Chapter Text
His boots went splashing in the puddles, the pavement lit orange by the dim streetlights. Lan Huan kept his head down as he walked through the narrow alleyway, ducking his chin when he passed a group of men who reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. One of them was smoking a cigar, puffing grey smoke into the drizzling rain, and when Lan Huan passed, he quirked an eyebrow and smirked.
“Hello there, handsome,” the man called, his voice gritty and dark in a way that sent chills down Lan Huan’s spine. Lan Huan hurried on, clutching his coat tighter around him.
Warning bells went off in his head when he heard footsteps trailing him, and though he tried to look as calm as possible, his heart began to pick up speed.
“Hey pretty, give me a smile,” the man called, a rough hand grabbing for Lan Huan’s elbow. Lan Huan jerked away just in time, pasting a polite smile on his face. The man was not alone; his four other cronies stood behind him, smirking.
“I’m sorry, I have to get home–.”
Lan Huan jumped when the man tried to grab him again, twisting out of reach. He tried to get out of the way, but the man was relentless, catching him properly by the elbow. Lan Huan yanked free and gasped when pain blossomed across his left cheek. His back struck the alley wall hard and the breath was knocked out of him. The man was upon him at once, hands tearing at his coat. Lan Huan shoved him off dizzily, cracking his knuckles against the man’s jaw and sending him reeling. That set off the man’s friends. They hurled themselves at him like dogs on the scent of blood, and Lan Huan found himself in the middle of the fight, kicking and punching. He managed to clock one of them well in the face, sending them to the ground, but someone punched him across the cheek and sent him reeling.
“Stop, stop!” He heard himself scream, even as he struggled and kicked, his arms restrained by the remaining men. “Please, just take my wallet!”
A knife flashed in the orange light, raindrops dripping down its blade and Lan Huan gasped, thrashing as he was pushed up against the wall. The blade was pressed against his throat, and he cried out, freezing in place.
“Don’t hurt me, please,” he begged, trembling as the knife’s trajectory dropped towards his chest. There were hands working open his coat, unbuttoning his shirt and he squeezed his eyes shut. It was like he was in someone else’s body, pleading and begging as a rough man’s hand groped over his chest.
“Stop,” he whispered, but it was lost in the men’s cackling and crude words. He jerked and tried to fight but the tip of the knife dug cruelly into his sternum, and he sobbed, trembling as it dragged lower.
Then someone screamed. The knife clattered to the ground and Lan Huan found himself released so quickly his knees gave out. He staggered, catching himself against the wall and watched as a dark shadow slammed the first man into the ground with nary a grunt.
“It’s Chifengzun,” one of the men shouted as he tried to flee, but a weighted rope flew through the air, twining around his ankles and he went down, face first into a puddle that sent water splashing up everywhere. Lan Huan exhaled in relief, his hands trembling as he did up his buttons again, biting back a hiss of pain when his fingers brushed over the bloody scratch left by the knife. By the time he had shrugged his coat on properly, Chifengzun had all the hooligans tied up and out cold.
“Bunch of potential rapists down by the alley in Caiyi Street. Come and get them.” Chifengzun pressed a button on his watch, raising his head to meet Lan Huan’s eyes. His eyes were very dark against the orange streetlights, his body armour speckled with raindrops. Lan Huan’s skin prickled when he stepped towards him, jerking his chin.
“Are you hurt?”
“No,” Lan Huan murmured, dipping his head. “Th–thank you, Chifengzun.”
He had never expected to meet the elusive vigilante that patrolled the city at night, much less have such a close encounter. Chifengzun was well known to wander the darkened streets, the alleyways where shadows lurked, in search of any trouble that might threaten the peace of the citizens of Jiang Hu. Lan Huan had watched him on TV of course, but the grainy quality could not do justice to just how big and tall the man was.
“It’s no problem. I’ll walk you home alright? Don’t take the alleys at night. It’s too dangerous, especially for a pretty boy like you.”
