Work Text:
If there was one thing Shen Qingqiu could be certain of, it was that fighting could truly be an art form. In his first life, his old world, he had understood in a detached sense that martial arts were an art, but he had never spent any attention on the martial arts outside of the online novels and video games he’d consume. Nothing had been able to get him to want to pay attention to what happened in reality.
Now, a few years in to living in the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way, Shen Qingqiu had grown an appreciation for the beauty for martial prowess. Though, he wondered if that was simply because he had such a fine specimen to showcase the try beauty of combat. Liu Qingge had perished before he made a proper onscreen appearance in Proud Immortal Demon Way, and the more time Shen Qingqiu spent with him the more obvious it was why Great Master Airplane had to kill him off.
Liu Qingge made violence look so beauty, that Shen Qingqiu knew that he could rival even the OP Protagonist in terms of beauty, charm and raw strength (at least, until Bingge got his hands on that golden finger of his). It was why he spent so much time watch Liu Qingge train, whether by himself or against others. The fact that the Bai Zhan War God was comfortable training anywhere, even in front of his Bamboo House, made it only better.
Still, he couldn’t help but notice he seemed to be the only one who appreciated Liu Qingge’s skills.
“Liu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu called from where he lazily watched the other, “Do you think my disciples are up to something?”
“Likely, given who teaches them, why?” Liu Qingge barely spared a glance.
Shen Qingqiu sighed, “Rude, Liu-shidi. But I meant that they seem to behave differently whenever you’re around.”
“In what way?”
“Well, have you noticed that they often run away whenever you visit? I’m starting to get worried they’re being scared off by your reputation as the Bai Zhan War God,” Shen Qingqiu shook his head at the thought, “You should try being a little more friendly, Shidi.”
Truly, it would not bode well for anyone if Luo Binghe harbored fear towards Liu Qingge.
Liu Qingge paused at that, before he finally glanced over, “Do you find me so unapproachable?”
That had Shen Qingqiu a little stumped. When he had first faced Liu Qingge, he certainly had been terrified out of his mind. Now that he had gotten a little closer to the other, that fear had faded quickly. The other’s almost tsundere-like personality in regards to kindness had melted away into some kind of respect between them, and Shen Qingqiu had hoped they had become something like friends. Needless to say, Liu Qingge had moved from being terrifying and intimidating, to someone that was reliable and consistent.
“Not really,” Shen Qingqiu softly admitted, “I think shidi can be very sweet to me, when he wants. But still, it doesn’t bode well for my disciples to be nervous around someone they should be able to trust.”
Liu Qingge snorted at that, “I doubt it’s fear that’s chasing your disciples away.”
“I should hope not. But that just makes me more suspicious they’re planning something,” Shen Qingqiu raised his fan higher to conceal the pout that threatened his lips.
“So you’ve said.”
That tone sounded far too amused for their current conversation.
“Not only do they vacate the area for your visits, but they prepare all these lavish meals like they expect you to stick around for a while. And remember that night hunt a few months ago, where we were missing an umbrella so we had to share? I’m certain we had enough before we left,” Shen Qingqiu began.
Shen Qingqiu had been given to option to take his disciples out for another night hunt, considering that the training incident with the Skinner Demon had been a complete failure from an educational perspective (he would never consider it such given that it finally broke that stupid OOC Lock). The mission had looked difficult, and since Liu Qingge had been around, Shen Qingqiu had asked him if he wanted to help give pointers to his disciples. To his surprise, the other had agreed.
Everything had been going so well, until it hard started raining. They had expected as much, given the location of the night hunt (and Shen Qingqiu had recognized the plot line, so he knew that it would rain for the sake of drama) yet despite preparations, they had lacked an umbrella. At first he had worried that Ming Fan had decided to go back to his typical methods of Luo Binghe bullying, but Luo Binghe had been one of the first disciples given an umbrella.
Given that the last umbrella had been a lot larger than the others, it was obvious that it was one that could be used to share. Still, it had seemed almost planned with the way his disciples had nudged the Peak Lords into sharing the umbrella. At the time, he had just wanted to get out from under the rain, he hadn’t thought back onto that moment until he had returned to the warmth of his own home.
Of course, it hadn’t been terrible to share with Liu Qingge. The other had practically radiated heat, so Shen Qingqiu had gladly taken advantage of the opportunity to be close. It just had been something that stuck out as odd in hindsight.
“You likely did,” Liu Qingge agreed.
Shen Qingqiu nodded, “Exactly, as sect as large as ours can afford an extra umbrella. Yet we were forced to share. Speaking of sharing, have you noticed how often we’ve had to share a tent?”
Liu Qingge sheathed Cheng Luan and made his way over to Shen Qingqiu, “I have.”
“Right,” Shen Qingqiu moved over and poured another cup of tea, “So what do you think they’re up to? I hope it’s nothing bad.”
Shen Qingqiu noticed Liu Qingge’s gaze lingered on the tea set he had chosen for this meeting. That wasn’t a surprise, it had been a tea set the other had gifted to him. It had also quickly become one of his favorite tea sets, it was just so nice and pretty. Once Shen Qingqiu had poured his fellow Peak Lord a cup, he happily handed it to the other who was seated next to him now.
“Is that the only possibility you will consider?” Liu Qingge asked after a moment.
Shen Qingqiu tilted his head a little, “What do you mean, Liu-shidi? Have I missed something?”
Liu Qingge shrugged, “Have you considered that they might be trying to help?”
That certainly seemed more in-character for his loyal little disciples, though that still didn’t explain why they thought what they were doing was helpful. How did forcing two Peak Lords to share a tent during a night hunt help anyone? If anything, it seemed like it could be more impractical than anything.
