Chapter Text
At least two days have passed before Shen Yuan receives a new torture since his blackout. Thankfully for the first (and hopefully last!) time since he was kidnapped to the demonic palace, what a mess!
When he wakes up, Shang Qinghua is there, polished and shining and crying out to him about all the stupid stuff he was used for while Shen Yuan’s sleepy persona searched for an elaborate way to… well, sleep.
Shen Yuan groans, embarrassment heating his face. He can already see the accumulated damage he did this time: there’s a fluffy cover on top of him, bunny slippers that fit him perfectly, several different fabrics in a pile supported by a chair, and even a body pillow. He didn’t even know he could do those, or that he missed it so much until he had one right in front of him!
The most prominent feature though, is the demonic creature currently standing up from his bed, Shen Yuan salivates thinking of how fluffy it is and how nice it had felt to sleep on top of it. The creature watches him bustle about before standing up and hugging him! Him! The rumored ruthless (fake) Shen Qingqiu!
The hug is just the perfect side of soft and warm, and both melt into it for blessed seconds.
Then, the creature separates, making a cute chirpy noise and waves at him, passing through the bars of his cell like it has no bones in his body - it probably doesn’t. It makes him a ‘call me’ motion once out of the cell. Shen Yuan finds himself distractedly making an ‘ok’ sign with his hand before waving goodbye, promising to himself to cuddle with it again in the future.
Shang Qinghua giggles behind him and Shen Yuan does not pout frowns at him.
That’s when he actually notices the sword’s state. Before, he hazily thought it looked so bright and sharp thanks to the dreamy state of waking up, but his friend actually looks better than ever.
He blinks twice, but the sword is actually shiny and clean. Shang Qinghua is about to talk about who knows what, but Shen Yuan interrupts him.
“And what exactly happened to you?”
Shang Qinghua sighs like a maiden in love.
“Bro, you know you are like, my best friend and everything right?” When Shen Yuan nods slowly, he makes one of those little wiggles that spell trouble, “well, no offense and whatever, but I have a new favorite person!”
Shen Yuan frowns and scoots closer, not at all interested in this recent development.
He thinks it’ll be an interesting tale, and it would be…but he had to be subjected to the most detailed and boring description of how the demonic ice general Mobei-jun treated Shang Qinghua, and how big his hands were, how beautiful his skin was from up close, how skillful and knowledgeable and imposing.
Ugh.
His best friend has a big fat crush on the demon that tortured him, and now Shen Yuan has to suffer his romantic babble. He would have preferred the technical aspects of the torture (sword maintenance apparently?), to…this, whatever this is.
Ewwwwwwwwwwww.
*
Now, two days later, Shen Yuan wants to scream.
He has no idea what this demon has read or learnt about human culture but this. This! THIS!!!
This is a romantic dinner by human standards!!!!
Like, okay, maybe pies are more of a western thing for sweet mothers and innocent little grandmas… but the wine??
(Looks delicious and the label is displaying everything Shen Yuan likes too, what the fuck. But not the point anyway!)
There’s a savory and a sweet pie (according to Luo Binghe but the contents remain to be seen), a platter of cheese, another mysterious box that may or may not contain food, and wine.
The crust of the pie is golden and shiny, made with obvious care in elaborate butterfly and flower shapes, clearly demonic in nature, but still. The smell is nothing to scoff at either, if he was passing next to a bakery that smelt like this he would have gotten inside and made his escort pry his cold dead hands from the pastries inside.
For some strange reason, there’s a platter of many different kinds of cheese that look for all intents and purposes selected at random. Shen Yuan thinks most of them will pair well with a sweet wine, and coincidentally, some of them are to his tastes! How lucky!
They, as well, are shaped cutely. Shen Yuan sees ghosts, fluff bats and giant bears (he recognizes them as the fluffy creature that left his room the morning after his blackout) amongst other shapes. For some reason, he gets the impossible image of his mother’s shaped soaps.
Focus Shen Yuan! The food is not the thing! Even if it's so endearingly cute he can’t tear his eyes away! Even if it smells like ascending to heaven! Even if you haven’t touched wine in ages - stupid health issues making people think he can’t have anything nice - !!!
Stupid wine! Stupid hunger! Stupid other me! Running around and using all my poor body’s energy on sleep props!
Actually, he is not complaining so much on that last one. He wants to sleep well.
Regardless!
Who told this poor poor clueless demon that a way of torture was to bring the equivalent of a cute-decadent-romantic-western dinner to the prisoner?!?!?
Why the low light?! Why the candles?!?!? Why the frilly decoration inside the (now oiled apparently?) iron maiden?! What’s with the low elegant table and the fluffy cushions? And Luo Binghe is blushing like a young unwed maiden meeting a man for the first time!?
Aren’t you a torturer?!?!?
What kind of atmosphere is this!?!?!
And that isn’t the worst thing either! The worst is that Shang Qinghua, the fucking traitor went all like ‘well, that’s my cue to go and get info, enjoy your dinner bro!’ and left! What the fuck Qinghua!?
