#li lianhua: hold up! what is that?

[tiny-breadcrumbs]

Di feisheng finally met a worthy opponent to contest his strong will, in a form of tiny kitten. Its a small thing. Dirty and ugly, but still fiesty. Fighting several cats twice its size for a small scrap of food. Truly, a warrior.

He should have walk ahead instead of watching the fight. Fang Duobing will be inconsolable if their groceries came late. But the kitten catch his eyes. Something in him recognised that desperate survival, to fight like he has nothing to lose, like there is no tomorrow. And maybe, there is indeed no tomorrow for that thing, its already very skinny. Obviously not the best fighter around, but still standing and trying. Stubborn to the tip of its fur.

The brawl didn't last long after that. Despite the numerous scratch, its suprisingly success in snatching a tiny part of the food. Dashed so fast to a far corner before other cats can catch it. Di feisheng must be wake up in a wrong position that day, because why should he care about that tiny kitten is beyond his understanding. But his feet already walk around that corner, trying to find the little thing before he can process anything.

It's only after several pat, a more edible food, and two big doe eyes that looks so sad, Di Feisheng finally came into the horrifying realization that he maybe really care about that ugly and dirty little kitten. Between that pleading eyes and the voice in his head that sound suspiciously like Li Lianhua saying they already have hulijing at home, His eyebrow twitch faintly. There is a moment when both didn't move or make a sound. And then the tiny kitten came closer, rubbing around his leg while keeping up the increasingly good performance of big sad eyes. Di Feisheng let out a mighty sigh. He's truly gone soft!

"Sly aren't you?" He pat the dirty fur once again.

--

Di Feisheng come back late that day, smuggling a tiny kitten between the fold of his robes into the lotus tower. So what if they already have hulijing, its a dog afterall. They can add a cat now.

[recapitulation]

[ID: gifs from the series "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" showing the characters Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng interacting in chronological order. In the first gif, Di Feisheng says to Li Lianhua, "You talk so much nonsense." Fang Duobing kicks at him, while attempting to hold a bound Ge Pan, and then shakes Erya at him and says, "You— who are you scolding?" In the next gif, Fang Duobing says, "You are here for Li Lianhua," and Di Feisheng replies, "Did you think I came here for you?" In the next, Fang Duobing smiles and pushes him into the lotus pond. Next, Fang Duobing says furiously, "Come at me if you dare" and Di Feisheng replies, "I indeed came for you." Then Fang Duobing shakes a feather duster at him and says, "If you keep being picky, I'll make you become a street performer," and kicks at him. In the next, Fang Duobing raises his hands to his mouth to yell "A-Fei" and Di Feisheng appears right next to him suddenly, making him jump. In the next gif, Fang Duobing is saying passionately, "Acts of kindness need to be accumulated, and acts of evil—" Di Feisheng looks up at him, and Fang Duobing puts a hand over his mouth. In t he next gif, Fang Duobing turns around to look approvingly at Di Feisheng, a torch in his hand. Di Fisheng raises his eyebrows at him, and Fang Duobing smiles. Then, Di Feisheng says to Li Lianhua, "You've done everything you wanted to do. What's your next plan?" and Fang Duobing looks between them happily. In the last gif, the two of them are on the beach side by side. /end ID]

[bbcphile]

Newlywed Room Meta

Well, this is horrifying. I just realized that the newlywed room Jiao Liqiao had planned to marry Di Feisheng in is the same room she had him kneel at her feet in after crippling him and trying to destroy his martial arts.

(CW/tw: threat of rape)

Here’s the room in ep. 34 when he’s forced to kneel in front of her (and is in tons of pain and dissociating).

Here’s the newly wed room in ep. 38:

Notice that the bed is now where the chaise longue was. This means that she was planning on forcing the consummation in EXACTLY the same place that she had humiliated him in front of her men earlier (forcing him to kneel and calling him “Furen”). The screen behind the bed is even the same pattern as the screen that was behind her chaise longue, which means she planned to surround him with the same decorations, so there would be nowhere he could look where he wouldn’t be reminded of the earlier trauma and of his powerlessness.

Here’s something even more disturbing: the wedding bed is actually her bed, since it was already in that room, just in an alcove off to the side in ep. 34. 

Here’s the bed in episode 34.

And here it is in the newly wed room.

That means she moved it from its normal, more private location, and put it front and center of the room where her surrogate throne was. It’s now the focal point of the room and very deliberately staged, as though she was expecting an audience for the forced consummation, just like she had an audience when she forced him to his knees in front of all her men.

And if that weren’t enough, here’s another disturbing detail: do you see the decorative frame she’s using to hold up the curtain?

Guess where that’s from? Di Feisheng’s BEDROOM.

We saw it once before: in the scene where Jiao Liqiao tried to undress Di Feisheng. He had let her help him with the outer robe and wrist guard and then stopped her, looking furious, when she starts to undo his belt while saying that she will help him shower and change his clothes. She doesn’t listen to his very clear and furious no, and she only stops after he threatens to fire her. The curtain holder is the biggest piece of scenery in the background of the shots where she is reacting to being turned down, so much so that it practically becomes associated with her rejection.

Given this, it’s very telling that she ripped it away from the rest of his bed (which it matched) and put it with her bed; she took something that she’d associated with his rejection of her and put it with her (non-matching) bed, which she turned into their wedding bed, to symbolically destroy that resistance and to be a stark reminder that, now, unlike back then, he’s helpless to stop her. 

Everything about that room was designed to (possibly publicly) mock him for his helplessness and to revel in her triumph over him. 

So it’s even more powerful (and even more of a relief) that instead of that future, what actually happens in the newly wed room is that Li Lianhua carefully places Di Feisheng in the spot where he had previously been publicly humiliated and was in danger of worse, and heals him instead. Li Lianhua gives him back his power and agency, and even shares the mental codes for Yangzhouman, turning what was supposed to be a symbol of his defeat and helplessness into a symbol of respect, care, of sacrifice for another (because LLH gives him Yangzhouman that he needs to keep himself alive), and the strength that true cooperation and union can bring. 

