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phantomizes · 13 days ago

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Soft Kisses Against Skin You can also read it on A03 here.

“Gege! It’s good to see you again,” Hua Cheng says. He holds out a hand to Xie Lian who eagerly takes it, returning squeeze for gentle squeeze. “You as well, San Lang,” Xie Lian says mirroring Hua Cheng's affectionate smile. Even after all this time, he still feels the leap in his heart and the ripples of warmth in his stomach at just the sight of Hua Cheng.

He's flustered already, and so hurries after Hua Cheng when he gestures for them to sit on the divan facing the open window. Normally, Xie Lian would pause to admire the garden in full bloom, and the beautiful sculpture carved by Hua Cheng's own hands, but today he's even more distracted than usual by his gracious host and so spares it not even a glance.

“Tea?” Hua Cheng asks.

“Please,” Xie Lian replies, taking a seat first. His eyes follow Hua Cheng’s every move. The flutter of red robes as he takes a seat. The effortless grace as he pours Xie Lian’s tea. The bold and wild look of his hair framing his face and falling down his back. A few strands slip over his shoulder and without thinking, Xie Lian reaches out and tucks them back.

Hua Cheng makes a small sound, and Xie Lian quickly pulls back.

“I’m sorry. I wasn't think—”

“Gege can touch. Anytime he wants,” Hua Cheng interrupts, his dark eye looking straight at Xie Lian. There’s a rough hitch in his voice that sends a familiar heated shudder down Xie Lian’s back. His lips keep moving, and Xie Lian finds himself briefly distracted by the tone and cadence of Hua Cheng’s voice.

Images pop into his mind. Running his hand through Hua Cheng’s hair. Twining their fingers together. Pressing soft kisses to his cheeks, the space just below his eyes, circling the eyepatch that covers that dear one kept secret from the rest of the world. Fingers skimming beneath the open collar of his shirt to –

“Gege…” Hua Cheng murmurs but it's enough to break Xie Lian's blatant staring. He makes a sheepish sound as he meets Hua Cheng's twinkling eye and takes the offered tea from his outstretched hands.

“Are you well?” Hua Cheng presses again.

“Oh, yes, yes,” Xie Lian assures with a small laugh. Tension eases from Hua Cheng’s frame and he leans back against the divan.

“Then, are you here to help one of the others?” Hua Cheng asks politely, referring to those under his employment.

Xie Lian was well known and well-respected among Hua Cheng's staff. To the few alphas there were, Xie Lian was the exceptionally skilled omega they could safely spar against without fear of accidental injuries to his person. Indeed, they usually left his presence pleasantly exhausted and mildly annoyed at having been unable to land a single blow on the graceful omega. And for the omegas who requested it, during their heat, he provided a friendly shoulder of support and care for those who wanted to avoid the often-complicated ties that came with mating an alpha.

“No, not this time. I hoped…to have some assistance with my upcoming heat." Xie Lian scratches his cheek, trying to distract himself from the telltale warmth of his cheeks.

Hua Cheng’s body jerks in surprise, and the tea spills a few drops over his hand. He doesn’t notice, but Xie Lian does.

“San Lang,” He cries, fluidly setting both their cups of tea aside to take Hua Cheng’s hand in his own. He carefully looks at it, sees the skin is only barely red and feels relief. Still, he blows air over it as much to soothe himself as the skin.

“Gege, it’s all right,” Hua Cheng says, and his voice is hoarse with some emotion Xie Lian doesn’t dare to name.

Xie Lian makes a small sound of protest, and Hua Cheng chuckles and shakes his head, his eye gleaming with fondness. He easily flips their hands so his envelope Xie Lian’s and presses a soft kiss to Xie Lian’s knuckles.

It warms him from the inside out, but Hua Cheng freezes, releasing Xie Lian’s hands as if scalded.

“Apologies, gege! That was—”

“San Lang can touch. Any time he wants,” Xie Lian declares softly. He only briefly manages to maintain eye contact before he blushes and looks away, completely missing the brief slip of visible yearning on Hua Cheng's face.

“Gege continues to surprise me in the best ways,” Hua Cheng murmurs, drawing Xie Lian’s eyes back to him.

“You’re being insincere,” Xie Lian says, huffing out a breath that curves into an easy smile.

“Never with you,” Hua Cheng returns, and the truth of that lovingly embraces Xie Lian. Hua Cheng shifts his body, angling it even more towards Xie Lian.

“Back to your request though. Of course, you can spend your heat here. I must be clear on what you need though. Are you looking for non-sexual comfort through your heat? Good toys to help yourself? Or are you looking to go the more traditional route?” Hua Cheng questions. His fingers catch the red pearl at the end of the single braid amongst the curtain fall of his hair; carelessly rubs it back and forth.

Xie Lian’s eyes follow Hua Cheng's movements, swallowing hard at how such simple actions could be so…distracting.