Top ten anime betrayals.mp4
Shen Yuan glances at Luo Binghe’s radiant smile and pink cheeks and prays this is not an attempt to make him so embarrassed he blurts out major secrets like the very specific way his father’s feet smell (don’t ask) or that his didi secretly likes to be affectionately petted! He will never tell a soul that he suspects his mother has a crush on the palace’s young scribe!
Oh fuck, he is already thinking which one is the least likely to get him in trouble…
“My…prince?” Luo Binghe whispers, way more close to him than he realized, his starry eyes reflect the flickering candlelight and paint him like a sweet boy waiting for a teacher’s approval.
Aaaaaaaaaaa what is Shen Yuan thinking?????
“A-ah?” He says, very intellectual. Completely composed.
Luo Binghe pouts.
He pouts.
That is so fucking unfair! How can he look that cute while reproaching Shen Yuan like this! This is unscientific!
“Shen Qingqiu is not paying attention to this humble torturer!”
Ah… busted.
What should he say? ‘Sorry my dearest torturer, I was too worried about which secret to spill?’, ‘this prince is sorry, Binghe, was wondering if all demons look as perfect as you? Is that a thing?’, ‘this prisoner knows his wrongs, now feed me???’
“I apologize,” he says finally, “I was just wondering what kind of talented aunt is the one cooking for these torture sessions, she truly knows how to capture a man’s will with her creations.”
Shen Yuan is trying very hard not to remember the kitchen auntie that managed to make his brother a functional human being for a full hour with her unique star pastry. He is not remembering said pastry, he is not craving said pastry. He is not hungry. Shut up-
Luo Binghe makes a choking noise that Shen Yuan barely registers. His gaze has drifted towards one light and crisp golden wing that he daydreams of putting in his mouth. He wets his dry lips and swallows, the click of his throat uncomfortably loud.
It is not to be Shen Yuan! Snap out of it!
He turns to his torturer and makes a concerned noise when he finds the demon’s face now completely red. That doesn’t look normal!
He tries to come as closer as the table between them lets him, only to see his face practically letting out steam.
“Luo Binghe!” He exclaims, taken aback “are you sick?!’
Luo Binghe’s eyes go shiny when Shen Yuan stares at him, lightly unfocused. He frowns, that’s clearly a sign of sickness!
”You shouldn’t be working when sick! What kind of boss makes their people work when sick!?”
Shen Yuan’s esteem for the demon lord is dropping right now! How could he make Luo Binghe go to work like this?!
“What?! This-! I! That’s not-“
Hurriedly, he reaches across the table to get Luo Binghe’s face close enough to study, his face is not quite scalding to the touch but still pretty hot, his breathing is heavy and too quick. He can’t be completely sure like this, so just like he does with Shen Jiu when his didi is being difficult, he brings their foreheads together and closes his eyes.
That usually shuts Shen Jiu right up, and it works just as well with Luo Binghe.
“Mmm, not really that hot,” he musses. But Luo Binghe is a demon so maybe it works differently for him???
He pulls back, frowning a bit, he takes Luo Binghe’s hand and searches for his pulse, everything seems fine…? No, wait, it’s too quick!
When he lifts his gaze, Luo Binghe’s expression is something close to awed, starstruck and teary, his breathing tempo has also increased further!
Shen Yuan wasn’t sure before but he is sure now! Luo Binghe is sick! The sick shouldn’t work! The sick shouldn’t drink wine!
“Luo Binghe,” Shen Yuan calls, now even more worried, that is not the normal expression of the healthy!
“Are you really sick? Don’t lie to this pr- er, don’t lie to me…okay? Your employer should know you are sick and let you rest for today! Look at you! You are red all over, teary and your pulse is too fast! I wouldn’t be surprised if you were running the equivalent of a demonic fever! Was it the demon lord that ordered you to work today? I’ll fight him myself!”
Luo Binghe only lets out a meep, another sign of his illness, he is sure.
Shen Yuan fusses over him, patting his (wow??? So fluffy!!!!) hair and looking for more concerning signs. Luo Binghe’s flush dulls a little bit and his throat clicks audibly before he takes Shen Yuan’s hands in his, stilling his movements.
“S-Shen Qingqiu, my prince, you are too kind, but this l-t-torturer, this humble one is fine! I swear! I was just blinded by your beauty and kindness and-“
Shen Yuan scoffs. Who tries to get out of resting by complimenting people? Probably someone that’s used to a demanding demon lord!
“Nonsense!” He interrupts, trying not to huff, “come to the bed right this instant!” Luo Binghe chokes on his own spit and Shen Yuan has to pat him on the back, now even more concerned.
”You should lay down for a while. I’ll call for someone.”
“But-“ Luo Binghe tries to say from his reclined place on the bed.
“No buts!” He cuts, mercilessly, it’s for his own good! “Seriously kids these days!”
Shen Yuan hears him coughing again after he turns around and easily picks the lock, don’t ask him how he knows to do that. He just does! It’s an emergency!
Luo Binghe needs attention right now! So Shen Yuan will turn around and find someone that can do that!
“Wait! Shen Qing…qiu…” he faintly hears between coughs.
He has turned a corner.
He collides with something.
With…
Someone?!
Ohmyfuckinghellwhatthefuck.
