TIAN GUAN CI FU Fan fic stories

I CAN HEAR YOU BLUSHING

Talking to the foreign investors had been tedious that day, and it was only made worse by the fact that Hua Cheng was apart from his beloved. He had only flown two hours away from the cozy apartment he shared with Xie Lian, but it was still too much.

His trip was scheduled to last through the end of the week. That meant four more days of dull meetings and shaking the grubby hands of men who couldn't even speak to him without an interpreter. He didn't really see the point of seeing them in person, but Yin Yu insisted that it was good PR. He admittedly griped at Yin Yu a lot, but the man knew what he was doing and Hua Cheng didn't know what he'd do without him.

Hua Cheng also didn't know what he was going to do being unable to see Xie Lian for another four days. He missed him with every fiber of his being. Leaving Xie Lian unattended was something he never wanted to do in the first place. Hua Cheng had been fully prepared to cancel his trip when he found out his boyfriend was unable to join him, but Xie Lian would not hear of it. Xie Lian had agreed at the last minute to pet sit for his friend Shi Qingxuan, whose boyfriend had some ridiculous exotic fish that needed to be fed at different times throughout the day. With that in mind, he urged Hua Cheng to go on the planned business trip since Xie Lian would be gone several times a day.

Hua Cheng didn't know how to feel about being sent away so Xie Lian could spend time feeding glorified guppies.

He stared at the ceiling of his hotel room, unable to sleep. He fumbled for his phone in the dark, squinting as the screen's light assaulted his eyes. 1 a.m. Clicking his tongue, Hua Cheng dropped the phone onto the bed beside him and spread out, splaying his long limbs all around him. The bed was too big for just one person.

A quiet buzzing and electronic jingle chirped from Hua Cheng's side and he retrieved the discarded phone with no small measure of annoyance. Did they not know what time it was? His eyes widened at the name displayed on the caller ID. Heart pounding, he fumbled to accept the call and nearly dropped it in his haste.

"Gege?" Hua Cheng blurted out breathlessly.

"San Lang!"

The voice on the other end of the line gave him butterflies no matter how many times he heard it. Hua Cheng could easily picture the look on Xie Lian's face when he said his name—his eyes sparkling and his cheeks rosy with happiness. He practically melted into the pillows at the thought, until a more sobering one visited him.

"Is everything all right, my love? It's awfully late."

"I know, I'm sorry to call you out of the blue like this."

Xie Lian rushed his words the way he always did when he was trying not to panic inside. Concern immediately stung Hua Cheng.

"Tell me what's wrong," Hua Cheng said firmly. He didn't like to use the 'boss voice' with Xie Lian that brooked no argument, but he wasn't going to let him downplay something that was clearly bothering him.

"This is going to sound silly, but I was lying here trying to sleep and I just..."

"Just what, gege?" Hua Cheng prompted, more softly this time.

"I can't. I guess." He could hear the strain in Xie Lian's little laugh. "I'm not used to sleeping without you anymore."

Hua Cheng's heart panged at the raw honesty, but also warmed at the feeling of being needed.

"I'm not used to sleeping without you, either," he said soothingly. "It isn't silly when we both feel that way."

There was another laugh. It was more earnest.