Shen Yuan wakes up incredibly disoriented. He feels like he has just woken up from a very long dream, but worse. He is dizzy, his ears are ringing, and he doesn't know where his limbs are.
Overall he feels like shit.
Still, he tries to orient himself.
His memory seems to be intact. He remembers everything about himself and his past. Although he can't quite recall what was the last thing that happened to him. This is… troubling.
He decides not to dwell on it. There are muny important things to be worried about. For example: Where the hell is he?!
Shen Yuan is certain that this is not his room. He wiggles a little trying to find where his body begins and realizes he is… being cradled in someone's arms???
"Are you alright?!" Shen Yuan hears through the ringing in his ears. Yep, that's definitely a person. A person who is holding him in their arms. Great…
“M’ f’ne-“ Shen Yuan slurls and finally opens his eyes.
As soon as he does it, Shen Yuan comes face to face with the single most beautiful man he has ever seen. The man is looking at Shen Yuan with a gentle expression of concern and worry. This man… has a very familiar mark on his forehead.
"Are you Luo Binghe?!" Shen Yuan shouts, his dizziness suddenly gone.
The man—Luo Binghe?—freezes. Shen Yuan freezes too.
What the hell is happening?! Did Shen Yuan somehow transmigrate to Proud Immortal Demon Way?! If so, he is really fucked.
Well, maybe he is mistaken. Maybe this is not Luo Binghe!
"Yes," the man says slowly after a pause, "I am Luo Binghe."
"I see."
Fuuuuck
"Do you know where you are?" Luo Binghe asks, interrupting Shen Yuan's descent into panic.
"Erm—" Shen Yuan stares at him for a second. Then he turns to look around. They seem to be in a forest, but he can't for the life of him tell which of the thousand forests described in PIDW it is. “No, I don't.“
Luo Binghe hums. He stares at Shen Yuan with a blank calculating expression. He seems to be thinking very hard about something. He… doesn't seem very murderous. But the intent gaze makes Shen Yuan want to squirm none the less.
"Are you sure?" Luo Binghe asks again. "I'm not talking about the forest. Doesn't this place seem familiar to you?"
Shen Yuan stares at Luo Binghe. There is no way he is talking about this place being a shitty web novel, right?
"You can answer honestly, I won't be angry," Luo Binghe continues when Shen Yuan doesn't speak.
"Ermmm—"
"I'm just saying, there are infinite universes out there. So it's inevitable that there would be a univerce where a book exists describing this world," Luo Binghe shrugs. He speaks casually, as if he were discussing the wheather. Although there is some quality to his speach that makes Shen Yuan think that Luo Binghe heard those exact words from someone else and is now paraphrasing. "So if you just so happen to have came from such a world, you can tell me."
Completely speechless Shen Yuan just nods.
Luo Binghe is not done, though. "Although, you need to understand that as much as there are infinite diffrent universes, there are also infinite variations of the same universe. So there are many things that are different here."
Shen Yuan spends what feels like a minute staring into an empty space, trying to comprehend what he just heard. But he can't do it unless he asks one question.
"How do you know all that?" Shen Yuan asks weakly.
Because it's one thing that transmigration is real and Shen Yuan is inside of PIDW. And it's completely different that Luo Binghe knows about the existence of a multiverse, knows that there is a world where a hack author wrote a book about him, and also knows that he is in the slightly alternative universe!
For a second Luo Binghe just stares at him with his intense gaze. Then he finally speaks.
“I. Am… Luo Binghe.“
And suddenly Shen Yuan understands.
Yes.
Yes, of course he knows. He is Luo Binghe. Of course Luo Binghe knows all of that. PIDW already has some batshit insane plots in there. He can't even imagine the crazy things happening in an alternate universe!
Shen Yuan nods.
"Alright."
"Alright?" Luo Binghe asks, surprised.
Shen Yuan nods again. "Yes."
He can roll with that. He always thought he would be smart if he ever transmigrated. He has already made a fool of himself. But he can redeem himself.
