#xie lian is like ‘i just wanted to let san lang know i care about him!’

[everytimewetouch-dot-mp3]

modern au shi qingxuan shows xie lian what kaomoji are and xl immediately hits hua cheng with one of these…（╹◡╹）♡

even better if they’re not dating yet and hc trips over his own feet when he sees the text

[lu-dao-writes]

— 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝙓𝙞𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙖𝙣 & 𝙃𝙪𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙜)

ᡴꪫ ﾟ. 𓂃𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 You like being with Xie Lian, and when San Lang joined you had no problems with him either. You love their natural affection…

B̴̰̼̤̄͋̽̆͝ų̷̤̫͙͉͈́̓ͅt̵̯̬͌̿̎̽̉ ̵͎͈̯̓͐̀͘͝s̷̡͖͚̘͓͙̹̰̖̈́o̸̪̞̹̞̼̥̮̮̊̃̈́̎́̾̕͘͜͝m̶͚̐̉͑́͗̕͜͠ͅé̴̫͓̥̈́͗̈́̒ͅt̷͚̟̲̻̜̙̾̚i̷̢̗̗͈̩͚͆̍m̴͙̼͉̻̗̻̬̿̓̀̆͘ͅe̴̡̧͉͔̲͔̫̻͑̋̀́̈̀̌̈́̚s̵̢̫̟̳̩̲̟͆̏̆̃̄̿͝ ̴̤̘͉̻̮͈̿̀̐̄͒̃͝į̴̫͔̫̠̌͐̚t̸̰̔̋̀̾͐’̴̢̦̥͓̯̺͖̈́̓̒ś̴̨͇̣̼͑̀̉͛̎̏͠ ̸̤̺̼̞̠̖̃̋͗̄̀͝š̸̙̼̐̉̎͗͘u̶͍̞͖͒̈̅̔̒̍͘͜f̵̨̝̳̻̪̫̫͈͎̑̏̎̍̈͒f̵̞͇̥͖̥̹̳̹͐͐̌̈́̽͝o̸̡̤̙̙̗̤̦͙̿́̀͐̾͠c̵̨̹̔͜ȃ̶̛̱̜̗͍̒̌̈́̿́t̸̛͎̘͕̤̜̟̎̐i̷̖͓͖͔̭̥̒̆͂́̚͘͘ͅn̵̛̯̬͎̭͐̊̋̏g̸͓͍͚̦̻̳͑.̵͙̖̰͊̉ ̶̲͉̘̆̋̀̆̓

𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, codependency, possessive behavior, biting, blood tasting, sleep watching, amnesiac!reader, gn!reader, hybrid au, some animalistic behavior, maybe poor grammar.

𝘼/𝙉 This is a warmup I made when I needed to take a pause from my jjk projects! Also deciding to post this while I wait for my poll to end!౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹

YOU’VE only met Xiè Lián a month ago, but he is a humble man, perhaps the most humble man you’ve ever met in your years of living.

And despite only knowing him for such a little amount of time, there’s this huge sense of familiarity whenever you’re together.

He’s so kind, too kind almost, and submissive, but not in a completely bad way. It just seems that he’s too willing to let others walk all over him sometimes.

But you don’t regret befriending him. He’s as sweet as can be and your wonderful savior, his only want when you asked how you can repay him is your e̶t̶e̶r̶n̶a̶l̶ friendship.

You two were lonely souls wondering the earth so it’s natural that you remained at each other’s sides, helping him collect scraps.

While staying with him, you’ve noticed the ferret’s need for physical touch and aggressive play, which you grant because how could you not? You owe him a lot and you’re touch starved yourself.

B̶u̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶a̶g̶g̶r̶e̶s̶s̶i̶v̶e̶,̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶e̶s̶ ̶d̶r̶a̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶o̶d̶,̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶X̶i̶è̶ ̶L̶i̶á̶n̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶w̶n̶.̶

But it’s okay! That’s just his nature!

There was one time he had to disappear for a moment, stating that it’s just some business to help innocent people from a ghost problem and left you at an inn for the time being.

You missed him,b̶u̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶d̶e̶n̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶e̶n̶j̶o̶y̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶a̶c̶e̶.̶ ̶

But he soon came back and you two now had a place to live at for once! It’s a shabby shrine, but both of you put your care and hard work to make it a home.

The bed is a simple straw mat on the hard floor but the comfort of each other’s arms and warmth make up for it!

B̶u̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶h̶u̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶t̶i̶g̶h̶t̶,̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶s̶e̶s̶s̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶m̶o̶s̶t̶.̶ ̶

Sleeping together is a joy though!

And things get more interesting when a lone fox joins the mix.

His name is Sān Láng, and Xiè Lián had brought him over one night and offered your collective space to him since he had no place to go.

He’s a charming young man with a mysterious aura, giving answers but becomes a bit elusive when it’s direct questions about him. He’s far more interested in getting to know you and Xiè Lián though, wanting the both of you to lay yourselves bare to him.

But he quickly becomes close to you both, and you become aware that he’s just as clingy as the ferret.

The bed situation is even more cramped, but as long as you were all touching all was fine!

S̶o̶m̶e̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶s̶w̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶a̶t̶c̶h̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶v̶e̶ ̶y̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶l̶e̶e̶p̶s̶ ̶e̶m̶b̶r̶a̶c̶e̶,̶ ̶X̶i̶è̶ ̶L̶i̶á̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶S̶ā̶n̶ ̶L̶á̶n̶g̶’̶s̶ ̶b̶r̶e̶a̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶u̶f̶f̶o̶c̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶i̶m̶p̶r̶i̶n̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶k̶i̶n̶.̶

Sān Láng likes to watch you and Xiè Lián, especially when you’re playing, but he never gets in the mix until he’s invited, and you can see the pure delight in his eyes when asked.

But you almost always end up on your back, overpowered and vulnerable to them both.

L̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶y̶.̶

But unfortunately, things get weird when Nán Fēng, a dog, and Fú Yáo, a cat, show up at the door.

The way those two grow so pale when they look at you…

And how tight Xiè Lián holds your shoulders…

How Sān Láng’s voice gets unusually more sharper…

There’s more to what’s going on.

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

hii lovely <3 it’s so good to see you again, i’m glad you’re back and i hope you’re taking good care of yourself. after reading sunshine headcanons 3, where Xie Lian would be the one to spank reader if necessary, it got me thinking, what if lil sunshine reader wanted to get some spicy tips and learned from somewhere to try and be a bit of a brat in bed 👀 ofc that doesn’t end well with his lovers and he gets the spanking and fucking of his life (with love ofc)

Sunshine Part 4

HuaLian x M!reader

It's long guys I hope it's good 🙏🥹

Spanking, edging, bondage, slapping, blowjobs, fingering, handjobs, improper use of Rou'ye, NSFW!!!

After being with Xie Lian and San Lang for so long, you want to try new things! After the recent breakage of vanilla boundaries in the bedroom you want to try something different. . . You're always so well behaved and you're always kind but you kind of wanted to try not doing that. Maybe it was a part of you that wanted to see your lovers be rough with you or maybe it was a part of you that deeply desired to show your lovers a side of yourself no one else gets to see.

The problem is you don't know how! Anytime you even think about trying to be bratty you can't do it. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are just sweet to you and their praise and treatment make you want to be willing and behaved for them. Sooo you need somebody's help!

You find help through books, and people. You read many, many books and then you ask around ghost city and your good ghost gals if they can teach you some tips and tricks. Which they do of course. Who are they to deny you a fun sex life? So for a while you honestly practice by yourself to be bratty. You don't want to set your plan out and go back on it as soon as your lovers smile at you after all. When you finally think you've got it down your plan is set!

It's nearly night time and your lovers were out on a mission. You usually stay home at your lovers insistence. Soo when it's time for them to nearly be home you decide to start without them. You were never one to be active without your lovers but you wanted to do it tonight. Even though you're alone, you still blush in embarrassment when you spread your legs . You spend some time stroking your cock and fucking yourself with your fingers.

When Xie Lian and Hua Cheng come home, you don't even notice. When they walk into the shared bedroom, you cum at the same time they open the door. You throw your head back and arch against your fingers with a shrill moan. You weren't expecting a hand to clench around your wrist and wrench it away from between your legs. It's Hua Cheng who does this. He slips into bed and pins you down with a kiss to your forehead.

"We were expecting you to wait for us before we got home. Did you get lonely" Hua Cheng purrs in your ear and you bite your lip to hide a whine. He kisses your cheek

"No...", you swallow and glance at Hua Cheng, "I got impatient waiting. You took too long". You huff and look to the side with an angry pout. You squirm out of under Hua Cheng and slip your robes back on. "Anyways, how did your miss-". You get yanked back into bed by Hua Cheng.

"Oh don't be like that Baobei. We didn't mean to make you wait" he kisses the nape of your neck and loosens your robes. He wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you into his lap. Xie Lian comes closer and slides gentle hand between your legs to spread them. Usually you would allow this and let them put you in whatever position they want, but not tonight. You blush but snap your legs shut. "I don't wanna." You huff again with an attitude.

Xie Lian hums and tilts your chin up with a nudge. "Do you really not want to?" If one of you doesn't want to have sex usually it's just a no and cuddling instead. However you've got an attitude. Xie Lian's never seen you with one before in bed though. "Or. . . Are you just being a brat?" He hums and his hand holds your jaw, rubbing his thumb over your bottom lip.

You blush softly and take his thumb into your mouth before nipping on it. Hard. A slap resounds through the room. Your head snaps to the side and Hua Cheng looks up in surprise. His one eye darting over you and Xie Lian in shock. "Gege!" Hua Cheng cups your face and looks at the red mark left from Xie Lian but he's surprised to find a blush covering your face and a hardness growing between your legs.

Xie Lian slides Hua Cheng's hand away. "It's fine San Lang, he wants this. Right, Y/n? You want to be punished for being a brat, yes?"

You breathe out a shaky breath, "Y-yes". A moment of silence, a chance for Hua Cheng to back out. Hua Cheng nods and goes back to holding you in his lap. Your back to his chest "Well alright" he kisses your shoulder and takes your robes off, allowing them to fall to the floor. Xie Lian smiles and grips your face again. "Good." The scene continues.

You're a little embarrassed, they always embarrass you by forcing your legs open to show off your pretty dick. You blush darkly when Xie Lian gets on his knees in front of you and starts licking at. "Stay still for me Baobei, and maybe I'll let San Lang reward you." He purrs softly and kisses your tip. Still? You could most certainly try, but you're sort of aiming for punishment here.

So when Xie Lian takes you into his mouth, trying to ease you in, you grab his hair roughly and just your hips forward. This causes him to gag and pull off of you, while Hua Cheng takes more caution in holding you down. That kind of felt good treating Xie Lian like that. Hm maybe another time.

Xie Lian coughs and wipes his mouth. There's a tick on his brow and you know he's annoyed. "I thought you were going to be good, that was my mistake" he huffs and stands from the floor. Honestly Hua Cheng was a little worried for you, he holds into you tightly allowing your legs to close. He's not supposed to let you get away with it, but he's biased. Xie Lian reaches behind you and cups Hua Cheng's face. "San Lang", Xie Lian whispers, and leans down to kiss Hua Cheng's forehead, "Move".

Hua Cheng blushes and moves away almost immediately. It's a tone he hasn't heard in a long time. Xie Lian seems to let Hua Cheng's mistake slide but not yours. He fists a hand in your hair and pushes you belly down against the bed. You yelp softly and even try to squirm and 'fight' him back.

All of it is half assed attempts to get away and Xie Lian knows it so with a snap of he fingers Rou'ye shoots out and wraps around your limbs and body keep you stomach down against the bed but ass perked and legs spread. You scrunch your face when you feel the lithe bandage wrap around the base of your cock. That is not what you wanted.

You were expecting to be thrown around a little maybe hit but edging? Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. You whine loudly trying to squirm against Rou'ye and you curse the bandage in your head. Your thoughts are interrupted by a swat to your ass. "Ah! W-what was that for?" You pout, turning your head to look at Xie Lian but Rou'ye wraps around your throat and forces your head back straight.

"Did you think I was just going to leave you wrapped up in the bed for nothing" Xie Lian laughs softly and settles down behind you. He runs his fingers over the plush of your ass and then over your hole. "I imagined you wanted more than that?" He hums. He brings his hand down again, harder this time, but controlled.

Your breath hitches and you whine. "W-well yes but I want to be able to-" cum. But Xie Lian doesn't let you finish your sentence because he spanks you again.

"You think you deserve to after your blatant show of disrespect?" He smiles behind you. "Don't talk, just count for me. You're on three".

Xie Lian spanks you once more. "Mm! F-four" it's embarrassing. To count for Xie Lian's and being forced to look at Hua Cheng while you do it. You get to a steady rhythm and after about ten or eleven- wait which number were you on? You got distracted. Without noticing you had gotten comfortable and fell further into a sub space you hadn't even realized you were trying to rut against the bed. Shit. A harsh swat makes you pay attention again. Your ass stings.

"Y/n number?", Xie Lian hum in question and his fingers rub where he had just spanked you. He's kind of liking how red you're getting, and your cock that's wrapped? The bits of precum desperately leaking from it, he enjoys that too.

You bite your lip and groan softly. "U-uhm I, uh t-twelve?" There's a pause of silence leaving you to become nervous about your answer, then Xie Lian's hand comes down on your thigh, maybe he got bored of hitting just your ass. "That's wrong Baobei, and you had been doing so well too." Xie Lian clicks his tongue and stands up from the bed.

Your body shakes softly and you whine. You were doing fine! You just want to cum. You've been focusing on that for the better part of an hour now. "I didn't m-mean to, please A-Lian." You whimper, pulling against Rou'ye but he's much too strong. Xie Lian rubs a hand through your hair and shushes you. "You'll get something Y/n calm down."

Your mouth literally salivates when Hua Cheng settles in the bed in front of you and you see his cock out and hard. "Please, please, please A-Lang" you whine loudly but Hua Cheng takes mercy on you and scoots closer so that your head can rest on his lap. You however have different ideas and you greedily take his cock down your throat. "Mmh~". You moan around his dick and take him down to the hilt. Hua Cheng trained you how to do that after all. When you try to move up a hand pushes you back down, making you choke on Hua Cheng's cock.

You were expecting it to be Hua Cheng but it was Xie Lian. "Keep him here San Lang." You let out a loud whine when Xie Lian kisses Hua Cheng's cheek. Xie Lian only smiles at you and goes back to sit behind you, leaving you between them both. You take a sharp breath through your nose when, Xie Lian shoves his fingers into your hole and immediately goes to rub at your prostate.

The sting hurts but it feels delicious to you. You moan and slobber around Hua Cheng, and try to roll your hips, but it's hard when Rou'ye has you trapped. Xie Lian laughs softly and bullies your prostate with his fingers, his other hand wraps around your dick and his thumb teases your slit.

