Chapter Text
The first thing Feng Xin sees upon landing is a giant snake. Before he can even register where they are, he hears a screech- somewhere from his right.
The giant snake, Feng Xin thankfully discovers is not real. Looking around, Feng Xin thinks the decor looks suspiciously familiar. It's an archive of sorts, except there aren’t many books.
Mu Qing hoists him from the ground, putting him upright before he glances around. For a second Mu Qing looks confused, like he wasn't expecting them to be here.
"That fucker-" Mu Qing whispers under his breath, and Feng Xin once again, for the third time that day, is taken by surprise. Mu Qing rarely curses. But he’s already seen so many sides of Mu Qing today he never knew existed, what’s one more.
Feng Xin watches, feeling out of place and even more confused as Mu Qing marches to one corner of the library and picks up a big sword. And then there's another screech. This time loud enough to make Feng Xin jump.
Mu Qing however stays unaffected and still, fingers around the hilt. He looks like he's waiting for something to happen, and that is soon answered when a voice, hoarse and deep, sounds through the place.
"You shouldn't be touching other people's possessions, Mu Qing. What if the sword is poisoned?"
"Hua Cheng." Mu Qing grits, in lieu of a greeting.
Feng Xin thinks, ah, no wonder the decor is so dreadful... they're at Paradise Manor.
"Xuan Zhen." Hua Cheng replies, still hidden out of sight. Mu Qing throws the sword to the ground and there's another shriek. "And you brought your better half."
Mu Qing glares at Feng Xin, who puts up his hands in surrender.
Mu Qing sounds jittery like he’s ready to jump at any given moment. Its been a long time since Feng Xin has seen Mu Qing so anxious.
"Come out, I'm not in the mood for your game. Your useless dice brought us here, might as well answer some questions." Feng Xin walks to the intriguing sword Mu Qing had just thrown and pokes it with his finger.
The screech this time is small and... familiar. Feng Xin frowns.
Just then, the temperature of the room drops to a chill that would be fatal to a mortal. Hua Cheng walks from the darker section. He looks the same as ever dressed in those godawful crimson clothes with the usual silver gaudy accessories.
Condescending and confident in his stride, he walks over to Mu Qing until they're inches apart, and crosses his arms.
"If you're wondering about the agriculture god, no, I'm not aware of who he is and how he knows."
Mu Qing scoffs, "you expect me to believe the great Crimson Rain wasn't aware of someone snooping in his business."
Hua Cheng shrugs, at that moment he looks younger than his fake appearance, "My priorities are not the same as they were."
"Well, I'm here now and unless you want Heaven knocking at your door, you're gonna stop being a pain and cooperate." Mu Qing's threat falls on deaf ears, as he probably knew it might.
Hua Cheng walks over to the sword Feng Xin was just crouching in front of and picks it up. Placing the weapon back into its place, he turns to face Mu Qing and Feng Xin.
"As gege's leeches, you're naturally allowed to stay here for now. " Hua Cheng says, dusting non-existent grime off a thick-spined book.
"As for the pest problem, don't worry, they'll have their hands full." Feng Xin doesn't know what Hua Cheng means, but judging by the grin on his face and how Mu Qing visibly relaxes at the words, Feng Xin hopes it's not anything severe.
The last time Hua Cheng decided he wanted to mess with the Heavens, there were thousands of temples burned and 33 dead officials.
"Where's the Ghost Master?" Mu Qing asks. Feng Xin frowns, that name is unfamiliar.
"Yin Yu is busy, thanks to you." Hua Cheng doesn't sound pleased with the fact. Feng Xin suspects he must have sent a lot of subordinates to the mortal realm for Mu Qing.
Hua Cheng’s boots thud across the wooden floor and bells chime as he walks towards the door.
Mu Qing pinches his nose, then sighs. "Alright."
"Try not to make noise, gege is asleep. We will talk once I return." With those words, Hua Cheng disappears through the door that surely leads to the rest of Paradise Manor.
Mu Qing deflates like he'd been holding himself back over something. He slumps in a chair, ignoring the shriek. (The familiarity of the sound is unmistakable but Feng Xin can’t place it.)
