[In the chaos of the world, your gaze upon me is a scene from my past life, a moment of rebirth - 凝眸 (Gaze)]
Happy Anniversary Love Game in Eastern Fantasy! You have brought so much joy to my life in the last year, and I wanted to have something created to celebrate that.
I commissioned @domxto for this piece, and they were so kind, enthusiastic, and wonderful to work with. And their gorgeous art? Speaks for itself.
It’s actually incredible how much @domxto’s piece matches my vision. I had it so clear in my mind, and they picked up on it perfectly, and the details they added onto it were wonderful.
I also commissioned this as a ‘gift’ to other fans, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for loving LGIEF with me!
here's miaomiao and ziqi for my first drawing this year !!! my babiiiies 🥳🌸
watched this drama with my mom and sis and mygosh !!! i did not expect id be attached like this, they're so adorablee !! im making drafts of the four bamboo masters as well, this little family is so precious to me i wanted to commemorate how they got me into cdramas again 🤣
By choosing the path on foot, MiaoMiao should've known what she was getting herself into. Spending more time with them would only further tangle herself up with Ziqi, to where the lines between her mission and personal interest would blur.
For Ziqi, it meant coming to terms with what he's been keeping buried inside.
notes: forever upset about not having full scenes of their travel at the beginning of ep 13!!! so of course, i spent so much time analyzing the single minute we are given of this and wrote a 7k word fic. cross-posted on ao3 here.
The trip to the capital began with them traveling into open plains and fields stacked high with weeds, lacking vegetation and unoccupied by humans, but by plenty of dust demons. If it were anything like the real world, MiaoMiao would’ve sneezed a hundred times already. Strangely, despite their name, the dust demons didn’t affect her sinuses at all.
Liu dage had said the first several weeks would be like this, so they made sure to pack accordingly with enough food to last before they’d reach any body of water or signs of a village. Most places were on a map, but he and Mu Yao jiejie commented that they’d come across a fair share of people who had settled down without being known by any nearby government. She wondered how they could function and get by, but supposed that it wasn’t too different from what they’d be doing, just with permanent residence.
It was good that at least they would be getting horses to hold onto their things or use when they got tired after this patch, which MiaoMiao told herself she would try not to take advantage of, but she wasn’t used to this, so who knew. She was grateful that Mu Yao jiejie, and in turn, Liu dage, doted on her so much. They even went as far as making sure the coolie hat on her head came with the longest veil to shield her face, given her unfamiliarity with these conditions, and, well, maybe she complained a little.
After some odd days following well-worn trails past overgrown wheat blowing in the wind, they came into a meadow with flowers blooming throughout. It was a short patch of land that they could quickly go by, but MiaoMiao wanted to enjoy the beauty of the technicolor in comparison to the greys and browns from before.
Of course, Ziqi was the only one who disapproved.
“First you want to take the route on land, now you want to make stops to stare at some plants?” He asked incredulously.
MiaoMiao turned to him and frowned, narrowing her eyes. “It’s not my fault you don’t appreciate the prettiness of flowers,” she snapped back.
He scoffed, glancing at his sister, ready to make a remark to her, but instead was met with her frown and stepping up beside Miao Miao.
“I think they’re beautiful. We’ll be traveling for quite a while, I think we can spare a little time to relax and eat here,” she stated.
MiaoMiao clasped her hands together. “Oh Mu Yao jiejie that’s perfect!” She grinned big at her companion. “Isn’t the thought of having a meal while surrounded by all of this just wonderful?” She asked, gesturing to the expanse of flowers.
Again, Ziqi made a noise that she had to glare at, making a move to push past him roughly, knocking him back a few steps, as she fetched one of the sacks with food in it. She grabbed a small snack to accompany her as she stepped through the meadow. She felt a bit surprised that Ziqi wasn't on her heel, but she wasn't going to question his ways.
It occurred to MiaoMiao that it would be a lovely gesture for someone to make a bouquet out of these. That someone was currently staring off to the horizon, clearly ignorant to the great opportunity before him.
She sighed. Why did she have to keep reminding him to be in tune with his feelings for Mu Yao jiejie? If he liked her, he needed to show it, dammit!
With a dramatic step and turn his way, MiaoMiao leaned in close. “Liu dage,” she crooned, batting her eyelashes.
Said man looked at her earnestly. “Yes, Miss Lin?”
She gave him a sweet smile. “Liu dage, look at these pretty flowers,” she motioned with her arm, “I’d love to grab a bunch, but need some help,” she pleaded, pouting. “I already have one, could you get some that you think would look nice with it?” She asked, holding out the purple peony.
