Chapter Text
new moon
chapter i
Shi De’s not paying attention when his mom tells him about the company's acquisition.
In his defense, she’s not telling him specifically, she’s telling it to the entire executive body of Hua Cing during one of their monthly meetings. She also happens to be talking about it via video conference as well, because even though she’s the chairwoman, the head of the board of directors, she’s based in America, so forgive Shi De for the lapse in attention.
Also, he’s busy going through the code of the new update on Alpha, the project that garnered Hua Cing the attention of the big shot Japanese company that’s acquiring them in the first place. The acquisition thing is important, yes, but Alpha is more important. Plus, the CFO exists for a reason.
At the end of the meeting, his mom singles him out and asks, “Were you listening to me during the meeting, Mr. CEO?”
“Yes,” Shi De lies through his teeth, still combing through the strings of codes on his computer screen for any error.
“And what was I talking about?”
Shi De grunts unintelligibly and his mom sighs loudly.
"Er Zi!"
Uh oh, mom hasn't used that tone on him in ages, ever since Oscar was born actually and that was nearly five years ago. Although she occasionally uses lighter varieties of that tone when Shi De forgets to wish Ashley a happy birthday or when Shou Yi tattletales to her about how Shi De pulled another all-nighter. This must be very serious for her to pull out the big guns, so to speak.
“Uh,” Shi De looks up from his laptop to see Yu Xin, the CFO, raising a brow at him and Zhen Xuan, the CTO, judging him. Nothing out of the ordinary then. Yu Xin’s always amused at him, ever since the first day of their tentative friendship, and Zhen Xuan is always judging him one way or another. Although the judgmental stare has toned down ever since his reconciliation with Shou Yi.
Shi De scrambles to string together a coherent sentence about the meeting but all he comes up with is, “We’re selling the company?”
Zhen Xuan snorts and his mom rolls his eyes. Is that not what company acquisition is?
He turns to look at Yu Xin helplessly.
Yu Xin smiles kindly and says just as kind, “I’ll brief him on it, ayi.”
“You’re too good for him, Xiao Xin.”
“It’s my job as his CFO to support him on the business side of things, ayi,” Yu Xin counters easily, still smiling. It’s probably the smile that made Shu Yi fall in love with her, Shi De thinks absentmindedly before he dives back into his codes.
He tunes out their conversation soon after so he can focus on the update again. Yu Xin said she'll brief him and he trusts her, she’s the best damn CFO ever.
-
Yu Xin tells him about the acquisition much later into the day.
She knocks twice on the conference room glass door to get his attention and then gestures for him to follow. Shi De does just that and finds himself in his office. He rarely uses the room, preferring to work in the conference room instead. It's a lot more airy and just nicer in general because he can look at his employees from time to time and looking at them helps Shi De work better somehow. Also, the conference room is spacier. Size-wise, it's smaller than his office but it just feels bigger. Plus, he can work with Zhen Xuan and the team leaders a lot more comfortably there. His office is too individualistic for his taste.
Yu Xin plops down onto the couch, waving a brown folder about, expecting him to join her. So, he goes and sits next to her. He listens obediently as Yu Xin explains things to him.
As CEO, Shi De knows he has to be involved with a lot of things but he's not sure why he has to be involved in this acquisition. The Board of Directors already approved the acquisition and Yu Xin's going to oversee the handover process. Then again, he should be more invested in this acquisition as Hua Cing is his and it's his project that made this acquisition possible in the first place.
“So, Cheng Yi Group's the company acquiring us as their subsidiary!!” Yu Xin beams excitedly.
Oh, acquiring as a subsidiary… so that was why his mom was exasperated at him when he said they’re selling the company. He's been CEO for three years and he's still so bad at caring about things that aren’t related to their specialty. Shi De wants to be better at the business side of things but Yu Xin makes it easy for him to just keep on coding. She really is too good for him.
"They want to have access to Alpha while they're here," Yu Xin continues and something dawns on Shi De.
"Is this why mom's so worried about me being so nonchalant about this?"
Yu Xin rolls her eyes, "You're involved by virtue of being the CEO but yes, Alpha is your baby."
"It's ours," Shi De shrugs.
"It won't be too much of a problem I think, the specialist coming in to review Alpha is Zhe Yu!"
Shi De blinks, "Huh."
"Shi Zhe Yu, your classmate… our friend?"
"I know who he is."
