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It was already well past midnight.
Xie Lian hadn't been all that tired, even after a full day of answering prayers and helping around heaven. And instead had insisted in staying curled up into his husband's arms letting themselves whisper sweet nothings to each other for a while longer, San Lang had been more than happy to comply, saying how he had missed him all day long, and he let him press kiss after kiss to his cheeks, his lips, his chin, even his neck. Everywhere he could reach was being pampered with small kisses, nothing suggestive, just adoring.
They had been awake, whispering among themself, Xie Lian's own eyes drifting closed, when the door to the room was tried to be quietly opened. A small swoosh that was still able to be heard through their quiet voices.
Hua Cheng had paused on his soft murmurs, and let him move back for a second.
"Mama... Baba..." Came a little voice from the outside of the room.
"A-yi?" Xie Lian questioned, peeking over his husband's shoulder out the door.
"Mama..." The little girl was standing on the threshold of the room, holding the door with shaking fingers, how she managed to open it on her own when she was so small was a mystery to him. Her silhouette was illuminated by a pair of wraith butterflies that lingered around her.
"What are you doing awake?" He was fully awake and sat on the bed now, and Hua Cheng had turned over his back to watch their daughter.
"Mama... Baba... I had a bad dream." She whimpered.
"Aw poor baby, do you want to sleep with us tonight then?"
The little girl nodded, and immediately the path to the bed was illuminated by more of Hua Cheng's butterflies. She didn't hesitate a second after that to run to the bed, the pitter patter of her barefeet softened by the carpet, she was only stopped from crashing into the frame of the bed by his husband's arm, that he had placed over the wood, cushioning the impact.
"Careful." He softly chided as he helped her climb over him to be settled between the two of them.
Immediately the god brought her into his lap, pressing a small kiss to her temple as soon as she was settled.
"Do you want to talk about the nightmare you had?" He asked, though the girl shook her head, burying it then on his chest. "Ah, that's alright sweet, you don't have to tell us about it if you don't want, you're safe now, your baba and I will keep you safe."
She nodded as Hua Cheng brought a hand to wipe the tears out of her cheeks.
"You're alright, baby." He murmured, taking her hand and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. "You're okay. You're here, you're loved, you're safe."
She took a big breath, sniffling a couple of times before nodding in Xie Lian's chest once more.
"Why don't we lay down? It's much easier to sleep that way." He whispered, holding onto his daughter to lay back down in bed.
She settled between them burying herself over the mattress as Hua Cheng brought the covers over the three of them, tucking her and then leaning back in the backrest of the bed, sitting down instead.
A couple of butterflies lingered over them, gently flying in circles as if simulating a baby's night mobile. They had never had a need of such toy, with his husband's butterflies around Hua Xiyi had been plenty entertained.
Hua Cheng played with her hair, moving the lose strands to the back of her head, gently scratching her scalp.
"Alright, why don't we sleep now? Hm?"
The girl sighed through her nose, puffing then her cheeks, Xie Lian couldn't help the need to poke them, earning him a little whine. He chuckled.
"Sorry, sorry." He laughed. "But why the pout? You don't want to go back to sleep?"
The child mumbled under her breath.
"What was that darling?" Hua Cheng asked, even though Xie Lian was pretty sure he heard her, after all he never missed anything Xie Lian murmured, and he was plenty confident it was the same for their daughter.
"I... can't sleep."
"Oh? Why's that?" He raised a brow.
"I dunno..."
Xie Lian hummed.
"Oh! How about I talk you to sleep?"
"Huh?" She questioned, turning to look at him with her big mismatched eyes. Ah, Xie Lian still loved to stare at them, would do so forever if she'd sit still for more than a few minutes, but at last, she was a child, with both of their stamina and wouldn't sit idle when she could swing her small sword around.
And even though he would've loved to see his husband matching eyes with their daugther, the eyepatch gave him a really handsome and fearless look.
"I do that for your Baba sometimes!" He decided to answer a moment later.
He turned to look at him and found his husband smiling, an eyebrow cocked while his eye was crinkled in fondness.
"Gege is pretty good at putting people to sleep." He agreed.
"En, en. Anyway, would you like me to put you to sleep A-yi?"
The girl nodded, holding into the blanket tighter to make herself more comfortable. He also laid back down, propping his head over his hand.
