Chasing You (YiZhan)✔

Chapter 1

As the sun was sharing its brightness from above a man in his mid-twenties ran as fast as he could to catch up on a bus while carrying his possessions.

'Ugh, why did I wake up so late?'

Xiao Zhan scolded himself while catching up his breath which he used up a while ago. "Next time kid, be early," said the bus driver to him and he just bowed his head to show how sorry he was and also to hide the blush that was showing on his cheeks. He walked inside the bus to find a vacant seat and to his relief, he saw one and that was near the window which he liked so much.

"Hah," he sighed as he plopped himself into the seat. He was to stare outside for him to admire the view when his phone ringed.

'Who lives in a pineapple under the sea~'
'Spongebob Squarepants~'

The song echoed inside the bus making the people look at him who was holding his phone, head down in order to hide his tomato coloured face and immediately accepted the call.

"Hello?"
"Oie Zhan, where are you now?"

Just by the grumpy voice that was present on the other line, he could already tell that it was Jiang Cheng, his colleague.

"Can't you hear the background? I'm inside the bus,"
"No I can't and hurry, there are many clients present here right now and they're demanding you,?"
'Eh? But why? You and Jie are there so why can't you handle the situation first?"
"Are you even paying attention to what I just said? They.are.demanding.your.presence,"
"Why?"
"Ugh, this man!"

Zhan heard the other man taking a deep breath before talking to him once again.

"Hello?"
"Just hurry and come here already,"
"But I'm still in the bus though—"

He was not able to finish what he wanted to say as the other line ended the call already.

'What a short-tempered man' Zhan remarked.

***

When Zhan arrived, he was surprised by the number of people present in the gallery where he worked. He was about to come inside when a hand pulled him. He looked at the person and saw that it was his Jie.

"Jie, why are there so many people in the gallery?" Zhan asked because he himself was also confused. In the years that he worked as an artist, he believed that only 3 out of 10 people in his area are interested in arts.

"Zhan, most of them are journalists," said his Jie. Zhan nodded, but he can't deny that he was disappointed. He thought that maybe the time came and that people are slowly having their interests in art, which is Zhan's passion. "But some of them are here to buy paintings, your paintings," this statement made Zhan's mouth gape wide open. Even though Zhan has the talent to create beautiful art pieces he still degraded himself and believed that he was still not good enough. Even Jie and Cheng agreed on the fact that they can't surpass Xiao Zhan's talent.

"Really Jie?" asked Zhan with sparkling eyes. To answer Zhan's question, Yanli nodded excitedly and then patted Zhan's even if she can't reach Zhan' head due to his tall height. But Zhan adjusted because he also wanted to have someone pat his head. "Let's go inside Zhan," Yanl slowly pulled Zhan and he was surprised that they didn't enter at the entrance but at the emergency exit.

"Why are we entering from here Jie?" asked Zhan and Yanli smiled at him but before she could even explain to Zhan, a sudden voice interrupted. "Well that's because you don't use that brain of yours," a grumpy good looking man made his way to approach the two and closed his arms when he saw Zhan cluelessly looking at him.

'Hah, why did I even befriend this idiot?' Jiang Cheng said inside his mind when he felt a little hand that was caressing his shoulder. "A-Cheng, don't say that to Zhan," Yanli said to his younger brother. "But Jie, that idiot really doesn't use his head sometimes," Cheng whined at his sister which made Zhan chuckle at the sight.

"What are you laughing at huh?" Zhan then cough when he heard Cheng asking him. "Nothing nothing, it's just that you do have a gentle side in you," this statement made Jiang Cheng blush a hundred times of red and this made Jiang Cheng punch Xiao Zhan in the arm, hard.

"Ahhh, Jie look, Jiang Cheng punched me in the arm and it hurts so much," he pouted while pointing his soon to be bruised arm and averting his gaze to Cheng who still has evident blush on his face. "H-How are you sure that it's going to bruise huh?" Jiang Cheng asked and Xiao Zhan just laughed. "Me!" that's the only thing he said before running away from the scene and making his way to his office.

***

After he settled his things down, he sat in his chair and turned around and around until he got dizzy and accidentally bumped his arm into an object which made him wince in pain. "Aiya, Cheng can surely punch hard," he said while slowly lifting up his sleeves and what he saw was his arm coated in a bluish-purple bruise.

'I'll make sure that I won't blurt out things that can make Jiang Cheng embarrassed because if I do that then sooner or later my whole body will be wrapped up in a cast and I won't be able to visit my beautiful darling and my parents' Zhan remarked.

He was about to slowly hide his now bruised arm when someone knocked on the door and opened it. He saw his Jie standing at the door while carrying a little basin with a towel inside it. "Jie, what are you doing here?" Zhan asked even though the reason was obvious on why Yanli came. "I knew that your arm is going to get bruised, considering A-Cheng's punch and your sensitive skin. It can even knock a big person out," Yanli said then chuckled.

"I agree, he should've just participated in boxing, for sure he will knock out his opponent in just a matter of seconds," Zhan laughed while his Jie was busy assessing his bruise. Minutes passed, laughter can be heard outside the room and that's when Jiang Cheng decided to barge in. "Did you have fun badmouthing me?" Zhan and Yanli immediately shut their mouths and acted as if nothing happened and witnessing this sight made Jiang Cheng roll his eyes.

"All right, all right you two were NOT badmouthing me," Cheng said and a snicker escaped Zhan's rosy mouth which made Jiang Cheng stare at him with eyes throwing of daggers. "Anyways, if you two are done already, you can go to the entrance and entertain the clients that were demanding you and Jie and I will handle those journalists," Jiang Cheng said before going outside.

"And now, we are done," Yanli said while watching Zhan slowly bring down his sleeves. "I'll go first Zhan because I'm worried that A-Cheng will punch someone there, you know how short his temper is," Yanli said before exiting leaving Zhan alone in his office.

"Ahhh how nice it is to have two friends who treat you like family and are ready to back you up," Xiao Zhan cheerfully said and stood up, exiting his office and ready to entertain those clients who are about to buy his artworks.

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Edited
11/20/21