Chapter Text
Fourteen years later, life had been so wonderful for Xie Lian and now he had eleven beautiful children-including his beloved Hong-er.
He had spent just about every year since his marriage being pregnant until complications in the last pregnancy had left him unable to conceive again, but he did not mind because he thought their family was a perfect size.
Said family had also fallen into a lovely routine, where they spent most of the year in their true dimension, but they spent their summers in the other realm on the other side of the mirror as a ‘vacation’.
Which was where they currently were at, at home in their penthouse apartment where they were celebrating the twins’ fifteenth birthday.
They were celebrating their birthday a few weeks early, but since they were going home tomorrow it felt proper to celebrate today.
After all the kids were off playing after they had cake, Xie Lian took his husband’s hand as they looked at their eldest, at Hong-er who was playing with their youngest with stacking blocks.
“It’s time.” Xie Lian whispered
Jun Wu nodded reluctantly, “We can tell him in the office.”
The older man stood and began to walk to the office while Xie Lian went to Hong-er, “Sweetheart, I need to talk to you alone, can you follow me?”
“Is something wrong, mama?” Hong-er asked
“No, not at all.” Xie Lian promised
“Is Hong-gege in trouble?” The toddler asked
“No.” The brunet assured, kissing his baby’s head
Hong-er nodded and set his youngest sibling down, following his mother down the hall to his father’s office.
Once the door was closed, Xie Lian went to sit beside his husband.
Hong-er looked nervous, “Mama, baba, what’s going on?”
Neither of his parents replied verbally, Jun Wu flicked his wrist and the cursed shackle around Hong-er’s wrist disappeared.
Hong-er…no, Hua Cheng…Hua Cheng fell to his knees as all his memories returned back in a flood, as his life and death and afterlife came back to him and he realized what had happened to him.
One moment, he had been in Paradise Manor counting coins for Black Water’s debt and then in the next moment he was in Xie Lian’s arms as a toddler.
Hua Cheng closed his eyes, eye now that his cursed eye magically returned to E-Ming, before opening them to look back at the couple across from him.
He looked first to Xie Lian, so many conflicting feelings in him now. He was his god, his beloved, his reason for living…and his mama.
The Supreme then looked at Jun Wu, feeling just as conflicted. He had always thought of Jun Wu as trash for casting Xie Lian out of Heaven twice, but he had also saved Xie Lian from White No-Face twice now, but he had also kidnapped Xie Lian…and he was also his dad now.
And then there was all ten of his siblings down the hall playing happily, utterly unaware of what their brother was going through.
“San Lang?” Xie Lian softly asked
Hua Cheng did not even know how to address him, as ‘gege’? as ‘mama’? both felt right on his tongue, so he went for the safest option, “Your highness.”
He immediately regretted it with the way that Xie Lian’s face crumpled in sadness.
Xie Lian gulped, squeezing Jun Wu’s hand for support, “What happens now is up to you. If you want, you can leave out the mirror back to our world and be on your way and leave no strings attached; I’ll find something to tell the kids but you have no obligation to stay. I know you must hate me for-“
The ghost stopped his self-deprecating words, “I could never hate you. I am forever your most devoted believer.”
Xie Lian’s golden eyes widened at that, tears starting to mist on his eyes, “Wu Ming. It was always you. You were Hong-er, and the soldier boy, and the ghost fire, and Wu Ming, and Hua Cheng.”
Hua Cheng nodded, as he would never lie to Xie Lian, “This one is honored to be so remembered.”
Within a few moments, Xie Lian rose to his feet and rushed to hug Hua Cheng, starting to sob into his chest, “It was you all along. Why did you not say anything before?”
“I did not think of myself so highly as to be remembered by your highness.” Hua Cheng replied, hugging him
“I would never forget you.” Xie Lian whispered, before pulling himself away, trying to not be selfish, taking off the necklace he wore that held Hua Cheng’s ashes, “But you do not have to stay, if you do not want to. You can leave, if that is what you want. You are free now. Or you can stay, if that is what you want. It is your choice and only yours.”
Hua Cheng wrapped his hands around the ring containing his ashes before pushing them back towards Xie Lian, “They are for you. My place is with you, in the way you deem me fit, mama.”
Xie Lian cried again and hugged him again, squeezing him tightly, “Oh honey.”
***
Hua Cheng was heartbroken, that he knew, he had been in love with his god from first sight and that had not changed in over eight hundred years.
But he had also never expected to have his love reciprocated, just the idea of being of service to Xie Lian was enough, so he had no complaints at all about accepting the maternal love being offered to him.
And he did not mind being part of a family again, as he had not truly had one since his birth mother had died, as his biological father and stepmother had despised him and often beat him -in addition to starving him to make sure his stepbrothers had enough to eat.