You didn't realize you were crying until Hua Cheng is wiping your tears and your snuffling around Hua Cheng's cock desperately sucking air through your nose. Distantly you hear Hua Cheng ask Xie Lian to let you cum and you whine.

Xie Lian smiles and places a kiss on the back of your thigh. "Hm he has been good. . ." Xie Lian juts his fingers into your prostate at the same time that Rou'ye unwraps from your body. Hua Cheng gets to watch your eyes roll back and you choke around his cock when you cum. Your seed covers your tummy and the bed.

Hua Cheng pulls you off of him and lets you rest in his lap. He runs his fingers through your hair while Xie Lian moves away to go grab a warm cloth. You're half asleep by the time Xie Lian has washed you off and all of you are cuddled in bed.

"Y/n did you like it?" Xie Lian blushes and kisses your head. "I hope I didn't treat you too roughly?"

You giggle and smile kissing Xie Lian's cheek. "I enjoyed all of it" you hum softly and cuddle close to both of your lovers.

[estrella-etoile]

HuaLian Are So Bad at Flirting They're Good

Oh my god. How can we not fall completely and entirely in love with Season 2 of the donghua?

Why do I say I adore it so much? Because of just how cringe HuaLian are with one another. It's so embarrassingly endearing seeing these two complete love failures try to figure out how to flirt (and do it terribly for anyone not named the other).

Let us start with our sweet lonely old man Xie Lian. He feels his loneliness so hard at Pu Qi shrine it hurts. He clutches a ring and the second Ling Wen reaches out he hides that ring under his robes, guarding it like a precious secret. And yet... does he think "hmm, I had a wonderful time with San Lang! I hope he had a wonderful time with me, maybe I should try to figure out how to get in touch to "try" to return this ring (but really to see him.)

Good thing Jun Wu tried to drive a wedge between them by sending XL to Ghost City to find out (for the first time in his life) that it was Hua Cheng's territory.

Then XL is in Ghost City. And he's trying not to swoon when he sees that his handsome San Lang maxed out peak hotness and is letting him win and touching him. "He's teasing me." (He let you bet a god for a half-eaten mantou and played fake rounds until he'd rubbed enough of his luck onto you to lose gracefully. SIGH) Yet instead of going "wow I wonder if San Lang likes me?" he watches an indirect kiss and a smirk and runs away.

You would think that this would make XL the biggest dork? And at episode 2, you would be right.

But my dear San Lang. My lovely precious ghost king BB goes so far into the cringe the next episode that he grabs the prize from XL.

We start with the try to be cool "gege pretended not to know me and then did not come find me!" while accidentally leaving the impression he was headed to a brothel (which... given XL's first three minutes in Ghost City... not entirely impossible). So yeah. Off to a great start ghost king.

He did at least look okay with the discussion of a home versus a residence (and scored himself a perma-invite to Pu Qi... because XL was looking for any possible opening to make that clear too.) And a pretty good explanation of why he's in charge of the city of sin. Then the trying to take care of gege during a PTSD flashback, yes! Go San Lang Go!

And then... the armory. It was adorable watching XL fangirl over the weapons. And seeing him smile and talk about how great they all were.

But babygirl HC... don't just smile smoothly and say "I will give you the whole armory." Yes yes, we all know you feel this way, but... not on the first date. When XL also politely refused (because that's kind of a HUGE offer to him), don't double down with "then you can have this room and visit any time you want! OH! I can help you with upkeep!"

XL has not really even come to terms with the fact that there is this person who enjoys his company yet. He's really really confused about the whole why the world's most handsome ghost king wants to be around him. You're just going to confuse him way way too much by trying to give him an arsenal of spiritual weapons.

But here's the thing. It worked. Sort of. Not because XL accepted the swords, but because he accepted the affection and the friendship. He doesn't want HC's status or his wealth. He wants to pet HC's uber-weapon and talk about sacred swords with someone. He wants HC's company. And maybe because HC's existence has pointed out that most relationships are transactions, he starts his approach using that mentality, even though his love and affection for XL is the opposite of transactional.

HC doesn't need to wine and dine XL. He needs to visit Pu Qi shrine as much as he wants.

Neither of these precious beans understand what a normal relationship looks like. So it's not a surprise that what they both want is the same: a genuine and unconditional connection. They have it already, so even when they both attempt to flirt with each other in ways that would make Pei Ming have an aneurysm, they still eventually triumph.

Because below the surface attempts is something so sincere and deep that they'll get there, and even find those silly cringe surface things hilarious when they sort it all out together.

[illuminatedferret]

One-Word Ficlet Prompt #1: Alcohol

Word count: 641

Starting off uploading my "I'm stuck in a room with testing students for four hours with nothing but a journal and pen" series with my favorite so far:

“San Lang, can you get drunk?” Xie Lian asked one day. They were seated at the table enjoying a suspiciously blue dinner when, apropos of nothing, the thought occurred to him.

Hua Cheng, whose mouth was full, let a raised eyebrow be his first response. Then, after he swallowed, he asked, “what brought this on?”

“Nothing in particular,” Xie Lian replied. “It just occurred to me. I know weaker ghosts can get drunk- or something like it- but you...?”

Hua Cheng considered the question, taking a sip of water.

“I could,” he eventually said. “But, unless it was spiritually powerful alcohol, it would only affect me if I let it.”

“So you’ve never been drunk before?”

“Why would I want to be?”

Well, Xie Lian couldn’t argue with that. The one time he’d been drunk had been a disaster, after all.

“And gege?” Hua Cheng, whose thoughts were surely walking a similar path, prompted.

“Ah, you’ve seen what I’m like,” Xie Lian laughed, light and sheepish, more from habit than humor. “I never wanted to repeat that experience. Besides, my cultivation banned alcohol.”

Hua Cheng nodded thoughtfully, and Xie Lian took that as a sign this thread of conversation was over, taking a few more bites of his food. And yet, after a short while, Hua Cheng suddenly said:

“But you don’t follow that path anymore.”

His tone was mild, but Xie Lian knew his husband well. If he brought it up now, there was more to it than that.

“Yes,” he agreed, watching Hua Cheng closely. “But alcohol has never tempted me much, anyway. Not like-” he coughed, cutting himself off, but the damage was done- Hua Cheng was smirking at him, a dog on a scent.

“Like what, gege?”

Don’t speak so innocently when you know what I mean! Xie Lian cried internally. Out loud, he hurriedly said, “nevermind, nevermind that. Why were you asking, San Lang?”

“I didn’t ask anything,” Hua Cheng pointed out, which was true. But he didn’t try to hide that there had been a question unspoken, for then he said, “I was just wondering if gege would ever want to change that.”

“Change... If I wanted to get drunk?” Xie Lian echoed, surprised.

“Mn.”

“Why... why would I?” 

“It could be nice,” Hua Cheng offered.

“But I... I mean, San Lang, you saw what I was like last time... I don’t even remember most of it, but Feng Xin told me I caused a lot of trouble...”

“I would take care of you,” Hua Cheng promised simply, and like the lock of a door, everything clicked into place.

Ah.

So that’s it.

“Gege?” Hua Cheng asked, and Xie Lian realized some of his thoughts must have shown on his face.

“...” San Lang wants to take care of me? Xie Lian wasn’t shameless enough to say it. He knew he was right, though- oh yes, by now it was quite clear to anyone who paid attention (and many who didn’t) just how much the ghost king Crimson Rain Sought Flower got out of taking care of his husband.

Which apparently also extended to getting his husband intentionally drunk as some sort of do-over for the last time.

...Is this a sex thing? He wondered. But, in the end it didn’t matter. Nothing would happen unless he wanted it.

Which meant...

Xie Lian glanced away, trying to affect disinterest even though Hua Cheng could surely read the embarrassment right off of his face. “I’ll think about it,” he said quietly.

Hua Cheng smiled innocently, having heard all he truly wanted to hear. Xie Lian took another bite of food, resisting the urge to rub his forehead.

I really do spoil you... he thought. Yet, he couldn’t say he regretted it. There were much worse things he would do for Hua Cheng than getting drunk on purpose.

[speedierthanasubmarine]

Finished heaven official’s blessing and I really enjoyed writing an analysis on helluva boss I want to make this a regular thing because it’s fun so here’s my thoughts on

Heaven Official’s Blessing

Spoilers (duh)

I think it’s incredibly impressive when someone can make an overarching narrative in which different seemingly disjointed events are significant without A) putting a giant exclamation mark on top saying “REMEMBER THIS IT WILL BE IMPORTANT LATER” and B) Significantly over or under emphasizing the importance of the scene in the moment. Each event stood on its own and I liked that.

There were several janky sentences and word choices but that’s a translation issue, this writer clearly knows what she’s doing.

Characters were a lot of fun and distinct, my favorites were Feng Xin, Pei Ming, Qi Ying, and Ling Wen whenever they were on the page I was like Ah yes, these pages are gonna be enjoyable and I was right, they’re all delightful (cept the brocade immortal stuff, but like I don’t care, Google assistant is fun) Xie Lian and San Lang are delightful, love them, and San Lang is so effed in the head it’s enjoyable to try and imagine what unhinged thing he’ll do next

Tbh there isn’t much plot breakdown I want to do with this series because it knows what it is, it’s a fanfic ass book with good times, trauma, gay fluff, and fights. Need I say more? That’s not a detractor, it’s a strength. Be what you are and own it because a house with a house’s foundation is a great house but slap a building on that house’s foundation and it fails in both regards.

The only aspect I’m going to analyze is the narrative voice the books are written in because holy crap is it super impressive. Xie Lian is a super mature (or ditzy, depending on your point of view) character, he doesn’t dwell on things, doesn’t hold grudges, doesn’t really care that much about people’s histories or even their present, doesn’t focus much on externals and it comes through in the way the book is written. I noticed this when throughout the books San Lang would do fucked up stuff like make it rain blood and kill a pit’s worth of people and Xie Lian kinda didn’t really seem to care and at first it pissed me off, why isn’t the author letting consequences occur because of these peoples’ actions, but then as it held consistently throughout the book and other people kept being super concerned about stuff, like Pei Constantly asking after Shi Qingxuan (I don’t know how to spell their name, it’s so hard to keep track I’m so sorry) or people bringing up Banue, I realized this is just Xie Lian, other people in the book are regular people like me, this one guy is just experiencing things, going “Well, ain’t that something” and then just moving on. Honestly iconic, but also I was halfway through book six when I realized. Especially since whenever they do flashbacks Xie Lian does all normal stuff. He describes settings he’s in, he mentions events that happened a few pages ago, he tells the reader how he feels, it’s after he experiences all his shit he goes through that this all kinda slips away. In “present” scenes he’ll reference things as they come up but like in the flashback after Mu Qing leaves they talk about it a few times and I find that aspect of acknowledgment to be noticeably absent in the “present” scenes. After the black water arc there is a complete lack of discussion about the frankly trauma inducing event that just transpired but sure Cie Lian, you and San Lang have to not hold hands for the billionth time. At first I thought is this author high but then I realized what shes doing is characterizing through prose which is IMPRESSIVE AS HELL. This may be a point I noticed and am now misremembering the entire series just to bolster my take and if that’s the case then I shall sheepishly shrug and say I’m sorry. I’m not rereading 8 books to write a tumblr review. Maybe if I ever start a YouTube channel

I don’t know, I just find it to be an incredible feat of actually good writing when a story is being told through the lens of the main character and you can characterize that character by simply reading the story and seeing how it’s written, not even through dialogue and action. It’s kinda like the Great Gatsby or a Separate Peace, and it’s super cool that a book like this can accomplish the same thing that makes those classics great. There isn’t as much symbolism or analytical potential but those books wouldn’t be nearly as impactful as they were without great execution, which this book pulled off in spades.

[moraygrotto]

Chapter 2 of Xiè Lián's story!

Many, many thanks to @askbloatedbellyblog for commissioning this fic!

This is a stuffing, bloating, measuring, and referenced vore story featuring Xiè Lián from TGϹF with some HuāLián. It's also a direct sequel to this fic, so please open this link to read it first !

Enjoy! 🍁🧡

~🍁~

Xie Lian’s meals thereafter were all rather large. By almost a full week later, he had not had another proper training session like his first. No tables were laid out entirely with food for him, but he made sure that every time he ate, his stomach was always left packed full. Often, his fullness came with Hua Cheng’s aid, for the demonic devotee seemed more eager than ever to serve his beloved prince.

For Xie Lian’s part, he found it odd that daily meals were now part of his training. In his life as a quasi-member of the newly re-established Heavenly Court, he spent much of his time training his spirit and muscles to address concerns in his territory, and then came home to share hearty meals with his husband.

He still worked out now, still paid due attention to his strength and stamina, but each meal had now become a challenge, a thrilling new avenue for struggle, strain, and personal growth. His human worshipper and their strange request occupied his mind; he became devoted to them as could be.

Hua Cheng provided more food than ever, often in opposition to Xie Lian’s pleas to let him cook, fastidiously making sure his god was well-fed.

“I am arranging another training feast for you,” he told him at one of such meals, lounging on his side before the low table. “How would Your Highness feel about tomorrow?”

“I’d be happy to,” Xie Lian said, mouth full of a bite of chicken. “I think I’m seeing growth, but it’s hard to tell.” After swallowing, he laid a hand on his belly, and was greeted only by the six firm rises of his bulky abs. Being an active martial artist and so well in shape, he could gorge himself all he wanted at regular meals, and it would still be difficult to tell that his stomach was expanding. However, this ever-so-regular dinner had just begun.

Hua Cheng blew on a spoonful of soup. “How would you care to take a measurement tonight, and use that as a baseline?”

A measurement? He must mean of the girth his belly reached after eating. “But this isn’t an intense feast,” Xie Lian blurted out. “I’m not sure it would accurately reflect my true capacity.”

“That’s certainly true,” said Hua Cheng, after gulping down his bite of soup. “I’d promise, though, to keep the measure between you and me. The world doesn’t need to know such details about Your Highness, and if they do, it should be a number reflecting your belly’s size at its most godly.”

Hua Cheng, in all his Ghost King’s self-assuredness, was letting himself blush. Xie Lian could not help but find him cute. 

“Alright,” he replied, “we can take one little measurement. Let’s do it again after tomorrow’s training, though. That reading will be a bit better, yes?”

“Of course!” Hua Cheng chirped, and drained his bowl before standing up.

“I’ll still eat well tonight, though!” Xie Lian assured him, digging into his food as Hua Cheng went to the shelves across the room.

With lightning precision, Hua Cheng selected a drawer. After sliding it open, his gentlemanly fingers extracted a long, soft tape measure, white with its units printed on in red. He then returned to sit by the table, unfurling and curling it, looping it idly around his fingers as he gazed calmly at Xie Lian.

