Working with my Idol! And lover? (zhanyi)

Chapter thirteen

"No! You clearly said 'Customer 991, your order will be arriving tomorrow at 11am.' It's fucking," he looked at the clock briefly before going back to staring at the dusty corner and shouting angrily at his phone. "1:36pm!" there was a pause. "I'm obviously not calm, Mister. I'll give you no stars on your review page if I don't get my glow in the dark curtains by 2pm!" then he huffed and hung up.

There was a silence for a moment. And then laughter filled the room. Jian Yi couldn't stop the proud grin slowly forming on his face, trying to shoo away the angry emotion he had just felt. It was all an act, of course, but now he started to feel for poor, made-up Customer 991 who never received their glow in the dark curtains.

"You guys are stupid." Mo frowned. "You should go back home, Jian Yi." he turned his head to the other who was watching the whole thing quietly. "You too, Zhengxi."

"I can stay for as long as I want, Redhead." Jian Yi's grin grew as he sunk into the couch. "Acting is hard and now I'm exhausted."

"You're literally an actor, Yi." He Tian pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I like to act." Jian Yi asked, his smile now disappearing. His brother and friend stared at him in confusion while Zhan Zhengxi decided to get the car ready to go back home. "Oh I mean.. acting is tiring but I enjoy it!"

"Yi, is there something you're not telling us?"

"What? No!" Jian Yi looked around frantically for the dirty blond for support but when he wasn't found, a horrible feeling entered his heart. It was a mix of anxiety, anger and guilt. So he decided to bury his head into the nearest pillow he could find and let out some groans. Would they keep bothering him until he would spill out all his thoughts to them? Probably...

But instead, he heard something very unexpected from his brother.

"We'll leave you and your thoughts alone, Yi."

Of course there were hints of regret and annoyance in his tone. Obviously, he was forced by Mo to say that. He'd have to thank the redhead later, Jian Yi thought, as he walked out the door stiffly with a small wave.

Once he got into the car, he grit his teeth after Zhan Zhengxi asked if he was alright.

"Yes, Xi. I am." and put on a very strained smile as a way to ask the question 'are you really asking me this?' back.

"I thought you'd open up and have a nice discussion about it! I assumes it would help relieve stress, Jian Yi." Zhengxi defended.

"No! The atmosphere changed from yay to nay. You could've stayed to help but you didn't! Be—tray—al." Jian Yi emphasized each syllable of 'betrayal' to try to make Zhan Zhengxi understand, like they did in movies, but Zhengxi just started laughing.

"Yeah I'm sorry. Let's go home?" but he started the car anyways and they drove off, joining the other vehicles on the road and soon in traffic.

Jian Yi was very grumpy the whole ride home and didn't say anything when they did reach their apartment. His bedroom door was left open as he changed into comfortable clothes and brushed his teeth. So when he tucked himself into bed, he yelled an irritated 'Good night' and closed his eyes. The sound of footsteps made him open them once again in worry and the sight of his roommate caused him to relax. He was standing by the door with a small smile, almost impossible to see due to the darkness surrounding him.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked.

"No." But Jian Yi really was. But.. he was curious on what Zhan Zhengxi could ask him to do if he wasn't tired.

"Come with me, then." he whispered as his hand gestured for him to follow. And so he followed, his curiosity controlling his decisions.

They had left the flat and were now strolling on a muddy path to some place unknown to Jian Yi. Slippery mud squelched at every step they took. The sound annoyed the pale blond and he desperately longed to find somewhere away from this path. Grass would be better than this muck!

"Stop here." he heard his roommate say. So he stopped and looked up from the ground, which he was happy about since the mud had disappeared. Light shone down from the moon and was painted all over the small hill they were on. How come he didn't notice that they were travelling uphill? The stupid muck must have distracted him.

When Jian Yi was finished gazing at the area, Zhan Zhengxi had already seated himself on the bench which rocked side to side slightly. He slid onto the space next to him and held his knees up to his chest as the cold air slapped his face harshly.

"What do you need to talk about at midnight, on the top of a hill, in the cold?" Jian Yi grumbled and pulled his sleeves over his hands.

"When are you going to tell them?"

Now that was a question which never left his mind. But how could leave if it has been left unanswered?

"I feel like I'd get words of disapproval instead of encouragement, Xixi." Jian Yi admitted. "Imagine quitting a job that gives you good pay and all.."

"It's not all about pay if it's doing this to you." Zhengxi said.

"You're right I suppose.. But that ugly feeling I felt a few hours ago with Tian. I just can't tell him the truth."

The two stayed silent for a few moments when some shuffling was heard. Now they were in a sort of awkward hug where Jian Yi's arms were still wrapped around his knees, creating a large distance between them. Zhan Zhengxi's arms weren't long enough to embrace him fully but this did not make him let go. I should've brought a blanket, he thought.

"Xixi?"

"Yeah?" he breathed out. His right rib was getting pressed by Jian Yi's left arm, making it slightly harder to breath with the stinging pain.

"I don't think you remember but I told you something before. When you were falling asleep. We were in an awkward position like this too."

"Wha.. I don't remember. I suppose I was asleep—"

"I like you."

He had said it at the wrong time, place and mood. It was so random and not special that it was so realistic. It was not a movie moment where the confession scene was so beautiful, so romantic, so fake. That was enough to give Jian Yi confidence to look up at Zhan Zhengxi and give a small smile.

However, in Zhengxi's head, everything was wild and crazy. Thoughts were racing around rapidly. Was it a joke? Was it real? How should he reply? Did he even like him back? If he accepted, what would happen? If he rejected, what WOULD happen? If—

"Wow how are you capable of becoming this red, Xixi?"

But that only made his face grow more red.

"Okay, okay. I.. euhm.." after some coughs and clearing the throat, he was able to speak. But his voice was really quiet. "How can you go from thinking of quitting to confessing? So quickly too..."

"I swear it just came out!" Jian Yi removed his hands from his knees and let them rest on his lap while crossing his legs to make it more comfortable.

"What would happen if I reject or accept?"

"Well.. If you do reject me it would take time to get over it. I mean, I did like you before and this is my second time."

"SECOND TIME?" Zhan Zhengxi repeated.

"Yes, second time! First was when we were kids in that village." Jian Yi's smile grew but there was a hint of sadness in his expression. "My first friend."

There was more silence now. Although it wasn't awkward or comfortable. It was just silence because both didn't want to say anything but also wanted to communicate. Everything was ten times more confusing since they were exhausted and longed for some source of warmth.

"Let's go." Jian Yi sighed and stood up, stretching a bit as Zhengxi blinked himself awake.

As they walked back slowly, their hands brushed a few times. Of course, drowsiness stopped Jian Yi from noticing. For Zhengxi, each touch was annoying and soon he got fed up. He grabbed onto the other's hand and interlocked their fingers. As soon as they were intertwined, his grip loosened only a bit, and the annoying feeling disappeared.

He watched the Moon beam brightly, as if encouraging him to talk. Then he looked at the pale blond on his right. Exhaustion was all over his face. But that exhaustion did not stop him from hearing the last few words said by Zhan Zhengxi that night. After a sigh, the words were spoken gently and quietly:

"I like you too."