Work Text:
An Ding Peak.
Surprisingly even for Shang Qinghua, there was work to do.
Last time he came here, all he did was eat melon seeds. Now he couldn’t even see his window through the stack of scrolls he had to go through.
No matter how long he sit, the pile didn’t melt but the shadows under his eyes got more prominent. At least that was what he has been told, when others advised him to get some sleep.
Some sleep, my ass! As if I didn’t try!
He would toss on his bed left and right, despite being tired, not being able to properly fall asleep. But when he finally did, his mind would replay the thing that bothered him during the day, so what was the point of closing his eyes at all?!
A sigh left Shang Qinghua’s lips. A disciple that at this time went in, put an apologetic smile as he added another scroll on Shang Qinghua’s desk.
It wasn’t the workload that bothered him, no. It actually helped. More work meant more siting here and more sitting here meant less siting in the Northern Border.
From the moment Mobei-Jun dragged him back, as Shang Qinghua’s leg was healing, other demons were responsible for cleaning Mobei-Jun’s cloths or fetching water or folding blankets. Shang Qinghua had little to nothing to do, apart from lying in his bed and picking up his writing.
After his leg was healed though, it still seemed that there was enough hands for cloth washing, water fetching and blankets folding, and his hands in those activities turned out to be utterly useless, turning Shang Qinghua’s overall presence completely idle.
Idle, but not ignorant. The strange glances given to him by other demons were hard to miss. Incredulous and flabbergasted, those furtive looks were asking, „How are you still alive? Why aren’t you beaten up to a pulp? Mobei-Jun overturned the Northern Border to find you, how’s that possible you are still breathing?!”
Shang Qinghua wondered about this himself.
First, he had thought he really won a lottery : Mobei-Jun personally picked him up? And not to hit him but to let be hit (with time limit, but still)? Declared he will make noodles (and he did!)? It looked like, after all, Mobei-Jun did care about „if he sees him anymore or not”, and this naive, embarrassing thought of Mobei-Jun being ‚a friend’ wasn’t so naive as Shang Qinghua thought - he truly was allowed to take things this way.
But as soon as those thoughts emerged on the surface of his mind, Shang Qinghua quickly remind himself to hold his horses and recall of who Mobei-Jun really was. As described in his《Proud Immortal Demon Way》- a ridiculously handsome but frigidly cold-hearted demon.
And this cold-hearted demon’s icy-blue eyes have been vigilantly following Shang Qinghua’s every doing, making Shang Qinghua’s hair stand alarmed. Whenever Shang Qinghua went, this gaze was on him, tinged with something bizarre that Shang Qinghua struggled to decipher.
And this worried him greatly.
What was that? What was making that?
Was it because it took Shang Qinghua too long to recover? That he, even though he tried, didn’t manage to fold a single blanket since he came back? That he became even more useless than before?
Or was it something more serious. Maybe Mobei-Jun didn’t let go of the cheek-pinching Shang Qinghua had served him before. Maybe Mobei-Jun changed his mind and was taking his time on deciding what punishment should Shang Qinghua receive. Mobei’s clan after all was the one which hold grudges, not let them go. Shang Qinghua wrote this line himself.
Or he just simply wanted to hit. And to not end as a brute, he was waiting for Shang Qinghua’s slip.
Whatever it was, Shang Qinghua knew he was stepping on really thin ice. He just didn’t know when this ice decides to painfully crack under him.
He chose to take things in his hands and make sure the ice is firm and thick on several li. And the obvious thing was of course to not provoke.
How to not provoke? Simply keeping his distance!
A literal one, baby steps, to be precise - two additional ones between them, for a start enough to not be at Mobei-Jun’s arm reach if he suddenly blows up.
This small change seemed to bring different result than expected.
The first time he did so, Mobei-Jun’s brows furrowed. The second time, they crinkled more. The third time the frown was so deep Shang Qinghua was sure that here comes the punch!
But all that followed was the look he perfectly knew. The non-verbal command of „Stay still!”
