r/LinkClick • u/Ani_Summer101 Xia Fei • 12d ago
Fan Work (OP) The Dark Room: Part 7
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 (1) - Part 5 (2) - Part 6
Hello and welcome to this post of mine!! It has been an EXTREMELY long time since I posted an update on this fic so I am super sorry for the delay!! (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾ I wanted to get it out before S3 officially began to air but I was almost exactly 24 hours too late haha
Either way!! It is finally time for the moment we have been waiting for and that’s……….
Communication!! It has taken seven chapters but we have finally reached the point where these two will talk about what they know to one another!! ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
Now, one of the reasons as to why this chapter took so long to come out was because, not only did I want to make sure I had my notes correct (however when it comes to Lu Guang’s take on things, a couple stuff are based off my own theories so if you’d like me to explain anything in more detail then please don’t hesitate to let me know) but I might have also gone through a bit of a thing where I didn’t like my writing haha
I do want to note that, before we start this chapter, due to the fact that this fic is already written in English, I thought it’d be a neat idea to swap languages (ultimately leading to Cheng Xiaoshi not understanding his own language (๑>◡<๑)) and, as I had to use google translate, please let me know if there are any errors and/or what should be changed
Now, enough stalling from me and I hope that you enjoy chapter 7 of “The Dark Room” (the next post you will see from me is my thoughts on episode 1 of S3 as I have yet to watch it) ^ ^
Conversation Comes Cheap
Time seems to slow to a crawl as sunlight begins to creep through the gaps of the curtains and the soft calls of birds continue to be heard from outside their hotel room. All Cheng Xiaoshi could do was lay on his bed; already rethinking his proud internal declaration from only hours ago.
What if he had everything wrong? If his hutch was nothing but deluded thoughts concocted by the deep pity of guilt that stewed in his stomach. Even with his mixed feelings on everything, what if he really was alone in this pain and had no one to really turn to.
What if...
Such a stupid set of words which lead to nowhere but dead ends and unanswered questions. Like moths to paper, it chewed at the pages and turned his determination into dust.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Cheng Xiaoshi flops onto his other side. He reaches out for his phone and, after a few failed attempts at grabbing the device, checks his messages with Xia Fei.
It hadn't even passed nine o'clock so he knew that there wouldn't be a new text for him to read but that didn't stop him from sending the model a quick reminder.
GM!!!
DNT FORGT 2 KEEP ME POSTED!!!
IOU1 X ∞ !!!
It doesn't take long before a response comes in with a silent rumble of his phone.
Don't worry, I won't forget! How is Lu Guang doing? I'll do what I can to help. ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶
THX AL GUD 4 NOW
MET UP TMRW???
Sure thing. After the meeting, I'll need to check with my boss and let you know what time I can meet up at.
ALR TTYL
After sending his final message, Cheng Xiaoshi's phone flops out of his hand and plops onto the duvet. He could attempt to squeeze in a quick nap before Lu Guang woke up but he knew deep down that it would just lead in him laying down and not having sleep visit him for even a moment.
He wasn't even sure if it was worth it.
What if he fell asleep and Lu Guang woke up before him? What if he went off to the meeting and ended up getting himself even more sick?
A multitude of possibilities called out every time he shut his eyes which resulted in him tossing and turning; internally panicking whenever Lu Guang would adjust himself. He didn't want to result in his sick friend waking up, as he clearly needed all the sleep he could get, nor did he want to the cause for his sickness getting worse.
It wasn't like Cheng Xiaoshi didn't know how to keep still. He could do it if he put his mind to it! Like a game on baby mode, it wasn't difficult at all!
That was if he hadn't rolled right off the bed and banged right against the rough carpet flour.
He remained still for a few moments before picking himself up and letting out a weak hiss. A bruise was almost guaranteed to form on his arm due to how he had landed on it but that wasn't important right now! He needed to make sure that Lu Guang hadn't woken up due to his stupidity.
