Work Text:
It’s a fairly normal day for the Qing Jing Peak Lord.
Grading papers and teaching swordplay, petting sticky disciples and flipping through the tomes of Qing Jing’s library… He idly plucks out the tune of a pop song from his previous life, and reflects. It’s been normal. Well actually, it’s been mostly normal. The only thing that’s been missing is a certain shidi.
Shen Qingqiu glances to the door, but it doesn’t get kicked down with a resounding bang. There is no war god outside, waiting with a bloodied corpse and a smug, cat-like grin on his face. There is no Bai Zhan Peak Lord to cleanse his meridians with a grunt, and no shidi to return his fans to him with that tsundere charm.
Liu Qingge left a while ago on a mission.
The day is just a touch more boring, without Liu Qingge here. Shen Qingqiu never realized how much his stony-faced shidi brought to his life before. There have been times when Shen Qingqiu talks out loud, expecting to hear that little “mn” in response to his fantastical stories. He thoughtlessly extends his hand to tug on familiar blue sleeves, only to realize there’s nothing but air. He’s served tea for two an embarrassing amount of times, thoughtlessly rambling about how Liu-shidi should enjoy this one for once, and turning around to see that Liu-shidi isn’t there at all.
It’s… It’s unsettling. Shen Qingqiu sighs, and heads to his room to take a quick power nap. Nothing wrong with doing that— the Qing Jing Peak Lord deserves to nap! He’s always working, and the call of his soft quilt and comfy pillows is incredibly tempting. So with his resolve strengthened, he heads back into his room.
He blinks. Once, then twice. And just to be sure, he rubs his eyes and blinks rapidly to clear his vision.
“System?” Shen Qingqiu calls mentally. “What is this?”
[Congratulations!! Congratulations!! Congratulations!! Good things must be said three times!! o(*≧▽≦)ツ Host has been given a reward (°ロ°) !] The System happily chirps. Shen Qingqiu carefully approaches the bed, and sits down next to the ‘reward.’ [Reward: Xiao Liu obtained!!]
“Oh hell,” Shen Qingqiu breathes out softly. There’s no denying it now. He picks up the doll gently, lacing his fingers underneath the armpits and lifting it high. He stares into Xiao Liu’s embroidered eyes.
The face of an adorable plush Liu Qingge stares right back.
Xiao Liu is dressed in an exact replica of Liu Qingge’s own robes, a tiny Cheng Luan attached to his body. It’s truly unfair how this tiny little doll, based off of the Bai Zhan Peak Lord— the second male lead of Proud Immortal Demon’s Way— is… is…
“So cute,” Shen Qingqiu coos.
Xiao Liu… is really too cute!!! He could never say this about the actual Bai Zhan War God, but Xiao Liu is so cute! Liu Qingge’s usual gap moe is accentuated in this tiny plushie— the little stitched frown, the pink blush on his cheeks, the sharp phoenix eyes and the stitched beauty mark under his left eye! The clothes look so much different— instead of on that muscular frame, the doll is quite chubby. As a result, the Bai Zhan robes on the doll don’t look as intimidating as they usually do. His hair feels like soft mink, and Shen Qingqiu indulges himself by lightly brushing his fingers on the fabric of the ponytail over and over, before moving forward and stroking the fabric bang framing that chubby face. He twirls it between his fingers like how he’s always wanted to do with Liu Qingge’s actual hair. Xiao Liu's got a little hair crown on too, and Shen Qingqiu nearly melts at how little and adorable it is.
This is probably the best thing that the System has ever given him!
[(♡≧ 𓎺 ≦)=ъ ♡]
With his previous goal of a nap completely forgotten, Shen Qingqiu holds Xiao Liu close to him and rolls onto his bed, holding him high high up. The completely unamused face of Xiao Liu stares back at him. Shen Qingqiu tries not to coo, he really really tries. But the more he looks at Xiao Liu, the more the words want to spill out. He just can’t hold back when he feels like he’s about to lose his mind over it. And no one is around; this is Shen Qingqiu, in his private residence, where the only person who would burst into his home is currently gone. The sting of his missing Liu-shidi is quickly forgotten though, as he plays with Xiao Liu a bit.
“Xiao Liuuu,” Shen Qingqiu calls. He brings the plush close to his face, and moves a hand to cup the doll’s face, before squeezing gently. “Xiao Liu is so handsome!”
He kisses the little hands, overwhelmed by how cute it all is.
If anyone saw him like this, Shen Qingqiu thinks he might just melt into the floor. It’s embarrassing enough how he’s acting like his teenage sister, but especially since this plushie is obviously modeled after Liu Qingge!
Shen Qingqiu jolts at that thought.
Wait a minute. Isn’t this a little weird? Do people normally have plushies of their friends? Is it weird that Shen Qingqiu is cooing and praising this random plushie, kissing its hands, especially when he would never do this to Liu Qingge? He lays Xiao Liu down on his chest, and quickly thinks.
…It can’t be that weird. People buy plushies of their favorite characters and actors. Shen Qingqiu has hazy memories of his sister’s room plastered in different idols, little acrylic shakers and standees, charms, and even little plushies from live shows. That’s right— it’s completely normal! Liu Qingge is probably incredibly popular too; it would be weirder if he didn’t have fan merch in this world!
