Work Text:
[PIDW Forums - Shen Qingqiu Appreciation Thread (Locked)]
Post 1: Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky (Author)
44 days ago
Announcement: To address recent user feedback and story developments, this thread has been locked. Please redirect all discussion to the main forums. The plot moves forward! The climax is coming!
[PIDW Forums - General Discussion: Chapter 801 "Extra: Shen Jiu"]
[SocialSuspense]
2 days ago
This was so sad. I actually feel bad for Sqq now. Maybe Peerless Cucumber was onto something. This made me cry. It was just torture. Pointless torture.
[Live-laugh-binghe]
2 days ago
Okay, Airplane. Shen Qingqiu is dead. Gone. No one cares he was abused as a kid, that doesn't excuse all the shit he did to Binghe! Unbelievable. At least PC will be happy. Has anyone seen if he's posted?
[Warewolf379]
2 days ago
Please! Good riddance to that scumbag! Luo Binghe deserved his revenge! He was a miserable shizun, and the story was better without him. No one cares about Shen Fucking Qingqiu's "sad" past. The story is over, these extras are trash! Go back to the harem!
[FoyingGoose]
1 days ago
I'm with @SocialSuspense. That was brutal and pointless. And where's Cucumber-bro? He hasn't commented since SQQ's death a few chapters ago. Is he okay? The man lives for the Shen Qingqiu content.
[Rendininous]
1 day ago
^ Seriously, I miss his rants. The comment section is empty without his critiques. Cucumber-bro, if you’re reading this, please say something! We know you loved the scum villain! XSWL! (Seriously, does anyone know where he is? It's been over a month)
[PoetryNeat679]
7 hours ago
Yeah, the one person who actually defended SQQ is silent. The novel is trash, but his comments were gold. Peerless Cucumber, are you dead?
(Shen Yuan, Peerless Cucumber, had not posted for 48 days. Everyone kept asking if he was okay, but he didn't respond.
He still read the chapters, he didn't know why he bothered with his favorite character dead, a silent, hollow-eyed lurker in the user count, but he no longer commented. He no longer cared.
Not even the new extra - the backstory of his scum villain, dedicated to him by the author, could get him to respond. It only made him sadder, enraged. He died with a curse on his lips and a profound, aching sadness in his soul for the only character in the whole stupid novel he'd actually cared about.)
----
The last thing Shen Yuan remembered was the taste of sweet cappuccino and the all-consuming rage at the novel's abysmal, abrupt ending and the tragic extra. The sheer, unadulterated stupidity of Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky's writing was enough to make a man's heart seize.
He opened his eyes to a world of white. He wasn't in his room anymore, but the hospital seemed strangely anachronistic. His body felt lighter, younger, the aches of his busy lifestyle replaced by a subtle, humming energy. He sat up on a neat bed, staring at unfamiliar hands. They were slender, with long, tan fingers, untouched by the grime of the modern world, neat nails.
A soft, clear voice broke the silence. "Shixong is awake."
Shen Yuan turned his head slowly. Standing in the doorway was a man with a steady, compassionate gaze, dressed in the pale blue robes of a cultivator in a wuxia movie. A cosplayer? The stranger's expression was one of warm relief.
"Ah, hello." Shen Yuan stammered.
The man nodded slightly, "This shidi was worried when shixiong didn't attend the peak meeting."
Shen Yuan stared at his new hands, then back at the stranger. What was going on?
A mechanical voice chimed in his mind: [Welcome to the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way! Congratulations! Your rage has been acknowledged! Please receive your starting character settings.]
[✓] [X]
Shen Yuan wanted to scream, but as he looked at the stranger's concerned face, a thought occurred to him: he was trapped in the body of a supporting character in the novel he hated! Or, well, apparently he had a choice, but he knew he was dead otherwise, his heart couldn't take the tragedy of Shen Qingqiu's terrible childhood.
Shen Yuan sighed, deeply disturbed, getting out of the bed.
"Shidi," he said, pushing the new reality of his life down with a force of will only a committed web novel reader could muster. "This shixiong is fine. Just... a shock."
The stranger tilted his head, confused. "Shock? Did Shixiong perhaps have a qi deviation?"
Shen Yuan just rubbed his temples. "Something like that? What is on the agenda for today."
The stranger frowned, "You should rest, shixiong. You were supposed to check on Shen-shixiong, but I believe they sent Wen-Shizi when you didn't show. He is still currently recovering from a minor qi irregularity. He should be resting as you advised."
