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“You know,” a stranger's voice pulls Xie Lian from his absent musings and he looks up into a woman's face.
She's objectively attractive, he thinks idly but makes no move to get up from where he sits on the freezing ground.
“You're pretty. I'm sure you could find your way easily into a wealthy household and live a nice life as a concubine.”
Xie Lian doesn't know whether to laugh or cry– and honestly he probably has the strength for neither, since he only just recovered from one hundred years in the coffin.
“You have a nice face– and somehow I have the feeling you hide a nice body, too, beneath those rags,” she continues even without his input.
While he doesn't give her an answer because he feels rather faint, his stomach gives an embarrassingly loud rumble and she arches an elegant eyebrow.
She turns around and walks into the building behind her and returns only a moment later, a steaming baozi in her hand.
With shaking and weak hands he accepts it, whispering a thank you, with his decades unused and scratchy voice.
“Think about it,” she says, kneeling in front of him, her chin pointing towards the building.
“With your face, the Madame is sure to accept you and rich lords often buy us to live in their homes.”
With that she stands and walks back inside.
He doesn't accept her offer, of course.
He's been celibate for 500 years– he won't ever have sex and concubines are mainly used for that– sex.
…But her advice never really leaves his head.
He thought of it, when he was freezing to death, one winter. It would be nice to live in a warm Manor and lie in a comfortable bed, instead of in the freezing snow.
He thought of it, when he was bitten by several poisonous snakes and left for dead in the bushes.
And he thought of it, when he he clambered out of the river, body beaten and blue from what happened at Banyue.
It would be nice to live in a nice house and not worry about anything but smile shyly at his lord or madam.
But no.
I deserve this, Xie Lian thinks wryly and continues his wandering.
Only weeks later, he gets mugged by several bandits.
Well– at least they try to, but when they realize that he has nothing valuable on himself, they attack him with rusty knives and one of them even manages a good swipe.
As he lies between their broken bodies, slowly bleeding out, he can't help but think of the advice the prostitute gave him, again.
..it would be nice.
The next time he wakes up, the stench of rotting corpses around him permeates his nose and it takes everything to not gag– not that he has anything in his stomach to throw up, anyway.
He opens his eyes and notices dead bodies all around him, seemingly piled on a cart. Not far away stands a–
His eyes bulge.
A pig, standing on its hind legs, wielding a big cleaver and expertly taking apart another corpse.
Hastily he gets up and almost falls out of the cart.
Alerted by the noise, the pig turns around and lets out a shriek, throwing the cleaver.
It misses its mark, namingly his head, by a hair's breadth and easily slices into the dead meat behind himself.
“A ghost!” the pig screams and Xie Lian doesn't know whether to laugh or cry!
He settles for lifting his hands placatingly and says, ”I'm sorry! I'm still alive, I think it was a mix up!”
The pig stops its panicked rambling and tilts its head.
“Ah,” it says a little dumbly before starting a grunting laugh.
“Alright, the only ghost here is me. Alright, then sorry, you can go!”
Thankfully, Xie Lian bows to the pig-butcher and walks away as quickly as he can.
When he steps out of the butchers shop, his eyes widen once more.
Oh, he's in Ghost City.
It's dazzling and enchanting, the red hue of thousands of lanterns bathing everything into an eerie crimson glow.
And it's alive– more alive than any mortal city he's ever seen, and Xie Lian had seen many, many mortal cities.
Xie Lian starts exploring and behind every corner and ghost he finds something new and interesting.
He's passing a gaudy pleasure hall when he hears it.
“I heard he has a dozen!” one says.
“Honestly, anyone would be on their hands and knees, if he would grace them with his look,” another one says.
“I asked, but he sent me away,” mourns a third and the first one cackles.
“Well, you're ugly!”
“She’s not,” the second one butts in. “But I heard he's only accepting men. He's one of them.”
The other two let out an understanding “Oh!”
Xie Lian is about to walk past, when the first one says, “It would be so nice if we had someone to send to him, it would put our hall in a good light.”
