Work Text:
Shen Qingqiu woke up feeling cold.
As if sensing his shivering, Luo Binghe shifted and tightened his arms around him, planting a kiss on his forehead. “Good morning, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu acknowledged him with a vague mumble, blinking a couple times as the grogginess faded from his mind. When he finally felt awake enough to speak, he asked, “Why is it suddenly so chilly?”
Luo Binghe wasn’t necessarily warm, considering his demon blood. His hands were usually dry, somewhere in between cold and warm. But at least when they snuggled together under the covers, his disciple radiated a comforting heat that Shen Qingqiu had gotten used to.
Luo Binghe tilted his head up so that he could look out the window, where a smidgen of the outside world could be seen. When he spoke, the breath that left his lips was visible. “It’s snowing.”
Ah, so it’s snowing. He settled back down, closing his eyes again and stifling a yawn. As expected, nothing can beat the technology of the modern world. I would’ve already turned my heater on if it was sn—
“Snowing?” Shen Qingqiu’s eyelids fluttered before he moved to sit up. His companion seemed reluctant to let him go, but Shen Qingqiu didn’t notice, too incredulous at the sudden change of weather.
When he moved the curtains, there really were small snowflakes falling through the air, and the world around them was dusted in a thick layer of white. Some disciples were emerging out of the bamboo forest, playing in or complaining about the snow.
Shen Qingqiu could already hear Ning Yingying’s delighted laughs while Ming Fan groaned about all the clearing they would need to do.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe called, coaxing him back to the warmth of the bed.
But Shen Qingqiu was still marveling at the snow.
While Cang Qiong Mountain Sect was located in the Tian Gong mountain range, snow wasn’t as common as one would expect. Generally, the weather remained fair, although it could get quite cold during the winter. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t sure when was the last time he’d seen this much snow.
“It’s really snowing,” he finally murmured. “It’s really snowing!” He repeated it a few more times, his voice growing in excitement.
Luo Binghe watched his usually calm and aloof shizun almost bounce up and down in excitement, arching his eyebrows in surprise. “Shizun?”
“Binghe, what day is today?”
His disciple furrowed his brow before stating the date.
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes brightened. “I must prepare!” he exclaimed, becoming a flurry of green as he washed up, put on his outer garments, and grabbed his folding fan.
“Wait, Shizun. You’ll catch a cold,” Luo Binghe said, hurriedly clambering out of bed so he could drape a cape around his beloved.
“Thanks, Binghe.” Shen Qingqiu smiled at him. “What would this master do without you?”
Although Luo Binghe had been ready to whine or beg his shizun to stay, the unexpected grin threw him off. Shen Qingqiu relaxed sometimes around his disciples, sect siblings, and of course, Luo Binghe, but he usually still carried an air of aloofness to him. To see his shizun so bright and happy felt like a breath of fresh air, and any whimpers he had about asking his shizun to stay faded away as he wanted to encourage this joy, not smother it.
“I’ll see you later,” Shen Qingqiu said, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips before rushing away.
Luo Binghe’s hands were still outstretched, but Shen Qingqiu had already disappeared out the door. He slowly lowered his hands. “Then…this disciple will prepare Shizun’s breakfast,” he murmured.
What has gotten into Shizun?
Luo Binghe wasn’t the only one wondering this.
Ning Yingying was surprised to see Shen Qingqiu walking so briskly through the snow, especially so early in the morning. Every disciple knew that nights and mornings for their shizun were reserved for Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe only—they usually took some time before emerging from their cabin together after the sun went up.
“Shizun?” she called. “Where are you going?”
“Good morning! I just have some things to prepare, and I’ll be seeing Zhangmen-shixiong!” he called back, waving quickly. He paused for a second. “And! Prepare red things! Lots and lots of red things. Decorations, clothes, and gifts.”
“Huh?” Ning Yingying didn’t even bother disguising how startled she was, but Shen Qingqiu had already moved on.
Ming Fan stumbled up to her, nearly tripping over a rock hidden in the sea of snow. “What did Shizun want us to prepare?”
“R-Red things. Like decorations, clothes, and gifts…”
“Red?” Ming Fan’s eyes widened. His mouth dropped open and closed like a fish gasping for air, but before he could say anything else, a voice called out to them.
“Dashixiong, Ning-shijie.”
“A-Luo!” Turning, Ning Yingying quickly pulled herself away from any shock so she could put on a bright smile. “Good morning!”
“Good morning.” He glanced around. “Is Shizun here?”
“He just passed. He said he was going to see Zhangmen-shibo.”
