#it would be liushen okay

[happypeachsludgeflower]

Liu Qingge comes back to find out that everyone believes Shen Qingqiu murdered him and he’s offended that anyone would think Shen Qingqiu could beat him in a fight. And, as Liu Qingge bitches people out for believing such a ridiculous tale, Shen Qingqiu is off to the side muttering about how he “could absolutely kill that brute if he wanted to.” Liu Qingge turns to him exasperated, grumpy, and annoyed and snaps, “You couldn’t even stop me from killing myself.”

[sunderwight]

Liushen AU where SY transmigrates into SJ's older brother, and subsequently nopes them right out of the slavery backstory by using his general knowledge of the story and actually being an adult in a kid's body to just leave (basically) with SJ and YQ.

SY carts them both up to Cang Qiong for the next sect trials. It's actually not all that hard, the trickiest part is getting enough to eat and finding safe places to sleep between leaving the slavers and taking the trials (SY manages just barely, with considerable help from his new little brothers.) Nobody bothers to go after them because it's before Qiu Jianluo and this style of human traffickers mostly operate by virtue of their merchandise having nowhere else to go. Chasing down runaways is an expense not worth indulging, given that most of them either come straight back or die of exposure.

Anyway, they take the trials, and as expected YQY gets chosen to become a personal disciple for the sect leader, and SJ gets chosen by the Qing Jing Peak Lord, but also as (kind of) expected (by SY alone) nobody wants SY. He's older the Yue Qi, so too old, and unlike YQ and SJ his cultivation potential isn't striking enough to make any exceptions for him.

SY, however, can't leave it at that. He's spent more than five minutes with the street kid codependency gang, so he's gotten attached to both of them. And he knows what will happen if they're left to their own devices and The Plot proceeds accordingly. (Also, they keep threatening to not stay at the sect if SY doesn't stay too, for some reason.) So with a heavy heart and internal candle lit for himself, SY heads to Bai Zhan Peak. Which is the only peak that accepts disciples by way of them turning up and refusing to leave.

SY's not much of a fighter. He actually really hates the atmosphere on BZP, he's not bad at physical cultivation (his health's pretty good in this life, ironic considering how much worse his situation was) but the random ambushes and survival-of-the-fittest stuff is just not his brand. But that's okay, because it turns out that BZP actually DESPERATELY needs disciples on the actual peak who are interested in things other than fighting and cultivating their own strength. Stuff like, filling out requisition requests for An Ding every time things break, apologizing to An Ding every time things break again, organizing schedules, browbeating senior disciples into actually teaching, educating disciples on virtually any artistic or social skill, hosting lectures on how to beat vicious beasts without just overpowering them, and etc.

Okay so some of this stuff isn't and has never actually been on Bai Zhan's curriculum but Shen Yuan is going to make this place tolerable. And stop these children from needlessly getting acid burns or lyme disease or scurvy or whatever. He keeps internally chewing out Airplane for designing a sect system that means there are a lot of largely unsupervised 12-year-olds running around the wilderness on a mountain picking fights all the time. (When he actually meets Shang Qinghua and figures him out he switches to doing it in person, of course, in twice-monthly bitching sessions that look a lot like budding friendship.)

Of course one of the worst offenders is the Liu kid, who SY would suspect was actually raised by wolves if he didn't know for a fact that Liu Qingge has a younger sister, and also the kinds of nice clothing and letters from home that strongly imply not only does he have a family, but that the family is pretty well-off. Liu Qingge is at first deeply offended by SY being a BZP disciple. He rarely fights anyone, and uses tricks and evasion tactics whenever a fight can't be avoided. And he does other annoying stuff, like pestering him about meals and baths and lecturing him on identifying dangerous plants and the early signs of qi deviation. This is not what their peak is about! He should get with the program already! Just fight stuff until you're too tired to keep fighting stuff!

Also SY's younger brother, SJ, is pure evil (at least according to baby Liu Qingge) even though his other younger brother (?) is cool and nice.

Anyway, Liu Qingge stops complaining about SY after their first mission together, where Liu Qingge doesn't lose a fight but does get into a kind of pyrrhic victory situation where he's really badly hurt, and it's SY who helps him win (correctly identifying the monster and then pointing out its weakness) and takes care of him afterwards and gets him safely back to Cang Qiong. SY expresses surprise at LQG actually being polite to him, and LQG realizes that he's been a colossal ass if people think he wouldn't be grateful to someone who saved his life, so the usual Liushen dynamic proceeds from there. Liu Qingge starts bringing SY fans he leaves behind and hunts down animals that are supposed to be useful for bolstering weak cultivation, SY invites LQG to tea and keeps the critters as pets, etc etc.

SY doesn't get the Head Disciple position, because that's only acquired via beating the current peak lord in combat and lol no. Also he's not interested in stealing it from Liu Qingge, to whom it rightfully belongs (in his mind). But that's fine, because Liu Qingge takes the position when the next generation ascends and then he lets SY exclusively handle all the peak duties SY actually likes (mainly teaching). It's perfect -- Liu Qingge gets to focus on his War God antics and occasional administration/meetings without having to deal with students his has no patience for, but the disciples of BZP don't get neglected because SY is actually teaching and organizing classes and student care. BZP hasn't enjoyed a golden age like this since it was founded!

Things are pretty good overall, but Shen Yuan knows that it's only a matter of time before The Plot shows up, and so he can't rest completely easily.

Meanwhile, the will-they-or-won't-they bets on Liushen have been going strong for a while now. The thing is, most of their martial siblings are convinced that these two are already "together", and just being circumspect about it. Those who know SY well (like SJ, YQY, and SQH) know better but think that SY's romantic obtuseness is to blame, whereas those who know LQG well (LMY, WQW, and MQF) are pretty sure that it's actually LQG's obtuseness that's the problem. Of course it's actually both of them, so efforts to "fix" matters by getting through one of their thick skulls inevitably run afoul of the other's.

An additional complication is of course: SJ doesn't like LQG (mutual), and now that he's the leader of his own peak, he wants to poach SY to come and live there. Not only so he can have one of the 2 people he trusts actually close at hand, but also because SJ also hates actually teaching the atrocious little brats on his peak, and would like to have SY come and do it for him. YQY is still a total pushover for him too, and is also now the sect leader, so YQY agrees that SY can change peaks if SY and LQG both agree to it.

Liu Qingge, of course, is a no, but he's a variable "no". He's not going to hold Shen Yuan against his will or anything.

As for Shen Yuan, it's... complicated. He doesn't really like BZP, but it's gotten a lot better than it was at the start. These days he's actually pretty proud of his accomplishments, and it's more comfortable, but it's still a rough and rowdy place with fewer creature comforts, libraries, or other appealing points than QJP. Also, if he goes to Qing Jing to teach, he can personally ensure that SJ doesn't go around persecuting any of his students!

But... SJ never lived with the Qiu family in this AU, and even though SY's not totally clear on what the PIDW backstory for SJ was, he knows he's a better guy now than the scum villain in the book was. He has a reputation for making cutting remarks, not for being an abusive snake or a lecher. SY's honestly less worried about him doing anything bad at all, and there are other people on QJP who can teach. It might even be good for SJ to promote more people to fill out a social circle he can rely on! That guy needs more friends, seriously.

And QJP really doesn't need more layabout literary intellectual types who get into pointless arguments, which is all SY would be if he went there. Just yet another nerdy scholar for the rich kids with middling cultivation that the peak favors to ignore. At least on BZP he's filling a gap.

SY is clearly torn, and the fact that SY's considering it has LQG upset, and LQG doesn't handle being upset very well, so of course they have an argument about it. SY storms off to cool his head and LQG is like, this is it, he's gone to Qing Jing Peak, I've drive him off by being too aggressive and he's probably remembering all those times I told him he didn't belong here and oh no what have I done maybe if I build him a heated bath and get him books he will come back???

Turns out that SY just went to An Ding to vent at SQH while SQH was like "I think you would have fewer problems if you and Liu Qingge just got married and my disciples could call you Shigu to your face instead of behind your back" and SY threw melon seeds at him and sulked on his fainting couch (which is always cold for some reason...)

Thus begins the Liushen Divorce Arc where SY tries to be anywhere but BZP or QJP, Liu Qingge tries to figure out what thing he can punch to fix this not-punchable problem, SJ is like "I don't see what the big deal is they should break up Liu Qingge is awful and I want my brother to teach my classes for me" like the spoiled youngest sibling he's finally allowed to be, YQY is trying to moderate this Hades vs Demeter situation and is all "well maybe SY could spend half the year on QJP and half on BZP?", and Liu Mingyan is going "I know my brother if this doesn't work out he is going to die single and pining like an idiot" and so keeps conscripting other disciples to y'know, lock SY and LQG into storage closets together (ineffective: LQG can punch through walls) or at least get them in the same room (underestimating SY's willingness to yeet himself out of windows to avoid awkward social interactions.)

By the time Luo Binghe joins the sect (as a Qiong Ding disciple), the drama is in full swing and is the main topic of gossip across most of the peaks.

[allpiesforourown]

can we get a liushen yap session too

i think one underrated liushen trope is when he has to deal with shen twins because i loooove the trope where liu qingge meets shen yuan and thinks its shen jiu and has crazy beef with this nerd who is super confused. + sj finding out The Brute is dating his brother and literally wanting him dead.

also im a sickly shen yuan truther so the idea of gym-junkie liu qingge being obsessed with him is so... imagine shen yuan off handedly saying hes tired and needs a second to sit down before they can continue walking and liu qingge just wordlessly picks him up and carries him off while shen yuan blushes and flails. hed be kicking his legs yelling to be let down and liu qingge would go "we aren't waiting, this is more convenient" and just continues.

liu qingge would use any excuse to touch shen yuan all the time..

shen yuan: ah, i stepped in mud..

qingge: hold onto me, i'll carry you over the rest of the dirt

airplane: MY LEG IS BROKEN???

qingge cradling shen yuan like a bride: okay? what do you want me to do about that.

also. i think liushen would be the best parents out of any couple tbh. shen yuan is polite and charismatic, while qingge is firm and sporty. they'd have a super well rounded kid who loves them so much

[peerless-minty-cucumber]

SVSSS Liu Qingge is an ace icon in a porn logic plot. In this essay I will…

Okay so, I want to preface this with some clarifications. I'm going to assume most of yall know a baseline definition of asexuality as "when you don't experience sexual attraction." Without getting too into the nuance here, take note of the following:

Being asexual does not mean you hate sex. Some asexuals like sex. Some asexuals have sex.

Asexuals can get crushes and fall in love

Being asexual doesn't mean you have sexual trauma or are a prude or w/e

Also:

I am asexual and I think by online discourse logic that means I'm right about everything I say in this essay.

You're free to respectfully disagree honestly I'd love to hear other takes on this.

This headcanon contains a lot of projection. You've been warned.

