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Xie Lian couldn't recall a single day when the Gambler's den wasn't thronged, the crowd boisterous when winning and clamorous upon losing. Despite being unruly and unapologetically loud about the shady business condoned there, for Xie Lian, it felt natural by now.
Sitting next to Hua Cheng, the rowdy chaos reduced to a steady buzz in his ears. Their bodies were pressed together—the chair obviously a little too cramped for two—yet neither of them was willing to move. A few wraith butterflies were loitering around in case the lord of Ghost City decided to watch the long tables outside. But Hua Cheng would pay them no mind, his gaze never leaving Xie Lian, one hand clasped together with his red-threaded one, the other stroking his hair languidly, encouraging him to rest his head against Hua Cheng's shoulder.
Despite being comfortable to the point he almost dozed off, Xie Lian would have felt a bit shameless if Hua Cheng's affectionate touches hadn't been shielded by that flimsy, red curtain. Only the ear-piercing shrieks and roaring laughter could be heard, mixing with whatever bets the gathered ghosts and disguised mortals made: fortune (or more precisely, fortune of relatives) cursed weapons (Hua Cheng always asked for Xie Lian's expertise on their worth), jewelry (that would make one's ancestors cry and split blood) and even body parts being at stake.
Still, the most renowned in the Gambler's den history was…
"Does gege remember?"
"Must San Lang bring it up, every time we're here?" Xie Lian grumbled, a rosy glow spreading from his cheeks to the tip of his ears.
"Of course," Hua Cheng chuckled, "gege made me incredibly happy back then."
Xie Lian scoffed, "San Lang grabs every opportunity to tease me."
"It's true," Hua Cheng said with a sly, mischievous tone that never failed to make Xie Lian's knees weak. "I'm nothing but sincere."
He guided their intertwined hands up to his face, using the back of Xie Lian's hand to rub along his cheeks, single eye fluttering shut.
"Gege's mantou is way better than anything that trash could offer," he explained with conviction, pressing placating little kisses onto every knuckle, "more precious than any of the treasures I've ever collected."
Hearing him talk about that pitiful steamed bun like this, Xie Lian couldn't feign seriousness anymore and puffed a laugh.
"A half-eaten steamed bun…" he shook his head but grinned from ear to ear in unbelieving, fond nostalgia. "What was I thinking?"
Hua Cheng glanced at him, his lips curling upwards, "Gege, I never told you what I did with your mantou, right?"
Xie Lian was left puzzled for a moment, "What did you…?"
Hua Cheng suddenly leaned over, his breath hot against Xie Lian's ear, "I devoured it."
At these words, a wave of warmth washed over Xie Lian. The whispered words slowly threaded together, sneaking their way deep into his consciousness.
"I played with it first," Hua Cheng extended his hand in a demonstration. His palm was pale and enchantingly beautiful. "I remember it fit perfectly in here."
His long fingers enclosed over thin air, forming a round shape. The red thread stood in bright contrast against the exceedingly white valleys.
"It was so smooth and so round," Hua Cheng was weighing that imaginary bun in his palms, rolling it between his pads as if relishing in its roundness. "I couldn't help but fondle it a bit."
Xie Lian followed the movement but was quick to tear his eyes away, willing to smother the crawling heat that made a home inside him.
"S-San Lang," he called out, his voice inexplicably strained. The embers within him burned brighter for some reason.
"The first bite I took was tragically quick…"
An image from the past came to mind—Hua Cheng tossing the bun up in the air, catching it before a big, hearty chomp, his gaze locked with Xie Lian's.
"...but the next one I savored. I wanted it to last..."
Picturing this was even more easy; Hua Cheng taking his time, biting torturously slowly, his tongue toying with the tidbit in his mouth before swallowing it whole. Xie Lian was on the edge of his seat, not unlike a mantou would be in Hua Cheng's clutch.
"...I took it apart gently."
A faint moan could be heard and Xie Lian realized in horror it had escaped from his own, parted lips.
What is wrong with me, it's just a stale bun!
His first instinct was to shuffle away out of embarrassment, only to meet Hua Cheng's grip, steady palms planting themselves firmly on Xie Lian's hips, a raven-haired head buried in the crook of his neck.
"Where is gege going?" Hua Cheng asked.
"I-I just thought I'm going for a jog. Around the Gambler's den," Xie Lian rattled on, babbling nervously, "the weather is nice, very nice, ahahaha, and it's been so long since I trained…"
"Oh. But I haven't finished my story yet," Hua Cheng interjected, unceremoniously cutting his rambling short. "Didn't Your Highness want to hear?"
Xie Lian was fairly thick-skinned, but not when he was trapped in Hua Cheng's arms, burning up under his vast attention. All he could do was take, words failing him.
