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The seasons passed quickly, and soon, the summer heat had crept up to them once again. The hydrangeas planted along the streets were slowly coming to full bloom, showing off their stunning colours and littering the ground beneath them in petals.
Xie Qingcheng gazed out the window of his office, watching as a petal fell off a flowering tree and down and down…
A pair of paper tickets were then waved in front of his face.
“…What is this?” He asked, bringing his cold gaze to meet the almond eyes of the boy in front of him.
“I won a pair of tickets to the aquarium from some student event,” He Yu replied.
“And what are you showing off to me for?” Xie Qingcheng retorted coolly.
“The tickets are special access ones. Apparently, it includes a behind the scenes at the jellyfish exhibit, and we can even feed jellyfish,” He Yu fanned himself with the tickets as he spoke.
”Seeing as you’re not interested, Doctor Xie, I might give them away to someone else who might be.”
Silence fell upon them in the office. Despite the rising summer heat, the room seemed to chill by a few degrees.
“Give them here,” Xie Qingcheng ordered.
”I never said I was going to give them to you, Doctor Xie,” He Yu chuckled.
Xie Qingcheng narrowed his eyes, ”What do you want then, little devil?”
“Go on a date to the aquarium with me,” He Yu smiled brightly, showing off those sharp yet adorable canine fangs of his.
–
As Mo Xi was diligently taking out the groceries from his reusable bag, a piece of paper fluttered out. It landed on the floor by his feet, and he bent down to pick it up.
Upon picking it up and straightening the creases, he found that it was an advertisement for the aquarium. His sharp eyes scrutinised the page, and the image that stood out to him the most was that of a projection of multiple sea creatures floating across the page, led by a whale.
The aquarium understood that keeping a whale would be inhumane and immoral, given its size and lifestyle of living free in the vast ocean, yet humans remained ever curious and hoped to be able to see a whale up close. Therefore, to combat this dilemma, they had decided to open a new themed zone. With the use of digital projection technology, they would be able to accurately project a whale to fly above the heads of their guests.
Mo Xi reread the little pamphlet with renewed interest. As he did, the front door of the apartment swung open.
“I’m home!” Gu Mang announced as he kicked off his shoes.
Mo Xi placed the pamphlet down and went to the front door to welcome his husband home.
“Welcome home,” he greeted with a smile, opening his arms wide. Gu Mang wrapped his arms around Mo Xi’s torso and buried his face in Mo Xi’s shirt. After a while, Gu Mang pulled back and went on his tiptoes to peck Mo Xi on his lips before the pair made their way back into their home.
As Gu Mang placed his bag on the chair, he glanced down at the table and noticed the pamphlet. Picking it up and giving it a quick read, he suddenly remembered.
“That’s right! Lu Zhanxing won a pair of tickets to the aquarium. At first he said he was going to bring his girlfriend, but she broke up with him yesterday. He’s a bit dejected right now, so he gave these tickets to me,” Gu Mang dug around in his bag and produced two crisp tickets.
“Would you like to go with me, princess?” Gu Mang teased, waving the tickets under Mo Xi’s nose.
Mo Xi flicked his forehead as a fond smile climbed its way onto his lips. “Of course.”
–
Chu Wanning diligently typed away at his computer, staring hard at the screen without blinking.
He didn’t even hear as the door to his private office swung open.
“Yuheng,” Xue Zhengyong said.
Continuing to type, Chu Wanning greeted, “Director.”
Xue Zhengyong let out a sigh.
“Yuheng, when’s the last time you took a break?”
Chu Wanning glanced at the digital clock on his laptop, then did the calculation in his head. Realising the last break he took was… technically yesterday because Mo Ran had forced him to get lunch with him, he chose wisely to lie instead.
“I had a coffee break earlier.”
“Yuheng, I know this project is important, but your health comes first,” Xue Zhengyong chided. “Besides, what would Ran’er and Meng’er say if they say you in this state?”