Shen-shixiong? Shen Yuan froze.
[Does the user agree to be bound to the character role: Mu Qingfang, Qian Cao peak lord?]
[Y] [N]
"Are you okay, Mu-shidi?"
Shen Yuan could only stare into the middle distance, a sudden, crushing wave of dramatic irony hitting him harder than any fictional monster.
He had died of a broken heart over Shen Qingqiu, and now he was Mu Qingfang. The doctor who, in the original story, couldn't save the scum villain from his miserable, prolonged death. The only one of the peak lords to survive the ending.
The universe had a cruel sense of humor.
Wait a minute! Glee shot through him. He wasn't the character he liked, he could meet Shen Qingqiu!
[Y] [N]
He chose yes.
[CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! User: Shen Yuan, Good Luck (✷‿✷).... Downloading character files ....]
He was going to fix this damn story, and get his man. But first, to shave that mustache.
----
The moment was surreal.
Shen Yuan had spent the last two days in his new role as Mu Qingfang, officially on rest, unofficially organizing Qian Cao Peak’s extensive medicinal herb gardens and trying to make sense of the cultivation world's flawed logic. His mind was consumed with a plan: avoid the plot holes, save the characters he liked, get his man, and maybe prevent the entire world from going to hell.
His system was slowly downloading the medical information and character profiles he needed to survive in the PIDW! universe. It was at 34%.
But all rational thoughts evaporated the moment he laid eyes on the man himself. The scum villain. His soulmate.
He had been summoned to Qing Jing Peak for a minor consultation regarding a slight spreading rash that had been infecting several disciples for days. Shen Yuan arrived at the bamboo house, excited to meet Shen Qingqiu.
The moment their eyes met, he realized he was not been prepared to come face-to-face with the object of all his forum rants, all his internet defenses, all his secret admiration.
Shen Qingqiu was seated at a low table, sipping tea with an almost painful elegance. The man looked exactly as described in the novel, though the text didn't do him justice. His robes were a pristine, scholarly jewel-toned green; his hair was tied up in a high crown, sleek and black as ink. His face was a masterpiece of cold, detached beauty, and delicate vulpine features, with sharp, calculating jade green eyes that currently regarded him with mild impatience.
The original Shen Qingqiu. His ice-cold scum villain, the object of his affection, the man who had stolen his heart from words alone.
In his previous life, Shen Yuan had typed thousands of words defending that face, arguing about the nuance behind those frigid expressions, defending his honor, providing reasons and proof of his theories regarding his acerbic personality. Now, seeing that perfect, unapproachable beauty in the flesh, all rational thought ceased. The inner forum-goer, the Peerless Cucumber who had once declared his eternal loyalty to this fictional character, took over.
Shen Yuan didn't think. He didn't consider cultivation levels, social status, or the fact that they were both men. He just reacted.
He took two swift strides across the elegant bamboo floor, dropped the medical charts he'd been given as he hit his knees in worship, and reached out. Before Shen Qingqiu could even register the unprecedented breach of decorum, Shen Yuan’s hands found the lapels of his elegant robes and he pulled the bewildered Peak Lord forward and crashed his lips against his.
The contact was a shock of warm lips flavored with green tea and orchids, bamboo-scented air, and the universe shifting into perfect balance. Shen Qingqiu was completely rigid with surprise, his eyes wide open, staring at the doctor who had lost his damn mind.
Shen Yuan, high on the sheer, mind-boggling reality of the moment, pulled back only slightly, staring at the perfect, flustered face of his favorite character.
"You're real," Shen Yuan whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Shen Qingqiu pushed him away with a powerful shove that sent Shen Yuan stumbling back and falling on his ass. Shen Qingqiu’s face was a study in pure, murderous rage, tempered by utter disbelief, and so very pink.
"Mu Qingfang!" Shen Qingqiu's voice was low and dangerous. "Have you gone utterly mad? What demonic possession is this?" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as if contaminated. "This shixiong demands an explanation for this unprecedented insult!"
Shen Yuan straightened his robes, the temporary bout of insanity receding, replaced by a slightly-less-hysterical Shen Yuan who suddenly remembered the consequences of kissing a powerful, volatile cultivation master.
"This one apologizes, Shen-shixiong," Shen Yuan said quickly, trying to inject the formal politeness of his new persona into his voice. "It was... a moment of extreme passion regarding Shixiong's existential reality."
