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Anytime Xie Lian was involved in anything, it was bound to go wrong. Mu Qing had known that without any doubt, which was why he could only be mad at himself for agreeing to let Xie Lian accompany him on a mission. Well, both him and Feng Xin that is, because two unwanted guests were apparently better than one.

Xie Lian had called it ‘bonding time’, but Mu Qing felt that it was more akin to a recipe for disaster.

At least, that’s how he felt staring down at a very small and very non-adult version of Xie Lian, wondering how he always let himself get into these situations. 

The small child babbled in front of him, completely unaware of his surroundings. The only reason that he even knew it was Xie Lian for certain was the fact that the robes he had been wearing now laid in a mess beneath him, leaving him as naked as the day he’d been born. 

Mu Qing ran a hand down his face, groaning in exasperation. 

He really had to stop agreeing to Xie Lian’s ideas. 

There was a crinkle of grass behind him, alerting him of the presence of the other thorn in his side— Feng Xin. His fellow general stopped right next to him, staring down at the baby in shock. Mu Qing didn’t have the energy to explain anything, hoping the idiot could just put two and two together on his own. 

“Your Highness?” Feng Xin asked in shock.

The small child realized their presence at the sound of Feng Xin’s voice, turning his chubby face to look at them. His eyes seemed to light up in recognition, a reaction that eased some of Mu Qing’s worries. That was, until he opened his mouth and decided to make matters even worse. 

“Mama! Baba!” He called happily, making grabby hands toward them. 

Mu Qing felt the sudden urge to bang his head against the wall. The only thing worse than a toddler was an amnesiac toddler. 

“Wait a second,” Mu Qing frowned, suddenly realizing something. “Which one of us is supposed to be the mother?” 

Feng Xin cleared his throat awkwardly beside him, a very unsuccessful attempt to conceal his laughter. “I’m afraid I have some news you’re not going to like,” he said after a beat, voice dripping with amusement. 

It took exactly two seconds for Mu Qing to realize what he was implying and explode into a fit of rage, immediately making a move toward Xie Lian. Feng Xin stopped him just as quickly, grabbing onto his arm to pull him back. 

“Wait! He’s a fucking kid! You can’t hit him.” 

“He’s a martial god!” Mu Qing argued, attempting to free himself from Feng Xin’s hold.

“You’d probably slap him across the forest!”

“Good! He deserves it for always dragging us into his messes!” 

The two of them had managed to raise their voices to a volume that was loud enough to gain attention. If they weren’t in the middle of the woods hunting a rather pesky spirit, that was. They had unconsciously moved closer, yelling in each other's faces as they usually did. It was a telltale sign that one of them was about to throw a punch.

However, unlike usual, their screaming match was abruptly cut off by the sound of loud cries. Almost in unison, the two of them snapped their heads toward where Xie Lian was sitting. The small child had erupted into a mess of tears and snot, choking on his cries. 

Feng Xin, ever so dutiful, immediately jumped into action and attempted to calm him down. “Shhh, it’s okay,” he said gently, holding his hands in front of himself in surrender. “Shit! It’s okay, Your Highness. Please don’t cry.”

Mu Qing rolled his eyes at Feng Xin utterly failing as a father, for the second time in his life, momentarily forgetting the fact that they weren’t actually Xie Lian’s parents. 

“Your Highness, stop it.” Mu Qing said sternly. 

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Feng Xin snapped at him in reply. 

“And why shouldn’t I?” Mu Qing titled his chin up, leveling Feng Xin with a look of challenge. “Scared I'll hurt his precious little feelings?” 

“You—!”

Feng Xin moved his hand like he was ready to throw a punch but quickly paused as Xie Lian’s cries grew louder. 

The situation only continued to worsen, Feng Xin anxiously fretting over Xie Lian, and Xie Lian wailing at a pitch that caused his head to ache. It was in that moment, as his gaze flickered between the two of them, that Mu Qing finally put the pieces together. 

Sighing, loud and dramatic, he reached out to intertwine his fingers with Feng Xin’s own. The big idiot looked incredibly confused, almost scandalized even, as he looked down at their connected hands. Almost immediately, Xie Lian stopped crying, looking up at them with wide and wet eyes. 

“Is this what you wanted?!” Mu Qing asked, waving their intertwined hands in front of Xie Lian to prove his point. “Are you happy now?” 

Apparently he was, because Xie Lian began to giggle in response, all his prior sadness long gone. 

“He wants us to hold hands?” Feng Xin, like the idiot he was, asked after an awkward silence stretched between the two of them. 

Mu Qing groaned in annoyance. “No, he doesn’t want us to hold hands, you imbecile!” Out of habit, he moved his arm to hit Feng Xin, but remembered that Xie Lian was watching and immediately thought better of it, not wanting to start yet another meltdown. “He doesn’t want us to fight,” he answered after taking a breath to calm himself, squaring his shoulders as he did so. “He thinks we’re his parents, remember? He gets upset whenever we yell at each other."

“So we just have to get through this without arguing?” Feng Xin waited until Mu Qing nodded his head in confirmation before he continued. “How the fuck are we supposed to do that?!” 

“Forget that!” Mu Qing argued as he tore his hand away from Feng Xin and walked closer to Xie Lian, wrapping him in his now oversized robes and holding him in his arms. “How are we supposed to tell Crimson Rain?”

—

Telling Crimson Rain went as well as anyone would have expected it to. 

They had decided to meet at the Puqi Shrine, the two martial gods not wanting to venture to Ghost City. Hua Cheng didn’t outwardly show his panic, but it was obvious in his features, if you paid close attention.

“Give him to me!” Hua Cheng demanded, reaching out for the baby, who was perfectly content in Mu Qing’s arms. 

Xie Lian had been clinging to him since the moment that Mu Qing had picked him up, so he wasted no time handing him over. The sooner he could make this Hua Cheng’s problem, the better. Although, Xie Lian didn’t seem to agree with that logic. The minute he was in Hua Cheng’s arms he began to cry, making grabby hands toward Mu Qing and shocking everyone in the room. 

“Seems he wants his mother,” Feng Xin teased from where he stood behind Mu Qing. While the two of them were sitting, Feng Xin had chosen to stand; crossing his arms lazily over his chest and showing off his large biceps.

Mu Qing shot him a hateful glare, but said nothing as he begrudgingly took Xie Lian back. As soon as he was back in Mu Qing’s arms, Xie Lian stopped crying; snuggling up to his chest and resting his head there. It seemed that being overly dramatic had used up all his energy. Mu Qing rolled his eyes, but patted his back gently all the same. 

When he looked back up, Hua Cheng was staring at him with a look that was meant to kill. The air in the room grew incredibly uncomfortable as Hua Cheng continued to brood, so Mu Qing cleared his throat awkwardly in an attempt to ease the tension, adjusting Xie Lian into a more comfortable position. 

“At least he’s a better judge of character like this,” Mu Qing said, half in jest. 

“Gege…” Hua Cheng pouted, like it would suddenly change the child’s mind. 

“I’m not happy about this either!” Mu Qing complained, gently rocking him in his arms as he spoke. “The last thing I want is some snot-nosed kid attached to my hip!” 

“Don’t insult him like that,” Hua Cheng warned in a low, threatening tone. “Gege is perfect in any form he takes. You should be thankful he is allowing you to take care of him.”

Mu Qing rolled his eyes. He didn’t care to waste his energy on a response. Hua Cheng was insane, and he would always be insane. There was no use arguing with a creep like that, especially not when he had a fussy baby yanking on his robes in an attempt to get his attention. 

