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Chapter Text

Xie Lian stared at the massive baths, an entire wall of soaps and fragrances at his disposal, all in different colors and bottles that seemed to come from all over. It was quite the impressive collection, obviously carefully curated and organised and based on the few with labels it seemed there was some sort of system for arranging based on scent going on. It seemed Hua Cheng really was quite wealthy. He was the city lord, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but truth be told Xie Lian was just a bit dazed at everything still, not fully back in his own mind.

He’d gotten trampled in Banyue and gone unconscious for a bit and focus really was the worst after you’d just died. That, Xie Lian thought, was probably the most inconvenient part of it. You got used to the pain and you got used got used becoming a ghost story whenever people saw you ‘reanimate’ but the muddy haze after coming back was the worst! It made it quite hard to formulate plans and usually if he’d just died he wasn’t in any place good. Often he’d been moved while he was unconscious and he had to reorient himself which was very difficult to do when you still weren’t completely confident you could say your name.

This time Xie Lian had come to in a very strange butcher shop, scaring the worker so he’d buried his blade quite deep in Xie Lian’s neck which really didn’t help his lucidity but also wasn’t the first time he’d gotten such a reaction.

When he’d come to the second time, everything was silver and a man—who he would sometime in the middle parts of the whole mess be introduced to as Hua Cheng or ‘San Lang’— was cradling his head in his lap. Vision blurred, everything not silver looked red. Maybe he’d bled all over the man? Xie Lian had patted his red chest in apology.

“Your highness!” The man had sounded so devastated and Xie Lian thought he had vaguely registered gentle hands against his cheeks.

The steps from there to here were a bit unorganized. Xie Lian remembered sitting up, used to the way the world spun after deaths like that, and he thought he bowed his apologies for bothering the nice man and maybe said something about paying him back for the dirtied robes after he got a job or some nonsense like that.

And then… hm. Xie Lian picked up one of the fragrance bottles curiously, taking in the inoffensive floral scent.

After that San Cheng— no, Lang Hua? That wasn’t right either. Xie Lian picked up another fragrance bottle. This one was brighter. Like citrus. It had been awhile since he’d eaten citrus.

“Gege doesn’t have to find a job, come be my companion, this one will take care of whatever you may need.”

Ah it was Hua Cheng! Yes, Xie Lian was pretty that was it. ”But you can call me San Lang.” Yes, yes it was all coming back to him now. Hua Cheng had propositioned him and taken him home.

Hm.

Xie Lian had been propositioned more than a few times in his life, though this was the first time it had been done by a man unless he’d forgotten something. He was quite adept at turning them down usually so why was he…

”Terribly sorry, San Lang, that’s a very generous offer but I really wouldn’t be suited for such a position, you see I have an unspeakable affliction and I can’t get it up.” It was, in all honesty, stunning that Xie Lian was standing up, considering how unwell he felt. Everything was murky, as though deep underwater seeing only the vaguest shadows of passing boats above. He shouldn’t have been moving this soon, usually he would wait longer but it seemed like he may be in a public place and he didn’t want to cause a scene. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d started hiking off, dizzy and disoriented, to find a place to rest away from confused eyes.

Gentle hands on his shoulders had steadied him, not using the chance to feel him up or try to do anything but keep him afloat.

“It’s alright, your highness, it doesn’t matter, this one will take care of everything.”

And he was so exhausted and that voice was so kind. Xie Lian had found himself ushered into a richly decorated manor before he could fully wake up. Hua Cheng had cleaned up the still tacky blood from his neck and led him to the bath before leaving him to his own devices, though not without offering his services further. As though he was afraid Xie Lian would drown if left to his own devices which was fair.

Hm. So it seemed he’d found himself a position as some sort of concubine. Thinking about it rationally, his usual trick to drive off women of course wouldn’t work if the other party wasn’t looking to use your dick for anything. They only needed one working dick between them for any penetration so maybe it really wasn’t a big deal for the sort of man who propositioned half dead strangers.

It couldn’t be helped that Xie Lian hadn’t built up a big repertoire of rejections since that one had such a high success rate without any shame being brought to the other party. After he’d discovered how well it turned down women, he’d never had a reason to get creative about it. He tried to remember any excuses he’d heard women make to escape the advances of pushy men, but they didn’t seem very helpful to his situation.

He could probably escape, but Hua Cheng had seemed very reasonable. True his entire house had a distinctly evil aura, but he seemed like he could be rational about things like consent. He’d been very polite in the way he led Xie Lian home and cleaned up the blood, incredibly respectful as far as Xie Lian remembered. And if he couldn’t be rational, Xie Lian could handle it. Ruoye at the very least had liked him enough to let him lead a very disoriented Xie Lian here so it couldn’t be too bad. He liked to think Ruoye was a good judge of character.

Xie Lian stopped fussing with the fragrance bottles and grabbed the most basic soap he could find— Hua Cheng really had quite the collection, Xie Lian hadn’t known there were that many kinds— and plopped himself into the water to wash up.

It was good he’d been cleaned of the worst of the blood before he’d entered or it would’ve been a terrible shame. He probably would’ve turned the waters pink! Luckily he was just pulling off a bit more than the average dirt and blood, nothing too awful. It gave him a bit more time to really enjoy himself.

When was the last time a bath had had hot water like this? He realized as soon as he thought it, it had probably only been since his stint in Yong’an, not too long ago all things considered. Still, however long in a puddle of your own blood followed by some handful of time wandering and a few months or years or something like that in the army made the water feel impossibly luxurious.

He smiled as he watched Ruoye play in it for a bit before it spun around, much like a dog shaking itself dry. Cute. “Do you feel clean?”

Ruoye continued showing off for him before flitting over to where new robes had been laid out for him. Hua Cheng really was quite an attentive… host? Lover? Husband? Xie Lian wasn’t quite sure what their relationship was supposed to be. It was fine. They could work it out after the bath.

***

Hua Cheng felt like he was going insane. He must be. Centuries of searching and Xie Lian had just— just shown up in his city all on his own. It was a miracle and he should be happy for it, and he was but he was also angry and terribly upset.

His god had been brought to his city like any old corpse to be sold for parts. The audacity. The disrespect. Hua Cheng had killed the butcher on the spot.

But to come here in such a way, didn't that mean something had ‘killed’ Xie Lian before? He knew the humans sold at that spot weren’t fresh, no matter what the man said, he definitely scavenged them. There was no way he could’ve taken Xie Lian here if he hadn’t. The ghost was far too low in power to by any match for the banished god.

”Sorry,” Xie Lian’s sickly pale face and unfocused eyes had shaken Hua Cheng to the bone. The skin had mended before Xie Lian woke up but the blood didn’t go away and by the looks of how queasy his face was, his blood hadn’t fully restored either. “San Lang—“

“I’m here, gege.” He would always be here now that he’d found him again. Until Xie Lian dismissed him he’d stand by him. And if Xie Lian was in a very bad place when he dismissed him, he’d maybe stay a bit longer too, just to make sure his god was safe and settled and not dying again.

“I can’t get up,” he’d mumbled, with a tone as if it was something that would dissuade Hua Cheng’s offer, though he was already standing so Hua Cheng suspected he just didn’t know what he was saying.

Hua Cheng stepped closer to help him stay upright, heart lurching in upset at the way Xie Lian looked like his legs might give out completely now that he had support. The relief was such a palpable thing. How long had his god suffered while he was useless?

“It’s alright, your highness, it doesn’t matter, this one will take care of everything.”

He’d tried to get Xie Lian as safe and warm as possible, cleaning up the worst of the blood and muck off of him while Yin Yu readied the baths for a proper soak.

It had been a relief to see Xie Lian start to regain himself enough to walk without looking like he’d faint at any given moment, but Hua Cheng still wasn’t sure if he really should’ve left him to bathe by himself.

But Xie Lian was probably already overwhelmed from his injuries, Hua Cheng didn’t need to push. His god was safe now. Hua Cheng just had to provide the rest.

He wanted to be happy. He wanted to let himself feel the relief he could feel in the corner of his mind. Finally. Finally I can be useful for your highness! But this wasn’t the time for selfishness.

Xie Lian had his bath and new robes, but he’d need a feast— who knew how hungry he’d be! And Hua Cheng would have to check to make sure the rooms he had set aside for him were still appropriate. There was so much to do. So much to prove.

So much to make up for as his mind cruelly replayed the sight of the butcher’s knife in Xie Lian’s throat, chest covered in blood and face pale with death like an ode to that terrible night all those centuries before.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian headed down the hall feeling much more properly alive and much cleaner, wearing robes fit for a king. Even without jewelry, it held an unmistakable elegance to it without having too many layers to fuss with. This Hua Cheng fellow must really spoil his concubines.

It wouldn’t be so bad, Xie Lian thought, to be a concubine if you were well taken care of like this. He’d heard plenty of tragic stories about neglected women, but he was sure if someone like him was treated so delicately on such a bad first meeting, Hua Cheng’s harem must’ve been very lucky.

There was, of course, more to caring for someone than just giving them fancy things, but Xie Lian didn’t feel like a trophy showing off his partner’s wealth in the robes he wore. He felt as though Hua Cheng had simply wanted to elevate his status. Had wanted to respect what he was owed. Which was silly and quite a lot to feel about some robes, but Xie Lian felt sure seeing the clean white swaths of fabric and gold embroidery that these robes had been picked specifically for him. They were almost reminiscent of Xianle styles he’d worn oh so long ago in their patterning.

It didn’t take long walking down the hall before Hua Cheng was back. He was surprisingly handsome now that Xie Lian was actually looking at him properly. Lucky harem indeed.

“Is gege alright?” The concern bled through so tenderly sincere.

“I’m fine, San Lang—“ Hua Cheng’s face didn’t change so he must have gotten the names right— “the bath was wonderful and the clothes you brought me are very good quality, but I can’t possibly accept any more of your generosity.”

“Is there somewhere gege needs to be? This one could take you.”

“It’s not that, it’s just that I couldn’t possibly add anything to your household.”

“Gege’s very presence is a blessing to my household,” Hua Cheng insisted.

Leading Xie Lian to sit in front of a feast large enough to satisfy ten families, Hua Cheng really seemed to mean it. Oh dear.

“San Lang, this is all very sweet, but I’m afraid I’m a cultivator and my path requires abstinence.” That was sure to let him down gently.

Hua Cheng’s eye lit up with understanding. “Can gege not drink the wine either? What would you prefer?”

That was not the understanding Xie Lian had expected.

“No I’m not really supposed to. Whatever tea San Lang has will work fine,” he answered, ending up sitting down for lack of a reason not to. He did have wine now and again in small quantities to be social— as long as he didn’t drink in excess it wasn’t too big an issue— but it was nice to have someone so quick to accommodate it.

Hua Cheng began reorganizing the servants to switch out the drinks for them.

“Does my cultivation not dissuade San Lang from bringing me into his household?” He tried again.

“Why would it? It’s very honorable that gege keeps to such rules.”

Perhaps he’d gotten Hua Cheng’s motivations all wrong. He must be the type to keep a harem for prestige rather than pleasure.

And here was the fact of the matter: Xie Lian really didn’t have anything better to do. He’d never been a concubine before and never thought he would be. But it wouldn’t compromise his cultivation like this, so wouldn’t it just be like being a guest?

“If I joined San Lang’s family what exactly would I have to do?” It was best to be clear on the expectations before overstaying his welcome after all.

“Nothing. Gege should feel free to act as he pleases. It would be an honor if gege allowed this one to accompany him though.”

This was an incredible offer. Too good to be true really. And Hua Cheng did seem to be a powerful ghost, so it was possible this was a nefarious plot, but he really didn’t have the aura of anything that wished Xie Lian harm.

So the options were simple really. He could refuse and walk out. Or he could stay and enjoy the hospitality and if things went sour he’d be around to deal with it. The choice was easy enough to make.

Xie Lian reached out to start eating.

***

Xie Lian was eating his food.

In his house.

In some of the finer leisure robes Hua Cheng had reserved for him.

It was like a dream come true. No, it was better than that.

Hua Cheng had not met with Xie Lian that many times, though the times they had met were very impactful. It struck him now though he’d never seen Xie Lian eat a full meal. Xie Lian had gotten drunk in front of him before, but just the simple pleasure of good food was never something he’d had a reason to share with his god.

It was life changing.

Xie Lian ate with enthusiasm. It wasn’t just the rushed gorging of a starving man that would’ve been understandable given how recently he’d defied death and how malnourished he seemed. Xie Lian ate with appreciation for the meal. He ate to savor every bite and indulge in every flavor. He ate as if he was trying to memorize the meal the way Hua Cheng was trying to memorize him. He kept his manners, but his cheeks were full and his smile wide.

It was such an utterly human joy. Such a simple celebration in a simple (or perhaps a bit extravagant) meal. He understood now why families spoke of food as an expression of love. He had never felt so close to his god than he did now, faced with the opportunity to eat the same meal sitting just across from each other. Hua Cheng could’ve watched him eat forever.

It didn’t take long before Xie Lian spoke up though. “So what exactly does San Lang do?”

Hua Cheng smiled. “This one is the lord of Ghost City. Has gege heard of it?”

“A bit. Is that where I ended up?”

“En.” His smile fell. “One of the more unsavory businesses brought gege in. They’ve been handled.” Truthfully there were very few businesses in Ghost City that couldn’t be considered unsavory, but most people seemed to especially be squeamish about butchers who sold human meat. Of course, most ghosts weren’t squeamish about it and the vacancy would no doubt be filled soon. Hua Cheng had already noticed a pig spirit sizing up the stand as he’d brought Xie Lian home. He didn’t care who took it up next as long as they didn’t bother Xie Lian.

“Oh San Lang didn’t have to do anything about that, I’m sure I scared them.”

“They were trying to cut and sell you for parts.”

“Yes but they thought I was already dead.”

Hua Cheng really didn’t like the blasé tone Xie Lian took about his own death. “It’s already been dealt with.” He said again, mostly to remind himself. “No more harm will come to you in Ghost City, you have my protection.”

Xie Lian gave him a curious smile. “San Lang is very sweet. Is there a wife I should greet?”

Hua Cheng was a master debater. A skilled tactician. Quick on his feet and fast with a comeback. But never in his life had he thought that would be his god’s next concern. “There’s none.”

“Really?”

Why did Xie Lian look so surprised?

“Really.”

“And the rest of the household?”

“There is none.”

“I’m San Lang’s first?”

Hua Cheng knew he meant it innocently. It had been heart stoppingly sweet to hear Xie Lian talk about living with him as ‘joining his household’ and certainly done a lot to fuel his love-addled mind. He had been inviting Xie Lian to join his household and live in Paradise Manor, to take full advantage of what such an offer could give Xie Lian, but that phrasing was just too suggestive. Xie Lian had to be teasing him.

So, tentatively, Hua Cheng teased back.

“First and only unless gege wants to add another to the family?”

Shameless, stupid, overly flirtatious. He was sure to be disgusted with Hua Cheng. What an idiotic thing to say.

Hua Cheng’s hands still burned with the afterimage of the blood he’d gotten on them cleaning Xie Lian up. Perhaps it had stained him permanently. You failed him and now you think you can joke around just because he’s gone easy on you? His own jokes masked the revulsion he felt bubbling up for himself.