“Bored?” Xie Lian said, lifting a mouthful of rice to his lips.

Hua Cheng shook his head rapidly. “I could never be bored watching Gege eat,” he replied.

It took a while, at Xie Lian’s deliberate pace, to finish his food. As usual, he felt pleasantly stuffed, the pressure of the large meal inside him like the burn of well-worked muscles after a good session of exercise. He pressed a comfortable, gut-rumbling burp into one fist, and smiled up at Hua Cheng. “San Lang,” he said at last, “I’m ready.”

“Gege’s words are like music to this devotee’s ears,” Hua Cheng said. He waved his hand, and in a flurry of demonic magic, the dishes stacked themselves at the corner of the table.

Xie Lian swigged down the last dregs of tea from his cup, feeling the liquid sink into the already bloated space within him, and placed it atop the table. “Shall I stand up?” he asked.

“However you prefer,” Hua Cheng replied, “though standing up would grant this humble San Lang more of His Highness to touch and adore…”

Stretching his work-weary thighs, then, Xie Lian rose. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he said. “What a needy boy I have for my partner.” He then stretched his arms up, shoulders cracking pleasantly, full belly jutting out for Hua Cheng to admire as the latter stood and walked over to Xie Lian’s side.

“But of course I’ll oblige him,” Xie Lian said softly, scritching a hand through Hua Cheng’s fine hair. “After all, I must ever strive for magnanimity.”

“Your Highness, so noble,” Hua Cheng simpered, voice muffled as he nuzzled into Xie Lian’s shoulder. “So handsome, too, and with a stomach so big… It was hardly this big before dinner, Your Highness. You must have eaten sooo much…”

“You wanted me to eat!” Xie Lian said, raising his arms as Hua Cheng touched and caressed all around his middle. He was about to chide him further to quit teasing and take out his tape measure already, but fell silent at the touch of something cool and smooth at his silk-clad abdomen. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, stroking Hua Cheng’s back. “But, I think you might need to lift up your head and look to see where the widest part of my belly is to measure, San Lang.”

Hua Cheng, Xie Lian’s very own Ghost King, gave a little groan, then pulled his head away reluctantly. “I’ll be good for Gege,” he said.

As Xie Lian stood with his arms raised patiently, Hua Cheng knelt, tall figure sinking to the level of Xie Lian’s abdomen. With careful hands, he snaked the tape measure around his post-meal gut. He began making small adjustments to its height and positioning, and he looked so studious, Xie Lian could not hold in a laugh, making his belly jump and disrupting Hua Cheng’s work. As was often the case, Hua Cheng’s entire attention was trained on Xie Lian.

Xie Lian was a god of martial arts. He could stay still. It was, nevertheless, difficult, with Hua Cheng so restless. “San Lang,” he whispered, “your carefulness is appreciated, but your fingers are so cold. They tickle!”

“Ah!” Hua Cheng said, and paused. “Please forgive this San Lang!”

It took Xie Lian a moment to realize that Hua Cheng had made his fingers warmer. “That’s better,” he said through a chuckle of mirth, “but I really meant hurry up!”

Hua Cheng laughed as well. “As you wish,” he said. His hands made one smooth, full circle around Xie Lian’s abdomen, then came together at the spot where the tape measure met its other end. “Impressive,” he cooed.

“What is it?” Xie Lian asked.

“A perfect forty cun,” he replied in a glowing voice. “Your Highness expanded so much.”

“Only forty,” Xie Lian said pensively.

Worry flashed in Hua Cheng’s eye. “Does Gege not feel satisfied with that number?”

“No,” Xie Lian said, placing both hands on his belly and examining himself ruefully. “It is a person I’m training to eat, after all. I want my physical form to be as capable as it can be for the task, and unfortunately, where I’m at won’t cut it.”

Hua Cheng frowned.

Xie Lian knew Hua Cheng. He was probably thinking of ways to obliterate Xie Lian’s discontent, ideas cartwheeling over each other through his mind as to how he could stretch Xie Lian’s stomach for him, wielding the full might of his supernatural power if necessary.

Smiling down at him, Xie Lian shook his head. “This is something I need to improve for myself, San Lang. I’m so grateful for the help you’ve given me so far, and I hope you’ll continue to be with me every step of the way.” As the tape measure fell away from Xie Lian’s middle and through Hua Cheng’s fingers, Xie Lian leaned down over his own paunch, and gave Hua Cheng a kiss on the forehead. “Like measuring my belly,” he said softly. “You’re doing such a good job. But this progress can only come incrementally. Do not worry for me. I am a martial artist; I am used to hard work.”

Looking up at Xie Lian, Hua Cheng took one of his hands, and pressed a reverent kiss to its back. “As Your Highness wishes,” he said after breaking away. “You have all my devotion. If there is anything you need, at any time during this process, do not hesitate to ask me. I will do all I can for you.”

Xie Lian chuckled, and petted his hair. “Half the time, you know what I need even before I do, and are there in the blink of an eye!”

Hua Cheng beamed.

“So, perhaps,” Xie Lian said in a soft, babying tone of voice, “San Lang would like to come cuddle with Gege before bed? I have a big day tomorrow, after all.”

“Absolutely,” Hua Cheng said, voice dripping with solemnity.

“Besides,” he added, continuing to play with his soft hair, “you will need to familiarize yourself with a forty-cun belly on me now, if you hope to at all!��

Immediately, Hua Cheng pressed his head against Xie Lian’s side, brazenly squishing his hands into his postprandial bloat. “That’s right,” he said dreamily. “Gege is mighty; Gege will improve, and improve, and improve…”

“And Gege will get bigger, and bigger, and bigger,” Xie Lian finished for him. “But right now, he would like to lie down. Okay, San Lang?”

“Okay~”

As night fell, the pair turned in together, cuddled up in bed, sharing warmth amidst the deepening autumn chill. Hua Cheng pressed himself close to Xie Lian, as if he, too, wished he could become part of him, no doubt seeking contact with every curve of Xie Lian’s body, memorizing its shape, fighting fruitlessly against time while it digested back down to its usual lithe muscularity.

Soon, Xie Lian sank into a deep, comfortable sleep, grateful for his Hua Cheng and his godly metabolism.

The next morning, Xie Lian was awoken by the sound of his own stomach, whining with piteous want. He cracked his eyes open, and looked around the room. Hua Cheng was nowhere to be found. Slowly, he sat up, and stretched, then ran a hand down his tummy. All of the previous night’s bloating was gone, leaving behind only his firm abdominal muscles—he was lithe as ever again, thanks to his hardworking digestive system. He smiled. A day of stretching himself to new limits was ahead of him.

“San Lang!” he called. “Where have you run off to?”

“Your Highness,” came the voice of Hua Cheng from outside their little room. The quality of his voice sounded different, but Xie Lian could not place how.

Nevertheless, the mere reminder of Hua Cheng’s presence made him brighten up. “Good morning, my love!” he called back. “Give me a moment to get ready, and then I will come find you!”

In spite of how he planned to spend the first half of his day, Xie Lian performed his morning stretches carefully. He figured that if he were really going to stretch himself to the limit, it followed that his body needed to be stretchy. What was more, a stuffed enough tummy might have him stuck in place for a while, and if any of his muscles stiffened or even cramped while he was sitting, feeding, and digesting, he would sorely regret not having attended to them with the usual care.

Centuries prior, he would have cringed at the thought of eating so much he could not move. Now, knowing that he and his godly status were safe under Hua Cheng’s care, he allowed himself to indulge in the idea, the sheer vulnerability of it. At his previous session, in the little cabin on the beach, he had felt so good being full, especially as his belly began to digest, and Hua Cheng had rubbed him attentively. He was a new and different man from his past self. This Xie Lian could welcome moments of softness with open arms.

Smiling, he then began to change into his day clothes. 

Frowning down at the belt around his waist, he thought about how tight it would become in the span of one morning. If he could fit as much inside his tummy as he hoped to, then the fabric would no doubt need to open; he would be in pain otherwise.

He tied his belt somewhat low on his body. The amount of cloth that made it up was simply not long enough to accommodate his desired waist size. He would have to tie it all the way beneath his belly, if he were to expand to a size fit for swallowing people. Such an arrangement did not fit his aesthetic sense, but he supposed, tying it now around his hungering middle, that he would have to settle for it. Cutting a different physical form meant making adjustments, and Xie Lian was nothing if not well-acquainted with change.

After tying his hair up into his graceful half-bun, he slid open the bedroom door. What greeted his eyes froze him in his tracks.

Instead of the cozy study which had before lay on this side of the wall, the space was wide open, with high, palatial ceilings, and distant, red-painted walls. Silver decorations hung all around, and stood atop a veritable sea of sturdy, round tables. At the far end of this space which could only be called a banquet hall, there stood a stage, where a clutch of dancers in flowing robes swayed to quiet music. To Xie Lian’s side, near the wall, sat a massive, jewel-encrusted chair, heading the biggest table of them all.

Before Xie Lian had the chance to call out to him, Hua Cheng was by his side. “Your Highness,” he said softly, snaking a hand around Xie Lian’s waist, “how do you feel?”

Xie Lian gazed at the huge nearby table, and saw several plates of food steaming atop it. Footsteps and chattering lost to the room’s spacious echo, a few servants bustled about, laying the neighboring tables with a few dishes each.

“Oh, San Lang,” Xie Lian said.

“Is Gege pleased?”

He took another moment to take in his surroundings, and nodded. “I’m reminded of you everywhere I look.”

Hua Cheng smiled, and, with the slightest pressure at his waist, guided him to the immense, sparkling throne. “Then,” he said, “you should see a lot of yourself in here, too. I take my inspiration from only one source, you see.”

Xie Lian could not hold back a chuckle. It was sweet that Hua Cheng could think of him as so grand, even when he was still bleary-eyed from bed, and dressed in his old white clothes. Guided by Hua Cheng, he let himself take a seat in the chair.

He sighed, somewhat entranced by the dancers as he relaxed into his seat. The smell of incense hung faintly in the air, and silver tableware, furniture, and decorations gleamed every which way he looked.

Suddenly, he was startled by the touch of something on his stomach. Hua Cheng’s long fingers were walking all around the still-flat area, pressing a little, getting a feel for the chiseled muscles below.

“San Lang,” Xie Lian whispered, “that tickles…”

Hua Cheng muttered a droll apology, and smoothed his hand to caress gentle circles with his palm. “Your Highness,” he said, “are you ready for a deliciously wholesome breakfast?”

“I believe I am,” Xie Lian replied sweetly, squeezing his hand in his. “The next time you touch here, it will be much, much more full.”

“I have no doubt,” Hua Cheng said, then snapped his fingers.

At once, the bustling servants rushed to Xie Lian’s table, filling his plate with food, pouring a silken stream of what appeared to be oolong tea into his cup.

“Thank you,” he said, making those demons closest to him giggle and smile. In their delight, they actually splashed some tea over the edge of his cup. 

They froze, eyes going wide.

A noise came from Hua Cheng, his very spiritual presence at Xie Lian’s side turning stormy, but Xie Lian held up his hand.

“It’s alright,” he said, picking up the teacup, and using a corner of his sleeve to soak up the liquid clinging to its base. He took a sip, and smiled. “Mmm,” he said, “it’s perfectly brewed. Everybody makes mistakes sometimes, and it would be such a pity for Lord Hua to punish a fellow in his employ who is so good at making tea, right?”

Nodding diffidently, the demon scurried off.

Hua Cheng took Xie Lian’s wrist in his hand, and in a moment, the sleeve was completely clean and dry. “You know,” Hua Cheng said, “the demon who poured the tea might not be the same one who brewed it.”

“They’re all trying so hard,” Xie Lian replied, patting his hand lovingly. “All for you and me. It pays off to treat one’s servants nicely, my dear.”

“I suppose,” Hua Cheng sighed. “Then one of them might ask their lord to consensually eat them.”

Xie Lian laughed. “Exactly.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Lian spotted a squat demon carrying a large bowl over to him from a neighboring table. Quietly, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like, similarly to how Feng Xin and Mu Qing had fed him last time, Hua Cheng and his servants would help him decide what to eat. There was so much before him and all around that he would have trouble choosing on his own.

Hua Cheng seemed to notice, and ran a hand through Xie Lian’s hair. “All you need to do is relax,” he said, and Xie Lian could hear the smile in his voice.

“Yes, Lord Hua,” Xie Lian teased, and leaned back into the chair.

As the cool, flaxen pillows upon its silver back sunk perfectly to the contours of his body, he saw that the bowl was filled with rice porridge, a breakfast food he had eaten much of throughout his life. However, this bowl was swimming with meat, beans, vegetables, and spices, altogether nothing he would have ever dreamed of while living in poverty. Secretly, he gave thanks for how committed Hua Cheng was to treating him like a prince. Some pleasures simply could not be matched.

Hua Cheng eyed Xie Lian’s comfortable posture up and down, raised one eyebrow, then sank onto the arm of the throne. He balanced there perfectly, the image of servile grace as he spread napkins over Xie Lian’s lap and chest, and a less godly corner of Xie Lian’s mind fixated briefly on the evident strength of Hua Cheng’s core muscles beneath his ruby robes.

In his distraction, he failed to notice a spoonful of porridge in Hua Cheng’s hands, until it was right before his face.

“Your Royal Highness,” Hua Cheng purred, “let this servant feed you.”

“San Lang,” Xie Lian chided, “you’re already my husband. You don’t have to be my servant, too.” He looked up to Hua Cheng, who was pouting, and sighed. “I will let my beloved feed me,” he said, and opened his mouth. “Aaah~”

Miraculously, despite how the bowl steamed before him, the porridge was the perfect temperature. It warmed his mouth as he lapped it off the spoon, and he could feel its heat sinking all the way down his gullet and into his belly, never once scalding him.

“Mmm!” He placed a hand on his tummy, and could already feel how warm it was inside. “This is perfect!”

“I’m so glad,” Hua Cheng said, and fed him another spoonful.

Quickly for the serene vigor of the morning, Xie Lian sunk into a comfortable, trancelike state, breaking his eyes from the undulating dancers on the distant stage only occasionally to reach for his teacup or shoot a grateful smile up at Hua Cheng. As the soothing weight of rice began to settle in is stomach, he ruminated that this porridge alone would be an excellent preparation for a big workout—the carbs would fuel his initial stamina, the vegetable pieces would replenish his vitamins and ensure quick metabolism, and the protein would keep him going until the time came to eat a much heartier meal that would truly nourish his burning muscles. As the sound of porcelain on porcelain signalled the end of the dish, however, he reminded himself that today was a day for a very different type of training.

He thumped his chest with one fist, let out a deep burp into the other, and felt his stomach shifting around, making ready for much, much more.

Hua Cheng gave an adoring little whimper, and stroked Xie Lian’s arm. “How does Your Highness’s belly feel?” he asked.

