Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When the men entered the building, aside from a bunch of strangely put clothes in the corner, nothing looked different. It was a run-down and long abandoned place, but their employer insisted that they take care of anyone who decided to live here without his consent.

„Are you sure that he wasn’t here only for one night? There isn’t any food, trash or… anything, apart from those things. Maybe the villagers just decided to dump their unusable rags in here?” When the man spoke, from the pile of clothes poked up a small head. A boy, not more than one year old, looked at the man with curiosity, clenching the sleeves of white robes in his hands. The men looked hesitantly at each other, not knowing what to think. Did someone abandon the pup here? Did someone discover him here and, not wanting to be connected to it, feed it secretly?

At that moment they heard the door creak, soft, flowery scent feeling the room. When they turned, they saw a man, dressed in white robes with a bun and a few fruits in his hands. When he saw the, he stopped, his body tensing and eyes nervously going from them to the pup that stretched out his hands in the newcomer’s direction.

When it became clear that the man doesn’t plan on making the first step, too overwhelmed by the scent of a few, burly alphas, they spoke first:

„You are living here?” Asked one of them and Xie Lian cringed at that, after all, who can live in this place? It must have been left unhabituated for at least ten years, maybe even more. Despite his thoughts, he nodded.

„Your stay came to an end. The owner of this place isn’t too… fond of some beggars living in his possession.” The man said, not even an ounce of sympathy in his voice. If this place is so important for the owner, why leave it in such a state, Xie Lian thought but decided to leave it for himself. Instead, he asked:

„I understand. Is it possible for me and my son to spend one more night here?” His thoughts and opinions didn’t matter when he had a pup to take care of. And with how the weather was turning colder in recent days, he couldn’t imagine the boy sleeping outside, without even a provisional nest to feel safe.

„The owner was clear to not let anyone live here any longer. So not this time boy.” The man said and Xie Lian had to hold back a sigh. He didn’t want to agitate them when they are being… nice.

„He may be a beggar, but these clothes aren’t bad. You want some?” The youngest one of the men, but the tallest and most scary looking, kneeled next to the nest and started to dismantle it, separating the rags from good quality clothes, not minding the confused pup, who was trying to take the things back, clinging to them with his small hands.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Lian moved to the nest, gripping clothes with one hand and with the other covering his little pup. Even if his cultivation was broken and he still did not recover from his pregnancy, he wasn’t so weak to be at the level of an ordinary person. In the omega’s mind started forming plans of escape and, in the worst-case scenario, of fighting the men without any harm coming his son’s way.
The youngest one stumbled back, confusion on his face. The moment he let go of the clothes, the pup brought them closer to himself, allowing them to fall on his head and shoulders. He looked hesitantly at his omega father, even Xie Lian wasn’t sure what the pup was unsure about. This only brought his primal instincts nearer to the surface, the former god feeling that they might overflow and cause him to lose reason any second.

Fortunately, the alphas also felt that something was wrong with the person before them – although male omegas were rare and they didn’t think of him having such a sub-gender, they saw the man getting protective over the child. Some of them were getting ready to fight, but the oldest one pulled them back and said:

„We are going to wait outside – take what’s yours and get out of here. And don’t try any tricks.”

They indeed left, though some of them were reluctant to do so, especially the youngest one, but Xie Lian’s body did not stop shaking. When he was living on the streets alone, he saw multiple times how this kind of person could treat others. Even if they were little, innocent pups. He looked at his son, which covered himself with the white cloth and hid in the depths of the nest, and heard a muffled yawn. The evening was nearing and he must have been falling asleep as those men came.

Xie Lian bit his lower lip and walked up the boards, left there probably to repair the house in the future by the owner. Behind them lay herbs that he gathered from the nearby forest in case his son would fall ill again, because of the dropping temperature at night. He didn’t want a repeat of that one, dreadful night.

It was a shame they couldn’t stay here – maybe, at some point in time, Xie Lian could even learn to do simple mixtures and earn money this way. It was just a dream, he realized. Just like all his plans and hopes. Xie Lian scolded himself – he has to take all of this seriously, his mind can’t build its world when there is another being counting on him. Even if reality was hard to swallow.

„Shui, come out.” Xie Lian spoke softly. He didn’t want to force the pup out of their nest and felt regretful that his son won’t be able to spend another night in a comforting environment.

„Shui, come here.” Xie Lian called again when his son revealed only eyes, a little darker than his omega father. The only reaction he got from Shui was his little fist getting a better grip on the white robe, which got barely visible. Xie Lian, with no time to coax his son to come out on his own, gently caught the pup’s body under the clothes, and took him into his arms, as he heard the little one’s whines. He still did not let go of the white rob, even when it was making him slouch towards the ground.

Xie Lian helped his son take a better grip of the cloth, wrapping it around him, as the following nights will be spent on the ground in the forest or behind villagers’ huts. Xie Lian did not hope for others' goodwill or mercy, nor about the meeting, who would help him unwrap the identity of Shui’s other father. As long as it won’t rain, he will be grateful.

„Shui, please, you can’t go back there.” Xie Lian said helplessly when his son started to struggle and reach out to their messy nest. For a moment he even thought that Shui will wiggle out of his arms, but thanks to the robe he managed to prevent it. „Shui, we have to go. We are not welcome here.”

When he finally understood that the pup won’t give up on the nest, he just walked away and strengthened his grip on the child. He couldn’t take the clothes that he has chosen with such care, even if they were thrown out of a big manor nearby, they were soft in touch and comfortable and he really, really wanted the best for his pup. Now they will be taken by those alphas and given to their omegas – maybe for clothes, maybe for a nest, both of which he and Shui will lack.

„You ready to go?” The leader asked when he saw Xie Lian exiting the building. Night, chilling air made his body shiver and unconsciously he hugged the pup in his arms.

„Hmmm.”

„Good. My employer is serious, he doesn’t want to see you here, so don’t think to return here. And…” He looked at the bundled pup. „It’s a… good deed to take care of an abandoned child, but if you can’t provide for yourself, it’s better to leave him. Maybe a landlord will take him as a servant.”

The man’s words made Xie Lian tense, his pupils shrank and his fists clenched and unclenched, wary of harming the pup. He advised Xie Lian to abandon his own son. He even thought that Xie Lian is not the real father of the pup. He knows. He looks more like a beta and because of his cultivation, his lost cultivation, he no longer has a scent of an omega. Is it a reason for not being able to calm his pup? Because he is a faulty omega that sacrificed his future child’s wellbeing and comfort for his own gain? Or maybe… maybe he is not the father? Maybe the pup knows it, and that’s why he never listens to him. What if this child is not his and all of this is some bad ghost’s trick?

No, it isn’t. He can’t allow those thoughts to take over his mind. This one thing he is sure of – he is Shui’s omega father. His memories of pregnancy and his lost cultivation are the best evidence of this. Shui is his child, even if he is a broken and faulty omega. And as it is his responsibility, he will take care of Shui. Not some rich landlord that will treat him as an object, another thing he owns.

„Thanks for the advice, but I won’t let him go. We will be on our way, goodbye.” Xie Lian spoke in a polite tone, with a slight bow, and went in the forest direction.

„Boss, should we warn him? It’s that…”

„No.” The leader interrupted. „For people such as them, it’s the more merciful solution.”

Chapter Text

Xie Lian spent nights after nights imagining how his child would look like – will it be a boy in whom he wouldn’t see even one similar trait? Or will it be a little girl version of himself? Splitting image of his omega father so much, that in the future, people will mistake them for being twins? Will the harsh environment make him a willful or obedient child? Which hobbies of his will he share with the pup? What will be his secondary gender?

Curiosity made him create tons of scenarios, but neither foreseen one, very important detail – luck. Even for Xie Lian himself, it is unknown, if he purposefully omitted it, or if he subconsciously decided to disregard it. One thing he knew – fate never forgets, no matter what kind of detail it is.

The moment Shui came into his arms, Xie Lian was smiling, seeing his little pup wrapped in white robes, unwilling to open his small eyes. He cried only for a moment and quickly got tired, not willing to indulge his father. He wanted to listen to his pup's cries, mumblings, or just any noise – to know that it wasn't his imagination. But in the end – Xie Lian did not mind. When he was still carrying and suffered from being a pregnant omega without a mate, he decided to love the pup no matter what. This little child had only him and the chances for it to change are non-existent. This little pup, who just came into this world, inherited his eyes, build, hair colour and luck. Out of all the things, he inherited the worst trait from him. Just for being a child of a faulty omega. Even if his luck would be mediocre, like any other human in the mortal realm, his life could be spent in a quiet village or a bustling town, with a group of friends or only one, close to his heart person, with a family or as a loner. This would be his own choice. Instead, he will live as a beggar on the streets, but without his omega father’s immortality. Meaning that all misfortunes that they will encounter could end this little pup's life.

Whenever he remembered it, he wanted to lament and do anything to protect his baby from starving on the streets, and from being bullied by those stronger than him. These thoughts go through his mind as the sun sets down and they are nearing the forest – a border between two regions of the country they are currently in. But this time, something new is flourishing. Please, let this child not present as an omega. The moment it sounds in his mind, he stills. His hands start to shake, and his eyes are frantically trying to look at the pup, but he is so ashamed of his thoughts that he does not dare. How could this wretched thought enter his mind? He promised to love him no matter what. But what if he will present as omega and there will be no one to protect him? I will. And if he gets separated from you? For this, Xie Lian could not find an answer.

„Who would have thought that I was proud of being an omega crown prince in the past? And an omega martial god, later.” Xie Lian laughed bitterly, the pup raising his eyes to look at his father, confused. He looked apologetically at his son.

„Try to sleep little one, your father is just… tired.” Xie Lian whispered, patting Shui on the head. The pup looked pretty tired, but he refused to close his eyes, watching the path they were walking on. What was so interesting about it? He couldn’t grasp it.

Before the night fell, Xie Lian found a high tree with big leaves, so they could lay under it and escape most of the rain if that was the prank weather had planned for them. Mainly, it was meant for Shui. Not much would happen if Xie Lian froze to death, but for his little pup, it would be the end. Sometimes he thinks that he treats matters of his own life and death with much more leniency than he should, but it’s only a fleeting thought.

„Shui, is something wrong?” He asks his son, as he is laying the only white robe he was able to take, under the tree. When it’s time to sleep, Shui is usually getting into a nest even before it’s finished and Xie Lian has to build it around his son’s little body, but this time...

Shui looks at his father with innocent eyes and turns to look at the forest. He fidgets, biting his finger and trying to find something in the darkness between the trees. Xie Lian also looks there, but he sees nothing. His senses are also staying silent. Nothing like when the bandits attacked them when Shui was still a newborn, and Xie Lian had ignored them. He thought he was just oversensitive because he was constantly feeling like something wanted to hunt them down.

„Shui, it’s time to sleep. Tomorrow we have a long way to go.” Xie Lian says, taking the little pup into his one-robe-nest. He sighs, thinking about what he left in that abandoned house. Those clothes even started to smell like them, and Shui never experienced such a thing. It was probably a reason why he was so protective of it, even trying to stop an alpha a few times bigger than him.

Xie Lian lay next to Shui, knowing it will be the first of many sleepless nights in the following weeks. His instincts refused to rest when they were on open terrain, danger able come from any side and any source. And he will gladly fulfil this responsibility. He kissed the little pup on the forehead and with half-closed eyes listened to his son’s even breathing for the rest of the night.

The first sun rays lightened the surrounding fields and Xie Lian longingly gazed at the village that was a home for them for the last week. Maybe, in another few hundred years, he will visit it again, if it will still exist. For now, he decided to rise and wake up his son. He wouldn’t want a reminder from the villagers how unwanted they were in this place.

Shui was particularly obedient, if a little lazy, and allowed himself to be picked up and Xie Lian thought for a while. Last night they… just went out of the village, to not bring any troubles on themselves, but now he had to plan their next steps. This country wasn’t poor or troubled by natural disasters, but it also wasn’t densely populated. The path going through the forest leads to another region and if he remembers correctly, the next settlement is about four days from here. Normally he would try to take something with them for such a long journey, but a moment when they have nothing must have come.

His thoughts got interrupted by Shui who was making soft, quiet noises to get his father’s attention, along with taking Xie Lian’s hair in hand. The omega looked at him and saw that the pup was trying to look at the forest, just like the previous night.

„You are interested in it, huh?” Xie Lian turned slightly to allow the pup to look at the trees. It was early autumn and even though days and nights were getting colder, it shouldn’t be too bad for the little pup. And if he was so curious about the forest, they can go through it. It doesn’t cost them any money. And its leaves of red, orange and yellow also look quite appealing.

The forest looked rather ordinary from the outside, but once they ventured inside, it was more like a well-cared-for grove made for royalty. Trees were on the shorter side, their leaves small to allow the sunlight in. If he added benches along the path, servants going behind him and the bickering between Mu Qing and Feng Xin, then it would be just like in Xianle.

„What if we would have a house here, hmm, Shui?” He asked softly, not wanting to startle the child. Just like Xie Lian, he was watching it with awe, eyes sparkling and his tiny hands trying to catch leaves. Most of their days were spent on the town streets. Maybe, in the future, he will get a job in a minor palace that the royalty never visits and he will be able to show his son how he lived in the past. He can almost imagine disbelief on his son’s face. He giggled lightly at the image in his mind, making the pup look at him strangely.

Then he saw grassland, slightly bigger than the house they were living in, with a few, colourful flowers, and sun rays falling directly on this plot of land. It is a charming place, Xie Lian had to admit, and his pup must have thought similarly as he started to pull Xie Lian's sleeves and struggle to be let out. Xie Lian looked around and after confirming that no animal is nearby, he allowed his pup to play a bit. He hoped that Shui wouldn’t pluck the flowers out, but he was just a child. Surely, nature wouldn’t hold a grudge against so small, young and naive being.

„Shui, if you were born seven hundred years earlier, you could be a prince.” Xie Lian said, the peaceful atmosphere of the forest making his tongue loose. „You would wear miniature royal robes, have a miniature crown and have a bunch of servants to play with you. I would bring any kind of flower you would want to see and plant it in the palace and your grandparents… they would do anything for you, too.”

Xie Lian sighed but didn’t stop talking: „You would have two uncles, who would compete on who brought you the best toys and made the brightest smile appear on your face. My cousin… he would be good for you too. Probably. He would be a teasing kind of uncle.”

Shui looked at him all the time Xie Lian was reminiscing the old times, his eyes not showing any kind of understanding or excitement. He was just a little child listening to his omega father’s mumblings. If he was a bit older, he might have thought of this as a fairy tale or as a mumbling of a madman.

„You got tired quickly” Xie Lian laughed, seeing the little pup crawl to him. His brown, small robes, given by an elderly woman some time ago, were stained with green and his small hand gripped one of the flowers. Xie Lian was ready to take the pup in his arms, thinking that he got tired of playing, but, instead, Shui put the flower on Xie Lian’s lap and looked expectantly at his omega father.

Xie Lian took the flower in hand, its blue petals hiding its insides. Even though they were closed, like guarding something important, they felt soft. He ruffled the pup’s black hair with a big smile. He fiddled with the flower for a bit and then decided to insert it into his hair.

„Thank you. We should go, shouldn’t we? I bet there will be more places like this one. And you certainly are the laziest pup that ever walked on this earth.” Well, better if I wouldn’t bet on anything, Xie Lian though just after saying this. The pup did not react, waiting for his father to act – a clear sign that the pup lost an interest in whatever he was doing and he expected from his father to find him another thing to entertain himself. The pup’s eyes looked exactly like another child’s he encountered in the past – the same expectancy and unconditional trust in them, but he quickly dismissed this thought.

He took the pup and the moment he stood up, all his senses started going crazy with one feeling overpowering them. His eyes glanced at every tree and every gap between them, his hands getting a better grip on his son, his nose searching for any foreign scent. Nothing found. If not for the Ruoye, which started to peek out of his robes, he would think that he is overreacting again.

Something was wrong, something or someone was here with them and it appear right at this moment – too fast for a human or even a ghost.

He took a step forward, then another and another, but nothing happened. Nothing lunged towards him, and neither something appeared. He looked at Ruoye, but it still fluttered its edges outside of Xie Lian's sleeves. The moment he realized where this danger is coming from, Shui whined loudly and hid in the crook of Xie Lian’s neck.

Xie Lian turned around and looked upwards, towards branches of the tree under which he sat just moments ago. His sight got obstructed by Ruoye which plunged forward and dispersed dark mist, similar to black sand, which slowly fell to the ground. Xie Lian didn’t wait for even a second longer and run. He didn’t even turn to see what kind of body will the creature transform into – it was irrelevant if his real form is this dark mist, which started to seep out from trees on their sides and his pup. His pup.

When he looked at Shui, the dark mist was in his hair, on his face and his clothes. Then Xie Lian noticed that the dark mist was also falling on his shoulder. He looked up, but it didn’t fall from the trees, sun rays still not obstructed by the thing that Xie Lian did not manage to see.

„Ruoye, destroy the flower!” Xie Lian shouted, his words rushed and barely coherent because of his maddening pace of running. Nature won’t hold a grudge against a young child – Xie Lian wanted to laugh. With their luck, even themselves might hold one against each other, despite being father and son.

Ruoye flew to catch the now opened flower with a bright, glistening core inside, which produced more and more of the dark mist, but it was too late. Xie Lian's thoughts got so occupied by trying to find the source of the dark mist on themselves, that he did not notice how this thing encircled them – it wasn’t trying to get near them, but instead – to trap them and cut off any possible escape route.

He looked upwards to see, if this one way is still available for them and, as though the dark mist was seeing and comprehending his actions, it shot up to cover it too. Was the dark mist a creature itself or was it a tool in hands of another? Xie Lian didn’t know why, but as his head started to hurt, he seemed to subconsciously know that the mist itself won’t be able to kill them. The annoying pounding was getting worse and worse, but his pup seemed to not suffer from it. Xie Lian tried to think of a way out, but the only thing that occupied his mind was the headache, which seemed to try to open something inside his head.

Chapter Text

There were times when Xie Lian had to sleep on the streets in rain or scorching sun and front of him was a temple of Nan Yang or a temple of Xuan Zhen. The little bundle in his arms was crying, his scent giving the whole world signs about how distressed it was, and Xie Lian was fighting with himself – to lose control and enter that temple or to remain on the streets and take care of Shui by himself.

Every time he managed to discard the thought of taking shelter there. He was afraid that somehow, they would be able to find him. On this day, they would cast their gaze at that particular temple and see their old friend, deprived of his spiritual powers, turned from a crown prince and a Flower Crown Martial God into an omega unable to take care of himself and his pup. Well. He doesn’t have to take care of himself – after all, he can’t die.

And that’s the point – if he would be able to die, in some shady corner or by simply starving, he would go into the temple and ask one of his friends to take care of Shui. No one would pity a child with such bad luck as him. In that situation, he would not care about their opinions and thoughts, even if that’s what he is most concerned about. He vowed to remain chaste and now he would appear with a one-year-old son in his arms whose other father is unknown. They have once decided to leave him, and Xie Lian did not hold it against them, but he would hold it against them if they would turn their back on this little pup. Even if they didn't have any responsibility towards them and they already cut ties with him. He just wouldn't be able to remain calm.

Now, he thinks he should just pray and pray and pray until either of them were so annoyed and came to see him. If they would agree to take Shui in, it would be good. If they did not, he should have prayed and prayed and prayed until they became willing. Maybe he would be hurt by not having his sweet son with him, maybe Shui would hate him for abandoning him, for being a useless father, who couldn't take care of even one child. But at least, he would be safe, have food, shelter and a stable environment to cultivate.

Xie Lian heard his pup giggling and glanced in that direction and despite the darkness, he was able to make out the shapes of his son and the spiritual weapon. Ruoye was fluttering before Shui’s eyes, touching his hands and cheeks in a comforting matter and trying to distract the child, whose voice was still hoarse from crying. Its actions were more than successful, as Shui was trying to reach out for the bandage, which was slipping through his fingers, and a delicate smile was appearing on his face. The reason for Shui’s previous fright was insects, spiders and mice that lived in the room they were currently in – a space without any light source and a heavy, wooden door as the only exit. Xie Lian also felt metal parts in some places of the room, but he wasn’t able to see what it was exactly. He didn’t feel any humidity in the air, neither under his fingers, as he examined the space, so he suspected that they were not in a dungeon. A ground floor? Maybe a tower?

„Ruoye, can you fit under the door?” Xie Lian called, seeing it as their only way of escape. After the dark mist took over the whole forest, he thought that it will serve as a space to make their senses useless and the hunt easier for a ghost or a demon. Instead, they appeared in this room and the first thing they saw, was a big spider that made Shui cry. Xie Lian still couldn’t believe that after all, they have experienced, this is the thing that scares him the most, though Xie Lian wants to believe it also tells of him taking good care of Shui.

„No way? It’s alright, we will find another way.” Xie Lian comforted the dejected Ruoye and send him to play with Shui again, as he thought some more. He could feel the stench of blood, though it was not strong and as he stated earlier - nothing wet or sticky was on the floor and walls. Still, the same presence of the scent indicated they were caught by someone with evil intentions, but there was one more thing. He noticed that the air as a whole was… strange. Like... a lot of scents mingled together, not being able to decipher even one of them, because of how much they merged. Were they still in the mortal realm? Going from one realm to another was no child’s play, but the mist and the trap were neither.

It was then that he heard the sound of footsteps muffled by the heavy, wooden door. Xie Lian walked to Shui and hid him behind himself, giving the white robe to the pup. It always had a calming effect on him, so Xie Lain hoped it would work this time too. At that moment to his ears came a sound of whispers, which words couldn't be understood. He ordered Ruoye to return and hide in his sleeves. Someone has sacrificed a lot of resources to make this place. Were they kidnapping people regularly? Who was their target? Did they choose them randomly or had an eye on a specific person?

The door opened without as much as a creak and a strong light blinded Xie Lian for a while. He covered his eyes with a sleeve, looking to the side. Metal that he felt previously under his fingers appeared to be old handcuffs and rusted fragments of tools that long lost their ability to serve their purpose.

„There is only one? I thought you detected two beings.” A horse, but not too unpleasant to ears voice spread across the room.

„That’s what I felt. . It was quite a time from when I was reading the dark mists fluctuations, but I’m confident in this ability.” The second voice sounded quiet, unsure, as though he expected someone to attack him at any moment if he any louder.

Xie Lian dropped the sleeve and looked at the two ghosts before him. One of them had a lantern in his hands, wearing colourful clothes that would make him similar to a clown if not for his scarred face and lack of one ear. The second one had a paper and quill, and on his belt was a pouch full of money. He was shorter than the first one and his grey, coarse clothes were only slightly better than the ones Xie Lian wore. Apart from having no hair and a large dimple on the side of his face that made him disfigured, he could pose to be a poor, human merchant.

„Where is the second one?! Did he escape?! You know how expensive it is to set this trap up?!” The taller one screamed, his face getting even redder than it was before – from a strawberry it turned into a tomato.

„Don’t get too agitated. I feel it – it is here, behind this one.” The shorter ghost said and turned to look at Xie Lian. Despite how his voice sounded, his words could be even considered confident and rude. „Those bandages… are you also a ghost?”

Xie Lian was taken aback – how could they come to this conclusion…but then he remembered that he no longer had his spiritual powers and the bandages on his neck and wrists could make a wrong impression on others. A ghost with a severed head – he just got a new identity.

„He is a ghost?! Do you not know how expensive it is to set it up?! If you wanted free transport to Ghost City, you should have chosen another place! Ghosts are trying to do business here!” The first one screamed again. Seeing his body build and temperament, he should have been an alpha when he was still alive.

Xie Lian was starting to have a new headache from the ghost’s behaviour when he felt movement from behind him. Shui was never too obedient and now he couldn’t bear to stay behind his father with nothing to do any longer. Either this or the screaming alpha startled him. Either way, he peeked out and when he heard the ghosts exclaim in surprise, he knew it won’t get any easier.

Xie Lian took Shui in his arms to try and obstacle the two ghosts' view on his son and make himself more comforted – he needed to feel the pup in his arms or he would peek at him every other second to make sure he is there.

„A human child! We are rich Lim! You remember that you promised me a quarter of the profit!” The beta ghost called, his voice weak even in this excited state.

„I don’t remember, but we can talk about this later, Tao!” The ghost named Lim screamed and looked as though he might start to cry from happiness. Xie Lian himself didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

„I think you are mistaken. You are not rich. It’s my child and I won't exchange him for money.” Xie Lian had difficulty with finding appropriate words, not sure if anything he said would be even registered by them. But he underestimated their focus on the word "rich" and their attention was again on him.

„Are you sure? Say, what do you want for him? We can give you a part of the profit or obtain something you want. If you are lacking in money, we are also willing to buy the cloth the child holds. It will be worth a fortune on the market.” The beta ghost, Tao, said and came nearer them. Xie Lian took a step back and immediately was met with a wall. When it was darker, the room seemed bigger, but now it is crowded with only three adults and one child inside.

„Sorry, but no money will persuade. Instead, can you just let us go? I will try to compensate you.” Xie Lian said with a cracked smile, still trying to resolve it without fighting. The two ghosts scrutinized him from head to toe and he knew that he failed this one.

„Apart from clothes, you are penniless. Even that cloth wouldn’t make for the mist you used! The Lord himself invented it and you think he would make some cheap technique?! Where you buried under the ground for so long to not know such basic things?!” Well, he was buried for a long time, but it wasn't so recently.

„As I said, I won’t give the child to you. I can work for you or return the money to you slowly, but he is off limits.” Xie Lian stopped smiling, his eyes narrowing. He lost his spiritual powers, but his physical abilities remained and Ruoye was still undiscovered.

„If you lose your head, you will get some reason!” The alpha roared and charged toward Xie Lian. Ruoye flew forwards, but it got caught mid-way by the beta ghost and slipped through his fingers too late. Lim grasped the bandage on Xie Lian’s neck and pulled it. The two ghosts were convinced that it holds the man’s head and body connected.

Imagine the surprise when they didn’t see a head rolling on the ground or a lifeless, falling body, but instead, a cursed shackle of heaven origin. Their bewildered and shocked expressions made Xie Lian inadvertently touch his neck with a hand and cover the shackle. Seeing it as an occasion to attack, Ruoye lunged forward and chose Tao as his target. Yet, again, it got held back, by the alpha this time. That’s when Xie Lian understood that they are no ordinary ghosts – not only was their cooperation exceptional, but their fighting abilities were also good. Even if they did not train while alive, they must have spent a lot of time on this in their afterlife.

„Lim, hold him back, we really hit gold this time!” The beta ghost said and threw a pouch full of powder into Xie Lian’s face. One of his hands held a grip on Shui, with the second he tried to free Ruoye out of the alpha’s grasp. He couldn't send it to fly in another direction or move in another direction fast enough. It hit the pup’s reached hand, which was trying to also take Ruoye back, but his limb was too short to even touch it. The powder fell out of the pouch and it was immediately breathed in by the two of them.

„I will get take care of them from now on, you go to the Gambler’s Den. The Lord might be interested in this deal.” Lim said, feeling how Xie Lian’s strength was faltering and his grip on Ruoye was getting weaker. What they threw was a powder to make a person all dizzy and relax their muscles. The fallen god started to feel its effects and fell to the ground, holding Shui close to soften the impact of the fall, but soon even this got impossible.

„Do I offer both of them or I’m finding another client for the child?” Tao picked his notes from the ground and a dissatisfied frown appeared on his face when he saw a footstep on one of the pages.

„I think the Lord might be interested in both of them. The god seems to be attached to the child, it will be more enjoyable to the Crimson Rain.” The alpha took a handkerchief and touched Xie Lian’s scent glands on the neck, which, despite the powder, made him tremble and whine slightly. It was supposed to be touched only by people close to him, by people he will allow to do that, but what in his life has gone as it is supposed to...

The alpha raised the handkerchief and sniffed it, a surprised expression on his face. This man was giving them a day, or night, full of emotions and this time, he also did not disappoint them.

„This guy is an omega. But his scent… It’s so weak. Don’t show it to the Lord. Also… about his appearance... make it vague. The fact he is a fallen god may be enough for the Lord to take him, but let’s not risk it. His face is so pale, it isn’t strange we mistook him for a ghost.”

The two ghosts talked about their plan, but Xie Lian could no longer listen to it – if it was caused by the powder or by being treated as goods for their „Lord”, was unknown to Xie Lian. Even his eyelids were getting heavy, but he managed to take one last look at his sweet pup. Shui already fell unconscious, his little body laying on his omega father in an awkward position. Xie Lian managed to raise his hand and put it on the child’s small head before his eyes closed and he lost control over his body.

Chapter Text

When Xie Lian awoke, he only heard that everything was ready, according to the ghost named Tao. His wrists felt… hollow, as though someone has deprived him of his body part. Ruoye was always wrapped around his wrists and as soon as he woke up, it tried to get his attention in whatever silly way it could. The white cloth, which the two ghosts were interested in earlier, was also taken and he could see its edge hanging out of one of the boxes lying on the ground. Xie Lian suspected his spiritual weapon to be in the other ornamented box, a little bigger than the one in which the robe was. His pup was sniffling quietly, his eyes flickering between the two boxes and his omega father. He didn't see any injuries or bruises on his body, but this did not calm his mind.

Xie Lian wanted to raise his hands and hug his son, tell him that everything will be okay and that in the night, he will be able to play with Ruoye and sleep on his favourite, white robe. Unfortunately, it was impossible. He wasn’t able to move his hand or mouth, not a word could be uttered. They had to use this strange powder on him again when he was asleep. Thankfully, they didn’t use it on Shui. Who knows what effects it could have on the pup’s small body?

„The man is awake. Your recipes are getting weaker, Are you sure you aren’t getting older?” The alpha was sorting through things, that did not belong to Xie Lian and probably were meant as a gift to their „Lord”.

„Lim, I swear, we are already dead. The only thing getting older is your brain. Though… did you lose your brain, when you died?” Tao turned to Lim, his voice high-pitched, making the ghosts behind the door grimace. If Xie Lian could, he would also show how much his voice hurt his ears. It sounded entirely different from yesterday, but it remained as annoying.

„If I would lose my brain, would I be talking to you?! I was stabbed! If you are already forgetting this, what it will be like in a couple of years?!” The alpha raised his voice, but despite his words, no anger was shown on his face, nor Tao.

„The only thing getting worse are my abilities, I must admit, but not as much as yours. And I would like to remind you, it’s you who went to the Gambler’s Den last time when the Lord was away and everyone in the Ghost City knew about it. Only you forgot.” Tao’s mouth raised in something that should resemble a smile, but Xie Lian had a hard time recognising it as that. Those two ghosts truly appeared weird in his opinion. If they didn’t drug him, take his weapon and sold them to the „Lord”, he would think of them as harmless.

Shui looked into Xie Lian’s eyes and took his clothes in hand, pulling them and shaking his omega father, demanding attention and care. Xie Lian couldn’t smell his scent, just as he wasn’t able to move, so the only thing he could do was watch as the one-year-old’s eyes were welling with tears and his little body was taken by tremors. His instincts screamed to hug Shui and assure him that everything will be okay.

He didn’t know when his own eyes got blurred and the tears fell from them. He recognized it only after one of the ghosts said to not look and they exited the room with the boxes meant for the Crimson Rain. This „Lord” they were talking about was a mystery to Xie Lian. Never did he hear about him and his... nickname? Title? And what the ghosts told wasn’t giving him much hope either. A ghost with this title and wielding so much influence for others to not call him by his name. Interested in fallen gods. Interested in rewarding anyone who would bring a fallen god to him.

Would everything unfold differently if he knew, who was Shui’s other father? The maid in the manor said… Xie Lian didn’t even want to recall what she had said and didn’t know how much of this he could believe. So with the knowledge he had, it could be a human, a god or a demon. An alpha, a beta or… another omega. Though the last is the least likely option. He knows it's possible and heard some stories of this when he was still the crown prince, but outside of Xianle… People thought of such omegas as nature freaks. So he doubts that anyone would expose themselves to such a fate for a servant.

Xie Lian looked once more at the distressed Shui, who gave up on his tries and just lay there, sobbing quietly, hiding his face in Xie Lian’s robes. If he had to guess, he would say that the other father was not a human. Not because he felt that something was off about his son or he behaved not as a child should. It was more about what Shui was able to survive as a child of a beggar. There were days that Xie Lian couldn’t provide him with food. There were days with constant rain, chilling to the bone or with them being kicked out of places that Shui felt emotionally attached to. And yet, he survived and that’s what brought Xie Lian to a conclusion that there is a high possibility that Shui’s other father, a person he dual cultivated with, is not a human.

Even if he was here, what would change, thought Xie Lian bitterly. His bad luck would drive them far, far away from him, either the fact itself or fate would take care of it. Not that it didn’t do it already. That’s the reason why he must take it into his hands. Even if they are destined to go to that „Lord” in the end, he won’t go there obediently, like a sheep.

Xie Lian glanced at Shui for the last time and closed his eyes. If one of the powder effects was to make its recipient sleepy, maybe they won’t feed him another dose, if he will pretend to go back to sleep. The same goes for moving and talking – he can’t allow any mishap to happen. So he lays there, trying to fall into a spiral of thoughts to make the time go faster and not hear Shui. His little, sweet pup. For his sake, he can’t comfort him right now, and neither can he say any word of comfort.

His omega instincts screamed and blamed, louder and louder. But he succeeded. He knew it worked, when he heard the two ghosts' conversation and when they said that making him inhale the powder for the third time would make him unresponsive for the rest of the day, maybe even for the next one. They weren’t sure when the Lord would like to use his new toy, so they prefered to not upset him if he would like to try him right away.

„But how will we move him? I mean, this guy is an omega after all.” The alpha said, confusion and, what surprised Xie Lian, embarrassment clear in his voice.

„And what, you want to say that you are afraid to sully his innocence? This guy has a child, what are you fretting about?!” The beta’s voice this time was low, Xie Lian thinks that he never heard any voice like this. He never heard that someone would change voices so often in general.

„He is still an omega, with child or not. They are… sensitive.” Both Xie Lian and Tao were puzzled. It could be deduced from the long silence that came after his words. Despite being on two other sides in this conflict, both of them thought: what is wrong with this one? Did he really not die by a smash on his head?

„These matters of alphas and omegas, always so troublesome… Admit that you are afraid to touch him because you got killed by an offended omega! It has nothing to do with sensitivity!” Well, if he got stabbed by an offended omega, then sensitivity played a large part in this, in Xie Lian’s opinion.

„You two, find… something and move them downstairs! Everything is ready and you don’t want to make the Lord wait!” The alpha roared, probably embarrassed from the truth Tao’s words carried.

„If there were any strong feelings that forced him to stay in this world, it had to be an embarrassment.” The beta mumbled and Xie Lian heard how two pairs of footsteps drifted away. He could swear that he heard his omega instincts sighing in relief as the aggressive scent of an alpha disappeared, his ability to smell still didn’t return, so it had to be strong. But just after this, he was again on high alert as he heard his pup’s sobbing intensifying and he lost the comfortable weight that was on him just moments ago. Then he felt a few pairs of hands on him and they lifted him.

The urge to wiggle out was growing stronger with every step they made and with every claw that accidentally scratched his skin. In the background, he was able to hear whispers, which Xie Lian identified as gentle, probably directed at his pup, as he wasn’t able to hear his sobbing. He tried not to think of the possibility that his son was taken from him and his plan to escape would crumble at its foundation.

Another wave of this strange, unified scent hit Xie Lian when they carried him outside of the building. Along with it, the sound of chatters, laughs and screams overwhelmed his hearing, as though he stepped into a chaotic and bustling market. It was as though it was the first time Xie Lian had visited such a place, even though it was not true. This place was just… different from what he knew.

„How are… we…” Xie Lian heard someone ask.

„Just lay him there, he is unconscious anyway. And we won’t be working here for long, Lim and Tao will get exiled soon either way.” Another voice scolded, Xie Lian felt how his back hits a hard, wooden surface. They truly did not care how will he feel in this awkward position. It took a moment before he heard another sound, something got shuffled and something brushed him.

„Okay, both of them are here, we are ready to go whenever masters are.” The second voice sounded again and then he heard a click as something got locked, and all the voices became muffled. Xie Lian opened his eyes slightly and at the same moment, he felt Shui’s little hands on his body.

The thing they were in… from the treatment they received he expected a chest, but well… It seems the ghost thought that a little, possibly human child might suffocate to death if left in the chest. Or they wanted to give them wrapped up in a more expensive "package". So, instead, they are in a small, narrow sedan. The last time he experienced a ride in it was so long ago that it almost felt… new… refreshing to find himself inside one.

Shui sat opposite him, his little hands touched his legs, his whole body barely able to stretch over the gap between the seats. Like this, the risk of him falling and hitting his head once this thing starts to move is more than sure. Xie Lian thought he would die of a heart attack if he would be able to. He quickly rose and took his son into his arms, hugging him close and not wanting to look at his son’s worried expression. A one-year-old should never feel this kind of feelings, especially not daily.

„Shui, you need to be quiet. Please, do this for your father?” Xie Lian asked in a low voice when he saw the rims of his son’s eyes getting red. It did not stop Shui from hiccuping, but he hid his face in Xie Lian’s chest and tried to muffle his sobs, probably from relief that his father was awake. Xie Lian stroked Shui's hair, and, finally, he could whisper a few, comforting words to his pup, though very quietly.

Xie Lian felt conflicted. Should they run now? Wait for the sedan to move? Or let themselves be carried to the Lord and use the time he will be examining the gifts? The gifts… his Ruoye is among them. That was another thing he felt conflicted about. His spiritual weapon would be left in the hands of that person… or rather, that ghost, and he felt remorseful. It accompanied him for years, centuries. But he needed Shui to be safe and he hoped that Ruoye will also understand it. He can ask Mu Qing or Nan Yang to take care of the pup, then he return for it. With this, if something will happen to him, his son will be safe.

The matter of time of their escape got a little easier when the sedan shook and Xie Lian almost fell. He could no longer escape during the preparations. This made him panic a little, as he didn’t know how far is the meeting place, but also opened his mind. If the Lord was interested in the fallen gods and the ghosts were naming him with such a title, he must be much stronger than the two he already met. Xie Lian was strong, but only physically and he had a child to protect. As such, he decided to go with the only option left, if slipping out in the Lord's presence was a much more dangerous route.

„Shui, we will go on a little adventure, hmm? It might get… intense…” Xie Lian looked into the eyes of the child, who still did not understand most of the things that happened around him. „Or, for you, it might be fun.”

Xie Lian took a deep breath, once more arranged his grip on the child and touched the door of the sedan. He remembered that ghosts had locked them, so he did not bother with trying to open them.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian run, not even once looking behind, in fear that it would slow him down and their claws would grab his messy clothes. Unknown streets and alleys became his blessing and curse, just like the crowd of ghosts. This place had an infinite amount of buildings and stalls and navigating through them, even if someone lives in this place, must be quite difficult, just as this is for Xie Lian. Still, he suspected that they had an ounce better understanding of this place. Secondly, the ghosts – on one side they obstructed his pursuers' view, but also made his escape much more difficult with how hard it was to go past the crowd.

Xie Lian doesn’t know when, but after tens of tries to hide in the alleys, it finally worked. He heard the ghosts run past him, along one of the bigger streets, and their voices faded shortly after. The omega could finally sigh in relief. He sat on the ground, his back against the stone wall, which scratched his skin through the robe as the energy left him and he fell to the ground. Xie Lian curled around Shui, hugging him and mumbling words, that were meant to be comforting – for his pup or himself, he didn't know.

The pup didn’t know what was happening and quickly started to get bored, the fun part of running and seeing strange people, bright lanterns and colourful stalls ended. As such, he reached his hand for Xie Lian’s hair and started to play with them, mainly by pulling them. Normally, Xie Lian would scold Shui and attempt to find him some other thing to do, but now he was so tired... so lost, he couldn’t force himself to do it.

The strange scent that Xie Lian smelled earlier now became much more evident and he had no problems recognizing it. Some of the younger ghosts tried to hide their scent with special perfumes, as it was still carrying the stench of rotting, caused by their death and bodies not accustomed to their new state. Because this place seemed to crawl with such beings, affected were not only the younger ones but everyone who came here – the perfumes seemed to permit every nook and cranny of this market. As such, no scent could be recognized and it would be a big relief for Xie Lian if his own wasn’t weak, to begin with. Instead, it was depressing to know that they definitely weren't in the mortal realm, or rather he should say – in the part of the mortal realm not ruled by mortals.

Xie Lian couldn’t pretend to be a ghost – neither did he have confidence in his acting, nor did he have clothes to change into. The ghosts won’t stop in their search and he isn’t sure if the other inhabitants of this place won’t help them once they know how he looks. After all, he doubts that the Lord would just like this forsake obtaining… well, Xie Lian couldn't name what he meant to this Lord, but all the fuse around this deal made him think that it was rather important for the Lord. Talking about it – was he a gift or did the ghosts obtain something for him? Well, it wasn’t really this important, Xie Lian thought.

With all the things considered, the best option was to stand up and try to find a way back to the mortal realm and never, absolutely never again allow Shui to pluck any flower. But he couldn’t do that. All the emotions of the past days, the powder they fed him without giving him any food. If he only could return to that run-down house and sleep on their nest, his pup playing with Ruoye before sleep, Xie Lian observing the two of them. Xie Lian glanced at the street, which was barely visible from their hiding place, but his mind wandered in another direction.

Time passed and nothing around them changed – the alley was as obscure and empty as it was before, the vendors still sold their goods and only the passing figures in uniforms seemed to disrupt this stabile picture. Soon, gossip began and the ghosts were looking at each other with curious eyes. Not long after, they started to look intently at every passing person, the air filling with feelings of excitement and suspicion.

