On a long, solitary road that seemed to have neither a beginning nor an end, there traversed a lavish wedding procession, escorting a sedan on the night of the Ghost Festival.

Those in the procession were decked in finery and wooden masks hid their faces. Various exaggerated expressions of joy were painted onto the masks. Ornate yellow lanterns swayed with every footstep, lighting the procession with a bright yet eerie light. They walked as one with a ceremonial cadence to their stride, the uniformity unsettling. Step, pause, step, pause, step.

The hollows of the night were threaded with their solemn melody. The ritualistic beat of drums melded with the haunting trill of a flute and the echoing clang of bells. Accompanying the music, the procession chanted as one:

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

On the path to Xijing,
As the cranes take wing,
Hear the copper bells ring,
And the wedding procession sing.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

Inside the sedan draped in brocaded red silk, studded with polished gems, and hung with golden tassels, Xie An lifted the edge of his veil heavy with embroidery and peered out.

It seemed they had begun the song anew. Was this the seventh or the eighth time? How much longer would it be before they reached their destination?

A breeze blew into the sedan, perfumed with the fragrance of spiced honey. Red petals floated in through the gaps in the fluttering curtains along with snatches of the song.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

Pure moonlight,
Dyes the flowers white.
Where our feet tread,
The flowers turn red.

Xie An carefully lifted one of the red petals to his nose. Yes, these flowers were the ones emitting the fragrance.

Another strong gust caused the curtains to dance and swept away the petals as swiftly as they had drifted in. Xie An looked at the solitary petal left in his hand and brought it up to smell it again. The familiar fragrance softened his gaze with memories.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

The night wind whips,
Silk shining with golden thread.
A pair of smiling lips,
Painted an auspicious red.

Xie An touched his lips and found that yes, he was indeed smiling. He looked at the red smudged on his fingertip and chuckled silently. He let the veil fall back down to cover his face.

For a coarse farmer’s son to be wearing so much finery and dolled up into a beauty was such a ridiculous notion. Especially when said son was just an unfavored, overlooked one.

And yet… his current appearance was the result of him being the center of his family’s attention for once, so Xie An couldn’t bring himself to hate it.

For the first time, Xie An had attracted his entire family’s focus, all because he was going to be married off to someone as important as a Gatekeeper.

Of course, all that attention came at a price: unprecedented torment.

To prepare for the wedding, Xie An had been dunked in various herbal baths and had his body scrubbed until it was on the verge of bruising. His hair had been soaked in strange goops while his skin had been slathered with pastes.

When it was all washed away, he hadn’t been able to stop sneezing at the intense floral scent emanating from his own body. The overpowering stench of a dozen unwashed men after a day of sweating in the field while slinging manure couldn’t match the headache the strong flowery scent had given him. Thankfully, the next wave of torture in the guise of applying cosmetics and creams to every inch of his skin managed to suppress the assault on his nostrils.

By the time he had been dressed and suitably adorned, Xie An had felt too numb to even care anymore. But when he had stepped into the sedan at midnight after the procession arrived at his house, the numbness had quickly dissipated.

He was about to marry the man he loved, a man he had truly met only once.

Another gust of wind blew into the sedan, and Xie An’s veil swung up to expose a glimpse of the nostalgic smile curving on his fair face.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

A breeze flutters the veil,
A pale curve revealed.
The tasseled curtains sway,
A smear of red on grey.

Xie An took another sniff from the flower petal in his hand and felt the memories suffuse him along with the scent.

It was exactly a year ago when he met his beloved.

On that idyllic day during the Ghost Festival, Xie An had been summoned by the village council, along with other unwed youngsters who were of age.

While Xie An had vaguely heard that all settlements in this region, including their village, took turns holding such a gathering on the Ghost Festival every few years, this was the first time he was to be a part of it. The last time their village sent out the summons, he was but a baby.

The gathering was held in the morning, in a large pavilion open on all sides and situated in the shaded glade by the village council. As Xie An joined the others, he noticed the tense atmosphere and the uneasy looks. He supposed the others must have heard something about this gathering from their families that caused such alarm.

As for his own family… well, none of his younger siblings were of age. He doubted his family even remembered that he would be called to the gathering this time. They were too busy following his father in preparing for the Ghost Festival and honoring his late mother. How could they have the mind to care about him? If they even noticed his absence, they would at most grumble at his audacity to be missing today of all days.

But Xie An was too used to their inconsideration to be bothered for long. No matter what was to happen today that caused such a fuss among the others in the pavilion, he’d adapt and get through it as he always did.

Ignoring the low buzz of the worried mutters filling the pavilion, Xie An casually leaned against a pillar with crossed arms and settled in to wait.

After half an hour the village council finally arrived while respectfully escorting a masked man garbed in black. When they stopped, the other elders stood to the back as if to allow the stranger to take the lead.

The village head bowed towards the stranger and waved towards the front of their group. “Lord Jing, please.”

The man silently stepped to the front, his presence imposing.

Xie An straightened with interest and studied the new face―er, mask among them.

Speaking of the mask, it was dark iron and carved into a dignified and expressionless mien. Ornate designs filled the mask’s forehead up to the brow. The two eyeholes swooped up at the ends like wings. The darkness of the stranger’s mask and attire together made him seem like a person-shaped hole cut through the fabric of the world rather than a living being.

Xie An’s gaze roved over the rest of him and noted that the man’s leather gloves, boots, and many layers of black robes seemed to be of exceptional quality and quite sturdy. The outer robe was decorated with complex embroidery surrounding the neck and the hem.

This man emanated a quiet yet oppressive weight, like a giant, otherworldly monolith of dark stone that had sat unmoving for millennia in an unexplored corner of the world, having stood the test of time unscathed and radiating the allure of mystery. Every aspect of this stranger seemed out of place in this mundane, dusty old village, like a slab of gleaming obsidian standing straight and tall in a common field.

Xie An itched to throw a handful of dirt at this man just to see a different color on this block of pristine shadow and make him stand out less.

The village head stepped forward and cleared his throat.

The pavilion fell into deathly silence.

The village head solemnly asked, “Who among you will accompany Lord Jing for a day?”

The young men and women all hastily looked down and stilled, like pitiful prey fearing that the slightest sound or movement would attract the predator’s notice.

Xie An looked around with puzzlement. Was this masked man’s reputation that terrifying? He hadn’t said a word and this group of young people, who were usually like a coop of squawking and bickering chicken, had gone as quiet as plucked poultry ready for the cooking pot.

Faced with this less than welcoming sight, Xie An expected the masked man to show some displeasure, maybe even get angry. But the man waited patiently as if he had expected this, as if he was so used to such a reception that he was unaffected.

Xie An felt a pinch in his heart. He knew how it was to be lonely and unwelcome. As much as he knew that this man’s circumstance wasn’t at all the same as his own, he still didn’t feel comfortable just standing by. Also, he had a feeling that if things were left as they were, the stalemate would just continue on and on until someone collapsed from hunger or a burst bladder, and the others would heave breaths in relief that the weakest among them could be offered to the scary man.

Xie An suppressed a chuckle. He shouldn’t find this as funny as he did.

As the tense silence stretched on and on, with the village head’s temple breaking out in sweat, Xie An spoke up, “I’ll accompany him.” Whatever that meant. Hopefully they meant it like a companion who showed the visitor around rather than a bed companion.

The others turned to him with shock and relief, some even patting their chests as if finally able to breathe again. The village elder’s shoulders relaxed even as his gaze grew tinted with guilt and worry. He motioned for Xie An to step closer. “Boy, come and let Lord Jing take a look at you.”

Xie An went to stand before the gloomy Lord Jing and peered up curiously. Ah, what a cheerful ray of spring sunshine you are, he commented to himself sarcastically.

The masked man leaned closer and reached up towards his face. A vague, spicy-sweet scent tickled Xie An’s nostrils. Xie An instinctively bent back with wide eyes. Hey, no touchy!

The village head snapped at him, “Stand properly and let him read your face to see if you’re suitable.”

Xie An looked at him doubtfully. “Suitable for what? A sacrifice during the full moon?”

Xie An swore he heard the masked man let out a quiet laugh. It echoed strangely through the mask.

“What? No!” the village head replied irritably. “Lord Jing has a…special constitution, so those who stay around him for a while need to have a constitution that can withstand it. Reading your face will help him know if you’re suitable, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Xie An immediately straightened and lifted up his face.

After a pause, Lord Jing’s glove-clad hand gently gripped his chin. Though Xie An could see nothing past the two shadowed eyeholes cut into the mask, he felt the man’s gaze roving over his face. It made Xie An’s skin tingle and he felt self-conscious. So he tried to stiffen up his face into a suitably dignified expression hoping it would say only good things about him while being read.

The masked man chortled softly and leaned back, then gave the village head a small nod.

The village head let out a breath in relief and patted Xie An’s shoulder. “Listen well to Lord Jing and nothing will happen.”

And that didn’t sound ominous at all. Xie An suppressed a sigh and showed a cheerful grin instead. “Of course!”

