Liu Qingge is getting nowhere with his courting attempts. Shen Qingqiu just isn’t getting it. He does not have plany of rope.
He has one option: Shang Qinghua
He steals himself before nocking on his least favorite martial brother’s door.
“Oh! Liu-shidi! What uhhhh…. What’s up?”
“I want to court Shen Qingqiu.”
As the little peak lord makes tea, Liu Qingge notices a definite shift in demeanor. Sitting down, he spreads over his chair in a most undignified fashion. “So you want my blessing to court my best friend.”
Shang Qinghua looks miffed. “So why are you here?”
Liu Qingge grits his teeth. “He has not responded to any of my courting gifts,” deep breath, “You are closest to him. How do I make him fall for me?”
Shang Qinghua has been nodding along, stroking his chin as if he had a beard. “I see. I’m obligated to tell you as an emotionally mature adult that you can’t make someone love you. However. As Cucumber’s best friend and your shixiong, I know exactly what you need to do.”
Liu Qingge leans forward. “Yes?”
The little lord shrugs, nonchalant smile on his face. “Act pathetic! Act like you need his help soooo much and you can’t live without him! Trust me, he loves to mommy people.”
Liu Qingge raises an incredulous eyebrow. “What.”
“The most important step is to cry in front of him. He’d fuck a snake if it cried.”
Liu Qingge bristles with the insult to his intended. He knows Shen Qingqiu has a rather crass bond with Shang Qinghua so he lets it side. For now.
“And you’re sure this will work?”
“100% satisfaction garunteed. He needs to stop moping over his disciple, and to do that, he needs a new pathetic little guy to fuss over. You have my blessing shidi.”
Shang Qinghua’s horrible advice was working.
On his most recent monster delivery, Liu Qingge purposely let the beast catch him on the back of his hand. Drawing attention to it, Shen Qingqiu immediately brought him into the bamboo house, dressed the wound, and cooed over him the entire time. It was heavenly.
Next time he came by to clear Shen Qingqiu’s meridians, he trips over a chair, falling flat on his face. Not only did Shen Qingqiu tell him he was being so brave, he also kissed his forehead. Shen Qingqiu kissed him!
The plan was progressing, but he still hadn’t employed the supposedly most important strategy: crying.
Liu Qingge was a stoic man by nature. He hadn’t cried in…. Wow, decades. Huh.
He prepared well. An armload of onions to chop. Pepper flakes if that wasn’t enough.
He shows up to Shen Qingqiu’s door, face ruddy, eyes wet. He answers on the second nock. “Liu- oh! Liu-shidi, come inside come inside!”
He takes Liu Qingge by the shoulders and leads him to the couch. Sitting down next to him, Liu Qingge sniffs.
“Shidi, what happened? Is everything alright? Did you run into a pollen? Allergies? What can I do to help?”
Thickening his face, Liu Qingge wordlessly leans over, planting his face in the crook of Shen Yuan’s shoulder and encircling him in a hug.
“Oh!” Gasps Shen Qingqiu. He quickly embraces Liu Qingge back, petting his hair and shifting him to be more on his lap.
“There there shidi, I’ve got you. Do you want to tell me about it?”
Liu Qingge shakes his head. Being cradled like this is shockingly nice. It feels safe. Shen Qingqiu is warm, he’s humming, he smells like his favorite jasmine tea and incense. Liu Qingge starts to feel true tears prickle at his eyes, throat going tight. Maybe this cry was long overdue.
Shen Qingqiu hold him through it, rocking him back and forth, occasionally pressing kisses to his hair. He reassures him the whole time: “It’s okay, let it out.” “I’m so proud of you for coming to me.” “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
