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It had been his own fault.
While investigating a malicious aura at the house of one of Puqi Shrine’s neighbours, Xie Lian had stumbled upon a ghost dwelling under the floorboards. While the ghost itself hadn’t been powerful, it had fused with some sort of viper, so that when Xie Lian went to subdue it, it clamped down upon his arm with sharp teeth.
He had thought little of it and stuffed the thing into a pickle jar. It wasn’t until his grateful neighbours pointed out his swollen wrist that he realised he’d been poisoned.
“It’s nothing!” he assured them, waving his other hand and smiling. “You’re safe now, I promise!”
They plied him with steamed buns to show their gratitude and he carried them home, paying no mind to his injury. No doubt it would heal itself quickly, and it wasn’t as though it hurt.
Three incense times later, he realised he wasn’t going to get off so lightly this time. Usually, a wound like this wouldn’t cause him any trouble, but as he lay on his sleeping mat he began to feel rather odd. An uncomfortable heat was radiating from his wrist, spreading up his arm and into his chest. He squirmed and slapped his hand over his arm, only to find that his skin was burning.
His limbs began to ache and despite the heat, he felt a terrible chill work its way into his spine so that he was racked with tremors. He had one thin blanket that he kept folded to the side, which he reached for and draped over himself. It did little to help, however, and the movements only made the shivering worse.
But it was nothing Xie Lian couldn’t endure. After three days his body would have expelled the toxins from the venom; he only needed to wait it out.
He carefully lay back down on the mat and attempted to enter a meditative state, but the ache in his body was getting worse. His head was also swimming so that he was unable to think straight. In his delirium, he felt a sudden desperate need for water. Perhaps it would cure him if he drank some! With this in mind, he lurched upright, intending to fill a cup from the water in the bucket he’d brought in earlier in the day.
With some effort, he managed to stand. He took a wobbly step, but it was dark and he’d forgotten that he’d left the pickle jar on the floor. His foot crushed it into several chunks, the jagged clay edges piercing his foot while the demon spun out of its cage in a whirlwind. It screamed as it went and bit Xie Lian again, this time on the shoulder.
“I’M GOING TO BITE YOU A HUNDRED TIMES UNTIL YOU DIE!” screamed the ghost. “THAT’S WHAT YOU DESERVE FOR IMPRISONING ME.”
Xie Lian could only grimace and pass a hand over his face, swaying on the spot. He could feel the poison from the second bite oozing into his bloodstream. The little snake demon bit down again, chomping on Xie Lian’s collarbone and forming unsightly welts on his skin.
“Go back onto your jar,” said Xie Lian, trying to be stern. “You’ve caused enough mischief already.”
“You sound a little sick,” said the demon. It licked its lips. “Would you like some more of my medicine?”
Xie Lian shook his head. With the last of his strength, he summoned Rouye, who tied the demon up into a mummy-like figure. It shouted obscenities through the cloth but what words it spoke were too muffled to hear properly.
“Oh,” said Xie Lian, still swaying. A groan escaped through his lips and he clamped his mouth shut, but his body was overwhelmed and he crashed forward against the shrine door, which slid open upon impact. He expected to fall out upon the ground outside, but instead he landed in something soft.
“Gege?” said a familiar voice.
Xie Lian peeled his eyes open and found himself pressed against a shroud of red fabric. “San Lang?”
It was Hua Cheng, of course, and he had noticed the bite on Xie Lian’s shoulder. His fingers probed the wound gently and he made a sharp sound of surprise.
“How did you get here?” Xie Lian asked him, still buried in his arms and unable to move. “I didn’t roll the dice.”
“Yes, you did. Look.”
Xie Lian blinked and shifted his head minutely to look at what Hua Cheng was pointing at. There were two dice on the floor of the shrine, their faces showing snake eyes.
“Ha ha,” puffed Xie Lian. “Snake eyes.” They must have tumbled out of his sleeve wen he fell.
