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Madam Meiyin laughed. It was a high-pitched sound, more like the screech of a bird than human laughter, but there was definite amusement buried inside the shrill tones. Shen Qingqiu tapped his fan against his forehead, trying to ease the dull ache behind his temples. He was just about ready to call it all off and leave Young Master Huang and the other captives to fend for themselves.
“What’s so funny?” Liu Qingge snapped. He was still soaked from head to foot. Stray hairs that had escaped from his high ponytail plastered themselves to his face. He was in the process of unbuckling his vambraces to shake out the water that had seeped and collected beneath. Shen Qingqiu sighed to himself as he watched Liu Qingge wringing out his sodden sleeves.
How does he still manage to look so dignified and handsome?
“You don’t think it’s that easy, do you?” said Madam Meiyin, failing to entirely hide her smile behind the gauzy green sleeve of her robe as her eyes glittered with delight. “The aphrodisiac may have cooled in your meridians, but that’s only temporary. To get rid of it entirely, you’ll still need to satisfy your... urges.”
Shen Qingqiu felt his eyes widen. Perhaps it was naïve of him, given everything he knew about this ridiculous world, but he really had assumed that the aphrodisiac would be easily snuffed out by cold water – at least for someone like Liu Qingge, who had no interest in such worldly things as sex and lust.
Liu Qingge seemed to agree. “What urges?”
Madam Meiyin’s smile grew sharp and pointed. “You can pretend you don’t feel it, Peak Lord Liu, but you can’t stave it off forever.”
There was a loud crack as Liu Qingge struck the cave wall with his fist. Shen Qingqiu flicked his fan in front of his face to hide his startled expression, as the girls behind Madam Meiyin shrieked and scrambled to hide behind craggy rocks and shelves of stone. The only one who did not move at all was Madam Meiyin; if the old succubus was taken aback by Liu Qingge’s outburst, her wide, steady smile didn’t show it.
“Could you at least try to refrain from bringing the cave down on our heads while we’re still in it?” Shen Qingqiu hissed from behind his fan. Liu Qingge stared at him in outrage, nostrils flaring and chest heaving as he clenched his fists.
Shen Qingqiu shot him a look that usually worked to quell any misbehaviour from his rowdier disciples.
“Respected sage,” he said to Madam Meiyin, ignoring Liu Qingge’s scoff of disdain. “Please could you inform us of the antidote, so that we can be on our way without further trouble to you and your girls?”
Madam Meiyin’s eyes glinted in the dim light of the cave.
“I think you know the antidote, Peak Lord Shen,” she said. “At least, there’s no other that I’ve found, in all my years.”
“Then –”
“Ridiculous!” Liu Qingge’s sword hand dropped to Cheng Luan at his waist. Madam Meiyin’s expression darkened, and Shen Qingqiu hastily stepped back to cover Liu Qingge from sight, waving a hand at Liu Qingge in a silent order to put down his weapon.
He could hear the harsh sound of Liu Qingge’s ragged breaths from over his shoulder. Perhaps Liu-shidi really is worse off than he seems…
“Madam Meiyin, is there really no other alternative?” Shen Qingqiu asked, dread beginning to pool in the pit of his stomach even before her reply. There was no way Liu Qingge would let any of these women within touching distance while he was in this state. But what were the other options? A brothel? Liu Qingge would stomp him into oblivion if he so much as suggested it!
System! If you have any ideas, now would be a great time to share them!
But the System seemed content to remain silent and sit this one out – no matter how hard Shen Qingqiu tried to activate it, the only presence in his head was his own increasingly frantic thoughts.
Madam Meiyin shrugged, a surprisingly inelegant gesture from a woman who prided herself on her seductive charms. “If Peak Lord Liu doesn’t get it out of his system, he’ll likely strain his meridians until his body goes into a qi deviation.”
“Shixiong.” Liu Qingge’s voice behind him was low and urgent. Shen Qingqiu knew they were both thinking of that day in the Lingxi caves, the day Shen Qingqiu had transmigrated right into the qi deviation that had killed the original Liu Qingge of Proud Immortal Demon Way. If it happened again, there was no certainty that Shen Qingqiu would be lucky enough to save his life this time, especially since they were too far from Cang Qiong to enlist Mu Qingfang’s medical aid.
“How much time?” Shen Qingqiu demanded.
