Chapter Text
MuRen meets LiCheng on his first day on the job. The current sales manager at MUSE brings him to MuRen’s desk and introduces him as the new junior salesperson on the team. When MuRen looks up he’s almost blinded by LiCheng’s smile, all teeth and cheerfulness.
“Hello,” he says, extending his hand to MuRen. “Nice to meet you. I’m Xiao LiCheng.”
“I’m Teng MuRen,” MuRen replies as he takes the offered hand, his face carefully neutral.
“Teng MuRen is the best junior salesman here. He landed the Jiang Group account for us after only being here for six weeks,” the manager says — unnecessarily, in MuRen’s opinion. He doesn’t know why his sales record needs to be advertised on this guy’s first day.
LiCheng’s face somehow lights up even more. “That was your account? That wedding was talked about for weeks! You must let me learn from you —” He continues chatting jovially about his favorite aspects of the wedding, which MuRen takes as an opportunity to observe him more closely. LiCheng doesn’t seem to notice how loud he’s being, for one thing, effectively commanding the room through his storytelling. He’s an animated speaker who talks with his hands and laughs to punctuate his sentences.
MuRen looks back at his monitor.
From only about a minute of interaction, MuRen’s initial impression of LiCheng is solidified: he is facetious. Forming such snap judgements comes from time working in sales, which requires basic observation of human behavior and the ability to extrapolate. LiCheng’s suit, for example, is perfectly work appropriate but the color of his tie and the accessories on his hands are flashier, implying that he likes being seen. The compliments he throws around to MuRen and the others denote a work style based on flattery rather than competency, an act to buffer his shortcomings. Sometimes these assumptions are wrong, but what makes MuRen so good at his job is his powers of deduction.
He’s never been wrong before.
Several months pass after LiCheng’s arrival at MUSE, and MuRen begins to wonder if LiCheng’s outgoing personality is really an act. It takes almost no time for him to win over everyone in the office, and MuRen hears from XingSi that it’s the same in the design and other departments. MuRen observes LiCheng as he shamelessly flirts and compliments his way around, ingratiating himself with jokes and casual touches, and it happens so consistently that MuRen concludes that this is just LiCheng’s disposition.
It’s very unprofessional, MuRen thinks.
LiCheng tries to do the same with MuRen a few times, congratulating him on landing a new client, or throwing his arm around his shoulders in a department meeting (the latter incident causes MuRen to aggressively shrug him off). It’s then that MuRen decides ignoring LiCheng is best, if only to prevent such improper behavior from happening in the future. Unless his work requires it, MuRen will take no notice of him. LiCheng continues to try and talk to him during lunch or leaving work, but MuRen says nothing. He doesn’t even look at LiCheng without provocation. And yet, despite these clear rebuffs, LiCheng continues his campaign to get close to MuRen and make him his mentor.
MuRen doesn’t get it. He’s always kept his colleagues at arm’s length; XingSi is the only exception. Of course people wanted to get to know him — the women in the office, especially — but they usually got the hint after a few weeks, and his reputation as the Cold Prince became more cemented over time. Why does LiCheng care so much about working with him?
MuRen is startled out of his thoughts by the sound of a mug being placed on his desk. He looks up and sees LiCheng standing over him, smiling brightly as usual.
“Coffee,” he explains, and when MuRen opens his mouth to ask why, he continues: “You have your hands full with that celebrity wedding, right? I know the great Teng MuRen doesn’t ask others for help, so you need coffee, at least.” He says it so casually, like MuRen hasn’t been ignoring him for weeks. Suddenly, MuRen feels like an asshole.
“Thanks,” MuRen mumbles, accepting the mug. From the smell, he knows the coffee is his favorite blend. How did he —
“Teng MuRen, are you smiling?” LiCheng exclaims, and MuRen instinctively reaches a hand to his face to check. “I haven’t seen you smile at anything that isn’t a client!”
“Whatever,” MuRen retorts, putting down the mug. “We should get back to work.”
LiCheng laughs and returns to his desk and — though MuRen would deny it if asked — he finds himself glancing more than once at the mug of coffee that day, smiling a bit each time.
MuRen first hears the client’s shrill screaming from across the hall: “I can’t accept this! Is my wedding a joke to you?”
The entire sales department turns to the direction of the sound, and the nervous whispering begins about how this was bound to happen, that he bit off more than he could chew with this client, that this wasn’t going to end well —
MuRen turns to his colleague at the desk nearest to him. “What’s going on?”
“I think it’s Xiao LiCheng’s first clients that he’s managing himself,” she explains. “They’re infamously hard to please; they’ve been to five other wedding planners already. LiCheng said he could handle it.”
Of course he did, MuRen thinks miserably. He doesn’t know what compels him to stand — perhaps a weak sense of workplace camaraderie, or morbid curiosity — but he leaves his desk and walks to the conference room just in time to see the groom throw a file of papers at LiCheng’s face. LiCheng doesn’t flinch, but he isn’t smiling. He looks… smaller somehow. MuRen feels something akin to rage bubble up inside him.
“Are you saying my fiancé’s ideas are wrong? Huh?” the man keeps screaming. “You promised us white roses for the reception! And you’re saying the florist no longer has them? What kind of business is this?”
LiCheng hasn’t lifted his eyes. “As I explained, Mr. Wang, there was a fire —”
“Your company is going to take responsibility for this!” Mr. Wang screeches as his fiancé sobs more exaggerated tears into a designer handkerchief. “I’ll sue you, too — give me your business card!”
LiCheng — stupidly honest LiCheng — actually reaches for his wallet, and that’s when MuRen steps into the room. “I’m afraid your lawsuit will have no legal standing.”
Suddenly there are three pairs of eyes on him. In LiCheng’s eyes, MuRen sees surprised relief.
“What do you mean? Who are you?” Mr. Wang snaps.
“According to the contract you signed with us,” MuRen explains coolly, walking over to stand next to LiCheng, “MUSE is not liable for issues that arise from contracting with outside vendors. How many roses was it?” he asks LiCheng.
LiCheng looks between the clients and MuRen before answering: “Over a thousand.”
MuRen smirks. “Had you made a different order, Mr. Wang, or perhaps a less extravagant one, then we could have completed this order in-house and avoided this issue altogether.”
Mr. Wang’s face reddens. “Why, you —”
“I’m sure Xiao LiCheng has done all he could to offer you alternative designs,” MuRen interrupts, and LiCheng nods in confirmation, “which at this stage is all we can do. If you wish to sue us, do so by all means, but be prepared to pay Xiao LiCheng the cancellation fee to compensate for his time and effort. I should warn you: it is not an insignificant amount.”
That seems to finally get Mr. Wang’s attention. Slowly, he turns back to LiCheng, his lips tight. “My apologies. Perhaps we could see the other floral designs again?”
LiCheng nods and proceeds to pick up the new designs from the floor, explaining once again to his clients that pink roses would be just as lovely as white ones.
At the end of the day, MuRen finds LiCheng waiting for him in the lobby, excitedly rocking back and forth on his heels. As soon as he sees MuRen exit the elevator, he waves. “Teng MuRen!”
MuRen stops. “What is it?”
“Do you have any plans tonight?”
MuRen narrows his eyes. “Why?”
“I want to buy you a meal,” LiCheng says, “to thank you for your help today. I didn’t think you would do something like that for me.”
The way he says it makes MuRen sound like a nice guy. MuRen hates it. “Don’t worry about it,” he mutters, and continues toward the doors.
“Wait!” LiCheng calls out, grabbing MuRen’s forearm with both of his hands. MuRen, for reasons he struggles to comprehend in the moment, doesn’t shrug him off. “Please let me do this! Maybe you could give me a few more tips so it doesn’t happen again.”
MuRen scoffs amusedly. “Knowing your client contracts is hardly rocket science.”
“But I’m no good with legal terminology!” LiCheng whines. “Help me out this once, Teng MuRen. Please?”
“You also need to learn how to handle your clients better,” MuRen adds. “It’s important to set up rapport and expectations so that they don’t blow up if there are sudden changes. Take this as a learning opportunity.”
“Yes, that too!” LiCheng agrees with dramatic despair. “I need your help in so many ways if I’m ever going to be like you!”
“With all the help I’d be giving you, I might as well be your mentor.” The sentence is out of his mouth before he registers any of it, and then as he watches LiCheng’s face light up with joyous surprise, MuRen knows he can’t take it back.
“Really? You’d be my mentor?” LiCheng exclaims. He grabs MuRen by the shoulders. “TengTeng, you won’t regret this; I’m going to be the best student you’ll ever have!”
MuRen blinks at LiCheng’s back as he practically skips ahead of him. TengTeng? MuRen’s never had a nickname before.
He... doesn’t hate it.
Notes:
I don't claim to know exactly what MUSE does or anything to do with the law, but I hope the meaning was clear nonetheless.
Comments and kudos are always appreciated!
Chapter Text
“TengTeng, just how many clothes do you own?” LiCheng complains from behind a stack of cardboard boxes.
He originally thought the idea of moving in with MuRen and XingSi — which was suggested by LiCheng one Saturday night over a dozen or so beers — was a brilliant one. LiCheng has worked at MUSE for a year and a half and decided only six of those months in that MuRen and XingSi would be his best friends for life. He always made friends easily, but there is something in the way that MuRen and XingSi look out for him in return that makes him determined to protect them forever. (LiCheng told them as much one evening after a few drinks. MuRen had rolled his eyes while XingSi smiled and said it was too soon to tell, but LiCheng didn’t care.)
The three of them being roommates just seemed like the natural progression in their friendship, and to LiCheng’s infinite shock, both MuRen and XingSi agreed without too much of his sweet-talking persuasion. Now, however, seeing the sheer amount of stuff that MuRen owns, LiCheng wonders if this is still a good idea.
LiCheng hears XingSi chuckle as he comes over to steady the stack of boxes from the other side. “Good thing you let him have the biggest room; he’ll need the space.”
“No kidding,” LiCheng agrees. The two of them waddle over to their sparse living room and place the boxes on the floor. When he stands again, he sees XingSi smiling at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” XingSi says. “It was just very nice of you to let MuRen have his way with all this.”
LiCheng shrugs. “It’s more that I don’t care about the stuff he cares about.”
LiCheng knows he’s a competitive person. That’s probably what pushed him into sales in the first place: the rush of out-performing his peers. And, while MuRen is his friend and mentor, he knows that there’s an unspoken competition between them. Okay, maybe MuRen has tripled his sales every month for the last year and a half, but LiCheng is determined to beat him one day.
