Chapter Text
Dating was complicated.
Well, dating with Jiu-ge around was complicated. Shen Yuan rarely got to spend time alone with Liu Qingge, except when they met online to play Proud Immortal Demon Way. otherwise, either his brother or Qi-ge would be around on any date.
Liu Qingge remained remarkably calm about it, though Shen Yuan definitely noticed the twitching in those handsome eyebrows when Jiu-ge would suddenly appear during their meals and invite himself to the table.
But despite all that, they were officially boyfriends!
They’d been dating for a little over 2 months now. Shen Yuan had never considered that he might have a boyfriend, in fact, he’d rarely considered having a girlfriend either. Most of the time he viewed romantic relationships as things that happened to other people, not him. And now here he was in a whirlwind romance that had his corner of the internet in an uproar.
Fortunately, the Peerless Cucumber handle remained unconnected to him so he could continue to update the wiki with all the new monsters. But he could barely find anything PIDW related that wasn’t about WarBoo now! It didn’t help that Airplane, terrible hack writer, continued writing his ridiculous boy love novel about the Peak Lords of Qing Jing and Bai Zhan slowly falling in love.
PeerlessCucumber left detailed comments about the many inaccuracies and problems in the new works. He hated it, and kept an entire two hours blocked out every evening to read the newest chapters as soon as they were released.
He’d settled into the apartment, filling Jiu-ge’s space with all of his ‘nerd crap’, as his brother called it. The Hua Cheng statue from Milan held a place of honor right by the bed. Shen Yuan accepted that soon he would abandon his place in the suburbs and permanently take over Jiu-ge’s apartment.
Well, at least he assumed that now that Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan were engaged, they would move in together.
Not that Jiu-ge had mentioned they were engaged, but it was impossible to miss the new ring that Jiu-ge always wore… or the matching one on Qi-ge’s finger.
They were an absurd pair, but Shen Yuan was happy for his brother.
“Alright, here is the outfit for this ridiculous celebration,” Shen Jiu laid out an elegant silk shirt and slim-cut trousers that matched.
“It’s a banquet for a game company Jiu-ge, not some fashion thing. I’m going to be overdressed,” Shen Yuan protested.
The Northern Desert’s celebration banquet to honor ImGonnaWreckIt’s winning of the tournament finally was happening. All the Peak Lords who served as commentators would attend, plus the guild members who made it to the finale. Shen Jiu had argued against Shen Yuan going, but Liu Qingge argued right back that he deserved to enjoy the party after going through so much stress as a favor to his brother.
With work on a new fashion collection taking a lot of Jiu-ge’s time, and knowing that Bamboo ought to make an appearance lest the internet theories go into overdrive again, he relented and agreed that Shen Yuan should go.
“Yes, but BambooOnTheMind has a reputation to uphold. I expect you to maintain that,” Shen Jiu explained, looking pointedly at his brother.
He sighed heavily. “I know, but it’s only a little dinner award ceremony thing, not a cross-examination.”
“You’re an idiot if you don’t think the other Peak Lords and fans will not ask you and that brute every question under the sun.”
“It’ll be fine,” Shen Yuan promised. “Now… Can I borrow that fan?”
Shen Jiu scoffed. “No! It’s an antique!”
Not even Shen Yuan’s pout managed to convince Jiu-ge otherwise.
Shen Yuan got dressed in the exquisite outfit, and smiled faintly. Obviously the hand stitching and colors marked it as something from the collection Jiu-ge had shown off during the Immortal Alliance Conference. Beautiful and classy, just like his over-the-top brother.
He smoothed his hands over the fabric and prayed that he kept it clean for the entire night, or at least that maybe there was a good dry cleaner around that could help. When the makeup palette that his brother waited 6 hours in line to buy was pulled out, it was clear Jiu-ge really was going all out for this event.
“I don’t need to look like some model, Jiu-ge!”
“You need to look appropriate for the occasion. People are going to be photographing you and I won’t have you looking poorly,” he huffed. “It might not be my character anymore, but there is a certain level of elegance expected for the role.”
Shen Yuan rolled his eyes, “Yeah, okay Jiu-ge.”
His brother pinched his cheek softly. “Don’t get an attitude.”
Shen Yuan stuck out his tongue before asking, “How’s Qi-ge?”
“He’ll be over in a moment. He will drive you and…Liu Qingge there and then pick you up later.”
Shen Yuan had to admit his brother had improved on the boyfriend front. Jiu-ge was trying and Shen Yuan appreciated that even if it was slow going.
Now, at least, they could have meals without huge fights. Progress!
A soft knock sounded at the front door which opened shortly after, announcing Yue Qingyuan’s arrival. Shen Jiu fiddled with Shen Yuan’s shirt collar before going to greet his boyfriend (fiance??). Shen Yuan elected to stay in the bathroom to look himself over and let the two have a moment alone, though he definitely was eavesdropping.
“You’re wearing the shirt I made you?” Jiu-ge’s voice turned gentle.
“It’s the best shirt I own. Even though I’m not going inside the party, I want to look nice,” Yue Qingyuan said, voice just as soft.
Cute.
Shen Yuan smiled and wondered if he and Liu Qingge were just as adorably disgusting. Surely they weren’t, right?
“Hurry up, A-Yuan, you don’t want to be late and traffic downtown is always awful!” Jiu-ge called. “And text that brute to get over here.”
“Yeah, yeah!” Shen Yuan yelled back before pulling out his phone.
“Ready?” he texted Liu Qingge.
“Yes. I can come over now?”
“Yeh. Jiu-ge being sweet on his BF so it’s safe”
Another knock on the door announced Liu Qingge’s arrival. Shen Yuan vaulted himself past his brother to open the door with a bright smile.
Liu Qingge looked incredible. A pale blue dress shirt with a sleek white blazer over it highlighted the long lean lines of his body. He looked like he stepped out of some high-fashion magazine with his sharp features and dark hair in a fashionable ponytail.
“Hi,” Shen Yuan smiled.
“You look beautiful,” Lui Qingge said and kissed Shen Yuan’s cheek.
He’d been a lot more affectionate lately, but the soft kisses on his cheek, forehead, and hand still made Shen Yuan blush every time. He wondered if he’d ever actually get used to them, or the fact that such an amazingly attractive man wanted to be with him, notable nobody: Shen Yuan.
“Stop touching him like that, brute.” His brother snapped at Liu Qingge.
“We should leave soon so you two aren’t late,” Qi-ge interrupted before a fight could break out.
“Alright, get on the road. Drive safe, let me know you get there,” Jiu-ge said, pulling Shen Yuan to the side to adjust his shirt again.
Shen Yuan gave his brother a quick hug then took Liu Qingge’s hand and hurried out the door to keep his brother from snapping again.
“Ready for this?” Shen Yuan asked.
Liu Qingge gave his hand a soft squeeze. “I hope so. It will be nice to meet the others in person.”
Shen Yuan nodded. “I’m excited to see them! Let’s just hope people don’t get too weird about the whole WarBoo thing.”
“It will be fine.”
Doubt, Shen Yuan thought but didn’t say out loud.
Shen Yuan had a pretty okay grasp of the fandom community and if there was one thing he knew, it was that fans held onto things with absolutely no chill. Well, fans that weren’t Shen Yuan. He was incredibly relaxed and normal about his fandoms, thank you very much.
Shen Yuan was a detached scholar, simply cataloging information, not just screaming about what he loved, no matter what his latest PIDW twitter thread (187 tweets long) made people think.