"Yeah and the attorney in charge of the acquisition is Bing Wei!"
"Huh,” Shi De says again.
Yu Xin squints at him, "What's with that reaction?"
"What's with your reaction?"
"I'm just excited we're working with friends, that's all," Yu Xin replies. Shi De hums and accuses, "You don't seem excited at all."
Shi De shrugs, "I'm just thinking about how it's been a while since I've met them."
Yu Xin’s eyes narrow, "How long is a while?"
"Uh, four years?"
"Gao Shi De! That's literally nearly ever since you came back from America! How can you not keep in touch with your friends at all?" Yu Xin demands, slapping his forearm, "You're literally in the same country! It's not that hard to meet up!"
It's not about being in the same country or different ones. Shi De doesn't really stay in touch with any of his friends. Actually, he doesn't really have friends. In university, Zhe Yu was his friend only because Zhe Yu followed him around. Later, after Shu Yi left for Japan at the end of their second year, Shi De had Bing Wei too because Bing Wei started dating Zhe Yu then. And then through Bing Wei, he became friends with Yu Xin and Zheng Wen. Shi De still finds it quite funny how he was integrated into Shu Yi's life only after Shu Yi left him.
Now, he has Shou Yi and Zhen Xuan to dine with and complain at and he has his tortoises to keep him company at home. He has Yu Xin too, and Zheng Wen by association, because Yu Xin works for him but refuses to strictly only be his staff. Plus, she's too chummy with Shi De's mom to just only be the CFO of Hua Cing.
He also has his mom and his stepdad and Ashley and Oscar, even if they're not in Taiwan. He visits often, he has them in his life and that’s enough.
These people, they're enough. Shi De doesn't need more.
All his life, he's been preoccupied with chasing after Shu Yi, preoccupied with being within Shu Yi's line of sight. Nothing else had mattered, just Shu Yi… so he didn’t really have time for friendship. He was okay with that as long as Shu Yi spared a glance at him. It's been seven years since Shu Yi laid his eyes on Shi De, since he went to Japan and never came back, but Shi De has never really felt the need to make any friends.
No relationships in his life will ever compare to the hypothetical one that Shi De could’ve had with Shu Yi so he doesn’t bother. Why disappoint himself? No one else will ever measure up to Shu Yi, not even close.
Vaguely though, Shi De wonders if Yu Xin is comparing his situation to her and Zheng Wen's situation with Shu Yi. He wonders if she thinks he’s taking his connections in Taiwan for granted when her best friend is one thousand eight hundred sixty-two kilometers, two hours fifty-five minutes flight, and one timezone away from her.
Shu Yi, Yu Xin, and Zheng Wen were inseparable before Shu Yi left, they were childhood best friends who did everything together. Shi De was always jealous of Yu Xin and Zheng Wen because of their easy camaraderie with and closeness to Shu Yi. Yu Xin especially because Shu Yi was literally in love with her. What Shi De wouldn't give for Shu Yi to look at him with the kind, gentle eyes he reserved for Yu Xin.
And then Shu Yi left. It was so abrupt, he was in Nagoya as soon as their second year came to an end. Shi De speculated that he left because Yu Xin and Zheng Wen got together. What else was Shi De supposed to think when Shu Yi left two months after Yu Xin and Zheng Wen started dating? Though when Shi De sneakily asked about Shu Yi’s departure, Zheng Wen always said that it was because Shu Yi’s dad decided to move back to Nagoya.
Shi De didn't believe that and Zheng Wen didn't seem to believe himself either.
Shu Yi has family in Taiwan. He could’ve stayed if he wanted to. But he didn’t. He left and never came back. At least Shi De assumes he never had because when he snoops around Shu Yi’s SNS, he’s never seen hide nor hair of Taiwan in any of Shu Yi’s posts. It’s probably because Shu Yi’s probably still in love with Yu Xin. The thought always makes Shi De childishly jealous of Yu Xin.
From time to time, he wonders if the three of them still keep in touch. Shi De thinks they do, Yu Xin talks about Shu Yi sometimes, new things about Shu Yi that Shi De doesn't know about because he has no way of ever really knowing Shu Yi ever again.
"I don't know, I forgot?" Shi De replies and Yu Xin makes a noise of frustration.
"Maybe I should tell ayi about how you don't have a social life."
Shi De squints at her.
