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perfectsunlight · 10 months

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𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥

aeri uchinaga x fem!reader

word count: 2.2k

warnings: NONE ITS FLUFF

wrote this for @wonysugar and the other fellow seal enthusiasts out there ♡

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭

aeri wasn’t too fond of animals growing up, but she had a lot of friends who were. she had friends with dog and cat obsessions, whales, wolves, and even horses. occasionally reptiles or spiders, but those were rare instances.

but she had never met someone with a seal obsession.

the japanese girl’s gaze remained on you as she watched you show your friends numerous photos of different seals, giggling to yourself and enthusiastically explaining different facts.

“i don’t get it,” aeri murmured to herself as ningning filed her nails next to her. “of course you don’t, you wouldn’t get it.” the younger girl replied matter-of-factly as she admired her hands.

she folded her arms across her chest, trying to feign disinterest as she continued to steal glances at y/n's animated discussion about her favorite animals.

she couldn't help but find it a bit endearing.

ningning shot her a knowing look. "you're just mad because she's not paying attention to you."

aeri's cheeks flushed slightly at the accusation as she turned her head and snapped. “what are you talking about? i don't care about her or those seals.”

ningning smirked, clearly enjoying needling aeri. "oh, come on, it's written all over your face. you're totally into this whole seal thing."

aeri scowled, shooting a glare in y/n's direction. "i'm not into anything. and i certainly don't need her attention." ning rolled her eyes in response, flicking a loose ball of paper at her best friend in the process.

"sure, keep telling yourself that. but it's obvious you're just too stubborn to admit it."

aeri's scowl deepened, and she turned away, trying to tune out y/n's enthusiastic chatter about the different seal species. despite herself, she found it hard to ignore the curiosity bubbling within her. why was y/n so obsessed with those aquatic creatures, anyway?

in an attempt to redirect the conversation, aeri cleared her throat and remarked, "they're just seals, nothing special. i don't see what the fuss is about."

however, she was unaware that the seal enthusiast herself overheard her.

“did you say seals?” y/n grinned as she launched herself into aeri’s desk, gripping the sides with an enthusiastic smile.

the japanese girl tensed as y/n suddenly appeared at her desk, her enthusiasm practically radiating off her. she leaned back in her chair, trying to maintain her indifferent facade despite feeling cornered.

"yeah. so what?" aeri replied with a hint of annoyance, hoping to deter y/n's excitement.

y/n's eyes sparkled with fervor as she clasped her hands together, standing up straight in front of aeri and ning. "seals are amazing! did you know they can hold their breath underwater for like almost two hours?"

the raven haired girl shrugged dismissively, eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "big deal. i've seen animals do more impressive things."

y/n wasn't deterred by aeri's dismissive attitude. her enthusiasm only seemed to grow as she leaned in closer, her eyes shining with excitement.

"but wait, there's more! seals have this incredible ability to sleep both on land and in water. they can even rest with half of their brain awake while the other half is asleep, so they stay vigilant against predators. isn't that fascinating?"

the japanese girl tried to maintain her nonchalant demeanor, but she couldn't help feeling a slight tug of interest. but in typical aeri fashion, she didn’t show it."i guess that's kind of interesting, but it's still not that big of a deal."

ning smirked, clearing seeing that her friend’s facade was starting to crack. "come on, just admit that you find it intriguing."

aeri shot ningning a glare before turning back to y/n. "fine, they have some unique abilities, but it's not like i'm suddenly a seal enthusiast or anything."

y/n grinned, clearly enjoying the interaction. "you don't have to become an enthusiast, but you would change your mind if you saw one in person. do you know who yuki is?”

aeri raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued by y/n's mention of someone named yuki in connection to seals. despite her efforts to appear disinterested, she couldn't deny a growing curiosity.

"no. who's that?" aeri asked, trying to mask her budding interest behind a veil of nonchalance and a tone of disinterest.

the other girl’s smile widened. "yuki is an adorable seal at the aquarium nearby. she’s so cute. you should come with me sometime to meet yuki. i'm sure you'd change your mind about seals."

the raven haired girl hesitated for a moment, contemplating the idea of visiting the aquarium as an excuse to hang out with aeri outside of school. but she quickly composed herself, not wanting to show any eagerness.

"i don't have time for that. besides, i'm not interested in seeing some random seal."

y/n's excitement bubbled as she leaned in, hoping to entice aeri into joining her. "come on, it'll be fun! yuki is more than just a random seal. she's playful and incredibly adorable. i'm sure you'd enjoy meeting her."

aeri maintained her tone of indifference, still trying to dismiss the idea. "i highly doubt a fucking seal could be that interesting. and i already told you, i'm not interested."

ning, knowing fully well her best friend was definitely fumbling, chimed in teasingly, "oh, don't be such a grump. admit it, you're secretly wanting to meet yuki."

aeri scowled, feeling the pressure of their persistence. "i'm not curious at all! why would i waste my time seeing some seal doing tricks or whatever? what do they even do besides sit and swim?"

y/n's enthusiasm didn't waver as she continued to make her case. "seals are much more than that! they're incredibly intelligent creatures. especially yuki, she loves to interact with visitors."

the older girl crossed her arms but before she could open her mouth to respond with another snarky comment, class ended.

however y/n turned her attention back to her phone, looking at what looked like a harp seal (aeri had caught a glimpse of the name earlier).

“those animals are weird.” the older girl raised her eyebrows as she rolled her eyes, walking past y/n with her bag swung over her shoulder. too immersed in her gallery of seal images, y/n ignored her antics, expecting nothing less than the continual disinterest from the girl.

until aeri got to the end of the hall and said one last thing.

“what time does the aquarium open friday?”

uchinaga aeri never thought she’d be standing in a crowded line in front of the osaka aquarium at 10 am just to see a seal.

an allegedly world-famous seal, at that.

“aren’t you excited?” y/n giggled as she looked around next to the japanese girl, eyes wide in admiration at the different people present to see her favorite animal. aeri grumbled under her breath, feeling slightly out of place amidst the enthusiastic crowd. "this is ridiculous," she muttered to herself, yet she sort of liked seeing y/n so giddy about this.

she glanced sideways at y/n, who was practically buzzing with enthusiasm. aeri's lips twitched into a small smirk, though she quickly attempted to suppress any sign of amusement.

"yeah, yeah, totally thrilled," aeri replied in a deadpan tone, trying to downplay her own budding interest. deep down, she found herself intrigued by the contagious excitement surrounding the allegedly world-famous seal.

the line shuffled forward gradually, and as they approached the entrance, aeri observed the wide array of people gathering for this unique experience. families, couples, and groups of friends eagerly chatted about the exhibits they were about to witness.

despite her initial reluctance, aeri felt a sense of anticipation building within her. she couldn't deny the growing curiosity about what made this seal so special.

y/n, noticing the cold girl’s subtle change in demeanor, nudged her playfully. "come on, admit it. you're kind of excited too, aren't you?"

the older girl shot y/n a sideways glance, trying to maintain her cool exterior despite the flutter in her stomach that came from locking eyes with the other girl.

"don't get ahead of yourself. it's just a seal."

as they reached the front of the enclosure, the crowd's murmurs turned into excited whispers. aeri glanced around, noticing the anticipation reflected in the faces of the people around her.

but no one was as excited as y/n was. the sight of the younger girl’s eyes full of light made the japanese girl’s lips turn into the slightest curve of a smile for a few moments.

and then, there she was—yuki, the world-famous seal, effortlessly drawing the attention of everyone present.

y/n's eyes lit up as she pointed towards yuki, who was interacting with the visitors though the glass as she stared at each of them intently.

"look, there's yuki!" she whispered in excitement, aeri found herself caught in a rare moment of vulnerability as she observed y/n's contagious excitement. the younger girl's genuine joy and enthusiasm were infectious, and despite aeri's attempts to resist, she couldn't help but be affected by it.

"yuki is pretty amazing," aeri murmured softly, almost to herself, as she watched the seal laying on her side, looking back at the visitors.

y/n's eyes gleamed with delight as she turned to aeri, a wide grin spreading across her face. "isn't she? i knew you'd like her!"

aeri hesitated for a moment, feeling an uncharacteristic surge of warmth in her chest. she glanced at y/n, her usual stoic demeanor softening slightly as she gazed at the younger girl's beaming smile.

in that moment, amidst the presence of a seal and the contagious excitement radiating from y/n, something shifted within aeri.