Shaking his head as if he could already see troubles on his horizon, the village head turned to the masked man to speak a few words in courtesy before hurrying to discuss things with the other elders. The other summoned youngsters didn’t want to risk staying any longer and hastily bowed in goodbye to the masked man before fleeing like their tail feathers were on fire.

“Like chicken before a wolf,” Xie An snickered.

Lord Jing turned to him.

Xie An told him seriously, “I think you’re more like a giant black beetle though.”

Lord Jing, “……?” Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?

Xie An went on, “You’re silent, imposing, and tend to freak people out, because who can guess whether or not a beetle that size is poisonous and if its bite can cause an entire finger to swell up painfully for several weeks?” He stroked his left index finger and bitterly added, “Or maybe that’s just me.”

Lord Jing, “……” He should’ve guessed that any young man who volunteered to accompany him would be at least one egg short of a dozen, sanity-wise.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.” Xie An smiled sunnily and sketched a short bow. “I’m Xie An. My family owns and farms the lands you must’ve passed by on your way in.” He straightened. “I guess I’ll be accompanying you for today. You can count on me to answer your questions and show you the sights. Is there anywhere in particular you want to go first?”

Lord Jing remained still and silent, and Xie An had the feeling that his enthusiasm may have left the other man at a loss. Taking pity on him, he pulled Lord Jing by the arm and declared, “Well, let’s just look around then and you tell me if you want to know something. Off we go now.”

Lord Jing let himself be dragged forward and adjusted his stride to match the younger man’s quick one. They exited the pavilion and were about to step out of the glade. Just when Xie An was delighting in Lord Jing’s obedience, the other man abruptly stopped, causing Xie An to jerk to a halt as well.

Xie An turned back. “What’s wrong?”

Lord Jing shook his head.

If there was nothing wrong, why did he stop? Xie An frowned and pulled on Lord Jing’s arm but found him immovable. Xie An blinked and yanked harder. Lord Jing still didn’t budge. He didn’t even look like he was straining to stay in place.

Now Xie An was intrigued.

“Just how strong and heavy are you?” Xie An muttered wonderingly and began amusing himself with trying to push or pull Lord Jing in various angles, all to no avail.

Sensing his enthusiasm, Lord Jing silently indulged his experiment.

Growing increasingly adventurous, Xie An hugged Lord Jing from behind and pressed the full weight of his body into the older man’s back, straining to make him bend forward. Lord Jing easily remained in place.

“Oi, Xie An!” a passing-by girl’s shout rang out. “You seem to have very quickly gotten real familiar with that visitor! But limit your acts of affection to your bedroom!”

Xie An sprang back with a red face and glared at the girl. But the girl had already begun walking away. So he shifted his glare towards Lord Jing. Even though he couldn’t see past his mask, he could almost feel his amusement! Or maybe he was just projecting his expectations onto his victim.

Either way, Xie An decided Lord Jing was to blame and accused huffily, “It’s your fault for not moving!”

Lord Jing’s sigh reverberated strangely through his mask. Despite being muffled by the iron barrier, his voice flowed smooth and deep, “I would prefer not to be under direct sunlight. Though the energy drain is infinitesimal, it causes discomfort.”

Xie An blinked. “What do you mean?”

Reverting to silence as if unused to speaking, Lord Jing shrugged.

Xie An decided not to press him and instead ordered, “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He sped away and returned within ten minutes to find Lord Jing still dutifully standing in place. Letting out a breath in relief, he loped over and held the umbrella he’d gone to fetch over the older man.

Lord Jing turned to him.

Xie An grinned. “Now you won’t be directly under the sun. Honestly, you should have thought this through before you came outside. How did you even get this far in your travel without an umbrella to protect you?”

Lord Jing maintained his silence. This young man seemed completely oblivious to his identity. Lord Jing would rather not enlighten him than risk this young man growing frightened of him like the other villagers.

“Ah, well,” Xie An easily dismissed his own questions. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Now that I’m here as your volunteer companion for the day, I’ll make sure you’re safe, comfortable, and having fun.” He offered the umbrella’s handle with a smile. “Here, take it.”

Lord Jing stared at the smiling young man for a long moment then carefully accepted the handle.

The pair began walking again, with Xie An leading him along the most shaded pathways.

Acrid smoke drifted into the street. Some of it was from the joss paper and incense sticks being burnt as offerings for loved ones who had passed away, while the rest was from the paper money burnt in the hopes of appeasing any nearby wandering ghosts so they wouldn’t make trouble. Most storefronts were closed, but some people still busied about. The villagers always grew quiet and respectful when they caught sight of Lord Jing passing by. Some bowed, uncertain of what else to do, while others hurriedly looked down with tense postures.

Lord Jing expected the strained and solemn atmosphere to dampen the young man’s spirits and thought it would be a shame for that bright smile to dim. But Xie An seemed to not even notice the other villagers. He was too used to being ignored, and in turn ignoring others, to care about conforming to the mood. He did his best to shield Lord Jing from the atmosphere with his cheer and kept chattering without lowering his volume at all.

Before he knew it, Lord Jing found himself walking closer by the young man than before. This was a much pleasanter place to be.

“Say, what’s your name?” Xie An asked. “And where are you from? What work do you do? I just realized I don’t know anything about you.”

Lord Jing replied, “I’m Jing You, guardian of the Xijing Gate.” The young man could make of that what he would.

And Xie An did just that. “Oh, so you guard the gate for someplace called Xijing? Is it a brothel?”

Jing You, “……”

Sensing that he was rendered at a loss again, Xie An chuckled happily.

Jing You watched him quietly. This young man never seemed to run out of ways to amuse himself.

His interest piqued about Xie An, he asked, “Why did you agree to accompany me?”

Xie An looked at him. “Mn?”

“You must have noticed the others’ caution, even if you seem to not know the reason for it,” Jing You said, his voice echoing from the mask. “Why did you still agree?”

Hands folded behind his head, Xie An explained casually, “Well, I didn’t like the thought of you ending up alone and uncomfortable. And it isn’t like anyone will miss me if I’m gone, so I can afford to gamble with my life.”

After a moment of silence, Jing You asked, “Why do you consider being treated as such by others to be normal?”

For a moment, Xie An didn’t know how to reply. He smiled awkwardly as he said, “That’s a long and boring story. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

Jing You patiently waited.

Xie An shrugged and began, “My mother was a lovely and outgoing person who was always ready to cheer others up and offer help when needed. The entire village loved her and my father had to struggle against many other suitors before successfully wooing her. She ended up dying while birthing me. Father blamed me and…the sentiment kind of stuck around.

“Father later remarried and went on to have a couple of concubines as well, but he still loved his late wife. It makes his current wife and concubines either feel resentful or indifferent towards me, and they feed my father’s dissatisfaction at me in the hopes that I won’t hog all the inheritance. Knowing that I had no backing made me an easy target to be bullied, I suppose.”

Mind wandering, Xie An recounted, “There were a few instances where Father’s lack of care towards me fed the gossipers’ tongues for a while, like that time when I got lost and it took Father days to realize, or that time when Father had the entire family get their fortunes read by a passing by Daoist. Father ended up forgetting my name and giving out a wrong one in full view of the rest of the village. I was pitied but also endlessly mocked as someone who had such bad fortune that it not only negated my mother’s good karma and caused her to die, it also caused my own family to treat me so callously.”

Xie An chuckled softly and shook his head. “Of course, I don’t let any of that nonsense get to me. Some of the villagers who sympathize with me told me that my mother had already known she might die and still chose to give birth to me, so I shouldn’t blame myself. I won’t deny that I felt guilty for the longest while. But I don’t anymore.”

Jing You’s steps slowed and he grew silent in thought. Then he asked, “Do you hate your family?”

Xie An laughed and shook his head. “At most, I just don’t care about them, just like they don’t care about me.” He paused, then continued in a wistful tone, “There are times when I wondered what it might be like to have their attention and regard for even just a day—just a few hours, even—but I know better than to hope for such things now. I would rather focus on being cheerful and making myself happy than wallow in such things.”

Jing You said, “I think you’re well on your way there.”

Xie An grinned. “Me too!”

The thread of understanding strengthened between them, bringing a vague feeling of closeness, and they settled into a companionable silence as they walked.

The morning passed as Xie An took Jing You to various little nooks and crannies of the village he thought were interesting, like the cluster of strangely capped mushrooms at the back of an abandoned house, a small bush of adorable wildflowers growing within a circle of tall boulders, a nest of baby pigeons in the eaves of a clothing store, the one tree in an old man’s backyard that sometimes dropped its delicious fruits outside the fence…

While Jing You had visited the village countless times since its founding, this was the first time he had the chance to see it from this close. And Xie An’s proud little smiles when he shared these secret places he’d discovered and the happy gleam in the young man’s eyes when Jing You showed interest in them caused Jing You’s heart to warm. Being with Xie An was slowly dusting off layers of his ennui and bringing back the joy in life.

When afternoon came, Xie An was in the midst of strolling among the fields with Jing You.