“The last one,” Xie Lian replies, clearing his throat to regain his focus.

“Do you have someone in mind already?” Hua Cheng thankfully abandons the red pearl to tap his fingers gently on the divan in the space between them. To Xie Lian's dismay, he also drops his gaze.

“Yes,” Xie Lian answers, allowing his hand to follow after Hua Cheng's, and settle on the divan.

The tapping pauses briefly before it continues.

“And which of my employees is lucky enough to help gege out?” He asks and though his concern is genuine there's something slightly off about his tone that instinctively has Xie Lian seeking to reassure.

“It’s not any of them, San Lang. It’s you," Xie Lian states simply. His fingers reach out to brush invitingly against Hua Cheng’s long and slender ones.

Hua Cheng’s single eye jumps back to meet his gaze, and Xie Lian basks in his attention; lets it curl around him and unconsciously moves closer to him.

“Gege is serious about this,” Hua Cheng says, and it's a question in every way but words. Even so, he reaches out to return Xie Lian's light touch with one of his own. The tension in the air thrums like a live wire, enough to raise the hair on Xie Lian’s neck.

“I am. I would never joke about this,” Xie Lian quietly affirms.

Hua Cheng nods his agreement, and Xie Lian hums encouragingly when Hua Cheng caresses the skin between Xie Lian’s thumb and forefinger.

"You're the person I trust most. You’re the person I…there’s no one else I want to do this with,” Xie Lian continues, each word heavy with certainty.

“Gege, more than anything I want to, but you should know I’m not an alpha,” Hua Cheng says softly. He doesn't pull back though, instead he wistfully slides his finger across Xie Lian's knuckles.

For so long with Hua Cheng, Xie Lian has been careful not to tip the scales between friendship and something more, so afraid of losing the most important person to him.

Yet now, with his heart and body brimming in their call for Hua Cheng, Xie Lian finds that he no longer wants to be careful. If there's even a whisper of a chance...

Abruptly, Xie Lian catches Hua Cheng’s hand to fully twine their fingers together.

“That doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to me is that it's you, San Lang," Xie Lian finally says. Hua Cheng looks stunned, and Xie Lian's courage stumbles over the small silence that follows.

“Only if San Lang wants to, of course. Only if San Lang feels…but if not, that's fine! I would still like to spend my heat here. Comfortably so." He looks away, starts to loosen his hold, but pauses when Hua Cheng tightens his own.

“Gege.”

Xie Lian looks up and all his thoughts flee when Hua Cheng brings Xie Lian’s hand to his mouth, presses a butterfly kiss to the center of his palm and then to the pulse at his wrist.

“Can it be that gege is the only one unaware of where he stands with me?” Hua Cheng whispers, placing Xie Lian’s hand over his heart. He draws Xie Lian closer, and now they're close enough for Xie Lian’s breath to flutter Hua Cheng’s lashes, and for him to see the pulse at Hua Cheng's neck beating fast.

Xie Lian's nose is suddenly flooded with Hua Cheng’s scent. It's deliciously sweet, like wine from amber grapes; intoxicating in a way that has Xie Lian tilting his head to chase after it.

“San Lang, something like this must be made clear so as to leave no room for— hmmphf!” Hua Cheng cuts him off with a kiss. For Xie Lian, there’s no surrender, only him opening in every way to welcome the taste of Hua Cheng's lips, the press of his body, and the grip of his hands. Xie Lian's own scent of citrus and cinnamon rises to greet Hua Cheng’s even as he clutches the front of Hua Cheng's robes to keep him close.

Xie Lian's stomach does a delicious swoop when Hua Cheng simultaneously hikes up his robes and bodily lifts him so that Xie Lian is straddling him. With their bodies this close, it's unmistakably clear how much they both want this.

Hua Cheng's hands are everywhere and Xie Lian, senses delightfully overwhelmed, takes pleasure in the heat that flowers and bursts from every point of contact between them. It seeps through his skin, quickens his heart, and blurs his thoughts.

And when Hua Cheng's hands find his hair, one hand gliding through the unbound strands while the other smoothly unravels the small bun atop his head and tugs, Xie Lian makes a sound in a range even he didn't know he could reach.

“Gege, was that too much?" Hua Cheng asks, pulling back slightly.

“Not at all," Xie Lian answers on a sigh, holding Hua Cheng's gaze. Then his eyes briefly lose focus as his thoughts turn inward.

"Maybe pull a little harder next time," he murmurs, playing absentmindedly with the strands of his hair. Xie Lian feels the full body flush that goes through him this time, and his eyes fly up in time to see Hua Cheng's eyebrows shoot up.

"What I mean to say is…you see your hands are very lovely, well, not just your hands, your everything actually, and—San Lang, stop laughing!"

But Xie Lian's laughing too. Laughing and kissing Hua Cheng's dear, beloved face.

