Archive of Our Own

As soon as Xie Lian fell asleep, he knew that he had encountered trouble. Earlier that day, he had been wandering around Ghost City and had a gift bestowed upon him by a gray langur spirit and its assorted buddies. 

“Granduncle, Granduncle!” They clamored, eagerly thrusting their gift into his hands. Their faces shone with such shining admiration that Xie Lian hadn’t had the heart to turn them down.

He lowered his gaze to the object he had been given. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary incense box, and yet it sparked an inexplicable sense of curiosity. Perhaps that was due to the black lettering sprawled across its surface, carrying with it a faintly ominous air. Seeing such wicked writing immediately reminded him of his husband, and Xie Lian had to suppress a grin.

Though if his husband had accompanied him here, he would have already told his denizens to throw it straight into the trash and to scram. 

Xie Lian, however, only calmly asked, “What is this?” as he turned to face the ghosts again. 

“It’s a new fad going around, Granduncle,” a rooster spirit crowed back. “It will help with sleep. It’s quite popular these days, and so we thought that Granduncle and Hua Chengzhu might enjoy it.” 

Xie Lian bowed his head. “Then thank you very much for your gift! We’ll be sure to put it to good use.”

Later that evening, after they had finished brushing each other’s hair and slipped free of their outer robes to retire for the night, Hua Cheng was drawn away by Yin Yu for some matters that needed attending to. 

Unfortunately, his husband had been busy the entire day dealing with a couple of rather troublesome creatures, the first one having taken up residence near a building adjacent to the Gambler’s Den. Xie Lian had accompanied him for that matter, and together, they had dispersed the ghost without much difficulty. It should have ended there; however, another disturbance followed, this time concerning yet another creature lurking somewhere else in the city. None of it was particularly dangerous, more nuisance than an actual threat, and clearly part of some minor ploy, but the aftermath was proving to be tedious. There was paperwork that needed attending to, and several Ghost City residents who needed to be comforted. Yin Yu, as usual, handled the heavy lifting and bore the brunt of it.

Seeing this, Hua Cheng offered to escort him back to Paradise Manor, saying he would quickly take care of the rest himself.

Xie Lian, however, declined. He had been wanting to take a stroll through the marketplace and visit the Thousand Lights Temple for a while. So, while his husband turned to Ghost City’s affairs, Xie Lian had set off in the opposite direction and began to wander on his own. 

He eventually made his way back home and showed his husband the various knick-knacks and scraps he had picked up along the way. Hua Cheng, as usual, happily indulged him, examining each item with an air that suggested they were priceless treasures rather than a bunch of random odds and ends.

Then, when it was time for bed, his husband had been called away again, and Xie Lian found it rather difficult to sleep. Without the familiar presence of Hua Cheng’s sculpted chest warm against his back, the bed felt strangely cold and empty. He twisted and turned, this way and that, until at last he let out a quiet sigh and sat up. It was not like his body needed the rest, immortal as he was and his spiritual powers no longer sealed, but since he had grown too used to needing to sleep, the habit had stayed. Plus, his mind needed that break, and going to bed also meant there was time set aside for him and Hua Cheng to get distracted and start exploring things… not that it mattered where they were very much, as such activities were only loosely associated with sleep and even less dependent on the bed itself.

It was then that he remembered the incense box he had been given earlier that day. He retrieved it and lifted the lid. Inside lay a bundle of incense sticks. He struck a flame over one and lit it carefully, watching as the tip glowed and the smoke rose into the air, filling their bedchamber in a warm, hazy glow. Almost at once, a delicate fragrance spread through the room, sweet and floral and calming. Xie Lian breathed it in and, as he lay back on the bed, this time his eyelids began to feel heavy, his thoughts slowing one by one. With a wide yawn, he drifted off into sleep.

When Xie Lian opened his eyes a moment later, he was no longer in his bedchamber at Paradise Manor.

He knew immediately what had gone amiss. The incense he had been gifted, expensive, highly coveted, and renowned for a reason, had done exactly what it was meant to do. It was just that the ghosts who had given it to him, of course, had no idea what they had actually been handing over.

The incense sticks themselves were only replicas, a popular fad in the ghost realm, harmless enough on their own, and meant merely to lull one into a dreamless sleep.

But the one that had been in his hands… that had been the real deal. Somehow, without anyone realizing it, a spiritual device had found its way into Xie Lian’s possession. He had read about it centuries ago, and now, a long-forgotten curiosity had been rekindled within him, much like a lit up incense stick himself. This spiritual device, which went by Altering Memories, was quite the interesting artifact… and also capable of causing a good amount of mischief.

The incense’s smoke drew the one who inhaled it into a dreamlike landscape and would draw on random memories of the dreamer and have them revisit their past. However, while immersed, the dreamer retained every memory and awareness of the present, but the others in the dream acted exactly as they had in the past, unaware of the intrusion within their midst.

It was, in essence, a device invented to revisit what had been, to test choices, to explore different paths and outcomes that had never been taken, all without altering the true course of events. Lovers could see how they would have met under different circumstances, friends could revisit old altercations, families could replay lost moments of loved ones, and such things like that. All consequences would be suspended, at least for however long the dream lasted. Nothing done within it could truly change the past or the present.

Well… nothing was a generous word. The moment the dreamer woke, the memories of what had happened in the dream would rush back, flooding the minds of anyone who had appeared in their memories. It would almost be as if two sets of memories existed side by side, one from the original past and one from the dream. Only then would the actual consequences also appear— for example, if the dreamer had attempted or managed to kill a friend during their trip back into the past, the moment they woke, that friend would still be alive, but would also carry the vivid memory of having been killed!

And now, Xie Lian found himself, unwittingly, in a very familiar landscape, the rattle and sway of a bridal sedan shifting the air and jostling him around. He had traveled back at least a hundred years into the past!

The day he had first met Hua Cheng. Or at least, the day he had believed had been their first meeting.

His eyes widened as he heard a faint singing, and it took him a while to remember who was making that sound. It was Feng Xin’s son, Cuo Cuo, the Fierce rank fetus spirit! 

“Do you still hear this creature’s singing?”

Xie Lian startled at the sound of his friend’s voice, but quickly calmed himself. At this time, he remembered, he had been accompanied by Feng Xin and Mu Qing, who were posing as two junior heavenly officials. 

“Mn, no, I don’t hear anything anymore,” he said, and then rubbed his forehead, the situation having struck him as a little ridiculous. After all, wasn’t Feng Xin basically asking him what his own son was up to? 

He pursed his lips, and inwardly sighed at the smudged makeup now staining his fingertips, before letting his hand fall back to his side. Just a moment later, the body of the sedan abruptly dipped. There was suddenly a commotion outside among the military officers who had been leading their small procession, and the bridal sedan came to a complete stop. 

Feng Xin shouted, “DON’T PANIC!” 

Xie Lian found this to be a bit counterproductive. Wouldn’t shouting such a thing only cause more panic?

A sharp howl of wolves pierced the night sky, and Xie Lian remembered what beasts would follow behind these wolves. Binu were truly a very annoying, tenacious sort of creature, and he was pretty sure there were about a hundred or more of them circling them now. 

Though he knew no harm would come to anyone outside, he still quickly let Ruoye out, and it strangled the creatures to its heart’s content. 

He heard Feng Xin shout. “What was that thing?! Didn’t you say you can’t manipulate spiritual devices without spiritual powers?!”

Xie Lian replied, “There are always exceptions.”

Feng Xin was furious, and he slapped the sedan door. “Xie Lian! Explain properly right now what that thing was!! Was it… ?”

