Mu Qing always liked singing, and he used to hum while he cleaned Xie Lian's room and brushed the floors. Xie Lian sometimes caught him singing and made sure to praise his voice. Mu Qing always thought Xie Lian was just being nice and secretly laughing behind his back. When he ascends and becomes a Heavenly Official, he doesn’t realize that his humming/singing is sometimes heard throughout his palace and that it becomes a rumor that Mu Qing is secretly a siren because of how beautiful his singing sounds. (It is also said that if a person is an expert at either arts, calligraphy, or music, they have Xianle origins).
Mu Qing does not know that everyone thinks he's an amazing singer until he overhears Xie Lian telling Feng Xin what an amazing voice Mu Qing has and Feng Xin reluctantly admitting that he sometimes strolls by Mu Qing's residence only to check if Mu Qing was singing again.
Mu Qing starts humming on purpose in front of Feng Xin, and to his surprise, when he turns around, he sees Feng Xin forget whatever he's supposed to be doing to just stare at Mu Qing in absolute awe
Can you do more angst scenarios where male reader feels like they’re a third wheel and left out? I’m a sucker for angst despite how much it hurts 😭😭
Don't Leave
Hua Cheng x M!reader x Xie Lian
Sorry it took so long, forgive me 🧍
Will make more sense if you've read the book.
Hope you likeee
Ignore grammar mistakes
"Xie Lian, do you like San Lang?"
You had asked out of nowhere. Xie Lian glances at you for a moment and smiles. "I do"
"Very Much?" You press.
"I suppose" He smiles nervously
It was a random question. You and Xie Lian were in Puqi shrine, the morning after San Lang had left. After San Lang left Xie Lian a ring.
It made you feel strange. You love Xie Lian very much and you like San Lang too. However the ring suddenly made you feel lesser.
Recently you guys have had a third helper and San Lang has kind of taken your job. He protected both of you and was very helpful. Yet, you feel a certain itch because of it.
Because Xie Lian likes San Lang.
You feel selfish. You wouldn't have minded so much if Xie Lian had shown interest in both of you but he seems very caught up in San Lang right now. It feels like San Lang is threatening your spot.
It's always been your job to be by Xie Lian's side. You always have been. Always. You grew up together, you stayed with him after the fall of Xian Le, even afterwards when Xie Lian had done morally wrong things you stayed, even when he wanted you to leave with Feng Xin you stayed.
Xie Lian has always been your person. You've always been his person. Lately you've just been feeling left out. San Lang and Xie Lian had been perfectly fine at Banyue Pass by themselves. You had ignored your feelings of jealousy during that time, but after seeing the ring you can't help but feel it ten times worse.
You chalk it up as overthinking and shove the feelings of jealousy down your throat. You have no right to feel these things. Xie Lian shouldn't have to deal with them either. What right do you have to cling on him when he isn't yours? You guys aren't dating and Xie Lian has never expressed love for you.
You ignore it
♡
The feeling you hate so much comes back again. Xie Lian, you, the wind master, and Lan Qinqao all went to ghost city. There was supposed to be a purpose but you never cared. You only went because Xie Lian went. Obviously he would've been fine because guess who's been watching the whole time?
San Lang
San Lang has been here the whole time, he always is it seems. You had to stand there while San Lang and Xie Lian held hands and played dice. You watched as they smiled at each other and touched hands.
It shouldn't idk you so much but it does. The feeling crawls out of your stomach and claws at your throat until you feel yourself physically choking it down. You're being over dramatic. It's just a dice game.
You ignore the glances they send to each other. You don't see the glances they send to you.
♡
The feeling burns on your tongue and churns in your gut when the strange Waning Moon officer -whatever the hell he is- tells Xie Lian that he's invited to Paradise Manor.
Actually you hadn't minded it all. You had walked side by side with Xie Lian ready to see San Lang. You haven't got the chance to talk to him. You were excited, even.
Until the strange officer makes it clear only Xie Lian can come.
