Chapter Text
It took a moment for Xie Lian to realize where he was the next morning. The fact, Hua Cheng was lying next to him, an arm draped over the god’s waist, as well as the size and architecture of the room they were in, was what tipped him off to the fact they were in Paradise Manor. And with the realization of where he was, also came the memories of the day before. Hua Cheng had proposed to him, and Xie Lian had accepted. The ghost had confessed Xie Lian was his beloved, that he had gifted his ashes to Xie Lian and that he in fact was the boy who Xie Lian had saved all those centuries ago, when they were both still mortals.
A bright smile formed on the god’s lips, and he reached out to the ghost, smoothing over the ebony strands of hair.
The ghost’s eye opened slowly, the awe and adoration filling the obsidian eye was palpable.
“Good morning, San Lang.”, Xie Lian greeted.
“Good morning, Gege.”, Hua Cheng responded. He tentatively pulled his god closer, the prince letting himself be pulled into a close embrace. “Did Gege sleep well?”, the ghost asked.
“I did. How about San Lang?”, the god responded.
“Me too. How else could it be, with Gege laying next to me?”, the ghost couldn’t help but tease the god a little bit.
Xie Lian giggled. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so happy and at ease. There were still questions he wanted to ask Hua Cheng, but they would most likely spoil the mood and Xie Lian didn’t want that.
As if he had read the god’s mind, Hua Cheng inquired, “Didn’t Gege have some more questions, he wanted to ask his San Lang? Now that you’re well rested, what is stopping you from asking?”
“I just worry the questions will spoil the good mood. And I don’t want that.”, Xie Lian answered honestly.
“But if Gege were to wait for the mood to get worse before he asks his questions, he would never get a chance to ask.”, Hua Cheng countered, half joking half serious.
Xie Lian huffed a laugh, “I suppose San Lang is right.” He looked off to the side and collected his thoughts before continuing, “Then can I ask, yesterday during the dice game, the answer you gave Wind Master, what were you referring to?”
Hua Cheng hummed, deep in thought. He had expected this question at some point, but not as the first thing the prince would ask. How was he supposed to explain without the memories of that day in that temple being brought to the forefront. Or at the very least, he'd like to keep the topic very brief. As he thought about it, his gaze wandered around the room and fell on the two sentient weapons in the corner. And that gave him the answer to his question. “I was talking about the day Gege got that sword.”, his eye pointedly locked onto the black sword.
Xie Lian followed the ghost’s line of sight to the sword. The day he had gotten Fangxin? That was when… His heart clenched in horror. He knew exactly what day Hua Cheng was talking about. He tried to not let the memories of that day resurface too much, he was more focused on the question of how Hua Cheng knew what had happened. Had the ghost been there? But that seemed impossible, the only people there besides Xie Lian and that calamitous ghost were those one hundred mortals, but there was no way Hua Cheng had been one of them. There had been no one else, right? But with the mental image of the ghost in white from that day, came a realization. The calamity had held a tiny ghost flame in his hand, one of the flames who had tried to stop him from going to the temple. Was that… Had that been Hua Cheng? And with that thought came more memories, memories of a little ghost flame who had been by his side numerous times leading up to that day in that temple. All those times, it had been Hua Cheng by his side? A voice echoed through his mind, the voice was weak, but each word was filled with determination and devotion: “I have a beloved who is still in this world. I want to protect them. I pray to never rest in peace. I just won’t let them know why I haven’t gone. Your highness, I am forever your most devoted believer.” That little ghost flame had been Hua Cheng all along. And the one he wished to protect, the one he stayed for was Xie Lian. The god’s eyes filled with tears. He was simply overwhelmed by all the emotions overcoming him.
The ghost was horrified when he saw his god started crying. He thought he probably shouldn’t have answered or at least he should have searched for a different way to answer. He pulled his beloved into a tight embrace, hoping to ease his beloved’s pain this way. He hadn’t been able to help the prince in the past, the least the ghost could do was ease the prince’s remaining pain.
The prince lightly punched against the ghost’s chest, hardly even making contact. “You said, you wouldn’t let me know why you haven’t gone. You failed to do that.”, his voice was muffled because of how his face was nuzzled up to the ghost’s neck.
Hua Cheng froze up in surprise, “What?” It wasn’t as if he didn’t remember their conversation by the riverside that time when his highness had freed the ghost flame, he had been back then, from a ghost lantern. But he didn’t expect the prince to remember it too.
“That day, by the riverside.”, Xie Lian was still sniffling, his tears slowly drying up.
“I didn’t realize Gege still remembered me from back then.”, now Hua Cheng was near tears, for being remembered like that by his beloved.
“I do remember. But I only now realized it had been you.”, the prince looked up, locking eyes with the ghost.
“I see. But Gege is being unfair here. It’s not my fault for Gege figuring it out, so I in fact have not failed in hiding my reason for staying.”, Hua Cheng pouted.
“San Lang has a point there. I’m sorry. I’ll take it back. You have done great. I am truly fortunate to have someone as loving and devoted as you in my life.”, Xie Lian leaned up, nuzzling into Hua Cheng’s cheek.
“Your highness, you’ll truly be the death of me one day.”, the ghost whined, completely overwhelmed by the god’s love for him.
“Don’t you dare. Just yesterday we promised to get married. You’d better stick around now.”, Xie Lian teased.
“Happily.”, Hua Cheng cupped his beloved’s cheek and leaned in. He went slow enough to give Xie Lian enough time to stop him.
But Xie Lian didn’t stop him. Instead, Xie Lian closed his eyes, letting Hua Cheng kiss him.
After their lips parted again, they shared a bright smile.
A bright smile for a bright future.
Together.