Chapter Text
Two things to know about Mo Ran.
- His dick size accidentally became office gossip after one of his one night stands turned out to be Ye Wangxi’s close friend, and thus the rumour that he has a penis the size of an average man’s forearm has spread faster than wildfire, and;
- His supervisor, Chu Wanning, absolutely hates his guts.
Though these two pieces of information seem unrelated to each other, they will soon become very relevant, and very related, very soon.
It starts three years ago, during Mo Ran’s internship at Sisheng Peak, where he cowered in fear under the harsh glare of one Chu Wanning. Who would grow to become his most loathsome superior, and the cause of his daily strife. However, at the time, tender aged 20 year old Mo Ran was rather preoccupied staring at the curve of Director Chu’s ass, and the way it moved underneath his perfectly tailored work slacks while he walked, as he gave them a tour of the office.
Chu Wanning’s dry clipped voice explained where the break room is, the location of all the meeting rooms, and lastly each of their individual cubicles, as well as the long hallway leading to Chu Wanning’s solitary office, which Mo Ran would soon know is referred to as the Red Lotus Office, for all the blood curdling screams that Chu Wanning draws out of new hires, due to his impossibly high standards. He will, initially, wave off these rumours. How can such a beautiful man (with a great ass) be cruel? How can he be anything but kind and gentle, just like the way the sun gently dances across his golden eyes.
He is soon proven wrong when he finds himself in Chu Wanning’s office, his sales proposal being ripped to shreds. He’d received his proposal back, marked in blood red ink, detailing every mistake that needed to be fixed before being re-emailed to his haughty supervisor.
“I expected better from you.” Chu Wanning says in his severe voice. Mo Ran’s eye twitches.
This continues for the next two years of Mo Ran’s internship.
A headache of never being good enough to please Chu Wanning. Of his ideas being dismissed, his work being scrutinised, his very being diminished to nothing but mistakes and failures.
Chu Wanning’s loathsome personality does not end there, though. He is as stubborn as a mule, and won’t come to an agreement with anyone, ruling the Sales and Advertising department with an iron-clad fist of fear. He’s antisocial as fuck, always saying no to after-work hangouts, and yearly parties, turning his nose at frugal wastes of time, as if he's so important he can’t bring himself to interact with the lowly common office worker. Finally, in the two years of Mo Ran’s internship, and the first few months of his proper employment, not once has he ever said anything kind to Mo Ran. Not only that, Director Chu did not even attend Mo Ran’s welcome party, despite Mo Ran personally delivering him an invitation. Instead he found the invitation unopened on his empty desk, being told by one of the junior supervisors Chu Wanning had already left for the day. The next day, as he approached Director Chu’s office to ask him why he could not attend the party the day prior, extending an olive branch to this disagreeable man, he’d overheard a conversation that made his heart sink into his stomach.
“...Is deficient beyond remedy…” Chu Wanning said, muffled behind the closed door to his office.
Mo Ran didn’t even have to ask who the subject of the conversation was. He knew. He stumbled backwards in the hallway and retreated to his desk. The whole world spinning in his head. He never knew the extent of Chu Wanning’s hatred until this very moment and it made his stomach churn, the hot sting of bile rising in his throat.
So Mo Ran doesn’t feel guilty for always thinking the worst of Chu Wanning, for Chu Wanning is always thinking the worst of everyone around him–especially Mo Ran.
His only respite comes in the form of Xia Sini. An angel sent from the heavens, departing the clouds of wet dreams to grace Mo Ran’s screen with his beautiful milky thighs, and pretty feet.
Xia Sini falls somewhere between lewd cosplayer and camboy, his provocative images have nursed Mo Ran back to health after truly gruelling weeks at work. Mo Ran’s favourite was when he dressed up as a strict teacher, who got reduced to a whimpering mess as he called his student gege, whilst softly pleading for mercy. Oh Xia Sini, wars could be started in his honour, a jade beauty so pure and unblemished, he must have been divinely crafted, his birth signalled by the singing of angels. How Mo Ran’s dick weeps for him, with every scantily clad picture driving him more and more insane.
Of course, in his defence, it started off very normal.
Mo Ran was pent up on a Friday night, memories of Chu Wanning’s stern glare making him restless and angry, and going to the gym had only made him more so, with the desire to do something thrumming underneath his skin, a skittish energy that would not disappear.
The solution, as anyone knows, is to jerk off.
He pulls off his gym shorts and settles into bed, scrolling aimlessly on his phone for porn. One of his hookups, Rong Jiu, had recently gotten into OnlyFans, so he was looking through his twitter to try and whet his appetite when a very enticing account popped up in his suggested feed.
The name ‘Xia Sini’ didn’t really inspire one to get down and dirty, but that was easily ignored once Mo Ran clicked on his profile. Xia Sini was downright a dirty slut, playing dress up in lingerie and whimpering for attention. Mo Ran’s cock rose to attention like a soldier at the images of Xia Sini sitting prettily in a cosplay of princess peach, the dress unzipped and halfway off his shoulders, revealing the lingerie he wore underneath. His face was turned towards the camera, but obscured by a pixelated blur.
Fuckkkkkkkk.
Mo Ran grabbed his dick. He looked at more photos. Then videos–of Xia Sini clumsily humping a pillow, of him showing off his pretty ass and perfect arch. He came a total of three times in one night.
This quickly spiralled into nothing short of an obsession.
Which is what leads him to this…dubious situation. He and Xia Sini have been exchanging messages, and less so messages than him sending Xia Sini photos of him stroking his cock whilst finishing to the thought of the online cosplayer, and Xia Sini responding by blocking him. However, when he checks the next day, he is always unblocked, and the object of all his desires has sent him a photo in return.
