Hualian AU Spin-offs

(Working) Overtime

Mu Qing's been working hard!

Xie Lian and Feng Xin had to do some sentimental blackmail, harassing and even threating for Mu Qing to join them at The Student Union Bar. It's been hard to drag him out since last summer, when he stepped up to help managing The Heavens. He's been working more and more, so his friends thought enough was enough and had to intervene.

Mu Qing didn't even pretend he was enjoying himself: this place was too crowded, the music too loud, the beer not that cold, and, he couldn't help reminding himself, his work e-mails were piling up. Xie Lian and Feng Xin didn't care, they just kept chatting and laughing over a portion of chips.

"So, Mu Qing, are you dating anyone?", Xie Lian asked, pointing his beer at him.

"Oh?"

"Dating", Feng Xin said, "Seeing someone", he added, looking all nonchalant. Some months ago, Feng Xin himself would blush to death if somebody asked him that, Mu Qing thought.

"Nah no time for that", he replied matter-of-factly; if he just played it cool they'd get bored and change the subject –

"Mu Qing, you can't be like that, work work work", Xie Lian went on, shaking his head.

"You think I didn't tell him that? Trust me, I've been there", Feng Xin said, frowning.

What's with these guys, he thought, rolling his eyes, "Yeah yeah I know, I'm just too busy these days. You know how it is".

"I guess, you even got Ling Wen back, you must be pretty desperate", Feng Xin commented.

Mu Qing shrugged, "The police seemed satisfied so – "

"Convincing the police she acted on Bai Jing's best interest, then donating all her money to the trust that maintains his college... slippery, that one. Mu Qing be careful", Xie Lian added.

"Anyway, don't change the subject! We're talking about your love life", Feng Xin went on, but Xie Lian grabbed his arm, "Feng Xin, leave it. When he meets the right person he'll make time for them", he concluded with a smile.

They only brought this up because they're both in love, he thought, pursing his lips in disgust; otherwise they'd be talking about anything else but dating. If somebody told him two months ago what it'd happen in his love life he wouldn't have believed them. Well if only Xie Lian and Feng Xin knew the truth!

•

The truth was, for the past two months, Mu Qing was having a no strings attached, strictly physical and purely sexual relationship; there's no other way to say it. And with none other than Ling Wen! He couldn't tell Xie Lian and Feng Xin, they'd be too shocked; to be honest, he would too. It was shocking.

It all started not long after Mu Qing was made interim principal – he thought it'd look good on his CV, only he wasn't prepared for so many little things he had to personally see, like approve orders or timetables. He stayed working late almost every day, and Ling Wen too: she was a workaholic, so he never thought anything of it.

That evening, they stayed behind looking at the uni's policies that needed to be updated, so Mu Qing was reading each one, looking at the edits Ling Wen had done, highlighted in yellow. He had started early that day with back-to-back meetings, had a quick bite at his desk; his neck and shoulders were tense, and he felt a headache coming. Dehydration, he thought, sipping some water.

With the corner of his eye, he's been noticing something the whole time though: there was something different with Ling Wen. Was it the hair? Her neat pixie cut was longer now, but no, she's been growing her hair for weeks. New glasses? Ah! Red lipstick. Red lipstick was just normal right? It doesn't mean anything...