Chu Wanning flinched internally. While he didn’t know what Xue Meng might say, he endured a long lecture at the hands of Mo Ran yesterday, one he didn’t particularly want to relive. Pinned under the unrelenting gaze of his lover, he eventually ceded and told him he would at least take a break.
So he knew Mo Ran would be heartbroken that he broke his promise barely 24 hours later.
“Here, I had a lunch meeting with some of the people from Taxue Palace today and they gave me some tickets for the aquarium. Apparently they were in charge of some of the new fancy projection works so they had a bunch of tickets to spare,” Xue Zhengyong pulled a pair of crumpled tickets from his jacket pocket. He straightened them out before handing them over to Chu Wanning.
“Take two in case you want to bring someone.”
Chu Wanning thanked him, and as Xue Zhengyong turned to leave, he turned and said, “Yuheng, don’t let me catch you in the office tomorrow. I’m putting you on leave. Go to the aquarium and enjoy the day off.”
Chu Wanning glanced silently at the tickets in his hands.
…
As he opened the door to his apartment, he was caught off guard by the delightful scent that was wafting through the air. He peeled his shoes off and stepped through the threshold to be greeted by the sight of Mo Ran standing by the stove, giving the vegetables in the wok one more stir before elegantly plating them on the plate next to him.
He then turned and as he saw Chu Wanning, his face broke out in a bright smile, showing off his lovely dimples. He pulled off the apron and went to give his boyfriend a long hug.
“I missed you,” Mo Ran said into the curve of his shoulder.
“Silly. Didn’t you see me this morning?” Chu Wanning chuckled as he replied.
“That was hours ago!” Mo Ran exclaimed. “Dinner’s ready, you should eat before it grows cold. I tried a new recipe I saw online for stir fried long beans, tofu with pumpkin sauce and sweet and sour fish.”
The pair placed Mo Ran’s cooking on their dining table and took their respective seats. They chatted as they ate, talking about the mundane happenings at the office.
“Oh, Xue Zhengyong gave these to me,” Chu Wanning placed down his bowl before reaching for his bag to pull out the tickets.
Mo Ran tilted his head curiously. Upon seeing that they were tickets for the aquarium, his eyes brightened.
“He also told me to take tomorrow off,” Chu Wanning added. He didn’t want to divulge the reason he had been barred from the office, so he coughed into his hand and asked, “Would you like to go with me?”
Chu Wanning could see how fast Mo Ran’s figurative tail was wagging, his deep purple eyes practically glittering and shining.
“Of course baobei!”
–
The aquarium was thankfully not crowded. Perhaps it was because it was not a weekend, nor has the summer holidays started. Xie Qingcheng and He Yu were able to get in relatively quickly.
Xie Qingcheng could hardly recall the last time he had stepped foot into an aquarium… a school trip from his elementary school days perhaps? As for Young Master He… he’d never been. So both took interest in reading the eloquent little plaques of information describing each fish shown, and they slowly made their way from freshwater fish to reptiles from various jungles and forests across the globe.
Soon, they reached the saltwater fishes and the shark tunnel. Xie Qingcheng stood under the tunnel, looking upwards at the sharks swimming past. Ripples of water fragmented by the light reflected on his pale face. He Yu’s amber eyes gazed appreciatively at the view. He wasn’t particularly interested in fish or aquariums, but he certainly was into going out with Xie Qingcheng.
Behind him, he heard someone ask, “Do you think that fish would taste better steamed or fried?”
–
The person who had asked that was none other than Gu Mang. He was pointing at a multicoloured fish that had just swam past.
“Hmm, as long as you’re the one cooking, anything will taste good,” Mo Xi replied.
“Haha, good reply shidi!” Gu Mang turned and gave Mo Xi a thumbs up.
They continued walking down the shark tunnel, stopping to appreciate the fish and wondering which style of cooking would best fit it. Eventually, they made their way out and towards the larger tanks.
