Work Text:
It is Shang Qinghua's fault.
Shen Qingqiu isn't exactly sure how or why - but it is. It has to be.
It always is!
After all, the initial idea and execution of the trashy stallion novel they've both found themselves in all stem from Shang Qinghua's stupid brain! If he's not the one to blame, then who else?!
“Dude, calm down,” Airplane says with a dismissive wave of his hand. He's slouching half bent over Shen Qingqiu’s table, looking less like the respectable Peak Lord he's supposed to be and more like the shut-in author he was. He's currently going through his third bowl of Dragonbone Cantaloupe seeds and Shen Qingqiu has the urge to slap it away.
“You're getting really defensive over a harmless idea I tossed around. Why?”
The harmless idea he's talking about involves Liu Qingge. Their fellow Peak Lord narrowly escaped his original fate a few months ago, thanks to Shen Qingqiu's own efforts. Just thinking about how a warrior such as Liu Qingge was originally supposed to get killed off just like that makes Shen Qingqiu's blood boil! He reaches for his fan and smacks Shang Qinghua over the head with it.
Mollified by the resounding offended cry of betrayal, Shen Qingqiu settles back into a graceful kneel and slowly sips his tea. It's perfect as always, yet it does little to fully cool his temper. Glaring at Shang Qinghua over his cup he says: “Ask yourself why! What a shameless suggestion you're making! Are you delusional?! Liu Qingge, in love with me?! You wrote him! He loves his sword first, battles second and nothing else!”
How utterly ridiculous to suggest otherwise!!
Shang Qinghua rubs at his head, making a truly pathetic face. He warily eyes the fan now placed within reach on the table for easy punishment and replies: “It's not shameless or delusional! He literally brings you gifts all the damn time!”
“Not all the time!,” Shen Qingqiu defends immediately. “And he does it for others too!”
“Really.” Shang Qinghua's voice is filled to the brim with sarcasm. Shen Qingqiu's fingers inch closer to his fan again; a silent warning that Shang Qinghua carelessly ignores. “Like who? I've never gotten a gift from him and I've technically known him for longer than you have!”
Shen Qingqiu's brows furrow. “Mu-shidi gets gifts from him. Zhangmen-shixiong too. And Liu Mingyan! It's not just me!!”
Shang Qinghua's only response is a very pointed look. The raised eyebrow is probably supposed to look cool but it makes him look a little stupid instead. Shen Qingqiu silently stares back, unrelenting.
“Bro,” his so-called friend says eventually. “That is his sister and our sect leader. And Mu-shidi is asking him for stuff to bring back from missions. I'm keeping lists of the things he wants in case they don't meet before Liu Qingge sets out! You're the only one who receives gifts just because. ”
He leans back and pops another seed into his mouth. His expression is entirely too self-satisfied for Shen Qingqiu's liking. But Shang Qinghua isn't done yet either and he tops it off with a teasing grin: “You do know how courting works here, yeah? The way I see it, poor Liu-shidi has been trying to win you over for months now and you are ignoring it! Truly a scummy way of- HEY!!”
Shen Qingqiu hurls his fan at this traitor of a friend and proceeds to chase him out of his bamboo house under a flurry of curses and insults, cheeks burning.
“Don't hate me just because I'm right!!!” Shang Qinghua yells while he's already rapidly ascending into the safety of the sky - where Shen Qingqiu unfortunately cannot follow him right now. His next meridian cleansing is scheduled for tomorrow and the blockade has become bad enough that he can't fly.
Stupid author! Stupid poison!!
Shen Qingqiu stomps back into the house, huffing and puffing. Gods, really, the source of all of his problems truly is Shang Qinghua!! He walks past the table and the tea, no longer in the mood for it but all the more in need of a distraction. Maybe some calligraphy will help ease his mind and calm his heart.
It's worth a try, so Shen Qingqiu gathers his materials and sets them out. First, his brush: made from fine fur and with a smooth handle carved from bone that fits perfectly into his hand. It is a beautiful craft made from a Bluethunder Weasel - Liu Qingge had caught one during a mission and commissioned the brush.
Next, the practice books. Heavy and beautifully bound, they're real treasures in more than one way. Liu Qingge had seen them while passing through a town and bought them for Shen Qingqiu.
Lastly, freshly ground ink, flawless and deep and opaque. Tentacled Blue Trouts are quite common but still hard to catch, so their ink scores high prices and is well loved by those who can afford it. Liu Qingge had caught a batch of them himself for this ink.