So you were just supposed to stay behind? Stand to the side? It upsets you more when Xie Lian only apologizes and says he'll be back to find you. He left you standing there.
You thought you and San Lang were on good terms so why would he not invite you as well?
You chalk it up as a misunderstanding and roam around ghost city. The wind master eventually finds you and the two of you sneak into Paradise Manor dressed as dancers.
Seeing San Lang and Xie Lian on the bed/ couch together helped nothing. It makes you feel worse. They left you out for what? To spend time alone? Being in Paradise Manor felt like hanging around in a place you obviously didn't belong in.
It's a misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding.
You repeat it in your head like a mantra.
♡
Once the incident at Paradise Manor is over you and Xie Lian are finally side by side again. You and San Lang still haven't had the chance to talk. You're hurting but you're positive that you're overreacting. Honestly Xie Lian would never do that to you. You were going to talk about it with him but he was dragged away into court.
Then Xie Lian, basically gets out under house arrest into the Xian Le palace Jun Wu had made him. When you get there Mu Qing and Feng Xin are already there. If you close your eyes you could imagine it being like old times where all four of you are back at the palace running around.
It doesn't last long. A big group of butterflies fly at you all. They don't dare touch Xie Lian. Mu Qing doesn't give you the chance to find out how the butterflies would react to you because he pulls you behind his make shift shield. It seems they doubt your relationship with San Lang too.
When you see San Lang come out of the black pit behind the doors to grab Xie Lian you take your chance though. You aren't just going to stand there. You leave Mu Qing's side and run towards Xie Lian but the doors close on you. The doors close on you. San Lang and Xie Lian left you? Not possible.
You're standing there staring at the doors. You just couldn't believe that they left you to stand there like a fool. It doesn't feel like a misunderstanding, it doesn't feel like overreacting.
Even Mu Qing, who is usually snarky ass, feels bad. He grabs your shoulder gently trying to break you out of your stupor.
"Y/n you should sit this one out. Me and Feng Xin will find them"
"No I-" you blink up at him, lost. "I have to go find A-Lian. He was taken. . ." You point at the door.
Mu Qing's face scrunches. "Xie Lian wasn't taken, he ran off. It was his choice. It was also his choice to leave you y/n. Just let us deal with it."
Mu Qing's words cause him and Feng Xin to bicker but he isn't really lying.
"That isn't what happened, say it as it is! He was obviously taken. Right y/n?" Feng Xin looks at you for support but you can only stare at him like a fish out of water.
"He. . . Ran off"
While you're focused on the door you fail to remember the butterflies hadn't touched you. You fail to notice the die in your robe.
♡
You took Mu Qing's advice and decided to sit this one out. You had never actually been separated by Xie Lian's side before so you don't exactly know what to do while he's running around with San Lang.
You go back inside of XianLe palace and sit where Xie Lian had been sitting before. You have nothing to do besides stare at the table. When you move to sit down something falls out of your pocket though. The closer you look you see it's a die.
Huh, you hadn't noticed that in your robes before. Lucky you it landed on a six. You wish you had that much luck with Xie Lian and San Lang. You pick up the die and hold it in your hands. Your plan was to just play around with it some more but you're suddenly pulled back into a pit of darkness and someone is holding you.
When you look back at your attacker, you see the familiar face of San Lang- well Hua Cheng but he's always been San Lang to you and Xie Lian. "S-san Lang?!"
Your surroundings get clearer and you see Xie Lian too. Honestly you're so happy you could cry, but you don't. You don't know what to say at all because you don't know what's going on. You just allow yourself to be pulled along by San Lang.
Xie Lian and San Lang take a moment to explain what's going on. To explain everything actually. For a minute San Lang looks like he's going to break down and e-ming is making sad squealing sounds.
