Snfishfjsicnsu svsss au scumcum/jiuyuan okay go
“Do you know how to dance?”
“Not well.”
Shen Yuan said, absentminded as he focused his attention on dragging his fingers through the other male’s unruly feathers. Shen Jiu just hummed thoughtfully, stretching his left wing out under Shen Yuan’s skilled fingers.
“I suppose I’ll have to see your skill with my own eyes, your self doubt makes you quite the unreliable narrator.”
Shen Yuan snorted at that, switching to the other wing as he listened to Shen Jiu’s musings. It’d been a few years since he’d been sent to the Shen estate as a valet for the ill-tempered son of some haughty nobles. He was a crow—what business did he have working for a family of secretary birds?
Shen Jiu shared the sentiment, unwilling to give Shen Yuan the time of day. The relationship began to change after Shen Yuan got Shen Jiu out of a tricky situation. It wasn't some sudden "Oh I love my valet, I trust him with my life" type of things. It was an event that made Shen Jiu willing to give Shen Yuan a chance to do his job.
Afterwards things just developed naturally. There was no romance—not yet at least. The relationship between the secretary (ironic) and the crow had become more of friends—even best friends (on a good day). Shen Jiu found Shen Yuan's opinions on the romanticized tropes commonly found in stories quite entertaining.
Shen Yuan clapped his hands together as he finished preening the wings of his lord. There was a party that Shen Jiu needed to attend. He normally showed up alone, escorting nobody and enjoying the life of a single bird. This party however, was a matchmaking party. Those with partners would be there to show off, and those without would be there to find love. If Shen Jiu's attendance wasn't required he wouldn't be caught dead at one of those parties.
"Will you be escorted by Lord Liu?"
Shen Yuan asked, feigning curiosity as he began to comb through Shen Jiu's hair. Shen Jiu crinkled his nose, letting out a snort.
"That brute? Don't even joke about that."
Shen Jiu said with a roll of his eyes, shooting Shen Yuan a glare through the mirror of his vanity. Shen Yuan rolled his eyes.
"He's not that bad."
"All he ever thinks about is fighting. My tastes are far too refined for a man who's muscles work faster than his brain." A joke, Liu Qingge was nothing short of a genius, flawed only in social intelligence. "Plus, he's going to be escorting Mu Qingfang this time around. They've finally stopped their dancing around one another and confirmed the relationship, we were there when it happened."
Shen Yuan's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't expecting that.
"You're joking."
Shen Jiu met his eyes through the mirror, an eyebrow raised in disbelief as he took in Shen Yuan's genuine confusion.
"Shen Yuan, we were invited to their betrothal party."
Shen Yuan's hands stopped moving, pausing in Shen Jiu's hair.
"That was their engagement party?! I thought it was a union party, like to celebrate the joining of the families!"
"Yes, it was a joining through marriage. Surely my valet is not this dense?"
Shen Yuan shook his cluelessness off, murmuring a small "Can't believe they're really engaged." before changing the topic.
"So then... Sir Shang?"
Shen Jiu shot him a warning look and Shen Yuan backed off with a roll of his eyes.
"Lord Yue? Lady Qi?"
"That man will come nowhere near me. Lady Qi's situation is quite complicated."
"Oh, did something happen to her? I've been to busy reading this new novel to check the news."
"She ran off to elope with her handmaiden."
"WHAT?"
The look Shen Jiu gave him through the mirror made Shen Yuan's paper thin face flush with embarrassment. He cleared his throat as he tied Shen Jiu's hair up.
"Ahem... So then... Who are you escorting then?"
Shen Jiu let out a snort at that—as if he was amused that Shen Yuan even had to ask.
"If not you then who else?"
"Oh, so it's me huh..."
Shen Yuan nodded absentmindedly, the information not really clicking fora few seconds later.
"Wait ME?"
"Why else would I ask about your dancing skills?"