Xie Lian didn’t seem disgusted luckily, but he didn’t seem like someone having a fun time teasing each other either. He just looked… a bit stunned.

“Are you only recently the lord of Ghost City?”

Hua Cheng really didn’t know what to make of all these conversation turns. “I founded it.”

“And you haven’t taken a wife in all that time?” Xie Lian looked thoroughly confused.

Hua Cheng really hadn’t been expecting to be questioned about his love life so suddenly and so thoroughly. “Why would I have?”

“Well you seem very powerful and your household is clearly quite wealthy. You could probably support a large harem if you wished and instead you took in me.”

“I have no need for a harem,” he admitted, feeling a bit dazed by the whole conversation.

Xie Lian seemed to think quite seriously about that. “Does San Lang want to get properly married then?”

“Is gege offering?” It was a joke. A joke thrown out because Hua Cheng couldn’t keep this conversation straight at all.

“I thought you were,” Xie Lian answered quite easily. “Though I meant what I said about my abstinence vow.”

Was that why Xie Lian had brought that up? He thought Hua Cheng took him in to fuck him? And now he was proposing??

“This one would never force gege into something he didn’t wish for,” Hua Cheng said, because it was really all he knew right now.

Xie Lian nodded. “Is there no one else San Lang would consider for the position?”

“Never,” Hua Cheng responded before he even thought twice. That was another thing he knew for sure.

“Then I’m alright with getting married if San Lang will have me.”

How did this happen?!

“It would be my honor.” And his voice sounded so much more calm than felt possible.

Xie Lian nodded, as if this were all a very normal conversation they were having. “I don’t have a dowry of course.”

“Gege doesn’t need one,” Hua Cheng assured, feeling more and more like he was in an extremely bizarre dream. A very good dream of course but that didn’t make it any less bizarre.

“San Lang is very kind,” Xie Lian complimented as he ate.

Had seeing Xie Lian injured made Hua Cheng go so insane he’d come up with this highly specific delusion? That had to be it, right?

“Is there anything I should prepare for the wedding?”

“Gege just needs to worry about getting some rest for now. This one will handle everything else.”

Just as soon as he figured out what the fuck was happening.

Chapter Text

Some might have said Xie Lian was completely unhinged for upping the ante and becoming not just a concubine to a mysterious and powerful ghost, but a consort to one. Xie Lian liked to think he was efficient. It was possible he was both. But he had already agreed to marry into the household one way or another, it made much more sense if he was the legal spouse rather than just a pretty thing on the side.

If he was going to get married for the hell of it, why not commit to it? Maybe he could kill a whole decade exploring what married life was like. It could be interesting. Xie Lian was never one to turn down new experiences. True he usually didn’t actually have a choice but he was pretty satisfied with this one so far, so why not?

Plus when he’d realized he was currently the only member of Hua Cheng’s harem he very much had assumed that meant his original assumption that Hua Cheng only wanted a concubine was incorrect. Judging by how surprised Hua Cheng was by the offer, he really hadn’t anticipated marrying Xie Lian properly but he had seemed excited by the prospect and, well, what was the difference really?

Still, Hua Cheng was a very peculiar fellow to be so accommodating like this.

Xie Lian looked around the room Hua Cheng had brought him to, luxurious enough for a prince. He was quite sure it was more impressive even than the room he’d grown up in on Taicang Mountain during his years of training. It wasn’t that it was unnecessarily big, but that the small space was clearly made with careful intention. In spite of being in a city of ghosts, the energy was very good and all the furniture was clearly high quality, set up in such a way that didn’t make the space feel too crowded nor too empty.

Xie Lian had heard families or even his servants long long before talk about the flow of the room. There was an art to setting it all up for the maximum balance. Clearly Hua Cheng understood that balance, or paid someone who did, because Xie Lian had never before felt such a good energy to a room. What a pleasant omen.

“Am I sharing a room with San Lang?”

Hua Cheng paused for a moment. “This is your room, gege.”

“Ah,” Xie Lian nodded. “They’re so nice I assumed they must be yours.”

Face softening, Hua Cheng smiled. “This one is glad it’s to your liking. Is there anything you’d like before bed?”

“You’ve already done so much. What more could I ask for? A lullaby? I’m not such a high maintenance person.”

“Gege could have a lullaby if it would help,” Hua Cheng said, looking heart-stoppingly sincere with his silly joke.

“I don’t need to trouble you with something like that.”

“It’s no trouble.” Perhaps it really wasn’t a joke?

It occurred to Xie Lian now that, in spite of dying many many times and in spite of currently talking to a ghost who had clearly died at least once before, most people were not so casual about near death experiences. Most people perhaps did not carry on without a care after attempts on their life. And perhaps to an outside observer that would be upsetting.

“San Lang,” Xie Lian reached out to cover his hand. “It’s alright. I’m really not in any pain or anything like that. It’s like it never even happened at all.”

Hua Cheng frowned. For a moment Xie Lian thought he might argue back. What a soft heart this ghost lord seemed to have. Xie Lian didn’t think such gentleness was exactly suited to running something with the reputation of Ghost City, but that only made it more curious. Who was this future husband of his?

“Goodnight, gege. If you need anything just open your door and call out for assistance. No matter how small.”

And though Xie Lian really thought he felt completely better, he was tired and the bed did look very nice.

“Sleep well,” he smiled, bowing his head politely to his future husband only to feel himself stopped at the shoulder.

“You don’t have to do that,” Hua Cheng said seriously, looking almost uncomfortable with the fact Xie Lian had attempted it.

Feeling a bit awkward, he nodded. “Ah, alright, it won’t happen again.”

Hua Cheng drew his hand back, gaze turned down to the ground. “Sleep well,” He repeated back before heading out.

Oddly, Xie Lian was pretty sure he’d seen the start of a bow before Hua Cheng left.

***

“Black Water,” Hua Cheng called out into the array.

“I don’t have any updates for you,” He Xuan answered, voice flat.

“I found him.”

There was a beat of silence.

There was no need to clarify who ‘he’ was. He Xuan was one of few people who knew how long Hua Cheng had looked for his god. Who knew how hard Hua Cheng had worked.

Their alliance was an odd and seemingly unbalanced one. Though He Xuan could’ve been said to be a spy for him in the heavens, they both knew most of the information was pretty much useless to him. There was only one thing Hua Cheng had been hoping to hear all these centuries, and though He Xuan was a very good spy, the heavens hadn’t had anything to tell him in that regard.

“Congratulations.” He said eventually.

“He asked me to marry him.” He felt like if he didn’t tell someone he’d burst. Or maybe it wouldn’t be real. Or maybe it was only real if it wasn’t spoken because spoken out loud it seemed entirely too far fetched.

“Huh?”

“I took him home and he said he’d marry me.”

“Did you lose what’s left of your senses and confess to him as soon as you saw him?”

“No. He was dying, I just brought him home to take care of him. I set out dinner and he just…”

Another moment of silence stretched out. What was there to say? How could he explain when he didn’t understand it himself? He still didn’t know if saying it out loud made it more true or less true, only that his head was still spinning with Xie Lian’s words on loop.

“This isn’t you inviting me to the wedding is it?”

“No, you’d eat all the food before his highness could get a bite.”

Silences were common between them. To others it might have been odd to sit in a communication array and say nothing for long stretches, but it felt like company. It felt like companionship in its own way. Hua Cheng was not the type of person who had friends. He didn’t have a need for such things. But perhaps, if he had to, He Xuan was one of the closest he had to such a thing.

“I don’t know how to plan a wedding,” he admitted at last. It felt forbidden to admit somehow. To acknowledge that within a day of meeting Xie Lian he was already finding gaps in his knowledge.

“You haven’t daydreamed about it enough to figure it out?” He Xuan joked in that deadpan way they often fired between each other.

But Hua Cheng really felt overwhelmed and unprepared beyond measure. He loved Xie Lian, yes. He’d had fantasies about Xie Lian, yes. Fantasies with less than pure content. Fantasies where Xie Lian did nothing but smile sweetly at him and hold him like he was precious the way he had that first meeting.

And yes. Shamefully he had imagined Xie Lian calling him as if they were married. Had imagined how Xie Lian would look in wedding robes.

But he’d never dared really play the thoughts out fully. Never dared to actually plan a wedding. How was he to predict that Xie Lian would want one? Would he be disappointed if it wasn’t good enough? Hua Cheng thought any wedding with Xie Lian would be the best already.

This silence, unlike the others, was weighted with those unspoken worries and He Xuan ended up breaking it again. “Was there anything you actually needed or did you just want to subject me to the lovesick talk again?”

“We’ll need seafood for the wedding.”

“…Did you really use my password just so you could make me bring you fish?”

“Ghost City is limited in its human food and Yin Yu will be busy with other preparations.”

“…When do you need it by?”

“End of the week. I’ll consider your last visit paid for if you bring enough.”

“It’ll be there,” He Xuan sighed.

The array closed, leaving Hua Cheng to the silence of his room.

His room right across the hall from Xie Lian’s.

”I’m alright with getting married if San Lang will have me.”

As if Hua Cheng would ever refuse him. As if it were even possible. He had no idea why they were getting married. He had no idea where Xie Lian had gotten the idea Hua Cheng had proposed first the way he seemed to be implying.

Was he suppose to refuse? If Xie Lian was misunderstand something it would be right to refuse. But Hua Cheng hadn’t asked him to marry him. Hua Cheng hadn’t asked anything like that of him. Xie Lian had just offered.

So then wasn’t it only right if he accepted? Wasn’t it only right he give his god what he’d asked for?

A wedding.

He got to plan a wedding for Xie Lian. With Xie Lian.

He didn’t have time to sleep tonight. He had to learn how to do this right. They’d be skipping so many steps already and neither of them had family to participate, but Hua Cheng would do as much as he could to make this worth it for Xie Lian. To be worthy of Xie Lian.

Even if he couldn’t get the image of all that blood out of his mind.

Chapter Text

Lilies. The hall was filled with lilies.

Xie Lian stood in the doorway, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Where did someone even find this many lilies? It was like the hall had been converted into a farm for them, though they blocked the walkway in various vases and pots.

“San Lang?” He called out, because this seemed to be something he needed assistance in understanding.

“Yes, gege?” Hua Cheng opened his door, only just across the hall from Xie Lian and seemingly completely unbothered by all the lilies between them.

“What’s this?”

“Gege and I are doing our marriage so out of order and gege has no family for me to exchange wedding gifts with so I thought this was the least I could do.”

Xie Lian reached out to pick one up. A wedding gift since there couldn’t be the traditional ones. His betrothed was a bit cute. What a silly detail to get caught up with. Was his husband a bit more upright than Xie Lian had thought? He still wasn’t completely sure what to make of Hua Cheng but that wasn’t really the impression he’d get based on his city.

“If they don’t please you I can have them removed,” Hua Cheng offered, as if so many lilies was a casual thing to him and it was of no consequence to have brought them before or throw them away now. “I just collected them for fun, there’s no need to feel pressured to accept.”

What a strange way of having fun. Xie Lian liked it.

“I do like them, I just don’t think they can live in the hall like this,” he smiled.

“Of course. Where would gege prefer them?”

It was odd but Xie Lian couldn’t shake off the feeling that Hua Cheng really was unbelievably polite. He had this air of mischief to him yet the way he said ‘gege’ held a certain amount of respect for Xie Lian as his (probably correctly) presumed elder. Had he really gotten so used to people being rude to him that this felt foreign? He hadn’t been that disliked in Banyue, had he? To be looking so much into such a small address, he must’ve been.

“There’s enough for both our rooms I think?” He picked up a few, turning to see where in his room they’d fit best.

“They’re all meant to be for gege.”

“San Lang, I don’t have anywhere to put so many,” he snorted.

“This one apologizes. It wasn’t my intention to give gege something useless.”

Now Xie Lian knew his betrothed was teasing. Feigning mock surprise as if he had only just realised how many lilies were in the hall. It was definitely a fun prank. “It’s sweet. Lilies are wedding flowers aren’t they?”

“En.”

Xie Lian settled a few arrangements around his room before coming back to look at the still considerable amount in the hall. “San Lang really doesn’t want any for his room?”

“No, this one can get rid of the rest, I didn’t mean to—“

A bit more seriousness had slipped into Hua Cheng’s tone and Xie Lian didn’t really care for it. Better his husband be over the top and insincere than worried about something so small.

“San Lang it’s really fine.” Xie Lian plucked one of the petals, holding it out.

Hua Cheng took it without hesitation, though he didn’t seem to know what to do with it.

Plucking another, Xie Lian ate it. “They make for good snacks anyways.”

Understanding his lead, Hua Cheng ate his. “Gege likes them raw?”

“I don’t have a real preference. Does San Lang prefer them dried?” Xie Lian plucked another, perfectly content to stand in the hall and chat.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t had many opportunities to eat them.”

“You haven’t? That won’t do, we’ll have to dry them out then! They’re very good to cook with.” Not when Xie Lian cooked of course, but some people could make great dishes with them. “Wait a minute, didn’t the soup yesterday have some?”

“It had buds, but not petals. Isn’t it different?”

“I suppose. Well after we dry them I’ll cook something for San Lang.”

Hua Cheng perked up with clear interest, something very satisfied in his eye like he had walked Xie Lian into his trap. “Really?”

“En. Consider it the gifts from my family in exchange for your gifts to mine,” Xie Lian smiled. “Where should we take them to dry?”

Hua Cheng helped him rangle what was left of the rather large gift out of the hall and into the kitchen to press the petals.

One by one they plucked them and laid them out to be sapped of their moisture, a soothing sort of rhythm coming from the process. Hua Cheng really had gotten him entirely too many.

It was, in a very silly way, romantic though. Their second day of knowing each other had only just began but Xie Lian thought it boded well for their marriage, however long it lasted.

***

Listening to Xie Lian was intoxicating. Getting to contribute to the conversation was addicting. Everything about it was paradise. For once his residence lived up to its name.

Xie Lian talked about flowers he’d eaten. He talked about plants he’d grown. He talked about how the lilies in the North seemed to taste different from the lilies in the South, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.

And Hua Cheng told him about recipes he’d heard but never tried. Traded tips for foraging in areas that seemed to have nothing (though Hua Cheng hoped to ensure Xie Lian would never truly need that information beyond a fun thought). Talked about cuisines they had and hadn’t tasted.

Xie Lian seemed to be quite traveled when it came to food.

“I used to be very picky when I was younger,” he admitted, laughing as if he thought it was funny now. It certainly sounded so far from his present knowledge of so many dishes.

Hua Cheng had traveled many places and paid attention to how to cook, but he’d never found any great joy in the actual act of eating. When he was alive it had been for survival. Now he had more than enough spiritual power to compensate for not eating.

But he still munched on petals with Xie Lian as they plucked and laid them out. They didn’t taste bad and the act of sharing food with his god, however small and unprepared of a snack it may be, was… nice. He had, admittedly, gone a bit overboard on how many he’d acquired, but he couldn’t regret it when this was the outcome.

“You know,” Xie Lian paused as they were on the last of the flowers. It felt like they’d only been here a few minutes but Hua Cheng knew it had been hours. “I bet I could cook something up with them fresh too. Maybe sauté them?”

“If gege wants to, it would be an honor to try.”

Xie Lian smiled at him, light and vaguely sweet like the petals on his tongue but so much headier than that. So much more all consuming.

Xie Lian was smiling at him. Xie Lian was living with him. Xie Lian was marrying him. Xie Lian was going to cook for him.

He was utterly drunk on his devotion, completely out of his depths and out of his mind and some part of him still rang with reminder of what Xie Lian had looked like just yesterday when he got there too late, always too late.

But Xie Lian was here now. He could protect him now. He could be useful for him now. If he dwelled too much in what once was, he might miss what was happening. Better to save his memories as mere reminders of restraint and live fully in Xie Lian’s moment. He could recall the bad when he was alone again.

“What will gege make?”

“Maybe a stir fry?” Xie Lian started plucking petals to go into a bowl instead of out to dry, shooting him another smile as Hua Cheng started putting his petals there too.

“That sounds wonderful.”

It didn’t take much longer for them to finish up, more stories shared, and Hua Cheng did his best to share his own but was caught with how much he just wanted to listen. It was all so much more than he deserved but he absorbed it all like a starved man ate.

And watching Xie Lian cook? Watching Xie Lian cook was an entirely new gift. One that left him stunned and grateful and out of his mind with fascination.

He had never seen a stir fry so burnt before. He had never wanted to eat food so badly.

Xie Lian dished out two portions, starting to seem just a bit unsure as he held them.

Hua Cheng wouldn’t miss this chance though, gracefully taking his portion and sitting to eat. He didn’t miss the way Xie Lian watched him very closely, like he was waiting for something. “It’s very good. Maybe next time gege could make sure all the ingredients are chopped to the same sizes so that it’s easier to eat but I like it, thank you.”

Xie Lian beamed, sitting down with his own portion. “It’s called Hundred Years Stir Fry.”

He named his dishes. It was what they deserved. Still, the very fact made Hua Cheng’s heart giddy, his mind tucking away the knowledge like a precious treasure.

“It seems every hundred years I’ll have to gift gege more lilies then.”

Xie Lian shot him a bemused smile. “Why's that?”

“So gege and I can keep living happily together of course.”

“I’m not sure my food has those kinds of properties.”

“Mm, it does, this one can sense great power in this dish.”

Xie Lian gave him an indulgent smile. “I’ll take San Lang’s word for it.”

Chapter Text

Xie Lian hadn’t expected to spend an entire day losing himself in conversation and lazily laying out petals to dry. It was definitely the sort of way he liked to spend his days, but he hadn’t expected it to be the sort of thing that a well dressed ghost lord like Hua Cheng did.

They were compatible it seemed. Maybe the sort of thing you should figure out before agreeing to marry someone— even people relying only on matchmakers got their compatibility read after all— but Xie Lian really hadn’t expected this to be any more than a brief curiosity on both their parts. Hua Cheng wasn’t expecting him to sleep with him or fulfill any sort of spousal duties after all.

All the same, even if Hua Cheng was treating it lightly too, he seemed shockingly sincere in so many other ways.

It was nice. It was good to know he’d been right so far in trusting Hua Cheng. There was an ease in talking to him that couldn’t be forced or learned, the natural affinity of two people who were simply predisposed to get along. What a treat.

Some parts of it still needed some adjusting to of course. Xie Lian’s new robes weren’t too difficult to put on himself, but they did turn his reflection into someone a bit strange to him.

It was not that in the centuries since being banished he’d never worn nice clothes. It was just that these seemed very much like the sorts of things he would’ve worn before. Functional but elegant.

He looked almost younger in them. Which was a silly thing to think considering he hadn’t physically aged a day.

But still. All he was missing was a sword at his hip. Was this how Hua Cheng liked his consorts? Pampered princes? Xie Lian felt ridiculous just looking at himself. Perhaps that was rude though. The clothes he had been given were very nice and he didn’t particularly care what he wore. Hua Cheng could’ve dressed him up as a little wife and Xie Lian’s only real thoughts on the matter would’ve been that he finally understood the joke being played at his expense that made Hua Cheng take him in.

So the clothes were nice. And they fit him well. He’d get used to it eventually. In fact, though it took a bit longer than the day before with no pile of lilies to sweep his mind away, by the time breakfast ended Xie Lian had already completely moved on from the novelty.

“Today this one thought gege may like to see the city? Apologies for not taking you yesterday.”

“No need to apologise, I’m the one who got carried away with the lilies. Am I allowed to walk freely then?” Xie Lian would do whatever he wanted but it was good to understand what the actual expectation was.

“Of course. This is gege’s home, not a prison,” Hua Cheng frowned.

Xie Lian shrugged. “I know some lords don’t like their wives going outside more than necessary.”

“Gege just needs to do whatever he wants.”

“San Lang is too easily taken advantage of. What if I wanted to do something very unreasonable?”

“Then this one would accompany gege while he was unreasonable.” Hua Cheng leaned on the table to grin at him.

Xie Lian laughed. “What if I wanted San Lang to do something unreasonable for me?”

“Then it would be a great honor to do so.” Hua Cheng’s eyes sparkled with challenge, as if daring him to make unreasonable demands.

Xie Lian shook his head, amused by his betrothed odd conviction. “Today I’ll settle for touring the city if San Lang really doesn’t mind showing me around.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Hua Cheng smiled, pulling back to stand.

It was much different to walk through Ghost City now then it was when he first woke up there. For one, he could actually take in his surroundings. Actually there was no second thing, Xie Lian was pretty sure that he hadn’t taken in much of anything the last time he’d been outside.

He’d heard the rumors of course. Disregarded most of them because he knew what rumors could do. But there was something quite interesting in the truth of Ghost City.

For one, it was much bigger than Xie Lian had expected it to be, proper little districts for different things and everything— although proper was definitely a very loosely used word here.

It was much more lively than he expected. Humans and ghosts of all sorts wandering around and getting up to things they probably shouldn’t be.

It was nice to see how normal it was in a way, really not as scary as the rumors made it out to be, though Xie Lian supposed his metric for what was scary was admittedly a bit skewed. Still, it was just a city like any other, albeit with ghosts roaming and many goods that would be considered illegal anywhere else openly sold.

It was interesting. Xie Lian thought he could spend a few years here quite happily.

***

Showing Xie Lian around Ghost City was something he’d imagined a thousand times before. He’d thought about the way he would explain it all. The stalls he thought Xie Lian might like and the ones he thought might surprise him. He’d imagined how the ghosts would interact with him.

Nothing could have prepared him for reality though. Nothing could’ve prepared him for walking side by side with his god and seeing him take in the centuries of hard work Hua Cheng had put into his city.

Xie Lian walked the city without judgement. Without disgust. He walked the city with open curiosity. He walked the city greeting ghosts Hua Cheng had harbored for decades.

But most importantly: he walked the city. Him, Hua Cheng’s god. Him, Hua Cheng’s beloved. Him, Hua Cheng’s soon to be spouse by some strange turn of chance.

It’s because of what you said, he wanted to tell him. I remembered what you told that man the day you bought me. I built a place just like you said there should be. Did I do it right?

He had never realized before how proud he was of Ghost City. How much it had become his own. He’d made it because of Xie Lian’s vision but he’d taken so many liberties with what little direction he was given. And now Xie Lian was walking in his city and Hua Cheng desperately wanted him to like it.

The ghosts liked Xie Lian. They were quite curious about him, trailing around their general area and quick to chat with him. Offering wares he didn’t need. Enticing him over to stalls wholly unrelated to anything that could be appropriate for a god.

Earnest and clumsy and overly eager. Foolish and loud and terribly inappropriate. They were a mess. And Xie Lian smiled at them all.

He was, after all, that god Hua Cheng had fallen for all those years ago. That god who’d held a cursed and angry child and promised it wasn’t his fault. That god who’d directed his followers not to kneel.

This was his god. These were his people. And Xie Lian, perfect and wise and ever so kind, accepted them all.

“I’ve wanted to visit Ghost City for awhile you know,” Xie Lian told him midway through the day.

“What stopped you?”

“I’m not bad with directions but if I make a plan to go somewhere, something always distracts me or pulls me in another direction. I try not to plan too much.”

The idea that Xie Lian could’ve come to his city on his own two feet, whole and safe and not bleeding out hurt. But he had him here now, so he tried not to linger on the thought while Xie Lian could see him react to such things.

“Did you like the places you ended up?”

“Mostly. Interesting people are found everywhere you look after all.”

Hua Cheng couldn’t help but smile. “Does gege like traveling then?”

“I suppose. It’s not bad to wander.”

“If staying in one place makes gege restless, this one would be honored to take gege wherever he’s been meaning to visit. We can ensure nothing stops you from reaching there this time. It could be gege’s first unreasonable request.”

Xie Lian smiled. “I want to explore Ghost City a bit first. I think I’ve about got the layout down.”

Hua Cheng would expect nothing less from his god. “Gege had fun then?”

“Of course. San Lang is great company. I’m very lucky to have a husband like him.”

A few ghosts nearby let out a gasp. Word would no doubt be spread by morning.

“Sorry, should I have kept it a secret?”

“Only if gege wants it to be a secret. It’s an honor to marry you so of course it’s an honor for others to know.”

Xie Lian gave him a funny smile. That one where he was trying to figure Hua Cheng out.

Did he like the parts he was figuring out?

Hua Cheng didn’t know. Xie Lian didn’t ask him anything about whatever it was he was decoding about Hua Cheng, just brushed against him as he led him back into the throngs of the Ghost City streets.

“It’s this way back home right?”

Home. Did Xie Lian think of it like that already, or did he just not know Paradise Manor had another name he could call it? Hua Cheng hoped it was the first.

“En.” And though it was his city that he’d walked for centuries, he followed Xie Lian ‘home’ like it was his first time again. It was at the very least the first time he’d ever thought to call it home.

Chapter Text

Though Hua Cheng had offered to stay with Xie Lian throughout the day again, Xie Lian could tell by the small glimpse he’d had into Hua Cheng’s room that morning that he was busy. And Xie Lian was certainly capable of entertaining himself.

So, after being briefly side tracked by Hua Cheng’s flirtatious reminders that he would happily give up all his responsibilities to spend the day with someone as lovely as Xie Lian, he managed to insist he wanted to see the city on his own.

So, dressed in the finery of the Ghost King’s betrothed, Xie Lian took to the streets to explore more.

Ghost City was a place where someone could get murdered in the street and no one would bat an eye. But Xie Lian thought the people were still a bit sweet in their own way.

“You ask him!”

“No, you.”

Two ghosts bickered not nearly quietly enough. Xie Lian had seen them following him for quite some time so he stopped to browse a stall, trying to give them a natural opening.

He really had just wanted to make it easier to approach him but apparently all he’d done was rile them up.

“Excuse me,” he asked, watching the one who seemed to be some sort of lizard spirit nearly jump out of its skin at his attention. “San Lang told me there were weapons sold nearby, could you tell me where they are?”

In truth, Hua Cheng had told him exactly where they were too, but he figured he could give them a bit of a hand in whatever they were worked up about.

“Is it true you’re getting married to Hua Chengzhu?” One of them blurted, completely not helping Xie Lian with the directions he’d been pretending to need.

“That’s right.”

Something exploded to his left.

“When’s the wedding?!” A shrill cry came from the vendor he’d just been browsing from.

“Ah, I don’t know. San Lang and I haven’t set a date yet.”

“Newlyweds have to eat tofu!”

“You idiot, if they’re newlyweds they wouldn’t need something like that! If you’re getting married you’re gonna need to eat a lot of cherries!”

“For a peaceful life, a couple should take care of chrysanthemums together.”

“Forget about gardening, it’s better they fry some rice!”

Xie Lian admittedly wasn’t terribly versed in euphemisms but he was nearly certain all of those had been referring to sex.

“What are you all going on about? Newlyweds eat lychee!”

A few ghosts turned to look at the indignant newcomer, seeming to be trying to parse what they’d said. Xie Lian supposed it must not have just been a euphemism he didn’t know about then.

“They’re natural aphrodisiacs! You’ll have many strong sons!” They continued.

Ah but still about sex, hm? This was going to be a very interesting day. All the same it was an opportunity to learn more about his husband-to-be.

“San Lang is the lord of Ghost City, right? Is he well liked?”

“Oh Chengzhu is the best!”

“Unbeatable!”

“You’re marrying up for sure!”

Xie Lian smiled. He’d already known that much.

“Strong too! Chengzhu has beaten gods!”

“Not just the strong ones, he beat the smart ones too, really showed ‘em how far up their own asses they were acting so self important!”

“Oh?”

Some of the ghosts looked excited. “Daozhang hasn’t heard?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Back before he founded Ghost City, Chengzhu challenged thirty-five officials—“

“I heard it was a hundred but all but thirty-three were too scared!”

“I heard they challenged him!”

“Will you let me tell the story? He challenged them to a duel at their own skill set. If a god lost they had to give up their godhood and descend back to the mortal realm and if Hua Chengzhu lost—“

“He’d never lose!”

“Sh!”

“—he’d give up his ashes.”

“Cocky bastards broadcasted the duel in their followers’ dreams!”

“I bet they regretted that!”

“They should’ve regret not sticking to their word. What kind of gods were they to go back on their oath, huh?”

“I’m not there yet! He beat all the martial gods in fighting and made those pansy civil gods faint with his incredible debate skills! Wiped the floor with them all!”

“But they didn’t honor their promise?” Xie Lian guessed based on the interruption.

“Nah. It was too late though, their followers had seen it all and knew our Chengzhu was superior to some lame ass heavenly officials.”

“Burned all their temples down too!”

“In one night!”

“Now everyone knows you don’t go back on a promise with our lord but back then I guess they didn’t.”

“If you don’t make good on your promise to Hua Chengzhu, he’ll make you follow it.”

“Ain’t he incredible?”

Incredible was certainly right. Xie Lian had been able to tell that Hua Cheng was well read and well spoken, and certainly he’d felt the power rolling off the ghost, but to best thirty something gods and then strip them of their power really was no easy feat. He wondered how true it was.

Xie Lian never ended up getting to the sword stall that day, instead catching up on the many rumors that hung over his betrothed reputation and politely declining many, many well meaning bedroom tips.

***

A wedding. A wedding! A wedding.

Hua Cheng was handling it so well. Handling it absolutely incredibly honestly, all things considered.

The proposal had been all sorts of unconventional. Definitely not the way people were ‘supposed’ to do things but that was fine.

Did Xie Lian expect him to talk to a fortune teller next? He did know Xie Lian’s birthday already, potentially he could have gotten them a proper matchmaker. But a large part of him really didn’t want to do such a thing. He’d spent so much of his living years trying to escape the implications that clung to his birthday, surely pulling in a fortune teller was just inviting misfortune.

And everything about the wedding gifts was all mixed up since they had no families. Xie Lian seemed to have enjoyed the lilies though. That was something, even if it was far from conventional.

Why was he trying so hard to stick to convention when every part of their arrangement was the furthest thing from conventional though? Hua Cheng had never been someone who followed the grain. Neither was Xie Lian for that matter. It should’ve been fine if they went off book.

