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Xie Lian had somehow, suddenly, only just noticed it now:
The noise.
The sound that seemed to be in the air had a constant yet soothing rhythm. Xie Lian had believed it was simply the wind or people performing their work. He never gave it much thought. That is, until he went a year without it—the year Hua Cheng had vanished after shattering into millions of butterflies right in front of him.
… He never thought of how that subtle sound had been majorly relaxing, even if it was only somewhat so.
He didn't even notice the sound had disappeared, along with his husband for that year. He was too busy being worried—hm, not to death, but to a great extent—about his said husband! Along with rebuilding the heavenly capital and other jobs.
Of course he was more tense than usual then, right?
…
When his husband, Hua Cheng, came back, he did not notice it right away; he was far too relieved and intoxicated by the return.
He didn't start questioning it until a few months later. One random, insignificant day, his husband had gone out for some business' like usual. Xie Lian, in return, since he himself still had an unbelievable amount of work to do regarding the heavens, had determined that it would be a perfect day to go and get some of that work done!
He had gone up to the heavenly capital and talked with Ling Wen and some of her other disciples before descending back down to the mortal realm and transferring his work down there.
Instead of using a transportation spell, he decided it would be peaceful to walk to Puqi Shrine, since the day was good!
He carried the scrolls he brought down and took a calm, quiet walk to the shrine. It was really only until he set the scrolls down on the table in the middle of the shrine that he recalled that thought and squinted at the wall.
Hm... It was indeed quiet...
Too quiet... Similar to last year when...
Ah, He thought then. Is it because of San Lang being gone? We have been with each other a lot recently.
And he had left it at that, continuing to roll out the scrolls onto Puqi Shrine's beat up table and proceed with his work.
The second time he questioned the noise was when he was happily resting with his husband in their room at Paradise Manor. They were merely cuddling and chatting regularly with one another. At that time, the moon was already hanging high in the sky. Xie Lian rested his head against the pillow, drowning in the comfortable fulfillment of being with Hua Cheng. He even closed his eyes for a moment.
Hua Cheng laughed gently beside him, noticing the act. "Your Highness, are you feeling tired? We may go to sleep now if you feel like it."
Xie Lian hummed quietly in response before giving a slow, single nod.
"Alright then." His husband replied, sitting up and bringing the plush blanket that had been pushed down the bed up to both of their chests, neatly laying it down on top of them. Xie Lian, almost automatically, leaned over to his husband's side. Though, how could he not be completely lured into his presence?
Anyhow, it was then, with Xie Lian closer to Hua Cheng's chest, that he sluggishly realized the sound had gotten louder. That it was there in the first place. He couldn't recall ever hearing wind blow around Paradise Manor. Furthermore, the manor was too far away from the city for there to be a crowd.
Unfortunately, his train of thought was soon broken when he felt Hua Cheng's tail coil around the both of them. Ah, what had he been thinking anyway? Everything was well with his husband here with him in their bed. There was really nothing else to worry about! He was certain.
As the night progressed, the two gradually sank into a peaceful sleep, and the previous moment was only to be remembered as a time that they had spent together.
The third time was a bit more eventful than the other two. He and Hua Cheng, along with Feng Xin and Mu Qing, had been searching for tracks and records of a troublesome ghost in the past that had been related to the latter group. Xie Lian was asked for a helping hand, and he agreed, while also insisting that Hua Cheng come along. The two were looking for a ghost, and who better to assist than a ghost king?
Xie Lian was smiling brilliantly, and missed noticing when the two gods' faces dropped in resistance.
Xie Lian walked ahead of the group down a forest path, completely disregarding the heated discussion that was going on behind him. Perhaps he would intervene if it got too serious.
"Tsk, he's no help at all! If we had to hide, those dumb cat ears—are those even cat ears?—would get us caught." He heard Feng Xin spit out.
"Not at all; I can remove them, unlike you two, who are covering your ears to steal a bell." Hua Cheng retaliated.
Was the sun out more suddenly? Heat seemed to surround them all.
"Us two?!" Mu Qing chimed in. "You're calling us stupid! What a rusted silver tongue..." Weirdly, he could feel the general rolling his eyes from that far away!