“Pretty boy like me–?” Lan Huan’s cheeks flushed; he had no idea why Chifengzun’s careless words affected him so. He was not unaware of his virtues, though he often chose to ignore the stares and the whispers that flooded the hospital hallways whenever he passed.
“Yes.” Chifengzun’s eyes gleamed as if he knew exactly the sort of effect he had on Lan Huan. “Let me walk you home. For my peace of mind.”
“But your patrol–.”
“I’ve finished it. This was the last section of the city, and a good thing too.”
Lan Huan bowed his head; he could not deny that. If Chifengzun had not appeared right when he did– he did not want to finish that thought.
“Thank you for saving me, Chifengzun,” he said once they had crossed out of the alleyway and were walking down the well-lit street outside his apartment building. Chifengzun waved a hand vaguely.
“It’s no problem. Stay out of trouble, pretty boy!”
Lan Huan laughed as he watched him vanish into the night before shutting the front door behind him.
-
“You’re so happy today,” Nie Mingjue said the moment they sat down to lunch at Lan Huan’s favourite salad place. It was unusual for Lan Huan to have free time during lunch but Mingjue was never going to pass up having lunch with Lan Huan ever, a fact that Lan Huan shamelessly took advantage of.
“I met Chifengzun last night,” Lan Huan said as he unwrapped his salad bowl with a smile. “He is– oddly charming.”
Nie Mingjue huffed, shaking his head with a fond smile.
“He is, huh? Maybe you can introduce me. I want to know his workout routine.”
“Nie Mingjue!” Lan Huan laughed, smacking his best friend on the arm. “He walked me home. It was so gentlemanly of him.”
He did not say that he had been reminded of Nie Mingjue, who often walked him home too, after late shifts because he was afraid of Lan Huan being mugged.
“That’s nice of him. Wait, what happened last night?”
“I um–.”
“You took the alley, didn’t you?”
Lan Huan winced at the accusation in Mingjue’s tone. It was an old argument between them. Nie Mingjue had always warned him to stay away from the back alleys and take the long route whenever he was not available to walk Lan Huan home. Lan Huan had only taken the alley last night because he had been so exhausted that he could not fathom taking an extra ten minutes to get back to his bed.
“Lan Huan! You could have been mugged, or even worse!” Mingjue snapped, and Lan Huan reached forward, wrapping his hands around Nie Mingjue’s.
“Chifengzun was there,” he said. “He saved me. I’m fine, Mingjue.”
“You’re damn lucky he was,” Mingjue said, stabbing his chopsticks into his salad bowl. “Don’t take the alleys again without me, alright? I worry about you often enough as it is.”
“You shouldn’t,” Lan Huan said, stroking the back of Mingjue’s hand gently. Mingjue’s cheeks were strangely red when he pulled his hand away, but Lan Huan figured it must be the weather. “I’m a grown man, Mingjue.”
“Yeah well, you don’t make it very easy,” Mingjue grumbled. “It’s my job as your best friend.”
“Mn. You’re a very good friend,” Lan Huan said, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. Mingjue could never know that he was selfish and greedy, and he wanted more. More than just sitting in a cafe having lunch every few days. He wanted to wake up to Mingjue in his bed, to sunlight streaming over tanned skin, to gentle kisses and casual touches. There were times where Lan Huan thought Mingjue might reciprocate his feelings, but he valued their friendship too much to question it. He would rather remain friends, than lose Mingjue completely.
“Stop thinking so loud,” Mingjue grumbled, and Lan Huan snapped back into himself, blushing when he realised that he had stopped eating. He picked at his noodles, peering up at Mingjue through his lashes until Mingjue sighed loudly, making a show of his reluctance as he switched their bowls. “You’re impossible, Lan Huan. Next time, just get the salad.”
“But it tastes better when I steal it from you,” Lan Huan said cheekily, prompting a laugh from Mingjue that warmed his heart.