So stay still he did. Each time he saw this look, Shang Qinghua would brave himself to obey, even when the need to move a few additional steps back was eating him alive. His hands would tremble for a split second, yearning to place themselves on his head in years-trained manner, but remembering the threat Mobei-Jun gave him about this behaviour of his, Shang Qinghua would surpass his itch, tightening his hands and plastering them alongside his body.
This still wouldn’t escape those piercing eyes. The air would get colder.
This and the lack of hands that could separate him from Mobei-Jun made Shang Qinghua keep his head lower, not daring to look up. A very picture of a humble servant.
A humble servant is a good servant, and a good servant doesn’t provoke, isn’t it so?
Wrong!
No matter if Shang Qinghua moved away, stayed still, or lowered his head in front of his king - it didn’t change anything, him being careful and walking around as if on eggshells seemed to irk Mobei-Jun even more. The given look seemed to intensify, the tinge of unknown origin was still there, and Mobei-Jun’s mood was drastically deteriorating!
Angry Mobei-Jun meant violent Mobei-Jun, violent Mobei-Jun meant flying Shang Qinghua, and flying Shang Qinghua after Mobei-Jun’s succession meant a dead Shang Qinghua.
Asking about the problem was impossible, staying was also impossible. After long and heavy thinking, Shang Qinghua decided that ‚out of sight, out of mind’, so he mustered his courage and said, „My king, ah, as it seems I cannot be of any help for you during these days, and it would be more over two months since last time I was back…May I ask your permission to return to An Ding Peak?”
Hiding temporary at his peak seemed like a good idea. After more time passes, Shang Qinghua hoped the whatever was irking Mobei-Jun to serve him a beating will abate to the point of not being worth going back to it for good.
His seemingly innocent question flared up the blue light in Mobei-Jun’s eyes. Mobei-Jun’s chilling words fell : „The First Tribute.”
Shang Qinghua felt his own hair went grey.
The First Tribute was as the name suggested, a grand occasion for important demon clans to offer their tribute to Mobei-Jun after his official succession. It should take place months ago, but was put off as Mobei was so furiously searching for Shang Qinghua’s sorry-ass. Even when Shang Qinghua was back, curing his leg, the ceremony was still on-hold for some reason.
„M-My king! Forgive me, that slipped out of my mind, I-…!” Shang Qinghua hurried in one breath, stopping in the middle of his apologies as he realized his terrifying blurt out.
Isn’t it the same? The same as last time?
When his thoughts of ‚I want to return’ escaped his lips the moment they were in the Ice Fortress, about to begin the succession ceremony? Did he seriously did the same thing? Wanting to leave before an important event? And he asked this after all his „careful” thinking?!
He was dead. He was so dead. He was more dead than any dead!
The slowly approaching steps made him panic so much he seriously was considering waking the system up and asking for immediate transfer!
The hem of dark blue robe appeared in his field of view. Shang Qinghua didn't dare to look up, and when he was about to throw himself flat on the floor, begging for mercy, he heard: „Go.”
It took Shang Qinghua a moment.
Go?
Not even clenched-teeth ‚go’, or angry ‚go’, or a yelled ‚go’?
Moreover, a ‚go’?
Really?
Shang Qinghua thought, being sure he misheard.
I can go?
He wondered, rising his head.
Just like that-?
Shang Qinghua’s thoughts were turned off when cold fingers caught his chin. A short circuit appeared when his chin was lifted up. And at the moment Mobei-Jun’s tongue tasted his mouth, Shang Qinghua’s brain got fried.
The ink on his brush has long turned dry, and the scroll Shang Qinghua was absentmindedly staring at had one, big, black stain.
„…”
What was that. Why it was like that. Why?!
A whim?
No, OOC, too OOC!
Was it not Mobei-Jun?
No, it was definitely Mobei-Jun, the demeanour was one of the kind, inimitable.
Then?!
Still staring at the stain of ink, Shang Qinghua yanked his hair both-handedly in a crazy-manner, on what another disciple turned in place and got out before saying anything.