Luo Binghe seemed to deflate a little. “What is he seeing him so early in the morning for? Shizun hasn’t even had breakfast yet…”
Ming Fan coughed and Ning Yingying nudged him to keep him from saying anything too snarky about Luo Binghe and his relationship with their shizun. “I’m sure it must be something really urgent,” she said cheerfully.
“Yeah, I guess you finally wore Shizun down enou—”
Ning Yingying practically stomped on Ming Fan’s foot.
He let out a yelp of pain as Luo Binghe stared at them with his eyebrows creased.
“Shizun asked us to prepare some things,” she clarified quickly. “Red things, specifically.”
Luo Binghe’s ears seemed to perk up at that. “Red things?”
She nodded. “Congratulations, A-Luo!”
But even Ming Fan could sense that something was wrong with the way Luo Binghe’s eyebrows only creased further. He bit on his lip, his face slowly growing pale.
“A-Luo?” Ning Yingying frowned. “You seem surprised. Is anything wrong?”
“N-No,” he finally said. He turned around. “I have to go find Shizun.”
As he left, Ming Fan turned to her. “Why didn’t you let me finish my sentence?”
“Don’t say anything rash!” she urged. “First, just do as Shizun says! We can ask questions later. Go find some red decorations! I’ll prepare the clothes.”
“Alright, shimei.” Ming Fan still looked flabbergasted over the news, but he still left to do as he was told.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu had arrived at Yue Qingyuan’s in a flurry of green, talking quickly and eagerly. He brightened when he saw that Liu Qingge was also there, remarking that it would make things even more convenient.
Confused, they asked him to slow down and explain himself.
He was so unlike his usual self, so excited he even waved away the tea being served and continued to speak all in a rush.
When he finished explaining, Liu Qingge was as flabbergasted as Ming Fan, and even more angry. “What!?”
“I’m inviting you to Qing Jing Peak,” Shen Qingqiu repeated. “I’ve already got my disciples decorating the place—”
“Not that!” he snapped. “You said you were preparing red decorations! Whatever for?”
Shen Qingqiu blinked, now befuddled. “Because it’s festive…?”
“Shidi,” Yue Qingyuan said softly, stepping forward before Liu Qingge could further lose his temper. “Are you sure about this? It’s so…sudden.”
“Of course! It’s the perfect time. I know it’s unexpected, but trust me—it’ll be a lot of fun.”
“Perfect time? Fun?” spluttered Liu Qingge. “But it’s—it’s improper! And it’s snowing so heavily!”
“Exactly! The cold weather is the perfect time for celebration and warmth. Plus, it may be somewhat unprecedented, but that doesn’t mean it’s improper or indecent or actually against the rules or anything.” He waved his folding fan excitedly.
Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge exchanged a look. The former asked, “What else do you need to prepare?”
“I have to go out for a while,” he responded, not noticing any of the tension in the air. “You should let the others know so they come too! It’ll be a big party, and I’ll explain things more once I get back.”
Yue Qingyuan was afraid Liu Qingge was going to qi deviate at any moment. “Alright. We’ll…head over there soon.”
“Perfect! And don’t forget to bring presents!”
“Shen Qingqiu—!”
But before Liu Qingge could finish, Shen Qingqiu had already vanished out the door—almost as fast as he had burst in.
As he left, Shen Qingqiu could feel his giddiness rising—so much so he almost wanted to skip across the snow. While he had noticed the weird behaviour of everyone around him, he chalked it up to simple confusion. Of course, none of them had ever celebrated this day before, but he was sure it would be a big hit with everyone.
Little did he know, the confusion wasn’t over what he was expecting.
Rumours spread through the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect like wildfire, with disciples all whispering, “Did you hear? Qing Jing Peak is in a tizzy because Peak Lord Shen…is getting married!”
“Married? To who?”
“Who else could it be? That sticky disciple of his, of course, Luo Binghe!”
Even the Qing Jing Peak disciples were gossiping about their very own shizun, chattering in excitement as if they were little birds. They all quieted as Luo Binghe walked past, but the gleam in their eyes couldn’t be ignored.
Feeling uncomfortable, Luo Binghe picked his way silently through crowds of disciples who parted for him like the tides. He felt hot under their stares.
Everyone thinks Shizun and I are getting married, but we haven’t even discussed anything of the sort yet! Just what is going on?
Luo Binghe was more than willing to rush into a wedding with Shen Qingqiu if asked to do so, but knowing his shizun, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t be the same. He’d need way more time to plan things out.
That is, if he would ever agree to marry me in the first place. Luo Binghe pushed the thought away. That was one he was too scared to try and think about just yet.
Since the incident at Maigu Ridge, Luo Binghe was no longer as easily jealous now that Shen Qingqiu was his. But of course, a part of him still feared losing the one he loved the most forever…especially if Shen Qingqiu himself suddenly decided to discard him.
