Chapter Text
Mo Ran had to be on his best behavior.
This was the biggest role he had ever landed. With six parts luck, three parts refined acting skill from his other side-character roles, and one part his uncle shooting an email to an old friend, Mo Ran was officially going to be the lead character in some overdramatic xianxia C-Drama. Fancy costumes, realistic props, fight scenes he got to perform himself. He had officially made it.
Having gone through his script a handful of times, met with his director and producers, and finalized everything he would be paid, today was the day where he would get a tour of the set with his costars, finally getting to meet them all. Apparently they had a full ancient city to film in, so here he was, waiting at the gates for his co-star to arrive.
He ignored the buzzing from his phone, undoubtedly his cousin trying to get a hold of him for a personal tour. Mo Ran wanted to be here, in the moment. One he could barely believe was real.
As he nervously cast his gaze around the entrance of the set, a very nice looking car pulled up to the nearby curb, someone getting out from the driver's seat. At first, Mo Ran expected them to come around the front of the car to let out his co-star from the back. But as soon the man was in view, Mo Ran was hit with an intense beauty that he had only ever seen on screen.
He was dressed in a crisp white outfit, the straight-leg slacks he wore ironed so stiffly that they didn't dare bend in the wind, and his sleeves clinging to delicate wrists as if they were holding flesh and bone together. He wouldn't even need a wig for this set, since his long hair flowed in the subtle springtime breeze as he walked towards Mo Ran.
Oh, he was walking towards Mo Ran. This was his co-star.
Mo Ran suddenly felt underdressed. It was true that his style tended to be more edgy, with his dark wash jeans and leather jacket, but he didn’t think he’d feel like he should change. The least he could do was stand up straight, offering the man a smile, “Chu Wanning, a pleasure to meet you.”
It was hard not to know who Chu Wanning was. He was in every advertisement, featured on any variety show that was worth mentioning. Having acted since his late teens, he had an extensive resume of acting in historical dramas such as the one they were a part of today.
As soon as his name was called, the man's eyes locked onto Mo Ran's figure. He didn't say a word for an uncomfortably long time. Was he examining him? Was he thinking about his roguish attire, or Mo Ran's natural appearance? It wasn't like he had any of the usual plastic surgeries that these drama actors underwent. In fact, his unusual looks were what got him his role as Taxian-Jun in the first place.
Chu Wanning suddenly coughed lightly into his fist, clearing his throat.
"Likewise."
Mo Ran beamed. Likewise? Had Chu Wanning actually looked forward to meeting him too?? Not wanting to be a starry eyed loser, he forced himself to continue conversation as normal.
“I just got here, so I wasn’t standing around too long.” He smiled, sure that his trademark dimples were on full display.
Chu Wanning turned his gaze away, noticing there weren't any staff members here just yet. Mo Ran was exceptionally early out of nerves, and Chu Wanning was ever too punctual.
"We can walk in. I've been here many times before." He walked past the young man, clicking a code in a small pin pad that made the gates open outwardly towards them.
“So you can give me a tour, huh?” He joked, immediately regretting it. This man was an A-list celebrity, and he just told him to give him a tour? Jesus Christ, who does he think he is?!
"Rather assumptious," Chu Wanning seemingly had read his mind, turning back towards him to catch Mo Ran's fret-filled eyes. He then walked into the city's gates, passed watchtowers that framed the scene like a movie Mo Ran had seen sometime ago.
He didn’t verbalize anything at first, not wanting to disturb Chu Wanning, but he snapped a quick selfie, snickering to himself as he sent it to his cousin and pocketed his phone.
“So...is it good to be back?” Mo Ran asked as he caught up to the man.
Chu Wanning had taken a hiatus for a while, using the time to work on whatever a multimillionaire did in his days off. Mo Ran was shocked to hear he took on this role, especially being casted alongside some rookie ten years younger than him.
"I don't know. We haven't started filming yet." Chu Wanning's gaze once again landed on Mo Ran. The look he gave him almost made his hairs stand on end. "Have you read through the script entirely?"
