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The small café had a warm feel to it. It was homey, the gentle scent of coffee floating in the air, warm colors strewn everywhere. Xie Lian enjoyed his job in the Shi’s café most of the time, yet sometimes he felt as if there was something missing. An element that he needed to live but couldn’t find. And today was one of those days where he was reminded of it. Multiple couples had already floated in early, despite it only being ten in the morning. Today seemed to love to remind him how lonely he was. The brunette sighed, tying his long hair up in a low ponytail before going to make a latte.
He felt almost numb as he poured the espresso. It wasn’t a debilitating feeling, or a feeling of physical fatigue. The chime of the door pulled him back to reality. He quickly righted the angle of the milk he had been pouring with a sharp inhale. The latte looked…very creamy. He had put in too much milk. Xie Lian sighed, setting the latte—which now was basically milk with a splash of espresso—down on the counter. He turned to face the new customer, wiping his shaky hands on his apron.
“Hi, welcome to Shi’s Coffee and Bakery, what can I get you—” when he looked up, he swore his heart skipped a beat, “—today, sir?”
The man was drop dead gorgeous. He looked like he had just walked straight out of a film. He had long raven black hair framing his face perfectly, enhancing his sharp, shapely face. His jawline was strong, yet unlike other men that Xie Lian had seen, it was flattering, not too much nor too little. His lips were thin but elegant. And his eyes, god his eyes, one onyx, black as the sea at night, and the other a dull, warm crimson. He dressed in a simple but well refined sightly way, a simple black turtleneck paired with modest everyday silver jewelry.
The other man smiled at him. “I don’t know. What’s your favorite?” His voice was deep and appealing, the light but clear lilt making it smokey and so so attractive.
“Oh!” Xie Lian perked up at the opportunity to show his baby, his pride and joy, the drink that got him through high school: a simple vanilla iced coffee. The Shi’s weren’t playing around either and got the highest quality ingredients. “I love the vanilla iced coffee here. It’s simple, but it always makes my day so much better!” he smiled. When the customers asked this, they usually got something else anyway, so Xie Lian wasn’t very hopeful he’d actually get to make it, but he said it with enthusiasm anyway.
“Alright, I’ll have that then.”
The brunette lit up. “Seriously?! No one ever actually takes my advice.” The other man laughed—a beautiful sound. Xie Lian silently wished it might last forever—pulling out his wallet.
“How much for that…and your number?” he asked, eyebrows raised, holding out a sleek black card. Xie Lian’s eyes widened.
“My number?”
“En,” the other man smiled. “I know it’s overused, but you’re stunning.”
Xie Lian gently took the man’s card with a shy smile.
“The drink is 16 yuan. My number is free.”
The man smirked, leaning on the counter. He looked sly, not unlike a fox. It was hot.
“Oh? You give your number to everyone who asks for free?”
“You’re the only one who's ever asked,” Xie Lian laughed, putting in the order and swiping his card. He handed the card back, making sure their hands brushed for…business reasons. The man, Hua Cheng, he had found out from the card, looked genuinely surprised.
“Seriously?”
“Well, not counting a random girl in middle school, yes,” he grinned.
“Well, that girl in middle school had good taste. You’re beautiful. You’re actually the reason I came in here.”
“Hm? To take your chance with the beautiful barista?” If it seemed like he had confidence, it was fake. He wants to wake up from his dream right now. It’d be too disappointing if he got attached. Hua Cheng laughed, but when he spoke he sounded serious, reverent even.
“Yes, to take my chance with the beautiful, sexy, kind barista, who has to work the dreaded eight to five.”
Xie Lian smiled. “I’ll be right back with your drink.” He turned around, mind blown, and got to work on his drink. The brunette finished it in record time with his new motivation, setting the drink down on the counter beside the coffeemaker. He quickly printed his name and number on the side of the cup. Then, just to be sure, religiously checked to make sure the lid was on right and there were no drips on the sides before handing it to the other.
“Here, Hua Cheng.”
“Thank you, gege,” he smiled, “But I’d prefer if you called me San Lang.”
Xie Lian rolled the bottom of his apron in between his fingers shyly. “Okay, San Lang.” The name rolled off his tongue like the gods meant for him to say it. He loved the fluency and intimacy that came with it. The other man smiled back, glancing outside. A large group of people were trailing through the alleyway on the other side of the street, their backs to them.
“Huh, that’s weird. Are they tourists?” Xie Lian asked aloud.
