Chapter Text
Gentle lighting, the fragrance of freshly roasted venison, slow bossa nova playing from the radio.
A snowstorm raged outside. Inside, the electric fireplace glowed, sending warmth and ambient crackles through the whole room.
Next to it, in a leather-upholstered wingback chair, Tianlang-Jun was sitting comfortably.
He just started eating his dinner. There was nothing better after a whole day of work than cashmere loungewear, a hearty meal, and a glass of wine to relax with.
But he barely took a few bites before the music got interrupted:
This is an announcement from the Emergency Center. A heavy snowstorm is about to start in the next hour. Large portions of the Central Plains can see from one to two meters of snow, with isolated areas pushing four meters. When the harsh winds start, the snow will cause the visibility to drop to zero. If you’re caught on the roads, there may be no way out.
Tianlang-Jun looked out the window of his elegant apartment on the highest floor. Indeed, he couldn't see much, but he could hear the howling gusts of wind.
The worst phase of the storm is supposed to start at eleven PM. Blizzard conditions will last through tomorrow, and in some places, into early Sunday morning. Power outages are likely and can last until the conditions improve. Emergency services may not be able to reach you. We are urging everyone to be off the roads by midnight. Take care of yourself and the people around you. We’ll be here all night, reporting at every full hour.
Tianlang-Jun sighed and took a sip of the twenty-year-old Côte-Rôtie. Oh well. Seems like his yoga class tomorrow is cancelled.
The music came back on, and he continued his meal as if nothing happened.
Well, almost nothing.
Because as soon as he was about to take another bite, he heard a knock on the door.
Tianlang-Jun looked at the clock. It was already nine, and he wasn't expecting any visitors. Who could possibly need his attention at this hour?
He draped a deep burgundy velvet nightrobe over his shoulders. No matter who his unexpected guest was, Tianlang-Jun always had to make the best first impression.
When he opened the door, he was met with a very handsome, but just as grumpy face of a young man.
"Good evening!" Tianlang-Jun smiled, "To what do I owe thepleasure?"
The young man furrowed his brows, as if he was battling with his own thoughts, before finally speaking.
"My name is Liu Qingge, I live one floor below you. Thing is… I do my groceries weekly, and today was the day… except there's a storm outside and all stores closed down. All I have is plain pasta. So… I came to ask… can I borrow any sauce? I'll buy it back when I can."
Liu Qingge pressed his lips into a thin line. Surely, he wasn't used to asking for help.
And who would Tianlang-Jun be if he let this desperate, starving gentleman go back home disappointed!
"Do not be afraid, my dear neighbour! Please, come in, as it is dinnertime for me as well!" He stepped aside, letting Liu Qingge in. "You can call me Tianlang-Jun, or just A-Lang! Make yourself at home, there's plenty of space at the table! I'll prepare a portion for you shortly!"
Liu Qingge looked like he wanted to protest against such generosity, but as he was about to do so, his stomach rumbled. There goes the attempt at being humble. He stepped inside, trying — and failing — to hide his flushed cheeks.
Tianlang-Jun closed the door and followed, eager to entertain his visitor.
"Please, dear, make yourself at home. Do you eat meat? A strong young man like you probably does! Do you like venison? If you have never tried, I have to tell you, the flavour is deep and slightly earthy, stronger than beef but not overpowering. It goes excellently with wine! Do you drink wine? I just opened a twenty-year-old syrah, or as some would say, shiraz. Amazing flavour, just like anything that comes from the region of Northern Rhône! Have you been to France? I have a summer villa there, you should visit sometime!"
Liu Qingge couldn't quite catch up with all the information, so he stayed silent. Meanwhile, Tianlang-Jun continued to ramble as he prepared the food.
Not long after he started a tale about his lovely nephew, another knock came from the door.
"Oho! The more the merrier!" Tianlang-Jun fixed his velvet nightrobe and opened the door.
Yet another unexpected visitor this evening! How exciting!
"Hello, how can I help you?" He said with a smile.
A man, covered in snow from top to bottom, shivered as he spoke:
"G-good evening… M-my name is Jiang Cheng, I j-just came back from a trip… I live two floors below, b-but my apartment is ice-cold and—"
"Worry not, dearest neighbour! Come inside and join us for dinner! The outside is treacherous. but inside, we feast!" Tianlang-Jun opened the door further and let the man in.
As it turned out, Jiang Cheng was on a train after visiting his family when the snowstorm escalated. Since no taxis were available in such conditions, he had to walk all the way from the station, with a heavy suitcase and against the harsh winds. When he finally reached his flat, he looked like a giant icicle.
