Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So, assuming you’ve read the summary to this “piece of literature”, you already have some background info…

Great!

Cause I got nothing else for ya, (other than my insanely cool and horrifically depressing backstory)

Anyway,

“Xie Liannnn!!!” Cried a brown haired man covered in bandages with a tan coat, “pleaseee???” He begged.

“No! I have enough on my plate as it is, tell Atsushi to do your work!” I sighed, I rarely ever get annoyed, but having to write in another language especially a report that I knew was very tedious.

“Yeah, but he’s out sick and Kunikida won’t help me!!!” He groaned.

You must be very confused. So allow me to summarise the last few centuries of my life:

Hua Cheng died,

came back after a year,

We were happy as husband and husband for 5 years,

He never came back after going to get me some flowers,

I became depressed,

And was slowly forgotten about by the heavenly court,

How? I dunno know,

Travelled a lot, 

Still miss san lang,

Moved to Japan,

Learned Japanese,

I miss San lang even more, 

Joined detective agency,

Here I am!

Nobody here knows of the fact I am a god, nor do I think they believe in that stuff.

I joined 6 months after Dazai Osamu joined. My trial was this port mafia mission where I was supposed to help my coworkers but I accidentally beat the port mafia's ass(maybe coincidental, maybe not).

I have found some happiness in life such as being a part of a group of people, and constantly hanging out with them.

Yet, no matter what I do I can’t remember everything about him.

I hate myself for that. He remembers every single word I utter, but I can’t even remember us together despite my constant efforts at trying to remember him.

I remember very few moments with San Lang vividly, which I despise myself for.

Despite that I’ve lived life glamorously, not in riches but I’m not with any stress of the heavenly court coming to find me.

As far as I know they’ve forgotten about me, every now and then I get a message from the communication array which I don’t respond to, but it’s usually by accident or something of the sort, so that’s good.

Some of the people I am closest with at the agency are Atsushi, Dazai(surprisingly), Kyouka, Kenji, Tanizaki, and Yosano.

Everyone else especially Ranpo scare me, mainly due to the fact his “ability” is that he can see the truth in any problem. So you’d expect him to realise I’m a god in hiding, correct?

Wrong, he still hasn’t figured it out yet. But he does mention that along with some other people I am very wise, so that’s a plus! 

But you may be wondering, 

“Do you have an ability?” 

Technically no, but.

To join the agency, and to actually be able to help I call ruoye my ability.

He doesn’t seem to care much, but Dazai has taken a huge interest in it.

Asking me to make his bandages move, and saying I can’t due to his ability, then him sulking in a corner.

The agency knows I’m Chinese, and Kyouka has taken a huge interest in it, asking for me, her, atsushi and kenji all hanfu shopping or for us all to go to China(due to my situation, not gonna happen any time soon), and does ask me to set up dates between her and Kenji which reminds me of myself when I had first met San Lang.

Now you may also be wondering,

“WHAT HAPPENED TO HUA CHENG!?!? HOW COME YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT??” 

 I don’t even know myself. I would’ve ran to the heavenly court asking for answers immediately, but Jun Wu would stop me(probably kill me!), so I never did.

Also, news update! After a year everyone in the heavenly court decided, let Jun Wu run this place again after an apparent “change of heart”. Clearly me and San Lang and a handful of other people were pissed and surprisingly Jun Wu hasn’t done anything to any of us.

That we have evidence for.

Yet I haven’t heard anything from San Lang in the last 5000+ years, I would know if I was walking past someone and they were San Lang, I would sense it in my being, and I’ve been in no near death experiences so no one’s been there to save me, and i haven’t even been anywhere near the underworld to get a chance to even be noticed by him or to even see if he was there.

I have met hundreds of people thinking they are San Lang, but they never are. They either look like him, act like him in the slightest, but never are him.

When I had begun my journey of being forgotten by the heavenly court, I shot my hopes up the clouds whenever I met someone who was the slightest way like San Lang.

So, I guess I’ve hardened since then. I’ve never forgotten about him and have 1,789 notebooks full of drawings of San Lang all from different times of my waiting for him. I lost 365 notebooks due to a house fire, so overall I had 2,154 notebooks full of San Lang.

I love him.

The agency often sees me drawing him, and asks who he is and I say I don’t know.

Which I know Ranpo has figured out is a lie, but also is not.

I don’t know who San Lang is now, perhaps if he were to return he would be the same or he’ll have greatly changed.

He died for me 3 times, he said he would come back 5000+ years ago, did he die? Was it my fault? Why did he do all of this for me?

See, I don’t know who he is. And why should I still think he cares about me as much as he did 5000+ years ago, especially when I’ve made no progress on finding him.

And so here I am, a widowed man, still sulking over the disapearance of my lover which happened 5000+ years ago, and I’m still not over it although I say I am.

I’ve cut my hair to be shorter. It's like a wolf cut but it ends at my shoulders. I would’ve kept it longer but societal pressures unfortunately exist, but I can still make a bun with my hair which makes me happy, and I don’t plan on cutting it shorter unless San Lang thinks I should.

So now here we are. I can’t really think of much else I'd need to tell you people.

 So continue on with what’s been happening at my life in the agency:

Thankfully the president and many others understand that Japanese is hard for me since I’ve known Chinese all my life(an extremely long time), and I just walk it off as taking longer to learn something than it would other people not telling them the fact that it’s due to me being old. 

SO, they give me easy to write reports.

And while a majority of people understand that, Dazai has a hard time with it, constantly offering up his more complicated work.

Even so, we get along extremely well. We both have bandages(for similar reasons but in very different contexts), we’re both bad at cooking, we’re both very poor(he plays poor), and we both came to the agency to turn our life in the right direction(once again, for VERY different reasons).

He does offer to take me and a couple of other people to bars, but usually just me and him because I can tell he’s taken a liking to me. I’m not average, that's for sure, and he and Ranpo know something’s up.

 And also because: I always listen.

Chapter Text

Tonight it was me, Dazai, Kunikida, Ranpo, and Yosano out on the town. 

It was always very rare to have all the adults together for things like this, but whenever we were it was always fun.

“Who's paying tonight?” Dazai asked as we made it into the bar.

“You, dumbass.” Kunikida sighed.

“I paid last time, so I’m good.” rampo declared.

“I ain’t paying whatsoever, except for my own drinks.” Yosano announced.

“I-I can pay…” I sighed.

“You sure? I haven’t been seeing you eat a lot?” Kunikida questioned.

“Yeah, It’s nothing I got it.” I told the bartender my name and now all drinks were to be under my tab, with Yosano claiming to be paying me back once we leave.

Everyone spoke about work, their lives, and things alike.

I mostly just listened and didn’t add much to the conversation, as per usual.

Now they moved onto their past jobs, which is when the atmosphere got a bit solemn.

“So, what about you Xie Lian? What was your old job?” Ranpo asked.

“H-Huh, I-I’m sorry?” I stammered.

“Where did you work before the agency?” Ranpo repeated.

“I didn't work anywhere, the Detective Agency is my first job.” 

“Uh huh, sure. You immigrated from China to Japan, with what money?” Kunikida questioned.

Should I try to explain to them? 

I mean, I could simplify some things…

“Well, my father was the mayor of our very small town, so when I was 16-17 I would always help him out doing jobs related to that. Then I moved to the capital and came here since I got bored.” Technically I’m not lying.

“Actually, I’ve never heard you talk about yourself growing up.” Ranpo announced, “you came from China, and you're really good at your job, plus you're always drawing that one guy in your notebook. What’s that about?”

“Well, I come from a family where talking about yourself isn’t really normalised, so maybe that’s why. The guy in my notebook…he was my best friend, since we were little, he was always there for me, he was everything. One day we were hanging out in this hut we had built to hang out in, he said he was gonna get some flowers to lighten up the place and he never came back…I waited years for him, but he…never showed up. It wasn’t like he went home and moved away that same day, we lived in the same town, we grew up together, everyone knew us as a duo, he just…disappeared…..and nobody even tried looking for him except me…then I came here” I overshared. Shit.

“What do you mean nobody tried to look for him? What about his family?” Kunikida asked.

He had none. I was his only family.

“T-they just never tried to look for him…”

“Wasn’t your dad the mayor? Did he try anything to help?” Yosano asked, concerned.

I don’t even want to answer this one…

“I’d rather not talk about it anymore…just, nobody cared or…I overshard, I apologise.” I kept my head down, if I looked into their eyes, they would see my tears, if they asked another question I would explode, I would tell them who Sang Lang really was.

Then they would know who I was, then they would fear me, they wouldn’t trust me, I can’t have that happening.

“We’re sorry Xie Lian, we didn’t know it was such a personal topic…” Yosano said, rubbing my back.

Don’t fucking touch me.

I kept my head down, yet I felt a heat wave run through my back and Yosano jump take her hand off my back,

“You shocked me,” she said.

I chuckled internally and then raised my head ready to face them, I had sucked back in all my tears.

The whole time Dazai silently observed me, and thankfully Dazai changed the topic

“Are kangaroos, Dinosaurs and deers love child?” 

“What!?!” Kunikida yelped.

Thank god-   

actually.

thank San Lang

I once again sat silently not interjecting in their conversation, Although drinking was against my cultivation, I had given up on that years ago, yet every now and then I would meditate and get a weighted stuffed animal to rest on my thigh, to remind me of what San Lang used to do.

Now everyone was leaving and Yosano gave me 20 bucks saying she didn’t have any other money and that she would pay me back tomorrow.

Everyone parted ways saying goodbye but, me and Dazai walked in the same direction since our apartments were very close to each other.

“You weren’t telling the truth, were you?” Dazai said, killing the calming silence.

“I-I know…” I wasn’t even gonna try to play it off in front of him, since he wouldn’t dive deeper into who I was unless I gave him permission to.

“The kid you grew up with, seemed really nice though, you described him as ‘everything’… it takes a lot for anyone to describe someone as ‘everything’.' ' dazai said.

“Do you have anyone you would describe as everything?” I asked, looking in Dazai’s direction.

He paused thinking of his answer, “When I was younger in the port mafia, yes. But not anymore, but it’s nice since my love for my friends can be spread out evenly and not on just one person, y’know?”

“I get that.”

We continued in the silence for a bit longer.

If Dazai figured out my plot hole in my story, so would Ranpo. I lied about the story in whole and about me going to the capital, I only left China because I lost hope in San Lang coming back.

I miss him with every atom of my being, I dream about him being in my mere presence, I know how San Lang felt all those years but the only difference is I stopped looking and went on to pursue my life.

I hope San Lang could forgive me, because although here I am doing it now; I cannot forgive myself for stopping looking for him.

I hope San Lang can forgive me for calling him my ‘best friend’ in my story to the agency and not my husband.

I hope San Lang can forgive me for not being there to save him from whatever took him away from me that day.

“Oh yeah!” dazai called out.

“What?”

“We’re getting a new member tomorrow, how do you think they’re gonna be?” dazai asked.

“We’re getting a new member?!” 

“Yeah, if you were paying attention in the conversation, and weren’t dilly dallying off in your imagination you would’ve heard about it.”

“What’s their ability? if they have one.” 

“ranpo said him and the presidents really confused about it, he said it has something to do with butterflies-“ 

I felt my legs weaken and me collapse,

“xie lian! Are you ok?!” Dazai yelped, as he grabbed me by my arms.

“Y-yeah, that was weird…” 

Ever since San Lang had gone missing, the mere mention of butterflies makes me feel sick to my stomach. 

“Anyways, he can do stuff with butterflies, and he has this weird ass sword. Ranpo says, "he passed the test with a 20/20, plus he’s really good at art.” dazai said.

Perfect description of San lang…

“Oh, how did he get the job?” I asked.

“He went to the cafe in the agency, asked if anyone was hiring, then the guy said that the agency was always hiring, and gave him a form. He filled it out, sent it in, and got an interview with Fukuzawa a few days ago. He said he wants to find his life goal, whatever that means.” dazai described.

It’s gotta be San lang.

“Can’t wait to meet him!” and I wasn’t even saying it to seem nice, I really want to meet him.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun to have some new faces in the office.” 

And now we were nearing the end, where we would have to part ways.

“Bye, Xie Lian!” Waved Dazai.

“Bye, Dazai!” I waved back.

We went our different directions and I was going to go to a convenience store to get a card and a trinket for the possible San Lang, one for if it actually is him and another for if it isn’t.

I waltzed in and saw two very familiar people; Mu Qing and Feng Xin.

…

No 

Motherfucking

Way

Are these two ALSO IN JAPAN!?!?

Is there a convention I don’t know about?!

Feng Xin had a very short wolfcut with curtain bangs with a bun in the back, while Mu Qing was rocking a jellyfish cut that went to his mid back.

And it wasn’t even me guessing, they looked and were bickering exactly like how they always do.

I immediately threw my hood on my hoodie over my head and pulled a mask out of my pocket to put on my face, if they recognized me I AM SCREWED!

They were dressed in normal civilian clothes, which startled me since the last time I saw them was when wearing long gowns and long hair was normal.

I got 2 cards, and a butterfly keychain.

Plus a steamed bun for myself.

And I ran to the cash register, 1 person was in front of me, and they were having an issue at the cash register, so i had to wait in anxious fear in the line while hearing what Feng Xin and Mu Qing spoke of in Chinese.

“Why is it that whenever we have something related to Xie Lian, we HAVE to work together?” Feng Xin asked.

“I don’t make the rules, I just follow them!” Mu Qing spat back.

“Xie Lian has been living in the mortal realm playing as a mortal for how many years?” Feng Xin questioned.

“Yeesh…5000…maybe more? Maybe less…” Mu Qing answered.

“But why do WE have to pick up after him? Or if he even is in Japan! Why Japan? He could’ve stayed in China! But noooo, Japan!” Feng Xin whined.

“Because he wanted to get away from your annoying ass!” Mu Qing responded.

Nothing has changed but, who sent them? Why am I the topic in the Heavenly court again?

“No but why did he come to Japan?” Feng Xin asked.

“Well, I don’t know the real reason but I heard that it was because Hua Cheng still hadn’t shown up so he got tired of waiting. That’s sad in itself but the first time Crimson Rain Sought Flower was seen in nearly 5000 years was around 20 years ago…” Mu Qing explained.

What? 

No nonononon…they’re lying right? It’s just a rumour right? Why didn’t I hear about this when I was still in China? Why didn’t he come to me? I stayed in the PuQi shrine waiting for him, did he forget? Nononono, San Lang never forgets…right?

I felt my legs weaken and my head spin, if I pass out now they’ll know it’s me, and I’ll draw attention to myself.

“Doesn’t that mean that Hua Cheng had been alive for all this time, and Xie Lian still hadn’t found him?” Feng Xin asked.

“Sadly yes…”

“Damn…imagine if Xie Lian knew about this? Remember how he was whenever we visited him when he first lost Hua Cheng? He’s been waiting for centuries, do you think he knows just hid so well so we wouldn’t find him?” Feng Xin asked again.

“Well, apparently other heavenly officials already got sent down to the ghost city and they found nothing of Xie Lian or Hua Cheng. So we’re the second people, more or so looking for Xie Lian.” Mu Qing said.

Now the person in front of me was done

Finally!

I gave the man my items, he scanned them, then he had another issue with the cash register.

Are you fucking kidding me!

Well at least now I can hear more of their conversation, which has moved onto another topic.

“Well it wasn’t my decision to stay inside a convenience store because we have nowhere else to stay!” Mu Qing screamed.

“Then you should’ve gotten a place for us to stay! Back when it was daytime!!!” Feng Xin yelled back.

“…we could ask someone to give us a place to stay…?” Mu Qing protested.

“How? ‘Oh, hey! Will you two Chinese dudes a stay over at your place?’” 

“Well, we could…use our godly powers…and convince them?” 

Feng Xin stopped for a moment,

“How about the guy in a hood and mask?” He offered.

Are. You. Fucking. KIDDING. ME!

First I entered the same convenience store as Mu Qing and Feng Xin, and I didn’t even know they were in Japan, or that there even was a mission related to me or Japan!

San Lang has been alive for the past 20 years and hasn’t tried to look for me?

And now they want to convince me to let them sleepover?

THEY'LL RECOGNIZE ME ON THE SPOT, WHICH IS EVEN WORSE!

WHY DIDN'T I JUST GO TO ANOTHER CONVENIENCE STORE WHEN I REALIZED??!

I began to panic until the cashier got the register to start working again, I handed him 2,000 yen.

He gave me my change, “Y’know you could’ve helped me make the cash register work than just stand there!” Barked the cashier.

What?

“You're the guy that’s working? You should know or at least be able to fix the cash register on your own, I don’t know shit about this.” I spat back, I've honestly been thrown through such a turmoil of emotions I can’t even anymore.

I made my way to stomp out the store that was til the doors slid close in front of me.

I saw him resting his index finger on a button on his desk,

“What did you say?” 

This is such a Y/N moment…

“Can you just open the door? I gotta get home.” I sighed, exhausted.

“hmmm…no.” He said with a smug smile.

“Well, you got 2 other people in here who would probably like to also go home, so you're gonna keep us all in here?” I looked at Mu Qing and Feng Xin, they looked just as confused as me, probably more considering their Japanese probably wasn’t the best.

“They’ve been here for hours, the door will stay shut until my shift is over, which is in the next 3 hours.” 

What is this guy's deal?

I could’ve used ruoye to knock the guy out or budge open the doors, but Mu Qing and Feng Xin are in here.

I could’ve used my heavenly powers to break the glass in the doors, but Mu Qing and Feng Xin are in here.

I could’ve done so many things to get myself out of here, but Mu Qing and Feng Xin are here.

I guess I’ll just have to wait.

—

I’ve waited an hour and now I have begun falling asleep.

If I fall asleep, they might figure out who I am then me staying uncovered from the heavenly court is over.

So is possibly meeting San Lang tomorrow.

Y’know what? Fuck it!

I grabbed a bottle of alcohol and broke the glass doors, causing sirens to go off and for glass to go everywhere, and for yelling to commence from the cashier and Mu Qing and Feng Xin's shocked expressions.

I waltzed out forgetting about them and going home now it was 1 AM.

That was until someone yanked on my hood and punched me in the stomach, as they shoved me around, “WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!” Screamed the cashier, but in doing so my mask and hood came off, and me Mu Qing and Feng Xin all made eye contact for a very long couple of seconds.

“XIE LIAN!!!?!?!?!!!” screamed the two of them.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKKKKKKK!

I sprinted after kicking the cashier away, I ran in the wrong direction but even better, they wouldn’t know where I lived. I looked back and Mu Qing(I’m assuming and hoping) made the cashier pass out and forget about what had just happened.

Feng Xin wasn’t too far behind.

I had to run faster, I had to disappear into the crowd or something. I can't let them find me, thankfully I live in Yokohama, a pretty big city, and only a block away was a very busy street or at least during the evening that is.

I took a hard turn into an alleyway that was a faster route into the busy street, hoping Feng Xin wouldn’t follow after me.

I heard him scuff on the ground, and he and Mu Qing bump into each other then arguing for a bit and running, in what direction? I couldn’t tell.

I still went on that busy street throwing my black mask in the trash, then exchanging it for a mask on a stand with cats all over it, then stealing a baseball hat from someone who had passed out on the floor.

Now, hopefully if they do find me I won’t be as recognizable. I began to make my way out of the busy street onto my way home.

Now what I had meant by me and Dazai live really close each other is that our apartment complexes were rented out also by Fukuzawa but built by the same company, so me Dazai, Atsushi, and Kyouka all lived next to each other with Kunikida and Tanizaki living close to a high school and the agency.

Kyouka and Atsushi lived in the same room in a different complex, whereas me and dazai lived in the same complex just went separate ways as to not make it awkward and because we usually each always have things to do late at night.

So as I came home, nibbling on my now cold steamed bun and panting due to my “jog”, I saw Dazai smoking outside.

“Yo, you good?” dazai asked.

I want to tell you so badly.

“I want to tell you, but I can’t.”

“Why not?” 

“You won’t understand…”

“I’ve seen plenty of things in the port mafia, trust I will.”

“No you won’t. You definitely haven’t seen this in the port mafia.” 

Literally.

“Well, whatever it is. I’m always here if you need help or something. Night!” dazai waved, as he continued to take a whiff of his cigarette.

I sighed and collapsed at the doorway.

Please don’t make me leave, please, please, please, PLEASE!

I wanted to start screaming and crying. If they found me, I would have to go back to the heavenly court.

San Lang has been alive for the past 20 years?

