Part 1

Xie Lian hurried through the palace grounds; he was running late because Hua Cheng had distracted him with early morning cuddles until they turned into rather late morning cuddles. Not that he regretted spending quality time with his mate, but the man really needed to learn restraint sometimes. Xie Lian sighed, and hurried along even faster.

Last week, he'd accidentally found a somewhat large-sized kitten when he was on his way to meet Shi QingXuan, and had been unable to ignore it. He'd crouched down, and patted it a little, even playing with it a bit, and he had grown so attached within seconds, that he'd just picked it up in the end, and brought it with him to see Shi QingXuan.

While carrying it, Xie Lian noticed that the paws were a bit too big, even for a large kitty like this. He'd blinked, and paused, realising he wasn't holding a normal kitten at all, but a baby tiger. He wondered where it came from, and immediately looked around to see if the mother was around somewhere, but he couldn't see, nor hear, anything that would suggest such a thing.

When he'd reached Shi QingXuan, he told Xie Lian that it was most likely an escapee from the menagerie, which was apparently just outside the palace walls. Thus, they had promptly decided to bring it back there, with Shi QingXuan blabbering on about all the amazing animals they had in there for the whole way. Once they had arrived, the first thing they saw was a person who was apparently working at the menagerie, trying to calm down a very agitated tigress. Xie Lian put down the baby tiger in his arms, and it immediately ran over to his mother, who in turn calmed down immediately. Then, Shi QingXuan had introduced Xie Lian to the other person, who turned out to be Lang QianQiu.

Xie Lian remembered that name from the incident with the dogs a few months ago, and while he knew that Guzi had been allowed to work in the palace kitchen and live in the respective quarters as well, he hadn't known about the fate of the dogs and thus inquired to Lang QianQiu about it. According to him, the dogs had been too valuable to dispose of, and were in the process of being re-trained into hunting dogs, which Xie Lian had been immensely pleased to hear.

He'd been to the menagerie almost every day he wasn't dancing, and had gotten to know a lot about the animals that were being held there in the meantime. Yesterday, Lang QianQiu had told him that a pregnant dog was due to have its pups last night, so how could Xie Lian not be excited to visit today?

Xie Lian ran into the inner circle of the menagerie, but Lang QianQiu wasn't there. He'd previously been told not to get too close to the bars separating the animals' habitats from the plaza, for his own safety, but Xie Lian couldn't just stand there until Lang QianQiu eventually showed up. So he went closer, and peeked into the spacious area that was occupied by…. the tigers. Which were also fascinating creatures, but not what he was currently looking for, so he started walking along the bars, until he got to the next section, which was occupied by… nothing.

He frowned, and stared into it a while longer, before he sighed, and kept walking and peeking, until he eventually found the comparatively small compound that was occupied by the dogs. However, Lang QianQiu couldn't be seen inside here either, which made Xie Lian feel a little bummed. After all, he couldn't enter without the key, and he doubted the dogs would come running to him with the pups voluntarily.

"Your Highness!", Xie Lian heard Lang QianQiu's voice from behind him at that moment.

He turned around, and smiled at him brightly.

"Lang QianQiu! I'm so glad you're still here. I'm sorry for coming in so late", Xie Lian smiled apologetically.

"No worries, Your Highness. Come, come, the puppies are in the dog house in the back", he said, and unlocked the door.

They stepped in, and Xie Lian immediately got surrounded by several dogs he'd already met over the course of the last week, all of them excited to see him. Xie Lian took the time to pet each and every one of them, before he followed Lang QianQiu to the shed-like building in the back. In it were indeed the puppies he had wanted to meet.

"Adorable!", he gushed, and couldn't help but pick one of the tiny balls of fluff up into his arms. Which was a bit of a challenge, he realised, because the puppy was small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, but he managed.

The puppy looked very sleepy, but it cuddled up against his chest, so Xie Lian cooed, and immediately fell in love with it.

He spent the better part of the day with Lang QianQiu and the dogs, because he'd gotten very intrigued with Lang QianQiu's tales of his experiences, and how he came to train and tame all sorts of animals.

