#no transmigration au

[i-will-cry-you-a-river]

Part 1

No matter what Er-ge might think, it really was an honest-to-god mistake. He really did not intend to land himself back in the hospital! He was trying to keep himself out of it, in fact! It wasn't his fault that when he ate while hate-reading his most despised web novel, he accidentally sent it in the wrong pipe. It was just an accident!

Then again, maybe if he hadn't tried to stuff his mouth at the same time he had been furiously ranting about the latest Proud Immortal Demon Way update, he probably would have still been in the comfort of his home. No matter - his er-ge would never let him forget if he would admit that he was at fault. So, no; it was an unavoidable accident!

He didn’t remember much, only his meimei’s desperate attempts to do the something-something maneuver to save his life, the loudness of the sirens, and suffocation. Sure, it was painful, but the scariest part was the knowledge that he was going to die. That he would never hug his family ever again, that he would never drink a chai latte ever again, and that he’d never have the opportunity to create something, instead of destroying it. He’d lost consciousness with the heavy feeling of wasted opportunities.

But he got a second chance. If it weren’t for his meimei, he wouldn’t have made it - but there he was, recovering in the quiet hospital room, having one more chance to be the person he always wanted to be. Kind. Helpful. Somebody who creates. Somebody, who is not a shut-in coward, afraid of opening up to people and to new experiences. A better version of himself.

However, he was stuck in hospital for a while - until his er-ge, Shen Jiu, told him he was finally free to go. So, with more free time than responsibilities, he turned to that one piece of media he’d ever regretted allowing to stay how it was: Proud Immortal Demon Way.

He just couldn’t stay away from that dumpsterfire. He was too deep into it.

He should have hated it! He should have stayed away from it, if nothing else, to avoid almost dying again because of that piece of trash. Yet, he couldn’t do it. He just loved it so much. Well, not it; he loved what it could have been, if the author, Airplane Shooting Towards Sky wouldn’t have been determined to drive him absolutely insane with his priorities. So much papapa, and for what?! What about the world-building? What about character depth and development?! It was so promising at first! Airplane’s cultivation world was unique, the flora and fauna - except for the overwhelming number of sex pollen - were absolutely breathtaking to read about! The characters were interesting; all of them had some mystery in their backgrounds. And the protagonist? At first, he was the best protagonist Shen Yuan ever read about! He continued to be, even after the trauma, the blackening, the hundreds of wives, but… Shen Yuan had to admit: his favorite protagonist, instead of going through a character development, went through the reverse. And it was too painful for Shen Yuan to allow it.

So, he decided to do something about it. Opening up his alternative fanfic account - he didn’t want anybody to know what he, as Peerless Cucumber, was reading when he wasn’t criticizing PIDW -, he allowed himself to enjoy the freedom. With his fanfiction account, he never interacted with the fandom outside of the occasional comments on other people’s works, so the quasi-anonymity gave him the push he needed: he finally started to write Saving the Scum Villain, fixing all the glaring flaws, inconsistencies, and outright discrepancies.

He thought about all the wasted potential in PIDW (the world-building that got overshadowed by endless explicit scenes, the underdeveloped characters who could have had so much more depth, the storylines that were abandoned in favor of cheap, overused tropes), and found the way how to correct them: save the Scum Villain, save the White Lotus, save the story! He could write the version he wished the author would have written.

However, it was easier to be said than to be done. Sitting on his bed in his hospital room, Shen Yuan felt the cursor was taunting him as it was blinking on the blank screen. He could feel the familiar restlessness of the anxiety settles in his stomach. He could almost hear the echoes of his er-ge’s disgusted voice in his head: “Fanfiction? You are writing fanfiction?”

Running his hand through his hair, he huffed, “You are just as much of a coward as you’ve always been.” It was a vicious cycle; the longer he hesitated, the heavier he felt, and the less equipped he felt to really write his dream PIDW.

But then he remembered the feeling of wasted potential, how it had haunted him after almost dying. How much he wanted to improve both his own life, and the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way. He started to ask something else from himself: “But what if I could make it better?” He took a deep breath and wrote his first few words.

<The vibrant market stalls were brimming with colorful fruits and fragrant spices, the laughter of children playing nearby mingled with the distant sound of a guqin, weaving a melody that echoed the simple joys of life. Yet, for a little boy, this lively scene felt like a world apart, a painful reminder of everything he had lost and never had. As he huddled in the shadows of the bustling marketplace, the rich colors and joyful sounds became a cruel backdrop to his existence - a constant reminder of his hunger, the gnawing emptiness that churned in his stomach. Envy twisted in his gut as he watched the children run freely, their faces lit with laughter, while he navigated the harsh reality of the life of the less fortunate. Each day was a battle against the bitterness that threatened to consume him, leaving him grappling with the hopelessness that came from simply existing on the streets, where kindness was as scarce as the food he desperately sought.>

While he knew it was only a draft, with each sentence, Shen Yuan felt more comfortable. He planned to introduce his story in a different way Master Airplane had done, but to make the necessary changes, he needed to go back to the roots of his fanfiction: canon PIDW. Just as he started to immerse himself in the first chapters of the web novel, ready to take notes on all the tiny details Airplane had ever hinted, a knock interrupted him.

