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"sir? the library's closing."
liu jianghe raises his head from where it rests against a copy of shi nai'an's water margin, blinking away the remnants of sleep from bleary eyes.
his gaze drifts upwards and focuses on the young man leant over him, a small frown etched onto elegant, porcelain features. he distantly wonders if he's still dreaming.
"...your eyes." he hears himself mumble.
the man's eyebrows pinch together. he cocks his head to the side in a silent question.
"they're pretty."
the beautiful stranger falters, (liu jianghe wonders whether it's appropriate to reduce the man to a stranger when he has been his sole motivation for visiting the library since the semester began) blinks once, twice, then stands upright, hugging his clipboard closer to his chest.
"will you be taking that out?" he asks, nodding to the unread book on the table.
"i suppose that'd be wise, yes. maybe i'd actually read it that way." liu jianghe straightens up, rolling his shoulders back and wincing when the action painfully reminds him of a concealed bruise on his shoulder blade.
the library assistant watches him with something akin to curiosity, before reluctantly turning around and making his way towards the front desk. "follow me, then."
"water margin? i take it you're a fan of the classics?" he asks when they reach the front, his eyes fixed to the computer screen.
"not so much a fan as i am a victim." the taller man laughs dryly. "i'm studying chinese history, it's required reading."
"ah, i can see why you fell asleep at the first page, then. it can be a pretty dull read if your heart's not in it." his dark eyes gain a teasing glint, gone fast enough for liu jianghe to wonder if he imagined it.
"i don't usually come to the library just to take naps, i promise." he smiles sheepishly, drumming his fingers against the counter just to occupy his hands. he's filled with a strange restlessness that only seems to grow the longer he spends in the library assistant's presence. he could call it nervousness, maybe even giddiness, but that wouldn't be sensible, so he won't.
"your name?" the young man asks, flicking permanently tired eyes back up to meet blood red.
"liu jianghe."
he hums his acknowledgement, and liu jianghe watches pianist fingers glide across the keyboard in a rhythmic dance of his name.
"have you read it yourself?"
"mhm." he hums. "i've read most of the classics. not necessarily by choice." he remarks, with what could almost be a smile. liu jianghe imagines the librarian immortalised in delicate strokes of watercolour, encased in an ornate golden frame for the world to see. the mona lisa would look like a child's drawing in comparison, he's sure.
"...uh, sir? you can take your book now."
liu jianghe blinks out of his daze, hoping any tint to his cheeks can be blamed on the library's central heating. "oh uh, thank you. have a nice night."
"you too."
he flashes a parting smile and hastily shoves the book into his backpack, eager to flee from the scene before he can embarrass himself any further. he gets halfway to the door when,
"liu jianghe?"
"hm?"
"your eyes are pretty too." his voice is gentle, and this time his smile is genuine, albeit a little shy.
*******
liu jianghe rests his cheek against his palm, intently staring at the solid block of text on the page in an attempt to read it.
the mysterious library assistant's shift starts in a couple of hours, and he's determined to get his name this time around. he's also determined not to fail this assignment, but that's a little lower down on his list of priorities, right underneath get mr pretty boy's number and check out the new gym across campus.
he manages to get through about 4 pages before he spots familiar dark hair drift towards its usual place behind the counter. dark eyes lock with his, a brief look of recognition flashing through them before they turn their attention to a student approaching the desk.
liu jianghe straightens his posture in an attempt to appear studious and less like he's being made to count blades of grass. it's only been a day or so, but he's barely made it through the first chapter; it would be embarrassing if the library assistant was to follow up on his progress and find none to boast of.
he makes through it the first few chapters with minimal distractions (he does not count stolen glances towards the counter as distractions, if anything, they are an incentive and he must allow himself some small pleasures) and faintly acknowledges the number of students in the library dwindling, until only two remain.
he pretends not to notice the figure approaching until they sit (sit, not stand, he realises with a flutter behind his ribcage) across from him at the table. liu jianghe offers a smile he hopes is not too wide.
"how far are you?" the man asks, nodding towards the open book in front of him.
"if i tell you, will you tell me your name?" liu jianghe bargains, closing the paperback shut. truthfully, he hasn't been reading it for the past 5 minutes.
he hums in contemplation, the wicked glimmer jianghe thought he imagined last time making near black eyes appear silver under muted moonlight.
"that'll depend on what page you're on."
he's smiling, partly in challenge, partly in amusement.
"87." the taller man beams sheepishly, silently pleading that the other will show him mercy.
his eyebrow quirks up silently, and jianghe's smile strains a little when he catches it, any hope of being spared rapidly draining.
