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Zhao Yunlan sighed, leaning back as far as he could in his desk chair. He had finally convinced the rest of his team to let him free for one day so he could take Shen Wei on a date, though it wasn’t without numerous bribes. He grinned as he looked up, balancing on the back two legs of the chair. He had bugged his mom over and over the last week to teach him how to cook noodles that she said, once she finished them, “were finally edible for other people.” He was pretty happy at her compliment, immediately rushing over to his house to try to replicate the culinary miracle with the cooking equipment at his home.
He glanced over to the kitchen, grin softening as he thought of the home-cooked noodles sitting safely within the fridge. While he was now confident in being able to at least cook something that humans could eat without grimacing at, that didn’t mean that he wanted to take any chances of messing up on the big day. So, refrigerated noodles it was. He knew Shen Wei wouldn’t really care either way; his baobei was both not human and delighted by Zhao Yunlan’s attempts to make palatable items, but the thought still mattered. Plus, Zhao Yunlan huffed, the annoyances at the office would finally have to get off his back about his utter uselessness in the meal department if Shen Wei said something positive about his noodles.
“Wait,” he said out loud, letting the front legs of the chair thump to the floor, “what about breakfast?” He grimaced. His mom had kicked him out of the house when he begged for her help in that department, which meant he would have to figure out something on his own. He groaned, hitting his head on the top of his desk–he would have to wing it tomorrow morning. Sighing, he peeled up when he heard a door lock click, and soft footsteps shuffling on the carpet right in front of the front door.
“WIFE!” He shouted, jumping out of the chair and bounding out of his home office, beaming when he saw Shen Wei taking off his shoes and placing his briefcase by the door.
“A-Lan,” Shen Wei responded, his faint smile growing as he saw Zhao Yunlan bound towards him.
“How was your day?” Zhao Yunlan asked, grabbing onto his arm and steering him over to the couch.
“It was as it always is, Yunlan,” Shen Wei replied, sitting down when Zhao Yunlan kept pushing at his shoulders.
“Yeah, but like!” Zhao Yunlan threw his hands up. “What if a Flower Tribe member suddenly popped into your office! Or,” he looked around, “you were suddenly summoned somewhere during class!” Zhao Yunlan plopped down next to Shen Wei on the couch and huffed, grabbing one of his hands and interlocking their fingers.
“My day was certainly less startling than you imagine it to be.” Shen Wei tightened their fingers together. “Nothing as adventurous as what we’ve been through.” He sat silently as Zhao Yunlan snatched his other hand and began to play with it. “A student of mine forgot to bring in their assignment, if that’s something worth reporting.”
“Hmm,” Zhao Yunlan tilted his head playfully. “That will do, I suppose.” He stood up with a flourish, causing Shen Wei to look up at him. “Let’s eat! I’m starving!” He raced over to the kitchen and began fiddling around, causing Shen Wei to let out a sigh of fond exasperation as he got up as well.
“Yunlan, please step away from the kitchen.” He gently ushered Zhao Yunlan out of the kitchen and began to prepare dinner, leaving Zhao Yunlan to stare fondly at him as he worked.
“My wife is so talented.” He sat at the counter and put his head in his palm. “This husband is always kept on his toes.” Shen Wei just hummed, causing Zhao Yunlan to playfully pout at his back.
“Are you ready for our date tomorrow?” The sound of a knife hitting the cutting board followed Shen Wei’s question, causing Zhao Yunlan to slightly shiver.
“My wife is scary,” he mumbled, before speaking louder, “Everything’s set! Fatass and the rest of the brats agreed to let me free tomorrow, so I’m all yours baobei!”
“That’s delightful news,” Shen Wei continued to cook. “Do you have a place in mind for us to go?”
“Hmm,” Zhao Yunlan hummed, swinging his legs back and forth, “how about somewhere on a mountain? Maybe… by a lake, under a tree, surrounded by a meadow?” He grinned, “Somewhere almost as beautiful as my wife!” Unsaid was what exactly it meant, but both knew what it was: a date in the heart of the mountain god’s domain. Shen Wei didn’t say anything, but Zhao Yunlan noticed he ducked his head ever-so-slightly. He let out a dreamy sigh and put his head in his palm—he still got it.