And I’m going to be crying about this forever.

[junemermaid]

[sentences sunday] mlc fic snippet

so, it's been 84 years, etc. but I have been verrrry slowly chipping away at the taste of pomegranates. here, have a morsel before the work week swallows me whole once again. *

Once Di Feisheng is done, he sits with the sheathed dao across his knees, his hands lax on its familiar curve. Doing nothing. Thinking little. Feeling how the air cools as the charcoal in the brazier burns down to a last waft of smoke.

Li Lianhua fills the brazier again, replaces the little shovel in the charcoal box, and blows on his fingers. His hands are always chilly these days. Di Feisheng lets him bustle; the small noises of his movement are soothing in the same way as oiling his dao. The water pot clinks onto the tea brazier, and Li Lianhua scoops fresh water into it. The fine new leaves Fang Duobing brought give off a faint fragrance of dried jasmine. He remembers Li Lianhua's tastes well.

Then, instead of fussing over the tea things, Li Lianhua comes to the bed and sits down, one knee up, the other tucked against Di Feisheng's. Trusting that either his closeness is permitted or Di Feisheng will tell him otherwise.

He lets Li Lianhua sit. The bed is wide enough, and the warmest place in the room.

Li Lianhua brushes a fingertip over his temple—only his second finger, cool and dry, tracing the shell of his ear and then down along the fall of his hair. Di Feisheng doesn't flinch, no, but a tiny tremor goes through him, and he doesn't think to control himself.

"You didn't sleep," Li Lianhua says. He begins the soft stroke again, from brow to shoulder height, and this time Di Feisheng sits still.

"It won't kill me." His head dips downward. His eyes follow the curling brasswork of the scabbard.

"And that should reassure me?"

Di Feisheng expels a sharp little breath that Li Lianhua can well plumb for meaning. He has nothing better. He feels… not brittle, no, but like a willow wand stripped to its green wood. If its roots are still in the ground, new bark will grow. If not—

"What do you want?" he asks, so hushed it is more plea than demand.

Li Lianhua continues: one long, patient stroke after another, his fingers sinking down to the scalp now, trailing that same path. With a sigh, he puts his chin on Di Feisheng's shoulder. He has a smudge of soot on his forehead, unnoticed. "Do you want me to stop?"

Di Feisheng huffs, again. "I'll be fine. This… cosseting. I do not need it."

If he still has a foundation. If there is something to hold him to the earth. Li Lianhua need not fret about him like he does about Fang Duobing, however he couches it in mock irritation.

His hand, steady and gentle, stops at the nape of Di Feisheng's neck. "Of course not, Lao Di," he murmurs, "but perhaps I do."

tbc

[momosandlemonsoda]

WIP... Monday

It is neither Wednesday nor 6-sentence Sunday but I actually managed to claw some time to myself and write, so here, have some of the next chapter of Dance the Silence Down, where Fang Duobing is Having A Time Of It.

*

It would be perfect if Lianhua looked up to say hi to him, to smile the way he does sometimes, secret and knowing. It would be perfect if A’Fei weren’t already there, leaning over the counter and saying something teasing and intimate to Lianhua, smirk firmly fixed on his unfairly handsome face. Ugh.

Play it cool, Fang Duobing tells himself, play it cool.

And then he registers what A’Fei is saying. 

“It’s next on the list.”

Li Lianhua is looking down at plate he’s making, but Fang Duobing can practically hear his eye roll. “Just because it's on the list doesn’t mean we have to do it.”

“Yeah it does,” A’Fei insists.

Li Lianhua looks up, and yep, there’s the eye roll. “The list is a guide.”

He watches as A’Fei leans over further, catching Li Lianhua’s eyes and holding them—they’re practically eye fucking! In front of all these customers! 

“The purpose of a list is to do the things on it and check them off,” says A’Fei, in a deep, sexy voice.

Now Li Lianhua is smiling, the one that in Fang Duobing’s experience means he’s thinking dirty thoughts. What? The fuck? People have to eat here!

 “Some of them are impossible.”

“Not,” A’Fei says, licking his lips, “if you use your imagination.” He sits up like he’s made his point. “And it’s next on the list.”

Fang Duobing isn’t sure what they’re talking about, but it’s clearly a sex thing. 

Sighing, Li Lianhua turns to the griddle even as he says, “Hi, Xiaobao.” Then, turning back, “Why are you so red? Are you okay?”

“Fine!” he says, voice pitched higher than normal, eyes darting between Lianhua and A’Fei. “I’m fine! What about you?”

Narrowing his eyes, Lianhua gives him a onceover, but all he says is, “If you’re sure.”

“Yes! I’m completely fine!”

Thankfully, Su Xiaoyong shows up then, handing an order over to Lianhua and picking up a couple of plates. Fang Duobing takes the opportunity to bury his face in his coffee cup, which is a mistake because with all the byplay, he’d forgotten to put any sugar or creamer in. The coffee is too-hot and viciously acidic; he barely manages not to spit it out.

[eirenical]

Like Father, Unlike Son (3168 words) by eirenical

Written for the @mysteriouslotuscasebookweek prompts "Role Reversal" (Day 2) and "Grief" (Day 4).

Rating: Explicit

Summary: In the wake of Shan Gudao's return, Li Lianhua is left broken and listless, nothing like his usual self. Fang Duobing is willing to do anything to bring him back, even if it means pretending, just for one night, to be someone he's not... someone he hopes he'll never become.

The yard was silent, the kind of silence that descends in the wake of a storm. Fang Duobing would have filled that space with noise, laughter, anything but this quiet stillness that Shan Gudao had left in his wake. But Li Lianhua stood barely two steps away, holding himself so very carefully, as though too large a breath might break every bone in his rib cage.