All of this Xie Lian observed from his spot, unable to move, his mind showing him enticing images, but something forced him to not believe them. As such, none of those subtle changes escaped his eye, wondering how no one has ventured into this alley. One step out of the main street and they would find him.

Just as he thought about this, the atmosphere changed again. More and more frequently the uniform-clothed ghosts flickered in Xie Lian’s sight, with time their patrols seemed more chaotic. There was one person who went in a different direction, here the guards were fighting with each other. Once he even saw how they were pestering the nearby ghosts. Shopkeepers seemed to change from excited to worried and panicked.

It was then that Xie Lian noticed a lack of something – the cycle of day and night did not exist here, this place was always dark, light emanating only from the red lanterns. That’s why it was quite strange when his view became darker.

„You are…” Xie Lian thought that he recognized this voice from past long ago buried in the depths of his mind. He looked up and saw a young man with pale skin and black robes. But the face appeared in his sight, he couldn’t connect it to a name.

„When I heard that Hua Cheng is searching for a fallen god, I would never have thought that it would be you” The man said in a somewhat indifferent tone, though his expression seemed to be neither relaxed nor irritated. If Xie Lian had to guess, he would say it was worry, but… for so long no one felt this kind of thing towards him, that he surely must be mistaken about it.

Xie Lian thought he was in a dream, or at least that everything that was happening right now was his imagination’s joke. That’s why he was startled when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and saw his pup squirming because of a stranger’s proximity. His eyes lost the foggy appearance for a moment and he tensed, looking one more time at the man.

A tall, good-looking man, an omega Xie Lian realised. His scent was so strong that it couldn’t mingle into the market’s blend, betraying its owner's gender. That’s when a realisation hit Xie Lian, a doubt rising in his chest, but his hands shook nonetheless. He couldn’t be wrong.

„You are… you… Mu Qing?” A relief flooded through Xie Lian, as though a prayer of his was fulfilled. But this feeling passed as quickly as the man nodded his head, the confirmation making him feel dread and shame instead. He never intended to feel guilty about having a pup, his little son being his whole world, the only person he promised to take care of in centuries, but he couldn’t stop this feeling from flooding his chest. The last time the two of them met, he was still abiding by his vows, the same ones that Mu Qing took, and now the friend he shared this experience with, saw his sorry state.

An abandoned omega, which has broken his vows, with a pup too small for his age and not being able to take even one step on his own or mumble something even similar to a word. How could he even dare to say that Shui was his dearest, little treasure when he brought him to this state? No safety, no stability, his basic needs neglected. He failed as a crown prince. He failed as a cultivator. He even failed as an omega. And now his fellow omega, a past friend saw what became of him. He couldn’t take it.

„You are at least able to recognize me” Mu Qing scowled, oblivious to the storm that took Xie Lian over. „Can you stand up? They are searching for you for a few hours, I don’t know how they still didn’t find you”

Xie Lian would say that his bad luck lost its way, if not for the hopelessness he felt right now. Maybe it made the guards not come his way, so it could expose him to the god? Why was he even concerned about it, he was already a laughingstock of the three realms! No matter what new they would say about him, his reputation was already destroyed and... by extension of it, Shui was also known as a son of this laughingstock.

„Dianxia, is it true what they say? Is this child… Is he yours?” Mu Qing kneeled before Xie Lian, trying to get the fallen god’s attention, his past friend's behaviour worrying him. In the beginning, he thought Xie Lian was just surprised, but by now… he couldn’t describe it, but it was a really bad hunch.

„… Yes” No matter how bad it would impact Shui or how it made Xie Lian look, he couldn’t… he just couldn’t. Shui is his child. He will always be.

„Dianxia, you need to get out of here. The city is looking for you, I heard Hua Cheng is greatly agitated. It’s a matter of time before they find you” Mu Qing reached out to help Xie Lian stand up, but the fallen god flinched from his touch.

„I…” Xie Lian shook his head, a hopeless expression on his face, but despite this, he smiled lightly. As though in an attempt to lessen the impact of his words. „I can’t. All of this… But you can take Shui. He is innocent in this and it shouldn’t be too hard to hide him. He has bad luck, but I think it’s not as bad as mine”

Mu Qing looked bewildered, his hands stopping just inches from Xie Lian. His eyes turned to the pup, a little boy, which was gripping his father’s clothes, his head lying on his chest and raised in an attempt to reach Xie Lian’s scent glands. This little pup didn’t look like he wanted to be parted from his father and that didn’t surprise Mu Qing.

„Say it one more time and I will beat you! He is your son, right?! So stand up. We are going, both of you are going!” Mu Qing did not know why those two got Hua Cheng's attention, and neither had he any idea why Xie Lian was behaving like that. This only strengthened his resolve to help both of them.

Xie Lian only remembered as he was covered with a cloth, his pup scrunching his nose as the unfamiliar fabric obstructed his sight. Nor the stalls, nor the buildings, nor the ghosts were registered by his mind. Only the hand which lead him connected him to the real world, scraps of his attention were directed at his pup’s expressions and slight movements. The child raised his little hand and attempted to move the fabric, he squirmed to get more comfortable, he played with Xie Lian’s hair.

The fallen god didn’t even notice when to those behaviours were added one more – an action in which Shui’s eyes sparkled, his mouth curving into a smile and his little hand following the silver butterfly. The butterfly fluttered its wings when the boy touched it and playfully drifted away and returned to the pup, which brought both pouts and smiles to Shui's face.

„Get away from it!” Was what pulled Xie Lian out of his dizziness, his mind returning to its full consciousness for a moment. He saw Mu Qing’s hand shove away the butterfly, a pout appearing on his son’s face and an expression full of dread on Mu Qing’s.

"Do you even know what that is?!" Mu Qing couldn't constrain his anger, which wasn't that strange in his case, but this situation started to strain his nerves too. He came here for... private matters. After hearing that the Ghost City went into an uproar because Hua Cheng is searching for a fallen god, he decided to help this unfortunate soul. Never could he imagine that it would be Xie Lian. Xie Lian, who... Mu Qing had no idea what it was, but Xie Lian was not himself.

Xie Lian's eyes looked at him, but after a moment they got foggy again. Mu Qing looked slightly to the side and his eyes followed, he pulled him closer and Xie Lian also complied. He seemed to be doing those things unconsciously. What was wrong with Xie Lian... was he drugged? He heard that the fallen god was meant as a part of a deal... Mu Qing's chest filled with rage - at the ghosts which dared to do it to an omega, at Hua Cheng who cornered the omega.

"Xie Lian, can you hear me?" Not sure if the nod was intentional or not, he decided to ask the first thing he thought of. "Can you tell me who is this child's father?"

Xie Lian bowed his head, trying to hide his eyes. Mu Qing waited for an answer from him, cursing himself for not asking an easier question, though he doubted that any topic concerning the kingdom of Xianle would be any better.

"I don't know" A whisper came out after a long while when Mu Qing was starting to panic. The butterfly left so long ago and they still stood in the same place. "A maid said... I fornicated with a local lord. I don't think it's true"

The rims of his eyes turned red, as though someone bullied him ruthlessly. If the reason for it wouldn't be his own question, Mu Qing would have bullied that person in turn. What has Xie Lian gone through - Mu Qing decided to ask about this after they escaped the city. Now he had to deal with this black-clothed person.

Chapter Text

„Hua Cheng must be quite busy if he decided to not show himself” Mu Qing gently guided Xie Lian behind himself. The omega didn’t register sounds, and neither did he look forward. The fallen god returned to his thoughts and probably only his instincts and a need to look after the child forced him to stay awake.

„Indeed, the Lord is taking care of some pests. As such, I came to retrieve the god” The smiling mask and calm tone of voice were testing Mu Qing's limits, especially when they came from a being with so little presence as this man. If he wouldn't see him a few times at Hua Cheng's side, he would have thought of him as one of those young, craving merit ghosts.

„You can return to him and say that the god has already left the city” Mu Qing put his hand on the scabbard, even though he knew it couldn’t be used. Not only because of Xie Lian, who would be defenceless if the fight occurred. The Ghost City didn’t lack creatures loyal to Hua Cheng and even if he managed to defeat the man before them, they wouldn't leave them alone. And this was a straight road to making Hua Cheng come and fetch them himself.

„If you will leave now, the Lord won’t take it against you and it will be forgiven” The man said, taking a few steps forward. He knew that he had nothing to fear, not in the middle of the Ghost City.

„Hmph, your Lord is kind, indeed” Mu Qing said and took Xie Lian’s hand, limb so limp that running wasn’t an option. Simply standing and holding the pup had to be a difficult battle.

„Take him and run” Was all that Xie Lian managed to whisper with a strained and weak voice, his hands shaking from holding the pup. Mu Qing understood his point of view – he was worried about the child to death and the only thing going through his head was to keep him safe. He probably understood that he was the one holding them back, but if Mu Qing would abandon Xie Lian, he would be able to rescue the child at least. And that’s what made this plan impossible to execute. He couldn’t bring himself to abandon Xie Lian, not again.

Yin Yu gave him a choice for the second time and he still did not budge. Mu Qing was fairly confident that he would be able to make it out, even if they had to confront Hua Cheng, but the fear crawling under his skin soured his scent. He was able to survive it... but the memories of what Hua Cheng has done to the other gods would never be erased.

Mu Qing heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind them and when he turned, a group of panicked guards run in their direction with weapons raised. One sign from the black-clothed man was enough to make them halt, though the look in their eyes didn’t give off the same type of obedience.

The escape Mu Qing didn't even consider a real option, became unavailable to them upon the soldiers' arrival. Seeing the god sticking to his words, despite his best attempts to dissuade him, Yin Yu decided to take him with them. The Lord will decide what to do with the unwanted addition. Their walk towards the Ghost City owner began.

Mu Qing looked once again at the omega at his side – weak, taking small, unsure steps. The god at least knew what to expect – but was Xie Lian aware? He heard that he was a part of some deal, but its nature, just as Hua Cheng’s intentions, remained unknown to Mu Qing. And seeing the state the fallen god was in, he wasn’t a willing participant in the deal.

Mu Qing leads Xie Lian by his side, not daring to separate from the weakened omega even for a moment. Simultaneously, he kept an eye on the soldiers behind them and the man before them. Maybe he would have noticed the occasion or two that arose to escape, but to all of this, another component was added. His friend’s pup was the wiggliest and generally active child he has ever seen. If he didn’t try to take Mu Qing’s coat, then he got interested in his hair and when this wasn’t allowed, he tried to struggle out of Xie Lian’s arms to touch the lanterns. And considering the state his father was in, it felt on Mu Qing to babysit Shui.

Only when did he see where the man is leading them, did the frown leave his face and his annoying scent faltered, just as did Mu Qing’s steps. He was sure that they would be led to the Gambler’s Den, but what stood before them was the Ghost City's grandest building – Paradise Manor. Just beyond the gate laid broken carts. Beautifully carved boxes cracked and their contents – silks, gems, jewellery, exotic ingredients – messed up the garden. The pond on the right met the same end, as in its shallow waters the gifts laid forgotten.

Just after this, a strong smell of perfumes came from the manor and just after this – a stench of furious alpha that nothing could cover. Coming in waves, made not only him but also the omega guards hesitate. But the worst reaction came from Xie Lian. In his unseeing eyes, a flicker of fear appeared, his whole silhouette swaying even more than before. If this made an omega drugged especially to not smell any scents to have this reaction, Mu Qing couldn’t imagine what angered Hua Cheng. He even destroyed the whole convoy in a fit of rage.

Seeing how unstable Xie Lian was, though reluctantly, he took the child from him. If Xie Lian finally got consciousness and got to know that his child was hurt, because he couldn’t properly hold him, the nonsense from before might repeat.

Going deeper, the scent got stronger and a ghost or two were found laying on the ground – they weren’t dead, but their injuries weren’t light either. This view reminded Mu Qing of the afterwards of the battle between Hua Cheng and the thirty-three gods. By no means was it a pleasant look.

When they entered the manor, the smell they thought to be unpleasant, turned unbearable. It reminded Mu Qing of something metallic, like iron being melted a thousand times and a distinctive burnt note. Mu Qing covered the child’s nose with his wrist, despite the urge to cover his own. He had never smelled something like that, although it was partially similar to the scent that lingered in the place of Hua Cheng’s battle with the officials. Not even then was it so saturated with pure wrath, ready to lunge at any moment.

They were inside a big hall, a place that was meant for receiving guests. Lavish, in vibrant colours, but an empty place. When Mu Qing raised his gaze from Shui, which tried to do another mischief, he saw the ghost at the end of the all. Hua Cheng in his red clothes, its edges soaked in blood, standing motionless, his eye closed. His hand was gripping his blood-covered scimitar – if it was an ordinary sword, Mu Qing suspected that it would break.

Just then, Hua Cheng opened his eye and looked in their direction, his gaze moving between the figures in the hall. the soldiers behind them took a step back. His eye stopped on Mu Qing's left side. The ghost's expression turned from a stony nothingness into shock and guilt. Heavy footsteps sounded in the room when Hua Cheng started to walk in their direction, his whole posture saying that he is trying to reach something unobtainable.

Xie Lian also felt the gaze on him, his instincts saying that he is exactly the same alpha whose furious pheromones have permitted the air. Those same instincts disregarded every other non-verbal signal, prioritising scent and even the drugs weren’t able to hold back his reaction.

The hall was large and mostly empty, everything that was previously on the walls fell and met an unfortunate end. As such, the quiet sound that assisted the footsteps was more than clear for everyone in the room. A quiet whimper of a scared omega, who hunched his arms to look as small as he could.

Mu Qing was the first to react. He stepped before the omega, hiding him from the alpha's sight, his scent getting more intense notes. The second one was Yin Yu, who also stepped before the omegas, blocking Hua Cheng’s way. The alpha looked at him menacingly, but the assistant did not budge and whispered a few words to the Lord.

Hua Cheng gazed at Mu Qing, as though he was trying to look through him. He didn't find what he wanted. The pale, slender fingers deadly gripped Xuan Zhen’s robes, as though his life depended on it. The guilt on his face deepened, hurt adding to this tragic picture. If Mu Qing didn’t see Hua Cheng multiple times during his visits to the Ghost City, he would think that the man before him was just a proxy.

Yin Yu added something and the smell permeating the air weakened, though everyone in the room felt that the only thing that was suppressed was the scent – the emotion still lingered inside the alpha, as the character of the scent did not disappear. But Xie Lian's clouded mind couldn’t understand it and it relaxed, allowing the god to fall into the comfort of his dizzy mind again.

What no one was expecting, and maybe that’s why it happened, was a giggle echoing in the hall. Its source was the little bundle in Mu Qing’s arms. What did the child find amusing, no one knew. Maybe he just found himself forgotten in this situation and also wanted a piece of cake.

Hua Cheng’s gaze turned to the child that was also meant to be part of a deal. What he saw, was the same pair of eyes as his god’s, looking at him with a childish curiosity. Saying that confusion appeared on the ghost king’s face was saying nothing, the inner turmoil trying to surface, but got suppressed.

Yin Yu dismissed the soldiers, an additional pairs of eyes weren’t needed in this situation. Neither did an agitated alpha and a drugged omega.

“You had a hard time today, Hua Chengzu would like to offer you a room to rest. The talk and matters of the deal can wait until the morning” On Mu Qing’s face appeared a deep scowl, not willing to spend even a minute more in the Paradise Manor, but what could he do? Shui’s giggles didn’t stop, his interest in something increasing.

“Return them,” Hua Cheng said, his voice trembling. He looked like he couldn't grasp the whole context of the situation. His hand pointed to the only two boxes that didn’t get destroyed in the ghost king's feat of rage.

Yin Yu complied, opening both of the boxes. From the first, white silk flew and quickly closed the distance between himself and his owner. Ruoye wrapped not only around Xie Lian’s wrists but also reached his fingers and in his messy attempt to stick to the fallen god, got part of his robes involved as well. One of its edges waved to Shui, though it was hard to notice as it tried to feel Xie Lian’s skin with its every fibre.

The second thing that peeked out of the box made Mu Qing have a hard time keeping Shui in his arms, as the child started to whimper and struggle, almost slipping out of his arms. The moment Yin Yu got near them, the pup reached his hands to take the cloth. His favourite, white robe. How much he craved the comfort of the cloth, no one has expected, making both Yin Yu and Hua Cheng stupefied, just as it surprised Mu Qing. This cloth was of fine fabric, probably as good as the ones Mu Qing had his clothes made from. Where could a fallen god, basically a beggar, get this thing from?

Mu Qing wrapped the child in the robe. Not accustomed to such a thing, it was done messily, but the pup smiled nonetheless. The moment it happened, Xie Lian’s arms encircled the pup and took him from the other god. The remaining scraps of his attention focused on the boy, his nose tucked in the white cloth that made all the other scents dull.

Yin Yu glanced at Hua Cheng and decided to, again, take the matters into his own hands. He asked for the gods to follow him and he lead them to their rooms. For a moment, before he exited the hall, he looked at the Lord, as though he was analysing something, but in the end, he shook his head. He didn’t get a new order regarding that matter, so he will just follow the previous one.

Yin Yu led them deep into the manor, Mu Qing was almost ready to accuse him of trying to tire them out, but finally – this trip ended without bringing the god to a limit. Xie Lian and Mu Qing were given adjacent rooms, connected by a door in the furthest corner. Mu Qing refused to leave Xie for a while and insisted that Yin Yu will leave first.

In the beginning, Xie Lian didn’t seem to register that they have arrived. Both of the men – a god and a ghost – considered if they will have to help him get to the bed, but then something sparkled in Xie Lian’s eyes.

The first thing he approached was a crib located just beside the bed – spacious enough for the one-year-old and besides having a bunch of soft and warm, miniature blankets, it was also filled with teddy bears. Just as Xie Lian’s eyes sparkled earlier, Shui also felt a surge of energy after seeing the toys. Only a moment sufficed for the child to be put inside the crib and he immediately began his little inspection. He hugged each of the bears, testing each one for its softness and fluffiness, the number of different forms they represented making him even more eager to do it. Some of them resembled animals that he has never seen!

That’s when both of the officials decided to leave the omega and his pup alone – it was an intimate moment between a father and son and they shouldn’t witness it. Yin Yu slipped out of the room and Mu Qing locked the door after him. Then, he entered his own room. He will come to check on the two of them later, but now, he will give them the time that both of them needed.

Xie Lian indeed enjoyed every second of his son smiling, when he showed him the teddies he considered favourites to be his first and most important companions. Ruoye flattered jealously at this and even attempted to make its edges form some sort of a plushie but to no avail.

Xie Lian knew, in the depths of his mind, that it wasn’t time for leisure and he shouldn’t act like this, but the drugs effectively deafened this voice. He put his hands on the crib frame, his head on them and in this manner, he observed his pup’s antics.

When he gave birth to Shui, he knew that he was intensifying the suffering he was already experiencing – he had seen, with his own two eyes, how the child never started to talk and never started to walk. He didn’t even seem to be interested in it. But that was the suffering he was ready to embrace, even if his sweet child… even if there was something wrong with his sweet child.

Seeing his smile, and his childish curiosity, he couldn’t throw the thought out of his mind – if Shui had such an environment. Without a care in the world, under proper protection. If Shui would live in a place just like this one… This little pup… He finally could be happy and this smile wouldn’t disappear from his face.

Xie Lian raised his hand and touched the pup’s cheek, startling him slightly and Shui looked at him. For the first time in his life, the omega saw such a wide and careless smile on his son’s face and soon, the pup took one of his fingers in his own, tiny hand.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian felt highly uncomfortable, which he compelled to the position in which he found himself. His head laid on a wood piece, his hands and arms tangled with that very thing. He was in a kneeling position with his clothes dishevelled and he found his hair tied in a ponytail by someone. He felt them lay heavy on his back, as though they were soaked in water. But his clothes weren't wet, so Xie Lian found it highly suspicious.

He opened his eyes and instead of a random branch or plank, he lay on a frame of a crib. Before his eyes, a boy slept, his little body covered with a blanket. The child’s hands hugged a strange-looking plushie – a red butterfly with lines and edges of silver thread. The boy resembled Shui so much, he was almost a splitting image, if not for the scenery and his clothes. The small, white robes with a flowery pattern and red inner robes. Shui never had an occasion to wear something more than the clothes given by merciful villagers. Well, he never had two sets of clothes either.

That’s when he felt as if something tried to blow his head from the inside, every vein trying to burst for a reason unknown. Xie Lian took his head in his hands and the move made every part of his body suffer a similar fate. A hiss came from his mouth, and the scream was held back, but Xie Lian felt as if it was a disastrous decision. His head only hurt more and soon no rational thought could cross his mind. In an attempt to stand up, he immediately fell on the floor.

The sound was loud, despite the carpet that lay on the floor, and Xie Lian’s head perceived it as even louder than it was. This time a yelp escaped his mouth, and his hands clenched into fists. It took only a moment for a room’s door to open and a strong, omega scent to fill the room. Xie Lian always rejected other scents, no matter the secondary gender, but this time, it gave him a false sense of security. As though all the responsibilities transferred from him to the other omega.

“I thought they tried something, but you are trying to kill yourself! Come here, you should be in bed” Xie Lian felt someone’s arms take his heavy body and he started to sway slightly. The other person tried to be delicate, but even those small movements made his head protest. A whine escaped his mind and the scent soured.

The moment he felt his head pains intensify, his body got encircled by a soft and comfortable fabric. Scentless. Warm. Xie Lian allowed his body to sink into the blankets and duvets. This dream was a painful one, but the suffering was worth it. Shui in those clothes, something, he could get, if his father didn’t fail the Kingdom of Xianle. Carpet that would allow for Shui to play without a care. Someone, who would always come to their help, whom they could trust. A single tear escaped his eye and marked his cheek. If he didn’t fail Xianle… would Shui be born?

Mu Qing looked at the idiot, who didn’t care even one bit about himself, only the pup in his head. At that moment Mu Qing swore that if ever, any alpha tried to have a child with him, he will break their bones and no-bones. He will never fuss over a child. After all, every child is a small being with high, unacknowledged suicidal thoughts. They just cover it with fun.

He heard a quiet yawn and little hands waved above the crib. Looking inside, he saw the child looking around, a smile appearing on his face whenever his gaze fell on the plushies. Then, when he looked up, his expression saddened. He tried to glance behind Mu Qing, searching for something, but he couldn’t find it.

Shui expressed his dissatisfaction with tears that started to overflow and sobs that were getting stronger with each breath. Mu Qing looked perplexed, not understanding what has triggered the child. But he knew that if he will allow Shui to cry, Xie Lian will wake up and start to panic, damned instincts.

The god took the child out of the crib and went to Xie Lian’s side, showing the pup his father. He heard that omegas have almost a miraculous influence on children and the silence that took over the room proved this theory. Just as did Shui’s reaching hands.

“Don’t wake him up, brat. He also has to rest” Mu Qing laid the child on the bed, beside Xie Lian. The little one almost immediately gripped his father’s hair, his nose sticking to the omega’s wrist. Mu Qing doubted that the omega was emitting any scent in this state, but it didn’t stop Shui. A smile showed on his face and the child curled around his father.

The god sighed, wondering how one trip to get scent blockers ended in meeting the prince he betrayed and getting a room in the ghost king’s house. If Feng Xin would see him, the ridicule wouldn’t end.

Mu Qing, though reluctantly, left the room to give the two of them privacy. He didn’t drop his guard, staying in his room and listening for any sounds from the corridor or the neighbouring room and thinking of an escape plan. Still, it felt inappropriate to stay with Xie Lian and Shui. They were making him feel uncomfortable.

The next time Xie Lian woke up, his mind was clearer, though he still had a hard time believing in what he saw. He was sure that he was no longer dreaming, but Shui still wore those beautiful clothes. When Xie Lian touched them, they were so soft that he wanted to try them himself. And the room… he couldn’t say that it resembled the style of Xian Le, but it wasn’t entirely different from it either.

On the bedside table a glass of water and herbs, which he recognised as ones used for detoxification and headaches, lay neatly. After some thought, he reached his hand and quickly took those. He didn’t think someone would waste good enough herbs for him, not to mention wasting them by poisoning them. But, if someone wants to do a good deed, Xie Lian won’t make it harder for them.

Their taste was horrible, but they should work fast enough, which comforted the god. Almost by itself, his hand ruffled the sleeping pup’s hair, while Xie Lian inspected the place they were in – as much as he could without leaving the bed.

The room had furniture that he didn’t see in years, sturdy, and the colours were carefully chosen so they would match each other. Xie Lian couldn’t get rid of the feeling that the room was designed to provide its owner with everything he might need in his daily life. At the same time, he found spaces that begged for being decorated, but they remained empty, as though waiting for someone’s personal touch.

The only thing out of ordinary was the crib… the memory of Shui smiling and showing him the toys flashed in his mind, his mouth forming a smile. Was he caught in some demon’s very enticing dream? He couldn’t remember how the two of them arrived here. But the crib was still there and the blankets and toys were still laying inside.

When he tried to think about what happened earlier, his mind immediately turned his attention towards Shui. Something pushed him to get near the pup and smell the weak, but familiar milk-like scent. What baffled Xie Lian was how happy and content this scent smelt, something that Shui never gave out before. It smelt… as though thousands of butterflies fluttered their wings inside Xie Lian’s stomach. If the scent alone made him feel like that... the god felt comfortable from the thought alone and the scent made him forget his headache.

Xie Lian promised himself to find out what made the pup so happy and try to obtain it. Even if he had to work without pay, on the brink of starvation. He will make sure that he will get that thing. The only concern he had, was that not even a one hundred-year-long contract would make for it, but this concern Xie Lian pushed behind.

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the door creak and a person with a mask, wearing black robes, entered the room. Xie Lian was about to give him a kind, polite smile, as his habit was, but something stopped him. Some part of his mind told him to stay still, to not move even a muscle. That he didn’t grasp the situation to its fullest.

But he did, right? The man had a tray with food, no weapon in sight and as the mask was strange, wasn’t Xie Lian himself regarded as a weird person and a laughingstock? No matter how he tried to make the reason take over, his instincts didn’t give up.

They got even worse as the man neared the bed, Xie Lian thinks he spoke something before it, but the god was so deep into his thoughts, that he didn’t hear. When the man put the tray onto the table, when the tray made an almost unnoticeable clank, Xie Lian’s breath halted. His arms reached for Shui, and even though the abrupt hug made the child woke up, he didn’t care. He had to hide Shui. He needed to… one side of him said to hide too, while the other insisted on fighting, as the memories of the previous day rushed to his mind.

This man has brought him to an angered alpha. This man has endangered him and his pup. And that alpha… that alpha has made a deal with those two ghosts that had sold him. He is connected to those ghosts. Those ghosts didn’t have any scent. The man also doesn’t have any scent.

Xie Lian, too, wasn’t able to produce any scent, his ascend to godhood suppressed it. On rare occasions, his scent was able to overcome it, but it wasn’t one of those instances. As such, Yin Yu didn’t know of the fright that had taken over the omega, seeing only his unresponsive figure, hands gripping the whimpering child and wide-open eyes.

The longer it lasted, the clearer he saw this man standing before him the day before. He was weak. He remembers struggling to even hold his sweet son and two voices sounded in his head then. Two voices… there was someone beside him.

His thoughts got interrupted by white silk lunging forward. His weapon couldn't take more of his owner's frightened state and decided to act on its own. Its target avoided Ruoye in a swift movement and the weapon crushed into the wall. Why? He didn’t… no, he wanted Ruoye to act, but he didn’t want! This man… Ruoye…

He heard a door banging, but the sound was strange. Did someone open two doors at once? He heard a whimper, and then a scent of green tea reached his nose, a note of tiredness in it. He turned in its direction the moment its owner came near. It’s…

The man’s hands gently guided his arms to the side and took Shui in his arms and only then Xie Lian saw it. His son was breathing heavily, tears welling in his eyes. They looked scared. They were looking directly at him, but no smile or comfort appeared in them. He… he… He only wanted to protect him! This man is here and he will take them to the… Well, he already took them, but he will do it again!

“Xie Lian, everything is ok, nothing bad has happened” Mu Qing said and put Shui on the carpet. Xie Lian’s grip was strong, but not enough to do any real damage to the pup. Mu Qing was more concerned about the state the fallen god was in.

Mu Qing sat next to Xie Lian, his scent giving the panicked omega needed reassurance. He could feel it. There was a scent in the room and it didn’t feel aggressive. It was… worried. His old friend was… worried. About him.

On the edge of his view, Xie Lian saw a red cloth appear. He didn’t smell any other pheromones than the ones Mu Qing exuded, and his body curled towards the god inadvertently. There was only one scent, but at least three people were inside the room beside him. This made shivers run down Xie Lian’s back, highly uncomfortable ones.

“Take even one more step and I won’t hesitate” He heard Mu Qing’s voice and looked up. The god wasn’t looking at him. He was tense, Xie Lian noticed, but he wasn’t particularly on guard. He… it was almost as though he trusted those two, non-scent beings. He protected him and his son before, Xie Lian thought, but now he wasn't wary of those men.

Xie Lian took a deep breath and, at the same moment, the red cloth disappeared from his view. Before he thought about this, his eyes followed – if its cause was the fallen god’s uncertainty or some twisted attraction, Xie Lian didn’t know. But certainly, the clothes were something even kings could be jealous of – not only were they of good material, but they also had silver additions to them. When Xie Lian glanced higher, his eyes were drawn to the black eyepatch, which was partially covered with its owner’s dark hair.

What Xie Lian saw then, he couldn’t describe in words. He doubted that he ever saw a person as handsome as this, be it an alpha or omega, even if his face was twisted with worry. Who was this man? He doesn’t think he saw him before.

“Hua Cheng, it’s the last time I'm telling you this. Step back” Mu Qing growled. Xie Lian didn’t even notice when his arms encircled him in a warm and safe hug. He doesn’t think he ever saw the man so protective of something, though he probably was never someone Mu Qing intended to comfort.

Xie Lian saw an angry glimmer in Hua Cheng’s eyes, but after looking at the white-clothed god, he decided to comply. Far behind the Lord, Yin Yu was standing next to the door. The space Xie Lian got, made him breathe lighter and his mind finally got quiet.

“If you don’t see, you are scaring him. If it’s not a matter of life or death, can you, kindly, leave this room?” Mu Qing seemed pissed off and Xie Lian could imagine why. This guy hated troublesome stuff and now he had to calm down an irrational omega and deal with two ghosts, which this panic caused.

Hua Cheng mumbled something and was about to leave when Yin Yu stopped him. When did he get close to him? Xie Lian didn’t know. His posture saw some nervousness when he pointed to the floor. What they saw, made Xie Lian gasp, Hua Cheng baffled and Mu Qing was like a blank sheet.

Chapter Text

Shui, this little, wilful child, really couldn’t bear to not get any attention for more than a few minutes. Xie Lian pampered him so much, despite having so little, and the child found yet another way to steal the spotlight that made Xie Lian gasp and a nervous flick appeared in his eyes. If he wasn’t trapped in Mu Qing’s arms, he would have run to the child and shielded the pup from the danger that Xie Lian knew was drawing near.

Shui sat on the soft carpet, and looked at his father innocently, just as he did at Hua Cheng when he redirected his gaze. His tiny hands gripped Lord’s outer robe and directed the cloth into his mouth. The slow chewing was like a taunt, deliberate, to make someone correct him. The red robe, exquisitely made, ended as this child’s toy, covered in saliva.

Yin Yu didn’t know if he should take the child, Mu Qing was reluctant to let go of Xie Lian, whose panic attack was beginning again and the omega had the worst scenarios in his head. From punishments directed towards Xie Lian for being a useless omega, which couldn’t discipline a child to… to… His little Shui suffers for offending the ghost king.

“Don’t…” Xie Lian struggled, almost getting out of Mu Qing’s arms. Xie Lian’s scent went out of control once more and this time, fear wasn’t the feeling that dominated it. Instead, it was pure despair, the despair of a parent, who is about to watch his child’s death. Mu Qing thought that his nose will go numb after this. Neither of the men in the room had ever experienced a smell like this and all of them reacted strongly to it, but the one that was affected the most... was Hua Cheng.

The ghost king would go and ask the heavens for punishment if they weren’t moody bastards with no interest in justice. He knew, that he was the one who caused his beloved distress, even if he didn’t understand to the fullest the reason behind it. Nevertheless, such a thing is worth death in Hua Cheng’s eyes and if he could, he would have taken his mortal life from himself for the second time.

Even if Hua Cheng didn’t understand, he saw what Xie Lian gazed at. The alpha also looked at the child with the most innocent eyes he ever saw. He kneeled before the child carefully, to not startle him and to his surprise, Shui didn’t back out – contrary to it, the child curled closer and pulled the cloth that was getting further from him. Hua Cheng took the robe in his hand and tried gently to remove it from the child’s mouth.

Shui wrinkled his nose and looked angrily at Hua Cheng. The child was taken from a crib full of toys, then the attention was taken from him by his father and now, when he found an entertaining game, they also want to take it from him!

The moment Xie Lian saw Hua Cheng moving, he struggled once more and an incoherent mumble came out from his mouth. When he heard Hua Cheng ordering something to Yin Yu, the omega was sure that death had fallen on both of them. He wanted to cry out and beg for his son's life. He wanted to be let out and be able to hug his sweet son one last, time.

His feelings made his scent turn worse and Hua Cheng took the toy – the red butterfly with silver threads – from Yin Yu's hands and presented it to the pup. He didn't know much about children, but Hua Cheng knew what distraction meant and found it the best tactic to stop the pup from giving his father a heart attack.

The boy looked at the toy in the ghost king's hand, still chewing slowly, and sparkles appeared in his eyes. The boy reached his hands for the toy, making quiet, content noises and when he got the plushie into a tight hug, he let the cloth fall out of his mouth.

Then Hua Cheng held his hands out and took the child gently into his arms. This gesture, despite how unsure Hua Cheng's moves were, made another wave of sobs go through Xie Lian, who was closed in his own mind.

His mind closed off for a moment and it returned to reality when a milky scent reached the god's nose. He was so surprised when he saw the child being laid off on the bed, next to him. Unharmed. The ghost king’s hands lingered around the child, as he was afraid that he will fall out of the bed, but this didn’t faze Xie Lian.

A desperate need took over the fallen god and he immediately threw himself in Shui’s direction. His arms encircled the child, this time watching out for the strength he used. His child got back to him. He is able to shield him from the Lord’s wrath. Even if he will have to sacrifice himself, he will protect the pup.

“Haven’t you done enough?” Mu Qing asked when he saw Hua Cheng hesitating. From the one time the ghost king came to him and asked if he can meet Xie Lian, Mu Qing saw Hua Cheng... differently. He doubted that the ghost king wants to harm his friend. Nevertheless, he still didn’t trust him and the only reason why he hasn’t taken out his weapon was that Hua Cheng also did not draw E-ming.

Yin Yu got immediately out and Hua Cheng looked at Xie Lian regretfully, his one eye showing something akin to affection, but blended with a sad spark. His feelings were ready to overflow and with a big reluctance, he also left the room. What he did after this, no one knew, but the rumours said that the day after the Lord got his new toy, he inspected the whole Ghost City. According to the same rumours, the effects were unsatisfactory to the Lord and, for reasons unknown, he disappeared for half a day, only to return in an even worse mood.

That day, he didn’t visit the Gambler’s Den, but the news got out from Paradise Manor. Specifically, from servant ghosts that claimed that they got replaced with older, omegas in the Manor and only a few betas and alphas were left. The next day, when the Lord appeared in the Gambler’s Den, he was in a foul mood and nothing seemed to catch his attention. When one of the players wanted to bet his omega son for one of many weapons Hua Cheng possessed, everyone scrambled out of it in fear. Many gossipers said that after the incident, their Lord’s furious pheromones could be felt in every part of the Ghost City, even if for a short time only. This rumour made Hua Cheng turn from mad to highly distressed.

After the two ghosts left, Xie Lian did not relax. Quite contrary to it, he was like a vine entwined around a house, though his victim was the little boy in his arms. No matter what Mu Qing said, Xie Lian didn’t even as much as twitch, focused on murmuring words, that probably were meant to be comforting for the pup, but… it was more unnerving than comforting, in Mu Qing's opinion.

“Xie Lian, they left. Come, you should eat something” Mu Qing felt desperate. He didn't recognize the friend he knew centuries ago and even if it was stupid to expect it, all of this felt wrong. Xie Lian would never care about beta or alpha entering the room, just as did Mu Qing. The omega and alpha’s matters always annoyed him. Why should a sweeter or rougher scent matter in a developed society and, especially, for gods and ghosts which lost most of their sub-gender traits disappeared with the ascension or death.

Mu Qing came closer to the fallen god and released his own, comforting scent. It annoyed him when he smelt the delicate aroma of green tea, but tried not to think about it. This time, his scent was needed and he should be thankful that it survived his change into a god, but he couldn’t be exactly happy about it.

Xie Lian’s thoughts ventured so deep that he was still imagining the alpha standing next to him, with a sword above his head, waiting for the moment when the omega will let go of the pup. Knowing it, the god kept the child close to him and hoped for the other to get bored and leave, even if he knew that it was useless. But, unexpectedly, when he raised his head to see why the sour scent of green tea became softer and more comforting, the frightening alpha wasn’t in his sight, nor did his assistant. Only Mu Qing was left in the room and the frown on his face told much about the mood the god was in.

“They…” Xie Lian whispered, glancing at the pup in his hands to make sure he was still there.

“The left, you don’t have to worry” Mu Qing answered, afraid that Xie Lian wouldn’t be able to process too many details. “Though, your reactions… I don’t think you were so afraid of alphas and betas in the past”

Xie Lian felt shame go through him and hung his head down. Many things changed from that past and although he doesn’t think he is afraid of alphas and betas – even if his mind laughed at him at this statement: you aren’t? Didn’t you just prove that you are as weak as any other omega in the world? Hmph, other omegas had at least some decency, but you… What decency can you speak of, what decency do you have when you are a single omega with a child, but without a mating mark?

“No, that’s not… It’s just… They didn’t smell of… well, anything” Xie Lian said, more to silence the voice in his head than to correct Mu Qing. Even if it didn’t disappear completely and still pricked Xie Lian’s conscience.

“Didn’t smell? You mean… are you afraid if someone doesn’t have a scent?” Mu Qing looked surprised because he never heard of such a thing. That’s why he asked for details, even when he saw the restless fidgeting that took over Xie Lian inadvertently.

“Yhm… It’s like… they are not whole?” Xie Lian glanced at Mu Qing hesitantly. What if the other god thinks that he has gone mad? It would be wrong to say that all his decisions in life were rational, but this kind of thing… doesn’t even sound sane to him.

During their talk, Shui gave up on trying to get out of Xie Lian’s grip and, with a pout, tried to mimic the way the wrath butterfly played with him. Because of how similar the plushie was to that being, he connected the dots. If he will throw it, it will start to fly by itself – just like the real thing! And so, the child did it. To Shui’s dissatisfaction, it didn’t fly, but just landed on the floor and didn’t even flutter its wings playfully. He definitely prefers the real thing.

The boy took his father’s hair in hand and pulled them as hard as he could – for Xie Lian it was almost unnoticeable if he didn’t look out for it. The omega didn’t want to let Shui’s behaviour pass without reaction just because of his age. As such, he gently untangled his hair from the pup’s hand. But the boy did it for the second and third and fourth time and even if Xie Lian was patient enough to just guide Shui gently from his hair, Mu Qing looked annoyed.

“Don't you think he won't stop? Just do something with him” Mu Qing also saw this and couldn't help in raising his voice, as he recalled why he dislikes children. The boy looked scared, while the omega was trying to get his son under control, but it wasn’t long before he started crying.

“Is there something wrong with him?” The boy wasn’t afraid of messing with a moody ghost king, but got scared just by one look from a god?

“No, no, I will… I will take him to the crib. Maybe this will calm him down” Xie Lian said, standing up and trying to soothe the sobbing one-year-old. Unfortunately, this didn’t work and Shui was sitting, surrounded by toys that even royal children couldn’t imagine having and his tiny hands were rubbing his eyes.

Then Xie Lian saw the plushie that lay on the carpet. He could swear that he saw something like this before, but couldn't say where. When he presented the toy to Shui, the child hugged the plushie, single tears still flowing and gazing at Mu Qing, as though he suffered a great injustice.

“I’m sorry for him, he is usually…” Xie Lian didn’t know what to say. The words got stuck in his throat and every new option sounded worse. Because everything he could think of was either related to Xie Lian’s inability to provide for his child for the last year or to Shui’s problems with talking and walking.

“Your Highness, what do you mean people aren’t whole without a scent?” Mu Qing decided to drop this topic, seeing how much it flustered the god.

“It’s as if something is... missing? I don’t know, I can’t really explain this…” Xie Lian didn’t leave his son’s side and just looked at him with sad eyes.

“That’s fine, at least we know what to avoid” Even if Xie Lian noticed the use of ‘we’, he didn’t comment on that, “I’m surprised Hua Cheng came here, he promised to give you more time to recover”

That’s when Xie Lian realised something. He was part of a deal and together with his son, they got... gifted? Sold? Whatever this was, they were his... property. Nothing could be done about it. Hua Cheng could do anything to him and his son. Xie Lian glanced at the room they were in and at a crib – it didn’t look like a dungeon or servant’s quarters. The third option of why he was given this room was hard to even formulate in the fallen god’s mind, even if he subconsciously understood it.