“…And see that large patch of wheat over there?” Xie An pointed in a certain direction.

Under the shade of the umbrella, Jing You dutifully turned to see where he was pointing.

Xie An sheepishly said, “Well, I guess you can’t make out the wheat when it’s still young, but either way, that’s the field being cultivated by the children of that old man whose tree I said drops fruits occasionally. And that beside it is that bald old uncle’s―”

“Look, it’s Xie An!” a little boy’s shout interrupted them.

A gaggle of boys had congregated in one of the fields, probably charged with pulling weeds. All turned towards Xie An at the first boy’s shout. Most looked uninterested and went back to work while some showed ridiculing expressions.

One of them sneered, “Be careful and stay away from him. My mother says he’s bad luck and if you get too close to him, it’ll rub off!”

Another snickered. “And what? Our father will forget our names too like Uncle Xie did for him? How pathetic!”

Xie An rolled his eyes and bared his teeth at them. He continued walking as he spoke to Jing You, “Anyway, as I was saying, that paddy beside the old man’s grows rice and―”

Shrill screams suddenly sounded and Xie An whipped around.

The boys who had been ridiculing him had all gone white with fear. Some of them trembled fiercely, on the verge of tears, while others had fallen backwards. Following their gazes, Xie An saw Jing You, who was still standing at the same place and was just refastening his iron mask.

Xie An looked like he had just realized something. “Ah, so that’s why you wear a mask!”

Jing You paused. “You saw?”

Xie An solemnly said, “No, but I can guess the reason.”

Jing You turned to him. “Oh?”

“For you to always wear a mask and to make kids scream when you take it off… you must be exceptionally hideous.”

Jing You froze. Then sighing, he began walking away, muttering under his breath, “You’re such an idiot.”

Behind him, Xie An yelled, “Wait, what was that? Did the dignified Lord Jing just call me an idiot?!”

Ignoring him, Jing You kept striding away.

Xie An laughed and observed gleefully, “Now that you’re speaking more, your true personality is starting to peek through the wall of steel!”

Jing You paused, then continued walking.

He had indeed begun to feel more like himself than he had in centuries. But as if he’d admit it to this idiot who dared to call him ugly!

Laughing harder, Xie An ran to catch up with him. Seeing a new side of this person felt delightful! He wondered what other new sides he’d get to see by the end of the day.

When afternoon verged on evening, Xie An brought Jing You outside the village to escape the smoke from all households burning incense at their thresholds and choking the streets.

In the village outskirts, Xie An laid on the grass under the shade of a tree while Jing You sat beside him, one leg extended while the other was pulled up to support his elbow.

“Ahh, so tired…” Xie An groaned, looking not the least bit tired.

Jing You remarked, “And here I thought you had boundless energy like a toddler.”

“If I started throwing a tantrum like a toddler, would you feed me milk?” Xie An asked playfully.

Jing You snorted and pretended to pat his chest as if searching for something. “Sorry, no milk production possible here. I suppose I can only give you away.”

Xie An laughed. “Mean!”

Jing You’s gloved hand twitched as if wanting to reach over. “Alright, maybe I’d buy you milk and raise you to pass the time. Happy?”

Xie An grinned. “Yes, ecstatic.”

Shaking his head, Jing You smiled under his mask.

Xie An squinted at the sky and cheerfully pointed up. “Look, look, doesn’t that cloud resemble a misshapen pancake?”

Jing You peered up and sighed. Technically, every one of those shapeless clouds could be said to look like a misshapen pancake. Realizing something, he asked astutely, “Are you hungry?”

Rubbing his stomach, Xie An shrugged. “A little.”

“Did you even eat anything today?” Jing You interrogated with narrowed eyes. He’d almost forgotten that humans needed to consume food many times each day. As for whether it was a couple of times or a dozen times… he no longer remembered such pesky details.

Xie An gave him a sheepish smile. “I haven’t gotten this week’s allowance so I couldn’t afford to. I’ll stop by the eatery near my house tonight. The auntie finds a way to save leftovers for me even when the shop is closed.”

Jing You frowned. “Why not eat at your house? Can they not afford to feed you?”

Grimacing, Xie An answered, “As you may have gathered, my family dislikes me. I’d rather not sit at a table with them and struggle through an entire meal while feeling unwelcome.”

“I see,” Jing You murmured. “Well, what caused you to lose your allowance this time? Or do they always stiff you?”

Xie An shrugged. “It’s nothing new, really. I haven’t missed even an hour of my share of work in the fields this week, so I suppose Father just forgot to give me spending money again. When Father remembers, he’ll apologize gruffly and give me all I’m due at once, so no worries.”

As if to contradict his ‘no worries’, Xie An’s stomach grumbled. Xie An laughed and winked at Jing You. “See? My shy little stomach is finally saying hello to you.”

Jing You chuckled. “Get up. I’ll pay, so let’s go and get you something to eat.”

Xie An sat up and looked at him with shining eyes. “Can we have spicy pancakes?”

Standing and lifting up the umbrella, Jing You nodded. “Yes, you can have all the spicy pancakes you want. Now come and show me where we can get them.”

Cheering happily, Xie An sprang up and led Jing You towards the cozy little shop that sold the best savory pancakes he knew of. Though the shop was closed for the Ghost Festival, the aunty who owned it lived right above and was willing to make some pancakes at Xie An’s request and even packaged them for him.

Xie An found another comfortable spot at the edge of the village, where small white wildflowers swayed in the breeze and there were boulders aplenty to serve as seats as long as one knew to check for snakes and millipedes in the crevices beforehand.

Xie An perched on a boulder after doing a routine check and swung his legs to and fro as he unwrapped the pancakes. He had half expected Jing You to either refuse the food altogether or ask to eat somewhere alone to avoid showing his face. But to spite Xie An’s misunderstanding of his face being too ugly to be shown, Jing You deliberately pulled away the bottom half of his mask in preparation to eat.

Xie An sneakily looked over and his eyes widened.

His gaze was transfixed over the beautiful line of Jing You’s jaw, his sharp chin, and the finely carved pair of thin, red lips. Xie An’s enchantment was written all over his face as he gaped. Seeing it, Jing You’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as he unwrapped his own share of food and brought it to his mouth.

Out of habit, Jing You kept his lips as close together as possible while he bit down. The way he ate held a slow deliberateness, as if he assigned importance to every small movement. Xie An found it strangely hypnotizing and relaxing to watch.

Jing You noted amusedly, “You’ve been staring at me for a while. Is looking at me going to fill your stomach?”

Xie An came out of his reverie and chomped down on his pancake with gusto. After chewing and swallowing, he replied, “As they say, watching a beauty stimulates the appetite.”

Jing You instinctively hid his mouth behind a hand as he chuckled, pleased.

“Why are you covering your mouth when you aren’t even chewing?” Xie An asked curiously. “Wait, could it be that…”

Jing You slowly turned to him.

“…your teeth are blackened and falling out?” Xie An finished. “If you grinned at those kids with such teeth, no wonder they were terrified into pissing their pants.”

Jing You, “……”

Unwilling to engage with this infuriating fellow, Jing You took a large, vindictive bite out of his pancake and muttered under his breath, “Damned little fool.”

“Eh? What did you say? Badmouthing me again?” Xie An leaned closer and grinned. “And are you sure you should be eating something solid with your teeth like that? I can get you some filling congee to drink if you want.”

Jing You planted a palm on that annoying little face to push it away and turned away with a growl. “Just shut up and eat!”

Xie An chortled. It seemed his companion was a bit vain when it came to his looks. Fueled by the cheer of discovering another aspect of this man, Xie An contended himself with stuffing his belly.

Time flew in this way. At the end of the day Xie An took Jing You to watch the sunset from the top of the tallest tree in the area.

Orange-gold rolled down from the horizon to gild every individual leaf in sight and spill over the land below as shadows deepened. The sky was afire with reds and oranges while purplish black encroached from above, paving the way for the parade of stars to come.

Sitting on a branch, Xie An asked softly, “Do you know where you’re going to stay for the night?”

Perched beside him, Jing You shook his head. “I won’t be staying here too long after night falls. I have to return.”

Xie An hummed in response. All this while, he had managed to go without asking Jing You about whatever it was he was hiding. Xie An was used to making light of serious situations and he had made it a habit to not get too involved with people. He knew he should continue acting dumb so that when they parted at night, it wouldn’t feel as lonely. And yet…

Turning away from the sinking sun, Xie An nervously rubbed his palms on his thighs and said, “I don’t know what your circumstances are, but…if you need my help or want to tell me anything, you know you can, right?”

Jing You was surprised, but remained silent.

Xie An let out a laugh and shook his head. “It’s fine if you don’t want to though. Don’t worry about it.”

As the sun sank, a strange quiet filled with unspoken things stretched between them.

Xie An tried to lighten the mood. “Well, looks like you won’t need that umbrella for long.”

Jing You looked at him for a long moment, then spoke, “Didn’t you want to know how I made it this far without an umbrella before?”

Xie An turned to him, startled.