Xie Lian took a moment to appraise him. His legs were crossed; he looked so submissive in spite of his huge stature. “Perhaps you would make a good servant,” he blurted out.

Hua Cheng blinked.

“And my belly feels wonderful,” he replied, giving it a little squeeze. His stomach gurgled in response, turning over the porridge inside. “I am quite ready to continue this training session.”

“As Your Highness wishes,” Hua Cheng said at once, and snapped the dish nearest to him up into his hands, a little plate of pan-fried bok choy. “Here,” he said, and in a flash of chopsticks, offered him a bite. “Please eat, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, dear,” he said, and opened his mouth to accept it.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” he replied warmly.

Hua Cheng called him Your Highness often, but this seemed gratuitous. It was clear to Xie Lian that he loved feeding him, loved lounging by his side and doing all within his power to help his belly grow. As Xie Lian chewed, he smiled. Hua Cheng was so easy to indulge, it made his heart sing.

In what seemed like no time at all, the vegetables had vanished into him, and his belly barely felt any tighter, much less visibly round at his waist.

“San Lang,” he whispered, “have you got anything… a little heavier? …Fluffier, perhaps?”

Giving a little purr, Hua Cheng squished his belly with his fingertips. “Anything your heart desires, I can have ready for you,” he said softly. “Would you like something… with a little more starch?” He gave a loving prod. “Something that’ll fill you all the way up? Or something a little richer? Oilier?” His fingers wriggled under Xie Lian’s belt, utterly shameless in front of the multitude of serving demons still scuttling around and sneaking glances at the couple. “Something,” he said, voice low and smooth in his ear, “that will slip and slide inside Gege’s tummy, sending effervescent little bubbles of gas up to his lips, going around, telling all the other foods inside him to join together, and make him big and round?”

Xie Lian giggled. Hua Cheng’s fingers on his stomach were making the food inside shift and glorp, and every word coming out of his mouth sounded appealing, silly though they all were. He pressed one impeccably polite little burp into his finger, then smiled. “I’ll let you decide, San Lang.” An idea struck him, and he closed his eyes, shutting out the vision of the glittering room and endless sea of food. “Here,” he said, “I’ll let you surprise me.”

A pleased hum came from Hua Cheng’s direction. “As you wish,” he said. “But only… if Gege promises not to fall back asleep.”

“Oh, believe me, I couldn’t!” Xie Lian replied. “I’m fully in training mode right now, as comfortable as this training may be.” He paused. “I’ll eat everything you give me, San Lang; you have my word.” Xie Lian did not give promises lightly, but he trusted Hua Cheng. He opened his mouth, and waited.

A delicious smell hit him before the first bite of food landed on his tongue. Rich and savory, something smooth and soft entered his mouth, opening easily between his teeth to release tender chunks of meat, egg, boiled vegetables, and cellophane noodles. It was a boiled crystal dumpling, salty, and, as Hua Cheng had promised, oily.

“Mmm!” he said as he chewed and swallowed. “Excellent choice, San Lang!”

“I am so happy to hear Gege say that,” Hua Cheng replied. “There are many more here, all for my Gege.”

“Yay!”

Over the gentle music, he could still hear himself chew and swallow, as Hua Cheng fed him dumpling after dumpling, what could no doubt be multiple steamers full of them. He was grateful for the relative quiet; with his eyes closed, he could immerse himself fully in eating, in feeling his insides grow gradually more full.

After what seemed to Xie Lian an unnaturally long time spent eating dumplings, he stopped, and held up a finger. “San Lang,” he said, eyes still closed, “could you please give my back a pat?” He leaned forward for him, and placed a hand on his mouth. His belly felt overly full, stuffed with oily dumpling skin and noodles.

Somehow, Hua Cheng knew the perfect amount of force to dislodge a hefty belch from Xie Lian. At the strike to Xie Lian’s back, it pushed its way up his throat, inhumanly loud, seizing his whole body with its greasy, thick vibrations.

His stomach, liberated from the pressure of the gas, felt so good. He should be embarrassed of the sound; there were others around, after all, but all he could feel was relief. “Haah,” he sighed, placing one hand on his belly. “Excuse me.”

“I would never excuse Your Highness, because Your Highness can do no wrong,” Hua Cheng replied in a singsong voice.

As he groped his belly, Xie Lian realized that he still felt constricted, the room freed up by burping notwithstanding. “San Lang,” he said, “I’m going to open my eyes, and try to adjust my clothes.”

The moment he opened his eyes, however, he was distracted by what he saw. The table looked much different than it had before he had begun to feed on the dumplings; several of the dishes were empty or missing, and a few he recognized from the other tables had been shoved in their places. Only when he saw a dish that he knew had previously contained a whole roast quail did the realization dawn on him.

“San Lang,” he said to Hua Cheng, “did you use your powers to transform the other dishes into these dumplings, just because I said I liked them?”

Hua Cheng’s face split into a mischievous grin, tensing up like a child who had been caught stealing candy, until his whole bearing buckled, and he leaned in to press Xie Lian’s head with a kiss. “Gege has found this San Lang out,” he whispered. “This San Lang will accept any punishment that—”

“No, no, no,” said Xie Lian, gently swatting his arm. “San Lang was just being considerate.” He smiled. “This Gege is beginning to fill up, though. If you don’t mind, I’ll take a moment to adjust my belt.”

“Of course, Gege.”

Even with Hua Cheng by his side, Xie Lian still felt awkward untying his belt in front of strangers. Luckily, only Hua Cheng was looking right at him; only he paid close attention as his fingers worked the cloth. At the moment his belly sprang free of the restricting material, however, thoughts of all else blinked out of Xie Lian’s mind.

Moments prior, he had tried to shift his belt lower, until he realized he had shifted it as far as it could comfortably go, and still felt tight. His stomach was pushing out on his robe; more of his chest had begun to show in a smooth, flesh-colored triangle beneath the white, and almost by instinct, his fingers fiddled with the belt now hugging his hips, keeping the robe that contained his belly in place, until it was undone, and the round dome of his gut practically popped out before him.

“Aaaah…” The sigh was flowing from Xie Lian’s lungs involuntarily; he felt so much better. His throat shifted, and the noise deepened into a long, delicious burp, ten thousand times as rude as his previous one, but right now, he could not bring himself to care.

As he panted softly for air, he looked down at his exposed belly. It was so round already, bigger than it had been last night, fully hiding the waistband of his pants, crowned with the shadow of his navel.

“Please pardon me,” he said softly to Hua Cheng. “I will admit, though, that this feels much better.”

“Your Highness,” said Hua Cheng, voice no more than a breath.

“Hm? What is it?” He gave his belly a pat, loving the way the food-filled flesh bounced under his touch, and the feeling of digestion already taking place inside him. He smiled at Hua Cheng. “Is there something you want, my love?”

“Only what Your Highness has to offer,” Hua Cheng said solemnly.

He chuckled. “Well,” he said, “I can offer you a touch, before we move on to more food.” He took Hua Cheng’s hand. “I hope you understand that I am far from finished.”

“Yes, this servant understands,” said Hua Cheng, and, with Xie Lian’s hand as his guide, gently touched his belly.

His hand was cool, but immediately warmed up again, as if to correct himself. Xie Lian let go, and Hua Cheng began to gently caress, gaining a feel for its full expanse.

“If you like,” said Xie Lian, “you may keep rubbing while I eat some by myself.” He gave his arm a reassuring pat. “That way,” he said, “you can quite literally feel my belly fill up. How does that sound?”

“...Is Your Highness sure—”

“Oh, San Lang!” Xie Lian burst out, “of course I’m sure! You’re welcome to all of me, my dear.”

Hua Cheng blushed.

“Besides,” Xie Lian continued, “your hand feels sooo wonderful on my tummy. If you don’t mind, though, I'm going to keep training myself. That roast duck looks just too yummy!”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Hua Cheng replied.

For the first time, then, Xie Lian picked up his own chopsticks, and ate.

The food was fantastic, and even those dishes that had been out the longest were still hot, thanks no doubt to Hua Cheng’s mystical care. He ate as princes ate, with no thought of scarcity, allowing himself to banish every trace of hunger from his body. Best of all, Hua Cheng did not stop rubbing him for a single second as he fed, gentle hand seeming to always find the place on his belly most in need of care. With all tension in his digestive organs prematurely eased by Hua Cheng, each bite Xie Lian swallowed settled magnificently down, and little burbling sounds chimed from within his stomach now and then, letting the world know that digestion was at work.

Belly free to the open air and Hua Cheng’s sublime caress, Xie Lian felt awash in comfort as he ate. Thus, the feeling of overfullness crept stealthily up on him, and before he himself realized he was doing it, he had set his chopsticks down, and was thumping his chest, seeking any release of pressure from his insides.

He let out a short, sickly burp, his stomach giving an accompanying whine, and Hua Cheng paused, looking at him with concern. “Gege,” he said, using his free hand to give him a few pats on the back. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Lian gave a shallow sigh, and looked up at him. “This belly is getting a little bit full, that’s all.”

“Oh, no,” said Hua Cheng. “But Gege has so much more food left to eat.”

The music hand stopped; the dancers were likely taking a break. Both of them looked out at the table. Though all of the food had now been consolidated onto the one table before them, several hearty dishes still remained. 

“That is my concern, too,” said Xie Lian. “I want to train to my fullest capability, and I would prefer no food to go to waste.” He sighed once more, and gave his tummy a tender pat. “Say, San Lang,” he said, “would it be too much trouble for you to feed me the rest of the food yourself? That way, I can think only about chewing, swallowing, and digesting it.” He shot a sheepish look up at Hua Cheng’s adoring face. “I do promise that sometime soon, I’ll be able to consume a whole feast’s worth of food in one go. Unfortunately, though, I think I still have some training left to do before I reach that point.”

“My love,” Hua Cheng said, using his thumb to wipe a fleck of food off his cheek, “I do not mind at all. Here, why don’t you lay back for me?”

Xie Lian obeyed, letting his body go slack into the cushions of the chair, and his belly at once thanked him for the pressure relieved when he relaxed his abdominal muscles. Just like before, he closed his eyes, and let his mouth fall open wide, willing, a ready receptacle for food that could only bloat him bigger, stuff him tighter.

Feeding him, Hua Cheng was achingly caring. Once or twice, he even moved his jaw, helping him chew around a chunk of meat or glob of rice that would be unwise to swallow without properly chewing first. He rubbed his belly, too, soothing all his tenderest spots.

The food was good, but Xie Lian quickly lost his palate. Hua Cheng’s tender touch atop his belly soon devolved, to Xie Lian’s senses, to just another source of pressure on his overtaxed guts. He belched whenever he could, no longer bothering to excuse himself, and willed his digestive tract to take from his stomach, shift the food’s weight lower, in spite of how dearly he did want to stretch his stomach.

Eventually, he clamped his mouth shut. The mass of food within him was enough to make him nauseous; every burp came up wet; the very skin of his belly felt stretched taut. “San Lang,” he slurred from between ajar lips, “I think… that’s enough…”

“Please, Gege,” Hua Cheng said, voice coming soft through the still air. “Just eat a little bit more.”

Xie Lian licked a crumb off the corner of his mouth, then let it sit there on his tongue. “Heh… San Lang, do you want me to burst?”

“Gege,” Hua Cheng urged, “there are only a few bites left.” Then, quieter, “I know in my heart that you can do it. You are the mightiest man I have ever known.”

At this, Xie Lian could only let out a thin, quavering breath. 

“Alright,” he said. “for you, San Lang… I’ll eat…”

“Thank you,” Hua Cheng said. “Dear, wonderful Xie Lian… Open your mouth, and bite down, my beloved.”

Xie Lian’s jaw opened as far as it could. He fought back the urge to vomit, not by retching, but merely by allowing the reflux of overeaten food to flow from him. The urge passed, and something soft touched his lips.

A bun, he realized. Silly San Lang. He was so bloated as he was, there was no room in his belly for carbs. 

He bit down anyway.

Something sweet, delightfully refreshing, hit his tongue. Read bean, he realized, and he tore a bite off and slowly chewed. In spite of his fullness, it was delicious.

He swallowed.

“Good,” Hua Cheng said. “Ready for another bite?”

“Mm-hm…”

Xie Lian took another bite, chewed and swallowed, then took another, ate, ate, until there was nothing left but the tips of Hua Cheng’s long fingers.

“That was pretty good,” he confessed.

“I’m blessed to hear you say that.”

Xie Lian tried to shift in his seat, lean toward Hua Cheng, but pain lanced through his belly. “I think,” he said, “I need to lie very still for a while.” He cracked one eye open to look at Hua Cheng. “Will San Lang keep me safe while I rest?”

“It would be my sacred duty,” Hua Cheng replied, and kissed the back of Xie Lian’s hand.

Pinned to his chair by his own mass, Xie Lian relaxed as best he could. It felt good to be so still; this was a much needed rest after he had crammed himself to the brim with food.

Through the quiet, he could hear footsteps once more bustling around his table, and the sound of porcelain softly clinking, as well as the burbling of his own belly. The Ghost City demons who served Hua Cheng were usually much more boisterous than this; they must have special orders from their lord to maintain Xie Lian’s peace and quiet. Silently, he thanked Hua Cheng, and slipped into a food-dazed torpor.

He was not sure how much time had passed when he felt the touch of something cool atop his middle. With a start, he realized he had never checked to see how big he had grown by the end of the feast, and he snapped his eyes open.

The vast, dish-filled table was nowhere to be seen, and in its place knelt Hua Cheng, eye twinkling up at Xie Lian, his tape measure in his hands.

“Gege!” he said brightly. “You are awake! I hope you do not mind my taking the liberty to measure your growth now. I wanted to check before you’ve had too much time to digest, while your tummy is still at its peak.”

“Not at all!” Xie Lian replied, and the broader tones of his voice were still cut off by the pressure on his lungs. “To be honest,” he said, “I had forgotten about it myself. Please, San Lang, measure away.”

As Hua Cheng snaked the tape measure around Xie Lian’s back, Xie Lian finally took a moment to admire the size of his own belly.

Hua Cheng had stuffed him well. He looked absolutely enormous; occasionally Hua Cheng’s head dipped entirely beneath the mass of it all. He had never been this engorged before in his life, and he felt it, too. Barely mobile atop his shining chair, unable to even think of swallowing another bite, he felt like a stuffed pig on a silver platter.

But nobody would take a bite out of Xie Lian, of that both he and Hua Cheng would make sure. In fact, quite the contrary would take place soon—Xie Lian almost felt as if he had eaten an entire human figure.

Hua Cheng’s fingers shifted and slid, inching all around Xie Lian’s middle as he adjusted the tape measure. Surely, this had to be enough. He could train in perpetuity, but at some point he must be able to stretch enough to fit his dear little worshipper.

