Chapter Text
Hua Cheng was away, dealing with some matters in ghost city, which left Xie Lian alone at Puqi shrine for a rare moment of rest.
Xie Lian had honestly planned to spend his days resting, but somehow, everyday, he had woken up extremely early and immediately started doing chores absentmindedly. Cleaning, scrap collecting, building new furniture for the shrine and fixing broken spots. He would often also try to learn better cooking, new recipes and such.
Every time Hua Cheng visited Puqi shrine, the two of them would do chores accompanying and helping each other, and they would always have a good time, which made Xie Lian absentmindedly continue doing so, even without Hua Cheng here.
It had only been a little over half a month since Hua Cheng had left, and all this time Xie Lian had been alone, not even thinking of seeing anyone else for company, only silently wishing for San Lang to be back soon so they could share a meal, as if he could not do that with anyone else.
Xie Lian thought a lot (a little too much) about the times when Hua Cheng had gotten so close it made Xie Lian’s heart race in weird anticipation for something he couldn’t tell what it was. There was this one time, when Hua Cheng had stared into Xie Lian’s eyes, seemingly a little dazed, and then hopped off the counter he was sitting on and walked calmly up to Xie Lian, not breaking eye contact. Hua Cheng had walked so close to Xie Lian that he could swear he could feel the ghost’s breath on his face as he leaned down.
Xie Lian felt Hua Cheng’s hand coming up to his face, his cold fingertips brushing past his chin, moving up along his jaw.
Xie Lian had felt his cheeks warming and heart starting to beat so hard he could bet even Hua Cheng could hear it, maybe even feel it.
Then Hua Cheng seemed to stop for half a second and instead of doing whatever it was that Xie Lian was hoping for him to do, he wiped something off Xie Lian’s cheek, pulled away, smiled, and then left the poor Xie Lian standing baffled in the kitchen, with a pan in one had and a kitchen towel in the other, red face and hands shivering from a frustration he could not understand.
Only a day after that, Hua Cheng had received a message from Ghost city and left to take care of some matters there.
He didn’t know why his reaction was so intense, it didn’t bother him, but he rather found himself curious about it. He also didn’t know why he thought about it so often either. He often found himself wishing for Hua Cheng to be back.
Xie Lian wasn’t lonely, no. But for some reason, he constantly just looked forward to seeing San Lang. Declining requests from his other friends to hang out, ignoring them and giving excuses like “Ah, sorry, I’ve been low on spiritual energy,” which was partly true, but not so much as to be unable to use the communication array… He just felt it was important to be home… just so when San Lang got back, he would be there and nowhere else.
Of course, Xie Lian could just as well go to Hua Cheng, but he felt it would be rude to go and disturb him when he’s dealing with his own stuff, and Xie Lian didn’t even know where Hua Cheng exactly is…
Xie Lian felt very dumb.
At first he hadn’t even noticed his own odd behavior. He had excused his constant thoughts of “I wonder how San Lang is doing”’s and “If only San Lang was here…”’s and many others involving the busy ghost king, by telling himself it’s because “Hua Cheng is so talented at everything so it’s really reassuring to have him around.” But now, even Xie Lian could tell that this… was a little too much.
It wasn’t until Shi Qingxuan personally came to Puqi shrine with a very worried look on his face, and how his expression only grew worse once he saw Xie Lian staring off in the distance with an unreadable expression, that Xie Lian realized how much he had neglected everything else around him.
After that, Shi Qingxuan asked him way too many questions about why nobody had been hearing of him for months, and then about how his friend had been worried that that big bad and mean ghost king might have done something bad to Xie Lian!
Xie Lian assured Shi Qingxuan that he was fine, and that San Lang had left for some matters at ghost city which had left Xie Lian a little confused since he had already managed to get very comfortable having him around for so long.
To this, Shi Qingxuan had given Xie Lian a weird look, and then invited himself for tea.
They sat down together.
And good lord did they sit for long.
The two sat and chatted for a long time, and at some point the topic of conversation had been directed (purposefully by Shi Qingxuan) to the ghost king.
“Your highness really seems close to the ghost king hm?”
“Ah, San Lang has helped me a lot in the past, he’s very sweet.”
Shi Qingxuan noticed the obvious newfound interest in the discussion once this certain person was brought up, and so continued.
“Hm? Your highness is very fond of him?”
He teased, not expecting a short silence and then a wide-eyed and a little red Xie Lian.
“Wait, you like the ghost king?!” Shi Qingxuan stood up and slapped his hands against the table as he leaned closer to the wide-eyed Xie Lian.
“Ah! Calm down! I’m just… thinking.”
Xie Lian really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…
Shi Qingxuan sat back down.
“Your highness, you really…”
“Ah, I haven’t said anything yet! Lord Wind master, please let me speak.” Xie Lian interrupted softly, a hint of confusion in his voice.
“... I don’t…
dislike
him…”
Was still all that Xie Lian could say. His mind was in chaos, reminding him of how he found himself somehow always thinking of Hua Cheng, which did not help his inner panic.
“Hmhm, it seems the crown prince of Xianle has finally found someone he feels is compatible~” Shi Qingxuan hummed proudly.
“L-lord wind master I- I couldn’t-”
“Hm, you couldn’t what? Of course you can! Ah, your highness, ah. It is natural to like another, nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“No it’s not that… It’s…” Xie Lian felt the flush on his cheeks again, but he felt he should ask his friend for advice now that he was here.
“I… It’s just that, San Lang has been on my mind… a lot…lately…”
There was a moment of silence, during which Shi Qingxuan’s eyes had widened and Xie Lian’s cheeks reddened.
“Your highness… answer me this one question… is it because of the ghost king, that you’ve been so absent lately..?” He asked seriously.
Xie Lian couldn't help but nod.
“I think so…”
The sun had already set, and Shi Qingxuan had already taken his leave.
“Xie Lian, does Crimson Rain Sought Flower, does he make you happy?”
Shi Qingxuan had asked, with a serious expression when he was just out the door.
“Huh..?”
He thought for a moment.
“Yes, I think so.”
“Do you want him to come back sooner?” He asked, expression still serious.
“I do wish to see him…” Xie Lian had answered, not thinking about it deeper.
Then, Shi Qingxuan had smiled widely and wished Xie Lian good luck, accompanied by a pat on the shoulder.
Then he left, leaving Xie Lian a little confused.