With such flimsy strong logic, Shen Qingqiu goes right back to his adoration of Xiao Liu. The initial high has worn off already, but there’s no denying just how cute Xiao Liu is.
He messes with Xiao Liu’s little clothes, fussing with the tiny ties and buttons. He readjusts Cheng Luan on his hip, plays with the little hair crown. The robes have come slightly loose, so he ties them with a strong feeling of… Of something. Affection, maybe parental affection even? He just feels such a strong urge to cuddle Xiao Liu, to make adorable little clothes and maybe even knit little monsters for him to defeat with Cheng Luan!
“Bro. Is that who I think it is?” Shang Qinghua looks at him, completely baffled. “How did you even get that?”
“This is Xiao Liu, and you would do well to remember his name,” Shen Qingqiu haughtily replies. The effect is somewhat lost by the fact that Xiao Liu is currently surrounded by several knitted dragon plushies, with a tiny Cheng Luan stabbed through one of their backs. “He’s currently defeating a horde of Fire Breathing Scaled Dragons, which are literally just European dragons!”
Shen Qingqiu glares at Shang Qinghua, who just ignores him and plops down next to the table. Shang Qinghua nudges him, which is almost enough to make Shen Qingqiu begin ranting at him— almost. Xiao Liu has really calmed his temper, and he huffs.
“... I found him on my bed,” Shen Qingqiu says after a brief silence. Technically, it's a reward from the System, but Shang Qinghua would probably pester him about how he could get one of Mobei Jun. That hamster’s blind worship of the ice demon has always been a little strange, but the man himself has always been strange too.
“Woah,” Shang Qinghua breathes out, before frowning. “Isn't it a little… you know?”
He waves his hands around wildly, almost knocking over a dragon plushie. Shen Qingqiu frowns— what the hell is that supposed to mean?
“It’s a little too cute! Liu Qingge isn't cute, he’s scary!”
“He is not! Just because you're afraid of him doesn't mean he's scary. Liu-shidi is just awkward, you hack! Besides, this is Xiao Liu. He’s perfect just the way he is.”
“... I… I guess so?” Shang Qinghua has a strange look on his face, but he picks up Xiao Liu awkwardly, as if he’s afraid of it. Just as quickly, he yelps and nearly drops the plush face first. Shen Qingqiu swears, catching Xiao Liu just before he can collide with the table. “Agh, what the hell?!”
“Watch it! You could’ve hurt him,” Shen Qingqiu scolds. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?! What’s wrong with that plushie?!” Shang Qinghua nearly shrieks, backing away with an all too familiar fear in his eyes. “It burnt my hand!”
“Xiao Liu is a plush toy. He would never do that,” Shen Qingqiu says. Seriously, Shang Qinghua is really too dramatic sometimes… He sighs and carefully holds Xiao Liu up. “Right Xiao Liu?”
Xiao Liu, of course, responds with nothing.
“Ugh, nevermind! But actually, I wanted to ask you… Do you know when Liu Qingge will be back?”
“What? Why would I know?”
“Well, uh… I mean, aren’t you— you know, aren’t you like, er—” Shang Qinghua pathetically scrambles for words, and Shen Qingqiu pins him with a glare. “Aren’t you, like, dating him?”
“What?” Shen Qingqiu stares at Shang Qinghua, his face going red. “What? Wait, I— what made you think that?”
He unconsciously brings Xiao Liu closer to him, and snaps open his fan with his free hand, hiding his reddened cheeks.
There’s no way. There’s no way that he could be in love with Liu Qingge. Liu Qingge— his shidi, the Bai Zhan War God? Impossible! No, there’s no way that could be, because Shen Qingqiu’s straight! He likes women! He likes women, because there’s no way that he could like a man!
“Bro?” Shang Qinghua nervously calls. Shen Qingqiu doesn’t respond. “Bro… It’s okay to like Liu Qingge.”
“I don’t,” Shen Qingqiu snaps back, overwhelmed. He affixes a stony mask onto his face, before using a blast of wind qi to quite literally blow Shang Qinghua out of his house. “Leave, now!”
Shang Qinghua scatters, and Shen QIngqiu turns back to Xiao Liu. Somehow, Xiao Liu’s face looks different now, almost… Almost overwhelmed.
“Xiao Liu, I don’t lo– like! I don’t like Liu-shidi in that way.” Shen Qingqiu stutters, before he flutters his fan with a frenetic energy. “I can’t.”
Liu-shidi is straight too! Liu-shidi wouldn’t have feelings for the scum villain— it’s just plain ridiculous! The second male lead isn’t a cutsleeve! Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but the women in Proud Immortal Demon’s Way were supposed to be the peerless beauties. There are certainly good looking men in Proud Immortal Demon’s Way, of course, but the novel focused on the women for a reason!
“Liu-shidi wouldn’t love someone like me anyways,” Shen Qingqiu mutters. “The Bai Zhan War God, in love with a scum villain? Ridiculous! Ridiculous! Don’t you agree, Xiao Liu? Of course, Liu-shidi is far too handsome, far too talented to even look at this old man!”
Xiao Liu says nothing. Shen Qingqiu sighs, the weirdly nervous energy in his body disappearing just like that.
“That hack,” Shen Qingqiu mutters darkly. “Come, Xiao Liu.”