...
Shen Qingqiu pauses and looks around. Glances at the tools he set out and then further around his home: at the trinkets displayed on walls, shelves and dangling from the ceiling, at the beautiful collection of handheld fans that steadily grows bigger despite how many he tends to lose.
Abruptly he realizes that the entire bamboo house is filled with gifts . Gifts from Liu Qingge.
Oh shit .
Shen Qingqiu's breath catches in his throat while his heart skips a beat over this revelation. Fuck, did Airplane have a point after all?! But no, no, that can't be - surely Mu-shidi has a similar collection in his house?
But… Shen Qingqiu has been there before. The office on Qian Cao is crammed with all sorts of stuff, ranging from bottles full of herbs and finely ground powders to vials filled with liquids of various origins. There are plants drying in bundles as well as animal and monster parts. And while most of them, as Shang Qinghua had said, must come from Liu Qingge's missions as well…. They're all there for practical purposes.
They are for making medicine .
The trinkets that fill the bamboo house, however, are just things that Shen Qingqiu likes .
Holy fuck , was Shang Qinghua actually right for once in his pathetic life?! Is Liu Qingge in love with Shen Qingqiu?!?
But that's- that's ridiculous! What's there to like, much less love? Shen Qingqiu isn't a good match! He's no warrior, he's not exactly physically strong - in fact, he's crippled , his cultivation acting up because of the stupid poison. And he's supposed to be the scum villain.
Shen Qingqiu decides for his own mental wellbeing that he will ignore this. It's a fruitless train of thoughts! Liu Qingge is the straightest man to walk this earth!
He wouldn't fall in love with Shen Qingqiu.
Right?
~~~~~
The thing about Shang Qinghua and his stupid ideas is that they tend to get stuck in your brain. The best example for that is the original Proud Immortal Demon Way because no matter how horrible the writing and how spotty the plotline were - you couldn't forget about it. It was so bad it made you angry and it stayed on your mind.
The idea of Liu Qingge courting him is just as persistent.
It has been weeks and Shen Qingqiu is actively losing sleep over the possibility. What if Liu Qingge truly is in love with him? What if he's really trying to win him over and Shen Qingqiu has been horribly oblivious?? Of course it's not like he wants Liu Qingge's love - Shen Qingqiu is a straight man after all! Sure, in his previous life there had been that one party and that one guy and that one kiss - but that doesn't count!
(The kiss had been something he'd thought about for weeks too. Shen Qingqiu doesn't like the literal butterflies he gets when he now imagines kissing Liu Qingge.)
They're both straight! There are no What if's and Maybe's !!
…
Shen Qingqiu starts to test the theory. Just, you know…to make sure that Liu Qingge absolutely isn ' t in love with him.
~~~~~
Shen Qingqiu begins his research with observation. He pays far more attention to interactions Liu Qingge has with others versus with him - and already, he finds drastic differences. With others that aren't Zhangmen-shixiong or Mu Qingfang, Bai Zhan's War God is easily irritable and very impatient. He bickers and argues with everyone, he promises physical harm or straight up ignores questions directed at him unless he's required to answer.
Yet all that arrogance vanishes the moment Shen Qingqiu approaches him. While Liu Qingge isn't someone who smiles often, his near permanent frown eases when Shen Qingqiu calls for him. He is still easily irritated but he seems to reign it in a great deal. Overall he's much more patient with Shen Qingqiu.
Next, there's the whole deal of spending time .
Shen Qingqiu observes that Liu Qingge, staying true to his original design (however little one actually saw of it) is a lone wolf. He likes his freedom and his independence. He will rather go out for missions on his own than take others with him, insisting that they'd only be a hindrance to him.
But when Shen Qingqiu asks him occasionally to accompany him down the mountain, either for some harmless missions or simply to stroll through the closest towns and villages, he never says no. He never breathes a complaint either, safe for the obligatory comment on how Shen Qingqiu indulges in mundane things far too often.
He also lights up whenever Shen Qingqiu invites him for tea.
Shen Qingqiu has seen him nearly kick Shang Qinghua off the mountain for a similar request!
Lastly, the touching. Liu Qingge, as expected of a great immortal master, has a personal bubble a mile wide. Unless it is during fights, he doesn't necessarily touch others. Shen Qingqiu watches him evade hands coming to pat his shoulders, ducking away from drunken hugs during one of their Peak Lord meetings that had delved into something akin to an American frat boy party and generally sidestepping any and all attempts at physical contact.