Xie Lian shook his head, feeling a little rueful. How had they ever believed their disguises would hold when they acted like this around him? They hadn’t even bothered to change their personalities in the slightest! 

His slap almost broke the entire sedan completely, and Xie Lian had to quickly raise his hand to support himself against the door. “Calm down!” He tried to regain his balance just as Mu Qing said icily, “If there’s anything to say, say it after fighting this wave off first!”

Feng Xin and Mu Qing withstood the onslaught of the creatures, doing their best to shield the mortals, while careful not to reveal the full measure of their true martial powers.

Xie Lian ordered, “Fen— Ahem, you guys leave first.” Try as he might, no matter how much he scratched his head, he could not, for the life of him, remember the sloppy fake names they had given him the first time around.

He could hear Feng Xin whip his head around. “What?!”

Calmly, he explained, just as he did last time, “If you guys are around the sedan, the creatures will keep coming, and the fight will never end. Take the men away first; I'll stay behind and meet this… groom.”

Feng Xin was about to swear again. “You’ll be by yourself...”

At this, Xie Lian grew silent. He had known that his friends had accompanied him just to see if he was safe and hale, and that they had carried on with their fake skins so they could speak to him normally without the centuries of awkwardness in the way. Unfortunately for them, Xie Lian had them figured out from the very beginning, and then went along with the pretense, seeing how far they went to keep their identities a secret, and how comfortable they felt expressing themselves around him in said disguises. He had not wanted to spoil all their effort.

Now… a hundred years later, he could hardly remember why they had bothered with disguises at all. In truth, in Xie Lian’s present-time, the three of them were closer than they had ever been across the nine hundred or so years that they had lived. Most of their old misunderstandings, their resentment, their guilt, everything had slowly been cleared away with enough time spent actively trying to get along with one another. They could poke fun, argue, and speak freely with each other, no bitter words left to scratch at healed wounds, no old grudges to drown them down.

But now it all came back to him. Feng Xin had spoken about how he had searched and searched high and low for Xie Lian during all those long centuries— how he had come rushing back a few weeks after Xie Lian had all but ordered him to leave and how he hadn’t been able to find him, nor the queen and the king. 

It was enough to make one’s heart ache. All this time, so many people had been looking for Xie Lian, had cared and worried after him, and he hadn’t known. But it was no good to dwell on the pain of the past and the what-ifs, not when so much of the future still lay ahead. So many tomorrows, just as bright as the last. That was where his heart would stay, anchored to the simple happiness of the present and the beautiful promise of the future.

That was enough. The next day and the next, he no longer woke up feeling like he didn’t want to wake up at all. He was no longer alone. That would always be enough.

Mu Qing was telling Feng Xin that him and Ruoye would be able to take care of things, and by running off it had spurred Feng Xin into action as well, and together, the two of them rushed off to guide the military officers to safety and would hopefully keep the binu at bay a little more effectively once they were out of his sight, or as much as they could in the bodies of the clones they were using now. 

Once Ruoye was able to kill the wolves and binu, it rushed back into the sedan, gently wrapping itself back onto his wrist. Xie Lian then sat within the sedan quietly, surrounded by the infinite darkness and the rustling of the sea of trees. His heart was pounding, perhaps even louder than it had in the past when he had sat poised in this very seat, waiting. 

All of a sudden, everything fell quiet. The sound of wind, the sound of the sea of trees, the howling and roaring of demonic creatures, all sank into a deadly silence in an instant, as if they were afraid of something.

San Lang. 

A very soft chuckle echoed through the darkness. It set Xie Lian’s heart ablaze and soothed him down at the same time. The ends of Ruoye’s bands twisted, as if it were cocking its head curiously at him. It had sensed how excited and serene Xie Lian was, so now it slackened, draping itself loosely around his arms, utterly unconcerned, clearly convinced that no danger worth mentioning lay ahead.

The curtain of the bridal sedan was lightly lifted, and from underneath his bright red veil, Xie Lian saw his husband extending a hand toward him.

Last time, he hadn’t understood the significance of this moment. The meaning behind the bright, colorful affinity knot curled around the third digit of Hua Cheng’s long, pale fingers. Last time, he hadn’t understood that this hand belonged to the same one that had placed a fresh, delicate little flower at the hand of a scorched, ruined divine statue, had left behind that very same flower to him at his most broken with an eternal smile etched upon his snow-white mask even as he was being dispersed. 

Last time, he hadn’t understood that this person before him was his everything. 

But last time, he had understood something. Some unnamed thing within him had begun to sing, had caught on a spark in the air, and absolutely refused to be ignored. Even then, without knowing why, without having the words for it, he had known. That this hand extended toward him would wait for eight hundred more years, if that was what it took. No, he would wait for one thousand, and even another thousand after that, infinitely patient, for Xie Lian to finally place his hand in his.

Xie Lian was done making him wait, however. In fact, he wouldn’t be able to bear it if he made this person wait for him even a second longer. 

Without hesitation, he reached out and took that awaiting hand. This time, nothing seized control of his body, no unseen force guided him into taking action. This time, it was entirely of his own will. 

He rose to his feet, smiling gently as Hua Cheng instantly lifted the red curtain for him. He held Xie Lian as if he were afraid of hurting him, giving the impression of taking the utmost care. It was enough to make Xie Lian’s heart swell with fondness and affection. 

Xie Lian had his head bowed and let his husband guide him slowly out of the sedan. Below his veil, Xie Lian could see by his feet the dead body of a wolf that Ruoye had strangled. Grinning slightly, he pretended to trip, nothing like the light little tumble he had fabricated last time. This time, he fell right into his husband’s arms, as if he were swooning. As expected, Hua Cheng immediately reached out and caught him.

He happily felt up Hua Cheng’s arms, even boldly going so far as to squeeze his biceps. Though the other man made no noise, he could practically sense the shock and awe that vibrated within his husband’s body. Though his eyes rested upon the corpse-strewn ground, Xie Lian had been married to this man for many, many years now and could read the other’s thoughts with his eyes closed, tens of thousands of li’s apart, and a century within the past. 

Hua Cheng guided him forward, and just like before, Xie Lian walked extremely slowly, though this time for vastly different reasons. He simply did not want this dream to end. This was luminous and mystic, and every step taken felt magical and unreal, yet at the same time, he was vividly, achingly alive in the present. This moment, it felt no less precious than the weddings they held every ten years or so, just because they could, just because they wished to commemorate what had already been chosen, over and over again. 

His husband was treating him so well right now, just as he always had, but Xie Lian could feel his swirling emotions, could almost taste it in the air. 

To put it simply, were there even words for what his beloved husband must have been feeling at that moment? Having found his god once more, and retrieving him in such a way— Hua Cheng had purposefully chosen to show himself like this, seizing this rare miracle of a chance to appear as he once had, to sweep Xie Lian off his feet and play, in earnest, the world’s most gentle and attentive groom. To lead him through the woods at an unhurried pace, so deliberate that it very much resembled a wedding procession.

Last time, Xie Lian hadn’t understood even half of it. He’d been on his guard then, feeling curious, and wondering only at how unexpectedly well he was being treated.

But now, he was allowed to experience it again, this beautiful, precious moment, with his eyes fully open. This time, he understood the full weight and significance of every lengthy step upon this mountain, and he properly gave all of it the appreciation and attention it deserved, smiling as he listened to the pleasant sound of his husband’s boots against the springing soil, the dangling silver chains at his ankles swaying and crinkling together, sending exceedingly soft, delicate chimes through the silent, foggy night.

Though it was not silent for long. Suddenly, there was a low, suppressed whimpering of wild beasts from all around. Hua Cheng gently tapped the back of his hand twice, and Xie Lian shivered slightly. His husband paused slightly at that, and then all of a sudden, there were robes, redder than maple, carefully being draped across his shoulders.

