Behind The Red Curtain | YiZhan ✓

83-Lingering Feelings Of The Past

The night was young as Zixin slowly walked inside their home, his face containing an unreadable expression. The sight of Zhan with flushed cheeks and Yibo being his brooding self was too unusual, making him to realise what was going on. "Before i came- did you two really just...." At the end he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, and sighed instead. "..i brought some fried chicken and beer." 

Zhan smiled, taking the bags out of his hands to lay them on the table before the couch. As they all then sat on the ground, Yibo gave Zixin a skeptical look, which the latter had seen before. "Right... so it wasn't Yibo that asked me to come-" Just then, both Yibo and Zhan jumped up to shake their heads. "No! He was just... in the bathroom when i called you. He said it'd be better to invite you sooner than later, since it might get late and all... ha..ha.." 

Zixin shrugged his brows and sighed, deciding to not put too much mind into it at this point. "Yeah whatever..." With that both poured themselves a glass of beer, while Zhan watched them do so. He knew this night was going to be complicated. Just then, his phone began to ring, feeling thankful to it to bring him away from the awkwardness. 

So he went behind the kitchen counter to answer, watching as the two just stared at each other with weird expressions. But the person speaking on the phone was enough to divide his focus. "Hu Li? That's a surprise, how have you been?" 

Hu Li smiled. "Rather okay i suppose. Although i just saw Shun pick up a young guy from my bar... i wonder how much should i bet on it that he did it to make me see such a sight." Zhan squinted his eyes at the thought. Right, he was going on a date today. "You don't sound so good. Did he hurt you by-" 

"Oh, no not him. I just remembered how lonely it feels to be alone and closed the bar early. And i was going to ask if you'd like to come have a drink with me at my place. You could even bring Yibo if you'd like but.... your company alone is always appreciated." Zhan smiled at his words, feeling slightly moved despite all that had happened between them. They hadn't even really hung out after. Yet that wasn't enough to make him feel guilty, as he had said nothing but the truth about his feelings. And Hu Li was a grown enough man to understand that. "So is yours Li. But i'm not sure i can tonight." He looked at Zixin and Yibo who were now arm-wrestling as though it were a competition. 

"Although.... maybe you could come instead? I have a guest at the moment, the more the merrier." He could hear Hu Li chuckling, later messaging him to get his address. "Oh? Are they cute and funny?" Zhan looked at Zixin and tilted his head. "Well... he is handsome. But looks young, and has anger issues. Why, plan on having a distraction?" Hu Li hummed. "That's enough for entertainment." 

Zhan smiled, shaking his head. "I'll just send you the address. Get some snacks on the way here." With that he hung up, only to hear his bell ring in the next hour. So he quickly let him in, both then walking in to a horrid sight. "Oh my... are they already drunk?" 

Yibo frowned, raising his hand. "No... just tipsy. This idiot forced me to drink.." Zixin furrowed his brows as he smacked the back of his head rather forcefully. "That's what you get for having sex before i came here! How could you do that to your friend....." Yibo frowned and smacked him back, while Zhan covered his mouth at the sight. 

Meanwhile Hu Li couldn't help but laugh as he took a seat beside them. "Young people are always spontaneous." Zixin scoffed as he slowly raised his head up to glance at him. "And i bet you think that it makes us entertaining. Men like you that is..." Hu Li made a surprised expression, his lips smiling. "Oh, what about men like me?" Zixin simply gave him a scoff after, grabbing the bottle before him. Zhan then also sat beside them, watching as Zixin poured a glass of beer for the older.