Gift fic (Guardian Wishlist): Tea for Two
Sep. 21st, 2021 10:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amediaStory title: Tea for Two (link to AO3)
Author: Amedia
Fandom: Guardian (drama)
Rating: G
Characters: Shen Wei, Professor Zhi (an elderly OFC), Zhao Yunlan
Summary: Shen Wei is enjoying tea with a colleague when Zhao Yunlan barges in.
Word Count: 695
Author's note: A brief attempt to respond to yaaurens's lovely prompt asking: Does [Shen Wei] have friends in general, pre-SID? What happens if/when they meet Zhao Yunlan? This is set very early in the series.
Professor Shen picked up the tea from the counter and sat down at a four-person table in the student center coffeehouse to wait for his friend. Professor Zhi was a pleasant colleague, but such earthly concepts as "being on time" did not penetrate her otherworldly mind.
They had met on a boring committee whose charge he could no longer even remember. Sitting next to him, she casually remarked on the tea he was drinking and identified it correctly from its aroma--and a friendship was born. He got along better with this elderly philosopher than with most of his scientific colleagues.
He saw her pausing at the entrance and waved; she came and set an untidy stack of books and papers on one of the chairs (his reason for choosing a larger table than two people usually needed). She was about to turn and get herself tea, when he moved a flyer standing in the middle of the table to show a cup behind it. "They were about to run out of this week's special flavor, and I thought you might like it, so I got you a cup. Be careful, it's still hot."
She turned pink with pleasure and sat down immediately, lifting the cup with both hands to her nose to savor the aroma. "Oh, that's going to be lovely," she said, setting it down. "Thank you!"
"It's no more than I owe you for letting me know about this place," said Shen Wei. "Who would have thought that the student center would have a far better tea selection than the faculty lounge?"
"Anyone who's been in academia as long as I have would have guessed it," she said with a grin. "Now it's part of the deposit of wisdom that you can hand down to younger faculty in your turn."
He crinkled his eyes in response and took a sip of his tea, which was finally just cool enough to drink. "Mmm," he said, closing his eyes to savor the delicate flavor.
"Why, Professor Shen!" called a familiar voice, more loudly than necessary. "Fancy meeting you here!" Shen Wei opened his eyes to see Zhao Yunlan barreling through the coffeeshop, headed for his table. And it had been such a quiet day.
Zhao Yunlan grabbed the fourth chair at the table uninvited, turned it around, and sat on it backwards, leaning his arms over the top. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your lady friend?" he asked, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
"I'm perfectly capable of introducing myself, young man," Professor Zhi said sharply.
He turned to her with a questioning look, clearly expecting her to do just that. She took a sip of her tea, mulled it over, nodded at Shen Wei, and set it down. Then she turned to Zhao Yunlan. "You're the stranger here," she said.
Zhao Yunlan put a hand over his heart. "You," he said, "are absolutely correct. I am Zhao Yunlan, humble Chief of the insignificant Special Investigation Division."
"Thank you," said Professor Zhi. "You may address me as Madam Professor."
Shen Wei covered his mouth with his hand, so as not to laugh openly at Zhao Yunlan's disconcerted expression.
Professor Zhi was sweeping her eyes up and down Zhao Yunlan, looking thoughtful. "I'm glad you're here," she said abruptly. "I'm retiring this year, and Professor Shen will need a new friend. You'll do."
Zhao Yunlan turned to Shen Wei, now with an expression of disbelief; Shen Wei managed to school his face into its usual impassive calm just in time. Zhao Yunlan turned back to Professor Zhi. "Thank you, Madam Professor," he said, sounding surprisingly sincere. "I'm glad to have your approval."
Zhao Yunlan's cell phone beeped; he glanced at the number and said, "Duty calls. My apologies."
"It's no problem," said Shen Wei. Professor Zhi took another sip of tea and waved goodbye without speaking. Zhao Yunlan left without further ceremony, his phone glued to his ear.
Once he was out of earshot, Professor Zhi leaned forward. "Be careful of that fellow, young man," she said. "He's quite the charmer. The charming ones are the dangerous ones."
