It's Xie Lian's birthday, and all he ever wanted was to get his friends together in Puqi Shrine and cook for everyone, so they could all eat, drink and be merry. It's a tall order even for Hua Cheng; however, what Gege wants Gege gets!
Seeing there was nothing else he could do, Xie Lian went back inside the shrine to see how Hua Cheng, Feng Xin and Mu Qing were doing. If he was honest to himself, he still felt puzzled about this whole situation, and uneasy for having left San Lang with his two former appointed generals. The shrine was still standing, which was already good news.
"... he never had the heart to tell her majesty he didn't like them, so every day we had to eat what they sent him from the palace! Not bad eh Mu Qing, having palace cooked red bean buns!", Feng Xin was saying, bursting into laughter, followed by Mu Qing; Hua Cheng just smiled tenderly.
He knew it! Xie Lian cleared his throat rather loudly to show his arrival; they were sitting around the altar table, drinking wine from small and exquisite jaded cups – both wine and cups having been brought by one of them, Feng Xin probably. They looked like parents in a kid's birthday party, drinking, bragging about their jobs and their fancy holidays.
"Gege!", Hua Cheng looked at him and smiled, patting the seat beside him. As soon as Xie Lian sat, he hugged him and kissed him on the cheek; Feng Xin and Mu Qing didn't make disgusted faces as usual – Xie Lian was watching them closely.
"Are you enjoying your birthday? What are they doing? Let me guess... food market?", he asked, referring of course to his subjects from Ghost City; Hua Cheng just knew them too well.
"Say, Crimson Rain Sought Flower", Mu Qing said, "this robe of yours is so well-cut! So much attention to detail".
"It's custom-made", Hua Cheng replied with a smile, "I'll send my tailor to you, maybe he can start a new trend for Ghost City fashion at The Heavens".
Mu Qing cupped his hands, thanking profusely. Xie Lian gave Feng Xin a side-look; he was politely drinking and following the conversation, and didn't seem drunk at all. What's more, he didn't curse since his arrival earlier. It was an appropriate behaviour, only totally out of character.
Xie Lian suddenly remembered the ghosts were outside Puqi Shrine – with Shi Qingxuan and the beggars – unsupervised, and suggested they'd go to have a look at the proceedings.
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