I was in China till 3 years ago. I stayed in the PuQi shrine. I acted as a tour guide for people who wanted to visit it due to its old nature.

Why didn’t San Lang come to find me?

WHY DIDNT SAN LANG COME TO FIND ME?

WHY? WHAT’D I DO WRONG?!?

I wanted to rip out all of my hair and bash my head in the wall. 

Was I not good enough for San Lang? 

Is it because I didn’t make any big art things for him?

I drew him in my notebooks, was that not good enough for him?

Then the floodgates broke open and I just sobbed as quietly as I could.

If they find me and bring me back, Jun Wu is gonna be mad, he’s gonna hurt me and the agency, I won’t be able to see San Lang anymore, I’ll have lost everything all over again, right after I finally became happy again.

I slugged my way towards my kitchen, I got a pen and began writing on both cards. In the card meant for the real San Lang I wrote how much I loved him and how much I missed him, in the card for the actual new member of the agency I wrote how thankful I was for him to be here.

At this point if it’s not San Lang I don’t care anymore.

I just want him back.

I want to see him again.

Even if it’s only for a moment, only for a moment I’ll be able to hold his hand. I'll take it.

Now I see how San Lang felt all those years ago.

But the only difference is I didn’t know about him, but he knew about me.

So why now we both know each other, why isn’t he coming to me? 

Or do I have to go to him?

Is that why he has shown up?

Because he was waiting for me?

I began a new wave of sobs just at the thought of San Lang cold and alone in a corner, crying, waiting for me to come rescue him.

If the new member isn’t San Lang I’ll turn myself in to Mu Qing and Feng Xin.

If it is…

Then he sure as hell got some explaining to do.

Chapter Text

I woke up in the same place I was last night, on the floor. Surprisingly nothing hurt, but I was 10 minutes late to what time I should be leaving the house.

Fuck!

I ran into my bedroom put on a button up with a black button up vest, then beige pants that were practically light brown. I rolled up my sleeves and put my top layer into a bun, I also put on converse.Got my bag and shoved both cards inside.Then sprinted out the door, into the agency.

——

I finally got to the cafe level and everyone was having breakfast calmly while I was red and panting,
“Am I late?” I panted.
“Technically yes, but the boss and Ranpo are showing the new employee around Yokohama and asking him some questions.” Kunikida responded.

”Questions? About what?” I asked as I made my way towards the bar seats across from the booth. “Well apparently, the new guy is also Chinese.” Tanizaki responded.

My heart skipped a beat, it’s gotta be San Lang.

“Oh yeah! His entrance exam is really interesting!” Kenji called out, “can I tell Xie Lian?”

“Yeah, sure.” Kunikida responded.

“So, basically tomorrow we’re gonna meet with the guild and the new guy is gonna have to show his skills by protecting us. So it’s all gonna be a show to see how loyal the new guy is, and his true strengths! Which is completely different from what we did for you, Atsushi, and Kyouka!”
Kenji beamed.

I can only hope Yosano can heal the damage E-Ming does…

“I mean mine was sort of similar…”

“Well…yours wasn’t planned. We had this whole detective trip you’d do with Ranpo planned but the thing with the port mafia took priority, and you did really well.” Yosano added in.

“Oh!”

“Also, did you guys hear about The convenience store that was broken into?” dazai added in looking directly at me.

He doesn’t think I stole from there…right?

“What? No?” Atsushi responded. “So apparently, these two Chinese guys walked in and stayed there talking for hours. And then this other guy came in and bought some things, then put the cashier at gunpoint. And got too scared so he broke a window and left, with the other two guys!” 

THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPEND AT ALL!

“Really! I went there earlier that night after me and you parted ways.” I said, attempting to give Dazai the idea that I was not related to the lie that was told.“Wow! Have they found any suspects?” Kunikida asked.
“No, the cashier said his memory practically got wiped and that he passed out due to the guy that walked in 3rd beating him up.” “Do you think it was the port mafia?” Atsushi asked
“No, maybe a smaller organisation.” Kyouka suspected.

I began to start falling asleep at the bar, after a couple of minutes and everyone resided with their own conversations. 

That was til a hand started shaking me on my back,

“Xie lian…he’s here.” dazai said in a low whisper.

I shot my head up, only to see the president, Ranpo, and 

The new member walk in from behind them.

He had the same haircut he had all the those years ago.

His left eye was a dark maroon.

He had a red dress shirt, with black pants and black dress shoes.

He also had a satchel very similar to mine on his left side.

On his right was a sword sheath, and as he entered the room the sword sheath began dancing.

San Lang…

IT'S SAN LANG!

H-HES HERE!

“Everyone, this is Hua Cheng. He came from China recently. He is our new member. Please welcome him with open arms.” the president said, which I barely heard because I was so focused on looking at him, and memorising every single one of his movements, and soon to be words.
I now understand exactly how San Lang felt whenever we were close in interaction but he couldn’t be erratic.

So he had to silently watch and attempt to get a skin contact in.
Then we both made eye contact, and it was either my excitement or his smug eyes but also excited grin. But we knew, the search was over. 

He shook the hands of everyone, introducing himself.

“Nice to see you again, your highness.” San Lang said in Chinese, holding my hand for another moment.

“I missed you, San Lang.” I said back to him in Chinese.
“How did you know Xie Lian is Chinese?” Kenji asked.

“You can just tell as you get older, Y’know?” San Lang responded

“Well, glad that went well. Xie Lian, how about you show Hua Cheng around the office, and some other aspects of Yokohama.” Ranpo added, giving us a weird look.

“S-sure!” I stammered back.

So I brought San Lang upstairs, found out we would both be sitting next to each other at a whole entire new seating arrangement.

Showed him around, show him the lockers, which Dazai excitedly opened his to show his noose, then San Lang immediately looked at me concerned, then Kunikida beat Dazais ass then San Lang looked even more concerned.
Then I brought him outside to show him some attractions of Yokohama outside.

—-

“Fuck..~” I moaned as San Lang separated out lips, both of our lips were bruised.

“Dianxia’s body is so beautiful…” San Lang whispered in my ear, holding my waist with one hand, then lifting my theigh with the other.

We were in an alley behind a restaurant, also the same alley where Akutagawa and Atsushi met for the first time, so let’s hope the Port Mafia don’t show up again!

(But knowing my luck and the fact I’m more likely to jinx this…)

I pulled him in for an even more passionate kiss than the last, neither of us wanted to stop or let go. We both had the same fear that this would be the last we ever saw each other again.

After a couple more minutes of making out, San Lang reached his hand under my shirt, then we both heard a clash.

We both immediately separated from one another.

“Does Gege have any ideas as to what that noise could’ve been?” San Lang asked.

“Well, 2 and both of which are bad. The Port Mafia, the organisation I was telling you about. And…I can’t tell you about the other one until we get somewhere safe.” I stood in front of San Lang.

“Well, whatever it is, I’ll always be here to protect you. But it could’ve just been an animal or something.” San Lang suggested.

“Not in this alleyway, this is close to some of the main areas where the port mafia does their business.” 

We waited a couple more seconds.

“I think we can just walk out…” I muttered holding San Langs hand

Turns out it was nothing and that we were just being pussies.

…

IS WHAT I WOULD SAY IF NOTHING HAPPENED!

So here’s what happened:

San Lang reached his hand that was holding my waist under my shirt, I never thought I would long for his cold bony hands as much as I do now.

He began to feel my waist and hips, as I felt a bulge rub against me.

“I love you so so much…” I groaned.

“Dianxia…I don’t think you know how long I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that …” he told me with a chuckle.

Neither of us could’ve imagined what the other went through waiting for the other.

I was so immersed in San Lang, loving me up and down, I didn’t pay attention to our surroundings.

The whole entire agency could’ve walked into what me and San Lang was doing and I would show no shame.

We bashed our lips once again, and all I wanted to do was love him until the end of time.

Dear god, who let him be so beautiful.

He began to glide his hand down into my pants, he gave me a look first and stopped; a nod of consent is all that he wanted.

I shook my head vertically, he could do however he pleased with me, all I wanted was him .

He began to pull down my pants.

We separated lips for a moment,

“Is Dianxia ok with doing it here?” 

“Yes, San Lang. as long as you are.”

“I’ll do anything for your highness.”

We were about to connect lips once more, til we heard muttered cursing.

No…no…no…please don’t take me away from him again…please..

I shot my head in the direction of the noise and saw a shadow of a man coming into the alleyway on the phone.

Nonononononon…please…

I shot my head at San Lang and held onto him in a tight hug, he looked down at me panicked by my reaction.

“Gege, is everything alright?” He asked me, as he held me tight as well.

“They’re gonna take you away from me…not again not again not again not again…” my voice went from a whisper to a murmur.

I kept one eye open out to the alleyway, and saw a short redhead with a fedora walk in.

Basically what he saw was:

Me and San Lang holding each other, dishevelled hair, my pants down enough for my whole ass cheek to be out, San Lang holding on to my thighs, and our faces immensely red.

What he most likely recognized was:

Me, a member of the armed detective agency.

A new guy, with an eye patch and significantly taller.

What his response was:

“WHAT THE FUCK!-“

He yelled out, stopping in his tracks completely.

San Lang put out one hand in front of him, and next thing I knew we were off into butterflies.

One of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced.

I’ve never (nor expected) have had to be in a multiple cut up state to travel, it felt surreal and in my head I imagined San Lang leading me, holding my hand.

I couldn’t see anything, I could see the tops of Yokohama if I tried but it felt even weirder.

Then we turned back into humans in a new alleyway near the detective agency.

“Are you ok?” San Lang asked, holding my shoulders firmly.

“Y-yes…”

“Who was he?” San Lang looked furious, yet his eyes were gentle and so was his voice.

“A member from the port mafia…I thought he was someone else…” I said.

“Who?” San Lang asked, worried.

“…last night encountered Feng Xin and Mu Qing, they were talking about a mission they were sent on relating to me! and how they had to take me back, and then they figured out it was me! then they chased me, then I thought Chuuya was them! And I-“ my words went faster and faster as I began to lose my breath.

San Lang pulled me into a deep and strong hug.

“Xianle, I will never let anyone take you away from me again.” 

“But…” I said exasperated.

“What?”

“ You left. That day. You went to get flowers, you never came back with the flowers. Why ?…” I asked, I was attempting to shield my sorrow but I could tell by San Lang's face I wasn’t doing so well.

“Gege…I will tell you. Not right now. When we get inside or something, I promise.” He held me closer, caressing my hair.

I didn’t want him to let go, I clenched my hands around him tighter.

“I’m scared…you're gonna go away again…” I whispered.

“Gege, I will never leave your side now that I’ve found you.”

He held me for a moment longer, then he gave me a kiss on my forehead and lips.

“I think we should go back to the agency, so we don’t worry anyone…also because I left È-Ming there and some other things in my satchel inside of my locker…” He said, grabbing my hand.

“Have you been treating E-Ming well?” I asked immediately.

“..yes…” 

“Well, we’ll see once we get there.”

We held hands til we got to the door of the cafe.

—-

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT IN THERE?!?!!?” Someone upstairs screeched.

me and San Lang ran up stairs, slamming open the door.

The next scene we saw was everyone behind their desks and Yosano about to smack E-Ming with her cleaver.

“NO!” San Lang screamed.

Everyone stopped, San Lang began to mutter curses in Chinese.

And now screaming at E-Ming in Chinese, E-Ming backed away with a tear in his eye.

Now for censorship(since that of course exists on Ao3) I cannot translate anything that San Lang said.

“What. The. Fuck. Is. that?”  Dazai asked, peeking his head from behind his desk.

“This is E-Ming, he is a part of my ability. AND A SON OF A BITCH!”

E-Ming closed his eye and cowered in the corner.

“Your ability is a sword?” Ranpo asked, turning his head to the side.

“..he is related to my ability, more or less to me. My ability is…complicated..” San Lang said.

“So does he disappear if I touch him?” Dazai asked.

Now I got nervous, I’ve had Dazai touch my shoulder or any sort of contact with me and I felt tingly, not in a good way, I felt he was stopping me from using my godly powers, and I’ve had to force ruoye to play dead whenever he does touch me.

So would San Lang feel what I’ve felt whenever Dazai touches me?

Although he is a ghost?

I stepped closer to San Lang in case anything happened.

E-Ming hopped up, and dazai made his way forth.

“Just tap him or something, I don’t want him to pop out and hurt you or something.” San Lang said, crossing his arms.

Only now had I noticed his Japanese accent, it wasn’t heavy but definitely worse than mine, but it was San Lang. I don’t know how to explain it, but it sounded exactly like him.

Dazai rested his index finger on E-Ming and his eye immediately opened, its pupil darting in every single direction possible.

San Lang was fine, then he doubled over groping at his eyepatch and for a second he turned into Wu Ming, then back Into the Original San Lang, then into his original Hua Cheng form. On repeat so fast I think I was the only one who noticed it.

“San Lang!” I yelled.

 Dazai took his finger off E-Ming a second later.

“San Lang, are you ok?” I asked again frantically, in Chinese.

“..Gege…how am I supposed to explain to them what just happened..” he spoke in Chinese, his voice was raspy and his eyes were dazed.

“SAN LANG ARE YOU OK?!?!” I asked again.

“It really hurt…but I’m ok..” He still spoke in Chinese, his voice not as raspy.

I looked up, Dazai backed away really confused, Yosano came over as well, and Rampo swiftly took his classes off.

Fuck

He kept his eyebrows gently furrowed, as he watched me and San Lang.

He probably knew exactly what happened.

He probably knew why San Lang reacted like that.

He probably knew San Lang was a ghost.

He probably knew each one of San Lang's forms, and their histories.

He probably knew what San Lang's capabilities were.

And who we were to each other.

San Lang began to sit up,

“I-I’m so sorry…” Dazai Said, and he was genuinely honest this time.

“Not your fault..nobody knew what was to happen nor expected this outcome.” he chuckled.

“What the fuck was that?” Yosano asked.

“…E-Ming has the eye that once was under my eyepatch…so, Dazai touching E-Ming I guess did something…” San Lang said, darting his eyes to me after it all.

I began to help him up.

Atsushi and kyouka came over, then Kenji and Tanizaki, plus Kunikida, all confused as to what happened.

“So, what happened to Hua Cheng?” Ranpo asked, keeping his eye on me and San Lang.

“He just said-“ I had begun til I was interrupted,

“Hua Cheng, what happened?” Ranpo asked.

Fuck.

I tried to make me putting two fingers up to my head look natural,

Just say you don’t know, and if you feel comfortable about the stuff about E-Ming you can mention it.

He darted his eyes back to me confused.

“Well, I don’t really know what happend…” San Lang responded.

“So you don’t know why you began to grope your eye, after Dazai touched E-Ming?”

“Well…E-Ming is the eye under my eyepatch, so it could have something to do with that?” San Lang said.

Rampo kept his eyes on him for another moment.

“Hmm….Ok!”

And he went back to eating his snacks.

“Is he always like this?” San Lang asked, in Chinese.

“Sometimes but you get used to it.”

I said,

“We should introduce you to the rest of the agency formally!” I suggested.

—-

(I kinda just hovered him from behind)

We waltzed over to Atsushi,

“Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself formally to everyone. I’m Hua Cheng, and you are?”

“Atsushi Nakajima! Wait, so what is your ability?”

“It’s called Crimson Rain Sought Flower.” 

“Ooo! That sounds real poetic, can’t wait to see it…in action! Mine is just turning into a tiger..” Atsushi said.

San Lang turned to Kyouka,

“I’m Kyouka Izumi. I already heard your ability and name from when you spoke to Atsushi.” She slowly brought her eyes back to her work.

San Lang made his way over to Dazai and Kunikida side of the desk,

“Hi-“ San Lang was about to begin.

“I think everyone at this table already knows your Hua Cheng, I am Kunikida Doppo. But I have a few questions for you.”

“Ask ahead!” 

“Why did you want to work at the agency?”

“I’ve always wanted to help people, ever since I was little.”

“A devoted man, I like it. Why didn’t you bring E-Ming with you on your walk with Xie Lian? He was a serious danger! He could’ve hurt somebody you know!” Now Kunikida was berating San Lang for letting E Ming be irresponsible.

and I could slowly see how quickly San Lang got irritated with Kunikida.

“I am so sorry, I thought I could leave him in my locker and that he’d be fine.”

“Questions are over.”

You could’ve just said two questions instead of a few in that case?!

“I hope your ok..” Dazai mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

“No, no! It wasn’t your fault, no one would have known that was to happen! I think we should be fine as long as you don’t touch È-Ming.”

“Well, if I touch you, do you think the same thing will happen?”

Before San Lang could even say anything Dazai tapped his abdomen, then let go after 2 seconds.

In those 2 seconds I saw the tips of his elf ears poke out through his hair.

Who let him be so cute?

San Lang bowed to Ranpo slightly and Ranpo nodded his head back.

“I’m Hua Cheng, you probably heard!” San Lang said to Kenji.

“Are you from the farming or city part of China?” Kenji immediately shot back.

“I come from a small village in the farming part of China.”

“Ooo! I can’t wait to show you around my village, it’s a small farming village!”

I can already imagine shi qingxuan and kenji making great friends with one another…

“I’m Tanizaki, nice to meet you Hua cheng!” Tanizaki immediately held out his hand for San Lang to shake.

San Lang shook it.

“You’ll probably meet my sister Noami tomorrow, she’s hanging out with her friends today!” 

Dear god…

San Lang stepped into Yosano's office,

“Hi, I just wanted to formally introduce myself.”

“Y’know after that thing with Dazai touching you and stuff plus you not having a right eye you should let me heal you…” Yosano said.

“Oh! No I’m good, I haven’t had my eye since I was a little kid…”

After that it was just San Lang telling Yosano she couldn’t heal him, and him slowly leaving her office.

Chapter Text

The day ended and I was asked if I could take in San Lang til he found a place to stay, which I said yes to (obviously).

Now we walked home, with Dazai by us.
Thankfully(and surprisingly) the streets were dark so I rested my head on Hua Cheng's shoulder as we walked with Dazai and spoke.

“I feel like you know each other, you’ve gotten so close in such a short amount of time.” dazai said.
“Yeah, it feels like that too.” I said.
“Can’t wait to see how Hua Cheng will do on his first mission tomorrow.” Dazai said.
I'm more or so horrified to what he will do to the members of the guild
“Yeah, I can’t wait to see San Lang in action…” I said looking up at San Lang, he flashed me a silent kiss on my head.

We spoke for a bit more, mainly just me and Dazai and San Lang keeping me warm, then us and dazai departed ways.
Now it was just me and San Lang just the way I liked it.

“I can’t wait to sleep in the same bed as you.” I said hugging San Lang.
“Gonna hold you all night.” Chuckled San Lang.
“Tomorrow night, as a prize for your first mission we can do it.” I said.
“What’s ‘it’?” San Lang teased.
“Sex.” I whispered in his ear and chuckled.
He turned me to face him, then pulled me in for an affectionate kiss
He held my face, I held his.
“It’s an honour to have your highness love me to such an extent.” He said separating us then giving me a kiss on my forehead.

We stayed like this for a bit.
“So what did you say your ability was?” I asked.
“Well, I told them I never really understood my ability and that I got it when I was a teenager. They asked if I was tested on in China, or if I’m a clone of the real me. Told them I was a ghost then they laughed, I laughed with them for the sake of my future,” He chuckled, “then I said I can make it rain red, I can do stuff with butterflies, and I have a really cool sword, then E-Ming got all happy n’ stuff.”
“…San Lang?..” I squeezed out.
“Yes, your highness?”
“How long were you awake for?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Like, how long have you been able to walk on the mortal world, go to your ghost city?”
We stayed silent for a bit more.

“I want to tell you inside, somewhere safe.”

—-

Now we had entered my apartment, took off our shoes, I put my satchel and San Langs satchel on hooks.
I showed him around, there was a kitchen, a couch and a tv, then a bathroom, and my room which had a futon on the floor.
He explored the place himself, asking questions about how I’ve been living in Japan.
Nothing about China.
He then suggested we both change into pyjamas, so then we did.

“You ready?” He asked, abruptly.
“Yes.”

