Work Text:
Liu Qingge gets hit with a curse.
"The cure is simple, really," is what Mu Qingfang tells him a few days later, when Liu Qingge hauls himself into Qian Cao after having woken up choking on bloodied petals.
"Tell the person you love about how you feel and the curse will dissipate."
For a moment, all Liu Qingge does is stare.
"Well," Mu Qingfang amends at the look on his face. "It would be simple if Liu-shixiong already had a cultivation partner, but as it is, I suppose getting the cure would be a little more difficult."
The look on Mu Qingfang's face is measuredly even. And knowing.
Liu Qingge doesn't wait to hear the rest of his explanation after that. He leaves Qian Cao with a box of herbs in hand—to manage the symptoms, Mu Qingfang said—and his mind carefully blank.
Two weeks later, the symptoms haven’t gotten any better. Where Liu Qingge used to wake up every day to petals stuck in his throat and otherwise not suffering any other ill effects, now he's taken to swallowing them down in the middle of the day. The petals were bloody red the first time they appeared, but he was told that it’s the only time it happens and that's been correct so far.
It's uncomfortable at best but still distracts him. Most of the Bai Zhan disciples haven't noticed Liu Qingge's condition, but some of the older ones have started giving him odd looks. It makes an itch crawl under his skin.
Once, Shen Qingqiu caught him coughing into a fist as he was returning from submitting a mission report to Qiong Ding.
"Has Liu-shidi finally caught ill from one of his missions?" he asked with a raised brow.
Liu Qingge just ignored him and brushed past without a word, not wanting to deal with him then.
The cure is simple, Mu Qingfang had told him. Liu Qingge almost wanted to throw the words back at him the moment he heard what it actually entailed. It was never really in question who the subject of the curse's cure must be referring to. There's only one man Liu Qingge has ever loved, and if the sudden tightness in his chest at the thought of him is anything to go by, he's not wrong about who he has to talk to.
But it's not that simple. Mu Qingfang should already know that.
Liu Qingge is still fuming about the other man's deliberate nonchalance from the last time they met, so he refuses to return to Qian Cao to ask for other treatment options. He's not fussed regardless given that, while inconvenient, the curse is fairly harmless. The only issue is the cure for it, really. But this means that he won't be able to go out on another mission soon, given that his situation still brings with it the danger of being caught off guard by a sudden development from the curse. And he can't allow himself to get injured again on a mission so soon after the last time it happened.
He huffs. It doesn't matter, he can bear with it. He could use the rest anyway; Yue Qingyuan has always told him to take a break and relax on his peak more often.
It still gets worse until eventually, he's no longer able to hold in a coughing fit during a Peak Lord meeting.
Yue Qingyuan pauses in the middle of what he's saying to give him a concerned glance. "Is Liu-shidi feeling all right?"
Liu Qingge can almost feel the way the other Peak Lords must be looking at him. When he finally stops coughing, he clears his throat and, in a blessedly even voice, says, "I'm fine."
Of course, this isn't enough to deter the other man from worrying. When Yue Qingyuan directs a meaningful look towards Mu Qingfang, Liu Qingge is quick to add, "Mu Qingfang already saw to me. It's being managed."
Which, he realizes almost immediately, was the wrong thing to say, because the expression on Yue Qingyuan's face is now that of vague alarm. Mu Qingfang usually tends to whatever ailment Liu Qingge has gotten as soon as he gets wind of it and gets Liu Qingge in hand. It's not often that he has to be treated outside of Mu Qingfang's care, since he's usually confined in one of Qian Cao's rooms when his condition requires more time to deal with.
Liu Qingge takes pride in his honesty, but sometimes, it only causes more trouble than he's able to deal with.
Before Yue Qingyuan can open his mouth to speak or before his furrowed brows can get any lower, Mu Qingfang speaks up, "Zhangmen-shixiong needn't worry. Liu-shixiong will be fine." If he listens to my advice and fulfills the conditions for the cure, says the look he gives Liu Qingge.
Yue Qingyuan remains looking unconvinced, so Mu Qingfang adds, "His body simply needs time to adjust."
Liu Qingge doesn't think he's imagining the hint of irony in Mu Qingfang's voice, but Yue Qingyuan nods and appears to accept the explanation, so the meeting proceeds as usual. But afterwards, Yue Qingyuan heads directly to Liu Qingge rather than his usual habit of staying behind to address the other Peak Lords' remaining concerns. Mu Qingfang is also heading towards him at the same time, so Liu Qingge chooses what must be the lesser evil and turns to meet Yue Qingyuan instead.
