Work Text:
Feng Xin is acting strange.
Xie Lian hears him humming for the first time in forever when they are sitting together in front of Puqi Shrine, both busy polishing their blades. Centuries have not improved Feng Xin’s musicality. His humming is still terribly offkey, and Xie Lian fights against the urge to wince, but Feng Xin is smiling, his brow relaxed for once, and his eyes shining.
Xie Lian can’t remember the last time he saw Feng Xin so… so not angry.
“Feng Xin,” Xie Lian calls.
The humming stops immediately. Feng Xin startles, looking at Xie Lian with wide eyes like he forgot he was there.
“Your Highness?”
“You were humming.” Xie Lian doesn’t insist on telling Feng Xin to just call him by his name anymore because Feng Xin refuses every time. Old habits never die.
“Sorry—”
“No, it was—” Xie Lian can’t lie to his friend, but neither can tell him that his eardrums were not pleased, “It was okay. You must be in a good mood.”
Feng Xin’s shoulders relax.
“I am.”
Once more, they focus on polishing their weapons. Xie Lian wonders why Feng Xin has been humming and smiling for no apparent reason, but he knows it’s not the first time it happens.
The memories from when they were on the run don’t come to Xie Lian naturally anymore. The shame and distress, and uncertainty he used to feel back then, left gaps in his memory that only got wider as time went on and he didn’t try to recollect from that dark period.
It takes him a moment, but eventually, Xie Lian remembers, and he almost cuts himself with his sword when he realizes that the last time Feng Xin acted this way, he was spending his nights with Jian Lan—he was in love.
Could it be possible that Feng Xin is courting someone again? It’s been over eight hundred years which doesn’t make that idea farfetched, but then again, Feng Xin has never felt comfortable in the company of the ladies, Jian Lan being the exception.
Actually, could it be possible that Feng Xin and Jian Lan are back together?
“Feng Xin,” Xie Lian calls for the second time.
“Yes?”
“Have you seen Jian Lan recently?” Xie Lian asks because he is curious, and it’s perfectly fine for friends to talk about their romantic pursuits, right?
At least Xie Lian would be happy to talk about his beloved, but Feng Xin has made it clear that he doesn’t care about Hua Cheng. Too bad, he will never know how amazing the Ghost King is.
”No.” Feng Xin is quick to answer, “Why? Are you looking for her?”
“I was just wondering if you have talked to her as of late,” Xie Lian clarified.
“I haven’t. I saw her for the last time a couple of years ago,” Feng Xin inspects his blade. “We agreed to go our separate ways, but sometimes Cuo Cuo finds me when I’m visiting the mortal realm to bite me.”
Xie Lian nods in acknowledgment. Being a father sounds complicated, even more so if the child is a fierce rank ghost.
Feng Xin stands up and moves to the open area in front of the shrine. He swings the sword, his forms clear and controlled. Despite it not being his weapon of choice, his swordsmanship skills are well above average.
Xie Lian is about to join him when Feng Xin places his fingers against his temple, joining his communication array. Xie Lian is not close enough to hear what he mutters in response to the message, but Feng Xin’s boisterous laughter reaches his ears.
Xie Lian didn’t realize how much he missed Feng Xin’s carefree laughter until that moment.
“Your Highness!” Feng Xin trots to Xie Lian. There is a wide smile on his face. “My apologies, I need to leave earlier than expected.”
“Don’t worry.” A smile of his own tugs at the corners of Xie Lian’s lips. “Hope it’s not an emergency.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“I’ll see you later then.”
Feng Xin has a skip in his step as he walks away before ascending back to the Heavenly Realm.
That’s unusual too.
⚔️
Xie Lian couldn’t stop thinking about Feng Xin’s strange behavior for a long time, so much that he didn’t notice dinner was burning until the smell of the smoke was too prominent to ignore.
“I’m sorry, San Lang,” Xie Lian apologizes, feeling the smoke stinging in his eyes and burning in his throat. “The food got a bit overcooked.”
“I’m sure it’s still delicious, gege.”
Hua Cheng enthusiastically takes a piece of charred turnip as soon as Xie Lian puts a bowl in front of him and hums with delight when he takes a bite.
