Chapter Text
Did Zhou Zishu ever think that he'll end up in such an awkward situation? Obviously, no.
The forced conversation with Helian Yi, who was his boss and owner of the Tian Chuang Sports Complex, was really exhausting. Helian Yi was trying to woo Zhou Zishu for several long months in a row but didn't take any compromising action. Zishu had nothing to present against him to the highest authorities, so he can only left to deal with it by avoiding and fighting off all attempts of Helian Yi's flirting.
Celebration in honor of the conclusion of the contract between the Tian Chuang Sports Complex and the Valley of Ghosts School of Skating took place directly on the territory of the complex. Zishu was obliged to attend although was just one of the instructors. His school friend Jing Beiyuan, who was also a general manager of Tian Chuang, couldn't miss the opportunity to pull Zishu out. Zishu wasn't happy with that but there was nothing that he could do about it. There was no special dress code for the event so he decided to put on a black jacket over a matching pullover. Zishu was determined to fight off an active friend of his and unwanted attention from his boss by pretending to be a rookie at the rink. The evening was quite boring as was usual at such events. Some of the guests were in the center of the ice arena, which was organized as a standing buffet area with several tables. Some of them also were in a similar area outside the rink and the other part of the guest preferred to be on the ice. Zishu was successfully spending half of the event around rink boards or on the grandstand. He was trying to avoid unnecessary attention to his person in every possible way, until Beiyuan once again noticed him and stubbornly pulled him back onto the ice.
Zishu was standing on ice behind rink boards with Helian Yi who didn't miss the opportunity to bother Zishu with his company. Zishu was nodding politely in response but he wasn't really listening to him. While he was thinking about his run away options, he lazily observed the guests before suddenly meeting the eyes of a young man. The stranger managed to attract his attention earlier today. Awkward. Zishu quickly looked aside and finally noticed the person which he can rely on. Beiyuan slightly frowned and gestured at Helian Yi with a silent question in his gaze. Zishu tilted his head a bit and turned away waiting for a desired rescue. A minute later he felt the soft stroke of hot confident hands on his waist. It feels like a burning touch through all of the layers of the clothes. The owner of hands carefully held Zishu's waist and directed him to the other way of the rink.
Zishu exhaled with fake irritation and without thinking twice slapped a stranger's hands. He hissed, “Beiyuan, I think I already told you not to do that. Couldn't you think of something else?" And then he quietly added, "Thanks."
Zishu heard a light chuckle behind his back. An unfamiliar voice was speaking very close to him, "Despite the fact that I'm not Beiyuan, I couldn't refuse to help the incomparable handsome man."
Zishu twitched in surprise, lost his balance and fell forward. He closed his eyes and was waiting for a burning pain in his knees but there was none. Did he fall on something soft and warm? The savior managed to intercept Zishu and soften the landing for him by falling firstly. Zishu widened his eyes in surprise and fixed his most disparaging gaze on the impudent one but before his eyes was not at all what he expected to see. His irritation turned into slight embarrassment and confusion. The savior stared at him with undisguised admiration and said, "You are just as beautiful on the face as you are on the back. Although I already want to devote all of me to your shoulder blades."
"Damn it! Why does it have to be him? And why did I even agree to go on the ice at all? Damn, Beiyuan!" was spinning in Zishu's head.
It was Beiyuan who begged Zishu to attend this event to keep them company with Wu Xi at the skating rink. He said that Zishu had walled himself up in the four walls of the shooting gallery and he needed to go out sometimes. In fact, there was some truth in Beiyuan's words but Zishu was comfortable in his cave. He always preferred being alone but when you're friends with Beiyuan; you don't have much of a choice. It was easier to agree to Beiyuan's suggestions than to listen to all of his arguments about it. That was what happened today. Zishu had a plan. Great plan, if you'll ask his opinion. He planned to pretend he couldn't skate so that Beiyuan's enthusiasm would die down and Zishu could slip away sooner. Beiyuan was really upset by this situation and asked in disappointment, "Why didn't you say it earlier, Zishu? I'd hire a coach for you. In the end, we'll be able to test the skills of our new colleagues."
