While Ling and Bao are drinking and watching the tournament fight Qiu demurely follows Qing back to her room. Once the door closes behind them Qiu attempts to speak but is forestalled when Qing raises her hand to stop her. The caramel skinned beauty moves to a mark on the wall and channels her qi into it causing various symbols around the room to briefly light up, a low hum on the very verge of human hearing filling the room.
“You can speak freely now, Qiu. I’ve added additional privacy formations on top of the standard ones the sect provided, nothing short of a Nascent Soul elder will be able to listen in on anything we say.”
“That’s perfect.” Qiu replies and gives an apologetic bow. “First off, sorry for the drink. Ling said it'd be best to discuss things in private without tipping anyone off."
"Tsk, what does she want?"
"She wants to know whether you intend to continue the current agreement or not."
"The nerve of her." Hu Qing huffs. "Speak freely Qiu, what do you think we should do?"
"Before that there's something I need to ask, I promise I won't be mad regardless of the answer."
Qing's eyes narrow. She taps her chin in consideration before deflating and gesturing at her to go on.
"I already told you no one can hear us in here."
"Alright, I'm not good at subtlety so I'm gonna be blunt. Did you try to have Ling killed back during the diplomatic meeting?"
Hu Qing falters for a moment, thrown for a loop at her words. Of all the possible questions that was not one she had been expecting. What she expects even less is the twinge of pain she feels at Qiu’s accusation. She sighs and turns away to hide her blush. ‘This is why I fell in love with you, Shen Qiu.’ Her heart flutters at the pure trust she shows. ‘Despite nearly perishing, you still believes I set it all up to free you.’ In Qing’s mind Qiu has come to her and entrusted her with words that could easily be seen as treason should they get out. All it would take would be to mention it to Ling and not only would Qing gain her favor for revealing Qiu’s perfidy but likely a spot in her inner circle as well. Many would kill to get closer to a Li yet Qiu is willing to wager her life on Qing’s intentions. She smiles ruefully as she starts to change, determined to redouble her efforts to get the girl out of Ling’s grasp.
“I did not. I would never have risked your life in the attempt, Qiu.” She finally replies while turning back to the redhead. The first thing she sees is her widening eyes dropping lower to her bared chest before they slide off again.
“Huh, that’s convenient.” Qiu mutters.
“Why is that?”
“I’ll never be caught staring.”
“Well, maybe I want you to.” Qing replies, anger sneaking into her voice as she speaks. Qiu blushes when the caramel skinned beauty walks towards her still in the nude. “I want you to look at me, Qiu. I promise I'll create an opportunity to get away from her. When I do, will you elope with me?” She asks while taking Qiu’s hands in her own, her grip trembling while she clutches them like a lifeline. Qiu smiles warmly and presses their foreheads together. She wraps her arms around the trembling girl and holds her until she calms down.
“Qing. Listen to me.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you promise?”
“Of course.”
“Because it seems like you didn’t listen last time.”
“Huh?” Qing rears her head back in surprise, concern plain on her features as she tries to figure out what the redhead means. Qiu closes her eyes so the girl won’t be bothered by the effects her body’s constitution has and gently ruffles her hair.
“I don’t need you to free me from her. We’re a team. Me, Shun and Ling are partners, Qing. Don’t try to get me away from them.” She smiles warmly. “Come join us. Be one of us, Qing. It'll be great. Maybe I can’t look straight at you yet but if it bothers you I promise we’ll find a way to change that.”
“I wonder why only Lady Li has been able to pierce my constitution’s ability so far.”
“She’s special like that.” Qiu replies proudly. With her eyes closed she cannot see Qing gather her courage and lean forward to place a quick peck on her mouth. Stars dance in front of Qing’s eyes when their lips touch. She dashes back out of the redhead's reach before she has a chance to answer, licking her lips when Qiu opens her eyes and looks at her.
“Q- Qing?” Qiu stutters in surprise. “What are you doing?”
“Please, be mine. I need this, Qiu.”
She steps forward once more and plants a kiss on her neck while the freckled girl stands stunned. Qiu snaps out of it and grabs her by the shoulders. Her breath catches in her throat when the full breadth of the snake eyed girl’s feelings sets in. She racks her brain for a solution. Her fondness for the caramel skinned beauty won’t let her simply dismiss her feelings let alone scorn her, especially now that she’s told a dangerous amount of things to her that could come to harm Ling should she share them. Nor can she simply accept her and go with the flow without it being a betrayal to the two she loves most. She does not know much about relationships but cheating on them is the last thing on her mind. All that does not even consider her own feelings which she has yet to parse.
Qing mistakes her hesitation for expectation and takes the initiative slipping one hand into her tunic and pulling it open so her lips can latch onto Qiu's freckled shoulder where it meets her neck. Qiu lets out a surprised gasp, her uncertainty leaving her paralyzed whilst the other girl interprets it as permission to go further and lower her hand to the redhead’s bosom. She panics when Qing’s fingers invade her undergarments, simultaneously stepping back while pushing the girl away.
