春晓。

* 🜲 ; #𝖥𝖤𝖭𝖦𝖸𝖠𝖲.

selective & independent roleplay blog featuring WEN KEXING of TIAN YA KE. adored by arren, established in may 2021. novel & headcanon-based. open to crossovers and original characters and all chinese muses.

* 🜲 ; #𝖥𝖤𝖭𝖦𝖸𝖠𝖲.

selective & independent roleplay blog featuring WEN KEXING of TIAN YA KE. adored by arren, established in may 2021. novel & headcanon-based. open to crossovers and original characters and all chinese muses.

        he smiled through it all. from the force or clank of shackles to the master’s deceiving expression & the occasional brush of bloodied fingers across the freshly tattooed area to wipe the ink off, xue yang made of it a source of strange delight he’d hint to by the way his lip periodically curled into a smirk.

        did wen kexing need to supervise the process? it’s likely he didn’t but good thing, xue yang thinks, that he did. not only would his servants ironically be spared from the newborn ghost’s killing intent for another day, it’s given him an opportunity to keep feeding the unpredictably playful exchange. “ your hands aren’t good at branding?… then i can’t help but believe you snuck in here just to watch me get manhandled. are you getting a kick out of it? ” he ventures in a cloyingly docile tone, sitting up on the mattress with sluggish movements & the layers of his upper robes around his waist, letting out a ragged exhale ─── as if he’s slept for hours.

        but only when he catches a glimpse of his disheveled look in the mirror does he begin to consider drawing even more attention to it. he tosses the stray strands of his ponytail over his shoulder, steps over to the mirror, then turns halfway around & inspects the tattoo before he makes sure to lift his eyes just a little higher & peer at the master without having to face him. “ ...i don’t hate it. ” nothing particularly noteworthy, but he’s got scars that look a lot less attractive. xue yang rubs his wrists & soon pulls his robes back up around himself.

        For a few seconds as he looked up, his eyes met Xue Yang's. That was when the two ghosts behind him, who were still cleaning the rocky bed mere minutes ago, caught him unaware and held his hands behind his back with his robes half up, forcing him onto his knees in front of him. To make sure that he couldn't move, each of them had one of their feet pressing on his ankles, and as a small precaution, a needle pointing towards his neck.

        Wen Kexing smiled. But it wasn't the type of smile that looked even remotely friendly nor inviting. If anything, it was the type of smile that had a hint of warning. He had been lenient until now due to his good mood; so much that the other had felt comfortable enough to hazard a guess at his intentions. If he didn't draw a line right here and now, who knew what else he would feel comfortable doing in the future. No matter how amiable he could prove himself to be, he was still the irrational ghost master after all, and it was about time for him to get a good grasp of it.

        “A surprise?” he asked calmly, as if he was still just as congenial as he had been minutes ago. “Did you perhaps mistake my tone from earlier as me being good-natured?” If there was one thing that Wen Kexing couldn't accept, it was to be brazen enough to try and guess his thoughts. He didn't trust Xue Yang, and he had yet to find out what his true intentions for coming here were, if he allowed him to be too comfortable, he wouldn't hesitate to step over his head later on. So taking a step forward, then another, until he was only a hair's breadth away from him, he closed his long nails around Xue Yang's face to make him look into his eyes and said.

@𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐲𝐚𝐬​ 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 :       places a sweet kiss on top of wifey's forehead. ♡

* ˙ ˖ ✶ 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝,  always accepting.

        with one hand on the teapot & the other holding the bottom of the cup between his thumb & index finger, xue yang is engrossed in his own efforts when the unexpected tap of lips upon his forehead makes his hands halt their movement. it hasn’t yet felt like summer even though it should [ … ] the days are still chilly after a fit of persistent rain, & tea seems to be the next best remedy after the pair of warm arms in which he woke up in the morning. he only notices he hasn’t gotten a cup for himself after wen kexing releases him from the loose, brief embrace across his shoulders.

“— Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”  

        but, partly because of him & partly because of wen kexing’s own lock over his heart, the mind games never stopped. they’ve become less of a threat, to the point they can share the same bed now & not worry about hidden blades while one of them’s asleep ; now that he knows what wen kexing thinks of all the nights spent together, he hates himself for coming back to look for the real key to the arsenal. this may be the last night he spends in the master’s company.

        it was in his character to let go of the superfluous thoughts that gave room for the bitterness of the heart. since xue yang was giving him an opening for a change of topic, it would be foolish of him to not take the bait. so wen kexing shoved that half-bitten piece of osmanthus cake in his mouth as if to erase the biting taste of his own dissatisfaction and said, “you... could see it that way. a’xiang has been by my side for as long as i can remember.”

        ever since he’s opened his mouth to speak, it’s all been comments on how lavish the meals appear, how quiet everyone else is. it’s a banquet, isn’t it? why are they treating it like someone just died? he asks after taking note of an especially miserable-looking ghost. he could most assuredly make it a reality, but wen kexing’s arm feels relaxed in between his own & his smile is sincere [ … ] it’s not often the assassin stares at the master & sees contentment in any form so, for the sake of it, all he can do is delay a sacrifice or two. yama hall has been unusually empty these days.

