Chapter Text
"Mu Qing disappeared."
It was the first thing Xie Lian heard as soon as Feng Xin walked into the restaurant. Or, rather, the second thing. The first had been the slam of his friend's hands against the table where they were sitting.
Yin Yu didn't look up from his phone, nor did he interrupt his frantic typing; Qingxuan, on the other hand, turned sharply toward Feng Xin. The movement of his head was so wide that many strands of his long dark hair ended up brushing against He Xuan. He spat out a curse, and long strands of hair.
"What? Are you surprised?"
A pulsing vein drew attention on Feng Xin's forehead, mostly due to the fact that his bangs were slicked back tightly enough to make it look like his forehead had been glued to the back of his head.
"What are you talking about!? This isn't normal!"
Well...
"Actually, there was that one time Mu Qing traveled to help his grandmother in the other city, four hours away from his house. It was an emergency." Xie Lian said, scratching his cheek.
"That—"
"And also that time he sprained his wrist and was too embarrassed to leave the house." Yin Yu, even while detached, managed to give his contribution to the topic.
Feng Xin's expression was starting to look funny.
"Right! Isn't it?" Qingxuan clapped once, always with the loudest voice. "There was also that time when he—"
"I get it!", barked Feng Xin. He pulled out a chair and sat down, on the other side of Qingxuan, "But it's very strange."
"Mu Qing usually sets aside some time in his routine to be alone. I'm sure that if he needs anything, he will contact us", concluded Xie Lian, taking a sip from a white container.
By the aroma, it had to be green tea.
Feng Xin rested his chin on his hand, observing Xie Lian's spine straight against the soft back of the restaurant chair, always looking impeccable.
"Which reminds me... wasn't your precious boyfriend coming?"
He Xuan cursed again, and Qingxuan placed a hand on his forearm in a rather inefficient attempt at consolation, while Xie Lian tucked a strand of brown hair behind his ear, which was suspiciously red.
"He came, he.. hm, he is placing our orders."
Ah. So that explained it.
Foreseeing the imminent argument, Xie Lian raised his shoulders in a reflex instinct, just in time to hear Feng Xin's voice match the volume of a trumpet.
"He still places orders for you!? For God's sake, Xie Lian, this is an absurd—!"
"Well, look at that. I think the kennel lost a wild dog", a smooth baritone, yet loaded with the characteristic acidity of a single person in the world, interrupted Feng Xin's potential monologue.
Xie Lian's lips parted into a sweet smile, and his golden eyes blinked in joy.
"Careful, gege, he might bite." Hua Cheng walked past everyone, taking the empty seat next to his boyfriend.
His hair was loose and messy, as always, but now a good part of it covered his right eye. Not that this made his gaze any less intimidating toward the outraged Feng Xin.
"Who are you calling a do—!?"
"Gege, the order might take fifteen minutes. But if gege is very hungry, I can press them in the kitchen", in a glaring contrast to the tone used before, Hua Cheng sounded much calmer as he ignored the world and dealt with Xie Lian.
Xie Lian still had a timid smile on his lips, "San Lang. There's no need for that, I can wait."
"Disgusting." He Xuan grumbled, but he was drowned out by Shi Qingxuan's enthusiastic little squeal.
"Oh, friends! It's been a while since we were able to meet up, everyone together!" he exclaimed, excited, "Of course, it's a shame that Mu Qing and Jian Lan couldn't come, but both occupy an invisible space at this table."
Judging by the grimace on Hua Cheng and Feng Xin's faces, there were disagreements regarding that statement.
"I don't understand why you insist on maintaining a friendship with Jian Lan." He Xuan asked, less ironic and more confused.
Honestly, Xie Lian didn't either.
"First, she is beautiful. And second, I may have failed in trying to set her up with Xie-ge, but now that I've discovered her secret crush on Feng Xin, I can still succeed!", he spoke as if he had forgotten he was surrounded by people at the table.
The awkward silence was only broken by the nervous tapping of Feng Xin's leg. Considered an immense stroke of luck, because if not, Hua Cheng would have said something potentially grotesque in response to Xie Lian's embarrassment.
"I already said that's not going to happen!", countered Feng Xin, and Xie Lian let out an "oh!" as he watched his cheeks turn almost purple.
"You're doing a great job pretending you don't know about her feelings, very well done", praised Qingxuan, still showing little shame, raising his thumbs.
If one looked closely, that young man's smile was mischievous, feeling little guilt for having accidentally exposed the facts two months ago. Anyone who knew Shi Qingxuan would know he had never been a good liar, and sooner or later, things would be said.
Sometimes with the presence of alcohol, which made it easy for He Xuan to manipulate him without him knowing.
"Does anyone know the reason why Jian Lan isn't here today?", asks Yin Yu. Ah, he was still here.
"Today she has a theater audition", said Xie Lian, suddenly, after resting the tea container on the table, "It's not for the main role, but she was a bundle of nerves, haha."
Another long silence followed.
Hua Cheng threw an arm around his shoulders, winking, "Is that so, gege?"
"Man, how do you know that—"
He Xuan interrupted himself with a grunt. Someone had probably kicked him in the knee.
"Lian-gege talks to Jian Lan?" asked Shi Qingxuan back, oblivious to his boyfriend's suffering.
"Oh, not much. We follow each other on that.. Hm, that photo app", told Xie Lian, pulling the phone out of Hua Cheng's pants pocket (exactly!!!). It was a new model, newer than everyone else's sitting there, with the exception of Hua Cheng himself, "And I saw that she posted a photo of the stage stairs, cluttered with yellow and red clothes. I made a comment asking and, well... Jian Lan has always really liked to talk."
