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Xie Lian stretched his arms over his head, hissing at the sharp pain that ran through his back at the motion.
He wasn’t sure how he managed to win the fight that night, but he somehow did it. Xie Lian had been sloppy, splitting his lip and injuring his ribs; he was lucky that he had trained in martial arts when he was younger, or there was no way that a young master like him would have stood a chance in the ring. The stack of cash that he got that day was worth all the nasty bruises and bleeding knuckles, he didn’t care as long as he could help his parents.
Since the embezzlement scandal that crushed his family a year back, Xie Lian had lost a lot of things: money, friends, and his life.
He had no choice but to leave university and look for a job, even if the ones that would hire a high-school graduate were scarce and didn’t pay nearly enough. That was why he was willing to roll up his sleeves and work two jobs when needed, on top of the occasional underground fight.
Despite all this, he was lucky to have Mu Qing and Feng Xin supporting him. They were there to help him every step of the way, even sharing an apartment with him- it was cramped and drafty, but he was glad not to be alone. Moreover, it wasn’t like he had the luxury to be picky: his days as a young master were long gone, and he was nearly broke. To tell the truth, it wasn’t all bad, he had learned many things since he left his previous life, such as cooking, doing his laundry and appreciating the little things.
Xie Lian had grown as a person, he was less spoiled and naive and more aware that most things shouldn’t be taken for granted.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that his tote bag -not an ideal choice, but it was his gym bag- had grown lighter. Xie Lian furrowed his brows, patting the bag to see if everything was there. Instead, he found a hole on the bottom, and most of his belongings gone.
He had no idea how it happened, but he wasn’t surprised in the slightest: his luck wasn’t the best, so he was used to those daily setbacks.
He sighed, hoping that he still could track his stuff down. It was almost dawn, so there weren’t many people around: if he hurried up he would still have a chance to retry them.
As he was about to turn around, he collided with a solid chest. Xie Lian let out a yelp, his hands going to grip the stranger’s jacket for a moment, and his mind was frozen from the shock before regaining his senses. He stepped back almost as if burned, mortified by his behavior: he usually wasn’t so clumsy and distracted.
“I’m very sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” he bowed low, his gaze trained on the stranger’s leather boots. They had silver butterflies stitched on them.
“Gege doesn’t need to apologize, it’s me who was careless,” the man reassured, and placed his hands on Xie Lian’s shoulders to stop him from bowing any further.
When Xie Lian looked up, he didn’t expect to find Hua Cheng there.
The man was stunning as ever, with his raven hair tied in a high ponytail, with a few rebellious strands of hair framing his face. He wore an eyepatch over one eye, but somehow it fitted him, almost as if it did belong there. He was taller than Xie Lian, with a lean body that was clad in a leather jacket and ripped jeans.
Xie Lian found himself beaming despite the dire situation: it was always nice to see his former student. Well, if San Lang could be called that- before Xie Lian fell from grace, he used to teach martial arts classes at a youth center and Hua Cheng would attend them sometimes. They had reconnected just a few months before when Xie Lian bumped into him in a bakery.
San Lang’s bakery, apparently.
He would’ve loved to stay and chat with him, but he didn’t have time. With his luck, a car might as well have crushed his things. “San Lang, I really need to go. I had a little accident and lost most of the things in my bag.”
“Do you mean these?” Hua Cheng took something out of his own bag, and showed it to him.
“How did you-” he asked, stupor written all over his face.
Hua Cheng scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. “Ah. To tell the truth, I’ve been following gege for a while and saw that he lost something, I’d been meaning to approach you but didn’t want to spook you.”
Xie Lian shook his head, a soft smile curving his lips. “San Lang, that was so nice of you!”
“Anything for gege,” he replied, in a way that seemed so earnest, so eager. “You just happened to be on the road that I take to work.”
He handed Xie Lian’s belongings to him, his fingers accidentally brushing against Xie Lian’s.
“Oh, that makes sense! Thank you for cleaning up my mess, you didn’t have to.” He was used to taking care of himself, the fact that someone else was there for him was refreshing.
Hua Cheng shrugged, a small frown on his face. “It was nothing. Is gege feeling fine? Your lip is bleeding.”
He almost forgot about his split lip, and just now noticed that it started bleeding again. He ran his tongue over the injury and flinched: he’d forgotten how badly it hurt. He didn’t want to imagine how the rest of his body was faring.
“This? It’s nothing, don’t worry, San Lang. Just a scratch,” he waved his hands, uncomfortable with the thought that someone might be worried for him, even if it was San Lang- Xie Lian could afford to be vulnerable around him, but it was still foreign.
“It seems serious to me,” San Lan furrowed his brow, “I have a first-aid kit at my shop, it’s not far from here.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Xie Lian twisted his hands, trying very hard not to think about how badly he wanted to spend more time with Hua Cheng.