Initially, it was just photos from his paid content, Mo Ran knows because one week into this obsession, he caved, whipped out his wallet and bought access to Xia Sini’s pay-walled personal website, opening a treasure trove of photos and videos. But then, they became more personal and almost…domestic in nature. A photo of Xia Sini bathing, his body hidden underneath a sea of bubbles. Xia Sini just before bed, showing off his cute pyjama set.
And this has sent Mo Ran half-deranged. Because initially, he was attracted to Xia Sini’s pale skin, unblemished, obsessed with how easily it bruised from handcuffs and chokers, and of course his perfect ass, round like a peach. But now? It’s the way he braids his hair for bed, the way his small wrists look so delicate, and the way he always wears oversized t-shirts that slip off the shoulder when he’s not dressed in lewd lingerie. A truly strange obsession of Mo Ran’s is Xia Sini’s flower shaped birth mark on his back. It’s small and pressed into the arch of his spine, where his waist begins to curve into his hips. A small imperfection on an otherwise perfect being. Mo Ran has dreamt too many times about tracing that birth mark with his fingers, gently trailing kisses around it, watching it bend and shift as he takes Xia Sini from behind.
Okay, so maybe he has a parasocial crush on an internet sex worker. Sue him, you’d go crazy too if your ridiculously hot supervisor was always breathing down your neck and making you lose hair from stress. You’d also become just as obsessed if this sex worker reminded you of your cold and aloof supervisor who you’ve been wanting to hate fuck since the first time he gave you an icy glare. Mo Ran wishes that every time he jerked off to Xia Sini he wasn't thinking of Chu Wanning’s frowning face being turned into a blissed out expression as Mo Ran fucked the attitude out of him. That he didn’t imagine Chu Wanning’s phoenix eyes staring back at him through the blur that covered Xia Sini’s face. That his obsession with Xia Sini was just simply born out of lust.
Try as he might, Mo Ran can’t deny that Chu Wanning is ridiculously beautiful, and unintentionally seductive. See for example, every time they have a business meeting outside of the office.
Chu Wanning's sweet tooth was no secret to Mo Ran. Who was his favourite punching bag, and thus the person he always brought along with him to business trips, the one he’d always schedule meetings with to relay information. They sit now, inside a cafe, and Chu Wanning has a seriously egregiously sugary dessert in front of him. A parfait with so much whipped cream, it looks dangerously close to toppling over.
Chu Wanning mistakes his staring for hunger, and slides a second spoon over to Mo Ran wordlessly.
“Ah, thank you Director Chu, but I’m okay,” Mo Ran mumbles out, scared that he might lose all his teeth if he took a bite.
“Hm. Suit yourself then,” Chu Wanning says before he scoops an entire spoonful of just whipped cream and places it into his mouth. Though Director Chu is usually a man of great table manners, and one who looks after his prim appearance, in the face of a great dessert, he throws all care out the window. So when the cream clings to the side of his lip in an enticing trail that if Mo Ran squinted ever so slightly, he can imagine a different white substance dripping from his lip, Mo Ran is convinced this prissy supervisor is trying to send him to an early grave. Seriously, it should be illegal for someone so unlikeable to be so…enticing. Mo Ran enjoys this view until Chu Wanning opens his gigantic work folder, overflowing with sheets of paper and takes out Mo Ran’s latest sales pitch for their new cardstock line, targeted towards wedding invitations. Mo Ran sends a silent prayer to his ancestors that he’ll be able to reign in any snarky comments and Chu Wanning (whipped cream still clinging to his pretty pink lips) begins to barrage him about his poor vocabulary and abysmal grammar.
Honestly, what does a single, pent up, almost thirty year old man even know about weddings? Chu Wanning is such a prude, even the mention of casual dating would make him scrunch his nose and turn away like a frazzled cat. Mo Ran couldn’t even imagine him going on a date, let alone being in a relationship.
Haha. Seriously, what a crazy thought.
Chu Wanning letting down his guard, intertwining his long slender hands with someone else’s, letting that person wrap an arm protectively around his narrow waist. Sitting across from someone whilst sharing a meal, gently smiling at them. Would he let his lover card their fingers through his long silky black hair? Would he let their fingers brush against his pale skin as they undid the buttons on his stuffy work shirts. Gently unveiling his sculpted chest, and his soft pink nipples, and his face would probably turn all cute and scrunched up as he played with them, pinching them lightly. Would Chu Wanning whimper? Beg for more? Cry on Mo Ran’s fingers whilst whining for Mo Ran’s cock–
His thoughts suddenly halt. Mo Ran realised he’d been holding onto the edge of the table in a white knuckle grip, a frown on his handsome features as Chu Wanning handed back his sales pitch, marked up in red ink. A familiar sight. He didn’t even hear any of the changes that he’d have to inevitably make, too busy thinking salacious things about the very man sat across from him.
“Will that be okay?” Chu Wanning says, finishing his parfait, “Mo Ran?”
“Huh–yeah that’s fine. It’s fine. All good,” Mo Ran lets out a nervous chuckle and gives Director Chu a practiced fake smile. His eyes glued to the way Chu Wanning licks the remnants of dessert off his spoon.
This seems to please Chu Wanning who nods once and then curtly leaves. Mo Ran quickly stumbles out of his chair, stopping to push it in as he trails after Chu Wanning.
He doesn’t realise what he’s agreed to, until two weeks later. When he, Xue Meng, and Chu Wanning are in the back of a taxi, travelling across Beijing. He elbows Xue Meng, who lets out a squawk and goes to hit Mo Ran back.
