#lang qianqiu is going through it

[habizuh-studios]

I've Held My Heart Close All These Years

Since the day he woke up here and again, and again, and again, he has never felt happiness. Until there is a light, and he's set free. A word rings in his head: Ascension. Out of the coffin after ninety-six years, however, can change a lot. Especially if there were countless people to see it.

OR: Xie Lian ascends from the coffin and chaos ensues :) ---- Chapter 4- Burdened:

(A heavy load, whether emotionally or physically, that is forced to be carried by a person.)

AO3 LINK (Next Chapter)

He Xuan walks away from the palace with an unfeeling gaze. He doesn’t even look back.

This will be interesting, that’s for sure.

____

Before Lang Qianqiu could react, The Earth Master had walked away.

All he saw was red.

He isn’t sure how long he stayed there, staring.

Overcome with emotion, he bursts open the door to the palace, probably startling several heavenly officials from the middle court. He doesn’t care.

His head is swimming in emotions, but he can’t comprehend a single thought. His mind is both too empty and too full; his only goal is to get to Guoshi.

Only when he slightly trips on the elegant floor does he think properly. What will I do when I actually find him?The most obvious choice would be to confront him. Demand for answers.

Part of him wants to cry like a small child again, to sob on the floor pathetically and beg for his parents back, like that will do anything. He wishes it would.

…

He realizes he’s still running and stops.

Other facts drift into his mind. Bloodied mess. Corpse. Murderer. Buried. Alive.…

His eyes are shadowed with grief and resignation as he looks up from his radical sprint. Maybe, instead of going with the flow, he should think this through. But he’s not very good at that, is he? He’s always been the type to dive headfirst into things, uncaring of the consequences until after the fact. It’s only worked for him well so far because he was a God. He had tricks up his sleeve and allies and people that he could trust to fix things.

An Le was one. His Guoshi was one.

Xiao Mengyou is one.

…

His gaze is blurry from something; whether it be from raw emotions or the expression of such is unclear. He can think later, he might vent later.

He looks to his right, shifting his weight to look at the door properly.

It’s an unassuming door. Doesn’t look out of place at all, in General Xuan Zhen’s palace. Just another room- it could be anything, really.

It could be a dining room, a ballroom, a study room, or an office.

But that doesn’t matter to Lang Qianqiu right now.

He slams the door open without a second thought.

Inside, he sees him.

He looks… different. But it’s all the same, in the end.

He could never forget the mask that ended countless lives on his seventeenth birthday.

…

Murderer.Corpse.…

Guoshi…He… he doesn’t know what to do.

Still, it’s not even a split second until after he opens the door that he runs towards Guoshi. He’s still not sure what he would have done.

Maybe he would’ve grabbed him by the neck and ended his Godhood then and there. Maybe he would have yelled at him and cried. Only Heaven knows if there was the slightest chance would have wrapped his arms around him for comfort.

Nothing and everything goes through Lang Qianqiu’s head as he runs towards the infamous man-

Zwip!He stumbles backwards, the adrenaline rushing through his head suddenly clearing the slightest bit as he processes just what happened. He clears his eyes and shakes his head of… well, everything.

He drops to his knees and looks up.

The Guoshi stares back down at him differently. Before, his eyes were sharp. Some would say cold, but Lang Qianqiu didn’t think Guoshi was heartless, back then. His gaze was piercing, though, the elegant silver mask adding to his mysterious gaze. Now, although some of it is still hidden by the mask, they’re… softer, now. Yet more feral, more guarded. Nothing like he’s ever expected of his teacher, or of a heartless murderer. It’s indescribable.

There’s a ribbon around him, guarding him. Lang Qianqiu can feel how evil energy rolls off of it in waves. The elegant ribbon reeks of evil energy; a demonic spirit, at worst. It might be a spiritual weapon, but Guoshi didn’t ever show Lang Qianqiu, if he ever had one. He feels more emotions gripping his heart, squeezing them until every last drop of sense in him dissipates. The ribbon, despite its aura, is shiny and white, looking to be of expensive material. Lang Qianqiu has probably seen it somewhere.

The ribbon smacked him away from his pursuit on purpose because it thought he was a threat. Lang Qianqiu can gather that much.

He hears a noise from above him and quickly wipes his eyes of tears he didn’t know he had. He stares at the mask that haunts his nightmares; the same one that he used to aspire to be, the same one he wanted to have, the same one that made and ruined his life. The eyes underneath can barely be seen, but Lang Qianqiu can tell that they’re still wide. Wide and staring at him.

Does Guoshi recognize him? Will he speak, tell him everything is fine, even though it isn’t ?

Will he want to kill him, too?

…

He cannot bear the silence any longer. His thoughts are too loud, too silent.

…

He swallows and looks up.

“Guoshi,” he basically snarls. His pride has already fallen low, in this room. There’s no point in keeping up appearances. Although it wouldn’t do any good to destroy General Xuan Zhen’s palace in madness. His hot, anger-flooded gaze meets the eyes of someone confused. He is the same.

He doesn’t know what comes over him, and yet, he asks. Or maybe it’s more of a demand.

“Take off your mask.”____

The thought of who this other person is pangs through his heart. His memories, which have laid dormant for his peace of mind, come flooding back at the expense of his joy.

Lang Qianqiu, his mind supplies. Prince of Yong’An. He truly is proud of him. But his request…

Though it tightens his chest and makes it a little hard to breathe, he can feel the mask loosening on his face. One of the hands he had covering his throat lift up to feel the mask, and as he turns his head forward to be more comfortable, the mask slips off. Comfortably, without any effort on his part. Almost like a curse he lifted.

He hasn’t been able to take the mask off for a hundred years. Now, he can feel wind on his face, near his eyes. He feels… free.

This is the least he can do for Lang Qianqiu, is what he should tell himself. He should tell himself that the feather-lightness in him is because he did something right for him, for once. Yet he can’t help but feel so grateful for what Lang Qianqiu has done for him.

Truly, he is selfish.

He can see a little better now. The silver that had lined his peripheral vision for the longest time is finally off, revealing corners he didn’t even notice. His eyes feel… fresh? New? He doesn’t know the word for it.

Lang Qianqiu, who is now looking at him, has no signs of recognition on his face. He seems… disturbed, maybe. Those amber eyes who had looked at him with hatred, as he should, feel different. He can’t quite place his finger on it.

He draws his knees closer to his chest subconsciously for comfort. He feels like a small, worthless glob of flesh that has felt the outside world after being locked away for one hundred years.

Well, he supposes, it’s at least partially true.

Especially with the way Lang Qianqiu is looking at him. ____

Now, He Xuan knows he probably just started some very unnecessary drama within the upper court. But he knew that it was going to happen eventually, even if he wasn’t the one to tell Lang Qianqiu that the new God might have been the Guoshi of Yong’An. He really was trying to get it all over with, and he’s sure anyone who has ever heard of him would attest to that.