Shen Wei could only agree.
Author: Amedia
Fandom: Guardian (drama)
Rating: G
Characters: Shen Wei, Professor Zhi (an elderly OFC), Zhao Yunlan
Summary: Shen Wei is enjoying tea with a colleague when Zhao Yunlan barges in.
Word Count: 695
Author's note: A brief attempt to respond to yaaurens's lovely prompt asking: Does [Shen Wei] have friends in general, pre-SID? What happens if/when they meet Zhao Yunlan? This is set very early in the series.
Professor Shen picked up the tea from the counter and sat down at a four-person table in the student center coffeehouse to wait for his friend. Professor Zhi was a pleasant colleague, but such earthly concepts as "being on time" did not penetrate her otherworldly mind.
They had met on a boring committee whose charge he could no longer even remember. Sitting next to him, she casually remarked on the tea he was drinking and identified it correctly from its aroma--and a friendship was born. He got along better with this elderly philosopher than with most of his scientific colleagues.
He saw her pausing at the entrance and waved; she came and set an untidy stack of books and papers on one of the chairs (his reason for choosing a larger table than two people usually needed). She was about to turn and get herself tea, when he moved a flyer standing in the middle of the table to show a cup behind it. "They were about to run out of this week's special flavor, and I thought you might like it, so I got you a cup. Be careful, it's still hot."
She turned pink with pleasure and sat down immediately, lifting the cup with both hands to her nose to savor the aroma. "Oh, that's going to be lovely," she said, setting it down. "Thank you!"
"It's no more than I owe you for letting me know about this place," said Shen Wei. "Who would have thought that the student center would have a far better tea selection than the faculty lounge?"
"Anyone who's been in academia as long as I have would have guessed it," she said with a grin. "Now it's part of the deposit of wisdom that you can hand down to younger faculty in your turn."
He crinkled his eyes in response and took a sip of his tea, which was finally just cool enough to drink. "Mmm," he said, closing his eyes to savor the delicate flavor.
"Why, Professor Shen!" called a familiar voice, more loudly than necessary. "Fancy meeting you here!" Shen Wei opened his eyes to see Zhao Yunlan barreling through the coffeeshop, headed for his table. And it had been such a quiet day.
Zhao Yunlan grabbed the fourth chair at the table uninvited, turned it around, and sat on it backwards, leaning his arms over the top. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your lady friend?" he asked, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
"I'm perfectly capable of introducing myself, young man," Professor Zhi said sharply.
He turned to her with a questioning look, clearly expecting her to do just that. She took a sip of her tea, mulled it over, nodded at Shen Wei, and set it down. Then she turned to Zhao Yunlan. "You're the stranger here," she said.
Zhao Yunlan put a hand over his heart. "You," he said, "are absolutely correct. I am Zhao Yunlan, humble Chief of the insignificant Special Investigation Division."
"Thank you," said Professor Zhi. "You may address me as Madam Professor."
Shen Wei covered his mouth with his hand, so as not to laugh openly at Zhao Yunlan's disconcerted expression.
Professor Zhi was sweeping her eyes up and down Zhao Yunlan, looking thoughtful. "I'm glad you're here," she said abruptly. "I'm retiring this year, and Professor Shen will need a new friend. You'll do."
Zhao Yunlan turned to Shen Wei, now with an expression of disbelief; Shen Wei managed to school his face into its usual impassive calm just in time. Zhao Yunlan turned back to Professor Zhi. "Thank you, Madam Professor," he said, sounding surprisingly sincere. "I'm glad to have your approval."
Zhao Yunlan's cell phone beeped; he glanced at the number and said, "Duty calls. My apologies."
"It's no problem," said Shen Wei. Professor Zhi took another sip of tea and waved goodbye without speaking. Zhao Yunlan left without further ceremony, his phone glued to his ear.
Once he was out of earshot, Professor Zhi leaned forward. "Be careful of that fellow, young man," she said. "He's quite the charmer. The charming ones are the dangerous ones."
Shen Wei could only agree.