The white tape ran over the tan skin of his bloated abdomen like a bridge of divine light, pleasantly cool to the touch, bearing the weight of his fate.

Finally, Hua Cheng looked up at him, smiling gently. “Your Highness’s belly is seventy-three cun in circumference,” he said.

Xie Lian let out a breath. “Whew! Seventy-three!” A moment later, he glanced down at Hua Cheng, and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think, San Lang… that seventy-three cun is big enough for my purposes?”

Hua Cheng paused. “In truth, Your Highness,” he said softly, “that might be the absolute minimum needed. You could… perhaps digest a little old man at this size.”

Xie Lian thought back to his worshipper. They were not tall, but nonetheless burly from working the fields. “...Ah.”

Hua Cheng shook his head, and ran a soothing hand over Xie Lian’s belly, below the line of the tape measure. “You’ve done so well this morning, though, my love. All this means is that you have a little training left to do. Nobody else could improve this fast. Nobody.”

“You’re right,” Xie Lian replied softly. “There’s nothing wrong with putting in more work to improve. Of course not.” He gave a little hiccup, belly hitching. “For now, however… I unfortunately must rest some more.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” replied Hua Cheng. “I will be here for you. If you’d like assistance with anything at all, I am at your command. You need only call.”

“Thank you, San Lang.” He gave his head a pat, and his fingers skidded gracelessly away, falling down upon the expanse of his giant gut.

A few hours later, Xie Lian felt well enough to rise, and, belly still bloated as ever, he trundled back to his bedroom, where bright sunlight now streamed through the curtains. Unsteady from the weight of his massive meal, he fell upon his bed, and was immediately grateful for the softness of the blankets, the pillow cradling his head. Although he had tasks to do that day, he knew how important rest was as a part of training. He fell willingly into the temptation of a midday nap, letting the heaviness of his gut keep him securely in place, and the lingering trails of food-coma drowsiness wash over him.

Having devoted his life to caring for all creatures, and spent much of it eating sparingly and sharing his meager findings with others, Xie Lian was not very familiar with the feeling of being a predator, of glutting oneself with the fruits of one’s conquest, then basking in utter satisfaction, secure in the place as master of one’s meals, with the whole world as platter.

The last thing he felt before sinking into sleep was a tingling excitement to swallow his willing prey.

By late afternoon, he was possibly energized again, and, though still bloated, felt euphoric inside. All thoughts of hedonistic indulgence were gone from his mind; he had duties to complete, which he could not ignore. Rising to his feet, he managed to fit his robe around his middle, and tie it with his belt. More of his chest than he was entirely comfortable exposing in full dress peeked through, as well as much of his belly; there was no denying to an outside eye just how much he had eaten that day.

Nevertheless, he was a god, and a god must serve his followers.

As usual after waking up, he performed a few stretches, trying valiantly to keep his clothes modest, but ended up needing to tie them down again after his belly sprang out from them in its entirety, bouncing out free and round.

Finally ready, then, he set out the door, and through the massive hall which Hua Cheng had constructed.

That afternoon, Xie Lian planned to check up on a few of his shrines, answer prayers, and, if he felt at all more mobile by evening, spend some time training his body in the more conventional sense. His plans were interrupted, however, by an all-too-familiar sound outside the vast hall’s main doors.

“I told you, he’ll skin us alive, and bejewel our hides to use as doormats! It would be insane to just—”

“What’s insane is standing here until the sun blinks out of the fucking sky. I say we—”

“Of course General Nan Yang wants to slam through the first unguarded doors he sees, regardless of—”

“Say that one more FUCKING TIME, Mu Qing!”

Xie Lian had wanted to be quiet, wanted merely to peep out at the commotion, but as he cracked open the doors, their hinges gave a brash creak.

Silence fell on both sides. Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing faced the door, eyes wide as saucers, but when Xie Lian’s face came into view, both of them relaxed in comical unison.

“Thank fuck,” Feng Xin said under his breath.

Stepping out into the afternoon daylight, Xie Lian clucked his tongue. “I could hear you from indoors,” he said. “The two of you were not discussing anyone I know, correct?”

Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked at each other.

Xie Lian shook his head. “You two must not have been standing out here for long, afraid to come in for fear of Hua Cheng. Certainly not, because neither of you has reason to fear him; my San Lang would never—” He stopped himself. However he thought to finish that sentence, he could only concede that Hua Cheng would. He shook his head again. “It’s no matter,” he said. “As always, it is lovely to see you two.” 

He opened the door wider, and gestured inside. “Please, come in; don’t worry, it’s entirely safe here. Have either of you eaten yet? There is no doubt tea somewhere, if you’re thirsty, and I’d be happy to prepare some myself, but as for food, I’m afraid I—HIC!” Interrupting himself with a hefty hiccup, he laid a hand on his tummy, and looked sheepishly over his shoulder at the two former deputies now following him in. “I’m not entirely sure I can cook right now,” he said apologetically. “I would need to track down San Lang.”

“I… wouldn’t take you up on either of those options if I was about to die of starvation,” Mu Qing said flatly.

“Sorry,” Feng Xin muttered.

“No worries,” Xie Lian replied, affectedly pleasant. “Here, take a seat—” Reaching around his own inhumanly stuffed middle, he drew two chairs out from a central, yet unused table, before flopping down into a chair of his own. “Pardon my sluggishness,” he said, giving his tummy an apologetic pat. “I trained again today.”

“I can tell,” replied Feng Xin. His eyes were roving freely over Xie Lian’s body, as if he were unable to tear them away.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Mu Qing said gruffly. “Um, Your Royal Highness, we…” He trailed off, then hissed at Feng Xin, “You explain it.”

Feng Xin startled, then assumed a cordial expression toward Xie Lian, before clamping his mouth shut once more, and taking a moment to study him further.

“Take your time,” Xie Lian said sweetly.

Feng Xin shook his head hard, like a dog shaking off water, and crossed his legs beneath the table. “General Xuan Zhen and I,” he began, “have agreed on something.”

“I’m proud of you,” Xie Lian chirped, folding his hands atop his belly.

“Yeah, it’s about you,” Feng Xin continued. “We both support your training, and support you, and since all three of us are now important heavenly officials, well—”

Feng Xin looked pained. Mu Qing looked worse; he was not even looking at either of them. Talk of women could make Feng Xin act this way, and talk of wealth could thusly fluster Mu Qing, so whatever they were dancing around either had to do with both those topics, or one scruple the two of them shared—their pride.

Xie Lian smiled. “People remember that the two of you used to be my deputies,” he supplied. “So, you want them to know just what a happy, prosperous family we made, and how well all three of us are doing now.”

Feng Xin seemed to melt. “YES!”

“So you can’t go around dressed like that,” Mu Qing burst out immediately. “Like, seriously, your belly looks like it’s about to to explode out of that old outfit. You’re Prince Xian Le; it’s in your damn name; you have no reason to pretend you can’t do better than—” He gestured at Xie Lian.

Xie Lian blinked.

“This is just a travesty of what you’ve actually had to do to get to this point in your godhood. Come on.”

Running a hand down a hem of his robe, Xie Lian smiled. “I’m not entirely sure what you want from me, Mu Qing, but I am always happy to listen to your frustrations.”

“I’m not—” began Mu Qing, but Feng Xin interrupted him.

“I believe what he means to say,” he said, “is that both of us want better for you. He’s just terrible at expressing that.”

Mu Qing did not reply, only huffed.

“And,” Feng Xin continued, “we both agree that you deserve better. Which is why—” He stopped, and raised an eyebrow at Mu Qing.

“We thought we’d bestow an offering upon you,” he sneered.

“Well, thank you,” Xie Lian replied. “I will gladly accept any offering. May I ask what it is?”

Mu Qing snorted. “You idiot,” he said, “it’s clothes. General Nan Yang and I commissioned a robe which can be let out to a total girth of two hundred cun, or drawn in to a smaller size. It should be able to accommodate even your most intense stomach capacity training, Your Highness.”

He pulled a white bundle of shimmering silk out from a bag at his shoulder, and handed it with stiff decorum to Xie Lian, as if he were still a prince’s deputy in the High Court of the heavens.

“Please,” he said, voice somber, “we would be much obliged if you tried it on at your earliest convenience.”

“What he said,” added Feng Xin.

Xie Lian blinked, then accepted the parcel. It was soft in his hands, and much lighter than he would have expected. The silk was a pure and glossy white, and from within the folds, he glimpsed shimmers of gold trim.

“Okay,” Xie Lian said after a moment of admiration. “Thank you; this is very kind of you. How about if I try it on now?”

It was Feng Xin’s and Mu Qing’s turn to stare silently.

To the awkward silence, Xie Lian raised an eyebrow.

“Can’t stop you, I guess,” said Feng Xin.

“Lovely!” Xie Lian cheered.

Rising to his feet was not as easy a task as it usually was for Xie Lian’s spry and strapping body. Even as his belly happily digested its charge, it still took up space and weight upon his lap, and hence mobility. Gripping the table, he rose to his full height, and the girth of his middle loomed before Feng Xin and Mu Qing, who stayed seated.

Watching Xie Lian slip his outer robe off to reveal the bare expanse of his globelike gut, Feng Xin furrowed his brow and pressed a finger to his mouth, and Mu Qing faintly blushed.

“I know, I know,” Xie Lian said amiably, draping his old clothes over the back of a nearby chair. “Shameless old Xian Le, back at it again.”

“Just keep your pants on,” snapped Mu Qing. “We didn’t get you any new ones of those. Sorry.”

“I promise,” Xie Lian said.

Setting the silken bundle on a tabletop, he had to crane over himself to unwrap it. Nevertheless, he did so meticulously, glad for his clean hands so as not to stain the fine white cloth. After unfolding the garment, he shook it out before himself, watching its expansive folds billow through the air. He had never thought much of fancy clothes back when he wore them regularly, but something about this one warmed his heart.

It was absolutely massive, the size of a small room—though, as he draped it gracefully over his shoulders, he was surprised at how much of it was needed to cover him up.

The fabric fell light and soft atop his arms, and the fine gold patterns embroidered on the collar shimmered down his chest. After he had pulled the silk around his entire self, he felt blanketed in coolness, his belly enveloped in its gentle caress. He would feel like a king, draped in majesty and worship, if he could figure out how properly to wear it.

As Mu Qing had promised, there was much extra fabric around his chest and belly, falling atop him in big, rippling folds. Somewhere lower, more gold embroidery was stitched into some sort of pattern, and something that might have been the ends of a belt hung down at his sides. He frowned.

“Here,” Feng Xin said, rising to his feet, “if I may—”

Feng Xin approached Xie Lian, stepping before him to take the robe’s lapels into his hands, and carefully folded them into an attractively crisp pattern.

“Thanks for that,” Mu Qing said, crossing his arms.

Xie Lian smiled. “How wonderfully clever.”

“Yeah,” replied, Feng Xin. “We figured you’d need something that could continue to fit you, even as you… as your training sees better and better results.”

“How thoughtful!”

Feng Xin’s callused fingertips were careful as he smoothed the folds over Xie Lian’s still-sensitive belly. “And you tie it like this,” he said, and knelt to reach a spot below his belly’s mass. “Hopefully,” he said from beneath, “it won’t ever be uncomfortably tight.”

“You two have put a lot of care into this, haven't you?”

As Feng Xin emerged from tying his clothes, Xie Lian struck a feminine little pose, reminiscent of his days as a street performer, in spite of how different he looked here and now. As he attempted a twirl, his stomach sloshed, and he almost lost his balance, but steadied himself on the back of a chair. “Hehe, sorry.”

“Well,” said Mu Qing, “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Likewise,” said Feng Xin. “I hope this will benefit your training.”

It sounded as if the pair of them were far more interested in Xie Lian’s unique training regimen than they let on. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but I’ve already had my big session for today. While the pair of you are welcome to come by for supper tonight, I’m afraid it will only be an average-sized meal.” He gave his tummy a pat. “You know what I always say about rest as a part of training.”

Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing rolled their eyes. “Yes,” they said in unison.

Xie Lian brightened. “But,” he said, “I do have some errands planned for this afternoon, upon which I would be tickled if you decided to join me.”

Feng Xin snorted.

“Errands?” Mu Qing said. “Your Highness, please. We’re not your servants anymore, remember?”

Xie Lian grinned. “Very well,” he said. “If your pride outweighs any desire to relive old times, I shan’t spite you for it.” He cocked his head apologetically. “I do have to go, though. I am so happy to see you two here, but my tasks for the day are waiting for me.”

“It’s not a problem,” said Feng Xin, forcibly averting his gaze from the bloated Xie Lian now clad in gold-trimmed silk. “This is all we really came here to do.”

“Yeah,” said Mu Qing, “we’re done. Both of us are our own gods, and have better things to do than sit here and ogle our old Crown Prince.”

This made Xie Lian smile. “Very well,” he said. “I’m off to check up on a few of my new shrines, then. Thank you again for these wonderful clothes.”

Turning with nothing more than a little nod, Xie Lian left his old clothes behind, knowing that Hua Cheng would find them later, and put them away with the utmost care. After picking his hat up from where it hung by the doorway, he stepped out into the fresh air.

The day outside was divinely temperate. Cool breezes blowing through the sunlit air just barely penetrated his feather-soft new robe. As a powerful god, it needed not take him more than a few moments to reach any location, but he moved slowly both to be gentle on his belly, and to enjoy the weather.

Along the way, he passed several small houses and settlements. At first, they were populated mostly by employees of Hua Cheng who had come from Ghost City to look after Xie Lian and their lord. These motley creatures, when they caught sight of Xie Lian, gazed reverently upon him, and a few even dared to wave. Xie Lian, of course, waved back cordially to every one of them, now and then stopping to make conversation. He spoke about his unusually bloated shape with forthright honesty, thanking those he recognized from the morning’s feast, and happily regaling others with the reason for his belly’s size. Every one in Hua Cheng’s employ was a friend, of this Xie Lian was firmly convicted.

As he traversed the land, however, human villages began to crop up, accompanied by the usual handfuls of people spending time outside their houses. Many of them stared as he passed by.

Xie Lian offered waves and greetings to all, in the way of the sometime fallen prince that he was. Even around those who froze in shock and made hushed whispers with their fellows, he made no effort to hide his belly, sometimes even cradling it as if he were a mother expecting a baby, and not but a very gorged martial god.

Amidst the lively people, gentle breezes, and happily digesting tummy, Xie Lian was forced to admit that he felt good.

At last, he came upon a shrine. It was one he was very fond of, small and rickety, though made up all of fresh-cut wood, defiant in its optimism, much like Xie Lian himself, and his own Puji Shrine.

Inside, a young maiden was busily sweeping what little dust and dirt she could find on the floor, all of it gathering into a central pile at the behest of her broom.

“Good afternoon!” Xie Lian called out to her.