Again, Madam Meiyin shrugged. “It depends,” she told him. “Sometimes a day, sometimes no more than the time it takes to burn a few sticks of incense. The more powerful the cultivator, the faster the aphrodisiac reaches their core.”
Shen Qingqiu snapped his fan shut. Liu Qingge was one of the most powerful living cultivators – there was barely any time left at all. When Shen Qingqiu glanced back at Liu Qingge, all he saw was his own fear mirrored in his shidi’s dark eyes. Liu Qingge’s hands were trembling in their balled fists, and he quickly looked down at the ground.
“The way I see it,” said Madam Meiyin, folding her hands together as she eyed them both, “there are two options. Peak Lord Liu here has his choice any of my girls who are willing. Not that there’ll be many, I would imagine, after his earlier displays. Or...” she tilted her head at Shen Qingqiu. “If the Peak Lord’s tastes run in a different direction, then... you can always solve the problem yourself.”
The implication lay heavily between them in the dank air of the cave. Shen Qingqiu glanced behind him, but there was very little to be read in the tight lines of Liu Qingge’s shoulders. He turned his head to avoid meeting Shen Qingqiu’s eyes.
Very helpful, Shen Qingqiu thought with a sour burst of frustration. It seemed the decision would be up to him, then – not that it was all that much of a choice. He knew Liu Qingge’s pride could never stand to allow one of Madam Meiyin’s succubi to touch him.
“We’ll deal with it ourselves, thank you,” said Shen Qingqiu, before he could think too hard about what exactly that meant.
Liu Qingge made a strangled sort of sound, almost like a cut-off moan. Shen Qingqiu shot him a glance, but Liu Qingge was still looking away, the set of his jaw steely and furious.
Great, thought Shen Qingqiu, I’ve finally made an enemy of the War God.
“Wonderful,” said Madam Meiyin with a tight smile. “This works out very nicely. The yang energy produced by two powerful cultivators such as yourselves will more than make up for the damages to our caves.”
Shen Qingqiu grimaced. So, they were really going to have to do this here. There was no other way out without fighting – and that would only exhaust Liu Qingge and drive him closer to qi deviation.
“We have a more private chamber in the cave just behind this,” Madam Meiyin said helpfully. “Unless you would prefer an audience, that is? My girls certainly wouldn’t object, I’m sure.”
Shen Qingqiu blinked at the sudden array of attentive eyes glinting at him from behind various craggy rocks. He felt, more than heard, Liu Qingge’s panicked intake of breath at the idea of being watched.
“Which way?” said Shen Qingqiu. It was going to be bad enough doing this in relative privacy – Liu Qingge would qi deviate on the spot if the succubi were watching them the entire time.
Madam Meiyin smirked as she pointed out the low entrance to the back chamber of the cave. Shen Qingqiu raised his head along with his fan and walked over to the entrance in what he hoped was quiet dignity. He didn’t look behind to see if Liu Qingge was following. After a few moments, he heard Liu Qingge’s stumbling footsteps echoing behind him.
At the opening, Shen Qingqiu was struck by a thought. He stopped in the doorway, forcing Liu Qingge to come to a halt with a disgruntled huff. He shot his thin-faced shidi a sheepish look before calling over to Madam Meiyin.
“Respected sage, does it matter which way we…” he trailed off, finding his own face was maybe not quite thick enough to weather the mortification of finishing that question.
Thankfully, he had apparently regained enough good will with Madam Meiyin by agreeing to fuck in her caves for her to take pity on him. “No,” she said. “It’s entirely up to you.”
That was just about the only element of the situation that was down to choice, it seemed. He nodded his thanks at Madam Meiyin and grabbed Liu Qingge by the wrist, dragging him inside the smaller chamber and away from the glittering eyes that had followed them through the cave.
Liu Qingge’s skin was no longer wet from the cave pool – in fact, he was so hot that Shen Qingqiu thought he might be developing a fever. When they stepped out of the main cavern, he quickly dropped Liu Qingge’s wrist and pressed the heel of his hand into his forehead. He took a couple of deep breaths that at least managed to slow his thundering heart rate a little. He knew that his cheeks were burning, his thoughts jumbled and disordered, but it had to be far worse for Liu Qingge, who was in the ever-tightening grip of the unstoppable aphrodisiac.
The quicker they got this over with, the quicker they could get out of here and forget the whole thing ever happened in the first place.
