Xie Lian's artistic side| Colors of the Heart ~ Hualian AU

Chapter XL

Inside the small neighborhood market close to the theater, Hua Cheng made way for an old lady coming in his direction. Cramped corridors like this usually gave him a hard time and he almost knocked out two shelves already while looking for drinks. He was buying drinks last minute before the Sunday night performance because Xie Lian asked him. They were going to Feng Xin's for late dinner.

Not because Hua Cheng wanted, definitely not. He was hoping to repeat last week's "happy-hour" with his Gege, but Xie Lian messaged him saying otherwise.

Hua Cheng also grabbed one pack of peanuts and one of bubble gum. At least if he became annoyed, he could just munch on something while holding back his tongue. He knew something had happened between the three friends last Monday. After interviewing his new assistant, he found Xie Lian in his own dressing room, pale as a paper sheet. The actor slammed open the door to the closet and two figures came out of it in silence. The three did not talk. Instead, Xie Lian dragged Hua Cheng out of the room and invited him to his place for snacks. Inside his car, Hua Cheng noticed that Xie Lian's eyes were still a bit unfocused, but because he seemed so off, Hua Cheng did not ask what happened.

It was good that Feng Xin wanted to make it up to Xie Lian for whatever happened, but honestly, they did not need to extend the invitation to him. He could wait for Xie Lian at his own home. This was going to feel like a longer evening than Hua Cheng really wanted.

***

That same day, some hours earlier, Xie Lian met Shi Qingxuan in front of the big supermarket at the city center.

"It's been more than a week already since you don't come over to my place! Ming Yi misses you dearly." She reached for a shopping cart and placed her bag inside it.

Xie Lian smiled. "I basically just slept these past few days. I guess that was my way of PTS-ing."

She grabbed a pack of lasagna pasta sheets, dropped it inside the cart then looked at him. "Post-traumatic stress?"

"Yeah." Xie Lian reached for a pack of chocolate truffles and placed it inside the car. "Dessert, my treat."

"Oh, thanks, Puqi. Poor thing, I'm glad you were able to sleep this week. You even look well-rested now. I'm just sorry we didn't see each other, especially to celebrate you becoming a pop icon now." She was absent-mindedly choosing fresh tomatoes as she spoke.

Xie Lian handed her a big and bright red fruit. "That offer really came out of nowhere. Who were to say I was going to be in a rock music video?" Suddenly, his eyes locked to the back of a stranger right across the stand they were choosing tomatoes from.

Shi Qingxuan, however, continued speaking. "My goodness, I wished I could travel with you. Why does it have to be right after your season ends? I had already promised Wudu we would deal with the refurbishing of the office. We scheduled all the appointments on the same weekend, since it'd be easier to solve everything at once."

Xie Lian moved to the side, trying to see that man's face and did not notice Shi Qingxuan continued walking. The man was wearing a face-mask, sunglasses and a cap. It almost looked too suspicious to be real, he could be casted right away to play a spy!

Xie Lian's thoughts were pulled back from criminal series by her Puqi friend waving and screaming at his direction, two stalls ahead. He rushed to her side, still noticing something familiar about that presence, but was forced to focus on what cold cut to choose for their lasagna. Shi Qingxuan started considering all the options between coppa, prosciutto, normal ham or mortadella with and without pistachios.

"Puqi, I don't care. Your lasagna will taste good anyway, just choose and let's go. You need to prepare and bake it before 15:00 preferably." He watched her getting a pack of ham and throwing in the cart more violently than necessary. He laughed. "How am I supposed to act still digesting lasagna if I eat it at 17:00?"