Shen Qingqiu collides with a giant of a lady, and, because of his momentum, he ends up going head first into something soft but bouncy, something that sinks a bit under his weight and then throws him back. He is unable to keep his balance. There’s a sound of something dying somewhere further behind him.
He is much too busy to worry about the dead right now.
Shen Yuan lets out a soft ‘ouch’ and looks up, up, up, to a gorgeous woman with ah…
Erm…
A very impressive… personality.
Shen Yuan instantly realizes where his face just was and feels it heat up with embarrassment.
HE WANTS THE DEMON LORD TO KILL HIM RIGHT NOW!
He stands up and dusts himself. His ass hurts from the landing on the stone floor, but his dignity hurts ten times more.
“Good evening my good lady, please forgive me and my unfortunate behavior, this one was in a hurry to find a healer. I’ll make sure to make it up to you for the disrespect.”
The lady blinks at him, glances at his head where a fluffy mockery of a crown rests (don’t ask!), and then her red lips stretch in some kind of predatory thing that makes Shen Yuan’s mind start to scream at him to run far far away!
Her dark blue eyes study Shen Yuan’s face and posture. Without realizing, he has adopted the formal apology pose instilled in him since childhood, it’s only good manners, but he hopes the demoness understands what he is trying to say.
“How interesting to meet such a high-ranked human in this fashion,” she says, smiling wide, “this lady is called Meiyin, usually the demons refer to me as Meiyin-furen, I’m guessing your name is that of the feared Shen Qingqiu? The one that came to the palace not long ago?”
She plays with her dark hair while she speaks, the long tresses flowing against her pale hand like ink on paper. She is also starting to glow faintly, and Shen Yuan straightens after blinking, feeling wary. This Meiyin person didn’t say if she would forgive him or not… she is smiling, and looking amused instead of angry or offended, but still, most demons know him and his position in this palace.
Shen Yuan did not grow up in a palace for nothing.
So he straightens himself and smiles pleasantly in return, just ready to answer - but then a presence blocks his vision. The figure of his companion is wide and tall, though not as tall as this giant woman. From here he can’t quite see either of their expressions but he hopes neither are upset.
He is worried about Luo Binghe in particular! He is sick!
“Oh! Another delightful encounter,” she says, her voice has gotten a purring quality that makes Shen Yuan feel like a teeny tiny fly being circled by a spider that is only being protected by an injured butterfly - not very nice odds there.
“Meiyin-furen,” Luo Binghe says, voice more cold and stern than he has ever heard it, “please forgive our most recent prisoner, he believed that this lowly torturer was sick and tried to find help.”
Shen Yuan feels his heart constrict. Even if he has been worried about Luo Binghe, and, even if he has, somehow, gained the desire for them to be close… acquaintances, maybe even friends - he has somehow forgotten about being a prisoner.
A prisoner shouldn’t be able to unlock his own cell to go look for a healer. A prisoner shouldn’t usually be granted anything remotely close to a healer, or roam around to insult high ranked demonesses… why does Shen Yuan feel discouraged though? It’s good that he is here instead of his brother. It’s good that Shang Qinghua is here with him and not taken and shattered somewhere. It’s good that his torturers have found irresistible but kind methods…
Then why…
Meiyin-furen shifts and Shen Yuan is able to see her wide smile literally looking down at them with her eyes shining with glee.
“No offense taken… lord torturer,” she says, accentuating Luo Binghe’s title like it’s a particularly good joke.
Oh…………
OH.
Shen Yuan is surprised and quickly looks from Luo Binghe to Meiyin-furen.
She takes out a rectangle box, quite similar to what Luo Binghe himself had put on the table earlier. Then, she lowers her torso enough to tower over Luo Binghe while she puts the box in his hands.
“Here, a gift from me, little lord torturer.”
Luo Binghe is spouting something at her while she laughs and dismisses his threats, but Shen Yuan is not hearing him, because after one of her grand laughing gestures, he has found a large wrapped candy in his hands.
He looks at her. Meiyin-furen winks and puts her finger on her lips like she is being provocative for Luo Binghe, but Shen Yuan recognizes the discreet demand for silence directed at him, all this while Luo Binghe rants at her about apparently the candies inside the box and pushes them towards her… huh, does Luo Binghe dislike candy?
*
Shen Yuan is feeling the most awkward he has been in his life.
After that very embarrassing, confusing and enlightening (in that order, respectively) encounter Shen Yuan finally understands what the situation is!
Meiyin-furen thinks that Luo Binghe’s current post is not enough for a man of his caliber! Which honestly! She is completely right!
Ok, maybe he is not bad at his job, per se. It’s true that he is missing some clues about how human culture works or what limits they will be prepared to cross (not that Shen Yuan is complaining!) but if they begin talking about other aspects? He has the looks and surely the skills to climb up the ranks and serve under the demonic lord himself! Shen Yuan is sure! You just have to look at his presence and the way he carries himself!
Shen Yuan has read that in the demonic world the most arrogant is usually the most powerful in terms of magic and rank, personal wealth has nothing to do with their pride. And you know what? He finds this a very logical way to do things! Nothing like those old disgusting dukes and counts that only throw their money around to get whatever they want and cower behind their employees once they are denounced!
