My Enigmatic Barista

|| 04 ||

Wuxian's friends watched him with varying degrees of exasperation. For last freaking hour, he was straight talking about his recent moments with Wangji—the quiet moments, the shared kiss, every subtle expression, every small details about Wangji, that had left him entranced. He was in his dreamland.

"You're completely obsessed," Jiang Cheng said, rolling his eyes as Wuxian snorted while going through his new designs, still distracted by thoughts of Wangji.

"Are you sure he's not just playing you?" Wen Qing added, her tone worried but gentle. "He never says much, and he never actually does anything to show he likes you, does he?"

Wuxian shrugged. "It's subtle," he replied, though he could hear the uncertainty in his own voice. "I mean, he never stops me, either. He could easily tell me to go away if he didn't want me or if I making him uncomfortable."

Jiyang, leaning against his chair with a thoughtful expression, chimed in. "It's not always about rejection, Wuxian. Some people just enjoy the attention. It's comforting—especially if they're shy. But that doesn't mean he feels the same."

"Right, maybe it was just a time pass for him or maybe he is just considered to you and does not want you to get upset. Who knows? maybe he is not as serious as you are" Xuan Lu said cautiously. "People can be...complicated, you know!"

Wuxian's face fell slightly, though he tried to hide it. "Maybe he's just reserved and need some time" he muttered. "I think he'd be open if he wanted me to back off."

HaoXuan spoke up, giving Wuxian a concerned look. "Listen, we're not saying he doesn't care about you. But just don't lose yourself chasing someone who might not be willing to meet you halfway."

Wuxian chuckled, trying to brush off their words. "You guys worry too much. I'm fine, really."

Yet, as he laid in his bed that night, their words lingered. Wangji's silence, his quiet smiles, the moments they shared together where Wangji stayed by Wuxian's side without complaint, followed Wuxian blindly, bear all Wuxian's teasing and flirting, the moments where he let Wuxian kiss him...were they enough? Or was he holding onto something fleeting, mistaking Wangji's reticence for affection?

---

Despite his friends' warnings, Wei Wuxian couldn't pull himself away from Lan Wangji. They'd started meeting outside the cozy walls of Café Tuzi, venturing to hidden spots around Yunmeng City, where Wuxian would be as playful and lighthearted as ever, his laughter echoing through the quiet. And Wangji, though quiet and restrained as always, seemed to settle into these moments with a silent understanding, indulging Wuxian's boldness with a patient gaze and, on rare occasions, the faintest hint of a smile.

Their connection grew stronger with each stolen kiss and gentle touch, the way their hands would naturally find each other, or how Wangji's stoic expression would soften under Wuxian's mischievous charm. How Wangji's ear tips would turn red on his comments or his touch though his face would stay impassive. These stolen moments filled Wuxian with a hope that maybe, just maybe, Wangji felt the same. He started to believe that there was something more between them than unspoken gestures and lingering glances.