"Let's see." He cleared his throat. "The tao that can be told, is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named, is not the eternal Name-"
"Why is Gege telling idioms?"
"Ah, did San Lang forget?" He huffed. "You fell asleep quickly the first time I recited them for you."
"Hmm... Gege is right, this one almost forgot." He gave him a small smile.
"Yeah, so I'll recite it again for Xi Xi-er!"
"Oh! Oh! I know this mama!" The girl suddenly exclaimed and he chuckled.
"You do?"
"Mhm!" The girl brightened, nodding her head even as the pillow ruffled the braid Hua Cheng was doing on her. "Is the- um t-tao.. uh Tao Chin?"
Hua Cheng chuckled.
"The Tao Te Ching." He corrected.
"Yeah! That! Shushu told me about it!"
"Ah." He chuckled at his husband pout. "We'll have to see what else those fools are teaching you behind my back." He huffed, and the girl giggled.
"Shh you two, you're supposed to be falling asleep." He chided, pressing the covers higher on them as if to say they should be under them, already asleep.
"Sorry, Gege." He hummed, "We'll fall asleep now, right?"
He poked the girl who giggled even louder, nodding and then curling into Hua Cheng's side. He let out an exasperated sigh, smiling at the sight, placing his hand on top of the little girls chest, feeling the stuttering heartbeat underneath his fingertips.
"As I was saying." He huffed. "The unnameable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin of all particular things. Free from desire, you realize the mystery. Caught in desire, you see only manifestations. Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source-"
He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand before placing it back over his daughter.
"..."
"This source is called darkness. The gateway to all understanding."
He took a pause, taking a deep long breath, how long did it take Hua Cheng last time to fall asleep? He didn't remember, Hua Xiyi should take less than that though... shouldn't she? She was just a little girl, she couldn't possibly stay awake for that long.
"When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly."
Hua Cheng huffed, looking directly at him with that adoring look in his eye.
"When people see some things as good, other things... become bad-" he yawned. "Being and non being... create each other..."
"Mama..." the girl whined.
"Hm?"
She pouted but refused to elaborate why, San Lang didn't provide any context for it either so after a minute, he spoke.
"Are you two sleepy yet?" He whispered.
"Mhm, very. If Gege would just talk for a little longer, we would fall asleep."
He yawned again, nodding.
"Then, I'll keep going."
"En."
"Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other." He wiped at his eyes. "Long and short... no," He paused, trying to rack his brain for the right line. "High and low, they depend on each other... Before and after, follow each other."
The girl yawned and he immitated her with his own yawn.
"Therefore, the Master ... acts without doing anything ... and teaches ..." another yawn. "Teaches without doing... doing anything."
"Mama..." The girl murmured.
"Things ... arise and she lets them come..."
"Mama?"
" ... dissappear-... let's them go..."
"..."
Xie Lian's head slowly dropped as his words dragged out. " ... work is done-... forget it." his head gently hit the pillow. "... why... forever-"
He was out cold in a second, snoring soflty.
"Mama?" The girl whispered, but Xie Lian didn't respond.
She pouted and Hua Cheng laughed quietly.
"Goodnight, Gege." He murmurred, leaning over to press a kiss to his temple before their daughter could reach out to shake Xie Lian awake.
The girl looked at him, and then shifted so she could gently lift over and press a small kiss to his chin. "Night, night, Mama."
Hua Cheng looked down at her adoringly, brushing the hair out of her brow as she settled back at his side.
"You still can't sleep, princess?" The girl yawned but shook her head. "No? Alright then, how about I sing you a little lullaby."
"A lullaby?"
"En. Did you know, when you were in your mama's belly I used to sing you songs all the time? And when you were just a bit tinier and you would be crying, I held you in my arms and sang you until you fell asleep."
"Baba, you know lullabies?"
"Of course, my mom used to sing some to me when I was your age, I learned a couple songs from her." He said pressing a kiss to her nose. "Would you like me to sing something for you right now?"
"Yes!" She whispered as loudly as it was allowed with Xie Lian sleeping right next to them.
"Alright, alright." He tucked the covers closer to her in an attempt to make her more comfortable, pressing yet another kiss to his forehead. "But promise you'll try to fall asleep?"
"Promise!"
He nodded.
The Ghost king then started humming, a simple tone that he had once heard, some of the notes long forgotten and replaced with something else, but still as beautiful as it once had been for a small boy.
