@stonemaskedtaliesin @tamsinswriting @kalira for wip wednesday, june 24 2026, in "androcles' lion" (anthology)
Jaw tensed, brows creased, wildness about the eyes as he gripped Shang Qinghua by the shoulders and said... something or the other.
Shang Qinghua was, perhaps, a little distracted at the moment. He should really pay more attention to the words being said and less attention to the arterial spray decorating the mouth saying them.
As it turned out, red suited Yue Qingyuan extraordinarily well. Who knew?
“Yue-shixiong,” Shang Qinghua said.
Even to him, his voice sounded a little distant. But it was enough for Yue Qingyuan, who almost instantly relaxed. “Shang-shidi,” he said, looking so relieved that it was as if Shang Qinghua had miraculously come back from the dead.
How long, exactly, had Yue Qingyuan been calling out that name?
