Work Text:
Xie Lian stares at himself in the mirror, face covered with the shiny red veil. He wrings his hands nervously, belly somersaulting uneasily as he thinks about the turn his life is going to take.
“A-Lian,” Shi Qingxuan whispers next to him, eyes wide. She’s wearing plain servant robes and a scarf that manages to cover half of her face without looking too suspicious. “Are you really sure about this?”
Xie Lian blinks; his eyes feel a bit wet. “Of course, Qingxuan. Of course I am.” He smiles softly, staring at himself, clad in those pretty red wedding robes.
Qingxuan’s robes.
Shi Qingxuan grabs his upper arm and gives it a small squeeze, pouring all her gratitude into the touch. “I’m—A-Lian—This is—Hm.” At a loss for words, she merely looks at Xie Lian, big eyes simultaneously both sorrowful and filled with hope.
They are here today because Shi Qingxuan’s brother and guardian of sorts, Shi Wudu, had made a deal with a retired war general Hua Cheng to marry off his sister. A match made in heaven and a profitable union between two mighty families, Shi Wudu had declared with a stern expression, refusing to listen to Qingxuan’s cries of protest.
Too bad Shi Qingxuan was desperately in love with a lowly yet brilliant scholar He Xuan, who just happened to return her feelings.
As Shi Qingxuan’s best friend, Xie Lian wholeheartedly supported her. Together, they spent the time before the wedding plotting how to avoid it altogether, as Shi Wudu was like an unbreakable wall, unmoved and unwilling to discuss the matter any further. It was almost as if he were denying his sister's happily ever after on purpose, which irked Xie Lian, as kind as he was by nature.
After much consideration, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan concluded that her only option was to elope with He Xuan, whom Shi Wudu had always regarded with disdain; a candidate way too poor and pitiful for his sister.
And this is how Xie Lian finds himself wearing Shi Qingxuan’s expensive wedding robes, clad in red silk from head to toe and ready to give up his own happiness for that of his best and only friend.
Xie Lian sighs, blinking away an tiny tear, hoping that Shi Qingxuan doesn’t see it. He’s just nervous, he keeps telling himself, because the ceremony is going to be lavish and with lots of esteemed guests, and Xie Lian needs to fool them all.
“It’s alright,” he says, choking slightly on the words, patting Shi Qingxuan’s shoulder. “You should go before anyone can see you.”
“A-Lian...” Shi Qingxuan starts, voice wobbling dangerously.
“Hush, little thing, go,” Xie Lian repeats, giving her a soft push. “We’ll meet again when the time is right.”
Shi Qingxuan nods and pulls him into a hug. They stay like this for a moment, two friends with a shared lie.
“Ah, sorry, I wrinkled your robes,” Shi Qingxuan sniffles, pulling away, absently trying to straighten Xie Lian’s robes.
“It’s alright,” Xie Lian laughs. “They’re your robes anyway. If I look hideous enough, maybe the esteemed General Hua will simply let me be.”
“A-Lian... Are you really sure?”
“Yes, yes I am,” Xie Lian repeats sternly, finality in his tone. “Now, go.”
Shi Qingxuan gives him a final look before waving hesitantly. Then she sneaks out of the window to run away to He Xuan, who is waiting for her at the pier. They will take the first available ferry to cross the South Sea and reach the faraway Black Water Islands to marry in secret.
Taking a deep breath, Xie Lian leaves the safety of the bridal chamber and makes his way to the lavishly decorated wedding hall. His skin prickles; he’s too aware of all the guests looking at him, the gasps and hushed whispers about the beauty of the bride.
Feeling his face heat with embarrassment and a vague sense of the danger of potentially blowing his cover, Xie Lian keeps the veil on and refuses to engage with his future husband as they bow to the heaven and the earth, to Shi Wudu, and finally to each other. In fact, he refuses to look, period, keeping his gaze down and only catching glimpses of high-quality crimson robes and black, neatly polished boots with elegant, jingling silver chains that swing lightly with every graceful movement of General Hua.
He also smells very lovely, and Xie Lian feels a bit dizzy even though it’s not actually his wedding at all.
General Hua speaks, says something Xie Lian doesn’t really hear, too busy registering the low timbre of his voice. A shudder runs through him; he doesn’t want to imagine just how angry General Hua will be when he finds out the truth, doesn’t want to imagine how that dark voice will sound when angry.
But at least Shi Qingxuan will be happy. Her happiness is worth the General’s—and Shi Wudu’s—wrath and this whole mess Xie Lian ultimately needs to shuffle himself out of.