So he doesn’t feel bad when he descends back to Nether Manor. It would take a lot more than starting up some hundred year old drama to make him feel bad. Though he can empathize with Lang Qianqiu, he probably could keep a level head for everything to be… less of a mess.

“He Xuan.”

The man in question would have started if he were beneath himself. Still, he scowls and holds his ground.

“Crimson Sought Rain Flower,” he says, sarcasm and annoyance in his tone. “What do you want?”That shitty, lovesick bastard has the audacity to chuckle through the connection. Insufferable. He Xuan does not roll his eyes, if only so he isn’t associated with the martial God of the Southwest.

… Maybe He Xuan does need more food. Where is Shi Qingxuan, anyway?

“How are things going on up in Heaven? With Lang Qianqiu?” Hua Cheng asks with more genuine interest in his tone than he has ever given He Xuan when they do this.

He Xuan thinks back to every little detail about that meeting.  Lang Qianqiu’s connection to it all, with some poorly hidden past.

A ribbon and a mask.“I told him my suspicions, if that’s what you’re asking.” He responds with the tone of voice of someone who has done this multiple times before.

…

“Though, I did notice something…”“Oh, do tell.”

[dangerous-advantage]

(Image description below 'read more' line.)

[Image ID: A four-by-four alignment chart on a white background with text descriptions to the left and to the top of the squares.

The top left description reads, "seems like they'd be good at parenting." The top right description reads, "seems like they'd be bad at parenting."

Then, from the top down, to the left of the squares, the other set of descriptions reads: "excellent child rearing instincts," and "never trust them with a child in your life."

Each of the four squares contains an image of a different character. At the top left is an image of Lan Wangji of the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua. He sits between the descriptors "seems like they'd be good at parenting," and "excellent child rearing instincts."

In the top right square sits an image of Wei Wuxian, also of the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua. He sits between the junction of "seems like they'd be bad at parenting" and "excellent child rearing instincts."

In the bottom left square is an image of Xie Lian from the Tian Guan Ci Fu manhua. He occupies the square with the captions, "seems like they'd be good at parenting" and "never trust them with a child in your life."

Finally, in the bottom left square, sits an image of Hua Cheng from the Tian Guan Ci Fu manhua. He occupies the junction between "seems like they'd be bad at parenting" and "never trust them with a child in your life". /End ID]

[squaloropera]

My favourite thing about the Xianle trio is just how sickeningly codependent close they are. Like, what do you mean you haven’t been friends in 800 years, your friend group fell out in the most painful and traumatic way it possibly could have, and you all have the absolute most reason to hate each other- but in The Cave Of 10,000 gods Mu Qing and Feng Xin were absolutely appalled at the disrespect to their prince. They were fiercely protective, refusing to let Xie Lian bear witness to what they thought was an incredibly perverted insult to his honour. They went toe-to-toe with one of the most terrifying ghosts who ever lived, all in defence of him, and did so without ever thinking twice. They dragged him through that cave system with desperately protective determination, caring for him fiercely despite being misinformed about the situation, and even though they had no obligation to. I’m biting people. Mu Qing and Feng Xin never stopped caring about Xie Lian. He’s no longer their prince, he’s no longer their employer nor even their friend, but they would still put their lives in peril for him. Even when they thought he was a violent criminal (Lang Qianqiu ily but pls kys) they visited his palace to give him medicine for his arm (something about Mu Qing brushing off his injury and saying it isn’t that bad cause all martial gods get injured, then being the first in line to go heal him is so sickening and vile I love him) and make sure he’s alright, then physically fought over the implications from each other about the other having been a bad friend. All of the bullshit trauma, all of the heartache, all of the reason they could have to not give a shit about him, and they were throwing hands over who was a better friend. I hate them. (I love them.)

[sillygoofyqueer]

I'm bored, so take different people's reactions to Xie Lian's spiritual array password ('just recite the Ethics Sutra a thousand times'): Quan Yizhen: No matter how many fucking times it is explained to him, he will never get it. He will sit there in utter silence for at least twenty minutes (everyone thinks he's talking to Xie Lian), until he's asked what he's talking about to Xie Lian, and he gets pissy because they interrupted his count - by this time, it becomes realised that he has fallen for it again. Extra points if it's like, a super dangerous mission and his team is in desperate need of support so they're like "Qi Ying, contact His Highness for backup now!" while they fight this massive fucken ghost and he goes utterly still, face screwing up in concentration, and just gets pummelled into the nearest wall. He ends up just using other people to talk to Xie Lian.

Lang Qianqiu: At first, he finds it funny because what a silly little joke from his former mentor, if only he was this funny when he had been teaching him all those years ago. After a while though, he starts getting slowly irritated each time he has to communicate with Xie Lian because he has to catch himself out as he starts reciting the Ethics Sutra, silently cursing himself out in his head. Ling Wen: If she ever does need to communicate with Xie Lian, it's for official business so she has no time to think about it too much, and therefore cannot be tripped up by it. However, after a long while without sleep, she will occasionally find herself quite literally doing what the password commands, and will allow a little smile at the thought. One time when this happened, she was reported to have started manically laughing and placing her head into her hands. Pei Ming: He finds it fucking HILARIOUS. Like, imagine Feng Xin's reaction but times ten at least, as he laughs uproariously and slaps his hand to his knee, all the while pointing at Xie Lian and going, "Your Highness, I didn't realise you were such a comedian!!" No matter how many times he communicates with Xie Lian, he will always laugh at it for a few minutes. He's like a father. I if he's talking about using the array, everyone can immediately tell who he's communicating with based on whether or not he laughs. Shi Qingxuan: I honestly think they'd have a little laugh about it at first, and then never react to it ever again. Like, "Hahaha" and that's it. They never really get caught out by it, because their brain is going into overdrive about whatever they want to talk to Xie Lian about so they just break their way into his Array with little thought to it all. Not that they're dumb in any sense of the word, they're just so focused on their gossip that they shake at the bars of the cage without even remotely thinking too hard about it. Shi Wudu: I know he'd probably communicate with Xie Lian through other people but, on the rare occasion that he communicates with His Highness personally, he is not at all amused. He calls it childish and silly. Well, in public, anyway. In private, he'll probably actually find himself having a little chuckle about it, shaking his head as he enters the array before pulling up his walls instantly. Yushi Huang: Xie Lian gets really embarrassed telling her because it feels childish, and she let him borrow her spiritual device during his first ascension, so he doesn't want her to be like "can't believe I let this child use my spiritual device." When he does eventually tell her, she probably smiles and nods, but doesn't give any other reaction. Inside? Knee slaps all around for the Crown Prince. He Xuan: Why does he have to personally communicate Xie Lian? He doesn't want to risk Hua Cheng beating him if he says something "wrong". When he hears Xie Lian's password, he stares at him with a glower that could kill if it were any other person, letting out the most empty laugh ever so he didn't get beaten, before walking away. So no, he does not care for Xie Lian's humour, and did not fall for it - he did. He did fall for it, but he has such a resting bitch face that it's hard to tell. He gets mad at himself for falling for it. He pretends not to. Hua Cheng knows though, and He Xuan knows that he knows. Yin Yu: So, imagine you're an underpaid, overworked employee with an absolutely terrifying boss. He scares the shit out of you. He has a very lovely husband who he cares about dearly and will definitely be pissed off at you if you dare hurt his husband. His husband makes a joke and you can feel your boss' eyes glaring right into your soul from behind. This is how Yin Yu feels when he's told about Xie Lian's password. So, of course, I'm sure you can all picture the - in Yin Yu's opinion - most exaggerated falling for it ever, followed by laughter that reeks of "please, PLEASE go with this. I don't want to lose my job", until Yin Yu has to physically stop to breathe.

