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Few people, alive or dead, know of the Nether Water Manor. Even fewer know that, hidden behind dark corridors and gloomy hallways, winding and curving like a riverbed, it contains a surprisingly large library, filled with hundreds of scrolls, books and any other form of record keeping.
It's a treasure, inaccessible. Locked up and guarded. Safe for its master, no one has ever been here to lay eyes on the near endless shelves filled with knowledge from around the world.
At least, that's how it used to be.
No one is more surprised than He Xuan himself that there's suddenly a visitor in his Manor, bringing smiles and warmth with him on each occasion. Said visitor drops by quite often, to be honest, and his presence is… welcome.
He Xuan trails after Xie Lian, who is a bright speck of white against the gloomy, candle-lit atmosphere and who has an air of energy to him that is beyond He Xuan. He watches, silently, as the god inspects the rows of books, commenting nonstop about this or that author, praising certain works that he's come across before in his long life.
Everything he does is accompanied by an excited flutter of his hands, always in motion. He Xuan could almost be inclined to smile. He thinks he understands why Crimson Rain Sought Flower has tethered his entire existence to this god.
Xie Lian is… endearing. He's warm, he's kind, he's far too forgiving. He lacks the anger that He Xuan thinks would suit him, given everything that Xie Lian has been through. He Xuan has killed for less; he doesn't understand how Xie Lian can endure humiliation while keeping a smile on his face.
It's confusing, and He Xuan blames the fact that he cares on the circumstance that he has spent far too many centuries subjected to Crimson Rain waxing poetic about the darling of Heaven , the flower-crowned martial god , the crown Prince of Xian Le to have remained completely unaffected.
"He Sheng?"
He Xuan looks up, a little surprised although the emotion doesn't show on his face. Xie Lian is the only one in all three realms to call him by his courtesy name and it's… more confusing the more He Xuan thinks about it.
So he doesn't.
"What is it?"
Xie Lian holds up an armful of scrolls, his eyes alight with excitement and warmer than a fire. There's an equally warm smile on his lips that makes him look absolutely radiant; for a moment, He Xuan thinks of how Hua Cheng would likely be jealous that his husband directed such a blinding smile towards He Xuan.
His own lips twitch, as if to return it.
"These scrolls seem to contain fairytales!," Xie Lian launches into explanation. With him around, the permanently gloomy aura of Nether Water Manor is rendered useless, pierced by the light that is Xie Lian. He Xuan is torn between wanting to get closer and wanting to step away. "I wondered if I could borrow these? I'll treat them with care, of course, and I will see that I return them in time!"
He Xuan raises a brow. "What would His Highness need old fairy tales for?," he can't help but ask. He Xuan is a hungry ghost; curiosity and hunger for knowledge have been part of him for centuries.
Xie Lian's cheeks redden at the address and if his hands were free, he'd surely be flapping them around. He's surprisingly honest with his emotions when he's around He Xuan - his smile is genuine instead of a mask.
"Ah, I thought I told you to call me Xie Lian," the god mutters. He did, more than once; and each time He Xuan declined the offer for the same reason.
"I don't believe your husband would take it kindly if I addressed you so familiar."
A strange look crosses Xie Lian's face, gone far too quickly for He Xuan to analyze. Right after, a soft smile replaces it and the god shakes his head with a huff. "San Lang wouldn't mind. You're his friend-" He Xuan makes a noise at that, but Xie Lian stares him down and he closes his mouth, swallowing the words. "-and I like to think I'm your friend by now as well. So I think you should call me Xie Lian. "
He Xuan holds his gaze, never one to back down from a challenge, even when he knows he won't stand a chance.
"Fine," he concedes after a moment. "But only if you call me He Xuan."
If Xie Lian's smile was bright before, now it is absolutely dazzling . Again: He Xuan has heard Crimson Rain sing praise about Xie Lian's beauty, to the point that it got annoying - but maybe Hua Cheng had been right. Xie Lian is beautiful.
