Archive of Our Own

The soft sounds of snoring and occasional whimpers of “San Lang” escaping from Xie Lian’s slightly parted lips filled the insides of wooden walls of the Puqi Shrine. It was going to be yet another quiet and very ordinary day in the life of the Scrap Collector God after the return of his beloved, but…

Not entirely ordinary, it seemed.

As the sun rose over the horizon, Xie Lian slowly woke up, almost like an animal coming out of hibernation, groggily rubbing his still closed eyes. Lying on the bamboo mat, with his beloved’s arms wrapped tightly around his body in a protective embrace from behind, Xie Lian couldn’t help but smile fondly, feeling at peace in his heart. Finally, after a year of waiting.

This is going to be a wonderful day with San Lang by my side, he thought, though the details of their activities today were yet to be decided. However, as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Xie Lian sensed something odd. Something had changed, but he wasn’t sure what, as his mind still felt sluggish from the lingering sleepiness.

He was sure that this change wasn’t about him, or Hua Cheng, but rather...

Something... outside? Xie Lian wondered, rubbing his eyes even more determinedly as curiosity began to nag at him.

He slowly rose from the mat, careful in his movements not to accidentally wake Hua Cheng who was sleeping soundly on their small bed. However, since he was still crouched down, he couldn’t help but lean down again to lightly press his lips to Hua Cheng’s forehead in a morning kiss—a little habit of his—the delicate touch of his lips lingering on his beloved’s cold skin.

Satisfied, he stood up and realized that the corners of Hua Cheng’s lips had curved into a small smile at the kiss; witnessing this, Xie Lian was unable to stop his own smile from getting bigger—Hua Cheng was always so cute in his sleep!

Though Xie Lian still found it amusing that Hua Cheng, the very powerful Ghost King who didn’t need to sleep, eat, or even breathe, still did so, acting like a human; whether he did it out of habit, or simply because of him, Xie Lian could only guess.

Either way, his Ghost King, although feared by many, was very charming and hard to resist—a fact that couldn’t be denied!

A gust of cold wind that blew through the cracks of the shrine’s walls and straight onto his exposed collarbones and face, causing every hair on his head to stand on end, immediately snapping him out of his sweet reverie. Sure, something definitely was going on outside, Xie Lian reminded himself, but on the other hand... despite his growing curiosity, leaving Hua Cheng alone in bed pierced his heart. Do I really… need to check this?

Oh, how he wished they could just spend eternity alone in bed! Kissing, cuddling, o-or doing whatever lovers did—Xie Lian’s cheeks flushed at the thought, despite the activities he had done with Hua Cheng the day before—but, ah! He was a God, and the prayers of his followers were still piling up and waiting to be answered...

Xie Lian patted his cheeks lightly and scolded himself for getting lost in his thoughts again; maybe there was nothing happening outside at all, maybe the autumn wind was just a little stronger than usual... Anyway, this was what he decided to do: after checking the situation outside to see if the wind had made a mess of the leaves Hua Cheng had carefully raked yesterday, he would quickly go back to bed, even before Hua Cheng woke up, and crawl back into the arms of his beloved...

Determined, Xie Lian immediately headed for the front door—lest he change his mind at the last minute—and wrapped the thin layers of the inner robe he was wearing more tightly as another gust of wind blew through the cracks in the walls. Hua Cheng had promised to take care of the problem before winter came, so perhaps they could start repairing the walls today, Xie Lian thought, making a mental note to tell him about it later.

Reaching for the door handle, Xie Lian opened the wooden door as quietly as he could. However, the moment his eyes focused on the view outside, he was instantly blinded; so much so that he instinctively covered his eyes with his arm, his mind going blank. His first thought was that someone had attacked the small nest he and Hua Cheng lived in, but as his mind cleared and he realized the idea seemed absurd, he withdrew his hand to look again, his breath catching in his chest in disbelief.

“This can’t be—!” Xie Lian exclaimed with excitement as he stepped outside, not bothering to put on his shoes or outer robe, his bare feet touching the ground where yesterday had been a pile of leaves and now there was...

“Snow! Snow! It’s snowing!” Xie Lian chanted and giggled like an overly excited child, as if he was experiencing this for the first time in his life, reaching out his open hand to catch several small snowflakes at once, but the moment they made contact with his warm skin, they... melted.