"finish the book by my next shift and i'll tell you."
the student's eyes widen incredulously. "but it's more than 800 pages!" he splutters in protest. "i can't read 800 pages in 3 days! a machine would be hard pressed to read that much classic chinese literature in such a short period."
the library assistant gracefully doesn't comment on the fact liu jianghe knows his next shift is in 3 days, and instead fixes him with a small frown. "at an average word speed it'd take you just under 24 hours. if you read for 8 hours a day, you'll easily have it finished in 3 days. i read it in 2."
jianghe blinks at him in speechless disbelief. "there are torture methods less dastardly." he exhales.
the man tucks of a wisp of his own hair behind his ear, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as if he couldn't possibly understand why anyone would be against reading for the duration of a 9-5 job for 3 days straight. "it doesn't have to be a consecutive 8 hours." he shrugs.
liu jianghe bites back a retort. if he can't even get the man's name, he can forget his quest to get his phone number. he sighs, bowing his head in defeat. he has a feeling this librarian is not going to make things easy for him. "you'll tell me if i do it? no loopholes?"
"of course. i'm a man of my word." he puts on air of offence at the implied accusation, but liu jianghe doesn't miss how the other brightens at even his reluctant consideration of the terms.
"i didn't have much else doing anyway." he lies. the insistent buzzing of his phone is his pocket seems especially loud for just a moment. "i'll attempt it."
the man smiles with something vaguely resembling gratitude.
liu jianghe doesn't have time to decipher it, because the library door unlocks, and a woman dressed in pale blue tunic shuffles in, pushing a trolley of cleaning supplies. liu jianghe had forgotten the library was closed, but evidently so did his conversation partner, if the disoriented look on his face was anything to go by. he stands up from his chair, his relaxed posture drawing back into its usual careful grace.
"the library's closed. you should go."
his voice is quiet, tired instead of the rehearsed professionalism that usually accompanies the line. liu jianghe bites his lip, silently wanting to curse at the cleaner for pasting the few layers he'd managed to peel away from the library assistant right back on.
"ah, yes, i suppose i should." liu jianghe stands and begins packing his stuff away into his bag.
he notices how the man lingers, opting to reorganise a shelf nearby instead of returning to his desk. he frowns at one book in particular, about acupuncture specifically, flicking his gaze to a shelf above his head, only just out of reach. it should be a couple shelves higher, on the A shelf as opposed to down here with the Bs, and yet he seems reluctant to go across the room to fetch a stool.
he doesn't have to linger on it for long, because there's a warmth at his back, then a tanned hand coaxing the book from his grip. the librarian allows his gaze to linger on agile digits, not unlike a marble statue, even with wine-coloured bruises dusting each knuckle.
"here?"
he blinks, remembers he's organising books, because he's a library assistant, of course, and ignores the warmth in his face. "yeah." he rasps, clears his throat. "yes. there is fine."
the book is slotted between two others. he distantly realises it's in the wrong place by about three spaces, but he won't say so. he can always fix it later.
"enjoy your weekend." he can hear jianghe's grin, feels it coast across his ear, scalding, and decides not to steal a glance for his own well-being.
he hums weakly in lieu of a response, and then the warmth retreats. it'd be stupid to acknowledge that he almost misses it, so he doesn't. he hears the doors swing shut, and sinks into the nearest seat, tilting his head to the ceiling.
*****
"read it. cover to cover."
the young man blinks, glancing down at the book that had been slammed on the desk in front of him rather dramatically, and then up at the zealous culprit watching him intently with deep red irises.
"favourite part of chapter 66?" he asks, with a small, daring tilt of his lips.
"the attack during the lantern festival."
"...lu qingyun."
liu jianghe almost misses it with how softly it's said, almost as if it's a passing comment he isn't meant to hear.
"qingyun? like the sky?"
he nods, then takes a scrap of paper and scribbles his name, neat despite the lack of effort, and slides it over.
"it suits you." jianghe decides, after a while of surveying him overtly and shamelessly. lu qingyun tears his eyes away, tries to breathe normally and desperately hopes he's succeeding.
"you're returning the book then, i assume."
he diverts the topic, because today he's a librarian and a few innocuous attempts at flirting shouldn't render him so helpless, so dizzy on the feeling of being looked at.
'is this really all it takes?' he's embarrassed with himself.
"mhm." liu jianghe hums. he fiddles with a pot of pens resting on the desk, stealing glances at lu qingyun as if he's psyching himself up for something.