He couldn’t help the way his mind buzzed with expectations though. So much of the ceremony behind weddings expected people. Family and friends and participants. Hua Cheng could find ones to satisfy his end, but could Xie Lian? But without the others to participate how was their wedding any more than an elopement?

They could invite Ghost City to the banquet, so at least that step wouldn’t feel so lonely, but would Xie Lian really feel comfortable with that?

Pulling into the parts of his mind that split off into the hundreds of butterflies he had scattered about, he tried to find Xie Lian, relaxing when he caught sight of his god in a noisy crowd. They were so excitable, gathering around him like moths to flame while Xie Lian just smiled and listened.

Hua Cheng felt something proud curl in his chest. He’d let their banquet be a public affair. It would give Ghost City something to do after all.

Now there was just about a thousand other details left to attend.

Hua Cheng tugged the golden thread he’d been using to embroider Xie Lian’s wedding robes. A night without sleep had left him with decent progress, but it was nowhere near done and he hoped to at least finish the main section while Xie Lian was out today.

He’d probably just do some sort of simple modification on one of his existing robes for himself. He’d wear enough jewelry to offset how subdued the embroidery was compared to Xie Lian’s anyways.

There was so much to prepare, so much that could go wrong but this… this at least Hua Cheng was confident in.

How many robes had he made for Xie Lian over the years just to “pass the time”? Just to express even a fraction of the overwhelming devotion within him? It was well trodden ground, even if it was his first time making them for a wedding.

Hua Cheng really would’ve rather spent the day with Xie Lian, but this was far from a bad day, caught up in the trance of needlework that finally had a real goal.

He wanted a wedding robe that really fit his god. Something that told the story of his greatness and perhaps… perhaps told a bit of the story of Hua Cheng’s meetings with him.

Phoenixes or dragons were traditional animals for the occasion, but Hua Cheng had always been drawn to the imagery of butterflies.

Rather than traditional borders or even the traditional wedding flowers, Hua Cheng stitched in those nameless white flowers that he had once gifted his god to decorate the hems.

These were the greedy bits of himself he allowed, but the focal point of the robe’s embroidery he wanted dedicated to Xianle. Robes to carry the past. Robes to look towards the future.

Robes to witness his beloved in on the day they wed.

Hua Cheng really didn’t know how he kept such a steady hand. But then again, for Xie Lian he’d always managed to do the impossible.

Chapter Text

Since becoming betrothed to Hua Cheng, Xie Lian spent half his days with his new husband and half of them wandering through Ghost City alone— or as alone as you could be with very eager ghosts around. On days with Hua Cheng they'd meander around doing this or that around Ghost City or in nearby cities a few times even. They were always lazy, indulgent trips spent simply enjoying the new scenery and chatting with locals.

He thought they got along quite well by now, never an awkward silence between them and never any sign of annoyance from Hua Cheng about the amount Xie Lian talked when left to his own devices.

When you wandered for six centuries you spent a good deal of time alone after all. For long stretches of time he’d had only Ruoye to talk to and, well, silk bands didn’t tend to talk back. So Xie Lian had gotten very good at talking and talking and talking.

What he wasn’t used to was someone truly listening to every single word of the nonsense he spewed.

“—it’s a very effective cure for leg pain, works nearly every time in my experience,” Xie Lian finished as he ate the last of his meal, realizing only now the way Hua Cheng was leaning on the table smiling at him with all the fondness of a proper husband.

“Gege knows so much,” Hua Cheng praised, sounding shockingly earnest, gaze focused and alight with affection.

“I’m sure San Lang knows much more,” Xie Lian coughed.

“I know a few tricks. Does gege have pain anywhere? I can show you.”

Xie Lian turned thoughtful. He was at that age where most things were a little sore all the time after all, but they were the easily ignored sorts of soreness when getting fatally wounded was your norm. “My neck I suppose? I slept on it a bit funny.”

Hua Cheng stood, coming up behind Xie Lian and gently gathering his hair up to put into a bun at the top of his head, properly out of the way.

Xie Lian closed his eyes as slender fingers slid over his shoulders and dragged up to cup his neck. Hua Cheng could’ve snapped it. Instead he delicately applied pressure with his thumbs, rolling in long, light strokes that melted the tension away. Though the pressure was all to his neck, it felt almost like it ran through his whole body.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone gave him a massage, it was definitely a novelty. Hua Cheng really did seem to be the type to dote on a spouse and Xie Lian could feel his eyes growing heavy even closed as they were.

“Does it help?”

“Mn,” Xie Lian gave a content noise of approval, falling further under the spell of that firm yet soft touch.

Until Hua Cheng blew on his ear.

Xie Lian bolted properly upright in his seat, rubbing his ear. “What was that?”

“Gege had a little something there. It’s gone now.” He pressed a bit deeper, melting Xie Lian back into the same sleepy state he had been in before, though Xie Lian didn’t miss the little chuckle. It was only because he was very generous and had no standard for how people should treat him that he didn’t scold Hua Cheng for the little prank.

“What would gege like to do today?” Hua Cheng asked, which seemed a rather unfair question when he was melting Xie Lian with well placed fingers.

More of this would be nice. He didn’t say that of course.

“I didn’t really have a plan. I took up so much of San Lang’s time already lately though I thought I’d leave you be for today.”

“Gege knows it’s never a hardship to spend time with him.”

Xie Lian yawned as a knot that must have been decades in the making finally began to soften under Hua Cheng’s expert touch.

“There?”

“Mhm,” Xie Lian sighed. “San Lang’s so good at that.”

“Do my tips meet gege’s expectations then?”

Xie Lian had honestly forgotten this had been a response to his tips to deal with leg cramps. “Even better than mine.”

“That’s not very fair gege, all yours could be done to yourself, mine needs another person so they’re too different to compare.”

Xie Lian let out a heavy breath as he realized that odd stiffness was not in fact how necks were supposed to feel but some sort of built up of soreness and cricks over time.

“Does gege want more?”

“If San Lang is so eager to demonstrate.”

“En,” Hua Cheng moved to kneel in front of Xie Lian, gently tugging off his boots. Or more specifically: the boots he had given Xie Lian, just as simple as his old ones but much sturdier and more comfortable. “I know a trick for leg pain too.”

“They don’t hurt right now.”

He opened his eyes to see Hua Cheng rolling up the hem of his pants, looking quite focused as he dragged a light touch from Xie Lian’s knee to his ankle.

And he knew that couldn’t be the trick but it didn’t stop the way his stomach swooped.

“Gege doesn’t have to hold back if he wants to make noise by the way.”

“Hm?”

“When I was massaging your neck sometimes you’d tense again like you were holding back.” Hua Cheng met his eyes as he took Xie Lian’s foot in his hands. “Gege doesn’t have to hold back. If something feels good you can tell me. If something hurts you can tell me. I’ll always listen.”

Perhaps it was because Hua Cheng was staring so intensely or perhaps it was because he wasn’t used to being touched like this but Xie Lian squirmed at the first pressure.

“It just tickles,” he explained.

Hua Cheng paused before doing the same thing again in what was surely on purpose.

It was only through all the self discipline Xie Lian possessed that he didn’t kick Hua Cheng in the face with his squirming. Instead he lifted his foot out of that mischievous grasp to bop him under the chin. “No more of that.”

Hua Cheng smiled, gaze dropping down to take Xie Lian into his hands again. “Yes, gege.”

***

Hua Cheng felt his body burn from his hands up as he pressed with carefully controlled strength to work out the tension in Xie Lian’s body.

Every breath Xie Lian took rattled in his ears like thunder, shaking Hua Cheng up completely.

Working the oil across the smooth expanse of Xie Lian’s back, Hua Cheng kneaded his elbow into a shoulder blade and nearly burst into butterflies at the responding groan.

The way Xie Lian was melting under him. The way Xie Lian was sighing and groaning his approval. The quiet “a bit deeper there” or “not there— yes that’s right, you’re so good at this, San Lang.” The way he was fucking straddling his god’s hips to get this angle on him. All of it was so much, too much.

He had overestimated himself in taking on this task. In letting Xie Lian strip to just his pants. He’d meant to tease and help Xie Lian a bit, not thoroughly wreck himself. Never before had he been so aware of every pad of his finger or the meat of his palm. Never before had touch felt so electric and Xie Lian felt so warm

He couldn’t stop now though. Not when Xie Lian was melting like this. He didn’t want to anyways.

“‘M so lucky San Lang wanted to marry me,” Xie Lian breathed and Hua Cheng felt something in him crack.

He could never unhear that. He never wanted too.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian was very comfortable walking through Ghost City by now but one thing that never got easier to deal with time was how extremely friendly Ghost City was. It perhaps didn’t sound like much of a problem and it certainly wasn’t a word many would associate with the rowdy crowds, but Xie Lian found it more and more true with every passing day.

They were a very eclectic crowd, easily excitable and easier to make conversation with every day. There were spirits of all kinds that made their home in Ghost City and all of them had stories.

Some of their stories even involved Hua Cheng.

Rumors, Xie Lian knew, were subject to exaggeration and embellishment. Personal stories like this were a bit more trustworthy though, even if they were tinted with the biases of the person telling them too, they were at least only going through one layer of it instead of the several that rumors bred.

His husband was definitely not as gentle as he’d thought him that first night, but Xie Lian liked the tales of him sheltering the ghosts in his city. Of him talking back to cultivators and even gods who came to ‘stir up trouble’ as the ghosts put it. The Hua Cheng in their stories was confident and deadly, with a kindness that seemed arbitrarily given and was a bit roundabout in its delivery, but everyone assured him if Hua Cheng disliked you it was very clear.

It didn’t seem anyone had gotten as much attention as Xie Lian, but he rather liked the stories about how Hua Cheng sassed people anyways. His betrothed was funny. He’d already known that, had already seen the way Hua Cheng could tease, but he looked forward to one day seeing him properly in action.

He was clearly well liked too based on the way Ghost City talked. Xie Lian wasn’t sure if it was his own personality or Hua Cheng’s influence (he suspected it was Hua Cheng’s influence), but the ghosts accepted him with great gusto and never lacked for praises to tell him about Hua Cheng. It could’ve been a fearful attempt to appear loyal to the man who owned the city, but Xie Lian had seen praises given in fear or servitude and this was not that. They simply liked Hua Cheng and welcomed Xie Lian for being chosen by him.

As much as he appreciated the warm welcome though, he really didn’t need any more exotic fruits grown from dead bodies. Which was why today he’d gone a bit further in his exploration, drifting to the less traveled areas. Areas where the crowd thinned and pockets of peace could be found.

And it was in one of these areas that he found it.

There, within the dark smoke and brilliant reds of the ghost realm, there, within the city his husband had built from the ground up, was a temple. A temple more beautiful than any he'd ever seen, a thousand lights decorating it like a transcendent and breathtaking jewel catching the light.

The air about the temple was completely different from the chaos of Ghost City, something enlightened and calm that drew Xie Lian in closer.

He followed the jaded stones that paved the path up to that brilliant sanctuary, murmuring the words engraved on each one with care. Qiandeng Temple.

Incredible.

It was only as he walked deeper inside though, past the doorway empty of an establishment plaque, that he saw it.

Xie Lian felt his heart stop.

“Gege!” Hua Cheng pulled him away from the doors, away from what he’d seen. He was undoubtedly on edge. “What are you doing out this far?” It wasn’t accusatory or scolding, more of a genuine question. He clearly hadn’t expected Xie Lian would find such a place.

“Didn’t San Lang say I could go where I pleased?”

“En. But it’s a mess in there, let this one clean it up a bit first.”

“Alright,” Xie Lian smiled encouragingly. “Let’s come back another time then.”

“En. Will gege cook dinner again tonight? This one has been working up an appetite planning the wedding.”

Hua Cheng was perhaps the only one who had ever or would ever requested Xie Lian’s cooking.

“Does San Lang have any requests?”

“I’m sure whatever gege makes will be wonderful.”

***

Xie Lian had seen it. He had to have seen it. But he wasn’t acting like he had. Xie Lian chatted as he cooked like normal and served Hua Cheng dinner as usual. There was no sign of any discomfort or fear on his face. No sign that anything was different.

This was good, right?

He paused in his step, annoyed as he felt He Xuan reached out.

“When do you want the food?”

This was what he had reached out for? “End of the week.”

“You say that every week and then cancel it because the wedding isn’t ready, set a date already.”

“I’m busy.” Hua Cheng cut off the communication before stepping into Qiandeng temple and taking in the large painting he’d done of Xie Lian in all his glory. Undoubtedly a scene of the flower crowned martial god. And though he held a sword in one hand, shamefully Hua Cheng had placed that small, nameless version of himself in the other, pressed close while Xie Lian stood proudly in a warrior’s stance.

It had only gone up recently, a stupid whim he’d gotten one day when Xie Lian had been out on his own and Hua Cheng had needed a break from needlework. His god had finally been found, so he thought perhaps his temple didn’t need to sit empty.

He should’ve realised Xie Lian would eventually want to see the temple. Should’ve realised that it all implied too much. Gave away too much.

Hua Cheng stared up at it for just a bit longer before moving to take it down to hide away. Even as he did so he knew how foolish it was. So he hid that it was a temple to Xie Lian— assuming Xie Lian didn’t already know— and then what? It was clearly a temple to someone and there was no one else Hua Cheng would even pretend to worship.

Finding Xie Lian was a miracle. Becoming engaged with him was a dream.

And befriending him… befriending him was precious beyond compare.

But Hua Cheng was not a fool. He knew Xie Lian was kind to everyone. Knew their engagement was nothing but a whim. And he knew his love for Xie Lian was not those things. He knew he was nothing short of intense and that Xie Lian had not proposed to the ghost who had loved him for six centuries. He had proposed to the eccentric ghost who took him home on their first terrible meeting.

This… this would surely be something Xie Lian didn’t want. And whether Xie Lian really hadn’t seen it or was pretending not to to give Hua Cheng face he wasn’t sure.

All he was sure of was his god looked so happy lately. His god delighted in the fact the kitchen was always stocked. His god made friends in Ghost City. He took warm baths and smelled like a different soap every night. And Hua Cheng didn’t want to ruin that. He couldn’t ruin that.

How long could he hide such a thing though? How long could one contain their very reason for being?

So he could put back up the painting. He could face the truth and see how Xie Lian reacted.

Or, he thought as he tucked the painting away, or he could always remain Xie Lian’s curious ghost who ‘flirted too much’ and ‘was the type to spoil his spouse’. Someone more palatable. Someone more subdued in their affections.

Yes. It was better that way.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian was glad to find the robes being set out for him everyday— while very much nicer than the robes he was used to wearing— weren’t any more difficult to put on. It still felt strange to be in them.

“Gege looks lovely today,” Hua Cheng complimented.

Especially strange to be so noticed in what he wore.

Hua Cheng’s compliments didn’t seeming mocking necessarily, but there was a playful gleam in his eye when he said it, the same one that had been there every other day he’d said it before. It was odd to realize it was now a somewhat regular occurrence for Xie Lian. It was even more odd to realize that playful look didn’t discount the fact Hua Cheng meant it.

“San Lang takes good care of me after all. Are you busy again today?”

