Chapter Text
Shang Qinghua enjoyed sleeping, it was one of the few ways he could escape his Mobei Jun shaped problem. However, it did come with a few drawbacks. One was that he was blissfully unaware of his king's current distress towards his absence. The cultivator is given quite the rude awakening when he is dropped through a frigid portal and lands on the smooth tile floor of the Northern Palace. Who would have thought that waking up to yourself falling through space would scare you shitless? Not Mobei Jun! Shang Qinghua scrambled to his knees and tried to conceal his shaking.
"M-my King! What can this humble servant do for you...?" the cultivator could only imagine the joyous night he would have after this encounter. Would this constitute Mobei Jun to hit him? He hadn't directed any punches toward Shang Qinghua for a while and he could only pray it would stay that way. Mobei Jun's seemingly permanent frown deepened as he scrutinized his spy. Even though Mobei Jun was well aware of Shang Qinghua's importance to the North, he couldn't help but think of him as a mouse dressed in peak lord attire rather than the head of logistics for a renowned sect. He saw Shang Qinghua as his own friend, toy, pet. He honestly couldn't place Shang Qinghua anywhere and it bothered him.
"You stayed away for too long," he started, "I waited for you for a few minutes, but you didn't come back, so I took you," Mobei Jun stated with an expression akin to someone talking about the weather and not kidnapping their employee.
...
What. Shang Qinghua thought, what do you mean you waited for a few minutes!? Was I supposed to just read your damn mind!? Shang Qinghua thought of many different snarky and outright mean remarks but decided to keep them for whatever lower ranking demon pissed him off next.
"This servant apologizes for his incompetence, it will not happen again," the An Ding Peak Lord hopes this response will spare him from any upcoming violence Mobei Jun may choose to inflict on him. Thankfully, after a moment it becomes apparent that his king isn't in a talking mood, and he leaves the room with a scowl. Deciding he has nothing better to do, Shang Qinghua scurries off to his chambers and discovers his personal favorite thing to fucking despise as of late. Mountains of paperwork. The once semi-clean room was now filled with stacks upon stacks of yet to be filled out paperwork. He kicked himself thrice for thinking he might have been able to go back to sleep tonight.
"Fuck..." Shang Qinghua sighed, "I'd better get started," he finished as he sauntered over to a messy desk to forge signatures and read over requests from the palace staff.
Drowning out the sound of some not so civil conversations regarding fuck all to do with him, Shang Qinghua really just wants to go back to sleep. Seriously! Why did Mobei Jun have to drag him out to some demon meeting that has nothing to do with him!? This man makes no sense! There were times when it got to loud for him to think, followed by periods of silence that dragged on for what felt like eternity. This is bullshit in its most basic, purest form. He thought to himself. He would've kept cursing every official in the meeting room out, but a deep voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Shang Qinghua."
Oh, fuck me.
"Yes, My King?" Shang Qinghua answered, sweating bullets.
"Would you... prefer to leave?" Mobei Jun asked hesitantly. He seemed to have picked up on Shang Qinghua's aggravation and felt that as his friend, owner, caretaker. Whatever, just his, he should do something. Shang Qinghua looked over to Mobei Jun, awestruck. Since when did it matter what servant Shang Qinghua felt? He wasn't the only one in the room surprised, in fact everyone was in quite the stupor at the demon's words.
"I... um, yes?" Shang Qinghua regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Could Mobei Jun just be testing him? He felt a gush of chilly air come towards him. It was gentle, like light rain on his face as he was transported back to the palace in the blink of an eye. More specifically, Mobei Jun's room. Even more specifically, with Mobei Jun. The room was dark with the curtains having not been pulled back yet, but it wasn't unfamiliar. Shang Qinghua had been here many times; he was actually here quite regularly to wake Mobei Jun up or report what he did to Mobei Jun before his beauty sleep. He didn't yesterday, only because it was too late, and today he was slumped over his desk until early afternoon!
"You're tired." He wasn't asking so much as telling Shang Qinghua what he felt.
"Well... there was just a lot to do last night, and I kinda just... didn't stop?" he admitted. Mobei Jun sighed, having been accustomed to this behavior for a while. He glanced at his bed, and then at Shang Qinghua. Huh? Shang Qinghua thought, what do you want!? I can't read your mind, My King! Just say it! "I don't follow...?" he said with a confused look. Mobei Jun stepped towards him and scooped him up.
"Bed. You will sleep." Mobei Jun said and after a moment continued, "8 hours." Shang Qinghua flushed red at Mobei Jun's words.
"My King... isn't this a little..." his words trailed off at the end leaving Mobei Jun with a questioning look.
"A little what? Where has your mind gone?"
"That's not what I meant..." Shang Qinghua defended as he averted his gaze. Mobei Jun gave him a faint smile.
"Silly Qinghua, get some sleep," he said, laying Shang Qinghua down and then following suit. Shang Qinghua was now in quite the predicament. Mobei Jun laid next to him on his back, as still as an ice sculpture. Shang Qinghua was panicking lying next to his dream man, his king. The latter wasn't even bothered in the slightest! Damn you Mobei! How are you so perfect and unbothered all the time!? The only thing he could do now was close his eyes and try to fall asleep and not fall even harder for Mobei Jun, which may prove harder to do than he thought.