Work Text:
When Xie Lian steps through the ramshackle door, he lets out a relieved sigh.
It looks better than he expected!
Just days ago he finally found an advertisement for an empty building– almost for free!
This was such a stroke of luck, Xie Lian actually hesitated to take it, there had to be a downside.
In the end he bought it, though. He had only just lost his job and apartment, he had no choice anyway.
It would need a lot of work and the surrounding area was a little strange, but he could do it!
That in mind, he finds himself an old broom and starts cleaning.
The real hassle starts a day later–
Because, weirdly, no one really wants to deliver flowers to this part of the city.
They would just very rudely hang up on him when he tells them his address.
He only needs deliveries in the beginning, until the flowers in the old greenhouse in the back are in bloom!
As he leans against the front counter and contemplates, the doorbell chimes and someone steps in.
Xie Lian looks up and says, “I'm sorry, Sir, this store isn't open yet. I can't seem to find anyone to deliver flowers to the store.”
The man, he wears exclusively black and has his equally black hair in a severe ponytail, looks at him a little confused for a moment and then moves his hand to his chin in thought
After a moment he takes out a pen and paper and scribbles down something.
When he hands it to Xie Lian, he sees it's a phone number.
“Eh?”
“This is an acquaintance of mine. They have a flower shop too, so they might be able to deliver.”
And then the man steps out again.
“Huh?!”
Xie Lian stares after the man for a whole minute, before shaking himself out of it.
Here goes nothing , he thinks and takes out his old Nokia out of his pocket.
The dial tone only sounds once before it's picked up and a cheerful voice chimes through the speaker.
“Hello, who's this?”
Days later the first delivery of flowers arrives and he can finally open the shop.
He isn't sure why, but Shi Qingxuan recommended mainly funeral flower assortments.
White roses and carnations dotted his many second hand vases he was able to gather when collecting scraps days ago.
Chrysanthemums and lilies stood a silent vigil at the freshly polished shopping window and outside he'd placed some sunflowers and orchids.
He had also prepared ready-made funeral bouquets for people without time for a freshly made bouquet and in the back of the store his greenhouse came along fairly well.
Xie Lian takes a deep breath and flips the closed sign to open. (He'd salvaged one from the scraps after the man in black mistakenly came in, although that had been a stroke of luck in hindsight.)
Only a little while later his doorbell chimes for the first time and a busy day starts.
Hours later Xie Lian is in dire need of a break. Shi Qingxuan’s advice of getting more funeral flowers than any other kind had been spot on and he makes a mental note to text them later and say thank you.
He'd also notice that his customers were mostly– ah, how to say it politely…
They were most likely criminals. Almost all of them wore either suits and sunglasses or dark clothes with metal studs and chains and many, many tattoos.
Which is to say, there's nothing to say against that!
They were all perfectly polite and subdued because someone died and while most bought his ready made arrangements, some also asked him to do something fresh. He liked those orders most.
Shortly before he was about to close shop, the doorbell chimes again–
Well not only the doorbell but also the boots of the newcomer do chime with elegant jewellery.
The man who steps into his little store is by far the most beautiful person Xie Lian has ever seen.
He looks wild– in a good sense.
He wears a black shirt under his red and black cardigan and his long, black hair spills over his back. His face is pale and sharp, accentuated by a black patch over his right eye.
He's truly handsome and Xie Lian can feel a flush creep up his cheeks.
“Welcome,” he says softly.
“What can I help you with?”
The man's eyes fall on him and he smiles.
“Hello, I need an arrangement of flowers for someone I want to court.”
Xie Lian immediately scolds himself for his thoughts.
Of course a beautiful man like this has someone they want to win over!
“Of course!” he chirps through the sour feeling in his stomach.
He leads the man over to a few vases with roses and red carnations and such.
“Would you rather have the bouquet made with red flowers or also rose and white flowers?”
The man taps his chin in thought and looks at Xie Lian.
“What would Gege like most?”
Xie Lian almost sputters at the familiar form of address.
“Ah.. uhm. I think I would like it mixed more?” he answers and so the man nods.
“Alright, then do it how you would like it most.”
Xie Lian gets to work, adding white and red roses, pink hydrangea, red carnations and also a lily. When he's done choosing flowers, he wraps them in pretty floral paper and finishes off the bouquet with a silky red ribbon.
When he hands it to the man, he gets a smile.
“You've outdone yourself, thank you,” he says and pays for the bouquet. When he's at the door, already leaving, he looks back.
“Oh by the way, Gege? What is your favourite food?”
Xie Lian is confused by the sudden non sequitur.
“It's Mantou,” he answers truthfully and the man waves and leaves.
Huh, that was weird , he thinks, slowly starting to clean up the mess of the day.
An hour later he locks up the store and walks up the stairs next to it.
The building he bought for so little money didn't only come with a store but also a dingy apartment.
When he reaches his door, he stops and his brows crease in confusion.
On his doormat lies the bouquet he just made and a paper bag that smells suspiciously like freshly steamed Mantou.
Gingerly he picks up the bouquet and stares at it.
There's also a little letter attached to it, so he places the bouquet back on the mat and opens the letter.
It's–
For a moment he tried deciphering the strange script but it's hopeless, absolutely illegible!
He sighs and unlocks the door and picks up the flowers and the bag of food.
Maybe he should've asked the handsome man for his name…?
🌺
Three days later Hua Cheng is pacing the polished floors of Paradise Manor.
It's been three days since he left the flowers and food for Xie Lian.