"since i've finished it, i was wondering if you had any more recommendations for me?"
then tentatively, "i'd have to take your number, of course. ...so you can, uh. recommend me books."
lu qingyun pauses his typing to look up at him, and oh god, the man is actually blushing, pretending to be way more interested in a red biro pen than could ever be plausible.
he bites back a grin, it's annoyingly endearing and he's not sure if he wants to kiss him or tease him relentlessly. he settles for the latter.
"naturally." he agrees, with an amused smirk. "let's start with this book." he ducks somewhere behind the desk, and emerges with a copy of Monkey King: Journey to the West.
jianghe laughs lightly. "is this to make up for the last book?"
"perhaps." lu qingyun takes a sticky note and writes something on it, shielding its contents with a cupped hand. he opens the first page and slips it in, handing it over with a suspiciously innocent flutter of his eyelashes.
patience is a virtue liu jianghe doesn't possess, and so he immediately opens the book and takes the note out.
lu qingyun
+86 1
he frowns. "lu qingyun."
"hm?"
"your phone number is 1?"
the library assistant laughs. liu jianghe thinks it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard, even when it's at his expense.
"the first digit of my phone number is 1. i'll give you the second digit when you come to collect your next book." his voice is too serene, a complete contrast to the evil, twisted words are that leaving his lips.
liu jianghe deadpans. "but there're 11 numbers in a phone number."
"there are, yes."
he groans, tipping forward to thump his head against the desk. "must you be so cruel? that'll take forever. we'll graduate before i get halfway."
"i wouldn't say cruel. besides, maybe all this reading will inspire you to actually attend your lectures, mr liu."
he lifts his head up slightly to glare at him through thick, dark lashes. "i go to my lectures. occasionally." he grumbles.
lu qingyun pats the top of his head sympathetically. "i'm sure you do," he flicks his eyes to a clock on the wall behind him, "...but i'm afraid the li—"
"the library is closed, yeah, i know." he huffs, dragging himself upright. "enjoy your evening, qingyun. i have a busy night ahead of me." he shakes the book in his hand, and decides he'd gladly read all the books in the library upsidedown if it meant lu qingyun would continue to smile at him the way he is right now.
*****
over the past month, liu jianghe has read more books than could be healthy for anyone, let alone a failing college student. from classic literature to romance, comedy to surrealism; he's starting to see dragons and UFOs in his dreams.
but it's worth it to see lu qingyun so talkative; he's always eager to discuss the texts with him, the stoic mysterious image he's been so careful to maintain cracking piece by piece with every meeting. liu jianghe is never less enraptured by his dark tired eyes and gentle smiles than he was the first time.
he's on the 10th book, 506 more pages and all the sleepless nights and bleary eyes will finally pay off. he's almost there.
which is what makes bleeding out in a back alley behind the gas station all the more frustrating.
he's not bleeding as much as he was a few minutes ago, meaning either his stab wound beginning to heal, or he's quite literally running out of blood to lose.
his assailants are sprawled on the ground around him, unmoving (unconscious, not dead, even he's not stupid enough to commit quadruple homicide in such a conspicuous location) but from tattoos he can see peaking out from bits of clothing, one thing is certain.
his brother's in town.
he exhales in exasperation, rummaging around for his phone with the hand that isn't clutching his wounded side. he begins to scroll through his contacts.
calling the ambulance is not even an option; he doesn't spare it another thought.
liu jueming is well meaning but weak, he would barely be able to carry himself there, let alone get them both to safety.
as for the idiots from penglai, they're useless at best, he'd be long dead before even one of them showed up.
he curses quietly to himself, thumping his head back against the wall.
he was hoping to at least ask him on a date before showing up on his doorstep half dead.
***
for the first time since the beginning of the semester, liu jianghe wasn't at the library. which is not at all strange or a cause for concern, since he's a grown man who can do whatever he likes and is probably just busy or got caught up somewhere.
it's not like lu qingyun cares. because he doesn't. he barely even noticed he was gone and did not spend his entire shift staring at the doors, hoping every person who walked in was him.
he forces handsome grins and crimson eyes out of his mind and shifts his focus to the paper he has due tomorrow. it's mostly done, just needs proofreading and editing, he's sure he could get it done in an hour at the most.
he almost doesn't notice the figure slumped against the wall of his apartment building, thinking it to be his imagination taunting him. but then the figure moves and he does a double take, rushing over to them.
"liu jianghe??"
"hey. how was your shift?" he gives a weak, lopsided smile. his hand is stained scarlet and half of his t-shirt is drenched in a dark liquid lu qingyun quickly understands to be blood.
