Wait,
Oh shit.
I'm in the paradise manor.
༻ ❍ ༺
Y/N OPENED HIS EYES LOWLY, GROANING AT HOW NUMB ONE OF HIS ARMS WAS FROM SLEEPING ON IT ALL NIGHT (ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROBABLY A WING AT THE TIME).
But he doesn't feel any slight discomfort other than that? Wasn't he supposed to be feeling grass itching his legs and torso? Wasn't he supposed to be grimacing at the feeling of bark against his back? Like he usually does every morning when he sleeps in the woods as a swan? Did he seriously still have to smile when people weren't around?
Wait,
He wasn't in the forest, near the lake, where he was supposed to be.
WASN'T HE WITH XIE LIAN?!
THE MC OF TGCF?!
Y/n shoots up from his laying down position and quickly looks around. Eyes dancing over the area. His lips not yet twirled into a smile, he didn't need to yet, besides it looked like he was kidnapped for fucks sake.
He was able to collect some (very) brief information on wherever he was.
1) It was a bedroom.
2) It was giant
3) Xie Lian was sitting on the corner of the bed.
WAIT XIE LIAN?!
Y/n was able to collect more information (on the room) as Xie Lian turned his head towards Y/n's completely stumped expression. Y/n blinked a few times before forcing his lips upwards and letting them form into a smile.
The room was giant, the bed Y/n was sitting on was at least a king sized one if not bigger. Red silks mixed with a light teal chiffon were draped around the bed like a canopy, tiny golden details were weaved into the mix as well, overall giving it a very royal look. His smile couldn't help but fade as soon as he looked away from Xie Lian, resting his face if you will.
The colors and silks reminded Y/n of the art STAREMBER had made when Xie Lian was sitting on Hua Cheng's lap in a dancer's costume. The one the fandom went feral over (Y/n did too, to be honest).
As if the bed wasn't extravagant enough, the room had white and black marble floors with vermilion tiles that covered the wall, many designs in gold painted over them. Paintings decorated the area and ceiling to floor windows gave Y/n a glimpse over a giant city.
Wait,
Oh shit.
I'm in the paradise manor.
Y/n was so wrapped up in shock that he failed to notice Xie Lian who had subtly inched closer with a tray of tea. He also forgot to smile, right, smile fondly.
"Xiu Y/n, would you like some?" Y/n snapped out of it and hesitantly took some tea as Xie Lian sat down next to him, chuckling slightly as Y/n's tongue slipped out of his mouth after he carelessly took a sip, not acknowledging how hot the tea was. Y/n hid it with a fond smile before setting the tea down.
Xie Lian found it kinda cute in a way. This man really didn't change from their days in Xian Le, Hua Cheng was right. But, Xie Lian couldn't help but notice how his smile seemed so sham. He used to have nothing behind his eyes, no spark. He did now, just the spark was off, it seemed like it was painted on, not as if he had earned it.
The red velvet blanket was still strayed across Y/n's lower body, it made him notice that his clothing was also changed to nightwear. A thin white robe with long sleeves that could be used as a blanket alone, with a light gray belt wrapped around his waist.
Y/n's mind buzzed with questions (that he hid with his classic smile) about just about everything as Xie Lian placed his own tea cup down on the bedside table.
"So, your name has spread across the heavens pretty quickly." Xie Lian started.
Y/n sighed and pulled his tongue back into his mouth, grimacing at the feeling of his teeth sliding over the burn but not letting that show in his face.
"...how long has the heavens known about me?" Y/n questioned with tranquility.
"Since you ran into Pei Ming, hypothetically when you had just met the ghost bride; if I'm correct."
That was more than a few months ago, Y/n's stomach ached at the realization of how long he had been here. After telling himself it wasn't time to think about the past, Y/n trailed off to his next question. It also made Y/n feel a sudden surge of emptiness, the heavens knew his name but not Ya Wenling's. What was so special about him? Ya Wenling was a better person than him after all.
"Why did you bring me here?" Xie Lian smiled sweetly at the question, his smile much more real than that of Y/n's, making Y/n's heart soften and his body less tense (even though no one could tell he was tense in the first place).
This was probably one of Xie Lian's many underrated talents, making people automatically relaxed and sweetened like they had taken a spoonful of honey.
"It was both San Lang and I's choice. You interested us and..." Y/n could see Xie Lian's face slowly turning red as he trailed off and Y/n leaned forward, cocking a brow.
"And what?" Y/n questioned innocently, he knew somewhat what Xie Lian was about to say, but wanted a clear answer.
Suddenly one of the two grand doors opened and Xie Lian rushed up to the man who opened the door, eagerly jumping into his arms.
Oh shit
It's Hua Cheng...
Y/n was now coated in a layer of cold sweat over his smile. The last encounter he had with this man was when he was on the brink of insanity and...was Death. And, he didn't have this nice smile that he forged every time he woke up from swan form.