Qi-ge joined them at the elevator and led the way down to his car.
Traffic stayed light enough that they arrived at the swanky hotel thirty minutes early. Shen Yuan had been to this place a few times for some of his parent’s galas, but somehow being here for a Proud Immortal Demon Way party made the whole thing seem brand new.
Qi-ge pulled up to the front entrance and gave a small smile. “I’ll be back at 9:00 to pick you two up.”
Shen Yuan felt very much like he was being dropped off at his first middle school dance.
“Okay,” he waved with a shooing motion as he got out of the car.
Qi-ge waited until they were inside to drive away.
Liu Qingge looked over at him and asked, “Ready?”
After a deep breath, he smiled. “As I’ll ever be.”
He led the way into the hotel and then down to the banquet room, where a young woman in a simple black dress helped them check in. His provided name badge just read: BambooOnTheMind, which worked for him. Judging by the rest of the badges lined out on the table, everyone would be going by usernames, not actual names. Smart.
Shen Yuan made sure Liu Qingge had his WarGod name tag on straight and smiled as he smoothed the lapels of his boyfriend’s jacket. Then his hand caught on something strange against Liu Qingge’s chest.
“What did you sneak in? Snacks?” Shen Yuan asked.
Liu Qingge coughed, cheeks turning a faint red. “I… thought you might like this.” He promptly reached into his blazer and held out a thin box.
Confused, Shen Yuan took it and opened it to find an elegant hand fan inside.
“You?” he looked up at Liu Qingge.
His boyfriend coughed, the pink on his cheeks getting more pronounced. “It’s a replica of the one from the caves where we met.”
He carefully opened the fan. The well-crafted tines opened smoothly, showing a perfect recreation of the ‘Elegant Painted Fan’ item he often used in the game. The one Qingge had returned just before the tournament.
Waving it in front of his face, he couldn’t help but grin. “Thank you, shidi,” he teased.
Liu Qingge just nodded, face still bright pink.
“Are the others here yet, you think?” Shen Yuan asked, deciding to tone the teasing down.
“Bar,” Liu Qingge said simply, motioning to a small side room where the sound of voices floated out from.
“Ah, smart!” Shen Yuan beamed.
He tucked the fan box in his own pocket before he shyly reached over for Liu Qingge’s hand, feeling heat rush to his cheeks when Liu Qingge gave his fingers a gentle squeeze as they walked over to the bar.
At the bar stood a tall, handsome woman with dark brown hair and wearing a beautiful lavender pantsuit. Beside her sat a slightly older man with his hair carefully slicked back. He wore a dark green shirt and dark slacks.
Shen Yuan couldn’t help but smile at seeing Lavender and Doctor in the flesh and not just on a computer screen. He rushed over to them, dragging Liu Qingge behind him.
“It’s a racket limiting our drink numbers,” Lavender was saying before she spotted the approaching group and grinned.
“Well, well, well, look here! You are tiny!” She cooed at Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan resisted stomping on her foot. He was not that short! He just happened to only know tall people!
“Pleasure to meet you all,” Doctor said, dipping his head in a bow.
Shen Yuan nodded. Yeah, if this guy walked into his hospital room, he’d trust the care he was about to get.
“Good to see you again,” WarGod said as he stepped up to join the group.
“Ah, the surprise hero of that tournament!” Lavender laughed. “What a debut that was. Speaking of… which Bamboo do we have the pleasure of meeting today?”
“The same one you spent the whole tournament with,” he huffed. “Why do people keep asking that?”
“Because it was quite the surprise that there turned out to be two of you. What a twist!” She grinned with sarcasm. “Still, I should have known which one you were based on how obviously smitten our WarGod is with you.”
Lavender suddenly pulled some money from her coat pocket and nudged it at Doctor. “Should have known better than to bet against the master.”
“Hm, perhaps you will learn one day,” Doctor said, slyly tucking the money away.
“What is that about?” Liu Qingge asked.
“We had a bet going on if you two would show up as an obvious couple, or if you would still be in ‘does he like me like I like him’ phase.” Lavender rolled her eyes. “You boys have more brains than I thought.”
“You bet on us!?” Liu Qingge looked scandalized and Shen Yuan couldn’t help but laugh at the face that his boyfriend was making at that revelation.
“Not just us. There’s an entire betting pool,” Lavender said with a shrug.
“I don’t understand the fascination with us,” Liu Qingge muttered.
Lavender leaned closer, eyes gleaming. “Oh? You don’t understand why people would be enraptured by the sight of two handsome young men slowly falling in love, live in front of our eyes?”
Shen Yuan hid behind his gifted fan. Why did she have to phrase it like that?
“Come, drink, let’s talk. It’s been too long!” she smiled.
Doctor agreed. “Yes, is it strange that I’ve missed watching the tournament with you all? It was only two days, but it’s the most fun I’ve had in ages!”
“Well, rumor has it we might start doing smaller streams. Apparently, it’s done very well for the game,” Lavender said with a wink.
“Wonderful!” Doctor beamed.
“So, what is there to do before the ceremony officially starts?” Shen Yuan asked.
“Drink,” Lavender said, raising the glass already in her hand.
He huffed. “Besides that. I can’t have alcohol.”
“They have some very impressive mocktails. We have quite a few young ones coming to this as well,” Doctor pointed out.
Shen Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he turned towards the bar and looked over the menu.
Of course, the drinks were all themed. Lavender looked like she was drinking the ‘Luo Binghe Bomb’ and Doctor probably had the ‘Red Ribbon Potion’ in hand. But… the Heavenly Demon Mark looked good and didn’t have any alcohol or anything else that Shen Yuan couldn’t handle. He was still adjusting to the new medicine and random bouts of nausea, but it was better than it’d been in a long time.
“Oh my god, they made drinks themed on us!” Shen Yuan gasped.
At the bottom of the page, he found a list of drinks, all inspired by the 12 Peak Lords.
“You have to get a War God Lightning Strike,” Lavender said.
“I don’t drink,” Liu Qingge said flaty, clearly having to say that a lot before.
Somehow, that didn’t surprise Shen Yuan.
“Well, they have a non-alcoholic version too,” Lavender said with an eye-roll.
Apparently, this game company had gone all out for the event.
All the drinks sounded fun and whoever had come up with the menu had a blast doing it. The Lavender Menace seemed killer with the amount of alcohol in it, though that seemed to fit the guild leader. It surprised him they’d serve that at a party. His own drink, Bamboo Breeze, remained alcohol-free, featuring green tea and citrus.
“I’m Mu Qingfang,” Doctor finally said. “It seems strange to use usernames here.”
Lavender shrugged. “Speak for yourself. I love it. Then again, you’re probably used to people yelling ‘Doctor!’ at you all day, every day.”
“A bit, yes,” he laughed.
“How do you find the time to even play?” Shen Yuan asked.
“Well, I find it’s important to keep up hobbies. I make it a priority because it makes me happy,” Mu Qingfang nodded sagely.
“And you like the betting pools,” Lavender muttered under her breath, but Doctor ignored her.
“So how late do you think Airplane is going to be for this?” she asked.
“Oooh, hard to say. He’s been very excited about it, so I think he will make an effort.” Doctor said thoughtfully.
Shen Yuan huffed at the thought of Airplane, and ordered himself a Bamboo Breeze.