“What was that for, you dog!” Xue Meng hisses, trying to move away from Mo Ran, but accidentally bumping Chu Wanning’s side. This earns both of them an irritated glare.
“Why are we here?” Mo Ran whispers, his eyebrows furrowed.
“We’re supervising the photoshoot for the wedding cardstock line, do you ever listen to Director Chu at all!” Xue Meng huffs out, looking over at Chu Wanning for confirmation and praise for remembering so well.
“Mo Weiyu, I told you at our last meeting that you would tag along, and you agreed. Do you truly have such a bad memory?” Chu Wanning reprimands, a stern look on his face. Mo Ran wants so bad to ruin that prissy face. Turning away from Chu Wanning, like a petulant child, he busies himself by looking at the passing scenery, blurry pink and white roses increasing in volume as they arrive at a wedding venue.
When they open the car door, the floral smell of the gardens pleasantly greets them. The manager of the venue welcomes them and leads them through the main building, where the models are being fitted into their outfits behind large privacy screens, and gives them a small tour of the gardens, from the clear lake, decorated with floating water lilies and lotus flowers. The serene greenery of the blossoming flower bushes, and the tall haitang trees frame the main willow tree, its large branches spanning over the edge of the lake, long wispy leaves hanging low.
A simple wedding table is set up, as well as a small platform that acts as the altar. Photography equipment encircles the plain wedding scene, all the people on standby for Chu Wanning’s nod of approval. Director Chu takes a look over the table, fixing the placement of the name cards, printed on the cream cardstock from Sisheng Peak and adjusting the position of the flowers before giving a curt nod.
At once, there is a flurry of motion, the lighting person holds the light reflector and positions himself beside the photographer, ready for instruction. The makeup artist adds some finishing touches to the model before ushering her towards the prop table. The photographer uncaps the lens cap and directs the bride to sit down at the table. They take a few shots of her arranging the invitations, zooming in on the simple greeting card. Chu Wanning watches the scene with a quiet intensity, whispering to the photographer about small changes. Xue Meng watches with stars in his eyes, admiring how Chu Wanning commands the space. Mo Ran rolls his eyes.
All is going well until a fidgety stylist approaches Chu Wanning with her eyebrows drawn in terror. Mo Ran is too far away to hear what they’re talking about, but he sees her bow in apology profusely. They talk some more before Chu Wanning follows her into the main building. Mo Ran pokes Xue Meng, who turns around to curse him out.
“Hey, Mengmeng, where’s Director Chu going?” Mo Ran says, continuing to poke Xue Meng with his pointer finger.
Xue Meng punches him on the shoulder and walks to the other side of the garden, huffing and puffing whilst he does. Mo Ran lets out an irritated sigh, disappointed at losing his entertainment. Chu Wanning is gone for a good half hour before he reemerges.
Mo Ran’s breath catches at the sight of him.
Instead of the frumpled white button up and grey slacks he’d arrived in, Chu Wanning is now dressed in a smart black tuxedo. The jacket perfectly accentuating his broad shoulders, and the way it tapers down to his narrow waist. His hair has been pulled out of the usual severe high ponytail Chu Wanning prefers, and is braided, with small white flowers interspersed between locks of his hair. Elegantly he takes a spot beside the bride. When the photographer asks, he takes her hand, though Mo Ran can see the tips of his ears are red, and his face barely holds back his look of embarrassment.
A deep unpleasant feeling swells within him as Mo Ran watches Chu Wanning try to maintain face as the photographer asks them to do increasingly more intimate poses. He watches as the bride smiles up gently at Chu Wanning. Of course this naive girl has not seen Chu Wanning’s wrath so she is none the wiser to his short temper and awful personality. She’s probably so charmed by his sharp and elegant features and nice figure, how beautiful he looks with his hair down, and the way the suit accentuates his body. Everytime they touch, Mo Ran feels the sudden urge to hit something.
Honestly, instead of a dashing groom, Chu Wanning would be more fit to play the role of a blushing bride. Dressed in white, a veil covering his face. How he’d undo the buttons of the dress and show Mo Ran the pretty lacy lingerie he was hiding underneath.
The photoshoot comes to an end shortly after the director asks if Chu Wanning can kiss the back of the bride’s hand, to which the thin-faced Chu Wanning suddenly stands up and begins reprimanding the camera man. Indignant shouts of is this really necessary!? And shouldn't the focus be on the card! In the end, Chu Wanning falls out of favour with the people at the venue who passive aggressively ushers them out, informing them that the photos will be edited and sent to them in two weeks time.
Mo Ran sits in the back of the taxi wondering why he was even brought along, and dreading the pile of work that he has yet to finish. Did Director Chu just want to waste his day so he could get angry at him for falling behind?
On the drive back, Mo Ran’s thoughts wander back to Chu Wanning. Admittedly, amidst the backdrop of the pretty garden, Chu Wanning looked almost regal. Like a divine being. He wonders if he’ll ever see the day that his supervisor is wed, and ignores the strange feelings this stirs within him, of anger and sadness and something else he can't quite name. (Jealousy?)
When they arrive back at the office, Mo Ran is distracted by the sight of Chu Wanning’s hair still in that braid. He’d thought that Chu Wanning would have shaken the flowers out of his head and pulled it back up into that ponytail that always made him look quite threatening. It reminds him vaguely of Xia Sini.
He reaches out to pluck a single flower out of the braid. Chu Wanning bristles and turns around, his face red, his eyes lowered in a glare.
