Fic: And There Was Only One Bed (2/4)
Feb. 26th, 2025 12:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetFandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Chapter Summary: Binghe is desperately searching for ways to prolong sharing a bed with Shizun; surprisingly, it's Mu Qingfang who gives him the excuse.
Mirrors: Chapter Two
Wordcount: ~2800
Ships: Pre-Bingqiu
Notes: Posting this here early so I can catch all of the typos I made beforehand ASAP 😅
Acknowledgements: Thanks once again togwogobo for the beta work, as well as the podfic 💖
Fic: And There Was Only One Bed
Chapter Two
Luo Binghe woke in a state of near bliss, just as he had the previous four mornings. Snoring softly in his ear, one arm draped over Binghe's chest, was Shen Qingqiu. Luo Binghe stared at that beloved face for a few minutes before extracting himself as carefully as possible from his shizun's grip. In his place, he left the separate bundle of blankets that Shizun had insisted he use "for propriety". The third set of blankets his teacher had tried to set up between them that first night had long been discarded as impractical for so small a bed, but nothing could get Shen Qingqiu to budge on separate personal bedding.
Luo Binghe was willing enough to comply on that point; he'd hate for his precious Shizun's reputation to take a hit, especially before Binghe had had a chance to formally begin courting him. And it wasn't much of a concession anyway when Shen Qingqiu inevitably turned into a Four Armed Koala Sloth in his sleep.
Luo Binghe's thoughts turned back to his morning routine. His tasks from before that heaven-sent storm remained, of maintaining the Bamboo House and cooking Shizun's meals, but a few more had joined them those past few days.
First on his mind, after getting dressed and seeing to any... personal needs, was to delay repairs on the Bamboo House. He'd been able to put them off the first two days by insisting that his shizun would prioritize other repairs around the sect over his own house; it was even the sort of thing Shizun might actually insist on! (Binghe carefully ignored the fact that, it being his favorite disciple's room that had been affected, Shizun might well have insisted on the opposite.) The third day, Binghe had been able to delay them by making sure some critical items went "missing" for several hours. Yesterday, he had suggested that the rebuilding could only rightfully be done with some exceptionally rare wood; if that tactic didn't hold out today, Binghe was planning to play another pest against them: Liu Qingge was scheduled to stop by that day to treat Without a Cure.
Luo Binghe was far from pleased about his martial uncle's visits; he'd been studying how to clear Shizun's meridians himself for months now! Unfortunately, without official training, he'd been unable to take over the job. Getting him the training had been a low priority for anyone besides Binghe, much though he insisted it should be otherwise.
Still, Liu Qingge's presence today gave Luo Binghe the perfect excuse to chase away any builders on the off-chance they'd actually managed to acquire any Thrice Blessed Golden Pine wood: Shizun would need peace and quiet for his treatment session, and roof repair did not qualify for either. If he was careful, Binghe might even be able to stretch the excuse out another few days, thus further delaying the move back to his old quarters.
Luo Binghe knew he wouldn't be able to put off moving back forever, but every day he could was another night he'd be able to spend in Shizun's bed, being cuddled in his sleep. He was prepared to do whatever was needed in order to secure that privilege for as long as possible.
The morning continued more or less according to plan. Shizun complimented his cooking, as always; An Ding's disciples completely failed to turn up with building supplies; and Shen Qingqiu didn't even bother trying to shoo Binghe away when Liu Qingge showed up to treat Without a Cure, having learned long ago that Luo Binghe would not be moved from his side during said sessions.
Everything was going smoothly until Liu Qingge was actually checking Shen Qingqiu's meridians. Liu Qingge's face was typically locked in a frown of some sort, but it abruptly took on a different character from usual when he began circulating his qi in Shen Qingqiu's spiritual veins. Luo Binghe, sharply attuned to everything that happened in these sessions, stopped pretending to study the poem in front of him. He wasn't an expert in Liu Qingge's moods by any means, but a change of expression in these circumstances could not be a good sign.