"Whatever gege wants, I'm happy to provide," Hua Cheng says with a grin.

"Oh? Then does San Lang want to give me a demonstration of what to expect during my heat?" Xie Lian's half teasing and half serious, testing the waters, trying to see if — Hua Cheng stills and then stands up so quickly that it tilts Xie Lian's body forward, sealing the small gap between them and making them both groan at the heated friction of his movements. "Gege, you really will be the death of me," Hua Cheng says hoarsely. He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, then swoops in for another kiss that leaves Xie Lian breathless. Then he effortlessly shifts Xie Lian's body for a more secure hold and, walking very quickly, heads to the bedroom.

#tgcf #hualian texts

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phantomizes · 13 days ago

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"You came from a renowned school, an orthodox sect that never traversed the deviant path. Growing up in that sect, you were always told that ascending was the ultimate thing to strive for," Jun Wu continued. "It is very difficult to give up that sort of goal. Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act born of helplessness. Of course you cannot say you are satisfied with your position in the Ghost Realm. It was never what you wanted in the first place."

Yin Yu didn't have enough confidence to deny it. He said weakly, "Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me -"

"I know," Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit after he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

"...Yes," Yin Yu confirmed. "So whether or not I am satisfied with my current position, it's all -"

"That is dissatisfaction," Jun Wu noted. "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go. You are in denial." Yin Yu hung his head and didn't reply.

Vol 7, page 144-145

One of my favorite relationships throughout the novel, even though we get so little information about it, is Yin Yu and Hua Cheng's. Even the above tidbit is mired by the way Jun Wu is trying to manipulate Yin Yu's emotions and how Yin Yu at times responds genuinely and at others plays along to try and find a way to escape.

Once I had finished the novel, I was left wondering why there are so many fandom jokes about Yin Yu being exploited by Hua Cheng when the text seemed to paint a much different picture of what Yin Yu's life and work environment as a god was like versus as the highest ranking ghost city officer. So in this meta I try to examine and compare the two as well as try to draw conclusions about how Yin Yu felt about it all and why.

First of, I think that Yin Yu's longing to return to becoming a god is genuine, since this is what he says after he stops playing along with Jun Wu's manipulation because he's by then gotten enough spiritual energy to attack him:

"I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten!" Yin Yu continued. "But it's completely meaningless if I don't do it on my own! I'm unlucky, I accept that! Admitting that I can't compare isn't that hard!" Vol 7 page 152

Which is interesting, considering this is what he felt like when he was still a god in heaven while Quan Yizhen hadn't yet ascended:

A good while later, [Quan Yizhen] said bluntly, "I don't like it here."

Yin Yu said nothing.

"They think I'm annoying, but I think they're even more annoying," Quan Yizhen continued. "Before, I could train at least sixteen hours a day. Now half the time is taken up by talking and listening to nonsense, by greeting and visiting people. There are people who yell at me and hit me for no good reason, without apologizing, and I can't even fight back. This isn't heaven. I don't like it here."

Yin Yu sighed. "I don't like it here either."

"Then let's go back," Quan Yizhen said.

But Yin Yu only shook his head, "Even though I don't like it here, I want to stay."

Quan Yizhen couldn't understand. "Why do want to stay if you don't like it here?"

Yin Yu was stumped, and chuckled in spite of himself. He didn't know what to say, unable to explain it to him. How could he convey to Quan Yizhen that reaching the Heavenly Capital was the dream of so many people who sought the path of cultivation, the ultimate end goal? Or just how difficult it was for someone his age to achieve ascension?

Vol 5, page 271-272

Yin Yu essentially seemed to be struggling with sunk cost fallacy, where he put his everything into ascending to heaven and so wants to stay there even though it's making him increasingly unhappy. It's interesting that Jun Wu accuses him of being in denial about his unhappiness in the Ghost Realm, when Yin Yu in the past seemed to be in denial about his unhappiness in heaven. Especially since this is what he was being treated like as soon as his power and influence were in decline:

Yin Yu and Jian Yu were seated next to the "Earth Master." Their assigned seats were considered the edge of the banquet. Yin Yu wasn't eating or talking to anyone. [...]

At the other end of the banquet, there was already a large crowd of heavenly officials fighting to greet Quan Yizhen. The surrounding crowd had completely blocked the person at the center from sight. It appeared that this was soon after Quan Yizhen ascended and established his own palace. He was at the height of his popularity in heaven, in contrast to how he was disliked by most of the present court. Although the two were both Martial Gods of the West, he was significantly more prominent than Yin Yu. The attendees all swarmed over, leaving the table where Yin Yu sat quiet and empty.

Vol 5, page 273-275

I've talked about this in my Yin Yu & Quan Yizhen meta as well, how Yin Yu tries to get by in heaven by conforming and submitting to the elitist power structures it's based on:

Quan Yizhen kept going. "They cussed at me first. I don't even know them. They said I was a low-ranking heavenly official and yelled at me for no reason, then they laughed at me and told me to scram and not to block their way [...]" "Are low-ranking heavenly officials below other people?" Quan Yizhen asked.

