Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

    There are worse things to be, really, than a plant. A rock, maybe? A sentient pile of horse manure. Way better than being some cannon fodder, or God forbid,a scum villain! Honestly, Shen Yuan didn’t have much to complain about. Sure, it could get a little boring sometimes, and he’d spent his first few months of his new life underground as a seed but when he did finally pop up... At least there were a lot of things to look at! It wasn’t as lush as he would expect a tropical jungle to be, but the place was still covered in flora he didn’t recognize. If he hadn’t been rooted in place (literally) he might have realized where he had ended up sooner. It took seeing a Snake Tailed Butterfly (more accurate than you would expect) for him to realize he’d ended up as some random plant in Proud Immortal Demon Way, which... I mean, so long as Luo Binghe didn’t develop a vendetta against seemingly harmless plants deep in the demon realm, he should be fine!

    Though there is a risk of being tied to a wife plot... AUUGHH, please don’t let him be some kind of papapa plant!!! He really didn’t think he could handle that, mentally. If he had some kind of life saving cure in him, he’d happily give it up! No fighting necessary Binghe! Though hopefully that isn’t at the uh, detriment of his whole being alive thing. He’s sure they can work something out together!

    The problem with everything in this world is that it’s so greedy, or needy, or manipulative. Like, obviously Binghe is BETTER than you, why not help him instead of dragging him down? Or clinging uselessly to him instead of helping him? They’re just limiting how great he could be if he actually had some help and guidance! He’d always thought so, those college essay length comments about PIDW weren’t full of fluff after all. Maybe a few more swear words than needed, but he was a passionate guy! Can’t blame him for THAT now, can you?! Though... Really none of this mattered if Binghe never even came by. It’s not like Airplane wrote out every single place in the world, even if he wished he HAD bothered to do that, (the absolute hack) so there was no telling if he would even get a glance at Binghe even after the “Not-So-Happily-Ever-After" that had pissed him off so much it lead him to his death.

    It’s not like he could go searching for a baby BingBing to raise him, and he wasn’t in the Abyss to help or shield him in his time of need. He was just... Here. In this random ass part of the demonic realm he couldn’t even really recognize. He wasn’t even sure what he was, only knowing that as he had grown he’d at least developed human arms and torso, hopefully a human face to go with it. It felt like it, but he didn’t exactly come equipped with a mirror to check for certain... maybe he’d find out eventually.

    It took a while for eventually, not that he could really gauge how much time had passed as he’d lost track after the seasons started getting muddled due to hardly changing at all, but while he was lazing about munching on a creature unlucky enough to get too close he’d caught the sound of scuffling and running along with the aggravated shouts of several demons. He didn’t think much of it at first, but when the person apparently being chased stumbled into his little grove half dead, he realized just what was going on. That was a cultivator. Someone who might be able to help him, or maybe even just talk to him for a bit! It really had been so damn boring sitting in the same spot for years and years... When the man collapsed from his injuries Shen Yuan tentatively reached his vines forward (you can never be too careful after all) and dragged him close. It was pitifully comedic to watch the man’s limp body squish from being dragged, but it was for the greater good! Once the cultivator was close enough, he slipped his vines around him completely, hiding him from the demons still pursuing him.

    Luckily for this guy, these demons seemed to be the type of low IQ cannon fodder Binghe would be plowing through in some years’ time as they didn’t even stop to look at Shen Yuan as they ran past. Listen, it’s not that he’s ungrateful they passed by, but did they really have to treat him like he was part of the scenery?! Even if he technically was, it’s still pretty damn rude! Hours later, while he was still huffing from the great offence, the cultivator began to wake, almost immediately flailing and reaching for his sword when he realized he was under some sort of plant creature. Shen Yuan had to quickly constrain him to keep from getting his vines hacked off by a man powered weed whacker-

    “Hey! HEY! I’m trying to help you, calm down!”

    “Demon! Release me lest I take you out with me!” The man struggled against his vines and as threatening as that might have been, it would only really work if the man could grab his bag at all, and Shen Yuan had happily snaked that earlier. He really had been hoping to find a mirror...

    “Ugh, seriously if I wanted to eat you I would have already. It’s not like the demons chasing you had left you in any state to fight becoming plant food.” Shen Yuan huffed, his arms crossed and apparently silly looking enough for the man to stare at him with his mouth agape like a carp. Seriously, how bad did he look?!

    “You... You aren’t going to kill me?”

    “For the last time, no. I’m not even hungry, and eating a person would just feel... eugh.” He shuddered and rubbed his upper arms, though that just made the man look at him with even more confusion. He’d stopped struggling at least, so Shen Yuan felt safe enough to loosen the vines and let the poor guy crawl out from under him. He seemed to do a quick check of himself, of his injuries and what he still carried on his person. Thankfully he didn’t make a grab for his sword, but he did stand himself at a safe distance. Well, at least the guy seemed to think it was safe. It was still plenty close enough to grab him with a quick enough vine.

    “I... I didn’t expect to be saved. I was sure my life was over. Thank you.” The man bowed and Shen Yuan actually found himself a bit sheepish at the thanks, rubbing his neck as vines curled and writhed contentedly.

    “Oh that’s... That’s not a big deal! Anyone would have. Hahahahaha...” He squeezed his lips shut, realizing just how awkwardly he was talking. He was out of practice, okay?! Despite his awkwardness, the cultivator only seemed to be more put at ease. He certainly didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what’s with the sudden change, ah?

    “You... You are not like the others. You talk like a real person.”

    “I uh... Thanks? Wait, what do you mean the others?” Shen Yuan grew excited, leaning forward as his vines thrashed against the ground to reflect his joy. “You know what I am?!”

    “Uh...” The man took a step back from the display, making Shen Yuan awkwardly clear his throat and focus on calming his vines to keep the man from getting nervous. “Yes, I do know what you are. You’re a Thousand Vines Luring Flower. Though... they tend to reflect nearby demons more than humans. I’ve never seen one be so cognizant and friendly.” As the man’s eyes were sparkling with the curious glint only a researcher could have, Shen Yuan’s brain began flipping through his catalogs of beasts. Thousand Vines Luring Flower... Thousand Vines Luring Flower... Nope, really didn’t ring a bell! It does, however, sound like something that absolute hack would write. Maybe he thought if the wives got too monstrous there’d be backlash, the coward.

    A hesitant question brought him out of his own mind, looking back to the cultivator who was looking much more amicable to the idea of talking than before. He smiled as he stepped closer, his hands together as if he was anxious to ask for something.

    “Would... Would it be alright for me to stay for a time? Really, I’ve never seen anything like you, and I would be so grateful to be allowed to document it!” .... Huh. Now that’s an interesting development. Not that he could blame him, if he had found an anomaly in one of the many amazing monsters of this world, he’d certainly want to document it too! He smiled back, feeling a sense of kindred-ship with this fellow nerd. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have company for once!

    “Sure, I don’t mind! There’s a lot I want to hear too, and besides you probably shouldn’t go back out there while you’re injured anyways.” The man blinked at his words, looking down and going “ah-” as if he had completely forgotten he had just been running for his life. We’ve all been there brother, hyperfixations were better than morphine for disguising pain sometimes (not true, please do not tell your doctor that). When the man motioned for his bag Shen Yuan was quick to hand it over, letting him rummage through it until he found his brush, ink, and notepad.

    “Alright...” The man beamed, sitting on his legs in front of Shen Yuan like a student. “Let’s start with the basics of your species...”

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 *****

    By the time they’d gone through all the information known about his species (and why did his species only have a flower, you hack?!) and compiled everything that Shen Yuan broke for known habits of his species (almost all of them), several months had passed and the cultivator was back to being healthy enough to travel. They’d also gone through his food supply awhile ago and, while the guy was thankful for Shen Yuan catching food for the both of them, it was pretty clear he didn’t enjoy munching on unseasoned three-headed viper shrews. Shen Yuan couldn’t really blame him. What he wouldn’t do for a greasy burger or shitty onion pancakes...

    Regardless, it was time to send him on his way though before he left, he asked for something strange. A clipping of one of Shen Yuan’s vines, to possibly grow another one. That was... an odd idea. Like, he gets it, for research purposes of course! He’s not even sure if this plant body has those capabilities but the fact that something from him would make a new life was not something he had really thought about. Oh well, it’s not like he’d ever see the thing. Anyways! Out of sight, out of mind! He let the cultivator take a clipping, a few actually, since he was worried he might have trouble getting them to grow and then waved as his temporary companion slipped into the distant greenery and vanished for good. Hopefully the guy made it out, but he’d probably never know unless some demon dragged his body back for whatever reason.

    Going back to silence was... Not pleasant. He was restless, even more so than he had been before. It was stupidly easy to get used to company, but not so much the reverse. It wasn’t even a day before he was nervously picking at his vines and rambling to himself about the things he’d learned about his fellow plants he’d yet to see. Why were they so far apart? Sure, they might not be friendly at FIRST, but he could teach them and get along eventually... Right? Well... It didn’t really matter. After months bled into each other and the seasons became in distinguishable again he’d settled back into his loner routine. Nothing much was gonna happen for a looong time... As he resigned himself to his fate of slowly losing his mind to loneliness and boredom, a strange feeling filled the air around him.

    It felt weirdly heavy and thick, like he was breathing water, his skin prickling and his vines becoming restless like they were reacting to a threat. It lasted only long enough for him to question the feeling before the empty air near him warped before tearing, mind bending to stare at as a figure in torn robes caked in blood and grime stumbled out of it, gripping his head in one hand and a sword in the other... Xin Mo. Who else could this be?!

    Before he could stop himself he found himself grinning, once again flailing in excitement as The Figure seemed to notice him, turning to look at him with a haunting expression Shen Yuan couldn’t even find it in himself to be nervous about.

    “Binghe!”

Chapter Text

Shen Qingqiu has never been one to enjoy ‘taking care’ of something, especially if that thing was weak and pitiful. If it cannot survive on its own, then why should he bother? Animals that whined and cried for attention were annoying, things like fish that could die the second you turn your backs or sneeze funny, even his own disciples with their snotty noses and constant bickering as they vie for his attention - none of them would last long if they were not pampered and spoiled all their lives. Which is why now, at this moment, he is even more irate with the Sect Leader than usual.  

Yue Qingyuan, the worthless bastard, was smiling at him with that disgustingly guilty expression he always held around him. As if that guilt could make up for his betrayal. That, however, was not the reason for his frustration. This time. It was the odd, withering little plant held in his hands, in a decorative pot that was clearly bought to suit his home as if that would make him accept it. He stood there silently, glaring at him until Yue Qingyuan was forced to break the silence himself.  

“Ahem... I thought Peak Lord Shen would enjoy this.” He smiled brightly as if to combat Shen Qingqiu’s eyes narrowing further. “It’s a rather strange thing. A wandering cultivator said he had multiple cuttings from a peculiar plant, but that he was unable to get any of them to grow and that this was his last attempt. Since it didn’t seem to be going well, I asked for it. I thought you might-”  

“Might enjoy toiling over some worthless thing to keep me busy? So that I might stop causing problems for our righteous Sect Leader?” Shen Qingqiu snapped at him, and the kicked puppy look he got in return only fueled his rage more. How DARE he... How dare he flinch as if he’d said anything but the truth. As if HE wasn’t the one at fault!  

“Xiao-Jiu...” 

“DO NOT CALL ME THAT!”  

His fingers dug into his palms so harshly he could feel the blood start to pool around his nails. His body practically vibrated with rage before he took a breath and turned around, facing away so that he wouldn’t have to look at whatever pitiful expression he was being given by that traitor. “Leave me. I do not wish to hear any more of your worthless nonsense.” It was silent for a time before he heard Yue Qingyuan begin to move again, the soft fluttering sound of his robes somehow more grating that the chatter of cicadas.  

“As Peak Lord Shen wishes. I hope you have a restful evening.” He left after that, quietly shutting the door as if he was trying to be gentle around a spooked animal. Shen Qingqiu huffed at that, though as the tension left his body he couldn’t help but grimace at the poor taste left in his mouth from the interaction. He shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling completely as he spun around, only to see that damn plant sitting on his tea table. That worthless fool set it down so quietly he hadn’t even noticed. He had half a mind to crush it, throw it against the wall or rip it apart just to spite him, but... It reminded him... reminded him of himself in a way. Dirty and weak, barely holding on while surrounded by glamor that didn’t suit it. He left it alone. 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

Honestly, he wasn’t sure what possessed him into watering the thing the next day. It was so withered and pitiful that it likely wouldn’t matter, but every time he saw it this frustrating bubbling would permeate in his chest until he gave it water or set it somewhere it could get sun. It only got worse as color came back to its dangling vines. He was barely doing anything for it and yet it was slowly growing, healing. Some of the vines died off completely, but the thing stubbornly held on though not without its flaws. It was crooked and had marks where it hadn’t properly healed, marking the vines that were still hanging on. It’s almost like the dreary thing was growing to resemble him.  

He found it difficult to ignore after a while, his mind going back to the plant whenever it had time to wander. Had it died yet? Was it still growing? He was surprised it had at all. The idiot that was raising it before must have been completely incompetent or abusing it outright if it could thrive under this little care. Before long it had outgrown its pot and he had to get a new one for it, though NOT one so decorative. It looked out of place in something so nice. A simple earthenware pot was enough, and it had plenty of room to grow. Replanting it had felt... strange. There was an odd comfort in taking care of it, placing it somewhere better suited for it. It felt like healing himself, in a way. He tried not to dwell on it, or the odd way the vines seemed more... animated than they should have been. However, they always hung limp when he stopped moving them, perhaps it just had to do with the “peculiarity” of the original plant. 

It was only a month before the thing somehow needed a new pot, so big it could no longer fit on the tea table without taking up the entire thing. Strange leaves had begun to form in the center as well, curled up together. He hadn’t realized it would bud. It looked like it would have just been an ugly mass of vines forever, but a few leaves on it might make it... presentable. Possibly.  

He’d stopped thinking about it shortly after, days going by with that bud slowly growing bigger and bigger until it was prominent enough to see easily beyond the vines. By now he’d given up on pots and had moved the thing to a plot of ground in a greenhouse made by An Ding at his request. He’d been questioned at first, but that sniveling coward of a Peak Lord had quailed under him without much pressure. Now he didn’t have to keep taking time out of his day to ‘redress’ it every few weeks like a child going through a growth spurt. He looked up from his writing to the plant, taking in the odd leaves wrapped up in a bud. They were a similar green to the vines, but dotted with yellow splotches in no understandable pattern. He tsked, if he was going to put in all this effort the thing could have at least attempted to not look tacky. He rolled his eyes, going back to work on his scroll, when his eyes were drawn back to the plant... Motion? He set the scroll down, looking at the plant with more scrutiny as he noticed minute movements coming from the vines. Whereas in his home or on the porch it could easily be mistaken for the wind, here in this greenhouse there was no breeze to speak of, and yet the vines still moved.  

