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Sha Hualing could only hold her tongue for so long, "What are you doing?"
Binghe was holding a pile of paper about only ten pages thick. He'd read through it twice over now, to make sure he'd gone over every part of it and had committed it to memory so he could handle it later. Mobei-Jun had brought the context to his attention yesterday evening and had supplied him with the documents the following day. Sha Hualing was here just because she wished to be.
Leaning his left side against the arm of the throne, arm held out in front of him as he read. Binghe looked away from the paper just long enough to level Sha Hualing with an unimpressed look. He didn't mind her being here, as unrelated as her presence was, today in particular. But he didn't have the faintest idea of why she was now questioning him.
"What I'm doing?"
His eyes strayed back to the paper he was holding before looking back at Sha Hualing. As if the answer to her question was plainly obvious, and that she was therefore, being entirely ridiculous for even having to ask it. However, Sha Hualing was not eager to back down today. Casting him an equally as unimpressed look, she didn't accept the non-explanation for what it was.
"I meant with your other hand."
"Nothing." Binghe said dismissively, as if it didn't matter at all but still, he ended up adding, "He said his feet were hurting."
Long legs thrown over the arms of two thrones sat side by side. Shen Jiu had his eyes half lidded, almost entirely closed as he sat still. With the way he'd positioned his body, Binghe's right hand was able to reach his feet and had been massaging them for the better part of half an hour. Without stopping for a second, even if it had meant flipping through paper one-handedly.
She hadn't even had the chance at a rebuttal when Binghe continued, "How am I meant to have him walk back to his cell if his feet are hurting? That makes no sense."
As if it was the most obvious thing in the world. An explanation that justified everything to Binghe himself yet made not a single thing clearer to anyone else. Shen Jiu didn't even seem to stir, despite the conversation now including him. His hands were limp and neatly folded on his lap. Gaze directed towards Binghe but seemingly not really taking anything in.
"Okay, but why is your prisoner even out here?" Sha Hualing couldn't help but press.
Though Binghe didn't still or freeze up at the questioning, he did seem to press a little harder with his fingers. Something Shen Jiu didn't seem to appreciate. It knocked him out of his blank state, and he let out an almost inaudible grumble of protest. Then he seemed to come to in a few short moments, realizing where he was and suddenly, he was trying to pull his feet back towards himself.
Undignified as he position may seem. Matters were only made worse when the hand that had been pressing into Shen Jiu's now retreating feet, had grabbed onto one of his ankles to keep him there. Not letting him get further than even an inch away. The trip was tight, almost bruising. Part of Shen Jiu wanted to take back his other foot at least, Binghe only had one available hand.
Yet, Shen Jiu seemed to deflate and give up entirely. The shifting and worrying had agitated parts of his sore body. Shen Jiu had lived in unprecedented amount of pain his entire life. His comment had been spoken quietly, and had been off-handed at best. Not even expecting Binghe to hear him let alone care. But Binghe hadn't let up on massaging him the entire time since.
Who knew that all it would take, to get a short reprieve on some of his pain, was to be held prisoner by a boy attempting to be some sort of demon king. He didn't put too much stock into the man's current position. Though others seemed to gravitate towards him because of it. Demon's, even those from high standing families like his right hand man, seemed to easily fall to their knees for him like this.
To Shen Jiu, Binghe was always going to be that cultivator in training. A disciple who'd been naturally blessed with talents that caused envy to rise in everyone who laid eyes on him. A pretty face and long hair. Compliments would flow out of all the female disciples; they all adored him. Back then, he hadn't had an ego at all and had just appreciated the kindness others directed towards him.
He found that he didn't quite like this version of Binghe as much. Even though the younger, disciple version of Binghe had always put Shen Jiu on edge. Somehow it felt like he'd gone from one extreme to another, but for that, Shen Jiu could hardly blame him. Still, it seemed that for as much as this version of Binghe had forsaken him as was to be expected, a part of him hadn't quite let go of his Shizun.
This would unfortunately come back to bite Binghe, as he was now stuck trying to explain it to Sha Hualing, "When I went by his cell last night, he said he could help with what we are dealing with. I thought it would be easier to have him here today, while we go over everything."
Looking unimpressed, Sha Hualing clearly went to say something but Binghe interrupted with, "Do you have issue with my judgement?"
"Of course not." Her words rushed out quickly, putting her hands up in front of her chest to show she wasn't going to push this.
Now then, Binghe's hand had pulled back from Shen Jiu's ankle. His skin is so fine that you could already see the dark marks Binghe's fingers had left behind around his ankle. Binghe hadn't even been holding him too hard, but Shen Jiu was known to bruise easily. It looked like Binghe was displeased to see the bruises, and then went back to massaging Shen Jiu's feet for him.
Although Binghe wasn't too familiar with Shen Jiu's past. He'd come to understand at least, that in many ways Shen Jiu's body is fragile and doesn't quite bounce back from anything. The first weeks Binghe had held him here had been after a battle. Shen Jiu hadn't complained, stubborn like that, and Binghe hadn't expected too closely so he'd only realized Shen Jiu hadn't been doing well when he'd finally had enough and became unresponsive.
