“No, you don't. You think it’s pretty,” Xie Lian says brightly, a small smile flickering across his face. In lieu of his predictable white robes, he’s wearing a navy blue hanfu that fades to white. The sleeves, as well as the bottom part of the skirt, are patterned lightly with tintless pictures of pistache trees.

It’s ravishing. It’s so beautiful that Mu Qing wants to ask who tailored it, but he wards off the thought just as quickly as it comes.

Hua Cheng and Feng Xin are just around the corner, purchasing tanghulu and rice wine and who-knows-what. They’re wearing blue hanfus as well. The same as Xie Lian’s–yes, they're matching. Ridiculous. When Mu Qing first laid eyes on the three of them, he snorted out a laugh, perhaps only to subdue the fervid jealousy swelling inside of him.

The three of them were… courting. Xie Lian had announced it to him just days prior. He had said it with a grin and two men in his arms.

Mu Qing only stared blankly. “Congratulations?’ he said finally, when it was undeniable that Xie Lian was waiting for a response. He didn't mean to sound apathetic to the reveal, but how was he ought to acknowledge the news, anyway? All he felt was a twinge of sadness, knowing that he’d be solitary more often than not now.

He felt forsaken.

“I do not think it’s pretty,” Mu Qing lies through his teeth. How did Xie Lian savvy that? He had made sure to denigrate Ghost City every time he dropped by Paradise Manor, as fictitious as the remarks were.

“What’s not pretty?” Hua Cheng appears from behind Xie Lian, three sticks of candied cherries in his hand. He hands one to Xie Lian and Feng Xin–who stands next to Mu Qing now, clutching on to far too many paper bags–then to Mu Qing. He doesn't take one for himself.

“Nothing,” Mu Qing quickly says, accepting the tanghulu gingerly. He loves cherries, but maybe not from Hua Cheng’s hands. The ghost king is grudging enough to dip the cherries into horse piss.

“Mu Qing thinks Ghost City is pretty,” Xie Lian says just as quickly, concurrently.

Hua Cheng blinks at him before sweeping his eyes around the astir city. “Do you?”

“No!” Mu Qing’s voice is a pitch higher than it should be.

“What’s the point in denying it? Look, your face is all red.” Feng Xin laughs.

“Shut up, you baboon. You have sugar all over your lips.”

“Huh? Really?”

Xie Lian chuckles. “Come here so I can take it off, A’Xin.”

Mu Qing thinks Xie Lian is going to graciously take a paper towel to wipe it off, but no, of course not. He makes Mu Qing witness his tongue on Feng Xin’s lips. Mu Qing wants to kill himself.

“Oh, heavens…” Mu Qing mutters, horrified.

“And yet you don't look away.” He can hear the smirk in Hua Cheng’s voice.

“I’m looking away now. Watch.” Mu Qing turns on his heels and walks away from all three of them. He’d rather traverse Ghost City himself than watch three men get cozy together.

“You like pretty things?”

“Why on earth did you follow me?” Mu Qing yells over the bustling crowds.

Hua Cheng shrugs. “This is my territory. I’d rather keep my eyes on the heavenly official walking freely through the streets of it.”

“As if your butterflies haven't been.” It would be cretinous if Mu Qing hadn't taken notice of the silver butterflies that seemed to take a special predilection for parroting a tail.

“Just so you know,” Hua Cheng drawls, hands on his hips as a crimson eye lazily skims over his perimeters. “My butterflies much prefer gege’s company.”

Mu Qing rolls his eyes, resisting the overwhelming urge to pound Hua Cheng’s head with a barrel. “Then why the hell are they shadowing me?!”

“Because I told them to, you halfwit. Because gege asked me to.”

“Xie Lian—what?” Mu Qing halts his strides, and Hua Cheng stops with him, throwing an irritated glare over his shoulder. “That makes no sense. Stop watching me like a hawk. Don't you guys have better things to do?”

“Not really. Come along, now. Gege will be displeased if I lose you.”

Mu Qing splutters, dumbfounded. “What the fuck? What am I, a kid?”

“If you don't hurry up, I’ll make you wish you were, general. At least then my strikes wouldn't be as hard. Don't make gege wait.”

“...Then go? What the hell? Need I always be under your relentless supervision?” Mu Qing retorts, reveling in the way Hua Cheng’s glare sharpens by a hair.

“Gege wanted to spend time with you, and you just plan to leave him alone? Don't be selfish.”

“Selfish–?” Mu Qing cuts himself off. He can feel his face burn like a furnace with the heat of pure fury and sanguine wrath.

Selfish was a sickening taunt thrown at Mu Qing for centuries now, and in the cold clarity of truth, it should be as meaningless as a bag of spilled rice.