“These don’t seem like very helpful actions, Shidi. But if they are trying to help, it would be wrong for me not to encourage them. What could they be trying to help us with?” Shen Qingqiu questioned.
Liu Qingge closed his eyes, before he placed his cup down and turned to face the other,“Shen Qingqiu.”
“Yes, Liu-shidi?” Shen Qingqiu felt weird about the intensity in the other’s eyes.
With a surprising amount of gentleness, Liu Qingge pulled Shen Qingqiu’s fan and cup to set them aside, before he took both of his hands in his own. It took a lot of effort on Shen Qingqiu’s part to not blush at how arm and gentle Liu Qingge was as he pulled the two of them closer together.
“I have been trying to court you,” Liu Qingge said after a moment.
What?
“What?” Shen Qingqiu must have misheard, Liu Qingge couldn’t want to date the scum villain, right?
But Liu Qingge had no mercy, “Courtship. I want you to be my cultivation partner, if you’ll have me. I would like you to be more, when you’re ready.”
“You’re in love with me?” Shen Qingqiu asked, ignoring the heat that stained his face.
“Yes.”
Shen Qingqiu swallowed nervously, “Since when? How long?”
“I don’t know when I fell in love with you exactly. But since that day in Ling Xi caves, you’ve changed,” Liu Qingge’s voice was soft and deep and had Shen Qingqiu nearly wanting to swoon, “And when I realized it wasn’t a trick on your part, it didn’t take me long to grow attached to this version of you. Not much longer after that to completely fall in love with you.”
So, it wasn’t the original goods Liu Qingge had fallen in love with, but with this Shen Qingqiu.
At least he wasn’t in love with someone who would never return, and Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t had to spend his days feeling guilty about that.
“And you think my disciples are aware of this?” Shen Qingqiu asked.
Liu Qingge’s lips quirked in a smile – and wow, he looked way too good when he did that, “They haven’t been subtle with their attempts to arrange moments for us. Did you think it was a coincidence during that small training tournament we set up between our peaks that so many wayward attacks had flower petals raining all around us?”
The mock tournament between Qing Jing Peak and Bai Zhan Peak had been done in an attempt to help foster better relationships between their peaks. It had seemed like a rather productive way to redirect their energies. The battles had taken place between some plum blossom trees, and Shen Qingqiu had noticed that so many attacks had resulted in the trees shaking and the plum blossoms raining around the two Peak Lords. He had just chalked that up to being a result of disciples desperate to show off.
Shen Qingqiu felt his face warm more, “It was a rather pretty sight.”
“It was,” Liu Qingge agreed easily.
It had been a rather romantic sight, the more Shen Qingqiu thought back on it.
How absolutely embarrassing to not have put the pieces together.
“So… both our peaks are aware that you’re courting me?” Shen Qingqiu continued.
Liu Qingge comfortingly stroked Shen Qingqiu’s hand with his thumb, “Among others.”
Oh. No.
Shen Qingqiu felt his eyes close on their own, “How many people are aware? How blind have I been?”
“Not that many have noticed, you don’t need to worry.”
“How many, shidi?”
“Both our peaks. My sister. The Peak Lords,” Liu Qingge answered, “Likely Xian Shu Peak. I doubt its spread far beyond that.”
Shen Qingqiu let out a false laugh, “Oh. Just three peaks and our fellow Peak Lords. Hardly anyone.”
Given that Xian Shu Peak had been a Peak training women to be spies and assassins, it was no surprise that a secret could be uncovered by them. Even if Liu Qingge wasn’t certain that the peak had learned of his courtship attempts it was just smart to consider that they had. Though they were smart enough to know better than to gossip wildly (knowledge was power, after all) that didn’t mean they wouldn’t with more fun rumors. Shen Qingqiu just had to hope that Liu Mingyan would keep them all in line.
Shen Qingqiu found himself pulled out of those thoughts by a gentle hand that cupped his cheek.
“Do you accept my courtship, Shen Qingqiu?” Liu Qingge offered a sweet smile that made Shen Qinqiu’s brain short circuit, “You don’t have to, nothing has to change between us.”
It was a sweet offer, but Shen Qingqiu hadn’t need to think to hard or too long on it.
It didn’t take too long to realize what he truly wanted, even if it confused him a little.
“No! I mean, yes,” Shen Qingqiu felt himself blush harder in embarrassment, “Yes, I accept your courtship, Liu-shidi. Of course I do.”
What else could Shen Qingqiu say in response? He enjoyed Liu Qingge’s time, he trusted him more than anyone else, he couldn’t deny that Liu Qingge wasn’t extremely attractive. It nicely sidestepped the issue of accidentally getting involved with a harem member. Really, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t say that he disliked the thought of being much closer with Liu Qingge in any way.
He might need to spend some time looking into his feelings a little more, but that was a ‘wide awake at 2 AM Shen Qingqiu’ issue.
Shen Qingqiu sighed, “I can’t believe my disciples have been playing matchmaker this entire time. Or that I didn’t notice their schemes for what they were.”
Liu Qingge lifted his hand to press a gentle kiss against it, “They had more restraint than others. Mingyan’s suggestions were far less subtle.”
“Liu-shizhi had her own plots?” Shen Qingqiu was curious about that – what could the most pure and vitreous wife have plotted? “And you didn’t take your sister’s advice?”
“Trust me, I doubt you’d have supported such methods,” Liu Qingge commented with a face.
Shen Qingqiu refused to pout, but it was a near thing, “You don’t know that for certain.”
Liu Mingyan was one of his favorite characters, he was allowed to be curious as to what she would have planned!
Liu Qingge sighed, “I’ll tell you later, then.”
Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but compare the tone to a husband doting on a demanding wife, and he decided he didn’t entirely hate that comparison.
That was another thought for later.
Right now he wanted to know what it would be like kissing Liu Qingge.