The maiden turned, and went stock-still. She was more slight than the farmer who had come to Xie Lian with the request to be eaten. The look in her eyes, of pure wonder upon seeing her god in the flesh for the very first time, was nevertheless a perfect match for the other’s. He was reminded, fondly, of how Hua Cheng looked when he was a child—all his followers seemed to share some spark of mystical devotion, and for that Xie Lian felt divinely grateful.

“I cannot thank you enough for your upkeep of this place,” Xie Lian said, giving a little wave. “Everything you do is a help.”

A blush was quickly rising to her face. “Your Royal Highness Xie Lian,” she said faintly.

“A pleasure,” Xie Lian replied. “And might I have your name?”

The maiden’s broom was quivering in her hands. “Oh, Your Highness,” she said instead of answering him, “you look so majestic.” She steadied the broom, then picked it up, pressed it to her body, and bowed low to him.

“Well, thank you.”

Her voice came up in a squeak. “Would it… be… impertinent of me to ask…”

“Please,” Xie Lian said, “keep your chin up, miss. And whether it would be impertinent to ask, I cannot know without first hearing the question, now, can I?”

Slowly, she rose, and held the broomstick close to her, as if she wanted to hide behind it. “Have you,” she said, “...recently consumed a worshipper?”

Xie Lian looked at her scarlet face, then down at his belly, and laughed out loud.

She flinched. “I’m sorry—”

“No, no,” Xie Lian said. “In fact, I’m pleased that this was your impression of me.” Leaning on the wooden wall, he gave the maiden a rakish wink he never would have dared when he was still actually single. “While I will keep my general feeding habits a secret for now,” he said, “I will answer your question with honesty. Inside my belly right now, there is only food. No people, much less any living ones.”

“...Oh.”

From far away, some shouts came across the breeze, of farmers calling to each other over a field, and birdsong came in distant twitters, a cheerful prelude to the coming sunset. Within this shrine, however, all was silent, save for the gentle creaking of the wooden wall supporting Xie Lian’s weight.

“I promise, though,” he said, “that never would I eat you without your asking me first.”

The young woman did not reply.

“I am closed for inquiries right now, though,” he said, and drummed his fingers playfully atop his belly. “As you can see, I am already very full.”

[hualianff]

Voice Actor HC

Modern AU where XL isn’t a huge fan of audio books because why have someone read it out loud for you when you can just sound out the voices in your head on your own?

But then XL’s been hearing a lot of rave about a certain voice actor whose popularity has steadily been rising for reading certain spicy audio books. XL happens to stumble across a short clip via the internet of Hua Cheng’s reading voice.

One audio book downloaded after another, XL gets absolutely hooked. 

And thus, pan to XL who now languidly jogs on the treadmill while listening to the newest audio book read by HC.

Until a certain scene comes up-

And hearing HC’s low voice purr the exact words “why don’t we move this conversation to the bed, hmm?”

XL ends missing his step and TRIPPING-

With his headphones scattered on the ground, XL - head throbbing and dizzy AF - suddenly hears a voice ask him, “Are you okay?”

Lo and behold, XL tips his chin up and is met with the sight of a strikingly handsome man. Dark hair pulled back into a low bun. One dark eye and one red eye staring down in concern-

And with the exact same voice that was sounding in XL’s ear just a few seconds ago!!

XL quickly clambers up to his feet, stuttering over his words, “Ahaha no worries, I’m completely fine. Probably won’t even bruise later…”

But before he can reach for his headphones, the tall man is already bending down to retrieve them for him-

With the audio book still on.

“Ahh sorry! Let me take those out of your hands,” XL cries as he leaps up to swipe the headphones away, laughing nervously. He haphazardly turns the bluetooth off, managing a shaky smile as the handsome stranger tilts his head in interest.

“No problem. As long as you’re okay…” the stranger says reassuringly. “After all, you can always replace broken headphones. But if you had been severely hurt-“

His eyelids lower as he deepens his gaze on XL.

“I would’ve taken good care of you.”

XL’s legs suddenly feel like jelly, and not just because he crash landed off the moving treadmill.

“I s-see, well that’s very kind of you,” XL says, determined not to stumble on his next few words. “I’m Xie Lian, by the way. It’s nice to meet you…?”

He waits for the stranger to introduce himself.

The stranger finally lets his smirk become visible, mirth dancing among his mismatched eyes.

“You can call me San Lang.”

“Ah, thank you for checking up on me then, San Lang,” XL says sheepishly. He feels his face heat up the longer San Lang (not actually HC, thank goodness!) looks at him with that…that amused expression. “I’m gonna go turn off the treadmill now, since I don’t think I can focus anymore after falling-“

XL turns around and to his horror, the audio book is now playing from his damn phone that is perched on the treadmill dashboard. 

HC’s voice rings out clearly.

“Lay down for me, baobei. That’s it, just like that.”

“Don’t move unless I say so, okay?”

“Hmm, your body is so sensitive here…”

XL wants the ground to swallow him while. Especially when he sends San Lang a panicked look, San Lang’s knowing smirk merely widens. 

Bastard.

[kaesficrecarchive]

TGCF fic rec

hua cheng x xie lian

coffee and pine trees by orangemints (6/6 | 37,402 | E)

Xie Lian was in his senior year of being a law major and his reputation was impeccable. Renowned for his beauty, talent in dance, astounding grades, and polite disposition, his name was whispered about all over campus. He was practically flawless, and would have been even more popular, if not for how untouchable his love life was. It seemed the campus Crown Prince was completely uninterested in dating.

Then he meets the sophomore upset, Hua Cheng, infamous for his wanton behaviour and easy smiles, in a cafe - and the rumours start flying.

“Have you heard? The Crown Prince is having an affair with the literature department’s number one bigshot!”

Digging for Orchids by betts (6/6 | 43,684 | E)

“It is possible,” Hua Cheng began slowly, for once looking like a real person and not a god who had meticulously chosen a human suit in which to travel this petty and boring mortal world, “I may have lied a little, to my cohort. I may have told them, a few of them, not many, I was married.”

“Okay,” Xie Lian said, assuming he was talking about his special someone.

“To you.”

“WHAT.”

Or: After a meltdown goes viral and ruins his acting career, Xie Lian moves to LA. Unable to find work, he slips into a severe depression, until Shi Qingxuan hooks him up with a new roommate, an art student who has apparently been telling everyone they're married.

hold the quiet of my heart by moonsteps (3/3 | 53,441 | T)

San Lang laughs. It’s low and raw and makes something in Xie Lian’s chest dance. Pitter patter, pitter patter, like ballerina toes. “So why are you meeting with Hua Cheng?”

“To ask him to live with me,” says Xie Lian immediately.

(Or: Xie Lian and Hua Cheng become roommates.)

feng xin x mu qing

little beastie by Annabec (1/1 | 6,613 | T)

Mu Qing.

Mu Qing is a kid.

Feng Xin needs to sit down.

But not here, because this is Mu Qing’s bedroom, and Feng Xin wouldn’t ordinarily have barged in at all but Xie Lian had asked and Mu Qing is sitting in a puddle of his sleeping robes, silky hair flopping into his eyes. He tries to brush it away, pouting. His hand doesn’t even emerge from his sleeve. He pouts harder.

Feng Xin possibly makes a noise like a tea kettle and sits down right where he’s standing. Because fuck chairs and propriety.

Mu Qing apparently gives up on his hair, because he scoots to the edge of his bed to peer down at Feng Xin, head tipped to the side like an adorable little bird. Feng Xin is going to die.

Mollycoddled by wanningcore (1/1 | 7,980 | T)

“Uh, I made you ginger congee. I assume you haven’t eaten recently.” Feng Xin nudges the bowl across the table so it’s a little closer to Mu Qing, eyes flitting back and forth between him and the food. “Also I made peppermint tea if you want some afterwards. And I threw away your half-cooked eggs, which was disgusting by the way, they were stuck to the pan—”

Knowing that Feng Xin rambles when he’s nervous and won’t stop once he gets going, Mu Qing snaps, “What are you doing back here?”

Feng Xin’s head jerks up, brows furrowing angrily. “Fuck, just shut up and let someone take care of you for once. Eat your fucking congee.”

(Or: Mu Qing is sick and Feng Xin takes care of him. Lots of feelings and emotions ensue.)

Tear out this graceless heart (and hope that you will treat it well) by juurensha (1/1 | 8,964 | T)

“However you have changed, Feng Xin hasn’t,” Mu Qing says bluntly. “He’s still—loyal to a fault. He’s as dumb as a bag of rocks, and he can never figure anything out or notice anything, but you fell in love with that, so you can’t fault him there. He likes to fight too much, but he’s also—so kind. Kind and loyal to all those who are lucky enough to be in his affections.”

(And he has never been all that lucky in the end.)

Jian Lan’s eyes widen as she stares at him.

“What?” he snaps.

“…I am no longer in love with him, but I think you are,” Jian Lan says finally.

Mu Qing and his Cursed Luck by heartbeatangel (1/1 | 10,927 | T)

"I can't believe you two are seeing each other! You two love each other now, don’t you?”

Feng Xin plastered on the fakest smile Mu Qing ever seen him flash. “Yes, so much in love.”

He wrapped an arm around Mu Qing’s waist, drawing him closer to his body. Mu Qing tried not to push him away on reflex and hoped his disbelief was interrupted as shyness. Curse his stupid, shitty luck!

(The five times Feng Xin and Mu Qing faked being in love, and the one time they didn't need to.)

Beyond Our Fighting Borders by UnhookedStar (1/1 | 24,311 | T)

“So what’s the issue then?” Xie Lian asks.

Feng Xin takes a deep breath in, lets it out, and then breathes in again. “What I’m trying to say is, I think I’m homophobic.”

Or, Mu Qing starts going out on dates, and Feng Xin starts slowly losing his mind.

[truly-morgan]

[Kinktober 2021: Breath Play (18+)]

HuaLian | Heaven Official’s Blessing 25-10-2021

Day 25: L̷a̷c̷t̷a̷t̷i̷o̷n̷ / [Breath Play] / B̷u̷r̷n̷ ̷P̷l̷a̷y̷

Hua Cheng knows a lot about kinky play and Xie Lian is curious. He will always trust his husband, even with his hands around his throat.

====

“Are you sure?” Hua Cheng asked, still looking a bit unsure about doing this, yet his husband looked as confident as before. He tensed a bit when he felt Xie Lian grab his hand, taking it to his mouth, leaving a little kiss on his palm.

Then he brought the hand to his neck, smiling up at hc, “I trust you, I know you won’t hurt me and will stop immediately if needed” he replied. 

Xl knew that hc knew more about kinky play than he did, from being in the scene for a while now.

From what hc would tell him, he had learned about a lot of plays, being a dom for people who might need one (“but my prince was always in my heart” hc would assure him as if him doing something like this before meeting him again was bad).

On the other hand, there was xl, who grew up being told that chastity and celibacy were the thing to do. He knew nearly nothing, hc had been his first in everything.

He had been surprised when he discovered some of hc toys and bdsm gear (to hc horror), but never judge him for his preferences. “I wouldn’t mind trying” he had assured him, looking rather excited at the idea.

And so, their sex life had spiced up a bit, xl also discovering the kinks he has while hc is more than happy to work with what he wants. But every now and then xl would come up with something he was curious about and wanted to try.

And this is how he now had his hand around his throat. He was usually pretty alright with anything, but this did make him nervous because if he was not careful enough, he could seriously injure xl and this would probably kill him to do so.

“If you need me to let go or just stop tap my arm” he asked, bending down to kiss him a little, fingers caressing his skin. Xl smiled to him, tapping his arm to show he understood.

And so they resumed what they had started, hc trusting inside of him again, hand simply resting at his neck first. Then he started to grip. He made sure that he was doing it safely, not squishing his windpipe and only then did he start a better and faster rhythm.

Of course, he was watching closely xl expression and he was surprised by how much he seemed to enjoy. He'd let go a bit when it seemed necessary,  it otherwise kept going. Who was he to keep gege from something he enjoyed?

And xl was enjoying it, the lack of oxygen was making him lightheaded, making everything feel better. It was new yet the sensation was somewhat familiar, reminiscent of his teen years when he would force himself to be quiet when pleasuring himself because he didn't want to be found out. Reminiscent of days when he had noticed that holding his breath until he really needed air again and masturbating made him feel even better.

This was just something else because his instinct to take in air was not at play here.

And this ended up making him come hard, spasming and clenching around hc. Hc was not far behind, forcing himself to let go when he came too so he wouldn't accidentally end up hurting him by squeezing.

He pulled out as he watched xl was gasping for air, panting heavily and still looking daze. This made hc bend over, kissing his neck where his finger had been pressing earlier.

Once he made sure xl was back to a more regular breathing he laid back down with him. He pulls xl in a tight hug, hair playing in his messy hair.

“Did gege enjoy it like he wanted?” he asked quietly while leaving a little kiss on top of his head. He received a pleased hum at the question “san lang did perfectly good" replied xl in a rougher voice than usual.

This made hc hum a but too. If xl like it then it was all perfect, its what counted the most.

====

(ngl I'd be interested to write more about a fucked up way xl could have been raised like, you must keep yourself for marriage and any sexual pleasure is bad

I know he was not taught than in a bad way, it was part of his cultivation, but let's make it more of a modern world setting, if we but fucked up jun-wu it could be interesting )

Original - AO3

[the-wolvesallcry]

I haven’t stopped thinking all day about the bitter pain there’s in 3rd ascension early days fu yao//nan feng that are constantly told “you don’t have to be here if you don’t want to” “you can go away anytime this (/me/) starts to be an inconvenience for you” etc etc while on the other hand there’s hua cheng that for some reason gets awarded with companionship even though they’ve known each other for 3 days, even though he’s an extremely suspicious person and all xie lian is still “colder” / more detatched from them than he is to a highly probable murder ghost king SOOOOO prompt fic to enrich a bit that scene where fengqing* are like “you cant trust him you don’t even know him he might have evil intentions etc etc” and xie lian is like “I don’t have anything valuable to steal nor am I anyone valuable enough to kill” and then he doubles down with “he couldn’t even use me to lure other heavenly officials since it’s unlikely others would come to my aid” but not in a self pitying way just in a matter of fact way actually even worse, in an offering-comfort type of way that makes everything worse ofc bc it’s like he’s saying “see, I have 0 value you don’t have to worry about me I’m safe!!!” as if that’s a good thing (or at least as if others would perceive it as such) and obviously fengqing will try to argue that and maybe say something like “our generals might come if it’s serious” or something similar idk and then xie lian that is extremely dedicated to prove « he’s safe with san lang okay san lang is good san lang wouldn’t have anything to gain from him stop suspecting him » but still always not in a bitter way just in a matter of fact way he’s like “!!!let’s try, I’ll prove it to you!” and then sends a distress signal or something in the communication array AND obviously he gets ignored (for narrative’s sake we’ll set this pre-banyue arc bc the wind master might have replied if it was after that) and they can’t do anything bc 1. they’re already there with him and it’s be hard to justify leaving without revealing their identities and, even if they could early days 3rd ascension fengqing are still too attached to their pride and ego to fall for what they know is not real and (as per their perception) ridicule themselves by showing that they care + by reacting to a danger that doesn’t exist too so it ends up with xie lian being proved right and them having to see how xie lian is not even fazed by it because he had absolutely 0 expectations (from them most of all) ((to make this even worse from fengqing’s pov this all happens in san lang’s presence that then says “gege I would never use you” and xie lian smiles sweetly to him and says “I know san lang”))

[spockandawe]

There’s something that I’ve been wanting to articulate about the hualian relationship for a while, specifically the early hualian relationship, so let me see if I can find the right words for this.