Shen Qingqiu stared, his fan snapping open with a violent thwack. His eyes narrowed behind the painted silk and bamboo.
"Existential reality?" he hissed. "This Shixiong thinks you have a qi deviation of the mind, Mu-shidi. Get out. Send someone else. And be grateful that this Shixiong values Qian Cao Peak’s medicine more than he values your face."
Shen Yuan bowed hastily, picking up his discarded charts. He backed out of the bamboo house, his heart hammering in his chest. He was horrified, embarrassed, and yet, a small part of him felt a profound, satisfying sense of accomplishment.
'Peerless Cucumber,' he thought at himself, 'you absolute maniac. You just kissed the scum villain. The forums would have lost their minds.'
He shut the door behind him, leaving a furious, scandalized Shen Qingqiu alone in the bamboo house to contemplate his extremely strange afternoon.
----
A few days had passed since the Great Kissing Incident of Qing Jing Peak.
The memory still made Shen Yuan blush, but it also fueled his determination to steer this novel towards a happier, less dismemberment-y ending. He had thrown himself into his work as Mu Qingfang, trying to seem as medically competent as possible.
The character files were stuck at 37% and had been for long enough that Shen Yuan was pretty certain kissing the scum villain may have crashed the system entirely with his ooc actions. He was currently reviewing a list of medicinal herbs in stock when a disciple announced a visitor.
"Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu," the disciple whispered nervously, eyes wide.
Shen Yuan’s heart performed an enthusiastic flip-flop. His beautiful scum villain was here! The universe was smiling upon Peerless Cucumber! The Scum Villain rarely condescended to visit Qian Cao Peak unless it was an emergency or a major sect meeting. He quickly composed himself, smoothing his robes and adopting the calm, professional demeanor of the Peak Lord of Qian Cao. "Send him in."
Shen Qingqiu entered the main consultation hall with his usual icy grace, though Shen Yuan noted a faint flush high on his cheekbones. The Peak Lord held himself stiffly, his fan snapping open to cover the lower half of his face.
"Shidi," Shen Qingqiu greeted, his voice clipped.
"Shen-shixiong," Shen Yuan responded warmly, trying not to look like a cat who'd found the cream. "Please, sit. The disciple mentioned Shixiong had a minor ailment?"
Shen Qingqiu sat on the patient’s side of the table with excessive care. He placed one hand on the table, offering his wrist for a pulse check with visible reluctance.
"A simple cold, Shidi," he stated, though the slight tremor in his voice and the rapid pulse under Shen Yuan's fingers told a different story. It was indeed a cold, but a persistent one that his own cultivation had failed to immediately suppress.
Shen Yuan took the pulse reading with meticulous care, the physical contact sending a delightful shiver down his spine. "Shixiong has been overexerting his spiritual energy, perhaps? Not resting enough?"
"This Shixiong is busy," Shen Qingqiu snapped, then glanced away, staring intently at a jar of preserved snake wine on a nearby shelf.
Shen Yuan smiled internally. Now was the time for amends. He cleared his throat.
"Shen-shixiong," he began, lowering his voice. "This one wishes to apologize again for his... forwardness... a few days ago. That behavior was unacceptable and a gross disrespect of shixiong's person."
Shen Qingqiu stiffened further. The silence stretched for a moment, thick with unspoken tension. Finally, Shen Qingqiu turned his gaze back to Shen Yuan, a strange glint in his narrow eyes. He didn't use his fan, shutting it slowly.
"It was..." Shen Qingqiu started, his voice barely a whisper, his eyes flicking away again. "This one... did not entirely mind."
Shen Yuan’s mind exploded into a thousand celebratory forum posts. 'He didn't mind! He didn't mind! The ship is sailing!'
Visibly brightening, Shen Yuan finished his diagnosis and prescribed a potent, fast-acting brew. He personally retrieved the herbs, grinding them with a renewed enthusiasm that almost made Mu Qingfang’s disciples question his sanity.
He handed the packet of medicine to Shen Qingqiu. "Twice a day. This should clear up the qi disruption quickly."
Shen Qingqiu took the medicine and stood up, ready to make a hasty escape. He turned to leave, but hesitated at the door, glancing back at the cheerful doctor with that strange look.
Shen Yuan didn't waste the opportunity. The forum-goer took over once more. He crossed the room in two strides, placed his hands gently on Shen Qingqiu’s shoulders, and leaned in.
