#and that he doesn't think less of Hua Cheng no matter what

[eruhamster]

There have been multiple times where I've seen people are like "haha Hua Cheng made up a story about being kicked out so Xie Lian would take him in haha so silly" so I just wanted to point this out.

He was quoting himself from when he was a little boy.

He was scared to just outright say who he was, but he kept trying to jog Xie Lian's memory (though ofc being a ghost with a photographic memory, he may not have remembered that normal people don't remember things from 800 years ago). He was constantly quoting himself. He showed Xie Lian the palm of his hand with the intention that Xie Lian see his totally fucked up fate and realize who he is.

To be honest... Hua Cheng doesn't really lie to Xie Lian. He lies by omission sometimes, but he does not outright lie. And I feel like people are missing something by apparently not being aware that Hua Cheng was trying to tell Xie Lian who he was, without telling him.

That's why he started trembling and laughing when Xie Lian recalled the story of the suicidal boy that Xie Lian told 'live for me!' - The entire time, he thought Xie Lian forgot about him. Until then.

[jellykyunnie]

Oki so I saw tjat you were open to brajnrots so I hope you enjoy them urbjdbfk sorry if it's long but I need to get these out before I go insane sibddnjdjdb 😅😅

I kinda think that Jinwoo would tease the hell out of their partner if they start getting super flustered after their second awakening, ESPECIALLY if reader was with them pre-awakening and was kinda shy woth affection before too (shout out to my shy peeps akbdjbd) ofc he's respectful about boundaries but it doesn't mean he enjoys how cuter his s/o has become wjbdjdnd Not only that, I think Jinwoo would definately use their new height and stregnth to his advantage too! Like if his s/o was taller and could lift him before when hugging, what stopping him from picking up his s/o to cuddle now?? Mf has the audacity to be smug to 🙄🙄

I think he even finds his s/o' weight on him incredibly comforting, especially with the fact that his s/o trusts him completely no matter how he's changed. This is especially so if his s/o knows how terrifying he is as a hunter, and is not phased in the slightest

(Jinwoo has jumped from E to S-rank. Having to fight his way up tooth and claw, doing whatever he has to survive. A man that even monsters fear. Here? He's just Jinwoo. nothing more nothing less. Safe and content with s/o acting as his guiding light during his darkest of hours. Before, he was worried how he couldnt protect his s/o's happiness when he was an E-rank. Now? He finally has the stregnth to protect them and his family, and will do so with everything he has)

Acheivement unlocked: Jinwoo's s/o has now become his weighted blanket sjdbudnd

Jinwoo pissed after a raid, eyes glowing purple, emitting an aura that even scares his shadows: The world is harsh and cruel.... Jinwoo 10 min later, eyes normal, deadly aura gone, cuddling s/o with his head nestled into s/o's shoulder: s/o soft and gentle.

Wdym he can't have his lovely s/o on his lap while he's on his rare breaks in the privacy of his own office??? Unless there is a s-rank dungeon suddenly appearing or an emergency, this man will be enjoying his BREAK.

Don't get me started on his shadows too sksbudbj. I think it be funny if his shadows also start acting like puppies for s/os affection too. Yeah sure they can absolutely decimate enemies but to their Monarchs beloved, theyre lovable guard dogs. (I think that they would be even more charmed If s/o is actually aware how dangerous they can be but still treats them so kindly)

Jinwoo would also get secretly jealous if his shadows gets the privilege of using his shy! s/o's lap as a pillow too (kinda like how a small pet sits on their owners lap or large dogs put their heads on their owners lap for pets too). Especially if its BEFORE he gets the privilege to abdjdbdnkd

I bet once this man gets a taste of using s/os thighs a pillow , he is a changed man. Brain alterd. dbjdbd

The man's personal heaven? His head nestled into s/o's lap with their fingers running though his hair. If his s/o stars humming? Man's purring in content.

(Anyways, if you read it, thanks! I hope it makes you feel a fraction of how happy I feel when I read your works ajbdjdb)

Cheer,

//Warning: kyunnie having a mental breakdown over Jinwoo NO BECAUSE I GENUINELY THINK JINWOO'S LOVE LANGUAGE IS BEING A TEASE!!! HE'S A BIG OL GRUMP AND AWKWARD BUT I GEN THINK HE LIKES TEASING BY TOUCH!! YOU CAN TELL WITH THE WAY HE INTERACTS WITH JIN-AH LIKE SQUEEZING HER FACE OR PINCHING HER CHEEKS IT TELLS A LOT!!!! I GOT THE IDEA OF A TOUCHY JINWOO JUST BY SEEING HOW HE ACTS AROUND JIN-AH AND KYYAAAAA PRE-AWAKENING RELATIONSHOIP EBHJGRWFE!!!!! I LOVE THAT IDEA SM BECAUSE THERE'S A CERTAIN POETIC ROMANCE TO IT WHEN YOU'VE SEEN YOUR BELOVED AT THEIR LOWEST POINTS AND LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY REGARDLESS!! My fave novel of all time is tgcf and there's a whole interactions between the main cp like this!! “That person saw me at my worst", Hua Cheng said. "Then I'm very envious of that", Xie Lian replied.” IF IT'S A SITUATION LIKE THAT IK JINWOO'S ATTACHMENT WOULD GO BEYOND THE ROOFS AND HEAVENS!!!! Jinwoo would first be oblivious to his sunshine's(reader is giving me sunshine vibes, and I love sunshines sm) at first but he slowly started noticing from the jumpy reactions and the shy expression!! He'd test out the waters by his body language likelike purposely moving closer to reader unexpectedly, grasping hands, lightly brushing a finger on their ear— And when he confirmed his suspicions he went "Oh?" like lIKE HOLLYY SIJJDBE WN CFEAAAAA KGGRAAAAA!!! HE'D BULLY THEM A LOT AND CHUCKLE EVERYTIME HE CATCHES SUNSHINE READER GO BBRRRR BRAIN LAG WHHEEEE PRINCESS CARRIES USED TO BE A DISTANT DREAM NOW JINWOO CAN DO IT ANYTIME HE WANTS!! HE EVEN LETS THEM SIT ON HIS ARM PERCHED SO CUTELY LIKE THIS!!! IT GETS READER SO FLUSTERED THEY HIDE THEIR FACE ON HIS NECK AND HE'S LIVING FOR ITT!!!!