But Hua Cheng didn’t seem so amused. He’d noticed the bite on Xie Lian’s collar, and then the one on his arm. “What did this?” His voice was acidic.
“Only a little snake demon. It was my own fault. I didn’t think it would affect me this much…” Another round of shivers hit him and he stopped, his body flushing with new aches. His fingers fluttered around the hem of Hua Cheng’s robes and gripped; he pressed his face close. “I don’t feel good.”
Without any hesitation, Hua Cheng scooped Xie Lian into his arms. Usually, he found this position embarrassing, but right now he felt only relief. “San Lang…”
“Shh,” soothed Hua Cheng. “Don’t overexert yourself, gege.”
Xie Lian listened. He closed his eyes and let the rocking motion of Hua Cheng’s gait send him into a fitful doze. When he woke, it was to the sensation of being lowered down onto a soft mattress. “Where…?”
“Ghost City,” said Hua Cheng. “Paradise Manor, to be precise.” He covered Xie Lian with soft linen blankets and pressed a cool hand to his forehead. “You have a bad fever.”
“It’ll pass soon,” said Xie Lian. “Just a few days.”
Hua Cheng’s mouth tipped into a frown. “You called me but didn’t intend to, is that right?”
“Sorry… You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine. I didn’t mean to be an inconvenience to San Lang.”
“You…” Hua Cheng’s frown deepened. “You should have called me right away. These are serious wounds.”
Xie Lian sensed something in his tone and bit back his response, which was going to be something along the lines of, I’ve had much worse. Instead he waited to see what Hua Cheng would do.
“I’ll return soon,” said Hua Cheng. “Try to rest.”And with that, he left. Xie Lian felt an absurd desire to call him back, but stopped himself just in time. Without Hua Cheng there to distract him, the feverish throbbing in his muscles felt much worse. He gritted his teeth against it and tried to find something else to focus on.
His eyes roved around the room he was in; it was opulent like the rest of Paradise Manor, with a four poster bed carved with butterflies and many items of exquisite furniture. Each piece looked like it was worth a fortune. The bed be he was in had snowy white sheets with a poppy red coverlet. Xie Lian gripped it with pale fingers and marvelled at the stark contrast, realising he had grown even paler than his usual shade. Perhaps his sickness was worse than he thought…?
Even as he thought this, Hua Cheng returned. He was carrying a tray with a number of small pots upon it. Xie Lian watched him dazedly as he placed it on the bedside table and perched on the bed. With his characteristic care, Hua Cheng treated Xie Lian’s collar first. His fingers pushed aside Xie Lian’s robe, draping it over his shoulder so it wouldn’t touch his other bite wound. Then, he opened one of the jars and applied a salve from within using a soft cloth. The treatment had a soothing effect, but Xie Lian couldn’t breathe with Hua Cheng so close to him. Eventually, Hua Cheng moved on to Xie Lian’s wrist, but he left his robe skewed to one side, making Xie Lian feel rather dishevelled and improper.
Hua Cheng, however, was solely focussed on treating Xie Lian’s wounds. He finished with the salve and lifted a teapot instead, pouring something into a delicate tea cup. Then, with a tender coaxing that made Xie Lian’s heart tremble, he helped him to sit upright and brought the teacup to his lips. Xie Lian took a sip of the liquid, but Hua Cheng wasn’t satisfied.
“Gege must drink all of it,” he said.
Xie Lian complied, then sank back against the pillows, spent. He could only watch Hua Cheng through half lidded eyes as he returned everything to the tray. Then he turned to look at Xie Lian. For the first time, he seemed to notice Xie Lian’s disarranged appearance. His eyes flared for a moment, then dimmed. His hand whirled in the air and suddenly Rouye was wrapping itself around Xie Lian’s body and wrist.
“How did you…” Xie Lian blinked, too tired to finish his sentence.
“Is gege cold?” Hua Cheng asked him, tucking the blankets over his chest.