“I would enjoy a place like that as well.” Shen Wei turned and looked at him over the rim of his glasses. “My A-Lan knows how much I love anything he wishes to share with me. If a mountain trip is something he has hidden close to his heart that he now wants to share, then I am more than pleased to be able to accompany him.”
Zhao Yunlan quickly turned his head away to hide his equally mushy and embarrassed expression. He grumbled to himself as he heard Shen Wei return to cooking, a flush heating up his body. It truly wasn’t fair when Xiao Wei hit back; it truly wasn’t.
“Anyways!” He exclaimed, turning back after feeling the blush recede, “I have a surprise for you tomorrow, so make sure you’re prepared!” Shen Wei just barely turned around, but Zhao Yunlan knew he had an eyebrow raised ever-so-slightly. “Wife,” he pouted, “you wound me so! It’s nothing bad, trust me!”
“Alright, A-Lan,” Shen Wei fondly replied, indulgent. He knew Zhao Yunlan was genuine, but their definitions of ‘nothing bad’ were quite different.
“Xiao Wei is so mean,” Zhao Yunlan mumbled, playfully turning in his seat as Shen Wei finished up by the counter and moved to the stove. After he turned the burners on and put everything in pots, Shen Wei moved away from the stove and went over to Zhao Yunlan, who was still turned away.
“Husband,” he spoke, prompting Zhao Yunlan to quickly turn and face him, “I’m sure whatever surprise you prepared will be perfect.” He pressed a light kiss to the top of his head and smiled, expression growing pleased as Zhao Yunlan just looked at him, flustered. As much as his A-Lan liked to be shameless, the man was endearingly embarrassed whenever affection was reciprocated.
Shen Wei pushed a strand of hair away from Zhao Yunlan’s face before returning to stand by the stove, watching the pots and making sure the flames were never too high. Zhao Yunlan just watched him, adoration shining bright.
“This is the worst!” Zhao Yunlan fake-complained, giving Shen Wei puppy eyes as they made their way up the mountain. Earlier in the morning, Zhao Yunlan had managed to badger Shen Wei into “sleeping in”—or, rather, the façade of doing so—in order to give him space so he could try his best at making what one could consider breakfast. Filled with confidence from the noodles the day prior, it only took him approximately five tries to make something possibly edible, something which he was proud of. So proud, in fact, that he rushed into the shared bedroom and “woke” Shen Wei up to excitedly tell him about his achievement.
After they ate breakfast, the two leisurely began to pack what they were going to bring for the day trip. Zhao Yunlan decided, after a quick debate with himself and a search on Baidu, to go the easy route and pick a mountain near the city instead of one farther away. It meant that they would be more easily reachable if something truly bad happened, but far enough away that the team would at least need to try to contact him.
“A-Lan,” Shen Wei said gently, “you were the one who picked the mountain.”
“I know…” Zhao Yunlan pouted, crossing his arms as he stepped over yet another log along the trail, “but it seemed easier to climb when I looked it up!” Shen Wei just smiled, reaching over to uncross Zhao Yunlan’s arms in order to grab a hand.
“We can go leisurely, it’s not as if there is a particular schedule we need to follow.” Shen Wei tilted his head when Zhao Yunlan shook his head.
“If only I could figure out some special mountain god power to make this easier,” he narrowed his eyes. “I bet I have something that could teleport me directly to where I want to go. Tsk.”
“But, isn’t it nice to walk together?” Shen Wei raised their joined hands a little. Zhao Yunlan turned to look at Shen Wei, expression melting into one of fondness.
“This husband always loves spending time with his wife! It would just be nice to spend time resting instead of walking.” Zhao Yunlan kicked a stone.
“I think we’re almost at a spot,” Shen Wei pointed ahead, “the path seems to veer to the side.”