"No," Yin Yu replied. Was that true? It was obvious he didn't believe his own words, and Quan Yizhen noticed.

Vol 5, page 271

and how it starts to chip away at the kindness and the moral backbone he showed while still in his sect:

"Shidi, the things you're all saying aren't right." The crowd was taken aback. "I'm going to say something unpleasant," Yin Yu continued. "No matter what path we cultivate, talent truly is an incredible thing. And he is not only talented, he is willing to work hard. If you really think Shifu is playing favorites, then let's work harder to keep up with him - maybe even overtake him. And then things like training halls and supplements will naturally be open to everyone. Rather than wasting time being angry at him, your priority should be training harder. Am I right?" [...]

"You really don't need to mind them. You didn't do anything wrong. It's fine like this." Anyone with clear eyes could see that the other disciples couldn't stand Quan Yizhen. They found fault everywhere, and it wasn't because of his big appetite, or because he wasn't a morning person, or because he was inconsiderate and a poor teammate who only cared about showing off. At the end of the day, what they really couldn't stand was this: he was the last to enter the school, but he received the most. Quan Yizhen nodded. "I think so too." Yin Yu patted his shoulder. "Go train! That's what's most important. Don't think about anything unnecessary." [...]

After watching the two scenarios, Xie Lian praised Yin Yu. "San Lang, that subordinate of yours really is a rare character. What a good heart."

Vol 5, page 262 + 264

Everything Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen already struggled with in their sect - the jealousy, the bullying, the competition for resources - is even worse in heaven, which actively encourages the endless competition for devotees and subordinates as well as the exploitation and mistreatment of those of "lower rank". No matter how hard Yin Yu tries to conform to these structures, they steadily wear away at both the way others see him and also how he sees himself:

After closing the gates, Yin Yu's voice grew louder. "Don't say any more! I don't want to hear it! It's very normal for an ascended heavenly official to establish a palace, so he didn't do anything wrong. Since you get irritated just talking about him, why must you constantly bring him up?" "Please don't think that I'm speaking out of turn, but someone must remind you. Yin Yu, the west is only so big, and there are only so many devotees. He's already taken so much. That wolf yao kill should've been yours, but he stole it! Look at the state of you now - your domain's shrinking smaller and smaller. How much do you have left? Can you maintain your standing if this keeps up?" "How is what he's done theft? It's not like he's forcing anyone to worship him at knifepoint - everyone's willing. Besides, that wolf yao..." Yin Yu sighed and said frankly, "I couldn't have defeated it. It was useless praying to me, so of course they went to him." "I just... I'm worried that if this fight continues, he'll win and leave us with nothing," Jian Yu said bitterly. "Fuck, even those lower-ranking officials only care about their own advancement - each one of them coming up with empty excuses to quit and slipping away to serve under other heavenly officials. What a bunch of no-good asshats!" Yin Yu sighed again and sat down on a prayer cushion. "What fight are you talking about...? Why care for such things? Those who want to leave will always leave in the end, and those who want to stay will naturally remain. I didn't ascend to fight for power with anyone, nor squabble over domains, nor quarrel, so why can't you let this go?" Vol 5, page 277

This is a stark contrast not only to the kind of standing he had while he was still in his sect:

Yin Yu pushed them away, urging them to leave. He sighed. "You said yourself that he's insane, so why bother with him?" It was easy to see that Yin Yu's words held weight with his peers at this point in his life. Although the crowd was still upset, they left as told. Vol 5, page 257

But especially to the kind of authority and respect that his position in Ghost City offers him:

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the ghost crowd. They immediately parted, forming a path, as if someone of importance had arrived. Xie Lian came to his senses and saw a tall, black-clad figure walking straight toward him through the path created by the mob. That person yelled, "Settle down. Let him go!" The black-clad figure, like most of the ghosts on the street, wore a mask. It was a funny mask, with a face that was contorted as if it was smiling woefully. The mob muttered under their breath, "It's the Waning Moon Officer!", and they released their hold on Xie Lian at last. It seemed this black-clad figure was someone significant in Ghost City. Vol 2, page 99

It's also worth mentioning at this point that I think people forget that Yin Yu does not always necessarily work alone and has to do everything by himself but that he has his own subordinates:

After taking a moment to contact his subordinates in Ghost City, Yin Yu meticulously reported the general directions of each sighting.