"That's why I didn't say anything, Beiyuan. It's alright, don't worry about it. I'll skate in the safe zone or wait for you at the boards or in the grandstand. Aiya! Wu Xi is already waiting for you, go to him" answered Zishu.
Everything went like clockwork. He either hid on the grandstand, or stood behind the rink boards and watched the circular movement of the few skaters. He caught his friends with his eyes and thought, “Why does Beiyuan always drag me with him? Does he really not notice how Wu Xi looks at him with such adoration every time?”
While Zishu hid in the grandstand, the figure of the deputy manager sat down next to him. Zishu doesn't even have to look to know it was Wu Xi. Zishu exhaled, "When will you confess to him?"
“It’s not time yet,” Wu Xi said shortly. Zishu gave him a skeptical look and raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? You look pitiful."
"It's okay, I can wait," answered Wu Xi.
Zishu shook his head and thought, "Why are my friends such stubborn idiots?"
Wu Xi, like Zishu, was also not pleased with the current situation with the third plus, but he couldn't allow himself to object to it without offending his love interest's opinion. On the other hand, Beiyuan seemed to deliberately remain blindness to them and didn't take seriously all Zishu's attempts of refusal and objection, taking them for excessive modesty. The statuesque figure of a young man pulled Zishu out of his reflections on his plight. The man gracefully glided and riveted a lot of the attention. His dark hair gathered in a chaotic bun which gave him a special charm. "I used to have that length too," Zishu remarked in his head and unconsciously ran his fingers through his short hair. After leaving the military he decided to grow his hair back, especially since his current job allowed it to do so. The man was dressed in dark skinny jeans that made his already long skinny legs even longer, and a light beige sweater with a red scarf. And now, this man on whom Zishu had a small crush all evening lied under him and shamelessly flirted. It's a disaster.
Confused, Zishu tried to get up, but got tangled in his legs and flopped back on his butt.
The stranger raised himself on his elbows and tilted his head slightly to the right side. The light amusement splashed in his eyes and mixed with a fair amount of curiosity. He asked, "Are you alright?"
"Didn't anyone tell you not to touch strangers without permission? You scared me!" Zishu poked his finger in the shoulder of the savior.
"Aiya! Sorry, sorry! But I saw how you asked a friend for help and he wasn't in a hurry to provide it, so I decided that you needed my help. Besides, I was afraid that you would fall and…" the stranger said.
"I fell. It's your fault," Zishu interrupted indignantly.
"Fair enough. Let me treat you to hot tea as an apology and moral compensation?" a stranger suggested.
Zishu rolled his eyes and nodded uncertainty. In the end, he himself threw a lot of glances at the stranger all evening, not daring to approach.
The savior stood up first, and then he held out his hand to Zishu and smiled charmingly. He said, "Wen, Wen Kexing. May I know the name of the handsome man who suffered through my fault?"
Zishu gave a skeptical glance at the outstretched hand, exhaled and unexpectedly pronounced his pseudonym, which he used to work with in past years, "Zhou Xu. Xu as willow catkins"
Zishu grabbed Kexing’s hand and Kexing lifted him up, holding him by the elbow.
"Zhou Xu, A-Xu," Kexing rolled Zishu's name on his tongue, clearly enjoying the sound. "It’s a perfect name for such a stunning man. May I call you A-Xu?" he asked.
“As you wish, Lao Wen,” Zishu waved off, gave a strange look at Kexing and hurried to drive off to the rink boards. Kexing was slightly lost for a moment and then broke into a wide smile. He shook his head a bit, hurried to catch up with Zishu and asked, “A-Xu, let me help you?”
Zishu didn't have time to reply before Kexing's hands were back on Zishu's waist. It feels nice.
***
While Zishu was waiting in the area outside the ice arena for the promised hot drink, he didn't hesitate to glance at his new companion. Kexing, as if sensing the gaze, turned his head slightly and met Zishu's eyes. Again. This frankly confused Zishu, so he thought "What's the matter with me today? I'm like a schoolboy, ugh." He frowned and shifted his gaze to the skating rink. Unfortunately, Beiyuan and Wu Xi had already noticed him and were rushing in his direction at full speed.