And while he still pouted when Shen Qingqiu smiled at everyone else around him, he had become more sure of his own place in his shizun’s heart.
So why is this happening now?
When he racked his brains, the only one he could think of Shen Qingqiu choosing to…to… Oh God, I can’t even finish the thought. The only one he could think of Shen Qingqiu choosing to be with would be—of course—that annoying Liu Qingge.
But why? Haven’t things been going so well? I thought Shizun…
He stopped walking, now standing in front of their bamboo cabin. It took him some time before he was able to open the door.
But there was no shizun waiting for him.
Gazing at the rapidly cooling breakfast he’d left on the table, he sighed and sunk downwards against the wall.
I thought Shizun really loved me.
Fucking hell, isn’t there a single evergreen tree around here? Shen Qingqiu groaned, kicking at some rocks. He’d wandered around the whole time he descended the mountain, and he still hadn’t found a good tree.
He’d even asked around the marketplace while buying presents, and—as expected—no one was selling a perfect evergreen either.
Sighing, Shen Qingqiu settled in a teahouse and breathed on his hands, rubbing them together to warm himself up. He suddenly found himself missing Luo Binghe, his personally clingy puppy who would be more than happy to lend his body heat to Shen Qingqiu. It wasn’t like the cold bothered him much anyway, considering his demonic genes.
Although…Luo Binghe is more of your classic demon. The kind with fire and red and darkness and everything. If we really wanted to talk about ice demons, then…
His eyes brightened as he leaped upwards. “Of course!” he exclaimed.
He got a few weird looks, causing him to sit back down sheepishly. And despite the cold, he opened his fan to fan himself, hiding his face behind it.
But I really should’ve thought of this sooner! If we want to talk about ice demons, then only Mobei-jun fits the bill. And in that case…
Shen Qingqiu paid for his tea and quickly left to find his “good ol’ pal” (and the source of a lot of his troubles), Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky.
It was a pain to get to Mobei-jun and Airplane—or rather, Shang Qinghua—but when he finally got in touch and made contact with them, they were quite surprised.
“Cucumber Bro? I wasn’t expecting you.” Shang Qinghua looked him over. “Where’s that sticky Dragon’s Beard candy of a boyfriend of yours?”
“Oh shut up.” Shen Qingqiu knocked him on the head with his folding fan. “I’m trying to find an evergreen tree.”
His companion frowned, wrinkling his nose. “Whatever for?”
“It’s December 24th!” Shen Qingqiu wrung his hands. “What do you think I want an evergreen for?”
“But…there’s no Christmas here.”
“That’s besides the point!”
“Okay, okay.” Shang Qinghua turned around to where Mobei-jun was sitting silently, staring at them. “My King, Peak Lord Shen is looking for an evergreen tree. Do you think we could spare him one?”
Mobei-jun made a noncommittal sound before rising and leaving.
Shen Qingqiu watched him pass, shivering as a cold wind blew after him. “Jeez, he’s scary. How do you put up with him and this freezing cold?”
“He’s not so bad.”
Shen Qingqiu waited, but the usually talkative Airplane Bro didn’t elaborate for once. “Well, you two certainly seem to be getting along quite well.”
Shang Qinghua smiled almost mischievously. “Not as well as you and our big hero Bing-ge.”
“Shut. Up.” Shen Qingqiu smacked him lightly but didn’t refute him, simply fanning himself to keep calm—despite, again, the cold rendering his fan entirely pointless.
Mobei-jun soon returned carrying a giant evergreen tree over his shoulder.
“Oh, th-thank you,” Shen Qingqiu said quickly. It really was lucky for him that both of the most useful people in this situation were pretty much always together. Considering Shang Qinghua was the original creator of this world, he would know where the best places for such basic plants were (if you wanted to talk about the way too many magical herbs and even monsters he’d made up, then Shen Qingqiu probably still knew better than him). And Mobei-jun, as an ice demon, would be surrounded by plants that could survive in winter, which was exactly what Shen Qingqiu needed.
That, and the fact that Mobei-jun only listens to two people: his commander, Luo Binghe, and his little hamster, Shang Qinghua.
As soon as those piercing blue eyes of Mobei-jun’s landed on him, Shen Qingqiu felt his smile freeze and he repressed a shudder. If he was on his own, Shen Qingqiu would definitely have had no chance of convincing Mobei-jun to get him a tree! No way, no how!
“Umm…I have one last request,” he murmured. “The tree is far too heavy for me to carry, so I was wondering…” He trailed off, glancing at Shang Qinghua.
“Say no more.” He turned to Mobei-jun. “My King, would you be willing to go with Peak Lord Shen?”