"Begging Liu-shishu's forgiveness for the interruption," Luo Binghe said, the polite speech coming a bit easier while his martial uncle was effectively a prosthetic for Shen Qingqiu's cultivation. "But is something the matter?"
Liu Qingge only grunted, the crease between his brows deepening.
Shen Qingqiu frowned in turn. "Liu-shidi?" he pressed.
"...Something's changed," Liu Qingge admitted. "Your meridians aren't in the state they should be right now."
Luo Binghe rose abruptly to his feet, his heart leaping into his throat. Shen Qingqiu, by contrast, seemed only mildly alarmed. "What do you mean by that, Shidi?"
"Exactly what I said. Your meridians aren't in the condition they should be since our last session."
"Are they better or worse than expected?" Binghe pressed.
"Better," Liu Qingge admitted gruffly. "But Shen-shixiong should still go see Mu Qingfang."
"Nonsense." Shen Qingqiu whipped his fan out to glare over the top of it. "Without a Cure doing better than expected is hardly a good reason to bother Mu-shidi! In fact, this master would think it the opposite!"
"Shizun, please," Binghe interjected, all too familiar with his teacher's aversion to seeing a doctor for his own ailments. "Surely if there has been an improvement in Without a Cure, that is all the more reason for Mu-shishu to investigate? If he can figure out the cause, it might lead to more effective treatment."
Liu Qingge gave a sharp nod. "If we can reduce the frequency of your treatments, it would be better for the sect in the long term." Binghe was troubled to find himself grateful to his martial uncle; Liu Qingge seemed to have caught on that when Shizun couldn't be convinced to take care of himself on his own behalf, an appeal to overall sect safety would usually do the trick. "And any change in something as dangerous as Without a Cure should be investigated as quickly as possible."
At that, Luo Binghe's blood ran cold. He was suddenly reminded of several poisons that had a false recovery stage, only to strike down victims who'd thought the worst has passed. If Without a Cure were acting differently than normal with no explanation, then there was also no guarantee that the change wasn't a sign of something worse to come. "Shizun, please," Binghe begged. "At least let Mu-shishu make sure it's nothing dangerous!"
Shen Qingqiu sighed and folded his fan back up. "Very well," he said, "if only to keep my disciple and shidi from worrying. This master is sure that it's nothing that needs to be made a fuss of, though."
---
Mu Qingfang shot that notion down almost immediately. "This really is quite fascinating," he said for the fifth time, marveling at the wrist in his hand.
"So Mu-shidi has said. Repeatedly." Shen Qingqiu's smile was beginning to grow strained. "Perhaps he would be willing to tell this shixiong what exactly is so fascinating about it?"
"Ah." Mu Qingfang released his wrist with a polite cough. "Apologies, Shixiong. It's just that this really is quite fascin—ahem! From what I have been able to discern, not only has the spread of Without a Cure slowed minutely from the rate we previously recorded, it also seems like your spiritual veins are healing! Likely even being healed by an outside source. Not to the same degree as Liu-shixiong's treatment, and not at a constant rate, but enough to cause a noticeable difference. It doesn't seem that anything about the poison itself or your body's reaction to it have changed, but we will need to do more tests to rule that out.
"In the mean time, we should explore external influences for possible answers. Tell me, Shixiong, have there been any significant changes for you in the past week or so? Even insignificant changes, like how you take your tea or when you rise in the morning, may grant us insight."
Shen Qingqiu looked like he'd bitten into an unripe persimmon, so Binghe answered in his stead. "With permission, Mu-shishu? As Shizun's personal disciple, I may be able to answer your questions. As this one prepares all of Shizun's meals, nothing in particular has changed in the past week that is not otherwise accounted for by seasonal availability; any impact this could make would naturally have been noticed last year or the year before. His schedule has also remained largely the same, save perhaps some of his usual summer work being set aside in favor of planning for the Immortal Alliance Conference.
