Chapter Text
There are few things that Shen Jiu can find comfort in. More times than not, he finds himself wishing to sleep and never wake up. But he can't sleep forever. Qi-ge still needs him to be awake and Shen Jiu is still too weak to truly throw the past away. He's still the one who's desperately clinging onto Yue Qi, his Qi-ge. But Qi-ge, Yue Qi, is already gone. And the one who replaces him is Yue Qingyuan.
"Jiu'er plays so well," One of the brothel ladies commented. Around her, the other sisters chime in their agreement.
Shen Jiu doesn't smile, not exactly, but the corners of his lips do curl a bit. He's glad he's made the girls happy with his musical talents. They deserve some time of being entertained rather doing the entertaining.
They're all very kind and welcoming. They all know what it feels like to be at the very bottom of the ladder and they don't judge him in the slightest way when he comes to them for comfort. They know what a slave brand looks like and they don't comment on it. The prostitutes are kinder to him than any righteous cultivator. They won't hurt him, and he finds comfort in that.
"Jiu'er, Jiu'er," Little Ling'er calls excitedly. "Play-"
"We have customers to attend to," The Madam says abruptly.
The girls shuffle around and about, gathering their things and cleaning up any messes they might have left behind. Small snacks, trinkets to share and trade, instruments and books, the likes.
Shen Jiu was given a personal room after a few visits, and when he felt up to it, his room became the center of small gatherings. As prostitutes, their goal would be to try and find themselves a better life. But it doesn't mean they can't be happy as prostitutes. Shen Jiu would play music while the girls around him catered among themselves and him. Snacks and sweets would be shared, hairpins and bracelets would be traded, it was an overall pleasant experience.
And Shen Jiu valued the distraction it provided him with. He really does love these girls.
"Jiu'er~!"
Fucking hell, it was him again.
Luckily, the brothel ladies were already out and his room was already cleaned of any messes. So Tianlang Jun didn't have to watch out for his step less he trip over anything.
"What did I say about calling me that?" Shen Jiu snapped.
Tianlang Jun grinned boyishly. He pulled out a booklet from within his robes and presented it to Shen Jiu.
"What . . .," Shen Jiu's voice trailed off as he read the title of the book. "Your trash taste in literature needs to change. I keep telling you, throw this away and find something better to read."
"But I quite enjoy the story. It has a great plot," Tianlang Jun said as he started to flip through the book.
What great plot? It's nothing but a terrible story filled with a generic fantasy protagonist and too many 'peerless beauties'. Seriously, if everyone is a peerless beauty, then everyone is just average. Couldn't the author have come up with something better to describe the girls there? No, they didn't.
"If it isn't brain rotting trash, it's homoerotic yellow books," Shen Jiu shook his head. Tianlang Jun's tastelessness is truly too appalling.
"It's art. Art!" Tianlang Jun stressed.
"It's rotting whatever brain cells you have left," Shen Jiu said with finality.
"Hmph." A demon should not be pouting like that. "I'll have you know that what I read is nothing but educational!"
Shen Jiu gave the demon a very judgmental look. You know what, sure. If by educational, he meant unrealistic homoerotic sex poses, then yes, very educational indeed. Ugh, Shen Jiu could already smell the brain rot from here.
"Jiu'er-"
Shen Jiu threw a hairbrush square at his forehead. A bruise was already starting to form but Tianlang Jun paid no mind to it, carrying on as if nothing happened.
"Can you play a song for me?"
Shen Jiu huffed.
"And why should I? I'm quite sure you can get someone else to play for you."
Tianlang Jun dropped onto his back and rolled around.
"But I want Jiu'er-"
"Don't call me that!"
"To play for me," Tianlang Jun whined. "No one else plays like Jiu'er. I want to hear Jiu'er play."
Shen Jiu would rather not admit it but yes, he was a bit vain when it came to his artistic talents. It was rare for him to receive praise about his musical skills from anyone other than brothel prostitutes.
"Please," Tianlang Jun begged. He gave Shen Jiu his most pathetic and pitiful look. Sure, it undermined his looks as a super handsome heartbreaking sexy demon, but it got Shen Jiu to play a song for him.
Tch, Shen Jiu relented. He pulled out his pipa and strummed the strings.
"Name your song."
Call him what you wanted, but Shen Jiu is weak to good looking pathetic people. Sue him.
A melody, so beautiful yet still so sad. Not a song, just a few strums of strings that formed into a pretty melody.
