Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“...and here in Heaven, that’s what we call the ‘Gardens’.”

“Woah. What are those vines? Those seeds look –”

“Don’t go near them! They’re poisonous!”

“Poisonous? Why would there be poisonous flowers in Heaven?”

…

“...now that I think about it, Heaven’s pretty barren, right? There’s no plants anywhere, except for these poisonous ones.”

A tired sigh.

“So. About that. We consider it Heaven’s greatest mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“Have you heard about…the God of Flowers?”

“Xie Lian? Only rumors, though they sound ridiculous. Like how he married a Ghost King? I’ve heard he’s incredibly powerful, though.”

“Well, we have a different name for him here in Heaven…”

When Zhen Guang ascended as the new Martial God of the East, he had many expectations of Heaven. A beautiful utopia, full of powerful and righteous gods, under the watchful eye of the Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu. He imagined grand palaces and greenery, beautiful architecture and spaces to walk through. He imagined coming in and never wanting to leave, seeing the ideal world above.

Reality proved to be a lot different.

First off, Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu had apparently been defeated by the Crimson Rain Sought Flower at the behest of the God of Flowers Xie Lian. Though he had heard of the God of Flowers leaving Heaven to marry a Ghost King, and how his domain now holds poisonous flowers that can incapacitate gods, Zhen Guang didn’t realize just how much power he had over his now husband and the implications it had on Heaven.

Especially with its impression on the new gods.

Heaven did boast the architecture he expected, but it was…barren. There were clearly spots where there were supposed to be plants. 

It looked almost…sterile.

Lifeless.

Without the plants.

He never realized how...sad things looked without plants.

Not to mention that Heaven will have to go to the mortal realm for any sort of herbal medicine, for teas or for spices. Anything that was attempted to be grown in Heaven would refuse to grow, suppressed by the God of Flowers – perhaps a curse placed upon the land.

How cruel. Such evil and greed in a supposedly minor god.

Already, Zhen Guang decided that he very much didn’t like Xie Lian.

“Are you ever going to remove the scary flowers?” Black Water asked through slurping his noodles. Xie Lian barely managed to catch Hua Cheng’s hand from smacking the other Ghost King for ‘daring to speak with his mouth full’.

Xie Lian shrugged. “They don’t want to go.”

He Xuan looked up at the god, curiously.

“I asked them if they wanted to leave.” Xie Lian explained, fingers subconsciously petting Hua Cheng’s head. The Ghost King closed his eyes and dropped his head to rest on Xie Lian’s shoulder. “They don’t want to go.”

“Keeping the gods in their place, more like.” Hua Cheng scoffed.

“I’ll be sure to let them know you approve.” Xie Lian laughed.

“Did you hear? The God of Flowers will be attending the meeting!”

“No way! He’s actually leaving Ghost City and returning? Do you think he’s moving back…?”

“I don’t think so. But General Pei Ming is reminding everyone to pay him utmost respect.”

Zhen Guang turned towards the other gods. “Is this about the territory dispute?”

In the vacuum absence of the former Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu, there needs to be a redistribution of land for the gods. What will be under whose protection, and under their guidance.

Most of the lands were transferred peacefully, without issue.

The others, not so much.

The gods nodded. “Yes, and General Pei Ming extended an invitation to the God of Flowers just in case he has any input.”

“And he’s actually coming.”

Zhen Guang frowned. From what he had heard, the God of Flowers has little to no command over the human realm. Perhaps one or two villages pray to him, and a spattering of small provinces, but besides the rumored legendary temple in Ghost City, his other temples are small and few.

Perhaps the God of Flowers is looking to expand his territory. Perhaps he’s looking to expand his influence. It would seem that his initial judgment was true.

No doubt he’ll be using his position and the threat of his husband to gain some ground to himself. He thought of approaching General Pei Ming and beseeching him to reconsider inviting the God of Flowers. A tyrant like that shouldn’t be given more power.

And yet, Zhen Guang was curious. What kind of person could this God of Flowers be? How was a minor god able to rise the ranks to become known as the ‘God of Gods’, who brought the downfall of the former Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu?

Zhen Guang had always been someone who stood for justice, for what was right.

And he will not be cowed by some evil minor god.

If Heaven will not stand its ground, he will do it instead.

“Do you haaaaave to go?” Hua Cheng flopped across Xie Lian’s lap before the God could stand to get ready.

Xie Lian smiled and combed his fingers through his husband’s hair. “My temples are in some of the territories. I have to take care of them.”

“Let me rephrase,” Hua Cheng tilted his head to look at his God eye-to-eye, “is Gege okay with going back?”

This time, Xie Lian stayed quiet.

“...I have to go.” He murmured.

His hands were shaking.

Hua Cheng hummed. “Might this San Lang give a suggestion?”

Xie Lian arrived in a grand, red sedan carried by armed skeletons.

Zhen Guang watched as the skeletons lowered themselves respectfully to allow the God of Flowers to exit. Heaven held their breath when the first foot exited the red curtains, then the rest of him.

He was…

Zhen Guang felt his heart rate pick up, sweat form on his brow, hands turn clammy, cheeks flush hot. 

He understood then and there how Xie Lian managed to get a Ghost King to turn a City into his temple.

The God of Flowers was the most beautiful being Zhen Guang had ever seen.

Unlike the other gods that wear fine armor, silks and jewels to showcase their status, Xie Lian wore a simple white robe. However, it showed quality, made of the highest quality of silks that sparkled under the sunlight even without any gems, embroidered finely with off-white and silver butterflies and petals.

What he lacked in jewels (minus a silver ring on his middle finger), he made up for in vines of flowers, multiple flowers in purples and pinks dotting the vines all over his body and all over his hair, cascading down elegantly. As he walked, flowers bloomed and disappeared in time with his movements. For a brief moment, color and life was breathed into Heaven, isolated on his person. He walked with the grace of a Prince, head held high and face passive and stoic.

On his shoulder was an exceptionally large red butterfly, lined with silver, decorated with patterns that look eerily like eyes.

All of Heaven froze with his arrival, and those unfortunate enough to come in behind him quickly skittered back in fear. They kept a distance from him and the red sedan as they tried to make their way to the Divine Palace.

Zhen Guang stayed on the side and he couldn’t look away from Xie Lian. He was looking for any crack, any semblance of evil intent behind that (admittedly) gorgeous facade and –

– and Xie Lian took three steps back.

The gods behind him scrambled back three steps in panic, tripping and falling all over themselves.

Xie Lian hid his smile behind dainty fingers and continued walking forward. Even the butterfly on his shoulder looked amused, fluttering up and down as if laughing.

That – 

It was…

It was cute .

“What the hell…?” Zhen Guang shook his head, surprised at himself, before he slapped his own face.

Do not be tricked! This was the god that seduced a Ghost King! Do not fall for his charms!

He straightened himself up and followed.

The only god that ended up approaching Xie Lian was Shi Qingxuan, who just so happens to be the only god to have flowers in their palace. It was said that they were the only person Xie Lian considered a friend, something about them being friends due to their shared beauty as the Wind Master’s vanity was known throughout Heaven.

While all other gods kept a fearful distance, Shi Qingxuan easily skipped over. “Xie-xiong!” they exclaimed as they hooked arms with the other god. “I haven’t seen you in ages! I missed you so much, best friend!”

Xie Lian’s posture relaxed slightly, the polite look on his face made way for a smile. Some of the flowers in his hair changed, from the purples and pinks, a few yellow and red flowers sprouted. They look like the flowers found in Shi Qingxuan’s palace.

“We saw each other two days ago.” Xie Lian smiled as he picked one of the yellow flowers from his hair and tucked it onto the other god’s ear.

“ Ages, Xie-xiong!” the Wind Master insisted.

The two continued on to the main building, everyone avoiding them. Their heads were ducked towards one another, speaking softly about whatever it is they speak about. Zhen Guang slowly started to follow behind, eyes lingering on the pink and purple flowers in the Flower God’s hair. He couldn’t look away.

Curious.

“Xie-xiong, what flowers are these?” Shi Qingxuan whispered, worriedly, as they approached the Heavenly hall. “I’ve never seen them before.”

Xie Lian lifted a section of purple and pink flowers with a wince. “Lavenders for distrust. Rhododendrons for danger. Begonias for beware.”

Shi Qingxuan hummed in pity. “It won’t be long. Then you can go back to Ghost City, yeah? Besides, you have me, and the Crimson Rain looking out for you.” They gestured to the butterfly. E-ming looked stiff on Xie Lian’s shoulder, alert. “He-xiong is also ready in my communication array, if you need extra help.”

Xie Lian had very few friends, but they were the best friends he could ask for.

“I know. Thank you.”

“...if that’s the case, then we have to settle the villages in between the two cities.” Pei Ming sighed over the map.

Zhen Guang kept looking over at Xie Lian, who was sitting in the back, in his own little space. The gods gave him a wide breadth, minus Shi Qingxuan who was nodding off to sleep when they weren’t talking to Xie Lian.

The God of Flowers was quietly playing with the large butterfly. 

Zhen Guang fully expected him to strong-arm the gods into just giving him the territories, use his husband as leverage to gain control of the human realm, and spread his influence.

But no.

He just…sat quietly in the back, speaking to his friend, and playing with that creepy butterfly. He let the butterfly crawl along his fingers, made nests with his hair and arranged the flowers so that he could smother the butterfly with light kisses. It was adorable and endearing and get a hold of yourself Zhen Guang you are lowering your guard!

Except territory after territory passed hands and judgment and he just…sat there. Playing around with that butterfly.

That is, until…

“...there’s another temple, though it is quite run down. In Puqi Village, who could –”

“Puqi village is mine.”

All heads swiveled towards the God of Flowers, who now sat up straight, his voice calm and sure and rose above everyone else in the room. The butterfly was perched on the ring on his finger, wings spread with those eerie eye patterns facing the room.

“I saved that village from a famine over 800 years ago, and they still pray primarily to me. Jun Wu’s temple was only built as a token, but it has been long abandoned, hence why it’s ‘run down;’.” Xie Lian leaned back on his chair. “Puqi village is mine, and is not up for debate.”

Puqi village was a small, agricultural village, not even exceeding fifty people. By all intents and purposes, it would be a village easily written off, and as far as Zhen Guang could tell, it was only brought up because it was smack between two new territories.

“I understand, but it is still listed under the former –”

Faster than anyone could register, the large, red butterfly on Xie Lian’s shoulder flashed silver and charged forth, transforming into a silver scimitar with an eerie red eye, the blade tip aimed at the god’s throat. The room froze in shock and horror.

Zhen Guang shook.

The cursed scimitar E-ming?!

He instinctively looked around, just like the rest of the gods, looking for that dreaded Ghost King, looking for any evil aura, the Red Calamity.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” All eyes turned to Xie Lian, whose hair now bloomed red flowers up top. “Did I stutter?”

The sword chirped , eye narrowed.When the gods looked at Xie Lian, there were vines growing out of him, creating almost a protective canopy around him and the Wind Master. The gods briefly thought of the Gardens, of the poisonous flowers that continue to grow and thrive as a reminder of what the God of Flowers is capable of.

Distantly, Zhen Guang registered that the god that tried to argue with Xie Lian was pissing himself. 

Shi Qingxuan watched lazily. “Xie-xiong just said that Puqi village was his. What part is so hard to understand?” They opened their fan. “Just leave it alone.”

“Puqi village is under Xie Lian, the God of Flowers, no dispute.” Pei Ming announced, but even though his voice boomed with authority, anyone would notice the sweat on his brow, how his hand shook slightly near his sword. “We’ll work around it.”

After a murmur of agreement, only then did the canopy of vines recede. Only then did E-ming fly back to Xie Lian, making a show of quickly slashing the air around him and the Wind Master as if to draw a line at who not to mess with, before transforming back into the red butterfly. Now that they had seen its true form, it was easy to tell that the circular patterns on his wings were to represent the eye of E-ming.

Zhen Guang adjusted himself. He may have pissed himself as well. From the uncomfortable adjustments of the other gods, they were doing the same.

Zhen Guang watched as Xie Lian stayed quiet the rest of the meeting, with Shi Qingxuan napping against his shoulder. The God of Flowers seemed so disinterested in all other proceedings, and continued playing with perhaps the deadliest butterfly in existence.

All he wanted was to keep Puqi Village, with no interest in expanding further.

Huh.

Xie Lian calmed himself down, watching the red columbines fade away as his anxiety faded. He’s glad nobody understood his language in Heaven, otherwise they would’ve known how scared he was.

‘San Lang, that was a bit much.’ Xie Lian shot over their communication array, but he was fighting to hide the smile on his face. ‘I think they peed themselves.’

He wanted to look cool and passive, but not cruel. However, E-ming was just so cute, and of course he would swoon over how loving his husband was being, he couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed.

‘It wasn’t.’ Hua Cheng’s cool voice calmed Xie Lian’s nerves, ‘it’s the care and love Gege deserves.’

At the end of the meeting, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan parted ways with a hug, Zehn Guang followed him as he passed by his old domain. He didn’t enter, though. The deadly flowers that cowed the entirety of Heaven gently lowered themselves in his presence as if bowing.

“Are you sure you’re alright here?” Xie Lian gently brushed his hand along the vines, his brow furrowed. “You can leave, if you want. I will not make you stay here.”

Zhen Guang blinked, confused.

The flowers seemed to shake from side to side, as if saying no. Vines reached out and wrapped around Xie Lian’s wrist, who hummed.

“I see. Thank you, but if you ever wish to leave, you may.” He lifted his arm and kissed the vine, and power surged through the plant. The deadly flowers bloomed brighter and fuller. “San Lang says he’s proud of you.”

The plant may not have facial expressions but it seemed to preen.

That was…interesting.

Because it implies that Xie Lian wasn’t purposefully keeping the flowers alive here.

The flowers…wanted to stay?

For what purpose?

And who exactly was ‘San Lang’?

With that done, Xie Lian left. He went back to the entrance, climbed the red sedan, and was carried away.

Zhen Guang clenched his fist and followed.

“Are you sure you’re alright here? You can leave if you want. I will not make you stay.”

The Rosary Peas bristled.

‘We’ll stay!’ They chimed

‘Our God was hurt! They hurt our God!’

‘We’re here to remind them to never hurt you again.’

‘Stupid gods will forget if we’re not here.’

‘Besides, we can spy on Heaven for you!’

‘Please, let us take care of you!’

Xie Lian had forgotten how protective the plants were of him. He spent eight hundred years cut off from them, and the few hours he had his powers during festivals, the plants spent it being cheerful for him. Hua Cheng, who had been listening over the communication array, laughed.