"However, roughly five days ago, a very significant thing did occur! The side room in the Bamboo House where I have been staying was partly destroyed by lightning, so Shizun has been kind enough to let me sleep with him."
Mu Qingfang's eyes lit with interest at the same time Shen Qingqiu snapped, "Next to! This master has allowed Binghe to sleep next to him, with separate blankets, and only because this foolish disciple of mine refused any other bed and wouldn't allow this master to meditate instead of sleeping!"
Mu Qingfang favored Binghe with a nod of approval for making sure that his shizun was still sleeping properly, which Binghe took as his due. The Lord of Qian Cao then turned his attention back to his patient. "That is indeed a significant change, and one that would line up with the differences in Shen-shixiong's cultivation. Tell me, was he in close proximity to the lightning strike when it happened?"
"We were conversing in the main room when it occurred," Binghe confirmed.
Mu Qingfang stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Being in close proximity to a natural lightning strike is definitely not something that would have been researched as a treatment for Without a Cure in the past, for obvious reasons. With the relative rarity of the poison itself, this may even be an unprecedented and entirely unstudied event! And with both of you there and now sharing, er, sleeping quarters at night... Luo-shizhi, may this lord examine your qi?"
Luo Binghe obediently held out his wrist. Soon, he felt Mu Qingfang's own qi flow through his spiritual veins, then retreat. Mu Qingfang nodded thoughtfully. "Your qi signature is consistent with the traces I found repairing Shen-shixiong's spiritual veins. Whether or how much of an effect your proximity to the lightning strike had on Without a Cure, it seems likely that you may be unconsciously using your own qi to repair Shen-shixiong's cultivation while you are sleeping next to each other.
"While this master would like to test the effects of Luo-shizhi and Shen-shixiong sleeping next to other people to see if the results can be replicated at all, it does not seem likely that we would have time to do so properly before the Immortal Alliance Conference. In the mean time, in order to maintain this progress, I would like the two of you to continue sleeping in the same bed." He looked intently first at Luo Binghe then at Shen Qingqiu. "Understood?"
Luo Binghe bowed formally to his martial uncle, trying not to let the sheer elation he was feeling show on his face. "Yes, Mu-shishu!"
Shen Qingqiu grimaced, but nodded as well. "Understood, Shidi."
"Very good." Mu Qingfang clapped his hands together. "Now, if that is all, I have other patients to attend, and I believe the two of you have other duties as well. Do let this master know if you notice any other changes!"
---
Shen Qingqiu was uncharacteristically silent on the flight back to Qing Jing Peak. Distracted from his own high spirits but not wanting to divert his teacher's attention from remaining safely on his sword, Luo Binghe waited until they landed before bringing it up. "Shizun? Is something the matter? I thought you would be pleased to have another treatment for Without a Cure." Binghe certainly was! Not only was he personally able to help reverse some of the poison's damage, and in a way it was possible that no one else could, they had been medically advised to share a bed at least up to the Immortal Alliance Conference! And perhaps even after, depending on the results of Mu Qingfang's investigation.
But Shizun was acting so strange; what if... "Is Shizun uncomfortable sleeping next to this disciple? I swear, we can find another way! I can sleep on the floor next to the bed instead, for example!" He would hate to give up sharing a bed with his shizun, all the more because Shen Qingqiu had seemed to be more rested than usual these past few days, but if he were that uncomfortable—
A fan lightly rapped him on the head, pulling Binghe from his spiraling thoughts. "Ah, Binghe needn't worry. This teacher was simply concerned that Binghe might be uncomfortable, forced to sleep next to an old man rather than on his own, or with a comely young lady!"
"Shizun, no!" Binghe cried instantly. "It is an honor to be able to sleep next to you, particularly if I can assist in treating Without a Cure! Even if that were not a factor, though, this disciple would be perfectly content to share a bed with Shizun for the rest of his days." Binghe felt his ears heat at the admission, but did not lower his gaze.