“Ah, Director Chu, let me help you,” Mo Ran mumbles, expecting Chu Wanning to brush him off and walk away. Instead Chu Wanning nods, gently turning his head back around.
“In my office though.”
So Mo Ran follows Chu Wanning to his office.
He stands behind Chu Wanning as he works, gently picking the flowers out of his supervisor’s hair and placing them down on the mahogany desk. When he’s done, he runs his fingers through the soft locks–even softer than he’d imagined. It’s almost…sweet. Soft. Quiet. Just the sound of keys clacking.
“Mo Ran,” Chu Wanning warns, “if you’re done, then leave!”
The moment of peace is broken. Mo Ran bows in apology before leaving, a scowl on his face. Typical Chu Wanning. Asking Mo Ran for help, and then lashing out at him for doing so. God. Why does he even try with him anymore?
(Mo Ran misses the sight of Chu Wanning staring down at the small white blossoms. Gently, he scoops them into his hand and places them delicately into a small bag. He hopes he’ll have enough time this afternoon to press them so he’ll be able to treasure them forever.)
When Mo Ran gets home after clocking in three hours overtime, he is a husk of a man. Only the ping from his twitter notifying him Xia Sini has posted a new set brings him back to life. Oh his sweet angel who can do no wrong. Mo Ran has every curve of his body memorised. How Mo Ran wishes he could trail kisses down his spine, whilst gently tracing his hands along his sides.
Today, Xia Sini is dressed as a cute little bride with angel wings. Mo Ran doesn't even make it to his bedroom before he starts palming his dick. It’s so easy to imagine Chu Wanning in his place, his pathetic phoenix eyes looking up at him.
Husband, I’m here to serve you~
Xia Sini’s caption makes him buck his hips. Fuck. Fuck. His precum is staining the inside of his boxer briefs, leaving a wet patch on the front. He imagines Chu Wanning saying those very words and nearly comes on the spot. He pulls his half hard cock out, and strokes it to full mast, clumsily thumbing Xia Sini’s profile picture to reach the message feature. He sends a video of himself giving languid strokes to his cock before returning to the photos. He doesn't sleep for a long, long time.
Mo Ran wakes up satisfied. In such an amazing mood, even the dark grey thunder clouds brewing in the sky can’t phase him. What’s a little bit of rain when waiting in his twitter inbox, is a photo from Xia Sini. In the same lingerie set, his ass facing the camera, his cute little feet poking out from under those sculpted cheeks as he kneels, the veil cascading down his back. He spots the small flower birthmark in the crook of Xia Sini’s spine. So enticing and elegant, every part of Xia Sini is. His cock twitches.
Fuck.
Just a quick one before work.
By the time he cums, showers, gets dressed, and eats breakfast, Mo Ran is late for work, and it is storming outside. Heavy rain patters against his umbrella as he runs towards the subway, the sound of rainfall echoing around the station. The hems of his pants damp with rain water as he races through the lobby to reach the elevator. Impatiently he taps his foot, waiting for the doors to open.
He forgot that he had a meeting with Chu Wanning first thing in the morning. He tries his best to balance being fast, with looking like a normal human being who is scared of his boss a normal amount. People keep stopping him to say hello or make small talk, driving him up the wall as he maneuvers around them and rushes down the hall that leads to Chu Wanning’s office.
Without knocking, he opens the door. He finds Chu Wanning half naked, his white button up soaked through and sticking to his skin, even paler due to the cold rain.
“Ah–”
“Get out! Mo Ran, get the hell out now!”
Mo Ran does not get the hell out, instead he is stuck in place, transfixed by the small brown flower shaped birthmark on Chu Wanning’s back.
What the fuck.
What the fuck.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ♡ ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
The rain doesn't stop for the next week. The rainy summer season had officially started, the downpour relentlessly washing away all feelings of joy. Mud trekked into the lobby of Sisheng Peak, and the walkway outside Mo Ran’s apartment was flooded more times than it wasn't. More people started to use the subway, preferring it to driving, so his morning commute is more noisy and crowded than usual. Everyone in Beijing seemed to turn grey and lifeless like the storm clouds, and Mo Ran felt as miserable as his surroundings.
He still thinks of that day in Chu Wanning’s office.
At first, he thought it was a stress induced dream, brought on by his shameless mind. But as he watched Chu Wanning frantically tug on his drenched shirt, the material practically translucent as it clung onto his skin, the flower shaped birthmark didn’t disappear. Such a small hypnotising thing.
Eventually, he did get the hell out. When he did, he made a mad dash for the bathroom, his phone held in an iron grip. He looked again at that photo of Xia Sini, at the flower shaped birthmark. Holy fuck.
Who knew Chu Wanning was so shameless?
The thing is, one would assume finding out your awful supervisor is the person you’ve been jerking off to for the past three months or so would ruin your sex drive entirely. Extinguish all attraction to this person, and instead be replaced by rampant disgust.
Mo Ran certainly tries his best to pretend to be disgusted. Practicing discipline by no longer visiting Xia Sini’s page now that he knew someone so unlikeable and stuffy and inexperienced was running it. He flushed all his fantasies about defiling Xia Sini’s ample body down the drain of the frequent cold showers he took. Mo Ran Jr. wept for mercy, but Mo Ran was unrelenting. No longer would he let Chu Wanning control him–whether it be in the private quarters of his bedroom, or the bustling office.
It’s easy to stop because he becomes very busy preparing for the new product launch. He’s in charge of preparing the launch party, and spends most of his time with Mei Hanxue trying to find venues and prepare catering. He’s strung high, and his temper is a ticking time bomb.