“What is it?” He asked after he looked down at Xie Lian, much gentler than he intended. 

Xie Lian made a noise that seemed close to a word but wasn’t exactly there yet. Mu Qing furrowed his brows, leaning in to try and understand him better. He continued to babble, but none of it was really coherent. After a moment of studying him, Mu Qing figured out what the boy wanted. 

Mu Qing looked up toward Hua Cheng, shifting Xie Lian in his arms to get a better hold on him as he did so. Hua Cheng stared at him with a look that could kill, seething with horribly contained jealousy. 

Honestly, this entire situation was annoying. He would happily switch places with the Ghost King if he could. 

“His Highness is tired,” he said nonchalantly. “I’m taking him back to my palace now.”

“Wait!” Feng Xin interrupted. “How are we going to lift the curse?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little bit busy!” He shook Xie Lian in his arms lightly, sending him into a fit of giggles. “So if one of you would be so kind as to figure out how to fix this, that would be great.” 

“I’ll do it,” Hua Cheng cut in. “He’s useless, so obviously it must be me.” He sent an unimpressed look toward Feng Xin. 

“Hey—!” Feng Xin tried to argue, but was immediately cut off by Mu Qing. 

“His Highness is watching,” he reminded, voice tight and aggravated.  

Feng Xin backed down at that, not wanting to further upset him. They didn’t fully understand the curse nor the effects of it. Xie Lian didn’t seem to have his memories, so there was no telling how developed his mind was in his current form, and he didn’t want to accidentally traumatize him. 

“Fine,” Feng Xin agreed begrudgingly. “Just let us know when you find something out.” 

Mu Qing wasn’t exactly happy about Hua Cheng lending a hand, mostly because his services never came for free, and he could think of nothing worse than being forced to  sing the Ghost King’s praises. However, where Xie Lian was concerned, there was nothing Hua Cheng wouldn’t do, so he felt pretty confident that he would take care of the matter swiftly and effectively, desperate to return his precious gege back to normal. 

— 

Bringing Xie Lian back to heaven was more stressful than Mu Qing would have liked to admit. The last thing he wanted to do was attract attention, however that was a lot easier said than done with a child cradled in his arms and his arch nemesis at his side. Although, it wasn’t until the two of them had decided to split up to their respective palaces that everyone seemed to notice them. 

Xie Lian immediately burst into tears, the shrill sound of it seemed to echo throughout the otherwise silent streets of heaven. There wasn’t a single head that didn’t turn in his direction, scrutinizing him underneath their gazes and whispering amongst each other. Feng Xin, who hadn’t even managed to make it five steps away from them, suddenly turned at the sound of Xie Lian’s cries and looked at Mu Qing in utter panic. 

“We didn’t fight!” He exclaimed over Xie Lian’s loud cries. “Why is he crying?”

“I don’t know!” Mu Qing tried to calm him down to no avail, patting his back and shushing him gently. “Your Highness, stop that!” He hissed when the crying only continued.

“Talking to him like that is going to upset him more!” Feng Xin argued, reaching to take Xie Lian from Mu Qing’s arms. 

Xie Lian opened his large, wet eyes to look at Feng Xin as he was transferred into his hold. His cries stopped almost immediately, replaced with the sound of him babbling happily. Feng Xin smiled in response, cooing at him affectionately. 

“Perfect,” Mu Qing said, brushing off the front of his robes that had been dirtied by Xie Lian’s little hands. “You keep him until he’s back to normal and leave me out of it!” 

Mu Qing turned on his heels to leave, but stopped at the sound of a sharp cry from Xie Lian. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the little troublemaker, his eye twitching as he did so. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” he grumbled as he walked back in front of Xie Lian. 

“Fuck,” Feng Xin cursed under his breath, struggling to console the fussy child in his arms. “I think he wants us to stay together. That’s what families do, right? Spend time together?”

“We aren’t a family, Feng Xin!” Mu Qing couldn’t believe this was happening. 

“I fucking know!” Feng Xin argued, attempting to keep his voice down in order to not startle Xie Lian. “But he thinks we are. Just play along until he’s back to normal. It shouldn’t take Crimson Rain long to fix this.”

“I’m not playing house with you!” Mu Qing crossed his arms over his chest. “I know that you have all the time in the world, but some of us actually have things to do.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Feng Xin scoffed. “Complain about the new floor in the meeting hall?” 

“It’s hideous and you know it!” Mu Qing instinctively argued, unable to hide his obvious disdain for the gaudy design the other heavenly officials had picked out. 

It took a second for Mu Qing to realize what he’d said, his face flushing in embarrassment at his outburst. Feng Xin watched him in amusement with a small smile on his lips, almost as if he had expected that reaction. 

“You really are one of a kind,” Feng Xin said as he shook his head in disbelief before returning his attention to Xie Lian who was pulling on his hair ribbon. “You can still work while we watch him. I just don’t want to accidentally fuck him up by neglecting him or some shit.”

Mu Qing wanted to argue that Xie Lian was already fucked up beyond repair, but he decided to keep that comment to himself. He and Feng Xin had been getting along significantly better recently, but the bodyguard would always be loyal to his precious crown prince and most likely wouldn’t let it slide.

“You’re not allowed to touch anything in my palace,” Mu Qing said, flipping his hair over his shoulder as he turned to walk away.

Feng Xin followed behind to keep Xie Lian from another meltdown. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said sarcastically, smiling when Mu Qing sent him a glare. 

—

Xie Lian really did seem to be exhausted. He immediately fell asleep against Feng Xin’s chest once they were situated in Mu Qing’s study. Feng Xin sat in the corner watching Xie Lian while Mu Qing focused— or at least tried to focus— on answering some prayers. It was a little difficult to sort through the piles of requests when his eyes seemed to drift over to Feng Xin more often than he’d like to admit. 

Feng Xin had also fallen asleep, which was the only reason he kept looking at him. It was bad parenting on his part, and Mu Qing would definitely reprimand him for it later. He just wanted to make sure that Xie Lian was safe and didn’t get squished by Feng Xin’s unnecessarily muscular body— not that he paid much attention to how Feng Xin’s body looked or anything like that. 

Mu Qing sighed and set down his brush. He knew deep down he wasn’t going to get any work done with their current predicament on his mind, but he at least wanted to humor himself for a little while— if only to make himself feel a little less guilty.

Finally giving up, Mu Qing got up from his desk and made his way over to where the two of them were sleeping soundly. He carefully crouched down to meet their level and stared at them fondly. If anyone were to ask, he’d definitely deny the small smile that graced his features. However, here in this private moment, he could be honest with himself. 

The two of them were rather cute like this. Xie Lian had a grasp on the front of Feng Xin’s robes, his grip surprisingly strong considering just how small and frail his hand was. Feng Xin was perfectly content with the small weight on top of him, resting a hand on Xie Lian’s back to keep him in place. The sight brought a strange feeling to his stomach, something he did his best to ignore. He knew if he looked too deeply into his feelings, he wouldn’t find anything he liked. 

A sudden voice spoke into the silence of the room, startling him from his thoughts. 

“You weren’t plotting how to kill me in my sleep were you?” Feng Xin asked, peeking an eye open to look at Mu Qing finally. His voice was deeper than usual due to him freshly waking up, sending a tingle down Mu Qing’s spine. 

Mu Qing rolled his eyes. “And what if I was?” 