Oh, this whole matter kept him awake at night! The situation was unsettling, Shang Qinghua has been thinking long and hard, and each of his thoughts was rebuked by another. He was running out of logic ideas, trying to explain the unnatural Mobei-Jun’s behaviour, it all looked like some kind of hallucination, the no yelling, no anger -
…exactly!
Shang Qinghua was a victim of a hallucination!
That would explain everything! Shang Qinghua could even follow the whole way : Mobei-Jun had dealt with some plant-type monster which pollen was on his coat, Shang Qinghua sniffed it, then got this crazy illusion! That fit perfectly!
What a blessing! Days worth of worry, just like that, puff!
With a relieved half-laugh half-sigh, Shang Qinghua resolutely took another scroll, changing the brush and poising it above the paper before the next thought froze his smile:
…there was no pollen that could make hallucination so vivid in terms of sensations. And those, which he had felt, were extremely vivid.
It came strong. With a tint of hidden anger. With a sense of possession.
Shang Qinghua swallowed, his knuckles absentmindedly traced his lips.
It was so…invasive.
He jumped in his seat when his thoughts were interrupted ( Thank you! Thank you hundred times!!! ) as the disciple from before got back after all, hurriedly reporting.
„What? Bai Zhan Peak again?” even Shang Qinghua was astounded „That’s another requests for stock transportation from Qian Cao Peak, and a huge one! What are Liu Qingge’s disciples doing with those ointments, bathing in them?”
The disciple sheepishly scratched his cheek, „Actually…”
It turned out, they really did. The previous stocks deliveries were the regular restocking, but this one was initiated by Liu Qingge himself. At this very moment, Liu Qingge was training his disciples, after he had stormed out of Qing Jing Peak. Apparently, Shen Qingqiu came back with Luo Binghe again.
***
Luo Binghe poured tea for Shen Qingqiu, ignoring Shang Qinghua on the opposite side. To be more precise, he ignored the empty cup in front, not the person himself - the look Bing-ge gave him was as cold as the one he endowed him with the moment he saw Shang Qinghua approaching the bamboo house. Shang Qinghua surpassed flinch with difficulty.
„I” he cleared his throat, forcing a calmer voice „I must say, I'm surprised I see Cucu-…Shen-shixiong back on the peak.”
„Tomorrow’s Peak Lords Assembly” Shen Qingqiu said „You should have known this?”
„It seems I haven’t reach this scroll, yet…”
As soon as he asked Luo Binghe to give them some time (Luo Binghe left, despondet), Shen Qingqiu said, „I, on the other hand, cannot say I’m surprised seeing you. You decided to stay.”
„Ah, this and that happened.” Shang Qinghua helped himself and reached for the teapot.
„Everything’s back to normal then.” Shen Qingqiu blew on the tealeaves, calmly taking a sip.
Shang Qinghua was about to say ‚yes’, and change the topic as he didn’t come here to confide. He came for a change of scenery, to witness the return of Liu Qingge ( as he should run out of disciples to beat train at this point ) and general chaos that it would create, and he really didn’t expect for the peak to be so calm and for Liu Qingge to not return.
Yet Shen-dada acute eyes told him there was no point in trying to hide anything. And to be honest - Shang Qinghua barely could hold this inside himself. He said without any introduction whatsoever, in one breath, „He didn’t hit. Not a single time. Even though he looked like he would.”
„Mobei-Jun? And that’s troubling you? Would you prefer be beaten three times a day?”
Shang Qinghua, his brow slightly twitching : „Do I look like an M to you?”
Shen Qingqiu glanced shortly at moping outside Luo Binghe who automatically smiled at him „You wouldn’t be the first one who with his appearance conceals such taste. Getting into consideration your years worth of experience, maybe you transitioned.”
„Then I feel obligated to clarify, I hold no such interests, and I can’t stress this enough.”
„Say what you want, you’re the one who looks so apprehensive because of lack of beating.”