This certainly didn’t occur last time! And this change, all because of the slightest of shivers Xie Lian had let slip loose. 

He grinned as a silvery butterfly flew past them, streaking beautifully across his vision. Ah, so this was the so-called butterfly effect, which he was witnessing unfold in real time. 

Impossibly, Hua Cheng’s steps began to grow even more confident and assured as if there was nothing in the Three Realms that could stop him, and Xie Lian happily strode along, not faltering in the slightest at the sight of the magic formation formed by the glowing white skull lying upon the ground. His husband stepped down on the skull without pause, instantly crushing it into dust, and then he walked over, stepping through that mound of dust indifferently as if it were nothing. 

Mn, very impressive, Xie Lian praised inwardly. They began to pass through the forest of hanging corpses, an exceedingly vulgar and disgusting display on his cousin's part. He had to shake his head and sigh at that. Though that wasn’t to say things weren’t much better in the present. Qi Rong had been doing well for himself, practically raising Guzi with the reluctant support of Lang Qianqiu. It had been a gloomy affair for the Martial God of the East, but about fifty years after restoring Qi Rong largely back to perfect health, well, as healthy as a ghost could get, he had mellowed considerably. Occasionally, he even cracked jokes at Qi Rong’s expense, though, Xie Lian suspected, that was probably mostly for Guzi’s benefit, who, against all odds, had grown into a man of respectable standing.

Of course, being raised by a “near-supreme” ghost and a god, no mortal could ever be expected to turn out normal. And so, at the tender age of nineteen, Guzi ascended and had become, of all things, a god of ghostly fires. Honestly, when you thought about it, maybe that was exactly what one should expect with the number of times that child had charged headlong toward lantern sellers, breaking open their cages and releasing the little ghosts within.

He tilted his head up and watched as Hua Cheng raised the umbrella he had opened over their heads. Not even the sight, let alone the slightest splash of the raining blood, reached them. 

On the mystic black mountain, within the vast wilderness, somewhere deep in the far distant ranges, there came the long howls of the wolves. Perhaps it was because a slaughter had just occurred on the mountain, but the faint scent of blood was still permeating the cold, frigid air. Yet they walked on happily without a care for anything behind or ahead, leisurely side-by-side, their hands never parting. 

Soon, the pelting of blood rain came to an end, and Hua Cheng swiftly put the umbrella away. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Xie Lian gave a gentle squeeze, so instead of pulling away this time, his husband moved one step closer. 

His other hand softly folded a corner of Xie Lian’s red veil and slowly lifted it upward.

Time seemed to come to a stop. When Hua Cheng was nervous or was feeling too many emotions all at once, his movements slowed down. And now, as he drew back the red curtain of his veil with a painstaking, almost torturous deliberation, Xie Lian couldn’t help but feel unbearably fond. This time, no silk band shot out to apprehend him— this time, Hua Cheng would reveal himself completely, without interference, without haste, and Xie Lian’s heart swelled at the privilege of being able to partake in such a precious moment once again.

The chill, cool mountain air brushed pleasantly against his face. He lifted his eyes deliberately, following the fitted swaths of layered red, the subtle embroidery and trims tracing the edges near his chest. He looked extravagant, breathtaking even, and that was before Xie Lian dared to lift his gaze to his face.

His eyes traveled upward to the other’s hair, untamed yet artfully arranged. Xie Lian smiled as he met his husband’s gaze. Before him stood Hua Cheng in his true form, his face the same uniquely handsome, dangerously sharp visage he had always known. There was that familiar wildness between his brows, the exquisite contours of his cheeks. The same eye that twinkled like a star locked onto Xie Lian, deeply, unblinkingly holding him completely in its gaze.

“Beautiful,” Xie Lian murmured. His hand lifted without hurry, fingers hovering just shy of the coral bead nestled in Hua Cheng’s hair, only a breath away from the red ribbon tied into its wild, dark strands. As he did this, his eyes never left his husband’s face.

The words slipped free before he could think about what he was saying. These days, that was only natural. Before this man, his most devoted believer, his beloved person, his dearest husband, how could he do anything but speak the truth? How could he hide anything at all when this was the one person who held his whole heart, his whole world, in the palms of his hands?

A deep chuckle reverberated through the woods, rumbling in his chest. “Miss, you stole my line,” Hua Cheng said, the corner of his lips quirking.

Xie Lian blinked. Did he just call me… Miss? This little rascal was messing with him! He had obviously heard the deep voice that could not possibly belong to a woman, since no matter how much makeup Xie Lian was wearing, nothing could hide the fact that his voice had unmistakably come from a man— and of course, Xie Lian knew that Hua Cheng knew it was him.

Which meant that Hua Cheng was purposefully trying to fluster him. 

Well, two could play this game, mister! Xie Lian leaned in closer, bridging the already narrow gap between them. He finally pulled his hand away, only to very gently place it on the other man’s chest, lightly hovering over it. He allowed his lashes to flutter as he peered up at his husband, and Hua Cheng, who only a moment ago had been all languid and confident, suddenly went frozen stiff. Any words that might have escaped him stalled, his breathing coming to a complete stop. Xie Lian graciously resisted the urge to laugh at him, even feeling a bit sorry for the state he was putting his poor husband in. 

“I am no miss…” Xie Lian said, deliberately lowering his voice, and then he paused before adding, “Gege.”

The result was instantaneous. That fervent single eye somehow became even more impassioned, as if it had caught fire on the spot. Hua Cheng’s body went completely rigid, every trace of earlier composure shattering in an instant.

Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. That reaction and the subsequent flush creeping up his neck didn’t help; he had brought it down on himself for being so forward and shameless. He usually only called Hua Cheng gege when they were doing such activities in bed, where it came with a very specific set of… ahem privileges, and he had known from the very beginning that his husband was hopelessly taken with the whole gege thing, but surely this intense expression was a bit much… ? However, if he thought about it from Hua Cheng’s point of view, after eight hundred long years of searching, finally finding him, and then being suddenly called gege by the god he had devoted himself to… well, wouldn’t it be enough to get his dead heart to start beating?

“Mn.” Hua Cheng slowly blinked his eye, and Xie Lian watched, fascinated, as he swallowed once, his Adam’s apple bobbing conspicuously. No, Xie Lian was not imagining it— his husband’s pale cheeks were coloring ever so slightly. Ah, his husband was unbearably cute! 

“I see. Then I apologize, Daozhang. It’s just that you make such a beautiful bride. Though I suppose, dressed up like this, you’re here to investigate the missing brides?”

His gaze was intent, rapt, even as he spoke so casually, and it made Xie Lian’s chest swell with a tenderness that was almost too much to endure. Had his husband stared at him like this the very first time they had met, all those years ago?

Your Highness, I’ve always watched you. 

Xie Lian’s memory was not perfect; he often forgot the small details of days, years gone by, but of course, he could never forget anything that had Hua Cheng in it. And so yes, he remembered that fiery, unflinching gaze, set upon him as if it could see straight through his soul. At the time, he hadn’t understood what it all had meant, but even then, he hadn’t been able to look away. He had been endlessly, helplessly enraptured by this man, the one man who had ever truly seen him, seen all of him, and somehow, without needing to say even a word, made him feel like the most loved being in all the Three Realms. That ardent gaze alone made Xie Lian feel like he had a legitimate reason to keep existing in this world.

“Yes, I am looking for the ghost groom.”

Hua Cheng lightly arched an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. There was suddenly an added air of wickedness to him. “And does Daozhang not suspect me?”