“Never too busy to spend time with gege,” Hua Cheng reminded him.

What a terrible flirt his husband was.

“Was there something specific gege wanted to do?”

“San Lang needn’t do anything different. I was curious what it is my husband does in his free time.”

“Whatever my beloved wants to do of course,” Hua Cheng shot back, hands crossed behind him as he leaned in just a bit, though the distance between them was still more than proper. In fact, it was more than Hua Cheng had been putting between them in previous days.

“San Lang doesn’t want me to see?”

Hua Cheng tilted his head. “There’s no issue with gege seeing, it’s just there’s nothing interesting to show.”

A lie, but one Xie Lian could take with grace. “San Lang doesn’t have to report about me to the others then?”

“Ghost City already knows.”

“No, the other Ghost Kings.” A classification Xie Lian had only learned about recently but he remembered enough about how heaven functioned to have some idea of how it probably worked.

Or how he’d assumed it worked. Hua Cheng snickered. “I don’t have to report anything to them, gege. The ghost realm isn’t so organized. In fact I’d rather neither of them come to the wedding.”

“Really? How do you usually spend your days?”

“A bit of this and a bit of that. Lately I’ve been planning the wedding if gege wants to assist. Or the temple has been cleaned up if gege still wants to see it.”

“What still needs to be done for the wedding?”

Hua Cheng smiled. Something soft and quiet. “Gege could choose a date.”

“Whenever we finish planning?” Xie Lian suggested. He had no clue what the timeline for this sort of thing was after all.

“To be honest, this one will keep planning for as long as he is given to make the perfect wedding. It could be ready tomorrow or in a hundred years.”

Xie Lian smiled. “If my groom took a hundred years to marry me I may begin to suspect he didn’t want to marry me at all.”

“That’s the furthest thing from the truth, gege. But how could any amount of planning be enough?”

Xie Lian searched his gaze stepping forward. “San Lang I don’t want to wear these clothes.”

Hua Cheng blinked at the sudden change of topic before recovering. “What would gege like to wear then?”

“What I came in.”

Tilting his head, Hua Cheng seemed puzzled. “Gege is free to do so. Aren’t they still in your room?”

Xie Lian smiled. “I’ll go change and then could we visit the temple?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll choose a date before the end of the day,” Xie Lian promised before going to get ready in clothes that felt like him.

The new boots he kept. They were solid and comfortable, but the well worn cloth of his cultivator robes felt much more like home than the luxurious ones he’d been in since he arrived, especially when he caught sight of himself in his vanity mirror.

Xie Lian paused to see himself in it still though. It hadn’t just been his imagination that he looked so different. It hadn’t just been the clothes either. He’d filled back out living here, ribs no longer sticking out. He was healthy, he realized. Or on his way to it. After all, he’d eaten every day since moving in with Hua Cheng.

Tying off his belt, Xie Lian patted Ruoye. “He’s been very good to us, hasn’t he?”

Ruoye nuzzled his hand in acknowledgment.

Smiling, Xie Lian headed back out.

“Gege looks lovely today,” Hua Cheng repeated.

“San Lang already said that.”

“This one had to make sure gege knew it was about him.”

Xie Lian shook his head, taking his hand. “Let’s go.”

***

Hua Cheng tried to keep from tapping his fingers with nerves as Xie Lian walked through the temple. There was no good way for this to end if Xie Lian asked questions. No excuses he could truly use to hide from this without denying his devotion— and that was a lie Hua Cheng couldn’t bear to tell.

Still. Still.

Xie Lian looked perfect here. He was less eye-catching in his own robes, but no less stunning. Clothes had never been what made Xie Lian beautiful. It was in the way he moved. It was in the way he smiled.

His god was here, wandering through the temple Hua Cheng had made just for him. It wasn’t empty anymore. His god had been found at last.

Hua Cheng stiffened as he noticed Xie Lian had stopped in front of where the painting once sat.

“It’s very well crafted. But why doesn’t San Lang have prayer mats?”

“The god the temple is dedicated to asked his followers not to kneel.”

“And who would that be?” Xie Lian’s fingers brushed against a little white flower Hua Cheng had left as an offering the night before when he’d removed the painting. He hadn’t been able to help himself.

“It seems as though gege already knows.”

Xie Lian picked up the flower, back still turned to Hua Cheng. “En.”

Was this it? Had Xie Lian said he’d pick the wedding date by the end of the day because he wanted to let him down easy here? Would he still allow Hua Cheng to follow him?

“Doesn’t San Lang want to hear what I think?” Xie Lian turned to face him and though Hua Cheng knew he’d be beautiful holding that white flower and glowing in the light of his temple, he could not look.

“Will your highness… not tell me?” He had carefully avoided using the title since he’d taken Xie Lian into his home, but there was no point to it now.

Xie Lian took a step closer. And Hua Cheng’s heart managed to soar and drop all at once. “I’m sorry, these things have to be said clearly.”

Hua Cheng took a breath he didn’t need, still not meeting Xie Lian’s eyes. “I understand. Before your highness does, may this one give you something?”

“Of course.”

“I had meant to give you this for the wedding but…” Hua Cheng pulled out the ashes he’d prepared, the delicate chain and crystal clear ring shape of them glinting in the lantern light.

“Then San Lang should wait to give it to me until then.” Xie Lian closed Hua Cheng’s hand over them. “How does next week sound?”

Hua Cheng looked up in shock, taking in the sight of Xie Lian’s fond smile.

“Can I tell you what I think now?”

Unable to speak, Hua Cheng nodded.

“I think San Lang is very good at painting. Would you please put back up the lovely piece you did for me?”

“Gege liked it.” The words felt too breathless.

“En. Your offering too. It’s beautiful, I like it very much,” Xie Lian twirled the little flower, nose scrunching with his smile.

“Your highness isn’t… put off?”

“Frankly I think it would be stranger at this point if San Lang hadn’t known who I was,” Xie Lian tucked the flower behind Hua Cheng’s ear, seeming pleased with it there. “So can I see it?”

Hua Cheng had to remind himself breathing was not a necessity for him. “Your highness can have anything you want.”

Chapter Text

Xie Lian was engaged. He’d known this for awhile but it was only now that he was beginning to really feel it was true as he looked over Hua Cheng’s wedding plans.

It was maybe a bit silly not to realize it but there was something much more real about marrying someone who knew who he was instead of just a stranger whose eye had been caught by a strange, undying traveler. Something much more real about the fond smiles Hua Cheng gave him now.

Hua Cheng had always been a good catch, Xie Lian had known from the very beginning with his looks and romantic attentions anyone would be lucky to be his partner. He had wealth and power to keep a spouse comfortable and clearly wasn’t stingy with sharing it. But now it was as if he was finally processing just how incredible the Ghost King was.

“San Lang has excellent calligraphy,” Xie Lian complimented as he read over the perfectly neat notes.

“…Gege, that isn’t my calligraphy.”

“Huh?”

“Yin Yu wrote that.”

Xie Lian blinked down at it. “Oh I thought you were planning everything yourself.”

“I was, but Yin Yu wrote it all down for me.”

“Ah, right, I’m sure San Lang must’ve been too busy. I’m sure your calligraphy is beautiful though, San Lang is good at everything after all.”

“…Gege’s seen my calligraphy before.”

“I have?”

“En.”

Xie Lian thought about it. Qiandeng temple didn’t have any writing besides the path engravings so it wasn’t there and he’d never seen any loose writing out in Hua Cheng’s room. He really couldn’t imagine—

Unless….

“Did San Lang perhaps write the establishment plaques for the Gambler’s Den?”

“That’s right.”

Xie Lian thought back to those ridiculous phrases in that intense, evil scrawl. “San Lang’s calligraphy has a lot of presence. Not easily forgettable.” It wasn’t a lie.

“Because of how terrible it is?”

“No, no, San Lang is quite good, great style. Style is the hardest part you know. Yin Yu’s writing is technically flawless but it’s so bland compared to San Lang’s, nothing that grabs your attention in the same way.”

Hua Cheng leaned closer. “Really?”

“Really!”

Hua Cheng traced over Yin Yu’s writing with his finger. “I do want to learn to write well, but I’ve never had anyone to teach me.”

“I could teach you. Here, show me how you write,” Xie Lian grabbed him the necessary materials, settling in shoulder to shoulder with him. Attentively, he observed his husband as he went through the brush strokes.

Lovers will be married, all is well

Ignoring the romantic meaning of what was written, Xie Lian moved to guide his hand. “Your posture is wrong. It’s like this. Try again.”

They started to repeat the phrase, hand over hand, until Xie Lian noticed them beginning to stray again. “San Lang,” he scolded, turning his head to face his betrothed only to end up nose to nose with him.

Though Xie Lian had already been ignoring the heat of Hua Cheng’s hand under his own, the brush of noses felt electric, running through him mixed with shock and an odd sort of giddiness. Facing forward again, he cleared his throat. “Write properly. You can take notes while we plan today to practice.”

“I’ll do my best, your highness,” Hua Cheng promised with false meekness. It was clear he didn’t feel scolded at all.

What a troublesome husband Xie Lian was getting.

***

Hua Cheng wrote as Xie Lian spoke, though he was quite sure it wouldn’t be readable later.

“Some of the residents have suggested they set up door games for you.”

Smiling, Hua Cheng added an extra flourish to his calligraphy.

“Does gege want this one to prove his love?”

Xie Lian laughed. “I never expected San Lang to do something like that.”

Hua Cheng watched a wraith butterfly flutter over to land on Xie Lian. Watched the way his god happily held out his hands for it to land and smiled at it. “I would prove it as many times as your highness wished,” he promised.

Xie Lian looked up from the butterfly, cheeks pinking as he met Hua Cheng’s eye then looked back down. “No need, no need.”

“What sorts of games were they suggesting?”

“Ah the usual. A few suggested they could bring strange foods for San Lang to eat to prove he could weather the joys and sorrows of our marriage. I think it was the noodle stand who agreed to bring something spicy, the death fruit stand who agreed to bring something bitter and something sweet. But I’m a bit worried about the new butcher bringing something sour.”

“What if gege made me something?”

“Me?”

“Something sour, something sweet, something bitter, something spicy. If it’s gege you could probably manage to get it all in one dish even and I’d get to start our wedding day with your cooking.”

Xie Lian laughed, a bright, lovely thing. “San Lang, you’re really the only person who could say that and be happy about it.”

“What’s not to be happy about?”

Xie Lian shook his head, smile still present like he couldn’t help it. “I’ll do it.”

“What other door games did they suggest?”

“Just the physical tests and the declarations of love. No one said it outright but I think some of them were hoping if they helped there would be the usual bribery too.”

“So gege wishes to be serenaded before our joys and sorrows breakfast,” Hua Cheng nodded with false seriousness, writing that down.

“San Lang no,” Xie Lian was laughing again. Hua Cheng had made him laugh again.

“What about the physical tests, gege? This one is the most important.”

“Oh? Why's that?” Xie Lian grinned.

“Gege ascended as a martial god. I have to prove I’m strong enough to be worth his time.”

Xie Lian snickered, gently reaching over to soften the wild strokes his calligraphy had gained watching Xie Lian instead of the page. “San Lang doesn’t have to prove anything, I know he’s very strong.”

“Oh? How does gege know that?”

“San Lang doesn’t get a reputation like he has without some of it being true.” Xie Lian’s touch, though light, was confident and unrelenting, not allowing any bit of silliness this time.

“But gege hasn’t seen it.”

“Does San Lang want to show off?”

“Is it so bad to wish to prove my love?” Hua Cheng asked coyly, watching with fond amusement as Xie Lian coughed and pulled back.

“San Lang’s proven enough. But if you really want to show off so bad you can spar me.”

Hua Cheng felt his heart do something strange with giddiness but kept his voice playful. “That’s not fair, gege will surely win and we’ll never get married.”

“You don’t have to win. I can see how strong you are from a serious spar.”

Hua Cheng thought of a still nameless soldier hearing Xie Lian praise his fighting form and suggest sabres. He thought of his short lived fantasies of Xie Lian teaching him and sparring with him, telling him he did better every day.

He no longer needed to be taught. He had long ago become proficient in his weapons, but the idea of a playful spar with Xie Lian still made him ache with longing.

“Alright. Don’t go easy on me, gege.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” From the look in Xie Lian’s eyes, Hua Cheng could almost believe Xie Lian was just as excited about the prospect. “What else do we need to plan?”

Hua Cheng swirled his brush in the inkwell, no doubt overloading it. “This one has been trying to figure out how to make the tea ceremony work when neither of us have family to come.”

“Ah. Yes I guess that is a problem. We could just skip it though.”

“Gege doesn’t want to honor his family in some way?”

“I’m sure San Lang doesn’t want to visit their tomb on his wedding day.”

“Our wedding day,” he corrected softly. “Does gege?”

“I’m not sure when the last time I visited them was, it’s not as if I’m very filal.”

“Doesn’t matter. If gege wishes to visit them we will.”

Xie Lian quieted, seeming to search Hua Cheng’s face for something before nodding. “Alright. It might be very dirty though.”

“I’ll bring supplies to clean and leave fresh offerings.”

Xie Lian smiled. “Alright. What else?”

“Gege’s alright with Ghost City being involved in our main banquet, yes? That’s the part Yin Yu has written. Any of it can be changed.”

Xie Lian’s smile turned into a grin. “I’ll read the parts I like and San Lang can write them.”

“Alright.” Hua Cheng did as Xie Lian said, hand straying more and more as he realized— “Gege are you just reading the whole thing?”

“San Lang needs practice. You’re holding the brush wrong again.” He set down Yin Yu’s notes to come behind Hua Cheng and correct him.

“Without gege here to guide me I’ll go astray,” he teased to disguise the giddiness he felt at that touch again.

Xie Lian hooked his chin over Hua Cheng’s shoulder, cheeks brushing. “Fine, I’ll help. Come on, it’s like this,” he explained, guiding Hua Cheng’s hand.

It was in that moment that Hua Cheng knew he would never attempt to properly learn calligraphy.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian sat next to Hua Cheng in the Gambler’s Den, red curtain separating them from the crowd.

It wasn’t the first time he’d come to watch and it wouldn’t be the last. But it was the last time before their wedding.

He wasn’t nervous. He had known this was coming. But to have a date set made it all feel a bit different. Or maybe it was the new context that changed things.

Turning to look at Hua Cheng, Xie Lian studied the bored arrogance in his eyes. The lazy beauty of his posture. He exuded power, even lounging as he was.

And when he realized Xie Lian was looking at him he turned, expression softening into something more respectful.

“Is gege enjoying the view?”

Even if his words were hardly respectful.

“I was just thinking. San Lang really is quite bold.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Can’t you tell it’s one?”

Hua Cheng propped his chin on his hand, somehow looking more boyish than indifferent when his attention was on Xie Lian. “How is this one bold?”

How wasn’t he bold? “Well San Lang must have worshipped me for a very long time to remember an old god like me. But the moment we met you invited me into your harem.”

Hua Cheng raised a brow. “Gege I definitely didn’t.”

“You offered to let me stay in your home as your companion.”

“Yes, gege. Like a guest.”

