Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When beleaguered An Ding outer disciple Shang Hui trespassed his way into the Cang Qiong library before the sun rose to pilfer some manuals to copy and replace later, he hadn’t expected to see another shadow in the dark coming from the direction of the restricted section. Shit, was that a hallmaster? If it was, wouldn’t they have a night pearl at hand? Cultivators had better night vision than regular people but not to the degree most would forego a light when it was available. He froze and slowly crouched down, breathing as quietly as possible as the figure got closer. Both flinched as a light appeared near the entrance, and Shang Hui made a split-second decision. The other person was obviously trespassing as well, so maybe he could earn a favor? He was near the bottom of the totem pole at this point and didn’t have much to lose. He straightened and grabbed the figures’ arm before hurrying them both to the perimeter wall with a concealed crawl hole, going through first in case the approaching light caught up to them. He was being generous, but he wasn’t a martyr!

The exit panel to the crawlspace was concealed behind a large bush in a thankfully deserted courtyard behind the library. A high wall cut them off from the rest of Cang Qiong, which had the most nighttime activity of the other peaks due to medical emergencies. The mystery figure emerged not long after, brushing down their robes with a soft sigh of relief. Shang Hui could make out the robes of a Cang Qiong inner disciple in the moonlight, though it could be a disguise – he himself was wearing generic Cang Qiong robes he’d swiped from the laundry. The outline of a large, bound stack of paper was visible under the stranger’s collar before Shang Hui’s eyes snapped up to peer at his face. The other boy was clearly older by at least a few years when he stepped further into the moonlight, so mystery-shixiong it was. They stared one another down, Shang Hui’s own pilfered manuscript less obvious but still visible from this close. He’d already liberated a qiankun pouch in the two years he’d been in the sect, but being caught with it as an overlooked outer disciple would be hard to explain so it lived in a secure hiding place not on his person.

“Um. So.” It wasn’t his best opening line but he was functionally a pre-teen in this world so he forgave himself. “I see Shixiong is also an appreciator of books?” That replaced the hard stare with a raised eyebrow, the other’s posture relaxing slightly at his calculated, frivolous tone. He still didn’t respond, which was unfair. He was also a thief? Couldn’t he play along, ah??

“Not that it’s any of this Shidi’s business if Shixiong is! Nope! This humble outer disciple wouldn’t dare question a senior’s um, nighttime activities-”

“We’re not stealing.”

“Of course, of course-"

“We’re borrowing without permission until we return them safely.” The stranger’s lips quirked finally, softening his expression considerably. “That was also Shidi’s intention, correct?” The tone was closer to a ‘do we have an understanding?’ than ‘say no and I’ll break your kneecaps’ vague threat, so he only took one step back to bow furiously at his extremely magnanimous shixiong. “Yes! Of course! There won’t be so much as a misplaced speck of ink when this one replaces it!”

***

Mu Fuhuan should be asking more questions about why the other boy was stealing from the library, but he certainly wasn’t an innocent in this situation and the unknown shidi had come to his aid for no particular reason he could fathom. He’d return the favor now and see if it led to more answers in the future.

“Shixiong will do Shidi a favor for being so diligent. What will it be?”

The other’s eyes widened before he fell to his knees at Mu Fuhuan’s feet, clutching the bottom of his robes in supplication. It was so dramatic and unexpected he blinked a few times to make sure it wasn’t a temporary hallucination.

“Healing basics. Baby’s first qi-healing, bruise salves, um, um, how to properly wrap wounds or broken bones? Medicine for headaches and fatigue!”

Mu Fuhuan couldn’t see the shidi’s expression where he kneeled at his feet, but the obvious desperation behind the excitement made him uneasy. Bullying wasn’t uncommon between seniors and juniors, or even between certain peaks. He himself had encountered hostile seniors and peers when he first arrived at Cang Qiong, but this urgency hinted at a more serious situation. He gently extricated his robes from the clutching fingers and pulled the other boy to his feet.