Yu Xin is a blessing to the company, she’s the best damn CFO Shi De could ever ask for and she knows how Hua Cing operates because she’s been working for the company even before Shi De graduated. She was hired when his mom was still the CEO. Shi De knows she’s as invested as he is in Hua Cing and its employees because she’s been here since Hua Cing was just a baby. Sometimes, however, when she gangs up on Shi De with his mom or Ashley or with both his mom and Ashley, he regrets becoming friends with her.
The only reason why he bears everything so graciously is because Yu Xin’s a part of Shu Yi’s life. Shu Yi is gone from Shi De's life now, and Yu Xin’s currently his only source of any personal information on Shu Yi. After all, stalking Shu Yi’s SNS accounts can only do so much.
Yu Xin raising her brow smugly at him, as if she knows what Shi De is thinking. He really hopes not.
He shoots back, "Do you keep in touch with them?"
"Yes," Yu Xin answers, rolling her eyes, "Zheng Wen and Bing Wei are gym buddies, we all meet up occasionally."
Shi De doesn't pout but it's a near thing. Yu Xin shakes her head, "I’m definitely dragging you out to dinner with us next time."
"Fine, fine." Shi De concedes, "You're too invested in my personal life."
"And you're not invested enough," Yu Xin counters. Then, after a beat, she adds offhandedly, "Maybe I should set you up with someone."
Shi De blanches, "Don't... Ashley already does that every time I visit the States, I don't need you to do it here too."
"Your loss," Yu Xin shrugs, "I know many people you'd like."
There's one person she knows that Shi De loves. Yu Xin doesn't need to know that though so Shi De just shrugs and stares at her gathering the files. She doesn't call him out on his passiveness and even hums under her breath as she does her tasks, strangely happy.
"I feel like there's something more you're not telling me." Shi De comments.
"What do you mean?"
"You're strangely excited somehow."
"No, I'm not."
"You were humming and you stopped bullying me too quickly."
"You want me to bully you some more?" Yu Xin raises a brow.
"That's not the point."
"Then what is the point?"
"I don't know, I feel like there's something you're not telling me about Cheng Yi."
Yu Xin blinks, licks her lips, considering, and asks, "What is it I'm not telling you about Cheng Yi?"
She's being purposefully cryptic, there's definitely something she's hiding about Cheng Yi then. Shi De doesn't know what so he just shrugs.
Yu Xin laughs, "You're overthinking things, Mr. CEO. You know I won't hide anything from you when it concerns the wellbeing of Hua Cing."
"I know," Shi De agrees easily, "I never doubted that."
Yu Xin smiles, soft and gentle, the kind of smile Shi De has seen directed at Shu Yi from the bleacher at their swim meet.
"Good." She says decisively and then leaves the room. Shi De follows her out and settles back in the conference room, all thoughts of acquisition and Cheng Yi fly out the window as his fingers glide across the keyboard.
-
Bing Wei and Zhe Yu show up three days later, bright eyed and smiling, a big bag of Japanese souvenirs in each of their hands. Shi De spies one of the bags being full of Japanese sakes and wonders how long those will last. His staff aren’t alcoholic but their bi-annual coding marathon is coming up and that always involves alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.
"With compliments from vice president Zhou," Zhe Yu says, shoving his bags into a nearby staff's hands. It happens to be Zhen Xuan and the CTO stares at him balefully, immediately handing the bags over to someone else.
“He can’t be here to personally oversee the acquisition process but he’ll be here for the official sign-off,” Zhe Yu continues, disregarding Zhen Xuan’s laser eyes. Bing Wei can be heard apologizing in the background as Zhe Yu demands to go over Alpha.
Shi De can’t do anything but show Zhe Yu to the conference room and start talking about Alpha.
He quickly learns that Zhe Yu is very no nonsense when it comes to work while Bing Wei trips over himself being nice and friendly and apologizing to everyone he thinks his boyfriend offended. But once the hour is up, Zhe Yu reverts back to being teasing and sarcastic, just like old times.
-
They go to Shou Yi’s bar for dinner afterward. Zhe Yu complains about Shi De forgetting about him and Bing Wei the entire ride there. Bing Wei looks at him apologetically as he pats his boyfriend’s knee to appease him. Yu Xin just giggles at him from the passenger seat.
He’s grateful she has mercy on him.
Although she does join hands with Zhe Yu and Shou Yi to roast him mercilessly that night. Shi De shudders to think what it'd be like if these three ever meet Ashley. His life will never know peace again.