"Sooo—" Shen Yuan starts, "why am I here?"
Luo Binghe blinks. "I... was actually hoping you would tell me what you are doing here," he sounds vaguely apologetic. Shen Yuan almost marvels at that. Luo Binghe never apologizes or admits his weaknesses. But then he remembers that this is not the Luo Binghe he knows from PIDW but an alternative Luo Binghe.
Before Shen Yuan can ask, how is he supposed to know that, Luo Binghe finally stands up and lets go of him, making sure he is steady on his feet. Luo Binghe carefully leads him to... a spinning prize wheel? It looks very old and very out of place with its bright gaudy colors clashing with a giant gem at its top. Wait a minute...
"I know what this is!" Shen Yuan almost shouts in excitement. "This is the lost Wheel of the Passed Time!"
Luo Binghe looks at him, impressed. "And what does it do?"
"It was made by a powerful cultivator about 1000 years ago. The legend says that he fell in love with a woman, but then she died. The cultivator spent decades grieving until he found a person he believed to be a new reincarnation of his lover. However, she had no memories of her past life, and she didn't want to do anything with the cultivator. So he decided to bring his lover back. He built an artifact that was supposed to bring the previous incarnation of the soul back to life in the place of the new one. And he tried to use it on her. However, the cultivator didn't take into account that such a transformation would require an enormous amount of energy. And when he calculated how much energy he needed, he realized he would have to wait for a thousand years before he could use his machine. They say that the cultivator had gone mad and the Wheel was eventually lost. Well, until now..."
Luo Binghe carefully listens to Shen Yuan's tale. Then he takes a shaky breath it. "Is... Is the transformation permanent?" He asks, his voice unnaturally even.
"Hm? Oh, no. There is a relatively simple ritual to undo it."
"I see." Luo Binghe's shoulders drop in an obvious relief.
Believe it or not, the Wheel arc was one of Shen Yuan's favorites. It was surprising for him how much he enjoyed reading it, considering he was ready to trash it at the beginning. Because the beginning of the arc sucked. It started with Luo Binghe going out on the mission with one of his random forgettable wives. And of course they stumbled upon the Wheel (that looks like a modern spinning wheel in an ancient China setting, Shen Yuan needs to remind you!). And the wife got hit, and took a form of her previous incarnation. And it turned out that the previous incarnation of the wife was super wicked and evil! (Which makes no sense! She should have reincarnated into a slug for all her bad karma! Not into a peerless beauty!)
Still, despite the bad start, Shen Yuan actually really enjoyed the arc. At that point of the novel, Luo Binghe had been using either sex or violence to deal with all his problems. However, in this case murder and torture were off the table since he needed the woman's body to be whole and her mind lucid for the ritual. So he had to trick her. In the end it was a nice change of pace to see him solve the problem using his clever mind for once.
As Shen Yuan thinks about the arc, a realization creeps into his mind. Shen Yuan's next incernation must have been hit by the Wheel, and that's why he is here. And that would mean that before this moment he was dead...
Shen Yuan doesn't get to dwell on this thought because a new realization strikes him.
"AM I YOUR WIFE?!"
There is no other explanation! Someone was hit by what is essentially a wifeplot. Luo Binghe cradled that someone in his arms. He was worried about that someone. There are no other options! That someone must have been a wife!
Shen Yuan is proven correct when, for the first time since their meeting, a soft smile appears of Luo Binghe's face. "Yes. You were my wife."
"Oh my god," Shen Yuan quietly breathes out with an expression of pure horror. "I'm so sorry."
Holy shit, Shen Yuan took the place of Luo Binghe's wife.
"You don't have to apologize, it's not your fault," Luo Binghe says hurriedly. He takes a deep breath and his expression turns miserable. "If anything, it's my fault. I was careless, so my wife had to push me away. He took a hit from a wheel that was meant for me," He slightly curls into himself, his voice quiet and weak.
