Chapter Text
Two Days Prior:
Shen Yuan didn't have the beginnings of a headache. That would imply he'd been without a headache since mid-last week, which would be a lie.
Grumpy was, perhaps, an understatement for his mood, but it couldn't be helped. It had been months since he'd had a flare-up this bad, and he'd been enjoying the freedom afforded by his rare bout of good fortune. Right until he could no longer do so.
"I thought you would stay in bed," Binghe said, lounging around him much like the nurse he wasn't. Frankly Shen Yuan didn't really ask Binghe to do anything related to his 'job' - he hadn't since about two weeks into knowing him (or rather, a persona of him). He hadn't needed to.
"I like being near the kitchen," Shen Yuan said, distracted by the text he was reading.
Anytime Shen Yuan admitted to liking anything openly, on purpose or by accident, Luo Binghe would latch onto the notion not unlike sweet red bean paste to the roof of a mouth. Shen Yuan felt his reactions to these moments were a tad dramatic, but Binghe had the habit ingrained in him, and frankly. Well.
It was cute, alright? It was! He would write screeds on the subject, if he was defending the matter to anyone that disagreed.
"Is it because I'm there?" he asked, and Shen Yuan could feel the curve of his smile against the skin of his neck.
"Of course it is," he scoffed, very accustomed to this fishing by now.
"Hmm. My A-Yuan only speaks his mind, of course," Binghe did not need to sound both fond and wry when he said this, but he certainly chose to.
Shen Yuan was used to this too - in his view it wasn't anything less affectionate than the nuzzling he was getting right now.
"Of course," he grew distracted again, reviewing the list Liu Qianggui - Qingge - had sent their way.
The War God her -him - self?? It was a bit unfair of whatever was in charge of Systems everywhere, that he didn't get to keep his own gender. She didn't seem to mind though.
Shen Yuan was very much still accustomed to managing the one gender he was born with; it was confusing how at ease Liu Qianggui had seemed in her own body. They had no idea how long she'd been here for - though Binghe had theorized at least since they first met her, which was several months ago at this point.
He pondered, idly, if he'd been in her (or his) position - would he have adapted as well? Part of him didn't think so, that it would have been impossible to adapt to being a woman. But alternatively - he had always sworn that if he ever transmigrated anywhere, he'd do his best to actually blend in and not cause a huge ruckus. Would that have involved accepting being the opposite sex entirely?
"What are you thinking?" Binghe nudged him with his words, ending that somewhat disturbing rabbit hole of thought.
"These mission names," he veered away from a real answer with a murmur. Back on topic, he was trying to feel through the titles by genre convention alone. Liu Qianggui had not been able to give them much more information, and Binghe warned that there might be further restrictions they didn't know about, so it could have been an incomplete list.
"'Meet Cute' - Systems are so predictable," he continued, sounding rankled in an understated way. "She said she got that one when we introduced ourselves more formally."
This might or might not have been the cause of his headache. He would die before confirming it.
"What does it mean?" Binghe asked, because of course he would.
"Mn. Shang Ruhua would say it's not as good as a 'Meet Ugly' - but it's basically some quirky or humorous incident that causes two main leads of a … certain genre of story, to meet for the first time."
Shen Yuan was meandering around the point, but it was making him feel a certain way and he didn't enjoy it.
There was a thoughtful pause, and he could feel a hum rumbling in Binghe's chest. "Romance stories?"
Damn it all.
"If you must know, yes." Shen Yuan tried not to sound snotty, but he knew his face was as thin as they came. Instead of confronting his own response head on, he instead put his phone closer to his face, stubbornly saying less than usual.
"And that worries you?"
"No," he said, with all the conviction of someone that believed he wasn't lying.
"A-Yuan can't possibly believe I would ever part from him." Binghe liked to wrap his words in soft velvet and then cry when they weren't accepted. Shen Yuan could feel the pout brewing - he didn't even need to turn his head.
"I believe you. I also believe you had a whole harem of ladies at your beck and call. An appearance by another woman," even if she had been a he once upon a time, "with a System, no less - I could see it trying to attempt a connection," Shen Yuan said, very peaceably, reasonably, and succinctly. He didn't sound salted about it at all, which - because he was who he was - wasn't a front. Binghe didn't sulk in the background about it.
