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“Oh you have a tattoo?” Xie Lian exclaims when San Langs sleeve pulls down as he takes a drink of water. “Oh I got that when I was young” San Lang smoothly explains as he shifts position so his sleeve once again covers his tattoo. Xie Lian chuckles along with San Lang at the joke (because of course this is a joke as San Lang appears very young as it is). Something about the tattoo makes Xie Lian uneasy. He got a decent look at it before San Lang covered it up but he was unable to decipher it fully. They move onto continue the repairs on the shrine and Xie Lian puts the thought of the tattoo out of his mind.
But..
He really can’t stop thinking about it.
As San Lang continues cleaning the yard and Xie Lian begins prepping an area of soil for a vegetable garden he can’t help himself and begins to draw the characters tattooed on San Langs arm in the soil with a stick as he works.
As he draws several common characters he draws “to shoot”? Or “She”? Neither one makes any sense.. xie lians thinks to himself moving on o the second character but finds himself just as stumped as before. “Frightened”? “To feel emotional”? Neither make sense with the first character xie lians hums in exasperation.
He begins to brush over the characters to erase them. He feels like he is invading San Langs privacy by trying to identify the characters of his tattoo. But if someone were to get a tattoo wouldn’t it be because they want to show it off to others rationalizes Xie Lian as he stares at the dirt between spindly cucumber and robust beets. Besides, Xie Lian is still suspicious of San Langs identity especially after he drew that portrait of the flower crowned martial god. If the tattoo is a clue to San Langs identity then Xie Lian wants to figure it out. Maybe San Lang is the ghost king and is trying to leave clues for Xie Lian as a form of amusement. If San lang is Hua Cheng then he should have perfect command of his form and could choose to have the tattoo be visible or invisible at his whims. If this is Hua Cheng then the tattoo is definitely a clue. If San Lang is just a lost young master then the worst Xie Lian will do by deciphering the tattoo could lead to mild embarrassment. And at this point Xie Lian is pretty convinced that the youth is not human.
As he brushes the edge of the first character it all of a sudden takes a familiar form. Ah “to thank”! That would be very common and could fit a myriad of contexts thinks Xie Lian. Now engrossed in his puzzle again, he banishes the thought of trespassing on San Langs privacy. Hmm “to thank… emotions?” No … “to thank regret?” Well that’s kind of sad muses Xie Lian. To thank … to thank… something … if San Lang is indeed the red clad ghost king, as Xie Lian suspects, then maybe he thanks flowers as in his title but that doesn’t fit and Xie Lian previously used the alias of withered flowers - Hua Xie which doesn’t seem to fit here.
Well, it is a pity I can’t think of anything that fits thinks Xie Lian as he leans back on his heels and stares a the sun bleeding through the leaves and branches of the chestnut tree behind puqi shrine. A pity indeed. Pity. Xie Lians breath catches in his lungs.
No.
That can’t be possible.
“Xie” - “to thank”
“Lian” - “pity”
Xie Lian slowly draws out the characters for his own name is the soft cool dirt of the garden.
He stares at them. The characters seem to twist and turn on their own mocking him.
Did San Lang tattoo Xie Lians name on his arm? When? He only just met San Lang and the ghost groom incident was less than a week ago.
Is this joke meant to mock him? Xie Lian shudders. No, San lang has been nothing but kind and respectful to Xie Lian. How old is Hua Cheng? Could he be old enough to have known Xie Lian as an ascended godf? Had he worshipped Xie Lian? Xie Lian thinks back to the meeting in the heavenly communication array when he had asked about Hua Cheng . He doesn’t remember being given a specific date but Hua Cheng is ancient and powerful so his life could have pre dated the fall of Xianle.
Xie Lian is startled from his thoughts as the shuffle and crunch of a leaf under foot sounds from only a couple feet away announcing San Langs presence and Xie Lian hastily brushes over his handiwork erasing the characters he had drawn in the earth. “How’s the garden coming along gege … are you ok?” San Langs asks as he saunters over his smile quickly fading. “San Lang, ah just trying to identify any existing vegetable plants” Xie Lian exclaims as his face turns the color of beets he’s attempting to grow. “I think I found a couple volunteer squash and I’ll clear a spot over there to plant cabbages”.
Xie Lian quickly scrambles to his feet and promptly trips over the squash plants flailing as he falls towards the ground. His back never hits the ground though as San Lang deftly scoops him up and rights him on his feet. Suddenly the two of them are pressed very close together. One of San Langs arms is wrapped around Xie lians waist and the other gently holds his wrist. Xie lians breath catches in his throat as he stares into San Langs eyes. Neither one of them move for a moment. Slowly, Xie Lian looks down at the the hand holding his wrist and then to San Langs forearm where his sleeve has fallen down once again revealing his tattoo.
Carefully, like he is afraid he will startle San Lang (because Xie Lian is afraid - the last time he startled Hia Cheng he shattered into thousands of butterfly’s), Xie lians moves his hand down and grasps San Langs arm in one hand and traces out the barely discernible ink black characters with the fingers of this other hand. He feels San Langs gaze following him, looks back up at San Lang “I know what this says” he states in a barely there whisper. San Lang visibly swallows. “What does Gege think it says?” He asks a playful lilt entering his quiet question. Xie Lian searches San Langs eyes but the emotions are well hid. “It is my name” he says “San Lang, do I know you?”.
San Lang huffs a laugh and takes a step back separating himself from Xie Lian before answering. “This one was foolish for attempting to hide anything from Dianxia, Dianxia is so clever” He smiles but his brow is furrowed and his eyes strains. “Dianxia knew this one as Wu Ming shortly after this one’s death” he announces with a short bow “and the world knows this one as Hua Cheng, Crimson Rain sought Flower”
Xie Lian gasps immediately closing the distance and grabbing San Langs hands lifting him from the bow. “Hua Cheng” he exclaims and he reaches to cup Hua Chengs cheek in his hand. And then softly “Wu Ming, What happened to you?”
“This one would be happy to tell Dianxia everything if he is willing to keep this servant by his side”
“Hua Cheng should not refer to himself as a servant after all he is a powerful ghost king. And it would mean everything if my Wu Ming could stay by my side. Please don’t call me Dianxia, I preferred Gege”. Hu Cheng smiles, genuinely this time, the light returning to his eyes. He leans down into Xie Lians space so their eyes are level “And I would prefer Gege call me San Lang”. He takes Xie lians hand and together they walk back to the shrine. Looking down at their entwined hands gives Xie Lians a feeling of belonging he hasn’t felt in a long time. There are many things on Xie lians mind but right now for the first time in 800 years he feels like he’s home.