Jerking off had been his stress relief. Now deprived from that escape from his high demanding project, he was more temperamental than ever, getting irritated at frankly small things. He tried watching other camboys, but all the pale and pretty faced twinks all reminded him of Chu Wanning, and left him unsatisfied. He found himself unconsciously watching pornos of employees fucking their haughty bosses and thinking even more of Chu Wanning.
Not to mention the real Chu Wanning was breathing down his neck as well. Always having one thing or another to say about Mo Ran’s choices.
He even tries to go out and find someone to hook up with. Thinking that maybe the issue was that he was spending too much time masturbating, and needed the give of skin beneath his hands to blow off steam. When a pretty boy rubs against Mo Ran on the dance floor, Mo Ran felt dissatisfied that he didn't look enough like Xia Sini. Nonetheless, he brought the nameless boy back to his apartment, and pictured Chu Wanning as he undid the buttons on his shirt, and grabbed his hair. When he woke up in the morning, he felt more regret than anything else.
Fucking Chu Wanning.
Xia Sini was meant to be his escape. Ignoring the fact that Mo Ran has only liked him so much because he reminded him of Chu Wanning–it was different now that Chu Wanning was Xia Sini.
But then…How could Mo Ran be certain of that?
So many people could have that birth mark. Of course. It could just be a coincidence.
A eureka moment hit that dumb dog. He jumped out of his bed like he’d just thought of the most genius thing in the world. Like a desperate man finally finding gold after mining fruitlessly for days.
How could he be certain that Xia Sini was actually Chu Wanning? It was just a birthmark. Maybe a flower shaped birthmark was common in Chinese men with great asses. So he compromised. He could keep jerking off to Xia Sini, guilt-free, while he investigated whether or not Chu Wanning and Xia Sini were even the same person. He felt so satisfied he instantly opened twitter, found his way to Xia Sini’s account and held his throbbing cock in his hand in an instant.
Xia Sini had new posts that Mo Ran had yet to enjoy, and he intended to savour every last photo, sexy pose, and provocative costume.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ♡ ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
Come morning light, Mo Ran was once again filled with dread and regret. The dreary weather outside did not help his mood, nor did the images of Xia Sini’s succubus themed photoshoot. The womb tattoo pressed against the solid lines of his stomach making Mo Ran’s heart race as he remembered it. The costume was topped off with the cutest little wings protruding from a leather croptop, the heart shaped cutout in the center showing off the generous plane of Xia Sini’s chest. On his website, he’d also posted a POV shot of his mouth, suckling gently on a flesh coloured dildo. Though it was smaller in length and girth, Mo Ran could imagine that it was his own dick that was being thrusted into Xia Sini’s willing mouth. When he opened his tongue, to show off the faux cum that he’d swallowed, two little costume fangs poked out from his top teeth, making Mo Ran groan. This is what he paid for. The attention to detail…yes…definitely.
Back to the matter at hand.
Realistically not that many people had the exact same birthmark, in the exact same spot. But the thought of Chu Wanning, his Director Chu running a secret account where he posted himself half naked was so unrealistic, that it made anything possible.
Chu Wanning was a prude to his core. He’d once seen a couple share an innocent, fleeting peck on the lips, and he’d gone ballistic. Moving their desks far, far away, and issuing a warning about appropriate workplace conduct. How could stuffy little Chu Wanning, who once reprimanded Mo Ran for privately talking about his nightly escapades to Mei Hanxue, go home every single day and post the most erotic photos to ever be posted in the history of the internet.
Honestly…it was really creepy right? It should be. It shouldn’t make Mo Ran want to corner Chu Wanning and ravage him the way he’s been wanting to.
For his sanity. He had to make sure. The only way was to look at it again. But how exactly was he supposed to convince Chu Wanning, second only to Buddha himself in terms of purity and righteousness, to undress in front of him? Mo Ran looks at himself in the mirror, splashes his face with water, and then again. He sees Chu Wanning’s silhouette haunted him the entire morning, from his cold phoenix eyes, to the way he blushed when he was embarrassed. Mo Ran ends up skipping his morning workout, and has no appetite for food, so he heads straight to work.
His entire rainy morning commute is filled with thoughts of Chu Wanning, and trying to conjugate this with the image of Xia Sini. The noisy train station drowns out his thoughts, but the image of Chu Wanning lingers behind his eyelids. The elegant curve of his neck, the way his long lashes casted shadows over his pinked cheeks, his wet hair clinging to the sides of his face. The seductive way the wet fabric clung to his small waist. The flower.
Safe to say, he almost misses his station.
He spends the next few weeks trying to devise a plan to somehow get the righteous and pure Chu Wanning naked and pliant under him. (Well–the pliant part was to satiate his own desires, the naked part was for his sanity.) But he becomes so swamped rearranging everything that he’s too busy thinking about work for once. He comes in early more often than not, and leaves later than everyone, save of course for Chu Wanning himself. His fridge fills with energy drinks, and the amount of caffeine he consumes is ungodly. The stress wears him thin–already aware of his previous mistake, and the whispers of upper management being disappointed in his poor planning. His smiles are more strained and fatigue wears heavy on his shoulders.
His body is running on autopilot most days.
