Work Text:
“I’ll see you at dinner!”, Shang Qinghua kissed Mobei Jun’s cheek, standing on his cheeks.
“En, don’t push yourself too much”,Mobei Jun answered, lips slightly curved up. He saw Shang Qinghua’s retreating figure till the doors of the study closed. Mobei Jun adored Shang Qinghua, his chest filled with a warmth that he couldn’t describe when Shang Qinghua wore his Consort robes that Mobei Jun had got made specially for him. Midnight blues with silver threads, lined with the warmest fur and stitched in talismans to keep his human warm and protected. Today was one of those days where Shang Qinghua had chose to wear them, making Mobei Jun distracted throughout the court sessions that day.
There was a rap on the door,”Consort Shang?”
“What is it?”
The door opened slightly. It was one of his assistants, an ice demon from a desert that was too far from the Fortress. Unlike ice demons though, his skin was a pale green, and scaly.
“Um, someone sent this but we cannot open it…”
“Bring the box here”
The demon stepped forward, keeping the box right in front of Shang Qinghua on the table. Shang Qinghua inspected it carefully,”It’s sealed. I don’t feel any malicious energy from it though. I will look at it later.”
The demon bowed, and left.
Steaming pots of food were placed down at the table one by one. Mobei Jun had requested, ordered the kitchens to make winter melon soup. Shang Qinghua had seemed to take a liking to it. Satisfied with the preparations, Mobei Jun allowed the servants to leave.
One incense stick of time turned to two, two to three, till it eventually became a sichen, and then two.
Mobei Jun decided to take matters into his own hands. He got up and walked over to Shang Qinghua’s study. He opened the door and..
Shang Qinghua was nowhere to be found.
“Shang Qinghua?”, he called out. There was no response, and he called out again,”Qinghua?”
There was no sight or smell of Shang Qinghua, but a pool of his robes was left on the floor. He bellowed from the study,”SHANG QINGHUA!”
The temperature of the room dropped, the walls and floor starting to get covered in a thin layer of ice. He stormed out of the room and grabbed the nearest guard by the collar and growled,”Find. Him.”
The guard gulped and noddes,”Y-yes My Lord!”
“Now scram!”, he dropped the guard to the floor.
There was no wall not knocked, no trap not checked and no stone or corridor unturned. Shang Qinghua was nowhere to be found. Mobei Jun looked for checking outside the fortress, sending a wave of qi to sense Shang Qinghua’s. He felt nothing outside, but inside the walls of the Fortress, he could feel the warm caress of Shang Qinghua’s qi mingling with his. He looked everywhere through the shadows and corners, worry and dread eating away at him. The winters were approaching, and Shang Qinghua had started to pile up more blankets and furs on their bed. The image of a frostbitten Shang Qinghua with blue hands and toes threatened to creep in his thoughts, Mobei Jun brushed them away with hope. Shang Qinghua’s qi was still thrumming, he was alive and well. It was just a matter of-
“My Lord!”
Mobei Jun turned to look at a group of servants. Fear painted on their faces.
“What?”, he snapped.
Shang Qinghua’s assistant stepped forward,”We uh, we found Consort Shang”, he bowed and gave away.
Mobei Jun’s eyes widened at the sight, there he was bundled up in the hands of the head chef. His cheeks even chubbier, hair messier and face and hands dirty. Tangled in midnight blue robes.
Shang Qinghua…
Was a baby?
Mobei Jun stepped forward carefully, taking the tiny form of Shang Qinghua from the chef’s arms to his own. Shang Qinghua’s face scrunched up in dissatisfaction, but he beamed when he saw who was taking him.
“Mobei Ju!”
Mobei Jun’s face fell flat. The servants lowered their head.
“Mobei Jun”, he corrected.
Shang Qinghua giggled, and tried to climb up. Mobei Jun managed to keep him stable, and lifted him higher. Shang Qinghua set to pull and pinch Mobei Jun’s face, occasionally reaching to his horns to tug at them, or settle at playing with the jewels in his hair.
“Shang Qinghua”
The toddler looked at him.
Mobei Jun opened his mouth to speak but found no words come out of his mouth. He turned to the servants,”Get some clothes.”
“Um”, the assistant spoke up,”My Lord I don’t think we have any.”
Mobei Jun furrowed his brows,”I was a child”
The servants looked at each other,”We might not have any warm clothes..”
