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It’s the first time Xie Lian is really glad that San Lang isn’t around. He has been so busy in Ghost City that Xie Lian hasn’t seen him in days. He’s not worried. He knows just how capable and lucky his Ghost King is, but he keeps thinking he could do something for him. He hasn’t decided yet if he wants to distract him for a bit and make him rest for a moment, encourage him, or just show his appreciation. He just knows he wants to do something nice for him. Xie Lian had been thinking about it for some time now, but he hasn’t come up with anything… until now.
He guesses he has Shi Qingxuan to thank for, or well, maybe his brother, the Water Master? Or Shi Wudu’s followers? They were the ones who started offering it to the Water Master after they came upon it on one of their travels.
When he tasted it, Shi Wudu immediately thought of sharing it with his brother. And, of course, the Wind Master loved every spoonful he got of it. He asked his brother to give him some more just so he could share it with Xie Lian, and that’s how Xie Lian ended up hoping that San Lang would stay in Ghost City for a few more days.
Xie Lian is sitting next to Shi Qingxuan outside of Puqi shrine, enjoying a beautiful autumn view, tea, and Shi Qingxuan’s peculiar dessert.
“Cuban Flan, Dianxia! Isn’t it great?”
“Mn! It is!”
And, again, as much as he loves San Lang, he’s glad he’s still out. Xie Lian just found exactly what he wants to do for him. As he finishes his dessert, and puts the small container away, he turns to his friend.
“I’m really thankful for being able to taste it, thank you for sharing it with me, Wind Master.”
“Oh, no problem Dianxia! I knew you’d like it!”
“Could I bother you with something?”
Shi Qingxuan could only hum curiously at Xie Lian’s blush. He’s only seen him like this with matters concerning Hua Cheng.
“San Lang has been busy, and I…”
“Do you want me to bring some for him too?”
“Ah, not exactly… I wanted to ask you to teach me how to make it.”
This, indeed, was strange. Xie Lian almost never asked anything of him, and even with the memories of Xie Lian’s cooking giving him a headache, he felt like he couldn’t really deny him this request.
“I’ll ask my brother to get the recipe. When do you want to make it?”
“Ummm, before San Lang comes back…?”
“Which is?”
“I’m not sure… if I contact him, he’ll come back immediately.”
Shi Qingxuan chuckles.
“I’ll ask my brother to be quick about it.”
Shi Wudu appears that same evening at Puqi shrine’s door, just minutes after being contacted by his brother. Xie Lian never thought he’d see the Water Master being used as an errand boy. He hands them the recipe, written in careful calligraphy by one of his followers, and a bag full of ingredients and kitchen tools. They decide to divide the work, Shi Qingxuan gets to measure and mix the ingredients, condensed milk, eggs, milk, and sugar. Xie Lian gets the caramel.
“Easy enough, Dianxia! There’s no way it’ll go wrong!”
Xie Lian really didn’t know what he expected. Sure, the recipe looks simple enough, mix the ingredients, make the caramel, put them in the oven… But! He’s burned the caramel three times already. Shi Qingxuan even stopped making the mixture just to help him. He’s glad the Water Master brought them more than enough ingredients, but still…
“You know what?” Shi Qingxuan says, as he tries to clean the pan where Xie Lian burnt the caramel. “I’ll do this. You finish mixing everything else, I’m just missing the sugar and the eggs.”
And, well… That doesn’t go any better. The Wind Master doesn’t remember if he was missing two or three eggs, and Xie Lian accidentally poured more sugar than necessary, and, should they add more milk now that it has more sugar? And then, Shi Qingxuan burns the caramel too, but there’s fire there now, and Xie Lian puts the mixture on the table in order to put out the fire quickly, but it’s too close to the edge, so it falls with all their running about and then they slip, and…
It’s just his luck that San Lang comes in at that exact moment and catches him before he can even get close to the floor. Shi Qingxuan has to find his balance himself, though.
“Thank you, San Lang.”
“Are you hurt, gege?”
He shakes his head, but doesn’t look him in the eye. He really didn’t want San Lang to see the mess they had done, and well, he wanted it all to be a surprise.
“What’s all this?”
“Ah… You know, Hua Chengzhu, my friend here just wanted to do something nice for you but-”
“There’s no need to explain, Wind Master, San Lang, you know how this one’s cooking is. I thought, perhaps, this time it wouldn’t be as bad.”
And there, with his thoughts exposed, Xie Lian can’t help but unconsciously pout. He feels Ruoye patting his hand in consolation, and hears E-ming trying to reach out to him to comfort him too. San Lang stays silent for a bit longer, probably putting everything together. He picks up the bowl from the floor, and dips one finger in the little mixture that’s still there.
“It’s good.”
That makes both Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan brighten up.
“Oh, and it gets better with the caramel, Hua Chengzhu!”
“Really?” He asks Xie Lian, and receives enthusiastic nods as his answer. “May I help you, then?”
“Ah, but San Lang, it was a surprise for you, how could I make you work on your own surprise?”
“I’m delighted to help gege anytime. And, you still haven’t told me what exactly this is, so it’s still a surprise.”
So, Xie Lian agrees, and he swears that this flan that his San Lang helped them make tastes better than the one Shi Qingxuan brought him so he could try it.