"my— you're bleeding, jianghe! i'll call an ambulance—"
"no! no, please, don't call an ambulance. no hospitals." he pleads hurriedly, and for some reason, he seems more distressed about going to hospital than the gaping wound in his side.
lu qingyun wants to stab him. again. "are you an idiot?" he hisses, flicking him on the head. "what do you mean no hospitals, are you telling me i should leave you here to die?
"no." jianghe pouts, rubbing his forehead. "you're studying medicine, aren't you? that means you're basically a doctor, right?" he smiles innocently, but it's more of a grimace if anything.
"no. no. you're insane." lu qingyun exhales incredulously. "i'm calling the ambulance."
"you can't. i—"
"i don't care if you're pablo escobar, jianghe, go to the hospital."
"must i beg you, qingyun? i'm sure you have a bandage or two up there. even sticky tape and some napkins will do. i'll go to a real doctor tomorrow, promise." he bats his eyelashes, his eyes wide and pleading.
"fine." lu qingyun grits out.
*
lu qingyun's apartment looks exactly how liu jianghe had imagined it to; spotless, meticulously organised. besides the coffee table, which is littered with textbooks and detailed notes, there's not even a pillow out of place.
they stumble towards the couch, with the shorter man supporting his waist it's a little easier, and he drops onto the sofa cushions with a hiss of pain. "lay down and prop your feet up on the armrest." lu qingyun instructs, before he hurries out of the room.
lu jianghe obeys with a guilty grimace because he's definitely getting blood on the couch, but if lu qingyun's frantic darting around is anything to go by, a stained couch is a little lower down on his list of worries.
"how much blood do you think you've lost?" his voice comes muffled from somewhere, probably the bathroom from the echo.
"uh, a lot. if i had to say."
he murmurs something under his breath and lu jianghe isn't sure whether it's a curse or a prayer. "how long ago did you sustain the injury?" he tries, and by now he's at the injured man's side with a hastily packed duffel bag.
"10 minutes ago, maybe. though it could be 15."
"10 or 15?"
"12?" liu jianghe offers sheepishly.
a heavy sigh. "take off your shirt."
"woah, already? at least let me take you out to dinner first." he grins as charmingly as he can manage, and then whines when it earns him another flick to the forehead.
"since you're well enough to joke, liu jianghe, perhaps you don't need my help after all." he reprimands. liu jianghe makes the wise decision not to mention how the librarian's ears are tipped with rose pink.
he pouts, but he begins to lift his shirt by the hem. his face contorts with pain before he can even get halfway; he barely contains a whimper, not unlike a wounded dog.
"leave it, it's okay," lu qingyun says softly, placing a hand on top of his, "i'll cut it free. i hope this isn't your favourite shirt." he teases lightly.
"not my favourite, but i was quite fond of it." he smiles. "though i suppose it's beyond saving, isn't it?"
"you did well, applying pressure yourself. it could have been a lot worse." he mutters, as he takes a pair a scissors and cuts an impossibly straight line through the fabric.
"i'm sure it was painful. most people wouldn't have done it correctly for that reason."
at some point he must have put on gloves, because liu jianghe shivers as cold nitrile comes in contact with his skin. "it's almost like you've been in this situation before." he whispers, more to himself than to jianghe. he absently traces a healed scar peeking out of the man's waistband, the featherlight touch more searing than the gash in his side.
he snaps out of it almost immediately, and takes to gently cleansing the wound, then dressing it, liu jianghe assumes, because his eyelids are lead and he's so so tired, even the throbbing pain in his lower torso has muted to a dull ache.
"don't go to sleep, jianghe."
"i'm tired, qingyun." he drawls.
"i know. but try and stay awake for me, okay?" there's a warm hand against his cheek— no longer wearing gloves, he notes— and he's too exhausted to be ashamed by how he nuzzles into the touch, mumbling a thank you or maybe a sorry or both.
"here, drink some water." lu qingyun nudges a water bottle against his hand, as suddenly liu jianghe is aware of just how thirsty he is; it's as if he's been trekking for hours under a desert sun. he gulps down the bottle in a few seconds.
"i'm gonna give you some painkillers and some vitamins, iron and b-12 for now because of how much blood you've lost." he ruffles through the bag and places the pill bottles on the coffee table. "you really need to go to the hospital, jianghe. the campus doctor at the very least." he frowns, and liu jianghe agrees if only to make him stop making such an expression.
"i'll see a doctor. promise." he reassures, outstretching a pinky expectingly. his smile grows when lu qingyun hooks their fingers together.