He nodded dutifully, “went through a few times and highlighted my parts, added a few notes.”
"Notes?" Chu Wanning's eyebrows raised. For an actor, Mo Ran couldn't entirely tell what this guy's expressions meant just yet.
“Yeah…” He rubbed his neck sheepishly, “like…sometimes I- y’know- I write notes next to certain lines. What I think the character is thinking, or why they chose those lines. Helps me get in the headspace.”
Chu Wanning nodded once, stopping them in front of some tea house-like building. The front porch was open, so he waved a hand for him to follow up the small steps towards a shaded sitting area. Mo Ran wanted to stay quiet, but it was so hard not to comment on every aspect of this place.
“Wow, it looks like a real castle. The set design team went crazy, huh?”
"Many of the buildings that we'll be shooting in were built using ancient techniques. This tea house's roof uses no nails."
Chu Wanning reached over, knocking on the support beam with the back of his hand. Perhaps it was a trick the older man had learned, but the breeze came by to catch the melody of the wind chime above Chu Wanning's head just a moment after.
"Details are very important. The audience we work with is extremely particular."
“Are they? I’ve never worked in xianxia, hah…”
Mo Ran had stuck to modern shows for his entire career. He didn’t know much about this world, especially nothing about cultivation. Of course he prepared by binging some of Chu Wanning’s stuff, but he was on a completely different level. There’d be no use in just trying to copy him.
"Can you speak your lines properly yet?" Chu Wanning's interest was piqued now. Switching from I to this one was no joke, and difficult for most people to get the hang of. He almost couldn't imagine the young man in front of him getting it right away. Everything about him was so relaxed, very modern. From his wheat colored skin to his well-built form, it was clear he was a part of the youth who were defying social standards. Imagining him abiding by the language and styling of the Han dynasty was no easy feat.
“We can go over them later today, if you don’t have anything scheduled.” Mo Ran offered, wanting an excuse to see Chu Wanning live and in action.
"Today I have an event to take care of. I only came here to meet you." Chu Wanning leaned back in his chair, though with his incredible posture it was more like pushing himself adjacent to the back of the chair.
“What kind of event? A photoshoot?”
Chu Wanning was quickly learning that Mo Ran never shut up. Any answer he gave wasn’t the end to the conversation, but a new avenue he was shamelessly opening up to more questions. It was honestly flustering him, how easily Mo Ran spoke to him without any jitters or nerves. Wasn't he supposed to be new to the business? He certainly wasn't acting like it.
"It's a charity auction. I have props that I no longer want cluttering my home." He shifted uncomfortably.
Mo Ran smiled, “that’s cool of you to do. I bet a lot of people would just hoard them.” He then noticed Chu Wanning’s discomfort, “we can keep walking around if you want. The chair looks a little hard.”
"It is." Chu Wanning mumbled.
Before Mo Ran could get up, however, the two of them heard voices coming up the street towards them. Turning their heads was the director Mo Ran had met not too long ago, as well as some set people to give them their official tour. The carefree man walked up to the tea house the two were sitting at, all smiles.
"Ah, it seems you got to Chu-gongzi's chair before he did." He gestured to where Mo Ran was sitting, unaware of the redness of said Chu-gongzi's face. Perhaps from the silly nickname.
Mo Ran looked down, then shot up out of his seat, clearly embarrassed. “Sorry-“ He bowed his head, “I didn’t know-“
"It's just a chair." Chu Wanning's hand swept to the side, brushing away his apology.
"A chair that's going up for auction today." The director spoke up as he hopped up the steps, smiling at the two of them together.
Mo Ran walked over to greet him, immediately complimenting the set with a wide smile on his face. “Chu-Laoshi even told me ancient techniques were used.”
The director glanced over to the man gripping the arms of his chair a little too tightly. "Doing my job and giving Mo Ran a tour? Always a workaholic, Chu-gongzi."
"I do not need such serious titles from either of you. I am just Chu Wanning." He stood, "let's get on with this."