Shen Qingqiu coughed lightly and looked away, unfurling his fan to hide his darkening cheeks. "Well. As long as Binghe doesn't mind," he allowed.
Binghe smiled as his heart swelled. Ah, his shizun truly was a kind and thoughtful man, if a bit oblivious sometimes. All the more reason for Binghe to take care of him! Speaking of: "The appointment with Mu-shishu seems to have lasted through lunch," Binghe said. "It wouldn't do for Shizun to miss a meal! Do you have any requests?"
Shen Qingqiu's eyes lit up, as they always did when Binghe's cooking was the subject. He seemed about to answer when they were interrupted.
"Shen-shixiong!" a scruffy-looking man cried out. Luo Binghe distantly recognized Shang Qinghua, the Lord of An Ding Peak. Both Binghe and Shen Qingqiu frowned as Shang Qinghua ran up to them. "Apologies, Shen-shixiong," Shang Qinghua said, panting a bit. "Though we have tried our best, An Ding has been unable to source any Thrice Blessed Golden Pine wood to repair your house with." At this, Shizun side-eyed Binghe, who did his best to appear innocent. "Is there any other material you would consider for the repairs?"
"No need to worry, Shang-shidi; I expect there may have simply been some miscommunication over the repairs. Unless the rest of the Bamboo House is made from Thrice Blessed Golden Pine, then I am sure that the closest match to the original materials would be fine," Shen Qingqiu said. "However, as long as repairs are being made to the side room, this lord would like to request some improvements."
Shang Qinghua put on an overly-bright, simpering smile. "Of course, Shen-shixiong! If you like, this lord can even look into having air conditioning installed in his imperial majesty's room!"
Binghe blinked. What on earth did that mean? Was there some way of conditioning air to improve its qi flow?
Shen Qingqiu's fan snapped shut decisively. "Ah, Binghe, please excuse this master; I believe I will be taking lunch with Shang-shidi instead, so we might better work out the details."
Shang Qinghuq immediately blanched. "Wait, what? I, uh, I'm sure that's not necessary! If Shen-shixiong were to write down his requests, this shidi would be sure to have them all fulfilled to his specifications!"
"Nonsense," Shen Qingqiu said in a lofty tone that disguised a core of steel. "I believe it's long past time we spoke of any number of things, Shang-shidi." He turned to Binghe. "Binghe may have the rest of the afternoon off to do as he pleases."
"...Yes, Shizun," Binghe said, understanding the message quite clearly: Binghe was not to disturb Shen Qingqiu while he talked with Shang Qinghua. He watched as his master led a protesting Shang Qinghua into the Bamboo House, then felt the shiver of his master's qi as he activated the privacy wards around his study.
Binghe spent a brief moment contemplating whether he could get away with trying to spy on his master's conversation with Shang Qinghua. He dismissed the idea quickly; he had more training to do if he wanted to prove himself to Shizun at the Immortal Alliance Conference. More importantly, while Shang Qinghua may have Shen Qingqiu's attention for the afternoon, Binghe would have it for the entire night, conscious or otherwise. And not only that night, but every night for the next two months at least!
Cheered, Luo Binghe decided to spend half of the afternoon in sword practice, then start research on how he might be passing Shizun qi in his sleep. With enough work, he might even be able to get rid of Without a Cure!
--To Be Continued--
MQF: You need to sleep, er, next to your disciple for your own health.
SQQ, internally: This may as well happen. The other option would probably be the System destroying Binghe's bed every time we get it repaired!
Is this 'miracle treatment' actually because of the natural powers of lightning, or is it some sort of System bullshit? After all, the potential double meaning of "sleeping together" seems like exactly the sort of thing it might take advantage of, and it's not exactly ruled out by PIDW canon...