Xie Lian, however, didn’t seem to be deterred by this, instead kneeling on the ground covered in thick patches of snow, his skin instantly turning red as the inner robe he was wearing only reached down to his thighs, and he gathered as much snow as he could in his hands, forming a large white ball out of it. Even though his hands were shaking from the cold, he refused to let go of the snow; instead, his eyes sparkled as he admired the simple thing he had just created.

Xie Lian couldn’t hide his excitement—he had been waiting for the first snow since Hua Cheng’s return, after all!

However, you have to know that he hadn’t been a fan of this time of year for most of his long life—none of the wanderers would be. With temperatures below freezing and snow constantly falling from the sky onto his body, soaking into his clothes and making him shiver, move slower and slower... Snow, while ethereal and beautiful, was also very impractical and dangerous.

Especially if he had nowhere to hide and wait for the snowstorm to pass.

Xie Lian shook his head to dispel the memories of the past—the past that had shaped him into the person he was now, but... he preferred to focus on the present, and the present Xie Lian loved winter.

Not only because the snowy scenery was utterly beautiful, with many snowflakes of different shapes and sizes falling from the sky, but also because it had been during the snowstorm that he and Hua Cheng had shared a kiss filled with their mutual feelings shortly after their confession. It hadn’t been a kiss to share spiritual powers. They had kissed... because they were in love.

Xie Lian suddenly felt his cheeks grow hot, but was it because of the low temperature or the wonderful memory that had flashed through his mind... Well, it was definitely the latter, but he was too shy to admit it even to himself.

Sitting in the snow, in a thin layer of satin fabric, had long ago made Xie Lian’s body shiver with cold, but he subtly ignored it as his mind mused on the kisses he had shared with Hua Cheng. The vivid images had warmed him up a little, but now he couldn’t ignore the sting of his skin from the cold—however, when he tried to move, nothing happened. Xie Lian felt as if his body had turned into an ice statue, preventing him from moving.

Perhaps I should have thought twice before going out dressed like that, Xie Lian laughed miserably at his own childish excitement. Hua Cheng wouldn’t be happy to see him in such a miserable state, Xie Lian worried, but there was nothing that could be done about it, he needed Hua Cheng to pull him out of the snow if he didn’t want things to get worse—!

Just as he was about to call for his beloved’s help, Hua Cheng suddenly appeared behind him, frowning in surprise and worry at seeing Xie Lian buried in the snow. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around Xie Lian from behind, lifted him and hoisted up on his shoulder as if he weighed nothing, then turned around, ready to march back to the shrine.

“San Lang—!” Xie Lian yelped in surprise, prompting Hua Cheng to instantly freeze, his hands on Xie Lian twitching.

However, before Xie Lian could explain anything, Hua Cheng spoke first; he didn’t seem angry, but disappointed that Xie Lian had neglected his health and left the shrine… like that. “Gege… Do you want to catch a cold? What were you thinking, going out into the snow in just your inner robe? Your skin is almost scarlet—!”

Xie Lian closed his mouth before even the slightest sound could escape his throat, guilt devouring him from inside. He didn’t want to worry Hua Cheng, of course it wasn’t his intention; the snow had just made him stop thinking rationally! “I’m so sorry, San Lang—”

“No, gege. You don’t have to apologize to me, I’m not angry. You just… made me worried. We need to warm you up. Quickly.”

Xie Lian didn’t seem convinced, though. “I got carried away, the snow reminded me of our time on Mount Tonglu—”

“Gege,” Hua Cheng’s voice came out tense, and he sounded as guilty as Xie Lian; just one word was enough for Xie Lian to stop talking. “Please, you don’t need to explain anything. I’m not angry with you, I promise.”

“O-okay.”

Hua Cheng resumed his steps, but soon stopped again, just before they could enter the shrine. Curious, Xie Lian tried to look over his shoulder but to no avail as his body still refused to obey, so instead he used his mouth to ask since it still seemed to be working properly. “Where are we going, San Lang?”

Hearing Xie Lian’s usual gentle tone of voice, Hua Cheng also seemed to return to his usual self—if Xie Lian could have moved even an inch, he would have noticed the corners of his beloved’s lips curl up mischievously. Before saying anything, Hua Cheng searched through one of his pockets, and when Xie Lian heard the sound of dice being thrown into the air, the answer became clear.

“Puqi Shrine isn’t the best place for this weather. Not to mention that here… I can’t warm gege up properly. What if someone interrupts us?”

Xie Lian squealed in embarrassment as the sudden thought crossed his mind. “San Lang!”