“…I went out to a forest near the shrine, I got a handful of flowers, then as I was making my way back I saw this white flower tinted red at the tips. I was in trance practically, then I remember hearing a sound inside my head, my head hurting, then darkness,” He took a deep breath, “I remember waking up naked, on the ground. It was cold and wet, I remember some guy talking to me about how I better enjoy my time here because this is the most I would ever get.
Each time I tried to run at him or even see his face, these chains would hold me back. And I couldn’t see them but I could feel them.”
“That’s it?” I was astounded.
“No, I don’t remember much else. it was like a blur, it felt like a hundred years but I knew it was longer. Then one day I was given a rock, and was told to basically kill myself to be free from that place. So I…did…that…” he furrowed his eyebrows as if he was really trying to remember what happened to him.

“It felt like each time that guy came in there I couldn’t pay attention to anything else but him. Whenever he wasn’t there I almost forgot about him. Like a dream where your trance is what it felt like. When he told me to be ‘free’, it felt like this force was compelling me to, it felt good almost to do it…” he looked at me then back at the floor,
“After I did that, I felt as if I was in the world but not, like how I was butterflies but I had no control nor wanted control of where I went and what I could do. I hated it, I wanted to rip my skin, I wanted to feel myself be something anything but that. Then yeah that’s it….” he kept his head down.
“…you know that’s not what I’m asking. But thank you for trusting me and telling me.”
“If I tell you the truth, you’ll get mad.” He spat out keeping his eyes to the floor.
“Depending on what it is, momentarily.” I said.

“I knew where you were, what you were doing, and I had the ability to go and see you for 30 years.”

What.
No…
Mu Qing and Feng Xin were lying…
It wasn’t 20.
It was 30. Fucking. Years.

I looked at him with utter despair, I wanted to break something, but I didn’t want to hurt him.

“Did you e-ever use your butterflies? T-to Y’know see me?” My voice wavered, I wanted to cry, kick, and scream.

“…no.”

He didn’t even come and send me a signal…anything that he was alive…

“Did you ever plan to come and see me?” I asked, I attempted to keep my voice steady.

“…no..”

Why…
WHY!

I broke down onto my knees in tears, and gut wrenching sobs.
San Lang made his way over to comfort me, but stopped before he even got close to me.

“I WAITED! 5000 FUCKING YEARS!!”
My sobs turned into coughs.

“WHY COUDLNT YOU COME AND SEE ME!?! OR SEND ME ANY SIGN?!?”
my cries turned into hyperventilating sobs.

“WHY?!? W-WHAT DID I DO?!? IS IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T COME AND TRY AND FIND YOU!?!”
At this point my cries were practically screeches.

“IS IT BECAUSE I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH?! OR BECAUSE I DIDN'T BUILD A MANSION IN YOUR WAIT?!!?”
I wanted to scream more but I knew if I did I would kill my voice.

“why….WHY! SAN LANG WHY!?!”

I looked up at San Lang, my face tear streaked, ugly, and red.

He was about to also break down into sobs, his face was ugly and tear streaked.
His whole body shook.

No…
Nonononono
I hurt him…
he’s going to leave me again…
No…
No. Not again.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…” San Lang began in but a whisper.

I lunged at him, hugging him, throwing us both to the ground, using ruoye to make the landing soft and steady.
“I’m sorry!..I’m sorry.. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!” I began to sob into his chest.

I felt like the worst husband.
The worst being to even be around.

He cried into my neck silently for a bit, as I still cried ‘I'm sorry’.
“It’s ok, Gege…” he said, holding me.
“NO! IT'S NOT! I HURT YOU! I'M THE WORST!” I took a way too deep of a breath.
“I HURT YOU! I MADE YOU CRY! LOOK NOW I'M SAYING THINGS LIKE THIS AFTER I WAS BEING MEAN! I’M SORRY!” Then I began to repeat myself from before.

San Lang held me, rocking me back and forth.

“I'm the worst husband ever!” I cried.

“Gege had all the right to be upset. I knew you would be, I just didn’t want to see you cry especially like this or say these things,” He began to caressed my hair,
“I’ll tell you why when aren’t having a panic attack.”

“I don’t deserve anything! I screamed at you! I hurt you! I made you cry!” I sobbed into his shoulder, “I don’t deserve you! I’m not good enough for you! I’m horrible! I-“

San Lang pulled my face up to look at him, “Don’t you ever. Ever. Say those things to yourself and think they’re true. I will love you until I cannot love you anymore. I will worship you until I cannot worship you anymore. I will tear down mountains and cities for you. You are worthy of everything. If you weren't, neither of us would be here right now.”

I stared at him for another moment.
I took in his red eyes, his furrowed eyebrows and firm lips yet his beautiful and gentle eyes.

I began to wail into his shoulder again.

I’m such a horrible person.

“No you aren’t, and you never once were.” San Lang responded, as if reading my mind.

“Ok, how about we go to sleep? Hm?” He asked.

I just couldn’t stop crying.

“Y’know you don’t even need to let go or anything. Just hold onto me and try to go to sleep.”

And instantly, I felt drowsy and sluggish.
“I-I’m…sorry…” I attempted to say, yet it came out in a slur.
“Shh, shh…just relax.” San Lang whispered in my ear.
I began to feel weak, my eyes began to flutter.
All I wanted to do was burrow my head into San Lang's neck.
“I…..l-love..you…” I mumbled out.
“I love you so much as well, Gege.” San Lang said, caressing my hair again, rocking me again.
I began to feel my fingers weaken and my head bob.
I began to feel waves of relaxation hit me.
“..please…don..t….leave..m-me..” I murmured.
“I never will, ok Gege? I never ever will.” San Lang whispered in my ear.
I began to feel my brain shutting down.
I hummed something not even I understood.
“I love you too, Gege. Shh…sh…”
San Lang's voice faded, now I only had one eye semi-open.
I felt San Lang kiss the top of my head then it all faded to dark.

Chapter Text

I woke up, on the futon still holding San Lang and him holding me.
My face was buried in his neck and chest at the same, while he rested his head on top of mine.
I didn’t want to get up or move, I wanted to stay here in this position for the rest of my life.
“San Lang..?” I groaned.
“Hm..?”
“We have to get up…we have to get to the agency soon..” I said, slowly picking up my head.
“No…we should just stay here..” he hummed, repositioning his arms around me.
“I wish…c’mon..” I attempted to pull myself up, yet San Lang pulled me right back down.

He opened his eyes, giving me a gentle smile.
I kissed his lips, cheeks, all over until he pulled me in so he could kiss my lips.
“Now do you wanna get up?” I hummed in his ear.
“No, I don’t. But if Gege says I must, then I shall.” San Lang held me tighter, as he pushed me and him up.
I got out of his grip, then helped him upwards.
“How long do we have?” San Lang asked.
I looked at my phone, “we have an hour.”
“So we can go back to sleep?”
“No, we can change, eat breakfast, and sit on the couch together.”
“I have no clothes though.”
“You really think I didn’t get you clothes the minute I got to Japan?”

I opened my closet, on one side was all my clothes; natural colors, some bright coloured sweaters or graphic Tees. On the other side: reds, dark colours.
“I didn’t really know if you would like what I got you, so I didn’t get much. Hope you like it-“ I was saying til San Lang pulled me in for a kiss where we exchanged saliva.
He separated us both giving me a look of pure affection, his eyes wide and idolising me, his mouth slightly agape.
He pulled me in for another passionate hug.
“Who let gege be so kind?” He asked, “anything Gege makes or gets for me, is beautiful and I will love it immensely.”

I pulled out very light beige pants, a light brown sweater and a collared shirt I would wear under.
San Lang pulled out a white collared shirt, And black pants.
“Does Gege want privacy or…”
“You can be here while I change, as long as it’s ok with you.”
“It’s always ok with me.” San Lang smirked.

(You can guess what began happening next)
San Lang physically hadn’t changed much, the same build. But I definitely will miss his red robes, but I'm so happy he’s here with me.
When I had begun changing however, San Lang wrapped his arms around my waist and planted a few kisses around my neck and back.
“Y’know to put on my clothes I need you to let go of me.” I teased.
San Lang giggled then let go of me.
Then we both put on our clothes.
And made our way to the rest of the house.

San Lang immediately sat down on the couch and signalled me to come over.
So I sat down next to him, and he immediately rested his head on my shoulder.
“Why is Gege so warm and ravishing?”
“Why are you so handsome and irresistible?” I asked planting a kiss on his forehead.
I also didn’t want to move from this place, I just wanted to stay with San Lang all over me today.
“Can I get up to give you something?” I asked, picking up his head.
“Everything you’ve given me so far is enough Gege, I mean it.”
“Well, there’s one more thing.” I ran over to my satchel and got out both cards.

“So, only the night before I saw you at the agency did I discover there would be a new member. dazai described you, and I knew it was you but I was scared that it may just be me putting my hopes up, so I got two cards one for the real you, and the other for the new employee. So since it is the real you, here is both.”

San Lang's eyes darted from me and both the cards for a few moments then he began to open the card shaped in a heart.
‘Earth isn’t round.
Nor flat.
It’s my heart to show my love for you!’
Was written inside, then below that I wrote.
‘San Lang, not a single word nor expression can describe how much I’ve longed for you. So today, or tomorrow when we get the chance I just want to whisper in your ear how much I love you til we both fall asleep or until I lose my voice,
I want to hold you, so I can show the whole world how much you mean to me.
I want time to stop so we can just sit within each other's company til we decay, then we ascend into butterflies and chase each other, and love each other all day.
San Lang, I know I just said words and expressions can’t describe my love for you, but I hoped this summed it up.
I love you.

Xianle’

San Lang looked back at me mouth agape and tears brimming his eyes,
I took the card out of his hand and took something out of my pocket, and put it in the card then I handed it back to him.
He gently opened up the card once again, and saw the butterfly keychain I got him.
It was a glittering silver butterfly, he looked back at me with a sweet, soft, smile.
“Hold on there’s another card, so don’t start crying yet.”
I handed him the other card.

This one was a regular card shape.
‘ I’m more thankful for you than you could imagine, even more than you are for me’
He opened it.
‘ San Lang, the minute I heard Dazai describe the new member I knew it was you. So I got you two cards, not one saying I love you and the other for the fake new person. Two cards dedicated to you.
So allow me to continue on with how thankful I am for you.
If you weren’t there for me during all those years, I would’ve been dead (literally).
I don’t know what else I can say, but.
I love every part of you, every form of you. Whether you think you look hideous or not, I will always love you. As long as It’s you, I will (and have) think about you every single day of my life, not a single day goes by where I don’t think of you, and of your beauty.
Your such a caring and compassionate person doing anything for those you love, I never want you to change from that.
I love your messy handwriting.
I love your soft and cold touch.
I love every single thing about you.
I am grateful and thankful for your existence.
I will always be happy as long as I am with you.
Everything I own and hold true to my name can be taken away from me but as long as you're here, I am well.
San Lang I am thankful and I love you so dearly.

Xianle, Dianxia, Gege, General Hua, and Xie Lian’

San Lang looked back at me.
His lips were quivering, his eye was overflowing with tears.
I put out my arms to hug him but he instead threw his arms around me and began crying into my neck; as I was with him last night.
He just cried in my arms, no words were said or needed to be said.
He took a deep breath and faced me, “why are you so nice to me?!” He yelped with tears still streaming down his face.
“Because, you're you.” I smiled, I planted a kiss on San Lang's lips which were soaked with tears.
I pulled San Lang's lower half onto my lap, so now he was entangled with me.
“I got nothing for you! And yet you got me clothes, a place to sleep, and those cards!” He cried.
“That’s nothing, you would do the same even more for me if we switched shoes.” I reassured him.
He stayed connected to me crying gently and silently in my arms, we stayed like this for enough time that
Then I realised we would have to leave in 10 minutes.

“San Lang? We have to get up to go to the agency.” I said,
No response.
“San Lang~” I hummed.
No response.
I then realised San Lang had fallen asleep.
What’s up with us crying and falling asleep in eachothers arms?!
I gently turned San Lang over so that now I was still holding him but cradling him.
He looked so at peace and relaxed.
I wish I could just leave him like this til he woke up on his own.
“San Lang?~” I whispered in his ear.
He groaned, and furrowed his eyebrows.
“C’mon, we gotta go to work.”
He squeezed his eyes open slightly then gave me a gentle smile.
“Alright.” He sighed, and sat up.
We both got up and went to the door.
San Lang began putting the butterfly keychain on his satchel.
Then we both put on our shoes, and now we were all set.
“Are you gonna be nice to E-Ming today?” I asked.
“Yes…as long as he does what he’s supposed to.” San Lang said.

—-

We finally made it to the agency, on time.
San Lang brought E-Ming with him to his desk but put his satchel inside of his locker.
I taught him how the computers worked, and only then did I realise that San Lang hadn’t learned the Japanese characters well enough to write reports, and he had messy handwriting. How is he gonna do this? How is he gonna write reports on paper or computer?

“I don’t know what other job you could do at the agency, I mean you could be an errand boy but..” I brought up.
“Or, you could teach me,” he moved in closer, “it’s been a while.”
“At the house, not at the agency.”
“I mean, I could fix stuff.” San Lang suggested.
“How? What do you know how to fix?” I teased.
“I could send in these little guys,” San Lang conjured up one of his butterflies to appear on his finger, “They can fix things.”
“I feel like they would break it more, how would they fix things?”
“I don’t wanna seem useless.” Sighed San Lang.
“You're not. I could see if I could orchestrate something with the president.”
“Today?”
“No, today is your first mission.”

“Shouldn’t I be trained before I go on my first mission?”
“Well, what would they need to train you on? You’re phenomenal at fighting and at using your ‘ability’.”
“What about your sword? Don’t you ever use it?” San Lang asked.
“…I left it in the ghost city, remember? I wasn’t able to get it. Even so it would be weird in modern day Japan for me to wield a sword.”
“So what? Gege is amazing at sword fighting, and I use E-Ming. What's the difference in that?”
“E-Ming has your eye, you said he’s a part of your ability. Plus he can do some bad damage.”
“Do you think I’ll have to use E-Ming today?”
“Up to you, on my first mission I used some spiritual power and ruoye combined. But I say Ruoye is my only ability. So since you introduced your butterflies, E-Ming, and your rain as your ability you should be fine.”
We spoke in Chinese during the entire conversation.

“COULD YOU TWO QUIT BLUBBERING OVER THERE?!?!” Yelled Kunikida.
“I really don’t like that guy.” San Lang said.
“He has a good heart, just…very on schedule with everything.”
“Xie Lian! I wanna talk to you about something!” ranpo called out.
“Coming! I’ll be back San Lang.”

I made my way to where ranpo was then he led me into the president's office, I noticed in the corner of my eye a silver butterfly was following us.
San lang…
Ranpo shut the door just after San Lang’s butterfly came in.
“Good morning president, good morning Ranpo. What's the matter?”
The president bowed then left the room.
“The new guy, I want to ask you some questions about him.” ranpo said.
“Go right ahead.”
“You two have gotten close, oddly close since he got here yesterday, is there any specific reason for that?” Ranpo asked.
“No, he’s just really fun to talk to, and nice. He also keeps asking questions about Japanese culture and things of the sort.”
“Do you know why he came to Japan?”
“No, he hasn’t mentioned anything of the sort. Why do you ask?”

“He has no background of any sort, as if he was just born. Plus his papers aren’t in any Chinese catalogue. His ability is what stands out to me though…” Ranpo continued, “I’ve seen people who can grow another part out of them that they use as a weapon but I’ve never seen or heard of anyone whose eye, or any body part turned into a sword or weapon. Plus he was specific on what he could do yet said he didn’t truly understand his ability. Did he mention anything of the sort to you?” Ranpo said.
“No, hasn’t really said much about his past.”
“You're lying.” Ranpo deduced, “you know the answer. But the even weirder thing is I can’t see the truth in anything about Hua Cheng, but I know you know why.”

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit

“I'm sorry you were misled but I genuinely don’t know why.”
Ranpo stayed quiet for a few more moments.
“You must have a pretty good reason to not tell me. You're very truthful, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you tell a lie minus those times when I ask who you're drawing in your notebook, what you said about your past the other night, and this moment right now,” Ranpo said, “are you a spy from China?” He asked.
“No! Listen as I said before I’m sorry you were misled, but I don’t know what you mean by any of this.”

He’s gonna find out.
They’re gonna hate me.
They’re gonna fear me.
They’ll send me back.
They’re gonna take me away from San Lang again.
It’s all my fault.
All because I got too attached to San Lang too quickly.
I’ll have nothing again.
No..

Ranpo stared me up and down, “Your reasons are good ones. I know you or San Lang don’t have any bad intentions with the agency or Yokohama. But it still makes me wonder, what are you hiding from?”

Should I mention it?

“Nothing that could harm Yokohama or the agency. One day you will find out, just not now.”
“Can I trust you?” Ranpo asked.
“I think you can figure that one out on your own.” I said gently.
“Alright, your free to go.
I quickly hurried out of the president's office, and made my way to San Lang.

“Is ranpo mean or something?” San Lang asked, continuing our conversation in Chinese.
“No, just very direct. Plus incredibly smart.”
“Not as smart as you.” San Lang argued.
“Whatever you say, gege.” I teased.
Yet San Lang looked incredibly flustered, and covered his face for a moment before returning to his composure.
“I miss being in my ghost city..” sighed San Lang.
“We can go back tonight, if you so desire.” I offered.
“No…Yin Yu is in charge of the place for a week, then I would go back and do my shibang for a week. Basically half and half custody.”
“Quite the example you made of your situation.” I chuckled.
“Also with your situation if we both were to go to the ghost city, it would make it easier for them to find us.”
“True, but whatever makes you happy, San Lang.” I said caressing his hair.
“You.” He replied with a gentle grin.
“I would be showering you with kisses but…Y’know..”
“I would be too..” sighed San Lang.

—-

Now we were making our way over to where we would be fighting the guild, I did ask why not the Port Mafia but apparently Fukuzawa is having some issues with being compatible with them so understandable.
We had all told San Lang this was a mission we had planned for months, but in reality it was his test and Fitzgerald was curious to see what San Lang could do.
He brought E-Ming and everyone was telling him to bring a gun or something, but San Lang Said E-Ming was more than enough.
Literally…

So now we were to enter a facility inside of fitzgeralds building made for training new members with abilities,
When we entered it was huge, do you know whenever you go to the mall or casino and there’s these huge floors that are parking lots?
That 3x.
He has way too much money…
Apparently San Lang would be up against John Steinbeck, Lucy Montgomery(despite the fact that she had left the guild…), Mark Twain(what the hell is he gonna do?!), Edgar Allan Poe, and Fitergald himself.
5 people against San Lang.
Each time I got worried about what San Lang was gonna do, I remembered he beat 33 heavenly officials.

It would be me, Dazai, Atsushi, Kunikida, Yosano. With San Lang, everyone else would be watching what happened from an observation deck that we couldn't see due to it being one sided glass.
But Yosano would be staying back ready to heal anyone from the guild or the agency.

“Anything I should know?” San Lang asked, as we entered the room.
“Hmm…I can’t tell you their abilities, so try not to kill them.” I responded.
“Is this a test of some kind?” He asked.
“Can’t tell you. But I’m sure you’ll do amazing on your first mission.”
“So it is a test! On what?”
“Can’t. tell. You~”

We all made our way to the middle of the room with everyone else.
“So are you ready to begin?!” Fitzgerald asked.
“Yeah.” San Lang responded.
“Yeah? C’mon you’ll need way more enthusiasm than that!”
“Yeah!” San Lang said, just louder.
“Dear god, you are not a very exciting person, are you?”
“I’m not gonna scream ‘yeah’ besides why are you being so calm if we’re literally about to fight each other?” San Lang mentioned.
“Oh shit…ALLOW THE FIGHT TO BEGIN!!!” Fitzgerald announced.

We were told to try not to engage in battle as much, and the guild was also told to direct a majority of their attacks on San Lang.
San Lang pulled out E-Ming, it was almost as if everyone came at San Lang all synchronised together.
Before San Lang did any damage with E-Ming, it immediately started raining red, confusing everyone, even the agency. In that same moment San Lang pulled out a red umbrella from god knows where.
Mark Twain sent out Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer who ran at San Lang, but I immediately sent in Ruoye to deal with them.
I just don’t wanna see San Lang hurt those two because they look so cute…
Ruoye tied the two together as they struggled to escape to no avail. Then Ruoye pulled in Mark Twain to tie up with them, so now they were all unable to move.
Unlike San Lang I took a gun and a dagger, since the agency had no swords for me to use.
Fitzergald ran at San Lang with a fist with green markings slowly appearing on his face.
San Lang in an instance flipped Fitzgerald over, now he was sliding in the red rain on the floor soon to hit the wall.

