Ghostkingsupreme - What Matters Is You

Pages 4-6 of A Small Price, which you can read in full here.

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The thing I think some people miss about Hua Cheng because he has this whole need to be the strongest to protect Xie Lian thing is that he is perfectly content to let Xie Lian fight his own battles and beat people up. Hell he gets a little kick out if. Like I think some people think he’s got this step behind me kitten booktok boyfriend behaviour and he doesn’t. He is more than happy to let Xie Lian go full martial god and cheer from the sidelines because he thinks it’s hot (see the entire Ban Yue arc) like as long as the whatever the threat is won’t actually hurt Xie Lian or Xie Lian won’t hurt himself he will canonically just be in the back trying on pretty outfits for his geges entertainment offering him advice and support and watching him kick ass with heart eyes because that’s the guy he fell in love with. He adores Xie Lian martial side and thinks it’s very cool and sexy of him.

Old illustration for beefleaf zine, finally am allowed to post it!

*Xianle Quartet at the movies*

Feng Xin: How do you want your popcorn Dianxia, sweet or salty?

Xie Lian, making heart eyes at Hua Cheng: I want it like him.

Mu Qing: They don't make ugly popcorn.

crown prince wearing a crown of flowers

There are a number of scenes from TGCF that just stick with me and one of them when Hua Cheng first becomes a wrath.

Simply seeing Xie Lian in pain was bad enough—Watching other people willingly kill him over and over again was too much for that little ball of fire to handle.

It was added in as if it was a small detail in the scene, but I think it just punctuated how deep Hua Cheng's devotion runs. Everything he's done, both in life and in death, has been for Xie Lian's sake.