Jing You leapt down and Xie An hurried to follow him by climbing down with a confused frown.

Facing the young man, Jing You said, “Well, this is how.”

Jing You set down the umbrella. Xie An was just about to voice his concern when his gaze stopped above Jing You’s head.

Shimmery blackness unfolded above Jing You, like a blooming flower, and fell down to drape over him completely. The airy veil was like a translucent manifestation of the night sky, dark yet sparkling with tiny pinpoints of light. It shifted and flowed under an unearthly wind of its own.

Xie An stared at it, shocked yet enthralled.

Jing You’s voice issued from underneath, “This midnight veil keeps all sunlight away. I can make myself invisible along with it if need arises. This is how I journey by foot when the rare occasion demands it. Usually, I ride the black swans living at the Starlight Pond in my domain.”

Xie An could only gape, not knowing how to react to any of this. He blurted out, “Are you a Daoist or…some other type of mystic?”

Jing You took a deep breath and vanished the veil. Sundown had already passed and the soft black of night pooled around them.

“Technically, I’m not human at all,” he answered. The deep echo of his voice as it passed through the mask gained a layer of eeriness in the dark. “Do you truly want to know more?”

Xie An swallowed nervously and took a step back. What was even the point of knowing the deep, dark secrets of a person he’d have to part with soon anyway? And yet…this was the same Jing You who had spent the day with him, first silently, then while bickering. This was the Jing You who obediently waited in place while he went to fetch the umbrella, who scared a bunch of kids because they had been hurtling hurtful words at him, who silently listened to him as he spilled out his grievances about his family, who bought him food when he realized he was hungry…

Xie An pressed his lips together and nodded decisively. “Yes, I want to know more about you.”

Jing You stilled in surprise, then spoke, “Very well.” He reached up and unfastened his mask before carefully taking it off.

And the spell suppressing his inhuman attributes finally came undone.

Thick, reddish horns thrust out of the sides of his temples, each splitting into three at the base and spreading back and up in the shape of wings. His skin turned pale as the moon while his silky black hair floated on intangible winds.

Beneath the iron mask, Jing You’s face was stunning. Thick lashes framed his eyes as they swooped upwards at the ends while dark red lined the edges of his upper eyelids. His irises were a startling silvery black sliced by thin, vertical pupils. His nose was straight and proportionate, while his lips were thin and glistened a glassy red.

Jing You was hauntingly beautiful, yet it was the sort of uncanny beauty that evoked primal fear at first glance. It was as if humans had once learned to fear such unearthly beings so deeply that it was forever imprinted into their racial memory.

So was it any surprise that Xie An’s first reaction was to yelp and hide behind the nearest tree?

Jing You, “……”

Xie An slowly poked his head from behind the trunk, only his round eyes showing.

Jing You strived to stay perfectly still, wary of alarming the young man further.

After Xie An had some time to familiarize himself with the concept of his foreboding masked companion turning into a freaky beauty, he gingerly stepped out from behind the tree, one foot carefully placed in front of the other.

Jing You’s lips twitched. What was he, a beehive bristling with angry bees or some ferocious animal?

Xie An stopped an arm’s length from Jing You and tentatively reached a hand towards his face.

Unable to hold back his aggrievance, Jing You suddenly snapped his sharp teeth at the nearing hand.

Startled, Xie An screeched and leapt back, almost stumbling.

Jing You bent over laughing. His voice sounded even more smooth and pleasant without the mask.

Xie An reddened and pointed a shaking finger at him. “Y-Y-You…bastard! Absolute mean bastard!”

Jing You only laughed harder.

But after this, somehow, the unfamiliarity and alienation Xie An felt with him disappeared.

Still high on his embarrassed anger, Xie An marched up to Jing You and squished his cheeks. “Stop laughing, you…” Xie An blinked and squeezed his cheeks again. “Ah, it doesn’t feel like some reptile’s leathery skin at all.”

Jing You bared his sharp teeth at him. “Why thank you for that generous compliment.”

Xie An continued rubbing his cheeks and hummed. “Huh, it feels quite smooth and cool. When summer rolls around, hugs from you are going to be in high demand.” Finally withdrawing his hands, Xie An narrowed his eyes and declared, “I call dibs on you in advance!”

Jing You chuckled while shaking his head helplessly. Oh, this lovable little fool…

“So, what’s up with you?” Xie An tilted his head and inquired. “Were you born like this or were you cursed by some evil god or demonic cultivator?”

Jing You rolled his eyes. “I was like this when I manifested.”

Xie An blinked. “Manifested?”

Folding his arms, Jing You nodded and explained, “I came to be as I am and was given a very specific purpose. As long as that purpose exists, so will I.”

“And what purpose would that be? Slinking around in all-black and scaring children with your freakishly pretty face?” Xie An quipped.

Jing You squinted in pleasure at his appearance being praised. With the sharp beauty of his face, it made him look particularly sinister, but Xie An thought it was cute.

Jing You replied, “I’m the Gatekeeper who guards one of the gates that connect this world to the Netherworld.”

Xie An opened his mouth as if to say something.

“And no, I don’t mean some brothel named Netherworld. I mean the Netherworld quite literally,” Jing You snapped.

Xie An closed his mouth with an innocent expression as if he hadn’t been about to comment that.

Jing You continued, “I live in a domain partially entrenched in both worlds. I open the gates for the entirety of the seventh month and watch over as the dead leave to visit the living and return. The Ghost Festival in the middle of the seventh month is the only time I can venture out. The rest of the time, I keep close watch so no one crosses the gates from either side. While I am granted immense power so I can fulfill my job, it also means that I am a being who is not fully compatible with either the mortal or nether realm.”

Xie An looked at him with fascination. “So that’s why you only visit us during the day of the Ghost Festival?”

Jing You nodded.

“Then what about the thing with not liking to be under sunlight?” Xie An prompted. “And you can’t always spend the rest of the year staring at some rusty old gates, can you? What else do you do?”

Smiling, Jing You answered, “As a being between two worlds, I need yin energy as much as I need yang energy to be healthy. But sunlight tends to dissipate yin energy, causing me discomfort though it does no true damage. And since I’m bound to the gates by my very existence, I don’t have to physically watch them to monitor them. I spend most of my time alone in my domain with company from the familiars provided to me by the Ruler of the Netherworld or the rare visitors. That is why I venture out now and then during the Ghost Festival and see if I can find someone who agrees to spend the day with me, or maybe even an eternity.”

Xie An was startled, but Jing You went on, “For eons, the settlements of this region have passed word of me from generation to generation. As the stories grow a bit more embellished each time, they feel both indebted and fearful towards me. After I once expressed my wish for a companion during my stay outside, they have made it a custom for whichever settlement I’d be visiting to provide one for me. Of course, I leave it up to them if they want to accompany me.

“When someone agrees to accompany me, I do a face reading to determine if they would be able to withstand being next to me a whole day, since those purely of the living world can sometimes have their life energy worn away due to too much proximity to me. If their constitution isn’t that fragile, and it’s rare for someone to be that weak, I allow them to accompany me for the day. If I grow to like them by the end of the day, I give them this.”

Jing You pulled off a strand of his long hair and presented it to Xie An.

And rather than joking about being gifted hair, Xie An asked with wonder, “You actually like me?”

Jing You smiled softly and nodded.

Xie An grinned happily and shook the hair strand. “How do I use this?”

Taking the strand from him, Jing You carefully wove it around Xie An’s wrist in an intricate pattern. Patting it, Jing You said, “Wear this if you would like to allow me more time with you. Of course, you can remove this whenever you want.”

Xie An studied it curiously. “What does it do?”

Jing You answered, “Sleeping is considered a partial death, and the dreamscape created when one sleeps is very similar to my domain that hovers between the world of the living and dead. As long as you have this on while sleeping, you’ll be permitting my domain to touch the domain of your dreams, melding them into one. After today, I find that I would like to spend more time with you and the dreams will help with that. We can get to know each other better and see if we’d like to take things further and marry.”

Xie An stroked the strand wound around his wrist and prodded, “And what happens if we do?”

Jing You took a moment to reply, “If we do decide to marry, I would send a wedding procession of familiars to come get you on the night of the Ghost Festival. You will be escorted to my domain, where we will be wedded. It will make you as much a part of the domain as me, which means you won’t be able to leave it except for the day of the Ghost Festival. In return, your time will stop and you will stay young and healthy, but your life will be tied to mine for eternity.

“Such a promise is monumentally weighty so I understand if you never choose to. I will still cherish the time we spend together, and I will continue to accompany you in your dreams as long as you keep choosing to wear the strand.”

Xie An felt a little dazed. He had never imagined that someone would extend such a proposition to a person as unwanted as him. Xie An had loved spending time with Jing You today and had begun missing him even before they parted. Yet now he learned that he could not only maintain this connection through fantastical means, Jing You was even willing to give him the chance to get closer to him and marry him!