[tea-cat-arts]

Ranking mxtx couples by whether or not I think they'd be good parents

(I'm 90% sure I'm forgetting someone)

Yep, next question (S)-

Wangxian: tried and tested good dads. I wish them luck with the whole “trying to get wwx pregnant” thing 

They have some shit to work through, but after that I think they'd be fine (A)-

Ling Wen/ Bai Jin: if we're just going off the original publication, I would put them in a much lower tier, but since the revised edition added that thing about them raising orphans together and said orphans turning out alright before unfortunate circumstances, I'm putting them up here. I think they'll be alright once they work through the miscommunication

Xiao Xingchen/ Song Lan: They obviously have a lot of trauma they're working through, but I'd like to think they and A-Qing will be a loving family in the long run 

One of them would be a good parent, the other wouldn't be a bad parent (B)-

Jiang Yanli/ Jin Zixuan: there's no canon reason for me putting them this low. Jin Zixuan just gives off a mediocre parent vibe to me (and we all know Jiang Yanli is the best)

Yushipei: Yushi Huang has good mom energy, and Pei Ming has been shown to be a not terrible mentor. I'd want the misogyny fully beaten out of him with a mace before I'd think he should have kids of his own though 

Lang Qianqiu/ Little Guy: at the very least, they're making sure Guzi is fed, clothed, washed, vaccinated, and has access to education. Neither of them know what they're doing, but I think Little Guy is good at faking it. I wish them luck in their upcoming custody battle  

You know what, surprise me/ I'll hear you out (C)-

Bingqiu: My first instinct is “no, do not bring kids into this,” but then I remembered tharnShen Qingqiu has a surprisingly decent track record? Like, Ning Yingying and Ming Fan both turned out a lot more health than they did in the original novel, and though I wouldn't call him in a good place, Binghe is doing a lot better than Bingge. The wild card for me here is Luo Binghe because I have no idea how he'd be with kids

Quanyin: Yin Yu had a decent track record until he was pushed into snapping. I think rn, he needs a couple centuries of being a babygirl before he's ready to parent again. No idea how Quan Yizhen would do though 

Born to “dual income, no kids, rich uncles/aunts” (D)-

Fengqing: Feng Xin is canonically a bad dad. I know he's working on it, but it is what it is. Mu Qing has been shown to be decent with kids, but I think he’d have a melt down if he had to deal with the mess constantly. 

Hualian: I mean, Xie Lian has raised three kids at this point and one of them became a god, another became state preceptor and then sorta complicit in a genocide, and one became god AND committed genocide + he babysat a ghost king for months and didn't even realize that's what he was because it was a miracle if he remembered to feed him… so, a mixed bag. Hua Cheng may be schrodinger’s child hater, but I'm intrigued by the idea of him raising kids just because I want to know how his own childhood would influence his parenting abilities. They should probably just stick to babysitting for now though 

Mingling: Liu Mingyan is too busy writing gay porn to be dealing with kids, and I just can't imagine Sha Hualing as a mom

Please don't bring a kid into this mess (F)-

Beefleaf: Do I need to explain this one?

Mobeishang: Shang Qinghua should not be put in any position where he has to teach someone about consent (Binghe’s early attempts at flirting being a prime example of why that's a bad idea). I also think Mobei Jun is still working on the whole “why hitting people is not cool” thing. 

QiJiu: I think the original timeline is a prime example of how they're just not in a place to be raising kids 

Jun Wu/ Mei Nianqing: Xie Lian would like a refund on his adopted father figures. They had one kid and he only made it to age 20 because he was cursed to not die

[muzsmocsing]

Reviewing tgcf characters because I have thoughts

I finished S2 recently and I need somewhere to put my not exactly hot but like warm (?) takes because it's taking up too much storage space in my brain.

🤍 Xie Lian 🤍

It's a good thing I'm not into guys because if I was I would be on my knees for this man in every sense of that expression and his pet menace to society would mince me up like garlic.

So I'll try to be brief about my overflowing feelings about him. Xie Lian is the best main character I have come across in a WHILE. He's the embodiment of compassion and kindness. And also a cold blooded murderer. A babygirl. A father figure. A terrifying martial god. A silly little guy. A pathological liar. The most genuine man you'll ever meet. He's everything, and Hua Cheng is 100% valid in his obsession. I'm right there with him.

Rating: 10/10

❤️ Hua Cheng ❤️

Idk if we ever figured out who wrote My Immortal but I'm pretty sure we have our culprit.

"Hi my name is Hua Cheng Crimson Rain Sought Flower Red-Robed Ghost King and this is my evil weapon of death E-ming. I've killed soooo many gods with it!! My dark power is I can summon storms of BLOOD and SUFFERING. I have my own scary city of DEMONS and they all love me and think I'm HOT but I only want my BOYFRIEND who's the only REAL GOD so STOP FLAMING HIM YOU POSERS-"

Needless to say I love him. Being the 8 time winner of the Loverboy of the Century Awards with unbeatable records in the yearning olympics is truly a remarkable feat.

Rating: 9/10

(Bonus: E-ming. Cute little guy. Likes his stepdad more than his real dad. Not afraid to show it's feelings even if it makes it look like a muppet, 10/10)

🧡 Feng Xin & Mu Qing 🧡

Tweedle dee and tweedle dum gets a shared rating because they would hate to be grouped together like that and that's funny to me. Their dynamic is great, they're good characters, I wasn't sure which one was which until midway through the second season. But then also I have a pair of 7yo twin cousins who I still can't tell apart despite them not looking even a slight bit similar so that might just be a character flaw on my end. Oops.

Rating: 7/10

🩵Shi Qingxuan🩵

I'm doubling the rating because she is best boy and best girl at the same time. I love that I can use any and all pronouns for him because he's literally a pride parade personified and therefore all of them are correct. You don't get that type of chaotic fun just anywhere.

He is truly living my dream, presenting as whatever gender they want depending on what's more convenient and/or funnier in the moment. Super useful, for things like gathering intel and terrorizing Feng Xin by being a woman.

And I personally think we should crown her the new emperor. She'd look significantly better on that throne, with her Barbie-like radiance and flourishing Kenergy.