As with everything else though, Shen Qingqiu seems to be the exception.
Liu Qingge touches him freely. Willingly. Hands touching when handing over cups of green tea or forgotten fans, fingers brushing over exposed skin during their meridian cleansing sessions; fixing hair and robes and other accessories or simply sitting close enough to have their thighs pressing together. It feels so natural to Shen Qingqiu that the realization of how reserved Liu Qingge usually is ends up stunning him completely.
Shen Qingqiu stares down at his table, green eyes scanning the handful of notes he has written to keep track of his observations. His face warms with the undeniable truth: he is Liu Qingge's exception for pretty much everything. It really does sound as if-
“Do you like me, Liu-shidi?,” Shen Qingqiu asks into the silent room of his bamboo house - and then angrily slaps at his own cheeks until they're red and stinging. What the fuck is he doing!!! Sighing all wistfully like a lovesick maiden!!!
He's not even in love with Liu Qingge!!! He has no business sighing over him like that!
Shen Qingqiu angrily shoves his notes into a pile and dumps them, deciding that this time for real he is going to ignore the whole topic.
~~~~~
Except he can't.
Now that he is aware of Liu Qingge's supposed feelings for him, Shen Qingqiu simply cannot live on in blissful ignorance. He's acutely aware of all the things Liu Qingge does only for him. He's acutely aware of the special place he obviously has with Bai Zhan's War God. And it gets him thinking.
A lot more than Shen Qingqiu would like to admit. While he's fairly certain he's straight, he can't deny a certain… attraction towards Liu Qingge. But again, that's just natural, isn't it? Liu Qingge is the most handsome, most beautiful man around here! That's a fact, a simple truth - no one is immune to Bai Zhan's War God! And besides- friends give each other gifts, too! It doesn't have to be inherently romantic, so maybe Shen Qingqiu is just overthinking and interpreting way too much into this!
He takes a sip of his tea and shoots a hopefully inconspicuous look towards the man who's been living rent-free in his mind these past couple weeks. It's a beautifully sunny afternoon and Liu Qingge just returned from yet another mission. He will be leaving again this very evening - truly, he's a busy man and Shen Qingqiu admires his diligence - but he still took the time to have tea here in the bamboo house.
“Shen Qingqiu.”
Grey eyes suddenly look right at him and Shen Qingqiu flinches where he sits, feeling like he just got caught. Liu Qingge frowns at his reaction but if he noticed the staring, he doesn't comment on it. Instead, he reaches into a pouch on his belt and pulls out a small leather bag. It's too fancy to contain any of the kills he likes to bring (plus, it isn't dripping with blood) and Shen Qingqiu accepts it curiously.
“I saw it when I was passing through town,” Liu Qingge explains and he looks… a little nervous? Excited? Shen Qingqiu feels his own cheeks warm in response, fingers toying with the straps tying the bag closed. “It made me think of you.”
Shen Qingqiu nearly swallows his tongue. Liu-shidi, have some mercy on my poor heart!!! You can't just say stuff like that with no warning!!!
He opens the bag. His fingers tremble a little more than he'd like to admit as he pulls out the content - and feels his heart skips a beat at the sight of a beautiful, mint-green hairband. It's decorated with intricate embroidery and absolutely stunning, but that's not what steals the breath right out of Shen Qingqiu's lungs.
It is the fact that the green fades into a subtle shade of blue towards the end. The exact shade of sky blue echoed in Liu Qingge's robes.
The colours of Bai Zhan and Qing Jing, united.
Any doubt about whether or not this whole thing is platonic is erased cleanly without a trace. The colours of their Peaks, woven into a statement piece that Shen Qingqiu might wear every single day for everyone to see - a definite claim , a clear sign. This is far beyond platonic. Far beyond mere friendship.
This is definitely a courting gift!!
Shen Qingqiu stares at the ribbon for a long, breathless moment. The gears in his brain turn and shift and oh.
Oh .
Liu Qingge likes him. And Shen Qingqiu just realized that he… might like him back.