"I-I do, just… when you say things like these… San Lang!" face buried behind his palms, Xie Lian groaned helplessly, thinking unmentionable things.
Luckily, it was enough for Hua Cheng to understand. He pulled Xie Lian fully onto his lap, strong arms circling his waist to keep him in place. Head tucked under his chin, he instinctively relaxed in this position, lying pliant in Hua Cheng's embrace. The kindled flames spread inside, bones melting away in their wake.
"Now that Your Highness is comfortable, let me continue. First, I scraped it with my teeth," Hua Cheng carried on as if nothing happened, his lips brushing the top of Xie Lian's head, "then I slowly drew it into my mouth."
The murmurs tingled Xie Lian's scalp, the traveling sensations left him squirming. Hua Cheng surely realized the state he was in, nuzzling against dark hair as he ventured lower.
"W-Wasn't it too hard?" Xie Lian mumbled, toying with the edges of his sleeve, his feet kicking idly. "Or cold?"
Hua Cheng refuted with a low hum on his nape that resonated through Xie Lian's body, "I couldn't have wished for a better prize."
The kisses soon turned into passionate, teasing little nips, tugging at the hem of Xie Lian's robes. Just like the white robes loosened, Hua Cheng's voice, too, dropped low.
"Then I became greedy. I couldn't wait anymore to feel Your Highness' bun in my mouth," he sounded hoarse, almost desperate. "I wanted to make it mine. I gobbled; shamelessly, harshly. My appetite only grew with every bite."
"By the time only one, tiny piece was left. I gave it a goodbye kiss before placing it on the tip of my tongue. I made sure to roll that dainty last bit, committing its flavor to memory. I immediately knew I'm a gone man: gege gave me a craving."
Xie Lian's head began to spin. He imagined Hua Cheng with a cheeky gleam in his eyes, his red tongue peeking out after he scooped up the remains of the bun, licking the aftertaste off of his alluring, thin lips. Maybe he even smacked them together…
"It was the best steamed bun I've ever had," Hua Cheng finished.
The fire he desperately tried to ignore now raged, consuming Xie Lian's last coherent thoughts. He used the unfamiliar, demanding swirl of flames to forge everything into the courage he needed to speak his mind.
"San Lang…"
Hua Cheng was looking down at him in admiration, an all-knowing smile playing on his lips, "What is it, Your Highness?"
Someone shouted outside, boldly declaring his win and the cheering, booing crowd suppressed every other sound. However, Xie Lian knew that no matter what, Hua Cheng would hear him. He closed his eyes shut and whispered, "San Lang, I'm a little hungry…"
"Oh, is that so?" Hua Cheng hooked his thumb under Xie Lian's chin, gently tipping it up. "Should I feed Your Highness tonight?"
Without waiting for an answer, he closed the distance between them with a swift press of lips. Surprisingly, the kiss wasn't too unfettered, the weight of it not numbing but measured, yet inevitably sensual. When they broke apart a little breathless, through the hazy fog descending his mind, Xie Lian could only nod.
"As Your Highness wishes," Hua Cheng said, already taking out a pair of dice. "Let's head home and I'll prepare something delicious."
Sealing the promise with a quick peck on Xie Lian's forehead, he rolled two sixes. As they stepped through the curtain, what greeted them was no longer the uproar in the Gambler's den, but their little cottage on Taicang Mountain.
"San Lang, how come the dice led us here?" although it was a question, Xie Lian could already guess the answer. When they wished to change their daily errands to serene bliss, they often paid a visit here to enjoy a simple, domestic life.
Hua Cheng's next words only confirmed his suspicions, "Gege is a rare delicacy, I plan to enjoy him to the fullest."
They barely made it through the door when Hua Cheng backed him into a corner, pushed him up against the wall, and kissed him senselessly. Xie Lian was quick to cup Hua Cheng's cheeks in his hands to tame the intensity, lest he gets eaten alive. Lips parted just to meet again, tongues exploring, caressing each other in a smooth, slick glide. They barely stopped to catch their breath, hands tangled into hair. Xie Lian stood on his tiptoes, sneaking his arms around Hua Cheng's neck in a silent attempt to get closer. This was Hua Cheng's clue to cradle him into his embrace, confidently striding forward—not towards their bed, to Xie Lian's surprise.
"San Lang, you got it wrong. It's the kitchen this way."
Hua Cheng only stared straight ahead, never stopping in his steps, "Has gege ever heard of preparing a meal in the bedroom?"
"O-oh."
The cottage was small, and it only took a little time for Hua Cheng's long, nimble legs to reach the kitchen table where Xie Lian was placed gently. On top of it, he stammered, "H-here?"
