Hua Cheng's Game; Hualian

Chapter VIII

Feng Xin and Mu Qing must have been hiding at a dead-end small chamber right past this cave that Xie Lian and Hua Cheng had entered and probably heard the entire conversation.

Xie Lian was still flustered from all the touching with Hua Cheng, but he cleaned his throat and tried to sound intimidating, putting his hands on his hips.

"What on Earth are you two doing here??"

"I told Gege we had some unwelcome guests, I just didn't think they'd be so low as to spy on us", Hua Cheng said his compliments as well.

Mu Qing was angry and replied in an annoyed voice, "Why must you two be so clingy? Why can't you two just behave like adults and stop saying these unholy things all the time?"

"Well, as far and San Lang and I are concerned, this was a private space and you had no right to be here", Xie Lian said looking from one intruder to the other.

"I can explain, Dianxia. You see, last time we were here, I left behind something very important...", Feng Xin was trying to elaborate, but Mu Qing was too irritated to just let him have his go.

"That's so clearly a lie that you don't even need to bother finishing telling it!"

"For once, we agree on something", Hua Cheng said while sitting on the stone bed a few steps behind them.

"Well, go ahead them. Your turn! I think you're better at telling lies anyway" Feng Xin replied.

"What are you implying? If you haven't started out so badly and was not so bad at acting, I could probably have saved us now!", Mu Qing was raising his voice at each pronounced word.

"You wanted to be friends, but you're such a bad person inside, that I guess you'll never change!", Feng Xin was pushing the discussion the wrong way and Xie Lian started to worry.

"You two, stop arguing. Do we need to have a few rounds of idioms practicing to help calm down so you can finally tell me why are you really here?"

Both fell silent. Feng Xin was gesturing for Mu Qing to start talking. Mu Qing rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead, then looked at Hua Cheng.

"I can help you with slapping and punching, if you like", Hua Cheng replied.

Mu Qing sighed and decided there was no other way than just spit it out. "I... I wanted to see, and perhaps, just perhaps, destroy, that statue that came running into my garden some weeks ago".

Xie Lian had started unblushing, but when he thought of that night with the Land of the Tender statue running around, he blushed again.

"You don't get to decide what to do with other people's belongings", Hua Cheng stood up and started walking in Mu Qing's direction.

"I had a feeling that statue was profane. I was worried for Dianxia! Who knows what sort of perverted things you have been forcing him to do these days...", Mu Qing spat back.

Xie Lian was agitated and looked at Feng Xin as if asking for back up.

"Dianxia, Mu Qing is truly concerned this time, it's not his nature, I know, but you had to see his face begging me to come with him. He even said 'Back me up if we meet Lord Hua Chengzhu'." Feng Xin imitated Mu Qing with a goofy tone, causing Hua Cheng to lift the corner of his mouth.

"You two seem more fun now than in my memories", Hua Cheng acknowledged. "But if you're done, I would appreciate it if could scram."

"But that statue..." Mu Qing cried.

"It isn't going anywhere, that was an accident and it was entirely my fault. See? I'm here now and nothing is happening. My powers have calmed down a bit. You will never see that statue again. Or for the first time" Xie Lian tried soothing Mu Qing's concerns.

Feng Xin was still worried. "Dianxia, but isn't it best to destroy evidences that may be used against you in the fut..."

"Neither of you will touch that statue, nor see it, nor anything. Just because I'm in a really good mood it doesn't mean that I can't turn sour the next instant." Hua Cheng was growing impatient, he even unsheathed E'ming and was carelessly running his fingers through its blade.

E'ming, on its turn, was eyeing Xie Lian. When he retributed the glance, its lid closed in a semi-moon, as if smiling. Mu Qing and Feng Xin saw it and shuddered.

"I give up. If word spreads out, don't say we didn't warn you." Mu Qing threw his hands in the air and headed for the corridor but was intercepted by E'ming's blade at its neck.

Hua Cheng sneered, "If word spreads out, we'll know it was you."

"No one will comment anymore on this topic. The four of us have managed to keep secrets for at least 800 years! How come we can't keep the statue incident to ourselves?" Xie Lian was trying to soothe the mood while pushing Feng Xin and Mu Qing out. "Bye, take care, the two of you. Don't fight on your back. See ya!"

A few moments after they disappeared from sight, Xie Lian looked back at Hua Cheng. "I think we were discussing something important before being spied on."

"We were discussing very important things AND being spied at the same time. Gege is very patient to those two, I would have locked them somewhere long ago." Hua Cheng came closer to Xie Lian.

"They're gods, I can't just lock them up, although locking their mouth shuts could actually be of use sometimes."

"Good idea, Gege. We could try it no..."

"Don't! San Lang, there was something else I wanted to say." Xie Lian changed the topic to prevent Hua Cheng from making experiments. "You see, we have done... 'things' in different places. But I feel guilty not retributing the feeling to you right away." His heart was pounding so loud Hua Cheng probably could hear it. "I think next time, we should provide retributions to each other on the same day."

Hua Cheng touched Xie Lian's hair and smiled. It was a very naughty smile. Right then, a wraith butterfly entered and told Hua Cheng that Feng Xin and Mu Qing had indeed left. The next second, Hua Cheng pulled Xie Lian, raised him up over his shoulders like a princess being kidnapped and threw the dice.

They appeared inside his room at Paradise Manor and the next thing Xie Lian knew, he was thrown at the red bed with his legs spread open.

Hua Cheng climbed on top of him and held his arms with a deadly grip on top of his head. "Gege, where were we?"