The three behind him continued to argue for some time, before a certain comment—Xie Lian not hearing which—sent the two generals falling into a stubborn silence. He did not need to think twice, sighing as his now-smug husband approached his side.
Hua Cheng said something to him, but Xie Lian was a little surprised as the noise, which he hadn't even noticed stopped, began to slowly grow again. Was that sound always there?
The concern in his husband's voice was not hidden. "Gege? Are you alright?" Hua Cheng asked.
Xie Lian nodded softly and turned to gaze to his side, where he saw Hua Cheng tilting down in worry, the ears on his head flattened, and—perhaps Xie Lian did have something wrong with him. He stopped walking and automatically reached out and patted the space between the fluffy ears.
It was amusing to see them twitch back in surprise.
"En. I feel fine now." Xie Lian responded cheerfully as he relaxed back into his usual manner and continued to stroll on the pathway, feeling strangely accomplished. Oh, and that noise again—was it even louder?
During the groups' investigation, Xie Lian silently observed the noise; it had not seemed as consistent as he remembered, or maybe it was. He did not have a track record. Though he noticed that it increased when it was just him and his husband conversing, perhaps that was just because he was less focused on Mu Qing and Feng Xin's loud voices?
Throughout the day, he couldn't come up with a clear answer and left it alone as he had before, maybe with a bit of suspicion now. But slowly, the suspicion grew.
The silent quest that Xie Lian had to figure out the noise had been implanted into his head. He did eventually conclude it up to this:
1. The noise was not from the wind or people.
2. The sound was not there when that one year without his husband occurred. (Which he decided to officially state, remembering that day in Puqi Shrine.)
3. It was... strangely relaxing and helped him focus.
4. The two generals, Mu Qing and Feng Xin, groaned in exasperation when Xie Lian brought it up.
The mystery soon became too much for him to bear on his own. He was sure that if he were to ask his husband, he would indeed get a swift, accurate answer! It would probably be a bit embarrassing to reveal the small thing he had been investigating for a few weeks to him, but he knew that Hua Cheng would be glad to help.
So, while the two were walking along Ghost City's streets, looking for a potential dinner stall, Xie Lian debated. What sort of questions could he bring to something like this anyway? Maybe he just needed to ask, and the words would flow right out. Once they had decided on a dinner location—a place in a more secluded part of the city—they both sat quietly at their table, food in front of them.
It was better late than never. "San Lang," He started. "Have you noticed that sound that, um, is almost always occurring?"
… What sort of question was that?! What sound was he talking about?
Hua Cheng hummed, setting the bowl of food to the side and focusing his attention on Xie Lian. "Hm? Which sound? Is something displeasing you, Gege?"
It was really confusing! That sound was so constant, it was even there now.
"No, not necessarily displeasing. I'm not too sure how to explain it."
"That's okay; you don't need to explain it flawlessly. I'll listen even if it's messy," Hua Cheng said.
Even after all these months, his husband still had such a unique way of flattering him! Too much for just asking a question, was that not?
Yet, it was reassuring. "Alright. I only started thinking about it a bit ago. There's this almost buzzing sound that's in the air. At first, I thought it was the wind or just outdoor noise, but it isn't. Usually, it also escalates when I'm alone with you. I already tried asking Feng Xin and Mu Qing, but they weren't exactly... helpful."
Hua Cheng stayed silent for a bit afterwards. Xie Lian was a bit confused, but took it as him thinking. Maybe the noise really was that puzzling, even to Hua Cheng?
After a bit, Hua Cheng responded almost hesitantly. "It doesn't sound threatening. Does your highness have any idea of what it is so far?"
Xie Lian shook his head as an answer and sighed. If Hua Cheng didn't know, he wasn't sure who else would. He could ask The Palace of Ling Wen, but that might be even more embarrassing. Perhaps he could borrow some scrolls from there instead! Yes, that was a good plan.
"Nope, not yet. I think I'll explore it a bit more. Later, though, let's eat now, San Lang."
