"I saw you with Zixun, what happened?" Lan Xichen puffed out the smoke from his cigarette, a treat he allowed himself once a day. They had just got back home from the race, tired.
"He was being an asshole as usual." Lan Wangji just shrugged, he wanted nothing to do with that slimy bastard. However, the one being bullied had definitely caught his attention.
"Was it something to do with Jiang Yanli's brother?"
"You know him? He ran before I could even ask his name. How rude to his saviour." Wangji remembered the rejection and pouted again.

"You and your hero complex.." Lan Xichen sighed. "I just saw him few times around campus, he is a design student if I'm not mistaken, the apple of Yanli's eyes." He turned towards Wangji with a questioning glance. "What's with that look, Wangji? Why do I feel like you have taken a liking to this boy?" Wangji didn't say anything, just shrugged. Xichen knew Wangji enough to say, " Well, if you like him you better do it right, I do not want an angry Yanli on my doorsteps. Also, I'm getting tired of that clingy girlfriend of yours."
"She's NOT my girlfriend." He sighed exasperatedly. "How many times do I had to tell people that?"
"Well, she told almost everyone she knew that she's your girlfriend and you're going to propose this year."
Wangji almost choked on air. "What the fuck? How did you know?"
"Everybody knows. If you're not interested, get rid of her, she will be trouble, with her being a Jin." Xichen squashed his cigarette on the ashtray and stood up. "I'm going to sleep, you should too, you got school tomorrow right?"
"Yeah, sure."
 
 
 

After Xichen left, Wangji's thoughts wandered back to the beautiful man again. He appreciated beauty like every other person. He himself was gorgeous and he used it to his advantage a lot of times to get out of trouble. However, this man's alluring persona had made Wangji want to possess him like he needed air to breathe. What was it about him? He wondered. He couldn't put his finger on it but something about the man had captured Wangji's attention. When he had put his arms around his waist to pull the man towards him and their bodies collided, he felt the rush of raw need coursing through him, which is why he had propositioned the man. But the latter had refused.
Wangji was still reeling from the shock of the refusal.
Jiang Yanli's brother, huh?
He would find out more tomorrow.
 

-----
 
 
Nie Huaisang, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian lounged at their regular spot in the canteen, the corner blue couch, drinking their favourite drinks. Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang were fighting over who had a better drink.

"Mine is better! It's a classic combination unlike yours which is so ugghh..." Huaisang scrunched up his nose in disgust.

"Just because you have the taste buds of a 5 year old, doesn't mean my drink is disgusting" Cheng rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Are you serious?" Huaisang exclaimed. "You don't know how to appreciate the simple things in life!"
 
"Oh please! Even your tastes are so vanilla!" Cheng retorted.

Huaisang was about to say something else when Wuxian interrupted. "Every day! Every damn day we have this same conversation."

Having said his piece, Wuxian went back to happily slurping his taro flavoured boba. He loved this sweet concoction so much he drank it almost twice daily. Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng had resorted to playing footsie under the table since they didn't want Wuxian to scold them anymore.

Wuxian shook his head and continued to sketch.
 
"So, Xianxian, I saw you almost being kissed by Second Prince Lan last night. What did he whisper into your ears? Declaration of love? Sweet nothings? I think I would die happily if he even looked at my general direction." Nie Huaisang stole a glance at Jiang Cheng, who looked indifferent.
Wei Wuxian hand stopped for a second before resuming sketching again.
"What are you talking about? Who is this Second Prince Lan?" Wuxian asked nonchalantly.
"You're kidding me right? Lan Wangji? The King? The one who saved you from Zixun last night? He was like sweeping you off your feet like you were some kind of damsel in distress and he was charming...so romantic.." Nie Huaisang sighed dreamily, "Unlike some people who don't know anything about love and romance..."
 
Wei Wuxian continued sketching, trying not to remember the feeling of the bad boy's arms around his waist even though a small part of his brain did register the shortness of breath at the mere mention of the gorgeous man he met last night.

"Give me the tea, bitch!" Huaisang complained. "Chengcheng! help me out here," he pointed a finger towards the said man.

"Why drag me into this? You know I don't notice such things" Cheng raised his hand in surrender. Huaisang huffed. He was about to say something, when Wuxian felt felt a presence behind him. He turned around to find...

"Lan Wangji" Nie Huaisang almost squeaked.

"Oh? I'm flattered. So you guys know who I am."

"Who wouldn't know the king" Huaisang muttered.

Wangji chucked and then walked around to sit next to Wei Wuxian. He took a peek at the sketchpad but Wuxian hid his drawing instantly. Wangji pouted. He looked around the table and saw the two boys looking at him with interest. Wangji knew of Huaisang in passing, though he never actually met the man.

"Well, since you guys already know my name, how about you guys introduce yourself?" Wangji said.
 
