Break a leg, Yin Yu!

13. Blood, blood and more blood

Content warning most esteemed reader! Graphic and violent death, injury details, strong emotional scenes, blood blood and more blood. Don't tell me I didn't warn you...

It was mid-afternoon on a very hot day, and Hua Cheng, after exchanging a few words with Xie Lian via spiritual communication array, went to meet him in Puqi Shrine, where he was working on something for the play – Shi Qingxuan appointed him a role, but he didn't say what. 'Gege sounded excited, he must want to tell me in person', he thought with a smile.

He walked in the shrine, just to find the most horrifying scene: Xie Lian lying on his straw mat, his limbs limply sprawled; a sword stuck on his stomach on a bleeding open wound. Blood, blood everywhere. In a split-second Hua Cheng determined he was attacked; there was some struggle, and he was stabbed, and left bleeding to his death.

"GEGE!", Hua Cheng screamed in terror, running to him; hearing his voice, Xie Lian's limbs jolted, and he shot his eyes open. Hua Cheng kneeled by his side and held his hands.

"Gege, Gege, hold on hold on, stay with me Gege, I'm gonna call help..."

Dear reader, you'd never imagine Hua Cheng could get paler than he normally was. He was out of breath too, and his heart was beating so fast it was almost exploding in his chest – at least that's how he felt, even though he of course didn't breathe nor have a beating heart.

He put two fingers on his temple to call Yin Yu and ask him to bring some healing portions, while he'd use spiritual energy to stabilize Xie Lian's blood loss. Xie Lian sat down, the sword still sticking in his stomach, his guts about to spill out.

"GEGE! Don't – "

"S-San Lang, you scared me there! I was just taking a nap...", he said, his voice sounding totally normal. Then he got up and stretched, pulling that sword off; no guts spilled out, and the sword – its blade totally clean – dropped on the floor, making a wooden noise.

Seeing Hua Cheng's face, realisation dawned on Xie Lian. "Oh San Lang! Sorry sorry sorry, this is a prop for the play... and this is fake blood... I was doing some tests, and fell asleep...", he said, hugging Hua Cheng around the neck and kissing his cheek a few times. "Did my San Lang get worried? I'm so sorry..."

"Worried? Gege I almost died again here", he said, sighing, then wiping some cold sweat off his forehead. "What were you thinking..."

Xie Lian just looked at him with big sad eyes; he didn't know how to apologise properly for the fright he gave his San Lang. If it was him he was sure he would have died, immortal or not. But having calmed down slightly, Hua Cheng looked around and pffted a laugh.

"What the fuck you're doing Gege? What a mess", and he laughed hard.

Xie Lian laughed too, "I was appointed Director of Props & Costumes! So I was devising this fake blood... you think it looks viscous enough, or is it too runny?" he asked, touching the blood spilt on the altar table. He added, "This prop sword got stuck on me badly, I couldn't get it off".

Now fully recovered from his panic, Hua Cheng was examining the sword and its collapsing blade and fake blood with interest.

"Gege is indeed talented and a master of a thousand tricks! He even got me fooled here..."

"Right?", Xie Lian replied, smiling brightly. 

Hualian is always cute! 😜

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