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In Proud Immortal Demon's Way, wife number three-hundred-sixty-four was one that Shen Yuan had fucking hated. The girl herself was fine, if bland, but the story was one of those stupid bullshit retcons that Airplane was pulling out of his ass right before the end. It hadn't been enough for the dick to suddenly pull well known relics or blessed objects out of thin air, as if they couldn't have easily solved so-and-so's problem thirty chapters back. No, he had to start fucking with Luo Binghe's backstory!
So wife number whatever was supposedly a slave kid who Luo Binghe happened to befriend when he was still with the old washerwoman. She got sold to some abusive household and then Luo Binghe promised he would come back for her someday. Real touching romance or whatever. But you could see the problems here, right? It challenged the assertion that Ning Yingying was the first person to show him kindness other than his adopted mother, plus just made Luo Binghe look like a scumbag! If he really cared about this girl so much, why the hell would he leave her to rot in that horrible manor for so long? And she just seemed cool with it, like she waiting all this time for him to come back? It was just stupid! All of it, stupid!
It was one of the few times that a decent chunk of people actually rallied with him in the comments instead of being dicks. He'd ridden that high until the mini-arc was over and the next stupid plot was introduced. Airplane had even posted a bite sized extra that showed that all the girl did was share her food with Luo Binghe once as damage control! Then that just made more plot holes, which had pissed Shen Yuan off further and-
Well, none of that really mattered now, anyway.
Shen Yuan pressed the herb into a young Luo Binghe's hand and tried to give him a smile. Even though the protagonist was just a ragamuffin little kid, he still seemed to shine much brighter than Shen Yuan did at the moment. His own hands were grubby and unwashed, his hair ratty and matted, his clothes filthy. Shen Yuan tried not to think about all that as the herb was taken by thin fingers only slightly larger than his own.
"You said your mom was coughing more, right? This might make her feel better." Shen Yuan said, sweetly.
"Jiejie, are you sure? This is...." Luo Binghe started, but Shen Yuan just gently curled the boy's fingers around the pungent root.
The young protagonist was just too cute! Even if it hadn't happened in the story this way, Shen Yuan was sure that showing a little more kindness to Luo Binghe couldn't have hurt! Shen Yuan was still trapped in this town and still a slave, and pretty sure he would be left to the wolves of the Wu manor. If he couldn't have these few precious memories, what would he have while he waited for Luo Binghe to rescue him?
Shen Yuan didn't come to their usual meeting spot. It made Luo Binghe feel anxious. He waited as long as he could get away with, but duty and worry for his mother pushed him to leave. She doesn't show up the next day either, or the day after that, or the one after that. By the fifth day Luo Binghe was beside himself with worry. It's to the point that he tracked down one of the older slave kids in the seedier part of the city; the one where he always has to watch his back lest he be snatched up by the slavers who lurked in the shadows.
"Shen Yuan? She got sold." The gruff boy answers, then sneers down his nose at Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe quietly thanks him for the information and rushes back home.
Sold! His only friend was sold! Luo Binghe feels utterly useless. His mother has been sick for months, but earlier this week she had laid down and hadn't gotten back up. Luo Binghe has been tending to her best he can between doing all the washing and chores. It takes everything in him to keep the tears from springing up in his eyes. He hadn't even gotten to say 'goodbye'.
The next day, Luo Binghe was rushing the laundry to the Wu Estate when he sees her. He'd recognize that messy brown hair anywhere. Shen Yuan has been cleaned up and put in servant's robes, but it doesn't hide the ring of purple bruises around her thin wrist or the swollen eye. She's listlessly staring at the ground, head lowered, as she carefully sweeps the paths on the back courtyard.
Luo Binghe feels so angry on her behalf. Shen Yuan was one of the kindest people in the whole world and they had hurt her.
The basket of clean inner robes was placed down and Luo Binghe dashed over to her. He knows he's not really supposed to wander, the masters of the house will beat him if they catch him, but how can he stay away from Shen Yuan? And no one is around anyway, so it'll be fine-!
"Jiejie!" Luo Binghe hissed out in a harsh whisper. Shen Yuan snapped out of her daze, head jerking up. He sees her falter before she realizes who he is. It's heartbreaking to watch her expression rise before crashing and falling back into that scared, meek thing she did when she was scared.
"Binghe!" She answered, then lowered her voice. "You're not supposed to be over here! You'll get in trouble!"
Shen Yuan's concern, even now, makes Luo Binghe feel warm inside. He doesn't let the fluttering in his chest distract him. Reaching out, he takes one of her hands to cradle between his own. He doesn't have much time.
"I'll get you out of here, Shen Yuan! Then no one will-" Luo Binghe cuts himself off, unable to say it. His eyes linger on the bruising around her wrist, which makes Shen Yuan pull his hand back and slide the thin robe back over his arm. The clear shame on his friend's face makes him seethe.