Tianlang Jun followed the music to the source. He always considered himself an appreciator of fine arts. And to hear something this entrancing, how could he not follow it to the source?
His discovery led him to a room far away from where most of the usual brothel activities took place. The door was not closed all the way and there was no sign of candlelight.
Inside the room resided a single occupant. He had a guqin resting on his lap and he was staring blankly at the open window, absentmindedly strumming his fingers across the instrument.
His back was slumped against the wall and it almost looked as if his mind wasn't in his body either. He just kept staring out the window in a dark room . . .
Tianlang Jun walked with soft footsteps. As a demon lord, his eyesight was not to be underestimated. The boy in front of him looked beautiful, gorgeous in fact, but he didn't dress like the prostitutes here nor did he act like a customer.
The boy didn't react for a while, not even when Tianlang Jun took a seat next to him.
"I want to hear you play."
A little bit of clarity returned to the boys jade green eyes, and he slowly turned his head to face the demon.
Ah, the boy looked . . .
'Incredibly sad and tired,' Tianlang Jun thought to himself.
The servants of the Southern Palace would say that their Lord is someone . . . eccentric. He was unlike any other Demon Lord out there, enjoying human culture and often traveling around in the human realm.
When their Lord is home, he would sometimes be seen carrying a yellow book. And more times than not, their Lord would be reading the lines out loud at full volume without a hint of embarrassment. It was actually hard to be around him most of the time. Not only was the strength and prestige of their Lord unlike any other demon, his personality made him too eccentric. So their interactions with their Lord are often strained.
"I am handsome right?" Tianlang Jun asked one of the maids.
"Yes, of course," The maid answered back. The Lord is usually so confident in his good looks and he should be, never doubting himself. So what passing fancy could cause her Lord to ask such a ridiculous question?
Tianlang Jun, upon hearing the answer, began to mumble to himself.
"But Jiu'er only gave me three silver taels. . .my face is certainly good. . .Jiu'er must have been short on money. . ."
The maid could not make out anything the Lord had said other than mentioning someone named Jiu'er. That was most likely the peerless beauty who managed to capture their Lord's heart.
Tianlang Jun punched a fist into an open palm. He has a good face and a good body, that much he's assured of. And now he knows what to do!
Zhuzhi Lang secretly lit a candle for his Lord.
Shen Jiu cursed deeply as he assessed the damages done to the Warm Red Pavilion. Broken doors, broken walls, ruined floors, destroyed instruments, beds, books, clothes, this is too much damage!
He could already feel a migraine forming. To think two Bai Zhan disciples would actually go brawling inside of a brothel, he shook his head. How was it that they are still allowed to be disciples? Such unruly behavior. And they're the ones who actually go to brothels to fuck too!
"Jiu'er, you don't have to concern yourself with this," Madam Fei says. Shen Jiu is still a disciple and does not yet have the funds to help with the repairs. And he's not a physical cultivator either so he can't really help them clean up the rubble. Shen Jiu is a good boy, but he extends himself too much for those he cares about.
"I can still-"
"Jiu'er~"
"Fuck."
Shen Jiu turns his head over to the source of the voice. There's only one man who would address him like that.
"What?" He bites.
Tianlang Jun is not deterred in any way by the attitude. In fact, he even finds it rather cute. Like a cat. Tianlang Jun grins at the young man.
"Look closely at my face and body!" Tianlang Jun exclaims.
Shen Jiu gives him a weirded out look. What sort of gross thought does the demon have this time?
"I'm definitely worth more than three silver taels! Right?" Tianlang Jun asks with so much enthusiasm that it sparkles off of him.
Shen Jiu was about to yell at the demon for whatever weird thought he came up with, then it hit him. Looking closely, Tianlang Jun really is handsome. His face is perfectly symmetrical and may even be the best that Shen Jiu has ever seen. And his body is good too. Very tall and very thick, full of strong muscles. Yes, a good body indeed.
"I'll buy your body for three gold leaves!" Shen Jiu says out loud.
"Huh?"
Shen Jiu pulls out three gold leaves from his pouch and throws it towards the demon. Tianlang Jun catches them perfectly.
"Accepted!"
"Jiu'er is so bold~," Tianlang Jun teases. He pockets the three gold leaves and hurries over to the cultivator.
Shen Jiu gives him a confused look, which is then returned to him by the demon.
"Why are you coming towards me? Go there, I bought your body didn't I?" Shen Jiu points to the rubble of what used to be the storage room.
Tianlang Jun couldn't help but feel as if he's got scammed. He feels like crying inside.