Wuxian was about to refuse but Huaisang kicked him on the shins under the table and happily answered the man. "I am Nie Huaisang, this is Jiang Cheng the grumpy one and this over here," Huaisang pointed towards Wuxian, "is Wei Wuxian."

"Nice to meet you guys," Wangji said.

Wei Wuxian was still nursing his shin from when Huaisang had kicked him so he just nodded his head in response.

Wangji didn't like the fact that Wuxian was deliberately trying to avoid eye contact. So, to get a reaction out of him, Wangji reached out and grabbed the boba drink and before Wuxian could protest, Wangji had put the plastic straw inside his mouth and slurped.
 
Wuxian was staring at him in disbelief, so were Huaisang and Cheng. Wei Wuxian was very fond of his drink, so he never allowed anyone else to even take a tiny sip from his cup. But now, this man had his lips around the same straw he had been drinking from. His ears turned pink at that thought.

Wangji smirked at his reaction. He kept staring directly into Wuxian's eyes as he took the straw out of his mouth but not before giving it a little lick. Wuxian's eyes widened at the gesture.

"That's a really yummy drink. I think I love the taste of it" Wangji still hadn't looked away.
 
Why does he keep staring at me like that? Wuxian thought. His eyes kept going to and fro between Wangji's face to his favourite drink. He frowned.
"What do you want?". He continued his sketch, although the newcomer's scent was wafting around him, distracting him from his work. Jasmine and something like leather and masculinity. This man oozed masculinity from his pores.

Lan Wangji put the drinks back on the table as Wuxian looked at it in disgust now.
 
"Well, for starters, I would really like to take you out on a date, take it as a...fee for saving your life." He smirked.
"I don't remember asking you to save me."
"No, but how could I just stand there knowing there's a beautiful man in distress?"
"Such a hero complex you have. Thank you, but no thank you. I'm very busy with my school projects and I don't have time to waste."
 
"You still need to have dinner, right?"
 
Wei Wuxian looked at the man beside him. Really looked at him. He was stunning to say the least. His leather jacket was custom made for sure and the white T-shirt he wore underneath fit him like a second skin. It was drool-worthy. The artist in him wanted to reach out and slide his hands all over the man yet he refused to give in to his baser instincts.
Lan Wangji saw his gaze moving over him like a caress.
"Eyes up here, bunny"
Wuxian's eyes snapped up to his face, shocked. What is wrong with me? He thought a second before he realized what the man had called him. "Bunny?"
Lan Wangji, gave him that lop-sided smile again which made Wuxian's insides turn to mush. And before he realized it, he drank his boba, from the same straw that this man put his mouth just a few minutes ago.
"Umm hmm, bunny. You look like one. Cute and soft and cuddly." Wangji leaned in and seductively whispered, "And I want you."
Wuxian shivered under his heated gaze. Not again! He forced himself to look away and got up.
"Can't you take no for an answer?" And almost ran out of the canteen as if chased by a ghost, leaving a confused Wangji behind. Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng, who were equally shocked at Wuxian's reaction, left immediately after.
Was I rejected again? What the hell!
Wangji ran his hands through his hair, feeling something never felt before, a mix between anger and desperation.
 
-----
 
"You really need to learn how to court properly, sweetheart" Qing sat beside him, and gave him a glass of iced green tea and a bowl of beef noodles.  She had watched the whole interaction and kind of felt bad yet amused at Wangji's dilemma. "You really suck at that. You're coming on too strong, and while the usual girls would swoon over it, he's different." She slurped her noodles.
"Am I really that bad?" He frowned, and drank his green tea.
"Well, you never needed to court anyone before, so...yeah you suck."
"Gee, thanks Q..." Wangji rolled his eyes and started to eat.
 
 
-----
 
Lan Wangji was feeling not quite like himself after Wei Wuxian, the beautiful man, rejected him once again.
In front of the public that too!

His pride was actually the one which had taken an enormous hit. He, Lan Wangji, King of the Road, Second Prince of Lan, the indomitable man of the hour, rejected by a… a man, an alluring one, but a man nonetheless.

God-fucking-damn it!

Lan Wangji was not one to back down from a challenge. Ever. So, he would find him again. He would keep trying until he got the answer he wanted.

He drank his scotch in one gulp, cringing as it burned down his throat. The pain felt good. It helped divert his focus to anywhere but his wounded pride.

He was signaling the bartender for a refill when he felt the bump of something soft on his back, then the long slim hands with red manicured nails snaked around his waist.

"Wangji… why are you alone?" The sweet saccharin familiar tone of the so-called girlfriend of his was whispering in his ear, offering everything and more. And in the midst of his alcohol haze and wounded pride, he was not above rejecting the dessert he was being offered for free.

That's how shallow he was.