He sighed. “Do you have a preference, Liu-shidi?”
It seemed Liu Qingge wasn’t nearly as quick on the uptake as Madam Meiyin, but then, that was only to be expected. How often did someone manage to entangle the Bai Zhan War God in one of the many ridiculous sex plots this world had to offer?
Liu Qingge’s brow was knotted as he gazed blankly at the plain little room they were standing in. His ponytail swung in an arc over his shoulder as he looked around. Even his hair was mostly dry now – it seemed that his core was burning up as the aphrodisiac raced through his meridians, heating him from the inside out. They really didn’t have long to get this done.
“Liu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu said, pocketing his fan and waving a hand in front of Liu Qingge’s face.
Liu Qingge startled, backing up with a scowl. “What?”
Shen Qingqiu sighed. “Do you prefer... that is, would you rather...” He floundered for a while in the face of Liu Qingge’s complete incomprehension, gave up on words and made a crude gesture that had Liu Qingge’s eyes widening in almost comical horror.
“I have – I don’t –” Liu Qingge threw up his hands, shrinking back against the cave wall. “You know more about this than I do, so just do whatever you want!”
Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth, ready to snap back that he had no experience whatsoever, but then he remembered than the original goods was well-known for frequenting brothels. Obviously, Liu Qingge would assume he was some kind of seasoned expert when it came to sex – and it wasn’t like Shen Qingqiu could disabuse him of the idea, if he wanted to maintain his cover. Besides, wouldn’t it just upset Liu Qingge even more if he went into this knowing that neither of them had a clue what they were doing?
No, if they were going to have to do this, Shen Qingqiu was going to need to step up and be the hero Liu Qingge deserved in his hour of need.
Or something along those lines.
“Alright, then,” said Shen Qingqiu. He glanced around the small cavern. There was a low wooden table in the centre of the room, equipped with various pots and bowls. In the corner lay a bed, or – perhaps more accurately – a succubus nest, strewn with furs and sheets made of rough cloth. He gestured at it with his fan and hoped against hope that it was clean and unused. “Do you want to...”
Liu Qingge made a sound that could only reasonably be described as a growl. “Stop asking things! What do you need to know?”
He marched over to the bed anyway, which Shen Qingqiu supposed he could consider a minor victory. He watched Liu Qingge perch on the edge of it, teeth gritted and knuckles white. He looked utterly miserable. Shen Qingqiu wondered if he should feel the same. Right now, he didn’t feel much of anything, other than vague embarrassment and an increasingly pressing fear that Liu Qingge’s meridians were about to implode.
He took a step closer to the bed, and Liu Qingge flinched. Shen Qingqiu paused, pretending to examine the contents of the table instead, so that he could give Liu Qingge time to collect himself and pretend that hadn’t happened. There was a bowl of water, a plate of strange yellow herbs, and a few stoppered pots. He picked one up and examined it. When he popped the lid off, he realised it was oil. These succubi really were prepared for anything, it seemed.
He slipped it into his sleeve and joined Liu Qingge on the bed. For a moment, they both sat in awkward silence, equally unsure of how to begin.
“Liu –” Shen Qingqiu began, at the same moment that Liu Qingge turned and tackled him down onto the bed. He fell back with a winded grunt, hands flying up to grab Liu Qingge by the shoulders. He felt something hard and hot pressing against his thigh. A momentary blaze of white-hot fear led him to push back, wrapping his ankle around Liu Qingge’s leg and using the leverage to flip them over. Usually, it would be impossible to shift Liu Qingge if he’d set his mind on something, but, in this state, Liu Qingge was oddly pliable. He landed on his back on the bed, with Shen Qingqiu scrambling upright above him.
It resulted in another awkward tussle, during which Shen Qingqiu’s guan clattered to the ground, Liu Qingge’s vambraces following them in short order. They weren’t getting much further, though – Liu Qingge was writhing about underneath him in a way that was becoming entirely too distracting.
“Hold still!” said Shen Qingqiu, slapping a hand down in the centre of Liu Qingge’s chest. Surely it would be easier to do – this – if Liu Qingge wasn’t carrying on like a blushing damsel fearing her ravishment by a scum villain.
Then again, wasn’t that exactly what was about to happen?
His hand rose and fell with the heave of Liu Qingge’s chest. He watched its motion for a few seconds before he gathered enough courage to continue.