On one particularly bad rainy day, which is becoming more common as the summer storms grow intense, Mo Ran arrives early enough to see Chu Wanning arriving as well. His white umbrella was held in his left hand. Mo Ran greets him with a friendly–albeit tight–smile, bowing politely. The action makes his head spin, but Mo Ran chalks it up to the poor sleep he’s been having as of late. Chu Wanning nods his head back. They fall into step together, silently making their way towards the elevator. Mo Ran racks his brain for something to say, but almost feels embarrassed in Chu Wanning’s presence, knowing he has dark circles under his eyes, and his hair is more unkempt than usual. How is Chu Wanning probably working twice as hard as him on this product launch, yet he looks as impeccable as ever? Is he even human? When the elevator doors open with a quiet ding, Shi Mei is standing inside. His refreshing presence instantly dissipates the building tension.
“Shi Mei, good morning!” He greets. The shorter man gives him a gentle smile in response, waving to Mo Ran. He bows courteously at Chu Wanning, greeting him with a soft Director Chu.
“A-Ran, Xue Meng said he needed to speak to you,” Shi Mei says, Mo Ran slots into place beside him, as he presses the button for his floor. Chu Wanning stands stiffly on Shi Mei’s other side.
“Whatever he wants, it can wait,” Mo Ran says with a roll of his eyes. Talking to Xue Meng is the last thing he wants to do right now. Shi Mei lets out a quiet laugh, gently hitting Mo Ran’s shoulder. This makes the stinging pain in Mo Ran’s head worse, but he tries to mask it with a light chuckle.
“You know he’ll only nag you more if you ignore him.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.”
Unbeknownst to Mo Ran, Chu Wanning is growing increasingly red beside Shi Mei. Watching this fond exchange with daggers in his golden eyes.
“Shi Mei, let me take you out for dinner…sometime. It’s been a while…” Mo Ran says, awkwardly eyeing Shi Mei, his eyes flitting over to Chu Wanning and his stormy expression.
“Of course, A-Ran,” Shi Mei responds, in that courteous tone that meant he was just humouring Mo Ran. The elevator comes to a stop, a melodic ding ringing as the doors open.
Chu Wanning clears his throat. “I would appreciate it if you guys refrained from flirting at work. It isn’t proper.” He sends a seething glare over to Mo Ran, before turning his nose upwards and walking out.
“Ah…Director Chu, that’s not our floor,” Mo Ran calls out helplessly after him, but that prideful man had already dug his grave. The door closes, and Mo Ran lets out a frustrated sigh. “He is far too stubborn for his own good.”
Shi Mei conceals his laugh with his hand, nodding in agreement.
“Director Chu is very cute sometimes.”
“Shi Mei…Don’t say such things.”
Mo Ran balks. Chu Wanning? Cute? It almost makes his head ache more, trying to think of a situation where he’d describe Director Chu as cute. When the elevator opened to the correct floor, he stepped out, waving goodbye to Shi Mei, whose floor was two above his. Before he could even sit down, an angry Xue Meng cornered him, and gave him a proper punch to the face, making his head spin.
What a way to start a morning.
“Mo Ran! You dog! What things are you telling Mei Hanxue!” Xue Meng cried out in a high pitched shriek. A frequency that only dogs could hear. Or as if he was a bat trying to use echolocation.
Blood rushed to Mo Ran’s face, he nursed his bruised cheek in one hand.
“Mengmeng, don’t you think it’s too early for this?” Mo Ran said with an aggrieved sigh. Usually he’d want to push all of Xue Meng’s buttons, but honestly, he was having an awful week.
Every time he got off to Xia Sini, he would see Chu Wanning’s face and be stricken with an awful mushy feeling in his stomach that was a mix of guilt and anger at himself. He’d also not been able to get a proper night’s rest, preparing the launch event for the new promotional video, and preparing the supplier guide for the new stock.
So, while usually a weak punch from Xue Meng–who could barely bench half of what Mo Ran does–did not affect him, he was feeling a bit lightheaded right now.
This dizzy feeling is made worse when Xue Meng grabs his shoulders and begins shaking him back and forth, yelling and shouting aggrieved complaints about how Mei Hanxue is trying to coax Xue Meng into wearing a sexy costume or whatever. Why did he have to hear about his cousin’s sex life?
Was the room always covered in small little white lights?
Did it always look this blurry?
He gets this strange floaty feeling before going limp in Xue Meng’s arms.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ♡ ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
When Mo Ran comes to, he’s inside the break room. The lights have been turned off, the blackout curtains drawn. He’s grateful for this, as his eyesight is still fuzzy, and it hurts to open them. Soft hands and gently stroking his cheek, a comforting floral smell filling his nose, he leans further into this smell, burying his face in the person’s chest.
“Mom…” He murmurs.
A wet cloth is placed on his forehead, the warmth easing him back into unconsciousness.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ♡ ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
Mo Ran doesn’t quite know how he makes it back home. He wakes up in his bed, staring up at the familiar ceiling of his small one bedroom apartment. The curtains are drawn close even though he’d left them wide open this morning. His question is answered when he stumbles into the kitchen and finds a covered bowl of Wonton soup sitting on the kitchen counter.
Shi Mei.
A boyish smile graces his features. His purple eyes soften as he gently blows on the still hot soup. Shi Mei must have gone home not too long ago.
He and Shi Mei started their internship at the same time. He was a front row witness to Chu Wanning’s cruelty. Always offering him words of comfort, and gentle looks of understanding. A small habit he’d gotten into was giving Mo Ran bowls of wonton soup after Chu Wanning had been especially harsh on him the day before. It was like a soothing balm over an open wound, and he looked forward to it every time. The perfect pillowy texture of each carefully folded wonton always comforted him.
Shi Mei didn’t know how much it meant to him. It reminded him of his mother, always giving him the bigger portion. As he enjoyed his wonton soup, he noticed the flour-covered kitchen counter, his heart thumping at the thought of Shi Mei’s slender fingers gently folding wontons and thinking of him.