So recently I reblogged this post that joked something along the lines of "We still don't know if Liu Qingge knows what sex is." And I thought that was a) hella funny and b) kinda true. Do I think he literally doesn't know what sex is? With that sister?? Yeah no I think he knows. But I imagine he doesn't really understand that sex is just kind of a big deal for most people and expected in typical relationships. I mean, I doubt sexual attraction really often discussed amongst cultivators anyway, so if one doesn't experience it, it a) wouldn't make one too much of an outsider and b) one would just assume this is the universal norm. In my reading of canon, he definitely has a crush on Shen Qingqiu, but I don't think he has the sexual attraction. To the contrary, I imagine that he finds the thought of sexual contact with his crush very unbecoming. Perhaps it even contributes to his dislike of Luo Binghe and the BingQiu relationship. I could even spin this into a whole thing where he could be coping with internalised homophobia because he doesn't want to have sex with men so it's fine, right? We know that in general, Shen Yuan is a pretty unreliable narrator when it comes to observing other characters' reactions. But I did find some of his thoughts about Liu Qingge during the Succubi extra very interesting. For those who don't know/recall - in this extra chapter, SQQ and LQG investigate a Succubus hideout and LQG gets affected by what is essentially an Aphrodisiac. SQQ notes that LQG is visibly distressed, but also shows absolutely no signs of desire to act on it in any way – almost as though he doesn't have experience with sexual desire. He's also clearly uncomfortable and angry with his body's reaction – not an uncommon reaction in (particularily sex-repulsed) asexuals experiencing libido. I really like to imagine an AU where LiuShen happened and they're just cute and cuddling and maybe get in a few kisses and after a few months Shen Qingqiu is like "… So are we gonna fuck or like…?" And LQG would be FLOORED because surely that's not a thing people actually do – right?! That's a thing for forbidden porn ballads and demons! I also like to imagine they actually try it and he ends up kinda liking it and unpacking his baggage but he still doesn't get the attraction.

Yall were seriously starving for this essay so I hope I at least kinda delivered. I felt like I had more to say about this but *gestures* stuff happened and my brain isn't super on top of things rn.

[sinn-bee]

so I can't stop thinking about your dragon au. How did Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu meet? Are they Liushen before they're Bingliushen or just pining messes?

An excuse to talk about Liushen?? Y e s okay so!

The timeline is a little different in this au, meaning that Binghe is going to become a disciple at the sect but not until later (which means he never had to experience SJ), but they meet in the typical Lingxi caves type of situation. Except having a Qi Deviation is Much more dangerous when you are capable of turning into a fuck off sized dragon in a cave system that is not necessarily meant for full size dragons. Lqg treats SY with a lot of caution for a while because he recognizes that this person is (or at least was) SJ!Sqq, but knows that something is very different given that SY!Sqq has different coloration and an entirely different demeanor. He acts on this caution by being around SY a lot to observe him and tries to fight him a few times like he would with SJ but SY always declines.

Eventually they warm up to each other (SY always treated him as SY typically treats Lqg, teasing and whatnot) and as soon as SY realizes Lqg is being more friendly with him he is ecstatic and is even more teasing and friendly and invites Lqg into his hoard and home to hang out and eat together.

Which of course means that SY unknowingly initiates and engages in dragon courting!! And very intimate dragon behaviors that leave Lqg so so confused and scared and happy all at the same time. The little bit of angst in there is that Lqg thinks that this half-baked relationship means nothing to Sqq because of how he doesn’t quite reciprocate things correctly and that he’s just one in Sqq’s long string of lovers and meanwhile SY!Sqq is just like :D wow! How dragons interact with their friends is so interesting (They’re pretty much moved in with each other and almost having gay sex and scent marking each other) (Lqg has given up most of his hoard to Sqq)

So essentially yeah, they’re both happy (one of them reluctantly so) and have their weird not quite a relationship going on for a while and it doesn’t progress past that until plot happens and Binghe returns as an adult to court his Shizun and Sqq is bonked over the head with O h there’s two people trying to date me o.o

I’m a sucker for pining so there’s plenty of it in this au 👍

[frostfires-blog]

Hello, it's MXTX Ask Game :

1.) From the 3 works by MXTX, who is your favorite (canon) couple? Why?

2.) From the 3 works by MXTX, do you have any non canon fav ships?

(FYI, I have at least 10 non canon ships from those 3 series, sorry)

3.) From the 3 works by MXTX, do you have any favorite quotes (from each series)?

4.) Who is your favorite love interest in MXTX three novels (luo binghe, lan wangji, mobei jun or hua cheng)? Why?

5.) Who is your favorite mc in MXTX three novels (shen qingqiu, wei wuxian, shang qinghua or xie lian)? Why?

6 a.) Which do you think is more tragic, Yi City arc or BeefLeaf arc or the Fallout between Shen Jiu - Yue Qi? Why?

b.) Can I ask your opinion on the comparison between bingqiu, wangxian, moshang, and hualian (their plus and minus sides)?

P.s 1 If you have not read SVSSS, it's okay, then you can answer based on TGCF & MDZS. But if you have the time, please read SVSSS, too. It's so funny. Yes, they're not as deep as TGCF or MDZS, but still have depth in the story.

P.s 2 As Jiang Yanli fan, do you love the canon ship of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan? For me, she is too good for him, and I'm not really the biggest fan of JZX.

P.s 3 As Yushi Huang fan, too, I'm so happy and excited that you include her in your top 5 fav characters in TGCF. You're the first one that I know of that include her in top 5 favorite. Until now, I thought it's just me (and I have been TGCF fan since 2020). Also, who do you ship her with? I ship her with Pei Ming (sorry, please don't be mad). It's just funny that playboy like him meet a woman that he can't seduce like her. Oh and in the new revised version, it's canon that Pei Ming have a crush on Yushi Huang.

Sorry for my long ask.

[Hey! Once again, thanks for sending me this! Sorry, it took me so long to get around to it. To avoid offending anyone, I would want to stress once more that these are just my personal opinions.]

1.) Some of you will call me predictable for this... I'm sorry, but it has to be HuaLian. They are the epitome of enduring love and devotion to me. They embody so many tropes I love while remaining so refreshingly impactful. Their journey, their struggles, their aesthetics... I just adore everything about them. I've mentioned this before, but their relationship feels so authentic and sincere because their affection for one another is built up so steadily and meticulously. Their affection for one another is truly palpable through every held glance, melodic sigh, and subtly delicate touch. Undoubtedly what makes them not only my favourite MXTX ship but also my favourite ship of all time is that they embody the concepts of loving someone without expecting anything in return and loving someone at their worst; that sort of unadulterated, unconditional love is something I aspire towards but will likely never find.

2.) Regarding non-canon couples, I support many fan-favourite ones, but I am not as passionate about them as most other fans are. In fact, I partially understand MXTX's decision not to make any more side ships canon. The ones I'd say I have positive feelings about are the following...

⚬ BeefLeaf: They're my favourite non-canonical side ship in the MXTX universe. Admittedly, I didn't take much note of them on my first read-through (which is my attitude towards most side couples). I wanted to feature them in my side edits earlier this year, but sadly there wasn't enough material for them. ⚬ Pei Xiu x Ban Yue: Underrated but pretty cute ⚬ Pei Ming x Yushi Huang: I'll expand on them at P.S. 3 ⚬ FengQing: A classic. ⚬ QuanYin

⚬ SongXiao: Another classic... I've heard that the Yi City arc was supposed to be a separate story entirely, so I feel like this makes sense. They remind me a lot of another ship, but I can't put my finger on it.

⚬ A lot of you are going to be mad at me for this, but I really like LiuShen—as in Liu Qingge x Shen Yuan (aka our Shen Qingqiu). SVSSS is the only MXTX novel where I ship the protagonist with anyone else other than the main romantic interest. While I could see certain characters having one-sided feelings for Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian respectively, I can't see either of them returning those feelings at all. Shen Qingqiu is just so shippable for some reason—so I totally get why he is shipped with a lot of other characters. As for LiuShen I just like their easy dynamic—namely the trust they place in each other and them being on almost equal footing. Also the tension, the denial, the pining...

3.) Honestly, there are a myriad of quotes I like—but for the sake of keeping this brief, I've picked out a few that I found impactful. Since I've only read SVSSS once—and haven't done a hanakotoba analysis post on it—I didn't have a list of quotes at hand like I did for TGCF and MDZS...So there are fewer quotes listed for it. Additionally, the tone of SVSSS is very different from that of TGCF and MDZS, so finding fitting quotes was more difficult... Everything Shen Qingqiu says and thinks is especially hilarious, but I didn't want to post anything crude or too colourful here...

+ Bonus: My favourite non-serious quote from each series...

4.) Definitely Hua Cheng (surprise surprise). I just love how sincere, charming, and straightforward he is compared to the other male leads. I think he has the coolest design out of the four as well. While he might not have as complex of a backstory as the others, his sheer commitment and charisma more than compensate for that. His sassiness and snarkiness is really endearing as well. I really do like Lan Wangji, but I have complicated feelings about Luo Binghe. Somehow I always forget about Mobei Jun—he just doesn't have much presence, though his awkwardness and stoicness are entertaining in their own way.

5.) I truly like all the MCs though, which makes this choice a lot more difficult. Shen Qingqiu is so funny and relatable—as is Shang Qinghua. Wei Wuxian is so multi-layered, charismatic, and inspiring. Xie Lian is so profound and endearing. In the end, I'd have to say Xie Lian is my absolute favourite, though. What sets Xie Lian apart for me is that his kindness stems not from him being unable to see the bad in people, but from him actively choosing to believe in their goodness. Despite being subjected to tremendous adversity, he continues to be resilient and virtuous. Even so, he is not a perfect character and has made mistakes—but he has learned from them and has grown immensely from his experiences. This makes him not only incredibly captivating but also immensely inspirational. Furthermore, his awkwardly blunt humour is both relatable and endearing.

6a.) Damn, this is a tough one. They are all impactful scenes in their own ways so I'm going to go by process of elimination... The "fallout between Shen Jiu and Yue Qi would probably be in last place. This isn't to say it's not tragic but rather that I wasn't as emotionally invested in either character as I am in the others. It was a necessary part of the plot and I can understand both of their situations. That is to say, I couldn't see things turning any differently. Next would probably be the Black Water/Beefleaf arc. This arc didn't really hit me on my first read-through because I was mostly focused on HuaLian. Also, I was very suspicious of Ming Yi so his betrayal felt a little anti-climatic—not to brag, but I have a pretty good eye for that kind of thing. That being said, I still was somewhat taken aback by his motives. On my second read-through, I started becoming more invested in all of the side plots, and it all hit me much harder. What pulls this down to second place is that I can greatly sympathise with He Xuan. While Shi Qingxuan didn't deserve to be punished for something, he had no active part in—He Xuan's feelings were justified. Given that their respective conclusions in the series' final volume have left room for a possible reconciliation—I selfishly and delusionally hold onto the hope that they will.

This leaves the top spot for the Yi City Arc, which gripped me from the first time I saw it. This hits me so much harder since, by its end, 4 lives are irrevocably changed. Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan and A-Qing truly deserved better. While this arc is often overlooked and criticised, I think it's one of the most complex and powerful arcs in MDZS. The dynamics between Xiao Xingchen, A-Qing and Xue Yang are incredibly complex—with the latter's motives being much more complex than simple revenge. A-Qing's strength and bravery truly stood out to me while Xiao Xicheng's compassion and selflessness were truly moving. Although the arc mostly consists of flashbacks, it still ties in well with the present storyline. The parallels drawn between the main cast and the Yi City group are very clever and add depth to the series. What truly makes this arc heart-wrenching is that its conclusion leaves no room for any hope whatsoever. It's truly a heart-wrenchingly beautiful story.

