Chapter Text
Xie Lian’s new dress shoes are uncomfortable. It’s not something he’s too concerned about, but it’s an easy thing to push to the front of his mind and concentrate on.
Yes, as it happens, uncomfortable shoes are easier to think about than the numb feeling in his chest, brought by a single decision that is, in turn, bringing ruin to his life. Xie Lian knows he shouldn’t be selfish. What is one life compared to many? Besides, it’s not like he suffers too greatly – sure, his parents barely have time to talk to him anymore and his presence at work is required less and less these days, and there are countless functions he has to attend with his new status, but in the end, all these hardships come down to uncomfortable shoes he has to wear with his three-piece suits. And it’s nothing to be concerned about.
Xie Lian sighs and walks slowly to the bar. He is stopped by one of his father’s colleagues only a couple of steps in, which is fine — he isn’t thirsty, anyway. Just bored.
“It’s nice of you to accompany your husband here.” Yang Liang says. Xie Lian has heard it all what feels like a hundred times in one single month and it makes him sick. “I imagine he feels very accepted by the family.”
That he does. Xie Lian smiles politely and doesn’t let himself look to where Jun Wu and his parents are talking animatedly by the stairs. They came here together – Jun Wu and Xie Lian, – as husbands should. Hand in hand, with smiles on their faces. They stood at the hotel entrance as their pictures were taken, and they walked to the lavishly decorated room and they greeted their business partners, but as soon as the work talk began Xie Lian was gently dismissed. He didn’t let annoyance show on his face or in his stride as he left.
“Xianle seems to be growing at a great speed, too, now that Jun Wu is taking reins.” Yang Liang praises. “What a fortunate unit.”
Xianle is growing indeed. At an alarming speed. Anxiety keeps Xie Lian awake at night, but he can not interfere. Not anymore.
“Senior Liang is very kind to acknowledge that.” Xie Lian says. His feet hurt and he wants to go home.
“Ah, but of course.” Yang Liang smiles. “I better let you go. Your husband must be looking everywhere for you.”
Xie Lian hasn’t really talked to his husband in weeks. Not that he particularly wants to. He agrees anyway and walks away. He stops at the bar, gets himself a glass of cold water and lets his eyes drift to the far corner of a room. There’s a small balcony there, half hidden by a tall vase. Xie Lian wanders around, waiting for an opportunity to slip there unnoticed. It’s not his first function in this particular hotel, and he knows no one will disturb him on that balcony – besides being too small it also overlooks not a brightly lit night city, but a small, dirty river. That small, dirty river suits Xie Lian just fine.
He sighs, relieved and exhausted to the same degree, as his free hand touches the cool balcony railing. He drinks his water and watches the river beneath. He’s only on the third floor, so he sees it quite well. There’s no one walking by it and no one sitting at the bank. Xie Lian still looks. He continues looking even as he notices someone else’s presence right behind him. Maybe if he doesn’t react, whoever's come to take his spot will just leave.
Alas, Xie Lian’s never been very lucky. Minutes go by and his silent companion remains. Xie Lian sighs, plasters on a smile, and slowly turns around. It’s good that he wasn’t going to say anything – just nod and get back to the main room – because he surely wouldn’t manage anything eloquent. The man he sees is no one he’s met before. He is tall, dressed in an exquisite maroon suit, his hair is long and braided elaborately, and he is looking right at Xie Lian with a single, onix-black eye. He is, most likely, the most beautiful thing Xie Lian has ever seen in his entire life.
“I’m sorry.” The man says, bowing his head slightly. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“That’s alright.” Xie Lian says a beat too late. “The balcony is meant for all guests to enjoy.”
The man looks down, nods and takes a short step back, clearly ready to leave him alone. Suddenly Xie Lian feels like he’s been alone for far too long already.
“I mean it.” Xie Lian says, trying for kind and not desperate. “Stay.”
The man looks at him, eye dark and serious. He gives Xie Lian another short nod and smiles. It makes him look softer. And also a little unsure, almost as if the man doesn’t smile very often.
“Thank you.” He says, finally. “Just a moment, please.”
And then he disappears, but only for a moment, just as was promised. He returns with a chair.
Xie Lian raises an eyebrow at him, a little at loss.
“Ah,” the man says a little bashfully. “Gege looked tired.”
“Gege?” Xie Lian smiles, watching the man struggle to position the chair on the too-small balcony.
“I do know your name.” The man says quickly, straightening and giving Xie Lian a reluctant sort of look. “It was too familiar, I’m-”
“No, that’s alright.” Says Xie Lian. “You know my name, but I’m afraid I don’t know yours.”
He sits in a chair. The position is strange, with him now having to crane his neck to look his companion in the eye, but his feet do feel instantly better.
“My name is of little significance. But gege can call me San Lang.”
“San Lang.” Xie Lian repeats. And then, because he wants to continue the conversation: “Enjoying the party?”
“I do now.” San Lang smiles, dropping to sit on the floor with his back to the railing, facing Xie Lian.
“San Lang! What are you doing?”
“Your neck will get sore if you keep looking up.” San Lang shrugs.
“Then I can stand back up.”
“Why would you do that,” San Lang keeps smiling, and this small, teasing thing looks much more natural on him. “if I could just sit here?”
“It’s cold.”
“It’s not, gege. It’s almost summer.”
“You’re not seeing the view.”
“I am.” And his smile grows bigger.
Xie Lian huffs, hoping his blush isn’t visible in the dimming light of the evening. He fiddles with the glass still held in his hand.
