Title: Happy Together (chapter two: BingQiu Week Day Two)
Summary: BingQiu Week Day Two: Royalty AU. Shen Qingqiu is a minor noble. Luo Binghe is the long-lost heir to the throne.
The halls were filled with gossip. The nobles, the maids, the guards, everyone was talking, and all about one man.
He was, apparently, the long-lost son of TianLang-Jun, the king. TianLang-Junâs pregnant wife, Su Xiyan, had gone missing while traveling, and she had been presumed dead. Now, Luo Binghe had appeared, eighteen years old and an accomplished swordsman, with the necklace TianLang-Jun had given Su Xiyan as a courting gift.
He was believed immediately; absolutely nobody had any doubts that he was telling the truth. Everyone talked about how handsome he was, how charming he was, how skilled he was.
Shen Qingqiu felt that his story was a little farfetched, but who was he to complain? He didnât care who became king. Shen Qingqiu was only minor nobility; barely noble at all. It was none of his business. Besides, he hadnât even met the man â nor did he care to.
He cared far more about his books.
He was sitting in one of the gardens, reading his book. Though it wasnât private, this garden wasnât especially popular, so it was usually fairly empty. It meant that the sound of an approaching crowd was even more obvious than it might usually be.
Frowning faintly at the interruption, Shen Qingqiu looked up â and directly into the dark eyes of Luo Binghe. Though Shen Qingqiu hadnât met him, and didnât know what he looked like, Luo Binghe was immediately recognizable by the royal purple edging on his black clothes. Even if not for that, though, Shen Qingqiu thought he would have recognized him anyway. Some of the descriptions heâd heard of Luo Binghe went through his mind â breathtaking, the most handsome man in the kingdom, unfairly pretty, the very personification of attraction.
Yeah. Those things definitely fit this man. Especially when his expression, previously calm and serious, lit up with a smile as he met Shen Qingqiuâs eyes.
Shen Qingqiu wasnât bad looking, but this man was gorgeous.
Luo Binghe wasnât alone, of course. The crowd Shen Qingqiu had heard was Luo Bingheâs entourage. Guards, advisors, and admirers crowded around Luo Binghe, more than a dozen people in all.
Better him than me, Shen Qingqiu thought. The thought of being subjected to it himself horrified him.
Aware of propriety, Shen Qingqiu dragged his eyes off of Luo Bingheâs features (which were unfairly pretty indeed) and back to his book. After a moment, however, it became unavoidably obvious that Luo Binghe was walking towards Shen Qingqiu. There was no other reason for him to be aiming for Shen Qingqiuâs little corner of the considerable garden.
Oh no. That could be bad. Shen Qingqiu couldnât think of anything heâd done wrong, or anything heâd done that could have offended Luo Binghe, but there were no good reasons for the crown prince of the kingdom to be approaching Shen Qingqiu, either.
Shen Qingqiu stood as Luo Binghe approached, and Luo Binghe stopped directly in front of him. He was still smiling, bright and somehow delighted. The entourage stopped a polite distance away, though they were definitely still eavesdropping.
âShen Qingqiu?â Luo Binghe said.
Heart pounding, Shen Qingqiu managed a nod and a bow. âYes, Your Highness,â he said.
And then Luo Binghe dropped to one knee in front of him. Shen Qingqiu just about had a heart attack. What was that! Prince, what were you doing!?
Luo Binghe offered a ring to him. It was a nice ring, with a diamond inlay. Shen Qingqiu stifled a scream.
âShen Qingqiu. Will you marry me?â Luo Binghe asked, still smiling. He seemed happy. He seemed as though this was normal, like he was asking his boyfriend, a person heâd actually ever even met before.
The entourage, previously silent, burst into hushed chatter.
Shen Qingqiu only did not react by pure strength of will and many years of practice at court. Inwardly, he was freaking out. What was he supposed to do now! He couldnât just say no to the crown prince of the kingdom! But how could he say yes!? Theyâd never even met!
Why was Luo Binghe proposing to him!?
The silence dragged on a little too long. Luo Bingheâs smile started to falter.
They needed to talk about this. Obviously. Shen Qingqiu needed to get Luo Binghe to explain. But not in front of The Entourage.
Shen Qingqiu reached out, grabbing Luo Bingheâs arm (which was audacious and presumptuous, but oh well!), and pulled him to his feet.
âExcuse us,â he said briefly to the entourage before dragging Luo Binghe away.