“I wonder, why he came” Xie Lian said and he already had two possible answers to that question. The first one, Hua Cheng wanted to relocate them, because who would give such a room to a former beggar? The second one was more… frightening. Maybe Hua Cheng wanted to make use of his new toy? But, if so… what happened at the gate that day? Was Hua Cheng furious that they let him escape? Or did they describe him to the Lord and he decided that Xie Lian wasn't to his liking? What did he want from him? He didn’t have anything, beside…

“Xie Lian! Stop it!” Mu Qing took the other god’s hand from his head. He didn’t even notice when he took his head in his hands in an attempt to stop the thoughts from flowing. Even if Mu Qing looked quite annoyed, his scent had a desperate note in it.

“You don’t have to be afraid. I’m here and I won’t allow myself to be thrown out. And… I was quite a frequent visitor to the Ghost City, but I never heard that Hua Cheng would do such things to omegas. So don’t worry, this won’t happen” Mu Qing said and gently guided him to a table and set the food before the fallen god.

Xie Lian was ashamed, both of the thoughts that probably lingered in his scent and that’s how Mu Qing knew what he was thinking of, and of being served by the other god. He couldn’t take care of himself, how will he take care of a child? How will he protect his child?

"Do you think... you would be safer if another alpha was here? A familiar one with a strong enough scent?" Mu Qing asked and Xie Lian only looked at the other god with question marks in his eyes. They talked for a while, though the topic of an alpha remained open – the other god didn't want to force his friend into something he didn't want.

The conversation couldn't stop Xie Lian from going through today's events and he certainly didn't have any kind words for himself. Xie Lian didn’t see the look Mu Qing send him when the flower scent turned smoky and barely detectable. Just as both of them didn’t see the single, wrath butterfly fly through the window and stop at the crib’s frame. It didn’t take long for the two adults to eat and for the pup to notice the live version of his friend.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian felt as though he was the baby here, not Shui. Just after he ate and fed Shui, who, again, played with the plushie in a form of the butterfly, Mu Qing ushered him to bed. The other god promised him that they will talk about their situation, but only when he will be in a good enough condition for doing it. Xie Lian understood the other omega’s point of view, but it was still hard for him to comply. The other one was a god… A god of high standing. If Hua Cheng even touched him, it wouldn’t be strange for the heavens to interfere. But what about him? What about Shui? Who would care if they would get hurt? What was protecting them in this mansion?

Those questions lulled him into an uneasy sleep, the kind when you wake up, you feel as though you did not even sleep. It was a shallow one and Xie Lian could swear that he heard every, louder noise coming from the Ghost City. Strangely, it didn’t hinder him from getting his dream.

In this dream, Xie Lian was in a huge room. It took so much space that even if his current room was twice its size, it wouldn’t be able to fit it. This place seemed to serve only one purpose – to be a huge, white nest with golden and red undertones in the middle and with wardrobes, cabinets and chests against the walls, filled with pillows, duvets, blankets, plushies – everything that Xie Lian could think of just laid there and waited for its turn to be a part of the magnificent nest.

Xie Lian turned around and saw a dark silhouette that walked in his direction. Despite the nerves that accumulated in his stomach, the god didn’t back out and just waited there. He could swear that the person was smiling at him, but how did Xie Lian know it? He didn’t have an idea, as the person's face was blank. Or at least that's how Xie Lian remembered it after he woke up.

The omega felt as though he had made a big accomplishment worth praise at least and, at the same time, a mistake so big that it was worth a scolding. Why was he feeling so conflicted? Why did he want to jump into this man’s arms and, at the same time, hide in this big nest, his nest, Xie Lian realised, and not see the man’s expression?

Just as the man was about to speak something, the dream ended. Xie Lian's own mouth was also wide open, words, that he has forgotten, ready to flow out, but his consciousness reappeared in the room he occupied in the Paradise Manor.

“Do you think… he is searching for me?” Xie Lian asked, his mind still clouded, but he clearly smelled the green tea in the air. Did the god wait for this whole time by his side?

“What?” Mu Qing looked up from the drawing he occupied he was occupying himself with.

“No. Nothing” Xie Lian answered and raised from the bed. He passed by the crib, in which Shui was still sleeping, his little eyes closed and his tiny body covered with the miniature blanket. He hoped that his pup didn’t get too accustomed to this environment. Soon they will end up in the dungeon or back on the streets. It was only a matter of time before the Lord will understand that not much can be taken from Xie Lian. The god hoped that he won't think of taking the pup from him.

Mu Qing and Xie Lian talked for some time, and the story behind how the father and son ended in Paradise Manor confirmed the fallen god’s title as a God of Misfortune. At the same time, Mu Qing couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he heard the two names Xie Lian mentioned… Lim and Tao… There were too many ghosts that Mu Qing defeated and even more that other gods encountered, so to remember every name… He thinks even the Palace of Ling Wen doesn’t record every single being that causes trouble, so why should his memory?

“I also wanted to ask, if you want to go to the city. There is… someone. He waits for us” Mu Qing said awkwardly, not looking Xie Lian in the eye, which brought the fallen god’s attention. And even more questions, not only about the person’s identity.

“I can’t go to the city” Xie Lian reminded softly, a polite smile plastered on his face. Without Hua Cheng’s permission, he probably couldn’t even leave the room. Especially with the escape, he made a few days ago.

“If you are worried about that ghost, he already agreed to it. He looked rather pleased that you would go out” Those words made Xie Lian more conflicted than he should be. The Lord… saw those things yesterday. He saw what a useless present he got, broken and damaged. And troublemaking. Despite this, he allowed him to freely leave the mansion… Was he hoping that Xie Lian would run and he would get rid of the troublemaking pair of a father and son?

This thought should make the god happy and rush to the mansion’s exit, but strangely, he only felt a pang of pain emanating from his heart. As an omega he was never seen as a good labour worker, as a single parent, he didn’t have a reputation good enough to become a household help and all the other jobs required at least a minimal amount of help to get them. He was unwanted by everyone and even when he was given for free, to use for whatever they could imagine, no one wanted to keep him.

Xie Lian silently stood up from the table, before Mu Qing could comment on the expression that showed on his face, and opened the wardrobe. The sets of clothes in white, with a minimal amount of decoration, suspiciously… in the size that would fit Xie Lian, were waiting for their owner. And it seems they would wait for him a little longer.

The god took the only white robe he brought with him to the mansion and walked to the crib. He gently shook his son’s shoulder, only to see confusion and a sleepy haze in his eyes. The child yawned and started to move his limbs in different directions. When his tiny hands came into contact with the plushie butterfly, he immediately hug it closer.

Xie Lian’s lips formed a genuine smile and he decided to take the toy with them. The Lord won’t be so petty to demand the toy and clothes from a little child, right? Even if, he can always return the money it cost. What are a hundred or so years of work for a god?

He took the child and wrapped him in his favourite white robe, which was as permeated with their scent, as was torn at its edges. Xie Lian wondered, what was so special about this cloth for the child to like it so much, but he suspected that it was just a childish whim. He took the pup in his arms and with this, they were ready.

Shui blinked his eyes sleepily and nuzzled into his omega father’s neck. A content and happy, milky scent started to challenge the green tea and even though it lost, all of the feelings it carried came across. Despite them, Xie Lian didn’t stop even for a moment as he exited the room. He was never a person to force himself on others, just as he never leeched off other people. The god wanted it to stay that way.

When Xie Lian walked out, he saw the Paradise Mansion’s corridors for the first time, as he couldn't remember how he got to his room earlier. From the way his room, the receiving hall and the gifts Lim and Tao prepared for the ghost king looked, he suspected that the whole mansion was a luxurious display. But this… it seemed entirely different. The corridor was long and the number of doors was so enormous that Xie Lian doubted that Hua Cheng needed so much, but the decor of this place seemed more modest. The walls were painted in the same, pastel colour of red and on them hung the paintings – landscapes of the mortal realm, mortal cities and villages and other, surprisingly simple ones. They weren’t ugly, it was the last adjective they could be described with, they just… didn’t seem to suit Hua Cheng.

“Don’t go too far, this place is more complicated than the Heavenly Capital. They even have their own Ling Wen, though this version doesn’t jump on you and force you to do more work” Mu Qing sneered and looked at the corridor with disgust.

“I will remember” Xie Lian answered, but he didn’t think that they would ever have an occasion to go through these corridors again.

It took only one more door to exit to the Manor’s gardens, which were adorned with trees and flowers of yellow and red, the green colour hard to find. Xie Lian guessed that it was difficult for such plants to flourish in the ghost realm. Above the garden, on the branches and in the air, the small, red beings fluttered their wings. They were strangely similar to the toy Shui took a liking to. The initial thought of Xie Lian, for those beings being the mansion owner’s pets, was wrong and Mu Qing was quick to explain everything to the god.

The news should make Xie Lian more vigilant, especially with how his son suddenly awoke, when he saw his little friends. The pup wiggled his tiny hands out of his favourite robe and tried to reach the wrath butterflies, but they were too high for him. Just as his son took a liking to those beings, Xie Lian also thought of them as cute. He couldn’t imagine that they were a cause of nightmares for some of the heavenly officials.

They went through the gardens quickly, even though Xie Lian wouldn’t mind a few hours to appreciate the garden’s beauty and the unique way it was built in. Probably, he will never see something similar in the mortal realm, but he didn’t want to aggravate its owner further. Who was waiting for the two gods before his mansion.

Even though the fallen god was under the influence of drugs at the time of his capture, he remembers the chaos this place was in at that time. Now, its former glory was restored – the ponds were filled with crystal clear water, the pillars and their decors stood proudly and lead to the entrance and the whole entourage disappeared, just as did the broken chests and the gifts.

“Dianxia” Xie Lian was startled when he heard the deep voice calling to him and his eyes turned to the Lord, though his head was slightly lowered “I want to apologise for the last time. I caused you some trouble and I hope that dianxia can be merciful to this one and forgive this one”

Xie Lian was so surprised that he raised his head, something, that he didn’t do in recent years in the presence of those higher than him. The man before him seemed truly apologetic, his whole expression seemed to scream “I am guilty of this and I want to take responsibility for this”. Xie Lian looked at the man’s hands – they were out in the open, where the god could see them and the only thing in them was a pouch so full, that it could barely close. But still, something was missing…

“Your highness, if he wanted to hurt you, he wouldn’t need those petty games,” Mu Qing said beside him, his expression hard to read “He is a ghost king after all. I don’t say to trust him, but… he wouldn’t apologise to just anyone”

But I am just anyone, Xie Lian thought but didn’t say it aloud. Instead, he gave the ghost king a gentle smile, not the one he gives out of politeness or embarrassment. It was a genuine smile that was followed by a shy nod, indicating that he has accepted the apology.

The man’s expression became gentler and a smile also appeared on his face. Even before, Xie Lian thought of him as exceptionally handsome, but now… there was no competition in terms of beauty for the ghost king.

“Also, I heard that dianxia is going out today. It is just a little something, and it might not be enough. If this will happen, don’t worry and just take the things you want on my account. If there is something you will want to decorate your room with or… just anything bigger, tell them to transport it to the Paradise Manor. The servant will take care of it”

Hua Cheng said, a little embarrassed of his rumble, but there was also something satisfied in the way his mouth curved. He gave the pouch to the elderly, female omega servant at his side and the woman handed it over to Xie Lian respectfully.

The fallen omega god was taken aback when he heard those words, even more, when he saw that the pouch was full of golden coins. Not only Xie Lian was perplexed, but Mu Qing also was the same and even the pup, which didn’t understand the materialistic ways of the world, was drawn to those shiny things.

Xie Lian’s words, that followed, made the blood run cold for all the adults present and the scent of green tea turned was as confused as it was sad.

“Am I not… driven out of the Manor?”

Chapter Text

Xie Lian’s words were said in a tone so heartbroken and, at the same time, so hopeful, as though he was a little kid left on the streets and fate finally smiled at him. A hope so faint that he had to keep his eyes on it or it would get out of his sight.

“Dianxia… This servant would never dare… This manor…” Hua Cheng couldn’t find the correct words, the despair once more flooded inside his heart. Not only has he caused distress for his god, he even made him feel unwelcome in his house. Was the room unsuitable? Did someone disturb his dianxia, while he was here? Did he and Yin Yu frighten him so much that he didn’t want to stay?

“Your Highness, if this scum would dare to do such a thing, I would be the first one to beat him. You aren’t someone that can be just driven out, Your Highness should remember it” Mu Qing spoke just after Hua Cheng.

Of course, he could be driven out, Xie Lian thought. The god couldn’t understand their reactions, nor why was he treated so... respectfully in this manor. What’s more, this made the god feel uncomfortable. If the Lord ordered his servants to throw stones at him and run after him to the Ghost City gates, he presumed that it would be a much more familiar situation for him.

“This one isn’t worthy of such treatment, but will accept it gratefully” The whisper came out and Xie Lian bowed as much as he could with the child in his arms. The movement made the fabric on the pup slip and Xie Lian immediately corrected it. But his son… He was looking at him with sparkling eyes… As though he found something interesting… Was something on his face?

It’s then that Xie Lian noticed Hua Cheng’s gaze… It was directed at his son, though the ghost king’s expression was... unreadable.

“This fabric… dianxia’s son seems to like it very much…” The ghost king said and if not for the reputation he had, Xie Lian would swear that his voice quivered at the end of that sentence.

“He does so from when he was born. It’s… not in the best condition now. I tried to get him a new one, but he is always able to recognise that it’s not the same one. Though, I don’t have an idea how” Xie Lian said, his eyes fondly glancing at the child. The ghost king looked weirdly at the god, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, another voice spoke.

“If you want to talk, let it be after we return. Another era might begin by the time you end” Mu Qing took Xie Lian by his arm and led him to the mansion’s exit and send Hua Cheng one, last warning look, which the fallen god didn’t see.

The last time Xie Lian went through the city, everything was one, big blur of colours and forms, but now – he could admire the city slowly. If he had to describe it, its core wasn’t so different from the ways mortal cities looked like. It was a place of trade, just that its subject was… distorted. Xie Lian could swear that the meat sold here didn’t come from the domestic animals mortals ate. Some of the trinkets also looked weird.

“There are a lot of strange things here, but there is a bunch of normal ones too. It’s a matter of ignoring those that are directed to the ghosts only” Mu Qing said, casually looking at the stalls and restaurants, as though he knew what Xie Lian was thinking about.

“You seem to… know this city well. But… I don’t think that it’s under the heavenly officials’ jurisdiction” Xie Lian said, unsure which words to use. He was afraid that he will make the other omega angry or sound rude and, he had to admit, the god was exceptionally patient towards him. Much more than he was in the past.

“Heavens don't have any sub-gender related items, so I had to go down here. After all, ghosts are prejudiced and the gods are equal” Mu Qing said with a sarcastic smirk on his face. After a moment his expression darkened and the god rolled his eyes.

“That stupid ghost already closed his business” The god murmured and Xie Lian only looked at him with a polite smile on his face, but his mind was as clear as the cloudless sky. He didn’t know what the god was talking about.

“What you searching for something?” Xie Lian asked, patting Shui’s head. The child started to pout after his father didn’t allow him to play with the red lantern.

“Did you see any scent blockers along the way?” Mu Qing asked and the question seemed strange to Xie Lian.

“Yhm, there were a lot of stalls with things for omegas. One of them is in that small building, isn’t it?” The fallen god pointed to the shop, but Mu Qing only shook his head.

“No, I mean… The kind… Not those things that you out on the scent glands, but the liquids” Mu Qing said. Xie Lian hummed and looked towards the stalls to search for the item in question. The sentence was said in such a tone that the fallen god didn’t see anything wrong with it. As though Mu Qing was troubled only by the fact that he can’t find the item and not by what that item was. It took Xie Lian another minute to finally come to his senses.

Scent blockers weren’t rare, though some complained about their price – Xie Lian could never buy such a thing anyway, so he didn’t concern himself with them. Patches were the most popular version of scent blockers – although a bit uncomfortable because they had to be fastened on the neck, they could work for a few days. Those that used them for a long time sometimes forgot to change the patch and their scent was freed, but in the end – they weren’t a bad choice.

The liquid ones were the second form of them and contrarily to the patched and were directed for one of the sub-genders – the alphas. The reason for it was that betas and omegas had rather light scents and rarely caused others discomfort. But the alphas scents – they were usually much more distinct, intensive. Some people claimed that alpha’s scents loved to stick onto fabrics and people, though it wasn’t true. Such an impression came from the intensity of their scents – even a little bit of released pheromones could be immediately caught by the other sub-genders. But this made more sensitive people feel threatened or possessive, just like omegas in their nests.

Due to it, liquid scent blockers were invented – for alphas with more invasive scents. One vial per day and their scents turned light or disappeared altogether. Xie Lian remembers that in Xianle, alpha soldiers needed to take those liquids out of fear of revealing their positions. That’s what this type of scent blocker is.

There is just one more rule – omegas and betas should never take them. They were created based on alphas' biology and were harmful to others. Xie Lian saw a few omega soldiers which took them by an accident and the sight was… Those omegas… The only man he dared to recall, he laid in his tent, blood dribbling from his mouth. To the moment Xianle fell, those omegas didn’t return to serving the army. Liquid scent blockers were never recreated for omegas and betas because the demand for them just didn’t exist. Their scent didn’t bother anyone and in case of emergencies, the patches were enough.

“It… you aren’t truly searching for it, right?” Xie Lian asked as he saw Mu Qing going forward, the god staying silent. Xie Lian walked after him quickly and glanced at the ghosts around him, unsure. Did the liquid ones for omega exist after all? Or maybe they didn’t have any bad effects on gods and ghosts? Or maybe… maybe he just wants to give them to someone? Knowing Mu Qing, he might give it to the alpha with disgust on his face and words “You are stinking, don’t forget to take them”.

“Why else would I be looking around? Of course, I want to buy them! It’s just that I will have to go to the more expensive shop” Mu Qing mumbled, his dissatisfaction growing, just as his scent was getting out of control with each word. Thankfully, the Ghost City was still full of those mingling perfumes which made the smell of green tea noticeable only to the crown prince, which stood beside the god.

“Listen, stand here and wait for me. If something happens, there is the wraith butterfly” Mu Qing pointed to the being on one of the windows “Take it and throw it to the ground as hard as you can. This should make Hua Cheng notice that something is wrong”

Xie Lian turned from worried to worried and taken aback, a smile of “I don’t know what to do” on his face, while the pup in his arms looked at Mu Qing with eyes full of hate for talking like that about his friend. Mu Qing just sighed and went forward. He already made that person wait and every minute longer will add to his suffering later.

It took a bit for Xie Lian to calm down and when he looked down, the wraith butterfly sat on his pup’s finger. Shui patting its wings with his other hand, which was probably meant to be comforting. His father didn’t know how much the child understood, but it was adorable nonetheless.

Not knowing how long will they wait, Xie Lian sat on a bench nearby, as he was slowly getting tired. The god suspected that it had nothing to do with his physical strength, as he was feeling just fine in this aspect. Nothing could be wrong with his spiritual powers either, because they just didn’t exist anymore.

While Xie Lian was observing the liveliness of the city, his pup was on his lap, playing with his friend and getting distracted by strangely-looking people constantly. To Xie Lian’s surprise, Shui didn’t seem to be afraid of those ghosts. More... interested. Though, there was something that made Shui ignore everything else and concentrate only on this situation alone.

A boy older than Shui run carelessly on the street, stopping over every toy and sweet that caught his interest. Whenever the boy ventured too far from his mother, he returned to her and pulled her hand to walk faster. The omega woman didn’t seem fazed, her face was pale, almost blue and her eyes were like black dots. Despite this, a smile was on her face and didn’t falter even when the child started to whine and demand a faster pace. The woman just looked at him and nodded her head.

Then the boy run forward again, his brown clothes getting a chance to fly with the air with how impatient he was to see a new thing. At its sight, the child stopped for longer than a second. Something on a stick, what seemed to be meant for eating, though Shui never saw such a thing. The boy waited until his mother got near, took her sleeve in his hands and started to exclaim “mom, mom” while pointing at the thing.

With the same smile as before, the woman took out some money from her pouch and paid for the food. The boy’s face brightened even more than before when the shopkeeper gave him the thing and then, obediently went side by side with his mother through the street, slowly eating and his eyes sparkling with joy.

Shui looked at it with his mouth slightly open, his eyes unable to focus on the butterfly which was delicately fluttering its wings, as though afraid to hurt the small boy. Only when the two of them disappear from his line of sight, did the child unfroze. His innocent eyes looked up and met with his father’s peaceful face. Seeing it, Xie Lian turned to him and smiled kindly.

“Mo…om” This sound left Shui’s mouth. The child wrinkled his nose, unsatisfied with how it came out. And so, he tried again “Mo…om. M…om”

Then, he pulled Xie Lian’s sleeve and pointed at the stall from which the pair of mother and son got the stick with food. With how they remained unmoved, Shui thought that he did something wrong in the process and was about to try again. But then, something wet touched his cheeks.

When Shui looked up, his innocent eyes showed the confusion he felt. His father’s eyes were full of tears, a smile that couldn’t be restrained was wide and the omega trembled from how strong his emotions surfaced. Absolute joy and relief. His child spoke his first word. His child was healthy after all. His child spoke the first word. The first word his son spoke was “mom”!

Xie Lian curled around Shui and hid his crying face in his child’s clothes, allowing himself to lose control for a moment. His dearest child was always the sun in the world that treated him as the lowliest of beings but never has he shined brighter than now.

Xie Lian cried and cried, not able to reign in the emotions that met the sunlight, after being bottled inside him for such a long time. Not even when he could finally see his child after the months of pregnancy, was he as overwhelmed by the happy emotions as he was now. Back then, he only let a few tears leave his eyes. Now, he felt that the ghost city will have a new pond in its centre.

Only when the god felt a hand on his back and his friend’s worried face, did he start to calm down. His emotions still made chaos in his mind and body, so he only smiled reassuringly at the man and allowed himself to think, just for a moment, that he is a normal, omega parent. One, that deserves to see his child grow up.

Chapter Text

When Mu Qing returned, the two of them finally set off to the place of meeting – with whom, Xie Lian still didn’t know. He would probably mind it more if his baby didn’t say his first words just a few moments ago. The baby, who reached his goal.

In his tiny hands, Shui held a stick with strange-looking food. Both of the gods weren’t sure what it was, most likely some exotic type as it didn’t look to be made of… unknown origins. Between the bites, Xie Lian heard some mumbles come out of the child’s mouth, too quiet for him to hear. Despite this, each time the little one did this, his omega father imagined Shui saying “mom”.

Mu Qing made comments about the Ghost City here and there and with one of them, about an expensive omega shop that existed near the Gambler’s Den, Xie Lian remembered the thing the other god wanted. In his hands were no big packages, as typical for omegas that bought nesting materials, so the fallen god started to think that the thing about liquid scent blockers wasn’t a flustered try to hide the god’s embarrassment in the end. Mu Qing was never the one to acknowledge his omega needs.

“I hope Your Highness won’t be too… surprised. He didn’t change much, though the differences are noticeable” Mu Qing said the fallen god didn't even have time to be puzzled, because he saw the person in question going in their direction. A tall man with short hair and eyes that seemed to be angry at the whole world.

Mu Qing was right when he said that the alpha didn’t change much. His clothes were much more elegant, though with a single glance he could say they weren’t the most flashy ones amongst gods. His temper also didn’t change, what the following words proved:

“It was you after all! Hmph, if I knew, I would have waited for a few more days! What are you even doing in such a place?!” Feng Xin looked like a horse encircled by sheep – a large, muscled god in high-quality clothes among the weakest of ghosts. He didn’t belong to this place and every move, every part of his appearance seemed to remind about it.

“At last, the heavens will get a break from your screams” Mu Qing retorted, a smug smile on his face. Like… he was waiting for a spectacle to begin.

“What are you grinning… for…” Feng Xin’s eyes turned to the person behind the black-clothed omega and the words… All of his thoughts stopped, as though he was struck by a lightning. It took a moment for the god to come to his senses.

In front of him stood his former crown prince, all in white as he remembered. He felt as though the time has reversed and he was back to being a bodyguard, Mu Qing returned with their prince who run to do yet another good deed for the common people of their kingdom. Just that their kingdom didn’t exist, just like the people. And the country’s name became forgotten by most.

The second shock came when he understood what was in the crown prince’s hands – a child, wrapped tightly in a white robe, with short, brown hair, his face stained with the food that the boy was eating in small bites. And the eyes. Seeing them, Feng Xin didn’t have any doubts about who’s son was this pup.

“Your Highness… and little prince?” Only those words managed to come out of Feng Xin’s throat, as he looked at the pair of father and son. Xie Lian was also surprised, but more than that… he didn’t know how to describe it. The god’s shock was normal, after all, who would expect to see his friend, past friend, after eight hundred years, with a child, when he vowed to remain chaste?

“Well, his name is Shui, not little prince” Xie Lian said in an embarrassed tone, his thoughts beginning yet another swirl. What will Feng Xin think about him? Didn’t he treasure honour and morals? The moments the fallen god spend before General Nan Yang’s temples and didn’t dare to step inside and ask for help flashed before his eyes.

“You should start to introduce him with his surname. Not everyone will see the similarities between you two, though even he noticed it” Mu Qing said, in an encouraging tone, an attempt to stop the awkward atmosphere.

Xie Lian looked at Mu Qing and, after a while, a polite smile appeared on his face. The kind with which Xie Lian was trying to cover his real emotions. The fallen god thought for a few minutes: which words should he use to remind them of the cruel rule of the world? In the end, he decided on the easiest way.

“That’s not Xianle” He said.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin looked at him, as though they waited for something more. And like he said the most obvious thing in the world. Realising that they won’t understand without straightforwardly telling them, he continued.

“Omegas could pass their surname in Xianle because the relationships between two omegas were allowed. But the Xianel no longer exists and so does this law. So omegas can’t give a child a surname, only the… father can. Alpha or beta” Xie Lian explained and the two gods looked at him as though he grew another head. Well… when he tried to give Shui a full name, he also felt that it was a stupid thing. But the old woman’s reaction told him that he would better not break this law. No one would believe him that it was a surname Shui’s father gave the child because Xie Lian didn’t even have a faded scar from a broke mating bite.

“But Shui is then…” Seen as an abandoned child, what couldn’t get out of Mu Qing’s mouth, the god’s realisation made him hate the world even more. Xie Lian knew that most children assumed their surname after their omega parent. If that parent would live long enough for the child to remember it, but the omegas themselves couldn’t arbitrarily do it.

The three of them stood on the side of one of the more crowded streets in the Ghost City, not far from the Gambler’s Den and couldn’t find anything to say – no word of comfort, pity or even an awkward laugh sounded. It was as though the sounds of the ghosts, humans and gods didn’t reach them and they were in their own bubble.

“It just needs to be an alpha, right?” Feng Xin suddenly asked, pricking the water's surface and making it burst with the sound of his words. “Then, I’m saying he is Xie Shui from now on. This should suffice, right?”

“Well, technically, it should be the child’s father…” Xie Lian said in a thin voice, not knowing why he is opposing something, that is making one of his dreams come true. Shui’s surname. The child getting something, his omega father couldn’t give him.

“Well, let him come to me and complain” Feng Xin said and folded his arms. With it, the discussion was done and the alpha god didn’t accept another word of objection.

Something fluttered inside Xie Lian’s heart and when he looked at his son, which was still clumsily eating the new sweet, the name sounded in his mind. Xie Shui. The child was connected to him even more now and the thought didn’t cause him distress, as those kinds of things did in the past. It made him feel happy and content and he even nuzzled his son’s cheek joyfully.

Both of the gods looked at it with complicated looks in their eyes. They didn’t know how much this gesture meant for the omega, but they were satisfied that they managed to make this usually calm man so happy. On the other side, they wanted to storm the Great Martial Hall and demand changes in the mortal realm law. But it would bear no fruits.

So, instead, they decided to usher Xie Lian to go and see the nearby shops at least – Mu Qing even convinced Xie Lian to buy some things for the little Shui. That it will feel better than just using the ones provided by Crimson Rain, which name made Feng Xin’s eyes widen, but the two omegas were too occupied to notice it.

A set of clothes, a toy Shui reached his hands for – all of the things he bought were fairly cheap, though the material wasn’t bad. But the real treasure appeared when the three of them were returning to the Paradise Manor. A two-storey shop on the main street with an abundance of decorations and ornaments made Xie Lian feel out of place – he usually slept in the alleys next to those kinds of buildings, hoping for scraps that could be sold. But now, the two gods led him inside and the uneasiness was rising in his heart.

As fast as it came, as fast it disappeared when he saw toys similar to those Shui had in the Paradise Manor and the little carriage-toy, meant for children of Shui’s age. An object slightly bigger than the child himself, with animals and flower patterns carved on its wooden surface – it could be only made by the best craftsman. Xie Lian was afraid to touch it, so his fingers only lightly graced it.

And then, he looked at the price. Just as he expected, such a thing was worth enough to make Xie Lian’s life comfortable for enough time for Shui to grow up and get old, if the money wouldn’t get stolen earlier. And so, Xie Lian went forward, pretending that he didn’t find it desirable after all.

Despite this, after half an hour, the carriage was in Feng Xin's hands, while Xie Lian was sweating, looking at it anxiously, if it won't be dropped and broken with no chance to be repaired. It was worth so much… If he was able to take it with him, when he and Shui will have to leave the Paradise Manor, it could be sold for an enormous sum of money. Or for a single meal, if their situation will get desperate enough.

But he still didn’t know how he acquired it – the shop owner suddenly approached him and said that the payment was settled and he can take the toy with him. Who would buy such a thing for a child, which barely understands what is happening around him? What’s more, it probably is as impractical as it is beautiful.

“I bet you didn’t trick me into descending only for meeting His Highness. You aren’t so kind to do it” Feng Xin said as they were nearing the Paradise Manor, which seemed to not trigger any warnings in the god’s head.

“Yeah, you are also meeting Hua Cheng soon, so Xie Lian can talk with him calmly. You don't have to thank me” Mu Qing answered in a tone so neutral that he managed to trick Feng Xin for a moment.

“And why would he need me to calm him… Why are you going to talk with Hua Cheng?!” The god screamed so loudly that the street became quiet for a moment, awaiting a verbal fight or a brawl. Their curious eyes made holes in the back of Xie Lian’s former servant and the mentioning of their Lord’s name only made the intensity grow with each second.

“You really have a brain the size of a bean! Come quickly” Mu Qing took Feng Xin’s sleeve and led the alpha towards the Paradise Manor gate to avoid the crowd. Xie Lian followed behind them, getting anxious when the scent of green tea suddenly disappeared.

After they crossed the gate and stopped next to one of the ponds, Xie Lian immediately got near the omega god, his body seeking the other’s scent subconsciously. Something to ground him and assure him of the current situation’s state – even if it would be fury or depression, it was better than the void he currently had in mind.

The green tea returned as soon as Xie Lian’s face got near the omega god’s scent glands and it shook the god with how suddenly and how strongly it was released. But it didn’t matter. The scent was neutral, maybe a little annoyed. But it wasn’t threatening. Xie Lian’s mind got slowly fazed with a comfortable fog that allowed his thoughts to slow down. Those loud, screaming voices quietened and with a bit of time, he returned to reality. As much as Ghost Realm could be called reality.

“… that’s why. Without a scent, he gets like this. I don’t know exactly what triggered it in the first place, but in stressful situations, the scent is the only thing that calms him down” Xie Lian felt a hand on his shoulder and Mu Qing’s voice reached his ears, though he couldn’t connect it to a face.

“I understand it, but didn’t you calm him down just now? What do you need me for?” A voice Xie Lian associated with Feng Xin sounded slightly strained.

“Are you really so stupid? Hua Cheng is an alpha. His Highness is an omega with a child and something is wrong with his body. Without the scent of another alpha he trusts, that can rival Hua Cheng's, meeting with Crimson Rain and talking about more serious matters is a straight way into a panic attack” Mu Qing scolded the other god and Xie Lian finally opened his eyes. His head was laying on someone’s shoulder, his face millimetres from his son’s, who was no longer in his hands.

The fallen god tried to look up, but then a tiny hand touched his cheek and he met the dark eyes watching him curiously. Xie Lian tried to tighten his hands around his pup, more to comfort himself than to provide it for his child, but the emptiness reminded him that the child wasn’t in his arms. At some point, Mu Qing took the pup and was now talking with Feng Xin or accurately- scolding Feng Xin.

“It’s okay” Xie Lian whispered and both of the gods turned silent. “I will manage”

He closed his eyes again, feeling tired, as though he trained for the whole day, though the only thing he did was go to the city and carry a one-year-old child. When he was the crown prince, he would have problems with sleeping, because he didn’t tire himself enough. Now, he was getting tired of doing nothing. This is weird, he thought.

“Now I get what you are talking about”

“Yeah, he doesn’t even see this as a problem” Mu Qing answered and slowly started to walk towards the Paradise Manor. A frown appeared on Xie Lian’s face because he needed to leave Mu Qing’s shoulder and the way to his room was like an eternity decided to grace the fallen god with its presence.

“If you will see a wrath butterfly, don’t drive it away” Feng Xin looked at the other good with question marks in his eyes. “The little one likes to play with them”

This was something the god didn’t expect and when he looked at the little pup, already in his crib with a light blue blanket on his small body, a bunch of toys leaning on the frame, he saw the wrath butterfly in question… As a plushie in the boy’s hands. Feng Xin blinked his eyes a few times, thinking that he lost his mind, but as the thing still existed there after a while, he concluded that everyone else must have gone insane.

After that, everything slowly quieted down. Shui fell asleep, just as did Xie Lian and to not wake up the worn-out man, the two gods has slipped out of the room. They had to make a plan for how to manage their heavenly duties and take care of their friend and his pup at the same time. Although the idea of going and coming back was… more or less feasible, it wouldn’t work too well. They also rejected the idea of taking Xie Lian to the Heavenly Capital, only for him to become an easy target for the other gods. Additionally, he was banished and couldn’t return without the Martial Emperor’s lifting the punishment or another ascension.

Another thought crossed their minds – Xie Lian could live in the mortal realm, in an environment he was more familiar with, but neither of them had a house down there. The second reason – Xie Lian was still formally Hua Cheng’s possession. Without his permission, they were helpless.

The whole contract on which Xie Lian came to the Paradise Manor still worried the two gods, but even Feng Xin had to admit that there was something strange. The way how the room was decorated, all those toys at Shui’s disposal, even clothes that filled the cabinets. With all the stories about the Crimson Rain, they refused to leave their friend alone, but they were able to let him be in Paradise Manor as long, as its master didn’t hurt the fallen god. Them being there to look after their friend was another condition.

Meanwhile, Xie Lian was tucked in the fluffy blankets and soft duvets, all pleasantly clean and scentless, all of them enveloping him in a comfort he didn’t feel in centuries. Unfortunately, it couldn’t protect him from the anxieties he felt for those same centuries.

His dream began innocently, joyfully he could even say – a merciful farmer gave him a fresh vegetable, which was soon eaten by the god. His sweet, little son was still a bundle of clothes in his arms, unwilling to open his eyes or to even move his hand.

Xie Lian found a place to rest in one of the alleys, in front of the temple of Nan Yang. The god covered himself and the pup with the white robe the little one so much adored, a quiet, happy squeak coming out of his mouth when he felt the fabric's touch on his cheek.

With this, the pair of father and son fell asleep, the vicinity of the temple providing Xie Lian with a false sense of security, after all, criminals and abusers didn’t concern themselves with the gods. But this time, he awoke for a reason different than people’s spiteful words and condescending laugh. He felt wet. Everything around him was drenched.

Xie Lian didn’t feel the cold and didn’t even open his eyes to look around himself. He heard the raindrops falling to the ground and disappearing in the puddles, becoming a part of something bigger. Xie Lian didn’t bother to open his eyes to see the sight he saw so many times until he felt something cold in his hands. He looked at that.

And in his hands was Shui and only him. He patted the infant’s head, which was so cold and his clothes were so wet that it felt uncomfortable. His little, pale face was similar to the white robe which was sticking to his little body. And that’s when Xie Lian realised. His son was freezing.

The state of panic, the same one he felt when this same situation happened a few months ago (but it was happening now, Xie Lian thought), made him unable to move. The raindrops fell on the child’s face, almost as if mocking the god, knowing that he had no choice. Another and another drop laughed at him.

Xie Lian stood up and run out of the alley, feeling cold – not his own, he was no longer able to feel. But this little body’s temperature was passed to him, the god couldn’t even imagine how this tiny being was able to withstand this freezing which took all of his energy. The child couldn't even cry to alarm his omega father! Maybe he didn’t withstand it, thoughts in Xie Lian’s mind supplied.

The god started to shiver, tears mixed with the rain. This couldn’t be true, this couldn’t be true. It was just a little while, if he will be able to find a place to rest, maybe an old material, this innocent life will be saved!

But Xie Lian run and run and all the doors remained closed. No matter how much he knocked, no matter how much he begged. No matter how much he tried, Xie Lian was alone in this world. No one cared about his distress.

Holding on to the last string of hope, Xie Lian curled in another alley and hovered around the child, becoming a shield for this little body. The infant was still in his soaked clothes and his face was glistening with the amount of water it was met with. Still, Xie Lian hoped – if he would block the rain, maybe, maybe the child will get drier soon and the new rain won’t be able to reach him.

But soon, Xie Lian understood how stupid this thought was. The night was freezing and even if the new raindrops didn’t touch this one, they have already reached their goal. Their drenched their clothes. The temperature will do the rest. The god started crying and screaming and blaming the world around him for the lack of help. He started to blame himself for being such a faulty omega.

Then, something warm enveloped Xie Lian, as though strong, warm arms caught him in their embrace. The god tested it and backed out a little to see if they wouldn’t disappear or strike him and laugh with that awful grin. But no. He felt a well-built body behind him, warm, and gentle. Safe. Xie Lian took his imagined child and allowed the infant to touch the red-clothed body.

The boy’s clothes dried in an instant and on the pale face appeared a smile, with which Shui graced Xie Lian only when his father played with the pup’s fingers. Xie Lian got nearer his saviour and soon the imagined child disappeared, leaving the god in a blissful space of warm, pastel-yellow light.

Chapter Text

The man couldn’t fall asleep, thousands of thoughts were attempting to be the loudest one, each one having its methods to achieve that. Today, he went to the Gambler’s Den, his mood slightly sour with the recent day's events. It wasn’t his god’s fault, by no means! It was the fault of those two awful ghosts, the blindness of the mortal world, which couldn’t see who was really worth worshipping, but the ones he wanted to crush the most were the gods. It's they who sentenced his beloved to a life of poverty and humiliation. They took his powers and deprived him of his cultivation, for which he had made so many abnegations.

He planned to spend a little bit of time in the Gambler's Den, maybe to pry about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Capital. Meanwhile, he played with a few, foolish humans. One of them lost everything he brought with him. Every coin, every piece of jewellery, he even had a gem with him. Also lost. He thought that the man will return home and forget about getting something out of him. But then, it began.

The man thought for a while and suddenly said that he will give his omega son to him – a sixteen-year-old teenager. The father was boasting about how he never let another man touch him, how he was shielded in his house and taught to become a perfect spouse. Or a concubine, if the Crimson Rain so desires. He was talking about his son’s sweet scent.

In his eyes, the man changed into a mashup of a slave trader and a lowly, mortal lord. Both of them Hua Cheng still haven't found. Both of them were boasting about an omega they recently obtained, a little disobedient one, but compensating it with beauty and alluring scent. An omega, that both of them have delivered in a drugged state, the alluring scent nowhere to be found. Instead – the smell was strangely still, as though even his scent glands stopped working from the fright the person felt, but at the same time, it tried to find someone, who would help him. A silent scream of an organ that was barely even working. And then, he saw how the man was cowering before him, tears forming in his eyes.

If not for Yin Yu, the man would lay dead on the floor of the Gambler’s Den, but his assistant didn’t want it to become yet another story to frighten Xie Lian. If the god got to know what happened there, during the time he was under the Crimson Rain’s care, this wouldn’t bode well for the omega’s mental state and sense of security.

Despite this, his wrath was so strong that the whole Ghost City felt it and Hua Cheng left the Gambler’s Den after getting this information. Dejected. Disappointed. Why his scent roamed freely when he got angry at a worthless scum, but when he needed to comfort his god, not even a whiff could be smelled.

He returned to his mansion, finding the matters of ghosts and humans too petty to even consider them, especially when half of them have already heard about the heavenly official that was under his care. He couldn't allow himself to stay there and accidentally say something, so he just returned, hoping that his god had a better day and was at least a little bit happy about the reunion with an old... friend.

From the servants, he heard that dianxia has already returned from his trip to the city and he even bought a few items for his son! Even if the Crimson Rain would rather hear about dianxia buying something for himself, he was still content that the god felt safe enough to spend the money, not fearing any kind of retribution from him. Hua Cheng decided that he was just thinking too much, his god didn't have a reason to be scared of him.

The news were good, but the encounter with the man still upset him. He couldn’t stop imagining how much the boy would scream and cry if he knew that he was now Hua Cheng’s possession. How much would he shiver, when they would meet. Whatever he imagined the boy would feel, the god must have also felt. With this, the Crimson Rain couldn’t stop himself and went to his god’s room. Only to peek. Only to see that his god is sleeping peacefully, that none of those things were happening to his dianxia.

Hua Cheng couldn’t believe how much he was disillusioning himself. What he saw, wasn’t a heartfelt bonding of an omega father and his pup, neither was it the peaceful, sleeping face of his god. The crown prince was shivering strongly, sobbing, crying, and mumbling in a desperate tone. He was trying to hug something, that wasn’t in his hands, but despite this – the moves were protective like they were the last flicker of hope for the omega.

