Work Text:
It was a regular meeting between the demon lords and their high ranked demons in the Demon Palace.
It usually is boring if there's no argument which would then turn into a 1v1 or group fight. Luo Binghe would sit on the throne with half of his mind thinking about his Shizun and Sha Hualing would be either half asleep or polishing her nails.
However, in today's meeting, they were both attracted by something. That ‘something’ was very small but still very eye-catching. Everyone in the meeting probably had noticed it but only Luo Binghe and Sha Hualing would dare to keep looking at it.
It was a tiny furry ball with a fluffy big tail running up and down on Mobei-Jun. Beyond any demons’ expectations, Mobei-Jun didn't look annoyed. He even gently picked up the little furry ball and put it up to his head after it fell on his thighs. The little one then happily made a mess with the demon lord’s hair in front of dozens of his underlings. Finally, it seemed satisfied with its work and started napping there.
Luo Binghe scaned the hall and knew there would be no progress on the remaining meeting as everyone's attention was on that little creature. He waved his hand to call off the meeting and dismissed everyone except Mobei-Jun. And of course, Sha Hualing, who will never miss the fun, also stayed behind.
“Mobei-Jun. What's that on your head?” Sha Hualing pointed to the half asleep furry ball on Mobei-Jun's head.
“I don't know.” Mobei-Jun spooned the little one with one hand and showed it to his demon fellows.
“It looks like a squirrel. It's a little wild animal in the human realm. We also have some on the Cang Qiong Mountains.” Luo Binghe commented.
“It looks very fragile.” Sha Hualing used her index finger to poke the squirrel.
The little one sensed the danger and flinched. Sha Hualing greeted it with an intimidating smile. It immediately squeaked, then fled along Mobei-Jun's sleeves and hid into the collar of his robe.
Mobei-Jun’s gave Sha Hualing a warning glare and Sha Hualing immediately had her hands holding up to show her innocence. She looked at Luo Binghe for assistance.
Luo Binghe steped forward and slowly had his hand held in front of Mobei-Jun's collar. Animals used to like him a lot, however, this little one didn't. It popped its head out from Mobei-Jun’s collar and sniffed Luo Binghe's finger. Then, it hissed to Luo Binghe and went back to hide under the robe.
Under his usual stoic face, Mobei-Jun was a bit proud. On the other hand, Luo Binghe felt a bit hurt by its reaction, so he decided to ask for some comforts from his Shizun later.
“It seems to only like you. Does it have a name?” Luo Binghe withdrew his hand and asked.
“Qinghua.” The Demon Lord of the Northern Desert answered.
Luo Binghe and Sha Hualing exchanged a look and gave Mobei-Jun a disgusted expression.
“You named this little creature after your human?” Sha Hualing judged with a despised look.
“I don't see any problem in it. It's time for Qinghua's snack time. If there's no other issue to be discussed. I will take my leave now.”
Before Luo Binghe's granted his request, Mobei-Jun had already opened a shadow portal and walked into it.
– - - - - –
Mobei-Jun is not good at communicating. So, what he meant was that ‘There’s no problem to address Shang Qinghua as Qinghua’. And yes, this little furry ball, instead, is the Shang Qinghua that Mobei-Jun picked up at Anding-Peak seven days ago.
– A week ago on Anding-Peak.
Even after Shang Qinghua became an unofficial consort of the Lord of Northern Desert, he still kept his title as the Peak Lord of Anding-Peak at Cang Qiong Mountains. But unlike Shen Qingqiu who almost left all his duty behind, Shang Qinghua still needs to work for both Cang Qiong Mountains Sect and the Northern Desert Clan.
After a lot of negotiations and ‘sacrifices’, his King, Mobei-Jun finally agreed he could spend seven days each month on Anding-Peak to settle his Peak Lord's duty.
That's the seventh day of the agreed schedule of this month. So, Mobei-Jun came to Anding-Peak to pick up his little human.
As always, the cabin of the Anding-Peak Lord was a chaotic mess which was full of unfinished scrolls and stocks. In the middle of the workplace was a wooden low desk which Shang Qinghua should usually be laying on it with heavy dark circles on his barely open eyes.
However, Shang Qinghua was not there. The desk looked more chaotic than usual. Mobei-Jun frowned as he grabbed a paper from the top of the scrolls. The words written on it were ruined by some strange claw marks in ink all over them. Mobei-Jun picked up another scroll and found it was the same. Then, Mobei-Jun noticed a tiny movement on the stacks of scrolls. He put them away and found there’s a little creature sleeping under the scrolls with a lot of melon seeds surrounding it.