Not that he was picky when it came to these things. In fact, just a few moments prior, he was even confused why Hua Cheng wouldn't take him against the wall. But now, splayed out on the kitchen table, given what they were discussing in the Gambler's den, it oddly felt as if Hua Cheng will be serving tonight, the dish none other than Xie Lian himself. Hua Cheng must have noticed his restlessness, because he held onto his hands tightly, lacing their fingers together.
"Don't be afraid, Your Highness," he reassured, voice even and unperturbed. "I promise I'll make sure that soon enough, you will be full."
"I'm not afraid," Xie Lian argued. Naturally, the double meaning wasn't lost on him, and the facetious joke made his racing pulse somewhat calm down—transferring all his blood into his newly forming, furious blush.
Seeing the effect he had on him, Hua Cheng took his chance to go on with the banter, pairing it up with bold touches that left Xie Lian gasping for air. First, he dipped his fingers under the hem of the white robe, then he meticulously folded it out of the way. His gaze remained trained on Xie Lian's every move, taking in every minuscule change; the blooming sheen of sweat that made the exposed skin impossibly white, the now flushed cheeks, ears, and shoulders, the rapid up and down of his chest.
Hua Cheng took his time, acting respectfully, treating Xie Lian as the finest meal imaginable. The hands undressing him were skilled and precise as always, only the tight furrow of Hua Cheng's eyebrows betrayed how he had to summon all his patience to not touch Xie Lian's feverish skin with his cool vambraces. But when he bowed his head down for titillating kisses and nips, he licked into his mouth as a ravenous beast would. Xie Lian sought a solution by grasping for Hua Cheng's own robes, but since Hua Cheng's usual determination now entangled with his domineering nature, all Xie Lian could do was wriggle him out of his red robes, leaving him in his sleeveless tunic.
This move earned Xie Lian a short, guttural sound he was forced to swallow, and a hand on his groins, fingers shamelessly skimming the outline of the now visible protrusion. It was Xie Lian's turn to gasp into Hua Cheng's mouth, turning high-pitched as his pants got dragged down. Hua Cheng broke the kiss, not only his touches, his silver tongue growing daring, too.
"Gege sure knows the saying 'To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven.' To me, gege is heaven. That's why I'm going to eat gege up."
Xie Lian looked at his solemn face, blinked a few times, then burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha, San Lang, just what kind of logic is this?!" Xie Lian exclaimed, eyes welling up with delighted tears. He added cheekily, "Don't tell me when you challenged the thirty-three heavenly officials you were beating the civil gods with this… feeding them with nonsense."
"There's only gege who I'm willing to feed." Hua Cheng looked at him, deadpan. "No one else."
Xie Lian let out a sound between a laugh and a whine.
"You're so bad," he said without a trace of seriousness in his voice, fingers mapping up the muscles on Hua Cheng's strong upper arms.
"The rice has been cooked. There's nothing gege can do about me now," Hua Cheng sighed dramatically, but the corner of his lips soon curved upwards as if remembering something amusing. "But that indeed is a tale worthy of telling. Maybe another day."
The world spun suddenly and Xie Lian found himself on all fours, facing the kitchen table with Huan Cheng supporting his legs, thumb digging into the soft skin of his inner thighs.
"Sa-San Lang!!" he cried out because this position still mortified him as enticing as it was. Anticipation prickled his skin, and his erection swelled.
"Warming up is crucial." Hua Cheng answered with small huffs, feeble breaths landing on his back as he moved near the stove to retrieve a jar. "Gege blessed me with the finest ingredients, now he has to be lenient with me."
"Since when I'm not?" Xie Lian grumbled, bending over more to rest his head on his elbows, his lower half still out in the open, like a bizarre, naked kowtow.
Hua Cheng ignored him, promptly sticking to oil Xie Lian's body up, narrating his steps as if reading out a recipe, "I have to knead thoroughly to remove any lumps and bumps to get a fluffy, mouth-watering dough."
The drops of drizzling oil got smeared, digits ran over his legs and torso, trailing and detouring, mere inches apart from Xie Lian's aching hardness, mercifully avoiding his ticklish sides. Accompanied by Hua Cheng's light chuckle, they contoured the shape of his ass, massaging it with purpose. His large palms slotted over perfectly, cupping the meat with both hands, pulling his cheeks apart.
For some indefinite time, nothing happened. Xie Lian briefly wondered about the reasons, until it hit him in the head with a threat of combustion.
"D-don't stare!" just having said that, a feeling of foreboding took him over.
"Hm? What's wrong? One should always check and taste while cooking."