"yeah...she's pretty cute," she admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as her gaze remained on the girl next to her. it was a small admission, one she never thought she'd make, but it felt strangely liberating.

she felt like she wanted to take y/n to see every single seal there was.

the rest of the aquarium tour was a blur for aeri, all she could focus on was how excited y/n got whenever there was a new species of fish displayed in the tank. the other girl looked on with wonder in her eyes, and aeri couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to do anything in her power to keep y/n smiling like that.

after some time observing the different animals, y/n needed to use the bathroom. while aeri waited for the other girl, she wandered off to purchase a plush of a little white seal, (she learned from the tag that it was called a harp seal) the pair ended up standing underneath the tunnel of stingrays. the ambient blue light dancing across their faces added an artistic touch to the serene atmosphere surrounding them.

"look at how they move, it's so beautiful," y/n whispered, her voice tinged with awe. aeri nodded silently, taking in the tranquil beauty of the scene but also stealing glances at the other girl, admiring the genuine joy on her face.

without saying a word, she reached for y/n's hand, interlacing their fingers hesitantly, almost as if seeking reassurance for her own sudden vulnerability.

y/n's hand fit perfectly in hers, and the cold girl felt a gentle warmth slowly spread through her. there was a comfortable silence between them, a sense of understanding and connection that didn't need words to be felt.

as they stood there, surrounded by the mesmerizing underwater world, aeri's hand felt a gentle squeeze in return from the action.

“didn’t know seeing seals made you soft.” y/n teased lightly, looking up slightly at the older girl with a small smile. aeri simply rolled her eyes playfully, letting the other girl turn to walk off towards the next part of the aquarium.

but before they moved on from the tunnel, aeri pulled y/n closer to her, brushing a stray strand of hair away from the younger’s face. with a soft and gentle touch, she placed a tender kiss on her forehead, silently expressing the only thing she couldn’t say out loud.

"i'm still not a seal enthusiast," the raven haired girl muttered softly, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness, trying to mask the depth of emotion in that simple gesture. "i'm only here for you."

“well, i'm glad you're here, even if it's just for me."a gentle smile graced y/n's lips, her eyes locking with the other girl’s before she pulled her hand along to keep walking. “but i’ll change your mind about the seals. we should go to new zealand and see the elephant seals!”

“whatever you want.”

#aespa #aespa x reader #aeri uchinaga #giselle #giselle x reader #aeri uchinaga x reader #wlw #kpop #fluff #perfectsunlight

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heymeowmao · 2 years

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2022.05.08 - https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321324766969315590791

Just a little bit~~~

LYN: Hallo everybody and good night. I’m Modern Brothers’ Liu Yuning. Welcome~ LYN: Isn’t it a surprise? LYN: I wasn’t going to stream today, but I saw that it’s the weekend and I hadn’t streamed for a week. I’m sure a lot of you can’t take it anymore- they can’t live without me. My heart hurt so I decided to stream a bit.

LYN: I’ve been tired- not that I’m complaining. I SHOULD be tired, but it does wear you down. We’re in a rush to wrap up and there are quite a few scenes left to do, so we’ve been having some long days. The area’s so dusty and we’ve been filming in it for 4-5 days already, so my voice is hoarse. I wasn’t going to stream, but I saw all of you leaving comments and I couldn’t refuse. Since I’m here, I’m going to be happy~! I’m not here to complain, and I want you to be happy, too. Your happiness is the most important. I don’t matter- I’m gonna grin and bear it.

LYN: I got off work at 9:30p and by the time I got home and removed the makeup and washed my hair and tidied up.. I was prepared to stream by 10p. I’ll stream until 12a and leave it at that. I don’t want to interfere with your work coming up tomorrow. It really will be a shorter stream today.

C: Have you eaten? LYN: When the crew took a break for dinner at 6/7p I had some zhajiangmian, so I’m good. LYN: I thought I would come and stream so you wouldn’t be left with any regrets this weekend. But maybe I’m thinking too highly of myself and you actually don’t think anything of my streams. In any case, if you’re here and watching I hope for you to be happy and to have a complete weekend. Because a weekend without LYN is incomplete.

- explains what the Carnation Festival is, because it’s the one year anniversary of it (he streamed a “music festival” around this time last year w/ az & df, the other 2/3 of the MD Bros)

LYN: There’ll be a new song out tomorrow... maybe around 10a. It’s been recorded for a long time already, and the drama is going to air soon. I hope you can take a listen to it tomorrow. Thanks in advance! If you wanted to save me some face, you can also share the song with your friends. I promise it won’t make them think lesser of you for liking my music. Alright? Please share it for me.

LYN: The volume of the mic isn’t low today, right? See- I’m all about the customer service experience. I know I can’t make everyone happy and satisfied, but if it’s something I am able to do (fix), I’m going to do it to the best.

C: Daimi yells at you now? LYN: The sky is falling. I was walking too slow and she didn’t like it, so she yelled at me. She’s spoiled.

C: Are we celebrating the new year today? LYN: Just about- I’m going to stream at least until 12a. I won’t sing today, though. My throat hurts a bit- there’s too much dust. I’ll just chat with you.

C: Is your hair not poking you in the eyes? LYN: It is. I’m not a fool- with hair this long, do you think it wouldn’t poke my eyes? But isn’t my look today that of a ~depressed man~. When my hair blocks my eyes is gives of a dispirited and depressed feeling, doesn’t it? So in order to bring up the mood I should tie my hair up, is that it? But when I act I have to get my hair glued down and get a wig put on- doesn’t that also trouble me? But I do it anyway- in order to complete the look. LYN: I saw someone saying they didn’t like my long hair... um... you’re probably still going to watch my guzhuang dramas, right? I have long hair in those... Anyway, the time to cut it is coming up. The reason why I’m keeping it is because I’m using my real hair for my current role; another reason is because I’ve never had hair this long before. I want to try keeping it while I am able to grow it out and while my work still allows for it. I was a young rocker, remember? I’ve loved rock music ever since I was young, but the school never let you keep it long. Later I went to work as a cook, but they didn’t allow me to keep long hair either. When I wasn’t a cook anymore, I was a waiter- they didn’t allow long hair either. In the end, I became a celebrity. What I didn’t know is that even after that, they still don’t allow men to look to feminine and have long hair. It seems like every industry I go into has something against my hair. LYN: I haven’t been appearing on tv as much lately, so thankfully I got take this opportunity to keep my hair for the duration of this drama. I’ll have to cut it for the next one though. When I was young I envied the rocker’s long hair- when they could play guitar and whip it around. There’s nothing I can do- I’ll have to cut it. C: I like your short hair. LYN: That’s not important. It’s not like you started liking me BECAUSE of my hair or my hairstyle.

C: When’s the variety show coming? LYN: You must not have seen my last stream. It’s going to air in May- it’s about ready. We’re also going to shoot the rest of the episodes soon. I think you should know this already- you know how artists like to release a monthly schedule for their fans to see? You already know who the special guests for this variety show are, so if you see that we all have the same time/date blocked off in that schedule you can make a guess that we’re all shooting for the same show. We’re about ready to shoot it now, but the location as changed to Changsha. I’m happy as well, because at the very least we’re ABLE to go film. If all goes well it should be able to air on time. It wouldn’t be good if we aired two episodes and then there was nothing left to show.... C: What about Hi!6? LYN: Oh, it was leaked. Yes- I already told you that Chaoyue, Shunxi, and I were going to get together to shoot some promo material. That was in Changsha. We’re also going to shoot the Heroes Hi!6 special, and then after that we’ll do the photo-shoot. C: Heroes is coming then? LYN: Even though we’ve recorded for Hi!6, does not mean that Heroes is going to be airing anytime soon. They’ll record it first and leave it there until the drama is about to air, and THEN that episode will come out.