Liu Qingge, predictably, got water. Shen Yuan smiled and elbowed his boyfriend playfully. “You aren’t even going to try your own drink?”
“It’s an energy drink nightmare,” Liu Qingge muttered.
Shen Yuan laughed.
“Ah, classic no-fun WarGod, hm?” Lavender said with a smile. “Now, here’s to a cheer for getting through a truly unforgettable Immortal Alliance Conference.”
She held up her glass, Mu Qingfang followed, and so did Shen Yuan. Only when Shen Yuan had his glass raised did Liu Qingge raise his glass as well.
“Cheers!”
A flash of light nearly startled Shen Yuan into dropping his drink, but Liu Qingge’s quick reflexes steadied his hand before he could get the drink all over Jiu-ge’s nice shirt.
“Ah shit, how do I turn off the flash?” came a voice Shen Yuan instantly recognized.
“Airplane.” He turned towards the hack author and glared.
The man stood taller than Shen Yuan would have guessed, though still far shorter than the other model height members of the Peak Lord team. His hair fluffed in dark, messy waves and freckles dotted all over his face.
Beside the hack author stood an absolute mountain of a man. Tall, broad, pale and wearing an elegant pair of light-blue glasses, the man looked like he’d never learned how to smile. His chiseled face looked suited to a movie star, not… whoever he was.
“And you are?” Lavender asked, looking at the tall stranger.
“Ah, you can call him Mobei,” Airplane quickly said. “Or Mobei-Jun.”
“What kind of cosplay kink?” Lavender muttered before taking a long drink.
“And why is your friend joining us? Do you play the game as well?” Mu Qingfang asked, ever the picture of a polite bedside manner.
“No,” the man, Mobei, said flatly.
“Just a fan of the novel, then?” Mu Qingfang continued on, unfettered by the ice-cold nature of this newcomer.
Shen Yuan truly admired his dedication to polite interactions!
“No,” Mobei said with the same tone.
Airplane squeaked like a stressed-out hamster before flinging himself in front of Mobei as though to block him from sight. A useless move, since Airplane only came up to Mobei’s chest and didn’t block the mountain from anyone’s sight.
“Mobei just came here because he’s such a big fan of the… art… of… streamed tournaments,” Airplane said, hunting for each word as he spoke them. He gave a truly unconvincing smile. “Yeah, he just loves seeing how things… stream… and… video. Yeah.”
Lavender downed her drink in one go and turned to the bartender. “You see what I’m dealing with? Two drink max, seriously?”
Wordlessly, the bartender passed over a purple-hued drink.
“Oh, wonderful. Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the game’s tournament so much,” Mu Qingfang said cheerfully.
“Yep. He’s just a big fan of… those… frame rates!” Airplane laughed in a high-pitched voice. “Anyway, what’s everyone drinking? I could use a drink.”
Shen Yuan looked at the menu. “There’s a lovely one called the Hack-Brain Author. That seems to suit you.”
“Bro, I thought the nice one was coming!” Airplane whined.
Liu Qingge stifled a snort.
With a sharp smile that was all Jiu-ge, Shen Yuan leaned in closer to Airplane. “I am the nice one.”
The author backed up and into Mobei’s space, who didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
“One water and one Immaculate Airplane,” Mobei ordered over Airplane’s head.
The bartender made the drinks with noticeable speed and passed them over.
Airplane happily took his brightly colored drink, decorated with cotton candy along the rim, while Mobei drank the water.
“You’re so mean bro!” Airplane huffed. “I invite you to this fancy party and this is how you repay me?”
“Please, the event was only so highly viewed because of the WarBoo fans, and you know it,” Lavender scoffed.
“Please don’t say that word out loud,” Shen Yuan grumbled into his drink.
Liu Qingge’s face had already gone red at hearing WarBoo said aloud, and Shen Yuan had the sinking suspicion that this wouldn’t be the last time tonight they’d hear it.
“Not to mention the inspiration it’s had on your recent work,” Mu Qingfang added with a smile. “I am quite enjoying getting to read about the Peak Lords, though your depiction of the injuries sustained by a sword through the body is a bit…”
Airplane winced. “Too graphic?”
“Not nearly violent enough. You should know that the human body contains approximately 5 liters of blood, so an injury that severs the femoral artery really should have quite a bit more spray-”
“Nope, nope, nope. We are not having blood spray talk before I eat. Absolutely not,” Lavender interrupted.
Doctor looked disappointed but dropped the topic with a smile.
Meanwhile, Airplane pulled out a notebook to write a few things before tucking the notebook away again and returning to his cotton candy drink.
“Well, nice to meet you in person, WarGod and Bamboo,” Airplane nodded.
Liu Qingge nodded back, and Shen Yuan wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure I can call it a pleasure knowing what you write.”
“Come on bro, that’s so mean!” Airplane looked at his tall partner. “I’m being bullied!”
Mobei arched an eyebrow at him, making the small hamster-like man sputter indigently.
“This is your boyfriend?” Lavender asked, eyeing Mobei. “You two are certainly an odd couple.”
“Wha-That’s-We’re-” Airplane stumbled over several words all at once, not making any sense.
“I made the game,” Mobei said, as though that explained everything.
“You made the game?” Lavender repeated.
Mobei said, “My company.”
Shen Yuan thought for a moment. “Northern Desert Studios? That’s your company?”
A nod from the tall man.
“Wow, you did a great job with a terrible book,” Shen Yuan admitted.
Airplane huffed. “Alright look, if it weren’t for that book you wouldn’t have met your boyfriend and fallen in love in front of millions of fans so I don’t want to hear you-”
Shen Yuan squawked in protest, pointing his fan at the offending author. “I did not fall in love in front of millions of-”
“Oh please, you two had heart eyes at each other from the moment you-”
“You talentless author! You wouldn’t know romance if it bit you on your-”
“Yeah, you look like an expert in romance! How long did it take you to even realize that-”
Liu Qingge stepped in front of Shen Yuan, glaring at Airplane. “Enough.”
Mobei set his own drink down before he scooped Airplane up, hands under the author’s armpits while the smaller man just dangled like a stunned cat. He nodded at the group then Mobei carried Airplane away without a word.
As Shen Yuan glared after the retreating pair, Doctor muttered and passed over some cash to Lavender, who just smirked and tucked it into her blouse.
“Alright, now what?” Shen Yuan huffed.
“I just said that if you and Airplane were in the room together for longer than 5 minutes, there would be a fight,” Lavender said simply.
“That wasn’t a fight,” Shen Yuan scoffed.
Liu Qingge gently placed one hand over Shen Yuan’s shoulder, his thumb rubbing slow circles against his shoulder blade.
That did more to soothe him than anything else. He took a long sip of his Bamboo Breeze and enjoyed the earthy taste of green tea and citrus mix. Whoever had come up with these drinks really had done a great job. He glanced at the menu again, Black Lotus Catering, huh? He’d have to recommend them to his parents.
“Looks like more people are arriving,” Lavender said. “I suppose we should mingle.” She rolled her eyes.
“Aren’t you excited about meeting your guild members?” Doctor asked.
Lavender shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t like people or small talk.”
“Cheers to that,” Liu Qingge murmured.
“We could all just stay together?” Shen Yuan suggested.
“Oh, well, that could be fun,” Mu Qingfang considered.
Lavender looked thoughtful. “You know we do look more intimidating as a group… alright, fine. I’ll continue to let you all be graced by my company.”