6b.) In all honesty it's difficult to compare them given their respective complexity and differing circumstances... While I'm not sure if I answered this in the intended format, I did my best.

i) BingQiu: ➜Pros: ⦁ Binghe's assertiveness complements Shen Qingqiu's evasiveness and willful ignorance well. Considering that Shen QIngqiu would likely never be honest about his feelings unless prompted. ⦁ They are the most complex MXTX pair, as both characters are grappling with numerous actual-life problems (such as comphet and abandonment issues, respectively), which lends them a sense of nuance and authenticity. ⦁ Shen Qingqiu shows commitment to learning to be more accommodating of Binghe's relationship needs towards the end of the series while Binghe is learning to make necessary compromises. ➜Cons: ⦁ They have differing values, with Binghe caring only about Shen Qingqiu while Shen Qingqiu cares about other characters, which is a source of contention between them. ⦁ Sometimes, Shen Qingqiu doesn't respect Binghe's agency or personhood and makes high-handed decisions on his behalf. While this is not done maliciously, it nonetheless hurts the latter. This stems from them never truly stepping out of their roles as student and master. ⦁ Oftentimes, Binghe's possessiveness and jealousy terrify Shen Qingqiu (and me)—this causes him to flee from Binghe, aggravating the latter's abandonment and control issues. ⦁ Shen Qingqiu's lack of transparency with Binghe—and himself—is another issue. While the system prevented him from being transparent for a long time, I was disappointed that we never saw him come clean to Binghe at all.

ii) MoShang: ➜Pros: ⦁ The trope of an author's love for their character being reciprocated is very indulgent and gratifying. ⦁ They gradually bring out the best in one another—with Shang Qinhua becoming more standoffish and bold while Mobei-jun becomes more expressive and compromising. ⦁ While they face many of the same issues as BinQiu, I feel like they efficiently subvert many of them. For example, the uneven power dynamic of Mobei-jun being much more powerful than Shang Qinhua and the latter's fear of him is subverted by Shang Qinghua being the creator of PIDW and thus having a degree of omniscience over its characters, setting, and plot points. ➜Cons: ⦁ The physical violence and master/servant aspects of their dynamic are off-putting. ⦁ The lack of straightforward communication between the two results in many misunderstandings. ⦁ In comparison to the other main pairs, they are not as noticeable, defined, or developed due to their limited screen time and prominence in the series.

iii) WangXian: ➜Pros: ⦁ Their natural chemistry is exemplary with each of them supplementing the shortcomings of the other. ⦁ Despite their opposing dispositions and approaches to things, they share similar values and priorities—which enables them to respect and trust each other and collaborate effectively as they mature. ⦁ The extras highlight how, after getting together, they continually work to understand each other's boundaries and learn to accommodate each other's needs. ⦁ Their adaptability is another one of their strong points as a couple. Although they are both pretty headstrong, in Wei Wuxian's second life they gradually learn to make concessions for one other. ➜Cons: ⦁ Their differing communication styles caused a lot of miscommunication and distance between the pair in Wei Wuxian's first life. Although I feel like they've considerably worked through this by the end of the novel and balance each other out nicely now. ⦁ Lan Wangji's limited expressiveness and directness are another point of contention. While Wei Wuxian's obliviousness is legendary, if Lan Wangji had been more transparent, Wei Wuxian wouldn't have misconstrued things to such a large degree. If not for Lan Xichen's intervention, Wei Wuxian might never have realised the extent of Lan Wangji's affection for him. However, over time, Wei Wuxian learns to better read Lan Wangji overcoming this obstacle.

iv) HuaLian: ➜Pros: ⦁ The age-old trope of "even if everyone abandoned you, I would still stand beside you" is unmatched. Hualian embodies the sentiment of loving someone not just at their best but also at their worst; which is an unparalleled depiction of unconditional love. ⦁ Their relationship was founded on a good friendship centred around mutual respect, open communication and sincerity. As such their interactions in the present time always feel comforting and natural as opposed to the other pairs. ⦁ Hua Cheng is very respectful of Xie Lian's agency and supports him in his endeavours. That being said he will step in when Xie Lian is being careless with his own wellbeing which is something the latter needs. ⦁ They greatly complement one another and have both helped each other overcome their respective issues. Namely, Hua Cheng being strong enough to help shoulder Xie Lian's burdens and continue believing in him even when everyone else abandoned him. In the same way, Xie Lian gave Hua Cheng a reason for existence and a place to belong—this not only gave the latter direction but also helped him to value himself more (since someone cared for him). ➜Cons: ⦁ They are sometimes perceived as dull in comparison to other pairings because most of the trials they face are of an external nature, which means they rarely deal with disagreements with each other. ⦁ Hua Cheng's lack of well-developed friendships with anyone other than Xie Lian is somewhat disconcerting.

P.S.1) I have read all three MXTX novels, though I rarely speak about SVSSS. This is mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of BingQiu and Binghe in general. This isn't because SVSSS is a bad book, but rather that I went into it with very high expectations and it was very different to what I thought it would be like. I'm not the biggest fan of the teacher x student trope or large age gaps, so that threw me off as well. Someday I want to reread it and take more time considering it as I do—since I feel like I've greatly misunderstood some characters' intentions midway, especially Binghe. Maybe I'll come to appreciate more someday after becoming more open-minded...

P.S. 2) I do like Jiang Yanli x Jin Zixuan (I would've mentioned them at #2 but you only asked about non-canonical ships). That being said, I totally understand your feelings—especially since I used to feel that way too. I only started appreciating the ship after having watched the live-action and rereading the novel. During the intial arcs, Jin Zixuan doesn't have much respect or care for Jiang Yanli—which was really upsetting. However, judging by the context given one can slighly empathise with his discomfort. After all, no one wants to be forcibly married off to someone they barely know, especially when your peers don't think highly of that person. The disolution of their enagement was something I think was totally necessary at that time. After the war, he grows up a bit—he realises how compassionate Jiang Yanli is after the Soup Incident... This is when his feelings start to shift and he starts pursuing her. Yes, his mother is encouraging him—but at the hunting tournament, he states that he is pursuing her out of his own volition. Added to this, the fact that, even as prideful as Jin Zixuan was, he was willing to put aside his beef with Wei Wuxian and not only invite him to Jing Ling's One-Month Celebration but also go to Qiongqi Path to fetch him to make Jiang Yanli happy really moved me. The live-action's added scene of him having lotuses planted at Golden Carp Tower so Jiang Yanli wouldn't get homesick was endearing as well. Ultimately, Jiang Yanli deserves to be happy, and she was happy with him, so I have no issues with their relationship. They both deserved to see their son grow up...

P.S.3) I'm glad you like Yushi Huang too! She's incredibly underrated—I fear most MXTX female characters are as well... I do ship her with Pei Ming as well—but I'm not too disappointed that MXTX never made them official. I also like the idea that Pei Ming for once wants what he can't have. Xuan Ji's curse on Pei Ming has indeed turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts... How awkward he is around her is incredibly amusing. As prideful as he is, he respects her. Somehow he consistently finds himself being saved by her despite his male chauvinism, which humbles him. I quite like their dynamic and wish we had gotten more scenes of them—hopefully, the donghua will expand just as they did with the Fangxin Arc. I've heard about the revised version but haven't checked it out yet. I'm quite attached to the original, and the bits and pieces I've heard about it have given me mixed feelings. I do like that MXTX expanded on Pei Ming's feelings towards Yushi Huang and hope to find time to read that part sometime soon.

[ Ahhh! Sorry for rambling so long...I wanted to make sure I covered all my bases, and ending up getting ahead of myself again... ]

[its-xiu-ya-time]

ahaha hi! wow, i have no idea how posting fanfic works on tumblr at all, let alone how to tag it!! please bear with me!

self indulgent liushen fic! just a oneshot! i hope you all enjoy reading it! thank you to my friends olivia and thyme for helping me a lot with it! i hope i can write more SVSSS fics!!

info + tags + summary and such below the cut!

(and gosh, if anyone has tips on posting fanfic on tumblr please tell me what the heck i'm supposed to be doing...)

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù

Relationship: Liǔ Qīnggē/Shěn Yuán | Shěn Qīngqiū

Characters: Liǔ Qīnggē, Shěn Yuán | Shěn Qīngqiū

Additional Tags: Truth Serum, POV Alternating, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Harm, First Kiss, Miscommunication, Love Confessions, Post Succubus Extra, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Making Up, Making Out, Self-Discovery, wife plot, Canon-Typical Shěn Yuán Stupidity, One Shot

Summary:

Maybe Shen Qingqiu was the one who blurted out his first name, sure, but he was just trying to test the waters, to see if he really could trust Liu Qingge to protect him in dire straits! That's it!

He really, truly did not intend to kiss him—but he just couldn't help it! He was right there, and their faces were so close! It just kind of happened! He swears! And Liu Qingge was definitely the one who started it!

But none of that mattered anymore! In the past, okay?! Done and over! The important thing was, Shen Qingqiu needed to try to make it up to Liu Qingge, and apologize with his whole heart. He really needs somebody to have his back when Luo Binghe tries to turn him into a human stick, and he couldn’t afford to lose Liu Qingge, of all people, one of the very few guys who could potentially match up against Luo Binghe’s OP protagonist bullshit!

Right! He would just have to cling to Liu Qingge's thighs this entire quest! And also avoid getting stung by the Secret Feelings Stinging Jelly!

***

Shen Qingqiu makes a ""mistake"" in the form of a kiss. Liu Qingge gets upset. They avoid each other until they physically can't anymore, and find out the truth together in the form of a wife plot.

[naixaie]

Hi there!

I saw you were going to update your shop!! So excited!! But also… would you consider open it at two different times? 10:00 AM PST is 2:00 AM in my timezone in Japan… I fear there won’t be anything left when I wake up 🥲

(You made liushen merch!!!!!!! I’m so!!!!!!)

hello hello ! 🌸✨

the majority of the shop will be preorders so it will be okay!

the only items that are limited will be the enamel pins and the TGCF gold foil stamp washi tapes

thank you so much for your interest !! ☺️☺️💕

[verycharismaticdragon]

What I’m about to write out may only be somewhat relevant, but I think it’s a perspective that’s worth bringing into the discussion. 

So, after reading the first few lines of the ask, before anon went into more detail, I found myself thinking — wow, did things really change so much? Because when I first came to this fandom, about 2.5 years ago I think, the situation was almost the complete opposite. 

First of all, the majority of fans were SQQ mains. He was almost everyone’s most specialest blorbo. (A complete aside, but it was at this time that I came to realize that I dislike the “ethereal beauty SQQ” headcanon, lol.) (The ‘almost’ here refers to moshang onlys, btw. Literally there were two types of fans, the moshangs and the SQQ enjoyers.)

Meanwhile, liking Binghe was… a controversial opinion to say the least. Even among people who purportedly shipped bingqiu. There were those who loved SQQ to bits, but only sort of tolerated Binghe because SQQ chose him. And then there were those who straight up hated post-Abyss Binghe, and would write canon divergences where their stated goal was “to make LBH more palatable”. (And that’s not to mention that one specific fic where the author clearly longed to write jiuyuan but was for some reason writing bingqiu, which… look, I don’t know what their problem was, but that fic gave me some new trust issues, okay.)

With this being the situation in bingqiu circles, you can imagine it was magnitudes worse when it came to ppl shipping SQQ with other characters. Like, Binghe was hated. Binghe was straight up despised in those parts of the fandom. (I remember blocking the liushen tag because it felt like if I had to see one more “LQG is so pure and loyal and morally correct unlike that awful monster LBH” I would snap and become a person I wouldn’t be proud of. I still have it blocked just in case those takes are still happening there tbh; I don’t want to know.) 