Hand in hand, they approached the main tank in the aquarium, filled with millions of liters in its tank. Gu Mang and Mo Xi watched as the giant sunfish swam by them followed by other fish. A larger shark appeared before them, before swimming past and into the back of the tank, where a school of tuna were swimming in circles. A pair of elegant manta rays flapped their fins, flying past them, followed closely with some playful stingrays. As they swam close to the glass, the pair was able to see their underbellies, showing off their gills and silly faces.
It was as if a piece of the ocean had been extracted from its place and put right in front of him. With it came years upon years of history and evolution; living, undeniable proof of their strong desire to live on this very earth that they shared. In a way, the beauty of the ocean came from an unspoken declaration of love, one that was able to transcend those long, long years swimming beneath the surface, unknown to those who lived above it.
Yet, despite the enchanting, vast view in front of him, what Mo Xi saw the clearest was the reflection of his beloved on the tank’s thick glass. Gu Mang’s eyes shone as he watched the manta rays swim in the tank, and his dark brown eyes turned a colour akin to sky blue. Mo Xi couldn’t hold himself back, and he turned his head, pressing a kiss to the top of Gu Mang’s head.
“My princess, if you wanted a kiss, you could’ve just asked,” despite his teasing tone, Mo Xi could see a faint blush dusting across Gu Mang’s cheeks, even in the darkness. He turned his body, and gently tugged Mo Xi down by his collar to return a kiss on his lips.
–
Watching the dolphins as they swam back and forth and then playfully jumping out of the water to splash at the audience was really, really fun. One sprayed water at the kids in the front row, eliciting squeals and excited screams of joy.
Mo Ran watched, happily patting the shoulder of Chu Wanning in excitement as another dolphin jumped into the hoop of the performer. Mo Ran had never been to the aquarium before, and he hadn’t expected to watch a show like this. He’d only heard stories like this from Xue Meng a long time ago…
Chu Wanning watched Mo Ran with silent amusement. He really was just like a kid, cheering happily as the dolphins dragged the performers by their fins. Soon, the performance drew to a close, and performers and dolphins came to give a bow to the audience.
The pair made their way back into the aquarium, with Mo Ran giving one last, longing look to the dolphins in their exhibit before they walked over to other exhibits. They watched as penguins waddled adorably and burrowed their heads into their fur, and they watched as fat seals swam back and forth in their tanks.
Eventually, they came upon a large exhibit for sea otters. The tank was a large one, offering two view points: one from the top half of the tank, allowing visitors to see the sea otters floating above, and a view of the bottom half of the tank, where visitors would be able to watch the otters dive and swim about.
Today, it seemed all the sea otters were sleepy. The delightful furry creatures were all floating above the water, letting the soft stimulated current drift them about.
“Wanning, look.”
Chu Wanning followed where Mo Ran’s finger had pointed to, and his eyes landed upon a pair of otters that were adorably holding paws as they were sleeping.
“Don’t you think they’re just like us?” Mo Ran brought up their intertwined hands and laughed.
“Y-you!” Chu Wanning sputtered. Even though they had been together for so long now, he was still caught off guard whenever Mo Ran showed affection to him publicly.
“Mhmm, me,” Mo Ran grinned, then pulled Chu Wanning close by the waist, placing a kiss on the back of Chu Wanning’s hand.
Chu Wanning felt his face go hot, and he really wanted to pull away, but Mo Ran tightened his hold on his waist, making him unable to pull away. Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone watching the otters other than them.
“Did you know? Otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift off into the sea,” Mo Ran said, still embracing Chu Wanning.
“Maybe we should hold hands when we sleep too, shizun.”
He flicked the younger boy’s head, saying “You already hug me to sleep, is that not enough?”
“It isn’t,” Mo Ran’s reply was automatic.
At this shamelessness, Chu Wanning let out a huff and laughed. Despite his embarrassment and the tip of his ears burning, under the sincere gaze of his lover, he relented.