"Yue-shixiong," Liu Qingge greets. The gentle smile that Yue Qingyuan gives him makes his chest squeeze tight enough to make it almost hard to breathe, and oh, maybe this was the greater evil, actually.
Without preamble, Yue Qingyuan asks mildly, "Did you catch an illness from your latest mission?"
Liu Qingge almost doesn't notice the familiar phrasing, but he puts it in the back of his mind before he begins to rapidly think of a way to explain his situation without giving away the real problem. It's unsurprisingly difficult. Not only is he unused to being dishonest to his sect leader, but he's also somewhat rattled by the realization that, whether he admits to his feelings or not, he will always find difficulty in being around Yue Qingyuan. Regardless of the existence of the curse, his yearning has grown to a point where he can hardly push it away when they spend even just a moment together. Confessing won't make it disappear, and neither will it make his affections reciprocated.
He coughs to clear his throat from the sudden appearance of petals, which garners him a sharp look from the other man.
"I did. But it's nothing serious," Liu Qingge deflects instead, to little effect. Yue Qingyuan only appears doubtful and dismayed.
"If zhangmen-shixiong will allow me, I can explain," a voice cuts in.
Liu Qingge's heart skips a beat. Surely, Mu Qingfang won't—? No. Going by his earlier actions, Mu Qingfang must be trying to help him conceal the truth. At least for now.
They both turn towards Mu Qingfang, and when Yue Qingyuan gestures for him to continue, he explains, "Liu-shixiong was hit with a minor curse on his last mission, caused by getting into contact with a certain specie of flower. It's not harmful, though I'm not able to immediately dispell it. He only needs time. Eventually, the curse's effects will disappear."
"And coughing is one of these effects?"
"Yes, though it shouldn't get worse. There isn't much to it beyond that."
"What happens should the curse fail to be removed?"
"Nothing more than what Liu-shixiong is currently experiencing, although it will remain indefinitely."
The detailed explanation finally placates Yue Qingyuan, whose tense body relaxes in relief. Internally, Liu Qingge marvels at the misdirection. He never would have thought Mu Qingfang would use it on their sect leader, nor so effectively.
As if hearing his thoughts, Mu Qingfang gives him a stern look. "I also believe Liu-shixiong is long due another check-up to assess the curse's progression. If shixiong could please come with me to Qian Cao, that would be best."
With that, Mu Qingfang gives a bow to Yue Qingyuan, shoots Liu Qingge a warning look that dares him to not follow, then turns around to leave. Following his departure, Yue Qingyuan's gaze slides over to Liu Qingge, and he clasps a hand against Liu Qingge's shoulder.
"I'm glad you're fine," His eyes are impossibly soft. "Go ahead with Mu-shidi, let's talk another time."
The weight of Yue Qingyuan's strong, steady hand against his shoulder makes Liu Qingge's breath catch. There are no petals in his throat, this time.
"I told you I'd be careful next time," Liu Qingge answers finally, a small smile of his own rising unbidden on his face. There's a small bud of guilt in his throat, but he's not lying; he did make sure to be careful. What happened was just an unfortunate accident.
When Liu Qingge turns to follow after Mu Qingfang, he catches sight of Shen Qingqiu's venomous glare from the other side of the room.
All the inexplicable warmth that's filled his body leaves in an instant.
"Well," Liu Qingge starts. He's standing in the middle of an examination room in Qian Cao and trying very hard not to fidget.
Mu Qingfang is distinctly unimpressed.
He waits for a few moments to see if Liu Qingge would say anything else, but when that proves to be a fruitless effort, Mu Qingfang decides to spare both of them the wasted time.
"Well, Liu-shixiong. Will you lend me your wrist and allow me to check your condition?" he asks primly. Liu Qingge wordlessly raises an arm, the inside of his wrist facing upward.
"Thank you," Mu Qingfang says, then touches his fingers to the veins. As expected, the curse is still in active effect, but no worse than it should be. The roots have buried themselves in the lungs but are in no danger of suffocating the afflicted to death, and the petals are growing into flowers but without thorny stems. He tells Liu Qingge as such, who looks miffed at the information.
"You're telling me that the curse is supposed to eventually tear my throat out and suffocate me to death?" His voice has not a single hint of fear in it.
"No," Mu Qingfang replies blandly. "I'm telling you the exact opposite. What I mean to say is that the curse is proceeding exactly as it should, given that the afflicted has not yet met its requirements for the cure. It hasn't developed unnaturalities. Which Liu-shixiong would have understood had he stayed here to listen to me explain the curse's effects in detail."
Liu Qingge looks slightly abashed. Good, because Mu Qingfang is not happy about his patient running off in the middle of a diagnosis and avoiding him for weeks.