Once they were in a different corner of the garden, which seemed remote and private enough, he let Luo Binghe go. Shen Qingqiu took several quick steps away before turning back to Luo Binghe.
Luo Binghe was frowning, now, ring still held in one hand. Was it Shen Qingqiuâs imagination, or did he look hurt? âWhatâs wrong?â he said.
What was wrong. What wasnât wrong!
âWhy are you proposing to me?â Shen Qingqiu said. âWeâve never even met!â
That was definitely hurt on Luo Bingheâs face. âWe â havenât we? Donât you remember me?â
Shen Qingqiu allowed himself a short, controlled flail. âI really donât. When would we have met?â he asked.
âItâs been a few years,â Luo Binghe said slowly. He let out a humorless laugh. âI guess I shouldnât be surprised. Of course I wouldnât have left as big of an impression on you as you did on me.â
âIâm sorry,â Shen Qingqiu said, starting to feel like he was the bad guy here. He was also intimately aware of their different stations.
Luo Binghe shook his head. âDonât you remember me at all, A-Yuan?â he said.
A frisson went down Shen Qingqiuâs spine and he couldnât help but jump, startled. It had been years since anybody called him by that name. Nobody had called him that since his parents died, and he was sent to live with his cousins⌠Sent here. From the city heâd grown up in.
Heâd been born in Cang Qiong city, and wasnât that the same city Luo Binghe claimed to be from?
But Luo Binghe was younger than him, he was eighteen to Shen Qingqiuâs twenty-two â he wouldnât have been very old when Shen Qingqiu moved. Ten, probably?
It hit him like a horse-drawn carriage.
When Shen Qingqiu was a child, heâd become friends with an orphan, a few years younger than him. Little Binghe. Binghe had been so small, though, heâd always thought there were more than four years between them. Malnutrition, probably. Shen Qingqiu had snuck him food, when he could. Had taught him to read. Had shared what little swordsmanship he learned with him.
Binghe hadnât had much to offer in return. Heâd given Shen Qingqiu little gifts â pretty rocks he found in the river, flowers he thought smelled nice. A couple of times, heâd made earnest promises about giving Shen Qingqiu real gifts. Gems instead of rocks, roses instead of wildflowers. Heâd talked about marrying Shen Qingqiu a couple of times. Shen Qingqiu had always thought of it like a young child wanting to marry their best friend. Nothing serious.
Then Shen Qingqiuâs parents had died, and heâd been sent off to his nearest relatives. Heâd never gotten the chance to say goodbye to Binghe.
He hadnât recognized the name. He hadnât thought of Binghe in a long time, and besides, the Binghe heâd met before was an orphan, certainly he never would have associated him with this man, the crown prince of the kingdom.
Shen Qingqiu staggered backwards a step, feeling like heâd been slapped. âBinghe?â he said.
It was foolish. Obviously, Luo Bingheâs name was Binghe. But Luo Bingheâs expression brightened.
âYou remember?â he said, delighted.
âI⌠I remember,â Shen Qingqiu said. âIâm sorry. I never got to say goodbye.â
Luo Binghe shook his head. He was smiling again. âItâs okay. Iâm just glad I found you again.â
He stepped closer to Shen Qingqiu and lifted a hand to cradle his cheek. Luo Binghe was standing very close, Shen Qingqiu noted. And Luo Binghe was taller than him now.
The shock broke. Shen Qingqiu remembered that this ridiculous man had found him for the first time in eight years and immediately proposed. He pushed Luo Bingheâs hand away from his face and scowled at him.
âWhat were you thinking, proposing out of the blue!â he scolded, whacking him gently on the forehead with the book he was holding in one hand. âItâs been eight years! Give a man some warning!â
âI told you I wanted to marry you, before,â Luo Binghe protested with a pout. âAnd now I can. I can give you real gems! Iâll give you all the presents you want. Iâll give you a proper wedding.â
Shen Qingqiu hesitated. He actually considered it for the first time, the prospect of marrying Luo Binghe. The crown prince of the kingdom, this unfairly handsome man, the cheerful little kid heâd willingly spent most of his time with from the ages of ten to fourteen.
It wasnât⌠entirely unappealing. And his family had been trying to get him to marry, anyway.
âHow about we try dating first?â he said with a sigh.
Luo Binghe beamed like Shen Qingqiu had already agreed.
pixelskylines
gamechangershow
gracieabrams
yousharknotpass
ellievsbear
2087
prguitarman