‘I’m proud of those flowers. Good on them.’

Xie Lian’s entourage stopped at the entrance of the Ghost City, much to Zhen Guang’s surprise. He was fully expecting the God of Flowers to just enter with the entire sedan, but the skeleton carriers bent down right before the entrance to Ghost City, and Xie Lian stepped out.

He looked…

So different.

If Zhen Guang thought Xie Lian was beautiful in Heaven, it was nothing compared to now.

Xie Lian’s whole demeanor changed. His posture was slightly slumped, relaxed, and he had a small smile on his face rather than the polite stoicness he kept up in Heaven. As soon as his feet touched the ground, it bloomed with a burst of flowers, big and bright and colorful. Even the trees and grass around them seemed to turn greener, brighter, with his presence.

Zhen Guang thought he understood what it meant for Xie Lian to be a God of Flowers.

He hadn’t even scratched the surface.

Even the flowers on his hair seemed different. In Heaven, though beautiful, the flowers were duller, stiff. Now, all the types of flowers seem to have changed, and they were soft and relaxed, swaying with the wind and with every slight movement on Xie Lian’s head.

Xie Lian held out a hand, and a vine grew and wrapped around his wrist. “Anything happen while I was gone? No?” The butterfly on his shoulder fluttered up and down. “Good, good. Come, E-ming. Let’s go home.”

The skeletons brought the sedan elsewhere, and Zhen Guang followed Xie Lian discreetly into the Ghost City. He was prepared to face a den of iniquity, sin and despair in every corner. He had heard the legends, had heard the stories –

– and none of it were true. Zhen Guang’s pace behind Xie Lian slowed as he took in the area around him. It looked so…normal. There were some things that were strange, of course. Potions and food he didn’t recognize, spattered with food that he did recognize, and of course the ghosts themselves were all different shapes, colors, and sizes.

If he didn’t know any better he would’ve thought he just went to a slightly eccentric village.

However, he immediately noticed that every single stall was lined with blooming vines. Over the canopies, up the walls, winding around the stalls. They were out of the way, but it was very clear that all the ghosts were told to leave them alone, because they visibly made way for the flowers, and nobody dared to pluck a single blossom.

The ghosts themselves turned to Xie Lian immediately as soon as the god passed. They waved and cheered and bowed, some even walking up to him to offer some crudely folded paper flowers, which Xie Lian laughed as he accepted. He greeted each ghost with a soft smile, allowed a few ghost flames to dance near him, and even summoned a few vines to help a merchant that was restocking.

Zhen Guang was baffled. The difference between Xie Lian in the Ghost City and Heaven was so stark. His attitude, his countenance, his reception .

Who was the real Xie Lian…?

The arrogant, prideful and stoic minor god that would threaten another at swordpoint?

The kind, gentle, happy god that took care of a city and their residents?

Zhen Guang had a sneaking suspicion that it was the latter, but did not want to admit it.

Because then the question becomes: what did Heaven do to dim such a bright soul?

“San Lang!”

Zhen Guang felt it even before he saw the Ghost King. The sense of dread that crawled up his skin, the suffocating, overwhelming power that dwarfed his whole existence. It was like walking into a volcano, being crushed in all sides by a suffocating heat.

It was only because he was a martial god did he manage to power through the aura and look for the culprit.

He’s ‘San Lang’?

The Crimson Rain Sought Flower, the Scourge of the Heavens, Hua Cheng, walked towards Xie Lian with a gentle smile on his face, hands behind his back. He was quite thin, but his height and aura made up for that, his presence drawing every eye. The ghosts scrambled to make way, cheered for him and bowed for him.

Xie Lian ran up to him and –

And –

Oh.

Oh.

The flowers on his hair completely change. From the tops of his head to the ends were purple and white flowers, and a crown of flowers grew across his head, full of red flowers, so bright and full that it put all other flowers to shame. Zhen Guang could only identify roses and tulips amongst them.

The vines all over Ghost City, though they were beautiful and full before, seemed to bloom brighter, the colors popping more and more.

Xie Lian, without fear and without faltering from the aura, jumped into Hua Cheng’s arms, giggling and smiling as Hua Cheng twirled him around. It drove home to Zhen Guang how short the God of Flowers was, being a full head shorter than the Ghost King.

Hua Cheng lifted Xie Lian’s hand, and Zhen Guang noticed a vine lined with white flowers on the Ghost King’s middle finger, pressing against the silver ring on Xie Lian’s. E-ming fluttered over to Hua Cheng’s waist and reformed into a scimitar.

Crimson Rain brought the flower god’s hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. “Welcome home, Gege.”

“I’m home, San Lang.”

Zhen Guang stayed in the shadows as he watched them.

Xie Lian was talking, hands gesturing around as he talked to the Ghost King. Hua Cheng’s eyes never left Xie Lian, and he looked as if he was giving the god his full attention, hands occasionally darting out to fix a blossom in his hair, or to readjust the flower crown, or to take Xie Lian’s hand and press kisses along his fingers, responding in kind.

Zhen Guang had grown up with his parents hiding their affection for one another. He knows his parents love each other very much, but they never showed it in public. “I need to keep my image as a strong king,” his father would say, “and I cannot have my image ruined by doting on my wife.”

But Hua Cheng didn’t seem to care about that. He smiled, and laughed, and softened his whole body around Xie Lian, the love so clear in his expression. Every move around Xie Lian was gentle, and yet, he instinctively moved his body as if to protect him. A hand hovered over his scimitar whenever someone got too close, his body would turn towards the closest sign of danger, even as his eyes never left Xie Lian. When he spoke to the god, Zhen Guang could feel the whispers of devotion, as if every word spoken to Xie Lian was a subconscious prayer.

He didn’t care that he was being spied on by the ghosts. He didn’t care that he was putting his reputation on the line.

And Xie Lian was so happy . The vines around Ghost City bloomed brighter, the flowers in his hair were so big, and the red flowers in the crown were oriented towards Hua Cheng.

As the couple finally decided to move away, heading towards “The Gardens”, Zhen Guang prepared himself to follow when he was stopped by a silver butterfly.

“What –”

The silver butterfly picked him up, like he weighed nothing, and lifted him up, up, and away, back outside the city. It dropped him unceremoniously outside the city, alongside multiple other random people, each of them shaking in fear.

The butterflies merged together and formed an avatar of Hua Cheng –

No.

Not just Hua Cheng.

This was the Crimson Rain Sought Flower. His face was stern and hard, lips turned down in a severe frown, his body tense and ready for a fight. Though just an avatar, Zhen Guang could feel its power, choking their divinity as if it was nothing.

“My Kingdom is one of revelry and vice, and I usually allow you scum to play as long as you follow my rules.” The avatar sounded eerily calm. “However, my God was sad today. Heavenly Officials from here on are banned until my God allows you to return.”

Heavenly officials…?

Zhen Guang looked at the others, whose faces contorted to guilt.

…oh.

“H-hang on!” One of the officials tried to protest, “w-we did nothing to your god this time –”

And in a blink of an eye, he exploded into a rain of blood.

Zhen Guang may have pissed himself twice now in a single day.

“Leave.” The copy radiated power. It cowed them all to the ground. It was clear:

They stood no chance to fight an avatar, let alone the actual Ghost King.

None of them wished to court danger. Slowly, they all stood and made their way out, like a parade of shame as they shed their disguises and headed back to the Heavenly Realm.

When he got back to Heaven, the first thing Zhen Guang did was approach one of the older officials.

“What really happened with Xie Lian?”

Hua Cheng relaxed as the gods went away without a fuss. He waved away the clone, allowing it to disappear in a flurry of silver butterflies.

“Hm?” Xie Lian looked back up at Hua Cheng. “What’s wrong, San Lang?”

“Nothing.” Hua Cheng leaned down to kiss his God’s temple. “Just making sure some flies stayed away from you.”

Xie Lian blinked, and Hua Cheng could see the moment Xie Lian extended his consciousness to the flowers around the Ghost City. The way his God’s eyes glazed over slightly.

“Really?” Xie Lian huffed when his consciousness returned, but his lips were twitching up with a smile.

“Was I wrong?” Hua Cheng challenged.

“...no.” Xie Lian tilted his head to rest against his husband’s shoulder. “No, you weren’t. Thank you. Give me about a week before letting them back in.”

“Take your time.” Hua Cheng carded a hand gently through his husband’s hair, avoiding the blossoms. “Weeks, months, years. They can wait until you’re ready.”

It was several months before Zheng Guang saw Xie Lian again. Even though it was spread through the gods that the Ghost City was once again open to the Heavenly Officials that wanted to gamble their money away, Zhen Guang was shame-faced enough to never return.

Especially after learning everything.

To General Pei Ming’s credit, he kept the records of Heaven’s sin against Xie Lian out in public. A reminder, or perhaps even a warning, to the dangers of pride and greed.

Heaven created its greatest villain.

And Zhen Guang couldn’t even blame Xie Lian for choosing that path.

There was another dispute – this time, it had to do with two warring gods. They wanted input on how to resolve the dispute peacefully, and Xie Lian was invited because he has a temple in one of the villages.

Just like before, Xie Lian entered in a sedan carried by skeletons, had stiff and dull flowers in his hair, and a large red butterfly on his shoulder. Like before, his expression was completely blank.

This time, Zhen Guang understood. This was not a display of rebelliousness and power. It was a reminder that Xie Lian chose the Ghost Realm over Heaven. That he has the strength and protection of The Red Calamity. That he was never putting his guard down again, lest he be imprisoned wrongfully once more.

This time, instead of watching, Zhen Guang slowly approached Xie Lian and bowed. The flower god looked at him, surprised, but he immediately took a step back. The butterfly flew in front of the god, stiff and threatening.

“My name is Zhen Guang. The new martial god of the east. I never introduced myself to you.” He kept his tone pleasant, kept his head slightly tilted down, his hands behind his back and away from his weapons.

“And…?” Xie Lian raised a brow. It broke Zhen Guang’s heart that he was so wary .

“And I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what happened to you.” He tilted his head down, and bowed lower. “You didn’t deserve that. And I’m glad you found justice, even if it was…far too late. I don’t expect you to…forgive Heaven. But. I do hope that we can make things right.”

He couldn’t imagine. Eight hundred years…

Eight hundred years of isolation, of being suppressed by two cursed shackles, his domain as empty as the Heavens are now, except as a flower god, he must have felt the emptiness much more strongly…

Xie Lian was quiet and then Zhen Guang saw a hand wave lightly in his field of vision, telling him to get up.

Zhen Guang looked up, and Xie Lian had a pleasant smile on his face. It was still tight and small, compared to the wide and happy smiles he had in Ghost City, but it was a start.

He’s so beautiful .

“You’re right.” Xie Lian’s voice was soft, and gentle. “I would never feel comfortable here in Heaven ever again. But, if Heaven continues to gain gods like you, I may one day forgive them. Enough to not cause a scene every time I have to come over.”

The butterfly settled back on Xie Lian’s shoulder.

Zhen Guang bowed one more time, and stepped back and away. Before he could turn, however, Xie Lian called out.

“By the way, my husband – Hua Cheng – said to tell you something like ‘don’t try coming back’? I don’t quite understand why –”

Ah.

Zhen Guang flushed, bowed again, and scurried away.

Nope, he was not going to get in between that.

It was just a crush, anyway. 

It will fade in time.

Zhen Guang shuddered. He could feel the spooky butterfly staring at him from behind.

Hopefully soon.

“Gege is too charming.” Hua Cheng sighed, and E-ming telepathically crooned in response. He watched the entire exchange through E-ming’s eye. It would have been sweet if it were not for the clear signs that the new god had a crush on Xie Lian.

Really.

“Perhaps I should visit with him next time.” He waved his hand, and the dice toppled back to his favor, to the agonized wail of the gambler before him echoing in the den. “Yes, that would be fun.”

Chapter Text

1

A still, t hin body with bloody fingers on the altar.

“My…God…?”

Tears. Sorrow. Agony.

Bloody paper flowers on the altar.

A paper thin body falling on his lap.

His life force going cold.

And the teenager boy’s body morphed to that of a taller man draped in red –

Xie Lian shot up from the bed, hands covering his mouth to hold back his scream.

Where was –

That boy –

San Lang!

His eyes instinctively found Hua Cheng, laying beside him with his eyes closed. So pale, so thin, and still and –

He’s not breathing.

Panic surged in Xie Lian’s veins and he reached out to touch the pulse point on Hua Cheng’s neck.” Please, no, please please please –”

There was no heartbeat.

“Oh no –” He gripped the thin inner robe his precious devotee was dressed in. “My precious boy – not again – no, please, I can’t –”

“--no please, I can’t –”

Hua Cheng shook away the last remnants of sleep, bolstered by the desperation in Xie Lian’s voice. There was no immediate danger, nothing he could sense within Ghost City, which was why he allowed himself to relax so completely in the first place. Even E-ming was –

“--not again not again –”

Was Xie Lian having a nightmare?

“Gege…?” 

Hua Cheng let out an “oof” as Xie Lian threw himself over his husband. “San Lang!” He cried, desperate. “San Lang, oh, San Lang you’re alive you’re –”

Hua Cheng could see in real time as the information finally caught up to Xie Lian. The way his panicked, teary golden eyes cleared out, the way the tense muscles of his face relaxed, the way his mouth morphed from quivering in fear to shock and embarrassment.

“...right. Right…” Xie Lian hid his face against Hua Cheng’s chest. “I forgot.”

“Oh, Gege…” Hua Cheng combed his fingers through Xie Lian’s hair, hearing the quick beats of his heart. He was truly scared for a moment, wasn’t he?

“...I dreamt of the altar. When you died.” Xie Lian’s voice was small, muffled by Hua Cheng’s chest. “And I woke up and you didn’t breathe, nor had a heartbeat, and I sort of panicked.”

In response, Hua Cheng willed himself to have a heartbeat, started to breathe even though there was no need to.

Xie Lian exhaled. His shoulders relaxed. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Is it helping?”

“...yes.”

“Then it’s fine.” Hua Cheng bent down to kiss the top of Xie Lian’s head. “The nightmare is over, Gege. I’m here. We’re here. Together.”

Xie Lian breathed slowly. “Together.” He repeated, and peeked up at his husband. “I can’t promise this won’t happen again."

“I don’t expect you to.” Hua Cheng smiled, gently. “We have all the time in the world. You spent eight hundred years imprisoned in heaven, but we have the rest of eternity together.” 

Xie Lian’s shoulders relaxed, eyes sparkling. “I look forward to it.”

Baby steps, baby steps.