Before Hua Cheng understood what he was doing, he was already laying next to Xie Lian and locked him in a tight embrace. The god seemed unsure at first, but soon the distress calmed down and although he didn’t see the smile on his face, which Hua Cheng so much desired for him to show, it was enough. Whatever nightmare was plaguing the god in his sleep, was no longer here.

Hours passed and the ghost king remained as still as he could – he knew that he should stand up and disappear from the room. If his god woke up and saw him so close to him… what would his god imagine he would do? How it would form in his mind? The answer was rather obvious…

In the end, he stood up, when he heard noises coming from the manor’s depths. The Ghost City didn’t have a cycle of night and day, but everyone still lived if it existed, accustomed to it from their mortal lives. He glanced at the crib he ordered to be made within five hours for an enormous amount of money and its little inhabitant was already awake.

Shui was looking at him and his god, biting the wrath butterfly’s plushie, being more precise – its wing. Hua Cheng walked to the crib and wondered if all babies loved to bite things, as this one did. Firstly his clothes, now the plushie. Hua Cheng hoped he didn’t begin to bite wood or metal, those materials were hard to replace in most cases. But for dianxia’s son, what could be deemed impossible?

“Mom!” He heard the child exclaims. Hua Cheng looked at the child and then at his god. So the boy called dianxia mom, not dad, he thought and quickly shook his head. Whatever his beloved desires.

“Mama!” He heard another word.

“Momy!” Hua Cheng’s mouth rose in a smile at the child’s failed attempt at saying, mommy.

“Omigi!” The man looked at the baby, which peeked at him expectantly. Such a look could make one praise the child for saying a single letter, even if the wrong one. Hua Cheng needed a moment to compose himself and then asked:

“Omigi?”

“Omigi!” Hua Cheng thought for a while and when he understood what the child tried to say, his expression darkened.

“Do you mean omega?” At the child’s sparkling eyes when he heard the word and another try to say it, Hua Cheng shook his head in disapproval.

“Mom!” Hua Cheng nodded his head.

“Mama!” Another nod.

“Momy!” Another nod.

“Omigi!” A shook of Hua Cheng’s head made Shui stop for a moment. When the Crimson Rain thought that the child got dejected from his attempt to correct him, unexpectedly, the little one began again.

Mom, mama, momy and then a pause. The boy was staring at the ghost king as though he could get a hint from the man, but then he looked down and thought for a while. Then again: mom, mama, mommy and from the beginning, another time, omitting the omega word. Hua Cheng sighed in relief. He was sure that whatever came out of this little boy’s mouth was a treasure for Xie Lian, but being called omega by his son just didn’t feel right.

The child got satisfied when he saw no corrects from the ghost and returned to the biting contest with himself, the act making Hua Cheng remember to order another few wrath butterfly plushies. If he will break the toy and start to cry endlessly, his god won’t get even a minute of rest. With this and other thoughts in mind, he left the room, turning one last time to see Xie Lian’s peaceful face.

The god awoke much later, feeling sluggish and unwilling to rise from the bed, despite hours of sleep. His mind was dizzy from the too-long sleep, but he felt as though the land of dreams didn’t grace him for even a second. Xie Lian realised that he didn’t allow himself to feel like this for a long, long time. At least, not after he got to know he is pregnant. Or rather, he couldn’t allow himself to be a little bit lazy.

The god smelled the air and the milky, exciting scent reached his nose and with it, flowery undertones. Xie Lian immediately opened his eyes and looked around the room. Except for Shui in his sleeping robes with stars on them, no one else was inside. Nothing looked different either. His gaze returned to the pup, which started to throw… the things… out of the crib… Plushies, toys, blankets, pillows…

Xie Lian stood up and walked to the boy, the milk scent getting stronger, just like the flowers. Shui was maturing, the god realised. It wasn’t anything strange, to the age of two the individual scent was usually detectable, though it was still overwhelmed by the milk. Typical for children. It was a good thing, it should be… This was another sign that he didn’t bring his son to the point of no return, that with a calm enough environment he could thrive, maybe even cultivate, if he would desire so. But the only thing the fallen god could think of was how the child would soon give the first hints of his sub-gender. With the way, his scent would sometimes sway. With his behaviour, instincts. Would he crave attention from his father and love soft things like omegas? Would he go outside and discover the city on his own like alphas? Maybe he would lock himself in a room to read books or break things to the littlest parts to see what they are made of like betas?

Those actions didn’t determine one's sub-gender but gave a high chance of correctly assuming it. Xie Lian also loved pillows and blankets as a child, and always refused to wear official clothes, because they made him feel uncomfortable. If Shui will show the same characteristics and he will have to raise him in a world like this, as an omega…

Xie Lian bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. He promised to take care of Shui no matter the sub-gender, no matter what the child will do. He definitely can’t make pressure on Shui to become another sub-gender, nature doesn’t work this way and the child would only be hurt, maybe even hide his true gender from him! He would become the same as the people, who forced them into this life.

“Momy!” Shui looked sideways and saw his omega father awake. His crib was already empty and the child was extremely proud of it, the reason unknown. Xie Lian gave out a complicated laugh and took the child in his hands.

“You have really cute robes, but let's change you into ones more comfortable to play, hmm?” The fallen god decided to give the child his full attention. From the moment they arrived, a lot has happened and his mind wasn’t always on what the pup needed. Even if he seemed to do better, Xie Lian was sure he can make things even better for the child.

Xie Lian changed Shui into more comfortable clothes and quickly wiped his body, not having much time to take a long and comfortable bath in what seemed like a miniature pool. The number of oils, soaps… most of those things, even the former crown prince didn’t have an idea of what they could be.

When he came out of the bathroom, Shui was trying to make a hole in the crib with his eyes – with everything on the floor, he had nothing to play with and Xie Lian didn’t want to risk and let the child play by himself. Too many sharp edges and a possibility of him coming out of the room… Meeting a ghost… A shiver run through Xie Lian’s spine, though with the two gods inside the mansion and the master’s lack of interest in hurting him, for now, the man doubted that the child would meet with something unpleasant.

Talking about his two former friends, they came in with an elderly omega woman, which was with the lord earlier. Xie Lian was cleaning the mess his pup did, while the culprit was excitedly babbling to a plushie inside the carriage the god has received the previous day. What was the conversation about, no one had an idea, but the child was so invested in it, that he didn’t notice the food’s smell. Something that would always get his attention and make his little eyes sparkle. Just as it made his expression turn sad and depressed when they passed by the stall, without buying its food. There were times that Shui would even start to struggle or tried to reach his hands and take the food from the stall. Thankfully, now he didn’t have to try and console his child with a tasteless bun, which rarely even worked.

“Xie Lian, we should talk with Hua Cheng as soon as possible. Both, to make you calmer and decide what are we going to do further” Mu Qing said, glancing at the pup, which somehow persuaded Ruoye to act as another character in his carriage story. It was a pity the child was too weak to move the vehicle, but the god thought it was quite fortunate for them. They could talk with the omega, without running after Shui.

“What is there to talk about? Didn’t he buy me? Or receive me? My status here as a concubine is rather obvious or does the Lord doesn’t wish to have me this kind of title?” Anyone who would have heard it could have thought that it was spoken in a resentful, disgusted manner. But Xie Lian’s face was graced with a calmness of a man, who was sure that what he told was one of the most obvious truths in the world, unchangeable by any force.

The two gods froze, shock making their minds unable to digest the situation. Empty. And then horrified. How could such a thought cross Xie Lian’s mind?! Not even a concubine?! He was Xianle’s crown prince! Even if the kingdom itself didn’t exist, how many countries ceased to exist and how many of those gods remained with their status and honours?! If anything, he could become only the rightful spouse, the only one!

“Your Highness is that what he told you?! That he… Your Highness, come with us! We will go to the Heavenly Capital, everyone will get revenge for you, don’t worry about that!” Feng Xin was the first one to react and the scent he released conveyed more than any words he could have said. The fury he felt couldn’t go unnoticed, but another feeling was permeating the air much more. Xie Lian felt as though a cocoon, a thick, soft blanket was laid on his shoulders, keeping all of the world’s dangers far from him. Not allowing them to do even as much as look at the fallen god. A protectiveness so enormous that only this straightforward friend of his was able to possess such a pure feeling. But the bubble had to burst.

“This everyone, who would it be? Your palace’s officials? The moment they heard you want to use them in a fight for a laughingstock of three realms, they will leave you. If your own people won’t support you two, then why would other gods? Would you interfere in a random god’s friend’s problem?” Xie Lian explained, his mood getting slightly worse. He was hoping for a day with his little, neglected son, but here he is reminding himself why he is in this place. How he might have a next child soon against his will and how his little treasure’s position is unsure in this place.

“Your Highness, is that what Hua Cheng told you?” Mu Qing urged Xie Lian to talk about a matter much more important to both omegas. If this was true then the god allowed the ghost to deceive him and leave his friend in a position so vulnerable, that even rabbits during the hunt had more options for escape.

“The two ghosts which captured me told me the purpose of my coming here. In the beginning, I thought they meant that the Crimson Rain plans to torture me for fun, but with how things unfolded, the meaning also changed” Xie Lian replied, reminded of the two ghosts and the end that the entourage met. Did they die at Hua Cheng’s hands or somehow escaped? A little sigh escaped his mouth, thinking how much his scent on the white robe or the description of his appearance has upset the ghost king. Xie Lian knew he wasn’t worth much but to such an extent…

The wrath butterfly that was sitting on the top of a cabinet and watching over the pair of father and son swayed in a sudden rush of emotions from his master, its wings moved chaotically, trying to keep itself in a position to not be discovered. Still, even in this being’s lifeless eyes, the sadness and self-deprecation were mirrored.

“Your Highness, I don’t know what you heard from the ghosts, but as far as I know, Hua Cheng has no intention of hurting or using you” Mu Qing said quickly, in a slightly panicked manner as he felt Xie Lian’s scent being released with only fear and resignation. The omega’s health was already bad and he refused to allow others to nurse him or even do as much as worry for him. The panic attacks he was experiencing so frequently were only a straight way in testing immortality’s curse limits.

“Oh… So I don’t even have such a use…” Xie Lian whispered and if not for the two gods' enhanced hearing, they wouldn’t be able to understand the god’s mumble. The mumble, which made Mu Qing snap.

“Your Highness, stop talking like that! No one in this mansion sees a use for you, because you are not a thing to use! You are a god, a living being to which a worth just can’t be assessed! Because this is done for things and Your Highness is definitely not one! You are a former human and crown prince and no matter what you say, the fact is you are currently a god! Never… to be used…” Mu Qing’s shoulders shook, but his expression remained determined and ready to convey the meaning to Xie Lian. If this won’t be enough, he will just beat it into the god and make him finally understand. For him and for Feng Xin, Xie Lian doesn’t need to have this whole “use”. He is as he is. Silly, sometimes naive and a friend they want to protect. No matter what they have done in the past. No matter what the mansion’s owner will throw at them. This man will remain safe and sound, for as long as their divine bodies will be whole.

Chapter Text

Mu Qing and Feng Xin in neither of the scenarios that have formed in their heads have expected what happened after the omega god’s words. Xie Lian tensed and stood still as though someone turned him into stone, even little Shui stopped his babbling, turning to the adults. His father also turned to him. What was reflected in his eyes, the heavenly officials didn’t see, but in the next moment, both of them were thrown out of the room, with a strength they didn’t expect the omega still possessed. The door closed with a loud bang and nothing they tried managed to open them.

Both of the gods tried to convince Xie Lian to open the door and talk with them, but even loud banging did not persuade him. They knew it was probably another cause for the omega to feel distressed, but they didn't want to leave the crown prince. But even they had to give up. After an hour, the two gods could only walk away and ask Yin Yu to assign a maid to wait outside the room in case Xie Lian needed something, while the two gods parted ways in silence.

Even Shui was affected by the tense atmosphere, the practised words to address his father and earn another treat didn’t come out even in a form of a single mumble. The carriage, the toys, the crib, nothing was able to get the child’s attention as he gripped his favourite white robe in his hands and tried to fall asleep on Xie Lian’s lap.

The god was holding the pup gently, carefully after his last mistake during a panic attack, though his whole posture was tense like he expected that his immortality could be taken from him any moment now and he would just wither away. Maybe this won’t happen to his body. But his mind, which was keeping itself together by randomly glued parts, was at the edge. The voice in his head didn’t whisper even a letter, his thoughts were focused on the way his pup curled protectively, just like in the days on the street. But this unsettling feeling didn’t disappear.

The day wasn’t spent playing with the boy, who was soon laid into the crib by Xie Lian. No, the hours before his sleep were used to plan the route in the mortal realm. To which village they could go, which town they should avoid, what were the customs of these people decades ago and what kind of views they had on unmated omegas with children. Xie Lian realised that he knew fairly little about the last matter. He couldn’t believe that. His whole life was worthless. He wasted it himself. First, as a crown prince. Then, as a god. The last step was throwing away his chastity for an alpha whose face he couldn’t even remember.

His whole life was focused on being a lousy, broken omega that no one wanted. That was met with contempt and disgust in every place. He couldn’t believe that his whole life was no more than two and a half years! That before it, he was travelling through the mortal realm with no concerns about the sub-genders for centuries. With no care about the omegas' status.

Realising that he hadn’t got the most important information to plan his route, the activity suddenly lost its sense. Xie Lian quickly changed Shui's clothes and went to sleep when the night should have fallen if it existed in the ghost realm. In the ghost realm, where the sub-genders should never matter. Should, but even ghosts still held sentiments for things they no longer had.

What woke Xie Lian were loud gasps, then something on his bed moved and a scream echoed in the room. The omega should care. It was his, but not his, bed. In a room where his pup slept. Sounds of a talk sounded in the room, but they were incomprehensible. Words that his mind registered, but didn’t process. This lasted for a while until a furious scent permitted the air. Whose scent, he was still unable to say.

“… it was true! So you are this kind of alpha! You deceived the two of them and even laid your hands on the omega that trusted you!” Xie Lian squirmed and whined, an alpha growl reached his ears. His body curled itself into a ball to not be noticed by the alpha and get out safely out of this situation.

“And I thought you were telling truth! But you…” The words didn’t end as its owner lunged forward, an owner Xie Lian identified as Mu Qing. What has happened? Who the god has attacked?

“The ghosts mostly ignore the impulses coming from their sub-genders, but you must understand the ways alphas work, as you are one as well” A voice, calm with something which the god wasn’t able to identify, sounded near him. Xie Lian could swear he heard it a few times already, but neither a name nor a face could be attached to it.

“This doesn’t give you a pass to rape an omega, especially our crown prince! He was sleeping! What Xie Lian said, must be right, you never held good intentions towards him!” The first voice roared again and the fallen god would blindly flee from this place if only his son wasn’t still in the room. Where is he? Is he between these people? Is he… in danger? Where is his son?! He wanted to move, but he had trouble to even opening his eyes. Before he has done it, another voice sounded:

“How could I not hold good intentions towards him? Every alpha wants to comfort their distressed omega. Even if I and dianxia never decided to bond or mate, I still hold this responsibility seriously! He even built a nest in my house, in this very Paradise Manor! If he felt safe enough to do it, he never expected something bad from me!” The voice turned from determined into melancholic, and finally, sad and despaired. As though he tried to convince himself with these words. Tried to lay the facts before him for the hundredth time to make sure he didn’t make a mistake in judgement. That nothing that happened was his fault. Directly.

“Wha… You are lying! Xie Lian never even spoke a word of meeting you, he didn’t even know who you are!” Mu Qing shouted angrily, running to Xie Lian’s side, as he saw the god slowly rising. The look of fury and unconfined disgust, both at Hua Cheng and himself turned into a mix of concern and guilt that Xie Lian never saw in Mu Qing.

The fallen god was disoriented, his eyes flickered between the people in the room, all of those words not really getting to him. He was… his? He was. He was a concubine. Or a toy. So he was his. A nest? He doesn’t remember building one. Xie Lian looked at his bed, but the chaotically laid duvet couldn’t pass as a nest, even when he was living on the streets.

Did he really never expect anything bad to happen? No. He expected all kinds of things. Becoming a doll for Hua Cheng to vent his anger, a toy, a concubine, an omega that will… give birth to his child. Willingly or not. He feared for his child’s life. By no means was it a safe environment, one that would make any omega nest.

Mu Qing couldn’t watch the negative thoughts taking his friend into the depths of his mind again, so his arms embraced the omega gently. Mu Qing felt so much guilt. He has exposed his traumatised friend to a crazy alpha and failed to notice in what light he saw this situation… How he saw himself. Failed to notice the ghost king's actions and disregarded Xie Lian's insecurities. He even started to feel just like this alpha, after all, he left Xie Lian in the past and ridiculed the god. He was no better than the ghost king before them.

“Your Highness, I won’t ask why you never returned. Neither will I ask for you to live here as though everything was back to normal. But this lowly one has only one request – please, don’t shun me away. If I ever did anything to make Your Highness feel threatened, I will make sure to never commit this mistake again. Just, please. Don’t act like everything that happened in the past…” Hua Cheng stopped, not wanting to say more. For his god, he would do anything, even if it meant grovelling for his forgiveness in front of the whole Ghost City. But he couldn’t bear the frightened looks of his dianxia, when he as much as glanced at him, neither could he withhold the pain in his heart when His Highness was so confused when he talked about their common past.

“Are you disillusioned?! His Highness didn’t build a nest, and neither is he your omega! He is living here just because you have trapped him in here!” If not for the child that already lowered himself in the crib, his childish curiosity nowhere to be seen, he would have already drawn his sword and given the conceited alpha a lesson. He would never hurt Xie Lian’s child, generally any kid. But he wasn’t sure if the ghost king shared the morals.

“If he has a nest here, why wouldn’t you show us?” Mu Qing asked, now that Xie Lian was hidden safely in his arms, he didn’t have to hide his murderous look.

Silence overtook the room, Hua Cheng seemed to be a bit lost in his thoughts. Then, he looked at Xie Lian with eyes that seemed to ask for permission, but the god couldn't see him. As such, he carefully analysed the situation.

“Only if you won’t go inside the room” Hua Cheng answered finally, the previous hurt hid deeply inside him. The nest His Highness build, the only thing that was left of his beloved. He could never associate it with bad feelings.

“Why not?” Mu Qing asked suspiciously.

“Only an omega can give consent to enter such a room, I thought it was common knowledge. Not even me have crossed the threshold of that door after His Highness left” And no one will if Hua Cheng had any say in it.

The atmosphere was getting tenser and tenser with each second, the two gods not believing even one word coming out of the calamity’s mouth, while the said calamity felt the wall they build between him and his beloved. If they didn’t refuse his challenge back then, they wouldn’t stand in his…

“Is it the truth?” A weak, thin, barely audible sound made all the tension disappear, as though it was suddenly sucked out by an invisible tool. All three of the occupants looked at the one who did it and Mu Qing’s whole body shook.

Xie Lian looked like a little, abandoned pup, who was just told that his family was found and that he was loved for every second of his life. A look so full of craving for affection, for love, for experiencing those things for even one moment in his life. Those eyes were directed at Hua Cheng, whose breathing stopped as he saw this. It was as though His Highness didn’t remember anything from the days they spent together, of the longing Hua Cheng felt whenever he let go of the god, for him to return to the mortal realm and not knowing when will he return.

“This lowly one could never lie to you, gege” The warmth that appeared on the ghost king’s face surprised both of the gods, but the most – the one towards whom the expression was directed at. Love, affection. All of those things Xie Lian craved with all his being. His puppy eyes widened in shock, thinking that if it was a lie, an illusion, it was the most beautiful illusion he has ever seen.

“Your Highness…” Feng Xin began, but he was immediately interrupted by Xie Lian.

“I want to see it” Even if it’s a lie, remained untold. If it was a lie, it is a lie that will end his pitiful life. And at the same time, will make the ounce of warmth finally appear in it.

With Mu Qing’s help, Xie Lian took his pup into his arms and allowed him to hide his nose in his wrist. The fallen god's scent was weak and the number of emotions that the omega has just gone through and the ones that were still buzzing in him didn’t allow for it to become the type of comfort the child needed. Nevertheless, Shui stuck to it like it was his lifeline, believing that as long as he was able to smell any kind of a flowery scent, he was safe and the furious pheromones couldn’t reach him.

Hua Cheng was leading the group, Feng Xin was just behind him, then Xie Lian with Shui in his arms and at the end Mu Qing. What awaited them at the end of their path was a big unknown, but they didn’t have to wait long to see their destiny. As for every path inside the Paradise Manor, it was short, similar to walking around the corner. And despite this short way, the whole interior changed.

The walls were brown, the barely visible ornaments on the floor and under the roof making an impression of it being the palace of a really old royalty, even older than Xianle. The floor had a simple design and the doors seemed to be taken out of another era too. Xie Lian found this place to his liking, no works of art that were worth whole cities, no gold used to decorate. Despite this, he didn’t feel like a servant in the obscure corridors that were never frequented by the owners.

The doors they were brought to, made Xie Lian gasp and the two gods fidgeted uncomfortably. On the wood was drawn Xie Lian’s image as a Flower-Crowned Martial God. The title and appearance he lost along with his first banishment. If he wasn’t so astonished to see it again, he would show it to Shui and tell him “That, was your father in the past. If you will work hard, you might also have one for yourself”, but at this moment he was more interested in why this picture was on the door of the ghost king’s mansion than in telling his son a story that didn’t matter anymore.

“As I have said, no one is allowed inside except for His Highness. Dianxia, this room wasn’t cleaned in some years and though the barriers kept it free from insects and other things, there might be dust. Please, be mindful of this” Xie Lian wanted to answer that he was accustomed to things much worse than dust, but he was afraid that it would spoil the ghost king’s mood. So he just walked to the door, the three people behind him and slowly opened them.

The talismans on them didn’t react when he touched the wood and his eyes showed a space he thought didn’t even exist. One of his recent dreams, which he remembers suspiciously clearly, featured exactly this place with the same furniture, fabrics, everything, everything was as in it. He didn’t see the two gods behind him, but he could feel their disbelief.

The centre of the room was a big nest of white materials, with single red, gold and flowery patterns clothes and pillows. It wasn’t even positioned on a bed, instead, it was on the soft, light blue carpet, which was probably the safest space for the little Shui to play on. Its range went much further than the nest, taking a space of half of a house Xie Lian recently inhabited, the nest was more than half of its size.

Xie Lian stepped inside, ignoring the cabinets and chests from which overflowed unused fabrics and stopped just before the nest. The way the duvets and blankets were on the bottom, clothes in the middle and a single layer of them on the top of pillows were familiar to him, the two gods must have also noticed it. Then, the single wall at the head of the nest. Xie Lian’s mother’s nest, even the nest Mu Qing once made had walls on three sides and only one entry, but the fallen god preferred to have an open nest. It was one of his most characteristic habits.

The place meant for sleeping was propped with fewer pillows and more blankets to make it more stable and the wall above it had red clothes tucked inside, around it were plushies and pillows in animal forms. He also felt the weak, flowery scent that followed him from when he was a child.

Xie Lian turned around and looked at the three people behind him in astonishment. How was it possible? Who could have copied his nesting habits, he didn’t have a chance to exhibit for seven hundred years and lay everything in the right places. The right pillows. The right softness. Everything was just right.

“Your Highness…” Mu Qing didn’t know what to say. Or he did know, but he would only lie to himself. He was Xie Lian’s servant from a young age, he saw his nests, and knew how the god build them, though recreating them was just impossible. He knew that Xie Lian preferred to do nests on the floor, instead on the bed, to not have any borders. He wanted to say it was a lie. But the talismans weren't activated, so it couldn’t be an illusion, nor he could find a flaw in it. It was Xie Lian’s nest, Mu Qing realised, mortified.

Feng Xin had to have a bit more time to get to the same conclusion, as an alpha he didn’t take too much interest in omegas nests. Apart from complimenting it for being nice, when he had to disturb Xie Lian’s private space.

“How…” Was the only thing that left Xie Lian’s mouth, as he tried to recall every nest he build in the past seven hundred years. Apart from the ones in Xianle, never later he could build one like this – grandiose, of high–quality fabrics, with enough space. All of them were made from things people threw out, tattered and dirty.

“Your Highness, you don’t remember?” Mu Qing asked, also trying to understand.

“No” The god answered and his gaze returned to the nest.

“How much of your memory have you lost?” Mu Qing spoke again and at those words, Hua Cheng turned to the god curiously. If he did hear of the memory loss, he was probably associating it with the drugs His Highness was fed with, not another cause. And the next words made the ghost king’s heart shatter, but at the same time, resolved to overcome yet another problem for his beloved.

“I don’t remember” Xie Lian answered and started to think about it. How long? When did it begin? When did it end? What was in this void? The only thing he was sure was there, were the circumstances of Shui’s birth. Were they related to this nest?

“Your Highness, can we enter?” Feng Xin said, the distance between them making the conversation slightly inconvenient. Xie Lian knew it. Despite this, the thought of someone coming inside was like someone coming to trample upon his sacred place, the only thing that was bringing him comfort. Then he understood. His instincts already reclaimed this nest as his. As his and his son’s haven.

Only a soft “No” sounded in the room and silence followed after it. They looked at the omega’s back, which occasionally shook and wondered, what was going through this man’s head.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian gently put down the little bundle in his hands, cautious of any sudden moves of the cloth structure. His nests were always a little shaky, especially outside of the centre, so the chances of Shui falling on the floor were high. Even if the child wouldn't wiggle.

The god didn’t even think of the possibility of this grandiose nest being a fake, everything was just too perfect, too similar to how he imagined a comfortable, safe nest. So he thought that his baby would also recognise it, in the past, Xie Lian didn’t even have to scent the clothes for Shui to understand what the clothing bundle was. But this time, Shui looked around the place and then his eyes returned to his father. His eyes were asking: "what now?"

There were no smiles, no happy squeals. As though Xie Lian just laid him on a random bed and left him with no toy to amuse himself. As far as he knew, omega nests should bring comfort to pups, a lot of people complained about the children attempting to rearrange them, so it would suit their tastes. So why Shui was unaffected?

Then a realisation hit him. Maybe Shui didn’t recognise a nest by smells, but by seeing – seeing how Xie Lian is gathering materials and building it… Is a baby really able to notice such things? The fallen god wasn’t sure, but if this was true then it meant that scents weren’t so important for Shui. Maybe he even had a hard time recognising them. It slightly worried Xie Lian, but his thoughts got interrupted by a talk behind the door.

“So, if it’s true, does it mean that you are Shui’s father?” Xie Lian immediately turned, his hands gripping Shui’s shoulders. A… father? His baby’s father? But he was a single omega, one without a mate, a lousy omega, an omega with no morals. But with what the ghost king said, it made sense. If his nest was here if they were in a relationship, isn’t it obvious? Thousands of thoughts filled his mind, from ones being elated that he has found the alpha and that his little child wasn’t an effect of Xie Lian’s greed, through quiet concerns of why the man wasn’t with them, to the fury of being left behind, with a child in this cruel world. All of them came to stop with the next sentence.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think so. As I have said, we have never mated or bonded” Hua Cheng said, leaving the rest untold, but clear to everyone. If they never mated, then a child couldn’t be an effect of their relationship. Xie Lian’s heart broke. Was he truly so lecherous that he fornicated with another alpha, while he had a lover? What could have convinced him to do it? Money, treasures, position? Safety? Food? He didn’t get any of it and he even cheated on his lover.

He felt strong arms locking him in an embrace, his tears making the sleeves wet. The ghost king must have broken their relationship. Xie Lian cheated on him, he even bore another man’s child. He was a god, so it couldn’t be easy. Did he… did he cheat on him more than once? Was he doing it for a longer time? Did he come to this manor, pretending to be shy and innocent after rolling in the sheets with a mortal? No, no, no! Xie Lian couldn’t believe it! Even with the evidence sitting on the nest behind him, he refused to acknowledge it! But he lost his memory. He can’t say for sure.

“Dianxia, I’m not blaming you. You must have had your… reasons” Hua Cheng didn’t sound entirely sure, but he also didn’t believe that Xie Lian would just cheat on him. The other possibility, of someone forcing himself on his beloved, made his blood boil but finding that scum could wait until his god was feeling comfortable in the mansion. But if even then he wouldn't be able to speak of this, his resources would be put to good use.

Xie Lian hesitated, thinking over his next words. The other theory... maybe he didn't leave the mansion because of something that happened between them, but because of memory loss. The ghost king said that they didn’t mate, but many couples didn’t wait until the wedding. Maybe the ghost king convinced him, he was so flustered that he has run and then lost his memory and now, Hua Cheng was too ashamed to mention it?

“Your Highness, what do you want to do now?” Mu Qing asked and although he looked worried, he didn’t barge into the room to separate the two of them. This surprised Xie Lian, but ultimately, was also quite thankful for this. Another fight wouldn’t do well for his nerves.

“I would like to rebuild the nest” This, no one has expected. Even Hua Cheng thought that the god will see the nest, and acknowledge it as his own, but won’t feel safe enough to reclaim it and use it again. But the three of them – two alphas that didn’t understand how much a nest means to the omegas and an omega that was stubbornly refusing to be in the vicinity of fluffy fabric, have underrated its influence.

“Dianxia, I would rather see you checked up by a physician. You and the young prince have gone through a lot and I'm afraid you might require medical care” What Hua Cheng said was reasonable and Xie Lian thought that his pup would highly benefit from it, taking into account the lack of medical care after he was born. Just as would benefit his mentality of knowing what was the child’s state, but he couldn’t leave the nest. It was perfect. But old. A fresh touch would be required if Xie Lian wanted to use it again. And Shui had to see him build it or he would reject it, just like this one. So he shook his head and freed himself from Hua Cheng’s arms, starting to disassemble the nest.

Hua Cheng looked as Xie Lian made piles of materials – pillows in one place, plushies in another, a different one for blankets and duvets. The clothes went into the furthest corner of the room. The ghost king was still worried, but if that was what Xie Lian was drawn to, the physician could wait a bit. Hua Cheng opened his mouth to ask if he should bring some of his washed clothes and fill them with a bit of his spiritual energy but quickly dismissed this thought. In their current situation, it would be highly inappropriate of him. Like he was forcing himself on the god. But there was another creature that could make use of this…

The creature also looked at him, sitting at one of the piles, where Xie Lian could keep an eye on his pup. Shui was gripping the worn-down cloth and the ghost king couldn’t help, but be filled with regret. This little one was a crown prince’s child, a child of a god, and he still had to find comfort in a robe that should be thrown out months ago.

“Dianxia, I will return in a bit” Hua Cheng said and turned to the room's exit. To his surprise, he didn’t see the other gods there, but when he neared the door, he was able to hear their conversation.

“You have a better idea? I’m listening. If you don’t care for your domain, you can just live here” This voice belonged to Xie Lian’s former servant.

“You! How can you just abandon His Highness?!” The other god exclaimed and Hua Cheng decided to not reveal himself yet. Did those two want to betray his god another time?

“It’s because I don’t want to abandon him, I have found a solution! Listen, I am here for much longer than I should and there are things I have to do in Heavenly Capital. I bet you also can’t stay here forever. That’s why we should take turns. Hua Cheng is still a big unknown to us, we have no idea why His Highness left him back then. That’s why one of us should stay here, while the other one will be taking care of his responsibilities” Mu Qing said and the ghost king was sure that the one going by the heavenly title of Xuan Zhen was highly annoyed by the other god. Those two never got along with each other and Hua Cheng was surprised that they managed to go without an argument for so long.

“But…”

“What, you want to tell me you aren’t able to stop Hua Cheng? I was alone with His Highness for some time and he didn’t try anything. You want to tell me that an alpha martial god is weaker than a mere omega?” Even the ghost king could smell the scent that started to have smoked undertones of anger. Feng Xin was enraged, because of the other god’s insinuations, but also because he was talking like alphas were stronger than omegas. His past of serving the Xianle’s crown prince turned him into one of the few alpha gods that didn’t belittle omegas. With his short temper, everyone knew to not start this topic with him, although the god enjoyed every time he could give a lesson to over-conceited officials.

“Hm, if you won’t return, I will storm into your palace,” Feng Xin said, the events of their past replaying in his head.

“If you will be able to”

Hua Cheng sighed in relief. If the two of them left and betrayed Xie Lian, he wouldn’t be stopped by lack of a challenge. The heavens would wake up tomorrow, with two gods less in their pantheon and no way of knowing what the two officials did to enrage the ghost king. Hua Cheng even thought that their burned temples would be a good beginning of recreating faith in the Flower Crowned Martial God, but this won’t happen.

When Hua Cheng returned from his room, the ghost king passed by the two officials and didn’t even look at them. If they didn’t plan to betray, their plans of “protecting” Xie Lian didn’t concern him. If they decided to stay or not, he still had the responsibility of protecting the fallen god and his child.

He entered the nest room, which he rarely saw even in times His Highness was visiting him. More because Hua Cheng was unsure if the phase of their relationship allowed such a thing than Xie Lian’s own anxieties if Hua Cheng being a "safe" person. It still felt strange. With no explicit permission. But he justified it with a need to protect the two of them and with carrying a thing for the child.

Shui was still wrapped in his favourite, white robe, his little hands playing with the fabric and moving it around, in an attempt to make them lay on his shoulders in an ideal way. Hua Cheng stopped before him and looked at the cloth once more.

When the two ghosts brought their gifts, one of them was this white robe. When he heard of the omega with cursed shackles on his neck, Hua Cheng wanted to make him his assistant, just as he did with Yin Yu. Then, he looked over the gifts and the white cloth peeked out of one of the boxes. Just next to it, laid another one, slightly moving as if a small animal was trapped there. Lim stated that those things belonged to the omega they captured and Hua Cheng decided to see those things, maybe they would give him an idea of who that person was.

And how could he not know? One of them was his beloved spiritual weapon, silk as childish as his E-Ming. The second one was a robe he have given as a courting gift to Xie Lian, with a bit of his spiritual energy still lingering on it. Typically, people would scent the courting gifts, but because Hua Cheng was a ghost and his sub-gender was strongly suppressed, so he filled it with his energy.

Those two pieces of evidence were enough to know who those two ghosts have caught, in his ears sounded the words of drugged and defenceless. When his beloved finally arrived, the whole entourage was already destroyed, but Lim and Tao managed to flee to the domain of Black Water Submerging Boats.

Hua Cheng wasn’t sure back then why Xie Lian decided to keep the robe if he left him without a word, but it gave him hope. And then, whenever he saw this little boy, he was wrapped in that robe. As he was for the last year. If Hua Cheng’s guess was right, he might know why Shui always refused to let go of it. Shui was a child of a god and the identity of his other father was unknown, but it might have not been mortal. As such, he was more sensitive to spiritual energy than other children. Feeling the spiritual energy of alpha on the cloth, he became attached to it, because of a lack of any other alpha figure in his vicinity while growing up.

Shui looked at him with his sparkling eyes which resembled His Highness’ so much, and Hua Cheng couldn’t hold back a smile. No matter what was the history behind his birth, the thought alone that this child recognised him as a father was enough for the ghost to feel some kind of attachment.

Hua Cheng kneeled before the pup and showed him the white robe, one of many he kept in the mansion, filled with his spiritual energy. Shui didn’t spare it even a glance, tightening his hands on his favourite cloth and turning his head sideways. His omega father tried so many tricks to take the robe from him that he became wary of any such attempt.

“I promise you, it’s the same as the one you have” Hua Cheng said, his voice reaching Xie Lian’s ears too. The god couldn’t decide between white and light blue as the main colour of his new nest when the ghost has spoken. The fallen god stopped in his tracks between the cabinets and kept his eye on the two of them, noticing the cloth in the man’s hands.

The child, in his stubbornness, refused to give in and pouted. Not only he had to be in a room without any toy, they even wanted to take the only thing he found any comfort in. Seeing that Shui wasn’t one to be easily persuaded, Hua Cheng decided to take another approach. His hand patted the child’s head and then caressed his cheek. Not noticing any fear coming from the boy, he released a bit of his spiritual energy, enough to be felt but to not harm the pup.

Xie Lian felt a sudden appearance of the spiritual energy that came from the ghost king’s hand and he couldn’t say that it didn’t make him feel… protective. But he decided to trust the man, who in the surge of a panic attack brought the pup into his arms. Xie Lian observed his next actions.

Which surprised Xie Lian, because Hua Cheng managed to make the pup interested and he even reached his hand to touch the robe brought to him. After a bit of thought, the pup let go of the old robe and took the new one. Firstly, he brought it to his nose and checked it for any undesired scents. After sensing none, he laid it on his legs and his eyes flickered between the two robes. Hua Cheng knew that the two of them weren’t exactly the same, the new one was made later and from a better fabric, but when the pup raised the robe and made it into a protective cocoon around himself, the ghost king was sure he didn’t notice it.

The abandoned, old robe was taken by Hua Cheng and the adult graced Shui with a single, wrath butterfly which sat on his nose. As expected, the pup’s attention focused on it and soon the child was playing with the flying being.

“How did you do that?” Xie Lian asked, curious why all of his attempts failed.

“It seems that the… young prince felt my spiritual energy inside the robe and that’s what attracted him to it” Hua Cheng said, allowing a satisfying smile to appear on his face.

“Spiritual energy?” Xie Lian asked, puzzled. He never felt it from the cloth, even when it was the only cloth that could serve as a blanket for him and Shui.

“Yes, I gave it as a courting gift to Your Highness” Hua Cheng answered. Xie Lian’s reaction to his courting gift wasn’t anything special in their common past, a smile and a few polite words, but it also wasn’t meant to amaze. Their relationship at that time was… unstable. They still didn’t know if it would turn into something else. Hua Cheng wanted to give His Highness something, to make him realise his feelings but didn’t want to overwhelm his god at the same time. As such, he decided on this piece of clothing.

“I never felt it…” Xie Lian whispered and Hua Cheng turned to him, surprised.

“Even the young prince was able to detect it…” The rest was left unsaid. It couldn’t be a lie if the young pup was able to feel it. For the same reason, the energy couldn’t have been hidden by some spell. Xie Lian also understood it, even if it was incomprehensible to him why such a thing happened.

“Your Highness, the physician should check on you as quickly as possible” Hua Cheng was worried that the worst could have happened and the uncertainty made him anxious. Xie Lian, on the other hand, was calm. A little surprised, but in his opinion, it wasn’t unexpected. For a long time, he had problems regarding spiritual energy, probably lost because of his broken vows, so the news only confirmed what he already suspected. But there was another thing he was much more curious about. A robe filled with spiritual energy, given as a courting gift…

“How did we spend our last day, before…” Xie Lian stopped, unsure how to end the sentence.

“Before Your Highness never returned?” Hua Cheng filled in and the fallen god nodded. “It was normal. We drank tea in the garden, gege spent some time in his nest, we talked a bit about food, and gege returned to the mortal realm”

“That’s all?” Xie Lian asked, not knowing what he had expected. An argument? Admitting to an act that broke his vows? A romantic love story?

“As much as gege was comfortable with” Hua Cheng answered dutifully.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian’s nest wasn’t finished. The colour was chosen and the fabrics were soft... so soft that he wanted to lay them on the room’s floor, walls, ceiling, on furniture – to see and touch them everywhere he went. It was a luxury he didn’t get from the time Xianle fell, or, at least, it was as such in his memories.

The light blue fabrics called for Xie Lian and as much as it sounded weird, it was true. This colour suited his sweet pup and he couldn’t ignore it. His little Shui getting light blue robes with detailed patterns, looking like a little prince. Every time it came to his mind, the god had to shake his head and forget those. What he already got, was enough. Shui was able to eat to his heart's content, he had clean clothes, toys, and his own crib. And the Lord didn’t hold bad intentions towards the child. Xie Lian got food, clothes and a room to make a nest, with all the materials included. It was more than they ever had.

But even with the enormous amount of fabrics, plushies, and everything, the base of the nest wasn’t perfect. Something was missing. His mind didn’t know what. Only knew that it wasn’t as it should be. Even when the structure was like it always was. Even with little Shui playing with a pillow, creating a plan of making a mess in the nest and making Xie Lian fuss about returning the things to their rightful place. Maybe that’s what was missing? His son’s input? He didn’t know. He shouldn’t be so picky, he should be thankful. He is. But it just doesn’t feel right.

“Your Highness, maybe it will be easier after a little break? We can go to the physician and then you can return to the nest. Or whenever dianxia wants. Your Highness can come here whenever he wants, this room is yours” Hua Cheng said, seeing the frustration on his god’s face. They came here in the morning and now, the sun was setting, Xie Lian barely even ate, so invested in the creation of his new nest.

Mu Qing left for the Heavenly Capital and the fallen god got tense and a little unsure about the disappearance of the person who took care of him for the last few days. But it seemed the former servant was right and Feng Xin’s scent was enough to make Xie Lian feel comfortable. As long as it was a person he knew and was able to smell his scent, the god was alright.

Talking about Feng Xin, he and Hua Cheng couldn’t complain about being bored. The god, although it was in a shy and unsure matter, in barely a whisper, often asked about a colour that wasn’t in the cabinets to supplement the nest’s aesthetics. The two alphas rarely understood what the omega had in mind – his descriptions were vague, clouded by the centuries in which he didn’t see the materials, but the memory of them still lingered in his mind from his youth. And whenever Feng Xin got his scent on the fabrics, they had to go back and bring another set – Xie Lian never outwardly refused them, but his nose always twitched and was looking sideways, not knowing how he should tell it without offending his friend. But to Hua Cheng’s surprise, Feng Xin never lost his temper. Most alphas had enough after an hour of omegas moods when they build their nests, but the god was exceptionally patient.