With this being my context, I wonder if at least some of the things anon is seeing (not all of them obv, and to different degrees each) are actually just echoes of that previous state of fandom, or reactions to its trends. 

I know my personal loud enjoyment of Binghe is a direct result of seeing people undeservedly hate him so many times; I’m pretty sure that’s true for a number of people who are hyping him up rn. And though “stinky neet loser SQQ” is an extreme version that I haven’t seen and preemptively don’t like, I suspect it may have begun as a pushback against “ethereal wifebeam angel SQQ that everyone lusts after because he is just that beautiful”. Even the focus on LQG in liushen that anon mentions is, I think, pretty new — because before I blocked the tag, LQG was absolutely SQQ’s accessory in most of the content I saw. Like I swear LQG had two qualities total in most of those fics and those were “he’s loyal” and “he’s not that (insert negative buzzword of the week) LBH”. If they are finally exploring LQG’s character, good for them, or whatever.

And just, in general: people who genuinely enjoy SQQ may have been doing so quietly because for a while (and until very recently) liking him was… I dunno, a default state almost. Everyone loved SQQ, so what was the point of talking about it?

Funnily enough, that SJ vs SY discourse actually made people actively post about how much they adore SY!SQQ again, when they haven’t done so in a while. 

And I’m desperately curious if we are going to have the same rising wave of aggressive appreciation for him in response, like what happened with Binghe before.

hi! do you ever feel like the bingqiu fandom is binghe biased? like a lot of the time its giving.. “wow binghe is our little precious bun who deserves the world and more! ..oh and stinky neet loser sqq is so blessed to have him lul” it feels unfair towards sqq :( it makes me sad hes no ones fave but thats okay like whatever right? but even when its bingqiu hes treated like an afterthought. like we have binghe fans criticising sqq for not doing more, sj fans are frankly delusional, sqh fans think hes “too mean” to their precious hamster, liushen fans only like him bc hes a good hole/dick for lqg (obligatory “not all men” lol) idk i only follow a handful of svsss twt accs because no one seems to like him, he feels either tolerated or treated as a gag character lol 🥹

i just dislike a lot of fanon bingqiu i think? i read all the books before hopping on twitter and i see some absolute rancid takes on there like the woobification of Shaun(tm) qinghua and jiumei.. which is easy enough to avoid tbf so whatever floats their boat idc. but when i follow bingqiu accs, it feels like OC x OC rather than ~bingqiu~ if that makes sense? like i LOVE the manipulative crybaby domtop x flustered thin face subby pillow princess they have going on!! and fanon bingqiu is just.. not it? and obv id never send hate or anything (i just block and keep it moving) but it makes it kinda sucky when the fandom is already teeny tiny and a large chunk of the fandom isnt what i envisioned/expected i guess which is so odd! when they essentially erase canon!! if it’s like some queerbaity ship or whatever, people can characterise them however they want but its like CANON how they act/are in bed/etc and its all taken away!!! idk im probably just whining sorry 😭

(i included all my thoughts here sorry for the spam!!)

hey, thanks for stopping by!! I definitely know what you mean with regards to SQQ, but I will assure you that there are very much still plenty of dedicated "sqq mains" out there. My sphere of influence on twitter is heavily biased toward people for whom sqq is their favourite character, so maybe I'm not getting a representative sample of the fandom overall, but he's definitely a very well loved character and has more than his fair share of people who do him justice in their writing and for whom he's their primary blorbo!! I remember posting this on reddit a while back and more than half of the responses (though admittedly a small sample size) had him as their fave. So, I don't think he's without appreciation!

But with that said, I do get where you’re coming from. I’m not gonna talk about readers who take his actions in bad faith and actively dislike him (HOW??), but as you’ve said, even among people who do like him, we don’t always understand him as well as we could. Most fans do get on some level that he’s an unreliable narrator, but it’s still very common for people to take him at face value and completely miss his depth. He’s a funny little guy with amusing narration, but he’s also kind and selfless, and he’s also smart and witty, and obnoxious and annoying, and frankly pretty insensitive, and deeply, deeply traumatised—and a million other things! He has layers.

I think all popular characters in fandom will inevitably start getting boiled down to a few key traits. And as somebody who’s been writing fic for 15 years, it’s really hard not to let your own biases colour your portrayal? I absolutely do it with SQQ!! I focus on his kinder, warmer aspects and downplay his flaws, I’ll readily admit that. We all get drawn to a favourite character for a certain trait, and that trait becomes the grit around which our interpretations form. If you’re somebody that likes silly characters, you’re going to write SQQ and dial his silliness up to eleven. If you like kind characters, you’ll write SQQ with emphasis on his kindness. None of these traits are OOC in and of themselves, but if you start to only read fanfic and don���t revisit the source material, you can get lost in what’s popular and forget all the depth that actually made them interesting in the first place. And once you’ve grown attached to a particular version of the characters in your head, it can be really hard to let go of it. I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but I'll add that I think protagonists are just particularly prone to this happening because they're usually the one the audience relates to most.

Idk if any of that really addresses the stuff you were talking about. You mentioned dom top Binghe/pillow princess sqq and to be honest I’m kind of reluctant to talk about this in depth because I’ve received negative comments in the past for supposedly being anti-bottom Binghe, when all I’ve ever said on this matter is that I think it’s a bit weird to insist that “I’m scared of hurting you so I might as well let you do it” is proof that Binghe is canonically a bottom. The fact that someone found that statement so threatening to their view of the characters that they would go to my ao3 page, click on the first fic they saw that happened to feature bottom SQQ and leave their holier-than-thou anonymous opinion there is just bizarre to me.

To be honest tho, it tends to be Binghe characterisation that puts me off moreso than Shen Qingqiu. The only SQQ characterisation that truly bothers me is when people write him as willing to hurt Binghe, or willing to do anything with underage Binghe, but there is a LOT of Binghe stuff that I’m sensitive too. Idk if you read this thread of mine but like, even my friends whom I love make “Binghe stalking/imprisoning/"atticwifing" SQQ” jokes and these bother me way more than any random stranger saying SQQ would get off on spanking Binghe.

And like, it’s kind of hard because objectively, Binghe is a very dark character, so it doesn't feel particularly OOC to say he would do those things, but it's about framing. It bothers me when the emphasis is on how fucked up he is and not how hard he's trying, because it implies a level of futility that I just don’t think is there in canon. To me the beauty of him is in how much doing right by SQQ doesn't come naturally to him, but he ultimately decides to do it anyway because he wants SQQ to be happy. (I feel it needs to be said that I don't mean this in a judgy "if you write dark Binghe you don't understand him and are a bad person" way. Just that I myself can't handle that, and I strongly disagree if you think it's where Bingqiu's relationship is headed).

but idk, I've found my corner and I'm very happy here. I actually don't read fic as often as you'd think, mostly because I am sooooo picky, so I totally get where you're coming from :) but the fandom is still decently sized and very diverse, so there are always going to be at least a few people who share your feelings, if you can find them!

[imaginaryelle]

AU where Shen Jiu and Liu Qingge bond over critiquing other people's performance at annual reviews and realize they can judge other people together, thus forming a bond that transcends their personal dislike for each other in the name of shared arrogance.

The world may never recover.

[lianhuawu]

Lol see I got the impression lqg was just always gay and that's the entire reason he's single and not laid. Just local gay can't get with the pretty dude because pretty dude has a boyfriend already.

FKHGHJKL stOP im cryiNG lmao poor lqg! yeah no you’re probably right tho. Remember in the succubus extra when he was so convinced he was sqq’s future husband like ‘peerless beauty?? exceptional cultivation?? around him all the time??? oh shit must be me welp looks like we’re married now sorry i dont make the rules”

I dont know tho, honestly I used to think he was uninterested in romance up until the more recent chapters where its obvious he has a thing for sqq ive recently become liushen trash btw

[the-music-maniac]

I was thinking about Bingliushen today, y'know, as you do, because of this awesome (and true) post here and was abruptly reminded of the complaints I've heard about Bingliushen on this basis, mostly that they can't see it happening between Binghe and Qingge and that it's unrealistic.

First of all, valid! People absolutely don't need to ship it, or think it's plausible tbh, fandom is fun because there are differing opinions.

But I still did want to talk about why I find the ship so compelling, since part of the reason I love it so much is BECAUSE it's so unlikely.

I want to preface this by saying first that I don't actually think LBH and LQG falling for each other is impossible, as some people do, since I think that's the biggest protest with this ship. People don't seem to have as much of an issue believing LiuShen. Anyways, I just think that LBH and LQG ending up as a thing is only merely difficult. That's kind of an important distinction.

And the reason is because I really don't think Luo Binghe is only capable of truly loving (in a general sense) one person as an adult (specified adult because we do see that he loved his mother as a kid. He's also fond of Ning Ying Ying as a child but we see that they're not as close when he comes back cause of the murdery demon thing). That does appear to be the case in the story because the man is VERY intense when it comes to Shen Qingqiu, but I think that's more of a result of all the trauma he experienced as a kid, and the abandonment issues. He fell for Shen Qingqiu as an impressionable child - through no fault of Shen Qingqiu obviously because he fully viewed Luo Binghe as a disciple and wasn't grooming him or anything (also they're cultivators so they're technically immortal? How does age differences work in that case?). Shen Qingqiu in that instance was the one person in his world as a teen, the first person outside immediate family to ever tell him he's not a monster for being a demon - and also someone who's considered more valuable than Binghe - a lauded, accomplished authority figure I suppose. Someone important who sees value in Binghe when he's been told he's worth nothing. The instances of being left behind by his mother (cause she died obvi) and then by one of the only other people who cared for him - pushing him off a cliff to die because he's a demon (or so he believes) has to fuck with your head. And if you love the person the amount Luo Binghe appears to, well I understand being intense once you finally get them back. To an unhealthy level tbh, but then again this man needs so much therapy in general 😅. Get you some healthy coping mechanisms and healing, good sir! Also it's just occuring me as I'm saying all of it that it sounds like I'm calling Luo Binghe out for having daddy issues (parental issues?) but like. I'm sorry but he kinda does.

So, I don't think anyone is only capable of loving a singular person, but, as I mentioned before, because this is their (LBH and SQQ's) love story, we only focus on them. LBH does have the capacity to rebuild a support system, to make friends, expand the amount of people who care about him and who he cares about. Basically my point is that I believe even though he doesn't have other close emotional relationships with people by the end of the book, that he potentially COULD. I also want to mention that the concept of polyamory for Binghe to me, in terms of only as sexual relationship in the beginning at least, is also not outside the realm of possibility, just cause of the existence of Bingge. We know he doesn't love anyone in that version of him, and it could be argued that matters change because he does love SQQ, but regardless, the fact is there that a version of Binghe does engage in polygamy. He is okay with multiple partners, that's not some huge hang-up or random morality issue for him. So the idea of LBH agreeing to a threesome with LQG and SQQ because he thinks SQQ would like it, isn't remotely impossible in my books.