“What are you doing, san-ge?” His meimei asked, peeking into the room.

Shen Yuan shrugged, “You know, just saving the world! No big deal.”

Meimei raised an eyebrow, a slight smile twitching at the corner of her lips. “Whose world are you saving?”

“Luo Binghe’s,” Shen Yuan admitted. His sister gave an understanding noise. She has heard him rant about that web novel, countless times.

“That explains everything,” she nodded wisely, sitting down next to the sickbed. “What a hero…”

“Right? I can’t let a bunch of characters with great potential wallow in bad writing forever! It would be a crime against humanity or something.”

His sister laughed at his excitement, but she felt like something unknotted from her heart. It was lovely to see her brother finally be so lively and full of light as he was ranting about his plans on how to improve the story. Shen Yuan didn’t notice how many hours he was talking about his outlines and ideas, nor the way his sister's smile was a bit wobbly at the corner of her mouth.

When she had to leave, she made him promise that he would keep up with the story. Shen Yuan didn’t understand why she thought it was so important for her, as she never read PIDW - nor would he ever recommend it to her! -, but it was something he could definitely promise. He would write his revised PIDW until the very end!

-*-*-*-

The first chapter he posted, was technically not even a chapter, only a comprehensive guide to the main characters, the canon structure of the cultivation world, and the lore behind the key elements that would affect his version of the story. He introduced some of the peaks Airplane never spoke about in details, he clarified each peaks’ and sects’ core motivations and values, and the differences between spiritual, physical, and demonic cultivation. He explained the structure of the demonic world and its hierarchy, and who were the key players. He was pretty sure nobody really read it, especially not the PIDW fans who wanted nothing except for papapa, but it was for his own peace of mind anyway. He wanted to make a guide to canon; after all, he didn’t want to make a completely new story - he just wanted to elevate the already existing one! He wanted to expand it, and play with it; figuring out the lore behind everything to make it make sense! Giving characters complex motivations, relationships, and arcs that weren’t abandoned for more senseless papapa! Building up a protagonist, who wasn’t just a power fantasy, who survived because the Plot said so, but a flawed, yet relatable individual who worked on his own perceptions, ambitions, and insecurities!

And so, the second - well, first - chapter was born. It wasn’t perfect, as he had to get used to writing again after so many years, but it was something. Something, that told a story of a young orphan boy living in a difficult situation, and who lost the only person he’d ever loved in a tragic fate. Only when he reached the conclusion of the chapter, did he name his character: Shen Jiu. The Scum Villain.

After all, if you save the Scum Villian, give him a relatable background, and make sure gets the push he desperately needs to change, you can save the best protagonist ever: the cute little bun that was Luo Binghe. And the best part was that everything he wrote was built on the teeny-tiny crumbs Airplane left between two torture fantasy scenes.

For a moment, he imagined Airplane reading his story, learning from it, and turning PIDW into a classic novel, but then he snorted. Only in his dreams. Probably that hack of an author would lean more on the sex scenes if he’d ever learn about StSV as a fuck you. At least he would never know that it was his biggest hater, Peerless Cucumber was writing it…

The usually boring and tiring hours in the hospital turned more exciting while creating something. He forgot how much it meant to him when he was younger, stuck in the hospital, he found writing to cope with pain and boredom. It was much better than just allowing the nurses to stick him full of needles and read shitty web novels all day.

The only other thing that made his days more interesting was the guy in the other room.

He remembered hearing one of the nurses telling her colleague, “Poor guy. He accidentally electrocuted himself with his computer. It is a miracle he survived!”

At first, he wasn’t interested in the guy, but then they met in the hospital’s garden. Shen Yuan had been outside for his daily walk out in the fresh air when the guy was trying to figure out how to use the wheelchair alone. He looked way too pale to be healthy and was clearly exhausted, his hands trembling with each movement.

Feeling concerned, Shen Yuan approached him, slowly, as if he was moving closer to a wild beast. Or more like, to an overly anxious hamster.

“Hey,” Shen Yuan said with a smile. “Would you like me to help you?”

The guy blinked, his wide, brown eyes darting towards Shen Yuan - oh, he had such beautiful eyes! -, before quickly flicking away. Shaking his head slightly, he denied it. “I’m fine,” he whispered.

He looked anything but fine.

But Shen Yuan knew it better than to push. The guy was obviously scared, maybe even panicked, so he didn’t need a stranger crowding him. However, he didn’t want to leave the poor guy alone, because who knew what could happen to him, so he stayed.