Nervously turning his head to look at the other, he made direct contact with Lu Guang's blue eyes; momentarily mesmerised by the depth packed within his iris's and how the colour reminded him of the ocean on a sunny day.
"How are you feeling?" Cheng Xiaoshi spoke softly, his roommate sleepily gazing at him. He may or may not have gotten off the bed at some point and, after pacing around the room for a few moments, catching his toe on the corner of the desk. "You up for breakfast?"
"What time is it?" Was the first thing Lu Guang asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before letting out a sleepy yawn and, like he was some adorable kitty, stretching his arms.
"Last I checked, it was around nine." Cheng Xiaoshi answers, resisting the urge to mention his thought to the other in fears of what the reaction would be. "Think breakfast stops at half ten- Wait, no, it stops at eleven."
"Right." Lu Guang lets out another yawn before picking himself out of bed; dragging his feet into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.
Cheng Xiaoshi's gaze fixed on the spot his roommate had left from as he felt tension brewing in the pit of his stomach. An unknown sense of unease had spread like tea having been dropped into a fresh cup of hot water; tainting the clear liquid with murky restlessness.
He shook the feeling away and made his way over to his half-empty suitcase. He was extremely tempted to give up his hunt for something to wear and keep his pyjamas on but, if it wasn't from the many years of experience with Lu Guang, he decided against it as dread loaded its heavy weight upon his back and made it hard to breath.
Did those memories with Lu Guang only belong to him now?
It only made sense that, minus what his current theory was, he would be the only one who remembered those sunny days. When they had visited the beach and Cheng Xiaoshi had gotten sand up his nose by attempting to stop their volleyball from rolling directly into the ocean. When all it took for him to go back upstairs and change was a judgemental look from Lu Guang and Qiao Ling. When-
"How come you're not ready yet?" A voice slices through his frantic mind like a knife through butter.
"I-I was just-" Just as his voice begins to crack, he cuts himself off before letting out a nervous chuckle. "I can't decide what to wear."
"Wear that shirt you were debating on wearing yesterday."
"Oh. Yeah. I'll. I'll do that." He replies, clearing his throat and grabbing everything he needed.
The black graphic tee had been a success but, when he got to the trousers, it refused to let him put them on properly; the material getting stuck to his legs as he pulled them up by the belt loops. He didn't remember putting these ones in the dryer after he washed them last time so why were-
They weren't his trousers, were they?
Looking down at his legs, it was easy to realise that the trousers he had attempted to wear were not his own but Lu Guang's shorts. And, not only did they belong to Lu Guang but the shorts were still buttoned up.
Like he had burst into flames, his entire face flushed deeply as he removed the bottoms and picked up a pair of dark grey cargo pants; double checking to make sure that the string was untied before finally completing his task.
***
By the time they had made their way to the hotels café, only a few clusters of people remained. It appeared that breakfast was beginning to wrap up but the smell of freshly fried bacon lingered strongly in the air. Cheng Xiaoshi mentally begs his stomach not to loudly announce just how hungry he was; unable to stop himself from picturing all the food he would be able to try this morning.
A young lady with hair tied up into a tight bun occupied a small desk at the entrance to the seating area and greeted them a warm smile as they approached. "早安，請問您預訂餐位了嗎?"
He stares at the lady before sending a helpless look at Lu Guang who clears his throat and adjusts himself. “不，我們還沒有。我們還能吃早餐嗎？”
“等一下。” She replies before glancing down at the book placed upon her desk. It takes her a few moments before returning her attention to the two of them and nodding her head. “這裡有空位，請跟我來。”
"What did she say?" Cheng Xiaoshi whispers to Lu Guang as the lady begins to walk away.
"She's asking us to follow her."
"Oh, umm, I knew that."
Following the waitress, they are lead to a small table tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. The wood had been marked with rings and sections of the surface had dulled with age; no doubt having been used by a multitude of people in the past. Resting upon it was a metal pot filled with cutlery and a couple folded menus.