Eventually the ceremony is over and they’re properly married. Xie Lian’s heart thumps in his chest, a distant feeling of nausea engulfing him. He starts sweating inside his robes; the joke’s up any minute now and he has no idea what to say—
But for some reason, General Hua does nothing to lift the veil, seemingly happy to have his wife thoroughly covered and hidden from the world. In addition, instead of staying for the traditional wedding feast, he gently grabs Xie Lian’s elbow and announces that he and his beloved wife are leaving right now. Around them the guests murmur in outrage, surprised huffs and gasps ringing in the air. Shi Wudu looks absolutely gobsmacked and a great deal annoyed because he's put a lot of money into the fancy wedding feast.
Xie Lian’s ears ring too hard for him to properly pay attention to what is happening around him. All he hears is General Hua’s smug voice telling the guests that he’s got about zero fucks to give before dragging his blushing, bashful bride away. What a terrible man, the guests whisper with wide eyes, but Xie Lian only feels relief: he doesn’t need to reveal his face in front of everyone after all.
He almost feels bad for Shi Wudu, who clenches his teeth, face turning red with anger.
Almost, but not quite.
Suits him right for ignoring Qingxuan’s happiness, Xie Lian thinks pettily as General Hua steers him out of the wedding venue and into his grand wedding step-litter.
It takes until they’re away from the city that General Hua sighs and all but tears away Xie Lian’s veil, staring at his "bride’s" pretty face for the first time.
“Oh,” he sighs, face melting into a fond, rather dangerous smirk. His eyes glint, one captivating black and the other oddly red but pretty regardless. “Who could’ve guessed my bride was a beautiful man instead.”
He looks so handsome that Xie Lian doesn’t know what to do with himself. He’s equally flummoxed, because General Hua is not only generously good-looking, but also terribly, horribly, mouth-wateringly sexy. “My Lord,” he squeaks, blinking owlishly. His brain feels like it’s going to ooze out from his ears any moment now.
General Hua shushes him with one, long, slender finger on his lips, their skin meeting for the first time. “And who might you be, hm,” he says and quirks his eyebrows. His eerie red eye only adds to his allure.
Xie Lian blushes, feeling vaguely embarrassed. “My lord,” he repeats stupidly.
General Hua laughs, interrupting him again. “Please, enough with that lord thing. I'm Hua Cheng but please, call me San Lang,” he says and smiles, sweet and dangerous. His canines look sharp and Xie Lian thinks—hm, thinks how they might feel on his neck, on his chest, digging into the soft skin of his thigh...
“Ah,” he squawks, face a pretty shade of pink. His heart jumps inside his chest. “I'm ah... ahem. How to explain this—” He knows he’s mumbling incorrigibly, a bad habit of his, but his head feels utterly empty of any rational thought. “Family name Xie, first name Lian. And I can explain,” he adds matter of factly, nodding eagerly as if to make a point.
Hua Cheng looks amused, as if he’s guessed the story already, but encourages Xie Lian to speak anyway.
Xie Lian tells him the whole tale, feeling pretty silly and very ashamed. His heart, however, sparkles at the thought of Qingxuan's happiness, and he says as much. Hua Cheng's eyes go a little soft at that. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be sure to find out a way to annul the marriage so that no harm comes to my Lord,” he finally mumbles. “Ah. To San Lang, I mean.”
He looks away, bashful. They’re far away from the city, their step-litter passing through a lush greenery at the moment.
But for some reason, San Lang doesn't say anything, only regards him solemnly, mouth twisted into a small smile. “Who knew...” he starts, only to stop, swallowing thickly. “Who knew I’d get what I wanted after all.”
“San Lang—” Xie Lian stutters as Hua Cheng creeps closer in the snug space of the bridal step-litter, close enough that their thighs are touching, leaning in to caress Xie Lian’s cheek with his hand. Bringing his lips close to Xie Lian’s ear, he whispers, dark and sweet: “This San Lang of yours is a cut-sleeve through and through. And instead of a wife, fate has gifted me a wonderful malewife instead.”
Xie Lian gapes, feeling like his head might explode at Hua Cheng's words. “San Lang,” he huffs, face beetroot red. “Who’s your malewife... what are you even saying... shameless...”
Hua Cheng laughs, joyous. “You are, gege. Please accept my wows once again. I, Hua Cheng, your husband San Lang, will make you, my beloved gege, very happy. As long as we live.”
Xie Lian’s mouth falls open, and Hua Cheng takes it as an invitation, leaning in for a kiss. He tenderly pushes his tongue into Xie Lian’s mouth, and Xie Lian’s brain short-circuits instantly because it feels so wonderful: Hua Cheng’s soft lips moving against his, their tongues rubbing against each other. He lets out an overwhelmed mewl and Hua Cheng swallows it, the kiss turning filthier and more desperate in a blink of an eye.