~Li Xiangyi is, indeed, a joke.~

Fang Duobing's first instinct had been to defend, to deny, to wipe those words from existence the moment Li Lianhua had spoken them. But Li Lianhua had been standing oh so carefully then, too, as though some part of him had already broken beyond repair, and a harsh word could wipe him from existence along with his words. Fang Duobing wondered, for the first time, if he was finally, truly, seeing Li Xiangyi before him—or what little was left of him after first his shixiong's death and then the battle at the Eastern Sea had taken everything from him. For the first time, he began to see what might have driven him to put himself away so thoroughly and become Li Lianhua. Faced with what he'd been faced with, Fang Duobing might have done the same.

Gently, he said, "He's gone. Why don't we go inside?"

Li Lianhua didn't answer, simply turned back the way they'd come from and took one shuffling step after another. At the threshold, he stumbled, foot catching on the raised doorway when he didn't lift it high enough. Fang Duobing caught him, gripping his arm above the elbow and pulling him close to keep him upright.

His body was shaking, a fine tremor that Fang Duobing hadn't been able to see but could feel now that they were pressed so close. "Li Lianhua?"

Continue Reading on AO3

Tags, detailed warnings, and notes below the cut.

November 4, 2024: At this point, I think I just need to accept the fact that my niche in this fandom is "fucked up and ill-advised sex that probably at least hints at Daohua somewhere in the background." 😅 Anyway, ever since I saw the scene where Shan Gudao reveals himself to Fang Duobing and Li Lianhua, I've wanted to write a fic where Li Lianhua turns to Fang Duobing for some very ill-advised comfort after that and lets himself pretend, just this once, that Fang Duobing is actually Shan Gudao. Brain decided today was the day? Enjoy? 😁👍👍

Fic Warnings: This is a little bit of a YMMV situation. The sex that happens in this fic is 100% consensual on both sides, but Fang Duobing is essentially role playing as his father and there is ZERO negotiation before that happens and, knowing Li Lianhua, they're not going to discuss it afterwards, either. Fang Duobing does have a little bit of a frantic moment where he's basically thinking "…this is kind of fucked up, isn't it? Maybe we should talk about it first? OK, never mind, lower brain just took over and made the decision for me." But he's still very much on board with what's going on and they both enjoy it in the end. But this is some VERY tangled relationship shit going on and if that squicks you, you might want to give this one a miss.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Fang Duobing/Li Lianhua | Li Xiangyi, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Characters: Fang Duobing, Li Lianhua | Li Xiangyi

Additional Tags: mentions of - Freeform, Di Feisheng/Li Lianhua | Li Xiangyi - Freeform, Di Feisheng/Fang Duobing/Li Lianhua | Li Xiangyi - Freeform, Past, Li Lianhua | Li Xiangyi/Shan Gudao - Freeform, Under-negotiated Kink, Light BDSM, Sexual Roleplay, Unrequited Love, Established Relationship, Episode Related, episode 32, Missing Scene, Trauma, Dealing with Trauma in Less Than Healthy Ways, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, ill-advised sex, Healing Sex, (...yes it's the same sex; make of that what you will XD), Mysterious Lotus Casebook Week 2024

[joyouslee]

Variations on a Theme:  There Was Only One Bed

For @thawrecka

From this post. 

(I couldn’t help myself.)

The three of them stood looking down at The Bed.  An awkward silence descended.  The night was quiet, just the rustle of the cool night wind blowing through dry autumn leaves.  Su Xiaoyong was presumably all tucked in and sleeping soundly in the bed downstairs.  

Two pillows and a neatly folded blanket were stacked on the bed.  Li Lianhua had built his guest room with the idea of renting it out for extra money, so the bed was large enough for two, but – he glanced at Fang Duobing’s shoulders and Di Feisheng’s, well, everything – it’d be a squeeze for three.

Li Lianhua only owned two blankets: the one he was holding and the one Su Xiaoyong was using.  The tastefully luxurious one on the bed was one Fang Duobing brought from home.  (Other things Li Lianhua had found tucked in previously empty drawers: silver, lots of it; random gadgets and tiny tools; medicines and spices; old (expensive) ginseng; clothes and jewelry.)

After that very first night when Di Feisheng and Fang Duobing nearly tore the tower down around them, Li Lianhua had drawn a firm line and forced the two of them to get along and share or sleep in the woods.  They ended up sharing the bed, though not without muttered complaints from Fang Duobing about giants with ridiculous arms and legs taking up too much room.  A-Fei was easier-going than Di Feisheng and hadn’t objected to continuing the sleeping arrangements.  

A-Fei kicked off his boots, shrugged out of his outer robe, and was laying down on his usual pillow before either of them could say anything.  Clearly the awkward silence was only on Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing’s part.  A-Fei did not believe in awkwardness.

Variation 1 - a bossy shepherd herds an indulgent wolf and bewildered fox into bed

Li Lianhua looked around the room and started moving towards the bench against the far railing.  “You two take the bed, I’ll sleep over here.”  

Fang Duobing tsked audibly and said, “Li Lianhua you can’t sleep over there.  It’s too cold, there’s nothing to block the wind and it’ll go right to your bones.  You’re so skinny - you’re going to freeze to death.”  

Taking the blanket and pillow from Li Lianhua, he continued, “A-Fei, turn over, you’re taking up too much room, and take out your guan you’re going to stab Li Lianhua in the eye.”  

A-Fei huffed but did as he was told, to Li Lianhua’s astonishment.

“Take off your robe and hairpin, Li Lianhua,” Fang Duobing urged as he put Li Lianhua’s pillow down on the bed.  He then shook out the large blanket over A-Fei, laying it across the bed. “Quickly, it’s cold.  You should know better - the cold isn’t good for your heart.”  He then put Li Lianhua’s blanket around his shoulders, nudging him to sit on the bed.  

