingy. They were actually very contrasting. He wondered how they could end up together.
“Hmm…. Oh, yes! Maybe you can try this one to...you know—re-spark the love between you two.” Xie Lian picked up his phone and searched for something from his gallery. “Look. Hua Cheng and I had done this before and it went quite great. It’s fun, maybe you and he can do it too.”
Mei Nianqing read the picture that Xie Lian showed with frowned brows, “Ten days marriage challenge? You and he did this—seriously?”
“I’ll send this to you.” He sent the picture to Mei Nianqing. “You can read it yourself, it’s not that hard.”
Mei Nianqing checked his phone and read the infographic intensely. “Send a romantic text, ask about their days, give a compliment…. well—that’s your daily activities basically, am I wrong?”
Without those challenges, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng did it every single day. Of course, it’s easy for both of them. They were always lovey-dovey.
Xie Lian laughed awkwardly. “Well… You’re right—but this is also new for us—for several points though. Come on, ask him to do this challenge. Try something unusually.”
It was hard enough to ask Jun Wu. Mei Nianqing didn’t want to bother him. “This is ridiculous.”
“No. This is challenging.”
“Don’t you think this is childish though?”
“No. This will give us insight.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“It should be me to ask. Are you sure , Mei?” Xie Lian smiled like a mother. “Give it a try. You never know unless you do it. This is for you and him. We have done it, you need my review? It’s an amazing thing.”
***
Okay. Mei Nianqing ended up gathering his courage to do this so-called “10 Days Marriage Challenge” but he would do it alone and see his daddy’s reaction towards him. Would he change?
Started from day one!
“Send a romantic text to each other.”
Well, that would be only him to send it. It’s near lunchtime so Jun Wu might be on a break too. He could send some cheesy sweet crackers to him for lunch.
“What should I write? I don’t know if it's difficult to be romantic.” Mei Nianqing mumbled as he scrolled down his phone screen to search for some romantic texts from the internet. That’s uncreative, yeah…he knew.
“This is too bitchy—but I might say it in real life so it’s okay…oh, this is okay too. No, this one is a no-no, it might make me the one who begs his love! I’m not begging.” Mei Nianqing kept scrolling and suddenly thought of an idea, “I’ll call Xie Lian.”
“Hi, Mei! What’s wrong? Have you done it?” Xie Lian’s voice sounded cheerful and friendly as always.
“What did Hua Cheng use to trick you?”
“What? San Lang never tricks me.”
Mei Nianqing clicked his tongue and swayed his hand, “You just believe him blindly. He has a silver tongue, what kind of romantic words he used to say to you?”
Xie Lian was confused but still answered, “Eeh…you couldn’t find it yourself? Never exchange romantic words with Jun Wu?”
“If I knew it myself then I wouldn’t ask, come on! Tell me one or two.”
“You really are hopeless in this kind of thing.” Xie Lian chuckled. “Just look on the internet, there are too many.”
“I'm trying, I just want a reference.”
It took nearly half of an hour to pick the right one.
***
“This is the result of our survey. As we can see on the charts here, our customers prefer….”
Bzzzt, bzzzt.
Jun Wu was staring at the big screen before him in the conference room seriously, he looked tense, then his phone vibrated on the table. He leered at the screen.
One of Mei Nianqing’s best selfies popped out to the lock screen. Jun Wu ignored it.
The meeting kept going and this was the important point but Mei Nianqing’s smile looked wider than before when he unintentionally looked at it again, if Jun Wu didn’t see it wrong. It kept showing and yelling like “Open me, Jun Wu! Open me! Open meeee!!!”
Jun Wu sighed and picked up his phone. He opened his message.
“The day I stop loving you is the day I close my eyes.”
“……….”
Jun Wu stared at the screen blankly for a few seconds then he frowned. Why did Mei Nianqing send such a weird message to him so suddenly? Was he drunk?
Right at the moment came another message. “I just wanna lay next to you. And listen to the beat of your heart. I just wanna close my eyes and fall asleep in your arms. I just wanna feel you. And just forget the world.”
His slender and long fingers clenched, then without saying a word, he stood up—which instantly made everybody in the room look at him--and rushed towards the door.
Mu Qing tried to stop him. “Sir? What happens? We’re about to—”
“There’s an urgent matter at home, I need to go.” Jun Wu whispered and touched his shoulder, “Keep going and give me the report.” Then he walked away from the conference room with wide steps, leaving Mu Qing dumbfounded in his seat. He seemed in a hurry.
Jun Wu walked to his car that was parked in the basement. He placed his phone in his ear and talked to another person on the phone, “Where are you now?”
“Me? Ah—I—I’m in the home, why?”
Jun Wu ended the call and gathered speed to the highway.