But Mu Qing never got accustomed to anything; not the sudden shift from being cast aside like a forgotten stain–because what else do they serve on a copper platter to those born to poverty and servitude?–to the glorious decadence and golden indulgence of godhood, or how the thick silence that echoed the Xuan Zhen Palace transitioned into shared laughter and warmth and everything Mu Qing’s ever wanted–

“Xuan Zhen.” The sudden snap of Hua Cheng’s fingers, just inches away from his face, jerked him to the present. “Your eyes dulled.”

“Oh. No, they didn’t." He redefines his guise, correcting the tiniest misaligned muscles. "Now go back to your lovers, they need you. I’m going back.” He turns his back to Hua Cheng, his hands preparing to draw a teleportation array. Mu Qing doesn't know why, but he feels as if he's been enveloped in a sorrow so great it numbs him. He thinks it might be because he has too much of a workload sitting on his desk, waiting for his return. It's not because he's upset about Hua Cheng seeing him as inconsiderate.

That's preposterous.

“Alright, hold on now. Where are you going?”

“To my palace.”

“Leaving already, General?” He can hear the smugness that colours every syllable in Hua Cheng’s words, and the irritation grows twofold.

“Yes, this place is a pit of discarded garbage. And you piss me off.” His fingers start to outline the intricate details of the array, making sure each stroke is as perfect as the last, when fingers curl around his wrist in an iron hold.

“Did I offend you somehow?” Hua Cheng’s voice is devoid of his usual cockiness, now replaced by a lilted whisper and tender guilt.

Mu Qing can only think of the scrawny boy Hua Cheng once was, with tattered rags and eyes that have glimpsed too much into brutal reality. He recalls the way Hua Cheng clung onto Xie Lian's robes like the stars hug the sky, and how the beads in his eyes gazed up at his prince with utter devotion and admiration.

Hua Cheng was a quivering child back then, and now...

Despite himself, Mu Qing feels a smile blossom, though it’s soft and curved only slightly at the edges.

Hua Cheng takes a step forward so he can get a look at Mu Qing’s face. His eyes widen by a fraction when he sees it. “...You’re smiling.”

“If I say you did offend me, would you fall to your knees in remorse and plead for my mercy?”

“Absolutely not." Hua Cheng's face contorts in aversion before a sly smirk takes its place. "But I might make amends in… other ways.”

“Other ways?” Mu Qing wrinkles his brow, scouring Hua Cheng’s dark eyes for answers to questions he doesn’t know of.

Hua Cheng doesn’t reply immediately. His gaze stays fixed on Mu Qing as he glides his fingers up from where they're wrapped around the god's wrist to his lips–sensually, with far too much passion–and caresses the soft flesh he finds there with his thumb. “Name your price.”

Mu Qing’s breath trembles in his throat, and his lungs constrict. “W-what are you doing?” His voice is raw and brittle and it cracks–it’s abhorrent, really, how easy it is for Mu Qing to unfold his vulnerability at the slightest hint of fluster.

When he remains silent, Hua Cheng leans down until his lips graze the shell of Mu Qing’s ear. “You're prettier than all of Ghost City. Take your sweet time, Xuan Zhen.” And then he wanes into the night, leaving behind nothing but a hundred silver butterflies and the wind’s melodious whistles.

quanyin

uh. this one feels self explanatory

hualian

if i have to explain this one it’s over

fengqing

same as the first two LMAO

xianle trio

yes, i had to break the trio and quartet into different categories

mulian: mu qing always admired xie lian for his self-assuredness, strength, and also beauty. he was a bit jealous of him for a long time, but they were able to talk about it and they both forgave each other for everything that happened in the past. he's had a crush on him since the beginning, but was bad at showing it. xie lian thought mu qing was pretty and a very interesting person; when he got older, he regretted not spending more time getting to know him, so he makes up for it later on in life! he loves when mu qing is softer and shy and more vulnerable than he is usually, and loves how mu qing is a good listener and is pretty emotionally intelligent.

fengqing: well. you get the idea

fenglian: feng xin was always loyal, the first person to have fallen in love with xie lian, and dianxia’s first kiss. he would’ve never left xie lian if xie lian hadn’t told him to. he respected xie lian a lot. xie lian loved how much feng xin cared, and felt immensely guilty about being unable to give him anything more. when they reunite, he showers feng xin with gifts and words of affirmation (he got better at expressing his emotions) and they spend a lot of time together

xianle quartet

all the other ones stay the same, so i’ll just explain the two new ones

huaqing: they were once stuck together and had to talk just out of boredom. they bickered a little but the more they talked the more they realized that there was more to the other. mu qing feels genuinely bad about what he did to hua cheng. he has a hard time apologizing but he tried his best to express his remorse, and hua cheng was pretty shocked (previously thought mu qing was a bit of an asshole) and, since mu qing was being sincere, decided to accept his apology. they hit some rough patches now and then, but xie lian and feng xin help them through it. they realized they’re pretty similar, and team up to stir up trouble with people they don’t like sometimes!