*
when qingyun next sees liu jianghe a little over a week later, the last student is exiting through the double doors and he's getting ready to clock out.
he opens his mouth to inform the figure hovering by the door in his peripheral that the library is in fact closed, but the words die in his throat when ruby red irises lock with his.
"jianghe." he exhales, straightening his posture and tucking a wisp of hair behind his ear. "how are you feeling? your wound, is it—"
"i'm fine. it's fine." jianghe smiles, slinking up to the desk and leaning his arms on the wooden surface. "i have you to thank for that."
lu qingyun ducks his head modestly. "all i did was put a bandage on, you should be thanking yourself."
"this is a rather grisly topic for such a nice evening, don't you think?" liu jianghe huffs, resting his cheek in his palm. "i'll be honest with you, qingyun, i have another motive for coming here." he hums innocently, tracing an idle pattern on the desktop.
"and what would that be?"
he grins, reaching into his bag and pulling out a hardback copy of qingshan city. "i finished it this morning. i can give you a summary if you'd like."
the librarian's eyes widen a fraction, only for a second, but long enough for liu jianghe to catch it. he turns his head, seeming in an attempt to hide his face behind his bangs.
jianghe thinks his cheeks appear a little pinker than usual.
"that won't be necessary. i'll just, get you the last book."
he ducks below the desk, and this time when he emerges, he seems slightly more composed.
he slides the book over without slipping a note into it, however, which elicits a small frown from liu jianghe.
but before he can decipher what it means, he feels a cold, smooth palm slide onto his nape and pull him in.
a featherlight kiss on his chin.
jianghe almost chokes.
there's another one pressed to the corner of his mouth.
it lingers, teasing, as if the perpetrator knows he's been dreaming of this since he first laid eyes on perfect porcelain features and tired eyes.
and then their lips meet, and nothing else matters.
the kiss is soft, slow, as if neither of them want to leave this arcadia they've created; one of innocent romance and urban sunsets, one that smells of jasmine and worn book pages and feels like a fairytale they may or may not deserve.
liu jianghe begins to deepen the kiss, a silent request for more, and lu qingyun almost gives it to him— it takes all of his willpower to refrain from clambering over the desk and pouncing on the other.
he breaks away suddenly, tries to keep his knees from giving out at the small whine of protest the action draws from the man's throat.
"how many?" he asks as smoothly as he can muster. he's thrumming with energy and he's sure he's blushing like a schoolgirl, but if the glazed over, lidded stare trained on him is anything to go by, he's not the only one.
"huh?" comes jianghe's delayed response, distracted and mildly confused. his eyes are still fixed on qingyun's lips.
he follows them as they tilt up in amusement. "how many times?" he repeats, and liu jianghe just about registers the question this time.
"uh, how many...?" he trails off. lu qingyun laughs airily.
"should i remind you?" he taps a finger to jianghe's chin, then the corner of his mouth, and finally brushes over his lips.
"oh." jianghe blinks, his brain finally rebooting "three?"
"there's your answer, jianghe." he smiles, and lets his hand drop from where it rested in liu jianghe's hair, dropping down from his tiptoes onto the heels of his feet.
liu jianghe watches him half in a daze, as much as he humours the man's harmless mind games and cryptic words it really does screw with his mind sometimes, and then it clicks and he grins with the realisation.
he takes out his phone and selects the unfinished contact, adding a 3 to the string of numbers he could easily recite in his sleep by this point.
liu jianghe: hey
lu qingyun: hello? who's this?
liu jianghe flicks him a disapproving look, but the man only smirks and keeps his eyes trained on the screen.
liu jianghe: it's liu jianghe
lu qingyun: ah, of course. you should have led with that.
liu jianghe: naturally.
i was wondering if you'd_
he hesitates, which causes lu qingyun to steal a glance up at him. he steels his nerves and continues typing.
i was wondering if you'd like to go out with me
on a date
he adds for clarification, and he doesn't miss the small smile it elicits, much less the growing rose tint on the man's cheeks.
lu qingyun: sure. when?
liu jianghe: tomorrow
if you're free, of course
lu qingyun: eager, i see.
i should be free tomorrow after 2pm.
liu jianghe: okay, looking forward to it
"i'll walk you home, if you're finished up here." liu jianghe offers, fiddling with a blue biro pen this time.
"oh, don't worry about it. i've still got a few more books to restock, so i might be a little while."
"i can wait. i've waited this long, haven't i?" he teases, with a tilt of his head.
"yeah." lu qingyun smiles. lu jianghe wonders how he ever lived without it. "you did."