Work Text:
A galloping horse pulled a rattling carriage along a bumpy road. Overhead, the swaying foliage weathered the worst of the sun's heat. Shen Qingqiu didn’t know where they were going. He side-glanced Liu Qingge from the safety of his fan. Even the simple act of holding the reins made him radiate gallant charm. Seemingly noticing the darting stares, Liu Qingge threw a glance of his own at him.
“What is it? You can head inside if the sun is bothering you.” Liu Qingge said, without the usual sarcastic bite such words might warrant.
“No need. It's not noon yet, and this Shixiong thought of keeping you company.”
“You are silent.” Liu Qingge pointed out, one brow rising.
Ah, well, that’s true. Shen Qingqiu had made a rude company, hadn’t he? It's just that he doesn't have anything interesting to say! All the words kept scattering in the sea of his conscience when he cast a probing hook. Nevertheless, he dredged up the most buzziest thought
“Will you tell me now where we are going?” He asked for what, the fourth time?
They’ve been on the road for three days. The first two atop Cheng Luan -he wasn’t given the chance to bring along Xiu Ya-, with inn breaks in between. At the last village, Liu Qingge bought this carriage. It was so out of the ordinary that Shen Qingqiu checked him for possession. They didn’t even stop to battle a single monster for crying out loud!
“You will see soon.” was Liu Qingge's unchanged answer.
Huffing, Shen Qingqiu faced the road ahead. When did his Shidi learn discretion? “You can’t just abduct me from my peak without telling me the destination at the very least.”
“I can, and I did.” A pause, “Though it could hardly be called an abduction. You followed me without protest.”
“You held my wrist and walked off the mountain.”
“And you followed me.” Liu Qingge repeated dryly. “My grip wasn’t firm. Besides, you aren’t tied up now, are you?”
Before a storm of embarrassment could swallow Shen Qingqiu whole, a nearby bush rustled and a thin, long tube-like nose emerged, sniffing the air.
“Oh!” Exclaimed Shen Qingqiu. He leaned forward, and the carriage slowed down and halted. “That should be a blood-sucking-fox monster! This summer's humidity is the perfect time for its mating season. Surprisingly, for an invasive species from the abyss, they don’t hunt humans or animals. Only plant-type monsters. They sucks their secretion, or in this case, their blood, then inject a toxin to paralyse them. They are intersex by the way! If they don't find mates by the end of the season, then they can just do the deed by themselves, their male reproductive system could extend and bend! But it isn’t efficient, they must seek new genes instead of churning out copies. Anyway, after that, the blood-sucking-fox would use its lower stinger to plant a cluster of eggs inside the carcass of a brain dead plant-monster. To keep them warm. Though their survival really depends on the chosen monster, whether the secretions were acidic or not.”
Done with his short lecture, if only to breathe, Shen Qingqiu smiled at Liu Qingge. “It’s such a cool monster, but the name is misleading. It’s called as such because its fur has the colouring of one common type of fox, you know, dark orange with lines of black and white? But what can you really expect from the idiot who created this world? Never mind that, blood-sucking foxes don't get close to humans unless food is nearby. Food which would kill humans. So no funny ideas of hunting them down, or I will be cross with you, all right?”
Pink dusted Liu Qingge’s cheeks. He was gaping a little, eyes wide. The poor man must be suffering under the rising heat! Then he smiled, drowning all of Shen Qingqiu’s thoughts. It was small, barely tilting the corners of his lips upwards, yet it contained a magnitude of brilliance that scalded Shen Qingqiu’s heart.
“All right.” Liu Qingge agreed. “I’m not going to kill them anymore.”
Wait.
“Anymore?!”
“For their fur. Some of the Peak Lords request them.” Liu Qingge explained. Brows furrowed. “I’ll turn them down next time.”
“See that you do. I’ll have a talk with them myself.”
The carriage moved again.
Liu Qingge hummed. “Does that mean you will attend the future peak lords meeting?”
“Might as well.” Shen Qingqiu fanned himself. The ecosystem would collapse! Blood-sucking-foxes brought a much needed balance, keeping the monstrous papapa -in both shape and number- plants at bay, they are both incubators and food. Exterminating them would sow chaos. Must they target an already dwindling species? The intersex devices they had doesn’t change the fact that only three eggs at a time may survive the incubating stage, and unless nature does its job with evolution, a few more winters could possibly wipe them out. Their fur was too short and thin to protect them from the human’s world harsh weather.
Perhaps he should write a research paper once they return home, to circulate the newly enacted hunting ban around the Jianghu. When was the last time he did that? 2 years ago, was it?
A shudder shook him, and his hand stilled. Then his body did, as Liu Qingge’s fingers curled around his wrist.
Liu Qingge didn't say anything, and so Shen Qingqiu didn't, either.
Blast it, the weather was truly too hot.
*
“-Shen Qingqiu. Wake up, we have arrived.”
These words pried him away from the twisting veins of a murky dream. Relief choked Shen Qingqiu as he opened his eyes. He didn’t remember what he had dreamt of, but he didn’t need to. Only one memory haunted the recesses of his mind.
It must be after midday. For the sun eased off its relentless barrage, leaving behind remnants of its scorching heat along a slight breeze carrying hints of brine.