“I- I can’t do this.” She stutters while shaking her head erratically and rushing out. Her thoughts race while she makes her ways through the halls, desperately trying to compose herself. ‘Ling will know what to do.’ Repeating the simple mantra over and over in her head she makes her way back to the arena. Her composure cracks a little more when she finds the large hall nearly empty and devoid of either Ling or Shun. ‘Right, interrogating Bao. Maybe she’ll be back already.’ Walking just a bit too fast to come off as calm she heads to Ling’s room and bangs on the door.
“Ling, it’s me. I’m back.” She receives no answer. Pacing back and forth in front of the door for several minutes she eventually gives up and heads to her own room next door. She channels her qi into the lock to verify it’s her and crashes onto her bed once inside. Curling into a fetal position Qiu simply waits for time to pass by. After an hour she gets back out of bed and checks Ling’s room again, silence being her sole reply.
She considers going to Shun to ask for advice but knows the brunette is likely already struggling with the stress due to having to perform on stage and needs her sleep. The room spins in her view while she sits listlessly. Her head pounds from overthinking. She attempts to meditate to calm her mind and gather qi for the day ahead but finds herself unable to reach the right mindset. She lets herself drop backwards with a groan, arms and legs splayed wide as she stares up at the ceiling as if it holds the answers to all her problems.
Blowing a lock of fiery hair out of her eyes she rolls onto her side and taps her fingers across the floor. She goes over every action she’s taken both today and every other time she has met Qiu to try and determine how things ended up this way. No matter how much she goes over their every interaction in her mind she can’t figure out why the demi spirit fell for her. They barely even talked to each other. She groans into her palms while kicking her legs. Several more times throughout the night she checks for Ling, her desperation growing and her mood darkening with each failure.
She hugs her knees to her chest when she imagines the cold prodigy somehow knowing what occurred and ignoring her because of it. She imagines the look of disdain in her eyes, her and Shun’s figures growing smaller as they go further and further away from her while she sits in the dark. Slapping her face she takes a long breath and decides to talk things out with Qing before she informs Ling. She composes herself and freshens up, finishing just in time for Shun to come pick her up as they make their way together to Ling at their appointed meeting time.
Putting a carefree smile on her face she chats away with the two, slowly turning her fake levity into the real deal. Her stomach drops alongside the temperature when Ling turns towards her with fury in her eyes. She freezes in place, the events of yesterday seeming to repeat themselves. Ling slips one hand into her tunic but whereas Qing gently pulled it aside the ice princess wrenches it open. Qiu’s breath catches when she notices the hickey left on her shoulder.
“Qiu, what the hells is this?”
Her chest tightens and she struggles to draw breath through the pain. A stinging, pulsing pain that threatens to take her consciousness as she struggles to gasp out a reply, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
“I… I can explain.”
“Oh ho, can you now?!” Ling shouts while lifting her off her feet by her collar. Qiu’s tunic cracks from the frost qi invading it as Ling’s black hair begins to billow behind her, her ocean eyes chilling the redhead to the core. One hand gently squeezes the princess's shoulder while another softly lands atop her clenched fists.
“LiLi, give her a chance. This might be a misunderstanding. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Please, LiLi. For us.”
Ling turns to Shun with teeth bared in anger. While the brunette manages to suppress most of her reaction the way she flinches slightly is enough to shake Ling out of her outburst. Her fingers slowly unclench, the skin cracking before she thinks of unfreezing her hands. For the briefest moment fear flashes through her eyes when she realizes her powers burst out unconsciously. With all the restraint she can manage she reins in her qi and takes a single step back, her muscles tense with barely restrained fury.
“Speak then.”
Qiu lets out a long breath to buy time while she thinks of what to say. She hides her trembling hands behind her and straightens her back like a soldier giving a report. Her jaw sets and she looks Ling straight in the eye, desperate to clear up the misunderstanding and hope the girl understands she meant the best for them all.
“A- as you ordered I went with Qiu in order to gather information. She didn’t order the attack on us, I'm completely sure of that now.”
“And what of our dealings, does she intend to uphold them?”
“...I still have to ask about that.”
“Well isn’t that awfully convenient.” Ling hisses through gritted teeth. “An excuse to go back and continue whoring yourself out to her is it?”
“What? No! Nothing happened, Ling. I wasn’t able to ask because I panicked and ran when she… when she…” Her face reddens and she averts her eyes. “I tried to come here. First thing I did but you weren’t here! Where were you, Ling?”
“You do not get to question me!” Ling spits while her fingers curl in frustration as if to claw at her. “I was getting results. Bao’s practically eating out of my palm now. The most skilled concocter of our age at our mercy. All in a single night while you were so busy letting Qing have her way with you that you didn’t even get the information we need! The information without which we’ll be in the dark when our lives are at risk!”
“I didn’t know what to do, Ling. I still don’t. Tell me, Ling. What the hells was I supposed to do?”
“We will speak of this later.” Ling replies emotionlessly, “At length.” A cold fury burns within her chest as she considers what to do about Hu Qing. Her anger at Qiu has mostly vanished during her rant, the sole thought in her mind on how to make the demi spirit cur pay for what she did to Qiu.