The air between them had settled into something soft and gentle and nothing like their usual dynamic. Feng Xin was bathed in the warm sunlight that filtered in through the window, making the freckles on his skin more apparent and the color of his eyes more golden. Seeing him like this, so relaxed and carefree, Mu Qing felt as if he couldn’t breathe. 

Feng Xin chuckled lightly, trying his best to stay quiet in order to not wake up Xie Lian. 

“I would hope you wouldn’t attempt it in front of our child,” Feng Xin said sarcastically, looking down at Xie Lian and laughing at his own joke while Mu Qing scowled at him in annoyance. 

Before Mu Qing could reply, Feng Xin suddenly sat up and brought two fingers to his temple. He listened to the communication dutifully, all while keeping his hand glued to Xie Lian’s back in support. The sight was awfully fatherly, and Mu Qing had to turn away to keep his mind from thinking about something depraved. 

Feng Xin replied to whoever was contacting him with an ‘I’ll be right there’ before he turned his attention back to Mu Qing. 

“My deputies have an emergency,” he said, looking down at the sleeping child in his arms. “You can handle him on your own for a little while, right?”

Mu Qing scoffed. “Are you doubting my capabilities?” 

“Never,” Feng Xin replied earnestly, wiping the scowl right off of Mu Qing’s face. 

Feng Xin passed Xie Lian into Mu Qing’s arms gently. Both of them moved slowly and silently to avoid waking him up and having to deal with yet another melt down. The hardest part was getting Xie Lian’s grip off of Feng Xin’s robes. They worked together to remove his fingers, which immediately wrapped around Mu Qing’s index finger once they were free, searching for something else to latch onto. 

Mu Qing smiled softly at the sight, finding it painfully adorable. He looked up at Feng Xin to see him smiling as well. They accidentally met each other's eyes, both of them feeling as if they’d been caught doing something that they weren’t supposed to, and cleared their throats awkwardly. 

“Um,” Feng Xin started lamely. “I should get going. I’ll come by later to check on him?”

Mu Qing nodded in response, not trusting his voice. He could feel a heat creeping over his cheeks and refused to embarrass himself any further. Feng Xin left without another word, leaving Mu Qing to watch as he swept out of the palace. 

Now that he was alone, Mu Qing looked down at the sleeping child in his arms, unsure of what to do with himself. There was a small ping in his chest at the sight of him, but he didn’t want to explore the implications of such a thing.

He carefully sat down and propped himself up to lie back in a more comfortable position, which was definitely not something that he copied from Feng Xin. He would never seek parenting advice from the likes of him. 

Mu Qing’s eyes trailed to where Xie Lian was still clutching his finger in his tiny grasp. The sight was awfully cute and brought a small smile to his lips. He allowed it, for once, only because there was no one around to witness or tease him for it.

The last thing he wanted was for people to find out that the cold and aloof General Xuan Zhen did, in fact, have a heart— a very big one at that.

Mu Qing sat there for a while, completely still as Xie Lian napped against him. It was quite boring sitting there for so long and doing nothing, but he was much too afraid to move and risk waking him up.

Of course, the peace couldn’t last forever, and Xie Lian woke up before Feng Xin could return. 

He blinked his large eyes up at Mu Qing, who stared down at him in horror. His hands had wandered to tangle within Mu Qing’s hair, pulling on the strands rather painfully. 

“Your Highness, stop that,” he chided gently, trying his best to not lose his temper. 

Xie Lian only giggled in response and tugged on his hair harder. Mu Qing couldn’t prove it, but he swore the little shit had done it on purpose. 

“I’ll kick your ass when you’re back to normal,” Mu Qing promised, holding Xie Lian at eye level to glare at him. “Seriously Your Highness, how do you always end up in these situations? You always leave me alone with Feng Xin, it’s not fair.” He frowned at him, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” An all too familiar voice spoke up from behind him. 

Mu Qing turned his head to glare at Feng Xin, who was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the two of them. He frowned at the sight of him, wondering just when the hell he even got there. 

“Only weirdos watch people without their consent, you know?” 

“Excuse me for not wanting to fucking disturb you,” Feng Xin frowned. “You were so busy threatening a child and all.” 

“He deserves it,” Mu Qing huffed childishly. “Besides, it’s not a child. It’s our stupid friend.”

Feng Xin smirked. “Even more reason not to be mean to him. He’s your f-f-friend.”

“Fuck you!” Mu Qing spat out defensively. Feng Xin had used that joke more times than he could count, and he was frankly growing tired of it. 

“No need to be such a bitch about it,” Feng Xin immediately took the bait, it was in their nature after all. “I was just teasing you, you know? That’s what friends do.”

“Who said I was your friend?” Mu Qing’s voice was laced with venom, startling Xie Lian who was still cradled in his arms. 

“I did!” Feng Xin was suddenly close, towering over Mu Qing where he was still seated. “Is it that fucking hard for you to admit?” 

The two of them were locked in a heated stare off, neither one wanting to back down. Honestly, it was a stupid thing to start an argument over, as most of their fights were.

Mu Qing was just about to spit out something hateful and unforgivable when a loud cry interrupted him, causing both of their attention to turn to Xie Lian in Mu Qing’s lap. His face was red as he sobbed loudly, struggling to breathe through his cries. 

“Look at what you did!” Mu Qing hissed out, sending a glare in Feng Xin’s direction. 

Mu Qing attempted to soothe him, holding him close and rocking him with calming motions. It did nothing to ease his distress, causing Mu Qing to rapidly lose his cool. Feng Xin stood beside them with a conflicted look on his face, almost like he wanted to help but didn’t know how. 

“I didn’t fucking do anything,” Feng Xin grumbled, resting his hands on his hips as he searched for a solution. “It’s your fault for starting a fight in front of him.” 

Mu Qing rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever. Just— if you’re not going to help, then just leave.” 

“That’ll just upset him more. Besides…” Feng Xin hesitated for a moment, shifting on his feet. “I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone. We’re friends, whether or not you want to admit it.”

Feng Xin was right, he didn’t want to admit it. He couldn’t admit it. After everything that happened between the two of them, how could they ever be friends? It just didn’t make any sense. 

Mu Qing had always been an outsider in their group. No matter what either of them said, that would never change. Even after his ascension. Even after everything. Mu Qing found himself falling into the role of taking care of Xie Lian yet again, as if he was the same exact person he was at seventeen. 

He didn’t want to be that person anymore, but he didn’t think Xie Lian or Feng Xin would ever see him as anything else.

Xie Lian’s cries only continued, Mu Qing feeling increasingly overwhelmed as each second passed. This was completely different than when he used to help take care of the children in his village all those years ago, and he felt completely out of his element. He looked up at Feng Xin with desperate eyes, pleading for him to do something, anything, hoping that he wouldn’t actually have to voice his own inadequacies. 

Within the next minute, something unthinkable happened. 

Feng Xin leaned down to press his lips against Mu Qing’s forehead. The contact only lasted for a fleeting second, but the impact left Mu Qing reeling.

Xie Lian’s cries quieted immediately as he stared up at the two of them with wet and curious eyes. 

Mu Qing was frozen in place. His eyes were wide, and his face was turning a concerning shade of red. His brain was tripping over itself, running faster than he could even process as he tried to wrap his head around what the fuck just happened. 

“Your hands were full,” Feng Xin awkwardly explained. “I couldn’t hold them… I didn’t know how else to make him stop crying.” 

Xie Lian seemed content with the display of affection, returning to tugging roughly on the ends of Mu Qing’s hair.

Mu Qing didn’t react, even as the pain licked at the roots connected to his scalp. 

Feng Xin kissed him. 