****
Mei Nianqing’s heart pumped madly fast. His nail drummed the table’s surface nervously while glaring at his phone. Jun Wu had called him but only to ask his whereabouts. His voice sounded…worried—but more like annoyed? Even he just cut the conversation without continuing anything. Was he mad? But for what? Mei Nianqing wasn’t sure but it’s not a good reaction indeed.
“MEI NIANQING! NIANQING! NIANQING, WHERE ARE YOU?”
That roar gave him a jolt. "In the kitchen, Darling!"
Mei Nianqing got up. He saw Jun Wu enter the house and walked towards him with frowning brows, glaring eyes—uh-oh, it wasn’t the best face.
“WHAT ARE YOU FUCKING THINKING?!” Jun Wu suddenly grabbed his collar. He asked in an angry tone and snapped at him.
Mei Nianqing gasped and shocked. He grabbed Jun Wu’s hands and panicked. “What are you saying? You don't have to….”
Jun Wu stared at him intensely. His glaring never lessened. “What did you mean by sending me those bullshits?”
“What—bullshits?” Somewhere in Mei Nianqing’s heart felt like it was stabbed.
“Yes. Telling me that you want to close your eyes?”
“Huh?” Mei Nianqing blinked in confusion. “Wait—wait, I think there’s a misunderstanding here.”
Jun Wu’s frown seemed to go deeper. “I’m not in the mood to joke around with you.”
“I’m not joking. I think I know what's wrong and I’ll explain.” Mei Nianqing sighed in relief when Jun Wu finally let him go. He said this last sentence in a low voice so Jun Wu didn’t hear it. “You’re hurting me.”
Jun Wu folded his hands on his chest. “So what will you explain?” He asked slowly. His expression looked dangerous. “Are you telling me that you want to end your life?”
Mei Nianqing turned to him, “What? How could you think that?”
Jun Wu squinted his eyes and hissed, “The day I stop loving you is the day I close my eyes. It sounds like a goodbye.”
“……….”
“……….”
“Is it?” Mei Nianqing blinked foolishly.
“Is it?” Jun Wu mimicked his question but with annoyance.
“No, really. I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just a romantic text for you.”
“That’s lame. It ain’t romantic at all.” Jun Wu shook his head and his glaring turned to humiliation. “From where did you get it and what about the I want to close my eyes in your arms and forget the world? That’s creepy! It sounds like you give up on life."
"WHAT?" Mei Nianqing puffed out a breath, he looked at the ceiling and didn’t know what to say. “Well….that’s unfortunate. I was just trying to seduce you.”
“Seducing? You think those words will get me hard? You're kidding me.” Jun Wu sneered.
Mei Nianqing pouted his lips. “Sorry.” Then he remembered something, “By the way, why are you here? Are you coming home early just to bark at me?”
Jun Wu fell silent. He opened his mouth and said, “I thought something happened to you. Glad that you’re okay, but don’t do this anymore.”
“……….”
"I'm sure you're affected by some petty romance dramas again. Stop watching those and do something more meaningful."
Damn, it's painful.
Mei Nianqing looked down. “Right. Sorry for wasting your time." He paused and just wanted to rush over to the bedroom and...cried. But he decided to tell the truth first. "I just wanna be more caring and sweet to you. I found that word on the internet and I think that’s amazing to express your feelings to your loved one. I won’t cut my life out just like that, you think I’m crazy? It’s just a poem though. You take it too seriously.”
“… Fine.” Jun Wu nodded slightly then turned his back at Mei Nianqing. “I gotta go, there’s an important meeting that I missed just to get here.”
Mei Nianqing looked at Jun Wu’s broad back that getting further away. “Okay, take care on the way.”
***
“How’s the result?” Xie Lian asked him while pumping out the ketchup from the station in Wendy’s. “Jun Wu's happy?”
Mei Nianqing took his food tray from the order bar and walked past him. “Nah. He’s mad. That was crazy.”
“How can?” Xie Lian followed Mei Nianqing to their table. He put the tray and folded his hands. “You didn’t add something weird, I'm afraid?”
“If Hua Cheng told you that he wanted to be in your arms, closed his eyes, and forgot the world—you thought he would go suicide? Oh, and he told you that he would stop loving you only when he closed his eyes in this world.”
Xie Lian halted. Then he moved his face closer. “He thought you wanted to die?”
“He thought I would kill myself and told him goodbye.” Mei Nianqing munched his chips. “It failed.”
Xie Lian tried to hold his laugh but also took pity on Mei Nianqing. “Think positive, at least he rushed over to you directly, at that moment, as soon as he got that goodbye. It means he still cares about you. Don’t give up, you still have another nine ways.”
"I'm afraid it would fail too." Mei Nianqing seemed to have done enough with this challenge. He opened his burger's paper wrap. "He snapped at me. And he came home so late that night, I didn't see him because I fell asleep until morning but I'm sure he did, the next day when I woke up he'd gone nowhere."