But other things? Like home décor or bedroom size or toothpaste flavor? LiCheng doesn’t care about any of that. He knows how particular MuRen is; he was pulled aside during his first week of MUSE and warned not to touch MuRen’s dishware in the staff kitchen “on pain of death,” as his colleague put it. LiCheng is sure he can live with it.
MuRen appears from the bathroom (that he insisted on scrubbing down himself) wearing his yellow cleaning gloves and holding LiCheng’s bottle of shampoo. “This scent is too strong,” he states. “I’ll buy you another like mine.” He makes an impressive toss of the bottle into the trash bin in the living room and returns to his work.
LiCheng sighs. He’s eighty-five percent sure he can live with it.
As it turns out, there are many positive aspects to having a fastidious roommate that almost outweigh his obsession with order and cleanliness.
First, having MuRen around allows him to tutor LiCheng during non-work hours. He has LiCheng practice sales pitches and meeting-the-client scripts in the living room and gives him notes. MuRen walks LiCheng through client contracts and current trends and future projections at night, and frequently takes LiCheng with him on business trips during workdays.
There are many times when LiCheng thinks about throwing in the towel. MuRen is a strict, perfectionist teacher who uses the stick more than the carrot in critique. But then LiCheng remembers his unofficial vow to beat MuRen, to get promoted like him and run his own team, and it gives him the energy to continue on.
LiCheng doesn’t really know how much MuRen’s teaching has paid off until he nails his first solo sales presentation on behalf of the department in front of the MUSE executives. It feels good when he’s praised by higher-ups afterwards, but later when MuRen smiles, bumps his shoulder and says, “Good work, LiCheng,” it feels a thousand times better.
The second good thing about living with MuRen is that he offers pretty decent fashion advice. It’s obvious from looking at him that MuRen cares a lot about appearances. He makes the time to look put together every day, from his hair to his clothes to his shoes. (LiCheng will never claim to understand MuRen’s style, but it suits him nonetheless.) In this area, LiCheng has more in common with MuRen than XingSi: LiCheng also thinks that true men put in the effort to look handsome, though perhaps in a more obvious way than MuRen’s approach.
The first time MuRen takes him shopping is for a particular wedding expo that he and LiCheng are supposed to work to represent MUSE. The idea is to present the company in a semi-formal way, to appear casual and fun in order to appeal to younger clients.
“You can’t wear a suit,” MuRen says as he rummages through LiCheng’s closet. “All you own are suits and dress shirts. And things to work out in. Do you have any casual jackets?”
“What’s a casual jacket?”
And so MuRen takes it upon himself to drag LiCheng to the mall, where he proceeds to suggest various bomber and leather jackets paired with nice jeans that LiCheng surprisingly doesn’t hate.
Then on the day of the expo, while getting ready and sharing the bathroom mirror, MuRen comments: “Have you ever thought about pushing your hair back?”
“Not really.” LiCheng peers at himself in the mirror. He’s had this haircut since college and he hadn’t thought too deeply about it besides that it was short enough to be manageable and girls seemed to like it. “Do you think I should?”
MuRen shrugs. “It might look nice.”
LiCheng hums, pondering, and tries to move his hair back with his comb. It all falls back to the front of his face. MuRen chuckles beside him.
“Here, let me try.” MuRen turns LiCheng to face him. He chooses one of the dozens of products on his part of the bathroom counter, places a small amount of some cream or other in his hands and runs his fingers through LiCheng’s hair. “There. What do you think?”
LiCheng looks back to the mirror. It looks good, actually. He winks at his reflection. “I like it! You can see more of my handsome face.”
MuRen rolls his eyes, but hands the jar of cream to LiCheng. “Here, keep it. Learn to style it yourself.”
“Thanks, TengTeng,” LiCheng says, enveloping MuRen in a hug that he wriggles out of almost immediately.
“LiCheng, get off! We’re going to be late!”
And then of course, living together means there’s more opportunities to bug MuRen to accompany him places, like to play basketball (for thirty minutes before MuRen gets sweaty and becomes a quasi-passive cheerleader), to the cinema (MuRen only agrees to see horror movies and LiCheng will hide behind MuRen’s sleeve during the scary parts), and the grocery store (LiCheng learns over time that MuRen will only trust a handful of foods — mostly fruits — and so grocery runs that are usually forty minutes of bickering boil down to twenty minutes of efficient division of labor).
All in all, it’s kind of nice. And, as much as MuRen grumbles about helping him, or going places with him, he hardly ever says no, which LiCheng assumes is the closest thing to positive affirmation he’ll ever get.
Then there are moments when LiCheng thinks that maybe MuRen isn’t as cold as he appears to be.
It’s a very rainy Saturday and a rare day off when LiCheng flops onto his bed. There’s nothing to do. He was going to hang out with his girlfriend, but they broke up a few nights ago. MuRen had muttered that this must be some sort of record for him, as this relationship lasted less than a week, but passed LiCheng more beer anyway as XingSi rubbed his back comfortingly.
Now there’s a whole day without structure, something that LiCheng hates. Usually he’d hang out with XingSi, but he’s out visiting his family. LiCheng sits up and heads towards the living room. Maybe —
MuRen is, as he usually is on his days off, reading a book on the sofa. LiCheng dramatically sighs and collapses on the couch, head falling into MuRen’s lap. MuRen, with his quick reflexes, instantly lifts his book from his lap to accommodate him. He doesn’t break his stride and turns a page.
“TengTeng,” LiCheng says after a minute of silence. “What are you reading?”
“A murder mystery.”
“What’s it about?”
MuRen pauses. “Well, I’d hate to give it away, but someone gets murdered.”
LiCheng rolls his eyes. “Come on, TengTeng, I’m bored.”
“Go on your laptop.”
“I look at screens all day for work!”
MuRen turns to another page. “Watch a game on TV, then.”
LiCheng sighs. “There aren’t any today.”
“Then read a book or something, I don’t know!” MuRen snaps. “Just be quiet about it.”
LiCheng briefly considers it. He doesn’t own many books besides the legal dictionaries and sales guides MuRen insisted he study with. “TengTeng?”
“What?”
“Could you… read to me?”
Pause. “But I’m already several chapters in.”
LiCheng bats his eyelashes up at him. “Please?”
MuRen gives LiCheng a look that is a year and a half familiar — one that is annoyed but with enough fondness that LiCheng knows he’s not really mad. “Just this once,” he says, sticking his bookmark to note his page before turning back to the beginning. “‘It was a hot day in August when the body of an unidentified adult male floated downstream to the village center…’”
The entire Saturday afternoon passes like that, the soft sound of rain outside, MuRen’s quiet voice filling the living room, building a world and a story in LiCheng’s mind. It’s engaging and relaxing.
LiCheng briefly (and strangely) finds himself comparing this reading to what he would have been doing with his girlfriend: shopping, probably, or going to a club.
He concludes that he likes reading a lot better.
Notes:
You can't tell me that MuRen wouldn't be the one in the Iron Triangle that's there for fashion advice; it's totally canon xD
Tell me what you think in the comments below!
Chapter Text
After living with LiCheng for over a year, MuRen can’t say that his opinion of him has changed, but rather, it’s given him a new perspective on LiCheng.
For example, while LiCheng’s crazy personality isn’t tempered by living with sane people like MuRen and XingSi, MuRen does see another side of him. LiCheng always acts carefree and silly, but he takes his work seriously. He harnesses his seemingly boundless energy to whatever task is put before him, and it’s almost impossible to shift him from his trajectory. It’s that willpower that’s catapulted him to the second-best salesman at MUSE, and though MuRen will never say it out loud, he’s proud of LiCheng for coming this far.
This same all-or-nothing mentality is applied to LiCheng’s personal life, too. It’s not wholly bad. LiCheng is always ready to help MuRen and XingSi when asked. He’ll cook them food when they’re too busy to do so, and as much as MuRen hates to admit when he lacks skill, LiCheng knows a lot about cuisine. He’s considerate enough of MuRen’s pickiness to cook him things he likes, and when they go out to eat MuRen has never gone wrong by following LiCheng’s recommendations.
LiCheng is also incredibly thoughtful. When MuRen works himself into a fever, LiCheng fusses over him, insisting that he take medicine and drink certain nutritious broths and even goes so far as to take away MuRen’s phone from him so he can get uninterrupted rest. Admittedly LiCheng has to wrestle MuRen for the phone, but MuRen blames his quick defeat on his illness.
But LiCheng’s thoughtfulness and giving nature also proves to have a negative side. Over the three years MuRen has known LiCheng he’s watched him go on dates with dozens of girls, and he makes more than half of them his girlfriends. MuRen doesn’t think LiCheng is fickle, necessarily, or someone who enjoys stringing people along with no intention of committing to them. LiCheng is the opposite: he convinces himself he is in love every time (or maybe he genuinely feels so), and as such he showers his partners with attention and affection. Yet, most of his relationships don’t last more than a few months, and as intensely as he cares for each one, LiCheng feels heartbroken after each breakup.
This is why MuRen is surprised when XingSi texts him during a client meeting that LiCheng isn’t handling this most recent breakup well. In MuRen’s opinion, LiCheng doesn’t handle any of his breakups well. There’s lots of drinking, crying, and looking at old photos for a few days before LiCheng bounces back to his usual charming self.
MuRen is amazed by how willingly LiCheng lets his heart take a beating in this way. Sometimes he thinks it would be kinder to stop LiCheng before he gets in too deep.
This breakup might be different, though, because this relationship — SuWei, was it? — lasted almost three months.
MuRen returns to MUSE after lunch and finds LiCheng on the roof, gazing apathetically at the cityscape. It’s a place they both go to when they need space or privacy, which MuRen introduced to LiCheng during his first year. “Hey,” MuRen calls out, and LiCheng looks over his shoulder.
“Oh. Hey, TengTeng,” LiCheng says. MuRen can tell he’s trying to appear cheerful; his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “How was lunch with the client?”
“It was fine. They’re considering a winter wedding to cut costs, but they still want a lot of guests,” MuRen explains, though he knows neither of them really care about that.
LiCheng nods. “I see. I’m sure you’ll make it work! You always do.”
“Thanks.”
There’s an uncomfortable pause that MuRen feels down to his toes. Of all the times for LiCheng to not share what he’s feeling — maybe he’s waiting for MuRen to ask about it? MuRen shifts from one foot to the other. He’s not good at this sort of thing, comforting people. XingSi always knows what to say and do to make someone feel better. MuRen is the one for sensible advice.