He glanced between that and her face. “Ah, I don’t know much about these things, but if you’d like, I can do my best,” he offered, lips turned up at the corners.
Huh, yeah. She knew he was no good at this.
“Yay! Thank you Liu dage,” she lilted, grabbing his arm to lead him towards the field. She didn’t miss Ziqi’s affronted face and defensive posture, but chose to ignore it. He should learn how to treat women, too!
She hummed and plucked flowers at random: a rose here, a tulip there, others she had no names for but thought they’d be just perfect. She took quick looks over at Liu dage to monitor his progress, pleased to see that he was taking his time, holding the purple peony up to the flowers before deciding whether or not to add it to the growing collection in his hand. Oh, she just knew Mu Yao jiejie would love this!
“Pssst, MiaoMiao,” she heard a quiet voice whisper.
She raised her eyebrows, eyes rolling up. “CuiCui?” She asked back. He sounded nervous, but what for? He hummed and hesitated, so she poked at the bamboo hairpin. “Speak.”
He groaned. “MiaoMiao, I think Ziqi is very unhappy right now…”
Well, she could’ve guessed that. She went right back to admiring the flowers. “So what?” She grumbled. He was a jealous manbaby.
“But… he looks scary,” CuiCui whined.
She let her curiosity get the better of her, peeking at Ziqi, who had his arms crossed. His expression was a pathetic attempt at seeming unbothered, but she knew him far too well by now to fall for it. She allowed herself to meet his eyes before coyly tucking her hair behind her ear. Just because she didn’t ask for his help didn’t mean he couldn’t come by, but he was, of course, too stubborn to do so.
“Miss Lin,” Liu dage called, grabbing her attention. He walked to her, careful to crush as little flowers as he could, holding up his picking to show her. “How’s this?”
It was a subtle, soft-toned rainbow arrangement, clashing with the brighter ones she chose. But it was very fitting of him, and would be great for Mu Yao jiejie!
She gasped and smiled. “Oh, Liu dage, it’s beautiful,” she praised. “You know, I think this would be very appreciated by Mu Yao jiejie,” she said, completely failing her attempt at nonchalance, but the man before her wouldn’t be able to tell.
He surveyed the flowers in his hand, nodding in agreement. “I think so, too.” Then, for some preposterous reason, he held them out to her. In the background, she heard Ziqi stomp a foot on the ground.
She leaned backwards. “Liu dage, what are you doing?”
He looked just as confused. “You don’t want to give them to her?”
MiaoMiao smacked her lips and shook her head, pushing his hand back towards him. “Liu dage, you should be the one to give them to her,” she scolded.
Liu dage made a sound of disbelief. “Me? Why?”
She sighed, exasperated, pushing him in the direction of her. “Don’t ask, just go!”
He stumbled and glanced back at her, but when she waved him on, he continued his forced trek over. Sheesh, these two needed all the help they could get.
The rustling of footsteps through the foliage reached her ears before she had a chance to evade the person it came from. However, that didn’t mean she would give him the satisfaction of her attention, so she bent down to keep admiring the way butterflies landed on the petals. This type of life, while monotonous, had the perks of being able to enjoy such little things.
Should she really want to return to her world?
“Yah,” the man behind her said, a bit loudly.
MiaoMiao clicked her tongue and turned her head, giving him a look. “What?”
Ziqi crossed his arms and jutted his chin. “What were you thinking about, ignoring me like that?” He asked, clearly trying to seem unbothered.
She tilted her head to the side. “Ignoring you? Just now?”
He grunted an affirmation.
Oops.
She shrugged. “It’s just so nice here. I don’t know if I want to leave,” she said, mumbling at the end.
He scoffed. “You wanted to go to the imperial capital so badly. Now, it seems like you’re coming up with any excuse to delay it.” He commented. She followed his eyes as he scanned where they’d stopped, as if to reinforce his point.
Upon hearing the accusation, she stood up and pouted at him. It was true, but he didn’t need to know that! “I’ve never been on a trip like this before. And, and, I’m with my friends. Should I want to miss out on all these memories?” She retorted.
Of course, he didn’t seem convinced, but he only rolled his eyes. “Troublesome,” he insulted. But that was that.
And when she caught him admiring the exact flowers she had, she kept that tucked away in her heart for later.
---
As the foliage became greener, the scent of the air changed, and according to the map, there was a lake and coastal area up ahead. It took longer than MiaoMiao wanted, since she was beginning to feel rather gross after two weeks without a proper bathing, but she knew what she was getting into when she chose this option. Kinda.
Still, when the lake came into view, she pointed gleefully. “Look! Look! Finally, the lake!” She exclaimed as she speeded up ahead, sighing dramatically.
