Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Whoever prepared their borrowed home had done so with polite ignorance – they had prepared three beds. There were also three rooms designated for them, should they resolve the curse and need their separate spaces. Each room was equal in size and ornamentation; showing the near equivalent status of the three men that would be utilizing the space until further notice. 

Luo Binghe took one look at the three separate beds and scoffed. 

Both he and Liu Qingge immediately got to work correcting that error. 

Shen Qingqiu turned his attention to their belongings and began a half-hearted attempt at putting them away. He wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed or not that Liu Mingyan knew to place all their items together. In the end, he reasoned with himself that she knew that the three of them couldn’t separate. 

By the time Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe finished maneuvering the furniture, Shen Qingqiu’s skin was prickling with anticipation. He stared out of the window into a private courtyard, his fingers playing with the tassel at the end of his fan. 

Someone stepped up behind him and put a palm on his hip, drawing him in close. A nose nudged along the collar of his robes and breathed in greedily. 

“Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu tutted, absentmindedly. Then he asked, “Is it time?” 

“Mm…” Luo Binghe wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged him in closer until their bodies were flushed. “Shizun…” He murmured against his skin. 

“Has this master failed in teaching his disciple anything?” Shen Qingqiu grumbled, embarrassed. “Does he only know ‘Shizun?’” 

“Shishu, too,” Liu Qingge added, helpfully. 

Luo Binghe’s hands tightened. He let out a bullied sound, burrowing his face into the back of Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. “Shizun and Shishu are so mean to this Binghe…” Even as he whined and complained, his tactful fingers tugged at the sash around Shen Qingqiu’s middle.

A surprised sound sneaked out of Shen Qingqiu’s lips. He caught Luo Binghe’s wrist and scolded, “Binghe! Not in front of the window!” 

Snorting, Liu Qingge shifted on his feet. “Binghe. Bring him here.”

With a delighted hum, Luo Binghe did as asked. He guided Shen Qingqiu across the room.

Embarrassed, Shen Qingqiu protested along the way. He drew quiet when they reached Liu Qingge, who guided them into the bathroom where water was already waiting for them in a large tub. He waved a careless hand and a burst of qi shot into the water. It began steaming. His eyes never left Shen Qingqiu, dark and heady. ^[SKIP]

Luo Binghe slid his hands up and down Shen Qingqiu’s sides, pressing kisses along the side of his neck. “Shizun.” 

Oh, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes fell shut, his skin heating. We’re doing this. His toes curled and he tried to keep his expression passive.

Hands caught his face and tilted his head back. He lost himself to the sensation of calloused fingers trailing along his jaw. Soft lips kissed his eyelids and his nose. By the time they reached his mouth, his own lips were tingling with anticipation. Goosebumps drew down his skin. 

His outer robe was extracted. The loss of it made his breath catch. 

A tongue slid against his lower lip. When he opened his mouth, Liu Qingge didn’t take the obvious invitation. He continued to pepper soft kisses against the corners of his mouth and tease his lower lip between his teeth. 

Shen Qingqiu tried to control his breathing, to keep it even and unbothered. 

He was failing. 

Meticulous fingers drew down along the seam of his robes. His sash had long since disappeared to wherever his outer robe had been placed. One after the other, ties keeping his robes together loosened. He felt the heat of Luo Binghe behind him, who placed devoted kisses along his shoulders and loosening neckline. 

Layer after layer escaped. The heat of the bodies on either side of him only became more overwhelming. 

The kisses stopped. 

There was a single layer left on Shen Qingqiu. He had never felt so sensitive, so keen, to the sensations of his body. He dared to crack his eyes open and almost regretted it, with the hungry way Liu Qingge looked him up and down. 

Luo Binghe’s hands glided up his arms and squeezed his shoulders. 

Reverently, Liu Qingge tugged the last tie on Shen Qingqiu’s robes. Silk fell apart. Shen Qingqiu squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head. His body had already been reacting to their administrations. He felt the familiar and unfamiliar sensation of blood flooding into his cock. The moist air breathed against his skin and he shivered. 

Luo Binghe groaned into his bare shoulder and whined, “Shizun…” 

Shen Qingqiu swallowed too loudly. His breath caught. “This… this can’t… be your plans for the entire night,” he protested. 

“It is.” Liu Qingge stole the last piece of fabric from him and tossed it aside. His steady hands rested on Shen Qingqiu’s hips and kneaded up his sides. 

Behind him, Luo Binghe pressed close. The silks of his robes against Shen Qingqiu’s bare skin made him lose his breath. He found himself falling back into the protagonist’s arms as Liu Qingge mapped a trail down his neck and chest with his lips. 

Shen Qingqiu clenched his jaw. He reached back and caught onto the only thing that could ground him: Luo Binghe’s hair and robes. Each breath was getting shakier, and he was slowly losing control. 

As Liu Qingge’s mouth found one of his nipples, Luo Binghe’s hand found the other.

The sensation was startling enough to make Shen Qingqiu groan. His knees weakened as a jolt of pleasure rushed through him. It was different than it was in his own body; there, the sensation was sharp and quick. This was a rippling, tingling effect that crawled up through his veins. His cock throbbed. 

Fuck, Shen Qingqiu clenched his jaw, flustered at that noises that begged to escape his lips. He breathed out into Luo Binghe’s neck. His legs felt moments away from giving out. Teeth grazed his shoulder then bit down.

The noise that burst from his lips was mortifying. 

Liu Qingge moaned against his chest, the heat of his breath dancing across his moistened nipple. 

“Sh-Shizun…” Luo Binghe growled, teeth still clamped down around skin.

Both of them could bruise him now. They could squeeze and push him to limits he didn’t have before. His entire body buzzed with anticipation and want and need, and it was almost overwhelming. 

The only thing keeping him tethered was the fact that he trusted them. Even as they stripped him of every single wall and mask, leaving him vulnerable and wanting with no cover, he trusted them to see him and…

And to love him for it. 

That didn’t make it any less embarrassing. 

Liu Qingge shifted forward and the front of his robe grazed across the tip of Shen Qingqiu’s cock.

A moan hitched from the back of his throat and his hips bucked. 

Fuck! Shen Qingqiu broke. He started panting. His knees quivered. The only thing holding him up was the solid foundation of Luo Binghe behind him, one hand bruising his hip. 

“Fuck,” Liu Qingge breathed, shakily. 

“Shizun…” Luo Binghe murmured. He kissed the bite mark. “You’re going to make Shishu a mess before we can get you cleaned…” 

Breathing heavily, Shen Qingqiu hid his face. “Shut up,” he pleaded, voice weak. “W-What… what happened to bathing? What… what is this?” He tried to sound admonishing and stern. He sounded pathetic and wanting instead. 

He couldn’t open his eyes and see their faces. 

“Shizun… we haven’t seen you like this,” Luo Binghe said with a pout in his voice. One arm clamped around his chest and drew him against his body. The other hand glided down his side and teased circles through the thatch of hair above Shen Qingqiu’s groin. “Shizun has changed so much… we’ve stayed the same. Isn’t it only fair?” 

“N-Not true,” Shen Qingqiu said through gritted teeth. He wished he had more eloquence but the hand that pressed against his lower stomach was frying his mind. One of Luo Binghe’s fingers traced around the base of his cock. 

This was entirely unfair.

“B-Binghe…” Shen Qingqiu groaned. His body couldn’t decide if he should grind back into the hardened heat pressing into his backside, or if he should chase the teasing hand that refused to give him any real relief. He hated that he was panting. He dared to open his eyes and regretted, again, because Liu Qingge was staring at the two of them with pupils so blown out that they nearly stole all the color from his iris. Eyes snapping shut, he managed to choke out, “B-Binghe is hiding his demonic features.” 

Luo Binghe drew to a cautionary stillness.

Finding an escape, Shen Qingqiu latched onto it and continued, “Binghe doesn’t need to hide here.” He found strength in his legs and slipped away. Taking two steps back, he wasn’t sure if it was any better than before. Now he didn’t know what to do with his hands, and he was painfully hard and completely naked between two unbelievably handsome men. He settled with reaching up to undo his hair. 

That… was another mistake because both Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge turned their attention back onto him, staring at him hungrily. 

“Binghe,” Liu Qingge said, tugging his eyes back to the half-demon. “Show me.” 

Luo Binghe ducked his chin. 

“He saw before,” Shen Qingqiu reasoned. Without their hands on him, he was slowly regaining at least some of his thoughts. His hair spilled out over his shoulders and tickled down his bare back. 

“...this Binghe…” Luo Binghe started.

Rolling his eyes, Liu Qingge caught him by the front of his robes and hauled him closer for a fierce kiss. He gnawed harshly at Luo Binghe’s mouth, tugging at his hair. “Idiot,” he growled. “Come on.” 

With a weakened breath, Luo Binghe returned his kiss. As he did, his zuiyin glowed on his forehead. His ears sharpened, and dark, thick nails came to dangerous points at the tips of his fingers.

Liu Qingge groaned, pleased, as fangs caught onto his lower lip. “There.” He opened his eyes and added with a little smirk, “Good boy.” 

“Shishu,” Luo Binghe growled. He pressed forward urgently, and fervently tore off Liu Qingge’s robes. 

The kissing turned into more of a tussle, with each of them trying to lead and guide the kiss. Their robes weren’t entirely salvable by the time the fabric hit the ground. Luo Binghe slammed Liu Qingge into the side of the tub and bit at the junction between his neck and shoulder.

Liu Qingge let out a gratified groan, his hand reaching down to squeeze his length. 

The palms of Shen Qingqiu’s hands tingled. He wanted to follow that motion on himself, to squeeze some of the ache from his needy cock. His jaw tightened and he dropped his gaze from the two of them, shifting uneasily on his feet. 

One of Luo Binghe’s hands caught Liu Qingge’s knee and he hoisted his leg around his waist. He pressed their hips together and ground against him. 

Liu Qingge loosened with a moan, dangerously close to tipping over into the hot water. His arms wrapped tight around Luo Binghe’s shoulders, and one of his hands dug firmly into his curls. 

“Sh-Shishu,” Luo Binghe whined, “Shishu, Shishu… Shishu, you feel so good.” His clawed hands dug into the meat of Liu Qingge’s thighs and dragged over his skin. He left reddened lines in the wake of his rough treatment.

“Fuck,” Liu Qingge shouted. His other leg clamped down around Luo Binghe and he reached down to wrap a hand around both of their cocks.

Shen Qingiqu had both of his hands over his face, peering between his fingers. He turned his head away, partially, but was unable to fully tear his eyes away. He bit down on his lip to stop an involuntary sound from leaving him. 

“Binghe,” Liu Qingge panted, harshly tugging on his hair. His hand worked both of them, his hips stuttering into rhythm. “Binghe.” 

“Sh-Shishu!” Luo Binghe cried. He started marking the war god’s skin with his mouth. Biting pale flesh and abusing it with bruises and teeth marks. In between each new mark he said, “Shizun is watching us, Shishu. He loves watching us. He’s so hard for us right now-” 

“Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu choked, horrified. 

“He’s watching your hand, the way you’re tightening around both of us,” Luo Binghe continued. “His cock is dripping almost as much as yours is, Shishu…” 

“You and your fucking mouth!” Liu Qingge shouted. His head fell back, his wrist working faster.

Luo Binghe wasn’t helping him, too focused on sucking bruises and dragging his claws across his back and thighs. “Shishu is dripping so much, we almost don’t need any oil, Shizun. See how pretty his cock is, Shizun?” 

“Binghe…” Shen Qingqiu was embarrassed at how his voice cracked. His eyes were following the harsh, quick motion of Liu Qingge’s wrist. 

He had seen the two of them get another off plenty of times by now. It did not stop his body from reacting. His entire being was throbbing.

“Shizun…” Luo Binghe whined. “Shizun should touch himself.” 

A lightning jolt surged through Shen Qingqiu’s body.

Two pairs of eyes drew towards him, watching him hungrily. 

His mouth dried.

“Mn,” Liu Qingge murmured, his eyes hazy. “Qingqiu.” 

It… was too much. With that address, Shen Yuan finally realized why. “Fuck,” he choked out under his breath.

There was a strange disconnect in his brain. He had easily adopted the role of “Shen Qingqiu” once more, like sliding back into an old pair of shoes that he hadn’t worn for a few months. He could play the part of Qing Jing peak lord again in front of the others.

But… What did it mean to be Shen Qingqiu, who was in love with Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge? 

He didn’t even know where to start. Donning on that mask again, after not wearing it for so long in front of these two… 

He didn’t want to.

But he also didn’t want to disappoint them by not being who they expected him to be.

What if they wanted Shen Qingqiu back?  

Who was Shen Qingqiu?

It was one thing to be playing a role. Except now there wasn’t any role to play; the story was turned on its head. Proud Immortal Demon Way did not need a scum villain any longer. 

What… Who was Shen Yuan supposed to be now? 

Liu Qingge drew to a stop. Sweat glistened on his skin. The desperation in his eyes faded into something softer. He held out a hand. “A-Yuan. Here.” 

There was a strange need to apologize on Shen Yuan’s tongue. He was too frozen in his place to draw any nearer. 

 “A-Yuan.” Liu Qingge extracted himself from Luo Binghe. He moved with care, and left Luo Binghe with a kiss to ease their parting. He stepped carefully across the room to Shen Yuan and took his hand in his own. “We can stop.” 

It wasn’t as if Shen Yuan wanted to stop, really. His body was still aching and he had liked watching the two of them. It wasn’t either of their faults that he was having a minor identity crisis. “It’s fine,” he said, airily as if he wasn’t sure why either of them stopped. He brushed past Liu Qingge, trying to pull on the haughty air of Shen Qingqiu.

Each motion felt too choreographed and stilted. 

Luo Binghe was now watching him closely. His clever eyes were darting around both of them, and drawing up and down Shen Yuan. Eyebrows furrowing, he crossed his arms. “...is it… this Binghe’s appearance?” 

Startled, Shen Yuan threw Luo Binghe an appalled look. “What? No! Binghe.” He frowned and walked over to him. “Binghe is Binghe.” 

“Even when this Binghe is different than the one A-Yuan knew before?” Luo Binghe asked, eyes hazing with tears. He dropped his head. “This Binghe is a demon… he’s different.” 

“Binghe,” Shen Yuan said sternly. He reached up and gently cupped his cheek. “No matter what, Binghe will always be Binghe. And… I’ll…” His voice shrank. “I’ll always care… about you. No matter what.” 

“Mn,” Liu Qingge added. He had an almost smile on his lips, watching with a pleased and knowing smile. 

 “Even if… this Binghe is different than what A-Yuan expected?” Luo Binghe asked, leaning into his touch. “I’m not the Luo Binghe from the book.” 

“No,” Shen Yuan said. “You’re not.” He cleaned up Luo Binghe’s tears with his thumb. “This version… is my favorite.” 

Luo Binghe smiled. His entire face lit up, the tears only making his eyes sparkle. “A-Yuan isn’t disappointed?” 

“No,” Shen Yuan said, shaking his head. “Never.” 

“Mn.” Liu Qingge drew over to them and looped a loose arm around Shen Yuan’s waist. He leaned against him and pressed a kiss against his shoulder. 

Eyes sharpening, Luo Binghe trapped one of Shen Yuan’s hands with his own and drew it towards his lips. He nipped at the tender skin of his inner wrists before placing a kiss there. “So even if this Binghe looks different and isn’t the Luo Binghe you thought him to be, you still love him?” 

Flustered, Shen Yuan raised a cautious eyebrow. “...yes.” 

Liu Qingge smiled against his skin. 

“So.” Luo Binghe kissed the palm of his hand. “This Binghe will be A-Yuan’s Binghe, no matter what?” 

“Mn,” Shen Yuan said with a nod. Then he paused. A rush of startled and flustered heat cascaded through him. His eyes narrowed. “Oh. You little brat.” 

Luo Binghe tried to blink at him innocently. It was ruined by his grin. “Shizun… this Binghe has no idea-” 

With a sneer, Shen Yuan cruelly pinched his cheek. “No? He doesn’t?” He was both embarrassed and… relieved that he didn’t have to explain himself. His eyes fell away and he dropped his hands. “...let’s just bathe now.” 

“Is that all A-Yuan wants?” Luo Binghe asked with a sultry smile. He teased his fingers down Shen Yuan’s arms and set them on his hips. ^[SKIP]

Shen Yuan swallowed. 

“Binghe,” Liu Qingge murmured. “Can I?” 

Luo Binghe cast him a glance. His eyes darkened and he nodded.

With a pleased hum, Liu Qingge drew down to his knees. 

Shen Yuan made the mistake of looking at him. His gut tightened as an inferno of want surged into his core. 

There was little else more beautiful than Liu Qingge on his knees, naked and hard, with his eyes ravenously dragging between two cocks. His tongue wet his lips, and he placed a questioning hand on Shen Yuan’s hip. His steel gray eyes flicked up and caught his gaze. Whatever wordless answer he found there made the corner of his lip twitch, pleased. His pale skin pinked a delightful little blush. He drew a circle with his thumb on Shen Yuan’s skin. 

It was as if he had punched the air from his lungs. Shen Yuan covered his face with his hand, yet was unable to tear his eyes away. 

Humming contentedly, Liu Qingge leaned and pressed a kiss to the base of Shen Yuan’s cock. The previous “dilemma” had softened him. With that touch, he felt a surge of electric snaps that shot up his spine. His chest heaved. 

Liu Qingge wrapped his mouth around the base, then drew a line up to the tip with his tongue. His other hand crawled up Luo Binghe’s thigh and caught the base of his weighty erection and squeezed. 

A broken, desperate sound shuddered past Luo Binghe’s lips. He sank forward, head collapsing onto Shen Yuan’s shoulder. “S-Shishu,” he breathed. “Gege.” 

Frowning, Liu Qingge teased his tongue around the head of Shen Yuan’s length. Sparks fell like a cascade through him, the muscles in his thighs twitching. He clenched his jaw and clung onto Luo Binghe as if that might help him from falling.

Liu Qingge turned, mouth sliding off Shen Yuan’s cock. The humid air teased his wet skin, but it at least gave him a moment to catch his breath. The war god turned and placed a kiss on the head of Luo Binghe’s thick length. His clench hand tightened mercilessly, and Luo Binghe moaned against Shen Yuan’s skin. The featherlight brush of his lips made Shen Yuan shiver. 

With gentle tugs, Liu Qingge forced the two of them to step closer together. Not that Luo Binghe minded in the least. He wrapped his arms around Shen Yuan and dragged him in closer, pressing their chests together. He whined through his teeth and kissed him. 

Sparks skittered across Shen Yuan. He reached up, catching the other’s jaw with his hand and guiding his head to tilt. Then he kissed him in turn. 

The hand around his cock guided his hips forward before the tip of his erection slid against something hot and slick. 

Luo Binghe groaned against his mouth. 

Both broke the kiss to look down. 

Liu Qingge had them both in hand, sliding the tips of their cocks together. He leaned forward and dragged his tongue around both, the tip sliding from one slit to the other. 

A sharp, desperate sound rang in the air. It surprised Shen Yuan that it had come from his own lips. His knees shook and he clung onto Luo Binghe, half afraid he might fall. Tingling sensations spread from his toes and rained up his limbs. 

The war god paused long enough to turn his attention to his face, amazement widening his eyes.

“Shizun…” Luo Binghe panted. “Shizun, you sound so pretty. Shizun. Make more noises for us.” One of his hands slid between their chests and pinched a nipple. 

There went his knees. Shocked, Shen Yuan collapsed forward and groaned. His face buried into Luo Binghe’s shoulder as his cock slid against the burning slick skin. It was almost unbearable.

Oh.

This was going to be a lot, wasn’t it? 

His fingers dug into Luo Binghe’s back. His hips bucked. Embarrassed, he hid his face in Luo Binghe’s neck. He panted, trying to regain some sense of control.

“Fuck,” Liu Qingge muttered. 

Shen Yuan barely had time to regain his footing before warm, slick heat wrapped around his cock. When he dared a glance down, he saw Liu Qingge suck and draw his mouth up Shen Yuan’s length before licking down Luo Binghe’s. When his mouth wasn’t on one of them, he was drawing his hand up and down, using the slick of his own saliva and their precum to ease some of the harsh friction. 

A loud, wanton sound sang from Luo Binghe’s throat. He continued to tug and play with Shen Yuan’s nipple, while dragging kisses up and down his neck. 

In between kisses, he panted, “Gege looks so pretty on his knees, doesn’t he, A-Yuan? Gege is so good with his mouth. His hands are so strong. This Binghe…” He broke with a gasp. “Ah! This… This Binghe… feels his A-Yuan against… him. It feels so good, you-” 

“Shut him up!” Liu Qingge snapped. 

Shen Yuan wasn’t quite sure how he might be able to manage that. His mind was a buzzing mess, and he couldn’t think past the effort it took to keep standing and staying still. He kept catching his hips rolling forward, and ended up with abortive motions that both humiliated him and left him wanting. 

Each shift forward let his cock slide against Luo Binghe’s. It wasn’t quite enough to bring him over the edge, but with Luo Binghe’s hands squeezing and teasing his chest – while he also moaned in his ear – he was dangerously close. 

He couldn’t look at Liu Qingge – not if he didn’t want to finish embarrassingly early. But he also couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Luo Binghe was right.

The man was gorgeous on his knees, focused on their members. He wrapped his lips as much as he could around the head of both of their cocks, hazy eyes flickering up to catch a glimpse of them. He dragged his tongue down Luo Binghe’s length, his fingers teasing down to catch the heavy weight of his balls and gave a light squeeze.

With a startled gasp, Luo Binghe lunged toward. His teeth clamped down around Shen Yuan’s shoulder, fangs biting into his skin. He growled. 

It rumbled into Shen Yuan’s bones; intermingling with the startling shock of pain. 

He cried out, rutting shamelessly into Liu Qingge’s tight fist. The tip of his cock rubbing clumsily against Luo Binghe’s. An electric sensation snapped through his muscles, starting in his core and springing out to his thighs and up his spine. 

He came.

His knees gave out.

“Shizun!” Luo Binghe cried, horrified. There was blood on his teeth. 

Shen Yuan sank to the ground, falling into Liu Qingge’s steady arms. He was reeling from his orgasm, vaguely thinking about how it had felt quite different to his other body. He found himself picking apart the differences, almost studying them and turning over in his mind, until he caught onto the conversation: 

“He’s fine. He finished.” 

“H-He– Shizun…!?” 

Oh.

Throwing his thoughts into a semblance of order, Shen Yuan stiffened. He sat up straight, face beginning to warm with the promises of a mortified blush. Turning his head aside, he scowled and clamped a hand over the bite mark on his shoulder.

“Shizun,” Luo Binghe muttered. He had dropped to his knees, tears gleaming in his eyes. “Shizun, this lowly disciple… he’s… he’s wrong. He never meant to bite you…” His eyes slid from the evidence of Shen Yuan’s climax and back up to his shoulder. Hesitant curiosity glinted in Luo Binghe’s eyes. “...Shizun?”

“What did I say about calling me that when we’re… like this!” Shen Yuan snapped at him, glowering at him. 

“Sh-” Luo Binghe paused and asked, “A-Yuan, did you like…?” 

Not wanting to hear the rest of that question, Shen Yuan snarled and said, “Binghe, just shut up and take care of your shishu!” 

The half-demon’s eyes darted around, soaking in every single detail as if he were afraid he might miss something. He licked his lower lip, panting. Heavy hooded eyes drew up from Shen Yuan’s midsection to land squarely on his face. “How… should this Binghe service his shishu?” 

Liu Qingge stiffened beside him. 

Shen Yuan might be dense, but… 

He hadn’t been blind to the way both the other two reacted to his… harsh instructions. The issue was that he always felt wrongfooted and was too embarrassed to say half the things they wanted him to. Swallowing, he sat back on his heels and tried to pretend like he wasn’t sticky with sweat and his own semen. 

(He wasn’t thinking about how most of it ended up on both his Qingge and Binghe.) 

Eyes fluttering shut, Shen Yuan wished that he had his fan. He parted his lips, taking in a slow breath to steel himself. Then he pulled on his mask. He was a calm and cold immortal master and completely in control of the situation. He opened his eyes and looked dispassionately between the two of them and drawled, “Your shishu was very generous to Binghe. Won’t he return the favor?” 

He watched as both the others shivered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their cocks twitch. He had to bite his cheek to stop himself from losing his gusto and hiding his face. Lifting his chin, he raised an eyebrow and demanded, “Well?” 

“Y-Y-Yes,” Luo Binghe stammered eagerly, eyes wide. He glanced over at Liu Qingge voraciously. His eyes dropped to his demanding erection. 

Feeling awkward, Shen Yuan rose to his feet. 

Both stopped and flashed him concerned expressions, as if bereft he were leaving them.

Haughtily, he flicked his hair over his shoulder and snapped, “This master will bathe. Impress me, and I might allow you to help.” 

Another round of shivers.

“Yes, Shizun!” 

Without a fan, Shen Yuan had to smack Luo Binghe on the back of his head with his hand. He kept it light. “What was that?” He snarled. 

A groan rolled from Luo Binghe and he stared up at him with a sinful expression. “A-Yuan… Yes, A-Yuan.” He reached down to tug a hand over his straining cock.

Clicking his tongue, Shen Yuan turned and began to give a brief wash of his body with a rag and warm water. He kept half an eye on the two men behind him. The three of them should probably talk about how far they would want such things to go. It would absolutely be the smart thing to do. 

They needed to learn each other’s boundaries and what they actually wanted so that they wouldn’t stumble into a situation that left any of them uncomfortable or hurt.

Except that… he would probably die even bringing it up!!! 

What the hell!? 

Why were both of these two insanely powerful men such big M’s!!?! 

Luo Binghe, as sharp as ever, seemed to understand that he wouldn’t get any more instruction from Shen Yuan. He dipped his head and said, “This Binghe will service his shishu… if Shishu would stand?” 

With a weak grunt, Liu Qingge clambered to his feet.

Shen Yuan thought that he might have escaped any more embarrassment for the night, taking himself out of the equation and sliding into the water.

He was very wrong.

He overestimated the refractory periods of cultivators. He also underestimated how insanely hot it would be, to have Liu Qingge perched on the edge of the tub and grunting and groaning as Luo Binghe took his whole cock in his mouth. 

 “This… this can’t… be your plans for the entire night,” he had said earlier. 

He had been a fool.

Because it was.

It absolutely was.

The problem with being stuck in a house with nothing to do meant that Shen Qingqiu had to light a candle for his hips. While he could pretty much entertain himself with the books that had been packed away into their little care package, the same couldn’t be said for the other two men in the household.

Liu Qingge was a physical cultivator. 

He spent his mornings running drills, easing into his practice as his body recovered, but he didn’t have space to burn off his excess energy. Not that he could necessarily go too far from either Luo Binghe or Shen Qingqiu.

And while Luo Binghe could dedicate a far amount of his time to lazing about, he always inevitably became restless and began to clean imaginary messes or begged to drag them all into the kitchen.

To remedy this, Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe sparred often. But it just as often ended in… well.

“We are outside!” Shen Qingqiu cried, scandalized with a blush. 

Liu Qingge froze. His robes were halfway off his body, with Luo Binghe sucking bruises along his torso. He blinked dazedly at Shen Qingqiu. 

“It’s a private garden, Shizun,” Luo Binghe said, shamelessly.

Frowning, Liu Qingge shoved the half-demon off him. Then he leaped onto his feet, snatching him by the collar and dragging him inside. 

Shen Qingqiu was, of course, forced to follow because of the “curse.” There was no other reason he would follow… 

Of course not.

He had watched the two from behind his fan, legs artfully crossed for no reason in particular. 

Those two got preoccupied often.

Not that Shen Qingqiu could really say he wasn’t at fault either. He was a cultivator now! With cultivation and training!! He wanted to spar, too! It was exciting to fend off the protagonist’s blade, now that there was no threat behind it. The time in the Abyss had only honed in Luo Binghe’s expertise – although, it was more rough and harried. It lacked the strict, refined elegance of Qing Jing Peak. Liu Qingge often took those sessions and turned them into training, telling them both where their guards were open and where they might tighten up a swing.

Other times…

Well. 

Other times, Shen Qingqiu faced the war god – who was still recovering. 

That meant that more often than not, Shen Qingqiu was able to best him. The first time that Shen Qingqiu had him pinned to the ground, swords knocked aside with his hands holding LIu Qingge’s above his head, the two sat in charged silence.

He felt his shidi breathing heavily underneath him. His knees bracketed the other’s hips. 

Luo Binghe stood aside with his breath held, simply watching.

Without a breath of hesitation, the war god announced, “Bedroom.” 

Shen Qingqiu swallowed, mouth going dry.

“Now.”  

The three had scrambled quite eagerly. 

It was one of the few times that Shen Qingqiu had been stripped before they even walked through the door. 

Needless to say, they didn’t quite make it to the bedroom.

Despite their best efforts, boredom hounded their heels. There was only so much to be done. Meditation, practice, reading, and sharing another’s company. The three had gotten quite spoiled with a bustling city full of outings. Even when Shen Yuan hadn’t been able to leave, they had a whole world of entertainment at their fingertips with various games, movies, TV, and so on. 

The forced “vacation” was possibly incrementally driving Liu Qingge insane. 

Luo Binghe, who had grown up on Qing Jing Peak, was slowly acclimating back into the quiet of a xianxia cultivation world. He also occupied himself with cooking and cleaning. Sometimes he picked up a book to read with his master. He would even request his shizun to play an instrument for him or even play with him. 

Liu Qingge, unfortunately, did not enjoy this as much as they did. He did relax and meditate, though without fail he always began to grow antsy and irritable. At that point, Luo Binghe would offer for them to head outside for some more physical training. 

It was during one of these times that Shen Qingqiu lounged on a nearby divan and watched the two of them. He had a book open on his thighs, fingering the corner of one of the pages, as Liu Qingge walked the half-demon through a series of moves. Each round often ended with Liu Qingge knocking the sword from Luo Binghe’s hands. 

There was little to no frustration on Luo Binghe’s face, even as his sword ripped from his hands once again to clatter to the ground. He set his jaw determinedly, wiping sweat off his forehead. 

The zuiyin still glowed there. Luo Binghe only hid himself on the rare occasion they had visitors, who were mostly Qian Cao disciples. They refreshed their supplies, took down any requests, and also checked on the progress of their recovery. 

With Luo Binghe’s bloodmites swarming around his body, Shen Qingqiu had been having little to no issue with Without a Cure. Sometimes it acted up, like it had now. He felt it stir in his veins and his hand seized uncomfortably. In comparison to the other pain he had grown so used to, it was nothing. He idly shook out his hand and lost himself in thought. His mind had drifted towards the cure for Without a Cure.

In the other world, Luo Binghe had never fully taken him. There was, of course, the occasional thigh-fucking. But that was as far as that went. 

It wasn’t until Shen Qingqiu squeezed his wrist and tried to get blood flowing back into his fingertips that he realized that over the course of two months, Luo Binghe had never even asked to penetrate him. The war god had taken both Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe – and had been taken by Luo Binghe on more than a few occasions. 

Yet… 

Shen Qingqiu slid his thighs together, eyes dropping to his book. He had made a big stink the first time he had seen the heavenly pillar. That thing probably would have split him in half! 

But didn’t people work up to that type of stuff? Wasn’t there methods to-

Shen Qingqiu flipped open his fan and glowered down at the pages of his book. He wasn’t reading anymore. 

Sure, the heavenly pillar was… a bit extra! But it wasn’t as if Liu Qingge was by any means average. If he could take one, then he could take the other! Right…? Besides, it wasn’t as if he were stuck in his old sickly body anymore. He was Shen Qingqiu! He wasn’t a dainty little flower!!

(Both at once…?)

He was mortified that he was thinking about this.

He couldn’t stop himself. ^[SKIP]

Luo Binghe had fit his fingers inside of him before. He had teased and stretched him, dragging his tongue along the inside of his thigh. His eyes fell shut as he tried to temper down the images – but he couldn’t. 

He had felt the scalding heat of the heavenly pillar squeezed between his thighs. He had watched the thick, demanding member slip and slide against his own leaking cock. 

His body felt… wanting. Empty. He wondered what it might be like to be speared by the protagonist – he had watched plenty of times as Liu Qingge rode him. He always looked as if he was having a grand time, powerful thighs propelling him up and down as his cock bobbed. Luo Binghe loved to thrust into him mercilessly, while spewing the most shameless nonsense.

“Gege feels so good, clenching down around this Binghe. A-Yuan is watching us. A-Yuan is trying not to touch himself, Gege. He wants to touch you. He thinks Gege is so pretty like this…”

Without fail, the war god was wrecked afterwards, filled with bite marks and bruises. 

Shen Qingqiu lifted a hand and squeezed his own shoulder. There was still a bite mark there from their first night. He knew Luo Binghe could have healed it. He hadn’t… for some reason.

A body squeezed in beside him on his seat and Shen Qingqiu lurched up into a sitting position. He slammed the book closed, pressing it into his lap, as his fan covered most of his face. He stared beside him, startled to see Liu Qingge giving him just as much of a baffled look. 

“Binghe said your meridians need to be cleared,” the war god answered the unasked question, flatly. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced pointedly down at the book in his lap. “What’s that?” 

There were very few instances when Liu Qingge was interested in his reading material. 

Shen Qingqiu realized that the war god had learned to read him far too well. He must have thought he was hiding porn. Clearing his throat, he waved the fan idly in front of his face. “It’s a collection of histories from a wandering cultivator who traveled along the border of the realms.” 

With the barest hint of amusement tugging Liu Qingge’s lips, he held out a hand for Shen Qingqiu’s wrist. “Mn.” 

Biting the urge to say that there wasn’t any sex in it, Shen Qingqiu shoved his wrist into the awaiting hand and turned his cheek. He spotted Luo Binghe watching them with a curious tilt to his head. 

Even sweaty after a long round of training, he was beautiful. His curls had been tamed into a ponytail. Few escaped and curtained his face, sticking here and there. 

He reached up to tug one off his forehead and behind his ear. His dark eyes drew down the length of Shen Qingqiu’s body before flicking up to his face. By now, Shen Qingqiu had come to really understand that look in the protagonist’s eyes. 

It was no doubt the same look that had so many maidens in the original novel tearing open their robes and letting their legs fall apart.

“What’s Shizun thinking about?” Luo Binghe asked, coyly. His lashes fluttered. 

Both had been trying to get Shen Qingqiu to demand more. To tell them what to do. Very rarely did Shen Qingqiu have the face to be as shameless as Luo Binghe. A vague guiding hand, luckily, seemed to do the trick for the most part. 

“Qingge is making a decent recovery,” Shen Qingqiu said, instead of what he had really been thinking. 

Luo Binghe’s eyes darkened and his lip curled.

Somehow Shen Qingqiu had insinuated something he actually hadn’t meant to; Liu Qingge’s recovery meant that the three of them could perform the necessary Dual Cultivation required to fix the System. 

Fuck. Shen Qingqiu tried to act casual as he waved his fan in front of his face. He felt the war god’s cooling qi wash through his meridians and knock away any clogs caused by Without a Cure. “Mn,” the war god grunted. He was too focused on the task at hand to pick up on the nuances of the conversation. 

The heated expression on Luo Binghe’s face lessened fractionally as he considered the two before him. He dragged a thumb across his lower lip, fang catching on the soft skin. “Shishu isn’t fully recovered.” 

Liu Qingge scowled. “I am fine.” He would forever dislike being insinuated as weak. The man might love them, but his pride was still unbending. 

“Shidi is very strong,” Shen Qingqiu said with a nod. 

The frown deepened as Liu Qingge tried to figure out if that was a jab. 

It wasn’t. Shen Qingqiu moved on. “You still would prefer Qingge to be fully recovered.”

“I am fine,” Liu Qingge muttered, irritably. 

Amused, Luo Binghe hid his smile when he reached back and undid his hair. He carded his fingers through his curls, intending to fix his pony after it had gotten messy from training. “If Shizun thinks we’re prepared…”

“If Binghe is determined to go through with this…” Shen Qingqiu said with a sigh. “Then we might as well prepare fully.”

The war god drew his attention away from the qi circulation to glower at Shen Qingqiu. “Qingqiu. I. Am-“

“I am talking about arrays, Shidi,” Shen Qingqiu said and poked his nose with his fan. “Not your physical recovery.” 

“Arrays?” Luo Binghe echoed, thoughtfully. 

“Mn,” Shen Qingqiu said with a nod. “If the Huan Hua Palace was able to entrap a heavenly demon, what is preventing us from deploying similar methods for us to ‘exorcise’ the System?”

Interest sparked in Luo Binghe’s eyes. “This disciple will begin researching immediately.” 

Only minorly mollified, his shidi sighed through his nose and narrowed his eyes. Even if his physical prowess wasn’t being questioned any longer, he wasn’t any more excited about the prospect of research. 

Shen Qingqiu tried to soothe him with a promise that it wouldn’t take longer than a day or two. 

He, unfortunately, couldn’t have been more wrong.

A letter to Yue Qingyuan didn’t yield too many results. Even if the sect leader had been instrumental in entrapping Tianlang-Jun, he hadn’t had the wherewithal to study the array, as he kindly reminded them in his letter. It had been the epitome of gentlemanly politeness and with an apology, attached to a scroll that may help their needs. 

But it was distant. 

Where letters from Yue Qingyuan were usually overflowing with many inquiries and suggestions, this one was bare minimum. Short and sweet. 

Shen Qingqiu tried not to let it bother him. 

They requested specific books and scrolls from both the Qing Jing and Qiong Ding libraries. They even sent a request to the array masters of another peak. 

While they researched during the day, Luo Binghe attempted to reform the array at night in their dreams. He had sent Meng Mo to scavenge through the memories and dreams of Huan Hua Palace members. The protagonist himself was completely unable to enter Yue Qingyuan’s mind at night (only Liu Qingge was happy about that) which left… Tianlang-Jun. 

Luo Binghe put it off, waiting for Meng Mo to return. They spent more time during the day scouring many scrolls and books, trying to piece together an array for their purpose. It was exhausting work. Liu Qingge tried to help. The fine art of arrays was not his style. He might utilize talismans and other fast-acting spells, but he didn’t invent them. 

His attention span always waned, and he desperately tried to tamper his restless energy. It only made him grumpy and sullen.

When the dream demon finally made his reappearance, he came with souring news. Huan Hua Palace had upped its defences, making it nearly impenetrable for the dream demon. The minds that he was able to skim had little to no recollection of the event that occurred over twenty years ago. Any that might know anything about it was either buried or hidden under far too many protections. 

That left…

Luo Binghe groaned into the mattress. He was a few leg kicks away from a full toddler meltdown.

With a snort, Liu Qingge flopped down beside him. He sat against the headboard, arms crossed. Both of them looked beautifully undone in their sleep clothes. The ties to Liu Qingge’s robes were loose, allowing a large chunk of his pecks to peek out from the pale fabric. His skin was marked with bites and bruises. 

Luo Binghe whined. He said something, but it was muffled. 

Shaking his head, Shen Qingqiu sat on the edge of the bed. He let a hand rest on his disciple’s back and ran soothing circles from one broad shoulder to the next. “While we could make the array on our own, it would take far less time if we were able to get some more clues.” And it would possibly be safer. 

There was a worrying thought that pricked the back of Shen Qingqiu’s mind whenever he thought of getting rid of the System. He shoved it back every time it cropped up. 

Luo Binghe mumbled something else. 

That was a little harsh…! It wasn’t as if Luo Binghe had really shared a real conversation with Tianlang-Jun, but was it really enough to formulate the opinion of hating him? Shen Qingqiu pressed his lips into a thin line. He supposed he didn’t blame the protagonist. Tianlang-Jun certainly didn’t make a great first impression. He ignored the slight heat that threatened to rise to his cheeks from a certain memory and patted his disciple consolingly. “It’s not as if you have to converse with him. This master is certain that Binghe will be able to slip into Tianlang-Jun’s memories and we’ll be able to examine it together no problem!” 

After a moment, the sullen half-demon murmured into the blankets.

“Mn,” Liu Qingge affirmed as he leaned in. He slid a hand underneath the back of Luo Binghe’s robes and rubbed his lower back. “Together.” 

Turning over, Luo Binghe peeked up at both of them. His dark eyes glittered with his bullied tears, his lower lip pouting. He blinked pathetically at them.

With a “tch,” Liu Qingge pulled his hand out and pinched his thigh instead. “Cry baby. Just get it over with.” 

“...maybe if Shishu gives this Binghe some encouragement…?” Luo Binghe said coyly. He rolled his hips over and splayed his hand around his groin, letting the fabric grow taught. 

“Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu scorned without any real heat. He turned his face aside. 

“Shizun’s encouragement would work well too…” Luo Binghe said, licking his lips as his eyes fell to Shen Qingqiu’s hips. 

“Binghe!” Shen Qingqiu scorned. 

Luo Binghe cut off any more reprimands with his mouth. ^[SKIP]

In moments, Shen Yuan was divested of his robes. They had ended up somewhere across the room. Lips trailed kisses down his stomach. His breath hitched. Luo Binghe looked up at him longingly, dark lashes creating shadows on his cheeks. He nipped the tender skin of his lower belly and dragged his teeth down into the nest of hair above his groin. Hands gripped his hips, keeping him locked in position. Shen Yuan breathed in through his nose, ignoring how heat licked up his torso. The protagonist teasingly swayed his bare backside towards his shishu. 

Not before long, Luo Binghe was swallowing his cock with his shishu yanking on his hair and driving into him at a ruthless pace.

By the cries from Luo Binghe alone, he was sufficiently “encouraged.” 

It never ceased to amaze Shen Qingqiu how well Luo Binghe mastered the dream realm. They stood inside a decrepit, dark cave. Remnants of an array carved into the ground. Shen Qingqiu sank into a graceful crouch, curiously following the careful, arching lines. He hummed thoughtfully. 

Most of the array was unfortunately buried underneath rock. Parts that fell away from Tianlang-Jun’s supposed line of sight were hazy and unreliable.Shen Qingqiu examined one of the blurry edges, trying to decipher what could have gone there.

“Is it enough?” Liu Qingge asked. He frowned at the figure near the center of the array; a rotting, putrid thing that was crushed underneath mounds of stone.

Luo Binghe had assured them that it wasn’t Tianlang-Jun; well, not his consciousness. The man had left too much of an imprint on this place for Luo Binghe to erase him without worrying that he would incidentally alter the memory of the array. At the very least, he was able to mitigate some of the smell. 

“For what purpose?” It was a new speaker, unfortunately far too familiar to Shen Qingqiu by this point.

Both Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe flinched, swords transpiring from thin air into palms of their hands, as they faced the curious onlooker. 

Clearing his throat, Shen Qingqiu raised up onto his feet and stepped up to stand beside the other two. He folded his hands behind his back and greeted, “Tianlang-Jun.” 

The former(?) emperor shouldn’t be here. 

(Shen Qingqiu had yet to broach the subject with Luo Binghe; it seemed impossible that his disciple might be willing to abjugate his throne but at the same time… he wasn’t sure how attached Luo Binghe truly was to it.)

His heart spasmed in his chest and tight discomfort washed through him. While Luo Binghe could recreate the memory in his own dream realm, there wasn’t the same assuredness that would come from examining the memory in Tianlang-Jun’s own mind.

He should be fast asleep, far too deep into slumber to even notice their presence. How the hell was he here now!?

Luo Binghe’s expression soured. 

Wearing an amused smile, the former(?) emperor drew his eyes between all three of them before he wandered to the figure in the middle. The prisoner snarled, desperately trying to move. Wet, weak breaths heaved from the decrepit form. 

Tianlang-Jun crouched before it. “I don’t suppose that I’ve offended the three of you so much for you to consider trapping me again, mn?” 

The dream figure snarled weakly. Each breath echoed around them, pained and miserable. Blood poured from his mouth, dripping and drenching the stone around them. Rot burned in Shen Qingqiu’s nose. 

Then he startled with an epiphany. 

Dream manipulation. Tianlang-Jun had taken over. Now everything focused on that center figure, each pathetic wheeze and weak snarl. 

Then a broken whimper. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Luo Binghe. His disciple had his jaw set, and was only slightly ashen. He would be prepared to whisk them all from the dream the moment that his father showed the barest hint of aggression. 

“No,” Liu Qingge answered. 

Tianlang-Jun raised his eyebrows and tore his eyes away from memory of himself. He flicked a curious look at him. “If you needed to study the array, son, you could have asked,” he said, amused. He didn’t question Liu Qingge. It appeared that the war god’s word was enough for him. 

Perhaps Liu Qingge’s integrity preceded him. 

With a sneer, Luo Binghe growled. “What this lord does is of no import to you.” 

Amusement glittered in Tianlang-Jun’s eyes and he smiled. “You’re quite like her, you know.” After a moment of observing Luo Binghe bristle he added, “That is a compliment.”

“Tianlang-Jun,” Shen Qingqiu stepped in before his disciple said something that might disrupt Tianlang-Jun’s current mental stability, “This master appreciates your cooperation, but we only need but a few moments to read the array as is.” 

“For the entity that possesses you?” Tianlang-Jun guessed. 

Shen Qingqiu felt a cool wave of shock wash over him. 

The former(?) emperor smiled. “You were in my care for nearly six months, you think I would not have noticed?” 

Luo Binghe bared his teeth and snarled. The only sign of the two battling over control of the dream were mere flickers of light and the intensity of blood that permeated the dank cave. 

“Now, now, my unruly son,” Tianlang-Jun said, amused. “Do you truly think I’ve lived as long as I have without encountering dream demons? I am well acquainted with their cultivation. Let your father help you.” 

“This lord would sooner-“ 

Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat. He plucked a fan from his sleeve and began idly fanning his face. “If Tianlang-Jun wishes to help, perhaps we might be able to study the array in better lighting?” 

Pleased, Tianlang-Jun nodded. All at once the cavern brightened. The figure in the center vanished, and the space grew. 

Luo Binghe’s jaw twitched. He flashed Shen Qingqiu a watery-eyed betrayed glance. 

With a patient hum, Shen Qingqiu reached up and patted his cheek. “Why fight the tides when we can use them to our advantage, mn?” 

“Is the array accurate?” Luo Binghe asked his father sharply.

“The array did not change,” Tianlang-Jun assured, nonplussed by his son’s animosity. He took a step back and observed them with amusement curling the corner of his lips. 

Shen Qingqiu returned to his study. 

Alone. 

He sighed. 

Tianlang-Jun and Luo Binghe faced off in a quiet test of wills. Hundreds of years of experience versus the pure stubborn will of the protagonist. 

Meanwhile Liu Qingge watched both with vague interest, not even attempting to try and decipher the array. 

“Here…” Shen Qingqiu said aloud, hoping to tug his disciple away from the testosterone-fueled standoff. “Binghe, does this look like an identifier?” 

Before he could answer Tianlang-Jun said, “That identified me. The array also drew on my qi, weakening me.” 

Shen Qingqiu hummed. “This configuration… the identifier. This… the power consumption?” 

In a moment Tianlang-Jun was crouching beside him. He traced the lines with a claw, scraping the stone. “This piece identifies my-“ 

“This disciple will help Shizun!” Luo Binghe cried. He jumped down to join them, throwing a withering glare at his father. “You can go.” 

Humor lit Tianlang-Jun’s eyes. “I was only-“ 

“This lord highly suggests you shut your mouth.” 

“Mn, if I do, how will I speak?” 

Shen Qingqiu sighed heavily. 

He shouldn’t have tried bringing anyone else in. 

Studying the rest of the array took far longer than necessary, with Luo Binghe interrupting his father whenever he tried to answer any of Shen Qingqiu’s questions. Only one person in that entire cavern was having fun, much to the expense of all the rest. 

“What is it, Shizun?” Luo Binghe asked. All of his hair was pulled up into a hasty pony, with a few curls escaping and decorating either side of his face. He had his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, with ink stains on his fingers. Several scrolls and books lay open in front of him. His elegant calligraphy spanned across several pages, each detailing specific parts of the array they wished to create. It was like frankensteining pieces together to create a working whole. 

“...Tianlang-Jun had mentioned that the array only finished activating once he was fully inside its bounds,” Shen Qingqiu said, frowning down at a large piece of parchment that spread across the span of a desk. 

At the moment, Liu Qingge sprawled out on a set of cushions. His arm lay over his eyes, and a book was hanging loose in his fingertips. It was difficult to tell whether or not he was sleeping, as he hadn’t begun snoring. 

Frowning, Luo Binghe considered the pieces of paper in front of him. They nearly had the design for the array complete; this was just another hurdle. Irritation made his jaw set. 

Shen Qingqiu was silently proud of his disciple. He didn’t have to expand on the issue at hand; the System was a massive unknowable entity. If they wished to trap it as Tianlang-Jun had been trapped, then they would need to gather all of its essence and ensure that it was within the bounds of the array before it fully activated. 

That meant in the span of a single night, they had to… “cure” the “curse,” excise the System from both Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua, and somehow lure it into the confines of the array. 

It… might be an impossible task. 

Luo Binghe’s expression was shifting between stubborn determination and hopeless irritation. 

“Reverse these two,” a voice said, fingers pressing to the sketched out array in front of Shen Qingqiu. “Instead of drawing in, have it push it out.” 

Several things happened all at once:

Luo Binghe launched across the table to capture Shen Qingqiu in his arms and haul him away from Tianlang-Jun. 

That sent several papers and scrolls careening to the floor.

In seconds, Liu Qingge was on his feet with his hand fumbling for Cheng Luan. The book he had in hand launched across the room and cracked against the far wall. 

A third body placed a platter of refreshments on a side table, seeming nonplussed by all the shouting that overtook the large study. 

It took several long minutes to calm everyone down.

Even longer for Shen Qingqiu’s own heart to stop trying to crawl out of his throat. 

Tianlang-Jun stood, very pleased with himself, as he pointedly made a few sloppy corrections to the parchment. 

A possessive growl emanated from Luo Binghe, his arms locked tightly around Shen Qingqiu while attempting to angle Liu Qingge behind him. 

“Now, now,” Tianlang-Jun said, entirely too amused, “that’s no way to greet your father!” 

“Die,” Luo Binghe snarled. 

Never mind. It took even longer to get everyone to calm down. 

Shen Qingqiu barely held his heavenly demon back from attacking the other. While he was cautious of the effect Xin Mo had on Tianlang-Jun, he was more worried about the destruction a fight between the two would wrought. Eventually, there was a table between the three and the former(?) emperor. His nephew was somewhere around, Shen Qingqiu had lost sight of him sometime during the scuffle. 

“Now,” Shen Qingqiu said, breathing out through his nose as he wrapped his hands around a tea cup. “What was it you were saying?” 

Grouchily, Luo Binghe plucked the tea from Shen Qingqiu’s hands. He set it aside and glowered towards the platter of refreshments. 

Without a sigh, Shen Qingqiu settled his hands in his lap. His disciple would not be sated until he was allowed to provide them food himself. 

“Reverse the intentions,” Tianlang-Jun said, considering the pieces of the array. “If you do not think that you can encapsulate the entirety of the entity, then build an array to throw it out.” 

“What would you know?” Luo Binghe muttered, his glower one puffed out lip from being a full pout. 

Tianlang-Jun did not look up at them. There was a slight breath of hesitation, as if he were digesting what he was about to say and tasting them on his own tongue. His cruel amusement melted into fondness. “My Xiyan was a genius when it came to arrays. She would talk to me about them at length.” He trailed a claw along the parchment. 

“You’ve… spoken with Qinghua-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu guessed. That would explain how the man was now reminiscent when he spoke about his former lover.

“We’ve had our fair share of conversations,” Tianlang-Jun admitted, smiling as if he had made a joke. His eyes flickered to Luo Binghe. “Come. Let’s divest your mate of his parasite.” 

None of them moved.

“Are you wondering about my motivations?” Tianlang-Jun asked, humored. “Would you believe me if I said it was because I am bored and it sounded intriguing?” 

“Yes,” Liu Qingge answered. 

Tianlang-Jun laughed. “Ah, you might. My son would not.” 

He said no more on the topic and managed to incite his son into arguing with him over the array to get them to begin working on it once again. Eventually, with Tianlang-Jun’s insight, they were able to configure a new plan: instead of trying to force the System to manifest physically in front of them and be trapped into the array, they would force it out. 

Once every detail of their plan was ironed out, Luo Binghe announced that it was time for him to prepare dinner. He said it in a way that clearly did not welcome Tianlang-Jun or Zhuzhi-Lang to the table. 

As the two were (rudely) invited to leave, Tianlang-Jun drew to a temporary stop near Shen Qingqiu. He smiled at him in a way that seemed overly familiar. He said, “You were right. About the echoes.” He drew his head back and closed his eyes. 

Shen Qingqiu didn’t respond, because it didn’t feel as if the heavenly demon was speaking to him. 

“It hurt…” He admitted, breathing out. “But… for a while there… she was alive again.” He didn’t seem to expect an answer from Shen Qingqiu. After that, he left with his nephew. The two disappeared as they had entered: without a trace. 

They helped Luo Binghe make dinner. They cleaned up afterwards. Then they went out into the early evening to run through some practice drills to try and chase away some of the ants in Liu Qingge’s bones. Spars against Liu Qingge were no longer an assured victory; in fact, they felt much like they had before this entire mess. Liu Qingge would disarm Shen Qingqiu fastidiously with the same confidence a man would have navigating back to his home in the dark. 

Arrogant, Shen Qingqiu almost spat in a rare (and alarming) wave of anger. His back slammed into the dirt. As he caught his breath, he examined his emotions and tried to figure out why he thought that. Arrogance meant a sense of superiority – but there was none on Liu Qingge’s face as he stood over him and began explaining where Shen Qingqiu went wrong. 

He didn’t show any exaggerated pity or worry either, after slamming Shen Qingqiu to the ground. He trusted and knew Shen Qingqiu’s strengths, and only offered a hand because he was just as sticky as Luo Binghe, even if he tried to hide it. 

They were both on their feet, and Luo Binghe was behind him and gently wiping any dirt off his robes. 

Sometimes, sandwiched like this between the two, a whisper of discomfort snaked up Shen Qingqiu’s spine. It was a feeling that had only started when he had returned to this body. It seemed something more like a memory; like how sword forms and calligraphy were known to this body. This body knew to fear the proximity of others. 

He tried not to think about that. 

As much as he didn’t want to, Shen Qingqiu pointed out, “We’ve finished all our preparations.” He didn't add that Liu Qingge seemed sufficiently recovered; he wasn’t completely recovered. He was still leagues away from his former level but he was certainly holding his own against Shen Qingqiu. 

Luo Binghe surprised him by saying, “We should inform Shang Qinghua and Mobei.” 

The fact that he thought to warn them at all was extremely kind of the protagonist. It showed he might even care for the two. 

“Mn.” Liu Qingge hooked a hand around Shen Qingqiu’s waist and drew him near, pressing his nose into his neck. 

“Then…” Shen Qingqiu shifted on his feet, feeling somewhat nervous and embarrassed, “...we use the array? And fix the System?” 

Luo Binghe’s eyes fell to the side, betraying a moment of uncertainty. It was gone in an instant, washed away with a warm smile. “If Shizun thinks we’re prepared.” 

“Array is done,” Liu Qingge pointed out. “Why wait?” 

The answer took too long, leaving a weighted silence in the courtyard. Shen Qingqiu knew the problem at once: his outright rejection of the heavenly pillar during their first time together. Certainly Luo Binghe should know it wouldn't be an issue any longer! He should know that Shen Qingqiu wanted…! 

“Maybe Shang Qinghua will wish to be exorcised too,” Luo Binghe said after a lengthy silence. He was trying too hard to meet both of their eyes and keep his expression pleasant. 

Shen Qingqiu might start choking on blood. 

He knew what he had to say. He just… had to have the fucking face to say it! 

Why was it up to him, ah!? 

Luo Binghe was the Protagonist!!! How many maidens had swooned and cried (pleasantly) over that massive weapon between his legs!? Of course, of course, anyone would be curious to give it a chance! 

A part of him rolled his eyes at his own insistence of his sexuality – as if he wasn’t yowling like a cat in heat, eager to be raise his ass in the air- 

What.

The fuck.

What the hell was he thinking!?

That hadn’t felt like his own thoughts-

Almost as if- 

“Shizun?” Luo Binghe’s attention sharpened on him. 

The hand on his waist tightened as Liu Qingge watched every minute flicker of his expression.

“...this master…” Shen Qingqiu turned his head away from both of them. He took a few moments to regather his composure. He pawed at his belt for his fan, only to realize that it had been knocked aside during a rather formidable attack from the war god. He cleared his throat. “He trusts… no harm will come to him from… either of you.” 

Liu Qingge stared at him curiously, not quite understanding.

Ashamed, Luo Binghe dropped his eyes. He said, “...Shizun… will only have to permit this one for this single occasion, then… he won’t have to force-” 

“Force?” Shen Qingqiu echoed with a sharp snap. “Who is forcing!?” 

“Shizun?” Luo Binghe stared at him, startled. 

Could this foolish man think that Shen Qingqiu didn’t want- 

Sputtering and red faced, Shen Qingqiu smacked Luo Binghe on the side of his head. “You’d never ‘force’ or ‘coerce’ this master into anything he didn’t want! As if being taken by Binghe is a chore!” 

“Ah.” Liu Qingge suddenly understood. 

Eyes widening, Luo Binghe stared at him hopefully. “...Shizun?” 

Too embarrassed to continue this topic of conversation, Shen Qingqiu tore away from both of them and stiffly started making his way back inside. “Come. This master wishes for a bath before retiring.” 

“Shizun means it?” Luo Binghe pressed, breath hitched with hesitant excitement. “Shizun wants this Binghe?” 

“Idiot,” Liu Qingge said with a heavy sigh. After a moment of consideration he clarified, “Both of you. Idiots.”

Ignoring him, Luo Binghe eagerly ran after Shen Qingqiu. “Shizun, you want… you want this Binghe to take you?” 

“Binghe!!” Shen Qingqiu shouted. “You know very well what this master said! Now, drop it!” 

“B-But Shizun!” 

“Idiots.”  

Later that evening, in the dark as Liu Qingge slumbered and Luo Binghe lay with his head on Shen Yuan’s stomach, Shen Yuan stared up at the darkened ceiling. He figured that only Liu Qingge was truly asleep. While Luo Binghe imitated his deep breaths and had long since stopped moving, he suspected his disciple kept a sharp eye on him. He had since the moment in the courtyard – trying to peer past Shen Yuan’s mask and read his quiet worries.

Shen Yuan ran his fingers through Luo Binghe’s hair, taking care not to disturb his braid. He breathed out through his nose and closed his eyes. His heart pounded with unease.

In his mind, he reached out tentatively, …hello? 

The thought echoed out through his consciousness. It felt silly to be crying out like a victim in a horror film, stepping into a darkened house and calling out to see if anyone was there. Almost as if the mere action would expose any who might be lurking around hidden corners. but also uncertain of what to do if anything ever answered back. 

Anticipation closed around his throat like a snare.

There was no answer. 

It wasn’t the silence of an empty room. 

It was the silence of a living room that had once housed a jubilant family. Its walls held the scrapes of careless children, its rugs stained with old spills, and its framework once bore the weight of both shared laughs and vicious arguments. Now nothing was left but a vague echo of their voices and worn impressions on a once favored chair.

Still, there was a sense of unease. As if someone lurked just outside of his field of vision.

Shen Yuan only fell asleep after Luo Binghe tugged his consciousness into a deep slumber.