Mu Qing couldn’t even remember the last time someone kissed him, undoubtedly his mother back when she was alive, but that had been centuries ago. He’d forgotten how the simple affection felt— forgotten what it was like to be on the receiving end of any affection at all. 

“Mu Qing?” Feng Xin called, his voice full of guilt. “Let me take him. He keeps pulling on your hair.” He reached down and transferred Xie Lian into his hold, gently removing his hands from Mu Qing’s hair and shifting him in his arms awkwardly. “Look, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have done that without asking… I just didn’t know what else to do in the moment.” 

Mu Qing wasn’t used to Feng Xin treating him so fragily. It left a sour taste in his mouth and burning irritation in his gut. The last thing he wanted was for Feng Xin, of all people, to think he was weak. 

“It’s fine,” Mu Qing said once he finally pulled himself together. “It worked. I’m not so pathetic that I can’t even handle a single kiss.” He turned his nose up as he spoke, hoping it made him more believable. 

“That wasn’t what I was implying,” Feng Xin sighed. He didn’t argue, seemingly having lost all his previous fight. “I don’t think you’re weak, if that’s what you’re thinking.” 

Mu Qing pressed his lips into a thin line. “Don’t act like you know me.”

“Don’t I?” Feng Xin asked slowly.

Mu Qing wanted to refute him, but there was a sudden lump in his throat. If Feng Xin would have asked him this question in the past, he would have had no issues answering it. Now, however, Mu Qing wasn’t quite sure. 

“Just take His Highness away. I have things to do.” Mu Qing shook his head, wanting to escape the sudden tension in the room. 

“Do you think he’ll let me?” Feng Xin asked defeatedly. 

“Just go,” Mu Qing shooed him with his hand. “I don’t care if he cries. I’ll check on him later.” 

Feng Xin bit the inside of his cheek, suppressing whatever argument he wanted to voice. After tossing one last glance at Mu Qing, he shifted his eyes to Xie Lian, who busied himself with tugging on his lapels. He experimentally backed out of the room, trying to leave without alerting Xie Lian as to what was happening. Miraculously, Xie Lian didn’t cry when Mu Qing was out of sight, nor did he have a meltdown as they left the front gates of the Palace of Xuan Zhen. 

Mu Qing sighed in relief when they were finally gone. 

This was good. This was what he’d wanted all along. This was how things were supposed to be.

So he didn’t understand why he suddenly felt so empty now that he was all alone. 

—

Mu Qing couldn’t stay cooped up in his palace all day, despite how badly he wanted to. 

There was a meeting scheduled with the other martial gods, something he needed to be present for. He contemplated skipping it. They’d manage perfectly fine without him, after all. But he knew deep down that he couldn’t do something like that.

The minute General Xuan Zhen was caught slacking on the job, the other heavenly officials would begin to talk. They had been looking for an excuse to kick him out since the very day he ascended, and he refused to hand it over to them on a silver platter. His spot in heaven would never be safe, no matter who he saved or how much he accomplished. 

He begrudgingly forced himself to leave his palace, checking his appearance before he did so. His robes were slightly rumpled from Xie Lian messing with them, so he decided to change into something else. He felt a little better after he fixed his appearance, no longer feeling as inferior as he had earlier when his thoughts had gotten the best of him. 

Mu Qing glared at the hideous floor as he entered the meeting hall, reminding him of Feng Xin and their current predicament. He hated thinking about Feng Xin. It always left him with conflicting feelings that he struggled to compartmentalize. He tried to tell himself that he hated Feng Xin, that he had always hated him, but he couldn’t quite convince himself fully. Not with the fluttering feeling he felt in his chest whenever he saw the other man smile or laugh at one of Xie Lian’s terrible jokes. 

“Mama!” A high pitched voice called as soon as Mu Qing made his way toward the other martial gods. 

Mu Qing’s eyes immediately widened in horror. 

A silence settled over the group, making Mu Qing’s anxiety increase tenfold. Feng Xin had the decency to look guilty, holding Xie Lian against his chest and attempting to shush him quietly. 

The eyes on him made him feel uncomfortable, but he tried his best not to show it. Mu Qing decided to ignore Xie Lian as he made his way over to his assigned spot. He kept his head held high as he approached the other martial gods, pretending like he wasn’t currently in the middle of an internal crisis. 

Xie Lian didn’t appreciate being ignored and began to babble impatiently in order to get Mu Qing’s attention. 

“Mama! Mama! Mama!”

Mu Qing sighed loudly, rubbing at his temples in annoyance. “Just hand him over,” he said to Feng Xin, reaching out for Xie Lian expectantly. 

“I told him he had to behave,” Feng Xin tried to defend himself. “I guess he didn’t listen…”

“It’s probably because you said it too nicely!” Mu Qing snapped.

“Oh, fuck you!” Feng Xin immediately shot back. “Parenting doesn’t mean you have to discipline them all the time.”

“And you know so much about parenting, don’t you?” Mu Qing knew it was wrong to say, but he couldn’t stop himself from resorting to cruelty in the face of ridicule. 

The hurt look on Feng Xin’s face was only there for a second before it morphed into anger. 

“You—“

Feng Xin’s loud voice was cut off by Xie Lian, who cried at a frequency that had the other gods covering their ears. Mu Qing could feel a headache forming, all the fight draining from inside of him almost immediately. He quickly leaned over to kiss Feng Xin’s cheek, an attempt to soothe Xie Lian’s distress. Feng Xin’s angry expression melted into confusion, and a pink color settled on his cheeks as he stared at Mu Qing with wide eyes. 

“There,” Mu Qing said to Xie Lian. “We’re not fighting now.” His hand rubbed his back in soothing motions, effectively calming Xie Lian down. 

“Did I miss something?” Pei Ming suddenly spoke up, reminding Mu Qing of his, and the other martial gods, presence. “I feel like I would remember the two of you having a child together.”

“We didn’t,” Mu Qing replied flatly. “This is His Highness. He managed to somehow get himself turned into a child, and now I’m paying the consequences for it.”

“He thinks we’re his parents for some reason and gets upset whenever we argue,” Feng Xin added. “He only stops when we show affection.”

“So you two are kissing each other now?” Pei Ming raised an eyebrow.

“My hands were full! What else was I supposed to do?” Mu Qing asked sarcastically. 

“Nan Yang could have hugged you,” Pei Ming shrugged. “I just find it interesting that your first thought was a kiss.”

Mu Qing’s eyes widened in shock.

He could feel his face rapidly heating up at being so blatantly called out. Honestly, Pei Ming had a point, which made everything about the situation so much worse. The only reason he had leaned in to kiss him in the first place was because Feng Xin had done the same to him earlier that day. The affection was fresh on his mind, so he hadn’t even stopped to consider any of the other ways they could have calmed down Xie Lian. 

“I—“ Mu Qing struggled to defend himself. “J-Just start the stupid meeting before he starts crying again.” 

Pei Ming’s eyes lingered on him like he wanted to say something more, but it seemed he decided to keep his perverted opinions to himself for once, since he didn’t say anything more on the matter. Xie Lian yanked on Mu Qing’s hair for the duration of the meeting, perfectly content in his arms with Feng Xin’s looming presence right next to him. 

As soon as the meeting ended, Mu Qing grabbed Feng Xin and stomped off. He dragged him all the way outside and threw him against one of the pillars when they were finally alone. 

“What is wrong with you?” Mu Qing sneered, it wasn’t very intimidating considering it was whispered so as not to startle Xie Lian. “Why would you bring him to the meeting?”

