Chapter Text
“Okay. Now, promise you’ll behave?”
Meow…
“That smirk on your face really doesn’t put me at ease.”
Mimi sticks her tongue out playfully and stretches in Jing Yuan’s arms. She isn’t too fond of visits to the veterinarian. Everything smells weird, the human that tends to her is a bit too rough and careless for her taste, not to even mention how they weigh her every time and suggest a diet.
It’s outrageous. She should be able to eat whatever she wants. And she does. That’s why she needs five sessions of antibiotics because she just insists on slurping every funny-looking thing on the sidewalk, no matter how many times Jing Yuan tells her not to. Though, they do have one more stop before the vet’s office.
Emerald green sign that reads Abyssal Bloom, red doormat, colorful petals on display—it looks exactly the way it was described online. Jing Yuan clutches Mimi tighter, her persistent attempts to chew on every houseplant might prove even more troublesome at a setting like this. A small bell rings through the shop upon entry, followed by what Jing Yuan assumes is the shop owner appearing in front of the door that leads to the back of the floor.
“Good afternoon.” Jing Yuan’s eyes close with a genuine smile.
“Welcome—Oh… What an adorable little customer.”
The owner is quick to chuckle at Mimi’s tiny paws trying to escape the strong arms she’s coddled in.
“Thank you. She has a visit to the vet today.”
Mimi sighs at the reminder but is quickly put at ease with a gentle head pat.
“Is that so? You can put her down, it’s alright.”
Mimi now feels calm enough in his grasp, making it seem like a good idea. Though, as soon as he lets her go, she makes an agile jump to the wooden counter, landing right in front of the owner with a curious look. Jing Yuan feels his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, cursing himself on the inside for always falling for Mimi’s ploys.
The owner, fortunately, appears to be far from bothered.
“Ah… Apologies, little one. I’m not very experienced with animals.” he admits.
“Oh, she likes being pet right under the chin. And belly rubs, but… She wouldn’t really reveal it to—”
Before Jing Yuan can finish, Mimi is already rolling around on her back, belly exposed and paws hanging in the air.
“—a stranger.”
“I must be lucky, then.”
It’s unusual, Mimi doesn’t even do it to frequent visitors under normal circumstances, let alone a complete stranger. She purrs and yawns, sluggish and utterly pleased with the attention. This person, yes, certainly doesn’t pet her the conventional way, but it's nice.
“What a good girl… Does she have a name?”
“Mimi.”
“Mimi… So nice to meet you.” the owner finally looks into Jing Yuan’s eyes, “And how may I help you?”
He falters, distracted by the sight in front of him. “Oh… I need… flowers.”
The owner giggles at his disoriented customer, “I think I can help with that.”
“Sorry… Uh—Flowers for an engagement party, for two of my co-workers.”
“Do you have anything in mind?”
“Not quite. I’m not very knowledgeable about flowers.”
Which is the truth. Jing Yuan could talk about them for hours, but only as subjects of science. His knowledge on the meanings of flowers is more or less limited to the basics. Daffodils are a safe choice for hospital visits, lilies are for funerals and red roses mean love. Which is not so helpful in this case since he isn’t the one in love.
“That’s alright. Have they been together long?”
Jing Yuan places a hand on his chin to think for a few moments.
“Hmm… I suppose it has been about eight years or so.”
“I see.” the owner nods and makes his way over to the aisle right next to Jing Yuan, “I would normally suggest carnations, it’s usually a great choice to celebrate new beginnings, favored often for weddings and engagements.”
He gently pets the petal of one, as soft as he was with Mimi, losing focus momentarily.
“Given that it’s an older bond, I think instead we could go with heliotropes. It’s less new love and more eternal happiness and peace.” he reaches up and picks out a different one, more lumpy than the carnation, purple on the outside and lilac towards its core.
He hands it to Jing Yuan, allowing him to smell and examine both options. It’s evident, the heliotrope’s scent is calming and comforting while the carnation is a bit more enticing. It truly does invoke a sense of young love. It smells like a rushed, inexperienced first kiss.