And to add to his misery, the heating system in his apartment stopped working.
Tianlang-Jun and Liu Qingge listened to this story while the three of them shared dinner.
"Ah, you unfortunate soul!" Tianlang-Jun gasped dramatically, "I'm so glad you found your way to my abode! It's not often that I have visitors, you know? Especially not as lovely as you two!"
Jiang Cheng blushed. Liu Qingge cleared his throat.
"And we are… grateful that you agreed to this…"
"How could I not! I'm a gentleman, not a demon!" Tianlang-Jun laughed heartily.
As they were dining and chatting, the lights flickered. A few seconds later, everything went dark.
"Huh?! What happened?" Jiang Cheng reached for his phone and turned on the flashlight.
Liu Qingge walked over to the windows. Even with little visibility they should at least be able to see the streetlights, or lights from other apartments. But there was nothing. Only the howling of wind, freezing snow, and darkness.
Jiang Cheng cursed. "Shit, I lost my signal completely. Mr Tian, is your wifi working?"
"I don't think so…" said Tianlang-Jun, poking the unresponsive router. "And please, just call me Tianlang-Jun, or A-Lang."
At this very moment, the music stopped a voice came from the radio again:
The snowstorm has caused a power line to snap just now, leaving several districts without electricity. Emergency crews are trying to assess the damage, however, power restoration may take several hours, depending on weather conditions. All residents are encouraged to conserve phone battery life and use alternative heating sources, if possible. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
After the statement ended, the music came back on.
"Hmm, that's unfortunate." Tianlang-Jun sighed.
"If a few districts lost power then it cannot be just one line." Liu Qingge pointed out.
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Yeah, they probably said that to avoid raising panic. The situation is already bad as it is."
"No need to worry, my dear boys. The situation is bad, I agree. But we are inside, and we have enough food for at least a few days. What we may not have, however, is the heat." Tianlang-Jun pressed a finger to his lips, thinking. "Without power, the heating system shuts down. But fear not, for I have a solution!"
"What is it, Mr Tian?" Jiang Cheng asked with anticipation.
"There should be some hot water still left in the system. Meaning, we can take a hot bath now and then hop under the blankets, to maintain the temperature. Of course, the hot water is limited, so we would have to bathe together."
Tianlang-Jun knew what the offer sounded like. But it's not his fault! His intentions were pure and innocent! Pinky promise!
Liu Qingge shrugged. "Fine by me. Just like in the gym."
"S-sure… why not." Jiang Cheng felt his cheeks burn, but in the weak light of his flashlight, it was barely noticeable
"Alright then. Let me grab the candles."
"Candles?" Liu Qingge raised an eyebrow.
"The announcer advised us to conserve our phone batteries, right? Besides, a bath in the candlelight shall forever be superior!"
Despite the serious situation they found themselves in, Tianlang-Jun remained his cheerful, easy-going self. Perhaps that very attitude calmed the other two men down. It's only a temporary power outage, they were safe inside a building, and they had each other for company. Not a bad deal.
"I shall prepare the bath! See this big wooden closet? Please pick up any loungewear and sweaters you like. We will need them to stay warm while asleep." Tianlang-Jun lit up one of the candles and marched off to the bathroom.
Jiang Cheng and Liu Qingge looked at each other. So they're staying the night at their neighbour's place, huh.
No matter how they looked at it, it made sense: even though they all lived in the same building, staying together was their best strategy. It's just… Mr Tian looked way too enthusiastic about having this whole emergency sleepover!
Jiang Cheng took the initiative and opened the closet, shinig his phone's light to look inside. Just as Tianlang-Jun said, the shelves contained cashmere sweaters and other articles of clothing, all very soft and high quality.
Both of them grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a sweater — Liu Qingge took a white one, Jiang Cheng took purple.
With their chosen sets, they headed to the bathroom.
Jiang Cheng walked first, but stopped suddenly after crossing the doorframe. Liu Qingge bumped into him.
"What's wrong, Mr Jiang?" He said, but then realised what caused Jiang Cheng to stop in his tracks.
The bathroom was HUGE!!!
A whole schoolbus could fit in it, and there would still be space left! How could a room this big even exist in their building?!!
Not only was it massive, it was also decorated to imitate a traditional hot spring! Stalks of bamboo grew on three sides, while the fourth wall and ceiling were decorated with a trompe-l’œil mural, creating the illusion of an outdoor space.
In the middle of it, in a tub made of raw stone, sat their host. The candles standing at the edges of the tub were the only light sources illuminating his naked physique.
Tianlang-Jun winked. "Don't be shy~ Come in while the water is still hot!"