Chapter Text
“Sizhui?” Comes the voice through the phone. It sounds tinny through the line, but nevertheless Lan Sizhui recognizes it instantaneously. No matter how many years have passed since he’s heard it whispered in his ear.
“Jin Ling?” He asks, the words tumbling from his tongue so easy compared to how hard it suddenly is to breathe.
“Yes, it’s me.” He confirms, voice losing all hesitancy and returning to that brusqueness Lan Sizhui has grown familiar with over the years. “Look,” a breath. “I’m sure you’re busy, so I’ll just get straight to the point. I’m certain you must be wondering why I called you tonight.”
Lan Sizhui hums, since that’s the only sound his mouth can seem to muster.
“I was wondering if you’d be my date to Uncle’s wedding on Saturday.”
Lan Sizhui hears his pulse pound loudly against his ears, his heart lodging itself somewhere around his throat. The silence that descends between them would need a knife to cut through it. But Jin Ling’s words have always had an unmatchable sharpness to them.
“Well, my fake date, that is.” He amends.
Lan Jingyi’s mouth hangs open, dropping the piece of fried chicken he’d been about to bite into back onto the plate in front of him where it clatters loudly. And really, Lan Sizhui didn’t know what other reaction he could have expected.
“You’re pretending to what?”
It's Wednesday, which means Lan Sizhui has somehow found himself roped into accompanying Lan Jingyi - his oldest and closest friend, and his distant cousin to the extent that Lan Sizhui doesn’t even know how many ‘removed’s are necessary - to his favorite greasy bar for cheap wings. Not that he minds. He rarely sees Lan Jingyi outside of these wing nights anymore, and it’s not like he has anything better to do with his time. Not like Lan Jingyi, who has a boyfriend and is technically still dealing with the tail end of tax season. Lan Jingyi, who still makes a point of inviting him out every week anyway.
“I told you,” says Lan Sizhui, picking up the discarded piece of food and stuffing it unceremoniously into his companion’s mouth. “We’re pretending to date. Again. But just for the wedding. And just so that everyone gets off his back about settling down with somebody. So that they get off my back.”
“Mhm,” Lan Jingyi eyes him skeptically as he chews, mouth still half-full. “Is that so.”
“It is.” Agrees Lan Sizhui. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. And stop looking at me like that.”
Lan Jingyi makes a point of swallowing loudly before replying. “Looking at you like what?”
“Like-” Splutters Lan Sizhui, frustration seeping into his voice. “Like you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you.” Argues Lan Jingyi, but his voice makes it seem otherwise. “I believe you. No real feelings - just pretending.”
“Right, just pretending.”
They both fall quiet, and Lan Sizhui’s shoulders relax, relieved that this conversation is finally over.
“I just have to wonder,” cuts in Lan Jingyi, and it takes everything in Lan Sizhui not to roll his eyes. “Why either of you need to get everyone off your backs in the first place.”
Lan Sizhui knows it’d be better for his sanity if he just lets his cousin’s remarks slide without comment, but he knows he’s always been easier to bait than he would like. “What do you mean?” He asks against his better judgement, side-eyeing Lan Jingyi from over his beer.
“I mean, why don’t either of you just date people. For realsies - not this pretend bullshit.”
Lan Jingyi is drunk. He’s words are slurring, he’s swearing (which he usually only ever does if he’s really upset) - and it’s likely the only reason he’s being so candid with Lan Sizhui right now.
Lan Sizhui knows that while his cousin has never been known for holding his tongue, he’s gotten better about it over the years. To the point that Lan Sizhui feels like he’s more likely to keep something from Lan Sizhui than tell him anymore. There’s familiarity in his candor now though, and it brings an unexpected grin to Lan Sizhui’s face, even if it’s squashed a moment later when Lan Jingyi prods him to answer and gets BBQ sauce on his favorite shirt.
“Jin Ling’s likely too busy to date anybody seriously.” He says as he wipes the mess up and in an attempt to salvage the button-up. “You know as well as I do that. Taking over control of a Fortune 500 company can’t be easy. Especially not with everyone comparing you to your late father.” Lan Sizhui winces a bit at that, feeling odd invoking Jin Zixuan’s name in such a way. Past-tense.
“True,” sighs Lan Jingyi, the thought quieting him momentarily. He flops forward onto the table, just barely avoiding the plate of sticky chicken wings between them. He cradles his head in his hands, before adding softly. “But I think he could manage it if he really wanted to. It seems a little like an excuse to me.”
“Since when have you become such a relationship expert, hm?” Jokes Lan Sizhui, absentmindedly rubbing at the spot on his chest that feels oddly tight all of a sudden.
“Probably since I’ve been the only one of us who actually has a successful relationship.” Lan Jingyi retorts, popping the ‘p’ as he sits back up and grins.
“That’s only because of Zizhen,” snorts Lan Sizhui, a smile on his lips as he shakes his head before downing his drink. He signals to the bartender for another. “If it had been left up to you, you’d likely still be pining away like an idiot for another 5 years before you even realized you liked him.”
Lan Jingyi sticks out his tongue. “Well, at least I haven’t been single since high school.”
“I haven’t been single since high school.” Scoffs Lan Sizhui, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve dated a ton. Maybe I just don’t introduce them all to you.” He adds when Lan Jingyi gives him a look. “Remember Luo Lingjiao?”
“Oh,” sighs Lan Jingyi, eyeing the ceiling. “How could I forget her?”
“Well,” says Lan Sizhui before going silent. He gestures with his arm demonstratively. Lan Jingyi just raises an eyebrow.