As for spending an eternity together and only being able to leave Jing You’s domain once a year, Xie An didn’t think it would be that bad as long as he didn’t have to spend all that time alone. He also didn’t have much attachment to his village or anything else this side of the Yellow Springs. And he supposed the time spent before he decided would help him determine if it was worth it. If Jing You continued to be half as nice to be with as he had been all of today, Xie An would happily jump at the chance to be tied to him for as many eternities as he could get.

Trying to not get too excited, Xie An pragmatically tried to consider any major drawbacks to their possible romance. The only issue he could think of was… if they did end up in a relationship together, would he be expected to be the one at the bottom? Xie An had seldom considered such things, but when he did, he had never thought about being the one receiving his lover. However, with what he’d seen of Jing You, he did not seem to be someone who would allow himself to be pushed down either.

Then again, Xie An supposed with someone as exceptional as Jing You, it was expected that some concessions would have to be made. Besides, he was getting ahead of himself. He hadn’t even voiced his acceptance yet!

When Xie An looked up at Jing You, he found the other man standing still and staring at him with barely suppressed intensity.

Xie An cleared his throat self-consciously. “I accept.”

Jing You blinked in surprise. “You do?”

Xie An looked away and nodded. “I-I like you too. Today was the most fun I had in years. If I can spend more time with you like this, and even have the chance to become your lover…” Xie An met Jing You’s gaze and expressed sincerely, “Then yes. A thousand times yes!”

A beatific smile spread over Jing You’s lips. “Then I suppose we’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”

“Let’s hope you don’t get fed up of me soon, then,” Xie An returned. Seeming to remember something, he asked, “Oh, by the way, do you always have your horns out?”

Unprepared for the change in topic, Jing You nodded instinctively. “Yes, why?”

Xie An grinned and peered up at the horns. “Because then I can constantly make jokes about you being horny.”

A startled laugh burst out of Jing You. He chided almost affectionately, “You silly little idiot.”

Xie An batted his eyelashes. “But you like me anyway.”

Jing You chuckled. “Goodness help me, but yes.”

Xie An’s mind surfaced from the memories and returned to the sedan. He smiled and stroked the strand of hair still wrapped around his wrist.

The familiars making up the procession outside sang out in a timely manner:

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

As the day is lulled to sleep,
And the night grows deep.
The ebony strand is spun,
Linking two hearts into one.

Xie An let out a soundless chuckle. Indeed. Their hearts had grown close purely due to this single strand connecting them together from that day on.

Still holding the flower petal smelling of spiced honey, Xie An closed his eyes in the sedan and fell back into fond memories.

After he and Jing You parted on the night of the Ghost Festival a year ago, Xie An made sure to keep that strand of hair around his wrist while laying down to sleep every day. And every day, he dreamed of opening his eyes in Jing You’s unusual domain.

At first, Xie An only spent hours in Jing You’s domain. But as he grew closer and closer with Jing You and eventually fell in love, his stay in the domain increased to days, then weeks, all while fitting into the duration of night to daybreak in the mortal world. According to Jing You, his subconscious wish to stay with his lover longer made time pass differently between their worlds, causing the phenomenon. Thankfully, Jing You had a good enough grasp of the time outside that they didn’t need to worry about it going out of control.

But this meant that the time Xie An spent with Jing You was much more than just the duration he slept in the mortal world. And as the days passed, Xie An grew increasingly familiar and comfortable with Jing You’s domain, until the fantastical sights within didn’t seem as strange anymore.

But the first time Xie An had ventured in, he had felt discomfited in this realm swathed in perpetual night. The starry sky seemed so much closer and vibrant here while the peace and calm felt a bit eerie.

In the center of the domain nestled Jing You’s residence, a sprawling mansion that was vast, shadowed, and quiet. The residence’s outer rooms were appointed with minimalistic elegance while the private chambers were more plushly comfortable. Along with the yellow lanterns swaying from the eaves in an even line, the residence also received illumination from intricate designs on the ceilings woven with luminescent threads and studded with glowing gems.

A plant with slender emerald stems and small lilac flowers had managed to extend its vines over almost every wall of the residence. Xie An had been shocked to learn that rather than a bothersome weed, this plant was not only sentient, but also the steward of the residence.

When Xie An asked it questions, the plant would reply by tracing glowing characters onto the wall. Xie An soon discovered that the plant especially liked to be addressed by the title of Steward and showed it by shaking its vines happily and opening its flowers to full bloom, like a plant equivalent of proudly puffing one’s chest out.

Speaking of the residence’s odd denizens, one type looked like small balls of black fluff that ranged from the size of a pea to that of an adult’s fist. They merrily rolled around the house, often bumping into or bouncing off things without damage. Jing You informed him that they were part of the cleaning crew and their primary food source was dust.

Xie An was both fascinated and dazed by all these strange things. Looking around, he asked Jing You, “As cute as they all are, don’t you have anyone you can talk to? Maybe someone more…humanoid?”

Jing You replied, “I do have humanoid familiars, but they mostly remain silent. You can recognize them by how they always wear wooden masks and paint expressions on them according to the occasion. They do love to play music and sing, but otherwise remain devoted to their duties. They are the main working force and take care of the residence so smoothly that they are seldom even visible.”

Of course, this made Xie An try his best to find these mysterious masked familiars, all without success. Later, Jing You smugly told him that the familiars enjoyed playing hide-and-seek with him and asked him to continue the game. Xie An gladly accepted the challenge and set off to find them with renewed determination, though it yielded little results. All Xie An had to show for his efforts were the notes in exquisite calligraphy he often found during his searches that encouraged him to continue playing and a bellyful of treats left alongside the notes.

Due to this, Xie An had soon explored most of the residence and was curious about the sights outside. And so, Jing You took him to a place he had mentioned before―the Starlight Pond.

The Starlight Pond was situated behind the residence and was home to Jing You’s preferred mounts, the black swans. When Xie An first saw it, his jaw dropped open.

Giant bluish-green stalks thrust out of the water, some bearing flat, round leaves the size of a room while others held huge, translucent lotuses that pulsed with a soft blue inner glow. Large swans with ruby eyes and lustrous black feathers tucked their heads under their wings and rested on the leaves. The smaller ones snuggled within the lotuses, occasionally peeking at Jing You as if to check if he was bringing any food out.

The gentle waves rippling the water’s surface were edged with light. The bottom of the pond was covered in glowing crystals in pastel blue, purple, green, and white. Light gathered from these crystals in bubbles and slowly floated up. Some of it was absorbed by the lotus stalks, with streams of light visibly traveling up the stems and into the flowers or leaves to line their edges. The rest of the bubbles of light coalesced into large blobs that meandered upwards into the sky. Large clouds in black and grey swirled about energetically and absorbed these light blobs.

Looking at this otherworldly sight with wonder, Xie An murmured absently, “If you said this pond is some legendary spring of immortality or something, I will completely believe it.”

Jing You smiled. “Oh? And then what? Will you drink it?”

Xie An peered at the water thoughtfully. “Is it poisonous?”

Shrugging, Jing You replied, “Not quite. But that’s where the swans bathe and do their business.”

Xie An’s marveling expression scrunched into one of disgust. He quickly stepped away from the pond’s edge. “Ew!” He wished it was the commerce kind of business since it would be pretty interesting seeing giant black swans running a shop, but he knew it was not.

Jing You laughed, happy at being able to mess with this rascal.

Xie An glared at him and turned to walk back to the residence with a huff. Jing You followed, still chuckling.

Along the way, a ghostly yellow-green dragonfly the size of a hand fluttered towards Jing You. It clutched a message shaped like a tiny scroll with its legs.

“Excuse me,” Jing You said to Xie An and received the message from the dragonfly before unrolling it.

Xie An smiled. Though small acts of politeness like saying ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’ might feel natural to Jing You, Xie An himself had rarely ever received them from others. Jing You’s casual gestures of respect and courtesy meant more to Xie An than Jing You would ever know.

After reading the message, Jing You looked at Xie An apologetically. “It seems there’s an attempt at breaching the gate being planned. I have to go and personally keep guard for a while in case anyone manages to break through, as unlikely as it may be. Can you occupy yourself for a few hours?”

Xie An nodded. “I’ve been meaning to look at one of the greenhouses you pointed out the first day I came here. I’ll do that while you have fun with menacing people.”

Jing You smiled. “Then I’ll leave you to it.”

After he left, Xie An went to check out the greenhouse filled with what Jing You had called spiritbell flowers. They were shaped like different types of bells, from long and straight rectangular ones and the usual conical ones to round balls with intersecting slits at the bottom. When a breeze passed by, the flowers swayed and emitted delicate, echoing tinkles. When these sounds overlapped and built upon each other, they were so soothing that Xie An fell asleep within minutes of hearing their chorus.

Hours later, Xie An woke up from a deep, restful, and dreamless sleep within his sleep and stretched with a yawn. He stepped out of the greenhouse in a pleasantly drowsy haze, then found to his astonishment that the roof of the greenhouse was overgrown with newly sprouted plants. These plants had thin, blade-like leaves and long, upright stems that resembled hollow glass tubes channeling sparkles. Even without a breeze, they swayed sinuously as if alive.