“Well,” LiCheng begins, clapping his hands, and MuRen realizes he’s taking too long, “I probably should get back to the office —”
“XingSi is worried about you,” MuRen blurts out. Best to get it over with. “He says you’re feeling worse than usual from this breakup. So, I’m here, you know,” he continues awkwardly, “if you want to talk about it —”
“SuWei cheated on me.”
MuRen’s expression immediately turns to anger, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. “She what?”
“I found out a few days ago,” LiCheng continues. “Apparently it’s been going on for weeks.”
LiCheng is so calm about this, almost resigned, and his lack of reaction makes MuRen more upset. “Did you confront her about it?”
LiCheng nods. “She said… she said she only kept seeing me because I bought her stuff.” He gives MuRen a sad smile. “I must be stupid, right?”
“She’s the stupid one,” MuRen replies instantly. “And shallow too, from the sound of it. You’re better off not seeing her.”
“I know, I just —” LiCheng sighs. He looks vulnerable in a way that MuRen has never seen before. “TengTeng, this always happens. It never works out. Is it me? Am I too much?”
“No, you’re not,” MuRen says, reaching a hand to LiCheng’s shoulder. “And you’ll find someone who appreciates you for who you are.”
LiCheng looks at him earnestly. “You think so?”
“Yeah, I do.” MuRen smiles. “I mean, they’d have to be as crazy as you to put up with your wild behavior.”
“Then I’ll have to find someone like you, TengTeng,” LiCheng says, properly smiling now. “Or XingSi.”
MuRen snorts. “In your dreams.”
“TengTeng, are you mad at me?”
MuRen doesn’t look up from his current task: cleaning LiCheng’s bloodied hands. He knows there are other things to worry about, like the bruises on LiCheng’s face that will need ice soon, and the cut between his shoulder and neck that LiCheng doesn’t seem to feel. One task at a time. MuRen tries to be careful with the disinfectant but his hands are shaking. Whether that’s from anger or shock is yet to be seen.
“You don’t have to be mad. I won, didn’t I?” LiCheng grins.
Correction — it’s definitely anger. MuRen presses down hard with the disinfectant and LiCheng hisses. “You shouldn’t have fought them in the first place.”
MuRen is still struggling to process what happened not even an hour ago. He, LiCheng, and XingSi were out at a bar after a grueling week of scrambling to accommodate several clients. The bar was crowded and dark, and on the way to their table MuRen bumped into some guy, spilling his drink over the front of his shirt. Of course MuRen apologized and offered to pay for the damage, but the other man was a belligerent drunk, shoving MuRen into a table before he could finish. MuRen prepared to remove himself from the situation, or defend himself, but in the next second LiCheng yelled, “Hey!” and appeared at his side to help him up.
“Apologize to my friend!” LiCheng demanded of the guy.
The guy gestured to his shirt and laughed. “He ruined my clothes, and you want me to apologize?”
“You didn’t have to hit him!”
The drunk guy took a slow step forward to LiCheng. “What are you going to do about it, huh?” he asked, giving LiCheng’s chest a small push. MuRen saw LiCheng’s face shift to a look of poised concentration like when he boxes, and MuRen knew that any chance of ending this peacefully was gone.
The guy pushed his chest again, harder, and LiCheng rushed him, forcing him backwards into — well, neither MuRen nor LiCheng could have guessed that the belligerent drunk would have two friends with him.
The next few minutes were a blur of punches and kicks. Although outnumbered, LiCheng held his own even when the others tried to use bottles as weapons, and within five minutes the three of them went down and stayed down. MuRen and XingSi managed to drag LiCheng off the three men before it got even more out of hand. Now XingSi is out apologizing profusely to the bar manager, and probably paying some compensation.
“What do you mean, I shouldn’t have fought them?” LiCheng asks, sounding frustrated. “TengTeng, he hurt you and didn’t apologize!”
“I can deal with my issues myself,” MuRen retorts. He reaches for their first aid kit and pulls out some bandages. “You don’t have to get involved —”
“Of course I’m getting involved!” LiCheng shouts, removing his hands from MuRen’s and crossing his arms. “You’re my friend, and I protect my friends. I know you like to solve all the world’s problems by yourself, but if this happens again I’m doing the same thing!”
MuRen realizes he probably looks silly, paused mid-motion unwrapping a bandage. He doesn’t know what to do when LiCheng is like this, so… forcefully and unapologetically kind. He’s unstoppable when he cares about someone. And, for some reason, LiCheng decided long ago that MuRen was worth sharing some of his limitless capacity to care. It’s a nice feeling, MuRen thinks.
Slowly, MuRen holds out one of his hands to LiCheng. “Thank you,” he says quietly, “for sticking up for me.”
LiCheng looks at him for a moment, and his anger subsides like a wave, replaced by his usual goofy grin. He gives his hands back to MuRen. That’s another thing about LiCheng — he’s not one to linger on bad feelings. “No problem, TengTeng. I bet I looked super cool taking on three guys, huh?”
“Three drunk guys,” MuRen corrects.
LiCheng shrugs. “A technicality.”
MuRen hovers over a particularly scraped knuckle. “Just… try not to get hurt next time.”
“Aww, TengTeng,” LiCheng coos, “do you care about me?”
“I care about the company!” MuRen argues. It’s not technically a lie. “What will clients think if MUSE’s number two salesman comes into meetings looking like a street fighter?”
“I won’t be number two for long!”
“The principle is the same.”
LiCheng laughs. “Alright, TengTeng. I promise — from now on I’ll only fight as a last resort.”
MuRen drops his hands. “You mean you weren’t doing that before?!”
Although living with LiCheng has made MuRen more comfortable with his touchy-ness, he still gets blindsided sometimes. LiCheng barreling into him in the kitchen one Saturday morning and giving him the tightest hug he’s ever received is one of those times. MuRen narrowly avoids pouring hot coffee on himself, and glares down at his octopus roommate. “LiCheng, let go! I’m going to spill this!”
LiCheng breaks the hug, but places his hands at either side of MuRen’s neck, cupping his head — LiCheng’s new favorite way of touching him. He smiles from ear to ear. “I got the promotion!”
MuRen almost pours coffee on himself a second time. “You did?”
“I did! I’m going to be a manager in the sales department, like you!” LiCheng exclaims. “And you’ll see — my team will destroy your team’s monthly sales performance.”
MuRen smirks. “We’ll see about that.”
“But all jokes aside,” LiCheng says, giving MuRen a friendly clap on the shoulder, “thank you for all your help, TengTeng.”
“You got the promotion based on your own merit,” MuRen argues, and he means it. “Don’t thank me.”
LiCheng beams at him much like the first time they met, and MuRen thinks the same thing that he did then: LiCheng’s smile could outshine the sun.
Notes:
LiCheng is the ultimate "punch first, ask questions later" person, and I tried to depict that here.
I'm still working on later chapters, but I will try to finish them soon!
Comments and kudos are cherished :)
Chapter 4: Year Four - LiCheng
Notes:
Thank you to everyone who has commented and kudos-ed so far! I'm thrilled that we all wanted to see some ChengRen prequel scenes.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
LiCheng finally feels like he’s hitting his stride. He’s the manager of a sales team at MUSE, which was his goal when he arrived four years ago, but he didn’t think he’d get promoted so quickly. LiCheng is also working and living with his best friends, who are just as motivated and successful as he is. The three of them are unstoppable now, all managers in their respective departments, and so good at their jobs that the company group chat calls them the Iron Triangle (MuRen and XingSi find the name silly but LiCheng kind of likes it). This makes them more appealing with the single people in the office, though only LiCheng takes advantage of their popularity; XingSi shows little interest in anyone and MuRen ignores his adoring fans while warning LiCheng of sexual harassment complaints.
Most importantly, LiCheng has finally gotten his wish: he’s truly in competition with MuRen now. It’s exhilarating to come into work every day and know that his goal is to beat MuRen’s team. Initially LiCheng believed that MuRen would find the friendly battle between them childish and therefore not give him the satisfaction, but to his surprise, MuRen spurs it on. In his own, quiet manner MuRen is equally competitive. He casually makes comments over a cup of coffee like, “It’s a shame you couldn’t close that deal,” and “I guess my team will be getting this month’s bonus without contest,” that propel LiCheng forward, and he reciprocates with MuRen in turn. It’s a bizarre working relationship, but it’s effective. It brings out the best in LiCheng, and funnily enough, he thinks it brings out the best in MuRen, too.
This rivalry bleeds into their relationship with XingSi, in a way. The three of them have always been like brothers, but over time LiCheng and MuRen compete in how they take care of XingSi, too, almost like parents fighting for the attention of a child. And, conversely, XingSi is always there to moderate any larger squabbles.
But overall, LiCheng is happy with the way things are. Things may change in the future, but he knows MuRen and XingSi will be there for him.
Life is good.
Working with MuRen for as long as he has makes LiCheng believe more and more that MuRen is infallible. For one thing, MuRen is smart, as in knowledgeable-in-almost-every-subject smart. Oftentimes LiCheng will start a dinner conversation with an open-ended question like, “Is it true that snails have teeth,” and much like winding a clockwork toy, those questions always lead to extensive explanations from MuRen (snails have thousands of teeth, apparently, made of a material that is considered by some as the strongest in the world).
At first LiCheng asks these questions out of amusement; MuRen rarely speaks so many words together that it’s funny to see him get animated about anything. Now, after four years LiCheng asks because he’s just genuinely impressed. LiCheng finds himself tuning out the actual answers sometimes, just to see how happy MuRen looks as he responds.
LiCheng attributes MuRen’s intelligence to all the time he takes to read, mixed with his impeccable memory. Or maybe it’s natural — LiCheng wouldn’t be surprised if MuRen emerged from the womb with his encyclopedic knowledge. Regardless, the combination of MuRen’s intelligence (both in- and outside of sales), his ability to converse in multiple languages, and of course his good looks, is often intimidating. LiCheng knows that technically they are equals now, but he had to work much harder at a task that is as easy to MuRen as breathing. LiCheng often wonders why MuRen works in sales when he can probably excel in any field.
Nonetheless, even with MuRen’s fussy and meticulous habits, LiCheng goes almost four years thinking that Teng MuRen has no insecurities. He isn’t bitter believing this; MuRen is just one of those people one meets in life who is annoyingly perfect.
LiCheng thinks this until the summer of his fourth year at MUSE.
It’s a sunny July day when someone from MUSE’s upper management comes to congratulate the entire sales department for an outstanding display of revenue. Both sales teams collaborated on a double wedding that took months of revisions and meetings and overtime. It was brutal, but the job earned them triple their usual individual commission, and the wedding greatly bolstered MUSE’s reputation. In a show of appreciation, the MUSE higher-up hands LiCheng and MuRen a company credit card and insists that they celebrate at a local karaoke bar at the company’s expense.