Lucy suddenly teleported everyone from the agency into her playground except Yosano and Dazai.
Anne immediately grabbed Atsushi and Kunikida and threw them into her door.
“Wanna beat it’s ass together?” San Lang asked.
“Yes.” I responded immediately, since Anne had just come to grab me.
In me coming into Anne’s world so did Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.
I forced Ruoye to unleash the 3 of them, only for Anne to grab them and take them away.
I immediately wrangled Anne with Ruoye and wrapped her tight. Anne kept trying to break free but in doing so Ruoye’s grip just tightened.

Me and San Lang sighed as he was about to take the key to unlock the door.
Then only did I remember that Lucy was also in here.
She came from behind me and stabbed me in the thigh, I let out a yelp as she dug the knife or whatever the fuck she was using deeper turning it inside of me.
We were allowed to hurt the guild and the guild was allowed to hurt us, yet It just always had to be me.

I watched San Lang’s eyes flash with rage, I could already feel the heat of his blood boiling.

Fuck…
IT HURTS!

I fell over as Lucy made her way away from me and yanked on Ruoye so he could let go of Anne.

I immediately attempted to get in touch with San Lang through the communication array, I knew he was gonna hurt her badly and I wasn’t in the position of stopping him.

‘Don’t hurt her too badly, after you get the key you have to immediately unlock the door, Yosano will heal me once I get out.’

San Lang flashed me a glare, he sent out his butterflies to pull Lucy away from Anne as I’m assuming from the sounds Lucy was making, they nipped her wherever she had skin showing.

Anne ran right at him as he slashed it with E-Ming, in seconds Anne was in multiple pieces.
San Lang made his way to Lucy and as if he sent a telepathic command to the butterflies, they began searching her hands and pockets for the key til it clattered on the floor.
All while doing this he had a very serious expression.
The butterflies began pinning Lucy up in the air as she screamed profanities at San Lang.

In a moment he unlocked the door and we were all back to the guild’s training facility.

I curled in intense pain, I forced myself to get up and walk it off since if San Lang saw me like this he would stop everything just to make sure I was ok.
I had a slight limp but nothing was permanent without a few practice steps till I could walk slightly normal again.

San Lang turned to look at me to which I gave him a thumbs up in response.

Now all San Lang had to do was go up against John and Poe.
Considering Poe's shyness, he wasn’t going to do much.
But considering John’s cruel nature, we were in for a mess.
He began by laughing a hollow laugh very randomly and oddly making his way over to face San Lang.
“My! I can already tell that you and Xie Lian have quite the special relationship just by the glares you give each other! How sweet…”
Apparently he had already put the seeds inside of him because trees began popping out left and right from the ground.

Everyone even the members of the guild were hopping on pins, San Lang got to the point where he held my hand as we hopped together since he was afraid of me getting hurt which helped greatly with my leg injury.
John took a moment to relax in that moment San Lang slashed him with E-Ming, Although from afar John was spewing out blood and all you could see is blood, Yosano sprinted over to heal him and poe handed San Lang a small white store bought flag.

“Does that mean I pass?” San Lang teased.
“Yeah, you dealt with them accordingly and showed loyalty by helping me.”
“Should I have helped anyone else?”
“No…unless you really wanted to...” I said crossing my arms and look at the ground.
San Lang chuckled, “if your highness is jealous you can be honest.”
“I’m not jealous! Just, very thankful you decided to help me…”
“Good, then my job is done today and we can go home and do it.”
“You still haven’t forgotten about me saying that?” I laughed.
“Never, it’s very rare you verbally say you want to commit such an act. So I took it to heart.”
“Of course you did…” I sighed with a smile.

Life was good.
I had San Lang after millennia.
We had a good job.
SO FAR, nothing on the heavenly court and Mu Qing and Feng Xin still didn’t know where I was.
I was finally happy after so long.
I could look at myself in the mirror and not sink into myself in tears.

I tapped my foot on the ground to “knock on wood” but the floor of the facility wasn’t wood.

“GAHH!” I yelped as I spat out blood.
While the battle had been over for me and San Lang, John didn’t think so.

During his minute of being healed he had a tree come through the ground and come at me.

By that I mean the tree went through me.

FUCKING HELL!
FUCK!
FUCK!
IT BURNS…
IT HURTS!!!
WHY?
WHY ME?!
WHY?!?!

The pain subsided til my body began sliding down the trunk due to the earth's gravity pull down.

I splurged out some more blood, til it covered the lower half of my face.

The pain from my leg wound returned.

Now it was just dull pain all over.
The worst pain…

“YOUR HIGHNESS?!?!!” San Lang screamed.
He cut the top and lower half of the tree leaving just me and the trunk left.
“San Lang…” my voice rasped, “I-I’m fine…”
“No..nonononononon..you're not…it’s gonna hurt. I’m gonna pull you out and it’s gonna hurt. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” San Lang was sweating bullets and stammering with every movement.

I looked up at him, and he glared at John and all of a sudden his wound reopened wider and bloodier than the last, Yosano who was running over to me ran directly back to John sprinting practically.

San Lang was muttering worries as he held me by my armpits, using his legs to pull the trunk out of me with the help of his butterflies.
“AGGGH!… AGHHHHHHH! IT HURRRTSSSSS!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I was used to pain.
I grew up with pain.
But something nobody knew, not even me, was that John had sent branches coming through the trunk.
Slicing my organs as it was pulled out of me.

“GAHHHHHHHHHH!!! IT HURTTTSSSS!!!” I cried, blood began pouring out of my every hole.
It hurt more seeing the blood, but it didn't matter where I looked even if I closed my eyes all I saw was blood.

“SAN LANG!” I cried in gasp.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I'm sorry, I’m sorry…” San Lang was muttering incoherently.
My vision began to blur, all I saw was legs running towards me.
Plus other legs standing around me.
“STOP THAT! DON’T ITPULL OUT OF HIM!!” Yelled Yosano.
“WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!?” San Lang screamed.
I could hear by his voice that he had been crying, his scream rung in my ears.
This hurt him more than anyone else, this would be the most painful thing he would have to do in a long time.
Hurt his beloved.

It started getting hard to breath, although I wheezed audibly on purpose no one heard me.
Then arms began tugging me back and forth causing the branches to go deeper in me.

“STOPPPPP! IT HURRRRTTTTSSSS!”
I screeched.
I looked up, but could see nothing but black and white in spots.

Then my head hung down in an instant.

I was out.

—-

I was panicking, I didn't know what to do.

Gege had just passed out, he was paler than me, and his heartbeat had begun to slow.
“No…nonononononononononono…please wake up, wake up, wake up wake up…” I couldn’t even tell what I was saying, whether I was screaming or whispering.

I looked over to John who dared to come my way, offering his hand as help.
Who the fuck does he think he is?!
WHO THE FUCK DOES HE FUCKING THINK HE IS?!?!

My eyes were full of rage. I didn’t care, I just wanted to see John in such excruciating depths of pain that he adapted on the spot.
E-Ming shook at my side.
So did John before he ripped open again, his skin curling outwards, him falling over.
Stay fucking down.

In doing so the crowd surrounding me and Gege started yelling at me,
“STOP REOPENING JOHN’S WOUNDS!” Screamed Kunikida.
I was too focused and worried about Xie Lian to care.

I took a deep breath despite me not needing air and yanked the trunk out of him.
Only then did I and everyone else notice the branches on the trunk.
“FUCK! NONONONONONONONO NO!” I cried.
The trunk was cutting Xianle up from the inside.
Gege was still blacked out.
I began trying to cover the hole in the middle of him that allowed you to see the blood soaked floor to no avail.

Yosano ran right back over after healing John.
With fury directed towards me in her eyes.

And in that moment gege’s eyes opened wide.

—-

I saw lights, San Lang’s dazed eyes and worried face.

I sat right up, then I immediately started trying to get up, til San Lang tried pulling me down.
The crowd surrounding us was mortified.

“Your highness!!” San Lang immediately said.
“I’m fine! San Lang I’m perfectly fine!”
“THERE IS A MOTHERFUCKING HOLE THROUGH YOUR GODDAMNED CHEST!!!” screamed Mark who had joined the crowd.
“I’m fine, it just stings a little!”
“Xie Lian, whatever the fuck your on you need to share with me. BECAUSE YOUR NOT FUCKING OK!!” Yosano screamed.
“Don’t worry! I’ve been through worse!” I exclaimed, at this point I was already standing.

And you could see the back wall and my spine through the hole in my abdomen.

Lucy, Poe, and Atsushi all passed out.
Fitzergald, Kunikida, and Tanizaki collapsed still conscious.
And everyone else was aghast and horrified.

I wasn’t feeling any pain compared to what I was feeling before.
Or I had just gotten used to it.

“THERE IS BLOOD DRIPPING FROM THE HOLE IN YOUR ABDOMEN GETTING ON THE FLOOR AND BLOOD IS COMING OUT OF YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH!!!!” screamed ranpo.
I wiped the blood away from my nose, and smeared the blood near my mouth on the entirety of my chin.

“Listen! I’m fine! As I’ve said before, I’ve been through worse!” I repeated.
My vision now began to get blurry again.
“WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THROUGH THAT'S WORSE THAN THIS?!?” Dazai questioned, even he was shocked by my state.
“I’ve had a wooden stake and nail stabbed through my heart a little over a hundred times, then sealed into a coffin and left to starve and slowly die painfully, no biggie! Right, San Lang?”
San Lang however was pulling at his hair and muttering things in Chinese, Japanese, and any other language he knew. What was he muttering? Honestly I don’t know and I don’t think he even knows.
“HES GONE FUCKING DELIRIOUS!!” Kunikida shouted.
“Look you guys can be in denial for however long you want!” Now it was getting hard to breathe, “but I’m…fh..fi..fin…I’m fine-“
Each stammer everything slowly turned to black.

Till my eyes fully shut.

And I was out again.

—-

Gege fell over again, getting paler and paler as each moment passed.
I caught him in my arms, and passed him over to Yosano before I began charging at John.
“IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!!” I began screaming before a majority of the crowd started pulling me back.

Little did they know(literally) I had an abnormal amount of spiritual energy that had been saved, through which I used to push everyone in the crowd out of my way.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!” I started screaming.

Then Kenji came in front of me and put out his hand,
“Hua Cheng, I know you're really upset and worried about Xie Lian but you need to calm down!”
He’s like a smaller Gege…just blond and Japanese.
I stared at him, then back at John who looked petrified, then I turned around.
Saw Yosano cradling Gege, he no longer had a hole in his abdomen but was freakishly pale and still sweating and unconscious.
“Fine..you win..” I sighed.

Everyone almost seemed relieved that I didn’t reopen John’s wounds.

Little did they know;

Yet

Was forgotten in their process of thought.

I opened my right hand that had originally been in a fist.
Splurge!

I turned around, John was practically inside out and all that it looked like was a mess of flesh and blood at this point.
If I had been anywhere else but here around the Agency John would be dead, or in an even worse condition.
He was lucky.
Real fucking lucky.

I was upset.
Reall upset.
They didn’t run to Gege’s aid when he was stabbed.
It was always John then Gege, never Gege then John.
They got mad at me for getting revenge on John.
They were still mad.
And right now they were fucking furious.

All I heard was screams and yellings and all sorts of things directed at me.
I. did not. fucking. care.
I crossed my arms and closed my eyes.

“What are You?” The first question that was asked, without yelling by Ranpo.
“Crimson Rain Sought fucking Flower.”
They wouldn’t know what that meant without a real deep google search.
Yet from the enlargement of Ranpos' eyes, he knew very well what that name meant.

In the next moment È-Ming had been snatched from my side by: Dazai.
And in the next moment I descended and clutched my right eye.

It burned beyond what I had ever felt.
But why was it hurting?
I haven’t had my right eye for centuries.
It hasn’t incapacitated me for centuries.
So why now?

“FUCKKKKKK!” I bellowed.
The pain was agonising, and the worst part is I had no one to blame it on but myself.

And apparently Dazai had begun squeezing E-Ming since the pain increased by a hundredfold.
“AGHHHHHH! FUCCKKKKK!”
It felt like worms covered in spikes were climbing out of every orifice in my right eye socket.

I began to feel dizzy due to the pain.

I was curled up laying and aching on the floor.

Gege passed out what felt like miles away from me.

I had no one here who cared for me and who was awake.

I was alone again.

Someone came over and kicked my head.

And I was blacked out just like Gege.

Chapter Text

I woke up with my eye not in agonising pain and E-Ming far away from me.
Everyone in the agency except for the children was in the room.
Turned away and talked to each other in a circle standing up.
I noticed my wrists and ankles were tied together.
Just like that fucking cave…
I attempted to sit up but my neck and back throbbed causing me to fall right back down also taking a groan out of me.
“Oh shit, he’s awake-“ Ranpo immediately said.
Now they all came to my level and huddled around me.
“You woke up 10 minutes before we were gonna stay around you huddled like this to wait for you to wake up.” ranpo told me.
“Ruined our movie's climatic scene.” Yosano teased.
“Where’s Gege?” I immediately asked, my voice hoarse.

“Always with Gege with you, huh?” Dazai said.
“He’s still asleep, but he’s well if that heals your woes.” Yosano answered.
Which it indeed had.
“So, do you wanna be sitting up or laying down for the questioning part?” Ranpo asked.
“Can I get a pillow on the floor? So I can lay down?”
“What makes you think we got a pillow?” Atsushi shot back.
“Cause you just fucking offered me whether I want to be sitting up or laying down while I’m being fucking interrogated that is.”
“Sitting up then. Don’t worry, when we’re done with you sitting up it’ll make a way cooler exciting film scene.” dazai said.
“I’m being filmed?”
“No, but act like you are!” Dazai responded with a thumbs up.

“So. I've been learning Chinese for the past year due to the fact that Xie Lian is Chinese and I want to take him on detective trips and for us to gossip in Chinese and for it to be cool. But whenever you two speak you always use some kind of older Chinese, I’ve noticed you do know modern Chinese since you use slang from such but it still is odd you guys speak in an older Chinese.” ranpo took a breath,
“I chalked it up to dialects or that what I was using to learn Chinese was incorrect til I heard what you two had been saying to each other.
Things about the heavenly court, spirtual power, ghost city, some guys named Yin Yu Feng Xin and Mu Qing, paradise mansion, spirtual weapons.
I once again chalked it up to slang. But then I recalled what I heard you two telling eachother out in the alleyway behind the agency, honestly even I’m surprised I heard it. ‘ I promise I won’t leave again’ ‘I love you’.
But this I couldn’t ignore, you both never said you knew each other and when I asked Xie Lian some questions the other day he said he had just met you, then ended our conversation with ‘you will find out one day, just not right now’.
So I realised you two do know each other, I slowly realised you guys were more than friends, wayy more than friends especially when I heard you Xie Lian talk about what you guys were gonna do later that night after your ‘first mission’.”

“Do you want to start talking now or have me continue to ramble on?” Ranpo asked.
“Ramble on, I'm curious.”

“Then Dazai sent me a recording of Xie Lian crying the first night you guys met, which I was able to translate. Xie Lian crying ‘I’m sorry’ repeated, ‘I’m horrible’, ‘I don’t deserve you’, then you reassured him that you loved him very dearly even saying you would ‘tear down mountains and cities for him’.
Quite the statement to say from a normal mortal man right?
So…”
ranpo sighed.

“Ehhh! I’m tired, so I’ll just sum it up!” He took a deep breath.
“I looked up Crimson Rain Sought Flower, apparently the guy is a calamity in ancient China and from the artwork done of him looks a shit ton like you, coincidence? I think not! And not to mention the guy Xie Lian has been drawing in these notebooks of his for years look a shit ton like you as well. But! Apparently Crimson Rain Sought Flower also went by the name ‘Hua Cheng’, but in some deeper research I did on him I discovered his significant other called him ‘San Lang’, plus he could also make it rain blood do shit with butterflies and ALSO had a sword named E-Ming. So you being named after a calamity of ancient China, calling your ability his name, having a sword also named after his sword, and Xie Lian calling you San Lang the minute you both met? NOT A COINCIDENCE!”

Ranpo continued, “So to sum it up I know you're the ghost king of ghost city, and have known Xie Lian for god knows how long.”
“I won’t say anything til Gege says I can.”
“So, I can keep on rambling about my evidence and you won’t say a word?”
“Yep.”
“Then this is no fun…LIGHTS OUT FOR BIG GUY OVER HERE!”

Then Kunikida punched my face, knocking me out on the spot.

—-

I woke up with a slight headache

I slowly opened my eyes, and my vision was no longer blurring.

I attempted to sit up but my abdomen ached with such intensity I fell right back down.
What just happened?
Why am I here?

I noticed I was in Yosano’s room on a bed.
I felt cold under the blankets I was practically stapled under, and my nose, and arms were freezing.

I looked over to my left and saw San Lang unconscious handcuffed to the sides of the bed.

“San Lang!” I said but it came out in a groan my voice was hoarse, as if I used it all up screaming.

I tried to think hard, what just happened to me?
Why can’t I remember?

“San Lang…” I whispered with my voice still gruff, still no response from San Lang.

I looked to my right and there was no one there.
I picked up my head slightly and could see out the window on the far left of the room that it was very early morning, I estimated 3-4 AM.

“San Lang!” I yelped, my voice harsh.
I saw San Lang move around a bit, then shoot up rendering where he was.

“Gege…”

I reached out my hand for him, only for my abdomen to ache again causing me to hurl forward causing more pain.

“Your highness!” San Lang cried.
He began getting out of his bed till his handcuffs pulled him back.
He yanked them seemingly gently and the handcuffs broke off.

He immediately came to my side, he began moving my hair out of my face.
“Gege, are you ok?!” He asked immediately.
“San Lang what happened?…”
“What..?”
“My head hurts, my voice, and my whole torso is aching, why?”
He grabbed my wrist, then looked at me for a few seconds.
“Nothing, you need to worry about right now. You're still pale, you need rest.”

“I was pale before?” I shot back.
“…yeah, but you should only worry about what happened when you're fully rested.”
“I am!” I cried only for my throat to ache and me to throw my head back down.
San Lang immediately grabbed my wrist, to check my pulse for any abnormalities.

“It would take far too long for me to explain, and I don’t want to relive what happened again. I apologise, your highness.” San Lang said in a formal tone and lowering his head.
I reached my hand up to cup his face, “Then never mind it, if it hurt me I can only imagine how much what happend hurt you.”
He held my hand and gave me a gentle smile.

He rested the back side of his hand on my forehead and cheeks, then my nose.
“You're heating up, and your nose is freezing.”
“Yeah…but I’m fine.”
“I think I heard a little birdie tell me I need to get into the cot with you to warm you up.” San Lang said with a smirk.
“What?” I laughed in a raspy tone.

San Lang began trying to get into my cot, which could fit two people but I was dead centre in the middle of it.
I attempted to shimmy my way to the right side of the cot, only for the aching pain of my abdomen to return and my face to scrunch up .
“Your highness! Are you ok?!” San Lang cried immediately.
“I don’t think I can move…I’m so sorry San Lang, I’m being a nuisance.”
“Never, not once. Is it ok if I pick you up to attempt to move you?”
San Lang suggested.
I nodded.

He moved to the other side of the cot, to pick me up and pull me his way.
He gently positioned his left arm between my neck and back, then his right was in the crevice of my knees.
He slowly lifted me up, and slowly rested me down.
He then scurried over to the other side to attempt to get into the cot.

“Wait! What if the agency sees us?” I asked.
“It’ll be fine I promise.” San Lang reassured me.
He then slid in, under the blanket and gently pulled me into him.
“C-can you do what you did the other night?” I asked.
“Help you go to sleep?”
“Yeah…as long as it doesn’t bother you.”
“Never, Gege.”
He planted a kiss on my lips and I immediately felt exhausted again.

I burrowed my head into San Lang’s neck crook, and put my arms around him, as he did me.
“I love you..San Lang..” my sore voice began to fade.
“I love you too, Gege.” He Said planting a kiss on my head.

Then I began to drift off into sleep.

And I was no longer cold anymore.

—-

I woke up surrounded by warmth and I didn’t want to leave it anytime soon.
I snuggled my head deeper into San Lang.

I heard giggles.
I opened my eyes to find the source of the sound, saw some people, then closed them.

WAIT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING?!?!

I shot up, yet my abdomen stung with such intensity again and I threw myself back down.

“Xie Lian!” Yosano cried as she came to my aid, and San Lang began to sit up immediately holding my wrist.
“I’m fine…just it hurts” I groaned, holding San Lang’s hand.
God! What the hell happened to me?!