Xie Lian paused, trying to recontextualize his fuzzy memory of that day. “Why did you accept my proposal then?”

Hua Cheng’s expression flickered into something more blank. “If gege wishes to call off the wedding—“

“No, no, obviously it’s fine but why did San Lang agree to such a thing if he didn’t have any plans like that?”

“Gege’s my god. Should I have refused my god’s offer?”

“If you’re only accepting because I’m your god, we shouldn’t get married. I wasn’t trying to force you.”

“You aren’t,” Hua Cheng answered quickly. “I want to. If your highness wants to, I want to.”

Xie Lian met his gaze. Faced the sincerity there.

“When I offered I thought San Lang would get bored of me in a few decades at most and we’d part ways,” he admitted.

“That will never happen. But if your highness gets bored you’ll always be free to leave.” It was said lightly but there was a weight to those words. A promise.

Xie Lian didn’t know what he was looking for, but he was sure he found it in those eyes. “Do you know I haven’t gotten hurt once since I moved in with you?”

“I’m glad.”

“And now that I’m eating regularly I look much healthier.”

“I know.”

“And I laugh so much more than I used to.”

Hua Cheng seemed caught off guard for a moment before smiling. “Good.”

“En. Good,” Xie Lian smiled, settling a bit closer as someone approached to make a bet.

He wasn’t sure when it happened, but at some point his hand found Hua Cheng’s, not quite holding so much as resting over. He toyed with that bright red thread Hua Cheng liked to wear until he dozed off.

***

Hua Cheng sat very still, though he doubted moving would wake Xie Lian if he was sleeping through the ruckus of the Gambler’s Den.

Still, there was something too precious about the moment to disturb. Already Xie Lian’s hand twitched around his whenever he spoke to the crowd, though there was no other indication he even noticed. Instead he peacefully dozed against Hua Cheng’s shoulder.

He’d worn his old robes every day since the day he’d asked to switch back. Hua Cheng couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful that Xie Lian had thought he was obligated to wear all those clothes left for him. Hua Cheng had never intended to force him into clothes he wasn’t comfortable with. Xie Lian had looked radiant in them but that didn’t matter if he didn’t like them.

He looked radiant now too. No matter how plain his clothes, it couldn't hide how beautiful he was. How brightly he shone when he smiled. He was incredible.

And he wanted to marry Hua Cheng. Even if he got tired of it one day, Hua Cheng would get to remember a wedding. A wedding.

Who was as lucky as him? Who was granted so many miracles as him?

Maybe someone. Maybe Xie Lian had married lots of people and he almost definitely saved many lives and inspired many strangers.

It didn’t matter though. The miracle of these moments wasn’t diminished by the idea of how many hundreds or even thousands may have come before him. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if the others who were granted such miracles had appreciated it.

Had the others felt this pride when Xie Lian fell asleep on them? They had to. It seemed impossible not to.

Had the others devoted their life to Xie Lian and fought every idiot who denied him? He hoped so.

Hua Cheng hoped many people had experienced the little miracles Xie Lian brought with him. He hoped that they had changed their life on the basis of that miracle.

He loved his god more than was possible to fathom. He worshipped his god more than was possible to express. And truthfully it had been a very long time since Hua Cheng had been able to tell apart his worship from his love. Perhaps there never had been a difference. That was fine.

He’d always thought it was fine because his love wasn’t the sort of thing to be returned. It made him strong, kept him in the mortal realm, but it did not need reciprocation.

It still didn’t need reciprocation. It still didn’t have reciprocation but sometimes…

Sometimes, ever since Qiandeng Temple, Xie Lian’s gaze would linger a bit more. And when Hua Cheng faced him back with love overflowing and unconcealable, Xie Lian’s expression returned it.

And he didn’t think it had done that before.

Soon they would be married. Soon Hua Cheng could say that. And they wouldn’t make love and they probably wouldn’t kiss and there was no reason for them to share a bed. But they’d have a wedding. And Hua Cheng would always know they’d been married.

A miracle. A precious miracle.

Moving very gently, Hua Cheng slowly pulled Xie Lian into his arms, breath catching at the way he sleepily
nuzzled into the crook of Hua Cheng’s neck. Steadying himself, Hua Cheng pulled out his dice to take them home.

Carefully, he lowered Xie Lian down into his bed, feeling something in him flutter as Xie Lian tried to grip tighter and keep him close.

“Ask me when you’re awake, your highness,” he whispered, smiling as Xie Lian relaxed and let go of him.

“Goodnight, your highness,” Hua Cheng tucked him in. “Thank you.” Because he couldn’t help it. Because he wanted to say it all the time. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

And he would. And he’d see him the next morning too. And the morning after that. And if Hua Cheng played his cards right, he might very well see him every morning for the rest of forever.

Chapter Text

It was finally the day. It seemed almost strange that a day so big would feel so ordinary. It seemed almost strange that he thought it should feel different.

But today, unlike most days in their lazy life together, they had things planned, so Xie Lian got out of bed and wandered out to the kitchen, not even bothering to get ready since he’d just have to get dressed again when Hua Cheng gave him his wedding robes.

“Gege?” Hua Cheng called out, poking out of his own room. “Where are you going dressed like that?”

“I promised to make San Lang our Joys and Sorrows breakfast, didn’t I?”

Hua Cheng stepped out a bit more, leaning against the door. “Am I allowed to watch?”

“En.”

The kitchen wasn’t terribly big, but Hua Cheng had watched Xie Lian cook enough times that he had a spot of sorts. He settled into it easily enough to observe out of the way.

“Did gege plan a recipe?”

“Sort of.”

Hua Cheng tilted his head in question.

“I’ve got some supplies I thought would be good.” Xie Lian opened up the things he’d bought the day before. Although bought was really a strong word considering most of it had been given to him without him even asking.

“Is that a whole mantou?” Hua Cheng smiled as Xie Lian chopped it.

“I thought it could add something interesting.”

“Gege’s food is always interesting.” Said by anyone else, it would’ve been a backhanded comment, but Hua Cheng was clearly sincere.

“San Lang will never get bored of my cooking, that’s for sure,” Xie Lian joked as he pulled out the very mangled lilies he’d stuffed in after Yin Yu helped him get them. They had once been very nice, but Xie Lian had figured all the food was going to the same place so it didn’t matter if they got tossed around with the other ingredients.

Hua Cheng clearly understood why he’d sought them out though, gaze lingering fondly on them as Xie Lian fished them out.

“Can this one tell gege a story?” Hua Cheng spoke up after a few moments.

“Of course.”

“Do you know much about traditions of the ghost realm?”

“Just a bit.”

“Does gege know about a ghost’s ashes?”

“I know about that much. If you have the ashes you control the ghost in a way. Destroying their ashes destroys them after all. Most would want to keep them safe.”

“Has gege heard about the circumstances where a ghost gives them away voluntarily?”

Xie Lian grinned as he prepared the questionable meat he was nearly positive wasn’t human. “In a bet with gods perhaps?”

Hua Cheng snorted. “Gege’s heard that story?”

“En. Is it true?”

“Depends which version.”

“There was a few,” Xie Lian admitted. “But what I could gather was San Lang is more skilled than many martial and civil gods and doesn’t like when people don’t keep their word.”

“That much is definitely true. But that lot couldn’t have beaten me in the first place. There’s a custom though, where ghosts will give their ashes away.”

“What for?”

“Love, of course.”

Xie Lian paused his cooking, excited. “Really? I had no idea there was such a romantic tradition.”

“Not many are brave enough to do it.”

Xie Lian nodded, tempering his thoughts away from the romance and onto the more likely, more upsetting outcome. There was no guarantee such a big responsibility would be properly cared for and so much danger of having such trust abused. More than romantic, most stories of such a thing were probably tragic, so of course not many would practice it.

“I suppose it would be scary to take such a risk.”

“Does gege really think so?”

“Doesn’t San Lang?”

“Of course not.”

“What if they destroy them?”

“Then they destroy them,” Hua Cheng shrugged.

Xie Lian shook his head. “San Lang really is a romantic.”

“Is that a compliment?”

Xie Lian tossed him a smile. “It’s definitely a good quality in a future husband.”

Xie Lian did not ask why Hua Cheng had chosen today to tell him about the story. He did not ask if someone already had them or if there was someone Hua Cheng had in mind.

Somewhere deep in his heart he recalled the crystal clear ring Hua Cheng had tried to give him before. The one he wanted to give Xie Lian on their wedding day. The one he presumably still would. The one it had been so important to him that Xie Lian have even if they didn’t marry.

He didn’t linger on the thought. Didn’t linger on the answer he knew he had already found. Instead: he cooked.

***

“Gege really managed to get so many different flavors coming through,” Hua Cheng commented as he felt something burst into juice in his mouth. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was almost reminiscent of the aftertaste of bile.

“Is that really a good thing?” Xie Lian ate a bit of his own portion with a thoughtful expression.

“It was gege’s goal. I think in the future it would be better to have less happening though,” he advised as he popped in a sort of ball of lilies that somehow was spicy instead of the mild and sweet he’d been expecting.

Xie Lian really had a way of making things no one else could. Hua Cheng had watched the whole process and yet was sure he couldn’t have copied it. Though he was also pretty sure Xie Lian couldn’t have made it twice. He had the impression Xie Lian also didn’t know how he’d made things.

Xie Lian munched on his food with obvious consideration. “I think so too. It’s a bit too ambitious for a regular meal.”

“Perhaps just when gege needs a reminder of how much I love him,” he teased.

He did not expect Xie Lian to tease back.

“San Lang would never let me forget such a thing.”

He wouldn’t. Not if it was something Xie Lian took comfort in knowing. Even if it wasn’t he was sure it must come through in his every movement accidentally.

“And yet gege has set three more challenges for this San Lang to prove himself,” Hua Cheng sighed, playing up the drama to hide his own heart, even though it was worn so plainly on his sleeve.

“Sparring is only one?”

“Gege wanted me to serenade him too.”

Xie Lian laughed. “I never asked for that.”

“Mn. This one remembers it very clearly, gege.”

“What’s the third?” Xie Lian shook his head.

“A gift.”

Xie Lian raised a brow. “I definitely didn’t tell San Lang he needed to bring me a gift.”

“At Qiandeng temple. I tried to give it to gege early and he said to keep it for our wedding day.”

“What is it?” Xie Lian asked, although the look in his eyes said he knew.

“Just something I thought gege could keep for fun,” he pulled it out, setting his now empty bowl aside to walk closer. “May I?”

Xie Lian pulled up his hair, tying it in a quick, messy bun that surely wouldn’t hold up very long. “Go ahead.”

So, Hua Cheng did. He slipped his ashes around Xie Lian's neck and let them fall gently against his god’s chest. The safest place in the world. Finally.

His life had been Xie Lian’s for a very long time now after all.

“I’ll take good care of them,” Xie Lian promised.

Hua Cheng knew he would. He knew it the same way he knew he loved Xie Lian. He would want Xie Lian to have it either way, had meant it when he said there was no reason to fear if the person he chose crushed his ashes. But Xie Lian wouldn’t.

He had always taken such good care of Hua Cheng after all.

Chapter Text

“Is there a good place to spar?” Xie Lian asked as he watched Hua Cheng wash the dishes. He was sure Hua Cheng must have people who could do it for him but if Xie Lian cooked then Hua Cheng always cleaned.

“En, but there’s something else we have to do first.”

“There is?” It didn’t make sense to get dressed in their wedding robes before sparring so he couldn’t imagine what.

“I have to serenade, gege,” he reminded. “Any requests?”

Xie Lian shook his head, heart very fond of his ghost’s antics. “Whatever San Lang sings will surely be wonderful.”

“Gege hasn’t heard me sing before.”

“San Lang is good at everything though.”

“Even calligraphy?”

“San Lang has a nice voice though,” he corrected, smiling as Hua Cheng laughed.

“This lowly one just asks your highness not laugh at his attempts,” Hua Cheng sighed, really playing up the dramatics.

“I would never,” he promised, settling against the wall comfortably.

Hua Cheng didn’t stop doing the dishes as he opened his mouth to sing, and something about the quiet domesticity of it all struck Xie Lian. Or maybe it was Hua Cheng’s voice, rich and lovely just as Xie Lian had thought it would be.

Or maybe it was the words. Something nostalgic. Sang with the hint of an accent he could almost remember. It took him until the very end to place it.

“That’s a song from Xianle.”

“That’s right,” Hua Cheng smiled.

He had already known Hua Cheng must’ve known him back then to be worshipping him now, but it was still a bit surprising to hear that bit of his childhood here.

“If that wasn’t enough for gege I can sing another.”

“San Lang doesn’t have to.”

Hua Cheng did anyways. Singing in languages Xie Lian didn’t know and ones he did. Love songs from all over.

By the second song he had finished the dishes, serenading Xie Lian from across the small kitchen. It should’ve been very awkward. It was a bit. But Hua Cheng’s eyes were filled with such glee as he leaned against the counter and crooned our love song after love song.

Hua Cheng was a flirt. Insincere and mischievous, that’s what Xie Lian liked to say.

But he knew that wasn’t really true. Maybe he was mischievous and had a terrible habit of flirting with Xie Lian, but he was also very sincere. Perhaps the most sincere.

Maybe that was what gave him the courage to blurt out: “For the wedding, would you do it in your true form?”

Having just ended a song, Hua Cheng paused, clearly a bit surprised to be interrupted. In the blink of an eye he shifted though, into a form Xie Lian had seen before but never realized…

“I like it,” he complimented, realising Hua Cheng was waiting for his reaction.

Hua Cheng stepped closer, reaching out, and for a moment Xie Lian thought he was going to cup his face. Thought he was going to kiss him.

He didn’t mind the thought.

But instead Hua Cheng reached to fix his falling bun, pulling it into something a bit neater. “Is gege ready to spar?”

He was so close. It wasn’t that they normally had a great deal of space between them, but it felt different today. Maybe because they would be married by nightfall.

“En.”

***

Hua Cheng readied his stance, anticipation coursing through him.

He’d sparred before, a little and a very long time ago when he was in the army.

This was different. This was Xie Lian twirling a borrowed sword and grinning at him like a kid. “I might be a bit rusty but I hope San Lang won’t go easy on me.”

“If I went easy on your highness I’d surely lose,” he grinned back, giddiness dancing in his chest as he waited for Xie Lian to make the first move.

“San Lang’s reputation is so great and he has so much spiritual energy. You were so confident challenging the other gods, don’t you think you could beat me without breaking a sweat?”

“Your highness isn’t like other gods. And if gege wants to borrow spiritual energy he need only ask.”

Xie Lian stabilised his stance. “I’ll manage.”

And how beautifully he ‘managed’.

Xie Lian had been a vision when they were mortals, dazzling and godly, but his six hundred years clearly had not been spent idle.

He was swifter than any mortal Hua Cheng had ever heard of, even without spiritual energy to assist him, and not a single move was wasted. He played defense, simply blocking or dodging every attack until his opponent was lulled into a rhythm and he could strike.

Beautiful. He was beautiful.

The clash of metal on metal rang out like an accompaniment to the song of Xie Lian’s laughter.

Since it was just a spar, neither of them were using their full strength, but at this level he defeated some of those arrogant gods. Their version of gentle practice would’ve been deadly to many.