“If you say so,” agrees Lan Jingyi. He doesn’t look convinced.
Honestly, neither is Lan Sizhui.
The truth is that he hasn’t really dated since high school. Not since Jin Ling. Not seriously anyway.
He’s gone on dates. But only the kind where he’ll see the person one or two times before they inevitably stop messaging him all together. And he never seems to have enough will to care when they do.
So, no.
He hasn’t really dated lately. (And by lately he means… a longer amount of time than he wants to admit has really passed him by.)
And while Jin Ling may have an excuse for staying single since then - what with him taking over his father’s Fortune 500 company single-handedly - Lan Sizhui… doesn’t. Not really, anyway.
Not to say that he hasn’t been busy - he has. First there was the matter of getting his undergraduate degree, and then his Master’s. Then he’d decided to stay on and get his PhD. Well, and after that there’d been his post-doc work…
The point was, it wasn’t as if he’d been doing nothing with his time. But maybe he’d had the chance to settle down if he wanted to.
Lan Sizhui doesn’t want to.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Lan Sizhui wasn’t against settling down. He just hadn’t found anyone worth settling down with. So, it didn’t really matter what he thought about it.
It’s not that he’s never felt that way… The way one does when they’re with someone they can contemplate being with forever.
But, well.
He doesn’t feel that way anymore.
Lan Sizhui swallows dryly. There’s something caught in his throat. And he can’t seem to get rid of no matter how many times he clears it.
It’s making it hard to breathe.
“Come again?” He manages finally (but after long enough that it’s already become awkward).
“You know,” says Jin Ling, and Lan Sizhui can just picture him resting the phone between his chin and shoulder, gesturing with his hands as he looks up to the sky in exasperation. “Go to the wedding together like we’re, you know, together.”
“Right.”
“But we won’t be." A beat. "Obviously.”
“Right.” Lan Sizhui feels like a broken record. “Obviously.”
“Sooo?” Asks Jin Ling, dragging out the vowel into a question after a few beats of silence pass by uninterrupted.
“So?” Parrots Lan Sizhui. He can practically feel Jin Ling resisting the urge to facepalm at his obliviousness. It’s funny, but he used to feel so much less dense when he was younger. Wasn't wisdom supposed to come with age?
“So, will you do it?” Elaborates Jin Ling, each word enunciated like a punch. Lan Sizhui’s stomach is starting to feel bruised.
“Uh,” gulps Lan Sizhui. “What brought all this on?”
This question causes Jin Ling to sigh heavily into the receiver. Lan Sizhui winces at the feedback. “My uncle, the media - they all seem to have gotten the idea that ‘love is in the air’ or some crap like that. And they think that because even my uncle - the most Ineligible Bachelor in all of China - managed to find a wife that I must be on the lookout for one too; which I’m not.
“It’s been unbearable.” Jin Ling whines in that over-the-top way of his that Lan Sizhui hasn’t heard in so long and can’t help but smile at. He wonders if the other man still stomps his foot when he’s angry, or if he’s finally kicked that immature habit of his. Lan Sizhui kind of hopes he hasn’t.
“And, well, there's no one else- uh, I mean, you just seemed like you’d be the best choice. What with how much my family has always liked you so much.”
Lan Sizhui distinctly remembers how untrue that statement was. The thought of the pointed, thinly-veiled warnings he’d received from Jin Ling’s father and uncle alike still making his neck prickle with anxiety.
Jin Ling’s mother had been the exception of course. Jiang Yanli always seeming to think highly of him. Though, Lan Sizhui doubted that was the case now.
“Right,” is all he seems to be able to say anymore.
“It’d just be for the one night.” Adds Jin Ling. “I think everyone will back-off a bit if it seems like I’m somewhat settled. And when they figure out we’re not together they’ll just assume you dumped me again. Then they’ll leave me alone for a while to give me time to get over you.”
Jin Ling finishes that with an abrupt laugh. Lan Sizhui’s not sure what’s quite so funny about it. But then again, there didn’t seem to be much humour in the sound.
“Uh-”
“God, don’t you dare say ‘right’ again.” Groans Jin Ling. “I’m quite certain you have more words in your vocabulary than that. What? Did you experience some brain trauma in the past 10 years?”
“No,” sighs Lan Sizhui, rubbing at his face with his free hand. “I’m just a little surprised is all. You have to admit Jin Ling, this sort of came out of nowhere. How else did you expect me to react?”
“Well, I don’t know.” Grumbles Jin Ling. “It’s not like you were planning on taking anyone else though. So I don’t understand what the issue is.”
“There’s no issue.” Placates Lan Sizhui, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. An attempt to stave off the inevitable headache that’s descending upon him. “I just- I just wanted to make sure you were sure about this.”
“I’m sure.” Jin Ling says icily. His patience already run thin. “So, will you do it?” He asks again.
There must be something off about Lan Sizhui’s cell reception, because it almost sounds like his voice wobbles.
Lan Sizhui heaves a sigh. He knows this is likely a bad idea. A Very Bad Idea. There’s a reason they broke up after all. And why they never got back together. A reason they haven’t shared as much a few sentences to each other over the past decade.
And this isn't just any random event they're doing this for - this is Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing's wedding. The most anticipated social event of the season. What will more than likely be the most talked about night of the year.
And they aren't just doing this in front of anybody. Their friends and family will be there. Jin Ling's mother. Lan Sizhui's fathers.
And Lan Sizhui's not sure he can lie to them like this. That they'll even believe him if he tries.
But he’s always had a hard time saying no to Jin Ling.