Thank you too<3

HC, deadly pale: I'm so happy for you, Gege:)

Xie Lian swallowed. Of course he knew that this could very well be a trap. After a second, he followed anyway.

Icy awareness trickled through Xie Lian’s veins and he froze. As he watched, the butterfly lifted off the rough wall and lazily fluttered away, deeper into the cave.

It was a single silver ghost butterfly, sitting on the wall and slowly beating its wings.

He had just thought that when a light in the distance caught his attention. He warily lifted his sword higher and made his steps quieter. It was a longer walk than expected but, eventually, he could make out the source of the light.

Xie Lian swallowed. He couldn't let himself think that. It was his duty to follow orders and even if Hua Cheng wouldn't turn out to be here, at least it was another lead off the list.

Although he was starting to doubt that he would find Crimson Rain here. Instead, it seemed like just the many other times the Heavenly Emperor had given him a lead and sent him off to chase it like a child that needed to be entertained.

The cave stretched out before him, dark and empty.

Xie Lian readied his sword and stepped into the darkness. A single spirit stone lit up the path before him. He didn't fool himself into thinking the dark gave him any advantage against a ghost king.

To compliment matters even further, Xie Lian slowly begins to doubt Hua Cheng's story of how he survived..."

At the same time, he grows ever closer to Hua Cheng and unfamiliar feelings threaten to throw Xie Lian off course.

But the agreement with Yong'An demands ever more of him, even now. Xie Lian must enter into a political marriage with Yong'An's new princess, to ensure peace between their now divided countries.

Determined to never let him out of his sight again, he takes Hua Cheng back with him to the palace and convinces his father to let him stay as Xie Lian's servant.

Eight years later, Xian Le is still recovering and Xie Lian has never quite gotten over his loss. Imagine his surprise then, when, while traveling, he meets a stranger that turns out to be an adult, alive Hong-er!

When he comes back, he finds that war has not only irrevocably changed his home, it has also taken the boy he has grown to love.