“Glad you like it,” Xie Lian sighs, sitting in front of Hua Cheng, supporting his head in his hand.
“Is everything alright, gege?” Hua Cheng asks, eating and smiling with pleasure after every bite.
“Yes, it is. I was just thinking about today.” Xie Lian nods. “Feng Xin visited.”
“Did he inconvenience you in any way?”
“Not at all, but he was acting a bit strange, just like the way he acted when he fell in love for the first time all those years ago,” Xie Lian explains. “I wonder what’s going on.”
“I can find out for you, gege. You shouldn’t waste your time with him.”
Xie Lian shakes his head.
“Thank you, San Lang, but Feng Xin is my friend.”
“Tell me if you change your mind.” Hua Cheng empties his bowl and asks for a second one.
It warms up Xie Lian’s heart.
⚔️
Mu Qing arrives at Xie Lian’s door a few days later in the mid-afternoon. He is wearing armor and carries a saber with him, most likely visiting after a mission.
“Ah, Mu Qing. Hello,” Xie Lian moves to the side, letting Mu Qing into his home. “What brings you here today?”
“Is Crimson Rain here?” Mu Qing asks instead, his eyes darting from one side of the room to the other, his shoulders taut and hands ready to grab his weapon.
“San Lang is busy in the Ghost City but will be back later.”
“That’s good.” Mu Qing relaxes. “I was around and decided to visit because I had nothing better to do.”
He probably had, but it’s not like he will ever admit it.
“Can I offer you tea?”
“Just water is fine.” Mu Qing rushes behind Xie Lian to stop him from starting a fire to boil water.
They sit at the table together with their cups of fresh water in front of them. Xie Lian tried to push on preparing tea, but Mu Qing dissuaded him, insisting that there was no need for Xie Lian to get anywhere near the kitchen.
“How are things in the Southwest?” Xie Lian asks politely, trying to start a conversation.
“As they usually are.” Mu Qing shrugs. “I have been collaborating with my deputies to answer as many prayers as possible to defeat Feng Xin in the upcoming Battle of the Lanterns. He won’t win again.”
“Speaking of Feng Xin,” Xie Lian starts. “Mu Qing, maybe you can help me with something?”
“I suppose I can.” Mu Qing warps his long, elegant fingers around the porcelain cup.
“Well, you see… At this point, I’m sure you know Feng Xin better than I do, so I was wondering if you know if he is seeing someone. Romantically?”
Mu Qing promptly chokes on his water.
“Fuck!” he exclaims in between coughs.
“I’m sorry.” Xie Lian pats his back a couple of times.
“What do you know?” Mu Qing asks, recovering his composure.
“Not a lot—barely anything.” Xie Lian takes a sip of his cup. “But the last time he was here, he was humming, smiling, and laughing. He looked happier.”
Mu Qing sighs, burying his face in his hands as a subtle blush tints his pale cheeks pink. Now he is acting strange too!
“That insufferable idiot!” Despite his words, the reply lacks Mu Qing’s characteristic bite. “Of course! He is embarrassing like that.”
“Mu Qing—”
“He is not courting anyone,” Mu Qing tells him seriously.
“Are you sure?” Xie Lian insists.
“I am. He sucks at romance, so it’d be better if you never think about this again.”
“Oh...”
The door slides open without a warning then, and Hua Cheng walks in.
“San Lang, you came back early.” Xie Lian launches himself into his beloved’s arms, glad that he is home after he spent the day out.
“I couldn’t wait to see you again, gege, so I hurried back home as soon as I was done with my business.” Hua Cheng turns towards Mu Qing. “You should leave, by the way.”
“Whatever, I’m done here,” Mu Qing says with a sullen expression, standing up.
“Mu Qing, wait!” Xie Lian calls half-heartedly. Hua Cheng is peppering kisses all over his jaw and he wants to kiss his husband properly, but also say goodbye to his friend.
“I’ll come back later when he is not around.” Mu Qing doesn’t stop. If anything, he starts walking away faster.
“Hey! Xuan Zhen!” Hua Cheng calls, making Mu Qing finally stop and look at him sourly, and perhaps a bit surprised to be addressed by Hua Cheng at all.