His mind was already done reminding him that Binghe was clearly someone who played for both teams, or at least made specific exceptions. "I'm just thinking," he continued, one hand reaching behind to pat Binghe's head in apology. "If this is a wife plot, it's a strange one."
There was a puzzled silence this time.
"She met both of us! If it was a 'Meet Cute' surely it would have just been you. I was just a bystander."
"A-Yuan always sells himself short," Binghe mumbled, but he was also used to compliments like this sliding off of Shen Yuan's back. It was why he sounded grumpy about it at the same time.
"You're the protagonist - were the protagonist - if there's a System involved, you'd be the one it would try to latch onto, right?" he continued reasoning out, tuning out Binghe's flat look until he felt teeth on the back of his neck, biting down gently and jolting him.
"Ah!"
Binghe held on until Shen Yuan stopped squirming around, but he was gentle, and Shen Yuan didn't try that hard, really. "You were my System's power source," he said, as strongly emphasized as he dared to be, clearly as amused as he was irritated. "Surely you have considered that you are - or were - the protagonist of my System's story."
Shen Yuan's mind rebelled against this idea, despite the overwhelming evidence that this might have been, perhaps, somewhat, even a little bit true.
"In that case, I'm not sure what her story is supposed to be about. If I was your System's power source, what's - or who - is hers?"
The silence that followed made it clear that neither of them could possibly know at the moment.
"I could ask Airplane," Shen Yuan said, with a mix of trepidation and horror that was common whenever he spoke about the man in question.
"If you must," Binghe said, in an airy tone that seemed a little too airy to be real.
"If only Liu Qingge had more backstory," Shen Yuan complained, feeling unsettled yet again by the idea that a third fourth fifth player had entered the game. He supposed he'd been thrown before: Jiu-ge was both nothing like, and entirely similar, to his fiction-based counterpart. But there was more about him for obvious reasons - Liu Qingge died for no reason beyond making Shen Qingqiu look worse in the public eye.
He considered maybe talking to Jiu-ge instead of Airplane. He also considered throwing himself down a flight of stairs instead.
(In any case, Shen Yuan got the feeling Liu Qianggui would respond poorly to being outed without her say-so, even if his intentions were good.)
"Like I was saying: 'meet cute' implies a romantic story. But if it only triggered when she met us, that means it's probably angling for you to get involved with her."
"Hm."
Shen Yuan considered Binghe's skeptical tone.
He would admit - very much in the back of his mind: he'd been torn between freely accepting his Binghe's affections versus helping him achieve his designated greatness (in whatever arena, he might add!) - but in this world, avenues for greatness were in short supply. That, and Binghe so easily forewent his obvious prowess as a half-demon, just to remain free. Shen Yuan respected this as much as it worried him. Losing a protagonist halo was no joke!
It also seemed like he had no interest in rekindling his harem.
Shen Yuan, though, had a few doubts.
When cajoled at the right moment, Binghe would speak fondly of a few of his wives. He clearly missed them, even if he did not seem to miss his station as Emperor at all. And when he spoke of them, he clearly tried to hide how sad it made him to consider he'd left them behind.
If it had been Liu Mingyan, this would have been more obvious. Liu Qingge was an unknown - but the more they got to know him - her - the more he could see Binghe's interest pique.
Ignoring the odd pressure in his chest, he turned his head to catch Binghe's eye.
"You think it triggered for me? Not you?" he asked, rightfully incredulous.
"It is just as likely," Binghe said, his voice soothing and his handsome face fond. "She doesn't seem very inclined to recognize overtures of affection." At this, his gaze grew distant. "Which is an affliction I am now familiar with."
"Really?" Shen Yuan's ears perked up as he asked this. He was inferring more to the 'not recognizing overtures' part of Binghe's statement and nothing else, because his brain was busy latching onto an Idea.
Binghe's corresponding expression was steeped in love, undercut with an exasperation so fathomless it generated its own gravity well.
"So you did flirt with her?" Shen Yuan continued digging in with his heels, sounding very enthusiastic all things considered. Deep in his own head, he was starting to formulate options to test Liu Qingge's System and the mission parameters in play.
