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Today was quite an unusual occasion, Feng Xin and Mu Qing had come to visit Xie Lian personally after his marriage to Hua Cheng.
“Your highness, are you really married to crimson rain sought flower?…” Feng Xin inquired, skeptical.
“Mm.. San Lang treats me very well! I've been enjoying myself in the paradise manor.” Mu Qing rolled his eyes, baffled.
“How do you know he doesn't have ill intentions!?” Xie Lian felt overwhelmed by their questions, he knew that no matter how well he explained it, they would never believe him. “Let's not jump to conclusions! I trust him, and I'm positive that he doesn't have ill intentions.”
After questioning him for a while, Feng Xin sighed, Xie Lian was dead set on this marriage, it was ridiculous!
“Your highness.. may I ask you why you trust him so much?” Xie Lian pondered for a moment, “why shouldn't I? He gave me his ashes and—” Xie Lian went on and on about why he should trust him, and Mu Qing couldn't bear to listen to him ramble any longer.
“That's it, I can't listen to this bullshit anymore!” Mu Qing stood up abruptly, “I don't think I've heard of anyone describe Crimson Rain Sought Flower that way, and rightfully so!” Feng Xin, for once, agreed with him, nodding along to his words.
Xie Lian was dumbfounded, not because of how adamant they were, but because Feng Xin.. had agreed with Mu Qing, it was truly an odd sight! ‘Is the world ending!?’ Xie Lian thought.
“You two.. you're getting together awfully well…” Mu Qing glared at him, but before he could utter a word, Feng Xin beat him to it. “Ofcourse we are! We're married!”
Xie Lian blinked, surprised.
Mu Qing’s expression darkened, he looked like he was going to murder Feng Xin, but restrained himself from doing so, “What the fuck!? Why would you tell him now!?”
“Why the fuck not!?”
“Silence! How… how did I not know of this!?” Mu Qing exhaled slowly as he sat back down, he knew this day would come.
“Your highness.. we, well, yes, we are married—but there's a reason why we didn't invite you back then.”
“Why!?” He cried, looking much more disappointed than Mu Qing had anticipated.
“We wanted to invite you, but no one knew where you were!” Feng Xin replied.
“When was this!? Why couldn't any of you find me!?” Mu Qing felt an incoming headache as he explained slowly, “It was during your second banishment, how could anyone find you!?”
“I suppose you're right…” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
“Could you atleast share some details?.. I don't know how to take this..” the pair across from him pondered for a moment, whispering to each other.
Feng Xin cleared his throat, “It was quite a big event in the heavens…” he started, glancing at Mu Qing for permission to continue, to which the latter nodded.
“I remember it sometime after your banishment—” “300 years.” Mu Qing corrected.
“Right. Whatever he said, anyways.. that day…”
—
The palace of Xuan Zhen was quite chaotic, Mu Qing's junior officials were running around, the sounds of angry yells could be heard from the outside.
Mu Qing paced around the room, reciting his vows over and over again as his devotees kept trying to calm him down.
“General, take it slow, the ceremony is 3 hours away.” Mu Qing turned to glare at the devotee, his eyes narrowing.
“Easy for you to say! You're not the one who—who.. forget it!” Mu Qing was an anxious mess, his thoughts were all over the place, he couldn’t find the right words to berate his juniors.
“General, please, just calm down for a moment! Today is your special day, you shouldn't worry so much!”
For the sake of the wedding, Mu Qing finally calmed down, ordering his junior officials around to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary.
As calm and reserved he looked, Mu Qing was panicking inside, what if Feng Xin was just playing around? What if he wasn't sincere about this wedding? Does his hair look right? What would people think about their relationship?
Unfortunately, Mu Qing didn't have time to think about any of these things, 3 hours passed quicker than he wanted it to.
‘Feng Xin, I swear to any other God that isn't you or me that I'll kill you if this is just a joke.’ he thought. His expression a stark contrast to his thoughts as he exited the palace in his wedding robes.