Apparently it had started with his father showing him what amazing things could be taught to animals, and how much fun it was to build a connection with them that allowed for all sorts of shenanigans. It was also why his father's lessons had never felt like work to him, even though he'd been prepared to become his successor from a rather young age. Lang QianQiu had been nothing but pleased with the prospect of 'playing' with animals for the rest of his life, and Xie Lian could really feel that this man legitimately loved spending time with his furry friends.

They really got along rather swimmingly, and Xie Lian honestly enjoyed spending time in the menagerie with Lang QianQiu, however… he was slowly starting to miss Hua Cheng quite a bit. They'd already cuddled rather extensively in the morning, and hadn't been separated for more than a few hours, but Xie Lian still felt like he would get very depressed very fast if he didn't see him again soon.

Which was why he stayed for a shorter amount of time than he had originally expected, though he did promise to come by again the day after tomorrow, since he would be busy taking dance lessons from Mei NianQing the whole next day.

When Xie Lian got back home, Hua Cheng was nowhere to be found, which left him in a somewhat grumpy mood. He contemplated if he should take a bath alone, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

He was about to go ask one of the guards if they knew where Hua Cheng was, but the door opened at that very moment, and his alpha caught him standing dumbly in the middle of the room, doing nothing.

"Gege? You're back early. Are you okay?", his alpha asked.

Xie Lian didn't reply immediately; he went over to hug him first.

"I missed you", he mumbled into Hua Cheng's chest, and couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. It had only been half a day after all.

Instead of teasing him, his alpha purred deeply, and tightened his arms around Xie Lian.

"Maybe we should go a bit early", he hummed after they just hugged each other for quite a while. It was a sentence Xie Lian couldn't quite grasp the meaning of.

"We're going somewhere?"

Hua Cheng laughed kindly.

"Gege, did you forget? My rut is scheduled to start this week. And so is your heat."

Xie Lian's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about that! Time had really gotten away from him, he thought, feeling a bit shocked.

He leaned back from his alpha a bit, to get a better look at his face.

"I didn't realise it was this week already", he admitted sheepishly. "Maybe it would indeed be for the best if we start preparing early."

Hua Cheng nodded, and so they went to their mating room without wasting any time.

"I admit I'm feeling a bit off kilter when you're not with me, so my heat might indeed start a bit early, now that you mention it", Xie Lian admitted on the way there.

"Does that mean gege is going to be clingy this week?", Hua Cheng grinned, looking quite happy at the prospect.

Xie Lian blushed crimson, but couldn't deny it.

"Most likely. I'd apologise in advance if I didn't know you're going to enjoy that", he retorted, which got a laugh out of his alpha.

"Dianxia knows me so well, I feel honoured. Would you grant this lowly one a detour through our garden? I heard we have new camellia flowers that I'd like to show dianxia", his alpha said in an overly polite tone.

Xie Lian played along, and scrunched up his nose in mock contemplation, though on the inside he was already excited to see the new flowers.

"I don't know…are those flowers truly so impressive that it warrants a detour? This venerable one is quite impatient", he replied with his best imitation of the stuck up Guoshi that used to teach him back in Xian Le.

"I wouldn't dare to speak up if it wasn't worth your time, dianxia. Please trust this lowly one's humble opinion", his silly alpha said, and even took it so far as to bow to him.

Xie Lian pretended to think about it a bit longer.

"Well, if you insist then it can't be helped. However, I believe the way around the gardens is rather long and taxing, and I am tired. You will have to carry this venerable one."

Hua Cheng grinned like a fox, before he stepped closer to Xie Lian and lifted him into his arms without hesitation, making him squeak in surprise.

"If that's the only condition dianxia has, then I will gladly agree", he said, and started walking.

Xie Lian should have known not to get too carried away with their silliness, he thought and sighed inwardly.

"San Lang- put me down, I was joking. I can walk just fine", he stated the obvious, and attempted to struggle against his alpha's hold on him, as futile as it was.

"No. Dianxia has stated his condition. It would be a great shame not to honour my word", Hua Cheng smirked.