Obviously the cameras were rolling. If this series popped off, their first look of the set would be fandom farming gold. Chu Wanning was pleased to find that Mo Ran didn’t act any differently in front of the director or the set crew, a nice refresher from some less satisfactory experiences.
It was the only moment so far that he had felt some sense of relief around his co-star. Internally, Chu Wanning was forcing himself to act like the cool, mature adult he was. It wasn't as if he had never starred in something that required him to be in a faux relationship before, but this was a tragic romance series. As soon as he saw the headshot of the man he would be getting entangled with on camera, Chu Wanning had felt instant panic.
Mo Ran was new. He was young, he was handsome, he was easily charming. Chu Wanning kept glancing at him, which he knew was going to come off as creepy if Mo Ran started to notice. He was going to be a fan favorite, Chu Wanning had no doubts.
The man in question was pointing out some decorated parts of the street, making a comment about how he felt transported back in time.
“I read the original book when I was in high school. This place would be perfect for the courtyard.”
"You read the book so long ago, and now you're playing the main lead?" Chu Wanning asked.
“Mhm. Guess all that manifestation worked.”
The crew laughed. Chu Wanning notably didn't, only giving a single nod once more. "We'll need red lotus flowers, then. If this is to be the courtyard."
The reaction did throw Mo Ran off, but he continued, “you’ve read the book?”
"If I'm not working, I'm in my library at home." Chu Wanning said a bit too truthfully.
It wasn't as if his reputation didn't precede him: while his face was practically everywhere, he rarely attended social events. He was often forced to go to his own award ceremonies at times. All that time spent away from the public was instead put towards reading, it seemed. Even xianxia romances.
“I never guessed you were the romantic type.” Mo Ran teased.
"And from your recent work, you don't seem to be the fantasy type either." Chu Wanning shot back with startling casualness, looking down at the watch on his wrist.
The younger man chuckled, “touché.”
"What made you audition for this role?" Chu Wanning turned on the path, following the people ahead of them over a wooden bridge over an outstretched pond that mirrored the sky. "It surprises me when I hear a new name in this genre."
Mo Ram stopped, dark eyes cast away while he thought. The younger man was still, thinking long and hard about his answer before he finally spoke again.
“I wanted to challenge myself.”
Even though Chu Wanning had been quite serious this entire tour, Mo Ran was certain that was an answer that pleased him. There was a small flicker of it in those sharp, calculating eyes.
"Let's hope you're up to the challenge."
They took a few promotional shots and headed back around to the front, discussing what their next steps would be. It was all so intensely professional, apparently this nerdy shit was a big deal! It certainly made Chu Wanning wealthy enough to be hosting auctions of fake swords he had held, at the very least.
Speaking of, Mo Ran was informed that his co-star was leaving early, having no intention on getting lunch with the director and set crew. But before he left, he personally walked up to Mo Ran, handing him a slip of paper.
"Here. We'll be working together now. Contact me when necessary."
Mo Ran nodded in thanks, even if his face was confused as he opened it. Written so neatly that he wondered if it was typed was a phone number. There was no other information, however. Usually the actors Mo Ran worked with would give their agent's business cards. So this must have been his personal number-!!
Trying not to look too hype, Mo Ran smiled, “of course.”
Without so much as a goodbye, Chu Wanning regarded him one last time before heading off back to his car. Mo Ran just beamed as he drove off, even offering the man a small wave as he disappeared.
Chu Wanning's phone number. He had Chu Wanning's phone number in his jacket pocket. He could shoot him a text for an autograph any time he wanted!!
No, no, not that. He’s got to play it cool. He was a professional actor. Calm and collected.
“His number!” Mo Ran waved it in Shi Mei’s face, putting it back on the counter, “the area code is in Shanghai, I looked it up. I bet he lives in one of those fancy high rises. Or maybe he’s a homeowner type of guy…”
"You're starting to sound like those Chu Wanning conspiracy fans, A-Ran." His friend smiled nonetheless at the enthusiasm, happy to hear Mo Ran was getting the Y/N treatment. "He's probably the most private celebrity in the country. You could probably even sell his coffee order information for some good money."