Vol 7, page 48

Another very important thing to take away from the argument between Jian Yu and Yin Yu is that while still a god in the heavens, Yin Yu had no confidence that he'd be able to fight a wolf yao, yet in the amnesiac extra, he shows no signs of hesitancy or fear when Hua Cheng orders him to go after the monster that stole Xie Lian's memories:

He was still trying to process what he'd learned when he heard San Lang say, "I need to attend to him right now and can't leave. Catch that monster before tomorrow night and bring it to me." "Yes, sir. Shall I leave it one last breath?" the man in the ghost mask asked quietly. San Lang put down his brush and glanced at what he'd written, which he then crumbled up and tossed away, apparently unsatisfied. "Leave it a few. Make it spit out what it swallowed, then crush its worthless head to dust. Make it slow and painful." His tone and expression were both quite frightening, yet Xie Lian didn't find him repulsive or alarming. The man in the ghost mask acknowledged San Lang’s order and was about to take his leave, so Xie Lian quickly dodged away and hid. Vol 8, page 226-227

Which leads me to another important point - the amount of trust Hua Cheng shows Yin Yu by the kind of missions he sends him on. If he didn't have a high opinion of Yin Yu's abilities, he would never send him after something like a monster that had eaten Xie Lian's memories, given how incredibly important Xie Lian's wellbeing is to Hua Cheng. There's many other examples too - like how Hua Cheng trusted Yin Yu to help with tricking Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian into saving "Ming Yi", or how he entrusted the Earth Master Shovel to him. But Hua Cheng also does not ask the impossible of him - when they're all trapped in heaven and Yin Yu started to dig tunnels with the Earth Master Shovel to try and free Xie Lian and the others so they could recover and become strong enough to escape, Hua Cheng cautions them against it because he correctly deduces that "you'll be seeking your own deaths if you try to break out under Jun Wu's watch." (Vol 7, page 130) Even though Yin Yu is with Xie Lian, Hua Cheng doesn't expect him to get Xie Lian out on his own, because he knows how powerful and ruthless Jun Wu is.

For extra emphasis, let's compare Hua Cheng’s regard for Yin Yu and his abilities to the way Jun Wu never even deemed to speak to Yin Yu while he was a god because he was so very much "beneath" him:

"My dear Yin Yu, I do not think I have ever chatted with you like this before. Isn't that right?"

"I guess not..." Yin Yu replied cautiously.

Even back when he was the martial god who ruled the west, his base of believers wasn't strong, his merits were few, and his rank wasn't impressive. He wasn't the lowest ranked of the heavenly officials in the Upper Court, but he was still below average, so he'd had almost no opportunities to interact with the Heavenly Emperor - the highest of the high.

Vol 7, page 142-143

Keeping all of that in mind, it's very interesting that Jun Wu tries to tempt Yin Yu to his side by offering him the position of his right-hand man:

Finally, Yin Yu asked, "In the Upper Court, I... What... would my position be?"

"Ling Wen will be my left hand, and you shall be my right," Jun Wu said. "There will be none above you besides me."

Vol 7, page 149

When that really is a position Yin Yu already holds - he's Hua Cheng's right-hand man. Now, one could argue that Yin Yu does have less power and prestige in the position of a ghost realm officer than he would have as a god - there's no believers worshipping him - but I think the point is that he doesn't answer to anyone but Hua Cheng, that there's no one else competing with him for that position, no one else among his subordinates that Hua Cheng puts this much trust in, and that there's no one else besides Hua Cheng himself who is demonstrated to hold so much authority and respect in Ghost City. And with all of the above, it's really important to keep in mind that Ghost City is the one single autonomous place in all the three realms and that its Chengzhu is the one single being whose power and influence is rivaled only by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

And said Heavenly Emperor damn well knows Yin Yu is Hua Cheng's right-hand man, which is I believe a big part of the reason he tries to flip Yin Yu by dangling this exact position in front of him. As I've talked about before in other posts, Jun Wu hates Hua Cheng deeply for various reasons. There's the whole thing where Hua Cheng is the unmistakable proof of a believer that never leaves their god, the very thing Jun Wu felt entitled to but didn't receive. But in this case I think him wanting to tempt Yin Yu away from Hua Cheng's side is about how bitter and salty Jun Wu feels about the fact that Hua Cheng holds more sway over all three realms than he does - evidenced by the way Hua Cheng doesn't just have followers in the Ghost Realm but the Human Realm as well, and even the gods, while they fear him, also can't help but admire him and strike deals with him in secret (Vol 1, page 157-160). That Yin Yu, a banished god, would (just like Xie Lian) rather be loyal to Hua Cheng than Jun Wu - that must have angered him a lot because it's something he'd take quite personally.

This is, I think, also the root of why Yin Yu has so much trouble seeing his position in the Ghost Realm for what it really is and why he still longs to be a god despite how unhappy he was in the heavens and how badly he was treated there - he can't see past the prejudices about the Ghost Realm in general and Ghost City in particular that he has internalized. Prejudices that Jun Wu actively weaponizes every time he speaks to Yin Yu, by repeatedly insinuating that being a ghost city officer is a shameful thing to be:

"Surely you do not actually like being a mere pawn in the Ghost Realm?" [...] "Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act borne of helplessness." [...] "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go." [...]

