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After Bing-ge left, Shen Mei really thought that was the end of it. Though she’d done her best to be really, very nice to him—to protect him, her brother, and their very own Luo Bingmei—she still ultimately rejected all of his advances and his offer to take her with him. He probably didn’t know how to handle that; she sighed. Silly, bruised ego boys. Yet, she couldn’t help feeling a little guilty about the ordeal. ‘Please don’t fight… I don’t want you to fight. I promise I won’t let them bully you, okay?’ Those and other such sentimental phrases circled her brain from time to time, remembering how poor Shen Qingqiu’s face distorted at the sight of Ning Yingying—no, his very own transmigrated little sister—clinging to Luo Bing-ge for all she was worth.
She hoped, maybe, that Bing-ge’s wives could offer some sort of comfort. Even if they were more slapdash cardboard cutouts than they were fully three-dimensional people, surely they really loved him, right? And who knows, maybe things weren't quite as bad as Airplane’s lackluster romances made them out to be. Well, whatever the truth was, there wasn’t much Ning Yingying could do. Their Xin Mo wasn’t in any state to tear the boundary between worlds open—assuming it hadn’t already been destroyed by now. As for someone with powers like Mobei-Jun? No matter how OP, somehow Shen Mei couldn’t help assuming that his dimensional travel abilities weren’t that powerful. Not enough to cross through into an alternate PIDW. As if he had any reason to try!
Ah well, ah well. There was no sense worrying herself about it. She tried convincing herself... Bing-ge really was dangerous, maybe even a little unstable, and she’d gotten extremely lucky that her Protective Little Sister routine worked on him. Somehow.
Yet, falling softly onto the cool, late-evening mountainside, the one known by many as Ning Yingying was soon startled out of her reverie by a rather timely encroaching shadow. She propped herself up onto her elbows, watching the familiar shadow dwarf hers and then eventually settle down next to her—the figure in her periphery oddly serene. She sat up fully, breath stilled as to not disturb the imaginary tension, bamboo leaves rustling underhand. Whatever her expression was, his was pleasant enough, nonreactive to her surprise and gentle start. She awkwardly hemmed with half a smile crinkling her still rather girlish face.
“Ah.. Luo-shixiong,” Shen Mei said, tentative but friendly.
She'd forgotten Ning Yingying had seniority.
“Yingying,” Luo Bing-ge greeted, reaching over to presumptuously gather and hold the hand that she’d so delicately pulled to her chest. Her heart fluttered, and she’d no doubt that Bing-ge could tell. Well, let him think what he will of it. “You have not called me that in some time.”
Bing-ge didn't mind.
“You mean the other me,” she corrected lightly, allowing his touch for now. Drawing in a breath, Shen Mei collected herself. Nothing bad happened last time. Nothing bad would happen this time, and she wasn’t really unhappy to see him, anyway. “—and, please, call me Shimei. I feel awkward when you don’t. Or at least… Mei Mei?”
“When did you return?” Shen Mei asked, shifting in his grasp so they could at least hold hands properly. Squish. “Why.. did you return?”
“Mei Mei…” Luo Bing-ge acquiesced thoughtfully. His eyes glinted ominously bright in the oncoming moonlight, though his words were nothing less than amicable in delivery. Their hands entwined, he edged closer. “Are you displeased that I have? I’ve only come to see you.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, A-Luo. It’s rude.” That’s what the real Ning Yingying liked to call him once, right? Fuck if she could actually remember at this point! Ah, she really hoped no one else wanted to come looking for her right this moment. After all, Shen Mei could never really be sure if Ming Fan had given up on her or not, but he would be an especially awful addition to their cute, little soiree among the bamboo. Not to mention her brother. Or Bingmei. Or Liu Qingge. Anyone, actually. Just about anyone. Then again, neither Shen Qingqiu nor his husband were even on Qing Jing Peak right now, so they had that going for them…?
“Then you’re pleased?” Bing-ge tried again.
“I’m surprised.” Shen Mei wrestled up the courage to pout, correcting a third time. “A-Luo has so many beautiful wives already. I didn’t think little ol’ me would be so memorable.”
