Chapter Text
“Binghe!”
A pause.
“Binghe!”
Another, shorter pause.
“Binghe!?”
Shen Qingqiu was calling out for Luo Binghe once more, like a poor maiden clinging to the last memories of her lover. Voice going from calm, cheerful, to panicked and desperate. It would have been eerie if not so concerning, especially with the developments of Shen Qingqiu's health.
If Shen Qingqiu was not seen for days on end, he was locked away in his bamboo house. The immortal would refuse to accept any food brought to his home, often enough having full dishes come in and out, all untouched. Sleep was obviously last on his mind whenever others did catch a glimpse of him.
And if Shen Qingqiu was out, he was surely down the mountain wandering aimlessly or on a night hunt he taken on alone. Despite many attempts thrown at him to accept taking a sect siblings, many were refused, only painting the concern that he was taking reckless action. Without-a-Cure still hindered him after all.
A companion had to be forced on a few night hunts to keep Shen Qingqiu safe, often Liu Qingge.
No one was certain what to do, nor of a way to ease the turmoil the peak lord must be going through.
No one except Gongyi Xiao. As far as Gongyi Xiao thought, that is.
“Binghe! Finally! Come sit with this master.”
Relief flooded Shen Qingqiu's expression and tone upon seeing ‘Luo Binghe'. In reality, it was simply Gongyi Xiao who had done all he could to match Luo Binghe's style, from the way his late disciple's hair was done to an attempt at taking over what Luo Binghe did when alive.
Taking over most work was simple, really. Head Disciple duty came almost naturally to Gongyi Xiao from when he was Head Disciple of Huan Hua Palace, although it proved somewhat different due to how things were run.
Chores, however, proved a challenge. That is to say, cooking was a challenge. Gongyi Xiao was not bad at cooking, no, it was simply that his cooking could not match Luo Binghe's. Shen Qingqiu commented on it once before, but after receiving an apology, eyes filled with shame, and a disheartened disciple avoiding the kitchen for a week, he decided against ever mentioning the change again.
There were other issues as well. Gongyi Xiao may have looked like Luo Binghe, or Luo Binghe looked like Gongyi Xiao, but they were not complete copies of the other. Gongyi Xiao is sure Shen Qingqiu knows this somewhere in his mind, but perhaps the grief is enough to simply ignore the smaller differences in appearance. Maybe the relief of seeing a living Luo Binghe is better than facing the reality that Luo Binghe is dead.
That is Gongyi Xiao's theory as he sits beside Shen Qingqiu, the man giving his head a gentle pat. The beautiful face, so soft and sweet now that a relaxed smile is placed on it instead of the distressed frown and furrowed brows. The eyes however remain to look almost empty, gazing at Gongyi Xiao, yet looking through him as well.
It is fine.
“This master was wondering if Binghe would like to accompany me down the mountain. There's a new bookshop I'd like to visit.”
There's no hesitation in Gongyi Xiao's voice, “Of course I would, Shizun.”
── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ──
For the better part of half a month since the Immortal Alliance Conference took place, the disciples were careful not to mention Luo Binghe around their master. In their eyes, all their efforts were going well, Shen Qingqiu was still coming out of his home to attend lessons, even if the time with him was short.
All efforts except for Gongyi Xiao's.
He could not be faulted for how he reminded Shen Qingqiu of Luo Binghe. Sometimes, the man had seemed to forget he lived within the bamboo house, just as Luo Binghe had, often startled by Gongyi Xiao appearing into his view and accidentally let a quiet "Binghe, you-" slip out before realization struck. He would quickly apologize, leaving Gongyi Xiao standing there in silence.
Gongyi Xiao himself could only watch, sadden by the interaction. Shen Qingqiu did not talk to him as much as he once did, nor did the peak lord pat his head anymore.
By a full month's pass, something seemed to shift. Shen Qingqiu's attendance to lessons dropped to a rarity, instead staying in his own room for much longer than previous days. When the man did emerge from the room, catching sight of Gongyi Xiao resulted in more mistaken identity than before as well.
Gongyi Xiao had considered moving to the dorms the day he found his shizun sitting in front of a freshly dug sword mound, his bleeding and covered in dirt. It took little to guess that the man had dug the hole barehanded with little regard to his own physical health. Maybe he didn't even realize it.
