Chapter Text
Xie Lian stirred when the bed dipped slightly, a warm body crawling close and snuggling against him under the covers. Instinctively, he brought a hand around them, wrapping them in his embrace and warming the noticeably cold body.
The two remained like this for a long moment, but eventually, a few things clicked into place. Or, rather, out of place. Glaring red flags, as it were.
First, the most obvious thing at this moment was the fact he felt his husband still snuggling him from behind. That warm, comforting weight of his arm draped over his waist hard to forget once he came to his senses.
Second, the body of the newcomer was small, akin to the size of a child, and cold as ice. He felt the smaller form warming ever so slightly, but there was no one matching this description in Paradise Manor who had access to their private quarters so easily.
Blinking awake slowly, Xie Lian refused to move right away as he surveyed the situation. Unfortunately, it was dark, so seeing anything properly was out of the question even with the soft moonlight filtering inside. Through touch alone, seeing as he had the child in his embrace, he could tell they were dressed in something incredibly soft and made from a nice material.
Who in the three realms is this?
Moving just a bit, feigning getting comfortable, he managed to roll slightly onto his back and moved his free arm to drape over Hua Cheng's. He wanted to wake his husband, but he didn't want to alert the child of this. With his still sleep-riddled brain, he simply decided to tap at Hua Cheng's hand with a tired sense of urgency.
When he received no response, he whispered, " San Lang ."
However, instead of the person in question waking, the little form snuggled against him moved, and Xie Lian turned back to see a single red eye staring at him. Blinking rapidly, a startled, confused expression fell onto his face. He felt no threat from this strange child, and it took only a second longer before he realized who this was.
"E-ming?"
Upon being addressed, the boy grinned and spun around, wrapping his tiny arms around his middle and hugging impossibly closer to him. Xie Lian realized the soft clothing he wore was one of Hua Cheng's shirts that had been discarded before they headed to bed. It was far too big for the smaller frame, which somehow made the scene all that more endearing.
With a bemused expression now clouding his face, Xie Lian hugged the child back and relaxed into the pillows. "How did you end up like this?" His voice remained soft, trying not to disturb Hua Cheng now despite his earlier attempts not even five minutes ago.
His response was a twitch that he assumed was a shrug.
Before Xie Lian could say anything else, or even think his next thought, he felt movement from behind followed by a deep, tired voice.
"Gege, who are you talking to?"
"E-ming."
"Why is E-ming in bed with us?"
"I think he was cursed."
"What?" Hua Cheng moved his arm, realizing then that said arm was sandwiched between two bodies instead of draped over one.
Without another word, he sat up, snapping his fingers to illuminate the room and cast the occupants into a soft, yellow glow. A single, dark eye moved to the small body pressed against his husband. The head of the smaller form poked up, meeting Hua Cheng’s gaze, unblinking.
The swirl of emotions Xie Lian witnessed in that dark eye was impressive but difficult to interpret. "San Lang, has this ever happened before?"
"No," he shook his head, then moved and swatted at the boy. "Get up and stop clinging. You're worse now with actual arms."
"No, no, he's fine. Let him hug while he easily can. He won't get another chance like this after we cure him." Xie Lian sat up, pulling E-ming with him and cradling the boy. Although strange, it was rather adorable to see the terrifying scimitar in the form of an innocent child. Granted, Xie Lian’s coddling knew no bounds, and even as a scimitar he often babied E-ming and even took baths with him.
"You're far too easy on him, Gege, but as you wish.” After a moment's thought, he added, “I do want to get a good look at him though."
"Do you think there might be a clue as to who cursed him?"
"Maybe." He stared down at E-ming, eyes cold. "Can you speak?"
E-ming opened his mouth as if to prove he could, but no sound came out.
Xie Lian frowned, patting the boy's dark hair gently. He looked like a younger version of Hua Cheng, which only made the situation more adorable despite the concerns. "Do you remember seeing anything before waking in this form?"
Turning to look at the one who held him, E-ming shook his head.
"Useless."
"He's not useless. Don't tell him such things." Xie Lian moved to cover the boy's ears, but it was a delayed effort.
Hua Cheng chuckled softly, and when he quieted down, he asked, "Where's Ruoye? Did they get turned into a child as well?"
Blinking owlishly, Xie Lian looked to his wrist where the silk bandage usually rested, only to find it empty. Sharing a concerned look with Hua Cheng, they clambered out of bed. However, the bandage in question slithered upward from the ground, where their articles of clothing were strewn about earlier in the evening, and returned to its rightful place. He patted it once, then turned to his husband with a small smile. "Only E-ming is affected it would seem."