To that, Xie Lian replied, “Of course not.” Seeing that Hua Cheng was patiently waiting for his explanation, he continued. 

“Firstly, I’m assuming that those wolves and binu were not your subordinates. If they were, why be so terrified of your approach?” Xie Lian raised his second finger.

“Secondly, that enchanted array you just crushed must have been set by the actual ghost groom.” He gestured toward the building that stood somberly a short distance away. “Why go through such painstaking lengths to hide this temple after breaking the formation so easily?”

“And thirdly,” Xie Lian’s smile widened, “you haven’t stolen me away as your bride, which is the whole point of a ghost groom.”

Hua Cheng clapped, his eye squinting in a crescent-shaped grin. “Wow. Very good, Daozhang, you are really amazing,” he praised happily. “But as for your last point, who’s to say I still don’t intend to steal you away? After all, Daozhang is the most beautiful of brides.”

You can steal me away whenever. You already have my heart, Xie Lian thought, his fingers twitching. He had to resist the urge to rush into his husband’s arms and bury his face in his chest.

“Um… haha, well…” He averted his gaze. What could he possibly say to that other than wanting to blurt out his immediate thoughts? There went his impenetrably thick skin. He waved goodbye to it forlornly. 

Hua Cheng stepped closer toward him. “So what is Daozhang’s next plan of action?”

His husband was peering at him closely, a small grin curling up his lips, clearly amused at how flustered he was making him. Xie Lian was a little affronted. I’m a century older than you right now, he thought, so could you please save this elder some face!

And why was he randomly getting so red in the face now? Perhaps it was because of the way Hua Cheng suddenly started to play with the coral bead in his hair with an undercurrent of lasciviousness. It had his mind wandering to how his Hua Cheng would play with his more intimate parts, and suddenly that action seemed much too sensual to bear. 

Ah, had Hua Cheng always been this forward back then? Wait, wait… wasn’t all of this a making of his own doing? Refusing to let this younger, completely unsuspecting version of his husband pull away from him, shamelessly placing his own hands upon Hua Cheng’s chest, calling him beautiful without a thought, addressing him so informally as gege as soon as they met…

Well, when you put it that way, he had to admit— it really was all his fault!

But then again, how could he not want to shower his husband with love? He wanted Hua Cheng to know how much he meant to him, especially right now, here in the past, where he hadn’t had a clue where Xie Lian’s true feelings lay.

So, mustering up all of his courage, he turned back to face his husband, fully meeting his gaze. “I think the ghost groom could be hiding away in that temple. Will gege accompany me there?” He flushed, suddenly feeling a little shy. 

Hua Cheng slowly blinked down at him. That single eye contained too much to name, and it was all burning brightly and searingly into Xie Lian’s chest. Wordlessly, his husband held out a hand, his long, slender fingers curling slightly, and without a second thought, Xie Lian reached out to take it. 

As they reached the tall structure of the crumbling temple, Xie Lian read out loud, “Temple of Ming Guang.”

He knew that Xuan Ji wasn’t actually inside, so he would have been perfectly content standing outside and waiting for her to make an appearance, but if he wanted to keep appearances up, standing around and doing a whole lot of nothing would have been plenty suspicious, so he had no choice but to walk straight into Pei Ming’s temple. 

Truly, he had no desire to involve himself in these affairs again. Once, he had already been nothing more than a bystander in the tangled mess between Pei Ying and the ghost general Xuan Ji. And in the present, she had long since dissipated. In his mind, the matter had already reached its natural conclusion.

Yet he could not forget the young girl, Xiao-Ying, who had suffered a terrible fate for no reason. And of course, there was Lang Ying, the boy cursed with the Human Face Disease, whose life had been marred for centuries directly because of Xie Lian’s actions.

In the end, even in such a sordid conflict between a resentful wrath and an indifferent god, innocent people such as the military officers, the sedan drivers, and the brides bore the brunt of their carelessness.  

Even if he could do little for the people who had died here, their fates already sealed in the past, and could only leave behind faint ripples in the memories of only those who would be alive a century later, Xie Lian still hoped to grant the dead some measure of peace. If nothing else, perhaps their souls could finally rest.

Inside the temple, this time he could appreciate the full artistry of the exquisitely sculpted divine statue. Its appearance was handsome with an imposing bearing, and it looked a great deal like Pei Ming, close to capturing the essence of the original, and that sort of thing would make any god smile and nod with approval. Though, he thought, glancing sideways at Hua Cheng’s tall figure, no one could do it better than his wonderful, devoted husband. 

Noticing Xie Lian’s stare, Hua Cheng gazed back, intent and unwavering. He leaned in close, and Xie Lian could feel the air that passed through Hua Cheng’s lips brushing past the tips of his ear. “I have been wondering. Is Daozhang not curious about who exactly his gege is and what his intentions are?” 

“Hm,” Xie Lian pretended to think. “Well, I already figured out some things.”

Hua Cheng nodded easily, looking as if he would have been clapping his hands again if it hadn’t been softly gripping Xie Lian’s. “Of course, I would expect no less from Daozhang. He is very astute and amazing. Will Daozhang be willing to share his findings, which are undoubtedly true, with me?”

Xie Lian huffed at him, feeling slightly amused at his antics. “Don’t be so insincere, flattering me like that…” 

Before Hua Cheng even spoke, Xie Lian knew what he was going to say.

“Daozhang, you wound me. I promise, you will not find another person who is more sincere than me in this world.”

He grinned at those familiar words. “Is that so? As for who exactly I think gege is… I know that he’s a very considerate sort of person.”

Hua Cheng fell silent as he continued. “He can be exceedingly gentle and patient, but he is also powerful and cunning. He is very kind to have escorted me through this mountain, acting like my groom and saving me from danger.” Xie Lian allowed his hands to curl around the red robes that were still draped around his shoulders, feeling happy and warm.

“And now I know he’s also the most sincere person I’ll ever meet,” Xie Lian finished with a smile. 

Hua Cheng chuckled. “Daozhang sure learned a lot in such a short amount of time. I am scared to ask what Daozhang thinks my intentions are.” 

“Well, isn’t that to whisk me away as your bride?” Xie Lian asked innocently. 

His single eye widened at that, but he was always calm and collected, so his face cleared instantly. If this had actually been Xie Lian from the past, his expression would have been unreadable, but now Xie Lian could see the faint shock coursing through his husband’s expression. “Truly, Daozhang is very clever and amazing,” Hua Cheng sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. 

Ah, Xie Lian was feeling a bit mean for messing around with him so much. But he also felt a little bit of satisfaction at finally being the one who got to cause all the flustering. 

But this was still his shameless husband, and someone who delighted in spouting nonsense with a straight face. Hua Cheng leaned forward, the hand holding Xie Lian’s remaining gentle and careful, and he knew that his husband would immediately release him at the slightest hint of reluctance.

“Daozhang is teasing me on purpose, aren’t you?” Hua Cheng said with a laugh, eye bright. “Saying such things and then acting innocent— how cruel. However, you should know that there are many rumors said about me that call me a mad and dangerous individual. So Daozhang ought to be more careful when saying such things like that.” 

Xie Lian smiled. “Everyone has some negative gossip said about them. I don’t think the rumors sound all that frightening.”

A sharp canine flashed briefly in the dim light as Hua Cheng’s lips curled upward. He leaned in just a fraction closer, close enough that Xie Lian could feel his presence without being pressed into it, carefully hemming him in between his chest and Pei Ming’s statue.

Hua Cheng laughed softly, his eye curving with amusement, and continued. “Daozhang has misunderstood me a little. In regards to my intentions to steal you away as my bride, I would never act on such thoughts without Daozhang’s permission.”