“I’m…” In truth, Xie Lian wasn’t sure how he felt. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had cared for him like this and it was making him unduly emotional. He was worried he was going to start crying.
Hua Cheng watched him for a moment, then seemed to make a decision. Before Xie Lian knew what was happening, Hua Cheng had shuffled him forward and clambered in behind Xie Lian. Soon, he found himself being tugged back against Hua Cheng’s chest, his arms wrapped securely around him. His lips moved against his ear, soft and soothing: “Sleep, Your Highness. You’ll feel better soon.”
It wasn’t difficult for Xie Lian to obey. He closed his heavy eyes and dropped the back of his head against Hua Cheng.
***
When he woke, he was surprised to find himself still tucked in the circle of Hua Cheng’s embrace. His body was warm now, but uncomfortably so, and his skin was coated in a thin layer of sweat. Alarmed to be in such a state while touching Hua Cheng, he lurched forwards.
“Gege?”
Hua Cheng hadn’t been sleeping, of course, but he must have been deep in thought because his voice sounded hoarse. He had tightened his hold on Xie Lian at his sudden movement, but loosened it just as quickly. Xie Lian moved to the side, panting.
A cool hand touched his forehead. Hua Cheng frowned. “You’re still feverish.”
“I’m feeling much better, really,” said Xie Lian. “San Lang must have better things to do than take care of me.”
Hua Cheng surveyed him with a divot between his brows, then shook his head. “No. Nothing is more important.”
Xie Lian was about to say, Don’t be silly! But the words died on his lips at the sight of Hua Cheng’s serious expression. Instead, he sighed and rubbed his forehead with his sleeve to rid himself of some of the sweat.
“It’s too hot in here,” he complained, then blushed at how ungrateful he sounded. “I mean… I’m too hot.”
“Wait here.”
Hua Cheng left the room once again and returned some minutes later. He brought with him a porcelain bowl filled with water and a cloth. This, he soaked in the water and placed against Xie Lian’s clammy skin. “Better?”
“Mm.”
Xie Lian closed his eyes and allowed Hua Cheng to dab more cool water over his skin. There was some enchantment on the cloth, for wherever it went stayed cool for much longer than it would have if it had been a normal cloth. When Hua Cheng reached his upper chest, he paused, the cloth pressed against the skin beside the bite. It would have felt nice to have more cold water on his body, but he didn’t want Hua Cheng to feel uncomfortable, so he curled his fingers around his wrist and pushed his hand away gently. “You don’t have to continue,” he said.
But Hua Cheng didn’t pull away immediately. He searched Xie Lian’s face for something, a rather cute furrow forming between his eyes. “I want to,” he said. “If it would make you feel good…?”
This was almost too much to bear, but Xie Lian was in a weakened state. He closed his eyes and jerked his head in a nod. Hua Cheng pressed the cloth to Xie Lian’s chest and soothed his flushed skin, carefully pushing Xie Lian’s robe to the side to reach his abdomen. He stopped just above Xie Lian’s stomach, his face wearing a peculiar expression.
Xie Lian was worried he’d made Hua Cheng uncomfortable. “That feels much better,” he said, reaching for Hua Cheng’s hand again and holding it.
“If gege sits forward, I can do your back.”
Perhaps it was only his illness, but Xie Lian felt there was something electric in the air between them. Still, his back was burning up and it would be nice to have that enchanted cloth pass over his skin. He couldn’t meet Hua Cheng’s eyes as he shuffled forwards, letting his robe drape over his arms and expose the skin of his back that wasn’t wrapped in bandages. Hua Cheng diligently went to work soothing Xie Lian’s back until he reached the place where the robe had bunched up at Xie Lian’s waist.
“How does that feel?”
Xie Lian didn’t answer right away. In truth, the coolness from the cloth had soothed his feverish skin, but now he was warm for an entirely different reason. He hung his head so Hua Cheng wouldn’t see his expression.
“Gege?”
“It feels very nice,” he said. “Thank you, San Lang.”