Walking a bit farther away, he sat down on the bench; even though he needed to rest for a bit. Almost dying was not a fun experience, nor a quick way to be healthy again.

“Okay, but if you need anything, I’m here,” he stated. The guy didn’t respond. He didn’t even look up. But Shen Yuan could clearly see his distressed posture. He waited a moment, then added. “You know, I don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty good at being a distraction! You know… if you ever need someone to divert your attention from something. If you wish to.”

The guy tensed, but then, hesitantly, glanced back at Shen Yuan.

“A… distraction?”

Shen Yuan nodded. Grinning, he said, “I’m good at talking about random stuff. About books, K- and C-dramas, Western series, making fun of conservatives, fun facts about animals and mythical beasts… Hell, I can even tell you about most of the famous K-pop band’s lores, if you want me to! Or you can listen to me ranting about fantasy and Xianxia world-building and the numerous ways an author can screw up the economy and livability of their world! Basically, I can talk about anything.”

For a moment, the guy just stared at him, his expression showing the same incredulity everybody always looked at him. Shen Yuan wondered if the guy would be the same, and rather choose anxiety than the infodump Shen Yuan could provide for him, but then…! A miracle happened! The man’s lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile!

“I’ll keep that in mind.” It wasn’t an ask for help. But it wasn’t a rejection either.

They stayed relatively silent for a while, but when the nurses came for them both, they parted with a smile and the unspoken promise that they would meet again.

Even just thinking back to that first meeting filled him with warmth. He wished they could talk more the next time, or at least just interact again. Until then, however, he had his fanfic to occupy his mind, time and energy.

While the first few chapters didn't gather much attention at first, slowly, but surely, he started getting comments and compliments, people wishing him to continue with his work.

Amongst the few comments, one was standing out. It wasn't the usual “pls more!” or “when will you update???” or “this sucks. You should write more about qjl pushing sj down and- [redacted]”. Instead it was thoughtful, even enthusiastic.

Fallingfromsky1: I really like the way you’ve fleshed out the cultivation world! The attention to detail with the sect politics and partly ancient, partly modern, partly created customs is exactly what PIDW was missing! It makes the story so much richer. Can’t wait to see where this goes!

Shen Yuan blinked, a little surprised. Other than the above mentioned ones, most of the comments he’d seen on fanfiction in the PIDW fandom were either thirsting over characters or begging for more smut. This... this was different. It wasn’t just a compliment; it was someone who cared about the same things he did.

Without thinking too much about it, Shen Yuan replied:

NobodysShizun: Thanks! That’s exactly what I was going for. I thought PIDW’s world had a lot of potential, but it was wasted on... well, you know. I hope you will continue to like it even when I shift the focus to Luo Binghe. I want him to feel like a real person, not just a sex-crazed stallion for readers to project onto.

Almost immediately, Fallingfromsky1 responded:

Fallingfromsky1: Oh, definitely! I can't wait to read it! That’s one of my biggest complaints too. The characters in PIDW could be so much more, but it’s like the author keeps sacrificing depth for... other things. I think what you’re doing here is amazing. Even the Scum Villain feels much more relatable.

Shen Yuan felt a weird sense of validation from those words. It was like Fallingfromsky1 understood exactly what had driven him to write this fanfiction in the first place. For the first time, Shen Yuan felt like he wasn’t just ranting into the void.

His interactions with Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky were a completely different beast. They were nothing like his conversations with Fallingfromsky1, which had become comfortable and almost... reassuring. No, when it came to Airplane, things were prickly from the start, like a battleground full of grenades.

The web novel that had driven him to the edge of frustration - and, let’s be honest, the brink of insanity and death - was something he continued to read even after he’d started writing his own fanfiction. For one, he needed to know how canon progressed to be able to improve its quality. For another… he would have read it anyway. There was just something infuriatingly addictive about the terrible plot and ridiculous characters, not to mention the endless papapa scenes. He was hooked and not even his much better story could fulfill his need of bad literature.

After each new chapter, Shen Yuan found himself unable to stop from leaving biting, sarcastic comments on the story under his usual handle, Peerless Cucumber. He wanted to keep his accs as far as he could for as long as it was possible.

Peerless Cucumber: Great. Another fight resolved with the power of an inexplicably sudden increase in the protagonist’s cultivation without anything at all. There weren't any helpful flowers around him! He didn't even dual cultivate! Then pray, tell me, how the fuck did his cultivation get better so suddenly?!

Shen Yuan hit send, feeling deeply irritated with the author. Sure, he had long since proven that consistency and thinking wasn't his strong suit, and Shen Yuan's come to accept that nothing about PIDW was ever going to make logical sense, but at least venting in the comments helped ease his annoyance.

To his surprise, not long after, a reply popped up.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky: Hey, it’s called plot progression, Cucumber-bro. Maybe read a book on narrative structure instead of whining in the comments?

Shen Yuan blinked. It was quite sudden; Airplane never responded to his comments before. This was new. And... well, a little thrilling. Exciting. It felt strangely like a secret.

Peerless Cucumber: Oh, trust me, I’ve read plenty of books on narrative structure. Maybe you should try that sometime instead of churning out nonsense every other chapter.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky: At least I’m consistent in said nonsense. What's your excuse for staying with me after more than 400 chapters?

Shen Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his phone. He never would have expected that Airplane was so snarky and that he would ever talk with him like this. He was quite excited to explore whether it was going to be the beginning of something new - leaving snarky comments on PIDW, only to have Airplane respond with just as much sass. He hoped it would continue.

He hoped Airplane would enjoy it as much as he would.

Next

[chocochococoffee]

cumplane no transmigration au where airplane is the one that falls hard for shen yuan bitchy self. with hard i mean incredibly HARD like thinking of sy greasy self and getting goosebumps because even his spotty beard is amazing for him

meanwhile shen yuan doesnt give much fucks about airplane, whom he gets to know via a meet the author reunion, whom he screams for a whole 30 minutes to then be fairly chill with him. but he doesnt think of sexuality outside luo binghe's, and he definitely doesnt catch the innuendos airplane throws at him

it takes ages for him to notice, just when airplane is going to painfully drop the towel.

[revesdelimonade]

girl like me

written for the SVSSS gotcha 4 gaza event. thank you for donating @lunarbirdbrain 🫶

💄rated e, 2.3k words 💄fem!cumplane with comphet!shen yuan 💄in which the lines are blurry between Shang Qinghua and Shen Yuan, but Shen Yuan insists she's straight. Shang Qinghua, well... she'll take whatever she can get.

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55513270

[archerdepartures116]

Ill post this au( inspired by tweet above) i started on my twt on Tumblr too

First part

more comic panels below

Second part

Third part

Fourth part

Shenanigans side extra

this is currently an ongoing series, if this does well here, I will continue posting these in bulk (～￣▽￣)～

for more frequent uploads, you can follow my twitter at ArcherD116, feel free to ask me ab this au and give your suggestions!

[feeshu09]

I'm on a "give SJ a happy ending" agenda where kid SJ reverse transmigrated into the modern world and subsequently gets adopted by kid SY. In this au, SY happens to be an only child who desperately wanted a sibling. He found a feral skrunkly SJ and imprinted on him (right after SJ tried to pickpocket him).

Would probably add more to this au in the future

(more of my "happy beginnings au" : next)

[pr0cyon-lotor]

Au where Shen Yuan is a dragon with a giant cavern full of books and plays. It's enchanted and stuff so the cavern moves and shifts so it brings you to a section of the library with what you need/want. He occasionally lets people enter to read his books, but you aren't allowed to take them out no matter what. You are sometimes allowed to copy the information on your own scroll or book, but you need permission first.

He gets visited by Wu Yanzi and a young Shen Jiu. Wu Yanzi is looking for demonic cultivation manuals because Shen Yuan has almost one of each manual, encyclopedia, etc ever written.

He pays no mind since he doesn't really care if malicious people come in or not. He does passively keep an ear out just in case.

Wu Yanzi finds a cultivation manual that has everything he needed and could be sold for a lot of money since it was extremely rare and in pristine condition. He tries to sneak it into his bag, and the dragon just eats him. No warning. No heads up. No trumpets or fanfare. No foreboding messages to return the book. Just chomp.

Shen Jiu is taken aback because did his teacher just get eaten? JUST LIKE THAT?!

The dragon nudges the stolen book back into the shelf and looks at Shen Jiu. Shen Jiu is convinced he's going to die there. Except he doesn't get eaten or harmed. He gets gingerly picked up by the back of his robes and taken to the spiritual cultivation section of the library.

Shen Jiu gets plopped onto the floor and the dragon nudges a few beginner and cleansing cultivation manual to fall from the shelf for him and then promptly crawls back to its den.

Shen Jiu, who is instilled with the undescribable urge to scream "what the FUCK?!", instead sits down and starts reading and practicing because honest to god are you going to disobey a dragon that absolutely towers over you?

So when he's satisfied with his cultivation progress, he finally gets ready to leave. The dragon comes back only to put the books away from the shelves that were too far up for Shen Jiu to reach.

Shen Jiu thanks the dragon, which only gets him a huff in response, and because he hates to be in someone's debt (even if that someone is a dragon hundred of years his senior) he says he'll return with books to fill more shelves. He leaves soon after.

He manages to get the Qing Jing Peak Lord's attention during the Immortal Alliance Conference, which was his intention. He gets in a little late but his cultivation is practically caught up. He easily ranks up to head disciple.

During his time in Cang Qiong Shen Jiu jots down everything he learns. He writes down music he composes, discoveries he makes, talisman and array designs he creates, even poems he has written. His Shizun insists that he adds them to the Qing Jing library, and he does but he leaves polished copies of his work and excludes the very important parts.

Eventually when he's peak lord, he goes on an expedition by himself with the scrolls and books he's filled through the years. He finds the dragon's cavern and finally meets it after so long. He presents his life's work to the dragon, practically bearing his heart to it.

The dragon looks at him curiously and transforms into a human form. Shen Jiu watches as the dragon takes the bag from his hands and pulls out the first book, which had all the songs he made for the jiejies in the Warm Red Pavilion to preform.

The dragon say down and invited Shen Jiu to join him. He does and the dragon continues to go through everything while asking him questions about something he wrote or created. Sometimes they get off task and start talking about something else and both appreciate being able to talk to someone that understands classics or is good at debating.

By the time Shen Yuan finally finishes with everything Shen Jiu gave him, they have surprisingly clicked very well. Shen Yuan tells him he's going to make a section in his library for all his works, so he can bring more if he wished because Shen Yuan thought he was a genius that was just starting to shine.

Shen Jiu agrees to continue giving Shen Yuan his work if only to have an excuse to return. And that's how it became tradition that every once in a while the Qing Jing Peak Lord will go off the mountain with a stack of books for days on end and return to none of them.

Sometimes he would even have a strange man come to his peak. If the man visited, that meant Shen Qingqiu was going to be in a good mood, so obviously the kids always told him to stay or come back soon.

And also just as obviously, this is incredibly suspicious to the other peak lords. Cue Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi pestering Shen Qingqiu and demanding to know what is the meaning of this. Also cue Shen Yuan misunderstanding and getting jealous and then realizing he has feelings for Shen Jiu (after a solid month(s) of denial).

So the next course of action is to keep Shen Jiu from Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi because they're threats to Shen Yuan's time alone with Shen Jiu. Also he doesn't trust how Shen Jiu covers his face with his fan when they talk to him. Shen Jiu also covers his face when they both talk, so obviously that must mean something and he doesn't like it.

Isn't dragon jealousy great?

Eventually the peak lords find out about Shen Yuan and it was definitely a whole ordeal. Shen Yuan maybe threatened to burn Cang Qiong to the ground at some point, but the threat didn't go through so did it really happen?

Shen Jiu definitely knows about Shen Yuan's feelings for him and is absolutely fucking smug about it. Like who wouldn't want a highly intelligent dragon with a library that is any scholar's wet dream that INSTANTLY becomes a begging puppy when he wants your attention.

As far as Shen Jiu is concerned, he's winning at life.

[shizunitis]

no cause it’s better that it was shen yuan who was born in the modern world instead of binghe. imagine his unhinged ass in the forums. his fandom legacy.

the “What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals” type copypasta he’d bestow upon the most innocent of mischaracterisations (of shen qingqiu, of course) in the comments.

there would be t-shirts sold of his handle. how he secured ‘heavenly pillar’ we cannot prove but highly suspect wasn’t without bloodshed.

he would not think himself above dabbling in fanfiction, both enjoying it and writing it. he would absolutely re-write the entire novel if airplane dared do what he did to pidw to shen yuan’s story, and he’d win. he would overtake airplane in the rankings, and his stories aren’t even monetised.

he doesn’t need the money. hell, he’s probably offered to pay airplane to just fix the story but was dismissed as a troll!

he’s doing this for shizun, his own entertainment and to punish the gaggle of idiots that try to ragebait him.

oh, you said shizun is one-dimensional and stupid just for the fuck of it? very funny! here’s your 24-hour live location and the last transactions registered on your bank account. godspeed🙏🏻

he keeps getting banned and yet his handle remains the same whenever he pops back up.

airplane is too afraid to drop the story and wash his hands of the whole thing. last night he got an email from an unknown address and he needs to work up to opening it

[masteri-0]

Suddenly wondering if anyone out there has written a fic or had ideas about an au where SY (either no system or just more lax) just decides to reveal his transmigration status from the get-go?

Like, sure, reading about transmigration was cool and all, but suddenly finding himself in this exact scenario? Where he'd have to deceive an entire mountain of people and assume the role of this presumably dead man? Not so fun after all. No thank you.

He doesn't even have to say anything far-fetched. Just smt along the lines of: yo uh, I'm not SQQ? I think I died and suddenly appeared here? SOS pls help, I'm not evil don't kill me. Just like, weird soul displacement things.

I mean, they're in a cultivation world filled with ridiculous wife plots and bizarre qi deviations that could regress a person to their child self, it's not that unbelievable. Possession is a real thing here! This one is just, not malicious. I wonder how the plot would turn out and what would be the reactions of the peak lords? How'd they go about trying to fix it? What do they do in the meantime? So curious.