Either way! This means that Luo Binghe, with the suave way he presents himself and his (obviously seductive) methods of torture, must be an accomplished demon in the palace!
He probably never had a human tell him he is being seductive, but demons surely fall one after another for his charm! Aha! Shen Yuan has figured it all out!
Shen Yuan doesn’t think that the title of Torturer (yes the capital T is important) is anything great, it’s probably a minor job in the palace that is nevertheless something important for obtaining and handling information. It sounds like an uncomfortable job, too important to leave to anyone but also too low to leave to one of the demon lord’s guards or the equivalent of demonic nobles.
Meiyin-furen must either be something like an extremely high ranked demon or the demon lord’s wife (or consort? Concubine? Lover? He doesn’t know if that’s a thing in the demon realm but some texts hint at multiple lovers being a thing), and for her to know Luo Binghe and treat him so familiarly… well, his torturer must have had a high ranked job as well! If anything, Meiyin-furen and him had something before work and circumstance cruelly torn them apart!
Or well, that’s the impression Shen Yuan got of the whole affair. Though, Meiyin-furen didn’t look yearning or angry but more like she was teasing? Maybe…that’s her way of coping like anger seems to be Luo Binghe’s!
Aiya, poor Binghe, he is so good and probably highly respected but he is stuck here trying to get some worthless information out of a fake Shen Qingqiu! Ah… Shen Yuan truly feels like he has wronged him.
He distractedly puts the stuff in his hands inside his sleeves, wondering about the true love story between these two and the (surely) very dramatic heartbreak when Luo Binghe was assigned to his current job.
He is startled out of his thoughts of Luo Binghe’s grandeur when the man himself locks the bars of the cell behind him. He turns around and looks at Shen Yuan with an expression that can only be described as puppy eyes.
Wipe that expression off your face young man! Shen Yuan is the one at fault here! He even ran away from his cell! Also, you are still sick!
“This…I’m so sorry Shen Qingqiu! I’m truly not sick!”
Shen Yuan blinks. Luo Binghe keeps talking.
“It was just…I was just stunned for a moment and it drove you to this,” Shen Yuan frowns and opens his mouth to talk, however, Luo Binghe lowering his head in guilt strikes him speechless, “please let me apologize! This torturer made you have an unpleasant encounter!”
Shen Yuan blinks, then blinks some more. When the words he hears and the bowing Luo Binghe is repeatedly doing don’t magically stop, he finally comes close and grabs the young man’s shoulders to make him stand upright again.
“It’s okay! Really! Luo Binghe was not feeling completely fine and it would be remiss of this prince to leave him like that!!”
Luo Binghe frowns, his face set in a tragic expression.
“And what is more, someone of your status shouldn’t talk of a perfectly fine lady like that! She was really nice and sweet! We should not discriminate for stature or any such things! She is also a beautiful woman, our encounter was not unpleasant at all! Binghe should find new ways to express his frustrations! Especially with beautiful ladies!”
If anything, Luo Binghe’s expression gets more and more tragic the more Shen Yuan talks. He really doesn’t know what he said to-
Oh.
Oh.
“Aiya! Please forgive this one. I have overstepped, don’t pay my ramblings any mind!”
With this, Shen Yuan turns around and pretends to smooth out his robes so he can be mortified in peace.
Did he actually just randomly order Luo Binghe, his torturer to…to…go “express his frustrations” with ladies????
Stupid mouth! Stupid brain! Stupid teaching instincts! Shen Yuan wants to take back most if not all of what he just blurted out! This is what made his parents and brother lock him up so he wouldn’t fuck up in front of people!
He can’t see what Luo Binghe’s expression looks like, but he can hear the man clearing his throat in a pitiful attempt to dispel the awkwardness. He also organizes the table again.
Two boxes rest innocently next to their food now.
“This Luo Binghe will strive to be better,” he says. Shen Yuan wants to crawl into a hole and die. No demon lord needed this time.
What are you going to be better at, ah? Your skills in bed????
He coughs. Striving to be better himself and not choke on air.
“T-that would be good…?” Are you asking, Shen Yuan? Are you really fucking asking?!?!? “A-anyway, you seem to be better, but we probably should hurry up today’s torture so you can rest.”
Shen Yuan is still turned around and fails to see Luo Binghe’s devastated face. The force of his pout and his watery eyes could move mountains and enchant the toughest of demons, but sadly, it’s wasted on Shen Yuan’s back.
Truly tragic.
What is more, Luo Binghe opens and closes his mouth several times, unable to say anything. In the end, he settles for a soft:
“Yes. This torturer expects Shen Qingqiu…to thoroughly enjoy this experience.”
Luo Binghe, dear torturer, is that sarcasm? That sounds like sarcasm??
Aiya, Shen Yuan is truly fucked now.
