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Clothes rustling and the sound of doors opening caused Mu Qing to awaken from his slumber. Hushed voices were heard from the kitchen, causing him curiosity. He tried to get a better listen to the murmuring, but the voices were still too quiet to hear. After a few more attempts, he stopped trying and slowly opened his eyes to absorb his surroundings. His face was hit with a small gust of wind that managed to sneak in from a small window of his home. Well, one of his multiple homes. He had his own palace in the Heavenly realm that he considered his home for the past 800 years. Yet a home is deemed warm and welcoming, and the nights he spent alone in his supposed residence were cold and lonely. He had gotten used to the cold after some point. Even considered the coldness of his home as his warmth. That is until his damn fate came to play with the strings of his heart centuries later.
In front of him stood his prince. The prince that he has admired and still did for ages. The prince wore a small yet fake smile that adorned his gorgeous face. Even after 800 years, the prince of Xian Le remained a beauty to behold. In a way, it amused him how a prim and proper prince now had only rags to wear yet managed to ascend to the heavens once more. His amusement also had a hint of happiness back then but not as strong as the weight of the shame and guilt his heart carried.
The remorse in his heart deepened when his former prince recognized the royal guard but did not recognize the servant. Mu Qing always attempted to keep a cold, stand-offish attitude so no one would know any other emotion in his heart, but when he was asked to identify himself to the crown prince, he could only let out a shocked sound. Did the prince not recognize him? Had the prince forgotten who he was? Was he that insignificant in the life of his prince that he was erased from the prince's memory? Or did the prince pretend not to recognize him? Did he hate him that much that he rather pretend he didn't exist? Mu Qing didn't know which was worse. Either way, it hurt him.
The pain came from so many things in the world. It can torment a person into their own demise. The misunderstandings between Xie Lian and Mu Qing hindered their relationship for a long time. The misunderstandings caused Mu Qing pain, but little did he know it also caused Xie Lian the same pain.
Xie Lian hadn't recognized Mu Qing that day since the last time he saw him, Mu Qing looked and spoke differently. In a way, he was afraid that Mu Qing had been wrongfully banished from the heavens. He was fearful of such a possibility, of hearing that Mu Qing had turned into a mortal. All he could do was ask to make sure who he was speaking to. Yet he realized how that question pierced the man's heart. That familiar feeling tightened his chest once again—the result of asking made Xie Lian not know whether to laugh or cry. At least he was assured that the boy who he had admired from afar in the palace was still alive.
It took a while for both hearts to accept the feelings they shared. Xie Lian had gotten married to Hua Cheng, and in a way, Mu Qing felt bitter yet relieved. What he wanted did not matter as long as his friend was loved and treasured.
He had gotten over the whole former servant thing, got closer to Xie Lian, and joked more with Feng Xin. But when it came to Xie Lian, his little red was part of the package. Mu Qing didn't plan to become close with the ghost king, especially when they had more problems than one could count with their fingers.
Or at least that's what they both thought at first. The first problem was when Hua Cheng was still known as Hong Hong-er, and Mu Qing was still known as a Xian Le palace servant. Hua Cheng was already devoted to serving his prince and joining the military until Mu Qing interfered. The little red boy hated how such a beautiful man could be so cold the second he opened up his mouth. Mu Qing had kicked the ambitious child out of the army to ensure the child lived a prosperous life. His mouth at the time betrayed him as usual and caused him to earn Hong-er as an enemy. A small one that he overlooked until 800 years later.
Hua Cheng hated how his chance to protect His Highness was ruined due to one servant. When Xie Lian sat both of them down, he had more than a year of marriage to the ghost king. He had confessed to his husband that his heart still ached elsewhere, and well, Hua Cheng loved giving Xie Lian whatever his heart desired. When they sat down, Mu Qing got closer to both Xie Lian and his husband; there wasn't as much tension. Each shared how they felt during that situation and explained their reasonings surprisingly calm to Xie Lian's shock. A few snarky remarks were thrown at each other, but the discussion was resolved with Xie Lian only needing to step in once.