The room around them returns a milder temperature, and after a few moments, several lanterns light up. Feng Xin fiddles with one of his arrows, pondering. Mu Qing's current distress must be over another matter. He can imagine him being drained because of Hua Cheng, it's been a long time since either of them have been intimidated by The Ghost King
A fact Hua Cheng is not happy about, Feng Xin is sure.
Anything for Xie Lian, after all.
Feng Xin stays where he is and waits. When Mu Qing doesn't say anything for a long time Feng Xin decides he can put off getting answers for another time.
He moves to kneel in front of Mu Qing, who looks awfully small, buried in that giant chair . Feng Xin reaches out a hand to smoothen the skin between his brows, Mu Qing opens his eyes at the touch.
Their eyes meet, Mu Qing’s watches him with a leveled gaze, pitch-black orbs reflecting emotions Feng Xin can’t tell apart. Then Mu Qing blinked a couple of times, pulling himself out of whatever thoughts occupying him.
“You’re staring,” he whispers, shifting under Feng Xin’s eyes.
Feng Xin doesn't say anything but moves his hand to gently cup Mu Qing's cheek. Mu Qing leans into the touch, eyes fluttering close and expression softening. He hates seeing Mu Qing like this, unfocused, lost, and unfamiliar. Hates how suddenly there’s a chasm between them that Feng Xin doesn’t know how to cross. Mu Qing feels so distant from him, his eyes don’t twinkle in the way they did when he looks at Feng Xin, the life in him absent leaving him hollow and unfeeling.
"Aren't you gonna ask?" Mu Qing whispers, eyes still closed. He doesn't move away from Feng Xin's touch.
"Ask what?" Feng Xin traces Mu Qing’s face with his other hand, stroking his jaw and cheek before holding his face in both.
Mu Qing opens his eyes. Feng Xin doesn't avoid his gaze when Mu Qing stares, searching for something Feng Xin doesn't know. When he can't find it, he sighs.
Feng Xin hates how Mu Qing's shoulders are tense, how his hands are balled into fists in his lap, and how he's constantly on alert like anyone could come out of the shadows for him.
It's not fear, Feng Xin knows that. It's something else, something Feng Xin can't quite place and he won't lie and say he doesn't want to ask . He does.
He wants to ask Mu Qing about everything, wants to know why he did that? What led him to do such a thing? What pushed him? How he ended up allied with Hua Cheng .
If this was a few hundred years ago, Feng Xin would have doubted Mu Qing's intentions, suspected his behavior, and tried to reassess what he knew of him.
That was a mistake he wouldn't make again. The past is something he's not proud of. But it still plays a part in getting them here where they are today.
Feng Xin props himself on one knee, bringing Mu Qing’s face closer to him until he can feel the soft puffs of breath on his skin from Mu Qing's small lips. Mu Qing covers both his hands on the side of his face with his own longer ones and peels them away. He threads their hands together, fingers slotting in each others’ like pieces of a puzzle slipping in place.
Feng Xin always found it entrancing how well their hands fit together ever since the first time he held Mu Qing's hand for long enough to realize it. Just like how Mu Qing's body fit against Feng Xin, slotting like it was carved to be held by him.
Their lips touch in a heated lock, moving together with years of familiarity. Feng Xin squeezes Mu Qing's hands in his hold, kissing him slowly but sure, not trying to win a battle, but seeking comfort in the touch. It’s like a sword fight, a dance of precise moves and Feng Xin knows each one of Mu Qing’s like the sound of his own heartbeat. Mu Qing hungrily pushed against his lips with his tongue and Feng Xin willingly let his mouth open to Mu Qing's intrusion, let himself be pushed to the ground on his knees under the pressure of Mu Qing's kiss. His tongue over his teeth, soft and velvet, tracing and tasting Feng Xin's mouth until the surroundings started to blur in his vision. Out of breath and struggling to keep up, Feng Xin gives himself to Mu Qing, letting his hands drop to the ground when Mu Qing slides off the chair and positions himself on Feng Xin's lap.