“How much would that go for? Like 2000 yuan?”
Shi Mei struggled to tell if he was joking from the tone of his voice. He waited for a sign of his laughter before leaning over to sip the straw out of his drink. "It would probably be enough to get you out of your horrible little apartment you're so attached to."
Mo Ran’s smile softened, him playing with his own straw, “…it was my first place.”
Mo Ran knew he had connections now, but he wanted to try doing things his own way. He sat through auditions like everyone else, rented his own barely functional apartment. The whole nine yards.
"Well don't make it your only place. That's why people don't marry their first boyfriends."
“Thank god I didn’t marry my first boyfriend.” The thought of being contractually bound to some self obsessed Onlyfans model made Mo Ran’s skin itch.
"Well your key ring isn't on your finger, as far as I can tell." Shi Mei reached out, grabbing Mo Ran's hand just to double check.
“Ha ha.” He let silence take them as they ate, Mo Ran unable to get his mind off the excitement of today.
He was still in the honeymoon phase of it all, where the excitement of meeting new people and experiencing new parts of the acting world. Xianxia was a brand new avenue, Mo Ran had so much to learn and it only made him feel childishly giddy.
Maybe if he played his cards right, he could even make some real friends in the big leagues. For now, he’d just start with Chu Wanning.
He drove Shi Mei home, making sure he got back to his apartment safely and promising to call the following day.
"-and don't ignore your cousin, I can't listen to any more of his misspelled texts when you tease him." Shi Mei lightly scolded before he closed the door, leaving Mo Ran to his own devices.
Stepping through the door of his crummy little apartment felt like he was shedding off a heavy coat, free to be himself once more. After having showered, the piece of paper tumbled out of Mo Ran’s jeans pocket when he picked his clothes up off the floor.
Maybe he should text him, just so he didn't wait too long and Chu Wanning forgot who he gave his number to. He might block a random stranger saying hi out of the blue!
?: [Hey, it’s Mo Ran]
?: [Wanted to make sure this is the right number]
Chu Wanning blinked drowsily as his phone buzzed on the table beside him. The iced tea beside him did nothing for his awakeness levels as he oversaw the auction for some outfit that no longer fit him. Seeing the texts on his screen, however, considerably perked him up. He quickly typed the name Mo Ran into his contacts.
?: [I would not make such a simple mistake.]
?: [This is Chu Wanning.]
Mo Ran: [you underestimate my ability to fuck it up myself ha ha ha]
Chu-Laoshi: [Forgive me for thinking so highly of you, Mo Ran.]
Snickering at his name choice, Mo Ran typed.
Mo Ran: [Let me earn your respect back. Do you have any time to do a cold read?]
Chu-Laoshi: [You really are adamant about practicing our lines already.]
Chu-Laoshi: [Nervousness or impatience?]
Either answer Mo Ran gave him, Chu Wanning didn't mind as he checked his schedule. He debated for some time before sending a screenshot of it to Mo Ran. It would be less back and forth that way, so they instead could talk about important things.
Mo Ran felt himself blush, caught in his admiration for the man for a moment.
Mo Ran [My best work is collaborative. Major people person.]
Chu Wanning almost typed that he notably was not a people person, but he was sure that was already glaringly obvious.
Chu-Laoshi: [For your first lead, I will accept nothing less than your best.]
He waited a while for a written response, but only got a ‘💯’ reaction on his message.
"...what." He said out loud.
The next message didn’t clear up anything, only Mo Ran confirming a time for them to meet. Chu Wanning quickly added a thumbs up to Mo Ran's text so he didn't feel as ancient, flushing as he turned his phone face down on the table, focusing in as the last piece sold. He had to personally oversee the finances being transferred to the local children's hospital, making sure none of it was pocketed. And for that, he needed his thoughts off of Mo Ran.