He was also getting his mind off of any other uncomfortable thoughts. Vagaries, the lot of them!
The tone accompanying that question made him appear rather encouraging of the idea. And he wanted to be! Because Liu Qiang - Liu Qingge did not deserve to be under the thumb of a System! No one did!
And maybe, also, he considered that Luo Binghe could use an actual friend from his old life - one who didn't have a history with him (positive or negative). Jiu-ge wasn't exactly jumping at the bit to hang out (the very thought gave Shen Yuan hives), and Meng Mo ….
Well. He was in another situation entirely, what with him being stuck as a(n adorable) child and living distinctly elsewhere.
They were working on it.
Luo Binghe blinked in his direction. A conflux of emotions shifted across his face before settling on uncertainty. "I only … teased. It wasn't … I would never do such a thing without your permission, A-Yuan."
That wasn't a denial. Knowing Binghe he absolutely tried just to see if he could get a rise out of her. A test. He might have also thought he was flirting with Liu Mingyan, something Shen Yuan forgave instantaneously, all things considered.
After a moment, he pushed down his own worries. He had faith in Binghe now; that hadn't changed.
Besides - Liu Qianggui was ….
It had to be said, as it might have been previously noted: Shen Yuan did not know a lot of women, reliably attractive ones at that. He especially did not know a lot of beautiful women who used to be, apparently, beautiful men.
Look, he could extrapolate! In spite of his own mind theater conjuring a grizzled, manly appearance for War God Liu Qingge, there were context clues abound that both Liu siblings were equally, and unfairly pretty. Gender barely played a role there!
In any case: she didn't seem to care about her sex; she was a xianxia-flavored cultivator of the sword trapped in a modern office-worker's life. Shen Yuan could assume the matter wasn't a top priority for her based on her behavior alone. To him, it actually made a lot of sense that she'd put the issue on the backburner.[1]
But he did like her, to his own surprise. She was perfunctory and honest. Apparently long-suffering to morons; knowing what he knew now, she had shown great restraint that day they'd officially met (for the second time). She bore her honor so brightly it made one's eyes bleed. And she was all the more dependable for it, no matter her bluntness. In their short time knowing each other, he felt like he could trust her with his life.
(She was also funny. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but at least he appreciated a good sense of humor.)
"Then … you have my permission."
Shen Yuan felt the words leave him, and the pressure was back, and his heart was thudding ominously, but he got them out of his mouth without exploding. He wanted to wipe his brow; this shouldn't feel so dire, it was all System generated bullshit. He just thought they'd be free of the worst of it by now!
"What?"
"You have my permission - you can uh. Woo?"
"I don't want to woo," Binghe responded, a little stubbornly perhaps - but his eyes were growing large in Shen Yuan's direction. This was his curious face. "Unless … do you?"
"No I - no? I mean - yes? I want you to," Shen Yuan countered, his brain losing the plot rapidly as his thoughts plummeted off a cliff somewhere. "I mean - I'm just trying to see if her mission parameters change or advance if you start trying to uh. Romance her. Him. It could potentially trigger her System to respond. It would help Qiang-jie, either way."
"If you are asking me to do so, I will," Binghe said, magnanimous, after evaluating him under a mile-long stare that made Shen Yuan sweat profusely. Sure, he didn't have his powers and his mantle, but Binghe was a charismatic force to be reckoned with regardless.
He raised one finger, and then slid his whole hand over to rest on Shen Yuan's stomach, under the blanket. "But," he continued. "You must promise me something."
"Ah - of course!" There was little Shen Yuan wouldn't try to do for Binghe. But after living this long with him in close proximity, this kind of gesture led them in only a few, very specific directions. It still flustered him immensely - Binghe was, it seemed, perennially sticky. Sometimes he let it bleed out in public, but only when he knew he could get away with it, the rascal.
"You have to join me," Binghe murmured in his ear, gathering him close. "Woo her with me."
"What?!"
"I will not try unless you do," Binghe said, firmly - which was a rare thing when it came to persuading Shen Yuan in particular. Usually all he had to do was make a very soft expression and ask. But he seemed rather unwilling to be flippant, which made Shen Yuan take him more seriously.