In other news, I am apparently incapable of coming up with a fake monster to even make a quick reference to without also coming up with lore for it. (Shen Yuan would appreciate that about me, thus shortening my life expectancy considerably.) If you want to know more about Four Armed Koala Sloths, unfold below:
Chapter Summary: Binghe is desperately searching for ways to prolong sharing a bed with Shizun; surprisingly, it's Mu Qingfang who gives him the excuse.
Mirrors: Chapter Two
Wordcount: ~2800
Ships: Pre-Bingqiu
Notes: Posting this here early so I can catch all of the typos I made beforehand ASAP 😅
Acknowledgements: Thanks once again to
gwogobo for the beta work, as well as the podfic 💖Fic: And There Was Only One Bed
Chapter Two
Luo Binghe woke in a state of near bliss, just as he had the previous four mornings. Snoring softly in his ear, one arm draped over Binghe's chest, was Shen Qingqiu. Luo Binghe stared at that beloved face for a few minutes before extracting himself as carefully as possible from his shizun's grip. In his place, he left the separate bundle of blankets that Shizun had insisted he use "for propriety". The third set of blankets his teacher had tried to set up between them that first night had long been discarded as impractical for so small a bed, but nothing could get Shen Qingqiu to budge on separate personal bedding.
Luo Binghe was willing enough to comply on that point; he'd hate for his precious Shizun's reputation to take a hit, especially before Binghe had had a chance to formally begin courting him. And it wasn't much of a concession anyway when Shen Qingqiu inevitably turned into a Four Armed Koala Sloth in his sleep.
Luo Binghe's thoughts turned back to his morning routine. His tasks from before that heaven-sent storm remained, of maintaining the Bamboo House and cooking Shizun's meals, but a few more had joined them those past few days.
First on his mind, after getting dressed and seeing to any... personal needs, was to delay repairs on the Bamboo House. He'd been able to put them off the first two days by insisting that his shizun would prioritize other repairs around the sect over his own house; it was even the sort of thing Shizun might actually insist on! (Binghe carefully ignored the fact that, it being his favorite disciple's room that had been affected, Shizun might well have insisted on the opposite.) The third day, Binghe had been able to delay them by making sure some critical items went "missing" for several hours. Yesterday, he had suggested that the rebuilding could only rightfully be done with some exceptionally rare wood; if that tactic didn't hold out today, Binghe was planning to play another pest against them: Liu Qingge was scheduled to stop by that day to treat Without a Cure.
Luo Binghe was far from pleased about his martial uncle's visits; he'd been studying how to clear Shizun's meridians himself for months now! Unfortunately, without official training, he'd been unable to take over the job. Getting him the training had been a low priority for anyone besides Binghe, much though he insisted it should be otherwise.
Still, Liu Qingge's presence today gave Luo Binghe the perfect excuse to chase away any builders on the off-chance they'd actually managed to acquire any Thrice Blessed Golden Pine wood: Shizun would need peace and quiet for his treatment session, and roof repair did not qualify for either. If he was careful, Binghe might even be able to stretch the excuse out another few days, thus further delaying the move back to his old quarters.
Luo Binghe knew he wouldn't be able to put off moving back forever, but every day he could was another night he'd be able to spend in Shizun's bed, being cuddled in his sleep. He was prepared to do whatever was needed in order to secure that privilege for as long as possible.
The morning continued more or less according to plan. Shizun complimented his cooking, as always; An Ding's disciples completely failed to turn up with building supplies; and Shen Qingqiu didn't even bother trying to shoo Binghe away when Liu Qingge showed up to treat Without a Cure, having learned long ago that Luo Binghe would not be moved from his side during said sessions.
Everything was going smoothly until Liu Qingge was actually checking Shen Qingqiu's meridians. Liu Qingge's face was typically locked in a frown of some sort, but it abruptly took on a different character from usual when he began circulating his qi in Shen Qingqiu's spiritual veins. Luo Binghe, sharply attuned to everything that happened in these sessions, stopped pretending to study the poem in front of him. He wasn't an expert in Liu Qingge's moods by any means, but a change of expression in these circumstances could not be a good sign.
