Work Text:
Shen Qingqiu wasn’t sure how he ended up in these situations. Regardless, he decided to go with the most common and successful path: blame Airplane-bro. That shitty author was usually at fault when some dumb subplot interfered with Shen Qingqiu’s life.
Shen Qingqiu sighed again, staring stone-faced at the demon lord who sat across his table, fidgeting slightly. Mobei-jun usually resembled the ice he so easily controlled, but for some reason, his lord’s husband was an expert at making him feel like a child caught doing something wrong.
“Explain,” Shen Qingqiu drawled, snapping open his fan and bringing it up to his face. His husband was supposed to be working in the Demon Realm for the next three weeks. And yet, his icy general was sitting across from Shen Qingqiu, without his husband, sweating. Shen Qingqiu didn’t even know ice demons could sweat, but supposed that logic rarely applied to Airplane-bro’s world anyways. They had left three days ago. Was his husband not able to stay out of trouble for even that long?
“This one apologises, Peak Lord Shen. There has been an… incident.”
Shen Qingqiu hummed, indicating for Mobei-jun to continue.
“As Peak Lord Shen knows, there was a plan to survey the Demon Realms over the next three weeks.” Seeing that Shen Qingqiu wasn’t inclined to interrupt as question him, Mobei-jun swallowed and spoke again. Shen Qingqiu smirked behind his fan, relishing the fact that he could make the stoic man so nervous without doing a thing.
“We were setting out from the palace, heading towards to Eastern reaches of the realm, when we came across a strange plant. Lord Luo wanted to investigate and bring a cutting back for you, but it seemed to have an unexpected effect.”
“I see,” Shen Qingqiu sighed. “And where is my wayward disciple now?”
Before Mobei-jun could answer, he was interrupted by a deep bark as a huge mass of black fur sped into the room, leaping over the table and careening into Shen Qingqiu. Now sprawled on the floor, Shen Qingqiu found himself crushed beneath what was probably the largest dog he had ever seen as the beast desperately snuggled closer to him.
“Binghe! Down!” Shen Qingqiu commanded, shoving the beast and bopping it on the nose with his fan.
Thankfully the dog obeyed, hunkering down beside Shen Qingqiu and staring up at him pitifully, whining all the time. Shen Qingqiu could almost hear his disciple’s tearful voice: “Does Shizun not like me anymore?” the puppy eyes seemed to say. “Is Binghe not wanted?? O.O”
“Peak Lord Shen recognized Junshang ?” Mobei-jun asked, uncertain. He had seen the transformation happen, and it had still taken him a moment to recognize his lord.
“A ridiculously big, fluffy black dog with a red mark on its forehead? Of course it’s Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu replied, waving his fan as if it should have been obvious. Having his husband instantly recognize him made Binghe ecstatic, and he tried to rush his Shizun again, wanting to kiss his husband’s face, forgetting he was a dog.
“No,” Shen Qingqiu snapped, instantly sending Luo Binghe back into pouting puppy mode. “Sit.” Luo Binghe plopped down sullenly. “Stay.” Shen Qingqiu told him. Binghe whined but obeyed, sitting beside Shizun, resisting the urge to lie down and put his head on his lap. “Good boy,” Shizun said with a rare smile, giving Binghe a scritch behind the ears that set his tail to thumping enthusiastically against the ground. Binghe was a good boy! He could be good! Then maybe Shizun would pet him again!
“Did you bring me a sample of the plant?” Shen Qingqiu asked, turning back to Mobei-jun. “I might be able to identify it.”
The demon nodded, pulling a folded handkerchief from his robe and setting it on the table, careful not to touch it as that seemed to be what had triggered the transformation.
“Any idea what it’s called?” Shen Qingqiu asked, poking the cloth aside with his fan so he could examine the flower. Beside him, Binghe growled at the bloom as if daring it to do anything to Shizun.
“Stop that,” Shen Qingqiu scolded, placing his hand on Binghe’s flank. “It’s not going to hurt me.” Binghe huffed, pointedly turning his nose from the flower as if it’s mere presence was a personal affront.
“It resembles the NekoNya Flower, but it’s not exactly the same.”
