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The black water demon lair looked especially depressing today and He Xuan couldn’t help but smile. A cruel heartbreaking smile that showed more pain than happiness. Things had been pretty rough after he’d gotten his revenge. He thought he would feel freed from the pain that had been weighing him down for hundreds and hundreds of years, but He Xuan hadn’t felt any better, he only felt worse. Some days he felt so bad he couldn’t make it out of bed, other days he would sit at the edge of the water marking his territory and look out, hoping that someone would come and visit. He knew who he was waiting for but it would always be impossible. After what he did there was no way he could ever have a friend like… like him again.
While doing his daily rounds around his residence, He Xuan noticed that his bonefish seemed especially lively today. They’d always been mischievous little things looking for trouble or food, but something was different today.
He Xuan walked down to the edge of shore and crouched, peering into the disturbed waters. All the fish seemed to swarm and gravitate towards one fish in particular that happily hopped up and down creating small waves. Upon closer inspection he noticed that there was something pale wrapped around it’s tail causing it to make such a ruckus.
Dipping his hand into the freezing lake, He Xuan scooped up the fish and removed the tightly strapped scroll that had been the cause of all the commotion. He looked closer at the scroll, noticing that it wasn’t the slightest bit wet even after having been soaking for possibly hours. After stroking the fish’s scales which caused it to make a haunting purr like rattle, He Xuan went back inside with the piece of paper.
The inside of the scroll could only be described as messy scribbling across the expensive paper, which could mean only one thing.
Hua Cheng
He Xuan sighed and rubbed his face with his hands pretending that his annoyed feelings outweighed his hidden glee at being written a letter by the last person in the world who seemed to care.
After having to literally squint at the words for a couple minutes, He Xuan seemed to finally be able to decipher the message.
Dear Black Water Submerging Boats, He Xuan,
You are formally invited to Hua Cheng’s birthday party. Please bring a present (although I’ll be shocked if you even bring yourself). It will be held this Saturday in Puqi Shrine.
Sincerely your best and only friend,
Hua Cheng
“What the-'' He mumbled to himself trying to make sense of the letter. Maybe he had actually read it wrong. There was no way he was actually being invited to a birthday party. It felt like ages since someone had invited him to a party. In fact the only person who ever seemed to make sure he got an invite was Shi Qingxuan.
Was he really going to attend? It certainly couldn’t hurt, unless Hua Cheng had done this deliberately to catch him off guard. It wasn’t like the famously most depressed ghost king was known to be a party goer.
“Then I will go.” He Xuan said determined. He would prove them wrong.
He Xuan stood up suddenly heading for the door but then realized that the party was in two days not immediately. What was he to do all this time then? He finally had something to look forward to.
“Oh right,” He Xuan mumbled, “the present.”
Over the next two days, He Xuan searched tirelessly through the mortal realm for the perfect gift (not that he would ever tell Hua Cheng that he put in this much effort to get his present).
At first he thought it would be funny to get a sparkly eyepatch just to spite Hua Cheng for always paying attention to his looks and making sure he looked ‘sexy and mysterious enough’. Spending several hundred years with Hua Cheng had really made him an expert at getting on his nerves.
He then decided that maybe getting a leash for E’Ming would be a good idea, that way Hua Cheng could take his sword for walks around Ghost City. Sure it may actually have some practical use, but at the same time it would squash all rumors of Hua Cheng’s intimidating reputation. Seemed like a win-win situation.
But thinking back to that awfully crafted letter maybe he should just show some mercy and purchase a handwriting workbook to help the poor ghost king out. That handwriting was truly abysmal.
He Xuan fell back into his dusty armchair when he finally got back home. The two days felt entirely wasted. Those gifts would be funny, but at the same time He Xuan wouldn’t be able to hand them over without feeling slightly guilty. His enormous debt hung over his head and he couldn’t help but feel bad about taking his only friend’s birthday not seriously at all.
He sighed and stood back up. There was still time to get a real present. In fact He Xuan had the best present he could think of right at his fingertips. He walked over to a small cabinet that hadn't been touched in years. There was a small box underneath a glass cover which kept the item from being aged like all the other items on the shelf.