It's hard to say if LQG is open to a relationship with multiple partners, we don't see much of his relationship preferences beyond the fact that he likes SQQ, but I can regardless see him being the type of person that grits his teeth and hangs around just to see SQQ and tries his best to get along with LBH cause it makes SQQ unhappy that they hate each other. I can see him noticing despite himself, LBH who, now that the situation is no longer so dire, challenges him and is on par, can defeat him over and over, merely because it's been so long since he's had a real challenge, has hit an immovable wall. Tbh LQG doesn't really give the time of day to people who haven't either helped him in some way (SQQ) or people who can match him in a fight. What is it like to find someone who actually gives him a run for his money? And what is it like seeing the downtime of LBH while he's there for SQQ's company, enough to realize that this man on top of being a demon that everyone in the sects laud as evil, partakes in those ordinary domestic things that every person does? What is it like to slowly be able to see that SQQ really isn't in any danger from LBH, and ending up on random errands with him in the name of peacekeeping, realizing they might actually work together well as a team? The hilarious thing is I'm pretty sure one of LQG's love languages is literally just. Violence. Fighting for SQQ's body back. Protecting those he cares about with force. Hunting for rare monsters to bring back. Shit like that. And y'know what? That's a language both LBH and LQG speak fluently. Very fluently. They can understand each other so easily. And I think that's something that LQG would be taken aback by in a good way.

Also if I'm going to be honest, as weird as it sounds, I'm pretty sure LBH is going to be the hold up in the getting along thing. Because at where canon ended: he had already won. He's with the person he loves. There isn't much incentive for him to be nice to LQG beyond not wanting SQQ to be disappointed. SQQ married him, chose him, regardless of what happens, SQQ is probably not going to leave LBH out of the two. Harsh, but solid logic. And his dislike of the other man is entirely connected to the fact that LQG likes SQQ and LBH has abandonment issues for days (for good reason tho I will say).

LQG on the other hand has acknowledged that LBH has won, and so he likely is also thinking along the same lines - I have more at stake here because if SQQ were forced to choose, no way would he choose me over the man he married. He really does have more incentive to get along with LBH. Not only that, a large part of his animosity also appeared to stem from worry about SQQ. Like he seemed to have fought LBH for SQQ's body back cause he thought LBH was doing some fucked up shit, being selfish etc. LQG doesn't seem the type to hold grudges. He dislikes LBH because it repeatedly and actively hurts to see him with SQQ - it's an anger and hatred that stems from softer emotions like the knowledge that he lost the man he loves, that he wasn't good enough (and here is where I cry btw). It's to protect himself from the emotional hurt. One that could potentially be alleviated by growing closer to both SQQ and LBH. Meanwhile at the beginning LBH is a kind of cold, smug dislike. So he really is the hold out. But again, the previous things I have said about how LBH doesn't only have the capacity to care about one person, coupled with his previous chill attitude towards sexual relations and polyamory and his rather obsessive need to please SQQ - I can very much see LBH agreeing to a threesome to make SQQ happy, and to taunt LQG, and then being slowly surprised at how much he doesn't actually?? Hate this??? SQQ doesn't love him any less or appear to have any thoughts of leaving him, and meanwhile he has this hot dude in his bed sounds like a win for everyone lmao

So anyways, that's kinda point one: I think it's very improbable, not impossible. It takes a very specific sequence of events. But it can happen.

Two:

I fully believe LQG and LBS are not soulmates or anything of the sort, since it does tend to be the general assumption within stories like this (xianxia and even wuxia), that there is the existence of soulmates, the red string of fate, a predetermination that these people will eventually care for each other, something more set in stone, or even of 缘分 (Yuán fen) where it's not fated in the sense that it's set in stone, but fated in that there is a high probability or an affinity for a relationship, or a meeting and event.

The point is that, certainty in a lot of stories, the concept of falling for each other no matter what, over and over, is a theme and viewed as romantic. And it absolutely is! I love stories where people end up together - in any capacity, doesn't have to be platonic - in every conceivable scenario. Hell, that's why I love reading AU's. And while it's not canonical that Binghe and Qingqiu are fated, while if anything their relationship is also a one in a million chance, people in the fandom still seem view BingQiu as soulmates. Or at least probable in the story. Valid. I mean it's hard to argue with the fact that they did indeed canonically fall in love against all odds - that is in character for them because this story is their love story.

But here's what drives me absolutely crazy in the best way about Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe's relationship: within the premises of canon (where LBH is damn possessive about SQQ and doesn't like LQG for that reason, and meanwhile LQG doesn't like LBH cause he thinks he's immoral and also cause he loves SQQ) they are the most unlikely, out of the left field, came out of absolutely nowhere to blindside you with the sheer depth of your emotions, type of love. They are the relationship that peak lords gossip about - "SQQ made sense, he was always fond of LBH, but LQG???? He was always the most vocal about his hatred. Well I never-" etc. Etc. They would be the relationship that shakes LQG and LBH's understanding of themselves and how the world around them functions to the core: because neither of them could've imagine in a million years that they had the capacity to view their greatest enemy with the tenderness of love. The sheer audacity of it, of suggesting these bitter romantic rivals could grow to love each other to match what they feel for SQQ - that's the good shit.

After all, while SQQ and LBH were also unlikely, they were only that because LBH was a fictional character up until Shen Yuan died. Even as a disciple LBH knew he liked SQQ, this man fully saw that one coming. And SQQ may be oblivious as fuck romantically, but even so he did acknowledge that he was already fond of LBH. They most certainly did go through hardships and obstacles to get where they are - but always with the acknowledgement that loving each other was never the hard part. It was always everything else.

So there's point two of why I like the unlikeliness of BingLiuShen - because loving each other is the difficult path for LBH and LQG. With the bitterness of everything that had passed, falling is not the part that is easy. And it shakes the laws of this universe. It makes LBH and LQG question everything. It makes them wonder what they know about the world, the rigid lines of black and white they've lived in, and their stubborn ideas that love can only ever be a finite source that will run out if you spread too widely. And not only that, it may help with LBH's abandonment issues - to have two people willingly choose him against all odds - one who actually started off hating him. And in the process, his level of attachment to SQQ might become a little healthier. Like I get that it is a story so no judgement here, but it can't be good for LBH to place his entire value of the world all in one singular person. That's hard on both SQQ and LBH. In making LBH question his worldview and viewpoints on love and relationships, it may be the thing that kickstarts him letting other people in in a platonic capacity as well. And as for LQG's worldview, it would be nice to show him that there can incandescent happiness in this life, not merely just contentment with his usual rigid routine. To give him a happy ending, truly. This is just a fancy way of saying he makes my heart hurt so I want to give him two boyfriends the end.

The enemies to friends to lovers trope also ties into this and is so compelling because it also requires so much character growth to occur for it to work. Like not only is their worldview shaken, but both LQG and LBH need to change as people (for the better) for them to even consider making a relationship with all three of them work out in the long run. People don't hate each other for no reason, there is almost always some Bad Thing™ that occurs to make them dislike each other, be it rivalry (love rivalry in this case) an outside force (their respective groups are enemies) or because they hate some aspect of the other person. It involves acting on their worst instincts - pushing someone away from jealousy, hurting each other because they let anger take over. For that to become love, requires WORK. It requires each character to actively notice their own biases, choose of their own volition to correct themselves, to change and possibly become better as they get to come to understand their "enemy". They have to choose to lay down their arms, every single step of the way. That is so difficult to do. So unlikely. So improbable. As I said before, it's the harder path. And yet they walk it, and if they succeed, I think that's something so precious because it was so quietly and fiercely fought for.

Anyways this is getting long as fuck so while I have some more to say about BingLiuShen as a whole, I think I'll end this here. Thank you so much for reading!

[liushen-stan]

Misunderstandings

A Liushen fanfic

Summary: Liu Qingge was a loyal man. Shen Qingqiu had lost his loyalty when he'd tried to murder him, but after getting to know the Shen Qingqiu post qi-deviation, Liu Qingge began to doubt his many assumptions about the man were true.

And so, he begins to investigate.

Chapter 1: Murder Attempt

Liu Qingge has been described as many things. Strong, prideful, bad with words, hard working...

If one asked, Liu Qingge would say that, after his strength, his loyalty is his biggest trait.

And he would be right, because Liu Qingge's loyalty is the category of myths. One one gains it, he would have his sword and strength at their side forever, no matter how the man personally thinks of you.

It was true, once, for Shen Qingqiu. Liu Qingge despised his fellow disciple, but they were martial siblings, belonged to the same sect. Liu Qingge would never hesitate to fight for anyone in his sect, even Shen Qingqiu.

Until the man tried to kill him in the most cowardly way possible.

Liu Qingge's loyalty is strong. But so is his enmity. That act made Shen Qingqiu lose the former, and gain the latter. So when rumors began to spread about the despicable disciple turned peak lord, Liu Qingge did nothing. He even spread a few of his own, believing nothing but the worst of someone who would betray a fellow martial sibling.

And its not like Qingqiu was a helpless victim. Oh no, the man gave as good as he got, and so the enmity between the Bai Zhan and Qing Jing peak lords became something widely known.

Something nothing and no one could change.

Only, that was wrong.

Shen Qingqiu had a qi deviation and, suddenly, Liu Qingge's hated enemy seemed to disappear, only to be replaced with a pale imitation. This Shen Qingqiu still acted cold and aloof, but the bite and venom in most of his actions and words had disappeared. This Shen Qingqiu smiled more, laughed more, expressed himself more.

This Shen Qingqiu saved his life.

Liu Qingge couldn't understand. A qi deviation shouldn't change a person so fundamentally. But after this Shen Qingqiu passed every test the other peak lords did with flying colors, tests against demonic possesion or magic influence, there seemed to be no other explanation.

Shen Qingqiu had lost part of his memories.

Whatever in his past that made the man so spiteful was gone, and so this man... this man was the real Shen Qingqiu. And the more Liu Qingge got to know him, the more disconnection he found between the Shen Qingqiu he'd known and this one.

Liu Qingge was loyal. He was also a man able to admit his mistakes and seek to right them. It had never felt right to him to be so spiteful to his shixion, but a traitor deserved nothing less in his books. Still, something seemed to be wrong, and so Liu Qingge began to investiagte the rumors that surrounded the man. Just in case, he told himself. He'd never bothered to see if they were right, after all, so maybe...

He would just have to see.

He started with the one that, for him, was the most urgent: the murder attempt. It was the one that broke his trust, the one that started everything. And luckily, the was another witness there.

"Oh, Liu-shidi! How can I help-"

"Did Shen Qingqiu try to kill me?"

Shan Qinghua startled.

"Wha-"

"That mission, when we were disciples. Did Shen Qingqiu attempt to stab me while my back was turned?"

"Ah..." Shan Qinghua's eyes lightneed with understanding before the man took a nervous step back. "I don't think Shen-shixion wpukd like me to-"

"Tell me," Liu Qingge demanded in a forceful tone. "I need to know."

Shan Qinghua's eyes widened at the desperation in his tone.

"Wha- why are you asking this now?"

'After all these years?' Was the unspoken addition.

"Shen Qingqiu... the actual Shen Qingqiu would never do that," Liu Qingge said, helplessly and frustrated beyond reason. "He wouldn't... I need to know. Tell me."

He beares with Shang Qinghua's stare as patiently as he could until the other peak lord sighed.

"Okay, okay, I..." He fell briefly silent. "There’s no easy way to say this so I'll just be blunt. You remember the ghosts you were fighting?" Liu Qingge nodded, his heart starting to pick up speed as he intuitively knew what Shang Qinghua was going to say just from those words. "Well, one of them was going to attack you while you were distracted by another. Shen-shixion attacked it before it could do anything, but when you turned around the ghost was already gone."

It wasn't cold in An Ding, but Liu Qingge felt he was in the middle of a snowstorm. Everything seemed distant, even his own voice when a weak 'I see' escaped his lips.