Liu Qingge's voice snaps him out of his thoughts: “If it's inappropriate, I can take it back-”
Shen Qingqiu quickly hugs the band against his chest and shakes his head, forgetting all about the role he is supposed to play. By all the Gods, he's sure his face must be rivaling a tomato right now! Where is his fan when he needs it!? He can't be seen this flustered-
“No!,” he manages, unable to look Liu Qingge in the eyes. Shen Qingqiu's heart is actively trying to beat out of his chest, the shock of his sudden realization almost threatening to sweep him away. His fingertips are tingling. “It's- It is much appreciated, shidi, thank you. It's beautiful.”
Liu Qingge immediately loses some of the tension that had started to show in his shoulders, and his lips quirk up into a soft smile that stops Shen Qingqiu's heart a second time. Fuck!
He is still sitting frozen, thoughts going ten miles per second, while Liu Qingge downs his tea and stands, ready to leave. Shen Qingqiu stumbles after him as if in trance - he doesn't remember if he says a proper goodbye at all and the next thing he becomes aware of is Liu Qingge's silhouette ascending gracefully into the peach-coloured evening sky.
His heart hammers against his ribs, each beat deafeningly loud.
Shit .
~~~~~
Liu Qingge's mission takes a week.
Shen Qingqiu spends that week fretting and panicking and ultimately accepting the truth of his own feelings. So he is in love with Liu Qingge, so what! Show him the man who would be entirely straight when faced with Bai Zhan's War God!!
At least Shen Qingqiu gets to skip the whole awkward phase of trying to figure out whether or not his feelings are reciprocated. He already has all the proof he needs for that! Now the only thing left to do to make things official, and to show his dearest shidi that his feelings have finally been acknowledged, is to find a perfect courting gift to give in return.
He decides on a pair of finely crafted, silver vambraces that caught his eye. They're a little more decorative than strictly meant for protection but since Liu Qingge is the strongest guy around anyways, that detail doesn't matter. Shen Qingqiu spends a good couple of hours imbuing them with his spiritual energy and applying various protection charms and spells. And just as a little personal something to match the ribbon that has been adorning his hair every day for the past week, Shen Qingqiu also adds a green jade tassel for Cheng Luan.
A subtle hint of Qing Jing green on Bai Zhan's Peak Lord.
He is both nervous and excited with the gifts all packed up; fingertips tingling and cheeks heating at the thought of giving them to Liu Qingge. What will his reaction be, Shen Qingqiu wonders - and then he slaps himself again because for fuck's sake, he's doing the whole lovesick maiden thing again!!
Get a grip!!!
Taking a couple deep breaths to calm his racing heart, Shen Qingqiu carefully stows the gifts away into his sleeves and stands; but as much as he'd like to get this show on the road immediately, Liu Qingge isn't due to be back until tomorrow.
So Shen Qingqiu tries to distract himself for the remainder of the day, even though the gifts burn holes into his sleeves.
~~~~~
He's resolutely going to deny that he is nervous .
Until his dying day, Shen Qingqiu will refuse to admit that he has been vibrating out of his skin for the better part of the day already - starting from the moment Liu Qingge dropped by to greet him immediately upon his return to the inelegant way Shen Qingqiu had relayed his invitation for tea in the afternoon to now.
Now he's sitting by his table, fingers tracing the rim of his cup that is still empty, while the teapot is hot and steaming to the side. The scent of the tea calms the anticipation cursing through Shen Qingqiu's veins a little bit, at least.
Liu Qingge doesn't let him wait for long. His arrival causes an uproar as usual and the force of his steps seems to shake the ground of Qing Jing in its entirety - yet the careless kick to open the door that one might expect doesn't happen. Liu Qingge lets himself into the bamboo house like a normal person and Shen Qingqiu can't help but smile.
“Shidi!,” he greets enthusiastically and is delighted to see Liu Qingge's expression soften. “Come sit, come sit! This shixiong prepared tea for you! Surely you must be tired after your mission.”
A small, grateful smile plays over Liu Qingge's lips, gone as quickly as it came but he settles next to Shen Qingqiu and accepts a cup of tea. He doesn't talk yet but that is normal; after all, Bai Zhan's War God is a little on the quiet side. Shen Qingqiu usually doesn't mind but today , with the gifts in his sleeves and after a night of fitful sleep, the silence seems too heavy to bear.
He manages to sit still for the time it takes Liu Qingge to finish his first cup. Over the steam of the hot tea as he refills it, Shen Qingqiu says: “This shixiong has something for you, shidi.”
Liu Qingge pauses, his expression an adorable mix of confusion and surprise. “What is it?”