It took an annoyingly long time to tell when Mu Qing's words were sincere or not. The ghost king had observed his husband's friend closely for a while and understood his way of expression always meant something different. But the ghost king excelled in various things, so once he understood the God, he read him like an open book. If he had this skill back when he was kicked out of the army, he would have known that Mu Qing was only doing it to ensure that he continued living. And in a way that tugged the strings in his supposed heart. When he was a mortal, he believed no one except Xie Lian cared for him, yet a stranger also cared for him in his way.
The rest of the problems they had were handled with even more ease, except for when it came to what had happened with Xie Lian and the 33 Gods. Apologies were shared, and understanding was around the corner when they started to argue. Xie Lian had to step in and explain the situation better to Hua Cheng and how Mu Qing brought him necessities later on. The problem took longer to resolve until Hua Cheng understood Mu Qing had his own fucked up way of thinking for others and himself. Mu Qing had planned to help out Xie Lian, but if he went against the Gods, they'd start all over again, and Mu Qing wouldn't be of any help to anyone. The problem of leaving Xie Lian was also one that pended a bit, but after hearing about Mu Qing's mother, Hua Cheng remained silent in the form of understanding.
Both parties apologized for how they treated each other, and it eventually turned into a complimenting argument? Xie Lian could only laugh and not feel tears of sadness fall from his face as he watched his two loves converse with ease. Seeing Mu Qing open up made the former crown prince's heart fill up with joy.
For Feng Xin, the path wasn't as rocky for the relationship to connect as one. It took more time for him to register that he would have not one but three lovers. Hua Cheng still had a few issues with the royal guard, but maybe it was just out of spite since he seemed the closest to the crown prince. Mu Qing didn't bother hiding much of how he felt for the other God since he knew Feng Xin could be dense as a rock, and if he wasn't sincere, this whole thing would take longer than it needed to be, and well Feng Xin liked Mu Qing and Xie Lian since he first laid eyes on them. They all teased him for it when he admitted it. Hua Cheng called him a hopeless romantic, which caused Feng Xin to let out a string of curses. In a way, Hua Cheng grew a habit to tease the older God because his reactions were just as delightful as Mu Qing's.
They spent more time together as their hearts grew closer to one another. And that's how the three Gods got married to a Ghost Supreme.
Now Mu Qing had multiple places to call home, whether in the heavenly realm, the Puqi shrine, or Ghost City.
He smiled at the thought as he sat upon his (and his other three husbands') bed. The quartet spends most of their time either in the Puqi shrine or Paradise Manor. Neither Hua Cheng nor Xie Lian liked spending their time in the heavenly realm only if it was in either Feng Xin or Mu Qing's room. Mu Qing let out a yawn as he stretched and looked around the shrine. It was everything he was missing warm and welcoming. He has been married for over ten years now, and sometimes he thinks whether Hua Cheng's luck rubbed onto him. He had gotten so used to the loneliness in a way; it was his comfort. Now he had three beautiful partners to give him that comfort. He was about to get up when he heard the bedroom door open. The former Puqi shrine was remodeled to ensure Xie Lian a proper home but remained modest in a way. Hua Cheng had made sure that the house was enough for four people even had some ghosts help though Mu Qing insisted his palace workers could help too. But Hua Cheng was like that with his lovers. He made sure to spoil them and know they didn't need to do things others could do. It annoyed Mu Qing at first, but he got tired of arguing with his husband, so he just let the man do as he wished.
Speaking of the devil, the red ghost king stood by the door with a warm smile as he stared at Mu Qing.
"Good morning, A-qing," Hua Cheng said softly as if he was afraid Mu Qing was still half-asleep and he'd startle him.
"Morning, Hong-er." Mu Qing smiled, but then he recalled the whispering he had somewhat heard earlier. He looked at his husband with a perplexed look making Hua Cheng feel lost.