Vol 7, page 144

Which makes it all the more satisfying when Yin Yu tricks Jun Wu (or attempts to, at least) and ultimately rejects both his offer and his authority, and also calls Jun Wu out on the way he tried to manipulate him:

"My Lord... My... No, not My Lord! You! Why must you keep reminding me of that?! Why do you speak like you actually understand me?!"

Vol 7, page 151

Jun Wu is deeply enraged by his defiance and rejection - in general, but also because it reminds him of Xie Lian's defiance against him:

Jun Wu turned around with a casual sweep of his hand. "Exhilarating. You and Xianle must get along well."

Vol 7, page 152

This brings me to my final point - which is that choosing kindness and righteousness even in the face of criticism and rejection, of personal loss and suffering, is what Jun Wu hates the most, and what ties Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, and Yin Yu and Hua Cheng together. Hua Cheng was drawn to Xie Lian because Xie Lian chose to treat him kindly when everyone else abused and rejected Hua Cheng and pressured Xie Lian to do the same. Similiar things can be said for Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, since Yin Yu was the one to ask his sect's shifu to take Quan Yizhen in when he came across him as a seemingly abandoned child, and who repeatedly defended Quan Yizhen from the other sect members' judgement and bullying, even though this earned Yin Yu their ire as well. Yin Yu, too, values kindness very highly:

Yin Yu sobbed. "If I wasn't destined to be perfect, I at least wanted to be perfectly kind. But... I couldn't even manage that." (Vol 7, page 156)

Therefore, though we get very little information on their first meeting, I think kindness is also what drew Yin Yu to Hua Cheng, what made him stay loyal to him even when tempted/threatened by Jun Wu, and what made him go right back to working for him after the events of the main story. Because while we get only this one mention, I think a great deal can be gleaned from it:

"Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me - "

"I know" Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit when he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

Vol 7, page 144

It's not just he helped me, it's he saved me. And not only that, Hua Cheng, in a sense, saved Jian Yu as well by helping him move on, which I would assume was simply because Yin Yu wished for his friend to let go of his resentment and not become stuck as a vengeful spirit. What I think is really important to keep in mind here is that not only was Hua Cheng under no obligation to save Yin Yu, he had, objectively speaking, nothing to gain from it. He Xuan was already in the heavens by then and giving Hua Cheng intel. and Hua Cheng didn't show off that he had a banished god working for him either - he let Yin Yi wear a mask, and for years, no one (except apparently Jun Wu) knew where Yin Yu was or what had happened to him, evidenced by the way Quan Yizhen kept looking and kept asking about him to no avail (Vol 5 page 235).

We don't really get Hua Cheng's side of the story but I think the fact that he doesn't speak about it speaks for itself - aside from keeping things close to his chest in general, he tends to not talk about the things he does out of kindness and/or his own sense of justice. We see this for example when Xie Lian only finds out why the group of cultivators is after Hua Cheng when he overhears them saying that Hua Cheng chose to shelter both the pig spirit and the prostitute ghost who had chosen to take revenge on humans who had used their positions of power to hurt others (Vol 5 page 28-29).

This is therefore more speculation than analysis, but I can imagine that this whole scenario - a god with a good heart who gets abandoned by the heavens with only a vengeful spirit by his side - even though the exact circumstances that led to it differed, might have held enough similarities to what Hua Cheng personally witnessed of Xie Lian's banishment that it would bring out that same urge to help and protect in Hua Cheng. The fact that Yin Yu says Hua Cheng saved him really can't be overstated in my opinion, considering that Hua Cheng, understandably, has usually nothing but feelings of either indifference or hatred for all of the gods aside from Xie Lian and the Rain Master.

To sum up - the power structures in heaven encourage workplace harassment, bullying, and endless competition for resources and support, and this causes Yin Yu not only increased stress, isolation, and unhappiness, but also puts a strain on his inherent kindness and righteousness as he starts to give in under the pressure to conform. By contrast, his position in Ghost City is dependant on nothing but his loyalty to Hua Cheng, on Yin Yu's own choice to stay with him, and offers him an unprecedented amount of respect and trust. It is heaven, really, that is repeatedly shown to mistreat and exploit its officials, especially those of lower rank, not Hua Cheng.

#tgcf #tgcf notes #thank you so much op this is so neatly written #i always feel weird whenever people downplay yin yu's involvement in ghost city but can't never seem able to organize my words #and the other arcs honestly i think he's a very interesting individual

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phantomizes · 13 days ago

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tilt redraw!!

original photo: https://x.com/RVsmtown/status/1922305849273340260

#tgcf #hualian #have i ever expect a tgcf x rv crossover?#of course not #am i delighted regardless?#absolutely yes

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phantomizes · 13 days ago

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Happy Birthday, Fafa!