Feng Xin knows that technically he doesn't need to breathe as often as a human does, but Mu Qing firmly grabs his shoulder and guides Feng Xin closer until he’s trapped in his arms, the armor clinks between them, and Mu Qing makes an angry, frustrated sound. If he didn't know any better, he would think Mu Qing would try to strip him right here considering how heated up he is. Feng Xin knows it's rare for Mu Qing to be so daring, it's a result of nerves. He always has balance, In everything he does but right now Feng Xin surrenders himself to Mu Qing and lets himself be kissed, ravished, and dominated until his back is pressed painfully to the dark wooden floor. The two of them are heaving and turned on painfully but know better to try anything right now.
Feng Xin registers the sound of the door creaking open yet he barely gets the chance to warn Mu Qing before Xie Lian's soft oh is heard.
Mu Qing, as if shocked, sits up. Feng Xin notices how his eyes come back into focus and he licks his lips, wiping the saliva that was there a second ago.
"San Lang told me I would find you two here." Xie Lian says a beat later, inviting himself inside with a tray balanced on one of his hands. Mu Qing slides off Feng Xin's lap and coughs awkwardly.
Xie Lian however doesn't seem to even give them another glance as he puts the tray down on a desk and pulls a chair from behind a shelf.
Mu Qing smoothens his collar, Feng Xin chuckles fondly, sitting up. The flush on Mu Qing's face is a beautiful deep red, and his ears are tinted too, looking very much like a child caught doing something wrong. Mu Qing glares at him and Feng Xin grins in return, successfully dodging Mu Qing's punch.
It's not like Xie Lian hasn't caught them in worst situations before.
"Tea?" Xie Lian offers and Mu Qing narrows his eyes at the pot like it has personally offended him. Feng Xin however takes the cup offered to him and sniffs. It tastes like tea, so it's a safe guess that a servant brewed it
"Qing'er?" Xie Lian calls a dazed Mu Qing who still hadn't sit down when Xie Lian offered him a seat. Feng Xin watches Mu Qing blink, realizing he'd been unresponsive.
"Sorry." He offers, taking a seat and the cup from Xie Lian.
"It's okay." Xie Lian smiles reassuringly, "You must have a lot to think about."
Mu Qing nods, hesitant.
"How much do you know?" He asks quietly after taking a sip. Xie Lian shakes his head, putting his cup down.
"Nothing more than what everyone does."
Something Feng Xin thinks is relief passes through Mu Qing's eyes and that, confuses Feng Xin. A thought he'd been pushing away for the whole day crawls back, that there's more to it than just the murder of twelve Heavenly officials, that Mu Qing hasn't told.
"I… I will explain," Mu Qing offers weakly, but his mind is still wandering and Feng Xin can tell he's not all here. At least he's not as tense as before.
Feng Xin feels his lips with his tongue, tasting Mu Qing on them.
"Of course. While I was coming here, San Lang asked me to tell you he's waiting for you. I will keep A'Xin company while you two talk." Mu Qing nods and gets up to leave, but turns back to give Xie Lian a smile that Xie Lian returns easily.
Mu Qing pauses by Feng Xin’s chair and then dives down to press his lips to Feng Xin's. Feng Xin's back hit the chair's spine from the force of the kiss. Feng Xinn thinks he enjoys this new side of Mu Qing, commanding and rough, it’s thrilling. He files the discovery away for later.
"I'll be back." Mu Qing whispers when he moves back, Feng Xin reaches to take his hand and presses his lips to his fingers. Kissing the golden ring adorned there before he lets Mu Qing go.
When Feng Xin turns back to face Xie Lian after Mu Qing has left, he finds Xie Lian's lips in a wide gleeful smile. Almost like he's holding himself from squealing. Feng Xin rolls his eyes, feels the flush creep upon his neck.
"No matter how many times I see you two, I never get used to this," Xie Lian informs delightedly, jumping in his seat.
Feng Xin sticks his tongue at him, before picking up his cup again.
"I planted some black roses in the garden," a garden Feng Xin honestly doesn't understand how it exists, considering the ghost city is dead in every sense of the word, the soil being no exception. But Xie Lian still has one he's been maintaining for years now.
"...since you guys were here, let's go see it since Mu Qing will return in some time."
"Where are they going?" Feng Xin asks as he's been ushered outside the library. He knocks over a scroll as Xie Lian pulls him by the wrist and there's another shriek from inside.
"To the Black Water Palace."