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It all starts with Paradise Manor.
And after burning it down again and again and again, he starts building several houses in the mortal realm.
Because— what if his god didn't want to reside in Ghost City?
It would be wholly understandable, it was a den of sin and filth and who would even like that?
He's already mastered the art of woodwork and building estates with Paradise Manor, so building a simple, yet lavish, little cottage was nothing.
And then he'd furnish them, stock up food, draw up preservation arrays so nothing would spoil and rot, eternally suspended in time. Until the day his god had use of them.
He stands before one such house, it's acceptable, he thinks.
Traces of ancient Xian Le architecture are shining through, but nothing too much but it's subtle because he doesn't know if his god would like it after everything that happened.
The only thing left is—
He turns around and looks at the barren patch of soil in front of the house.
The garden.
One by one, he plants the the seeds for colourful hydrangea bushes and fragrant roses, digging his fingers deep into the dirt to lay them. It's a calming sort of work and he's always found it enjoyable.
When he reaches the farther most right corner of the garden he stops for a breath. Something feels off here, but what would possibly try to attack a calamity?
So he continues his work here too, digging his long fingers deep into the dirt and—
With a snarl, he pulls his hands back.
Dangling from his right hand hangs a snake demon, its pearly white teeth embedded into the pale flesh of his finger.
"You little—", Hua Cheng growls but the demon lets go and suddenly his world sways.
The demon wiggles away and Hua Cheng wants to follow, to destroy this little snake demon, but he finds all strength leaving him and he falls into the soft soil.
🌸
Mei Su is used to getting whatever she wants.
So when she's told no, by not only her own father, but also gets ignored by the man she wants— it's enough to cause a major breakdown for her.
It all started a week ago, when suddenly a new house appeared on the outskirts of the village. It happened almost over night, so everyone was told to be careful, because it was likely the work of ghosts.
As already mentioned, Mei Su never gets denied— so she did what every curious young lady would do and approached the house.
And then she saw the sun and moon and stars all together. A young man, so handsome it took her breath away.
Skin as white as snow, hair as black as coal, robes as red as—
Mei Su wanted. She wanted that man to talk to her, look at her.
She hurried home to tell her father that she finally wished to marry and—
"Su-er, I told you to not approach the house!"
"But—"
"No!!"
….
So she cries a little and on the next day goes back to the house.
She will yet convince her parents that this young man was safe!
This time she approaches the house a little more carefully and when she walks through a wooden moon gate, she walks right into a beautiful garden.
Roses are climbing up the moon gate and colourful hydrangea bushes are buzzing with bees.
And there, in the corner of the garden sits the young man. He is trimming one of the bushes and when Mei Su steps closer, he turns his head to look at her.
Mei Su freezes.
The young man doesn't say anything, but his gaze is freezing cold.
"I'm—" she starts with a trembling voice but she stops when his eyes flash.
"Leave," he simply says and Mei Su flinches as if she's been slapped.
She turns around and takes a step towards the moon gate. Then she scrambles whatever courage she has and turns around again.
"What's your name?" she asks and the young man stands slowly up, turns around and looks at her fully.
Close up, he's even more stunning.
He tilts his head a little as if in thought, then he says quietly, "Xiao Hua."
She does a quick bow, whirls around and basically flees the garden.
🌸
With a smile, Xie Lian steps out of the underbrush of the forest and into a small village.
Somehow, his junk-filled sack survived his three day treck through the forest and he hopes he can get some things sold for a bowl of hot soup.
Autumn is encroaching slowly, and he sure would've loved the hot soup last night.
The village itself is lovely, the houses well kept and the gardens well tended to.
Between the houses and behind, crimson maple trees sway in the wind.
After only a short walk he finds the village plaza where several people have opened their stalls.
So he finds himself an empty spot and puts down his straw mat. It's time to sell some scraps.
To his surprise, he actually sells everything he has and earns enough money to even afford a night at an inn.
When he approaches a stall selling soups and hot bowls the aunty greets him with a smile.
The food is delicious, and while he eats he looks around.
The village is beautiful, with little cottages between the trees and—
Huh, Xie Lian sees a lone figure sitting almost at the edge of the village. He can't see much but somehow the person gives off a miserable air.
"Aunty," he turns toward the lady in the stall.