"Now that we've finally found the time to discuss this matter," Mu Qingfang says, dangerously polite, "Would you like to listen?"
When Shen Qingqiu caught him coughing before, on the way back from Qiong Ding, Liu Qingge had brushed him off. Now, he realizes that perhaps he shouldn't have underestimated the other man's pride. And his spite.
In front of him, Shen Qingqiu holds the illustration of a very familiar flower in hand.
"Recognize it, shidi?" he asks icily. The look on his face says that he doesn't need an answer.
This is one of the reasons why Liu Qingge doesn't want to tell Yue Qingyuan how he feels.
"What are you doing here?" Liu Qingge demands.
Shen Qingqiu's gaze is piercing. He ignores the question—how could he have gotten this far into Bai Zhan to ambush him without Liu Qingge knowing?—and asks, "You're not planning to tell him, are you?"
Liu Qingge can't even tell him that it's none of business. He doesn't want to think about this man telling Yue Qingyuan. He grits his teeth. "It doesn't matter whether I tell him or not." It's not like he's at risk of suffering any more than a cough from this illness.
"You'll just give up like that, then? I never took you for a loser."
"And I never took you for someone who likes to share."
The haughty look on Shen Qingqiu's face doesn't waver. Impossibly, it grows ever so slightly.
"That I don't," he says, and turns around to leave.
Absolutely infuriating.
Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan may not be cultivation partners, but everyone knows that it's bound to happen soon. Ever since the two of them went from not lasting more than a few sentences in each other's presence to spending most of their time together, it was obvious that Yue Qingyuan would eventually start a formal courting process.
Liu Qingge won't say that he doesn't understand. Shen Qingqiu is no longer as unpleasant as he used to be, particularly when around Yue Qingyuan. He's intelligent, able to provide striking insights when needed, and his skill in the four arts is unmatched. Anyone with eyes will also admit that Shen Qingqiu is beautiful.
Liu Qingge abruptly has to cough into a hand, and he swipes at his mouth irritably.
He wasn't lying when he said that it doesn't matter. He's lived with his devotion for most of his life—ever since he and Yue Qingyuan were still disciples. He can continue as he always has, albeit now with an unshakeable cough every once in a while. It's not terrible.
Still, heartsickness comes as a surprise.
What comes as a bigger surprise is Yue Qingyuan inviting him for tea and, when he arrives at the sect leader's study, the sight of Shen Qingqiu sitting by the side, delicately holding a cup of tea in his hand.
Liu Qingge is instantly on guard. Yue Qingyuan doesn't miss this, giving him an apologetic smile as he explains, "Qingqiu-shidi and I forgot about the time; we're just finishing up. Would you like to sit down first?"
He obliges, taking a seat opposite Shen Qingqiu, whose lazily half-lidded eyes track his movement.
"I suppose it's time I take my leave," Shen Qingqiu says, but makes no move to stand up. An indulgent smile is all Yue Qingyuan gives in response to this.
Those half-lidded eyes blink once before they open fully, and Shen Qingqiu's gaze lingers on Liu Qingge. "Liu-shidi should have some of this tea. I've heard that it soothes the throat."
The room feels heated, buzzing with… tension? Anticipation? Could Shen Qingqiu be planning to use this as an opportunity to bait out the true conditions for the removal of the curse?
Mu Qingfang's careful misdirection from the last Peak Lord meeting hadn't used untruths. Liu Qingge will recover completely, given time to finally make the decision to confess. The problem lies with the fact that, with time, Liu Qingge has only grown resolute to not do it. And Shen Qingqiu knows this.
By his side, Yue Qingyuan pours him a cup of tea and hands it over. "I think Liu-shidi will also enjoy the taste."
Faced with Yue Qingyuan's warm and relaxed expression, Liu Qingge has no choice but to take the cup and drink. Shen Qingqiu was right; it does wonders to soothe his throat.
The pleased hum he lets out must be audible to the other two, who look satisfied.
"I'm glad that Liu-shidi likes it," Shen Qingqiu says as he stands up in one smooth motion. His cup is left discarded on the table. He turns towards Yue Qingyuan and bows. "I'll be returning to Qing Jing now, Yue-shixiong. Enjoy the rest of your day."
To Liu Qingge, he leaves a lingering, almost pleased look before he goes. With him goes the tension in the room.
As soon as the doors slide shut, Liu Qingge turns to Yue Qingyuan with a frown. He asks, "What was he doing here?"
The other man appears unperturbed by the sudden change in tone. "We were just discussing something Qingqiu-shidi found lately. It seems like it would make for a good mission, though somewhat dangerous. He was suggesting that I use it as an opportunity to get out of the sect for a while."