“What?”
“That’s a nice bite mark you got there,” Hua Cheng teases.
“Shut up!” Mu Qing’s hand flies to his nape and his face gets so red in such a fleeting time it’s almost worrying.
“Are you alright?” Xie Lian asks.
“I will be after I leave!” Mu Qing roars and leaves for good.
Hua Cheng, completely unbothered, wraps his arms firmly around Xie Lian’s torso.
“A bite mark,” Xie Lian cannot help but ponder aloud, “could it be possible that he finally broke his vows? I think he did!” he realizes with a gasp.
“Who cares, gege?”
“Do you think he’s indeed alright?”
“Don’t worry about him, gege. I’m sure Nan Yang will take care of him, just like he has been doing for a while as it seems.”
Xie Lian takes a moment to process those words.
“Are you implying that Feng Xin and Mu Qing are together? As a couple?”
“That’s what I think, yes.”
Xie Lian tries, but he can’t contain his giggles.
“Oh, San Lang, you don’t know them like I do.” Xie Lian shakes his head, cupping Hua Cheng’s face in his hands. “They have been getting along lately, at least by their standards, but there is no way they are together like that.”
Xie Lian has always been convinced that Feng Xin and Mu Qing would learn to communicate with each other without using their fists one day—except not really, sometimes he was sure they’d end up killing each other before making considerable progress.
In Xie Lian’s opinion, there is still a long way for his friends to learn how to use basic communication skills when they’re together, so the idea of them being lovers seems like a huge, unreachable step, particularly because Xie Lian has yet to see them holding a normal conversation.
“Still, I feel curious about it,” Xie Lian continues, lowering his arms, “Mu Qing has always been so sure about wanting to uphold his cultivation style forever.”
Xie Lian wonders when Mu Qing found a love so special and marvelous—as he did with his San Lang—to change his lifestyle after eight hundred years.
“You don’t have to worry, gege. I can figure out what those nuisances are up to if you want me to.” Hua Cheng pats Xie Lian’s head. “They don’t deserve your attention.”
“It’s fine, I want to do this myself.” Xie Lian smiles at Hua Cheng, enjoying the tender affection that he always offers to him so openly. “Now give me a proper kiss, I missed you.”
Hua Cheng’s hand travels down and caresses Xie Lian’s lower lip gently.
“As you wish.”
⚔️
As it turns out, Feng Xin and Mu Qing are bad at disguising themselves and pretending to be someone else, but they are great at hiding the identity of their suitors.
Xie Lian followed them subtly whenever he collected scraps in the South, hiding behind trees and market stalls. He always found Feng Xin and Mu Qing alone or in the company of the other—half-heartedly pushing and taunting each other, like a pair of playful friends—but never with a secret lover.
They didn’t behave any differently during the Battle of the Lanterns either. Mu Qing received a couple more lanterns than Feng Xin which prompted him to tease his life-long rival, which led to Feng Xin jumping at him, which led to them rolling on the marble floor while exchanging blows.
They left together in the direction of their palaces after that, still grumbling and shoving each other. No one spared a look at them—most likely because everyone was already too used to their fights—and no one followed them when they exited the hall.
Once again, there was no secret lover or any sign of them being lovers. It even seemed like Mu Qing and Feng Xin were the only Heavenly Officials that cared to interact with each other regularly, thus making Xie Lian discard the idea of them being involved with a fellow god.
It feels wrong to keep following Feng Xin or Mu Qing without them knowing, so Xie Lian stops doing it afterward, but then he is relieved when the chance to get them together in the same place at the same time—and maybe talk about the subject—arrives soon enough.
An old man from a tiny village in the mountains visited Puqi Shrine to beg for Xie Lian’s help after his nephew and other young men had been abducted by a ghost. His family had already contacted a couple of Daoist priests, but no one could help them.
“People here say you’re something like a god, so please help me!” the man pleaded.
“I’m just a scrap collector,” Xie Lian replied, “but I’ll do my best to save your nephew.”
And so, Xie Lian contacted both Feng Xin and Mu Qing, asking for their assistance, pointing out that he needed help to track down the ghost and protect the lives of the captive young men.
They accepted, unaware of the real reason why Xie Lian wanted them there.