The sales teams take full advantage of this opportunity. LiCheng and MuRen order enough beer for everyone and a few of the more expensive bottles of liquor (because why not), and in less than two hours the whole department is somewhere on the spectrum between tipsy and plastered.
It’s then that a few of MuRen’s team members gather where he stands with LiCheng. They look giddy with anticipation. “Manager Teng?” one of them asks shyly.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Will we get to hear you sing?”
LiCheng already knows the answer. MuRen only sings along; in four years LiCheng has never seen him take the microphone.
“I wouldn’t want to deprive others of their time to perform,” MuRen says, predictably diplomatic.
“But we want to hear the managers sing!” another team member whines. “Please, Manager Teng?”
MuRen opens his mouth to respond, but then a chain reaction occurs. Someone exclaims, “Manager Teng is going to sing? No way!” and excited chatter fills the room. Even when MuRen makes dismissive motions with his body, he’s instantly ignored by the hive mind of the drunk staff. It all comes to a climax when everyone stands and chants, “Manager Teng! Manager Teng!” LiCheng sees MuRen look for a way to escape but he’s trapped by a circle of his drunk coworkers.
“Alright, alright! One song,” MuRen agrees, and the sales juniors squeal with happiness.
And that’s when LiCheng sees it: the flash of discomfort in MuRen’s eyes, the way he turns from the crowd, brings his hand to his mouth and chews a fingernail. It’s a reaction that LiCheng recognizes from earlier incidents, like when one of MuRen’s clients was brazen enough to make MuRen the butt of a joke in front of the whole sales department (it was some horrible backhanded remark on how handsome MuRen was for being proportioned “like a stick insect”), causing a brief but uncomfortable moment of staring and laughing. And then there was the time when MuRen was asked to give an impromptu sales presentation to the MUSE management, with only an hour to prepare.
LiCheng sees now what he saw both of those times. MuRen’s neutral countenance veils the panic within to all who see it, except of course, to those who know to look beyond the veil.
LiCheng hasn’t put the pieces together before, but now seeing MuRen choose a song from the selection in the karaoke room, eyebrows furrowed together in quiet unease, LiCheng realizes the pattern makes sense. It’s logical that MuRen — who practices presentations in his bedroom repeatedly for days in advance, who researches and over-prepares for every meeting, who is cautious enough not to speak unless he’s one hundred percent certain of what he says — would feel anxious about being stared and laughed at, forced to act on the fly.
It turns out that the annoyingly-perfect Teng MuRen is human, after all.
When MuRen stands and takes the microphone for his song, LiCheng acts. He makes a show of sounding disappointed as he walks up to MuRen and snatches the microphone from him. MuRen looks at him, confused.
“Wait, but this is my favorite song!” LiCheng says into the microphone. It isn’t, but thankfully MuRen chose a song LiCheng knows well enough to muddle through.
“We want to hear Manager Teng sing,” one of the juniors protests.
LiCheng smiles. “I heard you say you wanted to hear one of your managers sing.” He feigns sadness and pouts. “Am I not good enough? I’m hurt!”
There’s a loud, delighted chorus of “No!” and “Manager Xiao! Manager Xiao!” that gives MuRen enough time to sit back down unnoticed before the song begins.
LiCheng leans into his silliness as he butchers the song entirely, and the sales teams fall over themselves with drunk laughter. LiCheng knows that this will be the talk of the office group chat for the next week but he doesn’t mind. His plan works — by the end of the song everyone has effectively forgotten to ask MuRen to sing.
This is LiCheng’s strength: improvisation, going with the flow.
When LiCheng returns to his seat he sits by MuRen. He half-expects MuRen to be upset with him for interfering again, and half-expects him not to recognize LiCheng’s actions as a ploy in the first place. But then MuRen places his hand over LiCheng’s where it rests between them and gives it a squeeze. A silent acknowledgement. A show of thanks.
As LiCheng takes another sip of beer, he comes to the realization that, in the same way he can see through MuRen’s mask, MuRen can see through his, too.
No one’s been able to do that before.
Notes:
This one is a bit shorter, which I hope is okay, but I covered everything I wanted to here and I didn't see the point in being more long-winded than I already am lol
I retrieved my snail information from this article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spider-silk-loses-top-spot-natures-strongest-material-snails-teeth-180954346/
Don't worry, later chapters (which are mostly done but need finishing touches) will be published soon!
Please don't be afraid to comment or kudos! I really enjoy reading what people think.
Chapter 5: Year Five - MuRen and LiCheng
Notes:
**WARNING: Implied/Reference of Non-Con is in this chapter! Stop reading at, "He knows they’d never hurt him," and resume below the horizontal line at, "LiCheng and confidence have always been pretty good friends," to skip this part.**
Guys... this chapter got away from me a little lol. I just had so much to say! I am making the executive decision that the canonical events of the show happened _within_ MuRen and LiCheng's fifth year as friends. I guess you could categorize some of this as "Missing Scenes" (the end especially), but a lot of it is introspective that's really earning me the "Angst" tags.
I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
MuRen has never believed in unconditional love. He’s not so cynical to think that love doesn’t exist; he loves his friends, and his family, and he recognizes the ways they love him in return. But love also has stipulations and misunderstandings. The years leading up to his parents’ divorce are a constant reminder of this. MuRen was only a child but he remembers the process in great detail. His parents dredged up their grievances, compared their lies, and painted themselves both as victims of circumstance. It was awful. It was messy. MuRen remembers his mother’s words to him after a particularly bad fight that led to his father leaving the house for the night: “You have to be independent, MuRen,” she said. “You can’t rely on anyone when you get older. You never know what might happen.”
MuRen is peripherally aware of his transformation after that, the slow mutation to become cold and self-sufficient. He focuses on his schoolwork and strives for the best grades. He observes and calculates before he acts, and only speaks to tell the truth even if it’s unpleasant to hear (and it is for many people). He isolates.
In the interim MuRen dates girls that are easy-going, and they find his aloof nature attractive. For a few weeks it’s nice to have someone to talk to and to do things with. But all of his previous partners inevitably ask for more, for commitments and promises and hopes for the future and… those are things MuRen cannot give. The cycle continues and MuRen is convinced that this is just how his life will be.
Perhaps there’s a stubborn part of MuRen that wants to believe in true love. With his skills he could have gotten a sales job anywhere, but he chooses to work in the wedding industry. He works to help others find their happiness, maybe to catch a glimpse of their love. Regardless, after five years at MUSE, MuRen finds himself becoming comfortable with his life this way. Though romantic love may fade, his friendships with XingSi and LiCheng and his passion for his work have withstood the test of time. He trusts his friends and cares about them. He knows they’d never hurt him.
That’s why, when Vice President Kao takes him to that hotel room, MuRen is afraid. Even under the influence of the drug he knows he’s alone. LiCheng warned him but MuRen didn’t listen, didn’t trust him and now everything is fuzzy and MuRen’s skin burns and there are hands all over his chest and a mouth on his neck and he needs help — he needs LiCheng —
The last clear memory MuRen has of that night is LiCheng holding him tightly.
MuRen breathes him in and feels safe.
LiCheng and confidence have always been pretty good friends. It would be ridiculous of him to deny this; even as a child he would run around asking for attention because he thought he deserved it, and then seek it from those who ignored him most. Liu MeiFang was just one in a series of people that LiCheng adored more because they appeared to like him less.
It takes many years (and some swift rejections) for LiCheng to change this kind of thinking. MuRen and XingSi have more than a few conversations with him about it — MuRen’s are more like scolding speeches — with the message that one-sided love isn’t healthy. However, when MeiFang comes back into his life all those lessons go out the window because surely she would like him for what he's become. It's fate! LiCheng has a different confidence now because he has his own accomplishments. He has a worthwhile job. He has his friends. In LiCheng’s mind, it’s only a matter of time before MeiFang realizes all this, and he’ll gladly play along with her fiction until then.
But everything changes when LiCheng opens the hotel room door.
LiCheng is disgusted at himself. He cannot stop thinking about that night, and what MuRen did, and the fact that LiCheng… liked it… MuRen is his friend. LiCheng remembers how broken and lost MuRen sounded as he called out to him, how small he felt as he trembled in his arms. To think for even a second that any of that was attractive makes him like the monster who made MuRen feel that way. And for that LiCheng hates himself to his very core.
He knows it’s cowardly, but he can’t bring himself to look at MuRen, let alone talk to him after that night, not after what he saw and thought. He pointedly ignores him, and he knows that strategy can’t last because MuRen isn’t an idiot; he understands what LiCheng is doing. Every time LiCheng makes an excuse and walks away he sees how hurt MuRen looks and it hurts LiCheng, too. He doesn’t want MuRen to think he’s mad but he doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings. It’s better to avoid the situation until they fade.
They don’t.
LiCheng’s feelings take a sharp turn from strange attraction and accelerate off the cliff of longing affection. Despite his best efforts LiCheng is suddenly hyper-aware of everything MuRen does, more so than before. LiCheng notes the moment MuRen enters the room like it’s the sun coming out after a cloudy day, the way MuRen runs his hands through his hair when he’s frustrated with his work, the small wrinkle of his nose when he genuinely smiles.
And all of these little things that LiCheng never thought about too much before now have new meaning, like he’s seeing them through different eyes. LiCheng finds himself thinking, “He’s so cute,” multiple times a day even when avoiding MuRen so fiercely, and when MuRen smiles LiCheng’s chest swells from how large his heart feels.
It’s baffling, to say the least. LiCheng has never felt this strongly about anyone, but MuRen is his friend. When XingSi suggests that he has romantic feelings for MuRen, LiCheng wants to dispute it because that would be a mistake, a betrayal, and yet everything in him tells him that he likes MuRen beyond physical attraction. He wants to spend time with him, to hold him close, to keep him safe.
It’s how LiCheng has felt for the last five years, but now it’s... more.
He has to tell him.
After leaving the grocery store, XingSi drops MuRen off at home before going to visit his family. He doesn’t comment on how quiet MuRen is during the ride there, for which MuRen is grateful. However, he does ask, “Are you alright?” when MuRen grabs some of the groceries from the trunk.
“I can handle it,” MuRen replies, holding up the bags as evidence. If XingSi was referring to anything other than his ability to carry the groceries, MuRen ignores it and heads inside.