“Alright. We’ll figure out a time and place for Shidi to have his lessons.” This time he managed to intercept the leg hugging, holding the other boy’s forearms firmly.

“Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! This Shang Hui isn’t skilled but will try not to waste Shixiong’s time! Thank you!”

Shang-shidi then. Finally sure the younger boy would stay put, he dug into his sleeves. He was pretty sure he had…ah, yes. He handed Shang Hui a container of bruise cream and a bag of dried calming tea.

“This Mu Fuhuan will also do his best to teach. Shixiong is expected for the morning shift soon, but we’ll meet again.”

They were such minor items, but Shang Hui regarded them as if his shixiong had handed him a chest of pearls. Mu Fuhuan managed to intercept another leg dive, pulling him straight with a chastising pat to the arm. Tears were dripping freely down Shang-shidi’s face before he pulled himself together and wiped it on his sleeve, managing a watery smile that at least reached his eyes. He looked unbearably young in that moment, and the weight of what he’d asked for and what it implied settled in Mu Fuhuan’s chest like a stone.

“If Mu-shixiong needs to…borrow more texts without permission, this Shidi may be able to offer his services. Or if Shixiong needs help returning them.” Shang Hui bowed deeply then disappeared into the night, Mu Fuhuan listening for passerby near the wall before following suit.
What a strange boy.

***

Shang Hui felt like he was floating as he stashed his treasures in his illicit qiankun pouch before making his way to the outer disciple dorms. Instead of getting caught, he’d gained an ally! At least for now. He’d refine his methods to get texts in and out of their rightful places in a sneaky way, and then that shixiong, Mu Fuhuan-

Wait. Mu?

He may not be lucky, in his previous life or currently, but even a broken clock is right twice a day, right? Could Mu-shixiong be the future Peak Lord of Qian Cao, Mu Qingfang? It’d be way too lucky if that was the case!

Chapter Text

Shang Hui occasionally let his guard down when continuous gopher duties turned his usually overactive brain to mush. In this case, his mind had wandered to his recent miraculous stroke of luck. Trying on optimism, he’d eagerly intercepted Mu Fuhuan a few days later in his usual An Ding attire to see if he was done with his book, so that Shang Hui could return both and they could schedule a time and place to meet for lessons. Mu-shidi–now that he wasn’t trying to hide his peak affiliation, they’d defaulted to the proper titles for their respective peak statuses–had been as accommodating as their first meeting, and for once he was feeling…hopeful? Of course, his luck being what it was, that feeling was about to bite him in the ass. His balance tipped as one of his shijie accidentally-on-purpose side swiped the crate he was carrying with her own as she passed him on the path, the weight sending him tumbling down the slope. He screamed embarrassingly loud as he fell, maneuvering just enough to land next to his load rather than under it. The shijie was long gone at that point; the steeper incline made this an unpopular route compared to the winding main path, which pointed to deliberate sabotage rather than opportunistic. This is what he got for being all “glass half full” after the library incident, fuck!

Using the thankfully unbroken crate to steady himself, he tried to stand and yelped before ending back on the ground. He hadn’t been a stranger to pain in this world, but his ankle was on fire in a way he’d never felt before. He was alone and attracting the attention of the wrong person could make things worse. The flaring pain was making him nauseous, and he tried to breathe through it as he turned his predicament over in his mind. If the cargo in the box was unharmed, he'd at least escape punishment for that. Was he going to have to crawl until he could find help? And oh shit, he’d originally been distracted because this was the day he was supposed to meet-

“Shang-shixiong?”

Here he was, losing awareness of his surroundings again. Fuck it! At least he was saved!

“MU-SHIDI,” he wailed. Dignity? What was that? He was in pain, functionally a child, and being pathetic could only help, right? There was genuine gratitude in the gesture as he clutched his rescuer’s thigh before jostling the ankle and swearing, clutching his lifeline tighter before gentle but firm fingers extricated him and laid him flat.

“Shang-shixiong, Shidi needs know where the pain is coming from.”

Gingerly scooting back to lean against the crate, he gestured to his poor ankle currently hidden inside his boot.