He didn't know how he managed to get to his own peak, but given the state on his body he suspected he ran. That made sense, physical activity was one of the few things that managed to calm him down... though this time, he would need more. Way more.

'A misunderstanding. It was a misunderstanding.' Those thoughts looped in his head as he stood up in his home, staring blankly at a wall.

Why did Shen Qingqiu never say anything? Why did he never defended himself?

'Why should he defend himself from a martial sibling?' A small voice in his mind asked. 'Why should he, when they should have his back?'

Had Liu Qingge really believed his fellow peak lord tried to kill him without trying to think up an explanation? To look further and question why? Was he really that ready to believe the worst of someone just because he didn't like him?

He never thought he could be like that. Wasn't his loyalty one of the things he was proud of about himself?

Where was his loyalty in this situation?

Liu Qingge agonized about this for a few minutes before his usual pragmatism managed to free him.

'This is in the past. I will carry the guilt, but now it's time to make amends.'

He had been wrong. And not only him, the other peak lords believed the worst about Shen Qingqiu, too. That had to change.

What better amends could be than to disprove the rumors he himself helped create? And if this also helped quiet the silent voice that doubted every rumor about the man was false, well... Liu Qingge would carry that, too.

His second objective: the brothel.

[hualianlover4ever]

SVSSS SHORT FANFIC COMICS

( Liushen is a just a nice ship that i couldn't stop myself from writing about them. Also I love the interactions between SQQ and SQH. )

Short comic 1

Liu Minguan - Uhm.. Brother, do you have a crush on someone?

Liu Qingge - What?!??! That's bullsh*t ?!!?

Liu Minguan - Then what about Shen Uncle?

Liu Qingge- (*spits the tea , eyes wide ) I ain't a cutsleeve like those two bastards ( proceeds to leave)

In her mind , Liu Minguan- I see, he is one of those types, who doesn't like to admit it. Perfect personality for a rival love interest.

Must add him in the novel.

Short comic 2

Interviewer - So Liu Qingge, why do you always deliver fans to Shen Qingqiu? 

LQG - He seems incomplete without it 

Interviewer - Then what about giving rides on your sword? 

LQG - He asks for it, I just follow his requests. 

Interviewer - What is that one thing which you dislike about Shen Qingqiu? 

LQG - The fact that he favours his 'that disciple' over everyone. 

Interviewer- Oh, so do you dislike Luo Binghe? 

LQG - (*bangs the table) If possible, I would want him dead!

Interviewer - If Shen Qingqiu were to favour you, would that make you delighted? 

LQG- * speechless 

Interviewer- We will take it as a yes, now for the next question

LQG - Wait!! I didn't say anything

Interviewer- Should we take it as a no, then? 

LQG -(*gritting his teeth looks away) 

Interviewer - For the next question we have a special guest, please welcome An ding Peak Lord, Shang Qinghua. 

Shang Qinghua- Aiya,, I didn't expect myself to be here, they just dragged me and -AAAAHHHHH, please someone save me,,,,,,, He is glaring at me. Will I be able to make it out alive? 

Interviewer- Don't worry, since we said 'special guest ' he must have thought we were referring to Shen Qingqiu and nothing else

SQH- Hahaha.. *Nervous laughter

Interviewer - Okay, this question is directed to Shang Qinghua. 

Do you perceive Liu Qingge as a proper rival love interest? 

LQG - WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THIS???????? 

As he rises from his chair in rage , immortal cables bind around him and his mouth gets shut tight with a cloth

SQH  almost got a panic attack, witnessing this

System notification- If you can't answer, then we will have to deduct your B-points

SQH and cries - YEEEEH, NO, NO NO NO NO, JUST NOT THAT!!!! 

 He rolls his eyes to glance at LQG, who is trying to break free with no positive results

Okay, so we never really get to see them act intimately with each other, but among all the characters who support  the cucumber bro, Liu Qingge is always there to aid the current Shen Qingqiu, despite throwing his anger and kicking the door of his place. Actually if seen this way , it's as if he is not just doing as a fellow shidi, but rather acts on his own wishes.Well it could be due to the fact that cucumber bro had saved him. But again his actions when that succubus was predicting Shen Qingqiu's fated mate, his reaction did seem suspicious. Hmmm.. And he does seem to become angry when he sees those two together, I guess...... it could be out of jealousy. Therefore my answer is 

He peeks at Liu Qingge once again

SQH - I don't think he sees him that way

As soon as he uttered this words, Liu Qingge's face darkened, hands tightly gripped with force, it looked as if they were about to strangle someone. 

Interviewer coughed softly and said - Dear fellow, I don't think you were aware about it, but you actually said your thoughts out loud.

SQH - F*CK , I AM DONE FOR 

Interviewer - Okay then, that's it for this part, see you all next time 

SQH - Wait, you are leaving me to die here????  AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH- , HE BROKE FREE OF THOSE DARN CABLES !! 

Aftermath

Yue Qingguan - How did Liu Qingge agree to participate in the interview? 

Interviewer - Earlier I had told him that Shen Qingqiu was stuck in a dreamscape, and in order to rescue him he must answer my questions honestly. 

YQG - That's a clever move 

Interviewer - *giggles

YQG - He is safe, right? 

Interviewer - Yep, safe and sound in the demon realm

- The End -

Short comic 3

Shen Qingqiu- ... Where am I?

Shang Qinghua- Cucumber bro...

SQQ- Airplane bro , what are you doing here?

SQH- Same question goes to you as well..

SQQ- I don't remember much, but I do think I was sleeping.. And then found myself here..

SQH - Ahh.. I see.. That guy must have brought you..

SQQ- Who's that and why do you look so exhausted?

Interviewer- Greetings to all

SQQ - Who are you?!

Interviewer- Oh, I didn't give my introduction in the previous session. My bad,

I hope now you may recognize me,

SQH - Tianlang Jun!?

System inquires in - A Mission has been assigned 'Comply to Tianlang Jun's wishes', If failed 1500 points will be deducted from each off you.

SQQ grabbing the collar of SQH says - What more did you add in his character huh??????

Wasn't all of that enough that he had to make his come back???

SQH - Cucumber bro, have mercy, I really don't know anything.

Leaving the collar he looks at Tianlang Jun again

Tianlang Jun- Peak Lord Shen, I mean no harm to anyone of you. You see, I am deprived of all my powers. It's just that recently I found something which caught my interest.

He tosses a copy of the novel Regret of Chunshan.

Tianlang Jun- I couldn't believe my eyes when I found out about this

Shen Qingqiu thoughts - F*CK F*CK F*CK F*CK F*CK F*CK how come the book reached in his hands???????????????? They had stopped the supply and yet??!?!!!!?

Please someone kill me, I want to dig a hole and bury myself in.

Shen Qingqiu- .... I am terribly sorry that-

Tianlang Jun- This book is a piece of art!!!

SQQ - Excuse me? !

Tianlang Jun- the song was already so good but who would have thought that even the source material would be so rich in words.

SQH finds it hilarious but doesn't dare laugh in front of them. On the other hand, SQQ is just standing there, dumbstruck.

Tianlang Jun -I will be extremely delighted if you can hand this letter to the author of Regret of Chunshan.

*SQQ Opens the letter ,SQH takes a peek

Recently the author has added a new rival character, which has made the story more intriguing. I would like to recommend the author to add yet another rival.

As they read the letter, they were sure, the description matched with Zhuzhi lang

SQH ( internally) - Just how many guys has he seduced ????First Liu Qingge and now this demon Zhuzhi lang? Arghh just ship him with almost any male character out there. Wait a minute, so does that mean I am also included???????? I,the Great Airplane towards the sky, ends up becoming a part of Shen Qingqiu's harem????? No, no, no, no that's not possible, our relationship is not like that at all.

Tianlang Jun- I will take my leave now.

....... silence.....

SQH - Cucumber bro, he went away, but what will you do now?

SQQ- Great Airplane towards the sky, I have a humble favor to ask of you. PLEASE KILL ME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

SQH -How can you say that????? YOUR BINGHE WILL KILL ME BEFORE THAT HAPPENS

SQQ sighs, goes to the edge and roars -YOU READERS WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW!!!! I AM ALREADY HAPPY WITH ONE!!!

[neonghostcat]

Hundred Winters Grove: Author's Commentary

This is a post that acts as author's commentary for my LiuShen fanfic Hundred Winters Grove.

I'm about to move on to the next project officially and I wanted to write this all down before I forgot!

People who haven't read the story yet might want to do that first, though if you're one of those people who watch a movie for the first time with the Commentary track on, I salute you and support your choices. 🖖

Some of you who've read my work before and left comments that gave me a chance to ramble may already be aware that I enjoy slipping in a bit of ambiguity in my stories sometimes. I don't go for 'open endings' so much, but I do like a little bit of wiggle room for interpretations of a character's thoughts/actions; etc.

Hundred Winters Grove is just... full on, intentionally Open To Interpretation. And it starts with the tags: Not Canon Compliant & Schrödinger's Shěn Qīngqiū.

If you're not already familiar with the paradox of Schrödinger's Cat, you can read the Wikipedia article on it. Properly understanding the concept isn't necessary, though it is interesting!

The important part to understand is just simply, "Until the results of the experiment are observed, the different possibilities (theoretically) exist simultaneously."

Or, in other words -- when I say "Schrödinger's Shěn Qīngqiū" I am actually saying, "Who, precisely, Shen Qingqiu is in this story is open to your interpretation. What you observe is the truth."

---

There are four lenses you can read the fic through:

Shen Yuan transmigrates at the canonical time and all is as expected.

Shen Yuan transmigrates at the canonical time, but more of Shen Jiu lingers than normal.

Shen Yuan transmigrates earlier than canon... perhaps much earlier.

Shen Yuan is having a Second Chance Reincarnation/reset, not just a transmigration.

---

1 - All is as expected

Probably the lens most people were reading under -- which is obviously totally okay and not 'wrong'! Especially for those who were uncomfortable with the first kiss since that bit of crossing boundaries can be handed off to "the antagonist" figure and all is well.

---

2 - SQQ has more "Shen Jiu" than canon

I won't dwell on this possibility too much since it's pretty easy to read through this lens. All you have to assume is that he has more of SJ's memories and/or emotions lingering -- which is something I wanted because of the kisses I thought would be most fun to write naturally lead to a "sharper" interpretation of SQQ than the "soft" one I usually write.

Theoretically you could even read it as LiuJiu and switch it around. It's Shen Jiu, but when System tried to install the Shen Yuan patch, it didn't overwrite the base file.

---

3 - Early Transmigration

There are several suggestions in the story that SY may have arrived earlier and was forced by System to operate under "OOC" rules until roughly when he transmigrated in canon.

The further back you go the more of Shen Jiu's canonical experiences Shen Yuan likely would have been exposed to. This could easily lead to a sharper, more bitter personality and still be all Shen Yuan.

You can say the first hint of this possibility comes from their very first interaction -- when the quake happened and SQQ glanced over for reassurance from LQG. Obviously, it is possible that this is absolutely SJ and he at least trusts his sect-mate this far. But if you're trying to read through this lens, I'd definitely be looking for these smaller moments as supporting evidence.

It's circumstantial for sure, but there are more direct hints too, such as YQY's claims that he'd been noticing an improvement with SQQ "for years".

---

4 - Second-Chance Reincarnation

This is the one with the most (intentionally written) support. I'm not saying 'this is canon', because the whole point of writing/editing the way I did was to lean hard into the Schrödinger's Shěn Qīngqiū concept! But I am saying that I took full advantage of the "Not Canon Compliant" tag either way.