„That’s not all. He-„ Shang Qinghua found himself in a rare state for his profession and personality - lack of words. No - the words were there, all flourishing and ready, yet he couldn’t force himself to squeeze them through his throat. He decided to speak around, „…Master Shen, Peak Lord Shen, Shen-dada, my town-fellow….pray you divulge this for me. Do you remember, the first time Bing-ge kissed you?„
Clang!
A few seconds later Luo Binghe was cleaning Shen Qingqiu’s shattered teacup. Shang Qinghua earned himself another death glare. That would be the third.
„…” Sheng Qingqiu made sure Luo Binghe is not close and said „from your question I assume you’ve got your experience. That’s what makes you panic?”
„Weren’t you?”
The memory of how mortified he was the first time Luo Binghe kissed him flew through Shen Qingqiu’s mind „…of course not.”
„Ah, I see. I should have expected that. Cucumber-bro is as dignified as his reputation of a peak master, tall and serene, not faltering even while facing the《Regret of Chunshan》-”
„That’s enough.”
The slightly unsatisfied tone of Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua acquired the fourth glare from afar. He quietly switched places to have the entrance behind his back.
He massaged his temples, „Do I panic? Of course I panic, I cannot find the reason! What if it’s something serious, maybe a bug in the system? I’ve excluded some options myself and hoped you could help me with this as we’re at this already-”
„A bug?” Shen Qingqiu raised his brows, „You’re overthink it way too much. Isn’t it obvious? He’s interested.”
Shang Qinghua stilled motionless, like a perfectly sculptured stone of pure astonishment. Then, the stone burst out with laughter.
„Aiyo, my stomach!” Shang Qinghua rolled to the floor, holding it and still laughing „Cucumber-bro! A new town-fellow! A spell! Possession! Hallucination! Sickness! This is all more likely than your suggestion!”
„And yet you got rid of all those possibilities, didn’t you.”
„Not exactly, a bug is hard to confirm, and I’m not sure which sickness took him, if he’s sick.”
Sudden and extremely loud noise from the other room drew Shen Qingqiu’s attention, but before leaving to check what’s happening, he said „‚Sick’ is your way of thinking. No surprise that 《Proud Immortal Demon Way》was such a terrible novel, full of plot holes. How could it be logical when the author himself has problems with connecting the dots?”
Shang Qinghua massaged his hurting from the laughter cheeks, shaking his head and rebuking Shen Qingqiu thought before it properly formed in his head. He would rather believe Mobei-Jun made a prank which in Shang Qinghua mind was still far more less jarring with Mobei-Jun’s character than what Shen-dada had suggested.
And who was Shen Qingqiu to talk about connecting dots anyway? He was sure his disciple wants to kill him while the truth was he wanted to do him.
Grabbing his cup, Shang Qinghua involuntarily overheard a muffled conversation :
„Making a noise was for this master to come and find you?”
„Shizun, this disciple is unhappy.”
„Mmm.”
„Shizun!”
„Be obedient. Your shishu is here.”
„Shizun, since we came here, you seem to have no time for this disciple. You worry about others more than me.”
„Nonsense. How is this master not worrying about you?”
„This disciple is clearly suffering from a lack of his shizun, and shizun is not allowing him to quench his hunger-”
Shang Qinghua almost drown himself in his tea.
Coughing and choking and tearing and crying, he heard some struggles, muffled noises, then a swish of a fan followed by a thud of it landing of someone’s head. After some time, Shen Qingqiu entered the room, aggravated. His lips were suspiciously red.
He sat down and poured them fresh tea he brought. Shang Qinghua could swear that at this moment, something ominous was emanating from the side room.
„You…shouldn’t I leave?”
„You are not in a hurry, are you.”
But Bing-ge seems to be? Are you sure you want to leave him like that, Cucumber-bro?!
Shen Qingqiu said, „I helped you, so you help me teach this child what ‚a full day of talking with others’ looks like, for him to learn both difference and patience.”
„You helped me? How?”