When he looked back up at Liu Qingge’s face, he found that his shidi really was blushing. A rosy glow had risen to the surface on his cheeks. This close, Shen Qingqiu could see that Liu Qingge had a sprinkling of light freckles over the bridge of his nose. Liu Qingge noticed him looking and crinkled his nose in irritation. It was actually kind of adorable.
Shen Qingqiu sat back on his heels at that realisation, his robes falling down to bare his shoulders. Liu Qingge reached out like he wanted to pull the robe back into place, only to think better of it. His hands hovered in midair for a moment. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t bear the suspense – and so he grabbed Liu Qingge by the wrists and pressed his hands, palms up, against the rough grain of the bed sheets.
Liu Qingge blinked up at him, startled. It wasn’t often someone managed to pin him down, Shen Qingqiu supposed. He was painfully aware that Liu Qingge was only in this position because he was weakened by the aphrodisiac, and he could still probably marshal enough strength to shove Shen Qingqiu away if he really wanted to.
“Do you trust me?” Shen Qingqiu found himself asking. It was a pointless question, in the circumstances. But Liu Qingge surprised him by nodding, a quick jerk of his head that was followed by a furious scowl, as if admitting that had cost him the last remnants of his pride.
Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help the smile that slipped across his face for a brief moment before he banished it. What was there to smile about right now?
“That’s good,” he said. “Just let me handle it, then. Shixiong will make sure you’re alright.”
A strangled whine escaped Liu Qingge’s lips. He tossed his head to the side, exposing the elegant line of his throat, the artery lying beneath the thin skin leaping as he swallowed.
Shen Qingqiu found himself gripped with a sudden desire that this was happening in a different set of circumstances – in a place that wasn’t a dingy cave with dozens of succubi milling around outside. A place where the threat of imminent injury or death wasn’t bearing down on Liu Qingge. If this was happening at a better time, because they both chose and wanted it, then it would be so –
– Wait, what?
There wasn’t enough time to delve deeper into those thoughts. Shen Qingqiu filed them away – far, far away – and let go of Liu Qingge for long enough to strip down to his undershirt and trousers. Liu Qingge’s throat bobbed as he watched, jaw slack and eyes wide and glazed with the effects of the aphrodisiac. He stiffened when Shen Qingqiu’s hands fell to his belt. Shen Qingqiu stopped, and Liu Qingge let out an infuriated breath through his nostrils.
“Just get on with it,” he muttered, flushing even pinker.
Shen Qingqiu obliged. He tugged Liu Qingge’s belt off and, when Liu Qingge didn’t move to do it himself, he manhandled him out of his robes. His initial attempt to take control by tackling Shen Qingqiu onto the bed had given way to complete inertia, it seemed. It felt weird to have the Bai Zhan War God pliant beneath him, letting Shen Qingqiu shift his heavy limbs about like he was a rag doll. In fact, the lack of movement and participation from Liu Qingge was beginning to worry him. It was beginning to feel too much like Shen Qingqiu was forcing him. Which, really, he supposed he was.
He lifted Liu Qingge’s arms and pulled his shirt over his head. Liu Qingge was, as expected, lithe and muscular beneath his clothes. Shen Qingqiu faltered for a moment, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. He was aware that he was staring perhaps a little too fervently, but Liu Qingge didn’t seem to be in a position to care. His eyes were vacant and glassy as he stared up at the craggy roof of the cave.
It was only when Shen Qingqiu managed to get his hands on the waist of Liu Qingge’s pants that Liu Qingge seemed to snap back to himself, blinking down at Shen Qingqiu like he was seeing him for the first time. He shifted his hips up a little, just enough to allow Shen Qingqiu to drag his trousers and small clothes off. And, well... it wasn’t as though Shen Qingqiu had much to compare it to, but it was... big. Not quite a heavenly pillar, perhaps, but more than halfway there.
Shen Qingqiu wasn’t so sure he had the resolve to go through with this anymore.
Distracted, he knocked the stopper of the pot of oil with his thumb. He tipped far too much of it out at once and hesitated for a moment, before wiping some of the excess off on Liu Qingge’s thighs, rubbing his fingers in small, experimental circles across the bare skin. Liu Qingge shivered, muscles tensing at the brush of Shen Qingqiu’s fingers. His cock, flushed a deep red and lying hard against his stomach, twitched at the promise of attention.