Unfortunately, Shen Qingqiu recognized the name. It was from one of the many wife plots that peppered Proud Immortal Demon Way’s “plot”. Wife, he didn’t even remember what number, had wanted to gather some flowers but upon touching them had suddenly found herself with cat ears and a tail. Of course Airplane needed to include a neko wife in Luo Binghe’s harem. Why he couldn’t just make a demon race of cat girls Cucumber had never understood. Either way, the plant gave women cat features, but turned men who encountered it into the animal they most resembled. Shen Qingqiu laughed internally, he always knew Binghe was just an over enthusiastic puppy.
“Thankfully, the effect isn’t permanent,” Shen Qingqiu told Mobei-jun. “The usual effect lasts about a week, but a more powerful demon should be able to metabolize the toxin more quickly. I suspect Binghe will return to normal within a day or two.”
Mobei-jun’s face looked slightly less stiff, which, for the ice demon, was the equivalent of letting out a huge sigh of relief.
“Leave him with me,” Shen Qingqiu continued. “Who knows what kind of trouble he could get into if left in the Demon Palace. Someone might try to take advantage of him in this state,” Shen Qingqiu concluded, absentmindedly stroking Binghe. “Go back to the Demon Realm and make sure no one suspects that something has happened.”
Mobei-jun nodded solemnly before rising to his feet to exit the small bamboo house.
“Oh! One more thing,” Shen Qingqiu called as the tall man approached the door. “Go and collect your paramore from An Ding Peak, he’s been pouting since you left him in the middle of your trip last time.”
Mobei-jun bowed hurriedly and left at a much quicker pace, eager to see Shang Qinghua.
“Now then,” Shen Qingqiu said with a sigh, turning to face the dog whose tail was wagging enthusiastically now that he had his beloved Shizun’s full attention. “what should I do with you?”
Shen Qingqiu was torn. He had always loved dogs. Despite the fact that coming close to one would trigger an asthma attack when he was Shen Yuan, he had a soft spot for anything fluffy, dogs most of all. And though he wasn’t plagued by allergies as Shen Qingqiu, the Bing-pup before him still presented an issue. Binghe was just too big.
‘Though being smothered to death by a giant fluffy dog definitely wouldn’t be the worst way to go,’ Shen Qingqiu mused to himself.
Shaking his head, he looked at the dog. “You’re sleeping on the floor tonight,” he told him.
Binghe collapsed to the floor as if stuck, whining as he gazed up piteously at Shen Qingqiu.
‘How could Shizun be so cruel!!?’ Binghe cried. ‘He told me I was a good boy!’
“That won’t work on me,” Shen Qingqiu replied, snapping open his fan to hide the smile his disciple’s dramatics caused. "You’re too sticky,” the man explained to the dog. “You’ll roll over and crush me and I’ll die. It’s bad enough when you’re normal, but now you’re even bigger and you won’t fit on the bed.”
Binghe tried his best to change Shen Qingqiu’s mind throughout the day, cuddling up to him and trying to look adorable. Though he got many cuddles and belly rubs, Shizun still refused to let him onto the bed. After much crying and scratching at the door, he had been allowed into the bedroom but was forced to curl up at the foot of the bed after his attempts to sneak under the covers had only yielded a bruised nose from Shizun’s fan.
Whining and huffing piteously to himself, Binghe stood, turned on the spot a few times and settled down again. After an incense stick of time, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t take it anymore.
“Binghe, come here,” he called, sitting up in the bed and patting the pillow next to him.
Binghe launched himself from the end of the bed, landing almost on top of Shen Qingqiu.
“No,” the other told him sternly. “Lie here.” He pointed to the head of the bed, poking and prodding Binghe until he was happy with his position. The dog’s large body was partially curled next to the head allowing Shen Qingqiu to cuddle up to his side and use Binghe’s fluffy fur as a pillow.
Shen Qingqiu pulled the blankets up over him before snuggling deeper into the fluff.
“Good night Binghe,” he said quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of his disciple’s head. Binghe chuffed softly in reply, his tail thumping against Shen Qingqiu’s leg. With a soft smile, Shen Qingqiu finally slipped into sleep.
The next morning, he awoke and was relieved to find his husband had returned to normal. Rather than a large fluffy dog, he was snuggling into Binghe’s broad chest, using the other man as a pillow, their legs tangled beneath the sheets.
‘Yes,’ Shen Qingqiu thought to himself, reaching out an arm to curl around Binghe’s tall frame as he snuggled deeper into his husband’s side. ‘This was much better.’