This time the kiss was softer, deliberate. Shen Qingqiu gasped slightly in surprise, but didn't pull away immediately. He even seemed to lean into it for a fraction of a second before reality set back in.
He shoved Shen Yuan away with a high-pitched "You!" that was less angry and more purely flustered.
Shen Qingqiu’s face was a brilliant, fiery red. He adjusted his robes violently, glaring daggers at Shen Yuan, who was beaming with delight.
"You!" Shen Qingqiu sputtered, utterly scandalized, fanning himself rapidly with frantic motions. He couldn't form a complete sentence. With a final, scandalized huff, he spun on his heel and stormed out of Qian Cao Peak in a whirlwind of green robes.
Shen Yuan watched him leave, the picture of contentment.
'So shy,' he thought, picking up his charts with a self-satisfied chuckle. 'My beautiful, shy, ice-cold scum villain.'
This transmigration thing was working out just fine.
----
Over the next few days, Shen Yuan took to following Shen Qingqiu around like a lovestruck fool, in between his duties of course. He flattered, he sought him out for tea, and he stole brief kisses that resulted in Shen Qingqiu running off with a red face.
Shen Yuan, in the guise of Mu Qingfang, found his lovestruck trailing finally culminating in a breakthrough. Shen Qingqiu, the esteemed Qing Jing Peak Lord, arrived at the Qian Cao Peak for minor injury - a paper cut - that he claimed only Mu Qingfang could possibly treat, with a strange look in his eyes, like this was a game the two were playing.
Shen Yuan knew exactly what his scum villain wanted.
This time, as Shen Qingqiu sat primly on the edge of the medical bed, waiting for the standard examination, Shen Yuan couldn't hold back any longer. The proximity, the scent of his hair oil, and the sheer exasperating allure of the man were too much. Instead of checking a pulse, or bothering with the paper cut, he found himself climbing onto the bed, caging the Scum Villain onto the sheets.
Shen Qingqiu was stunned, a rare moment of his cultivated aloofness cracking, but it was quickly overcome by a surprising fervor as he dragged Shen Yuan into a kiss.
The ensuing makeout was a passionate, a long-awaited collision of tension and desire that left them both breathless and entangled in the quiet medical hall with kiss-red lips and teeth marks on Shen Yuan's jawline. He let him go with a silent, intimate haze, feeling an unprecedented surge of triumph.
He had bagged the Scum Villain, only the impropriety of the setting and the early stage of their courtship had stopped Shen Qingqiu from letting his hands go below his clothes, or wander too much, or do more than just a steamy make out.
The next Peak Lord meeting two days later was a comedic masterpiece of averted gazes and flushed cheeks. The other Peak Lords couldn't quite look him in the eyes, a silent testament to the rumors that had surely spread. But Shen Yuan was floating on air, utterly impervious to their awkwardness.
He had his man.
His bliss was abruptly interrupted when Shang Qinghua, the An Ding Peak Lord, sidled up to him after a meeting. There was a nervous energy about the man, a furtive glance around, before he leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "Hey, Mu-shidi... by any chance, do you know what 'Proud Immortal Demon Way' is?"
Shen Yuan froze, his entire universe tilting on its axis. He stared at Shang Qinghua, the euphoria of the past few days dissolving into existential dread.
'Oh, hell no. He was not the only transmigrator here.'
----
It was official: Mu Qingfang had definitely lost his mind. The rumors were swirling faster than a cultivation technique during a core formation breakthrough. Not only had his inexplicable crush on the perpetually prickly, fan-wielding Shen Qingqiu not gone away - despite the man’s sharp tongue and aloof personality - but he had apparently managed to thaw their esteemed martial brother in less than a week.
The two of them were seen sharing meals, taking walks by the bamboo groves, and, most shocking of all, Shen Qingqiu had been heard laughing - a genuine, unforced laugh - outside the medical hall.
"Really, Mu-shidi," Mei Qinglian grumbled to no one in particular, as the doctor looked at Shen Qingqiu with literal hearts in his eyes, "someone should take his medical license. He's clearly a danger to himself and the entire sect's propriety."
"Maybe it's all those poisons," Wei Qingwei responded dubiously, "Or a mental breakdown? The stress of his work has finally gotten to him? That doesn't explain Shen-shixiong though. Collective mental breakdown? A plague?"
Shang Qinghua, however, was having a different crisis. The mention of Proud Immortal Demon Way had been a fishing line cast into uncertain waters, and the look in the Healer's eyes was the bite he was looking for. Convinced now that Mu Qingfang was another transmigrator, he scurried over to the Qian Cao Peak, determined to confront him.
