Work Text:
Here I go again …
Despite his words, Shen Qingqiu was willing to continue reading.
Shen Qingqiu was so immersed in the story that when looked up to the window, he finally realized that it was already dark. Was it so late? His teacup lay cold on the table and through the window, he could see the darkness of the night, illuminated by the dim moonlight. Shen Qingqiu was sure that if he went out, he would be able to see the full moon and enjoy a dazzling view; stars shining and several constellations decorating the canvas above them. To Shen Qingqiu, sightseeing by himself was especially boring; if asked, he preferred to be accompanied.
For that reason, he opted for relaxing and reading inside the bamboo house most of the day, and even a little bit more before going to sleep.
If there was something that never changed even after his transmigration was his night habits, and one of them was reading before going to bed. During the many years in his past life, he spent countless hours reading “Proud Inmortal Demon’s Way”. Even though he had different choices in his digital library, one way or another, he always ended up favoring Luo Binghe’s story above others.
It was like a routine.
After his transmigration, he didn’t have a particular narrative to distract himself, or in other words, he was living in it. Of course, there were more important matters, such as surviving or collecting points. Still, he found that he had a whole new library with content that no other PIDW reader saw before. Several scrolls and books described creatures that were mentioned in the novel or that in fact appear in the plot, just to be eliminated or captured by the protagonist. Creatures and plants which became part of the forgotten lore of Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky.
But long after he reached a peaceful and married life, he picked up his old habits. He found a new story with a great potential for both character development and world-building. It was a refreshing and nostalgic reminder of his enjoyment of the plot and the characters. Maybe it wasn’t exactly the identical feeling to reading PIDW, but it was interesting to find out how stories were written in a world like this. The story within the story.
But what began as a promising narration of adventure, soon found the same common mistakes that authors tend to do: too many clichés. The problem was that whoever wrote that story lacked elements to exploit the plot to its fullest.
How it was even possible that a cultivator was so dumb to fall into an obvious Qi’s trap? The protagonist was a cultivator himself! Despite being Airplane’s world which explained the infinitive list of ridiculous things he added to his plot (most of them experienced by Shen Qingqiu himself, thank you very much), write something illogical like cultivation common knowledge in a cultivation world was the straw that broke the camel's back.
In the story, similar to Luo Binghe’s protagonist halo, the main character got involved with several other characters and situations that work to his favor but dumber. Actually, the way the author used the protagonist's halo was absurd and pointless. Shen Qingqiu was talking from someone’s point of view, the same person who read six thousand six hundred sixty-six chapters of a garbage novel, how could he not recognize something poorly written when he read it?
Tired and frustrated to find the same and predictable plot twist, he decided to never open that book anymore. Instead, he left it on the table and massaged his temples to alleviate the stress.
Trash, trash, trash .
Not even in a world where literature was more appreciated and better compared with the modern standards. Poetry and a richer language characterized the old books, meanwhile, most of the literature in the modern world was full of… eccentric concepts. Even though there were stories such as “Resentment of Chunshan” or “Song of Bingqiu”, which were the epitome of weirdness, these were far away from all those readings he found in many internet forums. If only the authors in these times knew about fanfiction , they would be astonished.
“That’s enough for today,” he murmured and decided to go to bed early.
Luo Binghe was busy solving matters in the Demon Realm, so Shen Qingqiu was not expecting him until the next day. He wasn’t worried about dining or taking a bath, after all, he stayed at home today. The weather was nice, so he didn't sweat or get his robes dirty. Plus, he already bathed two nights ago, just before Luo Binghe’s departure.
What others didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt anybody.
Shen Qingqiu yawned and stretched his arms, tiredness started to build up after a long day.
Maybe he didn’t do something productive itself, but laziness also required energy. Especially when he read ridiculous plots of a xianxia novel in a xianxia world.
It was exhausting.
Nevertheless, before he got up, there was a noise coming from the main door. For a moment he was surprised to receive a visitor so late at night, but then he relaxed when he noticed that there was only one person who would come at this time.
He rushed to the entrance, just on time to notice a quick expression of tiredness cross his husband’s face before it became a beaming smile. The change was so abrupt that he thought that his husband's first expression was an illusion. But deep inside, he knew Luo Binghe was so overworked. Always rushing his work to come back home sooner.