“Your benevolence truly blesses us,” Shen Yuan said with a smile.
She huffed, but didn’t quite hide her smile behind her drink.
Sure enough, the area filled in with more people. The group of Peak Lords meandered away from the bar to a corner of the room where most people avoided coming near. Lavender seemed to be right that a group of the Peak Lords seemed a little intimidating to approach.
But then, of course, the quiet broke, and someone approached. “H-hi,” the young man said while rubbing his neck.
“WreckIt,” Liu Qingge replied first.
The young man, well, more of a teenager, Shen Yuan thought, grinned. He had short, light brown hair that seemed to be struggling free from the gel he’d clearly used to slick it back.
“Ah, the illustrious winner of the tournament. Nice to officially meet you,” Mu Qingfang smiled.
Lavender nodded her head. “Nice of you to come say hello. Congratulations on your win.”
“Thanks!” he beamed at the group of adults. “So is this your little hidey spot? Cool. Can I hang out?”
“Absolutely not, child.” Lavender answered.
“I’m not a child!” he protested.
“Compared to me you are, kid,” Lavender said as she took a long drink. “Look, nothing personal, but this is adult time.”
“We’ll walk around with you WreckIt,” Shen Yuan smiled. “Right?” He looked at Liu Qingge.
As usual, his expression stayed neutral, a blank slate that Shen Yuan still had a hard time reading. Shen Yuan noted the tension along Liu Qingge’s shoulders, seemed he and his boyfriend got a little nervous in crowds. Somehow that made Shen Yuan feel just a little braver.
WarGod nodded, putting down his empty water glass on a nearby table. “Of course.”
Shen Yuan took Liu Qingge’s hand and walked from the group as WreckIt followed them. Of course, the teen was taller than Shen Yuan. Really, why was everyone involved in this game a giant?
“This is so cool,” WreckIt grinned. “I’ve never been to something this fancy. My uncle bought me this suit and everything,” he said as he held his arms out wide.
The suit itself would not have passed Jiu-ge’s inspection since it was clearly an untailored, off-the-rack suit in a dark navy color. But Shen Yuan smiled. “You look very nice.”
The boy beamed at the praise and Shen Yuan’s hand moved all on its own to pat the top of his head. “Congratulations again. I am sorry that I caused such chaos for you.”
WreckIt’s eyes went wide. “No way, you didn’t do anything. I’m glad you’re alright. That was scary, ‘cause we didn’t know what had happened. I was so focused on surviving and getting to the platform, that I didn’t realize you’d collapsed until Airplane announced something.”
“... and what did Airplane say?” Shen Yuan asked, already feeling a headache forming between his brows.
“Oh, just that everything had overwhelmed you and made you collapse. WarGod rushed to your side to save you, and then you two left the stream. It’s really dramatic! I watched the footage like a dozen times. You looked like you were going to kick SwordLife’s as…. butt, WarGod sir!”
Okay, yes. Shen Yuan had seen the footage too, and Liu Qingge certainly had looked angry enough to charge into a fight.
Liu Qingge’s grip on Shen Yuan’s hand tightened.
“Not that dramatic. Really, I was okay,” Shen Yuan grumbled.
“And the whole fight with the abyss stuff was so cool! I had no idea that all the guild leaders had been fighting stuff, too! I had to rewatch the whole stream to see everything I missed. The slimes were awesome! I’m gonna buy a poison spray talisman just in case I ever run into one.”
Shen Yuan nodded. “All melee fighters should have a few talismans on them at all times. There are several enemies that only magical attacks can hit, so it’s important to keep your options open.”
“Of course Bamboo, sir,” WreckIt bowed his head.
“You should teach about the monsters,” Liu Qingge said.
“Huh?” Shen Yuan blinked.
“Yeah!!” the teen shouted. “Oh, that’d be kickass! I mean great! You just like, give a lesson about different monster types. You know, like how you went over the nightmare realm stuff. I mean, you know everything about the game, so it’d be super helpful.”
“I don’t know everything,” Shen Yuan muttered.
Liu Qingge and WreckIt looked at him with equally doubtful faces and Shen Yuan sputtered under the face of their joint disbelief turned towards him, then felt his cheeks warm.
“Brother?” A young woman spoke.
Liu Qingge looked over and smiled faintly. Shen Yuan followed his gaze and tried to not gape. A tall (seriously WHY was everyone a tall model?), stunning woman in an elegant purple cheongsam with embroidered flowers accentuating her figure. Her dark hair was twisted up into a fashionable braided up-do. A thin, pink mask covered the bottom half of her face, though nothing could hide that this woman was obviously a great beauty.
Of course, she had to be if she was Liu Qingge’s sister! The man was already an incredible work of art, so his sister had to be as well.
“Mingyan,” Liu Qingge said warmly. His lips quirked into a smile at the sight of his sister.
“You look very nice,” Mingyan said to her brother.
He nodded. “You too.”
Liu Qingge’s tiny smile faded when he looked to her side where a shorter woman in a very low-cut red dress stood. Finally, someone shorter than him, Shen Yuan mentally rejoiced.
The woman in red offered a toothy grin. “Hey. I’m BellsHell.”
“Nice to meet you,” Liu Qingge said, each word short as he looked between her and Liu Mingyan.
She must be another woman from Lavender’s guild. He vaguely recalled a character in red helping deal with the Jax Rabbit attack. “You all did very well in the tournament,” Shen Yuan said.
Liu Mingyan bowed her head. “Thank you. It was an honor to take part.”
“I mean, the last bit was pretty bullshit, but I hear the Peak Lords got caught up in it too, so I won’t be too mad, I guess.” The woman in red shrugged.
“How do you two know each other, exactly?” Liu Qingge asked, continuing to look between his sister and the smaller woman.
“We’re guildmates,” his sister said. “But we must be going. Lavender asked us all to meet with her for a group picture. I will see you later, brother.”
Before Liu Qingge could ask more questions, Mingyan glided away with the grace of a faery. Liu Qingge continued glaring suspiciously after BellsHell even once she had vanished from sight.
“Your sister seems nice,” Shen Yuan said.
That seemed to snap Liu Qingge out of his glower. “I should have introduced you two. Sorry.”
Shen Yuan laughed and gently elbowed Liu Qingge. “It’s fine. I know that protective brother streak well enough to recognize it.”
“I am not… I mean…” Liu Qingge seemed to consider his words. “Am I as bad as your brother and his partner?”
Shen Yuan laughed hard. “No, you’re nowhere near as bad as they are. Relax.” He rubbed along Liu Qingge’s shoulder, still marveling that he could do that whenever he felt like now. “How’s your leg? Do you want to sit down?”
“My leg’s fine.” Liu Qingge said then hesitated. “How are you feeling? Do you need a break?”
“Mmm, I could use a bit of sitting,” Shen Yuan admitted.
He didn’t feel winded or too tired, but there were a lot of people gathering and the feeling of being closed in on all sides itched along his spine.
Liu Qingge made a path for them through the crowd and back to the main ballroom, where the dining tables were laid out. The Peak Lords’ table sat near the very front, right by the stage where they would call up WreckIt to accept his award. Shen Yuan took his seat and Liu Qingge sat beside him.
“Oh, the menu looks good,” Shen Yuan said as he looked over the printed piece of cardstock on his plate. It all looked like food he could handle. He had warned them of his dietary needs (well, Liu Qingge had messaged the company, who then reached out to Shen Yuan, but still!).