Naturally, Shen Qingqiu had never given all that much thought to other men’s cocks. But he knew how to touch himself – and he supposed that Liu Qingge couldn’t be too different.
He reached out with tentative fingers, curling them around the warm weight of Liu Qingge’s cock. The slide of oil against skin was velvety soft, and Liu Qingge gasped out a stuttering breath as Shen Qingqiu tried to find the right angle that would allow him to stroke Liu Qingge’s cock without injuring his wrist.
Liu Qingge shuddered, his back rising from the bed in an arc as he leaned into Shen Qingqiu’s touch. There was something oddly magnetic about watching the faces he made: the way his brow screwed up and his nose crinkled as Shen Qingqiu found a rhythm and intensity that was clearly working for him. He rubbed his thumb along the base of Liu Qingge’s dick, just brushing his balls, and was rewarded with a sharp gasp and a knee to the hip.
“I – Shen...” Liu Qingge’s breath was laboured, his eyes heavy on Shen Qingqiu’s face. “Qingqiu, you have to – stop, stop!” Liu Qingge’s hand shoved at his shoulder, and Shen Qingqiu drew back a little.
“What’s wrong?”
Liu Qingge shook his head, covering his flushed face with the back of his hand and refusing to say anything else.
Shen Qingqiu took in a deep breath. It appeared he would have to do everything around here. “Liu-shi... Qingge. Do you want me to fuck you?” He was proud that his voice only cracked a little.
“Whatever,” Liu Qingge choked out, but it sounded less defensive and more desperate with his cock pressed hard against Shen Qingqiu’s front. “No, yes, I don’t – I don’t care, just – anything, do whatever you want, fuck –”
Somehow, despite it all – or maybe, a small voice in his head that was not the System whispered, because of it all – Shen Qingqiu’s body was responding to the strain in Liu Qingge’s voice, to the pretty curve of his thick cock that was leaking onto his toned stomach, to the desperate way his hands clutched at the sheets beneath them.
Shen Qingqiu ran his fingers through the oil that gleamed on Liu Qingge’s thighs and took hold of his own cock, stroking it roughly to relieve a little of the aching need threatening to overtake him. Now that they were here, on the cusp of this, he somehow knew exactly what he wanted to do.
He could try to rationalise it any way he liked – Liu Qingge was already primed for it by the aphrodisiac, his muscles would be more relaxed than Shen Qingqiu’s, his cock was a little thicker so it might be too difficult for Shen Qingqiu to take it – but really, all it came down to was the simple fact that he wanted to be inside Liu Qingge. He wanted to know what it felt like to have Liu Qingge split open on his cock, wanted to know what sounds he could wring out of him, wanted to see the way his eyelids fluttered, the way his lips parted on a moan...
It was starting to feel a bit alarming, realising that he apparently wanted it so badly. Had Madam Meiyin secretly dosed him with her aphrodisiac, too?
He could worry about that later. For now, all that mattered was, well, fucking the poison out of Liu Qingge’s system. And possibly his own.
He was surprised at how steady his hands were as he pushed Liu Qingge’s legs wider, his cock nudging at Liu Qingge’s hole. Liu Qingge twitched like he’d been jabbed with a cattle prod. Shen Qingqiu tried to guide himself inside, but Liu Qingge had tensed, his body locking up against the threat of intrusion.
“Try to relax a bit,” he said to Liu Qingge, who snapped his teeth at him with a fierce glare.
“How am I supposed to do that? If it’s so easy, you try it, then come back and tell me to relax! I didn’t ask for this!”
Shen Qingqiu was reminded with a jolt that neither of them wanted this. It had been the best option from a brace of unappealing ideas, but it still wasn’t a true choice. They both could have probably gone through their entire lives quite happily without ever choosing to do this, if not for Madam Meiyin and her liberal use of aphrodisiacs.
Yet, here they were.
Shen Qingqiu stroked the length of Liu Qingge’s hip the way people did to keep nervous horses calm, feeling more than a little sheepish at his own lack of consideration. He was getting too carried away, when all he was meant to be doing was helping Liu Qingge overcome a poison. He wasn't even supposed to like men, yet here he was behaving like a character written by that shitty author Airplane!
“Okay, okay,” he murmured. “This shixiong was wrong, he’ll be more careful from now on.”