"Jiu'er . . ."
"What were you expecting? I bought you for cheap labor services."
At least look a little embarrassed or something! This Lord is very expensive and many would pay thousands to spend a night with him! Ah, he really does feel like crying.
But Jiu'er is very cute when he outsmarts someone so Tianlang Jun forgives him.
With fond exasperation, Tianlang Jun picks up the fallen walls with ease. Fufufu, Jiu'er really is cute. And maybe after he's done, Jiu'er can play something for him. The labor will be worth it.
"Madam Fei, I found a solution," Shen Jiu announces with self-satisfaction.
"I see. . ."
He got such a strong man who can do lots of manual labor for cheap, he'll certainly count this as something akin to a solution.
All's well ends well as they say.
Tianlang Jun knows the value of knowledge and how rumors can twist and turn the truth.
"-cheat who only knows underhanded tricks," One of the disciples say.
"He started his cultivation so late, as expected of a spoiled noble," Another chimes in.
"He's a cheat who only knows dirty tricks and he's lazier than any other disciple here!"
The little Shimei who was listening raptly, nodded along. One of the martial brothers placed their hand on her shoulder in what is supposed to be a comforting manner.
"Shen Jiu is also a lecherous pervert who ruins his cultivation. You should stay away from someone like him," The disciple warns.
Hypocrite.
Tianlang Jun feels something crushing within his grip. The candies he was planning to gift to Jiu'er no longer retains their initial shape. He grimaces and steps away before he might do something that will get Shen Jiu in trouble.
He's always known about how uncomfortable Shen Jiu was when residing in his Sect. He has zero friends and he only trusts his fellow martial siblings as far as he can throw them. And to have such rumors about oneself, Tianlang Jun feels something sour inside of his mouth. The pungent kind of sourness that spoils his mood and poisons his mind.
It would be so easy. Tianlang Jun can easily kill the disciple with a flip of his wrist and no one would be able to stop him. Even if they try, it would end up with a few more bloody splats on the ground, But then Shen Jiu would be mad, truly mad. How conflicting.
All rumors have some kind of truth in them, as bitter as Tianlang Jun is to give credit to what he just heard.
The rumors being Shen Jiu is a cheating lazy noble who frequents brothels and preys on his martial sisters. The truth is so far away that Tianlang Jun wanted to laugh.
Yes, it was true that Shen Jiu did frequent brothels. And it was true that he started his cultivation late. But he shouldn't be blamed for starting his cultivation late. It wasn't like he had a choice.
'I really want to kill them,' Tianlang Jun thinks to himself. He doesn't entertain the thought.
The brothel ladies are the only ones who provided Shen Jiu with any semblance of care. And his reason for preferring women will remain to be unsaid. It's there, but neither of them will bring it up yet, not until Shen Jiu is comfortable enough.
It's fun to play the joker. It's much easier to live an easy and carefree life, one full of satisfied wants and joys. But at the end of the day, he is still the Demon Lord of the Southern Borders. He is still a dangerous Demon Lord capable of crushing mountains and sowing chaos wherever he goes. He can, has, brought down kingdoms because he felt like it and he has destroyed and burned down great sects because he could. And-
"Tianlang?" Shen Jiu called out, surprised.
Tianlang Jun smiled as he saw the cultivator in front of a teahouse with a bag of sweets in his arms.
And above all that, he is still a man who loves music and literature.
"Jiu'er~!"
It's. . .it's really hard to breathe sometimes. It's not that he has any lung issues or some other kind of illness.
But being around his martial brothers sets him on edge. He doesn't have a demon's sense of smell but the mere presence of his martial brothers is enough for him to start suffocating. His lungs constrict and his throat chokes up. It's as if some kind of paranoia sets in whenever he's too close to men, especially his martial brothers.
Shen Jiu hates this, he hates how weak he is and he hates how he can't seem to move on no matter how many years it's been.
When it gets too hard to breathe, the ringing in his ears starts to happen. And combined with how much his martial family loves to talk, all those noise grates on his ears. It makes this head spin and go blank at the same time. It's nauseating and it's a horrible feeling.
Shen Jiu tries to cover his ears but it's all futile. Everything is too loud and it's really hard to breathe. He just wants it all to stop.
He hates Cang Qiong Mountain! He hates the world for making him this way!
