Paper Flowers: By any other name
Happy New year! I’m back with the fifth chapter. Other chapters are listed in the master post under Paper Flowers.
Thomas gets tmakes a fun youtube Video. Patton thinks there might be a breakthrough with Virgil. And Roman gets a surprise.
Thomas and Joan are sitting down at Joan’s kitchen table for a youtube video.
Earlier that week Thomas had sent out a tweet to ask the Fanders to send in questions and links for them to react to.
The video was a lot of fun so far. They saw cute dog video’s, inspiring coming out video’s, and then there was the artwork inspired by his vine stuff. Some fanders made misleading complement themed cards, and there were cute drawings of his teacher and dad character. And of course there was that stainglass/yingyang drawing of the Prince and his nemesis.
“This is just amazing, you guys are all so talented.” He gushes, not for the first time as he studies the gorgeous detailing on the latter. This must’ve taken hours and he can’t get over the fact that something he did inspired that.
The questions were fun to answer too. What subject is teacher’s favorite? What is Dad’s favorite cookie? What was the funniest interaction he’d ever had after a storytime? Some serious ones too. How did Joan know they were non binary?
What made him decide to come out as gay to his Christian parents? How did he know it was the right time?
Is it hard being out and proud while being a public figure?
Tips on how to handle social anxiety.
“Okay, final question, I peeked on this one,” Joan admitted, making Thomas let out a dramatic scandalized gasp. “I wanted to make sure we’d end the video on a fun note. Go on read it.”
Joan is chuckling already, so Thomas quickly reads the comment.
“Thomas love your content! But the people need to know. Is it Marcus or Kevin?”
Thomas frowns in confusion. There is a link and when he clicks on it he is brought to a long reblog chain on tumblr. He quickly reads through the first few posts and snorts.
“Oh My Goodness, that is just amazing!” he squeals in delight. He loves that the fanders are so enthusiastic about those two. And from what he can tell both ‘armies’ are battling it out in good fun.
“Well, I can’t confirm, nor deny either name at this time. But I think he’d very much approve of the one his faithful minions have chosen for him. Personally I do think Kevin would be hilarious though.”
Joan chuckles and nods in agreement.
“We might learn the dark overlord’s true name someday,” Thomas smiles. “But for now, take it easy guys galls and non-binary palls. Peace out!”
“Are you quite done Princey?” Virgil huffed. Roman had been laughing nonstop since Thomas heard about the debate going on in the Fanders comunity.
“Sorry. I’ll stop. Honestly it’s not that funny. Please do forgive me… Kevin,” And just like that he was doubled over again. Virgil groaned in annoyance.
“Okay, okay, I’m done. I honestly didn’t mean to. You can’t always help it when you laugh though. And you must admit it is a little funny,” Roman said once he got a hold of himself, whipping the mirth out of his eyes.
“What’s all this commotion about?” Patton wondered as he entered the commons.
Virgil tensed up. Patton had been… Different lately. He’d been checking if Virgil took enough food when he ate in his room, and that he ate everything when Roman coaxed him into eating with the others. He knocked more often to check if Virgil had laundry to be done, or to tell him that it was time for him to go to bed. He was taking this whole dad thing a little too seriously.
And some part of Virgil wanted to just accept and appreciate the effort, but the other kept wondering why Patton was doing all that for him when he clearly wanted him to just move back downstairs already.
It was in the little things. The way Patton would tense when he entered the room. How he would hesitate before smiling at him or greeting him. The way his voice wavered when he asked him stuff. And sometimes Patton would say stuff like “I don’t care how Deceit does things, but up here we…” Insert whatever rule Patton was trying to get Virgil to accept.
Honestly. He didn’t mind doing chores. Even if it was redundant when you can just will stuff to be clean. He didn’t mind making an appearance in the commons once a day either. Patton had just jumped from not involving him in anything into expecting him to fight him on everything.
Sure he’d roll his eyes and huff a little, but he wasn’t that difficult. Patton clearly expected him to be though. Perhaps even expected him to get tired of the rules and leave.
The problem was, Virgil had actually tried a few times in the beginning, and he couldn’t go back downstairs. Not really. Not for more than a visit when Thomas was asleep. The rest of the time, he was stuck in the in between only able to go to the upper commons.
Virgil’s best guess at how this worked was that Thomas had acknowledged his existence, but was still trying to push him down most of the time.
