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There are hundreds to thousands to millions of reasons why Shen Qingqiu hates his shizun. Well, not really hate, just a number of reasons he can pile up from just several experiences—it’s not mutual from his shizun at all. In fact, he may as well say that his Shizun loves him. This takes in mind his shizun, Luo Binghe knows he’s a demon lord.
Although he knows this, although Shen Qingqiu has stated this fact tens of thousands of times, he still hasn’t listened once. Ever. To explain how they’d gotten to this point, how it all began would be an entirely different story. It would take several years worth of explaining on how he had even discovered he was a demon lord and all the events leading up to it. It would be easier just to explain what was happening right now, and why he “hated” him in this particular moment.
It begins as all days do and Shen Qingqiu had decided to stop by at Cang Qiong Mountain to visit his husband at the Bamboo House. He’d already made some rounds out by the city and he wanted to visit his husband again.
Shen Qingqiu treads along the grassy path leading to the Bamboo House, keeping his hands tucked behind him as he did. As he made his way there, two Qing Jing disciples were wandering about, and as soon as they spotted him, their eyes grew wide and the two quickly moved past him. He paused for a short moment in his steps, looking behind him. He watches the two disciples run away, slight amusement going through him.
It made sense why they’d be scared, though with how often Shen Qingqiu had been a familiar sight in Qing Jing peak by now, he would’ve thought that they’d stopped running about like scared mice. Shen Qingqiu turns back, walking once again towards the Bamboo House.
He stops at the doors, taking one long glance around him at his environment before pushing the doors open.
“Qingqiu!” A voice exclaims.
Shen Qingqiu looks at his husband who’s already walking over to him before he’s had a moment to step into the threshold.
“You couldn’t just stay away for even more than two full shí?” Luo Binghe questions with a beaming smile.
Shen Qingqiu slowly crosses the threshold to meet him. “I had time to spare.” That wouldn’t be exactly true. Shen Qingqiu just happened to make the plans of the day accordingly to allow time to meet with husband throughout the day instead of only visiting in the late night.
His tail flicks across the floor in a twitch before he looks at Luo Binghe to ask the question. “Binghe, would you happen to know why your disciples still flee when they see me?”
Binghe hums in response, crossing his arms. “Nothing comes to mind,” He glances at Shen Qingqiu, “You’re also my disciple so I wouldn’t understand..”
Shen Qingqiu blinks slowly, his tail once again giving another small twitch. “Binghe.”
Luo Binghe gives him a grin. “You are. I can prove it.”
Shen Qingqiu eyes him, knowing that he’s likely going to do something that he won’t like. He adjusts his glasses, giving him a slight scowl.
“How so?”
Luo Binghe suddenly walks over, and for a second, Shen Qingqiu steps back. He suddenly feels his feet lift off the ground and Luo Binghe throws him over his shoulder. Shen Qingqiu lets out a sound that could be mistaken as a girl shrieking as he struggles in Luo Binghe’s grasp.
“Ah,” He says, keeping a tight grip around Shen Qingqiu’s thighs, “My disciple is just as light as I remember!” Shen Qingqiu is still struggling in his grasp, his face flushed as he attempts to push loose from his shizun. He shoves his hand against Luo Binghe’s shoulder, still wiggling about.
“Shiz–you! Pervert!” He yelps, “I’m–this lord is a demon emperor, goddammit!”
He keeps struggling in Luo Binghe’s grasp, his tail flicking about wildly. His shizun only laughs as he struggles, which only infuriates Shen Qingqiu further.
“Put me down!” He yells, digging his claws into his shizun’s shoulder. He is an adult, for goodness sake, Shen Qingqiu shouldn’t be carried about like a child!
“Does this prove it now?” Luo Binghe questions.
Shen Qingqiu huffs, finally giving up in his struggle to get his husband to put him down. “Binghe. What are you even proving to this lord?”
“That I can carry you around as easily as I could when you were completely under my care.” He replies. Shen Qingqiu almost growls at him. That should not involve embarrassing him out of all things! This is just one of the millions of reasons that he “hates” his shizun.
“Fine, you proved it. Put me down.” Luo Binghe finally sets him down on the ground and as soon as the soles of his shoes touch the ground, Shen Qingqiu glares at his husband.
“There’s so many other ways you can prove it to this lord than that!” He steps closer to Luo Binghe, flicking a tuft of his hair.
“Besides, what would your disciples think if they saw you messing around like that?” Shen Qingqiu continues. Luo Binghe smiles at him carelessly.
“Everyone already knows so there wouldn’t be any issues if you’re worried about it.” Luo Binghe says with a shrug. Shen Qingqiu huffs. Of course he’d say that, it wasn’t as if he was the one being carried about like he was cattle.
“I have spare time before I need to go.” Shen Qingqiu declares, “Would you like to go on a walk?”
Even before asking his husband this question, Shen Qingqiu had already checked Luo Binghe’s schedule in advance. To be more specific, he’d checked for the entire week to assure his timing was perfect and would allow him the most possible time with his husband. Shang Qinghua had to scramble to gather that information for him, and for doing so, Shen Qingqiu had been sure to thank him.
As usual, Liu Mingyan had brought up an entire guide on how he could interact with Luo Binghe.