Shen Qingqiu takes a slow, measured breath and reaches into his sleeves. Out come the little lacquer box and an unassuming silk satchel, both of which he holds out for Liu Qingge to take. His heartbeat nearly deafens him. Shen Qingqiu bites the inside of his cheek while Liu Qingge opens the box first, then the satchel and watches as those storm-grey eyes grow wide.
Success!
Liu Qingge does seem speechless, running a finger over the cool, glinting metal of the vambraces. He jerks back a little after the first touch and then his face grows more focused; without a doubt he has noticed the protection charms and qi infused in the material. There's wonder in his eyes, an expression that makes him look vulnerable and absolutely adorable.
Shen Qingqiu's poor heart will give out at this rate!
Liu Qingge looks back up at him. “These are-”
“Courting gifts!”, Shen Qingqiu excitedly explains - at the same time as Liu Qingge finishes with: “-beautiful.”
A beat of horribly awkward, deafening silence follows.
Shen Qingqiu's heart ceases to beat and he stares at Liu Qingge with the same shell-shocked expression he can see on his shidi's face.
“What,” Liu Qingge asks flatly, clearly confused and Shen Qingqiu wants to kill himself. Holy shit, he was wrong about this !!!!! There's no joy in Liu Qingge's face over finally knowing his feelings are reciprocated - there is just utter mortification and surprise. Shen Qingqiu has half the mind to get up and jump off the closest rainbow bridge, embarrassment heating his face.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, of course he was wrong about this!!
Awkward doesn't even begin to describe the atmosphere between them!! Liu Qingge's face changes colours several times, goes from stark white to red to green and back to white and it would be funny if Shen Qingqiu didn't feel like passing out from how utterly embarrassed he is. His chest feels hollow. His heart hurts but he doesn't register it.
“Forget it!, he says quickly and much too loud. Gods, this was stupid ! Shen Qingqiu has been deluding himself into thinking Liu Qingge, the straightest man around, would have feelings for him!! That's what he gets for listening to Shang Qinghua and his bullshit ideas!!! “Forget it, shidi, please pretend this shixiong did not say anything-”
Liu Qingge looks like he's in physical pain. His handsome face is pale as snow, although there are twin spots of red creeping onto his cheeks. (Shen Qingqiu gets it, he does!)
“Why,” Liu Qingge starts roughly, and clears his throat. “Why would you give me courting gifts?”
Shen Qingqiu is going to summon Xiu Ya to stab himself right this instant. An honorable death in the face of this embarrassment!
Please don't make me explain this, shidi!!
He remains silent, tongue glued to the roof of his mouth while Liu Qingge stares him down, just as silent. The lacquer box is creaking under the force of his grip and Shen Qingqiu wonders if Liu Qingge imagines crushing his throat instead for the sheer audacity.
“Shen Qingqiu.”
How he wishes the Endless Abyss would open up right here and right now to swallow him whole!!! Fighting for his life in a literal hell hole sounds more pleasant than sitting here and having this conversation!!! Forget about saving myself, bring me Luo Binghe so he can end me right this instant !
“Shen Qingqiu!”
There's impatience in Liu Qingge's tone. Shen Qingqiu wants to shrink away from the force of it - but he is a Peak Lord. He is Shen Qingqiu now and he won't back down. Better to sort out this mess and hope they can part as friends but yeah, he would understand if Liu Qingge never wants anything to do with him ever again.
“This shixiong was foolish,” Shen Qingqiu starts slowly, unable to look at Liu Qingge. He's surprised how calm he sounds, while his heart threatens to shatter his ribs. His fingers are ice cold where they're wrapped around his fan, now spread out to give him some semblance of safety. “This shixiong believed Liu-shidi was courting him. It was a misunderstanding. Liu-shidi may still keep the gifts if he wishes, as a simple gesture of friendship.”
It hurts to say it. Shen Qingqiu can taste blood in his mouth; if this is an incoming qi deviation, he hopes Liu Qingge will just leave him to die. It would be kinder than forcing him to live with this embarrassment.
There's another stretch of painful silence.
“You thought I was courting you,” Liu Qingge repeats slowly and Shen Qingqiu barely restrains a groan. Leave me some face, shidi!
“Why?”
That has Shen Qingqiu looking up after all. He meets grey eyes; Liu Qingge looks about as uncomfortable as Shen Qingqiu feels. The splash of crimson on his cheeks has spread out and it makes him look unfairly pretty; Shen Qingqiu's traitorous heart, even breaking apart as it is, still skips a hopeless beat at the sight.
