#but by that time they've reluctantly grown fond of each other. even if the cain instinct is very quick to manifest

[a-mere-dream]

I think it'd be hilarious if Shen Yuan transmigrated into, say, Qing-generation disciple era as Shen Jiu's twin, and he's doing his absolute best to make sure his brother doesn’t get suspicious of his changed behaviour--and it's working. As far as he knows, Jiu-ge suspects nothing!

Meanwhile, a reincarnated post-PIDW Shen Jiu is doing the exact same, trying not to let on how he has no fucking clue how to act around this random guy with his face (he isn’t meant to be a big brother! Is this feeling genuine protectiveness?? Ew, what the fuck, stop it--)

So they just awkwardly shuffle around each other, both feeling like they are doing so fucking well, look at that idiot, he suspects nothing.

A-Yuan speaks a strange language? Okay, why the hell not, it's not like Shen Jiu knows what the boy learned while travelling with Wu Yanzi. Jiu-ge's skills are up to par with fully grown Cultivators? Yeah, sure, that makes sense--he'd have been a very boring villain if he sucked at everything.

It takes literal decades until they finally realise the truth.

Bonus points if Yue Qingyuan has been shot here from a svsss-adjecent timeline, is undergoing about twelve Revelations a minute, and is vibrating from the sheer excitement that comes with getting to dote on the 'new' version of Shen Qingqiu that he's grown fonder off than he ever wished to without that meaning he has to give up on his history with Shen Jiu. It never once occurs to him that the Shen twins don’t know what is going on.