"I can't - I can't do that," he said with a small, fretful swallow. Shen Yuan didn't sound outraged. He felt outraged at the idea, and should have sounded more aggravated. But his tone was slip-sliding all over the place, and had landed on 'deeply uncertain.' "I don't know how to do that - and - I would just get in your way, besides!"
Surely his ineptitude would harm any advances made in Liu Qianggui's direction! He - she - was already probably deeply uninterested in men regardless. Shen Yuan just happened to have a lot of faith in Luo Binghe's ability to bend anyone in his direction, like flowers to a sun.
"Hmm," was Binghe's thoughtful rejoinder; called thus because it was filled with weighty skepticism. The hand on splayed out on that belly pressed down with the tips of his fingers, just a smidge. In response, Shen Yuan's toes curled reflexively.
Luo Binghe continued his ponderings aloud after he secured Shen Yuan even further onto his lap. "You would never be in my way," he promised. "Though I shall rephrase: if I am to woo on purpose, you should be yourself. Be a good friend to Liu Qianggui, in your way."
"I was gonna do that anyway!" Shen Yuan huffed, not at all flushed at this topic of conversation. "Like I said, you don't want me flirting on purpose - I don't know how to do that with anyone."
"I believe it would be devastating to witness," Binghe said, with so much earnestness Shen Yuan wasn't sure if he was joking or completely serious.
"Yes, for the ecosystem," Shen Yuan's snark was irrepressible on this particular matter.
He got a bite on his ear for the trouble.
Present Day:
Internally, Liu Qianggui was punching a wall until her knuckles bled. Externally, she was vibrating at a very low frequency that only dogs could hear.
The chime of the System rung ominously, a death knell in her ear. She couldn't even spare a glance at what was being alerted to her - that monotone, artificially pleasant voice sounded like it was transmitted to her from beneath the earth.
What kind of sick game was it playing?
"Qiang-jie? Why are you --?"
"Apologies," she countered without answering either query. She immediately turned around to jump back onto a roof, like a normal person, but a hand snagged her elbow.
"That is you, isn't it?"
Luo Jiangxue was doing an incredible job ignoring the man unconscious on the concrete below. He'd stepped over the comatose bundle without as much as a second glance.
Huh.
Giving her a very wide-eyed gaze, Luo Jiangxue was making her increasingly nervous, for reasons that didn't have to do with her scrambling to concoct a fiction that would make sense.
It seemed her hesitation was noticed by the System as well.
Time slowed to a stop, as it always did when it tried to talk to her.
SYSTEM ADMIN MESSAGE
Would User like assistance in the form of pre-approved answers?
She felt like this was just asking for trouble, but desperate times called.
How much?
Free of charge!
Oh yes. Big trouble. But her brain felt empty of any actual thought, which the System took advantage of. She folded out of desperation.
Not her proudest moment.
Option A - Denial: "I don't know who you're talking about." (You tug your arm free of his grip, and jump off into the night.)
Right. Sure. That was already one of the more viable plans she'd had in mind (it was in fact the only plan she had in mind). Unfortunately, she was wondering if there were options that didn't involve lying poorly and then fleeing the premises.
Option B - Honesty: "Yes. I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me." (You turn to face him, take off your helmet, your gaze vulnerable, and let his grip linger.)
… What the fuck were these options? What the f--
Option C - Fake It Til You Make It: "I can explain - in private. Hang on to me." (You proceed to take him with you and leap to the top of the building, where you will be allowed to say a portion of the truth in question.)
Liu Qianggui allowed herself to feel the full measure of her exasperation, heart thudding against her ribs.
Option D - Say nothing and stare him down. (You shift into a fighting stance, ready to take out any threat to your goals.) ✌️
Sighing sharply, she picked 'Option C' perhaps more stroppily than smartly.
This System thanks User for engaging with active Plot Threads for the second time in as many weeks. +50 D-points awarded.
Shut up shut up –
"I can explain," she mumbled, her tone flat and very much sullen, through no fault of Luo Jiangxue's. "But not here. Hold on."
The thing about Cultivation, was that Qi could be used to boost all sorts of things. Inherent strength or speed could be doubled, tripled, if not more, with study and practice. She still felt inadequate about her own skills in this world, comparing them constantly to her past life. But she at least felt progress was being made.