“Your suit will get dirty.”
San Lang laughs. Xie Lian blushes harder and looks back to the river. They’re quiet for a moment or two. Then:
“I heard you got married.” San Lang says, all teasing gone, his voice even. “My congratulations.”
Xie Lian wishes his wedding was less public, but Jun Wu wanted to “do everything right”. If he knew back then how many times he’ll have to fake a smile and accept congratulations he would stand his ground.
San Lang’s congratulations sound more like condolences, for some reason. Xie Lian doesn’t ask, but doesn't bother to smile either.
“Thank you.” He says.
Sang Lang seems to sense the shift in Xie Lian’s mood, because his next words are said in a slightly lighter tone.
“Won’t gege’s husband get jealous that I’ve stolen his attention?”
“Are you planning to buy out his shares as well?”
“No.” San Lang answers. “No, I have no such plans.”
“Then he won’t care.”
“Gege-”
“Anyway!” Xie Lian smiles, and it’s only a little bit strained. “What business is San Lang in?”
San Lang takes his abrupt change of topic graciously.
“I dabble.” He says. “Right now I’m opening an art gallery in New York.”
“Oh!” Xie Lian’s tension melts away somewhat. “That’s exciting! Do you travel a lot?”
“Only came back to the country this morning.” San Lang agrees.
“For this?” Xie Lian regrets the judgment in his voice as soon as he hears it, but it’s too late, of course. He only hopes San Lang isn’t a kind of person who genuinely enjoys business functions and he hasn’t offered him too badly.
San Lang, to his relief, snorts.
“I wasn’t going to.” He says. “But then something came up and now I’m here. Gege’s not a party goer, I gather?”
“Gods, no.” Xie Lian says. “This hardly can be called a party, I guess, but it’s just as bad.”
“Why come, then?”
Xie Lian shrugs.
“Business’s been going up since the wedding. It’s important to maintain public appearance.”
San Lang hums. Xie Lian finds out that silence can be comfortable not only when he’s alone.
“If you were a farmer,” San Lang starts several minutes later. “What would you be doing now?”
Xie Lian wants to laugh, but stops himself to actually think over the question.
“Well,” he says. “It’s almost dark now, so I suppose I’d be finishing with watering vegetable beds. It’s been pretty dry this week and tomatoes love water.”
“Tomatoes?”
“Why not? I like them. Maybe some cabbage, too. Maybe chickens?”
“Are we watering those, too?”
This time Xie Lian does laugh.
“They might enjoy it, actually, if the weather’s hot enough. You can’t shower them, of course, but if you give them a basin with some water in it, they might like to cool their feet in there!”
San Lang looks terribly amused.
“What?” Xie Lian smiles.
“Gege’s surprisingly knowledgeable about farm life. I wanted to create an easy, relaxing fantasy for you, and here you are, assigning yourself chores and teaching me about chickens.”
“There’s nothing easy about farm life, San Lang.” Xie Lian gives the man on the floor a very fake frown.
“My apologies.” San Lang tilts his head a little to the side. “Should we imagine you as a God, instead? Lounging on a cloud, drinking wine, idly watching us, mere mortals.”
Xie Lian lets his eyes travel very slowly all the way from San Lang’s expensive shoes to his perfectly tailored dress pants, open jacket, strong neck adorned in siler, butterfly-themed jewelry, to his luxurious hair, to his strikingly beautiful face.
“Somehow I doubt you would be a mortal in this particular fantasy.”
San Lang’s eye is very dark when Xie Lian catches his gaze. He shivers, shifting minutely in his chair.
“Then what am I?” San Lang asks.
“A vampire, maybe?” Xie Lian suggests the first thing that comes to mind. “Or a demon.”
“My, my. Gege has his impression of this lowly one set in stone, then?”
San Lang doesn’t seem offended. His eye is gleaming and his posture is relaxed. He looks like he owns the place, though Xie Lian suspects he looks exactly like this no matter where he is.
“That I do.” He agrees. “Though I’ve never said I disliked either of those things.”
San Lang eye widens for a split second before his expression is back to nonchalant.
“I see,” he says. “Gege is a tease.”
Xie Lian laughs. No one’s ever accused him of teasing. He is about to say exactly that, when their peace is interrupted.
“A-Lian.” Jun Wu says distractedly, eyes glued to his phone, fingers flying across the screen. “Your father wants you.”
“Ah. Alright.”
Xie Lian gives San Lang an apologetic look, but for the first time this evening he finds that San Lang isn’t looking at him. Instead, he is glaring at Jun Wu. For someone who’s been sitting on the hard floor for quite a long time, San Lang stands up easily and gracefully. He takes a step forward and Jun Wu, finally sensing someone else’s presence, looks up. For a moment the air is so charged Xie Lian feels his hair electrify.
“Now, A-Lian.” Jun Wu barks, eyes narrowed and cheeks flushed with obvious anger. He turns around and stalks away without waiting for Xie Lian.
“Charming.” San Lang comments, attention back on Xie Lian. “Gege, he didn’t even introduce himself."
“Don’t you know him?” Xie Lian smiles, amused. “Because he’s been complaining about you a lot.”
San Lang’s mouth drops open.
“When did gege figure me out?” He asks.
“I have to go.” Xie Lian smiles. “I’ll tell you when I see you next time.”
Xie Lian goes. He already has an idea what kind of a fuss Jun Wu will start, but he doesn’t regret his evening one bit.