It’d been Janus’ decision to reveal this truth, when Virgil had been triggered into a panic attack one morning out of seemingly nowhere. Janus and Remus had been very calm that day and that had been exactly what had made Virgil worry that something big was coming. Janus realized this was not a healthy environment for him. So he lifted the denial on Thomas’ anxiety and told Patton and the others that Virgil would be living with them from now on.
Next thing Virgil knew his room was moved up, just not all the way.
He wasn’t sure, but he felt like he’d gotten closer to the upper level since he and Roman became friends. Logan didn’t seem to care one way or another. So that left Patton as the one to push him down right?
Virgil closed his eyes to calm his reeling thoughts for a moment. He couldn’t get swept up by his own head when in public. Princey got it by now, but how would he explain this to Patton.
“Oh, hello Padre. Kevin and I were just discussing the latest video and…”
Then Virgil found himself crouching on the kitchen counter ready for an attack. Patton’s high pitched squeal had been unexpected and terrifying.
Roman, once he recovered from his own surprise, moved a little closer to Virgil, putting himself in between him and the perceived danger. It helped calming him down a lot faster and adjust his position to look more casual and less terrified.
Patton was still squealing and clapping. It seemed like he had missed Virgil’s panicked reaction.
“Your name is Kevin?” he gushed.
“No,” Virgil objected immediately. Holding up both hands in a stop sign.
“That’s just one of the names the fanders gave the villain character. Princey thinks he’s hilarious for calling me that,” he explained.
Patton deflated. “Oh… Well, it’s nice the fanders enjoy your character so much,” he smiled awkwardly. Virgil suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He wanted to get out of here, like now.
“Padre! You just must see the gorgeous artwork this fander did about the prince!” Roman declared as he grabbed Patton by the arm and led him away.
Virgil finally fully relaxed. Roman was really pulling through on every level.
Protecting him from Patton’s parenting, deflecting Logan’s tough questions, and even making Virgil feel appreciated. Whenever Virgil had had a rough day of keeping Thomas safe, Roman would come find him in the field and just hang with him, humming his favorite music, set up one of his favorite movies with him, telling him stories of his grand adventures. Just hanging out. Once they did each other’s nails. That was a lot of fun. Virgil had actually quit nailbiting all together because he didn’t want to ruin them.
At first Roman had tried gifts and lavish praise, but that did not sit well with Virgil. He panicked over not being able to live up to the praise or give good gifts in return. And Roman listened and adapted.
Virgil in turn had been trying to give Roman verbal praise whenever he did something nice for him, or did a good job with Thomas. It was hard for Virgil to say this stuff out loud though.
Virgil entered his room trying to think of a way to thank Roman for today without making it awkward for the both of them.
His eye fell on some purple craft paper. One of Roman’s early gifts. He’d thought that maybe Virgil might enjoy creating things to take his mind of off his worries every once in a while.
Virgil had never really found a good project to use it for… But now.
When Roman got back to his room after bidding Patton a good day he could feel a slow rhythmic knock on his door. They never agreed on a code, but he could tell that this was just Virgil trying to get his attention, but that he could take his time if needed.
He decided to note down his new idea for a Vine first so he wouldn’t lose it. When he opened the door, Virgil was nowhere to be seen. Not that Roman noticed right away, he was far too focused on the purple paper rose hanging from the doorframe by a piece of yarn.
It was clearly hand crafted. Which must have taken Virgil quite some effort. He carefully untied the flower and brought it to his room where he put it on his vanity in a little vase.
He smiled softly at the little token of appreciation. A friendship with the emo knight wasn’t always easy to navigate. But it was definitely worth it.
He picked up the idea again, confident it would be another hit.
The dark overlord scowled at the bright morning sky. "Curse you, eternal sun." He turns his attention to the star map on the table in front of him "and every single one of you stars." He raised a picture of the solar system and glared. "And to hell with all you planets! I hate you all!" Then he dramatically turned and picked up a small ball resembling a certain non-planet. "Except for you,” he says softly stroking the ball delicately as if to comfort it. “You get me. You may stay."