Without waiting for an answer, she gathered Luo Jiangxue up in her arms, coiled her energy, strengthened her stance, and sprung into the air. Her feet hit the rooftop of the building prior, and kept the momentum until she could stop without jarring her passenger.
It might be safe to say that Liu Qianggui's opinions of her own capabilities were subject to bias.
"Apologies," she repeated herself in a more genuine way, and would have dropped him (with some measure of care, probably), had his arms not found their way around her neck in the process. The groceries had shifted perfectly when she'd leapt for the roof; not a single item lost.
She blinked when he did not let go.
"…Are you alright?" she tried, starting to feel a little flustered by the starry-eyed look he was wearing. That sort of gaze was usually directed in Shen Yuan's direction; she felt unmoored getting it full in the face like this.
"Shishu," Luo Jiangxue murmured, and perhaps it was something he'd not meant to say. The word jarred her even further, because what few times she had seen anyone wear a face like this in her presence - and she'd noticed, it had been from Bai Zhan disciples.
Liu Qianggui stopped any further thoughts from occurring. She simply didn't have the capacity for it.
"…You can. You can stand on your own," she tried again, as if giving this 'subtle' hint was any more obvious than the time elapsed.
"I'm comfortable," Luo Jiangxue hadn't lost that sparkle, but he seemed to be a little less lost and a lot more deliberate.
Her helmet was a blessing. It hid the fact that she'd regained hawthorn-levels of red in her cheeks.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped, losing her temper for the first time in what felt like months, and froze immediately after.
But no System chimed in to reprimand her.
Instead of throwing him down, as she'd previously intended, she knelt, and deposited him with clear intent. This sledgehammer-like hint was accepted, and Luo Jiangxue shuffled upright and knelt in turn before her. His posture was deferential as she spread out her senses briefly to make sure - this time - that she wasn't being followed.
After that, she removed her helmet, and the System chimed - but it wasn't an alarm.
SYSTEM ADMIN MESSAGE
Two facts and one lie may be presented in order to progress 'Meet Cute', 'Cupid's Girl' and 'Tyrant' Missions.
Her body stiffened like a sprung trap at this notification. The greed she felt sickened her, but the System did enticement like few others she knew.
"Ask," she demanded, when the silence lingered and she grew increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze.
"You can … feel your spirit veins? You have a core?"
Liu Qianggui felt something relax her face. It was probably shock, but it felt far more comfortable than that. A soft gentling that reminded her of connection - he either knew or was a cultivator, in his past life. He seemed astonished that it was still possible, even here. She felt some surprise at this, but remembered he had mentioned his System was long gone.
"Yes. With assistance," she answered honestly, with full knowledge it would count against potentially more relevant details he'd want to know. It was worth it, perhaps - she was no strategist.
Luo Jiangxue's look was hungry, but something flashed across his face - a revelation. He didn't acknowledge his true thoughts then. Instead, he continued to speak, leaning forward.
"Are you being … hunted?" he asked this time, a funny curl of amusement wrapped up in his curiosity.
"… I am the hunter, in this scenario," she answered without pause, ignoring how his face lit up about it. Sweat beaded on her brow without her permission; he seemed very keen in a way that reeked of genuine appreciation. It made her nervous, but not in any way she was used to.
With great restraint, she had managed to avoid prefacing the admission with anything that the System could construe as a lie - or - a truth. She didn't even let her head shake, for fear of tripping that delicate counter.
Now all she had were lies. Her eyes widened, just slightly, when she reminded herself.
"Nothing much more can be said," she hinted, in a hurry to convey that she was being held hostage. Preferably without alerting the hostage-taker in question. Luo Jiangxue was intelligent enough socially to catch this. No matter his flippancy, arrogance, and general disdain for propriety - he was smart. This much she had learned.
He hummed softly, lowering his gaze for the first time in several, agonizing minutes. "I see. Thank you for being honest with me. I have just one more question for you."
She braced herself, lowering her gaze, assenting silently.
"Would you harm A-Yuan?"
She blinked in surprise.
"No," she said, and unclenched her fists as they perched atop her thighs.
The counter on her truth/lie numbers didn't tip, but no warning sound chimed in her ear either. Must not have been on topic enough to count.
