This is a small one-shot taking place after [Longing For Home]. For those who didn't read it, here some context:
Shen Yuan was thrown back into the real world by the system because he was waking up from his comatose state. He is joined by Luo Binghe and after a while, they do come back to the PIDW universe. This takes place just after they came back.
Being back was so good, Shen Yuan had really missed it. Yet, something he hadn't exactly missed was Luo Binghe being suddenly pulled away because of his Demon Lord duties. Well, it was probably not that surprising since he had been gone for so long.
Yet it had been hard to let him go. After all, he was still in his original body, not Shen Qingqiu, he had no meridian that a cultivator could use and therefore couldn't fight like one either. Luo Binghe had been scared that he might lose his soul, not wanting for such a disaster to happen, so he had brought him back in the idea that they would find a way to transfer him back into Shen Qingqiu, so he could take back his function.
This is why he was now stuck inside the Northern Ice Place, freezing his ass off as Shang Qinghua was theoretically the one supposed to guard him inside the icy palace. Really he was pretty sure all the other demon would do a better job than him, no offence taken from the other Peak Lord on this one.
"I don't get how you can live here nearly all year long," he said as they were sitting in a study, waiting for both their husband to be finished. He had changed in some of Shang Qinghua robes, Binghe also leaving him his outer robes and had asked for warmer one to be brought to him, yet his ears and nose were still cold. Maybe if he had Shen Qingqiu long hair it would be less worst. "You get used to it I suppose?".
How was Shen Yuan supposed to "get used to it"?! The cold had always been bad to him, as he was really prompt to getting sick. He decided not to argue, he was pretty sure Mobei-Jun was at least making sure Airplane Bro wasn't freezing his ass off when he was here with him.
"Anyway, I had been curious to know what cucumber Bro looked like in the real world" admitted Shang Qinghua with a smile, "Not exactly what I expected, not really my type either". Shan Yuan rolled his eyes, scoffing slightly, "Everyone here knows what your type is" he pointed out. He couldn't be farther away from it than he was. "Don't take it like that, I didn't say you were ugly either".
"Aside from you basically doxxing yourself to me right now, how is it back there?" he asked instead, not wanting to annoy him more. He seriously had been curious to know who this dedicated critic of his was and wasn't too disappointed. At least it wouldn't be a problem for Shen Yuan, since no one else from him knew. No fervent fan to attack him directly.
"Weeks had passed in the real world" replied Shen Yuan, wrapping himself a little more tightly in all his layers. "I know, I was surprised too, years have already gone by in here after all" he added when he saw the man raise an eyebrow at his reply.
"So I suppose thing hadn't changed much, I didn't really put too much energy on that since I needed to find a new job if I was going to be stuck back there". Shang Qinghua had been a little surprised by the way he was wording it. Stuck back there? He truly had gotten attached to his husband and this world to think like this. Well... he was probably not one to talk, as he too preferred this world in a way, despite having no technology he was missing.
"Did you look back at my novel?" he then asked with a smirk, the flash in his Cucumber Bro telling him he sure did. "As if" he instead replied while looking away. "Don't be like that, I know deep down you love me and my book, you wouldn't have been this dedicated to reading a thousand something chapters of it" he joked.
Shen Yuan couldn't argue against that, he had indeed read everything. Sure, he had probably zoned out in the more smut oriented chapters, but he still had read them none the least. Though all his opinions stood: the novel sucked really hard, with all its plot holes and bad writing. Sure, there were good and nice things he could say, but they were all outweighed by the bad ones.
Then Shang Qinghua look lost in his mind, thinking about something. Shen Yuan didn't interrupt his thought, waiting to see what would be his next dumb question.
"Do you think if we had meet we could have been friend?".
... This truly was a dumb question, and the look the other human was giving him told him just that. "I don't think so, unless you were ready to hear me go on and on about how bad Proud Immortal Demon Way is" he pointed out. "That and I wasn't really... one to make friends" he added while looking to the side.
But that was back then. With the years now, he had gotten more found of Shang Qinghua. They could probably be called friends at this point, although they were often arguing about everything (and especially stupid plot points that were putting them in weird situations). But he wasn't necessarily seeing him as the bad and stupid author he first did. He had seen some of the writing he was doing now and it was showing that he was writing more about what he wanted, rather than trying to satisfy readers.
"But maybe... if you had written more genuine and more thought out stories I could have had a different opinion" he pointed out, feeling it was fair to let him know. This brought a smile to the author, not expecting such a nice confession. "I really don't get why you never wrote as you do now".
"I did" he admitted, making Shen Yuan frown. "I know, I had no other novel to my Airplane name" he pointed out, "They were under another handle.
I wrote a couple of short BL stories before starting Proud Immortal Demon Way, they were well received, but they weren't as popular as my last work" he explained, "When I started Proud Immortal I got really hyped by the popularity it had gained, but the popularity of the harem genre was what made me unable to write more different plot points, unlike a certain someone, many came only for the hot scene" he pointed out. It was nearly like watching a porno for the plot.
It was a fair point in Shen Yuan book. He could see how it would be difficult to have a lot of plot in the story when what people wanted were just the papapa scenes. After all, despite all the shit plot hole and writing, there were interesting plotlines, they were just few and far in-between, often abandoned or leading nowhere, replaced by surface levelled characters and stories.