⚔️
His friends arrive from different roads not even a shi after the old man returned to his village, wearing simple black robes, and carrying well-polished weapons, barely nodding at each other as they come to a stop by Xie Lian’s side.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Xie Lian tells them.
“I worked hard to receive more Blessing Lanterns than him,” Mu Qing looks at Feng Xin with a smirk, “so now I have free time.”
“Don’t get all cocky now,” Feng Xin groans. “I’m going to beat you again next year.”
“I’d love to see you try.” Mu Qing tilts his head to the side. “I mean, you couldn’t beat me this year despite all the women that gladly visit your temples every day.”
“Fuck you!”
“This already feels like the old times, don’t you think?” Xie Lian intervenes. “Us, spending time together, working to help the people… you two arguing like you always do.”
“Not really,” Mu Qing mumbles.
“Well, never mind. Let’s go!” Xie Lian starts walking away. “The ghost is at least malice rank and there are kidnapped mortals involved, so we better hurry up.”
“Sure, it’s why we’re here,” Feng Xin says, walking past Mu Qing and shoving him with his shoulder.
Mu Qing catches up with him and shoves him back. Xie Lian sighs, it definitely feels like old times.
For a while, their hike up the mountain is nothing out of the ordinary. The sun passes through the canopy of the forest and the orioles are singing. It’d have been a nice outing if they weren’t tracking down a dangerous ghost.
It’s not a long walk to the village and even a shorter walk to the area where the men disappeared.
“Over there!” Feng Xin signals at a pile of rocks on the side of the road. “There is dried blood next to those rocks. We must be following the right path.”
“Thank you, Feng Xin,” Xie Lian says, noticing more bloodstains along the route.
Feng Xin nods and they continue their march through the forest. It won’t take long to find the ghost’s hideout if they work together on it, so if Xie Lian wants to ask the question, he shouldn’t waste any more time.
“I was wondering,” Xie Lian starts after a moment, ending the silence into which they had fallen. “Feng Xin, Mu Qing, is there someone special in your lives? A lover perhaps?”
Just like that, the comfortable atmosphere disappears and once again his friends start acting strange. Mu Qing loses his footing and Feng Xin starts coughing awkwardly.
“What the fuck is that question?” Mu Qing mutters, supporting himself on a tree.
“There isn’t!” Feng Xin hurries to reply, “Why would you think that?”
“You were humming the other day,” Xie Lian answers, simply.
Feng Xin looks at him with confusion and Xie Lian guesses it isn’t as obvious as he expected.
“You do that when you’re… you know, in a very good mood,” Xie Lian explains. “Or in love,” he adds in a rush.
“That means he’s embarrassing, not courting someone.” Mu Qing declares, crossing his arms. “I told you he’s not seeing anyone.”
“You did?” Feng Xin raises an eyebrow, turning to look at Mu Qing. “When?”
“The last time he visited,” Xie Lian answers. “By the way, Mu Qing, you had a bite mark on your nape that time and—”
“No,” Mu Qing interrupts, his face gaining color. Unexpectedly, Feng Xin’s cheeks get a rosy tint too. “Don’t say a thing, I refuse to talk about this.”
“I just wanted to—”
“I said no,” Mu Qing sentences, and a suffocating silence engulfs them for the rest of the walk.
Soon enough they reach the entrance of a cave and that’s good because Xie Lian couldn’t stand the uncomfortable aura surrounding them any longer, and because a cave it’s the perfect place for a ghost to hide.
The cave is not very deep, so it doesn’t take long for them to reach the main area of the ghost’s hideout, crouching behind stalagmites to stay undetected. There is a messy collection of human-sized bones sprawled all over the ground, and Xie Lian wonders briefly how many unfortunate travelers have been killed by the ghost over the years.
The captive men are sitting in a corner together while the ghost lounges atop a rock. One of them sees them and opens his mouth, but Xie Lian shushes him quickly, placing a finger in front of his lips and shaking his head.
“You help the mortals and I’ll take care of the ghost,” Xie Lian whispers, taking his sword and holding it firmly in his hands.
“Alright.” Mu Qing nods.