Had that worthless traitor actually gifted him something dangerous? Now wouldn’t that be something to lord over him. Maybe he’d get an apology for THAT. He stepped up, walking towards the plant as the vines seemingly noticed his movement, but rather than creeping closer they shied away from him as if bashful. Clearing a path for him as he stepped up to the bulb in the center.  

“... You can tell I’m here. What are you?” He glared down at it but got no response for some time. Just as he was figuring it might be mute, or incapable of human speech a whisper just loud enough to be picked up by a cultivator’s ears caught his attention. 

“....... thank you...”  

He blinked, that not being the response he had expected, though he wasn’t sure he had expected a response at all. It... Thanked him? For what? Threatening it? Taking it in begrudgingly and barely caring for it? What a ridiculous thing. He’d done it on a whim, the care didn’t mean anything. If it expected him to always be there just because of that, well it was bound to have some rude awakenings later. Nothing that fragile survived.  

“If you think that will spare you, you’re mistaken. Speak, what are you?” He probed, leaning in close to better hear the damn thing. He swore for a second he could hear it laughing. 

“Not as... I thought... wouldn’t hurt me... nice, actually.” 

It was difficult to make out what it was saying, even this close up. He didn't want to debase himself by putting his ear up against the petals... but the temptation was there.  

“I am... plant... Thousand vines... flower.... name... Yuan.” 

It even had a name hm? How quaint. The original plant must have been peculiar indeed if even its cutting was giving itself a name. Yuan too... How unfortunate. He hopes it wasn’t from that brief time being carried around by the Sect Leader. It seems to have been aware for longer than it could speak, since it was thanking him for his care.  

“Yuan, is it? Fine then. I’ll call you Yuan Ye. Your leaves are so bulbous I’m surprised you aren’t tipping over.” The indignant huff he heard almost made him smile as he watched the vines twist unhappily but not approach him. He stood up, having gathered enough information for now. He was strong enough to cut this thing down if it tried to cause trouble, and it didn’t seem intent on it anyways. At least for now. “This Master will be leaving now. Do not cause trouble. Understood?” He watched as the thing shuddered in agreement, the vines wriggling until they placed themselves in a... somewhat tidy heap under the ever-growing bulb. They could work on its posture later, he supposed. With that he turned and left, grabbing his writings on the way out to make some plans. Who knows how much longer he would have before that bulb revealed what it was hiding.  

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Not very long at all, it seemed. Less than a week and he came back to not a mass of leaves and vines, but a mass of vines under the top half of a very normal looking human male. If not for the mass of vegetation under him, he might have thought someone had broken in. The thing noticed him immediately, its vines giving away its emotions as they swayed and curled.  

“Ah- Welcome back! How was the meeting today?” The thing smiled, its eyes sparkling as Shen Qingqiu stood there trying to adjust to the difference with his indifferent expression thankfully masking his confusion. He’d mentioned that meeting in passing to the bulb the night before, a casual frustration he’d let slip past his lips when he’d gotten too comfortable.  

“.... It was fine. I see you’ve found it time to stop hiding?” He sat down in his usual spot, looking up to see a rather humorous expression on his plant’s face. It was like looking at an indignant chipmunk.  

“I wasn’t hiding! You try growing any quicker from a slice of vine.” It huffed and pouted but quickly stopped after a pointed glare from Shen Qingqiu. He would not have a troublemaker living under his care. If he had to teach this thing some lessons, so be it. It was his job to do that for bratty humans already, this should be no harder.  

“That is enough of that. You will behave with utmost propriety while you live on my peak and so long as you exist under my care you will address me as Shizun. Are we clear?” he kept his expression firm and his posture graceful as his little plant quailed under his presence. Not afraid, but rather embarrassed at being chastised. He tapped his finger on his knee as he waited, never letting the thing grow comfortable. “Well?” 

“Ah... Yes, Shizun.” 

“Mnh. Acceptable. Respond immediately the next time I ask you something.” The quick “Yes Shizun” that came from his plant almost brought a smile to his lips, but he quickly hid it behind his fan as he stood up.  

His next to-do after establishing that little correction to behavior was to get a better look at this newly revealed human half. Its hair was a bit scruffy and damp, likely from being bundled up in whatever was building it, but it was a decent length for being able to tie up. Its skin didn’t hold many blemishes unlike its early vines, likely from the care Shen Qingqiu had put in. All the old vines had fallen off or been pruned, and the body had only grown after that. The being naked... Well, it’s not as if he could fault it with being so, but the thing could at least have the forethought to be ashamed of it, of the eyes of others witnessing it in this vulnerable state. He rapped it on the head with his fan, getting a confused, betrayed look in return as he narrowed his eyes at the little thing. 

“You are fully nude in the presence of your Shizun and you don’t even have the shame to cover yourself!” His words seemed to work, the thing’s skin quickly flushing red as it covered his chest like that would do anything besides make it look scandalized. The thing shrunk into itself in shame, but he didn’t let it stew in that for long as he whacked it again and ignored the strange feeling that came with the whine that erupted because of it.  

“Do not act like a blushing maiden. I will have robes brought here and when I give them to you, I expect you to dress yourself and tie your hair up. Do you understand?” 

“Yes Shizun. Uh, thank you.” It looked up at him sheepishly and the strange twist that caused in his heart only made him squeeze his fan tighter.  

“Mm. Good enough. Stay put and organize that mass beneath you. It looks like a crow’s nest.” He didn’t stay put to watch the poor thing fret over its tangled-up vines, instead leaving to take a deep breath and recollect himself. It didn’t take long to find a disciple to send on the errand and even though they were confused at why their shizun would suddenly need disciple’s robes, they didn’t dare question him to his face. As it should be. 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

His little plant cleans up quite well it seems. Some robes and his hair combed and tied; he looks just like any other disciple on the peak. Well, if not for all the vines. Thankfully he’d done as told, the things now wrapped nicely under him and only poking out when needed for grabbing something. He sat up straight too, it seemed he learned faster than most of the snotty little brats Shen Qingqiu was forced to teach. He was eager to learn. Perhaps too eager.  

“Yuan Ye.” He didn’t even glance up, he didn’t need to. The guilty shuffling of his plant slipping back into place was more than enough to know he was correct. “What did I say about attempting to read over this Master’s shoulder?”  

“.... That it was an incredibly rude and boorish infraction of civility, Shizun.” He could hear how his little plant was struggling not to whine. He seemed to have had that habit from birth, to whine and complain, but he’s begun acting more proper with Shen Qingqiu, not letting a single thing slide. He looked up, seeing the poor thing struggling not to pout as his vines slipped back into place. “Yuan Ye won’t do it again.”  

“I somehow doubt that.” He rolled up the scroll and stood up, walking until he was placed firmly in front of Yuan Ye who didn’t cower, but rightfully looked a tad ashamed. “Tell me why you keep breaking this rule despite my several warnings. Do you think me soft?”  

“No Shizun! Ah, really, I AM sorry, I don’t mean to, I just...” He watched, waiting for the little thing to come up with some excuse until he turned up to face him again. “I just want something to DO. There... isn’t much to do in here.”  

Ah. So that’s it. He honestly hadn’t really thought about it. In way, he’d still been thinking of him as a plant, and a plant doesn’t exactly need any entertainment or study, but if it had a human mind the need for stimulus would be much greater. Nothing is worse than sitting trapped in a room with nothing to do and nowhere to go. He let out a huff and handed over the scroll, much to the surprised confusion of his little plant.  

“Shizun...” 

“Read this. I expect you to find every flaw and issue in it and tell it to me.” He went and sat back down, picking up another scroll as Yuan Ye stared at him unblinking for awhile, only snapping out of it when Shen Qingqiu gave him a probing look from his seat, snapping the thing back to reality and out of his mind he seemed so often lost in.  

“T-Thanking Shizun! I’ll do my best...” He opened up the scroll and began reading, almost immediately scrunching up his face as Shen Qingqiu thought he might. The whole thing was riddled with errors and horrible prices, so if his plant hadn’t been able to spot them, he would have had to toss him out. Or use him for kindling.  

“Shizun, this is ATROCIOUS. Who wrote this?! They should be banished from whatever sect they’re in!” He couldn’t help but find that he agreed. “These prices are all way too much for something like that, this place doesn’t even HAVE fire-lily frogs, and what’s this about the Hundred Eyes Canyon Pass?? That place is wrecked, NOTHING is getting through there for years!”  

... Now that was something strange. Shen Qingqiu looked up at the plant that was still rambling and grumbling about this or that error but the Canyon... As far as he knew that place was still fully clear and functional. It was well known, used by many different sects for transport. Why was his plant disparaging it like it’s been in ruins for years?  

“... This master has something to attend to, Yuan Ye. Here...” He set down a brush and ink, though his plant barely seemed to register them. “Write down any further discrepancies. I will return shortly.”  

“Mnh? Oh, Yes Shizun. Really, these people are all useless hacks, how can they-” Shen Qingqiu didn’t stick around for the rest of his ramblings, storming up to An Ding peak and nearly scaring the resident rat of a Peak Lord into dropping all this melon seeds. “Look into the Hundred Eyes Canyon Pass.” 

“I- Whuh- Huh??” He looked at Shen Qingqiu like he was insane but was too scared to say it. “What’s wrong with it? We’ve been using it for years, surely if there was an issue-” 

“NOW”  

“YES SHIDI, WHATEVER YOU SAY!!!” The man seemed to nearly have a qi deviation, but Shen Qingqiu didn’t care so long as he figured out what the hell was going on. He didn’t even bother to snip at him for the grumbling that he could still hear after he left.  

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It took a few weeks, but Shang Qinghua came running back to him with news about the Canyon Pass. Apparently, it had been absolutely destroyed a month or so back to the point where it was nearly unsalvageable. He'd run into at least 10 caravans in the process of turning back or just reaching the disaster, having to turn back with a lot of the products going to waste because the only branching paths were so far back it was weeks' worth of travel just to backtrack! If they had sent their own supplies that way without knowing, they would have taken a huge hit to their finances as well. Obviously Shang Qinghua was thankful, but he was curious as to how the hell Shen Qingqiu knew about it. Rather than getting an answer though he got brushed off as Shen Qingqiu passed him by like he wasn’t even there. Honestly, what did he expect? 

His plant was startled by the door to his greenhouse slamming open, but before he could even say anything Shen Qingqiu spoke up for him.  

“How did you know?” 

“I- Huh? Know what?” He looked at him with innocent confusion as Shen Qingqiu stepped closer, his eyebrows furrowed.  

“How. Did. You. Know?” 

“I... I don’t know what you’re talking abo-” 

“The Canyon! How did you know the Canyon had collapsed! No one here knew and you sit here in this box, how did you know?!” Either his anger startled his plant or the realization of being found out did, but after he stopped panicking, he seemed to realize what Shen Qingqiu was talking about. 

“Oh... I uh... I don’t know. I just... Know?” Shen Qingqiu was about to call him out on this obvious lie when Yuan Ye continued. “I have a lot of memories I don’t really understand. A lot of it is fuzzy, but a lot of it just... sits there. I don’t remember learning it, but I still have it.”  

Silence stretched between the two of them for some time, the plant anxiously looking at him. It was... plausible. He had come from a different plant after all. If that plant somehow knew all these things, perhaps that knowledge was passed down, the new plant grown around it. No wonder it already had so much identity. It was already from someone else. He finally backed off, giving him space. 

“Fine. I will accept that, for now. But you will tell me everything you remember, and we will cross check ALL OF IT. Understood?” Despite his threatening tone, his plant only smiled and nodded up at him as if thankful he had accepted him. Like someone believing the truth was a rarity. It often was. 

“Yes Shizun! Uh, should we start now?” 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

It had been odd, hearing all these accurate assumptions of past events this plant shouldn’t know about and all the strange and unbelievable predictions of the future which seemed... rather grim. His plant kept assuring him that he’d help, that nothing bad would happen to them though he always clammed up when asked why such things would happen, as if they were related to Shen Qingqiu himself. He wouldn’t be surprised. The universe has always had it out for him, to ruin everything around him and himself in the process. It was almost cute hearing how his Yuan Ye was determined to save him, be strong enough to help him. He couldn’t make himself trust it... but it was a nice idea regardless.  

It made him think though... What would happen if things turned out for the worst? If he was killed, and his plant was left alone. He’d coddled it too much, raised with his attention nearly daily. It would die if it didn’t know how to fend for itself... So, he started leaving it alone. Visiting less. He would drop off books and then vanish for a week, citing work or excursions. Some of which were true. Despite his worries that it would simply fall over, Yuan Ye was fine each time he returned. Hungry for attention, but not unwell. It seemed he’d figured out how to water himself, even switching out or replenishing the soil with things stored in the shed only exactly when he would need them. Rationing.  

He was smart. He could survive. So... He decided to push it. He left him alone for a month, never even glancing in the direction of the greenhouse no matter how much he wanted to. It was for his own good. If the future really was so dangerous, it only made sense to prepare him.  

When enough time had passed, he had to focus to keep his steps from being too fast, too eager. It wasn’t becoming of a Peak Lord, and that brat would notice if he rushed. He wouldn’t say anything, he never did, but he always had that look... He stopped completely when he opened the door, not to an eager and slightly playful plant he’d accidently made a student, but a slumped over and feverish Yuan Ye who was twitching and barely able to lift his head to greet his master.  

“S....Shizun....” His weak voice brought Shen Qingqiu’s legs to life, rushing over to his side so fast he surprised even himself. He knelt down in the dried soil without care for his robes, holding up Yuan Ye with a thrumming panic aching in his chest.  

“Yuan Ye? Yuan Ye?!” He tried to shake him awake but the plant was fading fast, shivering and clinging to him as his vines hung weakly and uselessly around the greenhouse.  

“.... Hold on. Stay here. I will get help. I WILL return.” He stood up, pulling Yuan Ye’s fingers free from his robes as he called Xiu Ya to him and rushed to Qian Cao and grabbed Mu Qingfang, refusing to elaborate, much to the doctor’s confusion and irritation. He would have pressed more but... he’d never seen Shen Qingqiu this distressed about ANYTHING. Questions could wait until after.  

Seeing the feverish, slumped over half-human plant was definitely not something the doctor expected to see. He still did as he was asked, to help. To fix him. It certainly wasn’t easy, it did have meridians but, because of the vines, they were different, so it wasn’t easy to judge his condition. It took effort, time and careful selections of medicines before Shen Qingqiu’s plant was in stable condition, no longer feverish and only tired. As Mu Qingfang propped him up to rest, he looked to Shen Qingqiu for answers, but he only turned away and hid his twitching mouth behind his fan.  