“That’s so weird.” Rampo said, gathering everyone’s attention.
“What is?” I asked as San Lang helped me sit up.
“Yosano’s ability is to be able to heal anyone who is on the verge of death. You were on the verge of death. Yet Yosano physically couldn’t heal you till you passed out for a second time. Then you still have lost a lot of blood, but it didn’t regenerate back even after Yosano healed you. Plus your wound still is hurting which never happens or should happen. Unless a higher life force is involved.”

Fuck.
He knows.

He knows, he’s going to send me back, he’s going to take San Lang away again, he’s going to take it all away from me, he’s going to hurt me, he’s going to ruin it all.
“…you know already, don’t you?” I practically whimpered, as my voice quivered.

I tilted my head down, I didn’t want to meet their eyes.
The eyes of the people who were going to ruin it all.
I’ll hate them, I’ll force myself to.

“Yes, to a point though.” Ranpo concluded.
“What do you mean to a point?” San Lang asked, confused.
“Well, I knew using context clues, intuition, Google, and Wikipedia that you're the ghost king: Hua Cheng. Without him coming in I would’ve dusted it off to you just being weird since you clearly have no intentions to harm anyone, literally. But, with the help of my sources I discovered that Hua Cheng has a husband. Xianle, or also known as Xie Lian in our case. The crown prince of once the nation known as Xianle which was taken over by the nation Yong’an, and it was apparently your fault-“
“Not,” San Lang interrupted.
“Well, we can discuss that later this is just what the internet said. You're also the only god to have ascended 3 times, also known as the scrap collecting god; which I would love context for later on. But, you called your husband San Lang and considering that the minute you saw him you referred to him as San Lang although you claimed to not have known each other,” Ranpo sighed, “god, this is way too much talking,” he took a moment before he continued, “But what befuddled me more was that, Hua Cheng disappeared mysteriously 5000+ years ago, then you went missing from the god realm 5000+ years ago as well-“
“I didn’t go missing. It’s impossible for a god to go missing without being found dead or alive. I thought they wanted to give me space and ended up forgetting about me in the process; which I’m okay with.” I darted my eyes to San lang who chuckled.

“Well, Google says otherwise.” Ranpo Said.
“Ok, now that he’s done talking we need to talk about what Google said about you guys.” Tanizaki started abruptly.
“Oh? What did the Google man say about us?” San Lang asked.
“HOW FUCKING ROMANTIC YOU GUYS ARE!!!” Yosano yelled.
“YOU LIT 3000 GODDAMN LANTERNS FOR THIS MAN, YOU HAVE A WHOLE ASS CAVE OF SCULPTURES OF XIE LIAN, AND YOU KILLED 33 GODS BECAUSE THEY HUMILIATED XIE LIAN!!!! HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE HIM?!?!?!?” dazai screamed.
Me and San Lang began to blush.
“Not to mention what Xie Lian has done for you.” Yosano added.
“I haven’t done much, which I am ashamed of.” I immediately added, covering my face.

“Actually one of the stories I read about you guys, was saying that you smelted some silver that coincidentally had your blood on it from one of your past lives as a state preceptor of Yong’an, so by Hua Cheng wearing it, you felt these stabs of pain in your heart whenever you thought about him, but you couldn’t stop think about him, anything reminded you of him. So in the end everyone knew how down bad you were for him.”
“Wahhh!” I yelped, covering my cherry coloured face.

“And archeologists and historians found and deciphered this book that had stories about you guys in it.” Ranpo said, pulling up a photo on his phone.
“Wait a goddamn minute…” San Lang laughed.
“No..NO WHY THAT ONE?!??” I cried, playfully hitting San Lang as he erupted in laughter.
“O-oh? What’s in that one?” Yosano asked, slightly chuckling.
“I asked my ‘colleague’ to write a legend about me and Xie Lian when we first met, more or so a fairy tale.” San Lang, laughed as he spoke.
“It was wrong! None of that happend!” I cried once more covering my face.
And poor Yin Yu…

“Hold on, let me pull the story up on my phone,” Ranpos' eyes went wide as he began to giggle as well, “well then, that sure is something…”
“Technically it isn’t wrong, because on our wedding night you did ask for a lot of that substance…”
“SAN LANG!!!” I cried, playfully hitting him once again.
“Anything about our lifetime history?” San Lang asked.
Ranpo scrolled through his phone for a bit, “well, it does mention you apparently died for Xie Lian 3, now technically 4 times. Plus that you guys brought statues to life…what’s that about?”
“NO! NOOOO! NOT THAT ONE!” I cried.
I just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear at this point.
“So…..not even I want to share that one. But basically we got two statues of us to have sex.”

The room was in utter deadpan silence.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!?!” dazai screamed.
Thankfully breaking the silence.

Ranpo was aghast, then blinked a couple times before returning to his normal self.
“Well, I and many others are curious…about a multitude of things. So in that case I believe we should talk about this in a more formal way.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“Well, one where your both not sitting in a hospital bed holding each other in very little clothing. So, we’ll be waiting for you guys in the presidents office.” Ranpo said as he began to depart with everyone else.
“Wait!” I called out.
“Hm?”
“What about our clothes?” I asked frantically.
“Transform into traditional clothes or something, toodles!” He practically ran out of the room with everyone in suit.

“So is that what you meant, by its fine?” I asked, gesturing to last night.
“Yes.”
But it’s not fine San Lang.

Now that they know everything changes.
We can never go back to how it was.
They will never be able to trust me or San Lang the same.
I can’t work ‘normally’ at the agency anymore.
And it’s more likely I’ll have to go back now.

So, we both stood up. I with the help of San Lang. Then in the blink of an eye San Lang was back to his generic clothes he had usually worn all those years ago.
“Did you not change your wardrobe?” I asked.
“I wasn’t able to, nor did I see any need to. Why, should I?”
“No, it’s great. I love anything you wear, especially this.” I said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Then it hit me.
‘I wasn’t able to‘
Yet he could’ve in the last 30 years.
He could’ve come to see me in the last 30 years.
It’s not like I didn’t put effort into finding him, I just didn't risk my life and limb. Plus I couldn’t do anything drastic due to the heavenly court.
I scrounged through all of China, not in the ghost realm since I physically was unable to.
I shook those dice he gave me, to shake it and I’d be with him but nothing happened.
What happened during those 30 years?
And why does it seem like you literally haven’t changed at all?

He clearly noticed I was in a train of thought so I quickly snapped out of it.
“Alright then, give me a few seconds.” I said, before transforming back into my traditional white clothing, and long hair.
My form with short hair was created because ain’t no way am I wasting all those years and cutting my hair.
“Your hair.” San Lang chirped, as he began to play with it.
His smile was innocent and gentle, and nearly made me forget he purposely didn’t come see me for 30 years.

me and San Lang waltzed into the president's office, where everyone else sat, to which once everyone saw us they were aghast.
“Your hair was long before!?” Kenji yelped.
“Yes.” I laughed, holding onto San Lang’s arm for support.
“We need an outfit evaluation, first off!” yosano called out.

So everyone began asking questions:
“Why do you wear a white robe?”
My once very well followed cultivation…totally not me still feeling guilty…over crimes…I totally didn’t commit…
“Why didn’t you keep your hair long?”
I don’t want everyone looking at me.
“What’s that necklace?”
…San Lang’s existence?
“Why is Hua Cheng so decked out?”
He’s a ghost, and a king…also my husband.
“What’s the thing in Hua Chengs hair braid?”
A bead that I dropped way too long ago and other trinkets.
“Why does Hua Cheng have so many chains, silver, and butterfly things?”
He’s a king, as I said before. Also can do stuff with butterflies.
“Why does Hua Cheng still have an eyepatch?”
…because he can’t regenerate his eye?
“Why do you still have bandages around you?”
Cursed shackles-ish, and ruoye.
“Why do you guys have a red string tied around your finger?”
So…um…we were in a dire situation and…I couldn’t allow San Lang to get lost so I tied a red string around his finger, which he kept for way too long.

Once all the comments and questions were over, rampos questions began but only then did I notice never once has the president been with us. What is more important than this?
“How did you two meet first of all, since I couldn’t get anything on that.”
“Well…when I was 17 and the crowned prince of Xianle I was doing a play and to which San Lang was one of the many people watching and he fell from the stands that were very up high, which I caught him and cared for him and coincidentally around that same time I met San Lang I ascended into godhood. A few years later I saw San Lang praying to a hand sculpted statue of me which he created himself, and-“ I was describing til San Lang interrupted me.
“I was rambling about how much I hated this world, how much I hate people in this world, begging for a reason to live. Then you responded ‘make me your reason to live’” he looked at me affectionately, “to which I did.” He squeezed my hand, keeping eye contact.

What were you afraid of me saying to the point you had to interrupt me?

“That’s an understatement.” Kyouka commented.
“Oh, that's…sweet. Anyways. I do have a couple of questions regarding…whatever the hell you are. What exactly is a god?” Ranpo asked.
“Well, there’s only 3 types of gods; martial god, civil god, and elemental god. I’m a martial god meaning I’m really good at combat.” I responded.
“So many gods are there overall?”
“Esh…not even I know, especially not now, but there can be thousands, maybe even millions, all with their own things for people to pray to. Like I’m a god of protecting people, so if you were to pray to me you would be protected.”
“Is Hua Cheng a god too technically?” Kenji asked.
“No, I’m one of the 3 calamities. There’s He Xuan, he does stuff with black water. Well, he is what causes ships and boats to go missing. Me, I’m the king of the ghost city. White no face, who turned out to be Jun Wu. Actually, is he still the top god?” San Lang said, turning towards me.
“Before I went missing, there was chatter of him being given back his role but I don’t know as of now. Also you forgot Qi Rong,”
“He is not a calamity. He’s like that cousin that asks to use your phone at parties, then bites your toes.” San Lang said, with a completely serious face while people in the agency began to giggle.

“I mean, he is my cousin.”
“Wasn’t he like that?”
“A bit worse but yeah.”
“Exactly.”
“Wait your cousin?!” Ranpo exclaimed.
“Yes, Qi Rong is my cousin. Then it had been 800 years since we were all alive and well, then I saw him again, slapped him. And it’s been over 5000 years since then.”
“Wait, you slapped him? Why?” Dazai asked.
“Yeah…he didn't say nice things about San Lang.”
“So if we were to say something not nice about Hua Cheng you would also slap us?” Atsushi asked.
“Perhaps, it depends. Why? Did you?” I asked, giving him a condescending look.
“W-what! N-no! Nothing bad has been said!” Atsushi yelped, putting his arms up.
Which led San Lang to begin laughing.

“Ok next question, why did you come to Japan?”
Shit.
My eyes enlarged, as I looked down.
I came here because I lost hope.
I lost faith in San Lang returning.
I went on two journeys which each took me decades of searching through all of China.
Then I spent the rest waiting at the Puqi shrine.
Hoping, begging, for San Lang to come back.

Then I gave up and decided to pursue my life.
And now here he was, now we could go back to China and lay low for a few centuries.
But would he want to do that?
Would he even love me the same?
Especially after he’s been gone for so long, will it be the same as how it once was?

“I…thought he was dead. That would never come back, and I spent at least a little over a century searching through China for him. I thought whatever took him that day, took him away forever. That he wouldn’t be there even in spirit to protect me anymore, so I gave up. I missed him with every fibre of my being, I would terrorise and go against what I stand for if that’s what it took to get him back. But there were no opportunities as such, so I came here in hopes to pursue a life of not waiting. A life where I wouldn't always be worrying about the heavenly court of finding my location, a life where I could miss but not feel the pain of not doing enough to end that missing.”
And in the end he knew exactly where I was yet never came to say hi or even send me any fucking sign.
“Then I found you, in the end.” San lang responded with an innocent, unreadable face.

The room was silent as he and I squeezed each other's hands, looking in each other's eyes, the air grew heavy as he and I just watched each other.
Then his eyebrow twitched and E-Ming began tearing up, as San Lang shoved him away.
Then he separated his hands from mine, and turned away from me with a serious expression
Yet I could see, I could tell, he wanted to cry.

Nononononononono NO! did he think?…WHAT THE HELL IS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD?!
He’s gonna get sad, then he’s gonna leave, then he’s never gonna come back, then I’ll be alone again.
Was he upset I left China?
Was he upset that I didn’t look for him well enough?
Was he upset that I lost faith in him coming back?
What was he upset about?
Nononononinonononon he’s gonna leave me again
He’s gonna leave me again.
He’s gonna leave me again.
He’s gonna leave me again.

All of that happened within 5 seconds of pure silence as the air stayed tense.

“Next one-“ spoke ranpo, before a
Bullet came through the window.
“Shit!” San Lang yelled, as he grabbed me by my waist and yanked me off the couch.
Then another came through and then they began coming through at such a speed, at such altitudes, that translated to us being attacked.

San lang held me close the entire time, then ran out of the presidents office, into the main room, hiding behind our desk with me, perfect view of the door if anyone came through.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” I began muttering, as I held onto to San Lang tighter.
“Shh, shh, there’s nothing you need to be sorry about. I’m the one at fault.”
“No! It’s my fault-“
I stopped my sentence as soon as 3 figures entered the room.
Tachihara, Hirotsu, and Gin.
A black lizard attack now?!?!?

I pulled San Lang’s head down as I covered his mouth, then I put two fingers to my temple.
‘They are a group in the port mafia called the black lizard, they’re very dangerous but we should be fine. Usually they get their ass beat.’

“You know what we’re here for.” Hirotsu began.
“The president said the deals are not done! And he needs the consent of whoever is being chosen.” Ranpo stated firmly.

Then they all began fighting with bullets flying everywhere, I couldn’t tell since all the noises blended into one chaotic mess.
Once I realised it was over was when I heard 3 thuds of them being thrown out the window.
Me and San Lang emerged calm, while everyone else was sweaty and tired.

We looked down and saw the 3 splayed out on the pavement, as eyes watched us like hawks.
Glass was everywhere, inside and outside and a couple of the furniture was broken in the climax of the fight.
I stayed looking out the window for some more time with San Lang behind me.

Then his breath hitched.
“What is it San Lang?-“ I spoke before my breath hitched as well, and my heart stopped.

I made eye contact with many people down in the streets.

But there was a duo that stood out,

A duo whose breath also hitched when they realised who they were looking at.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing.

Chapter Text

“SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!!!!!” I began yelling.
“What?! WHAT?!” Kunikida yelled back.
“We gotta go. They’re here! Goddamn it!” I began fejumbling with my things and feet as I began to panic.
They’re gonna take him away
They’re gonna take him away
They’re gonna take him away

“Gege,” San Lang grabbed my wrists pulling me to him, “what is it that you're so worried about, with Feng Xin and Mu Qing?”
The fact that they may try to take you away from me again
Or I may have to go to my heavenly duties
Or that we haven’t seen eachother for 5000+ years
You choose.
“EVERYTHING!!! THEY WANT ME FOR SOMETHING WITH THE HEAVENLY COURT! OR SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW BUT WE NEED TO GO!!!” I screamed, I was beyond scared, I felt my heart in my ears, I felt lightheaded, a sickening feeling in my stomach, my knees becoming weak, everything was breaking down.

“Wait, what exactly is the heavenly court?” Ranpo asked.
“Heaven! Literally.”
“And you’ve been out of their radar for 5000+ years?”
“Yes!”
“…then we do need to get you out of here.”

But it was too late.

A sweaty Feng Xin and Mu Qing slammed open the door.
Then we all made eye contact.
And it was pure silence.
You know what? Fuck nice Xie Lian.
They gonna get a taste of me being pissed the fuck off.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, HUH?” I screamed, my face red with anger.
“YOU DIDNT GIVE A FLYING FUCK FOR THE PAST 5000 AND MORE FUCKING YEARS AND NOW APPARENTLY IM THE ONLY THING YOU TWO FUCKFACES CAN AGREE ON!!! HUH?”
The room was silent.
I did scream in Chinese but even the agency members understood what I said.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were aghast.
And San Lang was proud.
“ANSWER!”
The room was silent again.

I took a few deep breaths, “Japanese or Chinese?” I said as I rubbed my nose.
“I-I’m sorry?” Feng Xin asked.
“…..Japanese. Or. Chinese.” I said in a stern tone.
“Chinese…?” Feng Xin responded.
“You know Japanese?” I asked.
“Y-yes…” Mu Qing answered.
“Your gonna get fucking Japanese then.”

I walked a couple steps back next to San Lang, “this is Feng Xin and Mu Qing. They are both martial gods, and we were close til everybody knows who went missing. But I still consider them as friends,”
They waved.
“Anything you wanna add?”
“You didn’t cut your hair?” Mu Qing immediately asked.
“No, but I did do this.” Then I immediately transformed to the other form I was in with short hair.
Still wearing my hospital gown.
“Why are you…?”
“Context for that later, which I actually don’t even know.”
“Waitwaitwait wait? You don’t know why you're in a hospital gown? After everything that happened? And your delirious rambling of being stabbed in the heart 100 times?” Yosano asked.
“Well, no.”
“The delirious rambling part is understandable to forget. But you forgot you got stabbed by a tree?”
“I GOT STABBED BY A TREE?!?! W-WHA WHAT?! HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?!” I yelled, in shock.
HOW THE HELL DID I GET STABBED BY A TREE?

“WAIT YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THAT?????”
“Well- No. but it’s normal.”
“NORMAL?!?!?”
“Like…I’ve had bad stuff happen that I forgot…”
“Ok so, you forgot you were stabbed by A tree but not that you were stabbed 100 times in the heart according to your delirious ramblings?”
“Well, I remember that it happend-“
“But you don’t remember getting stabbed by A tree?”
“No…”
“BOY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!?”

“You got stabbed by a tree?” Mu Qing asked.
“Context to be given by those folks.” I said pointing at Yosano.
She shook her head, eyes wide with shock, “not right now. First! What the hell do you want with Xie Lian?!” She said in a raised voice, but not yelling just yet.
They both gave each other uneasy glances.
“Jun Wu-“
“I’m not going fucking back.”
The room was tight and the air tense with such friction a table could explode.
Although I had a serious expression on my face, I was beyond mortified.
I moved a step closer to San Lang, ready to begin kicking and screaming as they attempted to drag me away.
I could feel my knees getting weak.
I could feel a cold sweat run down my back as a headache began to grow, and as my vision began to blur.

“It’s not that. They need Hua Cheng's help with something, and nobody has seen him in 20 years. Everyone thought you were the next step to finding him, but nobody has seen you in over 5000. Till now…” Mu Qing explained.
“Why do they need me?” San Lang asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s something to do with Japan that has ultimately also affected the heavenly court.” Feng Xin answered.
“What with Japan?” Ranpo immediately asked.
“We can’t tell mortals.” Mu Qing spat out.
“Those mortals are people who I refuse to do anything relating to their country without. If you don’t want their help, you won’t get mine, and if you won’t get mine, you won’t get San Lang’s.”
“Even so we still can’t tell.” Mu Qing said, annoyed.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because we don’t know.”
“You couldn’t have started with that?!?” Yosano barked back.
“Nonono, give them credit for making it mysterious and stuff. Props to y’all.” Dazai hummed.

“The court wants to meet with you and Hua Cheng, which includes Jun Wu. But if you insist on the other people coming, I guess you can bring them.” Mu Qing stated, rolling his eyes.
“Does that mean we’re going to China?” Atsushi excitedly asked.
“No, we can create a teleportation array for you to go to the court.” Feng Xin chuckled.

My body quivered, I never ever want to be near Jun Wu again.
What if he tries forcing me back to the heavenly court?
What if he forces me and San Lang away from each other?
What if this is all a plan to separate me and San Lang?
What if they hurt San Lang?
What if they kill San Lang?
My breathing became rapid and silent.
“Xie Lian, are you ok?” Atsushi rested his hand on my shoulder.
I immediately threw it off.
“No. I'm not going.”
I furrowed my eyebrows, if they saw I was afraid they would pry in deeper.
“Wha- why?” Feng Xin immediately asked, confused.
I stayed quiet for a moment before answering, “I’m not going back to the heavenly court, I refuse. I’m not letting you guys-“ I shut my mouth before I gave them a taste of my fears.
Even San Lang was confused, but understood to a point.

“No. You don’t understand how serious this is. The lives of millions, maybe even billions rely on this, and you're not going to help because you're petty?-“
“Petty?! Me. Petty?…sorry, continue on.” I unexpectedly responded.
“Because of your history with Jun Wu?!” Mu Qing reworded and finished his sentence.
“Yes, I refuse to work with Jun Wu. I don’t want to be near him, I don’t want him to be near me or my husband. Final.”
“Mu Qing and Feng Xin, give us a moment to discuss this in our meeting room.” Ranpo responded, glaring at me.