From that night forward, Hua Cheng kept breathing as he slept, kept a heartbeat going even when it’s not needed, so when the nights come that Xie Lian wakes up, he can be assured immediately that Hua Cheng was there. That Hua Cheng was still alive.

2

Xie Lian stretched as he walked around Paradise Manor. After living in his cottage for so long, it was remarkable that he had moved to such a large house! He was still getting used to the layout. He took in a deep breath, and looked up at the sky. There was not a single cloud today, the vast sky was so blue, with just the perfect breeze.

It was a nice day.

The thought snagged in Xie Lian’s mind.

He started walking before he could stop himself.

It was a nice day.

All days are nice.

It was a nice day.

All days are nice.

It was a nice day.

All days are nice.

Keep walking.

Keep walking.

‘My Lord…?’

That was a warning. Yin Yu was the type of person who approached everything with quiet confidence and competence, always reliable and assured. Exactly the type of person that Hua Cheng needed as a right hand of the city. For him to sound so uncertain…

Hua Cheng slashed at the small army the newest Wrath managed to accumulate, decimating most of them in an instant. ‘What is it, Yin Yu?’

‘I’m not sure if this is a cause for concern, but Master Xie Lian has been walking around the manor.’

Hua Cheng frowned as E-ming toyed with the new Wrath, leaving micro slashes that the ghost would never be able to heal. ‘Gege is free to move as he pleases.’

Yin Yu sounded even more unsure. ‘He has been walking around the manor in a circle for two hours now.’

Hua Cheng froze. E-ming, ever connected to his thoughts, stilled mid-air. The Wrath took a breath of relief –

Only to explode into a rain of blood along with the rest of his army in an instant as Hua Cheng grabbed his dice.

‘Take charge of the cleanup. This is an urgent matter.’

Yin Yu, even though he clearly did not understand what was happening, gave his affirmation and Hua Cheng rolled to get back to Paradise Manor as quickly as possible.

After the first time Xie Lian had nightmares, Hua Cheng realized that saving his God from Heaven was only the beginning. Eight hundred years of isolation has taken its toll on him, has damaged him so deeply that it will take more than a new home to heal him.

He didn’t realize it extended to this. His ingrained habit of walking in circles, as a way to distract himself and keep himself away from his own domain. His own way of coping while waiting for his devotee to find him for eight hundred years.

But Hua Cheng vowed to be with him through it all, and he has always been a man of his word.

When he stepped out of one of the doors, it was right on time to see Xie Lian walk past. He looked dazed, unfocused, with pink cyclamen flowers drooping from his head.

Resignation.

E-ming transformed into a butterfly, fluttering to land on Xie Lian’s shoulder, while Hua Cheng moved to fall in step with him. “Gege.”

Xie Lian looked over to Hua Cheng and smiled, the flower crown of Their Flowers wrapping around his head. The flowers perked up, but not to their usual vigor. “Hello, San Lang – oh! Did you come from a fight? I thought you were at the Gambler’s Den today.”

Hua Cheng resisted the urge to frown. It appears that Xie Lian, himself, wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. He explained what happened – a Wrath attempted to raid Ghost City with an army – but he discretely led Xie Lian towards the Gardens.

If he recalls correctly, Xie Lian walked around his perimeter to avoid seeing the vast emptiness of his domain. So to snap him out of it…

It was a good call. The second Xie Lian spotted the red carpet of flowers, he froze mid-step. Hua Cheng took a few steps more so he could stand in front of his God.

“What –” Xie Lian blinked several times in quick succession, as if trying to remember where he was.

“Yin Yu told me you’ve been walking in a circle for two hours.” Hua Cheng remained close enough to ensure that Xie Lian wouldn’t collapse, but gave his God enough room to see the flowers. “Did you…forget you were here?”

Xie Lian scrunched his face.

“It was a really nice day, I thought –”

I thought I was back in Heaven.

Hua Cheng recalled how Heaven always emulated a pleasant spring day – just the right amount of heat, cloudless skies, and a constant light breeze to make one feel cool without being too cold. Hua Cheng found it disgustingly pleasant at first, but as he spent more and more time with Xie Lian in his domain, the days became unnerving and he wanted to find ways to destroy whatever weather control they had.

Especially now, Hua Cheng realizes that today was a lovely spring day and it pains him that Xie Lian associates such wonderful weather with his imprisonment.

Hua Cheng led Xie Lian back to The Garden, his siblings reaching out and making way for them. “You’re safe. The Garden is safe. We aren’t leaving you.” He squeezed his God’s hands. “You’re free.”

Xie Lian’s breath shuddered. “I’m free.” He repeated, nodding. “I…might need the reminder. Every now and then.”

Hua Cheng did not suspect anything different.

“We have all the time in the world. You spent eight hundred years imprisoned in heaven, but we have the rest of eternity together.” Hua Cheng reminded.

Xie Lian smiled, small and shy. “I look forward to it.”

Baby steps, baby steps.

Yin Yu learned to notify Hua Cheng immediately once Xie Lian starts walking circuits around Paradise Manor. Hua Cheng made it his top priority to lead Xie Lian to the gardens every time, so that their flowers can remind him that he’s free. That he can have these genuinely nice days without lying to himself.

3

It was the paintings of a traveling ghost artist that set Xie Lian off.

He was apparently a famous one, who had traveled to the Ghost City several times to sell his paintings. The ghost dedicated his afterlife to capturing the world with his brush, something about how he was never allowed to make a living off of his art when he was alive, why not do it dead?

It would have been an amusing story and Xie Lian would definitely pay more attention to it.

But he looked at the paintings of all these places and all these landscapes and all these buildings , things he had never seen before and –

And he had been traveling with Hua Cheng lately after getting over being free of Heaven, but these were all places he had never been to and –

Was the world always this big?

He looked up at the Ghost City around him, and suddenly everything felt so big.

It was so noisy.

So much color.

Too much –

Too much –

Hua Cheng sat up straight as Xie Lian entered the Gambler’s Den.

Now it was nothing out of the ordinary. Hua Cheng’s biggest task in Ghost City was to make sure that all the high stakes passes in the Gambler’s Den don’t fall into catastrophic hands. He makes sure that all the exchanges are controlled to affect the least amount of people while releasing the resentment in the Ghosts. Because of that, it was normal for Xie Lian to finish his own duties before Hua Cheng and visit the Gambler’s Den.

It was a common sight, even. One welcomed by the Ghosts who were always eager to greet their newest Lord.

What made this one different was, for the first time in a long time Hua Cheng saw Xie Lian’s mask.

That fake, pasted-on smile on his face while his hair held drooping Aspen flowers.

Fear. Lamentation.

As much as he would love for his Gege to let his emotions run free, it was also too dangerous in public. And so, he allowed his Gege to keep the facade for as long as possible. Xie Lian hurriedly made his way through the greeting crowd, and Hua Cheng made the croupiers discretely pave a way for him to get to Hua Cheng faster.

The Ghost King held out his hand past the curtain to pull Xie Lian in quickly to the wolf whistles of the crowd that interpreted the eagerness as something naughty.

Oh, he wished.

The second Xie Lian made it through the curtains, he collapsed into Hua Cheng’s arms and started to burrow himself into Hua Cheng’s robes, like he was trying to wrap it around the both of them.

“Gege, gege what’s wrong?” Hua Cheng tried to make sense of what to do. What set him off? “Something, anything, so I could help –”

“It’s too big –” Xie Lian gasped. “The world – it’s too big –”

Xie Lian went quiet again and was opening Hua Cheng’s robe to –

It finally clicked.

Hua Cheng took a deep breath and quickly removed his outer robe to wrap it around Xie Lian, casting an enchantment to block out all the sounds. There were still cheers, speculations, and whistles throughout the den, but they would be nothing to Xie Lian now.

Almost instantly, in the darkness of Hua Cheng’s robes and in the silence of the spell, Xie Lian breathed.

Xie Lian’s world for eight hundred years was his domain he could circle multiple times in a day, a small cottage surrounded by mud, and white and sterile paths. Hua Cheng was honestly surprised he didn’t get overwhelmed sooner.

Things were finally catching up to Xie Lian now that he was able to relax.

Reminding himself that he really shouldn’t go to murder as a first resort, he hugged Xie Lian, swaying them lightly from side to side. “Is there anything else you need, Gege?”

“Just this.” Xie Lian whispered, as if speaking up was too loud, even for him. “Just…I need my world to be me and San Lang for just a bit longer.”

On any other day, Hua Cheng would be elated to hear that. This day, however, he solemnly picked Xie Lian up and quietly teleported them back to their room. The Gambler’s Den won’t be so productive when they’re taking bets on what their lords were up to, the croupiers and Yin Yu could handle the rest.

This was more important.

“We have all the time in the world. You spent eight hundred years imprisoned in heaven, but we have the rest of eternity together.” Hua Cheng traced Xie Lian’s cheekbone with his thumb.

Xie Lian tilted his head towards the hand. “I look forward to it.”

Baby steps, baby steps.

Hua Cheng learned all of his Gege’s tells when the world becomes too big and too much, when he instantly conjures silence on his robes and drapes them over his God the second they meet. And if the robes he wore were heavier and denser than normal, that was up to Hua Cheng’s personal preference .

4

This has to be a dream .

Xie Lian would have pinched himself to check, but he was too scared that he would be proven right.

It just seemed…too good to be true, right? This was something that only happened in fairy tales. In those fantasy love stories he would read that was littered with flower language.

To be able to sit here, and watch his husband – husband – sleep beside him, curled up towards him like how flowers turned towards the sunlight. 

It was too good.

Hua Cheng couldn’t possibly be…

Xie Lian’s hand shook as he reached out to touch Hua Cheng’s hair, so scared that the image would disperse and confirm his worst fear. Luckily, the image seems to be solid, and Xie Lian almost sobbed in wonder as he stroked those soft strands.

I hope I never wake up…

Please don’t ever wake me up…

Hua Cheng felt like something was wrong, but he was so comfortable. The bed smelled of fresh flowers, he had an arm thrown around Xie Lian, whose fingers were carding through his hair –

Wait.

“Gege…?” Hua Cheng sleepily opened his eye. It was late. So late, it was morning. “Have you slept…?”

The fact that Xie Lian stayed silent confirmed it. Hua Cheng blinked away the sleep, and willed himself away from the comfortable nest he’d been sleeping in to face Xie Lian.

The first thing he noticed were the red columbines dotted all over Xie Lian’s hair, in between the spaces of Their Flowers. The next was the way the flowers on their bed seemed to tilt towards their God, as if comforting him. Finally, the way Xie Lian’s hands were shaking.

Xie Lian blinked several times. “Don’t wake me up, please.”

Ah.

“Gege,” Hua Cheng took those shaking hands in his and kissed his God’s knuckles. “You are awake.”

“Am I…?”

Faster than anything, Hua Cheng reached out to tickle Xie Lian’s sides, taking down the Flower God and bringing him into an uncontrollable fit of surprised laughter until he pinched Xie Lian, ending the moment with a yelp. Xie Lian, thoroughly distracted, looked at Hua Cheng accusingly.

“See?” Hua Cheng grinned. “Not a dream.”

The moment seemed to click in Xie Lian’s mind, and he covered his eyes with a groan. “I’m so stupid –”

“That’s my husband you’re talking about and I don’t allow slander against him.” Hua Cheng quickly interrupted with a peck to his lips. “Go to sleep, Gege. I swear to you, I will be the first thing you see when you wake up.”

Xie Lian took a few deep breaths, before moving into Hua Cheng’s arms to settle in. He looked like he had something to say, but Hua Cheng beat him to it.

“We have all the time in the world. You spent eight hundred years imprisoned in heaven, but we have the rest of eternity together.” Hua Cheng kissed the top of his head, as a reminder.

Xie Lian sighed, fondly. “I look forward to it.”

Baby steps, baby steps.

Hua Cheng discretely made sure that he never fell asleep first, to always make sure that Xie Lian was deep in one before he could relax, to make sure that his Gege would never be left in the pessimistic corners in his mind, and he always made sure that he would be the first thing Xie Lian sees when he wakes up.

5

“ – and He-xiong dumped his fish in my pond and now my pond is filled with skeletal fish. ”

“He’s just worried about you. Besides, no one would notice them –”

“But I will . How am I supposed to concentrate when I know I have fish that don’t match my aesthetic! ”

Xie Lian laughed as he placed down his teacup. He has spilled his tea one too many times in laughter. “Consider it a challenge, my wind master.”

“Awwwww, don’t be like that my little flower!” Shi Qingxuan pouted.

My little flower.

Xie Lian felt a pang in his chest, his throat seized and ceased all laughter, bile rose up to his throat and he instinctively swallowed it down, his spine straightened and shuddered.

“Hello, my little flower.”

“Hm? Why’d you stop laughing – Xie-xiong?”

“Well, you are a minor god. Nothing, in the grand scheme of things.”

“Xie-xiong?? Xie-xiong!!”

“You know how much I care, despite all the wrong you’ve done.”

“What is going on –”

“I have no idea! One second he was fine the next –”

“And smile, my little flower. Nobody will want to be around you when you’re being so negative.”

“Shhh, breathe, Gege. Breathe.”

Finally, Xie Lian came to, his eyes blinking back into clarity. They moved him to their room in Paradise Manor, hoping the familiar smell and surroundings would help calm him down. Shi Qingxuan sat with them, setting aside the bucket that Xie Lian vomited in during his panic attack.

“What happened…?” Xie Lian shook his head, before the memories caught up, and he ducked down. The flowers in his hair had long since rotted, and Hua Cheng hated the sight of it.

As much as Hua Cheng would want to set this aside, he would also very much like to never have to deal with this again. He looked over to Shi Qingxuan, who bit their lip but nodded back.

“It was something I said, wasn’t it?” Shi Qingxuan’s voice was quieter than usual. “Please, Xie-xiong, what did I say that set you off like that?” They furrowed their brow. “You can write it down, or send it through our communication array, or –”

“...my little flower –” Xie Lian’s breath picked up, his body straightened, as if instinctively, and he turned over to the side. Shi Qingxuan barely had time to grab the bucket for the Flower God to vomit in.

The Wind Master winced, looking imploringly at Hua Cheng. “I have no idea why – I was just teasing him, I swear.”

Hua Cheng knew that. Shi Qingxuan was a genuine friend and wouldn’t purposefully hurt Xie Lian. He was usually okay with pet names, allowing his best friend to call him whatever they wanted. This was the first time he had violently reacted to one of them.

The Ghost King rubbed his husband’s back, channeling some energy into his meridians to help calm him down. The last time he had seen Xie Lian in such a state of panic, he was still in…

He felt his blood boil, his vision turned red.