Next: everyone falls
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Hundredth - LYJ 2
who?: Nine Percent’s Lin Yanjun
genre: 🌺
type: bullet point
TW: toxic relationship
blog navigator.
part two / two
part one
You love yanjun, I love yanjun.
pls read part one first!! sorry for the lateness, school just started up again and it’s been so hectic :(((
- admin l
disclaimer: pictures used do not belong to me and credit goes to their original owners
everything that is written here is purely fictional
DO NOT READ IF TRIGGERING
~
two things
one: you felt absolutely shitfaced
two: you dreamed about meeting a handsome dude and giving him your jewelry
losing money
fantastic
but hey, he was cute though
head sore, back aching and the urge to throw up all the alcohol consumed last night, you didn’t want to pry your memory for details
your dating life was now non-existent
that hurt
it was very real
and very tragic
the pain of realisation must’ve triggered your imagination to create your
ideal soulmate
tall
handsome
playful
sexy
all in one package
he was no Ken doll
not a trace of any of Yang’s characteristics
a scowl edged itself onto your face at the thought of your ex-fiancé
who was in Paris chasing the woman of his dreams, mind you
if only Evan was a real human and not some figment of your imagination
you would have married him in an instant
unfortunately, Evan was a mere hologram of your expectations
thus, you were doomed to stay single
your back hit the soft bed with a thump
sigh
I just want to go back to sleep
so Evan and I can keep meeting in our dreams
想要牵着你的手到��们的梦中梦游
wait!
this is still Yang’s apartment,,,that I used to call ‘home’
I lied to myself
he’ll be back from his ‘business trip’ tonight
I have to pack up and get the hell out of here!
f*ck, I wasted time daydreaming about something so useless
ouch! my head
what the hell! why can’t anything go my way for once
you groped around to find balance, vision distorted, dizziness settling into your brain
i’m never drinking again!
what happened last night?
.....did I?
so, I got drunk, drew up my little own Ken doll in my head
lost almost 250 million worth of gems that aren’t mine
your face began to flush red
lol at least Yang won’t have them either
he designed that entire collection with her in his head
that aside, I’m never getting drunk again
carelessly, your hand swept over the bedside table
effectively knocking over most of the items
indistinct clinks and clatters filled the empty space
then, a soft ping of a tiny item hitting the carpeted ground caught your attention
squinting against the sunlight, your eyes searched for the object
even though it was mildly damaging to your retinas, the sunlight caused the object to sparkle
your hands curved around the smooth metal
fingers traced the distinctive carvings along the band
Cartier
upon closer inspection, you noticed that there was a strip of paper wrapped around it
cautiously, you unwrapped it
‘I’m sorry’ was scrawled on the paper
it made your breath hitch in your throat
who was apologising?
what for?
‘Don’t worry, things will start looking up from here. - E’
E v a n
your hands began to shake uncontrollably
either in excitement or anxiety - you weren’t sure
evan was real
he had returned your Cartier bracelet
at least he had kept your damned engagement ring
throw it out or whatever, you didn’t care about that chunk of space rock anymore
hopefully, Evan had burned in it an incinerator
hopefully, he would run back to slip a new one on your finger
NO!
lmao you just swore off relationships yesterday
and now you’re desperate for a guy to sweep you off your feet
but this wasn’t just any guy
he was your guy
your dream guy
drunk or not, you knew he was a 12/10 personality wise
or maybe,,,you just haven’t met anyone befitting of your standards
tbh idk if that’s grammatically correct
were you just desperate because of a broken heart?
god no
Yang didn’t deserve your prized heart
Evan though…
Was he a real, breathing man with blood flowing through his veins and sunlight gracing his skin?
Could he be the person you had been looking for?
Would you ever have a future together?
There were just too many questions
and too few answers
but what were the chances of you ever meeting Evan again?
what were the odds of him coming back into your life again?
outside of your dreamland
There was absolutely no guarantee that this note was genuine too
Someone could just be pulling a gross prank
Maybe there was a thief and he had just pretended to be Evan
had you been robbed last night?
NO I’M THINKING TOO FAR
Evan is off limits since he’s currently still a fictional dude
besides, it would be creepy to just keep dreaming about this guy
if he even exists
This itself is creepy...only because I can’t remember anything
a shudder shook your shoulders as you clambered off the bed
ew
your mind had to be made
right now
two things:
No, I won’t go searching for him
Yes, I’ll quit thinking about him
or anyone for that matter
It’s about time I enjoy my life while single and youthful
Time to pack up my things
Leave this apartment
the Cartier bracelet slid onto your wrist perfectly
this,,,you would keep closely
you marched out of the building with confidence in your stride
even your bags were tugged with strength and determination
no more Yang
no more Evan
no more relationships
...for some time at least
just me, I’m content being single
however, if you had been honest with yourself
your heart would not begin to tug your brain in the opposite direction
~
‘I lied when I said this necklace was worth 17 million,’ Cheng Xiao revealed.