“Shoes off,” he tutted, before reaching over as though he were going to help Li Lianhua take them off.  Li Lianhua held him off with a quickly raised hand as he toed off his boots.  

“If you want any sleep tonight, just let him,” A-Fei said. “Otherwise he will go on forever.”  Li Lianhua was surprised to detect the slightest hint of indulgent amusement in his tone.  

“What are you talking about, A-Fei?  I’m just making sure Li Lianhua sleeps well and doesn’t catch a cold.  You know his health is poor.”  Fang Duobing said distractedly as he pushed Li Lianhua into bed against A-Fei’s back, straightening both blankets over him.

“You need us to block the wind for you,” he continued as he blew out the lamps and readied himself for sleep.  He carefully lifted only the top blanket and slid in gently, keeping the night air from touching Li Lianhua, and tucked in with his back to Li Lianhua.  

“Goodnight,” Fang Duobing said with a cheerful wiggle, getting comfortable, then within a few breaths he was asleep.

With both of them laying on their sides, Li Lianhua didn’t feel crowded in the middle, just … protected.

Li Lianhua blinked in bewilderment at how easily he – and Di Fucking Fei Sheng! – had been herded into bed together.  But as he lay there, fond amusement settled in.  He hadn’t a clue where the precious only son of Minister Fang and Sect Leader He of the famed Tianji Manor would have had the opportunity to learn how to take care of someone.  But his concern warmed Li Lianhua’s heart as much as the two furnaces he lay between warmed his old bones.  He closed his eyes and let himself rest.

Variation 2 - shutting up a yappy pup

Fang Duobing’s mouth dropped open in outrage.  

Li Lianhua braced for noise.

“A-Fei how can you take the bed like that?  You know Li Lianhua’s sick.  He can’t sleep on the floor.”  He stomped over and started pushing at A-Fei’s shoulder, presumably to get him to move onto the floor.  A-Fei tolerated three pushes before grabbing his arm and uncurling in a flash.  With a startled squeak Fang Duobing rolled over him and landed on the other side of the bed.  A-Fei rolled on top of him smoothly and covered his mouth with one hand.  

“Sleep,” he said firmly.  

Fang Duobing flailed at him with his free hand but A-Fei had him fully controlled.  Fang Duobing’s protests were muffled but it was clear what he was yelling about with the way he kept looking over at Li Lianhua emphatically.

A-Fei looked at Li Lianhua and jerked his chin at the open space.

Li Lianhua rolled his eyes and put his pillow on the bed.  

Alt chord progression 1: A-Fei puts his other hand over Fang Duobing’s eyes and he falls asleep - I’ve seen that trick work on puppies before and expect it would work just as well here.

Alt chord progression 2: A-Fei and Li Lianhua find other ways of keeping Fang Duobing quiet and sharing the bed.  i.e., lots of sex.  

When Li Lianhua wakes up, Di Feisheng is curled around him, and Fang Duobing is tucked up against his back, a little spoon trying to be a big spoon even though his forehead only hits A-Fei’s nape.  Fang Duobing’s arm is around Di Feisheng with his fingers curled into Li Lianhua’s robe, leg thrown over both of them.  Untangling is going to be a process but - Li Lianhua cups his hand around Fang Duobing’s, tilting his cheek against Di Feisheng’s nose- something to deal with later.  He closes his eyes and falls asleep again.  

Variation 3 (minor chord progression to theme in G major) - puppy pile 

“No.   My house, my rules.  No dogs in my bed.”  He swept the thick blanket into Fang Duobing’s arms and pushed him towards the clear space on the other end of the room, ignoring his indignant “Who are you calling a dog?!”.  

He pointed at Di Feisheng.  “Off,” he said imperiously.  “You two can keep each other warm over there.  Don’t think I don’t know what you two have done up here.”  

Fang Duobing choked and turned red.

“But you better keep in mind I’m right here, and downstairs is the granddaughter of the biggest gossip in the jianghu.  If you don’t want your liaison published in the next bulletin, keep your paws off each other.”

A-Fei shrugged and grabbed a sputtering Fang Duobing by the arm, pulling him down and rolling them in the large blanket like a spring roll.  “Go to sleep,” he said calmly.  

Fang Duobing managed to choke out a muffled “Goodnight.”

Li Lianhua blew out the candle and only heard a few rustles and a rather loudly whispered “A-Fei!” before all was quiet.  He curled up, rubbing his socked feet together.  He’d known about them pretty much since they started… whatever it is.  Fang Duobing wasn’t able to keep his emotions off his face; he blushed to the tips of his ears every time Di Feisheng came near him and occasionally tripped over nothing while pretending not to look at him.  He’s glad for them - the jianghu can be vicious, so taking comfort where you can is a gift.  He doesn’t want what they have, but it still feels ….  He shakes his head, no point in being maudlin about something he doesn’t even care to have.

The night wind swept through the room, and Li Lianhua shivered.  It really was a lot colder up on the second floor, and he couldn’t expend any neili to warm himself.  He was so tired.  His joints ached and he worried he might have a bicha attack that he wouldn’t be able to hide. He pulled the blanket over his head to keep the heat in and squinched his eyes shut, hoping to reach unconsciousness before his teeth started chattering. 

“Li LIanhua?  Are you okay?”

He ignored him, deciding that pretending to be dead was a viable route to sleep.  

“Li Lianhua?” 

A long pause.  He clutched the blanket closer, wondering if Fang Duobing gave up.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he heard as warmth settled over and around him, two warm bodies bracketing him, legs tangling and arms curling around him.  

“Don’t call him an idiot,” he felt more than heard Fang Duobing mutter.  The heat of them settled into his bones, and he fell asleep before he could tell them to get out of his bed.  

