#nfnf sequel

I have reached 70k words.

This is approximately 1/4th of the outline.

💀

Also have some Teaser Images

Also, it just passed 160k words!

When he drew back, Hua Cheng finally opened his eye, giving him a soft, if somber, look.

An odd memory trickled to the forefront of Xie Lian’s thoughts.

“You know, after you first found me, when I first woke up, I spent several days thinking I was dreaming.”

Hua Cheng’s eyebrows knitted, like he didn’t expect this conversation shift. They really didn’t speak often about that part of his recovery.

“I remember,” Hua Cheng replied.

“Well, did you know part of the reason why was because of the way you look? I didn’t actually think you could be real. I actually thought I’d just dreamed up a perfect man to rescue me.”

Xie Lian could feel his cheeks burning as he spoke, but this was something Hua Cheng probably needed to hear right now, even if it was utterly humiliating.

“Is that so?” Hua Cheng asked, his expression replaced with delight.

“It’s true. In fact, when I realized I wasn’t dreaming, I was so embarrassed by my own thoughts I wanted to hide under the covers.”

Hua Cheng exhaled a puff of laughter and Xie Lian felt him relax slightly into his hands. He knew then that the admission was worth it.

Also previously I tossed out three relevant Ao3 tags, so here's three more. Mostly because I've shared like nothing about the plot lol. Also I'm not gonna share the ten thousand Hualian related tags. Y'all should already know they're #Established and they #Invented Love by now.

Amnesia (you had to know based on the title, c'mon)

Feng Xin & Lang Qianqiu (!?)

Original Character (villain)

Feng Xin was finally about to join him, and then his eyes landed on the altar. He was drawn to Xie Lian’s divine statuette at once, like most folks were.

It was such a splendid piece of artwork, wholly unbefitting a run-down place like this. Feng Xin bent over, inspecting it with wide eyes. This, at least, he was impressed with.

“A spitting image, wouldn’t you say?” Xie Lian said proudly.

“Yes, it is. Very fine work.”

“Hua Cheng carved it for me,” Xie Lian stated brightly, waiting for the reaction to come.

Feng Xin didn’t disappoint. He flinched hard and then looked over at Xie Lian, clearly appalled.

“It’s… that’s…” he stammered, unable to take back his compliment.

“What is it?”

“It’s not very…” Feng Xin straightened and cleared his throat. “It’s an unusual choice for a martial god, isn’t it? You can hardly see the sword.”

He wasn’t wrong. Most martial god statues were dressed to the nines with armor and weapons, usually looking quite fearsome. During his first ascension, Xie Lian’s statues had always been elegant like this though; so lovely that temple attendants could help but crown him with flowers. 

“I’m not sure I count as a martial god any longer.”

Feng Xin glanced back at the statue, frowning.

Xie Lian pivoted again, swinging hard with the peach-wood sword but missing his target completely. It was just too fast. For the first time since being buried alive, Xie Lian felt fear for himself.

Not fear of pain.

This creature could do something so much worse than bodily harm.

Xie Lian had only been afraid for Hua Cheng before, but now he knew for certain he could lose his own memories just as easily. Based on what he'd seen, he would lose most of them, and it was likely permanent.

The energy between them felt strange.

His Highness remained silent as he took a step or two in his direction, but now there was something about his expression that could have made Hua Cheng’s heart stop if it was still beating. It wasn’t anger but it was… something.

Faster than the eye could track, Xie Lian suddenly bowled him over, arms around his neck, peppering his face with heated kisses.

 Hua Cheng hadn’t been expecting this. 

The back of his knees hit the altar table, and they both fell over, now basically sitting on it. When His Highness’s mouth finally found his, the kiss was deep and hungry—unusually so for Xie Lian. 

At this point, the God was half-straddling one of his legs, one knee up on the table, and Hua Cheng felt a deep hunger of his own. A hunger he was usually much better at ignoring. Right now, His Highness's passionate kiss was making it fairly impossible.