Then, as if struck by an idea, his eye twinkled with mischief. “Of course, if Daozhang keeps bringing it up like this, again and again, so earnestly, then refusing would be too rude. After all, Daozhang put in all this effort to dress up so nicely. It would be ungrateful of me not to consider it.”

For some reason, suddenly the way Hua Cheng was watching him made him feel a little wary. He was looking so intently, and that glint in his eye made Xie Lian feel like he was about to get eaten. Xie Lian cleared his throat and shifted a step to the side, putting a little distance between them. Only then did Hua Cheng’s earlier words fully catch up to him, and he was reminded, rather belatedly, that he was presently playing the role of a bride, and across from them, hidden within the shadows, were seventeen others dressed up in a similar way. The smell of aged, rotting corpse was still very light on them, so they must have been the ones who went missing recently.

“Let’s set that matter aside for now,” he said, gesturing toward the closed door. They both turned just as a violent thumping sound echoed from outside the temple. He wondered how different things would be this time around, now that Hua Cheng was here to accompany him. 

He took a step forward. Before he could take another, the hand clasped around his own tightened slightly, tugging him back gently.

“Daozhang,” Hua Cheng said lightly. “There’s no need for you to go out there. Just stay here and let me handle it.”

Xie Lian squeezed his hand back, then obediently stopped in his tracks. He turned his head to look at Hua Cheng, eyes calm, feeling rather curious about how much his husband knew. “Do you think it’s the ghost groom?”

Hua Cheng let out a soft hum, neither confirming nor denying. “Something like that.”

That answer alone was enough. Xie Lian smiled faintly. Hua Cheng was being deliberately vague, but he suspected that his husband already knew who exactly the ‘ghost groom’ was.

“Then let’s handle it together,” Xie Lian said decisively. He glanced toward the door as another heavy thump sounded. “Even if it’s a wrath, the way it’s moving means its legs are broken. It won’t be able to move at full speed.”

“Interesting conclusion,” Hua Cheng said after a little pause. “That sort of sound, most people wouldn’t recognize it so quickly. Is Daozhang speaking from experience?”

Xie Lian rubbed his brow. “Unfortunately, yes. I’ve had quite a bit of practice falling over the years.”

The first time he had broken a leg had been nearly a millennium ago, when he had leapt down from Xianle’s city wall while chasing an illusion or a clone that Jun Wu had conjured. It was something he still remembered even after so many years, as that fall had been the first time his invincible divine body truly failed him. It was as if he had lost his spirit that day, and from then on, he only fell further, defeat after defeat piling up like hay upon a cart that was already overflowing.

After that, it happened many more times due to his terrible luck. Once, twice, eventually he lost count. One leg, then both, and each time, he had dragged himself upright again, crawling if he had to. Thinking back to those moments, when he had been so low he could not even stand, Xie Lian could only let out a small sigh. By then, he had already lost all sense of dignity, so he had not minded much. After all, he had long since endured much worse, so he accepted his misfortune and continued on his way. 

Hua Cheng narrowed his eye slightly at that answer, but before he could say anything further, the temple doors were flung open. A surge of pitch-black miasma burst inside, foul and clearly evil.

Xie Lian had no spiritual light to block it out, so the instant it took the mist to spread, Hua Cheng stepped in front of him without hesitation, placing his own back squarely between Xie Lian and the danger. At the same time as Hua Cheng flicked a finger, Xie Lian prompted Ruoye to whirl widely through the air, stirring up a fierce current that tore through the black fog and scattered it in all directions.

Xie Lian barely caught a glimpse of Xuan Ji kneeling on the ground before she fled in a flash of black shadow. However, Hua Cheng was still faster. In the span of a single breath, she was already slammed to the ground outside the temple, shrieking in agony.

The commotion immediately drew over the group of fools who had also climbed the mountain, burning with eagerness to capture the so-called evil ghost groom. Someone shouted for them to charge, and a youthful voice eagerly echoed, “Catch the ugly freak and exterminate evil for the people! Catch the ugly freak and exterminate evil for the people! We’ll split the bounty evenly!”

Their steps faltered at the sight before them, the heroic fervor on their faces draining away so quickly it was as if someone had dumped a basin of cold water over their heads. The sudden reversal was, frankly, a little funny.

Xuan Ji lay sprawled on the ground, hair tangled, robes torn, shrieking Pei Ming’s name until her voice cracked. She thrashed and clawed, digging her long talons into the dirty mud, yet no matter how she struggled, she could not even manage to lift herself upright.

“Don’t get close!” Xie Lian warned them, drawing their attention to him and Hua Cheng. The expressions on their faces shifted at once.

The leader of the group, the energetic young man who had been yelling loudly a minute ago, looked back and forth between Xuan Ji’s wailing figure on the ground and Hua Cheng standing calmly beside Xie Lian. Then his eyes lit up. He thrust a finger forward, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Ah! He must be the ghost groom!” He shouted. “Look at what he’s done to this bride here, and now he’s already kidnapped another one for himself! An extraordinary beauty at that!”

He turned eagerly toward Xie Lian, his voice enthusiastic. “Miss! What’s your name? Don’t be afraid— We’ve come to save you! You can relax now!”

Xie Lian found this chain of events rather hilarious.

Hua Cheng, on the other hand, merely stood beside him with his arms folded, one eyebrow arched coolly, not even bothering to spare the ragged mortals a glance. A murderous aura bloomed lazily around him as he turned his attention back to Xie Lian. 

Just then, two black-clad youths rushed over. It was indeed Feng Xin and Mu Qing, and the looks on their faces were somehow even more spectacular than those of the mortals, who, for their part, already appeared on the verge of collapsing on the spot, shaking like leaves under Hua Cheng’s malevolent presence— some, in fact, had already fainted away! 

“You— You— Fuck—!” Feng Xin spluttered, completely losing coherence. “Y— Your Highness! Get away from him! Don’t just stand there! Come over here, now!”

Mu Qing sucked in a sharp breath, his face going pale. “Crimson Rain Sought Flower…”

Both of them already had their weapons drawn, their expressions grim.

“You!” Feng Xin bellowed, pointing straight at Hua Cheng, eyes blazing. “Step away from His Highness this instant!”

Xie Lian sighed inwardly and stepped forward, positioning himself in front of his husband, just as Hua Cheng had done for him mere moments ago. He raised both hands in a placating gesture.

“You two…” He hesitated, still having trouble remembering whatever aliases they were supposed to be using. After a brief pause, he gave up entirely. “Feng Xin, Mu Qing, everything is fine. Really, there’s no need to start a fight.”

This only made their shock grow. And on top of everything else, they seemed utterly incapable of coping with Xie Lian’s current appearance and didn’t know where to place their eyes. His face was gentle, demure, and refined to the point of being almost unfair, perfectly suited to the bridal dress, so long as he didn’t open his mouth. This mired them in disbelief, making them question their whole lives and feel uncomfortable all over. 

“You already knew!? When did you find out?” Mu Qing demanded, then shook his head. “Nevermind, just get over here, now! Have you completely lost your mind? Do you even understand who’s standing behind you?!”

“Yes, I know,” Xie Lian said patiently. “It’s fine, really. Put your weapons down first. Let’s talk this through calmly. The ghost groom has already been subdued, so there’s no danger anymore.”

“Who cares about that!” Mu Qing snapped, practically beside himself. “The real danger is the one standing right behind you! Hurry up and come over here— Do you really think you can handle someone like him?!”

Behind Xie Lian, Hua Cheng let out a low, amused chuckle, the sound lazy and unhurried, as if he found all of this mildly entertaining. 

“Your Highness!!” Feng Xin yelled again, sounding desperate. “Be careful!” 