„I gave you my opinion on Mobei-Jun’s behaviour” On Shang Qinghua expression, Shen Qingqiu said, resigned „The bug is impossible - the plot line has been fixed, the system has no reasons to intervene in this world anymore, much less it would have any reasons to suddenly send another town-fellow, which you’ve already said you excluded anyway. If you are unwilling to believe in my words, there’s nothing more I can do.”
That really wasn’t helpful. Shang Qinghua hoped Shen Qingqiu could give some insightful tips, but it turned out Shang Qinghua was left with this on his own.
He would have left, but Shen Qingqiu knew how to keep him at place - one question about his writing to another, the thought of ‚let’s just stay for one cup of tea’ Shang Qinghua didn’t know when became invalid, one cup turned into second cup, and second cup into another whole pot. They talked and talked about bunch of things, the sun position changed, no longer visible on the sky.
Shen Qingqiu proposed, „Perhaps you should stay tonight.”
Shang Qinghua paled, whispering the first word as to not summon the devil „Stay? Shen-dada, at this point I must resemble a hedgehog - I thought I was safe sitting like that, but my back is filled with knifes thrown by your beloved disciple! What do you think would happen to me if I dare stay?!”
„This, I cannot foresee myself.”
„Exactly! Pardon me for valuing my life, then. I must say though, your peak seemed to be excellent for a proper sleep for which I dread.”
Shen Qingqiu asked, „How is that? What’s the diff-…”
„This one has much more shade! It’s not so stiflingly hot here, and even now, it’s cool, air easy to breath, very pleasant!”Only then did Shang Qinghua realized Shen Qingqiu suspiciously didn’t finish his sentence. Shang Qinghua stiffly turned his head around.
Mobei-Jun : „…”
Shen Qingqiu : „…”
Shang Qinghua : „…”
Luo Binghe, in the adjacent room : „( ◠‿◠ )”
Shang Qinghua swallowed and turned his head back, sending Shen Qingqiu a mental message : ‚Shen-dada, I would like to stay the night after all…” . Shen Qingqiu understood Shang Qinghua pleading eyes. His mental response was „This, I’m afraid, is no longer available.”
Shang Qinghua, bowing while tears streamed down his face : „…I seem to overstay my welcome. Pray Cucu-…Shen-shixiong will forgive me.”
”…not at all. It’s me who insisted….” Shen Qingqiu played along with following courtesy.
Mobei-Jun left first. Luo Binghe complacently leaned on the wall.
***
„My king?”
Mobei-Jun moved forward as soon as Shang Qinghua emerged from the bamboo house. Shang Qinghua could tell his king wasn’t in the best mood and he couldn’t fathom what Bing-ge could possibly tell Mobei-Jun while calling for him to take Shang Qinghua away. That he’s pestering his shizun? That he squandered half of the day having no job done as he supposed to? Or worst, that Shang Qinghua mentioned Mobei-Jun? They passed only several steps before Mobei-Jun stopped, on what Shang Qinghua made his safe step back.
„Stay still!” Mobei-Jun frosted the ground as he caught up on this additional step „Look up! Didn’t I tell? What do you have to fear from me?”
„Y-You did…„
„Then?!”
Mobei-Jun’s temper flared up. With him intimidating as he was now, Shang Qinghua blurted out : „T-Then let me ask you, my king - why were you so angry at me? Why so irritated?”
„Because you still fear!”
Well, wasn’t that a vicious circle. Shang Qinghua said, „It’s not that I could help it! You kept looking at me in a way I couldn’t decipher, my king! I was afraid I’m going to be beaten! Last time, you could simply be lenient towards me, you’ve never told me you won’t hit, you just told me to shut up-„
„Shut up!”
Shang Qinghua shut up.
„…” Mobei-Jun said, „I won’t hit.”
Shang Qinghua, unsurely : „You won’t hit?”
Mobei-Jun : „I won’t. Stop cowering away.” Saying so, he pinned his glare at Shang Qinghua’s disobedient hands that seemed to want to fly up onto his head.