“I’m glad,” Liu Qingge nodded as he looked around the room. “There are more people than I would have guessed for a gaming ceremony.”
“It’s an awards ceremony just like any sport,” Shen Yuan shrugged. “You invite everyone who participated. I’m sure there’s also game company employees here and the people who handled the stream itself.”
Liu Qingge hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose so. Do you need another drink?”
“No, I’m happy with my Bamboo Breeze,” he smiled as he turned from the menu to his boyfriend.
“Should I get one too?” Liu Qingge asked with a faint smile; his eyes brightened with warmth as he looked at his boyfriend.
Shen Yuan blushed. “You have the authentic Bamboo, well the Livestream one at least. Are you sure you could handle more?”
“You’re the only Bamboo I need,” Liu Qingge murmured, taking Shen Yuan’s hand tenderly in his own.
“Y-You can’t just say things like that!” Shen Yuan felt like his face might combust. Who had given his boyfriend permission to be so charming in public??
Liu Qingge leaned in a little closer, and Shen Yuan’s heart sped up as he haltingly eased in as well. Just a little closer and-
“Bro! Your drink tastes like lemony grass!” Airplane plopped into a chair right beside Shen Yuan and sat his Bamboo Breeze on the table.
“You just don’t have a refined enough palate for green tea,” Shen Yuan bit out, moving back from Liu Qingge, who was glaring murder at the hack author.
“Where’s your bodyguard?” Shen Yuan asked as he looked for Mobei. Surely the intimidating man had been hired to protect the idiot author for the evening.
“My what?” Airplane blinked.
Shen Yuan arched a brow. “The tall, dark, and frosty man you were with at the bar?”
“Oh, Mobei. Yeah, he had to go do actual work and networking or whatever. So I came to hang out with you two, ‘cause Lavender said no men allowed and Doctor is way too social for me to keep up with.”
“Lucky us,” Liu Qingge muttered.
Airplane grinned when he saw Shen Yuan’s beverage. “You like the themed drinks, right? That was my suggestion. At the end of the night, we’ll see which one is the most popular. I’m betting it will be the War God Lightning Strike,” Airplane nodded.
“Shouldn’t you be talking to your guild members?” Liu Qingge asked, obviously hinting that Airplane should go.
“Pffft, none of mine were even in the tournament, so they’re not here. Besides, you aren’t off talking with yours either, Mr. WarGod.”
Shen Yuan hid a smile behind his fan at the obvious attempts Liu Qingge was making to get Airplane to leave, and the man wasn’t taking them!
“Hey, let’s all take a selfie together!” Airplane hopped up.
Airplane moved over, putting himself in between the two before stretching out his arm. “Okay, smile!” He pointed the phone at the trio and snapped a few pictures, nearly blinding them when the flash went off unexpectedly again.
“Learn how to use your phone!” Shen Yuan rubbed his eyes.
“Ahaha sorry. It’s new. I’m not used to it yet,” Airplane rubbed the back of his head. “Lemme post this real quick.”
“Where are you posting them?” Liu Qingge asked.
“Everywhere, duh. Everyone was curious about the event and only the award part is going to be livestreamed, so for everything else, there is good ol’ social media.”
Before Airplane could open his mouth and say anything more, a woman announced the meal would begin shortly, and for everyone to please take their seats.
“Ah, I’ll see you later bro!” Airplane said.
“Where are you going? The peak lords sit here,” Shen Yuan hissed.
“Ah, my seat is over with my king… I mean, the game studio. You know, so we can talk business and stuff. Totally normal business stuff.”
Shen Yuan squinted at him. “Doubt.”
“Ah bro, you’re so funny. Have I told you how funny you are?” Airplane laughed as he retreated to a nearby table, not as front and center, but still near the stage.
Mobei spotted the author and manhandled Airplane into a seat at his side.
“Those two are an odd pair, aren’t they?” Liu Qingge said after a moment.
Shen Yuan laughed. “They are.”
The other two peak lords, Lavender and Mu Qingfang came to the table, with WreckIt joining them as well.
“Whoa, this is fancy stuff!” WreckIt whistled as appetizers were delivered to the table shortly after they were seated.
Shen Yuan had a nice vegetable soup, while most everyone else had a salad with feta and watermelon. Too fancy for his tastes! Let alone that any kind of cheese always seemed to destroy him.
At least the soup tasted amazing!
He ate and let the conversations around the table soothe into a soft background noise. Mu Qingfang was a master of the art of small talk, and WreckIt seemed to like to talk. He seemed like a ‘fine young man’, as his mother would say.
“Alright?” Liu Qingge asked, leaning close to Shen Yuan once he stopped eating his soup.
Shen Yuan smiled. “I’m fine, promise.”
“Oh my god, you two really do whisper to each other even when you’re not on the livestream,” Lavender said. “Adorable. Disgusting. Do it again.”
“Don’t be jealous,” Shen Yuan laughed.
Lavender scoffed. “I would never be jealous of a man. Don’t worry about that.”
Mu Qingfang smiled politely. “So when does this actually kick off?”
“Soon, if the schedule thing is right,” WreckIt said.
“These things never run on time.” Lavender waved her hand dismissively.
“You go to a lot of these formal dinners?” Doctor inquired.
Lavender just shrugged without giving a solid answer. She sipped at her drink before finishing her salad. “They did a good job with the catering. I’ll give them that, though.”
Shen Yuan hummed in agreement.
About ten minutes later, Airplane and Mobei headed onto the stage.
“Oh my god, is he the MC?” Lavender gaped.
“Hm,” was all Doctor said.
Lavender glared as she pulled the money back from her chest pocket and shoved it at him.
“Thank you,” Mu Qingfang said as he tucked the money away.
“Uh, hi everyone! We’re going to start stuff, but, uh you still can eat and food will be delivered, so don’t worry about that, ahahaha,” Airplane looked like he might pass out at any moment under the lights of the stage.
The man clearly was not an experienced MC for an event like this, and it showed in his nerves. Airplane looked sweaty enough to drown in, and Shen Yuan briefly felt a flicker of worry that the author might actually collapse on stage. A little horrifying to think about.
“Thanks uh for coming to this event and uh, being here. It’s really nice to get to celebrate what we are all accomplishing here. You know, games and stuff. It just is a bit silly to think about that this all from a little book that I wrote. Wild.” He laughed nervously.
Mobei at his side, patted his shoulder then stepped in front of him to take over the microphone. “Please eat, and the presentations of the awards will begin in 20 minutes. Thank you.”
Mobei then firmly walked Airplane off the stage, supporting him the entire way. At least that way, Shen Yuan didn’t have to worry about the man collapsing on his own.
“Did he say awards?” Liu Qingge asked with a frown.
“They’re giving out more than one?” Shen Yuan asked. “What for?”
Mu Qingfang gave a shrug. “There is honestly no telling, but we could make a few guesses about what it might be. I imagine there will be some sort of sportsmanship award. Several of the teams worked together when the abyss opened up to help one another out, and that is very nice and deserves recognition.”
“Oh, that is nice,” Shen Yuan smiled.
“Is it?” Lavender grinned mischievously. “I wonder if they’re going to give awards for best longing stare, or most dramatic exit from a livestream. I think I can guess the winner of those particular awards if you give me half a moment.”
“He wouldn’t dare ,” Shen Yuan growled.