It also broke his heart all over again.
Shi Mei had rather brutally turned him down at the beginning of the year. Quietly saying Mo Ran’s bold advances made him uncomfortable. Their friendship had never quite been the same. A little strained. He smiled sadly down at the table.
When he’s cleaning up, he notices a white umbrella discarded on his couch. Shi Mei must have left it when he came over. He places it by the door, next to his own umbrella so he can return it tomorrow.
When his head hits the pillow, he can’t help but think of Chu Wanning, and when his eyes finally droop, his dreams are haunted by visages of golden eyes, slender fingers, and warm food.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ♡ ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
It’s a rare morning where Mo Ran wakes up before his alarm. The sound of the rain pattering outside wakes him, and when he looks out, he sees the angry storm clouds covering the city in shadow.
Xue Meng’s equally stormy face is waiting for him outside his apartment.
“It’s going to be raining pretty heavily, and you were on my way, so I can drive you.” Xue Meng grumbles. Mo Ran sees through him immediately, and pats his head. Well, this is as close to an apology as you get with Xue Meng.
“C’mon MengMeng, let’s bounce.”
He leaves his umbrella discarded by the door.
The work day is hectic. As the rain grows heavier, Mo Ran’s mood grows more dour. Chu Wanning’s every nitpick about the upcoming launch party is making him go insane. He’s clawing at the inside of his enclosure, halfway between wrapping his hands around Chu Wanning’s neck, and bringing him to his knees and finding another way to shut him up.
The decorations are too simple. Now they’re too much. The guest list needs to be extended. What about the projector? It’s too small to display the video, but a bigger one would be too expensive. Blah.
Blah.
Blah.
Blah.
God, Chu Wanning is going to be the death of him.
The sooner this project is over, the sooner he can be promoted and ask to be moved to a different department. Maybe then he’d stop seeing Chu Wanning every time he closes his eyes as well.
Just as his day can’t get any worse, when he comes back from his lunch, he sees Mei Hanxue loitering by his desk. His usual mischievous smirk is missing from his handsome features.
“Mo Ran, don’t get angry…” He starts, tentatively. Out of character for him.
That’s how Mo Ran knows he’s about to get very angry.
Mei Hanxue had apparently, somehow, someway, accidentally booked the catering service for the wrong day. He’d booked it for today. Instead of next week.
Mo Ran takes a deep breath.
And then promptly begins to lose his shit. He calls the catering service to cancel the order, and bargains with them if they can do it next week, the answer is a pitiful no, as they’re already double booked for a work expo in the morning, and a gala night in the evening.
He’s really having a great day.
Everything comes to a head when he’s finished writing his presentation. He’s already clocked in two hours overtime, the office practically barren, the storm outside raging as he presses save on his slideshow presentation.
From: Director Chu
Early meeting tomorrow morning at 6:30am. Don’t be late.
Mo Ran nearly breaks his monitor in half.
Chu.
Fucking.
Wanning.
What reason would he have to see Mo Ran so early in the morning?!?!?!? He stalks over to Chu Wanning’s office to demand answers, he can see the slither of light peeking out from under the door, signifying he hasn’t left yet. Without knocking he throws the door open.
But there is no Chu Wanning.
The familiar clutter and mess of his office remains untouched. Missing is familiar work bag and his jacket. Mo Ran drags a hand down his face.
Fuck.
He flips the lights off and makes his way down to the lobby. He walks past the umbrella holder and suddenly remembers that he’d forgotten his in the rush of his late morning. Checking his watch tells him that the last train arrives in 20 minutes, which means it’ll be a fifteen minute walk to the train station in the pouring rain, and five minutes of waiting while looking like a wet dog.
Even the spare white umbrella that is usually left for people to use is missing. Mo Ran must have been cursed today. A loud boom of thunder punctuates his misery.
He rides the elevator down, accepting that he’ll have to call a DiDi, seeing as he’d be stranded in the rain otherwise. Only to find Chu Wanning waiting there for him.
“Mo Ran…” Chu Wanning begins, awkwardly looking away from Mo Ran.
All the fight from before has left him. More than anything, he’s tired. He just wants to sleep now, and worry about booking a new venue and a new catering service tomorrow.
Chu Wanning clears his throat.
“You forgot your umbrella,” he says matter of factly.
“Yeah, I’m having a great day,” Mo Ran mutters bitterly in response.
“My apartment is close by…” Chu Wanning murmurs, barely audible.
Mo Ran is stunned into silence. He keeps staring at Chu Wanning, bearing witness to how his ears become bright red.
“Nevermind.” Chu Wanning says briskly, turning on his heel and quickly making his way to the door.
“Ah, Director Chu, wait!” Mo Ran yells out, jogging to catch up with him. “I would love to stay over!”
Internally he cringes at how desperate he sounds.
“What is there to love! It’s just a normal apartment.” Chu Wanning huffs out, his cheeks turning a rosy pink as he looks up at him indignantly. At this moment, Mo Ran is suddenly aware of their height difference. He’d never quite noticed it before, seeing as Chu Wanning’s temper and pride make him seem two heads taller. But now, seeing as he has to crane his neck to make eye contact with Mo Ran…it sends a shiver down his spine. The top of his head barely reaches his chest, and he’s so slender, if Mo Ran wanted to, he could easily overpower him. Pin him down and…Shi Mei was right.
Director Chu is very cute sometimes.
