Work Text:
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Feng Xin, who-"
"Wait, Why am I the princess?!"
Mu Qing rolls his eyes. "Because I'm always the princess in your stories and for once I want to be the knight."
"....."
"Well. If you have nothing else to say….. Anyways. The princess was beautiful, kind and courageous. However, The Jade Emperor, jealous of his growing fame, cursed him to-"
"Her. Princesses are girls so she's not a 'him'."
Mu Qing closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He will not roll his eyes at his kid.
"Feng Xin is a handsome young man, who is also a princess. Boys can be princesses and girls can be princes if they want to," he smiled at Cuo Cuo.
"I had no say in this though," Feng Xin whispered, and this time Mu Qing didn't hold himself back from rolling his eyes.
"That's because you're an exception, A'Xin," Mu Qing whispered in his husband's ear. "Like it or not, you are my princess." That promptly shut Feng Xin up, and Mu Qing couldn't help but place a kiss on his husband's flaming cheeks, earning an "ew!" from Cuo Cuo.
"Anyways… The Jade Emperor cursed Princess Feng Xin to take the form of a cute yet bad-tempered dog. Though the dog was handsome, fluffy and friendly, he never trusted anyone due to his past trauma of trusting and being betrayed by the Emperor. He was doomed to roam the mortal realm for eternity. Though it wasn't overall a bad thing to be an immortal dog, it was especially hard for Princess Feng Xin and he really was doomed." Mu Qing supposed he deserved that elbow to his chest.
"However, a kind god named Xie Lian placed a counter curse on Pup Xin: that his curse would be broken should he find someone he can truly trust. He couldn't undo the curse as The Jade Emperor was much stronger than him, but it was a start…"
“And so started the adventure of Pup Xin, who faced many obstacles on his journeys: ghosts, demons, evil cultivators, and faced them in various battles. He emerged victorious in all encounters, due to his immense training in the martial arts and cultivation when he was a human. However, the true reason for his endless success was his fellow companion, the handsome and talented Meow Qing!”
Feng Xin, who was grinning and puffing his chest proudly the whole time, bristled and glared at Mu Qing, much like his fictional self. “Wh- MU QING!!!!”
Said husband merely smirked evilly, pressing a finger on Feng Xin’s lips. “Shush, A’Xin, CuoCuo is invested in the story, so don’t interrupt.” Feng Xin glared but promptly closed his mouth, letting Mu Qing continue with his tale. “As I was saying, Meow Qing was incredibly skilled in stealth attacks, which Pup Xin didn’t know of. Meow Qing also has a sleek gray coat, unlike Pup Xin’s fuzzy mane which was prone to tangling. Pup Xin also needed Meow Qing dearly as he was incapable of civil talk, choosing to bark profanities instead.
“However, Meow Qing dearly needed Pup Xin as well.. Much more than Pup Xin knew.” Mu Qing smiled softly at his husband, who was no longer scowling and now looking at him with a lovesick expression. “You see, Meow Qing, for all his appearances, is terribly insecure and terrified of people, and rarely if ever, makes friends. Meow Qing needed someone who would accept his abrasive nature, and help him connect to the world. Someone who would never leave him. Someone who is equally courageous to keep up with him, someone who is a constant in Meow Qing’s unpredictable life. And he found that person in Pup Xin.”
“One night, after their adventures and a successful hunt, the duo bickered good naturedly and came across a clean but empty stable, and decided to stay in the stable for the night. As Meow Qing cuddled against Pup Xin’s warm body, he started to purr, which comforted Pup Xin. As they drifted to sleep, Pup Xin gave a tiny lick to Meow Qing’s head, thinking, I trust you with my life, A’Qing, and accept you as you are.
“The next day, Feng Xin woke up to the most beautiful man cuddled in his arms- wait. his arms? As in human arms? He checked himself, and indeed, he was once again human. As for the man in his arms, was it his A’Qing? He knew the latter was cursed too, but didnt know what his human form looked like. But when he took one look at the man’s distinct silver-grey eyes, Feng Xin knew in his heart that was his A’Qing, Mu Qing, the person he trusted more than anyone in the world. Ah, that’s what broke the curse, he thought mildly, as Mu Qing smiled sweetly at him. A’Xin, my dear, you broke the curse , Mu Qing declared happily. Happy as he was to break Mu Qing’s curse, Feng Xin didn’t know how he did it. And so Mu Qing told his tale - he was a brave knight who won the favour of the common folk, and nobility alike. Jealous of his possible betrothal to the prettiest princess on the mortal realm, the Jade Emperor cursed him to take the form of a grey cat and roam across the mortal realm forever. The kind god Xie Lian, aggrieved for Mu Qing, gave him a counter curse: that his curse would break should he find someone who’d accept him as he is.”
“But papa, why would the Jade Emperor curse you and baba? Shouldn’t he be kind?” Cuo Cuo asked.
Mu Qing smiled sadly, wishing that his beloved son didn't have to know this part, but knew in his heart that he needed to. “Because the world is filled with bad people, who are always greedy for power and jealous of other’s happiness. The Jade Emperor happened to be the greediest person ever, wishing to rule all of heaven and earth without caring about others. He only cared about himself, and was jealous of the others possessing virtues that he didn’t have. Humility, Kindness, Courage, Love. These are the things that help you live happily.”
“Papa, papa, what happened to you and baba after the curse broke?” Cuo Cuo asked excitedly, wanting to know the end. Mu Qing smiled, ruffling his son’s head. His smile grew wider as he felt his husband hug him from behind.
“Well, after the curse broke, Feng Xin and Mu Qing returned to the capital, where the king and queen were overjoyed at seeing their princess back home, safe and sound. They were also happy that their beloved son also found a person to love and trust, and soon the princess and his knight were married, their wedding shaking the heavens and toppling the Jade Palace. The kind god Xie Lian became the new emperor of the heavens, who was loved by all and ruled the heavens in peace. As for the Princess and his beloved knight, they continued to bicker, travel, go on adventures, and most of all love and trust each other, until the end of time.”
As Mu Qing finished his story, Cuo Cuo yawned and snuggled into the sheets, clutching a ferret doll, and fell asleep soon. He leaned back into his husband’s chest, leaning his head against his. Deciding to stay in this moment a bit longer, he entangled his arms against Feng Xin’s, closing his eyes and sighing contentedly. He knew he would fight a thousand more monsters for this moment with his family that meant everything to him.