Mu Yao jiejie hummed in agreement, laughing at her excitement. Ziqi, as usual, called after her.
“Yah, you’re going to trip if you aren’t watching where you’re going,” he warned, pointing towards the roots that spread above the ground.
MiaoMiao walked backwards while she gave him a saccharine smile. “Yes, yes, shifu, I’ll be very careful,” she replied. His displeased reaction only made her smile wider. She turned around and skipped through the patch of woods, exaggeratedly pointing out any branches that were to be avoided. When she stole quick peeks behind her, she played innocent in response to Ziqi’s glower.
This would only last so long before he got back at her, she knew. But he deserved it! So she latched onto Mu Yao jiejie’s arm and bumped him with her other elbow gently, keeping up her act. To really make a point(?), she grabbed his arm too, and though it sounded like he was going to make a fuss, he immediately kept in step(?) with her the rest of the way.
At the clearing, she let go of their arms, running into the lake without any concern, regardless of her shoes and socks being on. Who cares? Everything she was wearing was going to be getting cleaned soon anyways. She couldn’t wait.
She splashed around, whooping and waving for the others to join her. She couldn’t hear him, but Liu dage said something and then began to wander off. She tilted her head in confusion, cupped hands dripping water, staring at Ziqi as he came nearer, arms crossed.
“Where’s Liu dage going?” She called.
Despite the distance, she could still see him roll his eyes. Jeez, he never stopped being rude for a second.
“He went to make sure the area is clear and safe for us to stop,” he answered.
She mouthed “oh” and nodded slowly. A silly, perhaps foolish, idea came to her, making her pucker her lips to the side in thought before making the decision to run to the edge and splash Ziqi up close.
As expected, he was caught off guard, sputtering and stepping backwards. She laughed, maybe a little too loudly, and pointed.
“Got you!” She teased. She waved Mu Yao jiejie to come and join her, but wasn’t that surprised when she declined. Instead, the other Mu waltzed right into the water, trying to look smug, but ultimately cringing at the cold.
MiaoMiao giggled again. “What’s wrong? Not warm enough for the man that can spark a flame?”
Surely, if not for the way each step deeper into the lake sent more chills through his body, he would’ve marched right up to challenge her, especially for trying to get him earlier.
Unable to help herself, she lightly flicked some water his way. “You look like a cat taking a bath,” she chortled.
Oh, that definitely fired him up, because the next moment he huffed and swiped his arm to splash water right at her.
She squealed and hopped away, but still laughed. “I’m going to get you for that!” She yelled, mimicking the action with a dramatic sound.
Ziqi held up his arms to block part of it, quickly retaliating and getting right next to her. “I should just dunk you under the water,” he threatened, arms raised and standing imposingly over her.
MiaoMiao shrieked, covering. “Ah! No, you’ll ruin all the pins Mu Yao jiejie placed in my hair!” She scolded.
He scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. “Would you like me to take them out for you first then?” He asked, looking quite proud, but when the question was left to hang in the air, he realized the romantic meaning of the gesture.
He swallowed and pointed at her. “You-I, You know,” he sputtered, blinking a few times, hand returning back down, and scrunching his face. “I wouldn’t do something like that with you,” he settled on saying.
MiaoMiao scratched her head. Sheesh, if she didn’t know how high her percentage was, she would’ve taken that to heart.
She sighed. “Do you ever know how to speak nicely to me?” She questioned with a frown, reaching out to grab his wrist. “Ziqi,” she drew out, smiling sweetly when he tensed up, “you don’t mean that right?”
It was an absolutely ridiculous question, one that certainly pushed the boundary between friends and lovers, but she couldn’t help herself. She did like him, especially when he got flustered, like now. And she wanted him to take that back, just for her peace of mind.
He pulled his arm away and glanced away. “Wh-What are you saying now?”
While the rejection was a bit of a blow, she expected it, and allowed it to segue back to what they were doing before. The water was beginning to get a bit cold again.
So she splashed him. “Got you again!”
He gasped, though he didn’t hesitate to get her back.
They went on like that for a bit, with Mu Yao jiejie and Liu dage, once he returned, relaxing on the rocks. She had her legs to her chest, smiling as she observed, with him doing his best to discreetly stare at her. It all came to a halt when Fuyi stood up suddenly.
“Miss Lin, A’Sheng, I’m going to go gather wood for a fire. I’ll be on the lookout for food as well,” he said, loud enough for them to hear. That was a bit random, but she couldn’t read his mind that well to know what the rush was when the sun wasn’t even setting yet. Even if she knew him from the book, it was clearly surface level.