He gathers up the plushies, plucking Cheng Luan out of the back of one and gently resheathing it. The doll is weirdly detailed— from Cheng Luan’s sheath to the detailing on the hair crown, it really does look like an exact copy of Liu Qingge.
He sets Xiao Liu on his bed, and begins getting ready for bed. All of these stupid layers— so inconvenient! He really does like the xianxia aesthetic, but surely twelve layers is overkill? With a sigh, Shen Qingqiu unties his hair first and then slips off the first layer. There’s a strange sound from behind him and Shen Qingqiu whirls around, summoning Xiu Ya in one hand and pointing it out.
There’s nothing though— it’s only Xiao Liu, still sitting on his bed, facing away. Shen Qingqiu frowns. Didn’t he lay Xiao Liu down, facing towards him? Hm. He must have misremembered. Shen Qingqiu simply shrugs, before going back to the bed. This time, he tucks Xiao Liu in on one side, his little plush face facing outwards.
“You know, Xiao Liu, Liu-shidi would probably turn purple if he saw me undress! After all, I’m only skin and bones!” Shen Qingqiu jokes lightly. It’s true— Liu Qingge yelled at him for nearly a shichen when he answered the door without his shoes and socks on. He’s refused to even look at Shen Qingqiu when he barged in while Shen Qingqiu was still only halfway dressed. And that was with seven layers on. “Ah, this master is truly too ugly! If only I could be pleasing to look at!”
He continues to make little jokes like that as he undresses, layer after layer coming off. It’s kind of fun to make these jokes at his expense— after all, he actually is quite hard to look at, judging by Liu Qingge’s reactions to him! He fiddles with the button on his high collar, his fingers suddenly clumsy.
“... Xiao Liu, am I really that ugly?” Suddenly, his previous confidence is gone. “Liu-shidi… He doesn’t want to look at me sometimes. Is that… No. Nevermind. It was stupid anyways.”
It doesn’t really matter. He’s more than aware that Liu Qingge had quite the history with the original goods— it would be surprising if Liu Qingge simply decided to leave all of it in the past. Despite Shen Qingqiu’s best attempts to fix his relationships, it wasn’t always guaranteed. He might have considered Liu Qingge to be his friend, but it could have easily been a one-sided feeling.
Unnerved, Shen Qingqiu strips off the very last of his robes. He’s not completely naked, mind— he’s still got his pants on! He has some decency. He refolds his robes somewhat neatly, still curious about the sharp pain in his heart. Why should it matter that Liu Qingge thinks he’s ugly? Distracted, he pulls out some random sleep robes, before tugging it on somewhat sloppily and tying the belt in a simple knot.
It’s something he can sleep on, he decides. He lifts the heavy quilt up, and gets inside. He sighs as the soft cotton hits his skin, and he nearly melts into the bed. He makes a pleasured little sound at the feeling of his body sinking into the soft fluffiness, like a cloud cradling his body. His toes nearly curl under the sheets at the indescribable sensation.
“Xiao Liu,” he sighs out. He feels far too alone on this bed, and he likes to sleep with something in his arms. Xiao Liu just so happens to be the perfect companion right in this moment. He pulls Xiao Liu closer to him and closes his eyes. He presses a sleepy little kiss to the top of Xiao Liu’s head, and completely relaxes. “Good night.”
That night, he dreams of Xiao Liu stabbing knitted dragons with an intense ferocity, his little plush body dragging the ‘bodies’ to Shen Qingqiu’s pillow and his stitched face morphing into that cat-like satisfaction.
When Shen Qingqiu wakes up the next day, the little plush dragons surround his pillow.
Huh. That seems strange, but Shen Qingqiu can’t remember if he put them there last night or not. He very well could have. When he sits up, he notices Xiao Liu propped up against the bedframe, as if he was protecting Shen Qingqiu. But that’s ridiculous! Unless… Unless this is actually Liu Qingge?
“... Liu Qingge? Is that you?”
Xiao Liu offers no response. Shen Qingqiu nearly smacks himself— of course Xiao Liu wouldn’t understand. Liu Qingge is a living, breathing man. Xiao Liu is… Well, Xiao Liu is a stuffed toy! He might look like Liu-shidi, but he’s not the man himself! There’s no way for people to get turned into plushies, even if this is Proud Immortal Demon’s Way!
Shen Qingqiu reaches up to grab Xiao Liu, and cuddles into the soft fabric of the plush. He holds the doll close to him, just taking in the comfort from a beloved stuffed toy. He closes his eyes, before breathing in deep.
He did wake up rather early. He holds Xiao Liu close to him and whispers, “Xiao Liu, let’s go back to sleep…”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes flutter shut, and before he knows it, he’s back to sleep. His little nap isn't very long though— twenty minutes pass, and then he's suddenly woken up by some polite, but urgent knocks.
“Shizun!” Ning Yingying calls out. “Mu-shishu is here for meridian cleansing!”
Shen Qingqiu sighs, irritated, before he calls out in response, “Very well. This master will prepare. Allow your shishu in and serve tea.”
Shen Qingqiu hurriedly throws on his robes, quickly manipulating them to lay flat and look presentable. Luckily, he’s gotten used to doing this, so it doesn't take long for him to finish and glide out of his room with an air of unaffected elegance.
“Mu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu politely greets. He’s always held much respect for the poor overworked doctor. “This one is glad to see shidi in good health and mind.”
“En. If you’ll allow me?”