‘It’s that value multiplied by nine.
A hundred and fifty-three million dollar necklace
and that amount would double after the deal was sealed
Yanjun’s guilty conscience began to awake
he,,,stole close to 250 million in an unfair squabble
The nine leaders surrounding the table were clearly shocked by the discovery
Cheng Xiao chuckled
She knew those boys wouldn’t bother to wholly invest themselves in the jewelry
The necklace was not theirs to keep anyway
It was a mere pawn in this game
There was 0.00% chance that YingYang Gems would continue their showcase
the necklace was supposed to debut in that collection
looks like they had to wait until Hundredths returned the gems
more likely than not, YingYang Gems would be forced to pull a plug on the showcase
which would give Yuehua Jewellers the window to be the only top-tier jewelry debuting a new collection this month
Hundredths held a huge amount of shares in Yuehua Jewellers
believe me, I did research on this
Cheng Xiao was not going to lose them all
‘Once their stock market rises, so will our shares,’ Cheng Xiao explained, gesturing to a chart. ‘Jieqiong will decide when to buy and sell.’
Yanjun didn’t understand the specifics mentioned but he got the rough idea
sort of
he left issues like these to Xukun, Linong
Cheng Xiao and Xukun continued to explain and discuss the situation
Yanjun tuned out to most of it
His job was done
he felt that he no longer wanted to play a part in this particular operation
He just felt so damn stupid for allowing his feelings to get caught up in his work
Yanjun felt like leaving the meeting room but he dug his heels into the carpet, forcing himself to stay
His work was constantly emotionally and physically draining, yes
but never like this
Cheng Xiao glanced at the clock on the wall
‘Okay. That’s all for today. We’ll discuss further when there’s an update from YingYang or Yuehua. Good work!’
Yanjun smiled and clapped along with everyone
He was genuinely proud and happy for his mentor and fellow comrades
It was just his own emotions that got in the way
‘I want to praise Yanjun for doing such an excellent job at acquiring the goods. An applause for him please! Bro did well,’ Xukun suddenly announced.
He had good intentions - Yanjun could tell by the look in his eyes
Xukun meant well
his friends praised him with good wishes and slaps on the back
The more attention and recognition he received, the nauseous feeling only grew
Yanjun finally caught a breath when he slipped out of the meeting room and headed towards the gymnasium
at this hour, the gym would usually have one or two athletes exercising
it was an awkward hour between late lunch and early dinner time
true enough, Ziyi and Yuntian were the only two in the huge complex
Yuntian as in Zhu Yuntian, 1/2 on the slept on Zhu twins
‘Hey bro,’ Ziyi greeted warmly as Yanjun stepped into the gym.
Yuntian smiled from his place on a weight machine
‘It’s great you’re keeping to your workout schedule,’ Ziyi beamed. ‘That ensures you’re always healthy for more missions like these.’
‘And hopefully a daily dose of endorphins keep that scowl off your face,’ Yuntian joked
that managed to crack a small smile from Yanjun
Yanjun began to stretch as a warm up
‘Jun, you did well. You’re happy with yourself, aren’t you?’
Yanjun’s mouth went dry, he pressed his lips together
‘Of course, all of us worked hard for this mission,’ he forced the words out through gritted teeth
brainwashing himself to focus on the benefits was harder than imagined
Ziyi furrowed his thick brows
‘I-it’s j-just...you seem to be a bit glum and undermining yourself. I want you to know how great you performed.’