This made another intrusive thought pop into Y/n's head, making his temple throb with anxiety.
What if someone from the Heavenly court, or the ring of ghost kings, finds Da Hong? He would be done for, Y/n had to do a lot to make sure that didn't happen. As death, Da Hong-
"Xiu Y/n," Y/n was strictly cut off by Hua Cheng and he looked over at the man with hesitancy, not daring to meet his eyes. He knew Hua Cheng could see through his smile; that didn't mean he didn't put it on though.
Y/n quickly tried to look over to Xie Lian for support or some sort of relief he might get, now that Hua Cheng was standing over the bed, arms crossed and looking down at the smiling Y/n with a predatory eye. But Xie Lian was in the midst of closing the door behind him, leaving Hua Cheng and Y/n alone. It didnt make it much nicer that Hua Cheng wasn't in a teenage form, it more looked like the form of the Manhua when he caught Xie Lian in the sinners pit.
Y/n immediately looked away as the door lightly closed with a *click* sound. His fist away from Hua Cheng's vision clenched the blanket, nervousness pounding its way through his veins and causing his fist to tighten even more.
He felt the weight of someone sit down next to him, denting the bed, and he shot a glance over to Hua Cheng. He had a furrowed expression, weaving in between some sort of acceptance and anger. Y/n secretly surged some spiritual power in the palm of his hand, ready for anything to happen.
"Xiu Y/n, Mei Nianqing left out a part of Da Hong's past in the vision you know?" Y/n furrowed his eyebrows, eyes widening, his smile dropping for a split second but then he picked it back up.
What would Mei Nianqing have to leave out? Everything in there was so gruesome, so what did Mei Nianqing have to hide?
"...what did he leave out?" Y/n asked, voice so quiet it was close to a mumble.
Hua Cheng turned to Y/n (no longer only showing his back to Y/n) and reached out slowly, testing the waters. Seeing that Y/n didn't jump off the bed immediately, Hua Cheng tapped the side of his knuckle on the necklace around Y/n's neck. It was the golden feather necklace Xie Lian had given him!
"This is a very important part of it." Hua Cheng switched his position so that he was now right next to Y/n, so close he could press their bodies together in only a second.
"Will you let me show you the past events?" Y/n pondered on the question for a few moments, tapping his finger under the blanket anxiously.
He gave into curiosity and nodded slowly.
Hua Cheng smiled ever so slightly, Y/n wasn't able to see it though (not that he kept the smile for long enough for anyone to catch anyway), as his eyes were still glued down to the blanket.
Suddenly both Hua Cheng's hands cupped Y/n's cheeks and he pressed they're foreheads together.
Y/n was unable to react as his vision faded into nothingness.
───༻ ❍ ༺───
Y/n opened his eyes abruptly, the sound of a busy street awakening him.
He looked down at his hands, they were transparent just like last time he was in a flashback. But when he shot his vision around, he noticed that this time he wasn't the only viewer.
Xie Lian was on his left, Hua Cheng right next to Xie Lian.
Xie Lian looked over and smiled at Xiu Y/n. Y/n smiled back, mimicking his same exact smile. He let it falter once in front of Xie Lian, never again.
"This flashback takes place in between when Da Hong killed Heng Mei, and The Tragedy Of The Burning Cities. Da Hong at the time had visited Xian Le, these are the events that took place." Xie Lian explained, Y/n nodded in thanks. It was really nice to have someone explaining in this flashback, it made everything a lot easier for Y/n to comprehend.
Y/n looked around just a bit more.
The area seemed to be a market place, on the not so nicer part of the Xian Le kingdom. Merchants and shopkeepers yelling out, advertising their brands and items to the public while people bustled through. It was a heavily filled area, very crowded so that people were nearly pressed against each other. Luckily there were no nobles around to complain or squish the people trying to buy pig meat under their feet.
Suddenly a figure wearing a dirtied sage green cloak in the flashback caught the attention of the three and Y/n glanced over. Under closer inspection of the face under the hood, Y/n noticed that it was indeed Da Hong. His eyebrows furrowed but nonetheless he kept smiling.
And Da Hong had just bumped into a little scrawny boy, ripped and tattered clothing, bandages wrapped around the side of his face. The little boy had just fallen backwards from the collision but Da Hong quickly caught him and mounted him back to his feet.
Da Hong kneeled down and held the kid's shoulders softly. Pushing to align their eyes, or Da Hong's eyes and the kid's eye.
"I'm so sorry, you okay kid?" Da Hong even going into insanity was still kind to kids, he had a soft spot for them, and it showed.
Shit,
Da Hong didn't meet Hua Cheng though the attack by E-Ming and Da Hong's death.
HE MET HIM HERE, IN THIS MARKET.
YEP we're back into flashbacks!
I just wanted to share this SVSSS art of Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu because it's just ✨ unfortunately I couldn't find the artist, if anyone does it would be wonderful if you could tell me! (: