Chapter Text
The morning drive to the campsite felt peaceful in that deceptively innocent way disasters usually start.
Xiaoshuai sat in the front seat humming softly, cheek pressed to the cool glass, sunlight warming his hair. Chengyu kept glancing over whenever he thought no one noticed, his expression soft enough to melt a glacier.
In the backseat, Suowei was tapping Chi Cheng’s shoulder every five minutes whenever he spotted something weird in the sky—a cloud shaped like a rabbit, a billboard with a misspelling, a bird that flew funny. Chi Cheng kept pretending he was annoyed, but his lips curved every time Suowei laughed.
When they arrived, the air smelled like pine and clean earth. They stretched by the car, arms lifted toward the sky, the world quiet around them.
Then Xiaoshuai nudged Suowei’s arm.
Both stepped away casually.
Both looked suspiciously too casual.
Suowei bent to tie his shoelace, whispering under his breath.
“So tell me honestly… who do you think loses his mind faster?”
Xiaoshuai pretended to watch Chengyu carry a box of supplies.
“Chengyu. Hands down.”
Suowei’s eyebrows rose.
“Really? You’ve seen Chi Cheng when someone stands too close to me. He acts calm but inside he’s like that kettle that shakes right before boiling.”
Xiaoshuai smiled slowly.
“Bet?”
Suowei grinned back.
“Bet.”
They shook hands while behind them, Chengyu and Chi Cheng were innocently unloading tents with the confidence of men who had no idea their peaceful vacation was about to be emotionally sabotaged.
The testing began immediately.
Tent Setup
Suowei offered to help Xiaoshuai tie one of the tent ropes. He leaned closer, holding Xiaoshuai’s hands gently as he demonstrated the knot. Their shoulders brushed.
Chengyu, who was hammering a tent stake nearby, straightened instantly.
“You two doing okay?”
His voice was calm, but the stake didn’t survive the force of his next hit.
Xiaoshuai nodded, smiling sweetly.
“Suowei’s really good at this.”
Suowei patted Xiaoshuai’s shoulder with obvious exaggeration.
“Our Shifu learns fast.”
From several feet away, Chi Cheng’s head snapped over like someone fired a gun.
He walked up, expression unreadable, then took Suowei by the elbow with smooth, quiet force.
“Come help me with ours.”
Suowei looked back at Xiaoshuai and mouthed, One point each.
Chi Cheng dragged him away.
Chengyu hovered behind Xiaoshuai for the next ten minutes, adjusting ropes that didn’t need adjusting, glancing suspiciously at Suowei every few seconds.
The bet was officially on.
Afternoon sunlight spread gold across the grass, and the campsite turned lively.
Xiaoshuai and Suowei exchanged glances like two mischievous children every time the boyfriends weren’t watching.
Fishing Lessons
Suowei hooked his arm around Xiaoshuai’s waist, helping him steady a fishing rod.
“Shifu, you gotta keep your stance wide or it’ll jerk you around.”
Their closeness was so exaggerated it should have been illegal.
Chengyu, a few meters away, froze mid-cast.
He walked toward them slowly, almost politely, but the smile on his face was the kind that suggested internal screaming.
“I’ll take it from here. It might strain his wrist again.”
Xiaoshuai replied lightly,
“Suowei was helping first.”
Chengyu stepped behind Xiaoshuai, hands resting on his hips with silent claim.
“I know. I can help better.”
Meanwhile, Chi Cheng was watching Suowei touch Xiaoshuai with increasing tension in his jaw. He stepped closer, voice deceptively calm.
“Why is my boyfriend teaching someone else like that?”
Xiaoshuai blinked with innocent confusion.
“I don’t mind.”
“I do,” Chi Cheng muttered under his breath.
Both men ended up shoulder-to-shoulder on either side of Xiaoshuai, creating a human wall to separate the two schemers. They tried to look casual but failed miserably.
Suowei bit his lip to hide a laugh.
Blocked by the wall of jealous boyfriends, Xiaoshuai couldn't reach Suowei, so he simply caught his eye through the gap in their shoulders and winked.
This is perfect.
Grilling Mayhem
Campfire crackling. Sunset warming everything orange.
Suowei leaned behind Xiaoshuai again, his chest brushing Xiaoshuai’s back as he “helped” flip mushrooms.
Chengyu appeared so fast it was almost supernatural.
He gently nudged Suowei away with a single well-placed hand.
“I think you’ve helped enough.”
Suowei smiled like a gremlin.
Chi Cheng, who had seemed entertained at first, suddenly stiffened when he noticed Suowei drifting too close to Xiaoshuai again.
He wrapped his arm around Suowei’s waist, pulling him firmly back to his side.
“You’re staying with me.”
The four of them ended up grilling in what looked like a territorial standoff disguised as meal prep.
Lantern Photoshoot
When the sun set, Suowei declared an emergency photoshoot.
He placed soft lanterns around Xiaoshuai and began adjusting the angle of his chin like a professional photographer.
“Your skin looks amazing in this lighting, Shifu.”
Xiaoshuai laughed softly.
“You’re so dramatic.”
Chengyu stood off in the shadows, arms crossed, frowning like the lantern offended him.
