A flash of light pulled YiZhan from their trance, their selective hearing slowly doused with nearby voices.
"Such handsome people!"
"Isn't that Wang Yibo?"
"Of course it's Wang Yibo, where do you think we are?"
"Oh yeah..."
"Who's the other person?"
Xiao Zhan often forgot how famous Yibo was until moments like this. It wasn't a big deal really and Xiao Zhan even considered himself a fan. However, he wouldn't say that he is comfortable with the attention place on him, especially when he was such a normal, boring person.
Seeing the discomfort on Xiao Zhan's face, Yibo reached for his wrist and gently lead the way into Gusu's ground.
Feeling the warmth on his wrist, Xiao Zhan instantly felt at ease and allowed himself to be lured into the unknown. A part of him still lingered onto that discomfort, but he forced it aside for he wanted to indulge himself next to Yibo tonight.
Before disappearing from the fans/students' sight, Yibo gave them a warning look over his shoulder.
"Delete the pictures," A current student commanded when he met Yibo's gaze.
"What?! But I might not get a second chance!"
"If you want to be a student here then delete it and never do something so foolish again!"
The Gusu system, land, corporation, or clan; however people wanted to refer to them as was a power to be known and respected. One of the basic principles that needed to be adhered to once you stepped onto their privatized premises was that everyone will be given their privacy and respect. At no circumstances will images, conversations, or information that took place on Gusu ground be distributed for mass entertainment without authorization. This was a heavily weighted rule considering that most of the students and visitors held high statuses in society and scandals can be created from a simple cough. Gusu was an educational system, not an entertainment platform.
It was based on this principle that current celebrities (who may have been Gusu's alumni) enjoyed attending Gusu events where they can be at ease with the lack of paparazzi. This was also why Yibo didn't hesitate to ask Xiao Zhan out on a date and openly laced their hands in public, not that he cared about what others thought to begin with. Any consideration Yibo had was to ensure Xiao Zhan's comfort and safety. Not to mentioned, he was the Wang-er gonzi of the Gusu clan.
Xiao Zhan looked at their interlocked fingers and felt more conscious of their relationship amongst the crowded festivities. "Yibo," Xiao Zhan pulled lightly. When Yibo looked at him, Xiao Zhan expressed his concern, "Won't your fans..."
"It's alright," Yibo reassured. "In Gusu, we are all normal people."
Xiao Zhan's mind flickered with Xuan Lu's words 'love makes you crazy', for he can't explain why Yibo's words made him felt that everything will be alright. Let it be the paparazzi or if the land around them was burning in flames, with Yibo's confirmation, Xiao Zhan will be at ease.
~~~~~
As the shadows of YiZhan disappeared into the school ground, Li Bowen was awaiting for his newfound boyfriend to exit the car with his sister and 'not-yet brother-in-law'. Bowen has only been with Yubin for a few months so meeting the family like this would have made most people fairly nervous. Fortunately, Bowen had prior practices from all the teacher-parents conferences that were part of his job AND one of Yubin's family members happened to be his student. Being the perfect gentleman that Fan Xing will be one day, the child had already eased all of Bowen's nervousness in meeting the Aunt General.
Yubin stepped out from the back seat first and greeted Bowen with a bright, mischievous smile. The same smile that captured Bowen's interest that first day and every day since. Forgetting who else was watching them, Bowen leaned over and planted a kiss on Yubin's temple. "Hey".
"Hi," Yubin replied.
Zhuo Cheng coughed in discomfort, causing Zoey to eye him with ridicules. "What are you feeling uncomfortable with? It's not like you've never kissed anyone before. Besides, just compare everyone to YiZhan's interactions and you shouldn't be fazed anymore."
Zhuo Cheng's face darkened at Zoey's reprimand, blushed at her innuendo, then turned blue at disgusting images. Bowen has never seen anyone changing their facial expressions that fast aside from the evil custodian Hao Xuan (Song Ji Yang's fiance).
"Don't mind him. It's nice to officially meet you," Zoey extended her hand.
~~~~~
"Ah-Choo!"
"Cover your mouth you indecent human," A-Quing yelled at Hao Xuan.
"Someone is trash talking about me," Hao Xuan wined at Ji Yang who handed him a tissue.
"What else would people have to say about you?"
"There's a lot to be said! For example, I'm a fantastic lover, especially in be~"
"AHHHHHH, DAD MAKE HIM STOP!!!!"
"A-Xuan," Ji Yang gave a warning that has zero hints of intimidation, but it was enough to persuade Hao Xuan because he was whipped like that. Whipped.
~~~~~
"Did you hear a gruesome screech? Sounds like our vicious class president," Guo Cheng commented halfway through chewing on his chicken leg.
Pei Xin squeezed Guo Cheng's shoulder, "Only you would recognize her voice considering that yelling at you is part of her presidential duty."
Fan Xing smiled at Pei Xin's teasing while Jun Xiang paid for his brother's fifth food stall. I knew he was going to eat a lot but at this rate... Jun Xiang pulled out his phone and messaged Yibo.