Apart from being labour workers, they were also babysitting the pup. The little one quickly got bored and even the wrath butterfly wasn’t able to entertain him for the whole day. As such, they brought him some toys from his room, including his favourite, the butterfly plushie and the carriage he recently got. Additionally, they had to coax the child into eating. Even when he experienced starvation on the streets and with Xie Lian he was always asking for seconds, because this same life seemed to make him wary of other sources of food. In his mind, only his father could feed him and he was rather adamant in his refusals. Only after Xie Lian tasted the food and gave him the first portion, he allowed the alphas to feed him. Also, after the fit he threw, he forced them to play with him and a few minutes later he already found another game, for which he didn’t need them.

Hua Cheng and Feng Xin never thought they would agree on anything, but they were on common ground in one – fighting a thousand ghosts is easier than caring for a nesting omega and a one-year-old pup. Now, they understood why people say that the ones who suffer the most during nesting aren’t the indecisive omegas, who can’t find a good place for a pillow, but the alphas that are bringing one hundred pillows only to later take the ninety-nine of them back.

“To the physician? Ah…” Xie Lian remembered the previous talk and looked apologetically at the ghost king. He was probably waiting to get back to his responsibilities, but the omega got too much in his own business… The fallen god nodded, embarrassed. The man wasn’t his alpha, neither was Feng Xin, but he made them do all this work…

“If Your Highness still wants to make the nest, we can wait of course” Hua Cheng said, although even he would take a little break. He wasn’t used to being in one place for so long, even in the Gambler’s Den, he was going between the main hall and the upstairs rooms, sometimes going through the city. But for his beloved, he can learn to sit in one place still for a hundred years, if he will desire so.

“No, no, we can go. I took enough of your time” Xie Lian said and the pillow in the flower form was gently tugged between a white robe and a simple, bear plushie. It didn’t belong there. The god decided to take care of this element as soon as he will return. Then, he turned and searched for Shui with his eyes. The child laid on his stomach on a pile of discarded duvets, which probably won’t be used for Xie Lian’s nest, and was throwing himself at the wrath butterfly plushie and making growling–like sounds.

Hua Cheng couldn’t hold his laughter at the sight, and neither could Xie Lian. The hunt for the defenceless toy must be going well in the child’s mind if his satisfied smile is an indication of it. The ghost king patted the pup’s head, who looked at the adult with a questioning look. When he got raised from the floor and the butterfly got back into his hands, his whole attention turned to Hua Cheng’s clothes. Just like before, he started to reach his hands for any edge that could be caught and fall a victim to him. What was so interesting about chewing it? None of the adults knew.

“I can take him” Xie Lian offered, not wanting to trouble the Lord. Or for his pup to ruin the Lord's clothes.

“It’s okay dianxia. This one has a lot of clothes and money, the young prince won’t be able to chew through all of them” Hua Cheng’s tone never even swayed, while he was naming the boy with a self-made title. Xie Lian would correct him if it didn’t sound so nice in the man’s mouth. The young prince – the identity his child could have.

The three men were tired after the whole day and they didn't make any other talk during the walk. As always, the path wasn’t long as this place delivered them straight before a wooden hut. Xie Lian noticed that the mansion was behind them and in the rest of the directions only forest could be spotted. As much as the half-dead red trunks and leaves could be named as trees.

Hua Cheng knocked on the door and after he didn’t hear any answer, he entered the building. Xie Lian was surprised that the ghost king would care about his underling’s privacy, but the image of this man was abruptly changing in his mind, the expectations and reality slowly giving up on fighting.

The inside of the hut looked rather cosy, a bed meant for patients, a desk, a few bookcases and a cabinet with a bunch of strange-looking bottles and cremes. And an additional pair of a door leading to the private quarters.

Hua Cheng put the pup on the bed, looking at the ruined cloth hanging from his shoulder. He had to admit, the child had a talent. The whole incense stick wouldn’t burn and Shui managed to chew through it and make it unusable. Kids are terrifying.

“So, where is he?” Feng Xin didn’t even spare the room much attention, as there was nothing to look at.

“Probably in the other room, though I wouldn’t get near it” Hua Cheng said and with a hand gesture, he invited the fallen god to the bed.

“Why?” The god got annoyed and Xie Lian prayed to… himself that a fight would not occur.

“You don’t want to know” Hua Cheng replied, knowing that the beta is already aware of their presence, but must have been caught up in his… business. And the ghost king didn’t want to see any of this.

“You don't know, he is right. So, what is the matter?” A female ghost exited the room and Xie Lian’s face became a big blush, a definition of a darker shade of pink. Feng Xin immediately run to the farthest corner of the room, the woman eyeing them weirdly, as though she met two, insane madmen.

The woman was dressed like dancers Xie Lian sometimes saw in the desert. Her white, almost transparent skirt was covering her thighs and was never meant to be longer. Her yellow shirt was more modest, although everyone could tell how curvy her silhouette was with it. A pair of big, vibrant earnings were hanging by a silver chain. She tidied her short, blond hair with fingers full of rings. On her face wasn’t even a smudge of make-up, what Xie Lian read as confidently saying to the world that she doesn’t need such things. She didn’t wear any shoes, only a pair of golden shackles were on her ankles.

This woman was a good doctor, beating many mortals and ghosts in the effectiveness of her treatment, but Hua Cheng always thought that her excessiveness was going too far. Her attempts to surprise and shock. But... The ghost king took a peek at Xie Lian and closed his eyes. If his beloved would wear such clothes, in the privacy of their chambers… he wouldn’t say even one word of objection. His pure and loving crowned prince, showing himself…

“Ah, we wanted to get… a medical check-up. I and my son” Xie Lian smiled politely, glancing at the ghost king. The man didn’t even look at any of them and was lost in thoughts. The god had no idea what they were about. Probably important stuff. So the fallen god took the initiative.

“Gotcha” Was all the woman said and she walked to the glass cabinet and took some weird-looking medical equipment from the back of it.

“How thorough should it be?” The woman turned her head, stopping midway in her search. Xie Lian sent a puzzled look at Hua Cheng, not knowing what he should say. He didn’t recognise any from the tools she took out and he was certain that it was not due to his lack of visiting medical institutions.

“As much as you see fit. Just be sure not to hurt them” Hua Cheng said and Xie Lian started to wonder who was that woman. She didn’t name the ghost king by any kind of title and her way of speaking was also weird. Just as her way of dressing.

“Then we will begin with the kid. How old is he?” The woman took out her equipment and laid it on the table next to the bed. Shui didn’t seem scared by the strange-looking things, nor by a weirdly dressed, rough–speaking woman. Despite this, Xie Lian sat next to the pup and put his hand on Shui’s further shoulder to provide him comfort in case he got scared.

“He is fourteen months” Xie Lian answered, having a hard time believing that he managed to make the child survive for so long in the environment they had to live in.

“Too small. Does he walk?” The doctor asked and her hands touched the child’s arm and cheeks, leaving a bit of her spiritual energy on him.

“No, not yet” If anytime, Xie Lian adds in his mind.

Places the woman touched get connected to one of her tools by a string of spiritual energy, which is not only visible but also changes its colours while she is turning the thing's... circles. From time to time she frowns a little, which spikes Xie Lian's anxiety.

“He didn’t get much food, huh? No wonder he doesn’t walk. And those… is he able to smell other people's scents?” The blunt way of speaking makes Xie Lian feel worse and worse, like all his flaws as an omega are meeting the surface and are announced to the world. Even Hua Cheng, to this moment unbothered by his acquaintance, send her a warning look, which she couldn’t see.

“He is, but…” Xie Lian didn’t know how to say it, so it wouldn’t sound condescending towards himself. “He doesn’t seem to recognise scents”

“Recognise?” The woman looked at him with curiosity.

“He likes to be near my scent glands and my scent seems to calm him down, but… when he got near my old nest, where the scent still lingered, he didn’t connect it with me” Xie Lian said and hugged his child closer. When he said it out loud, it sounded more alarming than when it was staying as simple information in his head.

“Interesting” The woman mumbled. The whole examination took quite some time and the female ghost stuck to her word – she was to examine them as thoroughly as she saw fit and apparently, she saw fit to take account of every aspect of Shui’s health.

It was the first for the pup. Xie Lian experienced the care of countless physicians when he was a child and a teenager, his parents and servants constantly fussing about him. Insisting on getting treatment for the slightest of injuries.

And despite the care, he got when he was young, when his labour pains came, he was alone. He remembers it clearly to this day, the pain and the feeling of helplessness. He was getting close to a small village, where he wanted to give birth when the pains caught him suddenly. At that moment, he couldn’t think about anything, but that the forest path, dirty and muddy, wasn’t a place where a child should be brought into this world. The pain was intensifying and the fallen god started to think that it might not have been labour.

He was scared, he was confused and he had no idea what is going on. If not for an old woman which was returning from a town to her house, he would have probably lost Shui before he was even born. He was thankful to the woman, he truly, sincerely was, but he knew that her narrow bed and the dusty hut were also not places for such an event. And then, the only thing she could do was say things from her own experience and pass to him the newborn child. No checking, no way of knowing how Xie Lian’s life as a beggar affected the little bundle that was laying in his hands, only telling him that the pup was alive.

“No need for a worried face, the little one isn’t terminally ill. But I guess, you still want to know fully about his state, right?” The doctor said after the examination and interrupting Xie Lian’s thoughts. Feng Xin and Hua Cheng also seemed to liven up, but for an entirely different reason. From when they had met Xie Lian a few days ago, everyone has called the god by his title, apart from a few slips of the tongue the ghost king committed, while reminded of their past.

Xie Lian only nodded his head, waiting anxiously for the news. No terminal illness didn’t mean that the pup was alright. Of the various issues, Xie Lian had in mind, how many of those will turn out to be the truth?

“I see two main issues that are going on with the child. Firstly, his poor diet. Secondly, lack of safety. The first one caused his slower growth and why he have no strength to try and have his first steps. But as long as he will be provided with enough food and a variety of it, he should walk just fine and it shouldn’t leave lasting issues” Xie Lian was scared to hear that the child would never again walk, but what he heard was good enough.

“The child also has symptoms of the pups that are under constant stress and pressure, mainly for not having access to a nest or not recognising it as a safe place. I assume that the second thing is not an option here, as it happens for mistreated pups, that connect a nest to pain from a beating or another form of abuse. I don’t see any signs of those, so it’s probably the first one. Again, it’s possible to revert that” Xie Lian was mortified for a while when he heard the woman's diagnosis. Symptoms of an abused pup? Tears welled in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them, not wanting to cry in the presence of so many people.

“From what I see, the kid went through a serious illness when he was still a newborn” Xie Lian stilled at those words. “Unfortunately, I’m not able to help with this, nor am I able to predict how will this affect him, but the most likely scenario is that he will have to be careful about catching another illness. With how the last one devastated his body, any other might be lethal for him. And the last issue” The woman paused, looking at the kid once more, as though she wanted a mystery to unfold itself. But the only thing she saw, was Shui’s eyes looking at her innocently, not knowing that he just became an interesting, medical case.

“The examination showed that his sense of smell is… dull. Normally, he shouldn’t be able to smell anything, but if he reacts to scents, it’s probably not as severe. When he will grow up, he will learn to recognise the scents, but they will have to be stronger for him to even smell them. The other thing is, his own scent will be weaker. Something suppressed it, while he was still developing, though the exact cause and time, I’m not able to say it” The woman ended her speech and apart from her neutral expression, everyone was in a complicated mood and deep in thought. In the end, Hua Cheng interrupted the silence.

“Could a drug have damaged his scent?” The ghost king didn’t know much about the child, but the two ghosts mentioned drugging the child. The thought only made his blood boil.

“It must have been taken for a prolonged time, without a break, to cause such a thing” After those words, the silence returned.

Chapter Text

Regarding a reward for Shui for going through his treatment obediently, Hua Cheng already had a thought in his mind. That place was prepared as soon as he discovered that the one coming to his mansion is his beloved and not knowing the age of his child, he got ready for every possibility. That place was meant for children older than this little bundle with innocent eyes, but the ghost king was sure he will be able to find something for himself. Especially him. But for now, he will get his favourite toy back.

“Now, it’s your turn. Before this, I would like to ask. Are you the child’s biological parent?” The woman asked, taking some more tools from the cabinet. Xie Lian couldn’t say that he was as calm as his son, those strange things were looking so ominously that he never even thought such things existed.

“Yes, I am” Xie Lian only replied, closing his eyes for a while in an attempt to calm himself.

“Then, you two should wait outside. And take the kid with you. There should be no one to watch” The woman stated and Xie Lian got a bit anxious. No one is allowed to stay? Why? Hua Cheng and Feng Xin probably had the same thoughts as they also looked questioningly at the physician, not moving for even one step.

“Why… can’t they stay?” The fallen god asked.

“If I see things properly, you and your child didn’t have the easiest life. As such, I assume you didn’t get a proper medical check-up after you gave birth” When Xie Lian confirmed her words, she continued. “As I thought. So, it would be for the best if I would see if everything went smoothly in this matter”

The men couldn’t disagree, what she said was reasonable. It would be highly favourable for the crown prince to have a better understanding of his own health, but there was still one issue…

“His Highness isn’t able to be in a room with a stranger, if there are no scents” Feng Xin said and as soon as the woman turned to him, Feng Xin also turned his head and was using the tactic of ‘If I don’t see her, she doesn’t see me’.

Suddenly, a wave of strong, sweet scent flooded into the room, neutral and calm, as though its owner was a person unbothered by emotions and feelings. Xie Lian’s eyes widened. What was in the air, was more of an omega’s pheromones than beta's barely noticeable notes. And, didn’t ghosts lose their sub-gender traits after their death? As though she was able to read his mind, she answered:

“Ghosts don’t lose their sub-gender in the moment of death. In fact, it manifests more intensely, because they are confused and overwhelmed, but they don’t have good control over their bodies yet. That’s what makes them lose their traits – they overwork it without knowing it and they lose it” The woman explained and seeing that the other question still lingered from the two gods, she added. “If a ghost can sustain their traits, they will have must stronger scent and a sense of smell compared to mortals, their primal instincts will also be louder. That’s why my scent is more similar to an omega’s”

With the problem resolved, the two alphas had no other choice than to leave the room. Feng Xin took a step forward to take the little prince, but hesitated for a moment, because of the woman’s vicinity. It made a chance for Hua Cheng, who came forward and took the child into his arms. The adult wondered if the trees outside will be enough of a distraction to keep Shui from searching for his omega father.

“Momy?” The quiet voice, still not accustomed to being used, sounded in the room and Xie Lian turned to his sweet pup. He wasn’t sure what he should say, nor what the baby was expecting, so he just smiled at him. This seemed to be enough for him, as he didn’t make any problems for the alphas to take him out of the hut.

“I would like to ask you to strip, while I will prepare the device” The woman said, standing in such a way that Xie Lian was looking at her back. She gave him privacy, but he was still unsure of what will happen and he was… Bluntly speaking, embarrassed.

“Do I… have to?” The god asked, realising that showing himself would be too much for him, especially to beta and a woman.

“I only need to see your stomach, nothing more. Unfortunately, this kind of examination requires physical touch. I will try to do it as fast as I can” The woman said and Xie Lian blushed. He thought that she will have to see… everything. Thankfully, not.

Just as with Shui, strange tools were used and additional examinations were carried out. What was the advantage in comparison with Shui, was that Xie Lian was able to answer questions and whatever he felt during the examination – generally, he was able to give the woman more information. Just as before, she held back from saying anything before she had all of the pieces together.

“That’s all. Do you want them to come back? They don’t need to hear it if you don’t want to” The physician said as she ended the examination. The part he felt most nervous about… he can’t say it went flawlessly on his part, his heart was somewhat anxious, but the woman must have a lot of experience, as her neutral face and cold face quickly made him calm and ended the whole thing without even one touch, that Xie Lian would find intrusive.

“Yes, they can. I don’t mind” And soon, the alpha scent was picked by Xie Lian’s senses. As it appeared, the beta’s smell lightened, probably cutting off it, as it was no longer needed.

“Well…” The woman looked at them and although she still didn’t show even a bit of emotion on her face, her posture gave out the hesitation she was fighting with. It was a subtle change that everyone in the room noticed. None of them was able to hide their own faces distorted in anxiousness and worry.

“Let’s begin with the… physical matters” The woman began and her gaze picked on a point between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. “The Lord previously stated that the child might have been drugged. I didn’t find anything like that in the kid's body, but… it is different for you. The amount that is lingering in your body is so high, that it is effectively cutting any use of spiritual powers and dulling your senses. It must have been given to you for a few weeks at least. Additionally, it makes your body weak. More than it should”

She stopped, pondering over how she should explain the next matters. And Xie Lian was as distressed, as he was surprised because he thought that the matters of his spiritual powers were interfered with by his broken vows, not by external factors.

“There are a lot of things to take into account, but my theory is that your body is weak because it was suddenly cut out of the spirituality you were used to – probably by breaking the vows that were a base of your cultivation. Then, someone drugged you. As your body wasn’t used to not being able to reach for even vestigial traces of spiritual energy, it wasn’t able to stop the toxin and the drug blocked the spiritual energy completely. Your body wasn't able to fight it, because, similarly to the kid, there are symptoms of high stress and anxiety, which weakened you further”

The woman stopped talking, glancing at the men and wondering if they understood what she meant. Even if they didn’t understand every aspect of it, one thing was sure – someone has made a move to harm the crown prince and not only they have succeeded, the effects were stronger and more complex than anyone could predict. Hua Cheng couldn’t hold the anger and fury and no one managed to even comment on the results when the pheromones flooded into the room, unrestrained.

Xie Lian shuddered and his eyes immediately got slightly hazy. His mind still didn’t panic, as the fallen god was reminding himself of every act the man showed him and his pup, but he wasn’t sure for how long he will sustain it this way. Then, another wave, this time coming from Feng Xin rivalled it and the god whispered something to the ghost king. Xie Lian was sure that if gaze could kill, he would have to prepare a funeral for his friend, but after a moment, the pheromones lightened but didn’t disappear completely.

“I’m able to detoxify it and help with the recovery. The exact time of it and the antidote, I, unfortunately, must research first. And the anxiety and stress – just like the child, a safe and comfortable environment will help ease your mind. There is also another effect of those. I must sadly say that this child is the only one you will ever have”

Only a quiet, disbelieving “huh?” left the mouth of the omega. This is… the only child? Of course, it is, he gave birth to only one after all. And then, he understood what those words conveyed. Shui was his first and last child. He is barren. His body was irreversibly destroyed. The omega reached his hands for his pup, which was still in Hua Cheng’s arms, but the omega wasn’t able to see the alpha or child. He acted on memory, his vision suddenly not working with the rest of his body. As though it blackened.

He doesn’t know how long it took, but when he felt the soft, little body, he brought it closer and hugged it, enclosed it in his arms, and covered it from others' sight with his hair. And then, made its clothes soaking wet with his tears.

The unrestrained sobs moved even the emotionless doctor. She quietly stepped back from her place and slipped into the next room door. Feng Xin became a statue, made of stone, unable to be changed by air, water and fire, the image of the crown prince, who was beloved by all and who cherished his people in return, becoming a past. Long forgotten, not valid. He was no longer untouchable. The crown prince in front of him could be bullied, abused and mocked and no one would help him. No one would be punished for it.

Hua Cheng also froze and the words were pushed back by his mind. His beloved was harmed. He wasn’t hurt by the sword and the injury isn’t able to close thanks to his divinity. Divinity, from which he was cut, even from the spiritual powers, even from a basic, physical strength that every mortal possessed. Everything was taken from His Highness, the kindest person in this world. He was left to be trampled by the same world.

The ghost king thought about the sweet, scared omega he met three years ago. How he was careful around him and didn’t dare to even meet his eyes. How his beautiful, kind and hard-working god named himself “this lowly one” in his presence and it took Hua Cheng half a year to stop it. Another half a year to not be called “Lord”.

“Hu… My lord, what are we going to do today?” Hua Cheng returned from the Gambler’s Den as fast as he could, hearing that his beloved came to visit and waited in the gardens. As always, Xie Lian did not dare to even touch the tea and refreshments before the ghost king came.

“Your Highness may call me by my name, I don’t mind it” The ghost longed to hear his name coming out in the experimental whisper, full of uncertainty and when he would get used to it – only Hua Cheng knew what he would give to hear his name being called softly, affectionately. One of his servants suggested forcing Xie Lian to do it, by an order or other means, if he didn’t comply and that servant was no more. It wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be special. Only if His Highness decided to call it by his own will, because he felt like he wanted to do it, the name tasting good in his mouth, if he was feeling safe enough. Only then would it be the magical moment Hua Cheng was waiting for.

“How can I call the Lord by his name, when he refuses to call me by mine?” Because this one is a commoner, Hua Cheng wants to answer but knows that his beloved would get upset by it. But then, an idea sparks in his mind.

“Then, maybe I can call His Highness ‘gege’ and His Highness won’t feel awkward?” Hua Cheng suggested and saw the surprise on his god’s face. He didn’t expect it to be accepted, he tried many times befo…

“Then, the Lord should say it first” Xie Lian was smiling politely, but in his eyes excitement sparkled. The ghost didn’t think that the god would get so enticed by this offer, but he didn’t regret it.

“Gege, you know that you are the most beautiful person in this world?” Hua Cheng whispered and his hand lingered on the god’s cheek, cupping it delicately and watching Xie Lian with eyes filled with pure admiration.

“Hua Cheng is just trying to flutter me” Xie Lian said, but his gaze turned into a mix of affectionate longing and sparkles of love. “No one can compare to the Lord in front of me”

“His Highness has returned to the Lord again?” Hua Cheng asked and their noses touched each other, he could feel the calm, warm breath of his beloved as he spoke.

“Oh, it was meant to be permanent?” Xie Lian said. That day, they didn’t kiss, but despite his words, they started to call each other more intimately.

And that same person, that he exchanged those moments with, who was smiling at him so sweetly that day, was now sitting on a simple bed and crying his heart out into his pup’s neck. Something a pouch of money or an artefact that was taken from him in the past, couldn't compare to. And it would never be returned. He couldn’t imagine what his beloved was feeling – was he upset because he loved children? Did he want to give Shui siblings? Or was it just the thought of losing something that was an integral part of him from his birth to this moment?

He didn’t care if the other god will start a fight and wrecked this manor to the ground. What a reason he had for a manor when he himself was incompetent? Even the best fortress would provide no defence if its commander was a drunkard and an incompetent fool. So, he came to the god and his big arms locked the father and pup in an embrace, his heart breaking into pieces, when he heard the sobs and felt the tremors that run through the god’s body. If he had a choice, he would rather become infertile than allow his god to go through so much pain.

“I’m already happy when I’m with you!” Was what Xie Lian declared soon before his disappearance, never to be found again. Hua Cheng wanted to commission a sword for Xie Lian, feeling bad that the only thing he had to defend himself was the silk that took his parents’ lives. Then, he offered more and more things, but each was rejected. His beloved didn’t want anything from him. At that time, he was already suspecting the god’s feelings – the unconditional love of a similar kind that Hua Cheng felt for Xie Lian.

It was a simple statement, but one that made Hua Cheng overjoyed and overly emotional. It was a reward, which he didn’t deserve. What did the ghost king do to protect his beloved’s happiness? He was staying in his mansion, asking why he was abandoned, when his beloved was suffering, and being hurt. His power, his care, his love. All of this existed for a single reason, for a single person, who was crying in his arms.

“I… I am useless now, right?” The god finally spoke and when Hua Cheng looked into his eyes, he saw a pair of misty, glass orbs, a face distorted by grief. His cheeks were reddened and his lips shook, but his hands firmly hold the little bundle.

“No, Your Highness. If you are worthless, every being can just cease to exist” This was the only thing Hua Cheng managed to say, but Xie Lian shook his head.

“It… not true. It was just an illusion” The god didn’t have the strength to cry more and so his tears flowed in silence, meeting the already-soaked cloth on Shui’s shoulders. The child felt his father’s distress and was motionlessly sitting on his lap, his hands gripping Xie Lian’s robes and from time to time, made quiet sounds, as though he tried to say: ‘Mom, I’m here. Mom still has me. Mommy, don’t cry’.

None of them reached his father.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian felt listless and helpless. What was the reason? He didn’t try for children, he didn’t even have a person he would share this joy with. He went through his past wants and thoughts. He… did he ever want a group of his own children? As a Xianle crown prince, he didn’t think of it, as a beggar, he couldn’t afford it.

His precious Shui was hurt. But he will heal. He will. He wasn’t abused, Xie Lian never allowed it. But he allowed him to get hurt. Who was Shui’s father? Can he truly not remember? His mind has hidden it so deeply? Or is it because of the drug?

As Xie Lian lay in the bed in his room in Paradise Manor, as the nest remained unfinished, the god couldn’t control his thoughts. In his mind, thousands of paths appeared and he stepped randomly on them and it wasn’t so hard as they mingled together, forcing another one to make place for a second. The paths were fighting for a bit of Xie Lian’s attention and the god couldn’t control it. He didn’t even want to.

In this haze he didn’t hear his son crying for his “Momy”, wailing and struggling in Hua Cheng’s arms. The child felt so lost. He didn’t know what has happened – was it something he did? Did mommy not want him? But he got such pretty toys recently, and a crib, and toys! Mom liked him, right?

And Hua Cheng had no idea where to begin. Yin Yu already got an order to follow all of Xie Lian’s last steps in the mansion and to investigate the old employer of the fallen god, even if they had done it a few times already. It was a matter of the past, the ghost king reminded himself – the most important act was to bring the god back to him. The physician said just a few, general things, not being a specialist in matters of the mind.

Something shattered on the ground and the paths in front of Xie Lian disappeared, leaving him in the darkness. He rose. His eyes opened in a panic and they flickered in the room, watching for the cause. His pup was flailing its hands around, crying and screaming and at the foot of the person, who held him, was a broken plate. Did something…

“Your Highness, he is alright, don’t worry” As though Hua Cheng read his mind, he answered his thoughts. The god exhaled in relief. It was his only child if something would happen to him… Xie Lian looked at the pup and couldn’t stop, but feeling guilty… Why this sweet being had to be born from him?

“He… is?” Xie Lian mumbled, the pup’s eyes looking at him and as they noticed him, the crying stopped. What did he do to deserve this child? No one knew who was his father, he discarded him and maybe even drugged him, so that they would never bother him again… Who was that man?

“Yes, he is. Your Highness, are you feeling better now?” Hua Cheng allowed the child to sit on the bed and himself went to the god’s side. If the god would like to go somewhere, the ghost wouldn’t be at ease, if he didn’t help him.

His mind changed those words and a “Who is that child’s father?” sounded in his mind. Come on Xie Lian, who is that child’s father? It can’t be so hard. You can’t tell? What a lousy omega you are.

“I don’t know” The god whispered and he gripped his left hand to stop the shivering.

“You don’t know?” Hua Cheng looked worried and tried to touch the god’s forehead, but Xie Lian… flinched. And Hua Cheng had no strength to try it again. Did the god react like this, because he was reminded of things he forgot? Did his subconsciousness bring him to those times, when he was drugged? That thought made him furious and it reflected on his face, but he quickly calmed himself. He can’t frighten the omega, he can’t make dianxia feel, as though he can’t trust him. As though he was another man which wanted to harm the god. And… dianxia was strong. He couldn’t be manhandled by someone. Just couldn’t.

“I… lost a part of my memory. So I can’t remember who it is. A maid said that she saw me, but… I don’t believe what she said” Xie Lian himself couldn’t believe how small and stupid he sounded. You have a child, the most important being in a person’s life, and you just forgot about the father?!

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t think about it! Nothing she said couldn’t be true” Hua Cheng started to get desperate, he didn’t know how to help the god. Was he meant to end this? Or should he just listen to Xie Lian and allow him to get all of those things out? Would that make god feel better? Were those things that always worried him?

“She… she said that I fornicated… with a local lord. She said…” Xie Lian’s eyes brimmed with tears at the memory of it, but it was already done. He was leaving under this man’s roof and he deserves to know what kind of a failure he took.

“She saw me kissing and… disrobing with an older man. She said I wanted to curry favour because I was a male omega without perspectives and hoped to become a concubine. She said I was ungrateful to bring an alpha under our employer’s roof and do such an act! She told everyone! And everyone said the same thing! How I brought an alpha to a mansion, where proper omegas’ lived and I brought a threat to them!”

Xie Lian was now crying and sobbing, even his scent got free and distressed omega pheromones got into every nook and cranny of the room. Hua Cheng locked the god in an embrace and couldn’t stop thinking about how much pain those things have brought to his god. The maid, who lied, the man, who dare to do this to his beloved. All of them deserved death, and a whole body would be too much mercy on them. But right now, he tried to tell Xie Lian that he needn’t say more, tried to say some comforting words. But the god looked at him with desperation in his eyes and grabbed his robes with both of his hands.

“Please… please tell me… Please tell me that Shui wasn’t born with such immoral thoughts! Please, tell me he wasn’t born, because I tried to curry favour with some old man! Please, tell me he wasn’t born as just a means to get to some twisted goal! Please… Even if his father is dead… Please, tell me we cared about each other, that this sweet child was born by love… he… If he wasn’t… If I was just a lousy omega… I don’t know what I will do…”

Xie Lian tired himself and could no longer talk, the screams made his throat go useless. But the tears still flowed and Hua Cheng could only lay the god on the bed, make him feel the fluffy fabrics and know that the ghost king stayed with him, no matter what ‘crimes’ the omega thought he committed.

“Dianxia, we both know you wouldn’t do something like that…” Hua Cheng said, lost for words. Just seeing his beloved in this state made him heartache, he felt as though he felt the same pain Xie Lian was going through right now.

“But I don’t remember! What if… if something happened… something… and I did it? And that man didn’t want any child that had my blood” Xie Lian forced his throat to work, the words hoarse. How could this man be so sure, when he wasn’t…

The omega didn’t calm down unless his drowsiness won and he wasn’t able to keep his eyes open. Feng Xin, who was standing in the corner of the room, hoped that Mu Qing was the one who would be there. Despite how much he disliked the other man, he couldn’t deny that another omega would understand Xie Lian’s feelings better than an alpha with an omega/woman fear.

“His Highness didn’t contact you, while he was away?” Hua Cheng asked, covering the fallen god with a blanket and moving the pup to be next to his father.

“No, I didn’t hear from him for years. If I knew he was out there alone, with a child, I would have persuaded His Highness to come with me” With this, both of the men knew they had no hint. Where did the god spend the days of his pregnancy? Who did this to him? These questions were so simple, but no one could provide an answer to them.

And while the new investigation began, Xie Lian drifted to the realm of dreams. For most of it, he was laying on a bed, much less comfortable than the one he was currently on. The coarse fabric was making his skin crawl with a need to stand up and run and it was soaked with an alpha scent of the fresh grass so strong, that he couldn’t help, but move his head as far them, as his moves allowed. And they allowed for little. Xie Lian realised that in this dream he was drugged, but he had a strange feeling it wasn’t what had caused his distress in the reality. It was more similar to what he was fed by Lim and Tao.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the bedroom of his old employer. The man wasn’t as wealthy as he hoped for and the room was barely decorated, furnished with only the stuff that was needed for daily actions.

Then, a sound distracted him. It was quiet at first, but soon its intensity grew and he could recognise false flattery even in a drugged state. From time to time, someone told a few words and the other person answered with ten for everyone from the other person.

“Ah, there is just one issue” He suddenly heard, the flattering voice turning even softer. He was sure, that was his previous employer. But he didn’t see the man for more than a year and a half after he decided that he no longer wants to see him, so why is he in his house again?

“Issue? What kind of issue?” The other voice, Xie Lian was sure that he never heard it. Or heard so long ago that he is no longer able to recognise it.

“The omega, he is no longer a virgin” His former employer said and Xie Lian’s heart sank. He didn’t want to be reminded of it and even more for it to be announced to other people.

Then, a new, alpha scent reached his nose. A scent so aggressive that made Xie Lian curl in himself and hug the nearest pillow to at least weaken its impact. It was a definition of danger, of a power that could force the omega to do anything with just one word.

Did he go through something like that in his forgotten past? Or was it an attempt of his tired mind to shift the responsibility from him and give him a moment of relief? Xie Lian would rather take another accusatory stream of thoughts than one, false dream that would give him feeble hope – one that would crumble upon meeting any piece of evidence.

Chapter Text

When Xie Lian woke up, a feeling of uneasiness rose in his chest. The dream he just had… His mind was muddled and he had to fight for even the scraps of what he had just seen. Then, he looked at the window – the vastness of the sky, the red Ghost City. All of it took his dream, the things that his soul was convinced were clues to what has happened to him. He was so close. He knew it. And now, of the dream, remained only the heavy feeling of fear, despair and… a little bit of satisfaction. Why? Of what was he satisfied?

“Did you have a good sleep, gege?” Xie Lian turned and on the bed, next to him, laid Hua Cheng. Propped on one hand, with the other around Shui, he looked at the god with a calm and even happy expression. What could have made the ghost king so…

Only after a moment, he realised that despite his inner turmoil, his scent was light, fresh, as though he was born anew. Xie Lian didn’t hear the crazy, loud thoughts in his mind, nor did he feel the nothing-motivated panic grow. Feng Xin was nowhere to be seen and the only scent he felt were the milky tones of his lovely pup.

“Gege woke up in the middle of the night and we were scared of what was happening. Fen gave you something light to calm the mind. I’m sorry we couldn’t ask for gege’s consent” Hua Cheng said and was getting ready to rise from the bed. He didn’t get consent to sleep here either, but he was so worried his beloved might get a panic attack while he is away, that he had to stay and watch over him and the pup. After all, the omega wasn’t in the state to take care of the child.

When his right leg was on the floor already, Hua Cheng felt a hold on his left wrist. Surprised, he looked back. The only god he believed in had sleepy hair, dishevelled like leaves played by the wind, and half-closed eyes. It was a miracle his clothes still stayed on the omega’s body with how messed up they were and the stare directed at the ghost king was one of eagerness and fondness.

Hua Cheng couldn’t believe what he saw. Not so long ago the omega was so terrified of him that the thoughts of being used against his will were strong and unwavering in his mind. He would panic if the ghost king would do as much as being near him, he watched his every move and everything he did have to have his permission. In one night, those feeling turned into something probably even Xie Lian wouldn’t be able to explain.

“Hua Cheng doesn’t have to be sorry” The use of his name turned the alpha into a small boy with eyes filled with admiration, “I appreciate what he has done to us. And I can assure him that this one did not betray him”

Xie Lian didn’t know why, but he was so sure of this – that he never even thought of laying with another man, that the person before him was the only one that his heart ever skipped a beat for. His omega instincts asked for more, but he silenced them – it wasn’t time or space to do that.

“Gege, of course, I believe you!” Hua Cheng said and he was looking at Xie Lian for any sign of an approaching attack, but he found nothing. What the omega was saying came from him, not the overloaded instincts.

“Yhm. This one knows that Hua Cheng would never do any harm to him and so he wants to trust you once more. What would the Lord say?” Xie Lian asked and his mind was wrapped in a fluffy, soft blanket – not restricted, but protected, not locked, but well-fitting. It was a feeling of an omega being comforted by his alpha. Xie Lian was sure that no one was able to smell Hua Cheng’s pheromones, but they had to linger in the air, unconsciously released, while he slept. And Xie Lian liked it. This feeling of having his mind for his own, for once, felt good.

“This one wouldn’t wish for more” Hua Cheng smiled and he gave a squeeze to the god’s reached hand. “This one will call Yin Yu to bring food if His Highness doesn’t mind?”

The return to the official title made the omega a bit sad, but he also understood that what was between them couldn’t be defined yet – one remembered all the tender moments they spent, and the second had his mind filled with uncertainty and fear. But Xie Lian decided that no longer. Whatever has happened in his sleep, whatever it has unlocked in his heart, he knew that he could give this alpha a bit more credit.

“Yhm” Xie Lian replied, thinking of what he could do. Apart from following the physician’s advice and taking care of Shui, probably nothing. As Hua Cheng left the room, Xie Lian lowered himself and kissed the pup on the forehead. No matter who will be revealed as this child’s other father, he is the only father Shui knows and Shui will be the only child he will ever know. If fate wants him to give the child love worth of two parents, then he will do it.

“Your Highness, I came to deliver food” Xie Lian looked up and saw Yin Yu standing at the door’s threshold. The god realised that he didn’t see the ghost since the unfortunate attack he got from not feeling Yin Yu’s scent. That event was probably as surprising for the god as it was for the assistant.

“You can come in,” Xie Lian said and glanced at the tray full of food – both for him and the easier-to-swallow meals for children. The peacefulness this sight brought him could be only the result of the medicine Hua Cheng mentioned.

As Yin Yu put the tray on the table and Xie Lian responded negatively to his question if he wants anything, the ghost planned to return to his other responsibilities. A silly thought went through the god’s mind, but he decided to do it.

“Do you remember the last time I was here? Before my disappearance?” Xie Lian asked and the ghost stilled, the god feeling guilty for it. Was that day so scary for him?

“Yes” Was the only word the ghost spoke.

“How did it go?” Xie Lian asked. He knows that the question was already answered by Hua Cheng, but maybe Yin Yu noticed something strange that day, something that everyone omitted. Well, what could have been not mentioned in the Lord’s mansion? And by his closest assistant at that.

“Well, it was a bit different than usual. Because Your Highness was really nervous. And the Lord was also worried” … Did he say before that nothing could be omitted? He takes it back. He said nothing.

“Will Yin Yu tell me about it?” Xie Lian asked politely while patting his child’s head. He had a lot of time before the child will wake up.

As the one who was asking was the beloved of his Lord, the only person in this manor, whose word had the same power as the ghost city's owner, Yin Yu didn’t have a choice – he could only comply.

In Yin Yu’s opinion, the strangest thing happened even before Xie Lian’s last visit – the ghost king was moody and even the smallest mistake was able to set him off. Although his assistant didn’t allow for the innocent to be punished, many ghosts and mortals have lost their treasures in the debts – only for them to be locked in the manor’s basement, never to see the light of the day again.

Just as any of the manor’s servants, the former god suspected that it was connected to the crown prince. This state began after Xie Lian left the mansion after his last visit and with each day, his temper was getting worse. While in private, Yin Yu saw him looking at one of the boxes, such an exquisite design was surely meant for his beloved, who took more time than usual to visit. What was inside? The assistant didn’t ask and he wasn’t curious – it was the couple's private matter.

After almost six weeks, when Yin Yu was talking with the Lord about a few gods who were doing more harm than profit for the Ghost City, one of the servants came and informed him of the arrival of an important guest – the identity unknown. As the Lord was getting slightly apathetic in his time outside the Gambler’s Den, he didn’t even ask who it was, neither he wanted to go and check who wanted his assistant's attention. He excused Yin Yu and played with a few dice in his hand.

Where the servant has lead him was a room with a portal, related to the dark mist Xie Lian already encountered – the price of it was enormous, but it was the lord’s invention, or rather, Fen’s invention, which she announced as the Lord’s idea, so it wasn’t hard to obtain. Yin Yu always made sure that the fallen god had enough mist to be able to get to the mansion freely and to leave the room to which the mist was connected empty – there were… light issues with the exact spot on which a person appears and with the crown prince’s luck, they didn’t dare to make bets.

In Yin Yu’s opinion, Xie Lian didn’t look out of the ordinary, he was wearing his usual white robes and a polite smile graced his face. As usual, he greeted Yin Yu and then, with an embarrassed blush, asked the assistant to lead him to his nest and not inform Hua Cheng about his arrival yet. Also, Xie Lian asked for the older, beta woman to wait outside the nest’s door – the only one that didn’t try to curry the favour of the fallen god and just treated him as she would any other person.

Yin Yu lead the fallen god to the nest and immediately called for the beta. What happened later, the beta is not sure. Only that, one moment during his and the Lord's renewed talk, the female servant came and said to the ghost king that the crown prince is in his nest. This one sentence was enough to make Hua Cheng turn the table from the suddenness of his standing up.

The next time Yin Yu saw the ghost king was the day after, he was sitting in his hall, even before the assistant arrived there. There was a soft, satisfied smile on his face, one, that he never saw on the Lord’s face, and he looked as though his mind was somewhere far away. When he noticed Yin Yu, he asked him to bring one of the best jewellery they had, and to be ready to bring out anything their visitor might ask for.

The man, who came just an hour later, received the jewellery and asked for a few, middle-grade spiritual weapons for his son and grandsons, which Hua Cheng granted him. After this, they drank the tea that the man brought. Unfortunately, Yin Yu wasn’t able to say what was the talk about – this was yet another private matter of Hua Cheng and he didn’t want to meddle in it.

The Paradise Manor’s master remained in a good mood until noon when he retired to his room and at night he asked Fen for medicine for a headache. From the next morning onward, he was again in a bad mood, a lot of ghosts were afraid to even come inside the Gambler’s Den. When a month passed and the man didn’t visit again, the Lord’s mood deteriorated further. It was a sign from His Highness – that if the man wouldn’t come to the Ghost Realm, it meant that the relationship they had was no more.

“Only after half a year the Lord decided to investigate the matter, suspicious of not getting even a word from Your Highness, but we couldn’t find you anywhere” Yin Yu ended his story and what Xie Lian just heard made him confused and utterly lost. It was entirely different from Hua Cheng’s ‘normal meeting’ and a lot of the details in the story made him suspicious. But there was still one matter they had to clarify.

“Who was the man Hua Cheng met with that day? The one who was a sign of me breaking the relationship?” Xie Lian couldn’t remember such a person, but with how vast amount of time he has forgotten, he wasn’t too surprised.