Shen Qingqiu compliantly holds out his wrist, and Mu Qingfang begins the cleansing process with no hesitation. Shen Qingqiu flutters his fan, and begins to get lost in thought. The doctor is neat and professional, with a clean stream of energy that unobtrusively clears out the stickiness of Without a Cure. Already, he can feel his qi begin to flow through his spirit veins, unobstructed.
But it doesn’t feel as good as Liu Qingge. Liu Qingge’s qi is familiar and soft; a controlled, but no less strong, flow that washes away the impurities in a comforting steady pulse. There had been a time once where Liu Qingge had lost his control over his qi, the unrestricted flow rushing into Shen Qingqiu's veins, a golden heady rush that made him drop his fan with a gasp. For some reason, the thought of anyone besides Liu Qingge doing that seems... wrong. Inappropriate, even.
Shen Qingqiu hides a small frown behind his fan as Mu Qingfang politely retracts his hand.The meridian cleansing is done, Mu Qingfang is a busy man. With a brief sound of acknowledgement, Mu Qingfang quickly leaves, no doubt off to go mix some more medicine or deal with the next pressing matter.
“Liu-shidi… I wonder where he is?” Shen Qingqiu fidgets. “Something’s wrong…”
Liu-shidi would never be so late. Liu-shidi would never miss a meridian cleansing and not let Shen Qingqiu know beforehand. Even with his frequent off-mountain trips, it doesn’t take this long. And wasn’t he just looking for those Crystal Wing Silk Moths? They’re fairly benign— it shouldn’t take this long to find them.
Liu Qingge is the Bai Zhan War God. There’s no way that some moths could overpower the man who’s slain a literal horde of high-level demons before. Shen Qingqiu bites his lip, a bad feeling sinking into his chest. He reaches into his sleeve for his fan and clutches it tight.
Something’s wrong. Something has to be wrong.
No, no, Liu Qingge is fine. He might have gotten distracted, might be on his way back at this very moment. Liu Qingge sometimes wanders off, lured in by the promise of a harder fight. He’s always been prone to roaming, always on the search for a true challenge. It’s fine. It’s fine, because Liu Qingge will always come back to, to—
To him, his brain echoes. Shen Qingqiu nearly slaps himself. He means to Cang Qiong! Liu Qingge will always return to Cang Qiong! Ugh, Liu-shidi leaves for just a while, and Shen Qingqiu’s already thinking such shameless things! Shen Qingqiu shakes his head, and gets up from his seat.
Another busy day for the Qing Jing Peak Lord.
Shen Qingqiu carefully undresses Xiao Liu. It’s only a plush doll, Shen Qingqiu rationalizes. It’s not weird to undress a tiny plush replica of his best friend. Either way, he carefully unties the little belt and slips off the little robes. He almost snorts as he gets all of the robes off— for some reason, he thought that Xiao Liu would be… Built.
(A memory comes to mind, then. Once, he had accidentally stumbled upon Liu Qingge cooling off after his workout. Standing underneath a waterfall, his dark hair still in that signature ponytail, slicked back and plastered to his strong shoulders, bared skin glistening with waterdrops. Shen Qingqiu had frozen in place when Liu Qingge’s muscled arms flexed, and even let out an undignified squeak when Liu Qingge twisted to face him, massive pectoral muscles and flawless abs on full display…)
Shen Qingqiu feels a little hot. But as he looks down at Xiao Liu, the heat fades. Xiao Liu obviously has no muscles. In fact, he’s rather chubby and cute. Shen Qingqiu smiles, before setting aside all of Xiao Liu’s clothes and redressing him in the new set.
He pulls on the little suit pants, buttons the white shirt, and carefully puts the suit jacket on Xiao Liu. As expected, Xiao Liu looks very cute in his Western clothes!
[-100 B-Points for inaccurate period clothing,] The System dings sulkily. [Host should keep with Xianxia China standards.]
Shen Qingqiu scowls. Xiao Liu is a doll. It shouldn’t matter if he dresses Xiao Liu in Western style clothing.
[...]
The System neither confirms nor denies. Shen Qingqiu suddenly gets a bad feeling.
Xiao Liu is a doll, right?
[... System cannot respond due to current sidequest plotlines.]
This time, Shen Qingqiu actually frowns. He pulls Xiao Liu close to his chest, and strokes through his soft plush hair.
What sidequest?
[Sidequest: Beloved of the War God is currently active! Completion: 87%. Host, do your best!] The System chirps happily, its mood suddenly changing. Shen Qingqiu nearly chokes on nothing. Beloved of the War God?! He didn’t even accept this sidequest, he’s never even heard of it! The System, of course, chooses to respond to his indignation. [Sidequest: Beloved of the War God is an optional sidequest initiated by the System based on Host’s diligence in gaining L-Points! Would Host like to buy a special ‘buy one, get one free’ hint for one B-Point?]
There’s so much to unpack in just those answers— initiated by the System? And what the hell are L-Points? How come the System never showed him that he was even earning these points in the first place? Not only that, but the sudden push to buy two hints for only one B-Point is way too suspicious! A scenario pusher is usually 500 B-Points, hints are 100 B-Points… Shen Qingqiu narrows his eyes. He’s about to decline when the System speaks again.
[Host should trust this System! (m;_ _)m System highly recommends buying the special offer!]