(Source: How to win my husband over) BUT WE CANT FORGET THE JINWOO THAT GETS TIRED AND ALL PISSY AFTER DEALING ITH GATES!! Ik our boi gets annoyed over some sht but he doesn't voice them out most of the time!!! His best therapy is when he has reader cuddled up on his lap or him laying his head on their while they tousle their hair around. I Genuinely think Jinwoo's soft/sensitive spots are on his head!!! Fingertips brushing across his scalp tickles him in a pleasant way that he just goes Zzzzzz..... Jinwoo is the type of boyfriend that looks so expressionless and stiff but put his lover and his eyes immediately turn into the most gentle lovestrucken-fool look in an instant that whoever witnesses it thinks their lives just flashed before their eyes because wth the hunter coULD DO THAT KIND OF FACE??????? HELLLOOO!!!! I am an intj simp and coincidentally I have so many intj husbands that I did not ask for but goddamn the consistency. The patten I see with INTJ's ik is that they love acts of service!!! From brushing your hair away from your face, holding their hand out to you so you wont get lost, instinctively doing something to help you WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING. And my god, they have the most MOST INTENSE EYE CONTACT EVER!!!! Jinwoo has proven that side in the manhwa I do not need to pull up panels for this surely YA'LL KNOW WHAT I MEAN PEOPLE. If Jinwoo is whipped, HE IS WHIPPED!!! He mostly keeps a straight face BUT CANNOT CONTROL HIMSELF FOR HIS BELOVED( lets be fr he doesn't intend to in the first place he's that downbad and I love it mWAH) Cuddle session breaks with sunshine reader is a must if not he will wreak havoc in the office or the gates or something WHEEZE OMG THE SHADOWS WHAKJSDEQBKWEF, HE'S A PETTY BASTARD I TELL YOU!! HE'S CHAOTIC AS HELL!!!!! HE DEF THROWS BERU AN EYE-ROLL WHEN HE GETS PATPATS FROM SUNSHINE READER AND IT ENDS UP WITH BERU HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN ITS SO SILLY JWHNFWEPIOEJFND, HE MAKES HIM DO FOREHEAD ON THE FLOOR PUNISHMENT 2 DHWEJAFKE HE'S A PETTY BASTARDDD!!!!! HIS BIGGEST RIVAL IS TANK BECAUSE HE IS THE FLOOFIEST BOI IN THE SHADOWS AND IT JUST MAKES JINWOO GO INTO A TANTHRUM ITS SO SILLYYY!!!! AFTER THE WHOLE SULKING WO GOES TO SUNSHINE READER'S LAP AND GRUMBLES LIKE A TODDLER!!!! Also the thighs man, he had done it once in E-rank days nEVER MOVED ON I TELL YOU, THAT'S WHY I KEEP SAYING LAP SINCE EARLIER WHAHDHWGR. The first time he did it he felt like he was thrown into heaven literally and figuratively he's such a silly simp AGAIN YES, JINWOO'S MOST SENSITIVE SOFT SPOT IS HIS HEAD!!!!!! OUR SILLY LITTLE FLOOFY BASTARDD!!! He purposely messes his hair up so sunshine reader would be forced to fix his hair, and when they look away he begins ruffling his hair up again for more attention— ALSO EARLIER U APOLOGIZED FOR MAKING SOMETHING LONG BESTIE DON'T I MADE IT LONGER IT'S OKAY DON'T FEEL BAD DAFOHLJMWLEJDNM Also owejii uueeee, now I'm all shy and flustered aisupohdjqbl,emfdn AAAAee ee er w ddw sakjlsdlafrgshdf I'm so glad it makes u happy uueeeeeee, I honestly just write for myself but I'm glad it makes you happy too uueee<3333!!!!! Ty for activating my jinwoo braincells that should have beem stayed dormat anywei!! (They never rlly sleep anyway i just keep them in my head)

[mxtxfanatic]

I saw some people say how similar Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian are in terms of character, and idk why, but I disagree? I don't know how to explain it, but Wei Wuxian seems less likely to let people step on him than Xie Lian? I feel like Xie Lian is too nice to people who don't deserve it sometimes. Wei Wuxian won't hesitate to defend himself. Perhaps that's the difference? They both are morally righteous, that's for sure. But I feel like Wei Wuxian has more self-esteem than Xie Lian does. What do you think is the difference between Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian?

I don't think this is a matter of self-esteem at all. I view Xie Lian as simply being more mellow than Wei Wuxian, but they both have topics they'd fight about and topics they'd let roll off their backs. Wei Wuxian doesn't care at all that others call him evil or make up things about him, whether to his face or otherwise. The only thing he'll engage on is whether someone insults his skills (he is offended when his intentionally bad flute playing is taken as his actual talent, he argues back when Madam Yu says he has "no improvement" whereas he was happy to ignore her comments before that), his appearance (he argues with the scammer about how he drew "The Fearsome Yiling Patriarch"), or his loved ones (Lan Wangji, Jiang Yanli). He doesn't find slander worth fighting against, for the most part, because he doesn't care about stranger's opinions, let alone their opinions about him.

Xie Lian is the same just with less hot buttons than Wei Wuxian, but I believe that that's due to him being much (much) older and also now being anonymous. The people who know of his skills actually know him irl to know that's not a topic they can disparage him on, whereas any regular person he meets on the street just assumes he's also a regular nobody. He has nothing to protect from slander because, quite frankly, there is none that's worth it. He's not gonna fight someone over calling him "bad luck" anymore than Wei Wuxian is starting street brawls over people calling him "evil." Now, Hua Cheng who does have a current reputation and experiences slander is absolutely Xie Lian's hot button in the same way Lan Wangji and Jiang Yanli are for Wei Wuxian. Qi Rong insults Xie Lian and Xie Lian doesn't care because he doesn't respect Qi Rong or his opinions. Qi Rong moves on to insulting Hua Cheng and Xie Lian makes him eat his teeth twice before the man can even complete a sentence.

As for people who try to mess with them without knowing their identities, again, I feel like Xie Lian is simply more mellow and therefore their approaches are different. Wei Wuxian charms his way into people's good graces through flattery, gift-giving, and good conversation. He's usually the one to initiate contact. Xie Lian, on the other hand, tends to keep to himself, meaning others are the ones who try to pull him into their messes. For nice people, he is polite but distant, and for mean-spirited or duplicitous types, rather than charming them as Wei Wuxian does, he simply out-embarrasses them. Insult Xie Lian and he'll lean so hard into it that you get secondhand embarrassment and either leave him alone or befriend him out of amusement/pity.

[mieanme]

Merman x Siren au

Hualian - (part IV)

Previous part: PART III

First part: PART I

We finally reached the part I've been thinking about for ages 😭 I hope you like the siren, guys ^•^

ALSO, if you wanna know how Hua Cheng looks like, I drew him: here

***

"Well, well, well..." the deep, unfamiliar clicks echo down the trench, causing unpleasant chills to run up Xie Lian's spine. "What do we have here?"

With a racing heart, Xie Lian slowly turns his head upwards, finally facing the creature blocking the daylight.

The first thing that pulls Xie Lian's gaze is the longest tail he has ever seen in his life. If not for the sharp, bloody red scales, he would say it resembles an eel more than any other creature he's ever come across. Other merpeople said that sirens take after reptiles such as crocodiles the most, but those don't usually live in salt waters, so Xie Lian never had a chance to check if their words were true. Not like it matters now anyway - following up the tail, Xie Lian sees the huge back fin, a few smaller ones on the sides, pale yet tough looking body and, the most terrifying for him, arms geared with shining claws.

"I,I... I—," Xie Lian clicks a few times, trying to maybe bargain with the siren, but all that comes out is rather incoherent.

"Hmm?" the creature respondes, arcing its left eyebrow.

When Xie Lian steals a short glance at its face, not daring to stare, he only catches eye contact with the creature's left eye, the right one being covered with long, black hair. From that one look, Xie Lian figures out the siren is probably a male, with a sharp jawline and more or less masculine features.

"Are you inaudible, little merman?" the siren mocks, swimming closer to Xie Lian, as if he wanted to catch his prey this instant.

In seconds Xie Lian in his mind sees the image of the siren getting closer and holding him by his throat to cover his gills. The vision of himself dying slowly and painfully in the creature's hold finally untangles his own tongue.

"N-no, that's not the case!" he exclaims, trying to back out of this situation, but soon enough his shoulders bump into the wall of the trench behind him. Ruoye managed to move onto the merman's stomach, so luckily it didn't suffer the collision. "I-I can explain! I just need one thing, I promise!"

"Interesting," the siren speaks up again, still approaching Xie Lian in a painfully slow and very mocking manner.

The siren knows the merman cannot escape and so does Xie Lian. He's just toying with his meal at this point and Xie Lian doesn't like that thought one bit.

"So you not only ventured into my territory uninvited, but you were also planning to take something without my permission nor knowledge. It's called stealing, little merman. But please, explain away."

Xie Lian grins to himself, noticing that the siren does have every single right to execute the merman here and now. However, he doesn't want to give up just yet. He hopes that the siren will understand him and cooperate.

"I know how it sounds, but I have a good reason, I promise I had no malicious intent coming here," Xie Lian starts, not daring to look up at the siren. "Some of the members of our pod have suddenly fallen ill to a highly dangerous and infectious disease. They are innocent merpeople, gatherers and nursery guardians. They were unable to swim since then and whatever they eat, they vomit out a few minutes later. If they're not granted the medicine for this illness, they are going to die suffering. But there's only one cure to this illness, at least that's what our oldest medic said - it's an algae that grows in almost full darkness, practically only in the ocean trenches. And the only trench we know of is this one! I-it's also not that we all agreed to come here, our leader even forbade us from coming into your territory, so, please, don't hold it against our pod, I came on my own! But I really want to help them, so please, let me take the algae!"