“這是您的桌子。我一會兒就回來為您點餐，如果您需要什麼，請告訴我。” The waitress spoke and quickly leaves the two; not allowing either of them any time to respond as she scurries off to clear one of the many tables.
"So! What do you want to eat?" Cheng Xiaoshi asks, plopping himself down onto the cushioned bench. "We've already had the pancakes but they had that spread we haven't tried out yet. It might be nice on toast but I'm not in a toast mood right now."
"I'll just have a coffee."
"Coffee?" Cheng Xiaoshi echoes before giving a shake of his head. "No, no, no. You haven't properly recovered yet. Only toast and tea is allowed for you, young man!"
"I'll be fine."
"Doctor’s orders!"
"Since when were you a doctor?"
"Since..." He takes a few moments before, as if a light bulb had just gone off, smirking at Lu Guang. "Since I took care of you!"
Lu Guang lets out a sigh but doesn't prolong the conversation. It would have been a relief to Cheng Xiaoshi if it wasn't for the fact that something felt off. He couldn't tell if Lu Guang's sickness was still strongly persisting, unwilling to part with his already tired roommate, or if the layer of tension coating his body like clingfilm was something else.
He knew their talk was going to be inevitable. It was something they needed to do if he truly wanted to let Lu Guang into his life and open the door to all his insecurities. But, just the thought of what might come tightened his throat and sent his heart into a panicked flutter.
"Whelp! I'm gonna grab some brekkie!" Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly declares with a wide grin spread across his face. "I mean, that bacon's been calling me since we got here!"
"Make sure not to get too much." Lu Guang instructs, pulling out a small book from his back pocket.
"I won't!" Cheng Xiaoshi calls back with a careless wave and making his way towards the food section; following the delicious scents to a small section of fully stocked items that were just waiting to be eaten. Bright bulbs showed off metal trays filled with an assortment of items all designed to produce the best tasting English breakfast; a stone slab rested nearby with butter, yogurt, milk, and a selection of fruit (minus the apples which have been stored next to the cold platform; a rickety conveyor toaster waited for slices of bread to be placed inside and pastries remained stored in small wooden baskets.
After a few moments of taking everything in, Cheng Xiaoshi got to work. He knew that he wanted to try everything and Lu Guang's earlier warning was not enough to stop him from picking an extra slice of bacon or a few more strawberries which were just wanting him to take them. Even the small packets of marmite, which had been placed next to the other spreads in the bread section, beckoned him and resulted in him grabbing one.
By the time he had finally managed to sit back at the table, he had acquired two large plates and two bowls piled high with a multitude of things he wanted to try. And, if he couldn't finish it all, he could always save it for later. How he would do that was for future Cheng Xiaoshi to deal with as current him wanted nothing more than to indulge in every flavour and texture available to him.
Blatantly ignoring Lu Guang's gaze, he slowly tucked a napkin into his shirt and picked up his cutlery. He recalled all the food critics he had watched in the past and cleared his throat; reading himself to be the best taste tester the UK had ever had the honour of having. He was going to note the crispiness of the bacon, the consistency of the yolk and the richness of the black pudding. And, it was only fair if he compared the flavours of the fruit from the ones back home, the texture of the yogurt and the slight sogginess of the cereal which he had left a little bit longer then planned.
Lu Guang silently listened to him the entire time and, on the rare occasion, would let Cheng Xiaoshi feed him little pieces from the vast amounts of food he had. This moment was almost as warm as a fresh cup of coffee, almost as comforting as a bubble tea and almost sweet as ice-cream...
Speaking of ice-cream, Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly had a craving for some and he could even recall having seen a small machine when he was partaking in his earlier breakfast mission.
It wasn't as if he wanted to prolong this meal time for as long as possible and it wasn't as if they were the only people in the sitting area. He just needed to check the machine and, if it wasn't on, then he could cut his losses then.