I was shocked but soon followed suit as everyone walked to the meeting room, San Lang behind me.
“What’s the matter?” He asked, his tone showing how concerned he was.
“…it’s nothing..” I immediately responded, turning away.
He grabbed my wrist turning me towards him, “I will always be on your side with whatever you choose, you know that. Let me Atleast know why you chose this side.” His voice sincere, and words gentle.
“I’ll tell you when we get inside the meeting room.” I said as I held his hand all the way to the room.

“Why?” Ranpo immediately asked as soon as the doors closed and locked.
“I don’t want to lose San Lang again.” I responded in Chinese.
“What do you mean lose me again?” San Lang asked, in Chinese.
“You were gone for more than 5000 fucking years, I know what happens during those years and I just as much as you want to know why those things happend. The closest answer as to why, I personally believe, is the heavenly court.” I said, keeping my head down while still speaking in Chinese.
“Gege…I-“
“No!” I slammed my fist on the table as I turned to San Lang, my face getting red and tears about to break free, “I’m not going to lose you again! I don’t care what you say that you’ll never let us part! You can’t control that if the heavenly court starts doing some shit again! I’m not going near the heavenly court nor working with the heavenly court whether you're there or not, I don’t want to lose you again! I waited more than 5000 fucking years and I’m not letting our reunion be for 3 days then another 5000 years in between!” At this point I couldn’t even see clearly with all the tears coming out of my eyes, then San Lang pulled me into a deep hug.
And I melted and erupted into tears.

I sobbed into his arms, I didn’t care if the agency saw me in this vulnerable state, I didn’t care if Feng Xin and Mu Qing could hear me outside of the doorway, I just wanted him to know and understand.
“I’m scared, San Lang! I’m scared to lose you again, I’m scared!” I cried holding San lang even deeper and tighter, afraid he would let go and be gone with the wind.
“Gege…I refuse to let anyone take you away from me. Ever again. Although it may seem hopeless to think such a childish thing, I have faith in your highness.”
San Lang said, kissing the top of my head.

The agency watched us silently, shocked, and confused except for Ranpo. He, I’m assuming, was able to translate what San Lang and I had said.
“So, can you guys create some sort of way where, I don’t know, like you’ll always be connected in a sense?” Ranpo asked, in Japanese.
“You understood all of THAT?” Atsushi asked, clearly shocked.
“I got the main idea down, which is what mattered.” Ranpo responded.
San lang wiped my tears and whispered, “are you ready to talk to them?”
I nodded my head.

I turned to the agency, “still no.”
Ranpo ruffled his hair in a stressed manner, “do you understand what you're saying no to?! This is the future of Japan, my home country! Our home country! I get you don’t want to lose your husband again and all that shit, but think of a compromise! Like tying a string to his finger or some shit!”
San lang began to giggle, “well…nobody would say anything about how It’s weird, since we’ve already done it before…”
“You’ve tied a string to his finger before? Context?” Kenji asked.
“Ohhh….I don’t even want to talk about that day….” I groaned.
“Well, I made a statue to show what happened on that day…”
“San Lang! Don’t bring that up!” I yelped, covering his mouth.

“Wait, what do you mean you made a statue?” Kunikida asked.
“Well…actually! I’ll take you guys there one day! Right, Gege?”
“Actually, when was the last time you went to Tonglu mountain?” I asked.
“A few years ago, I made some new statues for the collection…” he smirked.
“Of what?” Atsushi asked.
“Times when me and your highness were in bed…”
“San Lang! Stop it!” My face lit up red, as I immediately covered it.
“What were you guys doing in bed?” Kenji, innocently asked.
“Wellll….”
“NO! NO! Spare kenji! Spare the boy's innocence!”
“What do you mean innocence? How bad is it?” Kunikida asked.
“Depends your intake on the content-“ I slapped my hand over his mouth.
“NO! Stop it! NO! SAN LANG!!!” I cried.
“Change of topics! Please.” Yosano said, slamming her hands on the table.

“So you can and have tied a string to each other's fingers before? Great! Do that.” Ranpo said in a rush.
“We can, I guess…” I murmured.
I still didn’t want to do this. I don’t want to be near Jun Wu or even near the court. I want to stay here with San Lang til the end of time. But if I had no choice, then I would have to.

Ranpo next slammed open the doors, only for one of them to hit Feng Xin in the face and cause him to fall on top of Mu Qing.
“So you guys were listening in on the conversation!” Ranpo exclaimed.
“It’s a Yes…” I groaned.
However the two were busy with their own bickering,
“What the hell?!?”
“It was your idea?!?”
“You still fell on top of me?!!!”
Things of such.
“Oh my god, that’s so cute.” Dazai giggled, whispering to Yosano.
“Wait, I have an idea.” Yosano whispered back about to start laughing.
“Just kiss already!” Yosano yelled.
Which causes the two of them to stop talking, and slowly look towards Yosano with the most mortified expressions on their faces.
Which also caused Dazai and Yosano to begin cackling and nearly falling to the floor.

San Lang moved closer to Dazai and Yosano and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “Don’t worry, they already have. Plus have taken it to the next level on other occasions.”
“San Lang!!” I yelped, also trying to hold on to my laughter.
The two immediately separated, faces as red as a tomato.
“What’s up with you heavenly officials always talking about sex?!” Ranpo exclaimed.
“They were talking about sex?!” Kenji asked, his innocence slightly dimming from his eyes.
The next few minutes was everyone trying to cover up what ranpo, and San Lang had said a few minutes prior.

—-

Now they were all sitting down on a couch in the room with couches(forgot what the room was called but the room where Atsushi meets Higuchi)
“So you're willing to work with the heavenly court, as long as the agency gets to come and as long as Hua Cheng isn’t harmed and neither is the agency?” Mu Qing asked steadily.
“…yes. But I’m not doing this by choice.” I said with a huff.

“Any other questions, comments, or concerns?” Feng Xin asked.
Ranpo raised his hand.
“Yes?”
“Will they be having food there?”
“No, next one.”
Kunikida raised his hand.
“When, and what attire should we be wearing?”
“I mean, what you guys are wearing now should be fine as long as there are no stains, and you could invite your supervisor to come too so they know you guys mean the real deal. Whereas for you two…” Feng Xin paused pointing at me and San Lang.
“What? I can just create another form.” I said.
“Hua Cheng's outfit right now should be fine, also because it would scare the heavenly court more than anything else to see him change significantly. You, however…” Feng Xin paused in his speech again.
“What are you guys normally wearing? I can wear something like that.”
“So…actually your traditional clothing should be fine, your hair you can choose whether it’s long or short.” Mu Qing said.

“Is that it?” I asked.
“Seems like it, so-“ Feng Xin began before I interrupted him.
“You can leave then.”
“What?”
“You. Can. Leave. Then. Need me to say it in Chinese?”
“What are you so upset about?! First time seeing us in 5000 or so years and you're acting like a complete dick!!! What the hell?!” Mu Qing yelled.
“I waited. More than 5000 fucking years for my goddamn husband to return, you wanna know who stopped coming to visit once a year at the 20 year mark? YOU GUYS! Plus back when I participated in the heavenly court discussions I HEAVILY suggested you guys not to bring back Jun Wu when the topic was being spoken of, wanna guess what you guys did? Told me I was holding a bias against him and that since I hadn’t been helping Ling Wen as much that I didn’t deserve a part in the discussion. So yes I am pissed off that over 5000+ years you guys never once came to see how I was doing or even tried to communicate with me, but once you guys need me all of a sudden I’m the asshole for declining?” My tone was stern, and I wanted to cry.

I was hurting them.
But it was the truth.
The truth that probably hurt me more than them, even though I was the victim…right?
This wasn’t all my fault…right?
They didn’t leave me because I wasn’t interesting enough, right?
San Lang didn’t leave on purpose, right?
That thing took him away, right?
I’m not at fault here.
None of this happening was my fault.
My friends leaving me.
My husband leaving me.
Practically the whole world leaving me.
Wasn’t my fault.
Right?

They looked at me for a moment, emotions flashing through their eyes.
“I’m sorry.” Feng Xin said, his eyes full of sincerity.
Whereas Mu Qing sneered back at me, “finally your trauma caught up to you.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Dazai asked, upset.
“That your highness the crown prince of Xianle finally toughened up, probably learned it from that thing of his.” Mu Qing glared at San Lang as he walked away.
Whereas San Lang was pissed, just by being in a 3 metre radius of him you could tell he was ready to blow, fists clenched, eyes on the verge of shooting daggers, tensed body, and curled in lips.

Whereas E-Ming was quivering, and tears were coming out of his eye non-stop. San Lang shoved him roughly with his fist and E-Ming stopped.
I put my hand on San Lang’s back, in a hope to calm him down, and I eased open his other hand and gave him my hand to squeeze instead.
Feng Xin said sorry again, leaving a few seconds after Mu Qing then came running back in.
“At 2 Pm we’ll be here to pick you up! Or…just me if Mu Qing is still upset.” Then he ran back down.

“Fucking heavenly officials.” San Lang spat.
“I’ll tell the president what went on today, I think we should all go home. But if I may, can I talk to you too for a bit, In the president's office.” Ranpo announced.
“Sure…” I muttered unsure, looking up to San Lang.
He was still upset but he now looked like he wanted to cry.
“Give us a moment first Ranpo, then we'll meet.” I waited for everyone to leave the room and shut the door.

“I’m sorry San Lang.” I sighed immediately.
“What for?”
“I stopped looking for you, I didn’t try hard enough to find you, we have to go in front of the whole heavenly court tomorrow, Mu Qing was being a dick.”
“No, your highness none of this is your fault-“
“No. San Lang for once let me take the blame whether you want me to or not, this is my fault.”
We stayed quiet for a few moments as San Lang watched me silently, with words practically bulging out of his mouth.
“What do you think of me?” He said in such a rushed and mushed sentence that I couldn’t understand it.
“I'm sorry?”
“Like, when you see me what is the first thing to describe me that comes to mind?”
I thought for a moment, “husband, king, ghost, San Lang, caring, loving, kind, probably more if I thought about it for longer. Why do you ask?”
He stayed silent for a few more moments, “Mu Qing called me ‘that thing’ and…I know it sounds stupid but it got me thinking…I dunno but am I worthy of being called a human?”
He then turned to look at me, his eye full of such emotion, the eye of adoration.
I held his face close to mine furrowing my eyebrows, “San Lang, don’t let other people define you. You are the most human person I could ever know, what you’ve done for me is something only a human, a human heart could ever accomplish. In my eyes you are the definition of good, you are the good in humanity and I wish more people were like you so others could feel what it truly feels like to be loved.”
I held his face close to mine, not that I think he would want to separate our faces.
Then he held my waist and pulled me into him, allowing our lips to meet.
“Gege, I love you so much.” San Lang said sincerity vibrating off him, as he pulled me back into him allowing our mouths to connect.

Then the door opened,
“Oh! I-I am so sorry!” Ranpo stammered, covering his eyes.
“Y’know, why is it that each time y’all get a chance alone y’all be grabbing each other.”
“Ranpo! I'm sorry, give us one moment!”
“At this point what I wanted to ask isn’t even that important, y’all can just go home!”

To which we separated and did actually go home.

Chapter Text

We came inside of my house, and San Lang immediately fell onto the couch.
“Gege…” he sighed.
“What is it?”
He poked his head up and signalled me to join him on the couch.
When I sat with him, we stayed silent for a while and he took off his eyepatch and seamlessly transformed into pyjamas which was a red baggy T and black sweatpants, which made me realise this is the first time I’ve seen San Lang without his eyepatch in an extremely long time.
And he looks just as handsome as he did then.
Then he noticed I was looking and slowly started to put his eyepatch back on,
“Nononono, San Lang keep it off, you look very handsome.”
He looked at me for a minute,
“I’m not worth anything good from your highness, the fact I have you is a blessing within itself.”
“San Lang, I’m not worthy of you.”
“Yes, you are.”

We stayed quiet like this then he scooched closer to me, played with my hair for a few minutes more, then pulled me in for a kiss.
To which I fed into the smooch, when we separated for a moment I was transformed also into pyjamas which consisted of a baggy white shirt and grey sweatpants by I’m assuming and hoping San Lang, if it wasn’t by dear god I should be concerned.

He began kissing me all over lips to cheeks, to neck, to collarbones, then he stopped at where my shirt began stopping to give me a look; a look of consent.
“San Lang, please keep on going…” I whispered in his ear, which made him shiver.
He took off my shirt, then began where he left off kissing me all over, then he began to nip at my nipples which sent shivers down my spine and slight whimpers, he then traversed down deeper but kept kissing at my torso not going any lower, then climbing back up, then he began giving me love marks only where clothes wouldn’t allow it to show.
It was torment watching him not go lower, and he knew that.
“S-San Lang…” I practically groaned, “go on, please.”
I wanted him so bad, I needed him so bad.
He gave me a gentle smile that turned into a smirk, then he began gliding his lips down, slowly then stopped, and gilded them back up.
I was trying my hardest to suppress my moans and whimpers, then I let out a groan.

He inched forward, across my torso so slowly, so steadily, as if he was waiting for something.
Yet I could feel his bulge, and his own want for me, his need for me.
Y’know what?
Fuck it.

I pulled his face towards me as I fervently smashed my lips with his, I pulled down his pants and underwear along with my own, the speed and heated movements of mine shocked San Lang that it took him a second to process what was going on.
He separated our lips and practically ripped off his shirt, picking me up by my waist and putting me on top of him.
We continued to kiss more, until he separated our lips and held my ass cheeks open, then I realised; he wanted to see my reaction for whatever the fuck he was going to be doing.

My train of thought quickly shattered once I felt his first finger go up in there, my eyes widened and a whimper escaped my lips.
While he had a smug expression yet cautious watching me come undone.
He started moving his finger up my hole at a consistent pace before adding a second finger.
A moan came out of me, which gave San Lang more fire in his eyes.

My cheeks were a bright red, I could feel the heat on my face and coursing through me.
I moaned into San Lang’s neck crook, as he kept pumping his fingers in and out as he added a 3rd finger keeping a continuous pace going.
“S-San Lang~!!” I moaned, throwing my head back.
“Is this already too much for Gege~? I thought your highness could last longer?” He teased purring in my ear.
“Well, it’s been over 5 millennia since I’ve taken someone’s cock, or is this too much for you?” I teased back which caused him to stop and give me a grimace.
“I’m ready, just waiting to see if you are.”
“Oh, I’m plenty ready, San Lang-Gege~.”
His cheeks grew a bright red then he pulled me in for a passionate kiss, which was only more torturous making me want him more.
It ended with a rope of saliva connecting us both.

Then he got a container of lube from god knows where, and got a glob of it on his hand before stroking my cock gently, the sensation making it twitch.
Then he began stroking faster, as he did so moans began to crawl out of me.
“Ahhn~…mmmhm…San Lang~..”
“Dianxia…” he moaned, as he stopped then began to stroke himself, groaning softly, eyes refusing to make contact with mine.
Then he began to line up his cock with my hole, and allowed it to enter.
The first pump was slow and gentle, but enough to make me cry out.

He grabbed my legs and wrapped them around his waist pulling me closer to him,I wrapped my arms around his neck for support.
Then he began a rhythm, slow. Which he knew that I knew was on purpose, and he knew that this was torturous for me, considering how badly I wanted him in me.
Then he began pumping faster out of nowhere creating a new rhythm, I was moaning with every push, with my cock twitching.

Then he began to go at it even faster, rougher, the claps our bodies were making sounded like a metronome.
My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I just let any moan I had out, I felt my dick getting so hard that it hurt and so I began stroking it just as fast as San Lang pumped his cock into me.
I was a mess of moans, whereas San Lang was a mess of pants and momentarl moans.
We were both in a state of pure ahegao.

Then he moved his head closer to my chest as he began nipping at my nipples, sending shocks through my spine.

“S-San Lang…I’m gonna cum..” I groaned weakly.
“Cum for me, Dianxia.” San Lang hummed into my chest.
After a few more pumps from San Lang I felt my cock ejaculating, letting all the white liquids inside of me be free squirting all over me and San Lang’s chest, as I let out a breathy moan.
I watched as San Lang pumped his dick inside of me a few more times before I felt my asshole being filled with his hot liquid, as he himself let out a moan.

Then he fell backwards leaning on the arm of the couch pulling me to him, as we both panted.
“San Lang…we need to clean up,” I muttered, utterly exhausted.
“I know…let me do it for you,” San Lang said as he began to get up.
“No! San Lang at least let me help, you must be tired too!” I said, my head shooting up despite my exhaustion.
“Dianxia, I’ve waited 5 milenia for this. If we could, I would keep going til sunrise, but you have to meet with the heavenly court tomorrow and I would hate to make it so you can’t walk all around that big place. Please forgive me,
“San Lang, the day I don’t forgive you for things like this is the day that I have truly lost myself. I love you so much, thank you.” I chuckled, leaving my head in his neck-crook.

He kissed my head and neck before he got up to take us both to the bathroom, although it was small, all bathrooms in Japan usually have a tub to relax in, luckily for us our tub was big enough for the both of us.
San Lang then bathed our bodies before helping me to get out of the tub, while we dried ourselves, before he snapped his fingers and we had pyjamas on.

He helped me walk to the bedroom and then we both fell onto the futons.

(There is more, I just haven’t finished writing)

Chapter Text

Me, Hua Cheng, and Dazai made our way into the Agency since I was scared Dazai wouldn’t wake up in time, then he actually woke up two hours earlier and was quite literally just sitting on the floor of his apartment on his phone which was a very interesting sight to see.

Everyone was clearly on edge, although it was still the morning and an hour before noon.
According to Ranpo, the president was shocked and a bit confused at the fact that I was a god and San Lang was a calamity, and that we were to be meeting with the heavenly court.
To which he wanted to confirm everything ranpo said, to which we did, which left him with more questions, to which we answered, then he was shocked that he never realised, then we had to explain to him that it’s a good thing he didn’t realise.

So now everyone was kind of standing and sitting around waiting.
“San Lang, I made a playlist for us.”
“A playlist?”
“Yes, it’s a list of songs I like and thought you would like too.”
“Oh? Well then when will your highness let me hear me?”
“When we’re in a train, or doing something that’ll take a while but not a lot of focus, I have earbuds and then I can put it on for us.”
“Sure, I’m dying to know what type of music Gege likes.”
“And I would love to know what type of music you will like.” I teased.
“What do you mean?”
“You were gone for 5000+ years, music’s changed a lot.”
He opened his mouth then closed it, then I realised.
He was here for when music changed.
For the last 30 years he was here.
Without me.

Then Feng Xin and Mu Qing barged in through the door.
“We’ll be here for another hour because we don’t know what to do for the next hour until the meeting starts.” Feng Xin said.
“Far enough.” Kunikida replied.
“Put on a timer until we have to get there, because I need to talk to you 4 ancient beings.” Ranpo announced, waving his hand for us to follow as the president was already in front of him.

To which we followed, and we all sat down.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Fukuzawa immediately asked.
“…for my own safety I couldn’t, I think you understand.”
“I don’t, please explain it to me.”

I’m really, really tired of people not using logic.
“I found a community that didn’t hold me at such high expectations and didn’t want to rid me of the one thing that made me happy, and if I told you that would put me in a greater risk of being found out, considering I would be able to use my spiritual energy with you guys. So, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and everyone else that I am a god that has been here for over 5000 years.” My tone was polite but you could tell I was brimming with fury.
Too many things happening related to the heavenly court, more than I would like.
One day I’m safe with my husband the next, we’re expected to be meeting with the heavenly court.
Which now includes Jun Wu, didn't they learn their lesson?
I guess not.

“Now you two. Why did you guys want to find Xie Lian?” Fukuzawa asked Feng Xin and Mu Qing.
“We already told you! Or are you so old you can’t remember shit?!” Mu Qing clamoured, then within seconds the president had him laying on the floor.
“Would you like to answer that one?” The president asked Feng Xin, to which he nodded frantically in agreement.
“We, needed to find Hua Cheng for the issue that we do not know but the main people in the heavenly court do know but nobody has seen him for 20 years, so then our next option was to find Xie Lian but nobody has seen him for over 5000 years, and now we found them both, so.”
“Why do you seem so uneasy about going to the heavenly court?”
“Because Jun Wu is there, he’s back.”
“Jun Wu?”
“So, Jun Wu used to be the top god then he got into some drama and revealed that he was a calamity which is basically a big bad demon thing, said calamity he turned out to be is what destroyed my kingdom which I got blamed for, then he tried to kill half of heaven and other things then we locked him up, til people wanted him back and apparently he came back and has been back.”