“A’Sheng, why don’t you go with him? It’ll be quicker this way,” Mu Yao jiejie suggested. “And in the meantime, MiaoMiao and I can wash the clothes. Oh, and CuiCui, you need to go, too,” she added.
As CuiCui transformed and left her, MiaoMiao observed Ziqi’s reaction, who openly scowled, but grumbled and trudged out of the water anyway. He gathered up his other clothing set, mumbling about changing first as he stalked off to the packed trees, little bamboo shoot in tow.
Mu Yao jiejie brought over the bag containing the other outfits and sat down near the edge. “MiaoMiao, you’re going to have to wash what you’re wearing now, too.”
MiaoMiao knew this, but still whined. She trudged over to the riverbank and reached out her arms for Mu Yao jiejie to hand over her clothes, along with one of the bars of soap that MiaoMiao prepared before their trip.
She dunked them under the water and scrubbed away. Ziqi came back and plopped his wet robes down beside his sister. He turned to head out with Liu dage, but paused and murmured something.
“Hm? What was that, A’Sheng?” Mu Yao jiejie asked, only for Ziqi to repeat himself the same way. She furrowed her eyebrows. “You need to speak up.”
“Whatever soap MiaoMiao is using, I want that one,” he spat out, quickly stomping past Liu dage off to the woods again.
Liu dage nodded at them. “We’ll be back in a bit. Take your time,” he said, and then followed Ziqi.
MiaoMiao pursed her lips and smiled a bit at what Ziqi said. His shyness was too cute.
“MiaoMiao,” Mu Yao jiejie called, “we should bathe as well while we’re alone,” she told her. “I already let Fuyi know to take longer so we can do so. And then… I was thinking we could go walk along the coast to let them bathe after?” She asked, smiling.
As she turned the suggestion over in her head, she puckered her lips. She was skeptical about doing something like that so openly, but it’d be fine, right? After all, Mu Yao jiejie was a great demon catcher, and no one else appeared to be nearby. So, she nodded in agreement, humming as she continued to do the laundry.
After each piece was wrung, it was laid flat on the rocks, the sun beaming down directly onto them. She made quick work of her own, though took great care with Ziqi’s. Before she stripped off what she currently had on, she glanced around.
Mu Yao jiejie clearly noticed her wariness. “MiaoMiao, do you want me to set up a protective barrier?” The concern in her voice was clear, and for some reason, she felt bad about it.
MiaoMiao shook her head. “No, no, it’s fine. If you think we don’t need it, then neither do I.” It was semi-true. They had used public areas to bathe and were okay, but this just felt rather exposed.
Thankfully, she believed her, and started to remove her own clothes.
They helped each other undress and remove the pins and other adornments from their hair, carefully resting them on the side. MiaoMiao still had to clean her current set of clothes, but afterwards, like they’d gotten used to on the trip, they scrubbed each other’s backs and washed their hair. This was beginning to become a routine MiaoMiao was really appreciating, something she’d miss for sure. Having an older sister like Mu Yao jiejie, to be close enough to do things like this and talk about their childhoods, aspirations, worries. She would miss this a lot.
While chatting, only heads above the water as they sat near the edge, they were disturbed by a familiar, grumbling voice.
He got about halfway towards the water before pausing. As his face started to lift up, MiaoMiao was quick to scold him.
“What do you think you’re doing?! You’re not allowed back here yet!” She shouted. Like hell was he going to see her like this!
“A’Sheng, you’re supposed to be helping Fuyi, why are you back?” Mu Yao jiejie asked, unfazed at her brother’s presence, likely comfortable due to some history of this occurring.
He looked up briefly, as if he wanted to protest, but after a quick peek, MiaoMiao covering herself hastily, his eyes rested back on the ground. To her surprise, he stayed quiet.
MiaoMiao decided to loudly clear her throat. “Well? Sh-Shouldn’t you be going?”
Ziqi, having held branches in his arms, suddenly dropped them, head nearly 90 degree sign to the ground now, stiffly nodding. “I… I’m going,” he said, scurrying away to where he came from.
She wasn’t exactly feeling shaken, but definitely a little flustered. It was weird to think, but if it had been Liu dage, she didn’t know if she’d feel as embarrassed.
Mu Yao jiejie laughed lightly. “Are you okay, MiaoMiao?”
MiaoMiao stared her with widened eyes before nodding. “Yes, yes, I’m okay.” She crossed her arms and put on a pout. “I can’t believe he walked in like that,” she complained.
Again, she laughed. “I can assure you he won’t ever do that again, okay?” She said, patting her head.
Pursing her lips, MiaoMiao chose to believe it. Hopefully he’d be so ashamed he would never forget, unlike most times where he’d let his emotions get the better of him and acted first without thinking.