C: What about ALZ? LYN: You’re way too early. Forget it, really. We’re not even ready for the voice acting yet. What usually happens after a drama wraps is: it gets edited (by the director or the production company), then the edited material gets sent to the platform for review, if it passes review then ok! but it it doesn’t pass review it goes back into editing. I’m not too clear on the details- I already told you last time: I’m only the second male lead, I can’t be asking things I shouldn’t. But that’s the process as I know it. It goes back and forth a few times before we can get to voice acting for it. The VA itself will take about a month. After that it gets sent to censorship and if it doesn’t pass we have to edit again. After it passes the first censor, it goes through a second one. So... you’ve got a long while to wait. Usually a drama will air within six months from the time I finish up the voice acting. I haven’t even been called to do it yet, so we’ve got some time to wait.

C: Which part of the process is Heroes stuck in? LYN: I don’t know either, I haven’t asked. Probably on the second censor by now. After that it’s all up to the airing platform. If they want to air the drama, they will. If they don’t want to.. then we wait. C: Platform-baba, please let us watch Heroes. (baba = daddy) LYN: I’m also looking forward to it. It’s been about four years since I’ve debuted, but out of all the dramas I’ve done so far- other than Hot Blooded Youth, I had quite many scenes there- it’s given me the most scenes. Usually they are 100-200 scenes, like The Long Ballad and Zi Chuan. In ALZ I had a bit over 200.

- ~ * ~ - [t/n: put a pin in this, we’ll come back to it later]

LYN: I saw some gossip the other day saying that the 2ML in ALZ (him) was stealing scenes from the FL (Reba). ?_? I nearly had a mental break after I saw that. I mean, I’ve heard of the 2ML stealing scenes from the ML. I’ve heard of the FL and ML fighting for dominance. But I have never heard of the 2ML stealing scenes from the FL. Isn’t that terrifying, my friends?? Tell me how I’m supposed to steal her scenes!! Like, the FL has a bath scene and it gets delegated to the 2ML? Is that what it means?? And then- the ML and FL are supposed to embrace under the peach tree, but that’s no good. I steal the scene- the 2ML and ML embrace instead. Is that what it means, bro? Friends?? ‘Fam??? That’s too amazing. LYN: If, for example, the drama gets to the highlight where the FL and ML are just about to kiss- and the 2ML comes running. Pushes away the FL. Steals the show. DO YOU THINK THIS IS OK, FRIENDS?? How can the 2ML steal scenes from the FL. I really don’t know how they came up with this. I don’t care if you want to create gossip or make trouble, but next time please think of something that makes sense. I don’t think this even counts as making fun of me, this is just insulting me. You’re also insulting everyone’s IQ. If you wanted to cause trouble, what you’re supposed to do is say the 2ML is more handsome than the ML. This might not be something fans of the 2ML posted- it could be people who are the ML’s antis, posted it in hopes that it causes strife.

LYN: I’ve already said- as the boss I make all the decisions regarding my own work and I would never do such a thing (as steal their scenes). When I go to shoot a drama, I know that there’s ranks when it comes to actors. Let’s not talk about other dramas, just ALZ. Who’s the FL? Isn’t she popular? Does that need saying? Ok, now who’s the ML? Isn’t HE popular? Does THAT need saying? If they’re taking you around to play (work), you just happily follow. I’ve worked with Dilireba twice already. This is my first time working with Gong Jun, but we’ve already become good friends. They’re treating me so well and playing (working) with me, who am I to tear them down behind their backs?? Do you think I even CAN? I’d be crazy to. C: The 2ML is popular too. LYN: That’s true, but I’m nothing in comparison to them. It’s alright I can improve slowly and work on it. But I’m not here to play 2ML and steal the FL’s scenes just to get a leg up in my career, alright?! If I want to climb the ladder it’s going to be through my own future works. Where do they even expect me, a mere second male lead, to climb to?? LYN: When the drama airs later I’m sure people will have opinions against me, so I’m leaving this stream here as proof. (that he’s not the type of guy to use others for his own benefit) I know this is a sensitive topic but I’m also a normal person. We’re all the same- just normal people in different lines of work; sometimes I want to complain, too. LYN: Just imagine- one day I play the ML and then the 2ML goes around saying he’s going to overpower and surpass me. GJ is not easy to overcome, but with me- they’ll squash me easily. I believe that what comes around goes around. I hate that type of person, so why would I become that person? C: Ning-ge, don’t worry. You won’t be overpowered. LYN: No- the problem here is we’re not talking about height. When it comes to height I can confidently say that there are few in the entertainment business taller. But if we’re talking about visuals, then I'll be crushed no matter who comes. I’m 189cm and when I wear shoes I’m over 190m. There are few people who can surpass me in this instance. Honestly speaking, even someone who is 180cm will look small next to me.

- lost track of the topic, trying to find his way back to what he originally wanted to talk about LYN: You also forgot (the topic) didn't you? How can you be so idle- Don’t you usually take notes when watching?! - tries to pick up at Hi!6 in Changsha, but he’s talked about that already :p; keeps thinking... LYN: Ok, this friend called “I am the Most Handsome” stand up and tell the class where we left off. In this online class I will call names at any time.

- ~ * ~ - [t/n: aaaandd we’re back.] LYN: I was talking about acting... how it’s been three years since my debut and... I remember now! You guys just can’t keep up with my cogitation. You must not have enough brain power- if you’re sleepy you can go to sleep. It’s been almost four years since my debut and up until now I’ve only been supporting roles. Heroes (other than HBY) is the drama that’s given me the most scenes. 360+, prior to editing. I don’t know how many will be left after editing though. But what I wanted to say was that it’s the drama that I have a lot more scenes in and therefore I like it a lot. I hope that when it airs people can watch it, alright?

LYN: It’s Mother’s Day, right? Anyone who is watching my stream and is a mother, I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day. I also wish all my friends who are watching my stream- if you have a mom at home- Happy Mother’s Day to them, too. I wish them to be full of life and youth, and health and longevity! LYN: I will now sing a song that’s a must for Mother’s Day. A gift for everyone’s mother and those of you who are mothers yourselves. You’ve worked hard. If you’re next to your mom right now- I know you are sensible and must have already, but wish them a Happy Mother’s Day. I sent a message to my mom and she replied with. “Thanks.” Let me sing a song for you- whether good or bad- it carries my sincerity.

-- 母亲 (Mother) by Yan Weiwen -- 听妈妈的话 (Listen to Mother’s Words) by Jay Chou

LYN: I also see that it’s some people’s birthdays today. You can go ahead and celebrate (on your own). What’s so special about ti? Who doesn’t have a birthday?? LYN: I’m joking- Happy Birthday. I hope you can come watch me next year on your birthday as well. If you want me to remember your birthday, subscribe to my weibo. The next time it’s your b-day come tell me and I will be the first one to send you wishes. You might be sad, cold, and lonely but on the internet there will always be a LYN here to wish you a happy birthday if you ask it of him. C: Really? LYN: Ehm... well, it’s not like I can stream tomorrow for those who have birthdays tomorrow. But don’t worry. My wishes are effective for the whole week. Even when celebrating the New Year, there’s a late blessing. Birthdays are the same- the wishes can be late 3-5 days, it’s still good enough.

C: Will ALZ air by summer vacation? LYN: I already told you I’m only a supporting character. I don’t have the right to know that type of information. But... as far as I know it won’t be out by summer vacation. I think if it’s even released by winter vacation we can all be happy together.