“Alright then,” he said, a smile upon his lips.
Upon hearing this, Mo Ran felt his heart beat quicken, and a blush rose upon his cheeks as well. His grin was so wide it hurt, and he buried his face in Chu Wanning’s shoulder.
“Wanning treats me too well,” he whispered. Really, his heart was so full it felt as if it was going to burst.
–
Deep in the heart of the aquarium, Xie Qingcheng looked at the kreisel tank in front of him. Within it held hundreds and hundreds of sea jellies, just floating and swimming about. The colour of the tanks cycled through shades of the rainbow, and along with it, so did the jellyfish. The moon jellyfish within the tank swam adorably, with no mind, spine nor eyes, they bumped into each other despite the vast space. The current pushed them in a circular motion, much like a ferris wheel. Xie Qingcheng pressed his palm to the cool glass, watching these little creatures.
These 650 million year old lifeforms, these strange creatures, as pure and untainted as the white clouds in the sky, regardless of whether they were feeling or not, were able to bring joy to the countless people that stood at the very spot in front of their tank, watching them go about their short lives. Yes, their lives were short, yet despite that, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume they lived their lives to the fullest. They were able to bring happiness to others, and to Xie Qingcheng, a sense of calm and relief.
He continued to watch them without moving from his spot. He watched as they floated, their domes and tentacles pulsing their bodies upwards. With the only light source coming from the tanks and the gentle, lullaby-like music coming from the speakers, the atmosphere could only be described as otherworldly.
He Yu looked at Xie Qingcheng’s broad back, the soft light from the tanks only illuminated his front, enshrouding his back in darkness. He watched from the shadows, for some reason unwilling to disturb the peace that had befallen them. He Yu silently pulled out his phone from his pocket, making sure it was on silent mode before snapping a picture of Xie Qingcheng gazing serenely at the sea jellies in front of him.
Xie Qingcheng turned to the kreisel tank to the side, this one housing a different type of sea jellies. Within the tank were larger jellies, with big bells and graceful, flowing tentacles. Under the shine of the light, they seemed to glow an angelic white. Its long, loose tentacles trailed behind it as it swam, and its oral tentacles resembled the elegance of a wedding dress train trail.
He Yu raised his phone camera once more, this time calling, “Xie Qingcheng.”
The older man turned, and as he did, He Yu snapped the perfect shot. Half of his pale face was illuminated by the low, pale blue light, while the other was facing him. His broad back was not drawn tight, nor was his expression guarded. His lovely peace blossom eyes were gentle, and unknowingly while watching the sea jellies float, his corner of his lips had curled into a soft smile.
He Yu sucked in his breath. He’d never seen such an expression etched upon his doctor’s face, regardless of in bed or anywhere else. He’d never looked so at peace.
“What is it?” Xie Qingcheng asked.
He Yu was silent, before answering, “Nothing.”
Xie Qingcheng turned his back to continue looking at the sea jellies, these ancient life forms, floating in their tanks.
He Yu glanced down at the picture he had taken, and wordlessly set it as his phone’s home screen. His lock screen was set to something nondescript, and he would have changed it to this picture if not for the fact that he wanted to very selfishly keep this photo to himself. No one else should be able to see that soft, unguarded expression on Xie Qingcheng’s face other than him. No one else deserved it.
It was an expression he’d never seen before, and one that he hopes he’ll get to see again some day in the future. But for now, he’ll keep the picture on his phone, guarding it like a dragon guarding his treasure. He’ll keep the picture engraved in his heart, too.
–
Finally, Gu Mang and Mo Xi pushed apart the thick curtains, leading them into a massive dome. The dome was all dark, and visitors were encouraged to sit and even lay on the floor to enjoy the show. Seeing as there were not many people watching the show, they were able to sit right at the center of the space.