Even as he said it though, he knew that Airplane absolutely would. He had no shame and wanted to milk this for all that it was worth. There was no doubt in Shen Yuan’s mind that he and Liu Qingge were going to end up on stage for something incredibly embarrassing.
At that thought, He groaned into his soup and wished that he could handle alcohol so he could drink away the embarrassment sure to come.
“We will not go up on stage if he calls our names,” WarGod declared and the way he said that, with such confidence, gave Shen Yuan some hope that it would be true.
Maybe he could avoid total humiliation or maybe Mobei would keep the terrible ideas at bay and get things to work out in a less humiliating way.
For now, Shen Yuan would just pray for the best.
Servers delivered dinners all around the room, moving like coordinated performers on stage. Every plate placed perfectly in front of a diner. Shen Yuan smiled at the bowl of warm congee in front of him. Simple enough that he should be fine to enjoy the meal and not just play the ‘push food around the plate’ game.
Liu Qingge only started eating his own exquisite-looking meal when he saw Shen Yuan enjoying his food.
“I might have to marry the chef,” Lavender said after a few bites.
“This is quite enjoyable,” Mu Qingfang agreed.
“I’m in heaven,” WreckIt said while shoveling food into his mouth like the teenager he was.
Shen Yuan let himself just enjoy the warm, simple meal, almost relaxing until the microphone screeched and Shen Yuan noticed Airplane was back up on stage with Mobei at his side like a very threatening shadow.
“Alright, please keep enjoying the meal, we’re uh… we just have a highlights reel we’re going to play so ummm enjoy!” Airplane squeaked.
The author pushed at an unseen button on the podium holding the microphone but nothing happened. He pressed it a few more times with rising panic before Mobei reached over Airplane and flicked a switch. Music started up and the screen behind the stage lit up.
Airplane squealed as Mobei pulled him off stage again.
Shen Yuan took a breath as the video started. Their first time streaming together appeared on the screen.
Seeing him and Qingge sitting side-by-side on that first stream made his heart flutter. They really looked like they had known each other for ages, with how comfortable together they looked on camera.
Video Airplane gave a wide smile. “Welcome to the second annual Proud Immortal Demon Way Alliance Conven-”
“Immortal Alliance Conference,” Shen Yuan corrected as he glared from over the top of his fan.
Ah Jiu-ge’s antique fan, which now was kept in a locked display case. Oh well, Shen Yuan thought as he fluttered his new fan in front of his face. He had a better one to use now.
The video itself was well-done, moving through the first round of the tournament and showing off all the team’s abilities.
He saw more of the fights this time, since he wasn’t as distracted by Liu Qingge sitting right at his side. Well, he wasn’t until his boyfriend slid an arm around Shen Yuan’s shoulders and then his brain just screamed exclamation points at him.
He wondered how long into dating it would take for simple touches like that to not send his mind into total panics and squeals of delight. Liu Qingge, the most beautiful man in the universe, LIKED him, wanted to date a no one like Shen Yuan. It didn’t seem real.
“I wish they had included some of the best chat comments,” Lavender sighed. “There were some excellent moments there.”
“Yeah, I heard the chat was wild!” WreckIt nodded. “With all the like WarBoo stuff.”
“Do not say that word out loud,” Liu Qingge muttered.
“Sorry boss,” WreckIt said, sounding not at all sorry.
“Oh, there’s your first fight!” Shen Yuan smiled as WreckIt’s character popped up in the video.
The Dorito-shaped character charged through the fights, tanking most of the damage for his team and leading the charge against the bird enemies.
The Star-Stalking Buzzard still disappointed him. No star-crushing beak, just a normal, gigantic bird with some vague galaxy coloring to its feathers. But he still could appreciate WreckIt’s hard work during the fight.
“Oh, clever, you saw that weak point and used it to get in a back attack. That critical hit saved the day,” Shen Yuan hummed in approval as the character dodged a dive from the Buzzards then slammed into its back. “Very good WreckIt.”
The teen went bright red. “T-thank you Bamboo sir!”
Lavender smirked as she finished her meal. “It was a rather well-done fight. I have to admit I hadn’t expected actual battle tactics from the WarGod’s team. Usually they’re all brute force.”
“Well, that’s how our last guild leader went about stuff,” WreckIt said. “Baxia liked the hit it hard and once strategy. If it got back up after your first hit, then you didn’t hit it hard enough the first time.”
Liu Qingge shrugged. “For many of the enemies, that works.”
“But not all of them! Like those Star Blossom Slimes, that would never work with them!” Shen Yuan argued.
Liu Qingge nodded.
“Yeah, honestly, the Nightmare realm raid we all went on kinda showed us all that, so it worked out. WarGod has let us figure out our own strengths but with a good solid base.” WreckIt grinned.
Liu Qingge nodded and Shen Yuan noticed that his boyfriend’s ears were basically glowing red at the praise.
“Everyone shut up. My girls are on!” Lavender shushed the table.
The team did incredibly against the Jax Rabbits. Their use of magic and close combat gave them a more complete group of abilities. Not to mention that Liu Qingge’s sister seemed to have her brother’s reaction time speed, able to respond to the smallest warning with an instant counter attack.
“I thought your team would win,” Mu Qingfang said as the girl’s fight faded off screen.
“Wait, seriously?” Lavender stared at him.
He nodded. “Off of pure stats. They are the most well-rounded team and I know you spend a lot of time with them in the game.”
“That’s very sweet Doctor.” She smirked and finished her drink. “But the answer is still no. I am not sending my girls off to farm Blue Beetle Acid Wings for you.”
“... Worth a shot,” Mu Qingfang said with a shrug.
Shen Yuan snorted at that. How had he gotten so lucky that all the Peak Lords he’d met (minus one idiot author) were genuinely fun people he didn’t hate? Usually socializing was exhausting, but this little group didn’t tire him out as much as others often did.
It was nice.
“Oh, here we go! Onto the actual show!” WreckIt said.
Shen Yuan held his breath as the camera showed WarGod gliding across the screen on his sword, leaping onto a Black Moon Rhinoceros Python’s back, taking it down with ease. Truly, his boyfriend was peerlessly talented.
Shen Yuan was so wrapped up in the video, he barely noticed when a server replaced his empty bowl of congee with a dessert of egg tarts.
“I still can’t believe they went with the Endless Abyss storyline and didn’t warn us ahead of time,” Shen Yuan muttered.
“Bro, your surprise and reactions were so good though!” Airplane materialized at their table like the pest he was.
Lavender scoffed. “We were not supposed to be participating in the fights. I didn’t even have my best armor equipped!”
“It was nice to get to show off our own abilities,” Mu Qingfang admitted. “I haven’t had the chance to use that Poison Spray move in a long time.”
“It detracted from the contestants!” Shen Yuan huffed. “We were supposed to be highlighting them! Right, WreckIt?”
WreckIt blinked, looking up from where a bit of tart crumbled from his lips. He wiped his mouth. “Uh, I mean, we were all fighting for our lives anyway and had no idea what was happening to you all until later.”
Shen Yuan groaned. “No, I mean the viewers! They were trying to keep up with too much!”
“We did a highlights reel afterwards, bro! And trust me, everyone loved it,” Airplane said, which made Shen Yuan automatically not believe it.
To avoid acknowledging the terrible author’s existence, Shen Yuan turned his attention back to the screen, currently highlighting the team’s fights and not the Peak Lords.