Ziyi
‘It must’ve been so difficult getting in there,’
Please
‘Especially when Zhangjing and I went offline and you were left by yourself,’
Stop
‘I realised how much you’ve improved and I must commend you on that,’
Talking
‘Yanjun, you’re so amazing-‘
‘ZIYI!’ Yanjun finally exploded
He didn’t mean to
truly
Ziyi was going what he thought would uplift Yanjun, it’s what any good friend would do
shocked by his outburst, Ziyi stumbled back, losing his composure
even Yuntian stopped his exercise to find out what had happened
Yanjun bit down hard on his lips
he had to calm down before he spoke
otherwise, a dear friend could be hurt by his words
His words had already taken away many things
He wasn’t about to lose his dear friend
‘Ziyi, I’m sorry I reacted that way,’ Yanjun began by apologising
he gripped onto Ziyi’s shoulders but not in a domineering manner
he just had to ensure his best friend wouldn’t slip away
Yanjun sighed. ‘I-I’ve just been worn out from this mission and I’m trying to think of other things.’
Ziyi nodded. ‘Of course, of course.’
ways to cheer Ziyi up
clogs in his brain reeled to find an appropriate solution
‘You know, let’s take a break and get a coffee from the nearby cafe.’
~
manwhore: I know you stole my new collection. Return it to me, or you’ll pay
manwhore: don’t think for a minute that I won’t press charges
hiss hiss hoe: there’s evidence you left MY apartment with a big ass suitcase
hiss hiss hoe: you can’t possibly have that many things just own up that you took the collection and I’ll drop the charges
hiss hiss snake: listen, call my lawyer by 10pm today and all is even
just reading your messed up texts gets my blood boiling
dumbass
you: I don’t take shit that doesn’t mean anything to me
you: you’ve got the wrong person
you: the apartment was already wrecked when I got there and whoever was there had left ages ago
*snake is calling*
*call declined*
*snake is calling*
*call declined*
*snake is calling*
‘What!’ you snapped, causing customers seated around you to divert their attention.
‘What the hell do you want? I don’t want anything to do with you!’
‘You know what I want,’ your ex-fiancé’s voice crackled. ‘I want you to return my collection by today or I’m going ahead with the police.’
‘I didn’t take your shit,’ you growled in frustration, exasperated. ‘I’m not playing childish games here, Yang.’
yes, I wore the jewelry but when I woke up only my Cartier bracelet was left
I genuinely don’t know what happened!
but it isn’t my problem
Yang sighed from the other end of the line, most likely in annoyance. ‘Fine, be like that. I’m coming over to your townhouse with my lawyer to negotiate. Don’t drag our parents into this, you’ve already delayed the launch. That’s enough from you.’
the line went dead on the other side before you had a chance to protest
your phone thudded onto the table as you buried your head in your hands
in the queue, Yanjun, Yuntian, and Ziyi were well aware of your situation
their keen ears had heard it all
‘What are we going to do?’ Yanjun hissed. ‘We can’t let Yang do this.’
‘Honestly, I don’t think there’s much we can do at this point.’ Yuntian looked uncertain, shaking his head.
‘But if we allow Yang to press charges and call the police, we’re at a bigger risk of being found out. How did he get back from Paris so fast?’
oh no
Ziyi shot him a strange look. ‘Paris? I know he was due back tonight but wasn’t he in the city the whole time?’
cover blown
‘Jun ge, a-are you hiding something from us?’ Yuntian asked
Ziyi sipped his mocha latte,
‘Okay,’ Yanjun said. ‘Let me explain.’
it was hard to whisper in hushed tones through their masks AND with the person in question sitting less than 5 tables away
also, Ziyi and Yuntian weren’t the most helpful by ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ at Yanjun’s every word
once he was done with his storytelling, the table went silent as they were all deep in thought
Ziyi huffed, feeling clueless as to what to do
‘We have to help them for the sake of protecting ourselves,’ he voiced after awhile
Yuntian and Yanjun nodded attentively
‘Okay,’ Ziyi muttered after a while. ‘I have a plan.’
~
when Ziyi said he had a plan...I didn’t think we were going to be waiting outside their townhouse
stalking is more of an accurate choice of words
this is so stupid,,,and creepy
but what else could we really do
Zhangjing had already gotten their information
Ziyi had said that Yang’s force would definitely pressure you into accepting his offer
and that was when the Hundredths came in
they were going to pretend to be Yuehua representatives and lawyers whatever role they could find
if you know YingYang Gems, you certainly know how Yuehua Jewellers is pitted against them
the townhouse seemed compact and cozy yet modern and elegant
clearly, it had not been lived in for a very long time
in fact, the only occupants were the monthly housemaids
Yanjun spotted your shoes strewn across the porch, a sign of your hasty arrival and departure to get coffee
from a mile away, Yuntian announced your arrival
unfortunately, a black Mercedes Benz was quickly making its way down the lane too
too fast if Yanjun may add
Yang on one end
you on the other
this wasn’t going to be pretty
Yanjun braced himself for a hissy fight
Probably most of the pettiness from YingYang
as expected, Yang’s car reached first
his car ignored the trio, nearly crashing into them
a polished, suited driver stepped out of the car to punch a code into the keypad
red began to shade his cheeks when the gate let out an alarming buzz, signaling the password was wrong
furious, Yang stuck his head out of the window and barked, ‘What! They changed the password! Not like that would stop me! Try again!’