He found Mu Qingfang meticulously reorganizing herbs, in the most bizarre way ever, a small, blissful smile playing on his lips.
"You," Shang Qinghua whispered, pointing a trembling finger, "the System told me there was another, but yesterday all but confirmed it."
He sighed, setting down a stalk of spiritual grass. "Let's not make a scene."
"Who are you? A dedicated reader?" His eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Wait a minute... peerless... cucumber... Mu Qingfang... you're that anti-fan, aren't you?"
Mu Qingfang crossed his arms, a defensive glare settling on his face. "This body is comfortable and I bagged the scum villain, so I'm not complaining. Who were you?"
Shang Qinghua stared, dumbfounded. The famous anti-fan and dedicated Shen Qingqiu lover, Peerless Cucumber, was currently inhabiting the dignified body of the Qian Cao peak lord.
Suddenly, everything made sense. The inexplicable whirlwind infatuation that defied all logic, the wild rumors about the cold Peak Lord thawing, even the blatant disregard for basic professional boundaries. Finding out it was him in the doctor's skin explained a whole lot about why Shen Qingqiu was suddenly so fond of visiting the doctor on Qian Cao Peak.
"Well," Shang Qinghua muttered, running a hand through his hair, "at least my favorite villain is getting some action. I don't remember writing him this way though."
"Airplane?!"
Ah, he'd made a mistake.
----
The date was set. After almost three weeks of carefully cultivated romance, shared secrets beneath the stars, and the undeniable softening of his beloved Scum Villain, Shen Yuan decided it was time to reveal the truth. He’d meticulously planned the moment, hoping for a dramatic reveal, maybe a gasp of surprise, followed by immediate, tearful acceptance.
He led Shen Qingqiu to a secluded spot by the river, far from prying eyes. The air was thick with the scent of lotus and bamboo, the atmosphere suitably romantic.
"Shen Qingqiu," Shen Yuan began, his heart pounding a nervous rhythm against his ribs, "there’s something you need to know about me. Something important."
Shen Qingqiu, perched elegantly on a rock, fanned himself with a serene, unbothered expression. "Oh? Does this have to do with why, over the past three weeks, you have developed an alarming obsession with steamed buns and the oddest way of cataloging medicinal herbs I have ever seen?"
"Well, yes," Shen Yuan stammered, taken aback by the casual observation. "The thing is... I'm not the original Mu Qingfang. I’m from another world. I transmigrated here, into his body. My name is Shen Yuan."
Shen Qingqiu didn't drop his fan. He didn't gasp. He simply raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I know."
Shen Yuan deflated like a popped balloon. "You... you knew?"
Oh well, he should have expected that much from the genius, calculating Scum Villain. Shen Qingqiu chuckled at his dejection and caught his chin in his hands for a lingering kiss that made Shen Yuan's toes curl.
"Mu Qingfang was a polite, if bland, professional man with no charisma, and all the self control you clearly lack." Shen Qingqiu sniffed imperiously, poking him in the chest, "You, on the other hand, are a dramatic, messy, slightly unhinged creature who can't hide his emotions for the life of him. I've known you weren't Mu Qingfang since you shaved the mustache off and kissed me the first time."
Shen Yuan was about to launch into a defense of his dramatic, messy, unhinged self when Shen Qingqiu's expression darkened, the light in his eyes hardening into a cold, sharp edge. "Which brings me to this," he said, his voice dropping several degrees.
Before Shen Yuan could react, Shen Qingqiu was on his feet, a knife suddenly stabbed between Shen Yuan's lower ribs in a single excruciating thrust. He whimpered, this wasn't how this was supposed to go.
Shen Yuan stared at the gleaming handle of the blade, then up into the furious, eyes of the man he loved. A knife to the gut, literal and metaphorical. He couldn't even be devastated or betrayed. He just blinked, a strange, choked sound escaping his throat.
Of course. It was so perfectly, utterly in character for him to pretend to love the impostor, then demand the return of the original the moment he confirmed the truth of his suspicions. The System really knew how to write its characters.
Shen Qingqiu demanded, his voice laced with ice, "Where is the real Mu Qingfang? What have you done with my martial brother?"
"A-Jiu," Shen Yuan said, his voice weak, "after everything we’ve been through?"
Shen Qingqiu’s jaw tightened at the address and his tone, "Talk!"