“I guess I could give him this.”
The day of the party arrived and He Xuan couldn't be more excited. Clearly it showed through his pitch black robes and unchanging sharp glare.
At the front of the shrine Xie Lian answered the door and actually looked happy to see him.
“You’re here!” Xie Lian smiled and the ghost king couldn’t tell if he phrased the words as an exclamation or a question.
“Your highness.” He Xuan bowed his head suddenly feeling incredibly nervous.
“Aiya, just call me Xie Lian.” he replied, beckoning him in.
“I fear I can not do that,” He Xuan mumbled, entering the shrine “Hua Cheng might kill me.”
“Kill You? We’re already dead!” the certain man cheered, “didn’t think you’d come bestie.”
“Don't… don't call me that.” He Xuan gritted his teeth looking at the birthday boy who was sitting in the centre of the room with an enormous smile on his face.
“Want some cake? I made it myself” Xie Lian asked, handing him something that could resemble cake if one really looked hard.
“I’ll uh pass.” he replied politely.
“More for me then!” Hua Cheng said, reaching for the slice.
He Xuan sat down next to Hua Cheng watching him devour the sickening food. How does he get that stuff down?
He was surprised to see that there weren’t actually that many people at the party. He’d assumed that the king of Ghost City would be celebrating his birthday with hundreds of ghosts while being surrounded by lavish riches.
Instead there were only a few people in the humble shrine that looked like it could fall apart at any moment, while the occasional child ran loose in the backyard.
“I never thought I’d see the day that you got domesticated.” He Xuan said to the man next to him.
“You know I’d do anything for my husband.” Hua Cheng smirked.
Memories of a time He Xuan would rather forget came back into view. Strolling through Mountain Tonglu for twelve long years trying to evade the worrying amount of statues that all resembled the same man.
“Is that Black Water Submerging Boats?” Someone said from the other side of the shrine.
“Possibly, “ another voice replied. “Ghost kings sure are weird. Maybe we shouldn’t have come.”
He Xuan coughed and looked away pretending he wasn't eavesdropping on the conversation the two men were having.
“Um, who are they?” He Xuan asked quietly.
“Gege’s friends,” Hua Cheng rolled his eyes, clearly unhappy with their presence, “I thought you had met them before?”
So they’re gods?
That time in He Xuan’s life where he knew every god’s name seemed so distant. All he had been doing was hibernating and feeding his fish for so long, it was difficult to recall such painful and yet joyous times in the heavenly realm.
Hua Cheng seemed to notice his discomfort and changed the subject. “Gege, don't you think it’s time we opened my presents?”
Xie Lian literally squealed with glee and came running over. “Yes of course I nearly forgot!”
All the guests entered the small space at the back of the shrine and began revealing their gifts. He Xuan desperately didn’t want to be a third wheel but when faced with more people looking at him than he had experienced in years, he felt himself scooting to be closer to the only people he knew. Hua Cheng noticed his actions and just smiled moving closer in return which earned him a scowl.
One after the other, the guests handed over their gifts and Hua Cheng unwrapped them, marvelling at each presents’ charm. Everything Hua Cheng got was a variation of something that could easily kill someone and look expensive while doing it. One sword in particular even made E’Ming shiver with insecurity at the sight of it.
“Dianxia, what did you get him?” one of the men from earlier asked the happy couple.
“Oh Gege will be giving me my present later tonight.” Hua Cheng replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Xie Lian shoved his husband’s shoulder lightly while covering his face with his other hand. Obviously the claim held some truth judging from the god’s reaction.
Hua Cheng let out a dramatic exhale and suddenly turned staring directly at He Xuan.
“What about you?” he asked playfully, “do you have a present for me?”
As the eyes of everyone in the room turned to him, He Xuan was tempted to tell him to piss off and then stand up to leave the party. However he did prepare a gift and it would be a waste not to give it.
He Xuan slowly nodded his head and watched as Hua Cheng’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“You actually got me something? I’m touched.” he said putting his hand on his where his beating heart would've been if he had one, "what'd you get me? Is it a smile?"
He Xuan actually told him to piss off that time as he reached into his pocket and hesitantly pulled out the present he had prepared.