Xie Lian coughed out the last of the contents of his stomach, and Hua Cheng conjured a napkin to wipe his face for him as the puzzle pieces clicked in place. “Gege,” he started, slowly, “was that what Jun Wu used to call you?”

Please say no.

Xie Lian’s head was tilted down, his hair and the dead flowers around it covered his face, but there was no mistaking the up and down motion of his nod.

The audacity –!!

Hua Cheng had the urge to head over to Mount Tonglu and unseal that damnable man just so he could beat him all over again –!!

Shi Qingxuan’s face plummeted and they fell to their hands and knees in front of Xie Lian. “I’m so sorry, Xie-xiong! I didn’t know – I’ll never call you that again, I swear –”

“It’s okay.” Xie Lian reached out to tug Shi Qingxuan up. “It’s okay, you didn’t mean –”

“It’s not okay .” They were tearing up. “Xie-xiong, you’ve been panicking for hours .”

Ah.

Hua Cheng prayed for the patience to not smack the Wind Master on the head. Xie Lian drooped further, the wilted flowers on his head were now accompanied by dead leaves. He leveled Shi Qingxuan a look, who realized that they said the wrong thing.

“Let me,” Hua Cheng flicked his chin towards the door. Several silver butterflies flew from his vambraces to open the door. “You can talk with Gege later. For now, I’ll handle it.”

After Shi Qingxuan had left, Hua Cheng lifted his God to settle on his lap and lean against his chest. It was a good thing Xie Lian was still so out of it – he had yet to notice that the flowers around their bed were dulled and drooping, their floor littered with dying petals.

Usually, Xie Lian’s attacks were contained enough that only the flowers in his immediate vicinity are affected by his mood. This time, nearly half the flowers in Ghost city were drooping. The Ghosts are quite in a bit of a panic.

Nope, Xie Lian did not need to know that.

“Gege –” Hua Cheng started, but Xie Lian shook his head.

“I don’t get it. It’s done. It’s over. He’s gone .” Xie Lian buried his face against Hua Cheng’s chest, fist clenching his robes. “He’s sealed up, his temples are destroyed, he can’t hurt me anymore – why is he still in my head?! ”

Hua Cheng could vaguely hear Shi Qingxuan squeak from behind the door, and the Ghost King looked up at their dying canopy and prayed for the strength to stay still and not raze the entirety of Heaven to the ground just to feel something other than the furious rage in his blood.

Xie Lian’s grip on his clothes tightened for a moment. “I’m so sorry –”

“No.” Hua Cheng interrupted. “Never apologize. You, least of all, have anything to be sorry for.” He took a deep breath and hugged his Gege, squeezing him tightly. “I can’t say that I can get rid of that scum from your memories. I wish I could. But I can drown them out with as many good memories as I can possibly give you.”

Maybe one day, the good will overtake the bad.

One can only hope.

“It’s so unfair to you.” Xie Lian sniffed.

“Gege, the world was unfair to you.” Hua Cheng rocked him. “You can be selfish. This one doesn’t mind.”

And he really didn’t. He spent the next few hours talking endlessly into Xie Lian’s ear. Word vomiting every little trivia he could conjure up in his memory. He wondered if he should hide books under the bed, anything to keep talking so his voice could drown out the other voices in Xie Lian’s head.

Until the silver butterflies reported that everything was getting back to normal, the flowers were normalizing, their canopy was rebuilding itself, and the flowers in Xie Lian’s hair were no longer dead.

“It might take a long time,” Xie Lian rubbed his eyes when he finally calmed down, “for me to get over this.”

“We have all the time in the world. You spent eight hundred years imprisoned in heaven, but we have the rest of eternity together.” Hua Cheng kissed the top of his head.

Xie Lian snuggled further in his husband’s embrace. “I look forward to it.”

Baby steps, baby steps.

Shi Qingxuan never repeated those words again, and Hua Cheng kept a lookout for any sort of words and phrases that would trigger the same response. It’s a pity Jun Wu had no temples left for him to raze down.

+1

“IT HURTS! IT HURTS! HELP ME – IT HURTS!”

Hong-er clenched his eye shut and relied on muscle memory to fold the flowers in his hands. He had lost track of how many days had passed. Who could pay attention to such a detail when his God, his meaning, his life, his savior and protector was still screaming? How could he think of such lowly things like food, or water, or the pain in his fingers when the most important being in his life was suffering so much?

How useless was he, to be here in this small temple, folding paper flowers and praying? How could this be all that he could do? Did he not dedicate himself to his God? Did he not vow to be his flower, the very best of them?

He studied everything he could get his hands on regarding flowers, everything his God wrote and published, and dedicated himself to immortalizing them in art, but why did he stop there?

He should have trained himself as a warrior, learned the saber and grew stronger so that he could defend his God from any threat.

He should have built a house so that his God would have a place to run to, a safe haven to hide him from the world and whoever wanted to hurt him.

He should have made this temple bigger, reconstructed it to be grander than any of those other gods, those gods that only listened to money and merits. Who never truly cared.

He should have been better.

His God’s screams echoed in his head, and he prayed he would never forget that sound so that he would never forget how he failed. Never forget that he was a failure.

He’s useless.

Useless.

Useless.

…

“Are you okay?”

You idiot. Of course he’s not okay.

The flowers on Gege’s head were dead. Their corpses hung off his hair, unidentifiable. It’s a reflection of his heart. He’s suffering, he’s forcing himself to smile and play your silly game, what are you DOING?!

However, for the first time, Xie Lian shook his head. The grip on Hua Cheng’s wrist was tightening.

Hua Cheng didn’t know what to do. How could he not know what to do? What the fuck have you been doing for eight hundred years when you can’t even figure out what to –

And Xie Lian made a sound at the back of his throat. Hua Cheng knew that sound well. It was the sound whenever Xie Lian tried to hold back his scream.

Hua Cheng vaulted over the table and hugged his Xie Lian and if he had known that his God was this close to breaking he would have made his form larger to hide him from the world, and Gege was leaning against his shoulder and –

And he screamed.

The scream echoed in Hua Cheng’s head, superimposing with the scream that never stopped for seven days. The scream that motivated everything Hua Cheng did for eight hundred years.

Again.

Nothing changed.

Eight hundred years and nothing changed .

He’s useless.

Useless.

Useless.

…

“Every festival. For eight hundred years.”

Alone.

Hua Cheng’s undead heart plummeted to his stomach, but he willed it back up to beat just to comfort his God. He tried to hide his God in his arms, tried to contain all that grief in his chest. Xie Lian was sobbing so loudly his voice would hitch and that damned scream echoed and bounced around Hua Cheng’s head.

What the fuck have you been doing?!

Eight hundred years, how many tens of festivals per year did Xie Lian have to go through? All this time, while Hua Cheng was slowly getting stronger, gaining wealth, gaining prestige, building a city and a temple – all that time Xie Lian was up here, silently suffering while you did nothing about it.

Your siblings are here, dying with every festival, your God is here, screaming and sobbing after every festival, and where were you?

He’s useless…

Useless…

Useless…

…

“Gege, oh Gege…”

Xie Lian was saying it from the start. Those Butterfly Weeds were saying it from the start. Why couldn’t Hua Cheng be faster? Why couldn’t he be smarter? Why did he have to take so fucking long to get to him?

This God saved his life over and over again, and now he wants to die, what have you been doing ?!

Why couldn’t he be enough?!

How could he fail his God?!

The best he could do was restrain Xie Lian’s arms so that he didn’t hurt himself, keep Xie Lian upright so he doesn’t choke on his own tears, keep him close so he doesn’t fall over that final edge of insanity.

Screams echoed in the cottage.

Screams echoed in Hua Cheng’s mind.

Screams that spanned eight hundred years.

He’s useless…

Useless…

Useless…

…

Hua Cheng opened his eye and sat up on the bed, staring at the God who was curled towards him. He stared and stared as the screams echoed in his mind. As he reminded himself that it was now all in the past. That Xie Lian was now here, in front of him, safe. Safe. He is safe .

Hua Cheng tried to lower his gaze, but the second Xie Lian’s face was out of his line of sight, the fear in his heart increased tenfold. His eyes snapped back to his husband, at that beautiful, sleeping face, at the calm flowers in his hair (light pink Majorams for Joy, Happiness. He’s having good dreams. That’s good, that’s good).

He’s fine. He’s safe.

For now.

He felt his eye water and he shut down the function of blinking with his spiritual energy. If he blinks, that’s a fraction of a second where Xie Lian is out of his sight. That is a fraction of a second where Xie Lian could get hurt.

Terrible things happen to Xie Lian when he’s out of Hua Cheng’s sight.

Nothing bad should happen to him ever again.

He’s useless if he looks away.

Useless.

Useless.

At first, Xie Lian didn’t notice anything wrong. He woke up cradled in the arms of his lover, and they spent the day together. First, to the temple, then leisurely walking around the city. It was not abnormal for them to spend the whole day connected by the hip, they have done so multiple times.

It was The Garden that tipped him off.

They were manually taking care of Their Flowers. Though Xie Lian could, in theory, wave a hand and they would be pruned and the weeds would recede, there’s something more satisfying in doing things by hand. The flowers all love it, too.

As Xie Lian gently pulled the weeds from the ground, a red daisy leaned against his wrist.

‘Did something happen to big brother?’

Xie Lian didn’t want to draw attention to himself, so he tilted his head towards the flower. ‘What do you mean?’

A rose touched him this time. ‘Big brother’s staring at you.’

Xie Lian blushed a bit and tried to smile. ‘Well, he loves looking at me –’

A chrysanthemum drooped. ‘He hasn’t blinked.’

A tulip seemed to nod along. ‘And he hasn’t moved his eye away from you.’

Xie Lian’s brow furrowed, and he extended his consciousness to the flowers around him. Through them, he could see his husband, sitting among the flowers, one hand feeling the ground for weeds, but his eye was turned fully towards Xie Lian.

He wasn’t blinking.

Xie Lian stood and moved over to the side, keeping his consciousness connected to the flowers to watch his husband.. Hua Cheng’s eye followed. Unblinking.

Hm.

That is concerning.

“San Lang?” Xie Lian moved to stand, after preparing what he wanted to say. Hua Cheng was at his arm immediately, assisting him up from the ground.

Hm.

Hua Cheng looked fine, if you remove the fact that his eye was straining from staying open for so long. Xie Lian cupped his cheek and traced the cheekbone under his eye. “San Lang, my love, why are you staring at me?”

Hua Cheng’s eye wavered slightly, but he smiled. “Why wouldn’t I stare at my beautiful husband?”

“Your siblings said you haven’t been blinking.”

The smile on Hua Cheng’s face froze, and he pulled slightly away. “Did they now…?”

“San Lang,” Xie Lian faced him, fully, “what is wrong? Why aren’t you looking away from me?”

“It’s nothing –”

“Then close your eye –”

“NO–!!”

Both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng looked surprised at the Ghost King’s outburst. Hua Cheng stepped back, but did not look away. His hands were starting to shake. “I can’t look away. If I look away something could happen to you –”

Xie Lian’s brow furrowed in confusion, not just at what Hua Cheng was saying, but while he was explaining himself, he reverted back to his teenager form. The thin, teenaged boy that left paper flowers for him. From the looks of it, Hua Cheng hasn’t realized he changed. “San Lang…? Did you mean to change…?”

Hua Cheng still didn’t look away from Xie Lian, bringing a hand up to his face. He felt the bandage and the roughly chopped hair, and transformed back to his true form, however it wasn’t holding.

“I’m fine, I’m –” Hua Cheng croaked, but his body was blurring, shifting between the tall, confident Crimson Rain, and the teenaged boy who left paper flowers for him until his own death.

Oh dear, it was worse than he thought.

“Remember what you told me?” Xie Lian slowly held out his hands. “You don’t have to be okay for me to be here. I’m here no matter what. It goes both ways, San Lang. You take care of me all the time, let me take care of you.”

Hua Cheng reached out, body still shifting and blurring between the two forms, but when he held Xie Lian’s hands, he solidified into his teenager self. Just how he appeared before he died, bone-thin, ragged, hair cropped asymmetrically as if done on his own. One eye was haphazardly bandaged, the other was wide and watery, and still, he refused to blink, refused to look away.

“I’m a failure.” Hua Cheng’s young voice trembled. “I’m so useless. You suffered so much, and I couldn’t – I could do so little. Even now, you’re suffering from eight hundred years of –” he winced, “I took so long, I was so slow , so stupid . You saved my life, over and over again, and I couldn’t even –”

“San Lang –”

“ I CAN STILL HEAR YOU SCREAMING!” Hua Cheng broke into helpless sobs, fat tears trailing down his eye. “ SCREAMING – I COULDN’T – God – my God – Gege – I’m so sorry –”

Even with the tears running down his face, Hua Cheng refused to blink, refused to look away.

Ah, Xie Lian realized.

The scream while he was being shackled.

The scream after Pei Ming’s festival, a few days after they met in Heaven.

The scream after Qi Rong’s festival, a few days after that.

The scream after learning the truth.

Hua Cheng was there for it all, wasn’t he?

“As long as I’m looking at you, you can’t get hurt – you won’t scream – nothing bad can happen to you. Don’t make me look away. Please, don’t make me look away. I don’t want to see the Butterfly Weeds on your hair again I can’t –”

“Oh, my darling San Lang, you’ve been holding all this inside, haven’t you?” Xie Lian cradled the teen boy in his arms, thumbing the bandage around his red eye. He loosened the hair tie and combed his fingers through the boy’s hair, gently.

Teenager Hua Cheng hiccuped and covered his face, keeping a slot open so that he could still stare at Xie Lian. 

Xie Lian gently peeled the hands from his face and cradled that young teen in his hands, just as he had always wanted to do back when he would leave those humble offerings all those years ago. “San Lang, do you know why Butterfly Weeds gained that meaning? Let me go, or letting go? Do you know where that came from?”

Hua Cheng hiccuped and shook his head. Understandable, not many books dive deep into the etymologies of flower language, not even Xie Lian had the time to write such things before he ascended.

He gently thumbed away Hua Cheng’s tears.

“Butterfly Weeds were given their name because they attract butterflies. And so, they became popular for funerals. Planting Butterfly Weeds near the dead brought butterflies to the grave sites, and it was believed that they would keep the dead company. Stop them from being lonely. And, when the time comes, the butterflies take the dead with them as they fly away.” Xie Lian smiled, “that’s why they’re given the flower language meaning of ‘let me go’ or ‘letting go’.”

Hua Cheng made a sad noise in the back of his throat, and Xie Lian softly hushed him, pulling the teenager’s face to rest against his chest, head to his steady heart. Hua Cheng latched onto his white robes, and tilted his head to stare.