“Anything else we should know?”
The room was silent until Feng Xin spoke up, “just to remind you, Shi Qingxuan has been dead, so you won’t be seeing him popping up. Plus a lot of people changed their outfits some to fit the modern times some didn’t, Pei Ming is one of them. And I think that’s about it.”
“Whose Shi Qingxuan and Pei Ming?” Fukuzawa asked.
“Shi Qingxuan was a very good friend of mine who was a god but then lost their godhood due to the black water calamity He Xuan, meaning he became a mortal and wasn’t going to be reborn. Then Pei Ming is a player, at least half of China's population is related to him, more likely 75%.”
“Oh. How nice.” Ranpo exclaimed.
“Anything else?”
“Don’t say anything, unless we give a cue to. You’ll be able to tell.” Mu Qing said.

We were excused and me and San Lang sat next to each other in the waiting room(the room with couches) with dazai sitting across from us.
“It won’t be as bad as you think. You can be as much of a smartass as you want, they can’t do nothing because they know they’re in the wrong.” dazai instructed.
“How do you know?” San Lang asked.
“There have been multiple times where I’ve had to meet up with my old organisation and I dreaded it each time, and with the new deal the presidents making with Mori? It’s only a matter of time before I have to meet them again.”
“What deal?” I asked.
“In exchange for one Agency member the port mafia will get peace from us, and vice versa.”
“Who?” I asked immediately.
“That’s the thing, mori gets to choose. There’s a few people the president refuses to give away and you may be one of them along with your husband.”
“What about you?” I wondered aloud.
Dazai stayed quiet for a moment longer, as the air got tense.
“I’d rather not think about it. But I’ll make sure us three have a night on the town, all cost paid for by yours truly. After that, don’t forget me.” dazai left the room leaving me and San Lang just as confused if not more.

Then Feng Xin and Mu Qing clapped off beat and that started an argument between the two(of course) which translated to the time had come.
“Oh! I nearly forgot!” I exclaimed.
“What?” San Lang questioned.
“The string.” I piped as I tied the string on me and San Lang’s fingers, over the one San Lang already had so no suspicion would be raised.
They began making the teleportation array when we walked in, which I found odd nostalgia in.
Then we were in the heavenly court in the next second.

“Wow!” I exclaimed.

Nothing had changed.

“Not many things changed, when Mao had rule over China every god got real upset and resorted back to the traditional way the court used to look. But they kept a few things, like trains.” Mu Qing began.
“Trains? Out of all things?” Tanizaki asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Listen, cars were talked about but can you imagine car crashes? All that drama? Plus the hierarchy of who has the newest cars? Nobody wanted to deal with that.” Feng Xin added.
“Tanizaki, where’s Naomi? I haven’t seen her since Hua Cheng came in.” Atsushi asked.
“She had to put school first, she heard about the new member and insisted on worrying about school over work.”

Why is almost everyone never here?
First Fukuzawa, and only now am I noticing Naomi.
What pot of foreshadowing is being brewed?

Feng Xin and Mu Qing explained some other things about Heaven to which me and San Lang tuned out jointly.
Then we started to get on a train, which would be leading to the heavenly court which had apparently relocated because everyone thought they should get their own temple and house even if they weren’t gonna use it or not.
So I guess that changed.

“This is the perfect timing.”
“For what?”
“Your playlist.” San Lang reminded me.
“Oh! Yeah, I guess so.”
I got out my phone and earbuds and began to randomise through the songs til I found one I enjoyed.
Only once I put on my earbuds did I truly realise that everyone’s eyes were on us; people who’re dressing way too casually, and two people who have been missing for 5000 years, plus Feng Xin and Mu Qing.
The train had some C-pop playing which was nice but then it would switch to something traditional, then Gregorian chants which was mortifying to hear out of nowhere.

Then we waited for about an hour and 30ish minutes before Feng Xin and Mu Qing shoved us off because we were 15 minutes late because the train had an issue but apparently that happens all the time because nobody repairs nor does anything about those ‘goddamned trains’ anymore.

Good to know practically nothing changed for a little over 5000 years.

So we glided, and by gilded I mean struggled up the stairs that lead to the court and they GREW.
By a few meters because, DEAR GOD.
I was practically panting and out of breath when we got to the top and refused San Lang’s many requests to carry me the rest of the way since even though he didn’t need air he still was panting just not as noticeably and I sure as hell didn’t want to ruin my first impression with the heavenly court after over 5000 years by having San Lang, who is a calamity and killed 33 heavenly officials, stoically carrying me up the stairs.

“Why couldn’t we have gone the easier way!” Cried Ranpo.
“How did you know there was an easier way?” Feng Xin asked.
“Because even you guys are struggling!” Ranpo whined as Kenji carried him up the stairs.
AND EVEN KENJI WAS STRUGGLING-
I think that means that the heavenly court seriously fucked up when choosing to make their stairs as tall as the leaning tower of Pisa and the Burj Khalifa combined.
“Well, it’s kind of like a huge elevator but there’s these guards and if you aren’t a heavenly official they won’t let you up or down wherever you're trying to go.” Feng Xin replied, not Mu Qing because he was dying.

Once we finally made it to the top it almost felt like we had a spotlight pointing at us.
We were late by god knows how long
We were covered in sweat
I was there
San Lang was there
People dressed way too casually
Me and San Lang haven’t changed for over 5000 years
Need I say anymore?

“Was it the train?” The man at the head of the room asked.

His figure was far too far away for me to make it out.
But his voice.
Was just as crystal clear as the last time I heard it, yet more guttural as if he genuinely got older.

This
This was the moment I had been dreading since I knew what we would be doing today.

And San Lang seemed as if his whole heart had stopped again, his aura changed completely, to a scared little boy before changing back to his usual self.
Just more cockier considering where we are.

“Yes, we apologise to your highness.” Mu Qing said before bowing his head.
“It is your fault not.” Jun Wu assured, “but I do need to get that thing fixed.” Jun Wu muttered under his breath yet still loud enough for all of us to hear.
“Hello Xianle and Hua Cheng, plus…mortals?” Jun Wu greeted us.
“Hello.” I responded, bowing my head slightly.
Although I hold disdain for this man I refuse for my anger to get the better of me.
“Hi.” San Lang said half heartedly.
“We are mortals, your highness. From Japan, matter of factly.” Ranpo spoke, more seriously than I’ve ever seen him.
“Oh and you know Mandarin?” Jun Wu question, amused.
“Yes, your highness. Everyone else who is also a mortal here with me does not.”
“So you are the people I must bargain with as well as Xianle and Hua Cheng?”

We all nodded.

“Well then, come closer. Let the court hear your plea. And for you and everyone else here to hear what has occurred.” Jun Wu invited.
We all walked forward onto this circle platform which was elevated, just high enough so we could see everyone but just low enough so we would still be below Jun Wu.

I didn’t see many faces that I recognized except for Ling Wen who gave me a very kind smile, Pei Ming, and Lan Qianqiu.
All of which looked different, Pei Ming looked like a famous Chinese actor or C-pop idol, Ling Wen looked like a librarian but still rocking her long hair but looking more like a Lesbian, then Lan Qianqiu still kept his long hair yet gave it layers which made it look fluffy, and hadn’t changed his clothing styles at all whereas Pei Ming and Ling Wen had much more modern looking clothes.
And I looked around as if waiting for Shi Qingxuan to pop up, and wave to me in her female form fanning herself.
Yet to no avail.

“So, as we have slowly been discovering, we are not the only godly humanoids. Even the calamities, spirits, and curses there are more in other forms in other countries. Such as Japan, but said gods intermingled with humans causing a genetic mutation creating ‘abilities’ as they do call it. Super powers, which caused the Japanese gods to slowly fade away seeing that their offspring now could do their individual jobs, yet that developed causing abilities to pop out of the blue for some children nowhere related to the once Japanese gods. Yet a few still reside alive in Japan, I do not know where, nor is that the most important part.” Jun Wu paused for us all to process this information.

“What is important is that their godly items, curses, etc, have been discovered by the Japanese government. They have put gods into children turning them into vessels, but a godly item is being used to cause the end of mankind, or more or so existing kind. It will stunt humanity back by generations with what they could’ve learned, or discovered, or saved.”

What does he mean? Why is everything he’s saying so vague? My clear thoughts were shrouded by my hatred that I had tried so hard to hide, but something about what he was saying made me enraged, something about it made it seem like he was lying.
But what about?

“What is it you need me for exactly? Since apparently this whole search began because you needed my help, correct?” San Lang asked, his tone disgruntled as if he were speaking for me as well.
“Yes, you are correct.” Jun Wu responded, which caused gasps to ring out throughout the court, “I needed you because I want you to kill the people who are to cause the destruction to our planet, an organisation.”
“Yes?”
“The Decay of Angels.”

“Never heard of them.” Ranpo responded in fluent Chinese.
“Well, they began only 3 years ago as far as we know. So that may be why.”
“If they want to obtain a godly item to the point the government gate keeps it, we or atleast other organizations would know.”
“Well, a person working in the government is a part of that group that is why they can keep it under wraps so well.”
“Do you have any information as to who this individual is?” Ranpo asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, this is as far as our information goes. But all we need you guys to do is to make sure they do not get a hold on the godly item, or if they do; kill them.”

“What is the godly item you’ve been so vague about anyways?” San Lang asked, showing sass.
“It is referred to as The Book.”
“Ohhh! That thing!” Ranpo exclaimed, “if I am correct its power is that whatever is written inside of it as long as it’s written like a story will become real, yes?”
“You are correct. We have no information on when they will strike but when they do you will know.”

“Thank you, your highness.” Feng Xin said bowing with Mu Qing following.
“Yes, but I would like to ask Xianle some questions, if you all may stay for a few more moments.” Jun Wu directed.

For fucks sake.
“Yes, your highness?”
“I do believe we’ve all been wondering, where were you for the past 5000 years?”
“Where I’ve always been, the PuQi shrine in that small village.”
“No where else?”
“I’ve gone travelling through China twice, but I’ve been in the PuQi shrine the whole time. What about this is so shocking?”
“Well, we all thought you went elsewhere far more secretive. Especially considering the fact that you just stopped showing up one day until now.”
“I’ve only shown up now because it was a majority vote to come here, if it was my decision I would’ve never came.” My feet stood stuck to the ground and I was beginning to look visibly upset.

Gasps filled the room.

“Xianle, why do you feel this way? What have we done?”
“…there are some things I cannot say out loud, this is one of them.”
No way in god's name was I going to tell Jun Wu exactly why.
Especially because the Why was literally him.

“But do you know why the ghost city has been accessible for over 5000 years up until 20 years ago?”
“My husband is right next to me, Incase you haven’t noticed; so ask him.” I spat out.
I genuinely was trying my hardest to be polite but I physically couldn’t, I was beyond upset because Although we don’t know what caused San Lang’s disappearance, he seems like he is the most obvious suspect.
Jun Wu paused for a moment before asking San Lang, “why has Ghost City been inaccessible up until 20 years ago?”

San Lang looked around the room in a fast glance before beginning, “Well, first thing’s first why have you been wanting to enter my ghost city? I don’t see why you would need to speak with me in any way unless it was to find Xianle, but Incase you forgot Xianle stopped participating in the heavenly court because I went missing. And I don’t see anyone asking or answering that question? Because I sure as hell would like to know who kidnapped me, and was able to rid me of all my spiritual energy so I wouldn’t be able to escape, used some sort of cursed physical shackles so I wouldn’t even be able to use strength to escape.”
“Who do you think could’ve done that?” Jun Wu asked, seeming genuinely shocked.
“I think I’m talking to him right now.”

Gasps and whispers filled the courtroom, and horror went through Mu Qing and Feng Xin’s eyes.

“Me? Why do you think it was me?” Jun Wu asked, looking appalled.
“Must I repeat your whole history? Yes, in a quick manner because I want to get the hell out of here. You were a calamity and a god at the same time, attempted to kill everyone, you also sure as hell don’t like me because I was one of the common people my husband wanted to save so you made his life a living hell, also who else would be able to strip a calamity of all their spiritual energy and use magical shackles so I couldn’t escape?”
“Crimson Rain Sought Flower, you shouldn’t let your biases cloud your vision nor force them onto others.”
“Biases? Don’t you mean logic? I cannot be the only one here who sees how idiotic it was to reappoint you as supreme leader. Even if it wasn’t you who kidnapped me, having you as a leader over the heavens again after last time seems like a horrible idea.”

“How are you even here if you were kidnapped is the better question?” Jun Wu asked, ignoring San Lang’s statement.
“I escaped obviously.”
“You sure you didn’t get let out, I thought you just said it was inescapable?” Jun Wu chuckled, attempting to embarrass San Lang.
“If I was let out I would’ve done gruesome things to whoever had kidnapped me, also I wouldn’t be saying you were a suspect, now would I?” San Lang asserted,
“Also you wanted me to come here and clean up the mess of other gods, as per usual. So you already knew I was freed from being kidnapped either from ghost city being easier to enter or because someone knew of my whereabouts, and I don’t need to be there to keep the doors to ghost city opened or closed, so you choose which one you want to believe. Now may we leave?”
Jun Wu stared at us for a good while, “Yes, you may leave.”
Feng Xin and Mu Qing bowed and said what they needed to say before practically running down the stairs and leaping onto a train.

Once the train began to move, with no other heavenly officials there since they were all still at the court for whatever reason Feng Xin and Mu Qing began describing how screwed we all truly were,
“Your fucking husband, disrespected the god of Heaven. And the fact that we all walked away alive and unscathed is insane.” Mu Qing said, sweating profusely.

I couldn’t have been more proud, and happy than when San Lang spoke the truth in front of Jun Wu.
I would, totally would; if I wasn’t a god under his jurisdiction.
I’m actually surprised San Lang didn’t start cussing Jun Wu out whenever he started blabbering excuses.

“So?!” I huffed, raising my eyebrows.
“So? He could’ve made us all mortals! He could’ve killed us all!” Feng Xin cried.
“He was right. I would’ve said the same things if Jun Wu wasn’t my literal boss! San Lang is right!”
“About what? Jun Wu being his kidnapper, or about why we needed to enter ghost city, or about how stupid it was to reappoint him?”
“Everything! Every. Single. Fucking. Things! Jun Wu is the culprit, and probably the most probable one who could’ve kidnapped San Lang! And he probably did that because he knew my mental health would be destroyed so I would stop participating in the heavenly court, so then he could attempt to be re-elected as supreme leader! Also why the hell were people trying to enter the ghost city?!” I protested.

“On the topic of Crimson Rain Sought Flower being kidnapped, why didn’t you escape sooner?” Mu Qing badgered.
“If I could’ve, I would’ve. What makes you think I would purposely delay my arrival to see my own fucking husband after any amount of time?!” Exploded San Lang.

“…do you even know what he was like when you first were gone?” Mu Qing hissed.
“No, but I’m assuming you’re gonna tell me!” San Lang jeered.
“He was hopeful of Your return for 10 years before he started getting fucked up by it. 10 fucking years, we would visit and every single little fucking thing would be about you, ‘oh San Lang would’ve loved this’ ‘San Lang would’ve hated that’.
So on and so fucking forth.” Mu Qing ranted.

“We stopped visiting him technically at the 30 year mark, he says 20 because that was when he stopped being so hopeful, and I’m assuming he says 20 also because everything started to mesh in together as one big fat memory, isn’t that right?” Mu Qing added, looking directly at me.

I kept my head down.
I knew everything he was about to say was right.
He was going to show everyone how I was
When I was at my lowest.

Not a pretty sight.

Chapter Text

“First it started with not eating, he wouldn’t cook since ‘what was the point of cooking if there was nobody to eat it?’ So me and other heavenly officials would go over and try to eat what he made. Then we resulted in just sending him food so he wouldn’t starve to death.
Then he wouldn’t sleep, he couldn’t sleep. According to him each time he closed his eyes, he saw you.
With the same smile, standing just far enough that no matter what he did, he couldn’t reach you.” Mu Qing said, reaching out his hand then dropping it,

“Then once me and Feng Xin were over, taking care of him. We asked him to close his eyes and try to go to sleep, even if he saw you: he did. Then 5 seconds later he started sobbing and screaming, saying that your face was a blur and how he didn’t want to forget you. Which I believe is when the drawing phase began, where all he could draw was you, and they were all the same photos. You doing different poses, facial expressions, clothes, hair styles, but it was clear and distinct that it was always you and if I’m correct up till now he still draws you in his many, many journals trying to remember every fragment left of you. Well thankfully he has you back so he doesn’t need to draw you at every given moment.” Mu Qing sighed.

San Lang wasn’t mad anymore, nobody was, they were all so defeated.
With this only then did I realise Ranpo was writing everything we were saying down in Japanese for the others to read and understand what was going on, and they were just as horrified.

However, San Lang looked destroyed. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, as if he was a little boy attempting to not cry due to a scolding from his father.
I wanted to hold him and tell him it was ok, and how it wasn’t his fault.
But it was.
It was all his fault, 100% non-intentional but it was his disappearance that caused my mental state to drown.

But it was my request for flowers that caused him to go missing.

“He slowly stopped helping Ling Wen, he did it but not with a smile as he used to, he had such a sorrowful blank stare that whenever he went on those missions people would write poems about him. There's a famous classical short story written about a certain sad man because he lost his lover, doing whatever he can to keep on going; it was based off of Xie Lian.
Then one day he just stopped showing up, everyone thought he had passed out due to malnutrition or from not sleeping enough so nobody thought he was in grave danger. Until a few days passed and he still hadn’t shown up, so me and Mu Qing were sent down to check up on him and he was just laying on the floor conscious, and we told him to get up so he can eat and we can talk about his feelings but he didn’t want to do any of that. He just wanted to lay on the floor, he said quote on quote ‘I don’t have the energy to do anything, can I just lay here til San Lang gets home?’” Feng Xin stated.
“He was fucking delirious. He hadn’t eaten, or slept in fucking days because of how much he wanted to see you or even hear your voice again. After we got that sorted out he just started crying, quiet at first then turned into full on out bawls. It was on and off with him being at the heavenly court and him just not showing up and about once a month me and Feng Xin or Shi Qingxuan would have to bring him back to health.” Mu Qing turned to look at me,

“But do you remember any of that?”

I thought for a moment, “I remember the pain of wanting to see San Lang again.” My hand drifted to hold his, to which he firmly gripped it back, “it’s all a big blur to me.” I murmured loud enough for them to hear me keeping my head down.

I wanted to cry, I could feel my face heating up, I could feel tears welling in my eyes, and I could feel a cold sweat run over me due to the embarrassment of Mu Qing and Feng Xin telling everyone the worst side of me.
Each time I wanted to distract myself from the conversation the hard, cold, metal seat only reminded me more of where I was and that whatever I was running from; could always outrun me.
I wanted the ground to swallow me whole, I wanted San Lang to hold me and fend off everyone else.

I wanted out.

“After a while he just slept for days at a time, the food we would send would begin to get moldy so we just stopped sending things in. We’d just go over twice a month to make sure he was alive and that was that. Then that’s when Jun Wu sent in his appeal to become a heavenly official again and to be freed from mount Tonghulu. That was around the 30 year mark, when Xie Lian heard of this news he jumped from the bed and demanded to be taken to the court when there was another meeting about it. That was when he told people not to re-elect Jun Wu and they told him that he had no right in telling people what to do considering he wasn’t working his load of duties. After that he stopped showing up at all, before it was twice a week and 1 or 2 missions during those two times but after that he basically quit.”
“But why did you stop seeing me? I could care less about what happened in the heavenly court, what I want to know is why you just stopped checking on my well being? Was I too much? Did you side with the rest of the court?” I sang as anger dripped off my tongue.

Mu Qing took a breath, gave me a sincere look.

“Because Jun Wu told us not to.”

“What.” I raised my eyebrows.

“A month after you stopped showing up he was allowed at supreme leader again, his first order for me and Mu Qing was to stop giving you attention and that you weren’t deserving of it.”

I opened then closed my mouth as I connected the dots.

After that I just stayed quiet, which I’m assuming signaled for everyone else to also shut the fuck up.
I wanted to disappear and forget responsibilities and life even existed.