huaxin: feng xin was jealous of hua cheng because he was the one who won xie lian’s heart after 800 years and was really happy when he found out that xie lian liked him too. he admires that hua cheng was strong enough to help xie lian so many times. he also likes that hua cheng is a little cocky sometimes (read: very often), and finds hua cheng very good looking. hua cheng was jealous of feng xin for being the first person to be that close to xie lian, but appreciates how loyal he was throughout everything that happened and finds him pretty cool. he likes the way feng xin curses a lot when he’s pissed (finds it endearing)

huayin

ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVES!!!

yin yu fell first, because hua cheng was so fascinatingly determined and also like the prettiest person he’s ever met. he was intimidating, but could be quite kind, as he was to yin yu when they broke past the employee/employer relationship and became closer

hua cheng began to notice the way yin yu came off as so meek and unnoticeable, but had a kind of poised anger and strength beneath all of that. he trusted yin yu with a lot of more important tasks, paid him well, and considered him as more of a right hand man or partner in crime than a henchman, then eventually as just a partner

e’ming also likes yin yu, and trusts him to take care of it

hua cheng finds it endearing when yin yu gets protective of him (both of them know hua cheng is perfectly capable, but hua cheng finds it sweet regardless)

yin yu cheered hua cheng on a lot with xie lian and patiently listened to everything hua cheng had to say about him

huayinlian/hualianyu

ANOTHER PERSONAL FAVE

ppl keep being like “oh but hua cheng would never cheat on xie lian” HOW IS THAT CHEATING! GOOD LORD! HUA CHENG STILL LOVES XIE LIAN, BUT HAS ALSO DEVELOPED FEELINGS FOR THE PERSON HE SPENT THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME WITH

i digress

yin yu fell for xie lian because he heard about him all the time. how could you spend so much time hearing about how wonderful, kind, gracious, and amazing someone is without catching feelings a little? additionally, hua cheng allowed yin yu to visit xie lian’s temple and leave offerings, trusting him to be genuine in his actions. yin yu saw some of the paintings and sculptures of xie lian and found him beautiful. he knows a lot about xie lian's life, and truly wants him to find peace and happiness

xie lian loves how devoted yin yu was to hua cheng and how much he helped him. he knows those years were hard for hua cheng, and he’s glad that he had a companion (contrary to what people say about “cheating”, xie lian is incredibly happy that hua cheng managed to find love while he was waiting). i know yin yu is canonically “plain”, but xie lian loves him and thinks he’s very handsome :) he gives him a lot of compliments and words of affirmation

blackmoon (yinxuan)

taking a moment to appreciate that very awesome ship name

yin yu thought he xuan was terrifying and intense, only to discover that. he’s just a guy (/pos). but he does have a lot going on! he has urges and a complex history and emotions he doesn’t show to a lot of people and plans within plans and is generally such an interesting person with so many layers to him. beneath a lot of those layers is a guy who’s kind and smart and would’ve stayed kind and smart if his life wasn’t utterly ruined

he xuan initially thought yin yu was just kind of pathetic, but learned more about him and started to like him more. he finds his passion really attractive, loves how genuinely sweet, kind, and gentle he is as well as how harsh, cruel, and unrelenting he can be. he treats he xuan well and makes him feel human and real and knows when to leave him alone and knows when he wants attention and cooks for him and-

they feel seen around each other, having experienced similar things (such as having their destiny “stolen” in different ways though) and have experienced suffering in such a firsthand way. they’re ready to just chill together now :)

moon quartet (hua cheng, xie lian, he xuan, and yin yu)

xie lian finds he xuan cool, doesn’t have too many thoughts about him. he xuan thinks xie lian is cute and also mildly terrifying (i’m definitely editing this later on, i just don’t have a lot of thoughts about them yet)

hua cheng and he xuan have been close for a long time, helping each other out with ghost king business. hua cheng let he xuan relax and chill at ghost city when he needed to, and he xuan kept a close eye on the heavenly capital, so they met often and bonded. they’re both motivated by something and are incredibly passionate about that thing, so they mutually admire the other’s drive and courage

i have the least for them so far, but i just think they’d be sweet together :] they’d all help each other heal and be able to talk to each other. they’d love each other a lot and take care of one another when they need it and be there when someone needs someone :3 idk they’re so traumatized and deserve to recover from that i’ll form more thoughts i swear