“He wouldn’t let me leave my palace!” Feng Xin whispered back in defense. “I tried to leave him with a deputy, and he started to scream.”

Mu Qing squeezed the bridge of his nose. Xie Lian was situated on his hip with his left arm keeping him in place. Xie Lian was distracted by chewing on the ends of Mu Qing’s hair, something that he would definitely kill him for later when he was back to normal. 

“This is humiliating,” Mu Qing lamented. “He called me mama in front of everyone.” 

“Well, I mean… you kind of look…” Feng Xin started carefully, but abruptly shut his mouth when he saw the hateful look in Mu Qing’s eyes.

“Don’t you dare even finish that sentence,” he warned, shifting Xie Lian in his hold and doing nothing to disprove Feng Xin's point.

“Alright, alright.” Feng Xin held his hands up in surrender. “It’s not a bad look, though,” he added on after a moment, causing Mu Qing to look at him in confusion. 

“What?” He asked in disbelief. 

Mu Qing couldn’t begin to decipher what Feng Xin could possibly mean by that, and he was almost afraid to hear the explanation. 

“You’d make a good parent,” Feng Xin clarified.

“I thought I was too stern.” Mu Qing turned his nose up, attempting to dissolve the unusually soft atmosphere that had settled between them. 

“I didn’t mean it,” Feng Xin admitted softly.

Mu Qing knew this was his opportunity to apologize as well. All he had to do was just tell Feng Xin that he didn’t mean what he’d said earlier, but Mu Qing had never been one to apologize, and the words felt impossible on his tongue.

“Whatever,” Mu Qing said instead. “It’s not like I care about your opinion anyway.”

Feng Xin looked at him like he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t voice anything of it. He just looked at him with a small frown and an incredibly open look in his eyes. 

Everything about this situation was strange, and Mu Qing was desperate for everything to go back to normal. 

—

They didn’t really know much about how the curse affected Xie Lian. There wasn’t much knowledge about the ghost they had been trying to catch, other than the fact that it had appeared in their territory. Crimson Rain had promised to take care of the situation, but it still lied in their domain, which left both of them with a sense of duty. It was their responsibility to keep the south safe, after all. 

The two of them had agreed to try and research the spirit while they watched Xie Lian, mostly so that they wouldn’t feel completely useless in this entire situation. They worked in Mu Qing’s study— it was the better organized of the two and the obvious decision— for hours.

Xie Lian sat in Feng Xin’s lap babbling to himself while they searched for information. Every so often, Mu Qing would reach over and pat his head or squeeze his cheek, reminding him of his presence and keeping him happy. Feng Xin would take a break to bounce him in his lap or swing him around in the air, just so he wouldn’t get too bored watching the generals work. 

While he watched Xie Lian giggle as Feng Xin played with him, Mu Qing was once again reminded of how domestic this entire situation was, a realization that left an aching feeling in his chest.

Eventually, Xie Lian’s head began to rest on Feng Xin’s chest, and his eyes struggled to stay open. The two of them had been at it for quite a while but hadn’t managed to find anything useful. Mu Qing figured that they could call it a night without feeling too guilty. They had at least tried, after all. 

“Where is he going to sleep?” Mu Qing asked, reaching over to rub Xie Lian’s back comfortingly. “We don’t have a crib or anything.”

“He can sleep in the bed with me,” Feng Xin shrugged. 

“You’ll crush him in your sleep,” Mu Qing frowned at the idea.

“You were perfectly content beating him up but draw the line at him sleeping in my bed?” Feng Xin raised an eyebrow. 

“I wasn’t actually going to beat him up,” Mu Qing rolled his eyes. “I’m saving it for when he’s back to normal so I can actually kick his ass.”

Feng Xin laughed. It was loud and obnoxious and startled Xie Lian in his lap. His expression turned incredibly guilty as he looked down at him, whispering a slew of ‘I’m sorry’. The entire interaction was much too cute, and Mu Qing had to force himself to look away.

“Well,” he said as he stood up. “You two should get going then. He can barely keep his eyes open.”

“Right.” Feng Xin nodded, following Mu Qing’s lead. “I guess we’ll see you tomorrow?” 

“I doubt he’d have it any other way,” Mu Qing said offhandedly, ignoring the way he was secretly looking forward to it. 

The time he had spent with them felt surprisingly intimate, and he found himself enjoying the company, even when they were just sitting next to each other and silently researching. He’d spent so much of his life painfully alone— isolated against his will. It felt nice to have someone beside him for a change. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone, of course. 

Feng Xin turned to leave then. Xie Lian looked at Mu Qing over his shoulder, and his large eyes welled up with tears as he realized that he wasn’t following along. He let out a loud wail in response, something both of them had been silently expecting. 

Mu Qing sighed when Feng Xin turned to look at him with a knowing expression. 

“I suppose you guys can sleep in my bed,” Mu Qing crossed his arms over his chest. “But if you kick me in your sleep, I’ll push you onto the floor.”

Feng Xin smiled. “Are you gonna push him too?” He wiggled Xie Lian around to make his point. 

“No,” Mu Qing smirked. “If he kicks me, I’ll still push you.” 

Feng Xin turned Xie Lian around in his hold, looking him straight in the eyes. “Your mama is so mean,” he said with a small pout on his lips. 

Mu Qing’s eyes widened slightly. Feng Xin had obviously been joking, but something about the entire exchange left his chest hurting and his cheeks heating in response. 

Feng Xin lifted his gaze from Xie Lian’s eyes to meet Mu Qing’s instead. The smile on his face was bright and happy, and the sight made Mu Qing want to slam him against the wall. 

Whether it was with violent intentions or something entirely different, he wasn’t sure. 

Mu Qing made his way toward his bedroom, trusting that they would follow, so he wouldn’t have to look at Feng Xin’s stupidly handsome face anymore. 

They settled themselves into bed after that. Both of them opted to keep their outer robes on, as if the extra fabric between them somehow made this situation less awkward.

The last time they had shared a bed had been after Xie Lian’s banishment and before Mu Qing’s departure— before things had become irreparable between them.

Although, as they laid together, situated on either side of Xie Lian who was sleeping soundly, things didn’t seem as bad as they once were.

It was something he didn’t want to unpack; too afraid of what he’d find if he dared, so he didn’t. Instead, he allowed himself to fall asleep and ignore just how warm it felt to not sleep alone for once. 

— 

When Mu Qing opened his eyes the next morning, he was met with the sight of Feng Xin. Somehow, they had migrated closer in the night; to the point where their foreheads now rested against one another. Xie Lian had also woken up and was now staring at them from where he laid between them. They were incredibly close like this, their noses mere inches away from each other and their breaths mingling between them. 

As if things couldn’t get worse, Feng Xin finally opened his eyes. The two of them met each other's gaze immediately. Feng Xin looked into his eyes deeply, in a way that Mu Qing couldn't handle. It was too soft and too affectionate. He knew it was only because Feng Xin had freshly woken up and wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings, otherwise Feng Xin never would have looked at him in such a way. 

“Good morning,” Feng Xin said finally, his voice was deep and much more attractive than Mu Qing was willing to admit. 

Mu Qing was suddenly very afraid and did the only thing his body allowed him to in that moment. He abruptly pushed Feng Xin off of the bed, sending him crashing onto the floor without warning. In an attempt to escape his own embarrassment, he turned over on his side with his back facing the direction he flung Feng Xin into. His hands were trembling as he brought them to his chest, and his eyes were wide as his heart slammed against his rib cage. 