He started singing then, sweet nothings in a language long forgotten by everyone but himself, characters and tones that only he knew the meaning to. Something that maybe now he could pass on to his daughter once she was old enough, to promise him he wouldn't translate the many loves songs he wrote and sang to Xie Lian.
His voice was grovel but soft and in the darkness it sounded quite lovely. The butterflies that dimly illuminated the bed created a mystical atmosphere, their fluttering wings a gentle company to his tune.
It was only when the song had ended that he dared to look down, Hua Xiyi had fallen asleep.
Snoring softly just like her mama.
She was pressed to his side, but gently, he moved her to curl into Xie Lian's, adjusting himself back to laying down on the bed to take them both in arms.
Hua Cheng pressed a kiss to their temples, wishing them goodnight and sweet dreams.
He would not fall asleep though, how could he? When the most precious sight was before him, his beloved husband and daughter sound asleep, safe and sound.
A sight that although not rare at all, was still worth admiring. He spend probably all night doing just that, memorizing each of their features so that he might carve them later into another beautiful statue to join his collection.
He thought then for the millionth time today, how lucky he was to be married to the love of his life, to live with him and have a small daughter with him, a daughter that he adored just as much.
It was probably around late morning when Xie Lian roused up, tiredly cuddling closer before slowly blinking his eyes open.
He had the curtains draw closed beforehand so the sun wouldn't be too harsh on his eyes and Xie Lian seemed to appreciate it, even if the sun was barely up by now.
"Good morning, Gege."
"Ah, good morning San Lang." He murmured, voice laced with sleep, a bit rougher than it usually was.
His hair was made a mess, with pieces of it sticking to his mouth, his eyes were barely open and his lips opened up in a yawn. He was perfect, so much so he had to fight down the urge to kiss him immediately.
Xie Lian though, kissed his chin as soon as he was awake enough to do so, pressing then a small kiss on their daughter's still sleeping face.
"Hopefully Xi-er had had a goodnight's sleep, I can't remember when she fell asleep." he mumbled.
"Don't worry, Gege. I'm sure she did."
"Mn. How about San Lang?"
"Hm?"
"Did you sleep well?" He smiled, eyes fighting to stay open. He couldn't resist then, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips that Xie Lian returned eagerly.
"This one slept just fine, after Gege's blessings, who wouldn't?" He answered.
Xie Lian beamed at him.
"I'm glad." he said, followed by a small yawn.
"Though... Gege can sleep a little more."
"Ah?"
"It's barely morning, Xiao Xi is not even awake yet. And I'd like you to sleep before those fools in heaven are dragging you out again to fix the affairs they're too incompetent to fix themselves."
As if to prove a point Xie Lian yawned.
"Ah San Lang..."
"Gege must be tired, it is only fair he rests more." He pet down his daughter's hair. "You can rest with our little flower, I can go get breakfast ready."
Xie Lian laid back down, smiling at their daughter and pressing a small kiss to her temple.
"Won't San Lang stay with us? I'd sleep better with him by our side." He murmurred, shooting him an innocent look that Hua Cheng knew was not sincere at all.
He cocked an eye brow, huffing out a laugh.
"How can I refuse, when gege asks so sweetly for this husband to stay?"
Xie Lian chuckled, lifting himself back up and leaning into his space.
They were only mere breaths away, Xie Lian looking at him between his lashes, staring at his lips just as he did back. When suddenly a small hand swatted at their faces, effectively pulling them apart.
"Too loud..." Hua Xiyi whined. "I'm still sleepy."
Both of them stared at each other for a second, before breaking out laughing, immediately leaning down to pamper the little girl with kisses from both sides. The girl broke out giggling, sleep already forgotten.
"Baba! Mama!" She laughed. "Tickles!!"
They continued to kiss her until she was almost out of breath. Once she had recovered she tucked herself under the covers.
"Mama and baba are so mean!" She giggled.
"I guess you're not so sleepy now, are you bun?" Xie Lian asked, pulling down the covers so he could see her face.
She hummed.
"No... but can we stay in bed a little longer?" She asked with a pout on her voice.
Xie Lian eyes widened, a smile immediately forming in his face. It was indeed rare the ocassion their beloved Hua Xiyi wasn't immediately bouncing off the walls of paradise manor, to have her want to stay in bed with them, truly a rare feat indeed.