It started out as another perfectly ordinary day, and yet everyone else seemingly decided to act weirdly on this specific date at some point in time and forgot to inform Hua Cheng.

Waking up next to his beloved husband had occurred routinely. – As always it was an affair without rush – one where they stayed in bed cuddled up longer than couth and exchanged an endless amount of chaste kisses as well as murmured little “good mornings” in between every peck over and over again.

The first oddity came in the form of Yin Yu, who came into their chambers after respectfully knocking - lush bouquet in hand.

“Your Highness,” he had addressed, “I procured the flowers you asked for: a mix of red carnations, roses and peonies as per your instruction.”

Xie Lian had smiled brightly at that and replied: “Thank you! Just put them on the vanity for now.”

The Waning Moon Officer simply nodded and did as told. After setting the flower´s down, he turned back to the pair still lying in bed, bowed, and then excused himself.

On his way out however, he had suddenly stopped as if remembering something. He looked over his shoulder straight at the resident ghost king and congratulated him with an unusual happy tilt to his voice.

For what he was congratulated? – Hua Cheng did not know, and before he could ask, Yin Yu had already departed from the room and closed the door behind him.

The calamity briefly considered going after him and asking for an elaboration - for Hua Cheng was never one to not satisfy his curiosity – but that thought was swiftly forgotten and abandoned in some figurative ditch when His Highness gently pulled his face back to face him instead of the door and serenely said: “I would like to braid San Lang´s hair today. In it, I want to place these flowers, if that´s alright. That´s what I had His Highness Yin Yu bring them in for – I thought it would make my handsome husband look even more stunning.”

The braid came out a little wobbly, but Hua Cheng loved it and refused Xie Lian´s attempts at re-doing it again by distracting him with some more kisses.

If he snuck a flower or two into his gege´s hair as well while he was “preoccupied”, well…That was for Hua Cheng to know and the brunet to find out.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The odd happenings besides Yin Yu´s out of character behaviour hadn´t stopped there though.

On the way to the dining hall, the god and ghost had crossed paths with a group of passing servant girls.

The group had been quite before but when spotting the pair, they broke out into wild smiles and hushed whispers. – Something about some “special day”. It was not yet time for his god’s birthday or any other local festival for that matter, so he wasn’t sure what they were on about.

Suddenly, Xie Lian´s stomach had growled loudly in hunger, interrupting his thoughts. Turning to the side, Hua Cheng saw him look quite embarrassed at his body’s auditory betrayal: blushing a bright red, golden eyes wide and avoidant of other people´s gazes.

Chuckling, the supreme reverently took his husband by the hand and led him towards the dining hall a little faster than before, deigning to ignore the giggling servants for now.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

It was during breakfast right after the previous encounter, that Xie Lian himself had brought up an usual request: He handed over a neatly written list in his own handwriting naming a number of things he´d like Hua Cheng to get from Ghost City – specifically in person.

Now, Hua Cheng has always been someone who desires to serve his god in any way he can no matter the task or command, so this too was something he had no objections to completing.

But the thing is that Xie Lian doesn´t command; he doesn’t insist; in fact, he seldom asks for anything at all despite his husband´s encouragement to voice his wishes more openly. And if he does want something enough to not just pretend it doesn´t exist until he forgets about it, more often than not he will get things done himself due to his far from idle nature, so this request was a little strange coming from his gege.

“Still,” he had thought, “maybe gege is just too busy today to do it himself and too uncomfortable asking the servants. Or perhaps this is a sign he´s learning to be open about his wants…?”

He hoped for the latter, but either way, he was resolute to indulge him.

“Of course, gege; it´ll be done as soon as possible.”

The brunet laughed a little nervously, scratching his cheek. “No need to hurry…! San Lang should take his time!”

The calamity had looked at his beloved with an amused, but also confused expression. “If gege says so.”

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Ghost City was even more unruly than normal.

The residents have always been loud, boisterous, and tactless, but the foolish bravery to directly come up to their Lord with no fear and offering him trinkets as they congratulated him for…something was new even for them.

“Congrats, Chengzhu! Here, have a coupon for my stall! - Next meal´s on the house!”

“Hipp-Hipp-Horray! Congratulations, Chengzhu! Oh, what an auspicious day! – If only we´d known to celebrate it in years past! ”

“Have a wonderful day, Chengzhu! Oh! – And here: Have a jar full of teeth! I lost them just last month, so they´re super fresh!”

He accepted none of their “gifts”, of course – too much hassle to carry around and inherently undesirable to boot - with the exception of a single amateur drawing of him and his husband holding hands, given to him by an excited little girl with a toothy grin.

Feeling the weight of the paper in his robe´s pocket as he walked away from her, he´d reasoned with himself: “Gege would want to see.” Being reminded of his own first attempts at art definitely had nothing to do with it - /definitely/.