He turns to the frilly romantic dinner and mouth watering dishes. Well, sarcasm or not, he would pay anything to eat just a bite of these for sure…
Shen Yuan sits down in his previous position, embarrassment forgotten in the face of the spread in front of him. Luo Binghe is slower in his recovery, but he finally sits down. Thankfully, the pies are still warm and the ice around the wine hasn’t melted. When Shen Yuan expresses his admiration over this, Luo Binghe explains that the ice was created by Mobei-jun and is therefore, extremely durable, and that the plates have special enchantments to keep the food in ideal condition, including regulating its temperature.
The demon realm must be truly rich, to even use these kinds of things for prisoners…
Luo Binghe serves them both two slices of pie and a chubby fluffball of bear shaped cheese. As promised, each pie has different fillings, one of them has the most perfect combination of mushrooms and spicy vegetables, while the other has different layers of fruits Shen Yuan doesn’t recognize but still loves to death. The cheese itself is creamy and sweet, with sliced blueberry wrapped in the strong taste of goat milk. Shen Yuan would have never eaten it with the hot pie himself, but the firm and crispy texture of the crust paired with the creamy softness of the cheese is glorious, and both fillings taste amazing with the distinctive flavor of goat products! Not to mention how the blueberries only add layers to every bite! He is just melting on the spot! It is such a stroke of genius that Shen Yuan can’t help but praise both Luo Binghe and the chef inside his mind. Repeatedly.
He is crying rivers of emotion.
Internally, of course. He also “is” Shen Qingqiu. He has to pretend to be calm, collected, and not cry.
He sighs, very softly, very elegantly, like a high breeding maiden in love reminiscing about her waiting woes - he is in love with the tortures of this palace, honestly, this is like five star, no, like ten star food!
This kind of effort merits a high quality confession.
Shen Yuan sighs after cleaning his mouth as elegantly as he is capable of.
Luo Binghe looks up from his own bite.
“In the palace,” he starts, softly, “there’s an auntie who is part of the cooking staff, she always makes pastries for me and my- for me and someone I appreciate when we go to visit her in the kitchen. She would love to see this lovely spread.”
For the first time since the awkward conversation of before, Shen Yuan looks up, he is biting his tongue to make up for his own slip. Luo Binghe meets his eyes straight, he lowers his fork slowly, his smile seems sincere but there also seems to be something strained in it. He must be annoyed to be interrupted in the middle of his meal only to be told silly things like this, don’t worry Binghe! This one will shorten it!
“I used to visit her quite a lot, in the east wing of the palace, that’s where the kitchens are.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes widen.
Shen Yuan smiles, wondering if he should stop talking there, but well, he wants to let Luo Binghe know how he feels, how wonderful this has been.
“Thank you, Binghe. For bringing that warmth back to me,” he says, instead of the many silly things going through his head, he clears his throat before going back to his meal. When did he get this emotional? In front of someone who is clearly just doing his job!
So he goes back to eating his pie happily again, unaware of the way Luo Binghe is looking at him. He only looks up a while later when, too focused on the flavor of his last bite (and completely unaware of the noises he is making), he hears a gasp and see Luo Binghe’s eyes tear up while he chokes on his food and starts to cough like his life depends on it. To be fair, it probably does, demon or no demon he needs to breathe - Shen Yuan instantly comes out of his cloudy reverie of food coma and rushes over to help him pat his back. Luo Binghe coughs and wheezes until whatever got stuck in his throat has been dislodged and then he turns his head to look at Shen Yuan. His breath gets caught in his throat.
Luo Binghe looks… bullied.
His eyes are red rimmed and teary, his cheeks flushed and his hair in disarray from his violent coughs. They are closer than Shen Yuan expected at first, so he is looking directly at his big red eyes and his cheeks delicately framed by the soft looking curls. He looks like a bullied maiden… Shen Yuan kind of… wants to squeeze him, is that normal?
Luo Binghe clears his throat, and Shen Yuan snaps back to reality.
“Are you fine?” He asks stupidly, it’s obvious the guy is not fine, he was looking sick earlier and just coughed out a lung, duh.
“I can only hope you consider me fine,” Luo Binghe says after a brief moment of hesitant blinking, smiling sweetly at him.
Shen Yuan blinks. That smile illuminates the room way more than the candles, if Shen Yuan knew Luo Binghe had such a skill, he wouldn’t have worried about the poor illumination of the room! How interesting! It must definitely be a demonic skill of some sort…
“You should be,” he replies, now out of his musings, and arching an eyebrow at Luo Binghe, “since you are not coughing anymore, and you told me you were no longer sick.”
He goes back to his seat, feeling slightly dizzy from receiving that beam straight to his face. Thankfully, he does not stumble.
Luo Binghe is still smiling sweetly at him - only slightly red - when he finishes the pies. Shen Yuan distractedly prevents him from having any wine, but does make sure to offer him some tea (yeah, he has tea in his room-cell, don’t ask either!). Shen Yuan does not know what to make of his expression, so he busies himself with nibbling on the remaining cheese.
Luo Binghe only takes his eyes away to sip his tea occasionally.
Shen Yuan is getting a bit nervous, is Luo Binghe waiting for another secret to reward his effort in this torture romantic dinner?
If he had known such efforts merited more than one secret, he would have thought plenty!
Luo Binghe is too kind, however, and doesn’t ask Shen Yuan for more secrets for the time being, he only serves more wine until Shen Yuan is feeling a certain buzz.
