Untitled

But also, I raise you Shen Yuan shielding his twin from any interaction that could trigger him.

Shen Yuan seeing how much Shen Jiu hates being touched, so he becomes the tactile twin who is just always there, throwing an arm around the shoulders of their martial siblings. Shen Yuan who notices his A-Jiu's patience is wearing thin and draws all the attention to himself. Shen Yuan who happily greets any visitors and takes them on a walk around their peak so that Shen Jiu can remain in the bamboo house undisturbed. Shen Yuan who is so dramatic that nobody sees the slight shake of Shen Jiu's hands after something reminded him of their past.

Give me Shen Yuan who uses his inner hater to innocently and eloquently dismantle the confidence of anyone who dared insult his A-Jiu. Without blinking or tarnishing his own reputation.

Give me Shen Jiu whose hackles smooth with a sigh as soon as he's alone with Shen Yuan, and Shen Yuan whose smile falls once he doesn't have to perform anymore.

Give me Shen Yuan pleading with Shen Jiu to tell people what has really been going on with him, to explain the trips into town or anything really. Give me Shen Jiu saying he's tired and doesn't want to talk about it, and Shen Yuan staying silent as he plots revenge on his twin's behalf.

Give me Shen Yuan being the twin nobody gets past, the one commonly acknowledged as "the hurdle to get through if you want to talk to his twin" and doing it in a way that nobody notices until they're already back in their own home.

Imagine him doting on Gongyi, at first because he feels bad for him, being destined to be overshadowed, replaced, and unceremoniously tossed offstage by binghe in the future

But then he does actually grow attached to him. Gongyi is so sincere, he admires his kind shizun and looks at him as if he hung the moon. He's a righteous and upstanding young man. And Shen Yuan adores him.

Now imagine the immortal alliance conference. Imagine the Binghe who was mistreated by the original Shen Qingqiu catching a glimpse of Gongyi Xiao and his doting teacher and he sees a life he was never meant to have.

Maybe he just sees them for a moment before the event, Shen Yuan giving his head disciple a little pep talk before hand. Letting Gongyi Xiao know that he's already proud of him, no matter how he preforms, but he knows Gongyi will excell regardless. (He doesn't want him to feel too discouraged when binghe outperforms him.)

Or Binghe happens to witness Shen Yuan rushing to Gongyi Xiao's aid once things have taken a turn for the worse. He sees Shen Yuan check Gongyi over for injuries, his brow creased in concern.

And when Binghe is pushed into the abyss by Shen Qingqiu that's what his mind goes back to. The huan hua disciple and his kind shizun. Why couldn't he have that? Why did he have to be treated the way he was? Why why why

And the thoughts persist through his time in the abyss.