Hua Cheng shifted smoothly back to Xie Lian’s side, stepping closer, just enough to make Mu Qing and Feng Xin’s expressions twist even further.

“What's so funny?” Feng Xin scowled, not lowering his guard for a single second.

Hua Cheng smiled insincerely. “I just find you two funny, that’s all,” he said. “You say His Highness can’t handle me… but tell me, what makes you think you can?”

Xie Lian started. It was the first time since he had arrived in the past that Hua Cheng had addressed him like that.

“You— !” Feng Xin’s veins popped all over his forehead. “Hua Cheng—” He gritted his teeth. “Just… just let go of His Highness! Then— Then we won’t report this to the Heavenly Emperor.”

Xie Lian felt something in his chest twist slightly, hearing that. Jun Wu had slowly faded away a few decades ago, his will to live extinguished even with Mei Nianqing to keep him company, and Xie Lian himself no longer stirred at the mention of his name. Yet it was still strange to see his friends talk about the calamity like this, unaware of the true danger that had been lurking right in front of them for so many centuries, oblivious to the fact that they served the very man who had brought ruin to their kingdom and death to their people.

“Enough,” Xie Lian said. “Stop it, both of you. See,” he reached out and clasped Hua Cheng’s hand once more, smiling a little as his husband’s brows shot up and his eye widened in surprise. “He hasn't done anything to me.”

Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked like they were going to faint on the spot. “What are you doing!?” They cried out simultaneously. “Don’t go touching him like that!!” 

“Have you lost your senses!?” Feng Xin couldn’t even stand to look at them anymore.

“He’s gone insane. He’s really gone insane,” Mu Qing muttered in disbelief. “All that rotten food he’s been shoveling into himself. It has clearly addled his brain. He’s finally lost it.”

Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “No, that’s not it…” He exhaled a sigh, turning back toward his husband. 

A warm smile formed across his lips. “So… your name is Crimson Rain Sought Flower, Hua Cheng.”

Xie Lian might be one of the thickest-skinned people in all the Three Realms, but even he wasn’t shameless enough to call Hua Cheng gege in front of all these onlookers. Hua Cheng, of course, had enough shamelessness for the both of them.

He chuckled, eye glinting. “Yes, that’s my name. But I’d much prefer it if Daozhang called me San Lang-gege.”

A loud clatter rang out beside them; either Feng Xin or Mu Qing had dropped their weapon, horrified to their cores.

Before anyone could speak, three booming tolls echoed through the air, signals of reinforcements. Xie Lian, having already briefed Ling Wen through their communication array, so this time around, he wasn’t the least bit surprised as a brilliant light split open the sky, and soldiers appeared, clad in shining armor that radiated sharp, awe-inspiring auras. Their forms shimmered with a thin veil of spiritual light. At the forefront stood a tall, poised figure, elegant, commanding, and familiar, a young military general who was clearly no mere mortal.

All the heavenly beings froze, their breath caught in their throats at the sight before them. “I— It— It’s Cr— Crimson Rain Sought Flower!” Voices stammered, rising in a panicked chorus. “W— What… What the heck is he doing here!?”

Their expressions twisted further, becoming more complicated as their eyes fell on Xie Lian, who was holding the Ghost King’s hand, seemingly calm and unbothered. Seeing such a terrifying sight like that out of nowhere had them so stunned that they were robbed of speech!

The military general, Pei Xi, slowly approached with his hands clasped behind his back and came to stand before them, bending slightly at the waist, giving a quick bow. “Your Highness… Crimson Rain Sought Flower,” he said, his voice tranquil and composed, betraying none of his surprise, save for the faint furrow of his brow.

Pei Xiu’s gaze flicked to Xuan Ji sprawled on the ground, and he spoke carefully. “The Palace of Ling Wen reported that this disturbance at Mount Yujun may concern our Palace of Ming Guang, so this servant has come… though I did not expect to find Crimson Rain Sought Flower here.”

Xie Lian’s voice was calm as he stepped forward to reassure them. “There’s no need for alarm. He means no harm.”

Feng Xin and Mu Qing, however, remained rooted to the spot, still frozen, disbelief etched deep into their features. Xie Lian knew they would not be so easily swayed by his words. 

Then Xie Lian hesitated for a moment before letting a hint of mischief slip through, a playful streak of his that had only grown bolder after a century spent living with Hua Cheng.

“You look familiar,” he said lightly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Perhaps we have met before?”

Pei Xiu’s pupils constricted, a flash of shock crossing his features, but he recovered instantly, his composure flawless. “No, Your Highness,” he replied evenly, though the lie lingered in the stiffness of his shoulders.

Xie Lian nodded once, then shook his head, seeming to be thinking deeply. “No… I think I do know you.”

Pei Xiu’s perfect composure wavered, the mask of the poised, tranquil military general slipping just enough to reveal the quiet young boy who once trailed after Banyue and Xie Lian everywhere, a wide-eyed and sweet thing. 

“Could it be that you are from Yong’an?” Xie Lian asked.

Pei Xiu let out a soft sigh, the last threads of his restraint unraveling, before a small smile appeared. “Hello, General Hua. I’m surprised you remembered me after so many years.”

Hearing that name, Hua Cheng twitched slightly, his lips quirking up. 

Feng Xin spoke up from the corner, “Your Highness! How do you know General Pei Junior, too!? And why is he calling you that!?”

Xie Lian glanced back, and both of his friends were staring at him as if he’d somehow grown a second head while they weren’t looking. 

Pei Xiu, meanwhile, kept his gaze fixed on their clasped hands, his brow furrowed as though he were doing some very complicated mental math.

He mouthed Hua Cheng’s name to himself, and then his eyes lit up, seemingly having reached some sort of conclusion. 

“General Hua,” he said slowly, testing the waters. “Could it be… that you and… you and Crimson Rain Sought Flower are… together?”

There was a significant pause that hung in the air after that question, like a trapdoor, waiting for someone to fall through it, and Xie Lian could hear Feng Xin and Mu Qing choking on their own disbelief and indignation. For once, they seemed perfectly in sync, united in their despair at finding themselves in such a ridiculous situation. The other heavenly officials, staring at the sight as if it were some sort of fascinating soap opera, weren’t faring any better.

Hua Cheng was watching him carefully, clearly wondering what his response to this was going to be. Though none of it showed on his face, he seemed to be in a state of dazed happiness and disbelief. 

Xie Lian smiled enigmatically. “Ah,” he murmured softly, giving Hua Cheng’s hand another gentle squeeze. “You could say it’s something like that.”

“Your Highness…” Hua Cheng started to say, and then suddenly he fell silent. Xie Lian peered at him worriedly. Oh no, did I push too far? 

Pei Xiu looked genuinely astonished, but he wasn’t the sort to pry, no matter how curious. He let the matter drop. After all, he had no right to speak, not when he, too, had spent centuries entangled with a ghost, carefully covering up all traces of Banyue and what they were up to.

“General Hua,” he said, his voice catching slightly this time. “We… thought you were dead.”

Xie Lian turned back to look at him, resolving himself to speak with his husband later when there were fewer prying eyes. 

“A-Xiu can see, I’m perfectly fine now.”

He shook his head. “We saw you get trampled… flattened to the ground.”

“No, no, it wasn’t too bad. I’m alright now.” Xie Lian rubbed at his forehead as everyone looked at him with unreadable expressions. The hand he held in his tightened for a moment, and this time he couldn’t miss the flicker of despair that passed over his husband’s face. 

Before he could reassure them further, Xuan Ji finally roused herself, having been passed out for some time now. She cried bitterly, “Where’s Pei Ming? Why hasn’t he come? Why won’t he come and see me?”