The other two agree and then there's silence.
…Xie Lian feels their eyes on him and slowly he turns his head and looks right back.
There's a loaded silence between the four of them, before the second woman says, “Oh fuck me! He's gorgeous!”
Xie Lian isn't entirely sure how he found himself in a private bathing chamber in the pleasure hall.
He's assured them several times that he can't be a prostitute, or a concubine for that matter.
He can't get it up!
The three of them had giggled and shoved him into the building.
…They had also promised him food and elegant robes.
And he doesn't have to ask their city lord, but it would be very kind if he could and then mention their pleasure hall!
If he's lucky, Hua Cheng will be too busy with his other concubines anyway! They're all fighting over a place in his bed, he's alright!
So, defeated, he sits in the heavenly warm water.
…He hasn't had warm water in ages and those towels look so soft!
He doesn't exactly take his time, but he doesn't hurry either.
Ruoye is also greatly enjoying the rare warm water, diving through the water like a very playful snake.
When he's done and toweled dry, he picks up the robes they set out for him.
The quality is so much better than his rough, white robes– and these are a lovely shade of pastel blue and pink with fine embroidery on the sleeves.
When he tries them on, he notices they are not a perfect fit, but close enough.
Oftentimes his white robes fit worse.
When he leaves the bathing chamber, two of the three women from before pull him into another room. They have him sit on a chair to eat and then one applies floral perfumes and the other applies some Make-up.
He wants to tell them that they don't need to do this but so far whatever he said fell on deaf ears, so he stays quiet.
When they're done they pull him over to a tall mirror and– wow.
They definitely know what they're doing. While the garbs are not at all reminiscent of his princely attire, he still looks a lot like the long forgotten prince.
He looks young and innocent in a sense he hasn't looked for centuries, buried under enough grime and shame– he thought he might never look like this again.
The third woman walks in and lets out an awed sound when she sees him properly.
“I knew you were a rough gem, but by the gods–
I would ask you to work for us, we would earn so much money, but I already know the answer.”
“I'm sorry,” Xie Lian smiles innocently and they lead him back to the door.
“So,” the woman claps her hands once.
“Do whatever you want to do. But if you actually try to get a place in Chengzhu's harem, please mention the southern pleasure hall? We would be so grateful!
…and if you ever change your mind, you can work for us!”
A little dazed, Xie Lian walks into the direction the woman sent him.
He won't do it. There's no way he would give up his cultivation like this.
The woman's words echo in his ears again,
“If you're lucky, Hua Cheng will be too busy with his other concubines anyway!”
It would be nice to take a break for a little while.
It would be so nice.
His luck is bad, it might affect him even here in the ghost realm, but he's sure Hua Chengzhu might be able to deal with it, when it comes to it.
…
Indecisive, he walks a few times in a circle, before coming to a halt.
Ruoye comes out of his sleeve, curling a little around, in question.
“I know,” he says.
“I'm acting a little silly, right? What do you think? Is it okay to take a little break?”
Ruoye twirls excitedly around and he laughs a little.
Ruoye always hated when he got wet during his wandering. Of course it would rejoice at the prospect of a break.
“Alright, then I'll try my luck,” he says and takes off in the direction of the Gambling Den.
The Gambling Den is awfully crowded, Xie Lian thinks as he squeezes himself through the masses of ghosts and humans.
He never expected so many humans in a ghostly Gambling Den, but the three ladies told him that the Den was a place filled with greed and endless possibilities, so of course it would lure out any and every creature to try their luck against their Chengzhu.
When he finally manages to reach the main gambling floor, there's more space and he can breathe properly again. At the end of the hall is a dais, completely surrounded by a red curtain and he can see the silhouette of someone behind it. Slowly he walks towards the curtain, his steps faltering yet again.
If he says no, then that's fine too, he thinks and starts to walk again.
Around him the loud laughter and chattering is gradually quieting down, as if the patrons are sensing a show to begin.