“This one received him as a gift from the Sect Leader. I only saw it fit to not let the dull thing die. I don’t know anything more about it.”  

Mu Qingfang gave him an unbelieving look, the thing was dressed in his peak’s robes and the room was too elaborate for something he was just ‘forced’ to take care of. Like the Sect Leader had ever ‘forced’ him to do anything. He didn’t voice his disbelief however, he knew better. It wouldn’t get him anywhere with Shen Qingqiu. 

“I see. Then if Peak Lord Shen would be amicable to allowing this one to do some tests-?”  

“That is not necessary. I doubt this will happen again.” Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes, oddly territorial over something he ‘barely cared about’. He didn’t back down, Mu Qingfang only able to sigh.  

“As you wish. Please, come back in a moment though. I need to do a last few things to check on his condition. You can return then.” He could see the hesitancy in Shen Qingqiu’s eyes, but throwing a further fuss would be suspicious. He left in a huff, shutting the door just hard enough to not slam it, but still enough to express his irritation. Mu Qingfang could only chuckle, thanking his shidi’s thin face as he grabbed a few of his tools and turned back to Yuan Ye. “Apologies in advance, but I will need to take a few samples for tests...”  

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

It took all that was in him to keep from pacing outside the greenhouse, feigning indifference when Mu Qingfang finally emerged and gave him a nod.  

“He is awake now, but be gentle with him.” 

Shen Qingqiu only gave him a shallow nod in return, watching Mu Qingfang fly a good distance before entering the greenhouse and staring down the plant that had just been at death’s door. The poor thing was still propped up on bags of soil, dazed and limp. The flush from his fever was gone, but there was still a fogginess in his expression. Despite that, he still greeted Shen Qingqiu’s figure with a smile, limply reaching out to him.  

“Shizun... You’re back. How was your trip?” 

He’d almost forgotten that was the excuse he had given. His fist clenched around his fan so hard it began to splinter, his face twisting in disbelief and anger. This idiotic thing, he was greeting him like nothing happened? Like he hadn’t been abandoned for ages to fend for himself? Like he hadn’t been on death’s door because Shen Qingqiu had chosen to ignore him? He FORGAVE him?! Clearly none of his lessons were taken to heart.  

“You... You stupid foolish thing. Were you just going to sit here and die?!” He shouted at him, as mad at him as he was at himself. He'd gotten far too attached. He thought he would be fine if Yuan Ye died. If he was too weak to survive, he could just brush it off and move on, but no.  No, the insidious thing just had to make himself important to him. To make him want to care for him, to WORRY if he’s sick... And the worst of all, he was happy he survived. That he could help him in time. That he was there for him, like no one had been for him.  

“.... I knew Shizun would come back. That’s all.” Those words and that gentle, trusting smile was all that Shen Qingqiu could take before he broke. He can hardly help the pace he pounces on Yuan Ye, practically biting his face in kisses so harsh it probably looks more like a mauling. The surprised squeaks and “Shizun?!” only spur him on further, cupping his idiot plant’s face in his hands as he shoved his tongue down his throat in some desperate attempt to claim him, like a beast. He had really never left that disgusting past behind. No matter what he does, it comes back to haunt him, but at this moment...he can’t find it in him to care.  

This horrible, building WANT is all he can think of as he holds Yuan Ye in his embrace. Stupid idiot creature, not a single lesson taking root in his head full of leaves and mulch. He wants to ravish him, to RUIN him... but then that’s all his efforts gone to waste. He can’t lose too much control. He can’t push too far. He’s dazed and confused, he can push it off as a fever dream. He can pretend it never happened. As he pulls away he looks at the mess he’s made, Yuan Ye’s clothes in disarray and his hair tie loose enough to let hair fray and slip out of the usually neat bun, and his face... Red cheeks and swollen lips from being bitten, his eyes looking up at Shen Qingqiu with hazy confusion before they clear slightly and his hands reach up to pull on his Shizun’s robes.  

“More...” 

“... Damned brat!” 

Their lips are joined again in seconds, both of them clinging desperately to the other as even Yuan Ye’s vines begin to wrap around Shen Qingqiu’s limbs as if to trap him there so he cannot leave him again. When they’re squished so close he can’t help but feel an odd... wetness below, pulling from his whining plant to see the spot where his vines and human half connect, completely soaked through the robes. It’s shocking for a moment. He hadn’t even seen any sort of genitalia the first time he had seen him, but pulling up the robes revealed why. Something he had mistaken for just decorative tightly packed petals had been hiding an entrance, those petals now furled out and shivering. From that hole also dripped a steady stream of nectar, what was previously soaking his plant’s robes and was now freely dripping down onto his vines and the robes Shen Qingqiu was still wearing. It smelled sweet, but not overly so. He dipped his fingers into it without even thinking, only realizing what he had done when the body under him writhed and a needy “Shiiizzzunnnn!” slipped from the lips of his plant. 

Even parting his robes enough to let his length out felt like it took far too much time, having to do everything in his power to keep from just ripping the fabric in frustration. He hardly waited a second before shoving himself into that warmth, nearly buckling over as they moaned in unison. It’s not as if he’d had much experience being inside something - those trips to the pleasure houses had been exaggerated in frequency and had only ever been for comfort and company. Sex on its own had never been all that appealing to him, animalistic rutting and gross displays of power or fake submission. It was strange to feel such lust, one so desperate and instinctual yet... pure. It felt warm and comforting like it had never seemed to before and he found himself greedy for more. 

Pulling his hips back and rocking them forward in a steady rhythm was difficult, not only from his own desire to feel that liquid warmth more, always in its warmth and deeper, but that Yuan Ye seemed to be trying to make him go faster, his vines squeezing his limbs so hard he might have broken them if Shen Qingqiu was anyone but a Peak Lord. He'd have to train him better than that. Later. For now... For now, he could be a little needy. They both could be.  

Wet shlicking and heady panting filled the air in the greenhouse, grunting in tandem with the loud ‘PLAP’s that came from their skin connecting and separating on their slick drenched bodies. Feeling the warmth of the body under him and the vines around him he felt safer than he had felt since he was a young stray on the streets surrounded by his kin, perhaps even more so. It felt like home, a terrifying notion as he thrust in again and again, soaking in the whimpering of his plant and the debauched expression he was making. So trusting of him, so forgiving and so very helpful. So stupid and weak, so moldable and adaptable.  

Today was a slip up, he thought, as he smacked his hips up a little harder, swallowing the keen that Yuan Ye made because of it. He would teach him how to survive better than just by throwing him to the wolves. He could, and he would. He never had before, after all, it was the best way to learn - but he wanted to be careful. He NEEDED to be careful. Yuan Ye was... important to him, as disgusting as that was. At least, it should feel disgusting. To trust, to fear, to care. But when balls deep in his dear little plant, both of them careening of the precipice of overwhelming pleasure... He couldn’t find it in himself to feel that way.  

When all was said and done, the both of them covered in sweat, slick, and Yuan Ye heavy with the spend Shen Qingqiu had shot into him, he couldn’t bring himself to detangle from the many vines still holding him in place. It wasn’t from being tired, despite all that ‘excitement’, he’d literally never felt lighter. It was simply... warm. Warmth made people tired, and lazy. It couldn’t be helped, if once and awhile one fell into that trap of comfort and stayed. He’d get back up eventually. But for now... Yuan Ye was in his arms, blissed out and purring as Shen Qingqiu stroked his hair.  

“... Lazy thing. I do all the work and you’re tired?” 

All he got in return was a sleepy smile, and a gentle purring of “Shizun~” before his plant was down for the count and he was left to simply enjoy the view on his own. 

Chapter Text

Mu Qingfang had wasted little time when he returned to his peak, setting out his carefully gathered samples despite it being so late in the day. His curiosity often got the better of him, but this was for more than just satisfying an interest in an odd fact. Not only did his fellow Peak Lord have something strange living in his greenhouse, but it was something he cared about. He’d almost thought the man incapable. Perhaps he could investigate that later, after he dealt with this.   

He’d managed to procure some of the soil the plant was growing in, to see if that was what harmed it or had helped it grow, some of the ‘nectar’ from its lower flower which had also been a surprise to find though perhaps he should have expected it, with it having a human upper half and all, and finally... a clipping from one of its vines. One shorter vine amongst so many wasn’t likely to be noticed or missed. Since Shen Qingqiu was so averse to further testing, he’d just need to grow his own. For research, of course. To help if that plant got sick again.  

It only seemed right to test the soil first. It didn’t seem to have much to it; there were no special fertilizers or any contaminants that would have assisted in its growth or lead to its sudden illness beyond simply being too dry. As he tested further, he noticed that while it was still nutrient rich, the amount of qi normal for the mountains had been a less than he was expecting, as if the plant had been feeding on that instead of the nutrients. He hummed, scratching his chin. Perhaps the flow of qi in the area had lessened somewhat and the plant had grown ill from the lack of it. He’d have to inform Shen Qingqiu of this, though perhaps he’ll figure it out on his own. At least testing the soil he’s sure he could get away with. The rest of these things however... He chuckled, having seen how he’d reacted earlier it could certainly cause some problems. Best to only inform him of the first test.  

The next thing on his list to test was the collected nectar. He hadn’t been able to collect much of it, staying much longer might have worn out his fellow Peak Lord’s patience and getting to see the plant’s genitalia unfurling had been quite informative itself. It’s a shame he didn’t get more time to analyze it... ah, well. Perhaps another time. Analyzing the nectar itself didn’t reveal too much. Perhaps because the plant had been sickly the substance it produced lost many of its properties. All that could really be cataloged was that it was smooth and slightly sticky to the touch and that it had a pleasantly sweet smell, and taste. Luckily it didn’t seem to have any adverse effects, though it’s not as though he’d tasted it without caution. He had plenty of medicine at the ready if a personal test ever went wrong.  

As he set aside the little nectar remaining, he glanced to the little clipping he’d taken for himself. It was still in a small patch of dirt with a cloth tied around the bottom, sitting on his desk as he thought how best to go about the experiment. While it would have been best to get multiple samples to raise in different environments he knew better than to push his luck. One would have to do, and he’d have to do it right. Hopefully it wasn’t too dissimilar from other plants. He scooped up the clipping and carefully carried it over to a crystal vase he used to propagate all his other medicinal plants. He sprayed it with a mixture to encourage root growth before placing it into the vase, making sure most of it was out of the water. He’d have to keep an eye on it for a bit, but seeing as how fast Shen Qingqiu’s had grown, at least from the rumors he’d heard of the Qing Jing Peak Lord taking care of a plant, it likely wouldn’t take very long. Mu Qingfang took a deep breath and stretched his back, the sun almost rising with the finishing of his tests. A single night without rest wasn’t a big deal. Figuring this out was MUCH more important.  

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

It was only a few days later when the clipping had grown roots long enough to plant. When he’d finally had a moment to himself, he’d cleared out a spot in his personal medicinal garden to give the thing room enough to grow. It was a shared plot, and it did risk some of his other plants but if anything changed, he would be able to notice it and take reactive measures.  There were also similar plants in the peak garden, if worst came to worst. His hands were gentle as he carefully covered the roots in dirt, filling in the hole so that it was tightly packed and the plant wouldn’t fall over or uproot itself as it grew. It didn’t really seem the type of plant to grow upwards, but you could never be too careful. Once it was fully situated, he sat back on his heels and hummed. If Shen Qingqiu’s plant had gotten sick from a lack of qi... He leaned forward, gently pressing his fingers in the dirt as he let a bit of qi flow from him into the ground, permeating around the plant until he felt it sufficient and stepped back. Hopefully that wouldn’t be too much, but he was fairly confident in his control over his qi flow. Now, all he had to do was monitor and record how his plant grew.  

And wow... It really did GROW. He had already been surprised at how quickly a supposedly simple plant had grown into a half-human under Shen Qingqiu’s care, but it’s rate of growth this time was even faster. Perhaps it was the qi he fed it daily, or the more carefully maintained environment, but it’d grown so large within a couple weeks it had almost completely filled its space and a small bulb made of pale green leaves and white petals had appeared in the center. Looking at them reminded him of the flowering dang shen plants that were nearby in the same plot. He made sure to write that down.  

Each day that passed the bulb grew larger, though slower than the vines had. The vines had grown so quickly he would leave for a sichen only to return to the vines reaching several inches further than they had before without even adding the inches from the curling. The bulb grew at a much steadier pace, which made sense to him. It wasn’t wise to rush growing something as complex as a human body. About a month later after it had first appeared he heard a similar voice to the one Shen Qingqiu’s plant had, though it was hard to tell for sure as one had been sick and the other was attempting to speak through several layers of foliage.   

“ H...llo?”  

He stood up from where he had been taking down notes to approach the plant, sitting down amongst his vines as he pressed his ear up against the bulb to hear him clearly. “Hello. Can you hear me?”  

“Uh... yes, I can. Hi.” The voice seemed... shy. Perhaps awkward? He wouldn’t blame it, even if it had some way to understand speech previously it was the first time it was attempting to or possibly capable of speaking to him. Anyone would doubtlessly be a little awkward.   

“I’m a bit surprised you can speak already. Are you almost done being formed?” He wished he could take notes and listen, but it simply wasn’t possible while having to be this close up. He’d simply have to remember it and write it all down later.  

“Uhmm... I’m not sure. It’s kinda hard to tell? I don’t think it will be long though. Oh, and thank you, by the way. You know, for making sure I grew. It’s nice in here.” Mu Qingfang couldn’t help the small chuckle that left his throat at that. What a polite little thing he was, if the plant he came from was just as sweet, he could see how even Shen Qingqiu could become attached to it.  

“Thank you for allowing me to study you. I’ve noticed that your vines don’t lack strength, so I was a little worried you would grow too rowdy for me to safely examine.”  

“Ack-! No, I wouldn’t do that! I mean if you’d been like, doing crazy experiments or slicing me open I might have but I know you wouldn’t have so we’re all good!” The flailing of his vines expressed his panic at even the implication he would hurt others, oddly cute for something that still lacked a face. It settled down after a moment, seemingly because it had almost knocked over a nearby potted plant and had not wanted to cause a mess. Which was also oddly cute.  

“I see, well then I am thankful to have such a well-mannered plant. Speaking of... Do you happen to know what you are? I haven’t had much luck so far.” The plant had writhed his vines a bit at the casual praise but stilled once again as he took in the question.  