But neither of them complained, loving more than anything to spend time together even like this, curled up in bed with nothing to do but to bask in each other's presence.
"Of course!" His husband nodded, immediately laying back down next to her, placing his hand on top of her. "We can stay as long as you'd like."
"Mama doesn't have to go to heaven?"
"Nope, not so soon anyway." He sighed.
"Gege should just leave that trash to their own fates." He huffed.
Xie Lian sighed, entirely fond.
"Mama, mama, did you know baba can sing?"
His husband giggled.
"Of course, he has such an amazing voice. He sang you all the time when you were in my belly."
Sensing the way this conversation was going he decided to interviene, let alone his husband discovered he was actually the one to fall asleep first when trying to put them to sleep.
"Your mama can sing too."
Hua Xiyi gasped, turning to look at Xie Lian with stars in her eyes, and a smile appeared in his face. He used to be conflicted about his red eye, hating it's mere existence, the roots of all his problems. Had hated it so that he had tore it out the first chance he got, E-ming a live proof of that.
But now, looking at his daughter's eyes, he had nothing but love for her and her beautiful eyes, a perfect match of his own, and looking at how Xie Lian looked at her ... he was glad, the look of pure adoration he gave her, he couldn't help but fall for him all over.
"Mama, you can sing?"
"En... though I don't do it as often anymore. When I was a prince, I had someone teach me music and singing, and when I lived in the streets, I sang so people would give me money."
"Why didn't you ask baba for money? He has a lot!"
They both chuckled.
"Ah well-" Xie Lian scratched his cheek. "Me and your baba were separated back then," their daughter gasped, as if horrified of the idea, and he could agree, it was truly a thing of nightmares. "but- but! Your baba found me again." He said, smiling brightly, reaching out to intertwine their fingers over their daughter's lap. "We're together again, and we have you now, and we couldn't be happier about it."
Hua Xiyi smiled as his husband reached down to press a kiss on her cheek. He couldn't help but tighten his hold on Xie Lian's hand.
"Can you sing me something, mama?"
"Oh? Well- yes, I can do that."
"Can baba join you?"
Xie Lian turned to look at him then.
"Ah, we've never actually sang together, does San Lang know a song that I could know?"
"Mn, I know plenty of songs gege knows, we can sing them together."
Their daughter smiled brightly, sitting up as if that would somehow make her hear better.
"Does gege remember Kangding?" He asks soflty, brushing a strand of hair back, tucking it behind his beloved's ear.
Xie Lian's eyes widened, a hopeful spark igniting within the golden irises.
"I do, does San Lang-?"
"En."
Xie Lian smiled brightly. He knew it was one of Xie Lian's favorites, back in Xianle, had heard the young prince mention one that his mother had taught him the song. And there had been one of the time he had volunteered at Mount Taicang to sweep the leaves, he had seen the prince in one of the swings there, beautifully singing the melody as he floated around in the air, his hair swaying with the movement and the sunset light hitting his skin giving him an ethereal shine.
If he hadn't thought the young prince a god by then, that moment alone would have convinced him he was meant to be one.
"Does San Lang want to sing it with me then?"
"I would be honored."
Immediately a gentle melody started around them, the soft sound of a zheng resounding in the room as if it was being played by an invisible force. The girl looked around trying to find the source, eventually giving up and looking up in awe at them.
Xie Lian just looked at him fond, completly unsurprised, more than used to his little trick of getting melodies to echo wherever they were so they could embrace each other and dance slowly in the open.
"High upon the mountain side." Xie Lian started, timidly singing as if he was ashamed of his voice.
Hua Cheng hummed along him. "Floats a cloud so white, there lies the Kangding town..."
"Bathed in silver moonlight." He hummed. "Moonligh shines bright, over Kangding town."
He keept humming as silver butterflies danced between them, living trails of silver dust in their wake, glass wings reflecting the first rays of sunshine and transforming the room into a thing of old fantasy tales as colors bounced around them.
"Lovely maid with a sweet smile, Lian the queen's beloved son." Xie Lian raised an eyebrow at him, knowing the song did not go like that, but only huffed out a laugh and kept singing.
"Hua, beloved third son of his mother, came to court him in the moonlight."
Hua Xiyi smiled as a butterflied posed on her nose to then went and rest over Xie Lian's crown.