A lady in front of the curtain acknowledges Xie Lian's presence with a nod and asks, “What kind of bet do you want to do?”
A bet? Huh, he didn't think that far.
He really has nothing of worth either, so he slowly sinks to his knees and bows down deeply.
“I wish for Hua Chengzhu to take pity and make me his concubine,” he says, incredibly grateful that his voice doesn't give out through the sentence.
There's a beat of silence in the den and then, suddenly, the patrons start into raucous laughter.
“Did you hear him?!”
“He is pretty, if Chengzhu doesn't want him, I wouldn't mind a bite…”
“As if Chengzhu would take him, hahaha.”
Xie Lian feels his face heat with embarrassment but then the laughter dies down almost as quickly as it started.
The fabric of the curtain is thrown aside, and a handsome man steps through.
Xie Lian doesn't really dare to get up yet and suddenly the ghost is in front of him, kneeling down as well.
“I wouldn't dare to take you as a lowly concubine,” Hua Cheng says quietly and the whole den is holding their needed and unneeded breath.
“But,” he says and bows deeply before him.
“I would love to take you as my first and only wife– if you'll have me.”
Xie Lian's eyes go wide and he snaps his head up to look at the ghost.
He'd only come in hopes for a warm bed and food for a while.
For a short break of his never ending self-imposed punishment.
He really should tell this handsome ghost in front of him.
Instead, he bows too.
Three times– and then cool, gentle hands help him stand and lead him behind the curtain.
Or, well, it should be behind the curtain but suddenly they step out of the cheering Gambling Den and inside a quiet and dark room.
Hua Cheng has yet to let go of his hand and leads him through equally quiet halls and after some time they stop before a big, elegantly carved door.
Hua Cheng– his husband, opens the door and behind lies a big bedroom.
Involuntary, Xie Lian stiffens, but after leading him inside, the ghost lets go of his hand and says, “I wish you good night, gege.”
Then he turns around and leaves.
Shocked, Xie Lian stands there, in front of the closed door for a moment, before woodenly turning around.
…He just got married.
He just got married!!
His Guoshi would turn around in his grave, if he ever knew.
But– he needs to tell Hua Cheng.
He needs to tell him about his abstinence and that he only planned to stay a little while.
And surely, after that, Hua Cheng doesn't want to have him here anymore and will send him away.
But Hua Cheng had given him his own room and didn't ask to consummate their marriage.
He'd bid him good night and now he was alone in a rather pretty room.
Unlike the red corridors and rooms they'd passed, this room was white and through the open windows he could smell wildflowers.
Slowly he walks over to a window, peers outside and yes, there's indeed a lovely garden just past the windows.
…He'd really like to explore the garden now, but instead he turns around and walks over to another small door.
Opening it reveals a room, filled to the ceiling with clothes.
He closes the door and opens it again.
The clothes are still there.
This is too much, he thinks slightly hysterically.
He briefly looks through the clothes until he finds a thind inner robe for sleeping and then walks over to a steaming basket.
When he's done with cleaning up and changing his clothes, he lays down in the big four-poster bed.
It's so big. It's also very soft.
He just lies there, dazed, until he falls asleep.
He wakes up to the smell of freshly made food.
Groggily he sits up and looks around, finding the source of the smell on a low table not too far from the bed.
He's also not alone, Hua Cheng is kneeling at the table, arranging food-piled plates on the table, which is bending under the sheer weight of the food.
As if sensing Xie Lian's look on himself, he turns his head and grins at him.
“Good Morning, gege,” the ghost greets brightly and Xie Lian slowly slides out of the bed and pads over on his bare feet.
He almost doesn't notice it, the floor is covered with fluffy white furs.
“Good Morning, Hua Chengzhu,” Xie Lian greets shyly before sitting down at the table, too.
“Gege can just call me San Lang,” Hua Cheng says with a teasing smile.
“After all, we're married.”
Xie Lian can't help but blush furiously at his words and nods.
“Alright, San Lang.”
The grin Hua Cheng gives him for using his chosen name is impossibly bright and he starts dropping different kinds of dishes on his own plate.