“Mm, no,” Hua Cheng sounded annoyed, but not at Xie Lian. “They’re here for the movie shooting. They’re hoping to see some actors.” The dark-haired man’s eyes hadn’t left the group of people.
“Oh, that’s cool. Do you work there?”
Hua Cheng finally looked back at him, gaze softening, taking a sip of his drink. “Yeah, I do.”
“Oo, I hope you guys do well.”
He nodded. “We should. This is great, by the way,” he pointed to the drink. He looked earnest, as if he wasn’t just saying it to please Xie Lian.
“I know, right?! It was the only thing that kept me alive in high school,” he laughed. The other man smiled.
Hua Cheng was about to say something, but his phone buzzed. He grimaced and fished it out of his pocket. “Ugh, I have to go. We’re gonna start shooting soon.”
“I wish you luck then!” Xie Lian grinned, feeling slightly crestfallen. He really hoped Hua Cheng ended up texting him.
Hua Cheng stuffed his wallet in his pocket. “I’ll text you once we finish?”
“Yes! Please do. I’d love to talk to you more.”
He smiled. “Me too. You’re very easy to talk to. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
“Yeah,” Xie Lian said breathlessly. “Me too.”
His heart had no reason to be beating as fast as it was.
The first thing Xie Lian did when he got home after he chucked his shoes off was flop down on his squeaky old couch to check his phone. He realized that his mental state depended on this single text from Hua Cheng, but he wasn’t planning on trying to change that. Xie Lian tried not to be hopeful, but it was hard. The chances of him actually following through were slimmer than the chance of someone actually trying his recommendations at the café, he told himself. Don’t get worked up over it, he said to himself resolutely. I’ll go be independent and make my dinner. He stood up with determination—then his phone went off—he sat the fuck back down, immediately scrambling for his phone.
xxx-xxx-xxx:
Gege! It’s San Lang.
The shoot took way longer than needed. Everyone was being stupid :/
Me:
Ah, San Lang! I assume it turned out well though?
San Lang <3 :
Yeah, it turned out okay. My thoughts distracted me the whole time.
Was the heart needed? No. Did he want to remove it? Also no.
Me:
Oh no!
San Lang <3 :
Yeah, I couldn’t stop thinking about the hot barista I saw smh :(
Me:
Djfskfhdksfhsk
San Lang!
San Lang <3 :
Gege :)
Do you work tomorrow as well?
And like that, they easily talked the night away. Xie Lian couldn’t help but feel like he had known the man for decades. He was so sweet and conversing with him, even over the phone, was weightless. Xie Lian loved his other friends, yes, but something was special about Hua Cheng. The brunette looked forward to him coming into the café. It was the highlight of his day, the best part of his week. Hua Cheng didn’t come every day, but he came at least two days a week, bought a coffee or pastry, and talked to him for hours. All of his stories were intriguing, leaving Xie Lian wanting to know more. He had never been more attached to someone other than his mother. Every time he saw Hua Cheng, he fell into the depths of his eyes a little more. Xie Lian was very aware of this. He was aware of the way his mind always found its way back to the other man. He knew he started comparing men who Shi Qingxuan found hot on TV to him. “Oh, he’s not as tall as San Lang though…” “His hair isn’t as pretty as San Lang’s” “His style is nothing compared to San Lang’s” was all he’d go on about. Shi Qingxuan was clearly sick and tired of his shit.
“Lian, you’ve only known him for a week! Chill out…” she bonked him on the head with a pillow. They were sitting on her beautiful cool grey couch, watching a random Netflix show that Shi Qingxuan had picked.
“But—”
“But nothing! I have a man who you can’t say your San Lang is hotter than,” she claimed, snatching the remote control from the table by her couch.
“I doubt it. And if it’s He Xuan, you know I don’t find him attractive, he’s my friend.”
“It’s not He Xuan! He’s a famous actor. He’s actually shooting a movie here in this town!! They’re set up a few streets down from the café,” she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. Shi Qingxuan pulled her legs up to her chest as she clicked out of Netflix and on to YouTube. Xie Lian sighed, but let her do what she wanted. As he watched her type in ‘Hua Cheng’ his eyes widened.
“Hey! How’d you know that was his real name?”
Shi Qingxuan whipped her head around. He expected to be greeted with a sly smirk, but she met him with confusion. Her eyes were wide. “His real name is Hua Cheng? What does he look like?”
“He’s really pretty!”
“Wow, so descriptive. Act like you’re writing me a book! Does he have long hair?”
“Well, you seem to know him already so…”
“NO! DOES HE HAVE LONG DARK HAIR?!” she hopped over onto him, getting all up close and personal. She grabbed his shoulders, shaking him like a madman. Xie Lian tensed, but let her do what she wanted.
“Yes! Yes he does. He has heterochromia…one of his eyes is a dull crimson, the other is dark. He’s tall, always decked out in—”
“—in the prettiest silver jewelry?!”
“Yeah! See, you clearly know him."
" Know him?? HE'S FAMOUS, XIE LIAN." She pressed search, fumbling her way over to images. When she clicked on it, hundreds of pictures came up. The page seemed to go on forever, paparazzi snapshots, professional photos, fan taken screenshots from movies he had starred or played in . He looked beautiful in all of them, yet it had nothing on the real life thing. It all made sense now. Working on the shoot. Walking with such an air of confidence. Ignorant to all the heads he turned. He knows he’s hot shit. “Taking a chance with the barista,” he had said. No, he knew there would be no chance. The man had probably never had the pleasure of getting rejected ever, Xie Lian thought. Xie Lian felt slightly crushed. Who was he kidding? He didn’t have a chance. Hua Cheng probably just wanted to get into his pants, have some fun, then leave back to America, his home base. The scary thing was, Xie Lian was 100% inclined to let him. The brunette felt a bit upset at himself. Where was his dignity? Why’d he throw it all away at the first man—hell, the first person—he had found attractive?
He knew his shoulders drooped. “Oh.”
“Oh?! Aren’t you happy?! You have a hot, successful, tall man wrapped around your finger!” Shi Qingxuan squealed. “It’ll be the best sex of your life. There’s no way he’s not huge. ”
“Qingxuan!” Xie Lian flushed, throwing a decorative pillow at his friend's face. She squawked, blocking her face.
“Hey! You know I’m right.”
Xie Lian groans, tucking his legs to his chest. He pulls his white knit sweater over his knees. “That’s the thing. We’ve been texting. I want to be more than just a one-night stand to him.”
Shi Qingxuan’s eyebrows lifted. “Texting? Damn, he’s determined to get that dick, huh?”
“Qingxuan.”
“Sorry, sorry,” she waved her hands in apology. She sighed, her own shoulders dropping. “Maybe you could tell him.”
Xie Lian lifted his face. “Oh yeah, I’ll just tell a rich and famous actor I want to date him. Me, a café boy who dropped out of college,” he deadpanned.
“Hey! You’re very charming.”
“Hilarious,” he flopped down, laying on his back.
Shi Qingxuan sighed again. “Think positive.”
“About how maybe I’ll get to sleep with him at least? Yeah, but after he’s all I’ll be able to think about. When I get married to an old man, I’ll lay in our bed, looking up at the ceiling thinking about him.”
“Whoa there. You’re twenty-five, babe. You’ve got plenty of hots left.”
Xie Lian, of course, had to google Hua Cheng once he got to his flat. He realized belatedly that he should have done this before he fell head over heels for the man, but it was too late now. When he found his interviews, he of course had to watch a few, right? It was only ten pm…and he didn’t have to go in until eight.
Turns out Hua Cheng’s fans know how to hook people in. Xie Lian himself was becoming a fan. Hua Cheng is just so…ethereal. He’s like a god; he has real talent, AND he’s hot as fuck. Package deal if you ask Xie Lian. He ended up watching until one am, completely entertained. On camera, Hua Cheng was a man of few words, not flirting like he usually did at the café. He didn’t need to be loud to command the room, though. The way he held himself screamed authority. He’s beautiful, well sought after, and he knows it.
His headlines seemed to have a similar theme: “talented actor…” “single hot actor…” “hotshot actor…”. It was impressive. Xie Lian felt himself slipping just a little more in love seeing him in action. The way his hair moved and shined, the way all of his angles were breathtaking, the way his lips pursed when asked a stupid question. It was all so gorgeous to the brunette.
Maybe he just screwed over his only chances of being happy by falling for the unobtainable. Maybe he set himself up for failure and misery. At the moment, though, he couldn’t be more pleased.
“Mu Qing? Why are you here? Don’t you do swing?” Xie Lian questioned, placing down his bag in the back. He grabbed his apron, running through the motions of putting it on from muscle memory.
“Usually, but suddenly your sales have been through the roof and I want to know why,” Mu Qing grumbled, pulling a batch of pastries out of the oven. They didn’t allow Xie Lian to touch the oven sadly. He was slightly jealous.
“Oh, that’s because of San Lang,” he said, walking out to turn on the machines.
“Who?”
“My new friend. He comes in to hang out and usually buys some things.”
Mu Qing snorted. “Sounds like a simp if you ask me.”
Xie Lian sighed, flipping the closed sign to open. “I wish.”
Mu Qing stopped in the middle of the doorway, still holding the pan of piping hot pastries. “You’re kidding. You’re seriously crushing on a customer?”
“He’s…” the brunette paused. “Different, in a way.”
“If you met him here, drop it. He’s a customer, not your friend,” Mu Qing said coldly, dumping the pastries in the clear display counter. He set the pan down, arranging the food prettily.
“But..”
“No buts.”
“We’ve been texting!”
“N.O.”
“You’re not my mom I don’t—”
“I might as well be, so just do what I say.”
Xie Lian grabbed the pan with a huff, ready to put it back when Mu Qing snatched it back. “You work register, not kitchen,” he turned away, his messy bun holding on for dear life as he swiftly walked back to the kitchen. Xie Lian sighed.
“Gege.”
The brunette nearly jumped out of his skin, swiftly turning back to the counter.
Hua Cheng merely smiled, leaning his elbows on the glass counter. “I didn’t mean to scare you. The shoots started early today, so we finished fast. I thought I’d go visit gege.” The man looked ethereal, and after seeing him through the screen all night, it felt amazing to see him in real life. He had tied his hair into a high ponytail, showing off his small hoop earrings. He was wearing a denim jacket, the contrast from his tight white shirt taking Xie Lian’s breath away. His black cargo pants and boots completed the look. Xie Lian was so gone.
“Oh,” was all Xie Lian could manage, straightening his posture. Hua Cheng smiled again. He smiles so easily… Xie Lian thought, it’s cute.
“Anyway, before you get too busy, I wanted to ask you in person. Would you like to go to the movies with me?”
Xie Lian’s eyes widened. “Me?”
The other laughed. “Yes, you. There’s no one else in here except for your friend that seems like he hates the world.” Xie Lian smiled.
“He’s not a morning person.”
Hua Cheng pouts. “Gege! That’s no excuse to talk to you like that. I’m not a morning person, but I still find it in me to be nice. Sometimes.”
“Sometimes? You’re always so mean in your interviews,” he laughs before realizing what he just admitted. Xie Lian freezes. If Hua Cheng noticed, he said nothing. He just smirked.
“Why should I be nice to those pieces of trash? Only gege deserves this one’s kindness.” He seemed completely serious. Xie Lian felt his heart warm. He didn’t have a real reason to be nervous. This was still the same San Lang he had met a few weeks ago. The one he could talk so seamlessly to. Their conversation flowed like no other.
“Do you say that to every person you try to romance?” Xie Lian joked. Hua Cheng just looked at him, a small smile on his lips.
“I’ve only ever tried to romance you,” he admitted, clasping his hands together where they were resting. “Is it working?”
Xie Lian paused, taking a deep breath. “Yeah.” The brunette expected the other to look smug but got met with elated surprise.
“Really?” He almost sounded breathless, but Xie Lian chalked it up to his imagination. “So you’ll go with me?”
“En. I’d love to.” Xie Lian felt like he was going to pass out. His heart was beating so fast he thought he might die.
Hua Cheng grinned, a beautiful sight. “Okay, we can watch a thriller or something. Two thirty tomorrow?”
Xie Lian smiled back easily. “Yeah. I’ll see you there.”
“Okay, I have to go, but can I get a crumble pastry for the road?”
The brunette laughed. “Of course.”
Xie Lian wore his best cardigan, a maroon large yarn sweater that his mother had given him for his birthday. Paired with some brown pants and some black converse, he didn’t look half bad. Until he saw Hua Cheng. The man looked like he had just come from heaven. Simple red and black shirt, his black hair tied into a braid that was thrown over his shoulder. He had decked himself out in silver jewelry, not too much nor too little. And not for the first time, Xie Lian thought the man was perfect.
“Hey,” Hua Cheng smiled. Standing beside him, Xie Lian felt his heart beat faster. Was this a date? Why did he want it to be a date?
“Hi, San Lang.” he grinned back. Play it cool, he thought. “What do you want to watch?”
Hua Cheng looked away from him for the first time that afternoon to see what was playing. “Hm, I don’t know. I was thinking we could just see a trashy thriller or romance. Whatever gege wants to watch.”
“What would you say if I said I wanted to watch one you act in?” he stepped closer teasingly, still smiling. It was hard to stop smiling around Hua Cheng. Which really should be alarming since they just met. Hua Cheng flushed, looking down at the floor.
“I mean, we could…but…”
Xie Lian laughed. “Are you embarrassed?”
