Chapter Text
"Wu-shidi, what is the meaning of this?"
"Ah, Shang-shixiong, it's the 20th year anniversary of our ascension as peak lords. It's not celebratory if there's no wine isn't it?" said the Zui Xian Peak Lord as a disciple poured him a drink and left to attend to the others.
Shang Qinghua cried internally, 'What I meant to ask is why are your disciples bringing in so many jars?! Are you having us all get wasted here???'
Catching the slur in his speech, Qi Qingqi raised an eyebrow, "It seems like you already started celebrating before coming here".
Shen Qingqiu didn't pay them any mind as he took a sip. What he expected to be a bitter drink turned out to be surprisingly sweet and flowery with a hint of sourness.
"This master didn't expect Wu-shidi to bring a rather sweet wine for an occasion such as this". Really, with how often he gets drunk and the few unfortunate encounters Shen Qingqiu had with the man wherein he accidentally inhaled near him and smelled the foul odor of alcohol from his person, he had thought the always drunk peak lord would distribute strong bitter wine as always.
Like he had back then when they were hosting a feast for an alliance with the three major sects. Shen Qingqiu only drank one cup to be polite and decided it tastes as bad as Mu Qingfang's concoctions. He doesn't understand why these people are into bitter wine.
Qi Qingqi scoffed, "What? Is it too childish for a lofty man such as yourself? Not that I'd expect you to show any gratitude".
Contrary to the peak lady's belief, Shen Qingqiu doesn't mind the taste, likes it even. He discovered he has a sweet tooth the day a young master accidentally dropped his tanghulu and his Qi-ge picked it up and removed as much dirt as he could for him and Xiao Jiu to eat. It also reminded him of when Qiu Haitang used to indulge him with sweets and petting his head as he eats them knowing how much he likes them.
"It's a new recipe my peak has been experimenting on. We used the Pure Spring Lotus as its main ingridient alongside the dew of a morning rose as the liquid base to highlight the sweetness and its medicinal property, does shixiong like it?"
"It is adequate"
–
adequate my ass
"Shidiii~~~" Shen Qingqiu pinches Shang Qinghua's cheeks so hard that it hurts.
"Sh-Shi- Shixiong???!?!?"
No one expected Shen Qingqiu to have such a low tolerance when it comes to drinking wine. His face flushed only after the second drink and did a one-eighty shift in demeanor after the fifth. The aloof Qing Jing peak lord is now on his Shang-shidi's lap, looking at him with stars in his eyes as if Shang Qinghua is the most wonderful person to ever exist.
"You look like a hamster, are you a hamster? You know, a hamster once tried to eat me, it was so big, but you're not, why aren't you big?" Shen Qingqiu babbles nonsense as he pokes his face like he's a kid and Shang Qinghua is a mascot.
Shen Qingqiu thinks that his Shang-shidi is cute with his squishy cheeks that he can't help but bite.
what the fuck???!? Shen-shixiong, that beast you are talking about might be edible but I am definitely not! I'm certain I wouldn't taste well! (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ)
The rest of the Peak Lords shoots Shang Qinghua envious looks, almost as if they want to be in his place. Shang Qinghua never wanted any of this for himself okay?!
As if a dam has broken, everyone began to smother Shen Qingqiu with their attention. The latter felt overwhelmed and hid his face on his shidi's neck. Fueling the intensity of their jealousy and the pressure in Shang Qinghua's pants.
The situation is not unlike a child hiding behind his mother to avoid getting his cheeks pinched by his relatives.
"Everyone stop, can't you all see he's uncomfortable? Back away a little from him please." Mu Qingfang reasoned.
"As if you also don't want to cuddle Shen-shixiong, you don't have to pretend" someone started.
"Sure, but we also need to think about his well-being. He's a peak lord, not some furniture on hot sale, so we ought to give him some respect even if he is intoxicated. Especially since the rest of us are still sober and therefore can be rational".
As Mu Qingfang argued with his martial siblings, Shen Qingqiu slipped away from Shang Qinghua's lap and onto Liu Qingge's.
"Y-You–!"
Shen Qingqiu puts a finger to his lips, shushing him, "You're so pretty, why do you always ruin it with that look?".
You're prettier
Liu Qingge's face flustered. The alcohol must be getting into him, yeah that must be it.
He then proceeds to 'fix' Liu Qingge's expression with his fingers. He pulls his eyebrow upwards and his cheeks in an attempt to mimic a smile. Satisfied, he plays with his beauty mark under his left eye and smiles.