LYN: I saw a video- hold on, let me find it. I was shooting a scene that was caught by a paparazzi, that said I’m tall but timid. Did you see that video? Let’s watch it together. - clip: https://weibo.com/5453477559/Ls3GSucss; the vid is making fun of him, saying he’s scared of heights bc there are stuntmen holding his legs while shooting and when the camera cuts lyn immediately grabs on to the pole with arms and legs. vid ends with: don’t you think your fans will laugh at you if they hear about this? LYN: The video says I’m afraid of heights, my friends. I’m 1.9m tall and afraid of heights. A 1m platform... and I’m afraid of it? ???? But I’m already 1.9m tall... do you think I live in terror every day of my life, friends? This is definitely not a 1m tall platform- or else why would I need the wires AND be afraid of the height?? That’s not possible- it was 2m+! It’s a two-layered platform. I’m a swordsman and I’m fighting people all day long. We were fighting on the first floor and then flew up to the second to fight some more. I’m already 1.9m tall- if the first floor was only 1m then what am I supposed to do? Lay flat and fight that way?? There’s no way. C: If you add it up it’s already 5m. LYN: That’s reasonable. The platform was 2m+, I am 1.9m... add it up and it’s already 4m tall in total. From my perspective- where my head is at- you’re up 4m- would you be afraid or not? If it were you, you would cry too! Forget hugging the bamboo pole, you might have pissed yourself! Also- the platform is just a bamboo frame. Even if you’re hopping up and down on it- and not FIGHTING OTHER PEOPLE, like I was- it is easily breakable. The wires were there to protect the actor- so their feet don’t land on nothing and they fall 2m to the floor. It’s not like we were just standing there, we were waving weapons around and it’s east to lose your balance/orientation that way. LYN: Why would I be afraid of a 1m tall platform? I’ve been on wires up to 30m! Maybe not 30- 20m? I didn’t even cry. Maybe I needed to go and change my pants afterwards, though. XD - explains he was on the 20m+ wires for a shot in Zi Chuan; he was standing on a wall and the stunt choreographer asked him if he was afraid of heights- he’s been on wires before, so he said “of course not”. They pulled him into the sky. XD LYN: It doesn’t matter if you’re not afraid of heights, that would scare anyone. But I’ve been on a 30m wire before, why would I cry at being 1m high? This is pure bs. LYN: They also said that my fans would laugh at me if they found out. My fans... will think I’m cute! LYN: I think the thing with fear of heights is that everyone experiences it to a different degree. Some people have it worse than others. I just don’t think we should make fun of people for it. Have you ever gone parachuting? I’ve never done it. But I’m sure that the first time you’re up there, no matter how unafraid of heights you are, you’ll still be afraid at first. It’s a process. There are degrees of susceptibility. Everyone has it more or less.

C: When people get older they do get more afraid of heights. LYN: Let’s talk about something intelligent. We were talking about human’s perception of height but you’re over here launching personal attacks, now. If we’re talking about heights, let’s talk about heights. What are you bringing up age for??? Didn’t you know that any comment you make can be tracked to where you live?? Every comment you make on my weibo, there’ll be a little line telling me where you’re sending it from. Be more careful of what you say, my friends. C: Ning-ge, you don’t need to look up where I’m posting from. I’ll give you my address. Come find me. LYN: /sigh/ I... won’t be going. I’m a little busy right now. I have a lot of things to do.

- someone brings up that he’s been taking dance lessons LYN: Artists have NO privacy. I wanted to learn how to dance and give you a surprise, but you all already know. I don’t know what got into me. I went to learn dance. After the class the dance studio’s boss came to see me. I’m pretty well-known these days :) My songs are good and my dramas are good, and even though I’m not that popular, I’ve still been around for almost 4 years now. I ended up being recognized in the dance practice room. LYN: Of course, you can’t learn a dance in a day. The next time I went one of the.. dance teachers, I think? Drew a picture of me and wanted to give it to me. The thing is she was waiting outside of the (men’s) bathroom to give it to me. I was like, “What do you mean by this? Do you want me to sign it for you?” But no, she wanted to give it to me, and asked for a photo- which she posted online. - people saw it, obv and were saying that this woman has been lyn’s fan for a long time and followed him places while he recorded for shows and whatnot, saying there’s something up with her. (they find her suspicious) LYN: She teaches dance in Hengdian, alright? It’s not easy- let’s not make up rumors that could mess with her life, ok? She is my fan, yes. She likes me and respects me. I know we danced like trash but she was still doing her best to try and compliment me, saying that I was very polite and I always take away the empty water bottles we leave behind. She’s being very nice to me and you’re all over here trying to make up some sinister backstory. Quit it. My goodness. - it’s true that after class he always makes his staff take away the empty water bottles. On the outside it looks like they are cleaning up after themselves. On the inside, he wants to take the bottles and recycle them for a little change XDD (a joke)

-- bathroom break - comes back as Spider-Man & has to hold the mic to the eye-hole to speak

LYN: I know now how women feel when they have to wear dresses. I can’t zip up the back!! This is so hard. Oh., yeah- If I just wore the suit it would be a little uncouth, so I wore some shorts over it. C: The other outfit suited you better. LYN: Don’t you think this one suits me as well? Don’t I look strong, like I could just fly through the skies? C: Show us your back. LYN: I already told you I couldn’t zip it. You’re thinking too much. You want to see the streaming host’s bare back? - tries struggling with the zipper again; he got it! :D - brings a different mask, you can hear him giggle as he puts his earphones in, under the new mask LYN: Perfect. I think I’m doing something really meaningful, because I know a lot of people wish to be superheroes. If you have a kid at home- - struggles with the mask’s zipper LYN: OMG. Being a hero isn’t easy. Who do you think a hero is? (说英雄谁是英雄) It’s not easy for anyone. How about Spider-Man sings everyone a “Drunken Butterfly”? Turns out I was just a drunken butterfly (song lyrics)... LYN: I wasn’t planning on singing today, but after I put on this outfit I feel full of power~ How about this (song)? Something cute.

-- 糟糕是心动的感觉 (Uh Oh! Feels Like Falling in Love) (He’s pulling the mask bc it’s sticking to his face (mouth) too much :p)

LYN: Hold on... please give me another song’s worth of time. I’ll go change back. I can’t stand it anymore. I’ve done my best, friends.

LYN: What just happened? I went to break up the fight and then I couldn’t open my door. I forgot my keys inside and just found a locksmith to finally open my door for me. You all waited so long. It’s been hard on you. LYN: I suddenly came to my senses- I’m sure you are all young people here and will understand when I say.. young people are prone to be rash. I wanted to prove I was still young. But I suddenly came to my senses and I was thinking... if anyone was watching my stream looking to cast me as a male lead and then saw THAT, thought I wasn’t mentally stable, and decided against it? Do you think that stunt will cause me to lose all my work? Let me calm down a bit. - /grabs his wine glass full of water/ C: They won’t. // That’s uncalled for. LYN: My friends, society really is that cruel. Even heroes are misunderstood sometimes. You’ve seen it in movies- the superheroes get misunderstood sometimes. C: Not only will they not misunderstand you, they might give you more scenes. LYN: What, they’re going to give me the FL’s scenes, too? XD

C: You’re trending. LYN: For real? Did that happen just now or have I been there for a while? (aka how many people witnessed spider!ning?) - thanks everyone for giving him a trending topic under the entertainment tab

C: You’re streaming again? LYN: Em.. yeah. I have nothing else to do. No one’s really into me these days. LYN: Sometimes I like to chat with my artist friends, to build up some motivation for myself. That’s why I like to ask people what projects they’ve got going on next. I’ll chat with someone and ask what they’ve been up to lately, and also what they’ll be working on next. Every time I ask someone they’ll say yes, they’ve got something and they’ll be busy until next May. -__-;; I’m thinking, “How can you be so popular? You have so much work??” When I look at them I’ll feel pressure. I’ll think I need to work harder. C: Are you talking about ZSX? LYN: Not only him. Of course, he doesn’t have any problem with finding work. I just don’t like talking to them- it’s kinda scary. It’s just human nature, you know? We’re going to Changsha to shoot for Hi!6, right? YCY, ZSX, and I have a group chat- I don’t know what it’s called- it’s so hard to find. But we’re going there and we’re also going to do the promo shoot, so we were just chatting aimlessly. I just said, “I’m about to wrap up this drama, then I’ll head to Changsha.” YCY said the same, but ZSX said, “I’m sorry... I’ll probably get there some time later in the week.” I told him to finish up quick so we can all get together and have fun after work. He can treat us to a meal, since he’s a rich second-gen, right? YCY and I grew up under more basic living conditions, so he should know what’s good or not and he can treat us. He told us it wasn’t that he couldn’t bear to open his wallet, but that he has to shoot SEVEN CFs in Beijing. ???? Isn’t that just irritating? He made me full with just those words alone. C: Isn’t that MORE reason for him to treat you to a meal, though? LYN: RIGHT?! These past two days I’ve been looking up what’s good to eat in Changsha. I was looking up places that were expensive but delicious. Seven CFs means he could at least treat us to three meals. If he doesn’t I’m going to keep hating on him when I stream next. XD LYN: I just don’t like talking to them... sometimes YCY is infuriating, too. I asked her what she would be doing after we finished up in Changsha and she said she had three variety shows lined up next. Really that ruthless? They scare me. :(

LYN: I suddenly got the feeling that I’m not worthy of being their friend. Sometimes I’m afraid to mention them in my streams. I feel like the people I can mention are on par or better than me, but not by too much. If they’re too much more popular than I am it will come off as if I’m trying to gain something from them. But now I’m a little afraid to mention them, in case some public forums will think I’m trying to leech off of their fame. They’ve got SO MUCH work. C: Ning-ge, you can oppress them to “death” with OSTs. LYN: If you didn’t mention it I would have forgotten. I COULD do that, can’t I? If ZSX’s trump card is seven cfs, and YCY’s is 3 variety shows, then mine can be 10 OSTs and it’ll even out? We’ll be in a deadlock? Alright, now that you’ve put it that way I feel like I CAN still mention them.