For some reason, he is feeling a bit… airy? Maybe sleepy?
And Luo Binghe’s curls look so soft and inviting…
Shen Yuan extends one hand and touches the most sinful hair texture to ever exist. He fails to take his hand away when he asks his brain to do it for him, but it’s okay because petting such soft curls is like heaven. It topped the moment he got lost in that royal trip and fell asleep into recently cut sheep’s wool, it was even better than waking up on the bear creature’s stomach, even better than his current bed…
Shen Yuan looks towards his bed and back to Luo Binghe, who looks flushed, hopeful, inviting…
Maybe if he used this man as his pillow…
Wait.
Shen Yuan suddenly sobers up. He can’t make his torturer his pillow! That would be an insult!
And he has to go back to his own bed to rest! He was sick!
He also can’t let the intrusive thoughts and his unfiltered desires win! Rule number one of prince Shen Yuan is to always restrict his cravings to avoid catastrophes! He doesn’t even want to know what happened earlier that week!
Shen Yuan stands up, he stumbles slightly on his feet, and Luo Binghe stands with him, ready to help him. But he must uphold the image of Shen Qingqiu, so he rights himself and schools his expression.
Luo Binghe’s eyes are at half mast, seeming very sleepy, but clearly still looking out for him, he extends a hand.
Shen Yuan feels a bit tipsy, so he takes it. Instead of guiding him towards the bed like he wants though - to use him as a perfectly shaped body pillow -, he guides him towards the entrance of the cell.
“This was truly lovely Binghe, definitely the best torture I’ve ever had.”
Not that Shen Yuan has had many tortures to begin with.
Luo Binghe opens and closes his mouth several times. Shen Qingqiu softly tilts his head, the alcohol making it fuzzy and the movement slightly uncoordinated, he ends up throwing his head back slightly before tilting it properly to the side.
How many glasses of wine did he have again?
Luo Binghe looks like he is suddenly very awake.
Good! Shen Yuan’s intoxicated brain says, like this, he won’t get lost on the way to his bed.
“Please rest well, you should get better for our next torture right?” he says, somewhat affectionate, before rubbing those curls once more.
Then, he closes the bars door of the cell (had he opened it somehow? A thought for another day surely) and focusing all his energy on walking straight, he goes to his bed and lays down.
He doesn’t know himself for a while.
*
Shen Yuan can’t sleep.
He slept actually, like, an hour, or the equivalent of that in the demonic kingdom. But now he is awake and sleepy and cranky. Not the best combination.
At least he is aware? Being sleepy and unaware means a catastrophe to deal with later. Good things came from demonic wine at least… even if it doesn’t let him sleep!
No, Shen Yuan doesn’t think that sleeping for a bit more than usual days had anything to do with his lack of sleep, shut up inner A-Jiu!
So…
It’s late, the whole castle is asleep, Shen Yuan has nothing to do, it's dark…
... Qinghua is who knows where, doing who knows what...
Shen Yuan wonders if his head being slightly fuzzy is an effect of the wine still, or if he is about to lose consciousness again.
Idly, he starts to daydream about soft things, the giant fur bear, his bed in the royal palace, Shen Jiu’s forbidden couch, the flour bags of the kitchen… Liu Qingge’s robes… Luo Binghe’s hair…
Shen Yuan still can’t sleep.
He resigns himself to making a soothing infusion, or at least a tea to pass the time. But right after he straightens up, an indescribable electric feeling fills his cell and makes the fine hairs of his neck stand on end; before he can scramble out of bed and into a defensive position a blinding light burns his poor eyes. He did not hiss like an enraged cat, mostly, he rubs his eyes and groans in pain.
”What the actual fuck!!” He grumbles, when he can see once again. He has stayed alert, but there is no killing intent in the room, and everything is quiet.
”Prince Shen Yuan!” An excited voice exclaims, failing catastrophically at keeping it the whisper it intends to be.
Shen Yuan groans even harder.
Why the ever loving fuck has his brother decided that sending his second apprentice is a good idea?!
”SHHHHHH!” He whispers back, with as much vehemence as he can.
Shen Yuan’s eyes, still getting accustomed to the dark after that rude entrance, manage to catch the figure of Ming Fan inside his cell, closer to the left corner than to the door, he is now moving towards him, that is, towards the bed.
He can’t see most things, and Ming Fan also moves like he doesn’t see much.
Shen Yuan’s addled brain thinks there must be something in the middle of the room, but his cell has always been relatively clean and without anything on the floor? Why should there be anything? What did Shen Yuan do today again…?
Wait…
Ming Fan’s staff clatters to the floor when the boy stumbles over something.
“Fuck the table!” He exclaims.
Ming Fan gasps, but he can’t do anything while falling. He does try to straighten up and backtrack, but it’s too late, he has already gotten tangled up in one of the cushions, he falls, causing such noise that Shen Yuan will admire the demon that manages to stay asleep through this. The plates clatter when they fall to the floor in disorder, the cushion goes flying and it must contain something metallic because it hits the cell bars with a resounding ‘CLANG!’, the whole table turns on top of Ming Fan and the remains of the ice bowl and the wine bottle spill on him, drowning some kind of affronted exclamation the apprentice made about Shen Yuan’s comment.
