Work Text
27th June 2018
06:17 a.m.
It is peculiar, to say the least. Yixing is awake before his alarm goes off and he doesn't feel sleepy at all and his neck doesn't hurt despite falling asleep on his desk with a mountain of textbooks stacked on each side. The finals are coming. The final finals. The end of the end. He cannot believe how calm he is right now, all too reassured for someone who is trying to cram years of knowledge into two days for this final set of exams. He should be panicking. He should be frantically skimming over the pages he has yet to get to. But, for some reason he feels light and not disturbed by the fact that he did not manage to finish all the notes he had planned to read.Yixing just sits there for a while, mind blank, eyes on the frog hands of the desk clock his mother bought for him as a prank gift before he moved to Beijing for university. When he hears one of his roommates turn on his bed, he closes his notes and tidies his desk before washing up to get ready for the day.
Might as well have breakfast while we're at it.
At breakfast, the situation suddenly is very different.I knew it. Yixing swears as he scoops a mouthful of rice into his mouth, rushing so that he can fully focus on studying again. Why was I so lax this morning? And why the hell did I fall asleep? I can't afford to fail this exam! Not to mention the revisions I still have to make for my thesis. Shit!"You look like shit." Lu Han comments as he places his tray on the table and sits on the chair opposite Yixing."My thoughts exactly!" Yixing replies without looking up, eyes on the words he's not even sure he's reading properly. "I was so calm this morning. But when I saw everyone's faces stuck in their books, the dread crept back in." He shudders as he remembers that morning, the quiet, serene time he had now all gone.Lu Han laughs, "You? Calm in the morning? But I must admit, I didn't expect a breakfast invite from you so early in the morning. I thought I was seeing wrong when I read who the message was from."Yixing just grumbles, scooping the last of his meal into his mouth as he gets to the last line of his highlighted notes."Wanna grab a drink later?" Lu Han offers. "I can finally show you that new club Zitao and I were talking about."Yixing hisses, "You two have it easy.""Hey! Graduate school is no joke, okay!" The older protests, spewing bits of food as he talks. "And, Zitao is taking Professor Zhou's class. You know how he makes life for sophomores a living hell.""Sure," Yixing answers boredly, "but you still party five out of seven days in a week.""That's an exaggeration!" Lu Han shakes his head, tapping the end of his chopsticks against his food tray before pointing them at Yixing, poised to defend himself but the other cuts him off."Four out of seven, then?""What do you think of me?" Lu Han asks in disbelief before resuming eating. After a few moments pass, he asks again, "So is that a yes? I can send you the name of the place and some directions later.""Sure." Yixing nods and ends the conversation at that, the sound of Lu Han's chopsticks and the chatter of students drowning in the background as he zones in on the remaining topics.College? More like Hell.
27th June 2018
03:51 p.m.