"Begging Liu-shishu's forgiveness for the interruption," Luo Binghe said, the polite speech coming a bit easier while his martial uncle was effectively a prosthetic for Shen Qingqiu's cultivation. "But is something the matter?"
Liu Qingge only grunted, the crease between his brows deepening.
Shen Qingqiu frowned in turn. "Liu-shidi?" he pressed.
"...Something's changed," Liu Qingge admitted. "Your meridians aren't in the state they should be right now."
Luo Binghe rose abruptly to his feet, his heart leaping into his throat. Shen Qingqiu, by contrast, seemed only mildly alarmed. "What do you mean by that, Shidi?"
"Exactly what I said. Your meridians aren't in the condition they should be since our last session."
"Are they better or worse than expected?" Binghe pressed.
"Better," Liu Qingge admitted gruffly. "But Shen-shixiong should still go see Mu Qingfang."
"Nonsense." Shen Qingqiu whipped his fan out to glare over the top of it. "Without a Cure doing better than expected is hardly a good reason to bother Mu-shidi! In fact, this master would think it the opposite!"
"Shizun, please," Binghe interjected, all too familiar with his teacher's aversion to seeing a doctor for his own ailments. "Surely if there has been an improvement in Without a Cure, that is all the more reason for Mu-shishu to investigate? If he can figure out the cause, it might lead to more effective treatment."
Liu Qingge gave a sharp nod. "If we can reduce the frequency of your treatments, it would be better for the sect in the long term." Binghe was troubled to find himself grateful to his martial uncle; Liu Qingge seemed to have caught on that when Shizun couldn't be convinced to take care of himself on his own behalf, an appeal to overall sect safety would usually do the trick. "And any change in something as dangerous as Without a Cure should be investigated as quickly as possible."
At that, Luo Binghe's blood ran cold. He was suddenly reminded of several poisons that had a false recovery stage, only to strike down victims who'd thought the worst has passed. If Without a Cure were acting differently than normal with no explanation, then there was also no guarantee that the change wasn't a sign of something worse to come. "Shizun, please," Binghe begged. "At least let Mu-shishu make sure it's nothing dangerous!"
Shen Qingqiu sighed and folded his fan back up. "Very well," he said, "if only to keep my disciple and shidi from worrying. This master is sure that it's nothing that needs to be made a fuss of, though."
---
Mu Qingfang shot that notion down almost immediately. "This really is quite fascinating," he said for the fifth time, marveling at the wrist in his hand.
"So Mu-shidi has said. Repeatedly." Shen Qingqiu's smile was beginning to grow strained. "Perhaps he would be willing to tell this shixiong what exactly is so fascinating about it?"
"Ah." Mu Qingfang released his wrist with a polite cough. "Apologies, Shixiong. It's just that this really is quite fascin—ahem! From what I have been able to discern, not only has the spread of Without a Cure slowed minutely from the rate we previously recorded, it also seems like your spiritual veins are healing! Likely even being healed by an outside source. Not to the same degree as Liu-shixiong's treatment, and not at a constant rate, but enough to cause a noticeable difference. It doesn't seem that anything about the poison itself or your body's reaction to it have changed, but we will need to do more tests to rule that out.
"In the mean time, we should explore external influences for possible answers. Tell me, Shixiong, have there been any significant changes for you in the past week or so? Even insignificant changes, like how you take your tea or when you rise in the morning, may grant us insight."
Shen Qingqiu looked like he'd bitten into an unripe persimmon, so Binghe answered in his stead. "With permission, Mu-shishu? As Shizun's personal disciple, I may be able to answer your questions. As this one prepares all of Shizun's meals, nothing in particular has changed in the past week that is not otherwise accounted for by seasonal availability; any impact this could make would naturally have been noticed last year or the year before. His schedule has also remained largely the same, save perhaps some of his usual summer work being set aside in favor of planning for the Immortal Alliance Conference.