C: My roommate says you talk too much. LYN: Stop blaming things on your roommate, already! You might be married already, and because you’re watching my stream you call your husband as “roommate”? If there’s something going wrong between you two, talk it out. - /couples counseling from Ning-ge/ LYN: About 70% of my viewers are women- later on when you get married, please don’t do it just to find a “roommate”. He not only has to be your roommate, you have to know and communicate with one another. LYN: Let’s tackle this accusation that I talk too much, though. I’m here to stream. It’s not as if I’m a statue- who’s willing to watch a statue that doesn’t and can’t speak? You’re just going to sit here and stare at each other?? There’s no meaning in that. I need to say SOMETHING. Aren’t you all here for online classes?

C: My mom says you’re really handsome. LYN: This is... Auntie, thank you. I’m sure that Auntie was... quite pretty when she was young, too. Another thing is, I think your mom is quite open-minded. Usually when parents see a kid with long hair they’re not going to think he’s a very good person. They’ll think I’m some sort of hooligan.

LYN: If you’re sleepy, you can go to sleep. I see that it’s already 11:22pm. Sleep if you want to, I’m going to stream until about 12a. I’m not doing anything in particular, just came to chat because it’s Mother’s Day and also I was going to stream on Friday but I had too many scenes to shoot and some other things to do- we’re in a rush to wrap up filming. I didn’t want you to be disappointed so I came to stream a bit, and so that you can give me a trending topic. Thanks for that, by the way. On behalf of LYN’s Studio, I thank you all for your support. As LYN Studio’s boss, Liu Yuning, I thank you for indulging me. C: Ning-ge, it’s 5RMB for one. LYN: One what? Are you trying to help bring up the popularity of my trending topic? You left a comment in there that I’ll give people 5RMB each for a comment? XD

C: You should go on more variety shows. LYN: A lot have come to find me, but I really don’t have the time. I think it’s good enough that I am able to finish with Detective Plan. One variety show a year is enough. I’ll leave the rest of my time to shooting dramas. It just depends on your choice. A lot of artists choose to do variety shows because: It’s fast. Just 12 episodes; and if it airs once a week they’ll be in the public’s eye for at least three months. If they can get 4-5 variety shows to air in one year, then they’ll have exposure all year. Humans are just like this- if you don’t appear in front of them they will forget you. I also want to do variety shows, because nowadays people are thinking “Where the heck has LYN been the past two years? I remember he was quite popular, how come he disappeared?” It’s just that they don’t pay enough attention to me. I’ve spent most of my time on OSTs and shooting dramas. LYN: As for exposure, I have my own method. That is, streaming. It’s like I made variety show for myself. It’s also once a week. Sometimes it goes on for 4-5 hours. How terrifying is this variety show? I left most of my time to dramas, though. By streaming I feel like I’m making up for the time I couldn’t be on variety shows. - explains that he wants to be able to leave *memorable* works behind (in the form of dramas) so that if one day someone ever comes up to him and asks him what he can show for himself he can list a bunch of drama names LYN: But I really do want to shoot variety shows, too. Ones like Detective Plan. I keep asking my staff when we can go shoot it. I want to go play! D:

C: You can drink from the water bottle. LYN: I won’t. I feel like if I drink from a wine glass it boosts my handsomeness by two degrees.

--- some homework for his next event:

LYN: In the next few days... I might... I might do some event... How about this- What things interest you the most about how a drama works? Everyone likes to watch dramas, right? But what about a drama (and how it works) interests you?? I want to know. [t/n: lyn is going to host a streaming event with the Floating World cast on 5/10] LYN: Like, if I decide to take you around set, what do you want to see? What interests you about the process? You can tell me and I’ll make note of it.

- drama gossip (lyn: Go look at the gossip blogs, why are you asking me??) - behind the scenes - hair and makeup/costuming - meals on set - script-reading (lyn: Usually that happens before we start recording...) - actor’s rest area (lyn: Why are you invading an actor’s privacy??) - filming methods/process (lyn: You must be a student learning the business.) - the director yelling at people (lyn: Are you... you must be some pervert that likes to watch people get yelled at.) - drama props - scene set-up - wire stunts - food props (lyn: You must have seen things saying that all the foods in dramas are fake, but in my time as an actor- I’ve done a few dramas already- I haven’t seen fake food yet. Most drama crews have the money for real food, at least.) - want to hear the actor’s original voices (lyn: I’m sure this we can do, it’s not like they’re going to pretend to be mute. You’re definitely going to hear them reciting their lines.) - the horses (lyn: That’s not interesting...) - spitting blood (lyn: ...ok.) // taste the fake “blood” - want to see YY (lyn: >.<; Go watch his drama!) - NGs (lyn: That depends on whether the actors in your crew are prone to laughter or not. Some actors don’t like to laugh. I... am normal. I laugh when it’s called for. Everyone laughs once in a while.) - funeral pyre (lyn: You want to see MINE, don’t you?) - kiss scenes (lyn: ?_?) - what actors do on their break time (lyn: They usually just play on their phones, scroll weibo or douyin. I’ll tell you what they usually DON’T do: read books. I’ve never met one who read on their break.) - want to see someone slacking off (lyn: The world is run by the younger generation nowadays. They’re more impulsive. If they see me slacking off on set, they’re probably going to come beat me up.) - how many cameras are there (lyn: It’s drama crew, not a camera shop. Usually, at the most there are four. I don’t know about movies though. Usually three is enough for a drama. The thing they need to change most often are lenses.) - stunt-doubles - the director explaining the script to someone (lyn: There are many types of directors, though. Some like to go over the scene and some don’t. If I get the chance I’ll go around interviewing all the directors I’ve worked with.) - background actors (lyn: What’s there to see?? Should I send you an application, you can become one.) - scenes shot on a green-screen - clapping the slate (lyn: Dramas don’t usually clap the slate, I think that’s seen more in movies, maybe? It takes up a lot of time, and when we shoot a scene we already know which it is.)

C: How much do background actors make? LYN: I’m not to clear on it myself, but it’s also separated into types. - the type where you’re wandering around the bg, but no clear shot of your face: 80-150RMB - the type that walks close to the actor, more in the foreground: a little more (300-500RMB?) - the really pretty ones (that work in the dance houses/parlors): 800-1000RMB

- what’s in the actor’s bags (lyn: Why do you want to flip through their personal belongings?? Usually we don’t bring much, because everything we need is there on set.) - how long do kiss scenes take to shoot - how to do crying scenes (lyn: Crying scenes are normal, though. They’re... alright. Too sensitive. Let’s move on.)

- underwater scenes LYN: There’s a tank in Hengdian, used especially for underwater scenes. Basically, it’s a giant pool. The deepest it gets is 4m- there’s a window on the outside that we use to film inside the water. Of course, there ARE underwater cameras, the ones that go 360° around. C: Is it clean? LYN: There’s no clean or unclean. Think about this- we’re jumping in there with our shoes on. It’s not like we’re beaten and thrown into the water, but before we jump in we take our shoes off. I mean, how clean can it get? But it’s not DIRTY, either. It’s usually cleaned, like with your pools. C: Can you open your eyes in the water? LYN: You can, but /I/ can’t. I tried once. Almost scared me to death. C: Is the water cold? LYN: It’s not cold. It’s pretty much exactly like a pool- those are maintained at a certain temperature. Also, they’re not going to dump actors in freezing water. C: Are bath scenes real? LYN: ? How do you mean. It’s not like they’re going to show you the WHOLE BODY. It’s normal to shoot up to the neck. You think they’re really taking a bath here?