Once he puts away the items, MuRen grabs a can of beer. It’s his day off. He’s entitled to unwind once and a while, regardless of how much he drank the night before (which was a lot). He takes big gulps and his mind frantically whirs back to the video he saw. Really, he hasn’t stopped thinking about it since he got the notification, but now MuRen is alone with his thoughts. They had a key, and LiCheng reached over to touch MeiFang’s back —
MuRen downs the rest of the can and grabs another.
LiCheng and MeiFang slept together. That is a fact, not only because of the video, but because XingSi told MuRen in the checkout line that LiCheng went to see MeiFang to talk about it. LiCheng is probably with her now, comforting her, telling her that he’ll stick it out with her to the end because LiCheng is loyal and good.
MuRen exhales after finishing his second beer and gets his third.
MuRen isn’t angered by this revelation. Why should he be? In many ways this outcome was inevitable. The past few weeks were a chaotic mess between him and LiCheng all for the sake of his first love. Everything became jumbled in the middle but the goal was the same, and MuRen should be happy that LiCheng achieved it.
Beer four spills a bit onto the counter.
So maybe he’s a little offended by how quickly LiCheng rebounded. After all, LiCheng claimed to be in love with him. Surely that required more time to heal. But then MuRen thinks back to what LiCheng said: “I still like you. But I’ve given up.” MuRen realizes now how devastating that sentence was. Xiao LiCheng is a man who always says what he means and never wavers, and relentlessly pursues his goals. But he went against his usual impulses. He chose to give up on MuRen for the sake of their friendship, because it made MuRen uncomfortable. To the last, LiCheng thought of MuRen more than himself.
It’s suddenly too warm in the room. MuRen gets another beer and heads to the small balcony outside. He looks at the sky and decides to be honest with himself: he is angry, and sad, and frustrated all at the same time. LiCheng slept with MeiFang and MuRen is in anguish.
MuRen knows he has no right to feel this way. He’s acting like he and LiCheng were actually a couple and they broke up, or like LiCheng cheated on him in some way. The feeling of grief is oddly similar. Maybe MuRen is instead mourning the loss of their friendship, which will never be the same, or — more likely — the loss of what could have been. LiCheng was right: MuRen wasn’t disgusted by his actions, but overwhelmed. It’s understandable. MuRen has never been wooed; all his previous relationships were initiated and ended by him. Something about the way LiCheng approached him, so fiercely honest, made MuRen feel cherished and desired in a way that he never felt before. MuRen… liked it. Liked him.
But how could he feel that way about LiCheng? LiCheng, who was his friend for the last five years, and was acting this way to chase a woman not that long ago? It was too confusing to act then, too contradictory for MuRen to comprehend. And now it’s too late.
MuRen feels wretched. Tears swim in his eyes and he’s too tired and angry with himself to stop them from falling. He messed up. He panicked. He rejected LiCheng and did his best to prove to him that he didn’t care and now — now LiCheng is with MeiFang, and MuRen is at home, alone.
Sobbing, MuRen goes back inside and grabs a bottle of wine from the kitchen cabinet. Even yesterday he joked with LiCheng that he wasn’t worthy to drink the good bottle. What an idiot he was. MuRen takes a glass but ends up drinking straight from the bottle on the floor in front of the couch. He slowly starts to feel looser, numb. A few drops spill onto his clothes but he doesn’t care. He wipes the tears from his cheeks. His breathing evens out.
With the waning of his tears, MuRen sees things more clearly. He knows what he needs to do. He has to be responsible for the decision he made. He must let LiCheng go, like LiCheng did with him, and support LiCheng and MeiFang.
MuRen takes a shower and changes clothes. He opens a second bottle of wine.
He waits for LiCheng to come home.
“You’re mine,” LiCheng whispers between kisses.
MuRen smirks into another kiss. “I’m yours.”
Neither of them come up for air for many more minutes but they both somehow simultaneously maneuver out of their pants, which are kicked to the bottom of the bed, instantly forgotten.
Finally, LiCheng breaks away and hovers for a moment, his eyes soft and glossy. “God, TengTeng,” he breathes, “you’re so beautiful. I want... I want to touch you everywhere.”
“Okay,” MuRen says. His voice is rough.
“Okay?” LiCheng frowns. “TengTeng, you have to tell me what you want. I don’t want to be —” The phrase “like Vice President Kao” is unspoken in the dark of the room, but MuRen nods in understanding. He takes one of LiCheng’s hands in his own and traces it over his chest, mirroring the scene from the hot springs. LiCheng’s eyes widen at the motion, enraptured, following the line of his hand on MuRen’s body as it travels down, down —
“I want you to touch me, LiCheng,” MuRen states. “And... I want to touch you, too.”
LiCheng’s last shred of restraint dissolves and in the next few moments he and MuRen’s underwear join their pants: removed and forgotten.
It’s very early in the morning when LiCheng returns from his shower and snuggles up next to MuRen in his bed. (He carried MuRen to the bathroom and let him shower first, only half-heartedly joking that they can shower together now.) He doesn’t bother to turn on the lights, and assumes by the lack of movement in the room that his boyfriend is already asleep. He slips his arm around MuRen’s waist and breathes in, content.
“Goodnight, TengTeng,” he mumbles into his back.
Suddenly, the light turns on. “Hold on.” MuRen sits up, startling LiCheng upright himself.
“Ah! You’re awake.”
“Yes.” MuRen has a serious look on his face, one that makes LiCheng nervous. “I need to tell you something.”
“Are you alright?” LiCheng asks, immediately panicking. “Was it bad? You regret it, don’t you? I’m sorry, I should’ve waited, and taken it slow like we talked about —” LiCheng’s sentence ends muffled by MuRen’s hand covering his mouth.
“It’s not that,” MuRen says. He casts his eyes down before leveling them with LiCheng again. “I need you to know that I wasn’t going to sleep with him.”
LiCheng’s previous anxiety is instantly replaced with cold, creeping disgust filling his stomach with nausea. “You got a room with him, though —”
“Will you let me fucking talk?” MuRen snaps. “I had a plan.”
And then MuRen gives a succinct recount of his (frankly insane) scheme to blackmail Vice President Kao, and even Fu YongJie’s assistance with the plan. LiCheng now realizes he shouldn’t have blindly trusted what that kid said.
“So,” LiCheng starts when MuRen concludes his story, “you made him think you were going to sleep with him, but you weren’t going to?”
MuRen gives him the same annoyed and offended look that he gave him at the hotel. “Of course not. Idiot.”
“And... are you okay?” LiCheng reaches a hand to rub one of MuRen’s forearms gently.
MuRen looks away briefly. “I was a little nervous. ‘Repulsed’ is probably a better word. He touched my back, and whispered in my ear —” LiCheng’s fists tighten and he makes a mental note to flatten Vice President Kao to the ground if he ever sees him again, “but the drink hit his system almost immediately so it didn’t go any further than that.”
There’s a brief silence when the two of them take in the relief of that statement. Then, LiCheng says: “TengTeng, I can’t believe you would go through all that for me.”
MuRen furrows his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
“You put yourself at risk, and could’ve gotten in trouble for blackmail —”
“You’d do the same for me.”
“Yes, but —”
“No ‘buts’!” MuRen says definitively. “I love you and I’m going to do whatever it takes to clear your name.”
LiCheng buffers for a minute, a silly smile slowly spreading across his face.
“I don’t know what you’re so happy about,” MuRen grumbles. “You’re still in trouble with the company —”
“You love me!” LiCheng shouts, jumping to grab his shoulders. “TengTeng, say it again!”
MuRen tries weakly to shrug him off. “No way. Not until you’re reinstated.”
“Ah, well, if that’s all,” LiCheng grins, “then prepare to say it tomorrow.”
MuRen’s eyebrows rise. “You have the evidence? Let me see!” He makes a move to extract himself from the covers but halts midway, sore muscles stopping him abruptly.
LiCheng laughs and pulls MuRen back into his arms. “I’ll show you first thing tomorrow morning, I promise. But for now, I think we both deserve some sleep.”
MuRen nods, and nuzzles into LiCheng’s chest in a way that makes LiCheng’s heart almost explode with happiness. “Good night, LiCheng.”
“Sweet dreams, TengTeng.”
Notes:
Did you guys like the double title-drop? I don't think I've ever managed to weave it into the story before, so I'm pleased I could give it a try.
Don't worry, I still get to cash in my "Post-Canon" tag! Look forward to those soon.
Thank you for all the kudos and comments! You've all been very kind.
Chapter 6: Year Six - MuRen and LiCheng
Notes:
Eagle-eyed readers may notice that the number of chapters of this fic has gone from seven to eight. That's because I had SO MANY ideas for post-canon stuff that this chapter wasn't originally part of my plans, but here we are xD And, as a result, I think I'm going to add an extra chapter at the end!
I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It will take at least six months for their house to be completed. LiCheng is devastated by the news at first. After all, he blew all his savings for that house and he’s never had good impulse control to begin with. He wants to live with MuRen in their new home — to cook meals with him, watch movies with him, even read with him — and he wants that life now.
MuRen assures him that it’s fine. “I’d rather that they take their time to do everything well than fix problems later on,” he says in his most pragmatic tone.
“But how are we going to have a sweet life until then?” LiCheng despairs, throwing himself on the couch and snuggling up against MuRen’s side.
MuRen gives him a look that is equal parts amused and annoyed. “You’re acting like we haven’t been living together for years. We’ll just continue on until the house is done.”
They continue on. It’s a bit of a transition for them still, living by themselves without XingSi. XingSi moved out just before the craziness with Vice President Kao and the embezzlement plot, so LiCheng didn’t notice it much before, but XingSi’s absence is felt. For a few weeks MuRen admits to going to wake him up by accident, or calling out to him to see if he’s in the bathroom before work. More than once, LiCheng cooks enough food for three without realizing. And then, of course, there is the inevitable bickering that occurs between LiCheng and MuRen that XingSi is no longer there to mitigate.
LiCheng and MuRen keep XingSi’s room as it is in case he ever changes his mind and moves back (though they both find the possibility extremely slim). They still see XingSi, of course, and chat with him regularly, but it’s not the same.
And in some ways, LiCheng thinks, maybe that’s a good thing. The three of them have entered a new chapter in their lives, and that involves some metamorphosis.
There are some aspects of living in their old house that haven’t changed that LiCheng begrudgingly accepts. While MuRen finally concedes to their sharing his bed (as it was the larger one), he and LiCheng still technically have separate rooms. He wants to share more spaces with MuRen, to get him to compromise his tight grip on his possessions, but at the same time LiCheng understands that this is strange and new for them both. He promised they’d take things slow, and Xiao LiCheng keeps his promises.
