Ming Fan getting sent back in time upon his death and becoming terrified of Luo Binghe.
He stays just as loyal to his Shizun, but he refuses to interact with or be in the same room as Binghe for at least a month after returning.
Luo Binghe is confused but greatful
However, when Meng Mo shows up, Luo Binghe gets a little curious
What could have happened to make shixiong get that... Frightened look when he sees him?
So he goes into his memories and he sees.
And what he sees terrifies him.
He sees himself, older, a demon, attack the sect. Burn it down, slaughter everyone in his path, and then killing Ming Fan slowly with ants.
He wants to throw up. Was that him? But Meng Mo confirms its a memory. There was no denying that that man was him.
How can he make it up to his shixiong, who died so cruely by his hands? Ming Fan was horrible to him, but his mother would have been ashamed to see him do such shameful things.
So he starts to go to Ming Fan for help, be on his best behaviour around him so Ming Fan can impress their shizun, send him kind dreams of the two of them when he realizes Ming Fan is plauged by nightmares.
Maybe Ming Fan finds out about the dreams and gets scared, but confronts his shidi in the dream realm.
"This.. This shidi apologizes but... He has seen Ming-shixiongs memories of... His death. This Binghe wanted to try and make things a little better. Da-shixiong is cruel, but.. That was crueler, much crueler. This shidi is not the one who did those actions, but... It was still a version of him, wasnt it?"
"... Luo Binghe I... You've been... Doing well. Thank you for.. Chasing away this shixiongs nightmares. He wouldn't mind if shidi continued to do so." Ming Fan clears his throat a bit
This leads to them going on adventures in the dream realm when Binghe isn't training, growing closer, and eventually that leaks into the real world. They interact, Ming Fan acts more like a proper head disciple, and Luo Binghe realizes he's fallen for his shixiong's true face, the one he used to hide behind sneers and laughter.
But how can he possibly win his heart when he did such things to Ming Fan in the future?
Foolishly he goes to Ning Yingying for advice, and immediately after she goes running to Ming Fan to tell him the news "A-Luo has a crush on you so you definetly can't go back to being mean to him now!"
"Luo-shidi has what-" He squacks, wholey undignified.
But... He did get along with his shidi now. They had fun in the dreams. Courting would save his ass if something happened and... Well Binghe wasn't exactly bad looking.
So Ming Fan talks to Binghe in their next dream about what Ning Yingying said.
"If you really do... Then.. Perhaps in the future this shixiong would consider.. If at that point shidi would still be interested in him."
"This Binghe will always be interested." Luo Binghe can't believe it, hes so happy!
Then the abyss.
And Binghe comes back early.
And Ming Fan sees him in those black and red robes, and he starts hyperventilating. His palms are sweating, he's shaking- absolutely terrified stiff.
"Ming Fan?" Luo Binghe approaches, and Ming Fan flinches back in fear "Don't-"
"No- Ming Fan- Shixiong this shidi would never-" But Ming Fan can't hear him. All he can hear is that Binghe. He thought he'd been over this. He thought he was okay. But seeing him standing here, like this, brings him right back and all he can do is flee.