Work Text:
October 2022
“I think they are going to force me to retire.”
Han Wenqing heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair. He turned to look at his husband who stared blankly into his mug of green tea.
“What did they do?”
“I heard rumours.” he waved his hands vaguely and shrugged when Wenqing quirked his eyebrow.
“Talk to me Xiu.” he prodded gently. After a moment's hesitation, Ye Xiu sighed.
“Last season's rookie, Sun Xiang. I overheard them discussing his transfer into the main team. Only him, not with Cross Knife.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” Ye Xiu smiled humourlessly and placed his cooling mug on the coffee table. “Who else would he replace if not me? They've been playing against me for years now, and this is their checkmate.”
“It isn't, Xiu.” Wenqing tugged his husband into his arms. “You have options. We discussed this before. You have a place in Tyranny and probably other Pro teams too if you need it.”
“They won't leave room for a transfer. I won't be surprised if they drag it until the last day of the transfer window or even after.”
“Then, we'll just have to go for Plan B.” Ye Xiu glanced at his husband questioningly.
“What are you thinking, Wenqing?” The grin his husband shot him was downright predatory.
~
02/12/2022
When Excellent Era put their plan into motion, so did Ye Xiu.
He entered the meeting room prepared with a cheque, paperwork, and his card neatly placed in a black folder and held by Mucheng. Mucheng insisted on holding the folder and when he asked her why, she smiled sweetly and said it was to show solidarity.
Ye Xiu decided it was best to let her do whatever she wanted. That smile of hers... he didn't want to know what was behind it.
The meeting went as he expected. Cui Li pushed him to be a training partner or to resign, blatantly rubbing it in his face that he didn't have the money to annul his contract. He was goaded on by Liu Hao and the smirking rookie they wanted to replace him with.
Ye Xiu let them say their piece and kept his face blank. When Cui Li slapped the retirement paperwork in from of him, Ye Xiu finally looked up at the manager.
“No need,” he said, instead. Mucheng reached over to hand him the folder and he took out the signed annulment paperwork and slid it across the table.
“This!” Cui Li's face reddened, reading the papers. “You don't have the money!” he protested. Ye Xiu quirked an eyebrow.
“I wasn't aware Manager Cui was my account manager to know just what money I have and don't have,” he smirked and placed the cheque on the table next. “Don't worry, it won't bounce.”
Ye Xiu stood and walked past a floundering Liu Hao towards Sun Xiang. He held One Autumn Leaf's card out to the younger boy, fighting to keep his hand from shaking.
“If you love Glory, then treat all of this as an honour instead of a chance to show off.” Turning back to Cui Li he said, “If there is anything else to settle, you can contact me through QQ or Mucheng.”
Before anyone could say anything or stop him, Ye Xiu walked out and headed to his room. His luggage had been half-packed for weeks and some boxes were stacked at one side. He and Mucheng made quick work of transferring the boxes to her room and closing up his suitcase.
Mucheng had sent a message to Wenqing the moment they arrived at Ye Xiu's room and he had booked the next flight out to Qingdao while they were busy packing. In less than an hour, Ye Xiu stood in the empty room and tried to bite down on the hurt and nostalgia hitting him at once.
“It's for the best.” Mucheng wrapped her arms around him. “Gege wouldn't have wanted you to stay if he were still here.” Ye Xiu kissed her forehead.
“I know.” he sighed. “But it doesn't make it easier.” Mucheng hummed in agreement.
Ye Xiu shook his head and straightened up. He had a flight to catch.
~
Ye Xiu and Mucheng made it out unaccosted. They had to linger in a corridor once to avoid Tao Xuan who had rushed off looking a little harried and the few trainees and staff they met seemed to be unaware of what had happened.
Mucheng came along to drop him off at the airport and to send Wenqing an update once he had gone through the gates. It also afforded them more privacy than they would have had in Excellent Era to say goodbye.
He was reluctant to leave his sister behind but she resolutely urged him on. There was a gleam in her eyes that told him she was up to something.
“What are you plotting?” he asked wearily. She laughed, adopting an innocent look.
“I don't know what you mean Xiu-ge.” He raised an eyebrow.
Mucheng just smiled and shooed him off.
“I'll come to visit when I get a day off. Don't forget to video call me when you arrive!”
~
Wenqing waited right where he promised to be, wearing a mask and hat. He still looked recognisable but that might just be because Ye Xiu knew his husband too well. He grabbed the thinner man in a short tight hug before tugging his suitcase from his grip and guiding them to his car.
The trip back to Wenqing's apartment (“What's mine is yours, Xiu.”) was spent mostly in silence with the radio on low. His husband could probably sense that Ye Xiu needed a little more time to process before he was ready to talk. At every stop on the road, Wenqing would silently take his hand in his.
“Wenqing,” he called softly at one of the stops. Wenqing hummed in response. “Did I do the right thing?”
“Xiu,” he brought their joined hands to his lips. “You did what was best for you and that is what's important. I am proud of you.” Ye Xiu smiled a soft watery smile at his husband.
The apartment was just as he remembered it, a mix of traditional and modern in natural hues. It was comfortable and it was home. He had helped, albeit reluctantly, to choose the décor when Wenqing first bought the unit. He had been dragged along to shop for furniture and to select from the online catalogues Wenqing sent him.
He complained a lot, but they both knew it was mostly for show. After the first few days, he had actually begun to enjoy it. He loved seeing the pieces come together to shape their home and it was a constant reminder of their love and marriage.
So what if it wasn't recognised legally there? They had their rings, their vows, their love and it was all they needed.
He went to change into one of Wenqing shirts that always fell to his mid-thigh before lying in bed. He had a little while more before the 10th server opened and he just wanted to laze about. Wenqing laid next to him and Ye Xiu immediately made himself comfortable lying on his broad chest. Wenqing hugged him close.
At a quarter to midnight, the alarm on Wenqing's phone blared and they went to the computers in the workroom next door. Wenqing was adamant to accompany him that night in the 10th server though he wouldn't always be able to.
It was moments like this that Ye Xiu fell for his husband all over again. His scary-looking but soft-hearted husband.
“It's open,” Wenqing said.
Ye Xiu slotted his card into the card reader.
It was time for a new beginning.