[JX: Uncle Yibo, where are you?
JX: we're going to be bankrupt soon
Uncle Yibo: it's not even an hour yet
JX: this is basically a buffet for GC uncle
JX: it's the price you chose to pay
Uncle Yibo: ....]
~~~~~
"What's wrong," Xiao Zhan asked when he saw black lines on Yibo's face.
"We have a pig in the family," Yibo replied bluntly, shaking his head in defeat.
Before Xiao Zhan could ask for more details, Yibo squeezed their intertwined hands and pulled Xiao Zhan along. "Children."
"Ah~." From Xiao Zhan's brief interactions with the youngest Wangs (and Pei Xin's snarky comments) Xiao Zhan was able to understand the situation immediately.
Looking at the younger man who was leading him away, Xiao Zhan let out a melodic laugh. What a strange situation I've fallen into.
Passing by a forested trail, Xiao Zhan caught sight of Ji Li being dragged by another male towards a less crowded area. "Yibo, isn't that your manager?"
Yibo turned his head just in time to see a glimpse of Ji Li and possibly a man that Yibo recognized to be He Peng. Yibo didn't have many interactions with this Literature teacher since he started working towards the end of Yibo's high school year. Yibo has seen him a few times when he attended Gusu's event, but his strongest impression was simply a man who was foolish enough to find any good points in Ji Li.
Normally Yibo wouldn't bat an eye towards such an event, but remembering how Ji Li has been pestering him about his pursuit of Xiao Zhan, Yibo couldn't let go of good blackmail materials like this. Taking a little detour, YiZhan followed the two figures towards a secluded area near the lake. What greeted them was the sight of He Peng feeding Ji Li...
He Peng had dragged Ji Li to a bench hidden in a side crevice that He Peng knew was often missed by most passersby. He chose this secluded area to ensure that there's little to no chance of being spotted by the brother-complex Yi Zhou. Along with Ji Li, he also brought a selection of food that he remembered Ji Li expressing interest in when he sent Ji Li a list of the concession stands.
As much as Ji Li tried to make a disgusted face at He Peng's actions and attempting to avoid the food that was airplane towards his lips, he still opened his mouth and took a bite. He Peng then grabbed a napkin and wiped Ji Li's lips with a broad grin on his face, filled with indulgence.
Xiao Zhan watched the interactions and smiled for he can tell how much adoration He Peng has towards Ji Li. He glanced ever so slightly over at Yibo but retracted his gaze as embarrassment overwhelmed him at the thought of Yibo feeding him like that (or him feeding Yibo even).
Yibo, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with pure disgust towards the double-faced Ji Li who claimed that he will never accept He Peng's pursuit. Look at you opening your mouth so wide... Yibo pulled out his phone to take pictures and videos for evidence. If Ji Li dares to annoy him in the next year...
Xiao Zhan was startled at Yibo's actions and the dark aura that he was exuding. Though Xiao Zhan doesn't know what Yibo's goals were, he felt the need to save Ji Li since he felt that Ji Li was a very hard-working manager. Taking one last look at the other couple, now with Ji Li 'forcefully' reciprocating He Peng's kindness and feeding him in return, Xiao Zhan grabbed Yibo's hand and escorted him away.
"Yibo, let's not make the kids wait too long."
It's not that Yibo obtained enough evidence or that he was satisfied with his revengeful plans, but simply because he has grown to listen to his Zhan-ge orders. Without a millisecond of hesitation, Yibo turned around and followed Xiao Zhan, smiling at how their roles had reversed. I guess it wasn't that bad to see Ji Li.
~~~~~
Fan Xing was observing the people at the festival, zoning out on Zhuo Cheng's complaint on his uncle taking too long to find them, when he noticed Xiao Zhan's figure. Broadening his smile, he stood on tiptoes and waved his arm as high as he could to catch Xiao Zhan's attention. However, as Xiao Zhan came closer, Fan Xing noticed the tangled fingers with Wang Yibo and couldn't help but retracted his excitement a little.
Fan Xing understood very well the developing relationship that was occurring between the two men, but he couldn't control his slight jealousy. After all, he knew Xiao Zhan first and greatly admired the gentle doctor. Everyone even knew how well Fan Xing favored Xiao Zhan over his uncle and aunt! And now? This other man appeared out of nowhere and was stealing all of Xiao Zhan's attention. It wasn't fair.
Pei Xin, the knight in golden armor who always had his eyes on Fan Xing noticed the slight mood change and understood the cause right away. Pei Xin may not care about other peoples' emotions, but he has learned to recognize Fan Xing's since it was part of Pei Xin's duty to protect him well. Thus, Pei Xin understood how much Fan Xing adored his UncleXiao and how often he has made such a face since Wang Yibo entered their lives. And. Pei Xin doesn't like it.
He doesn't know what it was that annoyed him: Wang Yibo's appearance causing Fan Xing to act this way, Uncle Xiao being the main cause of Fan Xing's depressed mood or simply the fact that Fan Xing was expressing such emotions towards other people... Whatever the reason was, it irritated Pei Xin.