- scenes with explosions (lyn: They plant explosives...)

- acupuncture LYN: That’s real. More or less they’re real needles. Some takes you’ll see it entering the skin. It’s not like I insert the needles myself- I’m likely to kill someone doing that. We hire actual acupuncturists to come and do it. C: Does it hurt? LYN: Ask someone who’s had it done before. It IS a needle in your skin, after all. Do you think it WOULDN’T hurt??

C: Are car(riage) accidents real? LYN: ??? You’re asking me if it’s real when there’s a car(riage) accident and people go flying?I know we as actors don’t really suffer the consequences of such accidents, but can you think kinder thoughts? We’re all people, after all. We’re only on this world for one lifetime. Just because you’re doing badly doesn’t mean you have to make everyone else miserable too.

C: Are the actor’s costumes washed? LYN: Yeah, they must me. Why wouldn’t they be? Is the crew out of detergent or what?? They’re washed, almost everyday. We wear so many layers and- do you really think there are so many beautiful open spaces for us to film in? No- we’re in a huge tent, and it’s so hot in there. The clothes are usually soaked through by the end of the day. If they aren’t then you’re still going to be damp. If they don’t wash the clothes we’re all going to have a mental break.

C: Is the calligraphy done by the actors? LYN: The brush writing? Some actors do know how, I’ve met a few. When writing a letter- hold on, you’re not going to think an actor is unprofessional if they don’t know how to write with a brush, will you? If you think it’s unprofessional I’m not going to say anymore. This is too scary. C: We won’t. LYN: Alright. Usually the director will take a shot of your face, when you’re pretending to write. Next they’ll shoot the hand- it’s a substitute. Sometimes it’s calligraphy, sometimes its a drawing. The teacher will wear the sleeve of your costume and write/draw. All dramas are different. Some dramas will have most of the characters written out for you, and then the actor comes in and adds the last stroke. No matter how terrible you are at brush writing, you can manage a single stroke, right? Then they pan back to your face. It’s like that.

C: Are the pills in dramas Mailisu (Chinese Whoppers)? LYN: That also depends on the drama. I rarely see pills in dramas nowadays. Usually they will be mailisu- if their wound is severe enough- because mailisu are pretty large. If the wound is not as severe there are smaller beans/rounds. Those are all snacks that are usually sold in front of schools- what was it called? Hong Mao Dan? Hua Hua Dan?

C: How are the scenes where a person is on fire shot? LYN: Those are special actors. There are stunt-men for everything. Those are real people.

---

LYN: Happy New Year, friends. Somehow we’ve spent another year together. Let me wish you happy new year! I’m happy to have spent another year with you. I hope in this new year you have new adventures. LYN: Hold on a sec, let me wish my mother a Happy New Year. (texts his staff about work)

LYN: I see people mentioning 一念关山 (his rumored next-next drama). Um... I saw that gossip blog post that too... ehehe. Um.... My next drama is a modern one, and I’ll be done with it in about two months. Because modern dramas are quicker to shoot. And then... then... let’s wait for 一念关山 to make an official announcement. XD I can’t say too much, on my part. - sticks his foot in his mouth trying to salvage the situation LYN: This is the first time it’s been so hard for me (to think of an excuse)!!! LYN: How about this- no matter who I work with, I hope that you- my fans- can treat them nicely. Alright? You can just be happy for your Ning-ge. No- I mean, set a good example for me. I don’t want you going around starting fights, ok? Let’s be polite and well-mannered. As for what my next projects will be, just wait for an announcement. Just take what you see online with a grain of salt. LYN: All I can say is that when my next drama ends, the one after that picks right up. They’re connected. So I won’t have much time for the rest of the year for variety shows. No matter who I end up working with, that’s my honor. I’m happy. I get the chance to learn from others and they’re willing to work with me, which makes me happy. I’m not afraid to be made fun of. Honestly I know that a lot of actors look down on me. They probably think I’m just average. But we’ll see about that. :) Every time I hear that, it just makes me want to work harder. No matter who I work with, I’m going to leave them with a good impression of me. It’s all about a good reputation. It helps me, because maybe somewhere down the line they’ll remember that I was good to work with and recommend me for a role. That’s how most of them come to me. LYN: Everything I’ve said is about myself and what I do. I don’t have the right nor the knowledge to talk about anyone else. A lot of people come here to ask me about other artists- I can’t say anything about anyone else. I can only talk about myself, so I can put you at ease.

-- break (to compose himself)

LYN: I always stream a little longer if I’ve said something that errs on this side of dangerous, so I can salvage the situation. I know there are always rumors online, talking about what dramas I’m in or what variety shows. Know that you are free to do whatever you want, but I just want to advise my fans- you know how there are rumors that tell you who will be featured in a drama/variety? I see a lot of times that my name is mentioned and sometimes you reply, telling them not to bait you. I know that in your eyes I am amazing and I am the “sky” but the thing is- the fact that they are even able to mention me is looking too highly of me. If you don’t know how to respond to these rumors, just say “thank you” and leave it at that. As long as these rumors aren’t posted with ill-intent, I think they’re all ok. They think something of me, and that’s fine! All you need to say is “thank you”, don’t get too involved. LYN: I’m just like everyone else- I am also just a worker. I’m grateful, and appreciative, and... I haven’t thought of the third.... the third is I want to be famous.

LYN: Should I delete my playback for today? Did I say anything incriminating? I don’t think so. As long as I didn’t hurt anyone, it’s fine. I mainly only talked about myself. The only person who got hurt in this stream is ZSX. If he gets hurt he deserved it... because... he made me mad. XD

- reminds people again to share his new song when its’s out~

LYN: I’ll just continue to work hard on my projects and I’ll stream when I can. Friends, please believe me I will stream when I can. Honestly I wasn’t even on planning to stream today. It was already 9p when I wrapped up work- it took a few minutes to take off the wig and then when I got home, if I want to stream, I have to take off the makeup and put on some BB cream. I have to wash my hair, too. If I don’t it’ll be full of wax- because they need to make the wig fit better, so they brush your hair down flat to your head. So, all in all, I needed to tidy up a bit before I streamed tonight.

- repeats again that he wants his fans to treat his co-actors well, and not get involved in fan-fighting; also tells them not to get up in arms over people calling him just an “internet famous” celebrity. there’s no need to fight about it, because it’s true. LYN: Everyone has a position in people’s hearts- like me. Even though I’m an actor and a singer, to my mom I am her son. With my co-actors, I may be a colleague and that’s correct, but in their hearts they may consider me a handsome guy. :) It could be that to some people, all they think of me is that I’m “internet famous”. That’s okay. That’s their own opinion of me. You need to learn to be able to accept all kinds of criticisms. If someone says something about me in the future, don’t take offense. You don’t need to prove anything to them. You don’t need to take out all the songs I’ve sung in the past three years and show it to them. You don’t need to explain to them all the roles I’ve acted in. There’s no use. Some people just don’t /want/ to understand. They just want to say what they want to say. It’s alright. It doesn’t matter. LYN: I remember when I was on Our Brilliant Master three years ago, I said that in the future it would be trendy for artists to stream. I told people not to look down on streamers. And look what’s happening now- Haven’t all your “big celebrities” started streaming? It’s possible they could be an idol from your parent’s generation. Are you going to call them “internet famous” too? No way. Your dad would slap you.

LYN: It’s the same old thing. Let’s work hard on our own. As long as you’re happy. When I have time I’ll come and stream for you. We can have our laughs and then have a nice sleep. In the morning we’ll all go back to work or school. That’s just the way life is. // I just want everyone to live happily and healthily. LYN: I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing night. It was great to have you. Thank you for accompanying me from the start, and even those of you who came in mid-way. I hope you have good dreams tonight! I’ll probably stream in another week... or maybe not? :D There could be a surprise in the next two days...

