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If no one will come to our aid, you can still count on San Lang.

[ He says it in such a casual manner, but he really means it deep-down, and when he puts it in such a way that it could be interpreted as him cheering up Xie Lian, or a joke, is the way that he feels comfortable making these little confessions. ]

I don't know. I hope it's sweet.

[ He cuts it open and wow! ]

Look at that.

[ It's so red and full of fruit. He's never seen anything like this. He makes quick work of it, cutting little cubes and filling up the biggest bowl he can find with them.

Then he picks up a piece with his fingers, and offers it directly to Xie Lian. It's not an intimate gesture to feed your friend, right? ]

[He does smile at that; even if San Lang is kidding around, he really has been an invaluable help. Besides that, just being around him made it easy for Xie Lian to smile.]

I'm sorry you were dragged along here, but I am grateful for it. San Lang's company is always welcome.

More than welcome.

[He hopes Hua Cheng misses the faint blush that rises on his cheeks, in favor of preparing the melon. Xie Lian's mouth opens in a small 'o' of surprise to see how brightly colored and full the melon is.]

There's hardly any rind at all!

[Hua Cheng makes quick work of the fruit, and Xie Lian is eager to try it, and tells himself that the youth is just being polite, offering it with his hands that are already a bit sticky from the juice so Xie Lian doesn't have to dirty his own.

He tries not to make it awkward, tucking his hair behind his ear as he leans in to take it. Despite his best effort, his lip skims San Lang's fingertips, and Xie Lian's blush only becomes more prominent as he pulls back to cover his mouth as he chews the piece.

It's- ]

It's so sweet! You have to try it, San Lang!

[ He doesn't notice gege's blush because he's too busy trying to hide one of his own as he explains that he likes having San Lang around. His heart grows three sizes bigger hearing it, because generally people just tolerate Hua Cheng. His whole life, his whole death, nobody really desires his presence. And even Xie Lian had, before, just thought of him as some nobody who came in and out of his life.

Sure, he'd felt badly for Wu Ming, who had arguably known him best then, but he hadn't known much about him, had moved on quickly.

San Lang had always assumed it would be like that. That gege would have treated him as a friend, but perhaps not a close one. Certainly, he wanted to avail himself as the best possible person to have stranded on an island, but for one of those reasons to be his company?

Maybe there was hope for him after all, that Xie Lian's feelings hadn't come around just because of their situation at Tong'lu. ]

Ah, alright.

[ He wishes to lick his fingers clean, but instead, takes up a piece of fruit and pops it into his mouth, his lips brushing the warm spot that Xie Lian's mouth just was. And, upon tasting it, his lips curl into a smile. ]

En. Very sweet.

[ He picks up the bowl, to carry it to the table. ]

Do you think the two of us could finish this?

[He follows San Lang back to the table, licking the last of the sticky-sweetness from the corner of his mouth. It really is different, even down to the taste. They'd been welcomed to the island with food that was supposed to act as talismans, now they had melons that were larger, redder, and sweeter than he could remember ever tasting.

He pushes back a sleeve as he reaches for another piece, examining it for a moment before putting it into his mouth with a pleased little hum.]

Mm, you like it?

[San Lang smiling is enough to brighten his own, and he's glad to have been able to do something to lift the other's spirits, given how often Hua Cheng helps him.]

We can save some for Monts. Oh, and what we don't finish- it'll last a few days at least in the fridge.

[ He nods and then gets two of the forks in the drawer to help them eat. He thinks for this specific case, it's probably better to use the skewering properties of the fork than his usual favored tool of the chopstick.

He hands gege one. ]

We should eat these more often. Only lychees are sweeter than this.

[ He helps himself to another piece, and smiles around it. ]

Thank you, gege.

[ Without him, he probably wouldn't have thought to actually get one to try. They're really a ludicrous fruit, aren't they? But delicious. And it wouldn't be half as sweet if he weren't sharing one with Xie Lian. ]

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