“That day we met in Heaven, when I had Butterfly Weeds in my hair, what did you do? You came to me, and kept me company. You talked to me, made me laugh, gave me a safe space to cry, to rant, to be annoyed, and angry. I was never lonely with you around.” Xie Lian pressed soft kisses against Hua Cheng’s hair. “And when I was finally ready to leave, after learning the truth, you took me away.

“You did everything right, San Lang. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. My favorite devotee, my favorite flower, my butterfly.”

“But for eight hundred years you –” Hua Cheng sobbed.

“For eight hundred years, nobody saved me until you. Nobody understood me until you. Nobody caught how much I hid my sadness until you. Nobody could have done it better than you.” Xie Lian squeezed his husband close. “I’m here. I’m safe. I’m free. I’m the happiest I have ever been. And that was because of you.

“You said it yourself. In those eight hundred years, you became the strongest warrior so that nobody would be able to hurt me. You became a scholar so that you could freely speak to me about the things I love. You built a city so I would have a prosperous place to call my own. You changed your name to honor me through it. You made the largest, most beautiful temple the world had ever seen.

“Those screams, they were the result of me being in another place, my fate in the hands of other people. I am here now. Protected. Happy. Safe. Loved . ”

He smiled.

“You, us , our life together, all of it was worth waiting eight hundred years for. I’m not going anywhere, San Lang. I would sooner suffocate the world in thorns before they could take me away from you again. I love you. I love you with all that I am, with all that I have.”

Finally, finally , Hua Cheng closed his eye and rested his head against Xie Lian’s shoulder.

“C-can we s-stay like this Gege?” He asked shyly with a hic in his breath.

Xie Lian wrapped his arms around his husband. “For as long as you want.”

Xie Lian held onto him, humming long forgotten lullabies and folk songs, until he morphed back into the tall form of his husband, trailing soft kisses up Xie Lian’s neck until he could kiss his husband’s lips.

“Welcome back, San Lang.” Xie Lian greeted with a smile.

“I’m back.” Hua Cheng smiled, and turned to The Garden. The flowers bunched together, swaying as if waving hello.

“Sorry for worrying you.” He reached out to touch the petals and they all bent towards his hand as if to hold him.

“You always looked out for us, big brother.”

“It’s our turn to look out for you!”

“We love you, big brother!”

“I told you.” Xie Lian grinned. “Of course we love you. You’re wonderful.”

Hua Cheng took a deep breath and moved back down to lay comfortably on his husband. “I can’t promise this won’t happen again…”

“And I don’t expect you to.” Xie Lian fixed his hair, then perked up. “We have all the time in the world. I spent eight hundred years imprisoned in heaven, but we have the rest of eternity together.”

Hua Cheng chuckled. “I look forward to it.”

There will still be days when Hua Cheng stares at Xie Lian, follows him, barely blinking. When Xie Lian wakes up, and instead of his tall husband, it’s his teenage form (and rarely, his child form). When Hua Cheng picks Xie Lian up and refuses to put him down for any reason.

“I’m here, I’m safe.” Xie Lian would whisper in his ear, holding his hand. “I’m not going anywhere. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for everything. I love you so, so much.”

Baby steps, baby steps.

Chapter Text

“How do I look, San Lang?”

Hua Cheng slowly raked his eyes up and down his husband, who was dressed fancier than usual. It was the mid-autumn festival, and there was going to be a large celebration in Ghost City. Of course, for such a special occasion, the Lords of the City must look their absolute best.

So that means he got Xie Lian to wear more decadent robes, white lined with silver and red accents. Hua Cheng knew it would look wonderful lined with Xie Lian’s usual vines and flowers.

“Gege is beautiful, as always.” Hua Cheng hummed, smiling. “However…this one worries about your hair.”

“My hair?” Xie Lian tilted his head. He has been looking forward to this festival for some time and it shows: a myriad of blossoms cascaded down his hair. The flowers were so plentiful and bright today, full of pink majorams, yellow lilies, red hollies, and pink roses, all of which are symbols of happiness. Of course, the usual flower crown of Their Flowers lined his head as well.

“With how many ghosts are in the city, I worry Gege’s hair might get caught in something.” It won’t. Hua Cheng knows it won’t, he won’t allow it, but it gave him an excuse to run his fingers through his husband’s hair, gently untangling the strands from the vines. “May I braid it?”

Xie Lian’s eyes brightened.

When Hong-er was a child, he learned to love Xie Lian as a Hero.

He watched the parade, separate from the crowd, as the royal family made their way down the street. There were whispers amongst the crowd, something about how the King is favoring his nephew as the heir to the throne over his own son because the Crowned Prince decided to cultivate flowers over the martial arts.

Hong-er ignored them as he kept his eyes peeled for the Crowned Prince. He held the parasol over his head, his thumb playing with the lotus vine on his finger. Surrounding him were the promised red blossoms that matched his eye, following him.

His family. His brothers and sisters.

A hush fell over the crowd as the Crowned Prince came into view.

Hong-er’s Gege.

He was radiant, and though he walked unlike his father and Prince Qi Rong, his presence was so much grander . It was the trail of flowers that bloomed under his feet, it was the way the plants all grew more lush and green as he passed, it was the multicolored flowers in his hair.

Gege eyed the crowd with a kind smile, and paused when his golden eyes found Hong-er’s.

With a wink, a crown of red flowers bloomed across his head, and a vine bloomed a large red rose on top of Xie Lian’s right eye, as if saying ‘I see you, and I think you are beautiful’.

Hong-er stood up straight and saluted to his Gege.

Gege giggled and waved goodbye as he walked past.

Hong-er cradled the lotus in his hand and kissed the blossoms. He’s one of Gege’s flowers now, he can be strong. He can be brave. He’s as beautiful as any of them.

“I love you, Gege.” he whispered as he kept his head held high. 

When Hong-er was a teenager, he learned to love Xie Lian as a God.

The first time he received a blessing from the Ascended God of Flowers Xie Lian was when he made his first proper offering in the temple. He was shy at first, when the temple was first built. He was barely making money with whatever menial labor he could offer, and he spent the rest of his time studying flowers. He didn’t have any means to buy lavish offerings for the temple.

But…he spotted people coming in with fruits and flowers and frowned.

Gege wouldn’t like offerings like that, he knew that for sure. Why would people offer plucked flowers – flowers that are dying – to the God that cherishes their lives? It didn’t make sense.

He first tried drawing flowers instead. Maybe immortalizing the beauty of flowers in art would be something that his God would appreciate. His first attempt was not that good – honestly he wasn’t surprised it wouldn’t be perfect – but as he crumpled the paper, he noticed how the creases looked almost like bunched up petals.

…huh.

He decided to smooth out the paper and he began folding it, figuring out one way or the other to make the piece of paper into a flower. It was crude, and it had a lot of excess creases, but he managed to make a (flat) tulip.

He took that with him to the altar and knelt before the statue of Gege, offering the little paper flower with a prayer.

As he exited the temple, the summer sun was high up and the heat was picking up. Hong-er tried to wipe his face with his tunic, but it was too hot and he kept producing sweat. Just as he was thinking of where to go, he felt a tug on his ankle. Looking down, surprised, he found a fine of irises tugging at him, almost urgently.

“What are you –” Hong-er eyes widened, and he turned back to towards the temple in wonder. Could it be…?

The iris vine tugged at him more urgently, and Hong-er followed it, alongside blooming irises, until it brought him to a small clearing in the forest. The sun was high, but the trees in the area bent and overgrew their leaves to form a canopy that shielded Hong-er from the sun. Hong-er sat in wonder on the grass, feeling much more cool surrounded by the plants, protected from the heat.

Vines grew nearby, and Hong-er watched in wonder as a watermelon grew amongst them. With the pressure from the vines, it split apart into several pieces, presented over to Hong-er.

The boy felt his eyes water as he picked up a piece. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

“Thank you, My God.” Hong-er clasped his hands together in prayer. “Thank you, I love you.”

When Hua Cheng was in Mount Tonglu, he learned to love Xie Lian as Art.

There was no piece of paper that could survive the midst of a volcano, there was no drawing that could survive the constant bloodbath.

But Hua Cheng needed to pray. He needed to keep focused – already so many ghosts were losing their minds to the bloodlust and heat of the mountain.

Hua Cheng has a purpose for being here. He was more than a mindless ghost seeking power, more than a body of greed and lust for strength and prestige. He was not selfish.

His being here is a prayer. An act of devotion.

And thus, in the absence of paper, he used stone. It started with a few shattered pieces that looked vaguely like flower petals, and that’s where he channeled his concentration. Into giving his purpose physical meaning in this mountain, by carving his purpose and sculpting it from stone.

The first few were crude, but just like his paper flowers, he was eventually able to get a hang of it, carving out his God’s face from the stone. He learned to appreciate every soft strand of hair, every long lash, the gentle expressions on his God’s face. He learned how to carve out flowers and vines, from the sides of the mountain.

With every statue of his God, he regains his sanity. With every iteration of Xie Lian, he recalls his purpose. With every carved flower, he remembers why he’s suffering in bloodlust hell. 

In the fevered heat, the first Supreme was born.

“I love you, my God.” He whispered endlessly as he added the finishing touches to his favorite statue – an image of his God with a parasol in one hand, a Lotus flower in the other. One day, he’ll give this statue a worthy home. A temple where he could be praised.

When Hua Cheng went up to Heaven, he learned to love Xie Lian as a Man.

“E-ming?” His God blinked twice, a few minutes into them meeting face to face for the first time. “What an ominous name for such an innocent butterfly.” He turned to address E-ming. “What did you do to deserve that?”

It was…

It was so unexpectedly snarky . Hua Cheng was so genuinely surprised that, as E-ming fluttered in indignation, Hua Cheng found himself tilting his head up to laugh.

He was gone . All of his excitement, eight hundred years of preparing and anticipating for this day came up and he couldn’t stop himself from talking, and asking his God questions, and getting to know Xie Lian as they walked around his domain.

Please tell me to shut up. Please tell me to quiet down. Hua Cheng thought as he felt his heart grow fuller with every response, every laugh, every smile his God would give him in return.

He was prepared to become his God’s devout servant, ready to obediently follow his orders.

He never expected to become his God’s friend. He never expected to be given the chance to hold him, to laugh with him, speak to him, and smile with him.

I love you, Gege , the words different now in its weight as he kissed the pink carnations in his God’s hair – the fact that his God now held affection for him !

He will do anything to free him.

Hua Cheng learned to love Xie Lian in so many different ways, and he continues to do so.

“Almost there, Gege.” Hua Cheng murmured. Gege, the name his hero introduced himself with, always a proper name in Hua Cheng’s mind, carrying that familiarity that he needed as a child, carrying that kindness that kept him going.

He licked his lips, still sticky sweet from the mangoes they shared. His God grew a specific variety, light yellow and so sweet, it was like eating candy. With his God’s grace, Hua Cheng will only ever taste the sweetest fruits in the world.

Hua Cheng slowly continued pleating Xie Lian’s hair. The flowers chased after Hua Cheng’s fingers, and though these were the hands used to sculpt statue after statue, fold paper flower after flower, this braid would perhaps be his greatest accomplishment.

“San Lang!” Xie Lian tilted his head just so to look at Hua Cheng. He’s been stuck sitting still when Hua Cheng decided to braid his hair, which became such a long process because the hair flowers kept trying to trap Hua Cheng’s hands and the Ghost King refused to bruise any of them.

“I love you, Gege.” Hua Cheng whispered as he finished off the braid, finally tying it off.

Like a hero, who gave Hua Cheng’s life color and meaning.

Like a God, who took care of Hua Cheng when nobody else would.

Like a work of Art, who gave Hua Cheng direction in a world that had none.

Like a man, a lover, one who gave Hua Cheng happiness.

Xie Lian giggled and leaned into him with a kiss. “I love you, too.”

Xie Lian clapped as the Dragon dance came to an end, throwing coins – a generous donation from the Lords of the City – at the crowd for good luck. The thump of the drums overtook his heartbeat and he didn’t know anymore if his heartbeat was normal or not.

A bit overwhelmed from the noise and color, he leaned against his husband, who gently pressed kisses upon his head. It was incredible how just that simple weight was able to get rid of any traces of discomfort in his skin.

It has been too long since he felt like a Prince, that he was out of practice with greeting everyone after the festival. It was way too much attention after several lifetimes without it.

“Gege? Shall we head somewhere else for a bit?” Hua Cheng leaned slightly down to whisper into Xie Lian’s ear. 

Xie Lian smiled. It was probably some of his flowers giving away that he was getting overwhelmed but he will always appreciate how his husband was always in tune with his emotions.

“Lead the way, San Lang.”

When Xie Lian was a Prince, he loved a small child that wanted to die.

“I want to be one of your flowers.”

It was not what Xie Lian expected. He was used to being cast aside, the laughable prince that chose to care for flowers than to learn the sword. He was well aware of his reputation, how people didn’t care for him and disregard him after learning of his preferences.

This child was the first person to look at his flowers and see him as someone worth following.

This innocent child, who confided in him, who looked at him like he hung the moon and stars.

Xie Lian smiled and told him about Lotus flowers, tying a vine around the child’s finger. He hopes that these words would inspire the child to live, would give the child something to believe in. 

He hoped he was someone worth believing in.

But, seeing the child later on, holding the parasol with a near death grip, the lotus on his hand, and with those wide, determined eyes trained on Xie Lian, he couldn’t help but feel that warmth in his chest.

Oh, I love you, little child.

When Xie Lian became a God, he loved a teenager that dedicated himself to his temple.

Xie Lian knew he was going to be a minor god, but he was not ashamed of it. He still ascended before his cousin, still made it amongst the ranks of the gods. He was worthy of being in Heaven, that was for sure.

Unlike other gods, his temples were quieter, except for the occasional festival. He was also disappointed at his offerings – flowers and fruits that have been plucked and left to rot on his altar. The devotion felt nice, but it was nice in a wrong sense. He wondered what he could do to stop them from picking flowers –

And then he received his first paper flower. He felt that sweet, innocent devotion from a teenager, one who thanked the God of Flowers for his writings on gardening, and left a paper tulip on his altar. It was a crude tulip, clearly folded and refolded all over again, but it was so sincere and so sweet that Xie Lian teared up.

He used his plants to see his devotee – a strange boy with bandages around half his face. He was sweating profusely from the summer sun. Making sure nobody could see him, Xie Lian led the boy to an overgrown canopy of leaves and grew and crushed a watermelon for him. The boy was so thin, and was going to dehydrate quickly from the heat! Such a sincere offering deserves a sincere response.