Once they finished, their clothes had mostly dried, so they fanned them out for several minutes before redressing. As Mu Yao jiejie was placing the pins in her hair, the two men came back holding plenty of wood and small animals they hunted hanging from their hips.
There was a wordless exchange of awkward glances between her and Ziqi, while Liu dage and Mu Yao jiejie discussed their plans. She tried to stand to the side, but Ziqi ended up sidestepping towards her anyways, hands clasped behind his back.
He cleared his throat. “So did you… use the soap?”
MiaoMiao stared at him incredulously. “That’s what you say to me first?” He was so impolite! How was she so taken with him?
Of course, like clockwork, his hands landed on his hips. “You- Well-” he stuttered and paused, to which she hummed expectantly. He huffed, looking down at his feet. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.
MiaoMiao cheesed. “Thank you. Yes, I did use the soap like you wanted. Now, you’ll smell as nice as me,” she boasted,tapping a hand on her chest.
Ziqi raised his eyebrows, but only scoffed, a slight upturn on his lips.
After Liu dage and Mu Yao jiejie were done, the two of them grabbed their canteens and hiked on the rocks by the incoming waves, like she had suggested earlier.
They couldn’t go very far given the size of the lake, but there was enough distance to hardly even see them when she turned around.
They enjoyed more small talk; how long they had already traveled, how much more was left to go, plans for the capital. MiaoMiao felt a tug at her heart, again thinking about how close they were getting to the end. These extra months together were only making her attachment grow stronger.
She wondered if she would remember all of this when she left. Would she even want to? It’d be better to not have such strong memories, wouldn’t it? But she was still in the now, and she was going to cherish every last bit. This world is made up of the life she could only wish to live, with people she could only hope to know.
She knew she had to return to her mundane, confining life, but she would do whatever it took to protect the people she has come to love who exist here first.
---
Ziqi let out an exaggerated sigh as he finished helping start the fire. Without hesitation, MiaoMiao glared at him, which he challenged right back, holding in his amusement.
“What are you looking at?” He asked, voice monotone, placing a hand on his knee.
MiaoMiao puffed her cheeks, and he had a slight urge to poke them. “You just can’t let things go,” she replied.
He hummed. “I could say the same about you.” He gave her a smug look.
“We are the good guys! We should want to help the people even after catching the demon. Our job doesn’t stop there,” she insisted, and even though he wasn’t keen on doing extra work like that, deep down, he liked doing it. As much as he would prefer to deny it, MiaoMiao was reaching far into his heart and nestling herself there, affecting him in all sorts of ways.
Still, he wasn’t going to outwardly agree, so he waved her off. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
When she pursed her lips and got up to help A’Yao with their item tracking, he allowed himself to smile.
He continued to build the fire, turning over thought after thought about MiaoMiao and her altruism for anyone she comes into contact with. They had known each other for long enough now, but even at the beginning, when he least deserved it, she had good intentions for him.
“A’Sheng, you look like you’re in a good mood,” a voice stated, placing down a basket of fish.
Liu Fuyi.
He scowled. “Can’t I be?”
Liu Fuyi smiled back, of course. “It’s good to see you happy,” he commented nonchalantly, sitting down to start frying his haul.
Who was he to make such statements? He wasn’t ever a cause for his happiness, so such a declaration was not his to make.
Ziqi mindlessly grabbed a twig and snapped it into pieces, but he didn’t get up to leave. MiaoMiao and A’jie were busy with their task, and they wouldn’t appreciate it if he wandered off because Liu Fuyi showed him some care. So he wordlessly helped him with cooking instead.
Again, his mind trailed off to the girl with doll eyes and pouty lips. She was the one who had noticed something was amiss about the governor and the pet snake by his throne. They all had become skilled in deduction, though she noticed first from her ridiculous cowardice. It still filled him with pride to see a governor’s daughter could do it as well as them. And though MiaoMiao’s goodness had earned them a free night, food and other gifts, they stayed on the outskirts, having delayed a couple of days from the encounter.
Due to her nature, she already had caused a few slowdowns, and he never hesitated to scold her for it. Though he was secretly a tad happy to have more moments by her side. He didn’t truly know her intention for choosing this extended route, but if it was to spend extra time together, he wasn’t going to deny that he favored that.
Once the fish was near ready to eat, Liu Fuyi called them over.
MiaoMiao, in a weird change of attitude, didn’t sit next to him, but on the opposite side. Before his sister could go beside her, he got up and plopped down in the spot. He could tell his sister stopped short, but only for a second, taking his place near Liu Fuyi. Not ideal, but he was a bit more focused on the ray of sunshine who constantly lit up the area around him choosing to leave him with his cloud of gloom.