If his martial siblings would actually take the time to wonder if any of the rumors were true rather than add on to the every growing disaster, he wouldn't have had such a bad relationship with them. If they would have asked him about any of the rumors rather than point their fingers and blame all their problems at him, he would have gladly explained! If they would would just let him speak, if they would just listen, he would have-
Shen Jiu's hands found themselves a pair of scissors. He lifted the scissors up and angled them from above. Half of him is still lost and confused while the other half is too aggrieved to think.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID-
There's now a long bloody gash trailing across his thigh. Dark red, almost black, blood was pouring out of the laceration at a frightening speed.
Ah, he really is stupid. His pain tolerance has always been on another level, so his reaction to the laceration probably could have been more dramatic. Who in their right mind would-
The noise settled down.
Shen Jiu nearly dropped the scissors in shock. Then he clutched them even tighter.
For just a moment, when the scissors made contact with his thigh, he wasn't thinking about his Sect nor was he thinking about anything else. He could actually focus on something without the thought of his martial siblings.
He laughed, then dipped his finger deep into the cut. It stung painfully, burning from the intrusion. More blood spilled out and the flesh and fat inside was pulled and pushed from their place.
He found a solution to the noise inside of his head!
Shen Jiu pulled the sleeve of his robes higher and stabbed the scissors into his underside of his forearm. The tip of the scissors dug into his skin, then he dragged the tool down his arm with near total abandon.
He hissed, then grinned.
It hurts, how could it not? But the noise in his head was quieting down. He finally found a solution that didn't have to involve anyone outside of him. A perfect distraction that wouldn't burden anyone.
Shen Jiu held the scissors in front of his eyes. The blades were soaked with his blood and a careless pull had accidentally pulled out a tiny chunk of his flesh along with it.
"Inhumane bastard! Lying and cheating!"
"Bastard leech!"
"Disgusting scum!"
Shen Jiu saw his vision growing redder and redder with every new scar he added. Every time he hissed and bit his tongue from the pain, a satisfied grin would follow soon after.
His vision was getting blurry too. He doesn't know why.
He's human.
He tries just as hard as everyone else, maybe even more so. He tries. So why couldn't anyone see that no matter how much he bled and trained?
Shen Jiu lowered the scissors. This time, they didn't make any contact with his skin. They stayed in his grasp though.
He's. . .he's only human.
He's a person too.
Shen Jiu pulls his aching legs closer to his chest. Just moments ago, he was laughing hysterically. But it's as if a sudden sombre air just crashed in.
He's a person too, so why isn't he happy? It's natural to be experience happiness. But he's, he's not sure actually. It's too suffocating in his head and his throat constricts the more he wondered why he couldn't be more like everyone else. He was sure he wanted to be happy once as well, just like everyone else. He's a person too and he. . .
Someone, he begs. Someone, please-
The door opens, a thin stream of light trickles into the dark room. A set of heavy but soft familiar footsteps resound loudly.
The sight that greets Tianlang Jun is not a pleasant one.
Shen Jiu sits curled in on himself, but not quite at the same time. It doesn't take perfect eyesight to see all the wounds and the lacerations littering across his body. On his upper arms are blood scratch marks from griping himself too hard. His clothes are completely ruined and some stray pieces of fabric actually stick onto the meaty inside of Shen Jiu's wounds. It'll be a pain to remove them once the blood dries. Everything is so red. The clothes, the floor, Shen Jiu's hands, Shen Jiu's face, the scissors.
Tianlang Jun's brows furrowed as he strides closer to the cultivator. It was already pretty bad when Shen Jiu would dissociate sometimes. (It scares him, a demon, to think of what might happen if Jiu'er really does disappear.)
"Jiu'er," He says softly as he pries the bloodied scissors out of the lax grip.
Shen Jiu continues to look down, looking as if he was trying to process what he's just done. Then a few moments later, he looks at Tianlang Jun with an unreadable expression and shuffled backwards. He pulls his hair in front of him. He feels ashamed. Ashamed to show this side to Tianlang Jun. He wants to hide-
Oh. There's something covering his vision. It's black and it's soft.
Shen Jiu pulls Tianlang Jun's outer robe closer to himself. The demon was always taller than him by quite a few inches but he's never felt smaller than now.
"Jiu'er," Tianlang Jun starts again. Seeing Shen Jiu's tear strikes and bloodied face pains him. "Won't you look at me?"
Shen Jiu shakes his head, although a bit confused. He pulls Tianlang Jun's outer robe over his head. He looks so hopelessly confused and desperate.
For this first time in a long time, Tianlang Jun feels helpless.
