Author’s Note:

It’s a special someone’s special day so here’s a surprise OMF special 😉

~~~***~~~***~~~

Xiang Yu pursed his lips and looked at a certain dragon.

Xin Lan waited for him to speak up but nothing happened. His brows furrowed together. “What?”

Xiang Yu’s lips pursed further but he still kept quiet.

“What?!”

“You forgot.”

Xin Lan’s brows twitched. Why couldn’t this person talk normally? Was it really so hard to just tell him what he wanted? Why should they waste time dancing around like this? “Forgot what?”

“What day it is.” Xiang Yu’s brows furrowed together as well. Why couldn’t this guy remember? It was just one day!

Xin Lan didn’t know what to say. What day it was? He was probably not referring to the day of the week? Was it some special date? Maybe there was a festival in the Nine Heavens he wanted to go to? “Could it be … the Mei Xin festival?” That couldn’t be, could it? The Mei Xin festival should only be a month from now.

Xiang Yu’s gaze darkened and he leaped up from his seat. “You really forgot!”

Before Xin Lan could ask any further, Xiang Yu stormed out of the room, leaving a dumbfounded dragon behind. This guy was so mean! How could he just forget? He wouldn’t talk to him anymore!

Xin Lan stared at the door, not quite sure what to make of this. It seemed … he had really angered him this time? He paused and then shook his head. Forget it. Xiang Yu normally overreacted like this. It was nothing new. In a while, he would have calmed down and would come back.

With that thought, Xin Lan went back to leafing through a book, not at all worried about this ‘day’ he had forgotten. Unfortunately … even after several hours, there was still no sign of Xiang Yu returning home.

Xin Lan put down the book and frowned. Why was he still not back? Don’t tell him he was really mad this time? He got up and paced up and down, glancing at the door every now and then. Even after five rounds through the room, nothing could be seen of that fallen god.

Xin Lan stopped in his tracks and gritted his teeth. What should he do now? Go and search for him? But where? Xiang Yu wasn’t using a transmission stone and would just randomly appear whenever he wanted to and disappear in the same manner.

Xin Lan groaned and brushed through his hair, making the white strands scatter over his shoulders. What to do? What to do? He shook his head and then rushed out of the building, hurrying over to his Master’s place.

Jinde raised his brows at Xin Lan’s distraught expression. “Don’t tell me you had another lover’s tiff with Xiang Yu and made him run away crying?”

“It’s not a —” Xin Lan wanted to retort but interrupted himself. “How do you know?”

“Oh? So it actually was like that. I wouldn’t have thought.” He smiled happily and supported his chin, watching Xin Lan’s dark expression as if he was taking delight in his troubles.

Xin Lan took a deep breath and sighed. Obviously, Xiang Yu had run over here to cry to Jinde after he had treated him so ‘badly’. “Where is he?”

“Let me ask you a question instead: Do you know what you did wrong?”

Xin Lan’s gaze darted around and he turned away. Well, he had apparently forgotten something but as for what that was … “What day is it today?” He turned back to Jinde, his brows tightly furrowed.

Jinde’s golden brows arched. “The third day of the week?”

“No, I mean …” Xin Lan turned away again and rubbed the exposed part of his face. “Is there a day that you’d get angry over if your husband forgot?”

Jinde blinked his eyes. “You mean like our wedding anniversary?”

“Yes, but before you were married.”

“You wouldn’t have forgotten some special day, would you?”

Jinde’s tone turned teasing, making Xin Lan feel that his Master knew all too well just what ‘special day’ he had forgotten. He walked over, kneeling down in front of him. “Just what did he say?”

“You really can’t figure it out on your own? Have you spend actual time thinking about this?”

Xin Lan tightened his lips. “Of course.” Even though he said so, his tone sounded flat.

“Then maybe you should spend some more.” Jinde got up and stretched. “You can stay here to do so if you want to. I’ll go and bother — Ah, no, I’ll go and spend some time with my husband.” He blinked his golden eyes and grinned before walking off, leaving Xin Lan to his own thoughts.

The dragon sighed and slipped into a casual posture. What special day was it? They weren’t married yet. In fact, they couldn’t even be called a couple. Then what could it be? The day they first met?

He stared blankly. What was the day they had first met? He … really couldn’t remember. It should have been some time in the demon realm but back then, all his thoughts had only ever been with his Master, his heart caught up in grief. How could he have paid attention to such details?

Xin Lan sighed again. It was probably that day’s anniversary. What else could it be? But even if he knew now, what use was that? Xiang Yu was still gone. Well, he should be able to find him considering that he had run to his Master to cry his eyes out but … How to coax him after he did?

Xin Lan almost wanted to get up and run after his Master to ask him what to do. Unfortunately, he could imagine how that would end: Jinde would just tease him and tell him that he was supposed to find out by himself. In that case, he could just forego the embarrassment and try to come up with something on his own.