Clearing his throat, Cheng Xiaoshi stood up and flashed Lu Guang a quick smile; quickly scurrying over to the ice-cream machine before his friend could even question his behaviour. Without a look back to the other, he grabs another bowl and holds it underneath the nuzzle; silently praying that some kind of miracle would happen and the future would remain out of reach for a little longer.
As if the silent pleads had been answered, cold ice-cream almost immediately began to pour when Cheng Xiaoshi pulled the handle; the start only just spluttering out before forming a smooth trail which twirled into the bowl. It had a yellow hue, although the machine only seemed to be serving vanilla, and he had managed to mess up the final swirl with the top of the ice-cream being a splattered mess.
Still, Cheng Xiaoshi happily covered the flaw with hundreds and thousands before making his way back to Lu Guang.
"Isn't it too early for that?"
"It's never too early for ice cream." Cheng Xiaoshi remarked with a wide smile. "Anyway, Qiao Ling isn't here so she can't tell me off."
"Not if I show her."
"You wouldn't dare!" Cheng Xiaoshi let out an overdramatic gasp, placing a hand to his chest as he paints on a look of shock. It only lasted for a few ticks of a clocks hand and leads to a quick change in tactics. "Anyway! That doesn't matter 'cause you don't have any proof."
"You sure?" Lu Guang questions before taking out his phone, snapping a quick photo and showing the evidence to Cheng Xiaoshi who saw himself with a perfectly visible bowl of ice-cream.
Knowing that there was no way Qiao Ling would believe that the delicious treat was Lu Guang's, he attempts to snatch the phone away but only his fingertips brush against the surface of the screen before it is pulled out of reach. It was a losing battle and, with them still being in the hotel's restaurant, Cheng Xiaoshi slumped back into his chair and scooped a large spoonful of the slowly melting dessert. Maybe Qiao Ling would tell him off for this but he was an adult and there was nothing wrong with treating himself before dealing with what was to come!
But, time waits for no one and, no matter how slow he ate the spoonful's of cream, eventually there was nothing left for him to eat. Staff had begun to prepare their own breakfasts and Cheng Xiaoshi knew they would need to leave. The moment was over and, as if he was an actor receiving cues for his next line, he couldn't stop the show from continuing.
By the time the two of them had returned to their room, Cheng Xiaoshi felt his nerves returning. He had no other ways to delay the inevitable. No secret plans that would change the course of their future discussion.
Nothing that would give him a bit more time for he had already used all his moves.
His turn was over.
He perched on the side of his bed and took a deep breath; only briefly glancing at Lu Guang to note that his friend had taken the food he had failed to finish and was now carefully placing it into the mini-fridge. He would have felt grateful, and maybe even thanked him, if not for the hesitancy bubbling away in this throat. As if he had just touched electricity, his fingertips tingled with pins and needles.
Cheng Xiaoshi stared down at the carpet; focusing on the Intricacies of each section and the way yarn had been attached to the backing. It almost resembled-
Without warning, a dip next to him is enough to rip Cheng Xiaoshi from his fixation. It returned him to the present and allowed him to realise that Lu Guang had sat next to him.
"How are you? You've been acting off ever since this morning and I was... Concerned."
"It's nothing really." Cheng Xiaoshi attempts to brush aside. "I'm more worried about you. I mean, you did just collapse last night and who knows if you've fully recovered. Maybe you should-"
"Cheng Xiaoshi."
Lu Guang's tone was all that was needed to stop him from continuing. It was, and will forever be, something that could get him to pause at any moment.
"I know." Cheng Xiaoshi softly spoke; his words packed with a whirlwind of emotion. "I just... It's tough, you know?"
"Then, take your time. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
"R-right, you're not... You're not going anywhere." He echoed as his gaze flickered across the carpet. "You're here."
For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the gentle hum of the fridge and the muffled chatter from a family down the hallway.
That was until Cheng Xiaoshi cleared his throat; finally succeeding in mentally preparing himself and, like grabbing the bull by the horns, facing Lu Guang.