#Liu Yuning #lyn livestream #(2:38:45)#i actually caught this one live!#topics:#ning-ge's hair #detective plan --> moved to changsha shooting location #heroes hi!6 episode #alz: 2ml (him) stealing fl (dilireba's) scenes #<- this part's actually hilarious #gossip: lyn afraid of heights #special appearance by: Spider!Ning #lyn's favorite pastime: bullying zsx #floating world livestream event on 5/10 #he's the host so he's trying to find some topics of conversation - asks the fans what they're curious to know

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wangxiangiftexchange · 4 years

Text

Winter Solstice Gift for moonanstars124

The request was for fluff, found family, annoying the extended family, and AU coffee shop vibes (which I took extremely literally). I had a lot of fun writing this (my first actual coffee shop AU!) and I hope you enjoy it @moonanstars124!

Read on AO3

*****

The Burial Grounds

“Is there even a point in telling you what I want?” Jin Zixuan asks. “As you’ve never once made what I ordered.”

Wei Wuxian beams at him. “Of course! It gives me direction. A genre, if you will.”

“You do have a specific listing for a surprise drink.” Jin Zixuan resettles a-Ling on his hip. “If I wanted that, don’t you think I’d have ordered it?”

“Well, no,” Wei Wuxian explains reasonably. He reaches across the counter and pats the baby’s cheek. “If you wanted to get what you ordered, you’d have asked Wen Ning to make it.” Wen Ning turns from where he is setting up the soup tureen to shrug in apologetic agreement.

Jin Zixuan sighs deeply. “Someday I’m going to stop tipping you.”

“You can do that on the day that you don’t like what I make you,” Wei Wuxian informs him. “I mean, you won’t, because ajie would never stay married to someone who didn’t tip. But I would understand if you considered it.”

Lan Wangji half-listens to the exchange from his corner table. It is a familiar one, enough so to be pleasant background noise without distracting too much from his book. When the proper disruption comes, it is neither unexpected nor unwelcome, as it happens every morning around this time. He has already closed his book and moved his empty cup to make room for the small chalkboard that appears in front of him.

“Spicy vegetable for the soup,” Wei Wuxian announces, flinging himself down in the other chair. It is not yet nine in the morning, and he already looks happily tired. Lan Wangji nods and wipes the board clean—perhaps not strictly necessary, but if he redoes the borders, Wei Wuxian will sit with him for longer and take a proper break. “White chocolate and cranberry scones, because ajie loves us very much. And...hm. I’ll do a blueberry mint lemonade today, I think. Do we have blueberries?”

This last is for Wen Ning, who sets down Wei Wuxian’s coffee, Lan Wangji’s refill, and a plate with two of the aforementioned scones. “We do,” Wen Ning confirms. “But they’ll go moldy soon, so you should use them up.”

“Perfect.” Wen Ning smiles at both of them and returns to the counter. Wei Wuxian leans back in his chair, stretches his legs full-length, and looks around the coffee shop with satisfaction. One of his ankles comes to rest against Lan Wangji’s. Without looking up from the chalkboard, Lan Wangji puts his free hand on the table. Wei Wuxian laces their fingers together and dips a scone in his drink.

This is how mornings have gone nearly every day for a few years now. Wen Ning arrives early to open; Wei Wuxian staggers down from the apartment upstairs after being prodded awake by Lan Wangji, who claims his table and reads as the coffee shop comes to life around him. Jin Zixuan arrives at some point, bearing the day’s soup and pastries from Lotus Pier Cafe and often as not a dinner invitation for all of them from Jiang Yanli. Lan Wangji earns his coffee by writing out the day’s specials; Wei Wuxian seizes the opportunity to sit down for as long as it takes him to complete the task. Then Lan Wangji gives his table over to the morning rush and goes to work himself. Cloud Recesses Books is close enough to walk to in good weather, and he gets there in time to open. When the coffeeshop closes at three, Wei Wuxian wanders over and spends the rest of the afternoon doing his own reading or debating with Lan Qiren. It is a pleasant routine, and Lan Wangji sometimes has to stop and wonder at how happy he is.

There has been a coffee shop here for decades, under one owner or another, but the Jiangs bought it only three years ago. Lan Wangji remembers perfectly the first time he visited it after that. It was Lan Xichen’s idea to see what the new management had done with the place, and they went for lunch the first month after it reopened. “‘The Burial Grounds?’” Lan Xichen reads, pausing outside the door. “Interesting name choice.”

“After the Burial Mounds, presumably,” Lan Wangji points out. “The nature preserve outside the city.”

“Ah,” his brother says. “Naturally.”

Despite the name, the inside is entirely pleasant: walls repainted to brighten the space, spider plants hanging in the windows, a detailed menu in plain neat lettering on the chalkboard above the counter, specials in the same writing on a smaller one by the pastry case. “They must outsource their food,” Lan Xichen observes, nodding at the familiar lotus image. “The Jiangs own Lotus Pier too, so it makes sense.”

“Mm,” Lan Wangji says. He is listening. He is.

Lan Xichen follows his gaze to the mug on the counter, which holds pens for signing receipts and also a small rainbow flag. “Ah,” he agrees. “That is a pleasing development.”

The line is long enough that they can take their time reading the menu. This is good, because it contains none of the conventional titles. The Med Student, Lan Wangji reads. Four espresso shots in a cup. Below that is The Jiejie: soooooup! (See Specials board for today’s variety). And on and on: The Peacock (a white chocolate mocha with nutmeg), The Angry Brother (chamomile and hibiscus tea), The Adorable Nephew (warm milk with honey), The Headshaker (“Decisions are hard, so let us surprise you!”). Some have less of a story, Lan Wangji thinks: The First Timer is just a latte, and The Adventurer promises undisclosed amounts of cayenne. The result is a place that feels well-loved without being unwelcoming.

“It certainly has character,” Lan Xichen observes as they near the counter. The young man who takes their orders has a quiet earnest smile; he carefully lists the non-dairy milk options for Lan Wangji.

Despite the line, they find a window table easily enough—it is towards the end of the lunch hour—and they watch the street while they wait. It is only a few minutes before a different employee appears with their orders, mugs and bowls balanced precariously enough that Lan Wangji watches the soup in some alarm. But the dishes and their contents reach the table safely, which means that he can look up when the server says brightly, “Can I get you anything else?”

Lan Wangji thinks, Oh. He only barely prevents himself from saying it aloud, and the effort keeps him from speaking at all.

“Oh, wow,” the beautiful man says, staring back at him. Then he shakes himself. “Uh. Sorry. Is this your first time here?”

“We thought we’d see what the new ownership had done with it,” Lan Xichen explains. There is laughter in his voice, subtle enough that Lan Wangji hopes nobody else can hear it. “Our family owns Cloud Recesses, the—”

“The bookshop down the street!” The server’s face lights up—lights up more—and Lan Wangji gives up any hope of forming words himself. “I’ve been in there a few times. I thought you looked familiar.” This is to Lan Xichen; to Lan Wangji, he says, “I haven’t seen you before, though.” He does not say, I would remember, but the sentiment comes through clearly enough that Lan Wangji feels his ears go pink.

“My brother just finished university,” Lan Xichen explains. The amusement has become noticeably less subtle. “He will be working with us.”

“Oh wonderful!” the beautiful man says. “We’ll hope to see you again, then. Both of you, of course.” He sticks his hands into his apron pockets. “I’m Wei Wuxian, the manager. Which is, you know, terrifying. I’m probably not supposed to tell customers that part, though.”

Lan Xichen laughs aloud now, kindly, and Lan Wangji loves his brother for the way the beautiful man—Wei Wuxian—relaxes. “We understand,” Lan Xichen says. “Starting a business is a rather stressful experience at the best of times. I am Lan Xichen; this is Lan Wangji.”

“Welcome to the Burial Grounds, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji,” Wei Wuxian says gravely, eyes dancing. “Please do let me know if you need anything. Or Wen Ning, he’s honestly much more capable than I am.” He jerks his head towards the counter, where the young man who took their orders is wiping down the espresso machine. “Anyway, I have to get back to work, but I hope you’ll come back.”