He showed the screen and there it was, in a single image, about twenty comments just from Jian Lan explaining in detail about the routine of an aspiring theater actress. It was lucky that the post only had Xie Lian's and her own like.
The faces present were comical. Yin Yu was clearly bored, He Xuan looked a bit green and sticky, Shi Qingxuan had a maniacal gleam in his emerald gaze, and Feng Xin, for sure, looked like he had been kicked in the head.
Hua Cheng was the only one watching with admiration in his bicolor eyes, while winding a strand of Xie Lian's hair around his index finger.
"Gege is an amazing listener."
"San Lang..."
"Alright, that's enough!" He Xuan threw his shoulders back, startling Shi Qingxuan, "May she have good and endless luck, and all that. In the end, what did you want with us?", he directed the question to the excited young man.
Qingxuan seemed to be waiting for that.
"To break some news! My brother finally let me host a party at home, on the condition that it be less controversial this time!"
Memories flashed behind the eyelids of Feng Xin, Xie Lian, and He Xuan, each for their own particular reasons.
The last time...
In addition to uncovering an illegal trade of hallucinogenic drugs and inadvertently contributing to a kidnapping in the early hours of the day, it had also been Xie Lian's first experience blacking out from high alcohol consumption.
It made sense that Shi Wudu had denied any subsequent attempts at this for nearly three years. To be honest, Xie Lian didn't feel very eager to go.
"Qingxuan, shouldn't you be worried about your current project?" he asked, being the only one who sounded more compliant.
"Of course I am, however, having a part reserved for leisure is very important" Qingxuan raised his chin, arrogant, "That's what I learned in therapy."
"You should request a new session", murmured Yin Yu, to the pleasant surprise of Hua Cheng, who was already bored after completely braiding the enormous length of Xie Lian's hair.
"What did you say?"
"It was nothing."
"Anyway", he started talking again, just in time to see the waiter bringing piles and piles of food. The mood of some lifted instantly. "My idea is to do a simple karaoke, so think of your favorite songs that are good for dancing."
"If we actually go." mumbled He Xuan, his mouth full of... something.
Shi Qingxuan looked at him with wide eyes and rigid brows, as if he had just offended his entire family.
"Don't look at me like that. Some of us work" and then those cold eyes, perpetually embraced by dark circles, fixed on Hua Cheng, making no effort to hide the jab.
Hua Cheng remained without any tension in his shoulders, making sure to serve Xie Lian's plate while the latter sat with his hands folded in his lap, mimicking a true prince.
"What can I do if some of us prefer to condemn themselves to eternal debt?"
And with that, without even needing to look up, He Xuan slumped into his chair, preferring to waste his time eating.
Feng Xin poked at some pieces of meat, not very interested, which ended up catching Xie Lian's eye.
"Feng Xin? Is everything alright?", he asked.
Next, a small rice cake was pressed against his lips by a pair of chopsticks being raised by Hua Cheng.
"Gege, don't talk to him, eat first." and the treacherous fox smiled with his eyes.
Feng Xin was practically breathing fire from his ears.
"What the hell! Xie Lian isn't your porcelain doll, Hua Cheng!!" apparently, that was his breaking point.
The atmosphere at the table cooled at the speed with which Hua Cheng turned his neck to face him.
"Repeat that and I swear I'll pack your body into a ten-centimeter bag to deliver to Mu Qing."
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Foreseeing an unpleasant retaliation from his childhood friend, he decided to play on the other side of the tension. He parted his lips and placed the rice cake in his mouth, which quickly drew his boyfriend's gaze back. The latter softened in a second, looking almost... ah!
Xie Lian's cheeks burned, and someone choked at the table.
"Right in front of my salad..."
"I don't see any problem" Qingxuan chimed in, using a fork and knife to cut the duck meat. "Xie-ge would make a beautiful little porcelain doll, and even getting fed by mouth. In my case..."
He glanced at his boyfriend sideways, but He Xuan didn't stray from his own lunch, devouring the noodles as if it were his last meal. A discreet smile brushed Yin Yu's lips, which was another impressive feat.
"Baobao, I'm hungry." Qingxuan forced a melodic voice, clearly asking for something.
He Xuan shrugged, mimicking an ogre, "Your problem. Can't you eat by yourself?"
It was too much. As another argument began at the corner of the table, Feng Xin sighed in frustration and stood up, without having touched any of the food. Xie Lian quickly followed him with his gaze, still chewing on another series of advances from Hua Cheng.
"Something is wrong, I know it", he said, to give a brief justification. "I'll drop by his apartment."
Xie Lian blinked quickly, finding his place in the topic once again, "Do you think you'll even be let in if Mu Qing is there?"
That was a valid question, which, judging by Feng Xin's expression, he hadn't considered.
"I can go with you, just give me a minute." Xie Lian continued, after the silence, already gathering his baby-blue shoulder bag and wiping his lips with a napkin.
"No need!" exclaimed Feng Xin, after being threatened by an immense, red fury orbiting the prince. "I'll send a message later."
He nodded, not waiting to hear any further attempt that might convince him to change his mind. Xie Lian watched him leave the restaurant, overshadowed by an enormous shadow of loneliness.
Both might argue frequently, but it was remarkable how displaced one seemed without the other.
Xie Lian hoped that Mu Qing wouldn't treat him with such harshness.