Breathing in the scent, Shen Qingqiu lifted his numbed cheek. His inner robes discomforted him, with how they stuck to his clammy skin. He tugged the collars, seeking reprieve. Blearily, his eyes met Liu Qingge’s. The very close eyes of Liu Qingge.
Blinking, Shen Qingqiu looked down. On the shoulder he slept on, strands of his hair languished upon it still, but not enough to hide dark spots of what could only be drool. His eyes darted back up. Liu Qingge's expressionless face met him.
Without breaking eye contact, Liu Qingge gathered the hair there and combed through the disarray with gentle fingers, before letting go.
“My shoulder must have been comfortable, you snored for four hours straight.”
“Ah!” Shen Qingqiu eloquently replied. Body twisting to the side, scrambling to run away from the shame setting his skin ablaze, he shouted. “You said we arrived! Let’s hop off the carriage then!"
Maybe it was the wind, or the rippling waves in the distance, but he could have sworn that a low chuckle drifted to his ears.
The large trees of before gave way to sparse, lighter greenery, and grey boulders scattered across the surrounding area. He didn’t imagine it, waves crashing against waves raged as he walked briskly down a rockery slope. The air swelled with the scent of salt mixed with seaweed and the distinct smell of fish. It wasn’t unpleasant, but rather refreshing. When he reached the even ground, Shen Qingqiu slowed down to take it all in. Under the incandescent sun of the wei hour, vast shifting water glittered blue, and rolling whitecaps broke through surging tides.
Liu Qingge stepped beside him and offered him a fan. A plain white one.
“It slipped from your hands earlier.”
“Thank you, Shidi. This– you took me to the ocean.” Shen Qingqiu fluttered the fan open and hid the lower part of his face.
“Mm. I was told it would do you good. There is still time before sunset. Do you want to wade through the water?” He was definitely reciting someone else's words.
“I am fine. Who is filling your head that I am not?” The water really looked tantalising, though. “Well, since we are already here, it would be a waste not to enjoy ourselves, no?”
Folding his fan shut, Shen Qingqiu put it away, then sat on a nearby rock to remove his shoes.
Upon freeing his first foot, he heard a squawk. He heeded it no mind; it must have come from one of the flying seabats. Which he doesn’t want to think about, in fact, he would like to purge the sight of them from his mind. Seabats flying in broad daylight! ‘Falling like sparks of a dying ember as the sunrise battered them down’ his ass! They were doing fine! He couldn’t wait to thoroughly shred that hack author apart.
Clasping both shoes in one hand and setting them on the rock, Shen Qingqiu ambled on warm, soft sand, his feet sinking down. The clumping dread wedged within his chest neither eased nor ebbed, but lightness flooded him regardless. He was reminded of a long-lost past, of laughter and large hands and splashes of water. Even that fleeting memory didn’t succeed in shedding the warmth coating him from head to toe.
Dry sand turned muddy as he stepped on the backshore, and water flowed up past his ankles. He gazed at the noisy birds and the purpling thin streaks of clouds.
Arms circled his waist, and Shen Qingqiu’s sputters cut short. He was rudely thrown into the water without warning. His robes might as well be weights with how heavy they became. Fortunately, the water on this part wasn’t deep. Having realised that, he decided to take advantage of his cultivation. Movements stalled and breath held, he waited. Not a single bubble floated up.
It didn’t take long for a splash to happen, and for Liu Qingge to swim towards him, worry plain on his face. That worry twisted into a frown when he saw him. Then something else flickered. Perhaps annoyance. Shen Qinqiu allowed the misbehaving arms to circle him again, dragging him up.
Laughter pealed out of him the moment he inhaled air.
“And that is what we call strategy. ” He snickered. “I didn’t have to lift a finger to take my revenge.”
“Such deviousness." Liu Qingge deadpanned. He freed one coiling arm to grasp Shen Qingqiu’s wrist, checking his meridians.
Only then did Shen Qingqiu notice the position they were in. Too close! Their chests almost pressed against each other. And then that went out the window when he saw Liu Qingge.
No words could be worthy to describe his beauty. The way his pitch black hair dripped with water, sticking to his face, a traitorous strand touching the corner of pouty pink lips. Long lashes glistened, hiding eyes beneath. His beauty mark peeled the veil of tumultuous emotions. Shen Qingqiu's throat dried despite all the water around them.
“Let’s return to shore.” He snatched his wrist off and swam back. There must be some bullshit in the water! An aphrodisiac no doubt! Appreciating the pretty face of your bro was fine and all, but for a certain cylinder to stand up! Thank God the water concea- wait, his clothes, his see-through not anymore-loose clothes!
God heard his pleas, for a roar thundered, chasing the seabats off. Shen Qingqiu turned his head back. In the middle of the sea, enormous pulsing tentacles shot from the depths. One by one, fishy eyes the size of an adult man sprang open from each sucker.
A one-hundred-eyed octopus! A sheen of a mucus-like liquid protected the eyes from drying out without the cover of water. It also functioned as an acid poison. The ejaculation type. The eyes spat poison.
“Stay back!” Liu Qingge ordered him, hand outstretched. Cheng Luan zoomed across the distance and settled in its rightful place. Bloodthirst and excitement contorted Liu Qingge’s visage. And even that didn’t lessen his stunning looks one bit. If anything, it made it harder to look away.
No. That wasn’t god listening to him, but god tormenting him! That bastard Airplane!