"Who is that sitting over there? Are they alright?"
The aunty squints her eyes and looks where he's pointed, then she chuckles.
"Ah, that's Mei Su, she has a ... phase."
"A phase?" Xie Lian asks with raised eyebrows.
Around the stall the older people start all giggling.
"A phase," says the aunty again.
"Happens to the young people,"
"She got ditched," says an Uncle, barely hiding his mirth.
Ah… how unfortunate, Xie Lian thinks.
One after another comments on the story until Xie Lian can piece it together: the local prettiest girl finally fell in love, but the young man doesn't have eyes for her and now she is heartbroken. (or like an aunty said, "she mopes the day away!")
Then there are a few concerning comments, about the young man being possibly a ghost because his house was built over night.
"He can't be a ghost!" says the soup-stall aunty.
"Why is that?!" shoots the uncle who started the ghost rumours back.
"He bought groceries over at Ming Wu's stall yesterday! He walked in broad daylight, a ghost can't do that!"
The uncle shuts up at that, not sure what to say and another, way younger stall owner sighs.
"I knew it!" she mumbles. "He's too pretty to be a ghost!"
Xie Lian frowns a little but doesn't comment. He'll take a look in a moment himself, because ghosts can easily endure sunlight, if they're powerful enough.
After he pays for his meal and makes sure to compliment the aunty for the food, he makes his way over to the edge of the village, where the young girl is still sitting.
When she hears him approach, she looks up with a fierce look on her face, mouth already opened. She snaps it shut when she sees him.
Her eyes are swollen and he can still see tear tracks on her cheeks.
"What do you want?" she asks sulkily.
He gives her a proper bow, before sitting down on a rock at a respectable distance.
"I wanted to ask about the young man that just moved in," he tells her truthfully.
Mei Su lets her head sink into her hands and lets it a pained moan.
"He's just so—" she mumbles, then stops.
"So?" Xie Lian asks, a little confused at why she stopped.
Suddenly two other girls jump out from a house not too far away.
"He's so fine!" all three of them say wistfully.
Xie Lian blinks and the girls stare at him like they expect a different reaction.
Mei Su speaks up again.
"So fine, so handsome, and yet so cold!"
"So cold!" the other two girls agree and nod along.
Xie Lian looks a little helplessly at the three and they stare back.
"I know!" one of the newer girls exclaims.
"We should go and see him and Daozhang can see himself."
Without waiting for his answer, the two girls take his arms and pull him towards a house, and away from the village.
Mei Su also follows behind.
The closer they get to the house, the more Xie Lian can't help but admire the architecture.
—and agree with the villagers, because a house like this has to take up more time than a night.
By mortal standards.
When the four of them step through the moon gate, a young man steps out of the door of the house.
He is handsome, Xie Lian has to agree. His black hair frames his pale face nicely and his red robes make a nice accent.
Two black eyes roam coldly over the girls first— and then they catch on Xie Lian.
His previous cold facade morphs into a sweet smile.
"Hello, gege," he greets with a charming grin and Xie Lian can feel the heat creeping up his face.
"Hi, ah…" Xie Lian can't help with an answering smile.
The girls around him stare at the whole thing with gaping mouths.
"Gege can call me San Lang," the youth says decidedly and with quick steps he's right in front of him and gently maneuvers him out of the girls grip.
"I have tea, do you want some?" San Lang asks, when Xie Lian just lets himself be pulled into the house.
Surprised and confused m as he is, Xie Lian can only nod and before the door falls shut behind him he can hear the girls furiously whispering.
"I can't believe it…"
"Su-er… you have never been the problem, he's just—"
"And he was so fine, too.."
With a quite click, the door closes and Xie Lian thinks about the girls' words.
Just what? What is San Lang?!
San Lang leads him gently through a hallway and into a spacious, open kitchen. On the stove, a kettle is already steaming and quickly he pours them two cups of flowery fragrant tea.
After placing them on a low table, he ushers Xie Lian to sit on a soft pillow.
"What is gege's name?" San Lang asks, after sitting down on the other pillow, hands crossed under his chin and his eyes solely focussed on Xie Lian.
"My given name is Lian, my last name is Xie," Xie Lian introduces himself with a shy blush and San Lang smiles gently.