-
Another person from his past enters his life a month later, during the official acquisition signing.
It’s-
Zhou Shu Yi.
Zhou Shu Yi.
Zhou Shu Yi.
Zhou Shu Yi.
Zhou Shu Yi.
Zhou Shu Yi.
Zhou Shu Yi.
Shu Yi is Vice President Zhou. Vice President Zhou . Couple that with Yu Xin's giddiness, he should’ve known. He should’ve paid more attention.
Shi De momentarily stops breathing and then he breathes again, his heart beats to the clicks of Shu Yi’s heels.
Shu Yi is beautiful, handsome, breathtaking, ethereal. His hair is fluffier than Shi De remembers, a stray piece falling artfully against his forehead. His eyes are brown and shine like ember, the simmering want in Shi De flares up into burning desire. He has gotten paler, making his lips look impossibly pink and plush and the moles on his face sit like stars against his skin.
He’s perfect. Perfect.
And Shi De loves him so much. So much.
He’s forgotten how much he loves Shu Yi but he remembers now.
Seven years of longing and simmering want and Shi De’s finally seeing Shu Yi again, finally breathing the same air as him again, finally basking under his gaze again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again.
Zhou Shu Yi is perfect and Shi De's heart expands with indescribable happiness.
“CEO Gao,” Shu Yi greets, extending a hand. His tone is soft and calm but somehow remains sharp. His accent catching on Shi De’s family name, the ‘Gao’ hanging off of his lips like a lifeline.
Shu Yi’s palm is tender and warm in his.
This is the first time Shi De touches Shu Yi. After seven years of longing for him, Shi De’s finally touching Shu Yi again. The burn of it is exquisite and every atom in his being rearranges itself to fit around the warmth spreading down his spine.
His hands are made for this, Shi De thinks. All the hands he brushed off, all the lovers he rejected, they're all so he can have this moment. Truly, nothing in his life can compare to the warmth and tenderness of Shu Yi's hand in his.
“Vice President Zhou,” Shi De breathes, heady from the proximity to Shu Yi's body, mesmerized with the way Shu Yi’s lashes cast shadow over the apple of his cheeks.
Shu Yi’s hand leaves Shi De’s hand quickly after that and then he’s turning to greet Yu Xin with a sweet, gentle smile. His fingers clasp around Yu Xin’s tightly, his thumb rubbing the back of her palm in soothing circles.
Shi De’s belly churns with bile and jealousy at the sight of it.
-
Shi De gives everyone a half day. He says it’s to celebrate the occasion of becoming a part of Cheng Yi’s group. In actuality though, he just wants to kick everyone out so he can catch up with Shu Yi. Even if that catching up involves Yu Xin, Bing Wei, and Zhe Yu, and he’s actually sidelined by Shu Yi. Shi De just wants to know more about Shu Yi, just wants to listen to his voice and look at his eyes and cheeks and fingers and love him in real life again.
This Shu Yi is still the same person but, at the same time, he’s not.
He’s calmer now and soft spoken too. He also speaks much slower because he hasn’t used so much Mandarin in so long. His accent is thick and he jumbles up words on occasion. He even switches to Japanese sometimes and Yu Xin has to translate for him.
Shu Yi still looks at Yu Xin lovingly but it’s different somehow, Shi De thinks. His gaze on her is still gentle but he thinks Shu Yi regards Bing Wei and Zhe Yu with an equally gentle look in his eyes.
And, instead of a smug smile, Shu Yi wears a seductive one now. His eyes also glint dangerously under the lights, like he knows the answer to everything.
He prefers tea over coffee now too, he drinks it so strongly it tastes like wood water to Shi De and makes his teeth rattle in his mouth. When Shi De makes a face after drinking it, instead of laughing at him like the old Shu Yi would, this Shu Yi scoops up some sugar for him and says, “Sugar helps, let me.”
He stirs Shi De’s tea as he listens to Zhe Yu attentively and then he pushes Shi De’s back toward him. The brush of Shu Yi’s fingers against the crook of his thumb feels like a secret and the tea tastes like heaven on his tongue.
Shi De has so much to learn and relearn about Shu Yi, so much, and he thirsts for knowledge of Shu Yi. Anything Shu Yi is willing to give, Shi De will take. Anything.