Chu Wanning had sent Mo Ran the address to a private studio. It was rented out for the day, so they wouldn't have to worry about time slots as they practiced for however long they desired. When he heard the knocking, Mo Ran stood at the door. He was just as energetic as before, sporting a navy t-shirt with a reflective crossbody strapped across his chest. Chu Wanning noticed that he added a dog tag, fitting for how he could practically see his tail wagging.
“‘Morning!”
"We meet again." Chu Wanning stayed in the doorway for a moment, soaking in the starry-eyed enthusiasm before side stepping and allowing the younger man inside.
“This place is niceeee.” Mo Ran looked up as he walked, whistling. The room he walked into was large enough for them to move around, perhaps Mo Ran could even perform a few stunts if he so desired. But his voice didn't echo too horribly!
"All of the walls are lined with soundboards. So it's good for practice." Chu Wanning closed the door.
“You’ve been here with other co-stars?”
"I typically practice with other costars on set." Chu Wanning deflected, walking over to where he had left his things. "Your bag is small, by the way. I hope you haven't crumpled your script in there."
“It’s fine-“ Mo Ran defended himself, unzipping it to prove it. He ended up having to smooth the paper out, but could clearly read it at least-!
"What do you think of Taxian-Jun so far?"
What Chu Wanning meant to ask was can I see your notes? But that was too forward. Apparently he was worried about things like that now.
“A lot.” He said honestly, “I think it’s easy to hate him, and I really did at first.” He paused in thought, trying to choose the right words, “but you can’t help but feel bad for him. Not ‘cuz he’s a good guy, but because of what could have been if he’d been put on the right path. Like mourning someone you didn’t get the chance to meet.”
"Hm." Chu Wanning looked down at his own script, folding pages over one another. "You're certainly doing better than one of my last co-stars already."
“Is this a test?” He leaned on the wall, raising an eyebrow, “and you said not to call you Chu-Laoshi~”
"And I will not repeat myself. I can be less kind, if that's what you would prefer." He looked up at him pointedly, but somehow it made Mo Ran feel as if he was being looked down at!
“…Chu Wanning it is.” He put up his hands in peace, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot.
Said Chu Wanning kept his gaze steady, practically seeing a bead of sweat roll down Mo Ran's face. He then signed. "If I'm going to intimidate you that easily, then we really must work on these lines."
Mo Ran relaxed seeing that he wasn’t angry, the older man promising to take it slow while they started to go over their lines and blocking. Chu Wanning didn't say anything about Mo Ran's first attempts. He was occasionally shaky where the other man was unwaveringly steady, but it seemed he was taking it slow as well.
Nonetheless, Chu Wanning's presence slotted so perfectly within xianxia. Even in his modern attire, Mo Ran sometimes swore the light would flicker and a crown would appear on that ponytail of his.
They decided to take a break after a good couple of hours, Mo Ran smiling with satisfaction at their work. “You’re making me look bad out there. You have this to a science.”
"I could certainly say something about experiences shaping oneself, but I've been talking in metaphors since this morning." Chu Wanning dropped his script to the floor, stretching his fingers against his palm and listening to them stiffly crack and pop.
The man beside him bent down to pick up the papers, giving Chu Wanning a nice view of his back profile. He must’ve worked out quite often, as the shirt he was wearing stretched around every definition and curve.
Staring, staring. Chu Wanning was beginning to suspect he had some kind of eye problem at this rate. He could hardly tear his eyes away.
"You will get used to it." He spoke up, if only to make sure his face was still connected to his brain. "Soon your dreams will be infested with this humble one's."
Mo Ran looked up, utterly confused until it clicked. Chuckling, he stood up, music to Chu Wanning’s ears as he put the script on the table.
“Oh man, I can already sense the sword transport in my dreams already.”
"Don't get too excited. They're incredibly slow, similar to running in dreams."
Ugh, the pride that swelled up in his heart from making Mo Ran laugh was utterly disgusting. He’d hoped Mo Ran would be cocky and arrogant like so many younger actors these days. The kind of guy Chu Wanning could avoid, despite his particularly attractive appearance. Unfortunately, his costar was so entirely earnest. It reminded him too much of a younger Chu Wanning who had just started from scratch in the acting business. Refusing hand outs and pushing at every corner to land himself somewhere comfortable.