Xie Lian rapidly spits out the last sentence, begging the siren to have some mercy. However, after he finishes his speech, only silence follows. If not for the shadow still remaining casted at him, Xie Lian would think the siren left, since he no longer could sense his presence nor water movement around. Just then, siren finally reacts to his words, but it's not a reaction Xie Lian was waiting for.

The siren bursts laughing, making Xie Lian lift his gaze at him. The creature is way closer to him than Xie Lian thought - now he's able to see every single scale on his body and even some strange marks resembling veins on his torso and neck, travelling down his left arm and even up his face. Only then Xie Lian realises the siren doesn't have the second eye; where it should be, there's an ugly scar covered in the same strange marks that the merman noticed on his body.

Xie Lian doesn't have any more time to think about it though, because when the laughter dies down, the siren keeps staring at him with a mocking smile, as if he never saw anything as stupid and amusing as this very merman in front of him.

"Why... why are you laughing?" Xie Lian finally says, almost clinging to the wall when the siren comes even closer to him. The siren's black hair brush over Xie Lian's shoulders and tangle with his own, painting a beautiful yet terrifying picture.

"Foolish, little merman," the siren sums up, reaching out one of his hands to Xie Lian's face. Ruoye jumps up to attack him, but Xie Lian manages to catch the octopus with both hands and hug it to his chest, not wanting to anger the siren even more. "You won't pick that algae, no matter how much you want to."

"Please, let me go there! I really need it, we will repay you for your kindness if you let me go look for it! I promise! Please!"

However Xie Lian shuts up the second the siren's cold, clawed fingers touch his face. The siren catches his chin in two fingers, the rest slowly brushing over the merman's skin. It's terrifying, but also... it feels quite pleasant. Xie Lian doesn't understand it, but his heart starts beating even faster, but not only out of fear. What's the other emotion - he cannot tell.

"I am not stopping you from diving down the trench. I'm simply stating the fact, little merman. You are unable to pick that algae."

Xie Lian is dumbfounded. He blinks a few times, this time looking straight into the siren's eye.

"What... What do you mean? You're not stopping me? So... Why wouldn't I be able to pick the algae?"

"It's very simple," the siren states. "It grows too deep for any mer to pick it. That's why that disease that has fallen over your pod is called the 'black desolation'. It brings only two things over merpeople - annihilation from the illness and darkness from the places they try to find the medicine and fail. Your elder didn't mention it, did they?"

Xie Lian is speechless once again. What the siren says is even more terrifying than his presence itself.

'It... It can't be,' he thinks to himself. 'So there's no cure at all?'

"I see, you actually didn't know," the siren continues. "That's a pity—"

"But!" Xie Lian cuts him short, suddenly feeling a rush of courage wash over him. "I won't give up until I try! I want to see for myself if I can pick it or not! Please, let me go, I can endure whatever the depth has there for me!"

The siren's eyebrow flies up yet again, visibly not believing in Xie Lian's success.

"So you still really want to start bleeding from all your flesh, lose all your senses and die a painful death, crushed by the conditions down there?"

Xie Lian hesitates, but then he nods. He knows he probably looks like the most pitiful creature in the siren's eye right now, but it doesn't matter.

"I will pick the algae, or I will die tryin—"

"No need," the siren chimes in, letting go of Xie Lian's face. "I will pick the algae for you."

The siren backs away, leaving Xie Lian so surprised that he even lets go of Ruoye. The octopus, still angry with the siren's attitude, charges right at him, but even when it wraps itself around it's arm and bites down, the siren doesn't look amused at all.

"Ruoye, no!" Xie Lian exclaims, but he knows it's already too late.

"Don't worry, it's venom can do nothing to me. It's not the first blue-ring octopus I pissed off," is the only thing the siren says before Xie Lian manages to reach him and gently takes Ruoye in his hands, trying his best in convincing the animal to let go. When the octopus finally admits defeat, it wraps itself around Xie Lian's back again, obviously glaring at the siren.

Only now Xie Lian realises that as soon as Ruoye disappeared from his hold, his hands chose to rest on something else - that happened to be the siren's forearm, right in the place a small bite mark is now visible. Xie Lian blinks, unsure of what to do. Then he feels his cheek being touched by the siren's cold fingers yet again, making him look up at his handsome face.

"I will be back shortly. Stay here," the siren assures, but is taken aback when Xie Lian grips his arm even tighter instead of letting go.

"But... aren't you going to get hurt? I don't want you to risk your own life just because I probably cannot reach the algae. I... I want to do it on my own without putting any more lives on the line."

Xie Lian doesn't expect the siren to chuckle, but it actually happens. The siren only shakes its head, smiling leniently at the merman.

"My body is very different from the one of a mer. I can dive way deeper and endure extreme conditions. I am what your kin calls a 'monster', after all. Only a pitiful monster wouldn't be able to do such things. I'd rather live up to my titles."

With those words, siren suddenly dives down, not letting Xie Lian even think of a response. Within seconds he's totally gone in the pitch darkness, leaving the merman and the octopus alone.

***

Hello~! I feel like this part is a little longer than the previous ones, I hope you enjoyed it!! Lemme know what do you think in the comments ^•^ See you soon!!

PART V

[benevolenterrancy]

I am both so sorry and so delighted to have given you OHSHC/TGCF brain worms it’s literally the best thing ever though!!!

It is seriously haunting me at the moment, I can't stop finding the premise absolutely hilarious... here, have some Three Tumours

au notes:

Ling Wen doesn't like wearing dresses and uses the boys' uniform instead. For this reason she's often mistaken for a boy which drives her nuts. She's been accused of doing this for clout or preferential treatment.

Ling Wen is the president of the Computer Sciences Club and manages the school's monstrous group chat server. It is hell. She secretly can't wait to graduate because everyone else refuses to learn how to run it and she knows it'll go down in the flames the second she's out the door

Pei Ming is a certified Jock™ and tries to convince his friends to join him on a sports team -- any sports team! -- every year. Hasn't happened yet but he's persistent

(Pei Ming eventually learns that Xie Lian is a Secret Jock and begins a dedicated campaign to pilfer him from the Host Club; Hua Cheng is Not Fucking Amused)

Shi Wudu is easily the richest student in this school of rich kids and is not above throwing his wealth around to get what he wants. This earns him the less than affection nickname of "Tyrant"

He Xuan applied for this school and got through its entrance exams specifically to ruin Shi Wudu's life. No one knows this (or why he's so set on it) except Hua Cheng who thinks it's hilarious

There's a sign outside the compsci club door that says "Palace of Ling Wen". No matter how often she takes this down, one of her compsci minions will put up another of increasingly elaborate design (everyone at this school has money to burn and time to kill)

[lovelive-animequeen1029]

Persenting ; Hua Cheng and Xie Lian from heaven official's blessing

A/n: took soo long to do so but any way i don't think this makes any sense or whatever so have fun understanding ;). also this is a yandere shit i wrote so yeah but it's not that bad maybe 5/10

 —------------------------------------------------

“Here please eat it” Xie lian said, putting down a tray of fried fish in front of you in hopes you would eat; but sadly you pushed away the tray looking back at the picture frame. “Won’t you at least take a bite or drink water?”you shook your head. Xie lian sighed before frowning and patting your head.``you know Hua cheng will be back in less than two minutes'' you nod  “Ok so why don’t you be a good girl and finish  your food so he doesn't have to force you to.” you stop glaring at the wall looking him in the eyes but when you did the amber-eyed man wished you just accepted their love.