Rating: 20/10

🖤 Ming Yi 🖤

Listen, I hate to say it because I like a sunshine x grump moment as much as the next gay but he's just... not giving what he thinks he's giving. Everyone is whispering ominously about him having some dark devastating secret but MY point is no matter how big his boobs are in his female form, Shi Qingxuan could do better. I'm sorry. She really could.

Rating: 4/10

💙 Lang Qianqiu 💙

Just an honest man with good intentions and a sickass fucking sword. He did NOT hesitate to attack the infamous Crimson Rain Sought Flower on SIGHT and I respect a quick decisionmaker, even if it shows some himbo tendencies. He also has the same distinct energy as Fred from Scooby Doo.

Rating: 6/10

💚 Qi Rong 💚

He's got some odd dietary and moral choices going on. Definitely. But he's just such a fun villain!!! Being Xie Lian's nr 1 source of migraines SHOULD make me like him less but I'm sorry, every time he was on screen I was LIVING. He would do numbers on reality TV. Someone put this guy on Kitchen Nightmares, I need to see him 1v1 Gordon Ramsay.

Rating: 7/10

🌚 Jun Wu 🌚

He has his emperor status & DILF card going for him but something about this man just ain't right. If he came to a party I was attending I would cover my drink is all I'm saying.

Rating: 2/10

🔥Pei Ming🔥

I don't know much about him besides he had that one shady empolyee or whatever (could not hear the plot over the deafening sound of Hua Cheng's yearning) but I'm partial to a good manwhore character. The thought of people praying to him like "Hugh Mungus, who art in heaven-" really tickles me.

I know he's probably straight but I headcanon him as at the very least bi-curious because you can't be that hot with that much game and not use it for evil. (That evil being causing large scale gay awakenings among his soldiers.)

Rating: 7/10

❓Pei Xiu❓

Unreliable, unimportant, unattractive, unemployed.

I remember not a singular thing about him besides fucking up Xie Lian's daughter's life and also being on my last nerve from the jump. If you're going to be evil at like least be memorable about it, you know? You can't be a bad person and a bad character at the same time. Pick a struggle.

Rating: 1/10

📚 Ling Wen 📚

I heard she committed some war crimes but honestly if I had to do an entire realm's tax returns by myself AND teach Pei Ming how to read (I refuse to believe that man is literate, just look at him) I would want to rage on occasion too. I hope she has a hot wife waiting for her at home to give her massages after carrying the whole system on her back all day. It's what she deserves.

Rating: 8/10

Thank you for reading!! Opinions might change once I read the books but as of now this is it. Remembering everyone's names has been a journey and a half so this post is sponsored by @kirstenly 's character cheat sheet go look at it! and everything else too!!!

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Most iconic Shi Qingxuan moments according to me

As per the will of the people in this poll

Contains spoilers

(I'll be using they/them pronouns to refer to SQX)

Wanting everyone to switch to female forms all the time

Succeeding in making the Earth Master of all people turn into a female form

The beef they have with Pei Ming

When Pei Ming went to Puqi Shrine to retrieve Banyue and found a pickle jar out of which Shi Qingxuan burst out and threw pickles on him

When they had no reason to disguise themselves as a woman in Paradise Manor yet they still did and complained about the trouble they went through even though they didnt have to do all that

Being very aware of their beauty

Throwing merits around to get people to do things and having a lot of street cred for it

When they attacked the cannibal people in that trap in Paradise Manor for injuring their face

"You don't drink? How sad."

Befriending Xie Lian immediately upon meeting him

Exchanging skincare tips with ghost ladies on the way to Ghost City

Burning down Paradise Manor???

Lowkey colluding with Hua Cheng

Calling Hua Cheng Xie Lian's "sworn brother" lmao

Having their fate switched

Defending Xie Lian in every single circumstance, publicly, especially if to spite Pei Ming

Being super supportive of everyone's results during the lantern festival and congratulating them all

Insisting to be the elusive Earth Master's best friend

The story of his ascension in general

When they were trying to get Feng Xin not to attack Hua Cheng after the reveal of what happened with Lang Qianqiu's parents and their chest caused Feng Xin to freak tf out

When they were in Ghost City with Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu and Xie Lian went off with Hua Cheng to Paradise Manor and Shi Qingxuan wanted to know everything they did after

Every time someone tries to threaten them with their brother, and they go "i would care if i was afraid of him" even if they are afraid of him

Fishing for compliments

When, after losing their powers, they ended up integrating in a marginal community and making friends there that ended up helping save the day despite their dire circumstances

When they didnt give up even after being disabled with a paralyzed arm and leg

Literally using the windmaster fan after losing all their spiritual power and being successful at it thus contributing to the victorious ending of the book

Switching bodies with Xie Lian and missing all their trinkets immediately

Carrying around a whisk they move around for emphasis when they talk

Whenever they're scared, they laugh hysterically

Acting like they dont know how Xie Lian could possibly have evil energy inside him after being with Hua Cheng

Their communication array password???

Being attacked by the Reverend of Empty Words as they took a stop to pee climbing up a mountain to get their brother food

"Wretched beginning, wretched end."

Not iconic Shi Qingxuan moments:

WHY DID THEY NOT ASCEND AGAIN AFTER USING THE WINDMASTER FAN IN THE FINAL BATTLE?????

[sakurapika]

Hua Cheng with Ban Yue: This is gege's daughter, so she is my daughter, too. I will take care of her and treat her like a princess. She's been through a lot. Let's tuck her carefully into this pickle jar so that she'll be safe and protected.

Hua Cheng with Lang Qianqiu: Lol I'm going to turn you into a little budaoweng doll and flick you around. That's what you get for accusing Dianxia of senseless murder. Get your facts straight before you go around causing trouble, you fool.

[wvyld]

tgcf; Hua Cheng finds Fangxin Guoshi!Xie Lian before the massacre happens AU

it's been two, three years since the kidnapping attempt? Xie Lian's position in court is, ah, stable? his reputation as a mysterious and wise immortal master cultivator guy has settled, at least — who would have thought hiring that one very random street preformer to be Guoshi would work out so well!

someone paints a picture of the sword Fangxin Guoshi carries. Hua Cheng sees it and thinks; oh

if dianxia wants to raise the Yong'an crown prince, then dianxia is going to raise the Yong'an crown prince, no interruptions

Hua Cheng joins the Yong'an court by the way of money, forms a spy network through similar means, and becomes the good friend of Fangxin Guoshi because he really, really wants to and Xie Lian is very, very lonely

they spar a lot! it's very impressive. Lang Qianqiu finds it very cool

the entire court gossips about them. Xie Lian pretends not to know

Xie Lian finds out Hua Cheng is a ghost from Xianle which serves as a temporary explanation for what, exactly, is a ghost king doing hanging out in Yong'an.

they have a date in Ghost City — it ends with a scene with Xie Lian taking off his Fangxin Guoshi mask & Hua Cheng showing him his true form

Hua Cheng is like. Lang Qianqiu's uncle. he warms up to the kid, like, eventually, a little — he's not saying he likes him —

they have a Qi Rong fieldtrip! fun is not the way to describe it

Lang Qianqiu ascends

VERSION 1.