“I’m back, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu opened his fan and stood up calmly receiving Luo Binghe, an unconscious grin appeared on his face covered by his fan. He didn’t want it to look so eager, despite his desire to run and hug his husband.
“Welcome home, Binghe.”
Luo Binghe was so delighted that his expression became brighter. “Did you already eat, Shizun?”
Shen Qingqiu shook his head and said: “No, but you don’t need to make dinner right now. I’m not hungry.
“But Shizun…”
“There are no ‘buts’. It is too late. Actually, I was getting ready to go to bed. And you also need to rest, so let’s go to sleep.”
Luo Binghe seemed to rebut, but he resigned. In the end, it was Shen Qingqiu who took his hand and guided him to their bedroom. While on the way, he remembered how exhausted his husband looked. The fact that he didn’t try to convince Shen Qingqiu to prepare a night snack was enough proof to indicate that he was tired.
Although Shen Qingqiu was somewhat annoyed that Luo Binghe was careless about his own health, working hard and diligently for long periods of time with little rest, another part was moved by his actions. After all, Shen Qingqiu was the one who decided to stay at the bamboo hut instead of accompanying him. It would be better if the next time they returned together to the Demon Realm, so he could keep an eye on his husband and make sure the other rested as he should.
Tonight, Shen Qingqiu would assure that Luo Binghe received his reward for all his work. Maybe he would be lenient towards his husband as three days have passed since their last vigorous activity… The idea just pondered in his mind, but he did not dare to act on it. If Luo Binghe wanted to do it they would eventually engage in intimacy. That was usually their dynamic. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to keep his husband awake, but he knew that if he tried to take some kind of initiative, neither of them would sleep the rest of the night for sure.
The best course of action was to let it flow.
Luo Binghe showed no signs of wanting to take things to a further level, not even when they both changed into their nightclothes. They simply went to the dressing table where Shen Qingqiu sat on a chair and Luo Binghe began to remove the ornaments in his hair.
When Luo Binghe was away, Shen Qingqiu had a habit of going for the simplest and easiest hairstyle. This was a familiar habit that both of them knew. In fact, Shen Qingqiu still remembered the first time Luo Binghe pointed it out, using a saccharine tone of voice while listing all the little things he loved about him. In those first nights together as a couple, they were relatively new to their nightly routines.
Although Luo Binghe lived close to him when he was younger, living together under the same roof as a couple was different. Despite everything, they both adapted to each other and learned to adore each other's little details.
Luo Binghe adored the way Shen Qingqiu cuddled against him when he was sleeping and Shen Qingqiu adored Luo Binghe's sleepy and tender gaze when he woke up. The small actions that both of them witnessed about each other when waking up earlier than the other.
Although while brushing their hair there were some caresses, stolen kisses, and the flirtatious intention in their actions and words, there wasn’t a further action to be more intimate, sexually speaking. It was just a sweet and domestic touch between the couple.
When they finished their bedtime routine, they both lay down on the bed. They arranged their position so that they could rest comfortably in each other's embrace. Even if there was already a short conversation about what they would do the next day, Shen Qingqiu decided to talk a bit about Luo Binghe’s matters of the past few days.
“It's not worth even bothering my husband with it,” he started,“Everything was trivial and so easily solved that anyone could do it. If I’m honest, I don't understand why they requested my presence when I made it clear that I would only go if it was an emergency.”
His complaints sounded like a child complaining about going to school. Shen Qingqiu knew that if it was for his husband, they would spend most of the day there in the bamboo cottage.
Shen Qingqiu would never admit it out loud, but a part of him found that adorable.
“Work is work. As a Demon Lord, you have duties and responsibilities. I'll be fine on my own, but next time we could go together. I already finished what I have to do here.” Even more than that he even worked ahead. “I wouldn't mind taking a break somewhere else,” he said, playing with his husband's hand. The way that Luo Binghe's hand and his fit together perfectly when intertwined was ridiculously cheesy.
"If Shizun wants to go, it’s fine. Shizun's presence is always welcome.”
Shen Qinqgqiu looked up and noticed the profound affection in his gaze as well as the sweetness and sincerity of his words.