“I wasn't sure what gege likes to eat, so I got plenty.”
Xie Lian laughs a little at that and takes a simple mantou between his hands.
They spend the whole day together, talking about this and that. By the end of the day Xie Lian had simply forgotten that he wanted to tell Hua Cheng about his bad luck and that he only wanted to stay for a little while.
In fact, the next weeks pass much the same and in a happy blur, spending every day together, either exploring the manor, eating together, sparring in the armoury or exploring Ghost City together.
After two months and for the first time, Hua Cheng is called away for an emergency at the border of Ghost City. Even though Xie Lian offered to help, Hua Cheng had assured him that he would be right back and ‘Gege need not sully his eyes with that trash.”.
Thus Xie Lian was left back at the Manor, slowly exploring a room full of peculiar trinkets and artifacts.
Just when he reaches a shelf filled to the brim with vases and mirrors, he can hear a loud boom.
Quickly, he steps back and looks around, but the noise clearly came from the outside.
He turns around and wants to go out and take a look from the garden, when something massive slams through the wall, where only seconds before the vases and artifacts were.
Thankfully, it misses Xie Lian, who's stumbled to the floor and is coughing through the dirt and dust.
When it has settled, he looks up and makes a dismayed sound.
Countless artifacts and treasures, immeasurable worth, gone.
He'd become too comfortable.
This is his fault, his misfortune did that.
Just a moment later, Hua Cheng comes through the hole in a wall and when he sees Xie Lian sitting on the floor, he runs right over.
“Gege, gege, are you alright?!”
There's hands on his head and shoulders, patting down his form, looking for possible injuries.
The look on the Ghost King's face is frantic and vulnerable and Xie Lian gently catches his wandering hands.
“I'm fine, San Lang,” he mumbles but somehow his dejected mood must be visible, because Hua Cheng looks at him with more concern.
“Are you sure?” He asks, so gentle it makes Xie Lian want to cry.
Opening his mouth, he tries to find words.
“This is my fault,” he says quietly, when he finds them.
“This is all my fault.”
Hua Cheng arches an eyebrow.
“How can a gigantic boulder, thrown by a ghost who wanted to take over my city, be your fault?”
Hua Cheng doesn't sound angry, rather, he sounds curious.
“My misfortune,” Xie Lian admits.
“I simply wanted…” the words leave him again.
Hua Cheng sits down next to him on the ground, so close to him that their shoulders are touching.
“What did gege want?”
“A break, I think. I wanted to have a home for a while.
But I also knew that my misfortune would rear its head at some point.
And now countless treasures are destroyed, all because I got greedy for something I don't deserve.”
Xie Lian pulls his knees to his chest and buries his head on top.
He kind of expects Hua Cheng to pull away now, now that the truth is out.
Hua Cheng doesn't.
He's silent for a moment, waiting for Xie Lian to say more but when it becomes clear that he's said all he wanted to say, Hua Cheng replies, “You deserve everything.”
Xie Lian lifts his head and looks confused at Hua Cheng, who looks right back.
“These treasures here are trinkets for me. But you, you are something that can never be replaced,” Hua Cheng says solemnly.
“But San Lang–” again, Xie Lian rings to find the right words.
“You barely know me, I've done terrible things in my past and–”
For the first time since they met, Hua Cheng disrupts him.
“And yet you deserve good things.”
Xie Lian snaps his mouth shut.
“I know what you are capable of, but I also know of your kindness and love.”
Xie Lian has tears in his eyes by now and bows his head.
“But how?”
Hua Cheng slowly stands up and Xie Lian lets out a yelp when he lifts him up in a bridal carry.
“It's a long story. And I would like to tell it somewhere more comfortable and with food for gege.”
Xie Lian can't help but place his head against Hua Cheng's way too comfortable chest. He should probably say something along the lines of, ‘San Lang I can walk by myself!’, but…
“Alright, San Lang.” He agrees shyly.
“I'll leave myself in your capable hands.”