Lang Qianqiu ascends alone and, later, has a very awkward conversation with his Guoshi about maybe choosing his master (and uncle Hua Cheng) as a Middle Court officials...? Guoshi? uh. why not?

XL: yeah so im a banished god. twice banished. for reasons! don't worry about it

HC: it might be possibly more awkard if you make me a Middle Court official

VERSION 2.

the three of them ascend together — the event is very destructive! Heaven ah. breaks? a little! but there's three of them, so that's. that's an explanation. for that.

it's a such lovely story — the crown prince of Yong'an, has ascended together with his two mentors after defeating the Green Ghost Qi Rong!

Xie Lian does not take off the mask. he just. doesn't! he means to, he thinks about it, he intends to do it, but enough time passes that it becomes awkward — Feng Xin and Mu Qing have introduced themselves to him! it would be just weird at this point...

Hua Cheng supports this wholly. Feng Xin and Mu Qing have no idea why this one guy in red hates them — well, there is that one guy in red who hates them, but there's no way in hell he ascended to Heaven!

Jun Wu does not know who Hua Cheng is. Xie Lian doesn't tell him. it's funnier this way

Jun Wu realizes who Xie Lian is imidateley. he and Xie Lian have a conversation in which he agrees to allow for Xie Lian's stay in Heaven to remain anonymous — though he is a little preoccupied with stopping Heaven from falling down to really have time for plotting

a great opportunity for fun logistics-of-how-was-heaven-made-actually worldbuilding!

He Xuan does know who, exactly, has ascended (again) and struggles not to laugh. he is one of the very few people well-informed enough to know how fucking hilarous this is

there are now three Calamities is Heaven

Lang Qianqiu is just happy his two mentors have ascended with him, really! very happy. Heaven seems to have been a little. uh. damaged. he'd hate to need to deal with it on his own!

the golden palace of lies collapses in some hilarous way as our heroes try to stop Heaven from falling down due to structual damage. Jun Wu's reveal speedrun

VERSION 3.

the three of them ascend together, but but it's known who Xie Lian & Hua Cheng are

divergence happens during the Qi Rong thing — Lang Qianqiu finds out about the stuff because Qi Rong figures it out

there's a whole scene — Xie Lian takes of his mask, all; yeah I'm the crown prince of Xianle, don't listen to my idiot cousin he's just terrible, he's always, been terrible, your life isn't a lie — there are just shitty people in the world, sometimes, and, look, we stopped the tragedy, didn't we? — because in this AU they did; Hua Cheng has spies, the plot is over before it even begins, the massacre doesn't happen, Xie Lian does not kill Lang Qianqiu's father...

Qi Rong points out there is a fucking Devastation right there isn't he plotting things also?

Hua Cheng magic girl transformation into ghost king regalia, says some things about Xianle/Yong'an relations, and being a soldier while he was alive that mostly boil down to listen to what your Guoshi teaches, he's a wonderful amazing person the best in the world, the smartest, the most beautiful —

Lang Qianqiu finds that reassuring because that's just how Hua Cheng normaly acts, see, he's clearly here because he has a crush on Guoshi! it's not about revange or Yong'an at all, the man is just in love

Lang Qianqiu has some sort of a hero speech, very serious vow to be a good king and a good person and follow Guoshi's teachings! Xie Lian is very proud

they defeat Qi Rong with the power of friendship — and then the three of them fucking ascend

Xie Lian, no mask — Hua Cheng in ghost king regalia — Lang Qianqiu also there being the objectivley least interesting person in the room

every god in Heaven freakes the fuck out

it's a disaster, it's hilarous. He Xuan contacts Hua Cheng asking what the fuck he is doing. Hua Cheng just laughs

Xie Lian wants to leave, so bad — it feels like this situation would become a whole lot simpler if he and Hua Cheng weren't there, but he can't just leave Lang Qianqiu to this mess....

if Xie Lian leaves, so will Lang Qianqiu, really, if Heaven is to good for such an honorabile and good and just person as his Guoshi then maybe there is something wrong with Heaven (Hua Cheng is so proud)

HC: this is my second ascenshion and Guoshi's third ascenshion, so don't you worry, kid, we're old hands at this business

LQQ: I am worried for this reason exactly

Xie Lian has a whole thing trying to convince Lang Qianqiu to stay in Heaven even if they two do get kicked out for structual damage all I know it sucks but you're a prince, it would be very rude to tell the Emperor to fuck off —

LQQ: okay, so, how about this; if you two leave I cannot stay because your combined power wrecked Heaven so bad it might fall off the sky and I am not shouldering that debt on my own

XL: oh fuck I forgot about that

somewhere in this there is a scene of Feng Xin snd Mu Qing trying to rescue Xie Lian & Lang Qianqiu from evil Hua Cheng's cluthes

plot happens: heaven might fall down so we should deal with that! dealing with that is mostly a logistics thing. also, a war between realms might be around the corner.

[shadowgale96]

Little Moments in S2E2 of Heaven Official's Blessing

San Lang's jewelry sparkling when he's amused (?) by something. This one happens when the ghost gambling bets his daughters life. Reminds me of an anime glasses character's glass shine. this happens several times through the episode and is usually accompanied by a high pitched metallic sound. Like the chime of a sword unsheathing.

The green deer demon girl is adorable. Loving the frog man too.

The wind master genderbending back into a man after being dragged to a ghost spa with the undead women and freaking out about what kinda of products they used on his precious skin.

Xie Lian physically grabbing the wind master to keep him from slipping away to find a mirror. You're on a potentially life or death mission my guy. Bring a compact mirror on your next adventure. Fast thinking on an excuse by Xie Lian though!

This guy having zero points in stealth on a mission that the emperor himself said must be handled discreetly to avoid conflict with the ghost realm.

I love how they both panic, than immediately accept Qianqiu's imminent death at Hua Cheng's hand after he continues to insult the man in his own establishment.

'This place of mine is meant for revelry. If you don't want to take the path to heaven, and break into hell, what else can you do?' Hua Cheng revealing that he knew who they were already. Which isn't surprising because they all stand out enough as is, even if his husband wasn't with them and standing within within eyesight.

Respecting the demons/ghosts for calling out Qianqiu when he said they're lacking humanity and decency. Like 'Bruh, We are literally NOT human. We don't share you're morals or sense of decency at all. Just let us live our lives.' Like, I'm actually in agreement with them.

Getting into an air bender battle, while San Lang is barely flicking his wrist at him. I like how San Lang crushes the table and sends the shards flying at him. Showing he could easily impale Qianqiu before pulling him up at the last moment. It felt like San Lang was trying to teach him. He might have recognized that Qianqiu was young and foolish, but was trying to do good. So San Lang warns him by showing him what could happen if he keeps running his mouth without knowing who he's threatening. That or he decided not to dice Qianqiu because Xie Lian was watching... could go either way

HuaLian having a tender moment looking into each other's eyes while everyone waits downstairs confused.