"Shizun!"
Shen Qingqiu startles. The man doesn't look for several seconds, staring down at the hole he dug instead. The sun catches onto shards laid inside that sit on inside a small bag, wide open to showcase the contents.
Gongyi Xiao recognizes it as Luo Binghe's sword, Zheng Yang. He had wondered where Shen Qingqiu placed the shards, knowing the man refused to return the sword to Wan Jian Peak. And now, it was in a hole dug for its lost wielder.
Shen Qingqiu slowly turns his head, gazing at Gongyi Xiao with a far off expression that shifts to deep regret after he chokes out, "Binghe?"
"..This one is sorry, Shizun." Gongyi Xiao starts, but does not continue. Correcting his shizun is not the top priority. Stepping closer, he speaks gently when he offers the man a hand. "Let's go inside. Shizun's hands need cleaning."
"Oh." was all Shen Qingqiu gave upon seeing a hand with bloody fingers place itself in his disciple's hand.
Instead of moving out, as he had first thought to do, Gongyi Xiao decides to test something instead.
“Shizun?”
Aware he already resembled the late disciple, Gongyi Xiao hoped that Shen Qingqiu would look at him, now with his hair done to match Luo Binghe's style after a night of trying to get it right, or at least close enough. To match, he had asked Ning Yingying if she had one so he may tie his hair up.
It seemed to work once Shen Qingqiu looked his direction, clear recognition and relief in his eyes.
“Binghe, I-”
The thud-thud-thud of someone running interrupted him, Ning Yingying bursting inside. Gongyi Xiao and Shen Qingqiu both started at the sudden entry.
“What are you doing-?" Shen Qingqiu asked. “Charging in here so suddenly–"
Ning Yingying eyes red, like a small bunny, “Shizun! You–whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you!” It wasn't her first time declaring such a thing to Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu coughed, “No need, Binghe will take care of it.”
Ning Yingying stomped her foot, “Shizun! Even if A-Luo is gone, you… you st—”
Shen Qingqiu, holding up his hand for her to pause, gave Ning Yingying a confused expression. “What do you mean ‘gone’? Binghe is right here.” He pointed to Gongyi Xiao with a bright smile. The boy had stood in silence, shaken out of his scare, yet unsure what to say.
Ning Yingying looked to her shixiong, tears beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes, but not daring to fall. “Shizun—Shizun please! That’s Gongyi-shixiong! You’re so… you’re so out of your mind with grief–we disciples are worried to death!”
Shen Qingqiu did a double take. Gongyi Xiao hadn’t moved, but he looked rather nervous now. Shen Qingqiu, having blinked a few times until he noticed the small differences Gongyi Xiao had compared to Luo Binghe, thought of the nervousness as embarrassment. Of course the boy would be embarrassed. Just how many times has Shen Qingqiu mistaken him for Luo Binghe these past days.
That bright smile and relief flooded in an instant. Arriving so quickly, only to be snuffed out like embers of a dying fire.. Gongyi Xiao felt terribly upset for the man.
“Ning-shimei,” Gongyi Xiao took a step forward, giving a dismissive wave, “it’s alright. This shixiong doesn’t mind it—”
Ning Yingying was not going to accept that it was ‘alright.’ Her tears now ready to fall, her face red with anxiety. In the end, Shen Qingqiu dismissed Gongyi Xiao so he could work on comforting the young girl to the best of his abilities.
Gongyi Xiao had not gone far from the bamboo house when Ning Yingying exited, now calmed down. Not wishing to be spotted, nor questioned possibly, he walked a path out of her way. His shimei may have disrupted the test today, but it was only a first try. He’d be sure to try again–after all, Shizun did look pleased for a moment.
Shen Qingqiu deserves more than a moment.
── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ──
It took several tries over two weeks, but Gongyi Xiao could finally say his test was a success. At the least, on Qing Jing Peak. He may have had to talk with his fellow peak siblings so there were no disruptions, and so everyone understood what he was trying to do, but eventually they all came to an agreement. Even Ning Yingying, although she seemed the hardest to get into an agreeable state.