[kangturu07]

So I read liushen reverse transmigration AU and now it's rent free in my head

Finally some liushen art after all this time

[lomlompurim]

♡Little white lotus painting roses for his queen♡

I fell in love with Alice!Binghe help ;v;

[rarepears]

A twist on the Shen Yuan transmigrates into PIDW as an animal

Shen Yuan transmigrates into PIDW as a spiritual crane or dragon and ends up becoming Shen Qingqiu's mount. Instead of Shen Jiu taking a carriage everywhere (or even flying on his sword), he's riding Shen Yuan everywhere.

And if you dare insult Shen Jiu when Shen Yuan is around (which is always), Shen Yuan puffs up like an angry mama and you better start running away like hell.

You know those pics of chickens adopting all sorts of baby animals? But make the baby be Shen Jiu. And Shen Yuan sees Shen Jiu as such as baby to be protected that Shen Jiu should be carried around instead of walking around on his own two feet much less flying around.

Shen Yuan: This is the scum villain?! Shen Yuan: But this is also my baby. Must Protect Baby.

[i-will-cry-you-a-river]

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Fall: I’ve been wondering, how did you get into writing? You seem like you’ve got such a strong grasp on it. It’s kind of intimidating, honestly. You are way too good with your words, especially compared to us, mere mortals.

Shen Yuan smirked as he typed out his reply, leaning back against his hospital bed.

Shizun: You flatterer! But honestly, I’ve spent way too much time hate-reading terrible webnovels and thought, ‘Well, I can’t do worse than this’. Writing fanfiction was kind of a last-ditch effort to keep my sanity after reading PIDW for so long. And…

He started to hit backspace but hit enter instead. Shit.

It took a minute for Fall to answer. Against his hopes, not without asking about that ‘and’.

Fall: “And…”?

Fall: But LOL. I should have known that nothing can beat spite. Not sure if you know - probably you do, since you love PIDW’s world so much -, but there's a commenter, Peerless_Cucumber, who is like that. The angrier he gets, the more eloquent he writes. Barring all the swearing, LOL.

Fall: Shit! Wait. No. Now that I think about it, please, don't check him out! If you two would collaborate, you could take over the world.

Shen Yuan couldn't decide whether to cry or laugh. It seemed, it was a good decision not using his Peerless_Cucumber acc, but it was quite strange to read about himself. Maybe he should tell Fall it was him.

Hahaha. No. Fuck, no.

Shizun: Hahaha, I know about him! Would it be strange if I'd say that I kinda use his long-ass comments/essays as bases for improvement? He is always so detailed with all the problems and issues, it is much better to use those instead of the fan Wiki.

Shizun: So… about the “and”.

Shizun: I used to be quite sickly when I was young. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, and I found out that reading and writing was a wonderful way to forget about the real world. Funnily enough, I'm actually at the hospital rn, turning towards writing once more.

It took a little longer for Fall to answer. Biting into his mouth, Shen Yuan hoped that it wasn't too personal too soon. Shen Yuan glanced at the IV drip beside him, the sterile smell of the hospital room filling his senses. It wasn't that bad.

It wasn't good either.

He wanted to go home. Home had his own bed. Home had his PIDW merch and his favorite pillow his er-ge forbid to bring him to the hospital.

Fall: Oh, shit. That sucks.

Fall: I get that. Reading (and maybe writing, but you may never know) is a safe space for me too. It helps to forget about all the problems in the world, to imagine you are somewhere else, in a better place. Also, I hope you are doing okay! I'm also in a similar situation, so high five bro! (Kinda managed to do something very, very stupid. Did you know that ramen is liquid and liquid does not go well with electricity?)

Fall: On a lighter note, I really think that you are good at writing. You should try to do original work if you want to - you are, like, natural at balancing world-building and character development. I'm kinda jealous, but I've learned a lot just from reading your fic.

Shen Yuan blinked at the screen. It was one thing for random commenters to leave praise, but for some reason, hearing it from Fall felt... different. He found himself smiling stupidly, warmth blooming in his chest. Fall was just so…

He was lovely.

A great “bro”, it seemed. Way to be bro zoned.

Shizun: First of all, don't you dare to

sell yourself short! Not on my watch! You’ve got some pretty good ideas yourself. I can tell from your comments you’ve got a solid grasp on storytelling. Second, what the fuck, Fall?? You okay???

There was a longer pause before Fall replied. Shen Yuan knew that logically, Fall had to be safe, since he could write - they had been communicating constantly for the last two weeks -, but that didn't make it less scary. To know that Fall could have…

To think that Shen Yuan could have died… if either of them died…

They could have never met. It was a strangely disturbing and upsetting thought.

Fall: I'm good, I'm good! Dw!

Fall: Okay, but consider this: I don't think anybody would be interested in what I'd write. What I would like to write about.

Shen Yuan only had one answer to that:

Shizun: I'd read that.

Fall didn't reply for a long time after that, but that was okay. Shen Yuan assumed he needed some time to think about it, and that was okay. He just hoped his friend would realize how much Shen Yuan thought the world of him. He believed in Fall, even if Fall didn't believe in himself.

