Chapter Text
Shi Qingxuan looked out over the farm, contemplating the soft material against her skin, the rough callouses and dirt on her hands, the late morning sun shifting and mesmerising over Rain Goddess’ land.
“See something you like?” The bull asked quietly next to her, both of them in human form and content in the smells of sweat, skin, and dirt. It settled her, somehow, to be near someone so solidly real. The Heavens were gorgeous and fun, but she felt their emptiness. Land covered with empty halls and useless fountains. Cold stone, brittle and sad. The kind of quiet that was loud, echoing, and terrifying. It was changing, but the cold still lingered, like winter seeped into the ground.
She nodded, breathing in the quiet warmth of the land before they head to their next round of chores.
What a perfect day.
.༄˚❀˚༄˚❀˚༄.
Interim-Empress Shi Qingxuan had found a weekly rhythm in this new, post-Jun Wu world.
Two days at the farm, four days rebuilding Heavenly government, one day in Ghost City with her brother or He Xuan or the adorably in-love Hua Cheng and Xie Lian.
Two days of quiet, recharging and processing, food and tea and shovels. Soft words and softer kisses with her Rain Goddess, slow words spilling across Shi Qingxuan’s skin. Soft sunrises, loud laughter echoing across fields, beautiful music woven around fire and table and breath.
Four days negotiating and listening, four days connecting paperwork to ideas, four days enabling good people to do brilliant things. Four days of asking questions and getting things done and banging her head against every table.
One day of happy, bubbly laughter or sex or arguments or drinking, the loud gruff of He Xuan or the louder delight of Ghost City, games and cards and stupid ideas, her brother at her side.
And again, and again, and again.
.༄˚❀˚༄˚❀˚༄.
She lounged on her brother’s couch, contemplating the horrible bands she’d booked for his gambling hall outside Ghost City this evening.
“You’ll love them,” she lied, face blank.
He grunted, his quill scratching across paper and somehow conveying both warmth and disagreement.
She laughed quietly. “Fine. Let’s make personal silence talismans for tonight and sell them while we’re in disguise,” eyes glittering with capitalism and the menacing playfulness only siblings can achieve.
Shi Wudu lifted his eyes from his sprawl of paperwork and grinned.
Everything was alright in the world.
.༄˚❀˚༄˚❀˚༄.
Rain Goddess’ fingers burnt against hers, a raging fire across her skin. Shi Qingxuan tried not to fidget as she smiled and listened to the conversation between Yushi Huang and a few farmers, words of connection and asking after families.
She needed the taste of Yushi Huang on her tongue, her mouth, her fingers, her soul. The thought soothed and consumed her as she closed her eyes to listen to the rhythm of conversation, soft and soothing as rain against the roof.
Finally Yushi Huang squeezed her fingers, and bid the farmers farewell. “What were you thinking about, my love?” Quietly walking them to their quarters.
“You,” Shi Qingxuan said, honestly, eyes fluttering open to meet her partners’, delighted to be led, delighted to be alone with her once again, delighted to speak and listen and watch her mouth move, her skin shining, her hair flowing.
Yushi Huang squeezed her fingers again, smiling. “Where can I kiss you?”
“Gods, everywhere.”
And they enter their rooms, Shi Qingxuan’s skin prickling under the deluge of rain filling her soul.
Again, and again, and again.