She gave him a quizzical look. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She seemed half-surprised, half-amused.
He didn’t realize that he had to be giving her one of his pathetic faces that was normally reserved for his sister. He quickly changed it to his natural expression of distaste.
“I…” He paused and blinked, glancing around, eyes catching the glint of her ring (the one he made for her), grabbing her hand with newfound self-assurance. “This should be taken off to get cleaned. Have you even treasured this magical weapon a little bit?” He asked.
“What the-” She went to pull her hand away, but he held on, grunting as if to reaffirm his resolve. Her long lashes fluttered at him, eyes gentle like the butterflies he felt dancing in his stomach. He was unsure why she was examining him so intently, but when she finally offered her hand, looking away, he swallowed the lump in his throat.
To offset the awkwardness and avoid his feelings, he made a show of pulling off the ring, tutting and staring her down with his best sneer. She quickly crossed her arms after, still avoiding his gaze. He took out his cloth and started to wipe at the small specks of dust and dirt, peeking up at her every now and then. When she pulled her knees to her chest and sighed, he did his best to mask his concern, lingering on the curve of her lips.
He clutched the silver tightly, eyes trailing up her soft cheek and slope of her nose, to her big eyes that were half-open, fixated on the crackling fire. He could hear his sister’s voice in the background, could see the way her lips moved in a slight pout as she responded and accepted a bowl of food. His heart picked up its pace, and his brain yearned to dote on her, to care for her intimately, just like when she fell sick in Zhijing Town.
He had to look away, flip his hair over his shoulder casually to shake the thoughts. She was affecting him in ways he didn’t think were possible. He knew there was something strong starting to take hold, different from how he felt for his sister. He had felt it since she saw his demon form, but this scintilla of… that was becoming too much to deny now. He tried, but what was the point?
“A’Sheng and I used to have to do this with my family to prepare for the wandering life of a demon catcher,” his sister said, pulling him back to the present at the mention of his name.
MiaoMiao mouthed an “oh” and nodded, placing her chin on top of her fist. “I’m a little jealous of you, Mu Yao jiejie,” she admitted, munching on a bit of rice.
His sister laughed. “When we defeat the Revengeful Woman, you’ll have plenty of time to go camping with your dad,” she assured.
“And you guys?” She asked, damningly cute, surveying the three of them. Ziqi scoffed and continued his cleaning, but couldn’t stop the small smile making its way.
Of course, his sister affirmed, and even Liu Fuyi entertained the idea. Her eyes stayed on him until he replied, “If it’s anything like this, count me out,” smirking as she protested immediately, poking his arm and repeating his name.
It was an undeniably pleasing mantra to listen to, but he made a fuss about it to tease her. “Could you be more gentle? Unless you want this magical weapon to break.”
She responded with a stinkface, which he had to physically bite his tongue to hold back a visible reaction to how enamored he was, leaning back. Thankfully, which he didn’t think he could feel such a way towards him, Liu Fuyi announced that the cooking was finished and started to distribute it out.
After receiving his own share of food, he casually traded off his bigger portion with her’s, holding in any remark unless she provoked him. She accepted it, quizzically, saying nothing. Part of him wasn’t sure if he wanted her to test him. She was easy to fluster, but he didn’t want to push his luck with her patience.
While he was still mulling over her confusing yet enchanting ways, she hopped up onto her feet, pointing up towards the sky. He glanced at it, but stared intently at her, finding her much more intriguing.
“Look! The stars are so bright.” She clasped her hands up to her cheek. “Isn’t it pretty?” Her voice was full of wonder, as if she had never admired the night sky before. Even when she turned around and stepped a few feet away, he studied the way she moved and tilted her head. For all his pestering, there was no denying what he really thought.
He finished the last bit of his meal, discretely looking to see if either his sister or Liu Fuyi would get up to join her. After a long three seconds of them remaining still, he grabbed the ring and got up to stand beside her.
It was hard not to roll his eyes when she jumped at him grabbing her hand to put the ring back in its place, though her stopping him from doing so had him widening his eyes.
His eyebrows drew together. “What’s wrong?”
She put on another sweet pout. “Didn’t I tell you before about the act of putting on a ring?” She scolded quietly, shyly taking the ring from him and putting it on herself.
Right. He still didn’t understand, but it was just another one of her weird quirks. All he could do was lean in close, call her troublesome, and act more interested in the constellations than her, hands folded behind his back. Really, though, he was watching out of the corner of his eye how she puckered her lips in irritation, grabbing the sashes of his hanfu and playing with them as she shifted her focus upwards. Although she wasn’t touching him directly, the knowledge of her running her hands down the cloth repeatedly soothed him, as if it were fingers combing through his hair.