“I’ll cover you both,” Feng Xin tells them, grabbing an arrow from his quiver.
Xie Lian nods and springs into action. The ghost notices him straight off and jumps away as the rock shatters when Xie Lian’s blade clashes against it.
“Go away!” The ghost exclaims, dodging Xie Lian’s attacks. “I’ll kill you if you don’t!”
Xie Lian doesn’t reply, focusing on guiding the ghost as far away from the mortals as he can. He manages to land a couple of blows, but nothing too serious yet—the ghost is fast, as expected from a malice rank.
“Why did you kidnap these men?” Xie Lian questions, twisting his sword in an elegant motion.
“They all got married recently!” The ghost answers. “I can’t stand their happiness!”
Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Lian can see Mu Qing getting closer to the group of frightened men to take them to safety. Feng Xin stands next to him, drawing his bow and getting ready to shoot.
Xie Lian feels relieved to know that everything is going according to plan, but it doesn’t take long for him to run out of luck, unsurprisingly.
The ghost notices that Mu Qing and Feng Xin are helping the men to escape, and everything afterward happens so fast that Xie Lian can’t step in and help.
The ghost abruptly changes its direction and charges toward Feng Xin. The arrow that flies and hits the spirit on the shoulder does nothing to make it falter, so Feng Xin grinds his teeth and unsheathes his sword right before Mu Qing pushes him away, receiving the first strike with the shiny blade of his saber.
“Shit!” Feng Xin stumbles but recovers quickly and rushes to Mu Qing’s side.
Now it’s Mu Qing’s turn to get pushed away. Feng Xin barely has time to do so before the next blow arrives and he can hardly block the attack with his unprotected forearm.
Mu Qing groans but jumps to his feet to put his saber through the ghost’s head as it mauls Feng Xin’s arm, and just like that, it’s over.
“Idiot! Why did you do that?” Mu Qing exclaims, his face is red with rage, and his chest and shoulders are heaving.
“We defeated the ghost. It’s what matters!”
The victims flinch when Feng Xin raises his voice and punches the wall with his injured arm, so Xie Lian decides to guide them out of the cave, trusting that his friends won’t kill each other in the brief time that will take him to help the survivors.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
The dazed mortals follow Xie Lian, flinching when the sunlight hurts their eyes after they spent so long inside the cave, but then all of them cheer, clinging to each other with tears in their eyes.
“Thank you! Thank you!” They exclaim, relieved to be safe.
“I’m glad to help.” Xie Lian smiles. “If you’d like to show more of your gratitude, don’t forget to visit Puqi Shrine soon!” he adds cheerfully.
The young men are unharmed aside from some scratches and minor cuts, so Xie Lian walks back into the cave with a sigh, hoping that he won’t need to act like a mediator in a brawl.
He hears Feng Xin and Mu Qing still arguing before he sees them. They are leaning against a stone wall, ignoring that Xie Lian is back. Mu Qing hastily wraps a bandage around Feng Xin’s forearm with a deep frown, and Feng Xin yanks his arm away after he is done, looking equally sour.
A moment passes. Xie Lian puts on his best quelling smile and takes a step forward, but Mu Qing speaks before he can approach them:
“Why did you push me away and stood in front of the ghost?”
“You pushed me away first!” Feng Xin exclaims.
“That’s because your brain is not big enough to store self-preservation skills.” Mu Qing rolls his eyes.
“Shut up!”
“You shut up first!” Mu Qing retorts. “I’m a god, a ghost won’t kill me so easily.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to see you getting injured.”
“So, your best solution was to get in the way again so you could get injured yourself.” Mu Qing purses his lips, looking the other way.
“Was I fucking supposed to stay away and watch?” Feng Xin places a hand on Mu Qing’s shoulder, trying to get him to look back at him.
It doesn’t work and Mu Qing gets even angrier, fisting the collar of Feng Xin’s robes in a swift movement.
Another moment passes. The tension in the air can be cut with a knife and Xie Lian prepares to break up their fight when things inevitably escalate to blows.
“I can’t stand you!” Mu Qing declares at last and pulls Feng Xin closer to slam their mouths together.