LiCheng holds onto that thought and weighs it against all the other thoughts about his future that he daydreams about. There’s a nagging sense of urgency and a desire to change that he’ll never quite be rid of for the next six months, but LiCheng will endure. In all these things, he will embrace patience for the first time in his life. Why?
Because Teng MuRen is worth it.
There’s a lot of things that MuRen grows accustomed to now that he’s in a relationship with LiCheng. The first is the publicity of it. MuRen already finds it annoying to be part of the Iron Triangle, to be discussed and idolized and followed around by people at MUSE he doesn’t know. The first six months of his relationship with LiCheng amplify that feeling tenfold. Everyone at MUSE knows that they are together, which MuRen doesn’t mind in principle. He’s not ashamed of the transition in his relationship. If he were, he wouldn’t have broadcasted that information to the company group chat. In practice, however, the fact that MuRen and LiCheng are dating inadvertently brings a greater scrutiny on them that MuRen could do without.
At the very beginning, it’s the excitement of something new. When MuRen and LiCheng arrive at the office together, there’s a lot of turning heads and whispering behind hands. People from departments that usually never pass the sales offices walk by with the painfully obvious intent of catching MuRen and LiCheng doing literally anything together. MeiFang even tells them over lunch that their fans are as interested — if not more so — in their relationship as they were for MuRen and LiCheng individually.
“But I’m sure it’ll blow over soon,” she says casually around a bite of her salad. “Now that you’re both taken they’ll find others at the company to swoon over.”
“What about you?” MuRen asks. “Will you lose interest in us?”
MeiFang smiles brightly. “Of course not! I’ll be here to support you both.” She points a finger warningly at them. “You better not let each other go; true love like this only comes once and a while.”
LiCheng laughs and agrees, and MuRen smiles. He thinks that, though MeiFang’s reasoning for helping them may have been misguided, he’s still grateful for it.
When the initial curiosity fades, a more serious problem arises. MuRen gets the impression that the MUSE executives are not taking the sales department seriously because of his relationship with LiCheng. It’s absurd, obviously. He and LiCheng are working their asses off, not just for their clients, but also for the twenty-five million dollar loan that they are currently saddled with. But more than once MuRen sees the executives looking pointedly at him and LiCheng during sales meetings, holding back laughter, looking at their phones — presumably at the company chat where information on them would be spread.
MuRen doesn’t think that they mean it maliciously, but he worries. He doesn’t want another incident like the one with Vice President Kao to happen again. LiCheng was framed and, rather than trusting them as loyal employees, their relationship was touted as a reason to suspect them both.
It is for this reason that MuRen talks to LiCheng about professionalism at work, and because it’s MuRen, he decides to make a set of rules. The first rule is an easy one: to continue their rivalry in sales. They can’t allow their monthly sales performances to be surpassed just to appease the other (not that this happens often, but again MuRen worries). Besides, their competition is one of the things that sparks something between MuRen and LiCheng. There’s no harm in maintaining it.
The second rule forbids physical affection during work hours. Embarrassingly, this rule comes about because of MuRen and not LiCheng, though LiCheng is far from blameless. LiCheng already has a way of making any mundane work activity between them have romantic overtones, like handing MuRen a copy of a meeting agenda and lingering on his hands for a second longer than normal, or giving MuRen a summary report from the finance department and placing sticky notes with hearts on every page.
There must be something in the water on one day in particular that emboldens LiCheng. It begins in the morning when LiCheng brings MuRen coffee to his desk, and bends down to murmur in his ear: “Do you know how beautiful you look today?”
MuRen almost chokes on his coffee, spluttering in a way that only LiCheng can trigger. LiCheng gives MuRen a smug smile and returns to his desk as if nothing happened, but he doesn’t stop there. For the rest of the day he finds excuses to approach MuRen — waiting for the elevator, eating lunch on break, in the hall — and whispers more compliments that leave MuRen wide-eyed and blushing down to his toes. After what LiCheng says in the hall (about how he can’t wait until they got home so he can rip MuRen’s clothes off him), MuRen has no choice but to drag LiCheng into an empty conference room and kiss him until he doesn’t look so pleased with himself anymore.
Within minutes, MuRen accomplishes his mission. When he breaks their kiss, LiCheng gives MuRen a look that he has whenever MuRen initiates anything physical — a mix of surprise, awe, and joy. MuRen loves making the confident Xiao LiCheng quiet with wonder this way. But then MuRen registers the sound of people walking by the door, and it suddenly hits him that someone could walk in at any moment and see him and LiCheng, red-faced and clothes rumpled. It sends a wave of anxiety through him.
“We can’t do this ever again,” MuRen says, tucking his shirt back into his pants.
LiCheng immediately sulks. “What? You started this.”
“You’re the one who keeps whispering dirty things in my ears!”
“Come on, TengTeng, be reasonable —”
“Forget it!”
MuRen’s positive that they’ll need more rules in the future, but for now those two should keep the company conflicts at bay.
The second thing that MuRen grows accustomed to while dating LiCheng is the concept of commitment. Truthfully, MuRen still has a few concerns about moving out of their old house and living together that he doesn’t voice to LiCheng. It’s a huge responsibility not just financially, but emotionally as well. Sometimes he thinks that he and LiCheng are moving too fast, that LiCheng will regret spending all his savings to give MuRen his dream, that LiCheng will grow tired of MuRen and leave him.
But LiCheng has always been a man of actions more than words, and all of LiCheng’s actions give MuRen confidence that they will last. For five years LiCheng has been there for him. It’s the same now but also different. LiCheng is so steadfast in his feelings that he doesn’t care what other people think, both at MUSE and outside of work. He holds MuRen’s hand, pats his head, hugs his arm — all in a way that makes MuRen feel warm and safe and loved. Yet LiCheng is always considerate of MuRen, never pushing him too far beyond the bounds of his comfort. And because of all this, little by little, MuRen becomes at ease with the idea of being with someone forever.
It’s because of LiCheng that MuRen begins to believe that unconditional love exists.
“That’s it, then,” XingSi says, entering the living room. His voice echoes from its emptiness. “The car’s stuffed to the brim.”
LiCheng turns from his vantage point and smiles apologetically. “Sorry for bothering you on the weekend. There was just too much to fit in the moving van.”
XingSi chuckles. “I noticed most of the boxes had MuRen’s name on them.”
“I know,” LiCheng sighs. “He may be the love of my life, but he owns far too many clothes. I’m sure I won’t get any closet space.”
“Don’t worry too much,” XingSi says, putting a comforting hand on LiCheng’s shoulder. “You guys will figure it out.”
LiCheng nods and returns to what he was doing: taking one last look at the house. He’s been excited about moving for months, but standing in the vacant room gives him a bittersweet feeling. He has so many memories here. Countless dinners and drinks were shared in the living room and the kitchen, dozens of games played, and important conversations happened in almost every room. Even the tiny bathroom, which LiCheng often grumbled about sharing with two other people, also leaves an impression. He lived here. He fell in love here. It’s hard to let go.
XingSi, ever the mind-reader of the three of them, seems to understand and gives LiCheng’s shoulder a squeeze. “We had a good time here, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, we did.”
“And now you have an even bigger house with your best friend,” XingSi says with a smile. “You two are fortunate.”
“You’re my best friend, too,” LiCheng argues. “TengTeng and I already have plans to make a space for you whenever you need it.”
XingSi laughs as MuRen comes through the front door, carrying several bags of what he deemed ‘things too important to give to someone else.’ He is as he was all morning, grumpy from the stress. (LiCheng is silently grateful that the bulk of their moving process will only take a day.) “What are you two doing in here? The movers are already at the house.”
“We’re reminiscing,” XingSi explains. “But I better head over first and find a space to park. See you both there.” He gives a wave as he leaves.
MuRen and LiCheng say their goodbyes and then MuRen drops some of his bags on the floor. He turns to LiCheng and quirks an eyebrow. “Reminiscing?”
LiCheng shrugs. “Just thinking about everything that’s happened.”
Quietly, MuRen nods and steps over to where LiCheng stands. He takes his hand, and for a minute they look at the empty house. Then MuRen pulls LiCheng to look at him, and LiCheng recognizes MuRen’s expression as similar to when he played his song for him: eyes wet, smiling, overflowing with happiness. It reignites LiCheng’s hope for the future. MuRen tugs one of LiCheng’s hands towards the door.
“Are you ready?”
Notes:
What do you all think?
I'm almost done with the final chapters, I promise! I will attempt to reign in my enthusiasm to get them done.
I appreciate all your kudos and comments! Thank you to those who have supported me thus far.
Chapter 7: Year Seven - MuRen and LiCheng
Notes:
Did somebody order... *through a megaphone* DOMESTIC BLISS? I'm a huge sap and it definitely shows here haha.
I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The view really is spectacular in their new home. That’s one of the things MuRen noticed when LiCheng took him there the first time, but now watching the sunset paint the city in orange light, the view is somehow better. MuRen finds himself wandering over to the windows frequently for the first few days after moving in, still somewhat in disbelief.
He owns a house. He owns a house before the age of thirty, which was his lifelong goal. He owns a house with someone he cares about very much, which was never a goal because it seemed impossible before, but it’s turning out to be MuRen’s favorite part of all this.
“TengTeng, where do you want these?”
MuRen turns and sees LiCheng holding potted house plants in each hand. They’re still putting things away from their boxes, slowly and deliberately, trying to reach a mutual understanding with decoration and organization. MuRen insisted on unpacking this way. He knows how demanding he can be so he wants to show LiCheng he cares, that he can be accommodating, that LiCheng doesn’t always have to go out of his way for him. MuRen gives LiCheng free reign over the kitchen and dining room (because realistically, LiCheng will be using those spaces more), and the area in front of the television. MuRen also dedicates a large space for LiCheng to practice his guitar, and it isn’t a coincidence that the space acoustically aligns with MuRen’s designated reading spot.
LiCheng is considerate as well. He buys floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for the living room to house MuRen’s many books, and other shelves near the windows and on the balcony to hold MuRen’s dozens of house plants.
MuRen walks over and takes a pot from LiCheng’s hands. “This one needs more sun, so it should go here,” he says, placing it on a little stand by the window. “That one can handle partial shade.”
“I didn’t realize how many plants there were before we moved,” LiCheng teases. He brings the other plant to the side of the room that doesn’t get too much sunlight. “It must take you ages to water them all.”
“I enjoy taking care of them,” MuRen retorts, rubbing a leaf softly between his fingertips. “If you tend to them well, they can last for years.”
“Really?”