Or was it the allure of what one couldn’t have? She’d rejected him. That had to be something of a first, right? Not only had she rejected him, but on multiple occasions! All very gently, mind. Simply, well, not only would Shen Qingqiu have a conniption, not only would she feel awkward technically sharing a significant other with her brother (even if a different version)... Shen Mei preferred girls. She preferred girls, and Luo Bing-ge—the stallion to end all stallions—was definitely not a girl. Pretty sure. And while she recalled vaguely some minor subplot about Bing-ge tricking a male rival into consuming a sex-altering flower?
Bing-ge would never do that to himself, right? Even if she was actually interested! Even if that was at all a good idea! Which it definitely wasn’t, no matter how badly Bing-ge might (possibly) want her! Bing-ge had a cock that towered towards the heavens; it was his pride as a stallion, and that certain part of him perhaps frightened her the most. So big… How did any of his wives even fit such a monster? But that was—that was off-topic, no matter how permanently the information haunted a sliver of her consciousness.
Regardless of her internal monologuing, Luo Bing-ge held Shen Mei’s hand up to his lips for what she supposed was meant to be a very gentlemanly kiss. To his surprise, surreptitiously glancing up for a reaction, Shen Mei didn’t object this time. Though, her brow wrinkled a little. Conflicted. He then said with such nonchalance that it sent a shiver down her spine, “I’ve done away with most of them. They no longer hold my interest, and it would be cruel to pretend.”
For what it was worth, his ex-wives had been treated fairly—or, perhaps, fairly by his standards. There was no sense in anything more, seeing as they’d not truly wronged him in any way. They were told to leave and that was that. Afterwards, his palace had never felt any more like an empty, loveless husk of a thing, but that only served to make him all the more determined to return to that other world… such was his desire, his obsession. Love him.
“Oh. You mean you sent them home?” Shen Mei asked politely. It wasn’t hard to guess what she was actually asking. “Isn’t that troublesome for you? Then again, I suppose you are Luo Binghe… their families wouldn’t dare make a fuss.”
“Indeed they wouldn’t.” Emboldened by her lack of denial, he pretended not to understand the implication, drawing close enough to her that she felt warmth radiating from him clearly. “Mei Mei really is beautiful under the moonlight. Won’t you indulge me this once? If you still object after, I promise to never bother you again.”
“You’re not bothering me,” Shen Mei chirped, squeezing the hand still holding hers. Ahh, such sweet words wasted on a girl like her! Of course, though she sympathised, she knew that a better part of Luo Bing-ge’s modus operandi was sweet on the outside yet the devil within. Still, twisting to better face him, that did not stop her from gently guiding her free hand down his cheek—brushing away his bangs with such bittersweet affection that his flirtatious facade cracked. Her smile was apologetic. “But A-Luo, I didn’t tell you last time, because I was too embarrassed… I like girls , A-Luo. Your–”
He cleared her throat, both feigning and experiencing true bashfulness. “I’m sure you’re very impressive, but you’re really, really asking the wrong girl.”
In an instant, Shen Mei saw in full-detail the range of fury, disappointment, and disbelief that flashed across Luo Bing-ge’s countenance; it contorted his features this way and that, rendering him speechless for a long while. She held her breath. He released her hand. Then, with the sort of intense conviction that can only be born from denial, he yanked her forward, catching her lips in a crushing kiss. He refused. No. He’d done everything else right. She even looked to him fondly. Not the other one! Not Bingmei! There had to be some— Shen Mei dug her fingers into his hair, pulling lightly in the world’s weakest attempt to stop an unwanted kiss.
Oh, poor Bing-ge…
But poor her most of all!! It wasn’t like rejecting him was fun!
Still, she rode out the kiss, nearly biting him when it outlived her patience. Yet, she maintained composure, barely, her heart pounding wildly. With fear, with heartbreak. Childishly, she wiped her lips when he finally dismounted, summoning up her courage to stay put despite all reasons screaming at her not to. It wasn’t like she could run very far, anyway. This was the protagonist, even if it wasn’t technically theirs. She was slower, weaker by default. Yet, mostly, she didn’t want to run for his sake. How could a man be so frightening yet so pitiful at the same time? After a long, searching moment, she rewarded his desperation with a few words.
“A-Luo.” She scolded first, then softening: “Please don’t hurt yourself anymore, okay? We can still be friends. If— if kissing is what you want, maybe I’ll even let you do that. But that’s only if you ask nicely next time. I’m mad right now.”
Shen Mei tried to look angry, but it mostly came off as a pout.
“Please go away for now. I need to think.”