“I see that you’ve rejuvenated the dream feeders,” Jing You noted amusedly when he arrived. “You must have been very tired to fall asleep within a dream.”

“They’re called dream feeders?” Xie An asked doubtfully.

Jing You nodded. “They stay dormant until they find sustenance in the form of dreams. They aren’t malicious and are good for achieving deep, healing sleep. I don’t know how they all got on the roof, but I suppose this is another one of those swans’ mischiefs.”

Xie An looked at the wriggling plants with a complex expression. Just when he thought he had gotten used to all the weirdness this place could offer, new weirdness sprouted out of nowhere—literally, in this case.

Though Xie An kept feeling out of his depth, it was this feeling that drove him to explore more and more of the residence. And whenever he found something he thought was particularly intriguing, he would excitedly share it with Jing You. Rather than say that he already knew everything there was to know about this place, Jing You would smile indulgently and listen with rapt interest, as if the very fact that it was Xie An who was saying it made it that much more important.

The Xie An who was too used to being ignored drank up this attention and glowed with happiness.

But Xie An’s study of the residence wasn’t the only thing progressing, his relationship with Jing You was, as well. Since they had started out as two strangers who grew interested in each other after spending a day together, their progress was appropriately gradual.

The first time they held hands was a few weeks after Xie An started visiting.

Xie An had been studying Jing You’s long and elegant fingers that, despite their delicate appearance, had just exhibited enough strength to crack a stone railing after hitting it by mistake. As Xie An examined Jing You’s hand with interest, he spotted something that looked like a feather made of smoke floating past the corner of his vision. Without thinking, Xie An happily rushed after it to see what it was, with Jing You following him.

It was only several minutes into the chase that Xie An realized he was still holding Jing You’s hand and let go with a blush.

But Jing You had smiled and taken his hand instead. “Well, aren’t we going to continue chasing whatever it is that you spotted?”

After the startlement passed, Xie An had curled his fingers around Jing You’s and pulled him forward with a bashful smile. “Come along, then. I’ll need you to tell me what it is when we find it anyway.”

The smoke-like feather ended up being part of the cleaning crew, akin to the black fluff balls that collected dust. But instead of rolling around in pursuit of dust, the feathers floated up to collect and consume cobwebs.

The first time the pair hugged, it was because Xie An was upset.

Visiting Jing You each night usually put Xie An in a chipper mood the rest of the day.

So what if his family looked at him disdainfully or his father ignored him? He had Jing You now!

As a result of his good mood, Xie An worked harder in the fields each day, and the seniors keeping watch noticed. There were some who were sympathetic towards Xie An’s difficult life and went to praise his increased dedication to his father.

Oftentimes, Xie An spotted his father gazing at him from a distance with a complex expression. Xie An wanted to ridicule himself for how even this small bit of attention gave him joy, but he didn’t let it get in the way of enjoying his time with Jing You when he dreamed each night.

One day, Father Xie’s younger concubine decided to take issue with Xie An for some perceived insult. She went to her husband to whine in the hopes that he would take her side against Xie An as always. And by the way Father Xie’s eyes lit up with hard anger and he began to raise his hand, even Xie An thought he’d be hit a few times before being sent to his room and having his allowance reduced, as usual.

Expecting to be struck, Xie An hunched his shoulders and turned his face away instinctively.

But his father abruptly stopped and lowered his hand. Letting out a heavy sigh, he instead rubbed his face with slumped shoulders. “I’m a despicable father, aren’t I?”

Xie An couldn’t hide his surprise.

His father let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. “I don’t want to treat my own son like this either. I don’t want to hate you. But I loved her too much, and every time I see her in you, all I can think is how you took her away from me so you can exist. I have no choice, no choice at all. I’m sorry.” He had then turned and walked away, a pouting concubine following dissatisfiedly.

Xie An could have held up against another torrent of abuse, but he didn’t know what to do with this convoluted apology.

When he dreamed his way into the domain later that day, Xie An tried his best to act cheerful. But his eyes were vacant and his mind kept wandering off.

Jing You finally asked him, “Are you alright?”

Xie An wanted to brush it away as usual and maybe crack a joke. But the kindness and concern in Jing You’s eyes were too real, and at a time like this when he thirsted for such care all too much, Xie An was particularly weak against it.

Xie An thus ended up breaking down in Jing You’s arms, crying with eyes squeezed shut and teeth gritted together. “It’s not fair! It’s not my fault! What does he mean he’s sorry?! Am I supposed to just forgive him?! What am I supposed to do with his damn apology?! It’s not like I ever hated him either! What the hell does he even want from me?!”

Jing You had let Xie An vent and managed to make out the situation from his disjointed ramblings. He patted the young man’s back and made soothing noises when Xie An cried like a lost baby. When the young man angrily railed against the unfairness, Jing You furiously waved his fist as well and joined him in scolding his father. Eventually, Jing You just rocked Xie An on his lap back and forth, until the young man’s heart-wrenching sobs full of repressed hurt calmed to hiccups. His agitation drained away, Xie An dozed off in his arms in the end.

That was the first time Xie An realized that having Jing You by his side meant more than just companionship. It was also comfort, care, warmth, and support when he needed it, luxuries that he had never had before. Xie An realized that the space beside Jing You wasn’t just someplace he was welcome to occasionally, but a home he belonged in.

And this realization caused a fundamental shift in how he saw Jing You.

By the first time they shared a kiss, Xie An had already begun to feel deeply for Jing You.

As Xie An spent time with Jing You, bickered and talked with him, saw his smiles and frowns, and grew increasingly enchanted by the expressive beauty of his face and the familiarity of his graceful movements, some indefinable emotion gradually began building in his chest. He was especially conscious of it when he was with Jing You. And when Xie An woke up and couldn’t see Jing You anymore, the emptiness it left behind made him feel hollow and restless.

But then he’d think of Jing You restricted to his domain and how his face lit up each time Xie An talked animatedly about the interesting experiences and amusing conversations he had when he was awake. It gave Xie An the motivation to get through another day just so he would have more things to tell Jing You.

Once, Xie An was sitting in a padded armchair and happily playing with yet another bizarre object this domain had to offer. This time, it was some sort of super soft magical foam that was very satisfying to squish and pull apart, since it always merged back together on its own and recovered its original shape.

While Xie An was thus busily engaged, he saw hands suddenly inviting themselves to rest on the armrests as Jing You leaned over him.

Xie An looked up as Jing You’s hair fell down around him. Jing You’s gaze bore into his, some intention displayed within them. His thin lips were quirked up in a small smile. In a low, husky voice, Jing You spoke, “You smile so often, Xiao-An. I always wanted to know what your smile tastes like.”

And Xie An finally knew how to vent the emotions building up within him. He smiled and leaned back before crooking a finger. “Why don’t you come and find out, then?”

Jing You chuckled. “Alright.”

As he slowly bore down, Xie An tilted his head back and let his lashes flutter closed. Jing You’s lips pressed onto his gently as the scent of spiced honey filled his nose.

Their first kiss was short and sweet and went no further.

After the brief kiss, Jing You had leaned back and quickly turned around, the back of a hand pressed to his lips and his cheeks dusted a fetching pink.

Xie An had taken a few moments to recover before he went back to playing with his magical foam. But he couldn’t help occasionally licking his tingling lips as if searching for a trace of spiced honey.

From then on, while their interactions hadn’t changed, they seemed to have gained an additional layer of subtlety. And whenever Xie An felt something building up in his chest again, he would go and kiss Jing You if Jing You hadn’t already done so.

This opened up a new level of intimacy, bringing the pair closer as they shared new experiences as a couple.

Sometimes Xie An laid his head on Jing You’s lap as the older man told him stories of notable things he’d seen in his long life. Sometimes it was Jing You who pillowed his head on Xie An’s lap while Xie An combed his hair and made jokes. Sometimes Jing You made it rain in the domain just so he and Xie An could silently cuddle in a small, warm, and cozy place, with hot drinks and a plate of steaming snacks in hand.

Jing You thought it quite romantic to spend time that way until Xie An pointed out, “You know, doing it in dreams where I have no bodily functions is one thing. But if we shared a blanket and wrapped it tightly around ourselves like this in real life, with the only opening for airflow being around our faces, and I end up letting out a smelly fart…”

Jing You, “……” Way to ruin it! But at least he now knew what to be cautious about if they married and began living together.

Sometimes the couple swam in the Starlight Pond—after Jing You cleared up the misunderstanding of the swans contaminating it—and they fed the black swans. Sometimes Jing You took Xie An flying on one of the swans and Xie An would be able to touch the strange sentient clouds floating over the residence. The clouds seemed to like getting chased and would flee expectantly each time they saw Xie An flying up on a black swan.

Once, Jing You even took Xie An dancing on the rooftops while the masked familiars played some eerie music, cheery expressions painted on the masks. Predictably, Xie An ended up tripping on a loose tile and took Jing You down with him in an ungainly tangle of limbs. The ever-dependable Steward Plant whipped out its vines and coiled it into a giant basket to catch them before they could smash into the ground.

