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Xie Lian had a habit of spoiling his husband. With attention, affection— anything his San Lang hinted at wanting he had the urge to fulfill it. He had gotten better at not spoiling him so often. It was important they both do their work and Hua Cheng practice calligraphy after all. But mostly he spoiled his husband rotten and he couldn’t find a reason not to.
This was partially because Hua Cheng always spoiled him right back. And sometimes, it seemed giving into Hua Cheng’s desires felt an awful lot like simply letting Hua Cheng spoil him.
He was starting to find that prospect easier and easier to accept as the days went by.
“I have to go up to Heaven tomorrow. I can’t get out of this meeting.” Xie Lian murmured as they kissed goodnight, already wrapped up tightly in each other’s arms.
“Pray his highness will let this one dress him?”
“Only since it’s a special occasion.” Xie Lian relented. It felt odd for his husband to dress him. A bit embarrassing even, but he still let Hua Cheng do it when he had a reason to dress up. Left to his own devices, Xie Lian simply wore his cultivator robes. It was nice to wear some of the fancier pieces his husband had always ready for him too.
Hua Cheng showered his face in tiny kisses, an expression of his excitement. “I’ll wake up before his highness to collect the flowers then.”
That was another thing about Hua Cheng.
Xie Lian had ascended his third time as the Scrap Immortal. His followers knew him as humble, plain robes and an old bamboo hat. There were some stories of some of his statues magically transforming when placed next to Hua Cheng’s idols, but his most popular image was the same.
His previous ascension, Xie Lian had been a God of Misfortune. Truth be told there were still some who called him that. Usually all knew the trick to worshipping him though. No prostration and always place him with his husband and no misfortune would follow. It was only if you failed on one of these accounts the legends sometimes held true.
But not many remembered Xie Lian’s name from his first ascension on earth. Many gods did, held over from when it was something to mock him over, but his reputation was much improved now.
Still, with every Heavenly event Xie Lian let Hua Cheng dress him for, his husband reminded them anew. Not with a trace of mockery, but a pure and simple devotion.
In Hua Cheng’s eyes, he was always a god, no matter how low he fell or high he rose.
It was overwhelming. It made him stop short sometimes to see how his husband saw him. So perfect and loved in spite of all the ways he’d failed before. In spite of all the weaknesses he still had.
But Hua Cheng loved him weak just as he loved him strong. He was the best husband Xie Lian could ask for. He was the best believer Xie Lian could imagine.
So when Xie Lian woke up the next morning and saw the outfit Hua Cheng had set out, he was not surprised. It was simply, he was blown away again by how glorious his husband never stopped believing he was.
Xie Lian had seen these robes before, only he hadn’t realized they’d been for him.
A pale shimmering gold, he should’ve known Hua Cheng wouldn’t wear himself, but he hadn’t been thinking of that. He’d only been aware of them as the canvas for the detailed embroidery Hua Cheng had hand sewn into it. Looking at it now Xie Lian truly should’ve known. Though there were many butterflies and other such motifs he knew from Hua Cheng’s clothes, there was a much heavier Xianle influence, as well as what he thought might be nods to other places of importance to him. Yong’an. Banyue. Puqi village. So many of his travels somehow documented through delicate symbolism or characters of languages long dead.
“Does his highness like it?” Hua Cheng asked, almost shy. As if Xie Lian could ever dislike this. Even if Hua Cheng hadn’t made it himself it would have been meaningful enough as a commission. But he had. He’d spent months embroidering it during their free time.
All for Xie Lian. His god. His husband.
Xie Lian cupped his face and kissed him soundly. “I love it.”
Hua Cheng perked up. “This one is glad he could make something worthy of his husband’s approval.”
“I wish I could make you something like this.”
“But you already have.” He reached down, hand threatening to flip the belt he wore the other direction and Xie Lian’s blood ran cold as he recognized the disaster of a present.
“San Lang why are you wearing that again!” He bemoaned.
“Gege said I could as long as I kept his embroidery secret,” Hua Cheng grinned.
Where was that endless devotion and reverence from a moment ago? All Xie Lian could see now was his mischievous little brat of a husband.