"Is there something wrong?" The supreme asks with a hint of worry. Mu Qing shakes his head before he answers the man at the door. Hua Cheng walks toward him and uses his fingers to detangle Mu Qing's hair as it was seemingly messy from the fun they all had last night. Mu Qing is about to ask what the mumbling in the kitchen was about, but Hua Cheng's tongue beats him to it.
"Are you mad about something this early, General?" His husband teases as he continues to brush his fingers through Mu Qing's locks of hair. Mu Qing only scoffs as he shifts his face to look Hua Cheng in the eye.
"What were you guys talking about in the kitchen?" The God of the Southwest inquired as his brows furrowed. "Oh, Mu Qing, you're awake!" The voice of Xie Lian rings out as he enters the room. He's wrapped in his typical white attire, except the fabric is of higher quality (Mu Qing designed them). The whole dress was silky and comfortable to Xie Lian's liking. It had a few light colors meshed together to add more liveliness to Xie Lian's style. A dash of soft orange and yellow were mixed, and it had a few designs to remind Xie Lian of his lovers. A butterfly on one sleeve for Hua Cheng, a bow and arrow for Feng Xin on the other. And silky white band wrapped around his waist with hints of black and gold to represent Mu Qing's favorite colors. It didn't stick out too much, but it was more extravagant than what Xie Lian usually wore. But the martial God grew to love the robes Mu Qing made for him and would wear them without complaints. He loved the attention to the details and the time Mu Qing put in to make him these robes. He found it unnecessary and even felt unworthy at first, but of course, it came with a long lecture from the younger God which led him to remember not to degrade himself in front of Mu Qing ever again. However, Mu Qing's eyes fell on the straw hat and Xie Lian's bag on his back.
"We were talking about this mission, His Highness, and I got." Feng Xin answers as he comes into the room and sits next to Mu Qing. Mu Qing was still feeling groggy, but he turned his gaze to his husbands when he heard that. "A mission? Where?" He asks as he gets off the bed. The others look at each other and then back at him.
"I said the mission is for just His Highness and me." Feng Xin repeats as he looks at Mu Qing with a bashful expression as he scratches the back of his neck. Mu Qing pauses himself from dressing when he hears that. He hadn't gone on a mission for a while, and it was eating at his skin. He wanted to help out, but apparently, the heavens didn't need him at the moment.
The truth is Mu Qing had gone on a month-long mission just a while back, and it left him drained for a time. Feng Xin and Xie Lian went to the heavens and requested for Mu Qing to receive a break from missions. At the moment, the one managing the Heavens is Yushi Huang and Ling Wen. The two Godesses agreed witnout delay as they also agreed it was for the better. There still is no certain ruler, but the two were addressed as the higher-ups in the Heavenly Court.
Only Hua Cheng was aware of this, but neither told Mu Qing. Seeing his face right now full of disappointment made the ghost king want to lighten the mood for his beloved. The others did, too, but the guilt was burying itself in their hearts since they're the ones responsible for the younger God having no missions to go on.
The Supreme ghost clears his throat as he throws a sly grin towards the sulking God.
"A-qing, I doubt you can even go on a mission after last night. Plus, look at you. Please stay home and tidy yourself up." Hua Cheng states as his eye focuses on the God's neck. Mu Qing follows his gaze and touches his neck. He doesn't feel anything which leads him towards the mirror in the room. Love marks were painted all over his skin, making his subsequent reaction predictable.
Mu qing rolls his eyes and looks back at his husbands.
"You guys are all a bunch of animals." He complains while he uses his spiritual power to cover them up.
"They're gone see?"
"You should have left them there." Hua Cheng quickly adds.
"How come the heavens still won't send me on a mission?" He arched an eyebrow ignoring the red ghost.
"They haven't. We need to go now, so stop wasting our time." Feng Xin snaps. Once again, Mu Qing only rolls his eyes.
"Don't worry, Qing-ge. I'll stay with you." Hua Cheng teases with a smile. It was his way of assuring Mu Qing he'd be fine. All Mu Qing could do was frown and look back at the other two Gods in the room.
"Do you want me to pack you lunches?" Mu Qing wanted to feel useful, at least in some way, for their mission.