San Lang 100% offered Qianqiu as a prize to give Xie Lian the chance to help him and Him the chance to hold hands with Xie Lian X'D

We hear that metallic chime noise again here. I think San Lang gave Xie Lian some of is luck here. San Lang also holds Xie Lian's hands on the final round too when Xie Lian rolled two 6's and wins.

Everyone's reaction to San Lang calling Xie Lian 'Gege'. Qingxuan is curious and confused. Qianqiu looks shocked and a little embarrassed. and the grandma Pleakley looking demon's head falls off their body.

San Lang telepathically ordering his assistant to have everyone STFU while he's playing with Xie Lian.

Wind Master Qingxuan pelting Qianqiu with his fan for continuing to run his mouth.

San Lang being completely smitten with Xie Lian as he drops a man from the ceiling

Xie Lian making Qianqiu shut his mouth. Dude BE QUIET! They JUST saved you.

It was incredibly sweet how when San Lang approaches Xie Lian asking for the bet he's owed, Qianqiu steps between them and holds his arm out to protect Xie Lian from who he perceives to be a threat. Qianqiu knows he wouldn't win, but he moves to protect Xie Lian anyway. He's so foolish but so brave.

San Lang would eat stale pringles off the floor if Gege touched them,

Prince being to good for his own good again by telling Xie Lian not to lie to Hua Cheng. Despite himself not liking him at all for treating him like a pinata prize in front of everyone.

This was a very cute episode and there were so many enjoyable moments.

[one-flower-one-sword]

Sending virtual hugs! 🌸

I’m wondering about your thoughts on Xie Lian and how he views Hua Cheng and the Gambling Den.

He expressed to Hua Cheng his concerns about how dangerous it is, and let it go when he understood that he and Hua Cheng have differing views on the matter.

It makes me wonder how things would have unfolded if the man who gambled to have his competitors die or give his daughter’s life and marriage if he lost, had been able to complete his bet without interruption. Like how much is Hua Cheng involved in something like that?

Would that man simply have walked away with the luck he needed to get what he wanted? I can’t see Hua Cheng actively hunting down and killing those people.

But I can see him allowing the man the luck needed to make his desires come true - so not actively engaging but not interfering with the man’s terrible decisions - kind of like with how he dealt with He Xuan.

I’m not completely sold on that thought though…😅 your thoughts?

Thank you! 🌸

And thank you for your ask! I love talking about Ghost City :3

I've thought about similar things regarding the Gambler's Den, but ultimately, I think it's on purpose that we don't find out for sure and are left to wonder. Especially since, at this point in the story, both the reader and Xie Lian are still slowly uncovering who Hua Cheng is as a person.

When we look at this scene after everything is revealed, I think it's quite clear from the mockingly derisive way he talks to him that Hua Cheng did not like that guy, and I wonder if he would even have taken that second bet if Xie Lian and the others hadn't been there - he seems to have a pretty good understanding of Lang Qianqiu's character when be talks about him with Xie Lian later, so I can see him use that second bet as a lure to make Lang Qianqiu cause a commotion. Because then Hua Cheng gets to "discover" that Xie Lian and the others are there, which means he has a reason to invite Xie Lian to Paradise Manor, which is necessary to make that whole "have them rescue 'Ming Yi' so that He Xuan's cover isn't blown" plan work.

As an aside, though of course Hua Cheng is always happy when he gets to spend time with Xie Lian, I think he must have deeply hated deceiving him like this. It speaks to how much he values his arrangement with He Xuan and how vital the information He Xuan provides is to him - which is proven when right after this, the whole Fang Xin reveal happens. Without He Xuan monitoring what's happening in heaven and relaying the information to him, Hua Cheng wouldn't have known that Xie Lian got locked inside his palace and couldn't have come to rescue him.

Back to the topic at hand though. I think it's worth looking at the actual dialog when Xie Lian and Hua Cheng discuss the den because there's so much in there:

After some hesitation, Xie Lian spoke up again. "San Lang, it may be out of line for me, but I still have to say it. That Gambler's Den of yours is incredibly dangerous. Won't it blow up in your face one day?"

A place that allowed the betting of sons and daughters and people's lives, granting wishes for others' sudden deaths - it was dreadfully sinful. Never mind a little brawl; if one day the bets got out of hand, the Heavenly Realm wouldn't be able to stay on the sidelines.

Hua Cheng gave him a look.

"Your Highness, did you ask Lang Qianqiu why he had to jump into that mess?"

Xie Lian was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding the intent of the question.

Hua Cheng continued, "I bet he must have told you that if he didn't do it, no one else would."

He was amazingly on the mark, obviously having seen through Lang Qianqiu.

"That's indeed what he said." Xie Lian admitted.

"Then I'm the complete opposite," Hua Cheng said. "If I don't control a place like this, then someone else will. I'd rather that person be me."

Xie Lian knew when to back down, and he nodded. "I understand."

It seemed, although Hua Cheng was the sentimental sort, he also cared more about control and power than Xie Lian realized.

It's fascinating that it we look at what Xie Lian actually says and thinks here, what he mainly seems to be worried about is what would happen to Hua Cheng and his friendship with Hua Cheng should Jun Wu be given reason to actively start going against him. Which is also what Xie Lian worries about during this entire mission - what will happen if it turns out Hua Cheng is involved with a heavenly official's disappearance and heaven retaliates, what will happen if he's not involved and Xie Lian has destroyed their friendship by deceiving him. It doesn't matter to Xie Lian that Hua Cheng is a Ghost King and that they're technically on opposite sides - he's decided based on his own experiences and judgment that Hua Cheng is a good person and a good friend, and he's already at this point very protective of him. Especially since he's not unaware that the heavenly realm in general and Jun Wu in particular do not share his opinion on Hua Cheng, and the political implications thereof:

Jun Wu turned around. "Tell me, what kind of extraordinary character did you engage with when you descended this time?"

Xie Lian raised his hand. "My Lord, I swear I did nothing. Just, one day by chance, I encountered an interesting young man on the road, and we spent some time together. I didn't think much of it."

Ju Wu nodded. "Chance encounter, young man, Supreme Ghost King. Xianle, surely you are aware what the consequences would be if Ming Guang was to question you further and you confessed to this in front of the other officials? No one would believe you."

"Xianle knows," Xie Lian replied woefully. "So, I'm grateful for My Lord's timely intervention. My Lord, you're not actually going to interrogate me, are you? I wouldn't collude with the Ghost Realm. These are absurd concerns."

"Naturally, I know you would not intentionally collude with the Ghost Realm," Jun Wu said.

"I'm grateful for My Lord's trust," Xie Lian replied.