He watched the boy eat, a thankful prayer accompanying every bite, and Xie Lian clasped his hands together and prayed that nothing bad would ever happen to this boy.

The next day, he returned with a different paper flower. And again the next day, And the next.

Oh, I love you, my faithful devotee.

When Xie Lian was imprisoned, he loved a curious Ghost King.

San Lang continued masquerading as a god, but he spent all his days with Xie Lian instead of whatever it is he was planning to do in Heaven.

With San Lang, Xie Lian remembered what it was like to laugh so freely and joke around so much. With San Lang, Xie Lian remembered what it was like to be treated as just another person, not as a god who failed, but as a human being.

With San Lang, Xie Lian was able to be his most authentic self. San Lang understood his hair. San Lang loved flowers and gardens as much as Xie Lian did.

San Lang was always sincere.

It was only natural that Xie Lian would end up growing pink carnations in his presence. Feelings for someone who made Xie Lian feel comfortable in his skin, who made him laugh and smile, who made him feel like he was worth the care and attention.

Gratitude. Fondness. Infatuation .

San Lang was his first love .

Oh, I love you, San Lang.

When Xie Lian found out the truth, he realized he had only ever loved one man.

“Thank you, my God, for waiting for me.”

Eight hundred years of waiting, eight hundred years of questioning everything, and it had led to this moment. To find that every single person that Xie Lian loved, that every single person that made Xie Lian happy, was all the same person.

Of course it was.

Hua Cheng was the first boy to believe in him and his love for flowers.

Hua Cheng was his best devotee.

Hua Cheng was his first love.

The paper rose was beautiful, but Xie Lian could feel the love in his heart burst out through his hair, and he knew that he was growing red roses of love in his hair.

“San Lang, look at me.” he sobbed, because it was the most sincere he could be.

Hua Cheng is the only one who could understand. Has always been the one who could understand Xie Lian.

Oh, I’ve always loved you.

It has always been Hua Cheng.

And Xie Lian sat on his altar, in front of a statue depicting how little Hua Cheng saw him as a child, with a parasol in one hand and a Lotus flower in another.

In front of him, Hua Cheng was folding a bouquet of Their Flowers, whispering a small prayer for their continued happiness under his breath.

When he finished the bouquet, Hua Cheng cheekily smiled, sitting up on the altar with Xie Lian and placing the paper flowers amongst the real ones in his crown.

All of his favorite people, they’ve always been this one man.

“I love you,” Xie Lian smiled, cupping Hua Cheng’s cheek in his hands.

I love you, the little boy that believed in me.

I love you, the teenager that never stopped praying to me.

I love you, the Ghost King that made me happy.

I love you, the man who fulfilled his promise and saved me.

Hua Cheng turned his head to kiss Xie Lian’s fingers with a sweet, sweet smile. “I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

When Hua Cheng emerged from the fires of Mount Tonglu as the first Supreme in centuries, the ghosts watched from a distance to try to gauge how they would act.

Most ghosts emerged as a Wrath, not going beyond that level. Others stay in the mountain and die in their attempt to become a Supreme. This was the first time that someone actually succeeded.

They have heard of the crazed ghost inside Mount Tonglu. Stories circulated about a ghost who built statue after statue of a flower-covered figure, who ripped out his own eye to forge a deadly weapon, who destroyed ghost after ghost until he became a King.

They say a rain of blood followed his path of destruction.

They called him The Crimson Rain.

Hua Cheng settled a former territory of a powerful Wrath which he dispatched with ease. The land itself had fertile soil, and a lot of open space.

He initially settled for a cave nearby, and tended to the field. The ghosts watched the new King in confusion, because instead of spreading fear and expanding his influence, he chose to till the field and garden. He had several texts that he had stolen from libraries, on cultivating flowers, all seemingly by the same author (some ancient figure named Xie Lian).

Besides that, he spent his days building what looked to be a temple.

Which confused them more.

Many ghosts thought that this new Ghost King was mad, that perhaps he wasn’t a Ghost King at all and some imposter. Many thought that they got the wrong guy.

Until, of course, they try to oppose him. His ferocity in battle knew no limits. Word spread of his cursed scimitar and his silver butterflies, of the rain of blood that ends every battle.

Just as word spread of how the Ghost King spends his days building a temple and growing flowers.

Hua Cheng’s first followers were, fittingly, a group of farmers.

They were a small group who sold fruits and vegetables that they grew themselves. They died trying to protect their fields from a fire, so that their children would still have a field to work on and continue their livelihood. They were weak, just barely out of ghost flame forms, not even qualifying as Malices to the Heavenly Officials.

They went to Hua Cheng asking for protection from cultivators and gods hunting them for sport, when they just want to continue their trade in peace. In return they will help Hua Cheng tend to his garden. At that point, there were some sprouts growing, but it was a slow process.

Hua Cheng slowly blinked at them. “This garden is mine to tend and grow.” The farmers deflated, but Hua Cheng continued. “However, if your wish is to continue your trade in peace, I see no reason why I should refuse to give you protection. Stay within my territory, do not cause trouble. All flowers belong to me, and no harm shall come to them.”

Word spread like wildfire after that. Hua Cheng’s following increased quickly.

For there was a common misconception about ghosts: that they were all fierce ghouls looking for more power and prestige. That they are greedy, evil, and stayed on earth for nefarious reasons.

What was forgotten was that these ghosts were human once, just like gods. And just like humans, there was depth to their persons, variety. Some of them wanted to stay in the living world because they have hobbies they do not wish to give up, or just enjoyed living too much to die.

However, because they were ghosts, they were hunted constantly by gods and cultivators, driven away by humans.

Enter: Hua Cheng.

The newest Ghost King was strange. Everyone knew that. He would rather spend his days gardening rather than raze down villages and spread fear and terror. He focused more on building his temple, building his city, freely taking in ghosts that just wanted to live a peaceful life to practice their trade, and protected this area.

Hua Cheng was a ghost who never lied. He never went back on his word. What he promised was fulfilled, what he said he would do, he actually did. If he said he would kill you in an instant, he would. If he said he would protect you, he would.

He never hid who he was, where his interests lay, if he liked you or not.

It was…refreshing.

In a world where people treasured their reputation above all else, where people lied and cheated their way to a better life, where complicated politics stood between people and their dreams, Hua Cheng stood for sincerity and honesty.

Hua Cheng provided a safe haven for the ghosts. A territory where they were free to do as they like, live as they like, without worrying about being hunted. Where they were given the freedom to be themselves, away from politics. Where the lies of the world could not touch them.

He never asked for anything, but as the new citizens of Ghost City gained wealth, they paid tribute to their Lord, as a thank you for their new lives. They loved and admired their Ghost King, eccentricities and all.

The Ghost King who never lied.

And thus, Ghost City was born.

“I can kill you in an instant.”

“Hah! Don’t think so highly of yourself –”

The rain of blood splattered around Yin Yu, who was back against a bush of flowers. The rain didn’t touch him, but was isolated on the battlefield, towards the ghosts that almost got to him. He wasn’t used to fighting without his spiritual energy, he didn’t realize how much weaker he was with the shackle.

The Ghost King that saved him just happened to pass by. Yin Yu had heard of him: The Crimson Rain, the scourge of Heaven. The first Supreme Ghost in centuries, who gained a reputation for being able to do whatever he wants. Who managed to gather wayward ghosts into an actual community and hold command over them.

The Ghost King turned towards Yin Yu, his single eye looking almost bored after dispatching an entire group of restless spirits. He waved a hand, and silver butterflies flew from his vambraces. Yin Yu curled himself up.

He was going to die –

– the silver butterflies pulled Yin Yu away from the flower bush.

“You’ll bruise them.” The Ghost King tilted his head.

Yin Yu scrambled to his feet as Hua Cheng approached the flower bush and gently inspected them. He had heard of the Ghost King’s penchant for flowers, but thought it was some sort of lie. After all, why would such a ferocious soul care for flowers?

Hua Cheng hummed, satisfied that the flowers were okay, before that amber eye zeroed in on Yin Yu. Particularly, his wrist, where the cursed shackle was in full view.

“So…what’s your story?”

Yin Yu tried to hold himself steady, tried not to shake.

He would love to lie, tell the Ghost King that he had enough of heaven and expressed his displeasure for how things worked. He would love to paint himself in a better light.

But…he looked at the Ghost King who was exactly who he said he was. He told the ghosts he would kill them in an instant, and he did. He was honest about his love for flowers and showed it, even on the battlefield. 

Hua Cheng did not lie.

And so Yin Yu settled for honesty.

He told Hua Cheng about his jealousy towards his Shidi, a youth he took in and trained, who surpassed him naturally. How, after his ascension, Heaven favored Quan Yizhen’s natural talent over Yin Yu, who has to work extra hard to maintain his position. How he was often forgotten and set aside for his Shidi’s bright soul.

He told Hua Cheng about the Brocade Immortal incident, about Jian Yu, about his pent up rage and frustration, and how it led to his banishment.

Yin Yu felt shame well up in him. 

But Hua Cheng simply hummed and stood up. “I get it. Perfectly understandable.”

Yin Yu blinked. “What?”

The Ghost King shrugged. “You’re a better person than you give yourself credit for. Anyone would have done what Jian Yu did, and anyone in your position would have let it slide and let Quan Yizhan take the fall. You didn’t. You tried to help him. And that’s commendable.”

Commendable.

“B-but I made him hurt others in the end –”

“And you think anyone else in your position would have done differently?” Hua Cheng challenged. “You may be gods, but you are first and foremost human. Everyone has a breaking point. I do not believe you should be judged by the moment you were cornered.”

The earth rumbled under Yin Yu’s feet.

He scrambled to bow. “M-my Lord,” was that the way to address a Ghost King? Hua Cheng carried himself like one. “There’s something – Jian Yu was banished as well and I heard that he died and became a resentful spirit. C-could you –”

Hua Cheng raised a brow.

Yin Yu bowed lower. “I – I don’t have spiritual energy but I am a hard worker. I’ll help you anyway I can, I’ll serve you, but please consider dispersing him. Jian Yu is impulsive, but he was the most loyal friend I had and I want him to be at peace.”

Crimson Rain was silent for a moment. “Where is he?”

Yin Yu looked up in surprise.

Hua Cheng shifted his stance. “Do you know where he is?”

Yin Yu nodded.

Hua Cheng took out a pair of dice. “Then let’s go.”

Yin Yu clapped his hands to pray for Jian Yu’s spirit after Hua Cheng defeated him, before turning towards the Ghost King who was looking at a nearby patch of flowers, checking on them.

“Why did you help me?” Yin Yu asked.

Hua Cheng shrugged. “You told me the truth.”

Yin Yu blinked.

“Anyone else would have lied. Made themselves kinder and more honorable than they truly are. It’s incredibly rare to find a god who would admit their own flaws and faults.” Hua Cheng went back to looking at the flowers. “You did. And I was impressed. Besides, you offered to help me, and I need help.”

“I owe you a great debt, My Lord.” Yin Yu bowed. “I’ll do anything that I can to assist you.”

“Good.” Hua Cheng stretched. “Let’s head back to Ghost City. Then, we’ll have a long talk.”

The talk between Hua Cheng and Yin Yu was a strange one.

He asked about the God of Flowers, Xie Lian, who was someone Yin Yu had never heard of. He was more focused on keeping Quan Yizhen out of trouble and stopping fights between him and Jian Yu, he never really had the mental capacity to pay attention to the other gods.

He talked about his cursed shackle, how it connects with his banishment.

“Did it hurt?” Hua Cheng asked, curiously.

“Well…I’m lucky to have a deep spiritual well and a significant amount of followers. So it wasn’t that bad.” Yin Yu rubbed his wrist. “I imagine it must be torture to minor gods.”

Hua Cheng looked down at that. Yin Yu wondered why.

Yin Yu learned that Hua Cheng built Ghost City to protect the ghosts. Gave them a safe place to live how they wanted, without the judgment and self-righteousness of cultivators, humans, and gods who hunt them for glory. How he built the famous Gambler’s Den to control their resentment and greed, that he gets to decide the outcome of every bet, and keep all the potential destruction and casualties to a minimum.

Yin Yu learned that the number one rule of Ghost City was that all flowers belong to the Lord of the City, and nobody harms any of them.

Yin Yu learned that Hua Cheng was not as bad as the Heavens made him out to be.

“I need help with running the city.” Hua Cheng ended, as they walked out of Paradise Manor to the city proper, standing on Yin Yu’s right side. His eye shifted over to look at Yin Yu. “I have my own personal goals I wish to focus on, and running the city takes time and energy away from that. You seem to have experience keeping things in order, that’s where I’ll need your help.”

Well, if Yin Yu could handle Quan Yizhen, he could probably handle Ghost City.

Besides, as he observed the market place, and the day to day activities, it did not seem to be any different from his old kingdom. It was easy to forget that, just like gods, ghosts were once human as well.

“Here, why don’t you try wearing this?”

“My Lord…?” Yin Yu blinked at the mask Hua Cheng tossed over to him. It was an oni mask, white and threatening with an evil smile.

“You’re worried about being found, right?” Hua Cheng dropped a few coins to pay for the mask. “And you kept mentioning how you have a ‘forgettable face’.” He scoffed the last bit, as if he didn’t believe it. “Would it make you more comfortable if you wore this?”

Yin Yu took the mask and put it on.

Hidden from the world, he felt like he became someone new.

He owes a great debt to Hua Cheng, and for a Ghost who valued sincerity and honesty, perhaps he could find his own peace in banishment.

There was a manhunt in the Ghost Realm.

The Crimson Rain Seeks the God of Flowers.

It was spread far and wide amongst the ghosts, to both the ghosts in Ghost City, and those outside.

The Crimson Rain Seeks the God of Flowers.

Alive only, Hua Cheng specified. No harm shall come to the God, just as no harm came to his flowers. 

The temple in the growing Ghost City was dedicated to that god, who has been forgotten through time. The only proof of his existence were small, near abandoned temples scattered throughout the mortal realm. Hua Cheng was known to pray in the temple he built from the ground up, offering paper flowers every day.

The Crimson Rain Seeks the God of Flowers.

It echoed throughout the Ghost Realm, that a handsome reward awaits those who could find the god. That the favor of the Strongest Ghost King was tied to whoever could achieve it.

The Crimson Rain Seeks the God of Flowers

The Crimson Rain Sought the God of Flowers

The Crimson Rain Sought the God of Flowers

Over and over until it became tied to his title.

The Crimson Rain Sought the God of Flowers.

The Crimson Rain Sought God of Flowers.