That was enough to disarm Liu Qingge’s defences and have his brow softening in surprise. Shen Qingqiu took swift advantage of this and leaned forward, before he could think better of it, to kiss Liu Qingge.
It was an unfortunate first kiss in many ways – he was pretty sure their teeth shouldn’t have collided like that, for one – but it did wonders to relieve the tension in Liu Qingge’s broad shoulders. As Liu Qingge’s legs clamped around him like a vice, Shen Qingqiu let his hair fall like a curtain either side of Liu Qingge’s face and took hold of his jaw, tilting it up for a better angle. He rolled his hips to drag the lines of their cocks together, drawing a low groan from Liu Qingge. He swallowed it with another kiss, then pulled back just enough to fumble for the remainder of the oil and slick himself with it. Liu Qingge’s eyes glittered as he watched the movement of Shen Qingqiu’s fist around his cock.
Did he like what he saw? Shen Qingqiu wasn’t bold enough to ask outright. All his bravery was concentrated in the act of lining himself up against Liu Qingge’s hole, staring down at the tip of his cock as it slowly breached him. Maybe he should have tried to use his fingers first, to make things easier, but he wasn't sure they had time for that.
“Ah...” Liu Qingge’s forehead was creased in what could have been discomfort or desire, or possibly both. He dragged a deep breath into his lungs, then released it. Shen Qingqiu felt Liu Qingge's body soften, a little of the tension unspooling as he did his best to loosen up.
Shen Qingqiu threaded his fingers with Liu Qingge’s. Like this, he could feel his unsettled qi as it coursed through him like a roaring river, pure and terrifying in its immense power. He channelled a little of his own spiritual energy into Liu Qingge’s meridians, urging it to cool the flood inside him.
Slowly, achingly slowly, Shen Qingqiu bore down, pressing his full weight against the bed to hold Liu Qingge in place as he opened him on his cock. He’d never imagined it would feel like this – never imagined it at all. Liu Qingge was tight and slick and burning hot around him. He had his head tipped back, throat working helplessly as his thighs fell further apart. Shen Qingqiu stared at the sight of his shidi undone like never before. He pushed his way in slowly, as gently as he could manage while still forcing Liu Qingge's body to yield to him. It was torturous, making himself slow down when all he wanted to do was –
“Move!” Liu Qingge’s voice was hoarse with need.
Who was Shen Qingqiu to deny him? He shifted, drawing back to the limits Liu Qingge would allow, then drove back inside him. It made Liu Qingge cry out, a cut-off sound that he stifled by biting down on his lip. Shen Qingqiu’s hips stuttered at the sight of tears welling in Liu Qingge’s eyes.
“It doesn’t hurt, does it?” Shen Qingqiu whispered, not trusting his voice. Liu Qingge shook his head. His eyelashes were wet as he blinked furiously, but his ankles kicked at Shen Qingqiu’s back in silent encouragement.
Shen Qingqiu began to move in earnest, losing himself to the tight clench of Liu Qingge’s body, to the taut swell of Liu Qingge’s chest as his back arched to meet Shen Qingqiu, to the wildness in his eyes and the breathy sounds he made as little shocks of pleasure drove through him with each thrust.
He knew this shouldn’t be happening, that neither of them had wanted it to happen – but, right now, it didn’t feel that way. Somehow, it felt good.
Liu Qingge’s fingers wrested their way out of Shen Qingqiu’s grip for long enough to grab the back of his head and crash their lips together.
The kiss was better this time, in feeling if not technique, the slide of tongues and lips only intensifying the way their bodies moved in time with one other. Shen Qingqiu felt himself slowing, his hips rocking into Liu Qingge at a deliberate, measured pace. He needed to savour this, needed to take his time to make sure Liu Qingge felt good, because this was never going to happen again. It could never happen again.
Liu Qingge’s hands wound into Shen Qingqiu’s hair, tugging lightly to pull him away for long enough to allow them both to breathe. Shen Qingqiu bent his head to kiss Liu Qingge’s neck instead, feeling the throb of Liu Qingge’s pulse against his lips.
Liu Qingge's throat bobbed. “Please,” he said, his voice little more than a puff of breath in Shen Qingqiu’s ear, and that was all it took for Shen Qingqiu to finally come.