The stars were just something to stare at, but Ziqi did consider that, of all universes he could be in, he was glad to be here, right now, despite everything.
Later on, after MiaoMiao, with CuiCui, had decided to rest early, and Liu Fuyi was double-checking their stock, his sister approached him while he dismantled the fire.
“A’Sheng, that magical weapon MiaoMiao has,” she started slowly, giving him a look that seemed mischievous. It wasn’t odd to see, but given the context…
He raised an eyebrow. “A’jie, what about it?”
She made it a point to stare at the two bracelets on his wrist. “I’ve just noticed the material on them is quite similar to something else,” she commented airily, a knowing smile appearing at his reddening cheeks. “Goodnight, A’Sheng,” she said, slipping into her shared tent with MiaoMiao.
Of course, there was nearly nothing he could keep hidden from his sister. Except his half-demon identity, but that didn’t count.
She was always good at reading him, and though he expected to feel more shame and denial about his perhaps more-than-platonic favors for MiaoMiao, instead he felt more assured.
That didn’t mean he would say that out loud to anyone, though.
---
Sweat stuck her hair to her skin, heat embracing her with all its weight as they shifted their feet through the sand. The two men had taken the task of guiding their two horses, and MiaoMiao kept wondering why she didn’t try harder to convince them to order a wagon through here. In the back of her head, the logical part was nagging that it would’ve been too expensive.
Still, the white clothing and veiled coolie hat were only doing so much to keep her cool. Even the winds that graced them only pushed the hot sand against them, making the trek more unbearable. She didn’t know how Ziqi was surviving so well wearing all black when she could hardly tolerate it as she was.
Truthfully, Liu dage and Mu Yao jiejie also seemed unfazed, merely taking their time, with several glances thrown her way to ensure she was managing. She figured that all their years of going across to new towns had well-shaped them for anything they’d face. Briefly, she considered that if a dust storm were to trap them, the three of them could still walk through it like the skies were still clear.
She nearly stumbled, but was able to catch herself before eating sand. Though she felt the ghost of a touch from Ziqi on her arm, like he saw it coming. Had he been keeping watch of her, too? She smiled a little at the thought. Sometimes he was overbearing, but MiaoMiao couldn’t deny how nice the feeling of being protected and cared for, in his strange way, was.
She clutched the canteen of water, the light weight of which was a relief for her dwindling energy, but upsetting to her dry throat. When she shook it slightly, she could tell there was barely a drop left in there. Did her exhaustion completely wipe her memory of drinking it?
Blah, she was agitated at her confusion, and she didn’t want to trouble any of them for their share. A sigh passed through her lips, quiet even in the silence of the desert. She was really beginning to feel tired now, and it was affecting her whole body rather swiftly. She cleared her throat, but still it was itchy, and her eyes felt heavy, and it was too much to bring her feet forward with each step.
Before she realized what was happening, MiaoMiao fell onto the dusty ground, slipping unconscious.
Several times, she drifted between awareness and darkness, each time being greeted by a blurred version of Ziqi’s face. She felt a cool cloth on her forehead, or a fan being waved by her face, held by small hands, though she couldn’t yet wake up all the way.
Maybe it was mere hours, or maybe it was days, but eventually, she felt strong enough to wake up. She wasn’t sure where they had set this tent up, how long she had been asleep, what time of day it even was.
She saw an indistinct shape of long black hair searching through a bag, and despite the light-colored clothes, she couldn’t help but ask.
“Ziqi?” She murmured, hardly able to even fully open her eyes.
The one who turned around was Mu Yao jiejie, which in the back of her mind, she knew, who was quick to shuffle closer to her side. She shook her head. “I sent A’Sheng away to eat. He’s not left your side since you fainted,” she told her, voice lighthearted. She didn’t expect to be teased by Mu Yao jiejie like this while in such a state, but it made her smile, even in her weak state.
She placed the back of her hand on her head. “How are you feeling?” She asked, tone completely full of concern now.
MiaoMiao took a second to assess herself. She felt cooler and more alert; the feverish heat had faded, and so had her grogginess. “I think I’m better,” she settled with.
Mu Yao jiejie, satisfied with the answer, pulled her hand away.”Good. We were able to make soup for you. I’ll get some for you to eat.” After MiaoMiao nodded, she went back outside.
Unable to help it now that she was alone, MiaoMiao pouted at having slowed down their journey. The desert was going to be tough, that she was warned of, but she still couldn’t handle it. It was only meant to be a five-day long trek; at least, that’s what locals from the prior town had said, and they’d only done half of it. But now that she fainted, surely they’d insist on going slower to cater to her, and it’d add a couple of days.
