Crown Prince and Ghost King

Chapter 29

--Flashback marked with <><><><><>--

Dinner was good, but Xie Lian was growing a bit restless of the loud commotion all around them. It was a rare occurrence, for the god to feel at unease in the overlap of voices that made the city more than lively, although the irony was strong with that statement. Maybe he still needed some time to recover from the untold shock of having experienced a fetus spirit force its way into his body.

Xie Lian liked to think he was more than used to any sort of things, by now, but in all honesty... he often told that to himself just so he could face anything without backing away. There was still stuff he failed to experience, in eight hundred years of life, and he had to admit that not everything could be faced without consequences.

His mind was hardened, but not closed off.

«Can we go to Qiandeng Temple?», he asked, putting down his chopsticks as soon as the bowl in front of him was squeaky clean. It was the quietest place in the entire Ghost City. Even Paradise Manor, with its ever-shifting rooms and its privacy, wasn't as quiet as the temple.

It wasn't difficult to understand why; while the manor had servants scurrying around and was built on the side of a somewhat busy road, probably because it gave an overwhelming sense of power to tower above everyone with such an imposing presence, the temple Hua Cheng built for him had been raised in the least chaotic place of the city.

All around was the smoky and crimson scenery of the ghost realm, but the temple stood beautiful beyond words, brilliance and charm transforming it into an awe-inspiring sight. Ghosts were allowed outside of it, outside of the flourishing garden growing all around the building, they were allowed to gaze at the symbol that represented the powerful, fascinating consort of their king, but that was it.

Chaos wasn't allowed to take place in that temple, and the garden was big enough to avoid the bulk of the voices to reach anyone who walked inside.

Xie Lian was, admittedly, a bit jealous of that place.

So much so that he only allowed the pesky ghosts under his husband's domain to enter it once, the day of their wedding.

The only other person he didn't have a problem with, when it came to Qiandeng temple, was Yin Yu. And maybe Shi QingXuan and He Xuan, but he had the tendency of feeling a bizarre sense of possessiveness crawling under his skin whenever the Wind Master visited.

«Are you feeling alright, gege?», Hua Cheng tilted his head while asking. He could hear a faint sigh hiding in his beloved's voice, something difficult to catch for who didn't know how to listen. The ghost wasn't too worried, after all Xie Lian didn't pick at his food or scowled at it like he would do when dealing with distress, however things didn't seem exactly fine. Understandably so, if he might add.

Xie Lian smiled, giving him a slight nod: «I just want away from this pandemonium for a bit», he said, shrugging. «Have some peace and quiet in the most beautiful place San Lang ever built for this husband».

The flattering comment made Hua Cheng freeze for a second, but then the ghost quirked his lips upwards and snorted a light laugh. After, he got up from his seat and offered his arm to Xie Lian, who gladly hooked his own around it.

They left the small shop without paying – the ghost that managed it became horrified at the lone mention of giving him money for feeding the lords of Ghost City – and leisurely strolled in the direction of Qiandeng temple.

Xie Lian smiled politely at all the greetings ghosts shouted at them from all directions, laughed when someone stumbled in an attempt to get a good look of Hua Cheng and his husband, but still couldn't wait to set foot in the calm haven that was his temple. Or, well... maybe he should call it their temple.