“It’s no bother, trust me. Moreover, I could use some company, it gets lonely when there aren’t any customers around.”
“Oh, okay then.” A small flush stained his cheeks, flustered by the idea that San Lang might want to spend time with him specifically .
In reality, Xie Lian was a bit tired from work and the fight, but he couldn’t resist Hua Cheng’s magnetic company.
They reached Paradise Manor, that was how the bakery was called, in no time. The front of the building was made of exposed bricks and luscious ivy clinging to the walls, giving a rustic feeling to the shops nestled there. Paradise Manor stood proudly in the middle, with a carefully arranged display of packaged baked goods in the shop windows and a small seating area just outside.
Hua Cheng opened the door and held it for Xie Lian, a gesture that made something warm bloom in his chest. He didn’t spend too much dwelling on it, because Hua Cheng had him sit down at one of the tables, and in a matter of seconds was back with a first-aid kit.
Xie Lian was familiar with stitching himself up but had never let someone else do it for him.
Feng Xin was very bad at it: he tended to be more violent than the task required, while Xie Lian felt too guilty to ask Mu Qing. He spent all day working and then tending to his sick mother, certainly, he couldn’t ask him to be Xie Lian’s nurse too.
Hua Cheng took out something from the kit, but Xie Lian was too busy staring at the peek of skin that showed through his unbuttoned shirt. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but with San Lang leaning down on him, it wasn’t something he could ignore. And, the worst thing, he couldn’t look anywhere else because San Lang’s chest was shoved in his face.
Xie Lian blushed furiously, feeling very hot all of a sudden. “Y-you’re very good at it,” he stammered, his tongue feeling like lead all of a sudden. He didn’t even mean that, it was just something he blurted out.
Hua Cheng was dabbing his wound with a tissue, and Xie Lian didn’t miss the way his hand halted for a second. “I have many brothers, so I had my share of scraped knees to deal with. Mine, usually.”
For some reason, the air felt tense all of a sudden.
Xie Lian chided himself for his manners, he knew it wasn’t an easy topic for San Lang- family never was, to be honest.
So, he decided to divert Hua Cheng’s attention elsewhere. “Do you always wake up so early?”
Hua Cheng moved forward and started applying antiseptic to Xia Lian’s lower lip, his eyes narrowed in concentration and a slight frown on his face as he focused on the wound. “Unfortunately I don’t have much help, so I have to prepare most things alone and it takes a while. And does gege always wander around at night?”
Xie Lian averted his eyes to the side, unable to look at San Lang. It didn’t feel right to lie to him, not after everything he had done for him but he didn’t want to worry him.
He decided to tell a half-truth, mostly because San Lang had sounded somewhat worried. “I had a night shift at work,” he admitted while scratching the back of his neck. Fighting could be considered a job, right?
Hua Cheng sighed, “I hope gege isn’t overworking himself.” He took a step backward, finally done with medicating Xie Lian. “Does it hurt anywhere else?”
Xie Lian could feel a sharp pain in his ribs with every breath he took, but shook his head: there was no need to bother San Lang any more than he already did.
“I’m relieved, then.” He smiled, a hint of sharp canines showing. “Can I ask gege for a favor? I have some leftover pastries in the fridge from yesterday and, since I can’t sell them anymore, I’d like to offer him some.”
He nodded eagerly, too busy thinking about the first decent breakfast he would have in a while- and Feng Xin and Mu Qing too, of course, he couldn’t possibly finish all the pastries alone.
He followed Hua Cheng in the back, where a spacious and modern kitchen greeted him. It looked professional, the type that the chefs in his old mansion worked in, and he wondered how much money must have cost.
Hua Cheng went to the fridge to retrieve the pastries, a metal tray covered with tinfoil making its appearance.
Xie Lian didn’t linger long on the threshold, lured in by the smell of yeast and cinnamon, and the splash of color that the sweets offered in the monotone laboratory. “They are wonderful,” he gasped upon nearing the counter, his eyes twinkling with marvel at what San Lang was capable of.
Well, Xie Lian was often amazed by people’s capability of producing edible food, an art he had yet to master.
Organized in neat rows, there was an assortment of mignon pastry, a custard danish and a couple of cinnamon rolls. Xie Lian felt his mouth watering at them, and as on cue, his stomach decided to rumble.
Hua Cheng chuckled next to him, somehow seeming closer than a minute ago. “Does gege like them?”
“Very much! They look so professional, San Lang, you’ve improved a lot,” he still remembered that the first time he had visited San Lang’s shop, he had on display the simplest of pastries. Then, Hua Cheng threw himself into experimenting and participating in various masterclasses and improved greatly.
“I’m glad gege thinks so,” San Lang’s heated gaze rested on Xie Lian for a moment too long, before shifting to the pastries. “Maybe he can give me a hand? Yin Yu is sick today.”