“It was Your Highness’ former employer” Yin Yu answered and seeing the god getting even more confused, he added, “Your Highness still wanted to work in the mortal realm, and had said that the current place was bringing satisfaction to Your Highness and had friends there. That’s why it was decided that Your Highness won’t live in the Paradise Manor for the time being”

“And the employer was coming here?” Xie Lian asked, unconvinced. He was just a servant, who would go to such lengths for him?

“Every month, without a fail. It was part of Your Highness’ deal with the Lord – he wanted to be sure that Your Highness is treated as he should be” All of this was a little bit strange in Xie Lian’s opinion. If he was on such good terms with the employer, how did he even end up in this situation? Was this something Xie Lian asked for? To forget? But he had gone through so much and he never resorted to such a method.

“What was the name of that employer?”

“It was Hou An, Your Highness,” Yin Yu said and Xie Lian froze, the hand patting the child’s head stopping midway. How could it be? All that he remembered…

“How did he look?” There were countless people in the world, what if someone had the same name as that person?

“I saw him only a few times in passing, but he was an old alpha that liked to wear dark-blue clothes. I heard he had a little bit of land in a remote region and didn’t bother with the matters of politics, caring only about his extravagant lifestyle” All that Xie Lian remembered… That man was the first one to believe that the fallen god has broken his vows of chastity. And after he convinced the whole manor that the omega has indeed done that act in his house, with another lord, which didn’t take him much time, Xie Lian’s life turned the worst it was in the last century. He was a pregnant omega, but to be pardoned of his crime, he was made to work harder and if he didn’t end his part, when his stomach was starting to show, it was to be done on the next day. The servants never offered to help him, never even asked how he felt. In the end, scared that this lifestyle was meant to make him miscarry, he left the mansion, when he was around six months pregnant.

“Do you still know where that man is?” Xie Lian took the child into his arms and stood up, the lazy beginning of this morning and the peace that have took over his heart dispersed.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Yin Yu said, a bit surprised by the omega’s sudden action and change of behaviour, “I was talking with him just yesterday to confirm what he told us before”

Xie Lian thought for a moment. The account of Hua Cheng and Yin Yu was the same in one matter only – Xie Lian came to the manor. Apart from it, everything was different. In Hua Cheng’s opinion, the day was like every other and they spent it talking. According to Yin Yu, both Xie Lian’s and Hua Cheng’s behaviour was strange and he even told the assistant to not inform the ghost king about his presence in the beginning. What the two had in mind?

“Have you told this to Hua Cheng?” Xie Lian asked and the expression on Yin Yu’s face, if it was visible, would be something that the crown prince probably wouldn’t like to see.

“No”

“Why?”

“Because there was no need to. And… no one asked” The answer was simple. The two of them were in the same building, at the same time, and yet their accounts were entirely different. There were two possibilities: one of them lied or one of them remembered the last day wrongly – or didn’t remember it at all.

Chapter Text

“Your Highness, please. Just sit down and eat first” Yin Yu asked, as he saw Xie Lian rushing to meet Hua Cheng and tell him about what he just found out. His sleeping robes were in the same mess as when he woke up and his hair were covering one of his eyes. None of those took from his natural charm and he looked like a beauty woke from a long slumber.

“But this… I have to tell the Lord about this. It’s important!” Xie Lian argued, not wanting to lose this chance. What, if just like with the dream, he would just forget it after a moment of carelessness or… No, no, he was in Hua Cheng’s manor, betrayal was out of the question. It was, right?

“I understand Your Highness and agree with you. Just please, sit down and eat. The young master needs it too. I will call the Lord for you, he wouldn’t want for you to wander around the mansion, when you are still not feeling good” Yin Yu was talking gently, shyly. He didn’t want to oppose the person, who could be regarded as the second Lord of the Paradise Manor, but he was also instructed to make Xie Lian as comfortable and carefree as it is possible in this situation.

“But…” Xie Lian hesitated, his hold on Shui tightened. Of course, Shui also should get his attention. What has happened in the past is in the past, but his beloved son is here and needs him now.

“Even if the Lord is in the middle of the meeting, I will make sure he will come here” Yin Yu was sure he needed only to say ‘My Lord, His Highness would like to talk with you’ and the man wouldn’t need any more words of convincing. Sometimes, he wonders… The true Lord of the Paradise Manor, is it its owner or the god?

Yin Yu exited the room in a hurry after getting permission and went to find Hua Cheng as fast as he could, while the god settled at the table, the pup on his lap. The dishes prepared for the child were in the form of small fish, houses and flowers. Shui’s eyes sparkled especially when he saw the water creatures, reaching his tiny hands to gobble up the dish. Xie Lian, although he took the child’s hands back and took the chopsticks, laughed lightly at his behaviour. ‘Is there a cuter child than mine?’ is a question every parent asks and even the god with seven hundred years of experience didn’t escape that thought.

“You want the fish first? Alright, dad will help you” Xie Lian said, as he reached for the fish.

“Mama!” Shui bubbled, his expression turning fierce. He heard both ‘mama’ and ‘dad’ on the streets before and his parent was more of a ‘mama’. No one should confuse it, not even his mama!

“Oh, right” Xie Lian chuckled, embarrassed, “Then your… mama will help you with the food”

With that, the child turned to look at the fish again and whenever the chopsticks would come near his face, he opened his mouth widely. No need for coaxing and definitely no strange faces about the food – the child devoured whatever was given to him by his omega father and apart from ‘I’m being fed!’ No other thoughts circled through his mind.

When the child was full and Xie Lian took two bites himself, his mind started circling in the direction of the newfound news again. Shortly after, a voice sounded at the other end of the room.

“Did you call, Your Highness?” Those words were more fitting of a servant running to answer his master’s call than of a Ghost City’s owner talking to a beggar he has shown mercy upon and Xie Lian couldn’t say that he liked it.

“I apologise for asking the Lord to come here when he left not so long ago,” Xie Lian said, putting his chopsticks away. He will eat after the conversation, food warm or cold, it was no different for him.

“No, no, this one doesn’t mind. Yin Yu said that you have something important to say” Hua Cheng said hurriedly, as though he didn’t want any bad thoughts to sprout in his beloved’s mind. This morning was more than he could ever ask for, but he also knew that it was just a moment. Soon his god may return to his previous state and that intimacy will disappear again.

Xie Lian turned and saw that together with Hua Cheng came also Feng Xin. He wasn’t sure how the ghost king persuaded the god to leave them alone in one room, or if even the god knew of the ghost king being there, but his presence was welcome. Xie Lian wasn’t sure what was happening and in case something went terribly wrong, he would rather have at least one friend with him.

“Yin Yu told me something about our last meeting. Does the Lord remember what he told me not so long ago?” Xie Lian decided to try carefully and see the other man’s reaction to his words. If his closest assistant’s words varied from his, nothing could be taken for sure anymore.

“Yes, this one talked about the meeting in the garden” Hua Cheng answered sincerely and the way Yin Yu turned his head towards his Lord told more than any conversation could – he was confused, maybe even trying to recall that day once more. When he didn’t say anything, Xie Lian understood why he was silent – he didn’t know if he should blow Hua Cheng’s cover, even if he already told the fallen god his version.

“I don’t want to sound rude, but… I heard something different from Yin Yu. He thinks it went…” Xie Lian couldn’t find words, saying that he remembered something else from their last meeting just sounded wrong. After all, how much evidence they already had of memory being faulty, even in a god's case? Nothing could be deducted from his recollection of the past and it seems that one of them also had a problem in this matter – and he suspected it was more likely to be a person who was closer to him.

“Different? How is it different?” Hua Cheng looked at Yin Yu and the alpha’s eyes got a dangerous glint in them. He didn’t think the beta would lie to His Highness, but the omega awoke not long ago and he just got to know that his body is irreversibly damaged. Causing other emotions of bad nature for his omega was what the ghost king tried to avoid, even more, when anxiety is one of the main reasons for his weakened health.

Xie Lian asked Yin Yu to tell the story once more while rising from the table and putting the squirming child next to the toy carriage. The child was getting impatient with how long he was in one place – and it happened a lot recently – while his soul full of curiosity couldn’t take it. He wanted to move things, move himself, look at things, touch them, check their taste and maybe destroy them. Depending on his mood. But not the carriage. The carriage was pretty and if he was a bit smaller, he would be able to get inside!

When his father didn’t look, Shui got near the big, skittish-around-women alpha and looked at the jade pendant on his belt. The thing was simple and it had some battle marks, as though someone has touched the thing with a blade. And the pup decided it is his carriage’s new passenger!

But to obtain it… It wasn’t easy. When his father wanted to get food, he had to gain it in various ways. Shui wasn’t sure what ways he had, so he chose the easiest one. He looked at the alpha pleadingly, his dark eyes making him into a miniature version of his omega father. Even if Feng Xin was able to hold on for a minute or two, this begging gaze was drilling a hole in his body, without a break or hesitation. So, finally, he turned his head to Shui.

This moment was when the pup understood that it was his chance! So he lowered his gaze to the jade pendant and even raised his tiny hand to point at it. The next moment, the alpha looked at the child crawling away, with his jade pendant in hand and situating it inside the carriage as one of its passengers. Feng Xin 0 - Shui 1.

The alpha lost the fight, but he was also listening intently to what the beta had to say – mostly because he had to repeat all of this to Mu Qing later, though he already was lost a bit. So much happened in such a short time and his memory wasn’t made to remember. It was made to simply exist and laze around.

And even though the alpha never interested himself in more intellectual and complicated things, there was something he found strange in Yin Yu’s story. Or, not exactly weird. Suspicious. Xie Lian’s behaviour that day, going to the nest and forbidding anyone to enter it, and only after quite some time passed, he asked for an alpha.

Xie Lian was glancing at the playing pup, having a disbelieving smile on his face, Yin Yu was, as always, trying not to draw attention to himself, though it was impossible as he was the main point of interest now. Hua Cheng was confused and surprised, having never before heard of it and his memory was not able to bring even one moment of what was told to the surface. And then, Feng Xin asked:

“The last conversation between you two… What was it about?” The god looked at the ghost king and understanding that what he said wasn’t enough, he added, “The last one you remember?”

Hua Cheng still didn’t comprehend everything and when asked, he started to think about it. It took but a minute for the ghost king’s face to darken and look unkindly at the other alpha.

“It’s not important” He answered. Both Yin Yu nor Xie Lian weren’t sure what has triggered Hua Cheng, but the link of understanding formed between those two alphas. Or rather, it should be named as a link of potential conflict, bright orange like the sky of a setting sky. Possessive. Mocking.

“You said you didn’t do anything to His Highness. But it seems the Crimson Rain holds a secret, which might change our opinion on this matter” Feng Xin stopped leaning on the wall and his whole posture went from uninterested, played by a child man, into a bodyguard overprotective of his employer. Even if the person was no longer his employer, nor he was the bodyguard anymore.

“Why would you say that?” Hua Cheng have already stopped being relaxed at the beginning of the conversation, but now even his composed face showed signs of annoyance. Yin Yu, who had a meagre experience with alphas outside of Hua Cheng and Quan Yizhen, wasn’t sure what the whole talk was about. Xie Lian knew only a bit more, that some alpha thing was being taken into consideration.

“Isn’t that obvious? His Highness went to his nest and didn’t come out of it for a long time. Then, he asked for you and no one knows what happened there – no one was allowed to be near that room. Doesn't it talk for itself?” Feng Xin asked and glanced at the fallen god. If Xie Lian knew what the alpha suggested, he might have assumed the gaze to be filled with disgust. But at this moment, when his mind was still clear, he saw it overflow with concern. Feng Xin didn’t want to say it out loud in the crown prince’s presence.

“Hmm, is that so? If it’s so obvious, then why won’t you enlighten me?” Hua Cheng also looked at Xie Lian, his gaze much more complicated. It was obvious that the ghost king knows exactly what is about to be said and still refused to admit it.

This made Feng Xin pause, his scent was taken over by annoyance and his glances toward the crown prince intensified. The alpha wasn’t sure how to say what he wanted to relay in a form that wouldn’t make the fallen god too uncomfortable, but, in the end, concluded that such a way does not exist.

“What His Highness did, seemed like an omega… preparing their nest for mating” Feng Xin glared at Hua Cheng, his eyes strayed to Yin Yu, but they refused to look at Xie Lian. Shui, not understanding a word being said, occupied all of the seats in the carriage and started his own, transport business. With a lot of strength, he managed to move the toy as big as him, and his little trip began.

“What?” Was all Xie Lian managed to ask. Didn’t Hua Cheng say that nothing like this happened between them? Yin Yu’s story differed from the ghost king’s, but he thought that the beta confused the dates or it was so insignificant that Hua Cheng forgot about this meeting. But mating… it couldn’t be called insignificant, from any point of view.

“Your Highness might not be aware, but omegas which accepted a mating proposition, usually start to fuss about their nest. They want to make it look ideal and to be sure that it doesn’t fall apart during…” Feng Xin stopped and this time, he dared to look at Xie Lian. The omega’s face was confused and deep in thought, comparing what the alpha told him and Yin Yu’s story.

“So… But…” Xie Lian wasn’t able to get one sentence together, so he took a bit more time, but before he could open his mouth again, Hua Cheng interrupted:

“I indeed made a mating proposition to dianxia” The crown prince turned his head and the ghost’s expression was… dangerous. His resentment towards Feng Xin was growing with each second, probably because he uncovered his secret. Strangely, Xie Lian didn’t feel that the simple fact of the mating proposition being revealed upset Hua Cheng, but is said that the crown prince accepted it, without marriage vows.

Xie Lian thought it was silly. There was no need to protect his honour – he tainted it himself and no matter how much he tried, the child that was currently tapping Hua Cheng’s leg, because he stood in the way of his carriage, was evidence of it. Of course, Xie Lian will never regret having his lovely Shui, his most precious child – but the events that had to happen for Shui to be born were clear to everyone.

Shui’s tappings became faster and stronger, though, for the ghost king, they were similar to a stubborn fly’s attempts. He took only one look, his feelings complicated, and gave way to the child. With how big the toy carriage was, and how small Shui was, it would be too hard for the child to make it change directions, so he could only drive it in a straight line.

“If Yin Yu’s story is correct, then it didn’t end on the proposal alone” Feng Xin said and the atmosphere was becoming tenser and tenser. No matter how hard Xie Lian tried, he couldn’t think of a solution to not allow this situation to escalate.

“What I have said to the dianxia happened during our last meeting. The one in the garden. I don’t remember any other that was even close to that date” Hua Cheng said, his thoughts starting to spiral. He was sure that it was their last meeting – his memory couldn’t serve him wrong. And still, he started to doubt. Was it truly the last meeting? But he doesn’t recall any time when he would enter Xie Lian’s nest.

Entering the nesting room? Yes. Helping during the nest building? Also yes. Getting all of the materials and making sure none of the currently unused fabrics deteriorated? Yes, for the third time. But he never entered dianxia’s nest, the reason simple – he didn’t get permission. Even if the two of them were in a closer relationship, as long as they weren’t bonded, he couldn’t assume that he was wanted there.

“Then, does Hua Cheng remember the meeting with my employer? Yin Yu mentioned that he came on the next day” Xie Lian said, trying to divert the attention from his nest and matters of what happened inside it. He knew they were somewhat… important, but also… The red colour on Xie Lian’s cheeks was thankfully masked by the light coming through the windows and he didn’t have to cover them with his sleeves.

“No. After our last talk, he didn’t visit me again. This was a clear sign of dianxia not wanting to continue this relationship and severing ties with me” Hua Cheng said with an air of fake aloofness. Xie Lian didn’t know from what, but maybe something in the way those words were spoken or how this one eye stayed fixed on him for a short while, told him it was only a facade. Even now, this form of breaking what was between them brought painful memories and sorrow to the ghost king.

Why those emotions made also his heart throb uncomfortably, his hands clenched in his sleeves. Sadness, that if all of this was true, his beloved son could have a father, have something to call home and his health would never come to this state. And anger – whoever separated them, be it a living being or fate, was the reason for the flames gathering in Xie Lian’s heart.

Chapter Text

The talk didn’t lead to any solution and the new piece of information made everything even more difficult. How could they move forward if they didn’t know what has happened during one night in Paradise Manor? Xie Lian hoped that one of the men mistook the day. Well, it would be much easier if one of them lied. But right now, none of them was able to conclude which one’s memory was faulty or if it was even a matter of memory.

Xie Lian was lost and he started to think that what happened two years ago will be a mystery forever. Yet, the servant who came in a hurry given the god another idea and hope. Hua Cheng requested to investigate his former employer once more and the words that flew out of his mouth didn’t surprise Xie Lian.

The employer didn’t know anything, he cared for the god and was doing everything in his might to support the omega, while he was still leaving there. Additionally, he was requested Xie Lian to stop coming to Paradise Manor and told him that there won’t be any consequences for him, because of that.

“What was my relationship with that employer?” Xie Lian asked, believing that the matter of whether he mated with Hua Cheng or not wasn’t so important. Apart from it being embarrassing for the former god. Of course, it would give them a big clue about who was Shui’s other father, but this could be taken care of later.

“Dianxia seemed to like him. Sometimes, you two visited together and if not for the man’s age, I might have been quite jealous of it” Hua Cheng said, truthfully giving every bit of information he could provide.

“Were you in his house, by any chance?” They would have to take control over his mind for Xie Lian to ever believe such a thing. The man was a typical landlord – focused on his wealth and status, careful not to cause a scandal and using his servants to their limits. He couldn’t be so blind to not see it, right?

“No, before dianxia disappeared, I promised that I would never go there. Dianxia wanted a place where he could feel safe, if I can name it like it” Hua Cheng pondered over the words to use, being the alpha himself, the omegas’ feelings of security and comfort were hard to comprehend for him.

“Probably Your Highness wanted a place that the alpha wouldn’t have access to. To hide, if something happened, or to be able to think about more complex matters without the sway of persuasive pheromones” Feng Xin aided, being more and more stupefied by Xie Lian’s ignorance. The omega looked like they have just made up this stuff. He looked even dumber when Ruoye peeked out of his robes and started to tug at his sleeve, demanding attention from his owner. A spiritual weapon was more honest about his instincts than an eight-hundred-old grandpa god was.

The appearance of Ruoye did not clear Xie Lian mind but gave an idea to another being in the room. Going in a straight line wasn’t good for business – and Shui was a little businessman! He had to learn how to make turns, but they were just so difficult and heavy and he would rather bump into this table’s leg than do it! But then, his carriage would break. He doesn’t want the carriage to break… Mama, carriage…

When he was about to whine and demand attention, he noticed Ruoye. If he called mom, he might take him in his arms and stop playing. But if he will take the soft silk… The soft silk moves and always do what he wants…

Shui started crawling to his mama, but after taking a few steps, he noticed something strange. He was crawling. Like, on four limbs. But everyone was standing, on two. Shui looked at the adults and then at his own hands. Hands… Big people don’t use it. And Shui is a businessman. Whatever it means. And as a businessman, he also wanted to stand on his own, two feet!

Shui tried to curl his hands on himself and magically stand, but it didn’t work. His face just met the floor. So, no. Not working. Then, he sat on his butt and took his hands. But it still wasn’t standing. He was sitting. Annoyed, he returned to the table and observed the adults, the way they were just naturally standing and Shui tried to discover the trick. If he tried to stand when his mama wanted to teach him…

“Dianxia, have you lost your memory after leaving that place?” Yin Yu asked, not aware of the things Xie Lian told Mu Qing and Hua Cheng. Though, even to them, most of his experiences at that manor were still shrouded in a mysterious mist.

“No. I worked there until my seventh month of pregnancy. I think I lost my memory… before the third month?” Xie Lian wasn’t able to provide more exact time, he didn’t have enough money to ask anyone what week he was in or when he will enter the labour. Just like him taking care of the baby, the pregnancy was based on his assumptions and rumours. Nothing too accurate.

“Then, if dianxia was so close to delivering, why did he not remain there? What if dianxia entered labour while travelling and there was no one to help?” Hua Cheng asked, terrified of the possibility that his beloved might have been alone during this time, with no help and forced to take care of himself.

“The lord must know me, hah? That’s exactly what happened” The shocked and worried gasps sounded in the room and the sudden shift in the scents stopped even Shui in his hugging the table leg exercise and he turned his head toward the adults and then at his mama. For him, the scents were like barely visible glass, something that existed but didn’t have too much of a presence. But when the ray of the sun reflected in the glass, everyone would check what was the sudden light. It was similar to Shui. The pup looked at the adults and then focused on his mama. Not seeing any shift in his expression, he decided that the other adults were just strange and returned to hugging the table leg.

“It’s just that… The alternative was… equally bad, I would say” Xie Lian added and despite having his scent clear of any emotions, to not disrupt the conversation, he couldn’t help but feel hopeless. Just like at that time, when he was forced to choose between endangering Shui and… doing exactly the same, but in a different environment.

Xie Lian can’t exactly pinpoint a moment when he forgot about everything. It wasn’t just waking up one morning and realising that he doesn’t know where he is. Rather, he assumes, it was a prolonged process, where his memory was slowly erasing those parts, so he didn’t see anything suspicious. That’s why he never had a problem with going around the manor, and neither did he with the work as a servant.

He knew that there was a laundry and his duty there fell on the second and fifth day of the week – and later, even on the fourth. He knew where was the kitchen and that it was off-limits for him. He also remembered people. The cook, an old lady, with whom he sometimes talked. A young maid followed him around and later accused him of fornicating with some alpha. Also the master of the manor and his family.

He avoided them. Didn’t talk to them. There was no need to. He was just a servant and they paid him for doing his job, not chatting with them. He can’t find in it any good relation that Hua Cheng told him.

One day, Xie Lian was on his cooking duty, or rather, vegetable chopping duty or water guarding duty, as no one would be crazy enough to allow the fallen god to take care of their masters’ food. He was humming a song long forgotten in that land and cleaning vegetables for that day. The kitchen was rather small, but it didn’t have trouble feeding almost thirty people that lived in the mansion.

At that time, apart from the old, beta lady and Xie Lian, a young, beta boy was talking about the guests that were soon to visit the masters. His hands were moving in all directions and the omega was concerned that he won’t turn over some of the already finished plates. It would be a big waste of food.

The woman gave him an unimpressed glance, not caring which of the neighbouring lords came to visit and even more uninterested in how many lovers they keep and how many omegas were bewitched with their wealth. What she did care about was the meat, slowly being cooked and prepared for tonight’s feast.

“You, come here and take care of this meat,” The lady said and shoved the boy to the side, taking spices from the cabinet in the corner. Xie Lian send her a confused look – he couldn’t possibly be responsible for such a task, right?

“What are you waiting for? Mince it. It’s not so hard” The lady said and thanks to ignoring the boy, the constant word flow stopped and Xie Lian could finally work in some peace. He wasn’t sure if the lady understood how hard of a task she gave him, but he wanted to do his best.

The only thing that was making it harder for him, was this strange feeling of weakness and dizziness. There were days when he wasn’t in his best state recently, but today it was even worse than usual. As soon as he started to work with the meat, not only did he feel weak, he even got nauseous. He was sure that the meagre breakfast he got today, cut in half in quantity for destroying the favourite dress of master’s daughter, would be put to waste if he would smell the meat for a prolonged time.

Xie Lian tried to continue his work as if nothing happened to him. He was a god, a fallen one, but his immortality was still in place. How could he so easily fall ill or feel unwell? It will pass by itself, he thought. But with each move he didn’t see any improvement, contrary to it – it was growing worse. So much so that in the end, he had to run out of the kitchen without any warning and vomited the moment he reached the outside.

Just after he came to the old lady and the boy, both of them were shocked to see him like this. Xie Lian never fell ill and was never complaining about any kind of ache. Suddenly, they saw the exact same man kneeling on the grass, trembling and emptying his stomach.

“What’s wrong with you? Did you eat something uncooked? You didn’t take the meat, right?” Although her voice was strong and stern, Xie Lian knew she was worried and scared. He also was. Together with his breakfast, a bit of something red fell from his mouth. The omega didn’t want to think how it smelt or tasted, but he was pretty sure it was blood.

During his stay in the mansion, never before was there something wrong with Xie Lian. There were a lot of things wrong around him when his bad luck manifested, but never did it affected Xie Lian to this extent. Not even when one of the rooms burned to the ground, because of a mistake he made.

“I… don’t know” Xie Lian was as confused as the old lady, trying to understand what was happening. The shackles he had on should make him more resistant. At least that’s what he thought, “Is there someone, who could… check me?”

The only thing the fallen god did was vomit a bit, but everyone present felt that it was more than just food poisoning. And with how everyone ate the same thing… With Xie Lian’s luck, it wasn’t exactly impossible, but… All of it was too confusing.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian didn’t tell anyone. The truth. It was hidden deep inside him. Hua Cheng was so convinced that he had a good relationship with the employer. Even more – the ghost king himself wasn’t on bad terms with the man, helping him with his business for some time. What could Xie Lian do? Say that all of this was a lie and the old alpha was allowing the pregnant omega to be bullied? That he was the one who ordered the hard work to be assigned to the pregnant omega? That when his stomach was showing and Xie Lian had trouble bending, they were asking him to go to the river and laundry?

The fallen god didn’t remember anything from his relationship with another alpha, didn’t remember how his child came to be. They wouldn’t believe his memory. In that horrific past, where everything was against the lustful, fornicating omega, who desired wealth. Who was abandoned instead?

The three men in the room didn’t allow his thoughts to wander much longer, the shift in his scent noticeable. In a moment, he had two, concerned alphas asking him what is happening and how can they help him. During this time, Yin Yu slipped out of the room and soon, a freshly made meal appeared before the god. Of course, the one, who was interested in this the most, was little Shui.

This time, food was made into small flowers, birds and books. Shui looked at the last ones curiously, wondering about what this form depicted. In his short life, the pup never had an occasion to see a book, or even to come into contact with the paper, so instead of eating, he was looking at it curiously.

“Mom will show you one later, okay? Now, let’s eat” Xie Lian didn’t have to coax the child for long, as he loved eating as much as he loved his toy carriage. Which still wasn’t able to turn. When Shui didn’t look, Hua Cheng came to the toy and moved it to the middle of the room, so the child wouldn’t have problems with it later. Then, he joined Xie Lian.

“So, dianxia calls himself ‘mom’?” Hua Cheng asked and his gaze was fondly fixed on the child. When Shui heard ‘mom’ his head shot up and looked around.

“Yes. That’s what Shui prefers to call me…” Xie Lian was slightly embarrassed. He knew that male omegas had different preferences regarding it, but the same could be said about other sub-genders. Some people were almost allergic to hearing that male omegas were called ‘mom’.

“Hmm… Is he able to say his name?” Hua Cheng asked again and this time both of the adults turned to the pup, who was nibbling at the flower. The poor food was being eaten part by part, slowly, at a pace imposed by Shui.

Almost as if sensing it, Shui turned up and stopped his little torture of the flower. He glanced warily at the red-clothed man and covered the piece of food with his tiny hands. Hua Cheng laughed lightly at this.

“I won’t take your little snacks” Hua Cheng ruffled the child’s hair and his hand lingered for a bit on the pup’s cheek, “Though, you never introduced yourself. Little one, what’s your name?”

Shui just looked cluelessly at the adult and Xie Lian also laughed at this expression. The dumb look on his face, as though he was asked about a specific line from the hardest cultivation manual, was a rare view on this ball ever full of energy.

“Do you know your name? Xie Shui. Xie - Shui” Xie Lian told his child slowly, repeated it two times and looked at the pup expectantly. Shui looked back at him, a dumb expression turning even dumber hearing his name. After a moment, he finally opened his mouth.

“Xi… Xi… Xi S… Xi Su” The pup said in the end, omitting some of the letters. But Shui didn’t hear it and even more proudly, said: “Xi Suuuu!”

The long ‘u’ at the end was the pup’s try to insert ‘i’ into his name, but it was a feat almost impossible for a child, which knew how to say three words – and all three of them were related to naming Xie Lian ‘mom’. As such, Shui suffered a great defeat from his speaking ability, but it was unknown to him. In his little brain, it sounded the same and was proud of himself. He looked at the red-clothed alpha with determination in his eyes, waiting for praise from a man that helped him with his previous words.

Hua Cheng had a hard time keeping in his laugh, the little child too adorable in his attempt to please the adults. Or, maybe, it was a motivation coming from the pup’s love for attention. Xie Lian would opt for the second one and hearing the child say his surname, his heart started to beat faster. It was not only happiness – the omega wanted to show the child to the world and show them that even he can have such a wonderful and sweet kid. The fallen god kissed the child’s head and his hand took the pup’s tiny one in his.

“Yhm, so your name is Xi Su. I understand” Hua Cheng said and smiled lightly. The child didn’t hear the difference between ‘Xi Su’ and ‘Xie Shui’, so he only laughed in a way only a child can and wiggled his little hands in happiness.

“Do you know my name, little one?” Hua Cheng said after the child’s happiness ceased and he started to calm down. It was obvious that the pup still had a hard time grasping what the many words in a language meant, so the alpha pointed first to Shui, saying his name, and then pointed to himself. The pup looked at him for a minute and when he understood what the man meant, he exclaimed:

“Papa!”

Both of the adults at the table stiffened. Their eyes widened in shock and Xie Lian’s hands started to sweat uncontrollably. None of them expected any kind of answer, Shui’s name was too hard for him to say, so another person’s, especially one he just met, was considered impossible. But Shui found a breach in this logic and said the first thing that came to his mind. Mostly, because he was accustomed to the alpha’s spiritual energy, which always gave kind and loving vibes from his favourite, white robe.

Xie Lian wasn’t sure what to do. This situation must have been embarrassing for the ghost king. His former lover’s child suddenly called him a father. Even if there was a chance he was the one, who made this little kid come to the world, with the probability of it being truly unknown, he wasn’t a part of Shui’s life. The pup appeared here one day and the alpha had no connection with the child. The fallen god was considering either apologising or starting to laugh and brushing it off when he saw it. It made his mind go blank.

Hua Cheng’s eyes were filled with admiration, with strong feelings of awe, burning and spreading like the wildfire does in the hot weather. This gaze was directed at the little pup, which reached his hands for the alpha. Despite not knowing the implications of the word he said, nor experiencing how it feels to have two parents, he still craved it deep in his soul.

The ghost king raised his hands and then flinched back, as though in fear. The admiration in his eyes did not disappear, but it had to give some place to fear. Hesitation. He was not worthy of holding his god’s child in his dirty hands.

Just one look at Xie Lian’s face made those thoughts fly away, like a fog taken by the strong wind. His god was looking kindly at him and even made it easier for him to take Shui. The tiny pup thought that the ghost king didn’t understand what he wanted and tried to reach his arms further, despite his physical limits.

That’s when Hua Cheng decided to indulge Shui. He took the child confidently, corrected his grip and hugged the little pup to his chest. This little being squealed happily and gripped the red fabric, his nose searching for the scent glands. Even if the alpha was not able to produce much of a scent, the action was enough to prove the little pup’s trust.

Hua Cheng couldn’t explain what he felt at that moment. When Xie Lian left, it was enough for him to just be the most devoted believer, as long as he was useful to his god. When he understood how much he have failed not only to protect his god but also his omega, it was obvious to him that he doesn’t deserve anything in this life. And yet, he is here, with tears in his eyes, with his dead heart at the brink of coming back to life and his instincts claiming dianxia’s son as his.

No matter whose child this pup is. It’s his child. His to protect, his to love. Hua Cheng tightened his grip on Shui in a possessive manner, taking in every happy sound coming from this little being’s mouth. The child also has chosen him. His god has also allowed it. He wasn’t just some stranger that helped them.

“How long will I wait for you to say my name?” Hua Cheng asked in a whisper, his eyes glossy, but his hand touched the little pup’s nose in a teasing manner.

“Your name? I still didn’t hear mine, so I guess you will have to wait. Right, my little troublemaker?” Xie Lian smiled and showed Shui his favourite, butterfly plushie. The little one’s eyes sparkled and it took only a moment for the toy to be tightly hugged by the child, “You will say my name first, right?”

Shui didn’t answer, the concept of the name was still foreign to him. He knew that he is Suuuu, but that it was a name? It was too much for him. The only thing he needed to know is how to say ‘mama’ so his mom would give him food and smile kindly at him. And now, he knew how to say ‘papa’. Will the big guy also give him things and smile at him?

Those silly thoughts in Shui’s mind were taking another form for Hua Cheng. The alpha observed how the pup was clinging to him, trusting and without a care. How the omega played with the little child but didn’t ask to return Shui. Almost as if he accepted. As if it was completely natural for Hua Cheng to be a part of this picture, holding the child and allowing the omega to do whatever he wanted.

He even started to think – what if they would stay like this? What if a day comes, when not only Shui will call him ‘papa’, but he will be able to call the child ‘son’? Son… it sounded weird to him. No one has ever named him like this, nor did he know about the existence of this tiny being. Still, this longing in his heart, a want to acknowledge a pup. It doesn’t matter if the blood in him was his or some other, unknown person. As long as the child recognised him as the father, it was enough for Hua Cheng to do the same.

The three of them ate, talked and little Shui made a mess more than once – with food, with Hua Cheng’s clothes, even his own, little, cute robes weren’t spared. The one person forgotten in the corner of the room slept a shallow, unease sleep with someone trying to interrupt this moment of rest through the spiritual array.

Chapter Text

When the Ghost City’s night started to fall, marked by the tiredness of mind among its inhabitants, waves of laughter, conversations and various, immoral activities started to get louder than the callings of merchants. Even the Paradise Manor was not an exception, forming a new family being celebrated with food, new clothes for the god and new toys for the young master.

The god in the corner of the room wore an expression of confusion, though it didn’t seem to be directed at the former crown prince and the ghost king. It was almost as if he didn’t feel the change in the atmosphere, as he was stubbornly trying to communicate with someone and in the end, a nasty remark left his mouth.

Yin Yu saw this in the passing, on one side the room of the crown prince filled with a cheerful air for the first time when he came. On the other, the windows showed him the ghosts getting into matters that didn’t involve money, reuniting with their friends and in some rare cases – even families – after a day of hard work.

He stopped only for a moment, to check on his master and see if there was anything he could help them with, but the food was still on the table and tea was also not missing. The only one that noticed him was the little kid, playing with the butterfly plushie and a wooden horse near the door. Seeing Yin Yu, Shui tilted his head and returned to his play, not deeming the beta interesting.

The adult walked away, straight to his room to finish some minor matters – calculate the money, see the guards' reports and maybe he should go to the city… There are a few ghosts he had to keep his eye on, but recently so much happened that he didn’t have time. But then, he remembered that this time of the year isn’t really suitable for him to come out.

Well, he will have to wait for a week or so and then do it. If they will cross the boundaries, the guards should be able to take care of it. The two biggest problems, Lim and Tao already returned to Black Water’s domain. They shouldn’t return for the next fifty years… with the trouble they created maybe even for one hundred years.

When he reached his room, the documents laid on his desk, prepared this morning and only a few new ones added by the mansion’s servants. He took his place at the desk and started working. His whole focus turned to grind the ink, on writing dispositions neatly and didn’t even look sideways. There wasn’t a reason to do that.

The room was a small one, able to contain only a bed, a desk and a single wardrobe. It was chosen by Yin Yu himself and as he came here, with his few sets of clothing and writing materials, it was never changed. The beta didn’t even remember if he ever slept on that bed, usually dozing off while doing the documents or in the back of the Gambler’s Den. Because of this, he even thought of taking an even smaller room, but it didn’t exist.

The walls were dark grey, the bed had a simple, black bedding that was changed by the servants every week so dust wouldn’t settle on it. The wardrobe had a section for boxes with trinkets, books and other, personal things in the bottom, but it was left unused. The only, medium-sized window had red curtains hanging, so it would fit into the look of the rest of the mansion, but no flower, plant or other decoration was looking at the outside world. This room seemed like it was a spare, guest room, which was just convenient for one of the workers due to its closeness to the main part of the mansion and that’s the only reason why it was even cleaned.

Halfway through his work, Yin Yu felt unsettled. He couldn’t place where this feeling was coming from, but suddenly, he couldn’t stop looking out the window. His room was on the first floor and looked at the mansion’s gate, the city buildings were somehow visible, but it was hard to distinguish the ghosts, humans and gods there. The same could be told about him – who would be able to tell that he was in the room?

Despite this, Yin Yu walked to the window and changed the white curtains to black, heavy ones. It was faster to calm his instincts than trying to fight with them and soon, he returned to his responsibilities.

When the beta was taking care of the mansion’s matters, the omega and his pup fell asleep. The little being was a bit fussy about going to his crib, wanting to play with his new toys some more, but Xie Lian saw the tiredness in his whole being and after a lot of coaxing and diverting his attention, he finally went to sleep. After it, Hua Cheng and Feng Xin left the room and the omega was left alone. Going to the bed, huge and cold, didn’t feel right. Someone was missing and Xie Lian exactly knew who and why. But also knew why he shouldn’t walk out of the room and search for that someone.

He fell asleep quickly, tired after the day. From when he came to the Paradise Manor, there was not even one day that wouldn’t bring an emotional storm – one moment the rain fell so hard that he was drenched and the next minute he could be drying in a scorching sun. It was by no means the stable and comforting environment the physician requested Xie Lian to be in. He guessed that with his luck, it would be highly difficult to achieve that. Though, there was someone that will probably try to make it come true, even if he will have to use force. Thankfully, that person was not in the mansion right now.

And even with all his energy gone, his sleep was shallow. Every now and then he was checking for his son’s breathing, being placated only when his tiny hands moved in his sleep. When he closed his eyes, he saw an old man coming through his bedroom door, taking a look at the silhouette of sleeping Xie Lian and snatching his son. This would be the moment, when he would wake up, panicked and unable to return to the dreamland. What has happened to Shui in those dreams? Xie Lian had no way of knowing, but if he had to guess… The man despised the fact that his male, omega servant got pregnant and didn’t pass any occasion to make life harder for him. It wouldn’t be strange if he tried to dispose of the child quietly. In the best case scenario – giving him to some family far away, but why would he bother?

Xie Lian knew that those dreams wouldn’t leave him after this night. Or after another. The knowledge that his former employer knew the way to Paradise Manor, was well acquainted with it and its owner and was aware of Xie Lian’s connection to it made the omega stay on alert. When the Ghost City’s night ended and the morning came, the former god decided that he can’t go on like this. He was afraid of revealing it to Hua Cheng, in fear the alpha was well acquainted with that man and wouldn’t listen to him. So, his steps directed him towards another person that could help him.

With sleepy, unhappy Shui in his arms, Xie Lian opened the door to Yin Yu’s room and saw the beta taking care of… some… documents. Three piles on the desk could serve as a wall and the piles on the floor for chairs… Or a sofa, whatever you would form from it. Yin Yu’s head whipped up and took a look at Xie Lian, his mask returned to his face and covered any reaction the man may have to the sudden visit.

“Your Highness, do you need something?” The beta put the quill aside and turned his full attention towards the omega. With his window covered, he was unable to see the city coming back to life and was convinced it was still some time before he had to head down. If he knew the truth, he would probably speed up his work or ask Fen for something to make his concentration better. The headaches that followed could be neutralised with the painkillers he hid in his desk drawer.

“Ah, I wanted to ask…” Xie Lian began but bit his lower lip halfway, suddenly conscious of how he looked like. His outer robe was loosely hanging on his shoulders and in his arms, there was a half-asleep child in a dark blue robe. He must have looked ridiculous.

Yin Yu didn’t say anything and with his mask, it was impossible to see his expression, but Xie Lian imagined that the beta was slightly scared of bad news and, at the same time, curious about this visit at dawn. Considering his options, Xie Lian didn’t have many of them, so he decided to continue:

“Is there a way to go to my former employer’s mansion? In secret?” Xie Lian asked and patted Shui’s hand in an attempt to comfort himself.

“What does Your Highness mean by those words?” Yin Yu replied with a question of his own. Was something possible? With the Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s wealth and influence everything was possible, adding to it the devotion his master held for the former Flower Crowned Martial God, it could be as well considered done.

“The place of my former employer… Would Yin Yu be willing to accompany me there? There is something I would like to confirm” Xie Lian said, his eyes straying through the room. There was still a chance that the person Hua Cheng was talking about was not the one Xie Lian was thinking of. Maybe he left that place willingly and has found a new job, the one he remembered. Maybe that alpha was never in this house.

The beta didn’t exude any kind of smell, but Xie Lian was able to feel the change in the atmosphere. An apprehension. Regret. The former god turned his eyes to the beta, but the mask didn’t give one bit of its owner’s feelings.

“I must apologise Your Highness, but I can’t leave the mansion… But, if Your Highness is willing, he might ask the lord. Crimson Rain would certainly not reject you” Yin Yu looked sideways, ashamed that he is unable to help the omega. Though, he thinks Crimson Rain might be more than happy about his rejection. It will give him an occasion to spend some time with the former god.

But the omega did not look pleased in the slightest. His face got darker, his eyes strayed to the pile of documents on the desk. Yin Yu's first thought was that something happened last night, maybe the omega wanted to return to his old work and that’s why he asked. In this kind of situation, it would be rather awkward for the omega to ask the lord.

“Is Yin Yu… too busy right now?” Xie Lian asked and he realised that he didn’t see the lord work not even once. Mostly he was, going here and there, accompanying the omega. On the contrary, Yin Yu was always at the lord’s beck and call.