"What a beautiful name," his voice is a gently murmur and Xie Lian quickly brings up the cup and drinks some tea to distract himself.
Either San Lang is a very charming human or he is a demon whose general surrounding affects people's feelings.
If it's the first, he silently bemoans that his Guoshi never taught him how to resist men, if it's the last—
Well, no reason to think about it before the case actually comes to a close!
"So, San Lang, what brings you to this village? The villagers all say you appeared rather sudden."
Among other things.
San Lang looks into his mug and frowns.
"That's the thing," he says quietly.
"I can't remember."
Xie Lian starts at that.
Ah, memory loss?!
"A few days ago, I woke up in this garden. Somehow I knew where everything was located in the house, so I think it is mine. But I can't remember anything before that."
"San Lang—" Xie Lian can't help but say softly and gently covers the young man's cool hand with his own.
San Lang's frown falls and he gives him a sweet smile.
"It's not so bad," San Lang says with a cheeky grin.
"After all I met a really kind gege who keeps me company."
Xie Lian immediately feels his cheeks heat again.
Ah, San Lang was such a flirt!
"If you don't mind, I am somewhat of a cultivator," Xie Lian says slowly.
"I can check your meridians for curses and the like. But only if San Lang is comfortable!"
San Lang perks up at the offer and freely offers his wrist.
Gingerly, Xie Lian takes the slender wrist into his hands and closes his eyes.
The skin below his calloused fingers feels tender and Xie Lian noticed several things at once.
Firstly: San Lang is not alive, no heartbeat below his skin and a perpetual chill to his skin.
Secondly: whoever San Lang is, it's someone powerful, if the amount of spiritual energy flowing through his body is any indicator.
And thirdly: there is indeed a curse slugishly moving through his body.
It's by no means powerful, just a little persistent. Something that will fade on its own, given a few days or a week.
The latter he tells San Lang. He's not sure how San Lang would react on the news of his own demise though.
"I'm glad," San Lang says slowly in this deep voice of his, the one that makes Xie Lian's ears burn.
"Will gege stay with me until I remember?" he asks, a hopeful glimmer shining in his eyes.
And what can Xie Lian do about such a genuine plea?
"As long as San Lang wants me to," he says.
🌸
"But what if I was the problem?" Mei Su says mournfully, sitting at the table of a little teahouse with her friends.
"No way!" one of them says.
"I have an idea…" the other one says and both girls turn to her.
"…do you remember Weng Bao?"
Understanding dawn's on both girls faces.
That is indeed a plan.
🍁
"Your garden is truly marvelous," Xie Lian says with a serene smile while sitting next to the hydrangea bushes.
"Thank you, gege," San Lang says with a fox like smile.
"I can't remember planting most of the things but I took care of it ever since."
"Do you also grow your own vegetables?" Xie Lian asks excitedly and San Lang's face falls.
"I…" he mumbles something unintelligible and Xie Lian tilts his head a little in question.
"Can you repeat that?" he asks cutely and San Lang looks at him, pouting.
"I don't like vegetables."
Xie Lian stares and the youth stares back, lip jutted with a pout.
"San Lang…" Xie Lian says slowly.
"I will go to the market and buy vegetables and cook something healthy for you. A youth like you needs his nutrition!"
"Gege!" San Lang whines but when Xie Lian gets up to leave the garden, he obediently follows.
"No buts," Xie Lian declares as they make their way to the village plaza.
Xie Lian is glad that the shops are still open, since evening is approaching quickly.
He finds the one stall selling vegetables and rice.
"Hello Miss," Xie Lian smiles friendly at the young woman running the shop. She opens her mouth to greet him back, when her eyes fall on San Lang and with a clack, she snaps her mouth shut
Xie Lian turns around to stare at San Lang.
He catches a hint of a cold expression, before San Lang turns to him with a pout.
Ah…
"I would like to buy mushrooms, cabbage and carrots please. Ah and some rice too!"
Silently, the young girl bags up all of the groceries and Xie Lian is happy to still have so much money left from his scrap selling earlier.
Before he can hand her the required sum though, San Lang slaps a piece of gold foil down on the counter.
Both Xie Lian and the girl startle at that but San Lang only says cooly, "keep the change."
