The two of them awkwardly stared at each other for a solid minute (though it was just him panicking, Mobei seemed pretty unaffected... though that's probably just his regular face) before Shang Qinghua all but threw himself away.

What the hell is Mobei doing in my house?! He thought, followed by: how does he even know where I live? And finally: OH MY FUCKING GOD, MOBEI IS IN MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW. OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN, EXPOSED TO ALL THE DUMBASSERY THAT SHEN YUAN AND I HAVE HERE.

"What the hell are you doing here—ahem, I mean, what brings you to my humble abode?"

Mobei stared at him indescribably, not immediately answering. "Luo Binghe," he said.

Luo Binghe, yep. That checks out. Of course Mobei would be Luo Binghe's (probably also stupid rich) best friend who just recently came back to the country.

"I, um, wasn't aware that you too would be visiting," and a bit quieter, "especially so early in the morning." He patted down his clothes in an attempt to seem normal-er than he had been acting every time they've ever met. "If I had known that you were going to be coming here, I would've made you some breakfast... or something." Cereal, most likely. Maybe even an omelet if he's feeling particularly confident, but that's about the extent of his cooking skills. "Definitely would've made sure that Shen Yuan and I looked more presentable," and not fighting each other on a couch like children.

"I understand." Mobei curtly said. "I did not know that you were... roommates with Luo Binghe's significant other. Had I known, I would have told you about it last night. I apologize for interrupting your time with Shen Yuan." He said the last part, a bit strained. Then, sounding even more forced, he said: "I understand it must be hard to get some time alone with him. Seeing as Luo Binghe is with him as much as possible, I do not doubt that you two being alone together is a rarity."

Sure, he doesn't spend as much time with Shen Yuan as he used to pre-Binghe, but it's not that big of a deal. He still edits (and shits on) Shang Qinghua's manuscripts and they still have terrible movie marathons regularly. The only thing that changed is that sometimes, there would be a third in their activities and now, only one of them was a sad loser.

"It's nothing you need to apologize for." He hastily said. He really doesn't want Mobei to feel bad about it—hell, him being here already made his day fifty times better. "Shen Yuan and I still spend plenty of time together, we do live together after all. Luo Binghe also joins in sometimes so it's not that bad."

Mobei's eye twitched.

Is there something wrong with his eye? It keeps on twitching, I think he may need to get it checked out.

"You, Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe... do it together. Often."

"Well, yeah, Shen Yuan and I have been doing it since before he even met Luo Binghe, so it's only natural that we keep doing it but with him. We weren't going to stop because they started dating, our relationship isn't that flimsy." Shen Yuan wouldn't abandon him for a guy. He's his only friend! Without him, both of them—he would be lonely, even with an uber hot boyfriend.

"Shang Qinghua, I see that the three of you are in a polyamorous relationship with each other and that I am intruding on your intimate time so I will take my leave. Do not worry about me bothering you again, I can assure you it will not happen. Farewell." Mobei made a sharp ninety degree turn and headed straight to the door before Shang Qinghua could even process what he said.

Shen Yuan, him and Luo Binghe.

In a relationship. With each other.

(Shang Qinghua almost choked on his spit.)

Mobei thought that he and Shen Yuan were fucking before they arrived.

(Just the thought of it made him gag.)

Getting back on topic: shit, Shen Yuan might actually be right for the first time in his life. Mobei might have been pursuing him—romantically—until he thought that Shang Qinghua was already in a relationship.

But no matter how much of a coward he is, there's no way in hell that he's going to let that fine piece of—of everything, walk out of his life like that.

"Wait! Shit, Mobei, you have it all wrong. I'm not in a poly relationship with them. I'm not in any relationship! I'm completely, one-hundred-percent single and have been my whole life!"

Mid step, Mobei froze and stiffly turned around. "I... " He started. "I see." The tips of his ears turned pink.

So he's embarrassed... cute...

He looked down and covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to hide it but Shang Qinghua could still see the way his ears turned a shade darker and the way the corners of his lips turned up.

Dammit, he said that out loud again, didn't he.

Well, at least he seems to think of it as a compliment.

"I," Mobei coughed and looked up, "also think you're quite cute." Then immediately looked back down again, ears turning light shades of pink to a blazing red.

Shang Qinghua could feel a blush creep up onto his face, no doubt brighter and more prominent on his ever expressive face.

(Distantly, he thinks he can hear someone who sounds suspiciously like Shen Yuan whisper: "gay," and: "he likes you dumbass, even a blind man can see you two annoyingly pine after each other." And honestly, he's starting to believe it too. He's seeing a side of Mobei that's cute instead of hot and it's making him want this to continue forever.

Now, if he can potentially ask him out, and Mobei potentially doesn't say no... well... maybe...)

"So. The weather; amiright?" He tried to force the blush off his face. "Great today, don't you think. Perfect to... do stuff. That people do. And enjoy them. Perhaps a long video showing with many people with popcorn and stuff. Or maybe food. People like to eat food. Usually three times a day. Very enjoyable. Especially when it's overpriced as hell for some reason too. Much better than normal food. Though I'd assume you eat the rich people stuff on the regular so you probably don't enjoy it. But I do believe that nothing has ever topped instant noodles. Never mind, I'm rambling at this point aren't I? But stuff. That people do. And potentially eat. And enjoy. Usually involving two people."

Mobei stared blankly at him, confused but with a bit of mirth(?) in his eyes.

"Qinghua."

(Fuck, Shang Qinghua loves it when Mobei calls him like that. So intimately.)

"Are you asking me out on a date?" There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

Said man buried his face in his palms and dramatically fell to the floor. "Yes..." he mumbled out. "Hmm," Mobei mused. "Then I accept." Shang Qinghua was glad he was on the floor at that moment, if he wasn't, he would have fallen face first into the wooden flooring.

YES? HE SAID 'YES?'

"But," Shang Qinghua stopped his internal celebration, visibly deflating. Of course there had to be a but, there always was. "I would like you to allow me to pick the time and the place, seeing as you had to be the one to initially ask me out. Ah, however, I believe that I will require your number in order to relay it to you. Unless you would rather I tell it to Luo Binghe and he tells it to Shen Yuan to eventually tell it to you?" Immediately after he said this, Shang Qinghua practically yelled, "NO—I mean, no need. I—I'll give you my number, just give me a sec." Then rummaged through his pockets to pull out his phone (then cursed internally because his Bleach keychain was still attached to it. If Mobei didn't know he was a nerd before, he definitely knew now.)

Once Mobei added his number to Shang Qinghua's contacts, Luo Binghe popped into the hallway to tell Mobei that there was some kind of emergency that required both of them to be there and the two of them promptly left.

Once sure that they were out the front door and he was alone in the hall, he fell back onto the floor and looked at the newly added contact again and typed something.

In the favorites section of his contacts, along with Peerless Cucumber laid a contact called My King, along with a blue heart emoji.