"Sir!" Yifeng calls out as he enters Yifan's office, foregoing the customary knock as excitement lights up the secretary's eyes. "Li Chen's office just called and they wanted to ask if you can stop by to go over the contract with them so they can do the signing."Yifan stops whatever he's doing, looking at his secretary's ear-to-ear smile. Relief floods his system. He had been working on this deal for months and finally, finally, it's pushed through."Tell them I'm on my way!" And without another word his secretary is out of the door, frantically calling back Li Chen's company to give their response.Somehow Yifan knew that everything would be going just right today. He had woken up right on time, watered his plants, ate breakfast and got to work without any troubles. Nothing out of the routine except for the absence of worries. Everyday, right from when he wakes up all the way until he goes to bed, that's all that’s on his mind: problems. It's why he's taken to caring for plants as suggested by his mother, to help divert his attention and empty his mind if only for a few seconds. This morning he felt like he wouldn’t even have needed it.There is ease in the set of his shoulders as he drives. It might be because of the fruition of something that he has been working on for some time now. But, somehow he knows that isn’t all there is to it. He notices, as he stops at an intersection, that it is also oddly sunny out, a really good day in general. How he wishes to just step out of the car and enjoy it. The traffic light switches to green, and the sudden urge to walk out of the car and into the small park fades as he steps on the gas to reach his destination as fast as possible. "Good work, Mr. Wu." Li Chen himself offers his hand after signing the contract that seals the deal for their company's joint venture."Thank you, Sir." Yifan answers with a firm grip on the older man's hand, conveying his gratitude through his actions. "And, thank you for trusting our company."Li Chen smiles and lets go of his hand, going on with praises for their company's quality work."5:30 might be too early of a clock out time for you but I've called your boss, he'll join us for dinner."Yifan hesitates but Li Chen is already standing up and the other's secretary is ushering him to follow. He reasons there's nothing wrong with celebrating a little. Yifan is half expecting that they will go to a hotel for some fine dining but instead he is directed to a restaurant nestled in an area he and his friends would usually go to when they were in college, when they had not a lot of money to spare. He even has to park quite far and walk to where the restaurant is because there's nowhere near that he could leave the company car without risking it getting damaged.To his surprise, the place itself is refined, only the most exquisite food and beverages being served. With it lying in the middle of a poor college students' area, he didn't anticipate to see such grandiosity, especially not when he looked at the restaurant's very simple entrance.By the time they have finished their meal and drinks, it's already past eight o'clock. Yifan still has to see his boss off before he himself can leave. Unfortunately, his boss parked the opposite way to where Yifan left his car. Looking at the colourful lights of this part of town, however, he thinks that taking his time and walking around might not be a bad idea. There's work the next day but he isn’t all too worried about that. He reckons, once again, it might be because of the sealed deal that lifted the weight off his shoulders.Until he comes to a certain intersection.
27th June 2018
09:13 p.m.
"Han ge, I've been searching for this bar for almost 20 minutes now." Yixing fumes, head swinging from side to side in search of some neon lights with the name of the club Lu Han mentioned. "Can you give better directions other than go straight and look to your left?""Oh, Yixing." Lu Han, from the way his voice sways and his words slur, sounds too drunk already for nine o'clock. "I told you to just keep going straight and you'll find it!" He hiccups and, teasing the younger, he doesn't forget to add: "On the left!"Yixing groans in frustration, "Whatever! I'll call you again! Keep your phone with you!" Then he hangs up and pockets his phone.
At this rate, it'll be tomorrow and I still won’t have found it.
The place is still new and it's location is a bit obscure. If not for Yixing's need to drown his stress in alcohol, he wouldn't have said yes to going to this club to begin with. But here he is, walking through a dozen intersections to find his friends and get some booze in his system.At one intersection, the street narrows and all four roads are lined with bars, one of which could contain his company. Before Yixing can even take another step, he stills and feels chills run down his spine.There's a scent in the air that's familiar but Yixing is sure he's never smelled it before; not in these streets. Musky with hints of tobacco, green tea, gunpowder and of meadows filled with flowers. In the middle of the busy streets of Beijing, a haze surrounds him for a second and then it disappears as his eyes land on a tall figure standing a few meters away from him. The man's face suddenly brings back memories, evokes emotions Yixing has never felt before in this life. They flood every bit of his being. From the deepness of the man's voice to the gentleness of his touch; Yixing can feel it all. Distant memories of explosions, calloused hands, laughter and the sound of footsteps on damp soil flash through his eyes and play tricks with his ears.The man looks in his direction, the distance between them seemingly disappearing as their eyes meet. Yixing takes a few careful steps which the man matches until they are just an arm's width apart."You," the man whispers, looking just as bewildered as Yixing is, "look familiar." There's a bashful tone to his voice, as if unsure but also certain."So do you," Yixing responds, voice trembling. There are a million sensations coursing through his body, his being reliving a past long gone as he's standing there and meeting this man eye to eye for, what doesn't feel like, the first time.
This can't be real.