It's not the first time He Xuan makes that observation.
"He Xuan," Xie Lian says, and he snaps his eyes back up, pulled from his thoughts. His name (his real , given name , not a moniker, not a title given by others) from Xie Lian's lips… He Xuan doesn't dare think about how it makes him feel.
Xie Lian seems a little flustered as well, if the faint colour on his cheekbones is any indication. "You asked why I'd want these scrolls," he goes on - ah, He Xuan has already forgotten about that. Xie Lian blushes a little more, then steps closer, his voice pitched low as if he is sharing a secret.
"San Lang likes it when I read fairytales to him."
He Xuan is stunned for various reasons. He… had not expected something like this. Xie Lian meets his eyes and adds: "Don't tell him I told you! I wanted to pick sweet stories, because that one time, when he got sick, he only had… quite embarrassing stories at hand. He made me read them anyway! And then he laughed because I got flustered."
He's still getting flustered just talking about it, He Xuan thinks. If Crimson Rain were here personally, he'd endlessly tease him for enjoying something so… childish, consequences be damned. But hearing Xie Lian talk like that, it only gives He Xuan a strangely warm feeling in his chest.
It's then that he decides he needs to take a step back and gather himself.
"Feel free to to take them," He Xuan forces himself to say, looking away when Xie Lian's warm brown eyes try to meet his own. "There might even be more. I will… go and prepare some tea."
He doesn't wait for an answer, just turns and leaves the library with brisk steps. Within moments, all the warmth that had stirred inside him in Xie Lian's presence is swallowed by the damp coolness of the dimly lit hallways. He Xuan feels empty again, like he always used to, no matter how much he ate or drank or learned or did.
Crimson Rain remains in this world because of his love. He Xuan had always existed solely for his revenge, and he'd thought ( hoped ) that he'd simply cease to be when his revenge had been completed.
There's nothing here for him anymore. Nothing that should keep him tethered to this realm.
And yet.
If Crimson Rain ever finds out He Xuan remains here for Xie Lian now, he will undoubtedly find his ashes and destroy him for good.
He Xuan shakes the thought from his mind and brews the tea he had promised, although it will probably still be disgusting and bitter. (If it is, Xie Lian never complains about it.)
He carries the tray with the tea and two cups back through the hallway, walking significantly slower than before - he's not stalling but he's hesitating.
The library is lit up with candles, a stark contrast to the rest of the Manor. He Xuan steps into the warm light with a calmness that is more facade than anything, looking around for Xie Lian.
To his horror , he spots him not too far away - trying to climb one of the shelves.
With three quick steps, He Xuan is by his side and plucks the book Xie Lian's fingers had been reaching for out of the shelf. He turns to the god and if his heart were still beating, it would skip a beat now.
Xie Lian is close.
He takes the book from He Xuan with a sheepish expression that quickly turns into a smile; again it's such a bright, beautiful expression on him that it's blinding .
"He Xuan," he says, grinning. They're close enough that He Xuan can feel Xie Lian's breath fanning against his chin, that he can feel Xie Lian's warmth like a brand against his own, cold body. It would be so easy to lean in. "Thank you!"
He Xuan is kissing him before he knows what he's doing. There's a brief moment of absolute bliss - Xie Lian's mouth is soft against his, his lips like fire - and then his mind catches up with him and He Xuan reels back, horrified.
Xie Lian is staring up at him with wide eyes, seemingly stupefied by that one stolen kiss and He Xuan-
He runs.
It's his own domain, it's his Manor , but he flees from it as if an entire army was hot on his heels, not stopping once or looking back, Xie Lian's alarmed call of his name deliberately ignored.
He changes the password to his communication array even as he dives into the icy cold water of the lake surrounding the Manor to get away, away- Hua Cheng always finds out the new password somehow but it will buy He Xuan some time at least.
Heaven's, he kissed Xie Lian.
Crimson Rain is going to kill him.