And so, he seized Fan Xing's wrist and pulled his face to look at him. Even when Xiao Zhan was in front of them, Pei Xin encaged Fan Xing's head and prevented him from looking around.
Wide-eyed and confused, Fan Xing questioned, "What is it?"
"There's food on your face, don't move."
"But I haven't eaten anything in a while."
"I said don't move!"
Once Xiao Zhan was within hearing distance, he heard Pei Xin's sudden outburst towards Fan Xing. "What's wrong A-Xin?"
"Nothing." Pei Xin instantly felt regret once he heard the harsh tone he exuded, but his pride prevented him from addressing his outburst. Instead, he changed the course of the conversation, "What took you two so long!"
Fortunately (or not), everyone was used to Pei Xin's princess attitude and just assumed that he was annoyed at having to wait for so long.
"Sorry, sorry. We ran into someone and got a little distracted," Xiao Zhan tried to pacify the 'princess'.
Yibo, on the other end, was pinching Guo Cheng's cheek after handing Jun Xiang money. "Your face has inflated in the past few hours."
"Has not," Guo Cheng shouted in the offense. "I am a handsome and gorgeous Wang, Uncle Yibo."
Xiao Zhang let out a chortle for he can neither agree or disagreed with the statements. The Wangs does consist of handsome men.
Jun Xiang ignored his brother's mental breakdown and looked at the time, "Uncle Yibo, when do you have to prepare for the performance?"
"Performance," questioned Xiao Zhan, Fan Xing, and Pei Xin.
The easily distracted Guo Cheng answered, "Every year since high school, Uncle Yibo participates in the festival's concert."
"Mn," Yibo looked at Xiao Zhan. "It's only one dance track so it shouldn't take long. I was going to tell your earlier but," Yibo leaned in to whispered the rest of the sentence, "I got distracted by you."
Xiao Zhan tilted his head and took a deep breath to controlled his composure. "Are you starting again, Wang Yibo?"
Enjoying the flushed on Xiao Zhan's face that made him even more captivating, Yibo could have continued with his flirtatious ways if Jun Xiang didn't pop their bubble.
"Father just asked if you're able to stop by for a moment? There seem to be some changes to the itinerary."
Yibo turned on his phone but didn't see any missed messages or calls. Understanding what Yibo was doing, Jun Xiang commented with a cheeky smile, "Father didn't want to interrupt any moments so he asked me to find the right time."
Even though Yibo was slightly offended by the predicted behavior, he was more proud of Hai Kuan's judgment. Nodding his head, saying "Mn", and giving a thumbs-up, Yibo thought "Brother knows best."
~~~~~
Hai Kuan has been busy adjusting the performance itinerary due to a minor incident. After receiving Yibo's message that he was heading towards his direction with the children, Hai Kuan felt a little more at ease. Unlike the other celebrities who were also participating in the show, at least he knew that Yibo would accommodate any changes that needed to be done.
"Is everything alright," Zan Jin entered the backstage lounge with two people.
Hai Kuan greeted his husband with an "Mn" and a kiss on the cheek. Once again he was grateful for this extremely supportive man who didn't show any grievances when Hai Kuan was pulled away to fix this mess instead of enjoying the festival with Zan Jin.
He then looked at the two people that Zan Jin brought over, recognizing one of the two who was Yibo's doctor. "Zhuo Cheng, it's been a while."
"This is Zoey Meng, a fellow doctor at Yunmeng Hospital and..." Zan Jin glanced at Zhuo Cheng for any interception at his next word, "girlfriend."
Zoey smiled brightly, not affected by the obvious pause while Zhuo Cheng looked away shyly.
Hai Kuan saw their reactions and couldn't help but tease the ever so serious VIP doctor, "I never thought I would get to see this side of you, Doctor Jiang. It's quite refreshing."
Hearing Hai Kuan's comment, Zhuo Cheng looked up with a flushed face, wide eyes, and opened mouth. Mainly feeling embarrassed, but Zhuo Cheng was quite displeased with himself for being so unrefined in front of others. Especially the Wangs!
However, being the prideful person that he was, Zhuo Cheng ended up baring his fangs instead of fixing his image. "D-don't expect to see it again!" What? Why did I say that?!
Hai Kuan chuckled, "Of course, of course. I feel very fortunate to witness such an event and will keep it to myself."
"Y-you! What's there to keep? There's no need to keep it to yourself. Just forget it," Zhuo Cheng huffed.
On the sideline, Zan Jin and Zoey watched the men interacted (mainly Zhuo Cheng making a fool of himself).
A thought appeared in Zoey's head and she deemed it necessary to share with Zan Jin. "Are they..."
"...flirting," Zan Jin finished the sentence as he made eye contact with Zoey.
Smiling at each other as if they were best friends, the two shared another thought, "Great minds think alike."
Author's Note:
This was a hard one to write since I wanted to touch-based with the other characters, but also not make it feel too messy. Having a setting to tie the various couple's moments together actually makes it harder to write then the random chunks I put together for "The People Around YiZhan".
Who's your favorite side couple?