Mobei-jun frowned.
“And you come too, Shang Qinghua!” Shen Qingqiu added hurriedly. “The tree is for a festivity, so it’s only right for me to invite you back to the sect to celebrate with us. I’m sure your An Ding Peak disciples miss you very much.” That, and if you don’t come, I’m not sure Mobei-jun will agree. Even if he does and you’re not there, I doubt he’d be very amiable.
And I do not want to deal with an unhappy demon again anytime soon.
“I’m not so sure about them missing me, but sure. It’s been a long time since I celebrated Christmas.”
So the three left together.
The whole time, Shang Qinghua clung closely to Mobei-jun—or is it the other way around? You can never tell with these demons—holding onto his robes.
Shen Qingqiu glanced at them, suddenly missing Luo Binghe even more. As annoying as his disciple was, Shen Qingqiu had grown accustomed to his clinginess and his willingness to do whatever for his precious shizun.
Still, how excited must everyone be when I finally get back with everything! I’ve even gotten all the presents prepared.
Binghe will probably run right up to greet me as soon as we land, refusing to let go. I’ll see him soon enough. Shen Qingqiu smiled to himself. I’ll probably get annoyed by his clinginess soon enough too. Why am I missing the big puppy anyway?
But when they did finally return to Qing Jing Peak, he was indeed pounced on—but by other eager disciples—and not Luo Binghe.
“Shizun, Shizun!” a dozen voices cried as the crowd grabbed at him. “Where did you go? Everyone’s been wild with anticipation!”
“What’s going on?” He looked around. “Where’s Binghe?”
“A-Luo hasn’t been seen since this morning,” Ning Yingying explained, holding a red bundle in her arms.
“Ah, he must still be in the bamboo cabin,” Shen Qingqiu mused aloud. “He probably doesn’t even know I’m back yet. I’ll go get him.”
“Shizun, wait! Before you go, I prepared the red clothes for you.” She held the bundle up. “This was on such short notice, but I did the best I could.”
“Thank you,” he said with a smile. “I’ll go get changed.”
The disciples gazed after him as he left, all with big eyes and loud whispers.
Shang Qinghua cleared his throat, causing a dozen heads to swivel towards him. “Now,” he said, “where should we put this tree?”
Mobei-jun slammed the evergreen tree down.
The disciples blinked, confused over this tree—and even a little scared of Mobei-jun—before their curiosity won out and they tittered at Shang Qinghua.
“Why does Shizun need a tree?”
“Did he tell you any details?”
“When’s the ceremony?”
Shang Qinghua blinked as he was swept up by Mobei-jun, who glowered at the humans around them. “Ceremony?”
“Yeah! The wedding ceremony of our Shizun!”
Shang Qinghua continued to blink blankly a few times before he nearly toppled over and howled with laughter. Mobei-jun caught him and he managed to stifle most of his chuckles, but he couldn’t hide his amused grin. Deciding to have a little fun, he coughed and said, “Well, it can’t be long now, I’m sure…”
“Binghe?” Shen Qingqiu pushed open the door to their cabin, peeking inside. His gaze swept the room.
The bed was perfectly made and the breakfast was still on the table. Everything had been tidied up and cleaned. In fact, the cabin looked almost too clean, like someone had taken to scrubbing everything down perfectly in some kind of frenzy.
And yet, the one thing—or rather, person—he was hoping to see was nowhere to be found.
Frowning, Shen Qingqiu walked inside and sat down at the table. He touched the bowl in front of him. Still warm.
So either it was just recently cooked, or he just took the time to reheat it.
Remembering what had happened after he’d been poisoned by the demon Elder Tian Chui, with Luo Binghe preparing new congee every two hours waiting for his shizun to wake up and try it, Shen Qingqiu had a feeling Luo Binghe had reheated it a few times before he’d gotten back.
But why isn’t he around? Shen Qingqiu took a few bites before finding he couldn’t take the stifling stillness anymore. There was no one bustling about, making sure everything was spotless. There was no one sitting with him, waiting for him to enjoy and praise their cooking. There was no one holding on to him, whimpering about him being gone for so long.
Shen Qingqiu stood up and exited the cabin. “Binghe? Binghe!”
It took a while of wandering before he finally spotted a familiar silhouette in the bamboo forest. It seemed as though they had been there for some time, as their black clothes and hair had snow piled on top of them.
“Binghe!” Shen Qingqiu hurried down a snow bank, nearly stumbling.
“Shizun?” Luo Binghe looked up and managed to catch Shen Qingqiu. “Careful—” he started to say, but his companion interrupted, speaking in a breathless rush.