then, he noticed Yuntian, Ziyi, and Yanjun
his lips curled into a nasty sneer
‘Who are you? Get away from my house!’ He snarled defensively
Yanjun had to bite his lips to stop the laughter
‘If it is indeed your house,’ Ziyi began smoothly, mockingly almost. ‘Wouldn’t you know the password?’
Yang’s temper only blew up, his face reddened in anger. ‘Of course, I do! My fiancé must’ve changed the password, thieves these days....I’ll contact them right now! Off my property! My lawyer is sitting in my car.’
so many ‘my’s, Yanjujn rolled his eyes
Yang ordered his driver to try again and even suggested breaking in
‘I don’t think you break into houses you call your own,’ Yanjun snapped, unable to take any more of his insolence.
Especially since he had heard your side of the story
Yang’s current behaviour only confirmed his suspicions
his shirt was made out of 100% dickhead material
‘What’s going on?’
three strangers, one shiny black all-too-familiar car with two all-too-familiar passengers were parked right in front of your house
‘Darling!’ Yang’s fake sugary tone made you want to throw hot coffee in his face
‘I was trying to stop these...these hooligans! from breaking into our house.’
the blood rushing through your veins began to boil like a tempest
‘The only hooligan here is you. We’re done, get away from my property,’ you fired back. ‘Leave my representatives alone!’
the company of three strangers seemed much better than his at that moment
guys, idw to be that person, but please do be careful around people you don’t know
suddenly, the window rolled down to reveal a woman sitting in the back seat
Yanjun’s breath hitched in his throat when he spotted the giant rock on her ring finger
‘Sweetheart,’ she shrieked. ‘Are we done here yet? I want to head inside, sort out this lawyer thing and go shopping for our wedding already.’
the sobs you choked back were so visible to Yanjun. You were trying your best to keep your emotions a bay
it wasn’t only your anger but his
‘Wow, Mr Yang I will say you have guts to act this way,’ he growled. ‘Our client has just parted ways with you after two years of engagement and more of betrothal without the slightest bit of a wedding in mind.’
‘And here you are, already planning a dream wedding to someone you’ve met a week ago after cruelly ditching your ex. Then, you have the audacity to accuse them, force them to meet your lawyer at their house, claiming the house was yours.’
Yang opened his mouth to reply but Yanjun didn’t even spare him a second to shut it
‘And you bring your new fiancé along to humiliate my client. If it truly is a legal matter between the two of you like you claim it to be, her presence isn’t required.’
your jaw dropped open and shut many times and you couldn’t stop thinking about how this mysterious man looked so,,, familiar
Recognisable
but you had to save your pride right now. ‘You’ve met my representatives, we’re here for a meeting. Go before I call the police.’
‘This house is in my name.’
Thankfully, the car sped off without another word from the passengers
your jelly legs sank on the pavement, breathes coming out in short bursts
‘T-thanks the help,’ you whispered. ‘D-do I know you from somewhere?’
Yanjun shook his head, eyes sparkling
he offered to help you up
‘Unfortunately not but, we’re here to help you.’
He had a smooth way of talking, you noted. Bad sign, bad sign. All the charming ones will are heartbreaking bad boys
but isn’t that a trait of your Ken doll Evan?
the raven-haired, man bun sporting man cleared his throat and stepped forward
‘We’re representatives from Yuehua Jewellers and there are some issues we would like to discuss regarding YingYang Gems.’
if they were Yuehua, they had to take your side
three strangers in your house isn’t a problem when you have about ten bodyguards inside
the gate let out a friendly beep and slid open without trouble after you had keyed in the password
‘If it’s about boycotting Yang,’ you said, gesturing for them to enter. ‘Then, be my guest.’