Then he turns back to Xie Lian and pleads, "and please gege, no more vegetables…"
Xie Lian doesn't know whether to laugh or cry!
"There he is!" A young woman's voice shouts and both San Lang and Xie Lian turn around.
It's the young Mei Su and her friends and… a young man in tow?!
Mei Su pushes the man to the front and with a brilliant smile on his handsome face, he comes closer.
"I'm really not sure what this is about," the man confesses when he's in front of them and both Xie Lian and San Lang stand there silently, waiting for the coin to drop.
Mei Su comes over and stares intently at San Lang.
"Thank the gods," she cries.
"It's really not me, he also doesn't look at Weng Bao!
The young man in question turns around and cries, "Hey, what do you mean with that?"
One of the other girls chips in.
"Well, you look good and Su-er does too… and we wanted to make sure Su-er wasn't the problem here!"
Mei Su gives the girl a slap on the shoulder.
"Shut up, Yingying!"
Wildly giggling, the girls run off, leaving back a confused Xie Lian, a bored San Lang and a crestfallen Weng Bao.
"Just because she's insecure, it doesn't mean she has to put that on me," Weng Bao mumbles dejectedly and with one last look at Xie Lian and San Lang he slinks off.
"Eh, San Lang, what was that about?" Xie Lian asks a little cluelessly and San Lang chuckles before guiding Xie Lian back towards his house.
"I have really no idea, gege."
Back in the house, Xie Lian gets to work. San Lang offers his help, but Xie Lian has him sit down on a cushion.
So he just observes Xie Lian's efforts with rising curiosity.
Dismayed, Xie Lian looks down into his pot. It was supposed to be a simple congee with steamed vegetables on the side…
But he accidentally threw the vegetables right with the rice into the pot and somehow it turned into a purple vegetable soup!
…There weren't even any purple ingredients to begin with!
Ah..
"San Lang, I think I messed up the food, you shouldn't eat this," Xie Lian says glumly.
San Lang stands up and looks over his shoulder.
"But gege, it looks good!"
And before Xie Lian can stop him, San Lang snatched up a spoonful of the soup and put it into his mouth.
"San Lang…!" Xie Lian cries, as he watches the young man chew his soup.
Chew!
Soup shouldn't be chewed at all!
The ghost swallows and takes another spoonful from the pot.
Then he stops for a second, eyes unfocussed and far away.
"San Lang?!" Xie Lian starts to panic and grips the young man by his shoulders.
Did he poison him with his food?!
Carefully he shakes the man and suddenly he ghost's eyes are on him.
"Gege…." he mumbles in awe, looking at him with clear disbelief.
"San Lang, are you alright? I know my food is bad and other people get sick, but you were so fast and—" Xie Lian starts to ramble but two cool hands cradling his cheeks have him snap his mouth shut.
"Your Highness—" he says and his voice breaks at the last syllable. Xie Lian freezes and so does San Lang.
For a moment they remain like this and then San Lang lets go of his face and takes a step back.
"I'm sorry—?"
"You know who I am?" they say at the same time, then fall silent.
"… You first," San Lang says, looking at him intently.
Xie Lian swallows, throat feeling parched all of a sudden.
"How— how do you know me?"
There can't possibly be many people left who know of him— aside from the gods who love gossip more than actually doing work and ghosts, who lived during the Xian Le war and who would have enough resentment accumulated to stay for revenge.
San Lang looks at the floor when he asks, clearly thinking on how to answer the question.
He looks up.
"I will always know his Highness. I will never forget my one and only god—" then he grimaces.
Didn't he just forget him?!
"Or well, normally I wouldn't."
"When I checked your meridians, I felt a curse," Xie Lian agrees, still reeling from the relevation.
"A few days ago I encountered a memory eating demon in the garden, when I was planting seeds. It bit me," San Lang admits, sourly.
"I also felt your spiritual energy, how can a demon ambush you like that?" Xie Lian asks, tilting his head in confusion.
Ruefully, San Lang shakes his head.
"I didn't think it actually would. I might've been too… arrogant. San Lang was wrong."
"Ah no, it's fine!" Xie Lian hurries to say.
"There was no real harm done either, if it ignore the young girls bruised pride!"
