Chapter Text
Mobei-Jun absolutely did sulk, but the ice demon also wouldn’t admit that to anyone but himself. Though, perhaps he’ll tell Shang Qinghua.
Another ridiculous wish.
Could he have that? To be able to show him what he felt without worrying that the human — no, his God would run? Why did it sound so impossible?
Mobei-Jun frowned more. It doesn’t benefit him at all to dwell on such wants, not when he currently had Shang Qinghua actually in his grasp. Speaking of the cultivator… he lifts his head to look at Qinghua who was currently stressing over scrolls and budgets. Again. Because he was the only one that understood his own finance system, which he implemented into the palace long ago.
Mobei-Jun’s heart almost warms. His little cultivator has carved a place in his life for so long now.
“Shang Qinghua.” He rumbles, looming over him, scowling at the soft squeak he releases in surprise. Irritating. Difficult. Mobei-Jun takes a breath, remembering Shang Qinghua’s words of frustration that made him run away all those months ago. He needed to be kinder. “...You are… working rather hard.”
A crease forms in between Qinghua’s eyebrows, and it made Mobei-Jun want to press his thumb there. To soothe it. “Yes, my King. D-Did I do something wrong with the documents?”
“No.” Mobei-Jun says a beat too quickly. Clearing his throat, the ice demon gestures to the stacks of scrolls. “I am merely thinking, isn’t this pile still too tall?” He looks him in the eyes, hoping to convey the message that he wished to help. Wanted Shang Qinghua to guide him on what he needed, so he was not carrying the burden of the palace finances all alone.
That crease only deepens. “I’m working as fast as I can, my King.” He says with a hint of rare annoyance that makes Mobei-Jun pause. He can’t help but feel like he has said something wrong again.
Actually, any tone from Shang Qinghua’s voice was rare nowadays. His God barely spoke, which was unusual for him.
Mobei-Jun wished to fix it.
-//-
Shang Qinghua bothers Shen Qingqiu to come over almost every other week. He was basically on house arrest! His king won’t let him out of the palace at all! It was crazy, that’s what it was.
“Cucumber-bro,” He wails as he sips the amazing tea his friend has brewed for him again. “Thank goodness you agreed to visit again! I’ve been going insane. If I had to look through another finance ledger, I might have deviated.” He shudders to think of it.
His friend, his bro, his closest confidant… just glares at him again. Classic Shen Qingqiu! Shang Qinghua had really missed this guy!
“This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t throw a damn tantrum and ran away like some angsty teen.” Shen Qingqiu berated, swiping at Shang Qinghua with his fan. “Do you even know that Mobei-Jun went to us to ask where in the realms you were?! You’re lucky I actually didn’t know! Did you use some OP disguise?”
“Of course not, I wouldn’t waste my world’s resources like that!” Qinghua yelped, then paused. “...okay, nevermind, I totally would, but still! Nevermind that – he asked you about me?”
“Yeah, kneeling and everything. You really did a number on Mobei-Jun, you hack.”
Shang Qinghua scowled, tilting his head to the side. “I’m still really confused why he went so far to look for me. I mean, he could have just hired some other guy to manage the palace!”
A sharp clink of porcelain interrupted Shang Qinghua’s thoughts. Shen Qingqiu was looking at him with such a bewildered look that Qinghua wanted to take a picture of it.
“What? What is it?” He looked around nervously, as if something might jump at him. Seriously, Cucumber bro, you’ll give people heart attacks!!!
“You cannot be serious.” Shen Qingqiu gritted out. “No, Shang Qinghua, are you serious? Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re serious. Oh my god, I’m not saying shit, you deal with this on your own.”
“What did I do?!” Shang Qinghua wails again, clinging to the Shen’s robes as the man stood up and attempted to leave. “No, you can’t leave until you tell me! Maybe I’ll finally get it! I’m missing something, aren’t I?!”
He doesn’t even care about his head getting smacked from Shen Qingqiu’s fan, because he sat back down again. Worth it. How the hell did that fan hurt so much?
Shen Qingqiu sneered at him, irritated. “I’m not telling you, you deserve to suffer and find out on your own.”
Wow. Rude. The guy doesn’t budge even with Shang Qinghua’s best convincing pout.
“Moving on,” Shen Qingqiu said, smoothing out the wrinkles on his robes, and wow Shang Qinghua really wanted to be as cool as Cucumber bro. “Maybe you could get out more if you brought him along. Like, invite him somewhere and just do your own thing while he’s… there. Why not invite him to watch the Thousand-year Moonlight Faes?”
Shang Qinghua hummed in contemplation. “That actually sounds… not that bad.” He acknowledged, even as his mind whirs, trying to remember where he had written the Thousand-year Moonlight Faes in. It’s such a generic name, and he had written hundreds of chapters! It sounded vaguely like a wife plot.
Psssh, probably wasn’t. Cucumber-bro wouldn’t suggest a wife plot for him and Mobei-Jun.
“When is that again?” He inquired.
“Oh, just two months from now.” Shen Qingqiu’s voice was casual and light.
Well, it’s not like Shang Qinghua had a better idea anyway. “Alright, I’ll try it out. Thanks, Shen bro!”