„That…that’s something I practiced all those years, it’s hard to get rid of a habit, my king. Give me some time to correct myself.” Shang Qinghua said so but his mind was already happily repeating ‚I won’t be beaten, I truly won’t be beaten anymore!’ like a mantra. The affirmation was like medicine, his body no longer rigid as if trying to prove his words.
The cold air weakened and Mobei-Jun asked, „You need time?”
„Yes.”
„Alright.” Mobei-Jun added, „What with the time I gave you now? Did you think this through?”
„Think what, my king?”
„Before you left, I told you to think!”
He told? Before Shang Qinghua left? Before he left, he-
A hold on his chin, a breath mingled with his, a tongue in his mouth.
Shang Qinghua swallowed.
What happened later, Shang Qinghua’s brain didn’t register. Recalling now was as if seeing through a mist.
When Mobei-Jun moved away, his lips seemed to move. What did he say? Shang Qinghua didn’t know. He could say „think this through”. But think what?
What he was missing?
Mobei-Jun hand stayed at his face. And while saying, his thumb definitively caressed his lips.
…pray to all the gods for this stupid brain of his!!!
He was suppose to think this through?! Like - what- when- how, WAIT! He did, Shang Qinghua really did, and a lot of thinking - a lot of unnecessary thinking!!!
It wasn’t a bug? A sickness? A momentary possession or-or a-whatever?! It was deliberately?! For him to think, like-?!
The chaos in his head was reflecting on his astounded face.
Mobei-Jun misunderstood, rising his hand „Want me to refresh your memory?”
„No!” Shang Qinghua put his hands in front as if creating a barrier between them „No, my king, no need!”
The refuse was fierce, and Shang Qinghua sounded both terrified and unwilling, as if mere thought of repeating it filled him with apprehension. That wasn’t at all Shang Qinghua’s intention, what he was terrified of was his own stupidity! But this knew only he.
The fleeting expression on Mobei-Jun’s perfect face appeared and vanished as quick as an eye blink. The hand that was in a half-way of reaching for Shang Qinghua’s chin felt back, clenched. Mobei-Jun said nothing, turned around and went forward. The froze around him expanded twice.
Shang Qinghua followed, struggling how to explain. „My king, you rendered this stupid servant brain useless and he thought you were sick.” ? — did he really wanted the „I won’t hit” lose power so quickly?!
Five, ten, fifteen steps and he still was unable to create a sentence. But Mobei-Jun stopped again in his track and Shang Qinghua almost bumped into him.
„You really don’t?”
…’don’t’, what?
„Don’t want to-”? „Don’t feel like-”? There were few ways of filling this question. But even when not finished, Shang Qinghua finally, subconsciously understood.
The things that could happen, could happen and things that couldn’t happen, couldn’t. Shang Qinghua saw no point in wondering of „what if’s” if these „if’s” were so far beyond his reach that no airplane could draw the distance smaller.
It was extremely hard to believe that this Mobei-Jun, towards this him, even in some minuscule way, would be-
…
That was so unbelievable for Shang Qinghua that he had problems of finishing the sentence even in his head. So unbelievable that he rebuked Shen Qingqiu suggestion on the spot. That he didn’t dare to think of this himself.
Because all Shang Qinghua did till now was admire his king from afar, someone absolutely untouchable, especially by someone like him.
The very first encounter Shang Qinghua couldn’t hurt Mobei-Jun as he was bewitched by his face, the time he spent with him while he was healing his wound Shang Qinghua spent on admiring his figure and envying his abs, and that was just the beginning and just his outside features as overall Mobei-Jun character was created based on Shang Qinghua’s ideal.
Ideal that was left without a protagonist halo, ideal that was unconsciously important to Shang Qinghua so much that he decided to protect, rushing after him when he was threw out of Maigu Ridge or confronting Lin Guang-Jun knowing he couldn’t do much. He could even die.
Shang Qinghua remembered how shocked he was himself after those events. Asking himself why he would do this, with nobody to provide an answer.