***

He woke up warmed through, muscles relaxed for once instead of tight from pain and cold.  He blinked his eyes open, shockingly well rested.  Fang Duobing was still asleep, clutching him like a favored toy, soft breaths hot against his neck.  He could tell by Di Feisheng’s breathing that he was already awake, but he still kept his arm over Li Lianhua’s chest, hand curled at Fang Duobing’s nape.  A warm wiggly weight settled over his feet, and he glanced down.

Hulijing had once again snuck into bed.

Li Lianhua sighed.  How did he end up with three unruly dogs in his home?

Note: ok, so like, not so much variation because I’m constitutionally unable to leave Li Lianhua sad and cold and alone in bed.  Or any of them, really.  So.  Puppy pile!

[nutcasewithaknife]

Sometimes I think about how Di Feisheng was the only one besides Li Xiangyi that Li Lianhua was comfortable holding a grudge against about what happened ten years ago.

Yun Biqiu is forgiven, Qiao Wanmian is absolved, Jiao Liqiao isn't even in the picture. But with Di Feisheng, you know Li Lianhua is still holding on to that perceived betrayal from a decade ago, rubbing salt in his wounds so very often about it. I will lie myself down in front of you and die an excruciating death before giving you your match. In this punishment for the past too, Di Feisheng is the only one allowed to join Li Xiangyi even after a decade. His punishment is exactly to watch the Li Xiangyi he wants die. Do you think, in a twisted way, Li Xiangyi felt even more alone once Di Feisheng's innocence in the matter came out? Once he lost this messed up yet constant company of a decade and had only himself to blame?

[acequinz]

Does anyone remember the idea i pitched about the DFS as an emperor, LLH as his concubine and FDB as the new empress being forced into a marriage.

Switching things around for that. LLH is the real emperor but switched positions with DFS for safety reasons and cause he's not supposed to be overworking himself.

This causes a massive confusion for FDB who had the ceremony with DFS but enters the marriage chambers to find LLH lounging on the bed.

"why are you here?" Fang Duobing asks, standing at the edge of the bed. There was no anger in his tone just a bone deep exhaustion from the ceremony and the need to crawl into the bed regardless of the new man being present was strong.

"to keep my betrothed company." Li Lianhua smiles coyly, trying to take a peek under the veil to see his bride's face.

Fang Duobing nodded as the understanding came to him, "ah- great, then you can entertain him. Is there a different room for me? I wanna sleep." He muttered, looking around for an exit that wouldn't give him away.

Li Lianhua chuckled grabbing Fang Duobing's wrist and pulling him to the bed so he could look at him properly, right at that time the door opened and Di Feisheng stepped in closing the door behind him and securing it.

"I see you started already," Di Feisheng said, carefully keeping his voice neutral.

"Aiyah I need to see my bride's face at least, there's nothing inappropriate going on," Li Lianhua waved his hand at the emperor while Fang Duobing struggled to free his wrist.

"who said I am your wife? Let go!" Fang Duobing whined, tugging harder. "You! You help me! I don't care what sort of business you have with your consort! I don't want to be a part of your silly perverted games! I am a man from a proper upstanding family. How dare you treat me this way?" He yelled at Di Feisheng, his surprise at being overpowered as obvious as the moon shining in the sky.

Di Feisheng rolled his eyes before striding over and pulling Fang Duobing's arm free but he did not let his escape, rather he picked him up and deposited the new bride in the waiting arms of his consort who seemed very pleased holding the mouth gaping wife.

"yes, i know. It's very stimulating isn't it? How easy he picks you up like you weigh nothing? When he did that to me the first time I was so red I had to visit the physician to make sure I wouldn't burst," Li Lianhua teased, boping the nose of the youngest in the room.

"Xiangyi~" Di Feisheng interrupted, his voice rough.

"okay okay, I was just teasing. I will explain everything to our new bride."

[mimosaeyes]

Hello MLC fandom~

I've started posting the third fic in my post-canon series. The first chapter is up now and updates will be weekly. Summary:

“Xiaobao,” he says slowly. “What are you going to do after this?” Fang Duobing is scraping the bottom of the bowl. Without looking up, he makes a confused sound. “Stay with you, of course. What are you talking about?” “I don’t mean today. I mean…” Li Lianhua feels his expression grow clouded. “In the future.” The delicate sound of porcelain against porcelain comes to a halt. Fang Duobing lowers the bowl. “Stay with you,” he repeats, quietly. Or: while visiting Tianji Manor with Fang Duobing, Li Lianhua has his first flare-up since his return.

It's Lotus Trio (albeit with more Fang Duobing/Li Lianhua, especially at first) plus another OT3 (He Xiaofeng/Liangyi Xianzi/Zhan Yunfei). If I'm not mistaken, this is the first fic in English on AO3 for that throuple :O

You may have seen me refer to this fic variously as the one where Li Lianhua holds a baby, and the one with the hot springs scene (that I got stuck writing for nine months). Regardless how it's received, I'm happy that I'm finally able to share this work!

[mx-myth]

Mlc au where li lianhua just. Doesn't re-enter the jianghu. He has a couple of Big Realisations and disassociates so hard that li xiangyi is permanently dead now and he's not touching that shit with a ten foot pole.

He still meets fang duobing except they meet during on of fdb's probationary cases because he's like, sprained his wrist. He's also bleeding a lil' bit everywhere so when he sits down at the booth where llh has set up shop llh is like who is this yucky boy. Fdb is like daifu I'll pay you x amount of money to heal me. Llh ups his first impression to yucky rich boy.

Anyway it turns about when llh isn't there to guide him fdb is really reckless. But guess what! He always meets li-daifu wherever his case is! Isn't it a miracle? (Llh is long-suffering. Why does this (his, unfortunately) yucky little rich boy keep coming back to him)

Very soon fdb starts giving him gifts instead of money (because he has no money management skills). He starts off small like flowers and little soaps then desserts and then suddenly he's showing up with a set of fancy robes for llh (who had seen fdb looking at him all intently when he was estimating his measurements and thought he was checking him out. It was the start of a minor - soon to be major and ongoing - crisis) (but it turns out he likes the fucking robes).