Despite Luo Binghe's obvious unhappiness, Shen Yuan can't help but nod approvingly at the actions of his next incarnation. Sure, he has some feelings about the fact that not only is he dead, but he also reincarnated to be a part of Luo Binghe's harem. But at least he can hope that he is not one of those useless damsel-in-distress kind of wives. His new incarnation gets a stamp of approval for him!
"Still, I'm sorry that it happened to one of your waves," Shen Yuan says full of sympathy.
Luo Binghe turns to him. "You know," he starts, "it's actually one of the things that are different." At Shen Yuan's questioning eyes, he continues. "I have only one wife. I don't have a harem, and I'm not going to get one."
Shen Yuan needs a moment to process what he just heard.
"DID I TAKE THE PLACE YOUR ONE AND ONLY WIFE?!"
Shen Yuan paces back and forth.
Holy shit.
Hoooly shit.
This is horrible! Taking the place of a wife is already bad! But taking the place of the wife? There is nothing worse than that! Luo Binghe is possessive over wives who have only one paragraph dedicated to them! Shen Yuan doesn't want to know how one person could handle the attention that was meant to be shared by a giant harem. What he does know is this person must be insanely important for Luo Binghe! He is surprised he hasn't been accidentally smited to pieces!
"We need to get going immediately! Let's go, I know what we need to d—"
"A-Yuan," Luo Binghe stops Shen Yuan's rambles with heavy hands on his shoulders, "breathe. It's not your fault. You don't have to be so hurried"
If Shen Yuan weren't so caught up in his urgency he would have wondered when Luo Binghe learned his name.
"I know it's not my fault. But don't you want to get her back as soon as possible?"
Luo Binghe looks stricken. "You are so selfless," he murmurs barely audibly. Then he sighs and looks Shen Yuan in his eyes. "Yes, I do want to get him back. And I am very grateful that you want to help me with that. But I don't want you to feel like you are required to rush to it with no time to breath and rest," he says very gently.
Shen Yuan squirms slightly under the intense gaze of those big black eyes. "I just thought you would rather go back to spending time with a beautiful woman that keeping the company of some old man like me," Shen Yuan grumbles, embarrassed.
Luo Binghe hums, and for some reason Shen Yuan gets the impression that he wants to laugh. "I don't mind spending some time with you," he muses. Seeing Shen Yuan's quizzical look, he continues, "I know that you—" He takes a deep breath. "I know that you are not my wife. But you both have the same soul. So I want to treat the previous incarnation of my wife with all the respect you deserve."
Shen Yuan is almost moved to tears.
Yeah, this Luo Binghe really is different. Luo Binghe from PIDW would have never said something so sweet, even for the sake of manipulation. And this Luo Binghe is ready to work at Shen Yuan's pace just so he can be comfortable! He is treating him like he is some kind of important ancestor! All that just out of respect for his wife.
Man...
"You must really love her..."
Luo Binghe blinks. And then there is that gentle smile on his face again. So soft, so tender, it makes his face glow like the sun.
"More than anything in this world."
Shen Yuan flushes. He knows he shouldn't. He knows that Luo Binghe is thinking of his wife. He knows that he is probably seeing her in him. And yet...
And yet for some reason it feels like this gentle smile, this soft loving look, is addressed not to this mysterious wife, but to Shen Yuan.
"Right," Shen Yuan coughs awkwardly and averts his eyes. "I'm also very grateful that you are not going to force me to run around until my legs fall off. Still, I would like to start as soon as possible, not to waste any time."
Luo Binghe looks at him and then nods. "Where do we start?"
"Let's see..." Shen Yuan rattles his brain trying to remember all the locations they need to travel to retrieve all the needed items for the ritual. "I think we can start with something easy. We need a book that describes the ritual. It's in the Lost Library. It will take some time to find it, but after that, things should go smoothly."
Shen Yuan gives Luo Binghe an expectant look.
He doesn't do anything.
After a moment of awkward silence, Luo Binghe finally asks, "And where is this Lost Library?"