“It’s wrong to trick Shizun like that!”
“But Shizun will keep himself locked away if we don’t try, Shimei. And this shixiong already gets mistaken for Luo-shidi..”
“It’s still wrong! It’s wrong to both of you!”
Ning Yingying had run off after that, and many other times before, avoiding Gongyi Xiao for the rest of the day if she could help it.
It was better to give Shen Qingqiu a Luo Binghe, that so happened to be Gongyi Xiao due to the close similarities, rather than to hear their Shizun call out for a dead Luo Binghe at odd times in a grief-stricken state. It helped everyone’s anxieties when a fresh week had gone by and their shizun, now trailed by ‘Luo Binghe’, smiled and attended lessons once more to check in or teach, or came by to deliver head pats and praise.
Of course, the most attention was given to 'Luo Binghe', who did not leave Shen Qingqiu's side once.
Gongyi Xiao had vanished from Qing Jing Peak, and the extra furniture in the bamboo house side room was a mere accident An Ding Peak simply forgot to fix.
No one speaks of removing it.
However, just because there was an agreement did not mean everyone liked the idea of muddling with their shizun’s fragile heart. It was just that no one else seemed to have a good idea as to what to do. Not even the other peak lords seemed to know what to do in order to ease Shen Qingqiu’s grief. They weren’t even aware of the solution the Qing Jing disciples found either, not until Liu Qingge paid a visit to clear Shen Qingqiu’s meridians when Luo Binghe was also in the house.
It goes as normal as a cleansing goes.
Shen Qingqiu takes a seat, Liu Qingge takes a seat.
Shen Qingqiu offers his wrist to his shidi who gently takes it and begins cleaning his shixiong’s meridians.
The process goes smoothly, beginning quickly and ending quickly.
“Shidi should stay for tea.” Shen Qingqiu speaks lightly with a smile. Liu Qingge gives a nod and hum of acceptance. If Shen Qingqiu is willing to spent time with someone, then that is a good sign? Mu Qingfang would say something akin to it being so.
“Wonderful. Binghe, your Liu-shishu is here!”
The normal, along with the good omen, shattered immediately with Shen Qingqiu’s call.
“Shen Qingqiu.” Liu Qingge spoke slowly, brows furrowed in concern, but tone stern. “That disciple of yours… he is not here.”
Shen Qingqiu, not paying what the war god had said, smiled wider seconds later as a disciple that resembled Luo Binghe walked into the room. Liu Qingge knew for a fact that it was not Luo Binghe, paying little attention to the boy, he spoke once more.
“Shen Qingqiu.”
Again, his shixiong did not pay mind to his voice. “Binghe, could you make us some tea?”
Luo Binghe did pay attention to Liu Qingge, unlike his shizun, nervously gazing at the man whose hand now rose before slamming on the table. The noise was not particularly intense, but it was enough to startle Shen Qingqiu into finally looking back to his shidi. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, the War God pushes himself up, standing over Shen Qingqiu. Squinting at ‘Luo Binghe’ suspiciously, he swiftly turns, seeing himself out of the house with a slam of the door. Shizun nor disciple needed to move to know the man had taken out Cheng Luan, flying off the peak.
Luo Binghe, nervous, could only stare at the door in worry. Would his shishu tell Zhangmen-shibo? Would he be told to leave for impersonating a dead disciple? Liu-shishu… Please understand this is for Shizun’s sake!
And, maybe, it was for Luo Binghe’s personal wants.
But most importantly, it was for Shen Qingqiu.
While Luo Binghe worried about that, Shen Qingqiu had simply shrugged, chalking it up to his shidi being a bit odd today. Maybe the man actually didn’t want any tea, that was fine. There was always next time.
“Don’t worry about your shishu, Binghe. We can have tea together instead.”
Luo Binghe nods, stumbling away to prepare the tea. He continues to worry, of course. As far as he and the other disciples were aware, no one outside of Qing Jing Peak knows of their plan to help Shen Qingqiu.
His plan, really.
None of them had exact medical knowledge to know how this would affect their shizun in the future, they were mostly focused on the present affect. Which, currently, was a happier shizun who came out of his home and spoke with his disciples again.