“Put this under your nose and close your eyes. Breathe deeply when this one says so,” Mu Fuhuan instructed as a sachet of herbs was pressed into his hand. Good advice, as it turned out – the strong scent kept his head from spinning as the boot was carefully removed and lightly calloused fingers probed his tender ankle.

Mu Fuhuan clicked his tongue in disapproval before Shang Hui felt cool qi flow through him. When his ankle was moved again, the pain had lessened from ‘Will we have to amputate??’ to ‘Owie ):’.

“What happened?”

He hoped the permission to keep his eyes closed still stood.

“Uh. This Shixiong was maybe, possibly, shoved by one of his martial siblings? Or it could have been an accident.” It wasn’t but he couldn’t prove that, especially against a senior. “Wait, how did Mu-shidi find me?”

“This one heard Shang-shixiong scream,” Mu Fuhuan said, brow furrowed in concern when Shang Hui cracked an eye open to judge his sincerity. “So of course Shidi would come to your aid.”

Good for Shang Hui doctors had an innate responsibility to help people!

“If Shang-shixiong can bear it, could he open his eyes? This shixiong will show you how to wrap the injury.”

Score, they’d have an actual teaching demo!

Shang Hui was downright cheerful when they finished, happy for more practical knowledge to survive the wretched world he’d created and for being allowed the (questionable) dignity to hobble, not crawl, back to the dormitories.

“If Shidi can find a walking stick, this shixiong will find his own way back! Thanking Mu-shidi for the lesson!”

He couldn’t interpret the resulting stare and felt anxiety curl in his gut before Mu-shidi turned to leave and- pulled Shang Hui onto his back before stepping onto his sword.

It was rude to shriek right into his shidi’s ear as they rose to fly to Qian Cao, but he was surprised, okay?? Mu-shidi, at least warn a guy before impromptu sword flight!

Mu Fuhuan flew low as they arrived on the medical peak, stopping in front of a modest disciple house rather than the receiving pavilion. What?

“What?”

“This Shidi needs to return to his duties soon and will send word to An Ding about Shixiong’s condition. In the meantime, Shang-shixiong should rest.”

That was all he got before he was laid down on a bed with his ankle elevated, provided with a jug of water alongside some dried fruits and nuts, and left to his own devices.

Was Mu-shidi a spirit of mercy? An angel?? He’d honestly been dreading the usual hustle and bustle of the light-injuries ward and would never dream of being allowed the luxury of a private room.

Being Mu-shidi’s book runner really had its perks! Never one to pass up the opportunity for snooping, Shang Hui's eyes hungrily roamed the house for information. Everything he could see was healing peak related – potted plants, dried herbs, detailed medical illustrations, various tools and grinders spread throughout the cluttered space. There were also zero personal effects that he could see. Mu-shidi, were you a monk? Have you foresworn all material needs in pursuit of your craft, ah?

Snooping complete until he could walk, Shang Hui shoved aside the ceramic pillow (how tragic Mu-shidi, he’d written down pillows into PIDW too, you know! Peerless Cucumber had hate-written an entire historical essay about it in the forums!) and promptly passed out.

A rhythmic scraping on the edge of his awareness almost lulled him back to complete unconsciousness until his poor, pillow-less neck cricked, and he sat up to rub it with a groan. Mu Fuhuan was sitting at his low table grinding something with his wheel when he noticed and set it aside to stand.

“How is Shang-shixiong feeling? It’s dark, so he’s free to stay and Shidi will fly him back in the morning.”

His stupid, anxious hamster wheel brain obliterated his previous inner peace as his fingers tightened on the blanket that he definitely hadn’t pulled over himself before sleeping. Mu-shidi had given him one?

“This one’s already intruded too much on Mu-shidi’s hospitality, if there’s a crutch available this one can-”

“Shang-shixiong will not walk back to his peak alone with an injury. If this Shidi was not willing to take responsibility for Shang-shixiong’s wellbeing, he would not have brought him here.”