Urgh! No, she didn’t want that. She needed to persevere! She would tell them to keep going like normal. Once she felt better, that was.
Mu Yao jiejie returned with the soup for her, and one for herself. They ate together, with some more doting, and reassurance that they’d rather take their time than have anyone unwell. How did she end up meeting the most wonderful people? It could make her cry.
She learned that they stopped not far from where she had collapsed, sheltered by a few rocks. They decided to stop there for the day, and it was nearing the late evening now, meaning she had been out for only a few hours, and not more than that.
After encouraging her to get more rest, Mu Yao jiejie left. MiaoMiao felt so grateful for them, she really wanted to show her appreciation. But right now, she was a little tired, so she’d tuck that away for later.
Despite having spent all that time unconscious, she still felt like she hadn’t slept at all. Her eyelids were heavy, and since she was already laying down, she let them fall shut. The air was cooler now that the sun had set, but her body still felt warm from exhaustion.
The tent flaps rustled, indicating a visitor, but she lacked the energy to open her eyes. She felt bad, as if she was ignoring her friends, but she really couldn’t help it. How did they manage to travel like this constantly? As much as she was having a sense of belonging in and love for this world, perhaps she was still a little above this type of stuff. That was what she was telling herself while in this state, anyways. She knew, in the back of her head, that she wouldn’t regret this because she was able to see their faces for longer.
As the person beside her dipped their weight into the ground, she could tell instantly from the smell of clove and sandalwood who it was.
“Ziqi?” She couldn’t help but mumble. He grunted in response, making her smile slightly. So typical of him. “You’re back?”
She heard him scoff. “Why? Is that a problem? I can go,” he said, making MiaoMiao open her eyes and grab onto whatever his robe she could reach. Her heart pounded at her boldness, but she didn’t want him to leave.
He looked at her with wide eyes, then her hand, then back. He crossed his arms and glanced away. “You’re so gullible. You think I would come in here just to leave?”
MiaoMiao jut out her bottom lip. “Yes,” she admitted.
They were silent for a moment, and she wonders if she stopped him from whatever tirade he planned on going on. Still gripping onto him, she observed his ever present aloofness, jaw clenching and unclenching. Something was on his mind, though her own muddled one couldn’t form a proper train of thought.
It wasn’t what she was thinking at all, yet somehow, she ended up questioning, “Ziqi, do you ever plan on telling Mu Yao jiejie?” Maybe it was some subconscious connection she was making to lying on the ground, seeing a powerful demon before her, that caused her to utter that. She should feel bad about it, knowing it was a soft spot, though perhaps her being in such condition would excuse her.
Ziqi looked at her, aghast. “Why are you asking this?” It was obvious he was bothered, but his voice only sounded defensive of his feelings.
She blinked slowly, eyelids stopping halfway. “I’ve told you before. I care about you, Ziqi.”
Coming to terms with her real feelings was embarrassing, but shame was a bit beyond her right now. She could chalk it up to being in a daze anyways, right?
His throat visibly moved as he swallowed. “You’re just saying things,” he retorted.
If only she was. Still, she could tell this was brewing something they’d both left untouched, despite it hanging over their every interaction, and given her current state, it couldn’t be pursued further than this.
So she let him go, shutting her eyes. “Ziqi, I’m tired,” she murmured.
She listened to him sigh and start to get up. Clearly, he didn’t want to bring any more attention to this, either. Though, he left her with a tender “Goodnight, MiaoMiao.”
Tomorrow, when she was more herself, her heart wouldn’t beat as fast, right?
Heavenly Demon Catchers [Miaomiao/Ziqi] commissioned from @moonnogginn
I have been wanting to commission Lu ever since I first saw her art, and I'm so grateful I got the opportunity to do so.
She did an absolutely gorgeous job. Look how cool Miaomiao's apocal power looks! And of course, Ziqi's smoke and flames (and that white hair). Thank you so, so much.
This is the other piece I commissioned with LGIEF's first anniversary in mind. Thank you so much to @yutaan for fulfilling my Miaoqi hopes and dreams and giving these two sweethearts the lovely wedding they deserve. You did such an incredible job designing their wedding regalia and making them look as gorgeous as they inevitably would. I hope other LGIEF fans enjoy this as well. It's also for you, for loving the series along with me.
Miaomiao and her best boy (in triplicate) commissioned from @huyandere! Thank you so much. This is exactly what I was wanting. It's perfect. Ziqi version is HERE! ❤️🐱🪷