Crimson Rain Sought Flower.

“Here you go.” Hua Cheng unceremoniously dropped a box into Yin Yu’s hands, the sudden weight surprising the banished god.

Yin Yu blinked behind his mask, eyes bugging at the gold and jewels given to him. “My Lord…?”

“Payment.” Hua Cheng shrugged, “for your services.”

Yin Yu didn’t expect to get paid. He thought he was already in Hua Cheng’s debt for dispersing Jian Yu’s soul, and for keeping him under the Supreme’s protection while he’s banished on Earth.

This was…so much more than what he earned in both his mortal and immortal life.

When he tried to express that it was too much, Hua Cheng waved a hand. “I’m flattered you think I can run this city on my own.”

Yin Yu was pretty sure he could. He had, after all, even before Yin Yu came into the picture.

“But you’ve taken a big load off my back and I can focus on things that matter to me.” Hua Cheng fell into step on Yin Yu’s left side. He has been walking on Yin Yu’s left side lately, Yin Yu figured it was another one of his Lord’s eccentricities. “Besides, I have way too much gold, and nothing to spend it on until I find my God.”

He’s not wrong. Yin Yu didn’t know if he should feel envious or worried about how much treasure is waiting for the God of Flowers should Hua Cheng find him.

He took a look at his newly acquired riches.

…maybe ascending once more is not in his cards, but he wouldn’t mind if he’s earning this much in the Ghost City.

Besides, as he walked outside and watched everyone make way for him, some even bowing to him as he walked past, he figured he could get used to being respected again.

Yin Yu was in the same room as Hua Cheng when Black Water located the God of Flowers.

He sighed into the communication array with He Xuan – though he had to agree with Hua Cheng on this. Although an unorthodox password it was only five flowers – and turned towards Hua Cheng. “My Lord, Black Water wishes to speak to you. It seems he’s forgotten your password again.”

“Idiot.” Hue Cheng rolled his eyes, but even then, he placed a finger to his temple with a frown. It was almost endearing, really, that he puts up this air of annoyance, but immediately dropped what he was doing. Black Water’s plans of infiltrating Heaven was risky, at best, and Yin Yu had heard them discuss it at length before it could be executed. Contingency plans, what-if scenarios – Hua Cheng didn’t allow He Xuan to enter the Heavenly realm until he had at least three escape routes planned, which were all run through Yin Yu for viability.

Never will it be said that Hua Cheng was underprepared for anything.

Yin Yu was prepared to take notes for whatever it is the two Ghost Kings would need, when Hua Cheng suddenly stood from his chair. His body was stiff and lined with such intensity, Yin Yu could feel sweat and apprehension drip down the back of his neck. He had never seen Hua Cheng so unsure.

Hua Cheng remained silent, though the way he kept his finger to his temple and the way his eye kept darting back and forth implied that he was still speaking to Black Water. Yin Yu remained at the ready, moving within Hua Cheng’s line of sight to remind him that he was there to assist.

It was several moments until Hua Cheng relaxed, though his brow remained furrowed. He looked up at Yin Yu, eye narrowed. “Xie Lian is in Heaven.”

Yin Yu had long since grown out of his fear of Hua Cheng. For all his ferocity in battle, he’s extremely level-headed and every decision and action he made was to work towards his goals. It’s both admirable and scary how efficient he is.

But for the first time in a long while, Yin Yu felt fear.

How many times has he said to Hua Cheng that he never heard of the God of Flowers? That if there was one, he was definitely not in Heaven.

Hua Cheng was convinced that Xie Lian was shackled. He had asked Yin Yu enough about his own shackle and the process he went through to be banished. That was why Hua Cheng was combing both the Ghost and Human realm for the God of Flowers.

Only to find out he was in Heaven? This whole time?

Would he think that Yin Yu was lying? It was the one thing Yin Yu confirmed with Hua Cheng over and over again.

“He Xuan says that he’s isolated in his domain. Something about him working for festivals.” Hua Cheng continued, the glare in his eye moving away from Yin Yu down to the table.

Yin Yu was able to breathe…

…and now that he mentioned it. “Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu mentioned something about that.” Yin Yu’s fingers twitched. “However at the time…Quan Yizhen and Jian Yu were arguing and I was distracted. He never brought it up to me again…”

Well, to be more accurate, Jun Wu probably forgot about his existence.

Hua Cheng hummed. “I believe you. You have yet to lie to me.” He moved to stand to Yin Yu’s left – always Yin Yu’s left, he still found it strange – and crossed his arms. “We established that he didn’t do anything wrong, yes?”

“Yes.” They had combed any record that remotely mentioned the Flower God. Those were the only things that Yin Yu had that clarified that he did exist and his Lord wasn’t insane. “It must be something not written on record.”

“So if he did do something wrong, why were you banished, but he was imprisoned?”

Yin Yu hadn't thought of Heavenly Politics in so long. It was so far removed from Ghost City politics – or lack thereof. Hua Cheng’s word is law, and he never back tracked on anything he did, nor did he ever adjust his policies and values, so there was no “politics” to speak of. It was refreshingly simple – that he never bothered to remember all the intricacies of it.

“I…” Yin Yu’s finger’s twitched. “It’s not really… heard of for someone to be isolated in Heaven. Usually the automatic punishment is banishment…unless…”

“Unless?”

Yin Yu swallowed. “Unless he requested it? And managed to convince Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu it was the best course of action?”

Hua Cheng’s eye narrowed. “ Requested it?”

It sounded stupid, even to Yin Yu’s head.

Why would anyone request to be isolated?

Either way, Hua Cheng has located his God of Flowers.

Yin Yu had a feeling the Ghost King will be thoroughly distracted in future.

Ghost City was getting reckless.

Their Lord was spending more and more time away from the city. Multiple times, they had to rely on the Waning Moon Officer to handle outsiders, and though he does a commendable job, it doesn’t strike the same amount of fear as the blood rain.

He still came in case of emergency, but would always be in the hurry to leave. He seemed more agitated over time, almost frustrated, and the only way he would calm down was to lie in the Paradise Manor Gardens, or fold paper flowers in the temple.

The ghosts were getting anxious. It felt like their Lord was abandoning them, leaving them unprotected. How could he?

Their Lord never lied, what changed?

“Hua Chengzu has located the God of Flowers.” Yin Yu announced to the Gambler’s Den on a particularly loud day. “He’s working to bring him back.”

(This was out of a whim. Yin Yu felt he was losing control over the city, and decided to follow his Lord’s footsteps: settle on the truth)

The denizens went quiet. Residents of the Ghost City, in particular, gasped in surprise.

And then, celebration.

“Crimson Rain Sought Flower! Crimson Rain Sought Flower!” They cheered.

It became a sort of unspoken agreement, that the ghosts would tone down so that their Lord of the City could focus on bringing his god back. After all, their Lord protects them, and allows them to live as they want. It was the least they could do in return.

(Yin Yu sighed in relief.)

Yin Yu first met Xie Lian on the way to the Gardens, two days after the vines engulfed Paradise Manor and the Ghost City.

He very much would not like to think of what’s been happening in his Lord’s quarters the past day since the vines appeared, thank you very much.

Hua Cheng succeeded.

Yin Yu was happy for him, really. If anyone deserved it, it would be Crimson Rain, for everything he does for Ghost City, for everything he’s done for Yin Yu, and Black Water, and anyone else sincere enough to be granted his protection.

But a part of him was apprehensive.

Because all this time, Hua Cheng was a man of honesty and sincerity. He had a single-minded focus to find his God of Flowers and bring him to Ghost City. Everything he did worked towards that goal, in order to give his god the best life possible.

But at the end of the day, the God of Flowers was a god, and Yin Yu had enough of Heaven, had enough of insincere gods and their politics. The whole time they were figuring out what led to Xie Lian’s imprisonment and how he was isolated in his own barrier, Yin Yu remembered how much he hated tiptoeing around Heaven and its denizens.

How would the God of Flowers fit in Ghost City? How would it change Hua Cheng, who created this city to house his god?

Because Hua Cheng created Ghost City to be the antithesis of Heaven.

And if Heaven stood for selfishness, pride, arrogance, and reputation above all else, then Ghost City stood for sincerity.

He removed his mask to see better and was trying to navigate through the vines when he bumped into, perhaps, the most beautiful being he had ever seen. It was obviously the God of Flowers, himself. Yin Yu never got the chance to meet him, but with multicolored flowers that cascaded down his hair, the way flowers sprouted from his feet whenever he took a step, the way that the vines turned towards him and preened .

How could he be anyone else?

“Oh!” Xie Lian looked sheepish and waved his hand. Suddenly, all the vines moved out of the main path, sticking to the walls, and away from all possible entries and exits, leaving Yin Yu’s path clear. “I’m so sorry! Ah, silly me, it must’ve given you a hard time.”

Yin Yu blinked.

“Hm?” Xie Lian tilted his head. “You are…” and Yin Yu sighed. He was prepared to introduce himself. After all, he had his mask in hand, he mustn't be recognizable – “Oh! You’re Yin Yu!”

Yin Yu blinked, again.

Xie Lian hurried over to him and grinned. “San Lang – ah, Hua Cheng told me about you! Hello!”

Yin Yu felt his jaw drop lightly. Xie Lian grabbed onto his hands, hopping on his heels. The flowers in his hair were so big and bright, and the flowers all around him on the vines were turned towards them.

“Thank you so much for all you’ve done to help San Lang! The city is beautiful ! Sorry for giving you a hard time, I swear I need to get used to my powers again. You’re not mad, are you? They’ll stay out of your way from now on, I promise –”

Xie Lian must have realized that Yin Yu had not said a word, shocked still in surprise and blinking at the god. The flowers on his hair shuddered and deflated a bit, going slightly pink as if embarrassed. Xie Lian let go of Yin Yu’s hands with a jolt.

“Sorry, I was so excited to meet everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve been around so many people and –”

“Gege?”

It was fascinating, watching in real time how the flowers in Xie Lian’s hair reacted to Hua Cheng. They changed from the multicolored blossoms into pure red flowers – that matched Hua Cheng’s garden, Yin Yu realized – and a flower crown of the red flowers morphed around Xie Lian’s head. Even the flowers around the vines seemed to preen and brighten with him.

Xie Lian’s smile towards Hua Cheng was so wide, and so happy that Yin Yu felt he needed to look away lest he burn his eyes. It was like staring into the sun.

“San Lang!” He ran into Hua Cheng’s arms, who picked him up and twirled him around, stray petals fluttering from his hair.

Well.

“Ah, I see you’ve met Yin Yu.” Hua Cheng nodded towards him.

Yin Yu couldn’t stop the smile on his face. He bowed lightly. “Welcome to Ghost City, Your Highness.”

“Nooo, I haven’t been a prince for a long, long time.” Xie Lian waved with a grin. “Just call me Xie Lian!”

“Master Xie Lian.” Yin Yu responded, and looked towards Hua Cheng just in time to catch the look of approval.

Xie Lian pouted, before Hua Cheng escorted him elsewhere.

Yin Yu found himself chuckling under his breath.

What was he worried about?

Of course Hua Cheng’s god would be like this.

He’ll fit right in.

The manhunt was over.

The Crimson Rain found his God of Flowers, and has brought him to Ghost City.

It was obvious the moment the Paradise Manor was engulfed in flowers. The entirety of Ghost City was in awe, watching the vines bloom around the manor, almost as if claiming it.

And then, they saw the God of Flowers. They watched perhaps the most beautiful being in existence, with blossoms cascading down his hair and flowers trailing in his wake. Around them, all the natural plant life reacted, with vines growing around their stands and stalls, blooming flowers that followed the God and his path.

The rule was still in full effect: No harm shall come to the flowers. They belong to the Lord of the City.

But what else caught their eye was their Lord.

Hua Cheng was known to be cool and collected, with a tinge of earned arrogance.

Now, he was grinning .

He looked so much younger, so much happier . He was almost skipping after the God of Flowers, excited and gleeful, eyes never leaving the god. He was so obviously besotted that it almost made the ghosts embarrassed for him.

At the same time, it was just as they expected. The ghosts always had some gossip going on between them on how the Lord of the City would act when he was in love, when he had finally chosen someone as his partner.

The Crimson Rain never lied, he would be honest and excessive in his affections. The riches he accumulated but never used would all go to spoil whoever he deems worthy of his heart.

He would be loyal to a fault, and that’s what scared the ghost city citizens.

As happy as they were that their Lord found his God, what would it mean for Ghost City?

“Oh! Oh! He-xiong has flowers !”

Yin Yu looked over at Xie Lian, who was greeting Black Water as he arrived into Paradise Manor for their regular get-together.

Yin Yu initially thought he shouldn’t be part of said group, but Xie Lian had looked so terribly sad when Yin Yu mentioned not coming along that he didn’t even need Hua Cheng to kick him before he backtracked.

That being said, Yin Yu knew about the specific flowers Xie Lian grew in his hair for certain people. He knows about the red flowers that match The Gardens, the crown of flowers that always appeared on his head whenever Hua Cheng was nearby. He knows about the red and yellow coreopsis flowers when Xie Lian is around the Wind Master. He knows that those flowers depict Xie Lian’s innermost, sincerest feelings towards the people close to him.

And now, He Xuan seems to have his own: bunches of small, light blue flowers that look like tiny dragon fruits. They grew the second Xie Lian waved hello to the other Ghost King, asking about the lilies that he planted in He Xuan’s domain – a security measure just in case something were to happen to him.

“Hua-xiong, Hua-xiong,” Shi Qingxuan whispered conspiritally. “What are He-xiong’s flowers? The blue ones?”

It was almost fascinating how Hua Cheng took one look at the flowers on Xie Lian’s hair, and you could see the moment his eye glazed over slightly as he recalled thousands of species of flowers and their meanings, zeroing in on one.

“Blue arborvitae flowers,” Hua Cheng hummed with a smirk. “Steadiness and unchanging friendship.”

Shi Qingxuan squealed in delight.

Yin Yu had long since accepted that he was jealous of Quan Yizhen, and that it was okay to be so. As Hua Cheng said all those years ago, gods were human first, and it was stupid to think that he was above such human things.

He hadn’t been jealous for the longest time, secure in his spot by Hua Cheng’s side, and nobody had gone for his position. 

So he was surprised when he felt that jealousy well up inside of him now, as he watched Xie Lian and He Xuan interact.

Because right now, amongst everyone in the group, he was the only one without specific flowers in Xie Lian’s hair.