She wasn't affronted by him asking. It made sense that he'd be worried, having witnessed her perform a modest but non-lethal take-down in a dark alley. Shen Yuan was his person; and she knew them both.
For a brief moment, she wondered if she could bring herself to raise a hand to the young man, who had - for however brief a time - reminded her that she could be free. Who was kind - even before then.
Unless he changed personalities and motivations drastically, it didn't seem likely.
"I would never," she added, with a gentleness she hadn't meant to. There was some regret in being so soft when Luo Jiangxue's dark eyes locked onto hers at the admission.
A slow smile spread across his face. "Seek common ground; reserve your differences," he said, and she recognized the idiom[2].
"We don't have many differences," she admitted, speaking to agenda, not personality. "Mn. Please --"
"I will not share this secret with anyone, but if you'll permit me --" he started.
"You can tell him," she answered his question ahead of time, her shoulders sloping a little, relaxing. "I trust him."
"I imagine you won't tell me what you're up to," he continued, but he seemed even more starry-eyed than before. It made it very difficult to maintain eye contact.
"Professional discretion," she clarified, and there was a soft 'ding' as the counter vanished, and little jingle and flickering fireworks accompanied the System's 'CONGRATULATIONS' that played three times.
Something struck her then. "Did you call me 'shishu'?" she asked, leaning forward with a sudden intensity as she studied his face.
He did not look familiar to her, like she was to him (or like Liu Mingyan was, specifically). As suspicions from much earlier started to arouse themselves, Liu Qianggui squinted at him.
"Were you a disciple of a sect?" she demanded, point-blank, absolutely ignoring the warning flash of her System, and the minor point deduction. She was tired of dancing around herself.
"Ah." Caught out, Luo Jiangxue sat back, and affected timidity. "I was once a disciple of Cang Qiong, long ago. It is how I knew your sister - and yourself, by reputation."
"You --" Liu Qianggui felt herself start and stop like a flickering fire. "You were of Cang Qiong?"
SYSTEM ADMIN MESSAGE
Congratulations! Your understanding of Luo Jiangxue's character has increased significantly! You may now speak of shared and sensitive topics regarding the System without point penalty. Please review the specifics in the directory.
What.
What?!
…This System has always had hidden achievements, but this is a natural cause and effect of conversing with people who you may call 'friend' - you will create depth and earn privileges for it. Please continue to peruse your personal relationships earnestly!
She tried desperately not to show her fury (why dock points at all then???), and instead leaned on how honestly shocked she was by the knowledge that the man before her was a martial nephew - or brother. She didn't know how to feel, even as she was the one who had asked the question. Her fingers felt a little numb.
Luo Jiangxue opened his mouth in honest surprise, then hesitated. "Is it alright to speak on such matters?" he asked, his tone quite sincere in its concern.
"Now it is," she answered through clenched teeth.
"Ah. Then - yes. I was. Once," Luo Jiangxue emphasized, and while part of her believed him it still seemed astronomical that they shared this connection.
Gut instinct was how she'd survived this long. Still, she sat on her disbelief. She'd been trained by this world to sit on a lot of things,[3] but especially any reaction that was audible.
"Once," she echoed. Her fingers still felt numb.
"I left. I forewent attempts at ascension for personal reasons."
A-huh.
"Which peak?" she asked.
It hadn't been Bai Zhan - surely - probably.
Maybe.
Under his - her tenure as Peak Lord, she'd not accepted a lot of disciples, certainly no personal ones. Yue Qingyuan had theorized it was because Liu Qingge was the youngest of the Peak Lords, and thus was not personally ready to do so - and Liu Qingge had never contested that. The rest of his brood were ones who had fought their way in past the first head disciple, and they were few and far between. But they were memorable.
…Maybe not by name --
Luo Jiangxue had spent a few too many seconds hesitating, but when he responded, he seemed disgruntled doing so.
"Qing Jing."
Liu Qianggui stared at him for some time. "Shen Qingqiu taught you?"
"I detect a hint of skepticism," Luo Jiangxue said airily, settling into a lotus position instead of outright kneeling.
It had been a long while since she'd allowed herself to think of her past so intimately. "We did not get along, and he did not accept many disciples," she said instead of a direct answer, and considered her very last memories of the man. Her mind skipped ahead of the gory details. "Though it must be said: I did not know him well."