Pei Xiu inclined his head at her and replied, “General Pei has important business to tend to.” 

She muttered back, “Important business?” Tears streamed beneath the long hair draping over her face as she spoke about everything she did just to get him to come and see her. She was then grabbed by two soldiers, briefly dazed before she suddenly started struggling with force, cursing while pointing to the heavens. “Pei Ming! I curse you!”

Xie Lian rubbed his forehead again. Seeing this, Hua Cheng said quietly, “Your Highness? Do you want to leave this place?”

His husband always seemed to know what he wanted, even before Xie Lian himself could put it into words.

He nodded quickly, a warm smile lighting his face. Hua Cheng held his gaze for a long moment before producing a pair of dice out of thin air. 

At the sight of this, Feng Xin and Mu Qing couldn’t contain themselves. “Your Highness!!” Feng Xin shouted, panic threading his voice. “No… don’t go with him!”

Xie Lian cast one last glance at them. Even if they were only clones, their disguises were way too sloppy. He could easily recognize the familiar frown tugging at the corners of Feng Xin’s mouth, the protective crease of his brows. Mu Qing’s cold face, his stiff, rigid shoulders, and the faint curl of disdain on his eyebrow, as if everything was beneath him. And yet, both their expressions shone with undeniable fear and concern, impossible for them to mask away.

“Feng Xin. Mu Qing,” Xie Lian spoke, feeling that it was incredibly endearing to see them like this again. “Thank you. Both of you… Thank you for coming all this way with me, for looking after me even after all these years. Thank you for being my friends.”

Their eyes widened at his words, and Xie Lian caught Feng Xin’s fists trembling at his sides, small tremors betraying the intensity of all that he was feeling. 

Mu Qing didn’t immediately seem to believe him, already halfway to rolling his eyes, a bad habit of his that no one could ever get him to break, and was only growing worse with passing time. “If you want to thank us,” he said sharply, “then thank us by not leaving so abruptly and sneaking off with him!”

Xie Lian couldn’t help but grin at the phrasing. “I promise everything will be alright! See you very soon!”

With that, he looped his arm through Hua Cheng’s and let himself be whisked away. 

Xie Lian blinked and was surprised to find himself in a place he recognized. Hua Cheng had taken him to the Thousand Lights Temple! 

He breathed in deeply, finding himself comforted by all the familiar smells and colors. They were standing right at the entrance of the temple, its thousands of lights as resplendent as ever. 

Smiling, he pressed closer into Hua Cheng’s arms. “San Lang, this place is absolutely beautiful.” His eyes roamed over every corner, noting the subtle changes, the small details that had shifted within time. In the future, this place had become almost like a second home to them… as familiar as their own bedchamber with the number of times they did certain activities within the temple’s walls. 

When he turned back to face Hua Cheng, he found that his husband’s gaze had been on him the entire time, and the expression upon his face could only be described as soft and gentle.  

“Want to go in and take a look?” Hua Cheng asked.

Xie Lian nodded enthusiastically. Side by side, they entered the temple, leisurely strolling down the jade-stone path. The interior of the temple was spacious and bright, but it didn’t hold a single divine statue, nor any cushions for worshippers to kneel upon. It was exactly as Xie Lian had ever wished. Hua Cheng had poured every ounce of his heart and soul into creating this perfect sanctuary, this place of reverence and worship made entirely for him.

Oh, and Xie Lian knew all too well all the ways Hua Cheng would worship him at that very altar, in the great hall just across from where he now stood.

“Does Daozhang want to change into something else?” Hua Cheng asked, waving a hand at Xie Lian’s wedding dress.

“Oh!” Xie Lian let out a rueful sigh, remembering that he was still completely disguised in layers of embroidered cloth draping around him and the soft brush of makeup still painted upon his face. He thought about it for a moment and then shook his head, tugging the red robe that Hua Cheng had placed over him closer to his chest. “It’s alright for now.”

Removing his attire wasn’t the important thing to focus on. Not when there was still so much he needed to say to Hua Cheng, and there was no telling when he would return to the waking world. An ache clenched his heart, finding himself missing his husband very much. He knew that his Hua Cheng in the present was likely worrying over his sleeping form, trying to rouse him up. 

For some reason, Hua Cheng’s left brow arched high on his face after he said this. 

“What is it?” Xie Lian asked, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. Was there something on his face? Well, aside from the makeup, of course.

“It’s nothing,” Hua Cheng said lightly. “I just didn’t realize that this was a hobby of Daozhang’s.”

Xie Lian was speechless. “...”

Then he waved his hands in the air. “N— No! It was a mission requirement— purely a mission requirement! Strictly professional!”

Hua Cheng snickered quietly, clearly enjoying himself, before finally relenting. “If you say so, Daozhang.” He smiled teasingly. “Though if you ever feel like admitting it to me, I promise, I won’t judge.”

Xie Lian shook his head quickly, warmth creeping up his cheeks. “San Lang… this really isn’t what it looks like.”

And yet, his thoughts betrayed him, drifting, most inconveniently, to those few occasions when Hua Cheng had somehow coaxed him into dressing up with Shi Qingxuan’s enthusiastic assistance. One thing had led to another, and then they had reenacted— no. That was neither here nor there. Entirely irrelevant to what was happening now. Best not to think about it at all, actually!

Xie Lian cleared his throat, straightening his posture, trying to restore his dignity, and firmly smacked those wandering thoughts back into place. 

He reached out and took one of Hua Cheng’s hands, giving it a gentle squeeze. Though it held none of the warmth of the living, it was still unmistakably pleasant, familiar enough for him to instantly feel safe and at peace. 

“San Lang,” Xie Lian said softly, “there’s something I’ve been wishing to tell you. I haven’t been very honest with you, you see.”

“I know,” Hua Cheng smiled.

Xie Lian was speechless again. He took a hurried step closer, blurting out, “How did you know? You figured everything out already?”

At that, Hua Cheng shook his head slightly. “No. I don’t know everything,” he said. “But I do know this isn’t the first time Daozhang believes we’ve met.”

He was right about that. The first time Xie Lian had thought so was a century ago, on this very day, no less.

Xie Lian felt a little sheepish. It was probably how overly familiar he acted that gave him away. Yet even in the past, at least, in this Hua Cheng’s past memories, he had never once acted this way toward him, so how had he figured it out?

“You’re right,” Xie Lian admitted. “I fell asleep… and ended up here. For me, this is the past.”

Hua Cheng nodded. “I see. Daozhang does not need to explain any further. I understand. It’s the effect of the spiritual device— Altering Memories.”

“Yes,” Xie Lian said with a small smile, amazed at how quickly his husband had caught on. “For me, all of this happened about a hundred years ago.”

Hua Cheng lowered his gaze slightly before lifting it again. “Will Daozhang tell me a little about the future?”

“Of course,” Xie Lian said warmly, sensing both his husband’s curiosity and the nerves hidden beneath it. “In the future, there are no secrets between us. We know each other’s everything.”

He kept speaking softly. “I know about Honghong-er. The Land of the Tenders… and the little ghostly fire in the temple that day. I know about my brave, sweet Wuming.”

He felt Hua Cheng’s breath hitch. Reaching out, Xie Lian took his other hand as well, holding both gently, first brushing his fingers lightly over the affinity knot, and then over his husband’s knuckles in a soothing rhythm.  

“And we’ve been married for a hundred years now,” Xie Lian told him. “I know you’ll forget this once I wake up, but I still wanted you to know.”

Hua Cheng said, “Your Highness, I will never forget you.” 

