why do we keep calling him shizun he has a name /j

First off, this is an omegaverse au because the rituals of it tantalize me. Also mpreg reasons, I won't lie to you.

It's canon divergence at Jinlan City, post-abyss, pre-watee prison.

SQQ has never presented, the original goods in canon was assumed to be a pretty bitter beta, instead of what he actually was: so mentally and physically stressed that his body refused to make itself vulnerable by having a presenting heat/rut. Now, SY!SQQ has been more relaxed for awhile now, (excluding, ya know, the IAC and the widow years but even that is better than Mr. PTSD himself Shen Jiu) so when he runs into grown up Alpha Luo Binghe, smelling like cinnamon and warmth and comfort and honestly home-

Despite SQQ's fears, he slips into a presentation heat. He hurts and he feels alone and he has horrible cramps and he's not at home and he's confused-

By the time Binghe comes to his inn room that night, SQQ's so retreated into his instincts/nest that he doesn't care or notice Binghe's presence until he's close enough to smell.

And he wants. So, of course, Binghe is dragged into SQQ'S nest. He tries to be respectful (protect his maiden heart) by leaving but SQQ refuses to let him, just keeps growling whenever he tries and purrs when he stays. Binghe stays.

Nothing happens at first, just a lot of scent marking and cuddling. In the morning, SQQ wakes to find Binghe in his nest and panics, practically shoving Binghe out. Binghe, despite himself, is caught off guard so much that he bursts into tears on the spot. Which makes SQQ panic even more, his new scent of matcha tea desperately trying to soothe (his) Alpha. Which makes Binghe cry even more.

Eventually, words are said, SQQ half delirious in his heat begging for forgiveness and punishment in the same breath, Binghe sobbing because he's both so loved and so feared and he didn't plan for this-

To the rest of Cang Qiong Sect, it's all quite sudden, one minute Beta SQQ is constantly in grief and alone, the next, he's an omega smelling of pure joy and love, clutching to his miraculously alive disciple.

Binghe defends SQQ and offends the OPM when he tries to get SQQ arrested, using his charm and well pointed arguments (protagonist halo) to protect SQQ.

They return to Qing Jing and it's barely a season before they're married. Of course, to Bingqiu, their relationship didn't develop so fast, there was a lot of arguments and miscommunication along the road and they were not even close to the end of it but the important thing was that they were walking it together.

Now, before we get to the tragic part, let's check on Bingliushen part.

There's no five years of dead SQQ so no hate really grows between Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe. Talking his feelings out with his Shizun/husband makes Binghe realize the jealousy he felt as a boy was two sided; he wasn't just jealous of Liu Qingge and his closeness with Shizun, he also wanted Omega Liu Qingge's attention himself.

Binghe didn't just want Shizun, he wanted his Liu-Shishu and that delicious vanilla scent. Binghe is determined to do this right so he begins attempting to court Liu Qingge properly, his Shizun assisting (but insisting he was only gay for his husband (he still has some shit to work through.)).

Liu Qingge isn't sure what to do with this attention on him. Luo Binghe was just a boy, young and brimming with potential, and now he's here, a man with desire in his eyes and a sharp grin on his face. He isn't sure how to feel about it, so he doesn't.

Things officially start going to shit when Luo Binghe's demon status is revealed. SQQ does it as quickly and as casually as he can, tossing out the benefits of having the literal demon emperor on his side. Enough of the higher up peak lords react well enough to keep the entire sect from freaking out but YQY in particular is unsettled, having faced Tianlang-Jun himself.

Which is when the OPM inserts himself.

He acts like the wronged party, trying to help YQY save his Xiao Jiu Qingqiu-shidi, telling YQY about how manipulative alpha heavenly demons are, about how Huan Hua Palace lost their brightest star to the last one and how YQY must act swiftly and decisively before Binghe drives SQQ to the same end his father lead Su Xiyan.

YQY, of course, doesn't trust OPM completely but his own jealousy and genuine concern for SQQ overrides that distrust. It is odd, SQQ's sudden presentation, their quick relationship development, how LBH had started digging his claws into HHP only to switch to CQS, how he was going after, of all people, yet another peak lord, how accepting SQQ and Qing Jing are in general of a heavenly demon- and didn't SQQ's personality drastically change once he started taking Binghe under his wing?

YQY prepares to take down another heavenly demon, enlisting the help of his peak lords. Some refuse to help, insisting YQY actually talk to SQQ and Binghe (Mu Qingfang) and others accidentally revealing their 'true' loyalty (Shang Qinghua), but others agree to help (Liu Qingge).

The ambush is sprung when Binghe is visiting to try and court LQG, he usually came alone.

Binghe was caught off guard, what felt like all of Cang Qiong rising up to attack him. Despite Xin Mo's starved demands and his own honest fear for his life, Binghe still wasn't fighting at his all; he didn't want to hurt his sect or the people his Shizun considered family.

Despite YQY's best attempts to keep him out of it, SQQ arrived on the scene, warned by his system of a threat to his Happily Ever After, an achievement rewarded not long after Bingqiu's marriage.

SQQ's appearance admittedly worsens the situation, now both YQY and Binghe frantic to win.

When Xin Mo sends Binghe into a deviation, YQY gains the upper hand. SQQ tries to intervene but LQG holds him back as YQY practically tears Binghe to ribbons. SQQ collapses in LQG's arms as the system declares the mission failed and the HEA lost before going into hibernation.