Shen Yuan will later on, accept that this time he does hiss like an extremely enraged and despairing cat.
He runs towards the mess, almost falling himself. As quickly (and as noisily) as he dares, he starts to straighten everything up, taking Ming Fan and his staff away from the mess. Shen Yuan helps a drenched and shivering Ming Fan towards the chair, where his sleep persona probably keeps something to help.
Ming Fan, groaning and huffing as quietly as he can, stands up and lets himself be softly manhandled.
He puts a box on Ming Fan's hands (there's really nowhere else to put it, in this mess!) and wraps a sheet around him temporarily to dry him a little bit.
“Your highness, we must...”
Shen Yuan hears footsteps.
Ming Fan goes silent and completely still, only his head whips towards the sound.
Shen Yuan's breathing freezes. And he panics.
His brain evaluates the situation as quickly as it can.
He is dizzy from the wine, unarmed, with an unauthorized human visitor of the royal army.
His brain decides:
First, they must hide the evidence so they are not completely fucked.
Second, Shen Yuan has to do the logical thing, which is, obviously, to pretend everything is okay when whomever it is arrives.
So, third, in conclusion: he grabs Ming Fan and unceremoniously throws him across the bed, he lands firmly behind with an affronted noise, but is safely hidden.
Fourth, adding to it, Shen Yuan throws the staff in his general direction, and hears a squeak in return. He can perfectly picture the betrayed look in his eyes, just like when Shen Yuan pulls a new move in sword practice or steals the last piece of cake at their picnics.
The four-step plan is executed just in time to be a success!
No other than Luo Binghe appears on the corridor and stands there looking perfect: a demonic flame in his hand, with his hair artfully messy and outfitted in inner garments that only accentuate his muscles in the low light.
Damn, Shen Yuan thinks, idly, in the middle of his panic.
“My prince?” Luo Binghe says, raising his free hand to pass it through his hair, making the garment fall open to show his chest.
Damn. Shen Yuan thinks again, torn between admiring and jealous.
He notices too late that Luo Binghe is about to enter his cell.
Shen Yuan's stupid brain thinks that crashing into the door to keep it closed is the best idea.
Luo Binghe blinks at him, nonplussed.
“Ay, I apologize! This... ah,” Shen Yuan stammers, cringing when the demonic flame in Luo Binghe’s palm passes harmlessly through the bars and illuminates the mess in the center of the room. He prays for Ming Fan to stay silent where he is, if he doesn't, Shen Yuan will murder him.
They observe the plates (thankfully not broken!) all over the room, the wine bottle upright in one corner, the table is turned on one side in the middle, frilly half-wet decorations scattered around... and finally, one cushion stuck in between the bars and another precariously balancing between Shen Yuan’s bed and chair. There's no sign of Ming Fan, Shen Yuan supposes he will live to see another day.
Shen Yuan looks back to Luo Binghe, and finds his eyebrows have climbed all the way possible on his perfect forehead.
“I... tripped?” He says... asks, more like.
Luo Binghe smirks, “you don't say.”
Shen Yuan is Shen Qingqiu, he will not pout about being teased for something he didn't even do!
“It's...! I apologize for the noise. And the mess!” He says, now struggling not to babble, “I'm only glad nothing got damaged! I'll straighten this up as soon as possible!”
He doesn't know which behaviour is better, turning around to clean or staying at the door waiting for Luo Binghe to leave? Is he looking suspicious waiting here?
Luo Binghe’s red eyes reflect the flickering flame and make him look even more dangerous. Or maybe it's just Shen Yuan’s growing nervousness.
“It's alright,” Luo Binghe says, “let's clean up together.”
Shen Yuan splutters.
“N-no! How could this prince make you clean the mess made by myself?”
Luo Binghe’s hand slowly drags down the cell bar, Shen Yuan thinks it shouldn’t have any business being that... compelling... He wonders if this kind of movements are what made Meiyin-furen like him so much, the probable answer is yes.
Honestly, was Luo Binghe really sleeping? Or simply pulled back from a recent conquest by Ming Fan’s disastrous rescue attempt?
“What do you mean, my prince?” The demon practically purrs, getting closer to the bars, Shen Yuan, feeling oddly flustered and unnerved at the direction his thoughts have gone, reflexively steps back.
“It was my responsibility to clean up,” he goes on, batting his eyelashes at Shen Yuan and giving him big wet puppy eyes, “it’s this lord torturer’s job, after all!”
Shen Yuan wants to huff. Really, what is with this threatening seductive vibe suddenly changing to a dutiful little chick?
Luo Binghe’s expression twitches for a second when his eyes go past Shen Yuan and towards the mess in his room. Then he smirks.
”Would my prince let me in?”
Shen Yuan groans internally. Luo Binghe! You don’t need to waste your puppy eyes on this old man! And anyways, who could resist your requests????
He clears his throat, and stands back fully so Luo Binghe can open the cell door.
*
They start cleaning.