“Great!” Zhao Yunlan grinned. “Then you can finally try the hidden surprise!” He shook the picnic basket in his unoccupied hand, which made a dull noise as something inside hit the lid. Shen Wei looked at him fondly, squeezing their hands as they made it up the final part of the path before it turned.
“Nice!” Zhao Yunlan exclaimed, pointing at the grassy spot surrounded by the forest, “look at how flat it is here! And the tree is blooming so much!” He suddenly frowned and looked at the picnic basket. “What if the petals land in our food?” He narrowed his eyes in thought before he shrugged. It didn’t really matter to him, and he would pick out any petals that dared to land in Shen Wei’s food!
“It looks lovely,” Shen Wei said, a small smile on his face. “Why don’t we set down the blanket and then open the basket to eat?”
“Okay!” Zhao Yunlan replied, putting the basket on the ground and opening it, enthusiastically pulling out the neatly folded checkered blanket and opening it with a jerk of his arms. It fluttered in the air for a little bit before settling, and Zhao Yunlan looked around for some rocks to put on the corners as Shen Wei began removing the other items in the basket.
“Is this-?” Shen Wei’s question was halted when Zhao Yunlan raced over and snatched the container from his hands, causing Shen Wei to blink rapidly in surprise.
“This is the surprise! You can’t look at it yet!” Zhao Yunlan waved it around in the air threateningly, before lifting the basket and putting the container under it. He even shook a finger for emphasis.
“I see.” Shen Wei nodded and continued to unpack the basket, leaving the water inside and closing the lid. Zhao Yunlan messed around with the items laid out on the blanket, fussing over the placement of the food as he watched Shen Wei finish up and settle down on the blanket.
“Now, close your eyes!” Zheo Yunlan pointed at Shen Wei and waited for him to do so before picking up the basket and taking the container from under it.
“This,” he began, sitting down across from Shen Wei and holding the container in his lap, “was something I made. Something that required my wits, my grit, and every skill I possess.” He noticed Shen Wei furrow his eyebrows a little, but continued on, “After trial after trial, I finally created this.” He waited a beat, “You can open your eyes now.”
Shen Wei did so and noticed Zhao Yunlan grinning, one hand holding the bottom of the container and the other poised at the corner to open it. “Ahah!” Zhao Yunlan lifted the top off and flung it to the side, holding out the container of noodles. “I made them myself!” He proudly lifted his head and handed the container to Shen Wei, who gently took it from his hands.
“A-Lan, these look very nice.” Shen Wei said, lifting the container a little closer. They were the nicest thing he had seen Zhao Yunlan make, which wasn’t particularly saying anything since the man was notorious for making instant noodles with coffee, but the sentiment was all that really mattered. When Shen Wei looked at Zhao Yunlan after he finished looking at the noodles, he noticed that the grass around them looked greener, and flowers of all types bloomed around the clearing they were sitting in. He smiled, and the flowers bloomed even more—Zhao Yunlan seemed to be very happy with his response.
“Would you-” Zhao Yunlan flushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck, uncharacteristically showing his bashfulness. “Would you like to try them?”
“I would love nothing more.” Shen Wei placed the container down and reached for Zhao Yunlan’s free hand, holding it between his own. “It is a little bit of a shame, though, it's such a wonderful gift.” Zhao Yunlan turned his head to the side a bit, flush deepening a little more.
“I can make some at home sometimes…” he mumbled, peeking at Shen Wei between his lashes.
“That would make me very happy.” Shen Wei reached out and hugged Zhao Yunlan, “Your wife would be very pleased.” Shen Wei gave him a kiss on the cheek and then leaned back, eyes sparkling as Zhao Yunlan squirmed a little, bashfulness still written across his face.
“My wife is so mean,” he muttered back, but he returned the kiss and began to fiddle with the chopsticks on the blanket until the flush receded. A few moments later, he bounced back and grinned, moving the plates over. “Well, I would love if my wife reviewed the noodles I worked very hard on!”
“I can do that, husband.” Shen Wei smiled at Zhao Yunlan and reached for the container.