"Moonlight shines bright, a courtship in the moonlight."
They both hummed along the ghost melody, watching their daughter's eyes begin to fall close once more.
"Lovely maidens of the world."
"Gentlemen of the world."
"They can't help but woo you." They both sang, voices interwined like they were always meant to be heard together. "Moonlight shines bright, they cannot help but woo youuu."
By the time the song had petered out into a soft pizzicato, Hua Xiyi had fallen asleep once more.
Xie Lian looked at her adoringly, brushing her hair back and pressing a kiss to her forehead, though Hua Cheng could tell his husband wanted nothing more that to hold her tight in his arms and press a million kisses to her tiny face.
He had loved when Hua Cheng himself, affected by Mount Tonglu's energy had turned in a child, squeezing his cheeks and holding him tight, and although he wouldn't voice it he knew he was a little sad that he had to go back to his normal form. Though when A-yi had been born, looking exactly like himself, Xie Lian was elated, tearing up and kissing her temple.
"She's asleep." Xie Lian whispered, completely in awe that their small daughter could look so peaceful while resting, effectively pulling him out his thoughts. "She won't take her afternoon nap if she sleeps now though." He sighed, and he chuckled.
"Gege doesn't need to worry, I'll keep her entertained."
Xie Lian brushed her hair back, over and over. Seemingly deep in thought.
"What's on gege's mind?"
Xie Lian hummed. "Nothing, just- thank you." he sighed. "For giving me such a wonderful baby."
Hua Cheng smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead, then his cheek, then a quick peck on his lips.
"Gege needn't thank for that, you were who did all the hard work." He chuckled. "What I did was nothing compared to that, it should be me who thanks gege."
"San Lang..."
"Hm?"
"I-" he paused, biting his lips. "Do you think A-yi would mind a little sibling?"
Hua Cheng's eyes widened, before he broke into a smirk.
"My, my, gege, so bold." he chuckled. "Is Gege so eager for another child?" He asked, raising a brow.
"Ah!" Xie Lian flustered, his cheeks dusting of a lovely red color. "San Lang! That's not what I-! San Laaang!"
He chuckled.
"I know, I know." He murmured, taking his hand on his and kissing the back of it. "Would Gege want another child?"
"... it would be nice." he hummed. "Xi-er is growing up so fast, I'm already starting to miss her being a baby."
"She is still a baby, gege."
Xie Lian chuckled, a melodic sound.
"Yeah, she is, to us. But she's three! Almost four! She doesn't let me carry her for long anymore."
He quirked an eyebrow.
"She gets antsy if I carry her for too long." He explained. "You know how active she is, if its not swinging her little sword then it bouncing around chasing butterflies, or spilling ink trying to paint like her baba." He sighed. "I miss her being all cuddly."
"We're cuddling with her, right now." He snickered.
"Aiya! I know, I know, but this moments are rare, I-" he huffed, freeing his hand from his grasp and pushing his chest back with no real amount of strenght.
He chuckled.
"Alright, alright. I was only teasing, gege needn't say more." He smiled, firmly keeping the hand on his chest, over where his dead heart would lay. "If gege wants another child then he shall have another."
Xie Lian's eye brightened.
"Really?"
"Of course, we'll have all the children gege wants, perhaps next time I'll be the lucky one and get a little copy of you."
"Ah! San Lang," he huffed. "How about a mix of both?"
"Hm, that'd be fine, but I'd want a mini gege. You got to see me as a little rascal, both in the past and now in A-yi, won't you let me see what I missed?"
"We'll see... it's not up to me afterall."
"Hm alright, we can try for one tonight."
"Tonight?!" He gasped, "Don't we still have to find another child baring pill? And what about Xi-er?"
"Gege doesn't need to worry about the first part, I had Yin yu find the ghost who gave you it on my birthday and got a couple, and I suppose we can let that pair of idiots take care of A-yi for a while."
"I'd have to ask Mu Qing and Feng Xin if they'd be free."
"They are, they will. How could they miss on such a chance to care for A-yi?"
He kept quiet for a moment before sighing. "Alright ... I'll talk to them later. For now I just want to cuddle in bed with my husband and child for a while longer."
He smirked, reaching out for him and bringing him closer, gently enough to not awake or squeeze their daughter but still keeping them close together.
"As gege wishes."