Mobei Jun looked back at Shang Qinghua, who was staring at him intensely. He wiped his cheeks, chubby and rosy. Mobei Jun pinched them, touch as light as a feather.
“Where did you find him?”
“H-he was in the kitchens”, the head chef spoke,”we found him under one of the tables, hands deep in a basket of flour..”
“Hmm. Fetch the clothes regardless. This matter must not leave the Fortress. If I find any tongues running freely..they will also be freely eaten.”
The servants gulped and left.
Mobei Jun transported them back to their private quarters, and gently put down Shang Qinghua on the bed. He crawled out of the robes towards the thick furs. Mobei Jun caught a very naked Shang Qinghua and covered him with his cloak.
Shang Qinghua was not happy about it. He wailed loudly, the sound piercing Mobei Jun’s ears.
“You must stay close to me”
Shang Qinghua looked at him, big doe eyes starting to brim with fat tears. He wailed louder, and struggling to be put on the bed again.
“You are free to explore as much as you want, let’s get you dressed first”
Shang Qinghua sniffed. Mobei Jun brought him closer to his chest, rocking him gently and singing a lullaby in demonic tongue. It was broken, words he forgot filled with a hum. It had managed to calm Shang Qinghua down, who nuzzled closer to Mobei Jun.
Mobei Jun felt someone approach, and moved to open the door before a sound was made. It took the assistant by shock. The handing over of garments was done quickly, and he left without a word.
Mobei Jun gently lied Shang Qinghua down on the bed. Trying to put the clothes on him as carefully as possible. His efforts were in vain, because Shang Qinghua in a toddler form was much more energetic than the adult. He woke up immediately, and saw the clothes. He moved to take them from Mobei Jun’s hands, and started putting it on himself. Mobei Jun let him, occasionally helping him when he saw Shang Qinghua struggling. The robes were big on him. Shang Qinghua was struggling to move, but he was enthusiastic nonetheless. He rushed and jumped on the furs, happily squealing at the soft sensation.
Mobei Jun looked at the cold food on the table.
“Do you want to eat?”
Shang Qinghua paused,”Okay!”
Mobei Jun sent for a hot stone, which was delivered quite quickly. He dropped it into the soup which started bubbling. Shang Qinghua eagerly opened his arms for Mobei Jun to pick him up. Mobei Jun sat down at the table, placing Shang Qinghua on his lap. Shang Qinghua picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl. Mobei Jun saw with horror, too slow to realise and respond, when Shang Qinghua put it directly in his mouth.
“Hot! Hot! Hot!”
He dropped the spoon and started flailing. Mobei Jun grabbed his cheeks and turned it towards him, breathing cool air over Shang Qinghua’s mouth.
“Are you okay?”
Shang Qinghua nodded.
“Cool it before you eat”,Mobei Jun picked up some soup and blowed on it. After checking the temperature, he fed it to Shang Qinghua. Shang Qinghua looked warily at the spoon.
“Don’t be scared, it’s cool”
Shang Qinghua opened his mouth, and tested the waters again. Satisfied with the outcome, Shang Qinghua opened his mouth again.
“Should I feed you?”
Shang Qinghua nodded.
Mobei Jun continued. Picking up soup, cooling it before feeding it to Shang Qinghua. Soon, the little cultivator was fulfilled.
“No more”
“Alright”
Mobei Jun wiped his mouth with the edge of his sleeve. Shang Qinghua roamed around the room, sometimes tripping on the long legs of the pants. Mobei Jun cut the extra length off. He had not considered that human toddlers would be smaller than demon ones. It was endearing watching Shang Qinghua roam freely around the room. Here, he was safe. He looked curiously at his own brushes, sometimes looking at the mounted beast heads on the wall. The bed was too high for him to climb on his own. He rushed to Mobei Jun, dragging the demon by his arms.
“I want to sleep!”
Mobei Jun picked him up, and sat him down. He went to pat his head, and noticed the mess of hair. He fetched the brush from the dressing table and began to work.
“Sit still”
Shang Qinghua obeyed. Playing with the tassels on Mobei Jun’s belt. Sometimes jingling the little bells, sometimes putting them in his mouth. He ended up chewing the end of Mobei Jun’s belt, which was now an untangled mess covered in saliva. Shang Qinghua’s hair was thankfully not matted, but it was badly tangled. Mobei Jun worked slowly, working the ends before reaching the roots. He combed the hair gingerly, too scared to hurt Shang Qinghua.