Despite Binghe being in literal pieces, this isn't enough to kill a heavenly demon so YQY has the pieces spread far and wide and buried.

YQY eagerly awaits when SQQ wakes up, hoping the man has reverted to his old self, freed of the demon's influence.

The SQQ that awakens is bitter and snappy and altogether rather unpleasant to be around, just like the SQQ of old, but he is like that in defense of the demon. Either it takes more time... or YQY failed.

YQY refuses to believe that and has Mu Qingfang check SQQ for any ill influence. It is during this examination that it's discovered SQQ is pregnant, with Binghe's child. Well, that explains it, doesn't it? As long as the parasite remains, so will the demon's influence.

But SQQ refuses to rid himself of the child and Mu Qingfang refuses to participate in this whole thing, especially forcing an abortion on SQQ, and YQY isn't trusted or allowed in SQQ'S house so he ask LQG for help. OPM lends YQY the abortifacient, of course, don't ask why he had it on hand or anything.

LQG awkwardly agrees and visits SQQ with some totally normal tea, which SQQ stares at before drinking and then asking to tell LQG a story.

He tells LQG about a cultivator who fell in love with a heavenly demon and became pregnant. About how her master found out and trapped her and poisoned her, in the hopes of killing the fetus. How the cultivator escaped and died, absorbing the poison so her child might live. How when SQQ dies, due to the same choice, the same sacrifice for his treasure, he hopes LQG knows he killed SQQ.

LQG flees the bamboo house, ashamed.

YQY's actions have drastic consequences, beyond his grieving and furious shidi. The fragile peace SQQ and Binghe were building between the human realm and the demon realm shatters with the slaughter of their emperor.

Shang Qinghua renounces his sect for the attack on Binghe and then swears vengeance when Mobei-Jun is grievously injured (MBJ is on bedrest while his queen fights for him and assists the currently trapped empress.) Liu Mingyuan flees Cang Qiong for her own demonic mate, having one last teary fight with her brother before doing so.

YQY has all of SQQ'S food laced with the abortifacient and SQQ can't not eat it, inedia is not an option while pregnant and even poisoned food is food. LQG visits, often, and SQQ psychologically torments him purposely and on accident. His grief was hard to watch when SQQ refused to admit it and was trying to appear put together. The SQQ who realized and got everything he could ever want, only to lose it all, is worse, refusing to wear anything but his husband's robes, even as his cinnamon scent begins to fade from them. He taunts LQG with SQQ'S lost affections for him and for the slighted love Binghe felt for LQG as well. LQG is horrified but isn't sure if he believes it but he can tell SQQ isn't lying. As SQQ'S pregnancy's end approaches, Mu Qingfang begs him to call him for the birth.

SQQ gives birth alone in his nest, crying out subconsciously for a mate that won't come. The poison having weakened him plus the birth itself takes a serious toll on SQQ but he refuses to die before his treasure, a darling daughter with eyes and a huadin like her father, is safe. LQG catches sight of SQQ fleeing, with a basket in his inner robes, wobbly on Xiu Ya.

When LQG catches up, SQQ is preparing to place a seal over his daughter's demonic heritage, one that can only be broken by himself. Upon seeing LQG, he flies into a defensive, heartbroken, and betrayed rage, falling to his death despite LQG'S attempts, dying while clutching the now faintly cinnamon smelling robes.

LQG is now alone with a wailing baby. Luo Binghe's wailing baby. Shen Qingqiu's wailing baby. LQG hides her and then reports SQQ'S death to YQY, claiming the child must have died as well. YQY is shattered and goes into long term seclusion.

LQG is overcome with guilt, now believing that Cang Qiong was tricked and had done Bingqiu a grave injustice. He chooses to raise their child as his own, as penance, naming her Liu Yaobao, jade treasure. He seals her demonic heritage, with a far less effective seal then the one SQQ planned to use and introduces her as his daughter and disciple after enough time had passed where the idea of her being the lost bingqiu child didn't immediately come to mind.

Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi definitely know but considering their now increasingly unstable sect leader, the rising threat of Huan Hua Palace, and the burning anger of the demon realm, they ain't saying shit.

Yaobao grows up having no clue that's she adopted or part demon. While on her first night hunt, she is drawn to a mysterious stranger with a smell similar to her own, tending to a black and red lotus. Before she can confront him, however, she is pulled back to her group and returns home, missing the look of surprise and recognition on the stranger's hooded face.

History is a circle and when the IAC arrives, around when Yaobao is 12, her seal is broken and her heritage revealed, in front of the worst possible person; YQY. LQG goes to defend her but YQY is listening; Yaobao is so similar in appearance to her late demon father, only her hair is straight and silky, like SQQ'S. The physical embodiment of Bingqiu's love and how he lost SQQ. Fortunately, SQH shows up with MBJ and rescues the two of them.

Now, Tianlang-Jun broke free while Yaobao was in infancy, taking the role of Emperor, with a mysterious Empress by his side. Everyone assumes this Empress is Tianlang-Jun's wife but, surprise, surprise! It's Shen Yuan, mushroom edition!

He's not exactly pleased to see Liu Qingge but considering his daughter is alive and safe because of him and she's calling him, 'baba', he's not going to kill him or anything.

Shen Yuan has been trying to reassemble Binghe this whole time and had assumed Yaobao had been killed or left for dead, until he spotted her on that night hunt so of course he plotted to bring her home.