"I already made them some food to go." Hua Cheng informed him as he grabbed some robes from the closet to dress Mu Qing. Mu Qing sighs while the other wraps him with robes and nods to the other two. Last night, they had taken a bath and wore undergarments to bed and an inner robe. Mu Qing felt undressed, and of course, he was an open book with the damn ghost at his side.
"Alright, then I guess we'll be seeing you two off."
They all shared their farewells in between pecks and kisses along with some very tight hugs (from Feng Xin, that is). Mu Qing made sure to check their bags and belongings for anything they might have forgotten and would later on need during the mission.
Once that was settled, the two Gods had left and were on their way to the designated spot; Ling Wen told them to meet with a few other Gods.
Mu Qing scowled once his husbands were out his sight. He knew the mission was going to take some time, but his heart was already betraying him and testing his patience.
"You haven't eaten. Do you want me to make you something bǎo bèi?" At the sound of that word, Mu Qing turned to his other husband with an even more annoyed expression. Hua Cheng had gained a habit of calling Mu Qing sweet words whenever Mu Qing was in a foul mood. Today was obviously one of them, and Hua Cheng had every intention to make the young God turn as red as his garments.
"I told you not to call me that A-cheng." Mu Qing mocked back in his own way. Hua Cheng had grown fond of Mu Qing calling him that, yet he would only do it in serious times or whenever they were messing around.
Hua Cheng shakes away the thoughts of the nights spent with the silver-haired God away and tries to bring back the former conversation.
"What do you want to eat?" He asks again in a firmer tone, this time as he stares directly into the God's eyes. Mu Qing stares back but fails to keep eye contact for too long when he notices Hua Cheng isn't playing around.
"Gods don't need to eat, you fool." He tries to ease the tension while rolling his eyes, but Hua Cheng's expression doesn't change. Mu Qing eventually sinks into defeat and looks back at the kitchen and then at his husband.
"I'll make something myself." He walks away from the door and heads to the kitchen to look for something to eat. Hua Cheng closes the door and follows after him, and then his lousy brain gives him an excellent idea. If you asked Mu Qing if it was a good idea, he would say no, but Hua Cheng would say it was brilliant in his opinion.
"I'll help you cook." The Supreme ghost tells him as he smacks his husband's ass lightly but not too light to not get a reaction out of him. Mu Qing lets out a gasp and turns to stare at the culprit with his eyebrows furrowed.
"Keep your hands to yourself." The God barked while he turned back around to focus on making himself some tea. Yet, of course, the blush on Mu Qing's face along with his body language betrayed him.
Hua Cheng smirked at the reaction and took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Mu Qing's waist, making him twitch.
"What are you doing now, Hong-er?" The red ghost didn't respond and instead nestled his head on Mu Qing's neck full of locks of hair. He loved his husband's hair and how it shined in the sun. The Puqi shrine always had windows open so the sun would seep in and add a glow to Mu Qing's very being. It was a lovely sight, and if you asked Hua Cheng how long he could stare at it, he would say forever.
"Goodness, how am I supposed to make tea when you're acting like this?" Hua Cheng lifted his head just a bit and tilted it to stare at Mu Qing.
"Forget the tea."
"What-"
Before the young God could ask why he should forget the tea, his lips clashed with Hua Cheng's cold yet soft ones. He closed his eyes and did as instructed. Mu Qing loved being loved. He loved to love. He loved having the feeling of his lips connecting with his husband's. Hua Cheng also adored the God's rosy pink lips that looked even more vivid in the sun. He hated the sun, but he loved the effect it gave to his beloved.
The kiss eventually became more profound to the point that Mu Qing was feeling breathless. He pushed his husband off slightly, and Hua Cheng got the memo.
"Are you that happy we got some time alone?" Mu Qing asks, an evident smirk plastered on his face.
Hua Cheng mirrored his expression as he answered.
"Very."
Hua Cheng ended up sweeping Mu Qing off his feet (literally) and made their way to their bedroom.
And yes, Mu Qing forgot about the tea.