“Oh right, I’m a Thousand Vines Luring Plant. Which uh... Oh wow that sounds a lot worse than I am, but I promise I’m not insidious or anything! Oh god that’s exactly what some low IQ cannon fodder would say – still, it’s true! Normally we look like demons, we aren’t meant to lure humans!” The little plant flailed more as it worked itself up, apparently worried it’d be tossed out or dealt with for not being a conventional plant, as if that wasn’t the exact reason Mu Qingfang had raised it in the first place. Not that he was planning on stopping it, this was valuable information... It was no wonder he’d been having trouble finding the plant, it was apparently a demonic plant, but that might be more so from being unable to spread than for a lack of aptitude for the human realm. It wasn’t bleeding demonic qi into the natural world around it- instead it was adapting to it and growing on normal qi instead. If it was meant to lure demons it might have been luring the ones rich in demonic qi rather than just creatures, likely to get more than their soil could provide. No wonder Shen Qingqiu’s had gotten sick, the soil had been drained of qi and the plant on top, for whatever reason, hadn’t wished to harm anyone to make up for it. Despite wishing to learn more, he could see the thing trembling and by the sound of his voice he was near tears. He wondered if he could cry in the bulb...  

“Don’t worry, I have no plans to toss you out for being a demonic plant. You don’t even have a trace of demonic qi left in you, and you’ve shown you don’t wish to harm anyone. You can relax.”  

“Oh... Oh good. Phew. I was scared for a second there...” His vines quickly relaxed, slumping into heaps on the ground. “So... Not that I want to question your kindness or anything but... Why exactly are you keeping me? I mean I really am grateful! I just... don’t understand.” Mu Qingfang thought about that. Obviously , he wished to learn about the growth of the plant for his shidi but after that... Was there much point in keeping it? It took up a lot of space other plants could go, and there’s no telling if it would one day cause problems... but the doctor has never been one to turn away something difficult. If he was, Bai Zhan Peak would have made him quit YEARS ago. Besides, it might have some uses to investigate, for the sake of the sect, of course.  

“I’m curious about your species, it’s not very well documented or known , it seems. Besides, I raised you this long. I don’t see why I should get rid of you after all that work , especially if you’re so polite.” He chuckled as he could see the vines curl and twist again, correctly predicting he was happy.  

“Oh! Well, then I’ll be happy to help! You won’t regret it!”  

“No, I’m sure I won’t. Now...” He got up, stretching his limbs and popping his joints. “I think I will leave you to rest, and I’ll rest up myself. We have a lot of testing ahead of us.” He watched as the bulb shuddered in agreement, a small smile gracing his features at the sight. This really was shaping up to be an interesting experiment.   

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

Mu Qingfang was a bit surprised to see the plant out of his bulb when he woke up, scattered damp leaves and petals decorating his space and his body still covered in whatever substance that had been used to build him. He was panting as if he’d just gotten free, which was a bit disappointing that Mu Qingfang missed it, but it was cute how eager the thing had apparently been to get to work. He smiled when he saw Mu Qingfang, waving and splattering bits of that liquid across the room from the quick motion. “Doctor! Good morning!”   

“... Good morning to you as well. Did you rest well?” Mu Qingfang began picking up the discarded foliage, planning to use them for mulch. He chuckled at the glances he got of his plant’s vines twisting sheepishly. “... I assume that’s a no?”  

“Ah... Not... Not really.” The plant cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting side to side nervously. “I didn’t really feel like I needed to? So...”  

“That’s fine. You’re probably still unused to needing sleep. Just make sure you do not exhaust yourself.” He attempted to lean over a mass of vines to gather more fallen leaves when the vines scooped them up instead, the rest grabbing more from behind him and pulling them into a neat pile for Mu Qingfang.  

“Here, I’ll help! I uh, didn’t have time to clean up before you came in.” As his plant shifted sheepishly side to side Mu Qingfang hummed, taking in how well he had gotten used to his vines, which just the night before only really reacted to his emotions or shifted away or towards things slowly. These were now capable of gripping objects and shifting to perform precise movements. It seems having the human half was critical to the usefulness of the vines. He made a mental note of that before grabbing a sheet to scoop up all the debris, letting his plant assist him until it was all tied up.   

“Thank you for your help.... Hm.” He paused, looking up at his plant curiously. “Is there something you’d like to be called?”   

“Oh! Uh, my name is Shen Yuan. I don’t mind nicknames though.” Shen Yuan grinned, and Mu Qingfang couldn’t help the fond smile that painted his lips. It was good to know his name, and that he had enough personality to name himself, but calling a plant a human name all the time would be... strange to explain to others. If he got too used to saying it, it would make it more difficult to hide.  

“If that’s the case, I hope you won’t mind me calling you Xiao Zhiwu instead. It might be strange for others to hear I’m ‘raising’ a Shen Yuan.”   

“Oh... Yeah that makes sense. That’s fine!” Xiao Zhiwu smiled bashfully and settled in as Mu Qingfang picked up the wrapped-up leaves and began heading out.  

“I will return shortly with warm water and clothes so we can clean you up and dress you.” He smiled as he heard Xiao Zhiwu squeak and writhe, likely just noticing his state of undress. It seemed his plant had a habit of getting stuck in his own head and not noticing simple things around him, which was rather cute.   

When he returned Xiao Zhiwu was still curled up, attempting to hide himself, so Mu Qingfang had to gently pry him into a more open position so he could use the washcloth to scrub off all the left-over goo that had dried and begun to crack. Once he was cleaned up, and Mu Qingfang had been able to get a good feel for the surface muscle structure of his plant, he helped Xiao Zhiwu into his new robes and tied up his hair in a casual style to keep it out of his face, with plenty left to dangle around his shoulders. When his plant looked up at him with an enthusiastic expression, he felt a little proud of his work. Dressing him up was more rewarding than he had expected it to be, but perhaps that came from all the care he’d put into it so far.   

“There we are, they suit you well. Does it feel alright? Do you feel constrained or any difference from being clothed?”   

“Other than being less embarrassed... No, no real changes. They feel breathable, which is nice.” Xiao Zhiwu twisted and turned a bit, testing the fabric as he stretched and bended. After a bit of adjusting he turned back to look at Mu Qingfang who had settled nearby, watching him and taking notes.   

“That’s good. They’re simple disciple robes for my peak. If need be, we can go about acquiring something more to your tastes at a later date.”  

“Oh, no that’s fine! I uh, I don’t really need anything like that. You’ve done a lot for me already... Honestly, I wish there was more I could do in return.” Mu Qingfang watched as the plant squirmed and leaned closer, looking as if he wanted to see what he was writing down. Perhaps he shared the doctor’s curious nature? If so, it would certainly help in convincing him to do more tests...  

“Well... I would appreciate more help with my research. Since as I said before there doesn’t seem to be much documented about your species, anything we can do will help in filling out information for others. Would that still be alright?”   

He was a bit surprised to see Xiao Zhiwu’s eyes light up at that, like he’d offered a child candy. “Of course!! The monsters were ALWAYS the best part, and they always got glossed over! Oh, there’s so many things to look into-” Mu Qingfang muffled a chuckle behind his sleeve as he watched his plant rant and ramble about everything he was curious about. How he knew most of these things at a baseline was unknown, but that could come later. He’s sure it would have to do with being a clipping.   

“Good then. We can start with you knowing what I’ve documented so far.” Mu Qingfang sat down, showing the notes he’d taken so far about feeding on qi, growth rates, and the leftovers from his bulb. His plant seemed quite happy with the notes, flipping through them so fast he wasn’t certain he was actually reading them until he looked up again with a big grin.   

“This is great! Much more in-depth than that hack could ever dare to be. What should we test first?”   

“Hmm... Well, we know you only need qi to survive but seeing what you’re able to eat is important. We don’t have to do anything dangerous of course, we can start simple with normal foods.” He smiled and patted Xiao Zhiwu’s head as he was handed back the notes. “Breakfast should be delivered soon. I’ll return when it is.”  

“Ah, right then! I’ll uh, I’ll be here. Obviously.”  

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

Thankfully it didn’t take long for a disciple to bring him his simple meal, along with a new plant he had ordered ages ago to document. Normally he would have simply planted it outside, as besides his Xiao Zhiwu most of those plants were simply to keep disciples from using his own stock, this one was... special. Not fit to just be out and about. He quietly brought the food to Xiao Zhiwu, setting it in front of him before unwrapping the package carefully, only to hear the dishes clatter and a startled yelp come from his plant.  

“Xiao Zhiwu? Is somethi-”  

“OH, HELL NO YOU GET THAT THING THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!” Mu Qingfang looked up to see Xiao Zhiwu nearly uprooting himself to back away from him, glaring daggers at the plant that had just been revealed. He hadn’t expected such a visceral reaction, or really a reaction at all. “THERE IS NO WAY YOU ARE PLANTING A PAPAPA PLANT NEAR ME!”  

He raised an eyebrow at his plant for that, sitting upright as he spoke to him. “Papapa plant...? I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but this is a-”  

“I know what it is!! It’s a Bull’s Rut Rose and there is no way in HELL I’m gonna be anywhere NEAR an aphrodisiac!” Xiao Zhiwu was huffing from the strain of pulling himself away from the plant, his vines pressed so hard against the shelves they looked like they might break. Mu Qingfang sighed but relented for now. If it was going to be such a big issue, he’d simply have to find another place for it.   

“Fine then, calm down. It’s only effective if you eat the petals so being in the same room shouldn’t affect you. You’ll break the shelves at this rate.” He watched his plant flinch at that, hesitantly easing up and slipping back into place, though with his vines still staying a good distance from him, just in case, it seemed. He could only roll his eyes. Who knew the thing would be so averse to it, and that he knew it at all. It’s not as if they were uncommon overall, but it didn’t grow in the demonic realm, so it seems strange for him to know it. Shen Qingqiu’s plant certainly hadn’t gotten the chance to learn about it either. Another mystery for later he supposed.  

He shifted the plant to a singular pot and shoved it in the corner furthest from Xiao Zhiwu. It wasn’t the best place for it, but it didn’t seem like he’d settle down if it was anywhere closer to him. Once that was done, he looked back to see his plant sheepishly nibbling on the food he’d brought him earlier, his vines tangled and squirming in unease as if he expected to be punished. Mu Qingfang could only chuckle and pat his head.  

“It’s alright. I didn’t think you would be so startled by it, they might not even affect you after all.”  

His plant just grumbled, arms crossed and pouting rather adorably. “THAT, I’m not willing to test.”  

“Then we won’t.” He patted him for a bit more before getting up. “How was eating? Does it do anything for you, or are there any discomforts?” He watched his plant hem and haw over it for a minute before speaking again.  

“Not really anything, honestly. It was kinda bland, but I don’t really feel anymore fed than before and I don’t feel bad either. Just felt like I ate something and that’s about it.” Mu Qingfang nodded, noting that down before sitting beside his plant once again, who scooted his vines out of the way politely.  

“I see. Well, the first few tests aren’t likely to have much to reveal besides maybe a preference in foods.”  

“Oh, I do like spicy food!”  

“... Noted. We can try that next time then. For now...” He sighed. “I have quite a few things to organize. I’m afraid you’ll have to entertain yourself for some time.” He got up, chucking at the sad “oh...” he heard under the plant’s breath.   

“If you wish, I can leave the door open while I work. Perhaps we can still talk that way.” Turning around to see the bright smile that caused was quite the delight, Xiao Zhiwu nodding and wriggling.   

“Sounds good! I can do most of the talking, so you can focus on your tasks. Oh! Or you can ask me questions, and I’ll answer!”   

“I like that idea.” He stepped into his main office, leaving the normally shut door open as he started organizing his herbs. “Now, what shall we start with...”  

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

Talking to his plant while he worked had quickly become a daily habit and had also come with a rather undeniable perk. Those precise and powerful vines could stretch much further than he thought, reaching right into his office and able to organize his herbs for him while he got to focus on writing reports or doing experiments. The helpful chatter that filled the previous silence was also quite a plus, Xiao Zhiwu’s ramblings making his office feel a bit more like a home. The only issue was having to enforce a rule that no one was to open his door, to give time for his plant to hide himself as Mu Qingfang opened the door himself. His own disciples listen to this of course, but there’s no telling what other peaks would do. It would just have to be a problem for later. Speaking of a problem for later...  

Mu Qingfang was starting to reach his limit on restraining his curiosity. He’s known this entire time that his little plant possessed a ‘flower’ that excreted some type of nectar, but to immediately satisfy that curiosity would have likely caused some issues. So... he’s been working up to it. Getting Xiao Zhiwu interested in more and more. It was clear he was hungry for knowledge, so if he just directed that in a certain way... Well, today was the day he would test if all that building up was worth it.   

He set his brush down and got up, carefully stepping around the vines still organizing everything for him. Xiao Zhiwu was so used to doing it now that it was second nature, not even having to look at what he was holding to store it correctly. Which was good, as his human half was busy being slouched backwards, using the lamp behind him to read a trashy novel Mu Qingfang had confiscated from a disciple and Xiao Zhiwu had quickly stolen. When he noticed Mu Qingfang approaching, he stopped mumbling to himself and quickly shoved the book away and sat up straight, smiling in that awkward way he did when he thought he was going to get in trouble. He very rarely did.   

“Doctor! What can I help you with?” Mu Qingfang watched the vines retreat around him, all of them careful to not even gently brush against him as his plant watched him with rapt attention.   

“I was hoping I could bother you for another test. This one is a bit more involved however, and it has a time limit.”   

“Oh. Uh, yeah that’s fine! I mean we’ve done some pretty rigorous tests for my vines already. What are we doing this time?” Xiao Zhiwu looked up at him with quiet admiration as Mu Qingfang stepped closer until he was almost standing over him, his expression calm as he took a deep breath.  

“There is a nectar I found out your kind produces from a flower that unfurls from the spot between your pelves and the vines below. To test its properties, I would need to collect a sample from you.” He watched as his plant froze, looking up at him in blank confusion before slowly turning red and his mouth flapping to let out mumbled blubbering nonsense. He quickly crouched down, setting a comforting hand on his cheek to pull him back to the moment. “You do not have to; I simply wish to test it for scientific purposes.”  

“For... For scientific... Uh... I mean, yeah it might... it might be good to know... about that.” Xiao Zhiwu gulped, his body trembling a little less as he seemed to be convincing himself of that fact. “Sure... Sure yeah that’s fine. For science. It’s not weird if it’s for science-” Mu Qingfang chuckled, stroking his head gently before standing up straight again.   

“Then I will collect some sample bottles. Please undress, and know that you can back out at any time.”   

“Uh... yes, Doctor. Th... Thank you.” He could hear Xiao Zhiwu awkwardly fumbling with his clothes as he gathered bottles, thinking over how many to get before simply carrying a case inside. Surely he wouldn’t need all of them, his plant was likely to stop him after three, but it was better to be over prepared than under prepared. He brought it into the greenroom only to get a soft gasp from his plant, his eyes widened in shock and mumbling to himself. When he inquired about what was wrong, however, he didn’t get a response, only Xiao Zhiwu shaking his head and giving Mu Qingfang a determined expression.  

“I... It’s fine. For science!” He smiled awkwardly, but Mu Qingfang couldn’t rightly push him on it. He was likely just anxious.   

“Alright then. Please relax, I will be as gentle as I can.” Mu Qingfang settled in front of him, the bottles beside him as he motioned for Xiao Zhiwu to settle. Obviously it wasn't easy for him, his vines writhing and his arms trembling as he kept them up and out of the way to not interfere with the doctor’s view of his tightly furled flower. He hummed as he looked at it, taking in any differences he could remember from Shen Qingqiu’s plant before gently rubbing it, the sensation making his plant twitch and cover his mouth to better hide the soft whimpers now leaving him. It was a shame Mu Qingfang couldn’t take notes as he did this, he’d just have to work hard to commit it to memory.  

The more he gently caressed the tightly bound bud the more it began to unfurl, slowly creeping open like a flower would open its petals for the sun. When it seemed about halfway unfurled, his fingers almost able to fully hook under them which only made his plant moan more, a sweet but slightly bitter scent began seeping out from the flower. It smelled like the vague scent of fruit with a medicinal undercurrent, like a candy made to help children take their medicine. Once he was able to slip past the unfurling petals and feel the more sensitive entrance hidden beneath, it wasn’t long before it had unfurled completely, splayed out in a similar orchid shape like the other plant’s, but with the petals turning white towards the ends. He rubbed soothing circles on Xiao Zhiwu’s hip as he felt the body trembling and heard his moans raising in pitch, but he didn’t look up from his flower. It was important to remember every detail for accurate documentation.  

He hummed when he noticed despite being unfurled, nectar wasn’t being produced. Perhaps because Shen Qingqiu’s plant had been in an obscured state it had affected production. He tapped his fingers on Xiao Zhiwu’s hip bones before placing an exploratory finger inside, carefully making sure not to scrape the walls as he stimulated the sensitive flesh. The barely constrained writhing and whining moans were surprisingly encouraging, but he supposed that was only natural at the end of the day.   

It took a few minutes of careful stroking of his inner walls, even adding fingers and twisting them to see how he’d shiver or keen, until he felt the distinct sticky feeling he remembered from before and mostly pulled his fingers out, rubbing at the top as he gently placed a bottle against the lower rim of the flower’s entrance. Soon a gentle flow of nectar was sliding into the bottle, steadily filling it up.   

“Very good. You’re doing so well for me Xiao Zhiwu, this will help quite a bit.” He curled his fingers a bit more, careful to follow Xiao Zhiwu’s movements as he squirmed from the sudden excess stimulation. Once the bottle filled he carefully set it back upright in the case, using that clean hand to soothingly rub his plant’s stomach. “Let’s keep this up a little longer, hmm? Are you able to do that?”  

It took a moment for Xiao Zhiwu to respond, his eyes a bit glassy as he trembled like a leaf in a breeze. “Y.... Yes.... Yes, I’m fine... Y-You can keep going...”  

Mu Qingfang nodded, pulling out another bottle and rubbing it against the lower petals to catch some of that missed nectar which only made his plant whine louder and the flow of the nectar increasing for a moment before slowing again, oozing over the rim of the bottle before he could get the next. He was surprised when the fifth bottle filled without trouble, having figured it would have run out by now. Perhaps because it hadn’t been collected before? He would hate to hurt him by pushing him to far, but when he looked up and locked eyes with the disheveled debauchery that was Xiao Zhiwu he found the words dying in his throat. His plant was red faced and panting, drool occasionally dripping down his chin and his chest was heaving with the effort of staying still. He’d apparently given up on muffling his moans, his arms mostly limp against his stomach. When he registered Mu Qingfang looking at him he shivered and opened his mouth to speak.  

“How... How many more left Doctor...?”  

“.... Only 7 more Xiao Zhiwu. Not much more.” He smiled, pressing another bottle into the flower and watching it fill with surprising quickness. “You’re doing very well. Just a little more.”   

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

Surprisingly, after filling all 12 bottles in the crate and being finger fucked to the point of overstimulation, nectar was still pouring out of his flower and soaking his vines and the soil below. It felt a shame to waste it, but getting more bottles after giving him quiet promise that there was “Just one more left” seemed rather uncouth. He calmly corked all of the bottles as Xiao Zhiwu twitched and squirmed beside him, his gaze switching from cum-drunk to something that almost seemed needy. He kept looking at Mu Qingfang before biting his lip and turning away like he wanted to ask for something, but every time the doctor turned to face him his plant just clammed up and refused to speak. All he could do was sigh and stroke Xiao Zhiwu’s hair, with his clean hand of course, and then get up to carry his samples to his desk for testing.  

“Alright, very good. Thank you for all your help, now get some rest alright? I’ll be back in a moment to help you clean and dress.” He only got a mumbled groan in response, making him chuckle as he left to quickly gather everything he promised. When he came back it was like washing a limp doll, Xiao Zhiwu acting like putty in his hands. He did his best to wipe off the petals at first but every time he tried, they only trembled more and dripped more nectar. He gave up after the third wipe down and simply let it slowly close back up before giving it a gentle clean so it wouldn’t stain the new robes. Once his plant was all dressed and barely conscious, he gently laid him back on the rest he’d been using before and left him to get some sleep. It was time to get some tests done.  

The first thing to do was compare the nectar from his plant to Shen Qingqiu’s, which was why he had asked this quickly in the first place - it likely wouldn’t have been much longer before the original sample spoiled. Testing the two together yielded the same results from Shen Qinqiu’s plant, that it had little to no properties but from his own... It was like night and day. Not only did it appear to retain qi, but it was so condensed it might as well have been a medicine. It was like his plant had taken the qi he had been fed and refined it specifically for this. He wondered if this was a species trait, or unique to his own... Well, that would require more, and healthier subjects. For now, he had at least one more thing he could test before it was too late, or rather too early into the next day, to continue working. He tipped the vial back against his lips and drank it. The result was near instantaneous, filling him with a pleasant energy and recharging his qi. It was a lot, but instead of feeling like force it almost seeped into your meridians, matching the pace of your natural qi to help it rather than rush it. This... could be useful. It would need more testing though. Testing he suddenly had much more energy for... Well, it’d be a shame to go to bed and waste it. He might as well. 

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

It became a weekly occurrence for Mu Qingfang to collect a bottle (or twelve) from Xiao Zhiwu, comforting and praising him for his good work as he fingered him into becoming a writhing mass of vines and wanton moaning. For collection, of course. Though by now... his stock was rather full. It didn’t take long for there to be more bottles than he knew what to do with, so he decided to end the sample gathering for now. It was a shame he wouldn’t get to see his plant writhing and moaning from his fingers alone, but that could wait for later. As he thought that, a distinct sound of vine knocking on wood brought his attention up from his desk, one of Xiao Zhiwu’s vines wriggling aimlessly instead of organizing like the others.   

“Uhm... Doctor? Isn’t... Isn’t it collection time...?”   

.... Well now, how can he say no to that?  

The next few hours are once again filled with the gentle clinking of bottles being placed much less carefully in the case, the sounds of squirming vines and Xiao Zhiwu crying out for him desperately. Admittedly he’s a little less focused on collection this time around so he’s able to take in more of his plant. The way his chest trembles as he nearly sobs out moans, the way he twitches when his fingers curl just right inside of him and now... These strange vines he’d never taken note of before. He’s shocked he missed them all this time, though they did seem to not stray out very far. He might have noticed them before and mistaken them for simply a smaller, less useful vine, but they were only glimpsed during these collection sessions and didn’t seem to have much use. He hummed and pulled his fingers out of his plant, much to his whining disapproval, only to grab one of these smaller vines. Xiao Zhiwu reacted immediately, jolting as if he’d been shocked and gasping as he gazed down at MU Qingfang with confusion.   

“Nngghh? W-What are tho-” Before his plant could finish his question, he sent an exploratory buzzing of qi into the vine and neither of them were prepared for the results. Xiao Zhiwu screamed, throwing his head back and arching his spine as all of his vines flailed around the room so harshly several other plants were damaged and shelves and pots were completely broken as a rush of nectar shot out of his flower so quickly that it squirted over the bottle rim completely and soaked Mu Qingfang’s robes through from his shoulder to his hand. His plant collapsed after that, heaving shallow breaths as he stared up at the ceiling in a daze, all his vines now laying lazily, limply across the carnage they’d wrecked.  

Well then. That was certainly something to write down. Later though, he could hear the confused shouts of nearby disciples that he would need to reassure that everything was fine. He sighed, getting up and wringing out his sleeve the best he could before leaving to do just that.   

***** 〜⁠(⁠ ꒪ ⁠ ꒳ ⁠ ꒪ ⁠)⁠〜 *****  

It was a pain fixing up the room, mostly because it could only be worked on by himself and his head disciple who had been trusted with the reveal of Xiao Zhiwu. She was an upright and tight-lipped girl, though no less curious than the doctor himself was. He’d have to let her study his notes for research assistance later. Once the room was fixed however... he still had the issue of too many samples. It would be a complete waste to dump them... Ah, but there was the Sect Meeting coming up, wasn’t there? These bottles of nectar were amazing for qi replenishment and even seemed to help further your cultivation. Why shouldn’t he hand them out to his fellow Peak Lords? They didn’t need to know where it came from. He would never feed them poison after all; they wouldn’t question a new medicine. Nothing wasted, everything gained.  

So, the ‘medicine’ was packed up before the next meeting and when it was his turn to speak, he handed them out and explained what they did. All of them seemed quite pleased with his new discovery, some of the braver ones who tried right away even commenting that it wasn’t as bad tasting as normal medicine, though one did seem to hold a problem with it. Shen Qingqiu had been glaring daggers at Mu Qingfang since he brought it out, holding his bottle with contempt. Clearly, he recognized what it was though Mu Qingfang wasn’t particularly worried. Despite questioning from the Sect Leader, Shen Qingqiu remained tight lipped and refused to say a word about it other than it seemed “too good to be true.” Perhaps it might be for your plant, Shidi. He really ought to be feeding him more qi. Regardless, that solved his backstock issue and he was out of there before Shen Qingqiu could question him in private. He could come visit if he’d like.  

Coming back to his plant was a rather calming experience, seeing the vines working without worry as he knew only Mu Qingfang would open that door. They sensed his approach and adjusted to make room for him, barely having to bend to safely get through the room and into the one where Xiao Zhiwu was waiting for him happily, smiling brightly and holding another novel he used to pass the time.  

“Doctor! How was the meeting?”  

“It went well. I believe I’ve solved quite a few problems in one go.” Xiao Zhiwu nodded, setting his novel aside to better focus on his caretaker.  

“That’s good. Do you have plans for your next experiment too?” He looked at Mu Qingfang eagerly, making him chuckle as he sat down.  

“I do, actually... So, if you don’t mind Xiao Zhiwu, I’ll need a few clippings from you...”  

Chapter Text

If there was any benefit from being the Sect Leader for Yue Qingyuan, it was the endless streams of paperwork. There was nothing like busy work to keep one from dwelling in their own thoughts. Sometimes it seemed the second he stopped, his fears and regrets would swarm him, so he took on more and more work to keep his mind busy and quiet. Even things he really shouldn’t be doing as Sect Leader, things he could very easily be passing down to his head disciple or Hall Masters, he took with a smile. It had the benefit of others thinking well of him, but the downside of their concern. Sometimes it was difficult to get more work to do, and he’d end up trapped in his own mind staring at the ceiling for hours as the ‘rest’ his disciples asked him to get. He’d really rather be working. 

A knock on his door brought his attention back to reality, his placid smile returning to his face as easy as breathing. He straightened his posture and tidied up his desk a bit. He didn’t really care if he was a mess (as he was) but others cared, so he was well used to putting up a mask now. 

“You may enter.” The door swung open to reveal Mu Qingfang, bowing respectfully before stepping over the threshold.  

“Sect Leader.” 

“Ah, Mu Shidi. It’s wonderful to see you again. I didn’t miss a check-up, did I?” He smiled, but he only got up enough to greet him. It was odd for the doctor to come unannounced, and he really didn’t want another lecture on ‘learning to relax and destress’. Of course he knew Mu Qingfang meant well, but it just wasted time and never went anywhere.  

“No, you haven’t missed anything. I simply brought something for you.” Yue Qingyuan raised his eyebrow at that, but his curiosity was quickly satiated as Mu Qingfang revealed a small potted plant, incredibly small and simple. It looked a tad familiar... 

“Mu Shidi, this is...?” 

“It’s a clipping from a plant.” He set it down on the desk, leaving little room to refuse his gift. “Do you remember the medicine I brought to the last Peak Meeting?” 

“Hm? Oh, yes, I do. Does that have to do with the gift you’ve brought me?” Yue Qingyuan glanced at it again, a bit surprised something like that could have come from something like... this. He supposes by now he should know better than to judge a book by its cover.  

“Yes. This one is a clipping of the plant that produced the medicine. However, I brought it more for the sake of assisting your stress.” Ah. There it was. “As my Shixiong has repeatedly ignored this doctor’s advice to actually allow yourself to relax, I thought taking care of this plant might help you instead. Since Yue Shidi is so insistent on working.” 

He could feel daggers strike him every time Mu Qingfang called him out on his bad habits, but he only smiled and laughed as if it didn’t matter. It didn’t. But at least it seems like if he takes care of the plant, Mu Qingfang will stop bothering him about it... 

“I see. Then, thanking Shidi for his gift. I will do my best to take care of it.” 

“Mnh. Here.” Yue Qingyuan was handed a thin manual with “Plant Care” written on the cover. Before he could be a tad offended that Mu Qingfang thought him incapable of knowing how to raise a plant, he spoke up again. “This plant has some different care requirements than normal. Nothing difficult, but it could easily get sick or fail to grow if you don’t know them. If you have any issues, I should be able to help” 

“I will make sure to ask if I need it. Ah, will Mu Shidi be staying much longer...?” 

“No, I still have quite a bit to do, and I’m sure you do as well.” Mu Qingfang bowed and turned, getting to the door before pausing and glancing back. “Have a pleasant night, Sect Leader.” He left, shutting the door behind him as Yue Qingyuan relaxed with a sigh, slipping back into his chair and looking to the plant, and then the book in his hand. Really, it wasn’t a bad gift. It gave him something to work on when there was nothing else to be done. It simply felt strange to have his habits pointed out and worked around. 

Regardless, he opened the book and read through it carefully, finding it really was a strange little plant. It fed on qi... It might grow rapidly... ah, it was mostly vines. Perhaps it was a similar plant to the one he’d gotten Xiao-Jiu! It did make him wonder how Mu Qingfang got one so similar... He shook off the thought, best not to dwell on it. It was likely a coincidence, and it’s led to him having one more connection to Xiao-Jiu, so that was enough of a reason to care for it. First thing’s first... 

He got up and got the attention of a disciple, kindly asking them for a larger pot. If it grew quickly, he might as well replant it now. When he got the ornate pot and extra soil, he carefully went about shifting it from its original home to the next. It took a while, and more focus than he’d expected, to make sure the roots were properly buried and that it was properly centered for the best space to grow. He felt a gentle calmness as he followed the instructions of feeding it qi, watching it carefully with an underlying fear he would somehow mess up and ruin it. He let out a breath when he’d felt he’d given it enough, dusting his hands free of the soil before pausing. The dirt was a little dry... He’d best get a watering can. When he’d finished watering his plant he stared at it again, tapping his foot thoughtfully. It was still a little small to be on the floor... He’d best move it back to his desk. Though... It was a bit cluttered. It might not get the light it needs if he kept all these papers stacked up. He’d best complete those too. And the plant could use some- 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

He didn’t even notice the sun coming up, in the middle of checking the plant for any issues for the umpteenth time since he’d ran out of things to do for it. He probably would have continued to do so if his head disciple hadn’t come to check on him, bringing him breakfast and a report on the day’s upcoming tasks. He felt oddly listless as he listened, usually so eager for something to do. Perhaps Mu Qingfang had been right to give him this plant... It was still a bit early to say for sure, but it was certainly better than working himself to exhaustion or staring at the ceiling.  

He found himself working a little slower, glancing over at his plant and always finding something to do for it. He would gently turn it to let it get more sun, change its position so it wouldn’t be at risk of a stray elbow, and sometimes even just pausing his work to... watch it. His Head Disciple had been shocked to see a bit of work still needing to be done, asking if he was ill and needed him to call Mu Qingfang. Really now, it’s not as if he was normally that bad... Probably.  

After reassuring them a few times that he was fine, just that he’d been working a little slower and resting, he was left alone to finish up whatever work was left. As he finished up the papers he felt... odd. Usually seeing the stack dwindle bothered him but now he knew he’d still have something to do when they were gone. He felt more at ease once the last scroll was signed and he could fuss over his plant again which... It really was quite a bit bigger than it had been the night before. Not so much that it needed a new pot, of course, but Mu Qingfang really hadn’t been lying about the rapid growth. Though... Just to be safe, he could ask for increasing pot sizes in advance. Just to be safe... Which quickly turned out to be a good idea. ‘Growing Rapidly’ was a complete understatement, only five days into owning the thing and nightly feeding it qi (occasionally during the day, but surly if it grew this fast it needed more) it was much too big for his desk and even his office... Though his Head Disciple never complained about tripping over the vines, he was worried the plant would get hurt if it stayed in such a busy area.  

Thankfully, there was a solution. He’d never had much need for the secret room attached to his office before, it being mostly empty aside from gifts that he couldn’t reasonably get rid of but didn’t particularly want on display. Now the space finally had a use! It took a bit to move the gaudy, poor-taste gifts out but seeing his little plant firmly in the center of the room made it worth it. Though... He did need to change out the roof for something the sun could get through and put up an array to hide it. No time like the present! 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

The manual Mu Qingfang had gifted him had mentioned that the plant would eventually grow a bulb of densely packed leaves, so he’d expected to see it and even how large it would grow. He did not, however, expect it to talk. He’d at first assumed someone had snuck up on him, whipping around to see who had dared to follow him into such a personal area before he noticed the vines moving, curling and writhing slowly under his shocked gaze. It took him a moment to realize where the muffled voice was coming from, that it was his plant who was calling out to him. He almost didn’t notice moving from where he just was standing to where he was now, down on his knees and pushed up against the bulb, his body squished against its ornate pot. 

“Oh! Uh, are you alright...? You fell pretty fast, I uh... I didn’t mean to startle you.” Yue Qingyuan watched as the vines squirmed closer to him, though they didn’t do so threateningly. It was like they were sloppily trying to pet him, to comfort him.  

“Yes... I am fine. Please don’t feel as if you need to worry for me, I was simply surprised to hear you speak. I hadn’t... been informed you would.” 

“Oh, well that’s good then. I mean, I don’t think most people would expect a plant to speak, so it’s not like you’re weird for being surprised. You’ve been doing all this work on this seemingly normal plant and then TAH-DAH, your plant speaks!” He felt the thing shift as if uncomfortable. “I... I would have been freaked out too. Like, I’d get it if you didn’t... want to take care of me anymore.”  

Yue Qingyuan felt his heart drop, his fingers digging in on instinct before he quickly adjusted himself to smile despite the fear currently gripping him in a death hold. It’d only been a short time, but he’d already grown quite dependent on the constant busy work and comfort that came from taking care of his plant. Obviously, it couldn’t just leave, but even the possibility was... 

“You don’t have anything to worry about. I do not mind that you can speak, I knew you would not be a... conventional plant when Mu Shidi brought you to me.” 

“The Qian Cao Peak Lord...? Huh. I mean I guess he would have some weird plants, that makes sense. I think.” Yue Qingyuan hummed, thinking that over silently. It knew who Mu Qingfang was, but didn’t remember being brought by him...? Perhaps it’d simply heard about him as it had grown. It remembered being cared for, so it might have heard the reports given to him in the days that had passed. He always got so many, he couldn’t be sure if any mentioned Mu Qingfang... He was pulled out of his thoughts by his plant speaking up again. 

“So... You’re going to let me stay?” The hopeful lilt in his plant’s voice soothed his heart a bit, his smile becoming a bit more relaxed. 

“Yes. I would be quite happy to continue taking care of you, I have enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s been rather soothing.” 

“I- Really?” His plant seemed surprised, judging by the tone of his voice and the confused twisting of his vines. “Well... If you say so. It has been nice, having company all the time.” 

Yue Qingyuan could only smile at that, sharing much the same sentiment. Not being alone had helped his stress quite a bit and kept him from taking on work to fill the gaps. Though if his plant was going to be talking now... “Is there something I should call you? Or should I name you?” He really wanted to name him. 

“Oh yeah! My name is Shen Yuan.”  

... Shen Yuan. Shen... Yuan. He felt his smile wavering into a manic grin. How perfect... He wouldn’t have had the face to name the plant something like that; something so obviously connected to Xiao Jiu... But if it named itself... Well, he couldn’t ask it to simply change its name now, could he? He collected his facial expression but couldn’t hide the pleased heat painting his cheeks pink.  

“Then I will call you that.” He gently patted the bulb, finally standing back up as he dusted off his knees and took a good look at his plant. “Will you always be a bulb? Or will you flower eventually? The manual simply said that you would grow a bulb that would eventually fall away.” 

“Uh... Yeah, I guess ‘flowering’ would be an apt word for it. I get a human form! Or at least half of one.... I think I’ll get one at least.” His plant curled its vines anxiously so he gently stroked the bulb, hoping to soothe it.  

“It’s fine even if you don’t, I will take care of you regardless.” He could feel the bulb shudder and relax under his hand, a similar contentment settling in his core. “Now... I should make sure your vines are in a good condition. Please feel free to talk as I do.” 

“Oh, well if you insist... Do you know anything about-” 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

Surprisingly, very little changed with his plant speaking through the bulb, beyond now having conversation to keep him distracted as well. It felt almost natural to start doing so, he’d taken up singing to the plant long before it began speaking and any time the plant seemed to run out of steam, which wasn’t often, he’d begin singing again. Sometimes he could swear he’d heard the plant snoring as if he’d lulled it to sleep like a child. He enjoyed that almost as much as the seemingly endless chatter, so similar to the excited ramblings of the street children he grew up with whenever they saw someone in pretty robes or were gifted something small by someone with a kind or weak heart. Being near him felt like home, so it was no surprise he spent even more time fussing over his plant, that always seemed to have some small thing or another to fix. It was also not a surprise that because of that, he was there when Shen Yuan finally began to shed his bulb. 

The process was seemingly difficult, the leaves catching on one another and Shen Yuan struggling to part them, but he could manage with Yue Qingyuan there. Peeling back the layers of slimy leaves soaked his sleeves to a gross, tacky texture, but he didn’t mind. Getting to see the excited eyes of his Shen Yuan looking at him before they could see anything else was more than worth any discomfort he could possibly feel. Slime gushed around the rim of the pot, spilling over onto the floor from how much there was. The amount of dirt in the pot simply couldn’t soak it up fast enough, leaving Yue Qingyuan with yet another task to do later. He couldn’t be happier.  

When Shen Yuan was fully revealed, his bulb leaves all pulled off and tucked away, he was a bit wrinkly from being encased in liquid, his hair squished in weird ways and stuck there. It was comical and a bit gross, but Yue Qingyuan found it to be surprisingly cute. He couldn’t help gently stroking the still damp hair, making his plant squawk in surprise. 

“Eh-! Ah don’t do that, it’s all sticky! Eugh, it’s really gross actually... I hope this dries quickly... Oh that might feel worse actually...” Shen Yuan shuddered with a disgusted look on his face, hesitant to even push Yue Qingyuan away because his hands were sticky as if Yue Qingyuan wasn’t already covered in the stuff. Still, he listened and pulled away. If Shen Yuan didn’t like the feeling, he wouldn’t make him stay in it.  

“Then I’ll get you some warm water to clean you up, and some robes as well. I wouldn’t want you to get cold.” Yue Qingyuan got up and left before his plant could even begin protesting his help, his confused ramblings muffled through the door and quickly silent from distance. It didn’t take him long to return, but even in that short amount of time a lot of the slime had dried up and Shen Yuan was grumbling and trying to rub off what had dried as his vines writhed in frustration. He calmed a bit when he saw Yue Qingyuan though, his vines settling as he continued to rub at his arms.  

“Welcome back, and for the record I was right, this feels so much worse. EUGH! It’s so annoying too, it feels like being covered in cobwebs or something...” He continued to rant and ramble until Yue Qingyuan quietly wetted the towel he’d gotten in the warm water and began wiping down Shen Yuan who squeaked and reddened a bit.  

“A-Ahhh- You really don’t have to- I mean, thank you but like, I can... I can wash myself-”  

“It’s not a problem.” Yue Qingyuan smiled, gently wringing out the towel before repeating the process. “It’s my responsibility to take care of you, you don’t have to struggle on your own.” He wiped down Shen Yuan’s arm, glancing up at him to gauge his reaction. His plant seemed confused, perhaps flustered, but at least seemed somewhat convinced by his reasoning. “It’s no trouble at all to clean you.” 

“Right... Right yeah, I guess... We’re both guys, so that’s fine.” Yue Qingyuan wanted to raise his eyebrows at that reasoning, but if it helped his plant be more comfortable in his care, he certainly wasn’t going to correct him. Once he had fully cleaned off Shen Yuan, having double and triple checked, he pulled out the robes and began dressing his plant himself. The outfit was just spare disciple robes for now. He would have had something else made much earlier had he known, but this would do. Yue Qingyuan left his plant’s hair down however, not tying it up in any way as it felt almost intimate to see him with his hair down, seeing something one wouldn’t normally show. For a moment he expected to be questioned, for his plant to call him out on not providing a hair ribbon but Shen Yuan didn’t even blink in suspicion, like it didn’t even occur to him that the omission was strange. Perhaps it wouldn’t be, for a plant. 

He finished up helping Shen Yuan into his robes and smiled gently at his work. He’d hadn’t had much time to appreciate it earlier, but he looked surprisingly similar to Xiao-Jiu. His features were a little softer, and his expression much more curious and innocent, but he couldn’t help feeling like he’d somehow influenced his form with his own desires... Best not to dwell on that too much.  

“Are you feeling better now A-Yuan?”  

“Mnh, yeah a lot better. That felt awful.” His little plant yawned, tired from all the work shedding his bulb despite Yue Qingyuan having been the one doing most of the work freeing him. Regardless, this made the Sect Leader a little worried about how his plant would rest comfortably, after all there wasn’t much in here to be suitable as a bed for a half human plant. He could have something made of course, but nothing could be made that quickly... Though... 

“... If A-Yuan is tired, should I bring in something for you to rest on?” 

“Mnh...? Oh, uh... I mean it’d be nice, but you don’t have to do that much...” 

“Ah, yes it would be difficult... But it wouldn’t do for you to hurt yourself sleeping poorly.” He smiled brightly. “You can sleep against me until I can bring in something better for you.” He watched as his plant startled at the idea, clearly doing mental gymnastics around the idea until he received a tentative nod. He was quick to adjust his position, pulling over a stool over so that Shen Yuan wouldn’t have to lean over too far, gently leaned against his shoulder with a sheepish expression on his face. 

“You’re sure this is alright...? Won’t you get tired? Or like, if something happens...?” 

“A-Yuan doesn’t have to worry, I won’t get tired and if something requires my attention, I will adjust you so that you do not simply fall over.” 

“That’s not really...” Shen Yuan looked up at him before sighing as if he was giving in to a ridiculous request and settling back in to sleep with a big yawn. “Whatever, if you get uncomfortable you can wake me up.” 

“Of course. Sleep well.” Yue Qingyuan watched his plant fall asleep almost immediately despite the previous hesitancy, even drooling after a bit of time passed. It was criminally endearing, especially as Shen Yuan got more comfortable, wrapping arms around Yue Qingyuan and snuggling into him without a hint of restraint. Even as the sun was far past the horizon he didn’t dare move even a single finger. Shen Yuan didn’t wake up until well past noon. 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

Once Yue Qingyuan had gotten a personally designed lounging bed for Shen Yuan, despite wanting to keep the excuse to have him lay against him, he was a bit worried his plant wouldn’t need him for much. He was thankfully quite wrong. Shen Yuan got bored incredibly easily and read through books Yue Qingyuan brought him much faster than he thought he would. Though, perhaps his plant was just skimming them. He didn’t have much in the way of entertainment, he’d never needed to before. He began putting in orders for a bunch of random reading materials ranging from classical literature to manuals. Most of it just got a casual thank you or an awkward smile if he chose particularly poorly but one book got a reaction he really hadn’t expected. It had been a shot in the dark to grab some bestiaries from various areas after he’d heard Shen Yuan mumbling about creatures in his sleep. Despite having been raised with Yue Qingyuan ready to give him anything, he still had moments where he’d decide not to voice his thoughts or desires as if he thought it might be rude to do so. That seemed to go out the window when he saw the books, Shen Yuan barely greeting Yue Qingyuan before overtaking him with flailing, eager vines and nearly tearing the books from him and squealing.  