Xie Lian felt sympathy towards him. Although Mei Nianqing looked fine while talking about it, his voice trembled. "I wonder why such a small text can make him so angry. It shouldn't be like that, is it?"
Xie Lian shook his head.
"Did he send you a text?"
Mei Nianqing glanced at his phone. "I'm still waiting. My message hasn't been read yet." He bite his burger. "What's the next step?"
"You still want to continue?" Xie Lian was quite surprised. "Well, let us see…." He scrolled down his screen and widened his eyes in astonishment. "Oh! It is asking about his days! This is a good opportunity to talk to him. You can get to know him more and there won't be any misunderstandings anymore."
One of Mei Nianqing's eyebrows raised. "Do you think so? What if he refused to tell me?"
"Why does he have to refuse? Come on, Mei….how long have you known him? You're the best at this, right?"
"Naah...I dunno. It feels like he's changed and I don't know him anymore."
Xie Lian smiled calmly. "He won't. I think he's just stressed from his work. Ask him to help you decorate the house for Christmas, where you can talk about the days."
Mei Nianqing didn't answer and just munched his hamburger. He frowned. "This patty's tough."
***
Today was Saturday and Jun Wu didn't go to work. Mei Nianqing had prepared the french toast, and cut the fresh fruits for their breakfast. He glanced at their room and yelled, "JUN WU, ARE YOU NOT GONNA WAKE UP?"
There's no answer.
Mei Nianqing washed his hands and rubbed them with a kitchen towel. "JUN WU, WE STILL HAVE TO PULL OUT THE CHRISTMAS TREE. WAKE UP, HONEY!" He tried again, "AND WE NEED TO PREPARE THE GIFTS FOR THE OTHERS, WE NEED CHOCOLATES, SWEETS, COOKIES, ALSO A NEW COAT FOR ME. "
"JUN WU-"
"I'M COMING! STOP YELLING."
"Oh. You'd woken up." Then he saw a tall, slender, and handsome yet with sleepy face and bed hair, it's okay he's still charming, and walked down the stairs. "Here's your breakfast." Mei Nianqing pushed a plate of hot french toast towards Jun wu.
Jun Wu glanced at his toast and took a fork to slice them. He did it lazily.
"You seem tired." Mei Nianqing sat on the chair before him.
Jun Wu nodded slightly and raised his eyebrows. "You know I was working overtime last night." He munched his toast.
Great. This was the opportunity to ask about his days. Day two started!
"How's your day?" Mei Nianqing asked. His expression seemed caring. "You've been very busy and almost every day you work overtime. You must be tired, are there any problems in the office? Everything's okay?"
Jun Wu fell silent for a moment before replied with confusion. "It's rare for you to ask about my job. What happens?"
"Hmm...it's not weird to ask about how each other's doing nowadays, right?" Mei Nianqing laughed but it looked nervous and awkward. "Well, I think these days you'd been breaking your back and I know you get tired of all the job matters. But you have me, you can always share your burdens with me and I'll be glad to help you. You know you can talk to me, maybe it won't solve your problems but it's better than carrying them alone."
Jun Wu took a deep breath and opened his mouth. "Yeah, there's a problem in the office. Our stock goes down and we can say it's a freefall, it's not really a big deal actually because it's something that usually happens but we have to cut some unnecessary costs to help us focus on research and development, also there's a government's policy issue that we need to meet up soon. And there's CSR programs, recruitment, new projects... Well, actually it's just something I have to deal with...nearly everyday. But at the end of the year everything just turns out crazy." He finally explained. Jun Wu's dark irishes fixed at Mei Nianqing. "Satisfied? It won't help but thanks for asking."
Mei Nianqing was bewildered. He didn't think Jun Wu would explain so much and thanked him.
He thanked him.
Thanked him…
Mei Nianqing tried to hold his smile and nodded. "No, thank you for telling me. So it's like that, no wonder you become a grizzly bear these days hahaha….ha."
Mei Nianqing's laugh waned when he saw Jun wu didn't put a smile at all. "I'll get you fruits." He got up and walked to the counter.
“Do you still have the energy to set up the Christmas tree? I’ll help you.” Mei Nianqing put the fruit bowl on the table then poured an orange juice to the glass for Jun Wu. “But it’s okay if you don't wanna, we can just buy it.”
Jun Wu drank his juice, “That’s okay, I love our holiday traditions. Like....our Christmas tree, where we go out and chop down a tree and we put it in our living room. Kind of sounds like the behavior of a drunk man, really.”
Mei Nianqing couldn’t help but to laugh. And Jun Wu smiled, even let out a small chuckle. Well, it looked like the second challenge went well, he guessed. He picked up the cutting fruits and suddenly thought about the other points of the challenge. Maybe he could try several points today and hopefully everything would turn out right again.