In his hands lay the small little box that he had picked out the night prior.
The ghost King looked intrigued by the small item and was not at all wavered by it's simplicity compared to the previous items that he'd been given.
He plucked it out of the other's hands and began undoing the ribbon that sealed the box. Once it was open, he gasped at it's contents.
Inside lay two translucent ruby dice which created gorgeous patterns on the shrine's floors when they were held up to the sun.
"They're beautiful," Hua Cheng breathed admiring them "how did you know I needed new dice?"
He Xuan shrugged, suddenly feeling shy at being given so much attention. His body froze when he felt the other ghost king give him a pat on the back to show his thankfulness.
Hua Cheng was about to throw them onto the table when He Xuan reached forward, stopping him in his tracks.
“You… you can’t roll them here. Not yet.” he said adamantly.
His orders made Hua Cheng want to do it even more, but he held off and waited for He Xuan to explain himself.
He Xuan noticeably gulped and tried to regain his usual passive nonchalant composure which just made the other all the more curious.
“I set each number combination to lead to a different place.” he began, “if you want to go to the gamblers den roll a three and a seven. Puqi Shrine should be two fives.”
Hua Cheng looked down to the die in his hand and back up to the pale ghost king who was nervously rubbing his hands on his clothes.
“You didn’t have to set the locations, I know how to do it myself.” Hua Cheng said warmly, smiling at the other man who had obviously put a lot of thought into the gift even if he acted like it was nothing.
“You can change them if you want!” He Xuan quickly rushed out. “I just…”
“You just…”
He Xuan opened his mouth several times but the words never came out. Even though he was dead and therefore always cold, his body felt as if it had actually frozen in place, rendering him unable to speak. Why was it always so difficult for him to say what he wanted to say?
“Agh! Never mind!” he eventually yelled, moving away from the other man who seemed set on finding out what made his friend so shy.
“Tell me~” he whined, moving over to crowd the man’s personal space.
He Xuan stared at the die for a couple seconds before opening his mouth again. “I… I wanted to input…” his words trailed off and no one heard what he had said.
“What was that?” Xie Lian spoke up in a reassuring voice which only made the dead man more shy.
“I wanted to input my residence!”
The room fell silent only interrupted by the sound of children playing outside and the occasional gurgling upset stomach of someone who had too much ‘cake’. Hua Cheng stared at the other man with a smile slowly creeping up to his eye.
“Are you implying that you want me to visit you?” Hua Cheng asked the terribly embarrassed ghost king. “Come on, tell me what the number combination is!”
He Xuan stared at the floor hoping that he would deviate on the spot. ‘Where do I keep my ashes again?’ He thought to himself as Hua Cheng raised his hand, threatening to throw the dice.
“One one!” he yelled before Hua Cheng could successfully throw the dice. “I-it’s one one.”
“One one?” Hua Cheng paused holding the dice in the air. “The lowest number?”
“Mn.”
“The unluckiest number.”
“Mn.”
"Why?" Hua Cheng asked even though he already held his own suspicions as to why those specific numbers were chosen.
"S-so," He Xuan stumbled over his words, "so you both can visit. Your husband doesn't have very good luck."
He Xuan clenched his eyes shut not even wanting to look at the reactions of Hua Cheng, Xie Lian, or any of the other righteous gods present. However after a very pregnant pause, Hua Cheng let out a loud cackle which made the remaining guests at the table turn away from the spectacle, some even making up excuses to leave the room.
“Sang Lan stop teasing him.” Xie Lian pleaded, pulling the hand that held the dice back down so it couldn't be thrown. The reactions weren't what He Xuan was expecting at all. They weren't looking at him with disgust or with pity, they looked happy. Really happy.
“Thank you for the birthday present.” Hua Cheng said in a warm tone full of sincerity, “I’ll be sure to come over more often.”
“Y-you don't have to.”
“I will.”
He Xuan felt the foreign feeling of a real smile grace his face before he knew what was happening. He hadn't felt like this in years. He hadn't felt like this since before he had carried out his revenge. He hadn't felt like this since before he lost his best friend.
“Happy birthday Hua Cheng.”
“Thanks bestie.”