“What the fuck?!” Feng Xin yelled after he sat himself up. “I didn’t even fucking kick you!”

“It was an involuntary reaction!” Mu Qing yelled back, refusing to turn around and look at him. 

“Involuntary reaction to what?!” Feng Xin asked in disbelief. 

Mu Qing didn’t know how to answer him.

He didn’t know how to explain without giving away his feelings. 

He couldn’t possibly tell Feng Xin how he felt when he didn’t even understand it himself. 

Luckily he didn’t have to because a sharp cry sounded from Xie Lian, prematurely ending their screaming match. Feng Xin sighed in exasperation, but quickly climbed back onto the bed to lean over Mu Qing and press a kiss against his temple. The quick affection didn’t seem to be enough, however, because Xie Lian’s cries only continued.

“Why is he still crying?” Mu Qing asked, still curled up on his side underneath the blanket, refusing to look at Feng Xin. 

“I don’t think he saw it.”

Mu Qing sighed, finally swallowing his pride and turning to lay on his back. He looked up to meet Feng Xin’s gaze as he hovered over him. Looking up at him like this was just as horrible as he imagined it would be. There was a churning feeling in his abdomen that he refused to acknowledge, lest he unlock the depraved thoughts he had worked so hard to keep stored away. 

“Is he looking now?” Mu Qing asked after they  stared at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Feng Xin licked his lips unconsciously. “I think so.”

“Just—Just make it quick.” Mu Qing said, squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation. 

Within the next moment, he felt a gentle press of lips against his forehead. The kiss lingered for longer than it should have, but neither one of them said anything about it.

Mu Qing wasn’t even sure if Xie Lian’s cries had stopped or not, unable to focus on anything other than the way Feng Xin’s plush, slightly chapped, lips felt against his skin. Feng Xin pulled away slowly, and Mu Qing opened his eyes again to look at him. There was something unreadable in his expression. 

The two of them were only reminded of Xie Lian’s presence when he climbed on top of Mu Qing, attempting to lay on his chest. 

Feng Xin cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his eyes to stare at the wall on the other side of the room. There was a faint dusting of pink on his tan skin, but Mu Qing was too afraid to point it out. If he voiced the tension between them, that would make it real, and it was much safer to ignore it completely.

“Maybe we should try contacting Crimson Rain,” Feng Xin spoke up finally. “Just to see if he’s made any progress.

Mu Qing nodded in response, not trusting his voice to reply. 

It was later when Xie Lian was playing with Mu Qing in his study that Feng Xin managed to contact Hua Cheng through the communication array, if the way he was arguing with his fingers pressed against his temple was anything to go by. 

Xie Lian didn’t pay Feng Xin any attention as he paced angrily in the corner of the room, much too focused on the toys that Mu Qing had sent his officials to gather for him. His small hand clutched the handle of a rattle drum, struggling to use it properly with his limited coordination. The sight brought a small smile to Mu Qing’s lips, and he decided to take pity on the poor boy. 

He carefully lifted Xie Lian into his lap with his tiny back pressed against his chest, taking Xie Lian’s hands into his own and guiding them to hold it correctly. There was a soft patter from the beads lightly hitting the surface of the instrument as Mu Qing helped Xie Lian play the drum properly. Xie Lian seemed to enjoy the music, shaking the drum with enthusiasm. Mu Qing’s smile only widened as he watched him bounce with excitement, laying a protective hand on his back in order to keep him stable. 

Mu Qing was so absorbed in watching Xie Lian that he almost didn’t notice Feng Xin sitting down next to him with a small huff. There was a deep frown on his features, which only added to Mu Qing’s amusement.

“Over so soon?” He asked with a teasing smirk.

“I hate that asshole,” Feng Xin huffed. “All he did was insult me.”

Mu Qing laughed lightly, absentmindedly rubbing small patterns onto Xie Lian’s back. “Maybe he and I would get along better than I thought.”

Feng Xin scoffed, nudging Mu Qing gently. “His insults are different than yours.” He brought a finger toward the drum, messing with Xie Lian’s newly found rhythm. “He actually means them.”

Mu Qing frowned at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked with a petulant tone. Whenever he called Feng Xin stupid or useless, he definitely meant it.

“Nothing,” Feng Xin sighed. “He’s really bad at this, isn’t he?” He decided to change the subject, cocking his head toward Xie Lian, who was still struggling with the drum. 

“The mighty General Ju Yang bullying a child,” Mu Qing gasped. “What would your worshippers think?” 

“I could say the same for you.” Feng Xin shot him a teasing look. “What would everyone say if they saw the heartless General Xuan Zhen smiling so softly at a child?”

Mu Qing rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t smiling,” he quickly denied, pressing his lips into a thin lie for good measure.

“Mhm,” Feng Xin hummed in response. It was quite obvious that he didn’t believe Mu Qing’s bullshit, but he didn’t push the matter any further. “Crimson Rain doesn’t seem to have a solution yet.” 

“No wonder he’s taking it out on you.” Mu Qing resituated Xie Lian in his hold then rose to his feet. “Personally, I’m not too fond of Crimson Rain doing our job for us, so I say we go investigate on our own.”

Feng Xin blinked up at him. “There’s no way he’ll let us leave him for that long.”

“Who said anything about leaving him?” Mu Qing flipped his hair over his shoulder. “He’ll come along with us.”

Feng Xin jumped to his feet at that. “We can’t bring a baby on a mission with us!”

“Why not? He’s a martial god.” Mu Qing sent him a look. “Is General Nan Yang so incompetent he can’t keep one child out of harm's way?”

Feng Xin grumbled under his breath, clutching his hand at his side and gritting his teeth. It was obvious he was trying his best not to start a fight, even though he really wanted to. Something about the entire display was rather cute, Mu Qing found it amusing.

— 

The two generals descended to the mortal realm not long after that, donning disguises of traveling cultivators. Their research had led them to a town not too far from where Xie Lian had been cursed. It was a bustling little village. Multiple ox carts had rolled past them on their way into town, carrying a mixture of crops along with them. There were crowds of children running around the streets, laughing as they played together. Xie Lian’s head perked up from where it had been resting against Mu Qing’s chest at the sounds. 

Feng Xin seemed to notice this small movement, as if he’d been watching the two of them the entire time. 

“This is the first time he’s seeing other children,” he said with a smile. “Do you think he wants to play with them?” 

“He’s much too small,”  Mu Qing frowned. “Those children would trample him.”

“Oh?” Feng Xin’s tone turned teasing. “But I thought he was a martial god? Shouldn’t he be able to handle it?”

Mu Qing's eyes widened slightly at his own words being used against him, a warm blush settling across his cheeks.

“S-Shut up!” Mu Qing attempted to defend himself. “Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like I care what happens to him or anything. I just know that you wouldn’t be able to bear seeing your precious prince harmed.” He kept his eyes forward as he spoke, not wanting to see whatever expression was on Feng Xin’s face. 

Feng Xin hummed, but it was obvious he didn’t believe him. “I never knew you to be so considerate of my feelings.” 

“Well, I guess I’m full of surprises,” Mu Qing huffed. 

“I see that.”

There was something in his tone that Mu Qing couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, it sounded genuine. Mu Qing wanted to question him on it, but Feng Xin had graciously dropped the conversation at that, and he didn’t want to open himself up to more embarrassment.

The two of them had decided to split up in order to cover more ground. There were a lot of people to question, and it would get done much faster if they divided it amongst themselves.