“It’s embarrassing!” he pouted, looking back at Xie Lian.
“How is being a well sought after actor embarrassing? It’s really impressive, San Lang.”
“Thank you…”
“Of course. But I was just messing with you. I wouldn’t want to make San Lang uncomfortable, ever. This one would love to go see a trashy thriller with you.” Hua Cheng smiled.
“Okay. Let’s go see Pei Ming’s shitty acting, hm?”
Once they had sat down and the film started, Xie Lian realized Pei Ming’s acting was not shitty, but…interesting. He made everything erotic; screaming in fear? Erotic. Having one of your limbs chopped off? Erotic. The brunette had no clue how he managed to do it. Xie Lian kept making little comments, a bad habit of his, but Hua Cheng didn’t seem to mind. He seemed to enjoy it. They were the only ones in the large theater, and they sat in the back. Xie Lian’s mind drifted a few times. What would Hua Cheng’s lips feel like on his? Was this even a date? What if it was just a friendly thing? Hua Cheng had made no moves. Maybe he should make the move? Xie Lian momentarily thought.
He glanced over at Hua Cheng, who was staring at the pathetic attempt of gore on the screen. Xie Lian slipped his hand on the shared armrest in between them, gently placing his hand on top of Hua Chengs, quickly looking back at the screen. If the other man gave him a look of disgust, he didn’t know how his heart could take it. From his peripheral vision, he saw Hua Cheng whip his head back to look at him. He still said nothing. Then, Hua Cheng’s hand flipped over, palm now facing his own. Hua Cheng threaded his fingers gently through his own, keeping a comfortable position for where their hands were. He looked back at the screen like nothing had happened, making Xie Lian’s heart burst.
It felt like a dream. They just kept watching as if they didn’t take a big step into their possible relationship. Only ten minutes later, the main characters started kissing. Xie Lian wiggled in his seat, careful not to disturb their hands. Hua Cheng glanced at him wordlessly. The brunette stared back, biting the inside of his lip. The way Hua Cheng had looked at him was a wordless question. His eyes drifted to his lips, snapping back up to look at him in the eyes again. There was something magical about looking into those dual colored eyes, knowing that he wanted it too. Xie Lian leaned in slightly, nodding.
And that was all it took. Hua Cheng leaned in the rest of the way, and that was it. They were kissing. Xie Lian’s first kiss. The kiss was gentle, as if Hua Cheng didn’t want to break him. Their lips fit together perfectly. Xie Lian felt like he was on cloud nine, Hua Cheng’s hot lips making his body feel almost electric. He leaned in closer, and Hua Cheng, clearly wanting to be closer as well, lifted the armrest. With that obstacle out of the way, Xie Lian was dragged onto Hua Cheng’s lap as the kiss got hotter. They kissed after a short breath break with more vigor as if making up for lost time. Xie Lian wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, arching into the kiss. His chest hit Hua Cheng’s clearly well built torso. Hua Cheng’s hands fell respectfully on the small of his back and his waist. The brunette’s sweater has never felt more suffocating. They kissed like they’d never see each other again. When they broke, Xie Lian let out a small breathy “San Lang.”
Hua Cheng just smiled, removing his hands from the other’s waist to tuck a stray hair behind his ear. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to get that…aggressive.”
Xie Lian just laughed, pulling back slightly. “It’s okay, San Lang. No one is in here anyway.”
“En,” he placed his hands back on his waist, pulling Xie Lian closer to him. Xie Lian felt his heart soar. He placed his forehead on Hua Cheng’s. They were so close, Xie Lian could feel his eyelashes brush his upper cheek every time the other blinked.
“Is this real?” Xie Lian asked quietly, afraid he’d break the fragile atmosphere. Hua Cheng let out a little laugh, placing his hand on the brunette’s cheek.
“I think I should be the one asking myself that, love,” he murmured, his low voice enough to send a spark in Xie Lian’s stomach. He inhaled sharply.
“So the feeling is mutual?”
Hua Cheng just looked at him warmly, kissing the bridge of his nose. “What do you think?”
“I think so. Y'know…not being narcissistic or anything, but I think I’m pretty great,” Xie Lian grinned. Hua Cheng grinned as well. Xie Lian noted jealously, that even in this aggressive lighting from the movie, Hua Cheng still looked like a god.
“I think you’re pretty great too,” he leaned forward just slightly, catching Xie Lian’s lips once more. Xie Lian reciprocated without a second thought.
Maybe his San Lang wasn’t as unobtainable as he had thought.