"I.... Binghe...." Shen Yuan looks like she might cry, eyes getting wet, but no tears fall. She just sniffles loudly and physically shakes her head. "I-I need to go!"
"I'll come back for you, Shen Yuan! I promise!" Luo Binghe calls to her back, watching his friend scurry away and back into the manor. Luo Binghe squeezes his fists so tight at his sides that his nails almost cut his palms. He watches Shen Yuan vanish behind a corner- a single teardrop glistens in the light as it falls.
When Luo Binghe tears into the dirt on Cang Qiong Mountain, he feels the press of the necklace from his mother and he thinks of that tear.
Clumsy, poor, uneducated, filthy- these are all things that the beast staring up at him is. Shen Qingqiu looks down at Luo Binghe's eager face as he pours his shoddy, insulting tea. He beams with unearned pride as he offers the cup, hope bright in his deep brown eyes. Shen Qingqiu hates him. He hates him for being unwashed and common, he hates him for his wide and strong spiritual veins, he hates him for being the perfect age to cultivate. Most of all, Shen Qingqiu hates him when he answers, with full sincerity:
"This lowly one's mother is no longer in this world. It was her last wish for this Binghe to cultivate."
Shen Qingqiu hates that Luo Binghe had all of these things he had, so young, and then dares to have had someone who loved him. He can feel his hand tighten on the teacup, the sudden urge to break the boy filling his rotten chest. Shen Qingqiu wants to see the light leave his eyes as he realizes the world is unfair, then he wants to ruin him.
Except.
"Do not presume to lie to me, boy." Shen Qingqiu hisses, cold as ice. He is much too refined to slam his precious teacup on the table, but it feels like a near thing. It gives a click as it meets the wood of the table, not a single drop of the swill inside spilling. Luo Binghe lowers his eyes as panic flashes across his rapidly paling face. Good. This urchin will never dare lie to him again.
"T-this one, he only-" The boy stutters, trying to cover for himself. Shen Qingqiu scoffs and cracks open his fan, lazily airing himself as he watches the boy's shoulders hunch.
"This master has not yet completed the tea ceremony. He will have you thrown off this mountain if he does not receive the truth."
Shen Qingqiu watches as Luo Binghe seems at war with himself for a few moments. Eventually, the boy's eyes tear up and he scoots back, slamming himself down into a kowtow. The crack of his skull meeting the bamboo floor thuds into the room. His body shakes as he collects himself, but he does speak.
"T-this lowly one harbors selfish desires in his heart!" Luo Binghe starts, voice cracking. Shen Qingqiu does not answer, though he does narrow his eyes. "The only person this one has left in this world, she... she was...."
The boy's fists tighten by his head.
"She is a slave and was bought by a noble master who abuses her severely... this Luo wanted to gain the power to rescue her, as he promised!" Luo Binghe takes a deep, staccato breath. "Please, this humble one begs Immortal Master, please take me on as a disciple! He will do anything-!"
Luo Binghe grows quiet, awaiting judgment, but Shen Qingqiu stays silent. He is not able to answer as the world feels as if it has dropped out from under him.
Behind Shen Qingqiu's eyes he thinks of a young slave boy, name no more than a number. Sold to a cruel master, promised by his only person for rescue. The agony of waiting, until waiting could be done no longer. The taste of ash and blood when he was forced to tear himself from that home. Of finding out he had been left behind.
When Shen Qingqiu blinks back into himself, raw and bitter from memories, he assesses the boy before him with new eyes. Luo Binghe cries quietly against the floor where he still kneels, never having dared to raise his head. In that moment Shen Qingqiu decides he only hates one person in this world more than the boy before him: Yue Qingyuan. Because how dare he forget when here, in this foolish boy, is what he should have been?
Shen Qingqiu feels revulsion. He feels empty. He wants to laugh, long and loud and terrible.
The fan in his hand snaps shut.
"Rise." Shen Qingqiu orders. Luo Binghe does as he is told, sitting up with red rimmed eyes and tear chapped cheeks. The hope that was previously on his face has dulled. "This master will take Luo Binghe as his disciple."
The boy brightens, eyes filling with tears again. Shen Qingqiu openly sneers at such an unseemly sight.
"If Luo Binghe is to be my disciple, he will do what this master asks of him without failure or question. This master will be cruel. Luo Binghe may even hate this Shen and wish for his death. But, he can promise Luo Binghe this: if he is able to endure the trials he is given, Luo Binghe will gain the power he desires." Shen Qingqiu paused, letting the levity properly hit the boy. "Well? Is Luo Binghe willing to break his body at this master's feet for the chance to save his friend?"
"Yes!" Luo Binghe answered, not even hesitating. While Shen Qingqiu had spoken, his downcast demeanor had changed to one of steely determination.
Shen Qingqiu snatched the lukewarm tea from the table and knocked it back, the horrid taste washing over his tongue before he swallowed. He placed the cup down and stood in one movement, smooth and graceful as he rose to his full height.
"Welcome to Qing Jing, Disciple Luo."