“I don’t know, I’m a bit clumsy in the kitchen,” he confessed, recalling the terrible mess in his kitchen after a meal- and the barely edible food, or so his roommates claimed.
“It doesn’t matter, gege is good at everything.” He insisted with absolute seriousness.
Hua Cheng looked so convinced that Xia Lian didn’t have the heart to contradict him. Instead, he observed him as he put his pastries in an elegant package- he wasn’t sure it would survive the journey home, but he appreciated the care San Lang put into it.
Dawn was breaking through the horizon, and the first hint of sunlight danced on the walls of the laboratory. San Lang was bathed in shades of yellow and orange, making him look like a heavenly being- for a moment, Xie Lian wanted to reach out to hold him close to him so that he wouldn’t fly away.
How could Xie Lian refuse Hua Cheng? It didn’t matter that he had no time between his jobs, or that the wounds of the previous fights still ached deep within him: there was always going to be a place for San Lang in his life.
He finally conceded, fingers skirting on the edge of the counter. “I can try? But please, I’m an amateur so go easy on me.”
Hua Cheng followed the motion with his eye and suddenly Xie Lian’s hand was cradled in San Lang’s much bigger one.
Xie Lian brows rose, and tried to peek at their joined hands. “Oh,” was all he said when he noticed the condition of his knuckles.
He was wearing long sleeves so they’d been hidden under the fabric all that time, but when he raised his hand, the fabric slid back to reveal fresh scabs where he hurt his knuckles and scraped skin. It didn’t look bad , even though he had to admit that it was worse than usual.
“Gege,” San Lang’s voice was strained, his eye wide and staring at the damaged flesh. “I didn’t want to pry before but- you’re hurt.”
Guilt began to coil tightly in Xie Lian’s stomach upon seeing San Lang’s expression, pain so evident on his face that it was burned in his mind. He hadn’t wanted to worry anyone, and yet he failed.
He tried to pry his hand from Hua Cheng and failed. “It’s nothing, it just looks worse than it is!” he insisted, wanting to soothe the man.
“Please gege, don’t dismiss your pain so easily. It matters, you matter. ” Hua Cheng sounded like he was begging, and that caught Xie Lian off guard. He always sounded so strong, so confident, that seeing that facade crumbling was unexpected.
Hua Cheng continued. “Are you having trouble at work?” he stroked one knuckle with his thumb, a butterfly kiss that left a trail of pleasant sparkles behind.
“Ah? No, no, San Lang!” Xie Lian tried to wave his hands, with a very awkward result. Finally, Hua Cheng dropped his wrist. “It’s- it’s complicated.”
The pastries lay forgotten at their side, as did their plans for the morning. Hua Cheng’s focus was on Xie Lian only, a concern never seen before engraved on his face. Xie Lian had never been a good liar, and the thought of plain lying to him made him feel dirty, like someone who just stole from a child.
So, he finally came clean. “I lied to you, I didn’t have any shift this evening. Sometimes, when the money runs low, I fight in these underground circles to try to earn some- I didn’t want to worry anyone, that’s why I didn’t tell you.”
He twisted his fingers in front of him, shoulders hunched to make himself smaller. to shrink away from Hua Cheng’s gaze. He didn’t know what to expect, but his heart threatened to explode with every furious thump against his ribcage- Xie Lian hated to disappoint people, and yet he still did it often.
“Oh, gege,” was all that Hua Cheng said.
Before Xie Lian could process it, he was surrounded by San Lang’s arms, his body pressed against the man’s in an embrace. His ribs screamed in protest, but Xie Lian ignored the pain to bask in San Lang’s presence, a sweet nectar that could make him forget even the worst injury.
Hua Cheng stroked his hair in a soothing motion and kissed his temple in a way that felt intimate. Xie Lian blushed despite his efforts, finding that he didn’t mind as much as he should have- it felt good, familiar in a way that Xie Lian couldn’t explain.
“I’m sorry gege for not being there when you needed it,” he croaked, sounding in pain with every word. “Please, don’t shut me out.”
Xie Lian reached out to touch Hua Cheng’s face, cradling his face in his palm like something precious. He wanted to take away the pain from his face, to make San Lang smile again but he was a mere human and not a god- all he could do was promise him something.
“You can come,” he offered tentatively, letting go of Hua Cheng’s face. He tried to step back, but a hand on his back stopped him. “At the match. Maybe you can patch me up?”
“I’d like that very much. I’ll always be there for gege”
Hua Cheng was looking at him with an intensity Xie Lian had never seen before. It attracted him like a magnet, a force he couldn’t deny nor wanted to. Then, San Lang did something Xie Lian never dared to hope for.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Xie Lian’s, a kiss so gentle that spoke of restraint and fear of rejection. Xie Lian dispelled San Lang’s fear, tugging him close to him, his hands gripping his jacket while he moved his lips against his.
They embraced just as dawn broke through the horizon, signaling the start of a new day.
A new beginning, for Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.