Hua Cheng grunted, sitting back down on the bed with his features scrunched in thought.
E-ming moved to stand up, but he wobbled a bit before nearly falling over.
Xie Lian caught him, holding onto both his hands to keep him upright and steady. He smiled softly. "He looks about ten years old.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “I wonder who cursed him. And why."
"To weaken me, maybe?" Hua Cheng looked toward them. "Though this seems like a foolish way to go about doing it."
Humming, Xie Lian helped the boy walk slowly toward his husband so they could take a better look at him. "Turn him human so he can be killed? Easier to break skin and bones rather than E-ming's usual metallic body."
The boy made a startled sound, as if his voice could work, but having never spoken before, he simply couldn't form words.
The noise made Xie Lian raise a brow, then look apologetic when he realized what he had said. "Oh. I'm sorry, E-ming. We won't let anything hurt you, okay?" He squeezed his hands reassuringly, offering a smile.
Nodding happily from the reassurance, he turned his head to look at Hua Cheng, who was staring back with an intensity that caused the boy to tremble.
“Ah, San Lang, you’re scaring him.”
“As if. He’s used to this. He’s putting on an act for you, Gege.” Hua Cheng crossed his arms, refusing to touch E-ming and instead instructing him to turn around. After a long moment of contemplation, his brows furrowing more with each passing second, he released a sigh and shook his head. “I don’t see anything weird.”
“Would you be able to see what he saw? Like at Mount Tonglu when you showed me some of Yin Yu’s memories?”
“I don’t think so. Whatever happened to him wasn’t done in person.” Uncrossing his arms, Hua Cheng shook his head. “It was done remotely with unknown intentions, so he wouldn’t have any memories of it.”
“It is reversible, right?”
“Of course, Gege.” Such confidence, but there was no reason to doubt his husband.
Xie Lian hummed, sitting on the bed while still holding onto the child’s hands. “Where could we start to look?”
“That I don’t know.”
“A lot of people could have reason to curse us, I suppose.” Xie Lian moved one hand, patting E-ming on the head gently. “Just a matter of who.”
“I’ll send some people out to search.”
“Ah, I could do the same, San Lang.”
“No need, Gege, this is my problem, not yours. Don’t worry yourself.”
Xie Lian shook his head. “Any problem of San Lang’s is mine too.”
Hua Cheng wanted to further protest, but he stopped himself as he broke into a soft smile. “I cannot argue with Gege.”
“Then we’ll both ask around and see what our networks can dig up. Maybe we missed a prayer and the person got angry with us?” He tapped a finger to his chin, his other hand still petting the boy who now lay partially on his lap.
“Knowing how people can be, that is a possibility.”
“Perhaps an envious ghost if not a human? Or a god. The Heavens aren’t exactly your friend.”
“Can you consider them your friends, Gege?”
Xie Lian blinked, halting his petting and instead simply staring at his husband. He wanted to answer right away with a yes, but he knew that wasn’t so true. His friendship with Feng Xin and Mu Qing had returned, and although not the same as it once was over eight hundred years ago, they were back on mostly good standings. Everyone else though? He didn’t exactly have a problem with them, and some he could probably count on if it came to it, such as Yushi Huang or even Pei Ming, but he wasn’t close with anyone else. After another long moment, he shook his head. “I suppose not. Not fully. I prefer to be down here with my husband.”
Hua Cheng smiled at that but said nothing more on the matter. “Let’s go back to bed.” That single piercing eye snapped to the boy, still clinging to white robes as if his life depended on it. To some degree, it did. “You can sleep elsewhere.”
“Ah, San Lang, let him stay.” Xie Lian stood, pulling the boy with him. “He won’t get this chance again.”
“You’re far too kind to him, Gege.”
“He’s a part of you, isn’t he? San Lang deserves kindness in all forms, even extensions like E-ming.”
“Gege--” Hua Cheung cut himself off, unsure of how to continue, so he simply met gazes with his husband and smiled, earning a sweet one in return from the man who held his heart.
He returned to his side of the bed, watching as Xie Lian climbed in and helped the boy up beside him. Once the two were settled, Hua Cheng slid closer and draped his arm back over his husband’s waist. Even with an unexpected new addition and an unknown curse affecting them, he didn’t mind the situation too much.