At some point fdb runs into A Spot during one of his cases and declares, to everyone in the vicinity, that he's li xiangyi's disciple. This is overheard by di feisheng's spymaster (I CANNOT remember what his name is) who reports it back to dfs, who is like hmm, interesting.

And obviously, the most logical response here is to kidnap him and announce that he has li xiangyi's disciple held hostage.

Llh hears of this, scoffs because xiaobao can take care of himself, paces for ten minutes, and then grumbles to himself while grabbing his sword and booking it. He bursts onto the scene and it's all like:

Dfs: ...li xiangyi? You're alive?

Fdb: li lianhua-daifu!!! ...why do you have a sword.

Dfs: oh, i get it, you went into hiding. *shaking fdb* is this your new boytoy

Llh: di feisheng! Unhand him, he's a paying customer!

Dfs, nodding: I see. Boyfriend then. But you haven't had the balls to court him properly, huh

They have an argument that is actually just them exchanging small talk. Fdb is slowly dying because this is dfs, villain of the jianghu, so why is he having a reaction to him scruffing him like a kitten? Also, is li-daifu actually li xiangyi???

Long story short about three weeks later dfs arrives for dinner. And then he just. Keeps showing up. The third time he shows up fdb is there also having dinner with llh. They bristle at each other like street cats but eventually it becomes a Thing That They Do.

(In the background dfs is picking up the fucking slack and destroying the whole nanyin revival plot. Fdb keeps unintentionally and accidentally foiling related plots as he takes cases)

(Fdb: I found this in my latest case and I don't know what it is. *holds up the Rama heavenly ice shard or whatever it is*

Dfs: ...it's a screwdriver.

Fdb, who has never seen a screwdriver in his life*: oh, okay *sticks in a drawer of the lotus tower and immediately forgets about it*)

(Dfs thinks it's amusing bordering on ridiculous because fdb just keeps bringing these artifacts back. But he doesn't know what they are and neither does llh so the lotus tower is turning out to be a really safe place to put them)

Also because this version of llh actually knows from the start that he wants to live. He just never actively looked for a cure because he didn't have much to live for in his little life. But now he does so he accepts the Styx flower or whatever dfs finds for him and they all live happily ever after.

(*Edit: oh I'm an idiot. Of COURSE fdb knows what a screwdriver is. He lives with the Queen of Inventing Clever Things (master he my beloved) for god's sake. I think if he knew dfs was lying to him he wouldn't be able to let it go, since we all know how he is. So I don't know what dfs would actually tell him lmao)

[the-wintry-mizzenmast]

笛花 Dihua/Feihua prompt fill for @magicknightriderjellyfish02 Still riding that burst of inspiration in the groupchat from @lyselkatz's post-canon fanart of silver-haired Li Lianhua and bearded A-Fei.

[How the beard thing became permanent part of their life and llh's reaction towards it, esp when they are intimate with each other]

-----

“That tickles!” giggled Li Lianhua the first time that Di Feisheng scraped the unshaven stubble of his chin across the smooth surface of his husband’s thigh. 

He would have shaved earlier in the morning had it not been for Li Lianhua’s imperious demand that he come back to bed, and between those vigorous morning activities and everything else they’d done during the day, Di Feisheng had simply forgotten. From the way that Li Lianhua’s cock swelled in response to the new texture, it did not seem that it was unwelcome. So Di Feisheng rubbed his chin and jaw once more against his husband’s skin, before taking him into his mouth. 

“Growing your beard out, hm?” asked Li Lianhua the next day during breakfast, noting that his husband had eschewed shaving again. 

“Is that going to be a problem?” 

Li Lianhua reached out a hand, rubbing a thumb across his chin. “No,” he replied, the sunlight glinting off his silver hair lending his smirk a particularly mesmerizing glow. 

Di Feisheng leaned into his husband’s caress, turned his head to kiss his palm, and then breakfast was soon forgotten. 

Two weeks later, Fang Duobing positively yelped the moment he stepped past the threshold of Lotus Tower. 

“What is that thing on Lao Di’s face?”

“A beard,” Di Feisheng replied. “You’d know what it was if you could grow one.”

Fang Duobing made a strangled noise of protest and took a threatening step forward, forcing Li Lianhua to intervene. 

“You can’t possibly like that,” Fang Duobing accused, pointing at Di Feisheng’s face over Li Lianhua’s body, which was positioned squarely between the two of them. 

“Actually, I like how it feels,” said Li Lianhua with a saucy grin. 

Fang Duobing made a small noise of revulsion as the images of what the old fox meant rose unbidden in his mind. 

“It lends him quite a distinguished air, don’t you think?” 

“He looks like my father.”

“Which one?”

“Both.”

And then Li Lianhua had to try a lot harder to keep his husband and his disciple apart, lest another wall in Lotus Tower collapse in the ensuing scuffle. 

It was late into the night, after Fang Duobing had fallen asleep upstairs, his breaths becoming quiet and regular, before Li Lianhua clamped both hands around his husband’s face, and drew it down for a kiss. 

It was a long time before Di Feisheng was allowed to pull away enough to speak. “If I’d known you’d like it this much I would have grown it out ages ago.”

Li Lianhua smiled and shook his head. “You’ve changed, A-Fei,” he said softly. “I’ve changed too,” he added, holding up a lock of his own silver-white hair for emphasis, the result of the dissolution of the Bicha poison. “I don’t think it would have fit you then, as Jinyuan Alliance Chief, but now? Anonymous Jianghu Wandering Uncle? I think it looks perfect.”

“Anonymous Jianghu Wandering Uncle?”