Shen Yuan should have really thought this through because he is sweating inside his sleep robes, cleaning doesn’t constitute an actual problem for him, but thinking that Luo Binghe could discover Ming Fan on his bed if he is not careful enough is what actually makes him metaphorically quake in his boots.
Wait, why does that vaguely sound like a wife hiding his lover in plain sight of her husband…?!
Shen Yuan fumbles with a plate and it crashes to the floor, it doesn’t break, but he thinks it may be a near thing. Luo Binghe only looks amused, if his continued smirk is any indication.
”My apologies.”
He is apologizing quite a lot today, isn’t he?
Luo Binghe’s smirk softens, he bends to get the fallen plate.
”It’s alright my prince, these are enchanted to be unbreakable, see?”
Following this, he throws the plate behind him with a wide smile.
The loud sound of the collision never comes, instead, an ‘oof’ is heard. Shen Yuan internally screams.
Luo Binghe’s eye widen, then he chuckles.
What is there to laugh about????
Luo Binghe turns and throws another plate, this time towards the wall, it bounces once (what is that wall made of?????) and lands again behind the bed.
This time they can hear a wheeze. Like a balloon deflating.
Shen Yuan just wants this fucking day to be over already!
“It seems that your bedding has fallen to the side of the bed,” Luo Binghe says, cheerfully, “let me fix it for you!”
The noise that leaves Shen Yuan’s lips is not human.
”NO!”
He clutches Luo Binghe’s arm with both hands, filled with desperation. If the demon realizes there’s a human in his cell Shen Yuan will lose his trust, his sleeping accommodations, his outside view, and more important, his dignity.
He may also lose Ming Fan's existence entirely but who knows.
Luo Binghe turns to him, big innocent eyes filled with confusion.
Shen Yuan’s face is on fucking fire. Why is this happening to him????
“Please don't,” he begs, looking at the floor, “there's a mess behind the bed.”
There's a mess alright! But not the kind of mess you would think!!!!
Luo Binghe puts his hand on Shen Yuan’s grip, and for a second, he is scared that he has been found out, that Luo Binghe will brush his hands away and march towards the bed to manhandle Ming Fan into a cell of his own, then never look at him with any kind of warmth and the easy camaraderie that has bloomed between them ever again.
However, his torturer only holds his hands softly and smiles sweetly at him.
“I don't mind helping Shen Qingqiu straighten some of the mess!”
Shen Yuan’s chest constricts with... anxiety, yeah, must be anxiety. Luo Binghe is much too good for this kind of job, he should be out there winning over his enemies and rescuing maidens like a book protagonist! Not... not playing Shen Yuan’s keeper, even if he extracts information, well, Shen Yuan was never involved in many of the military affairs to begin with, he's useless.
“Binghe is really sweet,” he says, and watches as Luo Binghe’s eyes sparkle, like a puppy being praised. Shen Yuan can't help but smile, “but please leave this bedroom to me yeah? Shen Qingqiu might be a prisoner but I would at least like to arrange the space you have given me.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes wobble. Shen Yuan musters all his willpower to stand firm.
Luo Binghe finally sighs.
“This lord sees your resolve.”
Shen Yuan blinks. This is the most serious he has seen Luo Binghe, like this, he has the bearing of a knight, the imposing presence of a demon lord, the tone of a king. The situation suddenly feels oddly like a demonic ritual of recognition...?
Luo Binghe backtracks, “I mean I understand! Any help Shen Qingqiu wants will be given of course!”
They smile awkwardly at each other. Shen Yuan still feels extremely embarrassed, but at least Ming Fan is safe. Even if he has to lie through his backside to accomplish it again, he will.
They clean.
Finally, Luo Binghe closes the door of Shen Qingqiu's cell, the table under one arm and the iron maiden silently rolling before him.
Luo Binghe disappears after wishing him a good night with a smile and the reminder that Shen Qingqiu may “ask absolutely anything!”
Again, that sweet boy is not fit for this kind of career path!
Shen Yuan yawns and goes back to bed, feeling delighted at how fluffy his covers are now.
Several minutes pass. He has the feeling he forgot something.
Oh fuck!
Ming Fan!
Hurriedly, he sits up and looks at the other side of the bed.
Nothing's there!!!! Nothing at all!!!!
Oh nevermind, there's an open box filled with sweets. Shen Yuan sighs and puts it aside, he can give it to Luo Binghe back tomorrow.
Did Ming Fan depart without him and with... one of his sheets??????
At least he didn't take the box!
Oh, when Shen Yuan is back at the palace that little guy is going to be counting his days! He hasn't understood what it is to mess with his sleep yet!
Angry.jpg
He huffs and turns around.
*
In a room, far far away, a ghost suddenly appears in a beam of light.
There's what looks like pieces of meat or open wounds on its body, bloodied and messy, a sheet covers it, like a body someone wants to bury.
The ghost holds an intact beautiful dish, for some reason, a staff clatters to the floor with his arrival.
The occupants of the room shout in alarm and jump into action, subduing it.
A small box gets cracked open, and a lonely round candy manages to roll over and escape its prison thanks to the ensuing fight.
But that is far far away from Shen Yuan and his inability to sleep.