Shen Yuan did. He told him everything. About Proud Immortal Demon Way, about falling in love with a fictional character, about feeling like he was dying of a broken heart when Shen Qingqiu died in the story and then actually dying of a broken heart after the extra came out. He told him about everything, except for the system, for some reason he couldn't talk about that.
----
Shen Yuan, still in Mu Qingfang’s body, found himself in a rather precarious situation. He was tied up - securely bound by a potent spiritual cord - in the center of the Peak Lord meeting hall. The mood was tense, the atmosphere heavy enough to cut with a sword. At least Shen Qingqiu had let him tend the knife wound first.
The other Peak Lords were a picture of utter bafflement. Liu Qingge looked ready to attack anyone, starting with Shen Qingqiu, while the others whispered nervously. Shang Qinghua was discreetly trying to melt into the wall.
Shen Qingqiu, meanwhile, stood before the assembly, looking impeccably cold and formidable. A pile of evidence - scrolls, annotated diagrams, other people's testimonials, drawings of his organization of Qian Cao's herbs and apothecary vs Mu Qingfang's usual chaos that had made no sense - lay on the table next to him.
"This man," Shen Qingqiu announced, his voice slicing through the silence, "is an impostor who has stolen our martial brother’s face and place. I got his confession today."
The evidence he presented was overwhelming. Meticulously detailed observations of "Mu Qingfang's" strange habits, medical inconsistencies, the alarming lack of professional decorum, and even documented quotes of him praising the Scum Villain's character (which alone was suspicious). He had been ruthlessly gathering proof all while pretending to date him. A honeypot trap he fell into like a blood drunk mosquito into a spiders web.
Shen Yuan couldn't even summon an ounce of anger. Instead, a genuine, if slightly maniacal, grin stretched across his face. 'Ruthless, Shen Qingqiu. He was impressed.' The man had the cunning of a fox and the acting skills of a master. The intricate web of betrayal and deduction was magnificent.
"Bravo," Shen Yuan cheered, wiggling his bound hands slightly. "Truly an A-plus performance! You got me."
Shen Qingqiu ignored the compliment, his gaze icy. "Before this impostor is dealt with, he will reveal the whereabouts of the real Mu Qingfang."
Shen Yuan knew this was the end of the line for him. He wouldn't sell out Shang Qinghua, but his own game was up. He locked eyes with Shen Qingqiu, his tone shifting from admiration to a quiet sincerity.
"One last question, before I go and you do whatever heinous things you've undoubtedly planned for this impostor..." He paused, the humor fading from his expression. "Was any of it real? The dates, the laughs... us?"
The hall fell silent, everyone watching the intense exchange between the bound Head Healer and the ice-cold Peak Lord.
Shen Qingqiu stared back, his expression unreadable for a moment. He tilted his head, a single beat of hesitation. Then, the cold mask snapped back into place. "No," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "It was all part of the act to gather evidence against you."
But even as the harsh words echoed, Shen Yuan saw it - a fleeting moment of sad softness in the depth of Shen Qingqiu's calculating eyes. The mask was good, but not perfect.
'Ah.' Shen Yuan smiled. 'He did love him after all, even a little.'
The lie was for the others, for his reputation, but the truth was in that flicker of pain. He was a loyal martial brother first, and a lover second. How perfectly tragic, how utterly... lovely.
"Fair enough," Shen Yuan said, his grin returning, serene in his acceptance. "Still kissed the scum villain, though. Totally worth it."
There was a sudden ringing sound in his ears and a flood of blue light, voices in the background muffled.
----
Shen Yuan blinked against the bright light of the sun. The rough, cheap robes he wore scratched at his skin, and the air smelled of pine and damp earth, not the refined bamboo and medicinal herbs he had grown accustomed to. He was free from the bindings, free from Mu Qingfang’s body, and miraculously, back in his own original form - this time, as a rogue cultivator with a decent, albeit untrained, golden core.
He checked the System interface, which popped up with a triumphant [MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!]. Apparently, returning the original owner to their body counted as a success. A new objective appeared - [Integrate into the world and avoid plot deviation.]
"Avoid plot deviation," Shen Yuan scoffed, pushing himself to his feet. "As if my entire existence here hasn't been one giant deviation."
He knew exactly where he needed to go. He made his way toward the familiar peaks of the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, a rogue cultivator with a mission: to reclaim his man, this time on his own terms.