—
“T—that’s not how it went!” Mu Qing retorted, grabbing Feng Xin by the collar, his face was red, either it was from embarrassment or anger, no one knew.
Xie Lian waved his hands around, trying to calm the situation down, “okay, okay! Let's calm down! Feng Xin, please, continue!”
Mu Qing turned to glare at him, mouthing the words ‘no! Why the fuck would you want to embarrass me this much!?’ Xie Lian smiled sheepishly, silently mouthing an apology.
Feng Xin, unfortunately, continued the story, having freed himself from the other man's grip.
—
Feng Xin remembered how tens and tens of heavenly officials all the way from the middle court to the upper court had asked him about his wedding, the simple thought of it made his blood boil, why did people care so much anyways? If they didn't want to come, let them! No one's forcing them to attend anyways!
As he strolled down the street, a few officials stopped him, their voices overlapping with each other.
“General Nan Yang, are you sure about this wedding? You've been rivals for 800 years, how has it come to this?”
‘Of course it was Mu Qing, who the fuck else would it be?’ He thought, brushing the other officials off.
“I can't imagine marrying anyone else.” He earnestly answered, Mu Qing would definitely yell at him for being so sappy.
But he wasn't lying, after all.
—
The fateful day came faster than expected, Feng Xin stood nervously at the altar, fiddling with the sleeve of his wedding robes. Mu Qing didn't stand up on him, right!? He wouldn't do that! As “evil” or “rude” as he may look, he still has a guilty conscience.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck..” he swore softly under his breath, staring at the door hopefully. “That bastard better have not just stood up on me!”
But just as Feng Xin was losing hope, the doors swung open and a tall figure dressed in wedding robes slowly walked towards the altar, his silky black hair practically glowing inside the room. Feng Xin's breath hitched, he looked mesmerizing, he had yet to witness a sight more beautiful than him, his husband.
Mu Qing flushed at his gaze, he had finally reached the altar, standing face to face with the man he once loathed.
After a quick exchange of vows, the ring bearer shuffled forward, holding a velvet coloured pillow with 2 rings, his hands shaking ever so slightly, it was a junior official from the palace of Xuan Zhen.
Feng Xin's rough, calloused hand reached out to gently caress the other man's worn fingers, the ring fit perfectly, like it was always meant to be there.
Mu Qing repeated the action, screaming internally as he did.
The officiant cleared his throat, his voice steady despite the overwhelming tension in the room.
“Do you, general Nan Yang, take general Xuan Zhen as your lawfully wedded husband?” The officiant asked, his tone was blunt as he spoke, staring blankly at Feng Xin.
“I do.”
The officiant continued, “Do you, general Xuan Zhen, take general Nan Yang as your lawfully wedded husband?”
Mu Qing paused, his face burned at the expectant stares of the guests, the officiant, and Feng Xin himself, muttering a quick “I do.”
“By the authority of the heavenly court, you are now wed.” He paused, taking a slow breath, “you may now kiss.”
Mu Qing could only stand awkwardly, trying to look at anything that wasn't him. Fortunately, Feng Xin was the first to lean in, capturing Mu Qing's soft lips in a gentle kiss, his hands tangled in the latter's dark hair.
“Mmf!—” Mu Qing let out a muffled sound, his tense posture relaxing even for just a moment.
Feng Xin quickly pulled away, his face red as he did, he blinked slowly as he processed the situation. The silence was absolutely deafening, time seemed to be frozen in place.
“Ho Ho!” Mu Qing swore Pei Ming had a talent to make any awkward situation smoother, the tension disappeared as quickly as it appeared, some officials cheered as others made small talk, finally, it was over.
—
“What the hell!? Did you have to word it that way!?” Feng Xin scoffed at his husband's scolding, “I'm just telling the truth! How the fuck else do you want it to be described!? was I supposed to mention how you're such an awkward kisser!?”
“Says you! You're even worse!”
“And you still kissed back!”
“What else was I supposed to do!?”
Xie Lian sighed, ‘here they go again…’
It was now very clear that these two friends of his would never change.
Maybe it was for the best.