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It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Yan Wushi to flirt—although what he did was less flirting and more a cat tormenting a mouse. Flirting was often a means to an end for him, personal or political, but usually he played with people simply to amuse himself.
So Bian Yanmei didn’t raise an eyebrow when Sect Leader Yan began toying with Shen Qiao. The game dragged on longer than expected, but Bian Yanmei supposed the powerful, upright, easily embarrassed Daoist made for a particularly fun plaything.
Much more surprising was the fact that Shen Qiao put up with it. His body was healed and his cultivation was higher than ever. He didn’t need Sect Leader Yan for anything anymore, but still he stuck around. He left and came back. For whatever reason, he seemed to enjoy spending time with the master of the leading demonic sect.
—
When Bian Yanmei returned to the manor from a mission, a servant informed him that “they” were in the study. Shidi must be out of isolation, he thought as he went to pay his respects to his sect leader.
He knocked—knocking was one of many things Sect Leader Yan demanded others do but never did himself—and entered the room preparing to bow.
Then he looked up. And had no idea what he was looking at.
Sect Leader Yan was stretched out on top of Shidi? his brain asked, but no. Yu Shengyan was so melodramatic he only wore black, but this person was wearing white.
The white of a Daoist.
It was Shen Qiao. Pure, unimpeachable Shen Qiao.
Sect Leader Yan clasped Shen Qiao’s wrist in one hand while with his other hand he unwrapped Shen Qiao’s robes. He started kissing and nipping his way down Shen Qiao’s bare chest. Shen Qiao squirmed beneath him.
Bian Yanmei paused. He’d never known Sect Leader Yan to take advantage of his toys like this.
Except… Shen Qiao was one of the strongest martial artists in the world. Unless Sect Leader Yan had closed his acupoints—and it didn’t seem like he had—then Shen Qiao had the strength to break free from his grasp.
Abruptly, Sect Leader Yan tugged Shen Qiao closer to him. He released him to run his hand along his exposed waist and thigh and lift his leg over Yan Wushi’s shoulder, before once again gripping his wrist and pinning it to the cushions. He leaned in to bite Shen Qiao’s neck. Shen Qiao let out a little gasp of pain then let his head fall to the side to allow Yan Wushi full access to his throat.
He really wasn’t immobilized, then. He wasn’t being taken advantage of.
Bian Yanmei should leave.
Before Bian Yanmei could retreat, though, Shen Qiao opened his eyes and looked right at him. His eyes went wide, his face went red, and he turned to whisper in Sect Leader Yan’s ear.
”Yan Wushi, Yan-lang, your disciple!” Shen Qiao hissed.
Bian Yanmei sincerely wished he hadn’t heard that.
“Mmm,” Sect Leader Yan hummed. Shamelessly, he sucked on Shen Qiao’s collarbone. Shen Qiao leaned toward him to muffle a moan in his broad shoulder. “I’ll hear your report later, Bian Yanmei. You can go.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He bowed—he’d hear about it if he didn’t—and backed gladly out of the room.
Safely back in his rooms, he took a moment to process what he’d seen. Sect Leader Yan wasn’t just playing with Shen Qiao? And Shen Qiao actually let him… do that? If Shen Qiao hadn’t called him Yan-Lang, Bian Yanmei would assume it was an isolated incident, but that term of endearment suggested intimacy.
—
That evening, Sect Leader Yan summoned him to his study. Bian Yanmei was loath to step foot in that room again so soon, but he went anyway. He knocked, entered, bowed, tried to avoid Yan Wushi's gaze, thanked the heavens that Shen Qiao was nowhere in sight.
Oh, no, there he was coming in from the gardens.
At least he was clothed this time.
The Daoist faltered when he spotted Bian Yanmei, but nodded politely, face flushed, as he passed through the room to the hall.
“Oh! A-Qiao! A-Qiao!” Sect Leader Yan called after him.
A-Qiao? First Yan-lang, now A-Qiao?
Bian Yanmei shuddered. As much as he never wanted to hear those pet names ever again, something told him he'd hear them a lot more going forward.
Shidi was truly lucky he was in isolation.