Xie Lian is definitely stretching the truth here with the "I didn't think much of it" part, given that by the end of his investigation in Banyue, he damn well knew that the "interesting young man" was Supreme Ghost King Hua Cheng, and then he kept spending time with him regardless. He's very careful about protecting their friendship by downplaying it and being vague, and further than that, he's very careful about protecting Hua Cheng. We've already seen this earlier when Pei Ming was interrogating him - Xie Lian even pretended not to know who that "red-clothed young man" was because he rightfully deduced that Pei Ming would try to use Hua Cheng as a scapegoat to get Xiao Pei off the hook. Then when Pei Ming does try to pin the whole thing on Hua Cheng, Xie Lian immediately speaks up in his defense:

"General Pei, let's keep things clear and separate. Let's not talk about whether the young man I traveled with was Hua Cheng or not. At the very least, even if he was indeed Hua Cheng, that has nothing to do with what General Pei Junior has done. A Supreme Ghost King might have the worst possible name on people's tongues, but not everything can be blamed on him."

I find it very telling that the reason Xie Lian is being so carefully vague is less so he himself won't get into trouble and more that he's very aware that if Hua Cheng gets wrongfully accused, no one will question it simply because of who and what Hua Cheng is. And it's that kind of injustice and prejudice that Xie Lian will always stand up against. At this point he still completely trusts Jun Wu, but when it comes to Hua Cheng, Xie Lian not only disagrees but actively disobeys, though he's careful about how much of that he shows in front of Jun Wu:

Jun Wu shook his head. "I should not comment on the friends you make, but I will say this: Be careful of Hua Cheng."

Hearing this, Xie Lian bowed his head slightly, keeping his eyes down and saying nothing. He should've responded with "Yes, My Lord," as he should have been able to say yes with ease by that point. Yet, for some reason, he really didn't want to say that particular "yes".

Hua Cheng likewise also understands his and Xie Lian's respective positions and is careful not to endanger Xie Lian. Like here, when he explains why he put up somewhat of an act of not knowing Xie Lian because there were other heavenly officials present:

"Since gege is here, why not come in? We haven't been apart for that long, so don't be a stranger to San Lang."

At his beckoning, Xie Lian let down the beaded curtain. "Earlier in the Gambler's Den, it was San Lang who pretended not to recognize me."

Hua Cheng approached and stopped at Xie Lian's side. "Lang Qianqiu was there too, so if I didn't put on an act, I'd be giving gege trouble."

Or here when he's content to be accused of having maliciously kidnapped Xie Lian if that means Xie Lian won't be suspected of resisting his arrest and made to look guilty:

Xie Lian finally understood. Shi Qingxuan could see that Hua Cheng had no ill intent, but on the surface, they had to pretend that Hua Cheng had only barged into the Heavens to collect his due. It would prevent gossip from those how might suggest that Xie Lian had maliciously and intentionally absconded. Hua Cheng understood Shi Qingxuan's intent and had played along. However, Xie Lian didn't want to go this route.

"All right, stop acting. He only came to the Heavens to save me. San Lang had good intentions, so why conceal them?"

Hua Cheng does this to protect Xie Lian, but Xie Lian likewise wants to protect him. This has ended up quite long-winded, but I wanted to look for more evidence of why I think that Xie Lian mainly brought up the Gambler's Den because he's worried that the bets could end up endangering Hua Cheng himself.

Hua Cheng sincerely thanks Xie Lian for his concern, but makes it clear that he doesn’t quite agree, and I think it's worth looking into why that is.

I've seen Hua Cheng be described as completely amoral by fans, but I don't think that's how the text actually portrays him. He certainly can be quite critical and cynical with his views on both humans and gods, but his reasoning for establishing and keeping the den isn't "I don't care what happens there" or "I want places like this to exist for my own gain". He is, at least from his perspective and based on his experiences, simply being grimly realistic about how if he forbids these kinds of bets, the people who want to conduct them will simply move underground and do their gambling in secret. So not only will these bets happen either way, someone else will eventually take control of such a place, and Hua Cheng doesn't trust that such a person wouldn't take advantage of it.

Hua Cheng isn't amoral, he just has his own perspective on morality and justice. He's also not passive and uncaring in the face of what he perceives as wrong and unjust, but he doesn't really talk about that openly unless prompted. Like here during the Black Water arc, when they discuss the scroll with (supposedly) the names of victims of the Reverend of Empty Words:

Xie Lian turned to Hua Cheng. "San Lang, you said it's full of outrageous mistakes. How so?"

Hua Cheng scooted over to him, they were now sitting much closer than before. Hua Cheng pointed at a few names. "These are wrong."

Xie Lian looked at the names closely; all of them were known to be lawless, malevolently evil tyrants. "How do you know?"

"Because I killed them," Hua Cheng said.

Hua Cheng deeply hates people who abuse the power they wield, to the point that he personally acts against them. I think this ties in well with his reasoning about the Gambler's Den. I don't think there's anything in the text that suggests Xie Lian is upset to realize that Hua Cheng cares more about power and control than he'd thought, just surprised - until he comes to Ghost City, Xie Lian has mostly been around the very laid-back "San Lang", and this is the first time he's encountered Hua Cheng in his own territory, where he's a Ghost King ruling over the largest settlement within the ghost realm.

Also Xie Lian doesn't know this yet, but given everything we later learn about Hua Cheng's past, I think it's quite obvious that Hua Cheng's preoccupation with the power and control he wields, as well as his contempt for those who abuse theirs, is rooted deeply in the trauma he's gone through. Control in particular is a huge thing for him for several reasons, one of the main ones being that as a child, he was repeatedly punished for things outside his control, and he internalized that pattern to the point where he now punishes himself for things outside his control, as is shown repeatedly when he decides he's failed Xie Lian in some way. But I'm going to go into more detail about this in my Hua Cheng + trauma responses meta.

Lastly, I think it's important to keep in mind that the text makes clear that even when Xie Lian and Hua Cheng disagree, rather than a point of conflict it's actually proof of how strong and healthy their relationship is. I've sometimes seen fans (not you) portray their relationship as Xie Lian being irritated with Hua Cheng's attitude towards others, having him either be somewhat grudgingly resigned to it or actively trying to change Hua Cheng's behavior. But when we actually look at the text, we realize that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the opposite is the case - Xie Lian is incredibly protective of him and repeatedly gets defensive when others judge and blame Hua Cheng. I'm gonna examine that in more detail in my hualian meta though, so for now, I hope this turned out a satisfying answer!

[ajmasch]

@here4hualian kissmas day 10: a kiss as a reward

“Gege?” Hua Cheng’s voice was gentle as it called Xie Lian out of slumber. Xie Lian groaned and turned his face away from his husband, burying it in the pillows as much as he could without rolling onto his injured shoulder.

Hua Cheng persisted. “Gege, I know you’re tired, but I need to change the bandages or you’ll get an infection.”

“Don’ wanna,” Xie Lian grumbled.

Hua Cheng hummed. “How about this? If Gege is good and lets me take care of him, I’ll give him a reward at the end.”