For the god in human form who saved him when he'd been a child.
It has been ten years since he last saw him. Hua Cheng had been 13 and he had been on his way back from school when the bullies from his school caught him.
They had kicked and hit him while Hua Cheng had laid on the floor, not even shielding his face, because what reason was there for living? His father hated him and hurt him– everyone did.
That was when a new person entered the dark alley.
He coldly told the bullies to leave and when they tried to attack him too, he skillfully took them out and carried little Hua Cheng home.
After the initial fuss of Xie Lian's mother about the dirt on him, he'd carried him into his room and tended to his wounds.
Hua Cheng stayed with them for a few days and they were talking everyday. It was the best time of little Hua Cheng's life.
Until after a few days a family friend arrived, who dabbled in palm reading and the supernatural arts.
And suddenly that man was screaming about what a hazard Hua Cheng was and–
Xie Lian had taken him back to his room, hugging him close while Hua Cheng was crying and screaming, all the while telling him that it was not his fault.
But he'd run away that night. Too scared his tainted fate would touch Xie Lian.
And shortly after, something terrible happened to the Xie family and Xie Lian disappeared.
For years Hua Cheng blamed himself– until he started getting into the more shady dealings of the city.
And as he rose as the head of the red syndicate, he also found proof of the Xie familyhead having dealings with the white syndicate.
But he couldn't find Xie Lian anymore. It was like the ground had opened up and swallowed him whole.
That was until He Xuan found him. Recently some of their men had died in an explosion, an attack of the white syndicate. He Xuan's right hand man had also died, so he wanted to get flowers for the grave and that is how he found him.
Currently He Xuan is also sitting in a red plush armchair, watching him pacing with a bored expression.
Hua Cheng stops the pacing and stares at He Xuan.
“Was it too much?”
“What?” He Xuan asks because Hua Cheng hadn't told him anything yet.
“Leaving the bouquet he made for me for someone I want to court in front of his apartment door, as well as his favourite food?”
He Xuan arches a finely shaped eyebrow.
“Well, yes?”
Hua Cheng continues his pacing.
“I even left him a note, three days is too long–”
“Wait, you left him a note? With your shitty handwriting?!”
Hua Cheng stops to stare at him with one wide eye.
“Oh.”
🌸
Business has been astoundingly well in his new shop, Xie Lian thinks.
Although it might probably be a little frightening to have so many, ah, gangsters buying flowers for funerals, which also meant that there was a certain amount of violence in their and now his life.
Only the man in red didn't return and Xie Lian wasn't pouting, no!
… He was a little sad though, but that was just his luck, right? Being on the end of a joke like this.
It's been four days now and he was starting to miss the colour red…
Xie Lian slaps his hands to his own cheeks.
What's wrong with him?
Just a moment later his doorbell chimed again and someone came in.
“It's you!” Xie Lian says surprised, as the man in black, from his first day trying to sort out delivery, steps into his little shop.
The man gives him a stoic nod and hands him an envelope. Then he simply turns around and leaves.
Perplexed, Xie Lian stands there with the envelope in his hand.
A whole minute later he walks over to his work counter and cuts the envelope open.
There's a letter inside, written in neat and tidy handwriting.
It says:
“Meet me tonight in the Gambling Den in the southern part of Ghost City. Please make a bouquet again, just like last time.”
..this wasn't written by the man in red, that much is clear. There's also more in the envelope, it's way too many bills for a bouquet like this…
But this might be his only way to meet the mysterious man in red again.
So he takes the bait.
Hours later, he arrives at the gates of the infamous Gambling Den. He only makes arrangements for his customers, but his customers love to talk and gossip about the going-ons in ghost city.
So of course he knows about the Gambling Den and the frightening but fair head of the Syndicate, Hua Cheng.
As he walks up the stairs he notices the man in black from earlier. He waves him in and Xie Lian follows.
This might be how I die, Xie Lian thinks slightly bemused.
However, the man leads him through employee-corridors to the backside of a raised dais, surrounded by red, sheer fabric.
There's a man inside, reclining on a plush divan and Xie Lian has seen the man in red only once, but it's him !
So without looking back at the man in black he pulls at the side of the curtain and steps in.
Hua Cheng, because who else could the man on a throne-like divan in the Gambling Den be, snaps his head around and looks irritated for a split second, before the expression morphs into surprise.
“Gege?!” he asks and Xie Lian wonders why he's so surprised.
“Uh, I got your letter and this is for you,” he says with a nervous smile
“Letter…?” Hua Cheng asks and then his eye narrows.
Xie Lian tilts his head in question and Hua Cheng deflates a little, before jumping up and ushers him to sit next to him on the plush divan.
“I noticed only days later that Gege couldn't read my message,” he admits, a little mournful.
“Ah, Hua Chengzhu is right, but the man in black delivered another message.”
“...I would like it if you could call me San Lang…?” Hua Cheng asks a little hopefully.
“After realising that I had screwed up with the first letter, I was still planning on how to approach you again, but I guess He Xuan decided to take things into his own fishy hands.”
Xie Lian opens his mouth to answer, when a loud explosion rattles the walls of the Den.
People start to scream and flee and gunshots are heard and Xie Lian too, sits upright, ready to run if needed but Hua Cheng leans back and pats his shoulder.
“Don't worry gege, my men have things under control. Although…” he trails off and looks a little worried.
“What is it, San Lang?”
“...gege might get more work now…”
And Xie Lian can't help but laugh.