MuRen nods, and points to a medium-sized pot that he placed on an otherwise empty bookshelf. Glossy green leaves of the Schefflera arboricola (or dwarf umbrella tree) cascade over the side of the pot and reach toward the light source in the room. “I got that one just before Liu MeiFang joined the company.”
“Ah,” LiCheng drawls giddily. He goes over to the plant in question and peers at it, grinning. “So this little guy watched our whole relationship unfold, huh?”
MuRen smiles and joins LiCheng by the bookshelf. “I wanted it to have its own space because… because it’s symbolic, I guess. Of how far we’ve come.”
“Aww, TengTeng,” LiCheng says, nuzzling into his shoulder, “that’s so romantic!”
MuRen still struggles to say the cutesy stuff that LiCheng always says without embarrassment. He’s getting better, but sometimes he gets nervous and backpedals: “But we don’t have to put it here. It looks kind of lonely on its own, right? I should move it —”
He reaches a hand towards the pot but LiCheng grabs his wrist. “No, I like it! And if you think it looks lonely — hold on.” He disappears to another room in the house, and MuRen hears rummaging around in more cardboard boxes. LiCheng emerges after a few minutes with several objects in his hands, encased in newspaper and bubble wrap. The first two things he unwraps MuRen recognizes immediately as the small cups they made on their first date. (They came out of the kiln with matching white glazes, and look pretty decent for only one lesson, MuRen thinks.) LiCheng places them on either side of the plant. Then he removes the packaging around some framed photos of them over the years, and strategically positions them on the shelf.
“There. How’s that?” When LiCheng finishes and takes a step back, MuRen can’t help but smile at the small way their relationship is commemorated in their new home. “Do you like it?”
“Yeah,” MuRen says. “I really like it.” His heart frequently feels like this now that they’ve moved into their new house: brimming with a joy that MuRen thought for so long was out of his reach.
LiCheng throws an arm around MuRen’s shoulders and plants a kiss on his cheek, before taking his hand and leaning on his shoulder again. “Me too! It’s our past, but also a kind of promise for our future, as well. How long do these plants live?”
“Decades, if you replant it regularly and don’t overwater.”
LiCheng hums happily. “I guess we’ll have to be together for a few decades, then.”
“Yeah.” Subconsciously, MuRen twirls his couple ring around his finger. LiCheng brings up their future like this sometimes. Usually it’s in reference to marriage when they talk about their clients' weddings. He’ll ask MuRen what he thinks of a venue or a color scheme, and MuRen gently reminds him that their focus should be on their clients, not themselves. LiCheng never presses the subject further, or acts upset when MuRen doesn’t play along, but it happens consistently enough that MuRen knows he’s thinking of it often.
MuRen looks at his ring, and glances at LiCheng’s smile in his peripheral.
Maybe he should start thinking about marriage, too.
LiCheng surprises himself every morning by finding that he’s happier than he was the day before. After the first couple of weeks of unpacking in their new home (which were enjoyable, but exhausting), LiCheng has started waking up earlier so he can watch the morning light softly illuminate MuRen’s sleeping frame. MuRen is more handsome in the mornings, if that’s even possible, with golden sunbeams shimmering off his hair and his face relaxed, lips slightly parted and — and LiCheng is so in love it’s ridiculous. He doesn’t tell MuRen about any of this, though, for fear that MuRen will feel embarrassed or shy.
But it’s okay. There are plenty of other opportunities to let MuRen know how he feels, like one weekend when he cooks them breakfast. MuRen sleepily pads over to LiCheng, wrapping his arms around LiCheng’s middle and resting his head in the crook of his neck. MuRen has taken to sleeping in more often since moving into their new home, LiCheng notices. It’s very cute.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” LiCheng chuckles, reaching his free hand over his shoulder to ruffle MuRen’s hair.
“Morning,” MuRen mumbles into LiCheng’s shoulder.
“Breakfast will be ready in a minute. Wanna grab some plates for us?”
MuRen shakes his head and makes a sound that means no.
“TengTeng, don’t be stubborn. We have to eat,” LiCheng argues, trying to gently move MuRen’s arms, but MuRen holds him tighter.
“You smell nice,” MuRen says, in a soft voice reserved only for LiCheng. He places a kiss on LiCheng’s neck, trails one hand under LiCheng’s shirt, and waits.
LiCheng swallows. “TengTeng, the food will burn.”
He feels MuRen shrug behind him. “We can buy more la—” MuRen begins before LiCheng whips around and cuts him off with a fierce kiss, one that pushes them backwards towards the island in their kitchen. He hears MuRen giggle between kisses — probably pleased that his plan worked but LiCheng couldn’t care less — and he makes a low, “Oof,” sound as his back hits the counter.
“Are you okay?” LiCheng asks, breaking away.
MuRen gives him a smile that makes his heart melt. “Mm-hmm.”
“What’s gotten into you this morning?” LiCheng laughs while placing kisses along MuRen’s neck.
MuRen grabs LiCheng’s face and kisses him hard. “I just really love you.”
LiCheng freezes. He will never not be amazed when MuRen says that. He lurches forward and starts kissing every part of MuRen he can reach, peppering his face in a way that makes MuRen giggle again.
They only stop when their breakfast sets off the smoke detector.
It’s not perfect, of course, because neither of them are. There are days when they fight, mostly from stress and long hours. LiCheng still has a habit of exploding while MuRen tends to hide his feelings till the point of eruption, but it never lasts more than a few hours and they still talk things out like they did as friends. And there are nights when MuRen suddenly thrashes in his sleep, whimpering and throwing off the covers because he feels like his body is on fire. LiCheng always gathers MuRen in his arms and repeats, “It’s okay. I’m here,” and strokes MuRen’s hair until the nightmare subsides. They talk about that, too.
But most importantly, they can move forward. Together.
MuRen never believed he’d think this, but LiCheng is somehow outdoing himself. He has this thought specifically when he arrives home from work one day and finds the floor of the living room, the kitchen, and much of the furniture covered in a layer of balloons for MuRen’s birthday. Streamers line the ceiling, and a large banner with ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY TENGTENG’ hangs over a window. LiCheng carefully maneuvers through the sea of balloons with a cake in his hands, and almost falls trying to sing to him at the same time. And, if all that isn’t enough, he follows up dinner and cake with far too many presents.
Of course MuRen is touched and flattered by this; it’s one of the things that endeared him to LiCheng in the first place, his bold declarations and gestures. However, they’ve been together for just over two years, and rather than dwindling these efforts LiCheng has doubled down on them. Every holiday together — which when they were living with XingSi was never more than a good meal, drinks, and quality time — is now a full-day excursion with only the finest food and wine, the best sights and more presents. For their one-year anniversary LiCheng booked them a cottage by the sea that MuRen found out later cost an obscene amount of money per night, and also arranged for them to take a boat tour of the coast. (MuRen also discovered later that LiCheng originally planned for them to take a helicopter ride, but couldn’t schedule one in time, for which MuRen is grateful.) Occasionally, and usually out of the blue, LiCheng will celebrate their ninety-fifth week anniversary or something equally as specific with more flowers and presents.
MuRen decides to speak to LiCheng about this pattern for several reasons. First, because it’s unsustainable. With their debt and the nature of their jobs being based mostly on commission, MuRen needs to stop LiCheng (who already spent his savings to buy them this house) from sinking further into financial despair. Second, MuRen wants LiCheng to stop because it’s unnecessary. They are already together and are in love as much as they’ve ever been, if not more. It’s as if LiCheng is gearing up for something, like their relationship is just a marathon of romantic gestures.
A week or so after his birthday, MuRen finds his boyfriend after dinner, scrolling through his phone on the couch. “LiCheng, do you have a minute?”
LiCheng looks puzzled, but puts his phone away. “Yeah, of course.”
MuRen sits down next to him. “I want to talk about my birthday.”
“What’s wrong? You didn’t like it?”
“No,” MuRen says. “I liked it a lot. But it was expensive, wasn’t it?”
LiCheng smiles at him. “For you, TengTeng, any cost is worth it.”
MuRen sighs. “That’s very sweet, but between that and the trips and everything, we’ll be paying off this mortgage until we die. I don’t need to be treated like royalty every time.”
“You’re royalty to me, though —”
“I’m serious. At the rate you’re going I’m almost expecting personalized fireworks for our next anniversary. Don’t even think about it,” MuRen adds after seeing recognition flash across LiCheng’s face.
LiCheng looks down at his hands, which are clasped together tightly in his lap. “I’m being too much again.”
“No, that’s not it,” MuRen insists. “I love that you love me enough to plan all these things, but I don’t understand why the gestures keep getting bigger.”
LiCheng looks around the room and carefully chooses his words when he says: “I’m... nervous.”
“Nervous about what?”
LiCheng fidgets with his sleeves. “Do I have to explain? It’s embarrassing.”
MuRen gives him his best stern look. “Xiao LiCheng.”
“Fine!” LiCheng sighs. “When you rejected me before,” he begins, and MuRen winces at the memory, “I felt horrible. I was so angry at myself for not being good enough to be with you and ruining our friendship. But I knew that I’d get over it eventually. I was ready to move on. Now,” LiCheng’s eyes water, “I don’t know what I’d do if you left me. I want to be with you forever but I wouldn’t want you to stay with me if you’re unhappy; I would never ask you to do that. So I’m trying… I’m trying to make you as happy as you make me.”
MuRen understands, sort of. He knows that this is an insecurity for LiCheng, and that most of his previous relationships involved a lot of spending. It’s a habit as much as it is a source of doubt. But ultimately, in the same way LiCheng makes him feel better about his insecurities, MuRen needs to reassure LiCheng. He slowly reaches out and pulls LiCheng in for a hug. For a few minutes they stay in their embrace, until MuRen pulls away and lifts LiCheng’s head to look at him. “Do you think I’m unhappy?”
“No,” LiCheng admits. “I just… worry.”
“That’s my job,” MuRen jokes.
LiCheng doesn’t laugh. “I’m sorry, TengTeng. I know I should have more faith in us.”
MuRen takes a moment before answering. “Do you know my favorite things you’ve done for me?” LiCheng shakes his head. “Every time you hold me, or sing to me, or cook for me, or hold my hand —”
“But I do those all the time,” LiCheng says.
“And I’m happy most of the time,” MuRen retorts. “You make me happy by being you, by caring about me. I’ve never been happier in my whole life.”
A small smile forms on LiCheng’s face. “Really?”
“Really,” says MuRen. “So if you worry in the future, let me know and we’ll talk about it. Silly.” He presses a finger to LiCheng’s nose. “As if I would be happier with anyone else.”