Xie Lian cracked an eye open. The room was thankfully not very bright, lit only by a few candles and a couple silver butterflies, but it was enough that he could make out his husband’s face. “What kind of reward?”

“What kind of reward would Gege want?”

Xie Lian didn’t have to think about it very hard. “Kiss?”

Hua Cheng chuckled softly. “Ok, Gege. If you’re good for me, I’ll give you a kiss.”

So, Xie Lian complied as he was lifted into a sitting position so Hua Cheng could access the bandages wrapped around his shoulder. He watched his husband’s face through half-lidded eyes and saw the way the muscles in his jaw clenched when the wound was revealed.

“I’m alright, San Lang,” Xie Lian soothed. It had the opposite effect.

“Don’t. Don’t say you’re fine when you’re not. Don’t hide your pain from me, Gege, please.”

Xie Lian couldn’t fault Hua Cheng for being upset. He had been injured fighting some kind of scorpion beast a few days ago on a mission with Lang Qianqiu and had insisted he was fine up until the venom that had been on the stinger caused him to pass out during a meeting with several other heavenly officials.

“Okay,” he whispered. Then, “I’m sorry I scared you, San Lang.”

Hua Cheng took a deep breath. His hands tightened where they were gripping the fresh bandages he was getting ready to apply. “It’s alright. I just wish Gege would take better care of himself. You don’t have to do everything on your own, you know.”

“I know.”

They fell back into silence while Hua Cheng wrapped the bandages around the injury. The gentle movements and soft rustles lulled Xie Lian back into a sleepy state, and by the time Hua Cheng was done he was half-supporting his husband’s weight as Xie Lian drooped more and more forward.

“Almost done, Gege,” Hua Cheng promised. “Just the medicine left.”

Xie Lian made a face, but Hua Cheng was quick to remind him, “This is the last thing before you get your reward.”

He pouted, but he drank the medicine Hua Cheng held to his lips, forcing the bitter taste down. When he was done, Hua Cheng set the cup to the side.

“Now for Gege’s reward.” He leaned forward, but Xie Lian turned away.

“Tastes bad,” he explained to Hua Cheng’s questioning look. 

“But then how will Gege know he’s been good without his reward?” Before Xie Lian could stop him, Hua Cheng cupped his face and kissed him, licking the bitter aftertaste out of his mouth. It did make Xie Lian feel better, and he settled back down afterwards with a sleepy smile on his face.

“Go back to sleep, Gege,” Hua Cheng said, pressing one more kiss against his forehead. “Your San Lang will be right here when you wake up.”

[friedwizardwhispers]

Hua Cheng absolutely deserved to find out about the coffin and go ballistic. Xie Lian should have someone who got angry on his behalf cause the amount of torture he kept getting put through is insane.

I get what you are saying because his 800 years on earth seems to be just terrible and the coffin specifically is kinda unimaginable and just the recovery by himself was probably a really long time.

That said,the problem here is that, in that situation, I don't think Xie Lian would be happy about it if he did. In his head, he deserved it and he still have affection for Lang Qianqiu and if Hua Cheng discovered it before, it means he realized Xie Lian was doing an act of self-sacrifice and would probably have waited after his recovery and talk to him about it (and probably wouldn't do it in the long run). We see this in the birthday extra when he kinda discover how long he was in the coffin and Hua Cheng not going after Lang Qianqiu because Xie Lian tells him it's fine.

In that Au, I think it's very likely when Xie Lian ascend and meet with the gods again, then Hua Cheng would just have Lang Qianqiu as his most hated god (with Mu Qing and Feng Xin ).

[fairsweetlonging]

the part where shi wudu is going through his third heavenly tribulation and struggling is so so so funny to me, because ling wen is genuinely trying to get someone to help but they can't find anyone. a entire heaven full of deities and somehow no one's available

mu qing and feng xin are still in baby jail for destroying the streets of the heavenly capital, lang qianqiu is out in the city, qi ying literally has everyone blocked on their spiritual version of messenger, and then they just forgot about xie lian's existence (poor thing), great job everyone~𖹭

[artingstarvist]

Paper Memories Chp 11 Snippet

“Uh huh,” Qi Rong chirped, an impish smile playing on his lips. “You said you were going to spend all afternoon with me! You’ve been gone so long!”

“Ah. I’m sorry, Rong-er. I must have gotten distracted. I’ll push you now.” 

Xie Lian came to stand behind the boy, and taking the ropes in hand, he pulled the swing far back and let it go. Qi Rong laughed as he swung back and forth. Xie Lian’s heart felt soft and sad.

“It’s a shame, isn’t it?” Qi Rong asked lightly, as Xie Lian continued to push him.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a shame you never did this when I was still alive.”

“Ah?” 

Xie Lian froze in place, a lance of guilt piercing through him and shattering the nostalgia he’d begun to lean into. 

“Did I not?” he stammered. “Did you ask me too?”

“Cousin Crown Prince can’t even remember!” Qi Rong said with a giggle. “If you’d taken the time, do you think maybe I would have ended up different? Someone better? Like Lang Qianqiu?”

As he swung forward, he leaned far back, his hair dragging through the leaves on the ground. His eyes glinted darkly as they locked with Xie Lian’s. 

“But of course, Cousin Crown Prince never had the time!"

[ghooostbaby]

HI

inspired by reading this post by @biboomerangboi considering how hua cheng was going to deal with the (almost) gambled daughter in the gamblers den scene if lang qianqiu hadn't interfered: "Option 2) She has to work in Ghost City for 20 years and is married to Yin Yu in name only (because Hua Cheng can’t have a wife at all or he won’t win Gege) then gets pleasantly divorced and giving a severance payment after 20 years."

ok!!!!! hua cheng's sneaky operation to liberate the daughters of shitty men who use them as collateral (? i'm sorry i don't know gambling terminology) in the gamblers den by making them yin yu's tribute wives!! yin yu has a platonic harem of mysterious women given full freedom to pursue any and every interest they want, go where they want, for their time in the harem, fully resourced by hua chengzhu.

the first time something like this happened hua cheng was like hmmmm how am i gonna get out of this one to fuck this guy over and protect his daughter...

*a few hours later* yin yu receiving a message that he was now married like 'hua chengzhu?!??!!' but the system works (and yin yu finds his wives pretty helpful with his work) and they keep adding wives

i'm picturing a troupe of mysterious, cloaked and masked figures gliding through the city as the ghosts quiet as they pass and clear a path for them to go on whatever their business is, either performing a task for the waning moon officer or their own secret affairs.

perhaps called "the waning moon brides" ... they're kind of like a closed sect or secret society or initiation cult or girl gang XD of talented, interesting, intelligent, mysterious women who are free to spend their time following whatever passions they want, roam around the city or go travelling. they can go to yin yu if they need something, or to help him with any tasks he needs done.

and because i'm a yinxuan shipper and can't help it... yin yu goes to them for advice after he sees he xuan's blackwater form for the first time and decides to set out to seduce him. (probably most of them don't know what they're doing either and give him terrible advice)