“Hm?” Hua Cheng asked innocently, gently moving Xie Lian from his shoulder to instead scoop him up into his arms. This way he could see Xie Lian’s flustered expression, and the mischievous smile on his own face grew even bigger. “I was thinking of running a bath for you, gege. Just when did your thoughts become so dirty?”

“San Lang!” Xie Lian exclaimed in an even more shrill voice than before; he would have already run away in embarrassment if only his body could move—!

His sincere and very flustered reaction made Hua Cheng burst out laughing, throwing his head back and shaking his shoulders uncontrollably. Well, at least he seemed to be in the mood now, even if it did cost Xie Lian a bit of embarrassment...

“Although a bath would be the most effective way to stop the chills, we must first warm you up in another way. You are way too cold to go in the water now,” Hua Cheng mused, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet replaced now by the echo of his determined footsteps as he walked across the marble floor, hugging Xie Lian’s body in his arms just as tightly as he had moments ago. Now in Paradise Manor, they quickly moved between rooms until they reached one of the chambers on the top floor overlooking the entire Ghost City.

The room itself would be completely dark if not for... the fireplace against the wall, illuminating the place nicely, and Hua Cheng’s beautiful butterflies that were dancing above their silhouettes, as if signaling their worry.

Hua Cheng gently lowered Xie Lian onto the divan in front of the fireplace, immediately grabbing a few blankets nearby to wrap them around Xie Lian’s still shaking body. “Shh. I’ve got you, Your Highness.”

“I-is San Lang… not angry? Really?” Xie Lian asked hesitantly and with difficulty as his teeth chattered from the cold, but as soon as he was tucked in, he was immediately flooded with warmth and relief. He couldn’t help but let out a content sigh, bringing a soft smile to Hua Cheng’s face.

“Really. Just promise me you won’t go out dressed like that. Alright?”

“Ah, but San Laaaaang,” Xie Lian whined petulantly, prompting Hua Cheng to raise an eyebrow at that unusual tone. He then tried to move, but wrapped in so many blankets, he just looked like a little worm trying to crawl; in truth, if someone were to enter the room and see Xie Lian like this—since only his eyes and nose were visible, as Hua Cheng had done his best to cover every part of his body to retain as much warmth as possible—they wouldn’t recognize him as His Highness, their Chengzu’s beautiful wife. “Walking barefoot in the snow feels so good! You should try it!”

Hua Cheng let out a sigh, not even trying to talk to Xie Lian’s senses; he knew that something odd had happened to His Highness as he wasn’t behaving as usual. Although Hua Cheng had his own little... suspicions as to why, he decided to wait a little longer before voicing them out loud.

He joined Xie Lian on the divan and threw his arm over his shoulder, prompting Xie Lian to lean against him easily—almost as if he ran out of strength. With his hand constantly rubbing Xie Lian’s upper arm, Hua Cheng asked, not hiding his curiosity in his voice. “Have you always liked winter so much?” He then kissed Xie Lian on the temple through the layer of blanket, smiling affectionately as Xie Lian let out a long, pensive hum.

He had noticed His Highness’ exhaustion once he had sat on the divan, as his head occasionally and adorably drooped, so he hoped that his question would keep him awake for a while longer. At least until they reached the bathtub.

“Ah, I wouldn’t call myself a fan…” Xie Lian rubbed his forehead through the layer of blanket, frowning; it seemed like it was getting harder and harder for him to gather his thoughts. “I often cursed the snow because it made my wanderings difficult. But, ah, well...” He paused, as if to build suspense, and squinted as the flames dancing in the fireplace blinded him slightly. “San Lang made me like snow, actually…”

“Oh. I did?” Hua Cheng asked, genuinely surprised by this discovery.

“Mm. W-well… I found out I was San Lang’s special someone during the snowstorm, right?” Xie Lian asked and laughed warmly. “Even though we were in a cave during our confession, it was the snow that made me… discover that place. The statues, the paintings…”

“I wish gege could have discovered all this... not like that.” Hua Cheng replied shyly, the memory of it—even though everything had turned out to his favor—still leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. He had been lucky that Xie Lian had appreciated his craftsmanship at that time, but some of his works perhaps should have never seen... the light of day.

“What about you, San Lang?”

Xie Lian’s soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked down to meet his beloved God’s warm gaze. “What about me?”