It felt as if the personal bubble he had carved out for himself was suddenly being invaded, squishing him against the sides as Mo Ran happily yapped and smiled with those mirror image dimples. He had to notice that Chu Wanning kept glancing at his cheeks, pondering if Mo Ran practiced such a star studded smile in the mirror every day. No. Everything about him was so casual, it must come naturally.
He wanted to outwardly groan. Since when did he start paying attention to such insignificant details like this!
"We should stop to get a drink for now. Straining yourself will only lead to having to do more work later."
Mo Ran seemed to agree, taking out his phone, “Any place you prefer?”
"Bai Mao Coffee House." Chu Wanning said with certainty, already grabbing his keys. Mo Ran had heard of it before, it was a triple story café that had lines out the doors that wrapped around the city block!
“…any place you prefer that we can get into this year?” He rephrased.
Chu Wanning looked up with a confused look. "We'll just walk in. I have a year-round reservation."
“….ohhhhh, makes sense.”
You can do that?!
When you're the illustrious Chu-Gongzi, apparently you can have whatever you want without so much as a word to ask for it.
"It includes guests." Chu Wanning assured, assuming that's what Mo Ran's frantic look was for.
“Thanks.” He responded, giving his expression to be more relaxed, “let’s head out before the sun gets too high.”
Chu Wanning didn't object, following Mo Ran out the door. They had officially transitioned from working together to an official hang out! Getting coffee with a man was hardly cause for alarm, either. Chu Wanning had been to plenty of late night dinners with coworkers and been just fine. Surely this wouldn’t affect his rapidly developing crush.
Bai Mao Coffee House had accommodated the streets to fit their massive lines, littering the sidewalks with vinyl signs that told people their exact wait time by the minute! But as the two walked up, Chu Wanning walked through the line with little qualms about who was staring towards a side door of the building. It was funny to see how a simple white flu mask could cover him temporarily. But Mo Ran was sure that if people stared at him for half a second more, the disguise would be a failure.
He tried to stand a little closer to the man, blocking their views of his face. Chu Wanning didn’t seem the type to like attention, so he’d help with that. Chu Wanning didn't look up as Mo Ran's shadow was cast over him. Luckily, he swiped the card he had in the doorway, opening it for them both without so much as an autograph asked for!
Once inside, Mo Ran relaxed, letting Chu Wanning lead them to his usual spot. “I’m going to have to start asking you for the cool spots around town.”
"You already know the cool spots, you just need to figure out how to get in them." Chu Wanning corrected.
“Usually I just try the front door,“ he joked, “but I’ll check for side ones next time.”
"You should. Going through the front door is sometimes far too easy."
There was something odd about the way Chu Wanning phrased that, but the shorter man walked up a metal staircase to their left into a private booth area that overlooked the bustling main lobby, which was crammed with customers. On the table was a tablet for them to scroll through the menu and order. Chu Wanning sat comfortably out of view of those below them.
Mo Ran ordered a black coffee. It was always his first choice, since he was convinced a good black coffee had to mean everything else was suitable. Chu Wanning physically turned the tablet to face him, tapping away at the screen. Mo Ran had no idea what he ordered, but it seemed he sent it through with content satisfaction.
Now it was just the two of them, the noise of the cafe below them, and Chu Wanning's minor disguise folded off to the side. His nose was slightly tinged pink from being trapped within the heat, but the man was so pale that perhaps anything would turn him pink.
“…So.” Mo Ran started, hating the silence, “we should get to know each other if we’re gonna work on this for so long.”
"Know each other how?" Chu Wanning reached over to the small stand that held sugar packets, grabbing a few.
“Mmmmm…how about: is reading your main hobby?”
"Not particularly. My hobbies just happen to require a lot of reading." He brushed a stray hair behind his ear. "They change frequently. I practice calligraphy. I train for my intensive stunts. There is occasional inspiration for something to do with robotics-"
“Robotics?” Mo Ran’s eyes lit up, thinking Chu Wanning couldn’t possibly get cooler, “I used to be in robotics club in high school.”
