Work Text:
“Why does Luo Binghe shy from this master?” Shen Yuan asks, petting his hand calmly through Binghe’s curls, like one would pet a cat or a horse.
Binghe smiles softly, and a little fearfully. “Ah, that is—Master was very firm with this disciple yesterday.”
Shen Yuan frowns and scratches at Binghe’s forehead. “I do apologize, Binghe,” Binghe preened a bit, “this master sometimes…has a bit of a temper.”
Shen Yuan mentally sighs. Shen Jiu has a bit of a temper—although ‘a bit’ was selling it short. Shen Yuan does what he can, but due to their, in hindsight, rather foolish decision to pretend to be one person—a habit from their childhood, and one that was now ingrained in them—his options are limited. They have been one person for so long—how would Cang Qiong react if oh hey, guess what, this is my identical twin brother and we’ve all been pranking you for the past seven years!
Well, except for Yue Qingyuan, of course.
-
It had been a coping mechanism when they were children. Shen Yuan could be on the lookout for help while Shen Jiu slept, and vice-versa. Shen Yuan had wondered if, maybe, Yue Qi was jealous he didn’t have a twin brother to swap shifts with—Shen Jiu hadn’t really cared either way. One time, jokingly, Shen Yuan had said, “does da-ge wish he had a twin brother like Jiu-ge?”
Yue Qi had given him an incredibly odd look and shaken his head, and patted Shen Yuan on the head. Yue Qi was always spoiling him like that.
And then it sort of just…stuck. Two people became one. Once, Shen Yuan reasoned to himself it was less money spent on his and Shen Jiu’s salaries when they became Peak Lords, although Shen Yuan was a little sad he didn’t get to the attend the ceremony—Shen Jiu was excited for it, so Shen Yuan let him go instead, instead taking the moment to relax in the bamboo grove and take a nap.
But then, when choosing disciples—which Shen Yuan loved, of course, he was giddy with excitement at being a teacher—Shen Yuan had chosen little Luo Binghe.
And Shen Jiu hated him.
“He looks at you as if you are a god,” Shen Jiu had sniffed.
Shen Yuan rolled his eyes, fan held just below his eyes. “As if da-ge doesn’t look at you the same?” he had teased. Shen Jiu had made an outraged noise and tackled him.
-
Shen Yuan knows it can’t last much longer, either. They’ve become too different from each other. Yue Qingyuan makes excuses—and occasional demon-detecting rituals, which are always funny—for why Shen Qingqiu is extremely mean or especially kind. Their personalities and interests are different, and even their bodies are becoming different.
Shen Yuan had to have a pair of spectacles made. Shen Jiu didn’t need them, his vision was perfectly fine, but Shen Yuan spent so much time writing and reading his vision had begin to grow poor.
So, of course, Shen Qingqiu had two pairs of glasses made. One, Shen Yuan wore. And the other—Shen Jiu popped out the lenses and made a charm so they appeared to be inset.
“This wouldn’t have happened if Yuan-er simply attempted to protect his vision,” Shen Jiu had grumbled.
Shen Yuan looked up at him from the floor, where he was peering at a scroll with only lamplight illuminating it. “What does Jiu-ge mean?”
Shen Jiu merely gave him a look, and shook his head.
-
Luo Binghe looked up at him in caution. “Is something troubling Shizun?” he asked.
Ah, Binghe, you truly were too cute for this world! So concerned for your master, even when he—or Shen Jiu—were being cruel! What a filial, devoted disciple!
“Ah, that is…” Shen Yuan begin. Where does he begin with Shen Jiu? With their life? How much should he tell little Luo Binghe? “Can Luo Binghe keep a secret?” Luo Binghe’s eyes go extremely wide and he nods. “This Master has had…a difficult childhood.
“This Master was once a slave.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes go extremely wide. “A slave, Shizun?”
“Yes. This one and his ge,” which isn’t technically a lie, Yue Qi simple wasn’t his ge by birth, “were slaves of House Qiu.” Shen Yuan grimaces at the reminder; it was bad fortune that he—and Shen Jiu—were given the name of Shen Qingqiu, but Shen Yuan had fortunately become numb to it…and Shen Jiu had not.
Slowly Luo Binghe reaches out one hand and touches Shen Yuan’s knee. “This one apologizes, Shizun.”
Ah, what a sweet disciple! Shen Yuan can’t help but smile to himself, reaching out one hand to pat at Luo Binghe’s curls. “My thanks, Binghe.” Binghe preens and rubs his head against Shen Yuan’s hand, much like a cat demanding attention. “it was very long ago, but the memories…”
“This disciple understands, Shizun. He will try to be more patient.”
“And this one will try to control his anger, as well.”
-
“You told him?!” Shen Jiu snarls.
Shen Yuan winces, backing away from his elder brother. “What else was I supposed to say?!”
“Nothing! Anything but that! That little brat—”
“He’s not a brat, ge!” Shen Yuan counters, and sighs. “Ge, please, why are you like this?”
“I am trying to protect you, A-Yuan!”
“From a child?!”
Shen Yuan looks at his brother, exhaustion and exasperation and something like grief going through him. How different have they become? “I don’t need your protection anymore, Jiu-ge.”
Shen Jiu flinches like he’s been struck. A furious flush rises to his cheeks and he looks away, staring at the bamboo slats on the floor. Shen Yuan feels a flash of embarassment, of shame at Shen Jiu’s reaction—not for Shen Jiu, of course, but for himself. A-Jiu has always been his loyal protector.
Shen Yuan opens his mouth to say something, he’s not sure what, when there’s a frantic knock at the door. “Enter,” he says haggardly, the word only halfway out of his mouth when Yue Qingyuan bursts through the door.
“Qi-ge—” Shen Yuam starts, but is cut off by Yue Qingyuan.
“Xiao Yuan—” Yue Qingyuan says, reaching out one hand to grip at Shen Yuan’s sleeve. Shen Yuan tilts his head in confusion; Yue Qingyuan turns to Shen Jiu as well, grabbing his sleeve as well.
Shen Jiu scowls and tries to pull away. “Qi-ge, what is the meaning of—”
“They know.”
-
It couldn’t have lasted forever, Shen Yuan doesn’t say. Qi Qingqi is staring decisively between him and Shen Jiu, mouth set to a tight frown. Near the gathered crowd of onlookers, Yue Qingyuan’s shoulders are slumped in dismay.
“Which one is Shizun?” Ning Yingying pipes up.
“I am,” say both Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu at the same time. Shen Jiu glares at Shen Yuan; Shen Yuan looks away, sheepish.
“Which one is the nice Shizun?” Ming Fan adds.
Shen Jiu chokes, and Shen Yuan coughs into his fan. “I am,” he says; Shen Jiu scowls but doesn’t disagree, instead choosing to hide his haughty expression behind his fan.
“Two Shizuns,” Luo Binghe says airily, an expression of wonder overcoming him.
Shen Jiu sends out a small stream of air to smack Luo Binghe in the face. “Don’t even think of it, beast.”