~
The ‘meeting’ was successful on both terms
Yanjun couldn’t be more ecstatic that you were finally getting away from Yang - at least for a while
but he had to keep his true identity a secret at all times, no matter what
However, the ‘subtle, casual’ looks that you gave him didn’t go unnoticed at all
it was SO obvious that your brain was reeling to provide answers to your burning questions
my last three brain cells during an exam:
as much as Yanjun wanted to answer them himself, he restrained himself from doing so
Now, you only knew him as Jun
That was how it was supposed to stay
but Yanjun wasn’t sure if his heart would allow it
…
did,,, did he really admit that?
he can’t
emotions and work don’t match, it would only complicate things
yet, he would surely crumble if you pressed any further
in order to protect himself, to protect his brothers and to protect you, Yanjun stayed far far away from you
he sent relatively harmless people out to meet and update you
you only held Ziyi’s contact
Yanjun was doing all this to keep you safe
from him
but it was the smallest of details that gave away his attraction
like how he pestered Cheng Xiao for an update on the transaction every hour
or how he snuck glances over Ziyi’s shoulder when he was texting you
he also snuck out with zheng ruibin to keep tabs on Yang, to ensure he was no longer harassing you
dread was gnawing at him from all sides
he felt as if eyes were glaring bullet holes into him even in the safety of his room
Yanjun lay on his bed, ears tuned into the goodnight wishes of his corridor mates
he had to sort out his life right now
first of all, he had gotten all heart-eyed when he met you and then charmed away your jewelry
he felt guilty for worsening your emotional breakdown AND for letting his own emotions get in the way of his work
now, he was trying to solve your problem
but Yanjun wasn’t going to waltz into your life, sweep you off your feet and propose to you
because he knew he didn’t deserve to
either way, he can’t satisfy both sides of a Gemini
Yanjun was not mistaking pity for attraction, he was schooled enough to know that
he wasn’t going to f*ck up your life and feelings more than he already had
Yanjun was placed in a tight spot
knowing him would only put you in more danger
so no matter what happened, for the sake of your sanity and safety
He had to withstand the pressure crushing his shoulders, go against the wind and grow against the sun
only diamonds come out of the rough
A Hundredth had no excuse not to
two days later, Yang’s collection was returned safely and anonymously
the launch continued
but by then, Yuehua had garnered the majority of the media’s attention and public eye
beneficial
today was essentially your last chance to get rid of the thought that bugged your mind
Jun
Evan
why did both of them seem so,,, alike?
to clear up things, you decided that there was indeed a guy named Evan in your life
and the idea of it was absolutely mortifying
curiosity killed the cat,,,but the cat does have nine lives
if you did indeed dump your problems and jewelry through your mini cryfest on some poor dude, you had the right to know
from the start, YH representative Jun had caught your eye
he was calculating, cheeky, playful and intelligent all together
he also reminded you of someone
personality wise
you remembered Evan had a light silvery tint to his hair, a pair of dimples, deep voice and large eyes
your ideal ‘Ken doll’
Jun was definitely your type
nevermind, Evan didn’t have to exist if you had Jun
had
you wouldn’t ever be able to breathe the same air as him
Jun was slowly slipping away from you
in fact, the last time you heard of his existence was yesterday night
when Zacharie was texting you and mentioned a component that Jun would manage
take the Z from Ziyi and IE from Boogie and you get Zacharie
trying to make up fake names on the spot
there were so many burning questions at the tip of your tongue
Jun resembled Evan so closely
,,,were you confusing reality and fiction? are you going mad?
annoyed, you let out a huff and flopped onto your bed
men could be so infuriating and irritating!
you: hi Zacharie, thank you for all your help these few days. Please thank the team at Yuehua on my behalf. To properly bid you farewell, I ordered some small gifts for the office. It would be great if you could send someone to pick them up! Thanks!
mhm
Zacharie and Jun won’t even know what hit them
truthfully, you didn’t have any farewell gifts because you never wanted to part
you: assistant lu please prepare appropriate tokens of appreciation for colleagues by 2pm today
~
why why why why why!
the same mantra kept chanting over and over in Yanjun’s head
he had been so desperately trying to avoid you at all costs yet here he was, at your front gate
Ziyi had specifically said this errand was for him to run
currently, the only running Yanjun wanted to do was to run away from his responsibilities
to his surprise, it was you who opened the door and not your bodyguard
‘Hi! Come in for a minute,’ you greeted enthusiastically
Yanjun wondered how you could be so bubbly
well, you had the right to be after getting Yang off your back
‘Everything’s in here!’ you beamed, handing him paper bags with stamped with a brand name you couldn’t even pronounce
Yanjun smiled earnestly, taking the bags from you
your fingers brushed against his for a moment and sparks ignited through your body
‘Jun, would you something to drink? Coffee perhaps?’