A rueful smile is on his face when he adds, "He's been telling me that I need a break. I can't say I disagree, but there was never an opportunity until recently."
What he means is that until recently, the sect's second in command was unlikely to take the news of Yue Qingyuan leaving to take on a mission himself particularly well. Now that the second in command himself is telling Yue Qingyuan to do it is quite the change.
"That sounds like a good idea," Liu Qingge nods. Yue Qingyuan works harder than anyone else in the sect. If anyone deserves to take a break, it would be him. Although… "How dangerous is the mission going to be?"
Yue Qingyuan chuckles lightly, hiding his mouth behind a sleeve. It’s a habit he only allows himself when in private and around people he's comfortable with. "Not that dangerous, by your standards."
Nonplussed, Liu Qingge asks, "Then can I come with you?"
The delight in Yue Qingyuan's eyes makes Liu Qingge's lower dantian hum with a thrilled elation. It would have made petals rise in his throat on any other occasion. He's glad for the forethought to drink Mu Qingfang's medicine before coming here.
"Of course Liu-shidi is welcome to come with me," His voice is warm, pleased. "It's been so long since we last went on a mission together."
"Years," Liu Qingge agrees.
Yue Qingyuan's smile gets just a bit brighter and wider when he teases, "One would hope that Liu-shidi hasn't forgotten how to trust my lead in favor of constantly worrying about my safety." He's alluding to the few times they've left the sect to attend a conference or to meet dignitaries. During those times, Liu Qingge always makes sure to keep by his sect leader's side, maintaining his vigilance in case there's an ambush waiting for them.
"I care for you," The words are said plainly. "Of course I'll worry."
Yue Qingyuan's eyes widen briefly before curving upward, an undecipherable emotion swimming in them. Fondness, perhaps. Something else too.
"And I, you," he answers. Before Liu Qingge can reply to that, he adds, "Which only means that we'll have to take care of ourselves for each other, doesn't it?"
Liu Qingge’s elation is a warm glow that stays in his body for the rest of the day.
After, when Liu Qingge goes to Qian Cao for his routine check up, Mu Qingfang raises his eyebrows in surprise before declaring, "Congratulations, Liu-shixiong. The curse has been removed."
"What?" a frown is on Liu Qingge's face as he speaks.
"The curse is no longer in your body, Liu-shixiong. That means that you must have fulfilled its conditions for the cure."
If possible, Liu Qingge looks even more confused. "How is that possible, I never—oh."
Mu Qingfang hums. "I assume you didn't do it intentionally."
"I didn't even mean it that way. As a confession."
"But it must have been enough of one to count," Mu Qingfang says, amused. Liu Qingge's responding glare is quick and sharp.
With a huff of laughter, Mu Qingfang says, "Be that as it may, now that Liu-shixiong is free of the curse, you no longer need to take the medication I prescribed. I'd like for you to return in a week's time to see if it relapses, though that's highly unlikely and, to my knowledge, only possible when… Well, I doubt it's applicable to you."
A few days later, Liu Qingge comes across Shen Qingqiu while on the way to Qiong Ding, the other man about to leave.
"Coming to see zhangmen-shixiong, Liu-shidi?" Shen Qingqiu asks, a fan lightly fluttering in front of his face.
Liu Qingge grunts in affirmative. One thing that changed about Shen Qingqiu since his relationship with Yue Qingyuan improved is that he's gotten more conversational since. Not that his reticence to speak ever stopped him from being snide.
Shen Qingqiu's eyes look him over. "He says that you've recovered from your… illness. And that you'll be going on a mission together."
He doesn't seem the least bit upset about it, but Liu Qingge still tenses.
"Perhaps I should join the two of you," Shen Qingqiu muses, absently enough for it to be an affectation, "Wei-shidi should be able to hold the fort for a few days."
"What."
Shen Qingqiu only moves to hide the lower half of his face behind his fan, a curious look in his eyes, and says nothing more.
"Ah," Mu Qingfang sighs a week later.
Liu Qingge stills. "What is it?"
"Liu-shixiong… did you encounter the flower again on your latest trip?”
Liu Qingge’s eyes widen in alarm. "No, the place we went to wasn't even near anywhere it could have grown."
Mu Qingfang's expression is long-suffering when he says, "The curse has returned, so if it's not another encounter with the plant, then it must be…"
Eyes suddenly a little shifty, Liu Qingge asks again, "What is it?"
Mu Qingfang heaves a breath, then—
"Aside from the previous target of the curse, is Liu-shixiong attracted to another person? The attraction must have been present when you were previously cursed and has persisted since."
Liu Qingge splutters unattractively. "What do you mean attracted to another person—"