“Do you want to try to sleep some more?”
Xie Lian nodded. It was true his limbs still felt like lead and he drooped back against the bed easily, but not before ridding himself of his robe entirely. Hua Cheng took it and draped it over the end of the bed. “Gege might get cold later,” he said. “Call for me if you need anything.”
Yawning, Xie Lian nodded. Soon, he was asleep again.
***
An indeterminable amount of time later, his eyes opened to darkness. He waited for some time while his eyes adjusted and found he was alone in the room. No doubt Hua Cheng had more pressing matters to attend to.
Under his bandages, Xie Lian’s wrist felt itchy. He rubbed it absent-mindedly, wondering if he ought to get up and go in search of something to eat, or go back to sleep. Instead of relieving the itch, however, his movement made it worse. Hissing, he scratched a little more firmly, but it didn’t help. The itch had progressed to a burning sensation, spreading up his arm like someone had dragged a candle over his skin.
It was natural for a bite to itch, so he wasn‘t worried, but he tore the bandages away to have a look just in case. To see better, he summoned a ball of light in his palm and held it near his wrist.
What he saw made him reel backwards in horror.
“No!”
He scrubbed at the wound with his other hand, flinching when he felt three raised welts under his palm. “No, it can’t be!”
But the image in his skin didn’t change. There was the unmistakable formation of a human face pressing through his skin. Even as he watched the welts grew larger, as though someone was pushing their face against him from the inside out. Their mouth broke through, wide open in agony, and their eyes soon followed, rolling back in their sockets. Xie Lian watched in mounting revulsion and terror until the face screamed. Then he could take it no longer; he slammed his palm light against his skin, the smell of burning flesh erupting into the air.
“Your Highness!”
A voice broke through the darkness, low and anxious. “Gege!”
Xie Lian inhaled sharply and looked around. The room was spinning. He groaned and clutched at his head, a wave of nausea passing through him. His arm was burning and the face was still screaming. “Please stop,” he moaned. “San Lang. Where are you?!”
Abruptly, the screaming ceased. Xie Lian felt the room topple and shift and a moment later he was properly awake and in Hua Cheng’s arms. They were, inexplicably, on the floor, and Hua Cheng was cradling his shoulders with one hand while the other rested on his jaw to keep his head in place. Hua Cheng’s mouth was pressed over Xie Lian’s, his lips moving softly as he blew small breaths of qi into Xie Lian’s lungs.
When Xie Lian opened his eyes, Hua Cheng pulled back, his lips wet. “Gege?”
Xie Lian reached for Hua Cheng without speaking and clutched at his robes; he nudged his face into Hua Cheng’s chest and made a sound no heavenly official would be proud to have made.
But Hua Cheng didn’t scoff; he wrapped his arms around Xie Lian and held him tightly. “What was it? What did you see?”
For some moments, Xie Lian did nothing except hide in Hua Cheng’s arms, but eventually he collected himself enough to move away slightly. He kept the fingers of one hand curled in Hua Cheng’s robes. “Will San Lang please check my wounds?” He trembled as he said it, the words coming out garbled.
“Gege…?”
“Please?”
Hua Cheng was silent as he carefully unwrapped Rouye from Xie Lian’s wrist and checked the bite wound. “It’s still inflamed,” he said, frowning, “but there’s nothing unusual about it.”
At that, Xie Lian gained the confidence to look himself. Hua Cheng was right. There was no sign of a face on his arm. “Check my other ones,” he said.
With nimble hands, Hua Cheng checked each of his other wounds and declared them safe. Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief.
Hua Cheng took both of Xie Lian’s hands in his. “What did you see?”
“The human face disease.” He shook his head. “It was only a nightmare.”
“Hm.” Hua Cheng rubbed a little circle into the back of Xie Lian’s hand. “Perhaps not just a nightmare.” At Xie Lian’s stricken expression he hurried to add, “I only meant, perhaps the venom from the wound has other unsavoury symptoms, like showing you your worst fears.”