Hua Cheng loved it.

It wasn’t the enthusiastic instruction he’d once imagined, but something even better. It was play. It was the two of them letting out more strength than they’d had reason to in centuries. It was the kind of experience that could only be shared between equals.

Centuries of improving himself had been for this moment. He’d thought it had been to protect Xie Lian and be useful to him but he knew now it was for this. To hear Xie Lian’s delighted laugh as a strike surprised him. To see the beauty of that form making fighting into an art.

Hua Cheng slowed himself, putting himself on the defensive just to draw out more of Xie Lian. For a moment they simply stared at each other, eyes locked and grins matching, air heavy with the waiting.

And then Xie Lian struck.

There was no extra flourishes or showing off with his style. It was strike after precise strike, all designed to target Hua Cheng’s weak spots. It took him two strikes to realize Hua Cheng’s missing eye gave him a bigger blindspot than most.

“Gege, isn't this a bit unfair? Usually I’d use my butterflies to compensate for that.”

“If San Lang needs me to go easier on him he can say so,” Xie Lian taunted.

Hua Cheng loved him.

“Never.”

Time felt endless like this. His heart felt so full. And Xie Lian was utterly spectacular, the image of a martial god no matter his ascension status.

He wasn’t sure who won. He wasn’t sure there was a loser at all. What he was sure of was that Xie Lian, collapsed next to him in the ground, holding his hand and laughing hysterically, was exactly the god he had fallen in love with all those centuries before.

“Did I pass?” Hua Cheng asked as Xie Lian started to settle down.

“En. My husband will be so strong,” Xie Lian smiled, joy in every line of his face.

“Your San Lang will protect you,” he teased back, sure that if his heart still beat it would flop about in his chest.

Xie Lian scooted closer, nuzzling against him on the ground and practically lighting Hua Cheng’s body on fire really. “I’ll protect you too.”

There was no way to explain that Xie Lian already had. More times than Hua Cheng could ever express, he had.

Chapter Text

“This one knows your highness prefers wearing his own robes so if the wedding robes aren’t to your taste you don’t have to use them.” Hua Cheng said as they headed back to their rooms.

Xie Lian laughed. “San Lang, I’m sure they’re wonderful.”

He wasn’t necessarily opposed to nicer clothes, he hadn’t meant to give Hua Cheng that impression either. He’d just wanted to feel like himself again and be sure that ‘himself’ didn’t bother Hua Cheng. With every passing day it seemed to be made abundantly clear Xie Lian could truly live however he pleased without losing Hua Cheng’s approval. And a wedding was a special occasion, so of course he’d dress up.

“If your highness is sure.” Hua Cheng opened the door to his room, leading Xie Lian in to see the absolute masterpiece laid out across his bed.

There were elements in the design that Xie Lian was almost certain were the kinds that had been popular back when he’d been a prince, but many other parts of the clothes had been modernized.

Xie Lian didn’t know much about weddings and he didn’t know much about embroidery. But he knew it was beautiful.

“San Lang must know such skilled craftsmen. Did they come from Ghost City?”

Hua Cheng clasped his hands behind his back. “I made it.”

Xie Lian pulled his hand off the expert stitching. “Huh?”

“On the days gege went out alone this is what I worked on.”

“San Lang really can do anything,” he turned back to look at it with new eyes. How could Hua Cheng have ever thought he wouldn’t want to wear such a thing? How could anyone not want to wear a piece so clearly crafted with endless love and time?

He didn’t understand and he didn’t care to let the worry linger, picking them up to put them on without any more hesitation.

“May this one help?”

Xie Lian smiled at him. “Only because San Lang passed all my challenges.”

Hua Cheng smiled back, comfortable silence falling between them as confident hands dressed Xie Lian with all the propriety of a practiced servant.

The soft rustle of fabric filled the room, the quiet of Xie Lian’s breath the only other sound between them.

All morning Xie Lian felt sure they were in the verge of something. Sure he was just waiting for something. He didn’t know what though.

Or maybe he did and he just didn’t want to say it. If he said it, it could be wrong. If it said it, he could get his hopes up. If he said it it would mean something.

So instead he watched Hua Cheng’s hands as they straightened out the collar.

He was so focused on how beautiful they were that he missed Hua Cheng settling closer until their noses were brushing, startling him into a faint blush.

“What’s gege thinking about?”

“Your hands,” he admitted before he could help it, then instantly felt foolish.

“Oh? Does your highness like when this one uses them to do this sort of thing?” He smoothed out the collar more, completely unnecessarily. “Or this?” He clasped his hands in prayer between them. “Or perhaps you would rather your San Lang do this?” Hua Cheng cupped his face, mirth in his eye.

Xie Lian only felt his face burning more. “All very good. En. San Lang has nice hands.”

Hua Cheng’s grin grew, though his voice turned suspiciously innocent. “Gege, this one has a question about your cultivation.”

“Yes?”

“Is kissing forbidden too?”

Xie Lian tried to act very normal about that question. He thought he mostly succeeded. “It shouldn’t be.”

Seeming pleased, Hua Cheng leaned in the rest of the short distance between them, brushing his lips against Xie Lian’s.

He was probably supposed to do something in response, but it was a bit hard to figure out what when all of him felt so stunned. As if he hadn’t known what Hua Cheng was getting at. As if he hadn’t held his breath anticipating the close of the distance between them the second the approval came from his mouth.

It was hard to see a person this close but Xie Lian found himself dazed thinking about how handsome the man holding him was. How sweet he was to Xie Lian. How devoted he had revealed himself to be.

And most of all, how very much Xie Lian liked him.

He closed his eyes.

***

Kissing Xie Lian was lightning to the veins. It was more empowering than ascension. It was nerve wracking in all the best of ways.

He never wanted it to stop.

But Xie Lian’s parents had to be greeted and they had a wedding banquet to attend so Hua Cheng made himself pull away, pressing a few lingering kisses along Xie Lian’s jaw and chuckling with delight when Xie Lian leaned into his chest as if overwhelmed.

“Did this husband take too much?” Hua Cheng asked, twirling a strand of Xie Lian’s hair fondly.

Xie Lian made a dismissive noise, voice a bit off. “San Lang is going to be my husband, this much is to be expected.”

“Is it?” He grinned. He wasn’t sure it was possible to stop grinning right now.

“Of course.”

“How often may this husband expect it then?”

“E-everyday of course.”

“In the mornings or the evenings?” He asked just to be difficult.

“San Lang can have more than one a day!” Xie Lian scoffed, his cheeks burning where it rested against Hua Cheng’s.

And he’d known Xie Lian would say that but it still made his grin widen. “Two?”

“More than two.”

“Nine?”

“More than that.”

“Five hundred and twenty?”

“…More than that.”

“One thousand, three hundred and fourteen?”

“San Lang can have as many as he wants.”

Hua Cheng kissed the side of his head with this new permission. “How many does gege want?” He couldn’t help asking. Couldn’t help teasing or maybe begging or maybe bragging. It was all the same.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to count such things,” Xie Lian sassed him, though he was still hiding against Hua Cheng’s neck.

“It’s an important marital duty, your highness.”

Xie Lian pulled back to give him an exasperated look. “San Lang, don’t make up rules.”

Hua Cheng laughed, too overjoyed not to. “Of course your highness, this one apologizes,” he said with the utmost insincerity.

Xie Lian narrowed his eyes then widened them again, pulling back in surprise. “When did San Lang get dressed?”

“If gege wanted to help me I can take it back off.” He had thought it would be faster to just dress with spiritual energy as he usually did, not even thinking of the fact Xie Lian might not realize that was his habit.

“No, it’s fine, I can help take it off San Lang after the banquet.”

Hua Cheng stiffened, feeling everything in him freeze.

“No I meant because San Lang—! Not like that!” Xie Lian insisted.

Hua Cheng felt something in him loosen a bit at Xie Lian’s nerves. “Of course. Gege has his cultivation, this one would never expect him to break it.”

“It would be fine if we did but tonight feels a bit fast and we’ll probably both be tired won’t we?” Xie Lian drove a whole carriage right over Hua Cheng’s delicate mind.

What.

“Anyways, didn’t San Lang say we were going to visit my parent’s grave? I’ll go grab the offerings, we shouldn’t be late.”

They hadn’t set a time. Hua Cheng let him scramble out to his chambers to grab their supplies anyways. He needed time to process what Xie Lian had just said.

Maybe a few years even.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian didn’t remember the last time he had been to visit the ruins of the mountain he’d once cultivated on. Far too long, but then again, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried. Plans were often mixed up for him.

It was overgrown and unruly in the way of places that had been abandoned. The cherry orchard that had once grown was different now, but the reds and yellows and oranges of the leaves colored the mountain in beautiful colors.

“I didn’t know it was autumn,” he remarked. They’d been outside Ghost City a few times since he’d arrived, but nowhere with such clear signs of the season.

“Does gege mind?”

“Why would I mind?” He laughed, starting to lead the way.

“Perhaps gege had a specific season in mind for the wedding.”

“Ghost City doesn’t even have seasons.”

“It could, if gege wanted it to.”

Xie Lian didn’t know how such a thing would be accomplished but he was certain if he said he wanted it, Hua Cheng would find a way. He made even the impossible sound as simple as Xie Lian having a whim for it. He had no need to ask Hua Cheng to craft seasons in a place without them though.

Instead his hand found Hua Cheng’s as he led him to the crypt.

Truthfully he wasn’t sure that he should be bringing Hua Cheng to such a place, but he wanted to and there was no one left to be disappointed in him anymore anyways.

So they walked through bramble and grown over paths. Hiked closer and closer until they appeared at the hidden away entrance.

“Gege,” Hua Cheng stopped them as they looked down at the well, voice serious.

“What’s wrong?”

Hua Cheng pulled him into another kiss that had Xie Lian easing into it a bit easier now that he had some sort of frame of reference. He was sure Hua Cheng must’ve been a very good kisser because it felt so nice the way he held Xie Lian’s face so gently and poured so much love into him and it definitely wasn’t Xie Lian’s skill.

It left him dazed and a bit embarrassed as they pulled apart. “What was that for?”

“Once we go inside there may not be a chance since we’ll be in front of gege’s parents, so this one thought it would be best to get a few more in. Gege’s promised quite a bit of kisses today after all.”

His husband really was too much.

Xie Lian kissed him again.

***

Hua Cheng’s hands felt like they should be shaking. They weren’t. They hadn’t shaken when they climbed down through the passage and into the place where Xie Lian’s ancestors were kept. They hadn’t shaken as they cleaned and set out fresh offerings. They hadn’t shaken as they had their modified tea ceremony— modified because it had to be to accommodate the way they were doing about a million things wrong.

The crypt was quiet, a place for respect. And Hua Cheng had so much respect for his god’s— his husband’s— family. But he also could not help the way his insides shook. The way he felt full of butterflies with anxious, insistent wings. The way he felt hyper aware and flayed raw with vulnerability.

But Hua Cheng had a good enough poker face to keep his calm. Not many words needed to be traded here, not when him and Xie Lian were the only ones capable of speaking. He did not need to pretend he felt in his element enough to be confident and playful at a time like this. He simply needed to show his sincerity to his in-laws, gone as they may be.

And Hua Cheng was nothing if not sincere. Sincere in his love. In his devotion. In his worship for Xie Lian.

He was marrying Xie Lian.

He was marrying Xie Lian.

He was marrying Xie Lian.

He was marrying Xie Lian.

He had kissed Xie Lian today. Xie Lian had kissed him back. And they were getting married.

If he reminded himself enough maybe it would feel real. Maybe then he could believe the eye watering awe that filled him every time he glanced up to see Xie Lian poised and proper in wedding robes Hua Cheng had painstakingly crafted.

Beautiful. So handsome. So radiant.

His god his husband his beloved.

Xie Lian caught him looking and looked back, smiling softly at him.

And Hua Cheng returned that smile with a tender smile of his own but he was shaking apart at the seams with his love because it was really so much, this was really so much, so much more than he’d ever believed he could have.

I adore you.

How could you settle for someone like me?

How could you bless someone like me?

How do I make sure you smile like this forever?

Even if you only like me an eighth of the way I love you, it is already so much more than I could ever have anticipated.

I love you I love you I love you.

He did not say it, but he still felt so sure someone could hear it. That Xie Lian or maybe his parents were prying into his thoughts and judging them.

“Is San Lang ready to go?” Xie Lian asked as they finished the last of their ceremony. Married at last. Married.

“If gege is,” Hua Cheng held out his hand, feeling his chest crack open all over again at how easily Xie Lian slotted his fingers between Hua Cheng’s own. He’d die a third time at this rate.

“En. I don’t want to make Ghost City wait too long. They’ve all been very excited to participate.”

Hua Cheng smiled, bringing their joined hands up to kiss. “Gege’s too good to them.”

“They’ve been very welcoming to me.”

“Nosy you mean.”

“That too,” Xie Lian admitted with his own smile. “But they’re sweet. It’s clear they respect San Lang very much.”

“If gege ever gets tired of the noise we could go somewhere else.”

“I know. San Lang has already taken me on trips.”

“I meant we could live somewhere else.”

“But Ghost City is your home.”

“Gege’s my home. I can make trips back and forth anytime I need.” He flashed his dice.

“I suppose that’s true. It might be nice to be somewhere smaller. With a garden. Does San Lang like to garden? I could take care of it if you don’t.”

In all the time Xie Lian had been living with Hua Cheng, that request was perhaps the most precious of all that had been made of him. A request for a life all their own. A request for domesticity he had always held more shamelessly selfish of him than his dirtiest fantasies. Just a life together. Just happiness together.

“And I’d still want to visit Ghost City too.”

“Anything,” he promised.

“San Lang really means that doesn’t he?”

“How could anyone not when it comes to your highness?”

Xie Lian didn’t answer. He just kissed him. Very shyly, just a peck on the cheek, but it only took a brief turn of Hua Cheng’s head to slot their lips together again as if they had always been made to fit in such a way.

Maybe they had.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian had expected rowdy. Xie Lian had known to expect a feast. And knowing Ghost City, whatever Hua Cheng already had would definitely be added to. It was quite likely that they would have some interesting gifts being offered to them too, he’d known all that.

But it was different knowing these things and actually seeing them.

“Gege just has to say the word and we’ll make them leave,” Hua Cheng murmured.

Xie Lian shook his head. “I want them here.”

And he truly did. He wanted the noisy, foolish rowdiness of this city he had grown to love. The city the man he loved had made.

“San Lang must’ve never had a dull moment in all these centuries.”

Hua Cheng looked out at the crowd streaming into Paradise Manor and causing a ruckus. “Does gege want to see them get really excited?” There was a hint of mischief in his eye that really couldn’t be trusted.

Still Xie Lian found himself asking: “How?”

“I’m sure they’d be quite excited if they saw us kiss.”

Xie Lian wondered where that respectful ghost king who didn’t touch him more than necessary when he’d first moved in had gone. “They would see.”

Hua Cheng raised his brow with a sly grin. “That’s the point gege.”

“That’s. Something private.”

Hua Cheng didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the refusal, smile as bright as ever. “If gege says so.”