So, when Yu Xin invites him to join her and Zheng Wen for dinner with Shu Yi, Shi De accepts enthusiastically. Bing Wei and Zhe Yu come along too of course since Bing Wei’s Shu Yi’s friend too even if they’re not as close as Shu Yi, Yu Xin, and Zheng Wen. Plus, they’re his representative in Taiwan. Shi De doesn’t mind, as long as he gets to look at Shu Yi just a bit longer, be with him in whatever capacity just a bit longer.
-
Yu Xin’s giddy and drunk after dinner, her face is flushed and she hasn’t stopped smiling since she laid eyes on Shu Yi. Zheng Wen is giddy and drunk too, swaying on his feet clumsily.
“Text me as soon as you get home,” Shu Yi tells them sternly.
Yu Xin giggles then hiccups, her cheeks are pink and beautiful, “Aw, Shu Yi’s all grown up and taking care of us now.”
She pinches Shu Yi’s chin and tugs it left and right playfully. Shu Yi rolls his eyes and grabs her hand. He looks at her so tenderly that Shi De’s chest aches from the magnitude of affection that Shu Yi has for Yu Xin.
He gives Yu Xin’s hand to Zheng Wen and says, “Take care of her, don’t let her drown in her vomit.”
Zheng Wen snorts, “I won’t, I’m gonna have to pay all the rent myself if she dies on me.”
Yu Xin makes a distorted noise, brows furrowing, and then she turns to point threateningly at her husband. She demands, “What did you just say, Fang Zheng Wen?”
“Oh god, they’re gonna start bickering again,” Shu Yi grumbles before pushing them both into the taxi.
“Bye!” He says loudly before slamming the door shut and taps the hood of the car. Shi De can’t help but giggle.
His giggle immediately lodges itself in his chest, congesting his breath and heartbeat when Shu Yi turns to look at him. Shu Yi keeps staring a bit longer and Shi De swallows, shifting on his feet. His eyes are considering on Shi De, dark but shining, and his scrutiny making Shi De’s toes curl.
So this is what it’s like to have Shu Yi’s whole regard.
“You drove here, right?” Shu Yi suddenly asks, his Japanese accent is even more prominent now that he's tipsy.
Shi De nods in answer.
“Good.” Shu Yi says and pulls out his phone, slender fingers gliding over the screen gracefully. Then, he gives the device to Shi De before walking off.
Shi De looks at Shu Yi's retreating back stupidly. When he looks at the phone in his hand, he sees an address. The red marker shows a luxury hotel located somewhere in the downtown area.
Oh.
Oh.
Shi De hurries along after Shu Yi and shows him to his car.
-
The ride to Shu Yi’s hotel is quiet. Shu Yi doesn’t say anything, just rests his head against the window as he stares at the passing light. Shi De doesn’t say anything either, scared to break whatever calm it is that suddenly blankets over them. He doesn't want to destroy this gift of being in Shu Yi’s presence that was granted to him out of nowhere.
He sneaks glances at Shu Yi from time to time. Of course he does. He can’t help it, Shu Yi is literally there. Shu Yi’s less than an arm length away. Shi De can smell Shu Yi’s cologne and his natural musk, he can feel Shu Yi’s warmth against his skin as if Shu Yi’s pressed against his body.
When Shi De pulls up in front of his hotel, Shu Yi turns toward him, eyes still shining so brightly and his gaze is just as sharp.
This is it, he thinks. This is his last moment in Shu Yi’s presence. Shu Yi will leave again. Shu Yi is always leaving. So, Shi De looks at him greedily, eyes roaming over the curve of his brows, the slope of his cheeks, the plumpness of his lips, the jut of his chin, the slenderness of his neck.
Shi De looks and looks and looks.
Shu Yi’s not leaving yet so he looks some more, looks and savors and aches.
“You should come up for coffee,” Shu Yi suddenly offers.
It’s nearly eleven p.m.
“What?”
“To freshen up, keep you awake on your drive back,” Shu Yi explains.
“Oh.”
Shi De’s wide awake. He didn't drink anything during dinner, he wanted to stay sober so he could catch every new thing about Shu Yi. Shu Yi knows he didn't drink anything, Shi De declined every offer of his wine even when he knew it was rude to, and yet Shu Yi's offering, Shu Yi's is asking him to go up to his hotel room with him.
“Come up for coffee," Shu Yi insists once again and something like hope blooms in Shi De's chest.