His husband nodded in agreement, and the two ate peacefully. In the back of his mind, Xie Lian wondered more about the noise.
The day after, Xie Lian excused himself to the heavens, agreeing to check in on his clingy husband from time to time and inspiriting that he wouldn't be long. When he reached the palace, he quietly entered, feeling ready, capable, and excited to get to the bottom of this!
Ah, well, hm. That was until he walked into the actual threshold of the palace, taking in the floor-to-roof-tall bookshelves that were overflowing with countless scrolls. What- no, where was he meant to start here? Were the shelves sorted by categories? Which one would he even pick if that were so? How long would this really take?
Darting his gaze around, he spotted a nearby disciple of Ling Wen's and sheepishly asked them if the palace was categorized. In response, he got a dead, tired '"yes" before the person started walking away.
Helpful! "Categorized how?" he should've asked. At least he now knew they were categorized in some way, and he was grateful. The disciples of Ling Wen and she herself really deserved a long break.
Ahem. While searching the bottom shelves of the walls as best he could to get an idea of how the library was listed, his eyes caught something that he deemed even more interesting than his mystery.
"Hybrids; Domestic Animals".
The words were written on the shelf, just like the others. Yet Xie Lian stared at the letters as if they would unlock some deep secret. He thought for a second, then looked up and down the shelf until he found a subcategory for cats. He pulled out three of the scrolls there and placed some merits in their places before walking out of the building and sitting on some random bench.
He knew from the first time he met Hua Cheng that there was a hybrid situation going on. The ghost could switch from being a very cute, fluffy black cat to a full-on human if he wanted to. But his true form included characteristics of both. Visibly, he had fluffy cat ears that rested upon his head, along with a mischievous tail. And, he wasn't even sure if Hua Cheng noticed this himself, but Xie Lian had noticed the slightest indents on his husband's face that really could look like whiskers.
Not-so-visibly, he could tell Hua Cheng was more... clingy in his true form. It was hard to realize due to how clingy his husband was normally. He was also a lot more playful and vocal! Hahaha, almost like how a cat would meow for attention!
Oh. Huh...…
'almost like how a cat would meow for attention' …
… Xie Lian stood up from the bench and instead, unrolled the three scrolls and laid them all out, looking for one specific thing. His gaze went up and down, skimming the words before he found them.
"Vocal Inquiries"
"Cats or similar hybrids can make sound. With human vocal cords and speech as a human, and with feline vocal cords and purring, hissing, meowing, etc. as a cat. If stuck in one form for a long while, however, the person will become unfamiliar with the other forms' vocal ways and will either forget it or need to practice. If in a hybrid form of both human and cat, the person can use vocal ways from either form. Only rarely have there been hybrids that could not, either due to their prolonged existence as one form for too long or medical issues. There have also been hybrids that have cultivated down a non-hybrid path and lost their connection to their other form entirely."
Interesting, but not exactly what he was looking for. He should ask Hua Cheng about being a hybrid!
"Purring"
"In either cat or hybrid form, the person can make sounds a cat could. Which includes purring. A cat or hybrid purrs when, in most cases, they are in a safe environment. Although, cats or hybrids may purr when in distress as a way to relieve themselves, this sort of purring is not similar to the type above as their breathing rhythm speeds up, causing the purrs to be either fast or incomplete. A cat's or hybrid's purr should sound like a consistent, soft buzz-like sound if they are content. A cat's or hybrid's body language can also determine how they are purring."
! ! !
There it was! Xie Lian had explained to Hua Cheng that the 'noise' sounded like a buzz!
Oh- aw.
Did that mean Hua Cheng, that cat hybrid, purred around him? Xie Lian felt his heart and face warm in real time.
Did Hua Cheng know he purred? His husband was quite intelligent, but he had been oblivious to a few things in the past, hadn't he? Hua Cheng also seemed to not know about the noise that Xie Lian was talking about. Should he tell him? Maybe he could subtly bring it up, just in case Hua Cheng didn't know.
But what if he did? Hua Cheng had also kept extremely important things away, even being willing to never say them! He was also hesitant about answering Xie Lian yesterday. That could have also been due to him not knowing, though?