"However, roughly five days ago, a very significant thing did occur! The side room in the Bamboo House where I have been staying was partly destroyed by lightning, so Shizun has been kind enough to let me sleep with him."
Mu Qingfang's eyes lit with interest at the same time Shen Qingqiu snapped, "Next to! This master has allowed Binghe to sleep next to him, with separate blankets, and only because this foolish disciple of mine refused any other bed and wouldn't allow this master to meditate instead of sleeping!"
Mu Qingfang favored Binghe with a nod of approval for making sure that his shizun was still sleeping properly, which Binghe took as his due. The Lord of Qian Cao then turned his attention back to his patient. "That is indeed a significant change, and one that would line up with the differences in Shen-shixiong's cultivation. Tell me, was he in close proximity to the lightning strike when it happened?"
"We were conversing in the main room when it occurred," Binghe confirmed.
Mu Qingfang stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Being in close proximity to a natural lightning strike is definitely not something that would have been researched as a treatment for Without a Cure in the past, for obvious reasons. With the relative rarity of the poison itself, this may even be an unprecedented and entirely unstudied event! And with both of you there and now sharing, er, sleeping quarters at night... Luo-shizhi, may this lord examine your qi?"
Luo Binghe obediently held out his wrist. Soon, he felt Mu Qingfang's own qi flow through his spiritual veins, then retreat. Mu Qingfang nodded thoughtfully. "Your qi signature is consistent with the traces I found repairing Shen-shixiong's spiritual veins. Whether or how much of an effect your proximity to the lightning strike had on Without a Cure, it seems likely that you may be unconsciously using your own qi to repair Shen-shixiong's cultivation while you are sleeping next to each other.
"While this master would like to test the effects of Luo-shizhi and Shen-shixiong sleeping next to other people to see if the results can be replicated at all, it does not seem likely that we would have time to do so properly before the Immortal Alliance Conference. In the mean time, in order to maintain this progress, I would like the two of you to continue sleeping in the same bed." He looked intently first at Luo Binghe then at Shen Qingqiu. "Understood?"
Luo Binghe bowed formally to his martial uncle, trying not to let the sheer elation he was feeling show on his face. "Yes, Mu-shishu!"
Shen Qingqiu grimaced, but nodded as well. "Understood, Shidi."
"Very good." Mu Qingfang clapped his hands together. "Now, if that is all, I have other patients to attend, and I believe the two of you have other duties as well. Do let this master know if you notice any other changes!"
---
Shen Qingqiu was uncharacteristically silent on the flight back to Qing Jing Peak. Distracted from his own high spirits but not wanting to divert his teacher's attention from remaining safely on his sword, Luo Binghe waited until they landed before bringing it up. "Shizun? Is something the matter? I thought you would be pleased to have another treatment for Without a Cure." Binghe certainly was! Not only was he personally able to help reverse some of the poison's damage, and in a way it was possible that no one else could, they had been medically advised to share a bed at least up to the Immortal Alliance Conference! And perhaps even after, depending on the results of Mu Qingfang's investigation.
But Shizun was acting so strange; what if... "Is Shizun uncomfortable sleeping next to this disciple? I swear, we can find another way! I can sleep on the floor next to the bed instead, for example!" He would hate to give up sharing a bed with his shizun, all the more because Shen Qingqiu had seemed to be more rested than usual these past few days, but if he were that uncomfortable—
A fan lightly rapped him on the head, pulling Binghe from his spiraling thoughts. "Ah, Binghe needn't worry. This teacher was simply concerned that Binghe might be uncomfortable, forced to sleep next to an old man rather than on his own, or with a comely young lady!"
"Shizun, no!" Binghe cried instantly. "It is an honor to be able to sleep next to you, particularly if I can assist in treating Without a Cure! Even if that were not a factor, though, this disciple would be perfectly content to share a bed with Shizun for the rest of his days." Binghe felt his ears heat at the admission, but did not lower his gaze.
Shen Qingqiu coughed lightly and looked away, unfurling his fan to hide his darkening cheeks. "Well. As long as Binghe doesn't mind," he allowed.
Binghe smiled as his heart swelled. Ah, his shizun truly was a kind and thoughtful man, if a bit oblivious sometimes. All the more reason for Binghe to take care of him! Speaking of: "The appointment with Mu-shishu seems to have lasted through lunch," Binghe said. "It wouldn't do for Shizun to miss a meal! Do you have any requests?"
Shen Qingqiu's eyes lit up, as they always did when Binghe's cooking was the subject. He seemed about to answer when they were interrupted.
"Shen-shixiong!" a scruffy-looking man cried out. Luo Binghe distantly recognized Shang Qinghua, the Lord of An Ding Peak. Both Binghe and Shen Qingqiu frowned as Shang Qinghua ran up to them. "Apologies, Shen-shixiong," Shang Qinghua said, panting a bit. "Though we have tried our best, An Ding has been unable to source any Thrice Blessed Golden Pine wood to repair your house with." At this, Shizun side-eyed Binghe, who did his best to appear innocent. "Is there any other material you would consider for the repairs?"
"No need to worry, Shang-shidi; I expect there may have simply been some miscommunication over the repairs. Unless the rest of the Bamboo House is made from Thrice Blessed Golden Pine, then I am sure that the closest match to the original materials would be fine," Shen Qingqiu said. "However, as long as repairs are being made to the side room, this lord would like to request some improvements."
Shang Qinghua put on an overly-bright, simpering smile. "Of course, Shen-shixiong! If you like, this lord can even look into having air conditioning installed in his imperial majesty's room!"
Binghe blinked. What on earth did that mean? Was there some way of conditioning air to improve its qi flow?
Shen Qingqiu's fan snapped shut decisively. "Ah, Binghe, please excuse this master; I believe I will be taking lunch with Shang-shidi instead, so we might better work out the details."
Shang Qinghuq immediately blanched. "Wait, what? I, uh, I'm sure that's not necessary! If Shen-shixiong were to write down his requests, this shidi would be sure to have them all fulfilled to his specifications!"
"Nonsense," Shen Qingqiu said in a lofty tone that disguised a core of steel. "I believe it's long past time we spoke of any number of things, Shang-shidi." He turned to Binghe. "Binghe may have the rest of the afternoon off to do as he pleases."
"...Yes, Shizun," Binghe said, understanding the message quite clearly: Binghe was not to disturb Shen Qingqiu while he talked with Shang Qinghua. He watched as his master led a protesting Shang Qinghua into the Bamboo House, then felt the shiver of his master's qi as he activated the privacy wards around his study.
Binghe spent a brief moment contemplating whether he could get away with trying to spy on his master's conversation with Shang Qinghua. He dismissed the idea quickly; he had more training to do if he wanted to prove himself to Shizun at the Immortal Alliance Conference. More importantly, while Shang Qinghua may have Shen Qingqiu's attention for the afternoon, Binghe would have it for the entire night, conscious or otherwise. And not only that night, but every night for the next two months at least!
Cheered, Luo Binghe decided to spend half of the afternoon in sword practice, then start research on how he might be passing Shizun qi in his sleep. With enough work, he might even be able to get rid of Without a Cure!
--To Be Continued--
MQF: You need to sleep, er, next to your disciple for your own health.
SQQ, internally: This may as well happen. The other option would probably be the System destroying Binghe's bed every time we get it repaired!
Is this 'miracle treatment' actually because of the natural powers of lightning, or is it some sort of System bullshit? After all, the potential double meaning of "sleeping together" seems like exactly the sort of thing it might take advantage of, and it's not exactly ruled out by PIDW canon...
In other news, I am apparently incapable of coming up with a fake monster to even make a quick reference to without also coming up with lore for it. (Shen Yuan would appreciate that about me, thus shortening my life expectancy considerably.) If you want to know more about Four Armed Koala Sloths, unfold below:
