Chapter Text
Ling Wen’s brush flowed elegantly across the scroll, documenting the Three’s newest bet with precision. The presence of the other two in her company did not deter her, only encouraging her focus.
‘ Wager 49, Measuring the Wrath of Tide.
Status: Complete
Conclusion: Pei Ming has – for the first time in a long while – won this bet, the loser of the wager being Shi Wudu. ’
The two men before her watched her closely, Pei Ming with a satisfied smirk on his face and Shi Wudu with a thinly concealed grimace. She looked up, meeting the two’s eyes as she dropped the scroll back to the wood of her desk after rolling it neatly.
“Well? Pei Ming is the victor. Old Pei, what is your condition?”
The God’s boisterous laugh rang through the general silence of Ling Wen’s private office, and the crackling of the candles drowned out. When Pei Ming finally spoke, shaking his head lightly, tousling his hair.
“Worry not, Shui Shi-Xiong. My only condition is… hm. You know what? How about a hug? Just a hug.”
The theatrical man he was, Pei Ming paused, stretching out the silence.
“In a meeting, or just anywhere populated. You can handle that, yes? After all, you have lost.”
Shi Wudu’s whole body turned taut as he stood. He stared incredulously at Pei Ming, his eyes wide and his mouth ever so slightly open. Ling Wen had to force a laugh down her throat, and the way Pei Ming gazed at Shi Wudu made it clear he, too, was amused.
When Shi Wudu finally found his voice, he barely croaked out the words. Ling Wen thought he sounded a bit like a frog.
“What?”
Pei Ming chuckled, crossed his arms, and leaned down, leveraging his single centimeter of height over Shi Wudu.
“You heard me, I want a hug. A hug in front of everyone.”
Shi Wudu looked absolutely flabbergasted, and Ling Wen had to slap her hand over her mouth to contain her laughter. Her other hand gripped the grain of the table to hold herself steady.
Shi Wudu opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, like a dead and flopping fish, before snapping it shut and gritting out a single word.
“Fine.”
The man then spun on his heel and strode out of the office with clear and concise steps.
The moment the door clicked shut, Ling Wen let out a shaking breath and looked up, meeting the eyes of her fellow Tumor, Pei Ming. They shared a look before Pei Ming turned to leave with a gracious wave of his hand and a smirk dancing across his lips.
. . .
That’s how Shi Wudu found himself in this situation, standing awkwardly at Pei Ming’s side on the busiest street of the Heavenly Capital – with Ling Wen not-so subtly watching the two from afar.
He just knew Pei Ming was smirking. Of course, he couldn’t see the man’s face, having deliberately angled his face away to save himself some dignity. But he knew.
Proving him right, Pei Ming’s warm, lyrical voice rang in his ears, unbearably honeyed and cloying. Shi Wudu turned and met his eyes. Pei Ming’s stupidly sweet voice graced his ears.
“Well? What’re you waiting for?”
The martial god opened his arms, inviting – or rather insisting – that Shi Wudu fulfill his end of the wager, to hug him.
This whole affair was an insult to Shi Wudu’s pride, his dignity, everything that set him above the rest. But a rather aggravating trait of Pei Ming’s was that Shi Wudu simply couldn’t stay mad. In fact, he could hardly stay away at all.
So, with a look of pure shame on his face, he embraced Pei Ming. On the busiest street of the Heavenly Capital. He felt his face heat in chagrin.
The other man’s stupidly warm – and rather cozy, though Shi Wudu would never admit that – arms wrapped around him, keeping Shi Wudu firmly held in his embrace. He felt Pei Ming smiling against his ear, a slight – near imperceptible – chuckle falling from his lips.
Shi Wudu didn’t have to look to know that several officials – Upper Court and Middle Court – had all stopped in their tracks and stared in disbelief at the two gods in each other’s arms. He could tell from the sudden lack of chatter, from the loud clattering of scrolls hitting the pavement, and from the way Pei Ming tittered in his ear.
Abruptly, the chatter resumed, though it was laced thoroughly with whispers and barely concealed glances. Shi Wudu tried to pull away but Pei Ming only held him tighter, keeping him held securely in the man’s unyielding embrace.
Shi Wudu hung his head in the crook of Pei Ming’s neck, hiding his burning face from the crowd passing them by.
. . .
For the following days, Pei Ming was kept thoroughly entertained by Shi Wudu’s plight.
The moment Pei Ming had let him go, Shi Wudu had stormed off, his face red as a cherry. Pei Ming found it rather laughable, and rather endearing, if he was being honest.
Shi Wudu had yet to relent and had not spoken to him in a total of three days, a new record for him. To be frank, Pei Ming felt a bit lonely without the refined Water Master's company.
He had begun to wonder if maybe he’d stepped too far with that one, Shi Wudu was not a man for physical affection, after all. Let alone publicly displayed affection. But Pei Ming’s distress had been nearly immediately drowned out by the elation and hilarity he was bombarded with, hearing the rumors swirl about day by day.
Shi Qingxuan had nearly paid him a visit to… have a nice, pleasant chat with him, Pei Ming assumed. No ill will could ever be harbored from such an event. After all, it was just a lighthearted joke between friends, something he personally believed Shi Qingxuan wouldn’t understand. But that was a point for another time.
It seemed Ling Wen had dissuaded the Wind Master from coming, so Pei Ming supposed he now owed Ling Wen an arm and a leg for her troubles. After all, Pei Ming was not so cruel, she’d done him a favor in keeping Shi Qingxuan away, and he might as well do something for her.
Sitting at a small, outdoor tea table, Pei Ming contemplated what kind of gift Ling Wen would like. A tough question.
However, this would not trouble him for long as the sound of two overzealous Middle Court officials distracted him from his thoughts. Decidedly curious, Pei Ming found himself listening in.
“Haven’t you heard? I got one of Yu Yanzhi’s Messenger Swallows the other day, apparently, there’s a rumor going around that Lord Water Master Wudu and General Ming Guang are having an affair!”
The other official gasped while the speaker giggled. Meanwhile, Pei Ming found himself nearly choking on his own spit, right there and then. The two Middle Court Official’s voice drifted off into the distance and Pei Ming sat there, reeling.
Him and Shi Wudu, having an affair? Preposterous. Truly. Really, who even came up with that one? Pei Ming was well aware of his reputation, he’d earned it and was not ashamed. But never – never – had he been borderline accused of having an affair with Shi Wudu of all people!
Pei Ming found the whole idea absurd. But of course, those two Middle Court officials seemed to be sincerely invested in this “affair” he was apparently having with Shi Wudu. Pei Ming nearly found himself murmuring “Kids these days…” under his breath before realizing how old it made him sound and immediately pushing the thought from his mind.
Besides, the ever-so-eloquent and poised Water Master had never even so much as cracked a smile at Pei Ming’s shameless flirting, let alone even looked at him with such a look in his eyes!
And Pei Ming knew that look! He himself was proficient with it, he’d have known if Shi Wudu had ever looked at him like that.
Wouldn’t he?
Overall Notes:
- All chapter names are references to different Tarot cards. If you’re interested, here’s the site I used for their meanings.