Fine.
[Special Deal Hints: “Beloved of the War God” bought for one B-Point!] There’s a faint whirring sound, and Shen Qingqiu quite literally sees the System’s screen refresh before the hint shows up. [Hint 1: Xiao Liu is a special item granted to the User with the ability to end the Sidequest: Beloved of the War God. Hint 2: Host was not able to see the sidequest panel due to declining the optional System upgrade: ‘Sidequest L+.’ Host, do your best! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧]
The System suddenly disappears, leaving Shen Qingqiu confused before he remembers that almost a year ago, the System had offered an ‘optional upgrade’ to enhance user experience. But the optional System upgrade cost B-Points! Of course Shen Qingqiu didn’t trust that stupid System— most of the important sidequests were already shown anyways. And unlocking a new type of point? B-Points is already mysterious enough, but L-Points too? No way! The System already takes away B-Points with a vengeance! Letting the System give him a new type to manage and just take away?
[Host has no faith in this System… ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚]
Shen Qingqiu nearly gets riled up at that. Whose fault is that, huh?! Maybe if the System would stop taking away points for every little thing and was more helpful in general, he could actually trust it! It doesn’t even matter, apparently, because he was still earning those mysterious L-Points without his knowledge!! He takes several deep breaths, and tries to calm himself. That’s not the important part. What’s more important is Xiao Liu— how is he able to end the sidequest? First off, Xiao Liu is a plush. Secondly, the sidequest, which Shen Qingqiu didn’t even know about, involves Liu Qingge— not Xiao Liu. How could Xiao Liu end the sidequest?
He racks his brain, before he finally remembers the big issue.
The sidequest is “Beloved of the War God.” Obviously, it has to do with Liu Qingge, but what could it possibly mean? He mulls over it, but the conclusion he first draws can’t possibly be it.
“Shen Qingqiu,” Liu Qingge gently breathes out. They’re trapped together in a little cave, awaiting the end of the snow storm. Shen Qingqiu shivers, and presses more into Liu Qingge’s warm side. The War God barely hesitates, taking out an extra fur cloak from his qiankun pouch and draping it over Shen Qingqiu’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“This shixiong is fine. You?” Shen Qingqiu gladly holds the cloak closer to himself, sinking his hands into soft dense fur and relishing in the comforting scent that he knows is Liu Qingge’s. The fur cloak that he was already wearing feels cheap and thin compared to the extra one thrown on his shoulders. He feels the embroidered talismans begin to give more heat, warming his shivering body a bit. Liu Qingge takes out another cloak, and throws it over his own shoulders. The cloak that Liu Qingge’s wearing doesn’t have fur lining— it looks pitifully threadbare and thin. “Shidi looks cold.”
Carefully, slowly, Shen Qingqiu beckons Liu Qingge closer. He corrals his caring shidi next to him, unclasping the fur cloak. Before Liu Qingge can protest, Shen Qingqiu moves closer, close enough that their bodies connect together on that one side. Liu Qingge’s body is a solid line of unyielding warmth, far better than the cloak. Shen Qingqiu moves the cloak around to Liu Qingge’s other side to cover them, and leans into Liu Qingge. Liu Qingge stiffens slightly, but he relaxes into it just moments later.
Liu Qingge turns his head to look at Shen Qingqiu and Shen Qingqiu peers up at Liu Qingge— has Liu Qingge’s eyes always been so dark? How long has that pretty flush on his cheeks been there, how long has he looked like that? Shen Qingqiu must be mad, must be delusional because he breathes out in a quiet voice— “shidi”— and he nearly leans in—
Shen Qingqiu shakes out of the sudden memory; why now, of all times? Nothing had happened that day, Shen Qingqiu had actually just put his head back on Liu Qingge’s shoulder as they waited out the storm. Is there a reason why he thought of that specific moment, out of all the time he’s spent with Liu Qingge?
He’s getting incredibly sidetracked. He holds Xiao Liu a little closer, before lifting him high enough to look into those embroidered eyes. Xiao Liu is cute, but he knows that those sharp eyes, clear and piercing, on Liu Qingge are nothing short of devastatingly handsome. But then again, Shen Qingqiu thinks, everything about Liu Qingge is handsome.
Liu Qingge has always been frustratingly pretty, ridiculously handsome to the point where he gets harassed by randos wanting to marry him. Liu Qingge, the harem ruiner! It truly makes Shen Qingqiu weep sometimes— this effortlessly pretty immortal, a charming tsundere contrast to the blackened Luo Binghe! His character, killed in a one-off line purely because Airplane knew that Liu Qingge would be too popular!
Wait. Backtrack. Shen Qingqiu hears the sound of a stereotypical record scratch play out. He called Liu Qingge pretty, called him handsome. He just said that everything about Liu Qingge is handsome. The reason why that certain memory came up to him earlier, why it cut off the way it did… The name of the sidequest and how flustered it made him; his first conclusion. It’s all piling together into this inconceivable mountain, completely undeniable. He staggers to a seat, and sets Xiao Liu down in front of him. Xiao Liu stares back at him, as if he’s looking right into Shen Qingqiu’s soul.
“Xiao Liu,” Shen Qingqiu calls out, his voice hushed as if he’s afraid to let anyone know of the words he’s about to say. “I… I think I love Liu-shidi.”