Your eyes which once used to shine with hope and light now looked dark and gloomy,no not just your eyes but your entire self. You’re not the person you used to be;maybe it was all their fault or maybe it was your’s. Lost in each other’s eyes, you did not hear hua cheng entering the room. It wasn’t until he slammed the door shut that you realized he came in. “ Is something wrong ? San lang? '' Xie Lian asked, worried laced in his tone. The black-haired ghost king looked at you with piercing eyes,before grabbing a chair out of thin air. He sat on it as he looked between you and the untouched food again.” why haven’t you eaten?” he questions, his tone cold. You don’t respond;looking at anything other than him. angering him further wasn’t something you wanted but you couldn’t give up so easily not when you went through so much, Not when you had lost loved ones and not when they had broken you so so many times without a hint of mercy. You had always wondered what was wrong with you,if it was normal to…” why are you spacing out? I asked you a question didn’t I?” hua cheng demanded, grabbing your wrist and forcing you to stand up and stumble your way to him. You stood in front of him but you did not dare to look at his eyes no matter how painfully he held your wrist. You start shedding tears and look at xie lian when it all becomes too much for you to handle. Taking pity on you xie lian stands up from his kneeling position and carefully walks towards you but as he reaches a hand out to help you, the ghost lord stops him.” you treat her kindly, if you want her to obey you then you should punish her for every mistake she makes” hua cheng says pulling you to sit on his lap as he grabs a closed box (from his clothes?) and opens it. Inside are some rice-balls and fish and a pair of chopsticks. hua cheng takes the chopsticks and grabs one of the rice-balls,taking it towards your closed lips and tapping on them. You shake your head and turn to the other side. He sighs before saying “ you don’t have to eat i won't force you to” you look at him shocked at what he just said ‘was he really telling the truth?could you believe him? He won't be hurting you toda..”but i will not take any sort of disobedience from you ever again.” he stated. “ Now will you be good and eat or do you wish for me to treat you like a child?” hua cheng asked you to look into your eyes.  You felt exposed, unable to deny him afraid that he would hurt like he once did so you nodded. Hua Cheng smiled when you took the chopsticks from his hand,but just as you were about to put the rice-ball in your mouth xie lian took the chopstick from you and put the rice in his mouth. which left you and hua cheng surprised and then he lent down and connected your lips to his as you felt something entering your mouthing. you gagged when you realized he slipped the rice from his mouth to yours and as you were about to spit it back you heard a “swallow it” from hua cheng and so out of fear you did. Both men chuckled at your obedience.seems like you won’t be saying no any time soon.

[one-flower-one-sword]

continuation from part 1

this is just after Lang Qianqiu has arrived and Hua Cheng has blocked the blast from his broadsword with E'ming. he's again standing at an angle with his seeing side facing them and E'ming mirroring his stance.

(as an aside, can we talk about how fantastic Hua Cheng's Chinese VA is? that respectful, warm, playful tone he uses when talking to Xie Lian versus the derision and mocking disdain with Lang Qianqiu. it's so layered but comes across so natural yet so intense, just wow)

now, Lang Qianqiu goes on the offensive. in response, Hua Cheng switches E'ming from his left to his right

I love the way Hua Cheng moves with E'ming, it shows that it's really a part of and an extension of himself; his body mirroring that defensive yet aggressive curve. also, personally speaking this is so far my favorite interpretation of what E'ming looks like. *Xie Lian waxing poetic about swords voice* it's imposing and dangerously sharp and fast, yet there's also that intense elegance to it, the jagged wildness of its edges offset by the pretty tassel on the hilt.

okay, moving right along. while at first it looks like Lang Qianqiu is going for Hua Cheng's left, he actually does a sort of spin before reaching him and then attacks his right, throwing his entire weight behind it.

I do think, given Lang Qianqiu's comments about honor and justice and sincerity - like when he objected to Shi Qinxuan's idea of Xie Lian deceiving Hua Cheng, since it's wrong to do that to friends even if they're Ghost Kings - that he's not purposefully doing this to take advantage of Hua Cheng's blind spot. he's a hothead and also really angry right now because Hua Cheng humiliated him in the gambler's den and just now mocked him again. this impulsiveness gets further underlined by the fact that he doesn't seem to realize what Xie Lian can in one look: he doesn't stand a chance against Hua Cheng. Shi Qingxuan also yells at him not to face E'ming head on, though since he isn't a martial god, that has less to do with him being able to accurately judge their different skill and power levels and likely more with E'ming's reputation.

Hua Cheng is facing Lang Qianqiu directly now rather than from an angle, and also has switched to putting his right foot forward since that's where he's holding his weapon now. while keeping his seeing side fixed on Lang Qianqiu, he draws his leg and E'ming back to then lunge forward and block off Lang Qianqiu's attack:

it looks like their weapons are already hitting each other here but it's the moment right before Xie Lian darts between them like lightning, pushes Lang Qianqiu's broadsword away and blocks off E'ming, though not without getting cut by the latter (in the novel, we learn that this likely happens because the random sword he'd snatched shatters upon impact with E'ming, which Xie Lian describes as a "force to be reckoned with", unlike Lang Qianqiu's "manageable" broadsword)

now, if Hua Cheng had been fighting for real here, Lang Qianqiu would have definitely been toast. first of all, Lang Qianqiu is facing off against a much more agile and versatile weapon than his own and seems to not know how to make up for that. judging by their positioning right before Xie Lian darts between them, Hua Cheng could have used the force of Lang Qianqiu's hit against him, letting it push E'ming down, then snapping it upwards and skewering Lang Qianqiu in two. the tragedy is of course that Xie Lian decides once more that it doesn't matter if he gets hurt as long as no one else does - creating the exact scenario Hua Cheng was trying to prevent. I'm about to hit image limit again, so we're left with Hua Cheng looking heartbroken that Xie Lian was injured by his own hand

this is the end of my analysis of 2x05. overall, I feel like the donghua reflects what can be gleaned from the novel - Hua Cheng's vast experience at compensating for and working with and around his blind spot in direct combat combined with his extremely high levels of skill and speed mean he can easily hold his own against his opponents (until Bai Wuxiang, that is). this doesn't erase his disability however; it's reflected in every choice he makes regarding the way he moves and positiones his body, and how that changes depending on his mood, his objective, and his surroundings.

[volann]

Everyone in tgcf is a foil character (if you squint)

(pt 2, pt 3, pt 4)

I will be writing this as I reread the book, so this is the first part where I'll write about Xuan Ji and Xiao-Ying. I may not remember some details about Xie Lian and Hua Cheng bc I haven't reread those parts yet but hopefully it won't affect anything important. And neither do I have the revised version nor do I know Chinese, so everything is based on the og version. (also English isn't my first language, I asked my friend to check everything but there may still be some mistakes)

I'll start with Xuan Ji, Pei Ming’s ex that burned down temples and killed 17 brides to attract his attention. So the thing that keeps her as a ghost is her obsession with the man that prevented her suicide attempt. Also she wears red. Yes, I will be comparing her to Hua Cheng here. And this might be a stretch, but the plot may be indicating that she's his foil because Xie Lian first thinks that Hua Cheng is the ghost groom. Anyway, it's more important how those two are different. Xuan Ji's final goal is Pei Ming's love and attention. She doesn't take into consideration his needs and feelings, her own feelings come first. This is their main difference. Xuan Ji broke her legs to trap Pei Ming into staying, died to make him grieve — Hua Cheng died several times to save Xie Lian and didn't care about himself. She cries about how much she sacrificed, like Pei Ming owes her because of it — Hua Cheng gives his ashes to Xie Lian and doesn't care what will happen to them. He only wants Xie Lian to be happy. Xuan Ji wants Pei Ming to come to her, while Hua Cheng has been looking for Xie Lian for hundreds of years. Xuan Ji blames Pei Ming for everything that's wrong with her and her life — Hua Cheng would never. Xuan Ji shows how dangerous an obsession can be. Her love leads first to self-destruction, obvious in her broken legs and her last suicide attempt, and then to burned temples and people's deaths (although she was a general, her actions likely affected others even then). Hua Cheng did burn down temples too, but only to avenge his love, who didn't know about it for hundreds of years. Hua Cheng builds new temples for him. And, in the end, Xuan Ji is as powerful as she is only with Qi Rong's help while Hua Cheng became supreme on his own– his feelings are much stronger.