“He doesn’t smile like that when I take pictures,” he muttered.
Chi Cheng overheard Suowei telling Xiaoshuai to tilt his head and immediately inserted himself between them, hand on Suowei’s shoulder.
“Couple photos. Now.”
Suowei, delighted, dragged Chi Cheng in front of the lanterns.
Chi Cheng tried to look serious but turned red within seconds.
Xiaoshuai whispered,
“That’s two points added.”
“Points?” Chengyu asked, confused, before pulling Xiaoshuai into a photo with a very close embrace.
Hammock Disaster
Chi Cheng had already claimed one of the two hammocks, hat pulled over his eyes, trying to catch a quick nap.
That left only one empty hammock.
Xiaoshuai casually headed toward it with Suowei walking right beside him, looking ready to climb in together.
Chengyu intercepted with a smile so polite it was terrifying.
“This one’s better for your back. With me.”
He gently guided Xiaoshuai into the empty hammock before Suowei could even protest.
Suowei shrugged, turned to the occupied hammock, and dropped directly onto Chi Cheng’s stomach.
Chi Cheng sputtered, trying to push him off and failing.
Xiaoshuai whispered across the space,
“That’s another point.”
Suowei whispered back,
“He’s winning.”
Marshmallow Chaos at Night
Suowei toasted a marshmallow for Xiaoshuai, but it was too hot. Xiaoshuai yelped and Suowei fussed over his mouth, blowing gently on his lips.
Chengyu stood so fast his cocoa spilled into the fire.
He marched over, gently took Xiaoshuai by the chin, checked his lips, then quietly roasted a perfect marshmallow to hand-feed him.
Chi Cheng snatched Suowei’s skewer before he could feed anyone else.
“Stop spreading sugar to other people.”
Suowei snorted.
“Someone’s jealous.”
Chi Cheng whispered,
“Jealous of you dying, maybe.”
He was absolutely, completely jealous.
Later that night, they all watched a movie projected on a sheet while lying on blankets under the stars.
Xiaoshuai leaned sleepily against Suowei while Chengyu was away fetching extra blankets. Chi Cheng looked moments away from dragging Suowei off by the collar.
When Chengyu returned and saw Xiaoshuai leaning on Suowei, he immediately wedged himself into the space with the smoothness of someone who had done this before. Xiaoshuai didn’t resist, letting Chengyu tuck him fully into his chest.
Chi Cheng pulled Suowei into his lap, no longer bothering to hide anything.
When the movie ended and the night softened, Xiaoshuai nudged Suowei.
It was time.
“Who do you think won?” Xiaoshuai whispered quietly.
Suowei smirked.
“Chi Cheng. He nearly tackled me twice.”
Chengyu’s voice came from behind Xiaoshuai’s ear.
“What won?”
Chi Cheng straightened sharply.
“What did you two do?”
Xiaoshuai folded his hands neatly in his lap, smiling as if he were explaining a medical procedure.
“We made a bet. On who gets jealous faster.”
Suowei nodded enthusiastically.
“Strictly for research purposes.”
Both boyfriends stared at them in scandalized silence.
Then Chengyu pulled Xiaoshuai straight into his lap, arms locking around his waist.
“You did this to me on purpose,” he murmured, voice low enough to vibrate through Xiaoshuai’s spine.
Xiaoshuai laughed softly, looping his arms around Chengyu’s neck.
“A little.”
Chi Cheng cupped Suowei’s chin with one hand, tilting his face up.
“You’re trouble.”
Suowei grinned.
“But lovable?”
Chi Cheng kissed him in answer—soft, deep, slow, but unmistakably possessive.
Chengyu leaned down to whisper in Xiaoshuai’s ear,
“Ask me tomorrow if I’m jealous. I’ll show you properly.”
Xiaoshuai’s breath caught, and he hid his smile in Chengyu’s collar.
Suowei nudged Xiaoshuai from across the blanket and mouthed, Worth it.
Xiaoshuai bit back a laugh and mouthed, Totally.
They fell asleep in two tangled pairs under warm lantern light and a blanket of stars—two jealous boyfriends, two mischievous partners, and one camping trip they were definitely never forgetting.
Chapter Text
BONUS CHAPTER — Chengyu’s POV
Chengyu should have known something was off the moment they parked the car.
Xiaoshuai had that look—the quiet one, where the corners of his mouth softened and his eyes flickered like he already knew a secret. It was the same expression he used when he planned to steal extra chocolate from the jar or hide Luan’s treats in his sleeves.
And Suowei? Suowei kept smiling at Xiaoshuai in a way that screamed co-conspirator energy.
But Chengyu, foolishly, let the peaceful campsite lull him into thinking the world was safe.
That didn’t last long.
Watching Wu Suowei Get Too Close
He saw it immediately—the intentional tilt of Suowei’s shoulder brushing Xiaoshuai’s.
The way Xiaoshuai pretended he needed help tying a knot he very much knew how to tie.
The exaggerated praise Suowei gave him.
Chengyu hammered a tent stake with perfect calm.
Except he hammered it too hard and bent the metal.
He told himself he wasn’t jealous.