Suddenly Xie Lian finds himself being pulled to Hua Cheng’s lap, their erections rubbing against each other. Xie Lian’s eyes blow wide and he gasps as Hua Cheng starts grinding against him, grabbing his ass with his large hands, kneading it through the fabric. The step-litter shakes a little as they move, jostling him just so on his husband’s lap.
“Ah, ah,” Xie Lian whimpers, throwing his head back and baring his neck for Hua Cheng to lavish with attention.
Hua Cheng makes quick work of their robes, and if Xie Lian was a little more in his head, he would probably be appalled at the treatment of those expensive wedding robes, now soaked through with precome. But then they’re naked from the waist down, Hua Cheng taking both of their cocks into his hand.
“San Lang,” Xie Lian whines, bucking into Hua Cheng’s fist and grinding against his bigger cock, red and moist at the tip.
“Gege’s so fucking sexy,” Hua Cheng growls, pumping them together until Xie Lian is panting, head slumped against Hua Cheng’s shoulder. “Can I—will you let me—”
“Yes. Yes, San Lang, yes,” Xie Lian says, lost to the sensation of them together like this.
Hua Cheng exhales a shuddering breath and suddenly a completely new sensation engulfs Xie Lian.
He moans, loud and deep, scrunching his eyes shut as stars explode across his eyelids. He blinks them open fuzzily, looking down, only to discover that—
Hua Cheng has fed his cock inside his stretched foreskin, the tips of their cocks kissing while being snugly pushed together inside that warm, hot, confined space.
"Wh—what?" Xie Lian pants, eyes wide and mind sparking with pleasure, every inch of his body sent to overdrive. The suction feels insane, like his cockhead has been surrounded by thousands of tiny ecstasy-spirits that keep tormenting it.
He makes a sound like a dying animal, low and garbling, pitiful.
Pressed against him, Hua Cheng laughs hoarsely, jerking off their dicks inside his foreskin, forcing their slits to kiss, cockheads rubbing together. The sensation is indescribable and Xie Lian feels a little like dying, a little like flying. He isn't sure which one. It’s like a blowjob—maybe, he doesn’t have any experience—but better, filthier, much more intimate. His small cock fits perfectly inside Hua Cheng’s foreskin and next to his big one, and the wet slide of Hua Cheng’s skin and their mixed juices threatens to make a mess out of him.
With a whiny yell he comes, mouthing at Hua Cheng’s neck and flooding the inside of his foreskin with spurts of come until it oozes out, milky white and frothing. Everything is sticky and he feels like his sanity has leaked from his cock together with his virginity.
Hua Cheng growls and keeps pumping the last of Xie Lian’s come from his foreskin, his powerful thighs trembling with the effort of keeping still. His body must be so beautiful, Xie Lian thinks in a daze as he stares at his husband’s flushed face and his eye-catcher of a cock, jutting out as he starts jerking himself off wildly, spreading Xie Lian’s come all over his dick, eyes crazed and wanting.
"Gege, my sweet gege. You're so fucking sexy, can you see what you're doing to me?" Filth pours from his lips and Xie Lian watches with wide eyes as he finally throws his head back and comes with a choked-off shout, shooting his seed all over Xie Lian’s silky robes.
Xie Lian lets out a hysterical, shivery giggle. For the second time that day, he almost feels sorry for Shi Wudu, but not quite.
They kiss once more, sweaty and absolutely dirty, Hua Cheng whispering sweet nothings into Xie Lian’s ears until he has no other option but to believe that this isn’t a dream and he has, in fact, gained himself a doting husband.
Ultimately, they don’t even make it back to Paradise Manor that night, stopping at a lavish inn where Hua Cheng ravishes Xie Lian for the rest of the night, teasing and rubbing his nipples until he comes whimpering, then milking him dry before fucking him raw. Xie Lian really couldn’t have wished for a better wedding night. “Gimme more, gimme all of it,” he moans as Hua Cheng fucks him for the umpteenth time.
Hua Cheng only laughs and bites his shoulder, proceeding to do exactly that.
Much later, Xie Lian gets a text from Shi Qingxuan saying that she's successfully married He Xuan at the Black Water Islands, and that they’re building a simple life together far away from everything. After that, ‘Xie Lian’ disappears from the face of the earth. In the years that follow, Madam Hua becomes a popular figure in Ghost City, beloved by all of General Hua’s people.
And if they happen to know a secret; that their madam is, in fact, a man and that their Lord is a cut-sleeve?
Well. Who gives a shit, really?