The biggest piece of evidence for this interpretation is in chapter 3 when they briefly mention the Skinner Demon.

The Skinner Demon plotline wasn't in PIDW -- only in SVSSS. But SQQ is aware of it and assigns himself to go and deal with it, leaving his disciples behind. (The wording is pretty vague intentionally, though.)

All of the canon events that are mentioned in HWG would have normally involved Binghe. But Binghe, though still loyal to SQQ, isn't as involved in this story as I might normally write. (I do, after all, adore the soft dynamic between them. I just prefer it as platonic if they're meeting when Binghe is a kid and SQQ is an adult.)

If SQQ is living his story the second time around, like, say... if the whole Back-Up Plan attempt went wrong and he reset instead of becoming plant-zun and he were more free from System's influence to do whatever he wanted, he could easily adjust how he behaved with Binghe to encourage a more... chill dynamic between them.

---

I was originally going to start pulling quotes to support lens 3 and 4, but you'll probably have more fun looking for them yourself. (Plus this is already quite long and I have run out of free time.)

Hope this was interesting for you to read. :)

[unforth]

Today I'm thinking about...

...I skipped yesterday cause I was still thinking about the same 4 seconds of Hualian A/B/O on infinite loop but I had some insomnia last night and had a new nugget.

Rating: Mature

Modern AU. Liushen. Mentions of Bingliushen. Warnings for misgendering, mildly dubious consent due to alcohol, internalized homophobia, and "Liu Qingge is too tsundere for his own good."

WAIT I JUST REALIZED: Call this one May Trope Mayhem day 8: In Vino Veritas!

*

Liu Qingge is straight. Very, very straight. Absolutely the straightest. And if occasionally he thinks of a dude when he's...doing stuff...let's just normal. Lots of dudes do that. Think about other dudes, right? Still the straightest. After all, he has never dated a man...he never would date a man...

You get the idea.

Anyway!

A friend from the office invites him to a Halloween party and he thinks - why not? It's something to do, and someone else is paying for the booze, and maybe he can find a one-to-five-night stand. (Okay, if he's honest with himself, he thinks he'll hate it, but he knows he's supposed to like to do things like go to parties and get smashed, and again, at least this time someone else will be paying.) He dresses up as a lacrosse player, because...he actually is a lacrosse player...so everything is already in his closet...and heads over at a fashionably late hour entirely on purpose even though it grates on him not to be punctual.

The night instantly gets infinitely better, though, when he meets a nice girl not long after arriving. She's...she's pretty great? Funny, with the sleekest long black hair, and Liu Qingge didn't know they made "sexy cucumber" Halloween costumes but he supposes he shouldn't be surprised. She laughs at his jokes, too, and he knows he can be pretty dense but even he can't miss the eyes she makes at him.

They end up going to a hotel together (she's clearly reticent to go to his place, doesn't want to go to hers cause - Liu Qingge guesses - that'd mean getting her address - and fuck it, Liu Qingge is on the far side of tipsy and she's hot as fuck and he can absolutely afford a splurge to get his rocks off with the gorgeous party chick who actually seems interested in him - not that it's rare for him to meet women who are dtf, but it IS rare for him to meet women who seem maybe interested in MORE than that? But she does appear to be.

It's not until they've been making out for at least ten minutes in the swank room he's gotten them that he makes the discovery that "sexy cucumber" has aptly chosen her...his???...their...costume, when his burgeoning erection bonks into...Cucumber's burgeoning erection.

And, if he were a smidge less drunk, or the night had been a smidge shittier, or Cucumber was a smidge less enticing, or, or, or...well, he MIGHT have called it right then. Had a huge freak out. Probably made an ass of himself.

But instead, he thinks - oh, fuck it...he's fantasized about being with a dude how many times?? And he's found a dude he wants, and who appears to want him, and it's a one night stand, and they're both drunk enough that the consent is probably dubious except that it's so obviously not (anyway, they were definitely flirting long before either was even slightly gone) and she's...he's...(would it be weird to ask pronouns right now? it'd be weird, right???)...Cucumber's got their hands on Liu Qingge's cock and the body beneath that ridiculous costume is absolute perfection and Liu Qingge is, in fact, extremely dtf.

Even more amazingly, when he wakes up the next morning, a buck-ass naked dude sharing a bed with another buck-ass naked dude, he doesn't freak the fuck out.

(At least not immediately).

It helps that said dude - Shen Yuan, he says his name is, surprisingly shyly? - is easily the embodiment of every wet dream Liu Qingge has (DEFINITELY NEVER) ever had. He's a little short - well, at least compared to Liu Qingge - and he's slim, just muscled enough to look toned, just soft enough that Liu Qingge is positive he could man-handle him (literally, figuratively, in whatever way Shen Yuan will allow, though only by consent!). No, so far from panicking, Liu Qingge instead is extremely glad that Halloween was on a Friday night.

"So, um, do you want me to go?" asks Shen Yuan, as if he (yes, it's he/him, Liu Qingge has checked now) expects the answer to be "yes," as if he's so used to the answer being "yes" that he's already tensing to roll out of bed and pull back on his cucumber costume and do a walk of shame back to wherever he lives.

The urge to answer by rolling over and atop Shen Yuan, shimmying between his legs, slipping a tongue between his lovely lips and a cock between his lovely ass cheeks, is intense, but Liu Qingge is sober now, and sober!Liu Qingge is boring as fuck and also keenly aware that while he wants to assume that Shen Yuan's tone is plaintive and hopeful, it might actually be "desperate for escape," so instead he answers,

"If that's your preference, absolutely," he says with all the sincerity he can muster. Shen Yuan's expression falls and he starts to rise. Liu Qingge resists the urge to grab his hand, but does add, "but I'd far prefer you stay. The room is ours until 11..."

With a dazzling smile that has Liu Qingge even more smitten than he already was, Shen Yuan flops back onto the bed, and Liu Qingge has the perfect opportunity to enact his first "answer." Shen Yuan is hot, eager, opening his arms and legs and mouth and hole like he can't imagine anything he wants more.

But, self, I'm fucking a dude!

Yeah, dumbass, and it's fucking amazing. Amazing fucking? Fucking fucking. Whatever. It's good, isn't it?

He can't disagree with himself there.

They spend the whole morning fucking.

At noon, the hotel concierge calls up to demand they vacate.

Instead, after a quick "conversation" with Shen Yuan communicated entirely with facial expressions, Liu Qingge re-books the room for the next night, even paying the premium for doing so at such a late point.

They spend the whole afternoon fucking, too, with only a brief break to get food.

The whole evening, too, aside from dinner and a shared shower that ends in blow jobs.

Liu Qingge has never come this many times in a 24 hour period.

Shen Yuan admits, voice blurry with exhaustion, lips swollen from kisses, ass dripping with Liu Qingge's come, that he never has, either, but he's definitely interested in seeing if maybe they can break this record the next day.

Liu Qingge is about 80% sure he falls asleep with Shen Yuan still riding him, though they're both so exhausted he can't even say for sure. Maybe he just dozes off and segues immediately into a wet dream that still features Shen Yuan?

Maybe this has all been a dream...

...but no, he wakes up the next morning, and Shen Yuan is still there, still asleep, still beautiful, still very much a dude...

...and now Liu Qingge freaks out.

He at least has the grace to do so quietly?

And he pays for the room, leaves the tip for housekeeping, even makes sure that breakfast is waiting, hot and delicious looking, for Shen Yuan, but he can't bring himself to stay. His entire chest is tight, his mind repeating an endless litany of I fucked a dude - I'm straight - maybe I'm not straight? - no, I'm straight, I have to be straight - fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck--

He hates feeling like he's running away.

He's absolutely running away.

And that would have been that, if not for three things:

He cannot, cannot, stop thinking about Shen Yuan. He's got eyes for no one else. He masturbates remembering how it felt to thrust into that spectacular body while stroking that hard cock and kissing those rough lips. He compares literally every potential sexual partner to Shen Yuan and finds them wanting. Even worse...he misses Shen Yuan - which is fucking insane, they hardly knew each other! Yet somehow, anyway, he misses talking with him (then fucking him), laughing with him (while fucking him), eating a meal with him (after fucking him)...okay, yeah, he's got it kinda bad. And it's a shock, because he's never felt this way with a woman. No-strings-attached sex has always been easier - the only kind of sex he found appealing. But apparently, that's not what he wants now. He wants Shen Yuan. But that's impossible, because Liu Qingge has fucked everything up.

Somehow his sister finds out? And she gives him one hell of a talking to, "as if anyone who has ever met you think's you're straight!" and it's enough to leave him deeply ashamed, questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. As if he wasn't already questioning everything he thought he knew about himself.

And somehow some rando finds out? And shows up at Liu Qingge's apartment? And says his name is Luo Binghe?? And that he's there to kick Liu Qingge's ass??? Because Liu Qingge made Shen Yuan cry???? And it's not like Liu Qingge will back down from a challenge. He's a badass and he knows it. Which makes it all the more shocking when Luo Binghe does, in fact, kick Liu Qingge's ass.

Ow.

And Shen Yuan cried over Liu Qingge?

Double ow.

And Liu Qingge has cried over Shen Yuan?

No, he hasn't, he definitely hasn't, he never would, he'd never...

...anyway, getting his teeth kicked in actually ends up vaguely weirdly helping, because Liu Qingge ends up laid up in bed for two days after he loses to Luo Binghe, and during those two days he has nothing to do but watch shitty daytime TV and think.

And no matter how hard he tries not to, he thinks about Shen Yuan.

And by the time he can move without wanting to cry again (because of the pain, for no other reason, okay?) he's ready to eat humble pie enough to go ask his sister how the fuck she found out about any of this.

Liu Mingyan, for her part, looks at him like he's spontaneously become a moron.

(As if she hasn't known he was a moron all along.)

"The party...was at Shang Qinghua's house?"

Yes, Liu Qingge was well aware, Shang Qinghua was the branch manager at his office, and yeah it was weird for the manager to invite him to a Halloween party more appropriate to a fraternity, but whatever. "And...?"

"And Shen Yuan is like...his best frenemy?"

"What the fuck is a 'frenemy'?"

"Don't pretend you don't know," she scoffs. "I know you watch chick flicks when you think no one is looking."

"I do not!" He so does.

"And Shen Yuan is Shang Qinghua's drag daughter?"

"What does that mean?" This time, he actually doesn't know.

She doesn't tell him anyway.

But she does roll her eyes, heave a long-suffering sigh, pull out her phone, frantically type something, and stare him down for the few endless-feeling seconds between when she puts the phone back in her pocket and Liu Qingge's phone pings in his own.

He takes it out, answering her eye roll with one of his his own, and reads her text.

3142 Halloway Ave., 8 PM Friday night.

Liu Qingge has no idea what that's supposed to mean or what it has to do with anything.

(Maybe it's Shen Yuan's address?)

Nevertheless, he will be there come hell or high water.

(He hopes it's Shen Yuan's address.)

It's not Shen Yuan's address.

It is, in fact, a bar...a very, very gay bar/gastropub called "The Bear & Stag" flying a trans-and-rainbow pride flag out front. A flier outside when Liu Qingge shows up at 5-of (punctual, damn it!) promises a drag show to start at 8, tickets $20.

Drag show.

Drag daughter? Has something to do with dressing in drag, maybe?