A special day … it should probably be celebrated? So maybe some good food and a jar of wine would do? But then again, they were eating together almost every day. Xiang Yu might not even understand that he was trying to celebrate. But then what? Should he … get a present or something?

Xin Lan tightened his lips. A present would be more straightforward but he had no idea what to gift a fallen god. Was there anything he needed? If yes, then he didn’t know about it. And even if there was something he wanted, he’d just go and get it himself. He was a fallen god, after all!

Ah, it would be so much easier if he could just contact him and ask about what —

Xin Lan froze. Wait. Wasn’t that an idea? He could just give that idiot a transmission stone so he wouldn’t need to run around like crazy to search for him in the future.

He rummaged through his spatial ring and took a small one out that he had been carrying with him in case he needed to establish a connection with somebody in the future. The stone was a milky-white with the surface being a little rough. It was useful but probably not up to that guy’s standard?

He pursed his lips and finally raised his other hand, using his spiritual energy to reshape the stone. Dust fell to the ground but finally, the stone turned smooth and even seemed to sparkle a little in the sunlight. That should do?

Xin Lan got up and wanted to leave but on second thought … If he handed it over like this, wouldn’t Xiang Yu lose it? That guy always let stuff lie around and would then frantically search for it before he remembered that he was a fallen god and could just use his mark of wisdom to find out. In fact, this habit seemed to have gotten even worse over the past few years. In that case … it might be better to make sure he would carry the stone with him all the time?

Xin Lan’s brows twitched and he looked at the stone. Some piece of jewelry might do? Xiang Yu always wore black and together with that black hair and eyes, as well as that black mark between his eyebrows, it should look good with some jewelry inlaid with a white stone? It would be a nice contrast at least.

He once again rummaged through his spatial ring to find some more materials. What should he make? A necklace? He already wanted to prepare when he remembered the one he had made for Jinde. This … probably wouldn’t be too good? He didn’t want Xiang Yu to think he was treating him like a substitute.

Then what? Earrings? He couldn’t help but think of that spatial gem embedded in Jin Ling’s earlobe. Even though it suited him, Xiang Yu was a completely different type of person. And even though the stone was smaller after being reshaped by him, it was still too big to embed it so he’d only be able to make a different type of earring which … would look strange with only one. He could already imagine the critic he’d have to hear if he gave him something like that.

Well, then how about a bracelet? He tried to imagine it but somehow, he couldn’t come up with a good image. Then how about a ring? The stone wasn’t big so it would be suitable to carry around like that. It also had the benefit that Xiang Yu wouldn’t need to take it off to use it. He could just casually turn his hand and use it. Mn, that did indeed sound like the best idea. And … well, he also wouldn’t need that much material.

Xin Lan continued to gather the materials he needed and then rushed back home, sitting down to create the ring. In the end, what he held in his hand was a piece of jewelry with a simple design. There was no engraving, no added stones, nothing. Just a silver band with the white stone in the middle. He felt that … it did suit Xiang Yu’s aesthetic.

He got up and just when he opened the door to return to his Master’s place and get Xiang Yu, he was already faced with the aggrieved face of his lover. Apparently, a certain someone had long since waited on the other side of the door.

“You …”

“You didn’t even come to look for me!” Xiang Yu furrowed his brows and pursed his lips.

Xin Lan tensed. He didn’t want to have to deal with any temper tantrum. “You …” He cleared his throat. “You close your eyes.”

“Why? You don’t want to see me?”

Xin Lan’s brows furrowed. “Why would I ask you to close your eyes for that? Wouldn’t I have to close my own?”

Xiang Yu blinked. That … seemed to be true. He stared at Xin Lan, not knowing what else to say.

The dragon cursed. “What? You don’t want to get your present?”

“Present?” Xiang Yu’s expression lit up before he hurriedly closed his eyes, his lips curving into a cute smile, showing off two shallow dimples. Then he held out his hand, clearly waiting for Xin Lan to put his present on top.

Xin Lan looked at him, his heart jumping madly. He gulped and then turned Xiang Yu’s hand, quietly pushing the ring onto his finger. Looking at it … He had indeed been right. It looked good at him. “There.”

Xiang Yu’s eyes flew open and he raised his hand, looking at the ring from all directions. “It’s beautiful!” Then, his attention returned to Xin Lan, his expression immensely pleased. “So it’s not that you forgot about my birthday. You just hadn’t finished my present yet. Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

He didn’t do Xin Lan the favor of looking down bashfully, putting him in the awkward spot of needing to control his expression. Thankfully, at least half his face was covered by the mask.

Xin Lan gnashed his teeth and then forced a smile. “How would it be a surprise then?” Inwardly, he couldn’t help but rage though. For Heaven’s sake! It was his birthday?! How was he supposed to know about that? They had never even talked about that!

Well, at the very least, he had barely managed to avoid a disaster. From now on, he should make sure he wouldn’t forget about this day anymore.