Chapter 95: Mind in Disarray but Say Not the Tender Heart is Too (Part 1)
In that instant, Xie Lian's eyes bulged.
Never in his life had anyone treated him this way before.
First, no one dared; second, no one could. However, this person was swift like the devil and appeared so suddenly that before he even had the chance to defend himself, he'd fallen into such a state. Freaking out, he was flustered and his limbs were thrashing, desperately trying to push the other away but instead he choked on large mouthfuls of water, gurgling as strings of crystal water beads gushed out from his mouth. This was a big no-no under water. Thus, the hand around his waist held him tighter, their bodies pressed closer together, and Xie Lian's struggling hands were firmly folded and crushed against his own chest, unable to move. His lips were still securely sealed, the kiss deepening, and a stream of gentle, chilled air slowly passed through. Dumbfounded and helpless, as he began to accept his fate, Xie Lian finally saw clearly the face of this person. It was Hua Cheng.
The moment he realized it was Hua Cheng, he stopped struggling, and innumerous random thoughts popped into his mind, all inappropriate for the time and place, such as: So it was Hua Cheng! No wonder he's cold. Ghosts don't need to breathe but he can still deliver air to me?! Don't ghosts sink in the water?
Just then, Hua Cheng suddenly opened his eyes.
To be staring into those dark eyes at such a close distance, Xie Lian instantly froze, and soon after he started struggling again, his arms flailing, like a duck so dumb and awkward it was drowning itself. The raving arms were easily stopped by Hua Cheng, and with his arm still firmly around Xie Lian's waist, he took him and swam towards the surface speedily. It didn't take long before the two broke through the surface.
The waters were freezing and the air was cold too, yet, Xie Lian's whole body was burning up. The moment they floated to the top, Xie Lian wanted to turn away, but that cloud of black smoke was still swarming above the waters, watching with predatory eyes, and when it saw someone emerge, it immediately flashed forward to plunder. Xie Lian only turned his head a little bit before Hua Cheng pulled him back with a hand behind his head.
Their lips hadn't separated for even a second before it was pressed tightly against each other once more. Xie Lian's lips were aching and numb from the kiss, feeling as if he were going to lose his senses. If this was anyone else he would've long stabbed with his sword, but this just had to be Hua Cheng, so he was completely at a loss on what to do, his tears ready to fall from distress. Just then, beyond Hua Cheng's face, he saw thousands upon millions of silver butterflies break through the water next to them.
Accompanied by a sharp trill, that thick rain of butterflies shot out from the surface like a bullet, their wings reflecting a cold glare, sharp like the blade, and within moments that child spirit screamed from the slashing, the black smoke dispersing, and it tried to flee in all directions. However, the web of those butterflies enveloped from the earth to the heavens, sealing it within, and no matter how much it rammed and pounded it couldn't break through. Hua Cheng's eyes had never lifted even once, and with Xie Lian in his embrace they once again dove into the waters. After a while, the two lips finally parted.
Once separated, another stream of air bubbles spewed from Xie Lian's mouth, and Hua Cheng freed a hand, tossing out a dice. That dice actually spun in the water, rapidly too, and it spun out a strong, whirling current before finally stilling. Afterwards, the two once again broke through the water surface.
This time, the shore was not far away, and only then did Hua Cheng bring Xie Lian to swim over. Who knows what shore it was either, there were lights and voices of crowds, seemingly close yet far away. Behind them over the waters, that troop of butterflies shot into the sky with that cloud of black smoke in their captivity, flying towards the faint lights in the distance, leaving behind a trail of long wails from the child spirit, "MOOooom — !!!..."
The two of them climbed ashore, sitting heavily onto the ground, and looking at each other thus, Xie Lian was finally able to take a good look at Hua Cheng.
In reality, the two of them had only parted ways for just a few days, but Xie Lian felt like it had been a long time since they last met. Every time they met Hua Cheng looked good in different ways. The Hua Cheng this time seemed to be older by a couple years compared to the last time. His face had always been handsome, shimmering brighter than the waters. His locks were exceedingly black, his skin extremely white, and on the right side of his cheek was a very thin, small braid, a red string threading through it intricately.
This was the first time Xie Lian realized that above Hua Cheng's forehead was a widow's peak, and it made his face look even more shapely and alluring. The black eyepatch that covered an eye emitted traces of killing aura, softening that refined charm, making his good looks reach an almost perfect balance.
Hua Cheng's brows were knitted, as if trying to hold back, and after panting softly a few times, he opened his mouth to speak, his voice distinctly lower than before, "Your Highness, I..."
From the hair on his head to all over his body, Xie Lian's entire person was dripping with water. His lips were swollen, his eyes blank, and it was only after a good moment of disoriented daze before he mumbled, "I... I... I..."
His stammering "I"s continued before suddenly, he randomly popped out, "I'm a little hungry."
Hearing this, Hua Cheng was taken aback.
Xie Lian hadn't yet recovered from the shock, and said in a state of jumbled mess, "No. I... I... I'm a little sleepy..."
He flipped around, his back facing Hua Cheng, and bent down to his knees, his hands touching the ground, fumbling as if looking for something. Behind him, Hua Cheng asked, "What are you looking for?"
Xie Lian subconsciously didn't dare to look at him, and said incoherently, "I'm looking for a thing. I'm looking for my bamboo hat. Where's my bamboo hat?"