If Shen Jiu would so much as speak a word of it, Tianlang Jun would gladly burn down Cang Qiong Mountain for him. He won't lie, a part of him itches to burn down the righteous sect even without Shen Jiu's permission. But if he does, it'll make Shen Jiu sad. (Not because Cang Qiong means much to him, but because Cang Qiong means a lot to a man who means a lot to him.)
So the most he can give is offer a distraction. A distraction that doesn't involve scissors or anything sharp.
"Tianlang," Shen Jiu calls out.
"Hm?"
"It's Qingqiu now."
Tianlang Jun hums in response. He pulls out a gourd of sweet peach wine and hands it to Shen Qingqiu. For himself, he prefers less fruity wines.
"Shizun. . .Shizun doesn't know," Shen Jiu says. Whether it's to him or Tianlang Jun, he doesn't know. "She said it's a beautiful name."
"Was that why you were by the lake that day?"
A few days ago, Shen Qingqiu was washing his face by a lake. He had that expression that usually told Tianlang Jun something was wrong. Shen Qingqiu may have set him on fire because he was naked but it took Shen Qingqiu's mind off of whatever was going on that day.
To think it was something like this, Tianlang Jun can only shake his head.
Shen Qingqiu's Shizun may not understand why he abhors the name Qiu so much, so it's not like either of them can fault her in any way. To her, it really is just a beautiful name.
"I hate them, especially Qiu Jianluo," Shen Qingqiu sneers. He takes a sip of the peach wine.
The demon drinks from his own gourd. If he could take Jiu'er's suffering away, he would have done so. If he could make the Qiu beg for Jiu'er's nonexistent mercy, he would.
Shen Qingqiu tugs on Tianlang Jun's sleeve, alerting his attention.
"You can leave me too," Shen Qingqiu says. "You'll also leave one day so-"
Tianlang Jun chuckles. He sets his hand on top of Shen Qingqiu's head, slightly ruffling it. Then he pulls the smaller male closer to him, having Shen Qingqiu's head resting on his shoulder.
(To him, it will always be Jiu'er.)
"Jiu'er can't get rid of me that easily!"
I won't leave.
"You're a fool then."
Don't leave me.
If Tianlang Jun could describe pain, it would be watching someone you love slowly kill themselves and the only thing you can do is watch helplessly.
Zhuzhi Lang is a good kid, but he's kind of silly. Maybe a bit foolish he supposes. He is so very loyal to the first man who's shown him any kindness, that it reminds Shen Qingqiu of himself. He's strong and good at playing assistant. He's also very adept with disappearing into the background. Shen Qingqiu can guess why Tianlang Jun keeps him as his second in command.
A good kid, Shen Qingqiu concludes, even though Zhuzhi Lang is probably twice, maybe thrice, his age.
Shen Qingqiu once kicked Tianlang Jun in the head for using his nephew as a means of transportation. But looking down at the green scales below his knees, Shen Qingqiu pulled out his fan to cover his face. Hmph. Who told Zhuzhi Lang to be so good at transporting people?!
"There we go," Tianlang Jun said as he hopped off first. Then he extended a hand towards the scowling Peak Lord who was probably still agitated from their previous conversation about Cang Qiong.
"My Lady- Oof-"
Shen Qingqiu gracefully got off of Zhuzhi Lang and picked up his fallen fan. He brushed it clean and snapped it shut.
"I am not your wife nor am I some maiden," Shen Qingqiu said clearly.
Tianlang Jun patted the side of Zhuzhi Lang's head and gave an order to send him away before jogging up to the Peak Lord. Zhuzhi Lang shrunk down to a more appropriate size and slithered off.
"But I wouldn't mind marrying you," Tianlang Jun chirped.
The words that came out of the demon's mouth were the last thing that Shen Qingqiu would have expected from anyone, so he stopped so abruptly that his fan nearly dropped. The idea of him possibly marrying anyone is laughable. And for Tianlang Jun to propose something so casually, he truly must be out of his mind. It has to be a joke. But the idea of it being a joke feels. . .he doesn't really know actually.
"As if I would marry anyone," Shen Qingqiu scoffs. His lips curl into something equal halves bitter and enigmatic.
He had a fiancé once. He doesn't love her. Indebted, yes, but love, no. She's a sweet girl and he has a disciple who reminds him of her. He only wishes that he was able to properly pay back his debt to his once fiancé.
Next to him, Tianlang Jun whistles leisurely and folds his arms behind his head. Shen Qingqiu isn't sure about what the Demon Lord is thinking.
"I'm serious. I wouldn't mind marrying you."