Shen Qingqiu is smiling.The person he'd have always hated is smiling at him and he just realized how attractive his shixiong really is.
Liu Qingge continues to redden.
"Shen Qingqiu you–! Sh-Shameless!!" At this exclamation, Liu Qingge pushed the drunk peak lord off him, which turned out to be a very bad move as said peak lord's eyes seemed to glisten as if about to cry.
Everyone glared at Liu Qingge who ran away to take care of a certain Liu junior (through fighting, it is he after all) that demanded attention after a beautiful person landed on it.
It felt weird seeing the face that always wore a scowl have its features softened into a childlike expression. It made something inside of them want to protect this white lotus shixiong against all harm.
"That's it, I'm gonna kill Liu Qingge", It was all Wei Qingwei had said before he dashed outside, heading towards Bai Zhan Peak.
Yue Qingyuan, seeing his beloved shidi upset, twisted something in his heart. His Xiao Jiu can be as angry as he wants, but a dejected Xiao Jiu is simply unacceptable.
He vows to give Liu Qingge a beating some time later, he's always itching for a fight anyway.
"Ah. Xiao Jiu, I'm sure Liu-shidi didn't mean to do that, Qi-ge is here so it's alright now" he patted his lap. At his words, Shen Jiu immediately placed himself in his Qi-ge's arms.
"You're Qi-ge?"
"Yes"
"Qi-ge?"
"mn"
"Qi-ge! Qi-ge!"
"Yes, Xiao Jiu?"
Yue Qingyuan gave Shen Jiu a pat on his head as he giggled, he is not entirely ready yet for the amount of cuteness his Xiao-Jiu is displaying.
And Xiao Jiu just had to press his head onto his palm, asking for more. Who was Yue Qi to deny?
The other peak lords, seeing this, could not stand to only watch.
"Not fair, I want to pet Shen-shixiong too!"
"Zhangmen-shixiong can I–?"
"Oh gods, this is heaven" one peak lord already had his hands petting on the Qing Jing Peak lord's head, then everyone followed suit. Shen Qingqiu didn't seem to mind, instead he revels in the attention given to him. The catlike peak lord likely would have started purring if he could. He laid his head on his Qi-ge's shoulder and thought this isn't so bad at all.
Suddenly aware of the other people in the room, Yue Qingyuan felt an urge to hide Xiao Jiu from their gazes. They don't deserve to be near him! But then again, Xiao Jiu seems content with it, and his shidis never really gave him any positive attention before now, so he left it at that.
He only gave them a few moments before standing up, carrying Shen Qingqiu in his arms. He decided he wants to be the only one to dote on his shidi.
"That's enough. Shen-shidi has to go now. You all can continue by yourselves, now excuse us."
Some of the peak lords made a protest but cowed when their sect leader's gaze landed on them.
Shen Qingqiu's grab at his robe tightened, "Qi-ge is going somewhere? Where? Wanna come. Don't leave Xiao-Jiu" it tugged something in Yue Qingyuan's heart and knows it is guilt. He's had it for decades now. He is guilty of leaving this precious man in the jaws of the monsters. Breaking a promise and in turn breaking him.
Xiao Jiu has always been a sweet child, at least towards him. He could be all vicious in a fight against the other street kids for begging spots and turn into a docile child in front of Yue Qi asking for pets and praises. He decided he had to mask his Xiao Jiu with dirt on his face lest the rich people notice him and take him away with impure intentions.
"You're coming with me silly, we're going home".
"Home? We have home?"
"Yes, you've put quite a lot of things in there"
"Really? Even milk candies?"
"Does Xiao Jiu want me to buy him some?"
"... No, too expensive. I just need Qi-ge"
"Your Qi-ge can afford it now, I'm a sect leader, remember?"
"For real? As expected, Qi-ge really is awesome!"
–
Yue Qingyuan laid Shen Qingqiu on his bed in the bamboo house. He was about to leave when a hand weakly grabbed at the hem of his robe.
"Don't leave Xiao Jiu, you promised. Sleep together"
He doesn't want to leave, but he's afraid when he sobers, the man won't appreciate it if he finds out Yue Qingyuan slept beside him.
"Please"
"Alright" Shen Qingqiu cheered at that.
Yue Qingyuan laid beside him on the bed and Shen Qingqiu immediately used him as his body pillow. He placed his Qi-ge's hand on his head, urging him to pet him. At the hands petting him and his Qi-ge's scent, Shen Qingqiu was lulled to sleep.
Yue Qingyuan was wide awake the entire night, drinking in the sight of his Xiao Jiu peacefully sleeping.