Music started to play from the speakers, and a narrator with a pleasant voice started to speak. As the narrator spoke about different types of sea creatures, high tech laser projections shot out from somewhere towards the domed ceiling, lighting up the space with brilliant fragments of light.
The 3D projections showed scenes from under the sea, various schools of fishes swimming around, crabs, octopuses and as they delved deeper and deeper into the sea, large, gentle sea turtles started to take up the illuminated sea above them.
Soon, the narrator moved on, and from the speakers, the bellow of a whale was heard. The projectors went dark before shining brightly, producing the digital visage of a massive blue whale. The projection nearly took up the whole space of the ceiling, and it began to swim around the space. Within the dark dome, the giant leviathan looked as if it were a constellation upon the night sky, a collection of digital stars illuminating the ones below with its glittering beauty.
Gu Mang turned to Mo Xi sat next to him, encapsulated by the view of the giant whale. His eyes were trained to the dome above him, watching the whale float around with intense focus. The tranquil music mixed with the small cries of the whale made the pair feel as if they really had been transported 20,000 leagues under the sea, to a world of their own, with no one else by their side other than each other, and the quiet company of the ocean.
Gu Mang laid his head on Mo Xi’s shoulder, relaxing his body and letting the sound of the waves lull him into closing his eyes.
…
When he woke, he found that the show had ended. The lights had been turned on, uncomfortably glaring into his eyes.
“Was the show very boring?” Mo Xi asked as he handed Gu Mang a bottle of water.
Gu Mang drank, then laughed and replied, “No, the music was just so peaceful I accidentally fell asleep.”
“Mhm. Let’s go home then,” Mo Xi said.
“Are you sure? Is there nothing else you want to see?” Gu Mang asked.
“No. I’m getting a bit tired, so let’s go home,” Mo Xi replied.
Entwining his husband's hand in his, the pair made their way out of the dome and past the rest of the exhibits. Like any good attraction, the aquarium ended with a gift shop.
The gift shop was big, containing all sorts of merchandise available for purchase. Some mugs, nice shirts for adults and kids, a lot of plush animals for kids to beg their parents to buy, and a massive variety of trinkets.
They walked around the gift shop, not particularly enticed by anything. As they were walking to the exit, something finally caught Gu Mang’s sharp eyes.
A small display of bracelets and necklaces, simple in design with a small charm of a sea creature on them. Gu Mang walked over to the display, picking up a bracelet to look at more closely.
The bracelet was a thin string of black, with adjustable ends that ended with two dark blue beads. In the middle of the bracelet hung a small, flat pressed metal design of a whale. Noticing the sign of 2 bracelets for a discounted price, he picked up another one with a similar design and walked over to pay for them.
“What did you buy?” Mo Xi’s brows furrowed as he asked.
“Matching bracelets for you and me! Think of it as a souvenir of our first aquarium date,” Gu Mang grinned as he took out the pair of bracelets from the bag. He grabbed Mo Xi’s hand and slipped the bracelet on, pulling by its ends to tighten it.
“It looks good on you! Help me put mine on?” Gu Mang asked as he pushed the other bracelet into Mo Xi’s hands.
Mo Xi diligently slipped the bracelet onto Gu Mang’s thin wrist, and then turned over his own wrist to inspect the bracelet. It was a simple, clean design, fitting him perfectly. A soft smile crept onto his face.
“Today was fun,” Mo Xi stated.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Gu Mang agreed.
The pair exited the gift shop, their hands finding each other once more as they walked away, the charm of their bracelets gently swinging and bumping into each other as they walked.
–
Mo Ran looked around the gift shop in astonishment. It was a kid’s paradise, filled with piles upon piles of toys. If he were any younger, he would be extremely tempted to leave with an armful of them, but as a responsible, grown adult–
“Here,” Chu Wanning shoved something against him.
Mo Ran looked down to see it was a soft plushie of a dolphin, with light blue fur and a white underbelly. With two dots for eyes, it was extremely derpy and cute looking. Mo Ran holding the soft plushie made for an absurd scene; this tall, tanned, handsome adonis of a man cradling something as cute as a stuffed dolphin within his arms.
