HuaLian TGCF Oneshots

He Xuan x Food; a tragic telling

5k omg you guys are so amazing. Apologies for the wait, I don't have any schedule for updating and really just write whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it 💅. Here's a chapter to celebrate 5k and me starting yet another quarter of school.

It's time for everyone's true favorite ship ladies and gentlemen. Ty for everyone who enjoyed reading and dropped a vote ily 🥺. Meme chapter warning :)

He Xuan's annoyance at the man seated before him was immeasurable (his day was ruined).

The cocky tilt of his head, the swarm of silver butterflies accompanying him, the way Hua Cheng was currently sitting on his throne like he owned it.

Instead, he takes a calming breath and schools his features in a neutral tone, ignoring the way the man across from him tapped his pointed nails rhythmically into the crystalline chair.

With great effort, He Xuan kept his lips sealed shut, refusing to allow his many protests and grievances about this situation to leak out.

He takes another deep breath before speaking, "Hua Cheng."

Crimson Rain Sought Flower curls his lips up into a smile. "Blackwater," he pauses. "I need a favor."

____________________

The only explanation for He Xuan's current predicament was that he was massively in debt... or that Hua Cheng was experimenting with new ways to kill a ghost king.

How else could he find himself seated at such an elaborate-looking dinner table coated with such hideous smelling dishes?

He Xuan played idly with the golden embroidered cloth as he attempted to ignore the two other men in the room.

Before him stood none other than the crown prince of Xianle, who was frowned at him from across the table.

"San Lang, are you really sure your friend wants to try my cooking? He doesn't seem very eager about this..." the crown prince trails off.

Hua Cheng rests a reassuring arm on Xie Lian's shoulder from his position behind him. "Of course gege. No matter how much I insisted that your cooking was exceptional, you never believed me. My friend volunteered to help prove my point."

Xie Lian studied He Xuan's disguised face carefully before muttering under his breath "If I'm being honest, I didn't realize you had friends."

It seemed Crimson Rain Sought Flower chose to tactfully ignore the comment, but he himself could not. Unable to take the insult of being called Hua Cheng's friend, He Xuan replied, "we're more like... acquaintances."

Hua Cheng nodded emphatically beside him. "In any case gege, he's willing to prove me right."

Xie Lian gave He Xuan another skeptical glance. "I suppose San Lang is right, who he is matters less than the fact that San Lang trusts him."

Hua Cheng affirms tentatively "perhaps trust is a strong word, but Gege is correct, as always."

Having settled that matter, the three men then return their attention back to the dishes at the table. Xie Lian calls out to He Xuan cheerfully "which would you like to try first?"

If given the choice, He Xuan would rather not choose at all. If the appearance of the dishes were scary enough, the smells emanated were on another level. He doubted this food would even serve his fish properly.

He Xuan meets Hua Cheng's eyes, activating the private communication array between them.

"Half," He Xuan thinks to Hua Cheng. "I'll only accept half."