After working through the knots, he went back to the dresser and brought with him some oil.
“Smells good”, Shang Qinghua chirped. Mobei Jun brought the bottle to his nose, so he could smell it again.
“En”
“What is it? Winter flowers and rosemary.”
“I want it!”
“It’s yours”
Shang Qinghua gasped. Mobei Jun took some oil on his palms and rubbed them together. He massaged the oil on Shang Qinghua’s scalp, and then through his hair. Shang Qinghua yawned, leaning more of his weight on Mobei Jun. Mobei Jun combed his hair once more, and tied it in a loose pony. Shang Qinghua was wobbling with sleep, crawling towards the furs and depositing himself on the pillows. Mobei Jun chuckled. He picked up and lined the bed with a fur blanket, placed Shang Qinghua on top of it, and then tucked him in with a thicker fur blanket.
He divested himself of his own heavy robes, and slipped into more comfortable ones. He braided his own hair in a loose braid and went to bed. Shang Qinghua was fast asleep, but he still stirred when Mobei Jun settled on the bed.
“Sleep”, Mobei Jun said. Patting Shang Qinghua’s head. The toddler fell asleep again. Mobei Jun took in every detail.
The fluffy cheeks, the tiny teeth and hands which were curled up. Mobei Jun pried them open, finding a trinket hidden between those palms. It was one of the jewels that went into Mobei Jun’s hair. He took it out, and held Shang Qinghua’s palm. It was tiny. So warm, so gentle, so delicate. The palms wrapped themselves on Mobei Jun’s hand. And like this, Mobei Jun was stuck. The cultivator had already captivated him, and now he has been held prisoner by him again.
But it was a prison Mobei Jun would willingly walk himself to. Again, and again.
Shen Qingqiu’s face was unreadable. Luo Binghe’s usually emotive face, was equally unreadable. Mobei Jun was…well, used to it. Kind of, as much as he could be. Shang Qinghua scribbled and doodled on the pages in front of him, ink staining his hands, cheeks and robes. Mobei Jun had his old robes altered, rushing the palace seamstress to get it done as quickly as possible. The light blue robes looked like they engulfed Shang Qinghua still, but at least he wasn’t tripping every other step.
He huffed in pride, and looked back at Mobei Jun with a sparkle in his eyes. On the sheet of paper, was a rough drawing of..himself? Probably of his own self, no one else present in the room had horns.
“It’s a gift for you~”
“It is beautiful. Thank you”, Mobei Jun ruffled his hair.
Shang Qinghua settled down on his lap again, and started working on his next piece.
“So”, Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat,”When did this happen?”
“Last night”
“I see”,Shen Qingqiu closed his fan, tapping his chin with it’s edge. Luo Binghe squirmed beside him. He tolerated his Shishu, acknowledged him at best. He had developed some respect for the man, seeing how he handled matters at the demon realm better than himself and Mobei Jun. But, seeing the cultivator in a child like form, maybe he was a little cute.
Okay, he was cute, Luo Binghe admitted to himself.
“Do you know why it happened?”
“No”
“Poison? Predator?”
“No one can pass through the wards unnoticed.”
“Some odd flower?”
“No”
“Hmm”
Shang Qinghua, now bored, got up and stretched. He scanned the room and sat down in front of the bookshelf.
“Shang-shidi”,Shen Qingqiu called.
There was no response.
“Qinghua”, he tried again.
“Hm?”,Shang Qinghua looked in his direction.
“Do you want something?”
Shang Qinghua looked at the books again, and pointed towards a book at the higher shelf.
“I’ll get it”,Luo Binghe jumped.
He picked out the book and handed it to Shang Qinghua, who happily plopped down at the edge of the table.
“Shidi?”
“...”
“Shang Qinghua”
Brown eyes met green ones.
“What does this say?”, Shen Qingqiu pointed at a character. It was a lot more complex than elementary level, even the book was above elementary level.
“I don’t know”
“Who am I?”
He looked at Mobei Jun, who said nothing in return, he looked at Shen Qingqiu again,”Stranger”
“And who am I?”,Luo Binghe kneeled down beside him. A little too close, as he came to know when a tiny hand smacked him across his face,”Stranger danger!”
Shen Qingqiu coughed and hid his face, and Mobei Jun bit his tongue. Luo Binghe deflated on the spot.