Jing You had curled up in the vine-basket and laughed. “That was so silly!”

Xie An smacked him on the arm for taking it lightly. “I told you it was dangerous!”

Jing You caught and kissed Xie An’s hand, then said solemnly. “Forgive me, Xiao-An. I thought that being here in just spirit, with no chance of your body being damaged, would reduce your fear of falling from heights. But I should’ve guessed that survival instincts wouldn’t be that easy to overcome. Pardon me for being inconsiderate. I blame my silliness on how being with you awakens my inner child though I’ve never been one myself.”

Xie An felt his annoyance drain away with each word, and as soon as Jing You finished his heartfelt apology, much smooching had ensued.

Later, as Xie An and Jing You lay beside each other and lazily drifted off, Xie An softly said, “Youyou, you know that I love you, right?”

Jing You had lazily lifted his eyelids and smiled. Wrapping an arm around Xie An, he snuggled into the crook of his shoulder and said, “Of course. And I love you, too, despite that childish nickname you insist on inflicting upon me.”

Xie An chuckled, eyes shining with quiet joy as he let himself be lulled into dreams within a dream.

In this way, Xie An and Jing You continued growing closer, both emotionally and physically. But they never quite managed to go all the way, for Jing You could always sense Xie An’s obvious discomfort at the idea.

When Jing You broached the subject with concern once, Xie An awkwardly said, “I guess my inexperience is causing me to be nervous.”

The helpful Jing You promptly used his powers to conjure naked human-like puppets and had them demonstrate various sexual acts in great detail to help Xie An get familiar with the thought, much to Xie An’s mortified fascination.

However, Xie An’s reluctance still didn’t abate.

Till now, the time they spent together in the domain added up to several years, while less than a year had passed in the mortal world. After all the time they accompanied each other, Xie An knew he deeply loved Jing You and had long decided he would like to spend eternity with him. So the best course of action would be to marry Jing You on the night of the coming Ghost Festival, when the domain’s gates would finally open for the mortal world.

However, the thought of having to suppress his natural urges and lie under Jing You made Xie An endlessly anxious. No matter how much he tried to force himself to get it over with in the hopes that it wouldn’t be as discomfiting as he imagined, Xie An always ended up balking at the last moment. Jing You was always patient in the face of his indecisiveness, never pressuring him or expressing any displeasure. Yet it only made Xie An feel all the more guilty and prompted him to try it again with more determination.

Yet the result was always the same, as it was this time.

Xie An had made it all the way to the bed and through the process of removing their clothes before he turned pale and began shaking his head. “I can’t. I’m so sorry, but I really can’t do this. I’m so sorry…”

Jing You enfolded him in his arms and patted his back. “It’s alright. There’s no hurry.”

Xie An hugged him back tightly and scolded himself angrily in his mind. He trusted Jing You and he knew his lover would make sure he was comfortable and got his share of pleasure as well. So why was he still so against it? Why did it feel like such a chore?

But he couldn’t change what he felt.

The very thought that after they got into bed, Jing You might see how much Xie An wasn’t into what they were doing and feel disappointed made Xie An’s heart sting and his apprehension rise. He didn’t want to make his beloved sad or make him doubt that he was being found undesirable when the problem lay with Xie An being unable to warm up to the thought of being the bottom.

Sensing that Xie An was only growing tenser in his embrace, Jing You sighed. Pulling back, he met Xie An’s gaze and said, “Xiao-An, you know that sex is not a prerequisite for a relationship, don’t you?”

Xie An blinked at him. “What?”

“I mean,” Jing You pressed on, “it’s alright if you never want to do this. I will still love you and continue doing things with you that you find comfortable. You really don’t have to keep forcing yourself.”

Seeing his lover being so understanding, Xie An felt the guilt press heavier onto his heart. “That’s not it. It’s not that I don’t want to do it with you. It’s just that…” Xie An trailed away. He would rather not put Jing You in the difficult position of having to choose between sacrificing intercourse altogether and going against his nature to be the bottom.

Jing You asked patiently. “What is it? If it’s stopping you from doing what you want, then I’d like to know so I can help.”

Xie An swallowed and looked up through his lashes timidly. In a small voice, he asked, “Then, um, would you let me top you?”

After giving him a long look, Jing You slowly raised an eyebrow and said flatly, “You want me, the guardian to one of the gates to the Netherworld, a being feared by many and respected by the Ruler of the Netherworld himself, to allow myself to be mounted?”

Xie An bit his lip and looked down. Ahh, he knew he shouldn’t have asked… Look, now he’d ended up offending his lover!

Jing You pulled Xie An's face back up by the chin and pronounced, “Since you are daring enough to ask me that, how about we make it a challenge?”

Xie An gulped and squeaked, “A ch-challenge?”

“Mn.” Eyes narrowing as a sharp smile curved his lips, Jing You explained, “On the day we met, didn’t you enjoy pushing me in an attempt to make me move? How about you try it again? If you manage to somehow push me down onto the bed, I’ll let you top me.”

Xie An hesitated. He had absolutely no faith in his strength against Jing You’s.

“Come on now,” Jing You goaded. “You’re giving up before you even try? Tsk, tsk.”

Letting out a jittery laugh, Xie An muttered a “Why not?” and placed his palms on Jing You’s shoulders, then gave a small nudge.

Jing You immediately fell backward and onto the bed. He declared solemnly, “You have successfully pushed me down and have therefore earned the right to be at the top.”

Xie An froze, eyes widening. Wh-What?!

Jing You dropped the act and dissolved into laughter. “I wish you could see how stupid the expression on your face looks right now. What else did you think would happen, you little idiot? When I say I love you, it’s not with the expectation that one of us will always be at the top or bottom.”

Xie An blinked. “Th-Then…you…?”

“Me?” Stretching out comfortably on the bed, Jing You crossed his long legs at the ankles and replied, “I’m fine with being either. I have no preference, but since you have one, I’m willing to give you what you want.”

Xie An was stunned. “Then, have you ever received anyone?” He really couldn’t imagine it!

Jing You shook his head. “All my previous partners expected me to top so who was I to disappoint them?”

As it finally sank in that he wouldn’t have to force himself in bed, Xie An let out a small laugh in relief. Then he laughed louder in happiness, his final reservations melting away.

Jing You smiled. “Are you going to stand there laughing all day, all pleased with yourself? Or are you going to come and claim your gorgeous reward before he falls asleep on this nice and comfy bed?”

Xie An snapped to attention and quickly clambered onto the bed. “No, no, I’m coming!”

“So soon? We haven’t even started yet,” Jing You teased with a snicker.

Settling over his lover, Xie An glowered at him. “Look at you being so snarky even in bed!”

Jing You grinned and pulled his head down. “Then you better shut me up with a nice, hot kiss.”

Xie An happily obliged. As they kissed passionately, Jing You wrapped his legs around the young man. Xie An leaned back when he ran out of breath and groaned at the feeling of Jing You’s arousal pressing into his belly.

Massaging it with a smirk, Xie An said, “If the six horns on your head are enough to make me call you horny, then does that mean that this seventh horn poking me below makes you even hornier?”

Jing You laughed. “Is this lame joke my payback for being snarky earlier?” He shifted restlessly and complained, “Stop keeping me waiting and get started already!”

And so, Xie An did.

Xie An spent his first time in Jing You’s arms, embracing and loving the man under him with all he had. The scent of spiced honey was all around him, mixed with the musk of their coupling and turned into a heady aphrodisiac. They panted and writhed and moved together with so much passion it made his bones melt and head spin.

And when they were done, Jing You laughed affectionately and said, “Your enthusiasm more than makes up for your lack of skills.”

Xie An flushed, only to hear Jing You go on to offer, “How about I let you continue this experience so you can develop those skills some more?”

Xie An happily agreed and dedicated the next few hours to ardent learning. By the end of the study session, Instructor Jing had to concede that Student Xie had progressed greatly.

After they cleaned up, the couple settled into a tidy bed to rest. Jing You was already on the verge of slipping into sleep, but Xie An was wide awake. Now that he had resolved the only hurdle that had been blocking his way to his desired eternity, Xie An saw no reason to hesitate anymore.

He turned and called softly, “Youyou.”

“Mn?” came the drowsy reply.

“Do you like being with me?” Xie An asked.

“Mn.”

“Do you love me?” he pressed.

Jing You yawned and snuggled deeper into the mattress. “Of course.”

“Then will you marry me?”

Jing You instinctively murmured, “Mn.” Then he froze as the question sank in. His head abruptly popped up from the pillow, hair disheveled and tangled in his horns. “Wait, what did you just say?!”

Xie An chuckled and reached forward to help him disentangle his hair. “I asked if you will marry me.”

Jing You blinked, looking so adorably dazed that Xie An just had to lean forward and kiss the tip of his nose. Jing You took the chance to capture him in his arms and interrogated, “You want to marry me? Really? Even though you know all it’ll entail?”

