𝙃𝙪𝙖𝙇𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙊𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩

𝒔𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚!

The skies over Puqi Shrine shimmered with late afternoon gold, where the breeze danced lazily through the trees. Xie Lian sat cross legged at the wooden steps of his little shrine, sipping a cup of hot tea. His lips were curved in a thoughtful pout, his brows slightly furrowed.

Usually, such a calm day would make him feel utterly at peace. But today...

Today was Hua Cheng's birthday.

And Hua Cheng was gone for the moment...off to deal with a minor disturbance in the Ghost City which he promised would take only half a day. It left Xie Lian alone with his spiraling thoughts.

"San Lang always gives me things like...a glowing pearl necklace, a divine brush set, a fan made from phoenix feathers..." Xie Lian murmured to himself, turning the empty cup in his hand. "..What can I possibly give him that would be better than those?"

He leaned back and groaned dramatically, resting his head against the wooden beam. "Ha..." he whispered. "He's rich. And me? I have... string. And rice. And a questionable hand at embroidery."

He sighed again, harder this time. From the side, a little silver butterfly fluttered into the shrine and landed on his shoulder. Xie Lian blinked at it. "Even his messengers are prettier than anything I could make." he muttered.

Still, the butterfly sparked an idea. His eyes brightened. Then dimmed again as soon as the idea fizzled. He tossed his arms up in frustration. "What can I possibly give to San Lang?"
_

Inside the shrine, chaos began.

Xie Lian made lists. He wrote ideas. Then crossed them all out. He even tried to bake...only to have his cake turn into a charred, tragic disk that even a mouse wouldn't even sniff.

He considered drawing Hua Cheng. That was a mistake. The result looked like a...potato with a red eye.

Next, he tried sewing a cloak. A red cloak with little gold patterns on the hem. After several hours of stabbing his finger, the 'cloak' looked more like a tablecloth in distress.

Eventually, Xie Lian sank to the floor. He surrounded by threads, ribbons, torn silk, crumpled paper, burned pastry and a single steamed bun that he had accidentally sat on. "I've fallen from heaven twice and gone through eight hundred years of misfortune. But this is what breaks me.." he mumbled into his sleeves.

Still, he didn't give up.
_

(Timeskip)

The shrine doors creaked open. A familiar voice, smooth and low, drifted in. "Gege, I'm back." Xie Lian jumped to his feet and turned around, startled, hands behind his back. "San Lang!"

Hua Cheng entered, boots quiet against the wooden floor. He stopped and linked. His gaze landed on the chaotic mess around Xie Lian. There's a threads, ribbons, burnt pastry, something that might have been a drawing. And Xie Lian looking... guilty.

"Gege.." Hua Cheng said slowly. "Were you attacked... by someone?"

Xie Lian flushed. "No! I.. I was trying to make you a birthday gift!" Hua Cheng's head tilted, crimson eye glinting with interest. "Oh?"

"I know you always give me such beautiful things..." Xie Lian said. He suddenly shy. "...I didn't want to buy you something with someone else's craftsmanship. I wanted to make it. Even if it's ugly, or weird...or doesn't work."

He brought his hands forward.

In his palms was a small object. A red silk ribbon, clumsily embroidered with golden thread. The stitches were uneven, the pattern was a mess, but it was clearly supposed to be.

"A red butterfly?.." Hua Cheng whispered.

Xie Lian looked at the floor. "It was supposed to be a pin, for your hair... but it might fall apart in the wind..."

He expected teasing..mocking and Laughter, maybe.

Instead, silence.

"...Gege" Hua Cheng said, voice low and awed. "This is the most precious gift I've ever received." Xie Lian looked up sharply. "San Lang-"

"I'm serious." Hua Cheng stepped forward and gently took the ribbon from his hands like it was a sacred relic. "You made this. With your own hands. For me. That's worth more than all the gold and treasures in all the realms."

His crimson eye softened. "Gege... thank you." Xie Lian blinked. "You're not saying that just for my feelings, right?.."

"Gege" Hua Cheng leaned in close, lips curling. "I never lie to you. You know that." That made Xie Lian laugh, breathless and relieved.

To celebrate, Xie Lian pulled out a small round rice cake with a single candle. "I did try to bake a cake.." he said sheepishly. "But this is all that survived."

"It's perfect" Hua Cheng said, lighting the candle with a flick of his finger. "Everything from you is perfect."

Xie Lian turned a bit pink. "San Lang, you're really..."

"Madly in love with Gege?" Hua Cheng supplied with a smile, taking a bite of the rice cake.. despite it being dry and slightly burnt. "Shameless.." Xie Lian finished, but his lips curled too.

Then, Hua Cheng reached out and wrapped an arm around Xie Lian's waist. He pulled him into his lap in one smooth motion.

"San Lang!"

"Gege.. since it's my birthday, can I ask for something?"

Xie Lian glanced at him suspiciously. "That depends." Hua Cheng leaned in, their noses brushing. "A birthday kiss. Right here." His finger tapped the corner of his mouth.

Xie Lian tried to act scandalized. "You're so spoiled..."

"Only by you."

With a sigh, Xie Lian gave in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and lips. "Happy birthday, San Lang.." Hua Cheng's eyes gleamed. "Hehe.. Best. Birthday. Ever."
_

Later that night, Hua Cheng sat outside under the moonlight, hair untied and long..brushing over his shoulders.

Xie Lian gently wove the red butterfly ribbon into Hua Cheng's hair. It didn't match his usual sharp, elegant style..but it was from Gege, and that made it holy.

Xie Lian whispered as he tied the last knot. "So you won't forget today."

Hua Cheng turned his head, catching Xie Lian's fingers and kissed them gently. "I could never forget. Not when I have Gege by my side."

The ribbon fluttered in his hair like a flame..imperfect, hand stitched and more priceless than a crown.