LiCheng beams at him like he’s the whole world and tackles him into the couch.
Notes:
I conducted a (very brief) internet search of the dwarf umbrella plant, so I apologize to any botanists or gardeners in the audience if there are inaccuracies. Think of it as an abstract symbol, if that helps xD
The bonus chapter will be here soon! As always, your patience and support are appreciated.
Chapter 8: Year Eight
Notes:
What a trip this has been! Thanks again to everyone who has given me a kudos or a comment; I really appreciate it and you all are an amazing audience.
Please enjoy this short and sweet pile of sugar I like to call: the final chapter.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
MuRen has a plan.
He isn’t as forward as LiCheng, or as declarative in how he feels. He knows this. Between the two of them, MuRen always expresses his affection in smaller gestures, and LiCheng has never minded or doubted his feelings because of this. (Besides, LiCheng has enough romantic personality for five people and unbridled enthusiasm, so in this way the two strike a balance.)
But MuRen isn’t devoid of romance entirely. MuRen may not wear his heart on his sleeve all the time or make grand speeches, but that doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to do things for the sake of love. When Vice President Kao framed LiCheng for embezzlement, it took all of thirty seconds for MuRen’s protective instincts to flare up inside him, a white hot rage that was only dampened by years of practiced coldness. The cogs of his brain spun wildly with possibilities of how to save LiCheng, how to gain leverage over a person in upper management. LiCheng wasn’t exactly thrilled by MuRen’s chosen strategy, but it was a course of action that MuRen was willing to take out of love.
The point is, MuRen is better at this display of affection, one that involves forethought and procedure rather than spontaneity.
And now, MuRen has another plan.
It begins by disappointing his boyfriend. It’s a necessary step in the plan, though one that MuRen dreads executing. They are celebrating their anniversary in six weeks (their third anniversary — three years together, but in a way it’s also eight), and MuRen knows that despite their previous conversation on the subject, LiCheng will prepare something for the day. So, MuRen climbs into bed next to his boyfriend one night and tells him exactly how he wants to spend their anniversary.
“You want to go to the movies?” LiCheng asks incredulously. MuRen nods as sweetly as he can. “Why?”
“I just do,” MuRen replies. “There’s that action movie that you wanted to see, right? We can see that and go to dinner after. You know, make a day of it.”
LiCheng looks unconvinced. “That’s true, I suppose.”
“Did you already have something planned?”
“No,” LiCheng answers quickly — a lie, which MuRen knows from the expression on his face, but now one that he can’t take back, “but TengTeng, isn’t that a little… I don’t know… boring for an anniversary?”
MuRen anticipated something like this. He gives LiCheng a pout and does his best to look upset. “I just thought that it would be like how we spent time together before we started dating, all nostalgic and stuff. I didn’t want you to spend too much money, either.”
LiCheng immediately moves to hug his shoulders. “TengTeng, don’t be angry! I’m sorry I didn’t think of it that way. That’s very romantic, and you’re right: it’ll be better for us not to spend a lot on hotels or restaurants or anything. For example,” he adds.
MuRen smiles. His boyfriend is wonderful but also very transparent. MuRen ignores it and gives LiCheng his most innocent look. “Are you sure?”
“Of course! It’ll be fun,” LiCheng insists. “We haven’t been to the movies in a while. You have to promise me that we’ll see an action movie, though. No horror, please.”
MuRen gives him a peck. “Deal.”
That night, MuRen lies awake for a bit after LiCheng falls asleep (with one arm and leg draped over MuRen). MuRen finds himself grinning in the dark, almost trembling with anticipation.
First step of the plan: complete.
There’s more interim steps that occur over the next six weeks. It’s as thrilling as it is anxiety-inducing to keep all of it a secret from LiCheng. Much of that anxiety wouldn't exist if MuRen only needed to rely on his own silence, but unfortunately, he can’t. His plan requires the assistance of others — specifically XingSi, MeiFang, Sister Wang, and JunWei — and there are many, many times when MuRen considers calling the whole thing off because of that. The majority of these problems come from one of them almost revealing the plan to LiCheng at work (which all of them do at least once). JunWei, for example, in a display of feigned nonchalance, asks too many casual questions of LiCheng about their anniversary that make LiCheng puzzled and suspicious, causing MuRen to text Zoe to pull him away before he throttles him.
MeiFang proves herself to be a true leader and whips the rest into shape. “Do you think this is a joke?” she scolds JunWei at the end of the day. “A beautiful love hangs in the balance!”
One week before the big day, MuRen meets XingSi for lunch and slides his house key across the table. “Don’t lose it,” he warns.
XingSi chuckles. “I won’t.” He pauses. “So, this is really happening, huh?” MuRen nods. “I’m glad,” he says sincerely.
MuRen smiles. “Me too.”
“I still can’t believe how they did that effect with the trains!” LiCheng swings MuRen’s hand in his as they climb into the elevator of their building. “The way that guy stood between the two while they were moving? Incredible.”
“Yeah, it was good,” MuRen agrees. Truthfully, he remembers very little of the film, or even what he ate for dinner after. He’s trying to remain calm, but he already feels nervous. His hands tingle and his heart races. Today’s the day. The final step is rapidly approaching and he’s praying nothing has gone wrong. He wonders with panicked frenzy if XingSi remembered to lock the door, or if everyone remembered to leave out the back entrance —
MuRen is so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost doesn’t register LiCheng leaning over and whispering in his ear: “TengTeng, should we… do something when we get back?”
MuRen gives him a wry smile. “Are you serious?”
“I’m always serious about you,” LiCheng replies easily, grinning. “You were nice enough to plan the day for us. Think of this as my gift to you.”
“Fine,” says MuRen, and when LiCheng leans in for a kiss MuRen blocks it with his hand, “but you have to wait until I give you my gift.”
LiCheng looks confused. “Wasn’t the date your gift?”
“Nope,” MuRen says. “It’s at home.”
The elevator stops at their floor and LiCheng skips to their front door. He fumbles briefly with the keys before opening it and stepping inside. MuRen braces himself.
This is it.
The house is dark, but the front room is decorated with candles and flowers. A trail of candles lines the hallway from the door to the rest of the house, creating a beautiful orange glow. XingSi and the others pulled it off.
LiCheng is frozen in the doorjamb. “TengTeng, what’s this?”
MuRen smiles as he takes his shoes off, and motions for LiCheng to do the same. Then MuRen gently pulls LiCheng by the hand down the hallway and into the living room. There’s even more candles in there, covering every surface, and pictures of him with LiCheng over the last eight years are illuminated by the soft light. MuRen thinks absently that he should get gifts for his team of helpers; they did an amazing job. LiCheng is speechless and happy, making pleasant sighs as he takes it all in. Then, with LiCheng’s hands in his, MuRen faces him and takes a deep breath. He goes down on one knee.
LiCheng’s breath hitches.
“Xiao LiCheng,” MuRen begins. He thought that this would be the simplest part, but there’s a reason he doesn’t make grand speeches. MuRen already feels his eyes tearing up, and his words feel heavy in his mouth, and dammit he was determined not to cry! Dating LiCheng has made him such a softie but he wouldn’t change a thing. MuRen clears his throat and continues: “I never believed that I would meet anyone who would love me and understand me. I thought that I would have to change myself, or lie to the other person if I ever got into a long-term relationship. But you — you’ve always understood me. You’ve always supported me. You make me feel like I can do anything, because I know you’ll always be there for me. And I want to be with you, too. Forever. Therefore,” MuRen removes the box that has been burning a hole in his jacket the entire day, and opens it. He pulls out the gold ring and tentatively holds it out. “Xiao LiCheng —”
“Wait.”
MuRen feels that single syllable like a punch to the gut. His throat feels tight. For one awful, horrifying moment, MuRen thinks he’s made a mistake. Did he miscalculate? Does LiCheng not love him anymore? Does this mean that —
“Wait for one second,” LiCheng qualifies. He’s smiling, which makes MuRen relax a little. “I’ll be right back.” LiCheng sprints away down the hall, leaving MuRen kneeling alone for a minute, feeling incredibly awkward. LiCheng returns just as quickly and slides to join MuRen on the floor, fumbling with a small bag that he retrieved from somewhere in the house. He pulls out a small black box and opens it, revealing a simple gold band almost identical to the one he got for LiCheng. (MuRen thinks hurriedly that of course they match; this must be the ‘connection’ that LiCheng always brags about to XingSi.)
MuRen gapes at the box. “Wha—”
“I bought this three months after we started dating,” LiCheng explains. “Three months and eighteen days, to be precise, because that marked this as the longest relationship I had ever been in. And you know what? Instead of being scared, I was excited. I knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. But I wanted you to also feel ready for the commitment, so I did what I’d never done in a relationship before: I waited. And now, I’m so happy that I can finally ask,” he says, presenting the box, “Teng MuRen, will you marry me?”
MuRen is definitely crying now, happy tears falling from his eyes. Just when he thinks he can’t love LiCheng any more, he does this. LiCheng had a plan, too, but he played the long con. He waited for MuRen. MuRen knew LiCheng was thinking about marriage but he didn’t think LiCheng had already got a ring! It must have been so hard for him to wait this long — almost three years — but he did it because he wanted MuRen to be comfortable and —
He bridges the gap between them and kisses LiCheng, his hands moving to grab his shoulders and neck. When they break, MuRen rests their foreheads together. “Thank you,” he whispers, “for falling in love with me.”
LiCheng laughs, a few tears escaping his eyes, too. “I should be the one saying that.” They kiss again, only stopping when LiCheng pulls away. “Hold on. You didn’t answer my question.”
“And you interrupted mine,” MuRen jokes. He leans forward and smiles. “Yes, Xiao LiCheng, I will marry you.”
Even in the dark, candlelit room, LiCheng’s smile is the brightest MuRen’s ever seen it. “Teng MuRen, you already know my answer: I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too. I’d spend a thousand lifetimes with you if I could, I never want to be apart from you, not even for an —”
MuRen cuts him off for the first of many kisses as a newly engaged couple.
Notes:
Aaaaaaaaaand they lived happily ever after! Seriously, they do. I'm the author and this is my headcanon haha.
So... here's the thing. I have one (1) half-baked idea for a modern-fantasy-esc ChengRen AU. (Yes, I know I have four unfinished works/WIPs, but these two inspire me.)
I can't promise that I'll have that one done as quickly as this one - this fic really just poured out of my soul so quickly - but if there's enough interest I can try to flesh out the outline more and work on it when I have time.
Thoughts?
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midokami on Chapter 1 Tue 08 Jun 2021 05:51AM UTC
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