The shock in Liu Qingge’s eyes at the sensation of warm spend filling him made Shen Qingqiu bury his face into Liu Qingge’s shoulder, still rutting into him with apologies and curses falling from his lips to be muffled against Liu Qingge’s skin. It took a while before he remembered that Liu Qingge’s cock was still trapped between their bodies, aching and hard. He reached between them and jerked Liu Qingge’s cock in rough strokes, dragging him closer to the edge. They were balanced right on the precipice, the promised release that would drain the poison from Liu Qingge's meridians along with his pleasure. Liu Qingge's body tensed as his hips tilted upwards in desperation, chasing the pressure and friction that would give him what he needed.
I'm doing this, Shen Qingqiu thought in a jumbled haze. I'm doing this to him.
He tightened his fist around Liu Qingge's cock, drawing a throaty cry from him as his body finally let go and he came over Shen Qingqiu’s hand.
Shen Qingqiu turned his face just in time to catch the perfect, taut line of Liu Qingge’s jaw, the tremor of his open mouth, the creases at the corner of his closed eyes as beaded tears slipped from beneath his lids.
It was so much, too much – and their combined yang energy seeped from them into the walls of the cave, leaving them glowing bright white for an instant of brief, dazzling bliss.
Slowly, the effect faded, and Liu Qingge shoved at Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. He realised he was still inside Liu Qingge, though he’d grown soft minutes ago. They both winced as he pulled out, and then they were separate again, and staring at each other with the full weight of what they had just done lying between them like a boulder fallen from the cave roof. Shen Qingqiu felt like he’d been struck on the head. Liu Qingge looked back at him in the same daze.
Neither of them spoke for a long time. Slowly, the noise from the main cavern began to drift in – the chittering of succubi, just outside their private room, the rich hum of yang energy being drawn from the walls of the caves. Liu Qingge rolled onto his side, back facing Shen Qingqiu.
He stared at the firm, unyielding line of Liu Qingge’s back. It… it hurt, to be shut out so resolutely, when only moments before he had been as deep inside Liu Qingge’s body as it was possible to go.
Shen Qingqiu sighed. What had he expected? There was no way Liu Qingge was ever going to be glad this happened. He should count himself lucky if Liu Qingge ever spoke to him again.
He pushed himself up off the bed and went to retrieve the bowl of water from the little table in the centre of the chamber. Testing it with his finger proved that it wasn’t another sort of succubus poison or acid, so he grabbed a cloth and quickly washed himself clean. He was just starting to pull on his trousers when Liu Qingge turned towards him, his cheek pillowed against one of white pelts strewn across the bed.
Shen Qingqiu offered him the bowl, hoping it would be understood as an apology and a peace offering without him needing to say it aloud. Liu Qingge raised an eyebrow, then took it from him, his thumb brushing Shen Qingqiu’s knuckles.
Then, he rose from the bed in all his naked glory and tipped the whole thing over his head.
Shen Qingqiu’s mouth went dry. He knew he shouldn’t be watching, but the image of Liu Qingge’s toned body unclothed and dripping wet was impossible to look away from.
“What?” Liu Qingge’s voice snapped him back to reality.
“Uh, I was… I just…” Shen Qingqiu fumbled for a reasonable excuse for being caught in the act of staring, and found himself coming up short. “I mean, is the poison gone?”
Liu Qingge nodded.
“Good,” said Shen Qingqiu. “Good, I mean, that’s… that was the whole reason… the only reason, I mean…”
Liu Qingge dropped the empty bowl to the floor, where it chipped and splintered. Uncaring, he stepped closer, until his naked body was almost pressed up against Shen Qingqiu’s front.
“Shut up,” he said, and before Shen Qingqiu could take a step back or even open his mouth to reply, he was being kissed.
His first reaction was to grab his shidi by the wrist to check that this wasn't just the lingering effects of the aphrodisiac, despite Liu Qingge's assurances. He wasn't sure he could bear to be kissed right now if Liu Qingge was still under its influence.
But the qi that course through Liu Qingge's meridians was clear and pure once more - not even a trace of the poison remained in his system, and yet he was still choosing to press his lips against Shen Qingqiu's.
Oh, he thought, just before Liu Qingge’s mouth swallowed every word that fought its way to the tip of his tongue, I guess he doesn’t hate me after all.
From somewhere in the near distance, Madam Meiyin’s knowing cackle of laughter went entirely unheard.