“I’m sorry Your Highness, I just… really can’t leave the mansion right now” Even if he would like to help the omega. But he himself was being pursued by an obsessive alpha that didn’t want to stop, despite the years that went by. Thanks to the Crimson Rain, he wasn’t forced to become a part of the alpha’s household. Rather big, even for a god, as he had three omegas and two betas tied to him already.

In the heavenly capital, even the banished officials are somehow under heaven's protection – somehow or theoretically, as he and Xie Lian are the best examples of how it doesn’t work. Banished officials no longer had any reputation or status, no influence. And no one wanted to keep any kind of friendship with a disgraced god. As such, there was no one to protect them. This resulted badly in omegas and betas.

Those sub-gender were at a high risk of being “chosen” by an alpha god that was obsessed over continuing his bloodline with the best possible partners. As they didn’t keep to one mate, they had a hard time finding someone to willingly, so they opted for the disgraced, former officials. As their protection was only theoretical, they had an easy way of getting strong mates for their future children. That’s why Yin Yu didn’t think he could be chosen – he was a male beta and he couldn’t give birth to a beta.

Unfortunately, it was also his bad luck. The alpha pursuing him didn’t want him for himself, but for his pampered alpha daughter he held the biggest hopes for becoming a heavenly official. In his twisted logic, getting her a former god mate would bring divinity closer to her. And unfortunately, there weren’t many gods recently that fell and each year, around the time of his banishment, the god was trying to find him again.

It usually lasted for three to five weeks. Although he had some pieces of information from the heavenly capital, he mainly depended on his instincts to know when the “hunt” has ended. During this time he didn’t leave the Paradise Manor and was making sure to not be close to windows. Yin Yu knew it was paranoid. There was no one stupid enough that would bother him even if he went out to the Ghost City, but the lord didn’t care. Whenever this time came, he allowed him to stay inside and took care of the more important matters by himself.

As the omega left, dejected, Yin Yu was wondering if it was time to stop being on his toes and wander out of the mansion, but the fear of becoming a toy of an immature alpha stopped those thoughts.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian’s visit made Yin Yu restless – the documents were signed chaotically, sometimes in the wrong places, where a text was written from how automatically he was doing it. He even let slide offers from untrustworthy, greedy merchants and only after a second check, he realised his mistakes.

The beta called for a servant to take the documents, he have already taken care of them and decided to not do more today. If it was any other day, he would go out to the city and do more creative tasks to forget about his concerns, but right now he was locked in the mansion. So many gods found their way into the Ghost City, who could guarantee that the obsessive alpha or his underlings won’t?

But his mind wasn’t focused on his case, but on the god that came here. He was ordered to do everything, no matter the cost, to make the omega comfortable, and happy. His every wish was to be fulfilled. But right now, he wasn’t able to do his job properly – one at the top of the hierarchy additionally. He wasn’t scared of Hua Cheng. The alpha was avoiding any kind of work related to the Ghost City and his luck allowed that, so he was able to mess with the heavens. That’s why Yin Yu was here and Crimson Rain never showed any disdain for the beta’s instinctual fear.

It was more of a personal matter. On one side, failing in his job, which was the only thing in his life he had done flawlessly – to this moment. On the other side, the omega wanted to visit his former employer for a reason and Yin Yu doubted it was just reconciling with an old friend. The lord was more than ready to make it come true and would surely accompany the omega if Xie Lian wished so.

That’s why his only conclusion, for now, was that the former god tried to escape from the Paradise Mansion. Even though, it didn’t make much sense to the beta. His master didn’t make any advances towards the omega, made all his wishes come true and treated him like an honourable guest than a former lover or an omega he felt he had a right to own. The matter of their possible mating made it more complicated, but if Xie Lian didn’t want something to happen a simple “no” would be enough. And there was that alpha god that was making sure nothing was forced on the omega.

Yin Yu felt a sudden surge of tiredness cloud his mind, dizziness and confusion hitting him as a hurricane takes apart villages and towns. The medicine stops working. In another hour he won’t be able to move his head, let alone think, with the pain that will appear. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he hasn’t slept for the past three days – it’s not the longest he had managed to go, but still long, even for the overworked beta. But he couldn’t allow himself a moment of rest. There were simply too many things to do for Yin Yu to be able to close his eyes and doze off.

The beta’s hand slipped through the desk to the drawers, a mechanical movement, trained by many, similar situations. So it quickly found its way to the right section, took the only mixture inside and quickly gulped it whole. As soon as he did it, he opened another drawer and took out a pill for headaches, not even thinking of waiting until the two medicines won’t be able to mix. They worked either way.

He waited a bit and soon, both the headache and the dizziness faded away. He was very thankful for Fen’s fast-working formulas. As soon as he was able to think clearly again, he went through the previous days again. His master’s beloved returned to the mansion because two, infamous ghosts decided to hunt people and sell them. As for each of their businesses, it didn’t go right and they escaped to the Black Water’s domain. The omega everyone thought was living his life peacefully somewhere, came with a little kid and was absolutely scared of others.

Yin Yu thought once more – the last time he saw the omega before his disappearance, was when he was acting like he had a surprise for Hua Cheng. Something, the ghost king was waiting for, if taking into account his nervousness of the previous days. It was so important, that Crimson Rain was frozen in place for a second, before storming out of the room, when the servant announced that His Highness waited for him in his nest room.

What happened there, they suspected was a mating of the two of them. The next day the ghost king was in an especially good mood, though he didn’t see the omega. When Xie Lian’s employer came, everything seemed normal and Hua Cheng’s good mood didn’t disappear. Only in the afternoon, the alpha felt headaches, which was unconventional for him and Fen checked him over, but didn’t find anything. When the headaches stopped, the alpha was again nervous and everything was able to tick him off.

Only when Yin Yu looked at it from this perspective, adding to it crown prince’s request, did it make sense for the beta. The Lord has forgotten about the meeting with Xie Lian, but he didn’t. He was Hua Cheng’s shadow on most occasions, but in those two days, there were only two instances when he didn’t follow his master – the afternoon when the omega came and asked for his discretion and the meeting with the employer, after which the headaches began.

The next day after that, Hua Cheng asked if the employer is already in the mansion and Yin Yu have truthfully replied that he was there yesterday. There were days when Hua Cheng was too busy to meet with the man, so Yin Yu was sending someone more talkative than him to inquire about dianxia. The previous day wasn’t like this, so the beta didn’t add anything and thought it was just a result of the headaches that appeared the previous day. Yeah, the headaches might have done that, but there was something before that. Something that has made the headaches happen.

Yin Yu stood up and the adrenaline in his veins worked better than any medicine that could have been invented. His muscles got their strength again, making his steps faster, faster, from a fast walking into a run. His brain was working almost as fast, as when the beta was avoiding the obsessive alpha god. But now, he was using it to find an alpha ghost that had to know about this. There was no one else with whom the ghost king met that day, apart from the crown prince, Yin Yu, Fen and that mortal.

A medicine so strong that one of the four ghost kings managed to lose his memories and only four suspects. Fen was a physician, and she knew more than enough about the ghost body to affect it, but she met with Hua Cheng after he got his headaches. His Highness suffered from the same amnesia – what reason would there be to give such a thing to a man you mated with the previous night and additionally to take it yourself for so long to forget about years? No, that’s not Xie Lian. Yin Yu never gave the food or drink to the ghost king, the servants who brought it that day were no different than usual and all of them were under the beta’s control. They could have been taken into suspicion if there wasn’t another person, who was left alone with the ghost king and whom Hua Cheng would never regard as dangerous.

That mortal was a regular in their palace, but the visits happened only once a month, additionally, the exact day and hour were not always known. They would be very lucky to randomly finding a scapegoat. The other thing was, His Highness was also a victim of this. The lord forgot about two days at most, but Xie Lian didn’t remember much, much more. Who else could it be?

Yin Yu walked into the main hall of the Paradise Mansion, his breathing fast. The place was as empty as ever, except for the ghost king who was getting ready to go to the Gambler’s Den. After the servants informed him that dianxia was walking around the mansion with his pup, he didn’t have a reason to be concerned too much.

He was about to call for his assistant when he saw him entering the hall. He was in a good mood today and felt that some of the visitors may be lucky enough to be allowed a little something from him. Not any of his treasures, those, as always, he will take from them. But a pouch of coins or a bit of luck in marriage. Yes. And when one of those beings will win, the other will also come like a moth to a light, craving to get something for themselves.

“Has something happened?” Hua Cheng asked, looking at Yin Yu’s pale face, his mask sliding down from his head. His good mood started to evaporate as soon as he saw the beta’s shaking hands unable to wear the covering correctly. In the end, Yin Yu just took it off, not wanting to waste more of the Lord’s time on useless habits.

“M-My Lord, I think there is something urgent to discuss. It’s about His Highness, the crown prince” Yin Yu said hurriedly and slightly bowed, afraid to give out too much information in the presence of others. Maybe he was just paranoid, maybe it wasn’t the truth and that day the ghost king felt bad, maybe the crown prince had something else on his mind.

If before his mood got only slightly worse, now he was sure that none of the Gambler’s Den visitors would get anything out of him. He was inattentive only for a while and again, something happened. He started to think that he should never leave His Highness’ side and follow him everywhere – of course, considering the omega’s opinion. If he didn’t want to, then it was Hua Cheng’s responsibility to take care of as much mess as dianxia wanted to make.

Yin Yu raised his head and saw the ghost king was lost in his thoughts and looked around shyly. The female, beta servant has made a gesture and all the servants have started to flow out of the room. As soon as the door to the hall closed, they started gossiping. When the omega came and the atmosphere got tense, no one thought of it as something weird. But time and time and time again something was happening that was not only worsening their Lord’s mood but also making their work more difficult.

Although they were ghosts and a lot of them were born and died after the kingdom of Xianle fell, how could they not hear about the most famous god that came from that long-forgotten kingdom? A prince that only brought misfortune and was living like a beggar, was banished twice from heaven. The voices got louder and every one of them exclaimed more ridiculous ideas than the previous one!

The whispers of the rumours about the crown prince’s misfortune are first and anything weird, but soon, follows the realisation that if that god was given a nickname related to misfortune, it for sure means that he can control it. From there, it wasn’t far to hear that the omega was especially bringing all of this upon the mansion in a sick game, but then, they got consternated. Why would the former god of a few hundred years of age do such a thing for fun only? He had enough time to observe such things happen on the streets.

In this situation, there was only one rational explanation. The god had nothing, was humiliated by the heavens and his life was not good. But, if he seduced the ghost king, brought countless misfortunes on him, every worse than the other, and this way killed the Lord… He could take his riches and treasures for himself, who would oppose him if he was the Crimson Rain’s omega and his son was treated like a young master?

All of this unfolded so quickly that the old, female beta had no occasion to take control of the mess. As the voices got louder and louder, she could only watch how the servants left to attend to their duties after the short debate. It didn’t take long, just half a day, for her to hear those same, ridiculous ideas being spread on the streets, the previously laughed-at crown prince suddenly being turned into a seductress and manipulator.

Chapter Text

While those things happened, the alpha got to hear all of Yin Yu’s theory. Not only it was hard for him to believe, but all of this also sounded strange and foreign coming from the beta’s mouth. The man has visited the Paradise Manor many times and neither of them had any reason to doubt the man. Not only that, Xie Lian was close with that elderly alpha and his omega daughter.

“My Lord, I…” Yin Yu’s expression was on the view without his mask and the nervous habit of biting his lip and looking down was on full display, causing the beta to be even more uncomfortable. He would never lie to the Lord, he never kept important information to himself. He hoped that their past cooperation would put some trust in his words.

“Let’s take care of it now. But without involving the crown prince, he had enough…”

“My Lord!” A male guard suddenly run into the hall and bowed deeply to Hua Cheng. Just like Yin Yu previously, he was panting heavily. It was obvious he run to the hall as fast as he could.

“What’s going on?” Hua Cheng asked, his one eye letting the world around him know that this interference in their conversation was by no means welcome. First Yin Yu, now the guard. Who will next come to his home, the Heavenly Emperor himself?

“Someone went through the portal, my Lord!” The guard exclaimed, his face turning white and his body starting to shake. The order was to not let anyone close to it before the investigation ended and even though the group returned, the order did not get revoked. When the ghost dared to raise his head, when nothing answered him back, he once saw the red-glinting eye.

The guard returned to his bow, begging all his ancestors to help him, even though none of them became ghosts. He was the youngest of the guards, barely admitted and got an ‘easy job”. When he remembered the stubborn and threatening attitude of that omega, the god-like elegance, something, for what he couldn’t find an appropriate word, he couldn’t help, but feel scammed. What an easy job, what an easy way for promotion?! If promotion was getting his ashes destroyed, go to hell with this!

“Haven’t I said to not let anyone else into that room?!” Hua Cheng was ready to lunge towards the guard and tear him apart, but his last threads of sanity managed to stop him. That place was for his dianxia and dianxia only. No one else could enter, so no more accidents would happen. The last time, the matter was simple and wasn’t hard to resolve, but any object and any person inside it could break the balance that the Crimson Rain managed to create there.

“Reporting to the Lord, the omega the Lord is hosting has broken into the room and didn’t care about our warnings. He stopped us from interfering and went through the portal” The guard said and cursed at his own hesitation. If he wasn’t afraid to hurt the pup in the omega’s arms, he wouldn’t be in this situation now.

“The omega… Are you saying that the crown prince went through the portal?” Yin Yu asked and his voice was overflowing with worry over the fallen god. He said he wanted to go to the mansion, but the beta didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

“Why would His Highness go there?” Hua Cheng asked, the situation bringing unpleasant memories to his mind.

“The omega didn’t say, my Lord. He just went through and the only words he spoke, was for us to get out of his way” The guard found a ray of hope, something to cling to in hope of surviving. If he will blame everything on that omega, then…

“You tried to stop him?” Hua Cheng came closer to the guard and suddenly the whole room was filled with the alpha’s furious scent. From just a whiff, he could imagine how much aggression the man held inside, but worse was the knowledge that it was directed at him and him alone.

“T-that was the L-Lord’s order,” The guard said and if not for the fear that overtook his body and created an unmovable piece of meat of it, he would gave already made a few steps back, if not run out of the room entirely.

“Is that so? What was it then, tell me” Hua Cheng’s voice got eerily calmer and more composed, at the same time arrogance seeping slowly into it. If not for the beta standing next to him, he would have already resolved to the alpha means of solving problems, as the mortals named it.

“To not let anyone inside that room,” The guard said, trying to find another meaning in the order he and the others might have missed. But there were only a few words and they have a rather straightforward meaning.

“How long are you working here?” Hua Cheng asked and Yin Yu started to go through a mental list of capable ghosts willing to work for the Crimson Rain. The list is not short and many of them dedicated their life after death to improving in fighting, but the main issue was attitude. Having a strong attachment to their past life, which didn’t allow them to die fully made them uncooperative individuals.

“One month, my Lord” The guard answered truthfully and Yin Yu subtracted one person from the freshly created ‘to-be-hired list’. If his luck is good, he might even become the head of the portal’s guard as he will be the oldest one after Hua Cheng’s “cleaning”. And this position had the same wage as the other head guards.

“For one month, you couldn’t remember that no one should be allowed into the portal room, excluding me and His Highness, the Crown Prince of Xianle. All of you have disregarded the second part” The ghost king has let the wrath butterflies fly into the room, coming through all doors and windows, every crack in the wall and the ceiling.

The tiny creatures beloved by the little pup, gentle and obedient in the presence of Xie Lian’s child, were turning into a deadly weapon when Hua Cheng took full control of them. They swarmed towards the guard, sealing him off from the rest of the room and their dance around him, as more and more joined, looked like a tornado raging in one place only. A scream reached the alpha and beta’s ears, but both of them reacted to the sound full of pain and fear.

More than that, it made Hua Cheng grin in satisfaction and a strange feeling of contentment. He has punished a person who has wronged dianxia and could have been a reason for a strange thought arising in the depths of the omega’s mind. Finally, after all those situations, where they could only console His Highness and prove to him by action that there is nothing to be feared, there is a person who can be an outlet for those feelings.

He should go and show this to His Highness, prove to him that Hua Cheng would always take his side and won’t believe those who are jealous or ignorant. The butterfly attack suddenly stopped and all of them dispersed, allowing the guard to get a moment to breathe, his eyes accustomed to the sudden change of colours.

There is no time for it. If his guards stopped him from leaving the mansion, when everyone assured him he is not a hostage here… What he could have told himself? That Hua Cheng is keeping him locked in the mansion after all? Or, that he is close enough with that old man to cover for him?

“First, I must go after His Highness. I will take care of you later” Hua Cheng said and at a fast pace walked to the portal room.

“My Lord, should we go after His Highness?” Yin Yu asked, unsure if he was even allowed to say anything in the enraged state Crimson Rain was in right now. But, to his surprise, the voice that answered him was calm and collected.

“If your guess is correct, His Highness didn’t go there to escape from Paradise Manor. He wants to confirm his assumptions and going there in his current state is extremely dangerous. Even if dianxia might think I am meddling in not my matters” His Highness didn’t tell him he is going there for a reason. The most basic one was that Hua Cheng was not supposed to follow him, though no matter the details, the ghost king was not ready to leave the weakened omega in the hands of such a man.

“If he went there for this reason, why did he take the young master with him?” If the man was as dangerous as they thought, bringing a pup with him was unreasonable – was what Yin Yu thought.

“His Highness never leaves Shui alone, he brings him everywhere. I’m not surprised. I also wouldn’t leave the pup in the hands of that brute of a god” Hua Cheng said and walked over to the still-confused guards at the portal. The Crimson Rain didn’t even give them one look, just as they didn’t dare to look him in the eyes.

“Yin Yu, you know the exact location,” Hua Cheng said and no more had to be said. The portal was specially fixed for His Highness the crown prince to be able to just go through it and exit in the landlord’s mansion. But normal users had to set the correct location with the seals and lines carved into the walls of a portal’s room. Although Hua Cheng was the one who invented it while looking for a way to find Xie Lian, the system of seals was created by Yin Yu. Afraid of being found out by the obsessive god, he didn’t correct people when they assumed that the ghost king stood also behind this.

The beta asked one of the guards for a map and his spiritual energy flew to the correct seals and lines, their colour changing from the dark brown of the walls into a bright red and deep orange, a sign that the portal have received the order.

“My Lord, I don’t know how exactly you have alternated the room, so it might not be perfectly accurate…” Yin Yu began, afraid to say that he have no idea if it would even work with the countless changes made by the ghost king for His Highness’s comfort.

Hua Cheng only gave a hum of acknowledgement and went through the portal. In Yin Yu’s opinion, his Lord could be a bit more aware of things that happen around him and not count on his luck all the time, even if it’s his best ally. The beta walked to the portal and at the last minute, he pulled back. The Lord didn’t have to fear anything, but for him, it would be unwise to go outside. Not yet.

Slightly dejected, Yin Yu looked at the portal and couldn’t help, but be jealous of the couple behind it. Both of them were behaving like they do not know fear and it made the beta realise how much of a coward he was. In His Highness’s situation, he would probably hide behind the Crimson Rain and wait until he resolved the matter in his own way – he wouldn’t even give any opinion on how he solved the problem, thankful that he decided to help. Just like he was doing now.

Meanwhile, Hua Cheng appeared in a small village, consisting of twenty houses at most and a thing that was supposed to be the mansion Xie Lian worked in. If not for the size of the thing, he would think it was a joke or a mistake made by a rookie architect. And this village… Hua Cheng looked around and a grin appeared on his face. The man was always proud of this place. Was it the biggest village in their possession?

Most of the people were working on the farm and the few left at home looked at him with surprise, fear and disgust. If it was because he appeared out of nowhere or if they recognised him, Hua Cheng didn’t plan in getting to know it.

He went straight to the big thing – still refusing to name it as a ‘building’ – and he was thankful that the sun was slowly setting. It would be hard for onlookers to tell what is happening inside. The locked gate fell on the ground with just a bit of his strength and the inside was eerily quiet. There was no servant outside, even though they were doing some work not long ago – the laundry and some tools were laying on the floor and there was a knocked bucket, out of which water has already spilt.

The thing was built on the plan of reversed “L” letter, with a long right-wing and non-existent left. Made of wood and not painted at all, it couldn’t even be compared with his Paradise Mansion. From the looks of it, Hua Cheng suspected there were much more mysteries inside this house, apart from their mysteries. For example, from where did they get the money to buy the silks and furs?

That’s when the Crimson Rain heard some noises coming from the front building, like plates falling on the floor and shattering into pieces. With quick steps, Hua Cheng opened the door in one swing. Plates full of fruits and cakes lay on the wooden floor, their fate already decided to not be a snack for the higher class. The kitchen was empty, but some of the fruits still swayed slightly from the sudden meeting with the ground.

It almost looked like a game of hide and seek, with the exception that the only one who would be able of such speed would be his dianxia. And if he can do it, then he is not hurt - that realisation comforted Hua Cheng and he found himself in the mood to entertain the omega and play it a little more.

So he went deeper into the house and opened another door – just in time to see a sleeve disappearing behind the corner and a loud bang. The room was empty, with no furniture or small objects found in it. To give the omega a bit more time, Hua Cheng ordered his butterflies to surround the mansion and keep an eye on any unwanted visitors. Or escapees.

Then he crossed and entered another room. And another. Only in the third one, he found something distinctly not fitting the house’s decor. It was a bedroom of a woman, concluding from the dressing table and the number of different powders on it. The bed was in pastel, light colours, so probably she was also an omega. And the same bed had blankets with fresh blood on them.

If it wasn’t a strange habit of the girl, which he assumed was not, it had to be made by the crown prince’s hands. Having seen many more gruesome scenes in his life, Hua Cheng didn’t even bother with checking it in more detail and moved forward. The next door leads outside, to the back of the mansion with flowers and trees in full bloom. Yet, what interested the alpha more was the golden bracelet laying on his right, in front of a broken wall. The alpha had to praise his beloved for doing all those things in silence, to not make the game too easy for him.

As he made a step forward to continue his tracking, he heard a sound coming from behind him. A muffled sob of someone covering their mouth with their hands and trying to keep their voice down, despite the feeling of dread permitting every cell of their body.

Hua Cheng turned around and in his hand appeared a red umbrella, as the last rays of the sun fell on the exposed skin of his face. Day or night, it was no different for Hua Cheng, as he was much too powerful of a ghost to care about those things. Still, he preferred the darkness that night provided. It always made all kinds of shady business go more smoothly.

But the sun allowed him to find the source of the sound without any effort. In the bushes, a young girl in a maid uniform kneeled, leaves stuck to her hair and the sleeve of her dress painted red that shouldn’t be there. With her eyes full of tears, she looked up fearfully, like a small animal afraid that if he will acknowledge its hunter, it will mean its death. When her eyes fell on the red-clothed figure, she suddenly brightened and her dirty hand took the edge of Hua Cheng’s robes in a pleading gesture.

“M-My Lord… Are you here to save us?” The girl’s voice was overflowing with hope and relief, suddenly she smiled, but in Hua Cheng’s opinion, it was ugly and insincere, “Please, help us. That omega… He came with his bastard child and started this… My Lord, it wasn’t our fault, it was he, who tarnished our estate’s good name…”

Hua Cheng didn’t feel to hear more of her babbling and she fell before her feet, E-Ming firmly stuck in her lifeless body, which started to paint the ground crimson red. The ghost king took his weapon in one, smooth motion and send it above the mansion again to strike everyone, who will escape from the mansion. Then, he returned to the place where he was before, noticing an unfinished, embroidery work next to the bracelet.

It had one of the mortal kingdom’s crests on it. One look at it and Hua Cheng knew that the one who did it had a talent for needlework and spend a lot of time mastering this craft. Hua Cheng stepped on the thing, sending the lady’s work under the desks of the floor and didn’t give it any thought anymore. Instead, he opened the door to the next room and on the floor, laid an abandoned sword. His Highness was not wasting time.

Chapter Text

Hua Cheng crossed the threshold and his eyes saw an ancestral hall, the smell of incense too strong for the ghost king’s liking. The tablets lay broken on the table and the incense sticks were broken, just like the crockery. For a crime to this extent, even the previous generations must pay a price. Though, it seemed that the punishment was not enacted fully yet.

In the room, the two figures turned their eyes to the ghost king. The kneeling man on the floor was holding a sword in his right hand, that was twisted and unusable, not able to heal ever again. Hua Cheng recognised the man, just as he remembered their conversations, the presents and the false pretence created by this old alpha.

The second person was a divine being, with a deadly silk wrapped around his arms and a one-year-old child in his arms. Although the boy’s face was stuffed in the crook of his father’s neck, his eyes cast down, the god did not look less majestic because of it. The white robes, perfectly clean and white, the child held by one of his hands. Ah, how much Hua Cheng would like for this site to be carved into stone, never to be forgotten. Sawn by every person, being and creature of this word and worshipped in the farthest regions of the mortal realm.

There was just one thing, that had to be mended, as fast as possible, so this won’t be engraved in his mind with this tiny overlap. Hua Cheng stepped forward, only the sound of his feet meeting the ground and the creaking of the wood reverberating in the room. The two figures kept their eyes on the newcomer, waiting for his move.

Hua Cheng stopped before the god, whose eyes were like a vast ocean – calm and empty. The ghost king couldn’t stop shaking his hand as he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and brought it closer to the god’s face, slowing down with each second. Then, he gently wiped his cheek and on the white material appeared a bloody stain, even though the god’s face was unblemished.

“What does it mean?” Xie Lian asked and looked at the handkerchief as if he wanted to eradicate the poor material into nothingness. Now, even the hand that was holding the umbrella and covering His Highness was trembling. Hua Cheng himself couldn’t tell which of the many emotions in his heart was causing this.

“Your Highness, this lowly one is asking for forgiveness for taking liberties” Were the only words that the red-clothed figure managed to say, as his throat was refusing to listen to him.

“And the umbrella?” The god didn’t give in.

“The ceiling of this residence is in not the best state and this lowly one noticed clouds gathering in the sky” Hua Cheng answered obediently. If not for the umbrella, he would have already kneeled before his god and waited for his judgement. Coming into this room, he was giving in to his curiosity to see this side of His Highness once again, even though it was against his will. But even for a thousand punishments, it was still worth seeing it again.

Xie Lian turned his head from the man and he would lie if he said, he didn’t expect a sword to be stabbed in his back. He had been betrayed by so many, would another one make a difference? But the pain didn’t come and the old alpha’s eyes were switching between the past couple in furry and hate. The dedication, and admiration, Xie Lian could feel from the ghost king… If it were his eyes, his posture, his acts - the god couldn’t quite say which of them conveyed it. Maybe all of them together did.

“In the past, we were friends. What has changed your mind?” Xie Lian asked and the body next to him moved behind him, like a shield on his most vulnerable side. His umbrella came lower and made the silhouette behind the god almost unrecognisable to the man on the floor. But the voice, posture and those eyes that contradicted each other were something he would never forget. One moment cold and cruel, with a handful of mocking remarks ready to be pulled, and the next second – a gentle, loving gaze toward a man that could offer him nothing, but a lifetime of suffering.

“You dare to name yourself my friend after what you have done?” The man looked at him with eyes full of fury, but also empty resignation. Seeing the blood on Xie Lian’s face, how he didn’t show even a bit of hesitation when he cut his arm… How could he not know what has happened to the rest of the family? Why not even one scream echoes through the mansion’s rooms and corridors?

“You made me forget about my lover,” Xie Lian said and Hua Cheng couldn’t help, but feel pleasant shivers run through his body. Not only His Highness believed him, he even accepted their relationship. There was a delicate, unnoticeable to the agitated omega, shift of scent that the alpha quickly took control of, “You also tried to kill my child”

“I have done, what I had to! I could accept your whim to be with a demon, but to carry a demon spawn in you… How could I ignore the misfortune that you wanted to bring to this household?!”

Xie Lian felt as though the last, thin thread got broken. The last thing that attached him to human morals and laws. He had no spiritual powers, and neither his strength was as great as when he was a Flower Crowned Martial God. So no one noticed the white silhouette moving.

Something fell to the floor and a pair of enraged eyes looked straightly at Xie Lian. At an expressionless, stone-like face, two orbs stared at him, as though he was cockroach to be stepped upon. The child in his arms slept peacefully, not bothering with everything that happened around him, as the flowery scent was lulling him into the land of dreams.

“This one is a child of a god. Who are you to decide his life or death?” He didn’t have to raise his voice for everyone to feel the seriousness in his tone. The hand that was supporting little Shui gripped the child stronger, the clothes creasing on the small body of a child.

“A god?! That’s a ghost king, did you lose your mind?! And he has abandoned you!” The man was cowering inside, but he couldn’t show it – why would a mere servant scare him?! He was an omega he took in because his heart broke at the sight of a human being leaving on collecting scrap and eating spoiled food. His soft nature not only brought a demon into his house, the god’s wrath but also ended his whole family! There was more rage inside the alpha than he has ever felt in his whole life.

“You are wrong. This is indeed a child of a god” Hua Cheng said, not taking another step forward. Even if Xie Lian’s aura didn’t make him feel threatened, he was in awe. After what he had seen, he thought he will never be able to feel it again. That thought of kneeling from the instinct alone will never cross his mind again.

The man turned, but the question was left unsaid as Ruoye circled the man and suddenly tightened, making every bit of air leave the man’s lungs. The scream, he couldn’t make left his mouth wide open and after a while, he lost consciousness. Xie Lian only watched as life was leaving the wretched man’s body.

Then, a hand softly caressed Xie Lian’s shoulder, diverting his attention. The ghost king stood next to him and the smile on his face could be described as one of affection and love. Xie Lian got confused. In front of them, a man was dying of the lack of ability to breathe and Hua Cheng didn’t have an ounce of hesitation in his eyes. His words also baffled him, as though the ghost could read his mind.

“This one likes this side of dianxia, too. But would Your Highness give me the responsibility of punishing the man, so gege won’t have to stain his hands?” Hua Cheng grinned, seeing his beloved reaction. His beloved must have forgotten that he has seen him in various situations and that his love wasn’t just a superficial emotion.

“My hands are already stained” Xie Lian answered, allowing Ruoye to slightly lighten the pressure.

“Ah, gege how could it be? It was those people that just searched for death. But now, I am here, there is no need for it” Hua Cheng replied, insisting. Xie Lian was no omega in distress to rescue him, but a want to protect his omega and pup, and take revenge for them was rising in him. Some kind of an alpha instinct, more powerful than his ghost suppression.

“If Hua Cheng will kill him, I won’t allow you to touch Shui with stained hands,” Xie Lian said, after taking another glance at that man. While Hua Cheng felt an alpha’s protectiveness, the god was craving an act of revenge by his own hands, demanded by his omega nature, fuelled by the memories of his former deeds.

“Then, will Ruoye will also be forbidden?” Hua Cheng smiled wider, seeing a gap in Xie Lian’s thought process. The omega also didn’t expect it and looked at the silk, which fluttered its edge at him, asking for his final decision. The man was already unconscious and an idea came to the god’s mind.

“Ruoye, return” The silk flew into Xie Lian’s sleeves and the omega turned around. “Come with me”

Hua Cheng took a look at the man and wondered if a single butterfly would be missed by the god, but he decided against it. His alpha instincts weren’t strong enough to force him into doing something. They never were.

As the man lay on the floor, confused by the conversation between the two freaks, he saw no way of escape, as walls encircled him on every side. The last thing he saw before the door closed, was the sleepy eyes of a child opening, turning to look at him. Then, the small being waved to him lazily, but it wasn’t full of joy, as children usually did when seeing a human they never saw before. It was more of a polite necessity – after completing it, the child fell asleep again.

Hua Cheng and Xie Lian went outside the mansion and looked at the place, where he was working loyally, thinking that he has found his place in this world. But it was a lie, made by people, who cared only about filling their treasury.

“I assume Hua Cheng can shake down the building?” Xie Lian asked and his idea became clear to the ghost. His Highness was creative. They won’t kill the man, they will only destroy his house. What will become of him? Why should they care about it, after everything that happened?

What was previously halls full of servants, a beautiful room of the concubines, was now a pile of wood and stone. As far as it was from the village, what has happened here will only be found after the bodies will turn cold and the materials will be used for the common people's houses.

“We should go home. Shui will get hungry soon” Hua Cheng hummed in response and took his beloved hand. When in the past, Xie Lian refused to name Paradise Manor his home, he was so hurt, he thought he will never recover. Now, when it left his god’s mouth, it just felt natural.

“Has something good happened?” A young girl, sixteen years old or even younger, came into Xie Lian’s view as he was doing the laundry in the mansion. The young omega was dressed in pink, light robes and her hair fell on her thin shoulders.

“Good morning, Miss” Xie Lian greeted her, wondering, what was the reason she got up so early in the morning. It wasn’t unusual for her, just that… she was not the best-behaved child. Fate has given her a carefree and adventurous soul, that got her into trouble all the time.

“Ahhh, don’t! Are you telling me that to annoy me or because you can’t remember my name?! It’s Ling!” The girl pouted and an involuntary smile appeared on the god’s face. This one was so innocent and simple, she almost reminded him of his younger self.

“Miss Ling, is there something you need from me?” Xie Lian asked, not having the heart to tease her further. There will be plenty of time to do this later.

“Yes! For the past few days you go with this smile plastered to your face, you don’t even care about your mistakes that much!” The girl shouted, excited, “Not that it’s bad, because I always tell you not to care. But… It’s not normal for you!”

This young lady should work on her words more, the god looked at her sympathetically. Well, her father wanted Miss Ling to achieve that, but with how often she run from her teachers… It was simply impossible for her to learn something.

“It’s just… I’m in a good mood recently” He answered in the end.

“This much I can see, but why? Has something happened with… Ah! Has he proposed?” The girl whispered and Xie Lian chuckled under his nose. She was so cute. Maybe even more excited at the prospect of marriage than him.

“Well, I think I can tell you. Only if you promise not to tell anyone” Xie Lian said and the girl immediately kneeled on the ground, her dress getting dirty from the water around the washing basin.

“I won’t tell. If you won’t tell, no one will know” The girl promised with all seriousness.

“Okay,” Xie Lian took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw a pair of brown pearls looking at him, “I am with child”

The girl looked at him, at first without changing her expression, as she processed what he has just told her. Then, it turned into a shock that quickly became cheerful, and excited, the words couldn’t describe the happiness of the girl.

“It’s so good! You never told me you want a child! But it seems, you want, right?” The girl asked and Xie Lian only nodded his head. So, she added, “Does the father, the father of the child, know?”

“Not yet. I can’t travel through the portal now, it would be dangerous for the child” Xie Lian said and his hand touched the flat stomach. He couldn’t wait to feel the bump, to feel the life that his body was right now creating.

“Then, ask him to come here! Let him do some effort! It’s you, who always come to him!” It was something that Miss Ling was always angry about, the alpha never coming to see Xie Lian. The god didn’t say that it was his decision, their situation was much too complicated for the young girl to understand.

“He has too much work. And… I’m happy, but I’m not sure if he will be. I don’t know if he even wanted the baby" Xie Lian said and the various scenarios that his head created flashed before his eyes.

Although the god did not remember it, the conversation with Miss Ling gave him the push he needed to tell the mansion’s head about his pregnancy, along with the request to inform the baby’s father about the fact.

Now, both the girl that was so excited back then, and the friend, who didn’t share the omegas’ feelings regarding the matter, lay under the house's remains. Both bodies turn cold from the final blow dealt by a person they once trusted.

Chapter Text

When Hua Cheng and Xie Lian returned to the Paradise Manor, chaos awaited them. The servants were running from one place to another, trying to clean the mess something have left in their absence. Furniture, vases, pictures, there was no exception among the things that lay on the floor, were crooked or had another kind of damage. When asked, they informed them what has happened.

Feng Xin was unable to find the crown prince after he woke up. Hua Cheng was nowhere to be found and Yin Yu didn’t dare to tell where the two of them have gone. Additionally, his behaviour was strange in the god’s opinion, more nervous than normal. Feeling that something is wrong, he started searching the mansion and when he was met with the servant’s reluctance, decided that he can’t just wait around.

Informing Mu Qing was the first idea that came to his mind, as the other god was the only one who knew what was happening. The atmosphere was tense, the situation unpleasant and Feng Xin’s words were not chosen carefully enough, so a catastrophe was imminent.

Mu Qing came faster than anyone expected and didn’t leave any of the mansion rooms unturned. In a short time, he went through most of the accessible places and not knowing how the mansion exactly operates, he left the mundane task to Feng Xin and went to the city to find Xie Lian.

With the mess Mu Qing have left, General Nan Yang was not sure if there was anything to be found and was wondering what action to take next. That’s when Hua Cheng and Xie Lian returned and the god came immediately to meet the crown prince.

The whole situation resulted in unnecessary violence, Xie Lian couldn’t help a warm spreading in his heart. He thought he has lost his friends ages ago, time erasing what they shared in the past. It seemed the two of them were as many nostalgic fools as Xie Lian was, and couldn’t separate themselves from the past completely.

The end of the day was spent on cleaning, calming Mu Qing down, feeding Shui, who looked like he lost all of his energy and making up a story to not worry the two gods. He took his revenge, it was the best thing that could happen in Xie Lian’s opinion, after everything he got to know. But he wasn’t sure if it was the best idea to tell those things to his friends. Xie Lian didn’t crave pity or sympathy, right now, he wanted a life, where Shui was provided with everything he needed. As for the fallen god, he wanted a moment of respite.

Deep inside his heart, he was ashamed of how the anger took him over. He didn’t ask what was the medicine they fed him, what were the ingredients, who told them about it, and who wanted to harm him and his child. And Hua Cheng. All of the answers were buried together with the man who planned everything, even if he was only a puppet in somebody’s hands. As it was already done, Xie Lian only hoped that fate will allow him to know the answers someday.

Mu Qing refused to come back to the heavens, not believing that leaving everything in Feng Xin’s hands was a good idea after what has happened and he took the room next to the crown prince’s. The other god had to go further away, as he was also not comfortable with leaving the mansion just yet.

Despite this, Xie Lian couldn’t sleep. The revenge he got was an act of quelling his wrath, but it did nothing to calm his heart. He knew human nature better than anyone else and saw all of its sides. Superficial creatures. Changed their values to fit their interests. Was religion a reason enough? A belief in gods? It didn’t stop people from committing crimes, desecrating temples, destroying statues and badmouthing the gods.

The man earned a lot of money out of the contract with Hua Cheng, he was sure of it. It wasn’t easy to get here, neither was it easy for the ghosts to get things they wanted from the mortal realm. Usually, only more money was enough to change their mind.

The silence of the night was interrupted by a sob, then a stifled cry. Xie Lian got up, but before he managed to get to the crib, the voice got louder. His baby waved his hands, trying to get the attention of its father which he immediately got. Woken up from a bad dream, he nestled against Xie Lian’s chest, finding an edge of his robe to put into his mouth. The warm hands of his father on his back brought him closer and Shui felt the warmth that always appeared whenever he got upset.

“Everything is okay. They didn’t hurt you. They didn’t take you” Xie Lian whispered and kissed the child’s head, “You will never know of the Xianle’s riches. But I hope, your other father will show you what it’s like if they existed”

He lulled Shui to sleep, looking at his face turning peaceful and smiling slightly in his dream, a little bit of drool getting out of his mouth. After Xie Lian put him back in the crib, he knew that sleep won’t come today. Instead, he chose to sit next to his son and observe the little guy turning in his sleep and getting clingy to his butterfly plushy.

“Your Highness… Your Highness, you are already up?” Mu Qing entered as soon as the morning came. Surprised, he didn’t expect to see Xie Lian awake at such an hour, but he couldn’t expect the god to behave normally when the previous day was not fitting any standards.

“Yhm. Has something happened?” Xie Lian looked at his friend, his hand caressing his dearest treasure’s cheek.

“Hua Cheng wants to invite you to go shopping. For anything Your Highness wants, as long as it is in the Ghost City” Mu Qing said and for once, his face was not showing the usual displeasure he was showing when talking about the ghost king.

“Ah, I’m afraid I have to refuse. I have already used too much of his money. And, I don’t lack anything” Xie Lian refused politely and Mu Qing thought of either hitting or hitting this idiot. Hua Cheng behaved for once like a decent… ghost being and made a decent proposition, on the alpha scale. And Xie Lian refused. So he used another tactic:

“I have already agreed,” Mu Qing said and the silence following was the most silent silence he ever heard.

“…”

“He has to make up for the year when he wasn’t with the child. Let’s begin with the financial side of this” Mu Qing added, not wanting to hear to go back and not trouble the ghost king. For the worry he caused him yesterday, he would like to trouble him a hundredfold, but unfortunately, the ghost king didn’t have his temples. Only believers.

Although reluctantly, Xie Lian allowed himself to be invited. He changed into better clothes (white clothes, just a better fabric) and waited until Shui woke up, and ate his breakfast to prepare him for a trip. The cute, little robes still made a smile appear on Xie Lian’s face and the little master his child was turning into after being dressed in them.

Mu Qing waited outside of the room, even though there were many things he wanted to talk about with the former god. The most basic one was, what was he planning to do now? Was he going to stay in Paradise Manor? Although he disliked the ghost king, it was probably the safest and, well, in every aspect the best choice.

There was something else, too. He wondered – now, that the crown prince has a child, will he strive to ascend again? He did it two times already, what was keeping him from doing it the third one? And, would he try to direct Shui towards the same path? Having two fathers’ with a talent for fighting, it would be hard to imagine they wouldn’t at least try teaching him that.

He suspected that all of this depended on how today’s outing would go. He didn’t tell Hua Cheng and Xie Lian that they will follow him – Feng Xin should make up for the mistake of letting the crown prince just wander around and disappear.