"I guess I might have had a different opinion of you if I had read these story" he admitted. He had read some BL novel in the past, mostly recommended by his sister, and they too were good. Way better than Proud Immortal Demon Way. He was curious to ask what he had written exactly, but this thought was tossed aside when Shang Qinghua continued his questioning.
"How were the forums doing? Any new Peerless Cucumber to take over the hard work you did?" he asked, amused. Sure, it was hard to have the work you put so much time being criticised in such a way, but he had often read rather fair points coming from his long post.
"Good I guess, they were still mourni-" he started, only to cut himself off, unsure how to approach the subject. He quickly looked back at Shang Qinghua, the man wearing a strangely calm expression to the confirmation of his death, despite a little something he couldn't get in his eyes.
"No need to feel awkward about it... I was kind of expecting it" he admitted. "Are you sure... that you are okay with this news?" asked Shen Yuan, wanting to make sure he wouldn't take it too badly. "Yes, I mean, you too thought you were dead, so I guess now at least I have it confirmed to me".
It was true Shen Yuan had thought all this time that his body was dead, but still. It was really worrying how the man was taking this news as if he had been told what the weather of the day was. He wasn't sure how he would have taken the news, but he was sure that he would feel something about the news.
"Don't look like that" Shang Qinghua said as his face soften a little bit, "Contrary to you... I didn't really have anyone back there, sure fans of my book are going to be sad at the news, but they will eventually forget about it". He didn't have any close family left and was probably even more introvert than Shen Yuan was, hence why he didn't have any friend. He wasn't close to his coworker at his job, so he doubted any of them would really miss him.
Sure, living here had been really hard, especially at the start of it and when he wasn't in such a good relationship with Mobei-Jun, but at least here he had people. Sure, Shen Yuan wasn't exactly the best friend around, but he was still seeing him as some kind of friend, knowing he would probably be affected in some sort of way if he were to disappear, the same way he did when he heard of him vanishing.
Shen Yuan looked like he wanted to ask again if he would be alright, yet he was cut off when a portal suddenly opened next to them, two demons stepping out of it. Luo Binghe frowned slightly at how morose the ambience was, his husband looking at a lost for word. Even Mobei-Jun, who didn't show much emotion, had his brows slightly more frown than usual.
"Is something wrong?" asked Luo Binghe, coming to pick up his husband in all his layers of protection. "Nothing" smiled Shang Qinghua, "We were just talking about your stay... in Shen Yuan real world," he said, careful not to let them know he was just the same as Shen Yuan. It would be a serious pain to try and explain. Well, maybe one day he would need to do so since lying to Mobei-Jun wasn't on his fun-thing-to-do list.
Luo Binghe looked back at his husband to check if he agreed, the man forcing a smile on his face and agreeing with him. This seemed to be enough for him to let it go, already ready to go back to Cang Qiong Mountain.
"Cucumber Bro!" he called out to them before Luo Binghe could step in the portal he had made, also making the Demon Lord frown at the nickname the man kept using for his Shizun. "Don't forget to tell me more about your adventure back there, am sure you must have some good stories". Shen Yuan smiled at his suggestion, accepting it with a promise of telling him later.
Later that night, when Shang Qinghua went to bed with his husband, he noticed that the man was still frowning a little more than usual. Sure, he usually was wearing a cold and serious expression, but when they were alone he was now able to look more relaxed. He would even dare to say that by moments the man was also looking visibly affectionate.
He had looked bothered by something since the return of Cucumber Bro. He gently put his hand on his head, trying to smooth away the frown between his brows. "Is something wrong my King?" he asked, wanted to hear what was on his mind, "It seems like something is bothering you".
The demon seemed to think a little bit more about it, before pulling him closer, in a more secure embrace. "You won't be suddenly taken away from me, will you?". The question was not something Shang Qinghua had expected from his husband. But once he was thinking about it a little more, he saw where it was coming from.
He supposed Luo Binghe had told him vaguely what had happened to Shen Yuan and had staid on his mind. Mobei-Jun wasn't stupid and had probably noticed how similar both Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu were, in a way. They were both using weird slang that even other humans here wouldn't get, had become strangely close with time and were often talking of thing that never happened here whatsoever. Over that, if one was paying attention enough, it was often as if something to the side was getting their attention, despite there being nothing. It was always a brief moment and you needed to look for it, but it was there, often changing or amplifying their emotion, things they both try to hide.
After learning that Shen Yuan was actually from somewhere else and had been thrown back there, maybe Mobei-Jun suspected something like this might happen? Had his husband figured out, or suspected, that he might also not be the original Shang Qinghua? If so he had truly hidden his suspicion well. Maybe he was waiting for him to talk about it first? He decided to set that aside to think about another time.
The cultivator remembered when Cucumber Bro had told him the reason why he was thrown back was that he was waking up from being unconscious. With his body dead, such a thing was very not likely to happen. This brought back to him the slight feeling of relief he had felt earlier at the news.
The System would never have a reason to kick him away from his new home.
His expression softens as the demon was still scanning his face for any sign that would show his fear was right. "My King doesn't need to worry about such a thing, this husband won't be taken away from you" he reassured him, his hand sliding down to cup his cheek, daring to go and give him a kiss. "I will stay at your side for as long as you wish me to be around".
He was happy to see the frown slowly easing up, relief washing over his face, his usual more calm expression finally back. "Then you better prepare to stay by my side forever" he whispered, pulling Shang Qinghua even closer, stealing a kiss.
"This husband is happy to hear that" he whispered against his king's lips, a soft smile stretching them.