Xie Lian awkwardly opens and closes his mouth, and shifts his weight from one foot to the other as Feng Xin buries his fingers into Mu Qing’s hair, pulling him closer, and Mu Qing digs his nails into Feng Xin’s strong shoulders, and—
—Xie Lian looks away, pretending he can’t hear the wet kissing noises and the occasional curses.
Yes, they definitely haven’t noticed that they have company.
Xie Lian is not sure for how long Feng Xin and Mu Qing keep kissing, but by the time he decides to look again, Feng Xin is on his back with Mu Qing on top of him, still too lost in themselves.
Xie Lian clears his throat. “Guys?”
His voice reverberates in the empty, silent cave. His friends gasp before Mu Qing jumps away from Feng Xin as if his touch burns him, and it’s actually impressive how he manages to leap from one side of the cave to the other so effortlessly.
To his friends’ credit, they do their best to pretend they didn’t have their tongues inside each other’s mouths just an instant ago, but their red-bitten lips and disheveled robes tell otherwise.
Xie Lian is always aiming to be a good friend, so he smiles, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere.
“Let’s go back to the village,” he proposes.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing don’t argue with him and sprint out of the cave.
The silence on their walk back is overwhelming. The young men they saved are happily chatting about the things they’ll do now that they are free, but Feng Xin and Mu Qing trail behind the group, mouths tightly shut.
Xie Lian slows down and falls into step with them.
“You are together,” Xie Lian says. It’s not a question, after that… enthusiastic display of affection in the cave, Xie Lian is sure that they are.
Oh, San Lang was right! He is always right. Xie Lian will give him extra kisses to apologize for not believing him at first.
Feng Xin looks at Mu Qing, who just raises an eyebrow at him.
“There’s no point in denying it anymore,” Mu Qing mutters.
“You are the first person to know,” Feng Xin confesses to Xie Lian. “We haven’t told anyone about it yet.”
“Why keep your relationship a secret?” Xie Lian can’t imagine not telling the entire world that he is in love with his San Lang.
“It’s no one else’s business,” Mu Qing says with a snap.
“It’s still a new thing,” Feng Xin continues. “It’s been what? Three years?”
“Yeah, three years, idiot,” Mu Qing confirms, rolling his eyes.
Xie Lian nods in understanding. Immortals have a different perception of time than ordinary humans; three years for a god is nothing.
“I’m happy for you,” he tells them sincerely. He only hopes that they’ll stop fighting altogether sometime in the future, but who knows, maybe fighting is just their special and weird form of flirting.
Their conversation is cut short when they arrive at the village and everyone walks out of their homes to receive them.
Later, when they leave, each with a basket full of fruit kindly gifted to them in exchange for their help, Feng Xin reaches for Mu Qing’s hand. Both their faces turn red, and they look in opposite directions, clearly embarrassed, but Mu Qing doesn’t pull away and even interlocks their fingers, pulling Feng Xin closer.
Yes, Xie Lian couldn’t be happier for them.
⚔️
“San Lang, how did you know that Feng Xin and Mu Qing are a couple?” Xie Lian asks because, well… he is still curious.
His beloved husband has made it clear that he doesn’t care about his friends or their affairs, so Xie Lian wonders what could have happened for him to know.
Hua Cheng, who was busy braiding Xie Lian’s hair, pauses his task.
“I had the displeasure of spotting them making out not long ago.” Hua Cheng shrugs, sliding his fingers tenderly down Xie Lian’s hair. “I sent one of my strongest subordinates after them that day. Hope that taught them to stop snogging in my territory.”
“I see.” Xie Lian nods. “They told me they wanted to keep their relationship a secret.”
“If they wanted to do that, they failed terribly.”
“Really? I thought they were good at pretending nothing was amidst.”
“If you say they were good at it, then they were good at it.”
Xie Lian hums. “Now that I think about it, Mu Qing has been cursing more often lately, probably got that from spending time with Feng Xin.”
“You should stop thinking about them, gege.” Hua Cheng ties a ribbon at the end of the braid. “It’s done.”
“Thank you, San Lang.” Xie Lian turns around to wrap his arms around Hua Cheng’s neck, bringing him down for a kiss, promptly forgetting about Feng Xin and Mu Qing for the rest of the night.