Xie Lian tilted his head back just in time to see Hua Cheng's smirk, who immediately heeded those words, ducking his head just to bury his face between the wet tightness. It began with broad, flat licks that turned into teasing circles, their paths narrowing as they got closer to the entrance. The tip of his tongue wedged its way inside, first probing slowly, then with clear intent until the ring of muscles around it expanded, inviting him deeper inside.
"Ah mhn, oh!" the pleasure stealing his voice again, Xie Lian's moans got caught in his throat, only Hua Cheng's name could spill through occasionally. The skin-prickling, sloppy noises burnt his ears as he helplessly scrambled for a purchase the kitchen table couldn't offer.
Hua Cheng lapped at his most hidden places as if in hopes of the taste to not only lurk but to get imprinted on his tongue. It got replaced by fingers, granting him access to now switch to teasing little nips before sinking his teeth in, leaving purple-red marks, thoroughly claiming Xie Lian.
The fingers were relentless, sending shivers down his spine every time they prodded the spot inside him that never failed to make his body sing, numbing his mind with pleasure. His length was leaking as he felt his body tightening in a rapid approach to something he wasn't ready for just yet. Stripped from his inhibitions, he also realized he wanted, needed more.
"San Lang… D-don't tease anymore!“
"Why not? Gege is my precious mantou," he murmured, lips dragging over sensitive skin, teeth tugging on the soft, plump flesh, "And after I fill him up, he'll become my baozi."
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this, and he didn't have the time to do either because Hua Cheng effortlessly flipped him over, facing him once again. His hands were oily, holding onto Xie Lian's ankles in a grip that was neither light, nor strong, but aided him to slot their lower bodies together.
Hua Cheng didn't even bother to take off or to disperse his clothes into thin air, his cock popping out of his pants, its head straight up scorching against the copious amount of residual, cooling spit. Xie Lian watched as he lined himself up and gradually pressed inside with a low groan until he was buried up to the hilt. He found his rhythm after a few, experimental rocks, setting a pace that soon left them both panting.
Hua Cheng moved with grunts and bit-back moans, the praises never ceased, paired with harsh slapping sounds the oil only amplified.
"My gege, my god. Tempting and delectable."
Despite his words brimming with tenderness, his thrusts were sharp and deep.
"Gege is the only one who can quench my desire," voice becoming tight and strained, he picked up speed, every stutter of his hips was dictated by hunger. Listening to Hua Cheng losing composure like this was enormously exciting to hear for Xie Lian, his own debauched moans falling from his lips.
This was the kind of reaction Hua Cheng liked. Giving a delighted hum, the grip on his inner thighs tightened, massaging the muscles there. He pushed Xie Lian's legs up to his chest and started pounding into him with more force, effectively driving both of them towards madness.
Xie Lian was the first who felt the pleasure building up until it turned unbearable. He came with a low, throaty moan upon finding his release, his limbs becoming numb. He let Hua Cheng fuck him through it, his body demanding something in his overstimulated state.
Hua Cheng's low chuckle inclined it was not only his body, who was demanding…
"What was that, Your Highness?" Hua Cheng asked, blanketing his body with his own, still sticky from all the cum from Xie Lian's earlier release.
"Aren't you sated?" Hua Cheng's whisper lurked under the shell of Xie Lian's ears, accompanied by occasional teeth.
“Ah, a-hah! Sa-nhh-San Lang!"
"Are you feeling full?" he asked again, clearly holding back, his breath fanning Xie Lian's lips.
“N-No, haa-hh -no…!"
"No? Then what would it be?"
"San Lang, please. Do it, please, I need…"
He didn't even get to finish, because with a brusque grunt, Hua Cheng too, succumbed to pleasure, satisfying Xie Lian's unsaid need of filling him up to the brim.
Then came a loud 'CRACK'.
…a spanse of one incense time later, Xie Lian was gathering wood, stomping on the well-known path leading to the forest on Taicang Mountain, silently sulking. Hua Cheng, however, trailed after him in a strangely good mood, almost smug.
"Does that mean gege isn't going to cook something for me tonight?"
"I'm afraid I can't, we just broke the kitchen table." Xie Lian replied snarkily.
How strange, the more he reprimanded, the more Hua Cheng acted like a spoiled brat.
"But gege, I'm starving. I need to have a taste of your steamed buns."
"..."
"Gege…"
"... Alright." Xie Lian sighed, no longer focusing on his task to collect wood for their new kitchen table Hua Cheng swore to make. Rather, his heart aching with strange fondness, he threw a few heavy chunks of wood into Hua Cheng's extended hands.
There was a rumor in Ghost City, originating from a while back—when a white-clothed cultivator betted a half-eaten steamed bun—which in the end, turned out to be the undeniable truth: no mantou and baozi were safe in face of the Ghost King's appetite.