It is possible to find some similarities with Xie Lian too: besides being a fierce general, she is incredibly beautiful (and Xie Lian is Flower-Crowned Martial God), and while she had a high position during her life, now she's just a ghost. Xuan Ji feels as if noone is on her side, the one closest to her — betrayed her (add two suicide attempts there, although the reasoning is quite different). This reminds me the most of Xie Lian from book four, but fortunately he did see good in people, and in the end the only one suffering because of his actions was Wu Ming. Are these similarities the reason why he doesn't want to judge her without knowing the whole story?* The fact that he sees himself from the past in Xuan Ji and understands the desire to have someone who will stay by your side no matter what? Well, he never judges anyone too quickly and I can't claim anything. So. When compared to Xuan Ji, everyone showes their good sides, wow, what a revelation, I know.

*It doesn't really fit in this theme but those words might be directed at the reader since there are many lies in the book. The first that comes to my mind is the fact that Xie Lian knew about Nan Feng and Fu Yao's true identities already in the first book, but nothing in the text indicates that. But we're not speaking about them (yet?). In case of the ghost groom we first know the legend, then Xuan Ji's retelling and, finally, Pei Su's words, which we perceive as the truth. Every time characters' motivations are changed completely. This happens with many stories, from Xie Lian's past to less important parts like this one.

Now let's speak about the character whom I didn't plan to speak about at first: Xiao Yin. It is possible to compare her to Hua Cheng, or, to be more specific, Hong Hong-er: everyone thinks she's ugly and bullies her. Of course, we only see this behavior from Xiao-Pengtou (I don't remember the "tou" part in his name but wiki says it so it must be true), and the only other person with at least some significance from her village is the teahouse owner who is more of a narrator. But both she and Lang Ying avoid the light and don't look in people's eyes, and in the end she says she hasn't had any good days in her life, which probably means people in general didn't treat her well. Another similarity is the fact that Xiao Yin says that maybe she was born unlucky in the last moments of her life, while Hong-er was literally born under the Star of Solitude. But, unlike him, Xiao Yin isn't angry at the world. Before meeting Xie Lian Hong Hong-er wanted to ruin the festival for everyone with his own death, and now Hua Cheng mostly cares only about the crown prince. But Xiao Yin drags Xiao-Pengtou inside the circle made by Ryoe to save him. I can't think of a better example but from some angles it can be similar to Xie Lian saving Mu Qing, but he had eight hundred years, and he doesn't really care about the past anymore, and the whole situation is different… anyway, Xiao Ying only wants to help people, especially Lan Ying, helps Xie Lian as soon as she sees he needs it, but in the end most of it is in vain (Xiao-Pengtou did die), even her death didn't change anything, and the only one who grieves for her is the bandaged boy. Remember Xie Lian and his attempts to save Xianle? There even was a bandaged boy too. Xie Lian might have lied to Xiao Ying because of it, but he does lie out of kindness quite often, so this may not be true. Back to Xiao Ying. No matter how hard she tries, people always misinterpret her intentions and look for a catch (you want to help this boy? no, surely you're helping the ghost bridegroom). This is a common theme in all of mxtx's novels, Xie Lian isn't an exception. Even Xie Lian compares himself and Xiao Ying and says that she's stronger. That's probably because in her last words, she wanted to overcome her misfortune. No matter what she wanted to help everyone, including those who mistreated her, and didn't even think of sending an awful plague onto them.

I don't think Xiao-Pengtou is important enough to write something about him, although it is quite interesting how he could affect everyone's actions by just being there — after his death everyone was sorry. He probably would fit into an essay about ruling figures in tgcf. There isn't much said about Lan Ying yet, and later we learn way more about Nan Feng and Fu Yao, so there are some things I want to say that are not about characters. The themes important for the whole book and many characters — desire for closeness with other people, striving to find someone who will understand you and will never leave, inevitability of tragic events, discrepancy between what you are and what people see you as, distortion of history — are introduced in the first chapters. All of them will be important in the future arcs and probably this is why it's so easy to find foils: we see how the same themes are explored in different characters. I wonder how many words will be used for more important characters if I wrote so much on Xiao Ying…

[the-marron]

When he was a kid, Zhao Yunlan believed that saving the world was this definitive, life-altering thing that changed everything - after the hero saved the day there was no more war, no more pollution. The weather was always beautiful and people were nice to each other because with no threat to their lives they had no more reasons to be nasty.

Zhao Yunlan aged twenty-nine sees the matter very differently. 

Saving the world didn't make the bureaucracy go away for example - it only made the officials come up with more exciting forms to fill out: for the Dixingren stuck above, for Haixingren bereft of their possessions, for Haixingren wanting to marry Dixingren, for Dixingren to register their powers, the sheer amount of papers the Xingdu Ministry can now be mean about increased drastically, and they aren't even Zhao Yunlan's everyday problem.

The rain however very much is.

Getting wet is not what concerns Zhao Yunlan at the moment - in his infinite wisdom he decided to go shopping with his better half who was born ready for everything, and had taken an umbrella to the excursion, so they are now being protected from the elements with the power of white plastic with a Da Qing-presenting cat proudly displayed above Shen Wei's head.

They are safe, but their freshly painted rails on the balcony are not, and Zhao Yunlan feels very tired just thinking about painting them again.

Such minor inconveniences never happened to heroes of his childhood. Their lives grew more peaceful, while Zhao Yunlan's got... Well, not worse, that's for sure, but certainly more colourful. He never even dreamed he would come to the moment in life when he would have a house to worry about.

A house he was returning to with Shen Wei, who finally gave in and started wearing more normal clothes to get the shopping done. While Shen Wei trying his best to move freely in a suit was certainly a vision, Zhao Yunlan cannot help but be a little charmed by the t-shirt (his) and the cardigan the revered professor Shen is wearing now. It feels like a good change. 

Or at least it doesn't make the onlookers fear that Zhao Yunlan is some ruffian who kidnapped himself a respectable hostage and is now blackmailing him into shared domesticity.

Mundane looks good on Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan thinks, and gets distracted by a rumble of thunder above them. Fucking great, they've just planted the flowers too. 

Annoyed at the world, Zhao Yunlan stops to stare at the skies in accusation, the lollipop he’s been abusing for the last half an hour turning unexpectedly sour in his mouth. 

Next to him, Shen Wei stops too, yet his attention is on something else entirely.

"Look. Lis changed the curtains again," Shen Wei says, in his best impression of polite judgment, "Hideous."

Zhao Yunlan doesn't have to look - even if the Li family bought the best looking, the most tasteful curtains in the world, even if those were the very curtains of Shen Wei's dreams, he would still hate them on principle. Mostly because Shen Wei doesn't approve of anything the Lis do, by default.

Still engrossed in his battle of wills with the dark clouds coming their way, Zhao Yunlan allows himself to retrace the long history of Shen Wei on Li Hua and Li Cheng violence. Did it start with Li Hua sharing her loud opinions about Dixingren? With Li Cheng's loud music playing? Or with their shared belief that Zhao Yunlan is the 'hoolingan that makes their neighbourhood feel less sophisticated'? The investigation is still ongoing, but the fact remains that in this post-world saving reality, the great Heipaoshi still has his battles to fight.

With the neighbours.

There is something deeply pleasing about the thought, and Zhao Yunlan is on his way to voice that particular mushy thought of his when his personal enemy, the Nature, sends another roll of thunder as a warning not to get too cocky.

"We need to at least save the flowers," Zhao Yunlan says, adjusting his grip on the umbrella with determination. Shen Wei's hand, still resting on his arm tenses slightly at the word 'save', but he relaxes right away. He casts one last, fully judgemental look in the direction of house Li and off they go, trying to outrun the weather.