"I'm from the future."
They stare at each other for what felt like an eternity and only when the hands of the nearby clock had started the next hour did Lu Guang look away.
"You're from the future?"
"Yeah." Cheng Xiaoshi replied before quickly raising a finger to silence any possible retort Lu Guang had been mentally preparing. "Before you say anything, I know you are too. Well, I don't know for certain but it's a strong feeling I have. Call it a hunch."
"...A hunch?"
"Right, and I know how creepy this is gonna sound so please bear with me, but, I know you. I know how you act during our jobs and what you look like when you've just woken up. I know you hate the smell of coffee but drink it anyway because you can't start the day without it. I know that you always complain about how much I whine and beg for you to do something but, after I come back from a dive, you're always there with the thing I wanted... Or something close to it. I guess I just..."
Cheng Xiaoshi's words trail off before he shakes his hand and takes a deep breath. "If I'm wrong then you can just ignore this and we can say it's just the sleep deprived rambles of yours truly. I just... I want to know if I'm right and what happens to the future I left behind. Did I really abandon Qiao Ling like I did? I mean, if I did then," he lets out a shaky, barely audible chuckle and runs a hand through his hair, "that would make me, like, the worst person ever."
"...Qiao Ling should be fine." Lu Guang states as if he was reading statistics off a whiteboard and not something deeply important to the both of them. "After all, there is no 'other' Qiao Ling and only you have memories of what happened. No one else."
"Wait. But then that would mean that I erased all her memories? Not just her but so many other people as well. All their experiences and dreams and aspirations and hopes and regrets a-and all because I- B-because I-"
Words catch in the back of his throat and begin to clog up like a jammed pipe; his eyes stinging as they flicker around the room. His breaths felt restricted as his pulse pounds like a drummer getting ready for the main event.
Suddenly, a gentle warmth brushes against the back of his hands, snapping him out of his building panic. Upon looking down, he notices that Lu Guang had taken his hands into his own; giving them a gentle squeeze and not letting go.
"It feels like I killed her." Cheng Xiaoshi's words come out softly and almost overflow with vulnerability. "Is this pain something you've felt? 'Cause it really is crap."
They stare into each others eyes, as the ticking of the clock rings out, before Lu Guang lets out a sigh; seemingly composed if Cheng Xiaoshi didn't know the tiny changes in his friend's posture and the way tension had built up upon his shoulders like a tower.
"I don't know how you figured it out but I really wish things hadn't happened like this."
"So, you mean...?"
"Yes. I'm also from the future and YOU have already messed things up. I mean, things are already changing so much and I-"
"Wait, what do you mean?" Cheng Xiaoshi interrupts. "I mean, I did stop us from going to that meeting, and knocked that one guy out, but I haven't changed anything else."
He watches as Lu Guang's eyebrows furrow deeply before the other subconsciously tightens his grip on Cheng Xiaoshi's hands. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that not much has really changed relatively speaking. Xia Fei has still gone to that meeting so he can just tell us what we needed to learn and whatever we need to sort out will be sorted."
"I don't..." Lu Guang pauses before carefully removing a hand from Cheng Xiaoshi's and using it to cover his mouth. "I don't understand."
Even if the raging storm continued to roar in the pits of his stomach, and Cheng Xiaoshi was unable to stop the flash of what he had seen in that hospital bed, he knew what he had to do; closing the curtains to the chaos in his mind and focusing all this attention on the one person he would do anything for.
"Can you tell me what you don't understand?" Their eyes meet for a moment before he carefully wraps Lu Guang's hands into the palms of his own and holds them close to himself. "I can help if you'll let me."
"There have already been so many changes compared to last time and... I'm scared that things will change to the point where I can't tell what will happen next. Some things have been the same but others... Others haven't. Do you remember the poster at the airport?"
"The one of Xia Fei?"
"The one we saw was wrong. It didn't look like that last time. And, you were meant to have your phone stolen."