Shang Qinghua went back to Mobei Jun, sitting by his side and flipping through the pages.
“Well, I cannot think of anything in particular that would cause this. There is no plant in my knowledge that woul- IS THAT A BONE?”
Mobei Jun paused, a small bone in his hand. Shang Qinghua looked up at Shen Qingqiu.
“...yes”
“Why?!”, Shen Qingqiu gasped.
“He is teething. Chewing on bones will give him strong teeth”,Mobei Jun answered coolly.
“M-kh-M-Mobei Jun! You can’t possibly think that!”
Mobei Jun looked down at the bone,”Why?”
“He’s human!”,Shen Qingqiu’s pitch kept getting higher. Seeing him in distress, Luo Binghe interjected.
“Maybe there is something better suited to a human’s taste?”
Shen Qingqiu seemed to calm down somewhat,”We can give vegetables. Do we have a carrot?”
Luo Binghe went to the kitchen, and brought back a peeled and washed carrot. He handed it to Shang Qinghua. Shang Qinghua glared at him.
“It is fine”,Mobei Jun encouraged.
Shang Qinghua gave a once over to Luo Binghe, and accepted the offering. He started to chew, satisfied.
“Say thank you”
Luo Binghe,”That won’t be-”
“Thank you”,Shang Qinghua huffed, pouting. He closed the book and went to snuggle with Mobei Jun.
“It seems that he has not only regressed in size but also mentally”
“En”
“We should take him to Qian Cao”,Shen Qingqiu suggested,”It would be good to make sure that there are no…complications.”
Mobei Jun hummed in agreement.
“Shang Qinghua”,Shen Qingqiu called
Shang Qinghua’s ears perked up.
“Do you want to see a friend?”
Shang Qinghua shook his head,”No”
“Why?”
“My friend is here”, he pointed towards Mobei Jun,
Luo Binghe made a sound,”Excuse me”, he walked out of the room.
“Am I not your friend?”, Shen Qingqiu pouted.
Shang Qinghua looked up expectantly at Mobei Jun, seeing the lack of restriction, he padded over to Shen Qingqiu,”Since you gave me your book, we are friends”,Shang Qinghua poked out his pinky.
Mobei Jun raised his eyebrow. Shen Qingqiu smiled and locked pinkies,”Friends”
They chose to walk to Qian Cao. Mobei Jun tagged along, as Shang Qinghua would cry if he went away from sight. He was also carrying Shang Qinghua, as he was terrified of falling off the rainbow bridge. Shen Qingqiu led the way. Mobei Jun could hear him mutter under his breath, about plots and wives among other things. He did not question the musings of the Qing Jing Peak Lord, neither did he question musings of the An Ding’s, but the concern was seeping through the figure in green, and his distress was palpable.
Mobei Jun was not without his own worries. His mind was running on a faster pace than his portals, so much so he had completely dissociated. Focused only on one goal- keep Shang Qinghua safe. He was even more vulnerable in this form, and a lot more softer and squishier and oh so adorable. Currently, he was playing with Mobei Jun’s hair. Braiding and unbraiding the same section of hair. Mobei Jun had forgone his hair jewels, as well as his cloak. Dressed in simple robes. The carrot was long forgotten, but he still kept it in his pocket half frozen. Just in case.
Disciples gawked at the sight, but they dared not look for more than a few seconds in fear of being frozen on the spot. When they arrived at Qian Cao, the head disciple greeted them. Shen Qingqiu had already sent a messenger. Mobei Jun did not expect to be hit with the strong smells of salves and concoctions, he was even more ill prepared to see half of the Peak Lords gathered around.
“We came as soon as we heard. Shidi, are you hurt?”,Yue Qingyuan hurried, checking Shen Qingqiu up and down.
The temperature dropped. Liu Qingge noticed Mobei Jun, and rushed towards him, hand on Cheng Luan’s hilt. Mobei Jun bared his fangs and snarled, temperature dropping even lower and-
“WAAAAHHHHH”,the sound pierced through the commotion.
Mobei Jun turned on his heel,”It’s okay. I am here. I am sorry”, he whispered to Shang Qinghua. Bouncing him gently and nuzzling his hair. Shang Qinghua clung to him like a lifeline, bawling his eyes out.
“It’s not me who you should be worried about, Shixiong”, Shen Qingqiu said,”It’s him.”