"San Lang…", Xie Lian sighed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at his alpha's antics.

By the time they got to the flowers Hua Cheng wanted to show him, the sun had started to set with a quite magnificent display of colours in the sky, and Xie Lian couldn't help but feel like this was a rather romantic moment. After all, was there anything more serene, more peaceful, or more charming, than watching beautiful flowers with a loved one under the flaming red and orange sky? Maybe watching the stars would come close, but that was a thought for another day.

"White and red camellias?", Xie Lian asked quietly, and climbed out of his alpha's arms to get a better look at them. He was very aware of the meaning of those flowers, too. "Is this a love confession?", he couldn't help but tease Hua Cheng gently, still in a somewhat playful mood from earlier.

"No. It's not a confession if gege already knows how I feel about him. Think of it more as a… display of affection, if you will."

Xie Lian couldn't help but smile at Hua Cheng, suddenly feeling incredibly warm inside.

"It's a gorgeous display of affection, San Lang. I very much appreciate it", he said, and got up on his tiptoes to press a soft, gentle kiss on his alpha's lips. He could feel Hua Cheng smiling into it before he pulled back.

"I'm glad you think so, gege."

They admired the garden's flowers until the sun set completely, and only made their way into their mating chamber once it had grown rather cold.

After they entered, Hua Cheng locked the door, and put the key into a small box that looked very similar to a book on the outside, before placing it back in the bookshelf.

"Already?", Xie Lian asked, feeling a little baffled.

"Yes. I have a feeling this is for the best. Looking back how things went last time, I only have a window of a few hours before my rut leaves me to my instincts, and it might very well happen over night. I don't want to risk the door being unlocked in such a case."

Xie Lian thought that made a lot of sense, and nodded.

"I assume that mountain of fabrics is for me to build a nest with?", he asked, and tried not to show his nervousness.

"Gege is correct as always", Hua Cheng smiled, and took another book out of the book case. "I promise not to look until you tell me you're done", he said, put a short but soft kiss on Xie Lian's forehead, and made himself comfortable on the lounger, his back turned completely towards the bed.

Xie Lian took a moment to appreciate how well his alpha knew him, before he got to work.

As expected, the mountain only consisted of the finest fabrics, like silk, which was cool on the skin, and his preferred fabric to use for a nest. Truth be told, he'd never put much effort into building one before, only ever doing what his instincts told him, and never caring for visual aesthetics, since he'd never shared a heat with anyone before, and only ever built one for just himself.

However, his alpha deserved the best of his efforts, and he really hoped he wouldn't disappoint his expectations.

When he thought he was done, and just about to call for Hua Cheng to come over and look, he felt that something was off, and paused, thinking what it could be. It didn't take him long to figure out that it was the lack of their own personal scents, so he hurriedly undressed himself, and worked his own robes into the nest, before he approached his alpha.

"San Lang, I need your robes", he told him without preamble.

Hua Cheng blinked up at him, before Xie Lian's words visibly registered, and his alpha got up from the lounger to undress quickly. When he was done, Xie Lian grabbed the robes from him almost somewhat greedily, and hurried to get the nest done properly. He was getting a bit impatient, and slightly anxious about what his alpha would think of it, so he wanted to get it over with already. Xie Lian could hear Hua Cheng chuckling at his antics behind him, but he didn't bother to acknowledge it.

After he'd worked his alpha's robes into the nest as well, he let himself collapse in the middle of it, though he was still mindful not to ruin it before Hua Cheng got to see it in its proper state. He'd taken full advantage of the size of the bed, and thus the nest itself was also very spacious. However he'd tried really hard to make it cozy for them as well, and lying in it now, he really did feel very comfy.

"I'm done!", he called, and propped himself up on his elbows.

Xie Lian waited with baited breath while Hua Cheng got up from his lounger once again, put the book away, and finally turned around.

"What do you think?", he asked, knowing full well he was a bit too impatient, and that he should let his alpha take a proper look first. However, he couldn't help feeling a bit anxious about his opinion.

"It's lovely. In fact, I think it's absolutely perfect", his alpha smiled softly, successfully making Xie Lian blush.