Mu Qing had begun to suspect that babies had some sort of sixth sense because the minute Feng Xin turned to leave, Xie Lian’s large eyes were welling up with tears. Before the loud sob could escape his mouth, Mu Qing planted a quick kiss on Feng Xin’s cheek. 

“Shhh, none of that.” Mu Qing ran a gentle finger down Xie Lian’s chubby cheek. “We’re not fighting. He’ll be back.” There was a softness to his voice that he didn’t quite recognize as he spoke to him, something he didn’t even know he was capable of. 

Feng Xin seemed to notice it as well, based on the way he stood frozen in place for a few awkward seconds before he came back to his senses, blinking stupidly. His mouth opened as if to say something, but he quickly clamped it down and strode off with a pinched expression.

Mu Qing found it odd, but he found most things about Feng Xin odd, so he decided not to look too deeply into it. He had never understood his fellow general in all the eight hundred years he’d known him, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now. 

With that thought, he headed toward a nearby inn to start his investigation. 

From what he could gather, nobody had seen or heard anything strange happening to any of the locals. There had been no reports of missing people, nor had there been any word of people getting cursed. The entire ordeal left Mu Qing feeling even more stumped than he had been before. This town was so close to where Xie Lian had been cursed, at least one person should have fallen victim as well, yet everyone in the village seemed to be accounted for. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. 

There was a tea house nearby, so Mu Qing headed there next; hoping for better luck. The worker greeted him with a smile and led him to a small table by the window. There was a light breeze that rolled in as he sipped on his tea, something light and not overly fragrant. His eyes surveyed the room, searching for potential leads. There were a few other patrons inside the establishment, but none of them seemed to know anything. Their posture was much too relaxed and their smiles were too carefree to hold the burden of witnessing a curse. 

Mu Qing sighed as he lifted his cup to his lips once again. However, he paused just before he could take a sip, gazing down at Xie Lian in his lap. The boy was shifting around, whining quietly as he did so. Mu Qing sat his cup down and tilted his head at him. 

“What’s wrong?”

Xie Lian said nothing, of course, and continued to squirm. It was only when Mu Qing noticed his tiny hands attempting to push him away that he realized what the child wanted. 

“You want down?” He asked, despite having already figured it out.

Mu Qing picked him up underneath his armpits, putting an end to his struggling, and gently placed him down on the floor. 

“Only for a moment,” Mu Qing warned, holding up a slender finger as he spoke. “It’s improper to sit on the ground like that.”

Xie Lian looked perfectly content with this deal, smiling up at Mu Qing as he babbled happily. The sight was almost too much for him to bear, so he turned his head away and sipped on his tea, just so he’d have something to do.

Just as he was about to turn his attention back toward Xie Lian, a voice caught his attention. 

“Slacking on the job now, are we?” Feng Xin’s tone was swimming with mirth. 

Mu Qing turned his head toward him, glaring at him through the window. Feng Xin stood outside, smiling at him like an idiot. His eyes were gleaming as the sun hit them in just the right way, turning them into a warm amber color. Everything about him looked incredibly like Feng Xin, despite him wearing a different face, and the realization left his mouth a little dry. 

Mu Qing swallowed thickly and forced himself to speak. “How’d you even know I was here? Were you spying on me?” 

Feng Xin looked affronted. “Of course not! I just happened to be passing by when I spotted you in the window.” 

“How’d you even see me from all the way out there?”

Feng Xin scoffed. “Like you don’t stand out from a mile away.” 

Mu Qing frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

There was a tense moment between them where Feng Xin looked at him silently, contemplating his words. Mu Qing could only stare back at him in return, waiting for his answer. Although, it seemed he’d never get it.

“Forget it,” Feng Xin shook his head. His eyes moved away from Mu Qing’s face and peered inside the tea house, searching for something. “Where’s His Highness?” Feng Xin asked after coming up empty. 

Mu Qing rolled his eyes, turning his head to the spot he’d left Xie Lian in. “He’s right her—“ His eyes widened and he abruptly stopped himself, staring down at the empty space on the floor. 

Within an instant, his head snapped back toward the window, and his panicked eyes met Feng Xin’s own as they both realized what had happened. 

“Fuck!” Feng Xin cursed, speeding off toward the entrance of the tea house. 

Mu Qing bent down at the waist, searching the floor for Xie Lian, but ultimately came up empty handed. He had only turned his eyes away for a moment, yet there was not a trace of him anywhere. A surge of panic rushed through his body, like lightning striking his nerve endings. 

“Your Highness?!” Mu Qing called out in a whispered voice, trying his best not to attract too much attention. 

Mu Qing knew that Xie Lian could only crawl, so realistically he could not have gone very far. However, his confidence began to wane as his eyes anxiously scanned the vicinity and found not a single sign of him. At this point, he had already risen from his table and began to walk through the small tea house in search of Xie Lian. 

Feng Xin had entered the building by then, quickly coming up to Mu Qing’s side and startling him slightly. 

“I didn’t see him anywhere outside,” Feng Xin reported immediately, like the ever dutiful general that he was. “How did you even manage to lose him?”

It had been asked out of pure curiosity and nothing more, but Mu Qing had taken it the wrong way— as he did with most things. To him, this was just another instance of Feng Xin reminding him of his shortcomings. A cruel reminder that he would always be seen as the inferior one out of the three of them. 

“Of course, it’s my fault!” Mu Qing immediately shot back. “You were the one who got to run off without the responsibility of watching him, yet it’s all my fault that he’s missing.”

Feng Xin’s eyes immediately widened as he realized his mistake. “That’s not what I fucking meant! Just— fucking calm down, it’s alright!”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Mu Qing’s eyes were practically burning with rage. 

Feng Xin had just opened his mouth to yell something back in return when a piercing cry rang throughout the quiet tea house. 

Their wide eyes snapped toward Xie Lian, who was being cradled in the arms of a random stranger. She hadn’t noticed them or their fight, having only just walked out of the back room. Xie Lian had wandered back there while Mu Qing wasn’t paying attention. The sight of a lost child crawling around the back room had scared her, leaving her anxious to return him to his parents. 

The two of them practically tripped over each other as they rushed to console him, their previous spitting match completely forgotten. 

“Are you his parents?” The young lady asked when she noticed them approaching. 

“Yes!” Mu Qing answered immediately, his mind too much of a jumbled mess to realize what he’d said. 

The woman immediately passed Xie Lian over into Mu Qing’s arms. Feng Xin was standing behind him, attempting to calm the sobbing child. Because she had previously missed the way the two of them had been at each other's throats, she thought that they painted a cute little family picture. The kiss that Feng Xin left on Mu Qing’s head only caused her to swoon further. 

“You make such a lovely family,” she commented shyly after Xie Lian’s crying had finally ceased.

The implications of her words caused an embarrassed flush to rise onto Mu Qing’s face. He quickly scrambled with his words to correct her, but it all came out in an incoherent mess. 

“It’s alright,” she replied demurely. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. Men dual cultivating together is much more common than you think in this day and age, especially with those pills you can get in Ghost City. We get cultivators like you through here all the time.” Her smile was genuine with not a drop of shame to be found.

It was unlike anything Mu Qing, the untouched virgin, had ever witnessed in his entire life, causing his blush to deepen to a concerning shade of red. 

Following the incident at the tea house, the two of them decided to get a room at the local inn.

Xie Lian had gotten quite dirty from crawling around on the floor, so Mu Qing immediately brought him to the bath. As expected of the little prince, Xie Lian was rather well behaved and didn’t put up too much of a fight as Mu Qing scrubbed the dirt off of him. Once he was clean, Mu Qing worked on getting him dressed in a fresh pair of clothing, while Feng Xin went to get him something to eat. Neither one of them were sure if he actually needed to eat, but they decided it was better not to take any chances. 