The fan pointed towards Mobei Jun, who had his back turned.
Shen Qingqiu stepped closer, only to back off when Mobei Jun glared at him. His blue eyes were even icier, now glowing. His fangs were fully out and his aura circulating freely. It was only natural, that Luo Binghe would draw to Shen Qingqiu like a bee to honey, especially when he sensed a peak of demonic energy. He barged through the door, knocking back a few disciples.
“Shizun!”, he cried.
Mobei Jun snarled again, the temperatures fluctuating even more. Before Luo Binghe could react, Shen Qingqiu placed a palm on his chest,”Binghe, wait.”
Luo Binghe paused, and looked at the scene in front of him.
“He’s gone feral”,Luo Binghe declared.
Shang Qinghua was sniffling. Relatively calmer, but still stuck to Mobei Jun.
“Mobei Jun?”,Shen Qingqiu asked
He saw a tiny movement of ears, but heard no response.
“Shang shidi needs to be checked, for his own safety”, behind him, someone gasped.
Mu Qingfan pushed his way forwards,”What happened?”
“Well, he…”,Shen Qingqiu sighed,”Binghe, a little help please?”
Luo Binghe perked up. He carefully went over to Mobei Jun and crouched down in front of him.
“Mobei”
Icy blue eyes looked up, Mobei Jun was holding Shang Qinghua close. Trapped in his arms and hidden away.
“You’re scaring him”,Mobei Jun looked down. Shang Qinghua was shivering, and his eyes were shut close. Mobei Jun physically relaxed, and the temperature started going back to normal. His eyes slowly stopped glowing, and returned to their original state.
Luo Binghe reached forward, but Mobei Jun still had his fangs out.
“Okay! Okay! I’m not taking him away from you. But you need to listen to Shizun. We don’t know what’s physically going on with Shang Shishu. Don’t you think it’s better to be stay safe than sorry?”
Mobei Jun acknowledged him. He opened his arms. Shang Qinghua was still sniffling, he saw Luo Binghe and didn’t get down.
“Qinghua”, he recognised Shen Qingqiu’s voice.
Shang Qinghua plopped down, and went over to Shen Qingqiu,”This is my friend”, he motioned towards Mu Qingfan.
Mu Qingfan smiled warmly, but he was still unknown. Shang Qinghua hid himself behind Shen Qingqiu. Mu Qingfan kneeled down,”Shixiong, it’s me”
“He doesn’t remember anyone”
“He remembered me”,Mobei Jun said. Sitting down with one knee one the floor, and the other still raised. His eyes followed every little movement Shang Qinghua made.
“You are the exception then”
Mu Qingfan reached his hand out,”Shixiong-”
“STRANGER DANGER!”,Shang Qinghua slapped away the approaching hand and rushed towards Mobei Jun. But instead of going to Mobei Jun, he ran out the door.
Mobei Jun bolted after him, catching him just in time before he disappeared somewhere else.
“It is dangerous”,Mobei Jun chided.
“Sorry”,Shang Qinghua said, teary eyed and pouty. Mobei Jun sighed and wiped his nose. He kissed Shang Qinghua’s nose.
Shang Qinghua sneezed in response. Mobei Jun chuckled,”This King will protect you”
“And the Queen?”
“The Queen is on a holiday”
Shang Qinghua gasped,”No King should be away from his Queen. I will be your queen in her stead”,he boldly declared.
Mobei Jun smiled,”I accept. We need to head back before we go to our Kingdom.”
Shang Qighua patted Mobei Jun’s shoulders, mimicking Mobei Jun’s speech,”A Queen shall not be carried. I will walk.”
Mobei Jun put him down, but held his hand. They walked back to the room, Liu Qingge standing at the farthest corner of the room.
Mobei Jun picked Shang Qinghua up, and placed him on the bed. Mu Qingfan approached, looking at Mobei Jun for help.
“Mobei Jun whispered something in Shang Qinghua’s ear. Shang Qinghua puffed up his chest, and put out his hand. Mobei Jun nodded in permission.
Mu Qingfan took the small hand. He couldn’t help but smile at the scene, heart feeling fuzzy. His shixiong really was too cute! He finished checking soon.
“Shixiong-”
“You may call me ‘Your Highness’”, Mobei Jun stifled a laugh.
Mu Qingfan gawked.
“Oh, um, okay, Y-yout highness, have you been feeling uncomfortable?”
