Cherry on Top 🍒... NOT. (WangXian FF)

18

It took Wei Wuxian an extra beat to comprehend Lan Wangji's meaning and the fire in his eyes. And when he did, he blushed furiously and then took a step back because–well, they're in public for chrissake. And he was… in the middle of a crisis.

So much for self control.

Only one whisper from the hottest guy he ever laid his eyes on and he became weak on the knees. And it was nothing indecent. But the implication… damn, it made him hot all over.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the reinforcement to arrive, and Wei Wuxian thanked the lord for the interruption while the juniors looked at the new arrival in complete awe.

He Xuan–the Black Demon, his nickname because he was fond of black and wore an all black ensemble with knee high biker boots, ripped black jeans, biker jacket, with his shoulder length dark hair tied back in half ponytails and his many many piercings and tattoos and black eyeliners–was the expert on knives. He could skin, gut, fillet the whole huge tuna or a cow in under fifteen minutes, and he wore his long blade like a samurai–with the other knives hidden inside the leather pouch he treasured more than his life.

The man fist-bumped Luo Binghe, Hua Cheng and Lan Wangji before he cast a glance on Wei Wuxian's tattoos and grinned at him.

"Nice ink." He offered his hand to Wei Wuxian. "I'm He Xuan, and I heard a lot of good things about you, Chef Wei."

"Likewise, He Xuan. Please call me Xianxian." Wei Wuxian took the hand and squeezed it warmly. "Thank you for coming here and helping us on such short notice."

"Not a problem, I'm glad to take a breather anyway." He chuckled and threw a glance at Hua Cheng who rolled his eyes, while he shook Shen Qingqiu's hand.

And then they looked at the Jiang siblings–Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng– who wore dark purple chef's uniforms with lotus blossom embroidery on the left chest. Jiang Yanli looked as sweet as cotton candy with her violet hair cut short asymmetrically, and Jiang Cheng looked as sour as lemon with his frowning but handsome face, looking around the kitchen in disapproval.

"I'm Jiang Yanli, and this is my younger brother, Jiang Cheng." She also offered her hand to Wei Wuxian and he took it with a smile. "Ignore my brother, he's always like that when he's not cooking."

"You only have these… kids to make a thousand hors d'oeuvres in four and a half hours?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I admire your gut, chef Wei, I do. But now that we're here, it is not an impossible feat to do." Jiang Cheng put on his smug face. "Especially with my jie here. Don't know about the goth over there." He snickered at He Xuan's direction. "So, let us see the menu, chef Wei."

"Xianxian, please, and thank you for being here on short notice. I really appreciate it." Wei Wuxian was curious with how familiar they all were, like they were all one big family instead of only colleagues.

"You should thank him since he's the one who told us to come right away. Or else." He Xuan smirked. "Right cuz?" He elbowed Lan Wangji and it became clear to both Wei Wuxian and Shen Qingqiu that this goth chef was also one of their cousins.

"Another cousin?" Shen Qingqiu quirked his brow in amusement. "No wonder no one could poach him out of your clutch, Lan Wangji."

"Well, that, and forty percent of Nebulosite ownership." Hua Cheng chuckled in amusement. "He's practically the owner now."

"And the Jiangs? Another one of your cousins too?" Shen Qingqiu now looked at all of them with a different light than he did at first. He suddenly chuckled–the first time in a tense situation. "Wonder how many more high profile people that have familial ties to you."

"Their mother is our mothers's first cousin removed twice, or thrice, I forgot." Lan Wangji answered him. "So, yeah, basically we are not cousins. We are strangers with benefits."

"Yeah and that's another forty percent of the ownership of Lotus Blossoms." Hua Cheng added with a grin.

"So, that's your secret to success? Giving forty percent of the ownership to all of your employees?" Wei Wuxian grinned, and Shen Qingqiu scoffed while he passed the menu to the three chefs and their junior chefs. They all quickly huddled up to discuss who should do what, when Lan Wangji approached Wei Wuxian and once again, whispered in his ear.

"For you, Wei Ying? I will give fifty percent of the ownership." His eyes twinkled with mischief. And Wei Wuxian suddenly laughed.

"Only fifty percent? I was so sure you're going to say one hundred percent!"

"Well, a man still gotta make a living, you know," Lan Wangji winked at him, his voice full of laughter.

"That's a very valid reason actually." Wei Wuxian grinned at the handsome man. He was having so much fun spending time with Lan Wangji he didn't realize the others had gone to their own station and Shen Qingqiu was observing him quietly. "I think I need to go to work before Qiuqiu skin me alive. But once again, thank you for your help." Wei Wuxian squeezed Lan Wangji's hand and started to turn around, when the latter pulled his hand closer.

"That's it? You're going to dismiss me after you have all the help? I'm hurt…" He dramatically gasped and put his hand on top of his heart, making Wei Wuxian burst out laughing.

"Oookay… you want to stay and help? I can assign you to…" He looked around and tried to decide where he should put him where he would not be a bother to anyone and yet still feeling that he was useful, when Lan Wangji rolled up his sleeve and took an apron from the shelves, followed by Hua Cheng and Luo Binghe.

"Wh–you too?" Now he was baffled by those three men's behaviour because they handled the aprons and the knives like a pro.

"Forgive us, but we actually had some training too, although not as good as you, obviously, but our mothers insisted that we have to be able to at least feed ourselves and not depend on some… well, you get the gist." Hua Cheng chuckled as Lan Wangji and Luo Binghe smirked.

Their mothers were triplets, and they planned their pregnancies together, and taught the boys the skills that they would need to survive whether it was in a jungle, in the office, or inside a kitchen. Even their husbands were chosen together by all three of them, so they would have a happy and peaceful life–with none of the drama the other families had. And the result was the unbreakable familial bond, unlike the others.

"So, Chef Wei, please lead the way, and use us as you may see fit."