“Why are you out here? And all alone? Look at you, you’re going to catch a cold!” He reached out to try and pull Luo Binghe’s collar closer together, having just noticed the exposed skin of his chest. His face flushed as he touched bare skin, which only made him rush on even more.
“I don’t feel the cold—”
“Well, where have you been, anyway? I-I’ve been looking all over for you! Everyone’s been looking for you! And I’ve had such a long morning, you know, traveling all the way to get Shang Qinghua and Mobei-jun’s help…”
Luo Binghe furrowed his brow. “Shizun went to find them?”
“Right after talking to Zhangmen-shixiong and your Liu-shishu, yes! It was convenient since he was already there with Zhangmen-shixiong. And then I…” He cut himself off, opening his fan to cover his mouth. Why am I the only one chattering away!? I’m expecting answers from you, okay! You!
Recomposing himself, he asked, “Where have you been? We’ve all been looking for you, and I was starting to get worried.”
“Shizun was worried about me?”
“Of course.” Shen Qingqiu ignored the desire to smack his disciple on the head with his fan. What’s gotten into him now? Why’s he being so moody? Is he throwing another tantrum?
“But Shizun just saw Liu-shishu.”
“Yes, but—wait, what does Liu Qingge have to do with anything?”
“You were with him and Sect Leader Yue.”
Shen Qingqiu stared blankly at him. And…?
“Ning-shijie said Shizun asked her to prepare red things.”
“I did, but—” He stopped as realization finally dawned. “Wait. You’re saying you thought…?” He couldn’t say it out loud. He really couldn’t. Too embarrassing!! Really, really too embarrassing!!
Luo Binghe nodded. “I thought maybe…just maybe…Shizun had gone to ask for Sect Leader Yue’s blessing in wedding Liu-shishu.”
It really is so, so fucking embarrassing!!! Just because I couldn’t say it out loud doesn’t mean you were supposed to say it!! His face turned bright red as he tried to prevent himself from keeling over.
“Shizun? Are you feeling unwell?”
Yes!! I’m feeling unwell!! I’m feeling unwell from this stupid disciple of mine and his stupid wild imagination! Who taught you to think such things!? Out loud, Shen Qingqiu reached up with his fan and tapped Luo Binghe on the forehead.
“Shizun…?”
“Silly boy.” Exasperated, Shen Qingqiu tapped him again. “Who said I had any intention of…of that?”
“Then Shizun…”
“I was just trying to get everyone to prepare for some festivities—”
Luo Binghe grabbed his hands, his eyes suddenly sparkling. Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t have been surprised to see him with a wagging tail. “Then Shizun…wants to marry me?”
Shen Qingqiu really did topple over this time.
“Shizun? Shizun!” Luo Binghe rushed to catch him, but the two of them both ended up in the snow.
Lying underneath Luo Binghe, Shen Qingqiu could only use his fan to cover his burning red face.
“Shizun, are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine!” he exclaimed, a little louder than he’d intended. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he repeated himself in a quieter, smoother tone. “I’m fine, really.”
Luo Binghe felt his forehead. “You’re burning up…”
Of course I am! Of course I’m burning up!! Don’t just say things like that and not expect me to burn up!!! Still screaming internally, Shen Qingqiu did his best to relax his shoulders and rub Luo Binghe’s head reassuringly. “This master is fine. I was just taken aback, is all.”
“So Shizun…doesn’t have any intention to marry me?” Luo Binghe looked crestfallen, his eyes starting to fill with tears.
Shen Qingqiu nearly choked on thin air. Don’t waste your tears on this!! It’s too sudden!! Way too sudden!! “This master…” He swallowed, fanning himself with the fan, still making sure it covered most of his face. He then averted his gaze. “This master…isn’t entirely opposed to the idea, but it’s far too sudden to discuss—or even consider—these things. I was…I was planning something else.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes widened and his tears stopped almost immediately when he heard “not entirely opposed to the idea.” Filled again with jubilation and love, he pushed the fan away and began planting little kisses all over Shen Qingqiu’s face.
Now with nothing to hide behind, Shen Qingqiu squeezed his eyes shut out of embarrassment.
When he was finally satisfied, Luo Binghe rested his forehead against Shen Qingqiu’s, causing the other’s eyes to flutter open. “I really do…love Shizun.”
A blush spread across Shen Qingqiu’s cheeks like a wildfire. For a brief few moments his entire mind was consumed by this fire, leaving his thoughts blank and empty. Finally, he managed to say, “I…love you too.”
Luo Binghe kissed him.
It was a passionate, deep kiss, and Shen Qingqiu—after a few more moments of internally freaking out—reciprocated. As expected, Luo Binghe really did make him feel a lot warmer.
When they finally separated, Luo Binghe helped him up.