"Where you are! We lost you and were afraid that you could get hurt," said Beiyuan with concern.
“He was scared,” Wu Xi unconsciously corrected him and met Beiyuan’s indignant gaze.
Beiyuan exhaled and put his hand on his forehead, "It was a bad idea to leave you alone."
“But everything is fine with me,” Zishu said with indignation at the same moment Kexing showed up.
"And who said that A-Xu was alone?" Kexing stepped closer. He was sizing up to a new persons and pursing his lips slightly, "Can you introduce us, A-Xu?"
Beiyuan stared at the stranger closely, and a shadow of recognition flickered across his face. He glanced at Zishu in confusion, "When did you manage to become A-Xu?"
Kexing clicked his tongue and stepped forward a little, “I'm Wen Kexing, the direct owner of the Valley of Ghosts and A-Xu’s soulmate, and I guess you are Beiyuan and…?”
“Stop it, both of you,” Zishu hissed and rolled his eyes. Then he exhaled and addressed Beiyuan, "You wanted me to find a coach. So I did. Mr. Wen volunteered to help me.” Zishu paused and looked sternly at Beiyuan. Then he exhaled and turned his attention to Kexing, "Lao Wen? These two are my colleagues. Jing Beiyuan is the general manager of this sports complex. Wu Xi is his deputy. And now that we've all been introduced, can you leave Lao Wen and me for a while?"
"But…" tried to start Beiyuan.
"Let's go, Beiyuan. Zishu, we'll talk with you later," simply said Wu Xi and took Beiyuan by his elbow.
"Thank you, Wu Xi," murmured Zishu.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Wen,” Wu Xi said and hurried to take the confused Beiyuan away.
When they were out of sight, Kexing carefully sat down beside Zishu and held out the promised cup of tea.
"Careful, it's hot," he said.
Zishu touched the cup and purposely brushed against Kexing's fingers. Kexing shuddered from the contrast of temperatures, put the cup aside and asked to give him hands. Zishu silently held them out. Kexing gently touched Zishu's cold fingers, tried to rub them, brought them to his mouth and warmed them with his breath. Zishu was fascinated by Kexing's actions. He was studying Kexing's beautiful hands and graceful fingers, the crease between his eyebrows and long fluffy eyelashes. A long look didn't go unnoticed. A light touch of Kexing's lips to the back of Zishu's hand along with a burning breath brought Zishu to himself. Kexing peered out from under his lashes. His eyebrow rose slightly, and he grinned, clearly pleased with himself and the attention he's received.
Zishu snorted but didn't pull his hands back. His heart was beating like crazy. Kexing gently pulled away and returned the cup by placing it in Zishu's hand.
“Hm, that wasn't necessary, but thanks,” Zishu said quietly.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist. So tell me. What's going on?" Kexing asked.
“Actually, I’m good at skating, but Helian Yi…”
"That's the person I saved you from, right?"
"Yeah. Helian Yi can be quite persistent and doesn't accept No as an answer. I was hoping to sit out so as not to catch his eye too much, but Beiyuan…” Zishu sighed and shook his head. "It's hard to refuse Beiyuan. And then Helian Yi noticed me, well, you know what happened next. Thank you Lao Wen for helping me out."
"I'm always happy to help you, my dear A-Xu," Kexing smiled softly and voiced another question which was bugging interest in him. "By the way, Zishu?"
"And you're an observant one, Wen Kexing," Zishu noted mentally. He shook his head slightly, hiding a smile. "Yeah, about that... I'm sorry, it's an old habit. I used to introduce myself as Zhou Xu for many years. But no one ever tried to call me A-Xu."
"Until today," said Kexing.
“Until today,” Zishu repeated and smiled warmly. He asked hesitantly, "Lao Wen, can you play along a bit longer?"
Kexing leaned a little closer, "If you promise to go on a date after that."