The DiDi ride over to Chu Wanning’s apartment is awkward. Though it's only a short 5 minute drive, Mo Ran’s new hyperawareness about how…small…his supervisor is, sends his brain haywire. From the way Mo Ran takes up twice as much space in the cab, how much bigger Mo Ran’s hands are, big enough to fully encapsulate Chu Wanning’s if they were to hold hands. It makes him even crazier that Chu Wanning is no small man by any feat, Mo Ran is just simply…bigger than him. He keeps sneaking glances as they walk side by side, Chu Wanning’s head reaching his shoulder.
These thoughts subside when he sees the state of Chu Wanning’s apartment.
How can an adult man live like this!?
His entire kitchen was covered in clutter, dirty dishes piled in the sink, takeaway containers and ingredients left strewn about the counter. Piles of books and binders of documents litter the small coffee table Chu Wanning has in front of a quaint lounge set. Which is hardly recognisable, as a decent sized mountain of clothes, ties, and socks, entangled with whatever Chu Wanning has discarded covers the seats.
Chu Wanning stands frigid by the kitchen counter.
“Stop staring if you would rather go stand in the rain.” He seethes, taking off his shoes and tossing his briefcase onto the mountain.
This shifts Mo Ran’s entire perception of Chu Wanning. He’d always thought his apartment would be cold, abandoned, and dull. Like the kind of showroom apartments in the nice part of town. This apartment is so quaint and thoroughly lived in, if the mess is anything to tell by. Lining the shelves are books and trinkets and more clutter. Mo Ran finds freshly pressed flowers sitting out by the coffee table, gently he traces over the delicate petals, taking in the familiar beauty.
Where had he seen these before?
“Chu Wanning, are these the flowers from the photoshoot?” He questions, looking over at his supervisor.
Chu Wanning has gone a bright pink, he makes his way over to Mo Ran, stumbling over a few things as he does. Frantically he collects the paper the flowers were on and clutches them to his chest. Looking like an aggrieved wife whose husband had caught her doing unseemly.
“Mind your own business, Mo Ran!” Chu Wanning shouts, running out of the living room and down the hall.
Mo Ran’s eyes track the single flower that flutters down from where Chu Wanning once stood, catching it with his hand.
Usually when Chu Wanning yells at him, it leaves Mo Ran restless and angry, but now all he could think was. Well.
Sometimes, Director Chu really is too cute.
The sound of running water breaks Mo Ran out of his stupor. He gently places the lone flower down on the coffee table. The pale colour of the leaves standing out against the mahogany woodgrain. Unconsciously, he begins to tidy up, picking books off the floor and returning them to empty slots in the bookshelves. He traces a finger over the spines, reading over boring titles like “A HISTORY OF ADVERTISING & MARKETING”. His finger catches on a fabric poking out between two books. Wedged between Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and a collection of classic Chinese poems is a familiar piece of fabric. A white handkerchief with a five petalled flower stitched into the corner. He pulls it out with little effort, tracing over the wonky amateur stitching, thinking about the hours he spent accidentally poking himself with embroidery needles, only for the gift to turn out sub-par.
He’d always thought Chu Wanning threw this out. He never saw the older man using it, never even caught a glimpse of it between all of his items. But here it is, inside his home. A strange fluttery feeling courses through Mo Ran, making him feel lightheaded. But why is it here? Mo Ran’s confusion outweighs his moral righteousness to not snoop around and violate Chu Wanning’s privacy. He pushes the books aside, and finds a small container hidden behind them. Inside are a small assortment of things that he doesn't quite understand. A tiny red umbrella, a small toy husky keychain, a deep purple bead, a loose black button. The only thing he recognises is a small paperclip with a dog on it. The very same paperclips Mo Ran uses.
The water shuts off.
Mo Ran quickly puts everything back in place and goes to stand by the kitchen counter. He waits for Chu Wanning to reemerge, eyes lingering on that bookshelf, and what he found inside–why did Chu Wanning keep one of his paperclips?
Chu Wanning walks into the kitchen wearing a worn shirt with a photo of a cartoon husky, and shorts. Very. Short shorts. Mo Ran tries his best not to stare too much at Chu Wanning’s thighs.
“Would you…Like something to drink?” Chu Wanning offers, stiffly standing by the entrance to the kitchen.
“Sure. I’ll just shower first, is that okay?”
Chu Wanning nods and shows him where the spare towels are. When Mo Ran’s in the shower, he becomes acutely aware of the fact he’s in Chu Wanning’s shower. He looks over at Chu Wanning’s body wash, Haitang. When he rubs it over his chest, he’s hit with the familiar soft floral scent that seems to cling to Chu Wanning’s skin.
Despite Mo Ran fantasising about the many ways he could bend Chu Wanning over in his very messy apartment, and thinking about how they would have to move all the clutter off the floor before he can rail Chu Wanning into the hardwood, nothing happens.
Chu Wanning makes them both a cup of tea, and they engage in stilted conversation as he stares at the elegant way the older man holds a tea cup in his long lithe fingers and somehow…finds himself enjoying Chu Wanning’s company. He’s very beautiful like this, less harsh and stripped bare, almost.
Chu Wanning’s bed is a safety hazard for a human being to sleep in, covered in loose papers, books, trinkets and whatever else he’s decided to dump on it. So Mo Ran takes the sofa, which Chu Wanning apologises softly for. Mo Ran watches, entranced, as Chu Wanning braids his hair while he brushes his teeth with a spare toothbrush. It reminds him of…Xia Sini. He suddenly becomes very aware that Xia Sini was sharing with him a very real, very domestic part of his life. Another pang of guilt hits him. If Chu Wanning is Xia Sini, how is he meant to explain himself?
Fuck.
He needs to sort his shit out.