"Also, I haven't been entirely honest, for the lack of memories. I am mostly known as Hua Cheng, but I would prefer if gege keeps calling me San Lang."
Xie Lian nods with a smile, "it's nice to properly meet you."
"But…" Xie Lian drifts off, thinking on how to break the topic.
"How I came to know about your Highness?" Hua Cheng offers.
Mutely the banished god nods.
"It's… a long story. And one I would rather tell you where I can also show you something." Hua Cheng says, taking out a pair of red dice from his pockets.
"Is it far away?" Xie Lian asks curiously and eyes the dice.
"With those dice? No. Walking would take a long time, although I could also call for a ride, if you would be happier with that."
Quickly, the god shakes his head.
"Oh no, it's fine! Whatever you would like more!"
Hua Cheng grins and walks towards the door. With a flick of his wrist, the dice fall to the floor, proudly presenting twelve dots.
When Hua Cheng pulls the door open, a black pathway is seen, rather than his lovely garden.
He holds up his palm, for Xie Lian to take.
"Shall we?"
Quickly, Xie Lian takes the offered hand and together they step into the chaotic air of Ghost City.
🍁🌸
Two years later:
With a smile, Xie Lian overlooks the garden his San Lang planted for him two years ago.
He hasn't been back since then, exploring Ghost City and learning the truth about Hua Cheng and, only months later, marrying him.
Xie Lian blushes where he stands and then shakes his head.
Time to get some garden work done!
He trims the bushes, pulls some weeds and, at some point, comes across a weird white root sticking out from the ground.
"What's this?" he wonders aloud and deftly gives it a pull.
It's really long but eventually the whole thing is out and… it's a snake?
Before Xie Lian can let go, it twists and gives his palm a hearty bite.
He barely winces but when the snake lets go, his vision sways.
Oh no! is the last thing he thinks.
San Lang will be so worried.
🍁
Hua Cheng's mood is terrible.
Xie Lian left in the early morning, wanting to check on the house where they met again after centuries.
It's been hours. And Hua Cheng was stuck doing paperwork in Ghost City. Usually he would've ditched the work by now, but Xie Lian had sternly told him to not delegate his work to Yin Yu and do it himself.
So, yes. Hua Cheng's mood was terrible, because he hadn't seen his Gege all day.
An hour later it is already early evening and he finally finished the stock-list with a messy scrawl.
He gets up, immediatly walks over to the door of the study, throws his dice and steps through and out of the door of the house in the mortal realm.
The crimson light of the setting sun turns the garden into a crimson field. Hua Cheng would love to see his Highness in this light—
Except, he's not here.
"Gege?" Hua Cheng calls out but only the quiet birdsong is answering him.
He lifts up his hand with the red thread and sees it disappear through the moon gate and towards the village.
Quickly he follows it, until he spots Xie Lian at the village plaza, surrounded by three familiar lookinh girls.
"What do you mean?" One of them asks and throws up her hands.
"But you already had him around your finger! How can't you be married?"
Xie Lian stands stifly, looking really confused and Hua Cheng decides to step in.
"That's enough," he says coldly and it doesn't only draw the looks from his Highness and the girls but also the entire plaza.
"Hello," Xie Lian says with a slight blush on his face.
"Hello gege," Hua Cheng greets back with a teasing smile, quickly elbowing the girls out of the way and wrapping an arm around Xie Lian's waist.
He looks back at the girls who still stare at him with gaping mouths.
"If you will excuse us, we have a dinner date," the Ghost Kings says cooly and leads the god away.
Xie Lian is awfully silent at his side and when they're out of hearing range, he let's go of his waist and gently takes up his right hand.
"Are you alright, gege?" he asks, gently running a thumb over his hand.
Xie Lian stares at him with awe in his eyes and a clear blush on his cheeks.
"Gege?" Hua Cheng asks, worry in his voice.
His thumb catches on two raised, round points on Xie Lian's hands.
The moment he turns the hand and inspects the wound, Xie Lian opens his mouth.
"I don't really remember my own name, but it's nice to meet you. Whats your name?"
Xie Lian's voice is breathless and he has a prominent blush on his face.
Hua Cheng head snaps up and he looks at his god.
Ah.
….
He never took care of the snake demon.
He gives his god a charming smile.
This time, Hua Cheng will take care of him.