Xie Lian hadn’t looked away from him for a single moment, so he saw all the emotions that flickered across the other’s face. Too many emotions to name, and that lone eye of his burned, fervent and unrestrained. Shock and disbelief warred within him, yet even so, he continued to gaze, his expression warm and his eye blazing, looking at him like he was the only person who existed in this world, and Xie Lian’s chest was flooded with warmth. 

He lightly added, “Though when I first met San Lang, it was you who called me gege, not the other way around.” 

“Gege. Gege, gege, gege.” Hua Cheng repeated it slowly, as if savoring the sound, testing each syllable upon his tongue. A soft chuckle escaped him, his left eye still shining. “Though I don’t mind if gege calls me his gege either.” 

Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I know just how well you don’t mind…

Then, all at once, a pressure bloomed throughout his body. It didn’t hurt in the slightest, only that it was sudden, as though a rush of warm air had wrapped around him, pressing close around him and whooshing between his ears.

Hua Cheng caught the change in his expression at once. “Gege?” His eye searched Xie Lian’s face urgently. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Lian gave him a reassuring smile. “I think I’m being woken up.”

At that, Hua Cheng’s expression dimmed, a shadow passing over his face. For a moment, he almost looked afraid. “Gege… don’t go.”

“No, San Lang.” Xie Lian lifted his hand, brushing his fingers gently along the curve of Hua Cheng’s cheek, just beneath the edges of his eyepatch. “I will never leave you. Those were the words you once gave me, and they are true for me as well.”

He spoke truthfully as he said, “I don’t want you to wait for me for even another second more.”

Hua Cheng’s entire body seemed to ease at this. He nodded, his eye curving gently, softening into a smile. His trembling fingers also lifted to Xie Lian’s face, brushing along his skin, but so lightly it was like receiving a tickle from a feather, as though even a fraction more pressure might scorch him.

So Xie Lian leaned into the touch instead, meeting him there halfway. He gazed up at Hua Cheng, his chest brimming, love and adoration welling until it felt as though his heart might spill over.

Rising just slightly onto his toes, he pressed a soft kiss to Hua Cheng’s cool and thin lips. He smiled against them as his husband made a startled noise that landed somewhere between a moan and a whimper.  

And then he began to fade. This sensation and scene were far too reminiscent of Mount Tonglu, so much so that Xie Lian’s heart clenched. Even so, he forced himself to speak, clinging to the moment with everything he had.

“San Lang,” he said softly, and full of love. “Don’t be afraid. I will always be with you.”

And then he was flung back into the present.

“Gege!”

That was the first thing Xie Lian heard when he woke. The second was the cool press of lips against his, firm and gentle, a rush of spiritual energy flowing into him until Hua Cheng finally pulled back.

He looked calmer now that Xie Lian was awake, but only just, still looking a bit distraught. 

Before Hua Cheng could say another word, Xie Lian surged forward, climbing atop him and kissing him again, deeper this time. A soft, relieved sigh escaped him as he melted into his husband’s arms, burying his face against Hua Cheng’s chest and clinging onto him there like a barnacle.

“San Lang,” he breathed, thick with emotion. “I missed you so much.”

“Gege—”

Hua Cheng froze mid-word. At the sudden stop, Xie Lian pushed back slightly, tilting his head to look at him, heart quickening. Something seemed to be dawning on his husband, a realization flashing across his face before he suddenly lunged forward, closing his arms around Xie Lian once more, eye as bright as the stars.

“Gege,” he breathed, and then suddenly, he was being rained down with kisses, relentless and breathless, upon Xie Lian’s lips, forehead, cheeks, and neck; no part of him was spared. Each kiss was fervent and full of burning passion. All the while, he murmured over and over like it was a prayer, “Gege, gege, gege… gege!”

Enough with the gege already!

But Xie Lian didn’t have the heart to push him away. He lay still, gazing into his husband’s face, feeling a love so immense it seemed ready to pour out from his very fingertips. Even after hundreds of years, it still took him by surprise, this unshakable force within him, how it only grew stronger with each passing year, day, second, rooting deeply like a flower blooming eternally within his heart. 

His reverie, however, was abruptly shattered by an assault of voices, his friends barging into his mind yelling, cursing up a storm, scolding, and making a ruckus of themselves. 

“Xie Lian!” Mu Qing sounded deeply exasperated. Xie Lian could almost picture his eyes rolling so hard they might pop right out of his sockets. “What did you two do this time!? Isn’t it enough that I have to watch you with your San Lang all the time, but now you have to go meddling in the past too and mess with our memories?!”

From Feng Xin came a shout that could have cracked the heavens. “Your Highness! What the actual fuck just happened!? Why am I suddenly remembering something… very strange that happened all the way back then!? It’s like I have two completely different sets of memories of certain things!” 

Xie Lian let out a sigh, pressing two fingers to his temple, while Hua Cheng pouted beside him, grumpy and clearly annoyed at the intrusion.

“Sorry, sorry,” Xie Lian called out to his friends. “I’ll explain later— ah, later, okay?”

Hua Cheng, undeterred, had pressed his lips firmly against Xie Lian’s neck, making his back arch instinctively, and then his husband stepped into the spiritual array as well.

“Get lost,” Hua Cheng thundered darkly at them, and just like that, the line went dead almost instantly, though not before they let out a few more grumbles and muttered curses.

“San Lang…” Xie Lian admonished a little before giving up and smiling helplessly. “Tell me, what exactly do you remember?” 

Hua Cheng hoisted him effortlessly into his arms. Once secure, Xie Lian curled his legs around Hua Cheng’s waist, holding on as their gazes locked. Hua Cheng’s eye gleamed, warm with mischief. “I remember everything. The way gege wanted his San Lang-gege to steal him away as his bride… I remember all of it, every single detail.”

Xie Lian’s cheeks warmed, but a grin soon spread across his face. “San Lang, you were so adorable!”

Hua Cheng chuckled, his lone eye shining with amusement. “And I remember gege’s big, innocent eyes looking at me while teasing me— gege was so cruel, playing tricks on me like that.”

“Ha ha! It’s nothing compared to how much fun you clearly have messing with me,” Xie Lian shot back, laughing, tapping gently at the back of Hua Cheng’s neck as he wrapped his arms more firmly around him. “I had the chance, so why wouldn’t I take it?”

“Hm, to gege it all happened just now, but to me it has been a hundred years,” Hua Cheng finally explained. “I still remember it very clearly, along with the original set of memories, but both are real; both had already happened. It’s only now that I’m getting those memories back.”

Xie Lian hummed thoughtfully, brushing a hand over his husband's cheek as he considered this. “The Altering Memories is a very interesting device, isn’t it, to be capable of doing all of this?”

Hua Cheng seemed to agree, a toothy grin tugging at his lips. “Gege,” he murmured, and Xie Lian felt a slight wariness at the tone. “In my memories… our first kiss was the one you initiated. You teased me and flirted with me first. Gege was being very bold.” His words drifted against Xie Lian’s face, a cool, gentle breath brushing his lips.

Xie Lian couldn’t help but smile warmly.

He had been carrying a hollow ache ever since he had left behind Hua Cheng of the past, and now it was gone completely. In this moment of the present, he felt complete, his chest filling up like the warm glow of three thousand Blessing Lanterns lighting up the air, and he felt like he would burst open from the sheer amount of joy and happiness he was feeling.

“I did learn from the best, after all,” Xie Lian tapped a single finger lightly against the center of his husband’s chest. “San Lang-gege.”

Hua Cheng’s eye ignited at once, burning and ardent, scorching straight through him. The intensity of being under such a gaze would be enough to make anyone’s breath falter.

Xie Lian only smiled wider, and then he slowly leaned in and sealed his words with another kiss.