“Then Shizun, tell me about this festivity that you want to celebrate.”
“It’s called Christmas.”
“Christmas…?”
When they finally got back, everyone was gathered in a big crowd waiting for them. Shen Qingqiu finally noticed all the red ribbons and wedding knots and oranges and everything surrounding them. He nearly fell over face-first in terms of shock and embarrassment.
“Shizun, we got everything prepared like you asked!” Ning Yingying said.
“It’s really a bit sudden and so soon, but if this is what you want, then I will support you,” stated Yue Qingyuan. “I just wasn’t expecting this…”
“You better be more responsible after this! No more unruly behaviour and laziness!” Qi Qingqi added in a low, scolding voice.
Shen Qingqiu’s gaze swept through everyone in exasperation. They were all dressed for the occasion—it was just too bad it was the wrong occasion! Even he and Luo Binghe had gotten changed into the wedding hanfu that Ning Yingying had prepared (after Shen Qingqiu had finished the breakfast Luo Binghe had prepared and reheated once more, his disciple had insisted they get changed despite them not actually getting married that day).
Everyone really thought I wanted a damn wedding!!
He opened his fan and cleared his throat. “I’m afraid everyone has misunderstood my intentions. I’m sorry to have caused so much confusion and excitement among everyone for nothing. I had simply wanted to introduce a holiday I have heard of in my travels. It’s called Christmas, and is generally celebrated with red decorations and clothes in the winter.”
People glanced at one another as the murmurs rose.
Finally, Liu Qingge spoke up. “So you’re not getting married to that unruly disciple of yours?”
Shen Qingqiu glowered at him (as did Luo Binghe, albeit for different reasons). “No! There’s no wedding today!”
“Too bad,” Shang Qinghua lamented. “I was so excited to celebrate such a harmonious match.”
Shen Qingqiu turned an even harsher glare on Shang Qinghua, although Luo Binghe beamed at them being called a “harmonious match.” Shen Qingqiu internally shouted, Bullshit, Airplane Bro! You knew from the beginning what I wanted to do! You fanned the flames deliberately!
“Ah well. There’s still next t—”
Before Shang Qinghua could finish speaking, he’d gotten smacked in the face by a neatly wrapped box. As the item slid downwards, he blinked with a vacant stare on his face, the smile still on his lips.
Mobei-jun, meanwhile, let out a low growl.
“What was that for!?” Shang Qinghua finally recovered enough to demand.
“Your present!” Shen Qingqiu yelled back. “Everyone gets presents on Christmas!” Still flustered, he started throwing gifts at everyone as he repeated over and over again, “Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, merry Christmas!”
Everyone forgot his bizarre behaviour as they caught their presents, ripping them apart.
Shen Qingqiu had gotten a vase for Yue Qingyuan, tea for Liu Qingge, perfume for Qi Qingqi, a scarf for Shang Qinghua, rouge for Ning Yingying, a book for Ming Fan, and some herbs for Mobei-jun (this one had been prepared in a rush since he hadn’t planned on Mobei-jun being there at first), among other things for other people.
And as they had been encouraged to do so previously, the other Peak Lords also gave out gifts to their own disciples and one another.
For Shen Qingqiu, Yue Qingyuan had gotten him some cakes, Qi Qingqi had gotten him some new brushes and ink, Shang Qinghua had gotten him some melon seeds (Shen Qingqiu had a feeling he hadn’t actually bothered to prepare a gift and was just giving him what he happened to have on him), and Liu Qingge gave him a new folding fan. Considering the number of times he’d picked up and returned a specific fan of Shen Qingqiu’s for him, he wasn’t entirely surprised—in fact, he’d almost given that same folding fan to Liu Qingge for Christmas before deciding against it in case he or even Luo Binghe misunderstood.
“Shizun is amazing!” Ning Yingying exclaimed, as did other disciples, holding up their new possessions with much delight.
Shen Qingqiu smiled, relaxing as he fanned himself, glad that most of the chaos had passed. “I’m just happy as long as everyone is happy with their gift.”
“Shizun…”
He turned to Luo Binghe, who had just carefully unwrapped some of his present and was gazing down at it with wide eyes.
Shen Qingqiu felt his breath hitch as he stopped fanning himself. “Do you…like it, Binghe?” His voice was soft.
Luo Binghe looked up, his eyes brimming with tears.
Shen Qingqiu rushed to his side, flustered. “What are you crying over now?”
“I love it,” he breathed, pulling Shen Qingqiu into his arms. “Just like I love Shizun.”
Everyone stared, with Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi looking like they wanted to protest the public display of affection, but Yue Qingyuan stopped them with a hand and a small shake of his head. He smiled slightly.