Since then, while Shen Jiu doesn't get many privileges, Binghe has taken to listening a little closer to his condition. Just so as to stop him from getting that bad ever again under Binghe's watch. Not like he particularly cares, it's just that Shen Jiu isn't much good to him cold, and unresponsive, unmoving on the ground. Binghe can still see it, remembering back to finding him in such a state.
Binghe presses his fingers into Shen Jiu's feet with enough renewed pressure to ease out the aches and pains. Turning his attention back on the paper, before having Mobei-Jun step up so they could discuss a particular point together. Sha Hualing frowned, but found she really had nothing to say. It wasn't like she was totally against having that man here, she was just curious is all.
Having watched them up until this point, she'd never quite been able to get a read on them. Trying to piece together what exactly they had, what they were to each other. She'd been gunning for a spot at Binghe's side since the beginning. Captivated by him to the point where nothing else even mattered. Her efforts were in vain though, as she never managed to get her seat by his side.
In that very seat, is a man Binghe is said to detest. A man who Binghe will snap at, at a moments notice. But also a man that Binghe will patiently sit there with, and massage his feet so they don't hurt as much. It's a curious thing, being able to witness them like this. She'd never cared for it before. After all, she'd been caught up in her own attempts to get closer to him.
Somehow it just makes sense for Binghe to be unable to let go. For all Shen Jiu's posturing, his scheming and games. To someone who didn't know him all that well, and had mostly heard about him through second hand accounts. It also seemed to make sense that he'd finally been able to let go of everything else. All pretense and hidden feelings falling away until he's a more docile version of himself.
Not that he doesn't bite back against Binghe. Their arguing could be heard from the other end of the estate on particularly bad days. But he argued with Binghe like he was finally seeing him as a person opposite to him. No longer, as she'd heard, someone he was just speaking down to, but someone he was actually speaking to. Though it was obvious from just watching, that they didn't quite know what they were doing.
There was something natural about the way they gravitated towards each other. Still, in a lot of ways they were utterly confusing, and Sha Hualing couldn't help but question them. She found herself intrigued more than anything, at what they would find themselves doing that day. Sha Hualing didn't want to push them too hard, this was something they would hopefully figure out for themselves.
While it had seemed like Shen Jiu had gone back to zoning out, he added his own points to the conversation, "Last time we fought against them, we halved their armies force. Unless you think they can get those numbers back up, your dealing with a far weaker army then what's written here."
It was in ways like this, where Shen Jiu's docility comes out. The way he speaks to and seems to guide Binghe. Actually helping him, instead of fighting back against him and tripping him up along the way. Acting almost like a grounding presence for Binghe whenever he gets himself too worked up about something. For once, he's not in Binghe's life to make it any harder than it is.
Mobei-Jun graciously steps back and allows the two men to discuss things further and Sha Hualing decides on that moment to sidle up next to him, "How long do you think it'll be before Binghe gets rid of the separate chairs and gets a joint throne?"
"Hm."
"Oh, come on. You of all people have to know he's probably considering it."
Finally seeming to give in to Sha Hualing's words, Mobei-Jun concedes with, "He'll have to come up with some excuse first to explain away why he needs it."
"Does he do that often? Overthink these things so far in advance?"
He gave her a look but didn't say anything further against Binghe. But Sha Hualing could put two and two together by herself. Was now considering how long Binghe had been reasoning with himself, that it would be completely normal and casual to massage away Shen Jiu's pain like this before he'd actually gone ahead and done it. Had probably agonized over it an embarrassing amount.
As Binghe leaned in to talk to Shen Jiu. His lingering hands wandered up from his feet, across his ankles and ended up at the bottom of his calves. Where he'd then started to massage them as well. Although Shen Jiu knows for a fact he hadn't yet let out even a peep about how his legs hurt, Binghe had just taken the initiative to keep going. Easing into it like it had been previously communicated by them both.
"It's kind of impressive, how stupid he makes Binghe act."
While Binghe could hear the both of them, he chose not to say anything. Shen Jiu didn't seem to be overhearing any of it, and that was enough for him. Listening to Shen Jiu's words as he pressed his fingers along the lines and curves of his calves. Watching closely to see where Shen Jiu flinches and when he relaxes. Committing each detail to memory like it's for military strategy.
Binghe lets everything around the two of them dissolve. Like they'd come in here, just the two of them, to go over plans and discuss how to push back against their enemies. Their enemies. Binghe's enemies were now Shen Jiu's enemies. Shen Jiu never seemed to flinch at the notion, offering up what he knows may help. It's an odd thing, but it makes Binghe feel giddy and powerful.
Like he's conquered something. That every pain and suffering had been to get him to this point, where he was finally gifted with something soothing. Though he wouldn't say it in those exact words to Shen Jiu himself. He'd show his gratitude in more resigned ways. Lest he have Shen Jiu push back against it. Their dynamic still quite undefined, but they were getting there. Binghe made progress in the same slow pace he used to guide his fingers up Shen Jiu's legs.