But Mo Ran’s face broke into a contagious grin, lifting all the way to the corner of his eyes. His dimples sunk into his cheeks, and sweetness filled his irises.
“For me?” he asked.
“Who else?” Chu Wanning replied.
“Thank you, baobei,” Mo Ran hugged the dolphin closer to his chest. He then placed a quick kiss on the snout of the soft plushie, and then turned the plushie to face Chu Wanning, bringing it up to peck its snout to his lips.
The tips of Chu Wanning’s ears immediately flared a bright, almost neon red, and right as he was about to retort, Mo Ran laughed, cupping Chu Wanning’s hand in his own and leading him out of the gift shop.
“Don’t get mad,” he said in between laughs.
Eventually, his heart rate returned to a normal pace, but his face still remained red.
In the end, Chu Wanning said, “...I saw a parfait in the restaurant next door.”
“Let’s go try it then,” Mo Ran hugged the dolphin in one arm, and held Chu Wanning’s hand in his own, making sure to pull him close.
–
Seeing that the last destination of the whole aquarium was a gift shop, Xie Qingcheng barely spared anything a glance before heading to the exit. He walked out of the air conditioned building to only be greeted by the sweltering summer heat, and his hands were desperately itching for a smoke. So he headed off to the desolate area for smokers and lit his cigarette.
He Yu, on the other hand, stayed behind, looking at the variety of offerings in the gift shop. The plushies didn’t catch any of his interest, and the bracelets and necklaces looked too cheap for someone of his caliber. So he brought his attention elsewhere.
Ultimately, what caught his attention was the wall of keychains, all depicting various sea creatures. Some were metal, others were acrylic, but what caught his almond eyes was an intricate keychain of a trail of connected beads in various light shades and two pieces of twisted metal that had a plastic, see-through dome on the top. It was a jellyfish keychain.
At first, he took only one off the hook, then thought about it for a few seconds. He then took another one off its hook and went to pay.
He Yu walked out of the gift store, bag in hand. He spotted Xie Qingcheng off in the distance, cigarette in his long fingers.
“Are you done shopping? Let’s go then,” Xie Qingcheng snuffed out his cigarette when he saw He Yu approach.
“Are you not going to ask what I bought?” He Yu asked.
Xie Qingcheng sighed, a final puff of white smoke emerged from his lungs, “What did you buy?”
He Yu pulled out the intricate keychain out of the little bag, letting it dangle in between Xie Qingcheng’s eyes.
“It’s for you,” he said, taking up the older man’s hand and putting it in his open palm.
Xie Qingcheng went silent. He wasn’t expecting a gift from the younger man. Such a thoughtful gift at that–
“Think of it as a memento of our date,” He Yu said.
Whatever thought Xie Qingcheng just had flew out of his mind immediately.
“Where am I even supposed to put this?” Xie Qingcheng asked.
“You can hang it on your house keys, car keys, your bag or whatever. Just, just don’t…” He Yu trailed off. Just don’t throw it away. He didn’t want this little bit of vulnerability to be shown, so he cut off his words and tucked them back into his heart.
“Just don’t what?”
“It’s nothing. You can do whatever you want with it, Doctor Xie, it’s yours now.”
With that, the youth walked off, hands stuffed into his pockets. Unknown to Xie Qingcheng, a similar keychain was swinging from He Yu’s own set of keys. How would the older man react when he found out He Yu had a matching pair?
He Yu didn’t particularly feel like knowing the answer. He felt a storm starting to brew over his heart, so he quickly said, “I’m hungry, let’s go get dinner.”
Xie Qingcheng was silent for a beat, still looking at the keychain in his palm. He didn’t know what his heart was feeling, but it was stirring with a certain emotion he had no idea the name of.
“Fine, my treat.”