"What projects did you work on?" Chu Wanning felt the corners of his lips twitch, liking that look of awe on Mo Ran.
“Nothing serious, they were usually robots to do small tasks. Hold on-“
When their drinks arrived, Mo Ran was deep into showing Chu Wanning pictures on his phone, listening to his input. It seemed his co-star wasn't lying about knowing robotics, since he would easily point out the methods Mo Ran used in his pictures, even offering small suggestions to improve the design in the lapses of Mo Ran's story telling. Their drinks were room temperature by the time they noticed they were even there.
“Crap.” Mo Ran looked down at the cup, though he didn’t seem too displeased, “at least we won’t burn our tongues.” He took his beverage, waiting for Chu Wanning before trying it.
"Is your tongue that sensitive?" He rolled his eyes, picking up his drink. Mo Ran could see within the glass cup that Chu Wanning had gotten some kind of cappuccino. The color was very light, barely coffee.
He watched the man add more sugar, interested in what flavor he ordered as he responded, “I think scolding hot coffee would hurt anyone, hah.”
"Anyone who's impatient, perhaps." Chu Wanning finally sipped his drink. Even the way he held his cup was refined, fingers wrapping neatly around the glass surface, nails manicured and even. Although they were relaxing together in private, Chu Wanning never dropped his poise for a second.
Mo Ran gave him props. Just the thought of having to be so refined would drive Mo Ran insane after an hour or two. Perhaps years of media training had been engraved into the man's bones, rendering him unable to let loose any longer. Mo Ran's coffee would surely brighten him up for another few hours, but there was hardly any caffeine in Chu Wanning's cup to change the man too drastically. God forbid he gets jittery and causes a scandal-
"You should work on robotics again." Chu Wanning spoke up, tearing Mo Ran from his thoughts.
“Huh?” He blinked, not processing that.
"Your projects were innovative, you just lacked proper materials and experience. You should try again."
Those words really resonated with Mo Ran. Everyone else he’d spoken with thought his plans were dumb, or at least unprofitable. What investor would an affordable tech project when you can up-charge for a worse item?
“…maybe I’ll dust off my stuff, when I find the time.”
Chu Wanning seemed pleased to hear that he had kept his old stuff, nodding and setting his empty glass aside.
Mo Ran's phone buzzed, a text from Mengmeng-er asking him if he was coming to family dinner tonight, or if he was too busy hanging out with hotshot celebrities.
ARF [Mmmmmm idk…..I was planning on getting dinner with Bingbing Fan…..]
ARF [but I’ll make time for my wittle cousin < 3 ]
Mengmeng-er: [i'm gonna hide ur favorite hotpot ingredients so only my favorites are on the table]
ARF [Words hurt, ge.]
He put his phone down, wanting to stay in the moment with Chu Wanning. “Sorry, having dinner with my uncle’s family tonight.”
"Is it a special occasion?"
He shook his head, “they’re the closest I have to immediate family, so we hang out often.”
Chu Wanning's gaze seemed to harden a little, but whatever that feeling was quickly dissipated. "Do not apologize about texting them, then. It's more important than anything I could talk about." He assured.
After another hour or so, they left through that same side door, heading to their respective cars.
“Thanks again for meeting me out here. It was fun.” Mo Ran glanced over at Chu Wanning, noticing a lack of awkward tension between them now.
Chu Wanning waited a beat, not yet making the move to walk to his car on the other side of the street. "We should practice our lines another time. To fix your pacing."
Like everything, Mo Ran didn’t seem to take the comment personally, simply grinning. “Sounds great.”
He got into his car, giving Chu Wanning a wave before driving off to presumably his family’s house.
Chu Wanning sat in his own car for a while afterwards, staring at the empty road before putting his face into his hands. Most people would register his behavior as totally normal. Nonchalant, even. But he knew that this was desperate behavior for the usually stoic and apathetic appearance he had.
What on earth was wrong with him..?