[Congratulations!! Congratulations!! Congratulations!! Good things must be said three times!! o(*≧▽≦)ツ Host has realized his feelings for Character: Bai Zhan War God, Liu Qingge! +500 B-Points for added emotional character depth! +500 L-Points added to special side quest: Beloved of the War God!]
… He really hates the System sometimes.
Shen Qingqiu sets Xiao Liu in front of him, and nervously flutters a fan. Now that he knows of these… less than platonic feelings for Liu Qingge, he’s just practicing his words. A very specific set of words, for when Liu-shidi comes back. And depending on his reply, it might make Shen Qingqiu feel like he’s on top of the world, or crush him and send him straight into the depths of the earth.
“Liu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu politely greets. His voice wobbles near the end, and Shen Qingqiu tries again. “Liu-shidi, won’t you come in?”
Of course, Xiao Liu is already sitting in front of him, so Shen Qingqiu keeps going.
“I— No, this master has been sincerely awaiting your return. There is something that I— I would… I want to speak about. No, there’s something that I want to tell you.” Shen Qingqiu stutters awkwardly. Xiao Liu simply looks at him, but Shen Qingqiu feels like it’s really Liu Qingge sitting in front of him. “I… I regard you highly.”
Shen Qingqiu winces. It’s not enough, but the words that he really wants to say feel far too shameless. So he tries again.
“I hold deep affections for… for you.” It still doesn’t feel right so Shen Qingqiu continues, “I wish to… I wish to— I wish to be yours!”
He blurts out the last bit and closes his eyes. Oh hell. This… This isn’t something that he can do. He’s only a minor character, not even one renowned for beauty or intelligence, or really anything good. He’s just the Qing Jing Peak Lord. He doesn’t have anything that Liu Qingge could possibly want. What would the Bai Zhan War God desire from a man versed in the Four Arts? He can’t imagine that Liu Qingge particularly enjoys guqin, or calligraphy… Hell, the man doesn’t even like the tea that Shen Qingqiu makes judging by the way he always demands a different type of tea each time!
Shen Qingqiu lets himself slump. Xiao Liu simply sits across from him, as if waiting for something. Xiao Liu is cute, but he can’t replace the actual thing. His heart spikes with that ache of longing.
“This master is sorry,” Shen Qingqiu apologizes softly. “It’s just not the same.”
Now that he’s accepted his feelings for Liu Qingge, the loneliness has only seemed stronger. His shidi— strong and beautiful, quiet and kind— is sorely missed. Shen Qingqiu finds himself looking over his shoulder often, awaiting the sound of Cheng Luan cutting through the air. He misses the sound of Liu Qingge sharpening Cheng Luan, the rhythmic sound of cloth polishing Cheng Luan to a blinding shine. He misses the way that Liu Qingge’s face twitches just the smallest bit when he dislikes the tea but doesn’t want to say it out loud. He misses how Liu Qingge’s facial muscles stay completely still, but his spreading flush betrays him and his embarrassment every time.
It’s far too obvious that Shen Qingqiu has no experience when it comes to romance, much less romance concerning another man (he’s not gay, he’s just… Well, Liu Qingge would be everyone’s exception! Obviously). This practice with Xiao Liu just isn’t going to cut it. He needs to research.
Shen Qingqiu stands from the table, and takes a shameful step towards the hidden room in his house. The female Qing Jing disciples have an unfortunate habit of reading certain novels— usually trashy romances, but also some… cutsleeve content. Shen Qingqiu’s always turned a blind eye to it— after all, Shen Qingqiu had a rotten sister too. But as a peak lord, he still had a duty. So if the disciples were a bit too careless with hiding it, Shen QIngqiu would have to pretend to be an immortal master disgusted by such sinful material and take it presumably to be burned. In actuality, he has kept all of them, cultivating a room full of trashy novels.
It is Shen Qingqiu’s greatest pleasure.
His old forum habits had never quite left him, unfortunately. He loves to tear through the novels after long and stressful days with a satisfying viciousness that he never gets to let out anymore. He has shelves upon shelves of terrible novels— as well as shelves crammed full of cutsleeve stories.
He had initially avoided them, feeling far too awkward. It was easy to tear apart stories about ‘dashing’ protagonists and fainting maidens, but cutsleeve stories always seemed… Well. It doesn’t matter now. He runs his hand along the spines, before squeezing his eyes shut and choosing one at random.
He pulls it out and before he can second guess himself, he quickly leaves, resealing the talisman. He drops by the table to pick up Xiao Liu, and then heads to his room. Shen Qingqiu strips of his fussy layers once more (can you really blame him? They’re so annoying!), and settles down on his bed.
The Jade Flower’s Loyal Sword— by Liu Su Mian Hua? Hmm. Shen Qingqiu’s heard quite a bit about this mysterious author. It seems innocuous enough. He resettles Xiao Liu in his lap, trapping him between his thighs so he doesn’t fall over. It’s funny— it feels like he’s reading a bedtime story to his little shidi. With a faint quirk of his lips, Shen Qingqiu flips to the first page, and begins to read.
Shen Xiuhui held his painted fan high, trying to cover the rosy paint that splashed upon his cheeks. Liu Chengxi stopped him with one smooth move, with a look that pinned Shen Xiuhui in place.
