Pairing: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian, Mu Qing/Feng Xin, Jun Wu/Mei Nianqing
Tags: Wu Ming/Xie Lian, Book4!Xie Lian/Hua Cheng, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, Major Book 4 Spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Bodyswap, Time Travel, Angst with a Happy Ending, Trauma Reveal, Mental Health Issues
Word Count: 67.4k, complete
Summary: When Book4!Xie Lian and his post-canon counterpart mysteriously swap bodies, the two of them must figure out a way to switch back while dealing with the shock of their sudden displacement. With the help of their respective versions of Hua Cheng, and a couple of unlikely allies, will they manage to get home safely? Or will their past be a detriment to their future?
Featuring such hits as: Book 4!Xie Lian falling in love with his future husband, Wu Ming love hours, and Jun Wu third wheeling! Also pain. This one hurts, folks.
Written for the @mxtxbb and featuring 18 wonderful pieces of art by dumbkatsu!!
“Where would you like to go, Your Highness?”
“The Palace of Yong’an,” Xie Lian stated with fierce destructive purpose.
Xie Lian came to with a gasp, eyes flying open to the view of an unfamiliar ceiling. There was a pressure building within his skull, clouding his mind and making it difficult to grasp any singular thought long enough to pull it from the thick fog.
The default state of Xie Lian’s mind had been murky at best since his banishment and it had only gotten worse – now mired in constant pain and held hostage by grief – so amidst that, the new surroundings were the most apparent oddity.
Along with the fact that his lower back ached peculiarly, as if he’d recently spent an extended period of time practicing intense sword forms. It wasn’t a bad feeling but he had no memory of doing anything to cause such soreness. His vision swam as he attempted to process what exactly was going on.
All Xie Lian could recall was…
A broken down temple. A persistent ghost. A rage too potent to dare describe.
But that was normal. It was fine. He had dealt with worse.
Xie Lian sucked in a shallow breath through his teeth as he sat up, pressing a shaky hand to his forehead. It was only after an uneasy moment that he realized what was amiss. No mask covered his face.
Who the hell dared to take his–
“Oh, so this is our fault?! Bullshit!”
Xie Lian’s blood ran cold. That aggressive tone was unmistakable. Why was Feng Xin back? He had left days ago. Xie Lian would know… he’d been the one to drive him away.
Feng Xin’s voice was hardly muffled by the walls. He was close, just outside.
Ah, fuck. Xie Lian couldn’t stand the idea of his friend – no, of his old bodyguard seeing him in such a pathetic state.
He wanted to scream but his throat was doing that stupid thing where it didn’t work right, a gift that carried over from that harrowing night in the temple.
He could hear footsteps getting louder and he did the only thing he could think of – lie back down and pretend to sleep. His breathing seemed too loud and too fast but it took every ounce of self control he had to simply lie still, let alone to try and slow his rapid air intake.
The door slid open. Xie Lian could hear multiple sets of footsteps. It wasn’t only Feng Xin.
“We didn’t do shit,” Feng Xin exclaimed. The mere sound of his voice made Xie Lian’s throat feel thick. “Would we have fucking contacted you if we’d done something to him?”
Xie Lian peeked one eye open and saw Feng Xin standing nearby with two men. He looked… different. Beside him was an unknown man draped in bright crimson and another person who Xie Lian would know anywhere.
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