“Xiaobao’s not entirely wrong about the look.”

Di Feisheng growled, his expression darkening. “Come here, you.”

Li Lianhua laughed, gave his husband’s goatee a tug, and then melted into his arms. 

[recapitulation]

Fang Duobing cringefail compilation <3 [1/1,000]

[ID: gifs of the character Fang Duobing from the series "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" shown in embarrassing situations. They show Fang Duobing falling asleep in front of Li Lianhua after Li Lianhua poisons him, Li Lianhua noticing and pointing out his dirty socks, Li Lianhua asking him, "Do you have money? You're so poor you came to me for a free meal," then sitting in front of the campfire as Li Lianhua asks him, "Wait. Who is your master?" and Fang Duobing answering, "Li Lianhua, Master of the Sword," then Fang Duobing asking Di Feisheng, "[Li Xiangyi and Di Feisheng fought at sea. Where were you? Are you a fish spirit or a turtle spirit?", then Fang Duobing reading a letter Li Lianhua left him and saying, "There's no way I'm buying that!" and then immediately flipping the page and reading "You will surely buy that," then Fang Duobing standing tied up with ropes and saying, "Shi jiejie. What a coincidence. Don't mind it. Our elders care for our juniors like this." then being frozen by Li Lianhua who immediately says to him, "Don't show others your triumph card so easily. Remember it." before poking him in the forehead, then Fang Duobing hiding behind Li Lianhua from Princess Zhao Ling, and finally Fang Duobing's mother saying, "[Li Xiangyi] said if Xiaobao could hold a sword he would take him as his disciple." as Li Lianhua looks at him and Fang Duobing looks extremely uncomfortable. /end ID]

[omgpurplefattie]

MLC WIP Wednesday

Another bit from the rather cracky Cat Café AU in which only Li Lianhua and Jiao Liqiao are human and everybody else is a cat.

----------------------------------------------

The cat flap from the main room went, and A-Fei entered, in something of a hurry, at least for him, calm, superior and slightly aloof cat that he was.

He casually rubbed by Li Lianhua's leg where he was sitting, and then went to the set of dishes nearest to the kitchen door. Indeed, there was fresh rotisserie chicken in there that the local lunch place tended to donate after lunch hour in the business district across the main street was over. In return, the people from the lunch place who brought the chicken after their shift could have as much free coffee as they liked.

As a rule, the capacity for absorbing coffee was limited, apart from a few choice mad-people like Jiao-jie.

Who, at that moment, entered through the human door from the kitchen, which was extremely forbidden and against the rules, but what good were the best rules if people weren't willing to keep them? You could only try to enforce them, and that was what Li Lianhua had to do now, much as he hated pulling rank.

"You can't be in here," he said, mildly, standing up with Zhiyu on his shoulders. "This room is for the cats only, and no humans apart from the staff are allowed in. The cats need a safe space."

"Oh, here you are!" Jiao-jie said, bending down to pick up A-Fei in mid-meal and hold him up by the armpits like the classic 'longcat is long' meme. She gave no sign of even having heard Li Lianhua speak; she certainly didn't notice A-Fei's surprised and angry hiss. Her red claws looked dangerous in his dark, soft fur.

Li Lianhua got up, ready to interfere. A-Fei was a big and strong cat, physically able to tear Jiao-jie to shreds for her lack of respect.

However, for the moment, he just hung there, looking put-upon and staring at Li Lianhua with his beautiful eyes. If I damage the guests, you will be in trouble, and that's the only reason she's even still alive, he seemed to say.

[bbcphile]

WIP Wednesday

It's somehow Wednesday again! Enjoy DFS and FDB trying to comfort LLH during a nightmare.

(You can find more excerpts here.)

A-Fei cut himself off, head whipping around to look at Li Lianhua. “Xiangyi?” All trace of the storm had vanished, leaving only worry in its wake.

Fang Duobing sat bolt upright. “What’s wrong?” 

Li Lianhua’s hand twitched.

Huli Jing whined and shifted to drape herself across Li Lianhua’s knees.

“Where’s the incense?” a-Fei snapped, glancing frantically around the room.

“What?”

“Incense,” a-Fei bit out. “From the parcel. Find it. Now.”

Fang Duobing bit back his demand for details. “On it,” he said instead, yanking the parcel from his robe and tugging at the strings. Damn it, why had he tied them so tightly?

“Xiangyi, it’s alright,” a-Fei said, his gruff voice gentled. He tapped Li Lianhua’s pulse point repeatedly. “You’re in Lotus Tower. You’re safe. It’s time to wake up.”

A nightmare? He should have known. Of course a-Fei would have something for treating them, and of course he wouldn’t have wanted to talk about–

“–No,” Li Lianhua mumbled, “no, don’t–”

“You’re safe, Xiangyi,” a-Fei said more urgently, squeezing his wrist and giving it a shake. You’re free. Now stop fighting and open your eyes!”

Oh, shit, if he was dreaming of whatever happened earlier, and he tried to destroy his heart meridian again–

“–I can’t wake him up,” a-Fei hissed. “Hurry.”

“Understood.” Fuck it. Fang Duobing snapped the string in half and tore the packaging open. Dried herbs spilled on the ground like tears. 

“Don’t do this,” Li Lianhua begged, his voice breaking.

“It’s not real,” a-Fei said, gripping his shoulder, “whatever you’re seeing, you already survived it. It can’t hurt you. Follow my voice and open your eyes.”

Duobing’s fingertips finally bumped something long and thin. “Found it,” he said, jumping to his feet. Fuck, where was the incense burner? He’d stowed it when he’d driven the Lotus Tower here, which meant it was–“The kitchen. Hang on, Xiaohua’er,” he said, sprinting to the front of the Lotus Tower.

Fuck fuck fuck. He yanked cabinet drawers open, feeling around the pots and pans, until–

“–I got it,” he called out, rushing back into the room, shoving the incense stick into the burner as he went. 