Whereas, the purple one is a bit more mysterious. Though it makes Jing Yuan feel at ease, it’s a feeling that he can’t quite register. Love, becoming a pleasant habit—love that is a constant in your life. It’s something he hasn’t experienced.
Yet.
“Do you like them?”
The florist's voice pulls him out of the haze.
“Yes… This one’s perfect, actually.”
He nods and reaches for a bunch to pick each and every single one of them out carefully.
“Would you like anything else mixed in?”
“No. Just a small, neat bouquet of those if that’s alright?”
“Of course. I’ll wrap it up for you.”
The heliotropes end up stacked together, tied with a white ribbon inside a semi-transparent, decorative sheet of paper.
“That’s going to be a thousand credits.”
As Jing Yuan takes out his card, Mimi climbs on his shoulder, aware that it’s time to leave. She doesn’t want to make a fuss in front of this stranger that she has taken a liking to. He places the bouquet on his unoccupied hand with a grateful nod.
“Have a great day.” the owner waves to them both, “Good luck at the vet, Mimi.”
As the sun sets and the street quiets down, Luocha is no longer alone. Saturday evenings are rather uneventful except for occasional urgent orders. Spouses who remembered their anniversary celebration just the night before, reunions that may have slipped an old friend’s mind, unfortunate and unexpected news received at the last minute.
Today, there seems to be nothing of the sort going on. Therefore, Luocha finds himself seated on a chair with Sushang right above and behind him, feet dangling off the counter. As Luocha flips through the pages of a magazine, Sushang’s fingers loop through the strands of his golden locks, moving one over the other, and another over them both, then back to square one—repeating the steps in cycles until a neat braid hangs down his back.
She hums to whatever song is stuck in her head that week, just like always, and inflates her gum into a bubble every now and then.
“How about this one?”
Luocha holds up a page to her eye-level, an illustration of a long-sleeved blouse, ending right around the model’s belly button.
Sushang’s eyes glow at the radiant vermillion red, the thick fabric, the small details embroidered on the sleeves.
“Oh that’s so fun. I hate the neckline though.”
“Me too. We should take it higher up.”
“Exactly.”
Sushang is crafty, her wardrobe consists of stunning pieces that are nothing but a product of her own hard-work. And Luocha, he’s skilled. Never wobbly stitches, mismatched buttons or even slightly uneven sleeve lengths.
Their free time at the shop is mostly spent with the two crouched over the sewing machine, with Sushang trying out new hairstyles on Luocha’s hair, or them joining forces for Sushang’s assignments.
“How is school?”
“It’s alright, I guess? The same.”
“Do you still have that teacher you like?”
“Oh… Professor Jing Yuan, yes!” her tone is laced with joy, “I have both of his classes this semester. He’s really nice. Gave me all the source material up-front today for the entire year.”
Luocha smiles. Sushang is bright, cheerful and mischievous. With the way botany and ecology have been in shambles for the past decade, disregarded for corporate greed, overlooked for the sake of shiny buildings and loud cars, it’s important for conscious people like her to flourish in the field.
Luocha has always been skeptical of academics ever since his first days at the university. He harbors much disdain towards the childish strategies at play—deployed by ones tasked with carrying on wisdom and knowledge.
Though he finds it shameful and immature, that doesn’t mean they’re all bad. This professor that Sushang talks about frequently is a good example. Though she only takes electives from him, he’s thoughtful with his students, generous with deadline extensions, making sure Sushang’s dyslexia is properly accommodated.
Even though all this should be the bare minimum, Luocha still smiles at her excitement.
“So nice of him, I’m glad.”
“My workload seems more manageable. I can work more shifts, I think. Maybe I’ll even get a girlfriend.”
At her boss’ light chuckle, Sushang playfully tugs on a strand of his hair.
“Hey! Why are you laughing? Hmph… You think I can’t?”
“It’s not that. You can’t just say I’ll get a girlfriend and find someone, you know.”
“Watch me!”
Luocha’s shoulders wriggle with a muffled laugh.
“All I’m saying is… Make sure it’s someone decent, not just for the sake of getting in a relationship.”