“Do you think it could do something like that?”
“It’s possible.”
Xie Lian lowered his gaze, unsettled. “I don’t want to see that,” he said, his voice small. He felt like a child saying it.
“Gege, I have an idea.” Hua Cheng nudged his chin so he would look up, and Xie Lian met his earnest gaze head-on. “I could transfer you a little of my power. Perhaps it will chase away any of the remaining venom in your blood.”
Without thinking, Xie Lian’s eyes travelled downwards to rest on Hua Cheng’s lips. He watched them quirk into a tiny smile, then drop again. “Only if gege wants. I understand if you don’t…”
“Do it.”
Hua Cheng was taken aback by Xie Lian’s abruptness. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“All right.”
Hua Cheng cupped his face, smoothing his thumbs over Xie Lian’s cheeks and jaw. With heart-fluttering tenderness, he pressed his lips to Xie Lian’s and transferred more of his qi. Xie Lian could feel it suffusing throughout his body and bringing some strength back to his tired limbs. When they separated, Xie Lian felt strangely light, like he might float away if Hua Cheng hadn’t been holding onto him.
“How do you feel?”
“Better,” said Xie Lian. “That helped. Thank you, San Lang.”
“Anytime.” Hua Cheng smiled. “But gege should rest some more.” He stood, Xie Lian cradled easily in his arms, and lay him back on the bed. Hua Cheng’s spiritual energy had made him sleepy, and Xie Lian reclined gratefully, his head sinking into the soft pillow.
“I’ll be here when you wake,” said Hua Cheng, idly brushing a lock of hair out of Xie Lian’s face. “I’ll even come to you in your dreams, if you need me.”
Xie Lian mumbled a reply, but he was too tired to form proper words and he trailed off without making any sense. Hua Cheng chuckled and that was the last sound he heard before he drifted off again.
***
Time became slippery during Xie Lian’s illness. Hours passed and felt like minutes, and minutes passed and felt like aeons. All the while, Hua Cheng lay at his side, holding him close when he was cold and sponging his body when he grew too hot. By the time his fever broke, his skin felt disgusting and he wanted nothing more than a hot bath.
Hua Cheng was pleased when he put his hand to Xie Lian’s forehead and found his temperature back to normal. He inspected the bite wounds and found them to be healing nicely, the enraged skin settled and stitching itself back together.
“I feel much better,” said Xie Lian honestly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, intending to stand and stretch. “Thank goodness.” He got to his feet, but he’d miscalculated his strength and lurched backwards, his head suddenly pounding.
“Oof.” He’d fallen right into Hua Cheng’s arms.
“Careful,” said Hua Cheng in his ear, his breath tickling in neck. “Go slow.”
Xie Lian blushed and nodded, taking a few deep breaths before attempting to stand again. He stretched his arms over his head and felt his spine pop. “Ahhh! Feels nice.”
He heard a chuckle from behind him. “Gege seems to be back to his usual self.”
“Yes, although…” He stopped himself, not wanting to trouble Hue Cheng for anything further.
“What is it?”
“No, no.” He waved his hand. “It’s nothing at all.”
“I will grant you anything you wish,” said Hua Cheng, his expression earnest. “You need only ask.”
“Well.” Xie Lian scratched his cheek. “I haven’t got a very big tub back at the shrine. But it’s fine, I can make do…” Hua Cheng had already stood and begun leading Xie Lian out of the room. “Wait! Where are we going?”
“Gege wants a bath, no?” He smiled. “It just so happens that I have a very nice one.”
They walked along several long corridors until they came to a large door. Hua Cheng pushed it open and led Xie Lian inside, where steam rose to tickle his nose. The “bath” Hua Cheng had mentioned was an entire room, with several separate pools built into the floor, their tiles gleaming beautifully. There was nobody else there, which struck Xie Lian as odd. Was this Hua Cheng’s personal bathing room?