“Please don’t even compare that to what San Lang has made for today…”
“This one really liked gege’s birthday present though,” Hua Cheng laughed, trying to pull Xie Lian back over to kiss.
“San Lang is such a bully to remind me of that failure.”
“It’s not a failure, gege is just doing things a little differently.” Hua Cheng’s grin was easy and wide.
“San Lang is a bully, maybe I shouldn’t let him dress me at all.” Xie Lian moved towards the closet to make a show of pulling out his usual robes, but it must not have been very convincing because Hua Cheng didn’t sweat in the slightest.
Instead his insincere husband pulled him back with kisses to his face and neck and hands between laughter and fake begging. “No, gege please, this one just wanted us both to be wearing important embroidery today. Gege is so harsh on this San Lang’s most prized possession.”
Xie Lian tried to pretend not to enjoy the kisses, but embarrassing as it was, Hua Cheng's laughter was infectious. “Fine, fine, San Lang can dress me again.”
“Thank you gege, you’re so kind to this one,” Hua Cheng smiled at him and oh, how could Xie Lian even pretend to be mad at him?
Pulling away, he stood patiently while Hua Cheng dressed him in those elegant robes. He couldn’t help but give a perhaps overly excited smile to his husband when he noticed Hua Cheng had even picked a sword from the armory to suit the ensemble. The hilt was laden with gemstones and the blade reeked of bloodshed but Xie Lian knew that just meant this object must have a storied past. None of the weapons in their armory were simple.
Then he sat on the bed, knowing what came next.
Hua Cheng brought over a basket of flowers and began weaving them, carefully crafting Xie Lian a crown fit for his first ascension. When Hua Cheng dressed him, Xie Lian truly felt he was still worthy of the title Flower Crowned Martial God.
Xie Lian reached out to make one too and noticed his husband’s calm and devoted smile turn giddy. The first time Hua Cheng had done this, Xie Lian had tried too so his San Lang could match. Hua Cheng had adored it and kissed him silly for it. Since then, Xie Lian made a point to make one every time Hua Cheng did.
He finished first today. Likely because Hua Cheng had a habit of inspecting and arranging each flower before he even started his weaving.
Sitting back, he watched Hua Cheng dutifully crafting his crown. “Can I borrow some of San Lang’s jewelry?”
Hua Cheng looked up at him, eyes shining. “Gege really wants to?”
“En. I’m wearing his butterflies. I thought it might be fitting.”
“Does gege have specific pieces in mind?” Hua Cheng’s gaze flicked between Xie Lian and the crown he was making, desperate to finish well but also clearly wanting to look at his husband.
“Whatever my San Lang wants to see me in.”
Hua Cheng put his full focus on the flower crown until it was finished, then lightly crowned Xie Lian before bowing his head to let Xie Lian do the same.
They looked at each other like that for a moment, basking in the simple happiness they had found before Hua Cheng remembered Xie Lian’s other request and flitted over to his jewelry box. He carried over two silver collars, putting them on Xie Lian as if pouring love into him with every movement.
“San Lang always wears his necklaces in pairs. I don’t remember that when we met.”
“I didn’t wear my collars in pairs back then,” Hua Cheng answered coyly.
Xie Lian gave him a confused look, but didn’t press him on it, instead simply leaning in to kiss him softly. Trying to return even a fraction of that endless love Hua Cheng gave him.
“Pray gege comes home to this one soon?”
“I’ll do my best not to leave my San Lang lonely.” He stood to go, then paused as he noticed Hua Cheng look a bit disappointed. “Ah San Lang, I forgot something.”
“Yes gege?”
Xie Lian leaned in again, kissing him much deeper this time. Kissing him until Hua Cheng’s hands curled against the fabric of Xie Lian’s new robe and his husband looked dazed with love and satisfaction.
“I just needed a bit more spiritual energy to get back up to Heaven.” Which wasn’t true in the slightest, he hadn’t taken any from Hua Cheng just then, but his husband nodded anyway.
“Gege can take as much as he needs.”
“I’ll be home soon.” Xie Lian smiled before leaving for real. He hoped this meeting would be fast. After all, he had a husband to spoil.