“Intruder. You ruined Qinghua’s works.” Mobei-Jun grabbed it by its big fluffy tail and an ice spike was forming from his other hand.
The squirrel squeaked and tried to swing its body to escape. The moment the spike was just an inch to impale the tiny one’s body, it stopped and crushed into ice flakes.
Mobei-Jun cupped the terrified squirrel with both his hands carefully and didn’t mind the little one biting on his thumb. There’s a little yellow ribbon tie on the squirrel’s neck and a sky blue crystal was hung in front of it. That’s an accessory he gifted to Shang Qinghua earlier.
“Qinghua?” Mobei-Jun puzzled when he pulled it closer to examine. The squirrel’s ears pinned as Mobei-Jun said the name and raised its head to look at Mobei-Jun. It then licked the tiny bite mark on Mobei-Jun’s thumb where it bit earlier.
“No worries. This King will look after you no matter what you become.”
– - - - - –
— Does the Squirrel-Qinghua turn back to Human-Qinghua?
— Unfortunately…… no.
Another seven days passed, Mobei-Jun was in his bed with his little Squirrel-Qinghua lying on his bare chest. It was busy cracking some melon seeds and had its big tail swinging lazily along with Mobei-Jun’s index finger that was circling it.
“My King!!”
Suddenly, the chamber door was slammed open. Shang Qinghua, the human one, rushed in and ran to Mobei-Jun’s bedside.
“I am sorry that I was away for that long!! Please forgive me!!”
“Qinghua?” Mobei-Jun promptly sat up and looked at the little human standing by his bed. He had one arm carefully hold the Squirrel-Qinghua to his chest so that it wouldn’t fall off.
“Why do you look so stunned? I did mention I would be away for two weeks for some Cang Qiong Sect’s duty. Didn’t you see the note I left on my desk at Anding Peak?”
Mobei-Jun’s stoic face was frozen for almost half a minute.
Just when Shang Qinghua started to worry there was something wrong with Mobei-Jun, the demon lord finally functioned again. He lifted his hand toward Shang Qinghua and the little creature was sitting comfortably on it.
“You were away on duty? Then, who is this?”
“Why is Melon-seed here? Did you take it from my chamber?”
Shang Qinghua was surprised. He lifted his hand up and the squirrel immediately jumped onto it and happily climbed up to his shoulder.
“Melon-seed? Zunshang said it’s a squirrel.”
“Yes, it’s a squirrel. It lives on Anding Peak and keeps stealing my melon-seed from my chamber. So, I named it ‘Melon-seed’. Besides its stealing habit and sometimes messing with my stuff, it’s cute. Isn’t it?”
“……………. It is.” Mobei-Jun answered with a huge, defeated sigh.
“Exactly what happened?” Shang Qinghua asked curiously.
– - - - - –
— Ten minutes later.
“HAHAHAHAHahahahah!! No WAY!!!!!! HAHAhahaha. You even took it to the monthly conference at the assembly hall?”
Shang Qinghua was hugging his stomach with both arms and rolling on Mobei-Jun’s bed laughing.
“Oh my god!! Just how? How would you mistakenly think I became a squirrel?” Shang Qinghua took a deep breath to calm down. He asked while wiping out those tears from the laugh.
“……” Mobei-Jun reached out his hands to grab the tiredly-lying-on-bed-after-laughing-too-hard Shang Qinghua into his embrace. “I found it on your working desk with a little pile of melon seeds next to it. It looked … weak and pathetic when I was about to kill it. And I thought…. It reminded me of you. And then, it responded to me when I called it ‘Qinghua’.”
“Does it?” Shang Qinghua raised his eyebrows and looked for the squirrel. “Qinghua!!”
But the squirrel didn’t respond.
“You are the only Qinghua here.” Mobei-Jun frowned and tightened his arms to forbid Shang Qinghua to escape his embrace to look for the squirrel.
“I am glad you didn’t turn into a furry little creature.” Mobei-Jun lowered his head and buried it on Shang Qinghua’s shoulder.
“Me too. But I would like to experience hiding myself in your robe and enjoying some melon seeds on your bare chest.” Shang Qinghua said in a playful voice.
“You can try the first one another time. But for the second, you can do more than that on my chest. It’s all yours for tonight.”
“My pleasure, my King!!” Shang Qinghua turned around and gave Mobei-Jun a kiss.
/end.