From here, he could see the hand-embroidered sachet and a jade pendant poking out of it. He wondered how long that must’ve taken his shidi, as he wasn’t entirely sure his shidi even knew how to embroider such a beautiful item in the first place.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu was still dealing with the gentle kisses Luo Binghe was planting all over his face, muttering under his breath, “Making a scene.”
“This disciple has to express his gratitude. I’m sorry I didn’t prepare anything for Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu relaxed, smiling. “You do a lot for me already. Having you with me is enough.”
“Shizun!” More tears appeared in Luo Binghe’s happy gaze, causing Shen Qingqiu to chuckle as he eventually pulled away.
“Enough, enough. Let’s continue with the festivities.”
The sect gathered around the tree and began decorating, following Shen Qingqiu’s lead. He explained that usually the tree would be decorated first before gifts were exchanged, and that gifts were actually supposed to be given the next day. And of course, the decorations would look different too—not quite like a wedding.
“But today is a…special occasion, as I didn’t explain myself clearly enough at first,” Shen Qingqiu added. “So we might as well do it this way.” He didn’t add that the reason he’d handed presents out so early was because he wanted to shut Shang Qinghua up.
Yue Qingyuan smiled warmly. “We’ll do things as shidi says next year then.”
“I’m going to get Shizun a wonderful present since he got me something so amazing!” Ning Yingying agreed.
Everyone laughed and chatted as they went, and when they finished, they marveled at their handiwork.
Mobei-jun stood off to the side, watching. “Not much of a point,” he muttered.
Standing beside him, Shang Qinghua nodded. But he was smiling, his gaze fixed on the tree. “Still, it turned out quite well.” He sighed. “Guess I missed Christmas more than I thought.”
Mobei-jun softened, looking Shang Qinghua over. He grasped the smaller man’s wrist.
“My King?”
“Then we will celebrate Christmas next time too.”
“A-Ah, alright.” Shang Qinghua didn’t express his confusion aloud.
Mobei-jun glanced down and noticed the scarf Shang Qinghua was wearing. He tugged on it thoughtfully. “A good idea. But still sparse.” He narrowed his eyes. “For Christmas, I’ll get you a cloak.”
Shang Qinghua wondered if the scarf was more effective than he thought, because he felt his face grow warm. “Thank you, My King.”
“Mn.”
Their attention was pulled away from each other as Shen Qingqiu called for everyone to follow him to the banquet.
Everyone got seated and started eating the foods prepared, with some laughing over it being wedding dishes. Shen Qingqiu did his best to keep his composure despite still being somewhat embarrassed, especially since he was dressed in red wedding attire, matching with Luo Binghe.
Luo Binghe held his hand under the table, even feeding him a few times.
Shen Qingqiu indulged him but ended up asking him to knock it off because he could feel the holes Liu Qingge’s glare was burning into his back.
“Don’t mind them, Shizun.” Luo Binghe kissed his forehead. “Just enjoy the meal. This disciple is just sorry he didn’t contribute enough to the cooking. But I will next year.”
“Binghe…” Shen Qingqiu smiled. “Thank you.”
Shang Qinghua bit into a large piece of pork ribs before leaning closer to Shen Qingqiu. “So why did you want to host a Christmas party so badly, anyway? You’re not usually the social type.”
Shen Qingqiu seemed to get a nostalgic look in his eyes, turning to look over the table at all the smiling, laughing, chatting faces. Even Liu Qingge was showing some cheer, talking to Yue Qingyuan. “I guess I just missed that sense of festivity, togetherness, the spirit of giving, and all that cheesy Christmas joy.”
“That is cheesy,” Shang Qinghua agreed.
“Shut up, you.” Shen Qingqiu kicked him lightly under the table. He still appeared rather distant, as if his mind had gone somewhere far away. “Back home…my family did well, but we weren’t necessarily that close. My old man wasn’t often home, and I spent most of my time online.
“My mom didn’t have to cook much either. We had chefs for that. And my brothers were often busy with business, and I wasn’t that close to my sister either…”
He remembered sitting at his desk, eating steamed buns and staring at his laptop screen for hours on end.
“My family didn’t really celebrate much, and definitely not Christmas, since it’s not as mainstream in China. Still, you stumble across some Christmas stuff online sometimes, and I guess it was comforting for me. It was something I wanted for myself—that sense of togetherness, family, home, and giving. The same feelings I have about Chinese New Year and all our other favourite Chinese holidays.
“So I would do my best to get into the holiday spirit. I even had a miniature Christmas tree I usually kept on a shelf, but I placed it on my desk around this time of year.
“I guess I wanted to bring that to Cang Qiong Mountain, especially since this place feels so much like home now. Everyone here is like family. They deserve it.”