The stage lit up in the orange-purple glow of the Endless Abyss splitting open on the screen. Truly an impressive sight. Shen Yuan hadn’t realized at the time that the crack ran through almost the entire playing field. There was no avoiding it.
He hadn’t gotten to enjoy any of the work those players had done to survive and now he could see all the effort they were putting in to get to the tournament grounds for the win.
While the Peak Lords had taken on a lot of the major enemies, there were still swarms and swarms of other monsters to be dealt with, most of them brand new to all players. Shen Yuan recognized them, of course, but at the time, he hadn’t been able to comment on anything. He’d been too busy trying to breathe and keep the other Peak Lords safe.
And then, just as Shen Yuan was relaxing, the video shifted attention over to the Peak Lords’ fights and all of their interactions. He watched his own character run around while he tried to give orders on the webcam.
His face looked so pale and ill on the giant projector screen. God, no wonder Jiu-ge had instantly realized he was sick.
“You all looked so cool when you took down all that stuff!” Airplane said with a nod.
“Even you actually did something,” Lavender said, motioning to the screen where Airplane’s character cast the hypnotic pattern, letting Shen Yuan get the final blow in on several of the oversized creatures.
“I do know how to play the game, despite what everyone might think!” Airplane protested.
No one responded to that.
Dessert finished, Shen Yuan, and the others watched the video. The same chill ran down his spine when the Three-Headed Curse Breather appeared again.
Liu Qingge’s fingers gripped at Shen Yuan’s shoulder in comfort as he watched BambooOnTheMind and WarGod work together. A blinding blast of white, a devastating attack and then WarGod tenderly catching his fellow Peak Lord.
All while soft music soared in the background.
Wait…
“Are you playing My Heart Will Go On in the background of that?” Shen Yuan turned to glare at Airplane.
“Ahaha wow, that’s my queue to get back ready for the stage. Okay, bye bro!” Airplane said then bolted back to Mobei’s table.
In small mercies, the video did not show Shen Yuan’s collapse and the chaos of those few moments. Shen Yuan didn’t particularly want to relive them. Instead, the video cut to Airplane, Lavender and Doctor congratulating WreckIt on stream and the Endless Abyss closing back up as though nothing had ever happened.
“I was so confused,” WreckIt said. “I won, and you two were just not there. They didn’t tell us anything until later.”
“I’m so sorry,” Shen Yuan lowered his head.
“No! Shit! I mean shoot. No, it’s not your fault. It was just weird,” WreckIt said as he frantically waved his hands in front of him, nearly knocking over his soda..
“Well, that’s why we’re doing this,” Lavender said as the video ended with a dramatic zoom out, showing all the characters waving towards the camera.
Airplane hopped back to the podium. “Wow, what a glorious year we’ve had at the Immortal Conference of -”
“Immortal Alliance Conference!” Shen Yuan yelled from his seat. How did this author not even know the name of his own tournament!?
“Uh right, thanks Bamboo bro,” Airplane gave a grin. “You know, Bamboo here is the best lore keeper we could hope for, isn’t he? Let’s give it up for BambooOnTheMind everyone!”
Shen Yuan’s entire face went hot as the lights brightened and everyone began clapping. He actually was going to murder Airplane the moment he got a chance. Liu Qingge gently squeezed Shen Yuan’s shoulder in comfort.
“Alright, and that brings us to the start of this year’s ceremony. We want to start with recognizing all of our Peak Lords, so stand up, everyone.” Airplane gestured to their table.
Shen Yuan got to his feet, still right at Liu Qingge’s side as Lavender and Doctor stood as well. More applause.
“This year we welcomed WarGod, and he’s been a great addition. Not to mention his guild presented the champion of this year’s tournament! So a big congratulations to him!” Airplane clapped and then gave a scheming grin. “Not to mention all the excitement that’s been swirling about our WarGod during the tournament. I think we can tell that we can officially announce that WarGod and B-”
“Now all the participating guild members stand up,” Mobei spoke over Airplane.
Shen Yuan could have kissed the big man for stopping Airplane from whatever he was about to proclaim. Who knew why a bodyguard got to also be an announcer?
After a moment of confusion, people from around the room stood up, including the woman in red at Liu Mingyan’s side, WreckIt and several other people that Shen Yuan hadn’t had time to meet yet.
“Uh yeah!” Airplane smiled. “Without all of you, we wouldn’t have this great game, so umm, thanks!” He shuffled some papers. “Now we’re going to get started with the recognition ceremony. First, we want to congratulate our winner, ImGonnaWreckIt with an overall monster kill count of 389. He was the first contestant to reach the judging platform and arrived with… 17 health points left! For showing real skill and determination, the Northern Desert has awarded you a new gaming computer, complete with desk and chair!”
“Oh holy shit, yeah!” WreckIt cheered then coughed as he hurried to the stage. He smiled and shook hands with Airplane while Mobei loomed and photographers snapped a few photos.
Shen Yuan clapped as WreckIt returned to the table and the ceremony continued. They awarded Liu Mingyan aka SleepingWillow the most damage dealt in a single attack award, and SparksAmidstSnow, the HuanHua disciple, won the most damage received in a single attack ‘honor’ for his knockout at the hands of a snake creature.
Things seemed to settle down, and the ceremony continued on with a few sponsors being thanked, the usual corporate banquet speeches, and Shen Yuan let his guard down.
Big mistake.
“Now this year was unusual in that we had our Peak Lords showing off some moves as well! DoctorIsIn and LavenderMenance held their own in the tournament…” Airplane paused and frowned at the script he was reading. “Hey, I did too!” He coughed.
“Anyway, all participating Peak Lords from this year’s tournament are being awarded new gaming chairs themed around their peaks! But for an incredible attack, Northern Desert is awarding both WarGod and Bamboo an entirely new streaming setup in recognition of their incredible combined attack against the Three-Headed Curse Breather! Even the game developers didn’t know that was possible!”
“Come on up to the stage, you two,” Airplane called.
Shen Yuan stared at Liu Qingge, who stared back with the same amount of worry. “Do you want to go up?” Liu Qingge asked.
Shen Yuan nodded hesitantly. Liu Qingge stood up, offering his hand to Shen Yuan. He’d trust Airplane just this once.
Shen Yuan glared at the author as he took Liu Qingge’s hand and they trudged to the stage. Airplane grinned and had the audacity to give Shen Yuan a HUG!
Mobei actually shook Liu Qingge’s hand before the big man manhandled the two into position as cameras flashed from the front of the stage. He braced for Airplane to make some kind of comment about WarBoo, but nothing happened.
And then Liu Qingge firmly guided him off the stage and away from the cameras and the blinding stage lights.
They returned to their seats, and Shen Yuan let out a long breath. Mobei returned to the podium and began a very dry speech about the company. Shen Yuan ignored it and just relaxed into the warmth of Liu Qingge’s hand resting on his back.
More applause before the banquet room lights brightened again.
“And now we mingle,” Mu Qingfang said with a smile.
“Great,” Lavender groaned.
“Do we have to?” Shen Yuan asked.
Mu Qingfang stood up. “Of course not.”
“But we’re going to be hunted down like those Golden Sheeps in the intro tutorial areas if we stay here,” Shen Yuan grumbled to himself. Everyone already looked towards the Peak Lords.
He understood it; really he did! The Peak Lords were the celebrities of the game, top guild leaders who represented the actual Peaks from the book. It was a great honor, blah blah. Shen Yuan just didn’t particularly like crowds.