“Do you like snow?” Xie Lian asked, the tiny wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes told Hua Cheng that Xie Lian was smiling brightly at him, although the beautiful curve of his lips was hidden behind the blanket. To make it easier for Xie Lian to speak—though his muffled voice was very charming—Hua Cheng raised his hand and lowered the fabric, revealing Xie Lian’s still flushed face. Well, this confirmed Hua Cheng’s suspicions.

Unable to hold back, Hua Cheng leaned down and kissed Xie Lian’s lips lightly now that he had easier access to them. “It’s not that I like it. But I do not dislike it, either… There’s something good about it though.” Hua Cheng smiled knowingly, sparking curiosity in Xie Lian as he tilted his head to the side, confused.

“Like what?”

“When I was still alive, I wanted to make statues of my God so that people could admire him. Send prayers to him.” Hua Cheng’s smile turned melancholy. “I couldn’t afford the materials to make any statues, and, ah. My craftsmanship wasn’t very good back then, so I definitely would have wasted the clay, but the snow was good for practicing. And although the statues I made couldn’t compare to the original,” this time Hua Cheng’s smile turned mischievous, “and everything I made melted quite fast, I was happy to do just as much for you.”

Hearing this, Xie Lian seemed speechless. His lips parted slightly as he continued to stare at Hua Cheng, unblinking, as if Hua Cheng’s words had sent him into some kind of daze, until a sudden—

“ACHOO–!”

—broke the spell.

Hua Cheng blinked once, twice, surprised; then he burst out laughing, causing Xie Lian to stutter in embarrassment over his next words.

“S-San Lang! Not fun—achoo!”

Hua Cheng’s left eye squinted with amusement and he didn’t even try to stop laughing. “Mm. I agree, gege. You concluded my story perfectly.”

“San–achoo!”

“Alright, alright,” Hua Cheng used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eye, then shook his head fondly. He then stood up and he knelt down in front of Xie Lian, who was now squirming even more, determined to get out of the multitude of blankets wrapped around him, but to no avail. “I didn’t mean to laugh like that, I promise. Gege is just a very funny person. Please accept my sincerest apologies…”

“San Lang’s apologies aren’t sincere at all!” Xie Lian replied, pursing his lips into a pout.

Hearing this, Hua Cheng neither denied nor admitted that he was right; instead, without a word, he propped his hands up on the divan and moved close to Xie Lian’s face, but he didn’t kiss him—which Xie Lian might have expected to happen—but simply rested his forehead against Xie Lian’s.

Checking his body temperature.

“You have a fever, gege,” Hua Cheng informed with a worried look on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me you were still cold? You are trembling a lot.”

“I just… liked sitting here with San Lang,” Xie Lian admitted quietly, looking away. “It was cozy.”

“It has been cold lately and we have been staying most of our time in Puqi Shrine,” Hua Cheng admitted as quietly, pressing his lips against Xie Lian’s forehead to transfer some of his spiritual powers to him, even though he knew it wouldn’t actually help much with Xie Lian’s current condition. Time and lots of care were actually the best medicine possible. Hopefully it will make him feel less tired, Hua Cheng thought, lingering to pull away. Still keeping his lips close to Xie Lian’s face, he added, “Today’s adventure has only weakened your body. Please let me take care of you, gege.”

“How… is San Lang going to take care of me?”

“First, we are going to take a bath. Then I will have Yin Yu to get something very delicious and nutritious for gege to eat. And then… we won’t be getting out of bed for the next few weeks.”

At this, Xie Lian couldn’t help but laugh quietly. “Weeks? I don’t feel that bad, San Lang…”

“Hm?” Hua Cheng hummed as he lifted Xie Lian—still wrapped in blankets—into his arms and left the room. Smiling, he slowly explained, “We have to make sure that gege feels better when he recovers, and that he doesn’t get sick again. Is there a better place for this than our bedroom?”

“Mmm, being in San Lang’s arms for so long… will definitely make me feel… better…” Xie Lian mused, and as the last of his strength left his body, he closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Looking at him like this, Hua Cheng couldn’t help but smile warmly. He would definitely take care of his beloved and fulfil the wish—

—Xie Lian had accidentally sent to Hua Cheng this morning. In a prayer.

“Oh, how I wish we could spend eternity alone in bed! Kissing, cuddling, o-or doing whatever lovers do” was what Xie Lian had thought. In his pre-illness state.

And Hua Cheng, sooner or later, would tell Xie Lian about it and tease him a lot.

While doing the stuff that lovers did. Once Xie Lian recovered, naturally.