“Pfft, of course… I know that. All done, by the way.”
Sushang loops the tie at the end of the braid. It’s one of her best works, not a single hair out of place, three even rows entangled around each other. Luocha turns around in front of the mirror to admire the artistry.
“Really outdoing yourself lately.”
Sushang smiles, confidence renewed once again. She jumps down from the counter, dark pants fading out into a lighter shade with soft clumps cluttering her back pockets.
“What is this, fur?”
“Ah… Someone brought in a cat today. White, really fluffy.”
“Sounds adorable.”
It truly was. Luocha can still feel the warmth of her stomach on his fingertips, a bundle of joy. Had it not been for his long hours at the shop, he would also love to go home to a tiny furball purring on his bed.
“I’ll close. Thank you for your hard work.”
Luocha hands her a small envelope like he always does, the fixed fee for her shift plus two thirds of what was in the tip box.
“Thank you, Mr. Luocha! Have a good night.”
“You as well, dear.”
“Guys, I’m home!”
Per usual, Jing Yuan is greeted with two dogs almost his size tackling him to the floor.
“I missed you too—Oh!” he giggles at the wet tongues rolling over his cheeks, “Easy…”
The best part of the weekend is that he gets to spend time with them and Mimi, unwinding and relaxing before yet another hectic week begins. Sleeping until noon on his soft bed, surrounded by fluffy companions, lazy walks before starting the day, treating himself to a nice dinner outside... But among the vet visit, errands and the engagement party, naturally he comes home to his severely neglected—they’re a bit more dramatic about it than the situation warrants for—friends.
After receiving some rough pets and loving kisses on their foreheads, they retract to their cozy corners once again. Mimi, on the other hand, is fully passed out on the couch. Leaving the house plus the antibiotics seem to be taking their toll on her small body. Jing Yuan sits next to her slowly, careful not to disturb her slumber. Mimi shifts, parting her eyes to notice her favorite human’s presence, then a gentle caress on her cheek.
“Hi, princess. Doing better?”
Meow…
“Good…”
He leaves her be, shuffling through the buttons of his shirt. It’s terrible, having to wear a suit on a weekend. “Who’s up for a run?” he turns to Lulu and Nue, however Lulu is rolled up into a ball by the fireplace already, back heaving with deep breaths. Despite how much he loves running, Lulu is nothing short of a grandpa—refusing to go out after the sun sets, spending her evenings watching TV intently and ending up snoring on the couch.
“It is a bit late for you." Jing Yuan chuckles, "Come on, Nue.”
One pat on his thighs is enough to summon him. They head out quietly. To Nue’s surprise, Jing Yuan sets out for a course he isn’t used to. Instead of the left they always take to finish a lap, they head straight ahead. No, he knows this road. It’s the one they take for vet visits. Nue likes the vet, he’s always showered in treats and called a good boy before being sent back home.
His muscles flex and relax with every step, breaths almost in sync with his companion’s, tongue sticking out, claws gripping the ground confidently.
That is until Jing Yuan slows down before the next turn. Nue can’t tell why he looks so worked up already, given that this is barely half of what they usually run.
Jing Yuan doesn’t know what he expects, awfully late in a part of town that’s mostly shops with little to no residential constructs. It’s quiet as expected, but not empty.
There stands the shop owner he met today.
Tobacco crumbles under his fingers, lining up neatly inside a thin sheet. It’s rolled around skilfully and swiftly, secured with a filter and sealed with a final lick along the edge of the paper before landing between his lips.
On an empty street, under the golden hue of a streetlight—it lights up. A bright flame rises from the tip, vanishing in a moment to give rise to a gray smoke. His back meets the glass of his shop as an inhale sends a pleasant ache to his lungs. Slender fingers toying with it slowly and a gaze fixated on the ground.
It’s picturesque. Jing Yuan feels out of place, like a nuisance disturbing the serenity of a painting, like a brushstroke that’s out of place. Yet, this doesn’t stop a smile from forming on his lips as he walks away. He disappears into the darkness again, into the safety of the shadows he came out of.
He's in luck, for Nue is as cooperative as ever.