He decided, as he headed back to The Palace of Ling Wen, that he would try to subtly ask Hua Cheng. Nothing too direct, because if his husband did know, he might get... too smug, and if he didn't, then asking directly would just seem foolish. It was the perfect route to take!
Xie Lian was practically bouncing with excitement as he placed the scrolls back where he'd found them and descended back to the mortal realm.
[Gege, are you doing okay up there?] A voice rang out in his head. What perfect timing Hua Cheng has!
He brought up two fingers to his temple before replying. [Yes! I'm heading back just now.]
He could hear Hua Cheng's laugh through the array. [Mm, stay safe. You can always use the dice or a transportation spell!]
[Ah, I almost forgot about those! Thank you, San Lang. I'll see you shortly.]
With that, Xie Lian disconnected from the array. He then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a pair of bright red dice that he had acquired from the Gambler's Den so long ago. After he used them for the first time, all the way back when Jun Wu was still the heavenly emperor, Xie Lian was told then that, no matter what he rolled, if he desired to see Hua Cheng, then the ghost king would appear. The memory was fond and vivid.
He kneeled down and swiftly rolled the two dice on the ground. A one and two! So close to when he got snake eyes the first time.
Instantly, the shimmering light of Deathly Spirit Butterflies entered Xie Lian's vision, along with the Distance Shortening Array cracked open before him. He then heard the sound of jewelry jingling, which could only belong to one person. Xie Lian swiftly picked up the dice and brushed them off on his robe before putting them back.
He got up off the ground and smiled. "I should've been a bit more specific than 'shortly', sorry!"
"No worries, Your Highness; I'm quite happy to see you." Hua Cheng grinned back at him.
Xie Lian stepped toward Hua Cheng and held out his hand. "I'm very happy to see you."
Hua Cheng gladly took his hand, gracefully and firmly. Yet Xie Lian still made sure they continued to hold each other while going through the array. When they entered, the two were in the center of Puqi Shrine. Hua Cheng started to turn away, but Xie Lian tightened his hold just a bit, signaling to not yet let go.
But suddenly, he felt awkward, bringing up his other arm to scratch at his neck. How discreetly could he ask, "Hey! Do you purr? Have you been purring around me?" without freaking out? Asking his husband about his 'mystery' was embarrassing in itself. He might just die! Not to mention, Xie Lian almost didn't have to ask; when Hua Cheng appeared in front of him, the purring returned.
Hua Cheng giggled lightly. "Gege," He began. "Did you come to a conclusion on your trip?"
… Did Hua Cheng know? What has his husband been so amused about anyway?
Xie Lian gazed at him suspiciously, then straightforwardly asked, "Do you purr?"
"Ah-?"
He had anticipated a smug Hua Cheng, or even an unsure one. But this... was... he?...
Proceeding with the attitude, he looked at his husband in the eye this time. "I came across a book about feline hybrids while I was researching and read it out of curiosity. The 'buzzing sound' I told you about yesterday was described perfectly in there!"
"...I do." Ah, perhaps Xie Lian had been a bit too direct? If Hua Cheng was shy about purring, shouldn't he have approached it more slowly?
But the excitement he also had! His husband! His cat-hybrid husband! His lovey, devoted, cat-hybrid husband! Purred! Wow, if Xie Lian thought that Hua Cheng's full cat form was deadly adorable, what if he thought about how he purred too?! The thoughts were far too much for him! He almost couldn't keep himself from squealing just thinking about them; he had to squeeze his eyes shut to release the pressure.
Speaking of that! He could not keep up his straightforward, serious façade and helplessly broke out into one of the biggest smiles he's had in awhile.
"San Lang! That's so precious! I can't believe I only found out now." He exclaimed, wanting to shout how truly great it was.
Quietly, Hua Cheng spoke: "It's just part of being in my true form, Your Highness. I can always—"
Just by his tone, Xie Lian could tell what Hua Cheng was trying to say, and no! Not even to be suggested! Such a thing shouldn't even be a mere thought of his husband's!