When Shen Qingqiu had asked the typical question of where she had obtained the time to create such a detailed guide, Liu Mingyan had gone silent and ignored the question.
Shen Qingqiu will eventually get the answer to that particular question. Soon. Hopefully sooner than later.
He looks back at Luo Binghe. “I should have time.” He answers. Shen Qingqiu hums to himself, as expected.
He’ll be sure to thank the two of them again once he gets back from this walk with his husband. That’ll definitely be when he gets his answers from Liu Mingyan. He walks back the way he came, turning to take a glance at Luo Binghe.
“This lord is heading out now, come with me.” He states.
Luo Binghe quickly turns to follow him, pushing the doors of the Bamboo House open for Shen Qingqiu as the two of them head out onto the grassy path to walk around Qing Jing Peak. The two of them begin the walk in silence which Shen Qingqiu finds peaceful as they tread through.
The area around them is completely lacking in disciples which Shen Qingqiu can only assume is the fault of the two disciples that had passed him earlier.
“Is it typically this barren?” He asks.
“Of what?” Luo Binghe responds.
Shen Qingqiu takes one hand out from behind his back and motions towards the surrounding area. “Are there normally this few disciples out at this hour?”
Luo Binghe shrugs. “Depends on the day.”
It wasn’t that difficult to determine that the days there are fewer disciples out are the days Shen Qingqiu is visiting. It’d be a surprise if that were just a coincidence.
He nods at Luo Binghe’s response, adjusting his glasses slightly so they rest more comfortably in place. It’s a long while before either of them speak again and so Shen Qingqiu begins to let his thoughts wander about. After having completed the storyline, the system hadn’t been appearing as often. Part of him wondered if that was because it didn’t have any purpose to exist—but it had still appeared to him so it couldn't be that.
Maybe that was because he completed the plot?
He doesn’t dawdle too long on his thoughts and only shoots a spare glance at Luo Binghe out of the corner of his eye. His husband doesn’t catch the quick glance Shen Qingqiu shoots at him and Shen Qingqiu focuses his gaze back on the environment.
Still there were no disciples wherever he looked and it wouldn’t take more than just a little common sense to determine that it was because of him.
He makes a mental note to yell at Shang Qinghua for making everyone SO scared of the protagonist. Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t be able to enjoy being the protagonist if everyone was scared of him! It might’ve been better to land as someone who people wouldn’t run about scared when he’s around—yet, he wouldn’t have his husband had things turned out his way.
Perhaps he’d thank Shang Qinghua? He isn’t too sure yet.
“The day affects how many disciples are present?” Shen Qingqiu questions.
“Yes.” Luo Binghe looks at him smiling, “Are you asking for any reason in particular?” Shen Qingqiu almost scowls, his tail flicking about. He wills it to still but the traitorous thing won’t stop flicking like a wildcat. Just barely, he maintains his expression.
“None, though is this because you have something in mind?” Luo Binghe is about to speak when Shen Qingqiu continues, “And something that isn’t involved with picking me up in any manner you try to word it.”
Luo Binghe gives him a slight pout. If Shen Qingqiu were anybody else, he would’ve thought it looked childish, but with his husband…with his husband, Luo Binghe just looked adorable! He couldn’t help it, but it’s just true.
The pouting doesn’t last long and he perks up looking at Shen Qingqiu, “I have something better than that!”
“What is—” Luo Binghe cuts him off with a kiss. Shen Qingqiu quickly scrambles for a grasp, his fingers grabbing at Luo Binghe’s hair. Once he has his grasp, he finally leans into the kiss, letting himself sink into the feeling. Luo Binghe’s hands are wrapped around his neck and under the tight hold, Shen Qingqiu almost collapses; forgetting how to stand. His knees nearly give way beneath him but Luo Binghe pulls him back up, breaking off the kiss momentarily.
“Did you forget how to stand?” He teases. Shen Qingqiu’s face flushes and he smacks his hand on his husband’s mouth to shut him up.
“You! Shut it!” He hisses, quickly taking a glance around them to check nobody had seen.
Luo Binghe yanks Shen Qingqiu’s hand off his mouth with one of his hands and kisses him again. He bites at his lip and Shen Qingqiu makes a slight noise at that—one that would’ve earned him stares from Luo Binghe’s disciples. Fortunately all of them had fled the moment they sensed his presence so Shen Qingqiu had little to worry about that.
Might it be good or bad fortune, Luo Binghe doesn’t stop there.
By the time Shen Qingqiu works up the nerve to tell Luo Binghe to cut it out, his mouth had definitely done more work than was necessary. Shen Qingqiu is sure his face is burning a bright vermillion based on how Luo Binghe is giving him an amused look.
“Binghe!” He exclaims, slamming his hands on Luo Binghe’s chest.
“Right, right.” Luo Binghe answers, his tone unapologetic, “I apologize.” Shen Qingqiu scowls at him, his tail swishing on the ground in long low sweeps.
His husband was NOT apologetic. He was at most feeling guilty for not taking the initiative to do more to Shen Qingqiu before he stopped him. Shen Qingqiu would have to find a way to get back at him later, maybe he’d ask Shang Qinghua?