“Oh my God!!! Do these have ALL the animals?? I mean obviously they won’t have anything from the abyss, but this one is even on demonic beasts! Are they fully researched? Do they include plant monsters? Oh, I’m so excited these are gonna be so COOL-” As Shen Yuan focused on the books his vines slipped back into their normal relaxed state, letting Yue Qingyuan maneuver further into the room to sit beside him.  

“Then... A-Yuan likes these books?” 

“YES! Ahhhh, thank you so much, Gege!” Yue Qingyuan froze, staring at Shen Yuan who seemed to slowly register the words that came out of his mouth. “A-Ah... I-I mean, uh... I didn’t mean to-” He flushed pink, looking down shamefully as if he’d done something wrong. “I’m sorry, it just kinda slipped out but I won’t-” 

“No!” Yue Qingyuan shouted, making his plant jump a bit before he cleared his throat, reeling in his expression to a placid smile. “No, A-Yuan doesn’t have to feel sorry for that. I don’t mind.” 

“Oh... Really?” Shen Yuan looked up at him with hesitant excitement, clutching the books to his chest. “You don’t have to just go along with it if you don’t want to-” 

“No, really, it’s fine!” Yue Qingyuan smiled more, gripping the pot edge so hard it felt like it might crack. “In fact... I would be quite happy if A-Yuan called me Qi-Ge.”  

“Oh... well, I’ll call you Qi-Ge then!” Shen Yuan smiled, bright and playful. “Thank you for the books, Qi-Ge!” 

“Of course, A-Yuan. Anything you want, Qi-Ge will get for you.” He stroked Shen Yuan’s hair, ruffling it a bit so he’d have a good excuse to comb it later. Normally his plant would fuss a bit, but he didn’t even seem to be paying attention to him as he was much too engrossed in his new books. It was definitely impolite, but there was no reason for Shen Yuan to be taught manners. He wouldn’t be seeing anyone else, so he could be as childish and rude as he wanted. Only Yue Qingyuan would get to see.  

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

It didn’t take long for Shen Yuan to get fully used to asking for things after that, asking Yue Qingyuan for books on this, for a toy to keep him entertained when Yue Qingyuan was out, for more pillows and blankets because it wasn’t cozy enough and for Yue Qingyuan to stay just a little longer. Yue Qingyuan might have been spoiling him, but he was happy to fill each and every request... except for one. After a month or so of developing his human half Shen Yuan had begun to ask to see the outside world. He’d at first asked in a roundabout way, trying to wheedle Yue Qingyuan into bringing up the topic of actually going outside by saying he wanted to see a certain bird or mammal, only to be mildly disappointed when Yue Qingyuan would simply bring the creature to him instead, or a book dedicated to the creature if it was too dangerous or difficult to find. He never seemed to stay disappointed long, far too interested in the creatures to really pout about it, but it kept coming up until finally his plant asked him outright.  

“Qi-Ge, when can I go outside?” Shen Yuan was lazing back against his lounging bed, holding one of his many books over him as he quietly flipped through the pages. He didn’t even look at Yue Qingyuan when he asked, missing the way the man flinched at the question as if burned. He fixed his posture and expression before responding, still gently trimming bad leaves from Shen Yuan’s hip. 

“... Why does A-Yuan wish to go outside so badly? Is there something you want? You know I can get it for you-” 

“You can’t get the outside Gege!” Shen Yuan huffed, setting the book aside after slamming it closed in an act of defiance far too similar for Yue Qingyuan. “I don’t want anything from the outside I want to be outside. All these cool things are out there; there’s so many places to see but I can’t do that from here!” He was glaring at Yue Qingyuan, but when he didn’t relent or smile and instead grew a much firmer expression it was his plant who quailed instead. “I... I mean...” 

“A-Yuan.” His voice stayed low and firm, the clippers set aside as he gazed at Shen Yuan who’d yet to experience Yue Qingyuan be firm about anything. “I know it might be uncomfortable at times, but you cannot go outside. You are already so fragile, and others might react poorly towards you, or hurt you.” He reached his hand up, gently stroking Shen Yuan’s cheek as he smiled despite his eyes still being cold and vapid. “A-Yuan understands right? I will bring you whatever you want, but you cannot go outside.”  

Shen yuan stared at him, shivering for a moment before nodding. “I... Okay. I... I won’t ask Qi-Ge again. Promise.” Warmth returned to Yue Qingyuan’s face at the agreement, patting his plant’s head gently. 

“Good. I’m sorry to be so firm with A-Yuan, but it really is far too dangerous outside and it’s so easy for A-Yuan to get hurt.” He stood up, patting down his robes before looking up to Shen Yuan again. “Is there anything A-Yuan wants?” 

“.... Can you open the roof? It gets too warm in here when you aren’t here to cool it off.” Yue Qingyuan hummed. It wasn’t an unreasonable request... but with what just happened he wasn’t sure he could trust it to not be some sort of escape plot. His little plant has always been adorably stubborn, even to his own detriment.  

“.... I will ask for an artifact to cool off the room for you, how does that sound?” He smiled placatingly and Shen Yuan nodded, his own smile a little awkward and forced.  

“That sounds good Qi-Ge. Thank you.” 

“Anything for A-Yuan.”  

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

He was able to get a cooling artifact quite easily, placing it in the corner of the secret room and activating it whenever he would leave only to turn it off again when he returned. It seemed to work quite well, Shen Yuan always snuggled up in his many blankets and dozing when Yue Qingyuan came back. It was never on all that long, half a shichen at most. It didn’t seem like there were any issues with it so when he came back from a meeting that had run long, the sun long since dipped past the horizon, he had not expected to see anything besides a lazy plant reading and relaxing. He did not expect to see that very plant shivering almost violently, curled up in blankets with his vines tucked up against himself covered in frost burns. The room was bitingly cold, something it should NEVER be. Since the tool had never been used long before, it was never able to make the room cold enough to be even concerning. He should have tested it before he gave it to him or asked more about it. He’d been too careless. 

As he stood there in the doorframe, Shen Yuan took notice of him, his face red from the cold. His expression was one of bleary confusion and pain, his breathing shallow as if sick. It almost seemed like he hadn’t expected Yue Qingyuan to return, like he’d been sure of being abandoned.  

“Q... Qi-Ge...?” 

He was able to move when he heard Shen Yuan’s voice, though the first thing he did was obliterate the artifact, the thing shattering completely as he reached Shen Yuan, checking him all over and only getting more distressed the more he searched. His vines had clear burns from the cold, his hip leaves had all but withered and when he felt his face it was clear he’d developed a fever. So much had gone wrong so quickly, he’d become complacent with nothing having gone wrong in so long and he would lose something he cared for all over again-  

“G... Gege is here A-Yuan, don’t worry. It’ll be alright, Qi-Ge promises it’ll be alright.” He felt himself panicking, his heart thrumming in his chest as his mind raced to find a solution. He couldn’t go just anywhere for help, and leaving his plant in search of something to fix him could take too long... Mu Qingfang. He had the same plant, he HAD to, for have a clipping to give him. He would have an idea of what to do, and he wouldn’t have to waste time explaining why he had such a creature. His mind settled as he picked up Shen Yuan in his pot, the human half still bundled in blankets and slung over his shoulder. “Just a little longer A-Yuan, you’ll be better soon-”  

As he rushed out he was surprised no one stopped him, though perhaps that was because he was simply the Sect Leader and if he was rushing it must have been important. With how tightly bundled Shen Yuan was as well you could hardly even see the top of his hair, so it just looked like a strange plant and not something half human. He nearly broke Mu Qingfang’s door from how quickly he opened it, startling the doctor and the many vines that did their best to sway or lift out of his way as he carried Shen Yuan to Mu Qingfang. 

“Sect Leader? Has something happ-” 

“Please Qingfang-” He cut off the doctor before he could even ask why he was there, his eyes pleading and desperate. “I... I left him too long with an artifact to cool the room, he’s terribly sick and I have no clue how to help him. Please, it’s all my fault and I-” His panicking was cut off by the doctor lifting his hand and sighing. 

“Set him down. I can’t do anything with him over your shoulder.” Mu Qingfang helped him carefully set the pot down, Yue Qingyuan holding Shen Yuan up as the blankets were pulled from him, making him whine and cry as his body trembled from fever shivers. As Mu Qingfang tested his meridians and called out for the vines around the room to bring him certain medicines Shen Yuan began blearily calling for Yue Qingyuan despite him being right there. 

“Qi-Ge... Qi-Ge it hurts... I’m cold...” Yue Qingyuan gently soothed him, stroking his hair and holding him tight to his chest to support him.  

“Shhh... Shh... It’s okay, it’s going to be okay... Gege is here. Don’t worry A-Yuan.” Because he was busy comforting his plant he didn’t notice the strange look Mu Qingfang was giving him, as if he was making connections mentally. He’d gone back to administering medicine before Yue Qingyuan had a chance to notice, though even if he had it might not have mattered much. He wasn’t in much better of a condition than his plant was, having stressed himself halfway to a qi deviation. He only began to calm when the medicine started kicking in, Shen Yuan’s fever lowering enough to where he could fall asleep, now slouched over the bed with a bunch of pillows supporting him as Mu Qingfang wrote up a report and a prescription to help the plant ease back into health. This left Yue Qingyuan awkwardly standing in the center of the room, feeling out of place with all the silence he’d become unaccustomed to.  

As he began to look for something to do his eyes wandered back to the few vines still in the room doing tasks, the ones that that rushed out of the way when he’d entered. He followed them back to a side room he’d known to previously house just Mu Qingfang’s medicinal plants, now with a half human plant monster very similar to his own situated in the prime plot of the room surrounded by other plants. He looked surprised to see him, fretting back and forth for a moment before bowing.  

“Ah! Greetings to the Sect Leader-” The plant stayed bowed over, though he shyly glanced up at him as if unable to fully contain his curiosity. Yue Qingyuan was still finding it hard to respond, since the plant was so similar to his own. His looks, his voice, the way he was awkward and shy but still never able to fully restrain himself... Though plenty was still different. For one he was dressed in Qian Cao Peak’s colors with his hair done up just enough to keep his hair out of his face. He also had been taught proper manners, refusing to stand up until allowed. His own plant didn’t even seem aware that one should bow, though it’s not as if it was his fault. He never wanted him to know.  

He snapped back to reality when he noticed the poor thing trembling slightly from the effort of staying bowed over, waving his hand and smiling politely. “Ah, you don’t need to bow to me. It’s alright. I apologize for entering this space without your permission.”  

The plant only smiled and shook his head, stretching a bit as he bent back upright. “You’re the Sect Leader, there’s not really anywhere you can’t go. It’s nice to finally meet you! Uh, and your plant, apparently. Is he alright? I couldn’t really get a good look from in here.” He sat politely but it was clear he was eager for information, almost vibrating with the desire to demand to know more. A comforting and familiar sight. 

“Ah, yes, he seems to be doing better now. Thank you for asking...” He paused, unsure what name this plant had. His had named himself, but he wasn’t sure if this one had as well. 

“Oh, you can call me Xiao Zhiwu. It’s what the Doctor calls me.”  

Oh. Cute. Shockingly simple, but he couldn’t say it didn’t suit him. He opened his mouth to respond when the plant grew excited and he could hear Mu Qingfang’s voice from behind him.  

“Sect Leader. If you would, I have a few things to discuss with you...”  

“Oh, of course.” He turned and smiled at Xiao Zhiwu. “Thank you for speaking with me, Xiao Zhiwu. I hope to see you again under better circumstances.” As he turned to follow Mu Qingfang, he could hear Xiao Zhiwu give an agreement before Mu Qingfang ushered the vines back into the room and shut the door. Yue Qingyuan was then handed a prescription for fever reducers and medicines to help with vine health so they wouldn’t rot or wither from the injuries. 

“I will have my Head Disciple deliver the medicine to you for as long as your plant is exhibiting symptoms. It would be best if you could bring him in for regular testing...” He couldn’t help the way he bristled at that, which got him a long-suffering sigh from Mu Qingfang. “But I understand that may not be possible. I can visit if needs be, but I also bring this up because it would be best to proactively strengthen your plant’s health.”  

“Ah, yes... I suppose that would be best, but I’m not sure he could withstand any real training...” As he fretted over the idea Mu Qingfang rolled his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.  

“... Has Sect Leader Qingyuan forgotten that dual cultivation can bolster health without much effort expended?” 

... Oh. He had, actually. His slightly shameful look got a disappointed look in return, though Mu Qingfang, being the professional he was, didn’t dwell on it long.  

“If Sect Leader requires manuals to refresh his memory-” 

“Ah-! Really, that’s not... Necessary. I simply had forgotten the option existed...” He looked over to his sleeping plant, once again bundled up and drooling on the blankets. “I shall... I shall bring it up with him. Thanking Mu-Shidi for his assistance tonight, I’m sure you must be tired.”  

Mu Qingfang simply bowed in response, standing to the side as Yue Qingyuan gently scooped his plant back up, making sure he was well covered and supported so that no one would really see him as he took the long walk back to his peak. Thankfully it was so late now no one was up, or at least not wandering around. The overbearing silence of a world asleep would have bothered him before, but now as he carried Shen Yuan in his arms it felt... peaceful. A smile graced his lips before he gently kissed the bundle of blankets, his cheeks warm and his heart pleasantly light for once. 

***** 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ***** 

It took some time for Shen Yuan to wake back up, blearily blinking up at Yue Qingyuan, who had stayed right by his side since he brought him back and settled him into new clothes and against his lounging bed. When he noticed Shen Yuan coming into consciousness he stood up immediately, grabbing his hand and rubbing circles into the back of it. 

“A-Yuan! How are you feeling? Is it too cold? Too warm? If you need more pillows, I’m certain I can-” 

“Q-Qi-ge I’m okay...” Shen Yuan coughed and shivered, sitting up with the help of Yue Qingyuan holding his back steady. “What happened...?” 

“You became ill because of the artifact I was using to cool your room... I’m so sorry, I should have checked and made sure it wouldn’t have hurt you by letting it run longer on my own. It was my mistake, but I promise to do better. I won’t fail again so-” 

“Ack-! No, Qi-ge it’s fine, really! I- cough, I promise I’m okay, you don’t need to apologize so much... I didn’t know either.” His plant smiled up at him, cheeks still a bit rosy from being bundled up in blankets and the previous fever. It only made Yue Qingyuan feel worse, but he did his best to hide it by hugging Shen Yuan tightly. 