Turns out everything was a big misunderstanding. San Lang and Xie Lian hadn't meant to leave you out of anything. San Lang had just wanted to do everything for the two of you, he wasn't thinking that his actions seemed like he was taking your job. He had most definitely invited the both of you, and he was very irritated with his officer. San Lang hadn't meant to leave you when he took Xie Lian. That's why he gave you the die. Since Xie Lian rolled the die he was able to get him. He could only come back to grab you once you rolled the day.
It was just a lot of miscommunication, really. You don't realize your crying until Xie Lian is wiping your eyes with his sleeves. You were crying out of relief. You had genuinely thought Xie Lian and San Lang were leaving you out but they were never doing such a thing.
San Lang and Xie Lian are very close to you after that and apprehensive to leave your side at all.
Posting this here instead of my main blog because it's essentially a whole lot of headcanons. More posts will be made like this soon with non-canon ships of other fandoms, just a fair warning. I want to try to make most of my head canon posts as safe as possible for non-shippers because I understand the discomfort in it. I'll tag my ship posts to help distinct anything. <3
Have you ever heard of Xianle? The grandest kingdom to have ever graced the Central Plains? Home of the Scrap Immortal Xie Lian?
Yes? Good. Good.
Now, have you ever heard of its Wei Clan? No? Well, perhaps not. Not many remember the commoner clans of fallen kingdoms, not even those as strange as Xianle's Wei.
Why are they considered strange, you may ask? Hmm, perhaps if you have time to spare, I may be able to divulge some knowledge lost to time long ago.
You do? Alright, here's what I know.
Xianle's Wei were Western Xianle but they were neither royal nor noble. They say the commoner clan lived in an isolated patch of land near one of the many lakes of Western Xianle. They also said the family cared for a grove of willows and cypresses and pines with magical properties, but no one can really attest to the truth of that now, can they?
Like all Xianle people, the Weis loved music and and beauties and art. Gold and precious jewels? Not so much. They would like to have them because they make life easier but they as a clan are pretty content where they were.
That was the impression they gave anyway as a clan that lives sequestered away behind their groves.
Hm? What did they look like? Why, like your everyday Xianle natives of course!
No, no, not like Taizi Dianxia Xie Lian. Dianxia is an outlier and we can't even dream of getting anywhere near his level.
Ah? You don't know how everyday Xianle natives look? Hm...
The people often say that Xianle natives are best identified through their eyes. The Wei clan were no different.
They say that Xianle natives have eyes best described as 如黑曜石般, like obsidian. Obsidian-dark of the starry skies. Deep, intense, captivating. If one looked into the eyes of a Xianle native, they would see the starry skies reflected back. Truly a beautiful manifestation of their natural brilliance as a people.
Xianle is- was a country of immeasurable wealth, talent and beauty, to the point where even the filthiest commoner could be a legendary beauty underneath all the dirt. Their natives' eyes are said to be a preview to the vast amounts of talent hidden within Xianle's blood. Taizi Dianxia Xie Lian was said to have the most brilliant starry eyes, and the golden hue of his eyes after ascension was simply the stars of his eyes shining at their brightest.
Ah, sorry. I seem to have strayed from my original topic. Back to the Wei clan.
Again, the Weis lived a secluded life with their willow groves. Those who visited their clan compounds talk about the peaceful beauty of the place and how that beauty was also reflected in the clan members themselves.
But jealous tongues wagged incessantly as well.
They say that the Weis paid something horrible in exchange for their beauty and talents. You see, there was a reason why the Weis lived so isolated from the rest of society. There was a reason why they loved and guarded their groves so fiercely.
The Weis were closer to beings of the afterlife than the living.
Do you know what their willows, cypresses, and pines have in common? They are often planted in graveyards.
Despite being a commoner clan that have never produced cultivators or soothsayers or mediums, the Weis are weirdly adept at communicating with the dead. The Weis communicated with the dead with an ease that many cannot replicate. They have soothed many fierce spirits that most would balk at using their words and occasional music alone.
But why didn't they gain fame and renown from their seemingly seamless communication with the dead? Perhaps it was because they were just a commoner clan with no notable ties to any gentry. Or perhaps they liked their peace better than the -ahem- very active gentry life. Either way, they rarely interacted with living people, and living people rarely interacted with them outside of requests to soothe the dead.