Feeling slightly self-conscious he looked away but did nothing else to break the quietness and comfort. It was moments like those when Luo Binghe seemed to have control over him and he was sure that if the other kept talking like that, Shen Qingqiu would be at a disadvantage.
"But tell me, Shizun, how was your day?"
Shen Qingqiu relaxed a bit and replied. “Not much different from the other days. Today I continued reading, for example.”
"Hmm? Could it be that Shizun was reading the story he recommended to me the other day?”
A recommendation? Shen Qingqiu did no such thing. Luo Binghe saw that he was reading a book and asked him what it was about. Shen Qingqiu didn't see it wrong to tell him everything he read until that moment. In the end, Luo Binghe ended up getting interested in knowing more about the story and began to read it by himself.
“Yes, that was exactly what I was reading today.”
“I see…”
That was an unexpected answer coming from Luo Binghe, so Shen Qingqiu decided to inquire further. “Didn’t you like it?”
"No, it's not that," he answered immediately. “It's just that… it's different from what I expected.”
Now, this piqued his interest, and he wasn’t going to let it go so easily. So Shen Qingqiu asked, “What do you think about this book, Binghe?”
Luo Binghe didn't say anything and seemed to be thoughtful. Shen Qingqiu felt that Luo Binghe was somewhat uncomfortable.
“Binghe?”
Finally, Luo Binghe sighed and answered with concern.
"I'm sorry, Shizun. I didn’t understand what was good about it”. And as if he anticipated the next question, he continued. “The general plot isn't bad, it's just that everything seems to appear conveniently in the main character’s way. Each hint and character seems to be written to lead the protagonist towards a predictable situation. I don't see that there is much mystery, rather it is as if the writer wants everything in the protagonist's life to turn out well. That's why I don't find any meaning in it.
This was… was… There were not even words to describe it.
Luo Binghe was criticizing the protagonist of a novel?!
The irony!
Unable to resist it, a laugh bubbled up his throat slowly and turned into an amusing laugh. There was no mockery, but the purest happiness of being understood and at the same time amused to witness something so ironic that it looked unbelievable.
Luo Binghe, the stallion protagonist destined to bed endless beauties and surrounded by plots conveniently placed in his favor in the original story was exactly what Shen Qingqiu complained about in the past life. However, now listening to his dear husband’s complaints was the pinnacle of comedy.
Shen Qingqiu laughed freely and joyfully, free as he hadn’t laughed in years. He was understood on a level he never expected to find in either life.
"Shizun?"
“I'm sorry, I’m sorry” Shen Qingqiu replied between chuckles, trying to compose himself back to seriousness. “It's just that ... this master thought exactly the same thing you said.”
Luo Binghe slightly opened his eyes looking a bit surprised, then he considered those words and softened his expression becoming more affectionate.
"Shizun is so beautiful when he laughs," he said and tenderly nuzzled his husband's cheek.
It wasn’t until that moment that Shen Qingqiu was aware that he had laughed carelessly and absurdly, lacking to show the typical sublime image of a peak lord. Even in front of his husband, his actions were way out of character. While there was nothing wrong with his behavior since he trusted Luo Binghe, it was unusual to act without an appropriate reason.
“Ahem, let’s go back to the topic,” he said, clearing his throat. “I also agree with many of the points Binghe made.”
But Luo Binghe continued to watch intently without changing his cherished expression. “Oh, is it? Then, what does Shizun think exactly about this novel? This disciple is interested in exchanging points of views.”
Shen Qingqiu felt as if every word he would say was going to be heards with the fullest attention. He knew beforehand that Luo Binghe was a good listener, but to have someone who listened to his rants and complaints was something different. Still, he warned playfully. “It is more than what Binghe could expect.”
Luo Binghe responded to his teasing by closing the distance between their faces so they could snuggle right in front of each other. He even went as far as taking both of Shen Qingqiu’s hands in his. “I would be pleased to hear every detail.”
And Shen Qingqiu trembled slightly by the surprising movement and words. He didn't know how to respond to his reaction because hearing that there was someone willing to listen to everything he would say made him quiver in excitement. It also didn't help to have the most attractive man's face so close to his lips.
This was the first time that someone was so considerate about his opinions.
And that was something that he wasn’t going to ignore. Who knows, maybe he found someone as passionate as he was about constructive criticism...