“This is incredible,” he said. “Wow.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Hua Cheng had moved away, and when he returned he handed Xie Lian a large fluffy towel and a fresh robe. Where he’d retrieved it from, Xie Lian had no idea. “Is there anything else you need?”
At that moment, Xie Lian’s stomach purred rather loudly. He flushed crimson and fluttered his hands. “No, no, this is enough. Thank you San Lang.”
But Hua Cheng was not so easily deterred. A divot appeared between his brows. “You haven’t eaten in three days. You must be hungry.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll eat when I get home.”
“Don’t be silly. Have your bath; I’ll organise some breakfast.” He flicked Xie Lian’s hair with the tip of his finger. “You need to get your strength back.”
“I feel fine.”
But Hua Cheng had already strode out of the room, leaving Xie Lian alone in the enormous chamber. Slowly, he peeled his sweat-soaked robes off his body and stripped down to nothing. There was nobody around, so he didn’t see any point in keeping anything on. When he entered the water, he groaned with the pleasure of it. It was the perfect temperature, and when it touched his wounds, he felt an instant loosening on tension.
He could not say how long he lay there, for time was not the same when baths were involved, but at some point he opened his eyes and discovered a silver butterfly fluttering just behind his head. “Hello,” he said, twisting round so he could rest his chest against the edge of the pool and catch the butterfly on his finger. “If someone is listening,” he said while the butterfly tasted the salt on his skin with its tongue, “Then they might want to know that I’m staying in this bath forever, and they’d better bring me something to eat before I perish.
The hot water must’ve gotten to his head, because Xie Lian usually never spoke in that way. He winced as soon as the words came out of his mouth, reminded of his crown prince days when he’d ordered people about like it was natural.
But right away there was a knock at the door, and Hua Cheng pushed it open, a tray in his hands and his face curiously blank. When he saw Xie Lian, his footsteps stuttered. “Your Highness…”
Xie Lian blushed, but he only had himself to blame for this awkward situation, and he didn’t want Hua Cheng to feel uncomfortable too. “It’s fine!” He said a little too loudly. “I was just about to get out.”
Without asking, Hua Cheng turned around to give Xie Lian a chance to pull himself out of the water and wrap himself in the towel. It smelled of flowers. He dried himself off completely, then shrugged into the robe Hua Cheng had given him. It was a splendid thing, white with brocade sleeves depicting designs of elegant birds and dragons. It was far too noble a piece for Xie Lian, particularly as he had nothing to wear underneath it. Thankfully the drapery was full and covered everything.
“It’s all right now,” he said softly. Hua Cheng turned around and his face lit up in such a warm smile that Xie Lian’s heart kicked him hard in the ribs. He pressed his palm over it to shush it.
Hua Cheng set the tray on a small table and they sat opposite each other. As always, he’d brought far too much, and Xie Lian only sampled a small portion of the dishes. Each one was delicious.
“Thank you, San Lang,” he said when he’d filled his belly. “Really. This is all too much. You didn’t need to go to the trouble. You didn’t need to waste such good food and clothes on me.” He gestured to the robe he was wearing.
“Your Highness is the only one here worthy of such things,” Hua Cheng said, a trace of darkness in his voice. “You may bathe here and wear my clothes anytime you like.” He leaned forward. “And whenever you need help, call me, and I will come right away.”
Xie Lian blinked, a little stunned. Hua Cheng made him feel all sorts of things and all of them were confusing!
Nevertheless, he found himself smiling. “You are too kind.” Something flitted into his mind, something important. “San Lang. What happened to the demon that bit me?”
“I took care of it.”
Xie Lian noted the dark fire in Hua Cheng’s eyes as he said this and decided he’d better not push the matter any further. “Well, that’s that then. I should be getting home.”
“You could stay.”
“Oh no!” Xie Lian shook his head vehemently. “I couldn’t possibly!”
Hua Cheng’s mouth quirked into a half smile. “Of course.” He chuckled. “I was only joking.”