"Maybe at least her begonias get it," Shen Wei mutters with dark hope in his voice.

The pleasant feeling inside Zhao Yunlan returns with force, warm despite the rain.

that time Lord Guardian of Haixing and Black Cloaked Envoy of Dixing went grocery shopping

[monsieurboyardee]

Au where xie Lian was constantly being told by Jun wu that he should put more effort into his appearance but after dating hc, xl finds himself WANTING to put effort into his appearance and struggles bc is it bc he feels like he needs to or bc he wants to?

The thing is, xie Lian used to dress really nicely. Mu qing can attest to this, as he was in charge of all of xie Lian's outfits: great robes made of the softest silk and the most detailed embroidery, gilded head pieces and coral red earrings. Once upon a time he'd been a prince, and for many years he'd looked the part.

But then came the war. And then came the plague. And then came the homelessness and the poverty and his parents' double suicide, the loss of both his best friends. Then came 800 years of living in the streets, collecting garbage and eating scraps of whatever he could find because more often than not it was all he was gonna get. He busked and begged, and he slept on the cold, hard dirt for eight centuries. Even if he'd been able to keep any of his old clothes, his way of living would've destroyed them long ago.

He is content with his thin white robes and the bamboo hat across his back. It is all that he needs, and if there's one thing that he's learned it's that he doesn't need much. He is content with the way he appears.

But sometimes, he'll visit the heavens, and he'll hear ppl whisper as they watch him walk down the street: about the dirt on his hem, or how threadbare his sandals are. How he certainly looked the part of a scrap-collecting god.

Xie Lian doesn't care what the other gods say. He's 800 years too old to change himself due to a few whispers, especially because there's not really any point in doing so.

But he'll come up to heaven sometimes and greet Jun wu, and there's a tightness in his smile and in the corner of his eyes that makes xie Lian's stomach twist with dread. He feels Jun Wu's eyes look him up and down with thinly veiled disgust, hears his disapproval in the way that he says, "ah, don't you want to dress up a little? You're a God afterall, you should look the part". Xie Lian knows that he's embarrassing Jun wu, and it makes him feel sick.

One day, he buys a cheap ribbon in exchange for work. He ties it in his hair, looks at his reflection in a lake. He's still the same, dirty robes, threadbare sandals, bamboo hat resting easy on his back. But he thinks the ribbon looks nice. It's cheap, bright red and hardly even the length of his hair, but maybe,,maybe this will be enough. Maybe Jun Wu will like it, and be a little bit less embarrassed of him.

"What, is he trying to look good now? I think it's a bit too late for that, do you think he dug that out of the trash?"

Xie lian once again ignores the whispers. But when he finally greets jun wu, jun wu takes one look at him and pulls the ribbon out of his hair. "Such cheap material," jun wu says, handing xie lian back the ribbon. "Is unworthy of a god".

Xie lian goes hungry that night. He never wears the ribbon again.

But then Hua Cheng comes into his life. And all sorts of stuff happens and Jun Wu is exposed and dealt with, and finally there's peace. And xie lian is HAPPY, so unbelievably happy to have hua cheng by his side, to have his best friends back after so long, to lay in a comfortable bed and eat good food and know that this was here to stay, and he didn't have to do anything in return.

Xie Lian is so, so happy, and he can tell San Lang is too. And ultimately, people seem happy for them, and though it wouldn't matter much to xie lian if they weren't, it's still so unbelievably nice.

Sometimes though, xie lian will see handsome men and pretty women, and he looks down at his robes with a crease in his brow and a sinking feeling in his gut. He isn't sleeping on the ground anymore, he sleeps in a nice, warm bed with the love of his life and he can afford to bathe regularly and have his clothes washed now. In comparison to how he used to be he looks a lot better, even he can tell.

But there's always that voice in the back of head, telling him that "you're a god xie lian, you need to look the part" and "your clothes are quite unbefitting of your station, xie lian. You need to look more presentable."

And for the most part it doesn't really bother him. But then he'll be walking alongside San Lang and he'll see handsome men and pretty ladies walking down the road or passing in carriages. And he looks at San Lang beside him, and he tries to remember how he looked on that fateful day, when he'd first met San Lang even if he wouldn't remember until much, MUCH later. He tries to remember how he looked when San Lang and him first met, then looks down at himself. "I don't care what people think of me, really," xie lian thinks to himself, stomach twisting with nerves. "But I'd like to be someone worthy of San Lang."

So he asks San Lang one night, while they're tangled in the sheets at Ghost Manor, "should I Dress better? My robes are rather old and raggedy, and they've seen quite a bit of time. And I know that I don't really look the part of a god, maybe it's time I start."

San lang hums at that, and slowly sits up. He straddles xie Lian's hips, lightly stroking his hands up and down xie Lian's abdomen over his sleep clothes, and leans down and kisses him. It's soft and sweet and so full of love.

“Gege is gege no matter what he wears. His natural beauty makes anything he wears look divine.”

Xie lian huffs a laugh, eyes sparkling as san lang takes one of his hands into his own and presses. Kiss to his knuckles. "We could go and pick out some robes tomorrow if gege wishes? If gege wants to dress up then I'll take care of it, just let me know what you want and I'll foot the bill."

Xie lian worries his lip. "Don't you want someone who's a little more, I don't know," xie lian says, gesturing to himself. "More conscious of how they look? I'm sure I don't make a very pretty picture, especially when compared to San lang."

San lang presses kisses to the junction of xie Lian's neck, right where it connects to the shoulders. "I was struck by your beauty when you first caught me as a mere child. I was just as caught by your beauty when you acknowledged me every moment after, and always will be." San lang pulls back and looks into xie Lian's eyes. If gege wants beautiful robes and jewelry, then I will make it so. But to this most devoted believer, gege has and always will be the most beautiful thing."

And then san lang strips a giggling xie lian of his clothes and shows him just how much he's overwhelmed by xie Lian's beauty.

So they go out into town and buy some nice robes. Not a lot, nothing too gaudy, just,,,nice. And xie lian buys some rouge and some paint for his lips, remembering how it had looked when he'd been undercover as a bride so very long ago.

"Okay, you can come in," he calls to San lang, when he's ready. And when San lang comes in and sees xie lian in silks, with his hair done up in a hairpiece and with the faintest hint of rouge on his cheeks and paint on his lips, his breath catches in his throat. Then he moves to xie lian and he can feel San Lang's admiration in the kiss, can feel San Lang's awe in the shaky breath he takes in when he pulls away. San lang calls him Dianxia and gege and with each call he pours his devotion into it until xie lian breaks away, laughing happily.

When he takes it all off that night, stretched out in bed bare-faced and in his sleep robes, san lang kisses him again, and it still feels the same.

So essentially xie lian doesn't change much, but he finds that he loves making hua Cheng's breath catch in his throat, loves to feel pretty or sexy or just good depending on the outfit. So every now and then he'll dress up, and is content in the knowledge that regardless how he presents himself there'll always be at least once person who will stay by him for infinity, and he wouldn't have it any other way.



[maedre13]

TGCF fic recommendations

A rec list for my very special friend @heyheyheyhaveyouheardabout, but I think everyone should enjoy reading these!

The Bride Selection

Xie Lian held up the flyer, and squinted at it through the eye-holes of his mask. Beneath the words ‘Join the Selection! Be the Ghost King’s Bride!’ the sweeping eaves rendered in wobbly black ink matched the silhouette of the building in the distance. Paradise Manor. The Ghost King’s home.

...The Princess and the Pea retelling? Set before the events of the novel. The Ghost King of Paradise Manor is selecting a bride. Xie Lian doesn't really know what he's doing there.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36000520/chapters/89742727

.

No Water Is Enough

Once, the emperor of heaven saw that his troublesome successor had what he had always desired so dearly. To teach him a priceless lesson, he took it for himself.