“Wow,” Shang Qinghua finally said, setting his pork ribs down. “That really is”—he paused before grinning—“so, so cheesy.”
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes, but before he could smack or kick Airplane Bro again, Shang Qinghua continued speaking.
“Cheesy, but admirable. And I agree. Christmas celebrates a lot of good things, and you can always use some holiday cheer.”
Now Shen Qingqiu smiled too.
Later, when everyone had finished eating, with Shen Qingqiu having had a chance to talk to the other Peak Lords and his disciples as well, they moved locations. As they were walking away from the banquet table, Shang Qinghua coughed.
Shen Qingqiu turned to look back at him.
The other man smirked before pointing upwards.
Shen Qingqiu had a sinking feeling. He followed Shang Qinghua’s finger.
Indeed, there was some mistletoe tied to the top of the doorframe.
“Shizun, what is that?” asked Luo Binghe.
“Mistletoe,” he answered through gritted teeth and a tight smile. “I just wonder where on Earth Shang Qinghua managed to even find some.”
Shang Qinghua shrugged in response to Shen Qingqiu before responding to Luo Binghe: “There is a certain Christmas tradition, you know…that if there is mistletoe above, the two people below have to kiss.”
“Shizun…”
Shen Qingqiu barely noticed Luo Binghe looking down at him excitedly. He was still glowering at the other man. Damn you, Airplane Bro! You set me up! Of course both Luo Binghe and I would be under the mistletoe—he practically never lets go of me!
Before he even knew what was happening, Shen Qingqiu found himself being swept up as Luo Binghe kissed him. Blinking a couple of times, Shen Qingqiu opened his fan to cover their faces before kissing back.
“Indecent!” Qi Qingqi exclaimed, storming past them.
Liu Qingge said nothing, but he looked like he wanted to strangle Luo Binghe.
Shang Qinghua simply watched with amusement, chuckling to himself.
Little did he know, when Shen Qingqiu finally managed to pry Luo Binghe from himself and usher him away from the wonderful, oh-so-magical mistletoe, Shang Qinghua would be stopped before he could pass the doorway.
He turned around. “My King…?”
“The mistletoe.”
“Ah, but we don’t have to…”
Mobei-jun said nothing more, just lowering his head.
Shang Qinghua’s eyes widened as his cheeks turned hot, but Mobei-jun didn’t exactly kiss him. His lips were simply centimetres from Shang Qinghua’s forehead—so close he could feel their icy touch. It was like Mobei-jun simply tapped him lightly with his lips before pulling away.
As the ice demon walked off, Shang Qinghua blinked a few times, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. He was just following tradition, right? Because he’s just the type to do something without really thinking about the connotations, right? That was totally meaningless, right? Right!? Then he staggered after his king.
They caught up to find everyone already settled down, speaking over hot tea. Shen Qingqiu even tried to explain Christmas carols to them, but he was too embarrassed to try singing any of them out loud.
A few disciples tried based on his descriptions, but they were horribly off in lyrics and rhythm, causing Shen Qingqiu to mentally face-palm as he shook his head. The event soon devolved into laughter, with the disciples all singing songs they already knew.
Shen Qingqiu smiled as he listened, nestling back down and leaning his head against Luo Binghe’s shoulder.
Luo Binghe was smiling too—smiling down at his shizun, seeing how happy he was, and feeling happy himself that Shen Qingqiu was willingly showing affection for him in public.
As the night wore on, Shen Qingqiu eventually dozed off.
“Shizun fell asleep this early?” Ming Fan remarked.
“He’s had a long day, traveling about and preparing things,” Luo Binghe murmured, stroking Shen Qingqiu’s cheek. He moved to stand up, and Shen Qingqiu let out a mumbled protest.
“Binghe, come back to bed…”
Despite everyone’s faces at the somewhat scandalous words, Luo Binghe just smiled even more. “Since Shizun is so tired, I’ll take him to retire for the night.” He stood and bowed. “I’ll see you all tomorrow. And…” He paused before testing out the new phrase that Shen Qingqiu had taught them all for the occasion, saying, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” a few of the disciples echoed.
He shifted so that he could pick his shizun up in his arms. His new sachet and jade pendant thumped gently against his thigh as he walked off, having been tied to his waistband.
As he left, he heard Ning Yingying’s excited voice say, “Christmas is so much fun, I can’t wait to celebrate it again next year! Shizun is simply the best.”
Luo Binghe beamed, lowering his head so that he could kiss Shen Qingqiu’s forehead. The other man just murmured Binghe’s name in his sleep.
“I agree,” Luo Binghe whispered. “Shizun really is the best…and I am so fortunate to have him.”