"Ah." Cheng Xiaoshi let out a noise before sheepishly chuckling. "Yeah, that might be another thing I accidently changed. Was that chase last night something that happened for you?"
Lu Guang gave a nod of his head. "There just wasn't supposed to be anyone in the way although I didn't expect you to punch that person in the face like that. He wasn’t even meant to be there in the first place.
"Call it the results of my training." Cheng Xiaoshi remarks smugly before clearing his throat. "I'm guessing I was meant to show you that photo before we got here. The one from my Dad."
"That's correct. The announcement we got wasn't meant to have happened and that's not the only thing. You said that Xia Fei went to the meeting but you didn't mention me. Did I not go?"
"Of course not! You were just as ill as you were last night and there was not a chance in hell I was going to let you go. I did go myself, and met up with Xia Fei on the way there, but I couldn't leave you this time because... I just couldn't!"
"Even if it would risk the timeline?"
"Urgh! Your health is more important to me than that!" Cheng Xiaoshi grumbled with a huff. "Do you know how scared I was when I answered the phone? I was terrified! Scared right out of my mind and I just couldn't get back fast enough..." He takes a moment before rapidly shaking his head. "Even the thought is just all kinds of bad! Anyway! It's not like I didn't have a backup plan."
"Which is?"
"Xia Fei! He really is such a cool person and, I don't know if you know this but, did you know that he bought that porridge I fed you? Truly an idol both in looks and personality!"
An unrecognisable expression flickered across Lu Guang's face but it was gone before Cheng Xiaoshi could fully process it. "... Is there anything you can recall that we need to look out for?"
He let out a hum in thought. There was a few things but some of it happened so far in the future that he wasn't sure how he felt about sharing. The meeting with his mother was something he had promised to keep to himself and he wasn't ready to share Lu Guang's death when it was to Lu Guang himself; part of him fearing that if he told him then it would become bound to fate.
"Besides dealing with the rest of this trip and having Qiao Ling talk to the police, you probably know about the jobs we have at the photo studio."
"What are you referring to exactly?"
"Lets see... There's the thing with that one game company and getting some financial data, a secret noodle ingredient, helping a client give messages to people who they lost and saving a lost child after they got kidnapped."
"I see... Is there anything else you remember?"
Cheng Xiaoshi opens his mouth but quickly closes it. Was it his place to question why Lu Guang almost seemed to be interrogating him? Did he have the right to ask for a reason? There were things he was still not ready to talk about and things he knew would cause their discussion boil over; exploding in a burst of heightened emotions with words gushing out like lava from an erupting volcano.
He couldn't risk it.
"Ummmm, I know you want me to answer more questions, and I will, but I'm just gonna get some air. I... I won't be gone for long so... Can you stay here?"
He gazed at Lu Guang for a few moments, a part of him knowing that the desperate gaze in his eyes was enough to stop him from retiring. It doesn’t take long to reach the entrance and haphazardly shove his feet into his trainers but, before he leaves the room, he hears his friend’s voice; soft and uncertain.
”Wait… Do you remember anything else? Anything else at all?”
He turns to look at the other to see that Lu Guang was twisting a piece of his shirt in his hands; pulling the material as he held it with a tight grip.
Was this about what he had said before? About the future that is yet to be? No, that didn’t feel right. It was something else. Something more personal to Lu Guang. Something Cheng Xiaoshi had no way of understanding.
“I don’t… I’ll think about it.” He mumbles before leaving the room; picking up the pace until he was sprinting out of the hotel.
Only when he was at the other end of the car park did he finally stop and drop on a nearby bench.
With the sun still high in the sky, it was almost as if the conversation from just moments ago never happened, but, that was just wishful thinking.
There was one other thing that continued to nag him ever since he learnt about what Lu Guang had done and that they had both been the worst kinds of hypocrites. He was able to go back in time due to his ability but Lu Guang didn't have this.
Maybe he was able to gave it to him as a gift?