The firm but not harsh tone slowed the hamster wheel to a crawl. That was true, wasn’t it? He hadn’t asked for any of this. He’d offered multiple times to make his own way and stop bothering his shidi!

“Mu-shidi is very kind.”

The earnestness he could hear in his own words made Shang Hui freeze up. Way too honest for an acquaintance! An acquaintance gained from crime, no less! What if-

“Shang-shixiong is kind as well,” he somehow hallucinated his shidi saying in return as his ankle was prodded and the blanket draped back over him.

“…WHAT???”

Mu Fuhuan’s mouth opened, probably to spout more nonsense, so Shang Hui cut him off. Politely and definitely not in a panicking way.

“Did Mu-shidi catch ill during his shift? This Shixiong-” he thumped his chest for emphasis “-is a coward! And sneaky! Mu-shidi is trading his precious free time to teach this one for mutual administrative assistance! If this Shixiong was kind, he’d do it for free!!”

He knew he was being very stupid right now, but Mu Fuhuan had helped him. Mu Qingfang had been written to have a sympathetic smile and gentle voice for every patient but being treated with basic respect by him in person, past and present, felt too… real. Too pure, too good for this world in particular. Thinking Shang Hui was kind was a dangerous path to tread.

“Why did Shang-shixiong help, in the library?”

The internal record scratch ground his brain to a halt as Shang Hui’s mouth dropped open. Huh?

“What?”

“If Shang-shixiong thinks so lowly of his own character, why didn’t he leave this Shidi behind in the library?”

What?

“Huh?”

Mu Fuhuan, cruelly, was waiting patiently for an answer. When several heartbeats had gone by without one, he sat beside Shang Hui on the bed.

“Some familiarity wouldn’t be amiss at this point, would it? Shang-shixiong could have demanded a more elaborate favor than learning basic medical care, or resorted to blackmail to out me as a book thief-”

“We put them back!”

“You put them back, therefore taking all the risk-”

“I'm sneaky! I don't want to get caught, so-”

“If I thought Shang-shixiong truly possessed a nefarious nature, you wouldn’t be in my home.” He discarded his slippers as he spoke, pulling his legs up to wrap his arms around them. “And I wouldn’t wish for us to be friends, with no debts between us.”

The older boy looked painfully vulnerable with his arms wrapped around his knees, tired eyes taking in Shang Hui hopefully. This close, he could see the faint indents near the corners of Mu Fuhuan’s eyes that must be from glasses he wore while pouring over medical documents. The hamster wheel in Shang Hui's head screeched to a halt, allowing an intrusive thought to interrupt anything vulnerable or mushy that might have otherwise slipped out of his big mouth.

“I’M ON YOUR BED IN MY OUTSIDE CLOTHES”

His body moved before his brain could catch up, jumping up from the bed onto his bad ankle. Luckily, Mu Fuhuan had finely tuned “patients doing stupid shit” instincts that allowed him to catch the younger boy before he could crumple to the ground for the third(?) time that day, settling him safely on the bed.

“I'm sure Shang-shixiong is aware that Qian Cao goes through more laundry in a day than several other peaks combined, and this Shidi has slept in much worse conditions. Does Shixiong wish to undress to his inner robes before bed?”

Cleanliness trumped modesty as Shang Hui decided that wearing full-coverage inner robes was much less of a faux pas than sleeping in another person’s bed in his (dusty, shit) outer robes and ducked behind the privacy screen. Wait, he was staying the night?

***

Mu Fuhuan had changed the bedding and stripped down himself when Shang Hui emerged from behind the screen, looking as emotionally exhausted as he felt. They settled side by side on the bed, pressed together from the size constraint. Shang Hui’s heart was rabbiting in his chest, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable otherwise. He also hadn’t answered the previous question, and the teenager felt embarrassment bloom in his chest before a barely audible “No debts between us sounds good. I um. Yes.” As Mu Fuhuan’s head turned towards him the preteen curled up to his side facing the wall, heartbeat finally slowing into sleep.