If it was anyone else watching this scene play out, they would certainly yell, "He's done for! He's gone stupid!" But in reality, it was only because Xie Lian had never experienced something like this before, and the shock was too great, making him lose it a little. Xie Lian crawled on his hands and knees, shuffling away with his back still facing Hua Cheng, mumbling, "...I, I can't find it. I'm leaving now. I'm going home to eat... I need to go collect some scraps now..."
"..."
"I'm sorry." Hua Cheng said.
Feeling that the voice behind him was coming closer, Xie Lian jumped to his feet and cried, "I'M LEAVING NOW!"
This cry was like a cry for help. Hua Cheng hastily said, "No!"
Xie Lian hurriedly tried to run away, but within a few steps out his foot twisted, and he fell back onto the ground. Looking back, there was a trail of blood behind him, that needle deeply embedded in the bottom of his foot was completely stuck in. Hua Cheng immediately seized his ankle, his voice alarmed, "What's wrong?"
Xie Lian immediately tried to pull his leg back, "Nothingnothingnothing, it doesn't hurt at all, it's fine!"
Hua Cheng was slightly angered, "How can it not hurt!" Then his hands moved – he was actually going to remove his boot! Terrified, Xie Lian crawled forward again, exclaiming as he crawled, "NO, NONONO, THERE'S NO NEED!"
He kept crawling, trying to scamper and Hua Cheng held on to him, stopping him from doing so. It was complete pandemonium and it finally alerted everyone else on shore. A roaring crowd, chattering and blabbering, a large group of who knows what kind of weirdos all came to surround them, clamouring, "WHO GOES THERE! HOW DARE! DON'T YA KNOW WHAT THIS PLACE IS? ARE YA DONE WITH LIFE OR DID YA WANNA DIE AGAIN? I... BLIMEY, AIN'T THIS MY LORD?!"
The crowd of ghosts immediately hollered in unison, "GOOD DAY YER OL' LORDSHIP!"
Xie Lian let out a wail in his head, wishing desperately he could cover his face with his hands. This was the Ghost City!
There were quite a number of ghosts in the crowd he remembered seeing roughly from the last time he came by, Xie Lian even saw a familiar hog head. The two of them were drenched from head to toe, surrounded by countless humans and ghosts alike watching them, and Hua Cheng still had his hand on his ankle not letting go.
This was such a shocking scene that it finally snapped Xie Lian out of it. But who knew that once the crowd of ghosts recognized Hua Cheng, they became even more excited, shouting, "MY LORD! ARE YOU TRYING TO RAPE SOMEONE?! DO YOU NEED HELP?! WE'LL HELP YOU HOLD THEM DOWN!"
"SCRAM!" Hua Cheng ordered.
That crowd of ghosts hastily scrammed. But even if they were to watch from afar, not daring to come close, Xie Lian still wanted to just pass out and end everything, because Hua Cheng had risen to his feet, bent down and gently swept him up into his carry, and walked with heavy steps to leave the shore.
Xie Lian was still dressed in women's clothing, and could only be grateful that pillow was no longer stuffed in his belly, otherwise it'd paint an even more terrifying picture. However, the frightful thought finally brought him completely back to the present. He struggled a bit in Hua Cheng's arms but didn't succeed, so he cleared his throat softly, "...San Lang, I'm sorry. I sort of lost it just now, how embarrassing."
What had happened just then was really too great of a shocking blow for him. The word 'blow' was tentative, but this was his first time after all. However, it wasn't only just because it was his first time. In the many centuries past, it wasn't like there weren't any seductive women ghosts who tried to tempt him with their naked bodies, but Xie Lian had never reacted this embarrassingly before.
So why did he turn into such a state now? He could only guess that it must be because Guoshi had only ever taught him how to defend against women but not against men, and he had no experience, which was why he hadn't known how to react.
Thinking back on the way he'd conducted himself, Xie Lian was slightly ashamed, and felt maybe he overreacted, thinking San Lang had meant well, but ended up scaring him to this point, truly he was being too impolite. Hua Cheng however, replied, "Nothing of the sort. I was the one who crossed the line and offended gege. San Lang is in the wrong and apologizes."
Seeing that he didn't take anything to heart, Xie Lian secretly let out a breath of relief. "I was in dire straits and you were only trying to help, it wasn't really a big deal anyway. Oh that's right," He suddenly remembered what he was doing, "San Lang, why have you suddenly appear again? Where's that child spirit?"
Hua Cheng however, replied in an authoritative tone, "Treating your wounds comes first."
In between their exchange the two had already arrived before a magnificent building, and when Xie Lian looked up, the entrance hung the title 'Paradise Manor'.
He was astonished. Had that burnt Paradise Manor really been rebuilt that fast? And it looked exactly the same as the old one. Yet with a guilty conscience, Xie Lian was too embarrassed to ask about it.
Hua Cheng entered, carrying him in his arms, and mounted that black jaded divan. Xie Lian sat on the divan, and Hua Cheng himself half knelt below, holding Xie Lian's injured foot, checking the tiny puncture dyed by blood underneath.
The position made Xie Lian feel uncomfortable, and he cried, "No!" and made a move to get down, but Hua Cheng pushed him back, swiftly removing his boot and sock with a steady hand.
This foot also happened to be the one with the cursed shackle, a deep black chain locked around that clean and white ankle, a powerful contrast. Hua Cheng's eyes only lingered for a moment on that soft ankle before his palm was pressed against Xie Lian's injury.
"This might hurt a bit," Hua Cheng said, "Don't hold back, gege. Cry out if it hurts."