The way Hua Cheng presents himself as San Lang is important. Without his pov, it’s impossible to get direct-direct confirmation, but the whole scene reads to me like he’s presenting himself in the most nonthreatening and appealing way that he can figure out. He’s young, but not child-young, but still young enough that Xie Lian might not want to let him go wandering off on his own (but also not young enough that Xie Lian will feel obligated to take care of him as an adult). He doesn’t put himself forward so hard that he looks suspiciously pushy, but he’s also more than happy to help Xie Lian out the moment Xie Lian hints that he’s mildly curious about something.

(side note, I have to wonder how much he xuan had to endure re: hua cheng workshopping disguises over the years before xie lian finally showed up and put him out of his misery)

And Hua Cheng gradually lets more and more of his real personality show, especially as Xie Lian persistently declines to scold him for being mean or insist that he show Fu Yao and Nan Feng respect or anything like that. Banyue forces his hand sooner than he would have preferred, but also Xie Lian has pretty solid observational skills on his own and was already drawing certain conclusions by that point. But the initial San Lang disguise still fascinates me, and I can’t let it go.

I think the way I’ve described it before is that Hua Cheng shows up, presenting himself as appealingly/nonthreateningly as possible, and completely ready to amputate any parts of his personality that Xie Lian doesn’t like. Fortunately, he’s thwarted by the ways Xie Lian has grown up over the last eight hundred years, and how much Xie Lian genuinely likes him and likes being around him. Then the final nails in the coffin are Xie Lian being very *shrug* about any ulterior motives Hua Cheng has about approaching him, and Xie Lian directly expressing that he’d rather see San Lang’s real face than a mask, even if the mask is prettier (is this a literal face or a metaphorical face? por que no los dos?). But also, I think there’s an element of grief to this whole early meeting that I completely missed until now.

They spent eight hundred years apart. Hua Cheng died as a teenager, and got very little post-death time with Xie Lian before they were separated, and then he spent eight centuries as a ghost, where he fought for power and took on responsibilities as the ruler of the ghost city. Whether he wanted to or not, he’s grown up. And he grew up without anything but the memory of Xie Lian in his life. He became the adult that he is... on his own.

And at first I was only thinking that if he’d had the option, he would have happily shaped his entire personality to be whatever Xie Lian needed/wanted him to be, and then belatedly remembered... he already did that. He already tried to do that once, as Wuming. He was perfectly willing to be treated coldly and have his attempted expressions of support rejected, and in the end, he didn’t hesitate to sacrifice his own existence as soon as Xie Lian started regretting something that he’d set in motion. I don’t want to say that he was “hiding” his true personality there, but it does demonstrate how completely willing he was to subordinate his own sense of self to whatever he thought Xie Lian wanted him to be.

But after eight hundred years, where he’s one of four ghost kings, and where he rules a city with subjects who look up to him and rely on him, he... has a sense of self. He’s grown up and his personality has settled into place, and it’s no longer possible for him to mold himself the way he wanted to before, because it’s over and done. I do think he’s still perfectly ready to remake himself into whatever Xie Lian wants him to be, however unhealthy that process is, but that’s a different thing. 

Fortunately, it doesn’t come to anything, because Xie Lian likes him very much the way he is, thank you very much, even the uglier parts of his personality, like the way he treats Xie Lian’s heavenly friends. Now, it takes time for Hua Cheng to really become confident that Xie Lian means what he says, and that he does just want to know who Hua Cheng really is, and when he introduces himself as San Lang, he doesn’t have any way to know that’s the case at all. So I think their early interactions really do have that underlying element of preemptive grief, because Hua Cheng is trying to sound out what kind of person Xie Lian would most like him to be, while also mourning that he wasn’t able to grow up organically shaping himself into that exact person, the way he once wanted to.

[iyanluvshua]

— When the Moonlight Shines.

· A Divorced HuaLian AU.

Main Pair: San Lang/Hua Cheng, Xie Lian

Note: This is my first time writing something like this; please bear with me 🧎

cw: alcohol, swearing

*doorbell rings* @ Xie Lian's estate

Xie Lian opens the door and questions Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and Shi Qingxuan on why they were in front of his apartment. "Why are you here?" Xie Lian asked with a smile on his face. Qingxuan responds, "To drink, obviously! Plus, it's been a long time since we three got together. " The three goes in Xie Lian's apartment and unloaded several bottles of alcohol for them to drink. Xie Lian closes his apartment door and grabs ice from the freezer. He then plays some music through his TV.

After preparing everything needed for their drinking session, Mu Qing pours beer on everyone's cups.

"So... It's been 2 years, Xie Lian. How are you?" Mu Qing asks.

"I'm doing fine! Hehe, that's quite obvious," Xie Lian replies

"Oh please! Your face itself literally says you still haven't move on. It's okay to be honest about how you feel around us, you know?" Feng Xin mutters with a bit of concern in his tone.

"Tell us how you feel," Qingxuan added.

Before replying to his buddies' concerns, he poured himself some beer in a glass and drank it all in one go. "Hm... To be honest, I don't think I've actually let go of him. He asked to divorce, and I agreed. Do you guys really think I moved on already? Hua Cheng isn't someone you can let go of easily. I sincerely loved him. I tell myself that I don't love him anymore but there's a part inside me that says the opposite. After all, we were married for 13 years. I still wonder on how he is. If I were given another chance, I would marry him again. If not given, I'd beg for another life to be able to love him again," Xie Lian quoted. Hua Cheng was a really nice husband to Xie Lian. No one ever knew they were going to separate. Why? Because they loved each other. They were the definition of a perfect marriage. But, there's nothing perfect in this world. People were blinded to see only the perfect things about them. Only some saw clearly that they themselves had problems in their relationship.

Hua Cheng's POV. @ Qi Rong's Estate

"Have you moved on already, my good ol' pal?" Qi Rong spoke. Oh God, why is he bringing this topic everytime we're playing games? Isn't he afraid of being beaten up?

"You have one foul mouth, don't you?"

"Just saying! You never answered the question once ever since your divorce with him. SO PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION AT LEAST ONCE, THEN I'LL STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE!!"

"If this will stop your questions about my relationship with you know who, will you really stop?"

"Yeah, you guys were married for quite a long ass time! Way longer than Xuan Ji and that dickhead's relationship HAHAHHAA I was by your side throughout your past relationship and you never vented so I thought I'd ask."

When will he stop making jokes about Xuan Ji and Pei Ming's relationship? Even if it pisses me off at times, it could be funny. I should answer his question about him now so I could finally go home. "I'll start. I admit, I still think about him. Have I moved on already? No, I haven't. He treated me with utmost care. He loved me. Me of all people he can love. Me, the one blinded in one eye. He's the most perfect person I've ever met. In those 13 years, I always wondered if I actually deserve him. Xie Lian is literally perfect. He is too perfect. I am no match for him. If I was given an opportunity, I'd make myself perfect to make myself know that I deserve him. But at the same time, I want him to meet someone who he actually deserves. To put it in a simple way, I still love him. But this time, loving him from a distance. Does this answer all your questions my damn friend?" I explained to Qi Rong. As I finished explaining, he looked utterly ridiculous. Why is he bawling his eyes off all of a sudden? Was my story that sad?

"HUA CHENG, I BEG FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT. PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU! YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY. AND I COULD PREDICT THAT YOU'D MAKE FUN OF ME CRYING. SEE YOU SOON. GET OUT!" Qi Rong whined.

Well, he's ridiculous isn't he? I seriously hate hate hate hate hate it when the moon shines brightly. Why? This may sound like an excuse to myself but.. maybe it's because it reminds me of Xie Lian. He became my boyfriend, my fianceé, and my husband with the moon shining brightly above us. We divorced with the moon shining brightly, too. Now, it's been one year since we divorced; and the moon is shining brightly. Does the world really hate me so much to the point that it makes simple things remind me of him? Maybe I meant to have all misfortunes ever since I was born. Xie Lian really was the one and only fortune the world gave me. Why am I thinking about him? Ha..ha.. maybe it's time to really go home.

3rd person POV.

After a year of parting ways, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng never saw nor heard a bit of each other. They both certainly know they could but even when thinking about each other, guilt builds up.

As Xie Lian guides Feng Xin and Qingxuan guides Mu Qing to the elevator, who knew Hua Cheng would be a few floors up waiting for the elevator? After descending to the ground floor, Qingxuan places Mu Qing and Feng Xin in his car. He then waves Xie Lian goodbye. After all those events, Xie Lian walks back to the elevator.

Hua Cheng's POV.

What.. the fuck..? This is one scenario I once imagined of. He's in front of me. But why does it feel like we're galaxies away from each other? Why is he in front of me? Am I dreaming?

"Xie.. Lian..?" I whispered.

"It's you.." he responded.

I went to him with my arms open and hugged him.

"I still love you, Hua Cheng," he sobbed.

"..I still do too," I acknowledged.

He looks and sounds the same as he used to. His long hair down, his pink lips, his chubby cheeks, and his gentle voice. They were all still there. He is still the same. He is the one I fell for. He is my love.

a/n : it's my first time writing a fic 😭 i hope it's decent though... also, i got book 3 while writing this

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

Hi! I hope you're doing well! I get the pain of school so no need to rush with this request!

So how about this headcanon about a cold Gn reader that doesn't show affection much, has this like six sense that either Hua Cheng or Xie Lian are upset or frusterated with something, even if they don't show it, they just know that one of them is upset!

So they go full mother hen on the two, they are still cold but obviously they care about the two, like cooking for them, kissing their face wrap them up in a blanket and cuddle or maybe just listen to them?

Also thank you so much for finding the time to write for us!

Mother Hen

HuaLian x Gn!reader

Sorry for taking so long, thank you for understanding.💕

Ignore grammar mistakes

Slight ooc

____________________________________

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng got lucky with finding you

You're a very caring lover, you're amazing really

To everyone else you're very cold and you don't give them the time of day

But Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are different.

You love them very much and since you've known them for so long it's easy to read them

You're like pinkie pie for real. You get a tingling sixth sense if they're upset or frustrated

Like you could be so far away and still feel they're upset.

So anytime you feel this tingle you go check on your lovers.

You have different routines for both of them.

If Xie Lian's upset or frustrated you start off with just listening to what he has to say.

So you guys will cuddle in bed and you just listen

Then once all the tears have passed you'll brush his long hair and run your fingers through it

You'll make him something to eat from long ago and then you guys sleep it off

Hua Cheng's routine is a little different.

He doesn't talk, he doesn't want to talk about it at first.

He doesn't think it's a big deal or he doesn't want you and Xie Lian to have to deal with it.

He feels like he doesn't deserve the comfort.

You'll start with cleaning him up, taking a relaxing bath and running your fingers though his hair, massing his scalp.

Then you'll wrap him up in a towel and blanket and just lie in bed for a while.

Eventually San Lang talks, eventually he lets you guys in and allows himself to be vulnerable.

They're very happy that you love them so much and adore your caring nature.

[fullmetalpotterhead]

Hello, I'm back with another ask P

I was having thoughts...

So, when Hua Cheng changed into San Lang to meet Xie Lian on the ox cart, I think it was also because he didn't want to frighten the cart-rider if he appeared in his true form (and also so that Xie Lian wouldn't be fully on guard if he seemed to just be a little teenager). It just makes me feel so soft.

Also, when he said that he was "running away" from home (if I remember correctly), I think it's kind of a low-effort "lie" because otherwise, he'd have to come up with a whole story not just about his family but also a fake identity and a destination. It's just easier to say he's just wandering/running away because, tbh, his destination is wherever Xie Lian wants to go. (And also, it's not much of a lie because he didn't really have a home when he was actually mortal)

And he wasn't really trying to seem human with his mannerisms. I think in front of Xie Lian, he can't help but let his true self slip because otherwise, he's actually a very good liar.

And when they reach the destination, Hua Cheng is prepared to part, hoping to meet him again. But when Xie Lian asks him where he'd go, he told another low-effort lie. I think, here, he probably got hopeful that Xie Lian would invite him to stay?

I actually wrote a thing awhile ago screaming about the lie he tells on the ox cart but more thoughts on ox cart in general below

I’m personally of the opinion HC never actually made a real attempt to pretend to be human. His idea of disguises throughout the book seem to be a very blatant “Oh yeah I’m not [insert excuse here]? Prove it.” While doing absolutely nothing to hide the obvious clues as to who he is.

HC is a shapeshifter, he’s rarely in his true form (Ghost City called it new), he just chose the best form for the occasion like he always does. This form is nonthreatening, handsome, and just enough of his actual looks to be the same energy as getting very dolled up for a first date.

More than it was ever intended to pretend to be human, I think HC was giving XL an excuse, giving them both an excuse. And it’s one XL readily uses when FX and MQ show up.

HC wanted an excuse to talk to his god and even if XL suspects him, it’s much easier to approach him as ‘normal human kid’ than ‘hey just the ghost king stopping in to chat’. It also lets XL have plausible deniability about the invasiveness of the questions he’s asking about HC.

And then HC intends to leave. He had a chat with his god and it was confirmed XL will talk to him like this, he was probably planning his next time he could come play. But XL invites him to stay and yes that’s the effect his comment about being homeless last time got him but I don’t think he really expected it to work like that again? Hopeful, maybe, but in the same way of like “oh it sure would be nice to, haha that’ll never happen though”. Because HC knows his disguise was the equivalent of a fake moustache and sunglasses.

HC is fully aware XL is testing him. XL is pretty much sure of who HC is from the first moment they talk and every test he’s doing that should confirm HC passes very well as human seems to actually only further solidify XL’s belief it just means he’s powerful enough that he must be a Supreme.

HC doesn’t really care to do more than the bear minimum to hide it in the same way XL doesn’t actually do a lot to hide that he’s a god. They’re both playing a game so that they have to excuse to hang out (HC out of love, XL out of I think curiosity, loneliness, and eventually genuine enjoyment of his company).