        a hardly noticeable purse of lips is his response to the fingertip when it lands on them with a feathery, silent request. he could kiss wen kexing right here regardless of who caught a glimpse of the moment, & he nearly lets it happen, but better ideas brew in his mind not long after. he could lead the man away from the festivities for a little while if he wants to preserve his cheerful disposition : the air here feels stifling despite the heavy focus on the two figures dressed in matching shades of red ─── a little fresh air could do them good. ( or it’s just a passable excuse all the same. )

        regardless, he still had some sense of responsibility. the reason why he had organised this banquet was precisely what the other ghosts had thought of: it was nothing more than a threat. unlike xue yang, who had joined their ranks only a few years ago, the others already knew that nothing good could come out of a master who did not like to celebrate and was as unpredictable as he was. he couldn’t afford to disappear when all the eyes were still on him. his presence here, at least for the time being, was necessary. “it’s not that i don’t want to listen to you,” he suddenly said, his tone coaxing and somewhat helpless. “but i have to entertain the guests. this banquet only just started.”

        and for this, wen kexing had already thought of something. in order to keep the ghosts occupied, he had organised a hunt. there were few things that could draw their interest for long enough, and because he knew this, he had specifically hidden a fake key somewhere in the valley that he would use as a way to root out the most dishonest of servants that were stupid enough to believe he would be so foolish as to play games with the real key. with that thought in mind, he spoke against xue yang’s ear. “join me on the mountain top in ten minutes. i’ll show you something fun.”

        caught there, in the tight embrace of that pair of arms as he feels complaints wasting away on his tongue one by one before he got to spit them out, a hand already covered in a thin layer of leather for the evening reaches up to rest against one of wen kexing’s forearms. doing so feels as though it is the result of an arduous, inward battle, & he could argue about how he’ll need time to pick up the pieces of a cracked ego in the days to come ─── but he does it so voluntarily despite the frown on his face, it doesn’t look like a real frown one bit.

        “ is there such a thing as ‘ getting ready ’ with you? i thought that’s what you do all day while you’re at work, ” he counters, watching the black cat as it walks away with its tail swaying from side to side. it’s certainly more than any effort he puts into getting ready every day, but it’ll do ; taking into account his low-profile position, the fact wen kexing is the only one that sees him on a regular basis doesn’t sound like a bad thing in the slightest. “ besides, you look fine to me. it doesn’t matter. ”

        so he took off his coat and boots with a small smile, thinking that he was truly the most cunning man on earth. looking at xue yang as he spoke, he said, “aiya, you can’t compare these two things. when i dress up for work, i dress up for work. but if i’m going on a date, of course i must be dressed to kill.” he then realised something and added, “thank you for the compliment though.” and perhaps because he felt a little shameless, he winked at him before disappearing in the vast space of the apartment, climbing the stairs to his room to change into a high waist trouser that complimented his form and a loose, plain white shirt that was slightly open on the chest.

        with the addition of a brown watch, dangling earrings and a touch of makeup and perfume, he headed back to the hall where xue yang was waiting for him then slipped back into his coat and a pair of black leather shoes. just like that, he was ready to go. he had already procured himself two tickets to the aquarium earlier in the afternoon – between little breaks of ten minutes – so he didn’t need to be worried about wasting time once they would be there.

        amusement lingers on his lips even after the purple-clad girl has shut the heavy door behind herself. surely it wouldn’t be the first time she’s been in this room or witnessed the branding of a ghost-to-be, but the sight of a half-undressed man is bound to feel inappropriate for any girl her age. he can tell this much.

        “ & here i was, hoping i’d be lucky enough to have it done by the master himself. what a letdown. are you here only to make sure they don’t slack off, then? ” or, for wholly different reasons which xue yang doesn’t yet dare to take as the most plausible reason. he managed to catch a brief view of wen kexing’s keen stare while removing his clothes, but whether this is truly why he’s still so comfortable leaning against the wall like that remains to be seen.

        the violent flash in his eyes exchanged with one of the servants just as he reached for his forearm with a slightly forceful movement is one xue yang makes up for in less than a moment’s worth ─── when he turns to regard the ghost chief with charming playfulness, it’s as if that chilling glint was never there. however tightly the shackles close in around his wrists, he only lets out an exaggerated sigh as the long needles begin to nudge their way into his lower back.

        but wen kexing didn't mind it. he was in a good mood, so he allowed the heedless questions, putting it on account of his blatant ignorance of the ghost valley rules. there would be times when he wouldn't be so patient, but today wasn't one of them: after all, a newcomer had to learn before being berated for an attitude.

        “do i need a reason to be here?” he asked, watching the ghosts exerting force on the shackles to keep him steady, probably as a small personal revenge for giving them so much trouble this early in the morning. they couldn't strike him personally, so they took it out on the second most troublesome person in the room: xue yang himself. “my hands may be good at many things, but branding isn't one of them.”

        as their eyes met, wen kexing merely smiled and said, “i can't say. they've never been so rough with me.” it might've sounded as though he were responding to the playfulness, but in fact, he was rejoicing in the movement of the needles puncturing through the flesh bit by bit, leaving traces of both blood and battered skin, which made of the tattooing process an entertaining show for him to witness. it was almost regrettable that, merely thirty minutes later, the show had already come to an end. the shackles loosened, and on xue yang's skin was branded the big face of a ghost.