----
Back at Qian Cao Peak, the real Mu Qingfang woke up with a start, a sharp intake of breath, the first in weeks. He sat up in his bed, blinking in the familiar surroundings of his own quarters. The last thing he remembered was a simple medical errand... And then ....
He felt strange. There was a phantom warmth on his lips and a distinct, lingering spiritual energy in his meridians that was not his own. The memories that danced on the edge of his mind weren't his, either - they were Shen Yuan’s - the stranger from another fascinating world so very different from his.
Weeks of memories, flashes of another life, condensed into an overwhelming rush of emotions, of exasperation and affection for a certain prickly Peak Lord. And then, the memories of the kissing, shared moments in the medical hall, intimate touches, and genuine laughter by the river.
Mu Qingfang sat on his bed, his face burning an alarming shade of red. He was distinctly aware of exactly how passionate he had been with Shen Qingqiu during the possession. The sheer scandal of it all!
His professional reputation was in tatters, the vivid memories leaving him utterly mortified, yet... something within him had changed. He touched his lips, the residual phantom feeling of a kiss making his heart race.
He, Mu Qingfang, had kissed Shen Qingqiu. And apparently, quite a lot.
A knock came at his door. "Mu-shidi? Are you well?" Liu Qingge’s gruff voice filtered through the wood.
Mu Qingfang quickly smoothed his robes. "I am well, Liu-shixiong. Just resting."
As he prepared himself to face the world, Mu Qingfang realized he had a new, complicated relationship to navigate - one that involved his prickly martial brother, lingering memories of a transmigrator's love, and a newfound understanding of the enigmatic Shen Qingqiu, through the eyes of a reader in a strange world - knowledge of a secret past he was not meant to know weighing heavy in his chest and explaining a whole lot about about his martial sibling, his relationship with the sect leader, and his caustic nature.
Perhaps, as strange as this situation was, it was for the best. He had a lot of catching up to do, and a lot of explaining... or maybe not explaining at all.
The taste of Shen Qingqiu's mouth haunted him as he resumed his life.
----
Two weeks later, a clean-shaven, new-robed Shen Yuan presented himself at the base of Qing Jing Peak. He had traveled hard as a rogue cultivator, preparing himself for a proper courtship, this time determined to do things right. He found Shen Qingqiu sitting by the tranquil pond, sipping tea.
"Peak Lord Shen," Shen Yuan called out, bowing respectfully.
Shen Qingqiu looked up, his expression carefully neutral. "A rogue cultivator. To what do we owe this visit?"
"I’m here to court you," Shen Yuan stated plainly, walking closer. "Properly this time."
Shen Yuan saw a spark of recognition in his eyes as Shen Qingqiu's fan twitched. A long silence stretched between them before Shen Qingqiu let out a sigh, a sound of complete and utter exasperation laced with a weary fondness. He finally closed his fan with that familiar snap.
"You are a persistent, infuriating man, Shen Yuan," Shen Qingqiu said, standing up to face him.
"So I've been told," Shen Yuan grinned.
Shen Qingqiu stopped just short of him, his expression softening into a look Shen Yuan had only seen glimpses of before - a genuine, unguarded tenderness, before he took his chin in hand to scrutinize him. "Is this how you look or another life you've stolen?"
Shen Yuan laughed, "No stolen bodies, no identity theft. Just me."
"I suppose," Shen Qingqiu murmured, the sad softness from their last encounter now bright and clear in his eyes, "after everything, I would be a fool to refuse. You traveled across universes for me after all."
He leaned in, a rare, bold gesture, and pressed a soft, tentative kiss to Shen Yuan's lips. The contact was brief but held a world of promise.
"Come," Shen Qingqiu said, taking Shen Yuan's hand and leading him toward the familiar, peaceful path to the Bamboo House. "It's time you saw the inside of my house without the distraction of your secrets. And, now that you are not in my martial brother's body, this one.... will not stop your hands from wandering."
Shen Yuan felt a rush of heat that was dizzying. He eagerly followed him down the path.
----
The next Peak Lord meeting, an emergency meeting called that very afternoon by Shen Qingqiu, was a sight to behold.
The doors slid open, and in walked Shen Qingqiu, looking pristine and aloof as ever, with a handsome rogue cultivator walking beside him with a triumphant, easy grin. The hall fell into a stunned silence. The other Peak Lords stared, bewildered.
The rogue waved to Mu Qingfang, "Ah, sorry about the whole body snatching thing."