“We can go,” Liu Qingge said, his hand moving to rest between Shen Yuan’s shoulder blades.
“It’s fine,” Shen Yuan managed a smile. “Qi-ge won’t be here for another hour, anyway. We might as well be polite.”
Liu Qingge stood up and offered his hand. Blushing, Shen Yuan accepted it and let his War God lead the way back to the bar. A new Bamboo Breeze ended up in his hand, Liu Qingge stuck with his water.
He’d barely taken a sip of his drink when several people he didn’t recognize rushed over to the pair. “Oh my god, can we get a pic with you two?” the young girl asked.
Liu Qingge glanced at Shen Yuan, silently checking with him.
Shen Yuan nodded. “Of course.”
The girl and her two friends squished in front of Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan as an older-looking man, probably the girl’s father, held his phone up for the picture.
“Okay, on the count of three, say WarBoo!”
“One… two… WARBOO!” the girls all yelled.
Shen Yuan forced his smile to stay friendly as the girls ran off towards Mu Qingfang.
“Still weird, hearing that actually in real life,” Shen Yuan muttered. “I don’t get it.”
Liu Qingge shook his head. “You’re alright?”
Shen Yuan laughed. “I’m not going to pass out because of some overzealous fans. Promise.”
His boyfriend just gently squeezed Shen Yuan’s hand.
The shout of WarBoo opened the floodgates and soon, Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan were posing in picture after picture with cheering fans. Liu Qingge stayed cool and collected under the attention.
Shen Yuan scoffed to himself. Of course, he would be used to attention. He’s a gorgeous, famous athlete!
The crowds only seemed to grow, Shen Yuan holding tight to Liu Qingge’s hand as crowds circled around on them. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound of the crowds turning to a buzz like the static of a broken TV against his ears.
And then it happened.
A man in an elegant gray suit approached them, pulling something from his chest pocket.
Without thinking, Shen Yuan pushed himself in front of Liu Qingge, bracing for the pain of a knife stabbing into his chest again. Just like…
“Shen Yuan?” Liu Qingge’s voice sounded softly against his back.
He slowly opened his eyes, not even realizing he’d closed them. The man in the gray suit held a pen out towards him and a copy of PIDW.
He coughed, let go of Liu Qingge’s hand, and scribbled his name on the book. “I’m going to get a fresh drink.”
Without waiting for an answer, he bolted through the crowd, out of the banquet room. He ran (well, more like speed walked) until his lungs burned and he found a quiet hallway. Ducking into the out-of-the-way spot, he leaned his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes.
He pulled out his new fan and waved it in front of his face, letting the breeze calm him. Slowly, the blood pounding in his head quieted down and his breathing relaxed as well.
Soft footsteps echoed around him, and he looked up to see Liu Qingge walking toward him.
“Hi,” Shen Yuan said miserably.
“Hi,” Liu Qingge said, voice soft.
“I just… I hate being in front of crowds like that. It freaks me out and then when he pulled out the pen, I just thought he was going to hurt you.” Shen Yuan muttered. “Stupid, isn’t it?”
Liu Qingge stepped closer to him, his gaze warm and understanding. “I don’t think so.”
Shen Yuan sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make a scene.”
“Do you want to leave?” Liu Qingge asked.
“We don’t have to. I know you probably want to stick around w-”
“I don’t like crowds either,” his perfect boyfriend said.
Liu Qingge gently wrapped an arm around Shen Yuan’s shoulders. He sighed and rested his head against Liu Qingge’s firm, warm chest. Just breathing in the soothing mint-scent that seemed to follow Liu Qingge relaxed him.
“Is everyone mad at me?”
“They’re not mad. Just concerned,” Liu Qingge said.
“Great, now they’re all going to be waiting for me to collapse again. Ugh.”
One of Liu Qingge’s hands moved to gently stroke up and down Shen Yuan’s spine, and a more tension drained out of him.
“You… You’re not with me because you feel sorry for me, right?” Shen Yuan asked, but didn’t manage to look up. He didn’t dare risk seeing Liu Qingge’s face.
The hand along his spine stilled. “What?”
“I know I’m kind of pathetic. Collapsing like that and just not being able to do everything. I… If that’s why you-”
“Shen Yuan, I am with you because you are the most incredible person I’ve ever met,” Liu Qingge said softly.
He chanced glancing up at his boyfriend and found that handsome face sincere. “You’re incredible, not me,” he countered.
“You’ve survived so much, but still stay warm and kind. Your intelligence constantly amazes me and your passion for the world around you takes my breath away.” Liu Qingge caught Shen Yuan’s chin and gently tilted his head enough for them to make eye contact.
“Shen Yuan, I am desperately in love with you.”
All the panic and worry left his body at that, at the warmth and trust in that gaze, at the gentleness in his touches.
A small smile tilted his lips as he looked back at Liu Qingge. “Good, because I am desperately in love with you, too.”
Shen Yuan eased up and Liu Qingge met him halfway.
Their lips connected, and a warmth surged through Shen Yuan’s body. His arms wrapped around Liu Qingge’s chest, holding him close. They briefly parted to let Shen Yuan catch his breath, but before the War God could say anything else, Shen Yuan kissed him again.
He could get used to this kissing thing.
It was nothing like how Airplane described the kisses in PIDW. Those were all about battling for dominance or ‘gentle petals parting to let the demon plunder’ blech.
Liu Qingge’s lips were gentle, meeting Shen Yuan where he was and demanding nothing. Kissing the War God felt like a missing piece of Shen Yuan’s own soul had somehow slipped back into place. He never wanted it to end.
Then a flash of light erupted from the end of the hallway.
Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan both turned towards it.
Airplane laughed nervously and waved as he shoved his phone behind his back. “Heeeeeeey, I was just checking on you two and making sure you were okay. I can tell that you are, so I’m going to just-”
“Give me the phone,” Shen Yuan said.
Airplane squeaked. “Bro it wasn’t even a good picture. Blurry! See?” He waved his phone.
Shen Yuan looked at the screen. For once, the author told the truth. The picture looked more like an abstract painting about the concept of falling to the ground.
“So, no harm done, right?” Airplane laughed nervously.
Tapping his fan against his leg, Shen Yuan glared until Liu Qingge’s hand moved to still the fan.
“Would you be alright with taking one more picture?” his boyfriend asked softly.
“He’s going to post it where everyone can see it,” Shen Yuan muttered, feeling the heat of his blush climb his face.
Liu Qingge’s fingers gently traced over Shen Yuan’s. “I know.”
“You really don’t mind people knowing?” Shen Yuan asked softly.
“Bro, I mean everyone kind of already-”
“Shut up.” Liu Qingge snapped.
“Yep, shutting up,” Airplane turned around and pretended to not see them.
“I want everyone to know how lucky I am that you are here with me,” Liu Qingge said.
Shen Yuan’s face burst with heat. “I… guess one more picture is alright.” He looked to Airplane. “One picture. Got it?”
“Scout’s honor!” Airplane held up the phone. “Okay, uh smile?”
Shen Yuan leaned up to press his lips back to Liu Qingge’s. His beautiful, fearless War God raised their intertwined hands, fluttering the fan open, hiding their kiss behind the painted silk.
The phone flashed again, and Airplane groaned. “Seriously?”
With all the grace of a scholarly Peak Lord, Shen Yuan raised his free hand in a middle finger salute to the hack author as he melted into Liu Qingge’s embrace, happy and relaxed in the arms of his boyfriend.