“Then... A-Yuan still feels safe here? He doesn’t wish to leave?” 

“Ah, I mean... Realistically, where would I go? I don’t mind being with Qi-ge! It’s not so bad. Plus, I feel better now so it’s not worth worrying about when I wasn’t.”  

Yue Qingyuan smiled. Sometimes his plant could be oddly simple, flipping between easy to please and nearly impossible to understand. He gently stroked his hair, watching as his plant easily leaned into his touch as if it was where he was supposed to be. Where he would ALWAYS be. 

“I see, that is a good way for one to view it. Thank you, A-Yuan.” He let himself rest in the calm between them for a moment, but he still had to bring it up and risk that peace. It was much more important for his plant to be healthy than for himself to enjoy any rest. “A-Yuan...” 

His calling brought Shen Yuan’s attention back to him, tilting his head curiously as he stayed leaned up against Yue Qingyuan. “Yeah, Gege?” 

“Would... ahem, Mu Qingfang brought up that it would be wise for us to focus on bolstering your health so that you won’t get quite as sick again.” 

“Oh, yeah, that would probably be smart but like... I’m not really sure how good I’d be with a sword or anything and it’s kinda cramped in this room-” 

“I was worried about that as well, but he brought up that there was... another way to boost your cultivation without much, ah... effort, on your part. If A-Yuan would be persuadable...?” He watched as his plant started at him blanky for a moment, seemingly trying to process his question before his whole face turned cherry red and bit his own tongue from stumbling over his words so much. 

“I..?! With you?? And the- B-But we’re both guys??? Does that even work??”  

“.... Yes?” Yue Qingyuan started at his plant with a mix of disbelief and confusion. Truly, the poor thing was difficult to understand. Normal things to be bothered by never phased him, and things that were normal always seemed to send him into a panic. He’d once brought a book on aphrodisiacs and had watched his plant nearly faint from reading the title. He’d quickly gotten rid of it and had avoided the subject since, but it was unavoidable now... 

“I understand if A-Yuan is unwilling to with this one, but...” He frowned and settled onto his knees, still gently holding Shen Yuan’s hand. “I worry too much for your health to not even try. Even if I must find someone you would be comfortable with, I will, I just hope that A-Yuan will let me fix my mistake...”  

Shen Yuan faltered at his words, his cheeks still blazing but his expression fickle as he seemed to go back and forth mentally on what to do. He was muttering to himself about “no woman who doesn’t belong to-” or “if it’s just for health...” before finally he let out a deep breath and slumped over slightly.  

“Ah... Okay, yeah, this is fine. I don’t really want to get sick again and if it’s just so I’m... not predisposed to dying then it’s probably fine!” Shen Yuan laughed awkwardly as if he was still trying to convince himself of this, but Yue Qingyuan was happy to push him over that edge, so to speak.  

“Of course, A-Yuan doesn’t have to worry. Qi-ge will take very good care of you, I promise.” He gently stroked his hair again and smiled comfortingly which seemed to soothe him enough to settle down. Now that he had accepted.... He had to figure out how to do this. Obviously, it wouldn’t be exactly the same as with another human but HOW different it was going to be was still up in the air.  

“Alright... Then, if A-Yuan would allow me to undress him...?” He waited for Shen Yuan to relax, sitting back to allow Yue Qingyuan to begin undoing his robes for him. He was careful not to startle him, treating him like a frightened kitten as he pulled off each layer until Shen Yuan was bare before him, trembling slightly. He couldn’t tell if it was from the chill of being unclothed or the nervousness from doing something so intimate, he didn’t dare to guess. As he disrobed, he could only know for sure that for him, it was the latter.  

Once they were both stripped of their clothing he took the moment to really look at and explore Shen Yuan, the softness of a slightly pudgy belly from being well fed, the satin feel of his unblemished skin from being kept locked up safe and sound, the way his eyes wavered uncertainly when they met his own... He let out a soft shuddering breath as he gently brought a handful of hair up to his lips and kissed it gently, watching as Shen Yuan became flustered with that adorable look of panicked confusion on his face. He could only smile in response, shifting so that he could set Shen Yuan’s back against the pillows on the bed so that he would be comfortable.  

“Qi-ge will be very gentle.” He got a squeaked “okay” in response as his he looked for where he could enter, noticing the tightly packed petals he’d only barely noticed while bathing him were beginning to unfurl and shiver. When he hesitantly touched the petals Shen Yuan squirmed, gasping out a startled moan. If it was going to be anywhere, it was here. Though, if it was just an entrance, he wondered why his plant was so hung up on being male... Ah well, it didn’t matter.  

As the petals revealed the entrance to his precious plant he was hit with a distinctly sweet smell, so much so it was almost too sweet. Something the youthful craved and the older tended to shy from. It felt all so... comforting. He gently pressed his fingers to the hole, feeling the slick nectar that had begun to drip from his lower petals. 

“Does it feel alright A-Yuan?” He prodded a little further in, making his plant writhe as his usually lazy vines began to twist and shiver. He was either unable or unwilling to speak up about how it felt, only letting out bratty whines and shaky moans as Yue Qingyuan’s fingers explored his insides. It wasn’t long before Yue Qingyuan’s hand and part of his arm was completely covered in slick, though he didn’t mind much. He would have done more but the point of this was Shen Yuan’s health. Futzing around and exploring his body wasn’t going to do that. 

He pulled his fingers out and gently stroked Shen Yuan’s hip with his still clean hand to soothe and relax him. He wouldn’t want to hurt him after all. When he began to line himself up, he could see his plant flinch under him but when he looked up to question what was wrong all he saw was his plant looking at his length in abject horror.  

“A-Yuan? Is something wro-” 

“Is that even going to fit???” He practically squealed the question, staring directly at it like it was going to bite him. “There’s no way that’s not the biggest, how could...” His voice faded off as he just began mumbling to himself, but Yue Qingyuan still couldn’t help but preen a tad at that. Everyone enjoyed being complimented once in awhile. Still, he made sure to comfort and reassure his plant, smiling all the while.  

“Don’t worry A-Yuan, I promise to be gentle. You can tell me if it hurts.” He carefully pressed the head of his length to the trembling petals, rubbing against them at first to gather the nectar onto his shaft before shifting his hips and sliding the head in without too much resistance. Well, little resistance from the hole at least. Shen Yuan let out a keening whine and practically yanked his hair as he slipped in, not that he minded. It was cute, and the pain wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He gently comforted him, whispering words of encouragement as he rocked more of himself in slowly. He had to bite his own lip to keep himself from getting lost in the feeling, reminding himself that this was for Shen Yuan. It wasn’t the time to be greedy.  

“There we go, you’re doing very well. Just relax, Qi-ge will take care of you.” He nosed at Shen Yuan’s neck as he slid in, all the way down to the base of his cock. He’d noticed Shen Yuan’s vines slipping around his legs and torso as he’d gotten further in, the lazy things simply draping over him. When he began to move however... that changed QUICKLY. When he first snapped his hips back into Shen Yuan’s flower not only was his hair pulled but all the vines suddenly constricted, a force so crushing it would have snapped the limbs of a lesser man. He let out a surprised breath, shuddering from the vines that were wrapping around his torso and chest like they were intending to crush him all while Shen Yuan moaned and writhed beneath him like he was unaware he was even exerting this much force. He had to focus his qi to not only feed into Shen Yuan for circulation, but to reinforce his own body so that he wouldn’t be snapped in two. His plant was so untrained he had no clue how much force he could use, or how to restrain himself. He smiled, not letting any of the pain show on his face as he kept up the pace like nothing had happened at all.  

Soft, purred praises slipped from his lips for Shen Yuan as his length hit deeper in long, steady thrusts that left his plant trembling and whining for more. For how much he put up a fuss about this, he really was enjoying it quite a bit. Truly, he must have spoiled him rotten... but that was alright. He would happily savor this sickeningly sweet flavor so long as he could.  

He gently leaned down to kiss Shen Yuan, purring joyfully when his plant responded to that by wrapping his arms around him and tangling his fists into Yue Qingyuan's hair, messing it up even further as his hips sped up and his length began to tremble. He panted whenever he could get a second to breathe, his head foggy from the lack of air and the effort of keeping a stable pace while being crushed and yanked on. He wouldn’t have it any other way, and when he could no longer hang on, he shoved himself down to the hilt and groaned as his spend mixed in with the nectar inside Shen Yuan. It almost felt like his plant’s stomach had distended a bit, both from his length and the warmth he had shot inside of him. Shen Yuan could barely even mumble, his eyes dazed and his lips trembling uselessly as his vines began to relax and drop back down to the floor.  

It was quite the sight to behold honestly, his plant in a daze and covered in sweat with messy hair and fingers still tightly tangled in Yue Qingyuan’s hair so that he couldn’t even begin to get up. Not that he particularly wanted to in the first place, but it was still quite endearing to see his plant subconsciously trap him. Since it seemed neither of them were going anywhere anyways he settled in, careful to not crush him, just enough to snuggle with him as he let the time pass by until Shen Yuan would awake again.  

°°°° (⁠;⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠) °°°° 

Ever since that stupid meeting Shen Qingqiu has been frustrated. He KNOWS what that so called ‘medicine’ was, but there was no way Mu Qingfang had ever come close enough to his plant again to collect THAT MUCH, so it had to be from another plant. How the hell he’d gotten one when supposedly this one had been the last attempt, he had no idea, though he wouldn’t have been surprised if that moron had been lied to just to make a sale. That wasn’t important right now though. What was, was finding out what the hell Mu Qingfang had up his sleeve. He’d tried and failed for a while now to catch him off guard, to corner him when he was off his peak but frustratingly the man never seemed to leave and if he went anywhere it was always short notice and to somewhere Shen Qingqiu couldn’t or wouldn’t make much of a fuss. It was frustrating, but he’d have to face him on his own grounds. Bastard. 

At the very least he could show up unannounced, several disciples trying and failing to stop him or just dipping out of his way outright. He might not be a brute like Liu Qingge, but he was no more pleasant to deal with when angry. He slammed the door to Mu Qingfang’s office open, only to be greeted by a bunch of very familiar looking vines organizing the room, or at least trying to. Several had dropped the items they were holding as if startled by his sudden arrival. He locked eyes with Mu Qingfang behind his desk, narrowing his eyes disdainfully.  

“Mu Qingfang.” 

“Ah, Shen-Shixiong. I see you’ve decided to pay me a visit. Please, feel free to sit anywhere. Oh, and please shut the door.” Mu Qingfang barely reacted to his presence, as if he’d been waiting for him and been wondering how long it’d take him to show up. Shen Qingqiu growled under his breath and shut the door, striding over to him gracefully as the vines simply shifted to allow him to do so without having to step over them. As he stood in front of the table Mu Qingfang set his paperwork aside, sitting calmly despite the ticking time bomb in front of him.  

“.... You have questions for me?” 

“What the hell is all of this?” Shen Qingqiu motioned to the room, specifically at the vines that had gone back to work like nothing had happened. “Where in the hell did you-” 

“I took a clipping from your plant, since you didn’t wish to allow him to go through testing, I raised my own. It’s been quite the lucrative decision-” His sentence was cut off by Xiu Ya being pressed to his throat, though he looked no less calm. 

“You DARE to-” 

“Before you rant further.” Mu Qingfang looked up at him blankly, like one would look at a child throwing a tantrum. “Because of what I dared to do, I know much more about this species of plant than we ever could have if you had simply kept yours hidden away. Including how to treat their illnesses and properly feed them.” He opened a drawer in his desk to pull out a book, holding it out for Shen Qingqiu who begrudgingly put away his sword to take it. To his annoyance it really was filled front to back with important information he never would have thought to look into. In fact, it had even more than he wished to know, flipping past some pages about their ‘flowers’ before tossing it back down to the desk.  

“Fine. It’s better than you poking around what’s mine, but since it came from mine, I would like to request it back.” His eyes narrowed, a challenge more than an actual request, but even still Mu Qingfang seemed unphased.  

“I think you’ll find them to be quite different despite their similarities. You can try to convince him though, if you’d like. I won’t stop you.” Mu Qingfang went back to his work as Shen Qingqiu scoffed at him, but he did still think it over before turning and following the vines into the side room where a very similar plant to his own was anxiously sitting there, staring at the doorway where he now stood. 

“Uh... Hello, Peak Lord Shen.” It bowed awkwardly, as if unsure how to treat him. It stared at him like it didn’t trust him not to attack, as if he was some kind of wild creature. He couldn’t help his face narrowing further into a cold glare, startling the thing further. Mu Qingfang might be right, the thing might look like his own plant, but it certainly didn’t act like him. He gazed around the room filled with other plants and bright lights, the perfect environment for something like him. It wasn’t worth trying to uproot the thing. 

“... Hpfh. You certainly seem to be doing well for yourself here.” 

“I... Yes? Thank you?” It tilted its head and looked at him curiously. “Am I... not supposed to be? I’d rather be comfortable than not if I’m being honest.” 

“For something that came from someone so sturdy you seem rather delicate.” Shen Qingqiu stepped a bit closer, watching the plant shift back just slightly. 

“Came from... Wait, YOU’RE the one taking care of the one I came from? YOU?” They stared at him in open confusion like that was somehow the most unbelievable thing. “Are... Are they still alive?”  

“How dare you-!” As he lifted his fan to smack the thing and it flinched into covering itself... he found himself unable to swing at it. The stupid thing had his Yuan Ye’s face and he found himself unable to hit it, simply gripping the fan and fuming instead. “... He is fine. He’s not so weak as to crumble under my care.”  

He watched it slowly on furl itself, peaking at him with an odd look from having not been hit. “Oh... I see. Uh, good. I’m glad about that. The other one wasn’t doing well so I’m glad the one I came from is healthy.” 

Shen Qingqiu paused, looking up at the plant suspiciously. “Other one...?” 

“Oh right, the Doctor took a clipping from me and gave it to the Sect Leader. I didn’t get a good look at him, but it seemed like he was sick.” 

Shen Qingqiu groaned. “Of all the people to give a clipping to and it’s THAT moron-” 

“I don’t think it was anything bad enough to call him a moron about it.” The plant huffed, but a glare from Shen Qingqiu had him biting his tongue. “They... They at least seemed close. The Sect Leader really cared for him, and I heard his plant calling him Qi-ge which was kinda cute.” 

The silence that followed that was deafening, Shen Qingqiu frozen with a look on his face somewhere between shock and seething rage. The plant squirmed a bit as the silence stretched on, hesitantly speaking up again.  

“Is... Is something wro-” 

“IT CALLS HIM WHAT?!”