There's a long pause as Yixing – and he assumes, the other man as well – allows for the rush of memories to end, to fade and for them to return to the present. The man speaks up first, "Do you...mind having a drink with me?""Oh yes, please!" Yixing replies a little too enthusiastically, then turns red at how eager he sounded and tones it down a bit with a follow up. "I mean, no, I don’t mind having a drink with you."
Screw Lu Han and that club I can't find, I can just go with…
As if the man can read his mind, he reaches out a hand and says, "Yifan. My name is Yifan."Yixing takes the proffered hand and its warmth almost makes him forget to respond."Nice to meet you, Yifan," his name sounds foreign to Yixing's ears but the syllables roll off his tongue like he's said that name over a million times already.The man looks at him expectantly, their hands still clasped."Yixing," Yixing introduces himself, feeling his cheeks burn up at the way the man is staring at him."Yixing." Yifan smiles, revealing his gums. And, even with just the light in their surroundings, his eyes sparkle and dazzle Yixing."I know a place," Yifan says as he reluctantly loosens the grip of his hand around Yixing's."Lead the way then." Yixing beams up at Yifan, which seems to have caught him by surprise as he just stares at Yixing for a second before shaking his head and gesturing towards the direction they have to go in.Yixing feels as if he's been reborn, reinvigorated but also content, as if he's found a piece of himself and now he's complete. And as he looks up at Yifan, he can see that Yifan, too, feels the same.
27th June 1928
09:13 p.m.
Yifan looks at their plans, studying their strategies over and over and over again, looking for possible loopholes in any of them and considering every factor to make certain that there is no chink in their armor; that their plans are bulletproof.He is so lost in thought that Yifeng has to shake him to get his attention."Sir, the reinforcements are here." The soldier, a novice, who has come to deliver the message stands stiffly at the entrance of Yifan's office as he reports. "I have been informed that the head of the platoon will be here soon.""Good," Yifan answers with the same degree of respect his subordinate is showing him, "be sure to lead him here once they've arrived. I would like to go over our plans as soon as possible.""Yes, sir!" The young man, no older than sixteen, salutes and closes the door."A bunch of young ones again, I'm certain," Yifeng says as he spies the entrance of the reinforcements from Yifan's window. He looks towards Yifan and the general knows Yifeng can see the sorrow in his eyes. "We just have to make sure the same thing won't happen to them."It's no use despairing. There is a war happening around them, there is no time to mourn."It's not as if you aren't young yourself," Yifeng says, younger than Yifan by five years. "It's not as if we aren't all still young."That's true. Yifan, for someone as young as he is, has risen up the ranks quickly thanks to his good tactical skills and command and now, due to the depleting forces in their area, he has been promoted to being a general. Many lives have been lost and many more injured. Despite that, the army still manages to find young men who are willing to risk their life for what they believe is good for their nation.A knock on the door breaks the tense silence."Come in," Yifeng answers them.The same soldier from earlier walks in, ushering a man into the room. There is dirt on his face and blood on his uniform, his boots covered in the same red, new on top of the old brown. This man, Yifan is sure, is not a rookie. The general shivers but not for this reason."General." The soldier salutes which Yifan responds to with a salute of his own, a reflex. He watches as the newcomer gulps when he meets eyes with Yifan for the first time, the apples of his cheeks tinted red but Yifan is certain it is not because of the walk to his office.There is a moment of silence, a veil of peace is cast over them as the two stare at each other for a second. Talks of the war at hand are momentarily forgotten and their surroundings become a blur as they search each other's eyes for the answer to this unknown feeling, this unexpected serenity. Yifan can see it in the soldier's appearance, the bewildered look and the lapses of calmness and ease rippling through his face as he seeks for the answer.The closing of the door snaps their attention back to the present and it's Yifan who straightens up first and offers his hand."Your name, soldier," Yifan requests, hoping his stance is inviting. It seems to be, as the soldier takes his proffered hand."Zhang Yixing."And there it is. For the first time in many years, a new kind of warmth spreads throughout Yifan's entire being. For the first time in many years, Yifan doesn't feel cold anymore.