[pesewla]

Thank you for the request, @bout-to-snap <3 

“This is why I don’t trust him!” Mu Qing fumed. “He’s literally the Lord of the Ghost Realm, Your Highness…”

Xie Lian allowed a small, relaxed smile to grace his lips. He was mediating a fight between Mu Qing, Feng Xin, and Hua Cheng for what seemed like the thousandth time. Though newly renovated, Puqi Shrine was still too small for these massive quarrels, and Xie Lian dreaded the property damage that would ensue if their swords were drawn.

Given all that had happened – the destruction of the heavens and defeat of Jun Wu – why were these three still at each other’s throats?

“I thought we were past this,” Xie Lian sighed. “We don’t get to see each other all the time, so can we please not fight?”

“Exactly, we don’t see get to see each other all the time, so can’t we talk to you in private?” Feng Xin said, fidgeting a little.

Xie Lian looked confused. “About what?”

“You expect me to walk away when you’ve just called me the scum of the earth?” Hua Cheng said coolly, examining his nails. “Gege, these servants are no good.”

“We’re not his servants!” Mu Qing exclaimed. Xie Lian thought it sounded like he was about to say “anymore” at the end, but cut off his speech abruptly, making the outburst awkward and clunky.

“Are you sure?” Hua Cheng asked skeptically. “Because when you’re with him, it’s like 800 years never happened, you can be his ever-most-loyal-servants again. The roleplaying is disgusting, and doesn’t absolve you from guilt.”

Xie Lian sensed the atmosphere in the shrine shift. He stepped forward again and raised his hands placatingly. “San Lang – “

“And what would you know?” Feng Xin demanded. “You can’t possibly understand what we’ve been through, at the time you were merely a mortal child.”

“I understand that you abandoned Dianxia when he was most vuln –“

“San Lang,” Xie Lian said. Hua Cheng’s lips instantly froze at the warning in Xie Lian’s tone; it was a lilt and a dangerous flavor that Xie Lian hardly used on anyone, and never on Hua Cheng.

“…”

“Why can’t they know, gege?” Hua Cheng asked softly. “Don’t you think they deserve to know? Frankly, their ignorance offends me.”

Feng Xin and Mu Qing had fallen silent, too, their faces both a few shades lighter. The word abandon seemed to always have that effect on them. Then Feng Xin regained his voice. “Ignor – know what? Taizi Dianxia, just what…”

Xie Lian had folded his arms, his mouth drawn into a line. “It’s old history,” he sighed. “There’s no need to bring things like this up. Do not shame me.”

“Shame you? When that came to visit you, he dismissed your fears as insan –“

Hua Cheng’s voice cut off for a moment, and the temperature in Puqi Shrine seemed to drop. Because, at that moment, an expression entirely foreign to Xie Lian flitted across his face: rage. Neither Mu Qing nor Feng Xin had seen him make that expression since his third ascension, and it didn’t suit him well.

It was gone as soon as it arrived, and Xie Lian’s characteristically peaceful smile returned in its stead. However, the faces of his two ex-subordinates were already white as sheets. Hua Cheng stepped toward, placing a hand on Xie Lian’s shoulder as if to hold him up.

“Dianxia, are you mad… at us?” Feng Xin whispered.

Xie Lian looked at him strangely, as if he had asked a very bizarre question indeed. “No… Not you.”

Hua Cheng snorted, as if he was thinking, too bad. Xie Lian’s face was soft. “In any case, I’m quite tired, so I think I will retire for the night. Please make yourselves at home.”

“Wh – you can’t – after –“ Mu Qing sputtered.

Feng Xin’s eyes were round. “Dianxia, does that mean… That time with White No-Face, when we were on the run… Was it really…?”

Xie Lian had started towards his chambers, but after being addressed, his shoulders tightened infinitesimally. Then, he turned back to the trio, his face still serene. “Yes.”

As if he’d been punched in the gut, Feng Xin slouched over. Mu Qing looked baffled.

“I didn’t tell you this because I knew you’d blame yourself. Yet, in the end, the only one who sinned was me. So, please, do not inquire further into this matter.”

With a nod and another smile, Xie Lian vanished into the back room, anxious to escape the conversation.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing were bursting with indescribable emotion. Some small part of Feng Xin fumed at Xie Lian for leaving them without explaining, but the rest of him just wallowed in a torrent of guilt, doubt, and self-questioning.

If the Taizi Dianxia wouldn’t tell them the truth, who would? Xie Lian had been abandoned with only his parents, who were long dead, so who besides him even knew what happened? The only people must be Jun Wu himself, and –

“Don’t look at me,” Hua Cheng rolled his eyes, leaning lazily against a chair. “I’m not going behind gege’s back for some backstabbing servants.”

“You’re the one who said we deserve to know,” Mu Qing argued.

“So? It’s gege’s story to tell, and he said no, so no.”

“How do you even know?”

Hua Cheng shrugged. “I was just ghost fire at the time. I had to watch.”

The corners of his eyes tightened, and a murderous look crossed his face. Unlike Xie Lian, his malice wasn’t bottled away, but instead broadcast for all to see.

“Watch what?” Feng Xin cried in anguish. “Why must you torture us?”

Hua Cheng snickered. “If only you knew your own irony.”

With that, he straightened and glided in Xie Lian’s direction, back towards the sleeping chambers.

“We – we’ll be back tomorrow!” Feng Xin and Mu Qing shouted at his receding back. Hua Cheng shrugged again.

//

That night, Hua Cheng was holding Xie Lian in his arms, and casually said, “Gege, this is what you did with Lang Qianqiu, too.” It wasn’t an accusation – it was never an accusation, just a comment.

Xie Lian exhaled. “I know.”

Hua Cheng’s voice grew husky. “Isn’t it enough that you suffered alone then, why must you be alone now, too? Why must you save everyone secretly, then endure their collective ridicule?” Then, “Is keeping it a secret truly doing anyone good?”

Xie Lian was silent. “Maybe I don’t have a good reason,” he finally said. “I don’t like thinking about it, really. I’m weak.”

“…”

“Although, looking back on it, I can’t believe that cute little ghost fire was you,” Xie Lian laughed. “You’d barely popped up and you already had a little cult following, so adorable!”

Hua Cheng grinned, but it was pained, like he couldn’t remember that period of his existence without discomfort. He said nothing, but his grip around Xie Lian tightened, like he was afraid of letting go.

Xie Lian noticed, and, after a beat of silence, shut his eyes. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

//

Feng Xin and Mu Qing would not give up. Day after day, they visited Xie Lian, demanding answers, so after months of heckling, Xie Lian finally agreed to explain what had happened all those years ago. When Xie Lian, Hua Cheng, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing sat down in Paradise Manor, Hua Cheng started talking first, trying to alleviate Xie Lian’s burden.

“…He’d wailed and screamed and cried and begged for mercy, but the people, having deemed him a sinner, continued without hesitation. Of course, his sinfulness was merely an excuse to save their own skin…”

“…After one hundred fatal strikes, Dianxia laid on his own altar, disfigured beyond recognition. Nothing more than a pile of flesh.”

Feng Xin was not the type to cry. So, when his eyes grew wet and then started streaming, Xie Lian hurriedly waved off Hua Cheng’s stone-faced words.

“Feng Xin, this was hundreds of years ago,” Xie Lian assured him, patting his shoulder. “It’s not sad anymore. Also, I’ve endured worse since then.”

This aggravated Feng Xin even further, and he looked like he wanted to cry some more. “I just can’t… when I imagine it, I can’t help it…”

“Trust me, whatever you’re imagining, it was five million times worse in real time,” Hua Cheng muttered darkly. He stared at Xie Lian with an odd expression, before languidly pulling him into his embrace.

Feng Xin looked like he wanted to rebuke, but in the end, could not. Thus, he motioned for the story to continue.

Xie Lian skimmed over his recovery period, the reformation of his flesh, and Feng Xin’s departure, but before he was in the clear, he was interrupted.

“So that’s why you asked me to leave?” Feng Xin said incredulously.

“There was no need to pull you down with me,” Xie Lian murmured.

“I thought you’d gone insane,” Feng Xin mumbled, nauseated. “I told your mother and father… I left you…”

Describing what happened to his parents was even harder, and when he finally got to saying how he’d put his own head in the noose, eyes filling with blood and collarbone cracking, Mu Qing jumped up.

“DAMN IT,” he roared, picking up a glass and shattering it against the nearest wall. “Damn it, damn it, damn it, Dianxia! What the actual fuck?”

Xie Lian peered at him. “Please don’t break San Lang’s things,” he tried.

“WHAT DO I FUCKING CARE? FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, TAIZI DIANXIA, HOW COULD YOU KEEP SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM US?” Mu Qing was panting, and Feng Xin was staring off into space, eyes empty. “WE COULD’VE HELPED! IF I’D HAVE KNOWN, I’D HAVE –“

“Come back?” Xie Lian questioned lightly. “Followed me until the end?”

There was a deafening silence.

“No… I wanted you both to break free,” Xie Lian said. “You had a future.”

“SO DID YOU!” Feng Xin cried, broken from his trance. “Why… why did all this… why must it happen to you?”

“For that, I have no answer,” Xie Lian said. “But, if it had to happen to anyone, I’m glad it happened to me.”

Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked like they’d been shattered into a million pieces. Xie Lian said ruefully, “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

Mu Qing rushed forward. “GODDAMN IT, THE FACT THAT I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT IS EVEN WORSE! WHY DIDN’T YOU ASK FOR HELP? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO USE US, RELY ON US, THAT WAS OUR FUCKING JOB AND WE…”

“At the time, you were ganging up with Middle Court lackeys to chase him out of spiritual lands,” Hua Cheng remarked icily, pulling Xie Lian closer to him.

Mu Qing appeared stupefied, like Hua Cheng had just slapped him. “San Lang!” Xie Lian admonished. Mu Qing sat back down.

Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing both looked like they wanted to protest more, but Xie Lian continued with the story before they could. When he described donning the white mask and preparing to unleash the Human Face Disease, both of them seemed to hold their breath. Hua Cheng described his rebirth as a ghost soldier, following Xie Lian’s commands but never believing that he would truly commit the atrocity.

Feng Xin was regarding him with something that almost looked like newfound respect, but Mu Qing turned his head.

The rest was all downhill from there. He described laying on the pavement for days on end, and the one farmer who’d salvaged his faith in human goodness.

“To anyone else, thousands of onlookers ignoring your pain and suffering before one did anything shouldn’t reinforce your faith in anything…” Mu Qing muttered.

Xie Lian pressed forward, practically sprinting through the unleashed Human Face Disease, taking the brunt of the curses, and then Hua Cheng dying for him for the second time. He talked about ascending into heaven, and asking Jun Wu to punish him for his wrongdoings using banishment and cursed shckles.

“…DIANXIA?!?” Feng Xin gasped. “IT WASN’T A MURDEROUS RAMPAGE?”

“Nope!” Xie Lian said cheerily, relief crossing his face as if he was pleased to be done talking.

Mu Qing’s face darkened, and he started swearing again. “I WAS FUCKING WONDERING HOW SOMEONE AS TALENTED AS YOU SPENDS 800 YEARS TRYING TO ASCEND, IT WAS ON FUCKING PURPOSE? FUCKING FUCK, I WANT TO STRANGLE SOMETHING! SOMEONE GIVE ME SOMETHING TO BREAK!” He clomped off in a random direction.

Feng Xin’s face looked shadowed over, too. “Here I was wondering how you suddenly had such bad luck. As Crown Prince, you’d never had something so egregious. Now, learning that you asked for it… it all makes sense.” His hands were clenched into tight fists, and his words turned into cries. “Why… why… why… for 800 years, we felt… we waited, we were waiting, for something, and we thought maybe you’d died, or gone crazy, or vanished… We…”

Xie Lian had approached him, and put both hands on his shoulders. It was an old, but familiar gesture, and Feng Xin’s heart immediately squeezed with pain and regret. He was at a loss for words, and everything seemed wretched.

“Feng Xin, I understand your anguish,” Xie Lian said softly. “But I became very close to becoming that thing which I swore to destroy. And, to be honest, at that point I didn’t care much for godhood. I lost everything because of godhood. What I couldn’t stand to lose was myself, not to that monster, not to anyone. So, please understand. I’m sorry I hurt you, but it was necessary.”

“WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO FUCKING GOOD?” Mu Qing roared, coming to stand next to Feng Xin. “WHY CAN’T YOU EVER BE SELFISH?”

Xie Lian chuckled, and Mu Qing covered his mouth, as if the words had escaped by their own volition. “…I wasn’t being good, I was scared.”

Mu Qing swore more. Feng Xin, on the other hand, fell to his knees, his shoulders trembling. So, Xie Lian acted on impulse, pulling Mu Qing down to the ground, too. Xie Lian then wrapped one arm around Feng Xin, and the other around Mu Qing, enveloping the both of them in a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian murmured again, trying to control their trembling. He couldn’t tell, at this point, if it was only Feng Xin, or if it was Mu Qing too.

“We failed. I failed,” Feng Xin said, and his voice was raw with agony. “Why are you apologizing?”

“It wasn’t fair to either of you… but I loved you very much, and it was like you were shackled to a man descending to the bottom of a lagoon. If I didn’t remove your chains, you would’ve drowned too.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, holy shit, I’m so sorry,” Feng Xin said, almost gasping through the words. He looked as though someone had drawn a sword across his Adam’s apple, and he was choking through the blood. “Taizi Dianxia, I’m sorry. I failed.”

“Don’t be so damn self-sacrificing, Your Highness.” It was Mu Qing, this time, and he wasn’t struggling against the embrace. “Every single fucking time. Disgusting. How can we even stop you? Something like this. Damnit.”

“I’m a bit tougher than I look,” Xie Lian assured him. “Drowning is no big deal. Pain will subside. Embarrassment will fade. And look, I’m very happy now.”

From somewhere far away, Hua Cheng laughed slightly. However, even Mu Qing and Feng Xin, who weren’t well acquainted with him, could hear that it was laced with pain, too.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to stay with you,” Feng Xin said. “I wanted to stay, I trusted you unequivocally, you’re my world. But it scared me…”

Xie Lian smiled. “I know. You didn’t have to say anything. Ever since you came to help me at Yu Jun Mountain, I’ve known. And I’m grateful.”

“Stop being so damn forgiving.” Mu Qing’s voice was muffled by Xie Lian’s robes.

“Why? I forgive you.” Mu Qing and Feng Xin seemed to collapse in on themselves. So Xie Lian repeated, “I forgive you.”

No one moved for a long time. The trembling intensified. “You’re so damn forgiving,” Mu Qing mumbled. “It doesn’t mean a thing…”

And yet, they were not willing to break away.

Even after 800 years, Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn’t think that they would ever get used to being dazzled by the Crown Prince.