“I already know,” the warrior whispered. He took the hand holding the fan, drawing it close before pressing his lips to the delicate chrysanthemum painted on the fan. His lips slid downwards, before they touched the smooth skin of the painter’s hand. “Xiansheng, don’t hide. Not from me.”
Liu Chengxi tore the fan out of Shen Xiuhui’s hand and before the man could even protest, he captured those stunning lips with his own. Conflict ran through Shen Xiuhui’s mind— could Liu Chengxi, the most renowned warrior in the kingdom, truly be his? In his own eyes, Shen Xiuhui was only a painter, talented but with not many life skills.
But to Liu Chengzhi, Shen Xiuhui was more than just a painter— he was someone he had yearned for, ever since the painter had saved him from that cold and lonesome death. He had seemed to be untouchable, above and beyond the earthly desires that chained the warrior to his earthly life. But the moments where they had sat together in blissful silence, the brief glances that the painter gave him when he thought that he wasn’t looking… Liu Chengzhi had never been a patient man.
It happened all in a split second, and then Shen Xiuhui finally gave into the overwhelming desire.
“Chengxi,” The painter said after breaking away from the kiss. “Chengxi!”
Shen Qingqiu slams the book shut, feeling slightly aggrieved. This… The author had used different characters for the names, but… Liu and Shen? Xiu and Cheng?!?! This… This…! Shen Qingqiu wants to spit blood! This is just fanfiction about him and Liu-shidi! This is cutsleeve fanfiction!!!
Shen Qingqiu does have to give credit where credit is due, unfortunately. This Liu Su Mian Ha is actually quite good— he can tell that the author is rather dramatic with their interpretation and flowery prose, but surprisingly… It’s not bad. He had been hooked on the story, his initial hesitance and indignation melting away into intrigue as the plot continued. The story had far too much emphasis on certain parts that were frankly unnecessary, but it was genuinely much better than what Shang Qinghua had ever produced for Proud Immortal Demon’s Way.
It makes him wonder… Would Liu Qingge really accept his feelings? The book had been written mostly in Liu Chengxi’s (Qingge’s?) perspective. Some of the details were uncomfortably accurate to real life, and Shen Qingqiu had nearly forgotten that he was reading a fictional tale. It just seemed so real, the author somehow nailing Liu Qingge’s actual persona. Of course, anyone who read the book would think that it’s a rather dramatic and inaccurate depiction of the War God, but Shen Qingqiu’s found it uncanny how the Liu Qingge insert seems to almost be a carbon copy of the man, from the way he presented beasts to the way that his face stays still but the blush takes over his face when he’s embarrassed! Of course, it’s not all true (the beasts being courtship gifts were definitely a bit of the author’s imagination) but he can’t help but wonder anyways. This author seems to think that Liu Qingge would really accept his feelings.
He sets the book aside, and curls up with Xiao Liu. He still doesn’t know how Xiao Liu fits into the sidequest’s storyline, and in truth, he doesn’t even care about it anymore. It’s been over a month since he’s seen his Liu-shidi, Yue Qingyuan keeps telling him that it’s fine but he knows that something has to be wrong, and Shen Qingqiu…
“Liu-shidi, I want to see you again… Come home soon,” Shen Qingqiu whispers to Xiao Liu. He holds Xiao Liu tight, like it’s Liu Qingge in his arms instead of this plush toy that just looks like him. “I miss you… I love you. Don’t keep me waiting or else I’ll really get mad at you this time,” he threatens weakly.
Exhausted, he drifts off.
In his dreams, he sees Xiao Liu once more, riding a knitted tiger, triumphantly announcing his victory. Shen Qingqiu holds out his hands, ready to catch the plush, and Xiao Liu suddenly leaps off the tiger’s back. Shen Qingqiu gives an alarmed shout that quickly dies out as Xiao Liu becomes much, much larger as he shifts into Liu Qingge, who catches Shen Qingqiu in his arms, giving him that soft smile and softly wiping his tear-stained cheeks (how strange that, in this dream, Shen Qingqiu’s tears flow so freely).
“I wouldn’t ever keep you waiting,” Liu Qingge vows. They’re falling, falling, their hair and robes whipping around them but Shen Qingqiu doesn’t care. He clutches onto Liu Qingge, leaning his head against that warm and solid chest. “I’m back.”
Shen Qingqiu wakes from the strange dream feeling warm and secure. He doesn’t feel Xiao Liu in his arms, so he pats in front of him trying to figure out where the plushie went. He freezes. There is something warm and solid in his bed, larger than any pillows he has. No, it’s not accurate to say something—
There is someone in his bed. Before he can push himself up, scramble away, or call Xiu Ya to his side, he looks up and is suddenly struck silent.
He knows that face. But just to be sure, he carefully brushes aside a lock of dark hair. There, underneath the left eye is that little beauty mark. Shen Qingqiu nearly melts in relief, and then he’s quickly reminded by the fact that Liu Qingge is in his bed. Before he can sit up and escape, the arms around his waist that he didn’t even notice tighten around him. Oh no— Shen Qingqiu realizes with a terrible, terrible heat building in his stomach and brain that Liu Qingge isn’t wearing a robe. His eyes almost get glued to those incredible pectoral muscles, his eyes flicking downwards, tracing that scandalous bared trail… He snaps his eyes back up (he really just ogled the War God like that, how shameless!), and meets phoenix eyes.