"Don't!" He said it desperately before coughing and clearing his voice. "I mean, I find it amazing! Another thing I learned from the scroll was that you purr in the same way it described: when calm and safe! You've only purred around me based on what I observed!"
As horribly badly he wanted to say more, a distressed groan from Hua Cheng caused him to stop, making Xie Lian worry about what state his husband was in. Though a fast glance proved worthy of describing a thousand words, he saw Hua Cheng, who was red-faced with a seemingly alert expression. How could a ghost's face be redder than his crimson clothes? How was he this flustered already?
Xie Lian also saw his husband's beautiful eyes dart away quickly once Xie Lian had looked at him.
That... That wouldn't do either. He should have Hua Cheng's full attention!
Slowly and carefully, to not alarm anyone even more, Xie Lian untangled their fingers and instead gently cupped Hua Cheng's handsome face with both hands. This allowed him to see if Hua Cheng were to turn his face away or not! Although his husband could definitely break out of the hold if he wanted to.
Xie Lian thought, "I'd prefer if my husband looked at me while I talked about him instead of adamantly avoiding. If you are feeling uncomfortable, you can tell me."
A quiet grunt in response. That could work.
"San Lang, can I continue?" He asked.
Now a sharp inhale before Hua Cheng answered, "If his Highness wishes."
Xie Lian let out a sigh of relief, looked at Hua Cheng, and continued. "I... had told you long ago that I wanted to understand everything about you. I'm aware I haven't actively asked much about you being a hybrid, but I want to know more. What I said at the time still stands—and everything about you includes every part of you! I'd feel horrible that you were ashamed of something, even more if it was because of me."
"And," He added, almost looking away himself in embarrassment, "I feel honored to know you feel safe around me; even though we're lovers, it means a lot." He finished by coughing and taking one of his hands away to once again pet that space between his husband's ears. Even though Xie Lian was glad to praise his husband, he was more concerned than not. Before, Hua Cheng had been almost retreating, but now he seemed to be trembling.
"San Lang, are you okay?" Xie Lian said as he took both of his hands away. Had he said or done something?
Hua Cheng did not respond for some time. Xie Lian let him think but still stayed present. Eventually Hua Cheng said, "Gege, you're very good with words. I couldn't think for a moment because of how good they were."
Xie Lian felt a wave of relaxation wash over him as he heard the purring, which had stopped, start up again. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or not; that ghost king was going to cause a whiplash of emotions so easily!
"! ! ! San Lang! Thank you, but... …"
"It's fine; I was just startled." Hua Cheng said. Then, in that familiar, playful teasing tone, he continued, "Gege, do you like my purring that much?"
Sadly, Xie Lian did not immediately recognize the tone. He instead stood there in front of Hua Cheng, pondering if his husband had been so startled as to not hear what he said. How much shame would he have left if he were to repeat everything he said?
So, he helplessly just replied, "Yes..."
Hua Cheng laughed and smiled in return. The golden light of the setting sun shone into the shrine around the two. At that time, Xie Lian's heart felt warm and delighted. He was grateful, too. After all those years, where happiness was difficult to find and short-lived, he had a person who could provide such a feeling just by existing.
Then he remembered a question he had sought to ask Hua Cheng.
"Right, San Lang, could you tell me more about your hybrid species?" He hurriedly requested. Then such an event as today wouldn't have to happen again! He silently thought afterward.
Hua Cheng moved away from him and took a seat at the table in the middle of Puqi Shrine, which held a full bowl of fruit and had already lit incense sitting behind it. It was only possible for his husband to have been the one who constructed the setting.
His gaze followed the red as he watched curiously, and Hua Cheng tilted his head, resting it on his hand.
"If Gege wants to listen, I'll tell you everything."
Brimming with that feeling, he excitedly went over and sat on the other side of the table.
The conversation began slowly but quickly increased when the scrolls Xie Lian read were mentioned. He listened attentively as Hua Cheng explained the ins and outs. They talked until it was dark, and the incense light couldn't keep on burning any longer. The relaxing night settled over them, and they both agreed that, while talking was lovely, the content of sleeping together was equally necessary.
Xie Lian had somehow, suddenly, only noticed it then—
The purring.