He understood why . Between all of them, he was the last one to meet Xie Lian and the last one to start interacting with him. Among the four of them who worked during the debacle with Xie Lian’s freedom, Yin Yu was the only one who didn’t get to interact with Xie Lian. His work was mostly behind the scenes. It made sense that Xie Lian wasn’t close to him.

It made sense. It was logical.

But Yin Yu was jealous.

And of course, Hua Cheng noticed.

“Gege hasn’t settled on how he feels about you yet.” Hua Cheng whispered as he fell into step to Yin Yu’s left, following Shi Qingxuan who had their arms hooked to both Xie Lian and He Xuan as they walked in Ghost City together. “Give him a bit more time.”

Yin Yu appreciated the optimism but it still bugged him.

What if he never does?

What if he’s forgotten again?

Understandably, just how Hua Cheng’s first set of followers in Ghost City were a group of farmers, Xie Lian’s first set of followers were a group of gardeners.

“My god, your hair is wonderful!” “Such beautiful blossoms, such a blessing! Truly our God is most gracious, indeed.” “Could you give me advice, my God? My petunias –”

They gravitated towards Xie Lian, extra careful not to step on any of his flowers growing from his feet. They were doubly excited when they realized that Xie Lian was the author of all the fundamental scrolls regarding plant life and gardening in the first place, scrolls that Hua Cheng had long preserved in his library.

When they realized that Xie Lian’s hair followed the Language of Flowers, they went out of their way to study it more thoroughly.

Which is why they were the first citizens to acknowledge Xie Lian’s sincerity. Because they understood the flower crown that would grow around Xie Lian’s head whenever Hua Cheng so much as enter’s Xie Lian’s periphery. They understood the purple heliotropes and white yarrows that litter his hair at the mere mention of Hua Cheng’s name.

“Eternal devotion. Everlasting love.” They would tease and Xie Lian would go so red it made them laugh.

The God of Flowers is sincere, they would tell the other Ghost City citizens. He is worthy of our Lord.

But many still doubted him.

Xie Lian officially earned the love and respect of Ghost City during an attack from a Wrath.

A Wrath for once wasn’t causing outright trouble, not like the others that attack Ghost City indiscriminately. This one was trying to rally the Ghost City citizens away from Hua Cheng. He slandered the name of their Lord, citing his compassion for flowers as a weakness and his laws as a way of making the Ghost Realm a pushover realm for others to trample on.

Before the hackles of the Ghost City citizens could rise enough to defend their Lord, vines sprouted from the ground, trapping the Wrath and completely immobilizing him

“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian’s voice was sickly sweet, soaring over the crowd. They instinctively parted to give him way towards the Wrath. “Did you just insult my husband and his city in front of me?”

The Wrath scoffed. “Hah! So it’s true? He hides behind a stupid flower god , what a useless –”

The vines wrapped around his mouth.

Xie Lian’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t say you could talk.” 

Though slack-jawed in awe, the ghost city residents noticed that the Ghost King had joined them, quietly standing behind his husband. Hua Cheng crossed his arms, but did not make his presence known. He looked very pleased with what was happening, a smile on his face.

“You’re right. In terms of fighting, I cannot kill a ghost with my powers.” Xie Lian tilted his head, innocently. “But I know every single poison in existence, I have access to them all in my fingertips, and I know how to ensure that you will never find the cure. I know every single carnivorous plant, and they are at my beck and call. I cannot kill, but I can make you beg for death. And you will wish that Hua Chengzhu killed you before you met with me first.”

The Wrath bit and gnawed his way through the vines. “Stupid flower god – Hua Cheng must be even more blind than I thought if he relies on someone like you –”

And from the ground, a giant plant Venus Fly Trap sprouted from the ground and snapped shut around the wrath. From the outside, one could see the outline of the Wrath trying to fight, and barely hear his muffled screams.

“Don’t worry.” Xie Lian bounced on his heels with a grin. “You’re not that meaty, so it will only take about two months for the venus fly trap to digest your body.”

The Wrath struggled more, but the venus fly trap stayed shut. Xie Lian patted the plant like one would a pet, before turning towards the crowd –

– and immediately flushed at the jaw-dropped wide-eyed stares he was receiving from the ghosts of the city.

“Ah –” The flowers in his hair shook and flushed pink, looking just as frazzled as he was. “Please, go about your day. The trap will go away once the Wrath is digested – uhm –”

Finally, Hua Cheng clapped loudly to make his presence known. It jolted everyone out of their stupor, and they couldn’t help but notice how Xie Lian’s face brightened at their Lord’s presence, the flower crown of red flowers grew on around his head. Hua Cheng then skipped over to the god with a grin. “Gege’s so cool.”

Xie Lian flushed, suddenly aware of how many ghosts were staring at them. “Ah! San Lang – I –” 

Hua Cheng cared not for the red cheeks on the Flower God, and lifted him in his arms with a laugh. “This one is honored to be defended by such an amazing god.”

“San Laaaaang!” Xie Lian’s face was so flustered, but he was grinning, and all the flowers were turned towards them. Hua Cheng laughed and peppered small kisses across Xie Lian’s cheeks, uncaring of those watching them. Xie Lian’s vines wrapped around Hua Cheng, as if hugging him back.

Word of Xie Lian’s deed spread far and wide throughout Ghost City, that they have the protection of the God of Flowers, and he does not stand for the slander of their city and their Lord.

The gardeners who followed Xie Lian weren’t lying. They didn’t have to worry.

They followed Hua Cheng because he never lied.

So of course it was fitting that his God, the God of Flowers, was incapable of it as well.

Besides, watching them being so sickly sweet together was adorable .

“Master Xie Lian?”

Yin Yu carefully waded through the red flowers of The Gardens to approach the napping God. The flowers, he learned, have gained a level of sentience due to The Flower God’s presence. It never ceases to fascinate Yin Yu how they actively sway out of the way now, making a path towards Xie Lian.

It fascinates him just as much as how the flowers rise up to protect said Flower God from any sort of danger. Yin Yu had never even considered how dangerous flowers could be until Xie Lian used it against Heaven.

Xie Lian was still getting used to having his power back. Yin Yu was struggling with the same thing since his shackle was destroyed after Jun Wu’s downfall, but his issues were along the lines of actually using his spiritual wells throughout the day instead of slugging through his tasks normally. Xie Lian, on the other hand, has been leaking power with the shifts of his emotions. It leaves him exhausted in the middle of the day.

Which leads to Yin Yu and Hua Cheng often finding Xie Lian napping somewhere. At least today, it was at The Gardens. 

Yin Yu knelt in front of Xie Lian and tried to shake him awake, avoiding the vines and flowers that naturally wound around him. The God of Flowers blinked awake sleepily.

“Yin Yu…?”

“Master Xie Lian, you should rest in your room.” Yin Yu reminded gently. “This position can’t be good for you.”

Xie Lian hummed sleepily but was already drooping again. Yin Yu tried to keep him awake by shaking the god, but perhaps Hua Cheng was needed. It doesn’t look like Xie Lian had the energy to walk to the room.

“Shall I call Hua Chengzhu?” Yin Yu offered, already placing his fingers to his temple.

Xie Lian smiled at him, sleepily. “You know what, Yin Yu? I think you’re pretty awesome.”

Yin Yu faltered, his eyes going wide behind the mask. He’s pretty sure he’s doing an impression of a fish.

Nobody’s ever said that about him.

“I sort of envy you, you know? You were here for San Lang when I couldn’t be.” Xie Lian was clearly talking through a haze in his mind, even the flowers around him were drooping sleepily. “You got to support San Lang through so many challenges.”

Nobody’s ever been jealous of him, either.

Yin Yu found himself lowering his hand. Perhaps contacting the Lord of the City could wait. “Master Xie Lian is being unfair to himself. You were wrongfully imprisoned.”

He’s sure that, if he had a choice in the matter, the God of Flowers would have been by The Crimson Rain’s side as soon as possible.

Xie Lian lightly chuckled. “Perhaps. But. I’m very happy that San Lang had someone like you by his side.”

Yin Yu flushed. “You think too highly of me. Anyone would be honored to work with Hua Chengzu.”

Yin Yu was replaceable. Heaven had proved it time and time again. He was just lucky that Hua Cheng hasn’t found anyone to replace Yin Yu with yet.

Xie Lian’s eyes were closing again, his body clearly dipping back to sleep. “Have you really not noticed, Yin Yu?” He was smiling. “Besides me, you’re the only other person San Lang trusts with his right side.”

“What –”

“His blind side.”

Ever since he started paying Yin Yu, Hua Cheng stood to Yin Yu’s left.

Yin Yu considered it one of Hua Cheng’s several eccentricities, like how he talked to flowers, or how he always uses a specific red parasol, or how he speaks to his scimitar like it’s a dog. Hua Cheng stood to Yin Yu’s left, and that was just how he did things.

But of course Xie Lian saw beyond that.

Hua Cheng stood at Yin Yu’s left. Or rather, Yin Yu stood at Hua Cheng’s right.

The side where Hua Cheng can’t see him.

It was the greatest showcase of trust.

I trust you to be there when I expect you to. I trust you to watch over my weakness. I trust you to never take advantage of this. I trust you to see what I can’t.

And now that he thought about it, it went beyond that.

It was in the way Yin Yu was privy to all of Hua Cheng’s plans, especially when he was in Heaven.

It was in the way Yin Yun was always the first person Hua Cheng contacted when he needed something.

It was in the way he freely gave Yin Yu gold and riches, without worry that Yin Yu would use it to betray him.

It was in the way Yin Yu knew that he was always described as someone with ‘a forgettable presence’...

…and yet Xie Lian, Hua Cheng’s most precious person, recognized Yin Yu on sight.

Hua Cheng stood for sincerity above all else. He was never ashamed of who he was, never hid his feelings for others. If he didn’t like you, you would know. If he did…

Xie Lian went back to sleep, snoring lightly.

Yin Yu swallowed down the emotion that tried to come up his throat. He recited the usual password, connecting himself to his Lord.

‘My Lord, your husband fell asleep in The Gardens again.’

‘I see. Are you busy?’

‘No.’

‘Watch over him for a few more minutes for me. Some Heavenly Officials are becoming arrogant in the Gambler’s den, and I don’t want the ghosts to end up as unfortunate casualties.’

Now that he knew to look for it, Yin Yu could almost sob.

Because Hua Cheng wouldn’t trust anyone with his husband so easily, right? The husband that he spent eight hundred years looking for, that he built this whole city for, that he became a Ghost King for?

‘I’ll keep him safe, Hua Chengzhu.’

‘I know.’

I know.

I know.

Because Hua Cheng trusts Yin Yu.

Yin Yu was not replaceable to Hua Cheng.

Yin Yu sat amongst the flowers, which made space for him. A vine reached out towards him, and Yin Yu watched as a large pear formed on his lap. He looked up at Xie Lian, who had a small smile on his face while he slept.

There were several bunches of blue flowers in his hair.

Yin Yu removed the mask and took a bite of the pear.

It was the sweetest thing he ever tasted.

Ghost City has two lords.

One, the Ghost King Hua Cheng, also known as The Crimson Rain.

The other, the God of Flowers, Xie Lian.

Both are revered and respected amongst the ghosts. Both protected the city and the ghost’s way of life, allowing them to live as they wanted. The ghosts were surrounded with flowering vines and silver butterflies, and unlike the Heavens, they were comforted by the sight of them.

And Xie Lian was fully accepted in their city.

Eventually, the ghosts started praying to the God of Flowers in the temple, offering gold and jewels, knowing it was the only way he was going to accept the gifts.

Eventually, the ghosts started learning how to fold paper flowers, offering them to Xie Lian, knowing it will be the only kind of gift the God would accept outright, smiling even though they obviously can’t compare to Hua cheng’s paper flowers.

Eventually, Xie Lian became such an integral part of Ghost City, and the ghosts learned to react to the flowers around them. They were extra affectionate to the god on days when the flower droops, and cheer for him when they’re happy.

Hua Cheng and Xie Lian ruled Ghost City to be the antithesis of Heaven.

And if Heaven stood for selfishness, pride, arrogance, and reputation above all else,

Ghost City stood for sincerity.

“Ah! Yin Yu! Perfect, do you have time?” Xie Lian beamed from his position in the kitchen.

Yin Yu was going to have some tea for a short break – ever since Xie Lian started stocking custom teas and syrups, Yin Yu had been regularly trying the blends. He dared to say he was becoming spoiled with them – and he wasn’t particularly busy.

“I’m making some jam for Shi Qingxuan, and I ended up making a big batch. Help me clean the jars? You can keep some for yourself, too!” Xie Lian grinned.

Xie Lian was a terrible cook on a good day, but he never fails to make the best jam. Yin Yu started gathering the jars scattered all over the kitchen to boil in hot water first. As he handled them, he noticed the bunches of blue flowers growing on Xie Lian’s head, the same ones from back in The Garden. The blossoms seemed to be facing towards Yin Yu.

…could it be his flowers?

Does he have flowers?

He had been jealous of the others, of Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan having their own flowers in Xie Lian’s hair. He acknowledged that he wasn’t as close to Xie Lian as those two, but he still wanted to know what the Flower God truly thought of him.

At the same time, it terrified him. Was this how the other two felt, when Xie Lian grew their flowers? Not knowing what Xie Lian truly felt about them? Worried that it might change their perception of Xie Lian?

He took the jars out of the hot water and sat to wipe them down. His eyes kept darting to the blue flowers that followed Yin Yu when he moved. Xie Lian didn’t seem to notice that anything was different.

He was about to swallow his fear and ask when the door opened, and Hua Cheng stepped in. Yin Yu looked towards the Ghost King, who did his cursory scan of Xie Lian’s hair, before he no doubt noticed the blue flowers facing towards Yin Yu.

The Ghost King smirked, and sauntered over to Yin Yu, sitting to his left.

Keeping Yin Yu at his blind side. Now that Yin Yu noticed it, he couldn’t stop noticing it.

“Looks like you have your own flowers.” Hua Cheng nodded, speaking softly. “Gege’s finally settled on how he feels about you.”

Yin Yu bit his lip and focused on the jars. “May I ask what they are?”

He hated how small his voice was.

“Blue Hyacinths.” Hua Cheng smirked. “For a sincere, loyal, and trustworthy friend.”

Yin Yu nearly dropped the jar he was holding.

“Quite fitting, if you ask me.” Hua Cheng patted his shoulder once, and stood to cuddle his husband. Yin Yu promptly focused on the jars he was supposed to be drying, but couldn’t do anything to stop the smile forming on his face.

“You know what, Yin Yu? I think you’re pretty awesome.”

The Flower God was just like their Lord. He never lied.

Pretty awesome, huh?

Yin Yu smiled.

Maybe he could finally believe it.