Wow, every word you said sounded so formal and robotic
this was very unlike you
were you nervous? around a guy?
Never!
then again, the only guys you had encountered were the middle school boyfriend, college cheater, and Yang
so,,,that was a possibility
Yanjun politely declined much to your dismay
He mentioned that Zacharie needed him back at the office for a board meeting soon
sighing, you nodded understandingly
‘Sure, you should get going soon. Thanks for all the help these few days.’
you ran a hand through your hair as you spoke
Yanjun caught sight of the Cartier bracelet securely clasped on your wrist
the one piece he decided not to steal
‘Nice Cartier,’ he complimented. ‘Very classy and iconic.’
damn Yanjun, you’re the smoothest guy on this planet and all you come up with is ‘nice Cartier’?
impressive
however, you face practically lit up at his compliment
‘Thank you! It was the first piece I bought with my own money,’ you revealed with pride.
Yanjun paused at the driveway to slip his shoes back on
which gave you time to work up the courage
‘Hey, Jun.’
he hummed in reply
you tried to make your tone sound as nonchalant as possible. ‘Uh, I figured you would be in touch with many of these... jewelry specialists...’
oh no
Yanjun tried not to tense visibly. Instead, he offered a tight-lipped smile
‘Um, I know this is far-fetched but would you know of anyone named Evan?’
E v a n
Evan is standing right in front of you
In your doorway
Evan is lying
Right in your face
Evan doesn’t deserve you
Because he messed up
Yanjun shook his head and pushed back the whirlwind of emotions that was taking shape
‘Nope, I’m sorry. I don’t know anyone of that name,’ he lied perfectly. ‘Why?’
Oh, the audacity
you leaned against the doorframe, mildly disappointed
‘Nothing. H-he just seemed really knowledgeable about gems. My cousin and I met him at...at a place near your office so I just-‘ you kept yourself from rambling.
the silver-haired man chuckled softly at your outburst
‘Y-you just resembled him a bit. Tall, tan, dyed hair, large eyes. Haha, thought he was a colleague or something,’ you fibbed, making up a story on the spot
sadness flooded your lungs and made it hard to breathe, fires of vex scorched your skin and made it blister
Jun obviously had no interest and to compare him with Evan! oh wow
who even does this
the moment would’ve turned awkward if Jun didn’t announce that Zacharie had begun texting him and bid you farewell with sincerity
there was no need to rush
he could explain everything
but what good would it do him
what good would it do you?
‘Jun!’ you called out as he was about to step outside, dashing after him without slippers
‘I-i-is it okay i-if we stay in contact? I-I-. Can we b-be friends? We’re around the same age? It’ll be nice to know someone nearby.’
sentences began with stammers and ended with stumbles
alarm bells rang in his head
Flustered, Jun fought to find an appropriate response
Words got caught in his throat, they froze, then evaporated into thin air
‘Yes,’ he finally coughed out. ‘We can stay in contact but...I think it would be much better for us to stay as colleagues.’
hurt crumbled your features no matter how hard you forced them to stay upright
‘Oh, o-of course.’
of course, you had been too immature, too caught up in the moment
too fresh from a breakup and looking in the wrong places for a rebound
Yanjun’s smile seemed sympathetic but he too was struggling to keep his feelings at bay
‘Goodbye. I’m sure there will be projects for us to work on again. Rest early.’
In the safety of Hundredth HQ, Yanjun let crystal tears slip out from his pearl-like orbs
usually gleaming with fun, suavity, perfection
the mafia had made him focused, strong, bold and quick
and it was your diamonds that didn’t just scratch the surface of the onyx plating
but pierced right through it and pricked his soft golden heart
~
honestly, i’m not super satisfied with this :(((
it took me THREE weeks to write but it was interrupted by camp and school so my train of thought was lost
i’M SO SORRY
hopefully,,,school gets easier so I can focus on what I like to do
love all of you lots💓💓💓
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