Zishu sincerely laughed, which quite puzzled Kexing. Zishu felt like he was falling down for this man. He really liked what he saw in front of him. Zishu lightly touched Kexing's cheek and frankly enjoyed watching how Kexing's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Sure. I can promise that,” Zishu stood up and held out his hand. "Come on, let's go back on ice"
Kexing grabbed Zishu's hand, stood up with a rush. He lost his balance and crashed into Zishu, embracing him. Zishu moaned softly, rested his forehead on Kexing's shoulder and laughed again. While he was dispelling the thought "what if", he quickly kissed the savior on the cheek and, taking advantage of the confusion on Kexing's beautiful face, slipped away to the skating rink. Kexing froze up in disbelief, touched his cheek with his hand and blushed. "Oh, A-Xu, A-Xu, what are you doing to me?" Kexing whispered and hurried after Zishu.
***
Time flies by unnoticed. All this time Kexing held Zishu by his waist or his hand. They were looking like one of the couples in love. They talked a lot about everything in the world and found out that they are more similar to each other than it might seem at first sight.
"How long have you been skating, Lao Wen?" asked Zishu with curiosity.
"As long as I can remember, I think."
"Why did you decide to found a school instead of going into professional sport? I saw you on ice. You have passion and skills."
Kexing narrowed his eyes slightly and broke into a pleased smile, "A-Xu was watching me. I'm flattered."
Zishu snorted but didn't deny it, preferring to ignore it instead. He asked, "Was it because of some injuries?"
"No, it's not a reason," a shadow falls on a Kexing's smile. He stopped, unconsciously squeezed Zishu's hand and exhaled, “My parents died when I was eight."
"I'm sorry, Lao Wen," Zishu gently stroked the back of Kexing's hand with his thumb.
"It's all right, A-Xu," Kexing glanced with gratitude and continued. "When you're growing up as an orphan, you have much less chances to succeed in this life, you know. As soon as I got access to my parents' money, I founded and invested everything in the Valley of the Ghosts. A place where your origin doesn't matter and anyone can achieve a better result with the desire and due perseverance."
Zishu was at a loss for an answer, and Kexing asked him, “Tell me, A-Xu, what are you doing here?”
"Oh, I'm a simple instructor. The shooting gallery is in my possession. Beiyuan kept trying to make me his deputy, but I'm satisfied with what I'm doing here. Fortunately Wu Xi appeared and turned Beiyuan's attention to himself," Zishu cleared his throat and said with feigned indifference. "You should come sometime. I'll teach you how to shoot."
"I'm honored. If A-Xu invited me, how can I refuse him?" Kexing winked and continued. "By the way, my doors are always open for you if you want to ride without anyone."
***
Beiyuan and Wu Xi no longer tried to approach them. They were watching curiously from the side. Zishu had no one to date for a long time, so now all of this was arousing huge interest not only to his friends but also to Helian Yi. He watched Zishu with Kexing and squeezed the top of the rink border, not even trying to hide his irritation and growing anger.
Kexing noticed that, smirked and took off his scarf. Show time!
"A-Xu!"
He turned Zishu around to face him and threw the scarf over Zishu's neck, pulling him a bit closer. Carefully adjusting the edges of the scarf, he whispered, "We have an audience. Will you let me?"
Zishu smiled wryly and hugged him smoothly. He touched Kexing's cheek with his fingertips, stroking gently, and left a light kiss on his lips. Kexing responded immediately and put one hand on the back of Zishu's head, deepening the kiss, while the other hand tightly gripped Zishu's waist. The kiss ended up quickly, leaving a pleasant feeling on their lips. As they pull away from each other, Helian Yi has already disappeared from view. Zishu laughed in relief and buried himself in Kexing's shoulder, murmuring, "I wouldn't mind getting a drink now."
“I can make it happen, A-Xu. Will you keep me company?"
"What do you think, Lao Wen?"
Kexing confidently took Zishu by the hand and led him away from the ice arena. The evening promises to be very pleasant and they will deal with the consequences tomorrow. After all, Kexing was ready to take Zishu out of Tian Chuang from the very beginning, even though Zishu's specialty wasn't part of the Ghost Valley profile. Kexing would definitely come up with something for him. Gu Xiang, his sworn sister, was right. Despite the fact that Zhou Zishu, according to all the characteristics and reviews, seems to be a really excellent specialist and not only in his field, he really was very much in Kexing's taste.