Some say that you could never know if you were talking to someone living or dead within the Wei compound because both sides apparently peacefully coexist in there. Rumours say that the Weis don't miss their dead for too long because most of them linger. They had no need to record their history in writing because they could easily contact their ancestors.
Ah, what happened to them? Who can say... Maybe the natural world has had enough of the living consorting with the dead. Maybe someone thought them too unnatural to continue existing. Maybe their dead spirited them off.
What we do know is that several years before the fall of Xianle, the kingdom woke up to the Wei groves burnt to ashes. The burn was apparently so thorough that no one could figure out if they were attacked or left in their own accord. No one could contact their dead.
Perhaps if they were gentry, the kingdom would've poured more effort into looking into their disappearance. But alas, they were just a commoner clan who was only slightly weirder than most.
One does wonder if their disappearance was an omen for what was to come. But who knows, really? Fate is fickle like that.
Hm? You know of a Wei? Two Weis? Are you sure it's 魏 and not 位 or 衛? Ah, so it's really 魏?
So they've popped up again after all these years? Who would've thought...
Tell me, do they still talk weird to the dead? Do they live around graveyards befriending all the ghosts?
Come, come, let's trade a story for a story yeah? Tell this lowly one all about these new Weis.
1) When he was making friends, bad things happened to them. When they realized that they were hurt after their meeting with Qingxuan, they throw rocks at him, insulted him and chased him. They called him a bad omen. Because of the reverend of empty words, he never has friends. In Heaven, people were mostly interested by his merits. Ming Yi is his first real friend and destroyed his trust centuries later.
2) When his brother and him lost their parents, the rest of their family ask Shi Wudu to abandon him or his ascension (and their family) could be ruined. They wanted to get rid of the haunted kid who only bring misfortune. Shi Wudu get so angry at them that he yelled like Shi Qingxuan had never heard him yelled. When he became a god, Shi Wudu ignored them, ignored them when they pray for him. Because why would he help them when they didn't help Shi Qingxuan when he needed them?
3) One time, Little Shi Qingxuan tried to run away to protect his brother from the reverend of empty words. He got lost and hurt his ankle and Shi Wudu found him crying under the rain hours later. He got a bad cold after that.
4) At a point, the reverend of empty words almost managed to kill him. Shi Qingxuan who was almost 16 (2,5 months before his brithday) took days (weeks) to fully recover. This event has scared Shi Wudu, so much that he used the first spell he found, terrified that the next time, his baby brother really dies. It was the famous spell who swapped fates.
5) Shi Qingxuan spend months, ater his ascension, to be afraid that reverend of empty words could come back to him. It's only after 20 years that he started to really feel safe....until you-know-what. It has even block him to make friends for some time, still for the same reason.
6) He feels He Xuan die, even if he didn't know what it was. Because The spell leave some marks. One day, he feels pain in his heart, a lot of sadness,and didn't know from where it came from or why he was feeling sad.
hualian are sooooo 24/7 casual dom/sub 2 me.. i think hua cheng should tell xie lian when to eat and go to bed and what to wear and drive him around and just spoil him 4ever god bless
I find it funny that Hua Cheng was able to master everything but writing. How was he so bad at that? This man could sculpt Xie Lian's perfect image from stone and paint it on paper using any form of ink or pigment he found within his reach. Such skill with a brush yet he can't form Chinese characters? XD.
I bet the only thing he actually bothered to learn to write is Xie Lian's name. Would have practiced that over and over again till it became that funny squiggle that Xie Lian saw.
hua cheng probably knew that xie lian was in the ghost city. so can you imagine the near-legendary ghost king running around the paradise manor picking up his best outfit, choosing the jewellery, selecting the eye patch and panicking cause his hair just won't sit right. And then he's sitting in the gambling den all poised and fancy, pretending he didn't just have a full freak episode a few minutes ago.