Liu Qingge dropped his teacup, the porcelain shattering on the floor. Shang Qinghua nearly choked on his water, trying to subtly duck behind a pillar again.
The other Peak Lords were flabbergasted. They realized the rogue cultivator was the impostor they had tied up a fifteen days ago in Mu Qingfang's body, but the look of shared domesticity between the two was undeniable.
They had assumed Shen Qingqiu had taken advantage of the body-snatcher's very obvious regard to get closer for evidence, no true feelings on his end, but perhaps the mad creature had truly managed to thaw their martial brother after all. An impressive feat, not a single one of them had managed to even reach the point of friendship with the difficult man.
"Shen Yuan," Mu Qingfang sipped his tea calmly, "I have some questions regarding the incident, but no hard feelings. However, should such an event ever take place again, please refrain from reorganizing my peak or making out with Shen-shixiong whist in my skin."
"Hahaha, sure no reorganizing." Shen Yuan winked, and the two took their seats as a unit, Shen Yuan settling comfortably next to Shen Qingqiu. He put his chin in his hands, shooting Mu Qingfang a little grin, "You remember everything?"
The doctor nodded, looking wary at the glint in Shen Yuan's eyes. "How was it for you, kissing Shen Qingqiu?"
Mu Qingfang went scarlet and Shen Qingqiu smacked Shen Yuan with his fan, his cheeks also red. "Also, do not shave me." He sputtered, ignoring the question and their eyes tellingly.
He gave Shen Qingqiu a subtle probing look, already determining he might be getting another lover for them if the doctor was interested. He took the rapid reddening of his scum villain's face as approval.
It was quite intimate sharing a body after all, and the two Shens had run into an unexpected problem in the department of passion - both he and Shen Qingqiu wanted to be the one being taken. Inviting another could solve that, Shen Yuan could take Shen Jiu and Mu Qingfang could take him - it was only fair, he'd been inside Mu Qingfang after all, now the doctor could be in him. If he wanted.
"The mustache is ridiculous," Shen Yuan shrugged, watching Mu Qingfang glance over to stare subtly at Shen Qingqiu's lips, not really listening, "But it's your face. In the unlikely event we body-share again, I will refrain from shaving you. I make no promises about kissing him though."
There was a polite cough. 'Right, behaving.'
"As you all have gathered, this Shen Yuan," Shen Qingqiu announced to the room, not a single trace of emotion in his voice, but his eyes were fixed on the doctor with a silent invitation. "He will be joining our meetings for a time, seeing as he has already done so, and he possesses information regarding our futures from his own world."
"You've truly lost your mind, Shen Qingqiu," Liu Qingge grumbled, but his gaze held a hint of amusement.
Shen Yuan just grinned. He had his man. It was a happy end, complicated as hell, but perfectly theirs.
----
It had been 72 days since "Peerless Cucumber" last posted a searing, multi-hundred-word anti-review or participated in the forums. The Proud Immortal Demon Way fan community was in a minor uproar. The absence of their most dedicated, critical voice was a void that could not be filled.
The [PIDW Forums - Thread "Where is Cucumber Bro? Is He Okay?"] had reached twenty pages.
[Fan_Fangirl_1998]
19 days ago
Has anyone heard from PC? It's been over three months! Did Airplane-ge finally get him? I’m genuinely concerned. The last chapters were so bland without his commentary. And now Airplane hasn't posted anything new in a month! Does anyone know him irl?
[Luo_Bingge_Stan]
15 days ago
Maybe he finally realized PIDW is trash and moved on with his life? Good riddance.
[Cultivation_Fish]
14 days ago
I hope he’s not depressed. His reviews were the only thing that made the novel readable. I need my dose of righteous indignation!
The theories ran rampant: a new job, a mental health break, maybe he was kidnapped by a rogue author. The forum was in chaos until one user, rarely seen and usually cryptic, dropped a single, game-ending comment.
[System]
12 days ago
Peerless Cucumber has transmigrated into PIDW and is too busy romancing the scum villain to respond (♡ω♡) ~♪
...
The entire thread immediately derailed into stunned chaos and incredulous comments. The forums would be gossiping for weeks about that single comment, but nobody heard anything more from Peerless Cucumber.
(Meanwhile, back in Cang Qiong, Shen Yuan had absolutely no regrets, thoroughly enjoying his perfect life with his Scum Villain and the Best Healer in the Jianghu, completely oblivious to the forum chaos he'd left behind.)