Now, the realisation gnawed at him at light speed.
It seemed that somewhere inside, for a very long time, Shang Qinghua had already, for Mobei-Jun…
He felt his ears glowing red, no, his whole face was unnaturally hot. Shang Qinghua’s hand raised, but this time, he didn’t stop himself from it. His clenched fist covered part of his face, and he looked to the side, cursing himself he was looking like a shy maiden but he truly didn’t dare meet Mobei-Jun’s eyes - not out of fear, but of pure embarrassment.
Mobei-Jun on the other hand seemed to be in a good humour, a really good one. His expression was the same, but the tone of his voice was much more lighter.
“Good.”
Good? Was it all? No question asked, like, just for formality or- well, not that Shang Qinghua would dare refuse - no, not that he would want to refuse, but-
Before Shang Qinghua ordered his thoughts, Mobei-Jun leaned towards him with obvious intention of continuing what was previously interrupted. But, this time he stopped, looking above Shang Qinghua’s head into distance. He seemed to be somehow irritated and, not doing anything, he straightened up, grabbed Shang Qinghua’s arm and pulled him along. Shang Qinghua turned his head back and saw that from the window of bamboo house, Shen Qingqiu watched them, his face behind his fan and his eyebrows slightly raised in an 'I told you so' manner.
And behind Shen Qingqiu stood Luo Binghe.
Shang Qinghua hurriedly turned his head back, wishing to immediately forget the terrifying red glow of Bing-ge eyes.
It seemed Shen Qingqiu will not be able to attend tomorrow’s assembly. Shang Qinghua promised to burn an incense stick for Cucumber-bro.
He had no head though to stay with Shen Qingqiu for too long. The heat on his face was almost dissolving his skin, and the more he and Mobei-Jun walk in silence the more Shang Qinghua was aware of what had just happened, so he quickly got himself busy with talk : „My king, where are you taking me?”
„Back.”
„Back? I really haven’t finished work here, I’m afraid I need to ask for few more days-” a look and Shang Qinghua knew he won’t be given even a minute, „…i-is…is the First Tribute still in progress? Can I be of help?”
„It hasn’t started yet.”
Still not? That’s strange.
„As for your help” Mobei-Jun continued, „you should be the first to offer a tribute, no?”
…he should!
But what he could give? Mobei had everything he could have and, surely, there were artefacts Shang Qinghua put around the word for Luo Binghe’s development but now they were lying, never to be used as Bing-ge was plastered to his shizun. But those artefacts where hard to get, how Shang Qinghua of all people could obtain one?
That seriously was a problem, he couldn’t be empty-handed!
Shang Qinghua thoughts stopped the moment Mobei’s grip slid smoothly from his arm to his hand.
„Don’t dwell on it” Mobei-Jun said, amused. Then, he added, „Sleep.”
Shang Qinghua, being in great need of anything to hang his thoughts to, gratefully accepted as the flow in his mind went :
Yes, right, I need sleep, I seriously need to catch up on-…
…how am I suppose to sleep? Now? Here? We’re still on the way to-…y-your thumb. Your thumb, my king, why is your thumb caressing my hand? Why did your hold tighten? My king?!
…wait…
What „sleep”. What „tribute”. Was it, in this case, the same thing? My king, define the ‚sleep’ for me. Give me the definition! Definition, please!!!
Do you have any idea how I panicked after a kiss? How I am panicking now, just because of your hold? And you want a ‚tribute’?! My king!!!
Shang Qinghua thoughts run wildly with speed in which his hands wouldn’t be able to catch up and type the keyboard, but Mobei-Jun seemed to think nothing of this sort as he was calmly getting them forward.
After a moment, the icy-blue eyes that had this warm tinge in them glanced at him, bright in the darkness.
Mobei-Jun said, his tone pleased : „You can give me my tribute tonight.”
„…”
…hah. Haha. Ha…
An incense for Cucumber-bro, huh…And who will burn one for him?!