That...must mean something...though fuck if Liu Qingge knows what...but he pays the cover, orders a wheat beer (he wants to be sober for whatever the fuck is going on), hunkers down by the bar, and waits the few minutes for the show to start.

Shock 1: the person who opens the show, clearly acting as Emcee and naming themself "Airplane Shooting Toward the Sky" is definitely Shang Qinghua in really fucking impressive Pan-am-flight-attendant-circa-1985 drag.

Shock 2: Luo Binghe is the bouncer, and is glaring murder at Liu Qingge from the other end of the bar.

Shock 3: that cucumber costume wasn't just a Halloween costume; Shen Yuan comes out as the announcer, about a half-hour into the show, shouts, "Next up - Peerless Cucumberrrrrrrr!" and the crowd goes nuts and Shen Yuan gives them all a saucy wink and goes into a pole dance that has Liu Qingge on the verge of coming in his pants.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

Liu Qingge is definitely, definitely not straight.

(Spoilers, Liu Qingge is actually bisexual/homoromantic, though it's gonna take him a long time to work that out.)

It's a small blessing, he supposes, that Shen Yuan doesn't spot him.

Shock 4: during intermission, Shang Qinghua approaches him, mutters, "make this right or I'm firing you," and slinks off shooting winning smiles to all the fans in the audience who ask for autographs, utterly innocent and irreproachable like he hasn't just engaged in flagrant blackmail.

Shock 5: when Liu Qingge tries to get backstage to offer some fucking apologies like a fucking grown up, Luo Binghe blocks him with a wordless growl, arms as thick as Liu Qingge's thighs crossed over his chest.

Stuck between a goddamn rock and a fucking hard place.

The image that conjures in Liu Qingge's mind has absolutely nothing to do with geology and absolutely everything to do with "Luo Binghe = rock," "Shen Yuan = hard place," "Liu Qingge = sandwich filling," and that sounds like about the hottest fucking thing he's ever imagined and wait how did he ever think he was straight?

(He always knew he wasn't straight but fuck did he desperately want to be.)

(Looking back on it now, he can't remember why he wanted to be.)

Regardless...he's so fired.

At least, so he thinks, but he's determined to drink his sorrows away, and proceeds to try to do so as quickly as he can. Maybe if he downs enough gin-and-tonics he can drown? No, probably not, but he can probably fuck his liver up something fierce and that's a nice option two given how much of a masochistic fuck up he is.

All of which is to say, he's three sheets to the wind and feeling extremely sorry for himself when, sometime after midnight, Peerless Cucumber his/herself comes out and takes the stool beside him at the bar.

"You're a real asshole," announces Shen Yuan, with all the cocky attitude he showed during the party, all the confidence that vanished once he was naked and exposed and lying at Liu Qingge's side and a tear definitely does not fall down Liu Qingge's face as he remembers vividly how nicely it felt to wake up with Shen Yuan beside him.

"Yup," Liu Qingge agrees with a forlorn hiccup.

"What are you doing here?"

My sister made me, he almost says. My boss threatened me, he almost says. I just felt like it, didn't even know you'd be here, he almost says. But, no, he's too drunk and lonely and sad for those lies - even the true lies. Yeah, maybe his sister made him, maybe Shang Qinghua blackmailed him, but really they needn't have bothered. Liu Qingge had only needed one piece of information to induce him to come to The Bear & Stag, and that is...

"I came to see you," mumbles Liu Qingge, and it's a good thing Shen Yuan isn't smashed, because otherwise given the intensity with which Liu Qingge makes that confession to...the surface of the ice cubes in his current tumbler...Shen Yuan might have been confused.

"Well, I'm here." Fortunately, Shen Yuan is not confused.

"Shouldn't be," grumbles Luo Binghe, walking by with apparently casually timing far too perfect to actually be an accident.

"Fuck you," counters Shen Yuan without any heat.

"Why?" Liu Qingge forces himself to look at Shen Yuan; he's changed out of the cucumber dress and is instead wearing a sun dress, the curvy lines of it presumably the result of padding beneath the clothing, and he's so gorgeous Liu Qingge wants to kiss him senseless then drag him to bed.

"Why am I here?" Shen Yuan shrugs. "Where else would I be?" Liu Qingge stares at him incredulously. Shen Yuan shrugs again.

"Literally...anywhere?" mutters Liu Qingge. "Luo Binghe seems interested."

"Naw, he's just a big ol' bear," says Shen Yuan breezily. "In several senses of the word."

"I don't know what that means." Liu Qingge wishes he didn't sound so miserable. But, he sounds utterly miserable. (He is utterly miserable.) And he realizes - it doesn't matter what it means. He doesn't even care anymore. All he cares about is...is...is...look, he knows, but he can't even bring himself to think it, much less say it, and fuck his life. Anger spikes suddenly through his melancholy, incinerating it, and suddenly sitting up straight, he snaps, "Look, I'm sorry, I'm a fuck up, I get it, but do you want to fuck again?"

There.

THAT he can say.

Good.

Except maybe not so good, because Shen Yuan just blinks at him once, twice, three times, then says slowly, "So you can have a Big Gay Panic and ditch me again?"

Oh.

Okay, yeah, that's fair.

But--

"No," Liu Qingge says and shakes his head, and oops, that was a mistake - the whole room swims, Shen Yuan blurring into a rainbow blob of the colors from his dress. "No, fuck it, I'm not gay, but I'm definitely something, guys are hot - you're hot - and I fucking screwed up and I get that and I already said I'm sorry what the fuck else do you want from me?"

There's another long pause.

Or maybe it's only a moment, Liu Qingge doesn't even know anymore, he's way too fucking drunk for this.

Shen Yuan half-shrugs - why a dude shrug so much, what's up with that? Maybe Liu Qingge should ask - and says, "I don't know, maybe about 8 inches? Or was it 9?"

Liu Qingge swallows hard. "I've never measured," he flat-out lies, suddenly hoarse. (It's just under 8. Not that he's going to say that. Anyway, it's the girth that counts.) "So, we doing this?"

"No," replies Shen Yuan. Confusion sweeps away other emotions. Man, being drunk and trying to have a serious conversation sucks. "Not tonight."

"But..." Now he's whining, god, doing any of this was about the worst decision Liu Qingge has ever made. (Wait, no, fuck that, if "any of this" includes Shen Yuan...doing Shen Yuan was absolutely not a bad decision. Only everything since then, yeah, Liu Qingge demands--) "Do over."

"Huh?"

"I want a do over."

"And you'll get one," says Shen Yuan brightly. Okay, no, it's not the alcohol, Shen Yuan is just that fucking confusing. "But first, you're going to sober up, and then we're going to talk - actually talk - about what you want--"

"You."

"Sweet, but unspecific, and that's my point. I thought you wanted me then--"

"I did!"

"--but then you left--"

"Because I'm an idiot."

"--and now you're here again--"

"And apologizing, don't forget the apologizing!"

"--and if you're gonna sober up and go all 'I'm straight' again...I do not want a do over of that. Once was plenty."

"I won't," Liu Qingge says with all the sincerity he can muster, which turns out not to be very much. Mostly he just sounds like a blubbery drunk, and now his eyes are not swimming with tears, it's just the booze. Just drunken blurry vision, nothing else! "Seriously, Shen Yuan. I fucking won't. I've regretted it every day since. I just...want you back..."

"In your bed?"

"In my bed, on my arm, in my shower, at my dinner table, on a date night, at a movie..."

"Just to be clear...you don't mean those are all places you'd fuck me?"

Liu Qingge almost shakes his head again, then stops short. Won't make that mistake again. Anyway, it's not true...not exactly... "I mean...I would..." he mutters consideringly. Shen Yuan laughs. Oh, that's the sound Liu Qingge has missed. "But, uh, deep-dicking optional? I just want someone to see a movie with."

"Someone? Anyone?"

Shen Yuan might be teasing him. But...well, fuck it, Liu Qingge has already said more embarrassing touchy feely shit tonight than he's said basically his entire fucking life before this and yeah he's drunk so Shen Yuan might not take him seriously but from Liu Qingge's internal point of view...he knows himself well enough to know he's only talking at all because he's smashed. Anything he doesn't say now sure isn't gonna get said once he's sober, so better to air it all out. Hopefully, afterwards, they can get to the fun part (fucking, ideally) without having to do anymore of the unfun part (wording, ugh).

"You," he says, clearly and bluntly. Shen Yuan breaks into a stunning smile. "I want you, Shen Yuan. I fucked up. I get that. But I won't again. Will you...uh..." He swallows. He can do this. He can! "...be my boyfriend?"

"Can I take anything drunk!you says seriously?"

"Here--" And idea strikes Liu Qingge like a lightning bolt. Scrambling at his jean's pocket, he tries to get his phone for a solid 8 seconds before he remembers he put it in his jacket. Finally taking it out, he passes it to Shen Yuan, who blinks uncertainly at him. "Enter your phone number for a text." Shen Yuan taps at the screen then hands the phone back. Taking it, Liu Qingge types out Shen Yuan, Peerless Cucumber, will you be my boyfriend? and hits send.

Shen Yuan takes out his cell phone, sees the text, and shoots Liu Qingge a "what the fuck?" look.

"Don't answer," Liu Qingge explains eagerly. This is an awesome idea. All the words when he can say them, all the resolution post-alcohol-haze when it's needed! "Wait 'til I sober up tomorrow--"

"With how much you've drunk, you really think tomorrow's gonna do it?"

"--wait til I sober up Sunday morning...uh...make that afternoon...then text me back. With a 'yes' I hope, but you can go with 'go fuck yourself' if you really want, it's about what I deserve. And then - see how I react then. If I'm a homophobic jackass again, you never have to see me again. But if I'm not..."

When Shen Yuan opens his mouth to (Liu Qingge assumes) complete that thought, Liu Qingge expects him to say, "...then I'll know." That's how Liu Qingge ended the sentence in his own head. Thus, he's completely unprepared for Shen Yuan to say, "Then I'll have a boyfriend!" with wonderfully enthusiasm.

Liu Qingge's throat goes dry.

Liu Qingge's dick tries, woefully, to get hard despite all the alcohol thinning his blood.

Liu Qingge's brain switches to RED ALERT - PANIC mode.

He ignores it.

Because as fucking terrifying as that is...he wants it. He wants it, wants Shen Yuan, so badly.

"Yeah," he manages to say. It feels more real, more safe, more right, once it's out, aloud, in the world. "Yeah," he repeats more confidently. "Then you'll have...me."

"Worst consolation prize ever," grumbles Luo Binghe from fuck-knows-where.

"Shut up," Shen Yuan replies brightly, then returns his focus to Liu Qingge. "I'll have exactly what I want. Just - don't fuck it up again," he adds, waggling a finger way too close to Liu Qingge's face. (Too close because all Liu Qingge wants to do his suck on it, and fuck, he is so into men, why did he never let himself do this before?)

"I won't. I really, really won't."

He definitely won't.

Finally, finally, Liu Qingge knows what - knows who - he wants, and he's never gonna fuck up again.

(Well...he's gotta call bullshit on himself...but he's never gonna fuck up this bad again...)

"Perfect," says Shen Yuan.

"Yeah, you are."

Shen Yuan lights up like the goddamn sun, without the accompanying eye-sear, which. Fuck yeah, awesome, magnificent, splendid, some other adjectives he can't think of, absolutely ideal.

Oh yeah - Liu Qingge's got this in the bag.

...oops this got so stupidly long. *sweat drop*