A-Fei had shifted to his knees, his dao abandoned on the bed, and had one hand splayed over Xiaohua’s chest, preemptively radiating qi, and the other wrapped around his wrist, fingertips to pulse, hovering close to his lips. “Light it,” he snapped, not taking his eyes from Xiaohua. “Xiangyi,” he murmured, “Lianhua. Xiaohua. I’m here. Xiaobao’s here. No one else. We won’t let anyone hurt you again. It’s a dream, alright? Just a dream. Open your eyes.” 

Fang Duobing shoved some clutter off the nightstand, slammed the burner in the newly cleared space, and fumbled in his robe for his flame stick.

Xiaohua thrashed wildly. “Stop! Please stop!”

Fang Duobing lit the incense, capped the flame stick, tossed it somewhere, and rushed to the bed. “It’s ready!” he said, holding it out to a-Fei.

“Bring it here,” a-Fei said, twisting to the side to make space while still keeping a hand on Xiaohua’s heart. 

Fang Duobing sat on the edge of the bed, against Xiaohua’s hip, hovering the incense burner over Xiaohua’s chest, and tried to waft the fumes closer with his free hand. “Like this?”

 “Let me go,” Xiaohua sobbed, “Please, Shiniang, let me go!!”

Wait, then the healer was his shiniang? Shit, of course, why hadn’t he thought of that before? That would explain everything–

–Why did a-Fei look like he’d just been stabbed? 

“A-Fei?” he whispered.

A-Fei blinked, and the raw devastation on his face turned into cold, consuming rage. “She’s not here. We won’t let her hurt you again.”

Oh. Oh no.

“It’s ok, Xiaohua’er,” Fang Duobing said. “We won’t let anything happen to her.”

A-Fei shot him a look of such abject hatred Fang Duobing was vaguely surprised he didn’t gut him with his dao on the spot.

“Trust me,” Fang Duobing mouthed at him. “We won’t let her sacrifice herself for you. We promise.” He grabbed Xiaohua’s free hand and squeezed it. “You saved her, ok? You’re both safe. No one has to die. You’ve done enough. You can rest now, alright? Just breathe. That’s it. Nice, deep breaths.” 

He stroked Xiaohua’s hand, keeping up a steady stream of encouraging murmurs, until the faint tremors coursing through his arms had stopped, until his breath evened out, until his face had once again gone slack with restful sleep.

Fang Duobing gave Xiaohua’s hand another squeeze, placed it carefully back on top of the blanket, and forced himself to release it. “Sleep well, Xiaohua’er,” he whispered, tucking a flyaway wisp of hair behind Xiaohua’s ear.

A-Fei hadn’t made a sound since Fang Duobing had started speaking, other than the rustle of fabric when he changed position, removed his hand from Li Lianhua’s chest, and slipped back into his earlier post in the corner. 

Maybe his headache was acting up again?

A-Fei looked mostly normal: the dao was back on his lap, his legs were crossed, and he seemed to be meditating again. The only difference from earlier was that now he was holding Li Lianhua’s wrist in both hands, and his head was ever so slightly bowed over it.

He thought back on how gutted and horrified a-Fei had looked when Li Lianhua had shouted his Shiniang’s name. How furious he’d been when Duobing had promised to keep her safe.

There was no way he was as fine as he was pretending to be.

[eirenical]

Once again it's long past WiP Wednesday, but I started work on a new fic that was supposed to be short and is looking like it will be... not that. 😅 So, have a snippet of a belated birthday fic for Li Lianhua. Enjoy? ^_^

*

The package was clumsily wrapped, brightly-colored paper folded about it in ways that let the wind pass through as easily as Lianhualou's walls once had.  Before Fang Duobing with his endlessly clever mechanic's hands and Di Feisheing and his boundless strength and stubborn good will had inexorably mended what had once been so haphazardly done.  This package showed none of that care, none of that attention to detail, left sitting on the kitchen table for Li LIanhua to find as if its giver couldn't be done with the thing quickly enough.

A warm hand landed on the small of his back, the bright staccato of an excited voice breathless in his ear belied that impression almost immediately thereafter.  "Aren't you going to open it?"

Li Lianhua rolled his eyes sideways to find Fang Duobing's gaze fixed on him, a wide smile on his face as he all but bounced in place beside him.  Li Lianhua turned his eyes back to the gift, sighing softly as he said, "What on Earth is it for?"

The warm hand left his back as Fang Duobing reached out to grab the package and dump it in his hands.  Half the wrapping paper fell to the floor.  "Happy birthday!"

Shaking his head, Li Lianhua shifted the package between his hands, the weight and warmth of it comforting, though he had no idea what it was.  "Xiabao, it isn't my birthday."

Fang Duobing gave him a nudge until he sat down at the table, package in hand and motioned him to open it.  "Well, it could be, for all you know.  So stop fussing and open your gift."  As Li Lianhua finally started pulling the paper apart, Fang Duobing loomed over him, watching him like a hawk waiting for the right moment to strike.  Sure enough, the moment the last of the paper fell away, Fang Duobing reached forward and pulled the gift from Li LIanhua's hands to hold it up to its full size.

A blanket.

A warm, thick blanket, the likes of which were common in Tianji Hall and had been at Sigumen but that Li LIanhua had never been able to afford for Lianhualou.  It was easily large enough to cover three.  He rose and reached out a hand to run down the front of it.  It was even softer than it looked.

Another hand came to rest at the hollow of his waist, its owner's warmth pressing lightly along his entire back.  With Di Feisheng behind him and Fang Duobing waiting eagerly in front of him, a flutter started in his stomach, then moved to beat against the inside of his ribs in a way that left him shaking. Fang Duobing stepped closer, half wrapping the blanket around him as he pressed their foreheads together.  Smiling, he said simply, "I'm glad you like it."