Even once we got off the train I stayed silent, still stuck in thought, that was until someone called out my name,
“Xianle! Your highness! Xianle!”
I turned around and saw Ling Wen running towards me.
If it was anyone else I would’ve kept on walking.
“Oh, Ling Wen. Do you need something?”
Instead of being polite and asking about her day I just got straight to the point because it seems everyone needs something from me.

“Yes, I’d like to schedule a time for us to meet and have tea.” She noticed San Lang’s raised eyebrow at her request, “along with your husband, if neither of you mind.”
She was sweating a good amount, and today the heavenly court wasn’t so hot as it used to be in the time back when I was here.
Did she run? How far?
Yet her worried and nervous look as she asked this, and how she kept on looking around gave me even more questions.

“Yes, of course. Where and when?
“Maybe next week? I have less work, and I can pick you both up to take you guys to said place.”
Before I could ask about said place, she pretended that we responded.
“Yes? Great! I’ll see you then!” She exclaimed before sprinting away.

I looked back at San Lang and he had the same confused expression on his face as I had on mine.
“What was that about?” Mu Qing asked, also with a confused expression.
“Ling Wen wants to have tea with me and San Lang.” I said,
“May I ask you one more thing? If you can answer my question I’ll try to regress my anger for you two reappearing out of nowhere.”
“Yes, what is it?” Feng Xin responded gently.

“Why did you two follow Jun Wu’s order till the very end? We have been on missions way back then and if you two didn’t agree with one of the orders, you wouldn’t follow it. Why did you never once visit me?”
Mu Qing blinked for a few moments then raised his eyebrow.
“We did. You weren’t there.”

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’?! About a thousand and more times we went to visit you and you weren’t there! Even the villagers in the village near your temple said they hadn’t once seen you!”
“Was it all in the same year?
“Hell no! Through the 5000 fucking years you two were gone!”
“There were two periods of time, both 50 years, where I wasn’t in the PuQi shrine because I went out looking for San lang. How many times did you go visit me?” I exclaimed.
“Once every 5 years then once every 10 years then once every 20 years! And never once were you there, we even left you letters asking about how you were and for you to get back into contact with us again!”

I stumbled backwards.
“I…never got any letters…” I was in utter shock and so was everyone else, “I also never relocated. I kept trying to make the shrine better and better for when San Lang would return…h-how did we never see eachother?…”

I began to panic.
Was it because of my bad luck?

It was because of my bad luck.

It was all my fault.

San Lang left because I wasn’t good enough and everyone else left because of my bad luck.

They all hate me.

They all hate me.

They’re so mad at me right now, aren’t they?

They all hate me.

I began feeling my throat restricting as tears fought their ways to escape their ducts.
But I’ve grown accustomed to this feeling for far too long, so I didn’t budge.
But it seemed that Mu Qing and Feng Xin had also replicated a similar reaction.

San Lang was the first to speak up about it, “So, who did it?”
“I’m sorry?” Mu Qing asked.
“Well clearly, me and your highness were in another world or place. Which would explain how he wasn’t able to reach me and nobody else was either and how you guys weren’t able to reach him. So, who relocated the two of us?” San Lang explained calmly.
“But there’s one hole in your idea, San Lang.” I said immediately, “if I was in another universe, how was Shi Qingxuan able to visit me so often after Mu Qing and Feng Xin stopped?”
“Well that’s easy to explain.” Feng Xin responded.
“How so?” I pondered.
“You weren’t put in that other world until Shi Qingxuan died.”
“Yes but, you guys said you visited every 5 years. So how would that work? “
“What do you mean?” Mu Qing asked, raising his tone and eyebrow.
“I mean, 20-25 years after you guys stopped visiting, Shi Qingxuan died due to his mortality. So how could what you said work, if it took quite some time for him to die?”

The two looked like they had watched everything they had worked hard for burned to the ground.
Their eyes replicated saucers as I replicated San Lang’s confused look.

“What?! Was what I said that crazy?” I exclaimed.

They continued their silence until Feng Xin murmured, “Shi Qingxuan died a year after Jun Wu was re-elected.”

“What.”

We were all stunned.

After Ranpo translated what we had said to the agency, they held a crazed look in their eyes.

“There’s no way…” I held my head in my hands, “he…was..fake?” I murmured.

Mu Qing looked around and noticed the attention coming to us, “let’s get off here first then we can talk about it. I’ll use my teleportation array to bring us back to your workplace.” And in a few seconds we all were transported back to Yokohama.

By now it was nighttime.

I immediately led Mu Qing, Feng Xin, San Lang, Fukuzawa, and Ranpo to the meeting room.

And from there we began theorising.

Chapter Text

Once we were all seated, I sighed as if I had been struggling to breathe my whole life.

I retained my silence, until it got too quiet and I couldn’t deal with the painful fake memories.
“Are you telling me, the Shi Qingxuan I knew was fake? The whole time?”

We continued speaking in Chinese, with Ranpo whispering The translations of what we were saying into the president's ear.

The room was eerily quiet.

“I hope not.” Mu Qing sighed.
“So was I really becoming so delirious that I was imagining his existence? Was I also imagining you guys too?” My voice was tinged with worry.

I wanted to cry.

Was everything that I experienced all my own imagination?

What is real and what is not?
Is this real?

“What’s the last memory of us you had!?” Feng Xin asked, throwing his hand out.
“…it was the last day you guys were there…” I closed my eyes and truly did try my hardest to recall the last time I had seen them but I couldn’t,
“I-I…don’t know…”

Was I so ill that I genuinely couldn’t recall the last day I had spent with Feng Xin and Mu Qing?
Or did all the memories mesh into one together?
I tried my hardest to figure out what exactly happened on that last day.
They probably came over.
They probably gave me some food.
They probably asked me some questions.

They probably wanted me to get over the “death” of San Lang

But wasn’t that what happened every time they came over?

I mean, did we do anything different than usual on the last day?
“Do you guys remember what we did?” I queried.

They both responded immediately,
“Well, we went hiking that day. We never usually went hiking. Do you remember that?” Mu Qing questioned calmly, as if trying not to get me to panic.

I couldn’t.
I didn’t remember.

I didn’t remember anything.

What the hell was wrong with me?

From how pale my face grew, they figured out my answer.
Their faces also grew pale.
“How…did it all really mesh together as one that badly?” Feng Xin cried.
“I mean…assuming, the us you knew were fake…that would mean the you we knew was also fake.” Mu Qing realised.

“But…then that would mean, I am the fake one…” I muttered.

All of their eyes shot back to me, including San Lang’s.

“You guys know I'm real, right? I am real…..right?”

Their expressions were doubtful.

“I mean…you wouldn’t know you were the fake one…but we would.” Ranpo responded.

“No. He is the real one.” San Lang stated, his eyebrows furrowing.

“What makes you so sure of this?” Ranpo quired.
“If he wasn’t real, he would’ve never gone missing. Because he would only be there to take the place of the real one. Also you’d clearly be able to tell he was a fake one because of his personality, and there’s only so many ways a copy of another person can be created and all of which have their holes.
But another reason for why he had everything mesh together could be because of how traumatic it was.”

“Traumatic? How?” Ranpo asked, clearly amused by San Lang’s answer.
“Many heavenly officials and myself included have experienced traumatic things, and there’s two ways we all deal with those things. 1. Never forget it
2. Never remember it
We either commit to our memory or we force ourselves to forget it.
In our case due to how traumatic the initial mourning period caused by me going missing, your highness meshed it all together in an attempt to forget about it.
Which explains why he doesn’t remember a single thing about the hike all of you went on.” San Lang explained.
“That does make sense, but the question still stands as to why couldn’t we reach Xie Lian?” Feng Xin asked.

The room stayed silent for a moment.
“Alright, I can’t take the silence anymore. I’m going to use Ultra Deduction.” Ranpo sighed in Japanese.
“Please do! I want the others to see how your ability works!” I exclaimed.
Despite his ‘ability’ not being real and just a coping mechanism for how smart he is.
I still enjoy watching other people’s expressions as they watch him and his, once everyone praises him.

Ranpo put his glasses on in a swift motion as streams and swirls of green lights with kanji written on it like a hologram ran through the room leaving ruckus in its wake.
In the middle of all of this Ranpo belted,
“Ultra Deduction!”

And it was done.

But our problems were not.

Ranpo paused for a moment, shock written all over his face before he turned to look at me directly.

“You were never here in the first place.”

“What?!” I choked on my own spit.
I, and everyone else had most likely all imagined him saying something like ‘it’s all Jun Wu’s fault!’ Or ‘it was all an illusion!’ Or maybe I’m just begging for something to hold on to so that I don’t feel like the bad person here.

“You were never in our universe. That’s the only way to explain it.” Ranpo explained.

“What do you mean universe?” Feng Xin asked.

“Xie Lian was in another universe, or world. There’s no other way to explain it.”

“But there should be. How could I have been in another universe? Heavenly officials don’t have those powers, at most an illusion but how could it have lasted for so long?” Mu Qing interjected.

“Well, as Jun Wu mentioned; there are gods from other countries and cultures. Someone could’ve gotten help from them, and put Xie Lian into a Polly pocket world.”
“I’m sorry? A Polly pocket world?” Mu Qing questioned, his confused expression replicating all of ours.
“It’s a western toy. Y’know, Polly and her friends have this house and they’re all sorta pocket sized.” Ranpo clarified, only to continually be met with blank stares.

“Pahh! You’re all old!” Ranpo whined, sticking out his tongue.

The immaturity from a detective shocked Feng Xin and Mu Qing to the point where their eyebrows began moving in waves, confused as to what expression they should be expressing before sighing and putting it behind themselves.

“So is that it? Nothing else that needs to be discussed?” Fukuzawa interjected, eyeing Feng Xin and Mu Qing then scanning the room.

I raised my head then faltered.
My question was why San Lang took so long to come and find me, but if they knew that I had my doubts they would think that San Lang is selfish when he isn’t.

I’m the selfish one.

I’m the one who made Feng Xin and Mu Qing worried for the past 5000 years, thinking something absolutely horrible had happened to me.

I also still couldn’t find San Lang.

“Nothing, as far as I can remember.” I responded.
San Lang squinted his eyes at me before darting them over to Mu Qing and Feng Xin.

“Actually, I have a question.” Ranpo proclaimed, raising his arm, “where was Hua Cheng during all those years?”

Everyone’s eyes inched towards Hua Cheng’s direction.
Where he just closed his eye and shrugged his shoulders.
“A cave somewhere in China I’m presuming.” He retorted.

“That’s all?” Ranpo shot back, “do you not care where you were during all that time?!” Ranpo yelped, clearly shocked.
“I mean, I feel no need to return to said cave nor do I want to be anywhere near said location.”
“This could seriously help the investigation, and-“ Ranpo reminded, before being interrupted.

“Investigation? Who said we were investigating this matter? We already know it was Jun Wu. These two knuckleheads can deny all they want that Jun Wu had a part in this. Me and Xianle; the victims know this.” San Lang shot back, clearly less calm than he was before.
“Don’t you need evidence to point the finger at Jun Wu and for him to actually be prosecuted?” Ranpo queried.
“Yes, but who else could’ve placed Xianle in another universe? And who could’ve been able to lock me up for 5000 years and make it impossible for me to escape? Only someone with such an insane amount of spiritual energy, which is Jun Wu.” San Lang answered, calming down.

They both stared at each other in silence for a bit, creating an awkward atmosphere for the rest of us.

“Let’s end that there.” Fukuzawa announced.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin made their way to get up with Ranpo following from behind whereas I continued to sit in absolute shock.

I had no power.

There was no way I could’ve left to go and save San Lang.

A bird locked inside of the cage, made to believe the cage is all there is, can’t possibly escape or begin to understand what lies outside.

Or

A normally healthy flea, shut inside a small jar for a few days will no longer remember what it feels like to jump higher, so when it is let out
All it can do is jump at the height of the jar it was locked inside of.

Yet the difference is that I was freed.
I was able to change my ways.

That was the only way to describe or begin to understand why I was feeling this way.

But the overwhelming guilt that I couldn’t save anyone the pain and suffering that they experienced through those 5000+ years, still consumed me.

I was locked in a cage or jar or whatever metaphor there is, I did believe there was nothing else beyond what was set in place, til I escaped.
Yet, I still feel like all of it was my fault.

Despite so little control I had over the situation.

If San Lang could’ve fixed it, I could’ve fixed it as well.

Chapter Text

As I entered the apartment I felt so empty, I was exhausted from trying to figure out what happened to me during all those years and why.

“Is Gege ok?” San Lang asked clearly worried yet with knowingness behind his eyes.

I looked up at him.
And I wanted to cry.
I wanted to cry into him as he held me close and comforted me, but he was going through just as much as a hard time; probably an even harder time than I could ever imagine.
If I did that it would stress him out, and I would inevitably hurt him.
Then he would want to leave.

“I’m fine San Lang, are you ok?” I tried to pass off after an uncomfortably long silence.
He raised his eyebrow, “are you sure?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

He led me to the couch in the living room before sitting us both down.
“Well, considering the fact that you discovered that nobody truly abandoned you during those 5000+ years but that you seemed to be in another universe in a sense so nobody could reach you.”
I looked up at him.

And immediately, tears began to stream down my cheeks as I began to beg for forgiveness.
“I’m so sorry San Lang…” I sniffled, “you’re probably going through an even worse time than I am and I still want you to comfort me..I’m a horrible person…” I blubbered.
San Lang immediately grabbed me and pulled me towards him, “you are not a horrible person, Gege is the best and kindest person I have ever met.” He said sincerely yet after a few moments I felt his tear drops brush against my head and his hands move to wipe his tears before returning to hold me.

“San Lang, be honest. How do you feel?” I questioned.
“…it’s all my fault. Everything. If I hadn’t gone missing you wouldn’t have starved yourself or anything else you did in your delirium…I’m so sorry…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, I hope your highness can forgive me…” San Lang sobbed in a gentle tone.
“San Lang. You couldn’t control going missing, just like how I couldn’t control not being found.”

But I could.

I should’ve figured out a way.

We both held each other so close that our tears practically mixed into one.
We coddled each other as we silently begged the other for support while giving our protection and support to them all at the same time.
It felt as if we were one, our hurt and healing mending us into one soul.
The planet stopped spinning for a moment, to give us our time to process and realise how far we truly have come.
But it reminded me of how unfaithful I was to San Lang.

In a raspy gasp, “I’m sorry I gave up on you coming back.”

San Lang lifted his head, “what do you mean?”
“When the agency found out…they asked about why I moved to Japan…it’s because I gave up on you coming back. I’m sorry.” I kept my head hidden from San Lang’s eyes, I could already imagine the pure hurt and disappointment written all over his face.

“Your highness…” San Lang sighed.

I knew he was about to either leave or try and make some sorry excuse up on how it’s his fault.

“San Lang. It’s my fault. Don’t even start with how it’s your fault for giving me no hope! It’s ALL my fault! Everything that happened was because of me! I asked you to get flowers that day, I gave up on searching for you, I didn’t do anything about Jun Wu, I was in control of everything! You…you…you did nothing wrong.” I scolded, more or so directing it to myself.

I looked up at San Lang with my eyes brimming with returning tears.

I expected to see him disappointed and heartbroken.

But instead

He still somehow seemed even more guilty.

Before I could open my mouth to explain to him how all of this was my fault, he stopped me.

“Gege. Where do you think my scimitar was?”
“I’m sorry?”
“During all the time I was gone. Weren’t you surprised that E-Ming hadn’t shown up? Or that Yin Yu never showed up?”
“Well…it crossed my mind a few times, I’m sure but I guess I just got so used to being alone that it didn’t matter to me. Why? What are you proposing?”
“I was stuck in Tonglu mountain.”

Wait what?
I furrowed my eyebrows trying to piece together what had happened. Although it did make a lot of sense I was still dumbfounded, before San Lang explained it to me.
“I was forced into-“
Before San Lang could even continue I cut him off,
“I’m sorry but, how could touching a flower send you into the Tonglu Mountains and aren’t you able to leave if you go to the very edge of the border?!” I shot at him.
“I don’t know how I was transported so quickly, but the second I got there I was inside the Kiln.”
“I would love to know more details but why was the ghost city closed off? Wasn’t Yin Yu and He Xuan alive and not locked up?”
“Yin Yu locked down the ghost city since I went missing, it’s a precaution we’ve spoken about. The rule is that, after 5 years of me being missing, Yin Yu could unlock the ghost city. But he wasn’t able to.”
“Wait, what? How is that possible?”
“Outer forces with more than enough spiritual soldiers can lock the ghost city, such as…”
“Jun Wu! Right?”
“Exactly, and someone with that much spiritual energy also had the ability to keep me locked away in the kiln so nobody but him could find me.”
“So it was Jun Wu! We can use this as evidence, we have to tell Feng Xin and Mu Qing!” I yelped in assurance.
“But the only evidence that makes it seem like Jun Wu is the spiritual Energy part. Nothing else could convince the heavenly court, especially not my word against theirs.” San Lang sighed in defeat.

“So, was Yin Yu the one in charge of the ghost city?”
“Yin Yu mainly, and at times He Xuan. Due to that Yin Yu’s employee contract has Changed for his favour, and half of He Xuan’s debt is paid off.”

“I mean Yin Yu does deserve it, he works very hard.”
I kept my mouth shut about He Xuan’s conditions.

“I know, and he knows that I know.”
“But how did the residents of ghost city take it?”
“Well, Yin Yu at first explained to them that I had gone missing and so had you and nobody could enter and leave the ghost city, so everyone immediately blamed it on the heavenly court. But due to nobody being able to enter or leave, not even ghosts; the past 5000 years ghosts have been racking up and since I have returned, we’ve been trying to assimilate all these ghosts and try to lighten the hatred for the heavenly court.”

“Wait, so you knew where you were the whole entire time?” I asked for reassurance.
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you say so when Ranpo asked?”
“Because Feng Xin and Mu Qing were there, you never know whether or not you can trust heavenly officials.” San Lang reminded me.
I was about to correct San Lang on the fact that I was also a heavenly official before he practically read my mind.
“You’re the only exception.” San Lang smiled

“On the topic of the heavenly court, why do you want to lighten the hatred for the heavenly court?”

“Because you work for the heavenly court, I do hate the heavenly court, as I said before. But I also respect it since it is your workplace.”

My eyes enlarged, at my shock by his statement but also because he still has the same respect and admiration for me as he did 5000 years ago.

And because of that I wanted to cry again.

“Ohh, San Lang…” I cooed as I moved in to give him a hug.
“What? Is something wrong, your highness?”
“No, I haven’t heard something so nice be said about me in a long time.”
San Lang sat up immediately, his eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean? Are you saying people have been rude to you?” San Lang questioned with anger in his tone.
“No! Nonononono! No! Not like that-“
“Your highness, you know you can tell me these things, right?” San Lang raised his eyebrow.
“No! San Lang, it’s nothing like that, nobody has been rude to me. What I’m saying is nobody has shown such devotion as you have to me.”

“Because-“

“You’re my most devoted believer.”

‘And I to you.’

We’re the words supposed to come out of my mouth.

Yet they didn’t.

Because I wasn’t.

I didn’t find him.

The whole conversation we had just had began because I said I gave up on him coming back.

The truth is, I truly believed he was dead.
I thought he was gone forever, that he was never to return.
So I left.
But that still made me the worst person to ever exist.

The conversation also began because he tried to give me reasons as to why I couldn’t find him.

But

He would’ve.

If the roles were reversed he would’ve found me.

One way or another.

I fucking gave up on him.

It is brutal but it is the truth.

I gave up on my most devoted believer.

I made him go through 5000+ years of suffering.

I made the ghost city go through 5000+ years of suffering.

I hurt Yin Yu.

I hurt Mu Qing.

I hurt Feng Xin.

I most importantly hurt San Lang.

Once again,

My most devoted believer.

He would tear down mountains for me.

Kill everyone on the plane of this earth.

But I couldn’t even find him.

I couldn’t even figure out how to get out of that other universe.

I couldn’t do anything.

I was and still am

Useless.

Chapter Text

Hi guys
I know it’s been a while since I updated but I really wanna go back through and edit a lot of things

I feel like I could’ve written things way better and that the plot isn’t as firm as I wanted it to be and things are less cannon to the original story than I wanted it to be

I hope to be able to update enough of the story by thanksgiving

I would suggest to reread everything after I update

But it’ll stick to the same storyline just adding and getting rid of the few plotpoints

Anyways I wish you guys the best and I hope yall have a great day

Bye :)