Xie Lian ended up falling asleep in Mu Qing’s arms after that, lulled by the warmth of his bath and the fullness of his belly. Mu Qing watched as each deep breath escaped past his little parted lips, somewhat transfixed. 

Everything about him was just so small, and Mu Qing was so incredibly fond. 

“Were you able to find any leads?” Feng Xin finally inquired about the mission, breaking the gentle silence that had settled over the room. 

Mu Qing lightly trailed his index finger down Xie Lian’s squishy little cheek. “No,” he said simply, not lifting his eyes from the adorable sight in his arms. 

“I didn’t either,” Feng Xin sighed, spreading his legs as he leaned back into his chair to make himself more comfortable. “Not even the traveling merchants I spoke to had seen anything strange on their way into town.”

“How is it that no one else has encountered the same spirit that we did?” Mu Qing was completely stumped.

“It’s almost like His Highness was the only person to get cursed,” Feng Xin shook his head at the thought, then abruptly paused when he began to put the pieces together. “Unless he was…” 

That caused Mu Qing to turn his attention away from Xie Lian, looking up at Feng Xin with a small furrow in his brow. “You think it was targeted?”

“Think about it,” Feng Xin leaned in closer as he began to explain. “Neither one of us had received any prayers about this spirit, despite it falling within our territory. The only reason we even knew about it in the first place was because His Highness informed you of it. That can't be a coincidence….”

“Theres no one stupid enough to go after His Highness,” Mu Qing replied confidently. “Not with that lunatic he's married too.”

“Ghosts aren’t necessarily known for their intelligence,” Feng Xin said as he tilted his head at him, sending him an amused look. 

Mu Qing thought it over, regrettably realizing that Feng Xin did have a point, before relenting with a sigh, “I almost feel bad for the idiot responsible after Crimson Rain gets his hands on them.”

“It’s not that bad,” Feng Xin said to his surprise. “There’s certainly worse curses out there. This one… is kind of fun.”

Mu Qing looked at him in utter disbelief, his brows pinched together and his thin lips curved into a deep frown. “How is any of this fun?”

Feng Xin immediately scrambled to defend himself. “I mean… I don’t know,” he sighed as he brought a hand to scratch the back of his neck, an anxious habit Mu Qing had figured out long ago. “I’ve just never had the opportunity before…” 

Feng Xin had always wanted to be a father. He hadn’t been able to take care of his own son, so taking care of this cursed version of Xie Lian felt like the closest he would ever get. 

This was the most open that Feng Xin had ever been with him, leaving Mu Qing unsure of how to reply. 

“You’ve thought about it too, haven’t you?” Feng Xin asked in response to Mu Qing’s silence, shifting his gaze back up to meet his eyes, searching for reassurance. “Having a family?” 

“Of course I haven’t,” Mu Qing attempted to harden his tone into something that would keep him protected from the earnest look in Feng Xin’s eyes. Before he had ascended, Mu Qing had never had the luxury to entertain such silly dreams, and even less so afterward. The only person who had ever seen the good in him was his own mother, the possibility of ever being loved again dying at the same time she had. “You said it yourself, everyone thinks me to be heartless. Who would ever want to build a family with someone who only cares about himself?” 

“Someone who knows that that isn't true.”

Mu Qing honestly wasn’t sure what kind of answer he had expected out of Feng Xin, but it certainly wasn’t that.

Feng Xin had always thought the worst of him, assuming that he was plotting against his precious crown prince. Mu Qing wouldn't be shocked if it was Feng Xin himself who had started those rumors about him, attempting to warn the other heavenly officials not to put their trust in him. Which was exactly why Mu Qing couldn’t wrap his head around the sudden sincerity in Feng Xin’s tone. 

“Isn’t it?” Mu Qing asked, his voice coming out a little more than a whisper, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

“It’s not,” Feng Xin answered without hesitation, his tone level and sure. “At one point I believed it to be, but not anymore… not after everything.”

Mu Qing felt as if he couldn’t breathe, the air in the room suddenly thick with centuries of misunderstandings and unspoken words.

It was too much for him to handle. 

“We should tell Crimson Rain about what we found out,” Mu Qing immediately blurted out, unable to think properly with Feng Xin’s intense gaze on him. 

Feng Xin looked like he wanted to say more, but ended up nodding his head in understanding all the same. “His Highness is comfortable with you. I’ll take one for the team,” he said as he stood up and made his way out of the room.

The door to their room shut with a soft click, leaving Mu Qing alone with his overactive thoughts. The confidence in Feng Xin’s words still lingering in his mind. 

Mu Qing slowly brought his gaze down to look at Xie Lian. “If he doesn’t think I’m so horrible anymore,” he started hesitantly, asking the question he was too afraid to hear the answer to, “does that mean that you don’t either, Your Highness?”

Was it true that the three of them could be friends? Actual friends, unlike in the past? Mu Qing had always been certain that it was impossible, but something in Feng Xin’s sincerity made him begin to question that. 

Later that night, Mu Qing laid in bed across from Feng Xin with Xie Lian nestled safely between them. It was similar to how they had done it last time, however this time, the two of them actually decided to face each other. Mu Qing’s cheeks heated at the thought of being so close to Feng Xin, but his companion didn’t seem to notice, the rosy tint of them concealed within in the darkness of their room. 

“Do you think he’ll remember this when he’s back to normal?” Feng Xin spoke softly into the space between them. 

Mu Qing’s eyes had been shut for a while, a failed attempt to fall asleep and escape whatever hell he was currently living in, so he could have probably gotten away with ignoring Feng Xin. 

Keeping his eyes closed, Mu Qing found himself answering anyway. “I really hope not,” he said, choosing to be honest for once. 

—

It didn’t take Hua Cheng much longer to find the culprit after that. The fact that the person had personally interacted with Xie Lian in the past significantly narrowed down his search, leading him to a shopkeeper who resided within Ghost City. The curse hadn’t been placed upon Xie Lian with malicious intent, the elderly ghost thinking that Xie Lian would look even cuter as a child than an adult. Hua Cheng didn’t grant any mercy, despite that. 

Xie Lian didn’t remember a single thing about the entire ordeal, which Mu Qing was incredibly grateful for.

Things could finally return to normal. 

Or at least that was what Mu Qing thought as he sat through the entirety of one of their meetings, Feng Xin at his usual spot next to him and Xie Lian, completely back to normal, across from him. 

It wasn’t until Feng Xin, out of habit, had leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek as he got up to leave after the meeting had ended, the two of them immediately freezing in shock and staring at each other with wide eyes, that he realized that things certainly hadn’t returned to normal, and probably never could. 

Without a single word, Feng Xin forced his gaze away and stormed out of the meeting hall. 

“So you two are kissing,” Pei Ming sounded a little betrayed at being lied to.

Mu Qing quickly turned his head toward the other martial gods who were present, his eyes sweeping over each of their expressions and finally falling on Xie Lian. 

Xie Lian stared back at him with wide eyes, the bright smile on his face almost blinding with the pure amount of happiness behind it. 

It seemed that even though he didn’t remember his time underneath the curse, he still managed to have the same reaction to their display of affection as he had then. 

Even if his entire world had turned upside down, at least one thing was as it had been before, he supposed. 

Mu Qing truly had to stop agreeing to Xie Lian’s ideas.