Soon after that encounter, he came across the first stop on the bucket list: a clothing shop.

The owner – a flamboyant, young ghost sporting sewing needles for piercings – welcomed him in eagerly, mindlessly chattering about “how excited he had been to get an order from granduncle”.

And true to his word, an elaborate, festive red robe had already been set on display on the “finished orders” rack by the counter.

It was a gorgeous piece – just the kind of robe Hua Cheng would choose for himself; though in exactly that laid the problem: Why was this order so obviously for Hua Cheng and not a piece meant for His Highness if it was his god who had enlisted the weaver´s services? Was this ghost messing with them?

Just to confirm, he entered the communication array, which the brunet quickly answered: “Hello, San Lang! Are you having fun?”

Ah, just his voice made the ghost want to smile. “Gege, the robe you ordered, is it a crimson one with white details, long sleeves and low neck?”

“Hm? Yeah, that´s it! Does San Lang like it?”

“This San Lang would like anything on His Highness,” he answered truthfully, fondly imagining the smaller in robes too big to prevent him from basically drowning in them.

“On me…? San Lang, there´re for you!” Xie Lian suddenly exclaimed in surprise, then coughed when he realized the scandalised tone in his voice. “There´re for you,” he repeated in a gentle voice, “so if San Lang is amicable to it, he should try them on right away!”

“Very well, gege. Love you; this one will see you later.”

“I love you too, San Lang!”

With that, the ghost king accepted the robes, went into the changing room and emerged clad in the fine new clothing.

Seeing his king´s sharp yet regal features enhanced by the carefully arranged set, the shop owner all but applauded. “Yes! Yes!” he cheered merrily, yet with crocodile tears in his many eyes, “This is truly my Magnum Opus!”

Hua Cheng was impressed with the robes, less so with their maker.

When he went to pay, the shop owner declined his coin by crossing his arms like an X. “This is a fine establishment; it does not scam its patrons by charging twice!” he insisted.

“This order is already payed for so Chengzhu is free to go! …Though, if he is satisfied with today´s service, this humble ghost would be blessed to have Chengzhu mention this shop´s name should my fellow man and woman come inquiring of its origin!”

He wouldn´t – simply because most know better than to approach him for such meaningless small-talk – but nice try on arranging a publicity stunt, buddy.

Walking out, he headed to the next stop: the jeweller. There the same thing happened: a beautiful silver hair stick – one also apparently already payed for - was pressed into his hands.

He confirmed with his husband once more, who only told him to already put it in if he wanted to. The hair stick ended up fitting the earlier acquired robe perfectly.

After that he went to the next location, and then the next, and so on until he had visited every name on the list – with him encountering the phenomenon of “already payed for goods awaiting him” over and over again.

At this point, he knew something was up and that Xie Lian probably had something to do with these spontaneous presents, but he just couldn´t fathom /why/. – What was the occasion? It couldn´t be their anniversary, he knew that date by heart, so what else…?

He decided a direct approach to answering his questions would be best, so he ventured back to Paradise Manor to ask his beloved directly.

What he didn´t expect however, was for colourful confetti to rain from the ceiling and multiple people to shout out: “Happy Birthday!” the moment he opened the door.

On the very front of the crowd consisting of staff including Yin Yu and a disgruntled looking Black Water standing in the corner, eying the food table set off to the side of the entrance hall, was his god, wearing a wide grin on his face.

He quickly came up to Hua Cheng and gave him a peck on the lips, whispering into the slim space between them another quiet “Happy Birthday to you, my love.”

Humming contently into their kiss, Hua Cheng slyly wrapped his arms around the other´s waist, pulling him in even more.

When they parted, he chuckled deeply. “This wild-goose chase I was sent on…was it to buy you time to set this all up?”

The older chuckled right back – the sound like music to the ghost´s ears. “It was, but it wasn´t a pointless chase. Every stop on the bucket list was another gift from one of us: I chose the robes for example, while Banyue chose the hair stick.”

Then his laugh turned a little guilty. “Though, judging by all that commotion outside, some of the shop owners must have told the rest of the city about your birthday date once they learned it from me…I´m sorry, San Lang, you have your reasons for nothing having told them and yet I…,” he trailed off.

The taller lovingly cupped his cheek, caressing it with his thumb. “Gege doesn´t need to worry; whether they know or not is of no consequence to me.”

Xie Lian blinked. “But they didn´t know your birthday before.”

“I never mentioned it. – Unimportant, and to be frank, had it not been for your surprise I would have forgotten about the occasion entirely.”

At that the god´s eyes widened and he playfully slapped his hands against his husband´s chest, pouting: “San Lang forgot! We can´t have that, so from now on I will remind San Lang every year!”

The ghost king smiled – at peace – and drew his beloved into a tight hug. Into his ear he whispered: “This one sincerely hopes to have gege by his side to remind him for the rest of time.”

#tgcf #hualian texts

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