Me and the devil

十八

Xie Lian rested his head on Hua Cheng's shoulder. Hua Cheng wrapped his arm around Xie Lian's shoulder, the two getting comfortable.

Many believe that, as per his nickname, the God of Misfortune, any paintings or writings of the Crown Prince of Xianle carry the ability of a curse. If one is placed on the back of a person or on the main doorway of an establishment or household, the person, establishment, or household will encounter all sorts of bad luck and negative energy. The Crown Prince of Xianle brought along the destruction of the mighty kingdom of Xianle and was given the moniker 'The Cursed Prince' by his people.

...It was hard to tell if this was a description of a god or ghost.

Xie Lian moved to sit upright, groaning. The passage talking about how much of a curse he was brought him back to the days when his own people cursed his name. He plopped his head into his hands. Why was he always portrayed as the villain? He would've done anything. He had done everything for Xianle.

Hua Cheng gently pried his hands away from his face.

"Gege."

The ghost's presence in itself was a soothing balm in the torrent of Xie Lian's mind. His words even more so.

"I don't blame them..." Xie Lian whispered. "I just don't understand why they hated me so much."

"Gege did everything he could. The people had unrealistic expectations of you. That wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault. You could've found the solution in a mere week, and they would have criticized you for not finding it in a day."

"San Lang's right." Xie Lian's anxieties melted away in the sweet kiss pressed to his lips.

A moment passed before something caught Hua Cheng's eye. He laughed. "Gege, look." He pointed. "It has the Four Calamities as well."

Xie Lian looked, and indeed there was a section dedicated to the Four Calamities. It must have been an updated one, as there was no mention of Qi Rong. Instead, there was a section of Golden Flower Sought Butterfly, and another detailing popular speculation of the relationship between Golden Flower Sought Butterfly and Crimson Rain Sought Flower.

Xie Lian snuggled up to Hua Cheng, and together they laughed at the ridiculous theories.

Eventually, Xie Lian grew hungry. He rummaged through his sleeves, before finally procuring a bun that had thankfully not gone stale yet.

"Are you hungry?" He asked Hua Cheng

He nodded.

Xie Lian handed the bun to Hua Cheng.

Hua Cheng eyed him, he knew buns were a favorite of Xie Lian.

"What about you?"

"I'm all right, not hungry yet." Xie Lian said, although he was a little hungry, he hadn't missed the fact that Hua Cheng had skipped a meal or two to deal with the upstart ghost. He knew his husband had no need to consume nutrition, but the luxury of it was something he should enjoy.

Hua Cheng pushed the bun back, seeing through his ploy. "Then I'm alright too."

Xie Lian laughed at his husband's stubborn attitude. "Fine, we can split it." Splitting the bun in half, he handed one half to his husband, biting into his half of the bun.

Seeing this, Hua Cheng accepted the bun, and took a bite, a flirty flash of sharp canines causing Xie Lian to flush and look away.

The ox cart drove slowly over the rugged hills as the sun gradually dipped below the horizon. The two chatted idly as they slowly made their way to Puqi village.