Chapter Text
Lan Xichen was giddy when they handed him the box of flowers. He stared at them while his heart did a little skip. They were perfect! He was sure Meng Yao would love them!
“They're lovely,” He gently ran a hand over them, feeling the soft petals, before handing them back so the florist could finish boxing them up. “And you managed to get the costume note that I wanted to add?”
Assured that it was already printed out in lovely golden letters, tucked away in the box’s ribbon, Lan Xichen took out his card to pay. Leaving the sho,p he hurried to get them delivered in time.
He thought of shipping them, but this place was right near his family home, thus the ride to Meng Yao’s was not to far. The drive was something he didn’t mind.
When he got to the building, he hurried to get them delivered when his phone rang. Sighing, he hit the side of his earbud, hearing his brother telling him there was an issue at work involving one of his projects.
Setting the flowers down, he knocked on the door a little too hard before rushing off. The project was something he had been working on for months, but now it was in danger of being ruined!
As he reached his car, Lan Xichen looked back just in time to see Meng Yao open the door, pick up the flowers, and read the note. Smiling, he took off, hoping that he enjoyed the flowers.
--
The long day was over.
Lan Xichen was worn out.
Sometimes he wished for a Good Night Hunt or a day of rest for meditation before walking around the Cloud Reeces. Smiling fondly with remberances he sighed deeply.
That was thousands of years ago.
For some reason, after his rebirth, Lan Xichen began to remember his past life. Slowly, over the years, it came back in full. He stopped talking about it when his family was confused about it, his Shushu even sent him to therapy in concern.
Not that he could blame him.
This lifetime had some things that stayed the same. He and his brother had been raised by their Uncle. Their mother had been in an abusive relationship with their Father.
It ended in a murder.
He was so young that they said it was because he might have witnessed it, thus making up this ancient world where flying swords and monsters existed.
Lan Xichen thought it was strange until his whole life came back to him when he was just a teenager. No one else recalled. Sometimes he’d poke around, mentioning things to see if anyone else remembered.
Over the years, no one even seemed to recall a whisper.
Having to live with the question of why he was the only one, Lan Xichen went on with his life, doing the best he could until he found Nie Mingjue and rekindled their friendship.
Without the Saber Spirit, he seemed to be less angry and even got along way better with his brother. Still didn’t understand the art thing with Nie Huaisang, but didn’t try to stop him either.
Finding Meng Yao was tricker until one day he joined his borther and his husband, Wei Wuxian for dinner with Jiang Yanlin did he find out that her husband had found Meng Yao years ago thanks to an DNA test and just recently after Jin Guangshan had been forced to step down thanks to a scandal that nearly ruined their name, that Jin Zixuan had offered Meng Yao a job.
Now the brothers were working together to rebuild their reputation. She was happy to let them know not only that the company was recovering well, but also that the two had grown close; she even laughed that her husband had taken the big brother role seriously, to the point that some people thought Meng Yao was in middle school rather than a full-on adult.
With that, Lan Xichen easily found Meng Yao. As competitors, they had to be careful. With the recent scandal not too far behind him, he slowly began sending things to Meng Yao.
Some flowers, snacks, and a few times ordered lunch and dinner for him. Knowing Meng Yao, he’d forget to eat. When he caught a look at him in an interview showing Jin Zixuan, he could see the small Jin next to him, smiling while his brother spoke.
Still, too thin, so he knew he wasn’t taking care of himself.
He even tracked down where Meng Yao lived and started leaving him things at his door. A few months later, he found out where he liked to go for his morning coffee and that he preferred a blended one.
After messing up the order a few times, Lan Xichen remembered the drink order. He started to pay for it, while telling the barista to ring up a five-hundred-dollar gift card, and he’d refill it anytime it ran low.
Watching from afar, he saw the surprised look on Meng Yao's face. Surprised, taking the drink, even getting a snack with it. That was enough to let Lan Xichen know that at least he had something in his stomach in the morning.
He continued to do this, sometimes late to his own work, just so he could watch Meng Yao get his drink. Though lately he had been coming in on different days or not at all.
A month later, Lan Xichen found him ordering from another place. Upset that it took him that long, Lan Xichen repeated the gift card, then waited to see Meng Yao’s same look of surprise to find his items had been paid for.
“A-Huan, we need to leave.”
Lan Xichen looked over where his Uncle was standing, along with his brother and Wei Wuxian. Standing, he closed his laptop, grabbed his coat, and phone.
“I’m ready,”
They left for a business dinner while knowing that Meng Yao must be happy with the flowers, even picturing where he’d set them up. Hopefully, somewhere to enjoy them.
--
Meng Yao's heart was beating too fast as he stared at the flowers. He read the note again, then took out his phone to snap a photo of them and send it to his brother.
Grabbing the flowers, he ran to the railing, which was on the second floor of the apartments, and threw them as hard as he could. He didn’t care if they managed it into the dumpster or not; he ran back to his apartment, slamming the door closed.
When the phone rang, he jumped before answering. “Xuan-ge, did you see it?!”
His brother replied on the other end.
Hand over his chest while he was having trouble breathing, Meng Yao looked around his apartment, scared that the stalker who had been following him, sending him gifts at work, and now this?!
Flowers to his home?!
His stalker found out where he lived!
Leaning over to hold on to his knee with one hand, his brother tried to calm him down while swearing. He was on his way. Meng Yao’s mind was echoing with the words in the note.
I hope you enjoy these flowers as much as I enjoy you.