Xie An nodded unhesitatingly. “Yes. So what’s your answer?”

Jing You grinned at him with pure joy. “To quote your own reply: Yes, a thousand times yes!”

Xie An cheered and ended up receiving plenty of appreciative kisses and other services from his ecstatic lover-turned-fiancé.

Of course, a few more procedures had to be observed before their betrothal could be official.

On a certain evening, Xie An’s village received a group of peculiar visitors.

Garbed in heavy finery and wearing masks with solemn expressions painted on, Jing You’s familiars rode into the village on horse-like mounts. The mounts were carved out of shining black wood in the likeness of horses and wore heavy iron masks of their own. Turquoise leaves fringed their hooves and turned into long fronds that ran down the back of their heads and necks. Two sharp black horns akin to tree branches jutted out of their foreheads, growing small and tender leaves. Their eyes were polished pieces of amber glowing with an inner fire, seeming to have melted straight through the iron masks to form the eyeholes.

Needless to say, no one attempted to stop the familiars or their forbidding mounts as they rode in. By the time they stopped in front of the Xie household, most of the village had already formed an audience while the rest were on their way.

The masked familiar in the lead alighted from his mount and unrolled a scroll. With the seriousness of an eunuch reading an imperial decree, he recited in a deep and sonorous voice:

“The Gatekeeper of the West, Lord of Xijing Gate, Jing You, has found his heart touched and his soul charmed by the compassion, integrity, sincerity, and companionship of a young man of this village during his previous visit to the mortal world. Lord Jing hence wishes to convey his earnest intention to wed the eldest son of Xie Tong, Xie An, and offers nine carriages of treasures as a betrothal gift that shall be delivered on the day of the wedding.

“Lord Jing swears to protect, honor, and cherish his beloved long after the night grows barren of stars, the deserts turn to oceans, and the sky itself crumbles to the ground. To wed his beloved with the splendor he deserves, Lord Jing shall send a wedding procession to collect his groom when the gates open under the full moon, on the night of the Ghost Festival three months hence. May the Xie household cherish his betrothed in his stead till then for Lord Jing’s heart aches at his own inability to do so until the day of the wedding.”

Gasps of shock and mutters of speculation sounded from the crowd. The village head just about fainted upon hearing this and needed his daughter to support him back home.

The villagers’ gazes on the unassuming Xie An had changed from the usual pitying or dismissive ones to that of reassessment and surprise, as if they were wondering how he’d managed to bewitch an entity like that mysterious Lord Jing to this degree. Even Xie An’s own family looked at him as if he had surpassed their non-existent expectations and flew right above their heads in status.

Xie An could only smile helplessly, knowing that Jing You had made such a spectacle of this on purpose.

And now, exactly a year after their meeting in the real world, Xie An was finally on his way to marry Jing You.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

The lord awaits,
Behind iron gates,
To behold his mate,
To be joined in fate.

Xie An smiled, pleased. Yes, he was going to meet his beloved soon, and they would be joined for a lifetime, however long it ends up being. It was both comforting and exciting to think about. After all, his beloved was a joy to be around, and he was always so considerate that Xie An felt the hole left by the absence of familial love all these years singlehandedly being filled by him.

For example, soon after Jing You had his familiars announce their betrothal in the village, Xie An was visiting the domain through his dreams yet again when Jing You had smirked and proposed something. He asked Xie An to act like a martyr willing to let himself be a sacrifice to appease the dreaded Gatekeeper. That was why Jing You had withheld the betrothal gifts until their wedding as well. That way, it would seem as if he didn’t trust Xie An to not escape before their marriage and was thus dangling the promise of treasures in front of his family so they would keep a close eye on him.

Xie An had been puzzled at first but had agreed and tried it out. To his surprise, Xie An had duly received his father’s concern, shallow though it might have been, along with the respect of the entire village. Even the village head and some of the elders came to express their gratitude.

It was only then that Xie An fully understood how Jing You’s power had been a cause of uncertainty and dread for the villagers. Though Jing You was courteous and never forced the others to bend to his will, the very fact that he could if he chose to made them tread lightly around him with bowed heads and hammering hearts. Now that Xie An had agreed to be tied to Jing You for eternity, they would no longer have to fear that Jing You would venture out with the intention of seeking a companion among their children of marriageable age again.

Realizing this, Xie An could only shake his head. What a bunch of worrywarts. He bet Jing You was pleased with himself for using their irrational fear to make Xie An feel beloved by his family and village for once.

When the time of the wedding approached, the village was swathed in ethereal mists as strings of golden-yellow lights floated in the air, like spherical lanterns hung up in celebration. At midnight, a wedding procession formed of the masked familiars coalesced out of the mists, bearing nine carriages full of gifts for Xie An’s family.

The carriages were quickly unloaded and the chests were eagerly opened. The moment Xie An glimpsed its contents, he had to struggle to not burst out laughing. That cheeky man! He sure knew how to make a statement!

Piles of gold and silver ingots shone in the light of the unearthly lanterns, along with swathes of exquisite brocaded silk, expensive vases, stunning jewellery, and breathtakingly beautiful woodwork. But everything, from the ingots and the silk to the ornaments and carvings, bore Xie An’s name, either stamped onto it or tastefully inserted into the designs themselves.

Knowing Jing You, it wasn’t unlikely that he had embedded the characters in with magic so it couldn’t be covered up, modified, or erased. Xie An wouldn’t put it past him to have cursed the items either. But overall, it was as if Jing You was making sure they never forgot Xie An’s name again. They would recall him each time they spent this money or used these objects, and they would never be able to avert their eyes from the debt they owed him.

The Xie family’s expression as they realized it as well had truly been a sight to behold.

Xie An had smiled, warmth bubbling up within him at the thought of the many ways Jing You showed his care for him. He couldn’t wait to see him again and hug him, showing his own love and care in return.

And so, ignoring the villagers’ awed gazes, Xie An had stepped into the sedan, his mind filled with the thoughts of the man who would be his future.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

On this path to forever,
He will be the guide.
Not even death can sever,
Once the red string is tied.

In the sedan, Xie An played with the flower petal in his hand and pondered. It was true that he couldn’t predict eternity. But while it was possible that he or Jing You would change, he also had faith that they would change together, growing ever closer to each other. They had an eternity to explore one another, after all.

And he couldn’t wait to begin.

A change in the air, some subtle shift, broke Xie An out of his thoughts. The sedan was now flooded with the smell of spiced honey. Soon, a large shadow was cast upon the sedan, and Xie An’s heart beat faster as he realized.

They had arrived before Jing You’s domain.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

At the Gates of Xijing,
On a night dark and long.
Hear the copper bells ring,
Hear the wedding procession’s song.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

The procession finally stopped. The symphony of drums, flutes, and bells came to a slow halt. But the masked familiars continued to sing, their tone changing, the pitch rising.

Rejoice one and all,
Let not a tear fall.

The lord is to be wed,
His groom arrives in red.

The sedan’s curtain was swept aside and one of the masked familiars extended a hand towards Xie An.

Xie An accepted it and got up.

Restrain your awe and delight,
For the groom shall now alight.

And once he meets the lord's gaze,
He shall be bound for all his days.

He had long been willingly bound to Jing You, Xie An thought fondly. He carefully stepped down from the sedan while holding up the hem of his robes.

Bushes of red flowers filled the area outside, with a gigantic mansion looming in front of them. Imposingly tall and dark iron gates blocked most of the view of the residence, but Xie An had explored it so many times in his dreams that he could already trace its lines in his mind with familiarity.

Ah, ah, ahh,
Ah, ah, ahh.

The gates open,
Fates interwoven.

The massive iron gates swung open soundlessly. Xie An smiled eagerly and turned to see Jing You standing within the open gates.

Jing You extended a hand and Xie An stepped forward to take it.

The bridegroom is presented,
The wedding procession has ended.

As the last note reverberated in the air, the familiars dissolved into mists and swirled around the couple like a silvery shroud. Bright red flowers were plucked away from their bushes by the ensuing wind and joined the mist in circling the pair.

In this whirlpool of shimmering silver and brilliant red, Xie An and Jing You only had each other in their eyes. They wound their arms around one another as if handling something precious, a treasure they had only dreamed about.

Jing You smiled and teased in a voice gone husky with emotion, “What have they done to you, Xiao-An? Is that makeup? You look like you greedily gobbled a barrel of berries and then rolled on a kitchen floor someone spilled flour all over. I can’t wait to slowly and thoroughly wash all that rubbish off of you.”

Letting out a choked laugh, Xie An reached up to touch one of Jing You’s horns and joked in return, “I see you’re as horny as ever, Youyou. We better finish the wedding soon and get on with the wedding night for your sake.”

“I’ve waited too long for this, so I’m not even going to pretend to hold my cool. Come, let’s start.” Jing You took Xie An’s face in his hands reverently and bent forward.

Xie An smiled softly and tilted his head up.

They kissed and it was their first time all over again.

Xie An and Jing You thus stepped onto the path of building an eternity together, their beloved right by their side.