“No”
“Do you eat well?”
“Yes”
“Trouble sleeping?”
“No”
“Alright”
Mu Qingfan turned to Mobei Jun,”Everything seems to be normal. His core is still there, and he doesn’t seem to be experiencing any difficulty, although there is a risk of his qi being too much for the body to handle.”
“How do we bring him back?”
Mu Qingfan rubbed his chin,”You’ll have to check his meridians daily. But apart from that, I believe we will have to wait it out.”
Shen Qingqiu fanned himself,”For how long?”
Mu Qingfan shook his head,”I don’t know. We were not taught about…such an occurrence”, he turned to Mobei Jun,”I will give you a list of food to give him, and some do-s and don’t-s. I believe it is best that Shang Qi-shixiong stay at Cang Qiong, as the qi here might help him recover faster.”
Mobei Jun nodded.
“This is certainly troublesome”, Yue Qingyuan quipped.
Mobei Jun glared daggers.
“We can take care of him”,Luo Binghe said,”If..you would…allow”, he looked to Mobei Jun with pleading eyes.
Mobei Jun felt queasy being subject to such demeanour, it only suited Shang Qinghua’s features in his palette but,”It takes a village”, he sighed.
“I’ll make preparations”,Luo Binghe rushed out as quick as he came.
Days passed by with no improvement. Mu Qingfan visited daily. Once in the morning, and once at night. In the pretence of play he took opportunities to check Shang Qinghua’s meridians (but also the fact that really, his shixiong was too adorable! Mu Qingfan could not keep himself away if he tried).
Shang Qinghua to say the least, was a veryyy active child. If he wasn’t reading, he was running around, if he wasn’t running out, he was talking, if he wasn’t talking he was well, running around. It was difficult enough to get him to calm down, it was even more difficult to satiate his curiosity. The questions never ended, and they took turns to answer each inquiry.
“Why do you not have horns?”, he asked Luo Binghe. The pair had gotten closer, and Shang Qinghua would often follow him around when bored, much to Mobei Jun’s dismay.
“Hmm, I haven’t really thought about that..”
“Mobei Jun has horns”
“Yes he does”
“Why does Luo Binghe not have horns?”
“If I find the answer, you will be the first to know”
“Pinky promise?”
Luo Binghe smiled,”Promise”, reciprocating the gesture Shen Qingqiu had taught him.
Shang Qinghua could not sleep without Mobei Jun. He clung to Mobei Jun, nuzzled close to his chest even though it was cold for him. Mobei Jun had to go out to run an emergency errand, and Shang Qinghua had been crying all night. He did not eat, or sleep. They tried everything. Lullabies, fur, they even made some cooling talismans! But eventually, they gave up. Trying to soothe him in all ways they could think of. Even the Qian Cao Peak Lord had tried his hand, but had to give up.
Mobei Jun returned the next day after sunset, and was greeted by the sight of two cultivators and a demon, almost passed out at the table. Shang Qinghua ran towards him and squealed. Mobei Jun bent down and held him.
“I missed you”, Shang Qinghua said.
“I missed you too”,Mobei Jun rubbed their noses together.
“So did we”,Shen Qingqiu mumbled, head still flat on the table.
“Junshang, what happened?”
The last time he had seen Luo Binghe in such disarray was before his ascension.
“He would not sleep”
“Like, at all”, Shen Qingqiu added.
“Nothing worked”,Mu Qingfan said.
Mobei Jun looked at Shang Qinghua,”Do you want to sleep?”
Shang Qinghua yawned,”Yes”
“Watch”,Mobei Jun said.
He lied down with Shang Qinghua, arms wrapped around the smaller figure. Shang Qinghua cuddled closer and, ah. There it was.
Mobei Jun started purring. Shen Qingqiu and Mu Qingfan both stood dumbfounded by the door. While Luo Binghe stood in a stupor.
“B-Binghe, can you purr?”
“I…I don’t know. Do I purr in my sleep?”
“Hmm, I don’t think you purr but you do snore sometimes.”
“Shizun!”, Luo Binghe cried.
“Quiet. He is asleep”, Mobei Jun interrupted.
And sure enough, Shang Qinghua was fast asleep.
Two more days passed, and the full moon approached.
Moonlight filtered through the window, and filled the room with it’s gentle light. Shang Qinghua looked at ease when sleeping. His cheeks pillowed and his hair an undone mess again, it was truly a moment where he was unburdened with worries. The moonlight caressed him too, but Shang Qinghua had not stirred from his slumber.