Just cautious.
Just observant.
Just… ready to throw Suowei into a tree if he stood any closer.
But the worst moment was when Xiaoshuai leaned back during fishing practice directly against Suowei’s chest.
Chengyu moved before his brain finished processing, planting himself between them like a human shield.
And yet Xiaoshuai only raised his eyes and gave him a tiny smile.
A knowing one.
The kind that said, I knew you’d come.
And Chengyu melted instantly, irritation dissolving into a mush of affection he’d never admit out loud.
But he was still jealous.
Very jealous.
The Lantern Photoshoot
He knew with absolute certainty that Suowei did not need to cup Xiaoshuai’s jaw to “adjust the angle of the lantern light.”
He stood in the shadows, trying not to glare holes into Suowei’s head, trying not to let the core-warm softness in Xiaoshuai’s smile undo him.
Then Xiaoshuai whispered to him during Chi Cheng and Suowei’s couple shoot,
“That’s two points for Suowei.”
Points.
Points?!
Chengyu’s brain stalled.
Points… for what?
He didn’t ask then but suspicion crawled low in his spine.
The Moment He Suspected
It was during marshmallows.
Suowei fed Xiaoshuai a boiling-hot one and then fussed over him so dramatically that Chengyu nearly tripped in his hurry to intervene.
He gently checked Xiaoshuai’s lips, made the perfect golden marshmallow, and fed it to him carefully, barely controlling the urge to kiss him after.
Xiaoshuai’s eyes sparkled.
Not shy.
Not flustered.
Amused.
And that’s when Chengyu suspected they were messing with him.
And he didn’t mind nearly as much as he should have.
Because that soft, teasing smile on Xiaoshuai’s lips was worth every second of jealousy he endured.
Morning After Cuddles
The forest was quiet in that magical morning way—dew clinging to leaves, sun rising in soft gold, and the faint smell of smoke from last night’s campfire.
Xiaoshuai woke first.
Chengyu knew because the body in his arms shifted, warm and small, burrowing closer like instinct.
He opened his eyes to find Xiaoshuai staring at him sleepily, hair messy, cheek slightly red from being pressed against his chest.
“Morning,” Xiaoshuai murmured, voice still thick with sleep.
Chengyu pulled him in even closer.
“You’re not getting up yet.”
Xiaoshuai laughed softly. “You’re clingy today.”
He didn’t deny it.
Not after yesterday.
He tucked his forehead against Xiaoshuai’s temple, breathing him in—the clean scent of soap, the faint sweetness of last night’s cocoa, the warmth that always made Chengyu feel like he was home.
Their blanket cocoon rustled as Xiaoshuai wrapped a leg around his waist, settling comfortably.
Chengyu stroked his back lazily, fingertips tracing slow circles.
Across the clearing, Chi Cheng and Suowei were tangled in a similar heap—Suowei starfished across Chi Cheng’s chest while Chi Cheng tried to pretend he wasn’t enjoying it.
The peace lasted ten beautiful minutes.
Then Suowei sat up abruptly, hair sticking up everywhere, and announced with too much energy,
“I found a bubble gun in the supplies!”
Xiaoshuai gasped like this was groundbreaking news.
“You brought it?”
“I bring joy,” Suowei replied with a solemn nod.
Five minutes later, all four adults were running around barefoot in the grass while multicolored bubbles drifted through the morning sunlight.
Suowei aimed directly at Chi Cheng’s face.
Chi Cheng staggered back dramatically, hand over his heart.
“You’re attacking your own boyfriend?”
“Equality,” Suowei said, already firing again.
Xiaoshuai grabbed the second bubble gun and immediately pointed it at Chengyu’s head.
Chengyu blinked. “Love, I just woke up.”
Xiaoshuai narrowed his eyes playfully. “Still counts.”
Bubbles sprayed across Chengyu’s shoulder, sticking to his hair.
He didn’t even retaliate—just stared at Xiaoshuai with warm disbelief before stepping forward, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
Xiaoshuai squeaked, kicking the air as Chengyu spun him around, the bubble gun shooting wildly in all directions.
Suowei yelled, “Unfair! Using brute strength!”
Chi Cheng tried to steal Suowei’s gun and ended up in a wrestling match that ended with them both rolling in the grass.
Chengyu set Xiaoshuai down gently, brushing bubbles off his cheek.
“You’re impossible,” he murmured.
Xiaoshuai smiled up at him, eyes soft, voice playful.
“You love impossible.”
He did.
Every version of him.
As the bubble guns sputtered out and the sun grew warmer, Xiaoshuai leaned against Chengyu’s chest again, breath steady, heartbeat calm.
Chengyu wrapped an arm around him from behind, holding him like he was something precious—because he was.
Across the clearing, Chi Cheng grumbled about bubbles in his hair while Suowei laughed unrestrainedly.
The campsite smelled like morning and joy and the kind of peace you only find with the right people.
Chengyu pressed a light kiss to Xiaoshuai’s crown.
“Next camping trip,” he murmured, tightening his arms around him, “no more bets.”
Xiaoshuai just giggled softly and rested his hand over Chengyu’s.
He absolutely planned another one already.