Shen Qingqiu nearly laughs outright. But he knows he wouldn't be laughing from anything like joy or hilarity. Seeing the rare glint of seriousness in those dark, starry eyes, Shen Qingqiu really does want to laugh. It will probably come out as something incredibly bitter and sour, spiteful even.
He had a fiancé once, that much is true. But Shen Qingqiu never once thought of himself marrying another. That remains true even now.
"Dreaming of stupid fantasies again, you forget your place."
It's not supposed to come off as anything other than a reminder to the both of them.
By all accounts, the very nature of their relationship is abnormal. For a Peak Lord and a Demon Lord to have a relationship that is anything other than hate and disgust, it is frowned upon. Tianlang Jun is strong enough that no matter what he does, no one can outright stop him. But Shen Qingqiu, he is a different story. He will be deemed as a traitor to not only his own Sect, but by the human population in general. Not even his own Sect Leader would be able to save him.
The very fact that the two of them haven't tried to kill each other is already unusual and maybe even miraculous in certain ways.
Neither of them say anything else for the rest of the walk.
Tianlang Jun's hands curl into fists. For all his strength and talents, he can't even protect one person. The idea of marrying Shen Qingqiu is something he's always entertained the idea of.
He's also thought of taking Shen Qingqiu away from Cang Qiong multiple times. Fantasies of saving Shen Qingqiu fill his head at least once every day. But Shen Qingqiu doesn't leave Cang Qiong no matter how much it's killing him inside. He stays for one person and endures everything for one person. Tianlang Jun has never met the man who seems to have entranced his Jiu'er so much in person, but he would say without a doubt that he wishes the man would simply disappear.
It would be so easy to whisk his Jiu'er away from Cang Qiong. The saddest thing is that no one will stop him either. Not because he's too strong (maybe so, but it'll only be a secondary thought), but because Jiu'er will not be missed. Shen Qingqiu's martial family, as righteous as they claim to be, are blind and deaf fools.
Not a single one of them will raise their hands to help Shen Qingqiu. They all despite Shen Qingqiu for reasons they made up themselves. Maybe a few of them will even cheer for the disappearance of the unwanted Peak Lord.
Fools, all of them. Even that Sect Leader. In fact, he may as well be the greatest fool of all.
To have something so precious but still continuing to bash it countless times. (There's only so many times a person can smash porcelain until it's no longer salvageable.) Tianlang Jun wanted to laugh. Jiu'er's sincerity is not half-hearted in the slightest way. He just prefers to prove his sincerity through actions and not flowery words. But his words are equally important too. . .
"We're here," Tianlang Jun announces the moment they reach the doors of the Warm Red Pavilion.
Shen Qingqiu hummed in response. He gave a look towards the Demon Lord who merely shook his head. Seeing this, he shrugged and went in by himself, leaving Tianlang Jun by himself.
Once he made sure Shen Qingqiu was in the brothel safely, Tianlang Jun made his way back to his Southern Palace.
The brief conversation of marriage still rang clear in his mind. He's played out countless scenarios of marrying Jiu'er, each one as grand as the last. The Southern Palace would be bustling with life. Flowers, lilies, peonies, orchids, all sorts of flowers would be decorating the Palace. And Jiu'er would be absolutely gorgeous. He would wear countless layers of silken reds and gold with gold thread twisting and forming into auspicious symbols. His hair would be even more captivating and it would be curled and pulled into an elaborate and stunning updo. There would be a lotus huadian painted on his forehead and he would look like an empress. He would be happy.
There were times where Tianlang Jun would take hold of Shen Qingqiu's wrists. He would imagine what kind of golden bangles would adorn those delicate wrists even if Shen Qingqiu himself may not agree to marriage because of his obligations to Yue Qingyuan Cang Qiong Mountain.
The scars are still there. They get worse with each passing year and it's like they'll never leave. But every time Tianlang Jun sees them, he doesn't say anything. He's afraid of ruining the fragile sense of balance that Shen Qingqiu has, and why bother putting words on something they already know? So Tianlang Jun would simply heal those scars and only pale perfect skin would be seen.
It's not healthy, but he doesn't know how else to help Shen Qingqiu. He can't destroy Cang Qiong Mountain or kill Yue Qingyuan. That would only make Shen Qingqiu worse because Cang Qiong matters to Yue Qingyuan and his Shizun and therefore, him as well. It's not like Shen Qingqiu can just leave either. He's a Peak Lord with a duty to a Sect that only worsens his conditions.