Shen Yuan, after all, had experience in believing in authors with great potential, who lacked the spine to be themselves and write what they wanted, instead of what the majority of the people demanded.

-*-*-*-

Fall: I've been thinking a lot about SJ and the way you portrayed him handling the Immortal Alliance Conference. It was fascinating to see the parallels. Him killing WY, who murdered those kids to save YQY versus him throwing LBH into the Abyss, believing that he, as a demonic cultivator, also killed all those kids. It was such a great moment! Shocking, because I think we all thought he would not do it since your SQQ wasn't as brutal as Airplane's, but you executed it so well! Oh, I wish Airplanes would have done the same. So heartbreaking! While PIDW created a monster out of SQQ, you created a human.

Fall: I'm also wondering if you plan to make him struggle with that choice later. Like, will he regret it in hindsight?

Shen Yuan considered this, tapping his fingers against his laptop. Fall always asked questions that made him rethink his plans. Actually, he didn't really think that he did such a great job at drawing parallels between the two Conferences, so he planned to switch POVs and continue it from Luo Binghe's, but…

It was actually a great question. The readers already knew about Luo Binghe's experiences in the Abyss more-or-less. Shen Yuan planned to show how staying at a more stable peak affected his physique, but it could be fascinating to explore what happens to Shen Qingqiu meanwhile.

Maybe he could do both…

Maybe-

Shizun: You raised a good question. I think I'll have him grapple with the consequences, it could be interesting to see how things turn out in the mortal world.

Fall: I think you should do it. It would fit your world-building theme… You could make the story feel more real. Like, the world, the characters and their choices have weight, y’know?

Shen Yuan knew exactly what Fall meant.

Shizun: Yeah, you are absolutely right. It was definitely something PIDW was missing - characters suffering real consequences. Even if they did something, be it either bad or good, it didn't really matter, because they either died in the end, or…

Fall: or had sex?

Shen Yuan snorted, typing back quickly.

Shizun: I wanted to say kinky, yet utterly boring papapa, but yes.

Fall: Oh, don't mention it! If I never read the words ‘thrust’ and ‘dangling’ again, it’d be too soon!

Shizun: I hate you.

Shizun: I want to bleach my eyes. I hate those words! And all the euphemisms Airplane use. ‘Flowers’, I get. Even ‘heavenly pillar’ makes sense! But comparing breasts to cow's udders?!?! Sometimes I wonder about Airplane's sex ed background…

There was a longer pause after that. Only his nervous ticks revealed his anxiety over that pause. Was he too offensive? It was not his Peerless_Cuvumber acc, so maybe he shouldn't have been so critical over the papapa scenes? But that was the best part in his friendship with Fall! He felt free to be open, to be himself!

Before he could work up himself, a reply came.

Fall: Maybe he doesn't really like writing sex? Or specifically, hetero sex? Maybe he is…

Shen Yuan stared at the words.

Airplane, his favorite and most hated author might be similar to him?

Maybe.

But…

Shizun: Don't care. I'm gay, and I could write better hetero sex scenes if I wanted to! Sexual orientation is not a good reason to be so bad at something!

Only after he sent the message did he realize that he fucked up. Sure, he might have flirted sometimes as they were talking with each other, but only within the boundaries of a no-homo friendship. But now that he came out in the heat of the moment…

He didn't want to lose a friend.

Fall: Okay, but you are different. You dare to write what you love.

Shen Yuan only realized that he had been withholding his breath, when he could feel himself breathe normally. It was not an explicit acceptance-

But it wasn't a rejection either.

He would take it.

Deciding, he would not bring attention to his accidental came-out, he wrote:

Shizun: If you ever decide to write something, you can also write whatever you wish to. It will be great, I'm sure of it!

There was a break in the conversation, again. He hoped he didn't push hard, since he knew Fall had been pretty hesitant to talk about his own writing in the past, but he hoped his encouragement helped.

Fall: Maybe one day. If I get brave enough to write something worth reading, you’ll be the first to know!

Shen Yuan smiled at his phone, feeling the familiar warmth settle in his chest. He wasn't sure why, but the idea of Fall sharing his work with him first, felt like something worth waiting for. The guy had a way with words, it was obvious from his comments. He was insightful and had an eye for details. Shen Yuan knew that if he ever wrote something he really liked, it would be an instant hit.

-*-*-*-

As the time passed, the day of Shen Yuan’s discharge loomed closer and closer. Which, don't misunderstand him, he desperately waited for!

However…

He had to admit. He didn't really want to leave the Hospital Guy. Sure, he still didn't know much about the guy - not even his name, for fuck's sake! -, but he had grown attached.

Hospital Guy was funny and smart and weird and hilarious. Shen Yuan enjoyed spending time with him, their quiet moments in the garden. He liked talking with/to him about everything and nothing. Hospital Guy was attentive when he ranted about the series he binge-watched between two chapters of PIDW, and they also had the same taste in music! He liked seeing the guy relax, and he loved it even more that he, Shen Yuan, was the reason for his more relaxed state!

He just liked Hospital Guy, okay?! He was just adorable, both inside and out!

So, on the day of his discharge, Shen Yuan mustered the courage to do the one thing he had yet to do: visit the guy's room.

Hospital Guy was clicking wildly on his phone, but the moment he noticed Shen Yuan, he stopped, and focused all his attention on him.

“Hi,” Shen Yuan said, surprisingly shy.

“Hello, Stranger,” Hospital Guy grinned.

“I'm leaving today,” he blurted out. The grin was instantly gone from Hospital Guy's face, turning into an unreadable mask.

It was concerning.

“Oh,” was all he said.

Shen Yuan waited, hoping for something more. A request to stay in touch, disappointment for not continuing their daily walks, or at least a goodbye that felt more meaningful. He waited for something, anything-

But the guy just nodded, his gaze drifting away from Shen Yuan, as if with that, he had already forgotten about the friend he made in the hospital.

Maybe they weren't really friends. Maybe everything was only in Shen Yuan's head.

Maybe he had bothered Hospital Guy all along.

Disappointment surged through Shen Yuan. He’d thought, maybe, there was something there; a connection, a friendship, maybe even more! But the guy didn’t seem to care.

It was as if Shen Yuan didn't even exist anymore.

“Alright,” Shen Yuan said, his voice tight. He would not cry. He would not scream. He would not fight. He would not bother Hospital Guy ever again. “Take care of yourself.”

And with that, he left.

[allpiesforourown]

Protagonist Shen Yuan would win the people over by how kind he was and how he continued to keep trying to do good no matter what happened in the story. His heart would always be in the right place no matter what happened to him. He would never give up and that’s what Binghe would definitely admire about him- *gets tackled but the guards before I could continue*

So true...

14 yo Binghe: it's time for lessons but shixiong and shizun left me too injured to move..

Binghe: *remembers chapter where shen yuan had to go through physical therapy after being sick and bedbound for so long*

Binghe staggering to his feet: I CAN DO IT

But also does this mean binghe would choose to be a better person and follow shen yuan's ideals of forgiveness? Or would he go "you took away my book about shen yuan" and be even more furious while burning cang qiong to the ground

[lurkinginnernarrator]

Okay, I had a really cute idea, now okay, we know Shen Yuan was rich and all that pre-transmigration. And that he had two elder brothers and a younger sister. And that the older brothers managed the family business (can't remember if that's canon or fanon but it's true in this situation)

BUT. WHAT IF. the family business was an idol agency. Shen-dage is the CEO, Shen-erge is like the manager, he wrangles the backstage crews and label, and Shen-mei is of course, the star idol because of course.

Now I can't decide if Shen Yuan would be an idol alongside Shen-mei, or like a creative director.

We know Shen Yuan is a god-level poser, so he'd do GREAT at either (not to mention he's not stupid, or incapable, it's just in canon his denial skills are maxed out)

The media would love them.

There are dozens of compilations of 'Shen-mei and Shen Yuan being chaotic siblings for 17 minutes straight' and "top ten times Shen Yuan entered protective brother mode"

"Shen-mei cries ON STAGE and Shen Yuan comforts her!!!"

Let's not talk about the edits. Or the fanfiction. Or some of the signs that people bring to concerts. Or the fancalls.

Now imagine, they finish a global tour and all the Shens are bullied into taking time off by their staff. Shen Yuan, with nothing to do, decides to do something completely frivolous because 'who says I can't relax?? Take that!' and so he starts reading a novel.

The novel.

Twenty days later and Shen Yuan has sent more hate than all of his anti-fans combined. He has used words even his most inspired fanfiction writers would blush at.

And he dies and all that, yadda yaddah ya.

ANYWAY, imagine the fluff and the shenanigans. Both post and pre-transmigration

Airplane-bro starts humming a song and Shen Yuan's muscle memory possesses him.

Shang Qinghua: Cucumber-bro you must've been a diehard Shen-mei stan!!! That choreo was perfect

Or, OR that's how they both realize they're transmigrators.

(Airplane: 'i dont remember writing Shen-mei into pidw??? And why does Shen Qingqiu know the choreo??? Wu Yanzi what were you teaching him???)

Pre-transmigration Shen Yuan helping his little sister with recording harmonies and backup vocals.

And the outfits?. Need I say more?

[archerdepartures116]

This is such a stupid idea 😭

Previous posts for context:

<parts 1-4

Luo Binghe's good ol days on Baizhan

Btw do you guys want more frequent updates or wait longer for more mass posts cause I'm trying to abandon my twitter and I don't think I can reach ppl who are interested in this dumb au on bluesky

[feeshu09]

When you've been a stranger to kindness your whole life...

I just want all of them to be happy 🫠

(more of my happy beginnings au: first | prev | next)