This was, at minimum, true.
"He was the reason for my departure. Shishu perhaps can guess as to why," Luo Jiangxue sounded very casual. That same light-hearted, straight-forward tone. His face was quite visible with the ambient city light (another reason Liu Qianggui could barely sleep unless bone-weary). Something dark played across his features nonetheless.
"No, I cannot guess," she said. "But I am unsurprised he played a part in your leaving the sect." Not to say that his - her own version of 'teaching' was a flavor everyone enjoyed, but Shen Qingqiu's methods were a hot topic amongst the other peak lords (when he and Yue Qingyuan were very much out of earshot). "Were you a rogue cultivator?"
"For quite some time, yes," Luo Jiangxue trailed off. "I did not know this world could sustain cultivation practices."
Liu Qianggui tastefully ignored the change in topics, mainly because her mind was more concerned with other matters.
"Did your System not provide you paths or assignments for cultivation?" she asked, suddenly haunted by the notion that she could have been cut off from the one thing she had ever been truly proficient at.
"Not as such, no - my skills were locked away. I had to complete missions to access them whole cloth, one at a time." He then gave her a half-smile, partial to amusement than wistfulness. "I take it that would have aggravated you."
Something harrowing must have crossed her face; she didn't try to hide it. He caught it, because of course he did. Liu Qianggui knew from personal experience that his keenness likely came from trying to predict dangerous moods from mercurial leash-holders.
She was familiar with the practice. Luo Jiangxue was simply more proficient at it than she was.
"As well, I did give up any chance to accrue those skills, to be free of my System," Luo Jiangxue added, thoughtfulness clear in his cadence. "That seemed a bit of a one-time deal, however, so I'm afraid I can't recommend it to you."
Liu Qianggui didn't want to admit it, but she wasn't sure she was strong enough to make such a choice. The System was a thorn in her side, true, but she was born for fighting. Of course she would likely not ascend here, but that had never been her goal.
Liu Qingge was here to be a warrior - the best of the best, even if he wasn't the strongest (spiritually or otherwise). If he could not be this, he would be functionally useless - and potentially dead - by now.
It was as simple as that.
She came back to herself when Luo Jiangxue's eyes traveled over her, then to the skyline around them. "It is late," he said, regret tinting his words. "And I must be home in time to make dinner."
She nodded in turn. While she astounded herself by craving conversation for the first time in what felt like years, they could not sit atop this roof for the next hour or so without causing concern for other interested parties.
"Shishu should join us. You can spend the night."
When no protest or encouragement popped up from her System, Liu Qianggui felt uncommonly adrift. This was an entirely new experience for her.
Of course, she could say no, and head to her apartment; she was sure Luo Jiangxue would not take offense. But it was not a workday tomorrow; she had no other missions or meetings scheduled.
Obtuse as she was by nature, she was more puzzled by the invitation, yet again.
"I - would not want --"
"You would not be an intrusion."
Liu Qianggui vibrated in place for several long seconds. "Would you need more groceries --?"
"No; I tend to make enough to store for later."
His gaze on her was expectant, but incredibly patient while she fretted.
(The use of the word 'fret' was a bit dramatic, honestly --)
In truth, Liu Qianggui had been invited to share a bed more than once, by both men and women alike. She knew the shape of those requests; their flavor, their scent, their color. Never in her life had she simply been asked to stay over. Even with implications attached.
Though, she considered, it would be an opportunity to make the System give her more leeway with Shen Yuan, not just Luo Jiangxue, when it came to discussions regarding the System.
It could be worth it.
(She also felt - for the first time - that maybe it would be healthy for her to get to know someone without motivations tied to her own advancement. She didn't feel altogether badly for being so driven, but this was her second life, and at this point maybe she could afford to take a few leaps of faith.)
"I insist on helping in the kitchen."
Luo Jiangxue's teeth glimmered in the darkness. "Only if shishu is good at taking instruction."
… What a snot-nosed little brat --
"Shizhi better have guidance worth following," she snapped, unthinking, and was only a little unsettled by how much he sparkled at her in response.
(No regrets, she'd warned herself.
No regrets worth writing down, at least.)