Xie Lian watched some of the first courses come out, biting his cheek. “But if…”

Hua Cheng tilted his head, listening.

“If San Lang wanted them he could.”

“Could?”

“I did promise San Lang quite a bit of kisses after all and we’ll probably not have much time after the banquet with how late it will be so if San Lang wants them it would be fine,” he coughed.

“But gege,” Hua Cheng leaned in. “I always want them.”

“We’ll have to eat too, it would be rude not to.”

“Of course.”

“But otherwise…”

“Otherwise?”

“Otherwise it’s fine.” He managed.

Hua Cheng’s grin was wide as he leaned in, easily capturing Xie Lian’s lips.

And just as Hua Cheng had said, the crowd erupted into cheers and hollers, even calling out some rather obscene suggestions that once would’ve passed by Xie Lian without phasing him one bit but now had him turning red. If it wasn’t for Hua Chang’s kiss distracting him, Xie Lian was sure he would’ve curled up and combusted from the thoughts running through his head.

But. Well. Hua Cheng was very distracting.

So if Xie Lian had maybe thrown his arms around Hua Cheng’s neck and tangled a hand in his hair at some point it really couldn’t be helped. His husband was just too good at kissing and even the rowdiest and lewdest of encouragements couldn’t change how good it felt it to just hold and be held. To just like someone, love someone, and know that it was returned.

Hua Cheng had waited for him for centuries. Had taken such good care of him even though he really didn’t have to. He’d been so happy since coming here, so content with the madness of marrying a stranger.

But he wasn’t marrying a stranger. He was marrying his San Lang. His San Lang with the little white flowers and the endless love and teasing. His San Lang with the kisses that fried his brain. His San Lang who he perhaps wouldn’t just have a few years or decades with, but who might very well stay with him forever.

Forever. The word tasted good on his tongue. Or maybe that was his San Lang too. It didn’t matter. His husband was practically synonymous with forever as far as he was concerned.

When Hua Cheng finally broke the kiss, Xie Lian was sure he must look a mess. But Hua Cheng always looked at him like he’d created everything good in the world and Ghost City had gotten so loud it was hard to tell specifics of what they were shouting anymore.

“En,” Xie Lian nodded at nothing as he tucked his hair back. “If San Lang wants kisses he can just do that, very good.” Xie Lian picked up an empty cup and ‘drank’ from it.

Laughing, Hua Cheng kissed his cheek. “I’ll let gege enjoy dinner too, don’t worry.”

***

Hua Cheng rested his cheek on his hand, elbow on the table as watched Xie Lian chat with a few excited ghosts and demons trying to give him wedding tips. Unlike the last group, Xie Lian actually seemed interested in what these ones were saying, smile bright and honest.

Hua Cheng couldn’t help his own smile caught with such a sight. His god, his beloved, so happy here.

His smile grew as Xie Lian turned to meet his gaze, waving him over. And how could he refuse such a request? He was on his feet in moments, pulled towards Xie Lian like the god had his own gravity to him.

“Did gege need his husband?” He got to say that now. It was true now.

“En. Would San Lang be interested in wedding games? They were explaining the rules of a few, I thought they would be fun,” Xie Lian looked over at him, relaxed and content as he leaned into Hua Cheng’s touch.

“Of course. What sort of games?”

“How does San Lang feel about being blindfolded?”

“Shouldn’t gege wait until we’re alone for those kinds of games?” He teased.

The eavesdroppers gasped and giggled while Xie Lian shook his head.

“You’re supposed to pick me out from a crowd blindfolded.”

“Just wandering?”

“No, we’ll line up for you. And you can only guess from the touch of our hands.”

Hua Cheng bit his cheek to try to curb his grin. Did Xie Lian not realize such a game wouldn’t work on him? “Alright.”

It didn’t take long for players to line up and Hua Cheng to be blindfolded, but Hua Cheng was quite sure the set up of the game was going to take longer than it took him to win it.

Ghosts and demons had auras, and it was true they got muddled this close, but Xie Lian still stood out somewhat, especially in his territory where he was even more attuned to the smallest of details. It took mere seconds for Hua Cheng to orient himself in Xie Lian’s direction, reaching out his hand to feel more precisely— there.

His hand found Xie Lian’s, linking fingers with him. “Found you.”

“San Lang has to be cheating.”

Hua Cheng took off his blindfold. “Gege never said I couldn’t use my other senses.”

Xie Lian might have accused him of cheating, but he was smiling up at him. “Would you let me try? I won’t be able to beat you for speed.”

“Of course,” he stole a kiss to celebrate his win. Because he could. Because Xie Lian leaned into him for it. Because he loved him so very much.

Hua Cheng had not gone to a wedding before. He’d seen a few in passing, read about them plenty since reuniting with Xie Lian, but never been privy to the buzz of a crowd of people celebrating a couple like this.

He liked it. Or maybe he just liked everything Xie Lian was part of. The game was fun, was silly. He liked watching as Xie Lian made his way down the line, tracing over everyone’s palm.

Some he discounted quickly. Some took a bit longer before he moved on. There was clearly some kind of system, but Hua Cheng hadn’t yet worked out what it was when Xie Lian came to him.

Warm hands grasped his own, running over the bumps of his knuckles. Nodding to himself, Xie Lian put their hands palm to palm, doing an odd circular motion before inching his fingers up the slightly longer lengths of Hua Cheng’s.

It was a struggle not to laugh at how serious Xie Lian seemed about this.

A thoughtful thumb ran over each of Hua Cheng’s nails. He kept them short, so there wasn’t much to feel, but he supposed that was the point. He hadn’t realized Xie Lian would remember a little detail like that about him.

He watched Xie Lian bite his lip, then, slowly like he wasn’t certain he should, he brought Hua Cheng’s hand over to rest on his waist.

Hua Cheng really had to use every ounce of control not to laugh.

“San Lang?”

“Yes, gege,” he let the laughter out, pulling Xie Lian in to kiss him again before he even got the blindfold off. “Is that how you can tell? Do I hold gege differently?” He teased.

“I’m not sure honestly, no one else has ever held me like that,” Xie Lian admitted as he took off his blindfold.

“So why did gege use it as the check then?”

“I was sure I would know.”

“You were right,” Hua Cheng grinned. “What other games did gege want to play?”

“If it’s a wedding you gotta do a duck catch!”

“A duck catch?” Xie Lian looked at the ghost who’d spoken up.

“Did em all the time when I was alive!”

“We don’t have ducks though,” Xie Lian pointed out.

“No worries, my lord! I brought em!” The ghost promptly released a live duck it had somehow been keeping in its robes, the crowd bursting out in new cheers as they saw something running loose, even if they didn’t know the game.

Xie Lian laughed, tugging Hua Cheng’s hand. “Let’s go catch it, San Lang. Maybe it’ll bless our marriage.”

Hua Cheng was quite sure Xie Lian’s mere presence blessed their marriage but he followed, the two of them in seemingly silent agreement to not let go of each other in their chase. Still, even with that to limit them, a duck was a duck, and it stood no chance running from them long before it was scooped up and firmly held.

“Are we allowed to just let it go or are we supposed to do something with it?” Xie Lian called.

The ghost scratched their head, seeming to think. “I don’t remember.”

Xie Lian laughed again, a brilliant, beautiful sound. “Let’s let the poor thing go then, I already feel very blessed.”

“I’m not sure gege, I don’t feel the blessing yet.”

“What does San Lang think we need to do with it?”

“Nothing with the duck. It’s just if our marriage was truly blessed I think gege would have kissed me.”

Xie Lian blushed, but his eyes were bright with mirth. “You’re insatiable.”

But Hua Cheng was rewarded with a kiss on his cheek anyways as they let go of the squawking bird.

“Gege’s the one who promised as many as I wanted. It’s not too late to take it back.”

“Never. San Lang should get as many as he wants.”

“I’ve already warned gege that it’s going to be a lot.”

“That’s fine.”

“It’ll be like this every day. Every other minute your needy San Lang will be asking for one and that’s with restraint.”

“San Lang doesn’t need to restrain himself.”

“All we’ll do all day is kiss then,” he warned playfully.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Gege doesn’t believe I want kisses?”

“I don’t believe that’s all San Lang wants. You’ll want to go out too.”

“I wouldn’t have to. Not if gege was truly willing to kiss me all day.”

“You’d get bored.”

“Gege might. I wouldn’t.”

“You’d want to do other things. San Lang likes when I cook.”

“That’s true we might have to take breaks to cook.”

“And San Lang likes when we talk.”

“Gege could have my communication array password and we could talk while we kiss.”

Xie Lian laughed. “And San Lang liked when we sparred.”

“Is gege offering more opportunities?”

“Could San Lang pull himself away from kissing long enough to?”

He sighed as if the choice was terribly difficult. “I think so.”

“Mh. Good. San Lang likes when we go out together too.”

“We can kiss while we’re out.”

Xie Lian shook his head at him. “And I was thinking. If San Lang wanted to. He might like it if we cuddled.”

“Gege, I’d like it so much.”

He knew he had a ridiculous grin but it was fine. They matched.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian looked at the little plot of land they’d cleared off on Taicang Mountain, heart full with possibilities. It was a good spot with the overgrown remnants of where another building had once laid. They had a good view out at the trees and down the mountain. They’d scouted the area quite a bit before picking the spot and while much had changed, Xie Lian thought it looked even more beautiful now holding hands with his husband than it had when he was younger, ready to take on some vague and heroic future.

“Just so you know, I’ve never had a house that didn’t fall down on me. It’s not that I'm bad with building but my luck…”

“If the house falls down we’ll just get to build it again,” Hua Cheng grinned as they started up on the framework.

And he was right.

Xie Lian had long ago gotten used to his shelters falling apart but maybe, if it was with Hua Cheng, it might even be fun. After all, they could always go back to Paradise Manor if the weather was bad. Building the house and living here was just for them to enjoy. It never had to be anything but that.

Xie Lian had perfected the art of throwing up a shelter for himself, but it was different with Hua Cheng working with him.

It was different with someone to help carry the supplies and with someone to crack jokes with. It was different just knowing someone was here with him. Someone who would share this house with him.

Someone who would share his life with him.

Xie Lian took in the framework they’d built, plopping down on the ground for a break. It took only a moment for Hua Cheng to join him, hand over his as they looked up at their cottage coming together.

“Has San Lang ever built something like this before?”

“En. I built Paradise Manor and Qiandeng Temple.”

Xie Lian’s eyes widened. “San Lang, that's incredible!”

“What about the houses gege made?”

“What about them?”

“Can I hear about them?”

“They really aren’t as interesting as San Lang’s. Just simple structures. One room to keep me out of the elements.”

“There’s nothing wrong with simple.”

Xie Lian hummed his agreement, leaning his head to rest on Hua Cheng’s shoulder. “I have a bit of a ritual with building structures like this you know.”

“Oh?”

“En. Right around now is when I take a nap.”

Hua Cheng laughed, wrapping an arm around Xie Lian. “Gege’s the one with the most experience. If he says we need a nap then we must need one.”

They readjusted to lay down in the dirt just in front of their structure, curled around each other like cats enjoying the noonday sun.

And Xie Lian felt more love than he knew what to do with. But perhaps he didn’t have to do anything with it. Perhaps he just had to let himself have this.

A house built with the ghost who loved him. A future built with a believer who’d shown him what forever could look like. And joy they created together every day for the rest of their lives.

***

Hua Cheng pulled the weeds from their garden as Xie Lian sat nearby pickling the extra vegetables they’d harvested from today’s batch.

He’d had at eye on Xie Lian for awhile waiting for the perfect time to play his card and he could see it was soon now, Xie Lian was just finishing up the third jar. He knew his husband well, after the third one he always took a break.

Hua Cheng discretely watched as Xie Lian put the lid on and leaned back on his hands to watch him garden.

Perfect.

Hua Cheng let out an exaggerated sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Lian asked.

“It’s nothing, only…” Hua Cheng gave a forlorn little look away, fully playing it up although he knew Xie Lian had suspected what was happening as soon as he’d spoken up. “It’s been so long since gege gave this San Lang his last kiss.”

Xie Lian covered his silent laughter with one hand, reaching out to Hua Cheng with his other.

It was the one with the red thread that was attached to Hua Cheng’s own. Just looking at it made Hua Cheng’s heart swell.

”Sometimes I worry I’ll get lost and you won’t be able to find me again,” Xie Lian had whispered one night, only a week into their marriage, as they lay wrapped around each other in bed.

“I’ll always find you again. I promise. And gege knows to look for me now too.”

“En,” Xie Lian hadn’t seemed convinced, quiet as he squeezed Hua Cheng’s hand.

Idea forming, Hua Cheng pulled back, adjusting Xie Lian’s hand in his. “What about this?”

Xie Lian had smiled as he took in the newly tied affinity knot.

“It’s a spiritual device, so no matter how far apart we are, the thread will keep stretching and never break. If we get lost we can follow it back to each other.”

Xie Lian leaned in to kiss him, red threaded hands tangling together like their hair and their legs and their lives. “I love it.”

He held his own decorated hand out to hold his husband’s, because he knew Xie Lian always smiled to see the threads matched up.

Eyes fond and more loving than Hua Cheng could’ve ever imagined, Xie Lian tugged him over, laughing with delight as Hua Cheng, not having expected to have to fight against Xie Lian’s strength, let himself be pulled into his lap and knock them both over.

“Go on. Take your kisses,” Xie Lian smiled up at him.

“Won’t gege give them this time? This poor San Lang always has to get them himself,” he sighed, terribly dramatic just because he knew Xie Lian would give them to him.

“I’ve spoiled you,” Xie Lian snorted before rolling them over to get a better angle to kiss him silly.

“Your highness spoiled me the moment you agreed to stay in Paradise Manor.”

“Is that when it started? Seems like a slippery slope.”

“It’s because gege found himself a very greedy husband.”

“Is it? I thought it was because San Lang looks so cute when he gets what he wants.”

Hua Cheng felt his heart flutter. Xie Lian couldn’t just say things like that! But he did. He did it all the time even.

“Cute enough to marry again? Shall we plan another wedding?”

“Do you want another wedding? I’m sure Ghost City wouldn’t mind.”

He’d just been teasing, he hadn’t actually expected Xie Lian to agree. “Gege would get married to me again?”

“Why not? There’s no one to tell us we can’t. Maybe I’ll even do some embroidery on San Lang’s robes this time.”

Oh Hua Cheng would have to start planning immediately.

“Let’s have it in winter this time. We’ll probably be in Ghost City more when it gets cold anyways.”

“That sounds perfect,” he smiled, then melted as Xie Lian kissed him again.

Xie Lian would embroidery his robes and then would proceed to refuse to let Hua Cheng wear them in public because he found the embroidery attempts so embarrassing that Hua Cheng was only allowed to wear them when he was trying to seduce Xie Lian and feeling especially playful.

They would marry in the winter that year and in the spring the next and in the summer after that, just because they could.

And Xie Lian would ascend again for a third time not too long after, just as Hua Cheng had always known he would.

But they would never stop having weddings and Hua Cheng would never stop asking for kisses and Xie Lian would never stop loving him.

Miraculously, against all odds, Xie Lian would never stop loving him.