“Shen Qingqiu.” Liu Qingge rumbles, the sound of his name devastating in that handsome, perfect voice. Shen Qingqiu lets out a terribly embarrassing squeak, which makes the smirk on Liu Qingge’s face deepen. “You missed me?”
“No,” Shen Qingqiu immediately denies, even though it’s absolutely a lie. Before Liu Qingge can respond, Shen Qingqiu’s brain finally catches up. He blushes hard, before pulling one of his many quilts closer to himself. He tries to at least put a little distance between them. “Liu-shidi, you…. Shameless! Why are you in this shixiong’s bed? Where’s Xiao Liu?”
“... Shen Qingqiu, you really don’t understand?”
Liu Qingge pushes himself up, trapping Shen Qingqiu underneath him. The blanket falls away, and Shen Qingqiu struggles because Liu Qingge’s naked body is above him, trapping him in place— oh gods, he’s so lucky that Binghe doesn’t live in the bamboo hut anymore, because surely this doesn’t look like what two martial siblings should look like!
“Shixiong acted so shamelessly before. He should take responsibility for his words and actions.” Liu Qingge lowers himself, his breath hot against Shen Qingqiu’s lips. In a fit of madness, Shen Qingqiu’s lips part, as if awaiting something more. Liu Qingge sends him a hungry look, and Shen Qingqiu shivers under him.
“Calling me handsome, undressing in front of me. Kissing me and taking off my clothes— shixiong needs to take responsibility.” Liu Qingge whispers in his ear. Shen Qingqiu’s brain briefly refreshes as he processes those words— Liu Qingge was Xiao Liu this whole time? Liu Qingge hasn’t been missing this whole time? And how did Liu Qingge make his actions seem so wrong?— but it gets washed into a blank static as Liu Qingge leans in, nipping at his ear. Shen Qingqiu gasps, squirming as he wars with himself. He can’t decide if he wants to escape, or if he wants Liu Qingge to continue. Liu Qingge continues, completely ignorant to Shen Qingqiu’s inner conflict. “This Xiao Liu demands it.”
“What— what do you want?” Shen Qingqiu asks, aiming for strong and utterly failing. His voice hitches, breathy and weak. “Shidi—”
“Tell me again,” Liu Qingge cajoles, his voice dripping with that sweet sweet promise of desire, of want. “Tell me that you love me.”
Shen Qingqiu’s face is far too thin! But for his favorite shidi, for the man that he loves… Shen Qingqiu sucks in a deep breath.
“Liu-shidi, I…” Shen Qingqiu starts, and then falters. He really can’t do this! So instead, he grabs onto Liu Qingge’s broad shoulders, squeezing his arms, and hauls his shidi in for a kiss. Liu Qingge makes a small noise and Shen Qingqiu nearly panics. Did he read this situation wrong? Maybe Liu Qingge thought that his words were insincere, maybe he thought that he could never have such feelings for Shen Qingqiu! But before Shen Qingqiu can pull away and shriek out an apology, Liu Qingge slowly shifts the rest of his weight on top of him, a comforting feeling not unlike a weighted blanket.
Their lips connect once more and they move against each other, electric and shocking. Liu Qingge’s hands are strangely unsure as they settle in his hair, but Shen Qingqiu encourages the movement with an (un)intentional keen. When they break away from each other, it doesn’t take long to return and close that distance once more. They continue, several moments of heated desire that flits by. Liu Qingge breaks away first, his lips reddened and slick. Shen Qingqiu feels dazed as he pants softly against Liu Qingge’s lips, his breath quite literally stolen away by Liu Qingge.
Liu Qingge opens his mouth to speak, but he’s promptly cut off by a familiar call of ‘shizun’ and the sound of his front door opening. They both freeze in place.
“Shizun,” Ning Yingying calls, oblivious to the scandalous scene currently happening in Shen Qingqiu’s bedroom. “This one has brought breakfast! Would shizun require any assistance this morning?”
“No! Ying-er may go early, this master will prepare himself,” Shen Qingqiu calls back, heart skipping in his chest. That was far too close for comfort! “Let the disciples know that this morning’s practice is cancelled… This master has some urgent work that must be done today.”
“En. As Shizun wishes!” Ning Yingying confirms. They hear the sound of some dishes rattling before the door is opened, then closed once more.
“Shen Qingqiu, I—” Liu Qingge moves off of him, but Shen Qingqiu doesn’t let him leave. Instead, he throws his shame to the wind and straddles Liu Qingge’s lap before pulling him in for another kiss. Liu Qingge splutters, “What— I, I! You! Shameless!”
But Shen Qingqiu lets out a soft whine as Liu Qingge scolds him, and Liu Qingge’s jaw clicks shut. Shen Qingqiu takes the opportunity to draw his wonderful shidi into a kiss, and then another, and another and another…
[Congratulations!! Congratulations!! Congratulations!! Good things must be said three times!! o(*≧▽≦)ツ Host has confessed his feelings to Character: Liu Qingge and completed sidequest: Beloved War God! +5000 L-Points added to special side quest: Beloved of the War God! +1000 B-Points for new character depth! Character: Liu Qingge updated to Role: Love Interest!]
[Reward: Xiao Liu added to Host’s inventory! 2 Player Mode mode unlocked! L-Point shop unlocked! We hope you continue to enjoy this System! ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆]