#after two years of xuexiao obsession finally manged to write something else

[10holmes]

It is done.

Synopsis:

SVSSS meets 2ha/Erha and make it LiuJiu.

An angsty exploration of Shen Jiu's character and the painful ordeal of being known and learning to trust, with a hopeful ending for LiuJiu.

Tags:

Angst with a Happy Ending ; Misunderstandings ; Hurt + Comfort ; Open & Hopeful Ending ; Enemies to Lovers speed run ; Rivals to Lovers ; Shen Jiu just needs a hug

Sneak Peak Snippet:

Unable to mask and swallow down his displeasure and irritation (and sadness), Shěn Qīngqiū now addressed Liǔ Qīnggē with scornful bitterness (…maybe being a little too unfairly pissed off at him, considering Yuè Qīngyuán actually deserved most of his anger… but, as so often, Shěn Qīngqiū just failed to properly reign in his temper…).

“Well, look who’s finally decided to grace us with his presence! Not that I expected you brute to be punctual…” he, thus, sneered at the Bǎi Zhàn peak lord in lieu of a greeting.

The other just scoffed in reply, sending the scholar a hateful glare right back: “I don’t take criticism from one that is still vain enough to waste qi because he’s concerned about his delicate face in the middle of a fight… What a joke…”

Had Shěn Qīngqiū had his fan in hand, he would have probably cracked its spine in quiet rage at the man’s words (and yet again complete misinterpretation of the matter…).

This absolutely moronic condescending prick! What did he even know!!

… nothing of course… and with Shěn Qīngqiū unable to explain himself, without revealing his shameful background, he had to let the slight stand… merely narrowing his eyes and sending the other peak lord the deathliest death glare he could manage, before spitting at him venomously: “What is the point of you being here anyway? I am almost finished, as you can see, so your help is not needed any longer… Why don’t you just go back to your peak again and leave me be? No need to force yourself to stand my vain presence and for me to have to abide your pea brain…”

The brute had the guts to actually laugh humourlessly at that – or more specifically at him: “Trust me, I’d also much rather be anywhere else than here, but the sect leader’s command was clear… And I do actually follow the tasks and missions I’m given instead of using them to slack off somewhere else…”

These next words hit Shěn Qīngqiū as if the brute had taken his Cheng Luan and impaled him with it… and then given the blade another good painful twist for good measure, before ripping it back out again…

The false unjustified accusation made Shěn Qīngqiū swallow bitter bile. He felt the urge to retort something to defend himself now… even though he knew he had only himself to blame for letting the man and his Qī-ge believe that he had truly used the pretence of going on a mission to instead debauch himself in lecherous sexual acts, while people were left to suffer…

(…although he had been meaning to go on said mission right after stabilizing his core… specifically even had chosen a mission that didn’t seem that dire yet and allowed for some breathing room and a low possibility of things growing worrisome, while Shěn Qīngqiū was shortly indisposed…)

Of course, Shěn Qīngqiū ultimately couldn’t say anything in his defence and had to, yet again, merely grit his teeth and take the insult, damning himself further in the eyes of his shidi and fellow peak lord by not disagreeing…

“Get lost.” Was the only barbed reply the, for once witless, scholar finally came up with, before unceremoniously turning away from the Bǎi Zhàn peak lord to, at last, dedicate all his focus to the still very much visible, wide-open dimensional tear… adamantly staring at the bright qi in front of him without blinking… burning away the furious tears that had suddenly stupidly enough started to rise to his eyes unbidden...