Mobei Jun stood outside the cottage, looking down at the other peaks. He could distantly recognise An Ding Peak, the lights of the disciple rooms still going, compared to the rooms of other peaks which were dimming. If he concentrated enough, he could probably hear the hustle bustle of An Ding. He looked at the moon, now full. The Mo Clan worked on a lunar calendar, Mobei Jun counted his fingers. It had been half a month since Shang Qinghua had regressed.
“Are you okay?”,Luo Binghe asked, in a rare moment of concern.
“I am worried”
Luo Binghe crossed his arms across his chest,”It has been quite some time.”
“En”
“I wonder how he’s feeling though.”
“It is freeing, in my assumption.”
“Why so?”
“I have always seen Qinghua under duress, he seems….carefree. In this state.”
“Peak Lord duties are no joke. Shizun is always knee deep in lessons and works. Then there’s the monthly report and budget that An Ding requires.”
“Peak Lord Shen manages one peak”,Mobei Jun looks at Luo Binghe,”Qinghua manages twelve.”
Luo Binghe gave it a thought,”You’re not wrong.”
“My Lord also forgets that Qinghua and I have known each other for a long time, before his defect as well as your ascension.”
“I think we both knew our spouses for an equal amount of time.”
“Possibly”
“Luo Binghe”,Mobei Jun says. It is only on rare occasions, that Mobei Jun uses his name. The Demon Realm may consider them both to be only Emperor and General, but it was unsaid between both that their friendship had grown to be strong.
“Mobei”
“Thank you”
“For?”
“I know it must not be easy..having us at your home.”
“It’s fine. Besides..”, Luo Binghe chuckles,”Shang shishu is cute as a child.”
“He is always cute”
“Not cuter than my shizun”
Mobei Jun narrowed his eyes, but before he could speak, a loud crash made itself known.
Follow by the sound of Shen Qingqiu screaming.
“Ugh, what’s going on? Why are you yelling? Shut up”, Shang Qinghua groggily opens his eyes and looks around,”Wait, what-”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY AM I YELLING? SHUT UP! WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK!”, Shen Qingqiu turned the other way.
Shang Qinghua looked down at himself and shrieked,”WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE PASS ME SOME CLOTHES YOU DUMBNUT”
“OH MY GOD I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS”
“BRO- I mean we’re both men so-”
“SHUT UP!”, Shen Qingqiu wheezed. He threw his outer robe on Shang Qinghua’s face and ran.
Shang Qinghua closed the door behind him. Shen Qingqiu had his eyes averted,”How are you feeling?”
Shang Qinghua stretched,”Honestly, I feel pretty good.”
“Shang Qinghua”
His head snapped immediately towards the voice.
“Mobei!”, Shang Qinghua beamed and ran to Mobei Jun. They squeezed each other till Shang Qinghua felt his ribs would break.
Mobei Jun smiled, and kissed Shang Qinghua’s forehead,”I missed you”
“Aww, I missed you to, My King!”
Luo Binghe entered the scene, looking slightly disappointed. Shen Qingqiu elbowed him.
“So, care to tell what happened?”, Shen Qingqiu asks.
Shang Qinghua pauses in between bites. He swallows,”Well, the last thing I remember, there was this box. It had no malicious energy. I was heading back for dinner and suddenly remembered that I had to see what is was. I was about to take it back for Mobei to have a look at it too but it fell and..”
“And?”, Mobei Jun continued.
“And it was empty, really. Everything else is a blur.”
“A lot of things happened”, Shen Qingqiu passed him the plate of osmanthus cakes.
“Like what?”
Shen Qinqiu had a shit eating grin on his face, Shang Qinghua’s face paled in response,”Bro I swear to god if-”
“Well, it’s been a long night. Don’t you think, Binghe? I think I’ll head to bed”,Shen Qingqiu fluttered his eyebrows and brushed Luo Binghe’s shoulder.
He immediately started preparing,”I agree. Mobei Jun, Shang shishu, it was good to have you over. Have a safe trip North.”
Mobei Jun and Shang Qinghua stared at the empty space left behind.
“SHEN QINGQIU!!!”,Shang Qinghua yelled.
And if there was a box of osmanthus cakes ready to go…
Well, they don’t talk about that.