Hua Cheng faithfully serves the god who saved him as a child— the one he has worshiped for 800 years— the one to whom he gifted his ashes: The Heavenly Emperor, Jun Wu.

Xie Lian just wants his beloved back, no matter what it costs him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32270962/chapters/79986262

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Heaven Official's Affair

Given the kind of husband Hua Cheng undoubtedly is, it's not a surprise that His Highness the Crown Prince of Xian Le has taken a lover. Or, actually, lovers. Two. Wei Chengmin, freshly ascended and only starting to learn his way around in Heaven, decides to become the lover number three, and vows to make his way up in the harem.

Or: a new god makes an assumption about Xie Lian, and it snowballs from there.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315635

.

The Thirty-Fourth

“His name is Hua Cheng?” Xie Lian can’t help but smile, touching the fingers that stranger held so gracefully. “It suits him!”

“Your highness,” chokes Feng Xin, his familiar voice made strange with pain. “That creature, he—”

“He?” Xie Lian prompts when Feng Xin falters.

“He fucking murdered Mu Qing!”

— 500 years ago, Hua Cheng challenged 35 gods with his ashes and their divinity on the line. 34 of those gods accepted.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37224736/chapters/92874937

.

All’s Fair in Love and Crime

He Xuan shrugged. “Taizi Dianxia got there first.”

Hua Cheng stared at him. In less than a day, someone going by “His Highness the Crown Prince” had appeared out of thin air and taken over the biggest arms dealing operation in a hundred-mile radius? “Who the fuck is that?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37134196

.

The One Fallen From Grace

Hua Cheng has a crisis of faith as yet another of his birthdays approaches with Xie Lian getting worried and stressed while thinking of a gift. Like everything he does, Hua Cheng's crisis is unparalleled.

In fact, it nearly destroys everything. Including Xie Lian's heart.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31851736

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a kind of guilt

“Alright, alright,” Xie Lian amends hastily, “but it’s just a little pinch. It can’t hurt that bad. It’s not any worse than what we sometimes do in bed, when you—”

“Gege!” Hua Cheng looks really aggrieved, now. “How can it be the same?”

“Because you’re doing what I want,” Xie Lian says, trying dutifully to ignore the heat creeping across his face. “Would it help if I ordered you? If San Lang didn’t have a choice?”

Vampire! Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are trapped and starving; the solution, to Xie Lian, seems obvious. Hua Cheng disagrees.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34348333

.

Beginning; Anew

There’s a clash that leaves his ears ringing and body trembling as lightning bursts in the sky above him. It’s familiar, Xie Lian knows this feeling of empowerment running through his veins. The next time he blinks, he’s standing on marble floors, tainted with the dirt on his worn boots and Heaven meets his gaze with it’s perfect palaces full of luxuries and riches. The Crown-Prince of Xian Le has ascended for the fourth time, almost two centuries early. __

Xie Lian remembers falling asleep at his husband's side in their shared bed, but he wakes up to the familiar scent of rotting, dirt, and iron in a familiar coffin more than seven hundred years ago. His memories are a mess and he can't figure out how he landed in the past although he isn't entirely alone. Black Water Sinking Ships is there and while he can help fill in some of the blanks, the reality of their situation is grim and there doesn't seem to be a way back home.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37041025/chapters/92421385

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Be gay, do crimes

During his first banishment, Xie Lian learnt the concept of robbery. His second banishment has brought with it circumstances dire enough to occasionally go and do it. However, with being Xie Lian comes great misfortune to account for.

Or: one day, Xie Lian decides to rob a fancy manor in order to survive winter. What could possibly go wrong?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21793258

.

Strictly business

He Xuan and Hua Cheng’s relationship was a business transaction. They exchanged favours and information, nothing more, nothing less. Precisely why they chose for said exchanges to take place during regular tuesday tea and brunch meetups was irrelevant.

It was just convenient! He Xuan would have asked for food anyway, so why not make it a lunch thing? Simple practicality. And if they gossiped (conferred, the much-feared demon kings did not gossip) about their personal going’s on, then that was also just business was it not? It’s important to maintain good relationships with people who are useful.

- He Xuan gives Xie Lian the shovel talk.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30704891

[neuxue]

for the ship asks... hualian?

Me, shipping a more or less functional canon ship?? Wild!

What made you ship it?

I'm pretty sure the tipping point for me was the conversation they have in the denouement after the Banyue arc, where their identities are openly revealed to each other and Xie Lian talks a bit about his past idealism and Hua Cheng says he thinks it was brave; and Xie Lian asks to see Hua Cheng's true form and Hua Cheng says 'but what if it's ugly and monstrous'. Possibly a little earlier, but that's the one I remember going 'okay yep I'm on board with this.'

What are your favorite things about the ship?

For one thing, how much they just like each other. And yeah I know that sounds weird coming from me, given my usual 'I ship it if it's sufficiently fucked up' approach, but part of what sells me on this one is that for all that their relationship is central to the story, it's almost never framed as a point of conflict. It's not a story about 'will they/won't they' or about 'how can these two possibly overcome their differences/misunderstandings/etc'.

They meet each other early on and go very quickly to each just thinking the other person is the coolest fucking weirdo they've ever met. Not even in a romantic sense - though obviously that becomes part of it - but in that even if they weren't a couple they'd be friends.

And so the ~drama and ~conflict in the story doesn't come from their relationship, really; they just quickly become a largely-inseparable pair who deal with a bunch of other things together. And I find that weirdly refreshing.

Also, part of the whole 'they just! like! each other!' is that they like each other for exactly who they are - it's the whole 'what matters is you, and not the state of you' thing. They've seen each other at their worst and at their best; they see and like the things others overlook or don't understand, and there's no sense of those things needing to be 'fixed' or even 'overcome'.

The other slightly different aspect I really enjoy here is the balance of power between them; how they have this power dynamic that could so easily be an absolute disaster but instead becomes a source of strength for both of them. That their relationship as a worshipper and his god is, again, not actually something that's framed as needing to be overcome or dismantled... I just find the navigation of that really interesting.

Plus, love them both as characters, and I go somewhat feral over the way this story plays with like... identity and purpose, and the way they play off of each other in that regard. (Again with the power thing - Xie Lian could so easily just... erase Hua Cheng completely, and Hua Cheng would do nothing to stop that and would indeed accept it gladly. But what Xie Lian likes about him is not who he could shape himself into but rather just who he is. And vice versa - Hua Cheng sees Xie Lian as his god but doesn't require him to stand on a divine pedestal for that).

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Oh okay here's a weird one. I think of MXTX's couples at least, this is the one that I most often see as headcanoned on the ace spectrum somewhere, and I tend (oddly, for me) to not read them that way. I can certainly see where it comes from and I enjoy it and its prevalence in fandom, but it's just. Not my own headcanon - which is maybe less of an 'unpopular' opinion as a 'Lia you read everyone as ace, wtf' one.