"Oh, you haven't found it yet?" Shen Yuan startles. "Oh well, I can tell you where it is. It will take some time to open it, but it will be useful to you in the future. We can get there with Xin Mo."
"Oh," Luo Binghe says and averts his eyes. "I— I don't have Xin Mo..."
"You don't have!?--" Shen Yuan balks and drops his eyes Luo Binghe's sword. A very light, obviously spiritual, with no traces of resentful energy sword. "Right."
Of course.
How did Shen Yuan not figure it out sooner? Luo Binghe is calm, friendly, and only has one wife.
Of course he can't have Xin Mo.
Shen Yuan sighs.
Well, it's good that Luo Binghe doesn't mind his company.
Two identical infants lay in the cradle. “One you bore, the other is a Changeling. Choose wisely,” the Fae’s voice echoed from the shadows. “I’m taking both my children,” the mother said defiantly.
Once upon a time there was a peasant woman who was unhappy because she had no children. She was happy in all other things – her husband was kind and loving, and they owned their farm and had food and money enough. But she longed for children.
She went to church and prayed for a child every Sunday, but no child came. She went to every midwife and wise woman for miles around, and followed all their advice, but no child came.
So at last, though she knew of the dangers, she drew her brown woolen shawl over her head and on Midsummer’s Eve she went out to the forest, to a certain clearing, and dropped a copper penny and a lock of her hair into the old well there, and she wished for a child.
“You know,” a voice said behind her, a low and cunning voice, a voice that had a coax and a wheedle and a sly laugh all mixed up in it together, “that there will be a price to pay later.”
She did not turn to look at the creature. She knew better. “I know it,” she said, still staring into the well. “And I also know that I may set conditions.”
“That is true,” the creature said, after a moment, and there was less laugh in its voice now. It wasn’t pleased that she knew that. “What condition do you set? A boy child? A lucky one?”
“That the child will come to no harm,” she said, lifting her head to stare into the woods. “Whether I succeed in paying your price, or passing your test, or not, the child will not suffer. It will not die, or be hurt, or cursed with ill luck or any other thing. No harm of any kind.”
“Ahhhhh.” The sound was long and low, between a sigh and a hum. “Yes. That is a fair condition. Whatever price there is, whatever test there is, it will be for you and you alone.” A long, slender hand extended into her sight, almost human save for the skin, as pale a green as a new leaf. The hand held a pear, ripe and sweet, though the pears were nowhere ripe yet. “Eat this,” the voice said, and she trembled with the effort of keeping her eyes straight ahead. “All of it, on your way home. Before you enter your own gate, plant the core of it beside the gate, where the ground is soft and rich. You will have what you ask for.”
oh my god the trailblazer is a gremlin agent of chaos
I'm so used to the Traveler in Genshin who sits all properly, has proper manner when it's important, and even though they tease their friends and don't hold back when it comes to their enemies, they are overall a person who exudes a tender kindness and welcoming warmth
the Trailblazer in HSR is out here turning off random robots around the space station, messing with gadgets just for the hell of it, bluntly calling people out on their bullshit, and drinking random cold cups of coffee they find sitting unattended around the space station
This is one of the many reasons why I walk by every single red bucket in the run-up to Christmas. They’re not getting my money, I don’t care how nice the people ringing bells are.
Ever since the time they threatened to close all their soup kitchens in NYC if a law that did something as simple as allow companies to extend spousal benefits to their employee’s same-sex domestic partners I have refused to buy from them or donate to them.
It’s that time of year again! In case people don’t know… the Salvation Army is shitty peoples.
Also, the married women are not paid (and therefore can’t qualify for assistance if they should ever divorce, etc). And worth “of course” less than a man.
“ In the Army’s case, the agreement for compensation is that the officer allowance be paid jointly to the husband—the check is written in his name. Officially, the wife is a “worker without expectation of remuneration,” and her husband receives 40 percent more of an allowance as a married man than he would as a single man. “
stormborns
baratheonpilled
snowghoul
tangentwithtanner
izzy806
dededos