“Why?,” Shen Qingqiu echoes. “You- you kept bringing me gifts!”
The crimson colour on Liu Qingge's cheeks darkens again and spreads all the way to his collar. He shifts where he sits but doesn't look away, stubborn as always.
“I was being nice!,” he shoots back, embarrassment colouring his voice. “B- buying you things became a habit!”
“You gave me a hairband in Bai Zhan's colours!,” Shen Qingqiu petulantly defends. His embarrassment and hurt mix with anger over that particular detail - how was he supposed to know this gift was merely friendly?! The specific colours are there for a reason! Unless certain circumstances require it, no one would wear the colours of another Peak just for fun!!
Liu Qingge seems to realize that now too. His eyes go very, very wide - it makes him look so much younger, so much softer . Shen Qingqiu's heart aches at the sight. He wants to be alone, to lick his wounds in peace and nurse his broken heart! This entire situation is incredibly awkward and uncomfortable and he wants to run away from it!!
Liu Qingge keeps staring. His throat works; it looks like he wants to say something but can't find the words. Under any other circumstances, Shen Qingqiu would find it funny - but as it is, the atmosphere is too awkward. It's so uncomfortable, in fact, that Shen Qingqiu can't bear it. And as always, his number one defense are his words.
“The hairband and the gifts aside, shidi, what else was this one supposed to think? I'm your- I'm your exception for everything ! You're patient with me when you barely tolerate others. You let me touch you when you can't seem to stand anyone's hands on you. They say you're a lone wolf but you voluntarily spend your free time with me!”
It's terribly out of character, to say all of this so bluntly but Shen Qingqiu can't stop himself. It's like a dam opened and now the words just keep tumbling out, impossible to take back. Liu Qingge's eyes keep getting wider and wider, his face redder and redder.
“... I was courting you,” he says eventually when Shen Qingqiu lapses into silence and he sounds surprised. Shen Qingqiu snaps his mouth shut with a click because, what???
Determination takes over Liu Qingge's pretty face. From one moment to the next, he shakes off his stupor and meets Shen Qingqiu's eyes. “I was courting you and I was too blind to realize it myself,” Liu Qingge finishes. He sounds… frustrated. Maybe even disappointed.
Shen Qingqiu honestly has no idea how to react anymore.
“Liu-shidi- “
“Let me do it again.”
….
What.
“What??,” Shen Qingqiu says out loud, inelegant and taken aback. “What do you mean-”
Liu Qingge catches one of his hands and holds on tight - his fingers are just as cold as Shen Qingqiu's own. Impressively enough, his face can get redder. But despite his troubled expression, his grip on Shen Qingqiu's hand is gentle. He even runs a finger over the back of it, a touch so light that it sends tingles through Shen Qingqiu's whole body.
“Allow me to court you, “ Liu Qingge says. “Properly this time.”
Talk about an emotional roller coaster!! , Shen Qingqiu thinks, dumbfounded. He can't find any words. Don't say that just because you feel sorry for me!!
He shifts in his seat. The attempt to withdraw his hand from Liu Qingge fails and Shen Qingqiu awkwardly clears his throat, thoroughly confused by now. “Don't force yourself, shidi,” he hears himself say. “There is no need to be nice.”
Liu Qingge tugs at his hand, insistently enough for Shen Qingqiu to look up. There's no insincerity to be found on that handsome face. Only honest determination. Under the attention, Shen Qingqiu's broken heart hesitantly pieces itself back together and begins beating twice as fast.
“I mean it.” Liu Qingge emphasizes his words with a squeeze of their hands. “I want to court you. I- I did not understand my own feelings until now.”
Shen Qingqiu is silent for a moment. He searches Liu Qingge's face, takes in the lovely blush on those high cheekbones, the steadfast will shining brightly in those dark eyes, lively like stars. Given Liu Qingge's temperament and his character, it does seem… likely that he really had no idea until presented with proof.
Would it hurt to take this chance?
“If Liu-shidi is sure-”
“I am!!”
“- then this shixiong would be honored.”
Liu Qingge smiles at that. A rare and real, honest smile that lights up his whole face and takes Shen Qingqiu's breath away. He's truly the most beautiful man in this entire world with the most beautiful smile.
It would be a crime not to kiss it!
Shen Qingqiu does just that - and is delighted when Liu Qingge simply melts into him.