“Ah, where should I…” Xie Lian left the room with a puzzled expression. He didn’t know where to find the ghost king or if it was even to happen right now or if he had to wait for Hua Cheng to finish his work.

“He is in the garden, waiting for you,” Mu Qing said, whisking away the wrath butterfly that appeared in the hallway.

“Ah, he was waiting for the whole time? Why didn’t you tell me?” Xie Lian paled, he have spent so much time getting ready. If he knew, he would have woken Shui earlier and sped up with doing things.

“How much faster could you go? You still had to feed the little prince. And he would still be fussy about changing clothes, he doesn’t care if Hua Cheng is waiting or not” Mu Qing said, seeing the face of Xie Lian screaming ‘I care!’.

To not waste more time, he went straight to the garden, he didn’t even wait for Mu Qing to say his good wishes for the trip – for once, sincerely meant. Just two turns in the corridor and he found himself in the same garden he walked through at the beginning of his visit here. It was just a few days ago, but Xie Lian felt like the whole universe changed its course twice – and those things happened in more than just a week or two. And yet, not so long ago he was worrying if he and his child will have food and a roof over their heads. Now, his biggest concern was if he made the ghost king wait for too long.

He was standing there, watching the trees swaying in a light wind. The silhouette in red clothing and black hair lay on his shoulder and create a lazily flowing river. His hand was raised, as to allow one of his butterflies to sit on a finger and move its wings, as though they were having a conversation.

Xie Lian couldn’t see his face, but he knew what to expect. Nothing far from a concept of beauty. The god got nearer and gave a quiet greeting, hoping the ghost king wouldn’t be too upset. But when he turned around, the crown prince saw a warm smile and gentleness in the ghost’s eyes. They first locked gazes, then the alpha looked at his son, who was playing with his fingers. That’s when Xie Lian realised what he has forgotten.

“Ah, it seems I have to return for something” Hua Cheng raised his eyebrows hearing it, “I didn’t take Shui’s toy. The plushy. He may start crying when he notices it’s not here” Xie Lian’s face heated in embarrassment. He was getting ready for so long, almost a full shichen and still…

“Don’t worry, dianxia” Hua Cheng raised his hand and let the butterfly fly in the direction of the child, “If the little prince will get bored, this one will gladly accompany him”

“Al-alright” Xie Lian blushed even harder. Not from embarrassment. He was somewhat unable to look at the ghost king. Or more, he couldn’t withstand the emotions the ghost king showed. Just yesterday, he slaughtered a whole household of humans, men and women alike. Today, he looked at him like he was the most fragile, delicate being in the world, that couldn’t get to know a single, bad thing. He wasn’t so pure, neither was he innocent. So why were these eyes so unwavering?

“Is there a place dianxia would like to visit?” Hua Cheng asked, his words slowly spoken. A sound of bells told Xie Lian that the ghost king moved from his location. When Xie Lian raised his gaze, the ghost king was in front of him, his silhouette towering over the god.

Being within Shui’s reach, the child immediately noticed the red fabric and his little hand found an edge that he would like to taste today. Both of the adults smiled at this action – Xie Lian from a slight embarrassment, and Hua Cheng from finding the pup cute.

“Maybe we should go. Before Shui eats your clothes” Xie Lian said and suddenly remembered the alpha’s previous question, “I don’t have anywhere I would want to go. I, I think we have everything we need”

“I don’t mind, gege. If you don’t mind, I can indulge the little prince in his hobby” At first moment, Xie Lian wanted to refuse the offer. Firstly, because clothes weren’t meant to be chewed, but during his short life, Shui have probably eaten worse things. Secondly, the alpha before him wasn’t just a random stranger offering help. He was the pup’s father, probably. He should allow them to bond, even if a little bit.

“If Hua Cheng doesn’t mind” Xie Lian said in the end and the child was transferred from one father to another. The baby didn’t seem to mind the change, focused on chewing and only looked at Hua Cheng with his big, innocent eyes, as though he was trying to guess if he will be stopped from his current play.

The ghost king raised his hand and with the back of his hand, caressed Shui’s cheek gently. Then, the hand wandered on the top of the child’s head and stayed there for a while, but didn’t interrupt the baby. This little being could chew on his clothes, jewellery, chains adorning his robes – anything he liked, as long as it didn’t pose any danger to the pup. Even if they weren’t sure about the little prince’s origins, Hua Cheng found himself not caring about them too much. Whatever the answer was, it wouldn’t affect the warm feeling in his chest, when he looked at this tiny pup, different from the one directed towards Xie Lian.

“I can propose to visit two of the more popular shops in the Ghost City. There is also a restaurant that is often frequented by some of the ghosts and humans” By ‘some of the ghosts and humans’, Hua Cheng meant a place created for omegas specifically – the colours weren’t so vivid as it was typical for the ghost realm, it was also rather quiet and alphas only entered it to accompany their partners. After all, if they could choose, they usually went to the Gambler’s Den or the city’s market.

“It sounds good,” Xie Lian nodded. He didn’t have an idea what else could he add – he wouldn’t be able to list the three biggest cities in the mortal realm. What could he possibly know about the ghost realm, apart from its owner?

And so, they went to the city. Xie Lian wore his usual white robes, which made him stand out in the crowd. The same could be told about Hua Cheng – even if they didn’t see him in the Gambler’s Den, who didn’t know how the Crimson Rain Sought Flower looked? Eyes of all the people, ghosts and heavenly officials turned to them, all conversations halted and only some gossipers dared to make a comment or two.

This atmosphere made Xie Lian feel self-conscious, like he wasn’t in his skin, but possessed a body that differed from his own. On the other hand, Hua Cheng didn’t mind the sudden attention he got. If it was possible, Xie Lian would say he looked more proud than usual – the reason for it was the child in his arms, the fallen god assumed.

During the walk, one of the ghosts dared to get nearer and ask Hua Cheng for a favour. What it was about was too difficult for the god to understand, not introduced to the Ghost City’s language nuances. From the look in the ghost king’s eyes, Xie Lian immediately knew that he wasn’t pleased with it and as the word flow continued, his eyes furrowed deeper. Suddenly, he heard Shui babbling something.

The child took great interest in the ghost, a short one with a deformed face. It seemed that Shui was not scared by beings like that, even his hand was doing strange moves in the air.

“A…n…” Xie Lian managed to hear and Hua Cheng’s face immediately turned darker, telling the ghosts to scram, barely forcing himself to say it in more polite words. He didn’t want to teach the little prince such a language, especially as he had another mission now. The ghost king propped the child on his hands, so Shui would look him in the eyes.

“Hua Cheng,” The alpha said and the serious expression on his face did not disappear. The child looked confused, just as much as Xie Lian was, but the ghost king did not stop, “Hua Cheng”

“Eng?” Shui said, his head tilting a little, not knowing what the adult wants from him. There was a funny-looking something and it said that its name was… also something funny. This is not funny. It’s difficult.

“Hua Cheng” The alpha repeated and Shui pouted, as though a big injustice was happening to him, but he did not break the eye contact.

“Eng” Hua Cheng sighed and lowered the child, allowing him to return to his previous position. How could this child try to mimic a name of a ghost he just met, but his own father’s name, which he heard so many times, felt so unnatural in his mouth?

“Let’s go. The shop should be nearby” Hua Cheng said resigned and Xie Lian nodded his head. The god still didn’t have an idea of what has just happened, so he decided to just follow and not ask questions.

The shop that was their goal, came out to be one to sell various weapons. In the beginning, Hua Cheng thought of leading Xie Lian to the blacksmith himself and allowing the god to commission a custom made, but then he remembered the pup’s weak health. He wouldn’t like to harm the little one with his temperature. So the visit to that place was postponed.

Seeing the smile on Xie Lian’s face as he took in all the different products on the shelves, the ghost king knew that it was a good decision either way.

Chapter Text

Hua Cheng wasn’t sure how much His Highness’ interests changed over time, he wasn’t sure if anything he knew about the god was still valid. Yet, after the two hours spent in the shop and no prospect of leaving appearing Xie Lian’s face, he knew he made a good decision. His Highness was so excited, he never saw him like that. Every weapon, every armour – first, he looked at Hua Cheng for permission and then, immersed himself in the talk with the shopkeeper.

On the other hand, Hua Cheng kept his word and despite the pup’s obvious intent to not look at the ghost king, he controlled the wrath butterfly to divert his attention. What surprised Hua Cheng, was how much interest in his eyes as the little pup watched the various demons entering the shop. One moment he would play with the butterfly, the next one his gaze would be clued to the strange-looking beings. Normally, children couldn’t take their hideous looks, but this one did not care.

When they finally exited the shop, Hua Cheng’s one hand holding the child and the other box with a newly bought weapon, he asked Xie Lian:

“Gege, have the little prince met a ghost before?” Hua Cheng felt it was not enough and quickly added, “Before coming to the Ghost City, I mean”

“I think so. Two or three” Xie Lian answered absent-mindedly, his thoughts revolving around the many things he saw in the shop. If he had money, he would buy the whole shop and just come for the things whenever a want arose.

“Then, was he ever scared of them?” Maybe the little one threw tantrums in the past, but now, after seeing them again, regarded it as a normal thing.

“No, I don’t think so. He hates insects and people taller than me, but he never seemed to be afraid of ghosts” At the mention of ‘people higher than Xie Lian’, Hua Cheng turned his attention to the pup laying in his arms. He quickly got rid of the pessimistic thoughts, focusing on the matter at hand.

“Your Highness, do you think the little prince might be a beta?” Hua Cheng heard that beta pups were curious about the world around them, more than the other two sub-genders. They also preferred to play alone, which was hard to recognise in this case – could playing with a butterfly, controlled by a ghost, be regarded as playing alone?

“Oh. I… Well…” Xie Lian was taken from one sea of thoughts into another, the topic surprising him and confusing him at the same time, “It’s… Hard to determine, I think. Shui is… he isn’t afraid of alphas, but at the same time loves my nest so much. This could be just a pup’s behaviour, with no second gender influence”

“Yhm” Hua Cheng nodded and ended the topic. The only one who could tell him more would be Fei, but if she didn’t know, then he won’t force it. Whatever the child will become, Hua Cheng had enough money to immediately rearrange the rooms that will be assigned to him in the future.

The next stop appeared to be a common shop, one of the many in the Ghost City. On a closer inspection, Xie Lian found that this one offered exotic commodities from all corners of the Mortal Realm. Ingredients, plants, materials, tableware, there were too many things.

Although the visit in this one was shorter, it proved to be as successful as the previous one – Xie Lian came out with a little plant to take care of, one that required a lot of care and time, but rewarded the owner with one of the most beautiful looks when it bloomed.

The god has not noticed how the ghost king has tricked him into buying things for himself by taking him to his favourite places and trying to make his presence seem invisible. This succeeded with one omega, occupied by new things and knowing that no danger can reach him there. The situation turned on the other side when they entered the cafe.

A spacious place, hidden from the outside by coloured windows and a brown, light door. Little, round tables, soft chairs, places resembling a nest in the corners. All of the seats were occupied by omegas or betas, not even one alpha in sight. That’s why the arrival of Hua Cheng, an alpha and a powerful, well-known one was badly received there.

All the eyes turned to him. Most of the omegas were covered in their seats, two of them rose from their places and disappeared into a room next door. Betas looked at him, but, at the same time, avoided his gaze. A minority of them, the ones who were either foolish or brave, showed their displeasure clearly on their faces.

Xie Lian caught Hua Cheng’s sleeve. The people didn’t feel dangerous, more like, protective of their space, and even those feelings weren’t directed at him. Yet, he found his instincts to flare up, for a cause unknown.

“My Lord. Welcome. Please, come after me” One of the employees appeared at the door, through which the omegas escaped earlier. Hua Cheng went forward without saying a word and so did Xie Lian.

“We kept the room reserved, just as my Lord ordered. All fabrics inside have been washed and aired with the artificial wind. The toys are already inside, the menu is on the table. If my Lord or your companion have any questions, I will be outside” The waiter, a beta Xie Lian noticed, kept a neutral face, voice devoid of any emotion. Although his words could be taken as an attempt to get on Hua Cheng’s good side, all of those factors made it seem like a learned-by-heart, repeated time after time sentence.

On the second floor, where they came, was only one door. Opened by the waiter, Xie Lian saw a room in a pastel yellow, with a small table in one of the corners, just next to the window. Not far was an exit to a terrace, but what caught his attention were the toy box under one of the walls and a carpet next to it – a perfect place for children to play. The other one was a nest, similar to the ones he have seen downstairs. What was strange was that, in Xie Lian’s opinion, it was much bigger than them.

The waiter invented him inside and Xie Lian saw that Hua Cheng has already entered, while he was staying at the threshold, taking everything in. The door behind him closed and he was left in this strange space.

“This place is very popular among omegas in the Ghost Realm. Those, who have a troubled past, have fund haven here. Even some heavenly officials are hiding here from the alpha gods. Those who only visit this place, appreciate the lack of alphas” Hua Cheng said and Xie Lian couldn’t help, but add that they appreciated the lack of alphas, as one has just now stepped foot in their sacred space.

Hua Cheng laughed and responded with a gentle smile, as he was putting Shui on the light red carpet. According to him, alphas were rare here, but not unseen – if they wanted to spend time with their omegas here, they had to book a room. And if Hua Cheng had to do that, why not take the best one for his dianxia?

“So, should we order something?” Xie Lian asked, not able to describe his feelings. This place looked nice, its goal was good and everything was made for omegas’ needs and preferences. Maybe that was the reason why he felt so out of place. Even in the royal palace, Xie Lian always rejected his gender’s instincts, preferring to be seen as a human, no matter his sub-gender. Then, later in life, he didn’t have such a luxury to ask for omega things, being happy as long as the days were not too rainy or a good soul gave him a coin.

The hard floors, cold walls, and nothing more than thin robes, that’s what Xie Lian was used to. He was afraid if he touched the soft fabrics of the artificial nest, he would stain them with his presence. It made him ponder why he didn’t react like that towards his own nest in the Paradise Manor – if he saw it now, when the excitement of finding what was lost faded, would he be also so afraid of touching it?

“If gege is hungry. If not, maybe gege would like to sleep a bit? I will take care of the little prince” Hua Cheng came nearer and, as though he knew the answer, lead Xie Lian towards the warm-looking bundle of blankets and pillows. It looked nice. Very nice. Very soft. He, he wanted to try it. But, things like those were not meant for him.

“I…I’m not sure” Xie Lian said and his voice quivered, showing the internal turmoil he was going through. They stopped before the nest and Hua Cheng’s hands took Xie Lian’s, covering them with a pleasant warmth. Next, one of them travelled up, towards the crown prince’s arm and settled them. Xie Lian stole a glance at Hua Cheng’s eyes to see them slightly closed and looking away. His presence was calming down the omega’s nerves while giving him space to discover the new place at his own pace.

The omega turned his eyes to the nest, the pastel colours calling to him and the bundle having a few pillows laying in the wrong position. One should be on the other side, the other slightly tilted. He kneeled before the nest, his hands hovering above the fabrics, not touching them yet. Hua Cheng went with him, his touch remaining on his back. When Xie Lian turned, the ghost king was observing the child that was currently more interested in the box than the toys inside. A feeling of shame appeared in Xie Lian’s heart, what kind of life has he given his son, for the poor pup to be amazed by a simple box? He quickly suppressed it, not wanting to spoil this moment of peace he got just seconds ago.

“Why do you call Shui little prince?” Xie Lian asked in the end, deciding that a conversation with the ghost king will be able o turn his thoughts in another direction.

“Should I not call him like that?” Hua Cheng asked and his eyes turned to the omega. There was no disdain, neither was there hope. If he had any expectations of what he wanted Xie Lian to say, the ghost king covered it skilfully. It also made the crown prince unsure of his next words.

“With what we know, you are most likely Shui’s father” Xie Lian’s cheeks started to burn and he got embarrassed with both the topic and his body betraying him, “It’s strange for you to call your son this way”

“Is he not a little prince? He has dianxia’s surname” Xie Lian was not sure if he correctly assumed things. Was Hua Cheng asking him of changing his son’s surname? Was it disgust at an omega naming the child by himself or some deeper alpha instinct?

“Hua Cheng may name him however he likes” He answered slowly, every word heavy in his mouth. He very much liked the sound of ‘Xie Shui’. He spends some time choosing the name for his pup, having an idea for both a girl and a son. Although it was slightly hard to admit, he liked the way his surname was with his pup’s name too.

“It’s not about what I want, it’s about what gege wants” Hua Cheng responded. Seeing how much Xie Lian was hesitating with his next words, he asked, “Does gege wants to change the little prince’s surname?”

“No…” The god responded quietly and the vulnerable look in his eyes melted the ghost king’s heart. He should make it clear right now before his beloved will start to have his theories.

“Then, he will keep it. Also, I will keep calling him the little prince” Hua Cheng gave Xie Lian a reassuring look and took a stray strand of hair to play with it.

“Why?” That was the only thing Xie Lian managed to say.

“Dianxia, you have taken care of the little prince for the past year. I may be his father and alpha, but this doesn’t give me any claim over him. Without your permission, I will not call him by his name or as a son – because right now, he is my prince’s child. I will not take him from you, ever. And I will not force you to change his surname”

The last time he heard words similar to those, was centuries ago. Their context, the person who said them, his position, everything differed. Back then, he didn’t want to enter any kind of relationship, because he didn’t see a place for it in his life, but his parents did not understand. Thinking he was just scared of alphas, after hearing many stories and rumours, they tried to reassure him that he was a crown prince, an heir. No matter if he married an omega or an alpha, he would have a higher status than them and they could do nothing to him or any of his children.

Now, when he was at his lowest, just a beggar with a child born out of wedlock, an alpha much more powerful than him, treated him as an equal. In a world where omegas lost the freedom they possessed in the times Xianle existed, there was a man that didn’t care about the newly created order and gave up his rights. And if he lied… Xie Lian didn’t think it was possible. There was nothing to gain from him – the child could be taken from his arms and he could be thrown into the streets and no one would bat an eye.

“Dianxia, maybe you should get some sleep?” Hua Cheng proposed lightly, noticing how much Xie Lian's scent shifted. It was hard to say what emotions and feelings were causing this, but it hurt the ghost king to see them fighting just next to a soft nest, in the safest place for an omega imaginable. Just one scream from his beloved and the whole building would gather here. He was not sure if they would dare to fight him, but he was certain they would not ignore it either.

Well, looking closer, this place was created sometime after the most famous hunts for fallen omega and beta heavenly officials began. It is still an issue in the heavens, but not as much as it was back then. It could be even named a fashion, back then, to catch the ones who no longer had their spiritual powers, but were powerful enough to get a status of a god.

Through a word of a mouth, many lesser deities and ghosts found their way here and got protection from the gods. Though, this place has a mystery too – its owner. Neither Hua Cheng, Yin Yu, nor anyone in the Ghost City knows who decided to find this place. The ghost king, suspicious of this place, tried once to get the information from the manager, going as far as threatening him, but nothing came out. As years went by, this cafe got a lot of money to take care of its residents' needs and despite heavy scrutinising, nothing bad came out during the investigations.

As such, Hua Cheng did not fear for any danger to come, when he saw Xie Lian checking the fabrics, changing the pillows' positions, and taking the blanket he found the most alluring. Then, the omega looked at him once more. The ghost king gave him another smile, cursing his inability to produce scent outside of some rare situations. How would it feel for dianxia to relax in his arms, search for his scent glans to be closer to his scent, insisting on leaving Hua Cheng’s traces on his clothes?

Being a ghost had its price and this was one of them. He will never be able to know how it feels, for your significant other to love your scent and search for it. Instead, he must watch how the omega unsurely rearranges the nest and makes sure that every move is allowed.

Hua Cheng got nearer and took the blanket Xie Lian chose as his favourite, bundled him in it like a newborn wrapped in clothes, and laid him on the already remade side of the nest. The other one was still left untouched, but Hua Cheng worried that with this tempo, his beloved will not get to sleep until noon.

Xie Lian blinked a few times and soon, each of them started to take more of his energy, his eyelids getting heavier. His mind calmed down and the thoughts stopped flowing in, making a comfortable silence prevail. With his last lucid blinks, he saw Hua Cheng going to Shui and taking from the box a wooden toy, getting attention from the pup that was already searching for a way to find its way to the terrace. Xie Lian hoped Hua Cheng will stop their pup from doing it. He was still too small. And unpredictable.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian snuggled into the fabrics, his face hiding in the space with no scent – absolutely none on the materials, nothing coming from the alpha next to him, his pup’s one too weak to be felt, apart from rare occasions. The Ghost City’s stench did not come inside – for that, Xie Lian couldn’t think of any explanation, but did he feel a need for it? Not really.

Then he heard his pup’s giggling and a smile also graced his lips. It was a beautiful sound. He didn’t hear it often. That’s what woke him up – it was so unusual that he craved to see his pup’s smiling face and remember this moment, not forget it in sleepy dizziness.

Yet, what he saw, he did not expect. His pup sat with his back to him, his little legs before him, still giggling. In front of him, Hua Cheng held a wooden toy in his hand, pretending to attack the pup with it, each time creating a beautiful sound from the baby. His face, gentleness and fondness, the one eye focused on the child. His lips curved in a genuine smile.

He wanted to stand and join this picture, be a part of this domestic family moment. Forget that he is a fallen god, that there is a ghost king and a child that knew only misery throughout his whole life. But he was so cosy in here. It was warm. It was soft. It was safe. His heartbeat, lazy, took its time.

“Gege?” Hua Cheng looked at Xie Lian and saw his eyes are open, and his lips are slightly curved. He was surprised. He heard the omega cafe is the best place for traumatised people, but he didn’t expect it would work on dianxia. He was not a human, neither was he a ghost, not even a minor deity, for whom this place was dedicated. Maybe they should think about opening up to a new group of clients. He already knows a god that may benefit from coming to this place. And he did not mean dianxia.

“Hm?” His mouth felt too heavy to say anything coherent. Even if he wanted, it would require him to become more conscious of his surroundings. To leave his little world, his mind going beyond the walls of this room. No. No need to.

“Is there anything you want?” The ghost king asked and Xie Lian gave another hum, it's meaning unknown. So, the ghost king put the toy back into the box, the little one gazing at it, as though his eyes turned into stars. In the playroom Hua Cheng ordered to be created, there are tens of similar toys, even bigger construction for when Shui will get bigger. A shame the pup still had no occasion to try it.

The pup in question turned his head and seeing his omega father’s open eyes, his smile grew wider and his little limbs started to wiggle, slowly, but consequently, getting on all four and crawling to his mama.

Hua Cheng couldn’t help, but be a bit mischievous – he blocked the way of the child and took him in his arms. Shui’s pout was more similar to a hamster than a child and a laugh escaped the ghost king’s mouth. Shui appeared to be even more insulted by this and tried to struggle out of Hua Cheng’s hold. To not drop the pup, he quickly approached the nest and put the child next to his father.

Then, he also joined the nest. With his body, he covered the second part of the little nest, the fabrics only peeking behind the two adults and a child. One of the ghost king’s hands travelled to embrace Xie Lian, the second steadied the pup. The little one squealed happily and his little hands quickly found their way to Xie Lian's robes, rearranging them to his liking.

The god’s eyes took a fond note of his pup’s action, his palm laying on the little one’s head and allowing for his scent to permit the air. He knew that it did nothing for either of the other two, but it was his instinct – to let them know he is okay, that he feels happy and that nothing has to change.

It went on for some time like that – Hua Cheng’s touches were delicate and proper, his neck and lower parts not experiencing even one of the unwanted attentions. His pup played with the clothes – after he deemed that his mama looks presentable, he turned to Hua Cheng.

The god thought that Shui’s next goal will be the nest, but he didn’t seem interested in it. Instead, he again gazed at the toy box. After a moment of thought, he left the nest and crawled to it. It was quite a big box and the pup knew that many mysteries waited to be uncovered in it – or, in this case, many toys.

The shifting and sudden weight shift managed to wake up Xie Lian from his dizzy state, his eyes following the pup, making sure nothing happens to his little one. Was that how other royal omegas live? Staying in their nests and caring for anything, if their position is secured?

“Your Highness, it’s Shui’s feeding time. Dianxia should also eat something” Hua Cheng said and Xie Lian, with a lot of reluctance, left the warm bundle. He loves big nests that are built of fabrics alone, but maybe he should request a bed and try to create one by covering the walls like other omegas did. He didn’t have to make it a permanent one, but… He had to admit, it didn’t feel bad.

“Do they have food for children here? Not ghost children?” Xie Lian asked, not sure of what to expect from a place in the ghost realm. Everything he said to this moment proved that even if the ghosts tried to the resemblance of their life to humans, their needs changed too drastically to just copy it.

“Of course, dianxia. The variety isn’t too vast, I’m afraid, but I’m there is something that Shui will like” Hua Cheng responded, leading Xie Lian to the table, allowing the pup to discover the toys on his own this time.

Xie Lian didn’t have much knowledge about children’s food and together with Hua Cheng, they chose what they thought might be good for the little one. Then, they ordered some dishes for themselves, despite the god’s insistence that he is not hungry. The ghost king of course knew that it wasn’t that the god was not hungry, he just didn’t want to waste his money. But his books were filled with expenses on things so weird, probably not even the corrupt heavenly officials would understand some of them. After all, why would he buy food for an enormous sea creature, when he didn’t possess any sea creature?

The food arrived soon after, delivered by a female beta. She didn’t speak to them, only stole a glance at Xie Lian and the pup and quickly left the room. The crown prince was puzzled. Even though they were in the Ghost City, everyone here treated Hua Cheng as though he was an unwanted visitor here. Were they just distrustful towards him, because he is an alpha, or was there another reason for the hostility?

When Xie Lian thought about the strange behaviour of the employees, Hua Cheng took Shui on his lap and started feeding him the soup they have chosen for the child. Even though there were no little fishes or flowers in it, the pup have eaten it nonetheless. He rarely makes a fuss over food, more often liking to play with it before eating it. Xie Lian too didn’t have any problems with finishing his plates, the cook was a decent one.

“Are there other places we will visit?” Xie Lian asked, not sure how to ask the question without seeming ungrateful. But the ghost king spends so much money on him, too much in his opinion. After all, nothing has changed regarding his position – he was a scrap-collecting god and a beggar, the amount Hua Cheng spends today would be enough for him to live for a few decades.

“Yhm, there are a few places work to see. Though, not as much as in other cities, I’m afraid,” The ghost king answered. The crown prince had a strange proposition that the ghost king was ashamed of how small this place was. He could almost see the plans forming in Hua Cheng’s mind of how to expand the city and the number of businesses.

“Also, there are many things to buy for Your Highness and the little prince” Hua Cheng added as Shui began staring at another dish, unfortunately, not meant for children and Hua Cheng had to delicately turn his attention to another one.

“Ah, it’s too kind. What could we possibly miss? We have a roof in case rain happens, we have a bed and food. You even indulged my pup in having toys” Xie Lian said and Hua Cheng’s hand halted, as it was delivering food to Shui’s mouth. The little one waited with his mouth open and when he saw that it didn’t move, he caught it with his tiny palm and tried to force it to go on.

But Hua Cheng couldn’t help, but be hurt. He said that he doesn’t plan to force a claim on Xie Lian or his pup, but he didn’t mean that he will just abandon the two of them or pretend they don’t exist. The only thing that changed was his primary goal – in the beginning, he just wanted Xie Lian to live as luxuriously and freely as he desired. Now, it expanded to the little pup in his lap. Even if their relationship will never be as it was in the past, he will not refuse anything the two of them would crave.

“The first thing that comes to my mind is the world. The other ones are thousands of believers and a festival to your name” Hua Cheng said and finally indulged the impatient pup with another spoon of the soup, “But, all of it can be arranged. Just, I must ask Your Highness for a bit of patience”

“I have a lot of time, Hua Cheng. Though, I don’t see a use for those things” Xie Lian answered and he realised, the topic made uncomfortable in many, different ways. What Hua Cheng talked about, was what his past self desired, “I will be satisfied if my son gets to grow up without starving and receiving lessons from a decent teacher”

Hua Cheng’s smile turned gentle, like a parent’s smile to a naive child. Not starving? Receiving decent education? This is not even the bare minimum the ghost king has set for the child, there are so much more things that should be done. In the beginning, he thought of employing a caretaker, but His Highness seems very fond of caring for the pup himself, so he stopped the search for a good one. It didn’t stop him though from finding a skilled chef, who can do miracles with food for Shui’s entertainment. A whole playground is being done in the garden for the little one. It’s still too soon to search for a teacher, as they don’t know the pup’s interests, though he already knows what subjects are an absolute must for a child at this age.

“Let’s just go around, maybe something will catch Your Highness’ eye,” Hua Cheng said in the end, keeping the thoughts to himself and patting the child on the head. In his opinion, the little one ate too little for his age, but he didn’t force him, just as he didn’t force the god. As long as both of them ate, he wasn’t planning on noting how the quantity is not near the average.

Xie Lian was quite sure it won’t happen, additionally – he couldn’t make Hua Cheng carry any more of his things, especially with a pup in his arms. Little Shui looked rather peaceful in the ghost king’s arms, unaware of the conversations around him.

“Would you allow me to carry Shui this time?” Xie Lian asked and the pup turned to him, hearing his name. It would be good if he was able to say it too. Hua Cheng delicately transferred the pup, as though the little one was as fragile as a porcelain bowl. Honestly speaking, the ghost king never cared about things made from that material – a new one was like it was free for him, why should he?

“Mama?” Shui looked at his mom with his big eyes, waiting for an answer, even though the question was not asked. He didn’t have a preference for whose arms were the best, but neither did he see a reason why he should be changed. Well, maybe beside a new set of clothes to chew on.

His little pup fit perfectly in his arms, tiny fists finding their place on his clothes immediately after Xie Lian got a proper hold of him. The god kissed the pup’s head. His little treasure.

Without a clear goal, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian talked as they roamed through the Ghost City. A few wrath butterflies kept company to the pup, while the ghost king was mostly saying tales of the buildings they passed – what kind of a ghost lived there, what shop was inside, and sometimes even stories of the crimes that took place there. Hua Cheng knew only of the major ones, Yin You would be able to say much more about them.

When they passed the Gambler’s Den, Xie Lian got a bit curious and they entered it for a moment. As all the eyes were on them, the omega felt slightly uncomfortable. It was quickly resolved with Hua Cheng’s announcement that today, no one will be able to try their luck against him and the attention died down. This place, being made in similar colours to the Paradise Manor, brought a strange feeling of peace to Xie Lian, but he brushed it off. Mostly, because it reminded him of his teacher’s unfortunate hobby.

As they had nothing to do there, they left the place. Just a few buildings later, Shui’s expression shifted. His little eyes turned determined and his gaze was locked on one, specific place. When Xie Lian looked back, he immediately recognised it. The toy shop. The one from which they bought the toy carriage, one of his favourite toys. And so far, everything he could imagine was already subjected to be the passenger – Ruoye, stones, vases, other toys, jade pendants, Fen’s tools, Hua Cheng’s clothes. Everything the child managed to get his tiny hands on, had to play its part. It started to cause headaches for Xie Lian.

“No, we can’t go there” The child had enough toys in the mansion, new ones were not needed. Additionally, it was the most expensive store with toys Xie Lian ever saw and he didn’t plan on dwindling all of the alpha’s money on such things.

“Gege, this is no problem” Hua Cheng tries to say more, but one look from the omega makes him shut his mouth.

“He already got enough and is always asking for more. He must learn some restraint” Xie Lian shows a determined expression as well, the pair of the father and son looking like a small and a big version of the same person. At the same time, Hua Cheng went over his behaviour and in the end managed to speak:

“Gege, this one didn’t practice restraint so…”

And a few minutes later, the little one won his battle, Xie Lian felt embarrassed and uneasy, while Hua Cheng tried to intimidate everyone, who looked at his beloved even for a moment.

There were a lot of toys Hua Cheng bought, but the child not having the same kind of restraint in showing his excitement as his omega father, so it was rather easy for the ghost king. But the one that Shui refused to part with was a doll in a green dress and big, blue eyes. The wood was smooth under the pup’s fingers and the material that was imitating hair was easily moulded under Shui’s touch.

At the same time, his tiny hands started to dart towards his eyes. His energy for the day was depleted with all the play and new toys and the new, strange food. Now, he wanted to sleep. He wanted his bed. And his butterfly plushie. Oh, and he wanted to hunt his butterfly plushie again. It was an easy target. He wanted it.

Xie Lian heard a sob, which in a matter of seconds turned into a cry. The god tried to calm down the child, talking to him and delicately lulling him, but it didn’t work.

“What’s the matter?” Hua Cheng asked, hovering near the two of them, but puzzled as to what he should do.

“I think Shui is tired. It’s already time for his nap” Xie Lian answered, his eyes going between the pup and the people around him. He was afraid to interrupt other ghosts and even more scared of their looks full of contempt. He was an omega, his touch should magically make the pup stop, was what some of them thought.

“Then, we should head back to the Paradise Manor” Hua Cheng said, his face twisted in apprehension – he wanted to take the wiggling pup from his beloved hands to help him, but was afraid he will not be able to keep the child in his arms. A fall, for a being so small, would so much harm, even his money would not be able to heal.

Yet, Xie Lian read it as a regret that their trip have ended, which was not without a reason, in the omega’s mind. The ghost king has reserved time for them, despite being busy, managing the Ghost City, the Gambler’s Den and probably having matters to attend to in the mortal realm too. Yet, it was being interrupted by the little child’s tiredness.

“It’s a shame it ends so quickly,” Xie Lian said and found himself a bit stunned, that he meant it. He was not mad at Shui, of course! His sweet pup needed sleep to grow up. It was just, he didn’t have so much freedom in roaming through a city unbothered for a long time.

“Your Highness, if you want to, Yin You may come for Shui and he can bring him to your friends” Hua Cheng proposed and was a bit disgusted by the idea of the two gods in his mansion spending time alone with his son, but if his beloved wanted this.

And Xie Lian gave this idea some thought. He trusted Mu Qing and Feng Xin with his pup, well, the first one at least. As for Yin Yu… the beta has brought him to the Paradise Manor but has never shown hostility towards him or his pup. He was a strange beta if he had to say, but who was he to call others strange?

“Yhm, it’s a good idea,” Xie Lian said and not long after, Yin Yu came there. The two of them have given the pup to the fallen god, the beta quite puzzled at how to handle the child. It was a bit amusing to see how he was trying to evade the tiny hands floating around.

“Bring him to the gods in the mansion, they will know what to do” Hua Cheng said and Yin Yu nodded in approval, fearing that by the time he arrives, the child will get all of his hair out. Also, Shui didn’t fail to notice a new set of clothes in his vicinity.

“I will do that” Yin Yu answered shyly and took the road straight to the mansion, watching right and left. Xie Lian thought of this as quite a strange behaviour, but decided not to mention that – everyone had their habits.

Their trip lasted until nightfall. Hua Cheng showed Xie Lian a way to a shop that covers every omega's needs – materials for the nest, soft clothes, scent patches and much more. Xie Lian decided not to buy anything, but he had to admit there were quite a few, useful things there.

Next, were some minor places. In one of them, Xie Lian even managed to convince Hua Cheng to finally buy something for himself – and to the god’s surprise, it was a set of tools. A ghost king, who can have everything done for him by the best specialists, does some of the repair works in the mansion himself – for relaxation, as he said.

The longest time, they have spent in a park, on the edge of the Ghost City. Xie Lian didn’t know such a place exists here, never heard of it. Yet, it came out as a pretty lovely space. The trees with red leaves didn’t come out as terrifying, their colour not bringing blood to his mind. No, instead, the curves of the branches, how they separated the pathways from the sky, seemed like they tried to protect the visitors from the danger of the world. Along the way stood benches and small, miniature shrines – for what god, Xie Lian couldn’t guess. But around all of them, incense burned and they even met one ghost praying before it.

And yet, even this trip had come to an end. Hua Cheng apologised for not making something more special for their first day together but promised that the next one will be much more unique. Xie Lian doubted that. No matter how many trips will happen in the future, this one will always be first – the first time Hua Cheng was with him in his nest, the first time he saw Hua Cheng play with Shui, the first time he heard that no alpha have a right to his son, if he didn’t allow it. Yes, he was sure of that. There will be no better day.

When they returned to the mansion, most of the servants already went to sleep and those that didn’t need to – were probably going to the city themselves, enjoying their free time. The two of them decided to go and visit Shui before they go to sleep – they didn’t want to take him from the place he already fell asleep in. It was time for his real sleep now. Xie Lian was curious how the two gods suffered from the little pup’s whims. He hoped that no new thing was turned into the carriage’s passenger.

They entered Mu Qing’s bedroom and the god looked at them, a scowl appearing on his face. Typical Mu Qing, Xie Lian thought.

“So you returned? What, have you decided to marry already that you come here? I’m not giving the blessing, if you want to know” Mu Qing said and Xie Lian could believe he felt a murder stare behind his back. Take Shui and get out of here quickly or Hua Cheng might be busy with something else than leading the city.

“We only want to see Shui and we will go. And no, we are not getting married” Xie Lian said and something felt amiss in the room. Like, the bed was empty, no sign of a pup there. No toys were laid on the floor. Mu Qing didn’t leave him in his room, without anyone to keep an eye on him, right?

“Shui? Why would you come for him here?” Mu Qing asked and added, “Didn’t he go with you two?”

Xie Lian’s blood started to go cold, as he heard those words, “Yin Yu was to bring him here, under your care. He was tired from going with us and we thought it would be the best if he went back to the Paradise Manor”

“Yin Yu… did not come here” Mu Qing said and the last threads of reason left Xie Lian. The bad feeling only got stronger. There was no pup and Mu Qing didn’t see him. He didn’t joke either, not with that confused and worried expression on his face. It didn’t get better as they later heard that Yin Yu did not come back after being called by Hua Cheng.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian fiddled with his fingers, his thoughts occupied with the night that was coming. He have left Shui under Mu Qing and Yin Yu’s care, the two men were surprised and taken aback, but they couldn’t help when Xie Lian asked them. Especially as he used being tired as an excuse and a want for a night of peaceful sleep as his puppy eyes.

At the same time, Hua Cheng pretended to be out for the night for business. He went to the mortal realm only to fool everyone, who was in the mansion. A blush came to Xie Lian’s cheeks when a realisation came to his mind. They behaved like young lovers, meeting behind their parents' backs and diverting attention from the indecent thing they planned to do. Well, they did plan some indecent activities. The nest was ready – it was lower than what the omega preferred, but it added width for all that they might want to do.

And then, he heard the delicate ‘click’ coming from the other side of the room, a swish of air as the door was opened. And quickly closed. Another ‘click’ and the two of them were sure that no one will interrupt their night together.

“Your Highness” Hua Cheng said in a low voice, those two words coated in the desire and want that built during the days and couldn’t find its outlet. So, it kept accumulating, the little fantasies in the alpha’s head – all of them locked in a sack that could no longer hold its weight and a tear appeared on it. But opening it and moving them somewhere else was not an option as the alpha would be overcome with a sudden, instinctual need, which no one would be able to stop.

So the sack remained, in the middle of his heart and mind, like a treasure on a pedestal, with light showing only it. And every time the tear got bigger, his dreams and fantasies were more and more vivid, Xie Lian’s expression of pure pleasure could only rival the real thing that was manipulated by his hands now.

The body entangled in sheets, the head laid on pillows, his hands gripping whatever fabric was in its vicinity – a sight so improper. Ah, how much Hua Cheng wanted to make it seem lusty and dirty, for his crown prince to show this part of himself he never allowed to. To wiggle in the sheets, begging for more pleasure that was unobtainable, to demand and scream.

He was not sure if he would be able to take it – all that it took for the ghost king to be on the edge was his beloved legs taking hips as hostages and his glassy eyes asking for more. Xie Lian cupped his alpha’s face in his hands, brought it closer to his lips and in between a dirty, aggressive kiss whispered:

“More”

And more did he get. It wasn’t the gentle wedding night both of the dreamed of. It was a fight. For the highest pleasure, for the instincts attention, a fight of two starved bodies that got to know all of the secrets of intimacy and got stripped from it. They waited. They waited so long that even another second was unbearable. They demanded, they demanded to get what they couldn’t, even if at the cost of their owner’s sanity.

The pheromones were thick in the air, a sweet scent of the omega countering the masculine alpha smell with all the aggressiveness, desire, anger and pleasure that were being held inside their naked bodies. And the moment those two beings finally joined as one, the scream on one side, the moans on the other, there was not a single sense that was not overloaded, each of them felt so much that everything was numbed. Everything was numb, but everything felt so much. The touch of a sheet became a torture sent by this mocking alpha, every moan was an insufferable demand sent by the disobedient omega.

“Your Highness, if you want more, you better start to behave” The alpha whispered to the omega’s ear, his eyes clouded long ago, seeing nothing more, but the pale body of a god on the sheets. His hips were marked with Hua Cheng’s fingers, his neck disarray of red points, and his lower body stretched around the alpha’s parts.

Xie Lian giggled and touched the eyepatch that was having a hard time remaining in its place. So the god made it a favour and pulled it by the string, allowing it to fall into the nest. Then, Xie Lian raised his body to come near his ear, looking straight into the blackness that was revealed before him.

“This alpha better start trying” The mocking smile, the eyes fixed on the alpha’s face, the fingers wandering on Hua Cheng’s back. Everything was chaos, everything was wild and driven by the lowest instincts.

Chapter Text

Hello, I would like to announce that a first chapter of second part of White Robes came out!
It's title is "Black robes and golden thread"
https://archiveofourown.info/works/50476012/chapters/127527301

Thanks for your attention and I wish you a good day!