“I am certain we will,” Lan Xichen assures him. Wei Wuxian’s eyes linger on Lan Wangji’s face for a moment. When he manages to nod agreement, the smile widens. Wei Wuxian ducks his head at both of them and disappears into what is presumably the back room.

“Well,” Lan Xichen says, after a moment. “This is a delightful discovery.”

“Brother,” Lan Wangji says, deeply pained. He suspects that his ears have gone full scarlet by now.

“I mean the coffee shop, of course.” Lan Xichen takes a sip of his latte and hums with pleasure. “And as a small business ourselves, it’s only right to support others in the neighborhood. We shall have to become regulars.”

Lan Wangji sighs.

He returns alone the next day, just for a coffee in the morning. The one after that, Wei Wuxian sets his drink on the table with a hesitation that already seems out of character. When Lan Wangji tilts his head in question, he says, “I, uh, made you something special. If you want the one you actually ordered, I’ll do that instead, I just...sometimes I get the idea for new things, and I thought you’d like this one.”

Lan Wangji looks at the mug in front of him. It looks like the perfectly dull mocha that he had ordered, unsure what else to get, except that there are flower buds of some kind on top of the foam. He doesn’t know what to say, so he just nods and takes a cautious sip. “Lavender,” he says. He closes his eyes, which helps keep his brain from panicking when Wei Wuxian sits down in the empty chair. “Salt. Something sweet, apart from the chocolate?”

When he opens his eyes, Wei Wuxian’s smile is brilliant. “Birch syrup,” he confirms. “Good, I wasn’t sure how much that would come through; I haven’t used it before. But do you like it? You’re the first person to try that one.”

“Mm.” Lan Wangji looks down at the cup again: something made just for him, not for anyone else. “I like it.” He lifts his head again.

“Oh, wow,” Wei Wuxian murmurs, as he had the first day. “Sorry, I know I’m being weird. I just hadn’t seen you smile before.”

“Not weird,” Lan Wangji says, when he finds his voice. “At least, I don’t mind.” He clears his throat. “Thank you. For the drink. You should put it on the menu.”

“Yeah?” Wei Wuxian grins. “I can do that.”

There is indeed a new listing on the large chalkboard the following day: Dark chocolate mocha with lavender, sea salt, and birch syrup. Lan Wangji looks at the name of it and swallows. The Beautiful Stranger, it says, printed neatly in white chalk below The Headshaker.

When he has been coming to the Burial Grounds several times a week for a month, Lan Wangji arrives one morning to find Wei Wuxian darting frantically back and forth behind the counter. “Wen Ning called out sick,” he explains, when Lan Wangji gets to the front of the line. “This is definitely my reminder to hire more staff. I meant to, since we’ve been doing pretty well, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. Anyway, sorry, what can I get you?”

Lan Wangji looks at the smear of cocoa powder on his cheek and says, “Is there anything I can do? I do not know how to use the machines, but I could help with other things.”

“You know,” Wei Wuxian says, “that would actually be amazing. Uh, let’s see. I need to get the Specials board up but my handwriting is atrocious. Would you mind? We’ve got chicken dumpling soup and vegan ginger snaps. No drink specials because I have too much else to worry about today.”

When that task is done (“Oh my god,” Wei Wuxian says, staring. “Well, I know I’m never ever showing you my writing”), Lan Wangji clears tables and wipes down the counter and takes orders. All the while, Wei Wuxian darts around the shop like a cheerful whirlwind. “Don’t you have to go to work?” he asks at one point, managing to pour a perfect latte and read the next ticket at once. “I’ll manage. I mean, I don’t know how, but—”

“I have texted my brother,” Lan Wangji says calmly. “He and uncle will cover the bookshop today.”

“...Right,” Wei Wuxian says. “I feel like I should fight you on that, but also I don’t have time. Thank you.”

At three o’clock, Wei Wuxian sets the Closed sign, draws the curtains, and collapses facedown onto the couch where the college students like to study. Lan Wangji regards him for a moment, then puts down the rag he was using to wipe down the last table. He still cannot use the espresso machine, but the kettle is a more familiar creature.

Wei Wuxian lifts his head blearily at the clink of saucer on table. He sits up enough to drink his tea without spilling it, and he devours two of the ginger snaps that Lan Wangji brought over in rapid succession. Lan Wangji sits down in the armchair across from the couch and sips his own tea.

The cookies seem to revive Wei Wuxian a little. “Thank you,” he says. “Again. For the tea and for, you know, everything. How can I repay you? Not a rhetorical question.”

Lan Wangji cradles his tea, glad to have something to do with his hands. “Well,” he says, “when I came in this morning, I meant to ask if you would have dinner with me.”

“Oh!” Wei Wuxian looks at him, wide-eyed. “I—hang on, past tense? Did you change your mind? I guess you did just get the total immersion experience, which I’m told is a lot—”

“I enjoyed the experience,” Lan Wangji says. “But I do not wish you to feel obligated. I will not ask you in a conversation about compensation for my labor.”

“...Right,” Wei Wuxian says. “Because you think about things like that, because you’re a ridiculously good person as well as gorgeous and in possession of unbelievably nice handwriting. Hold on.” He sets down his mug and goes to the counter, does something out of sight involving paper and a pen, and returns. “Here.” Lan Wangji puts down his own tea and inspects the offering: a gift certificate (filled out in a scrawl that is admittedly dreadful) for enough to keep him supplied with coffee for a month, more if he cuts down on his visits. “And I’ll get you all the tips from today, once they’re counted.”

Lan Wangji does not imagine that he will be cutting down on his visits.

“This will do,” he decides, and tucks the paper away in his wallet. “And half the tips. You worked very hard.”

When he looks up again, Wei Wuxian is fidgeting beside his chair. “Sure,” he says. “Great. So is the compensation conversation finished? Can we have the other one now?”

Lan Wangji smiles; he cannot do anything else. Deliberately, he stands up so they are facing each other. Wei Wuxian swallows, but his eyes are bright and he is smiling helplessly as well. Lan Wangji says, “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

“Yes,” Wei Wuxian replies immediately. Then, “You mean like a real date, right? I mean, I’d still say yes either way, but just so we’re clear.”

“A real date,” Lan Wangji confirms.

“Oh wonderful,” Wei Wuxian says. “I really hoped that was what you meant. Yes. Did I already say that?”

He is still in his apron, which has great smears on it from when a cup of coffee spilled on the counter earlier. His hair is coming loose from its tie for at least the fourth time that day; there is raspberry syrup on his forehead and powdered sugar on his nose. He is very, very beautiful.

Lan Wangji reaches up and tucks one loose strand of hair behind his ear. It does very little to help anything, but it means that he gets to feel the slight intake of breath as Wei Wuxian goes still. Lan Wangji does not drop his hand back to his side. Instead, he cups Wei Wuxian’s cheek very gently. He whispers, “May I—”

“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian says, a little hoarsely. “Yeah, yes, please—”

Lan Wangji kisses him. Wei Wuxian makes a soft sweet sound and puts both arms around his neck; Lan Wangji cradles his face a little more firmly and drops his other hand to the small of Wei Wuxian’s back, drawing him in.

And so now it has been three years, or near enough. Lan Wangji dutifully writes out the Specials board every morning; the main menu also bears his script. He has met Wen Qing, who is now a surgeon and no longer the Med Student of the four expresso shots but who remains alarmingly intense. He has also met the Adorable Nephew and the Headshaker as well as the Peacock, Jiejie, and the Angry Brother, all three of whom received him with some combination of suspicion and amusement. “So you’re the Beautiful Stranger,” Jiang Cheng says, having shown up at the Burial Grounds to demand an introduction all of two days after that first date. “Hmph. He’s been yammering about you for a month; you better have been worth it.”

Lan Wangji is trying to be worth it. He plans to ask Wei Wuxian to marry him soon, and he thinks that Wei Wuxian will probably accept. This doesn’t really make the prospect of proposing any less daunting; what does is the way Wei Wuxian pulls him back to bed for sleepy kisses in the mornings, trusting and sure of affection reciprocated. Lan Wangji rather expects that he will slip and ask the question at one of these times, rather than at the dinner date he has scheduled for their anniversary. He doesn’t really mind the idea.

#moonanstars124 #wangxiansolstice20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

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