When they went back home tomorrow, Hua Cheng would figure something out, as he would have to go to Ghost City and see how Yin Yu had handled his decade and a half long ‘sudden departure’, and figure out the whole He Xuan situation.
He should probably give Waning Moon Officer a raise if he had managed his disappearance well.
But either way, that was tomorrow’s problem, today he was going to play with all his brothers and sisters and enjoy one more night as Hong-er before having to be Crimson Rain Sought Flower again.
“Gege!” One of his little siblings whined, “You promised how to teach me to play Smash Bros! You have to teach me before bedtime cuz we're going home tomorrow!”
“I will.” Hua Cheng promised, “Let’s go see if Xia and Yue are still on the tv.”
Taking his sibling’s hand and going to the living room, Hua Cheng smiled a bit.
He knew Xie Lian was happy with his life and so he would do nothing to sabotage his happiness, so if he was wanted as a son that was exactly what he would be.
Jun Wu had not said anything to him about not being allowed back to Heaven, so Hua Cheng was sure he would have ‘special permission’ or whatever other excuse he was given to not spook those worthless other gods.
***
A week later, Hua Cheng arrived at the ascension gates in Heaven after having spent the week in Ghost City making sure everyone knew he was back and that they better stay in line -and he had killed everyone down there that had tried to take advantage of his absence.
He was spotted almost immediately by the Heavenly Officials on patrol, the little chimes of the bells on his shoes giving him away.
They immediately rushed to try and apprehend him, but he smacked their hands away and put his hand on E-Ming’s hilt threateningly, “I would not do that if I were you, I imagine mortals would have a hard time worshipping handless martial gods.”
That made all the gods around him step back and see the gold badge on Hua Cheng’s chest that read “Divine Might”.
“Besides.” Hua Cheng smirked, “I have permission to be here. Not that you trash could stop me anyways.”
Those gods, plus all the ways he walked past on the Avenue of Divine Might just gawked at him, but Hua Cheng did not give them a glance as he continued on his way to the Palace of Divine Might.
He walked through the hallways of the palace until he arrived in the garden and found the Heavenly Empress sitting by the fountain watching his children play around him.
The youngest child, a three-year-old boy, was playing at his feet with cloth dolls, was the first to notice the ghost, “Gege! Hong-gege!”
The dolls were forgotten as the toddler got onto his feet and rushed to hug his brother.
Hua Cheng scooped him up and walked back over to Xie Lian, looking down at the toddler, “Hi, didi.”
“Where did gege go?” The toddler asked with a huff, puffing his chubby cheeks out, “Why leave?”
“I had to go work, didi.” Hua Cheng replied, sitting beside Xie Lian, “But I will always come back.”
That seemed to appease the little boy, who snuggled against his chest, and more and more of the littles came over for hugs.
“Hello, San Lang.” Xie Lian greeted, smiling at him, “How did it go in Ghost City?”
“Fine, mostly, Yin Yu kept most things under control for me but I handled the few that tried taking advantage of my absence.” Hua Cheng reported, “Now everything is back to normal.”
Xie Lian smiled at that, “I’m sure Yin Yu was glad to see you.”
“Oh he was very much so, he also asked where I had been.” The Ghost King replied a bit playfully
“What did you say?” The Empress asked
“The truth, somewhat, that I was with you and lost track of time.” Hua Cheng answered
That made Xie Lian laugh a bit, “That is good, we missed you.”
“You could always come visit me.” The ghost offered
“Maybe, when they are older.” Xie Lian said, looking to the littles playing around him while the older kids were at lessons, “I worry they would be frightened by what they see.”
“Paradise Manor is safe.” Hua Cheng reminded, “And I would make sure the city was on its best behavior before letting my meimeis or didis there.”
“I know, San Lang.” Xie Lian said, leaning over to kiss his forehead, “Maybe you could take Xia and Yue with you next time. If they want.”
Hua Cheng nodded, that sounded nice, “I will, mama. I will ask them.”
Before long, the older kids emerged from their lessons and saw their oldest brother had returned home and rushed to greet him.
***
Pei Su sighed as he walked through Heaven running errands for his ancestor.
Ever since he had originally been banished, he had been on and off made into a child by his general and he had only reascended in the past few weeks.
It was…odd…yes, that was the easiest way to describe it.
But on one hand, it was nice to know how deeply his ancestor had been upset by his loss of godhood, he was also upset on how Ban Yue had been treated by said general.
Or at least, how General Pei had tried to treat her, before Wind Master and the Empress intervened for her and let her go in the mortal realm.
Pei Su sighed agined, he was glad she was safe, but he also missed her and hoped he could sneak away to see her soon.