[kotaboda]

god man. idk if ill ever stop thinking about how one of tgcf's biggest themes is devotion and how well it explores that and how much i fucking Vibe with it. read more bc i just wanna ramble

like the whole series, is about Devotion. who is it for, how strong is it, why have you given your devotion to this person/place/thing, and, most importantly, what are you willing to DO for it?

like obviously Hua Cheng's devotion is the centerpiece, with how strong and wholesome(mostly) it is. but it really provides a good stage for comparison with the others

Like Jun Wu/Bai Wuxiang. first devoted to saving his kingdom no matter the cost. regardless if his actions made it so there was less of a kingdom to save. then he's devoted to Xie Lian in. a similar intensity as Hua Cheng, but clearly opposite end of the spectrum. Jun Wu's devotion lasts 800 years as well, but it's instead a devotion to seeing Xie Lian become what he has become. Devoted to meticulously creating all these scenarios to push Xie Lian further and further down a hole, to reach his desired outcome and tbh. in a weird fucked up caring way turn Xie Lian into a type of person who won't be hurt or taken advantage of ever again. but thats like Deep Deep down

And then Mei Nianqing of course, devoted to Jun Wu. and that's part of what's interesting in this particular exploration! obviously Jun Wu's devotion to Xie Lian is almost entirely antagonistic, but Guoshi's isn't entirely. and he actually has some boundaries! he's not willing to sacrifice to the volcano, and doesnt approve of the path he's taken, but he still worries about him and thinks about him all those years. he teaches Xie Lian, who reminds him of Jun Wu and feels like it somehow might make up for his own mistakes and inability to "save" Jun Wu if he can lead this one down the right path.

but then when it comes to taking down Jun Wu, he helps. because he basically wants to put Jun Wu out of his misery. stopping Jun Wu to save people, and to also save Jun Wu. i personally feel that hits strongly when he's urging Jun Wu to just rest, and to let it go. and insists on staying to watch over him and keep him company. Mei Nianqings devotion is a lot more complex and nuanced and in general Very Good

Yushi Huang. she's devoted to just. helping people. a kindred spirit to Xie Lian really. what she did that caused her to ascend, no person without a strong sense of will and devotion could do that. would be Willing to do that. but she wanted to save those common people and her family. and she devoted herself to that

Ling Wen is devoted to herself, and her own survival and success and she is willing to do quite a lot for it. and then the man that became the Brocade Immortal was devoted to Her. and we're told about how far he took that devotion, what he was willing to do for her just because she asked. all because she was the singular kind person to him, if i remember correctly (a bit familiar eh Hua Cheng?)

Shi Wudu is devoted to his sibling, full stop. willing to do anything and everything to make sure Shi Qingxuan is safe and happy. He trades his siblings fate with an innocent man, he ascends and gets stronger so that nothing can stop him from protecting them.

Quan Yizhen is one of my favorites for this. He was wholeheartedly devoted to his shixiong, Yin Yu. He clearly wanted to just. Be around him all the time, potentially impress him. But he just didn't know how to channel that devotion into anything other than pestering Yin Yu and trying to be around him sdjfgdf. I'm not sure if HE even knows why he's so devoted to Yin Yu, but he's probably so instinct driven he doesn't care. Just wants his shixiong.

And then Yin Yu ooof. Past? Probably devoted to the success of his sect, then as Quan Yizhen started out-showing him, devoted to his personal success. After he's banished, devoted to Hua Cheng but its less personal. The kind of devotion you see more in a servant/lord relationship (because obvs that's what it is), without the homoeroticism everyone wants in those (sorry huayin shippers just talking ab canon). He's devoted to being useful to Hua Cheng, fulfiling his duty, and even anticipating what Hua Cheng might need. And he seems content with that. The lack of pressure of a spotlight and only having to worry about doing what you're told seems to be a perk of the job for him.

Pei Ming, general devoted to his country and his own values. Xuan Ji, some fucked up romantic devotion to Pei Ming that's more venomous than anything. Pei Su, devoted to being recognized, ascending, and later I feel he's devoted to Banyue. He Xuan was devoted to his revenge, and in a weird way devoted to Hua Cheng(through his debt)

Oh and obviously can't forget Mu Qing and Feng Xin!! Their devotion is most closely compared against Hua Cheng's. About how they're not willing to do as Much, but well maybe at times it seemed reasonable they weren't willing to do as much as Hua Cheng(aside from the mistakes that will not be named), but from Hua Cheng's perspective that's not Good enough, and that Xie Lian deserved 100% ride or die. and both perspectives are fine, but all 3 of them try to leverage those perspectives against each other for judgement

and finally Xie Lian. i feel like his devotion is less compared against Hua Cheng's, and more on stage beside it. devotion to his country and his people, devotion to his dream of saving the common people, devotion to just being Kind and Compassionate, devotion to his family, and then later. devotion to Hua Cheng.

Hua Cheng provides the stage for 100% ride or die devotion. but Xie Lian really gets into the complexities of it. what is he willing to do for his country, what is he willing to do in war for his country and people, what is he willing to do in poverty for his family. the point at which he starts to crack with devotion to his parents. learning that maybe his devotion to helping people doesnt have to come at a personal cost (at least not all the time), and learning that sometimes his devotion to helping people makes things worse. Xie Lian's story really explores the kinds of boundaries you can set with your devotion and its really good.

so yea anyways *shakes you* DEVOTION

[nyerus]

Hello! I read the timeline of black water arc and made me wonder, why Jun Wu never tried to separate hualian despite of HC being a nuisance to him and being a positive influence to XL, do you think after the ghost arc he changed strategy or thought "since he's devoted to XL, he can be an useful ally" or something like that, since he doesn't care about the state of XL but him as a person(?)

Hello Anon!

Personally, I believe that Hua Cheng was the wildcard that Jun Wu hadn't predicted, and by the time he realized what was going on, he felt like it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Sending Xie Lian to Ghost City always felt like an underhanded attempt by Jun Wu to alienate the two of them. If Hua Cheng caught Xie Lian spying -- which he was certain Hua Cheng would -- it would perhaps draw Hua Cheng's ire and ruin any positive relationship between the two of them (the nature of which Jun Wu didn't yet know). It didn't work out like that, as we know, but that told Jun Wu what he needed to know anyway.

I think after that, Jun Wu actually hoped that Hua Cheng would, in some way, "corrupt" Xie Lian. Either by making Xie Lian a little less morally upright as a sort of bad influence, or... by something else. I bring to mind, the virginity-testing sword. I don't think for a second Jun Wu thought Xie Lian was Cuocuo's father -- he knew he wasn't already. But it was still a good excuse to see if anything had happened between him and Hua Cheng that Jun Wu could later use. (Also better for Jun Wu if Xie Lian's cultivation was destroyed.)

Ultimately, there's not actually much that Jun Wu could have done without playing his own hand too early. There's not really a way to get a Ghost King like Hua Cheng to go away so easily. So I think he bided his time until he found some sort of way to exploit their relationship. He just didn't realize the full depth of Hua Cheng's devotion and love for Xie Lian -- because that was something quite literally inconceivable for him due to his own past -- and miscalculated by thinking it was not that important.

[glitter50000]

#Another thing - Hua Cheng does not like lying even by omission to Xie Lian#When he tries to not out himself as Hua Cheng when he's a lil boy -#That's out of embarassment and shame#When he avoids the topic of He Xuan and keeps trying to lead Xie Lian away -#It's because he clearly has a deal worked out w He Xuan#And is so ashamed of lying that he finally tries to tell Xie Lian#and Xie Lian simply lets him know that his business is his business#and that he doesn't think less of Hua Cheng no matter what#He admits to Xie Lian that he is too scared to confess his feelings to this imaginary beloved#Largely every time I can think of where he lied by omission#It can be blamed on Hua Cheng's arms being tied or that he is too scared to tell the truth#I was sayin this to a friend - Hua Cheng is simply so attractive#that he gives off the air of mystery when it's truly just self-consciousness (OP’s tags)

There have been multiple times where I've seen people are like "haha Hua Cheng made up a story about being kicked out so Xie Lian would take him in haha so silly" so I just wanted to point this out.

He was quoting himself from when he was a little boy.

He was scared to just outright say who he was, but he kept trying to jog Xie Lian's memory (though ofc being a ghost with a photographic memory, he may not have remembered that normal people don't remember things from 800 years ago). He was constantly quoting himself. He showed Xie Lian the palm of his hand with the intention that Xie Lian see his totally fucked up fate and realize who he is.

To be honest... Hua Cheng doesn't really lie to Xie Lian. He lies by omission sometimes, but he does not outright lie. And I feel like people are missing something by apparently not being aware that Hua Cheng was trying to tell Xie Lian who he was, without telling him.

That's why he started trembling and laughing when Xie Lian recalled the story of the suicidal boy that Xie Lian told 'live for me!' - The entire time, he thought Xie Lian forgot about him. Until then.